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Published In:
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| Publication Date: May 10, 2022 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Manga Summaries
Volume 15
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| Chapters Originally Published in: | |
| Shonen Sunday 2022 Vol. 24 - 32 & 34 |
Chapter
139: 流石
Sasuga
(Sasuga)
Everyone is shocked to see the Threat of Fire Mask obliterate Genbu, Mao's summoned katashiro. Mao dashes towards the masked man, despite his overwhelming power. Mao has decided that it is the mask that has corrupted the villager and that if he can take it off of the man he the mask will no longer be a threat. Mao dodges behind the man and rams the bottom of his scabbard into the back of the mask to pry it from the man's head. Much to Mao shock the mask tears the man's face off when he pushes it. With the mask (and most of his face) dangling by tendons Sasuga sweeps in with a tornado of water to push Mao back as he offers the the villager a chance to come work with Shiranui. The man immediately refuses, saying he will not follow anyone's orders and starts to blow fire at Sasuga. Mao, Nanoka and Otoya are shocked as Sasuga stands within a cocoon of water that protects him from the searing flames that brought even Genbu low. Using his conch shell he captures the Threat of Fire Mask in a bubble and tears it off the villager's face. Mao then leaps in to try to keep Sasuga from taking the mask.
Chapter
140: 面の始末
Men no shimatsu
(The Destruction of the Mask)
Mao tries to reason with Sasuga, explaining that the villager was clearly using the Mask of Threatening Fire to dominate and punish innocent people, but Sasuga simplistically responds that he was told by Shiranui to retrieve it and that the issues Mao is raising are "too difficult". Sasuga explains that he and his father wandered from village to village, using their powers to stop the rain and then have the villagers pay for them to fix the drought they caused. Eventually their life of poverty lead to Sasuga's father's death. Even after that Sasuga continued to wander and run their con. He tells Mao that he was often run out of villages and now all he wants is stability. Nanoka is shocked by the simplicity of Sasuga's desires. After joining the Goko Clan Sasuga says he has never had to worry about where he will live or what he will eat. Suddenly Sasuga snatches the mask with a tendril of water but before he can take it Nanoka uses Akanemaru to slice the water apart with a rivulet of blood. Nanoka says she can deal with Sasuga because earth beats water. Otoya says that while that is true, Sasuga is the more experienced curse user. Nanoka tries to slice apart the Mask of Threatening Fire but is shocked when her blood blade leaves no mark on the mask. Sasuga again snatches the mask and Mao calls for Nanoka to cut the water again. When she frees the mask from Sasuga's grasp Mao wraps the mask in paper talismen and then slices it with his katana. This time the Mask of Threatening Fire is destroyed. The villager who had worn it is shocked and the villagers who he threatened soon turn on him. The now faceless man begs Sasuga to take him with him and promises to do anything that is asked of him. At first Sasuga comments that Shiranui did want the mask-user in addition to the mask but then promptly slices the man's head off and tells him he is useless without the mask. As Sasuga leaves he asks Mizuchi if he will be fired because of this. Mizuchi says he will simply report what he witnessed. Mao quietly thinks to himself that Sasuga might be a difficult opponent due to his simplistic thinking and lack of deeper thought.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: May 18, 2022 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
141: 隠れ家の異変
Kakure ka no ihen
(Strange Events at the Lair)
Sasuga comes to apologize to Shiranui for failing in his mission, asking if this means he will be fired from the Goko Clan. Shiranui passes him the Puppet Needle that Mao cursed and is shocked when Sasuga easily removes Mao's curse. Yurako smirks that Sasuga is quite a talent, as he was able to easily do something that Shiranui was struggling with. The two then turn their attention to the Five Color Shrine which is now visible in Shiranui's scrying bowl. For centuries he has been unable to locate it but now that Daigo has awoken it has reappeared to him. At the crumbling shine Daigo sits with Byoki, seemingly listless and empty. When demonic ayakashi controlled by Yurako begin to approach Daigo triggers the earth to pierce them. Byoki then realizes that despite appearances the semi-catatonic Daigo seems aware of his surroundings. Back at his home Mao and Nanoka greet an arriving Natsuno. She reports that she has been searching for Yurako's ayakashi and keeping an eye on her old hideout. Until this sudden burst of darkness Natsuno reports that she never saw anyone lingering around the place. Nanoka wants to go inside to investigate, but Mao insists that Nanoka should remain outside. Sensing something has changed as Mao runs off into Yurako's home alone, Natsuno asks Nanoka if she and Mao have become lovers since she was last with them. It becomes clear that Mao worries that Yurako, who killed Sana centuries ago, may very well try to kill Nanoka out of jealousy as well. As Mao pushes inside and moves through Yurako's dark aura he finds Yurako collapsed, her face starting to change back to the marred, curse-marked appearance of centuries past.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: May 25, 2022 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
142: 本当の顔
Hanto no kao
(True Face)
