Volume 19

The nineteenth volume of the manga. It covers Chapters 92 to 97.

Put to Rights (Part 2)
The chapter starts with Sakura walking into the broadcasting club room. Disembodied voices in the dark are whispering about the rumor of the Seven Mysteries. They're taking about what happens if you collect all of them, but they drift off before we can hear.

Tsukasa is waiting for Sakura inside of the broadcasting room. He's doing a puzzle, one that Nene had in the previous chapter.

He asks her whether she found No. 6's yorishiro. Sakura confirms that she did, and that she was a girl named Sumire. Sakura says that she was lost, so she sent her back to where she came from.

Tsukasa pats Sakura on the head, and tells her she did a good job. He says that he did what he needed to, as well, and sent "that kannagi" to No. 6's boundary. In a flashback panel, we see that Tsukasa used his Kokujoudai to teleport Nene there, much to Hanako's shock.

Sakura is a bit confused, and asks Tsukasa if his big brother was okay with that. Tsukasa says that Amane "kinda made a face about it," but he eventually agreed to do his job, so there weren't any problems.

Tsukasa says that the only thing they have to worry about now is whether or not Nene will be able to destroy Sumire, who is a yorishiro bearing a human form.

But Sakura says she isn't worried. She says that the only way Nene can extend her lifespan is by destroying all of the yorishiro, and that even if she tried to escape the village they trapped her inside of, there was no way she would be able to do it without Hanako's help. Tsukasa nods along with what she's saying.

Sakura goes on to say that Sumire told her she was okay with being destroyed, and that when the time comes, she won't resist. Before long, the matter of No. 6 will soon be behind them.

Tsukasa puts his hand in Sakura's hair and tells her to look at him. He says that No. 2's, No. 5's, and No. 4's yorishiro have all been destroyed, and that No. 3's will be taken care of some way or another. With those four taken care of, there are only three yorishiro left to be destroyed. Tsukasa and Sakura are on the ground now, with Tsukasa crouching over her on the flooded boundary floor. He says that Sakura's wish will be granted when all of the yorishiro are destroyed, and that she'll finally be able to go outside. She's wished to go outside for over a hundred years, he says.

He surmises that she must be happy that her wish is coming true. Or, he thinks it could be the opposite, and wonders if she's thinking that she should have never made that wish. Tsukasa asks if she regrets making her wish.

Sakura says she doesn't regret it, and that she's happy.

Suddenly, Tsukasa is yanked off of Sakura, revealing that Natsuhiko has entered the broadcasting room. He asks Tsukasa why he's treating a lady like this, and Tsukasa just hums in response. Natsuhiko orders him to get out of here and take care of Mitsuba, and Tsukasa obediently leaves.

Sakura welcomes him back. Natsuhiko gets down on a knee and offers his hand to help her up, but she refuses him and gets up by herself. She asks him if he finished what she asked him to. Natsuhiko confirms that he did, and briefly sports the visage of a gentleman thief, saying he would steal the moon itself if she asked. Sakura thanks him and, as usual, is unimpressed by his display.

Natsuhiko brings up the yorishiro again, saying they only have three left to destroy... but corrects himself, saying they really only have two left. He asks her what'll happen when they're all destroyed, and discovers that even Sakura doesn't know. She says it's never happened before, but guesses that because the yorishiro protect the border between the Near Shore and the Far Shore, that life and death would be no more. She says that the living, dead, and even supernaturals will probably cease to exist. Not that any of that is a problem for her, she says.

Natsuhiko is quiet for a moment, but he turns to Sakura and asks her if she would go on a date with him if that ever happens. Sakura admonishes him, saying he would also cease to exist, so he wouldn't be able to take her on a date. Natsuhiko says she doesn't know that for sure, and hits her with his cutest smile. Sakura relents, and says that she'll go on a date with him if he lives, much to Natsuhiko's joy.

The scene changes, and it's nighttime. Sumire wakes up, and finds that she has awoken in a house within No. 6's boundary. She's visibly disappointed, saying that in the end, she ended up back in this village again.

She hears a rattling noise, and wonders if it's Sakura. Or maybe... just maybe... could it be No. 6?

No, it's Nene! She runs to Sumire, and they have a tearful reunion. They're both happy to see that the other is okay... except, Nene tells Sumire that someone named "Tsukasa-kun" brought her here. Nene is having a hard time getting her words out, and Sumire guesses that Tsukasa ordered Nene to destroy her, and that if she doesn't, Nene won't be able to leave.

