Vital Discovery

Going through countless tapes, the trio see no other tapes marked for emergencies or that catch their eyes.

“There’s over a hundred of these SD Cards, I don’t think your dad gave us anything to use.” Takumi says to Sakura.

“Let’s check a few of them then. Maybe dad caught something on them we can use.” Sakura rebuffs.

Takumi nods and begins looking through the SD card holders. However, his interest's pique by finding a written number.

“Two? Wait…a few of these are numbered. Maybe your dad did get something.” Takumi says.

Hitomi hurriedly gets the camera and goes near Takumi.

“Okay, see if you can find one that’s marked ‘One’.” Hitomi says.

Takumi digs through the SD Cards and finds a particular tape containing the exact number Hitomi mentioned.

“Found it.” Takumi says while giving Hitomi the card.

Removing the current card from the camera, Sakura goes near her mom. Putting in the card, Sakura turns it on and goes to the video files. She sees an extremely long video ranging 2 hours.

“Maybe there’s something here that can tell us how to get out of this house.” Sakura says anxiously.

Pressing play, the video starts up with a younger Hiro Hoshino and an unknown cameraman in a cave. Hiro looks towards the cameraman with a determined look.

“Okay, um, day 1 of getting the promised 400 yokai’s. According to that oni, an easy one is here. Gataro has that blank ukiyo-e tapestry in his backpack.”

Hiro walks deeper in the cave as the camera’s flashlights turn on, and Hiro uses his flashlight as well.

“Sir, are you sure using the empty ukiyo-e is even enough to trap one? Seems too easy.” The cameraman mutters.

“Look, that Oni said any will work fine. All he said is to not get grabbed by the yokai in the process of entering the ukiyo-e.”

Hitomi, Sakura and Takumi look on as they video plays. A few minutes go by and it still shows Hiro and his cameraman exploring the cave.

“Sakura, try fast forwarding.” Takumi says.

“Sure.”

Sakura presses the fast forward button, and the video begins jumping ahead. All three see it as just aimless exploration, but something catches Hitomi’s eyes.

“Wait. Sakura, rewind back but go slowly.” Her mom says.

Sakura does so, with the video showing some glimpse of a creature, looking pale, almost human, wearing a kimono and horns. Sakura keeps rewinding back and presses play. The video shows her dad and the cameraman in a very deep part of the cave, as they stare upon a creature.

“There it is. Our first yokai.” Excitedly said by Hiro.

“What is that? A woman?” Gataro asks.

Hiro, however, shakes his head.

“No, that’s a Kijo. Think of it as a female demon. Don’t say anything to upset her.” Commanded by Hiro.

The two men walk slowly toward the figure as it turns around, with its hazel eyes piercing through their souls. Hiro’s hand gestures have Gataro to stop in his place. Hiro slowly walks towards the creature.

“Hi, we’d like to talk with you please.” Hiro says nervously.

The Kijo begins to walk towards the gentlemen, looking alluring. The gentlemen hold their stances while the Kijo smiles.

“Are you two gentlemen looking for a nice woman?” The Kijo says smiling with its black teeth, making the two men uncomfortable.

“No, I personally want to talk to you for an interview. Especially since no one has talked to someone like you before in quite some time.” Hiro looks back and nods at the cameraman quickly.

Its figure slowly changes, from her previous monstrous nature to a young beautiful geisha.

“Let’s talk, gentlemen. Come sit.” The Kijo sits down while Hiro pulls Gataro to the side.

“Okay, put the camera on the floor in our direction and get ready with the tapestry.” Hiro whispers to Gataro.

Gataro nods and places the camera in the female figure’s direction while Hiro sits in front of her. While the cameraman sits by the sides, he opens his backpack and waits.

“Okay, tell me, why do you target young men?” Hiro asks the yokai.

The female smiles, showing off her bright and beautiful smile.

“It’s because I want a young man to only focus on me.”

“So, you’re looking for marriage then?” Hiro adds.

