Inuyasha Manga: 330 Rat Swarm Runs Wild

A couple of weeks ago, we had a man come to our door several times in two days to talk to us about our supposed rodent problem. He was adamant that the mild signs of disturbance of insulation under the house was a sign that the mice were going to move into the house at any moment, and that it was going to be a serious problem later on when they started chewing on our electrical cables, for some reason. In all this scare-mongering, he carefully avoided talking about what it was he wanted to DO about this highly exaggerated issue, which I'm sure involved killing off all the wildlife in the yard. 

We took a flyer from him in case anything cropped up, and firmly told him he needed to stop knocking on our door every five seconds. Not only have we seen no droppings, had no electrical problems, and have a cat that would NOT be quiet if she heard rodents under the floor, but we've ensured the overgrown yard is an ample habitat for them. They have plenty of food and shelter out in the foliage that it wouldn't make a lick of sense for them to move in even CLOSE to us humans. 

A massive hungry population roaming a barren moonscape, on the other hand...

Miroku acknowledges that the rats are coming back after him, and wonders if the mayose charm has been broken as he rips the sealing beads from his right hand with a bitter curse. He points the Kazaana at the oncoming stream of rats, but despite it sucking in a great cloud of them, there's still a separate line of them streaming out of the Kazaana's range and right past him. He sweat about not being able to vacuum up all of them, since there's too many.

Meanwhile...

She reminds him that he's a youkai EXTERMINATOR, so he's kinda doing he OPPOSITE of what he's supposed to. Kohaku continues to defend against Sango's advance, though, noting once more that the Saimyoushou are hovering over his shoulder, watching him. At least they're too busy doing THAT to bother Miroku about his rat clean-up duty. Kohaku is convinced that if he shows Naraku even the SLIGHTEST hint of betrayal, he'll lose his chance to find out where that baby (or Naraku's heart) is. 

Sango forces Kohaku to leap out of the way again as she slams Hiraikotsu's end into the ground in the spot he was crouched. It's looking like she's far less likely to hold back here. She pulls a chain from one of the secret compartments at her elbow and throws it so its weighted end wraps around an alarmed Kohaku's ankle. After he skids to a stop on his knee, he responds in kind, throwing the weighted chain on his sickle at her, which she avoids by ducking behind Hiraikotsu as it wraps around the boomerang's tip. She declares he can't get away now.

At the sound of scrabbling on the rocks behind her, she looks around.  

That's looking pretty bad. They're both looking in disbelief at the advancing writhing shadow crawling across the ground toward them, and I can just HEAR Sango thinking that Miroku had ONE JOB. 

Meanwhile, back at the mayose tree, the burns from the slugs are exposed, a majority of the slugs themselves lying in shreds on the ground and being examined for devouring potential by the rats. 

The lump of slime falls to the ground among the rats, but they're still wandering aimlessly along the ground, and Shippou curses the fact that they're no longer showing any interest in climbing the tree. Kagome looks up at the damaged trunk and says that it's died, unfortunately. Didn't take much to kill this tool of unparalleled spiritual power. I guess Kikyou is showing us some weakness after all?

Nearby rats are starting to gain their bearings, and notice that the fleshy Kagome and Shippou are nearby, much to their panic. Inuyasha curses, descending from the tree in a hurry, his clawed fingers held up at the ready. He acknowledges that the rodents will just increase when he cuts them and laments how annoying they are, so he claws up some of the earth in their path to disturb it and buy a moment of time. He uses it to yell over his shoulder at Shippou to hurry up and transform rather than gaping, because they're leaving immediately. Shippou seems alarmed at the prospect of running away, but Inuyasha reminds him that the mayose tree is no longer of any use, and they're off to smash the zushi that's producing the little menaces. 

Wow, way to fat-shame Inuyasha, kid! XD

Meanwhile, as the rats advance on Sango and Kohaku, Miroku flies over the swarm to call to the former, telling her in a panic to hurry and smash the little box Kohaku is protecting. After a moment of dazed alarm at Miroku's sudden appearance with the rising tide of rats, Sango lunges once more for her brother with grunt. He fends of her fresh attack, even while she's trying to appeal to his reason by insisting he has to understand he'll be eaten by rats at this point too. He understands this only too well, and is also imagining Naraku to most likely give him the orders to protect the zushi even if it costs him his life. Talk about complying in advance. 

All the time, the rats advance on them, and start to leap at Sango's back once they get close enough. Kohaku watches in horror about to utter a warning to his sister before...

Oooh, this is an IMPRESSIVE panel! Look at that dynamic movement!

Kohaku jumps back, lands in a crouch, then quickly makes a break for it again, Sango hot on his heels. Miroku calls to Sango over his shoulder for her to get on Kirara, because it's too dangerous to be on the ground. She takes his advice, sitting astride the giant sabertoothed cat, but Kohaku is left the principal target of the rising wave of rats. Kohaku is outflanked, and the rats leap for him from seemingly all directions, teeth and claws extended. 

I want to offer a survey to Kohaku every five seconds asking him if this stunt is still worth it.

Miroku gapes over his shoulder in horror as Sango jumps from a circling Kirara's back and pulls Kohaku out of the pile of rats. The box falls from his back and she pauses in her efforts to drag her brother up from the little biting critters to raise Hiraikotsu over her head with the intention of breaking the thing so the rats disappear. But Hiraikotsu is repelled when it hits the zushi by a barrier, because OF COURSE Naraku/Hakudoushi put a barrier around the fucking thing. Still, Sango is SHOCKED that she can't break it. Miroku has now half turned to the scene, too invested in her task to not be splitting his attention, and recognizes the barrier protecting it. 

The rats are once again surrounding Sango, Kohaku, and Kirara, though I'm not certain why they were holding off for the few seconds it took for Sango to try to break the box. Plot convenience time-dilation, I expect. Miroku yells at Sango to get away now, but she kneels to cuddle her injured brother while the rats leap at them again. 

Nearby, Inuyasha announces he's going on ahead and jumps down from Shippou to touch down briefly within the sea of rats, against Kagome's protest. 

We all do, Inuyasha. We all do. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Aside from the little time snafu toward the end there, I was very impressed with the action in this chapter. Nearly every panel was filled with movement and terror with the characters being pursued by a perpetually starving cloud of menace that wouldn't be sated even when the heroes are consumed. And underneath that surface of that desperate turmoil of fighting a fall to this pest, I can't help but think about how this relates to the setting. The basis of animistic spiritualities like Shinto is making relatable and impose personality and literal spirit into forces of nature that seem too big, eldritch, and indiscriminately cruel to comprehend. In the time period this story is set, it was a very real threat to suddenly have a rush of "plague" on crops, rampant disease, famine, and a surge of pests that could ruin everything for the year due to a chain of cause and effect that were not necessarily visible to your everyday person. In a way, youkai and other kinds of spirits, both malevolent and benign, were conceived to help explain these phenomena and provide a story basis for comprehending them on a more personal level. 

I'm still a little frustrated by how everything is about to go back to normal in record time despite how absolutely DEVASTATING an event like this would be on this small archipelago, since frankly, I don't believe for one second that RT had intended to make me think about all this when she wrote the arc. Still, it's interesting to consider how a plague of rats went from a terrible disaster in an ancient context, to the result of the whims of a malevolent spirit, to the set dressing of a modern story.

