Apart from the typical features of a young teenager, Yoshimori also has a number of distinctive traits. Among these, one of the most significant is the Houin on his right palm. He is also known for his diminutive stature, although this is mostly seen when compared with Tokine, who, it must be noted, is two years his senior. He is short, has black spiky hair and brown eyes.
As a child, Yoshimori was distinguished by his weakness of spirit: numerous flashbacks portray him as a boy who cried easily and frequently. His closest friend was Tokine, who often helped him when he was in trouble, despite the fact that their grandparents disapproved of their being friends.[1] Early on, Yoshimori regarded his duties as a Kekkaishi with disdain,[2] and resented Shigemori for expecting so much of him so soon. Constantly throughout the series, Yoshimori clashes with his grandfather, both because they are equally strong-willed and stubborn, and over Shigemori's clear loathing of the Yukimura family.[3]
After Tokine was wounded saving Yoshimori from Yumigane when he was nine,[4] Yoshimori adopted a firmer, assertive attitude in regard to his responsibilities as a Kekkaishi, and in protecting those around him (Tokine especially).[5] Over time, Yoshimori's feelings toward Tokine develop into a rather obvious crush. This is most evident in the extreme lengths he goes to in order to prevent Tokine from coming to any further harm. Yoshimori immediately rejects any strategy that clearly places Tokine in harm's way,[6] often goes out of his way to protect her (whether his help is actually wanted or not),[7] and apologizes profusely any time Tokine is hurt, physically or emotionally, through his own actions.[8] Possibly because Tokine is very vocal about Yoshimori not being her ideal, he is also immediately suspicious of, and hostile toward, any boys that she has significant contact with.
At first glance, Yoshimori is not especially close to either of his brothers. He does not seem to understand Toshimori, who, unlike him, is studious, serious, and well mannered. Likewise, Masamori and Yoshimori each envy the other's position in the family, and most of their conversations tend to be either tense lectures from Masamori, or jokes at Yoshimori's expense. Despite their disagreements, Yoshimori is never actually seen fighting with Toshimori, and part of him still admires Masamori and wants to be a strong Kekkaishi like he is (though by following his own separate path). In addition, Yoshimori has strong bonds with his parents. Raised largely by his father, who is always encouraging and kindhearted, Yoshimori seems to have inherited his father's compassionate heart. At the same time, Yoshimori has an almost desperate love for his mother, who is absent for much of his life, and he reacts furiously in her defense if she is ever insulted.
Yoshimori is typically tired and irritable during the daytime because his nights are devoted to his work as a Kekkaishi. This is juxtaposed with his pleasure in making others happy, as seen with his love for baking sweets, and, most notably, candy castles. His favorite drink is coffee milk, which is also enjoyed by most of his friends at school.
He is often called too considerate or "soft" by Tokine and Gen Shishio, especially when contrasted with Tokine's own often ruthless nature toward dealing with Ayakashi and even human ghosts. On several occasions when others told him to let matters lie, such as with the ghost of the pâtissier, Yoshimori went to great lengths to aid others when there was no real benefit for himself, indicating a charitable spirit.
Because of his long nights, Yoshimori constantly falls asleep during class (though Tokine almost never has this problem). He even brings a pillow to school and often skips class to take long naps on the rooftop. Indeed, Yoshimori does not seem at all concerned with the state of his grades or constantly earning his teacher's annoyance, and possibly for good reason: it is implied more than once that unless Karasumori is dealt with permanently, Yoshimori's only real future is to protect the site for the rest of his life, and as such, education is hardly a concern (for much of Masamori's school career, he was replaced by a Shikigami clone, courtesy of his grandfather).
Yoshimori initially has two personal dreams: to become strong so that no one is ever harmed at Karasumori again, and to bake the perfect candy castle (impressing Tokine as a bonus, as she clearly enjoys some of his creations, despite being critical of his love of baking). As he begins to question and learn more of Karasumori's mysterious origin, Yoshimori decides that he will seal the power of Karasumori forever, thus ending the constant threat of Ayakashi attack, and freeing both his family and Tokine's from their never-ending duty of protecting the site. After the power of Karasumori is sealed, Yoshimori decides to combine his love of art[9][10] with an old dream, and become an architect (so he can build a home for him and Tokine).[11]
Yoshimori is the second of three sons born to Shuji and Sumiko Sumimura. Because the Houin, the mark of the Legitimate Successor, appeared on his hand after his birth, he was predestined to lead the Sumimura clan as the 22nd Clan Head. In addition, he was also expected to become a Kekkaishi, the traditional protector of the sacred land of Karasumori. However, these were duties that young Yoshimori never asked for or wanted for himself.[12] Despite this, he began accompanying his older brother to Karasumori at a young age, and was officially recognized as a Kekkaishi at age 7.[13]
He was treated with some resentment by his older brother Masamori (who, despite his own notable talents as a Kekkaishi, lacked the Houin and was therefore not a Legitimate Successor). There were no such problems with Toshimori, the youngest brother, who generally got along with his entire family. The boys grew up largely in the care of their father, as their mother spent much of her time traveling the world, returning home infrequently but never staying for long.
Yoshimori was always ordered by his grandfather Shigemori (the 21st Clan Head) to avoid contact with their neighbors, the Yukimura family, a rival Kekkaishi clan that the Sumimuras had been feuding with for over 400 years. Despite this (and secretly encouraged by Tokio Yukimura), Yoshimori built and maintained a strong relationship with the Yukimura heir, Tokine. Yoshimori was a crybaby as a child, and Tokine was his closest friend, often protecting and supporting him, though she knew their grandparents would not stand for this.
Yoshimori was officially recognized as a Kekkaishi and sent alone to Karasumori at age 7. By then, 9 year-old Tokine had already been on active duty for some time (Masamori was active at the same time and watched over them, stepping aside once Yoshimori was appointed). Worried that Yoshimori was too immature and not taking the job seriously, Tokine purposely allowed a small Ayakashi to roam free on Yoshimori's first night of active duty, hoping him catching it would boost his confidence. However, not only did he fail to catch it, but Hanauo, a much larger Ayakashi, appeared and devoured it. Though Yoshimori was able to capture Hanauo with his larger than necessary Kekkai, he had trouble containing it, and it was only with Tokine's help that he was able to destroy it. Tokine then used Tenketsu to clean up the particles, by which time Yoshimori had fallen asleep, exhausted from the night's activities. Masamori appeared to carry Yoshimori home on his back, and asked Tokine to look after him from then on.[14]
Yoshimori resented his duties as a Kekkaishi, Shigemori's overly strict nature, and being denied a normal The scars Tokine received defending Yoshimori as a child
childhood. This was reflected in his approach to being a Kekkaishi: he did not take the job seriously, despite frequent warnings from both Shigemori and Tokine, who took great pride in their job. Yoshimori continued to ignore all advice until he was nine years old, when Tokine was severely wounded protecting him from the Ayakashi Yumigane. Yoshimori managed to get her home safely, but blamed himself for his own inaction, and the scars still present on Tokine's right forearm are a near-constant reminder of this. From that day forward, he promised himself that he would become stronger, so that no one, Tokine especially, would ever be harmed on Karasumori again.[2]
14 year-old Yoshimori chases a fishbone Ayakashi, but 16 year-old Tokine trips him with a Kekkai. Tokine criticizes his using a huge Kekkai to catch such small prey, reminding him to conserve his power in case a larger enemy appears next. Yoshimori insists that he can defeat anything that challenges him. Frustrated, Tokine leaves him to clean up. Noticing her scarred hand, Yoshimori is reminded of his promise: to become strong, so that no one will ever be harmed because of Karasumori again.[15]
On another night, Yoshimori chases a small Ayakashi, but Tokine captures it first. Yoshimori sleeps in the next morning, using a Kekkai around his bed to keep his grandfather from waking him up. Shigemori scolds Yoshimori over breakfast, both for wasting his talent and losing to Tokine again. Yoshimori leaves home for school in a bad mood and runs into Tokine, who expects him to still be upset over his defeat. She gets annoyed when he follows her, and blinds him by reflecting sunlight off of her compact mirror into his eyes, allowing her to escape. At school, Yoshimori's teacher Mr. Kurosu scolds him for falling asleep.
At home, Yoshimori and Shigemori fight over dinner until they both sense a breach in the low intensity, anti-Ayakashi Kekkai around the school. Yoshimori and Madarao rush to the Karasumori site, but Tokine and Hakubi are already there. Tokine teases him about needing a handicap and blinds him with a smoke bomb. Yoshimori still manages to find the Ayakashi first: Tsuchigama, a ground-frog that rapidly fires earth bullets by taking material from the ground. Yoshimori is startled by the Ayakashi's power, and it escapes. Tokine corners it next, but is also overwhelmed. Yoshimori intervenes and draws Tsuchigama's fire. Tokine protects him with a Kekkai, which allows Yoshimori to destroy Tsuchigama. Tokine criticizes Yoshimori for being reckless and leaves him to clean up. Yoshimori uses several Shikigami to help with the repairs, and takes off his shirt, revealing that he was wounded in the battle. He orders Madarao to keep this a secret from Tokine, but a bird Shikigami from Tokine arrives and drops a package on Yoshimori's head. It turns out to be a small container of her grandmother's special medicine, which heals wounds caused by Ayakashi.[16]
Yoshimori doesn't know what to make of Yomi Kasuga, a clumsy but well-meaning investigator from The Shadow Organization. It appears she was once a friend of Tokine's late father, and talks about him quiteYomi drugs Yoshimori
a bit.[17] Sensing this might be a sensitive topic for Tokine, Yoshimori meets Yomi alone at Karasumori and asks her not to mention Tokio in front of her. This turns out to be the least of his problems, though: Yomi drugs his tea and ties him up, then has her ogre, Yoki, ambush Tokine when she arrives. Yomi reveals that her friendly persona was an act: she's actually come to Karasumori to increase Yoki's power in order to earn the respect of her clan, who made fun of her for Yoki's failures. She also hates Tokine's father for trying to comfort her.[17] Tokine manages to avoid Yoki until Yoshimori wakes up and frees himself, but by then Tokine is largely exhausted.[18] They try to separate Yomi from Yoki, but this turns out to be useless, since Yoki can understand Yomi's orders even if she doesn't speak them aloud. Tokine keeps an eye on Yomi while Yoshimori does his best to defeat Yoki alone. Unfortunately, Yoki taps into Karasumori's power and continues to grow stronger, eventually breaking his contract ring with Yomi and growing out of control. Yoshimori is impressed and grows more eager to fight, but the battle is interrupted by the arrival of Odo and Hakudo, two Shadow Organization members who have come to arrest Yomi for her betrayal.[18] With assistance from Shigemori and Tokiko, Yoki is quickly destroyed. Yomi is heartbroken that Yoki is gone, but Yoshimori discovers that Yoki has regenerated, though he is now powerless and tiny enough to fit in Yomi's hand. Yomi realizes that she was wrong to hate Tokio for his kindness, and apologizes to Tokine before being taken away.
Yoshimori finds the ghost of a young man wandering outside of Karasumori Academy.[19] Oddly enough, the ghost doesn't realize that he's dead, so Yoshimori warns him to stay away from the school and sends him to Mother-san, a psychic counselor who helps wandering ghosts pass on. Later that day, Yoshimori runs into the same ghost outside of a sweet shop. Despite Mother-san's counseling, the ghost has trouble believing that he's dead, but has been wondering why everyone but Yoshimori has been ignoring him. Yoshimori explains a Kekkaishi's ability to see ghosts, and more importantly, their duty to destroy ghosts that linger around Karasumori, since they can transform and become dangerous, the same as Ayakashi. However, the ghost recovers some of his memory: he recalls that he was Tokine reminding Yoshimori that it's very dangerous for them to hang around ghosts
a pâtissier, and that he was reaching for cabbages when he died. This excites Yoshimori, as he has a chance to get baking tips from a real pro, and the two become fast friends.[19] They are interrupted by Tokine, who demands that the ghost pass on before he hurts someone. That night, Yoshimori and Tokine rush to the school after sensing a disturbance, only to find their ghost friend still hanging around. Hakubi confirms that the presence they sensed is still inside, so the ghost tags along. The Kekkaishi find a ghost that has partially transformed. Instead of destroying him, Yoshimori disarms the ghost (literally), reminds him of the family he has left, and sends him to Mother-san with a stern warning not to return. While this should have been a good lesson in what happens to ghost who stay too long, all the pâtissier takes away from it is that Yoshimori is a nice guy that wouldn't hurt anyone unless he had to.
Yoshimori realizes his ghost friend is enjoying the undead life way too much to pass on, and decides to discuss his case with Mother-san. They visit the bakery where the pâtissier worked and speak with the head chef. They learn that the ghost's name is Masahiko Tsukijigaoka, his younger brother Toshihiko runs their family snack food business, and that they lost their parents while very young.[20] Masahiko was working on a cabbage-based desert when he died, but was also worried about his brother. Masahiko refuses to be reunited with his brother, afraid that Toshihiko hates him for abandoning the family business. YYoshimori and Masahiko recreating the cake
oshimori forces Masahiko to come with him and Mother-san as they follow Toshihiko around town, and are surprised when he stops at the site of Masahiko's death. Yumeko approaches Toshihiko and tries to explain the situation, but he refuses to believe her and demands that they meet him in one day and prove they've met his brother's ghost. Masahiko decides to re-create the cake he made for his brother after their parents died (he told Toshihiko that they sent it from heaven). After numerous tries, the cake comes out right, but gets damaged in transit. Out of time, they present the ruined cake to Toshihiko. Amazingly, he recognizes the cake as Masahiko's work: this is the second time his brother has given him a cake from beyond the grave. Comforted, Toshihiko tells Masahiko not to worry about him, which allows Masahiko to finally pass on.
Yurina Kanda, Yoshimori's classmate, has been able to see supernatural beings for a while now. She can't distinguish between ghosts and living people,[21] which is a problem: she gets distracted by the ghost of a schoolgirl at a busy intersection, and is nearly hit by a car. Later, Yurina sees the same ghost at school, but this time Yoshimori is talking to it, and even able to touch it. Worried about what this might mean, Yurina follows Yoshimori and the ghost when they leave class, and she overhears him threatening to destroy the ghost (though only after she threatens to curse students). Yurina is now very afraid of Yoshimori. Yurina's friends Kyoko and Ayano plan to visit the school's cherry blossom tree, which blooms out of season, but the high school stuYoshimori tries to comfort Yurina
dents have taken all the best spots. Yurina's friends decide to visit school after hours to see the tree, even though this is against the rules. Yoshimori overhears them and warns them not to come, though only Yurina is afraid of what he might do if they disobey him. That night, Yurina goes to school to meet her friends, only to run into an Ayakashi. Yoshimori destroys it, but is surprised to see Yurina, since he blocked the front gate with a Kekkai (Yurina came through the back). Tokine arrives, annoyed that Yoshimori let Yurina come, but in the next moment, a horde of Ayakashi arrives.[21] Yoshimori places Yurina under the tree and surrounds her with a Kekkai to keep her safe. He and Tokine proceed to destroy the horde, unaware that Yurina can see the Ayakashi, and is growing more and more afraid that they will destroy her next. Noticing how upset Yurina is, Madarao sniffs her and informs the Kekkaishi that Yurina has a sixth sense, which allowed her to see everything. Yoshimori is shocked, and makes several bumbling attempts to comfort Yurina. This convinces her that he is a good person, and she agrees to keep the Kekkaishi's nightly duties a secret. Yoshimori makes a Shikigami to accompany her home, and Yurina keeps the used paper as a good luck charm.
Yoshimori trains with a large boulder, trying to catch and hold it up with a small Kekkai. Shigemori observes and brags that he was able to break open two boulders that size in his youth, making Yoshimori determined to do better.[22] Yoshimori is still tired that night from training so hard, but goes to patrol Karasumori with Tokine anyway. They encounter Hiwatari, a small but swift ice-producing Ayakashi. Hiwatari avoids their attacks at first, but when it is finally caught with a Kekkai, escapes by shooting large ice shards that can even penetrate Kekkai. Hiwatari hides in the school pool and freezes it over, remaining hiddYoshimori and Tokine face Hiwatari
en beneath the ice. Yoshimori pounds the ice with Kekkai, and when Hiwatari emerges, Tokine hits it with a kunai. This only angers Hiwatari, and he freezes Tokine's leg to the ground, then charges up a large ice shard to fire at her. Yoshimori protects her with several Kekkai around themselves, but Hiwatari's ice is strong enough to break it. Tokine helps Yoshimori focus when creating the next Kekkai, and together they are able to reflect Hiwatari's own attack back at it, defeating it. Yoshimori carries Tokine home on his back despite her protests. Inwardly, both reflect on the battle and decide that they need to become stronger.[22] Tokine practices making many small Kekkai at once in a precise formation. Yoshimori tries the boulder exercise again, but ends up launching the boulder high into the air and, being unable to catch it with a Kekkai, letting it smash into the ground. In the process, the boulder breaks open, revealing an iron core that should have made it impossible to break in the first place, meaning Shigemori was lying about his strength all along.
