Natsume Yuujin-chou Shi 9: The search for a harvest god

Another arc, this time it's about two gods, the harvest god Houdzuki and his opposite, Fudzuki, who both dwell in Mt. Masumi. Apparently, there's a Moon-splitting Festival that happens every year where the two gods battle it out and whoever wins will determine the agricultural status of the area for the rest of the year. This stands without saying that if Houdzuki wins, the lands will be bountiful. But if Fudzuki wins, the lands will be barren. This year, however, Houdzuki seems to have been sealed away by an exorcist and Natori is tasked by an elder exorcist to find Houdzuki in time for the festival, or seal Fudzuki away to save the lands and the people who depend on its produce. But with barely one day of a headstart, his task is virtually impossible, even with the help of Hiiragi and his other servant youkai. Meanwhile, Natsume gets recruited by a group of white-hatted youkai to disguise himself as Houdzuki while the others continue their search for the missing god. Being only human, Natsume cannot hope to keep up with Fudzuki in this year's battle, which involves chasing after a dragon-like creature that flies in the sky. The white hats, thus, tell him to search for Houdzuki while they handle Fudzuki on their end. Danger comes in the form of a blue cat-like creature that suddenly attacks Natsume, Natori and co. Natsume falls off a ledge but is saved by Hiiragi, who cushions his fall. Then, while continuing their search in the nearby woods, Hiiragi accidentally trips on a trap set by the servants of Fudzuki, releasing a pile of logs right towards them. Natsume shields Hiiragi with his own body but the two end up unconscious anyway. The youkai servants see them and realize that they have been deceived by a human.

Yay! Hiiragi.

more screencaps from episode 9: