Konjiki no Gash!! Chapter 17

**A Demon's Tears** (魔物の涙, *Mamono no Namida*) is the 17th chapter of Makoto Raiku's Konjiki no Gash!!. This chapter was originally released in Japan as part of volume 2 on August 9, 2001.

## Plot

Shiori stands her balcony looking down at a crime scene outside, panicking out about what had just happened, thinking to herself for someone to help Kolulu. Just inside, Kolulu sits on the floor looking sad and holds onto a volleyball. The next day, Kiyomaro and Gash visit the crime scene. Gash thought he and Kiyomaro were going to go play, but Kiyomaro is more concerned about the previous day’s attack, especially upon noticing claw marks on the ground, and thinks a demon could be involved. Shiori and Kolulu are then seen at the park, playing with a volleyball. Shiori’s mind is still on what happened the day before, but determines that as long as she doesn’t read from Kolulu's pink book, Kolulu will stay the way she is. Shiori then thinks back to what had happened after she first read from the book.

In a flashback, Shiori reads *Zeruku* from the book, and Kolulu starts transforming into a terrfying and vicious form. Once transformed, she jumps out the window and immidetly begins slashing up multiple people that she sees. Shiori runs outside, terrified, and Kolulu doesn’t seem to recognize Shiori, but upon seeing the book in her hands, she assumes Shiori is her bookkeeper. Shiori asks Kolulu’s transformed self if she is really Kolulu, and Kolulu confirms. This transformed Kolulu commands Shiori to read more spells, wanting more power but Shiori refuses, and starts to notice *Zeruku*’s effects starting to wear off. As Kolulu slowly reverts back to her original form, she ominously tells Shiori that she can’t escape from this fight, concluding the flashback. Presently, Shiori’s been standing with the volleyball, and Kolulu asks her what’s wrong before asking about what happened to her yesterday. Shiori brushes it off and insists nothing happened, and tosses the volleyball back to Kolulu. The ball bounces off Kolulu’s fingers and rolls away into the middle of the street, and Kolulu runs off to go get it.

Shiori tells Kolulu to watch out for the road, and just as she says that a horn blares from a truck driving towards them. Shiori yells at Kolulu to get out of the road, but Kolulu isn’t paying attention. Just as the truck is right about to hit Kolulu when Shiori thinks about what Kolulu’s transformed self told her the day before about this being her destiny. Despite this, she takes Kolulu’s bag to grab Kolulu’s pink book and casts *Zeruku* in order to protect her. Kiyomaro hears the sounds of an accident, and hopes no demons are involved as he and Gash run over to the scene. When they get there, they see Kolulu, transformed and attacking civilians. Seeing this, Kiyomaro casts *Zakeru* and Gash strikes her with his lightning. Shiori runs over to Kolulu, and Kiyomaro tells the nearby onlookers to run away, and they start clearing out. Kiyomaro deduces that this is the demon responsible for yesterday’s attacks, so he casts another *Zakeru* on her. After Gash’s attack, Kolulu crawls toward Shiori, begging her to read from the book, saying she’s in pain. Shiori, desperate to protect Kolulu, casts *Zeruku* once more, and Kolulu lunges at Gash, slashing him up with her claws.

Kiyomaro retaliates with another *Zakeru*, and Gash strikes her directly once more. Kolulu pleads Shiori to cast more spells, and Shiori looks at the book and exclaims that she is able to read a new spell, and casts *Zerusen*. Kolulu closes her fists and they launch from her body like rockets, speeding toward Gash and Kiyomaro. Kiyomaro asks Gash if he’s okay, but Gash is more concerned about Shiori, recognizing her as Kolulu’s big sister. Gash notices that not only is Shiori crying, but so is Kolulu. Kiyomaro is ready to continue fighting, but Gash stops him and wonders aloud why the other team is crying while they fight.

## Features

### Characters by Appearance

* Kiyomaro Takamine
* Gash Bell
* Shiori
* Kolulu

### Spells by Appearance

* Zeruku (Debut)
* Zakeru
* Zerusen (Debut)