Mao (2026) s01e07 Episode Script
Atarashii Utsuwa
That one Is the same
I have to help her!
That girl is me!
Mao!
Something flew out
Mao
MAO
NANOKA KIBA
NANOKA KIBA
He's back to normal
Mao!
Mao
Oh, dear! He's naked
What should I do?
Miss Nanoka,
OTOYA
we need to take Master Mao somewhere safe.
R-Right
He's unconscious.
Yes.
But how?
He's naked!
What should I do?
Dr. Mao!
MAO
THE NEW VESSEL
Well, you see
The evil energy emanating from
the giant cat's head was so terrifying
that we couldn't go anywhere
near Fifth Street.
Is Dr. Mao alright?
I don't know.
He's pretty devastated
after letting Byouki, whom he'd been
chasing for years, get away.
Otoya
Master Mao, you're awake?
Where's Nanoka?
At the moment, Nanoka is
Is that the Imperial Capital?
Yeah, it's horrible.
It's a sea of flames.
This area and Fifth Street
were devastated.
What happened
to the keystone, though?
It vanished, leaving behind a gaping hole.
The keystone
Byouki, who had been hiding
beneath the keystone,
escaped because of the earthquake.
We thought Byouki's
barrier had disappeared,
but the force of the earthquake
erupted out of the gate
causing the sinkhole accident.
And I was dragged into the Taisho era.
But why?
Was it just a coincidence?
Give me your body
and become one with me.
Mao
You are a vessel found only once
in a thousand years.
A vessel found only once
in a thousand years?
How is it that you, like Mao,
also carry the blood of Byouki?
You, too, are worthy
of becoming my vessel.
Was I chosen to be its new vessel?
A vessel found only once
in a thousand years?
I'm not quite sure.
Maybe it means they are
a good match. A good fit.
It wants me as its vessel to replace Mao?!
Nanoka.
Oh, Mao.
Are you feeling better now?
Mao?
Did I hear you say that you
are that young child?
Huh?
Yes.
It feels like the sequence of time
is all jumbled up though.
In that moment,
the best I could do was
to send a guardian shikigami.
Byouki escaped into your world
beyond the barrier
and is targeting you.
The gate of the barrier is still intact
even though the town
has been reduced to ashes.
If I go through it,
can I return to the present?
Miss Nanoka.
Otoya.
What will you do now?
That's a good question.
What should I do?
Where's Mao?
He seems pretty down.
Oh, because he let
Byouki get away?
That's partly the reason, of course,
but when he's in that beast form,
he's barely conscious
of what's happening.
So afterwards, he tends to get
very worried about what happened.
Like a drunk person regretting
what they've done?
Kind of
He asked for a detailed account of what
happened while he was in beast form.
He looks deep in thought.
What are those?
They are the katashiro for shikigami.
Oh
Come to think of it
Mao said he sent
a guardian shikigami.
Oh, Nanoka.
What will you do from now on?
Well, about that
I'm afraid.
Byouki escaped into your world.
Unfortunately, I can't pass
through that barrier.
And I feel uneasy about
sending you home alone.
Oh, right
There's that, too
Was there something else?
Ever since my parents died in the accident,
I have been raised by my grandfather.
He was so kind.
He was always by my side.
But I remembered something
The day my parents died,
and I was pulled into the Taisho era
NANOKA'S GRANDPA
Grandpa was
NANOKA'S GRANDPA
on his deathbed.
A dying man's lifespan was extended?!
Nanoka
As I've told you, Byouki can
manipulate a person's lifespan.
Byouki extended Grandpa's life?
For what purpose?
But that would mean
that Grandpa is under
Byouki's control.
He may have been keeping an eye
on you as he raised you.
Huh?
Grandpa was?
It's going to be alright, Nanoka.
Grandpa's going to be with you.
Nanoka! My word, what happened?
Are you feeling unwell?
Your injury from yesterday
Are you all right now?
You've always been frail,
so you need to be careful.
He's keeping me under watch?
Nanoka
If you go back now, Byouki might
turn you into its vessel.
So
If you're afraid,
stay here with me.
What?
Did he just
ask me to stay with him forever?
You're
You're physically strong, of course,
but you also have a good heart.
You're honest and brave.
What?! He's suddenly praising me!
You
would be more than capable
of working under me.
What?!