Can we take a moment to appreciate how SAVAGE Shippou is above too? Is he aiming to inspire an eating disorder in Inuyasha or WHAT??

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 030 Shaolin = Rando!?

I didn't realize the final page of the last chapter was the chapter title page for this one. Not that it's a problem, of course, given that it would have to bear some repeating when it first came out in print. Not just because of the natural tendency for a reader's memory to get fuzzy during the week in between issues, but because little inoffensive guys like Shaolin don't really get the same amount of scrutiny that big burly guys get. No doubt this was the reason Rando chose this particular disguise. 

I mean, just look at that punim!

Botan exclaims that she wouldn't have guessed, and Yusuke is in disbelief that it's this little dude who's the dangerous demon. It's always the quiet ones, lol. As Genkai announces the second match of the semi-finals, Kuwabara rotates his shoulder to stretch and pop the joint, thinking he'll take out the shrimpboat and then it'll just be him and Urameshi left. It has not occurred to him at all that the "shrimpboat" smiling benignly at him might have gotten this far because he's not all he seems. 

Yusuke calls to Kuwabara to listen for a second, but Botan waves an admonishing finger at him, warning him not to give away classified information, reminding him that they're undercover. Uh, I think your inexplicable presence here has probably blown that cover wide open for at least Rando. GENKAI certainly knew who she was and where she came from. Still, Yusuke seems chastened and mutters his assent as Kuwabara comes over.

He asks Yusuke what he wants, then tells him if he's going to cheer him on, he doesn't need to bother with that. Yusuke stutters a bit, but then leans over and whispers to him not to underestimate this guy, and gives him some advice to throw the match for his own good. Yeah, that was ALWAYS going to go over badly. Kuwabara shoves his finger in Yusuke's face, pushing in the tip of his nose, and basically scoffs at the advice of a guy who won his last match through sheer dumb luck and still got beaten up so bad he can barely stand now. He's certainly got a POINT, here. While Yusuke growls at him like a feral possum, Kuwabara tells him not to worry, that he'll get to HIM next.

Oof, that panel hurts my eyes a little. 

Shaolin strikes a posture with his fist in the opposite palm, and politely suggests that the best man win. While they face each other when the match begins, Yusuke and Botan look on in gaping worry. Kuwabara starts things off with a declaration that the best defense is a good offense, and lunges for Shaolin. To the absolute shock of the onlookers, Kuwabara lands a face-warping punch on Shaolin. 

Are we... absolutely SURE there's a big, bad demon here at all?

Yusuke looks confused, and Shaolin rubs his cheek with a childish whine, admitting that Kuwabara is a bit stronger than the numbers indicated. Kuwabara is a little sheepish, muttering that he barely touched the wimpy guy. Wimpy, but persistent. He resolves to get more serious, and after a growl of determination, runs at Kuwabara. Every swing he takes at Kuwabara is dodged, Kuwabara twitching out of the way with no effort whatsoever. Kuwabara eventually gets annoyed and punches straight down on Shaolin's head, and Shaolin whines once more, clutching the lump on his head and bawling. Kuwabara asks who's getting the better of whom here, which just makes the picture all the sadder. 

Genkai frowns at the scene, Yusuke and Botan looking on with surprise. Yusuke turns to Botan and asks if she's absolutely SURE that's Rando, because he's not exactly living up to his reputation right now. It's Yusuke's suggestion that he got beaten up and robbed of HIS power, and Botan hums in response, without much else to say. It IS pretty hard to argue this guy is much of a threat. 

Shaolin crouches and a spectral fire surrounds him as he says it's time to play his ACE. Botan is concerned about his aura changing, and Yusuke looks like he's back to being cautious. In the palm of Shaolin's hand appears a puff of flame, which alarms the hell out of Kuwabara. 

Well, Genkai seems a little shocked, at least. 

Kuwabara lifts his arm out of the path of a flying fireball just in time and it whizzes under his armpit, but it singes his shirt which catches on fire from the proximity to the fire. He dances around, complaining of the heat, and Yusuke yells at him that he's not a rabbit. Once Kuwabara has got the little flame put out, he glares at Shaolin, grumbling about the stuff he's pitching at him and makes his own resolutions now that he's "at the plate" so to speak. 

He takes out the little piece of wooden sword he'd gotten from his previous match and creates the energy sword in much the same manner as before, calling it the "Leadoff Hitter Sword". These baseball metaphors are adorable, especially since his shirt appears to be a baseball jersey. 

Shaolin shoots another fireball, and just like he's a batter, Kuwabara swings and hits the fireball right back at its alarmed pitcher with the Aura Sword. 

It should be illegal for a scene to be this fucking cute. 

Yusuke points out to Botan that Kuwabara is getting more powerful by the minute, and even if Shaolin IS Rando, he could be in some trouble with our baseball boy. Botan wonders if Yusuke could be right, sweatdropping, but also looking a little hopeful. It would be awfully nice if Rando's defeat turned out to be easier than she assumed. 

So why do I feel like it's only going to be harder instead?

Shaolin gushes a bit about how Kuwabara just hit the fireball straight back at him and he couldn't dodge it, claiming Kuwabara combined defense and offense into one fighting style. Kuwabara is grinning when he tells Shaolin that flattery will get him nowhere, insisting he give up already. Shaolin refuses for the moment, lacing his fingers except for the two indexes, which he steeples together to point toward his chin. A jumble of Kanji float around behind him, indicating some sort of chant. Kuwabara asks aloud what all this Buddhist jazz is, speculating that it's Shaolin saying his prayers before he flattens him. 

Genkai mutters that it's some spell, though. When Yusuke and Botan look to her for explanation, she says that the flaming palms and the one Shaolin is currently using are techniques that the best "Voodoo charmers" and martial artists she knows have spent DECADES mastering. Uh, that term gives me the distinct impression that Genkai doesn't know a SINGLE Root Worker or Voodoo practitioner. Regardless, Genkai says now that she's heard of a demon stealing various masters' secrets recently, which is a hell of a thing to admit NOW, at the tail-end of her own competition for a successor. 

Yusuke expresses absolute shock that Shaolin actually DOES seem to be Rando, as Kuwabara makes a mad dash for Shaolin, resolving to make a move if his opponent is just going to stand there chanting. Suddenly, Kuwabara freezes in his advance, in question at first, then gaping, sweating HORROR.  

At first, Kuwabara screams that Shaolin has become a giant, but then he notices the tall grass around him and wonders where it came from, then hears a rustle next to him and turns to see a caterpillar that is almost as large as he is crawling over the ground. He shrieks at the snuffling thing, jumping back from its path, asking himself what's going on, if Shaolin grew, or if HE'S the one who changed. He leaves that last part unspoken, perhaps unable to utter the unspeakable, perhaps because he doesn't have time to finish his sentence before a giant hand descends and grasps him tightly, lifting him from the ground.

Honey, I shrunk the hooligan. 

Yusuke yells impotently that Shaolin can crush Kuwabara at will, a real "no duh" moment, and encourages Kuwabara to throw in the towel because he's lost. Uh, if Shaolin is a killer demon, what makes you think he's going to ACCEPT a forfeit from Kuwabara before just taking him off the census? Indeed, Shaolin asks politely for Yusuke not to take away his fun, expressing his desire for Kuwabara to suffer a little before "the end". Ominous as FUCK.

