
Kimiyoshi hangs from his neck with his hands tied and his feed just touching the ground in the Sonozaki torture viewing room.
Shion informs him that the village is panicking at the moment searching for him. Shion offers to lengthen the chain, to allow him to stand easier, one space for each question he answer.png.pngs: "I think you'll feel better if the chain is three spaces wider."
She observes and apologizes for the chain being so tight he cannot even talk if he wanted to. She looses the chain until he falls to the floor. He claims that he does not know. "Even whether Satoshi-kun is dead or alive?" she asks. He affirms that he does not know. She asks what is his opinion as the head of the Kimiyoshi family. He turns away, and she angrily starts turning the crank to lift him up. He apologizes and insists that he does not want to anger her, and he swears he is trying to think about the matter with Satoshi.
Shion looses the chain a bit. She pointedly repeats the question: "Do you think he's dead?" He confesses that it is, "difficult to believe that he's alive."
She looks down and sighs. She then walks up to him,
kneels to his level, then wildly declares that Satoshi was not "erased" because he killed his aunt, but because he was a Hōjō. Kimiyoshi responds that he heard that the murderer of Satoshi's aunt was a drug addict. Shion explains that she feels the suspect proved a convenient scapegoat. "But for what?" she asks intently. Kimiyoshi replies that if they wanted to make it appear that Satoshi was "spirited away by the demon," then it probably was to stop the police investigation. When Shion asks who could order that, Kimiyoshi replies that only Oryō can. He reminds her of the many rumors, such as the kidnapping of the construction minister's grandson.
Shion excitedly ask if he was really kidnapped, since she heard that he was "spirited away by the demon," and found deep in the mountains. Kimiyoshi affirms that he heard that that was also on Oryō's orders. He notes that the dam construction was halted, "and they released the grandson." He confesses that "members of the old alliance" like himself, "know all about it." Shion sarcastically declares that "hideous granny," The Three Great Families, and the dam construction alliance were really powerful: "Scary! Scary!" She then demands to know who had Satoshi "spirited away by the demon."
Kimiyoshi responds that he does not know. He reveals that it is an "unwritten law not to ask who committed the act." Shion demands to know how a person may be killed without his corpse being found. Kimiyoshi does not answer.png.png, but he does look behind her. Shion stand surprised, then runs from the room. She enters the prison area and opens the cell that leads to the well. She walks to the edge and looks down with a flashlight, accidentally kicking a stone which falls down the well. She does not hear it impact the bottom. She begins to call to Satoshi.
She receives no answer.png.png, falls to her knees, and drops the flashlight which rolls behind her.
This creates a human-shaped shadow on the wall, and Shion hears Satoshi's voice tell her that she finally found him. She repeatedly apologizes, but his voice responds that she does not need to since she did not do anything wrong. "His" shadow changes to match his outline. She offers to join him in the well, and asks him to "catch" him when she jumps. He orders her to live instead. She protests that living without him is pointless. As she reaches for his shadow, her foot kicks the flashlight, and he fades away.
After crying, she walks slowly to Mion's cell. She claims to Mion that she now knows where Satoshi is. Mion sadly agrees that it is the only place she can think of. Shion asks her to confirm that she was not there when Satoshi was killed. Mion swears that had she been, she would have "definitely stopped it," or at least begged that his life be spared.
Suddenly, Shion flashes back to her hand in the fingernail removal device, and then her screaming as she brings her fist down on it the first time. She looks darkly at Mion then screams, "Lies!" As she rages, kicks and rattles the bars as she demands to know why Mion did not save him. Mion cowers in a corner of her cell.
The next morning, Shion, dressed as Mion, yawns as she meets Keiichi and Rena at the water wheel on the way to school.
Rena asks her if she is sleepy. She responds yawning that she went to sleep at around three. Keiichi mockingly scolds her on how late she can stay up. Rena asks if it is because Kimiyoshi has still not been found. Shion replies that she searched with the youth corps, "but . . . " she trails off. Keiichi seriously notes that she has a lot to take care of. Shion, playing Mion well, laughs it off and claims to have "great endurance." As she chibi laughs she inwardly darkly concludes that "the enemy" has not contacted Keiichi yet. She resolves to call him that night as Shion.
They meet Rika and Satoko walking together at the school.
Rika returns their greetings with her "Nipaa~!" which send Rena immediately into Cute Mode. All laugh and make their way into school save Shion. She watches Rika. Inwardly, she recognizes Furude Rika as the last survivor of the Furude family and its current head. Shion find it hard to believe that a child "never invited to meetings" would carry out Oyashiro-sama's Curse "as had of one of the great families."
Principal Kaieda rings the school bell. As the younger students rush out, Shion stops Rika to ask if she can come with her for a moment. Outside the school, Shion asks Rika, as the Furude family head, how much she knows. Rika asks if she is talking about "Tomitake and the others." Inwardly, Shion declares that she knew it, since Rika just discussed information not know publicly. Therefore, as the Furude Head, she is kept informed. Rika responds that she can only say that it is Oyashiro-sama's Curse.
Irritated, Shion responds that she knows. She then asks, "Then it isn't over yet, right?" She adds that there are "two more," then pointedly asks Rika if she knows what will happen to "those two." Rika remains silent. Shion demands she answer.png.png, and Rika responds that she does not think it really matters. Shion becomes angry and retorts that that attitude is not responsible. "I think if they truly felt bad about it, then that is what matters."
Shion grabs her by her collar and scolds her for being too lenient as the last Furude Head. She warns Rika not to tell her she does not understand "how great the sin is to violate the Saiguden!"
Rika agrees that the shrine is "an important place to Oyashiro-sama," and one should not enter without permission. Shion smiles distrubingly as she tells Rika that Rika does understand that the four brought impurity into the Saiguden. However, Rika replies that the four are "bad kittens. Meow." Shion agrees and declares that two of the "kittens" were captured and punished by the three great families, but two more exist. She then demands that "Miss Furude Head," explain how the two can show responsibility. Rika simply responds that she want to forgive the two kittens. Shion retorts that that is "not responsibility!"
Rika replies that she does not understand the word "responsibility," then advises that Oyashiro-sama would not get mad if people "peeked inside the shrine."
Shion is stunned by this claim. Rika explains that one cannot look inside the Saiguden because "a lot of scary tools are inside." For this reason, her family prevented people from seeing them. She concludes: "I bet the people who saw them were scared. So if they feel bad, then it's okay." Shion protests that that is not for Rika to decide but for Oyashiro-sama. Rika reminds her that she is Oyashiro-sama's priestess. Further enraged, Shion sarcastically accuses her of claiming she hears Oyashiro-sama's voice and checked.
Rika nods her head.
Shion laughs and proclaims that she cannot believe Rika is the head of the Furude. Rika claims that she does not understand why Shion is angry. Shion accuses her of pretending not to know and slaps her repeatedly then shoves her to the ground as she swears. She declares that Kimiyoshi had to "take responsibility," which is why he disappeared. On the ground, Rika begins to cry. Shion declares that "the only one left is Maebara Keiichi. I'll have the Furude family take care of him." Rika protests that she does not know anything. Inwardly, Shion concludes that if anything does happen to Keiichi, then Rika is as guilty as Oryō, and she will "show her misery" and kill her.