Inuyasha Manga: 232 Sarugami-Sama

Happy autumn, friends! It's gotten rainy and chilly again, so I busted out all the teas and am drinking multiple cups a day. The leaves are juuuuuuust starting to turn, no one can shut up about pumpkin spice, and the small town my new house is near has a banner up for a scarecrow contest. Apparently there's a little fall festival on its way too, and I am absolutely shocked - I accidentally stumbled into a cutesy slice of old-time Americana and it's too saccharine to handle. I'm SICK with how adorable it is. 

Yeah, but do they have a SCARECROW CONTEST? Apparently not - Sango says that something is strange, and when the city girl beside her asks what's up, she points out that the crops are all in ruins, lying dug up and chopped into the soil all over the place. No lavish dinners for their visit this time, apparently.

A crowd down the road runs toward them uniformly, a few old men in the lead pointing out "him" as the guy they're looking for. The Inuyasha group turns at the shout to look over their shoulders, making questioning noises as Sango hesitantly identifies them as the villagers. Said villagers yell at the one with silvery hair to wait, one of them also referring to his pointy animal ears as a sign that he sure ain't human. Kagome quizzically supposes that they're talking about Inuyasha as Inuyasha walks out to confront the (presumed) mob, asking the bastards what is up with them.

Oh good, Inuyasha gets to play god today. This should be new and fun...

Taken aback, Inuyasha asks if they mean HIM. Clearly they do, because when they end up in the village, Inuyasha has adopted the role of porch-goblin in this one, sitting up on top of the stoop while the villagers sit in the dirt below, Miroku and Kagome standing next to the stairs on either side of him like attendants. The villagers mumble that they had no choice but to turn to the gods, and Miroku, observant as he is, voices his suspicion that they're in some kind of trouble. 

One of the men reiterates what Sango mentioned before, that the fields have been laid to waste, and they're in some dire straights. Another opines that they might starve to death at this rate. No Sultans of Swing around here, folks. Kagome asks if this is a youkai's doing, to which the frustrated villagers answer that the culprits are actually monkeys. Inuyasha sweatdrops at this information, looking just as bemused as before. 

A villager says they heard that monkeys have always been afraid of dogs, who are more abundant in supernatural form around here than just... regular dogs, apparently. Another villager sheds a tear, begging the Inugami-sama to use his dog power on the monkeys. Miroku kneels before the men, promising that they'll exterminate these pests, but Inuyasha tells him to hold up a tick. He complains that they don't have time for this, but Miroku says not to worry; he suggests Sango and he will go look for Naraku clues nearby in the meantime. Sango accepts this spontaneous plan, looking a bit mystified by the suddenness of it, although that might be just a drawing error. 

In any case, the villagers direct Inuyasha to Monkey Forest, the natural habitat of the creatures he is asked to drive away somehow. They don't appear to want the monkeys dead so much as... not around their crops anymore. They're a bit friendlier than most other villagers in this story for sure. I think I like them. 

Cut to Inuyasha and Kagome walking out into the forest, Inuyasha pissing and moaning about this side-quest. He asks why HE has to do monkey-duty, seemingly having forgotten why he was targeted for the task to begin with. Meanwhile, they're seen by SOMEONE who knows he's a dog youkai rather than a god. Whomever this is curses those villagers because they're aware they hate dogs. Despite this, however, this person resolves to beat these saviors of the village back.

More ape than monkey, but I'm not going to harp too hard on the taxonomy of a cyclops monster that clearly isn't part of the real tree of life at all. 

Also, Shippou is here too! Go figure. He stutters about the monster monkey, but Inuyasha is grinning and cracking his knuckles threateningly over this, saying it would be boring otherwise. And we would just HATE for our boy to be bored, wouldn't we? He knocks the cyclops on its ass with a single punch while he talks about how much better it is to have a youkai opponent. Even one that falls like a 10-pound sack of potatoes, apparently.

Or... THREE tiny ones that fall like a 10-pound sack of potatoes. For the price of one, so I'm counting this as a bargain. 

Inuyasha still holds up a fist, forgetting to uncurl his claws in his mild shock. Shippou is significantly calmer than before when he identifies them as monkey kids, and Kagome squeals about how cute they are. Inuyasha squats next to the little guys, accusing them of being the ones who fucked up the village fields. They take a moment to huddle and whisper among themselves before bowing to Inuyasha, the one up front above declaring that they have lost. This one also holds out a little rock with a garland around it, offering this as a gift and proof that they will never be naughty again. 

Inuyasha oohs at the offering, but Shippou calls to him in warning. Inuyasha has already accepted the gift and is holding it when he asks Shippou what's up, who begins to explain that lowering an enemy's guard with a trinket is a bit suspicious...

Yeeeeeaaaaahhhh, a bit slow on the heads-up there kiddo. Probably not by accident, either. Inuyasha stretches his foot over to shove Shippou's head down into the dirt, snapping at him to speak faster. 

One of the monkeys crosses his little arms and laughs that Inuyasha deserves this for being a sucker, and the leader claims the damn inuyoukai can't move. In response, Inuyasha rapidly bops them all on the head - he might not have any long-distance aim to speak of, but he's quick on the draw, we can hand him that much. He begins to threaten the monkeys if they don't withdraw their little prank, but a monkey scoffs that it's useless. The leader says that as long as they don't break their spell, he'll never be able to get his hand off the rock.

Inuyasha adopts a twitching annoyed smile as he sweatdrops, acknowledging this and offering a compelling counterargument.

Well, compelling until they just... run off. Giant boulders are much slower to swing around than his fist, as it turns out. Inuyasha shouts at their retreating backs that they'll get theirs, while the little leader monkey shouts over his shoulder that Inuyasha should just wait. Kagome dashes off after them with bow clutched in hand (oh, NOW she has her bow up front and visible, when she's clearly not going to use it?), calling for Shippou to come along with her. He's already clinging to her elbow, so all that's left is for Kagome to shout back at Inuyasha to hang out where he is as he's yelling at her back. 

Shippou warns Kagome that it'll be bad if they get away, Kagome responding with a questioning noise. He reminds her of just what they said; only those who created the trick can remove it. Kagome doesn't seem thrilled by this prospect, so obviously, they press on, running up on a building in the forest. Abandoned, as usual.

Oooh, and looking a bit crispy as well. 

Kagome notices a set of footprints leading up to the burned-out structure, and in the darkness she sees the little monkeys shivering at the back. She climbs into the doorway, giving them a friendly greeting. Before long, they're all sitting outside while Kagome hands out lollipops, asking why they pulled the prank on the villagers' fields. The leader insists it was no prank, but their desperate attempt to find a kidnapped Sarugami-sama.

At the question of who Sarugami-sama is, the leader monkey explains that he's the god who resides at this shrine, and they are the sprites who serve him, trained while they watched over the shrine. Kinda like the water sprites who hovered around both real and fake water gods 100-ish chapters ago. The shrine was burnt due to a nearby conflict, and Sarugami-sama's "go-shintai" was taken by someone. Had to look up that term, because unlike with "hokora", there was no definition in the margin provided by the translator. In case anyone is curious, it's a physical idol that is supposed to hold the god/spirit of a shrine, like a body - a statue or some such. 

