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Published In:
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| Publication Date: January 15, 2025 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Manga Summaries
Volume 27
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| Chapters Originally Published in: | |
| Shonen Sunday 2025 Vol. 7 - 16 |
Chapter
259: 密告
Mikkoku
(Whistleblowing)
Hyakka thinks back to when Sana warned him that he should flee from the Goko Clan as he stands before Yurako. Yurako tells him that she has known him for a long time, but this is the first time they have ever spoken. Suddenly Hyakka becomes enraged, telling Yurako that he knows she is the one that killed Sana. Yurako tells Hyakka that she knows Sana was like a sister to him, and that if he hates her that much, he should burn her to death right here. She explains that she wants to help protect Mao, and that they need to be careful of Daigo. Hyakka is confused, but Yurako asks if he would be able to kill Mao and Kamon after Shiranui and Hakubi are killed, adding that Daigo will not hesitate to do so. Elsewhere, at the Garden of Longevity, Hyakka is mending the damage he suffered in battle and Mei reports that Hyakka's sparrows are fluttering around outside. Mei tells Hakubi that the protective barrier is still holding, that he has no reason to go out and fight while he is still wounded. Meanwhile, Yurako explains to Hyakka that Daigo and Sana were in love, which Hyakka admits he has only learned recently. Yurako tells him that Daigo was using Sana as a stepping stone to take over the Goko Clan, and that now he is going to use her in the same way. Suddenly a portal opens and Mei steps through, followed by Hakubi. The soldier is annoyed that Yurako would turn to Hyakka to deal with Daigo and tells her that he is not so weak that he can not kill Hyakka now and then save her from falling to Daigo's clutches. Hyakka and Hakubi begin to battle as Yurako silently hopes that no matter which of them win, the survivor can kill Daigo.
Chapter
260: 獣の腕
Kemono no ude
(Arm of the Beast)
Hakubi tells Hyakka that his new arm is much better that the one he has been using. He reminds Hyakka that it was the fire-wielder that caused him to lose his real arm twenty years ago, and he had to make do with a prosthetic that the army gave him that he imbued with metal energy. Now, however, he has used the scroll of the beast that belonged to Soma's family to craft a new arm. Hyakka thinks he can burn away Hakubi's new arm, but as he fires the metal tendrils out of it, a tiger appears from within the prosthetic and swallows Hyakka's flames. Hakubi fires buzz saws at Hyakka before the one-eyed boy makes the tiger's head explode with flames. Hakubi tells him that even quelling Hyakka's flames for a moment is worthwhile and that he can summon more beasts easily. Just then he sees Daigo has appeared and is holding Yurako hostage. Hakubi tries to attack Daigo without hitting Yurako, but Daigo easily deflects his saw blades. Daigo asks Yurako if she has been filling Hyakka's head with nonsense. He then notices that Hyakka is bleeding and tosses Yurako down and causes a distraction so that he can Hyakka can escape. As they flee, Hyakka asks Daigo why he did not let he and Hakubi fight to the death so he would have one less competitor to worry about in the clash for control of the Goko Clan. Daigo tells Hyakka that he saved him because if he died, then Mao would be sad. Hyakka is puzzled, unable to understand Daigo's true intentions as it seemed like Yurako was terrified of him, and yet he seems to worry about Mao's feelings.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: January 22, 2025 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
261: 山の怪異
Yama no kaii
(The Monster of the Mountain)
Nanoka hurries into Mao's home to check on Hyakka, who is recuperating after his battle with Hakubi. Nanoka realizes that now those who visited the Five-Color Temple can actually be killed by one another, and that Hyakka very well could have died in battle against Hakubi. Hyakka shares with Mao that Yurako was at the battle and that she told him Daigo plans to use her to take over the Goko Clan. Mao admits that he worries Daigo may also have acquired the Spear of Taima, suggesting that Daigo does have larger plans that he has kept mum about. Elsewhere in a forest, hunters are tracking a bear when a huge monster suddenly appears and attacks. Back in Tokyo, Mao tells the others that he wants to go investigate something he has heard about in the newspaper, but wants Nanoka and Otoya to stay behind and look after Hyakka while he goes on alone. With Mao gone, Hyakka asks Nanoka what Yurako is really like, explaining that he had only heard negative things about her. Nanoka is annoyed by Hyakka seemingly sticking up for Yurako and suspects that he believes her to be just like Sana, though Hyakka says he imagines that is what Mao must think of her. In the distant village, the men explain to Mao that a bear had been causing problems and so they tracked and killed it, only for their cattle to continue to be attacked. Thinking it might be another bear, they explain that a stone monster attacked one of them. Mao senses earthen energy emanating from the man's wounds and realizes as he heads off in search of the monster that it could be Daigo behind the creature's creation.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: January 29, 2024 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
