Synopsis: Watanuki is sent by Yuuko to rescue the Zashiki-warashi.

With the use of the tengu fan, Yuuko transports Watanuki and the Karasu-tengu to where the Zashiki-warashi is being held captive.

Watanuki and the others find themselves in front of an abandoned building reeking with malicious energy. Watanuki walks towards it. The Karasu-tengu warn him that the one who held the Zashiki-warashi isn’t someone that Watanuki could go up against. Watanuki says he thinks so too but Yuuko sent him so there must be something he can do.

The Kudakitsune, which Yuuko sent along with Watanuki, changes into its original form. It spews fire into the building’s exterior, destroying the barrier. The Karasu-tengu look in amazement but they continue to worry. All they can do, however, is wait outside and hope that Watanuki can save the Zashiki-warashi.

The building is empty but Watanuki feels that the spiritual energy is stronger inside. The energy seems to be coming from below. He follows the staircase but the further he descends, the colder and sleepier he feels. Watanuki grabs a splinter of glass from the floor and slashes his palms to prevent himself from getting sleepy.

Meanwhile, Yuuko is about to go shopping when she sees Doumeki waiting outside. Yuuko says that the fact that Doumeki is waiting there means that he must have some business with her (despite Doumeki still not being able to see the shop). Yuuko comments that Doumeki has no need to enter the shop that is why he can’t see it.

Doumeki then asks her if Watanuki’s eye will ever be restored. Yuuko asks him what made him think about it. Doumeki replies that he saw Watanuki murmuring at school about it, seemingly worried. Yuuko says that there is something that Watanuki needs to understand.

Back to Watanuki, he and the Kudakitsune reach the bottom-most floor of the building. He sees a huge door and he opens it. There, in that room, he finds the Zashiki-warashi suspended in a spiderweb.

Watanuki then hears a woman’s voice saying that he’s cute, just as the rumors say. He looks at the direction of the voice and sees a blond woman wearing an ero-lolita-like outfit. Watanuki asks her who she is. The woman replies that a part of Watanuki already knows. She opens her palm and as she does so, Watanuki sees the palm (and himself) with his right eye. He realizes the woman has his right eye.

The woman says that everyone is desiring that eye so there is a struggle for it. Since it can significantly increase the power of whoever acquires it, it is quite a treasure. The woman mentions that because her patron deities are Yatagarasu and Fuuri, it took her quite a bit of effort to get the eye. She explains that the spider, whose grudge Watanuki fell under, was one of her kinsmen. The woman then introduces herself as the one who presides over spiders. She says in old times, people called her Jorougumo.

The Kudakitsune growls at her. Jorougumo comments that the Kudakitsune is angry. She says she heard the Kudakitsune moved from the Ame-warashi’s place but it seems it likes the Zashiki-warashi.

Jorougumo says that, in a way, the Zashiki-warashi is Watanuki’s patron deity. When the Zashiki-warashi heard that Jorougumo has Watanuki’s eye, she came to ask for it. Jorougumo asked her why she’s asking for it. Is it because she wants its power or she likes the owner of the eye? She told her that he won’t return it. The Zashiki-warashi asked why and Jorougumo replied simply because she is evil.

Jorougumo told Watanuki that it must have been difficult for the Zashiki-warashi to meet her and be within her miasma.

Watanuki is enraged. He dashes forward but Jorougumo tells him not to move, shooting spider threads at him. The Kudakitsune goes to defend Watanuki but Watanuki eventually gets caught by the threads. Jorougumo tells him that a spider’s web is strong. The Kudakitsune then burns the spider threads with its fire. Jorougumo giggles and says that a spider’s thread and fox fire sure don’t go together. The tone of her voice then changes to a serious one and she lengthens one fingernail, pointing it at the Zashiki-warashi’s throat. She orders Watanuki to stop the Kudakitsune.

At Yuuko’s shop, the Ame-warashi arrives. Yuuko asks her if they want to help them make a 1:200 scale Yamato. The Ame-warashi comments that Yuuko has a lot of free time. Yuuko says that she could say that but she could also say she’s very busy, just like her. The Ame-warashi sighs then sits down.

Back to Watanuki, he yells at the Kudakitsune to stop. The Kudakitsune whimpers and Watanuki apologizes. Jorougumo thanks Watanuki. She say that he’s kind. She wraps him in spider’s silk and lift’s him up.

Watanuki then ask her to return the Zashiki-warashi. Jorougumo wonders why he’s not asking for his right eye. Watanuki tells her that it was his fault for falling into a grudge, so Jorougumo can do whatever she wants with it. He begs for the Zashiki-warashi.

Jorougumo tells him that the Zashiki-warashi is also valuable. If her heart is eaten, one’s lifespan can be extended by a hundred years. Watanuki asks her that if his eye is valuable, maybe the other parts are valuable too. She can have it in exchange for the Zashiki-warashi. Jorougumo says she would be delighted. She asks if the girl is precious to Watanuki. Watanuki says she thinks she is a good girl, and the Karasu-tengu love her dearly too. He says if his left eye won’t be enough, she can take the rest of him as well.

