Episode 15

**"Slothful Person's Honor"** (怠け者の一分, *Namakemono no Ichibun*) is the fifteenth episode of the *Toji no Miko* anime series, released on April 20, 2018. The episode was written by Takashi Aoshima, with storyboards and direction by Tomoe Makino and animation direction by Kouhei Takahashi, Mayumi Hidaka and Yuuma Yokomatsu.

Director Sana Maniwa sends out Kaoru to lead an expeditionary mission to Northern Kanto. The unmotivated Kaoru is at ease with doing nothing else but leaving the Aradama searching to her subordinates. In the end, Sayaka is dispatched to the area from the headquarters to perform surveillance tasks.

## Synopsis

Kaoru and Nene's peaceful days were once again interrupted by Director Sana Maniwa, who reminded Kaoru that the hot spring escapade would happen *after* the aradama extermination mission in Gunma. Despite her complaints about not being able to find the aradama in the area (and leaving the naked-eye search to the team assigned to her), Director Sana demanded her to join her team in the search, especially since one more member will join her team.

To Kaoru's shock, Sayaka Itomi was the latest addition to the team led by her and Vice-Captain Hazuki Kiryuu. This shock was later replaced by struggle as Kaoru revealed her difficulty in dealing with overly serious individuals (except Hiyori, for obvious reasons). Nonetheless, Kaoru continued the aradama search operations, with Sayaka using her abilities to better screen the area. By late afternoon, the team celebrated their quick progress in the mission even in Kaoru's inactivity, but Sayaka seemed frustrated, and she vowed to find the aradama by the next day. Kaoru, however, assured Sayaka that she can relax a bit since they could move regardless of the commander's influence at the moment.

That night, as the rest of the team relaxed at the ryokan's hot springs, Sayaka spent the night training with her sword while Nene imitated her actions. Kaoru, who just evaded a hot-blooded phone call from Kanami about swordfighting, saw Sayaka and Nene together, and the mere sight of her teammate being this intense was annoying her. This personality of Kaoru's was a point of discussion between Ellen and Mai, but Ellen assured Mai that Kaoru is a kind person regardless of her apparent personality.

Soon, Kaoru challenged Sayaka to a ping-pong match and later an okatana match, hoping to win over the girl who stole the team's attention from her. She eventually lost both matches.

Elsewhere, Yomi Satsuki was joined by Ayanokouji's president Yuzuki Souraku in visiting the grave of the Tsubakuro family, Yume's final resting place. Yomi and Yuzuki spoke about Yume as a Toji, and Yuzuki asked Yomi about her stand on the situation now that Yukari Origami is gone. In response, Yomi declared her unchanged loyalty in spite of Yukari's absence.

In Gunma, Kaoru once again led the team for another search, with Kaoru going on a separate route with Sayaka. Immediately, Kaoru struggled in walking the uphill route, and Nene took the chance to tease its master. Nene then picked up the presence of an aradama nearby, and Kaoru saw that the aradama pestering the nearby village was actually as small as a squirrel. Sayaka, convinced that the aradama must be killed as part of the duties of a Toji, was prepared to do the same to the small aradama, but Kaoru questioned her point of view by revealing that Nene, the creature that was being friendly and supportive towards her all this time, was an aradama. Knowing that she couldn't kill Nene even if it was an aradama, Sayaka withdrew her sword. However, the presence of *something else* alarmed Nene, and without warning, the harmless squirrel aradama transformed into a massive beast. Kaoru demonstrated the credo of the Mashiko family—"Think, believe, and when that is not enough, take on its bared fangs and face it with your sword"—by deciding to slay the massive aradama now that it has become a threat.

As the noro from the remains of the aradama were retrieved, Kaoru and Sayaka were allowed to return to the ryokan to rest. However, Nene once more detected a strong presence of an aradama and they were compelled to return to the retrieval area. There, their teammates and the retrieval crew were knocked out by a lone hooded figure. This hooded figure was later confronted by another hooded figure, who was revealed as Maki Shidou herself. As a fight broke out between the two, Maki was immediately brought into a corner by the hooded figure's use of Yukari's Niten Ichi-Ryu. In the end, the hooded figure managed to escape with the noro she stole, while Maki's identity as the "hooded figure" was finally revealed to Kaoru and Sayaka.

The rest of the team spent the night recovering from the attack, while Sayaka and Kaoru reported to Director Sana about the status of the operation. Although the noro was stolen, Director Sana was relieved that the aradama was slain and the public's safety was ensured during the mission. Sayaka also revealed that Kaoru taught her important lessons in being a Toji, notably that playing around is part of being a Toji. Kaoru ran away before she could receive Director Sana's wrath over the phone line.

## Characters

* Kaoru Mashiko
* Nene
* Sana Maniwa
* Kanami Etou
* Mai Yanase
* Ellen Kohagura
* Yomi Satsuki
* Yuzuki Souraku
* "Hime"
* Maki Shidou

## Trivia

* The mobile conversation between Kaoru and Hiyori revealed continuity details from previous episodes. Kaoru's handle name TOJIRANGER\_RED is a reference to the mask she wore in Episode 09, while Hiyori's avatar (a plush dog) was a reference to a similar plush dog Kanami stumbled upon while they were on the run on Episode 02.

## Trailers

未放送予告動画とじよこ！第15話「怠け者の一分」（おもてVer.）"Omote" version