Episode 24

## Call Out

**Call Out** (呼応, *Koou*) is the twenty-fourth episode of the *Golden Kamuy* anime series and the final episode of Season 2.

## Synopsis

At last, Noppera-bou has been found. But will he survive long enough to tell Asirpa and Sugimoto about the gold is? And what about the traitor who's lurking in the background, waiting for the right moment to strike?

## Plot

Sugimoto shows Asirpa's *makiri* to Noppera-bou. He recognizes it and asks Sugimoto to bring Asirpa to him, claiming he will only tell about the gold's location to his daughter.

In the lecture hall, Hijikata and Inudou continue their duel. Inudou says that Takeaki Enomoto is now a viscount while Hijikata is an aged, fugitive prisoner; he says that if Hijikata had agreed to join the new government, he wouldn't have spent 30 years in chains. Inudou wounds Hijikata and commands him to surrender. Hijikata refuses and criticizes the current government; he thinks that the government is scared of the old shogunate soldiers who became martyrs. Hijikata then tells Inudou that in order to justify the death of his brother who died in the Battle of Hakodate, and his own life too, Inudou wants to hide Hijikata until he breaks him and Hijikata becomes one of them; that's when Inudou's revenge will be complete. He then says that Inudou couldn't stand the fact that a mere peasant like Hijikata was more loyal than the samurai. Inudou is enraged and promises he will make Hijikata obey him even if that means he will need to cut off his limbs. Hijikata manages to distract Inudou with his words and throws a handful of his own blood in Inudou's eyes, blinding him and giving him a deadly blow. As Inudou falls on his knees and accepts his defeat, he asks Hijikata to finish him off. Hijikata lifts his katana and beheads Inudou.

In the meantime, Tsurumi and Tsukishima are seen in the prison building, killing the prisoners with the machine gun.

Sugimoto tells Noppera-bou that in truth he doesn't want her to see him. He says that Asirpa was terrified that he father might be the one who killed the Ainu and stole the gold. Sugimoto demands to know why Noppera-bou told Hijikata about Asirpa's Japanese name and involved her in the gold hunt. Noppera-bou says that he did it to entrust her with the future, so she could become the leader of the Ainu, fighting as a guerilla. Sugimoto is appalled with Noppera-bou's idea of using Asirpa for his independent movement and making her into the Ainu Jenne d'Arc. Sugimoto grabs Noppera-bou by his prison robe and shouts at him, asking if he wants Asirpa to become a murderer like the rest of them.

Noppera-bou comments that Asirpa had quite an effect on Sugimoto. He then notices a figure in a familiar red kimono standing on the rooftop in the distance. Inkarmat notices him too and calls for Asirpa. Sugimoto gives Noppera-bou his binocular and he recognizes Inkarmat. Asirpa and Kiroranke get on top of the roof.

Asirpa remembers an episode from her childhood when she hunted a bear with her father. Asirpa was left alone to hunt a bear; she managed to take it down with poisoned arrows. When the bear was defeated, Wilk returned to congratulate Asirpa on a successful hunt. She was angry at him for abandoning her, but Wilk held his daughter in his arms and told her he was proud of her and she is the future of the Ainu.

In the present, Asirpa looks at her father through binoculars. Kiroranke asks if she recognizes Wilk. Asirpa calls out to her *aca* and starts crying, asking him "why". Wilk tells Sugimoto that he didn't kill the Ainu. He starts saying something important about the gold but in the next moment he is shot dead by a sniper. Sugimoto grabs Wilk's body but he is then shot in the head. The unknown sniper is revealed to be Ogata.

Asirpa screams for Sugimoto, and Inkarmat tells her to run as she is the only person who holds the key to the gold and that everyone will start killing each other over her. Kiroranke grabs Asirpa and takes her down from the roof despite her protests. Shiraishi is shocked after hearing that Sugimoto was shot. Tanigaki volunteers to retrieve Sugimoto and Wilk. Inkarmat asks him to not go, saying he will be shot.

Ogata continues to shoot at Sugimoto but misses his vitals. He notices that Tanigaki is trying to drag their bodies away and shoots at his arm. Tanigaki grabs Sugimoto and Wilk and gets them to safety. He returns to the gates only to find Inkarmat lying on the ground with Kiroranke's *makiri* in her stomach. She tells him that when Wilk was shot she saw Kiroranke giving someone a signal. Lt. Tsurumi with his soldiers appears behind Tanigaki and greets him with a manic smile.

