The first time I felt another person direct their intent to kill at me
was shortly before my parents left the village.
He was probably a bandit.
I was deep in the mountains hunting with Father…
when I was nearly killed.
"You are not needed in this world."
That aura of powerful denial.
I felt it penetrating every pore of my body,
piercing my skin and stabbing directly into my flesh.
Yuru!
Are you all right? Are you hurt?
This is… his blood.
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have taken my eyes off you.
What… What is this?
Yuru, remember this.
This is the intent to kill.
You'll probably experience it again in the future. No…
As long as you're alive, it will probably be thrown at you countless times.
Do not hesitate against those who direct it at you.
Have you calmed down some, Yuru?
We'll head back to the village after spending the night on the mountain.
You can take your time calming down.
Breathe in deeply and let it out slowly.
That's it.
Let your anxiety out with your breath.
There are moments when fear can kill you.
Especially for hunters like us, who fight for our lives against beasts.
Calm down, analyze the situation, and determine what you should do.
Always consider how you can use the materials at hand to survive.
Death strikes where fear makes us vulnerable.
Listen, Yuru.
Don't tell the villagers you were attacked by a bandit.
Why not? The bandit's allies could attack the village.
We have to tell the others.
No, they won't attack our village.
Don't tell anyone.
When we get back to the village, act like you always do.
As though nothing happened.
Remain calm.
Mine-san!
We're back.
We're glad you're back.
We were worried when we heard you didn't come back last night.
Sorry about that.
We chased our quarry deep into the mountains.
Since I had Yuru with me, we played it safe
and spent the night out there.
You camped out overnight and have nothing to show for it?
That's unusual for you.
It happens.
Mine-san!
We're back, Kyoka-san.
Good. Yuru's with you.
We were worried when you didn't come back.
Did something happen in the mountains?
No, nothing.
We just chased our quarry too far.
Did you get hurt?
It's the blood of the rat we ate for dinner.
Boy, am I hungry.
That rat wasn't nearly enough food.
Where's Nagisa? With Asa?
Yes, she's inside. - Okay.
Let's have breakfast together, Yuru.
Okay.
Nagisa.
We're back, Mother.
Welcome home.
I was so worried when you didn't return.
Sorry.
Sorry, Asa.
We went deep into the mountains and were late coming back.
Were you hurt?
Are you okay, Brother?
Nothing happened. I'm totally fine.
Nothing happened.
Man… I was too anxious to sleep while camping out.
I'm a little tired.
Brother.
Take care of yourself.
I almost had it.
It was really big. - Nagisa.
I'm sure you'll get it next time.
Yeah. - Yeah. I'm looking forward to it.
Shortly after that,
Father and Mother left the village without me and Asa.
Or so I thought.
I was actually the only one left behind.
Father and Mother fled the village with Asa.
The girl I thought was my sister
whom I lived with for ten years was an impostor.
For ten years,
the people of Higashi Village lied to me.
Or so the self-proclaimed "real" Asa said.
According to her…
I died once.
I was killed by a Higashi Village assassin.
We fled Higashi Village and evaded our pursuers.
Then the Kagemori clan took us in.
We thought things had calmed down,
but then Father and Mother went missing.
Last year, when I was fifteen, I was captured by an assassin.
I was killed then and gained the power of Break.
This is the power of the Daemon
that lives on the boundary between the land of the dead and ours.
The Daemon I met had the power of Break.
Oh? Some flesh has arrived.
Huh?
I was cut by a Higashi Village assassin, and…
You died.
You died once.
Then is this hell?
I suppose this place doesn't look like paradise.
Wait.
Why do you assume you'd be sent straight to hell upon your death?
What kind of life did you live in your world?
This is the boundary between the land of the dead and your world.
Let's see… Where is it?
Here. This is it.
In your country, this place is known as Yomotsu Hirasaka.
It's just like Father said.
According to the village legend,
"Male and female twins
born in the eastern village before and after daybreak
on a day when the day and night are equal lengths
will travel to the shadow realm to command Daemons."
Oral traditions always get distorted over time.
To be precise, it's "just before the shadow realm."
The people of Higashi Village actually tried to kill me.
Well, you can't come here unless you die.
So, what will you do now? - What?
Humans who come here have two paths to choose from.
Remain dead or accept me.
If you wish to die, simply fall from that path.
If you want to live,
accept me, the power of Break, and return to the world of the living.
It's convenient.
As long as you can see him,
you can "break" the enemy commander's head off his body on the battlefield.
You can end wars by yourself.
Depending on the era, you could become a hero.
There are plenty of other ways to use it, too.
But in exchange, those who wish to use you will gather around you.
You may experience a living hell.
You may think you're better off dead.
My personal hell may have already begun.
Father and Mother were kidnapped.
I don't know what happened to them.
Because I was born, they…
Wait! Has my brother already come here?
Has he been killed?
I don't know.
When he dies, he'll go to where Seal is.
He hasn't been here.
I don't know what's happened to your brother.
I can't die.
We left my brother behind in the village.
I don't know if he's still alive.
Maybe he's been killed, like me.
I have to go save him.
I can't die yet!
Choose. Life or death.
You have beautiful eyes.
Only look forward as you advance.
