Natsume Yuujinchou
Wait, girl!
You won't get away!
I order you, unholy beast, to disappear within this seal.
Those who come from water, sink within the muddy mire.
Those who come from fire, disappear into the void.
Those who come from wood, burn to ash.
Those who come from earth, blow away in the wind.
What?
Save me!
Curse you!
So you're an exorcist?
Hey!
Are you okay?
Where are you?
So weak.
So different from the exorcist in the next town.
I heard another one of our friends got beat up.
I heard her name is Natsume Reiko.
Oh, I saw her as she was beating up a youkai.
She's pretty strong.
Hey, where are you?
She's over here!
Where?
She's down there!
Natsume Reiko...
When I Was Deceived
Natsume, the weather's so nice.
Take me to get something to eat.
I just gave you an ikayaki.
And you're always eating something,
even when the weather isn't nice.
That was an appetizer.
I know... one of Nanatsujiya's manju.
Hey, wait!
Hey, where are you taking me?
Who are you?
Have you forgotten me?
Your voice has become quite mascuine in the short time since we last met,
Natsume Reiko.
I'm not Reiko-san.
This is her grandson, little one.
Come to think of it, you're rather weak for Natsume Reiko.
Then where is Reiko?
She left this world a long time ago.
What?!
No!
Sensei!
Then where's that paper with the names on it?
I thought Reiko would be able to use it to help.
If you mean the Book of Friends, I have it.
Really?
Grandson of Natsume Reiko, may I make a request?
Request?
What kind of idiot lets go halfway?
What a pain.
This is what I want you to do.
A friend of mine was sealed, and I want you to call him.
His name's in the Book of Friends, right?
Yes, but he's sealed in a stone.
I was planning on taking it to Reiko, and then...
And then?
I dropped it in this forest.
Who put a trap here?
I don't want anyone else falling for it.
Why would a rope lead to a well?
What strange water.
That's...
I can breathe!
So it's a barrier.
But why?
Oh, my.
If it isn't the stupid cat.
W-Who's there?
You're...
I can't leave, thanks to you.
What?
Then you put up this barrier?
If his pet is here,
does that mean the child is as well?
I don't have to answer that.
And I'm not a pet.
That rock...
It seals a youkai, doesn't it?
I can seal you too, if you like.
Try it if you can,
but that's not something you sealed.
I'm impressed you can tell.
They've been sealed for a long time.
Most of them have lost their power and are disappearing.
But this number...
I don't know what exorcist did this,
but since there's so many they must've been the kind
of tricky jerk who only went after the weak.
You don't know anything about it.
No...
Did you know Natsume Reiko?
What about Reiko?
She's involved in this a little.
Can you tell?
Just one of these is one I sealed.
I came to search for it. but it's going to take a while.
You won't be able to get out for a while, either.
This is just a temporary form.
If I return to my original form, this little well...
I don't know about that.
What?!
It's possible you only made it through
the barrier because of that temporary form.
What if you were in your normal form?
Perhaps fate has brought us together.
I'll pass the time by telling you a story.
I was born to a family of exorcists and my talents were recognized early on.
But still, I was young once.
So you took pity on a youkai who wasn't your target?
I didn't mean to...
We exorcise the evil youkai,
and make the powerful ones our servants.
The rest we ignore.
That is the way of all exorcists.
I know that.
But...
Hey, you.
You're the one from yesterday!
Tell me the details of what you were saying.
What I was saying?
About Natsume Reiko.
Take me to Natsume Reiko, at once.
Listen, that person's not only really strong, but also violent!
Who knows what'll happen if somebody weak,
like you, comes to visit.
Weak?
Please, no!
Anyway, if you hadn't interfered yesterday, I would've been fine!
They gave us homework!
Let's do it at my house.
Yeah, I'd like to work it together.
My mom will have fresh-baked senbei for us, so it'll be fun.
She's the girl who always leaves early, right?
I saw her saying some kind of weird chant on the mountain.
She always has bruises, too.
What a weird girl.
I saw that exorcist in the forest up ahead.
What was that exorcist like?
All rough and tough,
and with this sharp look.
Very dangerous.
Why do you want to meet Reiko, anyway?
You want to get lessons?
Waste of time!
That person's totally different from you.
Shut up!
Girl!
You're an exorcist!
Exorcist?
Remember this!
Oh, this is him.
This is Natsume Reiko.
Natsume Yuujinchou
I'm supposed to be Natsume Reiko?
Not at all.
My name is Mikage.
Really?
You're an idiot.
The others were the ones who said the exorcist's name was Reiko.
It's their fault.
I've heard that name before, too.
That person picks a fight with every youkai they see and defeats them.
So that person's an exorcist, too?
I don't know.
If so, I'd like to meet them as well.
Wait a second.
These herbs grow around here.
I've heard that they heal a wound without leaving scars.
Thank you.
Hey, let me go already!
You don't need me for anything else.
It's your punishment for getting the wrong person.
Stay quiet!
Why do you want to meet Natsume Reiko?
I wanted to ask somebody else who can see them
how you tell the difference
between the youkai you should exorcise
and those you don't have to fight.
Why?
My family makes a distinction between
those you are hired to exorcise,
those you turn into servants, and those you can ignore.
But I think we should exorcise all the youkai!
Scary girl.
