Damn it!
I was finally able to sleep.
So you're finally up, eh, sleeping beauty?
And?
You know this kid's been staring you down this whole time, right?
Yeah, I noticed the four-eyed casanova douche.
What is that?
Hey Shiba!
Hm?
Why does he get to have a sword?
Oh, that's right, I forgot.
He comes from a long line of swordmasters,
the Kirihara family of spies.
When the Bureau was part of the Oniwaban,
they instructed the shogunate in the family sword arts,
alongside other arts like
Yagyu Shinkage-ryu and One-blade Ono-ha.
If you think it's unfair, you're welcome to your own.
Nah, don't need one.
Don't hold back.
You may be without a sword, but you've got your own "weapon."
You know, your recent acquisition.
Your special secret weapon.
You stupid?
This little guy isn't a "weapon."
Besides, this's between you and me.
You asked, and I'm gonna deliver.
No one's gonna interfere!
#4 TWO IS NOT ENOUGH
Rago, stay out of this, got it?
Fine...
I'm going back to bed.
This is absurd.
Hey, what do you think you're doing?
It's a handicap.
I've got to keep this fight from being totally dull, don't I?
The timing's completely up to you.
I've no need to face you.
I'll even close my eyes.
They both look to be holding back some.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're mocking me.
I'm gonna enjoy this...
That smug smirk and those dumb glasses...
I'll knock 'em both off that punchable face!
Ingenious!
He's attacking mid air so footsteps can't give away his distance!
No, I think you're giving him too much credit.
To the swordsman, distance between opponents is paramount.
Second-rate blade smiths resort to sight and sound.
But the very best employ a sort of sixth sense.
Reiji's awareness is 360 degrees...
He has no blind spot.
It's a veritable wall of blade work.
So he wasn't bluffing...
I'm impressed.
I hope he's okay, poor Jiro.
Perhaps we should stop there.
Much more of this,
and it won't be long before he expires.
Exceptional power is one thing,
but if he's the one with the power...
Ohh...
It's just a scratch.
Hey, what's the matter?
I'm just gettin' warmed up.
You have resilience.
Just as I expected from a mononoke.
My gramps has been knocking sense into me since I was a little kid.
Your play sword fighting is nothing!
The Kirihara-ryu school of sword fighting...
...is no conceptual practice.
It is the undiluted art of the kill.
It's the height of centuries of sacrifice and genius,
refined and polished in blood and blood alone.
And you dare call it play?
That's punishable by death!
I'd like to see you try!
Make sure you're getting this, Usami.
Huh?
Here comes the best part.
That idiot!
You're asking for it head on!
Incredible.
He was aiming...
...for the blade the whole time!
Woah, way to go, Jiro!
Interesting, breaking the weapon.
So he figured out my striking distance...
The moment I swung my sword.
Still...
How did he shatter a wooden sword that easily?
Could he've timed his punch and my slash
to meet at exactly the right moment ...
No, even if he did...
That counter...
It'd be impossible to pull off as a reaction to my swing!
That means...
He predicted it!
All it took was a single strike.
He mapped out my every move!
All right, that makes one hit for each of us.
And...
You no longer got that crutch of yours.
Hungry for more...
Pretty boy?
I'll even throw in a juice box for ya if you just give up.
You are a true fool.
You always act like you're in middle school?
You want me to give up?
But this is just the beginning!
Now that's more like it!
All right, then bring it!
Die mother—
My thoughts exactly!
So, Chief.
Hm?
This really going to convince the higher-ups?
I suppose it shows their toughness, their tenacity.
Is that what they really care about?
Just two young bucks letting their fists do the talking!
Is there anything sexier?
Is she okay?
Geez...
You're both idiots!
STOP
PLAY
How ya holdin' up, four-eyes?
Where'd everyone go?
Back inside, I think.
I just woke up, too, so who knows.
I see...
So a draw.
Then again, you came to first so...
Catch.
And this is?
Your "juice box."
Is your brain fully functioning?
I mean, why are you giving this to me?
You seriously are an ass.
I guess I got carried away.
If you'd really tried,
you could've killed me with that first hit.
My trick worked against your second strike
only cause you had a wooden sword...
So I guess...
I'll give ya this one.
Congratulations big shot.
Huh. You really do have the mind of a middle schooler.
I got ya good, dumbass!
I shook the crap out of that can while you were out cold!
“Huh" my ass!
That's what you get for thinking you're so smooth!
It was a freakin' joke!
How intriguing.
Who would've thought trash was capable
of such a varied vocabulary.
Why you...!
You really think this's going to be okay?
I think you did a fine job for an amateur.
No, that's not what I mean.
Not to worry.
That was never meant to convince anyone of anything.
The real test comes tomorrow out in the field
when we learn their capacity for real teamwork.
In the field?