Kagome asks if they mean that they think the villagers have the go-shintai, and the leader monkey says they had supposed the go-shintai was buried in a field due to Sarugami-sama telling them about it in dreams. All of them, apparently, each receiving a different cryptic clue. One of them was told it was a dark and damp place, another that it was stuffy and cramped, and the third that it stank of icky ICKY vegetables. Well, kids are always going to hate their veggies, I guess. 

They all lift their heads at the sound of a mighty thump in the distance, Kagome humming. A couple more echo through the trees, rattling everyone. The leader monkey says that something is coming, and Kagome delicately tries to persuade them to remove the spell on Inuyasha, for their own sakes. The monkey leader says there's no way.

Sounds familiar.

Wheezing, Inuyasha arrives, hand still stuck to the boulder, and just in time to be indignant over their admission of incompetence. They recoil, sweatdropping, as Shippou sternly warns them that they'll get hurt if they're joking, Inuyasha not really known for using a light hand with kids. They insist they're not kidding, putting on the dunce pose above once more as they repeat that they have completely forgotten how to remove their little enchantment. 

Inuyasha conks them all over the head once more, putting giant knots on their scalps, heaving in anger and exhaustion. I assume it's Kagome who suggests that this is a problem, leaning down to chide them, but it could also be one of the monkeys as well - the speech bubble isn't really clear in its placement. Inuyasha lifts the boulder over his head again, threatening to kill them with it, but the leader monkey holds out his hand to plead for pause. He says that Sarugami-sama would be able to lift the spell if they can find him, since Sarugami-sama was the one to teach it to them. Kagome's expression is kind of worried, urging Inuyasha to hurry back to the village with her to find the go-shintai. Inuyasha, of course, is a bit flummoxed on a couple of levels at this suggestion. 

If they aren't able to get that boulder off his hand, he'll be too exhausted to actually punish anyone for it. At least the monkeys have THAT in their favor.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's a little strange to me that after such a long time in which Shippou just hangs out on the margins with a stray comment from time to time, his role in this chapter is only a TAD more involved. He speaks a little more, but is just as uninvolved in moving the plot forward as ever, unless you count his INACTION as some sort of marginal involvement. It's in service to a fair joke, and as I mentioned above, you could absolutely interpret it to indicate a deliberate hang-back on Shippou's part as a small revenge for all the whacks he gets on the regular. But at the same time, he genuinely seems to lack the pettiness and childishness he's had in his salty interactions with Inuyasha in the past, so I'm not sure it's a very SOLID interpretation. 

Otherwise, this was a very amusing installment - LOVED that Inuyasha gets mistaken for a god, or at least the villagers are willing to treat him as such for the chance that he'll be the savior of their fields. A little strange that they found Inuyasha before an ACTUAL dog first, but I guess a mundane canine probably wouldn't be very effective against a supernatural pack of monkeys. THEY didn't seem to make a distinction, but that's how I'm going to justify it in my head. 

Speaking of the monkeys... they're alright. Mostly it's just the leader showing any kind of distinctive personality, which is a persistent haughtiness. I do find it somewhat compelling that he is clearly mistrustful and disdainful of the human villagers, basically accusing them of kidnapping the resident god of the shrine. Whether that's the way he's always felt, or it was the warring humans burning out the shrine kind of souring him on humanity isn't clear, but I kind of feel like it's the latter. Considering monkeys are considered pests to most agricultural societies they share their habitats with, though, I wouldn't be surprised it he thought humans were shitty before too. Either way, it's not unreasonable for them to be cowering from Kagome and her bow in the shrine, even if she was absolutely harmless.

All the same, their craftiness was rather blase, not particularly unique, despite them being clever little primates like one might expect. I appreciate Shippou's indication that theirs is the strategy of most smaller youkai/spirits of all kinds, simply because they don't have pure size and muscle on their side. It goes a ways to explain how a small youkai might actually manage to make it in a world of violence by default. Doesn't do much to make these particular ones stand out very much, though, which is odd considering how talented RT can be in making even her non-recurring characters strong personalities.

They can't all blow your mind, I guess. 

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 290 The Quest for the Name

You said it, title. Naming even the most minor of characters has been a trial for me lately while writing. I go online to look up five or six lists of baby names to pick out things that are thematically appropriate, but when I plug them into my manuscript they don't seem to fit. Even when I'm somewhat okay with them, my alpha and beta readers don't seem pleased with them, and when they tell me why, it starts to bother me a bit too. Had that problem with the name "Hillary" recently, which now gives me a mental itch whenever I put it to paper, and I have to repeat my mantra to myself not to get hung up on this when there's actual WRITING to do.

I just want to have something to call my characters, but it feels like I have to trek over the mountain to the Forest of the Fairies to pluck a name they've stolen from a less-deserving creature from the Identity Tree and make the long journey home... only to realize it isn't the right one anyway when I sit back at my desk. 

Pick one and try it out? The process of elimination is a long one, but I haven't figured out a more reliable method of going through MY overwhelming number of choices. Jonouchi agrees with me; he holds up a fist as he resolves that they'll just have to open all of them, Honda echoing the sentiment while slamming his own fist into his opposite palm. 

Jonouchi turns to a door near Yuugi, announcing that his sixth sense tells him that it's this one. Though Yuugi says he has a BAD feeling about it, Jonouchi charges the door with a declaration of intention, kicking it in violently. He steps into thin air above MORE staircases and doors to nowhere, realizing in shock his mistake too late and exclaiming as he topples over the edge. He's able to grab hold of the threshold to the door, calling out for help, Yuugi and Anzu looking up to find that he's been "portal'd" right above them. Yuugi yells up to him and Anzu wonders how in the world he got up there.

Bobasa and Yuugi each take an arm and haul Jonouchi up out of the doorway, the latter asking if he's okay while the former warns a squeaking Jonouchi that there are traps behind every door and to be careful. Jonouchi asks indignantly why he didn't mention this SOONER, no thought to whether Bobasa had any TIME to do so before he was kicking down doors. Honda reflects absently on how this place is like a different dimension. There's overall acknowledgment that it's too dangerous to split up since one of them would never find their way out of the maze if they were to get lost, BUT it would also take forever for them to check all the doors as a group. 

Anzu hesitantly says to Yuugi that, while it's just a feeling she has, she thinks HE'S the only one who will be able to find the True Door (TM), given that he's the closest both in proximity and mentally with Yami. Yuugi affirms this notion, in an almost cheerful manner, but this seems to make Anzu more morose. She mopes silently about being unable to do anything but wander around in the labyrinth of Yami's soul, apologizing remotely to him. She's got the classic "everything is my responsibility and  fault" disease we're all brought up with these days; relatable. 

Yuugi turns to Bobasa with a question, which Bobasa encourages. Yuugi prefaces his inquiry by saying that they came here to find Yami and follow him into the Memory World, with is affirmed by Bobasa, so Yuugi asks if they can really have an effect on things if these are memories of the past. He worries about getting there and not being able to do anything but watch, and the uncertainty that Yami will even be able to see them in the context of the memories, not having existed back then so not existing in this particular set of memories either. A fair concern, but Bobasa just gives him a sharp look until Yuugi insists that they MUST have a role to play if they're going there - he asks what they're actually supposed to DO once they get to Memory World. 

So, this isn't just a "moral support" deal after all, huh?

