Well here’s my summary of the final chapter of Forbidden Scrollery. Keep in mind it’s not as thorough as a full translation and may be potentially misleading. Ultimately it’s just my interpretation after all. Spoilers below the break.



Okay, so the chapter starts with Mamizou continuing her story from last time. She got a hold of the Night Parade scroll, but that just saved Kosuzu: the oni is still on a rampage. She talks about how it’s drawing its power from the scroll so the simplest way to stop it would be to just burn the scroll, but it’s hers now so she’s not gonna do that. And it’s practically a national treasure anyway. So she instead ends the Night Parade by transforming into the moon and then the sun, which burns away the oni. The night parade is fundamentally about Tsukumogami partying all night, so symbolically bringing on the morning brings it to its conclusion.

Anyway, afterward Aya starts getting all suspicious because she still thinks Mamizou kidnapped Kosuzu and stole the scroll (“Did you buy it from Suzunaan?” “Uh, something like that…”), but Mamizou just promises that her doubts will be cleared if she just waits a bit longer. And lo and behold, Reimu arrives to the party fashionably late, bringing Kosuzu with her. Aya briefly wonders if this whole thing was a set-up by everyone at the party (it regularly shows Yuyuko, Remilia, Youmu, and Sakuya, although they don’t get any lines), but then confronts Akyu about it. “You wanted me to see this, right? Meaning you already knew the truth? Explain. Now.” But Akyu just tells her she didn’t know and also to shut up because she’s thinking.

Cut to Kosuzu sitting down with Reimu, Marisa, and Sanae. She asks if everyone at the party is a youkai, but Marisa says it’s only like half of them. Although Sanae adds that they’re very youkai-like humans. Kosuzu is happy-surprised that the distance between human and youkai is closer than she thought. They go on to explain that the Hakurei Shrine is a hangout for all the youkai close to Reimu, and apologize for keeping it a secret. They just wanted to protect her since getting a defenseless human too deeply involved could be dangerous (Sanae specifically says “if you’re not careful you’ll get eaten!” while all the youkai present get sweat drops).

Kosuzu then asks how she got here, since she doesn’t really remember anything. Reimu decides to tell her the truth (over Marisa’s objections). She says that being so vague all this time has only made things worse, so she’s going to tell her the whole truth. The whole thing about being possessed by a scroll and all that (Sanae is surprised since she didn’t realize that Mamizou’s story was about this; Mamizou apparently didn’t explain anything and had just started bragging out of nowhere?). Anyway, Reimu decides that her approach was wrong all this time, and that they should instead treat Kosuzu as one of them, as part of their inner circle, along with Mamizou and other youkai.

Kosuzu’s response is essentially “fuck yeah!” This is the life she’s always wanted, etc etc. Reimu says the flower viewing was meant to be a surprise party for her. She’s part of the gang now.

The next day, Marisa asks what Reimu was doing while Mamizou was saving Kosuzu. This leads into a flashback with Yukari. No fight scene, obviously. Yukari counters Reimu’s determination with the power of sophistry. She’s not the one going on a rampage, is she? So why should Reimu fight her? It wouldn’t resolve anything. Moreover, she says Reimu’s job isn’t to exterminate youkai at all. It’s simply to defend humans from youkai attacks and deal with humans who become youkai. She’s a “balancer” who keeps the balance between humans and youkai; attacking youkai willy-nilly was never part of the job description.

Anyway, what Yukari’s plan to save Kosuzu was counting on was the fact that Reimu always ends up drinking sake with her former enemies. If Kosuzu had become a youkai peacefully, Reimu would be forced to exterminate her, but if Kosuzu was attacking her as a youkai (possessed), she’d simply end up as one of Reimu’s many youkai friends after the battle. This bizarre logic basically fries Reimu’s brain and Yukari escapes while she’s distracted. The scene ends with Marisa playfully taunting Reimu about being the youkai shrine maiden.

Cut to Suzunaan, which has reopened now that Kosuzu’s back. She’s talking to a generic villager about how they have new items in stock: they’re now loaning out these things called “youma books”. Although only to customers that Kosuzu deems appropriate with her “eyes” (presumably alluding to her special power?). The epilogue narration goes on to say that she’s reached a position similar to Reimu’s, and now gets a lot of youkai customers. Business is booming, but she dreams of someday being able to fight like Reimu and the others. Interpret that how you like!