With Koyomi Araragi and Hitagi Senjougahara having graduated, only a handful of familiar faces remain at Naoetsu Private High School. Among them is Suruga Kanbaru, the bearer of the Monkey's Paw. Upon hearing rumors of a mysterious entity called the "Devil" who can magically resolve any issue, Kanbaru immediately assumes the gossip concerns her and sets out to investigate. She uncovers that the Devil is actually Rouka Numachi, a former junior high basketball rival who can no longer play due to a leg injury. Rouka offers free counsel to those who seek her out. Functioning as a collector of misfortune, she relieves her clients' stress by giving them the false hope that their problems will be solved. Although Kanbaru perceives no genuine harm, she scolds Rouka for her deception and returns home, relieved that she is not the source of the rumors. However, she may still have cause for concern: she discovers that her left hand has reverted to its human form.