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Arg! There be! Arg!

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei (ひぐらしの な く頃に令, When the Cicadas C ry: Rei) is the currently ongoing manga arc released as a twentieth anniversary celebration in two parts being released concurrently. Oni okoshi-hen ( 鬼 熾し編, Demon Ember Chapter) is drawn by Kei Natsumi. It opens with a first fragment then restarts in a new one. Technically, it chronologically proceeds Hoshi watashi-hen in that the latter serves as the third crystal that breaks on Rika's bracelet. The synopsis will be broken into the main fragments with the individual manga chapters.

The manga opens with a montage of panels from the Watanagashi Festival, but there is a voice that reminds that one person must die and another must disappear over panels that depict a bloody body in a car trunk. The voice concludes that this body must not be found. The next split panel reveals the body of a woman in a traditional kimono with her stomach and chest slashed and the bloody body of a man in the trunk as the voice declares that with this the curse of Oyashiro-sama will be revealed in the Reiwa Era. A calendar affirms that the date is June 23, 2019 with the kanji for Reiwa. An adult Furude Rika lies in a hospital bed with an IV in her right arm. She has a bracelet on her left wrist. A male nurse asks her how she is doing, then reminds her that she has been ordered on strict bed rest for a few days, after which, they will determine if she is still leaking cerebrospinal fluid. Their conversation reveals that Rika has been traveling the world. Alone, she recalls how she planned to attend the Watanagashi Festival incognito but fell down a flight of stairs on her arrival. While she worried about being dotted upon by the elder villagers, she stresses that she wanted to see the rest of her friends, especially Keiichi's son. She is interrupted by a message from Satoko asking her to urgently call her and has she seen Keiichi. Rika calls and first teases that Keiichi is with her making suggestive comments, but the urgency in Satoko's voice causes her to confess she was joking. With a view of a departing car, and then the body of Mion, Satoko reveals that he has disappeared and Mion has been found murdered. As Rika is stunned at the idea of the Oyashiro-sama's Curse happening again, she insists that as Oyashiro-sama 's miko, there is no curse. Satoko then reveals that it happened the year previously.

As Satoko screams about whether or not they offended Oyashiro-sama, Rika inwardly rationalizes over a scenes from her past that there was no curse, it was all from one person, and they solved it. She recalls Hanyū giving her a Furude family treasure, Ekusurika no Hōju, which is a bracelet with three spheres that will allow her to loop back from death three times. However, if she does loop, she will be unable to reach a time before her injury. She recalls her friends and begins to cry and laugh. Composing herself, she decides to rely on Keitarō as she hangs herself and one of the orbs on her bracelet cracks.

The voice of Keitarō describes how he trusted a girl over color panels that include a silhouette of him running with a girl. The panels eventually resolve into to him in the midst of fire. "And perhaps I really did love you."

Keitarō awakens and greets his mother, grandfather and grandmother in the dining room. His father appears on the television which reveals he is a secretary to a congressman and is dealing with allegations that his boss has misappropriated campaign funds. His mother warns him to hurry else "Ryūgū-san" come to fetch him. Keitarō spies Kihiro waiting for him at the water wheel, sneaks up on him, and scares him. He then claims that he has been lying in wait for him since the previous evening. This elicits the "嘘だ!" from Kihiro. Inwardly, Keitarō introduces him as his best friend, the son of "Aunt Rena." As they rush ahead, the scene shifts to a view of the legs of two girls. One claims she know about the stomach and wallet but want to know about the "third bag." The other suggests that one should grab them vigorously. Thus does Sonozaki Tamaki grab Keitarō's groin. Whilst Sakiko giggles and teases, Keitarō screams, a blushing Tamaki asks if he feels that he has been grasped by the heart, then she explains that she wants to be able to grab her future husband by his heart. Kihiro suggests that she just put a halt to childbirth. Released, Keitarō accuses Sakiko of suggesting Tamaki do this. Like her mother, Sakiko laughs behind her hand as she denies the accusation. Kihiro evaluates this as Sakiko tries to cutely deny that she would lie to him which elicits him decking her with the "Kihiro Knuckle (きひろナックル・kihiro nakkuru)" the "penetrating fist (ツッコミの拳・tsukkomi no ken)" that he "inherited from his mother."