“Well, if he’s to my liking, yes. I just want a simple man who will like me for me.” The female yokai quickly shifts to her original appearance before reverting back to her beautiful one.

Hiro nods over to his cameraman before facing the yokai.

“I see. Would you stay in your true form if that was the case?”

Gataro slowly takes out the empty ukiyo-e, waiting as he stares at the yokai.

“Of course. Although only men like me if I stay in this form.” The Kijo rolls her eyes.

“Hmm, okay.” Hiro shifts his eyes towards Gataro and slightly nods.

Gataro quietly and slowly gets in place. In a quick instance, he throws the ukiyo-e on her.

Slash

Hiro and Gataro look on, stunned and frightful. The ukiyo-e drops to the floor, destroyed. The Kijo fully turns into her original form and is holding up her clawed hand.

“Did you think you could get me that easily?” She says, angrily in a soft manner.

Punch Punch

Hiro and Gataro are knocked back, with the female yokai walking towards Hiro. However, she sees something on the floor. Picking it up, it’s Hiro’s wallet and sees a photo of him with Hitomi.

“Who’s this?! Someone you like more than me?!” The yokai shouted.

“That’s my wife, give my wallet back.” Hiro commands as he pulls back his wallet.

“How dare you try to trap me when you have someone else!? You’ll never leave this cave!” The yokai disappears as all the rocks turn pitch black.

Hiro and Gataro look around as they get their camera off the ground. Using their camera's light, they try to find someplace out.

“What are we going to do?! I don’t want to die!” Gataro yells.

“We’ll find one. But we have to deal with her first.” Hiro says.

“How? She destroyed the blank tapestry?!”

“Shh! She didn’t get mine.” Hiro quietly whispers.

Hiro walks in one direction in the black filled void. Looking down, it looks like cave rocks but in all other directions is nothing but darkness.

Continuously walking around, they see nothing.

Meanwhile, the trio are speechless with the footage, until Takumi snaps out of his trance.

“Wait, this is what happened to us! Sakura fast forward again, there has to be something that made them leave.”

Doing as he says, Sakura fast forwards as the next hour shows her dad and his companion wandering in the dark void.

“Sakura, go a bit back. I think they found that thing again.” Hitomi commands.

Sakura rewinds back and sees the time is near the end of the 2-hour mark. Pressing play, they all see her dad and his friend continuously walking. Hiro looks exhausted but stops in his tracks.

“Did you hear something, Gataro?” Hiro asks.

Gataro, however, shakes his head.

“You two are now mine!” Yelled out by an unknown entity.

Out of the darkness, the Kijo lunges towards the cameraman. The camera falls to the ground as Gataro tries to fight her off of him.

“Help! Hiro!” He yells.

Hiro gets in his backpack and pulls out the empty ukiyo-e and immediately lunges towards the yokai. Hiro pushes the tapestry on her, catching her attention.

Hiro and Gataro see how her body is now joining with the tapestry. The female yokai yells, as her body fuses bit by bit. Parts of her become two dimensional as the tapestry glows brightly.

“Hiro, a little help!” Gataro yells.

Hiro pulls his friend back as the yokai refuses to let go of him. Gataro kicks her, making her let go.

“No!!” She yells out.

The yokai becomes fully trapped as her body is now in the ukiyo-e. The men pick up the art, now showing her in her original form yelling towards them.

“We did it.” Hiro says calmly.

In an instant, the empty void around them begins to metamorphose into the cave they were once in. Looking ahead, they see light.

“I don’t believe it; we’re back at the entrance of the cave!” Gataro yells out gleefully.

Hiro holds onto the tapestry as the two men breathe and relish in the bright sun. The video ends, with the trio looking stunned.

“That’s how they got out, they captured the yokai and it made their reality turn back to normal.” Takumi says.

“We can get out of here! We can save your father Sakura!” Hitomi says, hugging her daughter.

“Okay, now we know what we have to do.” Sakura exclaims.

With the evidence they found, the three of them stare at the door that separates the A/V room to all the horrors that they await to see.