Yukine/Synopsis

History
While he was alive, Yukine's name was Haruki Tajima. As a child, Haruki lived with his unnamed mother, his older sister (Yuka Miyaike), and his father (Naomichi Tajima). His family was dysfunctional, due largely to his father's alcoholic and violent tendencies. Throughout the abuse, Haruki and Yuka remained very close with one another– they would avoid going home until late at night, and people in their neighborhood remember always seeing them together.

Their father's abuse worsened to the point that Yuka was going to commit suicide. However, she was stopped by Haruki, who physically held her back and told her to run toward the future. Yuka later convinced their mother to divorce their father, and Naomichi accepted on the condition that one of the children would have to stay with him. Haruki and Yuka played rock-paper-scissors to decide, and ultimately Haruki stayed behind with Naomichi while Yuka left with their mother.

As a child, Haruki would often show up to his friends with bruises, and became ostracized by his friends by their parents' orders. As the years went by, he was always small for his age.



Throughout this abuse, Haruki still managed to send letters to Yuka, often describing how much he wanted to leave their father. In his final letter to her, he asked why Yuka wouldn't write back to him and said that he was coming to see her. (Unbeknownst to the two children, their mother and Naomichi had intercepted all of their letters before they reached the intended recipient.) When Haruki was 14 years old, Naomichi revealed to Haruki that he had discovered all of his letters, and as punishment, beat him to near-death. Naomichi then brought Haruki to the mountains, trapped him inside a refrigerator, and left him there to die. Before closing the fridge, he tore up letters and dropped them around Haruki's body, while telling Haruki that this was his divine punishment for disobeying his parent.

It is unspecified whether Haruki succumbed to his injuries or suffocated first, but he died after being trapped inside the fridge. Notably, Haruki was holding on to the final letter to his sister at the time. After Haruki's murder, Naomichi told everyone that his son had run away from home, though people didn't seem to believe him and suspected foul play.

As Haruki had not yet formed a clear belief of death, his loose spirit wandered the mountains as a sudama. His corpse remained in the fridge for about thirty years until Yato removed and buried him. His spirit descended the mountain as is typical of sudama, but instead of returning to the mountains at the change of seasons, Haruki's spirit recalled that he intended to send a letter to his sister. His spirit then drifted to a mailbox in the city, where he is later found and named by Yato.

Volume 1 (3)
Chapter 3: While Yato and Hiyori are attempting to escape an ayakashi that is pursuing them, Yato notices a sudama floating by a mailbox. He names the spirit Yukine, and uses Sekki to defeat the ayakashi. Immediately after, Yato collapses and begins to cry, but quickly shakes himself off.

Yato and Hiyori go to a shrine to clean him of his blight, and he reverts Sekki to his human form. Yato formally introduces himself and tells Yukine he has nothing to be afraid of anymore, offering his sweatsuit jacket. However, Yukine grimaces and denies it, saying it reeks of sweat. He asks Hiyori to borrow her clothes instead, which she obliges. He wears her scarf and coat and stands on Yato's coat, asking to go inside. After Yato gives him a spiel about becoming a beloved god, Yukine says it's clear why Yato is so unmarketable.

Volume 2 (4 - 7)
Chapter 4: Yato searches through trash for clothes that Yukine can wear. Yukine is visibly displeased with it, but eventually puts it on anyway.



The scene transitions to them in a commercial district, and Yukine complains that he's hungry while Yato spray paints his contact information onto a wall. Yukine says that he would be dying of parental neglect if he were alive, and Yato obliges his request for food by bringing them to meet up with Hiyori in a family restaurant, where she treats them to a meal. Yukine doesn't greet her, but he drops the coat and scarf he borrowed onto the seat next to her.

After they leave the restaurant, Yukine realizes that Yato was right that they can't feel full no matter how much they eat. He thanks Hiyori for the food, and asks why she's associated with Yato. He responds sympathetically. When Hiyori asks how/why Yukine is Yato's shinki, he says he doesn't have memories from before Yato named him.

