Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 191 The Place of Destiny

Okay, great, are we actually going TO this place eventually, or are we just going to keep talking about it? Sure, Mokuba told us in the last chapter where exactly he had found Jonouchi, but I'll be damned if I know the blocks and areas he rattled off. I don't even know Domino's layout on the most fundamental of levels, given that no map for this fictional place exists. I am totally dependent on being taken to this destiny block/area over here. Don't leave me hanging, bros!

… So Marik is super into all his important negotiations happening on docks and piers, isn't he? Not saying this is a bad thing, just saying that he's beginning to establish a pattern that could make it ridiculously easy to find him in the future.

If we had competent heroes, anyway.

Jonouchi and Anzu buzz with... brainwashed zombie-like stares, apparently, and because they're so slow, one of Marik's henchmen shoves Jonouchi and yells at him to keep moving. Jonouchi, of course, does not respond with his expected bravado, because, you know, brainwashed, but Marik warns the henchman not to be rough with his precious dolls. Marik, if you didn't want them to get all scuffed up, you shouldn't have removed them from their packaging! He sneers at the henchman over his shoulder and tells him that the Millennium Rod enables murder with a single thought if desired. He's starting to sound like a spoiled little girl with an extensive collection of rare Barbies or something.

But no, it's just that Jonouchi and Anzu (the girl, as Marik calls her) are just his pawns and they'll do whatever he wants them to do. Marik plans to just sit back and watch the show he's putting on between Jonouchi and Yami, but this implies he's NOT actively telling his new puppets what to do? I'm confused, is this revenge plot all pre-scripted or...?

… And what is THIS I see? The first uniquely designed Rare Hunter to meet with Marik and be addressed by NAME? I smell a backstory in the not-too-distant future for you, my friend. Not that a face-tattoo like that doesn't scream "there is a story here involving a ton of alcohol, a lost bet, or both" all on its own...

Marik shoots the shit with Rishid about how he must have challenged everyone head-on and used his trap strategy, although it looks a bit like the first speech bubble is coming from Rishid himself. It didn't make much sense the way the comment was made, so I figured it was a mistake. Rishid himself doesn't really want to follow that course of conversation, and hesitantly prefaces his next suggestion with the statement that he didn't want to trouble Marik (that being the reason he doesn't need to be brainwashed, apparently), but he's willing to challenge Yami as soon as he appears too. Marik jokes that it seems like Rishid wants to take all Marik's fun away, reminding him that he hasn't forgotten his instincts as a duelist either. The implication, I assume, is that those instincts tell duelists to play cards with their enemies without letting underlings do it for them, or something.

Rishid offers Marik half of those twelve puzzle cards he gathered up in deference, and Marik takes them without hesitation, supposing he's going to the finals now. Without having to win a single game himself. So much for those dueling instincts that are so much fun to fulfill, I guess. Marik drops the aside that Rishid is of course coming with him using the rest of those puzzle cards, and Rishid bows his head deeply in obedience, still kneeling at the feet of his master. Yup, this is what NOT being brainwashed looks like.

Marik imagines the three god cards clashing in the final rounds of the tournament, but before that he's eager to see if Yami will kill the already dead-eyed Jonouchi next to him, or if Yami will be defeated and Jonouchi will win back Slifer. Chuckling, Marik observes Jonouchi's blank stare ahead from the corner of his eye. He then commands two of his unnamed henchmen to "improve" Jonouchi's deck with as many illegal, direct-damage cards as they can, stuffing it to the gills with unfair advantages. Marik thinks this player-killer deck will be so hot it'll singe Jonouchi with its flames. Dude, I think if you wanted to make a literal representation of that song by Alicia Keyes, you might want to use Anzu for this part instead.

Anyway, one of these goons says that they've identified the location of the finals, like Rishid and he couldn't have done that themselves with their puzzle cards. Marik doesn't fret about not being able to see the pretty holographic panorama like I would, though, and just says he and Rishid will head over there right now then. He's pretty confident that he can control his Jonouchi and Anzu dolls from a distance, and he just needs his minions to keep them there and wait for Yami to turn up.

He wonders with a sneer whether it will be Jonouchi or Yami who will kill the other and be the one to advance to the finals. I don't know where you get off being so cocky about this plan, bro, considering how well your LAST duel-by-proxy went.

But just watch him bust up about it like it's not going to blow up in his face again. Well, I guess that's why he wants to be far away, so it DOESN'T do that...

Meanwhile, Kaiba's helicopter chugs along through the air. Do helicopters chug? I feel like if one did, it would be a bad sign. Oh well. The pilot up front informs Kaiba that they'll be arriving at Section F Area 5362 shortly. Kaiba doesn't respond, sitting back there with his legs and arms crossed, looking surprisingly less cramped with those long-ass limbs than I thought he would. Mokuba looks like he wants to say something, but just gapes instead, and Yami sits on the other side of Kaiba with his nose pressed against the window, not paying attention to either brother.

Mokuba finally finds his voice and uses it to call his brother by both their last name again. I will never let this go, in case you were wondering. He asks why they're not just going to the finals following his elder brother's acquisition of six puzzle cards, instead of going to look for Yami's loser friend Jonouchi. With a small smile, Kaiba says that this is where the "answer" is, which just confuses Mokuba. Yami continues to stare out the window and wonder if Jonouchi is alright.

Until Kaiba addresses him. Kaiba claims that Marik (whose name he has to confirm, because he's pretending he's forgotten it) is just another enemy like Yami, as far as he's concerned. But then he begins probing Yami for more information about the guy, asking if Marik really has the Sun Dragon Ra card. Yami exclaims with frustration that he's never even seen this dude, and the only thing he knows is that Marik has a Millennium Item. Kaiba sneers at what he calls Yami's "occult nonsense", but Yami doesn't pay much attention to this, instead opting to tell Kaiba that unlike his puzzle, the Millennium Rod has terrible power. Yeah, UNLIKE the puzzle that turned a kid into a dark dispenser of strangely violent justice.

Kaiba smirks some more over the supposed power of the rod to brainwash and control people, admitting it's a bit hard for him to believe. But, he's willing to entertain the hypothetical in order to mess with Yami, asking him what he thinks the chances are that Jonouchi has already been brainwashed to fight him. Kaiba himself is betting on it, and asks what would happen in this definitely still hypothetical situation, chuckling. Yami is not happy with the implication here, and insists that no matter what, he'll do whatever it takes to save Jonouchi.

Yet Kaiba expresses nothing but doubt when he brings into question what Yami SAYS weighed against the dilemma in his heart. This dilemma seems to be news to Yami, so Kaiba elaborates with a reminder that Yami preached hardcore to him all throughout their last duel about the power of unity, but wonders how that philosophy is supposed to work when the person you're fighting is someone you care about.

To be fair to Yami here, I don't think he was preaching the virtues of the "power of unity" in every situation anyone ever has to deal with - just that one. Of course, that doesn't get RID of the issue that it's never easy to navigate a situation where it's either you or someone you love, but let's not pretend this has anything whatsoever to do with the issues you just faced, which are TOTALLY different.

TLDR; Shut up, Kaiba, the time to disprove the "power of unity" has passed and you're making an ass of yourself.

Not that I think he cares. He begins getting pretty preachy himself when he rhetorically questions Yami on why he thinks humans fight or want to win so much. Because they have disagreements and it's nice to know that the facts of the matter back one up in the end? Nope, apparently it's because of the passion of winning, allowing people to love themselves in that moment. Okay, I can see where there's some truth to that, but I think if there's proof that someone can experience a bit too much of that self-love, it's Kaiba. And yes, that masturbation joke was intentional, because he is jerking himself OFF.

