Episode 03

**"Thoughtless Sword"** (無想の剣, *Musou no Ken*) is the third episode of the *Toji no Miko* anime series, aired on January 20, 2018. The episode is directed by Yuu Shigeta who also did the storyboards, with script by Tatsuya Takahashi and animation direction by Yuuma Yokomatsu.

On the surface, the fugitive incident involving Hiyori Juujou and Kanami Etou is close to being resolved. However, with the Elite Guard focusing on Yukari Origami's safety, Renpu Girls' School's president has shown impatience in the lack of action. In order to put an end to the pursuit, Sayaka Itomi is sent to track down and return Hiyori and Kanami, by force if necessary.

## Synopsis

After the suppression of the Aradama located at a park in Tokyo, affiliates of the Origami Family began extraction of the Aradama's remains. Meanwhile, Mai reported to President Ema Hashima about the situation. With Hiyori Juujou and Kanami Etou still on the loose, a gag order restrained the Elite Guard into their duties to guard Yukari Origami, preventing them from joining in Aradama operations. The president of Renpu Girls' School, Yukina Takatsu, was clearly dismayed about the lack of action in the part of the Elite Guard, so she assigned "the pride of Renpu", Sayaka Itomi, the role of defeating the two fugitives and urged Yukari Origami to give her and her school active roles to the current situation.

Elsewhere, Hiyori and Kanami stay near a commercial center near Tachikawa Station. The note left "by Mai" did not have Mai's handwriting, causing Hiyori to expect the letter as a trap against them, but Kanami remained trustful of Mai's actions. Soon, a woman named Rui Onda took them by car, revealing herself to be an acquaintance of President Hashima, and allowed them to stay the night in her apartment unit.

Kanami quickly accepted Rui's friendly gestures, but Hiyori remained suspicious that a former Toji from Minoseki would be working with the Special Sword Administration or the Origami Family. Nonetheless, Rui shrugged aside Hiyori's suspicions. As Rui slept for the night, Hiyori took the chance to find out more about the moment she attacked Yukari from Kanami. Kanami revealed that she saw "bulging eyes" that immediately disappeared, as well as the appearance of **Oodenta** and **Onimaru**, swords which "came from the Hidden World" according to Kanami. Hiyori decided to still continue with her aim to defeat "the Aradama pretending to be Yukari Origami", but Kanami warned her that Yukari's strength is at a different level. Kanami would later meet a Toji wearing the emblem of Renpu Girls' School in her dreams and consult the Toji about her problems with saving Hiyori and putting Mai at risk.

The next day, the students who were present during the Swordsmanship Tournament in Kamakura prepared their trip back to their respective campuses. Although the mood is still tense, Ellen and Kaoru from Osafune Girls' Academy focused more on having a vacation on Shonan than the fugitive situation. Mai then returned to the headquarters of the Special Sword Administration to report to the Elite Guard in person and had to endure President Yukina Takatsu's impatience and Yume Tsubakuro's threatening gestures. Fortunately, President Hashima assured Mai that Kanami and Hiyori are safe.

To pay back Rui's hospitality, Kanami and Hiyori decided to clean her apartment unit and prepare dinner for their host. Rui returned the offer by showing the girls an open conversation with a certain "FineMan" on Rui's computer. FineMan revealed its awareness of the identity of the two as "the only two rebels" and asked for their determination to continue, to which Hiyori responded positively. Suddenly, as FineMan was about to reveal further information, Sayaka broke into Rui's apartment, forcing a clash between the student of Renpu and the two fugitives.

Outside, Hiyori immediately noticed Sayaka's speed and utilization of Jin'i, as well as the decision to continue fighting even without Utsushi. As she faced the possibility of actually hurting someone with her okatana, Kanami joined the fight. Kanami also noticed something different in Sayaka's sword, feeling "nothing" from the sword itself, and decided to not prolong a fight with a "soulless sword". With a quick maneuver, Kanami took the sword from Sayaka's hand and threw it aside. Sayaka stopped her attacks the moment she lost her okatana, and Kanami took the chance to take in Sayaka as a friend.

## Characters

* Mai Yanase
* Ema Hashima
* Suzuka Konohana
* Maki Shidou
* Sayaka Itomi
* Yukari Origami
* Yomi Satsuki
* Hiyori Juujou
* Kanami Etou
* Ellen Kohagura
* Kaoru Mashiko
* Yume Tsubakuro

### New Characters

* Rui Onda
* Yukina Takatsu

## Trivia

* The parkas and guitar cases used by Kanami and Hiyori as disguises were slashed during Sayaka's break-in, and since all they have were their original uniforms, they ended up using it as they walked towards their next destination. (Source)

### Insights by Hisane Kannazuki

The terms "*kozume*" and "*kuneriuchi*" are techniques from the Yagyu Shinkage-Ryu. Suffice to say, the lady in Kanami's dream came from the same school as Kanami.

There is a noted technique in Kanami's Yagyu Shinkage-Ryu called "*mutou-tori*" (lit., "sword-catching), and Kanami demonstrated a technique similar to it during the clash with Sayaka. After evading the enemy's attack and narrowing the enemy's interval (*ma'ai*), the defender seizes the enemy's hand and its sword's hilt before throwing the sword aside. The actual *mutou-tori* technique works differently—after warding off an enemy's attack, the defender uses its right hand to catch the attacker's sword, while dealing a one-handed strike using the remaining hand. But since Sayaka was not using Utsushi during the fight, getting rid of Sayaka's okatana was the more viable option.

Moving on, this episode also alludes to Hiyori's lethal "*Hitotsu no Tachi*", but the technique in real life has been considered a lost technique within the Shinto-Ryu school. So in the series, Hiyori named this self-invented technique after a secret sword technique that belonged to her swordsmanship school's ancestors.

**Sources:** Tweet 1, Tweet 2, Tweet 3, Tweet 4

## Trailers

未放送予告動画とじよこ！第3話「無想の剣」（おもてVer.）"Omote" versionTVアニメ『刀使ノ巫女』未放送予告動画とじよこ！第3話「無想の剣」(うらVer.)"Ura" version