262: 後始末
Atoshimatsu
(Cleaning Up the Mess)
Mao comes upon the earthen creature and uses a talisman imbued with a wooden element to defeat the creature. As its muddy shell falls away he finds the bones of a bear inside and soon Daigo appears, thanking Mao for vanquishing the beast, explaining that he was about to do it himself. Daigo explains that he was cleaning up after himself. It seems that after he was killed by Shiranui 900 years ago and his body parts were scattered, a part of him wound up here in the forest. When Natsuno eventually found the dismembered part, she had to exorcise the soil it was buried in, however a bear stumbled upon the cursed earth and was transformed by it. While they are there, Daigo tells Mao that he has something he has been wanting to discuss with Mao in private. With a gesture he summons the Spear of Taima from a hiding spot where it was buried. He tosses the spear to Mao who is shocked by its barrier when he attempts to grab it, recalling what happened when Shiranui's shikigami, Mizuchi, attempted to use the spear against Mao. Daigo explains that he is keeping the spear in order to kill Byoki with it. Daigo tells Mao that he secretly took the Spear of Taima to keep Hyakka and Kamon from getting it and killing Mao with it. Mao tells Daigo he is wrong to assume that his friends would betray him. Daigo offers to make a pact with Mao, to seal the spear until it is needed to kill Byoki. Daigo explains if the two of them seal it together, it will take the two of them to unseal it. That way Mao can telling Hyakka and Kamon about the spear being in Daigo's possession and not feel as if he is betraying their trust. Mao wonders if he can truly trust Daigo.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: February 5, 2025 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
263: 元気出して
Genki dashite
(Cheer Up)
Mao watches as Daigo places his seal upon the Spear of Taima, enclosing it in an earthen cocoon. He bids Mao to add his own seals and then sends it flying away. Now, neither Mao nor Daigo can access the spear without the other one agreeing to remove their own seals from it. After returning home, Mao tells Hyakka and Kamon about the spear, though they wonder why he is telling them now. Mao explains that Daigo gave him permission to share the information, though he wonders if this could be Daigo's way of removing suspicion about his actions. Nanoka heads home, pondering Mao's depression about the realization that eventually he, Hyakka and Kamon will have to kill one another. That night, Mao thinks back to Byoki discussing the Spell of Pot Binding which has caused all of the Goko Clan that were in the Five-Color Temple to become immortal until they each killed one another. With the Goko Clan's master dead, then perhaps there is a way to remove the Pot Binding spell and ensure that the clan members no longer have to kill one another. Mao ponders this and then goes to sleep. When Nanoka returns the next evening, Mao is still sleeping and she asks Otoya if she can hold his hand just like her grandfather used to do when she was feeling sick. When Mao wakes up the next morning he says he feels comforted though he does not know it was because of Nanoka's visit. He finds the chocolates that she left him, though they are a novelty to him that he has never eaten before. Mao compliments Nanoka on the chocolates and she reveals that she made them herself but is annoyed that Hyakka and Kamon have come over to eat them and Hyakka has eaten the heart-shaped ones she intended for Mao to have.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: February 12, 2025 | |
| Pages: 1 (full color) 17 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
264: 姥捨山
Ubasuteyama
(House of Abandonment)