Kaiba giggles about looking forward to seeing what Yami's "answer" is to how he solves the contradictory nature of his philosophy, and how he manages to still "play friends" at the brink of hell. This is just before Mokuba alerts him to the fact that they're approaching the section/area they were aiming for, Domino Pier. Yami recognizes this with some alarm as the same place he and Jonouchi boarded the boat to Duelist Kingdom along with the rest of their friends. His memory of the event features Honda, and that makes me wonder; wasn't that guy doing something? Where the fuck is he?

Never mind, because memories of Jonouchi are specifically where his mind is going now, since this is the guy who is in the immediate danger.

Or, maybe it's Yami who's the one who ought to watch himself.

Next to Jonouchi, a series of beeps sound from Anzu's shoulder bag. Wordlessly, she takes her phone out and presses the answer button, holding it to her ear. The person on the other end says hello, but when she doesn't respond, they question if she's there. Speaking of Honda, he affirms that it's him, but Anzu still doesn't respond to him. As the helicopter gets closer, Honda wonders what that sound is in the background, and this is when Anzu takes the phone away from her ear, hits the end call button, and cuts off Honda's questions.

Marik grins at Yami's arrival while the helicopter touches down in front of Jonouchi and Anzu, who stand there like that ain't no big deal. Yami steps down off the vehicle, and the whole time, Jonouchi has on a Marik-like, or dare I say, YAMI-like murder-grin. One message keeps playing over and over in his head: to kill Yami.

That doesn't look good.

Amongst the clatter of a train on the tracks, Honda walks into a car with his arms piled in food, grumbling about how Anzu's cell phone must be broken. As Shizuka sits and thinks of her brother Katsuya (luckily not aware of his new horror-face) Honda rejoins her and Ryuji asks him if he has yet MORE food, considering he already ate. Honda don't give a shit, and snaps his disposable chopsticks, assuring Shizuka that they'll be arriving in Domino very soon.

Ryuji asks him if he got ahold of Anzu, and he mumbles that he couldn't get through, doubting whether she could really hear him, considering how noisy his attempt was in the middle. Ryuji's inquiry as to if they don't know where their friends are is accusatory, and Honda sweats a bit. He admits they aren't aware of the location of Anzu and Jonouchi, but he did think he recognized a sound in the background.

Shizuka wonders aloud if her brother is winning, and Honda is sure that he is. She reminisces about how he didn't used to be so great at cards, but she supposes he must have gotten better. Honda starts praising Jonouchi like he wouldn't dare if the guy were around, telling Shizuka that Jonouchi is much better than BETTER at this point, and she won't believe how strong he is when she next sees him. She's pleased with this answer and he's pleased that she's pleased, until he has a sudden epiphany. The sound he recognized was a boat horn from the phone earlier, the sound of a boat at Domino Pier.

He's got sharp ears, I'll give him that.

We jump back to Domino Pier with Honda's realization, where Yami asks Jonouchi frantically what's wrong. What? Are the dark lines around his eyes strange? I didn't notice. Jonouchi doesn't answer, instead opting to cast a steady, unsettling blank gaze on Yami. This brings Yami to the right conclusion; brainwashing has occurred, no question. He tries to wake up his friend by reminding him that the boat honking its horn is the same noise they heard upon leaving for their first day of Duelist Kingdom. Jonouchi just smiles, slowly stating that this memory doesn't mean a thing to him.

Yami looks taken aback and terrified at the same time. Mokuba jumps out of the helicopter to ask what's going on, but Kaiba is still too focused on getting that "answer" he wants to really notice. He's watching the situation pretty carefully.

Sucks.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Getting a new character is pretty exciting, especially since he's a subordinate that isn't so disposable like the others. The ones we've had before were either nameless or were on a short leash, but Rishid says himself that he doesn't need a the brainwashing to keep him in line - he's just trying to do right by Marik. Marik also just seems to value him more, and I'm not just talking about how readily he used Rishid's name. It appears that Rishid was in charge of getting not only getting enough puzzle cards for Marik to get into the finals, but for himself as well, meaning that Marik wants him there in the finals with him. Why isn't clear yet, but Rishid is definitely a lot more skilled than the other stooges that have been asked to duel Yami in Marik's stead.

Which must be the very reason why Marik didn't want Rishid to challenge Yami now. His joke to Rishid about taking away his fun confirms what I've been thinking for a while now: Marik is just dicking around. He's not serious about defeating Yami right now so much as playing with him, making him go through various "trials" to get to him, the final boss. It would be an awful shame to Marik if Rishid were to carry out his revenge for him at this juncture, without him having much of a chance to face a broken and traumatized Yami later on down the road.

But enough about that, can we talk about this brilliantly constructed transition toward the end? I've been somewhat confused about what it means for Marik to be controlling people versus brainwashing them, and for a time, I wasn't certain if there was a difference. The way Anzu answered the phone, however, makes this a bit clearer. She's in a trance, running on autopilot, so to speak, until Marik gives her explicit orders. Reaching for a beeping phone would be something she undoubtedly would do without thinking, but speaking to someone on the other end requires a bit more autonomy than she is afforded at the moment. It's a nice, subtle way of saying that she's in control of basic motor function, while Marik makes any decisions more complicated than that for her.

It also makes the page on which the phone call is carried out simple and elegant, where KT isn't relying on a shit-ton of dialogue to carry nice, clean images. Then, going to Honda and company on the train, frustrated that they're unable to reach their friends, was a natural transition. It's organic, and again, CLEAN. It makes sense that this would lead to consternation with the caller on the other end of the line. When Honda has his epiphany, it's not just clean, but PRECISE. The suspense built in just those two pages of Honda, Ryuji and Shizuka talking is intense, because we know that shit is going DOWN elsewhere that concerns them. The great thing about it is that it doesn't DRAG, though. It continues long enough for Honda to get a clue (a rather clever clue for someone who has been so dense before, but I'm willing to give this one to him for free), and then we're back to the action again, now with a brand new worry; are Honda and guests going to make it there in time, and what is Shizuka going to think about this if they do?

Shit, guys, KT has been holding out on me! Where was this level of construction and pacing before??

Inuyasha Manga: 132 Kouga

Uh-oh! I didn't put the "u" into his name in the analysis of the previous chapter! Sacrilege! What will the community think? Well, considering my place in the fandom represented as a "community" is the strange old woman living alone in the woods and possibly casting spells... probably nothing. But if someone from the plaza (Tumblr, no doubt) happens to stumble across these ramblings, I ask them to please go easy on me. I'm just senile and confused.

Feel free to ignore that altar in the back decorated with candles, herbs, incense, and a pentacle tile.

His own hypocrisy is really lost on him, isn't it?

Inuyasha screams at Kouga that he stinks of human blood, demanding to know how many humans he killed. Kouga retorts that he was just eating dinner, and asks if "Dog-Turd" has a problem with that. Just using the epithet in lieu of Inuyasha's name, I'm sure. It makes Inuyasha recoil in disbelief, however, clearly not sure how to respond to so brazen an insult. Off to the side, Miroku repeats the term to Sango in lowered tones, and she asks him if he got it? Not sure what that means here, considering HE was the one who parroted it to HER, but... sure. Whatever.

Kouga spits off to the side, claiming that the smell of dogs gives him an intolerable headache. Poor baby. Inuyasha is cool with this, drawing Tessaiga and offering to slice off Kouga's skull so it won't hurt anymore.

Whoops! Inuyasha's aim is EXTRA off today. Must still be recovering from the temporary blindness a couple of chapters ago.

