Episode 40 to 52

The two groups have their reunion and Yoh is strangely confused by Anna’s presence and newly found shikigamis. She admits they’re Hao’s and that she has come to make him stronger by giving him Hao’s old journal.

The X-Laws cult leader is talks to a chained sarcophagus that sits at the foot of a cross. It tells him that it senses a power like Hao’s, but that they shouldn’t worry about it.

The united group pools their knowledge of past and future events. Anna tells them that because Hao has mastered all 5 elements, he can freely control all powers of nature, or in other words, he has evolved beyond a human. It is Yoh’s responsibility to erase the sins of the Asakura family and defeat Hao, but also to become the Shaman King, at least that’s what Gramps said. Anna has prepared a special training course for Yoh and refuses to let anyone else read the notes, but everyone is pretty determined to follow Yoh and go though the training with him. Anna gives in and lets all the boys enter.

Hao’s journal not only recorded all of his techniques, but also his thoughts as he mastered each of the 5 elements. The boys will go through the same techniques in order to master the elements, but they may also become consumed with Hao’s thoughts. The worst case scenario is that they will not be able to leave Hao’s side, enchanted by his power. If they do make it back, the experience will probably change their personalities. The boys watch as Hao trains with his shikigamis. Most of the spells use a series of mudras. Anna explains that there is a technique that a Shaman can only learn at his limit. That is what they must master.

In Hao’s realm, they watch as Hao takes out his shikigami with elemental techniques. The humans following him are terrified of the Great Shaman. They praise him to his face, but are scared to death of his power. Hao talks to the boys, trying to convince them that humans don’t have the right to exist. They are useless. A world made of only shamans is the only kind of world that’s prosperous and ideal. He walks away.

As Yoh meets Hao in the journal, the Hao of modern times explains to Manta how humans are useless and how Yoh will become stronger and learn the true nature of Shamans. He will then strive to increase his Furyoku (Shamanic Power).

Hao explains to the boys that Shaman power does not exist for humans. By understanding nature, you can choose which path to take. Humans can’t do that. They can only walk the path to destruction. Humans don’t want to understand Shaman power, and therefore they cannot co-exist with Shamans.

Meanwhile, Hao shows the boys how he is able to walk on lava and run it through his hands. Humans cannot do this. They cannot grasp nature on that level. The planet has become polluted, but as Shamans, they can rebuild the world and make it a beautiful place. Humans can’t see the flow of wind or hear nature. But Hao still hasn’t mastered everything. First he must merge with the Great Spirit. Only then can he rebuild the world. The boys are in awe. They sense the amazing power and greatness, but on some level, there is doubt that it somehow must be wrong. Hao guides them as he begins to awaken their Furyoku powers lying dormant within them. They are overwhelmed with Furyoku.

The boys return having experienced the wonders of Furyoku. Something seems to be different now, and Manta and Anna start to worry. Suddenly, the X-Laws arrive and demand that they show him their powers. The boys are still taken by the awesomeness that they just experienced and as the X-Laws shoot, Yoh waves the bullets away effortlessly. They call forth their newly found power, but then Yoh breaks the tension and declares in his happy go lucky fashion that they are fine.

The scene that follows is one of intense joy. Ryu can’t stop screaming. Faust is of course lost in his beloved. Horo Horo is hugging Kororu and Chocolove can’t get over how wonderful the experience was. Yoh and Anna have their brief “you look well” scene. The only one who seems worried is Amidamaru.

Now that Yoh has his new powers, Hao is ready to test him.

Meanwhile, the sarcophagus lord of the X-Laws (ie Jeanne-sama) is amazed that the boys were able to see God’s Kingdom. She warns them to keep watch over Yoh.

Yoh ponders the strange sword that Anna brought from Gramps - it’s from the national treasury. They still aren’t sure where Patch Village is, but Manta is determined to find it on the internet. Horo Horo wonders how Pirika is doing as Ren is embarrassed that Jun is still following them. Amidamaru points a direction and Yoh trusts that his intuition is correct, so they start off again. Lyserg and the X-Laws leader follow. He asks if Lyserg isn’t feeling the slightest bit guilty that they are hunting the people he used to travel with. He admits that there is something, but now he believes that only Jeanne-sama can defeat Hao and he would like Yoh and company to help. They must stop them because Yoh’s power is from Hao and that can only lead to bad things.

Machi, Mari, and the blue haired girl challenge the boys and Anna quickly declares that the boys will beat them hands down. Ren, Ryu, and Yoh accept the challenge and the boys find that they are a lot stronger then they were before. Amidamaru seems to have some doubts, but he tells Yoh not to worry. Again, the girls attack with more of their power this time, but the boys defeat all of their attacks pretty easily. The spirits are able to grow to enormous proportions and crush the girls’ spirits pretty badly. Yoh finally figures out what the sword from Gramps is - a nitouryuu, two-sword dragon. Amidamaru uses it with his normal sword to deliver a cross attack and it’s game over for the girls.

The girls are shocked that they, who believed in Hao and knew his power, could have been defeated. Anna tells them that Yoh and the boys defeated them because of his unrestrained free heart. Hao’s heart was their limit, but Yoh’s unlimited heart can only grow stronger. They were taken over by Hao, but Yoh wouldn’t lose his true self, so Yoh won hands down.

