Ep 6. Ani Nekko

Aselput, the young Ainu girl, has been kidnapped and taken to the Lake Kutcharo area. Sugimoto and Asirpa are desperate to rescue her, but they are not the only ones searching for the girl. The 7th division of the Japanese army, led by Lieutenant Tsurumi, are hot on their heels. Asirpa uses her tracking skills to find the kidnappers, but they are attacked by a vicious bear along the way.

Meanwhile, we see more of Tanigaki's backstory as he continues his search for Inkarmat. He meets a mysterious old woman named Ani Nekko who seems to know more about Inkarmat than she lets on. Tanigaki grows frustrated with her evasiveness and leaves, only to be ambushed by the same kidnappers who took Aselput.

Back with Sugimoto and Asirpa, they finally arrive at Lake Kutcharo and find themselves in a precarious situation with the army closing in on them. However, they manage to locate Aselput and quickly formulate a plan to escape. In the chaos, Lieutenant Tsurumi confronts Sugimoto and threatens to arrest him, but Asirpa intervenes, using her knowledge of Ainu customs to convince Tsurumi to let them go.

As the trio flees, they encounter Tanigaki who, injured and barely conscious, warns them of the army's ambush ahead. With his information, they are able to evade the army and continue on their quest to find the hidden Ainu gold.

The episode ends with a tense standoff between Tanigaki and the kidnappers, setting the stage for the next chapter in the story of Golden Kamuy.