Something wicked lurks in the Man-Eating Pond, devouring any human, beast or bird that comes near. Towa and Setsuna meet Hikomaru and Chiyo, siblings who lost their parents to the pond.

Konton learns of the origins of the Rainbow Pearl and the connection between Kirinmaru and the Dream Butterfly. He summons an ogre to attack the Half-Demon Princesses.

Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha are left to confront Kirinmaru, but in the face of overwhelming power, they must pay a great price.

Setsuna directs Towa and Moroha as they continue to sever Rion’s threads of fate. Each time a thread is severed, more of Rion’s true feelings are revealed. As Kirinmaru fights Sesshomaru, he realizes the real reason he lost Rion.