In the opening scene, a volcano blows its top on Ayaka Island in Japan. Two little boys, Jingi and Yukito, are running for their lives like mice dodging a hungry cat. Jingi promises to keep Yukito safe, so he tells him to stick with him as they race to a ferry waiting to take them off the island. They finally reach the ferry and bump into an old man in a suit who looks like a local school teacher. The old man asks About Momokco, and Jingi explains that Momoko son is still helping people evacuate from the area being
destroyed by the eruption. The old man tells them to hop on the ferry before it's too late. But Jingi hesitates, worried about Haruni and Akanei, who haven't shown up yet. The old man reassures him that Master Makoto Yanagi has gone to rescue them. But he adds that if Yanagi doesn't make it back in time, something bad might have happened. Yanagi, though, is A bit of a reckless fool who doesn't know when to quit. Thinking it's his moment for one last big adventure, the guy actually goes into the volcano. Out of nowhere, there's a loud explosion
and everyone on the ferry starts wondering what happened to their overconfident, clueless master, who also happens to be Yuko's dad. Spoiler alert, that's the end of Yanagi. Nobody's walking away from a volcanic eruption like that. Yuko gets sent to live with a foster family On the mainland. One day, he gets a letter from Enu Sanji, a friend of his late father. In the letter, Sanji explains that he placed Yuko in foster care so he could finish middle school, but now he plans to pick him up and take him back to Ayaka Island for high school.
Just like Yukito's dad wanted before he passed away. Sanji says he'll be Yukito's guardian and promises to take good care of him. Yukito has no idea who this guy is, but he tosses the Letter aside and goes to bed. That night, Yuko has the same dream he's been having over and over. In the dream, he's underwater surrounded by these glowing sparkly particles. Yuko isn't exactly a people person, so being alone underwater in his dreams feels kind of comforting. But as he keeps sinking deeper, he reaches this dark, creepy part of the water, and that's when
he always wakes up. Finally, it's graduation day from middle school, and everyone's pumped to Be moving on. Yukito, as usual, keeps to himself. While he's packing up his stuff, a nosy teacher, Sensei, stops by to congratulate him. She asks what his next move is, and Yukito, the loner that he is, just says he's heading back to where he was born, as his dad's friend told him to. Sensei thinks it's pretty selfish that they left him in foster care for years only to swoop in now and take him back. But Yukito doesn't stick around to hear
her soba story. He just Walks off. The foster family has been nothing but kind to Yukito. But let's be real, his lonely life is on him since he never made an effort to connect with anyone. When Yukito steps outside, he spots some drunk loser chugging booze like a total waste of space. He wonders who the hell this sketchy dude is, but doesn't seem too bothered and just keeps walking. Out of nowhere, the drunk guy notices Yuko and stumbles toward him. He says he's been waiting for him, but Yuko Is not about to trust some random
dude who reeks of alcohol, so he shoves him away. The drunk guy doesn't back off, though. He gets closer and straight up tosses Yuko into a river. Yuko starts drowning, and it feels eerily similar to a recurring dream he's had. His eyes begin to glow faint blue, and he's totally clueless about what's going on. Just when it seems like he's about to go under for good, the crazy drunk guy who threw him in the river uses some kind of Spell to pull him out. While Yuko is still trying to figure out what the hell just
happened, the drunk guy stuffs him into some magical bag. Turns out the guy is Jingi, but because they've been apart for years, Yuko doesn't recognize him. Before Yuko can even process any of this, he finds himself on a boat in the middle of a massive ocean. Freaking out, Yuko starts yelling like a lunatic, but Jingi tells him to chill. Jingi explains that he's taking Yukito to his home on Ayaka Island and that he was sent by Sanji, the old man who wrote Yukito a letter. Jingi also mentions that Yukito's dad was not only a lay
master but also like a father figure to him. They eventually arrive at the second island of Ayaka, where they're picked up by Makoto, the landlord of Yukito's childhood home, and Enu Sanji, the mayor of Ayakushima City, and Yukito's guardian. They give Yukito a warm welcome and without wasting any time, They hit the road toward the first Ayaka Island. On the way, Yukito spots a flying fish and can't help but get curious about it. When they finally get home, Yukito doesn't remember much of anything. They show him a photo of his late father, but Yukito questions
if the guy was even his real dad. Makoto explains that his father was a lay master who kept balance in Ayaka. Yukito's confused and asks what lei means, so Jingi breaks it down for him, Saying it's people with special powers like theirs. Yukito, still trying to piece things together, asks if that's how Jingi managed to stuff him in the bag earlier. Makoto gets annoyed at this comment, but Jingi quickly covers it up, saying it was all just a joke. Yukito starts to think his special power might be the one he's seen in his dreams, but
Sanji shuts that down, saying Yukito's just got brute strength for now and hasn't even mastered the basics yet. Yuko asks about his mom, but they can't give him any answers. He then asks why they suddenly showed up for him after ditching him at the foster home for years. Sanji explains that it was his dad's dying wish. Yukito agrees to live with them and they take him to his new room. When he gets there, he spots this flying fish looking creature outside his window and wonders what it is. Jingi walks in and tells him it's called
a matama. He says the species isn't Dangerous and that there are a bunch of them on the island. Jingi also notices Yukito seems to be keeping people at arms length, so he asks why he's building walls. Yukito explains that when he was a kid, he and some other foster kids went on a riverside picnic. One of the kids was a jerk to him and he got mad. Next thing he knew, the river attacked the kid. Yuko doesn't know how it happened, but he's convinced it was because of him. Ever since, he's kept His distance from
