So the lizard won't die even if you chop his head off?
Interesting.
Do you remember the face of the man inside his mouth clearly?
Yeah, I do.
The man and the lizard both had cross-marks on their eyes.
Cross-marks, you say?
And the woman who was with him was a sorcerer?
Yeah, her name is Nikaido.
I'll look into her at once.
I know a sorcerer who's called "Turkey".
His dolls should prove useful when it comes to the lizard-man.
I'm Turkey. I'm a sorcerer who makes living dolls.
Living dolls?
You don't believe me?
Should I make one to demonstrate?
Please put smoke into this bottle while thinking about someone you know.
She should be okay.
Well then, please wait a moment.
Turkey's dolls...
Are alive and imitate the habits and behavior of the original.
And the interesting thing about these dolls is...
That they tend to go where the original is.
I see.
If you make a doll of the man inside his mouth and follow it...
You might be able to figure out the lizard-man's identity.
I have finished.
Well then, Bon appétit!
How is it?
Isn't she just like your partner, from head to toe?
Yeah. As expected of you, Turkey, it's exactly like Noi.
Right, Shin?
How should I know something like that?
Senpai! Where are you?
Shin-senpai!
- Hurry up and get rid of it! Get rid of it now!
Sorry to intrude... Ah, senpai!
Sorry I'm late!
Uh... My mask? Did you bring it?
Yeah!
Hm? Something smells really good!
Roast Duck With a Sorcerer
Now then, I shall now explain how I make the dolls.
Here are the ingredients.
Finely chop some onions and celery and mix them up.
Add cognac, port wine, salt and pepper and mix well.
Once you've beaten and flattened the duck, roll it up using kite string and put it in the oven.
Baste it with Shin's smoke and veal stock every ten minutes...
And roast slowly.
So good...
And it's done!
How is it? Remind you of anyone, En?
Nope, nobody.
Anyway, let's keep an eye on what the doll does and find out what kind of a person he is.
He must be the key to solve the mystery of this lizard-bastard.
We're kinda like detectives! This is fun!
Getting a job like this is nice every once in a while.
Oh? He's going into that store.
Is he going to change into something he's more used to?
What a cheap store again... Is he broke?
Clerk, do you know that man?
Nope, I only started here last week.
Blaka Smoko, Enter The Hole, She Is A Devil...
- Hey, Ebisu...
You smell like a zombie, get some clothes from here and change.
Suits you well.
Lookin' cool?
Miss customer, that's just underwear...
This time it's a restaurant?
Th-this place is really expensive, senpai!
Waiter, do you know this guy?
He has supposedly been a customer here.
No, I do not know him.
I have been working at this restaurant for thirty years, but I never...
I'll have the strawberry terrine in jelly, please.
Next up is a train, huh?
But still, this guy... His clothes are cheap, but he eats at members-only restaurants...
Just what kind of a person is he?
If I had to say...
We don't need to hear it.
What's this place?
The people who can't use any decent magic...
Gather here and find some solace by forming groups.
People who are naturally not able to produce much smoke...
Or whose magic just plain sucks...
I might not be too far off from that myself.
I wonder if this is his apartment.
The original isn't here...
Let's go and ask the landlord.
Yeah.
You guys look for any clues.
Understood!
Haven't seen the guy from room 8 for about a year now.
A year? What's his name?
Don't know his name or his face.
It's a common thing to keep things private in this world.
I'll find something and be useful too!
Hm? Fujita!
Hm? Did you find something?
Hey! Are you alive?
E-Ebisu found a box and...
The doll suddenly reacted...!
Hmm?
Alright, you duck meat doll. Hand the box over.
If you try to resist me...
I'll break you!
A safe...?
Hm?
Whoops!
You...!
Never thought a duck steak would get a hit on me.
Senpai! These two are okay!
The doll broke, but...
There should be some clues about the original in this safe.
Noi.
Okay!
Ah! H-He's...!
Hm? Oh my!
So the man inside the mouth was already dead?
In the end we didn't learn anything, damnit!
Hm?
Keep this head in your bag.
Please Attend The Dance In Formal Attire
Before we enter the venue, put these on.
Nose plugs?
Just what kind of a party is this?
You'll understand when you get in.
These are... corpses?
Smells so bad!
So this is why we plugged our noses...
And I was really looking forward to the free food.
What are you saying? The food's right there. Eat as much as you want.
This party is held once a year.
All participants bring their own corpse to the gathering.
Really now... A party for corpse lovers?
What's this weird background noise? It's coming from that dark ceiling...
Flies.
After this, the sorcerer who can give life will come.
She will revive these corpses.
The boxes attached to the corpses are presents for her.
If it's her...
She should be able to revive that decapitated head. Right, senpai?
Sure.
Hm? Isn't that Ebisu?
She's with... En?!
Have you been to this party before, Ebisu?
Yeah.
Ebisu's name was on a list of past guests.
She could be useful somehow...
Hm?
Look, the guests of honor are here.
What? Those lame-ass guys?
It's starting.
There's a small tumor inside the sorcerers' heads.
It's shaped like a devil and represents our life to us.
White smoke...
Ooh!
- Little devil!
The corpse... Came back to life!
Wonderful!
Now then, I have a job for you two.
Hm?
A job?
Just what was your true motive for coming here?
I'm making her my partner.
Come again?
For several years now...
I have been searching for a worthy sorcerer to become my partner.
I see... And now you've finally found one?
You really are such a pompous guy!
To tell you the truth, I've been looking for a sorcerer who can control time, but...
Hm?
What is it, Ebisu?
What? The toilet?
Go by yourself.
Shin. Noi.
You shall now erase that man.
