Satou declares a change in Tougo's fate: in order for Mikoto, the master of the ayakashi, to regain her power, Tougo will be sacrificed to the camellia pond. Held prisoner, the unconscious Tougo weeps in his dreams over his mother Akane's betrayal in running off with the mysterious Yoshiki. Will Abe-san and Company, tasked with Tougo, who is immersed in bleak thoughts, be unable to resist the temptation of a three-star Meal?! The truth looms ever closer...

Yue makes for the shrine to rescue the captive Tsubaki. But there, he is met with the past of the man calling himself Sagano. Once upon a time, shrine master Mikoto herself saved Sagano's life when he went by the name "Akashi." But as a result, Sagano lost everything dear and had to stand by as his body became the vessel for Shin, the leader of the ayakashi. Now intent upon vengeance, Sagano raids the shrine and challenges Mikoto to a duel! Meanwhile, Yue decides on the path he must take! As the humans and ayakashi clash, the vagaries of fate accelerate...

Both the Akujiki and Sagano descend upon the shrine of Utsuwa, now with its protective lamp out of commission and its barrier a distant memory. To save the captured Tsubaki, Yue goes up into the shrine with Akiyoshi, where he learns about the ties that bind ayakashi annihilator Sagano, Mikoto, and Shin, and the truth of the past that lies between the three. The beginning of the thread begins to unravel...

Within the barrier, Yue is up against an unexpected foe in his attempt to rescue Tougo-his dear friend Kurogitsune. To force Yue's hand in taking a Meal and saving himself, Kurogitsune casts Tougo into the camellia pond. But upon rushing after the helpless captive, Yue is confronted by the age-old conflict between the desire to protect and the desire to consume that befalls all humans who assume the role of yorishiro. What path will Yue choose?

When Tougo invites Akiyoshi and Yue over for dinner as a thank-you, all that's on the menu is food and fun. But when Tougo's father catches sight of Yue, he is startled and blurts out the name "Yoshiki." What exactly is the connection between this Yoshiki--to whom it seems Tougo owes his life--and Yue? And what kind of relationship existed between Yoshiki and Tougo's mother?! The secret behind the Meal is at long last revealed...

After learning that Yoshiki, the person who saved Tsubaki's life, is inside him, Yue is shocked by the fact that he "ate" Yoshiki. While the shrine takes steps to keep Yue confined in preparation for the Meal, Kurogitsune plays his cards close to his chest, resolving to take action... Meanwhile, Sagano incites Akiyoshi to put out the light at the entrance to the shrine. Once there, Akiyoshi, with Tsubaki at his side, makes a decision--! The motives of ayakashi and the humans intersect, but where will that leave Yue and his friends...?

In the town of Utsuwa, bizarre phenomena like trains not stopping and people vanishing continue unabated. When an incident involving the sudden disappearance of a head kindergarten teacher occurs, the threesome of Yue, Tougo, and Akira undertake the investigation. But while trying to track down the missing teacher, the boys are unexpectedly attacked by a mysterious young man. Introducing himself as Sagano, the young man addresses Yue: "I need you to give me back my body"--