Also, if you're not on the other side,
Byouki will eventually return here.
BYOUKI
Byouki will eventually return here.
You can work as my assistant until then
and learn how to fight Byouki.
No way! Why would I want
to be your underling?!
Give me a protective amulet,
a weapon, or something like that!
Miss Nanoka.
Are you going back?
Yes.
I have to find out the truth
about my Grandpa.
Nanoka.
Mao
W-What're you doing?
What is that?
They're protective stones.
They will repel any evil
that comes near you.
They will protect you
like a barrier.
Okay. Thank you.
And on the other side, the guardian
shikigami I sent should be there.
I don't know what form it has taken
to help you though.
You're saying I have an ally there?
Yes!
I don't know what the future holds
but I'm not facing it alone.
Is something the matter?
No. I'll be going, then.
Be careful, Miss Nanoka.
Who could my ally be?
Someone who's close by
and always helping me
SHIRAHA
Kiba?
Shiraha?
Uh Are you feeling well?
Huh?
I heard they let you out
of the hospital during summer break,
but you didn't come to school
after classes resumed.
Oh, right! The second semester
has already started!
And, uh
I think I saw you once at this
deserted shopping street, but then
I lost sight of you.
It might have been my imagination,
but when I saw you,
you looked troubled.
That was the day I went to see Mao
and the earthquake happened.
Listen, if there's anything
I can do to help,
just ask.
Huh?
And on the other side, the guardian
shikigami I sent should be there.
Could it be?!
Could it be Shiraha?
Miss Nanoka.
Thank goodness you're back safely.
FUNA UOZUMI
I'm here to pick you up.
Uozumi
Just a minute.
I need to talk with Shiraha.
What?!
I-I can't believe Kiba
wants to talk with me!
I'm sorry, Uozumi,
you can go back without me.
Let's go, Shiraha.
Miss Nanoka.
You met Master Mao, didn't you?
What?!
MAO
Did you see that, Daddy!
I did it!
After Mom and Dad died,
I started living with Grandpa.
Soon after that, Uozumi joined us
as a live-in housekeeper.
Even as a child, I thought she
didn't seem entirely human.
So you're a shikigami?
Yes.
In the midst of the great earthquake,
I left my katashiro
at Master Mao's command
and followed Byouki and you
to this place.
I'm going to tell you
what I saw at the time.
The moment you passed
through the barrier,
you were covered in the poisoned
blood of the wounded Byouki.
An ordinary person would
have died instantly.
Byouki disappeared somewhere.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER
You were taken to a hospital
most likely the same one your
grandfather had been admitted to.
Nanoka
Nanoka Nanoka
Nanoka
Grandpa was supposed to be
in critical condition.
The doctors said it was a miracle.
So Byouki extended his life?
But why?
I believe it needed someone
to protect and raise you.
So once I grew up, it planned
to make me its vessel?
My duty was to keep you away
from Byouki and protect you.
You survived exposure
to Byouki's blood
and gained the yokai powers needed
to become a suitable vessel.
That is why I took it upon myself to strip away
your yokai powers completely
and seal them away.
Now I get it!
Those smoothies taste like rotten mud.
I blended a secret herbal mixture
to suppress your powers
and mask your presence.
But wasn't Grandpa connected to Byouki?
That's something
I don't understand either.
While you were away,
your grandfather barely moved,
or would be in a deep sleep.
It's almost as if
he's living only for you, Nanoka.
We're home!
Nanoka
Grandpa.
I've been worried sick.
Where on earth have you been?
The protective stones
They will repel any evil
that comes near you.
They will protect you like a barrier.
Is everything okay, Nanoka?
Grandpa
Nanoka
I'm so relieved.
Welcome back.
Nanoka.
Grandpa!
This is my dear, sweet Grandpa!
TENKO
Dr. Mao?
May I come in?
I thought you might need supplies,
so I put some things together.
Tenko.
I'm glad to see you're okay.
Yes.
Oh! Clothes.
How did you manage to get these?
How is Milk Hall?
There are cracks,
but it managed to survive.
We'll be closed for a while, though.
I heard about what happened, Dr. Mao.
So you finally confronted Byouki
you've been searching for all these years.
Yeah.
But in the end, I let it get away.
Nothing was resolved.
Mao, can it be that you don't know
what truly happened back then?
What?
