Garo 6: BEAUTY

Makai Psalm Number Thirty:

That shadow, that darkness, At the end of time, as it goes to Hell, The desperate efforts of darkness are not needed, It whispers to thee "You're destined to slowly run out of time", The dark planet's Yin self will come and obtain a new soul, Nails are the "truth", Teeth are the "past", When the colors of the rainbow bridge become pitch black, The damage from within will not disappear.

At night in the woods Kouga is chasing down a Horror. They have a running fight through and up the trees until they wind up in a Western style graveyard. The Horror is able to levitate several gravestones and hurl them at Kouga, who deflects them with his sword. As he leaps through the air and lands with his sword in the ground dispatching the hidden demon, a small dagger is flung from the shadows of the woods, which Kouga catches just before it hits him. Blood drips from his hand from catching it by the blade. He sees nothing as he looks around, Zaruba saying whoever it was already got away. As he looks at the blade he hears a man screaming in the distance.

Further into the graveyard a man is being pummeled by what looks to be a Lady of the Evening in a white Prince Valiant wig as the man's two escorts look on in horror. After being beat to unconsciousness she grabs his wallet and also the pocketbooks of the two girls. As they run away with their beaten friend Kouga appears, his Madou lighter shining its green light in her face. When he sees that she is not a Horror he turns and leaves.

Alone the woman hears a voice in her head saying she is what he needs, a black, solitary soul wandering the darkness. It offers for her to join with him, her blood and flesh will overflow with joy. She screams as the Horror possesses her.

At Kouga's mansion Kaoru is preparing to leave as Kouga walks in, his bandaged hand bleeding. Kaoru grabs his hand exclaiming that he is hurt and he pulls his hand away telling her not to touch. Gonza asks what happened and Kouga offers him the dagger. He is stunned by what he sees.

In the study Kaoru runs in complaining about the lack of first aid in the house. Gonza is saying this is a Haja Dagger, which can kill a human within minutes after being cut by it. In ancient times the Dagger killed many Makai Knights. Kaoru is running around panicking saying maybe they should call an ambulance and she runs out of the room again. As she leave Kouga tells Gonza it is time to use the Reverter. Gonza brings a box with assorted odd-looking vials and vessels, picking out one, which he gives to Kouga to drink. After drinking it Kouga uses the Madou lighter on the wound, holding it under his hand the green flame engulfs his palm, which completely heals. Kouga leaves, saying he is going to go see "the three little guard dogs".

At a dark and dingy nightclub the Lady of the Evening is drinking alone. The owner of the bar walks up and says she's had enough to drink. She goes into the bathroom where she looks at herself in the mirror and sees the Horror that has possessed her. Her head plunges down and comes back up with a different, younger and more attractive face.

Out in the parking lot the beautiful woman picks up a man who starts grabbing and kissing her. She says she is inviting him to Hell and grabbing him, sucks the life out of his body, which then explodes into fleshy chunks.

Suddenly all three of the fairy guardians wake up in their chairs. Kouga throws the Haja Dagger at the glowing girls and is intercepted by their "butler" Kodama. They ask how and why Kouga has it. He looks at them accusingly; saying the only one who can use it is a Makai Knight. They feign ignorance, asking if a comrade is after him. He turns from them saying "just add it to your collection".

Kaoru is getting ready for another job interview when some young thugs start hassling her. They start to drag her away to their car, trying to kidnap her when one is grabbed and thrown by a stranger in a long dark leather coat. The rest of the thug's gang shows up and tries to take him on. He deals with each of them easily and viciously. He really seems to enjoy beating up all six assailants. As they run away he walks over to Kaoru and asks if she will come with him.

He grabs her, noticing the ring that Kouga tracks her with and tries to pull it off, saying it's too cheap for her. She breaks away asking what he thinks he's doing. Showing more menace in his face, he replies that she is cute and her face suits her, but her screams will fit her better. "The next time we meet let's go on a date. Night would be best, for many reasons." He walks off leaving Kaoru wondering what the heck he is talking about and then realizes she is late for her interview.

On the way to the interview she talks to Dr. Ryuuzaki on her cell phone. He reassures her that her youth and vitality will assure her success with her dreams.

Back at the nightclub the owner is talking to the Lady of the Evening, saying that at this rate she'll have no more customers and that this club is the only place she can find business. They are interrupted by Kaoru, who is there for a job interview.