people, thinking it's the only way to keep his emotions in check. But Jingi finds the story boring and starts playing a game while Yukito's talking. This ticks Yukito off, so he decides to head out and cool off before he loses it. At the riverside, he spots another Mitama species called the Ara Mitama. Unlike the one he saw earlier, this one's dangerous. It jumps into the river and turns into a massive terrifying monster. Just as the Araatama Is about to attack Yukito, Jingy shows up out of nowhere. Jingi casts a spell and flames light in his
hand. Without wasting time, he blasts the Ara Matama with the fire and the monster blows apart. Jingi plays it cool and tells Yuko to show him some respect. But then the monster reforms, and this time, Jingi straight up throws Yuko into the monster's stomach, telling him to use his strength to take it down. Yuko is totally confused and has no idea what's Going on with his powers. Jingi tells him he needs to figure out how to control them and stop being scared of getting close to people. Instead, he tells Yuko to be more open and
wear his heart on his sleeve. After that, they head back home safely. The next morning, the hungover booze hound Jingi wakes up and finds Yukito chilling by the water at the crack of dawn, trying to figure out how to wear his heart on his sleeve, just like Jingi told him to. Yukito is Skeptical about whether Jingi's goofy training will actually help him control his powers. Jingi, full of confidence, tells him he just needs to focus harder and tap into his Lelay energy. Yukito's like, "Lelay energy? What's that?" So, Jingi breaks it down for him. Lay
energy is this powerful force that flows deep in the earth, especially under Ayaka Island where it surges in massive waves. But, Jingi points out that Yukito's power is all over the place, totally out Of control. He explains that syncing up with a big source of energy will help stabilize Yukito's abilities. To test him, Jingi tells Yukito to try casting the spell he taught him. Yukito crosses his arms, mimicking Jingi's signature move, and gives it a shot, saying, "Calm is water, which benefits all things, but the spell barely works. He can only manage to control a
tiny bubble of water." Jingi, feeling the need to flex his skills, steps in to show off. He Tells Yuko to watch closely, then casts the same spell, saying, "Calm is water, which benefits all things, flowing to places people avoid. This time, the water forms into a human-shaped figure that Jingi can control with ease." Yuko, unimpressed, doesn't care about the flashy magic. He just wants to learn how to control his powers, plain and simple. After a while, Yuko decides to take a break from training. Meanwhile, Jingi stumbles back home, drunk as a skunk and Wreaking of
booze. slurring his words, he starts rambling about how he tried to put his drinks on a tab, but the guys at the bar weren't having it and made him pay up. Jingi then tells Yukito he's broke and needs money to pay off his debt, so he wants Yukito to work for him. Yukito's like, "What? How am I supposed to make money when I don't even know what kind of job I can do?" Jingi, clearly not thinking straight, suggests that since Yuko is also a lay master, he Could take on a job pacifying the Matama. Meanwhile,
the two knuckleheads, Yako and Chitaaro, are seen checking out the job request box. Ever since the recent earthquake, there's been a spike in Aramatama activity, and they've been getting flooded with job requests. Yako finds a job request and tells Chitaaro he's taking it, but Chitaaro is not cool with that. The two start bickering and fighting over the job request card. While they're busy squabbbling, Jingi Shows up and snatches the card from Yako. This ticks them off and they call him broke. Jingi brushes it off, saying he's not taking the job for money, but to train
Yukito. Jingi then introduces Yukito to Yako and Chitaaro, hyping him up as the son of the late legendary lay master Makoto Yanagi. He explains that Yukito's back to train in lay mastery and tells them to hurry up and head to the third island to clean up the shrine's yard or something. Chitaaro, Realizing how big of a deal this is, says they need to let Kurama sensei know right away about Yukito's arrival. On their way, Yukito asks his lumberjack boss, Jingi, about the two guys they saw earlier. Jingi says they're just some low-level goons from Kasein
Shrine, but he thinks Yukito could probably get along with them since they're about the same age. Yukito is not so sure, though. He thinks getting too close could cause trouble because of his powers. Jingi, on The other hand, says it's no big deal since those knuckleheads are lay masters, too. He explains that Kase and Shrine handles all the Ara related stuff, and the head priest there, Kamura Hari, is his old mentor. Jingy figures if he asks his sensei to train Yukito, the guy will probably say yes. The job they've got is to calm down a
matama that's been popping up in the canal for a while. Matama are like little chunks of life energy that come from lei Energy. Normally, they're harmless, but if they get corrupted, they turn into Ara Matama and start causing chaos. Right on Q, the Ara Matama shows up, coming straight out of the river. Yuko freezes, not sure what to do. But Jingi tells him to stop overthinking and just go for it. It's all part of his training. He promises to step in if Yuko can't handle it. But before Yuko can even react, Jingi is already bolting
east like a scared little kid. Yuko Takes off after the idiot, and the water-based Mitama starts chasing them both. Meanwhile, Yako and Chitaaro rush to their sensei, Kurama, to snitch. They tell him Jingi took Yukito, Mikoto's kid, and is up to no good. Oh, and he also stole a job request. The Araitama keeps chasing Jingi and Yukito, but weirdly enough, it ignores Yukito, and zeros in on Jingi. The two of them end up diving into the river to avoid getting caught. On the other side of the River, there's this old dude fishing. Suddenly, his hook
snags something heavy. It's none other than Jingi and Yukito. The old guy thinks Jingi's drunk again, but Jingi, the useless drunk, explains they're being chased by an Ara Matama, which is why they're soaking wet. The old man tells him to deal with the Matama ASAP, and Jingi says that's exactly why he's risking his neck on this job. Yuko starts to think they're in way over their heads going up against Something this big. Jingi just shrugs and says it's time to play their trump card. They spot the matama in the river again, but this time it's