Do you not know
who murdered your master,
burned down the Treasure House,
and shot you with arrows?
We were framed.
Both you and I.
What was Byouki trying to tell me?
Dr. Mao, I suppose I shouldn't
bring up the flaming heads.
Flaming heads?
A great many people died
in the big earthquake.
In the burned ruins
of the Imperial Capital,
there are still bodies that
haven't been recovered.
Apparently at night,
we don't know if they are heads that
have separated from the corpses,
but they fly about,
enveloped in flames.
Excuse me, Master Mao.
What were those things that
attacked Fifth Street
on the day of the big earthquake?
I thought they might be ayakashi
attracted to Byouki's evil aura.
Yes, but they didn't appear to
be connected to Byouki.
Were they different from
the flaming heads in the capital?
From what I saw
They looked like very ancient heads.
Flaming heads
It's a horse's head!
You imbecile!
MASTER OF THE GOKO CLAN
How could you allow a cursed object
MASTER OF THE GOKO CLAN
to escape the premises?!
What were you thinking?!
You moron!
He's in trouble again.
It's been ages since
I last thought about
my senior apprentice
from 900 years ago.
My senior apprentice?
That’s impossible!
Is something the matter?
Master Mao?
It can't be!
The Asakusa Tower
Boss, we won't be able to set up
the show here for a while.
Yeah, I know.
We're going to Osaka.
Pack up, everybody!
FLAMING SKULLS
Are we all here?
Snake Girl.
- Yes, Boss.
Oni Man.
- Here, Boss.
Inch-High Samurai.
- Here.
Master of Flaming Heads.
Master of Flaming Heads?
Master of Flaming Heads, you here?
He quit.
Quit?!
Yes. He said that
his trained skulls all ran away.
Huh?!
B-But, aren't those just props?!
Good grief. That Byouki put me
out of business.
NEXT TIME
Ryounkaku?
We passed by it when we arrived
at the Imperial Capital.
It was a magnificent building.
It couldn't be
Or so I thought, but you're
That blade
It's the Sword of Hagunsei, isn't it?
Oh, no! He's dead?!
In order to inherit
the many secret curses,
it is essential to know how to channel
the energy from dark emotions.
So that means Mao will
become my husband.
Next time: "Hyakka."
I have to help her!
That girl is me!
Mao!
Something flew out
Mao
MAO
NANOKA KIBA
NANOKA KIBA
He's back to normal
Mao!
Mao
Oh, dear! He's naked
What should I do?
Miss Nanoka,
OTOYA
we need to take Master Mao somewhere safe.
R-Right
He's unconscious.
Yes.
But how?
He's naked!
What should I do?
Dr. Mao!
MAO
THE NEW VESSEL
Well, you see
The evil energy emanating from
the giant cat's head was so terrifying
that we couldn't go anywhere
near Fifth Street.
Is Dr. Mao alright?
I don't know.
He's pretty devastated
after letting Byouki, whom he'd been
chasing for years, get away.
Otoya
Master Mao, you're awake?
Where's Nanoka?
At the moment, Nanoka is
Is that the Imperial Capital?
Yeah, it's horrible.
It's a sea of flames.
This area and Fifth Street
were devastated.
What happened
to the keystone, though?
It vanished, leaving behind a gaping hole.
The keystone
Byouki, who had been hiding
beneath the keystone,
escaped because of the earthquake.
We thought Byouki's
barrier had disappeared,
but the force of the earthquake
erupted out of the gate
causing the sinkhole accident.
And I was dragged into the Taisho era.
But why?
Was it just a coincidence?
Give me your body
and become one with me.
Mao
You are a vessel found only once
in a thousand years.
A vessel found only once
in a thousand years?
How is it that you, like Mao,
also carry the blood of Byouki?
You, too, are worthy
of becoming my vessel.
Was I chosen to be its new vessel?
A vessel found only once
in a thousand years?
I'm not quite sure.
Maybe it means they are
a good match. A good fit.
It wants me as its vessel to replace Mao?!
Nanoka.
Oh, Mao.
Are you feeling better now?
Mao?
Did I hear you say that you
are that young child?
Huh?
Yes.
It feels like the sequence of time
is all jumbled up though.
In that moment,
the best I could do was
to send a guardian shikigami.
Byouki escaped into your world
beyond the barrier
and is targeting you.
The gate of the barrier is still intact
even though the town
has been reduced to ashes.
