Hell Girl - S02E26: Indigo Dye

After the death of her brother, a grief-stricken Hotaru sends Takuma to Hell, promising to follow him so he won't be alone. She insists to Ai that everything will stop when Takuma dies. Ai begins to ferry Takuma to Hell, but stops when he asks her to take him back. They both return to the mortal world, with Ai reverting to her human self. She has no memory of her time as Hell Girl and doesn't remember her assistants at all. Kikuri reveals herself to be a host body for the Lord of Hell, who is punishing Ai for failing to perform her duty. Ai is now mortal. Takuma finds Hotaru's body washed up on the shore of a lake, tells Ai he no longer has any patience, and runs to his house to burn it down. He is confronted by the mob as he does so and is almost killed until Ai intervines, calming the mob and leading Takuma away from the burning house. The man who send Hotaru's brother to Hell snaps and begins beating Ai over the head so he won't go to Hell. The rest of the mob joins in. Ai's assistants are unable to prevent her death, but see Ai smiling calmly at them. Takuma tells the mob to stop hurting Ai and she dies holding his hand saying "It's over." Her body turns into sakura petals and floats away. The Lord of Hell releases the souls of her parents (presumably to Heaven). A narration reveals that Takuma's pursuers have fled Lovely Hills and that the town itself has become dilapidated. All charges against Takuma have been dropped, Takuma's father is shown to have woken up, and his friend, Hotaru Meshiai, is miraculously alive and in the hospital. At the end of the episode, a young girl is seen receiving a text message from Hell Girl (which is probably Kikuri) saying that her request has been accepted.

Director: Takahiro Omori, Kenichi Kanemaki, Tomoko Hiramuki

Cast: Masaya Matsukaze, Mamiko Noto, Takayuki Sugo, Takako Honda, Eriko Matsushima, Hidekatsu Shibata, Kanako Sakai, Hekiru Shiina