We'd be better off, if they were all gone!
The way nobody else can see them, but I can...
If you can see them, you want to talk to them.
If you talk to them, you start to take pity.
I can't ever show any pity or friendship to a youkai ever again.
So they should all just...
What do you think, Mikage-san?
I want to hear what a strong exorcist, like you, thinks!
I'm just sealing them as I've been instructed to.
Instructed?
So someone's teaching you...
What did they say?
They said that both humans and youkai are
part of the great chain of nature.
Those youkai that are harmful to humanity,
and those who make their living exorcising them,
both are part of each other's karma.
Karma?
Karma is the role we are born with,
the only way we can live.
Karma...
What's wrong?
My method tears away
at my body each time I seal a youkai.
It's nothing for you to concern yourself with.
It is the karma I was born with.
Can I come to see you again?
I want to be an exorcist like you!
I have a request.
What?
If I ever give into this youkai energy
and become something twisted, will you seal me away?
What... does that mean?
Go now.
Take him.
H-Hey!
Bye!
Several days later, I went to see him again.
Mikage-san!
What is this place?
Hey, wake up.
Oh, you.
Where is Mikage-san?
Resting his bones somewhere, probably.
Resting?
He won't last long.
He was already in bad shape when he dueled with Natsume Reiko.
With Natsume Reiko?
Yeah, he asked me to find her, so I did.
Why did he dueled with Natsume Reiko?
Well...
I finally caught you!
Girl, this time I'm going to eat you!
Damn it, let me go!
Mikage-san!
I am he who inherits the power to exorcise the darkness.
You who bring disaster, return to this stone!
Wow!
Mikage-san!
Stay back!
Mikage-san...
You can't...
This way!
What are you doing here?
Who are you?
We felt a terrible youkai aura here.
Did you see anything?
No.
I heard the exorcist at this home died
and his servant youkai is still wandering around here.
His servant?
It's absorbed the energy of the exorcised youkai
and is on the verge of turning into something evil.
Let's look somewhere else.
Yeah.
You get home. Don't wander around here.
Mikage-san, you're a youkai, aren't you?
I was originally a piece of jade that fell into a riverbed.
My master found me when he
was searching for stones to seal evil youkai.
He made me into his servant,
and ordered me to seal away evil youkai.
Ever since then, I've torn apart my body to create these stones,
which I've used to seal them away.
The evil is purified in this well and returns to nature.
However, if I do this any more I shall turn into something evil myself.
I was searching for someone to seal me before that happens.
That's why you wanted to see Natsume Reiko?
But Reiko refused.
I have a request.
Seal me away.
I'd rather be sealed by someone strong like you.
I can't!
I'm not strong at all!
No, you are strong.
Because you know the anger and sadness of being an exorcist.
That will continue to make you stronger.
I can't seal you, Mikage-san...
Sealing me is your karma.
Now, quickly,
before I become something evil...
Hey, are you serious?
He helped you!
You don't have to do it...
If this is what he wants,
I'd like to help him.
I seal away evil by Divine Command.
You who will someday bring disaster and harm,
return to this stone.
I seal away evil by Divine Command.
You who will someday bring disaster and harm,
return to this stone!
Ever since then, I stopped having any
doubts about my exorcisms.
It is my karma.
A while ago, I learned this house was to be demolished.
I came because I was worried.
But it's possible that with the purifying power of the well,
he disappeared along with the stone.
We have no choice but to help each other, right?
I've restored the faltering barrier.
I'll undo it, so you take this rope to the surface.
What if I just drop the rope and go?
I'd be in trouble.
Now then...
Maybe I'll fight you and seal you away.
Know your place.
Don't get cocky.
I won't try.
I wouldn't want the child hating me.
I think it's around here...
So what's this youkai sealed in the stone like?
It's not something evil, is it?
Don't worry about that.
The evil energy that was afflicting him is gone.
I'd been waiting for a chance to save him,
and finally the barrier started to falter...
I was finally able to get it out.
All that's for nothing, if you dropped it.
Huh?
There it is!
Okay, here I go.
Thank you.
I return this to you,
Mikage.
Mister...
I felt you near me, always.
I'm sorry it took so long.
Thank you, grandson of Reiko.
Mikage...
I want to thank the one who sealed me, too.
Now I shall finally be released from my karma...
Mister...
Don't worry.
I'm just returning to my original form.
Mister...
Who was the person who sealed Mikage like?
I don't understand them,
but they were interesting in their own way.
I see.
Grandson of Reiko, sorry to bother you with this.
Thank you.
Natsume!
Sensei!
I've been looking for you, Natsume.
You okay?
Yeah.
I see.
He was finally released.
No, nothing.
Did anything happen with you, Sensei?
No, nothing special.
Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime.
What? That's stingy.
More importantly, Natsume, I totally forgot about it,
but we're going to get that Nanatsujiya manju!
Hey, Sensei!
It's dinnertime!
Wait!
Sensei!
Mochi manju!
The Moon-Splitting Festival
Natsume Yuujinchou
Houdzukigami?
The god of the moon-splitting festival,
held once every ten years.
And we have to find it?
Yes, at this rate the mountain will dry up.
Master, I see someone I know in Houdzukigami's group.
The cat?
Watch us next time!
Natsume Yuujinchou
Mochi manju!