Mao - Episode Guide

Nanaka Koyo is a third-year middle school student living in the modern Reiwa era. She wanders into an unfamiliar world through the gates of the Gogyo Shopping Street and meets a young man named Mao. After defeating a demon that attacked Nanaka, Mao tells her, "You're a demon, aren't you..."

Having remembered seeing a monster in an accident she was in when she was in first grade, Nanaka realizes that the world connected to the gate of the Gogyo Shopping Street is the Taisho era. Meanwhile, Mao begins investigating the "headless incident," which seems to be related to the cat demon that cursed him.

Nanaka, who doesn't die even when she touches Mao's "Sword of the Destroyer Star," may have been cursed after being exposed to the blood of a cat demon when she was a child. Nanaka returns to the modern Reiwa era and begins investigating the accident that happened to her eight years ago.

Nanaka and Otsuya infiltrate the Shōrin Sect, which seems to be connected to the Cat Demon. In the basement, they find a manuscript of sorcery, but it does not contain any instructions on how to manipulate people's lifespans. Then, the sect's leader, Shōko, locks the two of them in the basement.

In the Taisho era, earthquakes frequently struck Gogyo Town. Mao and Otsuya, who had gone to check on the collapsed hillside behind the town, heard from a yokai that a strange Western-style mansion had been built near where the keystone used to quell earthquakes had been enshrined. When the two visited the place, they found a church standing there, which should not have been there.

Nanaka tells Mao and Otsuya that she came from 100 years in the future, but they don't believe her. Returning to the present, Nanaka drinks the antidote given to her by Mao and remembers the day of the accident eight years ago. With doubts lingering, Nanaka heads to the Taisho era to meet Mao…

In the Taisho era, a younger version of Nanaka from eight years prior suddenly appears before her. The cat demon grabs the young Nanaka in its mouth and flies away through the gate of the Gogyo Shopping Street to the Reiwa era. In order to protect the young Nanaka, Mao, in his beast form, sends a guardian shikigami to the present day, but then faints.

Mao and his companions are attacked by their senior disciple, Hyakka, who wields fire magic. Hyakka dies once but immediately comes back to life. Hyakka has also been alive for 900 years. According to Hyakka, 900 years ago, five disciples were summoned to the "Goshikido" by their master.

Mao and his companions rush to the scene when Tenko is hit by a car driven by Ibaraki Tanehiko, who kidnaps young girls. There, a man named Kuchinawa appears, having been hired by the head of the Ibaraki family. Kuchinawa uses wood-based yin-yang magic, but his true identity is Kamon, Mao's senior disciple.

Mao sets a trap to lure out the shikigami user by making the attacking shikigami drink a talisman. Suddenly, a giant made of fish and water appears. The giant demands that Mao teach him the ultimate secret technique of Onmyodo, "Taizan Fukun," which allows him to manipulate people's lifespans.

The mother of a boy named Shigeru visits Mao's clinic, asking him to examine her son. Mao goes to see Shigeru, but it turns out to be a trap to lure him out. A water-manipulating shikigami attacks, attempting to capture Mao

Attacked by a water shikigami, Mao is reminded of the greatest water sorcerer of the Mikage family from the Heian period, but is confused as to why that sorcerer would send an assassin. Meanwhile, Kamon infiltrates the floating temple where the Mikage family's onmyoji is said to reside and is reunited with Shiranui.

Entrusted with a message for Mao from a cat demon that appeared in the Reiwa era, Nanaka heads to the Taisho era. Hyakka and Kamon are visiting Mao's clinic. Kamon reveals that the one running the fraudulent business under the guise of life extension was Shiranui, a water sorcerer.

Around the time rumors spread throughout the imperial capital that "the Onmyoji of the Mikami family, who can extend lifespans, is coming," Yurako appears at a salon frequented by political and business figures. Believing Yurako to be an agent of Shiranui, Kamon pursues her with Mao. Mao is shocked when he sees Yurako's face.

Shiranui appears before Mao, revealing their long-standing feud dating back to the Heian period, and demands that Mao hand over the secret technique of Taishan Fukun, which controls lifespan. However, Mao expresses his anger, asking why Yurako, who looks exactly like Sana, is working for Shiranui.

The man in the iron mask was Hakubi, the senior disciple of the Mikage family. Hakubi, like Hyakka and Kamon, had also been summoned to the Goshikido during the Heian period. Hakubi considered Mao to be the Mikage family's sworn enemy and launched a fierce attack using his golden magic, but Mao transformed into a beast and went berserk.

Exhausted from his battle with Hakubi, Mao remains asleep. Yokai seeking treatment keep arriving at Mao's clinic, and Nanaka, Otsuya, and Hyakka struggle to help. Back in the modern world, Nanaka, along with Shiraha, begins investigating the relationship between Onmyodo and cats.

Natsuno, a senior disciple of the Mikage family, appears before Mao and Nanaka. Natsuno tells them about the past of Mao's senior disciples, Daigo and Sana. Meanwhile, Kamon, who is pursuing Shiranui, performs a "soul summoning" with Mao in order to find the owner of the hair that is rising from the underwater shrine.

With Natsuno's help, Mao and the others head towards the underwater shrine. Upon entering the shrine, they learn of Masago's final moments from Shiranui. Kamon confronts Shiranui despite her regrets, but is cornered by his magic.

Hanamon vows to retrieve Masago's body, which Shiranui had taken away. Meanwhile, Natsuno tells Mao and the others that the black evil energy that Yurako was emitting is the same evil energy that ripped out Sana's heart 900 years ago.

Kazuma Kagami, who committed a random street murder, had his mind consumed by a beast that had been housed within the body of each successive head of the Kagami family. Mao took Soma, who was injured in a fight with his brother Kazuma, to the clinic, but Soma managed to sneak away and disappear while Mao wasn't looking.

Soma drives the puppet needle, given to him by Kagari, into Mao's back. Mao then transforms into a beast. Hyakka, Nanaka, and Otsuya rush to the scene, but Mao, controlled by Hakubi's cursed power through the needle, attacks the three of them.

A patient sneaks out of the hospital every night without eating. Mao, Nanaka, and Otsuya, who follow him, witness the patient eating grave soil and vomiting it up. Mao is astonished by the powerful curse and earth magic. Just then, Natsuno appears.

Natsuno comes to investigate rumors that "the village will disappear after a village theater troupe performs." She discovers the village buried in a landslide, but is attacked by mysterious yokai. Natsuno narrowly escapes and seeks help from Kamon.

Kagari Hosho, who had been causing curse incidents at the girls' school, was an associate of Hakubi. Kagari attacks Nanaka, who had infiltrated the school to investigate. Mao comes to Nanaka's rescue at the time, but... Using a cursed needle, Kagari tracks down Nanaka's location and takes her away to Yurako.

Yurako begins to tell Nanaka about her past. In the Heian period, Yurako lived in a cave surrounded by talismans as a vessel to absorb the curse unleashed upon the "Mikoshi family," and learned that there was a world outside. And then, she met Mao for the first time...