Episode 20: A Fool

## A Fool

A Fool (愚か者 *Orokamono*) is the seventh episode of Season 2 of Nanbaka and the twentieth episode overall.

## Synopsis

The fight between Liang and Upa against Hachiman continues. Nico shows up out of nowhere and greets Upa, moved by his last line in the previous episode. Qi recalls events from his past when he joined up with Hachiman. Nico intervenes in the fight to save Upa, meanwhile, Uno freaks out about how they all lost sight of Nico. During the fight against Hachiman, Nico's medicine starts to wear off, and an alternate persona appears to take over.

## Summary

As Upa and Liang prepare to fight Hachiman, Nico shows up and praises Upa's inspiring words. As Hachiman moves to fight them, Upa hides Nico somewhere where he'll be unable to watch him lest he imitates their movements again. With Nico out of the way, and Liang begin to fight Hachiman who keeps dodging and blocking their attacks and retaliates by producing a paralytic poison gas that the two used on their targets in the past. He reveals that it was made by Qi, who watches from a distance recalling his past; while running his own herbalist business, he was located by members of the Chinese mafia who brought him to Hachiman. Hachiman tells him to work for them in exchange for paying of the immense debt he accumulated, and Qi ultimately agrees.

Later, Qi explains this to Liang who praises him on the drugs he's made for them. Qi then notes that Liang hasn't actually killed anyone with the drugs and warns him to stop being deceptive before he is caught, but Liang dismisses his words. Sometime after Upa, who is slowly recovering in an infirmary, informs Qi that Liang was ordered to become Hachiman's employee by his sensei in order to save him and the rest of the temple. At some point,‌ Qi discovers that Hachiman has been modifying his non-fatal medicines and herbs to be poisonous and becomes despondant that he was essentially killing people himself. Hachiman then produces the bedragled body of Liang, who he brutally tourtured after discovering that he’d never killed any of his targets.

In the present, Qi quietly urges his cellmates to hold out as Liang and Upa continue fighting. As Hachiman tries to‌ kill Upa and‌ Liang, they are protected by Nico who emerges from his hiding place and anounces his desire to be useful, having avoided going with the others for fear of slowing them down while the effects of his medicine wear off. Irritated, Hachiman injects Nico with numerous poisoned needles in the hopes of killing him but Nico survives the attack; elsewhere, Uno panics over Nico’s absence, explaining to Trois and Honey the consequences of him not having medicine.

Nico continues to fight Hachiman, who attempts to poison him yet again to no avail. Despite being immune to the poison, Nico proves to be no match for Hachiman forcing Upa and Liang to protect him; as they try to do so, Rokuriki regains conciousness and attacks using a qigong technique despite being ordinarily unable to. Upa is torn between protecting either Rokuriki or Nico, while Hachiman attacks him and mocks his compassion. Nico tries to fight back despite his growing illness, but is grabbed and choked by Hachiman who recognises him as nothing more than a sickly child. As the affects of Nico’s medicine reaches its lowest point of efficiency, he snaps and his personality begins to alter.

## Character Appearances

* Liang
* Upa
* Hachiman
* Nico
* Qi
* Uno
* Jyugo
* Trois
* Honey
* Rokuriki Daisen
* Rock *(Flashback)*