Halloween Jiangshi Night Episode 2 Part 1

Scene picks up a bit elsewhere around the time Tetsugyuu’s big blowout blows over as Gouryou takes Benten to a place on the school grounds. Benten mentions feeling a strange chill and asks if this is really part of the school. Gouryou shrugs and says it basically is, then tells her not to touch things since there’s a lot of stuff around that’s more special than your average junk.

Gouryou then says there’s rumors that cursed objects from other worlds with profound destinies get enshrined in that building. Benten asks about that, so he explains that they’re items that came from other worlds that have gathered faith from a portion of the population. He then kicks away a bunch of cardboard boxes as he clears a path to the center of the room.

Despite what he’s said about the stuff here, Gouryou says they probably wouldn’t be the sorts of things that would cause a disaster if taken out. They can’t do much to people who don’t believe that they’re cursed, if I understand him right. However things would change if they’re used within the school, which is why they’re in custody.

Benten notes that this is kind of messy treatment for stuff like that, though she also sees that everything is stuffed into cardboard boxes and duct tape. Gouryou says that’s because most people skip out on cleaning, so management’s not that in order either. Then he finds what he’s looking for.

Gouryou opens the box and smiles, telling Benten that his hunch is right on the money. Benten says it looks like a bunch of regular old fireworks and asks why anyone would hide that. Gouryou agrees, saying these are random fireworks you could just buy off Asakusa’s temple market street, then turns the box around and asks Benten to look at what’s written on the box.

The box turns out to have Resurrection Incense written on it, which Benten remembers is what Li Chou said he had. Gouryou says it’s a cursed object from Hourai that’s said to make the dead appear in the smoke it gives off when lit. Benten realizes something about what Li said about using fireworks earlier, and Gouryou confirms that he used the real Resurrection Incense because someone switched them out.

Anyways, now that that’s been figured out Gouryou says it’s time to call you guys soon. He doesn’t know how it relates fully to the current incident but maybe it’ll help. Benten makes the observation that Gouryou is familiar with the incense like he knows from experience, then is startled when Gouryou goes quiet at what she was trying joke about.

Gouryou then passes it all off as a trick or treat joke, which pisses Benten enough to the point of threatening to shove his head into a box and holding a memorial for him. Gouryou begs her to put her biwa down as she draws closer.

Gouryou admits he really did try using the incense once, but it didn’t work. Benten is surprised he did and had someone he’d want to see that badly. She then accuses him of being up to something since she doesn’t think he’d normally say something romantic. He laughs and says he has a really big wish. He acts out a fantasy skit about heroically exorcising a ghost scaring a cute girl and getting hugged by her.

Benten decides to not comment on that and says they should call you guys soon. Gouryou is shocked she didn’t react since she asked, then calls her cold. As the two of them leave, Sanat Kumara turns out to have been watching from the shadows as he steps out into the open before leaving too.

Title card pops up, and this chapter is called Fierce Fighting? Acrobatic Fever Night.

Camera tunes back to the gym after the curtain has fallen on the improv play and the applause is rolling. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and there is no sign of problems breaking out again. Li Chou takes a peek before going back to the room to let out all his nerves with some gasping. He then tells everyone that the audience seems happy and that things seemed to have worked out to everyone’s satisfactions.

You sigh in relief that you’ve gotten through things or wonder how well it went. Taromaiti compliments you two and says it didn’t seem like it was improv at all. Li Chou awkwardly fumbles thanking Taromaiti and trying to be tough. Taromaiti compliments Li on his Hourai-style narration and says she’d like to have other Daikanyama students hear him do it.

Taromaiti then comments that Tetsugyuu seems to have come to his senses. He still seems out of it though. Tetsugyuu starts talking to you like he just woke up and asks what he was doing. When you tell him he was acting he initially dismisses it before saying it might be true. He says he got the feeling he met someone important to him and that it couldn’t have been possible outside a play. He can still remember the voice and feel the warmth in his hands.

You either comment on how crazy things were earlier, tell Tetsugyuu he did great, or notice that Sanat Kumara is gone. In B, Tetsugyuu says he doesn’t remember but feels like he met his mother. He says he’s happy if it helped you out. Going C, Li Chou notices too but says Sanat always comes and goes like he’s Batman without any warning. Given who it is he’s sure Sanat was around standing guard keeping an eye out.

