Six Crimson Cranes

Shiori gets dressed for the Winter Festival, and Zairena suggests Shiori borrow her beautiful silk purse rather than her satchel. Wanting to keep the starstroke net near, Shiori does not accept Zairena’s offer. In Iro, Shiori watches Megari and Takkan’s musical performance that tells the story of Imurinya’s ascension to the moon (which led to her becoming the moon goddess). Shiori and Takkan stroll through the festival together afterward, enjoying the beautiful sights of the evening. Takkan admits that he has been smitten with her since they met at the Sparrow Inn; they are about to kiss when Shiori runs away, for fear of never being able to leave Iro. Back at the castle, Kiki frantically informs Shiori that Zairena’s spun threads turned her wings gold and then black, confirming that Zairena was the assassin with Four Breaths all along.

Shiori runs into Hasege, who offers to take her back to the castle, claiming Takkan is waiting for her. When Shiori arrives at her room, her satchel is magically replaced with Zairena’s golden purse, which Shiori realizes must have been enchanted. Hasege, Zairena, and Lady Bushian confront Shiori in her room, and to prove that Shiori is a demon, Zairena opens Shiori’s satchel and conjures terrifying shadow beasts using her own magic.