Doesn't it scare you when your computer does this?
It's important to keep a copy of all your data, just in case.
Haruhiko gets weird viruses from suspicious websites all the time.
Quit making baseless accusations!
What Ruru just said isn't true.
She's lying.
Huh? But just the other day—
It'd be useful if human memory could be backed up, like computer data.
There's actual research being currently done on that.
It's true!
If you don't believe me, copy my memories and check!
Unfortunately, that research is on humans.
Phantom memories are beyond the scope...
Listen, the sites Haruhiko was browsing had lots of women with huge boobs—
So, anyway, this episode will be about memory.
I'm Kawakami Mai, a second-year at Hosea Academy High School.
I'm a member of the Phantom-hunting club.
There's no school today, but Himeno Arisu-sensei told us to head out.
Mai-cchi! Hey!
Mai-oneesama!
Sorry, we stopped by the convenience store.
Together? When did you two get so close?
No, we just happened to—
I just happened to bump into him at the convenience store!
Coincidence!
She didn't have to deny it so vehemently.
To be honest, our team, Team E, often fails.
The club doesn't take us very seriously.
Sometime soon, we'd like to redeem ourselves.
That was fun, huh?
The giant isopods were cool.
I thought they were scary.
Senpai?
It's nothing.
I was just remembering when I was little.
What were you like as a child?
Believe it or not, I was a quiet, shy crybaby.
Lies.
I give! I give! I give!
I believe you!
You must have been a cute, adorable little girl...
I don't know about cute, but I used to be really shy.
I couldn't even make eye contact with people I'd just met.
But just once...
Yes, it was a long time ago.
A strange, almost magical memory.
Hey, I think you can release him now.
Sorry.
Now, let's go. We'll miss the train.
Yes, Mai-oneesama.
Aren't they those high schoolers from the other day, Albrecht?
So, about the Phantom...
It cuts people off while they try to cross the bridge in the evening,
telling them to defeat it first.
It's like if Benkei were a Phantom.
Yeah.
It appeared at the river, so it must have the attribute of water.
Then we can defeat it with earth attacks.
Right.
Let's do this!
We're here.
It's getting dark.
They call sunset "omagatoki" because monsters often tend to appear at this time.
It might show up soon.
Senpai, is something wrong?
This place feels kind of familiar.
It's a Phantom.
You must be the Phantom picking fights with pedestrians.
You'll have to deal with me.
I was not picking fights.
That was a means toward an end.
What? You're one of those that can speak?
I merely believe that if I acted so and waited, I shall have my wish granted in due time.
An end? Wish?
What are you talking about?
You need not feign ignorance.
Kawakami Mai, summoning you here was our goal.
Me?
There's another!
You are proud of your strength.
We suspected that if we made ourselves known, you would soon come.
You were after Senpai?
But why?
I have no idea what you're talking about, but if it's a fight you want,
it's a fight you'll get.
If you lose, I'm sealing you!
Let us...
...begin.
Wow, it's like the tale of Ushiwakamaru.
Mai-cchi's in trouble!
Jachin and Boaz!
What's in those vials?
Vermilion.
I'm using red paint as blood.
Admonition then, admonition now, admonition henceforth.
Let the Lord admonish you.
Open, Open... Open, gates of Hell.
Return to life, vile demon of the damned.
Invoke, Marchosias!
What is this?
Senpai!
Mai-oneesama!
Don't get in my way. I'm not done yet—
Mai-oneesama, be strong.
Quit acting tough!
Tactical retreat!
Kawakami Mai, come back when you are better trained.
We shall be waiting here.
Th-That was amazing, huh, Albrecht?
The Next Day
This isn't over!
Neural Error Corrections Room
I'll get them next time!
It looked like those Phantoms were after you...
They must have learned somewhere that I'm strong.
Hey, what's your job today?
There's a Phantom making a mess of the park flowerbeds.
You?
They want me to take care of some noisy rock band Phantoms.