Yoshimori senses an evil aura at school, and is soon approached by Yurina, who tells him about a suspicious teacher that she saw earlier. From the roof, they spot a girl passed out in the bushes, and Yurina mistakes her for Tokine. Yoshimori rushes to save her, only to find that it is Mao Shinohara instead, and that she's safe, though a bit confused. Yoshimori reassures Yurina, then tries to find Tokine so he can warn her. However, he spots her talking with Tatsumi Mino, a popular teacher.[23] Yoshimori becomes jealous and tries to trip Mino with a Kekkai, but is startled when his Kekkai is quickly broken, and Mino stares in his direction. More concerned than ever, Yoshimori goes to Hiromu Tabata for information on Mino, but doesn't find out much. That night, Yoshimori debates how to warn Tokine about Mino without angering her, but
can't come up with anything. He senses a presence at Karasumori Academy and rushes off, meeting Tokine on the way. He finally warns her, but is shocked when Tokine says she's been watching Mino (she means for suspicious activity, but Yoshimori thinks she's interested in dating him). Yoshimori misses the rest of the conversation, as he is too stunned by the "revelation" and numbly follows Tokine to school. They confront Mino inside, and discover he is controlling three female snakes, which he uses to attack people. Mino sends one snake to attack, while the other two stay nearby to defend him. Targeting Mino with Kekkai also fails, as another snake blocks them from forming with her body. Yoshimori damages the lead snake, but it heals and grows larger. Hakubi notices that the snakes aren't Ayakashi, but still smells one nearby. He and Tokine spot an Ayakashi insect on the lead snake, but can't target it because of the snake's swift movements. Yoshimori holds the snake in place with his Kekkai, allowing Tokine to destroy the insect. Freed from the Ayakashi's influence, Mino shows deep regret for the people he's hurt, and begs the Kekkaishi not to hurt his snakes. They agree, though Yoshimori and Hakubi instantly regret this when Mino begins to charmingly thank Tokine, proving that Yoshimori's instincts about Mino weren't totally wrong.[23]
Yoshimori offers Tokine his latest cake creation while on duty. Though she enjoys it, Tokine hides this by complaining that he should spend less time baking and more time training, which greatly upsets Yoshimori. At home, he is so depressed that he considers giving up baking. In an attempt to revive Yoshimori, Shuji recommends that he try the legendary chocolate cake sold by a local bakery. Unfortunately, Yoshimori has his Kekkaishi duties during the sale, so he leaves a Shikigami to hold his place in line. Some thugs show up and try to muscle their way in line, but after taking a beating from them, the Shikigami defeats them and buys the cake. Yoshimori patrols Karasumori with Tokine as usual, but tires fast because he put so much energy into the Shikigami. After some trouble, Yoshimori destroys the Fire Mole with a large Kekkai, passing out right after. After waking up, he lets the reason for his exhaustion slip out, and T
okine becomes furious that he still doesn't consider his Kekkaishi duties top priority. Yoshimori's troubles continue at home: despite claiming not to like the cake, Shigemori has eaten all of the extra pieces, leaving none for Yoshimori. Yoshimori gets a chance to redeem himself with Tokine when she asks him to help her with a problem at her house. It turns out that both she and her grandmother are deathly afraid of cockroaches, and Tokine's mother, who usually gets rid of them, is away. Yoshimori comes up with a plan to use miniature Shikigami to lure the bug out, but at the last moment, Tokine freaks out, shoving him so that the bug is squashed on his shirt. For some time afterward, Tokine won't go near Yoshimori, constantly replaying the scene in her mind. She finally works up the nerve to give Yoshimori a new shirt and a piece of the legendary cake that he missed out on, restoring his love of baking.
The demon trio of Honetaro, Uhosuke, and Nagao invade Karasumori, though they end up as more of a comedy trio by how fast they're captured. But they turn out to be a distraction for their boss Kouya, who in turn is revealed to be Madarao's old friend. Though Madarao abandoned him to serve Tokimori Hazama, Kouya wants to be partners again. Madarao refuses, since he is firmly devoted to Tokimori, who asked him aid the Sumimura Clan. Kouya already hates humans for stealing his home and indirectly causing Madarao's death, but he has an especially strong hatred of Tokimori for ending the partnership between Kouya and Madarao. Enraged that Madarao wYoshimori releasing Madarao's seal
ould still serve that same human, Kouya attacks. Madarao realizes that in his sealed state, he is no match for Kouya's power, and asks Yoshimori to remove the seal around his neck. Though Shigemori has warned Yoshimori in the past that it is dangerous to remove Madarao's collar, Yoshimori does so, and Madarao's full power and natural form are restored. Madarao warns Yoshimori to stay out of the fight before facing Kouya. Kouya attacks with brute strength and speed, while Madarao relies on illusions and poisons to gradually weaken Kouya. Both take heavy damage and seem close to death, but Kouya draws on Karasumori's power to keep fighting. Yoshimori insults Madarao's pride to motivate him to fight, but insists on serving as a distraction so Madarao can deliver the finishing blow. Madarao is reluctant to kill Kouya, but Karasumori gives him the needed power to do so, and Kouya asks it of him as well. Yoshimori saves some of Kouya's fur so he can be given a proper burial. Shortly after, Madarao loses control due to Karasumori's power and begins to run wild. With help from Tokine and Hakubi, Yoshimori gathers the beads that make up Madarao's collar, strings them together with Nenshi, and re-seals Madarao.
At Karasumori, Yoshimori is experimenting with Kekkai and Nenshi, accidentally creating a flying weapon that hits Hakubi. Tokine scolds Yoshimori, both for hitting Hakubi and not studying the Kekk
aishi scrolls. At home the next day, Yoshimori goes into his family's storeroom and takes some scrolls, but can't read them. Oddly enough, Toshimori can, but doesn't understand the techniques described. Yoshimori remembers that his older brother was denied access to the scrolls because he wasn't a Legitimate Successor. At Karasumori, Yoshimori and Tokine encounter Sasorigama, a scorpion Ayakashi with a steel body that gets stronger each time he sheds, and a horrible scent. At first, the Kekkaishi only find Sasorigama's discarded shells, while Madarao and Hakubi are reluctant to track him because he smells so badly. Meanwhile, Masamori arrives, using his landlord Kurohime to find the Ayakashi, but chooses to observe for a while. Tokine discovers Sasorigama, but by then he has shed several times and overpowers her. Yoshimori comes to her rescue, but his Kekkai are also destroyed. Sasorigama draws on Karasumori's power, becoming even stronger. Masamori finally intervenes, using multiple Nenshi to bind Sasorigama's scythes and a five-layered Kekkai to destroy the body. Masamori introduces Kurohime to Yoshimori and Tokine, and says that he'll be staying for a while, which excites Tokine and angers Yoshimori.
At school, Yoshimori's friends are all curious about Masamori's return, but any mention of him just sends Yoshimori into a rage. Yoshimori goes home, and finds that Masamori wants to talk. At first, Masamori only teases Yoshimori about his crush on Tokine, but he finally gets down to business and lectures Yoshimori on his responsibilities. The conversation only leaves Yoshimori angrier and more resentful of his brother. Yoshimori finally gets a chance to escape Masamori when he patrols Karasumori Academy that night, but is annoyed that Tokine wants to discuss Masamori, anywayMasamori lecturing Yoshimori.
. While they search for Ayakashi, a forest suddenly begins to spring up all around them. It is the work of a botanical Ayakashi, but that means that someone purposely planted it. They try destroying the trees individually, but the trees grow back. Even worse, the trees bear exploding, poisonous fruit, the seeds from which sprout attacking tentacles. After a narrow escape, Yoshimori decides to surround the whole forest with a huge Kekkai, while Tokine starts a fire. Yoshimori's Kekkai becomes unstable, so Tokine opens a hole in it with her own Kekkai. The air that rushes in sets off a huge explosion, destroying the forest (and very nearly Masamori, who was watching nearby and protects himself with a Kekkai). After clearing up the remnants of the forest, they realize that the mess is too great to handle alone, and send Shikigami to their families requesting help. Tokiko, Shigemori, and Masamori arrive to help with the clean up. Masamori is impressed by Yoshimori's power, but makes him think otherwise.
While repairing the schoolyard, Yoshimori is scolded by his grandfather for being so reckless with his power. At school the next day, Yoshimori daydreams about Ayakashi taking over the classroom, only to be awakened by his teacher, who makes him stand in the hallway with a bucket of water on his head. Yoshimori cheats by placing the bucket on a Kekkai, which remindsDiscussing Karasumori
him of how Masamori trained him the same way years ago. At Karasumori that night, Yoshimori and Tokine argue about Masamori. Tokine wonders what Yoshimori's problem with his brother is, and Yoshimori insists that Masamori is a bad guy. He adds that Masamori should have been the Legitimate Heir, but Tokine scolds him, knowing that would upset Masamori. Yoshimori tries to track Masamori, but according to Madarao, Masamori doesn't leave a scent to follow. Yoshimori spots Masamori standing on a Kekkai high in the air, and tries to reach him, but isn't used to the jumps and stumbles several times. Yoshimori reveals his plan to seal Karasumori, so that they no longer have to guard it and it will never cause anyone to get hurt. Masamori agrees, but warns him it will be both extremely difficult and dangerous, considering that even Tokimori Hazama couldn't do it. Masamori leaves, but later Yoshimori feels his brother's power spreading over the land like an ocean. He chases down Masamori and demands to know what he's doing, but Masamori says he wouldn't understand. When Masamori decides to end his stay at home, Yoshimori asks him to bury Kouya's remains on the mountain he used to live on.
Yoshimori senses an odd presence while in class, but it passes by quickly, and he decides not to investigate because there is no evil aura. Later he heads to the school roof for his usual nap, and finds the origin of the strange presence: Lord Uro and his servant Mamezo. Unsure of what they are, Yoshimori warns them to leave, but Mamezo explains that Lord Uro is looking for a Kekkaishi, so Yoshimori takes them back to his house. Surprisingly, Shigemori knows exactly who Lord Uro is, and greets him as an honored guest. He explains that Lord Uro is a land lord that lives near Karasumori, and that it is a Kekkaishi's duty to assist the god upon request. It seems that Lord Uro's bed is broken, and he needs a Kekkaishi to fix it. Yoshimori bakes doughnuts for Lord Uro, and in return, the god tells him how Tokimori requested the land of Karasumori for his own use. Lord Uro falls asleep before Yoshimori can ask anyBed successfully fixed.
questions. The next day, Lord Uro, Mamezo, Shigemori, and Yoshimori set out for the Colorless Swamp, Lord Uro's home. Lord Uro opens the path his hidden dimension and goes ahead. Shigemori warns Yoshimori that if he takes too long, he may lose his mind and forget everything. To prevent this, he writes the most important details on Yoshimori's hand and forearm. Shigemori opts to stay outside the dimension in case Yoshimori needs help from the other side, and Yoshimori follows Lord Uro. }Yoshimori finds that Lord Uro's bed is actually a barrier sphere, maintained by an ancient box. The box is cracked, however, and Yoshimori realizes he must restore it to fix the barrier. The first attempt fails, so Yoshimori pours an enormous amount of power into the box, which fixes it but also dramatically increases the size of the barrier. Lord Uro is so pleased that he hops into the barrier, activating it but also putting Yoshimori in danger, since it was only intended for a god. Yoshimori finds it hard to breathe, but insists on asking Lord Uro about Karasumori despite Mamezo's protests. Yoshimori's desperation reminds Lord Uro of the great sadness in Tokimori when he requested the use of Karasumori. Mamezo forcibly ejects Yoshimori from the dimension to protect him, but his mind already seems to be suffering the effects of prolonged exposure: he cannot seem to remember who he is. Yoshimori thinks he hears Tokine calling to him, and reaches for her, only to be grabbed by Shigemori, who pulls him to safety. The incident leaves growing doubt in Yoshimori's mind about Karasumori's origins, and he chooses not to share the details of his adventure with Tokine.
Yoshimori welcomes Toshimori home from school, and finds he's brought two friends (Gatcho and Konta) along for tutoring. Both are a little afraid of Yoshimori, because of the horror stories Toshimori has told them about his "evil" older brother (this was an attempt at making them behave).
But the actual Yoshimori is so mild-mannered by comparison that they instantly see through Toshimori's stories, and end up being nuisances around the house. Toshimori loses his cool and accidentally knocks them out with a Kekkai, then turns to Yoshimori for help. Yoshimori helps him take care of his friends until they wake up. Tokine comes over with food that her mother made for the boys, but sees a cockroach in the kitchen and ends up tossing curry all over them instead. Yoshimori helps her clean up, and Toshimori is surprised when his friends tell him that not only did they have a great time, but that they think Yoshimori is cool (largely because he gave them sweets).
On his way to school, Yoshimori is stopped by Tokine, who is surprised that he set out before her. She starts to ask what he's been up to lately, as he's been avoiding her lately, and she suspects he's working on a secret training method. However, Tokine is disgusted to find him drinking three coffee milks at once, and storms off without asking him. Yoshimori loses the class's monthly coffee milk battle (a game of rock, paper, scissors where coffee milk is the prize) to a boy named Nakameguro. At home, Yoshimori wonders about how Tokimori Hazama came to be involved with Karasumori, since it first belonged to Lord Uro. While studying an ancient scroll, he realizes something and rushes to ask his grandfather about it. Yoshimori and Shigemori discuss how the further away a Kekkaishi is from his Kekkai, the more its power weakens. In addition, Yoshimori realizes that in order to sustain something of great power like Lord Uro's bed, a great deal of power is needed. However, the same principle still applies, and that is why the bed must be repaired every so often. Beyond that, a great deal of power would be needed to seal something as powerful as Karasumori, and he wonders if this was why Tokimori needed the land's power. Yoshimori wonders if the technique used to create Lord Uro's bed could be used on Karasumori. Shigemori senses the direction of his thoughts, and warns Yoshimori not to get ahead of himself, since he still hasn't mastered the basics. That night at Karasumori, Yoshimori asks Madarao what Tokimori was like. He is disappointed when Madarao goes on to describe Tokimori as an extremely attractive man. Yoshimori gives up and tries to recreate the feeling of Masamori's ocean Kekkai. Tokine arrives and is stunned to see a powerful aura around Yoshimori. She interrupts him and accuses him of doing something stupid and dangerous. Yoshimori storms off. A spy from Kokuboro summons child-like, triplet Ayakashi that make up Shirahago, and orders them to being a simultaneous attack from the sky, ground, and underground. The triplets resent being ordered, but obey under the threat of punishment.
Madarao laughs at Yoshimori for thinking he could seal Karasumori, when even Tokimori couldn't do it. Even so, Madarao promises not to get in his way, though he knows everyone else will try to stop Yoshimori. Suddenly, they sense the Ayakashi, but from three different areas. Yoshimori chases Hizuki, who evades him by surrounding Yoshimori in feathers. Yoshimori manages to destroy Hizuki's left arm, which regenerates. The spy finally gives the signal for the attack to begin. Yoshimori damages Hizuki again, and the triplets soon reunite. Fuzuki is then destroyed by Tokine's triple-layered Kekkai. The remaining triplets are furious at the loss, and Mizuki begins to transform as well. They merge (which was normally impossible with only two of them) to become Shirahago, a giant, white owl Ayakashi. Shirahago releases powerful winds and sharpened feathers that damage much of the surrounding area. Tokine's multi-layer Kekkai is broken under the assault, but Yoshimori protects her with his own Kekkai. Yoshimori tells her to attack only when Shirahago's feathers all return to its body (otherwise it will regenerate from the extra feathers).
While Tokine holds Shirahago in place by jamming a Kekkai into its neck, and Yoshimori uses another to destroy its head, but the rest of the body remains active. Yoshimori is beginning to think more strategically, which impresses Tokine. Yoshimori makes a huge Kekkai that surrounds Shirahago, but the size makes it unstable and it cannot be collapsed. Yoshimori asks Tokine to place another Kekkai around his so they can use a multi-layer collapse, but Tokine lacks the strength to create a Kekkai of that size. Instead, Tokine pierces Shirahago with multiple Kekkai arrows, which resemble thin beams. This weakens Shirahago enough to stabilize Yoshimori's Kekkai, allowing him to collapse it successfully. Knowing they will need help to repair all the damage to the site, Yoshimori and Tokine send Shikigami birds to their homes to request backup. When Tokine can't explain her new technique, Yoshimori accuses Tokine of training secretly behind his back and becomes more determined to create a new technique.
