Down in Wiseman’s cave, a human-shaped figure transforms into a white Phantom-ish figure and pulls a blue stone out of himself while a black colored Familiar secretly watches.
Rinko arrives at the shop with donuts while Shunpei and Wajima are playing a game. Wajima says Koyomi is out on a date, but don’t get the wrong idea. Since Koyomi doesn’t get out much, Haruto usually takes her out sometimes.
Haruto and Koyomi are at a department store where she tries on a couple of normal outfits. She displays emotion! with a rocker chick outfit, but she asks if they can decide next time.
Haruto buys her a red beret while she changes and gives it to her outside. They notice the black Familiar who motions for them to follow him it.
Across town, a young guy gets into a scuffle with a thuggish-looking fat guy when Medusa appears. She’s actually looking for this young guy.
Seeing the fat guy run off screaming monster, Haruto tells Koyomi to follow the Familiar while he takes care of what he thinks is a Phantom.
Medusa takes the guy in her tentacles when Haruto arrives. The guy recognizes Haruto.
Haruto henshins into Hurricane mode and he and Medusa spar as the guy watches. She easily handles everything Haruto throws at her and wants to turn her attention back to the guy, but Haruto summons Hurricane Dragon and attempts to use his Very Nice Thunder finisher only to have Medusa laugh and disappear.
He de-henshins and asks if the guy is okay and if they’ve met before. Maybe I thought you were someone else, he replies. Haruto tells the guy he has to protect him.
At the antique shop, Shunpei, Rinko and Wajima are playing the game when they suddenly get chills when it seems there’s eyes watching them from outside. But it turns out to just be a girl?
She walks in asking to see the projector in the window, finding it nostalgic because she was part of a film production. She tells them the film was La Reve Route/The Dream Road. It was an indie film so she doesn’t know if it was ever completed, especially since the director disappeared.
Rinko’s detective side comes out and asks if she can provide details just as Haruto walks in with the guy he presumes is a Gate.
The girl, Chizuru, immediately recognizes the guy, Satocchi. Turns out he’s the director that disappeared. She asks how the movie’s going, where he’s been and how everyone’s been worried about him. Are you in debt!? He says the movie’s still in editing and he’s been hiding from Phantoms.
Haruto proves he’s a wizard with the help of his assistant.
But Satocchi wants to leave. Movies are his life, he says.
But he can’t leave without Haruto. They all take a field trip to the university and the movie club room. The others are interested in all the movie stuff, but Satocchi is visibly annoyed by their presence. He ushers them outside so he can supposedly work.
Haruto, Rinko, and Shunpei sit on the grass and ask Chizuru about being an actress. She says she’s still an amateur and that the movie was her start. She remembers that one week, but it was a fun, full week.
She can’t help but think though that Satocchi was just sweet talking the whole time since he first asked her to be his leading lady. Since then, she’s always been scolded at acting classes and always turned down at auditions. She’s thought of quitting, but Shunpei says no, that’d be a waste.
It’s not that simple, she replies, before getting up to go check on Satocchi.
He’s not in the room. They decide to split up and look for him.
Meanwhile, Koyomi follows the Familiar through the forest and into the caves. She gets spooked and drops her hat before finally arrive at Wiseman’s curtained bed. She pulls the curtains back and sees nothing except for a blue magic stone. She turns to ask the Familiar if this is what he wanted her to find, but it’s gone.
Outside, the Familiar meets… the White Wizard! The Familiar, Kerberos, says mission accomplished.
Medusa and Phoenix corner Satocchi. Turns out he’s a Phantom, Lizardman. Medusa mentions how it is a grave crime what he’s been doing, attacking humans and limiting the number of Gates. She suggests Lizardman eliminate Haruto and to take advantage of him believing he’s a Gate.
Donut shop owner and worker are playing a game and spot Haruto passing by. They try to get him to try their new donut in the shape of Bishōjo Mask Poitrine (Yeah, I had to look that up.)
While Koyomi brings the stone to Wajima, Haruto finds Satocchi who puts his plan into motion. He tries to get Haruto into accidents, first by pushing a truck at him then by trying to get a car to fall on him.
Whew, that was close, Haruto says but then sees Satocchi transforming in the reflection of a car. He recounts to Haruto that they were together that day of the eclipse. Lizardman was about to attack Haruto when the White Wizard saves him. Now he’s out for revenge.
Haruto henshins and they fight. If Haruto had just become a Phantom, Satocchi says, then he wouldn’t have sided with monsters.
You’re the monsters, Haruto replies as Chizuru comes looking for them. Medusa watches from above, happy. Satocchi takes Chizuru hostage and holds his sword to her neck. But Medusa shoots at Satocchi saying it’d be trouble for her if he killed Chizuru.
*gasp*
Episode Thoughts
So lots of interesting stuff here.
First, the most important maybe is we see Wiseman’s physical, I guess Phantom form for the first time. And that hooded White Wizard. What is his (or her!?) connection to Wiseman? And what’s his whole deal.
There’s Haruto and Koyomi going shopping. And her complete disinterest in clothes that aren’t a big green cape.
It’s interesting to see what’s become of the people who were turned into Phantoms that same day as Haruto and Koyomi were supposed to turn as well.
No surprise that Chizuru is a Gate, yes? They’ve been using that story device the last couple of Gates.
But the biggest thing to look forward to though is the bigger picture and how these mysterious white people, er things contribute to it.
I must say one thing: Had I remembered those Poitrine donuts I probably would have seen the twist in the Wizard Fourze movie Taizen ultimatum coming.