Yato interrupts their conversation, saying that they got a job. He teleports the three of them to Tenjin's shrine, although Hiyori was brought there by accident. Hiyori and Yukine bow in amazement to Tenjin when he appears, much to Yato's dismay. Yukine is confused when it seems like there's history between Yato and Mayu. He asks Mayu if she had food, clothes, and shelter while she worked for Yato, and Mayu tells him he should just keep his expectations low or even resign.

Along with Yato and Hiyori, Yukine goes to the train tracks where suicides have occurred recently. Yato is apathetic towards the job, much to Hiyori's anger, which Yukine finds amusing.

Yato and Sekki cut Hiyori free when she is bound to the tracks by a ayakashi. Yato points out an ayakashi on the tracks ahead, and tells Yukine not to get scared, but Yukine says it's not a big deal. They successfully cut down the ayakashi, although Yukine's cut is much stronger than necessary, and Yukine expresses disappointment that the job is finished already.

Afterward, Yato tells Yukine to make each of their pieces of candy last at least an hour, and Yukine immediately bites down on his, eating it quickly.



Chapter 5: Yukine and Hiyori watch on while Yato helps an elderly couple replace a tire on their car. The wife gives Yato food as thanks, and Yato tells Hiyori she can't have any since he's going to share it with Yukine. Meanwhile, Yukine talks to the husband and tells him that this sort of job usually costs a lot more than 5 yen. Since he already felt bad paying them so little, the old man gives Yukine 10,000 yen, which Yukine pockets.

Later, while they're eating the riceballs the old woman gave them, Yato tells Yukine that he wants to teach him how to draw a borderline. Though he's startled at first when Yato suddenly presents him with an ayakashi, Yukine grows more confident when he's able to drawn on one of the first time. He leaves without telling them where he's going, but Hiyori follows him to tell him that he should return the 10,000 yen to the old couple. Yukine refuses by telling her that she only says that because she's still alive and receives money from her parents.

Yukine goes into town and buys himself new clothes. Realizing that the cashier can't really see or focus on his presence, Yukine steals a wristwatch, stinging Yato in the process. As night grows closer, he thinks about where he can find a place to sleep– since he's afraid of the dark, he would rather not have to sleep in a shrine as he's been doing with Yato.

He notices a little girl who's crying for her mother, and he at first assumes that she's an ayakashi. The girl runs to him when she realizes he's looking, and Yukine assumes instead that she's a loose spirit that hasn't been corrupted or realized that she's dead yet. He agrees to stay with her until her mother is supposed to pick her up at 6pm.

Yato feels the effects of Yukine's fear as night approaches. At 8:30pm, Yukine is still waiting with the girl on a public bench by a streetlamp. Hiyori finds them, and says that she's there to take him home, since Yato's worried about him too. Yukine, visibly annoyed, says that he does what he wants since he's dead anyway. The little girl asks them not to fight, and says that her mom will drive all three of them home when she gets here. Yukine tells her that he doesn't think her mom will be coming. The girl, tearing up, walks away from the streetlamp, and walks unknowingly towards a group of ayakashi waiting in the darkness.



Hiyori and Yukine chase after her, and Yukine draws a borderline between the girl and the ayakashi. He accidentally traps Hiyori behind it as well, leaving her to fight against the ayakashi while he hugs the girl to comfort her. However, he quickly realizes that the girl has already been corrupted. He instinctively pushes the girl away, and she falls on the other side of the borderline. The girl is immediately eaten by the ayakashi, and Yukine watches, horrified, while she reaches out for him and calls for help. Yukine passes out, but Hiyori grabs him and escapes before they're eaten by the ayakashi.

Yukine wakes up with his head in Hiyori's lap. He dreams of Yuka leaning over him and asking if he's alright, but this image is replaced by Hiyori as he fully awakens. Yukine asks if the little girl is alright, and tells Hiyori it's fine that she couldn't save her, since she was dead anyway. Still, Yukine appears to feel a lot of guilt at how he had pushed the girl away.

