I know... Next time, I'll take Hamaguchi-kun...
Who are you?
A Flame Haze.
Fla...
I am the Flame Haze of Nietono no Shana.
What? Why... is such a small girl so...
...scary?
No... Stay away... Please...
You do not exist anymore.
You've been eaten by a Guze no Tomogara and have long been dead.
You're a Torch, a replacement created from the remains of the deceased.
Deceased? Already dead? Me?
I don't understand anything.
No...
Stop...
Someone...
Mothe...
Junko?
I'm home.
Welcome back.
That human reacted a little strangely.
Yes. But I'm sure she does not suspect you.
Humans cannot detect us masquerading as Torches.
Yeah. I barged into its existence with no problems.
It still had a lot of power of existence left, so I was able to gain a clear understanding of its life.
You attain true cover by fully utilizing that information.
Otherwise, as you just witnessed, you arouse suspicion.
You must overcome your aversion to this.
It's not that I'm bad at it; I just don't want to do it.
After all, it's only until I kill the Tomogara.
It doesn't matter.
I only came here because it's convenient for gathering information.
That's all.
It's the common area for the family.
Maybe I'll find something here.
This is from Wednesday.
Let's get the one from two days back, too.
Eh? Where's today's?
Junko, I'll prepare dinner right away.
Where's today's newspaper?
Today's newspaper.
Where is it?
In the Japanese room, on top of the cabinet.
What are you doing with it?
Nothing.
Junko, your cake.
I don't need it.
There.
Early on the 15th, at Joushi Park in Yosegi City, an American who went missing in New York ten years ago was found.
This must be the Torch we saw yesterday.
It's hard to believe such a worn-out Torch could attract so much attention.
The American found at Joushi Park in Yosegi City after going missing ten years ago has arrived at the Yosegi Police Station.
He was a popular model ten years ago, and surprisingly, he was found in the same clothes as when he went missing.
Additionally, he does not remember anything from the past ten years, and we do not have any details as to why he is in Japan.
It's certain that Tomogara is involved, but at what stage was it eaten?
A man found in the same attire from ten years ago turns out to be a Torch.
The situation is perplexing, but the mystery is just as large.
The Tomogara usually flees from the site after it feeds to avoid Flame Haze.
Right. So we came here to find its trail.
But...
I never imagined it would still be lingering in this city.
Welcome back.
Look at that worried face of yours.
Still having trouble with Junko?
This one is a little difficult.
But it'll be all right.
She will understand if we talk.
You're right.
The Tomogara's presence, like its power, is extremely weak.
It's hard to believe one like this would be unafraid of Flame Haze and stay in one place.
We're sure it's somewhere here.
But considering that, the number of Torches here is too small.
Right. We spent half a day searching and only found one.
Oogami Junko is the only clue we have.
Where and when did she meet the Tomogara and get eaten?
Junko. Dinner's ready.
Maybe the family would know if there were any changes recently.
Junko, did you hear me?
Don't waste the advantage you gain from barging into a Torch.
Take an appropriate attitude, and you can smoothly conduct your investigation.
Okay.
He's Oogami Junko's father.
I'm back.
That's Mom's seat, isn't it?
You don't want to see the TV?
Yeah.
Is something wrong?
Nothing.
Okay.
Dealing with humans is so bothersome.
Did something strange happen to me recently?
The hot pot will be ready soon.
Oh, that's great. It was pretty cold out today.
Junko, listen...
Mom didn't mean to do that.
Forgive her.
When the daughter... you know...
Seeing you do things like that outside... made her panic a little...
So Hama... what was his name?
Hamaguchi-kun, was it?
Mom's pretty sad, you know?
So stop being like that.
Junko, are you listening?
Is that what recently happened to me?
Here we are. Sorry for the wait.
Hey, where's the newspaper?
Ah, as a placemat.
Thank you, Junko.
Let me ask again. Did anything else happen?
Have you seen me standing, staring off into space, or have there been times you found yourself forgetting about me?
That wasn't anywhere close to a casual questioning.
From a Torch with so much power of existence remaining like Oogami Junko,
in addition to the connections it had, you should be able to feel how to respond like it.
I don't like being roundabout.
Setting that aside, lack of information is the problem.
Yes, we couldn't gain any valuable information from the parents.
It hadn't traveled far, nor had it acted strangely.
The only noticeable happening is how it had a fight with the mother three days ago.
Hamaguchi Yukio. A classmate from the high school Oogami Junko attended.
Is this person somehow related to the Tomogara?
We'll have to go to the school tomorrow and check for ourselves.
Yeah.
I wonder what she wanted.
She must still be remembering the fight with Oogami Junko.
She'll forget about it soon enough.
Once I leave this city, Oogami Junko will truly be gone, and it will be as if it never existed.
