Old spoiler

１
・お前（おまえ）の求める（もとめる）“力（ちから）”とは何だ（なんだ）
・貴様（きさま）・・・
ブラック☆スターも狂気（きょうき）に落（お）とす気（き）か・・・
・“力（ちから）”・・・
・俺（おれ）が求める（もとめる）・・・　

2
・俺（おれ）が求める“力（ちから）”・・・
//第７８話：　Salvage（その７）

３
・何だ（なんだ）よ・・・
つまらねェ問（と）いかけだな
・だから本（ほん）は嫌い（きらい）なんだよ
・俺（おれ）にとって“力（ちから）”とは何だ（なんだ）とかどうでもいい・・・
俺（おれ）はただ誰（だれ）にも負けたない（まけたない）だけだ・・・
・どんな相手（あいて）だろうよなき倒す（たおす）
・“力（ちから）”にくだらない説明（せつめい）なんていらねェ

４
・俺（おれ）にとって“力（ちから）”が“力（ちから）”だ

５
・相手（あいて）が神（かみ）であろうと
関係（かんけい）ねェ！！
・ひゃは！！
・全部（全部）つ倒す（たおす）！！
・フン単純（たんじゅん）な奴（やつ）だな・・・
・シンプル・イズ・ビッグって知ら（しら）ねェのか？

6
・それを言（い）うならベストだ！
・ベストでもビッグでも今（いま）さらどちらでもいいさ
・しょせんすべて境界（きょうかい）のない左右（さゆう）一体（いったい）の“無（む）”にしてしまうのだからな・・・
・ああ？！
何（なに）・・・？

７
・俺（おれ）のコト単純（たんじゅん）だとか言（い）いやがって・・・
・すべて無（む）にするんだぁ！？
俺（おれ）とたいして変わ（かわ）んねェじゃねェか
・お前（おまえ）と一緒（しょ）にするな！！
・俺（おれ）には“規律（きりつ）”がある・・・
お前（おまえ）のような雑（ざつ）な“力（ちから）”ではない・・・
・結（けつ）果（火）が同じ（おなじ）なら過程（かてい）なんて意味（いみ）がないぜ
・違う（ちがう）！！
・違（ちが）わねェよ

８
・死(し)神(しん)体(たい)術(じゅつ)｢狂（きょう）罪（ざい）｣の構え（かまえ）

９
・！

１０
・すべてを無（む）にかえす“力（ちから）”がお前（おまえ）と同じ（おなじ）はずがない・・・

１１
・“シンメト” “シンメト”うるせェ奴だ（やつだ）と思ってたら（おもってたら）今度（こんど）は“無（む）” “無（む）”かよ・・・
・だけど
“シンメト”はいいが“無（む）”は気（き）にいらねェんだよ・・・
・“無（む）”の力（ちから）で相手（あいて）を“無（む）”にかえして・・・
・お前（おまえ）は何も（なにも）感（かん）じないのか？そこも“無（む）”の感情（かんじょう）か？
・そうだ・・・
・乗り（のり）越えた（こえた）相手（あいて）に何（なん）の感情（かんじょう）も残さない（もこさない）
・やつぱ
気（き）こいらねェな・・・

１２
・！！
・ふざけんな！！

１３
・それじゃあリス（Liz）もパティ（Patty）も決って（けすって）いうのかよ！！
・それがお前（おまえ）の出した（だした）究極（きゅうきょく）の“力（ちから）”か！！
・究極（きゅうきょく）の“バカ”の間違い（まちがい）だろ！！

１４
・ゲホ　cough　（cof cof～）
・ゲホ　cough 　（cof cof～）
・ガッ　(gah ~ hmm)
・ガハッ　Ga-ha (cough)

１５
・それならお前（おまえ）も・・・
すべてをなぎ倒す(たおす)究極（きゅうきょく）の“力（ちから）”を手（て）に入（い）れて何が（なにが）したいんだ・・・
・手（て）に入（い）れた後（あと）・・・
何が（なにが）残（のこ）るんだ・・・
・うるせェ知（し）るか・・・
・そんなもん最強（さいきょう）になってから考える（かんがえる）
・だけどな・・・これだけは言える・・・
・今(いま)のお前（おまえ）は神（かみ）の器（うつわ）じゃねェ・・・
・俺（おれ）は死神（しにがみ）だ　soy un shinigami
器（うつわ）もクソもあるか・・・