just chilling and hasn't noticed them yet. They're wondering why it's not moving. Jingi throws out the idea that Yukito should play bait. Yukito gets ticked off and snaps like, "What kind of master uses his student as a decoy?" They start arguing, but then the Ara Matama locks eyes on them and goes straight for Jingi. Freaked out, Jingi's like, "Why is it coming after me? Do something, Yukito." So Yukito tries out this spell he's been practicing and boom, it actually works. The spell hits the mitama right before it can attack Jingi. That gives Jingi the upper
hand and he hits it with another spell to calm it down. After that, the Mitama starts rambling nonsense. Turns out the thing is full of water and a bunch of booze cans. Jingi's usual stash. Yuko gets Suspicious and asks Jingi what he was up to last night. Jingi admits he was out drinking with his buddies, showing off his lay powers. He says he used his water control spell, but blacked out after getting wasted, so he doesn't remember much after that. Yukito figures the Matama might actually be the water spell Jingi summoned while showing off since
water spells can keep going by soaking up moisture around them. It explains why the Matama's been gunning For Jingi. Just as they're piecing this together, the Matama reforms and starts chasing Jingi again. Thankfully, Kurama shows up, casts a spell on the water Ara Matama, and fully calms it down. Yuko thanks Kurama for saving them. Kurama looks at him and says it's been ages since he last saw him, but Yuko doesn't recognize him. Kurama formally introduces himself as Kurama Harawoki and mentions he trained directly under Yukito's dad. Kurama takes Yukito home And fills Makoto in on
the chaos Jingi caused. Makoto's surprised, so Kurama explains that Lelay spells work similarly to Mitama. If they're not cast properly, they can leave an opening for Mitama to slip in. Makoto asks about Jingi, and Kurama says he's out cleaning up all the booze cans on the island as punishment. Makoto suggests they go ahead and have dinner without him since he won't be back anytime soon. While they're eating, Kurama keeps watching Yukito and says he hasn't changed a bit. He points out that Yukito's always loved Curry, even as a kid. Yukito seems impressed by Kurama's spell
on the Matama, but Kurama explains that Matama go on destructive rampages because they're in pain. He adds that when Matama absorb too much bad energy, they lose control and turn into Ara Matama. The only way to bring them back to normal is by calming them down. Jingi and Yukito are heading to Ayaka's first Island riding a marine liner, a train that cruises over the sea. Yukito is totally blown away by the idea of a train running on water. Jingi, on the other hand, isn't phased by Yuko acting like a small town kid seeing the big
city for the first time. He remembers being just as hyped 10 years ago when he first rode the Marine Liner. Jingi explains that the train is how people get around the island, and it's normal for first- timers to get all excited Like Yukito. but he warns that the novelty wears off and it'll eventually feel boring. Yukito, still geeking out, asks if the train runs on some kind of magic spell. Jingi says the tracks might have some lay mastery spell stuff going on, but the train itself runs on good old Diesel. They finally roll up to
the mansion of a guy named Sanji on the first island. Sanji notices Yukito seems to be settling in and asks if he's enjoying Ayaka Island. Yukito, Remembering his wild run-in with the Araatama, calls the island pretty weird. Sanji laughs it off saying there's no rush and that Yukito will get used to it with time. Sanji tells Jingi, who he calls a nitwit, to show Yuko around, but Jingi, being a jerk, says he's got other plans, hitting up the casino and Pachinko parlor. Sanji suggests Yuko take a break, but Yuko decides to tag along with Jingi
anyway. The two start wandering around the first island, which Is buzzing with life and packed with food and music stalls. Jingi says this island is the go-to spot for good eats and tunes, calling it pretty ayastic. Yukito keeps hearing people throw around the wordastic and wonders what it means. Before he can ask Jingi, the guy's already wandered off. Yukito looks around to find him and hears Jingi arguing with a vendor selling chicken thighs. Turns out Jingi wants to buy some broiled thighs, but the old vendor Isn't having it. He says the thighs are already reserved
for another customer. Yukito grabs the skewer, drags Jingi away from the stand, and ends the whole awkward scene. Yukito asks Jingi how he found out about the spot and Jingi says his buddy Makissan told him about it. Yukito is curious how Jingi has friends on the first island when he's always hanging out on the second island. Jingi acting all cocky brags that he's got friends everywhere. The first island Feels like a tourist hot spot packed with musicians and street performers. They spot a street performer floating on a balloon soaking up the crowd's applause, but then
Jingi vanishes again. Out of nowhere, the balloon starts spewing black smoke and people are freaking out. The clueless performer tries to touch the balloon, but Yuko already knows it's an Ara Matama. He shoves the guy out of the way before he gets attacked. Things are about to get Wild, and Yuko needs Jingi's help, but the idiot is nowhere to be found. The Matama isn't as massive as the ones on the second island, so Yuko figures he can handle it. Suddenly, a guy with pink hair shows up and starts blasting the Matama with a gun until
it collapses and disappears. Yuko's like, "Who the hell is this dude with a gun and why is he shooting Matama?" Turns out the guy is Ibukisan, but he tells Yukito to call him Aka. Yukito remembers hearing about Aka from Mokoto. AK is one of Yukito's dad's students, but instead of calming Matama down, he straight up kills them using a gun with special spell bullets or his lay power. Aka takes Yuko to his place and tells him to chill. Coincidentally, Jingi shows up too, and Yukito's like, "What are you doing here?" Jingi, being his usual goofy
self, says he came to check on Maki son, but since Maki was busy, he decided to whip something up for himself. Yukito is Annoyed at how laid-back Jingi is, but Aka steps in to calm him down. Jingi then asks Yukito what he's doing with Aka, and Yukito explains that Aka saved him in the tourist area when he got attacked by an Ara Mitama. Yukito's curious about Aka's techniques since they're different from Jingi and Karumas. While Jingi and Karuma pacify the Matama and turn them back to normal, Aka's power makes them disappear completely. AK explains that
