Konjiki no Gash!! Chapter 84

**The Mystery of the Stone Tablet** (石版の謎, *Sekiban no Nazo*) is the 84th chapter of Makoto Raiku's Konjiki no Gash!!. This chapter was originally released in Japan as part of volume 9 on March 18, 2003.

## Plot

While Gash, Tio, and Umagon head off to the mountains to train, Kiyomaro tries to call his father Seitaro but isn’t able to get a hold of him. This leaves Kiyomaro left on his own to conduct his own research on the mysterious stone tablet he had acquired earlier that day. As he thinks about the stone tablet, he wonders about how it could be connected to the previous battle to decide king that took place 1,000 years ago and just how many mysteries there are to the Demon World itself. After gathering many miscellaneous supplies around his house, Kiyomaro decides that he’s going to let his father handle the scientific analysis for the stone tablets while he tries to get creative with his own research. When he remembers about how the letters engraved on the stone tablet are identical to the ones in the spell books, Kiyomaro places his hand on the tablet and tries to recite one of Gash’s spells. Nothing happens after he does this. He then tries to say aloud each of Gash’s known spells up to that point but once again nothing happens. He would then try saying the names of various demons and other nonsensical phrases in hopes that something would happen but he is once again met with the same result.

Kiyomaro would spend much of his day trying a wide variety of “research methods” to evoke some sort of reaction from the stone tablet, including slapping it with fish and drawing over it in marker, but nothing comes from it. Exhausted, Kiyomaro flops back onto the floor to think things over. Kiyomaro is frustrated with how little he knows of the Demon World then goes on to tell himself he knows nothing of things such as the stone tablets, the spell book, or even Gash. He then thinks about if he’s capable of helping Gash become the next king before wondering what it even takes to become king. Kiyomaro would eventually come to realize that there’s more to becoming king than winning battles and that he needs to be teaching Gash something to help him with his goal. Before he could think about this any further, he notices something behind him beginning to glow.

Now evening, Gash, Tio, and Umagon are all completely exhausted from their intensive training and are slowly making their way back home. Gash tells Tio how strong he thought she was today but Tio is surprised to hear that from him because she thinks that he’s stronger than her. She reflects on her sparring session with Gash and notes that she wouldn’t have been able to fight against Gash one-on-one if Megumi hadn't taught her aikido. Tio then goes on to think back to how weak Gash was in the Demon World before finally wondering when did he become so strong. While walking with Gash, Tio finally asks Gash if he thinks there’s really a chance for them to become king. Gash confidently answers yes because he has Kiyomaro on his side. Tio argues that her partner Megumi is just as smart and capable as Kiyomaro is and that she’s confident that she’ll become king with her help.

Eventually, the trio finally make it home and Kiyomaro calls Gash and Tio upstairs to show them something. He then takes out his spell book and reveals that a new message had suddenly appeared inside the pages. The message is a congratulatory message that informs all remaining participants in the battle that there are now only 40 demons remaining. Seeing how far they had come and how there are now less than half of the original participants left, Gash and Tio feel more determined than ever to survive to the end of the battle. Not long after this, Kiyomaro’s mother Hana tells Kiyomaro that he has a call from his father and that dinner was also ready too. While Gash, Tio, and Umagon all have dinner, Kiyomaro answers the phone and tells his father about the stone tablet he has. He then asks his father if he had any new information for him but Seitaro tells him there isn’t anything new to tell him. Seitaro reassures Kiyomaro though that he’ll continue his research on the stone tablet and that in the meantime it was being kept inside of a storage room under tight security. Unbeknownst to him however as he says this, it’s revealed that the storage room had been broken into and the stone tablet was now missing. As Kiyomaro continues to talk on the phone to his father, the stone tablet that he had in his room had also just been stolen by a demon.

Somewhere in Australia, Sherie asks around for Brago’s whereabouts as she wanted to tell him about the news that there were only 40 demons left in the battle. Brago is then shown to be standing along the shore of a beach having just found another stone tablet that ended up nearby. Brago is intrigued by his discovery and he comments that the battle is becoming more fun for him before he goes on to toss the stone tablet back into the water.

## Features

### Characters by Appearance

* Gash Bell
* Tio
* Umagon
* Kiyomaro Takamine
* Megumi Oumi
* Hana Takamine
* Seitaro Takamine
* Byonko (Silhouette)
* Sherie Belmondo
* Brago

### Locations

* Japan
	+ Mochinoki City
		- Takamine Residence
			* Kiyomaro’s Room
* England
* Australia