Kouga introduces himself as the son of the Youkai-Wolf Tribe, telling Inuyasha to remember it. Not very threatening to suggest the guy is going to have TIME to remember it, but what do I know? Miroku asks Sango if she's acquainted with the Youkai-Wolf Tribe, and Sango says she's only heard about them from fellow exterminators. The rumors appear to be a mirror shine on the truth, which is that the Tribe takes on the form of human beings, but are as rough as regular old wolves. Not going to worry about your friend fighting a wolf-like individual at all? Just gonna stand around again? Yeah, alright.

Inuyasha manages to dodge a punch that shatters the ground where he was standing from Kouga, but...

Are we sure this dude isn't a horse? I mean what a kick! Inuyasha is run straight into the ground from it, and everyone is gaping in disbelief. Everyone but Kagome. It's a little late, but she calls out to Inuyasha to be careful, because Kouga has Shikon fragments in both legs and his right arm. Kouga throws her an incredulous look over his shoulder and Inuyasha gapes before calling her an idiot and asking why she didn't say something earlier.

Kagome stutters, but ultimately doesn't have an answer, because Inuyasha interrupts her. He rolls off his back and into a crouch, admitting that he had wondered just how strong Kouga was with his overblown attitude. He immediately follows this up by mocking Kouga's relative weakness for having been using the Shikon shards this whole time. If this is the best Kouga can do with the power of the Shikon no Tama, Inuyasha isn't impressed. Kouga shouts back at Inuyasha not to lecture him about being weak while losing, then calls Inuyasha a dog-turd again, just for good measure.

Meanwhile, Kagome is all kinds of flabbergasted as she mutters that she can't get a word in edgewise. Fair; it's not easy trying to drop crucial information to a man in a shouting match with another man. I've tried. Sango just looks somewhat annoyed when Miroku says they're both rather coarse, and Shippou warns him that he can't tell THEM that. Yeah, because they won't HEAR him.

Inuyasha vows to stop that bastard's big mouth from flapping permanently, charging with Tessaiga drawn. Kouga jumps out of the way of a blow, then throws his weight into his crooked knee to thrust it at Inuyasha. Inuyasha isn't too slow to notice the move this time, and deftly catches Kouga's knee before it can shatter his zygomatic.

Kouga gloats that it seemed to take everything Inuyasha had just to catch that one knee as he makes a dash for his target again. Inuyasha commands Kagome and Sango to get back, holding Tessaiga out in front of him. He thinks this is the perfect opportunity to test that training for the sword he just got a couple of chapters ago, by golly.

He concentrates to catch wind of the rift formed between the youkai energy and air when they collide while Kouga is... still running at him. Sorry, but wasn't this the guy that was kicking up dust-tornadoes before by being so fast? What happened? This mysterious time dilation goes unnoticed by Inuyasha, who smells that elusive Kaze no Kizu and lifts Tessaiga to cut through the path of the smell between himself and Kouga. In anticipation of Tessaiga's true explosive power, Inuyasha yells at Kouga to take it, but...

… Well that was unexpected.

Kouga makes his immediate retreat, ordering all his wolf pals to follow suit because something stinks. They obey and follow his dusty trail as he sprints into the distance. Inuyasha stands with a blank look on his face, sword still held in front of him but without anything to do now. Kagome shares in his wide-eyed mystification while Sango states the obvious: he ran. Kagome marvels over how ready he was to do so.

Miroku asks Inuyasha if he was about to use Kaze no Kizu, and Inuyasha absently affirms this, looking at Tessaiga as though he's trying to extract answers from IT instead of Kouga. He gives up on his confusion, though, putting away the sword to smarm about how easy it was for the guy to run off, being all talk. Well, not ALL talk. I'm sure he bruised your jaw pretty good there, Inuyasha. Miroku admits a certain amount of contemplative skepticism, so Inuyasha asks him what's on his mind.

He says that Kouga shouldn't know about Tessaiga's explosive power, and says that perhaps some intuition was at work forewarning Kouga of the danger. Sango interjects, citing Miroku's speculation as a possible reason Kouga would be a bit harder to finish off than someone with brute strength. Regardless, Miroku is loathe to leave someone controlling man-eating wolves to prowl around unchecked, and Inuyasha agrees. Not to mention, he's still really sore about the guy calling him a dog-turd. Twice.

I wonder if Kagome has ever considered the implications that she is ATTRACTED to the above. At all. Does this concern you in the slightest, child?

Elsewhere, Kouga complains that the hairs on his body are still standing on end. He calls Inuyasha a dog-turd again (does he still not know his name, or does he just not give a shit?), musing about how he was about to do something strange with the sword. Then his thoughts turn toward the girl, who had been the one to point out just how many Shikon shards he was using and where they were. Kouga realizes Kagome is able to see the Shikon fragments, and this gives him an idea. He tells his wolves to fall back and lure the group out so he can capture the girl.

Not how one offers a job, no matter how good the pay and benefits.

Just out of curiosity, though, what's the health insurance plan like? Do you have dental?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I already love the dynamic between Kouga and Inuyasha. Often in these types of stories, you get characters that present something of a what-if scenario in contrast to the main character, and Kouga is one of those. I feel like he is what Inuyasha WOULD be, if he were a full youkai and not bogged down by an entire life living between the lines. Kouga shows no lack of confidence in what he can do and himself, which makes his identity a bit more secure than Inuyasha's.

Besides, the two of them are so alike that they're bound to clash in the worst way. Both loud, obnoxious, with a ton of bravado and not much in the way of restraint. I can see why Kagome was having a tough time of trying to make herself heard with all the noise these two were making. Calling her an idiot for not being able to raise her voice above the racket isn't only inaccurate, it's something that Inuyasha will undoubtedly come to regret very soon. Getting caught in the crossfire of insults is going to make Kagome a little tired of the verbal lashings.

But goodness was I unimpressed with how Inuyasha's attempted use of Kaze no Kizu went here. I can understand that there was some intention to make it seem like time had slowed down for Inuyasha in his mind so we could get a good picture of the concentration he's pushing here, but this would have been better illustrated with an opponent that had not used Shikon shards to modify their speed to the faster side. Yes, Sesshoumaru is also very fast, but his speed was a natural ability, and you got the impression that he would deliberately slow down to show off how much leisure he could get away with while his opponent struggled.

One could argue that Kouga having a laugh at Inuyasha's effort in blocking one attack is an indication that he was doing the same thing on the next, but with Shikon enhancement, who knows how much control he really has, or what kind of understanding he has of how to control it at all. As I said above, Kouga is like Inuyasha in that he has little to no restraint, the only obvious sign of that coming when he books it due to intuitive alarm bells.

Though I would be lying if I said this was the only part of the fight that contributed to the discomfort of how that Kaze no Kizu attempt was handled. After all, this was yet another spat where most everyone was just standing around watching Inuyasha do all the work. When I go to baseball games, I don't do it so I can watch everyone else spectate. I go to watch the game and the players in it. I understand that RT's team is a tad bigger than what's of utility at the moment, but it would be handy for her to write these in a way that involves all her players rather than just one while everyone else sits in the dugout.

I think I took the baseball metaphor a bit far, but you know what I mean.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 190 Where Jonouchi Waits

Judging by the lack of exclamation points in the title, nowhere good. Bakura's out of the picture, so I think we might rule out the "knocked out and lying in an alley somewhere" possibility. But I don't know Marik well enough to have a good idea where he'd stash Jonouchi. Not the trunk of a car, since he rides around on a motorcycle... Another basement perhaps, like the one in which Pandora set up shop? A yacht out on the water? Matt Lauer's office with the desk button that locks the door on unsuspecting victims?

