In Episode 10 of "The Summer Hikaru Died," we are thrust back into the harrowing scene where Yoshiki clutches Hikaru’s severed head. Suddenly, its contents spill forth in a macabre cascade, and in a blink, Yoshiki finds himself transported back to the hospital. He awakens to the comforting presence of his mother by his bedside, with Hikaru lying on the adjacent bed, his head miraculously reattached.
The narrative then shifts to Tanaka, who is overjoyed by his revelation – the entity has chosen to weaken itself now that it has assumed an identity. Takeda confides in him, expressing doubt that his father, the old man, will pull through. Tanaka, in turn, admits his vulnerability without his company-issued glasses, which grant him sight.
Back at Hikaru’s hospital bedside, Kurebayashi joins Yoshiki in a vigilant wait for Hikaru to regain consciousness. They engage in a haunting discussion about the ‘haunted’ locales and a bygone era when human remains were discovered in each village – torsos in some, arms in others. All had been found, save for the skulls. As the conversation progresses, Kurebayashi informs Yoshiki that she will delve into Tanaka’s background and instructs him to contact her if anything untoward occurs.
When Hikaru suddenly stirs, he nearly merges with Yoshiki once more, but Kurebayashi swiftly intervenes, snapping them back to reality. Hikaru observes that the sword wielded by Tanaka is no ordinary blade. Amidst the boys’ lighthearted banter, Kurebayashi’s mind lingers on Tanaka and his enigmatic company.
Returning to school, Maki shares a chilling piece of history about Unuki-san. It was once a covert code word used during times of scarcity, when food was insufficient for all, necessitating a reduction in the population. They concocted a mercury-based drug called Uronuki Medicine to induce abortions in unborn babies, and spoke of ‘making an offering’ when administering the drug. Miraculously, the village’s fortunes improved after Unuki was enshrined on the mountain. As Maki concludes his gruesome tale, Hikaru ponders what they would do if the entity descended from the mountain, but the consensus is that they would detect its presence immediately and send it packing.
Maki is privy to the lore because his brother is delving into the occult studies at university. He promptly texts his brother, seeking more in-depth information for Yoshiki's benefit. As it turns out, when the village underwent a schism around the year 1700, Unuki-san had already faded from collective memory, yet whispers of a malevolent curse continued to linger in the air. It was around this same period that oppressed adherents of another faith found refuge in the vicinity, which explains the proliferation of churches dotting the landscape nearby.
Yoshiki remains lost in thought, mulling over the enigmatic fate of Nonuki-sama and pondering why their town stands alone in preserving a shrine dedicated to it. That very night, driven by a mix of curiosity and trepidation, they resolve to explore the shrine. What greets their eyes upon arrival is a sight that sends shivers down their spines: walls adorned with human heads. However, upon closer scrutiny, they realize these gruesome ornaments are, in fact, crafted from wood.
Hikaru, tapping into the memories of the real Hikaru, recalls the shrine's grisly history. The human heads had once been offerings to Unuki-sama, a desperate plea for divine intervention to aid the impoverished villagers. The wooden replicas, on the other hand, were erected to pay homage to those who had met a violent end. Tradition dictated that the severed body parts be interred as far from the heads as possible, a macabre logistical challenge that the village's division inadvertently simplified. The majority of the heads belonged to the elderly or those afflicted with terminal illnesses, but some were unfortunate travelers, secretly sacrificed by the Indo family, who bore the onerous responsibility of tending to the shrine.
Yoshiki proposes that they delve deeper into the mystery by consulting someone who was acquainted with Hikaru's father. As the credits roll, a haunting postscript unfolds: Yoshiki's earlier remark comes to life as Hikaru arrives at his doorstep, his eyes glazed over, seemingly propelled by an insatiable, primal hunger.