Kill him and throw the body somewhere.
Yes...
Little miss!
Hm?
Little miss!
It's a balloon!
Look! C'mere, c'mere!
Hurry, hurry!
Well then, everyone. Please enjoy chatting for a while.
Let's go after them.
Been a while, Ebisu!
You really surprised me! You coming here with En...
Just what are you up to?
Ah, that's right! I've got some good powder!
Been a while, right? Give it a try...
Booze!
This is a secret, but the organizers of this party...
Are our customers too!
I can't control this guy with my magic alone.
Did the man with the cross-eyes bring enough black powder?
Hurry up and take the powder, you still haven't revived even half of them.
Wha-?
That woman will become En's partner. Give her up.
Wh-What's this? So En was aiming for that too?
Damnit!
Huh?
It's been a while since we've had an opponent we could show our combo to!
Whenever you're ready!
Fools!
Huh?
There!
Is he dead?
Yeah.
You are... En!
That's right.
You will be my partner starting from today.
Hm?
Black powder...
Even she was using the powder...
What a disgrace for a sorcerer...! Hm?
What's this...?
The black powder the guy used...
Is a drug that temporarily boosts your magic power and gets you addicted to it.
Huh... Why did he use something like that?
When you suck really bad, this stuff is necessary.
Oh, En.
Did it go well with... What the hell is that animal?
This is the "life-giving sorcerer".
That woman was hiding this guy under her dress.
Whaa... so this is your new partner now?
Uh, no... That's not really...
Senpai! Let's give him a name!
Ebisu!
Where have you been?
There's your toilet...
And there's your food bowl...
You really built one hell of a place.
Boss has a ton of money.
I had a devil make the mask.
Must be nice!
Fujita's really jealous, no joke.
En, have you found out anything about Nikaido?
Yeah, I looked her up.
She went across to Hole when she was a child.
Boss scoops up shit.
However, I couldn't find out what kind of magic she uses.
Since she was a kid, there wasn't that much information about her.
That stinks!
So then, it's possible that the one who cast the magic on the lizard-man...
Was this Nikaido, I guess.
Your belly is so fluffy!
Yeah. If we use this guy's magic to revive the severed head...
We might find out something about that too.
And while we're at it, I'll have him bring back to life
this precious mushroom I accidentally let rot.
The head seems to be completely secondary to him...
Boss, Ebisu has come up with some names for the animal.
I give list. Boss excited.
Puki
Pug
Parka
Ashka
Divas
They're all names of evil spirits!
I appreaciate it, but I've already decided on a name.
"Kikurage".
Flutter, flutter...
- Don't these fluttery things remind you of that?
Fluttery and fluffy!
Sure, whatever...
The years come and go in Hole
It's really gotten cold now.
Sorry to drag you along on New Year's Eve.
This "Doctor" we're visiting now...
What kind of a guy is he?
A friend of Doc's. Apparently he's the leading expert in sorcerer research.
I wonder if he's gonna be some grumpy old man...
"Kasukabe"
Hm? There's no response at all.
The lock is open.
Doctor?
We've come to deliver sorcerers' corpses for research!
Huh?
It's pitch-black.
I wonder if the doctor has dropped dead somewhere.
I thought I'd ask him a bunch of questions about sorcerers.
Hasn't the number of sorcerers really gone down lately?
Hole is peaceful, but that's bad news for me!
I wish I could go to the world of sorcerers!
What're you gonna do?
If we happen to find a way to their world...
You're gonna come with me for sure, right?
What's this? Don't tell me you're scared?
Yeah... Really scared.
It's gonna be fine!
I'll protect you!
Hm? Nikaido, that room...
Sorcerer specimens...
It's like the bloodstained lab of a mad doctor.
Look! It's the masks of the sorcerers we've killed!
Is someone there?
The room next to us!
T-There ain't a room next to us.
I see... this entire house must have been distorted by magic.
The smoke that's accumulated in the corpses of the sorcerers
is now filling the mansion as dust.
It's like a maze in here.
It's no use! The Doctor ain't here and I'm starving!
I'm gonna die at this rate!
Ah!
This is the kitchen!
Hurray! Let's eat something!
What should I make?
Gyoza!
That's it!
Happy new year!
New Year's dishes!
Go ahead and eat!
The herring roe is so good!
Nikaido...
Hm?
I've always been meaning to say this...
Thank you for being my friend!
Huh? Are you an idiot? What's this all of a sudden?
No matter what happens, keep being my friend!
What's this now? Of course I will.
Phew! So good!
Caiman, listen...
There's something I also really need to tell you...
It's snowing!
So pretty.
Is it okay if I have this omelet roll?
Go ahead!
Tasty!
Who are you?
I'm Doctor Kasukabe!
I live in this mansion and do experiments on sorcerers.
Wha-?
The hell you say?
I've heard about you guys from Vaux.
The doctor was just a child?
I was used for practice by a sorcerer and turned into a kid
I'm actually around sixty years old.
Somehow, I lucked out!
Have you been wandering around this house the whole time?
No way! Who'd get lost in their own house?
I was just doing some serious cleaning.
See? Because I cleaned up, the house became normal again.
Whoa!
You're right!
Caiman...
Huh?
I want to show you something good!
It's the only thing that connects our Hole and their world.
I researched it and finally succeeded in reproducing it.
But I wonder if you're prepared to try it out?
It's a door made out of sorcerer carcasses and bones.
Their world lies beyond this.
What we learned from the fourth curse:
1. The man inside the mouth is already dead.
2. En is looking for a partner.
3. Hole celebrates New Year's Eve.
And what you will learn from the fifth curse...
That's still a mystery.
That is...
DOROHEDORO