Jorougumo comments that she hates it. She hates how Watanuki can just throw out his well-being easily, as if he can exchange something he can throw out easily for something important. She says that the Zashiki-warashi tried her best to get his eye but Watanuki just treats it like trash, something he can just abandon without a second thought. There must be people who think dearly of Watanuki but he doesn’t give value to himself. He doesn’t want others to get hurt but allows himself to get wounded, without knowing it may hurt others to see him injured.

Watanuki lowers his head. Jorougumo thinks he’s crying. Suddenly, Watanuki thrusts the sliver of glass he got earlier, towards her. He asks again for the Zashiki-warashi. Jorougumo smiles. Watanuki summons the Kudakitsune and it leaps, shooting fox fire towards the spider mistress. Watanuki swings from a web and takes the Zashiki-warashi. Jorougumo commends him.

Jorougumo then tells Watanuki he can take her but not his eye. She then swallows it.

The Kudakitsune shoots fire towards Jorougumo, who disappears, telling Watanuki that they’ll meet again.

The strong spiritual energy enveloping the building disperses and the Karasu-tengu rush in. Watanuki collapses.

Again at Yuuko’s shop, Yuuko tells the Ame-warashi that she wonders who is more occupied: the who who goes out, or the one who waits. She then tells her that it seems Watanuki and the Zashiki-warashi are alright and that they’ll be back soon.

The Ame-warashi stands up, hesitates, then sits down again. Yuuko asks her whats wrong. She replies that the Zashiki-warashi said she’ll do it alone so she can only wait until it’s all over. Yuuko says that to go alone so as not to be a burden, and to wait for the other, both must be hard. She says it should be 50-50 because it’s impossible for one side to take everything. If that were the case, the world would have tilted too much and everything would collapse.

Watanuki awakens to the tears of the Zashiki-warashi who is happy to see him regain consciouness. The Karasu-tengu explain to him that he collapsed because of Jurougumo’s malicious miasma but the water from the spring on their mountain will purify him. The Zashiki-warashi apologizes to Watanuki for not being able to do anything. Watanuki wipes her tears and tells her that he should be the one to apologize.

Watanuki later finds himself at a bath in Yuuko’s place. There, Yuuko has been waiting for him. She and Mokona welcome him back. Yuuko explains that the bath and the spring is connected because the bath contains water from the spring. Yuuko tells Watanuki to take his time to rest. Mokona says he will prepare medicine.

That night, Watanuki tells Yuuko about his right eye being eaten. Yuuko tells him it can’t be restored anymore. Yuuko asks him if he’s alright with it. Watanuki says he isn’t. He says he did learn something.

Yuuko then hands him something. It was half of Doumeki’s right eye. Yuuko explains that she took it. Doumeki told her that if Watanuki’s right eye cannot be restored, he can have his eye. Yuuko asks Watanuki what he will do about it. Watanuki takes it and Yuuko tells him to swallow it. Vision returns to Watanuki and he falls asleep on Yuuko’s lap. Yuuko whispers to him that he doesn’t just belong to himself. Everyone is connected that is why one can’t really be free. It is at the same time interesting, sad and dear.

The following day, Watanuki waits for Doumki on his way to school. He hands him bento he made. He says he made it so Doumeki should at least carry it. Doumeki takes it and everything goes as usual. . .

********

This was a very good episode and a wonderful conclusion to the mini-arc. And Watanuki finally learned his lesson. As Jorougumo told him, it is quite easy for Watanuki to sacrifice himself for others. He got a spider’s grudge so that the one on Doumeki can be lifted. He also offered himself so the Zashiki-warashi can be released. And yet, he is not aware that it can be painful to the recipient of the sacrifice.

Furthermore, Jorougumo told him that if he could just dispense of himself so easily, he must think he is only of little value. After all, the things that we can give without a second thought probably aren’t of much worth, are they? This concept shouldn’t be something new for Watanuki. He has worked for Yuuko’s shop for a while already and as a rule, Yuuko demands an equal compensation for granting a customer’s wish. If the wish is of a great magnitude, surely Yuuko wouldn’t just accept something of “lttle” value as payment. It’s equivalent trade. If one side was all give-give or take-take, things would be unbalanced. And whatever is unbalanced, topples and breaks.

I think Jorougumo is a fun character. I don’t find her as diabolical or spiteful as most villains are. In fact, she is highly sensible. Most highly sensible villains though are cold and/or apathetic but Jorougumo is cheerful. She reminds me, somehow, of Riful from the Claymore anime except that Jorougumo is mature, while Riful is childish.

Since xxxHOLiC has derivations from Japanese folklore, I wonder if there is an actual superstition regarding eye ailments and spider grudges.

The jorougumo, literally “prostitute spider”, in Japanese folklore takes the form of a beautiful woman to lure man. She then transforms into her true spider form and devours her victims.