Like countless dreams being granted,
words without any sense of realness
A future form that resides in them
can be seen in your faintly gleaming eyes
When we passed by like it was coincidence back then
our encounter began, serving as some sort of delusion
Is fate laughing? I can hear it
Intersecting joy and pain
Grazed by the voice I heard that day
I held onto a two-faced strength
Now I'll unravel that unsolvable reason
and fly beyond the wish I arranged
"All cakes 50% off today"
Say, Hamaguchi-kun and I should come here sometime...
Who are you?
A Flame Haze.
Fla?
I am the Flame Haze with Nietono no Shana.
What? Why is this little girl?
She's scaring me...
N-No, stay away... Please...
You no longer exist.
A Crimson Denizen has devoured your existence.
You are long dead.
Huh?
You're a Torch. A replacement made from the deceased's leftover scum.
Deceased? Me, dead?
None of this makes sense!
No...
Stop...
Someone!
Mom...!
"Overture, Part 1"
"Ogami"
Junko?
I'm home.
Welcome back...
That human's reaction was a little odd.
Mm. But she can't possibly doubt you.
Humans can never see through Torch disguises.
Mm. I'm certain I inserted myself into its existence properly.
Plus, that Torch still had a lot of power of existence left,
so I was able to clearly determine its connection to the world during life.
The perfect disguise comes in using that knowledge in speech and attitude.
Without it, you will raise similar suspicions.
You must gradually conquer your weak points.
This isn't hard for me to deal with. It's simply a bother.
It doesn't matter, though. It all boils down to slaying a Denizen.
I'm here because it's convenient for gathering information.
That's all.
The family lounge.
I wonder if there's one here...
Wednesday's newspaper.
And, just to be sure, I'll check the last two days'too...
Huh? Where's today's?
Junko. I'm about to start on dinner.
Where's today's newspaper?
- Huh?
- Today's newspaper. Where is it? - Huh?
Oh, on the cabinet in the Japanese-style room.
Why do you want the newspaper?
No reason.
Oh, Junko. The cake...
I don't want any.
Here it is.
Mm.
"10 Years Since American's Disappearance..."
"An American man who went missing ten years ago in New York
was found in Yosegi City's Joshi Park early in the morning on the 15th."
This definitely sounds like the Torch we saw yesterday.
Yes.
To think a Torch on the brink of disappearing would attract so much attention...
The American man found in Yosegi's Joshi Park after a decade-long disappearance
has just arrived at Yosegi Police Station.
This individual was a famous model ten years ago
and he was apparently found wearing the same clothes as when he went missing.
What's more, he has no memory of the intervening time
or any knowledge of why he is in Japan.
We know that a Denizen is involved.
But at what point did it devour him?
Mm.
He appears exactly as he did ten years ago, and is now a Torch...
The strangeness of this situation has attracted a great deal of attention.
You would expect the Denizen to have gone elsewhere by now,
fearing Flame Haze retaliation.
Mm. That's why we came here... to follow its trail.
But, this is a shock.
I can't believe it's still in this city...
Welcome home.
You look glum. Is Junko still miffed at you?
Very much so.
But it's okay. I know she'll understand once I can explain to her.
Yeah.
The energy indicating the Denizen's strength is miniscule.
It's difficult to believe one this weak would remain here,
unafraid of Flame Hazes.
It's definitely here.
In spite of that, there are too few Torches.
Yes.
We spent half a day searching and only found a single Torch.
Junko Ogami is our only lead.
But it's anyone's guess when or where she ran into the Denizen.
Junko. Dinner.
Junko Ogami's family might know if she changed at all recently.
Junko? Did you hear me?
Do not waste this advantage of being in the Torch's existence.
By adopting the proper attitude, you can investigate in peace.
Understood.
Junko Ogami's father.
I'm home.
That's your mother's seat.
You don't care that you can't see the TV?
No.
Is something the matter?
Not really.
I see.
Interacting with humans is such a pain.
Has anything been different about me lately?
Err...
The stew will be ready in a minute!
Oh, that's great.
Today was a little chilly and all.
Junko.
Listen...
Your mother didn't mean any offense.
Forgive her, okay?
It's just, umm...
Seeing her daughter doing that sort of thing in public threw her off guard.
So, this Hama... What was it again?
Hamaguchi-kun?
Your mother's really down in the dumps.
Don't be so cross with her, okay?
Junko. Are you listening?
Is that what's been different lately?
Huh?
Here we are!
Oh? Huh? The newspaper...
Oh, right. For a pot stand.
Thank you, Junko!
So, to ask again, has anything else been different?
Have I stood around with a spaced-out look,
or have you forgotten that I'm here or anything like that?
Huh?
That certainly wasn't a completely peaceful questioning.
Given the amount of power of existence Junko Ogami had as a Torch,
you should have a grasp of her proper behavior too, not just her close ties.
I hate beating around the bush.
The scarcity of information is the real issue here.
Mm. The parents provided almost no helpful information.
No excursions, and no unusual behavior.
All we have to go on is that she and her mother
had an argument three days ago, on Tuesday.
Yukio Hamaguchi...
Junko Ogami's high school classmate.
I wonder if he's connected to the Denizen...
Your only choice is to find out at school tomorrow.
Mm.
What's the matter with her?
She's likely upset about her argument with Junko Ogami.
She'll forget soon enough.
Once I leave this city, Junko Ogami's existence will completely vanish,
meaning she'll never have existed.