One of Tokine's Shikigami birds spots the spy, who quickly destroys it with a whip-like tentacle from his hand. Hakubi confirms that the person who destroyed the Shikigami had a human scent, but that the smell is changing now. Yoshimori spots the spy and chases him. The spy reveals a green, whip-like arm that he uses to evade capture and leave the school, but Yoshimori continues chasing him. To prevent the spy's escape, Yoshimori surrounds a huge section of forest with a Kekkai, trapping him inside. The spy decides to use the vial that Byaku gave him, which increases the power and sharpness of his claws, allowing him to slice through the Kekkai. The spy throws trees at Yoshimori to cover his escape, but leaves one human arm behind. On his way back, Yoshimori runs into Madarao, who has caught the spy's lookout Ayakashi, which resembles a green bat. Hakubi concludes that the human skin disguise is the result of careful planning by a larger group, since Ayakashi would normally use illusion or transformation to appear human. Seeing Yoshimori deep in thought, Tokine confronts him about whatever he's been hiding. She is furious when he admits to wanting to seal Karasumori, but when he explains he doesn't want anyone else to get hurt, she realizes he really means her. She makes him promise not to try it alone and accept her help as needed.
Yoshimori and Tokine warn Tatsumi Mino that Ayakashi disguised as humans may sneak into the school, and that he should report anything suspicious to them. Yoshimori and Tokine continue to discuss the Ayakashi, and Yoshimori insists that Tokine call him (as opposed to Mino) if she finds one. Tokine realizes that he is maturing and no longer a crybaby. Yurina, having noticed a new student that smells like blood, drags Yoshimori up to the roof between classes to tell him about it. Unfortunately, Yoshimori repeatedly asks her to tell him about it later in a dull, robotic tone and walks away. Before he can get back to class, he is grabbed by the same new student, who also drags him outside. Yoshimori gives him the same treatment, but the new student loses his temper and brutally punches Yoshimori into a wall, revealing him to be a Shikigami. On the roof, Yoshimori sits up in alarm as he feels his Shikigami destroyed. Both he and Tokine then feel an evil aura at the same spot and rush to the scene, only to find a set of huge claw marks in the wall. They both stick around to restore the damaged wall. Yoshimori is concerned because the Shikigami was supposedly a major improvement over his usual ones, and confused because he felt the evil aura after the Shikigami was destroyed, as if the Ayakashi wanted to be found. Yoshimori leaves Tokine to repair the wall and rushes off, sending out several Shikigami birds to track down the Ayakashi. Yoshimori comes across a group of high schoolers that have been beaten up, and learns that a transfer student is the culprit. One of the Shikigami spots the new kid harassing Mino, and Yoshimori rushes to help. Mino is alone when Yoshimori reaches him, but confirms that the student had amazing power and knew that Mino had power as well. Yoshimori senses another Shikigami being destroyed and runs off. Two more Shikigami are snatched from the air before Yoshimori spots the student on a nearby rooftop. After destroying the Shikigami, the student runs, and Yoshimori chases him, with Tokine joining the chase soon after. Suddenly, the new student turns and attacks. Yoshimori barely dodges the first few blows, but is quickly overwhelmed. He manages to trap the student in a Kekkai, but the student's hand transforms into a large wolf claw. Tokine arrives just in time to see the student tear through the Kekkai with no effort. He introduces himself as Gen Shishio, a Night Troop member sent to assist them. However, he is greatly disappointed in their lack of skill.
Yoshimori refuses to believe Gen's claims of being from the Night Troop, and accuses him of being an Ayakashi. Gen calls Masamori on his cell phone, then gives it to Yoshimori as proof. Masamori confirms Gen's story, but Yoshimori still doesn't like Gen's attitude. Tokine scolds them both for making a scene at school. Yoshimori returns to class and asks Hiromu for info on Gen. Hiromu doesn't know much, but reports that lots of girls like wild boys like Gen, which only makes Yoshimori angrier. Yurina tries to talk to Yoshimori about Gen, concerned he might be a threat, but Yoshimori's mood worsens and he scares her away. Yoshimori goes home, but Gen is there, planning to introduce himself to Shigemori. Yoshimori tries to kick him out, but Shuji scolds him for being rude. Yoshimori is still mad about Gen that evening at Karasumori, and Madarao agrees (but only because he doesn't care for Gen's looks). Tokine insists that they at least get to know Gen better before making up their minds about him, but Yoshimori is more worried that she might become interested in dating Gen. They sense an Ayakashi, but after Yoshimori fails to capture it, Gen rips it apart in just a few seconds. Yoshimori demands that since Gen is assisting them, he not do anything without consulting a Kekkaishi first. Gen replies that Kekkaishi are supposed to be the most powerful ability users, but that Yoshimori and Tokine are weak.
Gen destroys yet another Ayakashi that escapes Yoshimori, then leaps away. Yoshimori is about to chase him, but Tokine stops him and scolds him for not cleaning up the mess that Gen left. Yoshimori points out that Gen always leaves them to clean up the messes he makes, then gets in a fight with Madarao for pointing out the exact number of times it's happened. At school, Yoshimori and Gen pass each other without speaking (though Yoshimori glares at Gen's back). At Karasumori that night, Yoshimori plots to attack Gen, but Madarao reminds him that he has bigger issues to worry about. Madarao leads Yoshimori into the school, where they find Ookubiguruma, a rolling Ayakashi with retractable spikes that rips through the first Kekkai easily. Yoshimori can only dodge until Gen arrives, and he manages to match the Ayakashi's rotation speed and force it outside. but Ookubiguruma reveals its spikes while Gen is clinging to it, slashing him deeply. Yoshimori takes over for Gen, and keeps using Kekkai until he finds the perfect amount of strength to slow the Ayakashi down, so he can hit it with another Kekkai. Seeing this, Gen realizes that Yoshimori is a rare type of fighter than can change his techniques in the middle of a battle. Yoshimori is surprised when Gen returns to fight despite having been injured. Hakubi reveals that Gen is part Ayakashi, and his body heals much faster as a result. Yoshimori overhears Ookubiguruma mention a bounty on his head. He drives the Ayakashi into the school so it has less room to move, then uses a Kekkai to keep it from spinning until he destroys it. Hakubi and Gen suspect that the bounty must only be on Kekkaishi, and Yoshimori figures the same Ayakashi group is behind it. Gen tries to leave without cleaning up, but after getting protests from Yoshimori and Tokine, admits that he only knows how to destroy. Tokine lets him go, but is more hopeful that they can get along in the future. Yoshimori finds Gen relaxing in his favorite rooftop napping place the next day, and they reluctantly share the space. They begin to discuss Gen being part Ayakashi: Gen only notes the downside, but all Yoshimori can see are the benefits. Though they don't agree, it's one of the first real conversations they've had since Gen's arrival.
Yoshimori is having trouble dealing with Inoushi Boar Bull's power when Gen swoops in and slashes it to pieces. In a fit of jealousy, Yoshimori shouts that Gen will never get any girls if he keeps stealing, but Gen ignores him. Oddly enough, Yoshimori soon finds out from Yurina that a girl is interested in Gen: her friend Aoi Shinagawa. Despite having gone to the same elementary school with her and Yurina, Yoshimori doesn't remember her well. He does agree that a violent person like Gen is no good for a nice girl like Aoi, though this is more because he can't believe any girl would like Gen. That night, Yoshimori encounters Youkyokusai, an Ayakashi that uses magic tricks. Gen is captured right away, so Yoshimori distracts the Ayakashi while Tokine frees Gen. Gen forces Youkyokusai to retreat, while the Kekkaishi box him in with Kekkai, only leaving room for him to escape directly into the path of Gen's final attack. At school the next day, Yoshimori watches Gen reject Aoi after she presents him with her sketchbook, full of drawings of Gen. Yoshimori later asks why Gen couldn't be nicer to her, but Gen simply replies that anyone would hate him once they found out what he was. Yoshimori doesn't agree, since as much as he dislikes Gen, he also doesn't hate him.
Yoshimori fails to catch another Ayakashi before Gen destroys it easily, prompting the usual argument. Tokine is distracted by the fight, and is nearly attacked from behind by another Ayakashi, but Gen destroys that one as well. Gen leaves the clean up to Yoshimori and Tokine, but Yoshimori follows him and insists that he at least treat Tokine more respectfully. Gen can't understand why Yoshimori is sticking up for her, since their families are supposed to hate each other. The next day, Yoshimori and Tokine argue on the way to school, with the end result being that Yoshimori is depressed throughout the day. He and Gen meet on the school roof, where Gen admits he can't understand why Yoshimori likes Tokine. Predictably, Yoshimori gets upset, but he can't explain it, either. Yoshimori and Tomonori learn from Hiromu that a local idol, Kimiya Hachioji, is visiting their school. Yoshimori has no interest, until he sees Kimiya leaving with Tokine. Extremely jealous, Yoshimori follows them, with Hiromu and Tomonori tagging along. Both Hiromu and Tomonori think Tokine and Kimiya must be dating, which Yoshimori angrily denies. A group of overexcited runs by, convincing Yoshimori's friends to ditch him, and Yoshimori himself has lost sight of Tokine and Kimiya. Luckily, he spots Gen nearby and asks him to track Tokine by scent. It turns out that Gen has been following her all along. Yoshimori becomes more depressed as he sees Tokine and Kimiya first holding hands, and then Kimiya carrying her bridal style as he leaps over rooftops. This immediately makes Gen more concerned, but Yoshimori is too busy sulking to pick up on it.
They follow Tokine and Kimiya to an abandoned building, where Kimiya is revealed to be possessed by the Ayakashi Nouotoko (Brain Man), which has the power to draw out hidden abilities. Tokine followed Kimiya only because Nouotoko threatened to take his life. Yoshimori misses most of this, still thinking that Tokine is on a date, until Gen points out the Ayakashi. Nouotoko demands that Tokine surrender her body to him, so that he can learn more about Kekkaishi and Karasumori, and collect a reward from Kokuboro, a group of Ayakashi that are targeting the site. Nouotoko makes the mistake of saying that he chose Tokine because she was the weakest, which angers her into attacking him relentlessly while Yoshimori and Gen watch in shock. Tokine squeezes some more info out of Nouotoko before destroying him. Having learned that Tokine likes guys taller than her, Yoshimori is determined to sleep more, which he hopes will help him grow.
Yoshimori isn't having much luck patrolling Karasumori, as Gen and Tokine keep taking his prey before he can destroy them. He finally decides to get a bird's eye view, and positions himself on a Kekkai high above the ground. This allows him to spot an Ayakashi, but in the process of destroying it, he falls into the school pool and catches a cold. Unable to get up the next day, Yoshimori stays home from school in his father's care. However, that night he goes to Karasumori, heavily bundled and sneezing, and manages to save Tokine from Kokuboro's Hisui. This heroic act doesn't spare him from being scolded by his grandfather, though.
Eight years ago, seven year-old Yoshimori noticed Masamori staring at his own hand. Realizing that Masamori felt neglected for not having the Houin Mark, Yoshimori drew it on his older brother's hand in an attempt to cheer him up. In class (present day), Yoshimori are Yurina are startled to see that the ghost of a black cat has attached itself to their teacher Kurosu. Yoshimori tries asking about it without revealing that he can see it, but Kurosu insists that he never owned a cat. Yoshimori explains to Yurina that ghosts that stay in Karasumori too long eventually become monsters, so it needs to pass on quickly. Yoshimori tries asking Kurosu again, but learns nothing useful. Gen sees the cat, but Yoshimori stops him before he can destroy it. Gen points out that the cat will turning into a bigger problem if they leave it alone, and Tokine agrees, but doesn't interfere because Yoshimori feels so strongly about it. Yoshimori approaches Kurosu again, and manages to get him talking about cats. Kurosu recalls that a friendly stray cat used to live around the school, but that it hasn't been seen recently. After finding out from Aoki that the cat was killed by a car, Kurosu walks around the school and finds a dead sparrow. Recognizing it as a gift from the cat, he praises it one last time, and the cat's ghost passes on. Yoshimori is glad that he didn't have to intervene and destroy the ghost.
Yoshimori receives a message from his mother in the form of a Shikigami bird. She warns him that strong enemies will be coming, and that he should work with Masamori. Shigemori agrees with her, and though he doesn't like the fact that Masamori is now part of The Shadow Organization's Council of Twelve, admits that they may need his help. Yoshimori points out that it would be easier to depend on the Yukimuras, but Shigemori firmly refuses, using their 400-year feud as his excuse. On the school roof, Yoshimori reflects on his grandfather's words. He realizes that even though he and Tokine retain a somewhat awkward friendship (in that most of his recent memories are of her turning her back on him and being largely annoyed), they were much closer when they were younger. Yoshimori is startled out of his memories when Gen appears, but instead of arguing, they relax on the roof together. They are interrupted when an unfamiliar voice comes over the PA system an announces itself as being from Kokuboro. Yoshimori and Gen rush to the broadcast room, but Yoshimori spots the strangers already leaving through the schoolyard. Tokine stops Yoshimori and Gen on the way down, pointing out that while they may be Ayakashi in human skin, they might also actually be human. Tokine is concerned about how easily they got into the school, and wants to ask her grandmother for advice, but Yoshimori insists that they handle it themselves, since Shigemori and Tokiko don't work together well. He asks Gen to work with them, but Gen will only commit to his mission (which is to help them, and Tokine notes that's as close to a "yes" as they'll get from him). Yoshimori arrives at Karasumori early that night, but he's still the last to show up. He, Tokine, and Gen go to meet the five Ayakashi from earlier that day. The Ayakashi claim they want to negotiate, and their terms are very straightforward: they promise not to hurt anyone if Karasumori is surrendered to them. Gen refuses and attacks, but is quickly taken down by Kaguro, who then destroys Madarao and Hakubi. Kaguro withdraws to watch as his team grabs Gen and runs. Yoshimori follows despite Tokine's warning, and they are lead into a trap: a blocked-off area that nullifies Kekkaishi powers. Tokine offers to distract the Ayakashi so that Yoshimori can leave the area, but he stays to protect her, both of them getting hurt in the process. Tokine agrees to do things Yoshimori's way, and his plan is throw Tokine above the area's range so that she will be free to attack.
Tokine traps the four Ayakashi in Kekkai, then places another in mid-air for her to stand on, so she remains above the nullifying area. Yoshimori escapes the area, but the Ayakashi Haizen reveals his acid spray, melting all the nearby Kekkai. The Ayakashi begin hurling the heavy nullifying stones, which can't be blocked with Kekkai, but Gen returns in time to stop Yoshimori and Tokine from being crushed. Kaguro attacks Gen again and draws him away from the fight. Yoshimori and Tokine yell at Gen to come back, knowing how easily Kaguro beat Gen moments before. Haizen fills the field with smoke, then sprays acid into the sky, making acid rain down. Tokine and Yoshimori take cover under an overturned nullifying stone. Tokine worries for Gen, but Yoshimori chooses to believe in him. Sekia and Haroku began firing lasers and throwing boulders at them. Knowing their cover won't last long, they decide to attack. Sanan raises Haizen over the field so he can rain acid down on the Kekkaishi directly, but they startle the Ayakashi with a triple-layered Kekkai elevator, which gives Tokine time to spear Haizen before his acid can reach them. Yoshimori quickly destroys Haizen, and then Haroku. The Kekkaishi feel Gen's energy flare and know he's alive, but Sekia grabs Tokine and Sanan threatens to kill her. Yoshimori feels Gen's energy fade, but instead of going to help him, chooses to stay and rescue Tokine, and begins to tap into an unknown power. Suddenly, Kaguro kills Sekia and Sanan, freeing Tokine. He explains that he didn't approve of their tactics, and wants to see more of Yoshimori's power later. After Kaguro leaves, Yoshimori frantically digs Tokine out of the rubble, and though she is safe, he feels guilty that she has a visible scar on her neck where Sanan's wing cut her. Kyoichi Hiba shows up with an unconscious Gen and bad news: because Gen broke the rule and transformed, he will be taken off the Karasumori assignment. Yoshimori and Tokine refuse to accept that, but Gen agrees with Hiba's ruling and ignores their protests.
