It's dangerous! Toki, get back!
You idiot! What are you doing?!
You'll be engulfed!
Episode 13
Whistle of the Wind from a High Peak
I hate you, I hate you.
I'll curse you, I'll curse you.
Imayou just adored her Master.
Revenge for Master.
Her deep and pure love turned into a strong hatred of human beings.
And the ones who drove her there were...
we humans.
She couldn't do anything on her own.
She suffered.
And all she could do was explode.
All she could do was blame humans.
If this is what my wish caused,
then this should be my responsibility.
If I want to save humans, then demons are sacrificed...
Is that... Is such a hopeless outcome what I wanted?
No!
What I wanted was...
Toki!
Are you all right?
He's breathing.
He just fainted from the effects of the evil aura.
I see.
Oh. Is this fox Imayou?
Imayou.
What a feat of strength.
It hasn't resolved any of the issues,
but it seems his feelings were understood.
The mountain labored and brought forth a fox.
Was saving one mere fox what you wanted to do by involving so many people?
I like that personality of yours, Utsubushi.
Yakou. It seems you've failed to get your precious research material.
Is that your conclusion?
Yeah, it is.
Go back to your bed, with your regrets.
You bastard!
Tsuyukusa! Hey!
Utsubushi, don't worry.
This was just a curtain-raiser.
If these idiots get back on the stage again, eventually the real performance will start.
The players are assembled.
Will it be a comedy or a tragedy?
Either way, the key player is the Blank Page.
I see. So, last night something like that did happen.
If I consider the activities of the head clerk, something like that could have occurred.
I saw it that time.
There are others who have fallen asleep, too.
Are they going to die?
That's scary...
The priest also purified the head clerk and the others. So don't worry.
I caused everyone a lot of trouble over this incident.
If anyone wants to quit, please feel free to do so.
I'll help however I can with my savings.
No, owner. You don't have to do that.
It's true that our store sold illegal drugs.
We can't avoid being charged.
That wasn't just the head clerk's fault.
It was also my fault for not stopping him.
The head clerk must have ruined many lives.
But it's also true that he supported this store and me.
Perhaps I was the one who made him do that.
No.
Huh?
The head clerk yielded to the temptation of the numbers game.
As the numbers increase, people forget what the numbers represent and lose their purpose.
The head clerk forgot that beyond the numbers, there are humans with flesh and blood.
The numbers game, eh?
Yes. But that's a bad habit we all have.
Excuse me.
Oh, sorry.
Huh?
Aren't you the apprentice boy from Yorozu-ya? What's your business here?
That's what I want to know...
officer.
My fellow officer quit, so I came here on a matter related to that.
I heard that your colleague was friendly with the head clerk of this store.
So I need to ask the storekeeper about the relationship between those two.
Hey! Get out, you outsiders!
Yes, yes, I understand. We'll go.
Stingy.
Kurotobi!
The express messenger I sent to Sasaki-sama seems to have arrived in time.
What?
We made quite a lot of noise last night.
I asked Sasaki-sama to prevent any officer connected with the head clerk from coming.
Then the colleague who "quit" must've been fired by Sasaki-san.
Yamauchi-san is a straightforward and serious person.
He'll believe that the murder at Naitou-Shinjyuku
was a territorial fight between gangsters and will deal with it accordingly.
So this incident is resolved.
Well, for me, Rikougou-san,
the question of your friendship with Amaza is not yet resolved.
I'm not their friend!
Oh, so you won't mind
if I call Yamauchi-san over and have him arrest the man with the tattoos on his left arm?
Would...
you mind not doing that?
Umm... he saved me when I was in danger.
Rikugou-san, I have to say this.
If you're going to take their side, we'll kill you first.
You have a very rare power.
But that's all you have.
You can't even save your own life.
You shouldn't dream that people and demons can understand each other's hearts.
Otherwise, you'll end up in worse shape than this.
You'll end up dead.
I believe that you should be on our side.
I personally don't like harming other people.
I don't want you to leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.
What's this?
One to the south. One to the north.
One to the east. One to the west.
And in the center is the gods' house.
Wh-What?
Damn it.
This is such magnificent power.
Hey, Rikugou.
It's a bit strange to see you in the sunshine.
Aren't you mistaking us for ghosts or vampires?
I want to move quickly...
but there's an idiot over there with Tsuyukusa.
Heihachi-san?
Are you ready?
Huh?
What?
What the hell is this?!
Stop yelling in my ear!
You're choking him. You're choking him!
Wh-What is that?
It's Tsuyukusa.
He exhausted his power to maintain a human shape.
Even if we leave him somewhere, he'll recover eventually and return to his previous form.
What? That means we must let him rest.
We mustn't move him.
Why do I have to give priority to his condition?
Aren't you friends?
Heh. I don't think I have any friends.
Then, what about him?
He's my transportation.
Imayou.
She seems to understand which human saved her.
Isn't this the first time we've talked so closely like this, Hakutaku?
Umm... yes.
My name is Utsubushi. Nice to meet you.
Y-Yeah...
Oh, you are definitely just like a child.
It's amazing that you have such great power in such a small body.
Stop it!