１６
・ああ！そうだな・・・Oh, cierto?
今（いま）のお前（おまえ）はただの神（かみ）だ　
・何（なに）！？何が（なにが）言いたい・・・　
・お前（おまえ）はただの死神（しにがみ）からへこんでどうしようもないダメ人間（にんげん）にもなれる・・・
・そこが
お前（おまえ）のすげェ所（ところ）だったんだろ
・{recuadro}
・俺（おれ）がとち狂って（くるって）死神（しにがみ）のお前（おまえ）に死を望んだ（のぞんだ）・・・
でもお前（おまえ）はぶｎ殴って（なぐって）生（い）かしてくれた・・・
・ぶん殴って（なぐって）はいない
・「かかと」を入（い）れたんだ
・そうだ・・・
キッドはそういう細かい（こまかい）奴（やつ）なんだよ

１７
・死神（しにがみ）のダンナが言って（いって）たぜ・・・死神（しにがみ）は生物（せいぶつ）の“視（し）”と“生（せい）”を司るってな（＊・・・司る＝つかさどる）
・　・・・
・左右（さゆう）一（いつ）対（たい）の“無（む）”なんてエラそうに言った（いった）トコロで
バランスとかめんどくせェから
まっさらでいいやってあきらめてるだけだろ
・そんなもの究極（きゅうきょく）でも何（なん）でもねェよ

１８
・第七章（だいななしょう）Greed「強欲（ごうよく）」
・ブラック★スター・・・
キッド君（くん）を頼（たの）んだよ・・・
・お姉ちゃん（おねえちゃん）
19
・うん　hmm
・待てェ（まてえ）オラ！！
・女（おんな）だから甘く（あまく）見（み）てやってたが好き（すき）放題（ほうだい）してくれやがって
・ハァ ha
・ハァ　ha
・逃げる（にげる）パチィ
つ捕（＊）まったらただじゃすまないぞ！

２０
・ニューヨーク
・うう・・
・あ・・・あ・・・
・ブルックリン（Brooklyn）の悪魔（あくま）にこんな連（つ）れがいたなんて聞いて（きいて）ねェぞ・・・
・あ・・・
・　・・・
・　助かった（たすかった）

２１
・君（きみ）たしは美しい（うつくしい）！　
・これから完璧（かんぺき）な世界（せかい）をつくるのに　 sea perfecto
君たち（きみたち）たらはオレの両（りょう）手（て）におさまるべきなのだ・・・
・お姉ちゃん（おねえちゃん）！私達（わたしたち）が美しいって（うつくしいって）！！
・う・・うるさい・・　
それなのしょつちゆう言（い）われ慣れてる（なれてる）だろ喜ぶ（よろこぶ）な
・俺（おれ）は死神（しにがみ）だ
・デス・シチィーから君たち（きみたち）の悪名（あくみょう）と美（うつく）しさのうわさを聞いて（きいて）ここニューヨークに来（き）た
・死神（しにがみ）！

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とにかくジェットコースター展開だった７９話、カラー表紙がご陽気キッドとファンキー★の２ショット素敵です。前半、都合３ページで狂気から脱却成功するキッドさんに軽く動揺。でも、ブラスタがくれた言葉（元は父上の言葉）から、生と死を司る死神として「生」の否定である「無」を求めるのは間違いであると悟る素直さと聡明さが素敵だと思いました。死神としてキッドが本当に求めていたものは容易く得られる「左右一体の無」ではなく、あり得ないとさえ思える「左右対称＝究極の規律」…振り出しに戻ったみたいではありますが、何のことはないキッドは最初から目的を間違えてはいなかったんですね。今回その理由を知ったことで、キッド頬を染めながら大人の階段のぼった！おめでとう！そしてブラスタは自分の力を、そんなキッドのために使いたいとカミングアウトしてくれます。２人の一生の友情が生まれる瞬間を見れて幸せです。