Too soon?

Speaking of creepy rich guys who have to share their totally inappropriate boners, though... Kaiba I told you to put it AWAY.

The next page shows us a high-angled image of Obelisk leaning over to crush Kaiba's enemy as well, and I think this was a terrible mistake. This picture looks utterly ridiculous, like the penthouse picture of a model bending over seductively, but, you know, a hulking monster/god-thing. It's quite unfortunate that this shot didn't turn out better, because the foreshortening on the building is actually pretty neat.

Obelisk pulls its fist away from Tallie, who's still screaming, even if his shriek is dying down in a slightly comical way. He huffs and puffs while looking at his hands and shaking. Shorty calls to his partner in concern, but it's too late. Kaiba gloats that one touch from his god card was enough to kill Tallie, and so he can get on with dying by the explosives he planted on himself, thank you very much. While Kaiba laughs, Tallie looks over at said explosives and is alarmed that the counter on the bomb is nearly at zero. He sweats up a storm as it makes the final click to display a digital naught.

Does Kaiba ever shut his fucking mouth? Seriously, a man is about to die and the kid can't even afford a moment of silence.

But no, no a man is NOT about to die! As he's plummeting down the center of the building Tallie pulls on the chain at the front of his Ghoul robes, which turns out to not be decorative. It releases a parachute that unfurls and catches him before he gets too close to the main floor. Tallie breathes a sigh of relief, not only that he had the parachute, but undoubtedly that a shard of that shattered glass didn't render it completely useless.

Back up top, Shorty crouches at the side of the broken pain to ask if Tallie is okay. Yami, meanwhile, sneers about the parachute, having had a feeling that their opposing team had some tricks up their sleeves. Clearly not ENOUGH to actually win the game, though. Still, Yami mocks how little of a death match this turned out to be. I guess I'm the only one who's glad this didn't have to end in tragedy? Yes? Okay.

Shorty practically breaks his neck to glare at Yami, grinding his teeth. Yami tells him that since he's lost his teammate that there's no way he can win, so he may as well give up.

That looks like a concession to me!

But Kaiba refuses to be satisfied. He says that in a tag-team match, you must crush BOTH opponents, and he wants to show the shrimp hell as well. Yami bids he wait, arguing that preying on a pathetic loser who's lost his will to fight would only hurt their honor as duelists. Kaiba barks back that HIS honor is maintained by crushing his enemies. For some reason, Yami remains quiet, though he looks pretty annoyed here. So, Kaiba just keeps flapping his gums, telling Yami not to make the mistake of thinking that they're bound in any other way than convenience. He teamed up with Yami because he had to, and when the time comes he plans to crush Yami just the same as he did these guys. Kaiba claims it's his destiny.

Yeah, no such luck. I'll give you that one for free.

Kaiba is dedicated to the fantasy that he's going to beat Yami and take his god card, though, and I don't know how much longer Yami's patience with the ultra-competitiveness with this guy is going to last. Luckily, Shorty interrupts this no doubt dead-end conversation with a series of grunts and cries, on his knees as he clutches his head in what looks like increasing agony. Kaiba and Yami stare at him in alarm as Shorty's eyes roll back and he croaks out a couple of familiar syllables, at least to Yami. He identifies them as the name of the asshole of the arc: Marik.

Shorty stands up suddenly, vacant-eyed and slack-jawed while delivering Marik's announcement of having seen the whole thing, the use of Obelisk and everything. Marik praises their work, his image superimposed on the background crossing its arms and smirking. Yami shouts at him to stop hiding behind his minions and come out in person. Kaiba is still stuck on the fact that Shorty is talking and moving rather creepily now, and mumbles that it can't be the possession it looks exactly like, and yet appears to be terrified all the same. Yami assures Kaiba that it is exactly how it looks, Shorty being controlled by a third party, the man who holds the final god card, Marik.

Kaiba's eyes go even wider at this, and gapes over the wielder of the Sun Dragon Ra.

I certainly hope that is a thought bubble rather than a speech bubble, because if Marik knew you were ranking him SECOND in priority, I'm pretty sure he would be super upset.

Marik thanks the two boys for putting up with his men, since they bought him a little time. He says that his plan is going very smoothly, which is cause for some sweat and a wary look from Yami. Marik goes on to say that he's assessed both Yami and Kaiba's decks through the eyes of his Rare Hunters and he's pretty sure their threat level is very low, even WITH the god cards. He claims HIS god card Ra is more powerful than either of theirs, the ultimate of the three. Then he giggles evilly.

Kaiba looks concerned by the thought that Ra is more powerful than his own Obelisk, but the conversation quickly shifts in the direction of Yami being Marik's main target. Marik has, after all, been waiting a THOUSAND years to face Yami, and I'm still not certain if I should take that literally or not. Regardless, he's set up something special for Yami, and declares their eventual battle can only end in Yami's death and the revenge of the tomb guardians.

Yami looks somewhat unimpressed and bored by this statement, until Marik tells him that the third act is about to start, and he's set the stage in a way he hopes Yami likes; his friends are there waiting for him as the main character to arrive. This whole story metaphor is kind of meta. Yami's eyes are suddenly wide and he's freaking out, wondering if he's referring to Jonouchi. Fun fact that I just learned; Japanese doesn't have a plural form of nouns, so in the Japanese version, it probably would have made sense that Yami jumped to the conclusion that it was just Jonouchi. In English, though, it just makes him look like he's ignoring the plural.

Anyway, Yami demands to know what Marik has done to Jonouchi, but Marik just chuckles through Shorty's mouth, and brags that this will be his best puppet show by far. Well, if that's not the least threatening thing you've said yet... In person, he's stroking the Millennium Rod in his hands, and I'm not certain this isn't a stand-in for another rod altogether.

That's right, the guy is practically masturbating over the fact that he has complete control over Yami's buddies. This reminds me of a few people...

Marik now challenges Yami to get over there and fight Jonouchi in yet ANOTHER death match. Fantastic. Marik's influence on Shorty fades, and Shorty slumps, collapsing in unconsciousness. For a moment, Yami is motionless, but then shouts Marik's name, his focus still entirely on the welfare of Jonouchi and still wanting to know more. A beep from Kaiba's direction turns Yami toward him, but Kaiba's being quiet as he consults the communication device in his collar. Yami allows a moment for Kaiba to come out with it on his own, but when he doesn't, Yami yells at him to spit out Jonouchi's location.

Kaiba chuckles, now kneeling next to the conked-out Shorty. He searches through the guy's robes until he pulls out a couple puzzle cards and invites Yami to take one. He appears really excited that the Ghouls have puzzle cards at all, let alone one for each of them. I guess he thought they were bad enough at the game that there might not be a reward. Kaiba says that he's got six puzzle cards now, and has earned the right to play in the finals. He also informs Yami that HE'S got six now too, and somewhat snarkily wishes Yami luck.

*Siiiiiiiigh* As usual, I'm regretting ever defending Kaiba in the past. He just continues to be a piss-baby who refuses to understand the priorities of other people.

And I DO mean "refuses": Kaiba giggles again and repeats Yami's appeal to his friends, then suddenly gets serious when he turns to admit to Yami that it was indeed because of teamwork that they won the game against Tallie and Shorty. If Yami is wearing a smile at this, it's too small for me to detect and is just coming across as a blank stare. I instead like to think he's just waiting for Kaiba's veer in conversation to make sense.

Kaiba says that in a REAL battle, you can only trust yourself and others only get in the way. It's his way of life and dueling to walk alone. Yeah, I guess when you tilt your head and squint, you can kind of see that Kaiba is offering his opinion on how wanting to save his friends all the time is distracting Yami, but...

