Momiji Sohma's separation from his little sister, Momo, who does not even know (but suspects) they are siblings, and her friend Arisa's longing for Kureno Sohma, who cannot see her because he is bound to Akito. When she learns that the feared Akito is the "god" of the zodiac and of the bet he made with Kyo, which could result in the cat being confined for life, she resolves to break the curse. Tohru asks for help from Kazuma, Rin, and Kureno. Despite setbacks and being warned off by Rin—who also seeks to break the curse, in order to free Hatsuharu—Tohru refuses to give up her goal. She eventually receives encouragement and hints from Shigure, who is using Tohru to weaken the curse for his own reasons. Meanwhile, Tohru's feelings for Kyo develop and she eventually admits he is the Sohma she wants the most to free, because she loves him. This, however, only distresses her further, as she feels she is being unfaithful to her mother's memory. However, when Tohru finally confesses to Kyo, he tells her he knew her mother when he was a child, and that he could have saved Kyoko from the car that killed her except it would have revealed his curse and Kyoko's final word "I won't forgive you!" (Later it is understood that she meant to say "I won't forgive you if you don't take care of Tohru!") But Tohru doesn't believe her mother would say that but if she did she would have to go against it because she loves him. Unable in his guilt to accept Tohru's feelings, he says her love is an illusion and runs away. As she follows him, she meets Akito, who believes that Tohru's kindness to and acceptance of the cursed zodiac members has made them unfaithful to her, weakening their "bond" to the point that Momiji and Hiro have been freed from the curse. As she angrily confronts her, however, Tohru realizes that she is trapped by the past as much as she herself has been, by clinging to her mother's memory, and she extends her hand in friendship to Akito and introduces herself as a new start. However, before Akito can accept, Tohru falls down a nearby cliff when the ground collapses in the rain. The accident makes Kyo realize how much he values Tohru, and also allows Akito to finally break away from