You're assigning them a real mission?!
For those two...
It's way too soon!
No better experience than real life.
But the higher-ups haven't assigned us any new missions.
Then we figure out one for ourselves.
I can think of one already.
And if all goes well,
it just might reveal the identity of our true enemy.
It's an important mission...
And only we can do it.
Hey, you guys ready?
Wow!
Look at these cool commandos!
I guess the right clothes really do make all the difference.
Why do I need to tag along?
I had your uniform adjusted when I had theirs made.
We need to make sure yours is working, just in case.
Press and hold the button on your left wrists.
This thing?
Ohh!
It changed our clothes?
That's Quantum Camouflage Mode.
It disguises you in personalized ordinary civilian attire.
Now try double tapping the same button.
Whoa, I'm like sorta see-through!
That's Stealth Mode.
While you appear semi-transparent to each other,
you're completely invisible to everyone else.
This is so freakin' cool!
The downside is that Quantum Camouflage Mode
dramatically lowers the efficiency of your espionage gear.
So what we use varies situation to situation.
You got it.
There's a little more to it than that,
but you'll get used to it, little by little.
Well, it's into the field we go.
While we're out, it's all you, Usami.
Righto!
Now then, y'all ready?
Welcome to Black Torch's inaugural mission.
Prepare for the worst, and pray for the best.
Hey...
Earth to Jiro, we're moving this way.
Hey, how is this part of our mission?
First things first. One must purge all malevolent spirits.
You're joking. We came all this way for this?
Well, this is likely just part of the reason.
If I had to guess,
this shrine is one of several Bureau facilities.
Those glasses aren't just for show. Bravo.
I assure you glasses have nothing to do with it.
Right then, let's head to the shrine office.
This is quite the inconvenience, Shiba!
Well, I didn't have much choice.
What do you mean, you didn't have much choice!
You know this guy?
He's an agent stationed at this shrine.
Clearly, someone failed to make an appointment.
Hey, is that okay?
No, it is not okay...
I told you over the phone!
The SOD-1 folks are visiting today!
Double booking squads will mean...
-Relax, I promise we'll be quick. -Hey, so what's SOD-1 mean?
It's short for Special Operations Division 1.
The Bureau of Espionage is headed by the Director,
DIRECTOR CHIEF / CHIEF / CHIEF / CHIEF
who's in charge of the chiefs and their various divisions.
SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION 1 SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION 2
But Division 1 is the cream of the crop.
They've got the most agents and the most power.
INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Oh, so kinda like the First Investigation Division
of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police?
Well, you're not totally off base.
In other words, they're the exact opposite of our Division 2.
You have fifteen minutes and not a millisecond more.
Someone's a little uptight.
And you think your level of chill is typical?
So, what exactly is the purpose of this visit?
Some treasure map waiting to be found?
No. What interests us...
is down below.
Below?
A trap-door and a hidden staircase...
It's almost like a secret ninja fortress.
Oh, good imagination!
Ugh, all I smell is mold.
Watch your step!
We're just about there...
You gonna be all right, Rago?
When did you wake up?
Who the hell do you think I am?
Better watch yourself, boy!
Easy now, not trying to antagonize.
Wait, this place is...!
That's right.
Just ahead is what's called...
the Seventh Sealing Sanctum.
Everything we're facing now can be traced back to that very spot.
Rago was sealed away right in there.
It's made entirely of death obsidian.
It's a kind of rare rock that subdues spectral energy.
There are other Sealing Sanctums made from death obsidian,
but none this massive.
Wow.
Okay, let's get started.
Ichika and I will question potential witnesses.
All right.
Reiji, you and Jiro stay down here,
see what you can learn about that day from Rago.
Sorry, no.
Huh?
I prefer to work with Ichika.
Chief, please take my place.
Well, on that note.
Amazing... He completely ignored me.
So, me and Jiro.
You think it'll be okay? Leaving those two together?
I think in the end, things will go smoother without you and I around.
This is exactly when guys need to be able to
lay it all out on the table.
Well, I'm not convinced!
I figured.
This shitty rock makes me sick.
So why were you sealed away in this thing anyway?
Dunno.
Don't try and get out of it!
Somethin' you can't talk about?
I don't...
Huh?
I don't remember!
And I don't know where I was or what I was doing
before I was sealed away.
All right, enough with the joking, okay?
If you're trying to lie—
I'm not lying!
What would I get out of lying to you now?
But...
Amnesia isn't all that farfetched.
Huh?
I've seen it before.
Mononoke who've long been sealed away,
to come back lost, a shadow of their former self.
What's that supposed to mean?
Now's not the time.
You can't just leave it at that!
I'll explain the details later, for now, the essence...
When a mononoke is sealed away,
it is in other words forced into possession of another.
