Summary:
Maki is outmatched by Naoya’s top speed and needs to recover. Noritoshi is no longer the heir of the Kamo clan and his mother has a new family, so he feels like he has nowhere to belong. He is willing to sacrifice himself for Maki and puts it all on the line to buy time against Naoye.
Plot:
Proud of his newfound strength, Naoya boasts that he doesn’t remember when he was weaker than Maki, just as adults don’t remember being helpless as children. Maki taunts Naoy about never being an adult, and he then responds by bringing up Mai to provoke her. Maki jumps to her feet and Noritoshi throws his remaining arrows into Naoya’s arm.
Annoyed by Noritoshi’s interference, Naoya is distracted long enough for Maki to kick him away. Noritoshi attacks with more blood to keep Naoya away from Maki, confusing the cursed spirit. Naoya doesn’t understand where Noritoshi is getting the ammo until he realizes that Noritoshi is pouring blood in and out of his body. This method exhausts Noritoshi and Naoya’s warning, which states that Noritoshi is headed for death.
Noritoshi moves to protect Maki and tells her to run away from the colony. Maki says that Noritoshi is going to die and refuses, saying that he can recover quickly if he only buys her five minutes. Noritoshi, feeling like his life doesn’t matter, agrees to fend off Naoya with everything he can. Unable to sense where Maki is, Naoya focuses her attacks on Noritoshi. He is slowed by a Blood Manipulation attack that is poisonous to cursed spirits, but still brutal Noritsohi with repeated attacks.
Naoya’s cursed spirit body is only rigid when accelerating as it curls into its shell to avoid destroying its body. The rest of the time he’s not as durable and Noritoshi tries to take advantage of it with big moves that he doesn’t think Naoya is expecting. Noritoshi attacks recklessly without regard for himself, ready to sacrifice his life as he feels he has nowhere to return. At some point, Noritoshi found his mother with a new family, including a husband and child. They looked happy, but Noritoshi felt like he didn’t belong with them. Norotishi feels like he failed to make a place for her in the Kamo clan and now he’s the one with nowhere to go.
Noritoshi believes his life is best used as a sacrifice in service to his fellows so they can burn their lives to his ashes. Before Noritoshi’s life completely burns down, two unknown and quirky newcomers suddenly appear. They cry and scream about sumo matches and katanas.