Konjiki no Gash!! Chapter 76

**A Measure of Strength** (力の差, *Chikara no Sa*) is the 76th 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

Kiyomaro meets Apollo outside during lunch break at school and sits with him to talk. Kiyomaro notices that Apollo was now wearing a business suit and Apollo tells him that he’s now become the CEO of a financial corporation and is no longer traveling the world like he used to. A moment of silence then passes before Apollo tells Kiyomaro that the demon who had burned Ropes’ spell book looked identical to Gash. Apollo notes though that while the two of them look the same physically, the demon he had met had a much different personality than Gash and was significantly stronger too. Upon hearing this, Kiyomaro begins to wonder if this was the very same demon who he was also responsible for erasing Gash’s memories of the Demon World. Kiyomaro then starts to appear troubled at the very idea that Apollo and Ropes were somehow defeated by this demon. Curious to know more, he asks Apollo about this demon and Apollo tells him everything that had happened.

Apollo’s story takes place around three weeks prior while he and Ropes were traveling in Holland. While in town, they encounter Zeon, the demon who he describes closely resembles Gash. Apollo mistakes him for Gash at first and upon getting a better look at him, Apollo senses a menacing aura from him which solidifies in his mind that this was not Gash. Zeon is insulted to have been mistaken for Gash but upon hearing him mentioned, he asks if they had already defeated him. Apollo tells him that he did face Gash in a battle but says that Gash was strong and that things ended in a tie. Zeon scoffs at them for even considering Gash to be powerful before going on to insult them for being weak. Apollo tries to leave with Ropes and tells Zeon that he’s not interested in a battle with him but this only further provokes Zeon.
Unwilling to let them go, Zeon calls his bookkeeper Dufort over to him with a snap of his fingers and upon seeing him, Apollo starts to feel even more uneasy. Kiyomaro asks Apollo about Dufort and Apollo gives him a general physical description of him while also mentioning that he appeared to be hiding something cold and powerful within him.

Continuing his story, Apollo goes on to describe the battle that took place just outside of town. Apollo and Ropes make the first move by using *Riguron* to hurl large wooden beams toward Zeon and Dufort. Apollo expects the two to react in some way as this attack approaches them but is shocked to see that they didn’t move at all as they somehow already knew he wasn’t aiming at them directly. Zeon then attacks next by using his first spell *Zakeru*. When Apollo pushes Ropes out of the way from the attack, he sees just how much stronger Zeon’s *Zakeru* was than Gash’s. While Apollo has a talent of being able to read his enemy’s actions and make predictions on their next attacks, Zeon continues to stay a step ahead of them during the battle and easily counters his and Ropes’ moves. After a very close encounter with another one of Zeon’s spells, Apollo begins to struggle to figure out what he can do to dodge their attacks while also acknowledging the fact that Zeon is significantly more powerful than them. When Apollo finally tells Kiyomaro of when Dufort finally joined in the battle himself, it was when he saw for himself their true capabilities.

## Features

### Characters by Appearance

* Gash Bell
* Umagon
* Kiyomaro Takamine
* Hiroshi Yamanaka
* Mamoru Iwashima
* Apollo Genesis
* Ropes
* Zeon Bell
* Dufort

### Locations

* Mochinoki City
	+ Mochinoki Middle School
* Holland

### Spells by Appearance

* Riguron
* Zakeru