Garo 2: SHADE

There are demonic beasts known as "Horrors" lurking in the darkness of the world. This is the story of a Makai Knight who hunts the Horrors. Do not avert your eyes from it.

Episode 2: SHADE

Out in a secluded junkyard a businessman is talking to a sharply dressed woman about financial dealings. Before they had broken up he had given her 2 million Yen. She says not to worry because she can return twenty times that amount in a year. He is dubious and tells her he has researched the company that she works for and that it doesn't exist. He demands his money back or he'll contact the police. She says to be man and give it up and starts to walk away when shadows seep out of the ground and ensnare her legs. The shadows become chains and a Horror rises out of the ground to "eat" her. The businessman misses this because he has fallen. When he gets back up his Ex is standing there. She says she is hungry. He asks "for what?". And she says "YOU". Chains shoot out of her mouth and pierce the man as he screams into the night.

Mitsuki wakes up with a start from a bad dream. A man is banging on her door demanding money that she owes him. She jumps up and leaves on her bicycle. Later she is working at a "Melon Bread" stand when she sees Kouga walking by on the street. She follows after him just in time to see him disappear into a solid brick wall.

Inside Kouga faces another butler who stands silently watching him. He takes out his sword and inserts it into the mouth of a statue of a howling wolves head. Three glowing girls drift down out of the darkness. As Kouga withdraws his sword a small ornate dagger-looking device appears which the butler takes to the girls. "This is the twelfth one. Twelve is a number that can command demons. They will be sealed in Hell." Kouga turns to go. A girl says a new horror has appeared and the butler hands him an envelope, which Kouga burns with the green flame. The runic symbols form a message in the air" "A HORROR CREATED BY ATTACHMENT TO WEALTH. USES CHAINS AS ITS GATE" As Kouga leaves they ask why he did not kill the girl bathed in the blood of the Horror. He responds that she is now bait to lure the other Horrors. They approve of his intentions but remind him that he will have to kill her eventually and to not get too involved with her. "Be careful or you will die like your father did."

Mitsuki runs into Kouga on the street. He puts a ring on her finger, it is a present. He walks away while she reminds him to pay for her painting. "I will pay for it eventually".

The sharp-dressed woman from earlier is out in a remote area with a young woman. The girl wants to start a company and build a fortune just like Ms. Kujou has. Kujou says it looks like that dream will not come true. "Dreams should just die as dreams," she says as she throws money into the air. Her face shows the girl the Horror that she is and in utter terror the girl tries to run away. The Horror's chains shoot out to grab the girl and "eat" her as she dissolves into rivulets of streaming flesh.

Kujou stops abruptly as she senses something and bounds away with superhuman jumps. Just as she disappears Kouga shows up and inspects the area. There is money lying on the ground. He talks to Salva about using money to lure humans to their doom. He figures that losing one's life over money, the person would have gotten eaten anyway. "You have no interest in money? Since ages past, money has been the worst drug for mankind." Kouga says no, not interested. Salva retorts "So it's that woman rather than money, huh?"

Mitsuki is talking to a friend who is looking at her paintings. She says they are very good and will pay her at the end of the month. Mitsuki dreamily wonders to herself if there's an easy way to make lots of money. The woman tells her about an IT company that is looking for investors. "Supposedly she'll pay you back twenty time the same amount in a year!" Mitsuki thinks it sounds too good to be true and is suspicious. But her friend insists it's true.

Later at a seminar Ms. Kujou is describing how investors will make money from her company. Mitsuki is there and asks what the lowest amount to invest is. Kujou says 100,000 at which Mitsuki is taken aback. Kujou senses the Horror blood on Mistuki and her hunger is evident in her twisted, scheming smile. Outside of the seminar Ms. Kujou offers to give Mitsuki an opt-in at only 50,000, which she jumps at. They will meet later that night to exchange the money.

That night after Mitsuki has gotten an advance payment from her friend, we see Kouga at the seminar building. Salva is surprised to not only sense the Horror there but also Mitsuki. Inside Mitsuki hands 25,000 over to Ms. Kujou saying she'll have the rest later. She talks of her dreams to open a personal art exhibition. As Mitsuki heads into an elevator Kujou steps hungrily after but then stops when she feels a presence nearby.

She turns to see Kouga. "What do we have here? Who are you?" she asks haughtily. Kouga steps towards her stating "Your natural enemy." With that Ms. Kujou shoots chains out of her mouth at Kouga, which he easily avoids. Realizing this is not a regular human she runs. A running fight through the building ensues as she repeatedly tries to strike Kouga down with her chains.

As Ms. Kujou escapes, Salva says that the human the Horror has taken over is very athletic and that Kouga better get serious. He agrees and follows her to a parking garage where he demands Mitsuki's money back. Not because he cares about money, but it's for her future. "If you want it, then come and take it." Kouga draws his sword.

The fight starts in earnest with both opponents throwing punches and kicks, hurtling through the garage and landing on top of a car. Still they fight until Kouga jumps away from the car as Ms. Kujou changes into her true form.

The Horror sends out a barrage of barb tipped chains to attack Kouga, who can barely hold them back with his sword. She pushes forward bearing down on him with a combination of chain attacks and high-flying kicks.

Kouga knows it is time to ramp things up, spinning his sword in the air he opens the dimensional gate, creating the GARO armor around him. He has 99.9 seconds to fight in this form. He tells her "I will cut down your Shade for trampling on her dreams!"

Instead of waiting for GARO to take advantage she attacks first by snaring a car in her chains and throwing it him. GARO bursts through the car, shattering it as he slams into Kujou.

As they grapple she surrounds them both in chains and Salva warns that she is trying to take him with it.

With a burst of flexing strength he breaks free of the chains, leaping backwards into an attack stance. Instantly GARO leaps forward in a corkscrew dive, his sword flashing a red glow as it cuts through the Horror. Kujou explodes into shreds of shadow goo and broken chain. As he watches, the fragments of chain disintegrate into wisps of black smoke.

The next day Mitsuki is sitting on a bench outside, reading about the disappearance of Ms. Kujou when Kouga walks up. He hands her the money she had given to the Horror. She asks what happened to Ms. Kujou and he answers straightforward that a Horror had possessed her. "A Horror?" she asks. "A demonic beast that eats humans. It's my job to hunt them." She asks why monsters like that exist. "Since ancient times they've appeared through the evil and foolishness in human's hearts." Mitsuki is disheartened, "So I was targeted because of my heart is impure?". "No," he says, "You wish your dream to come true, your heart is pure." He turns to walk away. Mitsuki calls after him "What is this ring?" Kouga tells her it is a charm of protection and to take good care of it.

"As long as human's evil corrupts this world Horrors will keep appearing. So since ancient times the Makai Knights have been fighting them in secret. Saejima Kouga. I wonder why he saved me."