The sole difference between this real-life league of villains and their cartoon counterparts in this comic? The comic's demons are literal rather than metaphorical. But functionally, basically the same.
Kuwabara recoils with a disgusted noise, saying this is pretty gross, even for a demon. I'm very much in agreement with this assessment, especially when we get a close-up of his fingers, which have grown a bumpy/barby texture and the tips appear to have the skin rolled back slightly, but there's not bone underneath. It could be eyeballs or more suckers, but it's a little too soon and unclear for me to tell for sure at this point. This guy tells them not to think of turning back, because no human has seen him in this form and lived to tell the tale.
Yusuke glares silently, looking ENTIRELY unimpressed. Then, after his pause, he casually mentions that the girl being held here is a demon too, one of this tentacle nightmare's own. Yusuke asks if it doesn't BOTHER him that scumball humans are exploiting her like they are. The tentacle nightmare asks in turn why he SHOULD care. He says humans are always willing to sell each other out for their own selfish inclinations, and questions why Yusuke would expect demons to be any LESS greedy. He has a point, of course - one might expect them to be even MORE horrific, being demons and all. The boys nevertheless glower at the tentacle nightmare as he chuckles, betting they would throw each other to the wolves if there were a big enough pile of money in it for them.
While Kuwabara conjures his energy sword and Yusuke's fist glows with concentrated aura, the latter says that's a fat lot this tentacle nightmare knows about them. The tentacle nightmare leaps for them, aiming his underside at them showing a gaping mouth where his tentacles meet, calling the kids "high and mighty".
The tentacle nightmare's eyes are wide with horrified disbelief, gurgling inarticulately as his dismembered parts fly every which way. Then Yusuke silently raises his fist, forefinger extended, a hard frown on his face the entire time. He fires off a massive blast aimed off panel.
Cut to our tall Toguro brother with the sunglasses, who appears as surprised as those placid features will allow. I suppose that's why the exclamation point is required.
Maintaining his cool, the tall Toguro denies this interpretation of events, and says it rather means that they're not dealing with just ANY street rats. Tarukane complains that Toguro told him they could handle anything, and reminds him that he's paying them good money to handle just that level of threat, nothing less. Toguro reiterates that they WILL do that, but Tarukane demands he prove it, pointing a fat finger as he issues a vague command to show him what they can do. After a contemplative hum, he's asked HOW he would like them to do so.
Tarukane proceeds to invite them to follow him through the ornate halls of his mansion to show them something, leading them down what appears to be a dim set of spiral stairs. The place they enter is filled with cages, the contents of which are some bizarre creatures. One looks like a two-headed dog/lizard, each of the heads with a single eye and a little forked tongue poking out, and a large gaping mouth running down it's back and another couple of eyes topping a mound at the back. Another multi-headed creature, this time with a tortoise shell encasing its body, is shadowed in its corner. They're pretty creative monster designs, so I'm giving mad props for that.
As they walk in the hall between the countless cages, Toguro compliments his host on his freak menagerie. Tarukane says they are his most prized acquisitions, well worth the bundle they cost. Too bad they have to stay in his dank creepy basement, unlike MOST prized possessions. Tarukane stops in front of a particular glass cage, much bigger than the others, and bids Toguro to behold.
With a shit-eating smirk, Tarukane asks if Toguro thinks he can take her, betting silently that he's not going to be willing to step into that cage himself, since it's a whole other matter than just providing security. It's also a WHOLLY different ask, and I'm not sure what it has to do with taking on two kids coming to liberate one of his other "acquisitions". Nonetheless, he thinks it'll improve his bargaining position. I feel like he should have been trying to BARGAIN long before this point, but hey, he doesn't seem like the sharpest crayon in the box.
Toguro says he'd rather not, and just as Tarukane thinks he's balking and there's a 20% discount on the horizon, he's shocked by the fact that Toguro opens up the door to the cage and walks in anyway. He leaves his brother behind outside the cage, making it much easier for him to whip off his coat once he's in there with the beast, revealing a narrow muscled torso and almost comically broad shoulders. Apparently the reason he would have rather NOT gone up against the beast is because he's an animal lover, though you wouldn't know it just looking at him.
Tarukane is in a panic, calling him an idiot as he tells him to get out of there, asking who's going to guard Yukina if he gets splattered all over the glass. He says that this girl doesn't have the brain capacity to take commands, so he can't call her off. Clearly Toguro ALSO doesn't have the brain capacity for such. He just stands there and assesses the beast, who has stood on her hind legs and is towering over him at twice his height, tall indeed. He hums that it's too bad, then flexes his hand, estimating that 30% of... something will be enough to defeat this poor creature.
