The Cat Who Saved Books

On Christmas Eve, Rintaro’s scheduled moving day, his aunt visits him. After she leaves, Tiger reappears to share urgent news: Sayo has been kidnapped and is trapped in a fourth labyrinth. Rintaro immediately enters the portal with Tiger. During a journey in a horse-drawn carriage, Tiger reveals that he’s the soul of a book that Rintaro’s mother used to read to him. In addition, he explains that cherished books can gain a soul but that neglect can warp this soul, creating a malevolent being. He says that their adversary is the twisted soul of a powerful but unloved book.

Tiger then leaves Rintaro to face the foe alone in a desolate replica of Natsuki Books. The adversary, an elderly woman, shows Rintaro visions of the negative consequences of his actions in the other three labyrinths. Unshaken, Rintaro argues that the true power of books is their ability to teach empathy. As he speaks, the three previous labyrinth masters appear and voice their support for his philosophy. They say that his actions initially caused them hardship but ultimately set them on more fulfilling paths. This revelation moves the woman, breaking her coldness, and the labyrinth dissolves as she releases Sayo and sends Rintaro back to his world.