Yami protests that surely Kaiba knows he has to protect what's important to him, even if that something is other people. Kaiba doesn't say anything, opting instead to focus on the whirring Duel Disk on his arm.

Clearly Kaiba is not one to be distracted himself. He mumbles about knowing where he's going now, and this upsets Yami, who reminds him that he has NO TIME. Because Kaiba has no respect for Yami's time, he quotes Yami's words with his back turned, the ones about protecting what's important to you. Then he poses a question: if the friends Yami wants to protect turn against him, and the only way to move forward is to beat them, life or death be damned, would Yami trample them in order to reach his destiny?

Is Marik possessing YOU now, Kaiba? This seems like something that Marik would be more interested in knowing at this juncture.

Though Yami looks alarmed at the question, he doesn't ask what the hell made Kaiba ask. Instead, he contemplates the hypothetical uncomfortably for a moment before admitting that he has no idea. He does, however, think he knows where he'll find the answer. Kaiba smiles at Yami's determined look, thinking this is a journey for answers that he'd like to see.

Well I'll be goddamned and go to hell, the douchebag pulled through!

Kaiba turns his smile to the helicopter he ordered, so much less plebian than an Uber. Mokuba opens the door and shouts over the noise that he found out where Jonouchi is, just like Kaiba asked, Section F Area 5362. Yami looks ecstatic that Kaiba actually did something that wasn't assholish. Kaiba is already on the way to an unfurled ladder up into the helicopter, shouting at Yami to get in, because they're going to where his friend awaits.

And we're not going to get to see this guy climb into a helicopter with his ridiculous coattails either, are we. Fine. I suppose I'll just be perpetually disappointed in the lack of Kaiba looking silly in this comic.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Just when I start to think Kaiba is okay, he opens his fucking mouth and dismisses his experience fighting WITH someone for a change as not real. Oh yeah? It was real enough for you to spend several chapters puzzling over it, agonizing because it didn't fit in with your myopic worldview. But I suppose I can't complain, because I DID see this coming. Kaiba's not exactly complicated - he's going to avoid any action or statement that makes it appear that he's dependent on another person, because being so would mean a lack of personal strength. He also REALLY does not want Yami to get the idea that they're friends and so he has to attach all kinds of "buts" to any act of kindness or decency he performs. Because Yami has caused him so many issues in the past (as I've mentioned in the past), there must be some extra reluctance on Kaiba's part to be on good terms with him.

But there seems to be some curiosity in what Yami is actually willing to do for or to his friends, especially when there's a conflict between one and the other. Hearing Marik speak about Yami's friends being his pawns now is made all the more graphic by the fact that Kaiba now knows what that looks like. Shorty exhibited unnatural movement and speech totally like his own, so it must be somewhat obvious that this is what Jonouchi is going to look like when they catch up with him. Knowing this, as well as the fact that the Ghouls are perfectly willing to cause serious harm to their victims, the natural conclusion is that Marik's complete control over Jonouchi is going to be used to kill Yami, Jonouchi, or both. I assume THIS is why Kaiba asked that creepy question at the end, and why Yami answered the way he did as well.

Because Yami is undoubtedly aware of where all of Marik's vague threats are going too, and there's no getting around the fact that he's not going to like the situation he walks into. It probably won't help that Kaiba is being so generous and smiley right now. That's just suspicious in my book.

Inuyasha Manga: 131 The Girl's Life

Full of pain and suffering, if my limited look into it was at all representative. Family murdered in one horrific night, grown men slapping and kicking her around, a casualty in a squabble that had nothing to do with her... This kid isn't exactly the most privileged of youngsters. She's practically the poster child for Thomas Hobbes' grim philosophy that man's existence is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short".

Which is why a description of such is a bit mundane. The rare upgrade is much more extraordinary, especially when it follows the complete loss of everything. And when I say everything, I'm not talking assets.

I'm talking bodily necessities.

In the dark forest, a group of wolves surround something on the ground bearing a tiny motionless arm, growling. The wolves look up at Sesshoumaru as he enters the scene, looking down at the corpse they were chattering around.

Well Sesshoumaru! If I'm not mistaken, that's an expression OTHER than disdain you're wearing there! How remarkable! Almost makes me forget about the graphic child death.

I lied, it doesn't even come close.

The wolves start growling again, at Sesshoumaru this time, and that expression changes real quick. He whips out an intense glare and the wolves bark in alarm. They run off, casting nervous glances behind them as they go. Jaken literally pops up (if I'm to take the SFX translation seriously) to praise Sesshoumaru's amazing ability to get rid of wolves with a single warning look. Funny how that doesn't seem to work on Jaken himself, but I suppose in order for it to have any effect, one would have to have a sense of self-preservation. And brains.

Jaken steps up the to little girl's corpse and talks about how she's dead as a doornail, killed with one chomp, like he's talking about the weather. Though when you're out and about with Sesshoumaru, it's probably always raining gore. Jaken looks over his shoulder and asks Sesshoumaru if he had anything to do with the human, and Sesshoumaru whips around, denying such a notion.

And yet...

Looks like Sesshoumaru is just as uncomfortable with graphic child death as I am. He is having none of this. After a moment's pause, he turns back and walks up to the little girl's body, Jaken looking at him quizzically. Sesshoumaru is too busy drawing Tenseiga to notice, concentrating on the girl even when Jaken voices his confusion.

Sesshoumaru feels a surge of power run through the sword and gives the scene a sharp glance when he sees something for the first time.

I feel like most of this chapter is "sad little girl corpse" and it hurts me deeply. Almost done, though, Writch, keep it together...

Sesshoumaru resolves to test out Tenseiga as he swings at the dumpy little creatures surrounding the girl's body. It practically dissolves upon contact with the blade, which is handy. I wish I could get rid of pests with such efficiency. Jaken, more confused now than ever, wonders what the hell Sesshoumaru cut, as Sesshoumaru kneels next to the girl's body and pulls her onto his knee to cradle her.

Breathing again!

Thank goodness too, because I didn't know how much more sad little girl corpse I could take. Don't know how well she's going to fare with all the blood-loss though.

Instead of being speechless, Jaken is sputtering that's she's revived in disbelief. He asks for clarification on the fact that Sesshoumaru saved the girl with Tenseiga, but Sesshoumaru doesn't answer because she's moving again, right there on his knee. Can't get more concrete than that, dude. Jaken quiets down again, thinking how UNLIKE Sesshoumaru this is, and I can't help but think he's being a tad too specific in this characterization.

It's unlike EVERYONE, Jaken! How many people do you know that even CAN bring people back from the dead?? I know you guys were pretending Sesshoumaru brought Inuyasha's mom back to life way back in his first appearance, but make-believe and seeing these things happen in real life for real are two totally different things, I hope you understand.

Anyway, Sesshoumaru looks pretty smug in the next panel, a little smirk planted on his face. He thinks that Tenseiga will have its uses after all. He also estimates that Inuyasha will come to regret the fact that he wasn't able to kill his elder brother. I'm sure you're right, Sesshoumaru, but your constant pissing and moaning will have much more to do with it than you being an actual threat.

Enjoy being an angst-ridden dipwad with daddy issues for the next 400 chapters!

Back in the village, Inuyasha and Miroku gape at the wolves that have overtaken the place, chewing on the remains of villagers littering the ground. Miroku in particular expresses his dismay that this village has also been ravaged. Shippou clings to Kagome's sailor blouse, stuttering about the man-eating wolves, and Kagome looks far too horrified for words. Sango simply says that this is awfully cruel, with a somewhat angry look. The wolves themselves seem to be just as aggressive as ever, because they've turned their growls on the newcomers.