Shiraishi and Asirpa wait by the spare boats. Kiroranke returns alone, and Shiraishi asks about Inkarmat. Kiroranke says that Inkarmat was communicating with the 7th Division and she is the reason they came to Abashiri Prison. He claims they can't take her with them, and Shiraishi notices that Kiroranke's *makiri* is missing. They're then joined by Ogata who tells them that Tanigaki was captured by Tsurumi. Asirpa asks him about Sugimoto and Wilk, to which Ogata replies that they're dead.

Next day, the 7th Division takes out the bodies from the ruins of Abashiri Prison. Sugimoto is seen recovering, with his head bandaged. Tsurumi visits him and asks how it feels missing part of his brain. He merrily announces that they're brain damage pals now. Observing Sugimoto's recovery, Tsukishima tells Ienaga that he cannot believe that a murderer like her is such a great doctor. She replies that she has done a lot of cranial surgeries while pursuing her hobby of torture. She reminisces how she would cut out the brains little by little and fry them in front of their victims while they were still conscious.

Ienaga notes that only someone like Sugimoto with his incredible capacity for recovery could have survived that injury; Inkarmat is the one who is in danger. Inkarmat says that to catch Kiroranke, they must travel to Karafuto. She reveals that when she tried to warn Asirpa of Kiroranke, he threatened her with a knife. A small fight ensued and Kiroranke accidentally stabbed Inkarmat. She asked why Wilk had to die, and Kiroranke replies that Wilk changed. The initial plan was to tell their comrades of the gold. Tsurumi reveals that Wilk was captured when he was trying to get to Karafuto, likely trying to reunite with his comrades. He then says that Kiroranke will try to do the same, and if those partisans get their hands on Asirpa, it will be a lot of trouble. Sugimoto wants to go to Karafuto to return Asirpa; he is joined by Tanigaki. Tsurumi sends Tsukishima and Koito to Karafuto with Sugimoto, too. Koito doesn't want to leave Tsurumi's side, but he explains that it was request from Koito's father, Heiji Koito.

In the port somewhere, Kiroranke asks Ogata why he shot Sugimoto. Ogata says that Wilk was talking to Sugimoto about something which could have been about the gold, the code, or even about Kiroranke. He then says that Sugimoto might have survived the shot and is probably very pissed off. Sugimoto says that only Ogata could fire a shot that killed Wilk, claiming he felt him when he was shot. He promises to kill both Kiroranke and Ogata.

While the 7th Division is still at Abashiri, Hijikata, Ushiyama, Toni, and Kadokura are hiding in the basement of the lecture hall. Hijikata suggests they wait before there's less soldiers. In the basement, they find Inudou's writings about other escaped tattooed prisoners. Hijikata sees an opportunity to find the skins that Lt. Tsurumi doesn't have; he announces that next they're going to the south.

Sugimoto is seen standing on the deck of the Ikazuchi-class destroyer. Koito Heiji starts a conversation with him. Sugimoto warns him that Koito might not return from this journey. Heiji replies that Koito is ready to die. One day he will be the leader of men, and for that he need to become a man worthy of it. Heiji reminisces of the letter that Koujirou Hanazawa sent him before committing seppuku; in the letter he talked about his son Yuusaku who died on the battlefield. Heiji then says that the war their generation started sent the sons of many citizens to battle, and therefore he cannot keep his own son from danger. He comments that Noppera-bou probably thought the same, so when he was telling the Ainu to die, he had to send his daughter into the battlefield first.

In a dream, Asirpa sees Sugimoto. He apologizes to her for being unable to keep his promise and help her meet her father. He promises he will come back for her. Asirpa thinks it's the *kamuy* that are trying to tell her something, but Sugimoto says that it's him, and that he is alive. She wakes up and tells Shiraishi about her dream. Shiraishi says that maybe Sugimoto is alive since he cannot imagine him dying. Asirpa smiles and says that of course he is alive — he is Sugimoto the Immortal.

## Adapted Chapters

* Chapter 135
* Chapter 136
* Chapter 137
* Chapter 138
* Chapter 139

## Character Appearances

* Wilk
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Asirpa
* Toshizou Hijikata
* Shirosuke Inudou
* Takeaki Enomoto *(Mentioned)*
* Tokushirou Tsurumi
* Hajime Tsukishima
* Inkarmat
* Kiroranke
* Yoshitake Shiraishi
* Genjirou Tanigaki
* Tatsuuma Ushiyama
* Hyakunosuke Ogata
* Shinpachi Nagakura
* Kano Ienaga
* Otonoshin Koito
* Cikapasi
* Ryu
* Kazuo Henmi *(Mentioned)*
* Tetsuzou Nihei *(Mentioned)*
* Anji Toni
* Toshiyuki Kadokura
* Heiji Koito
* Koujirou Hanazawa *(Cameo)*
* Yuusaku Hanazawa *(Mentioned)*