Tsukimiya-san...
I can't accept... an ending like this.
Huh?
You're alive!
I'm so glad.
N—
No!
Hey, what's the big idea?!
Wada! Dude!
You see, Tsukimiya-san suddenly...
Get out of here!
Who are you?!
Huh?! Wait, what're you talk—
Holding Daggers!
Be quiet and still, trespasser!
Atsunaga-kun, what were you doing backstage?
Uh, well. It was a coincidence!
A coincidence?
Tsukimiya-san, it's me! Narihira Takeru!
Takeru?
I don't know you.
You don't remember me?
Re:Birth Verse
Episode Two You Can't Build Trust with Words! This Delinquent Will Be an Onmyoji
Bureau of Onmyo
Seimei-sama, it is time for the chief adviser's kemari game.
Kazura, please attend in my stead.
I want to go!
Not you, Shino. You're too competitive.
Let me out, Macho Grin!
I've known Tsukimiya-san for a while now!
Stop lying!
Atsunaga?
I saw the fear you called forth in her lovely eyes,
Is that a monkey in that cage?
Shall we go take a look?
and you'll stand trial here at the Bureau of Onmyo!
We even ate together!
Hah! Impossible!
You must have been dreaming!
Tsukimiya-san often graces my dreams with her presence, too.
Don't lump me in with you, Horny Macho Grin!
My, how noisy.
It's you, Hareaki!
He's Seimei-sama!
He called you "Hareaki."
You remember me, don't you?!
You are so rude!
Have we met before?
Why don't you remember?
You needn't engage with him.
He's been spewing nonsense ever since—
I'm telling you, I'm legit!
I fought an oni in the black mist, and I got impaled!
Then the next thing I knew, I was on that stage.
You fought an oni?
Not possible, when you're not even an onmyoji!
I sent it flying with my fist!
For a joke, it isn't very funny.
But is it a lie, or the truth?
I agree. I'd rather just cut to the chase.
A Narihira family motto:
"You can't build trust with words.
Demonstrate it with serious action!"
Let me go up against an onmyoji.
That's the quickest way.
It's been thirty minutes. What are we doing here?
He wants to see your powers, as you two are still candidates to become Five Stars.
Come on, power from that time!
Do your thing!
I thought this would prove interesting, if his story were true.
Hey.
Have some respect for onmyoji!
This is a disappointment.
Let's ask him a few questions and send him on his way.
Genbu
What the hell's going on here?!
None of it makes sense!
Oh hey, this place...
How come it's not finished yet?
Plus, Tsukimiya-san and the others didn't remember me.
Fifteen days until completion
Have I ended up back before she gets killed?
You're that guy from before.
Tsukimiya-san!
H-Hey, has this stage ever been built in the past?
It's been a century since a stage was built here.
A century?!
It's because it's built for each Centennial Pandemonium.
The emperor's chief adviser will come to watch the first performance.
VIPs had come to watch, like the emperor's chief adviser.
That's the one!
When's that chief reviser guy going to come watch?!
Chief "adviser," not "reviser."
Um, I think in half a month.
Half a month.
So, that's what's going on!
Thank you!
Anyway, this time I swear I'll protect you!
Now I'm sure. I went back before that time.
Tsukimiya-san got killed the day after the reviser came to see the show.
Black mist
Day two
Sold out
This time I will protect her.
And for that... I've got to get insanely strong!
Genbu
Been waiting for you, Hareaki.
Oh, it's Take-pyon!
What brings you here?
Teach me... that onmyo technique stuff!
Do you have any idea whom you're addressing?!
Aren't you curious about my power? I did beat an oni.
Combine my power with onmyo techniques, and wild stuff will happen.
Don't you think that sounds interesting?
That "power" ended up being all talk.
Where does this baseless confidence of yours come from?
All right.
I agree.
You have the nerve to come back after that earlier humiliation.
Now that's a part of human nature I find interesting.
This will only last one week, though.
Unless you can demonstrate the wild stuff you mentioned by then,
you'll have to atone for your numerous discourtesies.
Okay, it's a deal!
Wood
Water
Fire
Metal
Earth
"Onmyo techniques" refer to using spiritual power to convert the five spirits
arising from wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, thus invoking a range of effects.
Mhm.
Nearly every human is born with spiritual power,
but to gain command over onmyo techniques,
those with the right aptitude must train for many years
in order to enhance their spiritual power.
The more power they can manipulate, the higher their prowess as onmyoji—
Yeah, I get all that.
Teach me how to use that shikigami thing!
Fine, let's do this.
What's with the toy?
It's Godai-kun, a spirit vessel for training.
If you want to operate a shikigami, channel your spiritual power to make Godai-kun stand up.
How do you even do that?
Put on this diviner...
and like so!
Whoa!
It's like you focus your mind and store up spiritual power in the diviner.
Okay.
Well, come and get me if Godai-kun stands up.
Bye-bye, Take-pyon.
They sure are hands-off.
I'll clear this hurdle soon enough.
Focus my mind...
Huh?
I can't do it!
We released you,
and you came back again?
Oh, it's you.
Your story is hard to believe,
but what is it that's making you so frantic?
What's it matter what I say now?
I just need to get stronger, or I can't protect what I want to.
Hey, what're you doing?
You lack the basic level of spiritual power for controlling a shikigami.
In order to achieve it, I'll force your capacity to expand.
That can make me stronger?
Only if you have what it takes to withstand the pain.
Fine by me. Hit me with your best shot!
I tried to warn you!
Hit me again!
You can't protect anything unless you're strong.
