The Affairs of Three Realms (
Short Summary[]
Yato and the Stray venture into Yomi, while Ebisu is brought into suspicion at a Divine Council in Takama-ga-hara.
Extended Summary[]
Okuninushi complains that the divine council is only supposed to happen once a year, this is interfering with his business and he wants to take Inaba-chan (his pet bunny) out for hoppies. Kofuku bursts in declaring how she’s missed Okuninushi, and Daikoku restrains her. Okuninushi says he and Ebisu will one day file a lawsuit against her for naming her guide and herself after them. She asks after Ebisu, he likely won’t be there due to poor health, and they note Yato’s lack of presence since his addition to the takama-ga-hara. Kazuma seems concerned that Yukine didn’t mention Yato’s disappearance for a month. Kofuku notes that it’s not unusual for him to disappear, but it is strange since he so looked forward to a divine council.
Yato and The Stray find the entrance to Yomi. She notes that the entrance is open and ‘he’ has already gone in, to which Yato questions who and why they have to go in, since it’s like jumping into a vent, they’ll get eaten alive. He also expresses his concerns that the guardian deity isn’t there due to the divine council meeting and questions if they will be able to make it back and if it will really be over after this job. Nora asks if he’s scared and promises that her and Father will protect him. He summons her and she says she’ll be much better than a blessed vessel. Yato ponders what Father could be plotting and why he’s always dragging him around, he wants to go home.
Hiyori and friends are cleaning the team room, and much to her dislike some boys are still commenting on her time as the ‘stormy schoolgirl’. Ami notes it as out of the blue that Hiyori started managing the baseball team, but Hiyori says it’s only temporary and she felt she needed to do something since it’s the ‘springtime of her youth’. Yama makes a proposition that they go on a triple date to Capyper Land since she got three couples tickets from her uncle. Yama will get Fujisaki to bring two friends with him for Hiyori and Ami. Hiyori vaguely remembers how she wanted to go there with someone once, but blows it off and says she’ll go with them. In passing Mayu calls out to Hiyori, asking if she found Yato, but Tenjin hushes her since Hiyori is finally doing near-shore things.
The divine council begins and it is revealed the meeting has been called due to a major development in the crafter investigation. To make an ayakashi into a puppet, one must give it a name like a Shinki, but only a god with many devout followers could endure the affliction of doing that. The seven gods of fortune are mad at the accusations but are assured that none of them present are suspected, it is in fact Ebisu. Okuninushi objects, but testimonies of Ebisu’s crafting are brought forward. The council states they will detain Ebisu and his guide, and interrogate all his Shinki. Okuninushi further objects that an ill god cannot be treated so, but the council concludes
Yato complains about the smell since he had to bathe in an underground hot spring to keep the ayakashi away. Nora warns him not to looks the ayakashi in the eye, or they’ll find him. He feels so drained and he worries Yukine will be mad and want to leave him. He notes the strange time flow in Yomi like in takama-ga-hara and worries Hiyori will forget him, making everything pointless. Nora says they’ve caught up and that ‘he’ is here, but they have to fight ayakashi, one of which is a mask, so Yato expects Father, but instead he finds Ebisu. They are each surprised to see the other, but Nora reassures him that Father’s request was to save the crafter Ebisu.