U-Umm... my name is Rikugou.
Oh, Hakutaku is the name of a sacred beast that had the wisdom of men.
Isn't that like the Blank Page?
So demons use that as a nickname for you.
Wisdom? No, I'm not that clever.
Yes, you don't seem to live up to your name.
Well, you don't seem like a bad-hearted person.
I thought Bon was overrating you, but it seems I made a mistake.
Actually, it's all up to the user, Utsubushi.
He may be a coward who can't use his power, but the power itself is useful for me.
If he had real intelligence, then it would be easier to control.
I see.
Excuse me.
Sorry for interrupting you.
Take it easy. He can't see.
I heard that Shamon-dono's friends are here, so I came here to thank them.
Oh, you must be quite tall.
Umm... well, I've hit my head on the lintel several times.
I heard that you did your best during this incident.
Toki.
No need to thank us.
Huh?
Oh, sorry.
Hey, Imayou.
Is it a puppy?
Oh, maybe it wants...
this.
Oh, hey!
I don't mind. I'll give it to you.
Carving is what I do as a hobby.
I carved a piece of wood from that camphor tree, so it should smell good.
There was a small inari in front of that camphor tree.
An inari is a small shrine for a good harvest, usually with a guardian fox.
I suddenly remembered, so I made that.
An inari is a small shrine for a good harvest, usually with a guardian fox.
To be honest, some things that happened during this incident have made me believe in the supernatural.
When I was covered with fire,
a voice as cool as cold water echoed in my head.
This way.
I felt the wind at my back, even though I was sure I'd closed the door.
My life was saved that way.
Also, the only thing that burned in the warehouse was that trunk.
Go ahead and laugh.
I can't help thinking that the trunk burned in my place.
I wouldn't laugh.
Rather, I want to believe that that's what really happened.
Men and demons always misunderstand each other and experience difficulties.
Imayou.
But...
Thank you.
Even if there is only one...
weak and frail relationship,
if it can be of help to someone,
and even if people laugh at me for chasing a pipe dream...
I want...
to pursue that dream.
You're exactly as I dreamed.
Nice to meet you,
Teiten.
How pitiful your brain is.
Anyone hungry yet?
We can go out and get something.
So Toki. How did you become friends with these people?
Then I think we could get...
Umm...
What if I said they're demons? But they're not bad ones.
Would you get angry?
What? Did Kuchiha tell you something?
No. It's Sasaki-san and Kurotobi-san.
They say that all demons are enemies.
Yeah, they would say something like that.
But as for me, I don't think all demons are enemies.
Is that so?
Yeah. But it's also true that men and demons are getting in each other's way.
Neither is willing to compromise all that much.
So they think that complete dominance, or complete exclusion, are the only ways to settle the issue.
But if we compromise like you and these guys have, I'm sure we can help each other.
I think so too.
What a boring story.
Priest, you seem to have a flexible point of view, considering your job.
But, it's not just men and demons that are fighting for power.
There are humans, there are demons, and then there's heaven.
Huh?
Isn't heaven already the ruler of everything?
A-Are you going to...
What?
Explain it properly!
Why don't you learn from that priest and try thinking for yourself first?
Don't leave the decisions to others.
There's heaven above us.
They're listening to us, not missing a word we say.
The only one they don't know is you.
Are you planning something that mustn't be overheard?
Don't you understand yet?
What I call heaven is
an existence that has will and looks down on this world from a throne high above.
When we were in the interval space, I asked you to choose me or the Princess.
That's because I didn't want Teiten to overhear us.
Did you understand what I was saying?
Humans hate demons and are ignorant of heaven's power.
Demons hate humans and blame heaven for how they're treated.
Heaven watches over humans and controls the demons.
These three relationships are all stable on their own,
and heaven won't forgive anyone who breaks that stability.
Priestess, why is this?
Why do you disobey heaven?
Why do you forget your obligations?
Why do you not guard the net?
Why do you draw a bow against heaven?
Why?
Because we don't need you.
Isn't Teiten our enemy?
Are you going to take control from heaven?
What on earth...
Are you insane?
What's wrong? Isn't that cool?
A power struggle with heaven, now that's exciting.
Of course. If that wasn't the case, demons wouldn't follow Bon.
Ridiculous!
Priestess.
Plead for mercy.
Go back.
Like a god and Buddha combined...
What a mess...
I will forgive you if you repent now. What will you do?
I have already made a vow with someone.
Rather than wait quietly for desolation to come,
I will move forward.
Wh-What?
The power you gave me.
Feel it with your own body!
What you're doing is useless.
That may be, but I'd rather choose a future that I don't know, than the future I do know.
You are insolent!
I am disappointed.
Since we took care of you...
This voice...
Teiten.
What?
Is this...
Run...
far away...
Is that Ginshu?
Hurry!
Toki...
Why do men and demons fight?
First of all, what is the difference between men and demons?
What is heaven?
The Princess serves both heaven's net and Teiten.
In other words, her goal is to destroy this world.
I want to preserve this world.
And to make you the new Teiten.
What makes people?
What makes demons?
What makes you?
Now boy...
What is discipline?
What is death?
What is life?