Yoshimori can't stop thinking about Kyoichi Hiba's words about Gen being a monster. He looks for Gen at school, but Gen doesn't show up. Yoshimori goes to Karasumori early that night (Madarao reveals he's waiting for Gen). Tokine is convinced that because Gen trained so hard to control his powers, he wouldn't just give up on a mission. They sense an Ayakashi, and soon find Hazemukuri. Yoshimori tries to capture it, but its segmented body separates and flies in all directions, striking anything in its path (including Yoshimori). Madarao advises him to destroy the head, which should destroy the body parts as well. The Kekkaishi have trouble pinning down the head, but Gen arrives and is easily able to slice through it with his high speed. Gen explains that he'll do his job until he's replaced, and leaves before they can stop him. Tokine is disappointed that all the progress they've made with him seems to have been undone, but Yoshimori gets angry. While Yoshimori and Tokine have their Shikigami repair the damage to the school, they discuss Gen. Yoshimori doesn't want to admit that he likes Gen, and insists on saying that he owes him a favor that hasn't been repaid yet. He wishes Gen would resist his being fired and fight back. Yoshimori decides to ask Masamori about Gen's past. Oddly enough, just when he tries to call Masamori on the phone, Masamori shows up at the Sumimura house. Yoshimori explains that Gen saved his life, and Masamori says he'll think on the matter. Masamori decides to explain Gen's past, and starts by saying that Gen nearly killed his own sister.
Yoshimori learns from Masamori that Gen's powers first developed when he was young, and that a misunderstanding with his family caused Gen to fully transform and run away. When his sister Ryo tried to stop him, Gen attacked her, and had to be captured by Masamori. Afterward, Gen joined the Night Troop and learned to control his powers. Yoshimori is depressed by Gen's story and frustrated because he doesn't know what to do. He shares the news with Tokine and asks her for advice. She has no answers, either, but still wants to find Gen. Gen shows up to patrol that night, and Yoshimori awkwardly tries to start a conversation. Gen runs away, forcing them to chase him down. Yoshimori accuses Gen of being afraid now that they know his past. Gen loses his temper and attacks Yoshimori, and Yoshimori agrees to fight him despite Tokine's protests. Yoshimori holds Gen in place with several small Kekkai, and encourages him to ask for a second chance at protecting Karasumori. Mistaking this for pity, Gen becomes enraged and lunges at Yoshimori's throat. He stops just before connecting, recognizing that Yoshimori truly does trust him and needs his help. Gen points out that he'll still be reassigned, but Yoshimori insists that he'll go against Masamori if it comes to that. Kyoichi Hiba arrives and tells them that Gen is now allowed to stay at his post. Gen is stunned, while Yoshimori and Tokine congratulate him.
Gen skips school to meditate, so Yoshimori visits his apartment, bringing food prepared by Shuji and himself. Gen tells him to leave the food and go, but Yoshimori insists on eating with him, since it was intended for them to share, so Gen finally lets him in. Among the food is a chocolate cake that Yoshimori made, which Gen eats without any comment on its taste, to Yoshimori's disappointment. A female visitor rings Gen's doorbell. Upon hearing her voice, Gen becomes extremely anxious and insists that Yoshimori not let her in. The woman finally kicks the door in, introducing herself as Atora Hanashima, a demon tamer and Gen's trainer from the Night Troop. Tokine accompanies her, and neither Tokine nor Yoshimori understand Gen's reaction, since Atora turns out to be perfectly friendly. Atora is surprised to learn that Gen ate Yoshimori's cake, since he hates sweets, but recognizes this as a sign of their growing friendship. She explains that will evaluate how the addition of Gen impacts the teamwork between Yoshimori and Tokine with a test, but if they fail, then Gen must return to the Night Troop with her. Gen arrives at Karasumori Academy very much distracted, which makes Yoshimori and Tokine worry about their chances of passing. Atora appears riding a large, lightning bear demon named Raizo. She challenges them to capture her within a half hour, without injuring her, all while avoiding or defeating various demons she's brought with her. Gen chases Atora alone before the Kekkaishi can stop him, but Atora halts him with a series of commands, since he has been trained to obey the sound of her voice.
Yoshimori soon joins Gen, and they are both shocked by one of Raizo's thunderclouds, leaving Tokine to deal with Sensuke, a mischievous burrowing demon. Tokine reunites the trio (through force) so they can come up with a team strategy, which is the point of the test in the first place. Gen explains that Atora is only a minor threat: her beasts are the real challenge, Raizo being the biggest threat. Using Gen's advice, Raizo is quickly beaten, but only eight minutes are left in the test by that point. Atora then takes to the air with the help of Majirou, a winged beast that fits on her back and can detect enemy and ally movement with its sensitive hairs. Tokine suggests relying on Gen's speed, but Gen is forced to admit his problem with obeying Atora's commands. Yoshimori gives him tissue to plug his ears with, which has the added benefit of forcing Gen to trust them, since he cannot hear their voices, either. The Kekkaishi fill the air around Atora with Kekkai, which allows Gen to rebound between them rapidly as he tries to grab Atora. With only twenty seconds left, Sensuke returns to distract Tokine, forcing Gen and Yoshimori to invent a new plan: Gen hurls Yoshimori at Atora, and Yoshimori encloses himself and Atora in a Kekkai. However, he misses her and only grabs her scarf as time runs out. The trio is convinced that they failed, but surprisingly, Atora says that they passed, since Gen put his faith entirely in Yoshimori. Before Atora leaves, she encourages Gen to keep his friends close.
With Yoshimori asleep in class again, Mr. Kurosu decides to wake him up so that he doesn't miss out on the story of Melos. Kurosu explains how Melos was allowed to temporarily go free while his friend was held captive in his place. Yoshimori thinks the story is boring, and invents his own version where he destroys the captors for threatening to harm his friend. That night at Karasumori, Yoshimori thinks it odd that all of the Ayakashi are rather small. He and Madarao discuss Kokuboro's plans for the site. Madarao reveals that Ayakashi need ties to people and a place to call home, or else they will simply drift aimlessly until they die. Yoshimori wakes up late the next day, surprised that no one woke him up earlier as they usually would. Shuji explains to him that Heisuke Matsudo, a friend of Shigemori's, was killed by Kokuboro the previous night, which surprises Yoshimori. He tries to comfort his grandfather, and says that he would have gone with him. Shigemori scolds him, saying that it would have been a disaster if Karasumori had been attacked while Yoshimori was elsewhere, and that protecting friends must come second to their duty to the land.[24]
As Kokuboro launched its grand attack on Karasumori, Yoshimori was looking for revenge on Kaguro (a member of Kokuboro), who had killed Gen Shishio. During the fight, Yoshimori left Karasumori upon seeing Kaguro. Tokine follows him, but keeps a distance away from him. After chasing Kaguro's skin disguise, Yoshimori finds Shion, who is supposed to return to Kokuboro with 2 Kekkaishi and was using the disguise Kaguro used before. Yoshimori purposely gets captured by her to get to Kokuboro (and Kaguro, ultimately). Sen Kagemiya, who had followed Yoshimori, is captured by accident. Shion decides to tell Byaku that Kagemiya is also a Kekkaishi, in order to get her job done quickly. Tokine, who sees Yoshimori fly away with Shion, separately follows by grabbing onto a fleeing Ayakashi. However, Tokine ends up at the outskirts of Kokuboro, rather than at the main gates where Yoshimori is taken to. Hakubi returns with Madarao to tell Shigemori the news, as both cannot move beyond Karasumori's grounds. When Shigemori gets back from defending Karasumori, Madarao and Hakubi tells him the news about Yoshimori and Tokine. So Shigemori, along with the Night Troops, move to go after them by using Tokiko Yukimura's skills at opening a portal to Kokuboro.
At Kokuboro, Shion attempts to control Yoshimori by using her spider puppet skills. Yoshimori unknowingly creates a small Zekkai around him, which repels Shion's forces. So she attempts to drop a boulder on him, which forces him to direct Zekkai energy on it, draining him of power. Before the process is complete, Heisuke Matsudo comes in and rescues Yoshimori with Kagami, but forces Yoshimori not to go after Byaku. Yoshimori proceeds to finding Kagemiya, but his efforts are useless so far. Soon Yoshimori finds Princess, but thinks she is a prisoner like him and Kagemiya. He frees her, and in return she grants Yoshimori a power, including how to navigate around the castle and find Kagemiya. When he does, Kagemiya feels he is being saved like how Shishio used to do to him, so he offers to help find Kaguro for Yoshimori. By using his powers, by the time Tokine finds Yoshimori, he sets off to kill Kaguro.
Kaguro and Yoshimori engage in the fight - Yoshimori with his incomplete Zekkai and Kaguro with his sword powers. Yoshimori loses his advantage of the new Zekkai because Kaguro simply increases his sword’s powers, as the previous ones break apart. At this point, Tokine and Kagemiya inform Yoshimori of this. As Yoshimori prepares to sacrifice himself to protect others, Kagemiya shields Yoshimori with a broken shard of Kaguro's sword. At this point, Yoshimori unleashes a brand new type of Zekkai. This Zekkai instantly destroyed Kaguro, giving Kaguro a warm feeling of life as he dies, but puts Yoshimori in a coma like state with Kagemiya awake inside. Right as this happens, Shigemori and the Night Troops arrive. Tokine, who gets rescued by the Night Troops by one of their member's creatures, uses her skill at reading wavelengths of Kekkai to jump into the new Zekkai and wake Yoshimori up. Masamori, who tried to break open Yoshimori's Zekkai with his own, immediately gathers Kagemiya, Yoshimori, and Tokine, and narrowly escapes from Kokuboro as its dimension crumbles. When Yoshimori awakes, Tokine slaps him for not caring enough for himself.
After his return from Kokuboro, Yoshimori notes that his senses are sharper. A mysterious girl begins appearing around Karasumori Middle School, and students suddenly begin discussing the appearance of Kiyoko, an infamous wandering spirit. Yoshimori gets a description of Kiyoko from Hiromu, and learns from Yurina that Kiyoko only appears to tell the truth. At first, Yoshimori isn't concerned, until he notices that everyone he comes across has mysteriously parted their hair to one side. Shortly after that, everyone is drinking coffee milk, and they find Yoshimori's not conforming to this peculiar behavior very strange. Yoshimori suddenly recalls that while he was napping earlier, a strange girl came to him and whispered that everyone would part their hair that day. He quickly realizes that Kiyoko isn't telling the truth, but making her truths reality. By the time he leaves school that day, people have also started wearing scarves twisted multiple times in the front (in addition to the parted hair and coffee milk).[25]
The next day, everyone is still behaving as they did the previous day, only now they are ending their sentences with "gowasu" and adding a wink and finger sign as well. Since Tokine didn't mention anything odd, Yoshimori assumes that only the middle school half of the academy is being controlled by Kiyoko. Kiyoko visits him again while he's trying to nap, and Yoshimori demands that she stop her pranks and leave. Kiyoko refuses, revealing that spirits who don't become Ayakashi or aren't reborn live long, painful existences, and that pranks are her main source of amusement. Because she is so old, Yoshimori offers not to take action against her if she tells him the truth behind Karasumori. Kiyoko says she doesn't know anything about it, but on the other hand, warns Yoshimori not to tamper with Karasumori, as even the gods have trouble controlling the power of the sacred lands sometimes. She runs away, leading Yoshimori in a chase across the school, during which Yoshimori accidentally snatches the toupee off of Kino Motoharo, a kind-hearted teacher. Yoshimori manages to catch Kiyoko with a Nenshi and demands that she stop, upset that he embarrassed such a good man. At home, Shigemori advises Yoshimori to treat Kiyoko kindly, as her pranks are ultimately harmless, and because she travels a lot, she'll leave eventually. The following day, the middle school returns to normal, and Kiyoko again visits Yoshimori while he's napping. She whispers that Karasumori will soon awaken, then leaves, somewhat impressed that Yoshimori managed to stand up to her.[26]
Yoshimori is circling Karasumori Academy, trying to narrow down the exact location of Karasumori's power source, and where the power's influence ends. Yoshimori finds it odd that the power seems to end precisely at the school's surrounding wall, especially since the school wasn't built 400 years ago. He thinks that if he understands the details of Karasumori, it will put him one step closer to finally sealing it. Madarao laughs at the very idea, which puts Yoshimori in a foul mood.
Tokine and Hakubi arrive just before an intruder is detected on the grounds. Yoshimori and Tokine chase a dark creature across the site. Tokine notes that its strong demonic aura, combined with its large body, will make it a difficult catch. Without warning, the demon is struck from behind by a flying stake. Yoshimori and Tokine both catch sight of a hooded figure leaping toward them. With a loud cry, the hooded figure channels a large column of spiritual power into the demon, using the stake as a focus, resulting in an explosion. The Kekkaishi are shocked as the hooded figure rushes past them to inspect its prey. The large portion of the demon near the stake has been totally vaporized. The hooded figure notes that the demon is "the wrong one" and even offers a small apology to it as Yoshimori demands an explanation. The hooded boy offers to clean up the mess that he caused, but Yoshimori explains that the land is the responsibility of the Kekkaishi, and asks him not to act on his own. Upon realizing that he is in Karasumori, the hooded boy becomes excited, stating that spirits would come there to recover faster. He murmurs that Karasumori is "that guy's" target, then quickly laughs it off. At Tokine's prompting, the boy introduces himself as Takeshi Kongo, a 16 year-old exorcist, then quickly collapses from exhaustion.
Yoshimori and Tokine pick up Takeshi and his pack, which is full of large stakes. Yoshimori takes Takeshi home with him, but reveals to Tokine the next morning that despite being weak and covered in wounds, Takeshi vanished overnight. However, Yoshimori is confident that he will return, since he purposely hid one of Takeshi's stakes. Sure enough, Takeshi is waiting at the gates of the school. As it turns out, Takeshi only returned to thank Yoshimori for his kindness, and doesn't even realize a stake is missing until Yoshimori points it out. Yoshimori tells him to rest, but Takeshi refuses because he is chasing a certain spirit that he is determined to seal, which sparks Yoshimori's interest.[27]
Takeshi enjoys a relaxing evening at the Sumimura Home, when he suddenly loses his temper and demands that Yoshimori return his missing stake. Yoshimori refuses, but admits he has a reason other than being concerned for Takeshi's help: he wants to know if Takeshi can give him any advice on how to seal Karasumori, so that no one else will be hurt because of its power. Takeshi can offer no help with Karasumori, but agrees that it is unlike any of the nearby Shinyuuchi. Takeshi then reveals that he is not a fully trained exorcist. Yoshimori is shocked, considering how impressive Takeshi was at destroying Ayakashi, but Takeshi tells him that destroying spirits and sealing techniques are basic for an exorcist. However, his training was cut short due to his master's death, and he shares the story with Yoshimori: Kurogane saved Takeshi from an evil spirit named Jaren, inspiring Takeshi's dream to become his disciple. But only three days after his training began, his master was killed in battle by Jaren. Takeshi is determined to fulfill his master's wish of sealing Jaren, and says he only recently understood Kurogane's connection to Jaren, and that very moment, Jaren appears in Karasumori.[28]
Takeshi detects a spirit at Karasumori and rushes to deal with it, with Yoshimori and Madarao close behind. Yoshimori mentions that he senses a strong demon, though isn't sure if they're sensing the same thing. Takeshi admits that demons and spirits are similar, but says that the relationship between spirits and exorcists is deeply hidden. Yoshimori assumes Takeshi is exaggerating and points out that the Sumimuras have been fighting demons for generations, and that Yoshimori himself has been doing so since before he began elementary school. Takeshi respectfully insists that Yoshimori can't handle an enemy like Jaren, which Yoshimori takes as an insult to his power, and confronts him over it. Takeshi explains that he only meant an outsider would not be dedicated. When facing strong spirits, exorcists must form a residence contract, which has two effects: it draws the spirit's focus, which prevents the spirit from influencing the surroundings, and it increases the relationship between spirit and exorcist, making the exorcist's attacks more effective. This is dangerous, however, because the exorcist is then more vulnerable to the spirit's power, especially his mental psyche, and if his willpower isn't strong and dedicated enough, he will be consumed by the spirit.