As they leave to meet up with Yato, Yukine tells Hiyori not to mention he'd been crying. When they find him, he's lying down with an icepack, and Hiyori is irritated that he wasn't even looking for Yukine this whole time. She says that she'll take care of Yukine herself. Yukine easily chooses to go with Hiyori to her house instead of staying with Yato.

Chapter 6: Yukine wonders if Hiyori is rich based on the size of her house, asserting to her that this isn't average. She tells Yukine that he can use her older brother's room, who isn't living there at the moment. They both flinch in surprise when the Iki family's housekeeper interrupts them, but then laugh together after she leaves without noticing Yukine at all. Hiyori leaves Yukine to himself, and he says to himself that she has it nice.

Yato arrives at Hiyori's house, saying he's worried about Yukine. He tells Hiyori that he's a bad kid, and explains how Yukine's sins affect Yato through blight, but Yato's actions don't affect Yukine the same way. He says that eventually Yukine will receive divine judgement for his actions.



Later that night, Hiyori's father turns off the lights in Yukine's room. Since he's scared of the dark, Yukine goes to Hiyori, who invites him to sleep in her bed, to his surprise. He's extremely embarrassed at first and lies down with his back to her, but once Hiyori falls asleep, he calms down slightly. He turns around to face her, and reaches out to grope her. He's stopped by Yato, who appears behind him menacingly. He tells Yukine that all his indecent thoughts have been making him feel unwell. Yukine makes the excuse that Hiyori said he could sleep there, but Yato interrupts to ask him about the watch that he stole. Yukine lies and says that he found it. Yato threatens to barf on him if he continues with his bad behavior, and fully carries a struggling Yukine out of Hiyori's room.

The next day, Hiyori is getting ice cream with Ami and Yama, but realizes that there's no money in her wallet when it's time to pay at the register. Yukine is shown in a different store, paying at a register using cash. The same thing happens ot Hiyori again while she's at the movie theater with her friends. She later comes home to find Yukine playing video games on a handheld console. Hiyori tries to ask about it, but he brushes her off by saying he's busy.

Yato later asks Hiyori if she's going to say something to Yukine, who is shown messily enjoying snacks, books, and his games, all of which he presumably bought with Hiyori's money. Hiyori pretends not to know what Yato means.

Yato takes the two of them to meet Kofuku, and they're shocked when he introduces her as his girlfriend. Yukine thinks to himself, annoyed, that Kofuku is really cute. Yukine calls Yato the lowest of the low when he asks Kofuku for money, which she gives him easily (about 30,000 yen). When Daikoku kicks Yato, demanding he give "the Missus" back her money, Yukine and Hiyori both think they're witnessing adultery.

Daikoku introduces himself as Kofuku Ebisu's shinki, and Yukine is impressed, since Ebisu is a very famous god. Hiyori asks why Daikoku calls "Ebisu" missus if they aren't married, and she and Yukine and intimidated when he glares at them. They're both also surprised when Yato misleadingly says Daikoku has "a thing for kids". When Daikoku asks, Yukine tells him that he's just recently become a shinki. Yukine misunderstands and thinks he said something to hit a nerve, when Daikoku is annoyed that he's a young kid and has to suffer as a shinki under Yato.

Yukine seems shocked and nervous when Kofuku warns him that Yato once killed a shinki, creating a powerful enemy god in the process. She also mentions that he's a war god who has killed humans, but Daikoku defends him, saying that it was a thing of the past and he doesn't do that anymore. Daikoku tells Yukine not to worry too much, but harshly denies Yukine when he asks for a job with Kofuku.

Hiyori and Yukine meet up with Yato. Yukine says it's getting dark and he wants to go home, so he and yato part from her. Yato asks if Yukine likes sunsets, and he says he hates them. Yato begins to explain why that's a good answer, when they're suddenly attacked by Bishamonten. He pushes Yukine out of the way so he isn't hit by her whip.