おじさん、いや力の旧支配者は２人の答えに満足し、本当の自分を見せてくれました。力ある者が正義の基準をつくる、しかし行き過ぎた正義は悪となり人を狂気に堕としてしまう。彼は死神様と共に阿修羅を生み出してしまったことを悔いているのです。それと同じ過ちを、いずれは新支配者となるべきキッドに繰り返させたくはない。もしかしたら、おじさんはキッドが無の魅力から目を離せなかった場合には、ずっと彼を閉じ込めておくつもりだったのかも知れません。実はエイボンの書から出入り自由だったおじさん、２人と仲間たちを本の外に出してくれることになりました。

おじさんは本に留まっている理由を「旧支配者はそういう存在」と言いましたが、死神様と距離をおく意味もあるのかも知れないなーとか思いました。２人が一緒にいるとやっぱり人間世界にとっていろいろヤバイと思い知ったのでは、とか。キッドが死神様から切り離されたことと何か関係あったりしてといろいろ妄想して幸せです。

おじさんとキッドが和解し、みんながエイボンの書から追い出されようとしているころ、大人組はノアのアジトの扉を開きます。デスサイズスもナイグっさんも誰一人武器化しないで！ぎぎ～っと！そこにノア様親衛ミミズ隊の奇襲です。当たり前やっ！！

まんまとテスカは体の半分を食いちぎられてダウン。死んだね。死んだよね。貴方にはこれからジャスティンのストーカーとして頑張ってもらわないといけなかったというのに！そして何故か生身の大人組はノア様＆ジャスティンにぼこぼこです。やられ放題です。シド先生なんか腕もげたてたよ。これはまあ、命さえ助かれば何とかなるかと思うんです。ゾンビだし。

なんというノア様無双。でも新たなしもべマンティアコアを召還する呪文「KIMI NI KIMETA!!（我は汝に使役する）」に気付いたときは腹筋崩壊しました。

でもなんかおかしいですよね。
そこにボスがいるのは分かってるのに、武器化もせず敵のアジトにお邪魔するなんて。

昨夜のネタバレチャットでも皆さんがおっしゃってたのは「このやられてる皆はテスカの能力による虚像ではないのか？」ということです。（最悪、テスカだけでも虚像ではないかと。）即死したのはテスカだけ、しかもこの場にいるはずの職人エンリケもいないということは、どこかで彼がその能力を使ってこの状況を作り出してる可能性もあると思うんです。ていうか何かあってくれないと困ります。いくらBREWを手にしたノア様が無敵だとしても、マリー武器化して雷綱使ってれば最低でもミミズは倒せるじゃないですか博士！いくら色っぽくてもそんなとこで「きゅん」って締められていてはいけません！

一応、彼らがマジでやられてたときのために何か考えておこう。えーと、テスカが真っ先に殺されたのはそのトレース能力を恐れられたということで。マカとはまた別の意味で怖い存在ですもんね。

The gist of it:

1. Because BS reminds Kid of his father's words about Shinigami ruling over death and life, Kid realizes that "nothingness" is a bad idea because it neglects the whole "life" part of things. NO SHIT SHERLOCK. So Kid decides that nothingness doesn't equal symmetry after all. Whoops. So he tells the Goo Monster that what he really needs to seek is... symmetry. Okay. But, uh, I guess Kid understands that symmetry doesn't matter if everybody's dead now, or something? Something like that, yeah.