This is crazy shocking to Yuugi, who gapes at this "lost name" phrase, because this is yet another thing that we're going to pretend we haven't actually discussed before. Anzu asks if this means Yami's REAL name, and Bobasa explains that his name vanished from his memories when Yami sealed his soul into the Millennium Puzzle. Apparently, NO ONE in the Memory World knows this name, not even Yami, and it's not even on the King-List in the temples. This prompts Jonouchi to ask how they're supposed to find something that's not there, Honda agreeing that it's a bit of a bonkers expectation for them to uncover a piece of information that doesn't exist, but Bobasa says that it's still possible the name is somewhere in his subconscious instead. Yuugi contemplates Yami's true name, or the phrase at least.

Anzu looks like she has an epiphany here about this, as she remembers how she handed Yami the cartouche pendant before they all... collapsed into a coma, lets be honest. What her epiphany is, or if there even is one, really, is not revealed. Bobasa says that the pharaoh's name is the keyword to open the door to the the afterworld. Can't just get in there with ANY name, apparently.

By the way, there's a familiar shadowed figure hanging out behind one of the brick walls of the labyrinth eavesdropping on this conversation. One with a stripey shirt, fluffy pale hair, and a sneaky smile. 

Yuugi and Anzu are in awe over the concept over a door to the afterworld, it seems, as Bobasa tells them in excess seriousness that this is the final trial of the one who solved the Millennium Puzzle. 

Why look yourself in the abundant time you've had to do so since you've been here when there's a whole group of kids who will do the work for you in a fraction of the time?

And asshole!Bakura isn't the only one kicking back. Yami gets a little leisure time after his scrape with thief!Bakura, which he uses to stare out over his city from a palace balcony at twilight. Siamun walks up behind him as he broods to tell him that the former pharaoh will be placed back in his proper tomb after the funerary rites. The priests accompany him, one of which is Mahado, who hangs his head in frustrated silence at first. Then he kneels and starts self-flagellating, claiming he's to blame because his ineptitude cause the pharaoh's tomb to be defiled in the first place. He's expecting some punishment, but Yami just turns to ask that he please ensure that his father is placed back where he belongs with respect. After a moment of confusion mixed with his residual frustration, Mahado bows his head again and promises upon his life.

While atoning for dishonoring a corpse by making yourself one is a nice sentiment on its face, I feel like it makes twice the number of corpses their needs to be in this situation. 

Siamun turns to Mahado and says that the former pharaoh gave the Millennium Items to the priests to judge and punish the wicked who threaten the order of the world, not to mislay the punishment on those he'd placed his trust. Yeah! You're supposed to police those poor people outside the palace, not yourselves! Mahado doesn't respond, just stares at the floor. 

Better hope that legacy is closer to your limited vision than thief!Bakura's then. 

Out the door and across the way, at the Shrine of Wedju, someone asks if there's any news of thief!Bakura's whereabouts. They get a negative, so the speaker says they have to extend the search area, listing the areas like the city, gorge and desert over a shot of the walls covered in giant stone slabs containing monsters. There's a minor close-up on some random tablets as the speaker suggests Kul Elna as well, since thief!Bakura mentioned it as a base of some sort. More like a hometown, but that's neither here nor there. The speaker wants it to be impossible to get through a net this wide. 

Funny that this conversation is being held away from most of the people covered by it? Suspicious almost?

Akhenaden says they both know that all of them would have bitten the dust if Yami hadn't been able to summon the god. Priest Seto stares sternly up at the crown jewels in their extensive tablet collection, the gods, the summoned form of the one he saw earlier standing out in his mind in particular. Out loud, Priest Seto complains that the monsters in the shrine aren't exactly the strongest, mere parasites pulled from the souls of sinners. He rants about weak hearts, weak monsters, general weakness... he's just kind of disdainful overall. 

Reminding Priest Seto that thief!Bakura is a sinner as well, Akhenaden asks an open-ended question about how that evil ka got so strong. He says it must have to do with the strength of thief!Bakura's hatred, trailing Priest Seto's name on the end as though the statement is somewhat personal. Priest Seto keeps glaring, of course. 

Fair and just actions don't GENERALLY produce bottomless hatred, so you'll forgive me for being skeptical that all this Millennium Item business is on the u-and-up.

And yet he's parroting the same story in the next panel, claiming that the Millennium Items were meant to be holy relics/beacons of peace in the world. He does manage to admit that there's a secret evil side to the items that thief!Bakura seems to know about, though. THIS is what gets a reaction from Priest Seto, who asks in disbelief if the nonsense about the items opening a door to the afterworld, contract of darkness with an evil god, is actually true. Akhenaden doesn't really answer; he just barks that they can't let the Millennium Items fall into thief!Bakura's hands, that it would be the fall of the kingdom. 

Priest Seto says he has an idea, and Akhenaden falls silent to listen. Assuming there must be people in the city whose kas have hidden abilities, Priest Seto curls his fist up and proposes they round up the folks who look promising, develop their ka to turn them into powerful weapons. What do they call it when you nab people off the street and force them to train as soldiers for a war that doesn't benefit them?

And it gets worse: Priest Seto says that if ka can gain power from hatred, then they can torture these people. Even seems to consider it a plus that no one will stop them, since they're the highest authority beneath the pharaoh, and through a smirk says it should produce results. WOW, he just amped up the psycho vibes and it blew out the equipment, folks. THERE WAS NO "HITLER" SETTING ON THIS DIAL AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT.

Thankfully, there's a voice of REASON in the room. Akhenaden calls him a madman for suggesting they use the pharaoh's resources for a manhunt, which is entirely too mild a term for it, but I'm not sure there's a term strong enough so I'll allow it. He also says that the pharaoh would NEVER let Priest Seto to abuse commoners like that, Priest Seto scowling.

But suddenly he has a grin on and chuckles that this isn't a manhunt, but a KA hunt. As if that makes the the torture he wants to inflict on human people any more palatable. He goes on to say that OF COURSE Yami would be forced to stop them if he knew about this plan, but Priest Seto argues that Yami doesn't need to know about it. The layers of awful settling here like shitty sediment... Priest Seto says that the pharaoh's ultimate political power comes from people worshiping him like a god, and the peace and stability of the world rests on his shoulders. But it's Priest Seto's (deranged) view that times like these call for the priests to become the pharaoh's shadow, protecting the royal house with shadow politics. 

Or shadow a shadow authoritarian fascist police state, anyway.

Akhenaden looks at him, no longer putting up an argument as Priest Seto promises to create a ka to surpass a god, if he wants.

Akhenaden, guardian of the Shrine of Wedju, I ask you... HOE DON'T DO IT.

Anyway, Yami is still standing out on the balcony, looking up at the sky, in which he sees the image of his modern friends in all their friendly friendliness. Lucky for them, he's brought memories of them with him into his memory world of the past in lieu of memories of this illusory past. It sounds complicated, and it IS. Yami thinks of Yuugi next, but instead of grasping the puzzle that connects them, he gropes for something ELSE hanging around his neck.

Rumpelstiltskin! 

No? Then I got nothing.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Not sure how useful the first part of the chapter was; other than reminding us that Yuugi and friends are still wandering around in Yami's labyrinthine soul-space and the details of why they're there, it serves little purpose. Not that I didn't appreciate the humorous primer with Jonouchi's antics to some more heavy content in the chapter, and the eerie illogical way the place behaves was pretty interesting, even if it's a little derivative. It was also somewhat fun seeing asshole!Bakura being his asshole-self, with the implication that he's just kind of been hanging out since he got here in the DDD saga waiting for Yuugi to show up. There was NO narrative resistance to Anzu's gut-feeling that Yuugi was the only one who could find the true door, so I'm guessing it's meant to be taken as reality, and that piece of asshole!Bakura wouldn't be able to find it even if he'd tried this whole time. 

