Hi everyone!

Here is the summary of forth part of Mokushiroku arc! :)

This volume was actually quite fun! It made me laugh several times (thanks to Nagahide and Kousaka!). This volume contains also one very intense scene... Read on your own responsibility! :) So many things happened in this volume (especially in the beginning), so I needed to concentrated on the main parts only.

Enjoy!

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MoB vol. 33 (Youhen Mokushiroku / The Revelation of Universe - Jimmu)

There is a gunshot at Nachi Falls. Hyoudou Hayato who shot, falls on his back due to the shock wave. His gun has exploded. Naoe sits on the ground and feels blood on his face. He is alive, the explosion just caused some wounds onto his face. Naoe had used nenpa at the same moment when Hayato pulled the trigger, and that caused the explosion. Shock wave was strong, Naoe felt dizzy and Nishikitobe's onryous escaped from Ayako and Hayato's body. Naoe crawls to Ayako and asks if Ayako hates him or why does she want to exorcise him. Is it because they left Uesugi? Because Naoe let Kagetora to stay with the Red Whales? Because of Shadow Shikoku? Because Naoe loves Kagetora too much for exorcising him? Naoe yells from the bottom of his heart: "If it's possible to save him, then save him! Walking together with him it's the only option to me! I'm going to walk beside him till his last breath! If you come on my way, I'll fight against you! I'll kill you! Or you have to kill me! It's the only way to stop me! My love has stained even every particle of his body and soul! Kill me! Exorcise me and let me meet him in the distant future! Please, make us to have future together! Haruie!" Shaking violently, powers from Naoe's body vanish and he falls on his knees. Ayako watches him in a daze saying that Naoe is lying. He wouldn't choose death, he would resist in order to live till the very end together with Kagetora. This time Naoe is dumbfounded as Ayako keeps telling how she's tired of waiting Shintarou to be reincarnated again. She doesn't want to accept the fact that they may never meet again. She admits to be jealous how Naoe can keep going chasing Kagetora even if Naoe himself is also as weak as Ayako is. She can't understand how Naoe can still have power to hope. Ayako says she's tired, she can't wait anymore, but facing the truth is too scary. And seeing Naoe and Kagetora doing this, it breaks her heart, because she can't do that with Shintarou. She says: "I'll exorcise you... and Kagetora. You two will meet and find each other again some day! After hundreds or thousands years". Death is just a dormancy to heal the soul for to not get rotten. Then she says that 'their ideal way to be together' isn't a Paradise. It's not a place of dreams, but it's this cruel world. It might be far away from happiness, but their 'ideal way' is the moment living together, step by step. Naoe feels shocked. Then Ayako becomes possessed again and looses her own control. Katou Kiyomasa attacks, but Ayako shelters Naoe to protect him. Naoe asks why Ayako sheltered him (Ayako got injured quite seriously) and she says that have to make her body unable to move so that the onryou inside of her can't move either. Naoe gets seriously angry at Nishikitobe onryous. He tries to exorcise them, but they are too strong. Kousaka, who has followed Nishikitobe onryous from Isonokami shrine, appears and helps Naoe and the others to fight back. In the end, Tsukasa in Taira Koremori's body appears to the Falls. He orders Nishikitobe onryous to attack on them. Rei gets caught and taken to Tsukasa, who gets shocked after seeing Rei's face. "Satoko?" he asks making Rei also confused why this unknown person knows her mother's name. The onryous transform into rocks and water in Nachi Fall. They rise the water in the air and then let it fall down. Naoe and the others try to run away before this enormous 'tsunami' falls on them.

In the cave Yuzuru steps back after biting and drinking Takaya's blood. Kihachi's poison burns Yuzuru's internal organs and making him groan in pain. He attacks in rage and all what Takaya can do is only to shelter himself by goshinha. The fight continues to outside. Takaya gets some of his memory back what happened earlier and who is Yuzuru. Suddenly Kotarou as a form of black panther appears and attacks Yuzuru for protecting Takaya. But Yuzuru is much way stronger than both of them. When he is about to eat both Takaya and Kotarou, they all hear roaring sound in the sky. It's a dragon. This dragon attacks on Yuzuru with an enormous speed and spits fire on him. Yuzuru furiously fights back. As hearing Yuzuru screaming Takaya gets more memories back. He remembers how Yuzuru begged Takaya to kill him. At the time Nobunaga was controlling Yuzuru by the seed of Demon King. They were in Kumamoto, at the roof of Kojou High school. Takaya remembers how he strangled Yuzuru with his own hands. He strangled his best friend. And the one who encouraged him to do that wasn't Nobunaga, but his own heart. Before that he had angsted how Kenshin doesn't answer to him and how Naoe has become new general. He was angry and the old grudge deep inside of him took control of his actions. He almost killed Yuzuru, because of his own heart!