Nene confirms this is true, and says she has no idea what to do. But she says that she'll find some other way to get out of here, and rushes away to go scour the boundary. Sumire waves her off with a smile, but monologues about how Nene doesn't have to do that, and that she's fine with things ending this way...

A cherry blossom petal suddenly lands on Sumire's head, much to her surprise. She doesn't remember the sakura trees blooming during this season, and follows the petals to find out where they're coming from. She finds a large sakura tree, and sees that No. 6 is passed out beneath it. Sumire calls out...

"Hakubo...?"

Dawn (Part 1)
Beneath a sakura tree, No. 6 sleeps. Sumire, joyed to see him, clasps his hand and calls out his name: "Hakubo!"

In contrast to her joy, No. 6 is startled by her appearance. He jumps to his feet and backs up against the tree, screaming. Sumire is displeased, remarking that he looks as though he's seen a ghost. She admits, however, that he must be feeling a bit of regret if he's reacting in this way.

Trying to cut to the chase, No. 6 asks her why she's here, still looking uneasy. Sumire dodges the question, commenting that she planned on going easy on him because he looked as though he'd suffered an unusually grievous injury, but she sees now that he seems to be fit and well.

Skittishly, No. 6 tries to hide from her behind the sakura tree. Sumire says he never knows when to quit, and wonders whether she should punish him or not. She chooses violence, and proceeds to tie him up and torture him by placing a heavy stone on his lap. (TLN: this practice is called Ishidaki, and is a torture method practiced during the Edo period in Japan.)

Staking a sign that says "This man left his wife behind for over 100 years" next to him, Sumire laments about how she had so many things she wanted to say and do to him if she ever saw him again, but can't seem to remember them anymore. No. 6 makes a snide remark that she has a lot of nerve saying something like that, but Sumire either didn't hear him or pretends not to.

Changing subjects, Sumire brings up that she met Sakura earlier, who she describes as someone No. 6 works for. She notes that Sakura was the one who gave No. 6 his position as one of the school mysteries of Kamome Academy. Then, Sumire says that Sakura told her that she intends on getting rid of the school mysteries, saying that there's no need for them, and no need to protect the mortal realm any longer. Sakura will return the seven seats to their original form.

In conclusion, Sumire explains that No. 6's final job is to destroy his yorishiro, AKA Sumire.

With a sad expression, Sumire says that Nene, the only person who can destroy her, would never destroy Sumire willingly, even if it was the only way for Nene to leave No. 6's boundary. She tells No. 6 that it's for that reason that he must persuade Nene to do it. She tells him it's his duty, so he must be able to do it.

After a beat of silence, No. 6 says that if Sumire is telling him to do so, then he'll do it. Smiling with closed eyes, Sumire says that he hasn't changed at all, and that it's like they've gone back in time to that night.

Getting along with things, Sumire tells him to come with her to look for Nene.

The two of them walk through a moonlit, deserted town, the same one Sumire grew up in. They can't find Nene, and all the food has been left out on the tables in the houses.

Sumire suddenly spots a familiar building, and starts to reminisce about how the two boys that lived there would always bully her by throwing mud balls at her, but No. 6 would always come to save her. Comically ruining the moment, No. 6 says that if he didn't do that, then she'd end up beating up those boys and tossing them into the manure. Sumire stares back blankly at him, before turning to notice a persimmon tree. She says that she would pick persimmons from that tree every year, and that No. 6 would help her hang them up to dry. No. 6 remembers that she once broke the branch of that same tree when she tried to steal persimmons from it, causing her to fall and him to run to her rescue. Sumire stares blankly back again, and No. 6 lets out a chuckle.

No. 6 begins to point out several things Sumire broke, from a water wheel, to a burnt down shed, and even a jizou statue. He seems to be having a good time. Sumire gets upset about how unsentimental he's being, and No. 6 gazes off fondly into the distance and says she's got a wild personality. Sumire is offended at being called "wild", and puts on a cutesy face to try to appeal to him, saying they were just mistakes and that she's a beautiful girl burdened with a tragic fate. Deadpan, No. 6 calls her shameless.

