Rice cake in oak leaves
Plum buns
Sticky rice cake in bean paste
Suama rice cake
Yes. A brush-style pen feels most right.
Is there... anything strange happening to you?
An overbearing man visiting your house, perhaps?
No, nothing in particular.
There's a troublesome colleague who treats me like an enemy,
and he saw the talisman you drew, so he's had it out for me. I'm sorry.
He uses his shikigami to keep tabs on what I do.
Shikigami sounds very much like onmyoji.
I get rid of it whenever I see it, but please be vigilant.
Humans have always been foolish, and it hasn't changed.
I shall not let a small fry get the upper hand.
Kusunoki's Garden of Gods
Training Wind Power in the Domain of a Kami
There it is.
What do you plan to do when you meet him?
What?!
Well, either I buy off his talismans,
or make him create talismans exclusively for me.
Right.
The sound of a bell?
Kusunoki
How bizarre.
Hey! Come out right now!
Screw you!
I came all this way to grace you with my presence!
What are you...?
Get the hell out here!
Don't!
What the hell?
Huh?
Where the hell am I?
We were in front of the house just a second ago.
Horikawa? Horikawa!
The same shrine as before?
Are you kidding me?
My watch shows the same time as before.
Is it broken?
Daifuku mochi Sweet bean jelly Buns
Excellent.
Hm?
Wh-What?! Echigo-ya's new product has chunky red bean paste, not smooth?!
Echigo-ya Famous Store of Hojo New product: Sake buns Packed with chunky bean paste
Ugh, that old geezer. He must have gone senile.
Echigo-ya? Oh, this is the store I go to often.
This is our first outing together.
And I feel... kind of nervous.
Have no fear.
Only a select few people can see me.
I see.
Oh wow. Something smells really nice.
Really? I don't smell anything.
You can't tell? It smells like the mountains.
What a blessing... What a blessing...
Maybe pious people and people with pure hearts can sense Yamagami?
Yamatsuchi-an Teacup Store
Yamagami, can we take a detour?
Aye.
What do you think of this?
I'm perfectly fine with that "bowl" thing you have.
But drinking out of a bowl seems awkward,
and a god deserves to use something more appropriate.
Right.
Okay. Next is a cushion.
I do not require a cushion...
This is rather excellent.
It's too small, right?
Let's order a custom-made one.
Hmm.
Echigo-ya
I haven't been here in a few hundred years.
Excuse me.
Welcome!
Oh, you're the young man who moved in by the mountain, if I'm not mistaken.
What?
Wait, until recently, he was...
Yes. You look well.
Tell him not to use chunky bean paste with his new product.
So he's a smooth paste fan.
Have you visited the mountain yet?
Yes, a couple of times.
Then have you met him?
Met who?
The holy dog in the mountain.
Oh, um...
I am a wolf.
No, I have not.
It's not a lie, right?
What is this "holy dog"?
On that mountain lives a benevolent, generous holy dog.
It was when I was still a hot-blooded youth...
I got lost on the mountain.
And found a small shrine.
Bark!
What was that?!
Roar!
Whoa?!
I-It's here again!
Roar!
Ahh!
Bark!
Not again!
Grrr!
No!
Ouch!
Huh? This is...
That's when I realized...
that he escorted me to the base of the mountain.
That was the okuri-inu, a yokai of an escorting dog.
Yokai? I am the Yamagami, a mountain god!
Wow.
Out of gratitude, I call him the holy dog.
And as a thank-you, I often go there to offer the buns.
I'd love to meet the holy dog as well.
Echigo-ya
Thank you for your business!
The store owner used to look so haggard.
I was so surprised to see him full of energy.
Due to the pains from his internal organs,
he quit eating fried food, which were his favorite.
His morale was down, and both his body and spirit were weakened.
Even a god cannot bend the mechanics of the human death.
However, I can let him have his healthy body back until his last moments.
So it was your power.
I can't lose the twelfth owner of the store just yet.
Sorry, Grandpa. I'm late.
Not to worry. Your club activity is more important.
You're not fully recovered. Don't push yourself.
Here we go.
Excellent.
I'll go take a bath to wash off my sweat.
Right. Let's see, let me taste the new product.
I came all this way to grace you with my presence!
Is it because of him?
Of course! It's all your fault, Harima!
Or is it someone from that house...?
No more. I've had enough.
Am I going to repeat this for the rest of my life?
I'm so sorry.
I humbly ask for your consideration.
Please, please get me back to my world! Let me return!
I apologize for every disrespectful act I have taken toward the mountain!
I'm sorry. Please forgive me!
O god of the mountain! Please, I'm begging you! Let me...
return...
Huh?
I-I'm back.
H-Hey, Horikawa. How many days have you waited for me here?
H-How many days?
We just got here.
What?
The sound of a bell?
Hmph. Just get lost already.
Yamagami, I thought the doorbell rang.
Did anyone come?
No one has come.
Really? Oh well.
Oh, how were the buns?
Well, the chunky paste isn't as bad I thought.
