Episode 23

23. Beyond The Heart's Darkness is the twenty-third episode of the 07 Ghost anime series. The original date it was aired was September 7th, 2009.

The episodes of 07 Ghost were created by Studio DEEN. Directed by Nobuhiro Takamoto, the anime premiered on Chiba TV on April 6, 2009. The series uses two pieces of theme music: 'Aka no Kakera' by Yuuki Suzuki is the opening theme, while 'Hitomi no Kotae by Noria is the ending theme.

Brief Summary
The second exam resumes, and figments of their imaginations become real for the remaining acolytes: the physical realisation of their deepest fears. Teito faces his biggest enemy, Ayanami, and Hakuren is confronted with a cloaked figure attempting to kill his father. Both acolytes are forced to see visions of the past, Teito seeing the hurt and pain he caused Mikage's family and Hakuren re-living his abandonment by his father.

Meanwhile, Ouida battles with the illusion of the relatives who stole his parents' fortune, and passes the exam when he realises the greed of those around him brought him closer to his brother. Hakuren also passes when he realises that to abandon his father would make him no better than him. When it looks as if Teito is about to fail, he realises that the 'Ayanami' before him is actually the manifestation of the part of himself that he couldn't forgive, and with that he passes. When Teito is ready and attempts to leave the second examination, the rest of the church is invaded by the imperial army, and when Teito opens the door to exit the examination room, Ayanami, having arrived in the Church far before the army landed, uses his black magic to warp reality and force Teito to return back to the beginning of the exam and confronts him with a dark smile on his face.