Chapter 7: Yukine remarks that he recognizes Bishamon's name, and mistakenly assumes that she's Yato's friend. He's surprised and tries to back out of the fight once Yato confirms that she is an enemy who wants revenge. Yukine transforms when Yato summons Sekki, and they run off. Yukine denies that he's scared, but Yato is able to tell he's lying since he is affected by Yukine's mental state.



Despite Yukine's protests, Yato stops running and decides to face Bishamon head-on before he runs out of energy. He successfully parries her attack using her whip, but Yato notes that a direct hit would break Sekki in two. After Kinuha lifts Yato into the air and fires at him using Gaiki, and Yukine is surprised he's able to slice one of the bullets. Yato also uses him to injure Kinuha, and lock blows with Gaiki when Bishamon moves into close range.

Yato drops Sekki when he is bitten by Kugaha, but Yukine moves on his own and injures the lion's eye, allowing the both of them to flee. He explains that he moved without thinking and didn't mean to injure the lion, and wonders if it would be okay. Yato then explains that it's not a lion, but a shinki.



They take cover in the forest, and Yukine (now in human form) says it's no wonder that Bishamon wants revenge if Yato killed her shinki– a fact which he'd picked up from Bishamon's conversation with Yato so far. Suddenly, the trees behind Yukine are slashed down by Bishamon and Saiki, and Yato hastily summons Sekki again. Yukine tells Yato to run instead of fighting her, since he'd snap in two if he were hit with her great sword. Before they can engage, Kofuku arives and opens a vent, though Yukine doesn't know what it is.

Yato tries to purify his blight at a shrine, but it isn't going away. He wonders if it was a bad choice taking in Yukine.

Volume 3 (8 - 11)
Chapter 8: Hiyori recalls the last time she'd seen Yukine and Yato: the latter had said that her house had too many temptations for Yukine, which is bad for his mental hygiene, and dragged Yukine away.

The scene changes to a convenience store during the night shift, where Yato is working the register and Yukine is crouched by a shelf reading a manga magazine. Yukine snaps that Yato should just go to the unemployment office instead of trying to find work as a god. He complains that he has no food or place to sleep, and that Yato drags him out for jobs in the middle of the night. He wishes that he could work for someone else and have a better life as a shinki, like Daikoku or Mayu. He wonders out loud why "this always happens to me". Yato appears concerned, but doesn't say anything.

Daikoku, Kofuku, and Hiyori suddenly arrive to offer them another job. Yukine seems willing to go with them, but comically thinks to himself that he'd rather not ride in Daikoku's car. While the others talk, Yukine stands by the register. However, Yato feels sharp pain from being stung, and immediately asks Yukine what he did. Yukine at first seems clueless, but then seems annoyed once Yato checks to register to see if he'd stolen any money. Yukine remarks that he really is better off dead, since even his own god has given up on him. Yukine then leaves the store by himself.

When Hiyori and Yato catch up with him, he shouts over his shoulder to leave him alone. This causes him to trip on the sidewalk, and when he falls over, the convenience store's box of monetary donations drops out of his jacket. While Yato glares at him, Yukine says that he deserves at least this much considering he's dead.



The Stray then arrives and lands next to Yukine. She tells him he has pretty eyes. A slightly flustered Yukine wonders who she is, but he and Hiyori are both shocked when they realize her body is covered in names. Yato summons Sekki. Yukine stares silently when they learn that the girl is Yato's shinki as well. When Yato swings the sword at The Stray's neck, Yukine flinches and shouts at him not to do it. He stops right before cutting her. After she leaves, Yato tells Yukine not to listen to a single word she says, and Yukine tells him to do the same since he doesn't want to go through that again.

They then locate the butterfly-like ayakashi that Daikoku and Kofuku wanted them to exterminate. However, Yukine has gotten dull and they aren't able to cut it right away. Yato mentally blames it on The Stray, for stirring up trouble when Yato is already weakened from Yukine stinging him. After Yato is hit by the ayakashi, the Stray interferes. Yato shouts at her to leave him alone– and that although Yukine is a brat, Yato found him, named him, and intends to temper him. While doing so, Yato pours purified water onto Sekki and uses him to slay the ayakashi.