Keitarō inwardly introduces Sakiko as Satoko's daughter. Satoko married into the Kimiyoshi family and runs a souvenir and pastry shop. She and her daughter frequently dress up in maid cosplay to attract customers. Sakiko has picked up her mother's tendency to speak formally, but it is all an act. Returning to the present, Tamaki apologizes to Keitarō; he assures her that she is already popular with boys, and warns her that if she uses that "technique" again, it may end the Sonozaki family. He inwardly introduces her and her mother, Mion, who always dotted on him since she really wanted a boy. When asked if he is now use to living in Hinamizawa after five years' absence, Keitarō insists that he never wanted to live anywhere else as he inwardly reminisces his father taking him to enjoy a barbecue with the rest of them and his friends, including Rika.

They meet the bus to travel to Okinomiya. During the ride, Keitarō muses about how the village has strived to appear traditional in order to be recognized as a world heritage site. He introduces Sakiko's father as a business man leading this effort. They arrive at the middle school and a blush of boys descend upon the flirting Sakiko. Meanwhile, Keitarō commences on his effort to become friends with every single person, which includes passing out a business card that list him as the "Founding Club President" for their game club, but results in him attracting none. At the end of the day, he bids farewell to everyone, but one, a Kijima-kun, seems to ignore him. He sees this as a challenge, then reminisces about his father teaching him about the importance of friends. He walks out of the class to see a girl with long black hair and braids looking back at him. When he attempts to introduce herself, she reacts in panic, and falls down a flight of stairs. Keitarō rushes to find her on a landing curled up in a fetal position in terror. Closer inspection reveals her chanting something into a pendant. Keitarō notices two other girls watching, he calls to them to help, but they only stare at him in fear. He picks up the girl and carries her to the nurse's office. There, the girl will not respond to questions from the nurse ; she can only chant fearfully into her pendant. The nurse wraps her leg, but she is called away leaving the two alone. Believing in his communication skills, he tries to break the ice by happily apologizing for startling her which goes nowhere to his despair. Finally, a girl enters with the two other girls who would not intervene. She excitedly addresses him as "Maebara Senpai" and thanks him for carrying "Inori." The other two talk to Inori, she assures them that she is fine, to Keitarō's surprise. As the three leave the room, Inori pauses for a moment, turns, and bows to Keitarō. Keitarō's ruminates on the meaning of what happened then he notices that she dropped her pendant. His thoughts are interrupted by the talkative girl suggesting that he may like "quiet" girls. She appears to him in a manner that in no way satisfies the qualities required for "creepy." With a lascivious smile, she teases that with quiet girls he can do anything to them because they will not talk. She then playfully teases him about his libido to the point that she comically suggests that he will take advantage of her in the nurse's office. During this, she reveals her name as Kuroro. For his part, Keitarō is stunned at how she can be aware of her sexiness and use it against him. When he asks her how she knows his name, she reveals that everyone in Hinamizawa knows of the son of the famous Maebara Keiichi. She explains that she was driven to school and then runs off to meet her father's car. Kihiro approaches from behind with a dark expression. While he compliments Keitarō's efforts he suggests more moderation. Meanwhile, reunited with her friends, Kuroro looks at her phone which contains pictures of Keitarō. With a view of the sky, then of him, Kihiro, Sakiko, and Tamira, his voice states that he realized that a new tragedy will occur in Hinamizawa, "when the higurashi c ry."

The Gang banter as they walk from the Hinamizawa bus stop regarding Keitarō's desire to make friends. He finally mentions meeting Inori and how she would not talk to him. He sheepishly asks Sakiko if she can explain if it is that "you-know-what that affects adolescent girls"; however, the rest stop walking and stand in dark silence. Angry, Sakiko states that it is just like "them." A little brighter, Tamiko explains to him that while she would rather not speak ill of others, she suggests that he does not bother with her further since nothing good will come of it. When he asks why, Kihiro suggests that they explain it to Keitarō since it is going to come up. He advises him to search for the Polaris Society on his phone. Their webpage proclaims that all misfortune comes from the bonds that society force on people, and adherents live apart from society. As Keitarō pages through, Kihiro explains that it is a sanctuary for domestic violence victims and is Inori would not talk to him. Tamaki then adds that the population of Hinamizawa has dropped significantly down to about 500 people. Polaris came with about 500 people and effectively saved the village. She further explains that they all live in a community at the edge of the village near Yagōchi and never interact with the villagers. This upsets the villagers, particularly the older ones, who complain to Sakiko's grandfather. Keitarō grimly thinks about acting that way in a small tightly-knit village. Sakiko voices his thoughts by rhetorically asking if one would get ostracized acting like that in the old days. She sarcastically adds that she would not know, and there are not enough people for ostracism to work now. Concerned, he asks her to confirm that she hates them, but brightly asks him if that is what it looks like to him.

