The bright side is that this is the very mechanism that keeps us going in shitty circumstances where there seems to be almost no hope left. We push forward and try to pull ourselves out of the quagmire all the harder when we have nothing left to lose. Yusuke wouldn't even be here in this position if not for this grand gambling spirit of his, so it's not ALL bleak.
It's just redirecting that impulse into places that matter that's the tricky part...
He falls back, semi-conscious, and the boys each prop a foot on his chest as they announce they've defeated all three ogres, and Tarukane's time is up. Gokumonki makes the exact complaint that I highlight above, that he didn't get to introduce himself. Probably for the best, my guy.
Tarukane responds to the boys' declaration within his isolated monitor room with a strangled noise, then a frustrated growl, and at last an outburst cursing his intruders. He has to admit silently to himself that he had NO IDEA they would be this powerful. The Bezos-type rubs it in by saying with some amusement that the Ogre Triad was taken down in no time flat. At first, the winner of this and the last bet remains demure and silent. At first.
Tarukane sweats. A LOT. Then he hesitantly says he's saved the best for last. He announces that the final match-up is the Toguro brothers vs the intruders, the tall Toguro beside him, again having removed his coat to reveal his moderate muscles at this point. He hasn't pumped them up a fraction of the way yet. Tarukane sweats some more as he tells Sakyo to make his selection, but he seems to have regained some confidence. Internally, he DARES Sakyo to bet the farm on the intruders this time, because Tarukane expects to recoup all his losses with this one. He's got all the trust in those Toguros.
Sakyo pauses yet again. Then proposes a bet of sixty-six trillion two hundred billion. Once Tarukane recovers from a speechless gape, he asks haltingly for Sakyo to repeat himself. Sakyo complies, confirming that indeed he said he's putting SIXTY-SIX TRILLION TWO HUNDRED BILLION on the intruders.
If Sakyo's number sounds weirdly specific, that's because it is. Tarukane exclaims that it's the entire budget for the Japanese government, and refuses to believe Sakyo is serious at first. But Sakyo assures his host he's QUITE serious, claiming that the extreme number will make this contest particularly interesting. I don't know why it's so interesting to put an amount of money that runs a whole country for a year (I presume) on these kiddoes, but maybe it's just because I'm not a rich asshole.
Tarukane's virtual guests say there's no backing down for him now, because he started this little game and the BBC (lol) rules dictate that he FINISH it. The gamblers are content to just sit back and watch in the meantime, one of them sighing in satisfaction, because there's nothing more pleasing to him than the misfortunes of others.
Tarukane is swimming in sweat, and huffing like he's just run twenty miles. He thinks Sakyo is insane, but then wonders if he knows something about the Tears of Ice Tarukane is peddling. Immediately the idea is dismissed, because Tarukane is SURE he's kept their source an airtight secret. And at last, all this panicked cloud of chaotic thought terminates in the fundamental idea that makes the gambler tick: that if he wins this all that money would be his. It would be his ultimate gamble. WILL be, because he's already locked in anyway, and he really has no choice when he levels a shaking finger at the monitors and says the game is on, declaring the contest begun. The hubris is potent with this one.
Kuwabara realizes he can try to make psychic contact with her, but he seems to realize for the first time that he doesn't know her name. Kid has been going so fast, he forgot the basics. Yusuke tells him her name is Yukina, and when Kuwabara asks indignantly how he knows that, he says he watched the video until the end. DUH.
The tall Toguro mutters that he's FINALLY allowed to get his fight on, having been standing there listening to this deliberation the WHOLE TIME. I can't really blame him; watching his boss hang himself is probably not all that interesting to a guy who's already foreseen his sticky end.
Tarukane commands his butler Sakashita to bring Yukina here, and make sure the BBC (*giggle*) doesn't find out. Uhhhh, aren't they going to see her? I know the monitors haven't been one-way this whole time, because they've seen the map AND the boys showing off on the security cameras. I'm destined to remain confused, because Tarukane breezes right past this and instructs Sakashita to ward Yukina sufficiently so she can't escape.
Meanwhile, the boys are running once again along the corridor, and Kuwabara says he doesn't detect any demons around. He suggests they find his ice maiden and beat the shit out of Tarukane, but then pauses in alarm.
Kuwabara calls into the ether for Yukina, asking her to say something if she's getting his message. She indeed responds, telepathic communication I suppose is probably a talent of all demon/spirit creatures, asking who he is. He introduces himself as a "Demon-Trouncer", and says he's here to rescue her. I guess he doesn't expect her to count herself among the demons he trounces. Yukina sends him right over on his head when she refuses his help and tells him to go away. Yusuke looks at him in question, but doesn't interrupt.
Yukina has identified Kuwabara correctly as human, and insists that he has NO chance to beat the Brokers of Darkness. He grins as he thinks at her that she shouldn't sweat it, because they've already beaten those guys and their next step is to free her. Yukina responds that this is impossible, because the Brokers, whom she knows as the Toguro brothers, are right there in front of her, leading her and a few other escorts to where Tarukane wants her. Kuwabara considers them no threat at all, because he can't catch a whiff of a powerful aura there at all. She does NOT look convinced, but leaves enough of a pause in her argument for Kuwabara to say that since she's outside those oppressive wards that he knows where she is, and she's getting rescued, ready or not. He's already charging forward again, on his way.