Later, after Yato is purified of his blight inflicted by the phantom, Hiyori wonders if Yato's comment about tempering Yukine means that he's not going to abandon him.

Chapter 9: Kazuma tells Hiyori that Yato should dispose of Yukine before things get worse and Yato dies. Later, Hiyori coincidentally meets Tenjin, who mentions that Yukine had come to see him recently to ask for a job. In the flashback, Mayu remarked that Yukine only lasted a month, and Tenjin asked why. Yukine said that he's fed up with Yato, who doesn't have a shrine or money, who has a complicated dark past, and who already has another shinki (referring to the Stray) anyway. Tenjin explained that Yukine still bears the name that Yato gave him, so giving him a second name would make him a stray as well.



Chapter 10: When Hiyori throws things at Yato for being in the girls' restroom at her school, Yukine tries to pipe in to say that it isn't what it looks like. However, Hiyori attacks him too, this time with a broom. Yukine and Yato, newly bruised, then kneel in front of her to explain why they're there. Yato then introduces Manabu Hagiwara as his client. Yukine glares at Manabu while he explains that he's being bullied and ostracized, and Yato accuses Yukine of hating his own kind. Angered, Yukine says not to compare him with a wimp like Manabu, and storms off.

Yukine wanders the school grounds, lamenting that he's stuck with Yato. He goes into an empty classroom and looks around. He puts on a student's gakuran jacket, and is surprised he's able to solve one of the math problems he finds on a student's desk. When the students return from gym class, Yukine panics and hides behind the teacher's desk. He eventually stands back up and marvels at seeing so many people his own age. He watches them socialize and play video games, wishing he could play with them and make friends like that. Growing despondent, Yukine wonders why he's the only one in this situation.



Later, Yukine sits in the school's entryway and cries over the life he never got to live. Feeling his pain, Yato thinks to himself that Yukine has finally figured it out that he'd never be able to be able to cross the line back to the Near Shore. After watching the students leave the school, Yukine stands up and picks up a nearby baseball bat. Crying and screaming, he begins smashing the building's windows, and in the process he stings Yato to the point of collapse.

Soon after, Yukine finds Hiyori carrying an unmoving Yato on her back, and asks what happened. Hiyori tells him it's Yukine's fault, since he knows that it hurts Yato whenever he does bad things. Yukine tries to interject to defend himself, but Hiyori doesn't let him, saying that Yato has put up with all this pain for so long. Yukine looks away, seemingly feeling guilty, whem Hiyori begins walking again. After a moment, she turns around and shouts that Yukine is coming with them, too.

The three of them arrive at Kofuku and Daikoku's house. Yukine and Hiyori are both surprised when Daikoku draws a borderline to prevent them from coming inside.

Chapter 11: Daikoku draws a borderline, blocking Yukine, Hiyori, and Yato from entering the house. Hiyori is let inside to cleanse herself of blight, and Yukine appears nervous while he stays outside with Yato. Before leaving the residence, Daikoku tells Yukine that he'll kill him if he moves from that spot. When Kofuku sits across from him and stares him down, Yukine looks vaguely guilty.

Daikoku goes to Tenjin's shrine to ask for a shinki to assist in an Ablution, and Mayu agrees. After she leaves, Tenjin thinks to himself that Yato should kill Yukine. Daikoku is unable to find another shinki who would agree to participate, so Hiyori goes out to search as well. She initially considers the Stray, but decides against it out of fear that she would kill Yukine instead of helping him. Hiyori instead goes to one of Bishamon's shrines as asks for Kazuma.



When Kazuma arrives and sees the extent of the blight, he immediately tells Yato to release Yukine's name– otherwise, he wouldn't survive. When Yato refuses, Kazuma asks Yukine what he did, to which Yukine replies he did nothing. Daikoku has him take off his shirt, revealing that he's grown ayakashi eyes all over his back. While Yukine is shocked and disgusted, the other three shinki trap him in a Purgatory and begin the Ablution ritual. Yukine immediately screams in pain and demands to be let out, suddenly sprouting wings as his transformation into an ayakashi progresses. Seeing this, they tighten the Purgatory, worsening his pain.