Suddenly, a large pink mech shows up behind them with Hao ready to great them. He walks up to Yoh and congratulates him on growing so strong so quickly. He then declares that he’ll be taking Yoh’s body back very soon and calls him “little brother.” The group isn’t quite sure what to make of that until Yoh’s dad shows up and confirms that Hao and Yoh are twin brothers.

Manta is more than a bit concerned that Hao just called Yoh “little brother.” Mikihisa is quick to confirm this bizarre twist and soon reveals the story. Thirteen years ago, Hao took over the body of Yoh’s mother, Keiko. The Asakura family contemplated killing the children, with both Mikihisa and Keiko ready to accept their fate and end Hao’s reign.

As soon as the first baby was born, Yohmei called upon his spirits to take the child’s life. To everyone’s amazement, the spirit of fire intervened to protect the boy. The spirit thanked Keiko for giving birth to him as twins and asked that she raise the other son well, as he’d be back again one day for his other half.

After hearing the story, most of the gang decide to stick by Yoh. Chocolove isn’t quite convinced, but the boys are quick to see him off. He gets pissed, and decides to stick around and try to figure out how Hao and Yoh can be one – Hao’s “other half.” Yoh admits that Chocolove might be right and that everyone might be better off if they left him alone. He looks over at Amidamaru, who is quivering and apparently in a special state right now.

As Yoh heads over to Amidamaru, the X-Laws show up and Lyserg asks the boys for help. Jeanne-sama needs their power. Hao senses that they are up to something and sends Opacho to find out more about it. Meanwhile, Lyserg starts preaching to the boys, saying that Jeanne-sama will save them all. Though her, they can know God. Yoh must join them because as Hao’s other half, he is sinful, but by assisting Jeanne-sama, his sins will be forgiven. Lyserg asks Yoh to lend his power to the “Gate of Babylon,” the holy power that will erase all evil.

Hao sees though Opacho that they are discussing the Gate of Babylon. Jeanne-sama’s sarcophagus stands in the center of a sigil pulsing with energy. She pops her head out to warn that one of Hao’s servants is abound, and soon the X-Laws have targeted and shot Opacho, sending him flying back to Hao.

Lyserg explains once again that the only thing that can destroy Hao is Jeanne-sama’s Gate of Babylon. If Yoh helps them, his sins will be forgiven. Yoh, however, refuses the offer and Lyserg declares him an enemy of the X-Laws. Yoh is fully ready to admit that it is possible that he is Hao, but isn’t prepared to give up his identity just yet. The boys step in and declare their loyalty to Yoh, and the battle between the Shamans and the X-Laws begins. Amidamaru isn’t quite morphed into his new form yet, so the rest of the boys begin without him. The X-Laws are quick to declare that everyone is now evil and unpardonable, and they are now considered Hao’s equivalents.

As the X-Laws fire, Amidamaru prepares to evolve and he and Yoh begin their fight. Amidamaru forms the Nidanbaiki (second level medium state) and takes the shape of a long sword. When the X-Laws see this, they retreat. The boys then ask Yoh what the heck he just did. He laughs and admits that he just thought it up. Anna is quick to explain that first Amidamaru goes into the Harusama as an Oversoul. Then he makes him into a normal soul sword, which is also an Oversoul. Amidamaru can now do that because he’s leveled as a spirit. This is now the Spirit of Sword.

Back to the story of Yoh’s birth, Yoh’s family decide it’s best to let Yoh live if he truly is the other half of Hao. He may possess the power to rival Hao.

Mikihisa looks on proudly at his boy, who has learned the secret of mastering one’s self, the Chou Senji Ryakketsu. The rest is up to Yoh.

All the great people originated from Egypt. This is also true of Shamans. Their magic originated from Egyptian magic…

Marco is concerned that Jeanne-sama wants to go after Yoh. She believes if there is any good left in Yoh, she must find it. Marco asks Lyserg to accompany her.

Yoh and the gang head into town and realize that all its inhabitants are Shaman Fight participants. A blonde man sitting at the next table laughs at them and tells them that all the people here made it through the second level. There are still ‘God Class’ Shamans. The man tells them if they don’t know how strong their opponent is, they should just quit the fight. They could never beat God Class Shamans.

Ren gets up and walks out. He rants to Bason about how he will defeat Yoh and become Shaman King. Hao appears before him and tells him he’s different from all the rest. He asks Ren to be partners. Ren gets pissed and vows to defeat both Yoh and Hao. He prepares to fight, but Manta holds him back. Hao laughs at Manta and then tells Ren that he will make him his…

Horo Horo and Chocolove run out to meet Ren, but as they do, Chocolove is captured in Oversoul Ozanouri, the OverSoul of Julia’s Spirit of Water, Bosamo. Chocolove is trapped and fully immersed in a container filled with water. She says her Oversoul controls air currents and that she must get rid of Hao’s servant. Another shaman performs Oversoul Fighting Viking and just about axes Chocolove’s water prison before Horo Horo defends with Oversoul Kororo Inikip sui to block the attack. The blonde haired man from inside steps out and tells everyone to break up the fight. He knows the boys aren’t with Hao.

