Shigeru... Shigeru...
Stay with me!
Big brother, don't die!
Shigeru...
God... please...
Please...
Please help Shigeru...
Please save my son's life...
MIZUCHI
Please save him!
Oh, Mr. Kuchinawa...
Will you be leaving us already?
Yes.
Thank you for the stay.
Things never slow down, do they?
And here I am in Kyoto for the first time in ages...
Beniko, did you find anything?
Yes, I did, Master Kamon.
There's a daughter of an aristocratic family...
An aristocrat's daughter...
Very good.
She was critically ill, but...
the family called a spiritual healer.
She is completely recovered now.
May I help you?
Oh come now...
It's me, Kuchinawa.
Of course... Mr. Kuchinawa!
Forgive me.
I shall take you to the master at once.
Forgive my late visit.
I came to see how your daughter was faring.
Thank you for your concern.
She is completely recovered now.
I understand it was thanks to a celebrated spiritual healer.
Just between you and me...
I summoned a famous onmyoji from the Goko Clan.
An onmyoji from the Goko Clan...
I see.
Father...
Do I have a visitor?
MIYAKO
Oh, Miyako...
My, my...
Good day to you, Miss Miyako.
It's me, Kuchinawa.
Oh, Mr. Kuchinawa...
Good day to you as well. It's been quite some time.
I'm relieved to see you looking well.
Yes, I'm feeling much better now.
Water?
You know, Father,
we should have invited Mr. Kuchinawa to my recovery party.
Yes, we should have. How forgetful of me.
Oh Father...
You really are forgetful.
- This young lady... - Come now, go easy on me.
is already dead.
She, and the people around her, don't even realize it.
BLOOD BOND
KUCHINAWA
Master Kamon...
BENIKO
How did it go?
It didn't go well.
Apparently the spiritual healer was referred
by a friend of a friend.
But the moment I tried to ask who the original referral came from,
he completely froze up.
Do you think his memories were erased?
It's possible. On top of that...
whoever's behind this clearly wants the upper class
to remember the name of the Goko Clan...
So they can attract more clients, I suppose.
Even so, the spell they used...
was hopelessly imperfect.
Which means they don't truly know...
the secret art of Taizanfukun.
Are you certain?
Will my son really be healed?
SHIGERU
Yes. But in exchange...
MAO OTOYA
I'm ready to go!
NANOKA KIBA
I'm all geared up.
Did you say..."geared"?
Yup.
I'll need to protect my hands, so...
I brought work gloves,
heavy duty gloves...
And I brought goggles to protect my eyes from water.
Those are swimming goggles?
Oh, that's right...
Nanoka... I'm sorry.
It's already over.
Huh?
What?
An assassin came right after you returned to your world.
Seriously? But I came here all prepared.
That's admirable.
You look good in those swimming goggles.
Right?
I even practiced so I can put them on quickly.
Like this!
Wow...
She's a good girl...
But it may have been for the best that you weren't here.
Huh?!
I agree.
He was a challenging opponent, even for me.
Will they be sending in another assassin?
Excuse me...
SHIGERU'S MOTHER
Are you a doctor?
I'd like you to see my son...
SHIGERU'S YOUNGER SISTER
Mommy!
Are you alright?
Mommy!
She's just sleeping.
Thank god...
Mommy was taking care of my big brother without any sleep...
The exhaustion caught up with her.
Otoya... Nanoka...
Let her sleep here for a while.
Where are you going?
I'm going to see her son.
Take me to your house.
Okay.
It's this way...
So he sees human patients, too?
Yes, sometimes.
If human patients ask him,
he treats them for free, too.
Oh...
So he really is a doctor, after all.
This is Mao's...
I can't speak...
I can't move my body either...!?
I'm sorry.
Is that a... shell?
Otoya?!
Forgive me... forgive me!
Huh?
The kodoku pot...
That's what keeps Mao alive...
Shigeru!
It's over there. Just a little further.
Big brother! Big brother!
Over here, doctor!
Hurry, doctor!
Big brother...
He's already dead.
From the looks of it,
he may already have been dead when they came to ask for help.
Those eyes...
He's a shikigami.
Who is your master?
You'll find out when you meet.
This isn't good. I didn't bring my sword.
Otoya! Otoya!
Snap out of it!
Are you awake?
I was caught in an illusion spell.
That woman stole the kodoku pot.
We have to go after her!
But where did she go?
How much time went by?
This towel...
It's the one I placed on that woman.
What're you going to do?
Like this...