The act of possession requires its complete and total energy.
To the extent that a mononoke is incapable
of undoing the spell on their own.
Under ordinary circumstances,
mononoke possess and thereby reside in living beings,
but sealing them forces them into an inanimate object.
For mononoke, possessing such objects
is the equivalent to eternal imprisonment.
And if that inanimate object is a death obsidian,
it's a living hell.
Unable to move a muscle, they remain in complete darkness
as their spectral energy dwindles...
This can continue for centuries.
Not even a mononoke can come out unscathed.
It's difficult to say just how long Rago was imprisoned,
but I'd venture to say,
with only amnesia, he may've got lucky.
But focusing on the distant past isn't going to help us now.
Tell us, Rago.
The day you were freed...
What happened here, who was with you?
All the security cameras on site were affected.
Can't see a damn thing.
Everything's completely normal except these ten minutes.
The electrical system showed no abnormalities.
It had to be a spectral barrier.
Who was on duty?
Two were on the night shift.
By the time they heard any commotion and rushed downstairs,
there was no one to be seen.
Well, that didn't tell us much.
We may've struck out in terms of new leads,
but this crime scene is giving me strange vibes.
Chief?
Yeah, I don't get it.
Wha—? Oh, yeah.
Right, let's go join the others.
First was the chill of the stone,
then the stagnant moldy air.
Last was a faint light
along with several distinct spectral auras.
I managed to pry my eyes open a crack,
and saw mononoke surrounding me
and an odd light-emitting slate in that deep darkness.
It's been quite some time, Rago.
Light-emitting slate?
He was speaking through a tablet.
Probably the ringleader.
He was a complete stranger to me.
Times have changed since you've been gone.
We mononoke have clawed our way to survival,
but the future is uncertain.
Rago!
Oh Black Star of Doom and devourer of the sun.
Awaken from your lengthy slumber and lend us your power.
Let us reclaim our dignity as mononoke.
Let us display our mononoke power
to not only those ordinary, pathetic humans,
but also the Bureau of Espionage, our mortal enemies.
I said he could go to hell,
and when the jerk disappeared with the light,
I took my chance to break away.
That's quite an impressive tale of escape.
Huh, they were no different from the rest of you.
You all underestimate my power.
That doesn't change the fact that we're back at square one.
I told you.
No, we've actually learned three pieces of important information.
First of all...
The group who released you knows how to break this seal.
Then there's the man from the tablet.
He had to know Rago from before he was sealed.
That's number two.
Number three...
Our enemy has a clear goal:
exacting revenge on mankind and the Bureau of Espionage.
Revenge?
I can't say for sure,
but whatever drove him to describe as "mortal enemies" the—
Wait. Stop, stop.
Sorry, this is all beginning to be a bit much.
Huh?
You're throwing all this information at me,
I can't get my head around it.
You really are...
But, hey, thanks to you, I think I'm actually starting to get it.
I ended up fused with Rago here,
and the enemy knows how to undo it.
Rago's got amnesia,
but we know the enemy knew him way back before all this.
I know exactly what I gotta do.
I'll be cleaning up my own mess.
All I gotta do is beat the shit out of anyone who comes my way!
If they don't come to me,
I'll track 'em down and knock 'em dead!
Then they'll tell us everything we need to know, problem solved!
How's that? Perfect, isn't it?
You're really something else...
By that I mean you're totally, utterly hopeless!
The reason we're investigating is 'cause
we don't know who this is!
Huh?! Well, we'll figure it out sooner or later!
And how do we do that?
We clobber 'em, they tell us what they know!
Do you even have a brain somewhere in there?
Your way'll screw us even more!
You know, you overthink things. That's your problem!
Who's that?
How'd a civilian wander down here?
Isn't he...
The guy who was hanging around the shrine?
Finally.
I've looked forward to this, Rago.
Damn, looks like a couple of gnats are in my way.
I can't let you ruin our special reunion now,
can I, trash?
Be careful, Jiro.
I figured, the guy's a mononoke right?
See, told ya they'd show up!
Idiot, now's time to shut it.
Though I admit, he's a promising lead.
Let's do this, Jiro!
Who made you boss?
Then again, the timing's right.
I've been itching to try out our fresh new threads.
Guess it's time for us to tear things up...
First mission, baby!
Ha, you fools are trash.
Hey, what is this?
They got us.
It's a barrier. A crazy strong one at that.
W-What are we going to do?
We won't be able to get in with this!
We've got to do something or those two'll...
And what, may I ask, is the meaning of this, Shiba?
You've got impeccable timing.
Though I never imagined...
...you'd actually grace us with your presence,
Ms. Chief of Special Operations Division 1,
Toko Kusumi.
Well, color me surprised...
And here, I thought I was a good boy in praying for good fortune...
This is turning out to be quite the first mission.