What is the Stone Arc? Synopsis and Best Scenes Summary | When & Which Manga Volume [Chiikawa]

What Usagi brought back as a souvenir from their trip was a beautiful, translucent pink stone. Looking at the stone, Hachiware and Chiikawa imagine a travel destination where they eat delicious things and see new things. Following the footprints of Usagi, who hadn't shown up for a while, the two arrive at an old inn-like building surrounded by trees.

Deep inside the building, dark-colored creatures are smashing pale red stones with tools. A sign on the wall bears the inscription "拾魔" (Shūma), and eventually Usagi also appears holding a tool. When Usagi suddenly starts walking toward the garden, their body changes to a pale pink, glossy texture, and even their eyes become like round marbles. Hachiware is surprised, saying it looks like plastic or a marble, and Chiikawa also cries out.

Inside the inn, a white, figurine-like object placed on a red pedestal is making a sound. When Hachiware wonders if it is a snake figurine and stares at it, their vision blurs, and grayed people line up around them. Hachiware asks if it is a curse and claims that everyone is cursed by the figurine. The two ready their small tools, but the true identity of the white object and its relationship to the stones are not yet explained.