There are screams from across town that some shamans are the REAL ‘God Class’ and everyone goes running to the center of town. Looks like the townspeople have caught Zen-ryu, who claim they’ve run away from Hao. Shamans in Egyptian masks, going by the name of Nile Zum, hold Zen-ryu as ‘bait’ and claim that they will be the ones to defeat Hao. They were born from the origins of all Shaman magic, and their leader Amatel is the greatest modern descendent. The other two are Makuto & Kazuma.

Suddenly the X-Laws show up wanting a piece of the action. Marco wants Yoh to talk personally to the Iron Maiden, Jeanne-sama. Nile Zum isn’t going to take this and threatens the X-Laws. Soon the two ‘God Class’ Shaman groups are going at it. Jeanne-sama wants Lyserg to show Yoh his newest powers. He starts dowsing and Nile Zum Oversouls (Ekhol) to stop Lyserg, but his oversoul is caught in Lyserg’s wire. Lyserg then destroys the Oversouls, which really upsets Nile Zum , but they can do little about it. Lyserg splits the mask of one of the Shaman with his wire to show the crowd that these people aren’t God Class.

Lyserg tells them that he doesn’t want to kill anyone, but until he can fight Hao and end all the sadness, he must spare no one. He holds Nile Zum by his wire, contemplating whether or not to end their lives. Ryu can’t believe his Lyserg would say such things, but Anna is ready to taunt him. This gives Amatel enough time to break free and Oversoul to gain wings. He won’t be stopped until he becomes Shaman King and makes sure everyone knows the power of Egyptian magic. Lyserg tells him that he then has no choice but to kill him.

Yoh can’t take it anymore and enters the battle. He won’t let someone be killed. The blonde man stops him before he can enter the battle and tells him that he can’t interfere in a Shaman Fight. Suddenly, Lyserg’s wire stops just before he kills Amatel. He asks his spirit Morpin why she stopped. Marco steps in and tells him that he’s disappointed in him. Jeanne-sama decides to take matters into her own hands and the sarcophagus opens revealing Jeanne’s body encased in green thorns, like she’s trying to punish herself. She prophesizes that this world is in a state of great darkness where people have forgotten peace. They are just hurting themselves. Jeanne-sama swore to the god that if he would give her the power to save the world, she would go into the thorn tree’s Iron Maiden and receive people’s sins to give the world peace. As she floats out, the thorns disappear and everyone is greeted with an aura of love. She vows that to bring peace, she will fight with evil.

Amatel attacks, but suddenly is caught in an iron maiden of his own. Jeanne-sama’s spirit Shamuzushin , the ultimate overseer of the human race and the god of liberty, appears. She tells him to know his evil and give into his goodness. Nile Zum calls her sinful, which she really takes offence to and captures them. She then goes back into her Iron Maiden and commands Shamuzushin to kill them, which he does with his ax. The X-Laws then walk away…

Marco pushes Lyserg to the ground and reprimands him for stopping his wire. He saw that Lyserg stopped the wire himself, just before he was about to strike. Jeanne-sama tells him that they are the enemy and that he must not hesitate. He remembers Yoh coming at him trying to stop him.

A scared boy with his arms chained together runs from a monster in a cave. He cries out, “Grandfather, why must I die.” A bird appears and tells him that the ceremony is in his honor. He doesn’t understand. The bird asks why he rejects it. To be sacrificed for his clan is the greatest honor. That is why the strongest boy was selected. The boy (named Pino) sees a stick stuck in some ice and tries to pull it out. He tells the bird that he wants to become stronger… to get more Furyoku … to become the most powerful shaman. Being sacrificed is not fair. He pulls the weapon out and prepares to attack the bird, which changes before him into a blonde girl with aqua green eyes. The girl asks him if he wants her. The blonde man from the bar awakens as one of his traveling companions calls his name… Pino…

Meanwhile, Manta is having nightmares and screaming for Yoh. When he awakens, Faust is sitting over him trying to release him from the nightmare, which scares Manta even more. He can’t believe the last Shaman battle.

Everyone else is sitting in the bar worried sick about the battle, well, except for Yoh, who is calmly eating away. Anna tells him he’s being too calm for a time like this. Pino and group, the Ice Men team, enter and Yoh welcomes them. They start taunting the boys with their Shaman powers, particularly Horo Horo, the one who uses ice. Pino tells of his origin. He is Pino of Ireland, the one worshipped by a dead religion. His spirit is the crow goddess of his past. They cannot bear to be compared to a couple of kids who got better by reading a book. Julia tells Yoh to stand up. He apologizes for hurting their dignity, but he doesn’t feel fighting them would be of any use. They are all Hao’s enemies and when the time comes, he will defeat Hao. Until then, they shouldn’t fight amongst themselves. The Ice Men team thinks these are pretty bit words from a group of kids and tells them to go home.