('Lord Kenshin has dismissed me... I'm not general anymore.')

('Naoe has also left me... Will he choose Kagekatsu again?')

('Are you snatching everything away from me again, Kagekatsu?!')

T: "No, I... I didn't want to kill you!"

*Takaya gets in panic* 

T: "Don't kill him! Please! I didn't want to kill him... I just wanted to start it over! To that point how we would had been if the Siege of Otate hadn't ever happened! We'll definitely become so... We're best friends! This time we definitely make it work! So, please, don't kill him! Please!"

After Takaya shouts "Father!" Ujiyasu as a form of dragon stops. Yuzuru's body is covered by burns. He stands up and says "Hohohoh... Ougi Takaya... I'm gonna eat you and remove this latch... And then I'll be enlighten!" When Yuzuru is about to attack again with a great power, Ujiyasu takes Takaya and Kotarou on his back and escapes quickly, heading for Kumano. 

In Nachi, a miracle has happened. Everyone is alive, but hospitalized. Teru is unconscious, Ayako needs an operation and Torigoe special treatment for his bullet wound... But everyone survived. Kiyomasa feels terrible for letting someone to possess him and injure Ayako that seriously. He's quite shocked and wants to be alone for a while. Kubuki has located Takaya. It looks like he's heading for Kumano, as if he's flying. Everyone is like "?!"o_O Naoe comes to see Ayako with Akechi Mitsuhide. He and Kikkawa Motoharu were on the Nachi beach when they sensed something weird happening at the Nachi Falls. They rushed there, but they weren't the ones who saved Naoe and the others. It was Kannon Bodhisattva from the near by temple. Even if Rei can communicate with Shintou gods, it's amazing that even Buddhist deity answered to her call and came to save them. They talk long about Shigeno Kaoru, mysterious skull of Taira Koremori and also how Kaoru is possibly using the grudge of Sengoku era onryous for his own plans. After Mitsuhide leaves, Naoe and Ayako talk about Kagetora and Shadow Shikoku. Naoe tries to make Ayako to understand that Kagetora hasn't stop protecting humans. He just wanted to make a place where death souls can be healed from their grudge and leave this world peacefully so that they won't become onryou. If they aren't onryous there won't be any reason to perform hyoui or kanshou --> humans are save. But even so Ayako thinks it's ridiculous and against their moral. When Naoe is about to leave the room, Ayako begs Naoe to explain what does everyone mean when they say that Kagetora is going to die.

Hayato stands in the corridor and leans on the wall. When tired looking Naoe comes out from Ayako's room, he can hear Ayako crying hysterically. It seems that Naoe told her everything about Kagetora's upcoming soul demise. Hayato tells to Naoe that the Nishikitobe onryou possessing him called Shiba Eiji 'Kaoru'. Naoe is shocked. How long has Nobunaga been Shigeno Kaoru? Since Kaoru's birth? After what happened Ooyunohara? Or did perform kanshou on him just now? Did Nobunaga use Kaoru for something? Is Nobunaga the one who started Yami Sengoku? Why would he do so? The another thing Hayato got known while being possessed was that Kaoru is planning to spread Yami Sengoku to the other countries too, so that this situation would become worldwide. Naoe is speechless. Is Nobunaga going to wake up all onryous all around the world?! Hayato mentions that the Red Whales will eventually have a struggle with the modern people, and Takaya isn't going to leave his friends in Shikoku. He asks which side Naoe will be then, Takaya's or modern people's. Naoe gets angry and says that Hayato is only interested in strong Takaya. But for Naoe, even if Takaya is weak, he is still the meaning of his life.

