YuYu Hakusho Manga: 037 A Double-Edged Sword!!

Well, if it's flexible enough to grow into a spear and wrap all the way around a castle tower, I don't see why it couldn't be double-edged as well. That characteristic seems way more plausible than the other ones anyway. My only question is how that double edge can be used if it's already OCCUPIED, so to speak. Those creatures of Byakko's are still suspended lengthwise from Kuwabara's energy, as far as I know. Unless he can create another sword or the creatures finally perish, I don't see how it's going to come back into play.

This arena and parapet situation is more confusing the more I look at it. That spiral staircase doesn't look big enough to benefit Byakko at all, and I'm not sure where the bridge from his elevated perch to the entrance to the castle behind him connects. 

Byakko smashes a fist down on the short wall ringing him, shattering it in his anger. He yells that this whelp Kuwabara has pushed his luck far enough, and at last resolves to come down and kill the boy himself. Kuwabara demands that Byakko stop the comic-book posturing, hanging that lampshade nice and level on how obvious it is that this is, indeed, a comic book. He invites the giant cat to hop on down there so they can get this started. Byakko does just that, leaping over the side of his ruined wall and calling Kuwabara a brat while he's at it. Kuwabara is VERY alarmed when Byakko's bulk shakes the arena below. 

Yeah, that IS how it tends to work. 

Pointing with a massive claw, Byakko warns Kuwabara up front that his Reiki Sword will be useless against him, and it's Kuwabara's only real weapon, he doesn't stand a chance. Kuwabara defiantly manifests a new sword in his hand, which I guess answers one of my earlier questions, as he suggests that Byakko take a taste of the thing and they'll see just how useless it really is. He lunges and swipes the energy blade past Byakko's thigh, and asserts that Byakko definitely felt THAT as a spurt of blood escapes him and he groans. 

Not that it matters too much. 

He just seems to get more angry than anything else. 

Kuwabara slashes Byakko again, this time across the chest, and from the sidelines, Yusuke is pumped that Kuwabara is on the offensive since size doesn't matter to him in a one-on-one fight. Kurama looks over at him, but he appears considerably less enthusiastic about how this is going, especially as Kuwabara slashes yet AGAIN, but to very little material effect, it seems. 

Kurama says something is wrong here, and Hiei agrees, as Yusuke's grin collapses. Hiei points out that their faces say it all, because even though Kuwabara is scoring all the hits, HE'S sweating, and Byakko looks quite immaculate. He's even smiling. Hiei unnecessarily declares that Kuwabara is the one wearing out, because the trembling and sweating are communicating that fairly well on their own.

Kuwabara wonders what the hell is going on here, because none of his attacks are actually having an effect, and he's about ready to keel over. He notes that this isn't all, though he DOES question his perception at first...

He was already a giant to begin with, too.

Kurama shouts that he gets what's going on here now, drawing attention to Kuwabara's Reiki Sword. Kuwabara looks down at it in confusion, and is horrified to find that it's shrunk significantly, almost to dagger size. Ouch, that's gotta hurt the quintessential male ego. Kurama explains that Byakko is sucking up Kuwabara's aura, adding it to his own, and draining Kuwabara dry in the process. 

Byakko laughs how his secret's out now, no longer needing to be coy about WHY he declared the energy weapon to be ineffective at the beginning. He asks Kuwabara what he's going to do now, suggesting fighting with his bare hands in jest. Kuwabara refuses emphatically and puts ever more reiki into his sword, lengthening it back to its proper size. Of course, he grunts and stumbles as well, because it's taking quite a bit out of him to do this, and he doesn't appear to have much strength left to draw from anyway. 

Yusuke yells at Kuwabara not to do it, warning him that Byakko will only get bigger if he does. Pointedly ignoring Yusuke, Kuwabara yells through clenched teeth at Byakko, who calls him a fool before he leaps up, thrusting the Reiki Sword directly into Byakko's teeth. 

That looks like it stings. What's more, the last of Kuwabara's Reiki Sword blinks out of existence from his spasming fingers, and he crumples on the floor of the arena with a thump. Byakko stands over him, belly distended from his feast on Kuwabara's energy, and burps. I guess that should be a compliment on the quality and quantity of Kuwabara's aura. He indeed comments on how there was more energy in the kid than he expected, and even complains that it sits a little heavy on his stomach. That'll stick to your ribs, that meal will. 

Even so, Kuwabara GETS UP AGAIN, haltingly insisting he's not done yet, manifesting what he can of the Reiki Sword in his hand again. Yusuke is horrified to see that it has at last shrunk down to the size of a dagger. Chuckling, Byakko notes how wobbly Kuwabara is on his feet, and asserts that the real ordeal for him begins now. Then he whacks Kuwabara right in his face, propelling him across the arena. He's not fucking around anymore. 

As Kuwabara yells in pain, and then coughs up blood, Byakko makes clear that he's talking about a little after-dinner torture for his own entertainment.  

Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the exercise? 