Mao watches as Yurako's disfigurements return and wonders if her own jaki is the cause. Yurako wakes up and sees Mao watching her causing her to flee deeper into the basement of her home. Following her, Mao discovers the walls are covered in paper talismen just like in the cave where she was kept prisoner 900 years ago. When Mao reaches Yurako she is removing an urn from a cabinet and suddenly her disfigured face is returned to perfection. Mao can see a shadowy object inside the glass urn and Yurako tells him it is Sana's heart. Apparently this is the item that allows Yurako to wear Sana's visage. Outside Natsuno and Nanoka sense a calming of the evil aura around the home and push deeper inside to find Mao. Mao is irritated by the implication of this and asks if what Hakubi said was true, did Yurako really kill Sana? Sana confirms her aura did indeed rip Sana's heart out, but tells Mao this is what Sana wanted. Natsuno and Nanoka arrive just in time to overhear Yurako's confession. Yurako goes on to explain that she and Sana spoke on the day the temple burned and the Goko Clan was destroyed. Sana told her that she found a blue-colored soul, the same color as Daigo's eyes, in the hand of her father's corpse. Sana told Yurako that she wished to become a soul as well so that she could be with Daigo in death and asked if Yurako would keep her heart so that her restless soul could eventually find peace. Natsuno steps forward, she too had seen the blue soul that fateful night many centuries ago. Natsuno asks Yurako why it is that she has Sana's face, to which the disfigured woman replies that she did not steal Sana's face- the two were identical twins.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: June 1, 2022 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
143: 双子の役割
Futago no yakuwari
(Twin Roles)
Mao is stunned by the revelation that Sana and Yurako were twins, even Yurako admits that she did not know about her sister until well into her adolescence. She explains that it was Shiranui who came to visit her, telling her about the cruel nature of the masked master of the Goko Clan. It was Shiranui who intentionally let the gate of Yurako's prison open that allowed for her to escape the night she first met Mao. After Yurako was recaptured Shiranui continued to visit her. It was through Shiranui that she learned the Goko Master was her father, and that Sana was her sister. Shiranui reveals that Yurako and Sana were separated at birth, with Yurako sent to live underground to collect curses from the ayakashi which would then be filtered through Sana who spit them out into the world as she slept. Yurako said she did not believe someone as pretty as Sana could really be her sister, considering her own disfigured appearance. It was not until she killed Sana and stole her heart that the disfigurment lifted and revealed to Yurako her mended face; it was then that she could see her resemblance to Sana. As Nanoka ruminates on how sorry she feels for Sana, Yurako and Mao it is Natsuno who speaks next. She asks Yurako how it was that Sana knew Daigo had died. Mao is stunned by this and Natsuno reveals that Daigo had confided in her his distaste for the Goko Clan. Daigo told Natsuno that he wished to die and asked if she could create an earthen tonic to create the appearance of death. That way he could appear to die, be buried and then escape the Goko clan and no one would search for him. In time he could reunite with Sana and the two would be free. Natsuno reveals she was supposed to dig Daigo out of his grave, but when she went to do so the grave had already been dug up and Daigo was gone. Mao realizes then that the blue soul Sana found in her father's hand must have belonged to Daigo and revealed to her the truth- that the charade had failed. Yurako then says she has no idea how her sister came to learn of Daigo's death, only that Sana told her Daigo was indeed dead and that she wished to die too. Yurako is then surrounded by darkness and vanishes while Mao realizes that her dark aura must have been out of control which prompted her to return to collect Sana's heart. As Yurako flees she wonders about Natsuno and ponders what her probing questions were meant to ascertain, she realizes that someone killed her ayakashi while she was inspecting the five-colored shrine, wounding her, and that only one earth-aligned onmyoji could be powerful enough to do so- Daigo.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: June 8, 2022 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
144: 配剤し
Haizaishi
(Shaman)
Yurako reports to Shiranui her belief that Daigo is still alive, a shocking revelation. Shiranui says they have to ensure that Daigo does not speak about "the events of that day" which suggests Daigo may have important knowledge that Mao is unaware of. Kamon, Mao and Nanoka recount the events of what has just occured, relating that Sana saw the blue light, knew it was Daigo's soul, and that his faked death must have been real. They state that they believe Yurako when she told them that Sana asked to be killed. Furthermore Natsuno departed after hearing all of this, stating she wanted to investigate matters on her own once it became that the information she was seeking was not known by Mao or any of the others in the party. However, what information Natsuno is seeking is still unclear. Suddenly Beniko, Kamon's shikigami, arrives and tells him it is time for his appointment. Kamon reveals that he recently had a marriage proposal from a young woman who fell in love with him at a party, but he will have to turn her down. Kamon explains that he family had come to be quite fond of him and had invited him to marry their sickly daughter, a girl named Midori. He eventually heard that Midori had died and that a funeral was to be held. Shockingly, he later received a letter from Midori stating that she was alive and resting at the family's vacation home. Mao and Nanoka agree to accompany him to investigate. There he finds Midori's maid badly wounded in front of the home. The maid tells them that a medicine dispenser visited and gave Midori seeds that aided her recovery- at least initially. Soon her behavior became strange and she seemed very different. Inside the house Kamon finds Midori with plant roots growing out of her body as she calls him "Kuchinawa", his modern day alias. Kamon immediately realizes this is the work of one of his Soul Seeds.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: June 15, 2022 | |
