Chapter 5

Story 2: The Oni in the Painting, Part 1: Reiko (第二章「絵に棲む鬼」, 其ノ壱 礼子, Dainishō: Eni sumu oni, Sonoichi: Reiko) is 5th chapter in the series.

Characters

 * Ushio Aotsuki
 * Shigure Aotsuki
 * Tora
 * Asako Nakamura
 * Mayuko Inoue
 * Kenichi Masaki
 * Reiko Hanyuu

Summary
Ushio's father was telling the story of Tora and how the samurai from long ago was able after 4 days and 4 nights fight to defeat and pin Tora to a stone. Later a template was build over the stone, so that it protects the yokai inside and the samurai become the priest and started the lineage of Aotsuki. He told Ushio to never open the doors, but in the mean time Tora was moving around him without he noticing him. He saw Ushio carrying a spear and for a moment got scared that this would be the beast spear, but doubted that would be possible. Asako and Mayuko came to take Ushio to a painting gallery. While they were going out, they saw Ushio's father starring at the opened door in shock, unable to move. Ushio just passed him, telling that he won't move until the evening.

Inside the painting gallery, before Ushio was able to tell Tora that this is just pictures, Tora tried to eat a painting with fruits. Ushio told the girls that the artist had received awards for his paintings, but at some point they become more dark. Looking at his final painting before he died, Asako mentioned that the girl seems familiar. Looking at the painting Tora smelled the big hatred coming from it and how the author was cursing other people before he dies and turned to an oni.

At school, Ushio was having another fight with Tora, before he was tripped by a 1-year older student, Masaki. He told Ushio that he is annoying and punched him. Ushio tried fighting back, but Masaki was stronger. Tora was watching from the sides and was laughing for Ushio being beaten. But then Masaki stopped, when he saw Reiko, who told him to come hit her and even kill her. Seeing her, Ushio recognized as the girl from the last painting of the artist. Some of his friend told him about how she tried to kill herself and how people end up injured when they got close to her. Ushio didn't believe that and still wanted to ask her to be his model for a painting.

A week later, Ushio was still going after Reiko, asking her to be his model, but she was refusing. As Reiko left, a truck hit Tora, protecting Ushio. He took out the spear and transformed, then split in the the truck. After that both Ushio and Tora noticed a large oni, Tora tried to attack him, but he got away.