If I go through it,
can I return to the present?
Miss Nanoka.
Otoya.
What will you do now?
That's a good question.
What should I do?
Where's Mao?
He seems pretty down.
Oh, because he let
Byouki get away?
That's partly the reason, of course,
but when he's in that beast form,
he's barely conscious
of what's happening.
So afterwards, he tends to get
very worried about what happened.
Like a drunk person regretting
what they've done?
Kind of
He asked for a detailed account of what
happened while he was in beast form.
He looks deep in thought.
What are those?
They are the katashiro for shikigami.
Oh
Come to think of it
Mao said he sent
a guardian shikigami.
Oh, Nanoka.
What will you do from now on?
Well, about that
I'm afraid.
Byouki escaped into your world.
Unfortunately, I can't pass
through that barrier.
And I feel uneasy about
sending you home alone.
Oh, right
There's that, too
Was there something else?
Ever since my parents died in the accident,
I have been raised by my grandfather.
He was so kind.
He was always by my side.
But I remembered something
The day my parents died,
and I was pulled into the Taisho era
NANOKA'S GRANDPA
Grandpa was
NANOKA'S GRANDPA
on his deathbed.
A dying man's lifespan was extended?!
Nanoka
As I've told you, Byouki can
manipulate a person's lifespan.
Byouki extended Grandpa's life?
For what purpose?
But that would mean
that Grandpa is under
Byouki's control.
He may have been keeping an eye
on you as he raised you.
Huh?
Grandpa was?
It's going to be alright, Nanoka.
Grandpa's going to be with you.
Nanoka! My word, what happened?
Are you feeling unwell?
Your injury from yesterday
Are you all right now?
You've always been frail,
so you need to be careful.
He's keeping me under watch?
Nanoka
If you go back now, Byouki might
turn you into its vessel.
So
If you're afraid,
stay here with me.
What?
Did he just
ask me to stay with him forever?
You're
You're physically strong, of course,
but you also have a good heart.
You're honest and brave.
What?! He's suddenly praising me!
You
would be more than capable
of working under me.
What?!
Also, if you're not on the other side,
Byouki will eventually return here.
BYOUKI
Byouki will eventually return here.
You can work as my assistant until then
and learn how to fight Byouki.
No way! Why would I want
to be your underling?!
Give me a protective amulet,
a weapon, or something like that!
Miss Nanoka.
Are you going back?
Yes.
I have to find out the truth
about my Grandpa.
Nanoka.
Mao
W-What're you doing?
What is that?
They're protective stones.
They will repel any evil
that comes near you.
They will protect you
like a barrier.
Okay. Thank you.
And on the other side, the guardian
shikigami I sent should be there.
I don't know what form it has taken
to help you though.
You're saying I have an ally there?
Yes!
I don't know what the future holds
but I'm not facing it alone.
Is something the matter?
No. I'll be going, then.
Be careful, Miss Nanoka.
Who could my ally be?
Someone who's close by
and always helping me
SHIRAHA
Kiba?
Shiraha?
Uh Are you feeling well?
Huh?
I heard they let you out
of the hospital during summer break,
but you didn't come to school
after classes resumed.
Oh, right! The second semester
has already started!
And, uh
I think I saw you once at this
deserted shopping street, but then
I lost sight of you.
It might have been my imagination,
but when I saw you,
you looked troubled.
That was the day I went to see Mao
and the earthquake happened.
Listen, if there's anything
I can do to help,
just ask.
Huh?
And on the other side, the guardian
shikigami I sent should be there.
Could it be?!
Could it be Shiraha?
Miss Nanoka.
Thank goodness you're back safely.
FUNA UOZUMI
I'm here to pick you up.
Uozumi
Just a minute.
I need to talk with Shiraha.
What?!
I-I can't believe Kiba
wants to talk with me!
I'm sorry, Uozumi,
you can go back without me.
Let's go, Shiraha.
Miss Nanoka.
You met Master Mao, didn't you?
What?!
MAO
Did you see that, Daddy!
I did it!
After Mom and Dad died,
I started living with Grandpa.
Soon after that, Uozumi joined us
as a live-in housekeeper.
Even as a child, I thought she
didn't seem entirely human.
So you're a shikigami?
Yes.
In the midst of the great earthquake,
I left my katashiro
at Master Mao's command
and followed Byouki and you
to this place.