Takeshi tells Yoshimori to go home because his will isn't strong enough to risk his life against the enemy. Yoshimori refuses to let Takeshi risk his own life, because Karasumori is under his own jurisdiction. Yoshimori surrounds Takeshi with a Kekkai, but Takeshi easily penetrates it by throwing a stake through it at Yoshimori. Yoshimori forms a Kekkai around himself to stop the attack, but half of the stake's length sinks into Kekkai. Takeshi throws several more stakes with the same result, then charges them with his spiritual power. Yoshimori is overwhelmed, and Takeshi points out that if he cannot even deflect the stakes, he is not ready. Tokine and Hakubi later find Yoshimori sitting against a wall, with a stake driven through his backpack to prevent him from moving. Tokine frees him, recognizing Takeshi's handiwork. Angry at himself for losing, Yoshimori goes alone to retrieve the stake that he hid from Takeshi, so that he can return it, and tells Tokine to go ahead. Yoshimori (now carrying Takeshi's missing stake), Tokine, Madarao, and Hakubi soon arrive at Karasumori. Yoshimori calls for Takeshi, but spots Jaren instead. Takeshi soon appears, wounded from battle, and sadly reports that Jaren was able to free himself from all of the stakes that Takeshi had worked so hard to embed in him. He worries that he will never be able to seal Jaren because his will is no longer strong enough. [29]
Yoshimori tells Takeshi to just put the stakes back in Jaren, but Takeshi continues to doubt his own willpower. He had only Kurogane's journal to use as a guide, and is sure it was only a coincidence that he could make a contract with Jaren because of his master's recent death. Yoshimori asks Takeshi to explain the willpower that he keeps mentioning, and Takeshi tells him it should already be familiar to him. Yoshimori recalls Kaguro telling him that a Kekkai's strength increases with willpower, and recognizes that his desire to avenge Gen Shishio made him stronger. Takeshi claims that focusing concentration and sensitivity, as well as having an unwavering will can bring out a person's strength, but that he can't do it in his current state. Madarao and Hakubi locate Jaren as he appears before the group. Jaren likes their concerned expressions and attacks, but Yoshimori knocks him away with a Kekkai. Jaren decides to deal with them slowly and runs away. Since Jaren seems to be targeting Takeshi, Yoshimori places a Kekkai around Takeshi, still thinking on willpower. Tokine adds her own Kekkai around Yoshimori's, and assures Takeshi they will somehow defeat Jaren as she leaves with Yoshimori, Madarao, and Hakubi. Takeshi tries to get out with a stake, but is now repelled by Yoshimori's Kekkai (which implies that Yoshimori's will is currently stronger than his own). Takeshi realizes he hasn't warned them of the true danger: Jaren causes his opponent's heart to waver, twists it, and then devours it.[30]
Jaren appears in front of Yoshimori, Tokine, and Hakubi. Yoshimori is impressed by the evil aura he senses, but Tokine feels suffocated, as if something is probing them, and warns Yoshimori to keep his distance. Yoshimori points out that he can't fight if he stays far away, and surrounds Jaren with a Kekkai. Oddly, Jaren does not seem alarmed, and Yoshimori is still able to sense Jaren's malice with through the Kekkai. Yoshimori watches in shock as Jaren simply walks out of the Kekkai, melting it away at his touch. Jaren dissolves his body into a black whirlwind and surrounds Yoshimori, who has surrounded himself with a Kekkai. Tokine and Madarao are unable to get closer, and Hakubi realizes that Jaren is targeting Yoshimori. Jaren laughs at the idea of Yoshimori protecting Karasumori, and Yoshimori responds that he never wanted to. Jaren replies that he shouldn't do it then, but Yoshimori insists he has to because of monsters like Jaren. Jaren suggests that Tokine could guard the land instead, but when Yoshimori points out that she is from another family, Jaren cruelly calls them both replacements: they work in a pair, so it doesn't matter if one should die, as there will still be someone to take over. He says that it had been that way for a long time, but Yoshimori simply never realized. Yoshimori refuses to believe him and says that there are other Kekkaishi, so Jaren immediately suggests there should be someone more suitable for the job, turning Yoshimori's thoughts to Masamori, and questioning why Yoshimori was the one selected. Yoshimori's will weakens, and Jaren instantly attacks him, melting through the Kekkai with ease. Jaren is then struck by Takeshi's stakes and driven back.
Takeshi rejoins the group, warning them that Jaren is skilled at using twisted logic and manipulation his opponent's beliefs, which allows him to devour the hearts of weak people. He tells them to retreat, because confidence is the only thing that can keep them from being consumed. Yoshimori is worried because Takeshi hasn't fully recovered, but Takeshi says that he will not waver because he shares his master's wish that no one would be hurt due to their own weakness. Jaren begins to taunt Takeshi: he says that Takeshi isn't a real disciple because he only trained three days, and that Kurogane didn't deserve such loyalty as a man who harmed others to make his wishes come true. Takeshi recalls that Kurogane warned him not to be like himself, proof that at least some of Jaren's words are true. Jaren says this is because he ate Kurogane's heart, but Yoshimori says the relationship between Takeshi and Kurogane isn't something for Jaren to decide. Yoshimori and Tokine pummel Jaren with their Kekkai, causing him to flee. Yoshimori chops Takeshi on the head, saying that he should take his own advice and not listen to Jaren. Tokine says that she and Yoshimori are good at what they do, and that the three of them will be stronger together. Takeshi says that he must reset the master and follower contract with Jaren. He explains that he initially planned to use the thickest stake (the one Yoshimori hid earlier) to destroy Jaren, but will use it to make the contract instead.[31]
Yoshimori and Takeshi continue to pursue Jaren, pummeling him with Kekkai and stakes. Yoshimori and Takeshi compliment each other on their attacks, and when Jaren dissolves and flees, they chase after him. Tokine and Hakubi chase after them, wondering what the pair could be thinking. She recalls that Takeshi has already told them that normal attacks are useless: Jaren will only dissolve and escape, manipulating the opponent until it devours their heart, leaving only an empty corpse. Yoshimori suggests that they maintain an overly positive attitude: Tokine dislikes this plan, but Takeshi agrees (likely because being overly positive is normal for him).
Yoshimori and Takeshi keep up their plan of attacking Jaren and staying positive, and Yoshimori notes that it seems to be working: Jaren is growing weaker. Despite this, he wonders why only Takeshi's techniques do any real damage. Takeshi says it is because Yoshimori's technique is not appropriate for fighting Jaren: the Kekkai technique is effective against physical beings, but Jaren is a spirit that has no solid form. Exorcist techniques, on the other hand, use the stakes as a focus to send power directly into the enemy's body, and in addition, the contract works almost like a curse. Yoshimori wonders if Zekkai would work, but admits he still can't use it properly.
Jaren suddenly stops running and confronts the pair. Tokine catches up and warns them to get away as she sees Jaren gathering power. Takeshi tells Yoshimori to get away as well, since he's not used to Jaren's malice, but Yoshimori claims that he'll only know if it's possible for him to fight Jaren if he gets closer. Jaren suddenly grows in size, and says he's stronger because of the malicious hearts of humans, which give him power. Jaren claims that Kurogane was especially tasty, and that every human has a malicious heart. Combined with the power of Karasumori, he laughs that they have no chance against him. Yoshimori is confused, because Jaren's words have no effect on him: from what Takeshi told him of Kurogane, he feels Jaren is mistaken about him. Takeshi realizes that Jaren is only focusing on a small part of the overall man that was his master, and knows that Kurogane truly regretted his crime, and hunted Jaren to make up for it. This makes Takeshi more determined to stop Jaren. Yoshimori surrounds Jaren with a Kekkai, and Takeshi throws a stake imbued with his power at Jaren. Jaren shrieks as he is struck, and Takeshi says he will bear all of Jaren, and commands him to kneel with an explosion of power. Takeshi proclaims the contract a success, and Jaren seems stunned before he dissolves and flees again, this time leaving Karasumori for good. Yoshimori is alarmed, but Takeshi assures him that Jaren cannot move too far away from his master, and that he will take care of Jaren slowly later on. Yoshimori and Takeshi begin to loudly celebrate, much to Tokine's embarrassment.[32]
In the middle of an art class where he is supposed to sketch a student model, Yoshimori's thoughts turn to Takeshi. As of their last meeting at Karasumori, Takeshi intends to keep chasing Jaren. Tokine warned him not to strain himself, but Takeshi replied that he wouldn't be successful if he didn't strain himself. Despite this, he is confident due to Kurogane's teachings. Takeshi was glad that he came to Karasumori, and jokingly thanks Yoshimori for changing his mistaken way of thinking, though he quickly credits Yoshimori with only 1% of the work. They both promised to keep pursuing their individual goals and parted ways as friendly comrades. Yoshimori is certain that Takeshi will seal Jaren one day, and feels the same about his chances of sealing Karasumori. As the art class ends, the female teacher collects the sketches, and remarks that Yoshimori's has a solitary atmosphere.
In the Sumimura Home's dojo, Yoshimori works on improving his Kekkai positioning. Recalling Takeshi's positive attitude, Yoshimori decides that the more he desires strength, the stronger he will get. He briefly considers the family's ancient scrolls, some of which descries how to maintain a frame of mind, but questions if that is suitable for him. Yoshimori figures there may be other ways to seal Karasumori, and decides to rely on finding a way with his own skills. His thoughts turn to the "other Kekkai" he has sometimes used in the past. He practices, and is able to produce a dark, flame-like aura around his body. However, upon trying to expand it into a spherical shape and calling the technique by name, it promptly vanishes. Frustrated, Yoshimori struggles to understand what he did wrong, and decides it is because he has never seen a real Zekkai. Yoshimori calls Sen Kagemiya at Night Troop Headquarters and asks him to describe what happened in Kokuboro in detail. Sen explains that he initially thought what Yoshimori created there was Zekkai, but now realizes he was mistaken: Zekkai is a technique that destroys everything it touches but the caster, but since Sen was within it and unharmed, it was not Zekkai. Also, Yoshimori's creation was not black as Zekkai usually is, and Sen describes it as having been stable, flawless, and so perfect it was suffocating. Yoshimori has no idea what Sen means and asks him to speak simply, which annoys Sen and makes him hang up. Yoshimori returns to the dojo to practice, producing the aura again.
A few days later at Karasumori, Yoshimori and Madarao encounter Udedango, a rolling Ayakashi. Yoshimori decides to test his still imperfect Zekkai on it, but Udedango merely knocks him aside and keeps going, until Tokine uses her Kekkai Spear on it. Madarao frustrates Yoshimori further by comparing his lack of improvement to Takeshi, who learned quickly. Yoshimori decides that Zekkai doesn't suit him, and chooses to walk a different path than Masamori, planning to make a new technique to seal Karasumori.
Yoshimori returns home from school exhausted one afternoon, but is told by his father and Toshimori that they have a guest. Upon discovering that the guest is a bird-like demon seeking a Kekkaishi, Yoshimori wants nothing to do with it. Toshimori reminds him that with their grandfather away, Yoshimori is the only Kekkaishi in the house, so he reluctantly meets with the demon. Yoshimori initially refuses the demon's request, but becomes intrigued when he realizes that it is extremely rare to encounter a demon able to move freely during the day. The demon introduces himself as Shidou, a karasutengu and servant of Kokuunsai, the god of Aibasan, a mountain Shinyuuchi. He asks Yoshimori to assist him in preserving his master's bloodline. The problem is that Kokuunsai is a pervert that spends all of his time following a certain human woman. Shidou wants Yoshimori to contain Kokuunsai in his mountain home with a Kekkai, forcing him to continue the bloodline (tengu essentially reproduce by dividing their bodies, so there is no need for a mate). Yoshimori agrees to help, but only if he can ask Kokuunsai about Karasumori. Shidou agrees, but warns him that the conversation may prove both difficult and dangerous, so Yoshimori should prepare himself mentally. Shidou flies Yoshimori to Kokuunsai's hidden castle (passing Shigemori's hiking group along the way). Seconds after they arrive, an enormous, clawed foot smashes down in front of Yoshimori, nearly crushing him, and Shidou confirms that his master has returned. [33]
Yoshimori sits in shock as the enormity of Shidou's request fully sinks in: Yoshimori is expected to create a Kekkai that will contain Kokuunsai, the enormous god of Aibasan. Meanwhile, the karasutengu bring Kokuunsai food and drink while he sizes up Yoshimori. Even worse, Kokuunsai is in a bad mood from being made to stay in the castle, and keeps randomly lashing out and destroying parts of the castle with his gigantic limbs. Shidou grabs Yoshimori and flies him out of harm's way, and Yoshimori tells him that the situation is hopeless, there's no way he can succeed. Shidou explains that continuing the bloodline is of the greatest importance, and that the clan has made many sacrifices to keep Kokuunsai in the castle. Shidou reveals that outsiders are forbidden, and that intruders in the castle are normally killed on sight: Yoshimori's only hope is to be classified as a guest by Kokuunsai, so his leaving prematurely would likely upset the violent god. The food and drink were meant to improve Kokuunsai's mood, thus improving Yoshimori's chances.
Kokuunsai eventually labels Yoshimori a guest, and the karasutengu further improve his mood by implying that Yoshimori is a friend who will introduce him to another girl. Yoshimori dislikes this role, but has little choice when Kokuunsai begins questioning him about the girl. Yoshimori unknowingly describes Tokine, and while Kokuunsai seems impressed, he remains fixated on the girl he likes. Kokuunsai eventually gets drunk and passes out. Yoshimori still insists the Kekkai won't be enough, but Shidou assures him that he will have the clan's support. First, they tie Kokuunsai down, and provide Yoshimori with "reimeigan", a secret medicine designed to strengthen the body, erase fatigue, and significantly increase power and concentration. Also, Shidou gives Yoshimori a tengu feather, which will temporarily contain the entire clan's power. Overwhelmed by their dedication and heartfelt pleas, Yoshimori agrees to try and successfully creates a Kekkai around Kokuunsai. Shidou flies Yoshimori away from the castle at top speed (again passing Shigemori's hiking group along the way). Yoshimori tells him there's no need to rush home, but Shidou informs him that the job is only half done: he also asks Yoshimori to exorcise the girl that Kokuunsai likes, so he will be unable to approach her. Yoshimori doesn't think he can do it, since he knows nothing about exorcism and doesn't have any talismans with him. Yoshimori is startled when he finally sees the girl Kokuunsai likes: she is an attractive 18-year old exchange student from America named Sandy Brackman.[34]
Shidou and Yoshimori continue to observe Sandy Brackman, the young woman that Kokuunsai is infatuated with. Shidou wants Yoshimori to exorcise Sandy so that demons cannot get near her, but Yoshimori is convinced that normal methods won't keep Kokuunsai away. Shidou suggests that because Sandy is a foreigner, she can't sense spirits, but due to Kokuunsai following her, Sandy's spiritual energy has increased, which draws wandering spirits to her (which could be dangerous if they come into conflict with Kokuunsai). Shidou also asks Yoshimori to teach Sandy about the spirit world, since she could become spiritually aware at any time. Shidou forces Yoshimori to confront Sandy, but he is too embarrassed to speak to her and runs away. Left with no other choice, Shidou transforms into a human so he can explain things to Sandy instead. Yoshimori calls home and asks his father to give him a crash course in exorcism, and also sends a Shikigami to pick up some talismans. Meanwhile at Aibasan, Kokuunsai wakes up and finds himself trapped in Yoshimori's Kekkai. He immediately loses his temper and breaks free, wanting to see Sandy.
Yoshimori gets the talismans and finds Shidou, who has explained everything to Sandy (using the excuse that he and Yoshimori are spirit investigators). Yoshimori warns him that the Kekkai has been broken, and Shidou mentions that he does feel something rapidly approaching them. Kokuunsai appears in the form of a short, older man. Yoshimori asks why he doesn't chose a more appealing form, and Shidou explains it's because his master has too much evil intention. Upon seeing the old man, Sandy screams in fear and hides behind Shidou. She reveals that the old man's constantly following her has made her afraid to be alone, to the point where she can't sleep. Realizing how much he's upset her, Kokuunsai runs away, and Yoshimori chases after him. Shidou apologizes to Sandy, assures her she won't be bothered anymore, and asks her not to blame the old man, since he only liked her smile. Yoshimori and Shidou try to cheer Kokuunsai up (Shidou explains that humans judge by appearance, and that Kokuunsai need only to recover his youth by dividing, thus tricking him into continuing the tengu bloodline). Kokuunsai flies away before Yoshimori remembers to ask him about Karasumori. As a reward for his help, Shidou gives Yoshimori one of his feathers, saying it might come in handy. At home, Shigemori says he thought he felt Yoshimori vanishing from the human world, but Yoshimori says nothing. Later, Yoshimori tries waving the feather, wondering what it does. He is immediately surrounded by talking crows, all of whom he can now understand.[35]
At Karasumori, Yoshimori has brought another chocolate cake for Tokine to try, but she tells him she prefers cheesecake. Just then, Okuni arrives in a palanquin carried by her hooded subordinates. One of them asks where Masamori is, but Okuni says she doesn't really need a guide. She is the first to spot a mysterious box on the ground behind Yoshimori.[36] Madarao confirms that it has no scent, and Okuni says they should be more alert, as the box was already there when she arrived. Yoshimori mistakenly assumes she put it there and destroys the box immediately. Madarao detects something else, and Yoshimori heads up to the school roof to investigate. Just then, Miki Hatori and Higurashi from the Night Troop arrive. Hatori apologizes to Okuni for being late, and explains that Masamori was held up by an emergency, so she has come as his representative. Yoshimori returns holding another box. Alarmed, Hatori tells him to put it down and get away from it at once, as it has the same appearance of the box that caused the crisis at Night Troop Headquarters. Okuni explains that they were sent to investigate Karasumori with Masamori as her guide. After confirming that Masamori is dealing with a box crisis as well, Okuni asks Hatori to explain it in detail.