Kuwabara is struggling to escape Shaolin's grasp to absolutely no effect, and one of his arms is only allowed out of Shaolin's fist when Shaolin himself releases it to take it up into his opposite fingers. He asks mockingly what would happen if he held it like that, Kuwabara falling into silent panic, and Yusuke calling Kuwabara's name in alarm. Shaolin bends the little toy-like arm a little in unnatural directions, delicately, but producing a worrying crackle. Kuwabara stutters at him to stop, then screams when his right arm snaps under the pressure of Shaolin's fingers. Yusuke is rendered speechless in his horror.

Alright, NOW it's easy to see this guy as a demon. 

Yusuke overcomes the initial shock of watching mini Kuwabara getting his arm broken and turns to Genkai to shout at her to call the match, because it's over. She hums dispassionately at first, but then does as Yusuke asks, announcing that Shaolin is the victor. After Shaolin asks Kuwabara if he heard that he won, he claps his other hand over Kuwabara in his other fist and squeezes, producing a crunch as the body inside is mangled. Yusuke yells Kuwabara's name again, lunging toward Shaolin in the effort to stop him, calling him a scum ball. Thankfully, it looks like Kuwabara isn't COMPLETELY broken when we see him sticking out the top of Shaolin's fist in this panel, Shaolin having taken his other hand away. 

But Shaolin's cruelty isn't finished yet. He scoffs at the approaching Yusuke, then flings Kuwabara into the surrounding swamp, claiming to be done with him anyway. As Yusuke runs off in the direction Kuwabara was thrown, Botan joining him, Shaolin laughs about the speed he got on that pitch, and sighs in admiration for his thrill of victory. He supposes aloud that they would prefer Kuwabara to be returned to his original size, and lifts his hands again to reverse his spell, because he sees no real harm in it. 

Doctor? Doctor. Especially when Botan makes her medical assessment of Kuwabara while she and a fretting Yusuke kneel on either side of him: both arms, a leg, and some ribs SHATTERED. In fact, Botan says that it's possible the arms may never heal properly. Girl, take out those magic cleric powers or whatever and get busy! 

As if anyone asked, Shaolin starts gushing about how he wanted to try out that spell for a long time, but it's an awfully long and complicated incantation, and leaves him vulnerable when he's reciting it, which means it doesn't really add to his power in a practical way. He confesses that he's interested in Genkai's techniques because they require few words and create DEVASTATING results, like being able to blow a human to smithereens. Unsurprisingly, his little smile is looking pretty sinister here in a shaded panel. 

After a small pause, Genkai says that this would be the case in EVIL hands. Surely she recognizes by now that Shaolin does indeed HAVE those evil hands. I mean, he literally BROKE Kuwabara with them and everything. And he's just continuing to gush about how excited he is to try all this stuff out, and the rest of them just don't even GET IT. Yeah, man, no doubt they don't get the excitement about potentially murdering people. Super abnormal. 

Yusuke grunts through his clenched teeth that Shaolin will only get to try it in his dreams, which prompts Shaolin to take a moment to re-examine Yusuke and happily declare that he's never seen an aura so fired up with bloodlust. He thinks it's WAY COOL, lol. 

Shit is about to GO DOWN.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Yusuke is having quite the emotional reaction, and I can't help but notice how much more POTENT it is than the one he had to Keiko's kidnapping and near demon-turn. That combined with how Yusuke doesn't even seem to really WANT to hang out with Keiko, and you start to wonder just exactly why some creators scratch their heads at rainbow interpretations of their male main characters. XD

All half-jokes aside, it's no wonder to me that this attitude of Shaolin/Rando has frustrated Yusuke to the point of murderous rage. He's maintaining an almost friendly and innocent affectation while saying some of the most malicious and threatening things with it, and the combination is very disturbing. It begs the question why he's bothering to keep up this strange act, unless the jaunty disposition is natural to him and just goes really well with his unassuming disguise. It sends a chill up your spine to think that the excitement he expresses like a kid in a candy store is literally just how he considers potential violence against humans; just like CANDY to him. Demonic indeed. 

I'm confused by Genkai again. She indicates that she's heard rumors about the demon stealing her colleagues' techniques, but still seems largely disinterested in the idea that this is what is possibly happening here. I can't decide if it's more likely that he held these trials in as a trap for the demon in partnership with the Underworld authorities (considering she did seem to recognize where Botan was from, and therefore Yusuke), OR if she just genuinely doesn't give a shit if her power goes to a demon or not. I recall from one of the discussions under a previous chapter that there MIGHT be some reasoning on Genkai's part that progress has no moral compunctions, but we have yet to hear from Genkai herself, so I'm still reserving judgment until I do. Perhaps I'm still holding out hope that she's not a consequentialist weirdo or something, lol!

And poor Kuwabara! Not only has he been horribly mangled, but he BARELY got to use his Spirit Sword, and certainly not in any way that wasn't a bat! Though I did appreciate the baseball metaphors. They were major league fun. :)

Inuyasha Manga: 329 Weakening Spirit Tree

Don't @ me, Chapter. Sure, my occasional tree visualization of root and branch isn't what it used to be, but I have a lot on my mind lately! My meditation sessions have been a struggle to focus for a while now, because of all the shit going on in my own life, the lives of my loved ones, and in the world at large. It feels like my head is overflowing, and instead of all the excess stuff that I have no personal power over/can't act on spilling out, it seems to have colonized my brain and pushed all actionable things right out. I need to find a way to banish the invaders, or my breath will continue to be harder and harder to follow in the future...

Still thankful I don't have the mental load THIS kid has, though. 

With a pained expression, Sango tells Kohaku that every village they passed was completely eaten by rats, as new ones continue to pour from the box. Sango hangs her head, mumbling that she didn't want to get involved with Kohaku yet again, Kohaku watching her and sweatdropping. He says plainly, if not a little hesitantly, that he can't disobey orders. When Sango's head snaps up, her eyes are brimming with tears, and she yells Kohaku's name. Then she leaps from Kirara's back with Hiraikotsu extended above her head, ready to swing the weapon, seemingly at the alarmed Kohaku. 

Oh good, she was just going for the box. At least she gave him an excuse to close the thing, if nothing else. 

Of course the end of the rat stream explodes into a knot on Hiraikotsu's elbow from where it fell and smashed a few rodents. Miroku calls for Sango to stop, reminding her of what she herself had told him only a couple of chapters ago, but she swings Hiraikotsu to throw off the vermin, yelling at Miroku to just suck the damn things up. 

Kohaku runs off toward an incline up a nearby hill, fleeing between a few buzzing Saimyoushou, which is probably preventing Miroku from doing what Sango ordered him. She groans in frustration as she runs after her brother, announcing her intention to smash the zushi, at the very least. Miroku looks over his shoulder at the rats still streaming off into the distance, and determines that even if he uses the Kazaana, the rats are too focused on going forward that they won't even look around. Not sure why he would care about the rats looking at him when he's vacuuming them into oblivion, but it's clear that he's wondering if the mayose charm drawing them is really THAT powerful at least. 

It's definitely BIG, that's for sure. 