Byakko stomps over to Kuwabara, and Yusuke yelps that the other boy's aura is basically gone, and he can't fight anymore. He's really CONVINCED Kuwabara's going to die this time, but Kurama says there's one option left for him. It all depends on whether Kuwabara notices in his haze of pain and exhaustion that Byakko hasn't grown at all when he gorged himself last on that scrumptious aura, according to Kurama, who also admits that it might also amount to suicide while being his only shot. Gee, that's encouraging, but coming from the guy who almost traded his life for his mother's health, not all that surprising. 

Meanwhile, Kuwabara is getting knocked into the short wall surrounding the arena, cracking at with the force. Big yikes. BUT, just as Kurama said, Kuwabara is starting to get wise to the fact that Byakko didn't grow after consuming basically what was left of his aura. And he's starting to get ideas about that. He recognizes he's got no time to think about it, though, so he resolves to take the gamble. 

In turn, Byakko has noticed that Kuwabara is mumbling a little to himself, and asks what THAT'S about, tromping over to him to get another hit in. He suggests it might be Kuwabara giving up and going into his swan song, and lunges for the kid with his claws extended, promising not to let all that muttering go to waste. 

But Kuwabara responds to the command to die by yet again manifesting a Reiki Sword with a growl in effort, declaring Byakko is getting everything he's got. Byakko is confused by the renewed effort, apparently. 

Better than doing nothing, I suppose. 

Kuwabara lets out a scream, eyes bulging. The Reiki Sword disappears yet again, and he gurgles, falling forward right onto his face. His team gapes from the sidelines in alarm, beyond shouts of encouragement or dismay. While he burps once more, Byakko chuckles that Kuwabara is crazy, because he just can't fathom why the boy would let him have what was left of his aura. Yusuke calls to Kuwabara in concern, but Byakko is already holding an enormous foot over Kuwabara's head, planning to tenderize him with a few good kicks, starting with his head. 

Yusuke yells at him to stop, threatening to kill him if he doesn't. Kurama restrains him with an outstretched arm, however, asserting that "it" is starting to happen. What is "it" you may ask? Well, Byakko is the one to gurgle this time, his stomach issuing loud, trembling complaints, much to Byakko's confusion. Kuwabara is starting to push himself to his feet, so I guess ALL of his energy isn't gone. Yusuke expresses his elation that Kuwabara isn't out for the count after all, just down for a second. 

Kuwabara taunts Byakko on his gluttony, meanwhile, and how quickly he devoured all that crude, human-flavored aura. Suddenly, Byakko is lifted OFF HIS FEET by the biggest flatulence I have EVER SEEN. 

Are you trying to ABSORB BYAKKO'S FART, Kuwabara????

Although that is NOTHING compared to how difficult it is for me to absorb all of what this single page of three panels has to offer. It's... a lot. 

Byakko is going at such a velocity that he's blurred in the next panel, before he crashes straight through the stone wall of the tower behind him. Yusuke smugly calls this fireworks, and declares this yet another victory in their favor. He then turns to Kuwabara, asking if he's alright. Bruised and bleeding, Kuwabara says he's more or less okay, wincing as he claims to have gotten some of his aura back. Hopefully Byakko's gas doesn't smell as bad as one might fear. Kuwabara adds that he'll be back to normal after a little breather, because he's pretty much used to getting the pain of an ass-kicking. 

Sadly, Kurama draws their attention to something that causes him some distress. It's Byakko emerging from the rubble, looking murderous. Sweatdropping, Yusuke asks if this dude is immortal, before Byakko admits grudgingly that he's impressed at Kuwabara's effective tactics. Of making him into the demon equivalent of a balloon that's been blown up and let go.

Issue all the threats you want, man. All I can see when I look at you is a literal fart at this point. You've pretty much lost all your intimidation factor. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I don't know if I can get over the fact that, for even a moment, I was led to believe that the villain in this one was defeated by his own monstrous flatulence launching him into the stratosphere. That is BANANAS. It also seems so unexpected that the prim and proper KURAMA of all people was the first to conceive of this notion that Kuwabara could over-stuff Byakko into doing himself this hilarious mischief. I suppose even the most mild-mannered polite boys can be prone to try to cut the tension with a well-placed toot.  

It's interesting to think of aura as literal FOOD for Byakko, though it's not so far removed from what Gouki was doing by eating souls. He even mentioned different flavors, and getting indigestion from time to time, so I suppose it shouldn't be THAT shocking to me. Still it's quite another matter having indigestion being a point of weakness in an antagonist, to the point of making me wonder how pure energy is converted into a gaseous explosion to begin with. Since Kuwabara was able to reabsorb some of it in the wake of the Byakko rocket he'd created, maybe it was just a literal overflow that just came out the funny end? Because it's clear there's only SO big Byakko can get, there being a limit to how much he can consume at one time, and there wasn't any time to "digest" between eating that last bit of Kuwabra's aura and his... failed trip to the moon. 

Still I am curious to know how that aura is converted to size, how Byakko can also consume matter like Kuwabara's body as he threatens, whether it DOES anything for him nutritionally. Who knew that a goofy fart joke would raise so very many questions for me??