Tarukane fully flushes, his face darkened as he exclaims that Toguro's muscles are expanding. Toguro humbly states that he lacks useful skills, and all he can really do is increase his muscle mass. As if ANYONE could just do that shit, no problem. The beast comes roaring at him and slams an extended paw on his shoulder. Instead of crumbling under the creature's blow, the floor BELOW Toguro cracks and dents into a CRATER with him as the center. The beast expresses confusion, pausing in her attack because of how unsuccessful it turned out to be. Toguro wraps his arm around her furry arm, and mumbles about how it's going to cost a bit to repair the floor. Then he apologizes to the creature, whom she calls "sweetie", because what he's about to do stems directly from her master's insistence on demonstration.
He balls his hand into a fist and punches.
As the fan of blood settles behind the beast, Tarukane gapes, letting out a slow sound of amazement. Toguro appears to look to the side, but his sunglasses make it impossible to read his expression accurately. When he turns around to leave the cage, its inmate's corpse twitching and splattered everywhere, he's returned back to his regular level of muscle content. He says that even though his client wanted this outcome, he doesn't feel HAPPY about it. Me neither, dude.
But Tarukane isn't exactly SAD. He chokes out a couple of nervous chuckles, which turn into genuine guffaws spraying spittle everywhere. It's pretty nasty in just about every way imaginable. He says the slaughter was "splendid", and goes the OPPOSITE direction he intended going into this - offering Toguro double, even triple his fee to make Toguro his personal body guard. Toguro says mildly that he'll think about it. He must really need the money to even CONSIDER keeping this job up, lol.
Tarukane asks if this "30%" comment Toguro made earlier meant that he was able to defeat the beast (whom we only find out NOW is named Helen. RIP Helen.) with only a third of his strength. As if a third is NOT a significant amount. Toguro confirms that's the idea, adding that 20% probably would have done it, but he's "timid" at heart. Meaning he didn't want her to suffer, I'm guessing.
When they cross paths with the butler Sakashita, Tarukane yells at him to get on the phone. Sakashita assures him that the auction is already all set up, but Tarukane says this isn't about the auction at all, and that he wants him to call the Black Book Club now. Congratulations to this shithose of a human being for shouting out the title. Bastard.
Tarukane says OF COURSE he can't just watch what he considers to be an eye-catching money-making show all by himself. To him, this is a most fabulous opportunity to turn a bit of a profit out of the five club members. He calls this Black Book Club the "BBC" here, which just tickles me pink. Sausage fingers clawed upward to grope the air like the capital pervert he is, Tarukane speculates on how many more billions he can make if he manipulates the odds, talking about pay-per-view revenue, because he's planning on broadcasting all this secret shit like a reality show? I guess the "BBC" joke was a little more fitting than I thought at first. Tarukane giggles that Yukina's ice tears aren't just enchanted jewels, but money magnets.
I am BEGGING capitalists to get some fucking therapy and stop making their number-go-up addiction the rest of the world's problem.
The tall Toguro blows a stream of cigarette smoke from his lips, saying he doesn't foresee a pleasant end for Tarukane. What, is he some kind of seer now? Tarukane laughs at this prediction, admitting his bestie body guard might be right, but he's going to enjoy himself to the fullest until that very bad end comes. Well, you can't fault him for the practical positivity. It's probably the ONLY good quality he has.
In her room, Yukina stares wistfully out her window. A shot of a nearby mountain with sharp lines is overlaid with an info box that says it's only MOMENTS after the conversation Tarukane and his various employees just had. The phone call must have been really short, because...
A bald Bezos-type says he wouldn't miss this for the world, and on the next screen over, there's a more Reagan-type that agrees he could use a fresh diversion. From WHAT is the question. Just the vague "usual hobbies" according to another talking head, and the one after that laughs that there's always amusement in the misfortunes of others. So stereotypically evil, but I'm less inclined to view that as unrealistic these days.
A younger man with long hair and a scar over his right eye asks what's on the card today. Tarukane explains that there are two intruders on his estate that appears to be after his "Tears of Ice". Cute marketing, dipshit. He says he wants to wager on how far these intruders will get against the Brokers of Darkness. The Bezos-type says that although Tarukane has carefully avoided telling them WHO the intruders are, they're intrigued, and Tarukane giggles to himself about how he knew they would be. Aloud, he says that he's always happy to spread the wealth around. They have an economy all their own, don't they? XD
Sakashita stands in front of a map, indicating an "x" on a minimalist map of the grounds and mansion with a pointer stick. He relays the situation as the intruders traveling along the road marked, and the Brokers stationed outside the mansion are converging to intercept them. The tall Toguro states that he has 12 "men" (read: literal monsters) outside, and three inside the mansion, each individual capable of taking out a squad of army special forces. Is that including the guy who lost all his tentacles in less than 10 seconds? The Bezos-type voices his new understanding that this bet is just to spice this up, and fleece them for the privilege of watching the slaughter. The scarred youth stays silent, and Tarukane shamelessley asks if they should begin. You know, the fleecing. He reiterates that the event is two intruders versus 12 Brokers, and Sakashita bows as he adds that this will pay out twice the amount anted by the winner.
