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Published In:
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| Publication Date:September 15, 2021 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Manga Summaries
Volume 12
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| Chapters Originally Published in: | |
| Shonen Sunday 2021 Vol. 42 - 51 |
Chapter
109: 月琴
Gekkin
(The Chinese Lute)
Renji recalls how brutal his parents were, how they would beat him until he bled and then douse him with water when he resisted being prostituted to others. Tsuyu, his elder sister, looked after him when his parents beat him. He explains to Mao and Nanoka that he eventually realized his sister learned the yueqin at the behest of his parents so that she would fetch a higher price when she was prostituted to clients. When an old man wanted to buy Renji, Tsuyu interceded on his behalf and she was sold instead. Renji remembers hearing Tsuyu playing the yueqin and seeking her out at the new home where she was now being kept. She had been sold into the service of a man who beat her when he drank. Tsuyu sent Renji away, but he frequently returned to check on her, listening for the sound of her yueqin. One day when he no longer heard it he slipped inside and found her badly beaten. When the master of the house found Renji he struck him and Tsuyu covered Renji to prevent him from being thrashed further. Three days later Renji's sister died. Renji listened as his parents expressed their relief that they had never registered Tsuyu's birth and so they told the man who bought her to bury her in his garden. They then took the funeral offerings and wasted it on liquor. Once they had passed out Renji poured the sake on the floor of the house and lit it on fire, burning his parents to death. After that he went to the garden where his sister was buried and dug her up, finding the yueqin there with her corpse. He then burned that house down as well. Hyakka realizes that all of the hatred and thirst for revenge that Renji had has turned the yueqin into a cursed object capable of powering the kakachu. Hyakka tells Renji that Tsuyu would be ashamed of all the assassinations he has engineered. Renji says he simply wants to make money through the assassinations and Hykka shouts that he will destroy the yueqin.
Chapter
110: 人間の蟲毒
Ningen no kodoku
(Human Kodoku)
Renji sends his bugs to attack Hyakka who believes his flames can easily burn them to nothing. Much to his chargin the bugs endure the flames and even Renji is surprised at how powerful Mei has made them. While Hyakka and Renji brawl Mao uses his sutras to sneak attack Renji in hopes of purifying the lingering grudge from Renji's late sister Tsuyu. Rather than calm the grudge the sutras are ripped apart. More bugs are summoned and from the pit filled with criminals and Mao leaps in to try to destroy the jar which is giving birth to these powerful insects. Mao slashes towards the jar when the limbs of a plant sweep in and yank him out of the pit nearly impaling Mao on wooden spikes. Hyakka burns through the wood and they all realize that Mei is a wood element user. Mei politely tells Mao and his allies that though they do not seem like bad people they are opposing Shiranui, so they will have to become fertilizer for the life-extending garden.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: September 22, 2021 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
111: 巨大な呪具
Kyodaina jaku
(Gigantic Cursed Tool)
Mao asks Mei if she is also from the present era, something that puzzles both her and Renji. Mao warns Mei that she could die if she becomes involved with the Goko Clan. Mei says she is happy to put her life on the line to project the garden. Hyakka is stunned and walks over to the moaning and groaning bodies inside the poison jar and says he will burn them all to dust along with the garden. Suddenly a huge water dragon appears in the sky and drenches Hyakka while Mei ensnares Mao with roots from the ground. As the dragon starts to crush Hyakka Mei comments to Renji that this dragon is Shiranui's shikigami. With Hyakka out of commission Renji turns his attention to Mao and Nanoka as he sends his kakachu to attack them. Hyakka manages to toss a flame barrier around them to protect them from the attacking insects. Mao observes that the garden is supplimenting the cursing power of Mei and Renji, as the two ordinary humans should not be able to harness so much power under normal circumstances. Mao stabs his sword into the ground and watches in shock as skeletons wrapped in roots spring up from the earth. Mei tells Renji is did not put the skeletons here, that it must have been Shiranui that did it to build the garden. The skeletons throw themselves against Mao and Nanoka's barriers. As the roots begin to break down Mao's barrier he springs out to do battle. Inside Nanoka's barrier Otoya asks if she will use the Akanemaru. However Nanoka remembers Meimeido's warning to only use the sword when absolutely necessary. With only a moment's pause Nanoka yanks the blade, breaking the paper string that acted as the last safety check on her taking out the cursed sword.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: September 29, 2021 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