Mei and Renji visit a care home for the elderly whose families can no longer afford to look after them. The home is run by Lord Uwayama and his daughter Reiko. However, the old man explains that he set up the care home to honor his infirmed daughter, Reiko. Puzzled, as the woman they just met was introduced to them as "Reiko", Renji asks who the woman was they just saw. Lord Uwayama explains that he has no idea who the woman is, but that she is certainly not his daughter. Uwayama asks them to find his real daughter. At the Milk Hall Mao and Nanoka are also tasked with finding a missing girl, Haru, who worked at the House of Abandonment has gone missing. When her brother asked one of the employees about her he is tersely told "she quit". The brother continues to ask about and other tradesmen that deliever goods to the House of Abandonment tell him that many people quit their jobs there very quickly. Lord Uwayama explains that he went blind many years ago but his daughter continued to visit with him, though it seemed as if she changed every five years or so. He had offered to have the Goko Clan extend Reiko's life, but she refused, saying such a thing would be unnatural. However, Lord Uwayama has used the Goko Clan to assassinate his business rivals as well and has had a lengthy relationship with the clan. Mao and Nanoka peer through a window and notice that all of the elderly seem to be well cared for, but Mao notices one of the nurses is definitely an ayakashi. Inside, Renji and Mei find a painting of the young Reiko and she looks very much like the ayakashi Mao noticed right down to the beauty mark by her eye. Mao and Nanoka sneak into the basement where they find thick gobs of cocoon silk and a young woman that looks like Reiko with her eyes closed wound up in the cocoon silk.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: February 19, 2025 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
265: 霊安塔
Reiantou
(Mortuary Tower)
In the basement, Mao and Nanoka examine the body of the young woman in the chair and Mao comments that he is dead. It seems an ayakashi has disguised itself as Reiko and taken her place in the elderly care home. Meanwhile, Renji and Mei watch as the attendants examine an elderly man who has passed away and carry his body into a tower adjoining the manor. As they ascend the stairs they find more corpses of the elderly and withered bodies of young women cocooned in webbing afixed to the ceiling of the tower's narrow, winding staircase. The false woman who claims to be Reiko discovers Mei and Renji snooping around and confronts them, though Renji tells her directly that they know she is not the old man's daughter. Suddenly the young nurse steps out wearing Reiko's face and comments on how attractive Mei is. When Renji asks if the ayakashi plans to take her body, she says that she is happy with her current form, but other attendants appear, asking if they can take on Mei's form instead. The ayakashi opens its mouth, spitting out dust that poisons Renji, but not before he sends his fire bugs to explode inside the heads of some of the attendants. In the basement, Mao places his sutras on the cocoons, causing moth-women to leap out, as their transformation into a human form is almost complete. Mao seals the basement with the creatures trapped inside as Nanoka points out that some of the nurse attendants that they saw were human. Suddenly, a window in the tower behind them shatters and Mao and Nanoka see Mei's vines pouring out as Renji and Mei struggle to escape out the shattered window high up in the tower.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: February 26, 2025 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
266: 宿リ蛾
Yadori ga
(Parasite Moth)
The women have Mei and Renji captured and unable to escape when Mao and Nanoka leap though the window to help free them. Mao quickly realizes that the captured elderly and nurses are food for the ayakashi moths. Mao tells Renji that these creatures, parasite moths, typically arrive in remote mountain villages and slowly replace the women living there by disguising themselves as women that they kidnap. The woman who wears Reiko's face however explains that this was what the girl wanted. She was ashamed that her father built his wealth and power by using the Goko Clan to curse his rivals. She wanted to establish the charity to do good deeds for the elderly with his fortune, but knew that she would die young due to her poor health. She wanted the parasite moths to replace her so that the charity could continue. Mao finds this dubious, claiming that they have obviously kidnapped young nurses for food and to disguise themselves even as they watch over the elderly that also become their food. When Mao tells the Reiko duplicate that he has already exorcised the developing pupas in the basement she becomes furious, revealing her true ayakashi form and attacking, but Mao kills her with a single stroke of his sword along with the othe disguised ayakashi. Mei thanks Nanoka and Mao for helping them, though Renji tells her not to. Mao and Nanoka find Haru who was working alongside the other human nurses who were unaware that some of their colleagues were ayakashi. Mei and Renji report back to Lord Uwayama that Reiko has been dead for quite some time. Mei explains that Reiko's good will was what allowed the ayakashi to exploit her. In honor of his deceased daughter, Lord Uwayama continues to employ the surviving human nurses and continues to provide care for the elderly in memory of his daughter.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: March 5, 2025 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