I guess it's good time to have a small summary about Hayato and what's on his mind. He lived quite tough life in his original life. He was a forbidden offspring of a forbidden affair: his father and mother were siblings. And he was deeply hated because of this matter, even if it wasn't his fault to be born in such a relationship. He found his place from the navy that had very strict hierarchy between strong and weak ones. As he trained himself to be strong, he also learnt to feel satisfaction for seeing weak ones suffering. At this point his and Takaya's ideals crush. Takaya doesn't accept for example hurting yorimashis (host bodies), but in Hayato's opinion yorimashis are just weak and deserve to be used if they allow hyouirei or kanshousha to possess them. At first he had crush on Takaya, because Hayato wanted to win him and enjoy seeing a strong and famous person like Uesugi Kagetora surrendering to him. That's why in vol. 24 Hayato gave to Takaya a white rope called 'hakuchuusoku'. It's an old tradition in Muroto navy. When two men have similar hakuchuusoku, it's a symbol that these men will have a duel later for seeing which one of them is stronger. Self-confident Hayato is sure to win, but in this volume Hayato gets surprised how he actually wants Takaya to surrender to him like Takaya surrenders to Naoe, rather than winning him in the duel. And he wants Takaya to look at him in the same way as Takaya looks at Naoe. "Is this what is called jealousy?" He mocks himself alone.    

Houjou Ujiyasu lands down to the seashore of Kumano. Ujiyasu tells proudly that Takaya has become more famous than he, but Takaya denies that in the modern people's eyes he's just a criminal. He doesn't have any right to be called as so dignified as Kuukai. But Ujiyasu mentions that death people are worshiping Takaya. Present Kuukai has given them a place to find enlightenment. Isn't that quite significant achievement?

U: "You've chosen such a steep way to walk."

Then Ujiyasu asks if Takaya knows about his soul demise. Takaya nods and says quietly "Yes". To this Ujiyasu says that Takaya has 6 months left before it will happen. Takaya holds his breath and looks up to his father's eyes. The dragon looks at him back with serious eyes. The emotions are overflowing, but Takaya barely holds back his tears and asks with trembling voice: "Is... that so...? I wonder... if I can see next year's cherry blossoms..." He thinks Naoe and it's about to burst into tears. After calming down a bit he notes that his father's body is also in it's limits. Ujiyasu's dragon body is covered by countless wounds. Ujiyasu tells that he has tried to protect Houjou's former area, because Taira Masakado's troops are trying to seize Hakone. He wanted to tell Takaya that many onryous are heading for Kumano to get the head of Taira Koremori, and that Shikoku is in danger since Emperor Sutoku is about to wake up at any moment.

In the abandoned guest house Takaya gets a call from Naoe, hearing the newest information about Hiruko case. Takaya promises to come to him right away. As Kotarou is giving him first aid in a form of surfer guy, Takaya asks him why he doesn't say anything. Is he still mad to Takaya what happened? Finally Kotarou opens his mouth and says that he doesn't want to be human anymore if he needs to feel like this. Takaya blames himself to be the one who caused this to Kotarou. He made Kotarou to be 'Naoe'. Kotarou is just 'an another victim' of his weakness. Takaya encourages him to be human again, hugs his head and says to be sorry for everything. Dumbfounded Kotarou relaxes in Takaya's arms, but then he tries to seek his lips for a kiss. 

T: "Stop it, Kotarou."

K: "..."

T: "Your host body will die."

Without caring about his words, Kotarou pressed his lips against Takaya's. In the text, Sensei has written that Takaya didn't feel it sexual at all, more like as if he is a mom who is breastfeeding her baby. After their last kiss, Kotarou whispers "Thank you, Kagetora-sama". After finishing treating Takaya's wounds, Kotarou tells what Ujiyasu has observed: It seems that the golden rain is actually a special spiritual barrier, very close to that one that Fuuma ninja's are using in Hakone. I guess everyone remembers from Mirror arc when Takaya, Naoe and Haruie were driving mountain road and there was terrible fog? Kotarou is referring to that. But the golden rain somehow transfers the persons and gods to the parallel world. They aren't died, but just taken to another place. Ujiyasu has kept eyes on the Grand Shrine of Ise. There are actually two main shrines in the Grand Shrine: Inner and Outer that are locating about 5 kilometers to each other. Amaterasu (the sun goddess) is worshiped in the Inner shrine and all the other gods of Japan in Outer shrine. Someone is spelling counterforce ritual at the Outer shrine and that causes the rain. The spell removes and replaces the original gods with the enemy gods. The Grand Shrine of Ise is going get the new main deity and that is Hiruko. Takaya is paralyzed with fear. Oda clan seized Ise shrine two years ago... Does this mean that Nobunaga really is Kaoru?! Kotarou says that it's possible to stop the ritual. They just need to attack with greater power than Ise shrine has. And for that they can use Shadow Shikoku's negative energy. 