2. BLACK STAR TELLS THE GOO MONSTER THAT THE REASON THAT HE WANTED POWER WAS TO SAVE KID. D'aaaaaaawwwwwwwww.

3. THE GOO MONSTER IS TERRIBLY MOVED BY THE POWER OF BLACK STAR'S SPARKLYPOO GHEYNESS. Or satisfied with Kid and Black Star's answers about power, whatevs. (LOL the blogger that I'm quoting in this post actually refers to this as Black Star's "coming out" moment. Er, I think that already happened, like, seventy chapters ago. With Soul. Remember that?) So it turns out that Gooberkins is the Great Old One who rules over "power" (something that the fandom figured out months ago, thank you very much). He says that those who hold power make the rules (HI THERE TEDDY ROOSEVELT DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE YOU IN THIS MANGA) but that going *too far* with one's power leads to madness. Gooberkins regrets that he and Shinigami-sama were responsible for the conditions that created Asura, and he wanted to test Kid to make sure that Kid, as a future Overlord of Everything, wouldn't make the same mistake.

4. Gooberkins could have left the Book of Eibon at any time, but he didn't because... Because Ohkubo's a shit writer, that's why. So Gooberkins promises to send Kid, BS, and the rest of the Spartoi out of the book. That's nice of him, except for how it's totally unnecessary seeing as how the Spartoi also can leave the book as soon as they want to via their link to the Fake Book of Eibon in Shibusen.

5. As to how Gooberkins got inside the Book of Eibon in the first place, apparently "this is what Gods do when they retire." Really?

6. So Gooberkins is about to expel the Spartoi from the Book.

7. Meanwhile, the adults reach Noah's hideout! And are ambushed by worms! And for some reason none of the weapons are in weapon form when they walk right into this ambush because THE ADULTS ARE IDIOTS.

8. Tezca's dead.

9. HOLY SHIT TEZCA'S DEAD.

10. Now everybody except for Sid is dead.

11. HOLY SHIT EVERYBODY EXCEPT FOR SID IS DEAD.

12. Sid is like, "Maybe I should do something."

13. But then Noah shows up and kills him.

14. So, uh, the chapter basically ends with ALL OF THE ADULTS DEAD so obviously that's probably some sort of trick or illusion or whatever. But the blogger that I quoted above (*points*) is convinced that Tezca's death was "real" - he was probably targeted because of his tracing ability, also for being Justin's annoying stalker - but without the actual chapter in front of me I can't say whether I agree with that or not.

So we start with a shot of the Horror Dragon, which, a handy perspective panel informs us, is fucking huge. A curious gremlin gets a bit too close to the Jason-head, and the Jason-head chomps down and swallows the little bugger, causing a fresh tombstone to pop out of its back with the word "GREMLIN" carved on it.

"It's growing more graves like zits all over its back!" Maka exclaims.

"Gimme, give it to me, I want it..." Noah mumbles. "Everything in this world belongs to me. When I own everything then I will become the new ruler. I will become a true god."

Kid is making an excellent bitch, please face. Aaaaaand we have another flashback to Grandpa Goo Monster reminding Kid that there's some douchebag out there trying to become the new ruler in a panel that is totally excessive given that we just went over this umpteen million times in the previous chapter. Aren't you the shinigami destined to bear the burden of the next era? Grandpa Goo Monster asks Kid.

"I am a shinigami," Kid says.

"?" Noah is inexplicably baffled by this statement. For some reason. Um.

I thought that Noah knew that?

"And your way of ruling is unacceptable, Noah!!" Kid shouts. "Everything in the entire world, you said? 'Everything' meaning all of this and all of that and absolutely everything under the sun? If that's truly what you mean, then it's no different from the ultimate symmetry that I mistakenly tried to create! What sort of aesthetic is there in 'everything'?! An aesthetic without discrimination has no beauty!! What this world needs is balance. Yes, a beautiful balance just like perfect symmetry. And you are unworthy of being a ruler of this world!!"

Maka orally molests some ellipses. "So he sounds like a god after all... Giving speeches about things that humans can't understand..."

Er, I think he can be understood just fine. Maybe Maka's just having a blonde moment? Meh, I'll give her a pass on this one, she just lost a lot of blood and she's probably not thinking too smart.

Yeah and Kid's not done yet, either. "I'll show you how I rule my beautiful world. If you can survive this."

Noah is just going to stand there and let Kid attack him, I guess. Like Stein and Marie and Sid just stood there and let Noah attack them two chapters ago.

Why are all of the adults in this manga so stupid?