Yukine shouts that he's done nothing wrong, and that humans get to have everything– friends, family, a future– while he has nothing. When he says that they should all die just like him, his voice is like that of an ayakashi, and his transformation progresses further– to the point that Mayu believes that the Purgatory won't be able to contain him much longer, and a panic-stricken Kazuma tells Daikoku to transform into Kokki to kill Yukine.

The kanji imprint of Yukine's name is half-covered in blight. Seeing this, Yato thinks that he needs to call Yukine's name before it disappears. Before he can, Hiyori steps up to the Purgatory. She says that Yato had said that Yukine was his, and would raise him– just as a father would say about his son. She threatens that if Yukine would still betray and sting Yato even after all he's endured for Yukine's sake, then she wouldn't be his friend anymore. Yato then shouts that he gave Yukine the name of a human, so he should live like one.



Yukine, brought to tears, begins to apologize. He admits to stinging Yato and all the bad deeds he's committed since being named, and says he won't do any of it again. His apologies continue while the others watch on, relieved.

The Ablution continues until the next morning, at which point Yukine and Yato both tiredly remark that they thought they were going to die. Kazuma asks why Yato allowed Yukine to blight him to such an extent. Yato explains that Yukine has so much talent that he didn't want to give up on him– and that he let it get this bad so the message would be that much more impactful. Privately, he tells himself that he was so attached because Yukine also had problems with his father.

Yato pushes Yukine's head down so they can bow and apologize to Hiyori for causing her trouble. Brought to tears, she embraces them both.

Volume 4 (12 - 15)
Chapter 12: Yukine, now in acceptance of his actions and sins, becomes noticeably more upbeat. He works for Daikoku part-time in an effort to raise money for him and Yato, and begins his tutoring with Hiyori, learning the material that she does in school. His loyalty towards Yato is heightened and willingly does what he asks. Chapter 13: [TBA] Chapter 14: [TBA] Chapter 15: [TBA]

Volume 5 (16 - 19)
Chapter 16: [TBA] Chapter 17: [TBA] Chapter 18: When Hiyori was kidnapped, he quickly accompanies Yato to help rescue her. Yato runs into Bishamon and a fight commences between the two, with Yukine become a katana once again. Despite his loyalty to Yato, he still is hesitant to hurt other Shinki since they were flesh and blood like him and dulls his blade, but Yato manages to convince him to sharpen himself so he could help save Hiyori. Chapter 19: At one point during the fight, Yukine is knocked out of Yato's hand and Bishamon goes in to kill Yato after he is restrained by Kinuha, Akiha, and Kuraha. At the last second, Yukine appears in front of Yato to take the blow for him and is sliced in half. The attack appears to kill him.

Volume 6 (20 - 23)
Chapter 20: After noticing that his name hasn't faded, Yato calls him back. He returns, his form has changed because of his devotion and loyalty to Yato. His new vessel form is that of two chokutō (standard katana and wakizashi length). With renewed strength, he continues to aid Yato in the fight against Bishamon. Chapter 21: [TBA] Chapter 22: [TBA] Chapter 23: [TBA]

Volume 25 (96 - 99)
Chapter 96: [TBA]

Chapter 97: Yukine remains in his vessel form, curled up into a ball. However, his Goodness Net continues to spread. Father remarks that although humans' hatred often fails to reach Heaven, Hagusa has managed to make contact. Father continues to use both The Stray and Hagusa's vessels to defend against gods as he tries to attack Amaterasu.

Chapter 98: Hagusa's Goodness Net ensares Yatagarasu, providing Father the opportunity to stab and kill him using Chiki. As Amaterasu begins revoking the Stray's names, Yukine remains curled up with his hands covering his ears to block out her cries. However, shortly before Amaterasu attempts to revoke the name "Chiki," Yukine slaps her hand away using his Net, saying that he's heard enough. The Goodness Net expands aggressively throughout the city, causing damage to the Near Shore and ensaring numerous gods. Many vents open at once, although it is unclear whether this is related to Hagusa's abilities. Amaterasu attempts to revoke both the names Chiki and Yuuki, but fails to do so. Father assumes this is because those names were granted using the Word, which is infused with Izanami's spirit and would therefore not be bound by the law of Heaven.