She then snaps the question whether there is anyone in their village like them. Tamiko and Kihiro look away in silence. The higurashi d o what they do. Bored with it, Sakiko ends the discussion by suggesting they go to her mother's store for ice cream.

At the shop, Satoko introduces them to her husband's latest acquisition, tapioca milk tea, and a cat costume which she admits the boys enjoy. Sakiko and Tamari agree to don the costumes and pose for advertisements. Inwardly, a Chibi Satoko admits that she now understands Irie's obsession with maids. Whilst the girls shoot videos, Kihiro and Keitarō sit outside to enjoy their treats. Kihiro seriously explains that he and the rest are concerned that if Keitarō continues to interact with members of Polaris, it will end badly for him. They hear a camera click, and Marutake introduces himself as a freelance writer interested in Hinamizawa becoming a heritage site. Sakiko recognizes him and explains that he comes around all the time.

He sits with the boys and waxes about the beauty of Hinamizawa for a bit, then he mentions concern about whether or not incident the year previously will harm its chances. Keitarō is aware of Oyashiro-sama's Curse, but he notes that his father would not talk about it. He does not take it seriously, until Marutake interrupts to note they have still not found the one who went missing the year before. Kihiro dismisses it as coincidence, but Marutake continues to note that the one who disappeared was a member of Polaris.

Marutake babbles on about theories that range from aliens, parasites, to groups in Hinamizawa. Keitarō objects that people in Hinamizawa would do that. Marutake soothes his concern but then notices that he is holding Inori's pendant and asks if Keitarō is a member. When Keitarō explains, Marutake pauses then expresses concern about Polaris. He recapitulates the strain between them and villagers, with villagers accusing them of disobeying regulations. He then describes a case where a home of about thirty members had a conflict with a neighbor. Two children murdered the neighbor and family then burned down the house, committing suicide in the process. On cue, a long line of cars pass: Polaris members returning home. Keitarō recognizes Inori and Kuroro in a passing car. Keitarō becomes very concerned about the motives of the cult.

In bed, Keitarō remains awake pouring through webpages warning of the dangers of Polaris. He is interrupted by a phone call from Rika. After the pleasantries, Rika asks him to tell her what is going on in Hinamizawa. He tells her about Polaris, and she warns him to listen to what the villagers say. She does ask him what he feels about them.

The next morning, Keitarō dramatically announces to his friends that he wants to make friends with Polaris members. After they tease him a bit, Tamari reminds him that Polaris eschews contact with outsiders. He cites that some will, as he thinks of Kuroro, then evokes his father's teachings on friendship. The Gang relent, and after a Heroic Declaration, Chibi Keitarō tries to befriend Chibi Polaris members only to be utterly rebuffed in a Hideous Chibi Montage of Humiliation and Shame. The rest of the Gang wait at the end of the day with patience. Sakiko dismisses any possibility that Keitarō can succeed, which turns into a discussion between her and Tamari about how to attract people, then transitions to Angel Mort. While Keitarō declares it is some official first meeting of some committee that will resolve differences with Polaris, the rest enjoy the dessert and "ambiance," with Sakiko considering a "Smile Shop X Angel Mort" collaboration. They eventually convince Keitarō to concentrate on his dessert. He discovers he has a "secret golden butterfly" prize that Kihiro explains will grant him fulfillment in love. Keitarō contemplates it as he wonders if Inori would like it. However, Tamaki stares at him darkly, and Chibi Keitarō meekly presents it to her in an obvious homage to a certain doll won by his father. Tamaki bubbles and squeals as she thanks Sakiko for teaching her that look, while Keitarō inwardly realizes he has been tricked.

