Assault of the White Feathers

Assault of the White Feathers (白き羽の襲撃者, Shiroki Hane no Shūgekisha) is the 19th episode of the Kekkaishi anime adapted by Sunrise.

Summary
The episode begins with Byaku's spy planning to visit Karasumori. Byaku gives him permission to take Shirahago with him, and also gives him something to take along in case of emergency. Tokine practices making multi-layer kekkai in her family's dojo to compensate for her lack of power, but notes that she can't use it too often because of the drain on her stamina. Tokiko, who watches from the doorway, says that power isn't everything, and that it isn't a suitable technique for Tokine.

On her way to school, Tokine wonders what a good technique for her would be. She is surprised to find that Yoshimori left for school before she did. Tokine wonders what he's been up to lately, since he's been avoiding her somewhat and talking to her less. She suspects he is hiding something, likely some new training method. Tokine tries asking him directly, but is disgusted to find Yoshimori tripling up on coffee milk (and planning to drink even more later). She storms off without asking about his change in behavior.

In the monthly coffee milk battle (a game of rock, paper, scissors where coffee milk is the prize) in Yoshimori's class, he loses to a boy named Nakameguro. At home, Yoshimori wonders about how Tokimori Hazama came to be involved with Karasumori, since it first belonged to Lord Uro. While studying an ancient scroll, he realizes something and rushes to ask his grandfather about it. Yurina Kanda is walking with Ayano and Kyoko when she passes the spy on the street, and has a vision of three feathers. She assumes it was her imagination and dismisses it. Yoshimori and Shigemori discuss how the further away a Kekkaishi is from his Kekkai, the more its power weakens. In addition, Yoshimori realizes that in order to sustain something of great power like Lord Uro's bed, a great deal of power is needed. However, the same principle still applies, and that is why the bed must be repaired every so often. Beyond that, a great deal of power would be needed to seal something as powerful as Karasumori, and he wonders if this was why Tokimori needed the land's power. Yoshimori wonders if the technique used to create Lord Uro's bed could be used on Karasumori. Shigemori senses the direction of his thoughts, and warns Yoshimori not to get ahead of himself, since he still hasn't mastered the basics.

That night at Karasumori, Yoshimori asks Madarao what Tokimori was like. He is disappointed when Madarao goes on to describe Tokimori as an extremely attractive man. Yoshimori gives up and tries to recreate the feeling of Masamori's ocean Kekkai. Tokine arrives and is stunned to see a powerful aura around Yoshimori. She interrupts him and accuses him of doing something stupid and dangerous. Yoshimori storms off. The spy summons the child-like, triplet Ayakashi that make up Shirahago, and orders them to being a simultaneous attack from the sky, ground, and underground. The triplets resent being ordered, but obey under the threat of punishment.

Madarao laughs at Yoshimori for thinking he could seal Karasumori, when even Tokimori couldn't do it. Even so, Madarao promises not to get in his way, though he knows everyone else will try to stop Yoshimori. Meanwhile, Hakubi notes that Tokine is worried about Yoshimori. Suddenly, they all sense the ayakashi, but from three different areas. Yoshimori chases Hizuki, who evades him by surrounding Yoshimori in feathers. Tokine starts to chase Fuzuki, but Hakubi stops her when he smells a human presence. The spy observes Yoshimori, taking notes on his ability to use Kekkai. Tokine traps Fuzuki within a Kekkai, but he drills through it by dissolving into feathers. Yoshimori manages to destroy Hizuki's left arm, which regenerates. The spy holds back at first, curious as to why only Hizuki has begun to transform, but finally gives the signal for the attack to begin. Yoshimori damages Hizuki again, and the triplets soon reunite. Fuzuki insists that they fight together, but is then destroyed by Tokine's triple-layered Kekkai. The remaining triplets are furious at the loss, and Mizuki begins to transform as well. They merge (which was normally impossible with only two of them) to become Shirahago, a giant, white owl Ayakashi. Shirahago releases powerful winds and sharpened feathers that damage much of the surrounding area. Tokine's multi-layer Kekkai is broken under the assault, but Yoshimori protects her with his own Kekkai. She is amazed that his single-layer Kekkai is even stronger than her triple-layered one. Yoshimori tells her to attack only when Shirahago's feathers all return to its body (otherwise it will regenerate from the extra feathers).