[Nanmaru] The answer… is in this town.
[Emi] We need to hurry and stop Yoriyuki Marukami.
[Nanmaru] Yoriyuki Marukami is just a murderer.
Not a lord, ruler, or guru!
[Emi] Professor Marukami…
[Yoriyuki] I'm putting an end to the nightmares.
Surely… you won't…
-[Yoriyuki] This is a fight. -[guns firing]
[popping]
[Sachiko's great-uncle] If you don't stop Yoriyuki…
[gun firing]
Change of plan. We're starting over.
[Takashi] When you see her next…
tell her that I'm sorry.
Takashi…
[Sachiko wailing]
Kasasagi…
Previously on Land of Tanabata
[birds screeching]
I understand.
You can return to the inn.
[Kanemura] As for Mr. Hayano and the others from Marukawa Town,
we'd like to talk to you individually, so please accompany us to the station.
Thank you everyone.
[officer] This way.
[footsteps]
[Kanemura] Thank you.
I'll take it from here.
[birds screeching]
[car approaching]
[car door opens]
[Sachiko's grandma] Sachiko!
Grandmother…
[groans]
Excuse me.
You're Yoji Minamimaru, aren't you?
I am.
I'm Sachiko's grandmother,
Takie Nakazawa.
[sighs] I'm sorry this is so sudden,
but we need to move you to a different accommodation.
[Takie] Please get in the car.
What?
[Takie] Come on. Hurry.
Hang on.
What about us?
[Takie] I'm sorry,
but we have been instructed to protect Mr. Minamimaru.
[Emi] Wait!
Who was it
that instructed you?
[sighs]
The current head,
Master Masami Marukami.
Professor Marukami?
[Takie] Please excuse us.
Please wait!
Professor Marukami…
Where is Professor Marukami right now?
That is…
something I can't tell you right now.
Excuse me.
-[car door closes, opens] -[engine starts]
[car door closes]
[♪ theme music playing]
Land of Tanabata
[crickets chirping]
[Sachiko] If you're still cold, there's a blanket in the closet.
Thank you.
[rustling]
Sachiko!
Have you started job hunting yet?
What?
[Sachiko] Well, I've found a job.
What?
An office job.
I start this year.
It's a local company
that wholesales household items.
[exclaims]
[chuckles]
I see.
That's great.
[Sachiko] Yeah…
How are you feeling?
Fine.
[door slides]
[Sachiko] Goodnight.
[door slides close]
[dog barking in distance]
Nanmaru?
Can't you sleep again?
Still…
don't go outside yet.
I…
just don't get it.
How did things turn out like this?
[♪ pensive music playing]
[Sachiko] Probably…
because of what Yoriyuki did.
In any case,
two people Within Reach died.
You need to be careful too.
[mutters]
What?
"In any case"?
They were your brother and great-uncle, weren't they?
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't be losing my head.
I'm really sorry.
[Nanmaru breathes heavily]
[Sachiko] Me too…
I lost my head today.
Sorry…
I'll sleep now, okay?
[Sachiko] Wait…
Can you talk with me…
a little longer?
Sweet sake that my grandmother made.
Whenever I see a dream and can't sleep, she'll make this.
Thank you.
[slurping]
The loneliest thing in the world…
What do you think that is, Nanmaru?
[Nanmaru] Hmm…
When people die…
they become stars in the night sky.
Some might say it's cliché,
but I think it might be true.
The distance between stars…
That gap is billions
or trillions of kilometers, right?
Nothing but darkness…
all around.
Even if you reach out
or shout,
no one can hear you.
[♪ pensive music playing]
If consciousness lives on somewhere…
even after the body dies…
I think death…
might feel something like that.
The death of a parent or sibling…
The death of a lover…
The death of a child…
We encounter all kinds of death…
But all of this…
happens inside the Window, doesn't it?
The Window?
The truly lonely thing…
is your own death.
Only you are leaving that place.
Only you…
are going Beyond the Window.
Then…
does that mean Beyond the Window
is the afterlife?
I don't know.
But…
the dreams are always the same.
[dripping]
[birds chirping]
[♪ solemn music playing]
[Sachiko] They start in the house…
I'm all alone…
As I search for someone…
[♪ solemn music continues]
[wind blowing]
[♪ music fades]
[♪ pensive music playing]
[wind gusting]
[thuds]
Before I know it…
I find myself in a deep darkness.