As they leave, they see a boy being bullied by three others. Keitarō tries to intervene and earns a knee to his Unmentionables. Tamaki cows the leader, who claims to be a video streamer, then Kihiro verbally dissects him as a liar. Sakiko joins in with her phone threatening to upload videos of them. The three run away. Keitarō then notices Inori, meekly, observing. He tries to lighten the situation by stating that perhaps it was Oyashiro-sama 's guidance that they met. She tears up and stammers an apology for all he has done for her sake. She dashes off to everyone's surprise. Kuroro leaves the store, apologizing for keeping Inori waiting, only to see Keitarō. She begins her salacious teasing which causes him to blush angrily and eventually knuckle her head. She asks about Inori, and Sakiko haughtily explains what happened, including Inori running away without thanking them. Kururu formally bows in gratitude and apologizes for "that Polaris girl" making them uncomfortable to the Gang's collective shock. Kururu explains that her parents joined Polaris, and she has tried to get other kids to get along with residents of Hinamizawa. She then turns Keitarō encouragement into innuendo, and he comically chases after her. Sakiko and Tamari discuss this girl amongst themselves; Kihiro stares after Keitarō in silence. As Keitarō and Kururu playfully roughhouse, Keitarō inner thoughts that he knew he could get along with members of Polaris, and he suspects that he can make friends with "Inori-chan." Kihiro stares darkly.

There is derogatory graffiti on the walls of one of Hinamizawa's traditional homes. Villagers discuss the matter, blaming Polaris without saying the name. Meanwhile, Keitarō formally and dramatically introduces Kururu as a member of the Club. In the resulting banter, Kururu recognizes the identity of the others as she takes multiple pictures and selfies. They break out a picnic, and Kururu playfully torments Keitarō with her innuendo as she feeds him, and he inwardly notes her flashing her cleavage. When she tries the same with Kihiro, he politely rebuffs her. Keitarō commences on a chibiesque description of Hinamizawa, but she interrupts him to ask about Oyashiro-sama 's Curse which manages to silence him and the others on the title page of the chapter. As she bubblingly asks about the details, such as what happened forty years previous and a story about a dismemberment, Kihiro and Tamari turn dark and insist they do not know, but nothing like any of that happened. Calmer, Kihiro suggests that she likes that sort of gossip then insists they have not heard anything about it. When Kururu presses the issue, Sakiko interrupts, darkly. She notes that if Kururu is going to insist, she will affirm that Oyashiro-sama is a terrifying god that curses outsiders and enemies of the village. After a pause, she laughs that she was just joking, Tamari squeals fear, and Kihiro scolds her for scaring younger students. Keitarō brightly changes the subject to ask about Polaris. She details what she admits appears a boring existence of field work, prayer, and meetings, but she then notes that once in a while a member may lose it by going into a rage or start shouting. The member is given medicine to sleep, they light incense, and they play music until they calm down. Chibi Keitarō finds this scary, and Chibi Kururu warns him that she thinks Polaris is dangerous. When Keitarō asks about seeing Inori again, Kururu turns it into a dark then comic sexual innuendo that sends him into a comic chibi rage while she films it and Chibi Tamari wants to know more. Chibi versions of Sakiko and Kihiro join in the banter.

Keitarō enthusiastically and dramatically announces a meeting of the Club with a new member: Kururu. Drama persists as he describes the punishment games with drama and the rest react dramatically. Boast are many. Drama is dramatic. In the midst of this drama, Keitarō muses that Kururu seems to have been caught up in the drama spirit of the game. Keitarō gains early wins, but Kururu eventually reveals he does not know a basic rule of the game.

Dressed in a girl's cat costume, Keitarō does take Kururu and the rest to the observation deck to show her all of Hinmizawa. He tells her of the proposed Dam Construction and how he believes the villagers and Polaris can open up to one another. Nevertheless, Kururu cannot but help to note that his swim suit rather outlines his Rule of Three. Kihiro blushingly and smugly takes a picture and uploads it. He then wonders about Kururu's claim regarding the rule whilst remembering that she did not apply it earlier. He struggles to dismiss it.

Kururu takes a picture of the scenery and curtly observes to herself that Hinamizawa is a fitting name for a crumbling hick village and concludes that they should just rename it to "Polaris."

