The Bizarre Hikizuri Siblings: Uncle Diginosuke is the third chapter from The Liminal Zone part 2.
Plot[]
This story follows on from The Bizarre Hikizuri Siblings: The Seance.
Hotaru is an orphaned girl who feels that she has been born with some kind of invisible curse or burden. She is determined to find out the truth behind these mysterious feelings. She wanders the streets and senses a spiritual presence leading her to the Hikizuri mansion. She finds Kazuya, Kinako, Shigorou, and Misako praying at their family's tomb for the soul of their deceased uncle Diginosuke. The siblings spot her and are confused as to how she found them. Misako wants to attack her but Kazuya insists they listen to her story. He decides she should stay with them until they can help her find out what the problem is.
Kazuya and Shigorou are both attracted to Hotaru and try to get closer to her. She is unnerved by their behavior but doesn't feel well enough to leave. Kazuya gets Shigorou out of the way by sending him to look for Narumi, who has run off with another boyfriend (as she did previously.) At Kinako's insistence, Hotaru is forced to do all the house chores. Kinako sends Hotaru to bring meals to Hitoshi, who's being locked up in a dungeon under the house. Hotaru senses that she and Hitoshi are on the same spiritual wavelength; it's the first time she's ever met someone like herself.
Kazuya tells her about Diginosuke, who was his favorite uncle and lived with the family when Kazuya was a child. Diginosuke was a melancholy, often suicidal man who liked to give advice. Eventually, he had an affair with the mistress of his brother Gouzou - the Hikizuri siblings' father. She became pregnant, and Gouzou kicked her and Diginosuke out of the house. They planned a joint suicide, but only Diginosuke went through with it, leaving his mistress alone with the baby. Kazuya suggests that Hitoshi's psychic talent could summon Diginosuke and have him advise Hotaru on what to do.
The family uses Hitoshi in a ritual to conjure Diginosuke's spirit. Diginosuke's corpse bursts from his grave and he sticks out his tongue - a familiar habit of his. This convinces the family that it's really him. At this point Shigorou arrives dragging Narumi home. She threatens to kill herself. Misako taunts Narumi and tells her to carry out a double suicide with her boyfriend. This provokes Diginosuke and he advances on a terrified Narumi, who doesn't even know who he is.
Hotaru runs away with Hitoshi, but Diginosuke follows them, calling for "Hariyo." The name sounds familiar to Kazuya and he realizes that Hariyo was his father's mistress. Hotaru encourages Hitoshi to leave and come live with her in safety. Diginosuke again calls for Hariyo, and Hotaru remembers that was the name of her birth mother. She feels something grabbing her ankle and looks down to see a long chain of spirits, with the face of Hariyo (a beautiful woman) at the front. Hariyo tells Hotaru that "mommy forgives you." Diginosuke goes to Hariyo, begging for her forgiveness and saying that this time they'll commit suicide together. Hotaru questions if that means Diginosuke was her father.
However, a cloud of ectoplasm comes from Hitoshi's mouth and takes the form of Gouzou Hikizuri. Despite Diginosuke's protestations, Gouzou insists his brother deserves "everlasting hell." The ectoplasm swallows Diginosuke, Hariyo, and all the spirits. Hitoshi regains his consciousness and asks Hotaru if she's okay. She decides she wants nothing more to do with the Hikizuris; and leaves to return to the orphanage. Hitoshi wants to go with her but is briefly possessed by Gouzou, who insists that Hitoshi stay with his family and continue the cycle of their suffering. He returns home to his siblings, and they shut him in the dungeon again.
Hotaru goes back to the orphanage, now feeling free from her past, although she still doesn't know the truth of her identity for sure.