It's so cool now.
Yeah, the maple trees on the mountain are a lot prettier too.
Let's go to the Futaba Dam sometime soon.
Sounds good.
I'll bring along some XXX stuff then.
Why?
Don't bother with him, Natsume.
I'll bring snacks.
I'll bring drinks, then.
You take care of the sandwiches, Natsume.
Sorry, I can't make lunches on my days off.
What are you talking about?
Try asking Touko-san.
I'm sure she'll be happy.
And I'll be happy too!
Touko's sandwiches!
You think so?
Later, Natsume.
Yeah, see you later.
A Youkai...
is eating another Youkai!
I smell a human.
You saw me, didn't you?
I'll eat you.
I'll eat you!
Let go!
Running is futile!
I'll eat you, boy!
I'm coming to eat you!
I'm back.
Welcome back, Takashi-kun.
What's wrong? You look pale.
Really? It's nothing.
Oh no! It'll burn!
You're back, Natsume?
Nyanko-sensei.
What a nice smell.
We're having fried squid tonight.
How's the squid?
Cats can't eat squid.
I told you, I'm not a cat!
What's with that mark, Natsume?
S-Sensei!
Y-You...
You got a curse on your arm, didn't you?
Curse?
It's nothing to laugh about, you idiot!
How dare he lay his hands on my prey? It's positively inexcusable!
And he's going to eat you?
Normally, I'd be grateful,
but I simply can't allow him to get you before I do.
Hey...
All right,
let's call someone else to be your bodyguard in my place.
Call them?
We'll use the Book of Friends.
The Book of Friends?
We can do that?
Reiko boasted about it before.
Like this?
That's good. Next, put that white cloth on and then stand right in the middle of the characters.
It's to substitute a white robe.
You can't call them unless you know their name and how they look,
so let's try to call Misuzu from before.
Natsume, place the Book of Friends and the mirror beside each other and then drop some blood on it.
Blood?
Normally, they'd want a fingernail.
Don't think you can deal with Ayakashi without some compensation.
Let's do it, Natsume.
Okay.
One who would protect me,
come forth to me.
Your name is...
Misuzu.
It has been a while, Natsume-dono.
I'm sorry I couldn't return your name last time, Misuzu.
I need your power.
Please help me for a while.
Very well.
It's about this.
It spread out more than before.
Oh? A curse mark.
This is not good.
I am not familiar with curses, though.
I will send for someone else.
That'd be a huge help.
However, Natsume-dono, you should not show any weaknesses to Ayakashi.
Ayakashi attack people through their weaknesses and shadows.
Loneliness can serve as compensation for Ayakashi.
You're being quite rude to your master, Misuzu.
Don't get too ahead of yourself.
And this coming from you, Madara?
I can't believe you can call yourself his bodyguard when he has some mark now.
What?!
Natsume-dono, please forget that cat doll and call upon me anytime.
I will protect you.
Hey! Who's a cat doll?!
Damned rocking horse!
Well then, I shall call for Hinoe.
Hey!
Hey, what? Did he say Hinoe?
You know her?
Ah, she's...
Reiko! Reiko!
She's...
You've finally called for me...
My lovely Reiko!
Oh, those scornful eyes,
those thin lips...
What's with your hair?
Did those humans bully you again?
Damn those rotten humans!
Shall I curse to death all the ones who touched you?
You have no breasts.
Wh-What?
A man?!
She's a big Reiko lover.
How disgusting.
And she hates men.
That voice...
Madara?
How'd you know?
What's with that small, furry form?
Did you want Reiko to like you that much?
Calm down, Hinoe!
Natsume's getting scared.
So,
who's this fake Reiko?
I'm her grandson, Takashi.
Grandson? What about Reiko?
She died a long time ago.
I see...
What a short life...
That's why I hate getting attached to people.
Don't get closer to me, you damned man!
Please use it.
You're crying for Reiko-san, right?
Excuse me.
Misuzu-dono had said that Natsume called for me...
So I got a bit excited.
What are you doing?
It's the Five Day Mark.
Five Day Mark?
This Ayakashi cannot move, and so he places marks on people passing by.
For five days, the mark will comsume their life force,
and will draw them to the owner of the mark to be eaten.
By repeating that, the owner of the mark will gain the power to be free.
That's strange.
I can't remember which way I went.
You probably went on some path humans can not take,
and met the owner of that mark.
Geez... It'll be bothersome, but I'll look into it.
Go home for now.
I got myself involved in some bad business.
What's that?
It's an Ayakashi.
Ah, this might be nice.
What's wrong with your arm?
It got scraped on a tree branch.