As Shippou gapes up in wonder at the tree, he asks what happens to the rats that reach the sky, and Kagome answers that they get purified, most likely. She's looking a little worried here with her contracted brows and sweatdrop, and the silent Inuyasha isn't looking too much different. He notes that nowhere around the base of this massive tree is Kikyou in sight. Whether it's disappointment or concern isn't quite clear either.

Suddenly, a voice from the sky complains about how annoying a woman Kikyou is, for having setting this giant rodent trap up and then fucking off. A swirl of evil aura appears in the sky, and at its center, what looks like thick boneless appendages come worming their way out. 

Oh great, it's not tentacles, just... more fucking pests, lol!

Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou all gape in alarm, the latter voicing the reality that they're looking at monstrous slugs. Standing on the side of one of these is Hakudoushi, STILL pissing and moaning about how he thought he'd finally dragged Kiykou out into the open. That's what you get when you devastate an area WAY too large to monitor where any one person may show up, kiddo. 

Inuyasha calls to Hakudoushi in a none-too-friendly way, accusing him rightly of being the bastard who unleashed all these fucking rats. Hakudoushi chuckles that Inuyasha shouldn't even need to ask, implying he's the only one depraved enough for a shitty plan like this. Which, you know... fair enough. 

At the edges of one the slugs' undersides sticking to the tree, the bark and wood crack under the slime breaking it down. Kagome cries that the mayose tree is being corroded by the slugs, and Shippou adds that the tree will be destroyed if they don't do something fast. Inuyasha grunts and yanks Tessaiga from its sheath as he leaps toward the tree. Hakudoushi mockingly asks if he'll cut him at the monsters, and Kagome calls to him, Shippou warning him not to use the Kaze no Kizu; he'll just be doing what Hakudoushi wants if he cuts down the tree along with the slugs. Inuyasha yells over his shoulder to the mouthy little brat that he KNOWS this, and continues his ascent up the tree with slug platforms to aid him. Shippou grumbles that Inuyasha's expression shows he doesn't understand, as if the ONLY reason Inuyasha could be going up the tree is to use Kaze no Kizu. 

Granted, there's no denying how RT loves making Inuyasha do the dumbest things...

Kagome holds up her bow and retrieves an arrow from her quiver, asserting that they have to protect the tree regardless. At least there are none of those arrows this time that will deliver a shock if she's trying use it in a way Kikyou doesn't like, lol! She nocks it and says that she's certain she can purify the youkai slugs. 

Shippou is congratulatory over her hitting the slug, but Kagome reminds him that they're pretty big targets. Gotta hand it to the girl, she stays humble. 

Meanwhile, Inuyasha is still hopping from slug-platform to slug-platform, demanding that the little bastard Hakudoushi stay right where he is above him. In his defense, he doesn't appear to be preparing to move at all. Inuyasha attempts to lecture him, asking how many villages he thinks had to parish just so he could draw out Kikyou, as if that's going to move the little psychopath. In fact, Hakudoushi's smirk remains firmly in place, asking Inuyasha in turn if he's really angry about that. It's at this point that Hakudoushi leaps from his perch just as Inuyasha is coming up to him, passing him in midair. Inuyasha swings away at Hakudoushi with a Kaze no Kizu.

See Shippou? He didn't aim at the fucking TRUNK, did he?

Hakudoushi's head smugly chuckles above what's left of his blown-away body, and as Inuyasha growls in anger and frustration, he begins to disappear into a vortex of swirling aura. Before he vanishes, he tells Inuyasha to give Kikyou a message if he sees her: As long as she continues to evade and run from Naraku, this same kind of catastrophe will continue to crop up endlessly. 

Or until the islands run out of villages to wipe out, of course. 

Inuyasha growls out a curse again, looking up at the slug above him and the sizzling trunk underneath it. On the ground, Shippou observes the rats with some concern, stuttering to Kagome that they're acting strange. Kagome lowers another arrow a bit with a noise of question, and Shippou explains that until now, they've been aiming themselves for the tree without hesitation, but now...

There's a joke in here somewhere about edging, but I'm not sure I'm the one to make it. XD

Kagome calls for Inuyasha to handle the slugs further up the tree, and Inuyasha responds he's already on it, clawing through another of the gooey youkai pests. Kagome concentrates on blasting another to oblivion with her arrow. Hopefully there aren't so many that she runs out of arrows. 

Back at the source site for the rats, Kohaku is leaping along with the zushi strapped to his back, but his escape is cut off by Hiraikotsu spinning out of the air from over his head and into the ground just in front of him. Or, maybe it just grazed the ground, because it returns to Sango's hand behind him, Kohaku following its path over his shoulder with his gaze. He turns and grunts as he throws his sickle at her, but she deflects the half-hearted resistance with Hiraikotsu's broad side, yelling his name in both warning and pleading. She insists that he HAS to break free of Naraku's grasp. Oh, if she knew he already has, it would absolutely SHATTER her at this point.

Kohaku contemplates her with some hesitation a moment. 

Scant meal as you are, I suppose you're better than the nothing they were heading for. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Hakudoushi's lack of concern with not being able to actually confront Kikyou is just more evidence that he pulled this youkai rat stunt because he thought it was FUN, and trapping Kikyou was just an minor excuse. This is something that we already know, though. What's particularly interesting about this, however, is how Hakudoushi is not treating this like a failure. Naraku gave him the task of drawing out Kikyou, and while it did have that effect, he created a mess big enough for her to slip out of and back into hiding without him catching her. It further emphasizes Naraku's habits to let a lot SLIDE when it comes to the failures of those in his service, something that I'm only now coming to recognize. We've only really seen him PUNISH Kagura, because she's outwardly antagonistic toward him, but the rest of his incarnations and "servants" are hardly ever given so much as an admonition for screwing up in their missions. It all just rolls off him like water off a duck's back.

How very Zen of him. Of course, he probably also considers the rat incident just as amusing as Hakudoushi, so in his mind it's worth it just to wipe out a few villages. 

I don't know if I have much else to say on the subject of Sango and Kohaku's respective dilemmas. Kohaku did look like he wanted quite badly to admit to Sango that he WAS indeed broken from Naraku's control there for a second at the end, but again, that's a double-edged sword. If he tells her that he's conscious, then she HAS to judge his actions based on his own autonomy, and letting that box stand open doesn't exactly look GOOD on him, even considering his unique reasoning. Besides, it's at least fair reasoning that he needs to continue keeping up appearances for his plan to work out, and it would be majorly anticlimactic if he threw that away so soon after making such a weighty decision. 

SOMEBODY'S gotta stick to their guns in this thing! 

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 029 Kaze-maru - Ninja!

I've been trying to cut down on my use of the em dash and en dash in my writing lately, because I hear that there's a tendency to ChatGPT and other LLMs to overuse these punctuation features, and I certainly don't want anyone to mistake my writing for that of so called "AI". As a result, I've become sensitive to the use of dashes everywhere I see them, and I can't help but flinch whenever I see them in other texts too, even ones that predate our current LLM issue by a long way. It's not their fault, but a filter's a filter. To make matters worse, the use of the hyphen in Kaze-maru has hardly been consistent when it's been used in previous chapters. In a single chapter, his name as been translated as Kaze-maru, Kazemaru, and Kaze Maru, and I've just stuck with the hyphenated spelling for consistency's sake. 

It might help if HUMANS could agree on how to spell names before they publish, instead of being so wild with them. 