But I kind of like the idea of him just bumming the whole time so he can dump the work on Yuugi when he arrives. Seems highly plausible for his character. 

It's also pretty within character for Priest Seto to suggest that they just round up people on the street and torture them to cultivate and harvest their hatred as monsters. This is the ancient Egyptian equivalent of Seto Kaiba's development of the dueling box way back in the Death-T arc - something I had to remind myself of because I was so alarmed by his scheming here at first. I think the difference here is that I'm more used to late-game Battle City Kaiba who had grown SOMETHING of a conscience by the time he fucked off, and that Kaiba's dueling box development was only IMPLIED back when we learned about it. We're getting the WHOLE PROCESS of Priest Seto's development of his ideas, so we're not glossing over context. And the context... ain't pretty. 

It's so ugly, in fact, that I don't know how one can get redemption from it with as little time as we have left. Even KAIBA isn't exactly a good person by the end of Battle City, and only just beginning to get in touch with some empathy, the end result of development over a couple hundred chapters/the benefit of some of his implied crimes being hidden in the background of dialog. Priest Seto's development is going to have to do a LOT of heavy lifting in order to elevate THIS villainy, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Assuming there's supposed to be redemption for proto-Kaiba in the first place. Maybe he's just supposed to be a precursor to Kaiba's default shittiness, I don't know. Time will tell, I guess.

Inuyasha Manga: 231 Monstrous Evil

I remember dreaming about monstrous evil when I was a kid - that kind of grotesque twisted monster in nightmares sliding out of the shadows to spook me awake again. The kind that stuck with me while I cowered under my sheets and kept me from swinging my legs over the side of my bed to run to the bathroom, just in case the creature was waiting to grab my ankle and pull me under. Those kinds of monsters less frequently occupy my nightmares these days, and when they DO show up they have significantly less psychological impact. What gets me THESE days is the kind of evil manifests in a systemic form over generations to benefit a few privileged people over everyone else, literally killing innocents in the name of profit.

As you can imagine, my nightmares are rather opaque nowadays.

And how easily distracted you were. You trying to make me regret defending your intelligence this whole time or what?

Inuyasha concludes, of course, that the real villain is still in the castle, and curses that he can't hang about. Any more than he's already been doing, anyway. He jumps high into the air above the gaping decoy oni and slams his fist down into his face, demanding that he go quietly back into the building. He's clearly trying to punch a new hole into the roof for them to enter through, splintering the roof tiles under them. Probably not going to be able to walk him to the door, so this might actually be necessary.

... Which is precisely what you guys came here to take care of? Surely little Shippou isn't ALREADY having memory issues? Inuyasha has been hitting him over the head too much, it seems. 

Kagome notices there's a light coming from the the princess's chest, a bit alarmed. Meanwhile, Miroku, Sango and the old exorcist run up from the pit, Sango asking for confirmation that the the oni transformed into the princess and ate all the priests and priestesses that came to exorcise it. Miroku repeats what the oni princess said about him being the 100th one, warning that what she's really eating is the spiritual energy, wanting to eat that of 100 people in order to resurrect completely. Nice round number, but it's probably a mess in ounces.

Back with Kagome, the light bursts from the princess's corpse and flows into the oni-head's mouth. Shippou wonders aloud what it is she's eating while both of them look on in absolute horror. Having finished her meal, the oni princess explains to her uninvited guests that she had previously stashed 99 people's spiritual powers in the lady's body, and she just needs one more little morsel to fill up. I mean, fun fact that you were using this corpse as a larder of a sort, sis, but why are you taking the time to tell Kagome all this? 

Full disclosure, I guess, because after the oni princess admits she failed to devour Miroku's powers, she asks Kagome what she's carrying near her chest. Gasping, Kagome presses a palm protectively over the Shikon shards she knows are there, and the oni princess chuckles. She says they might be a more effective method of resurrection than a measly human's powers. Kagome recoils at the implication that she intends to eat her. I'd say eating you is rather incidental in the whole deal, really going after the Shikon fragments, but if being the main course rather than a side dish makes you feel better about the whole raw deal...

Kagome and Shippou bolt as the oni princess lunges at them, having to dive out of the way at the last second so that she gets a mouthful of splintered wooden column rather than tender human flesh. Things are about to get worse for her.

More like YOU finally showed up, Inuyasha. Geez dude, you've been preoccupied with a decoy for several minutes by this point. 

Speaking of the decoy, it lies on the floor below the new hole in the roof Inuyasha was kind enough to make, surrounded by castle guards with their swords drawn. They cautiously speculate that he might be unconscious, during which talk he slowly transforms back into a human form. The porch-golbin old man stutters that it's Tono, just as said Tono's body dissolves into dust before their eyes, taking them aback. 

Inuyasha points Tessaiga at the oni-head princess with Kagome cowering behind him, calling the oni a bitch for taking over the princess's body. The oni princess laughs about the foolish humans that buried her head beneath the castle while prattling on about a protection against evil, of all things. 

The frankly STUPID proximity is why she was able to put a death-curse on the princess and borrow her form, storing the spiritual power she stole from her other victims in her actual body. Inuyasha concludes that Tono was set as a guard for the body, and the scapegoat for when the real form might be discovered. Nice when he's allowed to come to reasonable conclusions without being made fun of.

Weeeellll, that didn't last long.

Miroku, Sango and the old woman arrive, the former asking why the oni princess didn't leave the tomb until now. Of all the burning questions, he has to know THIS? As she acknowledges him with disdain, Miroku says that she even gave HIM a lot of trouble, and with that amount of immense evil power she should have been able to break out of there at any time. The other 99 people she took down in such a short amount of time were apparently chopped liver, I guess. The oni princess says that she would have been absorbed and controlled by a much larger evil entity if she had come out before. 

Inuyasha and crew stare in shock, the implications clear. Just to make it a LIIIIITTLE clearer, though, Inuyasha repeats the key phrase back at her as a question. She namedrops the only lump of evil who has vanished recently this time: Naraku. And now that he's gone...

And with that, she punches yet ANOTHER hole in the roof to flee up into the sky. I've counted THREE holes that the people actually living here will have to fix now, and that makes my brand new homeowner's heart very anxious. She looks down to chuckle at them again, threatening to eat to her heart's content outside the castle, one or two little priests here and there. Less of a hassle than bulldozing through this group to swallow those Shikon fragments, I guess. She's an opportunist, if nothing else.

Inuyasha swings down Tessaiga, refusing to let her get away with those intentions, and the resulting Kaze no Kizu tears off yet MORE of the roof as it rockets at an alarmed oni princess. Shippou stands on Kagome's shoulder, shouting his certainty that Inuyasha got her, but we know what his premature judgments mean by now. There's a rumble, and the oni head continues to hang in the distant sky. Inuyasha curses, Shippou shocked that she's still alive, Kagome bemoaning the fact that Kaze no Kizu didn't reach the disembodied head. 