Shinya comes over and says it seems like things have calmed down for now. Kalki compliments the play and says it was moving. Taromaiti thanks the two for helping since she couldn’t do that while also acting at the same time. Li Chou then has a thought about what the Daikanyama students do too.

Tetsugyuu asks where Nezha and the jiangshi are. Li Chou realizes Hanuman isn’t there either and worries he’s up to shenanigans again. Shinya says they’re fine and suggests they look from the stage. When Tetsugyuu and Li do so, they see Nezha, Hanuman, and the jiangshi together with the audience.

Nezha is proud of themselves and asks if they won since they managed to stop the mobs without hurting them. Hanuman thinks this is more due to Li Chou’s actions than Nezha and says all they did was spin around in Tetsugyuu’s tornado like laundry in a washing machine.

One mob apologizes for their actions and asks if the mage girl is okay. She gives him candy and tells him to stop with the tricks. She’s glad they calmed down. Some tribal praises the jiangshi for their singing, which a mob is happy about. He says his head is spinning but decides it’s not a big deal. Another mob gives back the clothes they stole from a wolf and apologizes for something they can’t remember much. The wolf decides to let it go for the season and says getting his things back is enough.

Tetsugyuu and Li Chou both wonder if Hanuman and Nezha managed to make the jiangshi calm again, and Kalki comments that the Kali Yuga is over. Shinya says it’s like the jiangshi have stopped being possessed ever since the play finished. Kalki compares it to the coming of the Krita Yuga and says it doesn’t seem like they’ll rampage again.

Hanuman comes over to talk to you and Li Chou as he says everyone’s forgiven the jiangshi now. Li is surprised that it came so easily before noticing something else. Shinya says that when the mobs calmed down, Hanuman took the initiative and took the mobs around to apologize to everyone. He’s amazed by that kind of action and communication ability. Li however seems horrified.

At that moment your phone rings, and you can say it’s from Gouryou or from Benten (oh no!). In A, Gouryou greets you and says he could hear the tornado earlier. He tries to keep things brief since things look bad, but he has to stop to tell Benten to stop touching everything. In B Benten says she knows you went oh no before picking up. She then asks about the play she heard about since it’s posted on social media. Benten complains that you should have called her over to take part too. Then Gouryou takes her phone to talk to you.

Anyways Gouryou says he’ll tell you what he’s learned before things turn for the worse. You turn on speakerphone as The Analyst starts playing for exposition time. Gouryou jumps straight to the point that Li Chou has used the real Resurrection Incense and that it seems to have been switched out just before the festival started.

Li is shocked to hear that, and Gouryou goes on to say that someone is using the Halloween festival as a pretext to bring back a custom done by a part of Hourai. You figure out this must be the Kizuki (despite somehow not knowing about Shukaku’s story), and Gouryou confirms that there’s a genuine Ghost Festival or whatever happening with the incense smoke hanging around the school.

Li Chou calls it a method of calling all manner of spirits. Gouryou says they could be spirits or souls or ‘memories’, but that’s the gist of it. Hanuman asks if this is related to the jiangshi going haywire. You say you don’t understand, ask if they were possessed, or say things are getting more Halloweeny.

Going B if it matters, Li Chou mentions that according to one (Taoist) belief in Hourai, souls are composed of three parts kon/hun/spiritual yang and seven parts paku/po/physical yin. Jiangshi are made up of the latter. It’s probably why they look for mental support and why they’re easily influenced by other people.

Gouryou thanks Li for the explanation and says he’ll be getting to the main issue. What they call ghosts are easily able to get into jiangshi without yang and the other souls without bodies/yin. There are ways to keep them from causing trouble like giving them offerings, though some things are forbidden. Gouryou asks if Li knows.

Li Chou is annoyed at having to explain things again, but takes a moment to think. He then brings up an example of not leaving your laundry to dry at night. Hanuman jumps into the conversation since he’s heard of some things too, like how you can’t call the ghosts ‘ghosts.’ Li elaborates that during the season, you instead call the ghost souls friends. The reason for that is that calling them by that word creates faith. Ghosts become ghosts, and tigers become tigers.

