User blog:Xilinoc/Ch. 645 - Don't Chase a Shadow

Song to listen to while reading this chapter: "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul.

It's 6.5 hours 'till work. I've got a shitty Mangapanda translation, a greedy Jewlord telling me to wait until Stream comes out, it's 12:30 am, and I'm wearing sunglasses.

Hit it.

So we start off with Lille wondering, like the rest of us, how the hell Shunsui got behind him, only for Shunsui to wonder if Lille even knows what Daruma-san ga Koronda is. Shunsui goes on to reveal that Nanao helped him get here, presumably with some sort of invisible-making barrier, and tells her to GTFO because it's about to get super srs, so Nanao gives him ample motivation to survive this by threatening to shave his chest if he dies. After Nanao leaves, Lille's all "I know errthing about you and ur sword", but Shunsui decides to provide an explanation of red light green light before revealing that Lille was, in fact, tricked, bamboozled, and otherwise stupified.

Apparently, a spiritual being can see Reiatsu with their heart and eyes, and in a fight they tend to see with their heart more: this would explain what was up with Tōsen, as well as Ichigo when Kūgo cut his eyes. Because of this, Lille simply saw a Reiatsu image of Shunsui being shot, which wasn't technically an illusion. Now, Lille doesn't quite believe this, but Shunsui reminds him of exactly who he's up against - the goshdarn Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 - before trying to play red light green light once more. However, Lille catches him with his rifle, which he broke the rest of the barrel off of because reasons, and claims that this won't work again before firing.

However, Lille realizes something is afoot and leaps into the air in the most fantastically awkward yet fabulous pose I've seen so far in the manga to avoid a shadow blade from Kageoni, which the ever-genial Shunsui commends him for. Having shot Shunsui in the foot, Lille claims that these strats won't work on him and fires again, but Shunsui dodges once more and finally reveals that this is a technique of his called Kageokuri, where he creates a shadow so realistic that his opponents think it's him. Then something something children's card game I'm tired.

Decent chapter this week. I feel like a lot of it was taken up by explanation rather than fighting, which I'm assuming will begin in earnest next week, but I liked the stuff about seeing Reiatsu with one's heart and the whole Kageokuri thing. Oh, and the panel of Shunsui stating his name and rank was pretty epic; he takes that shit seriously.

Thoughts on this chapter? I see Lille's going for the sawed-off shotgun look Kageokuri > Kagebunshin any day of the week Finally, someone who can weaponize red-light green-light Oh look Nanao was relevant