instead of Calming the Mitama, he exterminates them. Yukito is confused and asks why Aka kills them when he could just pacify them like the others. Akis says it's because the first island is full of tourists and since Ara Matama are dangerous, they need to be eliminated to keep everyone safe. While they're talking, Ibara walks in and tells Aka they found the main body of the Ara Matama. Yuko's shocked, so Aka explains that the Matama Yuko saw earlier was Just a fragment of the bigger Ara. The main Matama has these core-like pupil eyes, and since the
one they saw didn't have that, it was just a piece split off from the main Ara Mitama. Jingi tells Yuko about aka security, whose main job is to keep tourists safe from dangerous Matama. Yuko isn't really cool with the idea of killing the Matama, but Jingi thinks Aka is doing the right thing. Yuko asks how Kurama feels about Aka's methods, but Jingi quickly shuts him Down, saying not to bring up Aka and Kurama because they're like oil and water. They just don't mix. Out of nowhere, Jingi realizes he forgot to grab his paycheck for working
at Aka's shop. So, he bolts back and tells Yukito to head home without him. While Kido is on his way, he hears people yelling and rushes over, realizing they're under attack by a Matama. But this isn't just any Matama. It's the big boss, the Ara Matama, and it's massive. Yukito decides To try out a spell he's been practicing with Jingi, even though he knows it's risky and could blow up in his face. The spell works, but it's not strong enough to take down the giant Matama. Aka security steps in and starts blasting at it, but
they run out of bullets. That's when AK himself shows up, takes off his suit, and gets ready to unleash some serious black magic. Jingi knows AK is about to use his dark powers to finish the job. Aka starts chanting, "Bold is The warrior, wrathful is the fighter. Victory comes from pride, and this is the peak of wickedness." His hand morphs into this huge black hand and with it he rips out the Mitama's core. Then he crushes the core and drinks its blood. Aka declares that he'll become stronger than Kurama, the dead master, and even the
dragon. Jingi and Yukito leave the first island and head to the third one. The third island's got a totally different vibe compared to the first Two. It's kind of underdeveloped, but has this serious quiet feel to it. Jingi, who's a laid-back drunk, looks wiped out after partying two nights straight. He hit it big at Pachinko, so he's been celebrating. Yukito asks if Jingi comes to the third island often, but Jingi says it's a boring spot, mostly just trees everywhere. He only came because Yuko asked him to take him to see Kurama. Jingi mentions he only
shows up here during festivals, but Kurama and his goofy students, Yato and Chitaaro, are the ones who actually use the place regularly. Yukito already knows Kurama's students names, which catches Jingi offg guard. When Jingi asks how he knows, Yukito says he got the info from Makoto because he's trying to befriend the lumberjacks who are always bickering over the dumbest stuff. Not long after, Chitaaro and Yado show up at the park to pick them up, just like Kurama told them to. On the way to The Kin Shrine, they start chatting and ask Yukito how he's settling
into life on the island. Yukito is still kind of overwhelmed, finding all this Mistama and marine laner stuff pretty wild. The islanders have been super nice to him. But since Yukito spent most of his life alone, he's not really sure how to handle all the kindness. It's like a whole new world for him. As they get closer to the Quesin Shrine, Yukito starts wondering what the shrine's all About and why the third island feels so different from the first two. Yato explains that the Quesin shrine is dedicated to two dragon bosses, one of fire and
one of water. These dragons have been chilling on the fourth island for ages, but when one of them loses it, chaos breaks out. That's why the shrine was built to keep them calm. Chitaaro chimes in, saying that when they were kids, the fire dragon went berserk, causing a volcanic eruption that even Messed up the first island. The water dragon eventually calmed it down, leaving behind a crater lake. The shrine's main attraction is this volcanic rock that looks like the lake. Yukito remembers Aka saying he wanted to be stronger than the dragons, which makes him even
more curious about them. Chitaaro and Yato, on the other hand, are used to Jingi being a drunk mess, but they're not exactly thrilled about it. They think it's embarrassing for a Yanagi student to be tied to someone like him. Jingi, being his usual self, complains about needing a break from all the walking and says he needs a drink to cure his hangover. He figures the peach blossoms should be blooming by now and tries to drag Chitaaro and Yato along to drink and enjoy the flowers, but things take a turn. They end up slipping into a
lake. Kurama steps out of the shrine and greets Yuko warmly. He suggests they get the soaked losers some fresh clothes Before they freeze. Yuko follows Kurama into the shrine's archives and Kurama tells him to chill and make himself at home. He even offers Yuko some candy. Since Yuko was the one who asked Jingi to bring him to Kurama, Kurama gets straight to the point and asks why he's there. Yuko says he met Aka and explains that Aka is taking out the Matama, but he's doing it in a totally different way. Apparently, Aka uses some kind
of special gun with magic bullets and taps Into some weird power to deal with the Matama. Kurama knows that watching someone wipe out Matama with dark magic could be pretty freaky for Yuko. So he asks the curious kid how much he knows about Lelay energy. Turns out Yuko doesn't know much, just the basics that his lazy no good master Jingi told him. All he knows is that lay energy flows under the earth and lay masters can tap into it to use their powers. Kurama thinks that's a pretty shallow Understanding and figures maybe he should step
up and be Yukito's teacher instead of leaving him stuck with Jingi. Kurama starts explaining things, showing Yukito the first, second, and fourth islands. He tells him there's a huge flow of Lelay energy under Ayaka Island. Kurama thinks Yukito might be able to feel it if he focuses, so he tells him to close his eyes and give it a shot. Lelay energy is everywhere, but Ayaka Island is packed with it. On the Mainland, you can only sense little traces of it in old shrines or special trees and rocks, but Ayaka's got an overflow of energy. Yuko