Despite their banter, they have a good time walking around the town. Sumire says it's really fun to walk through town with no one around, but with almost planned timing, a raindrop suddenly splats onto her head. A rain storm begins, and Sumire shrieks. The two of them find shelter in a dirt tunnel in the side of a hill in the woods.

Sumire stares out into the downpour of rain, hoping aloud that Nene found shelter. No. 6 is silent, drawing Sumire's attention. He's staring at the lightning, and recalls the fight he had with Kou. He tells Sumire that he met a kid from the Minamoto family outside of the boundary, and that the kid was reckless, weak, and wouldn't listen to anything No. 6 told him. No. 6 says that Kou told him he was going to make everyone happy by defeating No. 6, which No. 6 finds ridiculous. Still, some part of No. 6 wishes he could have the same spirit Kou had...

Surprised, Sumire asks him if he regrets "that time," and we see a flashback of the ceremony in which Sumire was sacrificed. No. 6 pauses for a long time to think, and eventually asks her if she really thinks that's true. Sumire is unimpressed that he took all that time to say something so unprofound, but with a good-natured sigh, she reasons that he's always been that way.

As the rain continues to pour, Sumire starts to squeeze the water out of her hair, and hefts up the bottom of her kimono. No. 6 reaches out a hand to her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and clutching her head. He asks her if he should take her.

Sumire stares at him, and he stares back. She breaks eye contact, and asks if he means it like taking her as a wife. Chuckling, she says that she won't be tricked by him, and says he must be lying.

No. 6 grabs her arm, dragging her in for a kiss. Wide-eyed, Sumire begins to blush, asking him what he's doing. In response, No. 6 kisses her again. His sharp teeth scrape against her skin, drawing blood. Breaking away once more, he cradles her head, telling her he's serious this time.

Dawn (Part 2)
No. 6 is cradling Sumire's head, the two of them still taking shelter from the rain in the cave they entered in the previous chapter. He tells her that he will take her, and that he's serious this time.

Sumire freaks out and smacks No. 6, yelling at him to explain himself. He pauses, looking pensive, before comparing his feelings for her to indigestion. No matter what he does, his feelings for Sumire won't go away. They linger, burning in the pits of his stomach. He's miserable, and he can't stand it.

She asks if that's true, and if he really did suffer because of her for a hundred years. He doesn't quite confirm it, but he compares her to a curse. Sumire looks surprised, before grasping the hand he has on her cheek and smiling back at him warmly.

Burying her head into his chest, Sumire laughs. No. 6 looks confused, and asks why she's so happy. He puts her hand on his head, and says that if he watches her leave him again, then nothing will have changed. No. 6 bites Sumire's neck, making a bite mark around her yorishiro, and then bites her again on her forearm, near her bracelet. He says that whatever he does, he won't be able to forget about her, so he will go ahead and do whatever he wants anyways.

The panels go black, and No. 6 begins to monologue. He states that Sumire said he wanted him to cry and cry and go to Hell. He tells her that he wishes he could have been a normal human like her, and that they could've grown up together. He would have had human emotions, and been capable of loving her back. He wishes he could've clung to her when she was sacrificed to be God's bride, and wishes he could've gone to Hell for her.

The darkness fades, and we can see Sumire on the floor, her clothes rumpled. She's giggling, and she calls him a cute, stupid fool. She tells him he already is in Hell, and he hasn't realized it yet.

No. 6 looks surprised, his eyes widening. Oh, he thinks. But then his eyes lower, and he picks up Sumire's hand. He thinks that he's fine with being in Hell.

Widening his jaw and exposing his sharp teeth, he raises Sumire's hand to his mouth. The next panel is black, with only a single crunch sound.

The scene changes, and we see Nene taking shelter from the rainstorm under a roof. As she wrings the rainwater out of her hair, she hears a shattering noise. She turns to look, and is surprised to see the boundary beginning to destroy itself around her. Nene begins running away, and wonders how this is happening. To the best of her knowledge, the only way to destroy a boundary is to destroy a yorishiro, but Nene was told that she was the only who can do that. She calls for Sumire-chan, and wonders what to do.

In Nene's experience, she's always returned to the mortal realm when a boundary was destroyed. However, she knows that Teru, Kou, and Akane are currently rescuing Aoi. Hanako told Nene that sacrificing Aoi had allowed Nene to evade her death, but if Aoi is saved and they both return to the mortal realm, then Nene surmises that Nene herself would die upon escaping from the boundary.