Not a moment to recover? Is Genkai not vibing with Yusuke's punk persona and trying to get rid of him?

Yusuke complains that he just finished a match, and Genkai retorts that the order of the matches are set, which is a tough break for Yusuke. Uh, girl, the only one who's setting these rules is YOU. What's with the "I just work here" attitude you're adopting? Anyway, she's also sick of the fights in the dark, apparently, so she tells them they're also switching locales as she opens the massive door out of the abyss of a room.

Well, at least it'll be easier to for the audience to see the battles now too.

They climb a hill through the trees as a group this time, Yusuke bringing up the rear, huffing and puffing the whole way. Ah, the cigarettes are already taking their toll. He pisses and moans that his Reigun is all used up and he's a mass of bruises, not giving himself good odds for this round. Botan, who is slightly ahead of him on the trek, silently agrees, and adds that Kaze-maru might very well be Rando. They both peer at the backs of the two left besides Yusuke and Kuwabara, worrying and wondering which one it might be. 

The group emerges from the trees in a clearing with some tall grass that half-obscures Genkai, who announces that they've arrived. 

Genkai might be going for Yoda vibes here...

She states in all seriousness that ancient battles were fought here, and there's no more spiritual a spot on the whole mountain. It's her assertion that their powers will flower fully on this ground, swampy though it might be. Kaze-maru agrees with her, surrounded with spectral fire, saying that he feels the power surging through him. Botan turns to Yusuke and asks if HE feels anything while he examines his extended forefinger and thumb. He answers that he's getting SOME strength back, but not nearly enough for a decent shot, and he has some anxiety about being cooked if Kaze-maru is Rando with powers he hasn't shown yet. 

Wearing a smug smirk, Kaze-maru claims to sympathize with Yusuke being dealt a shit hand, and starts to lecture Yusuke on how you have to play the cards luck has given you in the real world. I wouldn't expect a guy like this to use gambling metaphors, but I guess it works for the target, so it's fine. Kaze-maru adds that Yusuke MAY prevail with enough spiritual energy, but rather than this being a hopeful note, it comes across as more mocking. Yusuke thinks that he'll only prevail by delivering one good counter punch, clenching his fist. It's no wonder his instinct is to fall back on his base brawling skills, as he doesn't appear to have much faith that he can get through this otherwise.

Kaze-maru takes a step forward, drawling about how interesting it is to meet someone like himself that can emit reiki in the same way he can, but acknowledges that it seems Yusuke's energy is spent. With this observation out of the way, he lunges for Yusuke and declares he could defeat the kid right now with his bare hands. To his horror, Yusuke's shoe gets stuck in the squishing mud and he's forced to watch Kaze-maru's fist sailing straight at the side of his face. 

That's going to hurt in the morning. Or now. 

It unsticks Yusuke from the ground, though, so that's good. He's left sprawled on the swamp some distance from Kaze-maru, having been flung through the force of the ninja's punches. Groaning, Yusuke pushes himself up as Kaze-maru strolls over, Kuwabara laments how beat Yusuke is to the point where he can't even hit back or dodge. 

Kaze-maru pulls back for another hit when he arrives at Yusuke's side, promising to make it a quick defeat for him. But Yusuke responds with an exclamation of "now!" and swings at Kaze-maru once he's close enough. Sweatdropping, Kaze-maru twitches back, so Yusuke's punch barely goes past his head. Yusuke complains that he missed, but blood spurts from a new cut on Kaze-maru's cheek, surprising him quite a bit. He leaps back some distance, and as Yusuke bares his teeth at him, Kaze-maru admits that Yusuke's not quite as spent as he thought, and he'll have to stay out of the tot's reach. 

Just thought I'd remind everyone that this is a grown man fighting a literal teenager. 

Well, the title DID emphasize that he's a ninja, after all. 

As the stars whizz toward him, Yusuke acknowledges that he's in pretty bad shape, but he should easily be able to dodge those. And in fact does, fairly easily. This doesn't appear to bother Kaze-maru, though, who stands with a neutral expression, arms crossed. Yusuke asks if he's got anything else, or if he plans to just stand there, but his attention is drawn by a growing whir behind him. To his alarm, it's the whole set of stars coming back around at his head. 

The stars slash Yusuke yet again on their third pass, causing Yusuke to cry out in pain. Kaze-maru lifts a finger from his crossed arms to wag it at Yusuke, calling these little missiles reiki-seeking throwing stars that Yusuke won't be able to escape. Over another shot of one spinning relentlessly in the air, Kaze-maru says they'll keep going until they hit their target. 

Yusuke takes a wide defensive stance in front of a tree, the stars steering toward him once again. At the last second, he leaps out from their path, and the moment one of them makes contact with the tree...

Really? They have to EXPLODE too??

Apparently. As Yusuke is thrown back by the force of blast, Kaze-maru lightly admits that his stars also explode when they're hit, so even a near miss can mess one up. Pointing in his supposed triumph, Kaze-maru declares that Yusuke out of options. Yusuke pushes himself again to his feet with more effort than ever, it seems, groaning while he thinks that he's toast if there's one more explosion like that. He staggers, and senses the turn in midair of the remaining stars as they steer for him once more, knowing that this is it. But he also knows he can't just STAND here if this guy is Rando.

Interlude by a sketch of Botan wishing everyone a happy New Year with best wishes and all that. Being as far as I can be from the New Year during my coverage of this chapter is a LITTLE amusing to me. 

Back in the chapter proper, Yusuke glances nervously over to Kuwabara, and laments how much it sucks, but...

He doesn't realize he's the new tree yet, does he?

Yusuke he's going straight into WHATEVER Kaze-maru has got, so that if HE goes down, so does Kaze-maru. Kaze-maru holds out his palm, which glows with building power, insisting (a little nervously, I might say) that Yusuke take his energy blast, because the fool cannot be allowed to get anywhere NEAR him. 

After a splash, Kaze-maru is left alone on the field, looking around and questioning where Yusuke disappeared to. He's incensed that Yusuke pulled off this impossible vanishing act, but his anger is quickly replaced with panic when his stars, in Yusuke's absence, start heading straight for him. He yells at them halting exclamations of discouragement and disbelief, as though they'll be moved not to attack their own master.

Maybe program them for that possibility next time, my dude. 

Kaze-maru arcs back with the force of the self-inflicted explosion, exclaiming haltingly that he just doesn't get it, then thumps on the ground, defeated. But Kuwabara seems more interested in the fact that, as he and the others advance on the battlefield, Yususke really appears to have vanished into thin air. Botan's attention is drawn by a glubbing in the swamp, and then an arm extends from the muddy water, waving, and she points out the spot in excitement. Kuwabara drags Yusuke out of the bog, mocking him for being so desperate as to hide in there, but Yusuke coughs that he WASN'T hiding; he just FELL IN. He and I both seem to be in disbelief that it turned out to be the right move anyway, lol. 

Smiling, Genkai says that it would seem it was, telling Yusuke that his sudden disappearance threw Kaze-maru off his timing, and though it was accidental, it's still Yusuke's win. She asserts that Lady Luck was smiling on him this time. Still not the biggest miracle she pulled off for him in this story though! XD

Kaze-maru, still conscious, though immobile on the ground, whines that he can't believe it, and Yusuke agrees. Botan can say for certain now that Kaze-maru is down for the count and is not giving off any subconscious demonic aura that she can detect, he's NOT Rando. With this affirmation, Yusuke concludes that the only one it could possibly be is the guy Kuwabara is now going to face in the second semi-finals match that Genkai is yelling at them to prepare for. The guy who Kuwabara is currently thinking should be a cinch to beat. 

