Asuka's consecutive emphatic egress endeavors having met with failure, Tenshin then tries his fortunes and finds the rope bucket so that Asuka can ascend out of the well; a brief stopover to retrieve the hakke later, Asuka and Tenshin arrive just in time to prevent Takashi from exporting into Meirin the demonic apparition controlling him. There is no time for Meirin to exult her emancipation as the enraged apparition is not about to capitulate after being successfully exorcised out of Takashi -- especially since it has erected a barrier that twists the cavern space in on itself. Tenshin takes it upon himself to retrieve the hakke while Asuka tries to distract the apparition; unfortunately, even Takashi recovering himself to intercede as the apparition tries to envelop Meirin does nothing to turn the tide. The deus ex machina to ultimately save the day is set in motion when Asuka and Takashi set aside their differences to dispel the barrier while Tenshin recovers the hakke so that Meirin can marshal the confidence necessary to actively summon her dragon guardian Shin Shen-long and finish off the apparition -- mere child's play compared to the necessity of adapting to Takashi's normal personality.