Because Ohkubo's poorly-executed, poorly-choreographed fight scenes require them to be. In short: Because bad writing, that's why.

"Liz... Patti," Kid says. "For always staying by my side until now, I thank you. And from now on I will have to rely on you still, so please..."

"Wh... What the hell, Kid?" Liz says, blushing. "Why so formal all of a sudden?!"

"You dun need to ask us!" Patti says.

"And all of you..." Kid says, looking at the rest of the Spartoi. "I'm going to take out the big one. But I need all of your power, too. Sensei-tachi, please stand back and watch."

Meanwhile, Noah is just standing there and waiting for them to attack. The Horror Dragon is just sitting there and waiting for them to attack. Sid and Stein are smiling and WHAT THE FUCK TEZCA IS DEAD WHAT THE HELL DO THEY HAVE TO SMILE ABOUT and Marie and Nygus aren't even important enough to be shown in this buddy-buddy moment (what, are they still knocked out?) and Enrique is still M.I.A.

"Let's go," Kid says. And then they finally attack the Horror Dragon. Which I guess is the Horror Dragon's cue to finally attack them.

Four pages later, the fight is still going on. Maka saves Blair from being chomped by a dragon head. "Thank you, Maka..." Blair says.

"No matter how much my injuries may slow me down, at least I can still protect my pet cat," Maka says.

Kid, who I guess has been just standing back and watching this whole time, finally decides to get off his skinny ass and blow some dragon up. "Liz, Patti. Soul Resonance. Death Penalty Enforcement Mode, Acquisition!"

"Wavelength circuitry connection... All clear. Resonance at equilibrium. Noise 2.8%."

"This wavelength is...?!" Liz says.

"Something that is no longer necessary to me," Kid responds.

"Coffin Construction," he says. And then screams a lot.

"First, second Lines of Sanzu connected---"

"Beginning rotation."

And look, it's the return of a plot thread from the Baba Yaga arc! Big Daddy's face suddenly cracks down one side. "Shinigami-sama...!!" Spirit exclaims.

Meanwhile, back in San Diego: " 'Seven Rays' charge completed."

Wait, is this going where I think it's going?

I cannot rely on Father's seven rays forever.

Ohkubo, I think I love you.

"Releasing coffins."

I'll start right away with the final certain kill technique!

Oh finally, somebody is actually fighting smart in this goddamn battle. Also, wait for it, wait for it....

"PARENTS' SEVEN RAYS!"








lmfao







Oh, that is glorious.

One dead Horror Dragon later, Kid is glaring at Noah. "It's over, Noah."

Noah laughs as the seven rays converge upon him. "HA HA HA HA HA! It's all mine! Even this light too! All mine!" Noah's hat finally blows off his head. "Everything belongs to me."

"Go ahead and take it," Kid says. "That is God's light."

And so he does.

Oh, Noah. Perhaps that snazzy cap actually was the source of his powers after all. Just like Msr. Peter Ludlow, Noah was completely fine dicking around in enemy territory and pissing off powerful gods until the moment that his snazzy cap was taken off his head, whereupon he was promptly pwned by a baby T-Rex.

Snazzy caps: Don't underestimate their fearsome powers.

"We did it..." Maka says. "Noah's soul wavelength is completely gone..."

So, uh, did Noah just not leave behind a soul for anybody to munch on, or what? Seriously, what's up with that?

Meanwhile, inside the book, Index notices too. "So Noah has died..."

Meanwhile, back at Shibusen, Ox reports. "Kid has been safely recovered... And it seems as though Noah was destroyed."

"Welcome home, Kid!" Jackie says.

But I guess that was jumping the gun a bit, because instead of Kid popping out of the copy of the Book of Eibon, the book instead bursts into flames.

"The copy of the Book of Eibon... is burning..." somebody wearing the Captain Exposition Hat explains.

Meanwhile, back in San Diego: Gopher is in shock. "It... It can't be... Noah-sama---..."

Maka looks down at the Book of Eibon. "This book...!"

YES, THAT IS THE REAL BOOK OF EIBON

YES, YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ACTING CONFUSED ABOUT?!

