Undead Murder Farce – 11 – In the Doghouse

Following another unsettling monochromatic flashback involving werewolves convict and execute a pregnant woman via Giant Jenga, back in the present the Royce agents report they were unable to track the golden werewolf. That said, the villagers now have their culprit in Alma, so the chief tells Aya how to find the Forest of Fangs. They’ll be accompanied by the agents.

Shizuku wakes up in bed with a naked woman and a red wolf. A third werewolf, Nora, introduces herself, and how she found Shizuku frozen from the falls, and had the other two (Kaya and Vera) warm her up. Nora doesn’t suspect her of being “the culprit” because her rifle isn’t a shotgun.

When Shizuku asks what culprit she’s referring to, she learns that the werewolf village has experienced the same number of mysterious murders of young women, each four months apart and killed in the same manner. Shizuku tells them about Aya, but Nora says she needs to leave the village immediately.

To prevent the male werewolves from finding Shizuku, Vera and Kaya try to sneak her out in a hay-filled cart, but one of the wheels breaks, and Shizuku has to improvise. Showing of her acrobatics and skill without a rifle, she manages to fight off a number of werewolves before she’s surrounded.

The same elder from the flashback, Granny Nagi, the village elder, places Shizuku on the same Jenga tower she did the pregnant woman and asks a series of questions. Every lie is a plank removed, but Nagi assumes Shizuku is lying about everything.

Then a single gunshot rings out, and they bring Shizuku with them as they investigate the source, only to find Nora, whom the elder seemed to be quite fond of and who was about to become a priestess, has been killed. Shizuku offers to help, and shows that she’s learned a thing or two about sleuthing from being around Aya.

She’s able to deduce that Nora wasn’t killed where her corpse lies (there’s no blood splatter), she was likely in the river (she’s wet) and put on her cloak (which is dry) before being killed, and there was also a second shot (but they only heard one). After that, Shizuku runs out of gas—she’s not really a detective, after all—and once more invokes the ire of her wolfy captors.

Aya and Tsuguru can’t get to her soon enough, but while on their way through the arduous Forest of Fangs, which consists of great fang-shaped mountains they must traverse, their journey is rudely interrupted by the arrival of Victor, Moriarty’s brute strength muscle. Perhaps while the Royce agents fight him Tsuguru can slink away with Aya? Shizuku isn’t going to remain un-executed forever!

Magia Record – 11 – The Timing’s a Bit Off

While the rivalry between Magius and independent magical girls continues to escalate, but for Iroha, this isn’t about factions or loyalties. It’s about her sister Ui. As soon as Sana mentions Nemu, she seeks out Amane Tsukuyo at her school, where her family name is “Akatsuki” and she leads the koto club. Tsukuyo demonstrates the contrast between she views Iroha (a threat who intends to interrogate or even torture her) and how Iroha views her (a someone she can have a calm coffee chat with).

By the time they’ve had their calm chat, Tsukuyo has learned that there need not always be rancor and mistrust between their sides. She can even relate to Iroha’s need to find her sister, being so close to her own. That said, she’s still not ready to say anything about Nemu, and tells Iroha she’ll have to clear things with Miufuyu first.

While waiting for an answer, Iroha joins Tsuruno, Felicia and Sana on another shopping trip, this time to purchase some coasters as a thank you for the personal mugs Yachiyo bought them.

They find some pretty sakura-themed ones, but they’re immediately stolen by a witch, which they make quick work of to secure the gift. They set up a cute plan to surprise Yachiyo, who is coming home late.

What was to be another goodwill bonding exercise to bring the girls of the Villa closer together and feeling more like a family is pretty much ruined with the unexpected arrival of Mifuyu, who strides right in and treats the place like it’s her own home—because it was, for seven years.

Mifuyu dismisses Iroha’s attempts to play hostess and grabs her own mug from the cabinet Yachiyo warned her never to open. But Mifuyu isn’t there for Yachiyo—whom she’s apparently given up trying to convert—but Iroha. If she wants to learn about Nemu, she should consider joining Magius.

Mifuyu also invites Iroha and the others to a Saturday afternoon “lecture” on how Magius is “liberating” magical girls, at a place called the “Memory Museum”, itself home to another Uwasa. Yachiyo comes home shocked to see Mifuyu, and Mifuyu doesn’t hesitate to prick her in the side with a verbal thorn about having “made friends again,” and how it will probably go as well as last time.

This puts Yachiyo in such a sour mood she simply retires to her room, before her roommates can present her with a gift. It’s just not the right mood anymore anyway. But once she’s in her room, she’s greeted by her witch-ified reflection (perhaps her Doppel) thanking her for “bringing more friends” to her. Could this be Mikazuki Villa’s Uwasa? Should Iroha and the others be worried for their safety?

Clearly against Yachiyo’s wishes, Iroha, Tsuruno, Felicia, and Sana head to the lecture, leaving her alone. Iroha asks Yakumo and Momoko for the location of the museum, and Momoko later tracks down Rena to tell her the truth about Yachiyo’s Villa. It’s a good thing Iroha told them where she was going, since the Museum looks more and more like a trap the deeper they explore.

That said, after climbing a wall full of drawers (no doubt containing memories), they are met by a voice expressing surprise they actually showed up. It’s not Nemu, but the other girl who was with Ui in the hospital: Satomi Touka. It may have been a circuitous path, but maybe Iroha will finally get some answers about her sister’s whereabouts.