Chapter 258

## Burden

**Burden**, or **The Burden** (がっかりした顔, *Omoni*) is the 258th chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

Hijikata’s Group secures Ostrog’s corpse and prepares to retreat immediately in order to avoid the 7th Division. Shiraishi approaches them saying that he lost sight of Sugimoto’s Group and Ushiyama points him over to one of the brewery buildings. Inside the building, Sugimoto questions Kadokura’s sense of direction but Kadokura is uncertain as he opens a door only to be hit by a strong wave of smoke and ash. As Sugimoto tells Asirpa to wet her headband and put it over her mouth, they hear Shiraishi yelling out to them from outside.

Shiraishi is intimidated by the amount of smoke coming from inside the brewery and Boutarou offers to go in and search for Sugimoto and Asirpa. Shiraishi tries to stop him from heading in but Boutarou exclaims that happiness does not fall down from heaven and that it is something that you have to desperately reach out and grab with your own two hands. Unconvinced, Shiraishi explains that Sugimoto is immortal so he will be fine but that Boutarou will die instead.

Boutarou denies it, saying that it is nothing more than a single scene in the heroic tale of King Boutarou that will one day be passed down before taking a huge breath of air and heading inside the burning brewery. Within the brewery, Sugimoto, Asirpa and Kadokura continues to search for an exit out. Elsewhere, Kikuta spots a figure in the distance who also stops upon seeing him. Kikuta raises his gun to the figure, but recognizing the figure as Ogata, immediately puts it down as the two walks past each other.

In a room, Sugimoto, Asirpa, and Kadokura gets stuck in a dead end with no windows and attempts to head back but Kadokura is unable to continue any further. Just then, Boutarou walks by and reaches his hand out to Asirpa who asks him if he is here to help them. Boutarou quickly grabs Asirpa and smacks Sugimoto in the head with a shovel, breaking it. Kadokura picks up the head of the shovel and hits Boutarou from behind, however he is unaffected by the hit and kicks Kadokura into one of the machines, sending the tattooed skins flying.

Sugimoto grabs his rifle and stabs Boutarou while also shooting him, but is only able to wound his shoulder. He pulls his rifle out and strikes at Boutarou once more, slicing his right ear off before getting kicked as well. Sugimoto collapses on the floor with no energy left to get up and Boutarou grabs the skins before walking off with Asirpa. Sugimoto grabs Asirpa’s *makiri* holder, trying to stop Boutarou but he simply takes the *makiri* holder off of her and leaves the brewery from a different exit in order to avoid Shiraishi.

As Boutarou gets a fresh breath of air, Asirpa holds onto the door handle of the brewery, calling out Sugimoto’s name. Boutarou declares that if he is splitting the money with some guys who wants to make a Republic of Ezo, his dream will never come true and demands that Asirpa lets go of the burden for finding the gold for the Ainu. As Sugimoto climbs down the stairs screaming Asirpa’s name, Boutarou asks if she can hear his voice and says that he could’ve killed Sugimoto and that the only reason he’s survived this long is because he got lucky.

Boutarou leans in closer to Asirpa, wondering that even if his luck holds up and the two of them find the gold, will Sugimoto continue to stay with Asirpa forever. As Boutarou grabs Asirpa’s arm, he declares that he will help Asirpa and steal every last bit of the gold and that once Sugimoto loses his goal, perhaps the two of them will be able to stay together forever. Boutarou forces Asirpa’s hand off of the handle as he tells her to go back to her village with Sugimoto and live a happy life together.

## Character Appearances

* Tatsuma Ushiyama
* Michael Ostrog
* Anji Toni
* Kantarou
* Toshizou Hijikata
* Yoshitake Shiraishi
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Kadokura
* Asirpa
* Fusatarou Oosawa
* Kikuta
* Hyakunosuke Ogata