She'll forget she even had a daughter.
There's nothing to worry about.
Junko Ogami, Class 2-3, Student #2.
- Good morning, Junko!
- You came! - Good morning, Junko!
It's the lovey-dovey girl!
Annoying.
You managed to get away yesterday, but today you're going to talk!
So, how did it go?
You can't keep us in the dark!
Huh? What?
Oh, you! You're playing dumb!
We're talking about you and Hamaguchi, obviously!
It's not nice to keep secrets!
- Hamaguchi...
- Out with it! - Hamaguchi...
- Tell us! - Do they mean Yukio Hamaguchi?
I'm the one who wanted to ask that...
What did Junko Ogami and Yukio Hamaguchi do together?
Seeing her daughter doing that sort of thing in public threw her off guard.
What could "that sort of thing" be?
At any rate, there's definitely some sort of secret involved in this.
Where's Yukio Hamaguchi?
Oh? Crying out for help already?
Man! You really know how to show off!
I wish I was so lucky!
What's with these girls?
- They're exhausting... - Morning!
Oh, speak of the devil!
What is this?
- Good morning!
- Morning! - Good morning!
Yukio Hamaguchi...
Morning!
Something wrong?
Wow! A passionate gaze first thing in the morning!
Hamaguchi's totally love-drunk too!
I'm so jealous!
Tell this facility's instructor... the teacher...
that I'm leaving early today due to a sudden illness.
Huh?
You're the most acquainted with Ogami Junko's activities, yes?
Huh?
I have questions for you. Let's go where we won't be disturbed.
Huh? Whoa! Hey!
Hey! Wait, Junko!
Hey class is about to start!
Wow! They're eloping!
Come on, Junko!
H-Hey!
Geez... What's up with you?
I told you already. I have questions for you.
Huh? Again, what's up with you?
Ridiculous. This is the one human I don't need to hesitate with.
Tell me everything I've done over the past several days.
Huh?
So you did get chewed out?
Huh?
Did you get into another argument?
Umm...
How can I answer to make him talk?
They asked you all about us, didn't they?
But, it's like, what else is there to say, you know?
It's not like we're gallivanting all over the place or anything.
Besides, that time at Joshi Park...
That was the first time.
Her father said they did something,
but judging by things here, it couldn't have been that bad.
What did they do, then?
I'm really sorry. It's my fault your parents got on your case.
Is there a connection with what she and Yukio did
three days ago at Joshi Park?
- Joshi Park...
- Huh? - Joshi Park...
- Huh? Joshi Park!
The American man found in Yosegi's Joshi Park after a decade-long disappearance...
- What about Joshi Park?
- The same place... - What about Joshi Park?
It's not much, but it's a connection.
Hey! Earth to Junko!
Huh? Oh.
What's wrong? You're spacing out again.
Again? What do you mean by that?!
Oh, sorry.
I'm not angry. I want to know.
When was I like that before?
Don't you remember?
You went to the restroom at Joshi Park but never came back.
I thought you had gotten lost, so I went to look for you.
You were standing by the pond, completely spacing out,
and I actually passed right by you without noticing you right away...
He didn't notice her despite being nearby?
I've found it. The moment she became a Torch.
Three days ago, in Joshi Park,
Junko Ogami was devoured by a Denizen and became a Torch.
Junko? Are you sure you're okay?
Tell me more about what happened in Joshi Park.
What happened there, what we did there... Everything!
It's very likely that Yukio Hamaguchi and Junko Ogami
encountered a Denizen in Joshi Park.
Mm.
But only Junko Ogami was devoured.
There's too much out of the ordinary about this Denizen...
Perhaps visiting Joshi Park with Yukio Hamaguchi tomorrow
will shed some light on things.
Welcome home.
There's cake.
Cake?
Well, yesterday's cake was squished, so...
You're all grown up now, but you're still a little girl deep down.
You still get your food everywhere when you eat. You haven't changed at all.
Really?
Yes.
You'd dive under my blanket whenever you got scared at night, remember?
You're still like that.
You were a real scaredy-cat.
Whenever there was lightning or a big storm or a scary TV show,
you'd already be in bed with me by the time I noticed my door was open.
The Junko Ogami this mother is speaking of is dead now.
She doesn't know that.
You did that to ease your loneliness when your brother moved out, too.
Loneliness...
I run when I'm lonely too? Just like when I'm scared?
Hmm, it's not so much "running" as it is trying to be with me, I'd say.
With you...
Just like...
Just like we are now.
But maybe I'm the one who's lonely now.
You won't be lonely.
You're going to forget everything.
Junko Ogami will never have existed.
That's what happens with Torches.
Here.
Look inside.
I couldn't completely fix it.
There was one that I just couldn't find.
So I used the ring you gave me as a present when you were little instead.
It was a toy, but you called it a gem.
I'm sorry...
Mm.
She wasn't really angry. She was in a good mood.
I'm not upset at all.
I'm so glad...
Now this is where I smile.
This is just how it is for Torches...
...and for Flame Hazes.
Say, Hamaguchi-kun and I should come here sometime...
We held on to feelings we couldn't give up
Even so, we've walked this far
It's like we haven't made any progress, and have only slightly touched
a wish carried by the waves of time
Visiting distant memories
I feel like things shine with, "This wasn't how it was"
After getting through that bright day
we're here now
In this place where endings and beginnings don't exist
I am sure we will now
walk again and discover a new dream