Two voices put up 200 million Yen on the Brokers, and another 250 million. Tarukane is pleased that these guys fell for it, and thinks that the Brokers' reputation is quite persuasive. But he's secretly convinced that if these intruders are the same two human boys who took down Suzaku and Rando, then the Brokers at his mansion might be facing more than they can handle. I guess the tall Toguro's absolute murder of his strongest pet wasn't as convincing as he let on, because it seems to ME he's gearing up to bet against his security force.
Tarukane grimaces at the guy, definitely NOT happy. The scarred youth's fellows on their respective screens ask if he's crazy, how any SANE person can expect two humans to beat a dozen demons. He says that it's BECAUSE there are two of them, giving the same reasoning that these kids might just be the boys stamping out demons left and right these days that Tarukane had quietly been using just a moment ago. Tarukane laughs nervously and sweats, calling this young "Sakyo" a true gambler, as always. Internally, he's cursing this shrewd punk for keeping his ear to the ground. That's the thing about playing the odds; you can't expect no one else to have the information you do.
The tall Toguro hums yet again, and a now soured Tarukane snaps a question about what's going on now. Toguro responds that six more of his guys have gone the way of the first, and strokes his chin as he admits that these humans are GOOD. Efficient, at the very least.
The boys are indeed moving rapidly along the road through the forested grounds, declaring six demons down. Yet another six stand in front of them, all manners of grotesque, but not quite worth describing, since no doubt they will be out of the picture soon enough. They insist the humans got lucky and that what's left of their numbers are ready for them now. Kuwabara leads the charge at them, aura sword pulled back for a stab, telling the "pug-uglies" to shut up and get out of his way, because he's burning with romantic fury. At some point, he's donned a head band with "I (heart) The Snow Girl" on it. No idea where he pulled THAT from. Yusuke sweatdrops over his outburst and mutters about how he's hopped to it, for sure.
Yusuke peppers the rest of the demonic defense with his Reigun shots, and both boys leave the dead members of the security force, dismembered and fried, fanned behind them. They demand to know who's next.
Inside, the tall Toguro reports that another six are down, in under six seconds. VERY efficient.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm certainly even further convinced of Tarukane's general stupidity, as well as that of his colleagues. As befits his class, he is concerned with gaining even more wealth, first and foremost, but his breadth of his greed seems to have made him incapable weighing risk properly. He challenges Toguro to battle his bear of a science experiment with the assumption that Toguro wouldn't take it on, meaning he could justify demanding a lower price for an inferior service delivered, only to end up promising MORE money to Toguro when he dominated the task. Then Tarukane literally goes to bet against the rest of Toguro's team when he calls in his betting club, losing 10 billion Yen when his bluff is called. As obsessed as he is with pulling in more and more capital, he's hemorrhaging it instead, because he's just not as smart as he seems to think he is. A very fair representation of a lot of the high-profile rich people I've seen to date.
This Sakyo dude promises to be a real thorn in his side, though. And since he's got a good identifying feature on his face, it's clear from the outset that he's going to be more important as time progresses. But even if I didn't know who he is and what part he plays in the future, I'd still be annoyed by him for being part of this creep betting club. Where did I put my guillotine??
Toguro remains the most interesting of all of this cast of villains, because in contrast to the stoic mask he has put on, he almost seems the most HUMAN out of all of them. He expresses no joy whatsoever at the state of affairs, and in fact admits he's upset by having to kill a beast caged by his employer at his command. He also, unlike his giggling brother, was joyless when he at the poor bird in the last chapter. Clearly he's not having FUN killing creatures weaker than himself, and it forces the reader to question just WHAT his motivations are in this. It's not money; he didn't exactly jump at Tarukane's offer to offer him a raise to be his personal bodyguard, saying instead that he'd "think about it". He almost seems to be going along with all this nonsense in a listless, disinterested way. Perhaps his advice to Yukina in the previous chapter was based a little on his own experience. Just do what's expected of you when it's needed, and don't fight. There is no resisting the social force of wealth and power, even for a guy who can literally splatter a genetically beefed-up beast over a wall.
He's just as much a tool, a captive, as Yukina is, and that's a little terrifying.
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