112: 弱点
Jakuten
(Weakness)
Mao slashes and swings wildly as he dashes headlong towards Renji's kakachu. He closes the gap, coming face-to-face with Renji as he rears his blade and nearly slashes his opponent. Just then Mei snags Mao with her roots but Nanoka leaps in, swinging the unsheathed Akanemaru. Mao is immediately concerned that Nanoka has unleashed the cursed sword and tries to keep her out of the fray. Renji says that Nanoka is Mao's weak point as he struggles to protect her, but Mao shoots back that someone like Renji, who was forged by his contempt for those that would abuse women and children is doing exactly what he claims to hate. Mao manages to wound Renji's arm to hamper his ability to play his yueqin and command his kakachu. With that Mei wraps him in roots and snatches him from danger. Nanoka again tries to fight but Otoya warns her that every time she swings Akanemaru it will drink her blood until finally she is weak and can no longer help fight. It is then that Nanoka sees Shiranui's water dragon high in the sky, Hyakka still in its clutches and passed out in the creatures coils. When Nanoka slices the head off the water dragon water pours from it mixed with Nanoka's poisonous blood. The mixture fills the garden and damages the soil. Nanoka faints from her blood loss and as a barrier begins to form to protect the garden Mao, Nanoka, Hyakka and Otoya flee to safety.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: October 6, 2021 | |
| Pages: 1 (full color) 17 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
113: 鞄の手
Kaban no tei
(The Hand in the Bag)
Nanoka wakes up at Mao's office after recovering from battle while inside Otoya serves Mao the poison from the kodoku jar to aid in his own healing. Inside Hyakka asks why Mao needs his elixer, inquiring if he gave his blood to Nanoka. Mao confirms that he did, as both he and Nanoka share Byoki's tainted blood they are able to aid one another when either is injured. Thanks to her using the Akanemaru, it drank a great deal of her blood during the fight leaving her weak. Otoya explains to Hyakka how the Akanemaru was one of the cursed treasures of the Ko Clan and how dangerous it can be when Nanoka returns and apologizes to Mao for her recklessness. Mao reassures her that she was very helpful. Hyakka chastises both she and Mao, saying they were both beaten during battle and they narrowly escaped. He explains that by the time they had passed through the barrier to the life extending garden he turned around and the place had already vanished behind them. Nanoka feels guilty for everyone having to flee after she passed out but tells Hyakka to suggest something to keep her from fainting when she loses too much blood when he seems irritated about the situation. Mao has heard enough and after sharing his blood with Nanoka slips away into his deep slumber. Back at the life extension garden Shiranui's shikigami are removing all the skulls and roots that were buried beneath the soil as Mei tends to Renji. Mei prunes the vines that are knitting Renji's severed arm together she comments that Mao could have killed him, but chose to wound him instead and wonders if perhaps Mao has some sympathy for Renji. Renji retorts that if Mao felt any sympathy for him he's a softy. Mei says that she too felt sorry for Renji after hearing of his troubled past and tells him she hopes he lives well before eventually going to hell. Elsewhere in the darkness two hoodlums are examining a valise travel bag that they stole from a well-dressed person in the street. Thinking it must have something worthwhile inside they are both shocked as a giant arm emerges and snatches each by the head, yanking them into the bag and to their apparent deaths. Back at Mao's office Nanoka and Otoya are watching over the sleeping doctor when Natsuno arrives. When she asks to see Mao, Otoya reports that he has been sleeping for the past three days. Nanoka explains that Mao gave her too much of his blood and shows Natsuno the Akanemaru. Otoya and Nanoka ask Natsuno if she knows anything about the proper way to wield the sword and explain that it was reforged for Nanoka to use. Natsuno says that Nanoka will simply have to figure it out if it was remade for her. Otoya asks Natsuno what has brought her to visit Mao and she explains that she is investigating a strange case. People have found full sets of clothing scattered in back alleys. She spoke to an old man who saw someone with a luxury bag suddenly yanked inside of it by a giant arm and watched as the bag spit out their clothing. Otoya asks if Natsuno thinks this could be the right arm she was tasked with searching for. She says it is possible and had hoped Mao might assist her, but it seems he will not be awake again for some time. Nanoka asks if she could perhaps help in Mao's stead. Nanoka explains that she hopes to learn to master Akanemaru and Natusno tries to ease Otoya's worries by telling him that while Nanoka is with her she will not need to draw the sword. Otoya privately thinks to himself that Nanoka is the type of person that will draw the sword all the time. Elsewhere a well-dressed man sets the travel bag down as two young hoodlums watch him and whisper to one another that they can steal it. The man glances over his shoulder, his eyes in shadow but his long fangs are visible as he smiles.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: October 13, 2021 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
