Yasuaki and Takamichi are together.
Yasuaki: The plot is telling me that something may happen in Sagano this episode.
Indeed, in Sagano, a tree of evil is glowing. Shirin materialises next to it.
Shirin: At long last, I am going to get some more screen time!
At the manor, Tenma boasts of finding his Yu-Gi-Oh card.
Tenma: I guess this means my HARD GAY is more advanced than anyone else’s.
Shimon: I wonder if Inori and I can find ours. It would mean I would have to be useful again- I just don’t know if I can manage it.
Tenma: Listen, Whipping Boy, if you’re having a hard time being HARD GAY, I’ll give you a few pointers.
Takamichi arrives.
Takamichi: Fuji, do you know where Tomomasa is? He promised me some HARD GAY.
Fuji: I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen him.
Takamichi: Oh.
(Takamichi: He’d better not be cheating on me!)
Takamichi leaves. That evening, he finally catches up with Tomomasa.
Takamichi: Look, Tomomasa, I just don’t think we can call ourselves HARD GAY if we don’t find our Yu-Gi-Oh card soon. Yasuaki has even given me a convenient pointer as to where we should go.
Tomomasa: Takamichi, I’ve already told you that you shouldn’t limit yourself to HARD GAY alone. If you come to appreciate women as well as men, you can be BI.
Takamichi: Tomomasa, I only want to commit to you! And our Yu-Gi-Oh card can be proof of that.
Tomomasa: I really don’t think there’s any need to rush. I’m sure the plot will provide us with our Yu-Gi-Oh card when the time is right. And anyway, if you become BI, we can have a threesome with the Priestess; I’m sure you’d like that.
Takamichi: Why can’t you take our relationship seriously?
Tomomasa: I am being serious.
The next day, Takamichi decides that he might as well look for the Yu-Gi-Oh card by himself. Through a series of budget-saving stills, he talks to generics and makes his way to the forest of evil. As he reaches a suspicious looking house in the middle of nowhere, he hears a woman crying and goes inside.
(Takamichi: Maybe Tomomasa is right, and I should try to cultivate feelings for women. Besides, surely there can be nothing suspicious about this house stuck in the middle of nowhere.)
Takamichi: Excuse me, is there anything wrong?
Woman: Thank goodness you came by. You see, the man I loved dumped me and married another woman, so I’m just randomly sitting and crying here in the middle of nowhere.
Takamichi: I know what it’s like when the man you care for doesn’t seem to return your affections. Here, let me help you.
Woman: Mwahaha, that is just what I wanted to hear! For I am an evil monster who is about to entrap you!
Takamichi is ensnared and trapped inside a lamp.
The next day, Tomomasa is wandering through the marketplace when he meets Akane.
Akane: Tomomasa, have you been keeping Takamichi busy with HARD GAY again? He promised he’d come and see me yesterday, but he never showed up.
(Tomomasa: Hmm, I didn’t see Takamichi yesterday either. Could he really be that upset about our little argument?)
Tomomasa: Don’t worry about it, Akane, I’m sure he’s working or something.
(Tomomasa: I must find Takamichi, but we’ll need to talk privately.)
Tomomasa talks to some more generics, and makes his way to the forest of evil. He enters the house where Takamichi was trapped by the evil woman. Shirin materialises.
Shirin: Akram has taught us not to fight the Hachiyou directly, but to empower weak monsters and then stand back as the heroes defeat them. This is surely the ultimate evolution of the useless underling system!
Tomomasa meets the crying woman. He happens to notice Takamichi’s glasses on the ground.
(Tomomasa: What a convenient clue.)
Woman: Can it really be Tomomasa-sama? I’ve been watching the OP, and I really think that you’re the bishiest man in the series! I’m so happy to meet you.
Tomomasa: I’m sorry, but I’m here for my HARD GAY partner Takamichi.
Woman: Oh, Tomomasa-sama, please forsake your HARD GAY side and marry me instead.
From inside the lamp, Takamichi watches.
(Takamichi: This is awful! I have to watch as my HARD GAY partner is seduced by a woman!)
Tomomasa: I’m sorry, but I’m not really ready to settle down- especially if it means I cannot indulge in HARD GAY anymore. Takamichi in particular is very special to me.
(Takamichi: Tomomasa! You do care about me after all!)
Woman: If you won’t be mine and mine alone, I might just have to kill myself!
Tomomasa: You’re just like Takamichi- still stuck with the old fashioned idea that it is best to stick with only one partner.
Woman: Will you stop going on about Takamichi?
Tomomasa: I’m sorry, but I was trying to subtly hint that you’re not my type, and that I’d rather be with him.
Woman: Then I’m sure you’ll be interested to hear that your dear Takamichi went straight for me. I don’t think he cares about you at all.
Yasuaki appears.
Yasuaki: I can easily get rid of this troublesome woman for you.
Tomomasa: I’m sorry, Yasuaki, but this episode isn’t supposed to be about you. Please let me handle it. If everything goes horribly wrong, then you may intervene, but for now, please stand back and let me use the destined power of insert song to finish this.
An insert song plays as Tomomasa draws his ‘sword’.
Tomomasa: A single thrust of my ‘sword’ will overpower you.
Tomomasa stabs the woman with his ‘sword’ and she starts glowing.
Woman: Such a magnificent ‘sword’! I can happily go to heaven now.
The woman and her house vanish, whilst Takamichi is conveniently freed.
Yasuaki: I’ll leave you two alone, then.
Yasuaki walks off. Tomomasa smiles knowingly at Takamichi. They leave just as Shirin materialises.
Shirin: Damn. Who’d have thought such a weak monster would be defeated so easily whilst I stood back and did nothing?
Takamichi and Tomomasa return to town.
Takamichi: I was just trying to expand my experience as you suggested, so that I can be a worthy partner for you.
Tomomasa: Takamichi, you’re good enough for me already.
Takamichi: I just got worried that we might not be HARD GAY enough to find our Yu-Gi-Oh card.
Tomomasa: Takamichi, you try too hard. Just go with the flow, and let the plot handle the difficult parts. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go home and get some rest. Come and see me later, if you’d like.
Tomomasa leaves as Akane, Shimon and Inori arrive.
Inori: It’s probably going to be our episode next, Takamichi, but if you want to come along and offer some HARD GAY tips, feel free.
Takamichi: I’m sorry, but I already have a date.
To be continued…