Done.
That's amazing.
Where is it headed?
We won't let her get away.
I have to close the distance and shut down his attacks!
Do you recall what spear this is now?
This... is from that time!
It's the spear that pierced the dying Byoki!
That's right.
900 years ago, this spear...
pierced the Byoki and stole its yokai powers,
and nearly claimed its life.
It is the Spear of Taima.
Mao...
for capturing someone like you, who's become one with the Byoki,
this is the perfect cursed weapon.
Shigeru!
Mommy... Big brother is...
That's...
the kodoku pot!!
Shigeru...
Shigeru!
- My poor boy... - Big brother...
I did as you asked and brought this!
Hurry... please save my boy...
Save my boy!
That child is already dead...
I have no use for you now.
Banish!
Protecting an ungrateful thief...
How utterly foolish.
Master Mao...
Now then...
I shall take you to Kyoto.
You're going to hand me over to your master...
and force me to reveal the secret art of Taizanfukun?
Why did you make that mother steal the kodoku pot...?
It would be troublesome if you died on the way there.
He knows that the kodoku sustains my life?
How does he know?!
Mao!
That hurts!
What the hell is this?!
Nanoka!
Nanoka...
Pull out the spear now!
O-Okay.
Mao!
I have no... strength left...
Master Mao! I'm coming to treat—
Mao!
Stay back!
Huh?!
Rin, Pyo, To, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!
Banish!
Nine Cuts!
He's getting away.
Stop!
Don't go after him, Nanoka!
It went away...
Mao...
Are you alright?
Of course he isn't...
He's been badly wounded.
Otoya!
Bring the kodoku pot. Quickly!
You're kidding me...
The pot... broke?!
Otoya...
Pull yourself together!
Mao needs our help!
What do I do?!
Wake up, Otoya!
The kodoku pot...
It was what sustained Master Mao's life...
The kodoku is gone...
Oto... ya...
Master Mao!
Otoya...
This is an order.
If I perish here...
What...?!
Bury my corpse deep underground...
and seal it with a powerful barrier.
So that the Byoki...
can never find my body.
Yes, Master Mao.
Wait... What're you talking about?
The Byoki said it would...
wait for...
my life to end.
Because unless it reclaims
the body that fused with mine,
it cannot transfer itself into Nanoka
as a new vessel.
That's true...
If the Byoki could transfer vessels freely,
then during the great earthquake,
I would already have been possessed by it.
Nanoka...
There was so much more...
I wanted to teach you.
Mao?
Mao?!
Mao!
Mao...
Hey! No!
Don't leave me!
I don't know anything!
I can't do anything by myself.
Please... Come on, Mao!
No... don't die!
No! No! No!
Nooo!
Maooo!
Huh?
What's... happening...?!
I feel dizzy.
Master Mao's wound...
is healing.
Na... noka...
Ma...o...
You're alive...
Thank god...
Miss Nanoka!
Are you alright, Miss Nanoka?
Miss Nanoka!
One... two... three...
Four... five... six... seven...
Huh?!
Are you awake, Nanoka?
Mao... What about your injury?
What happened to me?
Nanoka, how are you feeling?
Huh? How do I feel?
Now that you mention it,
I feel kinda drained.
Like after drinking one of those smoothies.
At that moment,
something warm flowed into my body through the wound.
It was...
your blood, Nanoka.
The wound inflicted by the shikigami...
It seems your blood...
somehow kept me alive.
So that's what happened...
My blood...
is just like Mao's...
Cursed by the Byoki.
But I'm just glad...
Mao is still alive.
Let me down.
Put me down.
Can you walk?
I can walk.
I hugged him without even thinking.
This is so embarrassing!
Nanoka?
By the way, what happened to those people?
That was awful.
They tricked you and stole the pot.
When I think about it, I pity them.
I'm sure she did it only because she wanted to save her son.
Shigeru...
Master Mao, how did the shikigami know about the kodoku pot?
Yes...
and how did they know where I was...?
I'm up against a senior apprentice who is a Water sorcerer.
Water is everywhere around us.
Could they be watching me through the water?
If that's the case...
I shall take you to Kyoto.
Why not come in person?
What's keeping them from leaving Kyoto?
NEXT TIME
Mao...
I can't wait to see you again.
Idiot!
You have no talent!
Just quit!
Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.
My dear big brother.
Instead of staying cooped up inside this barrier,
why don't we go to the Imperial Capital?
Help me...
Help me!
Help me, Mao!
Next time: Water Sorcerer