He's gonna wipe out evil,
with coarse red bean paste for armor!
He'll use your tears to boil up some sticky rice!
You can eat me!
I'm salty and sweet!
Ohagi Man!
Yay!
Ohagi Man!
Yay!
The fighting ohagi... Ohagi Man!
Yay! Yay! Yay!
What's with that song?
Ohagi Man's opening theme.
Opening theme?!
We're ready for an anime adaptation anytime.
It scares me how serious you are.
Papa, look! Ohagi Man!
That's pretty good, Sae! I'm impressed!
And when you do this, he moves!
That's really impressive!
Ohagi Man is cool, huh?
You can do anything, huh, Sae?
She has a bright future.
What do you want to be when you grow up, Sae?
It's coming up!
There's Kyoto.
A Promise with Sae Missing Exorcist Master
There are so many people!
Kyoto is a world-famous tourist destination.
People come from all over the world.
Kyoto seems like fun!
Does it really?
Oh, you're awake.
Good morning!
They can only relax and enjoy the city because they don't know the truth.
What do you mean?
You don't know?
Well, I have nothing to say to you, then.
Hey, where are you going?
My job was to bring the green kid to Kyoto.
Time for you two to handle your own business.
See ya.
Hey, wait!
What do you mean, our—
Huh? Where'd he go?
The Twelve Guardians all seem to do things at their own pace.
Doesn't look like there's a Dragon Spot here.
Papa, Benio, what's wrong?
Oh, it's nothing.
Since we're here in Kyoto, why don't we have a little fun?
Yeah!
In that case, I'll guide you.
I'm from Kyoto.
Oh, yeah, that's right.
Got any spots you'd recommend?
I do.
Kinkakuji...
That's more typical than I expected.
Located near that is...
a candy store with the most sublime ohagi!
Ohagi again?!
You can't pass up the ohagi at Arashiyama, either.
Isn't there anything other than ohagi?
When you speak of Kyoto, what comes to mind is ohagi!
I've never heard that before!
Can't you think of something that Sae would enjoy more?
Like what?
Hey, what are those clothes?
Those are kimonos.
You can rent them from a shop.
Want to try one on, Sae-chan?
Yeah, I do!
Some places give you a discount or a gift if you visit in a kimono or yukata.
You seem well-informed.
I figured this might happen...
So I brought this Kyoto guidebook!
Hoppl
Kyoto
All the places you'll want to see!!
Oh, hey, the movie studio park sounds cool!
There's a zoo, too!
Riding the trolley might be fun.
I wanna do it all!
I want go with Papa and Benio and wear a kimono!
Let's do it.
Yeah.
All right, in that case—
Who's that?
Number Withheld
Welcome to Kyoto! Good to have you!
Oh, it's you, pervy underpants guy.
You kids enjoying your Kyoto sightseeing?
Walking the romantic, charming streets
might help heat things up for the lovebirds! Woo-woo!
I'm hanging up.
Papa!
Come on, let's go!
Sae-chan, Papa is on the phone. Don't interrupt.
Hurry up!
Sae, I'll be done soon. Give me a second.
Okay.
Well...
Not just a loving couple, but caring parents, too.
Shut up!
So, what do you want?
I've found a way to stop the Dragon Spots from opening.
Are you sure?
I surely am!
If we pull it off, no Dragon Spots will ever open up again.
What needs to be done?
You want to know?
In that case, drop by the Exorcist Union HQ.
And make sure you bring that girl you found in Magano, Sae-chan.
Bring Sae?
I'll be waiting!
Whoa, wait a minute!
Why Sae?!
There are many questions to ask.
Which is why we should get going.
Otherwise, we won't get any answers.
You're right.
Kinako, take us to the Exorcist Union HQ, please.
Got it!
Aw, aren't we going to have fun?
Sorry, Sae.
We'll have to go after the Dragon Spot problem is fixed.
Once it's over, we'll take you anywhere you want to go.
Anywhere?
Yeah!
We promise.
Okay, it's a promise!
So, on that note, I'm counting on you to do the preparations.
Understood.
Still, do you think the Twin Stars will agree to this?
Who can say?
They seem to be pretty close with that little girl now.
We'll just have to explain, and the rest will depend on her.
Yes, sir.
So, how are things on your end?
To perform the Heavenly Blue Earth Ritual,
I've contacted the Twelve Guardians who had split up across the country
and asked them to gather in Kyoto.
That way, we'll be prepared for the worst case scenario.
I see. Well, that's good!
And now that I'm relieved, I could use a snack.
Mikage-kun, could you run to Gion and get me some of those really cute monaka?
Right away, sir.
I appreciate it!
So you've come.
I knew you wouldn't keep quiet at the idea of all the Dragon Spots being sealed.
I was fairly certain you'd show up to interfere in my plan.
Looks like I was right, Kuranashi.
I must say, for you to be able to enter the Exorcist Union HQ
in spite of all the barriers we have in place...
That must be how you snuck into where the Ame-no-mihashira is in the first place.
I see, I see...
Oh? Leaving so soon, after we finally just met?
How rude.
We're not done talking yet!
Don't let him escape!
All done playing hide-and-seek?
Return.
You truly are the head exorcist...
No one has been able to pursue me this tenaciously.
I had thought that with the Twelve Guardians spread throughout the country,
it'd be simple to eliminate you...
I seem to have underestimated you.
Well, thanks.
It's quite an honor to hear that from a Basara like you.
To free Magano and make the real world our own...
You must be eliminated if we are to achieve our goal.
I could say the same to you.