In a side room the owner tells Kaoru that the girls that work there tend to steal tips and cause trouble, but she assures him that she will be on the up and up. He has her start working right away.

In Kouga's training room Gonza asks who owns the Haja Dagger and Kouga replies that it doesn't matter, whoever it is he'll deal with him in kind. Zaruba interrupts to tell Kouga that "that girl" Kaoru is near a Horror.

At the nightclub Kaoru is working as a bartender. The owner asks her for a glass of water, but when she offers it a beautiful young woman take the glass before he can grab it. She drinks it all and flirts with him, then walks away. Like a magnate he is attracted to her and follows. In a back room he grabs her, when suddenly he sees it's the Lady of the Evening. Kaoru walks just as the Horror grabs the man and starts feeding until his body explodes into pieces. "Again?" she asks herself and starts running.

Out on a pier the Lady of the Evening has chased Kaoru to the water's edge. As the Horror takes some casual swings at her Kouga arrives, sword in hand. He tells Kaoru to run and without another word he and the Horror start fighting. Sitting on top of him, through a series of acrobatic moves she is able to wrap her legs around Kouga's neck, she asks, "doesn't that feel good?" The fight continues and the Horror is able to create hovering gravestones, which she stands on like a flying carpet, commanding the rest to pummel Kouga who fends them off with his sword.

He is able to destroy the gravestone she is standing on and hits her to the ground. As he readies for the finishing blow he senses something behind him and quickly moves his sword around to deflect another Haja Dagger. The mysterious stranger has returned. Kaoru recognizes him as her savior from early that day. He jokes, telling her that he said they would have a night date. With that he pulls out two short swords, holding them out like giant fangs.

He runs past Kouga, taking a swing at him as he passes and then attacks the Horror. He hits her several times and as she falls to the ground Kouga asks who he is. "Can't you tell? We are in the same profession." Kaoru is stunned "Another Makai Knight?" Kouga says the Dagger of Haja is his.

They both run at the Horror who transforms into its monstrous demonic form, defending and kicking both Makai Knights to the ground. They both recover quickly and while attacking the Horror they throw intentional swings at each other. The Horror picks up the Dagger and throws it at Kouga, who deflects it again with it almost hitting the interloping Makai Knight. Kouga transforms into GARO. The dark clad Makai Knight is about to transform as well when a voice very similar to Zaruba's but female intercedes, saying that tonight they are just observing.

Again the Horror blasts several flying gravestones at GARO who jumps up and uses the blocks as stepping-stones, jumping from one to another, leading towards the demon. He jumps from the final one down to the Horror, where he splits in half with the GARO Blade, and slices it again through the waist. The Horror reverts to the form of the beautiful woman and then to the older Lady of the Evening. As she dies she asks for help. She doesn't want to be a monster. GARO responds that it is too late, "that once you let a Horror possess you, your body is destroyed." She disintegrates into the night sky.

Zaruba comments on the poor woman, saying that if her thoughts had been more beautiful the Horror wouldn't have gone after her.

Kouga turns his attention to the dark-clad Makai Knight. He introduces himself as Rei Suzumura, otherwise known as ZERO. "ZERO?" Kouga asks. [Editor's note: "Rei" is a Japanese word for "zero"] Rei walks towards him saying, "You don't get the joke do you? Golden Knights sure are dense. I bet you don't know what I'm after either." He grabs Kaoru and asks "What if this is my target?" and kisses her hand. She slaps him hard and runs behind Kouga. Rei turns and walks away with a sly smile.

Kouga stares after him, a look of concern and determination etched in his face.

Garo 5: MOONLIGHT

Kouga is walking down a crowded urban street at night. He overhears bits of many different conversations. It seems there are stories and legends starting to circulate around town about shadowy demons and a golden knight who fights them.

A girl is walking down a darkened street talking on her cell phone about monsters that have been lurking in the city and possessing people. As she is talking she is grabbed from behind, her cell phone falling to the ground.

At Kouga's mansion Kaoru is drawing a portrait of Gonza standing in an awkward tai-chi type pose. Not able to take it anymore he falls to the floor as Kouga enters the room. He wants to know why Kaoru is there. She explains she was kicked out of her apartment and needs a place to stay, reminding Kouga that he wants her to stay close by. Kouga says she will have to work to earn her keep at the mansion.

