While Takashi fumes over his recent defeat and redoubles his efforts to conquer Asuka, Meirin is coming to grips that her hakke crystal has been an active deus ex machina in recent events as she has it explained what shikigami are along with the onmyouji who control them. Resolving to defeat Takashi's mortal designs for him, Meirin prosecutes several panicked intercessions to protect Asuka that meet with scant success and gratitude only to find that Asuka can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Takashi on his own -- even if it is only on the soccer field. Meirin replies Asuka's injunction against proximity and association with Takashi by offering him several pink-colored items only to have them angrily repulsed to Takashi's delight when he animates another shikigami that wields Tenshin to infect the coach Asuka has to avail the morning of the game. In spite of Meirin stowing her hakke into Asuka's bag ironically becoming the deus ex machina that saves Asuka and Tenshin, Takashi ultimately succeeds in sidelining Asuka because of the inordinate time frame consumed by the ordeal.