Shosuke, where're you headed today?
The nature park, past the mountain.
There's an onyudo terrifying tourists in the caves.
Yeah? Be careful!
Good luck to you, too.
Everyone seems busy.
We can't sit around, either.
We have to come up with a plan.
But there are two of them.
We might not be able to win without two of us.
And we need one more that's about as strong as Mai-oneesama...
All right.
We hereby begin martial arts training!
This is getting complicated...
I'm wearing the same uniform as Onee-sama.
I'm kind of happy.
First, we'll work on the lower body.
Follow me!
How dare you?!
One point for Reina-chan.
Haruhiko and Ruru are out of the question.
Reina's a bit better, since she knows self-defense.
I'll do my best to be useful to you, Mai-oneesama!
I appreciate the sentiment,
but I don't know about asking a girl to put herself in danger.
But...
Thanks for offering, though.
This one's easier to work, anyway.
There's no way I can get stronger so quickly!
Only because you think there isn't!
You lose, the moment you decide you've lost!
Hang on, since when have you been so gung-ho?
I said I can't...
Quit grumbling and get back to work!
This is why no one wants to team up with Mai-cchi.
I only have to get as strong as you, right, Senpai?
Let's copy your memories to mine.
What we call "memories" are actually several things.
Common knowledge—that which we acquire by studying, or like how to board a train
or take a bath—is called semantic memory.
Semantic Memory
Your name, family relationships, and personal experiences.
These are all personal, episodic memories.
Episodic Memory
And how to ride a bike or do a back hip circle.
These things, involving bodily movement, are called procedural memories.
Procedural Memory
Of course, that also includes martial arts skills.
In other words, you want to copy all my memories of my skills,
and transplant them into you?
Is that even possible?
There's still a lot we don't know about how memory works.
According to one theory, human memories are stored not in the brain,
but in a sort of collective human subconscious, like cloud data storage.
And to recall something is to download the memory from an external server.
If this hypothesis is true, and we can access memory data,
it might be possible to acquire someone else's skills.
That sounds totally fake.
You're just trying to get out of training, aren't you?
N-No way!
During the New Age science boom in the eighties, there was similar discussion!
Yeah, they always said it's sketchy, but...
I heard what you were discussing.
I think it's worth trying.
Neural Error Corrections Room
Ichijo-kun has the special ability to summon Phantoms.
In other words, it's the rare gift of communication with the metaphysical.
Rare, huh?
Ichijo-kun may be able to copy Kawakami-san's skills.
He may be able to access the metaphysical-storage server of humanity's memories, wherever it is.
Seriously?
And why are you surprised?
I'm a member of the Alayashiki research staff.
I'd love to publish a paper on this.
If you say so, I guess we could try it, Himeno-sensei.
But what, exactly, do we have to do?
Don't worry, I have an idea in mind.
Why do I have to do this with you?
What choice do we have?
Sensei told us to.
I'm told Kawakami-san played here when she was little.
I thought that, in order to share memories,
it might be good to visit memorable places.
Is it really possible to download memories?
By reliving experiences, virtually sharing them,
it may just be possible to synchronize their memories, too.
There's still much we don't know about special abilities.
This is practically a date, though.
This will be your grave.
You'll come to regret this in the afterlife.
My disciple, it's time for that move.
Yes, Master!
Heavens, have fury. Earth, scream.
Double dragons roar!
Special Attack: Tornado Wheel of Hell!
Tornado Wheel of Hell
N-No!
When she was little, she was moved by this movie.
Luckily, it's back in theaters.
Buck up.
Don't you want to share my memories?
Sucks to be you. Humans can't fly.
This place is dear to her?
She said she often came here with her father.
He seems to have liked sports.
Chinatown
So, now we're back where the Phantoms show up.
That took me way back...
Will that really help us to share our memories?
I remember now.
I've been here before, too.
On a trip in preschool.
I didn't realize it because there weren't as many buildings back then.