Naoe and Kousaka have a talk outside. When Kousaka teases saying "It seems that awaken Miroku was quite formidable, wasn't it?" Naoe is fuming with anger, because it seems that all this time Kousaka knew who Yuzuru truly is and on purpose Shingen chose to perform kanshou on him (in the beginning of story). Kousaka says that Shingen 'sacrifised' himself to wake up Miroku's powers. And as a reward Shingen can share a body with Bodhisattva. Naoe wants Takeda clan to release Miya, but Kousaka says that they will take good care of her. She is save... but only if Kagetora won't come on their way. Naoe gets pissed off again and it's about to hit Kousaka, but then terrible pain in his ribs stops him.

K: "It was easy to guess that you will abandon Uesugi and choose Kagetora. Well, did you get the relationship with him you have always desired?"

*Naoe glares at Kousaka angrily*

K: "Don't be so mad. You know, it wasn't weird if a retainer made his lord to be his 'woman' and spent nights with him."

N: "He hasn't become 'a woman'."

K: "Ooh, so you're 'the woman' in that case?" >:)

N: "Fuck you, Kousaka. I don't have time to talk nonsense with you."

Naoe also swears to kill Kousaka by himself if Takeda clan does something to Miya. Kousaka just smiles ignoring Naoe's threat and starts to tell about the Imperial regalia of Japan. The sword of Kusanagi, the mirror of Yata and the jewel of Yasakani. All of them are granted by Amaterasu, they're the symbol of Imperial power. Actually in ancient time these three treasures were though to be also a symbol of Orion (constellation). However, there are also three smaller stars under the Orion. And in cosmology, smaller stars are more powerful than bigger ones. The heavenly swords Totsuka and Futsu, and ten other scared treasures (十種神宝, tokusa no kandakara) symbolize these small three stars under Orion. People were very afraid of the power of them, so Nakatomi clan (in ancient times) decided to transfer the sword of Futsu to Kyoto so that treasures won't be together. And after that Taira Koremori hid the sword together with Nachi guardians to Nachi Falls. If the sword of Futsu is returned to Isonokami shrine, the user of the swords will get the all powers of them. In other words, Nobunaga isn't interested in Imperial regalia, but getting the power of heavenly swords. That's why he was looking for the sword of Futsu. Naoe loses his words. This is unbelievable. Kousaka says that it's better to destroy the sword of Futsu and get rid of Rei before it's too late. Torigoe, who has come there, hears what Kousaka says and gets pissed off. He shouts that he won't let anyone to kill Rei. As they're about to argue, Hayato comes there too. They exchange cold glances with Kousaka.

H: "Gross to see Takeda and Uesugi planning something together."

K: "Hmp. You're one of the Red Whales, huh? A yokel from Tosa like you can't know anything about the battle of Kawanakajima. Can you even use anything else than a hoe?" >:D

*Hayato looking Kousaka with murderous eyes*

*Kousaka leaves*

Hayato warns Naoe to not collaborate with the clans if they're not members. The Red Whales are team, they fight together. They don't need outsiders help. Hayato mentions that he plans to be the one who will get Nobunaga's head. He wants to revenge what happened at Uwajima (in vol. 28 Nobunaga used a piece of Retsumyousei and killed everyone in Hayato's crew). As watching Hayato preparing for to face Nobunaga, Naoe gathers his own courage remembering why he saved Kagetora's soul from the mirror of Tsutsuga (in Mirror arc). He wanted live together with him. In order to do that he has to protect him no matter what. Nobunaga isn't the only danger, but also Yuzuru. Even if it feels so painful and Takaya wouldn't approve that, Naoe decides in his mind that he will kill Narita Yuzuru.

Hahaha, Kousaka was such a badass as always! XD As you can read, Kousaka seems to know quite lot about Miroku and these heavenly treasures...  Why and how much he knows isn't revealed yet.