Ryu and Faust decide to join Yoh. The terms of the match are to fight for the Shaman King. Amidamaru is anxious to start, but Yoh isn’t ready to fight. He says he trained himself to make the journey easier, not to show off. This really upsets the Ice Team, who attacks first with Tekinozan Viking, Poka Royn to bind Yoh, Bazuu to freeze Yoh, and Deshito to break it. Faust and Ryu step in to protect Yoh, vowing to sacrifice themselves for Yoh

The Viking ship attack heads straight for Faust, but he’s not afraid. Pino believes that they have the perfect team because neither Julia or Cagemast want to become the Shaman King. They believe in him. That’s why they have the perfect team. Pino does an Ice Matrix as Faust calls forth Eliza as OverSoul Mephisto E (ie Devil Nurse Eliza – rather entertaining), which catches them off guard. Eliza catches the ice attacks effortlessly. Pino cannot understand why Faust would protect Yoh with such great power. He asks Faust if he wants to become Shaman King. Faust tells him that his dream was realized thanks to Anna. All he wanted was to be with Eliza. Yoh allowed him to stay with them to practice the technique to actualize Eliza and gave him the will to live on. Therefore, he will protect Yoh with his life.

Pino attacks with ice, explaining that he can freeze anything, so long as it has water in it. That includes human bodies. Ryu jumps in front of Yoh to protect him and is frozen himself. Pino screams to Cagemast to break it, but before he does, Ryu unfreezes himself and explains that he is like Faust. They can’t hurt him. They fight so Yoh will become the Shaman King. Pino won’t break down, but Ryu’s OverSoul Yamatono Orochi stands guard, and Pino’s OverSoul crashes into it. Yoh doesn’t even need to use Utsu no Mitamano sword to win the match after all. Pino cannot understand how they could have lost. He’s still ready to fight. Yoh walks over to him. Pino attacks, but Yoh endures it effortlessly like nothing happened. They fight with past dignity, but Yoh fights with nothing, so he can easily dispose of anything that is thrown at him. Yoh then calls Amidamaru in Harusame, in Utsu no Mitamano sword and really impresses them.

For all the people that head to Patch Village, only one can obtain the Great Spirit. Only one will become Shaman King. The way is across the Red River Valley, through the Black Desert, towards the Blue Cave. Ryu thinks they are almost there, but the other boys aren’t so sure they’re on the right path. Manta reminds them that they are looking for black sand. The spirits sense that the Blue Cave isn’t far away, and that something is calling. They aren’t far away.

The next morning, ruins appear in front of them. Amidamaru senses the Blue Cave inside. The spirits investigate a lake in the ruins and find the cave, but they don’t think that Anna and the others will be able to make it. Anna tells them to go ahead and they’ll catch up by submarine.

The shamans barely make it through the underwater passage and find another cave passage in front of them. They take the cave to the back and the entrance disappears. Voices sound in the cave that this is the path of the Shaman King. A light appears and takes them outside. When Yoh awakens, he is in an abandoned village. He wonders if this is Patch Village and investigates. He finds Horo Horo’s broken snowboard and becomes concerned. He runs from place to place looking for him and the rest of the group. As he looks, he comes across Ren’s weapon in the dirt. Then Ryu’s. He sees everyone hanging unconscious in a tree. He runs towards the tree, but a barrier prevents him from entering. Voices call to Yoh to turn back. That he cannot enter this place. He asks who they are and attacks, but his attack is deflected by the barrier. Again, Voices tell him to go back. Darkness swarms around him, but the Voices tell him that only one person can be in there. The Voices tell him that he chooses death. He refuses, wanting to go back with everyone else.

Turns out that it was just a dream. Yoh wakes up and is greeted by Silva, who tells him that he is blessed by the Great Spirit. He asks Yoh to follow him through Patch Village, which now is inhabited by people. Not only that, the boys and Anna are waiting for him. Apparently, there was a cave deeper inside the ruins, so they didn’t need Manta’s submarine after all.

Hao is already there. He explains that the light that morphed them out of the cave was from the Great Spirit. It is the source where all spirits come from and return to. No one can figure out why the Great Spirit would have brought people like Hao and the X-Laws here, but they figure that time will show them.

An announcement from Gorudoba comes over the loud speakers. He explains the rules of Game 1. The main fight is 3 on 3. Faust and Ryu side with Yoh, while Ren, Horo Horo, and Chocolove make up the other team.

Still curious, Yoh asks about his dream – the experience in the strange forest called Bless. It appears that everyone fought together for everyone else to destroy the barrier and then each was greeted by the Great Spirit.

The Shaman Fight is on. Team Noroshi defeats their opponents and appear to be after Ren. Next match is between Team Moon and Team Wing. The first team that can no longer oversoul will be the losers. There is no time limit. Hao’s team wins - no contest.

Anna and Tamao go shopping while the boys are checking out the latest fights. Anna is very choosy about picking out the perfect skeleton keychain, while Tamao just wants to go grab lunch. Jun waits outside the shop and notices that they are being followed. She and Pailong head to lunch by themselves to investigate further. Pailong calls for the culprits to come out and learns they are a couple of kids who call their Oversouls Yurai and Jacky. Both are oversouls summoned with zombies. The children say they will never forgive the Tao family and attack.