It's nothing serious.
My, my, it'll be bad if it festers.
It's okay! There aren't any problems!
See?
I'm fine!
No, show m-
I'm going now.
Damn, it's really spreading.
What's with this shadow? It's like Merry.
Who's this Merry?
It's a horror story where some unknown creature gets closer and closer to you.
You get a phone call,
and they say, "I'm Merry. I'm at the front gate now."
After a while, another call comes.
When you pick it up,
they say, "I'm Merry. I'm at the front door."
Does it have something to do with this mark?
What should I do?
You have the same face as Reiko, so don't make such a pathetic expression.
Hinoe.
I found out who the owner of the mark is.
It's a powerful evil spirit that's been sealed away for a long time.
It uses the mark to hunt its prey.
Bit by bit, it stores its power.
It seems that if it eats one more, the seal will be broken.
One more? You mean me?
That's right.
And the evil spirit, unable to wait to restore its power, sends out a shadow.
The shadow will suck the life from you through the mark, and it'll be able to move faster and faster.
It's still slow now, and was finally able to find your house.
You'll die if it touches you.
You're huge, sensei!
My power isn't stable because of the effects of the curse.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
Stop it, you idiot!
Takashi-kun?
Are you back, Takashi-kun?
That's strange, I thought I heard his voice.
Should I eat that shadow?
No one without the mark can touch it.
It doesn't matter. The Five Day Mark will only last four more days.
You just have to run away for that period.
I just need to run away?
Just four more days...
Yeah.
I don't want to worry them.
But...
I don't know what may happen if I'm with them.
If I camp out and return by morning,
Touko-san shouldn't notice.
Damn that Merry!
It went into the house!
I shouldn't go back home.
Fortunately, it's a long weekend tomorrow.
Did you fall in love with some foreigner or something, Natsume?
How international!
Touko-san?
It's Takashi.
I'll be staying at my friend's house for the next three days.
No.
Yes.
Ah, no. Whose house? Well...
Ah, everyone's waiting! Sorry!
Takashi-kun?
I wonder if she'll worry.
I'll cause her trouble if I'm there, though.
You're not like Reiko.
You like humans, don't you?
I didn't like them when I was small.
But after meeting kind people, I learned what kindness was.
I didn't want to run away anymore.
I wanted to become kind too.
You're a man, so what's with the lame talk?
You've got that right.
Well, sorry!
It happened again.
Geez, it'll just be this once, but how would you like having a servant to protect you?
A servant?
A creature of light that can expel the darkness.
I will teach you how to summon one.
It'll be tough, so do you want to do it?
With your energy, it'll be a one-shot battle.
Either a big one will show up, or a useless little one.
Thank you, Hinoe.
Why?! Why do you look like Reiko, yet you're a man?!
It looks painful.
Rest a bit before the real thing.
Guess I'll go get some fish.
I want... to go back home...
It chased after me?
Where's the scroll?
I'll eat you, boy!
I won't let you!
Sensei!
Natsume!
Use it!
I summon thee from the paths of light,
you who expels the darkness.
It's here?
It's tiny!
Is that your servant?
Sensei...
I'm back to normal?
Yeah, it's all over.
Your mark is gone as well.
I see.
Thank goodness.
Thank goodness, nothing.
Watching you, all I could see was your desire to protect important things,
and not wanting to cause trouble for others.
All those kinds of feelings.
I hate people who don't treasure themselves.
Sorry.
Well done!
I had you tested, Natsume-dono.
A test to see whether I should entrust my name to a human child or not.
A test?
I'm the one that made the path to lead you to the evil spirit.
Misuzu! You...
If you were eaten, then that would have been it.
I would then take the Book of Friends for myself.
What?!
What's your decision?
Unfit.
However, you're interesting.
I like you, Natsume-dono.
I shall entrust my name to you for a while.
I don't terribly hate having my name called.
Thank you.
I don't mind being called by you, either.
If you ever find yourself in despair from humans, come to me anytime.
Takashi-kun!
Where'd you go?!
I told you so many times to give me the contact information!
I-I'm sorry.
Sit over there!
Yes!
Just how worried do you think I was?
I don't mind you staying at your friend's house,
but you have to tell me where!
What'll I do if something happens?
I was worrying all night!
I didn't even get one wink of sleep!
I'm back.
Back at my home.
Are you listening, Takashi-kun?!
Ah, yes! I'm listening.
Back at this kind and warm house, where I live with my precious family.
A long night in autumn.
A lively festival.
Fireworks coloring the sky.
The kind people I met in this city are here.
Was I able to do something for them?