Niemon Tomonori is found to have died from cyanide poisoning from a needle embedded in the demon puppet. A comment by Tomonori's son makes Sakon think the poison was meant for him. Later, two attempts are made on Sakon's life and his room is ransacked. Sakon suspects that someone from the Suou puppet school is involved. Zenkichi discovers that the collapse of the Suou school 20 years ago was partly attributed by the media to Sakon's grandfather Saemon. Following a visit to the abandoned Suou household, Zenkichi sees Ayano and then someone tries to run his motorcycle off the road.