Sakiko returns home to find her father and grandfather in an angry discussion with a man. Her grandfather demands that the man identify who is harassing the village. Her father explodes with the suggestion that if the man does not like the way things are done in Hinamizawa they should leave. Adjusting his glasses, the man calmly denounces the accusation and suggests that the village council apologize. As her father demands that they speak with the Holy Mother, Sakiko tries to sneak by with a cursory, "I'm home." However, her father stops her and demands that she give a proper greeting. She mutters that she has no interest in greeting Polaris. Inside, her mother pleasantly greets her. When asked by her daughter, she explains that he is "Isshiki-san," which Sakiko immediately recognizes. Meanwhile, Isshiki reminds her father that if he employs the council to pressure them, then perhaps members of Polaris should join the council and solve the matter at the next mayoral election. Sakiko muses to her mother that Isshiki is not really threatened since her father may act big outside, but at home he needs his wife to wash his hair for him. Satoko blushes and scolds her that her father needs his dignity so she needs to keep quiet when guests are about. Satoko begins to rant about Polaris and how they are now affecting their house. Satoko embraces her daughter. After a moment, she reminds her that she is a lady of the Kimiyoshi family, and while she understands how she feels, she asks her not to say such things in public, but she also promises to listen to her at home.

Men work on the festival grounds for the Watanagashi whilst discussing whether or not the curse is real. In her hospital bed, Rika looks at the calendar, notes it is the day before Watanagashi, and recalls the disappearance of Keiichi and death of Mion in the previous loop. Her musings reveal that in the previous year a villager died and a member of Polaris disappeared. She wonders if that was a coincidence or man-made. With a recollection of herself with her friends, she feels that if her attempt to reach out to Keitarō is successful, the tragedy should be avoid. She clutches her phone as she prays for a miracle.

In the Polaris compound, Kururu wretches into a bowl as she showers. Her father deems it a thorough purification. Now dressed plainly, she hands over her phone with pictures of the Gang and explains who they are. She addresses him first as "father," but then switches to "Comrade Canopus." In the church, he meets with the Holy Mother who assumes that the preparations for the next day are proceeding.

The paper calendar reads, "Sunday, June 23, 2019; Reiwa Year 1." Dressed in an apron from Satoko's Smile Store, Rena stands outside advertising rental yukata with Shion similarly dressed behind her and referring to her husband, Satoshi, who is sheepishly sporting a jinbei. Shion happily remarks she heard about the encounter the Gang had. Kihiro reveals that his mother heard that bad characters have been about Okinomiya, which she affirms that she learns things while working for the town magazine. However, thinking of all of them quickly sends Rena from Cute to Take Home Mode™.

The Gang moves on to the Festival grounds with Keitarō excited to attend his first in five years. Kururu meets them and they engage in the "Five-Demon Fire Fight." In the midst of this, Keitarō tries to introduce her to vendors who react with expected reticence. Later stunned to see how many balloons Sakiko gathered, he sees that vendor Teppei has given them to her. When Keitarō introduces Kururu to him, he does not react. Kururu quickly changes the subject with another innuendo that leads him to chase her. Teppei does compliment Sakiko on making new friends, to which she does not react. Kihiro expresses regret with Kururu's presence. Sakiko agrees. A Montage of Fun™ follows.

The scene shifts to a tent where men sit and drink. They compliment the Festival whilst complaining about Polaris. Kisaku agrees, and his father observes that since Rika has chosen not to live in Hinamizawa, the Furude family is extinct, and even though the Sonozaki allowed Polaris in, they will not deal with the trouble they cause. He suggests that this would not have happened if Oryō was still alive. Kisaku notes that this resembles the Dam War and suggests they reform the "Guardians," under the leadership of the Kimiyoshi, to drive Polaris from Hinamizawa. On this point, his father disagrees since it may threaten the village becoming a World Heritage Site, and he reminds him that they need to wait for Keiichi to return to support them. Keitarō arrives to greet them and introduces Kururu to their consternation. They are interrupted by the start of the ceremony. Sakiko takes the role of wielding the ceremonial hoe with teasing from Keiichi. Kihiro, then Tamaki, then Keiichi next wield the hoe. To her surprise, Keiichi then offers it to Kururu. When she demurs, he insists and the wield it together. Kururu makes her usual salacious innuendo. After the ceremony, she excuses herself to use the restroom. Marutake shows up. As he marvels over the crowd, he muses that Polaris members may be there as well. Keitarō starts to agree, but Marutake explains that he means the Ring of Stars. He explains that they are a clandestine offensive wing of Polaris where members take names like "Canopus" and "Sirius," and nearly all problems cause by Polaris are connected to them. He then muses about Oyashiro-sama 's Curse before taking his leave. Kihiro assures Keitarō that what happened the year before was just a coincidence. Meanwhile, alone on the grounds, Kururu cries as she begs forgiveness from Holy Mother. She angrily vows to never forgive them for making her take part.

In her hospital bed, Rika is surprised to receive a phone call.