The boys discuss their upcoming matches. Ryu reveals that Anna has given Yoh team a name: the Gut Spring Team. Ren took the liberty of naming their team ‘The Ren Team’ without asking his fellow team members. His group is annoyed, which prompts Ryu to lecture Ren about teamwork. He asks about the Karisuma and Ren can’t answer. He then explains that the Karisuma is an incredibly powerful, yet mysterious thing. Yoh has mastered both elements of it, and because of that, no one can beat the Gut Spring Team. Horo Horo screams that Ryu isn’t making any sense, and Yoh comments that he doesn’t think he’ll be using it because it makes him tired. Ren is impressed by Yoh’s attack, but is determined not to lose.

Tamao’s spirits head over to the boys to inform them that there’s trouble. Meanwhile, the kids are after revenge and are doing some damage to Pailong. Ren shows up and asks if the kids know what they are doing. Yoh wants to hear their side, but Ren is in full attitude mode. The kids’ Oversouls charge to attack once more, but their sister, Gein stops them. Everyone is surprised by this because Gein was the Tao family’s assassin who attacked Yoh. She is pissed because the Tao family betrayed them, and particularly at Ren, the successor to the family who turned his back on his responsibility to the people devoted to the family. He was the one who made them fall, and she won’t forgive them. The kids chime in that their sister hasn’t had a boyfriend in 28 years and even if she got married tomorrow, it would still be too late. They want their sister’s youth back…awkward moment… However, there’s no point in rushing the battle, because the two teams are opponents in the next round: Ren Team vs. Noroshi. Ren answers that their resentment is not his business and vows to beat them.

Jun sits off to the side, contemplating how selfish their family has been since the breakup of power. They were happy, but they didn’t consider what it would do to those devoted. The betrayal comment upsets her, but she’s really worried about Ren.

The next day, the match begins. Ren doesn’t want Horo Horo and Chocolove involved. He’s ready to start things, but Gein and co. realize that Ren doesn’t think he’s in the wrong for betraying them. They were stupid enough to trust him with their future. Yoh is sure that deep down, Ren has thought about their comments, even if he appears cold. The match starts and Ren gets hit several times. He defends. In fact, he refuses to attack. Gein tells her siblings to step down and goes to talk to Ren. She asks what he’s after and he tells her to cut the crap and attack with her full power. He’ll take all of it. He then stands with arms outstretched and takes blow after blow to feel their pain. Again, Ren refuses to attack and tells Gein that he was trying to eliminate the resentment, but he failed and let it harbor in her. He apologizes but doesn’t know how to compensate her. He tells her to wait until he becomes Shaman King and he’ll answer her then. He then takes out Horai, the holy Tao sword passed along generation after generation, and swears on it. Then, the battle really begins and the two go at it seriously. Of course, Ren wins, but he has calmed his opponents and even makes sure everyone is ok before walking to the sidelines and collapses. Before he does collapse, he tells Yoh to get stronger before the two fight. Yoh laughs and tells him he doesn’t have to worry. He will.

Ryu is caught in a sandstorm initiated by another shaman team. Faust and Yoh are nowhere to be found…

In town, Manta and Ryu are observing the ridiculously high prices for lunch. Anna is quick to step in and second this. Turns out that there are only two matches for today, so Anna recommends some intense training. The boys talk her out of it and Ryu and Manta head off to observe today’s matches and places they haven’t visited in Patch village.

Ryu and Manta end up by a beautiful lake. They notice a dear in the water, and then Ryu catches a glimpse of the animal’s beautiful owner. He runs down and introduces himself. She tells him that the animal is a rare breed called Arabia Olikus. The deer is her spirit. She is Anis of Team Arabia. Ryu tells her the reason he joined the Shaman King was to find his best place. She understands. She joined the Shaman Fight to help exotic animals find a paradise where they can reproduce and live happily. Ryu blushes and asks her to search for his best place with him, and then asks if she’d be his best place.

Suddenly, Harlem’s huge spirit hand knocks Ryu against the rock cliff. He tells Ryu not to get too close to someone else’s fiancée and then slaps Anis and tells her not to talk to other men. This seriously pisses Ryu off and he goes after Harlem. Harlem tells him that he has no business talking about a best place. In Arabia, there is no water. Towns are covered by the desert. They are a poor country. Ryu comes from a rich place where they have money, water, and food and still want more. Anis tries to persuade Harlem to stop, and he does, but not before he challenges Ryu to a Shaman Fight.

The rest of the group is watching the anime, Kokkuri Angel, at dinner, but Anna turns it off. Yoh’s team receives a message that their next match is tomorrow at noon in Field D in the south west. The opponent is Team Arabia, much to the dismay of Ryu.

The next day, Yoh’s Guts Spring Water Team shows up at the designated place, which turns out to be a desert. Ryu and Harlem fight, bringing us to the scenario at the start of the episode. Yoh and Faust have their own opponent to fight, and it’s one that fights like a sandworm, only coming up out of the ground to attack and then burying itself again. Faust OverSouls with Mephisto E and they realize that they will continue to be vulnerable so long as they stay on the ground.