Escaping the attack emboldens her, and the oni princess starts to brag that she's just getting started, rambling about her plans to regain her body and stalk the lands once again. But she hung out too long, surprised by a force pulling at her from the ground. Miroku is holding up his uncovered right palm at her. 

A suspiciously hard time, considering how simple that solution was.

Our heroes end up back where they started, catching the old exorcist lady up on what the oni-head princess was talking about. The old lady suggests that since this Naraku fellow is out of the picture, the youkai around here are going to rampage. Miroku says that seems about right, and the old woman is absolutely STOKED by how much busier she'll be and how business is booming. Miroku makes a shocked noise, and Inuyasha advises her to just retire, telling her he thinks she's a fraud right to her face. Kagome chuckles nervously that he shouldn't be so blunt, while the old lady counters that if she hadn't been around, Miroku would have been eaten. A fair point, even if Sango is also fair in muttering to Miroku how overconfident the old lady is. Miroku is actually pretty confident she'll live a LONG time himself. 

As they head out of the area, leaving the old exorcist to her ill-advised business, Miroku says this is going to become a problem. He reminds them that all the hidden youkai will be way more active with Naraku gone, but Inuyasha scoffs, classifying these as weak-sauce lame-o's that were hiding from Naraku and they can make quick work of. No problem.

Speaking of overconfidence...

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? There's a reason why people always make fun of the villain monologue explaining their whole plan during the climax. Clearly RT wanted to make it explicit that Naraku's presence was kind of oppressive to the less-powerful youkai in the area, and they laid low while he was a big player in town, but having the oni-head just chat it up with the heroes in order for them to learn that? A tad ridiculous on its face. If there had been some kind of motivation for the oni-head to give them whatever information they wanted, perhaps it would have seemed more natural - holding the lady template hostage in some way, for instance. She was already dead, so there's no moral ambiguity there, anyway. As it stands, the oni-head princess just seemed weirdly casual about all of her interactions, even when she was flitting from one plan to another when her way was blocked. RT could easily have gotten away with making her seem a bit more nervous and uncertain, but she was the furthest from that vibe. All in all, a forgettable villain that I'm not going to miss too much.

But I will probably miss the old exorcist, though. She was a lot of fun in how unexpectedly useful she was, and how energetic she is. Though she doesn't show up again, I agree with Miroku; I'm fully committed to the headcanon that she lasted a LONG time, bungling her way through every exorcism she manages to bag. 

Can we have a manga about THAT? Somebody ask RT - I hear she's on Twitter now or something.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 289 The Supreme Blow!

Dammit, did I already promise to lay off the "phrasing" jokes in the last post? Curses and crumpets, my inner Sterling Archer is screaming at me right now. Oh well, just add it to the existing cacophony in my head. Blend it in there, what difference do a few extra decibels make among friends? I've already got about five different alarms blaring about Texas ALONE this week, so juvenile Beavis and Butthead style guffaws about "blows" pales in comparison to that. 

I'm sorry, did you say something? It feels like there's cotton stuffed in my ears, I can't...

Yeah, welcome to Yu-Gi-Oh, where literally NOTHING is a myth. All real. Enjoy your stay.

Yami thinks he believes his father's words that justice is in the name of the gods - still not sure if this is a telepathic phrase from the mummy of his father or a phrase he remembered his father saying while he was alive. Either way, I disagree, but we've already determined I'm way too leftist for this fucking comic by now. The priests ooh and ahh at the god, one of them in disbelief that this is what one looks like. They've never actually SEEN one of these before? Then how the hell did Obelisk get in the shrine across the way in the first place? Who put it there? 

Even proto-Kaiba is in awe over Obelisk the Tormentor. Siamun leans down to mutter to the mummified previous pharaoh that it's real; if only he could see the prince who carries on his dream also wields the three hidden gods. Wait, even HE hasn't actually seen these gods before??

What, was the damn shrine just built around these carvings NO ONE produced?

Thief!Bakura reiterates that his plan was originally to kill all seven holders of the Millennium Items and take them, but he didn't really expect to see THIS thing standing in his way. But he figures if it takes Diabound murdering a god then so be it - they'll see who the REAL god is. Yami repeats the statement we all saw earlier about the Millennium Items being forged for his father's dream of fostering freedom and peace, something I'm still skeptical of, but we'll go with it for now. He says he'll never forgive the person who tries to steal the items, which doesn't appear to break thief!Bakura's heart or anything. He DOES get a little pissy, though, repeating the supposed values of "freedom" and "peace" back and bidding Yami not make him laugh. He says that the Millennium Items are double-edged swords, created of both good and evil, and grins as he continues on to say that their holders must beware because they will respond to the evil that lies in every person's soul and drag them into a world of evil. Pretty ominous, and Yami doesn't have a rebuttal for it, just glaring. 

Thief!Bakura says that the rich and powerful LOVE to talk about "justice" - the right to punish people they fear and kill those they hate - calling it "execution" instead of "murder". He asks the entirely valid question of if this is really justice or if it's evil. Thief!Bakura suggests that Yami really fears his enemy's ideas of what justice is, and says no one can actually draw the line between good and evil. The Millennium Items are they compass of the soul, only THEY can really tell. That last part was pretty iffy, since these items were created by fallible men just as much as all their systemically flawed justice systems, but the rest of his philosophy? Nailed it. 

He encourages Yami to look behind him at all those self-righteous priests and consider if he's really sure one of them doesn't covet the throne. Akhenaden steps forward with full offense, insisting that they have absolute loyalty to the pharaoh. It wasn't self-righteous at all. Nope. Thief!Bakura laughs, admitting that he claims claims justice on his side as well, but goes on to repeat that he intends to kill all of them and usurp the throne himself along with the Millennium Items, and ultimately rule the world. Whether this is an acknowledgment of his bias in the matter or not isn't entirely clear. Again, we'll run with it. 

Yami throws thief!Bakura's bid not to be made to laugh by the term "Justice" back at him, asking where the justice is in grave robbing and murder. Well... I could point out a few things myself, but somehow I don't think a philosophical conversation is really what he's after here. It could be that he asserts thief!Bakura won't get away with this, or the fact that he spent a good amount of time brooding over the abused corpse of his father. Maybe both and more.

Not likely. Indeed, when he commands Diabound to shoot a spiral wave at Obelisk, what looks like a visualization of echolocation generating from where its navel would be, Obelisk merely raises an arm diagonally to block it. Yami mirrors Obelisk's grimacing expression, but overall it looks pretty painless. Thief!Bakura's eyes are wide in shock and disbelief, on the other hand. 

I mean, it didn't really look like much to begin with...

Thief!Bakura "urk"s as he stares in horror up at Obelisk. Meanwhile Yami promises to show him how flimsy his concept of justice actually is. As Obelisk pulls back its massive fist for a punch, Yami describes its iron and godly composition as just the tool to pulverize that shitty definition of "justice". Diabound's chest is fully exposed and vulnerable for a hit. At least that's what I think the skewed panel without it even centered in the frame is trying to say.

WRECKED. Both he and Diabound are knocked backward from the force of the attack, the latter crashing right through a pillar behind. Expected considering its bulk. The priests are awash in admiration for the ultimate power of the gods, and the fact that Obelisk took Diabound down in a single blow. Meanwhile, Yami glares ahead, mimicking the stoic pose with curled fists of his god-monster behind. 