Being timid, I ran away from the other kids, to play by myself.
And then, two kids I didn't know spoke to me.
Even though I was shy around strangers,
for some reason, I had no trouble befriending them.
I didn't even ask their names.
I wonder who they were.
You are here...
...Kawakami Mai.
There you are.
No way... We haven't been able to copy your memories yet!
Who cares?
I wasn't counting on it to work, anyway.
Haruhiko!
Got you!
Senpai!
What is this?
Is this...
It worked!
We're accessing your memories.
It actually worked?
Senpai, think about your martial arts training.
Okay.
Let's see...
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
What was that?
Are you two okay?
Mai-senpai, you've met those two before.
Those two?
What? What's going on?
Did the memory transfer actually work?
Yes... It was when you came here on your preschool trip.
Hang on, Kawakami Mai, have you forgotten us?
This is the place where we met!
I give! I give!
Let's play some more.
No! No, please!
This is your memory from when you were in preschool, isn't it?
Why?
It isn't how I remember it!
Come on, I'll let you try it on her this time.
No!
After your violence while we happened to be training here,
we trained for years in order to get our revenge.
What's going on?
I believe your memory has changed.
Changed?
People often change their memories to suit themselves.
In other words, you were never as introverted or quiet as you thought you were.
I knew something was off.
Mai-cchi being introverted?
But the rambunctious you was cute, too.
Kawakami Mai, we have not yet finished our duel!
Behold, ten years of training.
Guys, stay back.
Mai-oneesama!
Haruhiko, you have to go!
W-Wait, but I'm still not...
Right now, you're essentially Kawakami-san's backup copy.
If she's ever in trouble, it's your time to shine.
See?
Go, Haruhiko!
Ta-dah.
Haruhiko...
Sweet!
Wow.
With this, even I can fight!
Mai-senpai, leave it to me!
Huh? He's already out of breath.
Not enough stamina. Not enough strength.
He didn't have the basic fitness to match his skill.
You're so useless!
The boy is no match for us.
Here we come, both of us!
Mai-oneesama!
Ichijo-kun, what if you used the Power of the Five Elements?
Huh?
Her special ability might make up for your lack of fitness.
Oh, yeah...
Of the five elements, the power of earth absorbs water.
I summon the earth phase to my fists from my spleen!
He sounds like Mai-cchi!
Good job, Haruhiko.
Of the five elements, the power of earth absorbs water.
Let us do battle for what is right!
Damn you!
Haruhiko, it's time for that move.
Right!
Heavens, have fury. Earth, scream.
Double dragons roar!
Special Attack: Tornado Wheel of Hell!
It seems we still lack training.
But that is what makes our enemy worth defeating.
You're both pretty impressive, too.
To be honest, it was a close win.
We shall return to challenge you again.
Until then, be well.
Yeah, I'll be waiting.
Mai-oneesama!
Good work.
You did very well.
Thanks!
You aren't always bad, either.
They're so awesome.
The Next Day
Memories are weird.
I can't believe I used to be like that.
What a shock.
They're vague and dubious, and you can never be sure what's true.
Maybe human memories are a lot like Phantoms.
You might forget precious memories, but all you need is to make new ones.
Maybe this time, you can become real friends with those Phantoms, too.
You're so snotty!
Then, what happened to Mai-cchi's memories?
They still aren't gone.
I worry that I might accidentally let some of hers get mixed up with mine.
Wait! Really?
Don't worry, I suspect they'll vanish in a few days.
The same way you forget things you've crammed for an exam.
Question!
When's the first time Mai-cchi wore a bra?
Um, in fifth grade—
Don't remember that!
Go develop amnesia!
Now!
I can't...
What are Mai-cchi's measurements?
Um, ninety—
P-Please stop!
Mai-oneesama, Haruhiko-kun, and Ruru-chan are like a happy family.
I wonder...
I wonder if, someday, I can be closer to them, too.
That was the thought that ran through my mind.