Kuwabara leads Yusuke along the trail of Yukina's aura he can sense, which goes down into the basement. On their way through, Yusuke makes a disgusted note on the guts splattered all over the giant glass cage they pass, but Kuwabara says he doesn't give a shit what that's about, and presses on. They didn't notice all the LIVING abominations lining the walls?
They eventually come to a pair of double doors, on their way to closing, and Kuwabara demands they rush through before they click shut.
Neither of the boys look particularly surprised by the trap sprung on them, Yusuke supposing blandly that the guy in the room with them is the last of those Brokers, while Kuwabara is incensed by the bastards on the monitors watching all this. Behind the window, Tarukane roots for Toguro tensely, admitting he's counting on him. Yukina stands behind him, flanked by guards holding her by her arms. I guess Kuwabara can see her, because he grins and telepathically communicates to her that it's only a matter of time. Again, she is silent in response, no doubt not daring to let herself hope.
Toguro almost PLAYFULLY welcomes them to the arena, expressing hopes they'll go easy on him. It's a DRY joke. Kuwabara reiterates with a scoff that this doof has ZERO demonic aura, so he expects this battle to be cake. Yusuke, on the other hand, gapes silently at the tall Toguro for a moment before he disagrees. He's got a hunch that this guy is bad news, but when Kuwabara asks for more particulars about WHY he feels this way, Yusuke can only argue that it's a creepy feeling telling him to watch out.
No doubt he's about to find out the reasons he's got that feeling. The shoulder Toguro whips off his encompassing cloak, and his figure is much the same as ANYONE who does so in this comic: muscular and shirtless. He climbs up and and jumps off of his taller brother's extended arm, then stretches his own arms back and over his head like he's preparing for a grueling workout, though he continues to crouch. His flesh begins to twist and writhe, reforming into a long point at what were once arms and three shorter ones where his knees and feel used to be. This transformation comes with a lot of bone crunches and crackles that clearly disturb the boys, who grimace at the little guy's scrunching up to such an extreme degree.
As for the tall/younger Toguro, he bulks up again in a hurry, his muscles expanding to a good five times their original size. Both boys are in more awe than horror, which makes sense. Toguro says that he provides the muscle to this operation, and lots of it, forgetting to mention that he also seems to have all the vocal cords between them. He calls he and his brother a single unit, and by the way he carries his older sibling around all the time, I've never doubted it.
There is a wave of energy that crashes out from Toguro, and Kuwabara at last perceives the incredible aura there, Yusuke comparing it to being hit by a hurricane.
With Yusuke's uniform jacket already slashed by the close call, both he and Kuwabara are in active recoil from the attack, the latter in awe at how fast Toguro is. Kuwabara kneels and grunts as he produces his Aura Sword, just in time to intercept another lighting attack with the elder Toguro brother's sword body that was BARELY perceivable as a blur the moment before it came down. Trembling under the enormous pressure between the crossed blades, Kuwabara groans.
Toguro scoffs, then swings his free fists at a completely arrested Kuwabara.
Kuwabara coughs and heaves, his very bones cracking, barely managing to stand in a half-crouch. According to Toguro, Kuwabara had leapt back at the last second to avoid what would have been a FATAL impact, and Toguro warrants that the kid is smarter than the poor beast was, at least. Feels like a low bar to clear.
Toguro is alarmed by movement in his periphery, and turns to find Yusuke pointing his Reigun finger at him, claiming it's his turn as the tip of it shines. Yusuke lets off a great shot, hitting Toguro point blank. Letting out a short laugh, Yusuke talks about the close-range aura bullet like it was a gift for Toguro, and assumes it was successful, what with how it got him square in his face.
But soon it's clear that Toguro is still standing, even as his neck, head, and right arm are obscured by the smoke from the Reigun's shot. When it clears, Yusuke let's out an exclamation about how the sword Toguro had been holding was now wrapped around his forearm in a cuff-like shield.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Absolutely hilarious that Gokumonki got ONE line complaining about how little he got to share about himself, peak comedy. The Ogre Triad's progressive failure to live up to any level of interest with every member defeated speaks to how impatient both creator and audience are impatient to get to the confrontation between the Toguros and the boys. By the end there, it's clear that YT was questioning why he even bothered to insert this spacer between his protagonists and their REAL opponents, because they were just breezing past the spacer anyway. Best to get on with it, for sure.
I found it a little confusing that Sakyo's bet amount was said to be the Japanese Government's budget in this version; I seem to recall that it was Tarukane's entire fortune in the anime, which makes a little more sense as far as why it would mean so much to HIM specifically. If he's threatened with utter destitution for his failure at this little game, that gives way more personal weight to his taking the bet. Not that I don't believe he does have as much money as the Japanese Government for a year, since lots of rich people meet and exceed the GDPs of many a country these days. Besides, Tarukane seems to suspect that Sakyo has some knowledge of his secret source of income, which IMPLIES the number he gave was highly personalized. It just wasn't said, which was a little strange.
Very little about the beginning of the fight at the end was shocking. Since we've seen a bit of the elder Toguro's powers before, it follows that he would be able to transform his whole body at will. He reminds me a little of the flexibility and dexterity of an octopus, which is pretty cool. Although, the weird fleshy sword he turned into did not look even a little intimidating, as I said above. It's probably helpful for inspiring one's opponent to underestimate one, though, so there's an advantage there.
The ONLY think that surprised me was the existence of an arena. Did Tarukane have it built to host fights between his little genetic splice creatures or something? Awfully convenient for this specific situation.
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