As he moves to kneel, clutching his chest and groaning, thief!Bakura's "Ba Gauge" shows his power has dropped to below half of its capacity, something he internally acknowledges. He also silently admits he needs to get the hell out of here, Diabound righting itself behind him as well. They both rise once more, even if thief!Bakura is still a little doubled over. Regardless, Yami's adopted an exclamation point to help his impassive expression show SOME emotion, and Akhenaden gapes in disbelief over thief!Bakura still having some power left. 

From behind the giant hand of his Diabound guarding him, thief!Bakura attempts to downplay how he fucked around and found out, instead casually casting his personal experience of the power of Yami's god as an interesting outcome to an experiment. Even as he bleeds from the corner of his mouth, he grins and promises Yami that it won't go this well for the "great pharaoh" next time. With a chuckle, he wishes Yami farewell while he and Diabound make their quick exit, a hissing snarling snake head warning off any pursuit trailing behind them. Priests and guards alike shout about how both Diabound AND thief!Bakura's physical body disappeared through the wall, and orders to follow the troublemaker.

Yami grits his teeth, looking worried. Priest Seto wears a sinister glare.

Kinda seems like you already started one, dude. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? As usual, the god "cards" steal the show and the entire chapter is consumed with the lead-up to and aftermath from Obelisk's lone action. This isn't exactly a bad thing; the chapter seems more about the nuance of developing the comparison and contrast of thief!Bakura's philosophy than the actual battle. After all, we've seen Obelisk in action before, and though it is clear that KT is still having somewhat of a ball drawing it, the god-monster functions more as a pause-button on this conflict, with the focus on thief!Bakura's lecture at the aristocracy.

What fascinates me about this lecture is the contradictory nature of it. Thief!Bakura describes PERFECTLY the class struggle at play here - the rich and powerful defining justice in terms of how it benefits them - a hierarchy of inherent goodness and righteousness with the wealthy at the top and the disenfranchised poor at the bottom. It's very convenient that those who pilfer the wealth buried with a DEAD rich man who no longer has any use for it are treated as weak sinners who develop monsters through their hate and fear, while those who hoarded and buried that wealth in the first place are considered above the development of such monsters. Thief!Bakura points out, rightfully, that their concept of good and evil is a matter of mere point of view. They've defined themselves as the good side by default, but those they consider evil no doubt see things the other way around. 

But thief!Bakura isn't interested in reconciling or FIXING this issue. He's much more interested in forcing his way into the position of aristocrat, and exerting power over the world in exactly the same way his enemies are currently doing, if not WORSE. He identifies with the rich and powerful; considers himself a "king" of sorts, decks himself out in the finery he's stolen, lays claim to a collection of powerful items for his own elevation. He says NOTHING about lifting up and helping his fellow poor/thieves in society, criticizes the unfair stratification of their society only because YAMI is in charge, and plans to preserve the system in no uncertain terms. 

It's an accurate articulation of injustice for a majority of people, but weaponized by someone who isn't interested in actually doing anything about it and exploiting it himself once he grasps power. It's too familiar for comfort, but damn if that isn't exactly what makes it relatable. And it's sufficiently dynamic to make thief!Bakura both understandable in his theory and TERRIFYING in his plans. He's a FAR more interesting character than I took him for at first.

I'm still a little miffed by how the gods are supposed to exist in the shrine. I hope in the future we get some kind of explanation of how they ended up there without someone not directing them there in the standard method we've been shown by Priest Seto. It makes sense that no one would have enough power to muscle them in there (except perhaps the divine pharaoh?), but there hasn't been any other demonstration of how that can be accomplished. Is that just... their home? Do they have an actual RELATIONSHIP with the royal family, granting favors and assistance because they're buds? KT better explain what the deal here is.

Inuyasha Manga: 230 The Lady Template

A baffling concept at first blush, but the more I think about it, the more handy it appears. I've used plenty of writing templates for all kinds of projects for plenty of purposes, and they've all saved me a lot of brainpower on design that I have NO head for. There's no way I'd be able to figure out how to fashion a standard brochure or resume without a little leg-up; I just don't have a creative talent or interest for it. Likewise, for someone who doesn't have the first clue how to fashion themselves a lady has to have some kind of guideline for it, right? A paper doll that indicates how a lady functions in the wall from dress, to demeanor, to behavior? That might be a bit helpful to someone who doesn't have a head for that kind of thing normally, undoubtedly.

Come to think of it, maybe I could use a lady template myself...

Is that MORE or LESS nerve than it takes to murder more than a dozen people with no repercussions at all?

Inuyasha raises Tessaiga and warns oni!Tono to prepare to fucking die, but his response is instead to swing his captive by her hair in front of him. Inuyasha pauses as she passes in front of him, shrieking. Shippou exclaims that oni!Tono is using the girl as a shield, Sango shouting at Inuyasha not to use Tessaiga. She has taken up the mantle of Captain Obvious in Miroku's absence, I see. 

Sword still drawn but pointed behind him to avoid an accident with the hostage, Inuyasha leaps toward oni!Tono with claws outstretched, giving him a good Sankon Tessou scratch in the shoulder. And I do mean a GOOD one.

Damn, that looks like it stings. 

Oni!Tono busts through the ceiling and onto the roof, Inuyasha shouting at him to wait the fuck up. While they face off on the roof, the castle staff breath a collective sigh of relief about the ogre and Inuyasha having gotten the hell out of there. The Porch Goblin old man calls them fools for relaxing too soon, turning to the princess's attendant and Sango and barking at the women that they should protect the lady of the house. The attendant stutters and Sango somehow gathers from this that the princess is in the underground tomb of the oni's head. Stammering some more, the attendant confirms that the princess said she wanted to show it to Miroku. 

Against Kagome's calls, Sango bolts, saying she's going to get Miroku. She's immediately joined by the old exorcist woman, who claims that she's coming along for how much safer she'll be than here. Sango is taken-aback, especially when the old lady asks if this isn't just as well. The exorcist suggests that Sango is worried that Miroku and the princess are getting rather more intimate than is appropriate, even claiming that the tomb would be a good place to have a romantic affair. I mean... if you're a creep, maybe? Flustered, Sango asks in frustration why the hell this old woman is talking about this now. Or ever, really. Freaky old ladies should keep their weird opinions about what makes a good boinking opportunity to themselves. 

I'm starting to think Inuyasha was right and this old bag should have stayed the fuck home for this one.

Better hope that's not one of this guy's kinks - he's been known to get hot in strange situations.

Miroku has gathered that she the oni princess intends to eat him, which isn't much of a deduction, but oh well. Can't be the brains of the group every second of the day, especially not when you walked your stupid ass willingly into a suspicious hole to begin with. Double entendre intended.

The oni princess reiterates that she's eaten all the priests and priestesses that came to exorcise her, with the pile of bones still there in the pit to illustrate her point. She's been counting too, because she says Miroku is EXACTLY the 100th one. What does one get for eating 100 religious leaders? A picture on the wall and a coupon for a free slice of pie? Not quite. The oni princess asserts that after she devours Miroku and his powers, she'll resurrect completely, saying farewell to her makeshift form. Pretty good incentive, and it has the added bonus of making Miroku sweat all the harder. 

