Chapter 4

## Noppera-Bou

* Color
* Volume
* Magazine

**Noppera-Bou**, or **Noppera-bo** (のっぺら坊, *Nopperabō*), is the 4th chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

As the prisoner comes to his senses, he finds himself tied up and sees Sugimoto sitting on a log nearby with his revolver in hand. Sugimoto asks the prisoner where the other prisoners are, but the prisoner denies knowing their whereabouts. Sugimoto does not believe him, telling him he is aware that tattoos are useless on their own and only make sense together. He asks the man why all the prisoners split up. The prisoner reveals that the other convicts began killing each other in a bloodbath, so he just ran for his own life and stayed low the whole time. Sugimoto realizes that some of the prisoners must have come to the same conclusion: they would have to skin each other to get the full meaning of the tattooed code.

The prisoner is shocked as Sugimoto reveals the true purpose of the tattooed skins to him. The convict wonders if all of them will be hunted for the tattoos and calls the man who tattooed them a cold and brutal monster. The prisoner claims that compared to the other escaped Abashiri convicts, he is just a petty crook. However, he immediately starts taunting Sugimoto and tells him about the greedy young soldiers who came after them, hinting at the ugly nature of their deaths. When the prisoner advises Sugimoto to go hunting rabbits instead, Sugimoto draws the revolver at him while looking unfazed, promising him that he won't feel anything while being skinned since he will be dead by then. Asirpa shows up and, upon hearing Sugimoto threaten the man, gets upset with Sugimoto. She reminds him of their deal and that he promised not to kill anyone or else she won't help him. Sugimoto puts the gun away, saying that he hoped she would play along and he was only bluffing in order to get the prisoner to talk.

Sometime later, Sugimoto and Asirpa fix the prisoner's arms using a branch and some ropes so that Asirpa can sketch the convict's tattoo. Sugimoto compliments Asirpa on her drawing while Asirpa is impressed with how useful pencils are for drawing. As Asirpa sharpens the pencil, she talks about her father, saying that he was good with his hands and as such was popular with the ladies. Asirpa explains that an Ainu man crafts a *makiri* and gives it to the woman he likes. The woman examines the craftsmanship in order to determine whether the man would make a good provider. She reveals that the *menokomakiri* in her possession was made by her father and asks the prisoner about who tattooed him.

The prisoner reveals that they all called him "Noppera-bou", as he did not have a face. However, before he could explain any further, the prisoner is shot in the head and killed.

Quickly calculating where the shot came from, Sugimoto pulls Asirpa down for safety. Asirpa notices that prisoner's blood got on the drawing and ruined the sketch. As Sugimoto attempts to scout for the sniper, Asirpa cuts down a tree branch to use for a smoke screen. Sugimoto begins to fire his gun, declaring that he will get the sniper's attention while Asirpa quickly prepares the distraction. As the sniper reloads, he takes note of the gun's type based off of the sound and aims his gun once more. However, his sight is blocked by the smoke screen. The sniper follows the duo, momentarily stopping to spot the prisoner he killed before finding tracks leading under a fallen tree.

The sniper puts his gun ahead of him and has it ensnared in a trap which removes it from his hands, taking him by surprise. Sugimoto lunges at the sniper with his rifle, but the man manages to duck and then tackles Sugimoto. The sniper pulls Sugimoto's knife out of its sheath and attempts to stab him. but Sugimoto blocks it with his rifle and kicks the sniper off. Sugimoto notes that he was going to spare the sniper's life, but now he sees that that he should not underestimate his enemy. He aims his rifle at the sniper and warns him he will shoot if he moves. The sniper shows the bolt of Sugimoto's rifle in his hand, and Sugimoto realizes that his rifle has been rendered useless. The sniper takes his cloak off, and Sugimoto's confirms that the man before him is indeed a soldier from the strongest unit in the Army, the Hokkaido 7th Division.

## Character Appearances

* Prisoner Number One
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Asirpa
* Noppera-Bou *(Mentioned)*
* 7th Division Sniper *(Debut)*

## Trivia

* Noppera-bō, or Noppera-Bou, is a Japanese yokai (spirit) that looks like a person without a face. It is usually harmless, but can frighten or impersonate humans.