Yeeeaaaaah, definitely should have struck us as more obvious...

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I may have been somewhat torn on the re-frame of Yusuke's bad habits in the previous chapter, but my opinion of the content of this one is less difficult to parse. I definitely appreciate the element of luck being emphasized in this one, because it's just not covered in most stories that I come across. Skill and work are subordinate to opportunity in my experience, and the former just don't matter much without the latter coming around first. Without a little luck, Yusuke wouldn't have been in any position to win this one, because he just wasn't in any physical condition to continue to perform at capacity. 

And it looked to me that Genkai, smiling like she was, appreciated Yusuke's luck here too. One might have expected her to be a little frustrated that fortune had played so big a role in the outcome of this match as opposed to the skill and power of the two fighters. But she appeared almost pleased with the winner. It's possible, because she had already decided on the order of the matches, that she had been hoping the old swamp would provide a bit more of a leveling effect on the playing field, with its power-boosting properties as well as its environmental advantages. Because she's expressed her intention to go with whoever won in her trials no matter what, she would be interested in making things as fair as possible, and to make up for her personal hand in the matter as much as possible. I don't doubt she's aware that her own decisions are affecting the scales in various subtle ways, so I wouldn't be surprised if she was trying to mitigate that as much as possible. If adding a little luck into the process for anyone to grasp and take advantage of is the result, then that's all the better. 

And no doubt a spiritual adept like herself is partial to the idea of seeming randomness like luck provides an avenue for Providence to act for the best too. XD
 

Inuyasha Manga: 328 Mayose

I've never been much good at cleaning. I get a little grossed out by it, and the sensations that come with touching/scrubbing grime. Because of this, I tend to put off cleaning up, and have had to come up with all kinds of strategies to motivate me to overlook my sensory disgust at the cleaning act. This week, I'm going to have to employ EVERY SINGLE ONE, and maybe come up with a few more, in order to avoid being completely mortified by a visitor swinging by. Thankfully, my husband isn't nearly as grossed-out by the process of cleaning as I am, so he's able to help me quite a bit, but it's going to take both of us to make the kitchen and dining area presentable, because there are corners there that are quite neglected. Lots of dust, lots of clutter, and a few stains that I've mostly forgotten about. 

It's going to take a LOT more effort than a more functional adult would have to spend on the task.

Better than the herculean effort it's going to take to clean up THIS mess, though. 

Sango and Miroku fly over the countryside on Kirara, the former commenting on how EVERYTHING has been covered by rats. Miroku reminds Sango of how she said that the rats only increase when cut, and she affirms this, expressing frustration that they increased so damn much that they can't tell where their source is. Miroku guesses that she means the zushi box, to which Sango responds that she's HEARD the rats will disappear if the box is destroyed. That sure is an uncertain statement as solution to a REALLY big problem.

Elsewhere, in the craggy side of a mountain, a bubble of a barrier bulges out of the mouth of a cave, where Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou hang out and wait. Shippou complains about how Sango and Miroku are late, and Inuyasha bitterly questions why he has to hang out inside the barrier too. Shippou suggests it's because Inuyasha would easily become frustrated and start swinging his sword around, only to increase the population of rats. Inuyasha gripes at the little brat for calling him an idiot, before Kagome points out something to Inuyasha on the other side of their protective barrier. 

No surprise there. Kagome takes this as confirmation that Naraku was behind this Zushi Nezumi going out of control business, and Inuyasha scoffs that he always figured that was the case anyway. He adds that he didn't think Naraku would have died from the arrow, though there's a bit of a doubtful note at the end with a trailing "but".

Shippou announces that Sango and Miroku have returned upon spotting them outside the barrier, and once they're back inside, Miroku asks for confirmation that Kagome also saw they Saimyoushou. After she tells him she has, Shippou suggests that Naraku is searching for them to get revenge. Miroku is doubtful of this hypothesis, rather feeling that Naraku is pulling strings from behind the scenes in order to get someone to show themselves. Inuyasha asks what he means, as if there could be any doubt about it, and Miroku repeats that it should be obvious Miroku is trying to draw a certain someone out, they themselves being a possibility, but Miroku seems to pause before listing ANOTHER, more likely option. Inuyasha and Kikyou come to the conclusion to which Miroku is leading them at the same time: Kikyou. Kagome in particular lands pretty hard on the notion that Naraku's target is Kikyou. 

Well done, kiddos. 

And well done Naraku. As usual, he seems to be getting exactly what he wants. 

The little manufactured child by Kikyou's side draws her attention to the sky, where the other little child, called Kochou, was flying toward them. Once near the ground, Kochou extended a branch of the Ogatama Tree that she was apparently instructed to retrieve. With a determined look, Kikyou accepts the foliage, and tells Kochou and her twin Asuka that they're going down the mountain. 

What, to where the RATS are??

To where they WERE, anyway, a barren valley covered in abandoned wagons and skeletons that the rats had left behind them. Kikyou draws a perfect pentagram in the dirt with the tip of her bow, and sticks the branch she got from Kochou right in the center of it, like it's a miniature tree. Raising two fingers and concentrating on this little branch in the pentagram wordlessly, it starts to grow.

And boy DOES it grow in a hurry. 

The rats surging over the ground suddenly start turning their heads, and then their bodies in a single direction, something that Inuyasha and Miroku notice from a the peak of a bluff somewhere. Inuyasha in particular appears astonished by this sudden gathering of the disorganized hordes. Kagome and Sango aren't far behind them, the former commenting on how they all seem to be heading for the same place, the latter agreeing that the flow is becoming one steady stream of rodents. 

Miroku says hesitantly that somewhere a "mayose" could be being performed. Inuyasha repeats the term as a question, so Miroku explains that it's a way of bringing together and destroying youkai all at once, but it couldn't be done without a STRONG spiritual power. 

I'm continually perplexed at how weak we're supposed to THINK Kikyou is, when she's out here doing shit like THIS. In front of God and everybody, as my father would say. 

Kagome suggests to Inuyasha they go and check it out, with more than a TOUCH of irritation in her expression. Inuyasha says her name in response, as though about to argue, but Sango cuts in with her own plans to try and find out where the rats are coming from, and Kagome calls to her in curiosity. Sango elaborates that it's worrying her that the number of rats passing is increasing and the flow isn't stemming at ALL, meaning that the rats are still coming from their box. Miroku agrees with her implication that this won't be over until the source of the trouble is addressed. 

So Inuyasha is carrying Kagome over the flood of rats toward where they are heading, Shippou tagging along on Kagome's shoulder and asking with a sweatdrop if Naraku will show up ahead too, if Kikyou is really there. Kagome can only really respond with a nervous noise, only just remembering herself that Naraku is after Kikyou's life. She's really SO consumed with her own personal drama that she's forgotten WHY Kikyou had to come out of hiding in the first place. GIRL. 

