Shinigami were watching Mariko wherever she went at school, and her paranoia was starting to get the better of her. When the rest of the class was laughing at Hisoka's rude attitude towards Tsuzuki's social studies lesson Mariko was just wondering how everyone could be so carefree when their teacher was a Shinigami.

When walking home Maki had been so distracted by Tsuzuki and Hisoka walking a few paces behind her that she walked straight in the path of a car. Tsuzuki saved her, but she yelled at him, blamed him for Maki's death, and then ran off. Hisoka told Tsuzuki not to let it get to him, and Tsuzuki said he wouldn't, that as long as she was safe he didn't mind what she said to him.

In his lab Muraki reflected on the first time he met Saki (the severed head). His father had introduced him to Muraki, telling him that Saki was his older brother. For around the same time Muraki was conceived his father had committed adultery and Saki was the result. Muraki tried to get along with his brother, but when his parents were killed he found out Saki was the one who did it. Saki went to kill Muraki as well, but Muraki's servant killed Saki before it could happen. Muraki had been waiting for revenge ever since then, and he told Saki that soon he would give him a new body and then kill him with his own hands. Cue Muraki's maniacal laughter.

Professor Satomi realized that he had received hair samples from Muraki a day after each of the murders had occurred. There was a knock at his door, and Muraki came in. He told Satomi that he had a trap set to catch the man Satomi wanted, and asked for Satomi's help, to which the Professer agreed.

When teaching his class, Tsuzuki had been distracted by Mariko's sad expression and cut his finger on a page of the textbook. He tried to convince the class he was fine, but all the girls insisted he go visit the nurse and that they escort him. To appease them he decided to go an get a band-aid to put on his finger, but when he reached the nurse's office it seems a new nurse had been hired, none other than Dr. Muraki. Tsuzuki was shocked, but Muraki assured him that he wasn't there to kill him, and asked if he wanted to go out that night, since he had tickets to Tatagi Noh.

Back in the classroom Mariko was called down to the office. After she left Hisoka realized that the voice over the intercom was Professor Satomi, and ran to find her. In the nurse's office Muraki told Tsuzuki that if he turned him down Mariko would die. Tsuzuki said Hisoka was watching Mariko, but at that moment Hisoka ran into the office in a panic and told Tsuzuki that Muraki had her.

At the performance that night Muraki tried to make small talk, but Tsuzuki was all business, saying that he came as he had asked and that Muraki should let Mariko go. Muraki said he would if Tsuzuki answered a few questions, and then showed Tsuzuki the picture of him from his grandfather's files. Tsuzuki didn't remember any of it, so Muraki explained the details. He then pointed out that Tsuzuki had violet eyes, a color no human being had, and that by investigating his grandfather's notes he had discovered Tsuzuki had alien blood. Tsuzuki was obviously affected by that information, and clutched his right wrist. Muraki asked him if he were truly human, and then said that he carried the blood of demons; that he was a monster. Right before the commercial break kicks in a shot is shown of Tsuzuki lying in the hospital bed, watching butterflies outside his window.

In Professor Satomi's office, Muraki refused to give Tsuzuki over to him, and when Satomi objected Muraki pointed out that while Satomi's research had been to benefit humankind Muraki's had been to kill. Muraki noticed a newspaper clipping on Satomi's desk, and confirmed Satomi's suspicions that Muraki had been the killer. Muraki then killed Satomi, saying that the blame would belong to Satomi. He then picked up a jar with an insect (centipede?) in it.

Hisoka watched over Tsuzuki in a bar somewhere as he got rather drunk. In his inebriated state Tsuzuki told Hisoka that Muraki had said he wasn't human, and asked Hisoka what he was then. Hisoka asked him what he meant, and Tsuzuki went on to say that he now remembered how as a child everyone had bullied him; that he was different and people accused him of being a monster. We see a short flashback of young Tsuzuki running from a mob of boys who were throwing stones at him.

Tsuzuki ran out into the snow-filled street and started bashing his head against the wall of a building. When Hisoka grabbed him to pull him away he had a vision of the hatred, persecution and self-loathing that marked Tsuzuki's past. Hisoka commented on how horribly they had treated him, but Tsuzuki sobbed that he had wanted to be human and be with them. Hisoka vehemently assured Tsuzuki that he was human and always had been, then told him not to cry anymore and held Tsuzuki as the snow fell down around them.

Later, sheltered in a playground somewhere, Tsuzuki lay with his head on Hisoka's lap. He asked Hisoka one more time if he were human, and after Hisoka told him he was he drifted off to sleep. Hisoka's gaze wandered when he heard footsteps, and suddenly Mariko stumbled forward in the snow to collapse near them.

They took her back to EnMaCho and Tsuzuki decided to stay in the room where she lay unconscious and watch over her, assuring the others he'd be ok. After everyone had left he silently vowed to himself that he wouldn't let anyone else die.

As Hisoka practiced kendo and Tatsumi watched Watari work at his computer both of their thoughts were on Tsuzuki.

In Mariko's room Tsuzuki slumbered in his chair. Muraki's voice told Mariko to open her eyes, and suddenly the centipede-like creature burst from within her and attacked Tsuzuki, waking him rather forcefully. He looked up to see what attacked him and saw Mariko's head and shoulders protruding from the creature's back.

In Konoe's office, Tatsumi and Watari told Konoe they suspected Muraki wanted to use Tsuzuki's body in his clone research, and that he had merely been using Professor Satomi, and that they should check on him in the morning as Muraki might try to kill him. Their conversation was interrupted by the alarm ringing, to their shock and horror.

Tsuzuki tried to dodged the creature's attacks and yelled at it to stop. It gripped him in it's clutches and Tsuzuki's eyes started to tear and he silently cried that he didn't want anyone else to get hurt. The other Shinigami were running to his aid but Suzaku appeared first and attacked the creature without Tsuzuki summoning her. Tsuzuki yelled for Suzaku to stop, but Suzaku paid him no heed and both the creature and Mariko were engulfed in flames. It was too much for Tsuzuki and he clutched his head and screamed.

Suzaku flew high into the air, leaving the building in ruins, and Watari, Hisoka and Tatsumi stood there dumbstruck. Watari wondered what was going on and then Hisoka had a flash of something. Tatsumi saw Tsuzuki huddled amongst the rubble and realized right away that Tsuzuki had lost his mind. Hisoka tried to run to him but Suzaku prevented him, protecting Tsuzuki like a mother hen. Hisoka said that he wanted to help Tsuzuki too, then suddenly in his mind he heard Tsuzuki's voice saying that he would die. Hisoka screamed that Tsuzuki was dying and tried once again to run to his partner, but Tatsumi held him back knowing how futile his attempt would be.

Suddenly white feathers fell from the sky like rain and Muraki appeared, an unconscious Tsuzuki in his arms. Hisoka tried to run to him but Muraki was gone as quickly as he came, taking Tsuzuki with him. Hisoka tripped on the rubble and fell, screaming out Tsuzuki's name as feathers still floated down from the heavens.

Comments: This episode is easily one of my favorites out of the whole series. Very, very easily. It's chock-full of angst and great scenes between Muraki and Tsuzuki, as well as the bar scene between Tsuzuki and Hisoka which melts my heart. Probably the most beautiful of all the scenes in this incredibly beautiful episode is when Tsuzuki watches the butterflies from his hospital bed; it's only a few seconds but it makes me want to cry every time. And need I mention that the look into Muraki's past was very something I had really been looking forward to?

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