The Hishaku’s invasion has begun!! And I have returned to writing chapter reviews after a long long time (12 chapters to be exact).
It seems that the focus of the narrative has shifted in earnest from Chihiro’s faceoff against Samura to the Hishaku’s invasion. While I am curious as to what kind of conclusion those two came to, there is more stuff to be uncovered at the Kamunabi’s headquarters apparently.
To be honest, I had not anticipated the Hishaku making such a big move so soon. It’s the kind of development that makes you wonder if the series is hurtling towards a premature conclusion – the major villains swooping in for their prize while the heroes scramble to stop them.
However, there are still so many plot threads that need resolution, and let’s hope they aren’t rushed to a close by the end of this invasion. For all I know, this could again be a ruse by the Hishaku.
So, without any further ado lets break down whatever happened in Kagurabachi chapter 79.
Hakuri gets his role in the fight:
Hakuri woke up just in time to be a part of the crucial stuff that was unfolding. I definitely missed him during the chapters following Uruha’s supposed demise, and I’m glad to have our best boy back in action.
And it’s not just me who’s happy to see him. Hakuri himself is clearly relieved to have a role in the upcoming battle. He is sticking to his mantra of supporting Chihiro, and making sure that he doesn’t let his partner down.
However, despite being awake, Hakuri isn’t entirely out of the woods. His past overuse of his abilities should have rendered his Warehouse sorcery unusable. However, a timely readjustment of the nerves governing his Isou sorcery made it so that he can use both his powers, but not to the fullest extent.
Honestly, this is a huge limiter that Hokazono sensei has put on him.
Hakuri was no doubt a prodigy. Given enough time and experience, he could have become one of the most formidable sorcerers in the series. So naturally, his current predicament does make me a bit sad.
Not only does it make it easier for Hokazono to write him off if needed in the future, the limiters in place will make sure that he doen’t single handedly alter any situation – which he did during the Rakuzaichi.
Another small detail from the start of the chapter was that we get the namedrop of one of Kamunabi’s elders – Kudo. He is the one accompanying Hakuri as he fulfils his role in the upcoming fight.
And when I say “role,” it’s not exactly a frontline position. All he has to do is transfer the Shinuchi into the warehouse, and away from the grasp of the Hishaku. While it sounds more like a failsafe – in the grand scheme of things, his actions will be monumental.
Even if the Hishaku breakthrough all of the challenges that the Kamunabi put forth, they still won’t be able to reach the Shinuchi.
However, I feel that the Hishaku MIGHT find a way to breach Hakuri’s territory, leading to an even bigger conundrum. Why? Because we saw during the Rakuzaichi that the Sword Saint was able to temporarily influence Kyora using the Shinuchi despite them being cut off from the real world. What if such a connection can be established once again? Things will surely go south.
If not, Hakuri will be the reason the Hishaku invasion ends in a failure.
Kagurabachi chapter 79: The Threat
Now, the next part of the chapter is where things get more serious. We get to see one of Hishaku members who was present during their assassination of Kunishige.
And, the seven Hishaku members aren’t the only ones who are attacking the Kamunabi headquarters. They’ve brought along a group of lackeys to wind down the Kamunabi. However, against strong opponents like Azami, these underlings don’t seem like much of a threat.
What remains to be seen is the true strength of the other Hishaku members. It’s a give that we can’t gauge their capabilities based solely on Hiruhiko’s actions in this arc. He is a red herring, a blooming bud who still has a lot to learn.
Among the other seven Hishaku members, there are bound to be battle hardened veterans, their most elite, who will surely give the Kamunabi a run for their money. I mean, they took out Kunishige and escaped with the Enchanted blades in a mere 10 seconds.
While this small piece of information doesn’t stand out immediately, it really establishes the threat that the top members of Hishaku pose. However, Azami is no pushover either. Having reached the rank of a colonel while he was just 18, he sure is a more than worthy opponent.
The battle that is set up has very high stakes. This one is deeply personal for Azami, judging by his internal monologue. And that’s a huge positive for his fans because it all but eliminates the possibility of him being a traitor.
He is gearing up for revenge without a doubt. And guess what? He has the perfect fighting ability to beat his opponents to a pulp.
Assault and battery? Really? Hokazono really turned Azami into a brute huh.
Kamunabi’s lore:
In addition to the above mentioned details, we got some very interesting lore drop about the Kamunabi and its inception.
The military structure and the very reason for their formation – to counter the sorcerers from the island (it’s still weird that Viz keeps calling the island Shokoku) – is truly intriguing. It makes me wonder if there’s more to this government organization than meets the eye.
Going by common tropes, we know that government-controlled organizations aren’t always benevolent. They are often depicted operating in morally grey areas, even if individual characters within them are paragons of justice.
Now is a good time to remember that Kunishige didn’t fully trust the Kamunabi, and he refused to hand over the Enchanted Blades to them.
Was this solely due to their handling of the Sword Saint situation? Well, hopefully, some of our doubts regarding that will be cleared up soon.
Aside from that, what piqued my interest the most were the special execution areas. They seem like concert halls or stage setups for plays?
Titled “threat elimination ground,” the one Azami is fighting in features a biwa player and multiple others playing the taiko.
While the biwa is typically used in narrative storytelling, the taiko is often featured in religious ceremonies in Japan. Once again, this could be a way to enhance the efficiency of Azami or any Kamunabi fighter as they face their enemies.
Or, it could somehow play into the very purpose of these threat elimination grounds. Well, I might be overthinking things here. Remember how Tafuku has a safe space where he can whisk away his people?
But surely, this chapter has set up an incredibly interesting battle, and it remains to be seen how it will unfold!