Chapter 60

**Chapter 60** is the sixtieth chapter of the *Dead Mount Death Play* manga.

## Short Summary

Corpse God summons a dual-fanged tiger to undertake the bout with Xiaoyu Lei, rather than fight using Polka Shinoyama's body. He converses with Rozan Shinoyama via video call as he studies Xiaoyu's fighting style, at one point fending off an attack aimed at himself before eventually ordering the tiger to stand down. The tiger's heads—Gufa and Rafa—immediately shower Xiaoyu with affectionate licks.

Xiaoyu admits defeat and reflects on his loss and Corpse God's power in the shower, afterwards showing Corpse God his prosthetic arms' joints so that Corpse God may fix them. Corpse God introduces himself at Xiaoyu's request as he begins examining the limbs; when Xiaoyu further requests that Corpse God not turn his power on Rozan, he is surprised and embarrassed to learn that the purpose of the bout was not to establish a hierarchy, but to give Corpse God an idea of Xiaoyu's combat style so that he could fashion Xiaoyu an appropriate weapon.

Using necromancy, Corpse God refashions Xiaoyu's prosthetic right arm into the right arm of Urdwigia, a lightning dragon from the Other World. He proposes an alliance with Xiaoyu in exchange for his new limb.

## Synopsis

As Rozan Shinoyama watches remotely, Xiaoyu Lei demands that Corpse God divulge just *what* Xiaoyu's new, inhuman right arm once belonged to.

One hour ago...
Xiaoyu calls Corpse God arrogant, believing he is trying to take advantage of Xiaoyu's lack of a functioning right arm, but nonetheless agrees to a bout; with Rozan watching remotely via the video call on Xiaoyu's phone, Xiaoyu intends to expose Corpse God's true nature via the bout to his master. Guarded and wary—all too aware by now that Corpse God is "more than just a fake"—he assumes a fighting stance and tells Corpse God to do the same.

Corpse God clarifies he means to use his power in the bout, not his body, and so summons a dual-fanged tiger to fight Xiaoyu in his stead. The tiger lunges, its two heads snarling; though Xiaoyu at first tries to rationalize it as a hallucination, he dodges and hurls three kunai its way. It avoids them and swipes its claws towards Xiaoyu's head, one claw grazing Xiaoyu's cheek as he flips backward, temporarily blinds both heads and Corpse God with a flash of light, and surges the digits of his left hand at the one responsible for this situation: the fake Polka.

Able to see Xiaoyu's soul thanks to his Evil Eye, Corpse God blocks the attack with two large, skeletal hands and remarks on his visibility—and the dual-fanged tiger's keen sense of smell. Once more the tiger lunges at Xiaoyu, and so their bout resumes. In the meantime, Rozan compliments Corpse God as being capable of even more amazing things than he had imagined—however, Corpse God says it is Xiaoyu who is amazing: Xiaoyu is not only able to avoid the dual-fanged tiger's attacks with just one working arm, he was right to keep calm and target the person invoking the tiger.

Rozan admits he was chilled by Corpse God's call during the night regarding Xiaoyu's encounter with the Agakura, concerned Xiaoyu would endanger himself by acting recklessly. While it is easy to tell Xiaoyu that he can retreat if he desires, Xiaoyu is the type to do the opposite upon hearing such a thing. As for Corpse God, Rozan questions his apparent acceptance of Xiaoyu learning his secret, considering Corpse God desires a peaceful life. Corpse God responds that holding back can cause an unacceptable loss, and so he has decided he must distance himself from peace in the short-term in order to achieve it in the long-term.

Just then, the tiger leaps at Xiaoyu's 'paralyzed side'—but Corpse God bids the tiger cease and thanks each head—Gufa and Rafa—for their efforts. No longer on duty, Gufa and Rafa immediately nuzzle Xiaoyu and lick him with sloppy affection. As the tiger coils around him, Xiaoyu sighs, plops to the ground, and admits defeat in the face of Corpse God's power. He says Corpse God may do as he sees fit, but Corpse God, observing the tiger drool coating his face, mildly suggests Xiaoyu take a shower for now.

Thoughts of the fight follow Xiaoyu into the shower, where he laments his limbs' lack of full usage—but soon chides himself for making excuses, knowing he took the bout as seriously as any other fight. The fake Polka, he suspects—reminded of his rooftop fight with Lemmings—was not taking the bout nearly as seriously, despite his 'incomprehensible power'.

Xiaoyu dresses himself in all but his shirt, which he carries with him as he returns to Corpse God. Corpse God puts aside Polka Shinoyama-the-shark-plush to examine Xiaoyu's joints, with Polka wiggling happily at the prospect of a mecha cyborg. When Xiaoyu asks for Corpse God's real name, Corpse God says most people call him Corpse God—a title Xiaoyu thinks is 'hefty', but fitting for whatever supernatural entity Corpse God must be. Declaring that he cares not what becomes of himself, willing to accept whatever role Corpse God intends for him, he requests only that Corpse God not turn his power on his master.

Taken aback, Corpse God says he intended and intends nothing of the sort, having enjoyed his carefree human relations thus far. Xiaoyu's subsequent "Didn't you challenge me to that fight to make the pecking order clear once and for all?" results in a moment of mutual confusion, with Corpse God insisting that it was a bout, not a fight—meaning he wanted to glean a detailed picture of Xiaoyu's combat style.

The confirmation that the bout was not even a struggle for Corpse God, whereas for Xiaoyu it was a matter of pride and life, leads Xiaoyu to bury his face in his left hand. Rozan and Polka feel that Corpse God *is* to blame in this instance, so Corpse God apologizes and explains that it was standard procedure in the Empire to first assess a fighter's style before tuning their weapons. Unaware that Corpse God is 'tuning his weapon' as they speak, Xiaoyu inquires as to what tune-up Corpse God intends for him.

With a last flourish of necromancy, Corpse God announces he has just finished. Xiaoyu looks down to see a new arm fashioning itself out of thin air from his shoulder: an arm with scales, jagged lines, and black, talon-like fingertips and fingernails. Its inhuman nature is evident, but its origin is not, and Xiaoyu demands to know just *what* the arm once belonged to. Corpse God answers it is the right arm of Urdwigia, a colossal lightning dragon that once bathed the world in electricity. Then, speaking formally as the "fourth-ranking sorcerer in the imperial court," he asks that Xiaoyu make an alliance with him in exchange for the arm.