Lemmings

* Manga
* Anime

**Lemmings** (レミングス *Remingusu*), or **Nezu** (根津), is a jack-of-all-trades who has an undisclosed main job. On the side, he works for and is the star member of Takeru Shinoyama's Dragon King's Palace Agency. Though most Shinjuku residents consider him an urban legend, Comps-3 has linked him to murders, smuggling, kidnapping, destruction of evidence, and debt collection and seeks his capture.

The souls of his victims haunted Lemmings before tracking down Misaki Sakimiya at Youtoukorou, where Corpse God uses most or all of those souls to replenish his magic. Possessors of the Evil Eye would have seen the souls warped by their competing fear and loathing for Lemmings.

## Appearance

Lemmings wears an all-black outfit consisting of a hooded jacket, mock turtleneck, drawstring trousers, and combat boots. His uncovered face, neck, and hands are wrapped in white bandages that leave no skin exposed.

## Personality

Lemmings is a taciturn individual who prefers to communicate with gestures; on rare occasion he does speak, however, he mutters so that what he says is audible only to the intended listener. He is well-mannered, for he bows to Misaki before attempting to kidnap her, and he politely knocks on Corpse God's door for an inordinate length of time. Only when Takumi Kuruya opens and rudely closes the door on him does he slightly lose his temper. He also possesses some degree of honor, for he takes immediate action toward recompensing Takumi for his broken monitors by asking for advance payment on a job.

## Chronology

### Background

Lemmings "first arrives on the [Shinjuku] scene" five years before Corpse God's reincarnation as Polka Shinoyama. He swiftly gains a reputation for being a troublemaker who commits crimes from smuggling to murder while being nigh invincible. One violent encounter witnessed by a local detective involves semiautomatic gun-armed gang members riddling Lemmings with bullets; Lemmings breaks every man's neck.

When Lemmings begins working for Takeru Shinoyama on the side, he does so on the condition that Takeru never intrude upon his main job. Takeru agrees on the condition that Lemmings keep his association with Takeru a secret.

At some point, either before or after he began working for Takeru, Lemmings clashed numerous times with the troublemaker known as Fire-breathing Bug. Despite even his own skill the assassin was unable to catch a hint of their shadow.

### Corpse God's Reincarnation

The afternoon after Corpse God reincarnates, Jinba leads him and Misaki Sakimiya into an ambush. Corpse God crushes Jinba and his companions into a ball of dirt and twists them into a still-living 'human knot'. Lemmings tracks two men who had fled beforehand to an armory and killed them there. He returns to the scene and breaks apart the dirt sphere with a single punch, freeing the intertwined men. Two patrolmen will find them and alert HQ; Tsubaki Iwanome and Kōzaburō Arase, when they arrive with forensics, will log Lemmings' and a second individual's respective footprints.

The next day, Lemmings surreptitiously makes his way through Shinjuku's police station: he remains unseen by the aforementioned detective when he walks past him, telling his colleague about the gang incident, and he slips unnoticed inside the room where Arase has just been comparing Misaki's shoeprint on his stomach with a photograph of the other shoeprint at the scene. After Fumiyo Yamada ushers Arase out, followed by Saki Aikawa and other personnel, Lemmings looks at the photograph of Misaki's shoeprint. Later that day, Lemmings tracks Misaki to Youtoukorou and snatches her as if to spirit her away. Via harvesting the souls that haunt Lemmings, Corpse God manifests a humungous bestial skeleton with which to challenge him.

Lemmings fends off the skeleton long enough to murmur a question to Misaki, who replies that she will "get in trouble" if she answers—then grabs him when he turns a deadly and unforgiving aura toward Corpse God, claiming that Polka is a "good boy who has nothing to do with it." She whispers something in Lemmings' ear before biting Lemming's right hand as an extra 'goodie,' only to resort to stabbing her used fork into Lemmings' thigh when her teeth fail to permeate the bandages. The paralyzing agent in her saliva makes Lemmings sway, and his right shoulder stiffens, but it does not truly paralyze him. Still, its effect is enough to give Corpse God an advantage, and his skeleton reaches for Lemmings once more.

How Lemmings escapes is unclear, but he ultimately heads to Takeru Shinoyama's office to report that Jinba has been killed, news that causes Takeru hardly any disturbance. Lemmings tells him about his stiff shoulder and the lighter air around him and intimates that the boy is alive upon pointing to Polka Shinoyama in a photo. *This* news does disturb: Takeru uncharacteristically laughs and declares that Polka "really got us good", but "playtime...ends now."