Later Kaoru brings out a soup that she has prepared for Kouga. But he has Gonzo taste it first, unfortunately for him as he runs off gagging from the bad taste. Kouga tries it, saying it's terrible.

In Kaoru's room she starts on a new painting, a portrait of Kouga. Her thoughts drift to her parents, who died when she was young. Since being alone for so long she's not gotten along very well with family or boyfriends. As she works the radio in the background announces a murder that has taken place. 23 year old Reiko Sagashi was found dead in her apartment, the suspect was a man who also lived in the building, pharmacist Shitoshi Morino.

In a deserted industrial workspace the pharmacist Morino holds the cell phone girl captive. He has her in a headlock, threatening her with a needle with deadly poison in it. He says he does not intend to harm her but as she asks why, the door busts in and a cop, Detective Hanesawa runs in. He tells Morino to not add to his crimes and to let her go. Morino says he did not kill Reiko and that Hanesawa just has a personal grudge against him. The Detective says that Morino never changes and has been using the same excuse since high school.

Kouga is deflecting automated weapon attacks in his dungeon-like workout room when Gonza enters with a card. He stops his practice to walk over and pick it up.

Back at the stand off the Det. Hanesawa is trying to make a call, but he can't get through. He says he is not calling for backup anyway and wants to finish this man to man. Morino says he was dating Reiko, is that so unforgivable? Hanesawa says he's chasing him because he thinks he's the murderer and that he should surrender now. Morino counters that he has no motive for killing Reiko. As the argument between these two old school-mates goes back and forth the girl hostage gets fed up and starts yelling at them to stop fighting with her in the middle of it. She's not involved.

Suddenly Hanesawa's composure changes. He looks into the darkness beyond the pharmacist and hostage, seeing a shadow creeping along the back wall. Morino and the girl seeing his expression also look. Then a hand drifts across a windowpane behind the detective. All three look around nervously.

Out on an old, wooden, countryside bridge Zaruba is telling Kouga that this is bad, a Horror is already on the loose. A handbag lying on the bridge was left by a woman taken over by the Horror. Kouga ask why it's way out here and Zaruba answers that humans like this place. It seems it is known as a spot for committing suicide. As they talk a moth flutters by, leaving an iridescent trail of dust behind it. Zaruba says the woman's thoughts are bundled into it. Kouga says it is trying to tell him something and Zaruba replies that is it saying, "I don't want to die by becoming a monster. Cut off my dark half." Kouga decides to follow the moth.

At the industrial workspace the three are trying to break out of the building, but it seems to be impossible for them to open the doors and windows. The two high school rivals continue to argue back and forth. The angry girl wonders how after all that is happening they can keep this bickering up, they are not even thinking about the dead girl.

In the sanctuary of the three fairy guardians Keiru, Bell and Rose talk amongst themselves about the full moon. At its zenith the Horror, Lunarkin,will start to feed.

Kouga continues to follow the luminescent moth while Zaruba tells him that Lunarkin will lay dormant in the human host until the moon is full, in one hour.

Hanesawa is laying face down on the floor, he has been tripped by a disembodied hand. As he lays there, a horrid, ghostly woman's face flashes next to him. As Morino and the girl scream in terror, hands grip the pharmacist's shoulders and the ghostly head appears just in-between his feet. More hands grab at the hair of the terrified girl as the apparitions face appears above her as well. The whole place is invaded by the dead woman's shade.

The ghost grabs the girl and starts to drag her into the shadows, but she is able to break free. As she does the Detective draws his revolver and fires several shots into the cadaverous figure, which of course has no effect. Then Morino tries to stab her with his syringe of poison but is easily thrown across the room.

Unexpectedly the monster goes down as the screaming ex-hostage girl smashes its skull repeatedly with a large piece of wood. As the three recompose themselves Kouga tries entering the building but faces a supernatural barrier. He and Zaruba discuss the problems. The barrier is easy to penetrate, but the fact that there are humans trapped with the horror is troublesome since he does not want to reveal GARO to anymore people. The rumors are already getting pretty bad.

