Chapter 2, "Lost Property" Summary

The chapter opens with a flashback to when Eiji, as a boy, decapitates the statue of the thunder god in his village shrine. He climbs onto the god's back and saws off his head to get revenge for what happened to Anju. At this point, we do not know who Anju is or what has happened to her, but in subsequent flashbacks we learn that Anju was Eiji's twin sister who drowned when they were eleven.

Throughout the night, Eiji dwells on his memory of the days surrounding his twin's death. Anju is an avid tree-climber, and Eiji has followed her to the top of an escarpment and up a tree, from which they can see for miles around. They celebrated their birthday a week before, but now Anju is unhappy because, the next day, Eiji will...