114: 西洋館の薬局
Seiyoukan no yakkyoku
(The Pharmacy in the Western-Style Building)
The two children flee with the travel bag in their clutches. Once they put distance between themselves and the owner they stop to inspect it and the huge arm flies out and snatches the two of them. Before it can pull them inside the bag Natsuno slices them free of the creature's grasp as she and Nanoka rush in. The arm is badly injured when the bag's owner snatches the leather valise and stares ominously from a nearby rooftop. Natsuno tosses a soil ball at the arm as the ayakashi who controls it flees. The ball leaves a dusty trail for Nanoka and Natsuno to follow. They arrive at what appears to be a vacant lot when Nanoka reveals an enchantment is hiding a western-style pharmacy was hidden in plain sight. Inside they find an odd looking ayakashi in a bowtie operating a pharmacy. Natsuno tells him that she knows the kidnapper with the arm must be hiding inside somewhere. When they ask what will happen to the two children that were kidnapped the druggist tells them he will distill the. Sudden his mouth opens to a huge size and he begins to start sucking in Nanoka and Natsuno. Natsuno tosses her poison into the creatures mouth, causing him to reveal his true salamander form. Natsuno battles with the salamander as Nanoka pushes into the back rooms of the pharmacy in search of the two children. In the back room are a number of massive flasks boiling away. Nanoka finds the two children soaking in a tub, struggling to stay conscious. When she tries to wake them they do not stir. Suddenly the man with the bag appears wearing an apron, his empty sleeve dangling at his side.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: October 20, 2021 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
115: 作業場
Sagyouba
(Workplace)
Nanoka demands to know what the one-armed man is going to do with the two boys he kidnapped. He tells her at this pharmacy they distill humans into medicine that they sell. Nanoka watches the tattered, dissolving bodies floating in the tanks with shocked disgust. The ayakashi further explains that the young have fewer impurities in their bodies and are more desirable for their medicinal purpose. He says he might harvest one of their livers and says he will add Nanoka to his stock as well. When he starts to approach Nanoka she unsheathes Akanemaru and the man transforms into his true form- a massive snake. Nanoka is sprayed with his poison but manages to leap away from his snapping fangs. She slices the serpent open with Akanemaru, but the snake merely laughs. Nanoka struggles as she becomes lethargic, wondering if the poison is getting to her or if Akanemaru has taken too much of her blood. In the front of the pharmacy Natsuno battles against the giant salamander. When she tries to dash towards the door to the back room the salamander blows a gunk onto it that quickly crystalizes and seals the door. In the back room Nanoka watches as the massive disembodied hand from the bag lifts the two unconscious boys up as it picks up a cleaver to begin chopping them to pieces. She dashes in, slicing the fingers apart, blood gushing forth from Akanemaru as the blade slowly drains her with each swing. She tells herself she has to work quickly and kill the snake with one swing as she knows is about to pass out soon. Without Mao here, if she falls unconscious like she did in the battle with Renji, no one will be there to save her or the two boys. Nanoka glances down and notices Akanemaru is beginning to pour blood from the blade without her having swung it and she grows worried.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: October 27, 2021 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
116: 血の一撃
Chi no ichi geki
(Bloody Strike)
Nanoka stares at the bleeding Akanemaru in her hands, watching as blood pours from the blade. Natsuno manages to subdue the salamander as she works to break down the crystalized barrier keeping her from rejoining Nanoka. The serpent tells Nanoka that he will use her in his medicine and then take the liver from the abducted boys. With no other options Nanoka realizes she has to strike now and worry about the bloody blade later. However much to her shock when she swings Akanemaru the blood flings off the blade like a whip, slicing the snake's head off. Just then Natsuno manages to get into the back room and she congratulates Nanoka on using Akanemaru correctly. Before they can catch their breath however the massive salamander bursts through the wall and eats Natsuno. After a second however he spits her out, saying that she does not taste like a human. Before the creature can say more Natsuno kills it with a swipe of her hand. The salamander crumbles into earth and Nanoka is stunned to see Nanoka's face is cracked as if she too were made of soil. Natsuno however dismisses it, saying it is only a scratch. Later Natsuno bandages her face and gives the two kidnapped children some money to buy food and warns them not to steal anything else. She tells Nanoka that the arm in the case was not the one she is tasked with looking for. The pair head back to find Mao has woken up and seems in good health as they share that Nanoka was able to correctly use Akanemaru. As they discuss why the blade worked so much better now instead of simply draining Nanoka's blood, she realizes she was using it to protect someone rather than just killing monsters as she had done before.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: November 1, 2021 | |