Hatori explains that a strange box was delivered to them, and it quickly swallowed up Misao. Masamori gave orders not to open the box, but it soon opened on its own, releasing Amaarashi, an Ayakashi that controls rain clouds and wind. After being caught, its belly exploded, releasing many smaller demons. In the chaos that followed, Akira went missing. Night Troop members began to find boxes in other places around the headquarters. After hearing the story, Madarao suspects there are more boxes at Karasumori as well. Okuni decides to solve the mystery of the boxes in addition to her inspection.[37] Yoshimori remains with Okuni while the others search for boxes. Okuni asks why he isn't searching as well, and Yoshimori says he doesn't take orders from outsiders. He asks if Okuni knows what the box is, and Okuni says it is a normal box, being manipulated by a special spell. Her theory is that the ability user controlling the box has a power very similar to Yoshimori's.[38]
After Okuni recalls everyone from the search, Okuni's subordinates perform a spell on the box, and are then able to remove the lid. Okuni explains that because it was too difficult to dispel, they broke the spell by force. Inside the box is one of Kakushino's papers with the number four written on it, though the paper is ripped in two. Okuni says the box is for entry and exit, and that the ability user can manipulate dimensions like a Kekkaishi. As an example, Okuni uses a seashell pendant to open an eye-shaped portal in the sky, through which an enormous archive of books can be seen. Okuni goes through the books to narrow down the box culprit, and finds out quickly due to it being such a unique ability. Hatori inwardly notes that Okuni is the keeper of the Shadow Organization's archives, recalling that Masamori once said it wouldn't hurt to have her as an ally. Hatori tells Okuni that the box at Night Troop Headquarters is no longer active, and Okuni guesses that this is because the ability user is now dead. Hatori speculates that the boxes at Karasumori should all have spells on them. Okuni says that there are generally limits to a person's ability, and that if anyone had enough power to manipulate boxes at Karasumori and Night Troop Headquarters at the same time, she would definitely know about them. Okuni abruptly ends the discussion, saying she knows all she needs to, but refuses to share what she's learned with the others, which makes Yoshimori furious. Suddenly, four boxes around Karasumori open, releasing four strong demons.[39]
Yoshimori guesses that the boxes were planted in advance. Hatori volunteers herself and Higurashi to help deal with the new threat. Okuni and her subordinates watch as the others decide on a strategy. Hatori offers to provide cover, but insists that the Kekkaishi should be the ones who actually defeat the Ayakashi. Higurashi reveals a strange ability to grow large, black wings (Yoshimori at first mistakes him for an Ayakashi Majiri), and after Hatori hops on his back, they take to the sky. Tokine suggests that they split up, and Yoshimori agrees. While Tokine handles the first Ayakashi, Yoshimori attacks the second, which resembles a giant snake. He avoids the projectiles that the Ayakashi spits from its mouth, and blocks the mouth with a Kekkai before using a larger one to destroy the whole body. Hatori notes that the Kekkaishi don't even seem to need help, and easily destroys the third Ayakashi when it attacks her. Okuni seems somewhat impressed with the progress, but suggests they should be figuring out what the box user is actually after.
Madarao has some trouble tracking the final Ayakashi because it keeps moving, but finally leads Yoshimori to it. Unlike the others, this Ayakashi resembles a woman with short, wild, dark hair, dressed in a kimono. The Ayakashi comments that though Yoshimori is cute, she hates men, and immediately attacks with long strands of hair. Yoshimori tries to protect himself with his Zekkai armor, but is still restrained by the hair. Madarao is captured as well, and with nothing to protect him, the hair saps his strength. The Ayakashi is struck from behind, and her head falls off, but it regenerates al most instantly. She turns her attention to Hatori, who attacked her, and sends hair strands to attack her. She tears off Higurashi's wing, but he assures Hatori that he can regenerate it quickly. He asks if the Ayakashi might be of the humanoid type, but Hatori disagrees because its appearance doesn't quite fit. The Ayakashi draws on Karasumori's power and begins to transform, its hair thickening into many arms. Hatori notes that it is the perfect type to send to Karasumori: it moves quickly, loves to fight, hates humans, and can steal energy from foes, so it can quickly transform. Yoshimori tries to use Kekkai to catch the Ayakashi, but it avoids them and targets Higurashi, missing but tearing off a large chunk of the school roof.[40]
The fourth Ayakashi continues to avoid Yoshimori's Kekkai with ease. Hatori does major damage to its body with her Black Wing. The Ayakashi regenerates instantly, but Yoshimori takes the chance to destroy it with a Kekkai. However, hidden hair strands emerge from the ground and school, binding Yoshimori and Higurashi. The Ayakashi regenerates yet again, but a giant arm bursts out of the school and grabs it.[41] Yoshimori watches in shock as an enormous, armored Ayakashi bursts from Karasumori Academy. The Ayakashi eats the smaller one trapped in its hand. Okuni identifies the Ayakashi as Kurokabuto, nothing that the means of its creation were sealed away, because of its extreme threat level, and that few people should know about it. The smaller Ayakashi repeatedly regenerates from leftover strands of hair, and Kurokabuto continues to eat it. Hatori notices that Kurokabuto's body is incomplete: only its upper torso, head, and right arm are fully formed. Hatori attacks Kurokabuto with her Black Wing, hoping to destroy it before it can fully regenerate. However, Yoshimori notices that only is the attack ineffective, but that Kurokabuto's armor is evolving. Yoshimori tries to destroy the head with a Kekkai, but Kurokabuto is again unscathed. Kurokabuto tries to grab Higurashi as he flies by, and Higurashi notices that the spot it touched is rotting away. Kurokabuto suddenly grows a left arm and nearly grabs Higurashi again, forcing him to land briefly. Yoshimori notices the walls around Kurokabuto have turned black. Kurokabuto hauls itself out of the school, and Yoshimori realizes that if it lands, it will do so outside of the school, landing on nearby homes. He makes a large Kekkai that knocks Kurokabuto back into the schoolyard, sending it crashing into the school. Okuni states that Kurokabuto was originally a failed creation, because it ignored orders, searched for enemies, and destroyed indiscriminately. She fears this one would become complete if it remained in Karasumori long enough, destroy everything there, move on, and repeat the process.[42]
Okuni recognizes that Ichirou Ougi must be the one behind the simultaneous box attacks, but says he has gone too far. Yoshimori reminds her that she wasn't going to get involved, but Okuni replies that she didn't expect the Kakushino Twins to have something so dangerous in their possession. She explains to he and Hatori that Kurokabuto is an Ayakashi created in ancient times as a tool of war, but recognizes no master and will destroy anything it considers an enemy. Okuni suggests removing Kurokabuto from the site and sealing it elsewhere, because destroying it would prove too difficult. She admits that she is uncertain whether or not she can seal it, causing Yoshimori to immediately shoot down her plan. He asks if it has any weak points, but Okuni insists that it does not: it was created not for battle, but for pure destruction. Yoshimori insists on fighting Kurokabuto, thinking he will come up with a plan along the way, and intending to use the power of Karasumori as a last resort. Hatori admits that she agrees with Okuni's plan, but asks Yoshimori how would use the land's power. Yoshimori tells her that the power seems to appear when someone truly desires or accepts death, and thinks it will do so if he can convince Kurokabuto to desire death, though he has no idea how he will manage it. Yoshimori destroys a portion of Kurokabuto's still developing body not covered by armor, but is dismayed when it regenerates a large portion immediately. Hakubi suddenly appears, trying to tell Yoshimori that Tokine has vanished into a box, but is grabbed by Kurokabuto. Yoshimori is stunned, but focuses on Kurokabuto as it rises to its feet. Yoshimori again forms and collapses a Kekkai within the armor, but Kurokabuto again regenerates at once. He decides he must destroy it faster than it can grow back, and collapses multiple Kekkai in various parts of the body. Okuni watches as Yoshimori expends more and more power against Kurokabuto, actually making it stagger momentarily, but it refuses to go down. Kurokabuto suddenly attacks, nearly smashing Yoshimori, but Higurashi yanks him away in time. Hatori pleads for Yoshimori to give up, but Yoshimori catches an overhead glimpse of the town, realizes what he must defend, and returns to face Kurokabuto again.[43]
Yoshimori attacks Kurokabuto again, recalling that both Kaguro and Takeshi Kongo implied that his Kekkai became stronger because of his feelings. With new resolve, Yoshimori attacks Kurokabuto with such force that it falls to the ground. Miki Hatori recalls a conversation with Masamori where he mentioned Yoshimori's habit of suddenly surpassing his own power many times over, and wished he could do the same. Yoshimori avoids several frenzied grabs from Kurokabuto, but takes a glancing blow and is sent crashing to the ground, though his Zekkai armor protects him. Okuni watches, somewhat impressed with Yoshimori's power, but concerned that it has not matured as much as Tokine's, who she is observing at the same time through one of her eye-shaped portals. Yoshimori is able to create a crack in Kurokabuto's armor, and Hatori notices a distortion in the air around him. The distortion around Yoshimori continues to grow, impacting everything around him, including Kurokabuto and the school ground. Okuni decides she can no longer leave things as they are and opens a portal, releasing a column of light that pins Yoshimori to the ground. Okuni explains that she is restraining Yoshimori to keep him from destroying the town, but Yoshimori is furious at her for getting in his way. Okuni decides to use her full strength on him, and Yoshimori worries that Kurokabuto will cause more damage. He manages to break free with a burst of power, and is shocked to see an aura of power seeping up from the land and surrounding him. For some reason, Okuni is unable to see the power, and Yoshimori notices that Karasumori's power is also surrounding Kurokabuto. Okuni notes that Kurokabuto is now complete.[44]
Yoshimori is confused by the appearance of the mysterious white aura of power surrounding he and Kurokabuto. He recognizes the sensation from times in the past when he was flooded with so much power that he lost sight of himself. He realizes it must be Karasumori's power, and wonders why it would surround him, since he thought it only worked on Ayakashi. Yoshimori decides he doesn't care so long as it's helping him and renews his attack on Kurokabuto, now powerful enough to create a gaping hole in its armor. Yoshimori demands more power, and the aura around him increases. He briefly wonders what would happen if he allowed himself to bask in the power, but it suddenly vanishes. Instead, the aura around Kurokabuto increases, allowing it to regenerate from the damage. Yoshimori cannot understand why the power left him, and Okuni advises him to give up fighting. She proposes blasting Kurokabuto to a remote mountain region with no people, where Shadow Organization forces could deal with it properly. Yoshimori protests, but Okuni explains that while incomplete, Kurokabuto's only instinct was to grow, so while Yoshimori was putting his all into the battle, it was not even trying to fight. However, now that it is complete, it will enter battle mode, and a person like Yoshimori who does not have full control over his power would be in the greatest danger. Okuni then opens a large portal in the sky, and Hatori worries that Karasumori will be judged too out of control for the Kekkaishi to handle. Kurokabuto's eyes suddenly change color, and it summons an energy katana. Okuni worries that she will not have time to complete her plan before it selects a target, and Yoshimori tries to draw its attention. Instead, Kurokabuto unexpectedly plunges its katana into the ground, apparently trying to attack Karasumori.[45]
Yoshimori can't understand why Kurokabuto would attack Karasumori when the land was sharing its power with it. Karasumori's power reemerges, this time lancing into Kurokabuto violently and causing it to collapse in pieces. Yoshimori is again surrounded by Karasumori's power, and realizes that Karasumori wants him to destroy Kurokabuto with its power. Yoshimori becomes furious at the idea of being toyed with, and the power retreats. Tokiko Yukimura and Shigemori Sumimura begin collecting Kurokabuto's remains with Tenketsu. Reiji Kakushino watches as Shigemori asks Yoshimori what happened. Yoshimori says he angered Karasumori, and suddenly remembers Tokine. The Kekkaishi, Miki Hatori, and Higurashi gather to study one of the remaining boxes. Yoshimori tries to explain that Tokine vanished into one, but is too frantic for Tokiko to understand entirely. Tokine unexpectedly appears behind them, and Yoshimori immediately worries that she may have been harmed. After assuring him that she is fine, Tokine explains that she was chasing the box culprit.[46]
Okuni blames the Kekkaishi for simply maintaining the status quo for 400 years and allowing the danger of Karasumori to remain unchecked the whole time. She states that she cannot ignore this. Shigemori warns her that if she were to make rash judgments without consulting the Kekkaishi, they would have to treat her as an enemy. Okuni responds by laughing and directing the full force of her hostility at the group, overwhelming them. She explains that the only reason the Shadow Organization doesn't control the world is because they only wish to preserve it, and if Karasumori threatens to disturb the order, they will correct it regardless of their wishes. Okuni advises Tokiko and Shigemori to better control their Legitimate Successors and leaves abruptly.[47]
Yoshimori collapses, exhausted from his efforts, and wonders aloud about the power that surrounded him during the battle with Kurokabuto. Shigemori claimed he had never heard of such a thing, which makes Yoshimori wonder if he was wrong to reject the power. Tokine disagrees, saying that if he relied on another power, he would be useless without it. Tokine doubts that the power Yoshimori felt was actually Karasumori's, and he tries to re-summon it as proof, but cannot. Tokine questions why the power would aid him when it only helped Ayakashi before, and Yoshimori guesses it's because he's a Legitimate Successor. Tokine guesses that Karasumori built up stress and just needed to release it. Yoshimori wonders if he should have listened to the power, admitting that he doesn't hate Karasumori.[48]
Yoshimori relaxes in a tree on school grounds. He sees a girl fall from a nearby rooftop and quickly creates a Kekkai that catches her safely. She wakes up in Yoshimori's arms, and he's relived that she's safe. He makes up an excuse about a tree cushioning her fall and walks off, unaware that the girl is watching him with a love struck look on her face. The next day, Hiromu wakes Yoshimori up at his desk, telling him someone is asking for him. The girl he saved introduces herself as Julia, says she is a first year in high school, and thanks him for saving her. She wants to repayYoshimori saves Julia
him somehow, and though Yoshimori says she doesn't have to, she insists. Julia says it was fate that they met and leaves. Yoshimori is very confused, and Hiromu guesses that Yoshimori is the only one who doesn't know the girl. Hiromu explains that Julia Roppongi from Class 1-D had been asking around about Yoshimori, warns him that he is her prey. Yoshimori thinks Hiromu is overreacting since Julia seemed nice, but Hiromu claims that if anyone breaks up with Julia, she will uncover everything about him and spread rumors not just to all the girls in Karasumori, but in the entire district. Later, Yoshimori opens his locker, but is horrified to find that Julia has filled it with little hearts, placed a picture of herself inside, and left him a love letter. Julia, who was watching from behind a nearby locker, comes out to greet him, and Yoshimori immediately runs away. Yoshimori retreats to his classroom, but Julia shows up there as well, so he hides from her again. Only finding Hiromu and Tomonori, she gives Hiromu a packed lunch she made and asks him to give it to Yoshimori (Hiromu is surprised by this, since middle school students have lunch provided for them). The other boys in the classroom excitedly tear the pack open, revealing a large amount of yakisoba, which leaves them all stunned. Yoshimori ventures to the high school section of the school to return the lunch to Julia, but doesn't want to meet her face-to-face. Instead, he creates a Shikigami clone of Tokine and has her deliver the lunch. The other students recognize Tokine, and Julia is furious that another girl is interfering with her prey. She decides that she must eliminate the competition.[49]
Julia drags Yoshimori from his class. Up on the roof, Yoshimori is relaxing when he hears Julia's voice, and sees her dragging his Shikigami clone. Yoshimori tries to signal his Shikigami to escape, but instead it stays, allowing Julia to hug it, much to Yoshimori's annoyance. Yoshimori returns to class thoroughly depressed, since the Shikigami promised to see Julia after school. Hiromu admits that it might not be such a bad thing, since Julia is pretty, and Yoshimori likes older girls. Yoshimori goes to the high school section and considers asking Tokine to pose as his girlfriend so he can get rid of Julia, but the very thought overwhelms him. Madoka notices him and warns him to do something about Julia, since Tokine is really mad. She offers to go get Tokine, but soon comes back and sadly reports that Tokine doesn't want to see him. Yoshimori wonders if this means Tokine might actually be jealous. After school, Yoshimori decides to try his luck at running away from Julia. Hiromu warns him that Karasumori Academy has always produced a large number of exceptionally talented people that excel in various fields, and thinks Julia might be one of them. After Yoshimori leaves, Hiromu adds that Julia displays approximately a twenty-fold increase in athletic skill when pursuing a target. Yoshimori flees over the rooftops, shocked that Julia is able to keep up with him. Just when he is considering using a Kekkai, Julia suddenly falls off a roof, and Yoshimori has no choice but to save her again. Unfortunately, this turns out to be a trap, as Julia was counting on him to save her. She drags him to a nearby park, but neither is aware that Tokine is angrily watching them from the bushes.[50]