Take a good look at Kagome's face in the background; I don't know what that face says, but it doesn't say "I'm surrounded by wolves".

Inuyasha scoffs and says they're only animals, holding up a hand to crack his knuckles in a very showy way. The wolves leap at him and he of course tears through four of them with one swipe. Very clean. Sango throws her Hiraikotsu at them, and it plows through a whole line of the things. The rest of the wolves freak out at the sight of the rolling heads of their pack-members, and start booking it, much to Miroku's surprise. What, wouldn't YOU start running if a chicken nugget started ripping apart your fellow humans in front of you?

I know it freaked ME right the fuck out.

Anyway, the wolves run up to the top of a nearby hill to howl at the sky. Miroku automatically assumes this is a call their comrades, and yet phrases it as a question as though he's responding to the statement of someone else. It's super weird. Also, Kagome continues to look weird, although a lot less weird than she did before. She finally appears back to normal again when she warns everyone that a Shikon shard is coming at them really fast. Like, incredibly fast.

So fast as to create a whirlwind that Inuyasha sees headed their way. It's the dust kicked up by a sprinter running in front of it, someone who looks awfully familiar. Decked out in his fur skirt that is ever-so-recognizable, Koga skids to a stop before an alarmed Inuyasha, then listens to the whimpering of the wolves that gather around him for a moment.

That's a fair question, though if we're interested in fairness, you probably should have been asked first. Considering the order of events and all.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I had forgotten how disturbing this chapter could be, and I'm always somewhat alarmed how much of the brutality RT was willing to show, especially early in the series. I was going to leave out a lot of the images of the little body there in the forest, but I changed my mind halfway through doing the review. Unlike with a lot of the images of Kohaku's brutal death, I felt like these images were half of the emotional structure of the scene.

They weren't gratuitous or gory for gore's sake - they were somewhat integral to the contrast in Sesshoumaru's mind. All the deaths he's caused thus far have been cold, impersonal acts of brutality upon strangers. They weren't people that he knew (he generally gives up when it's someone he knows), and they CERTAINLY didn't smile at him. Up until now, he was only really acquainted with the brutal ends of peoples' lives, where they're afraid, angry, or sad. This little girl showed him that there was a bit more to it than that, that even the midst of obvious adversity, there could be beauty and happiness.

But when he sees her body lying there, just like the reader, he's undoutbtedly struck by how there's nothing there anymore. There's none of the pain of active death, but none of the unexpected happiness either. And the part of him that Tenseiga worked to save along with the rest of his ungrateful ass wanted to bring that part back.

Also, the metaphor of bringing about life with a phallic object and the fatherhood that it entails is pretty heavy-handed here. Say hello to the new Dr. Frankenstein, friends.

Something else interesting I feel I should mention is how Sesshoumaru refers to Inuyasha's failure to kill him almost as if he realizes it was a choice. Not that Inuyasha COULDN'T kill him, but WOULDN'T. His understanding that Tessaiga's Kaze no Kizu would have killed him if Inuyasha hadn't deliberately held back is yet another example of Sesshoumaru's weird sense of self-awareness. This guy is an odd person.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 189 Ultimate Summon!!

I'm sure Yami would like to characterize this as his and Kaiba's ultimate destiny as well. With monsters, trap cards and holograms as far as the eye can see, it must seem like that to him. And the fact that only one of the four of them may survive (maximum two) makes this appear doubly final. Luckily, I'm viewing the whole conflict from a perspective where I DON'T have to wonder who will survive.

Still, I'm interested to see this ultimate summon. Of ultimate destiny.

... The power of your bond with KAIBA?

Yami. Sweetie. Take it from a woman who has a LOT of experience with people (mostly men) pursuing a relationship with her in which she is not interested: YOU ARE BEING CREEPY BY PUSHING THIS SO HARD AND YOU NEED TO BACK THE FUCK UP. I don't even know why you want to be friends with this douchebag so goddamn bad, but you have no CHILL.

In the panel directly following this declaration of a "bond", Kaiba looks like he's in a seething rage, ready to commit some murder. Count to ten, boy, or repeat the mantra that you can put up with this for now. That's what I always did.

Shorty and Tallie grimace across the way, looking sweaty and angry. Shorty assesses the points of his own Guardius, which has 3300, but knows that Valkyrion's points are higher by 200. Kaiba yells at Yami to destroy the monster that took down his Blue Eyes White Dragon, and Yami turns an annoyed glare on him. What, you thought your decree of friendship was enough to stop the guy from being a douchebag anymore? Are you HIGH, Yami?

Kaiba says that teamwork is all well and good, but only blood will pay for that sacrifice, and for the wrath of his dragon. Somebody's going to have to bleed. Yami looks back at their opponents, noting that they have no face down cards, so Kaiba might be right and Valkyrion should be able to defeat the Guardius. But he has a feeling that these stony-faced (not just the masked side, BTW) foes aren't afraid of a possible attack. He wonders if perhaps this hulking Guardius has some hidden ability of which he's not aware.

With a slight smirk, Shorty silently dares Yami to attack him, just like Kaiba suggests. Once he does, Shorty knows Yami is dead.

Man, this kid is impatient. Yami isn't the only one who needs to back the fuck up, it seems.

Yami pulls a card from his hand and announces that he's putting it face down, before he peers at Kaiba out of his periphery and states that they don't have much time. He asks if Kaiba can throw out the need for vengeance right now, because if he can, then Yami can attack. Kaiba snaps at him for clarification, so Yami lectures Kaiba on how strong negative emotions can cloud one's judgement and make one play right into enemy hands. Kaiba, of course, thinks that he's wrong and that battle IS anger, while he looks like he's snarling to boot.

Tsk tsk, Kaiba, you should know better than to argue with the main character by now. Especially when it's obvious that your motivation for battling Yami at some point isn't entirely anger.

Yami insists that he calm down, because being zen and shit is the only way to see their true path to victory. As Kaiba growls with barely contained rage, Yami reiterates yet again the theme of this fucking duel, which is working together as the real solution. Kaiba pays no attention, looking at his hand with something close to anxiety and taking stock there.

He has the god card right in his hand, but he's still stuck on how to summon it while Mask of Restrict is in play, since it requires three sacrifices to be used.

But wait! What's this?

How did you miss that before, dude?

Kaiba actually GASPS and looks over at Yami in disbelief. He had thought Valkyrion was Yami's trump card before, but he questions now whether or not it's not a decoy itself. He considers the possibility the power of unity itself is the real move here. Well, I mean Valkyrion IS made up of three separate monsters, sooooooooooooo...

Kaiba calmly tells Yami to attack again, and after a short pause, Yami smiles and complies. He commands Valkyrion to use its Magnet Saber, and it jumps to do so, lunging toward Guardius. The Magnet Sword is buzzing and crackling with electricity too? I didn't know this was an electromagnet, but I guess that's fine. It's not like the audience could be confused as to how electricity came into play or anything.

Shorty grins, just giddy that Yami fell for it. Even though Valkyrion's sword smashes straight through Guardius and Yami is pretty sure he managed to get it, Shorty informs him that he's super wrong. You see, Guardius has a secret ability! Oooooh! Kaiba is freaked by this reveal, because I guess it didn't occur to him that this was a possibility. He's missing all KINDS of obvious shit today, isn't he? Shorty informs him and Yami that a piece of Guardius's corpse comes detaches and comes back to life after its demise.

And, of course, it's a mask.

Fucking MASKS, man.

