She's right here.
I found you, Kazu-nii!
Madoka?
I thought something like this might happen.
It's a good thing I stuck that tracking device on you.
What? Where?
You must not think very much of me.
Did you coming here knowing it was my room: Akiyama Shinobu's room?
What? That means...
I see...
You're Akiyama Shinobu!
D
Do
Dog
Dog &
Dog & Scissors
Episode Five
Nothing Ventured, No Dog Gained
I see. You're Akiyama Shinobu.
You're the one who stole Kazu-nii from me.
Madoka.
Calm down, sister.
I told you not to call me "sister"!
Shut up, sister.
If you're going to enter my home, come in through the entrance.
That's not the problem here!
Shut up! This is all your fault!
You made Kazu-nii crazy!
Because of you, Kazu-nii...
I wanted to spend more time with Kazu-nii.
Madoka.
But this is where you ended up.
You loved them so much.
There's no way you would give up on reading books and just die.
Isn't that right, Kazu-nii?
No, your brother is gone.
You're lying! Kazu-nii is right here!
You must face reality, Harumi Madoka.
You can hate me all you want.
You can blame me all you want, but...
Do you think your current actions make your brother happy?
Shut up!
You don't know the first thing about Kazu-nii!
Are you saying you do?
Do you know what your brother wants?
What he wants?
If your brother truly was one of my readers,
there's no way he would approve of what you're doing now.
How? How do you know that?
Because I believe in my readers.
I believe that the thoughts I write into my books
reach my readers.
Harumi Kazuhito died right before my eyes.
He was protecting me from a robber.
He did die for me.
I saw the redness of his flowing blood
and the warmth leave his body.
No!
Listen to me!
I will not forget his death.
The dead cannot return,
but if he was one of my readers, I will continue writing.
Natsuno.
No matter who forgets, I will continue writing for him.
For Kazu-nii?
I'm a writer.
I give my books everything I have.
I put my entire being into books and give that to my readers.
That is my life, my reason for living.
If he was one of my readers, and if he received my thoughts...
I did receive your thoughts.
Then my reader, Harumi Kazuhito,
would never condone what you are doing now!
There's no way for you to know that.
But that's what I believe.
What about you?
Can you truly believe your brother would praise you
for what you've done?
Open your eyes, Harumi Madoka.
I know. You don't have to tell me.
But...
Hey, wait.
Madoka, what are you doing?!
I don't recognize this ceiling... because there isn't one!
I'm sorry.
There's no way you're my brother.
I felt like I would find Kazu-nii if I came to Shin-Inaba,
Shin-Inaba Station
so I searched the whole town and even set that trap.
When I trapped you, I really thought you were Kazu-nii.
He's the only one who would fall for something like that.
Madoka.
I really am a terrible sister.
That's not true. You'll always be my favorite sister.
Thank you. I still don't know what I should do,
but I'll never be able to face Kazu-nii if I keep running.
So I...
I'm going to finish with everything I have.
I'm surprised you found this place.
Well...
My dog's always running off somewhere.
I attached a tracking device on him.
You, too?!
So, are you ready?
Of course! I'll give it everything I have!
I enjoy people like you who are so easily read.
Okay, then.
Tuna Eater, on!
Yes, my master.
I'll cut you to pieces with my knife!
Wait, Madoka! What is that?!
Well, well...
Tuna Eater, huh? You've got a nice weapon there.
What the?! Natsuno-san, you know what that is?
[ Tuna Eater ]
What the hell is a Tuna Eater?
Don't give your knives such ominous names.
That would certainly allow you to enter my room, as well as escape.
With a knife? How?
I bought this special knife through mail order with
the money I've been saving since I was little.
They sell those through mail order?
I've been cooking for Kazu-nii with this knife
for as long as I can remember.
I will not lose!
You made curry with that thing? That must've been difficult!
That's why your curry was so strange!
I should've noticed you were using that thing every morning!
Ah, I can't stop retorting!
Let's get started, shall we?
By the way, you never told me your name.
Akiyama Shinobu is your pen name, isn't it?
Natsuno Kirihime, author.
I'll cut you to pieces with my all-purpose stationery "Hasajiro."
Harumi Madoka, Harumi Kazuhito's sister.
I'll tear you apart with my electric knife "Tuna Eater."
Let...
...us...
...fight!
Impossible!
Sheer size won't work against my Hasajiro.
We'll see about that.
Tuna Eater, Genocide Mode!
Transformation, Genocide Mode on.
Total annihilation of ingredients set to top priority.
It transformed into a chainsaw?
Not too shabby.
But...
Looks like it would be just right for maintaining a lawn.
I'll break your spine, pull out your guts, and cut you to pieces.
My sister is seriously terrifying.
What's wrong, sister?
You seem to be short of breath.
Shut up!
Let's see how you handle this.
I know. I really do know.
This won't amount to anything.
Madoka.
Kazu-nii is dead.
He's gone.
But if I give up now, I can't call myself his sister.
I can't let my connection to Kazu-nii fail here.
That's why...
Tuna Eater, Destroy Mode!
Transformation, Destroy Mode on.
Destruction of ingredients set to top priority.
A cannon? Some kind of projectile weapon?
With this attack, I'll break free of the past.
This attack is my resolution.
It will be the beacon of my new future.
Take this, Natsuno Kirihime!
Natsuno!
Take this, Natsuno Kirihime!
Natsuno!
Y-You're kidding.
Not bad, but...
No...
I see. So you're applying to a high school in the area?
Yes, I came to Tokyo to check it out.
Have you read any of my books?
Yes, at my brother's recommendation.
I see.
Tell me what you thought of them.
But that's embarrassing.
Is this the friendship born after a battle?
