Chapter 13

Thorny Path 3 (イバラミチ 3, Ibaramichi 3) is the 13th chapter of the Yozakura Quartet manga.

Summary
Akina questions Hime about her being a yokai. Hime struggling to get up, tells them she will explain later and grabs hers spear and launches an attack at the creature. Hime states that the creature should be weakened as well, but is retorted by the tall man stating the creature its just a mass of muscle. The creature launches an attack at Hime which she blocks with her spear, breaking it in the process.

Outside Jinroku and Kiku Yotsuya are doing patrols as the pass by Hime’s residence. As they approach the building, they see Hime being sent crashing through a wall to the outside. Kiku catches Hime, and Jinroku ask what is happening. Hime tells them to get away from the area. The creature launches another attack behind Jinroku, which Hime blocks. Hime blocks another attack from the creature before being sent crashing through a wall. The creature approaches Hime but is blocked by a sign created by Kotoha. Akina and Kotoha rush to Hime and help her get up. The old man signals to the creature to stop attacking. Hime demands that they return Kohime, which the old man offers two conditions for her return. The conditions being that Kohime withdraw from the election, and the mayorship of Sakurashinmachi be given over to him. Him, Morino and Eiji leave with Kohime, stating they will have until tonight to respond, and that they will be waiting at Chuuou Street.

Yae arrives from the rooftops as Akina asks Hime why she had kept it a secret she was a youkai. Yae draws her sword “Spring Swiftness” vertically into the air weakening the barrier and returning the the memories of the townspeople which she sealed six years ago.

Six years ago Hime had her youkai powers sealed away by Yae, as Akina, Machi and Makiharu observed. This resulted in a large scar on on the front of her neck which upset Hime. She walked around the town crying, passing by Jinroku telling her to stop crying since she was going to be the future mayor. Akina, seeing her upset decides to knit a scarf for Hime so no one can see her scar. The scarf ends up being too long for her, and Akina decides to make it over but Hime insists on keeping it. On the day she became mayor, Hime had Yae seal the townspeople's memory of her being a youkai, in order to see thing from the humans and youkai's perspectives. Yae warns her all memories related to her being a youkai will be sealed including her memories of her scarf, to which Hime accepts.

Akina regains his memories as the group gather around Hime. Hime tells Akina that he always tried to do everything by himself, and the she would too because she loved that about him. She then begins to break down into tears, saying she cannot do it by herself this time pleading Akina to save Kohime and the town. Juli arrives wrapping Hime up in bandages and tossing her onto a stretch into the back of an ambulance. Juli tells them that she will take care of Hime and that they do what they need to. Akina picks up Hime’s Hime-Memo which she had dropped and enters into the memo that they will take care of everything.

Characters in order of appearance

 * Enjin Hiizumi (Disguised)
 * Akina Hiizumi
 * Kotoha Isone
 * Hime Yarizakura
 * Jinroku Yotsuya
 * Kiku Yotsuya
 * Kazuyoshi Morino
 * Eiji Shinozuka
 * Yae Shinatsuhiko
 * Machi Yarizakura (Flashback)
 * Makiharu Hiizumi (Flashback)
 * Ao Nanami
 * Kyosuke Kishi
 * Touka Kishi
 * V Juli F