User blog:Xilinoc/Ch. 651 - The Theatre Suicide SCENE 5

Song to listen to while reading this chapter: "The Sound Of Silence" by Disturbed

Well now, that ought to silence those who were ranting about Kubo defying all the rules he'd established about Zanpakutō (you know who you are).

So we start off with a short, but important, flashback to Shunsui's youth where he was woken up by TotallyNanao'sMother, who just so happened to be his big sister. Oh boy. Cut to the present, where after morphing his head because why not we're already in the deep end of weird here, Lille realizes that Shunsui's hiding in his shadow with Kageoni and creates a ball of light to get rid of his shadow - only to create a small shadow above his beak, allowing Nanao to burst out while carrying...something. We then cut back to Shunsui explainerating - he wasn't being quite accurate at the end of last chapter because the little girl is merely holding Nanao's Zanpakutō for her. Apparently, the Ise family is one long line of women who all lose their husbands to a strange curse: Nanao's mother tried to avert this, buuuuut you can guess how that turned out.

However, though she was forced to return to her original family by social customs and such, Nanao's mother decided to try and prevent future generations from being afflicted with the curse by giving what she believed was the source of it - a certain Zanpakutō - to Shunsui for safekeeping, and Katen Kyōkotsu created another spirit to house it. As Lille does his thing in the present, we learn that Nanao is fully aware of Shunsui not wanting to give the sword back to her, but that she is also willing to take the curse upon herself - and believes that whomever she loves will think the curse is silly too. In the present, Lille mocks the idea of a lieutenant fighting him, but Nanao's got a holy sword made for slaying gods: the Blade of Olympus Hakkyōen.

Another hell of a chapter this week. The explanation behind the Ise family and this new sword was kinda confusing the first time I read it, but the second time around made perfect sense, and I'm glad we didn't end up getting any shenanigans about Nanao taking part of Shunsui's soul or whatever. The blade looks cool, and I'm hyped to see Nanao take on Lille - preferably with Kidō involved somehow.

Also, for those thinking Nanao confessed her love for Shunsui or something, I'm preeeeetty sure she was just talking about a hypothetical lover rather than him - remember kids, incest is not wincest.

Thoughts on this chapter? I am sorry for ever doubting based Kubo Kick Lille's chicken ass, Nanao lol wuts even da point of a sword w/ no blade #swagyolo4jesus There goes my mother!Lisa theory