Gouryou adds that the souls that come back from the underworld or hell would feel bad if you call them ghosts straightaway. The ghost festival is about welcoming back the spirits who’ve returned to the world, even the evil ones in the middle of repenting. Call any of them evil and they’ll think that of themselves too. It’s why they camouflage themselves to move faith around.

You ask about the connections between the jiangshi and the bodiless souls. Li Chou realizes that the jiangshi are susceptible when possessed and are like the ghosts during the ghost festival. Call them scary and they will act as such. Gouryou then reminds people what happened when the jiangshi first appeared and how some girl yelled about how the mobs are attacking.

Shinya asks if the jiangshi attacked because everyone thought that’s what was happening. Gouryou confirms it, then says the amount of attacking mobs will increase if people keep thinking so. That would make more people fear them, and then there’d be this negative spiral going on. You ask if people are judging all of them based off of one of them and protest how they aren’t all like that.

Li Chou says that if you guys can change people’s impressions of them they’ll return to normal, like how the play worked out. Gouryou says you’ll just have to make their image more favorable somehow. Shinya points out that if someone actually sees them attacking people it might not be possible to pass it off as a prank.

Taromaiti says this isn’t just limited to the mobs though, by which she means the bit about how majorities make what they believe into reality. Kalki says the Kali Yuga is the same with how ignorance begets ignorance. You then suggest either manipulating events like before, think about how to make people not see the jiangshi as bad, or suggest going to explain to everyone.

Going C, Gouryou says you don’t have that much time to do that, but he likes that part about you. He also says it might be better to not tell everyone how it works and just make things exciting since it’s an event.

Li Chou goes quiet, and Gouryou asks him what he’ll do since this seems to be the point that decides whether the festival will be a flop or not. He tells him not to think on it too hard because accidents happen. Covering things up before they get out of hand would be fine too. Li however objects since that wouldn’t be honest and tries to excuse his earlier usage as a last resort.

Taromaiti supports Li Chou and calls the play’s success turning a bad situation around and not a cover up. Shinya agrees and says it looks like the festival is starting off with a great success. Li doesn’t say anything and thinks that he needs to thank them and apologize for earlier, but decides he shouldn’t for fear of getting mocked.

Hanuman asks what Li Chou is worrying about, so Li blusters about how he’s a solitary delinquent and totally isn’t thinking about gratitude. Hanuman is surprised and asks why he’s lashing out at him.

Gouryou is about to hang up before deciding he should tell Li one more thing. He thinks it’s fine to either fudge the truth or to not do so in order to solve the current incident. There still is the matter about which one Li Chou can do better though. Gouryou would pick covering things up himself and thought Li might be the same way. He tells him to do what he wants though before hanging up.

Scene cuts to Gouryou’s side as he takes a breather and stretches. Benten teases him for acting like a senpai and looking after someone. He laughs it off and says he’s not suited to be that way. He then asks what Benten will do as she doesn’t have to stick around for a school she doesn’t go to. He also throws in a joke asking if she wants to be with him.

Benten laughs and says she wants to be wherever she thinks is going to be trending. She’s getting interested in Li Chou, so she’ll stick around a bit longer. Benten also thinks an event a bit out of the ordinary would be fine too. She relates to Li’s feelings about not wanting to fail since she wouldn’t want to be told she’s failing due to being a bit unusual.

Gouryou doesn’t try to stop her and says he’s done enough for the day. Benten however refuses to let him sit around since he invited her and demands he help make the festival a hit and to stick with her to the end. He gives in and complains about the botheration.

Scene shifts to the front of the school as Nezha notes how many people are around and asks if they can go greet them. Hanuman tells them they can’t because it’s too intense for outsiders. It’d just be a waste since they finally have people coming to the school. Li Chou notes people are coming from Daikanyama and sighs that it just had to be the time something wrong is happening for his plan to be working.

Taromaiti talks about how the first area people would see upon getting to the school is the stall area. You mention getting hungry at the idea, say you want to go right away, or ask what will be done with the mobs in the gym. Shinya says his group will take care of them and handle things like before if it comes to it. Kalki sees that he could have said that earlier.

Kalki then addresses you and says you guys should spare no effort to solve the current situation, which he calls a small Kali Yuga. Li Chou takes offense at the ‘small’ descriptor, so Kalki wonders why he can’t talk things out smoothly like Shinya can.