Now in an even deeper panic, Nene increases speed and screams that she doesn't want to die like this, and calls out desperately for Sumire. She ends up tripping over a branch, but a hand grabs her before she can fall.

It's Sakura. She tells Nene not to worry, and that she's not supposed to die here.

Nene pauses, trying to place her face. She remembers the Tea Party, and gasps. She's Tsukasa's assistant! Sakura corrects her with her actual name, before smiling pleasantly and remarking that it's been a while since they last saw each other. Nene clutches her hand to her chest, looking a little lost and nervous, and asks Sakura why she's here. She also asks what she meant by saying Nene isn't meant to die here.

Sakura points to her head and, very seriously, tells Nene that she is a psychic. This comes as a great shock to Nene. Sakura continues on, saying she holds mysterious powers that allow her to do anything, like reading minds, bending and warping things with her mind, and seeing the future. Nene is bewildered, and asserts that she must be joking. Sakura confirms that she is lying, but half of it was true.

Actually serious this time, Sakura asks Nene if she wants to know anything, like about her lifespan or the the pasts of Yugi Amane and Yugi Tsukasa. Nene is too shocked to respond, and Sakura continues, saying that this boundary will be destroyed soon, so they only have a bit of time, but for now, Tsukasa won't be able to see them. Because of this, Sakura is able and willing to answer any questions Nene asks of her.

We can see a giant dark hole in the sky behind Sakura, where triangle-shaped pieces of glass are falling. She smiles at Nene, and asks, "now, where shall we begin?"

Dawn (Part 3)
Standing on a cliff with a view of No. 6's boundary collapsing behind her, Sakura asks Nene what it is that she wishes to know.

Thinking to herself, Nene surmises that because Sakura is Tsukasa's assistant, she must know things Nene doesn't. However, Nene is wary that she may be getting lured into a trap. She bluntly tells Sakura that she can't trust her, as Sakura keeps lying to her by saying things like she's an "esper", and about how she tricked Nene once before during the Tea Party.

Sakura plays a trick on Nene again by telling her she was secretly planning on getting Natsuhiko to stab with a lance when her guard was lowered, but laments that maybe she should have actually plotted something considering how much Nene was expecting her to have.

Struck by the earnestness of her senpai, Nene's legs and willpower collapse. She supposes that maybe because Sakura isn't with Tsukasa right now, then maybe it's safe to lower her guard with her.

Giving her a chance, Nene asks Sakura to tell her about her friend, Aoi. Not fully convinced Sakura is telling the truth yet, she posits potential questions like whether Aoi has safely returned to the world of the living, or whether her lifespan has returned back to how it once was. She expects nothing from Sakura, but Sakura asks if Nene means the girl that came from a lineage of kannagi.

Sakura further begins to explain how Aoi was a kannagi that was supposed to live and Nene was a kannagi that was supposed to die, but someone had tried to switch their lifespans. Aoi's lifespan would have been transferred to Nene if she had reached the Far Shore, but that didn't happen because Nene and her friends stopped it.

After making a side comment about how No. 6 will probably give up on using Aoi for his ceremony after losing his seat number, Sakura guesses that the eldest son of the Minamoto has probably found a way to bring Aoi back to the mortal realm. Just to be sure, she summons Kokujoudai, and discovers that Teru and his party are no longer in the boundary. Sakura assumes that this means Aoi has probably gone back and recovered her lifespan, and turns to Yashiro with a smile.

Starstruck and dazzled, Nene is impressed that Sakura managed to answer her questions so thoroughly. Still, Nene can't fully trust her, and worries whether or not Sakura is lying to her again. The thought of Aoi being okay makes her very happy though, so she hopes it's true. Nene also wishes to hurry up and see her friends again, like Akane and Kou.

Suddenly remembering her own troubles, Nene asks Sakura if she won't immediately die when she returns to the mortal realm. Sakura confirms this, and tells her that it isn't time for Nene to die yet.

Nene wants to ask her what that means, but the ground suddenly collapses into triangular fragments beneath her. The boundary has been collapsing, and it reminds Nene that she still hasn't found Sumire. She asks Sakura where she is, and with a darkened expression, Sakura takes her to her.

