Roar (
Summary[]
Chihiro successfully shattered Cloud Gouger and dealt a fatal blow to Sojo, the latter falling to the ground. As well as the fatal blow, Sojo's exhaustion from cloaking himself with so much spirit energy also hurt his entire being. As Sojo, from the ground, saw Chihiro coughing up blood from his own severe wounds, it became evident that Chihiro, too, had paid a hefty price for defeating Sojo.
Sojo, believing he was risking everything, had used the last remnants of his spirit power to charge Mei for a counterattack, but never anticipated Chihiro would be able to destroy Cloud Gouger. He initially thought the Enchanted Blades favored Chihiro, but Chihiro clarified that the blades had also chosen Sojo. As he began to elaborate further, time abruptly passed, cutting Chihiro off.
Chihiro began to collapse, but fortunately Shiba arrived just in time to support him, with Char riding on Shiba's back. He commended Chihiro for his actions. As he did so, a certain sorcerer appeared to take the Datenseki-containing briefcase Sojo had brought to the courtyard, but disappeared with the briefcase just as Shiba noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
Meanwhile Sojo was crawling up the stairs, desperate to try something one last time, and Shiba reckoned he might only last a few more minutes. With the needed information obtained (from Shiba's venture to the hut) and Sojo in no condition for interrogation, Shiba suggested finishing him off. However, Chihiro deemed it unnecessary. Char, descending from Shiba's back, insisted on healing Chihiro's severed arm. Despite Chihiro's initial refusal, he eventually relented when Char insisted on providing healing.
In the laboratory, Sojo, weakened and wounded, crawls towards a sizable containment tube with exposed wiring on its top. Inside the tube, a small crystal of Datenseki is suspended between two opposing rods. Despite his diminishing strength, Sojo breaks into the tube and seizes the crystal, proclaiming his newfound ability to control the enchanted blades would allow him to harness the Datenseki, therefore letting him stand equal to Kunishige. However, as he begins to extend the very last of his spirit energy, the crystal brightens and Sojo's right arm erupts with blood pouring from fresh wounds, and his grip on the crystal weakens. It seems to reject him, leaving him baffled since Chihiro had asserted that the blades had chosen him as well.
Char struggles to instantly restore Chihiro's severed arm and Shiba quickly consoles her, saying that her healing abilities would probably take time to master. Char, reflecting on the trauma inflicted by Sojo on herself and her mother, apologizes for the difficulty in healing, visibly dismayed. However, Chihiro pointed out that he was able to defeat Sojo because Char had previously healed his left hand. Shiba then teleports the trio out.
As Sojo reaches out one last time, pouring all of his remaining spirit energy into the Datenseki, suddenly the stone glow intensifies, and an explosion is triggered that destroys the entire castle. Sojo screams Kunishige's name, haunted by Chihiro's parting words that are finally revealed in full: though the Enchanted Blades had chosen him too, Sojo couldn't even come close to being an equal to his father, and thus he would cut Sojo down.
The Kamunabi leaders convene.
Ten days later, at Kamunabi Headquarters, Azami reports to a table of his fellow leaders of the Kamunabi regarding the events at Kaburato Castle. He states while Genichi Sojo's corpse has been identified, Shiyumi Harima, Hajime Kugara, Kiyohiko Uzuki, and Makoto Kasahara of the Anti-Cloud Gouger Special Forces lost their lives, while Kazane Machi lost his right arm, and Ikuto Hagiwara, though alive, is unconscious and without both legs. Another leader, this one with a mask, states despite Sojo's death the auction of Shinuchi is still proceeding as planned, just with a different seller. The leader to his right muses on how Sojo was never the one selling Shinuchi in the first place.
The leader wearing a neck-scarf remarks that it is good they had maintained Kaichi, as well as kept Azami and Hiyuki in reserve, before the auction began. To his right, the leader with mutton chops affirms that recovering Shinuchi was a priority, while also praising Ikuto's squad for the death of Sojo. The sole female leader then brought up the challenge in choosing the next Lifelong Contract holder for Cloud Gouger, but was interrupted by a diminutive leader with glasses who questioned whether they even had possession of Cloud Gouger in the first place.