By the way, why did you cut up my books?
I know. It's not something a human would do.
Because of something Kazu-nii said.
If you sell your books to used bookstores, the author loses royalties.
Either tear them apart or burn them.
I see.
Wait a minute...
So, it has nothing to do with the slasher incidents?
The slasher incidents? What are you talking about?
Huh? Does that mean...
You're not the slasher?
No.
What?!
The only things I did were cut up the book and abduct your dog.
Didn't we meet in the shopping district?
Didn't you run from me?
No.
Didn't you cut that man's afro?
Whose afro?
Didn't you attack people in the shopping district?
I don't bear any ill will against the people who live here.
Well, now that you mention it...
So, what does this mean?
Hey, come on out.
You can hear me, can't you?
How long have you known?
The first time I thought something was strange
was when we met in the city.
When Natsuno attacked you,
you said we were ganging up on you.
I can't believe you're ganging up on me.
I see.
Does Sensei know?
Who knows?
So, how much do you know?
The slasher incidents certainly did occur,
but Akiyama Shinobu has nothing to do with it.
Most of the information we gathered was from stories you planted.
You spread lies among the public,
and that salaryman was one of your set ups, wasn't he?
Still, Natsuno might not believe mere rumors, so you attacked Afro.
He's quick.
When you heard the rumor about the girl
cutting up Akiyama Shinobu's book, you used that.
You overheard our conversation then.
You heard us talking about how Natsuno
briefly worked on "Lust" after the robbery was solved.
You're right. I did it all for Akiyama-sensei.
I did it so she could escape from her slump as soon as possible.
I knew it.
If she requires trials, I shall give them to her.
If she needs hardships, I shall give them to her.
Be it peace of mind or pleasure, I will give her anything she needs.
For her, the author, and her books.
There is no limit to what I will do for her and her books.
Don't make a fool out of Natsuno.
She can get out of her slump on her own.
What if she can't?
I believe in Natsuno.
You're Akiyama Shinobu's reader first and editor second.
The author believes in her readers.
The readers should believe in her, too.
An author who doesn't write is no author at all.
Akiyama-sensei is a genius.
Her name will go down in history.
I will do everything I can to help her.
Natsuno doesn't need your help!
You seem to have grown quite close to Akiyama-sensei.
I've never seen her
get so emotional on someone else's account before.
If you were to die, I wonder what kind of book she would write.
I told you, didn't I?
I'll do anything to get Akiyama-sensei to write.
I'm just kidding.
Goodbye for now.
Wait!
Everything you've said is mere postulation.
You don't have any proof, do you?
I won't accept it.
Even if you're doing it for the books or Akiyama Shinobu,
I'll never accept your way of doing things.
You are my enemy. You're the last boss.
Is that all you want to say?
We'll meet again.
Until the time comes for you to learn the true meaning of pain, goodbye.
Wait!
What?
Sensei?
What are you, an action hero?
It seems you've done something very interesting.
What? Sensei?
You were listening?
I didn't have to listen.
I realized what that pervert was up to immediately.
Did you think you were the only one who noticed, you idiot?
Don't just stand there! Come and sit!
Yes.
You were behind everything, weren't you?
Yes, I did it all.
That was easy.
I feel pretty stupid for calling you the "last boss."
Unbelievable.
I can get over a slump or two myself.
In fact, I've already overcome this one.
Hey, what did you just say?
What?!
You know what will happen to you if you drop a single one.
Yes.
Did someone tell you you could stand?
No.
Hey, is this...
After punishing you yesterday, I was suddenly able to write.
What?
I told you I didn't get any sleep last night.
If I'm not sleeping, it means I'm writing,
you thick dog.
Thick Dog
Seriously? You should've said something sooner.
You didn't ask.
Don't give me that.
Sensei, Sensei, Sensei.
They're all so wonderful.
Who said you could stand?
Yes.
Did you really get out of your slump?
Yes, as you can see.
Which had nothing to do with the incident
this pervert created, of course.
This is amazing, Sensei.
My M Gauge... my M Gauge is overflowing.
I'm glad you're worried about me, but stay out of my way.
I will overcome anything in order to write.
That is what it means to live as an author.
But I did it for you...
If you can't do as you're told,
I'll be nice to you from now on.
What?
I'll be nice to you from now on.
Sensei?
I look forward to working with you, Hiiragi-san.
No!
I'm back.
So, what about "Lust"?
If you haven't written "Lust," there's no point, you flat-chested sadist.
Come again, sister.
Sister-in-Law
I feel like you just called me something
a little different from just plain sister.
Me, too.
If you'd like, you can think of this dog as the real Harumi Kazuhito.
I will personally allow it.
Really?
Come whenever you feel like it.
You can do as you please with this dog.
Really? I can do anything?
This conversation has taken a disturbing turn!
You are one of my readers, as well.
If my readers ever need anything, I'm happy to lend a hand.
Okay! Thank you for everything.
I look forward to seeing you again.
Are you sad?
Well, I guess.
There is one thing that's still bothering me.
What?
What's going on with the slasher case?
Oh, that.
It's her.
While I was spreading my rumors, I ran into the real culprit.
There was a smack, a crack, and a gush.
Smack
Crack
Gush
I folded him up and threw him in a garbage can in some alley.
Why didn't you mention that sooner?
This was all a waste of time.
Are you saying the culprit had already been punished
by the time we started our investigation?
I suppose I am.
Sensei, are you angry?
You're going to punish me again.
You pig!
Episode Preview
Hey, little girl.
It's a pervert.
I don't feel enough of a burn today.
Let's do some double biceps together!
It's a pervert!
Why are you running away, little girl?
Rain Settles the Dog
Chapter Six