| Pages: 1 (full color) 17 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
117: 土鈴
Dorei
(The Ceramic Bell)
Nanoka tells of how she used Akanemaru in battle, cheerfully crying out that she has mastered the sword, though Mao and Natsuno tell her she is far from doing so. Natsuno explains the difficulty of providing her sword with blood and still having some available for Mao in case he gets in trouble. To compensate Natsuno tries to show Nanoka how to draw energy from the earth to replenish her lost blood. Natsuno and Nanoka practice chanting to draw energy from the earth, though Nanoka cannot master the skill so Natsuno gives her a ceramic bell to place on Akanemaru to help her draw out the earth's energy. Mao offers to treat Natsuno's wounded face but she declines and immediately leaves. Nanoka gently probes Mao, asking him what sort of person Natsuno is and explaining that she does not think she is human based on what the salamander ayakashi said during their fight. Mao says that based on Kamon's interactions with Natsuno he has no reason to suspect anything is odd about her. Nanoka assumes she must be mistaken if both Mao and Kamon seem to vouch for Natsuno. Heading back to the present day the ceramic bell attached to Akanemaru catches Uozumi's attention. She comments that it feels like there are positive feelings infused within the bell. Later that night Nanoka wonders if Natsuno is so helpful to her because they both seem to be earth-aligned individuals. As she dozes off to sleep, Nanoka wonders what Natsuno will do once she finds the missing hand she is looking for. Later that night Byoki appears on the roof of the Kiba home and Uozumi appears to ward him off, telling the cat to begone as she tosses sacred ashes at him. Byoki flies away and settles on the shopping street gate that allows Nanoka to travel back and forth through time. Byoki thinks to himself that something feels different in the world and he watches as energy begins to crackle from the ground. At school the next day some of the students are in a tizzy with Nanoka's friend Yui approaching her to tell her some difficult news- it seems the sinkhole that caused the death of Nanoka's parents has reopened, right where Byoki was watching the night before.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: November 10, 2021 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
118: 床下
Yugashita
(Under the Floorboards)
Nanoka hurries to the spot in front of the shopping street archway where her parents died, shocked to learn that another sinkhole has developed there. She thinks back about how she was thrown into the Taisho era when her parents died and was dragged back by Byoki who then extended the life of her grandfather and cursed Nanoka with his blood. In the past Mao is seeing patients when Otoya points out that the scars Byoki gave him centuries ago have suddenly started to bleed. Mao is shocked and suddenly his eyes turn cat-like as he hurries away to the gate where he is shocked to see Byoki's disembodied head sweep back into the past. Byoki tauntingly tells him that "it will not be long" but does not elaborate before he flies away. Mao worries that something in the present day must have happened to make Byoki return to the past. Nanoka hurries home to check on her grandfather as she fears something may have happened since she believes Byoki extended his life when he arrived in the present nearly a decade ago. Nanoka is relieved to find her grandfather is fine. He reassures Nanoka that everything is alright, but Grandpa does not reveal that he heard a voice whisper to him that his life would continue on a little longer, and he realizes the last time he heard that voice was the day his son and daughter-in-law died. In the past Byoki runs through a forest clutching a severed hand, no doubt it is the hand that Natsuno has been tasked with finding. Byoki takes it to to the secret five-sided shrine where the assassins tasked with killing Mao once met to receive their killing orders. Outside a hulking earthen golem looms as Byoki passes it by and finds a gaping hole in the wooden floor of the ancient structure. There, half-buried is a shadowy body that resembles the long dead Daigo. All the corpse is missing is its right hand.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: November 17, 2021 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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