Otome Yōkai Zakuro ~ 3 & 4

Episode 3 ~  This is a Zakuro/Agemaki episode, It actually gives some background to Zakuro and also seems to introduce some new "bad guys". 
     Women in a village are being "Spirited Away" so the Mayor of the town comes to the Ministry to ask for help, With the other two teams gone and the details of this case Zakuro really wants to take this case.  Kushimatsu tells Agemaki how half-spirits are born, It's when pregnant women are spirited away and when they return they are carrying half spirits.  The girls are said to be possessed by fox spirits and when the children are born they are taken away.....
     Zakuro later tells him that her mother was spirited away twice, Once before she was born and once after.. the second time she never returned.

Kushimatsu

      After some comedy, some bonding and such it turns out that the women of the village weren't being Spirited Away. They were being eaten by a giant frog looking monster that lets them rot and decay in his stomach... Bleh.  Agemaki is pretty much useless against the monster and is almost eaten by it, Saved by Zakuro he really lost some major man points and he knows it.

      Looks like Kushimatsu shows up in her full form to check on Zakuro and senses/sees the two that faked the whole spirited away thing to get Zakuro there, Seems the whole things failed however with the Frog Things death.

Episode 4 ~  This episode revolved mainly around Riken and Susukihotaru, It's their "getting closer" episode much like episode 3 was for Zakuro and Agemaki.  With their mission involving a cursed sword Susukihotarus powers of empathy are finally revealed. 

     The Twins, Ganryuu, Riken and Susukihotaru set out to a shop for a mission, Seems a woman has dropped off a strange {cursed} sword to the shop owner {Aya} and she won't sell it due to the suspicious air it has.  She called the Ministry in to look into it and upon reveal Susukihotaru has a strong reaction to it's mere presence...

    While the twins and Ganryuu are out uselessly investigating the sword a lot is revealed back at the shop. Mugi a young half spirit who is "employed" at the shop is apparently connected to the sword in a rather morbid way... It/it's wielder killed her mother. Susukihotaru sees what has happened to Mugi's mother in the past when she touches Mugi's mothers comb, Seems her mother is killed protecting Mugi from a crazy murderer.

      Susukihotaru tells Mugi that her mother will come back as long as she is a good girl so Mugi for some reason goes off and trys to get the sword... Riken and Susukihotaru find Mugi trying to get the sword and while knelt beside Mugi the sword falls from it's perch and she catches it. When caught she ends up possessed by the sword and attacks Riken and Mugi, She's one scary half-spirit while possessed.. she knocks Riken thru a wall and then goes for Mugi. 

       Aya shows up just in time to shield Mugi much like the scene with Mugis mother played out but this time Riken blocks the attack. {Mugi remembers what happened with her mother during this.} On second strike Riken grabs a cloth and catches Susukihotaru's sword in turn cutting his hand and snapping her out of the controlled state...

      When the twins/Ganryuu return Susukihotaru is in the back bandaging up Rikens hand, While bandaging she's upset that she hurt him but he's still concerned for her.... She tells him of her powers and he's quite appreciative of them. As a man of few words it's a great help to him that she can sense his emotions and thoughts just by merely touching/being near him.

      This episode was just all full of love-love, These two are certainly my favorite couple thus far and to me the whole other storyline took backseat. The sword was obviously planted by those hooded figures in the third episode to get Zakuro to come out but she wasn't sent on this mission so their presence quickly faded.