Episode 23

**"Moment's End"** (刹那の果て, *Setsuna no Hate*) is the twenty-third episode of the *Toji no Miko* anime series, released on June 15, 2018. The episode was written by Kurasumi Sunayama, with storyboards and direction by Akinori Fudesaka, overall direction by Kenji Ota, and animation direction by Naoko Shoukin, Shinnosuke Oota, Takahiro Mizuno, Shou Meng Long and Masahito Wada.

The ever-expanding gate of the Netherworld threatens to swallow the metropolis and eventually the entire world. The end draws nearer and nearer. Fortunate to have rescued Hiyori, Kanami and the others, shouldering everyone's hopes, challenge Tagitsuhime.

## Synopsis

The metropolis was slowly being consumed by the expanding gate that Tagitsuhime opened leading to the Netherworld. Meanwhile, Kanami and the others noticed that Tagitsuhime had stopped confronting them, and Kaoru took this as an opportunity for everyone to take a rest. Kaoru found an office snack store that works under a communal system and decided to snatch the contents inside, but as they started arguing about the morality of doing such a thing, Yukari decided to foot the bill in behalf of the girls.

However, after this short break, the situation remained bleak as "black snow" that create Aradama continued falling throughout the metropolis. As an evacuation order was given by Sana Maniwa, she contacted the girls, admitting that the extent of possible damage to be caused by the gate in the metropolis could not be determined and even Richard Friedman did not know what was about to happen. However, Friedman concluded that the nature of the gate was suggesting that on the other side of the gate is the Netherworld itself, and a full contact between the living world and the Netherworld, as planned by Tagitsuhime, would cause the laws of the world to fall into chaos, signalling the end of the living world. Kaoru, however, pointed out that it only meant that defeating Tagitsuhime is the only possible solution. Agreeing to this, Yuzuki decided to push through with the plan to defeat Tagitsuhime and mobilized Kanami, Hiyori, Mai, Sayaka, Kaoru, Ellen and Yukari with the help of additional S-Equipment batteries brought by Rui Onda.

Yukina prepared flowers in memory of Yomi Satsuki, who had just passed away after defending her from the Aradama nearby. Maki and Suzuka soon discovered Yukina already being covered with noro and they urged her to come with them to safety. Yukina refused, knowing that Yomi had returned to her, and was willing to die by her side, but the two Elite Guards fought back the grief they were feeling after realizing that Yomi died on her birthday, Christmas Eve, and brought Yukina with them, refusing to let Yomi's sacrifice go to waste.

The seven returned to the rooftop and prepared to confront Tagitsuhime a second time. However, the goddess showed her strength once again by overpowering Sayaka, Kaoru, Ellen and Mai, and even with Kanami, Hiyori and Yukari joining the clash against Tagitsuhime, the goddess remained unscathed. Eventually, the rooftop crossed the gate into the Netherworld and, recognizing the futility of their actions, Tagitsuhime allowed them to fight her within the Netherworld as the gate was about to reach ground level. Kaoru and Ellen quickly reached their limits, leaving Mai and Sayaka to proceed deeper into the Netherworld with Kanami and Hiyori in the fight against Tagitsuhime. Mai, however, was immediately forced to retreat after the goddess has managed to break her Utsushi.

At the third layer of the Netherworld, Sayaka, Hiyori and Kanami prepared to continue their fight against Tagitsuhime. But Hiyori gathered her thoughts and realized that Tagitsuhime, like noro, was feeling loneliness despite being unaffected by the flow of time, and was also in fear of the loss of its identity despite being outside the circle of life. Then, Hiyori confronted Tagitsuhime directly, bringing her deeper into the Netherworld to isolate themselves from Sayaka and Kanami. However, to the goddess' shock, Yukari has also managed to reach her and Hiyori, and she attempted to suppress Tagitsuhime, only to fail when her sealing technique was unable to complete. Tagitsuhime retaliated by stabbing Yukari, who remained unprotected by Utsushi, and was left to bleed as Hiyori continued the fight against Tagitsuhime.

Suddenly, Kanami emerged from a crack between layers of the Netherworld and, to Hiyori's surprise, revealed a plan to *save*, not defeat, Tagitsuhime. Kanami revealed that Tagitsuhime actually enjoyed fighting against them, and she was willing to return the favor by giving her a fight that the goddess would be pleased of. However, Hiyori remained focused on sealing Tagitsuhime, something that Kanami was already aware of. With Hiyori and Kanami stabbing their swords into the goddess, they disappeared into a sphere of light.

Mai, Sayaka, Ellen and Kaoru returned to the threshold between the living world and the Netherworld, and they tended to Yukari, who was injured earlier. Then, they noticed a black void emerge from the threshold, leaving everyone to wonder about what is going on.

In Kamakura, Ayumu woke up inside a hospital room, surprising her friend Miya who came to visit her. Immediately, she wanted to see Kanami and wanted to apologize to her.

## Episode Gallery

Kaoru found snacks for everyone during a lull in the battle against Tagitsuhime.Kanami and the others engaged Tagitsuhime deeper within the Netherworld.Kanami, Hiyori and Sayaka stood with their enemy at the third layer of the Netherworld.Yukari boldly attempted the use of a sealing technique against Tagitsuhime.Ayumu talked with her friend Miya about apologizing to Kanami.
## Characters

* Tagitsuhime (offspring)
* Kanami Etou
* Hiyori Juujou
* Kaoru Mashiko
* Sayaka Itomi
* Ellen Kohagura
* Nene
* Mai Yanase
* Yukari Origami
* Sana Maniwa
* Ema Hashima
* Sanae Iwakura
* Richard Friedman
* Yuzuki Souraku
* Iroha Gojou
* Rui Onda
* Yomi Satsuki
* Yukina Takatsu
* Maki Shidou
* Suzuka Konohana
* Ayumu Uchizato
* Miya Tanabe

## Trivia

* During the fight against Tagitsuhime in the deeper layers of the Netherworld, Kanami performed several of her friends' and opponents' notable techniques, including Mai's iaido, Ellen's Gyakuaku, and even Yume's Sandanzuki.

### Insights by Kannazuki Hisane

In the decisive battle against Tagitsuhime involving a seven people versus one, dealing with a great number of enemies alone is taught by a number of swordsmanship styles, but since the patterns for the reverse is unusual, the battle this time involved Toji that are coordinated with each other. With the ideas of "dealing with several people at the same time" and "matching one's *ma'ai* and tempo to minimize friendly fire" as basis, they begin their respective approach to the fight. The Sayaka-Kaoru, Ellen-Mai, Mai-Kanami-Hiyori etc. team-ups are based on knowing each other's techniques.

On the second half, the setting seemed to have changed as the layers of the Netherworld go deeper when performing Jin'i, but in reality, they remain at the same place, making it possible for someone like Yukari to perform a surprise attack to a deeper layer if she can perceive the target's location. (In the case of Tagitsuhime, her awareness was fixed to Hiyori the entire time.)

And in Kanami's last attack, she started with a *nukiuchi* that was used by Mai during the tournament, then with Ellen's *Yousha* (揚遮, lit., "hoisted intercept"), Sayaka's *kiriotoshi*, Suzuka's *Henka* (*makiochi* or "rolling divest"), Yume's *Sandanzuki* (using the left-foot stance), etc., techniques that were used by opponents that she had faced so far. One can say that engaging in so-called "conversation" by clashing swords is something to be expected of Kanami.

## Trailers

未放送予告動画とじよこ！第23話「刹那の果て」（おもてVer.）"Omote" version