I'm going to tell you
what I saw at the time.
The moment you passed
through the barrier,
you were covered in the poisoned
blood of the wounded Byouki.
An ordinary person would
have died instantly.
Byouki disappeared somewhere.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER
You were taken to a hospital
most likely the same one your
grandfather had been admitted to.
Nanoka
Nanoka Nanoka
Nanoka
Grandpa was supposed to be
in critical condition.
The doctors said it was a miracle.
So Byouki extended his life?
But why?
I believe it needed someone
to protect and raise you.
So once I grew up, it planned
to make me its vessel?
My duty was to keep you away
from Byouki and protect you.
You survived exposure
to Byouki's blood
and gained the yokai powers needed
to become a suitable vessel.
That is why I took it upon myself to strip away
your yokai powers completely
and seal them away.
Now I get it!
Those smoothies taste like rotten mud.
I blended a secret herbal mixture
to suppress your powers
and mask your presence.
But wasn't Grandpa connected to Byouki?
That's something
I don't understand either.
While you were away,
your grandfather barely moved,
or would be in a deep sleep.
It's almost as if
he's living only for you, Nanoka.
We're home!
Nanoka
Grandpa.
I've been worried sick.
Where on earth have you been?
The protective stones
They will repel any evil
that comes near you.
They will protect you like a barrier.
Is everything okay, Nanoka?
Grandpa
Nanoka
I'm so relieved.
Welcome back.
Nanoka.
Grandpa!
This is my dear, sweet Grandpa!
TENKO
Dr. Mao?
May I come in?
I thought you might need supplies,
so I put some things together.
Tenko.
I'm glad to see you're okay.
Yes.
Oh! Clothes.
How did you manage to get these?
How is Milk Hall?
There are cracks,
but it managed to survive.
We'll be closed for a while, though.
I heard about what happened, Dr. Mao.
So you finally confronted Byouki
you've been searching for all these years.
Yeah.
But in the end, I let it get away.
Nothing was resolved.
Mao, can it be that you don't know
what truly happened back then?
What?
Do you not know
who murdered your master,
burned down the Treasure House,
and shot you with arrows?
We were framed.
Both you and I.
What was Byouki trying to tell me?
Dr. Mao, I suppose I shouldn't
bring up the flaming heads.
Flaming heads?
A great many people died
in the big earthquake.
In the burned ruins
of the Imperial Capital,
there are still bodies that
haven't been recovered.
Apparently at night,
we don't know if they are heads that
have separated from the corpses,
but they fly about,
enveloped in flames.
Excuse me, Master Mao.
What were those things that
attacked Fifth Street
on the day of the big earthquake?
I thought they might be ayakashi
attracted to Byouki's evil aura.
Yes, but they didn't appear to
be connected to Byouki.
Were they different from
the flaming heads in the capital?
From what I saw
They looked like very ancient heads.
Flaming heads
It's a horse's head!
You imbecile!
MASTER OF THE GOKO CLAN
How could you allow a cursed object
MASTER OF THE GOKO CLAN
to escape the premises?!
What were you thinking?!
You moron!
He's in trouble again.
It's been ages since
I last thought about
my senior apprentice
from 900 years ago.
My senior apprentice?
That’s impossible!
Is something the matter?
Master Mao?
It can't be!
The Asakusa Tower
Boss, we won't be able to set up
the show here for a while.
Yeah, I know.
We're going to Osaka.
Pack up, everybody!
FLAMING SKULLS
Are we all here?
Snake Girl.
- Yes, Boss.
Oni Man.
- Here, Boss.
Inch-High Samurai.
- Here.
Master of Flaming Heads.
Master of Flaming Heads?
Master of Flaming Heads, you here?
He quit.
Quit?!
Yes. He said that
his trained skulls all ran away.
Huh?!
B-But, aren't those just props?!
Good grief. That Byouki put me
out of business.
NEXT TIME
Ryounkaku?
We passed by it when we arrived
at the Imperial Capital.
It was a magnificent building.
It couldn't be
Or so I thought, but you're
That blade
It's the Sword of Hagunsei, isn't it?
Oh, no! He's dead?!
In order to inherit
the many secret curses,
it is essential to know how to channel
the energy from dark emotions.
So that means Mao will
become my husband.
Next time: "Hyakka."