### Shinoyama Estate Arson

Around two weeks post-reincarnation, an arsonist called Know sets the Shinoyama manor ablaze after two years of planning with Rozan Shinoyama's disgruntled nephew-in-law. Corpse God and Misaki rescue Kazuki Shinoyama and Shizuki Shinoyama and escort them outside, where Know attempts to flee the scene. Lemmings emerges from the swirling depths of the rubble to knock Know to the ground. Know does not rise. Lemmings brings his finger to his bandaged lips—a request for Corpse God and Misaki to mention nothing of his involvement—and walks into the smoke.

Later he regroups with Takeru at a underground basement under Shinoyama Security. There Yochigi begins interrogating Takeru's relative who hired Know to set fire to the Shinoyama mansion. Despite Takeru's relative believing Know was the Fire-breathing Bug, Takeru learned from Lemmings that Know as a fraud as he had many experience in dealing with the genuine Fire-breathing Bug.

### Invisible Hands Incident

Phantom Solitaire, one week after escaping prison, performs his comeback by deploying a fleet of airships in Shinjuku airspace. Two days later, he alights on the rooftop of the Abandoned Building at 3 AM, is confronted by Xiaoyu Lei, and—when Lemmings inserts himself into the confrontation—implies that Lemmings is on his side. Lemmings disagrees and reacts when Xiaoyu's flings and buries three kunai in his back; Lemmings shrugs them *and* Xiaoyu off, much to Xiaoyu's humiliation. As Lemmings and Solitaire attempt to battle each other, with Lemmings on the offense and Solitaire's defense, Corpse God uses invisible hands to manipulate both: intercepting Solitaire's card here, tripping Solitaire there, yanking Lemmings here, twisting Lemmings' arm there.

Once Solitaire's sense of self-preservation overrides Solitaire's fascination with the unnatural transpirings, Solitaire unleashes a smokescreen with a side of balloons and makes an aerial getaway. Lemmings manages to take chase; when Solitaire is soaring high above the Abandoned Building, marveling at the preternatural flock of in-visible hands grasping after him, Lemmings emerges from the smoke and outthrusts his own hand—but Solitaire is just out of reach, and Lemmings falls back to Earth.

In the morning, Lemmings reports the incident to Takeru and offers his personal opinion about the flock of hands: he does not believe them to be Solitaire's work. Since Lemmings has now drawn the attention of Solitaire and the Shinoyama guards—and since Lemmings is supposed to be busy with his *main job* next week—Takeru suggests he take time off.

### Shinjuku War

The following week finds Lemmings at a covered waterside boardwalk by an island. He uses a payphone to contact Takeru, dialing with an unbandaged finger to inform him that he has finished his job and will return to Shinjuku in three days. Takeru says his timing is excellent, for he has a task for Lemmings around that time.

Three days later, Shinjuku is unknowingly embroiled in a battle war between Civil A. Sabaramond, Corpse God, and their respective allies. Two such respective allies are Soara Habaki and Xiaoyu, locked in their own battle away from the rest of the fighting. Just as Xiaoyu thinks he has more chance of beating her than the likes of Lemmings and Majiri Agakura, Lemmings emerges from the shadows to toss Soara aside. Soara recovers but must fend off Lemmings' flurry of blows and kicks, which are so relentless she soon guesses as who Lemmings is; she prepares to "go all out," her muscles bulging, but Xiaoyu unleashes lightning that sends her crashing into the side of a building. Before he can even think of victory or the fight continuing, a distant rumbling sounds; he takes off at a sprint, leaving a confused Lemmings in the dust.

### Corpse Hunts

The night after the Shinjuku War, Lemmings visits the Abandoned Building on alleged behalf of his main job and knocks politely on the common room door. No response. He continues knocking politely. No response. He continues knocking patiently until Takumi opens the door. He closes the door. Spurned, Lemmings pounds on it with increasing intensity until opening the door without being asked. Inside the common room are Takumi, Misaki, Xiaoyu, Sayo Shinoyama, Civil, Soara, Lulu, and Majiri, the last of whom appears to recognize Lemmings. She caresses his cheek, seemingly sarcastically acknowledges that he has apparently done "so much for [her] family over the years," drifts her hand to his chest, and spins him almost 180 degrees in place. Lemmings met the floor with his left hand and seized Majiri's ankle with his other, flinging her into Takumi's new computer monitors.