Meanwhile in Shikoku Takaya's and Nagahide's spiritual forms meet at Sakaide city of Kagawa prefecture. Nagahide was positively surprised when Kagetora asked for his help, because all this time Kagetora's spiritual form hasn't appeared to Nagahide at all. This is first time they're just two of them. Nagahide smirks if Kagetora was afraid of being exorcised by him. Kagetora doesn't answer. Then, Nagahide says that he's ready to exorcise and save him if Kagetora wants so. Nagahide also jokes that Shadow Shikoku is very creepy place, because he can't even go to have a shit without knowing if Kagetora is watching his act somewhere. (I died here :DDD) This makes Kagetora to smile. Together they're going to make barrier around the place where Emperor Sutoku's grudge is nesting. In the past, Emperor Sutoku was dethroned and due to that he was deported to Shikoku where he became monk. He wrote few sutras for his father's funeral but the court refused to receive them. This made Sutoku furious and he cursed the whole Imperial court in Kyoto. Upon his death he became a powerful onryou whose possible revenge is feared till present days. His grudge was so strong that it formed a rosary. This rosary was kept in Kyoto and worshiped so that Sutoku wouldn't rage anymore. However, Kagetora heard from Ujiyasu that someone stole this rosary and tries to make Sutoku angry. After finishing to make the barrier Kagetora feels enormous pain and his spiritual form disappears leaving Nagahide alone there. As the barrier they made seems to break down at any moment, Nagahide decides to face Sutoku by himself and calm down him. He rushes to the spiritual volcano that is created by Sutoku. 

Takaya arrives to the club house Naoe and the others have seized. Naoe is confused seeing unknown man helping Takaya out from the car. Takaya tells he's Kotarou. Naoe and Kotarou changes cold glares, but Takaya ignores the hatred between them. They, Torigoe, Kubuki and Hayato gather into Takaya's room, where Takata tells everyone the latest information about the golden rain and Nobunaga. They will make an attack to Ise shrine by using the negative power current of Shadow Shikoku. It should be enough for cancelling the Hiruko spell. But before that they have to get the sword of Futsu. They plan their attack to the Nachi Falls and seize the area back from Nishikitobe onryous. As the night is getting later, everyone returns to their own rooms one by one. In the end, Naoe is the only one who stays together with Takaya. Takaya takes some iron tablets for recovering from the lack of blood. Naoe says that he feels pity for being not suitable for donating blood to Takaya. He says that next time he chooses a body that has same blood type as Takaya. Naoe recommends Takaya to not act too recklessly, because they have still time. However, Takaya gets mad and looks strictly into Naoe's eyes with his ruby eyes. Cold shivers run down Naoe's spine. He gets worried if Takaya is rushing because he is sensing to die soon. As if reading what's on Naoe's mind, Takaya says that not yet. He hasn't found the answer yet. 

T: "Don't hesitate to take the next step. Everything will be over if we start to hesitate."

Even if his end is getting closer day by day, Takaya is still so strong. So strong that Naoe can't bear anymore, but makes Takaya surprised by embarrassing him suddenly. Naoe's eyes were fighting against the grief as he said: "Please, stop it... If you're too strong I can't become a demon!"

T: "Naoe..!"

Takaya couldn't say anything anymore as Naoe pressed his own lips onto Takaya's.

While being kissed passionately and pressed by Naoe's full body weight Takaya fell onto the bed on his back. Okay, I'm sure everyone wants to know how this scene continues, so I translated it! :D Starting on p.140:

~

As feeling a bit dizzy due to the lack of blood, Takaya unleashed himself and started to receive Naoe's body. 

T: "Let me have you..."

Takaya was getting to expose his sincere feelings.

T: "Give yourself to me, Naoe..."

As pulling off the clothes, his unleashed desire was accelerating all at once.

T: "Not enough..!"

Takaya opened his ruby eyes and rose his voice.

T: "This isn't enough at all! Come on, tear my chest and crawl into it!  Push your way trough my entrails and hold tightly my heart!"

N: "Takaya-san..!"

T: "No, it's not enough! Touch me more! Thrust your fingers inside of me! It's right here, my soul! Touch it directly! Touch it! Grab it with your hand! Come on, fuck me more till I become complete soppy!"

Takaya looked as if he has lost his mind, his eyes were fully open and he demanded with a strange smile on his face.

