Kusunoki's Garden of Gods (神の庭付き楠木邸)

The first time I saw it...

Oh!

Is this...?

It was when I was five.

Grandpa! Grandpa!

Look, look!

Warashi-san gave me this four-leaf clover!

You became friends with Warashi-san.

Yeah!

Warashi-san says it's in return for the snacks.

What?

Warashi-san was a yokai who'd lived in the house even before Grandpa was born.

Let's eat together.

Warashi-san.

Kusunoki's Garden of Gods

The Key to Unlocking the Power is in the Memories

Hippity! Hoppity!

Hippity, hoppity, hop!

Warashi-san, try it like I just did.

Okay!

Hippity. Hoppity.

Hippity. Hoppity.

Hippity, hoppity, hop!

Good job!

Really?!

Warashi-san, I have something nice for you.

What is it?

Grandpa could see lots of yokai that I couldn't see.

Huh?

Hey, Nue! If you're causing trouble, I'll shoo you off!

Good grief.

Hm?

Warashi-san, this monaka wafer is really big, so let's split it.

Thank you.

Oh, Minato. He's getting used to acting like a big brother.

I'm home!

This voice...

I knew it was you, Hihi!

Hey, Hihi! Give back my hat!

Thank y—

Grandpa!

Grandpa, listen!

Hihi is being mean to me!

They're awfully bored, you see.

So that one's toying with you to have fun.

What?! That doesn't make it okay to be mean to me!

Whether you can get along with him is up to you.

The Next Day

Okay.

Hihi!

Give! Back! My! Hat!

Promise me you won't play tricks on me anymore.

Then I'll give you this castella.

Castella

You like castella, don't you?

I saw you take some from the house altar.

Give me my hat back first.

Or you're not getting this.

Whoa!

Jeez.

Ever since then, Hihi and I became great friends.

Memorial Lantern

Eventually, Grandpa passed away.

And one day, when I was in the fifth grade in elementary school...

Man, it's so hot.

Ranmaru, saying it's hot only makes it worse.

But it is hot, I can't help it!

Then let's think about stuff that'll cool us down.

Like what?

My snack for today is shaved ice.

Ice

I'm jealous!

Just kidding! I have ice cream at home!

Wow.

Ugh! It doesn't help us cool down at all!

Listen well, Minato.

When you encounter yokai outside, run before they notice you.

Not all yokai are friendly, all right?

R-Ranmaru, let's get going, now!

What's the matter all of a sudden?

Sh-Shaved ice!

Yeah, I want to have my shaved ice right now.

So let's go! Run!

Are you kidding me? It's too hot to run.

Come on, it's not that far!

This is bad! Let's go home!

Boys.

If you keep playing under the scorching sun, you'll suffer from heatstroke.

R-Right.

It disappeared?

By the way, I heard that there's a hot spring town around here.

A nice, quaint hot spring town.

Did you book a room for tonight yet?

No.

Oh, then you might be out of luck.

Is that so?

Usually the rooms are fully booked around here.

At this time of the year?

It's pretty popular year-round.

Every inn here is cozy and awesome!

I see. I'd love a chance to enjoy that.

I'll visit your place and ask if anything's available.

What? How did you know my home is an inn?

Let's go.

The mysterious gentleman ended up staying at Kusunoki's Inn, run by my parents.

There was a sudden cancellation on that day,

and luckily a room happened to open up.

For some reason, the yokai acted restless and

stayed away from the room this gentleman stayed in.

Kusunoki's Inn

Jeez, homework is such a bother.

Hm?

Whoa!

Pressure

Changing classroom

Very nice.

Your handwriting is easy to read.

What? Th-Thank you.

It's like your pure and honest heart is within these letters.

My heart?

Yes. Make sure to treasure your gift.

I will!

I took what he told me to heart, and the name plates came out really well.

Kusunoki's Inn

Now that I think about it,

he must have known that my handwriting had the elimination power.

He was most likely what we call a traveling exorcist.

Exorcist?

Unlike onmyoji, they're regular folks.

But he must have had significant power.

I see. That's why the yokai stayed away from him.

Indeed.

On another note, how's your training to master the power to seal things?

Oh, I forgot.

I was practicing sealing the elimination power into a talisman.

In your memories, there was a hint for it.

What?

That exorcist... He saw what's at the core of your power.

It's like your pure and honest heart is within these letters.

I think I get it.

Yamagami said the image was important, right?

Heart

Imagining that I'm sealing my heart into this talisman...

That's good.

Really?

You finally succeeded.

Yes!

Hey, Tsubaki and Fujino!

What's the situation?

Perfect timing, dear brother.

We've done all we can with our weapons and spiritual powers.

Give us the Jade One's talismans.

Very well.

Use these.

Dispel

Dispel

Thank you.

Master Saiga!

Give us talismans too!

Please!

Hey now, that's a lot.

We've been saved.

Yes, indeed.

Thank you, Jade One.

These girls in your family...

After this is done, I'm going on a trip!

They're pretty, but not exactly quiet and reserved.

I'll take a long bath and binge watch movies.

Make sure to hydrate, okay?

Before that, we must wipe out the evil spirits.

Saiga, the talismans?

I have one more left.

Then go!

Yes!

Master Saiga!

You're going to meet the Jade One?

I wonder what he's like?

It's a man, right? Is he good looking?

Cut him some slack.

Our dear brother has no understanding of what makes a man handsome.

Kusunoki's Garden of Gods