Chihiro vs Hiruhiko – Rematch Begins! Kagurabachi Chapter 67 Spoilers!!

In the previous Kagurabachi chapter, Chihiro reveals to Iori the tragic truth of her father Seeichi Samura while Hiruhiko invades the underworld hotel that the Masumi are staying.

Kagurabachi Chapter 67 is titled, “The Kitsukiri Hotel”

This chapter has 18 pages.

Editor’s note: “Hiruhiko who believed that Chihiro is dead.”

“Volumes 1-5 selling like crazy, thank you for the support! Volume 6 releasing March 4th!”

The chapter begins with Hiruhiko asking Toto to confirm if Chihiro is indeed alive, which she does as she did meet him earlier as Iori’s bodyguard.

Hearing this, Hiruhiko cries tears of joy, his motivation for living returning.

That’s a twisted kind of cute.

The general manager of the hotel, Sengoku Yojiro, challenges Hiruhiko, who is now recognized by his arm crest as a Hishaku member.

Yojiro’s first strike with the Reigen Ittoryu style felt quite heavy for Hiruhiko to handle.

Toto notes that 

Hiruhiko was more of a sorcerer than a swordsman but since Hiruhiko cannot use sorcery, on account of the hotel’s rule, the unnecessary danger, and possibly restrictive forces, has made Hiruhiko lose his usual cool as he is overwhelmed by the difference in swordsmanship

Yojiro is about to get the upper hand but Hiruhiko remembers Kuguri’s training, the flashback from Chapter 64: “Become a Samurai” where Kuguri tells Hiruhiko to master the basics first and what his personal style entails, its “kata” (form)

In that flashback, Hiruhiko had no motive to take swordsmanship seriously, to making cutting into conversation.

This all changed because Hiruhiko met Chihiro and he no longer saw himself as just an empty being made for killing.

He had a friend he needed to communicate and connect with.

In Chapter 54: “Friendship”, after being defeated by him, Hiruhiko promises that he and Chihiro would be on the same playing field, both in communication and strength.

Kuguri’s late introduction into the Kagurabachi story is a smart move by Hokazono because we now see a bridge between Hiruhiko’s past and present, and perhaps by extension all of the Hishaku before and after meeting Chihiro.

Even through these little ripples, Chihiro, without any special or overpowered beyond his own personal talents, was able to affect characters in this way.

In the present, recognizing his limits, Hiruhiko realizes that he needs to improve his swordsmanship if he can be on the same playing field as Chihiro.

Yojiro promises that the 150 years of the Reigen Ittoryu style will swallow Hiruhiko whole

These 150 years of legacy are going to swallow you whole! 

Hiruhiko is about to swing, but lets go of his sword, ducks the swing from Yojiro, and swings back. 

A little cut is made on his arm. 

The two then keep their distance.

Toto asks if Hiruhiko is sure he does not need help but Hiruhiko.

Suddenly, a cut opens on Yojiro’s face and his left arm is chopped off.

Yojiro is surprised Hiruhiko was able to fit the attack within the former’s grasp.

Yojiro identifies Hiruhiko’s type of swordsmanship as “anomalous”, unreadable to the point that you cannot tell where the katana would come from, hence why he lets go of his sword and when he ducked from Yojiro’s swing, Hiruhiko swiftly took back the blade and managed to cut both Yojiro’s face and arm.

Impressed, Yojiro asks who his sword master is.

Being reminded of Kuguri’s stuffy ways, Hiruhiko is annoyed that people think he has to belong to anyone.

He calls himself a “disciple” of freedom, which sounds badass, especially with the close-up of his face.

Back in the Masumi’s room, Iori wakes up and Chihiro, who has been guarding her, checks on her while the Masumi are on the rooftop preparing for the sealing process.

Iori is surprised they all spent the time working but Chihiro says that they only needed three people now for guard duty but they took turns during the night.

Chihiro is excited to learn about the Masumi’s fighting capabilities and to train even more swordsmanship.

Iori is surprised that Chihiro does not take the time to relax at all and asks if he is used to all of this, considering that Iori and Chihiro are near the same age.

Chihiro reveals that he never went to school, so Iori elaborates on the ordinary struggles high schoolers go through, from fighting over school lunch desserts to competing on who had the highest test scores.

Chihiro likes the peace behind those things.

Iori thinks about the old life that was taken from her and realizes that if she chooses to go back to where she was supposed to be, as Samura’s daughter, then she might not be able to go to school.

Bonding over their differences, Chihiro tells Iori her surname is Rokuhira, which Iori knows about from school as the war hero.

Chihiro explains that his father, Kunishige, was great friends with Samura, so he and Iori are alike, which is why he empathized with her tough situation, the choice between a simple life she always loved and found happiness in and the dark truth.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Out came a gang member, who Chihiro quickly dispatched, without killing of course.

Mobsters come out of their rooms and into the hallway and they revealed that someone on the phone told them that they would be paid for 

Seeing the danger, Chihiro tells Iori to stay in the room, with the door closed, and we see a well-drawn full page of Iori’s view from the porthole of the door as Chihiro takes the men dow.

But this carnage causes blood to spill on the porthole and Iori comes out to a scene of a massacre of gangsters, which reminds Iori of what she saw on television.

Still horrified by the grizzly sight, Iori asks Chihiro if he is scared at all by the violence, of the men coming to attack and of his own violence.

But Chihiro’s first thought bubble is of not being “quite there”, showing the disparity in normalcy.

Chihiro has to master swordsmanship yet he is sloppy while to Iori, Chihiro’s work will always be seen as “inhuman” for her.

The timing is perfect for this panel as Chihiro’s thoughts show how different their worlds are.

Even Chihiro’s response to Iori’s question is not direct as it only focuses on the skill of his enemies.

The greedy gang members were not experts but there are more skilled people coming up, so they will need to climb up to the roof together.

This means that hours passed between their arrival and the Hishaku’s,as they were likely the ones who tipped the gangsters about Chihiro’s group.

Iori tells Chihiro that it is not about enemies they faced but about the killing part, Chihiro’s violence.

Chihiro coldly tells her that this is the difference between the two of them, that this violence is all that Chihiro has but Iori still has a future.

We see a panel of Chihiro recalling Iori’s choice from Chapter 65: “Mimicry”, between being “Samura’s daughter” or her “whitewashed ordinary life”

Iori has the freedom within this liminal space, so there is no true answer. Anything is fine as long as she fully commits to a decision.

Chihiro calls an elevator from the bottom floors.

Iori wants to go back to school, feeling fear and overwhelmed by the violence.

Suddenly, Yojiro’s face pops up, akin to the Shining’s “Here’s Johnny” scene.

However, the next page has Hiruhiko holding Yojiro’s head, reuniting with Chihiro since their battle a month ago.

While Iori looks scared, Chihiro promises to bring her home safe.

Chihiro vs Hiruhiko, Round 2 begins!

This time, a real swordsmanship showdown.

Editor’s note: “For the path Chihiro has taken, no such thing as retreat exists. Only. Moving. Forward.”

That’s some Eren Jaeger stuff right there.

Hokazono Takeru’s Author comment: “I’m looking forward to the new Captain America and the Daredevil drama. I have hopes for the MCU in 2025!”

Kagurabachi Chapter 68 will be released on February 17, 2025.

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