Nurarihyon no Mago 172

[p001]

(top, star) The Shibuya arc heats up!! An increase to 23 pages!!
(top) A three-generation chronicle of yokai heroes, Nurarihyon no Mago
(center) Tearing through Shibuya's darkness...!!

[p003]

(left) Act 172: Rescue
(right) The leading man makes his appearance!!

Rikuo: So it's you, is it.
Rikuo: The one creating yokai...

Kyosai: You are...

[p004]

Kyosai: Nura...
Kyosai: Rikuo...

Rikuo: You bastards, stop this shit already.
Rikuo: Dishonorably attacking humans...

Maki: ......wh...
Maki: Who is that...? Eh...?

Kyosai: Could it be
Kyosai: That was someone you knew.

[p005]

Torii: Uu...
Torii: U-uu...

Rikuo: Wh...what?
Rikuo: Oi, Torii?! Keep it together!!

Maki: Na...
Maki: Natsumi?!

Torii: No... no...
Torii: N...

Kyosai: Amusing... how very amusing, Nura Rikuo...
Kyosai: Just now... I created a suitable ayakashi to be your opponent...

Kyosai: The model is from the Heian Period.
Kyosai: A great yokai who threw away her beautiful face and, in order to avenge her father's murder, fell into darkness!!

[p006]

(left) Takiyasha-hime!!

[p007]

Maki: AHHHH!
Maki: You're lying... you're lying, Natsumi is...

Kyosai: Welcome
Kyosai: To this portrait of hell.

[p008]

Ko-oni: Oi, you awake, Kejoro?

Tofu: You alright?
Natto: You've been injured?! Looks like someone treated you, though...

Kejoro: I...
Kejoro: I was...
Ko-oni: You were moaning "Kubinashi~~~~ Kubinashi~~~"
Ko-oni: Right, Kubinashi?
(left of Ko-oni) Gahaha

Kejoro (narration): That's right... I'm pretty sure someone approached me...

Kejoro: Ku-Kubinashi?!
Kejoro: He's here?!

[p009]

???: ...yeah.
Kubi: Sheesh... falling asleep in a place like this.

Kejoro: Why... are you here?

Kubi: Hah?
Kubi: That's because... that guy was chasing you.

Kejoro: What... did you say?

Kejoro: Then who...
Kejoro: Was that guy targeting...?

[p010]

Maki: Natsumiii!! What are you doing-----!!
Maki: What have you done to her, you idioooooot!!

Tsurara: Look out!!

[p011]

Maki: Uuuu...

Maki: What is thiiis... who are you...
Tsurara: Maki-san... don't cry...

Tsurara (thoughts): What's going on...
Tsurara (thoughts): Don't tell me that Rikuo-sama's classmate was changed into an ayakashi...

Rikuo: Torii!!
Rikuo: Come to your senses!!

Kyosai: She has no consciousness.

Kyosai: That girl has already
Kyosai: Become my ideal ayakashi...

[p012]

Rikuo: You fucking degenerate...
Rikuo: You... I will absolutely never forgive...!!

Kyosai: What are you saying, this late in the game...?
Kyosai: Until now, you've been the same as the ayakashi killing throughout this town, you know.

Rikuo: What are you talking about...?

Kyosai: The women I changed into yokai, who you killed...
Kyosai: Without knowing a thing...

Kyosai: You have certainly fallen into degeneracy.

Rikuo: Y...you bastard...

[p013]

Rikuo: Guh...

Kyosai: As great as you are, if you become distracted, they'll come at you from behind as well, you know.
Kyosai: Come, what's the problem... kill them like you did the ones before!

Kyosai: If you do, you'll be saved.
Kyosai: Show me...

Tsurara: Rikuo-sama...
Tsurara (thoughts): It's no good... Rikuo-sama won't be able to do it...
Tsurara (thoughts): What should we do...

Tsurara (thoughts): I'll freeze them.
Tsurara (thoughts): Even if only temporarily, I'll seal their movements!

[p015]

Kyosai: What's the matter? Gotten rid of the thorns in your side?
どうした? ふっきれたか? (not entirely sure on this one.)

Rikuo: Yeah... I've gotten rid of them.

Rikuo: All that's left...
Rikuo: is Torii.

Tsurara (thoughts): Ri...Rikuo-sama?!

Tsurara (thoughts): His fear is... gathering around the blade...

Tsurara (thoughts): But that katana is!!

[p016]

Kyosai: What are you going to do with that crumbling katana!!
Kyosai: Have you lost your mind, Nura Rikuo!!

[p018]

Maki: NATSUMIIIII!

[p019]

Kyosai: Friends killing each other...
Kyosai: This... is what you would call a portrait of hell, isn't it...

Kyosai: How splendid.

Rikuo: I wonder about that...

Kyosai: What...

Maki: Na...
Maki: Natsumiii!!

Rikuo: There we go.

[p020]

Kyosai: Im...
Maki: Natsumiii!!
Kyosai: Impossible...

Itaku (thoughts): Rikuo suppressed his fear... and only cut the yokai, huh...

Rikuo: If you attach fear to a perfectly flawless blade,
Rikuo: That blade would break, wouldn't it.

Itaku(?): At this point, is that concern necessary?
今さらお前に必要かそれ? (really unsure on this one. Doesn't help that I can't really tell who's speaking.)

Itaku: You are able to attach fear to things... you have Nenekirimaru--- just that by itself is fine...
Itaku: Not to mention you've got that matoi technique, don't you?
Rikuo: That's just leaving matters up to someone else...

Rikuo: I, myself, will become stronger so I can utilize the katana's power.
Rikuo: If I enhance my fear,
Rikuo: Both my matoi and hyakki yako will become stronger.

[p021]

Itaku (thoughts): Here, he's finally
Itaku (thoughts): Perfected it, huh...
Itaku: So slow.

Rikuo: Oi, you.
Rikuo: There's no point in giving your name... a bastard producing ayakashi, you're Sanmoto's "arm", aren't you?

Rikuo: I'll say only one thing more.
Rikuo: You won't be able to create hell... in front of me!

Rikuo: Prepare yourself.

[p022]

Tsurara: He disappeared?!

Kyosai: Hm...

Kyosai: I'd finally met you... Nura Rikuo...
Kyosai: There was nothing I could do about wanting to paint your picture... I won't let this end yet...

[p023]

Kyosai (narration): I've finally...
Kyosai (narration): Captured you... in my painting...

Rikuo: What's going on...
Rikuo (thoughts): I can't... move my body?!

Kyosai: Rikuo... have you heard of something called a "kusozu"?
--(TL note: Kusozu = a painting of the nine stages of a decaying corpse)
Kyosai: Come... let's paint you one page at a time...
(left) His true strength has been revealed...!!
(bottom right) Next time, the climax of the battle with Kyosai, and center color!!