Chapter 242

## Each in Turn

**Each in Turn**, or **Taking Turns** (交互に, *Kōgo ni*) is the 242nd chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

Sugimoto and Asirpa attempt to flee from the falling trees but are unable to outrun them. Sugimoto jumps onto Asirpa in order to protect her. Meanwhile, Shiraishi and Boutarou hear the commotion, and Shiraishi makes a dash to the scene to find numerous trees that have been cut down.

Boutarou reveals that it is a result of a logging method being used in Hokkaido and that he knows about it since his family was also in the logging business. Shiraishi begins to panic since he knows that Sugimoto and Asirpa headed into the forest earlier. He becomes concerned that they may have been caught up in the deforestation, so he shouts out their names.

Sugimoto calls out to Asirpa, who despite being injured and dazed asks Sugimoto if he is alright. Sugimoto exclaims that he should be the one to ask her that and questions if she is feeling pain anywhere; Asirpa replies that she does not know. They try to get out from under the trees as Sugimoto calls out for help from Shiraishi or anyone nearby.

Sugimoto tries to keep Asirpa conscious but he is thinking about what Asirpa asked him earlier. He begins to tell Asirpa about his past and his childhood friends, Ume and Toraji. Sugimoto explains that due to tuberculosis taking his family’s lives, he had no choice but to leave Ume who ended up marrying Toraji.

However, Ume had developed an eye disease. Toraji was planning on earning money for her surgery, but his plans were interrupted by Russo-Japanese War. During a battle, Toraji saved Sugimoto at the cost of his own life, and so Sugimoto swore to get the money back to Ume.

As Shiraishi continues to look for Sugimoto and Asirpa, Boutarou realizes that Asirpa is Noppera-bou’s daughter. He asks Shiraishi about it, but he just tells him to be quiet and that it is not important. Asirpa understands why Sugimoto needs the gold no matter what, however Sugimoto says that even if they find the gold, he will continue to be her partner until she is satisfied with how the whole incident has turned out. Despite this, Asirpa notes that Sugimoto did not tell her the answer she wanted to hear. She then says that they need to get out of their situation.

Sugimoto does not believe that they can get out on their own, instead he says that Shiraishi and the others will come to save them. Asirpa says that Shiraishi could also be trapped as well, but Sugimoto counters that he would just worm his way through all the trees and that he must be trying his best to find them. Asirpa believes that Shiraishi just wants the gold, which Sugimoto does not deny but says that Shiraishi is one to keep his promise to others. He says that they should tell Shiraishi that Asirpa remembered the key to solving the code. Asirpa agrees, saying that she should have told Shiraishi earlier but never got around to it.

Asirpa points out at *kamuy* behind Sugimoto, which turns out to be Shiraishi who is in tears upon realizing that Sugimoto and Asirpa trust him now. Asirpa is amazed that Shiraishi is able to find them, and he reveals that Vasily had seen them when the trees got cut down. Meanwhile, Boutarou calls out to a group of loggers to dig out Sugimoto and Asirpa. As Sugimoto and Asirpa emerge from the fallen trees, Asirpa looks out at the barren land, and Sugimoto wonders where the kamuy will go.

Asirpa explains that the Ainu also cut down trees to sustain their way of life and that they are just like the Japanese, hunting down deer and bears along with wolves and selling their pelts. She believes that one cannot blame someone for trying to lead an affluent life but that the most important thing is not to take too much. Asirpa recalls what Wilk told her, that if they refrain from taking everything and leaving some behind, the kamuy will not vanish.

Shiraishi tells Boutarou to show Asirpa the coin, confirming that she is indeed Noppera-bou’s daughter. Upon examining the coin, Asirpa exclaims that it looks like an Ainu symbol which can mean “each in turn”, “mutually”, or “to cross over”. Boutarou hypothesizes that the Ainu gathered up the gold dust in every region with the dream of one day having “their own country” and so made the coin to commemorate it. Asirpa reveals that while Wilk was still in Russia, he had told Sofia that the Ainu and the minority ethnic groups of the far east should unite.

Asirpa believes that the fact that Wilk still held onto the coin until his boat sank in Lake Shikotsu means that his desire to come together and protect each other had never changed and that it is not possible that he would kill the people he was trying to save. Asirpa then comes to the conclusion that Wilk did not kill the Ainu men and declares that she understands now what she needs to do for the sake of the Ainu.

## Character Appearances

* Saichi Sugimoto
* Asirpa
* Yoshitake Shiraishi
* Fusatarou Oosawa
* Umeko Kenmochi *(Flashback)*
* Toraji Kenmochi *(Flashback)*
* Vasily
* Sofia *(Flashback)*
* Wilk *(Flashback)*