| Pages: 3 (full color) 16 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
145: 天からの授かりもの
Ten kara no sazukarimono
(A Gift from Heaven)
An insane Midori lumbers towards Kamon and Nanoka with roots growing out of her body chanting "Kuchinawa" as she approaches. Suddenly Beniko leaps in with Kamon's scythe allowing him to begin slicing away the roots flailing from Midori's body. Mao arrives and Nanoka explains that this looks like the Soul Seeds they had encountered before. Beniko prepares a flower which Kamon uses to drive the roots back into Midori's body. Midori's alarmed, wild expression subsides into a look of calm and she passes out. Kamon leaves Midori's maid to attend to her while explaining to Mao that the flower was a special herbicide he had designed. Mao wonders if the herbicidal flower could be used to help Mei when the time comes that her Soul Seed overwhelms her. Elsewhere at a clinic called the "Divine Providence Association" a man dressed in priestly garments demonstrates the power of the Soul Seeds to mend an injured bird. The bird's wounds are healed instantly and a priestly man's client asks if he can buy the seeds. However Kamon, Mao and Nanoka arrive to interrupt the sale. Kamon tells the man that despite appearances the medicine will only hasten death rather than truly being a miracle cure-all. Mao shows the bird to the man after the roots have torn their way out of its body and the client quickly flees. Kamon and Mao then turn their attention to the priest, asking him if he is part of the Goko Clan and one of Shiranui's underlings. When the priest says he has never heard of Shiranui they ask him where he acquired the seeds. He truthfully explains that they were a gift from heaven. The man explains that he had become ill and could not afford medicine, as a result he turned to prayer. One day while working in the woods he came upon a duck that had been shot and watched it fall into a thicket of vines. Much to his shock the wounded duck fluttered out, its wounds mended. The man explains that he then tossed himself onto the vines and they healed him. Kamon believes the roots must have grown wild from the stock the Goko Clan has, and Nanoka realizes the roots must be inside this priestly man as well.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: June 22, 2022 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
146: 生死を握る
Seishi o nigiru
(Your Life is in My Hands)
The man dressed as the priest explains that he realized the ivy had restorative properties and decided to harvest seeds from the bundle of vines he found in the forest. Taking the seeds to a dying, elderly neighbor he initially believed it had healed the man. However, the next day he found the the man encased in vines. Rather that deciding that the seeds did not work, the priest-like man decided that only those chosen by heaven would be healed. When pressed by Mao about why he would continue to distribute the seeds when he knew they were killing people, the man explains that he was chosen by heaven and saw it as his duty. Soon his village became aware of the deaths he was causing and he fled. Kamon presses him, asking him if he began a business trying to heal the wealthy. The priest-like man denies this, saying he believed the wealthy must have been chosen by heaven as he was and so he sought to give them his healing treatment. When pressed, he admits that the many still died, but that was because heaven did not choose them. Kamon asks if the original planted vines are still in the forest and the man tells him he burned them all, fearful that someone else would find the seeds and misuse them. Nanoka quietly thinks to herself that all this man cares about his is own glory given how he has continued to give the seeds to people despite knowing they the treatment will certainly kill them. Kamon tells the man that it was only through sheer happenstance that he was not killed by the ivy, but adds that it is not heaven that now controls the man's life, it is Kamon himself. With a gesture he makes the seeds inside the priest-like man start to erupt from his flesh. Kamon ponders the Goko Clan master as he recounts his original purpose for the seeds- they were meant to be life extending, however they instead became a method of cursing people to death using the ivy that would erupt from their bodies. As the man lays on the floor with vines growing from his body, Nanoka wonders if Kamon is going to kill him. However, Kamon summons Beniko over and uses her flower to remove the ivy from the man. He then explains that he wants all the remaining seeds and a list of all the surviving clients so that he can go and remove the seeds from them. Only then will he return and remove the seeds still germinating within the man. He warns him they could return at any time if left untreated. The man gives Kamon a jar of his seeds Kamon tells him to pray the vines do not return. Kamon visits Midori and her family and sees that she has made a full recovery now that the seed and vines have been removed from her. Midori excitedly tells him that they can get married now that she is well again and Kamon holds a small flower in front of her, causing her to fall asleep as he bids her farewell and wishes for her future happiness. Outside Mao and Nanoka are surprised that Kamon made Midori's family forget him but he explains he is not suitable for marriage. He says even the priestly man would not have fallen into his own terrible ways if he had not found Kamon's seeds and blames his own karma for all of this.