closes his eyes and starts to feel the buzzing, sparking effects of the Lelay energy. Kurama explains that Lelay masters borrow this energy to cast their spells. Kurama also mentions the Matama bubbles floating all over the island. He says they're harmless unless the area gets corrupted or stagnant. Then they turn into Ara Matama. Yukito remembers Aka eating a Matama after killing it and wonders why he'd do that. Kurama explains that Aka did it to absorb the Matama's power, but doing that kind of makes Aka tainted, like the Matama itself, and it's definitely not cool for a
lay master to do that. Then the two clowns, Yato and Chitaaro, call Yuko over, saying they've got something to talk about. Meanwhile, Jingi shows up to chat with Kurama. Kurama asks him about Aka, and Jingi Admits that Aka doesn't seem to be doing so great after eating the Matama. Still, Jingi being the clueless guy he is, thinks Aka is doing it because he doesn't want to see more people die. But Kurama isn't buying it. He says that no matter Aka's reasons, it's just not the right move. According to the natural order of things, everyone dies
eventually and everything returns to the Lelay energy. Kurama decides he needs to school Jingi properly so he can be a Better master to Yuko. That way, Yuko won't have to keep coming to Kurama to figure out stuff about Lelay energy and Aka. Chitaaro and Yato take Yukito to their training spot to show off their skills and powers, hoping to impress him and become his friend. Yukito has always wanted to be friends with them, too. But he's been scared of losing control and accidentally hurting them with his wild powers. Since Yukito is the son of their
master's master, the boys figure he's Got some serious potential and think it's only right for him to train under their master as well. At the training garden, Chitaaro and Yato try to win Yukito over by flexing their powers. Chitaaro goes first, casting a spell that makes a little tree sprout from the ground. Not wanting to be outdone, Yato casts his own spell, and another tree about the same size pops up. The two knuckleheads start arguing over whose tree is bigger, trying to impress Yukito. But before things get heated, Yukito steps in and stops them. They're
still convinced Yukito has some crazy potential, so they ask him to show off his powers, too. When Yukito casts his spell, a massive tree with blooming flowers starts growing out of control. Yukito can't stop it because he hasn't learned to control his powers yet. The tree just keeps growing and the boys start freaking out, begging him to stop it. Luckily, Jingi happens to be nearby. He jumps in to help Yukito cast a spell to stop the tree from growing. Finally, the tree stops, and as usual, Jingi starts bragging about how awesome he is before taking
off. Chitaaro and Yato are blown away by Yukito's powers and urge him to stick with them and train under their master. But since Jingi helped him out, Yukito decides to stay with Jingi instead. Yukito's been grinding hard, learning how to handle this lay energy spell thing. He's getting better, but He's still not hitting his peak. He chants this spell about how fish aren't supposed to leave water, and boom, a strong water barrier pops up. Normally, you're supposed to send out the lay energy first and then pull it back, but Yukito does it backward. And honestly,
it works for him. Jingi tells him to lift the water barrier over his head, and this laid-back drunk dude just climbs up the water bubbles like it's no big deal. It's all part of Yuko's Training to get a grip on the lay energy and stop it from going haywire. But then an earthquake shakes Ayaka Island and Yuko freaks out, loses focus, and the water barrier crashes down. The next day, Yuko talks to Makoto about the earthquake, but Makoto's like, "Dude, Ayaka is a volcanic island. Earthquakes are just part of the deal." Yuko thinks Makoto should
be more worried, but Makoto explains they've got emergency plans to evacuate if things get really Bad. While they're chatting, Jingi shows up and instead of adding anything useful, he straight up asks Makoto for money. Kind of like how my little brother's always hitting me up for cash. Yuko's not cool with it, but Makoto just hands over the money and tells Jingi to say hi to Yanagi sensei. Jingi shamelessly takes the cash and tells Yuko they're heading to his dad's grave that day. When they get to Yuko's dad's grave, there are a bunch of Matama Spirits
messing around. Jingi grabs a broom, shoes them away, and starts cleaning up the grave. Then, like the total booth hound he is, Jingi pulls out some alcohol. Yuko's confused and asks what's going on because it feels weird to him. While they're there, two women and an old bald guy show up to pray at the grave, hoping for protection from the earthquakes. They've brought snacks and drinks, but Jingi, acting like a gatekeeper, tells them they've got to Hand over their goodies if they want to visit the grave. They think it's kind of wild, but go along
with it. Meanwhile, Yukito is just standing there, not sure how to react or join in. The old bald guy tells Yukito that 10 years ago they survived a massive volcanic eruption thanks to his dad. Yukito's curious and asks what his dad did. That's when the old guy realizes Jingi hasn't told Yukito much about his father. Jingi explains that 10 years ago a fire dragon Caused the volcano to erupt. The earthquakes happening now are because the fire dragon's power is growing again. Yukito asks why the fire dragons getting stronger and Jingi breaks it down. 15 years
ago, the lake on the fourth island dried up. And for some reason, the fire dragon's rival, the water dragon, disappeared. Without the water dragon to balance things out, the fire dragon's power went unchecked. Kind of like how Matama spirits turn into Ara Matama when they lose balance. If nothing changes, the volcano on the fourth island will erupt again and all of Ayaka will sink into the ocean. That's exactly what almost happened 10 years ago. But Yukito's dad, Master Makoto, stepped up. He performed a dragon pacifying ritual and calmed the fire dragon, which was raging like
a natural disaster. Thanks to him, the island stayed safe. Turns out the piece of Ayaka rested on Yuko's dad's Shoulders. Ibara walks by looking all kinds of upset. Jingi tries to say hi, but she doesn't say a word and just keeps walking. Jingi heads over to her family's grave to pay his respects since it's also the anniversary of her parents' death. Yuko starts wondering if she's mad because they're partying on a day that's supposed to honor her parents. Ibara accidentally drops her key near the graveyard and Yukito finds it. He figures they should head to