From that moment, I'm all alone.
For a thousand years…
For ten thousand years…
I'm trapped in a dark place, all alone.
Like an eternal consciousness…
Whatever it is,
it's not here.
It's Beyond.
Still…
Very rarely…
I feel something.
Even though I'm dead and all alone,
there's somebody there.
Beyond the Milky Way…
It's like that person…
is waving their hand.
[♪ solemn music playing]
That's why I…
[♪ music stops]
Nanmaru?
I felt like…
I don't know why, but…
I felt like you might end up going there…
Beyond the dream…
Sachiko,
there's something I want to tell you.
Your brother…
told me to tell you
that he was sorry.
[Nanmaru] He showed up out of the blue, so I didn't quite understand at first.
But I think…
that they were his true feelings.
It doesn't matter…
Not anymore…
I just…
I hope he hasn't gone to the lonely place by himself.
That's all.
[♪ ominous music playing]
[Emi] Who was it that instructed you?
The current head,
Master Masami Marukami.
[water drips]
I've heard all about it.
I understand you have come here out of concern
for Professor Marukami's whereabouts.
I realized that the order of the schedule for the annual festival
and the flag was reversed.
I mentioned it to the townspeople,
but they said it would be strange to change it after all this time,
so we'll continue as things are from next year too.
[♪ music fades]
[announcer over PA] This is a request from the Marukawa Police Station.
The suspect involved in the incident
that occurred in Marukawa Town yesterday
has not yet been found.
Residents of the town
are advised to securely lock their doors and refrain from going out.
If you spot any suspicious…
Understood.
[villager 1] What did they say?
We're gathering at the Central Community Center.
-Huh? -Isn't that a bit conspicuous?
Apparently, it's not just Window Openers they're gathering today,
but a large number of people.
[villager 1] I see.
[♪ pensive music playing]
I'm sorry,
we have to close up today due to an urgent matter.
We will be closing in 15 minutes.
Oh, okay.
[cafe owner] Sorry about that.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[footsteps receding]
[cafe owner] We're gathering at the Central Community Center.
[villager 1] Isn't that a bit conspicuous?
It's scary how the devastation
at the Higashimaru estate is being wrapped up as a serial killing.
That wasn't a crime scene…
It was a battlefield.
And this incident hasn't been in the news at all.
[Aki] Not even on the Internet.
Does that mean information is being suppressed?
Right.
I even tried posting about it on social media with a throwaway account,
but I got banned immediately.
Which means only the people of this town know about what happened.
Uh-huh.
It might look different this time,
but the same thing that happened 400 years ago could be happening again.
Um…
Could I go to the inn?
[Nanmaru] I want to consult with Professor Emi too.
[Takie] I completely understand.
Even so,
please wait patiently here, at least for tonight.
-[Nanmaru] For tonight? -Yes.
Tonight, the town's leading figures are gathering
to discuss what to do from here on.
Hang on,
that announcement just now told us to refrain from going out.
That's not an option.
[doorbell rings]
Okay then, Sachiko.
[Sachiko] Okay.
[Takie] I'm coming. Please wait.
Akita Prefectural Police.
[officer] May we come in?
No, you may not.
[loud thud]
How dare you?
Excuse us.
[♪ suspenseful music playing]
At least take off your shoes!
[Sachiko whispers] Nanmaru.
Come with me.
Wait, what?
[Sachiko] Quietly.
[Takie] Wait right there!
What are you doing here?
[♪ suspenseful music playing]
Look all you want, there's nobody here.
[sighs]
I think I'll go to that Central Community Center
where the townspeople are gathering.
Why?
Marukami Village
is now at a crossroads.
It must decide between resistance or submission
to the outside world.
[panting]
Sachiko!
[panting]
Wait a second.
Let's stop.
It's probably fine.
[Sachiko] What?
Those guys back there
probably weren't after me.
They're searching for Yoriyuki Marukami.
That may be true,
but you're a telekinetic too.
A telekinetic, huh?
[sighs]
So then,
is Marukami Village going to shelter another telekinetic?
Tell me,
where are the townspeople now?