Back up top, Kagome is kneeling next to a guy lying belly-down on the floor, her first-aid kit cracked open on her other side. While another woman stands by with a towel should the doctor require it, Shippou dismisses the man's shoulder wound as superficial, and Kagome just mutters that she needs to stop the bleeding. Presumably they finish up with him before wandering deeper into the mansion, where even more bodies lie strewn in the dark. Perched on Kagome's shoulder as she runs through the maze of death, Shippou laments that the oni got them all. Kagome insists that some of them may still be alive and presses on.

The doorways littered with fallen men and women continue to recede into darkness, Kagome calling out to someone who might just be injured. She finds herself in the bedroom Tono secluded himself inside, and sees a set of curtains behind which a person lying down can just be made out. At first Kagome hesitantly suggests it's someone asleep, as if someone could sleep though THIS racket, and there aren't more grim reasons someone might be lying down in here. 

Not in the pit and Miroku nowhere to be seen? CURIOUS.

Kagome reaches out to jostle the princess, wondering what's going on, because she was supposed to be down in the oni's head's tomb. But before she even makes contact, Kagome's hand freezes and she snatches it back to her chest in horror, in disbelief that the princess is dead. Is that your expert medical opinion, not even having checked her pulse?

Inuyasha is still on the roof, by the way, taking swings at the ogre as it plays keep-away with his passed-out hostage. Cursing the ogre for dodging all over the place, he has to pause when he sees something funny. 

It seems to him that something is fishy with this oni, just running away and not attacking, as if it's trying to buy time. Well, for how long it took you to figure that out, Inuyasha, it sure served its purpose, didn't it?

Downstairs, the oni princess looks up, mumbling that someone has touched her lady template. Well... almost. Miroku just kneels there and sweats in confusion. Not sure what he would say even if he DID know what she was talking about. 

Sango soon comes barrelling down the stairs, calling for Miroku, and is shocked to find the appearance of the princess has gotten a bit more, um, horny. I promise, it's the last one! Sango is taken aback at first, then lifts Hiraikotsu for a swing, about to let an accusation fly too. That is, before her knees buckle and she freezes in place. In horror, she notes that her body won't move, and Kirara is no better off, even the giant sabertoothed cat rendered completely stationary in the paralyzing atmosphere. 

Bet Miroku didn't expect to be embraced like THIS down here. 

The old exorcist woman leaps to action, throwing her salt at the oni princess, Sango staring agape at the action. Though this does literally nothing, the oni princess IS a bit shocked that her "evil chains" don't affect the old fart. Miroku takes full advantage of the puzzled pause, directing the old lady to throw ALL her salt. She swings the whole pot, asking if she's doing the thing right, and Miroku lifts his fingers with a strained grunt. Energy crackles between the particles suspended around them.

Miroku is generally not picky about a copped feel, so you know oni princess here is particularly nasty. 

Her head alone flies up and out of the pit, cursing Miroku of amplifying the ash salt as she does so. Miroku watches her empty clothing drop to the ground in front of him, wide-eyed and traumatized. Now free, Sango staggers forward reaching out and stuttering at Miroku, ultimately sitting in front of him to ask if he's okay. He answers that he thought he was going to die, voicing his surprise that the old exorcist lady managed to throw off the evil chains of the oni princess. She just cluelessly asks if there's supposed to be an evil aura in here. Sango and Miroku sweatdrop, the former amazed that she REALLY didn't feel it, and the latter thinking that she's an incredible person, in a certain sense. 

The old woman asserts this isn't the time for cowards, cursing the oni and that solo head that got away. Miroku and Sango look on seriously, either because they're not happy with the implication that they were just frozen in fear or because they still have business to tend to. It's not clear, but it's probably both.

We're back with Inuyasha on the roof, who is still puzzling over the nature of the watery ogre before him. Or, rather, he's shocked to find that the evil aura has INCREASED suddenly.

And this is the point at which I would shit my entire soul. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I know I'm having a laugh a lot at Miroku's expense in this chapter, what with him being frozen and unable to do anything while someone tries to use him for their own gain, which might seem a little callous to anyone who DOESN'T remember a few arcs earlier when he appeared to be doing the same with a certain princess on a mountain. That particular incident stuck with me until now, so this seems a little like poetic justice in that light, in a somewhat indirect way. Still, the scene where he and soon Sango are frozen and conscious of the horror awaiting them is a VERY scary one, and reminds me a lot of sleep paralysis. The experience of being unable to move while a demonic figure of some sort hovers over you, threatening you in some manner, is familiar enough that it sent chills down my spine. 

Yet RT still managed to bring some humor into the situation with the old woman throwing salt around haphazardly, making her obliviousness into a SUPERPOWER, in a way. It was strangely brilliant, because up until this moment, everyone including the audience has been wondering how in the hell this woman managed to think she had any business in this fight. It's a wonderful twist to make her IMMUNE to the sensitivity to evil that literally paralyzes everyone else and makes them ineffective in the critical moment. And her sassy comment that they're actually just cowards - that is some QUEEN shit right there, go off. 

I also really liked seeing Kagome having the opportunity to play emergency medical assistant in this moment, especially since it led her to discovering the lady template in the recesses of the castle. This was critical to not only treating the injured castle staff as less disposable in the context of the narrative, but distracting the oni princess enough that she wasn't able to deal with both Kagome and Miroku at once. It utilizes all of the characters really well and keeps them all busy, which hasn't happened in a while.

Except for Shippou. Poor kid is just always hanging around, boring as shit.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 288 In the Name of the Gods

A lot has been done in this context, actions in on every point of the political spectrum for the glory of countless deities, some of them in direct opposition to each other. As seriously as you know someone takes what they do if they declare it in the name of their gods, I can't really give it much credence on my end. It's only too easy for a person to confuse their own concerns for a god's and therefore end up waging a "holy" war for their own benefit. Difficult to tell where a human's interests end and a god's begin, or even if the latter exists in there at all, really.

Same goes for crusades maintained over whole decades in the name of a COUNTRY too. 

Throttling someone for gross abuse of their dad's corpse, on the other hand, is entirely understandable to me. Kick his ass, Yami.

But thief!Bakura isn't convinced Yami CAN; he thinks even Yami can't possibly beat his Diabound, and believes he's going to paint the walls of the palace with Yami's blood. As Yami walks away, Diabound roars at him, and the priests shout warnings that he's too close, and not to turn his back on thief!Bakura. Since Yami is obviously not listening, Akhenaden barks an order for his fellow priests to protect the pharaoh before the monster attacks. Mahado throws out his hands, volunteering to act the hero here, but Priest Seto scoffs that he's not strong enough. 

So he calls on his own "servant", a literal actual fucking bull Battle Ox. I mean, it's got an axe, and armor, and a human torso with muscles, so obviously it will be strong enough against a snake-tailed angry monster. Take THAT Mahado! Anyway, Priest Seto orders his roided cow to attack Diabound as thief!Bakura pouts that they're super noisy fools, and it lunges toward Diabound to cut it in half, as commanded. 

And here is where Priest Seto employs the next part of his plan with call and gesture to someone behind him to make his move: Mahado. Wow, proto-Kaiba relying upon teamwork with someone he just insulted as weak a moment ago? I guess amnesiac reincarnation necessitates a bit of relearning, huh? 

Mahado accepts this order without complaint, directing his ka forward, Magus of Illusion. It's a Dark Magician, except with a nonspecific set of eyes glowing out of darkness under its cap. Come to think of it, the face of the Dark Magician seems to be on Mahado's head, which...

