Embarking on our recap of "Land of Tanabata" episode 6, we delve into Sachiko's poignant narrative, unearthing the depths of her past and the haunting scars etched across her back. Her mother's thwarted love affair with Yoriyuki, a casualty of Marukami's stringent rules, led her to a union with Sachiko's father, a man unable to reconcile with the enigmas shrouding Marukami's secrets. His inability manifested in a vicious cycle, as he took refuge in venting his frustration through Takashi, who in turn, unleashed his wrath upon the innocent Sachiko, scarring her physically and emotionally.
Determined to save her daughter from this vicious cycle, Sachiko's mother sought Yoriyuki's aid to unlock Takashi's latent abilities. As Takashi grew closer to Yoriyuki, the bond forged in darkness erupted in a tragic climax where, consumed by rage, he took his father's life. Banished from their home by his heartbroken mother, Takashi's fate was forever altered. Years later, her mother too succumbed to the weight of her own guilt and secrets, a tragic victim of the elusive Within Reach.
Meanwhile, Aki's path crosses with the detective, her misidentification of him as a mere bystander at the assassination attempting to fuel her journalistic quest. Parallel to this, Nanmaru's conscience is stirred by Sachiko's tale, prompting him to abandon his trash-cleaning enterprise—a symbol of harnessing his abilities for mundane pursuits. He convenes with Emi, Tagaya, and Tomoko, where Emi's astute mind uncovers the true reason behind the Tanabata festival's date discrepancies. She unravels that it's not merely a nod to the western calendar but a intricate dance with the solar year, the leap year necessitating a recalibration in their annual celebrations.
Emi's discovery stems from cryptic hints embedded within Professor Marukami's letter, a man torn between his loyalty to the organization and his insatiable thirst for knowledge. Despite his reluctance to divulge secrets as a member, his scholarly instincts refuse to relinquish the grip on his groundbreaking research.
After the conclusion of the meeting, Nanmaru finds himself at the doorstep of a job interview, this time as a humble cleaner. To his surprise, he discovers that he's not alone in his academic pedigree among the cleaning staff; many of his fellow cleaners are, like him, college graduates seeking humble beginnings.
Meanwhile, Aki, her deception of being a university student now a secret, cunningly convinces the detective to embark on a quest with her, one that delves into the murky depths of the murders and the enigmatic "dimensional ball."
Returning home, Nanmaru's reality shifts yet again. He realizes he possesses not just the power to be 'Within Reach' but also the ability to be a 'Window Opener,' akin to Yoriyuki. He plunges into a nightmare realm, a realm Sachiko frequently alludes to, where he encounters her falling through an eerie, open window. She warns him, her voice filled with urgency, not to grasp for her, for it would lead him beyond the bounds of sanity and safety. As her words echo, Nanmaru's body jolts, crashing onto the floor, and he awakens, breathless.
Amidst this chaos, strange occurrences escalate—people and even massive objects, such as airplanes and automobiles, vanish without a trace. Aki and the detective stumble upon Takashi and Yoriyuki entering a building, their intentions shrouded in mystery. The detective, despite being a part of the police force, is hesitant to alert his colleagues, but Aki, driven by an unwavering determination, rushes headlong into the unknown.
Inside, Yoriyuki, his voice laced with certainty, informs Takashi that the very room they occupy holds a door that cannot be opened—a door he proceeds to defy, causing the Chief Cabinet Secretary to vanish before their eyes, his powers on full display. The detective, following Aki's lead, finds themselves both discovered and bound, their predicament growing increasingly dire.
Elsewhere, Nanmaru, now in the throes of his new job, finds himself atop a rooftop, chatting with a colleague, when a colossal dimensional ball materializes out of thin air, its massive form swallowing half of a towering building in a heartbeat, the scene both awe-inspiring and deeply unsettling.
