Chapter 18

## Chapter Guide

**Who Are You** (誰 (だれ) なんだお前 (まえ) らは, *Darena Nda Omaera*?) is the eighteenth chapter of *Ayashimon*.

## Summary

Kotton tells his story to Maruo, Urara, and Ten about his time serving under Kio in the Enma Syndicate and how he blamed himself for contributing to his death but is now committed to moving forward by following Urara. While unclear as to why Kio appointed Doppo as his successor, Maruo suggests going after him immediately for answers, as well to fight him, but is told by Kotton that they would need to gain more allies in order to fight back against the Enma Syndicate and suggests meeting with Rokurogi, the leader of the Ayakashi ☆ B-Stars. However, at the forementioned host club, Rokurogi is killed by a member of Club Undine, a new club associated with the Enma Syndicate.

## Plot Details

Not knowing anything about her father due to her previous drive to avenge him, Urara asks Kotton to tell her about Kio. Kotton starts off by recalling the time he first met Kio in a one-on-one fight while his gang was formerly known as the Todoroki Gang. Although Kotton wanted to continue fighting Kio after losing to him, Kio tells Kotton that he was not looking to kill him and that their only enemy is time, prompting Kio to share to him his goal of forming an organization where it will have control over the Ayashimon in the Kanto Region, as a step close to unifying the country so that Ayashimon may have a future, and is looking to have him join. Kotton figures that he has no other choice in the matter since he lost to him but is told by Kio that he was free to choose; reason being was that their battle was a non-ritual duel where Kio merely wanted to test Kotton's strength, which impressed him in the end.

Kotton moves on ahead to explain how Kio managed to form the Enma Syndicate, which at that point the Todoroki Gang renamed themselves the Todoroki Alliance after joining the Enma Syndicate, and how he had hoped to stay a lot longer in the syndicate after everything Kio had done for him, such as gifting him his bike that he greatly cherishes. On the day of Kio's hospitalization, Kotton makes a demand to use the money the alliance earned to save his life. However, the chairman denies doing this since his oni body would require a huge amount of money to keep himself alive and that he knew that he was fated to die since he prioritized on sustaining the Enma Syndicate's finances the more it grew. Despite his condition, Kio tells Kotton not to worry since he does not plan on dying until he has built a future for all Ayashimon. After Kio's death, Kotton mentions the wills Kio left behind for his executives and how he did not attend his funeral after blaming the Enma Syndicate, his gang, and himself for being the ones responsible for Kio's fate. Although he had disbanded from the Enma Syndicate and left Kabukicho afterwards, Kotton admits to seeing this as an act of him running away from the fact that his former boss is dead and from the guilt he had felt for causing his death but declares to Urara that he is now committed to following her.

While Ten believes that everything Kotton told them about Kio has been made clear, Urara questions as to what was the relationship between Kio and Doppo. Oboro reveals that Doppo had been appointed Kio's successor after arriving late at the funeral with the first chairman's will, along with the lawyers in charge of them, that had declared him to be made the second chairman. While unclear as to what caused the drastic change to Doppo's behavior ever since then, Kotton states that he will not forgive him if he finds out that he used Kio's death to his advantage. Realizing that Doppo is the only one with the answers, Maruo suggests going after him immediately but is told by Kotton that they can't freely enter Kabukicho since it is currently a gang warzone, due to the new Enma Syndicate's actions, and that they would need more allies. Having said this, Kotton believes that Rokurogi, the leader of the Ayakashi ☆ B-Stars, would be the most likely one to help out of the other past Enma Syndicate executives.

Meanwhile, at the Ayakashi B-Stars Host Club, Rokurogi and his subordinates are taken down by an unknown group. Rokurogi questions if they belong to the Enma Syndicate, to which one of the assailants denies and clarifies that they are associates of the Enma Syndicate. The assailant then proceeds to finish off Rokurogi by tearing off his shirikodama, resulting in his body being destroyed. The assailant's partner becomes displeased since they could no longer have Rokurogi as an underling after already defeating him in a ritual duel but is told by the assailant that they could make do with Rokurogi's subordinates. After a member of the Ayakashi B-Stars Host Club questions as to who the unknown group is, the assailant reveals that they are a new club in Shinjuku known as Club Undine.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Urara
* Maruo Kaido
* Kotton
* Kio (flashback)
* Oboro
* Wakku
* Tamagawa (flashback)
* Rokurogi
* Doppo Akari (flashback)
* Shira
* Ten

## Navigation

 Volume 3 | 17  •  **18**  •  19  •  20  •  21  •  22  •  23  •  24  •  25

 Kori Hotel Arc | 19  •  20  •  21  •  22  •  23  •  24  •  24  •  25