the First island to return the key to her since she'll probably need it. Jingi, always looking for a chance to get involved, agrees to tag along. While they're on their way, they bump into Yako and Chitaaro, two total clowns. Yukito's curious about what these two knuckleheads are doing on the first island, and they say they're patrolling Ayaka Island to make sure everyone's okay after a small earthquake. Then they ask Yukito and Jingi why they're there. Yukito explains they're just returning something someone lost. The two dimwits assume they're heading to the police station to drop it
off and offer to come along. But when Yukito mentions they're actually taking it to Ibara at Ayaka security, the two idiots back off real quick since their boss doesn't exactly get along with a yaka security. When they get to Ayaka security shop, Aka dinner is just about to leave. They tell him they're there to return something, But Aka, who's got a reputation for being a bit of a loose cannon, isn't interested in hearing them out. He tells them to talk to his worker, Mikata, and warns them to be careful on their way back because things
could get dicey. They explain to Mikata that they found Ibara's key at her parents' grave and wanted to apologize for partying on such a heavy day. Yukito, still curious, asks what happened to Ibara's parents. Mata explains that years ago, a fire Ara Matama got so out of control, it burned down an entire house, aka tried to save everyone, but he couldn't, and Ibara lost her parents that day. Makata goes on to say that people's lives and the actions of the matama are all tied to the flow of lay energy. It's just how their world works
and you might as well accept it with a smile. But not everyone can do that. A lot of people can't and instead they take out their anger by hunting down and destroying the Arama. Mata tells Yuko to personally give the key to Ibara. He mentions that Ibara is a shy kid but a good one. So he calls her over to the shop. Yukito hands the key to the timid bar and she thanks him saying it would have caused big trouble if the key hadn't been found. Suddenly the shop starts shaking and they think it's another
earthquake but Jingi says it's actually a fire Matama loaded with fire energy. Ibara who always acts impulsively when it comes to Matama Bolts out to track down the creature that killed her parents. Things are looking bad, so Jingi tells Mata to call Aka before it spirals out of control. AK heads to Sanji to warn him about an Araatama attacking in the middle of the tourist area. Sanji manages to handle the situation using his black power. Aka explains to him that the first island is getting too dangerous and they'll need to evacuate soon. Meanwhile, Mata gets
a call from Matama reporting that there's An Aramatama in the Dward, the tourist zone. The fire Araatama is already torching a house and a little girl is trapped inside. Jingi and Yukito rush to the scene to save her. Jingi quickly casts a spell and rescues the frightened girl. Ibara, however, is still running toward the Araitama and Jingi tells Yukito to go after her. When Ibara reaches the fire, Ara Matama, it's about to attack two random kids, but she steps in and tells the boys to scram. The fire Ara turns on Ibara, launching attacks, but she
keeps dodging and firing off her own spells. She's clearly emotional and refuses to back down, determined to avenge her parents' deaths, but she's not strong enough to handle the Matama. Just as the fire Ara Matama is about to land a finishing blow on her, Yuko arrives in time and blocks the attack with a water barrier spell he learned from Jingi. Yuko throws up a water shield to protect Ibara, and it totally Reminds her of how Aka had her back when the fire Ara Matama went berserk and killed her parents. While Yukito is holding off the
fire Araatama's attack, he checks in with Ibara to see if she's okay. But then out of nowhere, those two clowns, Chitaaro and Yako, show up. Honestly, they're so useless, it's almost funny. The fire Matama isn't giving up, though. It keeps blasting Yukito's barrier with fire, but it can't break through. Yuko tries another spell, Saying something poetic about calm water helping everything and flowing to places people avoid. But since he's still learning, the spell isn't strong enough to take the Matama down. The Matama keeps hammering the barrier and things are heating up, literally. Yuko tells Ibara
and the two idiots to get out of there while they still can. Promising he'll figure out his own escape. But Ibara's not having it. She says if they run, the Mitama will just chase them. An Innocent town's folk will get caught in the chaos. She's determined to handle it, so she places her hand on the ground and casts a spell, saying something about human knowledge and heavenly ways. Her hand starts glowing with sparks of light and she leaps over Yuko's water shield to attack the fire Matama with her glowing hand. But the Matama's way too
strong and it smacks her back like she's nothing. Ibara's tough though. She tells Yuko to back her up, then charges In for another attack. But as expected, the Mitama counters her again. Yuko steps up and casts another spell. A heavy water barrier slams into the fire Matama, holding it off for a bit. Just as Chitaaro and Yako start hyping Yuko up for his spell, the fire Matama powers up again. The two losers freak out so bad they're practically about to wet themselves. Ibara, though, refuses to back down. She says as lay masters, they're not supposed
to run from the Matama. Her words hit Yuko, and he decides to stand his ground, too. He tells the two goofballs to stop being useless and help him out so they can all take on the fire Ara Matama together. Surprisingly, they agree. The four of them link up, grab hands, and start throwing down their spells to take on the Matama. Yako kicks things off with a spell, and Chitaaro backs him up with what has no shape can slip through any crack. Together, they whip up a rod and Blast fire straight at the fire Matama. Yuko
jumps in, casting water spells and hitting the Matama with heavy water. Ibara doesn't hold back either, casting her spell. The reckless fall, but the careful survive. The Matama starts to lose its strength under the squad's combined attacks, but it tries to make a run for it. No way they're letting that happen. They want it pacified. Yuko casts another water spell, trapping the Matama in water. And then Ibara finishes It off with her sparkling light. The wild creature finally gets calmed down. Just as they start celebrating, three more fire era matama pop up out of nowhere.