Don't turn back.
Hey, she's not coming back to life!
But…
They're the first twins in 400 years!
They were finally born!
Maybe she's a decoy prepared by the Kagemori clan.
I saw this girl in the village.
I'm sure it's her.
Yeah, years ago, when she was a kid.
In a gloomy cell, no less.
You couldn't have seen her face clearly.
I know it's her.
Then we failed to resurrect her.
We can't get the power of Break anymore.
There's still Seal.
Seal is more than strong enough to control the underworld.
The brother's completely brainwashed by the village, so he'll obey us.
We should kill him and…
Did you find Asa?
Where?
Asa!
Asa, you dummy.
You should leave the killing to misfits like us.
Sorry, Gabby-chan.
I didn't choose to be a chosen twin,
but now, I'm following the path I chose.
I'll get my own hands dirty.
I'm sorry, Brother.
The perfect, little, adorable, and innocent Asa you knew
is gone now.
They were an ox and horse?
Like Ox-Head and Horse-Face, I guess?
They're old but well-maintained.
They must've been well-loved.
Man, I'm hungry.
I wonder what's for breakfast.
Good morning.
Is anybody home?
Good morning, Kagemori clan.
Huh? Should I push this call button?
Don't rich people have guards watching the gate?
Who are you?
There you are.
Hello, Kagemori clan.
Sorry, I know it's early.
The name's Tadera Ryu.
I'm here to pick up Yuru.
Someone from the Tadera clan?
Dera-san?
Apparently, he's here for Mr. Big Brother.
I'd completely forgotten about Dera.
What shall we do?
Oh, right.
We didn't tell him when we left.
I trust the Kagemori clan.
They're a pain in the ass.
Honestly, I'd rather not get involved with them.
It'd be best to hear out both sides at the same time.
Could you have Dera-san come here?
Very well.
Akio, bring him to the entrance.
Yes, sir.
Don't kill anyone this time.
I won't. I said I was sorry.
Good morning, Jin.
The mansion is quite a mess.
Did something happen?
Good morning, Asuma-san.
A number of external Daemon Wielders entered the mansion
and went on a rampage.
Well, that must've been difficult.
And yet, you didn't come to help despite the disturbance.
What were you up to?
Sleeping.
You didn't hear the commotion even with your keen hearing?
Whoa, what is all this?
What is this, Jin-kun?
Good morning, Hagure-kun.
Good morning, Asuma-kun.
What happened here?
Was there an earthquake?
A number of external Daemon Wielders targeting the twins attacked the mansion.
What? Is Asa-chan okay?
Sorry for the disturbance. I'm fine.
Oh, good.
Wait, twins? You mean…
Her brother is here, too.
You found your brother?
That's great, Asa-chan.
Yuru-kun, right?
I've heard about you from… Asa-chan…
These are my brother's Daemons, Right and Left.
Nice to meet you.
Sorry I couldn't help when you were in trouble, Jin-kun.
I crashed after my deadline.
Not at all. Good work meeting your deadline.
This is bad.
We had a barrier around the mansion to keep outsiders away.
It makes you wonder when and how they got in.
We'll tor—interrogate the ones we captured again.
Man, this sucks.
The mansion isn't safe anymore.
I won't be able to rest easily.
That's Dad's car.
The master has returned.
Hello, sir.
Hey. Sounds like you ran into some trouble.
Hello and good morning.
Master, is that…?
I'm Tadera Ryu.
We ran into each other, so I gave him a ride.
He's from the Tadera clan.
Apparently, he's Yuru-kun's guardian.
Are you okay, Yuru?
Ah, so you're Yuru-kun.
I'm Kagemori Gonzo, head of the clan.
Nice to meet you.
I've heard about you two.
Your Daemons sure are impressive.
The Tadera clan, retainers of Higashi Village.
They serve as liaisons between Higashi Village and the outside world.
They're a cautious clan that's never shown themselves to us before.
So what's one of them doing defenseless in the middle of enemy territory?
Could the Kagemoris and Dera be working together?
No.
I can feel that the old man and Jin genuinely want to kill him.
What did the Tadera clan do to the Kagemoris?
Dera-san.
What's up?
She told me that I'd acquire the power of Seal if I die.
You knew about that, didn't you?
Right and Left, why didn't you tell me either?
I just heard the village legend.
I don't know the details.
But you're a kind and caring brother.
If someone did something to Asa-chan and blackmailed you,
you'd throw your life away.
Knowing you can die once
and be fine makes it easier to act recklessly.
That's a dangerous way to think.
There's no guarantee you'll come back to life.
Remember how we said you're the first Higashi Village twins in 400 years?
One of the last twins didn't come back to life.
Okay. This isn't a conversation to have standing around.
Yuru-kun, are you hungry?
What?
Come to think of it, I haven't had anything since last night.
Then let's talk over breakfast.
Hey!
Tell everyone to prepare breakfast!
Yes, sir!
Don't worry. I won't poison you.
I appreciate that. Thanks for the meal.
Breakfast with Brother!
NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW
I'm Hagure Hikaru. I'm a mangaka.
What's a mangaka?
Every time twins are born, the world is thrown into chaos.
Translator: Sho Stifler