Chapter 18

## Chapter Chronology

**“Doki Doki Tag Match”** (ドキドキタッグマッチ, *Doki Doki Tagu Matchi*) is the eighteenth chapter of the *Kill Blue* manga series, written and illustrated by Tadatoshi Fujimaki.

## Colored Page

Tenma, who has recently arrived at the location of the duel with JARDIN, asked Juzo if they were genuinely dangerous, and Juzo confirmed this. The two members of JARDIN are present on the field, along with Noren, who is peacefully sleeping on the ground of the arena. They are all wearing black hooded jackets with the JARDIN logo on both sleeves.

## Summary

Kotatsu began sharing information with Juzo regarding a prominent organization known as JARDIN, which holds a dominant position in the field of contract killing. JARDIN boasts remarkable achievements in terms of its track record, the size of its assassin workforce, total sales, and customer satisfaction, consistently ranking as the leader in each of these aspects. To accommodate its clients, JARDIN classifies them into different ranks based on their membership fees, ranging from standard to gold to platinum. The higher the rank, the more skilled assassins one can access for hire. Notably, the most exclusive rank is referred to as "black," reserved for a select few customers.

Within this context, there are two individuals introduced as Kazuma Rindou, the elder of the two, and Eiji Rindou, the younger. Both hold the esteemed status of black-rank assassins, an exceptional feat given their ages of 15 and 13, respectively. The discussion centers around a potential connection to Noren and Mitsuoka Pharmaceuticals, a presumption made by Kotatsu. This revelation astonishes Juzo, as it unveils the unexpected involvement of two black-rank assassins in this matter.

While in the midst of their conversation, Juzo receives a call from Kazuma, the older brother among the Rindou siblings. Juzo takes this opportunity to inquire about their intentions. Kazuma discloses that their primary goal involves a Mitsuoka Challenge duel and seeks fiance status for his younger brother, Eiji, who is known for his limited speech, mainly responding with simple expressions like "yuuuh," "yoooh," or "yaaaah."

Kazuma shared that his main talent lies in hypnosis. When Juzo expressed skepticism, Kazuma clarified that his talent is genuine and can instantly affect anyone, with little chance of resistance. He had dual objectives: to succeed in the Mitsuoka Challenge duel and win Noren's affection for his brother.

Juzo, however, couldn't help but notice Eiji's minimalistic responses, likening them to a zombie-like demeanor. Kazuma assured that his brother's reticence was inconsequential in the face of genuine love, which raised concerns for Juzo and Tenma about Eiji's well-being.

Kazuma then turned his attention to Tenma, proposing to hypnotize Chisato to make her fall in love with him. Tenma firmly declined, emphasizing that his love for Chisato was akin to his dedication to sports – built on fair competition rather than deception. He expressed confidence in his feelings for her and playfully mused about how Chisato might handle his affections.

The conversation concluded with Juzo and Tenma urging the two brothers to return Noren.

In a golf-like stance, Eiji positioned himself, ready to take a shot, while Kazuma prepared the ball on the ground. Eiji, known for his peculiar limited vocabulary, struck the ball forcefully. Unexpectedly, the ball turned out to be a grenade, and they launched it just as their conversation concluded. This startling development prompted Juzo and Tenma to hastily retreat.

Eiji continued to hit these grenade-like balls towards Juzo and Tenma as they fled to the bleachers for safety. Amidst the chaos, Tenma questioned what was happening, realizing that Eiji and Kazuma intended to harm them with these explosive projectiles. In response, Juzo reluctantly agreed as he flee with Tenma, seeking refuge in the concourse.

Observing their escape, Kazuma decided to pursue them, leaving Eiji behind with the sleeping Noren on the ground.

Juzo found himself in a sprint, pondering how to handle the JARDIN brothers while ensuring Tenma's safety, particularly since he also lacked any weaponry. Meanwhile, Kotatsu observed the unfolding events through the eyeglasses worn by Juzo. He then instructed Juzo to head to block 320 and dispatched a drone in that direction, carrying Juzo's gun.

Upon Juzo's arrival at block 320, just as he was about to retrieve the gun from the drone, Kazuma took a shot at the drone. This caused the drone to land a bit further behind Juzo, although still in concourse. Kazuma indicated that Juzo might share a similar line of work with them.

Juzo devised a plan to safely retrieve the gun while considering the possibility of Kazuma shooting him if he tried to approach it directly. Juzo found a large piece of debris nearby and threw it close to where the drone and gun had landed. The noise would caught the attention of Eiji, Kazuma's brother, prompting him to take a shot at the debris, causing the gun to fly in his direction, based on Kazuma's analysis of Juzo's actions.

With the gun now in hand, Juzo pointed it at Kazuma. Juzo conveyed his protective feelings towards Noren, treating her as a daughter. He emphasized that if someone were to claim they were in love with her, knowing it was achieved through hypnosis, the discussion would be swiftly concluded, likely involving a physical altercation.

## Quick References

### Chapter Notes

* Introduction of JARDIN, a prominent contract killing organization with impressive credentials.
	+ Classification of JARDIN's clients into ranks based on membership fees, with "black" being the exclusive top rank.
	+ The unexpected involvement of Kazuma and Eiji Rindou, both 15 and 13 years old, as black-rank assassins.
* Kazuma's claim of having a legitimate talent in hypnosis.
	+ Juzo's concern about Eiji's limited speech.
* Kazuma's proposal to hypnotize Chisato for Tenma.
	+ Tenma's dedication to fair competition in love, just like the love towards the sports he plays.
* The chaos during a golf-like encounter with explosive "golf balls."
* Juzo's efforts to retrieve his gun while being pursued by Kazuma.
* Juzo's protective fatherly feelings toward Noren and the threat posed by hypnosis in relationships.

### Characters in Order of Appearance

**Juzo Ogami**
**Tenma Tendo**
**Eiji Rindou**Debut
**Kazuma Rindou**Debut
**Kotatsu Nekota**Other Line

## Feautured Media

Chapter 18 - Lead Page (Magazine).pngLead Colored Page for Chapter 18 (Magazine Version)WSJ Issue #39 Featuring Juzo Ogami and Noren Mitsuoka