Oh. Oh no.

We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Mahado commands his magus to use its secret power, Spell-Binding Phantasm. It crosses its stubby little arms over its chest at first, building up power, and then points its staff at Diabound, ringing its abdomen with a familiar dark alchemical circle, which apparently is no longer a secret. It also surprises the hell out of thief!Bakura, while Priest Seto mocks him for this loss of his ability to slip away through a wall. Thief!Bakura growls in frustration.

Meanwhile...

He's pretty much on another, much more depressing, planet right now. 

Yami recalls how thief!Bakura gleefully asserted that Akhenamkhanen brought the Millennium Items into the world, and has a little bit of trouble reconciling this claim with his experience with the items. Thinking on everyone who has used the Millennium Items, Pegasus, Marik, and Bakura, he concludes that there's no getting around the fact that there's some kind of evil inside them. Regarding the body in his arms, he insists to his father that he wants to know the truth, wondering if daddy really DID make the items, and if so, why. He closes his eyes in pained concentration, as if he can divine the answer if he broods hard enough. 

Admitting he can only remember a little bit about him, Yami thinks he can feel love radiating from the mummy in his arms regardless of his fragmented memories. "Mad with grief" would be an accurate description here if this assertion weren't almost immediately followed up with the puzzle around his neck glowing and a phrase coming to him from it: "Justice in the name of the gods". Yami is alarmed by the voice, gaping down at his father's corpse, which again I must emphasize he is HOLDING.

At Siamun's hurried instruction to follow him quickly, Yami looks up to find that Siamun has arrived at the spot he'd wandered, a guard armed with a spear facing the battle a short ways away. They return up the stairs and to the throne, at the base of which Yami lays the previous king's mummy, Siamun lamenting the fact that Akhenamkhanen returned to the palace like THIS. Siamun assures Yami that this insult will not go unpunished, with the agents of the gods on the case as they are. Yami is NOT hearing it.

Calm down kiddo, it is perfectly possible for him to be BOTH and many other things. 

Anywho, the monster fight is still in progress, someone shouting not to let thief!Bakura get away. Akhenaden declares that his own spirit ka will finish off the intruder, and sends Gadius forward accordingly. Thief!Bakura laughs that Gadius is the old man's ka, and not because the thing looks like a transformer robot. Diabound hit Gadius once before, and thief!Bakura reckons that Akhenaden's bamuch have been pretty damaged already, as the "Ba Gauge" indicates in the next panel. That's right, a "Ba Gauge" that is more than halfway depleted. What would we do without SOME indication similar to life points?

As Akhenaden huffs and puffs, thief!Bakura reiterates in his head that losing your ba will literally kill you, because apparently he knows the audience is rooting around in there. He thinks the priests don't have nearly enough ba to defeat his Diabound, and might even run out just trying to HOLD the creature. Indeed, Mahado is contemplating Diabound's awesome power, and how it's taking all he has to maintain his spell, his little gauge even more depleted than Akhenaden's. Priest Seto's is more than half full, and he makes an impatient noise as he notes that Mahado is running out of magic power/life force. I was the one to add in the "life force" by the way; it's clear Priest Seto couldn't give a hoot. He shouts that they have to combine their attacks now. 

Isis advises her ka Spiria that it is now time - it flies into view as a feather-clad fairy-ish woman, and I'm guessing this is as much of a spotlight it's ever getting. Akhenaden calls for Gadius to strike and kill Diabound, but thief!Bakura just grins. He wonders if they don't get it yet, the fact that he let himself get caught just so he could wipe them all out at once. Aloud, he demands they take his attack. 

Multiple special abilities that give a totally unfair advantage? And you guys doubted this thing was a god, pshaw...

Akhenaden is in total disbelief, wondering out loud just how many secret powers Diabound HAS. He didn't have the primer of the Battle City finals to up the suspension, huh? Poor, poor fool. Diabound flings back its opposition in a whirl of fists, as thief!Bakura bids all those ka of priests to die. It doesn't look like they QUITE got them, though, because the priests are alive. Panting and quite exhausted, but alive. Mahado marvels at the power again, while Akhenaden begins to ask how they're supposed to win. 

He's interrupted by a pair of fancy slippers stepping out into the battle field, a shocking sight for the priests AND thief!Bakura.

They might not be so worried if they knew he's familiar with a much more COMPLICATED version of their ka monster fight thing. Or maybe they would be MORE worried. 

To be honest, I'm not sure which I am at the moment. 

As Yami glares, thief!Bakura recovers from his alarm and laughs about the great pharaoh joining the battle, promising that Yami will join his father as a mummy VERY soon. Thief!Bakura is convinced that no matter what ka Yami summons, he can't possibly beat Diabound, and that goes for everyone else too. Grinning like a maniac, thief!Bakura vows to turn this palace and the city it's in into Yami's grave. Dealing with anyone else, I might have believed it.

But Yami's stoicism in facing the Diabound tail opening its jaws wide in a threat to swallow him is contagious it seems. I'm pretty unworried myself. He thinks on the phrase he divined over his father's remains again: "justice in the name of the gods", Mahado yelling at him to look out. He's still got no ear for this weak shit, though, because he's too busy thinking about what the name of that god is. The Millennium Puzzle glows from where it hangs at his abdomen.

I think we all recognize what that little pictogram up top-left represents by now, but just in case we didn't, the next panel displays the name "OBELISK" in big black bubble letters. You know, because it's fun. As the bean carrying Obelisk arrives, it's so bright, thief!Bakura utters an exclamation and lifts an arm to shield his eyes a bit. He's also getting a little nervous, wondering what this power is that shakes the earth beneath them. Somehow, I don't think Yami is going to be the one to explain tectonic plates to him in this scene.

Akhenaden is in awe, insisting that it can't be, Priest Seto also gaping at the new arrival on the battlefield in the background. Yami calmly states he's going to show off one of the three hidden gods that are also his allies. Daddy was quite the divine ambassador, apparently.

What? Diabound isn't even a "real" god? Can I PLEASE get a set of comprehensive definitions???

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's keeping up the tension and emotional investment of Yami pretty high, which I'm always going to be happy with. These points are mostly elaborated upon in this chapter and don't really introduce anything new, but that's not a bad thing, since developing Yami's feelings around his father in particular is pretty key to convincing the audience why he would jump into this fight. Yami's declaration that the mummy was his FATHER rather than the pharaoh was very powerful, because it represented how large of a swell of emotion Yami is dealing with, and gives his father a human tint that the ruler by divine right of a country just doesn't have. He's not some golden statue on a hill, some untouchable standard of godly goodness; he's a MAN who has living loved ones. 

It also has the added effect of reinforcing the role this man plays in the narrative, and how we as an audience are meant to view him as well. We all kind of have a little trouble seeing our parents and anyone OTHER than a parent. Their other identities as people are a little obscure to us as their children, because our relationship to them is front and center in our lives. We can never put ourselves in the place of this former ruler, him being gone, but we can get into Yami's head and understand the love he could derive from even the corpse of his father. That nurturing and rearing never went away, even if the man is no longer around.

I mean, no doubt there is actually a supernatural element of his father's feelings crossing over from the afterlife as well, what with the little message Yami got there too, but I feel like the above is applicable to a real-world set of emotions.