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| Publication Date: June 29, 2022 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
147: 化け猫
Bakeneko
(Shape-Shifting Cat)
Yurako reports to Hakubi that she believes Daigo is alive and was buried beneath the Five-Sided Temple, her ayakashi have reported that he is making his way towards Tokyo. Additionally she comments that Daigo was not the earth user who was summoned to the Five-Sided Temple, instead that was Natsuno. In a cold tone Yurako tells Hakubi that he should test the immortality of those who went to the Five-Sided Temple and see if they really can kill one another. As Hakubi leavses the ponders Yurako's indifference towards him. Elsewhere outside a rural community a man name Shiro and a woman named Shizuko are pursued by a group of men chasing them through the night. As the men begin to beat Shiro, Daigo pops up and tries to help but is quickly beaten down as well. Suddenly Byoki emerges from the darkness and devours one of the pursuers. Days later Nanoka, Mao and Otoya are exploring the forest as they investigate the sighting of the cat monster, knowing it could very well be Byoki. Suddenly they notice Shizuko perched at the precipice of a nearby waterfull. Suddenly she jumps and Mao has to leap into action to catch her fall. She explains that she was attempting to elope with Shiro when they were attacked. Because she was dragged back to the village she believes Shiro was eaten by the cat monster that attacked that night. Mao promises to investigate but insists Shizuko should not try to kill herself again. Nanoka wonders about Daigo and Sana, pondering if Mao is preoccupied with thoughts of them. Using his onmyoji Mao sends a flock of paper cranes aloft to search for the cat monster though he thinks to himself he does not sense Byoki's familiar aura in the area. In the woods Daigo walks alongside Byoki in his Haimaru form while the villagers prepare to attack them again.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: July 6, 2022 | |
| Pages: 1 (full color) 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
148: 囚われた男
Torawareta otoko
(The Captive)
In the forest the villagers subdue Daigo, bind him and carrying him back to the village stating they will use him to draw out the monster cat they saw. All the while Byoki watches from behind a tree when suddenly Hakubi arrives in the forest. Alongside him are Yurako's creatures. Hakubi ponders the task that he was sent on, wondering if Daigo could really still be alive and why Yurako would want him dead. Suddenly in the darkness Hakubi sees Byoki and is stunned by the vaguely familiar sight. Byoki recognizes him immediately, recalling that he was a trusted accomplice of the Goko clan's leader and Hakubi realizes Byoki is no mere ayakashi. Byoki transforms back into his smaller form and Hakubi immediately recognizes him as Haimaru, the cat that belonged to Sana while the cat recognizes him as one of the individuals that was called to the five colored chapel. Meanwhile Daigo is taken and locked up alongside Shiro who was recaptured by the villagers. Though Shiro tries to communicate with Daigo he seems to be semi-catatonic once again. Nanoka and Mao overhear the villagers saying they plan to use Daigo to lure Byoki out so they can kill him. Suddenly Yurako's ayakashi flutter through the skies overhead. Inside the makeshift prison the presence of the ayakashi triggers Daigo to stir, causing the earth to churn and the home they are locked in to collapse as Daigo shifts the earth inside it. Suddenly a huge earthen golem takes shape and rises over the village and destroys the swarming hoard of Yurako's creatures. Seeing this shocking display of power, Mao immediately realizes only one earth user was capable of such incredible feats. At that moment Daigo emerges from the dust and smoke of the village.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: July 20, 2022 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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