We’re getting down to the wire and Shiki is done messing around. THERE WILL BE BLOOD.

So, the blonde lady-vamp has been beaten by the mob (no sparkle-tears here, people) and the Doc is all set to stake her. But then! She pops up! Tries to bite him! Epically bearded liquor store owner to the rescue!! Megumi’s papa is the one who ends up staking her and makes a gruesome bloody mess of it. Better than being tortured to death, a la Mrs. Doctor, but still rather unseemly.

Then the Doc makes a big speech about the Shiki and needing to band together and hunt them down. Despite what they’d seen and heard, the townspeople seem a bit reluctant to get involved. Uh, hello? Vampires on the loose? Killing off your whole town?

Back at Vamp HQ, Cat Ear Hair Dude tells Sunako about the lady-vamp’s death and advocates getting the heck out of Dodge. Perhaps he is not as dumb as he looks? Sunako argues against leaving, makes Angry Face and orders the Doc killed. I’d hate to be him right now, oh boy!

In town, the Doc gives a lecture about how to kill vampires. The townspeople are not super eager to go around staking people, especially people they may have once loved, which i totally understand. But still – vampires? On the loose? Killing everyone?

Anyway, with or without the full support of the town: THE HUNT BEGINS AT DAWN!!!!

The women go around to spread the word and check into suspicious activity. There’s plenty of that, don’t worry. Meanwhile, the vamps have a big vampy meeting and then tromp around town. Megumi ends up with Masao and rips into him when he suggests running away together. My favorite scene yet? Might be!

Back at the shack in the woods, Ritsuko continues to fight her hunger. Toru has brought her my favorite buxom nurse as a little snack. NOOOO! Run, buxom nurse! Run! She can’t end up as vampire take-out, she just can’t!

Meanwhile, Kaori snaps out of her trance and decides to kick some vampire butt. ‘Bout time! She beats someone to death with a baseball bat. Her dad maybe? That’s sad.

The vamps are understandably concerned about what awaits them when the sun rises – they’ll be sleeping and vulnerable, after all. CEHD makes Capt. Von Monk promise to keep Sunako safe and hidden. He agrees, and then also lets CEHD feed on him. Like, totally gross, omg. What if his hair is contageous?

Down in the safety of the basement (I guess), Sunako is all, Tell me a story! Talk to me about your story! Answer my questions! Oh, OK, fine, I’ll answer my own questions! And El Monk thinks to himself, your theory is garbage, but out loud he’s like, “oh yeah, yeah, good one, totally.”

The villagers break into the Shiki clinic and find some unrisen corpses. It’s not shown, but I imagine they get staked. Likewise every vamp dumb enough to be caught outside. (Turns out, the villagers don’t have much trouble with the killing of vampires.)

Other villagers bust (literally) into the vampire stronghold of Kanemasa and make a big mess of the place. Presumably after they’re done trashing the joint they’ll go off in search of more things to kill. Like Frere Monque, who waits quietly in the basement for death. Heckuva protector, that guy!

So we’re getting to the meat of the Epic Battle Between Good and Evil, or something. Only three episodes left and I feel like the vamps don’t have much of a chance, but what do I know? I’d like to think that Shiki is setting us up to explore what “good” and “evil” really mean and if things are ever so black and white – we’ll see how it shapes up in the end.

Do you think the vampires will be victorious or slaughtered by the villagers? (And also, is it just me or is it harder to root for the “good” guys, with all the murdering going on?)