267: 予行練習
Yoko renshu
(Rehearsal)
Kagari watches as Soma's little brother, Mitsuma, trains his beast. Mei rushes out when the creature bites Shizuma, cautioning Mitsuma that he must train the creature properly to ensure it does not harm his little brother. Kagari realizes that their elder brother, Soma is still recovering from his wounds and decides to see if she can be of use to Hakubi in his stead. Hakubi explains that he was hoping to have Soma perform some flashing, attention-getting assassinations and have her do moe secretive ones, but Kagari enthusiastically says that she can do both. At the Hosho household, Mao and Nanoka meet with Ayame who tells them about some local students who have been harming themselves. One girl jabbed a chopstick into her throat, though her fellow students were able to save her. Strangely she does not remember doing it to herself. After investigating Ayame found some of Kagari's needles stuck in each of the victims. She surmises that her sister is practicing her curses on these students, testing her skill and seeing how far from her targets she can get in order to curse them into committing suicide. Ayame explains that though the Hosho family does sell curses to their customers, they never accept offers to assassinate. Kagari has no such scrupples however, and Ayame hopes that Mao and Nanoka can stop her from assassinating someone. Later, at a political lecture in Ueno Park, Kagari watches silently and then uses tosses her needles to try and assassinate the speaker. Suddenly Ayame's foxes sweep in to block the needles, causing Kagari to flee. Mao and Nanoka block her escape as Ayame confronts Kagari. It seems that Kagari attempted to use the black needle she strengthen with the Goko Clan's kodoku to force her target to commit suicide. Kagari shows no remorse about attempting to kill someone, and as she tells her sister that she wants to be of more use to Hakubi, Ayame is able to see a looming, black shadow taking shape around her sister.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date:March 12, 2025 | |
| Pages: 18 (black and white) | |
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Chapter
268: 妖狐針
Yokoshin
(Fox Spirit Needle)
Kagari sneers at her sister, promising that by working with the Goko Clan she will surpass her. Ayame is disgusted by her little sister's behavior, but Kagari explains that thanks to Nanoka defeating Soma, she now has the opportunity to prove her worth to the clan. Mao rushes at Kagari, preparing to capture her, but Hakubi's metal wrapping appears, snagging Kagari and spiriting her away. Disappointed, Kagari says they will have to keep watch over the assassination target to ensure that Kagari does not attempt to kill him again. In the meantime, she explains to Mao that though she was blinded in one eye by Kagari, she has now become able to see the path a person has decided to take, and she sees a dark shadow looming over her sister. Ayame believes it may be too late for Kagari. Back at the Goko headquarters, Hakubi tells Kagari that she did a good job, and she is so flattered by his compliments that she silently vows to follow him until the very end. Later at the assassination target's home, Mao has eected a protective forcefield to prevent further attacks. Nanoka asks if it is her fault that Kagari has become an assassin, due to her fending off Soma, but Mao says it is his fault for letting Soma go so far down his obsessive path with the beast. Ayame appears, explaining that she warned the assemblyman not to come out of his home no matter what he hears. In her hands is a large needle, the Fox Spirit Needle, which she will use to kill Kagari. Mao realizes that if Ayame kills Kagari then she too will be drawn into the darkness that looms over her younger sister. Suddenly an attack from above slams into the force field barrier, Kagari is working with a powerful beast that is helping her fly. Ayame sends out black fox spirits to attack Kagari, but now shouts for her to run as Kagari smirks at her sister's incoming attack.
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Published In:
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| Publication Date: March 19, 2025 | |
| Pages: 1 (full color) 18 (black and white) | |
Anime Adaptation:
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