Shorty orders his bodyless mask to attach to Valkyrion, and it adheres itself to the magnet monster like a mold with teeth. It's pretty gross. Valkyrion appears behind Shorty now, who needlessly exposits that it belongs to HIS team now, GOT IT? Yeah, he's still doing that.

Kaiba is sweaty and looking pretty freaked now that the only monster on their side is on their enemy's side. Yeah, kind of fucked that shit up, didn't you, Kaiba? Shorty asks our heroes (such as they are) if they can see the vengeful and angry aura of Guardius possessing Valkyrion. I can certainly see it, and it's so EXTRA. Did we really need to turn this thing into a GHOST as well as a horrible abomination. Why don't we just move it into my head permanently, right behind my eyelids so I can see it every time I close my eyes?

That was sarcasm. Please don't do that.

Yami growls in anger as Shorty taunts him with the announcement that it's over for him, since he and Kaiba are all out of monsters. Shorty tells his partner to take out Yami, while he focuses on Kaiba next, still sore about being called a "shrimp" earlier and wanting to get back at him with his own shrimpy cards. Not the way Shorty would describe his own cards, I'm sure, but fuck 'im.

Tallie agrees to lay the murder on Yami and warns him that he's going to die.

Shorty is practically ecstatic when he exclaims that he and Tallie have got Yami by the balls. But Yami turns that elated expression into horrified disbelief when he smugly says that they'll see about that. He advises Shorty on the one thing he should take from this if he takes anything at all, which is that it was anger and vengeance that lost the duel for him in the end. Then he reveals his face down card to be:

Well doesn't Kaiba look cocky for a guy who just a few panels ago appeared to be shitting his pants. But more importantly, I'm finding De-Fusion and oddly succinct card. Where's the whole paragraph describing how all the components are returned to the field? Are you FEELING okay Duel Monsters? Have you taken your verbosity pills today?

He promises to show his opponents god, and I can't help feeling a bit creeped at the expression. Somebody is going to die horribly now. Again, Shorty stutters out a reminder about Mask of Restrict, and asks how he can possibly summon a god card without his sacrifices. Kaiba tells him to read the fine print, because Mask of Restrict only prevents him from sacrificing his OWN monsters, so he's happy to just sacrifice Shorty's instead. He pulls Soul Exchange out of his hand and plays it, a move that surrounds all three magnet warriors with whirlwinds to start off their sacrifices.

Shorty has gotten used to them being on his side of the battle pretty quickly, because he calls them "our" magnet warriors without the slightest hesitation. He wonders if Yami gave them Valkyrion on purpose for the long term goal of summoning Obelisk, a notion that is making his eyes bulge, sweat to pour down his face, and... his nose to run?

Yami is amused by this sniveling, because it's not like the guy is actually going to DIE or anyth- oh... wait...

Kaiba's got his grin back on when he bids his god to descend from the heavens and punish the nonbelievers!!! Shorty's bulging eyes roll up to follow the length of the giant pillar growing from Kaiba's corner of the field. NO! Not like that! Get your minds out of the gutter you perverts!

Although to be fair, that is some pretty intense ecstasy he's displaying here...

This is just INDECENT. Could you put the murder-boner away, Kaiba? Sheesh.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It had a really good pace to it, which is great because that's something that I've felt KT has struggled with before. He's in the habit of slowing down or stopping action to give an extreme close-up to minor details that aren't very important, but here he managed to avoid that. The action DID stutter a little when Yami was giving Kaiba his lecture regarding anger and vengeance clouding one's judgment, but given that was the theme of the chapter, it was a fair digression, if not a little ham-handed.

Because it's no secret that I'm not a great fan of when Yami gets preachy. I can't think of a time when a lecture from him has come across as anything other than insufferable to some degree, because it mostly just translates as an infallibility of the main character. However, I would be remiss not to mention the fact that this talk with Kaiba about feelings of anger and indignance leading to losses goes WAY back, since those reasons were the basis of Kaiba's own obsession with beating Yami. It's certainly not the WHOLE story, especially by this point, when Kaiba's real objective seems to have evolved into a need to prove himself the best again, facing his greatest obstacle in the process. But Kaiba's anger is the foundation of their current relationship, so I guess this does double as another indication from Yami to him on how he should be careful not to make the same mistakes when they duel again in the future.

There was another small detail that REALLY bugged me about this chapter, though. ONE PANEL in particular, in fact, that really kind of ruined the setup, and subsequently the payoff, of the Valkyrion De-Fusion play. Following Kaiba's revelation that he has Soul Exchange, and that Yami might be using Valkyrion as a decoy after all, he calms down and tells Yami to attack again. Presumably, this shows that Kaiba is aware of the fact that their opponents are anticipating this, and that Guardius's destruction has a way of bringing Valkyrion over to their side. Otherwise, Soul Exchange wouldn't work, requiring the sacrifices used to be those of the opposing team.

So why does Kaiba look so devastated by the fact that Valkyrion has been brought over to Shorty and Tallie's side mid-chapter? It seems to me that he would be stoked by this, because his plan is working. And don't try to tell me he's bluffing; this kid's poker face is about as nonexistent as my patience for people who tailgate me on the highway. I refuse to believe that he suddenly got sly to the point that no one can tell the difference between his fake terror and the real thing.

I mean, that ONE panel actively HURTS every clever thing KT was trying to do for this chapter. It's really kind of sad. Can he just stop doing this to his own work, please?

Inuyasha Manga: 130 Wolf

Hmmm, I'm not sure how to riff on this title. What can one say about a species of animal so reviled by humans that they have almost been wiped from the face of the earth several times over by now? What jokes are there to be made about the almost universal fear these creatures instill in the human psyche? They're the source from which we derive our beloved best friends, the dogs, and yet wolves are often cast as antagonists, destroying human livelihoods and preying on the weak. As the primal enemy of security and safety, wolves are viewed by many to be a menace to ranching practices locally, and civilization at large.

I feel like there's a point to be made here, but I can't quite put my finger on it...

If you're going to be mowing down 100 youkai with a single swing through a technique where the collision point between the air and an aura are cut, why would the PHYSICAL blade need to be sharper? Seems like there's no point if the metal is going to be playing second fiddle to a spiritual razor. Heh, no POINT.

Get it?

At the back of the group, Sango asks an abnormally quiet Kagome what the deal is with her silence. After a short pause, Kagome admits that she's getting the very faint sense of a Shikon fragment. This gives the boys up front some pause too, undoubtedly caught off guard by the sudden return to their main objective after having been off-track for such a while. Or the fact that Kagome was quiet for so long about it. I'm personally kind of confused about the latter myself.

The setting skips to where a bunch of chickens are clucking around in the midst of a town littered with corpses, the men and women splattered with and lying in puddles of their own blood. Kagome squeals with alarm and clings to Inuyasha's sleeve, who somehow looks surprised? Dude, couldn't you smell all the blood before this point? Miroku trails off in a sentiment of disgust and Sango kneels in the dirt to identify the tracks left by whatever did this, a group of beasts, someone (not sure who) speculates. Inuyasha concretely identifies the scent he's picking up as that of wolves, and Kagome repeats this in disbelief. I too cannot believe that NOW Inuyasha's nose seems to work. That thing is almost as terrible as his aim...

Miroku points out that it's a tad strange that the villagers that have been killed were not eaten, and the livestock that would have been more suitable prey for wolves anyway, chickens and nervous horses still penned up, remain untouched. It's a pretty good reason for him to think this wasn't done by ordinary wolves. Sango turns to Kagome and asks her where the Shikon shard is now that they're in the vicinity of where she sensed it, but she sweats and stutters, only to admit that it's no longer there, like it just ran away.

Or, you know, the person who has it ran away. That seems like the more logical conclusion.