These new ones are way tougher than the first, and now the crew's got a bounce. Yuko tries to step up and play the hero, but his water spells aren't cutting it against these bad boys. They try to make a break for it, but the Matama block their exit and surround them with fire. Lucky for them, Aka and Master Kurama show up just in time. AKA pulls out his special gun and takes down one of the Matama while Kurama uses a spell to pacify another. It's been ages since Aka and Kurama have crossed paths. Aka being
Aka tries to chow down on the core of the Matama he just shot, but Kurama shuts that down immediately by pacifying it. Aka is not happy about it and snaps at Kurama to stay out of his way, blaming him and the others for their master's death because they were Too weak. The last Mitama is a beast. It absorbs the bodies of the defeated and pacified Matama to power up. Kurama casts a spell to calm one part of it while Aka shoots at it, aiming to snag the core for himself. As Aka moves in to grab
the core, Kurama blocks him with his magical blade, but Aka's no pushover. He uses his light to cancel out the blade's effect. Then Aka starts casting a black power spell. Kurama warns him that if he eats the Matama's Core, he might not be able to turn back into a human. Kurama fires back with another spell, saying, "The space between heaven and earth may be empty, but its energy creates everything and sends a sparkling light at Aka." Not backing down, Aka throws out his own line. Even storms end when morning comes. That's just how nature works
and starts casting his black power. Things get heated and the two go headto-head. Out of nowhere, Jingi shows up perched On a pole and the tipsy master casts a spell that pacifies the core, causing all the drama between Aka and Kurama. Jingi tells the two to quit their nonsense, warning them that their students might start crying if they keep acting like fools. Once everything settles down, Jingi, who only ever shows up when the fight's basically over, starts running his mouth as usual, bragging about how he saved the day. The kids aren't having it and roast
him for Being MIA when they actually needed him, calling him a lost dog who only comes back to steal the spotlight. Yuko takes a moment to thank Ibara, praising her for staying strong, even when it felt like they were toast against the Ara Mitama. He says he's looking forward to teaming up with her again and Ibara shares her contact code with him. She also offers her code to Yako and Chitaaro, but because of the beef between their master and Aka, they feel Like they should get permission first before getting too friendly. After some honest conversations,
they all finally agree to exchange contact information. In this episode, Makoto starts telling Yuko about what went down 10 years ago on Ayaka Island. One day, Aka Kurama and their master Makoto came back home after dealing with an Ara Matama. Aka got banged up during the fight, but their master didn't think it was a big deal. He just told Makoto to grab some food And patch Aka up. Back then, Jingi and Yuko were just kids, so they weren't allowed to tag along with Master Makoto to handle the Ara Matama. Makoto took care of Aka and
told him his injuries weren't too bad. He just needed to chill and rest up. Kurama started giving Aka a hard time, saying he underestimated the Aramiasma and jumped in too fast. That ticked Aka off because in his mind he was just covering for Kurama, who left himself wide open for an attack. They Started bickering, but Makoto shut it down real quick, saying it wasn't cool to fight in front of little Yukito. She didn't want him picking up on their bad vibes. Yukito, being clueless, asked if the two idiots were fighting, but Jingi, the lazy bum,
brushed it off, saying they were just messing around. Mikoto chimed in and everyone laughed it off. Later, Kurama got to work on their spell rituals. He started talking about how the raging across the land were told to Fall in line and the ones who didn't got kicked out. While Kurama was training, Jingi, the lazy slacker, showed up and gave them props for working hard. But Ako wasn't having it and told Jingi to quit being useless and join the training since he's a lay master, too. Jingi, being the good for nothing he is, said he didn't
need to train like some soldier with a death wish because he's a secret weapon. Master Makoto overheard that nonsense and gave him a solid kick To the head to knock some sense into him. Aka asks Master Makoto if Karuma can take charge of the dragon pacifying ritual, but Master Makoto thinks Karuma isn't ready yet since calming a dragon is a whole different ballgame. AKA reminds Makoto that he once said Karuma would make a great priest for the Kasen shrine someday. Karuma doesn't feel ready to even think about being a priest, but Aka's convinced that with
his support, Karuma would do just fine. Makoto says there's no need to rush. Karuma's got the skills and in a few years with Aka's enthusiasm, Jingi's lazy butt, and Makoto's guidance, he'll be able to handle the rituals. The water dragon has left, and now the fire dragon is missing it so much that it's on the verge of turning into Aramama. The plan is to calm it down by sealing it in a volcano, but they've got to keep the volcano from erupting until the fire dragon chills out. Even if they manage To suppress it, the fire
dragon's power will keep growing like crazy. Aka isn't sure if suppressing it is the right move, but the masters tell them to pay close attention to what's happening. It'll come in handy later. While they're talking, Makoto shows up with shaved ice and asks what flavors everyone wants. Of course, Jingi, the lazy troublemaker, is the first to shout out for strawberry. Makoto thinks no one should get their ice before him, but Jingi doesn't care And keeps doing his thing. A few days later, an earthquake starts shaking things up. Makoto says he's got to head to the
mainland to grab a custom-made ritual item to calm the fire dragon. He tells his students to hold down the fort while he's gone. As soon as Makoto leaves, things start getting weird. The Matama starts acting up and the influence of the fourth island begins spreading everywhere. Karuma realizes they've got to do something because the Earthquake seems to have weakened the seal. If the volcano actually erupts, it'll wipe out the entire Ayaka Islands. The fire dragon originally grew to dry up the lake and the water dragon in it. And now after being trapped in a barrier
for so long, it's ready to blow. Their only option is to perform the pacifying ritual themselves since Makoto isn't around. Aka and Karuma decide to give it their all and try the ritual. Jingi, being young and a bit of a scaredy-cat, Is told to stay back with little Yukito and Mamoko. Aka and Kurama take off to where the fire dragon is wreaking havoc. And sure enough, the dragon's already taking over the island. Aka says if the firepower gets out of control, it's going to be a total disaster. Kurama reminds him they've come too far to
lose their cool now. The two of them start performing dragon rituals and prayers. Their prayers begin to weaken the fire dragon's power. They keep at it, cutting Up sedge blades into pieces, scattering them around and saying prayers to the supreme being above. These spells create a barrier that holds back the fire dragon's effects. Just when it seems like they're getting the upper hand, the fire dragon shows up in full force. Massive beasts spitting fire from its mouth and all over its body. The sight of it freaks the two lay masters out, but Kurama believes as
long as they keep feeding power into the barrier, the Dragon won't break through. The dragon starts pushing against the barrier, and Aka, exhausted, drops to his knees. He tells Kurama to keep the barrier up and not worry about him. But Kurama can't just leave him like that. He abandons the barrier to help Aka, and the dragon smashes through it like it's nothing. Just when it seems like all hope is lost, Master Makoto shows up. The volcanic eruptions are already underway, so it's too late to stop them. Makoto Uses his spells to seal the fire dragon.
