The three girls resolve to return to the past to capture the Dream Butterfly and restore Setsuna's ability to sleep. As they spend a few days in the modern world, Setsuna masters the violin and becomes fond of it, while Moroha discovers Root Head in the Tree of Ages and negotiates with him to reopen the portal in exchange for their sacred Rainbow Pearls. Setsuna takes the violin with her while Moroha brings a massive bag of modern supplies. Towa bids farewell to her family and the three jump into the portal. They are interrupted by the Spirit of the Tree of Ages, who takes Kikyo's form. She asks them to slay Kirinmaru, an old rival of their grandfather, the Great Dog General, who plans to twist time and reduce everything to nothing. Sesshōmaru has renounced his title resulting him being on the wrong path but is on the same path as Kirinmaru.
The Sacred Tree of Ages ask for them to kill both at the same time. Setsuna refuses, saying she doesn't care about the father she never met, while Towa doesn't want to kill her father on principle. The spirit transports them to Root Head, who attacks them for their Rainbow Pearls, but they defeat it and arrive in the past to be greeted by Kaede, Kohaku, and Hisui. Towa realizes that without Root Head, they have no means to return to the modern world. Meanwhile, the Spirit of the Tree of Ages watches over a young adult Rin, who is in suspended animation within the Sacred Tree, and tells Sesshōmaru if he forsakes her, she will never awaken.
Tropes:
- Refusal of the Call: The Tree of Ages asks the heroines to kill Kirinmaru and Sesshōmaru. Towa and Setsuna say no.
- You Can't Go Home Again: With Root Head dead, Towa has no way to return to the modern era.
