Chapter 240

## Warrant Officer Kikuta

**Warrant Officer Kikuta**, or **Special Sergeant Major Kikuta** (菊田特務曹長, *Kikuta Tokumu Sōchō*) is the 240th chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

Blending in among the crowd of onlookers around the dead prostitute, Ariko reveals to Kikuta that since there was always someone nearby, he was unable to make a report to Tsurumi and that not only Hijikata's Group, but even Tsurumi does not trust him. Kikuta then tells Ariko to join up with him, saying that he is the only one who trusts him and to forget about his late Ainu father's wishes as well as Tsurumi's threat to his family.

Kikuta reasons that it does not matter who Ariko follows, only that waiting for him at the end of either road is destruction. He reveals that Central is letting Tsurumi do as he wishes until he finds the Ainu gold and to eliminate him in the end. Upon hearing Kikuta's words, Ariko is shocked to hear that he is a spy for the Central government. Meanwhile, the Sapporo Killer stands outside of a church, staring at it.

Hijikata's Group disguises themselves as peddlers in Sapporo, however they complain about standing out too much with some of their body builds and costumes. Nagakura and Ishikawa approaches Hijikata with some news, detailing the account of the Sapporo murders as Ishikawa realizes that the Sapporo Killer is a copycat of Jack the Ripper. Ishikawa explains the history of Jack the Ripper to Hijikata's Group and notes that the way the Sapporo Killer operates is very similar to Jack.

Ishikawa details that Jack's fifth and final murder took place forty days after he killed his fourth victim so Hijikata's Group becomes determined to catch the Sapporo Killer within forty days before he vanishes. Ishikawa then grows angry, saying that he cannot forgive the Sapporo Killer as his favourite prostitute got so scared about the killings that she ran away to Tokyo, causing Nagakura to berate him.

Ishikawa then brings up another unrelated case in the newspapers, which Sugimoto's Group notices as well. They find out that children have been disappearing in various places around Sapporo, including three kids who went missing in Ebetsu. Boutarou says that it might be the work of a man named Keiji Ueji, a murderer who abducts children and buries them in his garden. Boutarou explains Ueji's appearance, which Sugimoto's Group recognizes as the candy peddler they met in Ebetsu, and Boutarou reveals that he is also one of the Abashiri Convicts.

Usami approaches Kikuta, exclaiming that a telegram has just arrived from Tsurumi which states that he is heading for Sapporo. Meanwhile, Hijikata's Group and Sugimoto's Group notes the pattern of the children's disappearance as their occurences gets closer to Sapporo with each town. As Asirpa wonders if something will happen in Sapporo, the Sapporo Killer and Ueji prepares to make their next move while Ogata continues to peddle before being called back by Hijikata's Group.

## Character Appearances

* Kikuta
* Rikimatsu Ariko
* Genjirou Tanigaki *(cover)*
* Toshizou Hijikata
* Tokushirou Tsurumi *(Flashback)*
* Sapporo Killer
* Kantarou
* Tatsuma Ushiyama
* Anji Toni
* Kadokura
* Hyakunosuke Ogata
* Kirawus
* Shinpachi Nagakura
* Takuboku Ishikawa
* Yoshitake Shiraishi
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Asirpa
* Fusatarou Oosawa
* Keiji Ueji *(Flashback)*
* Tokishige Usami