Dark Gathering: Season 1, Episode 17 - The House of the Virgin Conception (2023)

In episode 17 of Dark Gathering Season 1, 'The House of the Virgin Conception,' Eiko and Yayoi explore a haunted house previously owned by a father and daughter whose spirits killed people and themselves. Visions reveal the father seducing his wife, the pair being labeled as murderers, and making a deal with a mysterious individual to birth a baby through unnatural means, leading to their tragic history of crimes and a monstrous entity. The daughter's spirit and father's ghost reenact their past murders with a monster to torment the intruders, showcasing their vengeful and manipulative nature driven by their cursed pact. Emotionally, Yayoi senses their toying intent, heightening her caution as they follow the spirits upstairs.

The large monstrous baby, born from the father-daughter spirits' deal, suddenly attacks Eiko and Yayoi near a spiritual altar upstairs, forcing them to flee in terror through the house's eerie rooms. In a tense, panting-filled sequence, the freakish baby abomination forces its way into Eiko's stomach, distorting her body with horror as she gasps in pain and fear, her vulnerability exposed without Keitaro present. Yayoi, legitimately terrified rather than excited, confronts the supernatural horror, marking a rare wakeup call to the mission's dangers. The scene's distorted color palette, sound effects, and visual abomination amplify the visceral dread.

After the monstrous baby spirit possesses Eiko, Yayoi warns her it might hurt before using her powers to extract the angel-like entity from Eiko's stomach, then murders the spirit with her own supernatural abilities. The extraction leaves a curse on Eiko's stomach, but having already killed two curses, only one remains to lift it fully, pushing Yayoi to reenter the house determinedly. Yayoi's internal state shifts to focused resolve amid her fear, prioritizing Eiko's survival over thrill-seeking.

During the crisis with the baby spirit inside her, Eiko calls Keitaro while panting and distressed, shifting to a lighter chat where she urges him to get physically fit at the gym. Keitaro's siblings belittle him, poking fun at his crush on Yayoi and his physical state, humanizing him with self-doubt and family dynamics as he recovers from prior missions. This break humanizes Keitaro, showing his motivations for strength amid belittlement, contrasting the house's horrors.

After Yayoi removes the baby spirit and identifies the remaining curse, Eiko and Yayoi reenter the haunted house but get split up, with the daughter's spirit pushing Eiko into the well in a sudden, vengeful attack. This separation heightens tension, leaving Eiko in peril and Yayoi to confront the final angel entity alone, driven by the need to save her friend. The push evokes Eiko's fear and isolation, underscoring the spirits' persistent malice.