Letting you do as you please any longer will cause all kinds of problems for me.
I, Tsuchimikado Arima, will dedicate my full attention to battling you.
Anyone there?!
Hey!
Looks like there's no one around...
That's strange.
The Exorcist Union HQ is supposed to have tight security at all times,
but there's not even a guard at the gate...
It's downright suspicious!
Hey, it's open!
Sae-chan?
This way.
Hey, Sae! Where are you going?
That way!
Let's go.
Soaring Swift Feet!
Pulverizing Lion's Strength!
Spell Protection Wall!
Wow, just what I'd expect from a Basara.
That's some scary spell power you have.
Head exorcist, leader of all your brethren...
With you gone,
the stars of the real world will lose their light and be swallowed by darkness.
We traveled all over the place and came up with nothing...
Can you imagine how big a loss this would be if we were paid wages?
He got away again.
That just proves what a clever and dangerous opponent
this Basara called Kuranashi is.
Arata-sama! Have you seen Arima-sama?
No, we haven't.
Knowing him, he's probably off goofing around somewhere.
That's pretty likely.
I found this in his room.
That's...
For all these Kegare to gather...
I guess that's just what happens when you're popular.
But sadly, I don't have time to play with you all.
And you're too loud.
Begone.
Scouring Inferno, come forth at once.
Moonlit Hailstorm, come forth at once.
Dual Skies, Infinite Arms!
Well, it's my turn now.
Here comes the counterattack.
What's this? Looks like your spell power's grown much weaker.
That mask seems to be pretty important to you...
I doubt you can pass through the barriers undetected anymore.
I'm sure you Basara have your own perspective on things...
But sadly, no amount of discussion will ever allow us to coexist.
It's time I ended this.
That's... a Seman!
Not all stars shine with light.
Some hide within shadow.
My spell power...
This darkness consumes spell power with a yang nature.
The greater the exorcist's spell power, the more it consumes.
I see...
I guess I fell right into your trap.
The real world will be covered in darkness, and the stars will vanish.
No, they won't.
The deeper the darkness, the brighter the stars shine.
Powerfully... and beautifully.
Farewell, head exorcist.
Sae!
Sae-chan, where are you going?
That way.
It's as if she knows this place...
Wh-What the heck is this place?
Is this... the main building of the Exorcist Union HQ?
Hang on, Sae-chan!
You can't run so far ahead!
Sae!
Whoa, we came out somewhere weird...
Be careful!
Sae, wait a second!
Now it looks totally different!
This place is so strange...
Where are we?
I figured you'd come.
Subaru-sama!
And smiley face guy!
We've been waiting.
You must be Sae-chan, right?
Welcome home.
Sae-chan?
What do you mean, "welcome home"?
Exactly what it sounds like.
This tree is Ame-no-mihashira.
Ame-no-mihashira?
The barrier separating the real world and Magano
is supported by the Ame-no-mihashira.
It's the root of the barrier, quite literally.
The founder of our exorcist arts, and the strongest exorcist to ever live,
Abe no Seimei-sama, is said to be the one who created it.
The Exorcist Union built its headquarters around it
so that they can protect the Ame-no-mihashira.
But a Basara that managed to sneak in
and broke off one of its branches...
See? Right there.
And because of that, the barrier became unstable,
which has resulted in the Dragon Spots opening up all over the place.
Then, that branch being broken
is what started all of the trouble with the Dragon Spots?
Yep.
So, once the branch is restored, the whole mess will be sorted out.
The Dragon Spots will stop opening.
Man, if it was gonna be that easy, you could've told us sooner...
We just figured it out, y'know.
Restoring the Ame-no-mihashira...
That's what Arima-sama wants.
Then where is the branch?
It's her.
This gal is the branch broken off of the Ame-no-mihashira.
The Dragon Spots have vanished?
Yes, sir. While I was on my way to Kyoto,
I saw one in the forest around Mt. Fuji and was about to close it,
but then it suddenly vanished.
It closed without you doing anything?
Right.
I've been contacting other places where Dragon Spots had been sighted,
and it seems the same phenomenon is happening all over.
Then all the Dragon Spots all over the country have vanished...
Is that what you're saying?
I believe so.
What the hell is going on here?
Wh-What are you talking about?
How can she be a branch? Sae is just Sae!
You two know about tsukumogami, right?
After many years, an object will house a soul and begin to move on its own.
If regular inanimate objects can move around like people...
Consider the extremely spiritually potent Ame-no-mihashira.
Nothing surprising about a broken branch from it gaining consciousness, is there?
But...
You two have been with her this whole time, right?
You're bound to have noticed something odd.
The fact that she found this place with no one guiding her
is the strongest proof yet.
You're a part of the Ame-no-mihashira,
the foundation that keeps the border between Magano and the real world in place.
Sobo-Katamuki Quasi-National Park
It got dark all of a sudden...
What is that?
A Dragon Spot...
Oh, no! A huge Dragon Spot!
And a ton of miasma! And there are more Kegare coming out than I can count!
They've finally come.
Can there really be that many Kegare?
Let's go, Benio!
No need for that.
Didn't I explain?
If the broken branch of the Ame-no-mihashira is restored,
the Dragon Spots will never open again.
You won't even need to exorcise the Kegare.
If she chooses to return to her place, everyone will be saved.
How about it, you two?
Next Episode
It's something Churchill said...
"You must look at facts, because they look at you."
I'm gonna look! Stare...
You don't have to look at me.
Tenma-san, you're cute, like a girl!
Forever Smiling Lovely Smile Forever
Shut up!