Inuyasha tells Shippou it would have been better for him to go with Miroku and Sango if he is so scared of meeting Naraku, but Shippou snaps back that he can't do that, because then who would be there to comfort Kagome when he and Kikyou meet and a weird mood develops? In his overinflated righteousness, Shippou calls Inuyasha a two-timing dog, and Inuyasha adopts a glower and warns the little guy that he's liable to be dropped right into the teeming rats if he says one more word. Probably best to hold that tongue until you're NOT relying on this guy to keep you from being devoured alive, kiddo.

Kagome and Shippou gape at what they judge SEEMS to be a tree, but Inuyasha adds that it's reaching straight up into the sky. The branches are disappearing far past the clouds, and the rats, as Kagome observes, follow those branches ALL the way up and vanish right along with the top of the tree. The shadow this thing casts must be absurdly large. It would block out the damn SUN.

Meanwhile, following the stream of rats back the opposite way, Sango and Miroku fly over an obliterated village that Miroku judges was devoured some time ago, but he's not more specific about how long he thinks that is. Sango agrees, adding that the rats have forced a path through it. The point is that they seem to be traveling back to earlier sites of the destruction. Miroku mutters about how terrible this is, and Sango urges Kirara to hurry. 

CONSCIOUSLY following orders just might be hitting different for Kohaku. He recalls Hakudoushi telling him that Kikyou has made a move, and as he's leaving to run and meet her, instructs Kohaku to stay here and watch over the zushi, warning him not to close the door on the little box. Kohaku even now puzzles over WHY the door should remain open when Kikyou has been lured out and its purpose is presumably fulfilled. It seems to be rhetorical, because he has already drawn the conclusion, with a look of disgust on his face, that Hakudoushi is ENJOYING the destruction of the rat horde. 

Give the boy a prize.

Kohaku leans on the box, his hand near the door, thinking on closing it to stop the rats, how even now it COULD save some lives. But he's aware of the saimyoushou hovering nearby, and notes with a sweatdrop that he's being watched. If he closes it, he's SURE that he'll let Naraku know that he's regained his memory and autonomy. Quite the dilemma he's created for himself.

Suddenly his name is called, and he looks up to find Sango and Miroku hovering on Kirara above him. 

And to top it all off, he just keeps breaking his sister's heart. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Kikyou's condition is very convenient to not interfere with the resolution of this rat problem. Miroku says himself that immense spiritual power is needed to create a "Mayose" charm, so I can't help but think, once again, that Kikyou can't be in THAT bad of shape right now. Perhaps it really IS just her physical condition that's still recovering from the corruption of Naraku's miasma river, but I should think even that would impact her ability to execute spiritual feats - I know that when I'M in extreme discomfort, I can't concentrate all that well on simple meditation. Granted, this is a pretty time-sensitive issue, and there's no one ELSE who can get rid of the sheer amount of rats that have been unleashed. 

I suppose I still think that if Kikyou's condition is as bad as we're supposed to believe, she should also be FORCED to seek help, primarily from Kagome, because she would be the only one who might be able to pull off what is needed here. It's an obvious literary avenue that is FAR more interesting than the contradictory path that RT is taking here.

Good thing Kohaku is here to make up for the confusion around Kikyou's state with his much crunchier complexity. His current situation is no easy puzzle, and forces the reader to ask a lot of anxiety-ridden questions. How far would you go to get your shot at eliminating ONE guy? How many people would you let die? How many would you kill on orders? How much evil is WORTH IT? And how many of us would have whatever it takes to make this continual decision? Because every second, Kohaku is having to reaffirm his commitment to his plan. In full consciousness, he has to ask himself these very questions - when it's enough and how many sacrifices are justified on the altar of killing Naraku - every moment. And I don't expect the reaffirmation to be any easier over time, especially when so much of his newly regained consciousness has to be dedicated to convincing himself that it's all worth it. 

It's true what they say. 

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 028 The 4th Match: Urameshi vs. Kibano!

It's always a little awkward to have two colons in my post titles, but my brain is especially fuzzy right now and it's troublesome. I'm dealing with ANOTHER aggressive virus, and on top of having not gotten a lot of sleep last night, it feels like my brain is leaking out my nose and my throat is on fire. I don't know what it is with 2025, but I'm proving to be ultra fragile when it comes to my health - it's not even the half-way mark on this year yet and I'm sick to death of... being sick. I don't know WHAT my husband's coworkers are getting into, but he'd better stop bringing that shit home with him every other week, because I don't think I can survive another one of these diseases!

Just the LOOK these guys are giving each other is exhausting for my overtaxed constitution. 

The next two-page spread gives us a short bio for every one of the candidates for Genkai's apprenticeship that are left, pretty much the same ones we got in their introductions, so no need to reiterate that here. I'm super DUPER not being lazy, just economical. 

As Yusuke and Kibano take their first steps toward the darkness, Yusuke calls for a pause in the proceedings. Kibano scoffs, asking if Yusuke's changed his mind, but Yusuke doesn't answer at first, just digging in his pocket for a moment. 

For super heavy moments, no doubt.

Yusuke expresses an intention to take a quick drag off the tobacco before battle, to which Botan responds by whacking him in the back of the head with a bit of fan paper. He rounds on her, claiming that hurt, like he's not facing far worse pain in the dark in the next few seconds. Botan says she MEANT it to hurt, and tells him that just because Keiko isn't around doesn't mean he can go wild. She demands he give her the cigarettes, Yusuke whining that it's his last pack and demanding she let go of it. 

Kibano flatly states that he'd like to get started with their match, and Botan looks back at him with a nervous laugh, happy to oblige, but Yusuke is still reaching for that pack of cigarettes they're fighting over. I guess Yusuke capitulates, because the next thing we see is Kibano asking Yusuke if he's ready and suggesting they go, Yusuke agreeing that he's right there with him. 

Once they're fully immersed in the dark, Yusuke remarks on how pitch black it is in there, and how they can't even see each other. Kibano's voice floats out of the dark, saying he doesn't find that problematic, considering he knows Yusuke's position precisely. Yusuke thinks he's bluffing, because his sixth sense didn't measure up to Kuwabara's, and shuffles to the right. Kibano accurately reports this out of the dark, which has Yusuke in alarmed disbelief. 

He... looks like a little baby chicken! Awwwwww!

It's clearly not supposed to be cute, but I'm a little loopy with illness right now. Kibano says he's been trained to fight without the need for sight, and in lieu of sight, he can sense his opponent in other, more accurate ways. He does NOT explain just where he's been keeping this sensory deprivation mask on him this whole time, given it doesn't seem like something all that easy to stash under his minimal gi aesthetic. Hand outstretched, Kibano says he can sense that Yusuke has been through a lot (quite the understatement), and Yusuke's glaring experiences allow Kibano to zero in on him. Yusuke stands out against the darkness for Kibano, surrounded in the spectral fire of a fighting spirit that swirls and emanates from Yusuke's body so he's fairly ablaze with it.   

With a triumphant yell, Kibano whacks Yusuke right on the chin with his fist, knocking him back in the dark. Kuwabara remarks on this in alarm, Botan gaping behind him. Yusuke lifts himself into a crouch with an exclamation of pain, swiping the back of his hand across the smarting spot he was hit. Suddenly, Kibano whispers in his ear from immediately behind him that it was a nice recovery. Then...

