Chapter 3

Chapter 3: "Playing House" (ままごと).

Long Summary
As the immortal finishes regenerating, March watches on in fear. The immortal walks away as March follows.

Hayase is seen tying Parona to a tree and asks her about her plan to fake March's death. Hayase says it's useless to pretend not to know anything and tells her that the people of Ninanna will punish her. Hayase's men return, admitting that they let March escape and suggest going back to the village to get another sacrifice. Hayase tells them that instead of doing something so shameful, they should go find her. Just as she goes to search for March, the men stop her and say they saw a monster.

March follows the immortal being, trying to engage him in conversation but is unsuccessful. She asks where the boy (the immortal) came from because his clothes don't match what the Ninannah or the Yanome wear. March starts getting annoyed that he isn't saying anything but concludes that he must be hungry. She climbs a tree to grab fruit and hands it to the immortal being. The immortal, who only knows how to eat like an animal, gets on his hands and knees to bite the fruit. March wonders if his parents never taught it how to eat and decides to teach him herself. Just as she demonstrates the correct way for a human to eat fruit, the immortal smacks the fruit from her hand and eats it. March climbs the tree to get another fruit, but the same thing happens. With tears in her eyes, March climbs the tree again and starts angrily throwing fruit at the immortal, who eats every single fruit that is tossed. After the immortal has had his fill, March understands that he must have been very hungry. She then tries to teach him how to say "thank you" but is also unsuccessful. They then decide to rest for the night.

March has a dream of returning to her parents and, although she is happy, she realizes that her sister Risa is missing. She then looks over to see Risa and Lara being eaten by the Spirit Bear. Parona appears and tells her that it's all her fault. Because she ran away, two people died instead of one.

March awakes in a cold sweat and decides to leave. The immortal wakes up and decides to go after her. She wonders why he's following her, but decides he must be hungry and gives him a fruit.The immortal continues following her despite being given food and March says that it's almost as if she is the immortal's mother. It is then that she gives the immortal the name "Fushi".

Parona, who is still tied to the tree, begins trying to untie herself. Just then, a giant bear appears and kills the two men who were ordered to stand guard. Parona manages to escape just before the bear attacks her. She shoots it with an arrow but does not succeed in killing it. The bear hits her and she is sent flying down the hill. She lands safely and promises to save March.

Hayase eventually finds March, who says goodbye to Fushi and willingly returns to Hayase.

Trivia

 * In the original Japanese, when March first encounters Fushi, she asks if he is "one of the legendary Dokis?" However, in an English fan translation, this line was reduced to "Are you maybe..a legend?" This could be hinting at the name of The Boy's tribe. [x]