In fear, she reminds herself that she warned both Keiichi and Mion to avoid the tragedy. She nervously answer.png.pngs the phone to find it is a video greeting from Keitarō and the rest of the Gang as the chapter's cover. She notices and asks about Kururu; Keitarō eagerly introduces her and explains he is about to teach her how to drift the cotton. Watching their playful banter, Rika is reminded of Keiichi and Satoko squabbling over food. Reassured, she feels nothing will happen this year. For his part, during the ceremony, Keitarō believes that this is the start of a rapprochement between the villagers and Polaris. Kururu bids them a goodbye, explaining that her father will pick her up.

Keitarō is awaken by a phone call just before 4:00 A.M. Sakiko asks him if she met with her father after the Festival. The scene shifts to a traditional home in Hinamizawa. A detective approaches wearing plastic over his shoes. He is greeted as "Inspector Kumagai." An officer explains to him that the home is abandoned, but a neighbor heard voices, inspected, and discovered a body. The man, apparently, drank three bottles of pesticide to commit suicide; Kumagai does not find that likely given that he was vomiting up blood. The officer identifies him as an assistant to Kisaku, then admits he did not appear to have a reason to commit suicide. He then admits that Kisaku remains missing. Kumagai recalls Oyashiro-sama 's Curse, then remembers Ōishi insisting that such do not exist. To himself, he wishes Ōishi was still alive to advise him.

Over the phone, Mion explains the situation of Kisaku's disappearance to Rika. Inwardly, Rika tries rationalize why Oyashiro-sama 's Curse is happening again. Meanwhile, in his room, Keitarō grabs his hair as he recalls his conversation with the hysterical Sakiko. He quickly rationalizes that Kisaku could not be considered an "enemy" of Hinamizawa to be a target of the curse or of villagers acting under the guise of the curse. Slowly, but eventually, he comes to suspect that only Polaris could pull it off. The next morning, his mother expresses concern over him, but she is interrupted by a number of text messages that reveal many anti-Hinamizawa graffiti. In the pictures, Keitarō feels he can see a smudge that resembles the Big Dipper.

A few days later, Keitarō surfs on his phone and notes that there is a lot of gossip about the "second year of the Curse of Oyashiro-sama." Sweating, Keitarō tries to dismiss it. Recalling Inaro and Kururu, he cannot believe they could be involved. At the water wheel, Kihiro expresses concern that it appears Keitarō has not gotten enough sleep. When Kihiro suggests that Keitarō is affected by moving to a new environment, Keitarō asks about him moving back to Hinamizawa after "Aunt Rena's" divorce. Kihiro reveals that it was a long time ago. When Keitarō asks Kihiro about his father, Kihiro reveals that his and his mother's relationship with his father is better since he removed them from his family registry, and they have both have even met with him. He explains that when he returned to Hinamizawa, Tamaki, Sakiko, and the adults supported him, but he was still fatigued by the experience. He suggests that Keitarō's efforts to make friends has fatigued him. Tamaki joins them, and to their collective surprise, so does Sakiko, who playfully demands to know why the are waiting around. To Tamaki's concern, Sakiko turns and calmly replies that she believes that as long as she lives her life as she has, her father will come home. At school, Polaris students arrive as a group. Inori appears to ignore Keitarō's greeting. Kururu is absent, and Kihiro wonders if they exhausted her. Sakiko interrupts this by darkly rhetorically asking how the Polaris members could be there. She then yells at them asking rhetorically and profanely what they are planning. She continues that the day after the festival is her mother's birthday. She demands that they give her her father back. Kihiro and Keitarō struggle to hold her back. She reminds them that Kururu is a daughter of one of the Polaris leaders.

The Polaris students react to her tirade by singing a tone. They take each other's hands and the tone resolves into the declaration that they are the cosmos, the universe. While Sakiko continues her tirade, Keitarō struggles to understand how it all came to this point. He eventually tries to get Sakiko to stop, but she profanely rebuffs him. He insists that they are all playing into the hands of whoever is actually behind these incidents. Tamaki agrees and tries to console Sakiko that Polaris would not benefit from causing these incidents. Kihiro helps pull Sakiko away as he suggests they calm down, but he stares back at the chanting Polaris students.