Yusuke is just barely able to avoid a spring and pounce of Kibano, whose fist actually shatters the FLOOR when he punches the spot Yusuke was a moment before. I can't be certain, because it's not clearly drawn, but I THINK Yusuke has picked up a jagged splinter from the broken floorboards and this is what he swipes at the retreating Kibano, daring him to sense THAT. He does indeed, and disappears once again into the darkness, leaving Yusuke questioning where he got to. 

A creak rises out of the black behind him, and Yusuke turns to lunge in its direction, declaring that Kibano was clumsy and he's got the sneaky bastard. Kibano does emerge from the black in front of Yusuke, and he taps Kibano back, but it seems to glance off Kibano rather than be a lick on par with what he's been giving. 

Ooof, I felt that one in my stomach. Or maybe it's the nausea. 

Yusuke is left trembling in pain, groaning as he holds his gut and side where Kibano kicked him. Once again, from the darkness surrounding Yusuke, Kibano teases that sounds may hint at his location, but they won't tell Yusuke precisely where to aim. Kuwabara is convinced that Urameshi is screwed, because the mask Kibano is wearing is also a helmet, which must be why Yusuke's knuckles glanced off his head so easily. Of course, this makes me question even HARDER where Kibano has been keeping that thing this whole time. 

Botan worries quietly over how much of a rank beginner Yusuke is in comparison with his competition's special training. She thinks he'll have to OUTWIT his opponents, but she's not SUPER confident he can do that. And coming from the ray of sunshine that she is, that's pretty dire. 

Kibano declares that it's time to wrap this up. He holds up a fist, and with Kuwabara and Botan reacting with horror while he grunts in his effort, his whole arm swells in volume, the veins standing out. Apparently, this is a result of him bringing the aura OUTSIDE his body INSIDE, which doubles his defensive power, according to his own explanation. Meanwhile, it looks like his arm has been stung by a REALLY BIG wasp. 

His fist is bigger than YUSUKE'S HEAD. Can aura grow BONES?

Once more, Yusuke is left on hands and knees, hacking over his injuries in the dark. Kibano compliments him on his reflexes and resilience, because he'd MEANT that "supercharged explosive thrust" to be a nat 20. Yusuke stands on shaky legs, agreeing, I suppose, on his hardiness. Kibano adds that Yusuke's sustained some hefty damage, though, and his fighting spirit is dimming. But from Genkai's point of view, Yusuke's aura is drawing in, even if she doesn't specify if it's in a similar way to Kibano's. She DOES say that it's probably not wise to corner Yusuke.

Yusuke is thinking about how even Kibano's glancing blows are murderous, and he can't dodge what he can't see. He's convinced that there MUST be a way to pinpoint Kibano's position, and after a moment of considering it, he realizes there IS. Kibano is insisting to Yusuke through the dark that he's too badly hurt, and this is the last chance for him to get away from this with his life, if he STAYS DOWN, that last part added as Kibano leaps for Yusuke with another punch to Yusuke out of the dark. Yusuke let's the punch glance off his jaw as he latches onto Kibano's passing arm, declaring he's got him. 

Break for this issue's filler panel: a feather-haired blonde with a "DEATH" headband that is named Lena. She's labeled a friend of Botan, who loves nothing more than telling cute guys that they're about to DIE. Unhinged as that is, it's rounded off with her flirtatious suggestion that the viewer is going to buy it next month. Like... the FARM? 

Back in the fight, Yusuke promises to repay Kibano's blow with interest, asking if Kibano wants a broken arm. Kibano snaps back with the statement that Yusuke is just FULL of surprises, but it won't amount to much. 

At this point, I'm starting to think that Kibano is just exaggerating his skills, rather than Yusuke is resilient. So many "killing" "ending" blows that just DON'T work as advertised...

Kuwabara is still despairing, however, over how Yusuke seems to be at Kibano's mercy - unable to sidestep attacks and getting tossed when he tries to grapple. But while Kuwabara tries to encourage that "slouch" Urameshi (sort of), Botan isn't convinced that Yusuke is quite so hamstrung. She acknowledges that he still has the Reigun, and though he has just one shot, he just has to know where to aim. 

Kibano pops one of the ear-mufflers off his mask, asking if Yusuke is more amenable to giving up yet, again giving Yusuke credit for his ability, but also for the multitude of limitations holding him FAR from a chance at victory. He even thinks that he'll be amazed if Yusuke has the strength to STAND at this point, and indeed Yusuke gets to his feet with some difficulty. He also haltingly states that not only is he NOT willing to give up, but he's going to win this thing. Yusuke declares a guarantee that Kibano's next attack will be his last. 

Kibano calls him a macho idiot, telling him it SHOULD be enough for him to have fought a good fight. Clearly, he doesn't want to continue hurting this CHILD, so at least it's fairly obvious by this point that he's not the evil demon Yusuke is here to stop. Not that Yusuke still doesn't want this apprenticeship real bad. Yusuke asks if Kibano is scared and wants HIM to make the first move, at which jibe Kibano grinds his teeth, calling Yusuke a punk. Mega uber punk. Again, he inflates his arm with aura, and agrees to oblige Yusuke's supposed death wish. He flits around Yusuke in the dark.

Kibano leaps at Yusuke, throwing his oversized fist down toward the boy with a shout of farewell, Kuwabara and Botan both calling out in alarm at Yusuke. Yusuke himself calmly points his glowing right pointer finger under is other arm right for where Kibano is, telling Kibano to wish HIMSELF so long. 

That thing just SHATTERED.

Even as blood is spattering from Kibano's forehead, he asks in amazed bewilderment how Yusuke knew where to aim. Yusuke tells him to check his belt before he passes out, and Kibano is blown away to find a LIT CIGARETTE tucked into his belt, demanding to know how such a thing got there. I'm just wondering how the damn thing didn't catch him on FIRE. Yusuke explains that he planted the cigarette while they were grappling, the thick gi and mask covering eyes, nose, and ears keeping him from even noticing. Kibano collapses with a dumb final exclamation, and the fight is done. 

Just wait until you can't run a few yards for shortness of breath. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? By no means was it a perfect setup and payoff. After all, that mask came out of nowhere, literally, and it was rigid enough that I can't imagine it being hidden about Kibano's person without having noticed it before this point. Also, Yusuke's little stunt came with a fair amount of risk of not just setting Kibano on fire, but the whole place, depending on how flammable those floorboards are.

But, all that aside, I did think this is one of the BETTER setups and payoffs that YT has put in place. If it DID set Kibano alight, it's not like that wouldn't have gotten Yusuke the win anyway, which is one way that Genkai's anything goes attitude would have worked in HIS favor for a change. It also manages to reframe one of Yusuke's delinquent behaviors as a positive, further underlining how our flawed hero can use ALL of himself to push past obstacles. It helps a reader to further envision how ANYONE, even someone society tends to look at as "bad" with a lot of bad aspects, can make their way through a problem. It's part of what I've always liked about this series - the core message that one doesn't have to be a perfect boyscout type to make a positive difference in the world. 

It's quite a bummer that there has to be some degree of the GLORIFICATION of a habit with deleterious health effects, though. I agree with Botan - the lighting-up habit isn't exactly something to be proud of, even if it DID get Yusuke through this particular ordeal, and I'm really hoping that any kids reading this didn't come away with the urge to start smoking because Yusuke made it look briefly cool and useful. 

Remember young'uns! Smoking is bad!