Asumu
Please sit in a well-lit room, at a comfortable distance, when watching.
A mysterious man trained to become an Oni to save people...
Hibiki.
As well as Ibuki, Todoroki, and the others.
I, Adachi Asumu, feel that encountering these people every day changes me.
One summer day, Tsutomu, who I had met earlier at the pool, came to Tachibana's.
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Volume Twenty­Seven
Passing Down the Bond
That's right.
Can't take the heat?
I'm counting on you.
Umm... Akira?
Yes?
That person just now, Tsutomu...?
He was training to be an Oni, but something came up and he had to quit.
Then... he was someone's apprentice?
Yeah.
Hibiki's?
No, not his.
Oh, really? I see.
Welcome!
Hello!
Yes?
Tsutomu!
It's been a long time!
Long time no see! What is it, all of a sudden?
I was just in the neighborhood, so I came by.
I brought a present.
Thank you!
It really has been a while, hasn't it?
Yeah. It's been... about a year already, right?
Have you lost weight?
Well, I've kinda been exercising.
Well, just in case.
Sorry, please sit.
Yeah. We've returned here for now.
How's it going for you, Zanki?
No luck.
I'll come back for now too.
An Oni?
I was.
Kasumi.
Found them?
Sorry, I lost sight of them.
I see.
I can't sense the evil presence anymore.
They might have entered some sort of barrier somewhere.
The Douji and Hime?
No, not them.
Then... Black or White?
They weren't Puppets.
In that case...
For now, let's return and report this.
Are you still developing new things?
Yeah. Hold on...
Like this new disk.
I was able to armor it with Yoshino's latest technology.
Amazing! Let me see.
It's pretty rough for those fighting now.
Since you left, Tsutomu...
their output has been much higher,
and they've also been making irregular types.
They're really overdoing it.
I feel like there's no limit to their malice.
Those guys really never give it a rest.
Thanks.
A Makamou?
Oh, no.
I happened to find the disks you sent out.
And then I ran into a Douji and Hime.
Even a Puppet appeared.
A white Puppet?
Yeah.
So... they used telekinesis and dumped me in the river.
Also, it seems like most of the disks were destroyed.
I knew it...
Looks like those cat guys have good eyesight.
Send out transparent ones right away.
Roger.
Right!
Be careful!
We're counting on you!
Hibiki still hasn't taken an apprentice?
Nope.
I see.
But speaking of that, lately he's been acting as a mentor to someone.
Seems there's something he wants to impart to this young man.
Could this young man be...?
Asumu.
You met him at the pool, right?
Yeah, and upstairs before.
Hibiki calls him “boy".
"Boy", eh?
How like Hibiki.
Yeah.
But he's not his apprentice, is he?
Yeah. He's not an Oni, or part of Takeshi.
Look, Asumu is just an ordinary high schooler. He can't suddenly be a part of all that.
You were also an ordinary high schooler, so you couldn't easily continue, right?
Speaking bluntly as always, Midori.
Oh. Sorry, sorry!
It's okay.
I wanted to find my own answer, but...
somehow it didn't quite work out that way.
But I'll find a way I like of doing the things I want to do.
You've really grown.
I just have to train to be the person I want to be.
I see.
Oh, thank you.
Yes?
Excuse me.
Asumu.
Come for the rest of the Makamou talk?
Yes. Oh, here you go.
Thank you!
Ah! Hey, Midori!
Ah, sorry. Can you get the phone?
Okay.
Yes?
Ah, hel— Boy?
Yes.
I didn't expect you there.
So, is Midori there?
Yes. Midori, it's Hibiki.
Yes?
Oh, Midori. Do you have a moment?
Yeah, I do.
Well...
There's a disk that I think has a hit, but it's broken.
Poor thing.
Yeah.
I've repaired the sound before,
but I don't know how to do the image.
Okay, got it. Give me the details.
Okay. The left foot and left wing?
And the stomach?
Got it. Then...
First, remove the stomach.
Yeah.
Screws 1, 3, 5, and 7.
Do you look up to Hibiki?
Yes.
When did you meet Hibiki?
About half a year ago.
Hibiki is really cool, isn't he?
You have no intention of becoming an Oni, do you?
Eh?
Well, it's only natural, I mean.
If you became an Oni, you'd have a lot of difficulties.
How do I put this... If you only do it halfheartedly, you'll mess up.
Of course, before doing something like that, a person should consider whether it suits them.
You naturally have to find what you want to do yourself.
Yeah.
But in my case...
I became an Oni apprentice,
but my parents didn't approve,
so I retired.
But right now, I'm doing my best to become a lifesaver.
You should do what you'd like to also.
What are you talking about, man-to-man?
Geez, that Adachi...
Hello.
Welcome.
Amami?
Mochida.
Here.
Another watermelon?
One, two. One, two. One, two.
Okay! Break time.
Okay.
Hibiki...
Yeah?
Are you against having an apprentice?
Oh, no...
It's not that I'm against it.
Actually...
I plan to have an apprentice in my own way.
You mean Asumu?
Well, it seems like he relies on me in his own way.
I just want to bring him up in my own way.
He's a cute guy.
Cute, you say?
By the third year-end drinking party, Zanki,
even you kept saying, "My Todayama is cute... cute... cute..."
I did not. There's no way I'd say that.
First of all, how is anything about him cute?
Hey! That's gross, Todoroki!
I'm sorry!
I've said it to the boy too—
I don't think he's really trying to become an Oni.
Really?
I see.
He has a good look in his eyes.
Yeah.
He should find his own thing he likes... although who knows if it'll be saving people.
Anyway, as a man, I hope I'm able to impart something to the boy.
That's what I'm thinking.
Alright. Repairs complete.
A hit?
Ah.
A Bakeneko mansion?
The abandoned building was a blind spot.
Alright.
Let's go.
Right!
700 yen, please.
300 yen change.
Okay. Thank you for the food.
Thank you very much.
See you.
Yeah.
Say hello to Hibiki for me.
Okay.
Hello.
Adachi.
Oh, Mochida!
Adachi, where have you been?
Alright. Crimson!
Oni blood is surely delicious.
Drink it all up!
Scorching Deep Crimson Style!
Scorching
Deep Crimson
Scorching
Deep Crimson
Hibiki, good work.
I'm back.
Oh, welcome back.
We have watermelon.
Oh, the fireworks show is going to start soon.
Tamaya!
Everyone!
How about some watermelon?
Here you go.
How nice.
Hibiki, watermelon.
Thank you.
Here.
Zanki, watermelon.
Thank you!
It looks good!
It's sweet.
Oh yeah, Tsutomu came by today.
Oh, I heard he stopped by.
Yeah.
What'd he say?
That it was difficult being an Oni.
Well, there is that.
That's why we have to keep training.
Yeah.
Tamaya!
Hey. What's tamaya?
I don't know.
Hibiki.
What is tamaya?
You say tamaya because...
Passing Down the Bond
It is as if you are wholly transparent
As if everything is passing through you
Is that not how it feels?
Boy! If you are going to journey...
Then you must have clear skies in your heart!
Hit the beat! Keep your beat!
Seek out the places that move your heart!
Hit the beat! Keep your beat!
Find what no one else can do!
That is your resonance!
If it managed to defeat Eiki, it might not be an ordinary Tsuchigumo.
Welcome to our child's web.
He went to the mountains with Hibiki, right?
Today, he's having a man-to-man outing.
Volume Twenty­Eight
Unending Malice
Volume Twenty-Eight: Unending Malice.