Outside the sandstorm cage, Ren complains about being bored and not being able to see anything. Chocolove makes a stupid joke, which irritates Anna enough to pull out her shikigamis and send him flying. Ren and Horo Horo kind of stare with a mix of fear and awe.

Meanwhile, Harlem introduces Ryu to his spirit, the Satan of the Desert, Jin. He is a God Class spirit, more powerful than Ryu’s. Anis steps in and tries again to persuade Harlem to stop. He tells her that her place as the fiancée is to do whatever he wants. This upsets Ryu and gives him new life. He remembers that his dream is Yoh’s and OverSoul’s Yamata no Orochi to easily destroy Jin.

Unfortunately for Ryu, after the match, Anis and Harlem make up and agree to marry each other, regardless of their parents’ arrangement.

Unfortunately, Yoh finds himself in one of Anna’s special training drills longing for his 10 minutes of pain to be up. Horo Horo sits on the side lines feeling bad for Yoh until Manta warns him that if Pirika were here, he’d be doing the same thing. Concerned, he heads off to buy her a present so she doesn’t show up.

As Horo Horo walks through town, he overhears a man prophesizing the end of the world… a time when the sun won’t appear anymore. They must stop the witch’s spirit or everyone will die. Pirika is one of the believers in the crowd. Horo Horo tries to comfort her and she confronts the men about their little lie. They sternly rebuke her accusations that they are lying. The man continues: the current world which lasted for 500 years will soon end. The devil will come.

Horo Horo has enough of this talk and walks away. The man demands he listen up, but Horo Horo reveals he is a participant in the Shaman Fight. The man accuses him of being way too young to be able to handle the responsibility of being Shaman King. He then explains that there are many kinds of darkness, but one will arise and become the enemy of all the people. He will become the master of darkness.

As they eat, Pirika explains that Karimu sent her an invitation with a map to get to Patch Village. To his horror, she then pulls out her training schedule and demands that he get to work. The guys from before enter and tell him that he is following the wrong path and must give up on his dream of becoming the Shaman King. The man cannot fathom the concept that a kid could handle the responsibility of the Shaman King, especially when he hears Horo Horo’s dream of growing a big butterbur field to save the endangered Koroppokuru. The man then becomes particularly angry and declares that the Shaman King is the leader who will lead all people in the world on the correct path. Horo Horo meets up with the rest of the gang and explains more about his previous encounter.

Later that night as Pirika is coaching Horo Horo, the men again show up and tell him to give up his limited vision of becoming Shaman King. As they are talking, they receive notification that they will be fighting in the next Shaman Fight: Team Sabasu vs the Ren Team, tomorrow at 9AM.

The next morning, the Sabasu leader demands that Horo Horo fight him one on one so that he can unlock his heart and show him that a child can’t become Shaman King. Ren tells him to accept the challenge and if he can’t finish him, he, personally, will take him out. The participants OverSoul and prepare to fight.

As Horo Horo fights head to head with Sabasu’s captain, Ren and Chocolove make short work of his teammates, Ayumi and Ogi. As he looks at his fallen teammates, Horo Horo attacks, but the Sabasu leader’s White Dragon Oversoul eats him in the process of counterattacking. A strange mystical ball forms around the two of them as everyone else looks on worried.

Inside, Horo Horo is trapped in Rainbow in Dark. None of his attacks work. The white dragon attacks but Horo Horo can’t defend. He then remembers Pirika and uses her dream to defeat the dragon. Team Ren wins. The man then offers his hand in friendship.

After a quick recap of past events from Manta, the question still is who will become Shaman King…

Manta and Faust head out to buy groceries and then sit on a park bench eating ice cream. Faust notices a woman who looks like Miss Eliza from afar. The woman falls over, and Faust goes over to her rescue. The woman is a participant in the Shaman Fight. Soon her concerned family joins her and they receive notice that they have a match tomorrow. Manta is concerned that Maiya won’t be able to fight.

At dinner, the boys discuss the family of Shamans, who are probably Team Enceous. They fight by pouring Furyoku into each other.

Next morning, Manta oversleeps and then frantically motors to the fight between Team Enceous and Team LCD. Maiya pours her Furyoku into her husband and LCD is defeated. After the match, Maiya collapses, sending Manta into a fit of worry. Faust agrees that if she keeps it up, she most likely will die, but she does this of her own Free Will…to become the Shaman King.

Soon, Yoh and the boys receive their next match: with Team Enceous. Manta is concerned, but it has already been decided that they must fight. Faust requests that they let him fight alone. That night, Manta has another nightmare of Faust, but Yoh tries to calm him down, explaining that Faust isn’t the same person he was before.

Next morning, Yoh and the boys are up against Team Encaeous. Mephisto E takes out Athos’s OverSoul pretty easily. Maiya powers up again and calls Goddess of the Earth to OverSoul. Faust calls for him to stop for the sake of his family. Athos’s new OverSoul is huge. Yoh senses it’s already too much and soon, it fades away before touching Faust. The parents collapse in front of their daughter, Meloce. Faust offers his medical treatment, first to her parents and then to cure Meloce of her deadly disease.

As Manta and Faust walk home from the grocery store again, Manta apologizes to him with renewed faith that Faust will be able to cure Meloce.