At the cave where Sumire and No. 6 took shelter from the rain, Nene discovers a giant pool of blood on the floor. Stepping through it, she finds something glittering in the blood, and discovers that it's the bell bracelet Sumire wore. In the midst of Nene's confusion, Sakura begins to explain. She tells her that yorishiro, outside of being destroyed by a kannagi, can also be destroyed by a school mystery. However, when a kannagi doesn't do it, the yorishiro must be completely destroyed, so that it loses its original form.

Piecing together what she means, Nene asks how No. 6 could have done such a thing to Sumire, when Sumire had waited so long for him to come back. Sakura then asks Nene why she thinks the thing most precious to a school mystery is what is chosen as a yorishiro. Not waiting for an answer, she tells her that it's because it prevents a school mystery from abandoning their duty, as they would never be able to destroy it themselves.

As she stands in the remains of Sumire left behind by No. 6, though, Sakura laments that sometimes that very logic causes something like this to happen.

In Nene's mind, she sees a glimpse of a young Sumire and No. 6, and with tears in her eyes she asks Sakura if this all happened because she hadn't wanted to peel off Sumire's seal. Sakura says that isn't so, and that she shouldn't take the blame, but Nene can't accept that.

Sakura then tells her that if she doesn't want the same thing that happened to No. 6 to happen to No. 7, then Nene should destroy his yorishiro for him. This pauses Nene's grief, her now becoming interested in the topic of Hanako's yorishiro. Sakura further explains that a yorishiro is the most precious object to a school mystery, listing examples like the scissors Yako received from someone she loved, the moon rock Tsuchigomori was entrusted to by the student he couldn't save, and the art book used by Shijima's creator, who hoped to live another day.

As we see an image of Hanako on the rooftop, staring up at the moon, Sakura asks Nene if she knows what his yorishiro is. Realization begins to dawn on Nene, as she sees a flashback of Hanako telling her that he had a younger brother and that he killed him. She also sees the baby Tsukasa from the Red House, from when he told her that Amane was going to go to space and bring him back a star. There's another flashback from the Picture Perfect world, where Tsukasa excitedly pointed out the meteors to Amane, with Amane staring back at him in wonderment. Finally, we see Tsukasa clasp his hand around Amane's knife and take his hand, a scene from where they met up in Chapter 91.

After all this time, Nene finally figures out that Tsukasa is Hanako's yorishiro. Immediately after voicing it, however, Hakujoudai appears, swirling around Nene like a vortex. The orb begins to take Nene away, much to her protest, but Sakura says they should stop here. Nene still wants to know more, though, and Sakura guesses she must be wondering about her lifespan. She tells her not to worry about it for now, and that her lifespan is only going to end when the yorishiro of every school mystery is destroyed.

As Nene is dragged into the darkness, Sakura bids her farewell, and hopes they can talk again.

Later, we see Sakura sitting on a clump of the shattered pieces of No. 6's boundary, floating in the darkness and observing the fragmented memories. Natsuhiko finds her and calls out to her, coming from the entrance of the cave, which is still intact. He asks her if she's done talking to Nene, but quickly becomes disgusted by the mess left behind from No. 6's meal. He makes a wry comment about how both Sumire, who wanted to be eaten, and No. 6, who wanted to eat his lover, are both out of their minds.

Sakura asks him if he really feels that way, and Natsuhiko says that he only wishes for the girl he loves to smile. Still, he thinks they must have been happier ending things this way than letting someone else do it for them, and adds that Sakura must think so, too, as she ordered Natsuhiko to take No. 6 into his boundary in the first place. He teases her and calls her a softie, much to Sakura's annoyance.

Moving on, Natsuhiko comments that Sakura told Nene a lot of stuff. He asks her what they'll do if Nene decides she doesn't want to destroy the yorishiro anymore after learning all of that, since they need her to carry out their plans. Sakura isn't worried, though, and says that whether Nene wants to or not, Sakura and Natsuhiko will ensure that Nene destroys the yorishiro for them. She asks Natsuhiko if he can do that, and he joyfully confirms.

Back at the school, it's now night time, and Nene is passed out by the school entrance. Hanako stands above her, before crouching down and placing a hand on her head.

"Welcome home, Yashiro."

Fireworks Party
In the girls' toilet of the old school building, Kou has tied up Hanako in rope and suspended him from the ceiling. He asks Nene, who is gathered in the same bathroom, if they should get started with Hanako's introspection session.

