Chapter 10

Crossing the Line (をえて, Issen o Koete) is the 10th chapter of the ノラガミ Noragami manga series written by Adachitoka. It was released on September 6, 2011.

Short Summary
Yato helps a new client, Manabu Hagiwara, Hiyori's underclassman who is being bullied. Yukine's jealousy of humans who have a normal life on the Near Shore grows, worsening Yato's condition.

Extended Summary
Hiyori attacks and scolds Yato and Yukine when they appear in the girls' restroom at her school, though Yato explains that he was only there to grafitti his name and number on the stalls. He then reveals his client who is hiding in the next stall, Manabu Hagiwara. After Hiyori scolds him as well, he explains that he wasn't there to peep, but to avoid his bullies who always pick on him during the breaks between class periods. It turns out that Manabu had called Yato for help with this situation. He irritates Yukine when he expresses that he wants to go somewhere far away and abandon his school life. After Yukine leaves the three of them in the restroom, Yato suggests that Manabu let out his feelings just as Yukine does. He gives Manabu a box cutter, then asks for something in exchange, although the scene ends before it is revealed what exactly he requests. Yato later explains to Hiyori that he needs Manabu to do something reckless, but complains that he cannot use Yukine in his current state.

Yukine wanders through the school, upset about Yato's earlier comments implying that he and Manabu are like-minded. He enters an empty classroom with uniforms left inside, presumably while the students are having their gym period. He puts on a gakuran jacket and solves a problem on one of the worksheets left behind. Yukine quickly hides underneath the teacher's podium when the students return, and grows envious when he sees the students talking with their friends, wondering why he's the only one who doesn't get to have that.

The scene transitions to Manabu, who is staring at his uniform in the trash bin and wondering why he is the only one who gets this treatment. A phantom tells him that he should kill his bullies.

Hiyori looks around for Yato and finds him sleeping in a bed in the nurse's office. Worried about his blight, Hiyori lifts his sweatshirt to see how far it has spread. However, he wakes up while she's trying to get a proper look, and she hits him out of embarrassment. She thinks to herself that she didn't see any impurities.

Manabu confronts ones of his bullies by handing him a second box cutter and challenging him to a fight. It's revealed that this is what Yato had requested of Manabu earlier. Manabu's phantom grows, encouraging him to kill the other student, but then he remembers that Yato had also told him that doing so would make him no longer human. Manabu snaps out of it, and the phantom suddenly disappears. His bully runs away, wetting himself. Hiyori arrives to comfort Manabu, and Yato watches from a floor above, impressed with Manabu's decision. He was waiting to pour purifying water on the phantom if Manabu had continued with violence. Manabu cries, realizing that violence would only alienate him further from other people, and decides that the only thing he can do against his bullies is stand firm. Yato advises him that finding lots of friends in unnecessary, and Manabu should just try to find one person who is unique.

Meanwhile, Yukine cries by the shoe lockers, having realized that he will never get to have a normal life. He grabs a baseball bat and begins smashing the windows out of anger. Outside, Yato collapses with blight. This time, it is severe enough that he isn't able to stand, or even reply when Hiyori asks him a question. She ends up carrying him on her back, and tells Yukine that Yato's current condition is all his fault.

They go to Kofuku and Daikoku's house for help. Daikoku draws a borderline to keep them back as soon as he sees their blight. Hiyori begs Daikoku to let them inside, saying that Yato is going to die.