Great! Happy to hear that it was worth a trip.
I stayed in the bath for too long. I'm hot!
This is rare.
You're usually quick like a bird's bath, with what you call a "shower."
Yes. I missed the hot spring from my home.
Hmm.
Kusunoki's Garden of Gods
Kusunoki
The scent of sulfur?
What?
A hot spring?!
Would you care to join?
For a morning bath.
How wonderful.
Thank you, I'll join you.
Ah, this is bliss.
Good, good.
A house with a hot spring is such a luxury.
Oh, where are Tortoise and Dragon today?
They must be sleeping at the bottom of the pond.
What?
Last night, Ouryu, Reiki, and I
created this hot spring and drank together the whole night.
You did? Then I have to thank them as well.
Gosh, Yamagami's hot spring is the best!
Man, the floor is nice and cold.
Minato, are you okay?
Thank you, I'm okay.
Houji-tea that's cooled down just right is perfect for after a bath.
Minato! We've got a problem!
What?
It seems we have another visitor.
For me?
Someone you and Tortoise know?
Oh? Huh?
Is that...?
I saw you before!
Oh?
He wants to know if he can come in!
Oh, of course!
Kirin
Is he... trying to say something to me?
"Thank you very much for helping me out the other day."
That's what he said!
It's good to see you.
"Thanks to you, I was able to regain my sense of self.
I am grateful beyond words."
"I will never forget your kindness. As such..."
30 minutes later
"Anyhow, this is a beautiful residence you've got here.
It looks very comfortable and I am jealous!"
"I'm currently roaming around the world..."
30 more minutes later
"And so everything has completely changed,
and I feel like I'm Urashima Taro from the fairy tale."
"As such, as a small token of gratitude..."
"I shall make you a ruler with half the world under your control!"
Owned by Minato
Half of the world?!
I appreciate the thought, but no, thank you.
"But why?
Humans are wretched and savage creatures who love to fight over
land and resources and kill their own kind, right?"
That boy doesn't really have greed like that.
Having half of the world doesn't necessarily make you happy.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate your help.
By the way, have you grown bigger than before?
We're returning to what we're supposed to look like.
Thanks to you.
Did I do something?
You acknowledge us...
and respect us, and that fortifies our presence.
Thanks.
Here's our thank you.
Here!
Wow! Amazing!
Minato, can you do that too?
I... I'd like to be able to, someday!
Why are you speaking funny?
I see you can control the power of wind to some extent.
Right.
Achoo!
Oh, I'm sorry.
No matter.
You seem to be suppressing your power.
Are you scared?
Scared? I guess I... am?
Perhaps you're worried about harming others?
If you try out your full force once to know your limit,
maybe you can handle it with more ease.
My full force...
Mom Today Critical situation Nameplates totally wrecked Spares are destroyed Urgently need you to create more
"Nameplates totally wrecked. Spares are destroyed."
"Urgently need you to create more"?
How strange it is for nameplates to be broken.
Isn't it?
But it keeps happening at my house.
Someone's probably breaking them.
But who is doing it?
There must be something non-human living in your house.
What?
Could it be...?
They're telling you that its effect has expired.
Oh!
Kusunoki
Long ago, there was a time when the nameplate of my home fell again and again.
Even though it was securely fixed in place.
Kusunoki
It might have been that Warashi-san was telling us to replace it by breaking it.
The power imbued in the nameplate you created must have protected your home.
I have to make some and send them quickly.
But could I make something better than I did back then?
Hm, it seems that your power to banish needs upgrading.
My power?
Yes. That way, you can imbue even greater power into your nameplate.
Is that possible?
You need to strengthen your wind power.
I'll take you somewhere appropriate.
Follow me.
Huh?
The back door?
Open it.
What is this?!
Enter.
What? O-Okay...
Huh? What is this place?
What's going on here?
Minato!
Oh, you guys.
This is the sacred ground, created by these minions.
They made this?
You may unleash your worst in this place.
Here?
But I don't want to damage the trees recklessly.
No matter.
They're fake.
Fake?
Slash them, chop them, do whatever you want with them.
Forget your fear, and give it your all.
Very well.
The landlord... He must be off hunting for the heads of his kind on a whim.
I shall leave this token of appreciation.
Durian
What is the meaning of this?!
Bringing trash here while the man of the house is away?! How dare you!
Take it home.
You call this trash?! How rude!
It's a piece of fruit!
It's very tasty too.
Giving it my all.
Huh?
Yamagami, did you bring me back here by any chance?
You exerted your power all at once.
I'm sorry.
It seems I need more training.
Good.
You're able to imbue stronger power than before.
I really hope that's true.
Kusunoki
What is this place?!
Translation: Tomoko Takedani Sater Timing: Andy Ellis Editing and Typesetting: Ashley Barboza Quality Control: Salem Alabanza
Episode 4, "Off to the Other World to Exorcise the Evil Spirit."
Next Time
Off to the Other World to Exorcise the Evil Spirit