Need we warns ye that there be:

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Arg!

Takano, Keiichi, and Shion enter the Saiguden. Keiichi declares it dark and sees a light switch. Over Shion's panicked demand he not, he flicks it, and the light reveals the statue of Oyashiro-sama.

The scene pans over a considerable number of torture implements. Keiichi stares in surprise at what he sees; Shion turns off the light and warns him that someone might see it. He recovers from his shock and apologizes. Takano interrupts that it is fine since everyone is focused on "Rika-chan 's dance" to notice them. She then shines her light on the statutue introduces Keiichi to the guardian diety of Hinamizawa. Shion remarks that it is much more ornate than the one at the shrine. She then shines her light in the direction off-camera and notes that there are far more tools than she imagined. Keiichi replies that they seem far more like construction tools rather than implements for religious rituals as his gaze passes over a large collection of them.

Takano giggles and patiently suggests that he does not quite understand. She puts down her light, produces a note book, and offers to tell him an "old story." She reads that "a long long time ago," there existed a swamp in the mountains so deep that many said its bottom lay in Hell. The villagers called it Onigafuchi. Keiichi asks her to stop and wonders if that village was Hinamizawa. She compliments him for catching on. Keiichi translates the name as "demon's abyss." When he deems it an ominous name, Shion informs him that she heard the village was renamed back in the Meiji Era. The scene transforms to the style of an ink painting as Takano continues her story. One day, demons rose from the swamp and attacked the villagers. All the villagers could do was cower and hide. Just when they gave up hope, the guardian deity Oyashiro-sama descended upon them. Keiichi interrupts to ask if she means the deity descended from the heavens to rid the village of the demons. Shion chides him for being "such a guy" and explains that violence is not always the solution. Takano agrees and states that Oyashiro-sama is not violent. The demons could not oppose him; instead they prostrated themselves before "his radiant majesty." He grants the demons human form to allow them to live alongside the villagers in harmony. Over the generations, the demons and human blood mixed, and they hid themselves away from others, only to be worshipped by the people who lived at the base of their mountains.

Keiichi deems it a weird story, and Takano laughs and agrees, then continues that this is the point where the story becomes really interesting. She happily explains that the demons that attacked the villagers are the kind that eat humans. Since their blood mixed with that of the villagers, sometimes the villagers would have the urge to eat human flesh. They initiated the practice of "demoning away (onikakushi)" people from other villages. When Keiichi does not understand, Takano makes clear that the Onigafuchi villagers would to a human village and kidnap a sacrifice. Agitated, Keiichi demands to know how that is different from what the demons had done to them, and where was the "kind and benevolent" Oyashiro-sama during this.

Takano laughs again and explains that he was aware of the practice. For this reason, the villagers did not kidnap people at random; they targeted only those whom their god deemed fit for sacrifice. As she gazes as the various implements, Takano adds that they would feast on their victim in a practice that became known as "watanagashi." Keiichi protests that that is the name of the Cotton-Drifting Festival, but Shion explains that the "wata" can also mean "guts (腸)." Keiichi agrees and notes that the term is used for fish, then becomes horrified as he realizes what "guts drifting" must mean. Takano interrupts to confirm what he is thinking: while today "watanagashi" is used for a festival in June, in the past it referred to when the villagers hunted and feasted upon human flesh. Keiichi screams, "you lie!" in a fashion that would due Rena proud. Still smiling, Takano patiently asks him what he thought the cotton from the futons represented. Agitated, Keiichi insists that they are just futons. Takano approaches him and asks him if they represent entrails, then what was Rika doing during her dance. Keiichi quickly recalls Rika walking with the sacred hoe, then shakes his head and yells that he does not know because he never saw her dance. Shion puts one of her hands on his shoulder and the other on his chest as she tells him to calm down. Takano mentions the hoe Rika carries, and Keiichi then looks at the various implements and asks if that means they are not farm implements but instruments for cutting up people. Takano suggests that it is more gruesome: they are essentially cooking utensiles.

Shion asks Takano to lay off Keiichi since he is still "naïve." Takano explains that she thought such scary stories would interest a boy. Shion sighs with impatience. She walks over to the statue of Oyashiro-sama and touches it, which causes it to rock and the head to fall and split open. Keiichi asks the horrified Shion what she is doing. She protests that she just touched is as Takano tells them both to calm down. Jirō dramatically enters then, with a confused look, asks them what is going on. Takano teases him that she thought he might have come in because he was interested. He laughs as he explains that he is not good with such things, then he reminds her that the villagers are all heading to the river. Takano quickly looks at her watch, surprised at the time, then asks him to wait outside a bit longer while she takes some pictures. When Jirō asks Keiichi what he and Shion are going to do, he replies that he has seen enough.