The three again try to escape, but as the full moon reaches its zenith the corpse girl springs back to life, this time covered in a cocoon of thousands of moths. Kouga enters and quickly attaches a piece of paper with a runic symbol to the foreheads of the three hostages, which causes them to pass out. As he faces the moth cocoon they explode away revealing the Horror Lunarkin, which unlike most other horrors is in the form of a beautiful woman swathed in a warm glow accentuating the very bright reds, blues and greens of her dress and red hair. At her command is a small levitating ball that looks like a miniature cratered moon but glowing orange and red, like molten lava.

She points at Kouga and the lava ball instantly shoots out, hitting him in the mid-section and smashing him against a wall. He pulls his Makai Blade to fend off the ball, which grows out viscous spikes that try to impale him. While fighting off the spiked ball he finds a chance opening and leaps at Lunarkin to slice her with his blade, but she easily defends with a force shield that tosses Kouga away like a rag doll. It is time to summon the GARO armor.

Kouga transforms into GARO, jumping at Lunarkin again. She tries to defend with her shield but it shatters under the GARO blade. She disintegrates into thousands of moths, which fly behind GARO and reforms again. She commands her spiked ball to make another attack but this time the GARO Blade pierces it, pinning it in mid-air.

This also affects Lunarkin who as she struggles painfully tells him "you don't understand a woman's anger or suffering". GARO retorts that he just doesn't understand a woman's heart, with that he twists the sword, making the glowing orb explode and in the same instant slashes the blade through the Horror. She disintegrates into thousands of moths again which also disintegrate. Zaruba says that the woman probably had troubles with a man, which created her dark half, which could be possessed by Lunarkin. Zaruba muses that though it is troublesome, the relationships between men and women are very interesting. Kouga simply says "To me, it's all nonsense".

At Kouga's mansion Gonza is setting the dinner table as Kaoru asks him about Kouga. She asks why he's always in such a bad mood, but Gonza says it's more like he is "cool". She says it's too flattering and he doesn't understand women and that he is weird. More thoughtfully Gonza tells her that Kouga lost his parents at an early age and that his only family is him, his butler. That's why he doesn't involve himself with other people.

In Kaoru's room she stares silently out the window at the moon. In the center of the room stands the finished painting of Kouga.

In a car mostly likely heading to the police station, the pharmacist Morino, the girl and Detective Hanesawa listen to the radio news. There is breaking news that the case of Reiko Sagashi has been solved. It seems an unemployed man had broken into her apartment to burglarize it. Reiko caught him in the act so he murdered her. The police offer their apologies to Morino. Later, in a public phone booth the girl continues her conversation with her friend from before the kidnapping, saying that she lost her cell phone. When asked about the city legends she says she has forgotten.

Garo 4: DINNER

At a rural, countryside hospital a recovering patient talks to Doctor Tategami. He is awestruck with how the doctor has cured him. He puts a present on an in-table and says goodnight. As the patient walks towards the door the doctor sprouts hoses and tubes from the back of his head. Each is tipped with a pair of scissors, a scalpel or various other sharp surgical instruments. The tentacles grab the hapless patient and tear him to shreds. The doctor's tubes suck up the blood from the carnage. Two nurses arrive and finish off the scraps in a frenzied, bloody feast. Outside of the hospital Salva tells Kouga that he cannot detect the Horror within, he feels there is something very wrong about the place. They will come back tonight.

Since being thrown out of her old apartment for lack of rent, Kaoru Mitsuki has moved into her friend Asami's condo, but all is not going well. Her paint supplies have taken over the whole place. She offers Asami some soup for dinner and says she'll find a room soon. Asami takes a bite of Kaoru's meal, her expression turns to shock. Asami is being wheeled on a gurney through the halls of the hospital suffering from severe stomach pains. On another floor Kouga is wandering the halls, looking for the Horror he knows must be here. Salva tells him there must be a special force influencing the whole hospital, and blocking his powers. As Kouga walks up a flight of stairs he passes the doctor and two nurses, feeling something when passing them. He turns and tries to use his lighter to detect the Horror, but the flame dissipates in an unusable wisp. A nurse runs up and tells him he must not smoke in the hospital.

As Dr. Tategami walks away a woman confronts him, saying that her husband had been cured by him, and had come by to thank him but never came home. The doctor denies knowing what she's talking about. As he leaves Kouga walks up the woman and talks to her. She says the doctor saved her husband's life. "His operations are said to be 'God-like'. He works alone and no one is allowed to watch him as he operates". But she has heard a rumor that those who Tategami saves later die mysteriously.

