| As she arrives at Hitogashima (during the '4th Loop') Nagumo notices that a ferry crewman is a Shadow. "That message just got a lot more believable" she says to herself. She thinks she recognizes Shin from somewhere, but then concludes that she's wrong. She is surprised to find a funeral being held for Ushio. Priest Karakiri Masahito recognizes her as Minakata Hizuru, a girl from the island who left 14 years ago (Nagumo must be her pen name). She was once a common customer at the Kofune restaraunt, and Alan (Ushio and Mio's father) recognizes her as well. Alan tells her about the strangle marks on Ushio's neck. He also asks if it reminds Nagumo/Hizuru of when someone named Ryuunosuke died 14 years ago. Nagumo inspects Ushio's body and asks who prepared her for the funeral; it was the nurse at the Hishigata clinic. The Doctor is present at the funeral and is annoyed by her actions. She asks if before dying Ushio made any mention of seeing a 'doppelganger'. Isokane Asako, an old friend of Nagumo (and mother of Shiori) also recognizes her. Nagumo notices that Asako is a Shadow. She is infuriated by what she sees as disrespect for Ushio, but keeps it to herself. She meets Nezu Ginjirou, the hunter, and reports that she is certain that all three Kobayakawas are Shadows. Nagumo has dealt with Shadows before, but this is the first time she has encountered a Shadow which can create other ones. She suspects a Shadow killed and erased Ushio and then posed as Shiori. Then it killed and erased Shiori's parents. Nagumo is brought to tears by these thoughts. She gives Nezu a cellphone and asks him to tell her if it ever rings. Shin warns Shiori to stay far away from another girl that looks like herself, because it would actually be a 'monster'. Later he realizes that her parents are already Shadows and tries to walk back what he has said. He wonders where Nagumo is. Using a curious piece of evidence Shin deduces that Mio has already been copied. Shadow Mio seems to wonder where Ushio has gone. Shin comes up with two questions he will ask anyone he meets: 1) have they heard of Shadow Sickness, and 2) have they seen a strange, well-endowed woman (Nagumo). Alan gives him a paper slip with an English letter code; Shin recognizes it as a phone number and calls what turns out to be the cell phone that Nagumo gave to Nezu. Alan's Shadow attempts to kill Alan in a restroom but falls into a trap set by Nagumo. Shin comes to a spot according to Nezu's instructions, where Nezu performs a test to make certain he isn't a Shadow. He passes, but Nezu remains suspicious. Shin identifies himself by name to Nagumo--before killing him in episode five she told him to do so the next time they met. She asks him how he knows who she is, and deduces that he must be a 'time traveller'. |