Outside, Jirō jokes to Keiichi that it was pretty interesting, but he responds that he should have stayed outside as a lookout. Jirō laughs then asks if Takano maintained her composure since he expected her to become overly excited when surrounded by all those treasures. Shion and Keiichi agree that she was, then Takano appears claiming that her curiosity has been sated. She continues that many of the stories have basis in reality, but Jirō interrupts her to ask if she took anything. She protests that she is that much of a child. Jirō replaces the lock and suggest that they all head down to the river to see the actual cotton drifting. Keiichi pauses and repeats "guts drifting."

At the river the villagers have gathered and have floated their balls of cotton. At the balcony overlooking Hinamizawa, jirō laments that he missed the best shot. Takano playfully suggests that he is not too late; he can take a picture of her down there. She rests her head against his shoulder. Jirō asks Shion and Keiichi if they will also come down to the river; however, Takano looks up from his shoulder and gives them a pouting look. Picking up on this, Keiichi confesses that he does not want to intrude on them. Takano happily tells Jirō that they are making Shion and Keiichi uncomfortable. The two take their leave.

Shion stretches, sits on the bench, and confesses that she is tired. She suggests to Keiichi that her sister and his other friends are probably looking for him. He agrees, but Shion playfully continues that if she monopolizes Keiichi, her sister will never let her hear the end of it. She then asks him to promise to keep what they did a secret. Ever in possession of a clue, Keiichi feigns bashfulness over her making it seem awkward, but Shion continues that she does not just mean what he thinks. She explains that they can never tell anyone where they went and what they did. The playfulness leaves Keiichi's face, and the wind blows through the trees. Shion fears that Oyashiro-sama 's Curse will befall someone tonight, and, given what they did, the four of them are the most likely candidates. Keiichi startles, and the scene shows the statute, then returns to Shion who smiles and declares that she is just making a joke. Keiichi starts to laugh with her, and he confesses that Takano's stories put him on edge. Shion states that she will leave before her sister arrives. Keiichi waves to her then makes his way down the steps of the temple.

He suddenly hears Rika call to him, and she playfully tackles him from behind as Rena and Mion follow her down the stairs above him. Mion expresses satisfaction to finally locate him, which leaves only Satoko to find. Rika asks him if he saw her dance. Keiichi excitedly lies that he did, and he declares that she did not make one mistake. However, Rena and Mion look surprised, and Rika changes from happy to sad as she bows her head and lets out a depressed "Miiiiii." As Keiichi reacts to Rika's disappointment, Rena assures her that therefore no one thought it was a mistake. Keiichi reacts with more surprise to Rena's comment.

From behind him, Mion then asks him if he had the opportunity to drift cotton. Keiichi sweats guiltily and confesses with a stammer that he has not. Rena becomes concerned and starts to stamp her feet insisting that he go immediately before it is all over. He stands and apologizes that this is his first Watanagashi. For her part, Rika remains kneeling on the ground with her head bowed. Keiichi continues to explain that he does not know all of the rules. This causes Rika to look up in surprise. Rena similarly reacts, as does Mion who blushes and apologizes sincerely.

She takes him by the hand and tells him they should go. Surprised, Keiichi dutifully follows while Rena and Rika watch. Mion continues to lead him by his hand as they walk down the numerous temple steps. Her face becomes blank, her bangs cover her eyes, and she stops suddenly to ask, "hey, Keiichi-chan." When he asks what it is about, she asks if he encountered Shion. Again surprised, Keiichi tries to stammer a denial. He claims, with sweat pouring down his face, that while he thinks he might of seen Shion, he really cannot tell the two of them apart so perhaps he just saw her. However, Mion rhetorically asks, "we don't look that similar, do we?" They even wear different outfits. Keiichi stammers agreement. Mion continues her interrogation by asking if he saw either Takano or Tomitake. Keiichi gasps again. After a pause, he lies with a stammer that he did not.

There is a quick scene of the deserted riverbank, then a man from his car watches Keiichi return to his home. He honks his horn, and sees that it is Ōishi. He stares at him with visible irritation when he emerges from his car to greet him. Ōishi sarcastically compliments him on how close he has become to the Sonozaki girls, and Keiichi sarcastically thanks him. Ōishi asks if he knows about their father. Before Keiichi can ask, he explains that their father is the oyabun (親分), or "boss" of the local yakuza organization. When Keiichi appears surprised, Ōishi genially confesses that he thought Keiichi knew. He continues that the Sonozaki house looks like a stereotypical yakuza mansion. When Keiichi asks if this means that Mion is the heir apparent, Ōishi confirms it and suggests that if she wanted to, she could kill someone in the middle of the street and someone would cover it up for her. Keiichi's angry protest that Mion would never kill anyone elicits laughter from the detective.