Dangling upside down as he is, Hanako is not pleased with his current state of affairs, and asks if they have to do this the day after they all returned from the boundary. Kou won't stand for his attempt to dodge the issue, however, and demands he apologize to Nene. Nene replies that Hanako already has apologized to her, but Kou, not quite as trusting as Nene, asks Hanako if that means he'll stop acting on his own to help Nene. To both Kou and Nene's exasperation, Hanako neither confirms or denies this, giving them a nonanswer.

Kou puts Hanako, who has somehow managed to wriggle out of his ropes, into a chokehold, and asks him if he truly understands the consequences of his actions. Hanako screams, before attempting to speak his case. He explains that he knows it was wrong of him to decide what to do about Nene's lifespan without consulting both of them beforehand, and that he feels bad about it. Kou and Nene both agree that it was wrong, but seem satisfied with his apology.

With that out of the way, Hanako asks Nene if she was okay after she and him split up in the boundary. Nene explains that she met Sakura, and that she told her many things. What Nene decides to tell Kou and Hanako is that Sakura told her she doesn't need to destroy the yorishiro to solve Nene's lifespan issue. This information shocks both Kou and Hanako.

Kou and Nene are both a bit surprised at Hanako's surprise, and Kou asks Hanako if he really didn't know that. Hanako grumpily tells him to shut it, and says he wouldn't have done "that stuff" if he knew that about Nene's lifespan. He think it's possible that Sakura, Tsukasa's assistant, is lying to Nene, though. Still, he doesn't see a reason why she would, especially since Tsukasa would rather Hanako destroy the yorishiro than not. Internally, Nene agrees with Hanako, and wonders whether she really should destroy the yorishiro or not. Even so, she thinks Sakura was telling the truth.

Butting in, Kou asks Hanako if he knows what Tsukasa or his pals are thinking, since Hanako is his brother. Hanako denies this, and says he hasn't understood Tsukasa for a while now. When he says this, we see a flashback to the day Tsukasa disappeared, his and Amane's fourth birthday, with a young Amane standing in the room where Tsukasa fell into the hole.

Nene is quiet at this confession, and Kou is disappointed, but says he knows what they need to do. He says they should capture one of the people close to Tsukasa and Sakura, who know stuff about Nene's lifespan, and get them to spill the beans. Nene enthusiastically supports this idea, but Hanako isn't so sure. As he and Kou argue, Nene begins to think about who she could talk to. She thinks she wouldn't be able to capture Tsukasa, and that he'd most likely capture her instead, but she figures she could try talking to Sakura or Natsuhiko at school. She notes the possibility that she could talk to Mitsuba, too.

Suddenly, Kou's phone rings. It's a phone call from Akane, who tells Kou that Teru is "done for."

At the Minamoto household, Akane is knocking hard at Teru's bedroom door, a worried Aoi beside him. He asks him when he plans on coming out of his room, and Teru dramatically laments that this is the end for him. The injuries he took while saving Aoi were apparently grievous, and he says he is going to die. Akane notes how dramatic he's being, and Aoi adds that Teru told her his body would be fine after coming back from the boundary. Aoi asks Akane if something happened to Teru, and Akane says he doesn't know, just that Kou came crying to him for help.

Making light of him, Akane explains that it's Teru and Kou's first sibling fight, and tells him he's acting like a kindergartner for holing himself up in his room like this. Teru cracks open his door, pokes Akane with his sword, and electrocutes him. Akane screams and flops to the floor, and Teru shuts the door again. Aoi asks if he's okay.

Footsteps rush up the staircase, and Kou appears, holding a plastic bag in one hand. He apologizes for calling Akane here so suddenly, and asks if there's still no hope for Teru. Akane says he seems fine to him, and asks if Kou brought what he asked for. Kou confirms, but wonders if what he got will really help, but Akane tells him not to worry. Kou then notices Aoi, and tells her Nene is downstairs, which he figures she would want to know because she told him before that she wanted to talk to Nene.

Walking down the stairs, Aoi finds Nene outside, crouched in front of Tiara. Aoi calls out to her, but struggles to say her name fully. Nene turns, wide-eyed, at the sound of her voice, and calls her name back. Aoi flinches, and turns her gaze down, stumbling over her words as she attempts to apologize. A flashback of her dropping Nene and Hanako into a pit of bugs from Chapter 64 appears.

While Aoi hesitates, Nene rushes forward to hug her. She has a big smile on her face and tears in her eyes, and she says that she's glad Aoi is back to normal. Touched, Aoi hugs her back, thanking her and saying that she's sorry.

Dusk falls, and Aoi, Nene, Akane, Kou, Tiara, and Fairy are all gathered together and lighting off fireworks. Aoi and Nene break off from the group to chat on the porch, and Aoi tells Nene about how Hanako's hakujoudai helped guide her and Kou back home after No. 6 knocked Teru and Akane out. Nene asks if Aoi was hurt at all, and Aoi denies this. She also tells Nene that she's started seeing supernaturals like Nene does, and that it's like she and Nene are matching now.

Nene is just relieved that she's okay, and Aoi notes that summer is ending soon. She asks Nene to have fun with her next semester, too, and Nene agrees.

After everyone plays around more with the fireworks, Aoi is off to the side and taking a break. Akane brings her some fireworks, and asks if she's tired. She says she's fine. He asks if she made up with Nene, and she confirms that she did. When Aoi tries to take a firework, it drops from her hand. Akane grabs her right hand and asks her to show it to him.

Aoi fidgets with her shirt as Akane inspects her hand, and he asks her if she can't move it. She confirms, and says she can't move it very well. Elaborating further, she says that her right hand lacks feeling, but only her right hand. She says that Teru told her it was because she got too close to the Far Shore. Akane asks her if she told Nene, and Aoi denies this, saying Nene has enough going on as it is. Introspectively, Aoi comments that she has something to hide now, too...

She tells Akane to keep it a secret between them and Teru for now, and Akane tells her he will find a way to heal her hand some day.

The scene shifts to Teru, who is huddled up in a blanket in his room. He's staring out the window, watching everyone have fun and play with the fireworks without him, a fact that makes him quite cranky. Still, the fireworks make him pause, and he wonders how long it's been since he last played with them. Feeling enticed, Teru opens the door to his room, figuring he can go bug them for a bit...

When he exits his room, he bumps right into Kou. He's carrying a sliced watermelon and glass on a plate, and was about to walk into Teru's room himself. The chapter ends with them looking at each other in surprise, both unclear on how to proceed with making things up between them.

Fireworks Party (Part 2)
While Aoi, Nene, Akane, and Tiara play with fireworks outside, Kou and Teru bump into each other as Teru is exiting his room. Kou is holding a tray with a drink and sliced watermelon on top of it.

Teru is nervous, and he tries to retreat back into his room, but Kou stops him. Unable to look at him as he speaks, Kou tries to apologize and take responsibility for the wounds Teru suffered after taking a blow for him. Teru spots the tray in Kou's hand, and asks if Kou brought that for him. Kou confirms that he did, but amends that it's almost dinnertime. Teru asks if it's okay if he helps Kou out with dinner today.

Donning aprons, and moving to the kitchen, Kou says that they'll be serving onigiri and fried chicken tonight. He says that he'll do the fried chicken, and leaves it to Teru to handle the onigiri. Kou tells him that there are dried plums and cod roe in the fridge to use as ingredients in the onigiri, and begins slicing the chicken and making the breading.

When Kou glances over to check on Teru's progress, Teru has turned the flame on the stove so high that they reach the top of the ceiling. Screaming, Kou grabs the fire extinguisher and begins putting it out. He questions why Teru needed fire to make the onigiri, and Teru says he thought the onigiri would taste better roasted. Kou scolds him, and tells him not to do that.

After forbidding Teru from going near the stove again, Kou lets out a sigh, and reflects on how Teru is good at everything except cooking. He comes to the realization that Teru probably thinks Kou is as bad at being an exorcist as Kou thinks Teru is at cooking.

Teru calls Kou's name suddenly, and admits to him that he doesn't think Kou is cut out for being an exorcist. He brings up supernaturals that Kou is friends with, like Hanako and Tsuchigomori, and says that he doesn't think Kou would be able to kill any of them if he was ordered to. Exorcists must protect people by exorcising supernaturals, and even if the supernaturals are intelligent or pitiful, Teru says that they must be exorcised if they pose a threat to humans. As Teru is saying this, we see a flashback of Teru as a young boy hunting down a supernatural. Two human kids are with a kid-sized supernatural in a parka, who is tangled up in Teru's beads on the ground. The kids beg for the supernatural to run, and the supernatural is pleading with Teru not to kill it. Back to the present, Teru tells Kou that he thinks he's too nice of a person to handle work like that.

Kou asks Teru if it's draining for him to think like that while being an exorcist, and Teru admits that it was once draining for him. His job leaves him with injuries, and he's had to give up on many things because of it. When he was younger, he wondered what it'd be like to have been born into a normal family. In a flashback, we see a young Teru with bandages on his legs, staring from the doorway at a group of kids having fun in his classroom.

As we see a young Teru walking through the streets of Kamome with a frustrated look on his face, Teru tells Kou that he isn't very motivated to protect people, and that he doesn't care about anyone but the people close to him. Another flashback, and we see a younger Kou clinging to Teru as he's leaving their house at night to exorcise supernaturals. With a big grin on his face, the young Kou tells Teru that he thinks he's super cool. The young Kou says to Teru that he wants to be an exorcist like him, and Teru in the flashback pats his head and tells him he can if he becomes stronger. With a smile on his face, Teru in the present tells Kou that he wants to be a cool big brother to him and Tiara, so he thinks that's why he's been able to keep up the family business.

With a dark aura about him, Teru immediately amends that he doesn't mind killing supernaturals, either, and that he's suited for that kind of work. His face softens soon after, though, and he frankly tells Kou that his job sucks. The supernaturals are violent, the job puts his life on the line, and he's forced to work mornings and nights. Still, he asks if Kou is okay with that, and if he'll become an exorcist himself.

Kou freezes, and his jaw drops as he turns around to look at Teru. Eyes sparkling, he excitedly tells him he will become one, and Teru comments on how fast he answered. Teru asks if it's really okay, though, and tells Kou that he's free to live his life however he wants. Kou affirms that he does want this, and that he wants to become strong like Teru, no matter how hard it is or how unsuited for it he may be. He tells him he wants to be a bigger help with his senpai, Nene's, lifespan, and he wants to become stronger so that he can one day exorcise Hanako if he has to. He says that he can't stay weak like he is any longer.

Teru comments about how Kou always makes it about other people, but suddenly wonders if that's because Kou has really come to like Hanako and Nene. The thought causes Kou to pause, and he hums in thought as he thinks. Kou eventually says that Teru might be right about that, but quickly feeds Teru a hot piece of fried chicken in the middle of his sentence. Teru bites it, and begins sputtering over how hot the food is. This causes Kou to laugh, and he tells Teru that he likes him, too. Smirking, he adds that he also likes Tiara, and asks Teru if the food was good. Teru tells him it was.

A short time passes, and dinner is finally done. Teru's hair is frazzled as he excitedly takes a picture of it, and Kou is bent over in exhaustion. Teru says that they exerted a lot of effort to make it, and we see the display of Kou's beautiful soy sauce fried chicken next to Teru's disastrous onigiri plate. Internally, Kou tells himself he'll eat the onigiri that he thinks looks the most dangerous.

Carrying the plates of food in both hands, Kou tells Teru to go get everyone while Kou brings the food to the table. In the middle of him speaking, however, electric discharge begins sparking through their house. Kou looks surprised as Teru's face darkens. A talisman-like object on their ceiling with the character for "lightning" written on it is the source, and Teru says it's reacting to a supernatural nearby. He comments that this level of electricity would mean that it's only a low-level spirit, but tells Kou he will go check it out as he's walking away.

...Teru pauses in his footsteps. He suddenly turns around, and yoinks the plates out of Kou's hands. He tells Kou to go, instead, and Kou's whole face lights up. He dashes up the stairs, commenting to himself that this is the first time Teru has asked him to handle a supernatural, and that this is the first step to him becoming a stronger exorcist and a better help to Nene and the others. He runs outside of his house.

Brandishing his Raitejou, he notices a rustling in the bushes. He bravely demands the supernatural to show itself, but rather underwhelmingly discovers that it was just a cat.

Suddenly, he hears laughter. We see Mitsuba drape himself over Kou's shoulder, and tells Kou that he's behind him. Kou is surprised to see him, and as they stand in the middle of the street, he confusedly calls out Mitsuba's name.

Features

 * This volume includes a preview of volume 20