In an operating room a body lies on a table as Dr. Tategami stands over it. As the tentacle-like tubes and hoses spring from the back of his head so he can operate, Kouga steps into the room. He confronts Tategami with his sword drawn, accusing him of eating people. But the doctor retorts that he is offering lost causes some time of happiness. But goes on to say that these people are now so happy to be alive that their bodies are full of life and vitality, which is of the finest delicacy, full of the greatest flavor.

With that Kouga attacks, but is held back by the nurses. He knocks them away long enough to spin his Makai Blade in the air in order to become GARO... but it does not work. The rift fades and vanishes with Kouga still standing there in astonishment. Tategami jokes, "smoking and summoning armor is not allowed in the hospital". The Horror shows its true demonic form, clashing with Kouga and sending him through a window to the lawn outside. Kouga tries to summon his armor again to no avail. Salva says the barrier is preventing his transformation. As Kouga fights off the nurses Salva scans the area, finding that a weather vane on top of the building is the source of the barrier's power. Kouga jumps to the roof but is hit by bolts of electricity and knocked back to the ground by a protective barrier around the weather vane. Tategami tells him that a Makai Knight cannot go near his totems. Salva talks Kouga into making a strategic withdrawal. At the black hall of the three fairies they taunt Kouga relentlessly for running away from such a weak enemy. While they talk the butler upgrades his Madou Flame lighter with a stronger green fire. Salva asks how he will attack the doctor and he says the totems will have to come down. Since a Makai Knight can't approach them, there's no way a human could either. But Kouga knows of someone who might be able to, someone who isn't a normal human. In a public park Kouga sees the woman from the hospital trying to comfort her son about his father disappearing. Kouga has a flashback to a little boy calling out for his Dad. He then walks over to the woman's son, telling him to be strong, then turns and marches off in earnest. Kaoru is talking to Asami in her hospital room when she accidentally cuts her finger. She runs out to look for a bandage but then runs into Dr. Tategami, who sucks on the cut. He senses that she is bathed in the blood of a Horror and then asks her to come with him. As he bandages her finger he says she is a very important patient for him. He says she is looking a little pale and offers to give her an examination. In a hallway Kaoru runs into Kouga who grabs her hand and leads her outside. He tells her that because she has been bathed in the blood of a Horror that she is the only one who can remove the totems from the weather vane. But as they talk the doctor shows up. He tells Kouga to hand over the exquisite meal. Kouga draws his sword and tells Kaoru to go quickly. The fight starts as she runs for the stairs leading to the roof. As Kouga grapples with the Tategami, the doctor asks if Saejima Tairo is Kouga's father. He says that Horrors devoured that last Golden Knight, and that it was a slow death. Tategami turns into the demonic Horror that he actually is, attacking Kouga with his surgical tentacles as the nurses attack him as well. Meanwhile Kaoru is struggling at the weather vane to get the paper totems off, but a nurse is grabbing her foot and trying to pull her down. She is able to knock the demon away and remove the totems. As the barrier goes down Kouga very quickly dispatches the nurses and swings the Makai Blade above his head, transforming into GARO. Now in his GARO armor Kouga smashes into the Horror. But it tells him that he brings joy to his patients. Their lives are heightened and they die at the climax of their happiness. Again Kouga has a flashback to a child calling out to his father. Enraged he shouts, "People who are killed do not feel joy!". As they clash Kouga ignites the upgraded Madou Flame under his sword. The green fire envelopes the blade, which he flashes through the air in an X pattern, creating a cross of green fire that flies through the air, smashing into the Horror. The green X flame then returns to GARO, enveloping him in a green flaming aura. GARO sweeps the GARO Blade towards the Horror, shooting the green flame in a tidal wave at it and cutting the demon in half. It turns human again, Doctor Tategami dragging himself towards Kaoru, asking to eat her as his last meal. Kouga curses him and cuts the Horror down.

As the GARO armor dematerializes Kouga falls to the ground. Kaoru runs to him asking if he is ok. He says "yeah... I'm starved."

"There are still many mysteries concerning the man, Saejima Kouga, but I'm sure of this much... He continues to fight to protect humanity. And that explosion of emotion, 'People who are killed do not feel joy!' ... it was a mix of sadness and anger. Those emotions made him seem very human."