Keiichi insists that he does not care since she is one of his best friends. He hautily starts to walk away with the suggestion that if that was all Ōishi wanted with him, he will go home. Ōishi grabs him firmly by the shoulder, brings his face close to Keiichi's and asks him to answer.png.png one question: did he see Takano or Jirō that evening. Keiichi can only stare ahead sweating; Ōishi sarcastically asks if he has a hard time remembering. He is saved by the radio in the detective's car. Ōishi lets him go, but he adds as he walks away that he knows Keiichi did see them, and he, they, and Shion were together on the stone steps of the temple. He darkly bids him farewell by promising to see him later. In his room and on the phone, Keiichi asks Shion why she called him so late. She explains that she was worried about her sister and wants to know if she believed his story. He admits that he was worried when she realized that he did not watch Rika's dance, but he thinks she bought it. Shion giggles in satisfaction. She then indicates that she wishes to have him confirm that all four of them entered the Saiguden then walked down the steps and separated. Confused, Keiichi confirms this but wonders why she would ask. She continues to ask if he saw Takano or Jirō after that. Keiichi demands to know why she and everyone else is asking about them. She asks him to calm down and informs him that the two went missing. The room seems to go dark with Keiichi illuminated by his light as Shion explains that she was worried that they would become the next victims. Her family keeps a close watch on the police, and the police discovered that the two went to the volunteer parking lot, stole one of the festival's trucks, and left leaving her car and his bicycle behind. They left the village in such a hurry, the police suspect they felt their lives were in danger. When Keiichi asks what that means, she responds that it means that they may have been targeted by Oyashiro-sama 's curse for the reason they both know. Keiichi asks if that means they are next; Shion confirms that she thinks this. Keiichi tries to protest that while he knows they should not have entered the Saiguden, all they did was look, that he did not even want to go in, but Shion merely listens in silence. He insists that he wanted to see Rika's dance, but she dragged him in. She finally calmly apologizes and claims that she did not think this would happen. When he repeatedly demands to know what she will do to fix the situation, she merely hangs up the phone. He can only collapse and hope that what she fears will not actually happen to them.

The wooden block calendar reads, "Monday, June 20, 1983." Sullen, Keiichi waits for Rena who calls to him bubbling with her usual happiness. She notices that his eyes are red; he explains that he did not sleep much. She watches him walk for a moment then runs after him to declare that they did have a lot of fun the night before. A pensive Mion waits for them at the waterwheel. She brightens when they arrive. Rena rushes up to her and observes that it appears that she did not get much sleep either. She confesses that she did not get to sleep until 3 A.M. Keiichi chides her for staying up so late. The two girls ignore his teasing; Rena asks if it is because the mayor has gone missing. Mion confirms this, and Keiichi demands to know what is going on. The scene shifts to a view down the corridor of the school with the voice of Chie Rumiko explaining to her class that some may have heard about the disappearance of the mayor. A girl with glasses asks a boy if he might have been demoned away. He protests that the curse did not happen this year. Rika listens to this and her teacher caution them to be safe and not walk home from school alone with a resigned face. Outside during recess, Keiichi sits alone. In the foreground some distance away, a laughing Satoko passes as she catches a ball. He asks himself why the mayor would disappear, since if anyone should, it should be Shion and him. Rika approaches him, pats him on the head, and gently notes that he looks sad. She then asks him if he did something bad the night before. When he demures, she gently but rhetorically asks him if he really did not remember what happened. Keiichi swallows, does not look at her, but asks her if he can tell her a story about cats. She happily smiles and "meows." He relates that one the night of the Watanagashi Festival, four cats went into a place they should not have and saw a lot of things that scared them. They heard that whoever saw those things would be cursed. Now, two of the cats are missing. He asks her what the other cats should do. ] In her Adult Voice, Rika laughs. He turns in surprise to see her head bowed as she states that she never expected him to tell her that with such a ridiculous story. She looks up and her eyes blaze red. "It's fine," she insists, he does not need to worry about it. When he reacts, she explains that it does not matter if he worries since it is all over. "You should've just watched me dance," she adds, and he should have known better than to go to someplace he should not, especially on Watanagashi. The wind picks up and blows her hair. She ignores his demand to know how she knows and expresses, instead, her surprise that Jirō's body has not been found yet. She claims that both he and Takano are already dead. She continues to ignore his questions as she muses that she does not know if the failure to find their bodies bodes well for him or not as she laughs at him.

Satoko's ball strikes Keiichi on the shin. As she runs to retrieve it, she stop and scolds Keiichi that if he has the time to sit around he should retrieve the ball and join them. As Tomita Daiki and Okamura Suguru rush up after her, she declares that they are playing "Super Slaughter Sludge Explosion Murder Dodgeball. Returning to her Child Voice, Rika with normal eyes smiles and happily tells him that he should play with them.

Keiichi can only stare at her in surprise.

Adult-Voiced Rika returns to announce the fourth chapter.