STOP STARING AT THE DAMN THING AND PICK IT THE FUCK UP BEFORE

too late.

"This book..." Gopher snarls at Maka. "This Book of Eibon... It belongs to Noah-sama!"

"You!" Maka exclaims.

"You bastards!" Gopher emoticon-faces at them. "I'll never forgive any of you for this!!"

Aaaaaaand he's off. "Wait!!" Maka shouts ineffectually at him.

Kid looks pissed off. "And the Brew was still inside that book, too..."

SO GO AFTER HIM ALREADY

I MEAN FOR FUCK'S SAKE

YOU CAN FLY, YOU IDIOT

Jesus skateboarding Christ this entire chapter has been filled with nothing but characters standing around like idiots and letting other people get away with speechifying/powering up/attacking/stealing the Book of Eibon without ever once trying to lift a finger to stop any of the aforementioned from happening.

Remember back when Noah fought Mosquito, how Noah was actually smart enough to nuke Mosquito the moment that Mosquito started to power up in order to, you know, prevent that from happening? Yeah. And yet here Noah was in this chapter, just standing there and doing absolutely nothing while Kid took a good five pages to slowly power up. Noah didn't even send a worm to nuke Kid, not a single worm. Heck, Noah probably could have asked the Horror Dragon to stomp on Kid at any time during that powerup but no, of course not, that would have made too much sense.

Remember back when Kid fought Mosquito and even though he was severely injured and exhausted after the battle he still chased Mosquito down just so that he could finish the battle? Yeah. And yet here Kid is, just standing there and letting Gopher get away with the Brew. Way to be a future ruler, failass!

And next we have the obligatory scene where Maka suddenly collapses from her wounds and Soul has to catch her. "If you keep ignoring your wounds then it'll be just like Noah beat you anyway!" Soul chastizes her. Aaaaand that was a helluva awkward line to translate but literally it was something like if you keep ignoring your wounds then the result will be as if the tables had turned on us which doesn't sound very natural in English but meh, I think we all understand what Soul is trying to say.

Meanwhile, back in Nevada: "Are you all right, Shinigami-sama...?"

"It seems as though Kid was able to connect up to two Lines of Sanzu," Shinigami-sama says, telling us what we already know instead of anything that we actually want to know. Also, note: Although it's hard to tell, on page 188 it shows that Kid has finally shed his power-up outfit and it appears as though his Lines of Sanzu are disconnected, too. So there still hasn't been a permanent connection made.

"... It does seem that way, yes," Spirit responds.

"It also appears as though Justin-kun knew the location of the kishin..."

"Where the hell could he be...?" Spirit ponders.

Also, Tezca may or may not be dead. Apparently this fact is unworthy of comment from either Big Daddy or Big Daddy's Big Pointy Stick.

Meanwhile!

ASURA


And clowns.

"So this is where Kishin-sama is," Justin says.

OH NO THAT'S NOT A COMPLETELY CONSPICUOUS HIDING SPOT AT ALL. Cripes.

Everybody. In. This. Manga. Is. An. Idiot.

Oh Lord God... Oh...

Oh Lord God is right.

I wonder if we're ever going to find out what Noah did with the Brew back ten chapters ago? Or is that just another plot thread that's been abandoned?

Where the hell is Enrique?

Whatever happened to Ohkubo's ability to choreograph a fight scene?

Why are Liz and Patti still the only characters among the main eight who haven't had a single Crowning Moment of Awesome even after eighty-one chapters? Why did Ohkubo build up Patti's ability to fight solo with Liz and then never give her a chance to do so?

Why didn't Noah fight back? Why didn't Marie or Stein ever fight back, either?

How/when did Noah find out the location of the kishin, and why would he be stupid enough to tell Justin that?

I dunno. I need a drink.

I'm sitting here raising my glass to next month. May the next story arc not suck, may Soul Eater Not! be full of puppies and rainbows and awesome, and may Liz and Patti someday get to actually do something before this goddamn series ends!

Immagini:

SOUL EATER 83

SOUL EATER NOT 02

NOT: