[In the absence of a subtitled episode, this version is 50% from the visuals, 49% from outside reviews
and 1% from my smidgen of language lessons (thx JPod 101 =). Best we can do....as before, warmest thanks to Divine's Random Curiosity blog and Subculture blog.]
Learning that Miharu and Yoite have escaped with help from the Wakachi, Hattori decides to relocate Kairoushuu operations
from the posh hotel to their temple hideout while Ichiki keeps the Tattegami on the trail of M&Y--who we see making their way through the sewer.
Katou, via cell phone, alerts Saraba (keeping watch on the roof) that the Ash Wolves are on the move. He finds the room where Yae is held captive,
knocks out two guards and rescues her--aww, he's her hero at last! =)--
before she can be moved out. As she's telling him that she's read Hattori's heart, Raikou walks in on them.
Katou prepares to defend Yae, but instead of busting them, the samurai only asks where Hattori has gone.
Yae uses the izunashingan on him, realizes that he plans to die, and tells him that Hattori’s not the person he
thinks he is-- the world he wants to create will snatch the hearts from everyone, including Gau and Raimei.
Yae tells him she can see that he now feels that his mother’s belief is correct; Raikou closes his eyes and walks off.
Hattori and Ichiki are driving out of the parking garage when Raikou steps in front of the car to bar their way.
He confesses his involvement with Miharu and Yoite’s escape
and is willing to pay with his life for his disloyalty--he kneels and lays down his sword at their feet--but asks the
Kairoushuu leader to pardon Gau, who he claims was only acting on his orders. Hattori retorts that Raikou was the
one that brought him into the Nabari world in the first place. Raikou decides to question him about the world he
plans to create and whether people will be happy without being able to share happiness. Realizing that he heard
about this from Yae, Hattori asks what Raikou's definition of happiness is and whether he thinks it would be
the same for many. Claiming that he discarded such a superficial and shallow principle long ago, Hattori
leaves with Ichiki; Shiranui, the Tattegami leader, steps from behind a pillar and draws his sword,
apparently to help send Raikou to his ancestors. Raikou draws and they commence a duel.
Staked out at a nearby coffee shop, Kouichi and Raimei catch sight of Hattori leaving the premises, after
which Gau stumbles into them and updates them on the situation, including that Raikou has stayed behind.
Unable to help his friend for now, Gau decides to help Kouichi and Raimei look for Miharu and Yoite first, and they head out.
Still walking aimlessly thru the snowy Banten forest, Kumohira reflects on the past and cries out the name of Asahi,
Miharu's (and his?) mother. The lone Banten ninja then tries to perform some sort of separation jutsu,
but fails. The ubiquitous Fuuma Kotarou appears behind him saying he has the fundamentals for the spell wrong. Shocked to
see Kotarou, and even more to realize he knows about the events of ten years ago, Kumohira angrily asks what
he's doing here. Kotarou airily replies that even he has forgotten exactly what happened here and only knows of it
from the few remaining records; he rhetorically asks Kumohira if he's made any progress on his method for
separating the Shinrabanshou from the host. He then fills Kumohira in on the situation which has been steadily
progressing while he’s been completely immersed in contemplation—-the Kairoushuu plan on using the izunashingan
to awaken the shinrabanshou. Upon being questioned what he’ll do now, Kumohira takes off in a hurry.
In the sewers, Yoite tells Miharu to go on without him because they'll be caught at this rate--Yoite is barely able
to walk--but Miharu refuses to leave without him. He reminds Yoite of his promise not to die before they succeed
in controlling the shinrabanshou, and also of the fate of Miharu's friends should Yoite die. Yoite
apologizes, and confesses that he lied about Kira-inflicted people dying if the user dies; he thought it was the only
way he would gain Miharu's cooperation. Though this is a huge confession, Miharu barely bats an eye (had he already guessed it, or is he just
much more deeply invested in Yoite's fate than that of Team Banten by this point?) He restates his refusal to abandon Yoite, saying he'd rather choose to be
caught and die with him. This gives Yoite the will to go on, and the two of them make it outside, where Miharu
invites Yoite to stay with him in Banten. Yoite doesn't seem to think this a bad idea...but in the street the first
person they see is Yukimi. Miharu greets him with glad relief ("Yukimi-san!") but the older ninja angrily lashes into Yoite,
asking what he thinks he's doing after Yukimi has taught him so much--including this escape route.
Without giving Yoite a chance to respond, Miharu stands in the way saying that he's the shinrabanshou,
but Yukimi retorts that he can't use it and that they have no chance of escaping.
The Tattegami arrive and Hyou gives them a meaningless choice of either being brought back bruised and
battered for resisting or coming back obediently with only a few injuries. Yukimi challenges them, asking who gave
them their orders; the Tattegami refuse to answer and he growls that punk kids should get lost. Kouichi, Raimei,
and Gau charge in (--yay! the cavalry!) and engage the Tattegami head-on. Yoite tries to join the battle but is
easily felled, and the Tattegami decide to withdraw with him and Miharu. Yukimi steps in with gun in hand, and
tells both sides that he'll take Miharu and Yoite back, which the Tattegami hesitantly allows.
He slings Yoite over his shoulder, calls Miharu to follow them, puts a warning shot into the pavement at Raimei's
feet to discourage pursuit and walks off.
===In the
Kairoushuu temple hideout, news of this reaches Hattori (doubtless via the Tattegami's ever-present cell phones);
he says that he'll have to discipline Yukimi in some way.
Meanwhile, the fight continues between Kouichi, Raimei, and the Tattegami, but the Kairoushuu detached force
withdraws after getting an order from their leader.
Raikou appears: he's gone to the red amaryllis field, now covered in snow, where he retrieves the Shiragamon
which he left there after his duel with Raimei. He recalls the words of his mother, reflects on how he's made a mistake yet again--
it seems he's realized that Hattori and the Kairoushuu are acting contrary to the greater good of Nabari, and that
his clan's avenging role is now justified--
and vows to fulfill his duty as a Shimizu in accordance with his mother's resolve. He leaves, taking his ancestral
blade with him.
...go on to next episode [we'll get it somehow! we swear!]
...go back to Episode Guide mainpage.
Katou and Yae have joined Saraba on the roof; Yae tells them that they need to save Miharu and stop Hattori.
She very passionately says that the shinrabanshou must never fall into the Ash Wolves' hands. They
agree, since they've already gone this far and Fuuma-dono did consent to let them act on their own.
[I have a feeling that Katou adds something about his intent to stay with Yae and protect her, since Saraba
questions him, then looks sort-of ruefully amused and says "well, it can't be helped".]
Back in the
parking garage, Raikou breaks off the battle and runs out, saying he has things to take care of before he dies.
Shiranui glares after him, then makes a phone call...