In an aside, Lifelong Contracts are explained: Kunishige had implemented built-in limiting mechanisms into the Enchanted Blades. When someone took ownership of an Enchanted Blade, only they would be able to use its powers until they died. Ever since Kunishige and the former owner of Cloud Gouger were murdered, all former wielders of the enchanted blades during the Seitei War have been under the Kamunabi's protection. As long as their lives are safeguarded, the enchanted blades cannot be used by others; hence up until Sojo's death Cloud Gouger was the only blade that could threaten the Kamunabi.
The apparent highest-ranking leader present then spoke up, replying to his glasses-wearing colleague. According to Kazane Machi's report, Hagiwara's squad didn't kill Sojo; it was in fact someone calling themself Chihiro Rokuhira, claiming to be Kunishige's son, and who possesses a seventh enchanted blade, previously unknown to the Kamunabi. Despite searching the abandoned castle grounds, Cloud Gouger is nowhere to be found, leading them to believe that Chihiro took it. Earlier Kazane had promised to Azami not to disclose his direct relationship with Chihiro to the higher-ups at Kamunabi, recognizing that Chihiro had sought revenge for the deaths of his fallen comrades. However, Kazane's primary concern was the existence of the enchanted blades in the first place, and he could not endorse leaving such powerful weapons unregulated; hence leading to his reveal of Chihiro and the seventh blade in his report.
Azami, preoccupied with thoughts about his conversation with Kazane in the hospital, was brought back to his attention by the leader with mutton chops during their ongoing meeting. That leader explained there were multiple reports of a seventh enchanted sword, but they lacked information about Chihiro, who claims to be Kunishige's son. He proclaims the Enchanted Blades were only stolen because Azami was secretly sheltering Kunishige and Chihiro. The masked leader retorts the Rokuhira duo had to be hidden because certain people within the Kamunabi were trying to steal the Enchanted Blades.
The two are both cut off in their arguing by the highest-ranking leader, who declares that the issue had already been extensively discussed three years ago when Kunishige was killed, and that they decided to focus on retrieving the Enchanted Blades. He does note they will need to proceed with an internal investigation to see if anyone knows anything. For now, he voices that their immediate concern is to locate Chihiro and retrieve both Cloud Gouger and the seventh enchanted blade. Recognising that Ikuto's squad was outmatched, the bearded highest-ranking leader declares they cannot hold back against the threat of possibly two active Enchanted Blades. To counter this, they plan to deploy the Kamunabi's strongest fighter, an individual capable of combating an Enchanted Blade.
Simultaneously, Hiyuki Kagari is summoned; clearly the aforementioned individual. She has been granted permission to use her sorcery, Flame Bone, up to the torso.
Quick References[]
Chapter Notes[]
- Chihiro successfully defeats Sojo by shattering Cloud Gouger and inflicting a fatal blow, but at a significant personal cost, evident in severe wounds and coughing up blood.
- Sojo tells Chihiro the Enchanted Blades have chosen him, and Chihiro replies the blades chose Sojo too, but adds Sojo could never measure up to his father.
- In a last-ditch effort, Sojo crawls into his laboratory and attempts to use his newfound understanding of the Enchanted Blades to make use of the Datenseki.
- The crystal reacts violently, with Sojo screaming Kunishige's name as the Datenseki explodes, destroying the castle.
- Char struggles to immediately heal Chihiro's severed forearm, having not mastered her abilities yet.
- Ten days later, the Kamunabi discuss the battle's casualties, reevaluate their Rakuzaichi plans and focus on recovering the Enchanted Blades.
- The organization discovers from Kazane's report that the Anti-Cloud Gouger Special Forces were not the ones who killed Sojo; instead it was someone named Chihiro, claiming to be Kunishige's son, who possesses a seventh enchanted blade, and has presumably taken Cloud Gouger.
- Previously, in the Kamunabi hospital, Kazane had promised to Azami not to disclose his relationship with Chihiro in his report, but emphasises his concern over leaving the enchanted blades unregulated, believing they need to be contained.
- One Kamunabi leader accuses Azami's hiding of Kunishige and Chihiro to be the reason the Enchanted Blades were stolen in the first place, prompting an argument which is quickly quashed by the highest-ranking leader.
- The organization plans to deploy Hiyuki, the Kamunabi's strongest fighter, to counter the threat of Cloud Gouger and Enten and retrieve both blades, and she is given permission to use 'Flame Bone' up to the torso.
- This is the last chapter of the Vs. Sojo Arc.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Author's Comment[]
| Author Comment | |
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Takeru Hokazono |
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