[villager 1] Hurry up and find the culprit!
[villagers clamoring in distance]
They're all here. The police too.
[Tagaya] It seems like they're arguing.
[officer] We told you to refrain from going outside.
All of us
-have important things to discuss. -[villagers agreeing]
-What kind of important things? -[villagers] Huh?
None of your business.
It's to do with our town.
-Exactly! -That's right!
[Kanemura clapping] Well now!
You're all acting rather suspicious.
Could it be that you're all on good terms with the murderer?
[Mr. Hayano sighs]
You keep talking about a murderer.
I assume you are referring to the person
who shot three members of the Higashimaru family, right?
[Mr. Hayano] That means,
someone equipped with a machine gun, right?
-Right! -Yeah!
Who killed Master Higashimaru?
Arrest them.
-[villager 2] Right! -[villager 3] Arrest them!
This isn't good.
If this carries on, they might use force.
[villagers clamoring in distance]
Force? On the townspeople?
That's how state power works.
It usually doesn't intervene,
but once you challenge it, you grant it a just reason to quell opposition.
[villagers clamoring in distance]
[gasps] Who's that?
[cars approaching]
[villagers exclaiming]
[tires screeching]
[villager 4] Look!
It's them!
[villager 5] What are you doing here?
-[villager 6] Stop! Stop! -[villager 7] Hey!
[villagers shriek]
[♪ suspenseful music playing]
Rest assured.
We do not shoot innocent civilians.
We only want one thing.
Yoriyuki Marukami.
[Masumoto] You all know Yoriyuki Marukami very well, don't you?
As well as the fact that he is behind the recent mass disappearances.
Regardless of his noble lineage in this town,
you can't ignore this any longer.
Anyone who has any idea about this man's whereabouts,
or even knows exactly where he is,
please cooperate with us now.
We wouldn't tell you even if we knew!
-Right! -Exactly.
We wouldn't.
We could never betray Yoriyuki!
-Yeah! -That's right!
[villagers clamoring]
[villager 8] Leave this place!
[clamoring continues]
[villagers gasp]
[♪ ominous music playing]
Yoriyuki Marukami possesses a terrifying power.
If things go wrong, we could all die.
[Masumoto] I'm not exaggerating here.
You could call this a crisis for our planet.
[Nanmaru] I think that might be a bit of an exaggeration.
[Mr. Hayano] Mr. Minamimaru?
Sorry to interrupt.
I just think there are actions we could take
before things really get out of hand.
So you're the Minamimaru I've been hearing about.
Well, I'm nobody special.
How is Nanmaru so chilled out at a time like this?
Well, he is the daft lord.
[shushes]
[Nanmaru] But never mind that.
Instead of getting confrontational,
isn't there a way to just meet Yoriyuki Marukami?
-To just meet him? -[Nanmaru] Basically…
You're all panicking because you don't know what he wants, right?
That's why we must meet him first,
and question the reasons behind his extreme actions.
What happens after we ask him?
We need to avoid the worst-case scenario,
and after that,
Yoriyuki must be held accountable.
-What? -But…
See!
Do you hear this guy?
-He doesn't care about the village! -Exactly.
In the end, you're an outsider!
Yes, I am an outsider.
[villagers murmuring]
[rustling]
[gasps]
[guns clicking]
Thanks to that, I still don't know what to use this for.
[♪ pensive music playing]
I don't know what to use it for,
but that doesn't bother me.
That's because
I've stopped letting it control me.
-[pops] -[all shriek]
It really is an unusual ability.
I feel like I could do something amazing with this.
It seems a waste not to use it for something.
[Nanmaru] But that's where we must be careful.
An ability is ultimately just a tool to serve as a means,
not an end itself.
Humans shouldn't be swayed by such a thing.
I also got caught up in thinking I had to use this power.
I nearly got involved in crime,
and almost harmed people.
Everyone, if you feel like you are being controlled by something unseen,
then maybe it's time to start thinking about that.
So… basically, you're telling us to betray Yoriyuki?
It's not about betraying or not betraying,
but more about one's own…
[Professor Marukami] It's about the invisible chains
that are wrapped around your own neck.
Professor Marukami!
