The Shibatas

Roughly 400 years pass and Ai does not make a habit of interacting with humans more than she has to. Much to the disliking of Ai's companions, however, Shibata Hajime and his daughter Tsugumi will unintentionally change that tradition.

Everything begins with Tsugumi. After meeting Ai at a railroad crossing, she is somehow connected to her. She is able to see what Ai sees when she comes in contact with her clients. According to Ai, she isn't doing it on purpose either. All Tsugumi is to her is a girl that makes her feel nostalgic for some reason. Ai really does not seem all that concerned that Tsugumi can see what she sees even though her companions are worried. Any time that they connect, Tsugumi's eyes glaze over and she doesn't seem aware of her actual surroundings. Hajime begins to use Tsugumi's power to see the people and places involved in Ai's cases in order to investigate it further.

Ironically, her father begins investigating the truth behind Jigoku Tsuushin shortly before Tsugumi meets Ai. Hajime gets way more than he bargained for, however. Even though he ultimately decides to pull out of investigating Ai due to the toll it ends up taking on Tsugumi, they have no choice but to finish what they started. The more Hajime pried, the more Ai remembered about the past she had long ago forgotten. The reason why the Shibatas make Ai feel nostalgic is because Hajime is a descendant of Sentarou. As soon as Ai realizes the truth, her heart is overcome with hatred. She believes that Sentarou has come back to kill her once more even though she had finally "accepted" what had happened. The idea that Sentarou did not die makes her blood boil. Even though Ai is not allowed to send anyone to Hell based on her own feelings, she viciously attempts to send them both to Hell in order to prevent her own death.

Ai is sent to Hell as the punishment for attempting to send a person to Hell of her own volition, but because her hatred for Sentarou runs so deep, she refuses to go. Breaking free of the spider (who is the "boss" of Hell), she returns to Earth in order to to try and send Hajime once more. This time, she plans to manipulate Tsugumi's feelings about her mother's death and loneliness to convince her to send her father to Hell. Luckily for Hajime, Tsugumi's love for her father shines through and she returns Wanyuudo to Ai. Tsugumi, who saw all of Ai's past when she initially tried to send them both to Hell, asks Ai if she liked Sentarou. She says that he liked her the whole time and that's why he regretted his decision every second afterwards. Tsugumi then tells Ai that Sentarou built the temple to qualm the spirits of the children sacrificed to the Seven Sendings for her sake. Saying nothing in return, Ai brings everyone to the temple and blows it up; she comes to peace with her feelings once more. Walking away with tears running down her face, she leaves Hajime and Tsugumi alone for good.

Though Hajime does not write an article for his career on Jigoku Tsuushin like he originally intended, he does publish a book about the truth of Ai's story. Hajime makes no profit from the book, and actually loses money by paying for it's publishing himself. All he wanted to do was get the truth about Jigoku Shoujo out into the world that was only filled with rumors up until that point. He gave the world an understanding of Ai that no one would be able to receive otherwise.

b a c k   .   c l e a r   .   f o r w a r d    Heaven's a Lie and its contents are © Samantha, however Ai and Jigoku Shoujo are © Aniplex, Studio Deen and other rightful owners. Heaven's a Lie is a part of AFTER-DEATH.ORG.