Outside the school, Sakiko demands to know why Keitarō is covering for Polaris, and who took away her father if not them. She knows he is not evoking Oyashiro-sama 's Curse, and she demands that he does not blame the villagers. He suggests that perhaps someone is trying create conflict between the villagers and Polaris. Inwardly, he angrily insists he will not be deceived. The then insists to Sakiko and the rest of the Gang that their reaction is exactly what the one behind it wants. He then commences with a dramatic exhortation that they all join together.

The chapter opens with its cover depicting a flier for the "Hinamizawa ✩ Polaris Union Starlight Camp!" It invites all to gaze at the star from the observation deck on Saturday, 29th, 6:00 P.M. Kururu's voice asks, "Starlight Camp?" Keitarō eagerly confirms this on his phone and encourages Kururu to spread the word. After Keitarō enthuses the details, over a field of ♡, Kururu starts to agree that a campfire at the Furude Shrine, with everyone together, sounds like an orgy. Blushing Irritated Chibi Keitarō demands the "lewd manga nut" stop. Over a view of him and Kihiro the enraged Sakiko, Keitarō apologizes for how she acted, but the are all comrades, and he wants to show everyone in the village they can get along. In her room, Kururu darkly repeats "Starlight Camp," as she scratches her neck. Keitarō walks home with Kihiro and reminisces about such camps they had as kids. Kihiro reminds him that Sakiko's ghost stories so scared Keitarō he would beg him to accompany him when he needed to pee. Keitarō laughs, wonders if her ghost stories will bring them all together, then notes that his father should be able to join them. Kihiro interrupts him to suggest they should cancel the event. He gently, but darkly, compliments Keitarō's intentions but reminds him that, aside from Kururu, everyone at Polaris follows a doctrine that forbids communication. He also reminds him of the strict mandate of the village to not meddle with Polaris. Keitarō retorts that it could be that Kihiro is still suspicious of them.

Keitarō erupts into a lecture on trying to reconcile the village and Polaris to avoid the Curse of Oshiro-sama. Kihiro quite darkly suggests that it is Keitarō who is inciting the conflict between the two. To Keitarō's protests, Kihiro lowers his head, apologizes, and suggests they forget they talked about this.

Keitarō collapses in his room but is surprised to find hairs on his table. He sees more hair on the tatami and remonstrates himself for being paranoid over not cleaning regularly. He is interrupted by texts from Sakiko, who apologizes for her behavior but states that she and her mother will not attend the Starlight Camp.

He drops that phone and screams at it as if he is screaming at Sakiko. He demands that she must join them, put aside her personal feelings, and if the victim's family does not join in, how will he prove to Polaris that they are not suspicious of them. He is interrupted by his mother's voice asking if everything is alright. He apologizes but inwardly rages over Kihiro and Sakiko not understanding. He laments that he is fighting alone, but he imagines the smiling Tamaki and admits that she is still invested. He could not have organized the event without the Sonozaki support. He rallies his spirit, telling himself he gets fired up by adversity, and vows to see it through if even he is alone.

The calendar application reads, June 29th (Saturday) with the day's weather.

Tamaki strikes a pose in the sunlight outside her home as she declares that they will have a perfect view of the skies. Over a view of boxes of basically luggage items, she calls Uncle Yoshimichi, telling him she is counting on him to bring it to the parking lot by the observation desk. As she walks along the patio carrying her boxes, she muses that she could freely enjoy the event if not for the incident.

Akane strolls by with her walker. Tamaki quickly offers to help her. Akane enters her bed complaining that her legs will not even listen to her. Mion reminds her that she has been telling her that old homes are not good for caregiving, but it is still pretty early for her retirement: "The good name of the Demon Princess of Shishibone will be in shambles." Akane brushes it off: "doing things as I did back then is just too old-fashioned." Tamaki offers her tea. Akane asks Mion if there is any progress with the case; Mion admits they have not found any trace of Kisaku. Akane sighs and notes that thirty years ago they would have been blamed.

{Save Point}

Meeting Rika after Rika's many years of travel, Satoko smirks and giggles.

"What?" Rika asks.

"Um . . . nothing."

"Nothing?"

"You've got, well, nothing, Rika-chan." <-- Definitely have to use this! Alternative Caption: Shown: Time to Get a New Girlfriend!{Save Point!}

There will obviously be references to the previous arcs what with the "kids" serving as representatives of their parents. These are some of the less obvious:

All deaths and disappearances are listed only as they are occur in Oni okoshi-hen. The chapter covers two time fragments. Spoilers only for the individual arc, not the overall series.