T: "What are you doing...? Just touching my skin isn't enough. Pump my 'milk' out. Grab my heart. Grope my balls. Suck me hard like you always do! In the most perverted way ever. If someone can do it, it's you!" 

Takaya flipped, definitely. Naoe opened his eyes widely and grabbed Takaya's jaw on his grip. As bending himself to reach the undressed clothes on the floor, Takaya picked up a survival knife.

T: "Here is it Naoe... With this you can cut open my chest. You can pull out my heart and squeeze it. It's the only pure part in my body. You can do anything you want with it!"

N: "You're losing your mind..."

T: "No wonder 'cause you know, since I ever met you I have been crazy about you! Look, I want you so badly that I'm trembling! I want to be fucked by you, so come on and thrust it in already!"

Takaya was about to stab the blade onto his own chest, but Naoe stopped his hands doing so. 

N: "If you want me so badly, I take you out and fuck you in front of everyone."

T: "Do it. Don't just say, do it seriously. Make me come in front of them. Let them see the dirty side of me. You're the only one who can fuck this Present Kuukai, aren't you!!"

N: "What happened to you?!"

Naoe shouted embracing Takaya tightly. Opening his eyes slowly Takaya moaned "God".

I'm not afraid of dying. I'm just afraid of leaving you behind here. Losing my life isn't big deal, but every time I think about the loneliness you're going to fall, it scares me a lot. 

The eternal loneliness.

The one who is waiting for the darkness isn't me, it's you. You, who is going to be left behind. Even if I disappear, you still exist. As long as you're afraid of being left alone, I won't leave. Actually, I can't leave.

I know that I can't see if your love is eternal or not. Should I forgive you if you can't stand your eternal loneliness? Should I let you fall in love with someone else? Or accept that if you can't keep your eternal promise of loving me?

T: (I won't be here, so should I let you give up?)

Stop it!

This man belongs to me only.

Forevermore, there can't be a person who would love him so much as I do. It's impossible.

I'm the only one who can cover his eternal loneliness!

T: "Make love to me... Naoe..."

As being completely naked Takaya whispered so. 

I want every part of your flesh and blood coming inside of my body. 

I want every part of me becoming part of your body. 

When I die, I don't want to be burnt or buried.

I want to be part of you. Please, make me part of you.

~

Then, after a while Naoe suddenly stops moving. Takaya can feel something weird deeply inside of him. "Naoe?" As being asked so, Naoe pulls his manhood out for checking what was that strange feeling on it. "Looks like my body... is reaching it's end soon too..." Naoe says forcing a small smile to come on his face. Takaya doesn't understand what does that mean, so Naoe takes Takaya's hand and guides it to his intimate area. Takaya is shocked how damaged Naoe's organ is. Naoe says that he needs to perform kanshou soon. Takaya decides to not give up that easily. He takes Naoe's manhood into his mouth and tries to make it hard again. However, Naoe starts to feel painful so he needs stop Takaya's actions. As feeling disappointed, Takaya embraces Naoe and tells him to go to Shikoku after Tachibana Yoshiaki's body dies. There he doesn't need to perform kanshou anymore.

N: "No, body is necessary to me," Naoe says separating themselves a bit, so that he could look into Takaya's eyes.

N: "I'm the only one who can purify your body from the poison. I need a body."

Takaya is planning to say that he doesn't have that much time left, but he can't make the words to come out. They heard someone knocking the door powerfully. Naoe pulls some his clothes back on quickly and as holding a gun, he approaches the door. For both of their surprise, a young woman rushes into their room. It's Ayako. She have come to see Kagetora even if she just had an operation and should stay on her bed. Ayako says that she had so many things to say, but after finally seeing Kagetora she doesn't know anything to say. She just rushes to hug him and starts to cry helplessly. Takaya fondled her head trying to comfort her pain. 

Nishikitobe has seized the Nachi Falls and Hirou Shrine, and also make five strong spiritual element barriers around the area, so that any outsider can't enter there. Tsukasa is resting in the shrine and trying get used to his new body. He has got all Taira Koremori's memories and also some unclear memories that aren't his or Koremori's either. He feels that he has been at Nachi before too, but just don't remember when and with who. He also wonders why he called Kaoru's daugher as 'Satoko', because it seems that this girl's name is actually Rei. Kaoru is Tsukasa's foster father so Tsukasa decides to protect Rei as a little sister. Rei has been unconscious so they couldn't finish the ritual to get the sword of Futsu. 

