Knowing that Yuki is observing Mio in lieu of the hero clan, Basara tells Mio's history to Yuki and says that he wants to protect her. Maria arranges a mixed bath for her, Mio, and Basara to gain trust among each other until Basara collapses. At school, while being asked to help Yuki, Mio's curse activates, leading to her exhaustion. At the infirmary, Basara watches over Mio as the school nurse, Chisato Hasegawa, advises Basara to choose his friends while considering who his enemies are. After falling unconscious, stray demons attracted to Mio's strength enter the school. Yuki warns Mio to not get Basara involved, as Mio will bring harm to him. As Mio and Yuki clash, Yuki tells Mio that Basara is not powerful enough to protect her due to an incident from five years ago, which continues to haunt Basara. Basara eventually arrives to stop Yuki and Mio's fight until a stranger (who is revealed to have dispatched the demons that attempt to harm Mio) appears. The stranger informs Mio that if she becomes too much of a threat to her surroundings, the hero clan will label her as a target of observation and killing, leading to Yuki's actions. Another stranger appears behind Mio, resulting in Basara attempting to protect her from it.