There will be major spoilers throughout this post, because honestly we’re already so far into the series and I want to talk about some parts that require spoilers.
First of all, I’m a physical collector for these books, and this is the first book where I waited to buy the physical release before reading it. Because I waited for the physical, I noticed right away that this book was slimmer than the other books. After finishing the book, it’s apparent that this is because the whole story was split into two parts, which is kind of annoying. It probably could have fit into one thicker volume, but capitalism prevails, I guess.
The last volume covered Ryouji’s past with his sister, and a great “conclusive” feeling to the stories of Ryouji and Misato. However, the author clearly knew that she wasn’t done, as this volume dives heavily into the emotional states of Misato, his friend Hirose, and others.
The premise is as follows: In a neighboring town, there’s a cursed mask used in Kagura dances that breaks containment, and ends up possessing a distraught, downtrodden man. This possession causes the man to attempt to seek vengeance on the people he believes have wronged him (hence the subtitle of the book: “The Tale of Kushinada’s Vengeance”). The Tomoe City Abnormal Disaster Unit is brought in to investigate and recover the mask.
While previous cases have been relatively on a smaller scale, this is a big one. The havoc caused by a supernatural entity posessing a flesh-and-blood human being means that everyone can see and be affected by this person, not just supernaturally inclined folks like Misato. This entity presents a real physical threat, and that changes how everyone operates. The characters must learn to rely on non-powered staff and officers to help them in their efforts to subdue the mask, which I thought was a fresh idea.
The story also addresses Misato’s mental health, as although we have seen him overcome much in this series, real trauma and the subsequent self-loathing/coping mechanisms that might arise from it doesn’t just simply disappear. The care that Ryouji shows Misato in this instance shows that the two have evolved from simply “landlord and tenant” to a much closer relationship, as if it wasn’t hinted at before.
Also, as a supporter of the Ryouji/Misato ship, I feel like while previous volumes might have had very wink/nudge casual ship bait for the two, this was the first volume where I felt like it was seriously subtext to the main plot, and a shame that this series wasn’t officially a BL series. Super spoilery thoughts below:
It’s been confirmed previously that Misato’s snake familiar, Shirota, is really just another facet of his soul. When he is heartbroken by another person’s rejection of this snake side to him (though they couldn’t help it due to ophidiophobia, the phobia of snakes), it wounds him deeply. Shirota ends up leaving Misato’s body and refusing to rejoin him, even crying to Ryouji due to perceiving Misato’s hatred of snakes (self-loathing). Ryouji reassures Shirota that he’ll always love him.
And after that, there’s a scene where Misato confesses that he has had (and continues to have) suicidal thoughts due to his existence as a cursed entity and his past. Ryouji handles this in the most green-flag way possible, insisting that Misato tell him about that whenever possible. Ryouji however, doesn’t simply insist that Misato suffer alone.
“When that day comes, tell me. Don’tcha dare try to leave on your own. Wherever we go, we go together—so don’t up and leave me.” (Page 160)
What follows is level of physical intimacy that we’ve never seen between them before, where he strokes Misato’s back right where Shirota (the snake) enters his body. Shirota re-entering Misato is not even an analogy, he LITERALLY feels whole when he’s around Ryouji. He feels safe, taken care, and acknowledged for who he truly is (half-human, half-spiritual-snake entity?).
There’s even a cute scene afterwards where he notices that Ryouji is actually really handsome while they’re bathing at an onsen together (meaning that he’s starting to catch feelings). What is this if not the beginnings of a true romantic relationship????
It feels like the author really wanted to pursue that angle, but also didn’t want the series labeled as a BL series either.
Despite the relatively shorter book and the lack of a conclusive ending (it will follow in a 5th book it seems according to the afterward), this was another great book with thoughtful characters and interesting commentary on the nature of human relationships. There’s no date for the English release of the next book, but since the 5th volume released in Japan in May 2025, and the 4th book only released in November 2025, hopefully the next book is coming soon.
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