She'll forget that she had a daughter.
There's nothing to worry about.
2-3. Roster number 2.
Oogami Junko.
Morning, Junko!
Here she is.
The lovergirl is here.
How noisy.
You got away from us yesterday, but you'll have to tell us today.
So, how did it go in the end?
You're not going to be sneaking off behind our backs.
Huh? What?
Trying to play dumb with us.
We're asking about you and Hamaguchi, of course.
No hiding.
Hamaguchi? Are they talking about Hamaguchi Yukio?
Hurry and tell us!
Yeah, we want to hear!
I wanted to ask who he is.
Something Oogami Junko and Hamaguchi Yukio did together.
When the daughter... you know...
Seeing you do things like that outside... made her panic a little...
What are the "things like that" he referred to?
Either way, there is some secret here.
Where is Hamaguchi Yukio?
Oh. Looking for your help already?
Why you... Showing off how close you are.
I'm jealous.
What's wrong with them?
It's tiring to be with them.
Good morning.
Speak of the devil.
What is this?
Good morning.
Morning!
Hamaguchi Yukio.
Good morning.
Is something wrong?
Look at them staring at each other so early in the morning.
Hamaguchi is all over her, too.
I'm so jealous.
Due to emergency medical reasons, I will be out.
Report so to the facility's instructor for me.
Huh?
You know most about how Oogami Junko acts, don't you?
I have things I want to ask you somewhere we won't be disturbed.
Hey, wait...
Wait, Junko?
Hey, class is starting.
They're going to elope.
Hey, Junko.
Hey!
Geez... What is this about?
I said I have things I want to ask.
Why are you being so formal about it?
Ridiculous.
There's no reason for me to go easy with only this human.
Tell me in detail what I was doing the past few days.
So you got questioned?
Did you have another fight?
Um...
What's the best way to answer to get him to talk more?
They asked you many things about us, right?
But... There really isn't a way to answer, is there?
In reality, it's not like we were just walking around.
I mean, at Joushi Park, too.
That was the first offence, too.
The activity the two did together which the father was talking about.
From the way he speaks, I don't think it's anything too bad.
Then, what were they doing?
I'm sorry you ended up in a fight with your parents because of me.
Is the fight related to what it was doing with Hamaguchi Yukio at Joushi Park three days ago?
Joushi Park?
Joushi Park!
The American found at Joushi Park in Yosegi City after going missing ten years ago...
Is there something at Joushi Park?
It's the same place.
Very minor, but it's connected.
Hey, Junko!
What's wrong? You're spacing out again.
"Again"?
What do you mean, "again"?
Oh, sorry.
I'm not angry. I want to know.
When did I last act like that?
Well, remember?
When you went to the bathroom at Joushi Park, you didn't come back, so thinking you'd gotten lost, I went looking for you.
Then I found you standing by the lake spacing out.
I walked past you for a second, not realizing it was you.
Did not realize despite being there...
That's it. I found the moment it became a Torch.
Three days ago, Oogami Junko was eaten by a Tomogara at Joushi Park and became a Torch.
Junko, are you really all right?
Tell me in more detail what happened at Joushi Park.
What happened and what we did.
Everything!
It's highly probable Hamaguchi Yukio and Oogami Junko made contact with a Tomogara at Joushi Park.
Yeah. But only Oogami Junko was eaten.
There are too many strange aspects to this Tomogara.
We'll probably find the reason for these abnormalities when we go to Joushi Park tomorrow.
Welcome home.
I bought some cake.
Cake?
The ones from yesterday were, you know, completely crushed.
You've grown, but you're still a child, aren't you?
How you make a mess when eating hasn't changed at all since you were little.
You think so?
Yeah.
Remember how you used to crawl into my bed when there was something scary at night?
You haven't changed at all since then.
You were always such a scaredy cat.
Like thunder... even heavy rain.
On a day you saw something scary on TV, by the time I noticed the door had opened, you were already in my bed.
The Oogami Junko she's talking about now is already dead...
...and she doesn't know that fact.
You were the same way when you were lonely after your older brother left home.
Lonely?
I hide when I'm lonely, just like when I'm scared?
Not exactly hide.
You try to be with someone.
Be with someone...
Like now.
Just like we're sitting here.
I guess, the one who's lonely now is me.
You won't be lonely, since you'll forget everything.
Oogami Junko will be treated as though it never existed.
That's how Torches work.
Here.
Open it.
I couldn't fix it properly.
I couldn't find one piece.
So I used the ring you gave me a long time ago in its place.
You told me it's just a toy, but it's really something precious.
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
It wasn't anger or anything.
It was joy.
I'm not bothered about it.
Oh, great.
I should be smiling.
Both as...
...the Torch and...
...the Flame Haze.
I know... Next time, I'll take Hamaguchi-kun...