Haru and Yuki (ハルと
Short Summary
Father and Amaterasu's conflict continues, with the former criticizing the latter for the gods' complacency with human suffering. All the while, ayakashi wreak havoc on the Near Shore. Yukine travels through the chaos to arrive at his sister's house, where he overhears a conversation that reminds him of the reality of his death.
Extended Summary
Chapter 99-1
The chapter opens with Father's monologue about the gods' effect on the Near Shore. He asks Amaterasu what she thinks when she sees the destruction, considering she has a human face, and questions for what purpose she has eyes, ears, hands, even power, names and wealth; if she simply watches like any mountain or river, Father remarks she might as well admit she's not even trying anymore. He points out that this is "Heaven's sin" - and the people who would absolve them of it are complicit - while ayakashi wreck havoc on the Near Shore.
Mitsurugi calls Father a fool for believing Heaven can be punished, and says that they have a general idea of who he is and that beings who dwell in Yomi should stay there. Mikagami is seen holding out her hands while Amaterasu similarly looks at her hands with a confused expression. One of the Treasures calls out to her and Father attempts to stab Amaterasu, who looks shocked, remarking that even she can make such an expression. However, he's interrupted by Yato's arrow piercing him in the chest. Father turns around to see where the shot had come from but cannot see anyone, yelling that Yato will pay for that.
The Three Treasures tell Amaterasu to fall back and are seen shielding her from Father. Father questions whether she will just watch from on high again and Amaterasu affirms this, saying that she has missed some things and helped out with others, and that those who take human lives are necessary - yet she cannot allow Father to cause so much turmoil. A barrage of arrows head toward Father and Amaterasu leaves with one last remark about how it is not the weak that die, but rather the living that live and the dead that die.
Back on the ground, the arrows rain down on a large ayakashi while Father crouches on the ground. He yells at Mizuchi, asking if she can't sense Kazuma's presence since they're bound by the snake curse, but Mizuchi remarks that there's nothing and they're probably targeting him far away from the back. Father continues to yell at a distraught Mizuchi, while Yukine begins to looked panicked. He sees the chaos and destruction going on in the world below, people fighting and arguing, broken windows. However, he hears someone whisper "Haru", and recognizes the voice to be his sister's. He takes off while Yato chases after him, calling his vessel name, and pleading him to come back.
Back 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. The chapter ends with Yukine landing in front of his sister's house.
Chapter 99-2
Yukine 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.
Characters
Character Debuts
No new characters debuted in this chapter.
Characters in Order of Appearance
- Amaterasu
- Tenjin
- Takemikazuchi
- Ōkuninushi
- Kagutsuchi
- Shinatsuhiko
- Fujisaki Kouto
- Mikagami
- Mitsurugi
- Mitama
- The Stray
- Yukine
- Yato
- Kofuku
- Yuka Miyaike
- Hiyori Iki
- Yukine's mother (flashback)
- Naomichi Tajima (flashback)
