Daemons of the Shadow Realm (黄泉のツガイ)

There's another child inside you!

-It's truly happening... twins! -

You've nearly made it to dawn!

You must resist the urge to push!

Resist? You know you're asking the impossible, Granny!

That doesn't matter!

Even if it's impossible, she must.

If she does this,

her children will be the ones

to place the Daemons under their command!

The children who sunder night and day

have been born to us.

DAEMONS OF THE SHADOW REALM

16 YEARS LATER

Perfect trails of dragon wind.

EPISODE 1 "ASA AND YURU"

Hm?

Hey, Yuru, don't tell me.

Did you go hunting by yourself again?

Hey, Danji, just got back.

You know I would've gone with

-if you would've asked! -Sorry.

What if something happened in the mountains

while you were by yourself, huh?

What would you have done?

It's fine, really.

I trust the Left and the Right to protect me.

Wow!

You nabbed yourself a pheasant?

That must've been hard!

Not really.

We're havin' roast pheasant tonight!

- Stewed. - No way.

Roast pheasant smells and tastes way better.

Stew will make you feel full longer.

Ah, who cares?

Hey, Yuru, welcome back.

Get ready.

We're in for bad weather tonight.

That's fine by me as long as it means rain.

Do you want some help later?

Sure! Thanks, kid!

Huh? Oh!

Hey!

Granny Yamaha, I'm back.

You look well, Yuru.

Danji, your timing couldn't be better!

But Mom!

Stop your whining!

Look at that. Gotta go!

Come back!

Why can't you be more diligent like Yuru?

Granny, how's Asa?

Good. That sister of yours has been working

since you left for the hunt.

Asa...

How are you?

Big brother, welcome back home!

I caught a pheasant today.

That's so impressive!

It's really not.

I was hoping to catch a boar or a deer instead.

It's been so dry all year.

I'm worried the crops might die.

If that happens, food will be scarce for the winter.

I need to hunt more,

then preserve it with salt, or make jerky.

If the harvest does wind up that bad,

will the adults have to go down the mountain

to find work?

It's possible.

Will you be leaving to join them?

Not a chance!

Look, why do you think I've been putting in so much time

to get better at hunting?

I'd do anything to keep from going down the mountain,

so I'll just make myself too valuable to send away.

You promise you're not gonna leave me alone?

You won't abandon us the same way our parents did?

You do not need to worry, Asa.

I swear I'll protect you for as long as I live.

I am never going to leave this village!

Not while you're here!

The two of us will stick together!

Huh?

Always!

- - Yuru.

What's wrong?

Mm...

Nothing. Dera's here.

This is some good steel.

These are from the guys who just left.

Thanks for always doing this.

How is it down there, anyway?

There's been a nasty illness going around.

Our luck. Yeah?

Hear that? Means I'll be buying medicinal herbs at a premium!

I'll trade these for some salt.

Got any seeds for veggies that don't need much rain?

But of course.

Excuse me, my girl's turning seven soon.

Time sure flies!

I'll bring a shaman with me on my next trip!

Mm...

My headaches have been getting worse.

Your usual painkillers?

- On it! - Uh?

Dera!

Hey, Yuru! How ya been?

Anything you're lookin' for today?

Well, there's nothing that I need. Uh...

"My sister on the other hand.

I'll take anything you've got!" Right?

- Hmm. -

It's perfect.

What? You've got pheasant feathers?

Look at you! Those sell for a fortune!

He's so lucky.

I wish I could leave the village for a day.

What, do you think it's nice? Out there?

Consider all the people who left us.

We rarely see them come back to this boring place.

It must be way better than being a peasant. Like me!

I'm not so sure.

I wouldn't mind living in this village my whole life.

Easy for you to say.

You've got a cute little sister to keep you company.

Why don't you just take her and get out of this life?

I'll be happy to come along, if that'd make you feel safer.

I can't have you hanging around Asa. You'd corrupt her.

What'd you say?

Asa has an important job here! You got it?

Great! But if no one can actually see her,

how do we know she's not imaginary?

Only a select few may visit her.

Aren't I "select" enough, big brother?

Sorry, but an oaf like you will probably never get to meet her.

Those are fightin' words!

Fine, you can see her if you win!

Wait, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

- - Uh?

What's that sound?

I'm pretty sure it's just another dragon.

-Look there. -Uh?

More trails of dragon wind.

That roar is unusual.

This one sounds almost rhythmic.

I've heard some like it a few times before,

when I was hunting deep in the mountains.

It's pretty loud, though, right?

Maybe it's close.

Hey, man, have you ever seen a dragon?

Never, no.

What's that thing?

- - Hey!

Hey! So, Granny Yamaha,

do you know what's going on here?

It's the barrier.

They managed to destroy it somehow.

How'd they do that?

I don't know. But they're probably trying

-to abduct Yuru. -Huh?

We have to hide him somewhere safe right now!

-Bring him straight away to me! -Right!

Where is he?

Most likely in the fields below! Hurry!

What's this?

What happened here?

They're all dead. I don't understand.

- Danji, stay close. -

Please, Mom. Please still be alive!

That's the boy!

Stand down.

What's that? Something flew by super-fast!

I don't know, but I don't think you wanna get hit by one.