[approaching footsteps]
[mutters]
[♪ dramatic music playing]
Is this person…
[Professor Marukami] You're Yoji Minamimaru, aren't you?
Yes.
Professor!
Professor Marukami…
Emi…
Professor!
Looks like it's still going on.
Right…
Professor Marukami…
Still though,
to think that Nanmaru is one of those representing the town…
[Sakuragi] It's not exactly reassuring, is it?
Well, he is the Young Lord, so I guess it can't be helped.
Hey,
how about Professor Marukami's face, huh?
Stop going on about it!
[shushes]
All right then,
do you have any idea
about what Yoriyuki Marukami wants?
[Professor Marukami] Not exactly, but…
What do you mean?
[♪ ominous music playing]
Before that,
how about
I ask you first?
[Professor Marukami] What do you plan to do
after dealing with Yoriyuki Marukami?
That is our only objective.
Does that go for the police too?
Of course.
Do you know about human clones?
What?
[Professor Marukami] Rare technology exists.
Technology with various possible uses.
In terms of cloning technology, these uses range from spare organs
and storage bags
to grotesque creations like headless humans.
The grim dreams continue to grow,
but in reality,
it's about saying, "Let's all stop and think about this first."
Right, Minamimaru?
Well… um…
Yes…
Let's make a deal.
We won't leave here ever again.
[Professor Marukami] And you won't come here ever again.
Yoriyuki Marukami is the only exception.
I won't preach the inherent goodness of human nature right now,
but by cooperating with you now,
we hope to gain your trust.
In other words,
you hope to persuade Yoriyuki Marukami?
If persuasion is enough…
[Professor Marukami] Once again…
We are being abandoned once again.
[Mr. Hayano breathes heavily]
But Professor--
Hayano…
This is the only way to protect the village.
[mutters]
Marukami Village…
Is that what Yoriyuki Marukami is after?
Yoriyuki Marukami's aim…
is Mount Marukami.
[♪ ominous music playing]
[Emi] Who was it that instructed you?
The current head,
Master Masami Marukami.
Master Masami Marukami… Master Masami Marukami…
I've heard all about it.
I understand you have come here out of concern
for Professor Marukami's whereabouts.
I understand you have come here out of concern
for Professor Marukami's whereabouts.
[muttering]
I realized that the order of the schedule for the annual festival
and the flag was reversed.
I mentioned it to the townspeople,
but they said it would be strange to change it after all this time,
so we'll continue as things are from next year too.
[♪ music fades]
The order is reversed…
I get it now.
Is something the matter?
[Nanmaru breathes heavily]
[Nanmaru exhales sharply]
[Nanmaru] Professor Emi…
Sorry about before.
I'm fine now.
[exhales heavily]
[Tagaya] What about the discussion?
It's finished.
The townspeople are going to assist with the arrest of Yoriyuki Marukami.
Arrest? I wonder if things will really go down that peacefully.
Who knows…
Also,
Professor Marukami wants to show you all something.
It's something to do with your model, Tagaya.
Okay…
He said someone will come and take us to his home and lab tomorrow.
Of course, we'll go.
I'm sure that the professor will grade our report.
Okay.
[♪ mysterious music playing]
[bird screeching]
[assistant] This way.
[Professor Marukami] Welcome. Take a seat where you like.
My model…
I'll sit here then.
[Professor Marukami] Thank you for bringing them to me.
[assistant] Not at all.
First,
I must apologize to you three.
Emi, Tagaya and Sakuragi.
I disappeared without notice,
abandoning everything irresponsibly.
There's no excuse for that.
I'm sorry.
[Tagaya] Please, don't worry.
-[Sakuragi] Not at all… -It was quite hard, to be honest.
Since I have my own schedule to deal with.
I'm sorry.
Today is like the final summary of the Marukami Seminar research.
Is that right?
[soft grunt]
More like an interim summary.
However, this isn't something that can be announced publicly.
This information should be kept fundamentally secret.
[Professor Marukami] Do you understand?
-Okay. -I understand.
[Professor Marukami] Also, Minamimaru and Aki, was it?
I've caused a lot of trouble for you two as well.
Not at all.
I'm here of my own accord.
All right, let's begin.
Okay.
[Professor Marukami] First, a recap.