Takaya and the other have meeting for planning the strategy after the auxiliary troops from Shikoku arrive there. Iwada Eikichi, Doumori Inosuke, Satta Shinjuurou and Narasaki came. Takaya divides everyone into 4 groups: Kiyomasa's group will attack from the top of Nachi Fall, Hayato's group from the downstream, Takaya's group goes directly to the Falls and Mitsuhide will seize the Nachi shrine. 

Naoe has secretly asked Ayako's help. He says that there can be one way to save Kagetora and it's the sword of Futsu. Taira Koremori used it for resurrecting his army and according to Takakuraji (the main deity of Kamikura shrine, vol. 32) it really works. Kagetora himself wants to destroy this sword so that Nobunaga can't use it. Ayako says she's ready to do anything for Kagetora, even though she doesn't accept Shadow Shikoku or them befriending with the Red Whales.

At Nachi Falls Nishikitobe and Tatara onryous uses spiritual powers and forces Rei's body to shoot arrows to Nachi Fall in order to finish the ritual and get the sword of Futsu. Rei becomes like a puppet, unable to control her body. Tsukasa is shocked to hear that Kaoru ordered them to finish off Rei after they get the sword. Tsukasa can't understand why Kaoru would kill his own daughter. Onryous and Tsukasa are terrified to hear that Ougi Takaya and the others are attacking and broke already few spiritual barriers. 

Reijirou, Nakagawa and Maki (Reijirou's right hand/chief of spying department) have arrived to broadcast studio in Koube. Reijirou exposes everything about the Red Whales, who Reijirou himself is, what APCD actually is and that Ougi Takaya has nothing to do with this kidnapping thing that Shiba Eiji blaming to be Takaya's fault. This interview is watched by Takaya's family, friends, Tetsuya in Kumamoto (Karin arc), Maiko in Nikko (Mirror arc) and Nikaidou Reiko. Miya at Takeda's mansion also watches and gets shocked as hearing the Red Whales and even Shiba Eiji to be deceased, people who died already 400 years ago. 

At Shintoukai Broadcast comppany's CEO room, Nobunaga and Ranmaru are also watching Reijirou's interview. Nobunaga chuckles satisfied how the Red Whales caught the bait. They move to another room where wounded Ushio is hung up from the ceiling by chains. After being caught by Shingo, he was brought to Nobunaga who punished him by a whip. Ushio makes fun of Shiba Eiji's hobbies to have this kind of SM room at his office. Nobunaga says that Aki Kunitora (Ushio) is a stupid man. He would have got a great carrier as Oda's retainer, but he betrayed them by choosing the Red Whales. Ushio says back that it doesn't make sense to keep him as a hostage, because Takaya would never step on the trap. Then Nobunaga says there is no need to lure Kagetora, because Nobunaga can see all his moves where Kagetora is. "I have three eyes", Nobunaga says smiling like a demon. He tells that when the gods that were drifted away return, the border between physical and spiritual death will also collapse. Strong souls can keep living by choosing bodies that have good genes. If one is strong enough, one can choose his own fate. Then with a help of Ranmaru, Nobunaga installs intravascularly a chip inside of Ushio's body. This chip can stop Ushio's heart or give an electrical shock if Ushio doesn't follow the orders. Then Nobunaga and Ranmaru leave for Nachi Fall.

*Reijirou, Nakagawa and Maki need to escape from the broadcast studio since it's surrounded by violence and angry people*

Takaya and Naoe break spiritual barriers by their powers while the Red Whales soldiers are going forward with their guns. Naoe gives one gun to Takaya too. Takaya doesn't want to use real weapon, but Naoe says that it's for Takaya's self defense. However, Naoe promises to protect Takaya and asks him to stay close to him. Then, Takaya grabs Naoe's collar and kisses him.

T: "When everything is over, let's go back to Echigo once more, Naoe."

Naoe was confused why Takaya was talking about such a things at the moment like this.

T: "It's the starting point of our story. And then, let's return to Shikoku and move in together. Somewhere we can see the sea and feel the ocean breeze."

Naoe felt something weird was going on. Takaya wouldn't say this kind of things during or not even out of the battle.