Anna and gang head to Silva’s diner for dinner only to find no one there. Silva walks in concerned. The 10th priest, Nichrome, was supposed to be on kitchen duty this week, but lately he’s been acting weird. Silva scans the group, notices Ren isn’t with them, and asks about him.

Ren, Horo Horo, and Chocolove relax in a bath. Horo Horo has heard rumors that some shaman have been disappearing. After an unfunny joke, Ren leaves the bath and goes inside. The 10th priest, Nichrome, is waiting for him. He explains that while Ren killed his brother Chrome, the previous 10th priest, he has not come for revenge. He wants to deliver a message from Mistress Nyorai. She will save him before he is consumed by his own inner darkness. Silva appears, but Ren mistakes him for Chrome and grabs his weapon. Horo Horo and Chocolove hold him back.

Later, the three boys reflect on what just happened. Bason thinks Ren feels responsible for Chrome’s death, while Horo Horo and Chocolove tease him for getting worked up over an illusion. A strange humanoid creature with glowing red eyes and a skull necklace sits on the roof above their room observing…

Several men make their way up a mountain towards a palace and a singing girl. Nichrome is among them. Silva follows and is greeted by Hao, who explains that the group is following Dilade. They used to appear as a group of three nameless people. Since then, they’ve taken in many shaman and won match after match. Their leader is a cute, singing girl, Nyorai. She always says “There is darkness in your heart.” It’s that part of us that we refuse to accept and keep sealed within ourselves - hatred, sadness, unbearable pasts. In Silva’s case, the darkness is his hatred for being an ancestor of the Patch people. He decides he can’t accept this and heads up the mountain, only to be greeted by three shadow beings that paralyze him and attack.

Meanwhile, Ren is going nuts in his room, destroying most of the furniture in the process. He sees the shadow beings above him as Horo Horo and Chocolove watch concerned. Bason explains that Ren is troubled by his past. He passes out and Horo Horo picks up Ren and carries him to Nyorai, keeping his promise not to tell Yoh about this.

Nyorai greets the boys by telling them that Ren is about to be devoured by the darkness in his heart. Chocolove makes another joke and Horo Horo tells him to go back. He then presses forward. Nyorai then shows Horo Horo the darkness in his heart - that he can’t win against Yoh

Yoh and gang are back in town inspecting Ren’s room. Chocolove told him that the place was hit by a meteor. When Horo Horo returns, they ask him casually what is going on. Yoh walks towards him, but Horo Horo screams to stay away and freezes his arm. He says that he lost to Asakura Yoh. He was never able to forget and even now, he is afraid that he can’t win against Yoh if they meet again. He powers up to attack, but Anna steps in with her skikigamis and demands to know what he is about to do to her Yoh. Chocolove decides to confess the Ren situation and then vows that Team Ren can handle it without the others. He sets off for Nyorai himself as Faust walks in and announces their next opponents have been revealed…

Silva asks Nichrome why he’s acting the way he is. He explains that Nyorai saved him. He once hated Ren, but her prayer saved him. At the next devotee ceremony, Nyorai greets Horo Horo as a member of Dilade. Ren is tied and lies at her feet. Chocolove shows up and demands to know what is going on. Silva accuses Dilade of using their techniques to win the Shaman Fight without a fight. Sure enough, the Ren Team is notified that they are Dilade’s next opponents… the battle is today.

Chocolove seems to be the only coherent one of the Ren Team and makes his first attempt to hold Dilade off with his spirit, Mick. The three Dilade members don’t use regular Hyoui Gattai, so the first step is determining what they are using. Nyorai still has power over Horo Horo and forces him to attack his teammates. Ren decides he needs to face his darkness and steps forward. They summon an illusion of his father to meet him. Ren OverSouls with Bason, but starts swinging blindly. He has lost control because he can’t accept the darkness of his past and falls off a cliff. Chocolove is the final opponent to stand. She starts in on his biggest fear - that he is a comedian that no one finds funny. She tells him that her light will cleanse the darkness in his heart if he only confess it. He OverSouls and does Dancing Goat, with Yoh finds amazingly funny. Horo Horo and Ren realize what he’s doing and snap out of their daze. They attack the three shamans only to learn that they were three rocks that Nyorai used to pretend she had three members. Silva disqualifies her team from the tournament.

As she turns away, Chocolove reveals Nyorai’s darkness - that she doesn’t trust anyone.

Silva observes all the evil spirits about. A mysterious person named Fudou-sama comments that this is just a warm up before they seal Amidamaru. Silva overhears and goes to investigate, but Fudou casts Kanashibari to paralyze him. Team Fudou Myouou then disappears. Mikihisa appears and breaks the spell. He says the mystery people aren’t bad people. They’re just enthusiastic about their work, which is exterminating bad spirits.

Soon, Fudou Myouou has captured Lily Five in attempt to find Yoh. They call forth their spirits Sentadouji and Kongaradouji to create a circle of Indian Buddhist spirits around Lily Five. After a brief spell, they seal all of Lily Five’s spirits. The long haired girl of Fudou Myouou explains that thanks to Fudou’s powers, they have all been freed from their evil spirits.