Yoshimori tries to think of some way to escape from Julia, but is stunned when she says that she wants to get to know him better. Tokine is greatly annoyed as she watches from the bushes, wondering why Yoshimori doesn't simply run away. Julia thanks Yoshimori for saving her and compliments him, something he isn't used to. Julia begins talking about their future together, which at first overwhelms him, but he doesn't seem to disagree with her ideas. Yoshimori realizes how cute Julia is, but quickly reminds himself that Tokine is the only girl he thinks of. Oddly, Julia is able to sense he's thinking of another girl and gets annoyed. Tokine decides that she won't save Yoshimori anymore. Unable to resist Julia, Yoshimori creates a Shikigami clone of Tokine and has her try to pull him away from Julia. Tokine emerges and furiously punches Yoshimori in the head, yelling at him not to use her face like that. Julia faints in shock, and wakes up later in the arms of Yoshimori's Handsome Shikigami, who comforts her. That night at Karasumori, Tokine is still mad and won't talk to Yoshimori. He apologizes again, but Tokine blames him for not being firm with Julia and being nice to her, instead of driving her away. Yoshimori admits he has no idea why Julia likes him, and Tokine says it's because Julia thought he saved her life. Yoshimori gets mad and bumps Tokine off the school roof with a Kekkai, bouncing her off another and catching her in his arms. Yoshimori says he did it as a simulation of the time he saved Julia, and asks if Tokine will fall for him now. Tokine starts to see why Julia like Yoshimori so much, and Yoshimori promises to turn Julia down properly. The following day at school, Yoshimori finds out from Hiromu that Julia dumped him. It turns out that Julia has fallen in love with Yoshimori's Handsome Shikigami, but she also took the turn to spread rumors that Tokine had magic powers.[51]
At Karasumori Academy, Yoshimori tries unsuccessfully to call out Karasumori's power, much to Madarao's annoyance. Tokine and Hakubi soon arrive, and Tokine suggests that Yoshimori should focus on other training. She worries that Karasumori is being targeted again, but Yoshimori has no idea what she means. Tokine reminds him that after the incident with the Kakushino Twins, Kyoichi Hiba came to their homes to talk with their grandparents. Yoshimori is frustrated by his inability to understand, and Tokine criticizes him for not listening well. Yoshimori shrugs this off and rededicates himself to protecting Karasumori and solving its mysteries. Madarao notices that the rain clouds are very large, and Yoshimori sees something white falling from them. An enormous dragon crashes to the ground in front of them, and it attacks Yoshimori as soon as it wakes up, saying it will not forgive.[52]
Madarao tells Yoshimori a legend of how the young lord of Karasumori was said to have had a dragon for a playmate. Tokine interrupts them, asking if they should be so calm about the dragon currently occupying Karasumori. Yoshimori angrily demands if she thinks they should destroy it. Tokine points out that the dragon is covered in wounds, so Yoshimori assumes that someone really strong and mean was responsible and offers to get rid of them. The dragon's tail suddenly smacks Yoshimori and sends him flying. Yoshimori catches himself with a Kekkai and demands to know why the dragon hates him. The dragon recognizes the technique, and Madarao warns Yoshimori to be careful, since such a high-level Ayakashi is bound to be very proud. Tokine introduces herself to the dragon, explains their duty as Kekkaishi and desire to settle the matter peacefully, and requests that the dragon leave as soon as possible. The dragon seems calm enough, but insists that Yoshimori stay away, since it doesn't like him for some reason. Tokine discovers that the dragon didn't choose to come to Karasumori, assures it that its wounds will heal swiftly, but asks it to leave immediately after, since they don't know what impact Karasumori will have on the dragon. The dragon finds this funny, and tells her that it cannot be toyed with by another power. The dragon focuses on regenerating while Tokine checks for traces of any technique used on it, but only finds marks indicating it had been tied up, indicating that the person who transported it had incredible skill. From the dragon's interest in Kekkai, she assumes that someone with similar abilities is responsible. Yoshimori asks if it could be a prank, but Tokine says that toying with a land-god class Ayakashi is practically suicidal, even though she senses no malice behind the act. Suddenly, water begins to spray out of the dragon's body, damaging the school. Hakubi warns Tokine that if this continues, they won't be able to stop the dragon. Just then, Yoshimori realizes who the culprit must be. Meanwhile, high above the school, a woman dressed in a Sumimura Kekkaishi uniform watches with a smile on her face.[53]
The Dragon Deity continues to rampage in Karasumori Academy, shouting that it will never forgive. Yoshimori becomes furious, and addressing the culprit, he wishes that they would have more consideration for others as he launches the dragon into the sky by creating an enormous Kekkai beneath it. Yoshimori boosts himself into the air using a Kekkai, calling his mother an idiot as he goes. Yoshimori calls out to his mother and tries to reach her, but powerful winds keep him from doing so, causing Sumiko to state that he still has a ways to go as she leaves with the dragon. Later, as Tokine and Yoshimori clean up the site with their Shikigami, Yoshimori is still angry at his mother for causing so much trouble. Tokine suggests that Sumiko may have some sort of plan, and Yoshimori replies that even if she did, it wouldn't make sense to them. Tokine tries to comfort Yoshimori, but finds out in the process that the real reason he's upset is because he didn't get to see his mother.[54]
Mr. Kurosu bids farewell to his class as they begin their spring holiday, after which they'll enter their second year of middle school. Yoshimori is especially happy and rushes home with plans to sleep in the whole time, but instead is greeted by his father, who is on the phone with Masamori. Masamori asks Yoshimori to help him with something. Yoshimori is of course reluctant, until Masamori adds that it is work related to a Shinyuuchi and scheduled for that night.
Despite having agreed, Yoshimori is in a bad mood that night at Karasumori. Tokine assures him she can handle things there since it seems to be a quiet night with no Ayakashi turning up. She can't understand why the two brothers don't get along, and Yoshimori claims that even if he tried, Masamori wouldn't let him. Masamori appears suddenly, and Tokine inwardly notes that he seems different. Yoshimori suddenly becomes nervous and tries to change his mind, saying he thinks something might happen at Karasumori. Masamori says their grandfather will help out if anything happens, and boosts them into the air with a Kekkai, where Mukade is waiting on one of his shadow bugs. Along the way, Masamori asks about their mother and Karasumori's state, and Yoshimori realizes he is well informed despite not being around. Masamori warns Yoshimori that Karasumori is not on their side as he may think, and that it is a monster.
Their destination is a shrine on the rooftop of a building in a crowded city. Masamori explains that there are actually two shrines, and they each serve as an entrance to the Shinyuuchi. Masamori tells Yoshimori to guard the white shrine, and make sure that nothing escapes. Masamori provides no other information much to Yoshimori's annoyance, but leaves him a cell phone to stay in touch and warns him not to enter the shrine, adding that they can't have the Legitimate Successor dying. With those cryptic words, Masamori leaves, ignoring Yoshimori's protests. [55]
Yoshimori tries to follow Masamori by making Kekkai in mid-air, but is startled when his cell phone rings. Masamori tells Yoshimori that he'll be out of range for about two hours, and reminds him to stay at his post. Yoshimori asks what's in the shrine, but Masamori only says it's his prey. He adds that if sunrise comes and he hasn't returned, he may need Yoshimori's voice to call him back from the depths. Yoshimori is frustrated, but notes that Masamori rarely every asks him to do anything so seriously. Yoshimori tries to call Masamori back, but the number cannot be reached. Growing bored, Yoshimori wanders around, and finds a pool of water near the white shrine. Suddenly Masamori's hand emerges from the pool. Yoshimori reaches for it, but as he grabs it, realizes that it isn't a human hand. The hand pulls Yoshimori into the pool. Yoshimori later wakes up to find a mysterious man standing over him. He grabs Yoshimori by the neck and says that he will take his body.[56]
Yoshimori is held captive by a mysterious man in white, who says he needs Yoshimori's body so he can go outside for a while. Assuming this is the person that Masamori is after, Yoshimori activates his Zekkai armor, forcing the man to let him go. The man is confused and runs away in frustration. Yoshimori runs after him but loses sight of him. While wandering through the forest, Yoshimori meets Masamori, but immediately notices he is behaving strangely. Yoshimori activates his Zekkai armor again, forcing Masamori away and revealing him to actually be the same man in white. The man demands to know how Yoshimori recognized him, since he used an illusion of a person Yoshimori would want to see, behaving in a way he would want to see. Yoshimori points out that Masamori would never be so affectionate with him. The man tries to negotiate, offering to grant any wish that Yoshimori has in exchange for his body, but Yoshimori realizes it would only be another illusion. The man begins to cry in frustration, making Yoshimori wonder why Masamori would be after him. They are soon interrupted by a smaller person, who ignores Yoshimori and begs the man, Lord Tan'yuu, to flee before "he" finds them. In the conversation, the person reveals that Tan'yuu is the god of the land as well as "his" target. Tan'yuu is concerned about dawn approaching, and says he won't last without a host.[57]
Lord Tan'yuu says that his land has weakened, and his servant becomes angry at Yoshimori for refusing to give the god his body. Tan'yuu seems resigned to die, and Yoshimori is still under the mistaken impression that Tan'yuu is the person that Masamori is pursuing. Meanwhile, Mudou searches the land for the god, destroying the surroundings as he does so. He arrives at the lake, spots the god in the lake's reflection, and realizes Tan'yuu has been hiding there. Mudou leaps into the lake and emerges on the other side, appearing in front of Tan'yuu. Mudou grabs Tan'yuu with his scarf, but the god is saved by a Kekkai that destroys it. Mudou seems amused as Yoshimori stands ready to fight him.[58]
Mudou immediately recognizes both the Hazama-Ryu Kekkaijutsu and the Houin on Yoshimori's clothing. Yoshimori finally realizes that Mudou is the person Masamori has been chasing. Lord Tan'yuu abruptly decides that he doesn't want to die. Mudou realizes that Yoshimori is Masamori's brother, and tells him not to interfere. Mudou's flying balls easily smash Yoshimori's Kekkai, and Mudou's scarf wraps around Tan'yuu and yanks him toward Mudou. As he does so, the Tan'yuu trapped in the scarf is revealed to actually be his servant, while Tan'yuu flees in the form of the servant. Mudou recognizes the switch, instantly shoots one of his flying balls through the servant's body and leaves him for dead, and chases Tan'yuu. Yoshimori activates his Zekkai armor and throws himself between the flying balls and Tan'yuu, temporarily deflecting them but also harming Tan'yuu in the process. More flying balls strike Yoshimori from behind, catching him off guard, and Mudou's scarf is able to capture Tan'yuu. Mudou spins one of his flying balls and slams it into Tan'yuu's chest. Yoshimori demands to know what Tan'yuu did wrong. Mudou warns him not to be fooled by appearances, and says that Tan'yuu has been kidnapping humans and stealing their souls. He points out that Tan'yuu has already used his illusions to trick Yoshimori. Mudou claims to understand this, since the land would most likely vanish if Tan'yuu did not survive in this way, but also points out that Tan'yuu also used his servant as a decoy, and questions if Yoshimori really wants to protect a coward and a liar.
Yoshimori admits he isn't sure whether Tan'yuu is good or bad, but still finds it weird that Mudou, as an Ayakashi himself, would talk about right and wrong. Mudou replies that while it is natural for Ayakashi to kill humans, Tan'yuu far overstepped his bounds by becoming too obvious, and for that reason, Mudou has come to judge him. He claims that as a human, Yoshimori probably wouldn't understand how Ayakashi behave. Yoshimori refuses to stand back and watch, and Mudou calls him a simple person, claiming to understand where Masamori's inferiority complex comes from. Yoshimori notices that the ball Mudou attached to the god's chest has gradually gotten bigger. Mudou suddenly attacks with his flying balls, and while Yoshimori gets his Zekkai armor up in time to block, the force of the blows knocks his down. Mudou admits he was trying to buy time by talking, and that everything he told Yoshimori was a lie. He confesses to being the one who killed countless humans and stole their souls, but adds that he is a close friend of Masamori's. Mudou poses a question to Yoshimori: after Mudou kills Yoshimori, would Masamori mourn his passing, or would he be happy?[59]
Mudou suggests that Masamori would be pleased if Yoshimori died, because it is natural for those who are not naturally gifted to hate those that are. Yoshimori asks if Mudou was telling the truth about being Masamori's friend, and Mudou says it is only partially true: they were friends in the Shadow Organization (which surprises Yoshimori). Yoshimori asks why Masamori is chasing Mudou, and Mudou says he is not the best person to answer that. Mudou suddenly attacks, repeatedly striking Yoshimori with his flying balls. Even with his Zekkai armor, Yoshimori takes considerable damage. Mudou tells him that the flying balls are similar to Zekkai: they eat away at whatever they touch. However, both Mudou and Yoshimori recognize that he is not able to fully use Zekkai. Lord Tan'yuu wakes up and offers to grant Mudou whatever he wants, but Mudou refuses, saying he will grant his own desires, and that he's using Tan'yuu and Yoshimori as footholds to gain them. Yoshimori feels his head growing light, and tries a last resort maneuver, but finds himself hesitating for some reason, and assumes something is missing. At first he thinks it is because he's not in Karasumori, but recalls he has still performed above his usual level in other places with no trouble. He recalls his adventures with the Tengu and Kurosusuki, but wonders for the first time if he was really just using his own power in the latter case. As Mudou halts his attack and begins to approach Yoshimori, a Nenshi shoots out of the lake and wraps around his ankle. Masamori emerges from the lake with his Zekkai, vaporizing Mudou's body. After witnessing Masamori's power, Yoshimori inwardly notes he can't possibly be the one who's gifted. Masamori is upset that Yoshimori entered the shrine against orders, but tells Yoshimori to be on his guard. He tells Yoshimori that "The Immortal Mudou" won't die so easily. Sure enough, the ball attached to Tan'yuu's chest remains, and fragments begin to collect on the lake and rapidly reform into Mudou's body.[60]
As Mudou reforms in front of them, Yoshimori questions Masamori about he and Mudou being former comrades. Masamori seems surprised that Mudou would mention it, but tells Yoshimori that back then, Mudou could recover from any wound as if it had never happened. He even admits that Mudou has been confirmed dead, cremated, and buried at least twice, but has risen from the dead each time. Masamori adds that he actually witnessed Mudou rising from the grave, and that all of this back when he was still human. Yoshimori decides to leave Mudou to Masamori, and goes to check on Lord Tan'yuu, who is still restrained by pieces of Mudou's scarf and the ball attached to his chest. Now fully reformed, Mudou attacks Masamori, who again defends with his Zekkai. Tan'yuu recognizes Masamori as the one who came to stop Mudou, and asks Yoshimori if Masamori is strong. Yoshimori says he is.
Yoshimori tries to remove the ball from Tan'yuu's chest, but is unable to. Masamori yells for him to destroy it instead. Mudou immediately grabs Tan'yuu with his scarf to keep Yoshimori from interfering. Yoshimori splits the scarf with multiple Kekkai and catches Tan'yuu with another, only to find that the ball is no longer attached to the god's chest. Mudou has taken back the ball, which has grown slightly larger than his hand. Yoshimori notes that the sky has grown darker, and Mudou says he has drained the Shinyuuchi's power from its god. Mudou absorbs the ball into his arm, and announces his intention to use it right away and switch to a more battle-ready form. Masamori senses Mudou's demonic power rising exponentially, but to his shock, Mudou becomes a teenage version of himself. Mudou explains that this is merely a step in his overall process: he intends to regress up to the very moment that he was born, although he has no idea how many lives he will have to steal to do so.[61]
Yoshimori watches in concern as Masamori's Zekkai falls against Mudou, and Mudou is impressed because it prevented Masamori from being fatally wounded. Yoshimori is shocked because he has never seen Masamori in such a weakened state. Mudou suddenly begins throwing discs at Yoshimori and Lord Tan'yuu. Yoshimori blocks the damage with a Kekkai, but it is easily destroyed. Masamori throws himself between Mudou and the pair, but soon falls to one knee. Masamori orders Yoshimori to take Tan'yuu and run. Yoshimori refuses to leave him, and they begin to argue. Yoshimori finally says that if Masamori is going act like that, he should just go ahead and defeat Mudou. Mudou is amused and offers Masamori a choice: he can choose whether he or Yoshimori will live. [62]
In a flashback, Yoshimori and Masamori carry home bags of groceries. Trying to keep up, Yoshimori trips and falls, but Masamori manages to catch his bag. Masamori reaches out to help Yoshimori up, but notices the Houin on his hand, and instead grabs Yoshimori's wrist roughly and drags him along. Yoshimori apologizes, and Masamori wonders why Karasumori chose Yoshimori.