Chapter 99: Yukine becomes increasingly distressed hearing Father yell at the Stray. Still in his vessel form, observes the chaos and destruction on the Near Shore. He covers his ears, but hears someone calling his human name, Haru. Realizing it's his sister's voice, Yukine seems to travel to her house. Yato calls after him, asking him to come back.

Meanwhile, at the Ebisu Company Headquarters, Kofuku and Tenjin are discussing the situation. Tenjin remarks that family is more important to Yukine than a master because he died so young, and that all he can think of is the original "me" that he was as a human. He brings up a saying - "till death do we part, and in death we shall meet again" - and Kofuku responds that it's an old saying, but Tenjin retorts that it doesn't matter, and that what matters is the belief that they'll be happy when they meet again. He continues by saying that it's not good for the dead to dwell on their past, since twisted thoughts give birth to demons; Kofuku panics, asking what they could possibly do to save Yukine because even Yato wouldn't be able to compete with Yukine's family. Tenjin asserts that the wounds of those parted by death can never heal, and remarks that saving such a child could be impossible.

Yukine then enters his sister's house and sees her in the living room, sitting with a metal box in her lap. However, she seems to be much younger than her current appearance, and is wearing a school uniform rather than the sweater and sweatpants that she most recently appeared in to the audience. She does not notice Yukine's presence in the room.

Yuka explains to Hiyori that a few days ago, a man– Yato– had warned her that she's in danger and she should stay away from her home for her brother's sake as well. Believing him to have some relation to her father, Yuka left and spent a few days at a hotel. She says that she was overjoyed when Hiyori and The Stray arrived at her house.

Hearing Hiyori's name, Yukine is excited to learn that she's also here, having not noticed her until now. His excitement is interrupted when Yuka reveals that the box she's holding contains all the letters that she had sent to Haruki over the years. She explains again that Haruki had torn up the letters and sent them back to her, though she can't hear Yukine objecting, saying that he had sent her plenty of letters. Hiyori wonders aloud why Haruki's final letter to Yuka had said he hadn't gotten any responses from her.

Yuka points out that her and Haruki's letters were all postmarked, meaning they had left the senders' houses. She theorizes that their mother had intercepted all the letters from Haruki before Yuka could see them, and gave them to Naomichi in an effort to protect herself. Yuka expresses guilt that she relied on letters instead of going to see Haruki herself, despite her fears and the possibility of being resented by her brother. She had believed that if she waited, he would eventually come to see her. She begins to cry, unable to hear Yukine insisting that he was right here, having now come to see her.

Yuka tells Hiyori that she understands that Haruki is dead, and Yukine sees her as her current appearance rather than how he remembered her. The crack in his kanji imprint deepens, and his life flashes before his eyes before ending with his death: He lay, un-moving, in the fridge while his father tore up letters and dropped them around his body. Naomichi said that he isn't at fault for his son's death– it's Haruki's divine punishment for disobeying his parents. Haruki's final thoughts were asking not to be left alone since he's still alive, and wondering why this is happening to him. As a sudama, Haruki recalled that he had a letter to send to his sister, and traveled to a mailbox.

Yukine says that he had never resented Yuka and wrote her plenty of letters, and reaches into his pocket for his final letter to her. However, instead he finds the omomori that Yato had gifted to him. Yuka cries that she had wanted to see Haruki again and apologize to him, and just then, Yukine hears Yato calling his name. To Father's shock, Yukine is released from his vessel form, and is caught by Yato as he falls out of the sky. Once they're on the ground, Yato continues holding him and asks if he's okay. Yukine, looking shell-shocked, cries and says that he no longer exists, as he is dead and has nowhere to go anymore.

Yukine/Streszczenie