Hanuman asks you and Li Chou to let him split off with Nezha to look for jiangshi in less populated areas. They’ll take them to the gym if they see any, and Hanuman is confident in their mobility. Nezha gets excited at the prospect of a speed contest and wishes you guys good luck before zooming off making engine noises once more.

After the two of them leave, Tetsugyuu thinks you’re on a raid and asks you to take him with you. If anything happens he’s sure he’ll be of help. And more importantly, he says he can’t trust Li Chou alone with you. You either agree and talk like a regular person, permit him like you’re some sort of lord or something, or ask Li if he’s ready.

Going C Li is baffled you’re taking charge when he’s the festival exec, then tells you not to go on ahead of him. Tetsugyuu says he’ll be the vanguard and that it’s time for the Kabukicho, no wait Umamichi Special Attack Force to go. As he runs off, Li Chou tells him to wait since he’s supposed to lead dammit. Then you all run towards the stalls.

Narration shifts focus to turn the clock back and tunes in to the street leading to Umamichi. Plenty of people are around in costumes, yet one particular person is getting all the attention. One rando wonders if it’s Halloween charm, another swoons about wanting to call this person onee-sama, and another wants to give them a piggy back ride.

Harlot turns out to be the one everyone’s talking about, and she’s on the phone asking about having seen the last parts of a play and how exciting it was. She then talks about how the one on the other side will be coming over later. Since there was a crowd when she left she asks if they’ve gotten hurt or not.

Arc turns out to be on the other side and says Harlot worries too much. Since they’re on the subject, Harlot asks if that means Azathoth hasn’t come back to them yet. She promises to call if she finds him around Umamichi, then asks Arc to take care of Surtr and hurry over. She ends the call by telling them to be careful since the trains will be crowded and that she loves her.

After ending the call Harlot takes a moment to sigh. Ziz then turns up and comments on how lovely Harlot looks with that happy motherly look on her face. Harlot laughs it off as a joke and says Ziz looks beautiful too, who thanks her.

Harlot asks if what Ziz told her earlier is for real. Ziz confirms that she heard at Daikanyama’s lost child center that Azathoth has gone on ahead to Umamichi. He was spotted with someone with a particular speech pattern, so Ziz asks if Harlot has any ideas who. Harlot sighs and says there’s plenty as she comments on how much Azathoth throws everyone into chaos.

Harlot then asks if Ziz is okay with accompanying her since she has her own group to meet up with. Ziz says it’s fine since she thought it’d be hard to find them again through the crowds. Plus, Behemoth is with Ryouta. That said Ziz is still worried and wonders if Behemoth is causing issues again by overeating. After a moment to think on it she considers turning back. What if he got stuck in the train doors?

Harlot tells Ziz to calm down, so Ziz apologizes and comments on how similar the two of them are. Harlot seems bothered for a moment before suggesting they might not be. She’s happy that Ziz thinks so though. When Ziz tries to ask her about that, Harlot suggests hurrying along since it’ll be harder to find people when more people start coming. Ziz watches silently before following.

Time skips to some point later as Harlot comments on how noisy the place is. She’s heard rumors about how there’s so many battle crazy students there though. Ziz notices and points out the smoke coming from the gym and wonders if it’s part of a play. Harlot points out that clearly the amount of smoke coming out is far from normal. And based on its scent she thinks it may be incense from Hourai. As particular as it is, she also thinks it’s calming and likes it. Ziz says she’s getting excited.

Narration describes Harlot and Ziz as not being that familiar with the Chinese style mood as they stand there when some guy runs by and yells to run since the dead are back and pranking people. Ziz thinks it’s just normal trick or treat stuff and isn’t worried since she has candy. The guy says she’s wrong before backtracking a little, then repeats that they should run before they get attacked.

Harlot says she feels like there’s some sort of misunderstanding going on and asks what the big deal is. Then she notices that she got a text message from Azathoth: “Is something fun happening? Ahyahya.” In shock she asks what he’s up to now.

Ziz points out and asks if the dead coming back refers to someone she sees. A jiangshi hops by moaning a Happy Halloween out, and the guy panics as he runs off. Harlot questions the jiangshi being a resurrected dead person, and the episode ends as the mob jumps at her.