The episode opens on a stormy night in Hole fifteen years ago. We see Prof. Kasukabe at his clinic treating a Magic User victim with spikes in his legs. The man thanks him before leaving. Not long after, a young boy named Ai shows up at his door. He says he’s read Kasukabe’s books and asks how to become a Magic User.
A few nights later, the militia captures and executes a sorcerer in the rain. Kasukabe recovers the body for research. Ai appears again, and Kasukabe tells him straight up that becoming a sorcerer is impossible. Back at the clinic, he gives Ai a tour of his lab, filled with dissected Magic Users. When Ai stops to look at a Devil Tumor, Kasukabe asks why he’s so fixated on becoming one.
The episode really starts to show its edge when the man with the spikes dies horribly. His body can’t handle the changes caused by magic, and it shakes Kasukabe’s confidence in his work.
Ai goes through surgery
Almost a year later, Ai is now a regular at the clinic, helping other victims with medicine and advice. Kasukabe invites him up to the roof for lunch, and we finally get a clear look at Ai’s mindset. He admits he both admires and hates Magic Users, and more importantly, that he doesn’t see any real reason to live in Hole.
Things escalate when Ai takes his chance. He jumps into the Lake of Refuse to retrieve the body of a sorcerer dumped there by the militia. The toxins nearly kill him. Kasukabe decides to go through with it and uses the bodies of eight Magic Users to save him in a long surgery.
Ai survives, and after months of recovery, he finally steps outside again, saying he’s “become one with the city.” But the episode doesn’t let that moment breathe. The very next day, his body is found in the street, killed by Magic Users during another storm. It’s a pretty brutal way to close things out, and it reinforces the core idea the episode keeps circling back to—this world doesn’t reward obsession, and it definitely doesn’t forgive it.
Ai might be alive
We return to the present with Kasukabe visiting the Hole Neighborhood Council. By checking the plates of people killed by magic users, he confirms there’s no record of Ai devolving into a zombie. That detail is important—it strongly suggests Ai didn’t just die, he actually resurrected. It’s a small scene, but it adds real weight to the mystery around the Cross-Eyes Boss.
At the same time, Shin, Noi, Vaux, 13, and Mister Coleman are at a food parlor waiting for the Professor. The scene leans more casual, with Coleman still upset about his grandson’s grave being disturbed. Noi brushes it off pretty bluntly, reinforcing how indifferent this world can be to death unless it directly affects you.
Kasukabe soon arrives with Jonson and connects the dots. Ai’s plate was never recovered, which makes him a strong candidate for the Cross-Eyes Boss. He also reveals he operated on Ai before his death, adding another layer of suspicion. The Professor decides to head to the sorcerers’ world to investigate further, despite Shin pointing out that he and Noi plan to kill the Cross-Eyes Boss anyway. The lack of urgency or conflict here stands out—the Professor is focused on answers, not consequences. As they leave Hole, Jonson jumping through the magic door at the last second is a quick but fun beat.
Ebisu avoids Fujita
Ebisu’s segment shifts the tone a bit. We see her alone, reflecting on how she lost her identity after Kaiman’s attack. Now that her memories are back, she’s determined to return home. It’s one of the few moments where the show slows down and lets a character reset. That said, Fujita immediately undercuts the mood by following her around, trying to get answers. Ebisu’s complete lack of interest in him plays well comedically.
Most of her sequence revolves around trying to shake Fujita. Even something as simple as changing clothes turns into a setup for the next encounter. This leads her to the Black Tent, where we meet Fuu. The bar setting fits naturally into the series’ grimey aesthetic, and Fuu’s introduction is quick but effective.
Ebisu shocking discovery
The handshake game is easily the highlight of this section. It’s chaotic, a little absurd, and very much in line with the show’s style of magic. Fujita appears to overpower Fuu at first, but the twist—his own arm already rotting—flips the outcome. It’s a good example of how fights in this series aren’t just about raw power but also timing and condition. The reveal of En’s mushroom magic adds another layer, hinting again at how dangerous that ability is.
After everything, Ebisu finally reaches home, only to be confronted by someone identical to herself. Inside the mansion, Ebisu comes face to face with her pretender. The girl immediately panics and runs inside, finding Granny, her babysitter and housekeeper, and quickly explains the situation.
Granny reveals that after grieving their daughter for years, Ebisu’s parents bought a magic doll from a shady magic user to fill the void. Instead, the doll became unstable, with sudden violent outbursts that forced them to abandon the mansion, leaving only Granny and the doll behind. The doll tracks them down and kills Granny. It then transforms into a grotesque monster and chases Ebisu through the house. Ebisu makes it to her old room and grabs some black powder. Using it, she transforms into a giant raptor-like creature and mutilates the doll.