He's right about that.
You're a fan of Tsukimiya-san too, huh!
Wh-Why the hell are you here?!
Well, I'm homeless.
Thought I'd stay at your place.
Huh?! I'm under no obligation to house you!
Oh, no?
Then the only other person I know is Tsukimiya-san.
Maybe I'll go stay at her place.
Stay here for now.
You mean it? That's great!
I'll make the food as thanks.
Why was I invited too?
It's a gyoza party!
Go on, dig in while it's hot.
All right.
There's no way anything someone like you made could be good.
Bliss!
Good, good!
Eat up!
Just because the food was good, it doesn't mean I'm okay with you now.
That wasn't why I made it anyway.
That reminds me. Just who is the person you want to protect?
It's Tsukimiya-san.
20:32
Time travel?
That's right. In half a month, Tsukimiya-san will die.
This tale is hard to accept so abruptly.
I guess it would be.
There's one thing I can say.
It won't be you who protects her.
It'll be me.
Actions speak louder than words.
You're mine!
Solid Body!
This too is the power of technique.
Three days later
Whoa!
What is this?!
You managed it.
That's the power of riki, one of the five systems of onmyo techniques.
Riki?
Techniques for strengthening the body.
Solid Body uses this power both for attack and defense.
Then soon I'll be able to use techniques!
It's not so easy.
Learning them takes at least a year.
A year?!
I've got to do something before my time's up with Hareaki
and Tsukimiya-san gets caught in the black mist!
How long do you intend to pal around with that fool?
You still plan to get chosen as a Five Star?
Of course.
There are also things to learn via Takeru.
It won't be a waste of time.
What I'm saying is, you have more important things to do!
You have something to say to me, don't you?
There will be a black mist outbreak in sixty seconds.
It's forecast to span 200 meters, centered at Left Capital, Jo Eight, Bo Two.
This black mist has an occultation of 3.6.
It's at a moderate level.
So, this is what it's like in here.
When did you get here?
You're going into the black mist?
So am I.
Don't be absurd!
You can't enter the black mist without a shikigami.
Well, I can!
The last time I used that awesome power was in the black mist.
Maybe I'll be able to do it again.
No!
I don't have much time left!
I've reached the point where I can use that "riki" power!
I won't get in your way!
You possess no talent.
If you can't manage this much, you have no business fighting in the black mist.
Stay there and keep quiet!
That's not gonna happen!
What'd you do to me?
What happened with the black mist?
Yura and I dealt with it.
Why won't you let me fight too?!
Come with me.
What's this place?
The site of a black mist outbreak.
It's where some onmyoji were defeated three years ago.
I was a rookie at the time, and our shikigami was badly damaged thanks to my error.
I dropped out of the battle, leaving my superior to fend for himself.
To make up for that error,
Sir!
I'll stop you!
he fought on alone and lost his life.
If we lose a battle in the black mist,
the things that've always existed are suddenly gone.
If you go in there and aren't fully prepared, everything will be taken from you.
Absolute extermination.
An onmyoji's duty is to risk their own life destroying oni.
You said you have something to protect.
It's the same for me.
If you interfere, I'll show no mercy.
Genbu
It's been one week since the arrangement was made.
If you're looking for that guy, he took off.
Aw.
He hasn't come for training in several days.
Too bad.
I suppose I misjudged him.
It's coming.
Black mist
It's the black mist!
There will be a black mist outbreak in thirty seconds.
The black mist's occultation this time is 5.6.
It's on a somewhat large scale.
I'm deploying the pedestal!
Onmyoji Atsunaga and Yura, invoke your shikigami!
Our sixth and ninth vow!
We summon the twelve-month god!
You ready?
Yeah, let's get in there.
Be careful. It's here already.
There's the actual oni.
It's controlling puppets remotely.
I'll get in closer.
Use that time to prepare a thunder technique.
We'll bring down this oni in one strike!
Agreed!
Omen View!
That shows that you're a Five Star candidate!
It's ready!
The five elements!
Wood feeds fire, at high power!
Yura! You okay?!
What about Atsunaga?
He's still in.
Being alone means a big drop in spiritual power.
Get out of there, Atsunaga!
A single mind,
dedicated to one vow!
He wouldn't!
Don't do it, Atsunaga!
I won't lose for nothing!
I will protect Denji Heian-kyo!
Mighty god of thunder, who resides above the nine heavens!
Back off!
Don't go charging in like an idiot, Atsunaga!
Takeru?!
He's inside the black mist!
He can really do that?!
You just used Solid Body.
Wait, how was it so powerful?
And when did you learn that?
You've got to at least be able to do that much, right?
But then, that was the first time it actually worked.
Huh?!
Your determination is intense.
And your onmyo techniques are killer.
But I've got to be part of this too.
A Narihira family motto:
"You can't build trust with words!
Demonstrate it with serious action!"
Get in here, Takeru.
A shikigami exhibits its true power when two people control it.
You might be inexperienced, but you're better than nothing.
Sounds like fun!
Let's do this!
That shikigami, it's...
Takeru?!
This is a surprise.
Take-pyon's pretty good!
Let me at 'em too!
Did you see that, Hareaki?
Yura!
You were all right?!
You see that, Yura?
I took your place and sent that little piggy—
What?!
Infighting amongst onmyoji is forbidden.
That hurt!
What the hell's up with you, Yura?!
He's no onmyoji.
Ow, ow, ow.
The combination of your power and onmyo techniques was a sight to see.
Huh?
Would you like to officially become an onmyoji, Narihira Takeru-kun?