MAO

So this Taizanfukun is a " life substitution spell ". I'm assuming Mao and all the other disciples that were pitted against him were put under the spell, which would explain why they all have been alive for almost a 1000 years. And I'm assuming all their lives are connected to the Haimura/Byouki cat somehow. I wonder if only Mao is actually under Taizanfukun, since he was able to touch and get along with Haimura. And the other disciples are someway or another intertwined somehow? Since this is the second time Hyakka has died. I wonder if all the other disciples alive are sort of like Nanoka's grandpa, where they're alive, but also not "really" alive like Mao and Nanoka are.

Is it possible that the disciples were given Taizanfukun with Mao's life as the sacrifice, but because Mao was made immortal by being mixed with Byouki, the disciples became immortal too? The ritual was described as one persons life acting as a substitute for another's (even if the Monk was spared). I am imagining Mao as an almost everlasting living battery that keeps all of the other disciples alive

Really like seeing how Nanoka is slowly growing as she gets more involved in Mao's adventures. Don't worry Nanoka, Mao will fight by your side! And admittedly, you DO make a good team...at least up until the point where Mao bails on you, but good job handling things on your own! So this was always about the Shikigami using humans transformed into frogs to hunt down Mao. Hyakka never had anything to do with this! So he basically just helped out like he and Mao are some kind of buddies or something. The Taizanfukun spell, the ability to control human lifespans, was consumed by Byoki. As such Mao, who was connected to Byoki, is a target for his knowledge (or possible possession) of the spell. It might be the same with all his Senior Apprentices who were involved in the Goshikido. It's nice that Nanoka has gal pals who can help support her through all the schoolwork she missed, but it just makes her wish Mao was nicer to her...like Shiraha! Her favorite information source! Who is the culprit after Mao? None other than Mokuzu! A servant of the Goko Clan who only wished to cast spells like a true Onymoji, only for it to be denied him. And yet here he is as a giant version of himself made of water and fish. Where did he learn to cast spells? And what was his involvement in what happened? Mokuzu underestimated Mao or his power with a blade when he "awakens." But Mokuzu himself was just a poor sap promised the ability to cast magic, only to end up a puppeted corpse that fell apart when he wasn't necessary. Jeez. So what we know now: someone told Mokuzu to throw Haimaru into the Kodoku pit, thus turning him into Byoki. The only thing they didn't seem to account for is that Byoki would eat the Taizanfukun and then become linked with Mao...but who could have done it? And why would Haimaru go without making a fuss? Sana herself was suspicious of Mokuzu, but only because he looked at her like a man possessed. RIP Hyakka. We only knew you for 3-4 episodes...oh wait, you're alive, never mind. Keep throwing the compliments at Shiraha Nanoka, that's the best he's going to get.