Trying to save Ayaka from total destruction. But to pull it off, Makoto has to risk his life in what feels like a brutal neck-and-neck battle. He tells Kurama to grab the injured Aka and get out of there while he handles the dragon. As they're running, they hear a massive eruption behind them. When morning comes, the island looks untouched like nothing ever happened. Aka and Kurama return only to find their Master's lifeless body. Makoto's death hits Aka hard. After the funeral, he leaves the island. Kurama never tells Makoto the full story, but Makoto mentions overhearing the
two of them arguing about their future as lay masters before they went their separate ways. Years later, Aka comes back, but he's learned some dangerous spells, and things between him and Kurama are tense. Yukito, whose father brought Aka and Kurama together, believes his dad's Death is what caused their falling out. Yukito remembers Jingi helping him during the eruption when he was a kid. And Momoko reminds him that was 10 years ago. Jingi, who couldn't care less about the story, tells Momo to drop it and let the past stay in the past. Yuko is knocked out,
sleeping like a rock, while Jingi is over there acting like a fool, downing booze like it's his last day on Earth. While he's snoozing, Yuko drifts into one of his usual dreams. It's been Ages since he's had this particular one. He's in the middle of a river, sinking deeper and deeper into the water. He keeps going down until he hits this part of the river that's filled with something that looks like a burning matama. He starts choking and the nightmare jolts him awake. He wakes up gasping for air. Jingi rushes over asking what's up and
Yuko tells him it was just a bad dream. Then Yuko gets a text from his new friends, Yako and Chitaaro. Jingi being nosy tries to see who's messaging him, but Yukito smartly hides his phone before checking the texts. Turns out Yako and Chitaaro are inviting Yukito to the Kasin festival at the Kasin Shrine. It's a big deal for Yukito since it's probably his first time hanging out with friends. Jingi, trying to be helpful for once, gives Yukito a mask and explains that it's a tradition on the island. Everyone wears masks to the Kasen Festival. But
here's The kicker. The mask Jingi hands him used to belong to Yukito's late father, Master Makoto. When Yukito and Jingi arrive at the festival, they're both masked up. Yukito's eyes light up when he sees the crowd, and he's all hyped. Jingi is scratching his head, wondering why Yukito is so excited about seeing people, especially since he's from the city. But for Yukito, this feels like his first real festival experience, and he's loving it. Meanwhile, some random Guys start mocking the way Yukito and Jingi are dressed, calling them slobs. Jingi doesn't care, though. He thinks guys
look better when they dress casual. Jingi then asks Yukito if Makoto gave him any money, suggesting they blow it all and have a good time. Yukito's totally grossed out by this and snaps back, saying he's never met a teacher as useless as Jingi, who just mooches off his students and wastes money on stupid stuff. Out of nowhere, Ibara shows up Looking stunning in a Yucata. She immediately calls out Jingi, asking why the heck he's even at the festival. Yukito awkwardly admits that he asked Jingi to come along. Jingi pulls Yukito aside and tells him to
compliment Ibara on her Yucata. But Yukito, being clueless, says he doesn't know how to compliment a girl. Jingi, knowing this kid needs help, pushes him to at least say something nice. Finally, Yukito musters up some courage and tells Ibara She looks great in her yukata. Now it's time to hit up the food stalls and Jingi is ready to chow down on everything. Takoyaki, Yaki Soba, grilled squid, you name it. But Yukito insists they find their friends, Chitaaro, and Yako before diving into the feast. Jingi is clearly annoyed because all he wants to do is start
eating, but Yukito is not budging. Friends first, food later. Chitaaro and Yako are hanging out with Kurama, grilling him about giving out free Stuff. Yako says he saw Kurama hand out three charms to someone who bought an Emma earlier. Chitaaro chimes in saying if they keep giving away freebies, they're going to go broke, but Kurama shrugs it off, saying he can't help it. It makes people happy. Eventually, Chitaaro and Yako are found, and they all link up. Kurama spots Yukito's mask and it brings back memories of his late master. Yukito asks why everyone's rocking masks
and Kurama explains that Back in the day nonhumans like monsters would wear masks at the festival so humans wouldn't recognize them and could just vibe with the nonhumans. Kurama tells the kids to enjoy the festival and have a good time, but asks Jingy to stick around and help him at the shop. Jingi, being his usual stubborn self, says he wants to tag along with the kids because he doesn't want to miss out on the fun and good food. Kurama reminds him that a master shouldn't mooch off His students, so Jingi has to stay behind. On
the way, Yako and Chitaaro ask Ibara why she kept staring at their master while he was talking. She says it's because their master is her boss's enemy, so she's got to stay alert. Yako and Chitaaro wonder why she's chill with them, even though they're students of her boss's enemy. She hits them with a savage reply, saying she doesn't need to worry about them because they're weak. Suddenly, Yukito drops to his knees, Feeling a bit dizzy, which freaks them out, but he reassures them he's fine. They decide to grab some food to fill their stomachs before
diving into the fun. The group has a blast at the festival while Jingi runs some other errands. Jingi spots them having fun and it stings a little, but he decides to let them enjoy themselves. He notices one of the kids who used to look like he'd given up on life now seems way happier. Feeling good about that, Jingi Lets it go. Later, Ibara gets blisters from her Gheta sandals. Yako suggests getting her some bandages, but Ibara, being shy, refuses. Lucky for her, they run into Mamoko, who helps bandage her up. Meanwhile, Sanji passes out from
drinking too much at the festival. Yukito smiles and it reminds everyone of his dad, Makoto, who used to smile like that and cause all kinds of chaos with his buddy Sanji. Yukito wants to hear more stories about his dad, and Makoto Promises that she and Sanji will fill him in later. Aka calls Ibara and asks her to hand the phone to Yukito. The boys freak out as soon as they hear Aka's name, practically ready to lose it. Yukito nervously answers the call, his voice shaky. Aka just wants to check if Abara is having fun at
the festival. Yukito says she seems to be enjoying herself. Out of nowhere, Yukito's eyes turn a sharp, deep blue, and he feels like he's losing control of his powers, Just like when he was a kid. Afraid of hurting anyone, he bolts to an empty spot. Once he's alone, Yuko's power starts spiraling out of control. He struggles to rein it in, but feels like he's slipping again. He remembers the times Jingi helped him control his power and decides to face his fear. He gets up and starts casting a spell, muttering something indistinct but powerful. Finally, he
regains control. The spirit of his late father appears wearing a Mask and tells Yukito he can now face the truth within himself before disappearing. Yukito feels like he's met him before, but can't place