N: "What's wrong, Takaya-san...!"

T: "Let's build a small house close to the cape and let's live there together, just two of us. We can invite our friends sometimes."

N: "Takaya-san!"

T: "We can also invite Miya and your family too."

Then again, Takaya brought his face closer to Naoe's and kissed him deeply. Naoe was wide-eyed. Takaya separated their lips slightly and whispered with a hoarse voice: "I'll give you so much happiness that it'll cover your eternal loneliness." 

Naoe was so amazed by Takaya's words that he even forget being in a battle field for a while.

 

They manages to break all barriers and start to capture Nishikitobe's onryous after that. At the shrine Torigoe finds Tsukasa crying hysterically in middle of mental break. "Why do you drift me away, dad? Why you need to do this to me...? No...I'm not Hiruko... I'm not Hiruko... Please save me, Tooru! I don't want to die!" After all Nishikitobes and Tataras are captured, they continue the arrow ritual since the sun is setting soon and time till the all birds have disappeared from the amulets, is only around 9 hours. Supported by Takaya, Rei tries to finish the ritual, but loses her consciousness when there is only one target left. Takaya doesn't see any other option than using Shadow Shikoku's power to destroy the Ise shrine. Then, they heard sound from the sky. Oda clan's helicopters arrive above the Nachi Falls and start to fire with machine-guns. Nobunaga lands down and takes the bow of Gotobiki from unconscious Rei's hands. As having the body of Nachi guardian, Nobunaga can hold the bow. He shoots the last arrow and all locks are opened. Everyone is shocked when the Nachi Fall divides into two sections and disclose the sword of Futsu. Takaya is in rage. He won't allow Nobunaga to get the sword. Without thinking he removes the spiritual bracelet that is sealing his powers, and attacks. Naoe, Ayako, Kiyomasa and all soldiers of the Red Whales support Takaya attacking with him against Nobunaga. When Takaya is about reach Nobunaga, something happens in his body. As if all his blood vessels has exploded, Takaya's body is covered by blood and he falls down on the ground. Takaya's body is directly connected to Shikoku and this means that someone has broken the great spiritual barrier of Shikoku (it was that monk from Mt. Kouya and Shimozuma Raiyuu who joined to him). Nobunaga rises unconscious Takaya on his arm and says devilishly smiling: "I take him, the Red Whales. This tiger fits better under my protection than playing a king for you. He shall wear a collar and serve his owner, me, the Demon King of Sixth Heaven." Naoe attacks furiously, but Nobunaga stops him by saying: "Do wanna extend this man's life time and save him from the soul demise?"

Naoe can't breath. How can Nobunaga know about Kagetora's soul demise?!

No: "In that case, there is one way: become my retainer! If you do everything I ask, I'll let you use the sword of Futsu for saving him!"

Na: "Wha-!"

No: "I'll wait for you at the Grand Shrine of Ise."

Nobunaga's helicopter takes off and everyone who leaves there are shocked, Naoe shouting Takaya's name with all his power.

To be continued.

************

What a long volume. Huuuh!

I loved Takaya's "proposal" even though it was quite sad... Only 6 months left... :'( 

So, Tsukasa is the real Shigeno Kaoru. He's the one who has the soul of Shigeno Kaoru, but Nobunaga transferred Kaoru's soul into the body that is called Tsukasa, and Nobunaga performed kanshou to Kaoru's original body that is Hiruko with three eyed. When this happened 13 years ago, Nobunaga sealed Kaoru's memories and transferred Kaoru's soul into a fetus that some woman was carrying. After the baby was born one female Tatara onryou possessed this woman and raised Kaoru with a name of Tsukasa. To Tsukasa Nobunaga ('Kaoru-sama') was like a real father. But after getting the body of Taira Koremori, Nobunaga spell that was sealing Kaoru's memories broke accidentally. Maybe because Taira Koremori drown himself in the place (Nachi Bay) where Hiruko drifting was held? The feeling of cold sea water or something like that maybe? I don't know, just a wild guess. 

Tsukasa: soul = (Shigeno Kaoru), body = (first a boy named Tsukasa, now Taira Koremori)

Nobunaga: soul = (Nobunaga), body = (Shigeno Kaoru/Shiba Eiji)  

I have finished next volume already, so I'll post it next Monday maybe! :)