Synnopsis: An Umizatou appears, revealing the characters deepest fears.

Kayo becomes suspicious of the Medicine Seller. She though of how he exorcised the Bakeneko from the Sakai mansion but the Sakai family were all killed. In the end, who did he save? The Medicine Seller notices Kayo and he tells him that with a face such as the one she is making, he wonders if she’ll ever marry. Kayo reacts then asks him if he changed the compass’ heading but the Medicine Seller doesn’t give a concrete reply. He then says that even if he changed it, the fact remains that is taken to the Ayakashi’s sea. Kayo tells him that she understands he’s a powerful man but she thinks his aloof attitude is over the too and that it doesn’t impress girls. The Medicine Seller somehow concedes.

Kayo asks the Medicine Seller about the difference between Ayakashi and Mononoke. Kayo thinks that they are just similar. The Medicine Seller explains that there are many types of Ayakashi. Kayo asks if they are the ghosts of dead people. Gennyousai comes in and tells Kayo that it is in some cases, like the ghost ship earlier. He further explains that since tools and objects have souls, there are different varieties of Ayakashi. The Medicine Seller points out that no matter how they came to be, an Ayakashi’s reason for being is beyond human comprehension.

Kayo then asks about Mononoke. Gennyousai states that the “ke” in “Mononoke” means “disease” and “mono” refers to the “godly nature” of Mononoke. Kayo asks if Mononoke haunt people like disease. The Medicine Seller asks her in return what would happen if an Ayakashi were to unite with a strong human emotion such as vengeance, sadness or fear. He says that it would become very powerful and can no longer be sealed. Kayo asks if the Sword of Exorcism could still destroy it. She then comments that without the Mononoke’s Form, Truth and Regret, it cannot be drawn however.

The samurai joins then and asks what is meant by “Truth” and “Regret”. The Medicine Seller explains that Truth is the state of the object while Regret is the state of the soul. Kayo asks if Mononoke are present there, as well as Ayakashi. The Medicine Seller does not answer. His scale reacts to something. The samurai hurries to the upper deck. Gennyousai follows him but states that whether it’s an Ayakashi or Mononoke, he will be the one to defeat it. Kayo asks the Medicine Seller to come with them. He replies that he will be there shortly. The scale has now fallen. The Medicine Seller thinks it could be problematic.

Everyone’s now gathered at the upper deck. Will-o-the-wisp like Onibi are floating in the air. Suddenly, something seems to be coming from the bow. It is a humanoid fish-like Ayakashi bearing a stringed instrument. The samurai thinks he should be able to cut it. Gennyousai explains that it is an Umizatou. It would be impossible to kill it with a sword. He explains further that it will ask a question. It will ask if it is frightening but one should tell it what one fears the most.

The Umizatou strums his instrument and asks Tamon, the ship’s owner, about what he truly fears. He replies that it would be losing all of his money and becoming a beggar. The Umizatou strums again and a chain hits Tamon’s head. He shakes and struggles. He vomits huge goldfishes and sees them lying dead on the floor. He despairs. His goldfishes are dead. So it seems that his deepest fear would be losing his goldfish collection. The rest of the passengers, however, see no goldfish, only Tamon struggling.

The Umizatou then asks Hyoei, the samurai, who replies that there is nothing he fears. He says that since he inherited his sword, he has killed a hundred men. He then says that he wanted to kill an Ayakashi. The Umizatou strums his instrument and a huge fish has swallowed part of the samurai’s body. The fish contained the faces of those the samurai killed. The samurai’s sword falls and then breaks. Hyoei’s fear would be the ghosts of those he has slain. It is now understandable why he longed for the Medicine Seller’s sword. An ordinary sword could not hurt ghosts but the Sword of Exorcism might rid him of ghostly tormentors.

Next is Kayo. The Umizatou asks her what she fears. She replies that as of that moment she feared him. The Umizatou insists that she answer his question so she replies that it would be dying, without even marrying and having children. The Umizatou strums and Kayo finds her stomach bloating as if pregnant. The contents of her womb spills and she discovers a fish-like child on the floor. Kayo faints. The Medicine Seller immediately rushes to help her and assures her that it was only an illusion.

The Umizatou then asks Gennyousei. He replies that he fears pastries most. The Umizatou strums again and the other passengers see Gennyousei eating something invisible. He enjoys it at first then realizes it is something horrible. He vommits in disgust. In Gennyousei’s case, his fear isn’t portrayed in the same manner as those previously asked. Could it be to emphasize that what the Umizatou reveals are only illusions?

The Medicine Seller volunteers that he will answer next. His fear is the knowledge that the edge of the world exists without Form, Truth or Regret. The Umizatou strums and the Medicine Seller sees himself vanishing but does not react. After the illusion has passed, he asks why the ship was sent to the Ayakashi’s sea. He directs his question to Sougen who is also asked by the Umizatou of his fear.

Sougen states that he fears his master, Genkei. He recounts that so many unusual things have happened on the trip to Edo. He says that the previous night, they were chanting when Genkei asked him if he was feeling sick. He replied he wasn’t but the older monk insisted that he go outside to get some fresh air. Sougen felt that he had failed his master then left him. Sougen realizes that his master could be the only one who placed a magnet to redirect the compass’ heading. Interestingly, Sougen isn’t shown an illusion by the Umizatou. Is it because the one he fears is already in front of him?

Anyway, Genkei is asked why he would lead the ship to the Ayakashi’s sea. He tells the other passengers that he did not want to involve them but no ship dared to go to the Dragon’s Triangle no matter how he requested. The Medicine Seller observes the older monk trembling. He asks him why he would come to the Ayakashi’s sea if it terrified him.

The Umizatou then asks Genkei of his fear. Genkei replies that for fifty years, he has trembled in fear at the thought of what is within the Ayakashi’s sea. He reveals that it is the Utsurobune on which his sister sailed fifty years ago. The Umizatou strums then leaves.

Kayo asks what an Utsurobune is and Gennyousei explains that it is a sort of ship made by hollowing out a large tree and anyone who goes in that ship wouldn’t be able to get out. Kayo asks the older monk why his sister went inside an Utsurobune. The monk does not reply but he shakes in fear when he hears the sound of chains — the chains that bound the Utsurobune. The ship also quivers and all of a sudden, a huge ship made out of a tree trunk rises and appears. It is the Utsurobune on which Genkei’s sister sailed. Gennyousei hears the sound of scratching from within the ship and thinks that someone is inside although it would be impossible for someone to survive inside for fifty years.

The monk addresses his sister Oyou and says that he hasn’t forgotten about her. He says that she went into the ship in his stead out of her own will and was taken to the Dragon’s Triangle. He asks why she harbors such hatred that the sea is changed and Ayakashi are drawn to it.

Lightning strikes and the Medicine Seller states that the Mononoke’s Form has arrived.

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