Episode 7 –
[details=spoiler]Back in the modern world, Arata returns to school as Hinohara. Kadowaki and the bullies were ready for him – well for Hinohara. Nothing could have prepared them this Arata!
On the way to the capital, Kotoha injures her foot so the party rests at an abandoned village. And Kannagi is still following them! Hinohara realizes that Kotoha has some deeper feelings for Arata and perhaps wishes he was Arata right about now. This could get complicated. Hinohara leaves to scout the area before Kotoha can say anything more.
The two Aratas have another chat and each is brought up to date on their own worlds. Hinohara also asks Arata how he feels about Kotoha and is told that he thinks of her as a little sister and tasks Hinohara with protecting her. Hinohara seems a little relieved, but again, this could get complicated, especially since I think that Kanate also likes Kotoha.
In his search to find the herb to help with Kotoha’s pain, Kanate comes across Emisu’s grave and growing around it is the very herb he needs. He picks a few and is suddenly surrounded by columns of fire. Hinohara is wandering around, thinking of his conversation with Arata, when Kannagi grabs him from behind and demands his Hayagami. They too are surrounded by flames and Kannagi explains that there is an underground lava flow. Without Homura, Kannagi can do nothing to control the fires.
When the flames attack Hinohara, he uses his Hayagami to dispel them. But now that Tsukuyo is out, Kannagi wants it even more. He wants to use it to get Homura back from Akachi. Hinohara can do nothing against an unarmed man and Kannagi soon takes Tsukuyo from him. Kannagi raises the Hayagami to strike a killing blow to Hinohara, but Kotoha’s voice stops him. She is there and suddenly the flames are attacking her.
Hinohara promised to protect Kotoha and here he is, powerless to do so. Kannagi has a sudden vision of the past, where Emisu was trapped just as Kotoha is now. Hinohara seizes his chance and runs to Kotoha. The flames are about to devour Kotoha and Hinohara can’t reach her. She doesn’t want him to either. She wants him to fulfill his mission and forget about her. But a promise is a promise and Kannagi and the newly arrived Kanate watch in awe as Hinohara enters the flames to save her.
Within the wall of flames, Hinohara hugs Kotoha to him. The flames rage around them and Kannagi’s shoulder begins to pain him. He hears Emisu’s voice and drops the Hayagami to leap into the fire and save Hinohara and Kotoha. Being a Sho of fire does come in handy once in a while! Afterwards, Kannagi fights with the pain in his shoulder and remembers some of his past. A past where a very young Akachi and Emisu joined his household. Kannagi grew up with the two of them. They were friends.
The watching Akachi remembers the past as well. The night the servants revolted and killed the lord. That night, the friends had to run for their lives. Akachi faces the mob to give Kannagi and Emisu time to escape and tells Kannagi to protect Emisu. He loved her as well and I think he was also jealous of Kannagi – not just because Emisu chose him, but also because Kannagi was a lord’s son. Perhaps if he had been a powerful lord, Emisu would have chosen him instead. But love just doesn’t work that way and Akachi needs to realize that. But in her own way, Emisu did love Akachi and did not want to leave him behind.
Kotoha now tries to heal Kannagi’s shoulder, but her skills aren’t enough. They realize that it’s an old wound and Kotoha thinks it may be a wound of the heart. Just then, Kannagi awakens with the name of Emisu on his lips as he sees Kotoha. Imaging that he sees her, he remembers the past again. Escape on a boat in a stormy sea. Kannagi comforts Emisu as best he can. Back on land, they travel through a forest, but exhaustion overcomes them. Ohika is the one that finds them. Fully awake now, Kannagi is telling his story to the others.
Time passes and Kannagi and Emisu are happily living out their lives in Kagutsuchi. On the night of another storm a raging fever brings Kannagi to what may be his deathbed. Emisu wants to gather the herbs to help him, but Ohika warns her of the lava flow. Wanting to help Kannagi, she ignores his warnings. Waking from his five day fever, Kannagi looks out his window to see a nearby hilltop in flames under a clam night sky. Instinct takes over and weak but determined, he finally makes it to the hilltop. He finds Emisu within the walls of flames, but she warns him to stay away.
The fire attacks Kannagi and sends him flying over the edge of the hilltop. His shoulder on fire, he manages to pull himself back up. Emisu is happy to see him alive. Then the flames consume her. Nothing is left of her and a world without Emisu is no world for him. Kannagi tries to join Emisu in death by taking his own life. He calls out to Homura, the god of flames to take him to Emisu’s side. Hearing his plea, Homura appears before him and instead of taking his life, chooses him to be his Sho and gifts him with a Hayagami.
Now at Emisu’s grave, Kannagi finishes his story. Homura is more to him that just a Hayagami. It’s also part of Emisu and Kannagi vows to get it back from Akachi. Hinohara tells Kannagi to join them and come with them to the capital. Hinohara tells him that they are going to change this world. But others are observing them as well. And Akachi mentions that the Six Sho are on the move![/details]
