Hiroshi becomes concerned about Isuzu when she skips school, and goes to take her the notes she missed only to be turned away by Isuzu's mother. Later in the evening, Isuzu calls Hiroshi and arranges to meet with him. Meanwhile, the villagers argue about the village's hassaku shortage and how it is affecting the villagers, and one villager, Kasai, suggests killing an unnamed person to eliminate the "problem" altogether. Isuzu takes Hiroshi to the park and confesses her feelings for him, but Hiroshi sees that her eyes are glowing red and attempts to run away. Isuzu corners him, but they are confronted by the girl with the scythe, revealed to be Nemuru. Isuzu attacks Nemuru, but is defeated after a short fight and, taking Hiroshi, runs away. She tells Hiroshi that she is in love with him and is willing to die if she can be with him, but when he hesitates to reply, she admits that she doesn't wish to be killed by Nemuru, who was watching the scene, and jumps off the roof. She is caught and carried away by the masked figures, and Hiroshi tries to follow, but is stopped by Nemuru. Hiroshi angrily confronts Nemuru for an answer as to what is going on, and she tells him to stay away from Isuzu for the time being and then knocks him out.

Nemuru releases Kaname from prison and confirms her theory that they are the Jōga wolves in human form, but warns her not to delve further into her research. Sakaki contacts Shigetsu and obtains data on the Jōga wolves from him. The cloaked and masked figures try to arrest Hiroshi, but Nemuru interferes and is later placed under house arrest and stripped of her duties for her disobedience. After hearing that Sakaki has been hired by the village council to capture Hiroshi and has him at a construction site, she leaves to find him but is knocked unconscious by Sakaki after a long fight. Sakaki contacts Hiroshi, who was actually at home, and then traps him in an abandoned shrine with a bound Nemuru.