Buffy Summers looks up. She’s supremely angry right now. She wants the facts, and she wants them now. “Is it her blood?” Yes, she’s told by someone. “What does it say?” ‘Welcome to Tokyo,’ is the quiet response.

They’re in a crowded part of Tokyo, in public view. The people are gathered, looking up in shock. A woman, Aiko, is hung, dead, in a gruesome display, ‘Welcome to Tokyo’ written in Japanese around her – in her own blood.

“Help me cut her down.”

As the sun comes up over Tokyo, the Slayers, both local and from Scotland, watch in reverent silence as Buffy, obviously having been working all night, walks through the gate of their compound. She’s carrying Aiko’s body in her arms, shrouded for burial in her custom. She walks up to a small central structure, and places the remains down where they will rest, the equivalent of a viewing. She sits down in the room, slides down from her feet to the floor against the wall and holds her knees tightly towards her.

The sun goes down before she notices anyone disturb her. It’s Willow, asking how long she’s going to stay up here and offers to help. Buffy tells her that she’s trying to figure out her next move. They need to get their hands on one of those vampires and they’re not exactly being low-profile. It’s not finding them that’s the issue – it’s holding onto them.

It’s at that moment that Dracula, dressed akin to Willy Wonka, as played by Johnny Depp, swoops into the room. He asks if they’ve tried a specific spell called Carolina’s Grasp, which, of course, they must have done, because they’re not complete idiots. Are you? He points his question at the Slayer. Buffy sighs. Great. It’s you.

“Grasping Carolina’s what now?” she offers, to which Dracula explains that it’s a spell, specifically a containment spell, to trap their vampire. He tells them the ingredients, and demands the master bedroom for his coffin. Buffy tells him it’s night, and Dracula groans quietly – I never understood time zones.

Xander says hello to his friends, telling them that Dracula is grouchy – surprisingly, he doesn’t fly well. Dracula interrupts them, pointing at Aiko – and horrifically asks if someone is going to finish eating her.

In a skyscraper on the Tokyo skyline, the three vampires are preparing for their plan. On the roof of the building is a larger version of the gemstone they used to remove Aiko’s Slayer powers. According to Raidon, it’ll be online in twelve hours and then they can begin. Toru warns him to hurry: the Slayer is on the ground and she will come for them. And they won’t hit from the front.

Sure enough below, his guards are interrupted by a girl in a school uniform. She’s lost and she’s frightened. She explains that she was on a school trip and she’s been separated from her party and doesn’t know what to do, because she doesn’t speak the language. The guard offers to take her safely through the unknown area, but, of course, he’s not the predator – he’s the prey, as the schoolgirl, Renee, leads him straight to Buffy and her Slayers.

With a quick magical spell, Carolina’s Grasp activates and forms a cube around the vampire, encasing him inside. Buffy tells him it’s been hard to figure them out, since these vamps can turn into mist. And it’s really hard to hurt thin air, she says. Until you remember that air can burn.

Willow pours gasoline into the cube, and the vampire is frantic! He swears he’ll tell them everything they want to know: The Slayer Scythe is with Toru in the Ashikaga building, in downtown Tokyo. He plans to use it to reverse the Slayer spell, rendering the Slayers average girls again. The lens on top of the building will amplify Kumiko’s spell and she’ll use it to pulse out around the world. It’s also all supposed to happen before the next morning, which doesn’t leave them much time. Buffy says that they have to get moving, and the vampire asks to be let go.

Buffy says she never agreed to that and declares that they’re at war. She flicks a lighter and torches the vampire.

Back at the Slayer compound, Satsu is yelling – is Buffy asking her to stand down? Buffy says she has to make the tough decisions, and she’s not asking Satsu to stand down – she’s asking her to lead. The girls here, those who knew Aiko are shaken, and need someone to guide them. Buffy trusts Satsu enough to let her stay here and take care of them, rather than racing into battle.

Satsu doesn’t see it like that. She thinks this is Buffy acting like Buffy – isolationist Slayer-crap – and has no intention of following her orders. She storms off, telling Buffy “I’ll see you on the battlefield, ma’am.”

Elsewhere, Xander is telling Renee that first dates are always awkward. Rather than go through all the drama and tension, Xander wants tonight to be their first date – to take the pressure off. Then, the second one would be normal and they wouldn’t be nervous.

Renee looks at him. “So, when people ask me what we did on our first date, you want me to tell them that we dressed me up as a school girl, used me as bait on the streets of Japan, lit a vampire on fire and then geared up to go into battle with several hundred girls. And Dracula.”

Dracula resents her implication as he deliberately eavesdrops on their conversation. Renee smiles. No, Harris, you don’t get off the hook that easy, she teases. “I’ll make one part easier for you,” she says, passionately kissing him. Dracula, completely disgusted, covers his eyes and hurries out of the room. “Stop that,” he commands. “Please.”

Buffy is prepping the team on a rooftop, opposite the Ashikaga building. They plan on going through the back door. She explains: All that matters is the Scythe. That is the priority. Once they get it back, the bad guy’s plan is over and they can’t hurt them anymore – apart from the usual vampire ways. Now, all they need is a distraction so they can get in.

Willow tells them all to shush – she’s doing her mojo, getting what they need. The vampires on the streets of Tokyo suddenly see a blinding flash of white light. Once it’s faded, they all shriek in horror – Willow has transported Dawn to the centre of Tokyo city – in giant form! Dawn, eager to help, does her best Godzilla impression and roars, causing the vamps gathered to panic and flee. Andrew and Xander watch on in geeky delight: “There’s something you don’t see every day.”

Buffy is also delighted: they’re in. On the top floor, as Toru, armed with the Scythe, watches the chaos Dawn is causing outside, Buffy and company march into the room.

As Buffy approaches Toru to take the Scythe, Willow reacts to a blinding pain in her head. Toru vanishes – and Buffy realises she’s been duped.

Suddenly there’s the sound of ripping flesh and Xander’s face is splattered with blood. Toru is behind them, Scythe sticking straight through Renee’s heart.

She didn’t even have time to scream.