Somebody get this guy a fucking watch. Or maybe, I don't know, EYES, so he can perceive the passage of time? Shit, Tessaiga only just got sharpened so it can't have been more than a day. I refuse to believe that he isn't aware that at most a single night has passed. He's just being overdramatic. Again.

A nearby tree emits a rustle and the little girl from the previous chapter pops her head out from behind it, looking wary. Sesshoumaru regards her from his periphery, looking a bit peeved at her return. She dashes toward him, hugging a big leaf and her water flute to her chest. She kneels next to Sesshoumaru and presents him with the leaf, which turns out to act as a plate for a roasted fish. Because Sesshoumaru is actual garbage, he smacks the offering out of her hands. DOUCHE. BAG. And a liar, because he can't move when he's lounging by himself in the woods, but suddenly can when he's knocking away any attempted assistance.

The little girl scrambles to sweep the fish back onto the leaf, as Sesshoumaru tells her to mind her own business, because he doesn't like human food. Uhhh, dude, you realize humans are omnivores, right? They eat everything. Does he eat nothing? The girl looks sheepishly over her shoulder at him, probably wondering the same thing.

Later, while the moon rises over the roof of some building, the girl has waded into what looks like a fishery, judging by the fencing on one side. She's leaning over and submerging her arms into the water up to her elbows, before pulling out a fish with her bare hands. Her arms are also cute and chubby and I love her. Men with torches yell at her from the side of the fishery, calling her a "culprit". She stares up at them, fish still clutched in her hands.

I hope they feel like big strong men for beating the shit out of a tiny baby girl. Whom they should be assuming isn't getting enough to eat if she feels like she has to steal.

As she limps away, they talk about how creepy she is for not crying even once while they whaled on her. Almost as creepy as a grown-ass man who kicks and punches a little girl and complains that she didn't cry when he did. And when I say "almost", I mean it's nowhere near as creepy. One of the men, an old one, explains why this shouldn't be surprising, given that she stopped making a peep when she saw her whole family murdered by thieves.

Daylight streams into Sesshoumaru's recovery ward through the branches above again, and he's looking a bit better, actually. He observes the little girl peeking out from behind the tree again more directly this time, at least.

My, how the tables have turned. And yet the little girl is still the one offering the nearly healed dude help, or at least a dead lizard and rat on the leaf this time. THIS CHILD IS GOING TO GET SO SICK, WASH YOUR HANDS, WASH YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW.

Ahem, sorry, I didn't know I had a parental instinct until this very moment.

Sesshoumaru looks away from this new offering rather than slapping it out of her hands, which is a marked improvement in his attitude. He tells her not to bother, and she slumps, sighing. She has to look back up at him in surprise, however, when he asks her what happened to her face. She just stares, not answering, so Sesshoumaru assures her that she doesn't have to say if she doesn't want to. He makes a strangely accurate assessment that she can't speak.

This expression is of course rather confusing to Sesshoumaru, who wonders what she has to be so happy about when he just asked about her appearance. Not sure a guy who gets annoyed with any offer of assistance could possibly understand, but, hey, at least he's asking the big questions.

Later, the little girl skips along the road in the village, humming a little song, judging by the musical note issuing from her. Kind of contradicts her "not making a sound" characterization so far... She passes by all the houses and instead heads for the shore of a lake (not sure if it's the fishpond from before) bordered by a short sheer cliff. From this cliff, a slouching roof of thatching connects to a series of boards acting as a wall. A broken pot sits just outside, the final indication that this girl isn't the least bit taken care of as the villagers who beat her would have themselves believe.

When she steps inside, she's surprised to see movement from another already in there. A man with a broad, snout-like nose, exposed fanged canines, and one eye scarred shut, asks her if this shack is her home. She nods in the affirmative, clinging to the side of the "doorway" in uncertainty. Suddenly, a scream and the cry of wolf sounds behind her and she twists to look at what's going on, her guest joining her. He curses the fact that he's already been found and while the little girl cringes from the carnage of her fellow villagers being chomped on by wolves, he darts out of her "house", wading into the pond beyond.

Bad move. The wolves look up from the villager they're currently ravaging, noticing that he's on the run. They follow him into the water and are much faster, clamping down on his arms with their jaws and causing him to cry out. On the shore, a much younger man, wearing furs and surrounded by a crowd of wolves that were suddenly docile, chuckles that he's got the damn thief now. The wolves that retrieved him from the water drag the little girl's unexpected guest ashore. He says the name "Kouga" pleadingly.

Is that why you waded out into the water like an idiot?

With a trembling finger, the unexpected guest pushes a Shikon shard toward Kouga, who picks it up and examines it, chuckling. He turns and begins to walk off, so absorbed with the elation of having his shard back, he's completely ignoring the guy he chased down so diligently. The unexpected guest asks Kouga if he's going to let him go, and breathes a premature sigh of relief.

I guess that answers THAT question. In fact, Kouga calls him a dope because he was just forgotten about. Should have remained a wallflower, dude.

The little girl watches the top half of her unexpected guest's head fall to the ground with a thud, cringing on her hands and knees now. Kouga turns to his obedient wolves and tells them that the job's over, so he's moving on out of this village. He invites them to eat as many villagers as they want, though, an invitation they happily take advantage of. The girl watches in horror as the men and women of the village are pounced on by the wolves and their throats are torn out. Her fingers are curled halfway into fists and they block her mouth as though she's fighting the urge to let out the scream she doesn't have.

Meanwhile, Jaken has found Sesshoumaru and prattles on and one about how terrible it is to see him in such a state. He's undoubtedly lucky that Sesshoumaru's state is so sorry, because he'd get a fist to the face for those comments for sure if Sesshoumaru had his full strength. As it is, though, Sesshoumaru's fist is employed in helping him sit up and an attempt to stand. Jaken begs him not to force himself, but Sesshoumaru insists he's "going back". To where? Who the fuck knows. Probably to resume pretending that he has shit to do.

The little girl is running through the forest nearby, wolves close on her heels and winded already. She's unlucky enough to get her toes caught on a raised root.

But he didn't smell the wolves? He really is the opposite of his brother in every possible way, huh?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's all at once cute and horrifying watching this little girl trying to help somebody while she clearly cannot help herself. She's practically a personification of a child's need for guidance, which makes the fact that she is in such a neglectful and even abusive environment all the more heartbreaking. It's clear that she's been orphaned rather recently, given the lack of awareness a lot of the men who beat her have of her story, and the fact that she's been living in that hovel at the edge of the village. No child who is as young and naïve as this one could survive long like that. If she were any older or wary, she wouldn't have approached Sesshoumaru at all, or even have robbed the fishery without being a bit quieter about it, at least.

And Sesshoumaru knew from the beginning that she had no idea what he was or how to care for him; he's annoyed by her attempts at first. It's pretty obvious that he's exasperated by her persistence and wants her to leave him alone, turning up his nose at all her offerings. He only really finds cause to pay closer attention to her when she walks up to him having been injured herself. The very least he has to be aware of by this moment is that this child has no one looking after her, and has no idea what to do in order to look after herself.

I mentioned a couple of chapters ago that it was likely Sesshoumaru's only functional relationship was with his father. He's almost guaranteed to know what it looks like when a kid is well taken care of, and this is not it. Even a relatively independent child, like the kind I imagine Sesshoumaru had to have been, needs guidance and protection. Since this girl very clearly HAS none, he's the only one who could respond to her peril the way an adult of her own kind should be.

All he has to do is emulate his father's ROLE toward him. Should be easy considering how eager he is to emulate daddy in most other respects. What could go wrong?