Anna is having Yoh practice “Amidamaru in Harusame in Futunomitama no Turugi”. He’s tired, but Anna is not taking his excuses. Manta asks if it’s because Amidamaru has become a Seirei and is eating up Yoh’s furyoku. Their fight has been postponed three times now. Silva explains that many of the shaman participants are going home. Some have disappeared. Silva originally thought it was because of Dairedo, but the shaman disappearances haven’t stopped since.

Suddenly, they hear Ryu call out for Tokageru, who’s trapped in a mysterious light and is ascending happily. He disappears in a cloud of smoke. Ryu looks down to find his sword has been sealed and a voice explains that they have rid him of his evil spirit. Anna explains that the Sanskrit characters for “Fudou Myouou” mean “Karma.” The Fudou Myouou punish sins.

Amidamaru remembers that Fudou once declared to show everyone his true nature. Meanwhile, Lily Five sneak into town and Manta spots them. Amidamaru decides to go out investigating. He thinks he feels Mosuke’s presence. He then overhears two men talking about his past and how a group of three from Japan are trying to seal evil spirits.

Meanwhile, Lily Five shows Tamao their sealed spirits. They use Fudou Myouou Reibaku Hou to draw characters over their mediums. Fudou Myouou decides to possess Manta to convince Yoh that he is being possessed by an evil spirit. Manta, now possessed with a bounded Mosuke’s spirit, goes nuts with a sledge hammer trying to destroy Tamao’s spirits.

Fudou appears and Yoh demands he release Manta. Mikihisa appears and explains that Fudou thinks that all spirits that possess people are evil. To him the Shaman Fight is a gathering of evil spirits. Yoh defends Amidamaru, claiming that he’s not evil. Fudou then performs Phantom Myouou, to create a bird of fire that serves her. We then learn that Amidamaru escaped from his seal at Fumizuka a while back, and she has come to take him back.

Faust calls forth Mephisto E, but with the power of Buddha, Fudou Myouou seals Eliza. Yoh has had enough of their assumptions and decides to fight. Unfortunately, Amidamaru is buying into the accusation that he is evil and deserves to be bound. He refuses to OverSoul. Yoh runs up to him and hugs him, and declares that Amidamaru is not an evil spirit, but his friend. The two have a mutually beneficial relationship where Yoh provides his body and Amidamaru provides his strength. Amidamaru then explains that he was bound once before by a man with the power of Fudou Myouou.

Fudou doesn’t buy it and calls forth Manta. Manta is consciously aware of what his body is doing and pleads with a bound Mosuke to use his body to help Yoh and Amidamaru. He is willing to sacrifice his body to save Yoh and Amidamaru. Soon, Yoh is able to again ask Amidamaru for strength. He OverSouls and to prove he isn’t possessed, stops before he kills Fudou.

Hao’s Team Star wins their match as everyone looks with fear and awe. He’s been pretty ruthless up to now, having killed all his opponents to get where he is.

The boys decide they need more training and agree to a practice match with Mikihisa as referee to hopefully come up with something that can withstand Hao's Spirit of Fire. Funbari Hot Springs starts off: Ryu calls forth Phase one, King of Yamata no Orochi. Faust’s phase two: Mephisto E Yoh’s phase three Spirit of Sword. The Ren Team counters: Chocolove’s phase one, Speed Hoiirugu Horo Horo’s phase 2, Biran Birantte Kamuin and Ren’s phase three Mushin. Yoh’s team combines their three OverSouls to form “Spirit of Funbari Hot Springs” while Ren’s team does the same creating “Spirit of the Ren.” Soon, the two giant spirit combos start fighting, but Anna isn’t convinced they can hold out with that attack. Mikihisa confirms her suspicions by calling forth several small animals to run at the spirits, causing them to collapse.

Mikihisa decides to give them a training lesson on furyoku because as of now, they don’t stand a chance against Hao. He explains that furyoku isn’t dependent on power and size, and to demonstrate this, they are to write the name of the most important thing to them on a grain of rice using a brush. Once everyone has their names on rice, Mikihisa tosses them into the wind and tells the boys to go find them. Anna explains that in the past, shamans had many powers. Now they only cultivate their fighting abilities. This exercise is to help them work on some of their not so prominent abilities.

Soon the Funbari Hot Springs team gets a call that they are to fight Ocean Three tomorrow.

Lily Five are trying to divide themselves in to two equal teams. When Yoh walks by, they strike up a conversation. Apparently they haven’t fought a single match yet & it looks like they also have been seeded.

For their battle with Ocean Three, Yoh has decided to take his dad’s advice and fight without his big Oversoul. Ocean Red, Yellow, and Blue draw out their spirits. Ryu attacks with Hell-style Rogue lizard but it does no damage to the gigantic turtle spirit. Eliza can’t damage the turtle nor can Yoh and soon Ocean Three’s OverSouls start chasing them the arena. In the process, Ryu is disqualified, and Yoh decides this isn’t worth it. He and Faust do their big OverSouls to beat their opponents.

Soon Lily Five receives their first match. Unfortunately it is against Team Star.


				Episode 40 to 52



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