In the present, Mudou orders Masamori to chose whose life will be spared, his or Yoshimori's. Masamori hesitates, and Yoshimori tells Masamori to stop protecting him, so that he can handle things himself. Masamori lets his Zekkai fall and asks Mudou to take Yoshimori's life. Both Mudou and Yoshimori seem surprised as Masamori lists his reasons to live: he has duties to the Night Troop, and other unfinished business, so he cannot afford to die yet. He claims to have fulfilled his role as a brother, and is sure that things will work out for Yoshimori, either through luck or talent because he is "the chosen one." Mudou compliments Masamori for making the same choice he did, and Masamori rises to leave. Mudou launches two extra large discs at Yoshimori. Inwardly, Masamori reveals that he made his choice in the hopes that Yoshimori's mistrust of him would finally allow him to fully use Zekkai, which requires the accumulation and domination of negative feelings. Yoshimori dodges the discs, which pass over him and head for Masamori, who defends with his Zekkai. Mudou reveals that the larger discs aren't harder for him to control as he previously stated, and Masamori realizes Mudou was aiming for him all along. Masamori struggles to push back the two discs, and in desperation to save him, Yoshimori activates Shinkai, bathing the area in white light. Mudou and the discs are obliterated, and Masamori recognizes this as the same "Zekkai" Yoshimori used at Kurosusuki. As the light fades, Yoshimori collapses from exhaustion. [63]
Masamori frantically tries to wake up Yoshimori, and is somewhat relieved to find that Yoshimori is merely exhausted. Masamori is amazed that Yoshimori would still save him after the things he said to him. Lord Tan'yuu tells Masamori to leave, and Masamori apologizes for allowing things to come so far. Tan'yuu repeats his order, explaining that he has the power to end and then recreate the Shinyuuchi. He admits he is uncertain whether he and the land will cease to exist, or if he will be chosen as the land's master again, but prefers either fate to Mudou (who is regenerating yet again as they speak) destroying everything. Tan'yuu offers to create an exit for the two brothers, as thanks for their defending him, intending to end Mudou's existence by destroying the land with him trapped in it. Masamori refuses, asking Tan'yuu to look after Yoshimori while he deals with Mudou. Tan'yuu questions the wisdom of this, because after what he has witnessed, he is fairly certain that with Yoshimori's power, he is the most dangerous person there. Masamori is shocked, as he had assumed that Tan'yuu lent his power to Yoshimori to use, but Tan'yuu confirms that he did not. Masamori leaves Yoshimori in Tan'yuu's hands, saying he will find his own way out. Yoshimori wakes up soon after. Tan'yuu tells him that there was once a lake where the land now stands, and that he was given life by the memory of the lake. As Yoshimori stares at him, he sees the image of a bird in Tan'yuu's face. Yoshimori suddenly remembers Masamori, who has confronted Mudou with his Zekkai again. Tan'yuu explains that it was Masamori's wish that Yoshimori escape safely, and transports him out of the land through a ripple in the lake.
Mudou admits he was surprised by Yoshimori, and guesses that the things Masamori said about Yoshimori were all lies. Mudou is suddenly surrounded by white feathers, which slowly began to dissolve his body. Masamori explains that he has earned the master's wrath, and says that the land and Mudou will both soon vanish. Masamori wants to ask Mudou one last question, and Mudou guesses that he wants to know how to escape the reason of the world. The answer, according to him, is the freedom that an Ayakashi has. Masamori snags Mudou with a Nenshi, and pulls him against, and then into his Zekkai. Masamori says he has no desire to reject his own self, and instead says he only wants to know why Mudou turned away from raising children as his true purpose. Mudou claims his ideas never changed, and Masamori replies that he is sick of the lies.
Yoshimori emerges out of the side of a building, catching himself with a mid-air Kekkai. His only concern is for Masamori, who is nowhere to be found. [64]
Yoshimori frantically beats on the side of the building, angry that Masamori chose to stay behind and let him escape. Yoshimori eventually returns where he first entered the shrine, and plunges his hand into the well, frantically reaching for Masamori, but is unable to enter the land a second time. [65]
Yoshimori frantically calls Masamori on his borrowed cell phone. Masamori finally answers, having emerged in an ally. Yoshimori points out that Masamori said earlier he might need to be called out of the depths, and Masamori assures him that he kept his promise. Yoshimori demands to know what happened, and Masamori tells him that though he feels like he lost, the master took care of things. Yoshimori asks Masamori to stop saving him, but Masamori counters by asking why Yoshimori chose to save him after everything he said. Yoshimori says he can't stand to see people get hurt. Masamori inwardly notes that if Yoshimori's "Kekkai" comes from the will to protect, then it is nothing like Masamori's Zekkai, which can only destroy. Masamori confesses that all the bad things he said about Yoshimori were lies, and Yoshimori apologizes for not following his orders. Masamori thanks Yoshimori for helping him, and tells him not to change. Yoshimori asks what happened to Lord Tan'yuu, but Masamori admits he doesn't know, and that he'll deal with the Shinyuuchi later. He also finally admits that he's so tired that he can't move, and asks Yoshimori to come get him.
As Mukade travels across the sky on one of his shadow bugs, a voice calls out to him, and he turns to see Yoshimori with Masamori collapsed over his back. Mukade at first fears that Masamori is dead, but Yoshimori assures him that he isn't. The morning sun begins to rise, and Yoshimori notes that when the light hits Masamori's smiling face, he really does look like he's dead. [66]
At Karasumori, Yoshimori explains to Tokine, Hakubi, and Madarao that the shrine, which was originally one but split into two, became unstable, but that Masamori united the shrines and stabilized it again. Yoshimori excitedly notes that fixing dimensions is part of a Kekkaishi's power, which must mean he can do it as well, though Tokine seems doubtful. Yoshimori wonders why Masamori lied about being recovered so quickly when he was obviously still wounded, causing Tokine to smile. Yoshimori wonders if the Shinyuuchi will be okay, since it was a nice place, apparently unaware that he has drawn a doodle of Tan'yuu in the dirt, which makes Tokine laugh. Tokine says everything will be fine, and inwardly notes she has never heard Yoshimori talk about his brother like this, and wonders if they're getting along now. [67]
Yoshimori is exhausted as he begins his third year of middle school, due to Kekkaishi duties the previous night. Tokine merely tells him he should be more mature and try harder, before leaving him behind on the way to school. Left alone, Yoshimori suddenly thinks of Gen Shishio, but doesn't know why.
At Karasumori Academy, students are looking at their new classroom assignments. Yurina Kanda is worried because her friends Kyoko and Ayano are in a different classroom, but Ayano points out that Yurina will be in the same class as Yoshimori again. Yoshimori learns from his friends that Tomonori Ichigaya is still his classmate, and they still have Mr. Kurosu as their teacher. In typical fashion, Yoshimori sleeps through the entire school day, and Tomonori wakes him up as school is ending. Yoshimori is stunned to find that his desk is directly in front of Mr. Kurosu's (Yoshimori nodded in his sleep, which Mr. Kurosu took to mean Yoshimori had no objection to being placed there). As Yoshimori desperately tries to get Tomonori to exchange seats, a familiar voice calls him. He is shocked to see Shu Akitsu from the Night Troop at the classroom door in a school uniform. Shu explains that he is now a student there and introduces himself to Tomonori. Yoshimori drags him aside, and Shu confirms that he has been dispatched there along with Sen, who is in fact in Yoshimori's class. Tomonori points out that the new transfer student (Sen) was absent, which shocks and distresses Shu. Shu later explains that he and Sen are now part of the Night Troop's Intelligence Unit (they used to be in the Combat Unit on Sen's suggestion), and specifies that they are there to investigate Karasumori, not assist the Kekkaishi as Gen did.
Yoshimori and Shu meet up with Tokine after school, and Yoshimori is bothered by how familiar the two seem with each other. Shu begins to explain how membership in the different units of the Night Troop works, but Sen finally appears to interrupt him. Shu immediately demands answers from him. Seeing Sen in his uniform, Yoshimori suddenly realizes why he thought of Gen that morning: Gen will never move past his second year of middle school. Sen is a little annoyed that Yoshimori seems so spaced out, and wonders if he has a problem with them being there. [68]
Shakujō: Yoshimori typically carries a Shakujō while on duty. While primarily used to perform Tenketsu, it can also serve as a secondary weapon, a cutting tool, or a means of support when fatigued. However, it is fairly common for him to discard his Shakujō until it is needed.
Shikigami Paper: Yoshimori carries several pieces of paper, marked with the Houin, to create Shikigami as needed.
Shidou's Feather: As a token of thanks for helping Kokuunsai, Yoshimori was given one of Shidou's feathers. Though it appears ordinary, when Yoshimori waves the feather, he can summon and communicate with any nearby crows.[69]
Black Orb: Yoshimori formerly carried a black orb that contained the soul of Chushinmaru Karasumori. The orb was kept in a small cloth bag (which bore Chushinmaru's mark) and worn around Yoshimori's neck at all times, which allowed Chushinmaru to appear outside of the orb and share his power with Yoshimori as needed. Because Chushinmaru's power was so great, the orb tended to crack after some time, and he had to be transferred to a new one about every two days. The final orb shattered within the Shinkai at Hakuma, but the power inside merely returned to Chushinmaru, who was finally safely contained.[70]
Hazama-Ryu Kekkaijutsu: Yoshimori's primary ability. His abnormally high power levels, coupled with his penchant for blunt, borderline haphazard attacks, means that his use of the Hazama style is marked by larger, more impressive Kekkai than his colleague Tokine is generally able to produce. Through training, he has managed to dramatically improve his precision, though his style still tends to favor brute force over finesse.
Quasi-Zekkai: Yoshimori has gradually become adept at producing an imperfect Zekkai that manifests as a black-colored flaming aura, which surrounds Yoshimori in a silhouette. It eliminates many things that come into contact with it,[71] however it can be overpowered, and its potency depends greatly on Yoshimori's focus and emotional state.
Shinkai: In times of great stress, Yoshimori has also proven capable of instinctively summoning a rare and potent Shinkai barrier that manifests itself as a bright white, extending spherical aura, with Yoshimori at the center.[72]Shinkai is distinct in that, unlike Ketsu, which merely separates the inside from the outside, and Zekkai, which rejects foreign entities, Shinkai creates a sphere inside of which Yoshimori is able to control reality, rejecting that which he wants removed and maintaining (perhaps even restoring, in Souji Hiura's case) that which he wants preserved. Tokimori Hazama has explained that Shinkai is "the first step of the first step" in creating a new world.[73] After training under Hazama, Yoshimori is able to produce Shinkai, as needed (with support from Chushinmaru), with far more control over its size and contents.[74]
Musou: Since completing his training in the Sumimura family well, Yoshimori enters the blank state and summons Shiguma in cube form.
Yoshimori has mastered a perfect Musou (blank) state, which completely shuts down his conscious mind and separates his powers from his emotions, using the resulting focus to dramatically increase his speed, precision, reflexes and power. This allows him to produce seemingly indestructible Kekkai in large numbers without any signs of fatigue or strain. While in this state, Yoshimori summons a familiar, or landlord, to maintain his connection to his heart. His landlord, Shiguma, takes the form of a striped cube that morphs into various animal and humanoid shapes.[75] Shiguma can also relay Yoshimori's subconscious thoughts to his conscious mind, thus allowing the conscious Yoshimori to understand and analyze the world around him in ways he never could otherwise. As part of Yoshimori, though, Shiguma shares his taste for brute force at the expense of subtlety.
Sensory Kekkai: While training with his mother's Shikigami, Yoshimori learns to use Sensory Kekkai while in his blank state. This allows him to extend his senses and investigate the surrounding area, gaining a great deal of information in the process, including the location of any nearby enemies. He can only maintain this for an instant, however.[76]
Enormous Spiritual Power: Even among the Sumimura Kekkaishi, all of whom seem to possess a great deal of spiritual power, Yoshimori has far more than even their standards would suggest is normal. Like his mother Sumiko, this routinely makes him capable of feats normally considered impossible, though to Yoshimori they are not as impressive because they are almost always well within the limits of his abilities (which is telling in itself).
Superhuman Endurance: Yoshimori repeatedly proves to have endurance in the range of superhuman in combat. He almost never reaches a point where he grows notably fatigued in battle. While some of this can be attributed to Karasumori's power supporting him as a Legitimate Successor, Yoshimori still possesses this trait even while removed from the site, proving that this is indeed a natural ability separate from Karasumori's power.[77] In addition, though his body is covered in scars from past battles, Yoshimori is never stated to have been seriously injured, or forced to withdraw from duty due to wounds suffered in battle. He is, however, still susceptible to common illnesses such as colds.
Chushinmaru Karasumori Affinity: Okuni reveals to Masamori that Yoshimori Chushinmaru sharing his power with Yoshimori and Shiguma
is an extremely rare human being that is compatible with Chushinmaru Karasumori, who can share his massive spirit reservoir that has the potential power to destroy the world, with Yoshimori.[78] It has become clear that Yoshimori shares an uncommon affinity with Chushinmaru. The child-like Karasumori is drawn to Yoshimori's brashness and brute power, presumably finding it entertaining. Because of this relationship, and when it suits him, Chushinmaru is capable of funneling his own power into Yoshimori, significantly augmenting his already considerable strength. After their departure from Karasumori Academy, Yoshimori carried Chushinmaru, contained within a round orb[79] in a pouch around his neck.[80] Yoshimori trained under Tokimori Hazama so that he could eventually seal the young lord's enormous power for good. Hazama himself commented that, when he is in Chushinmaru's presence, Yoshimori is nigh unbeatable.[81]
Tokine was Yoshimori's closest childhood friend, and saved him from trouble numerous times. However, several factors gradually caused them to grow apart, including the feud between their families, as well as their duties as Kekkaishi, which turned their friendship into more of a rivalry. Yoshimori resented being a Kekkaishi while Tokine dedicated herself to the job, which only caused more disagreements between them. Yoshimori's attitude changed drastically once Tokine was seriously wounded saving him from Yumigane: he devoted himself to becoming a strong Kekkaishi, so that no one, Tokine especially, would ever be hurt because of Karasumori. Despite the distance between them, Yoshimori developed an obvious crush on Tokine as they grew older, which she seemed aware of, but generally tried to discourage. Yoshimori became instantly jealous any time a male other than himself seemed to be getting friendly with Tokine, unaware that despite Tokine's sometimes harsh treatment of him, she held similarly strong feelings for him, though it was some time before she allowed herself to admit this. Yoshimori's main priority in battle, other than defeating the enemy, was to ensure Tokine's safety at all times, which both annoyed and impressed her.
Yoshimori is easily frustrated by his mother's behavior: she tends to do outrageous things that most people cannot understand, and seems to enjoy the chaos she causes. Additionally, he is somewhat disappointed that she has very little skill at typical household tasks, such as cooking and sewing. Despite this, Yoshimori cares for her deeply, and because of her constant absence in his life, he seems to want, more than anything, for her to just come home and stay there. He becomes extremely defensive if anyone insults Sumiko in front of him.
Yoshimori is originally left-handed (he could possibly be ambidextrous), but because the Houin appears on the right hand in the Sumimura family, Shigemori trained him to use Kekkaijutsu with his right hand. Yoshimori later discovers that it is much easier for him to use Kekkaijutsu with his left hand, and Tokimori Hazama guides him through the process of closing the sensory gap between his right and left sides.[82]
Though it is unknown how much energy Yoshimori has, he was once able to cover the entire courtyard of Karasumori Academy (which had been overgrown by a forest) in a giant Kekkai, and wasn't tired afterward.[83]
On the night that Tokine was injured by Yumigane, Yoshimori was wearing a white version of kunai holsters that Tokine does, but that is the only time he's ever seen with them.[2]
Yoshimori was fighting Ayakashi even before he began elementary school.[84] Oddly enough, if Tokio Yukimura had survived, he wouldn't have allowed Tokine to begin until she was in junior high.[85]
Sumimura Clan
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