It is estimated that the origin of the Marukami Village festival
dates back to the mid-Heian period, and it seems that it was already
a seven-day festival from a very early stage.
But why seven days?
[Tagaya] It's the seven days that include the summer solstice, right?
[Emi] We found that out from your letter.
Right.
What about the other thing?
We didn't get that at all.
The order of the festival schedule and the flag is reversed.
First, this is about it being called Tanabata, right?
Precisely.
The festival in this town is now known as the "June Tanabata Festival,"
which is very rare even nationwide,
but it only started being called that from the late Edo period onwards.
What?
"Tanabata" wasn't mentioned at all in any of the previous records.
No way!
[Professor Marukami] Tanabata.
Originally,
this was written
with the characters
"shelf" and "loom."
But characters describing the "evening of July 7th" were used instead.
Just remember that the characters
for "seven" and "evening" were attached later on.
Now then, Professor Emi.
Please explain what I mean about the order of the festival schedule
and the flag being reversed.
[♪ suspenseful music playing]
Okay.
Now then,
we were initially considering this issue with Tanabata in mind.
This is because of the Kasasagi flag.
In the Chinese story that inspired Tanabata,
a Kasasagi is depicted as a bird that forms a bridge across the Milky Way.
Thus, we first thought that,
since the Tanabata legend came from China,
the bird associated with Tanabata, the Kasasagi…
became a symbol on the lord's flag.
We then thought it became a seven-day festival…
due to the character "seven" in the word Tanabata.
However, it turns out this order is entirely reversed.
[board eraser screeching]
A seven-day festival and the Kasasagi flag existed first.
Due to the match between the "seven days,"
and "Kasasagi," a bird associated with Tanabata…
the festival later became known as the "Tanabata Festival."
But Kasasagis weren't even present in this region of Tohoku,
let alone in Japan during the Heian period when the festival started, right?
So what exactly do you mean
by the Kasasagi flag existing first?
That's the point.
Initially, it might not have been called the Kasasagi flag.
In other words,
it might never have been a Kasasagi at all,
but something that resembled one.
[all clapping]
Thank you.
Tagaya, can you lend me a hand?
[Tagaya] Okay.
-Your right hand. -My right hand…
[Tagaya gasps]
[mutters]
[Tagaya mutters]
[exclaims]
-Thank you. -Okay.
-You can go back now. -Okay.
-[Sachiko] Here you go, Tagaya. -Thanks.
[Tagaya chuckling]
This is what you saw, right, Emi?
Yes.
This was left at the Higashimaru estate the other day.
Yoriyuki Marukami's handprint.
When you take these three…
[paper rustles]
…and line them up like this…
What does it look like?
[Nanmaru] The Kasasagi flag?
[Professor Marukami] That's right.
This is probably the original form.
It looks like the upper hand
is giving something round to the lower hand.
[♪ dramatic music playing]
Everything started with this.
[♪ ominous music playing]
[dripping]
[Professor Marukami] Now then, about the model.
Tagaya, did you notice anything while making this?
Well…
Mount Marukami and the Seven Peaks felt somewhat artificial, I guess.
-[Nanmaru] You did mention that before. -Uh-huh.
As I mentioned earlier, the Marukami festival
is held over seven days, encompassing the summer solstice.
On the day of the summer solstice, the sun rises and sets
at its most northern points.
In this village, the sun always sets along the ridge line of Mount Kurone,
but if you look here,
the north face of Mount Kurone is greatly eroded, forming quite a cliff.
[Professor Marukami] Since Mount Kurone is so high,
this place usually experiences early sunsets,
but during the seven days around the summer solstice,
from very specific spots, you can witness a second sunset.
This is thanks to this gap.
A second sunset…
Haven't you realized something?
A second sunset, for seven days only…
Oh.
A seven-day
sunset.
Tanabata…
Not the sunset of July 7th,
but seven sunsets!
I see…
So "seven" and "evening" came from there, making it the Tanabata Festival.
[all exclaim]
Everyone, line up over there.
-Okay. -Okay.
If you would, Sachiko.
Okay.
[switch clicks]
Think of this light
as the sun that provides the second sunset on the day of the summer solstice.
All right.
When the sun sets for a second time…
[♪ theme music playing]
[♪ closing theme music playing]
Translated by Zak