Majiri and Lemmings clash. Majiri fails to sense any preternatural abilities within Lemmings, such as blood or magic power, and commends him for "being the very best of humanity." She asks what such a being has come for. Lemmings mutters the answer into her ear. She declares that Lemmings, like her, also has business with Polka Shinoyama. Thus do Lemmings, Majiri, and the rest uneasily settle down to wait for Corpse God's return. Once Corpse God returns, Takumi fills him in on the corpse hunt challenges that have gone viral online; more than thirty people have gone missing in the last six months while embarking on the challenge, he says. Then he turns his grievances toward Majiri and Lemmings for destroying his monitors, which he says cost him 416,940 yen plus tax, and declares he will remind them of this affront at all their family and work gatherings—whenever their paths cross.

Lemmings and Majiri seem similarly contrite, although Majiri points out that she was subduing an "illegal" trespasser. Lemmings looks at Civil; Soara shoulders her way protectively between them, so Lemmings whispers to her, "I did knock." Takumi objects that he never verbally permitted Lemmings to enter. Lemmings stares at him; Corpse God slides between them. Lemmings stares at Sayo; Xiaoyu zips between them and offers to listen to whatever Lemmings came here to say since his hearing augmentations allow him to do so at a safe distance. Accepting this compromise, Lemmings murmurs that he wants to know where Solitaire is and promises to compensate Takumi for the monitors at a later date.

Xiaoyu conveys both statements to the others; each take Corpse God and Takumi respectively aback. Corpse God does not know Solitaire's current whereabouts, so he instead explains to Lemmings how he managed to contact Solitaire: by commenting on his YouTube videos with information that not just anybody could write. Satisfied, Lemmings bows to the room and returns to Takeru's office—despite having no reports to make—to ask for ¥416,940 in advance payment. Takeru notes the oddly specific sum and the rarity of Lemmings asking for advance payment but nevertheless compliments' Lemmings' perfect timing.

In exchange for the advance payment, he wants Lemmings to investigate the whereabouts of a daughter of one of Shinoyama Security's clients, for she apparently went missing while exploring buildings in Shibuya—likely Arataya General Hospital. He says that he has requested cooperation from "recent allies in the organization that controls Shibuya," i.e. Majiri Agakura, but nevertheless would appreciate "Nezu's" help. Lemmings tells him about Majiri's inviting Polka on a Corpse Hunt at Polka's place, only to flinch when Takeru, after questioning Majiri's motives, questions why Lemmings was there. He does not press the matter once Lemmings replies that it involves his main job. Instead, he requests that Lemmings keep a close watch on Polka should he spot him at the hospital and that Lemmings demonstrate his superior strength to the Agakuras if they make a move.

Lemmings infiltrates the hospital the subsequent night and eventually arrives at a room with a large hole in its floor that leads to the underlying basement. A werewolf attacks him at the hole's edge, but he arrests it by grabbing its arm. He compares the werewolf to a photograph of the client's daughter before peering into the hole, giving the werewolf an opportunity to unsuccessfully attack him again. Moments later, the werewolf lets out a howl and clutches its head before storming out of the room.

Lemmings drops into the dark basement and a battle wherein Yumeji Agakura is fighting one of several werewolves while his siblings watch. Lemmings grabs Yumeji's neck and tilts Yumeji's head back to get a better look at his bloodstained face, which he compares to the girl's photographed one. Kana Agakura attempts to lasso Lemmings while Momoya Agakura swings a blade at him; Lemmings dodges both attacks, causing Yumeji to escape his grasp. At Dahlia Agakura's impressed remark that Lemmings really does exist, Yumeji prepares to take "the final boss" down.

Dahlia and Yumeji restrain Lemmings' wrists so that Momoya can strike him with his blade; when Momoya does, however, an unscathed Lemmings breaks free. Lemmings glances back at a werewolf when it lurches to its feet and attempts to dash away, then evades Kana when she attempts to lasso him alongside the werewolf and its comrades. She succeeds with the werewolves, hoists them into the air, and assures her siblings that Lemmings is killable so long as he is human. They renew their attacks on Lemmings without further success. When Dahlia suggests that they resort to "get[ting] the camera rolling," Kana points out that Lemmings probably is not here for murder, since he could have murdered Momoya earlier. As Momoya contemplates this, the werewolves begin writhing and roaring in distress. Kana compares their behavior to that of withdrawl symptoms.

## Abilities

Lemmings has demonstrated preternatural strength by shattering the dirt sphere encasing the intertwined men with a single punch; he also possesses great agility. By appearances alone, he possesses some form of invincibility, as he can shrug off blades buried in his back and survive a hail of bullets without a moment's pause.

Lemmings can move with inexplicable stealth, for he infiltrates the Shinjuku Police Station seemingly in broad daylight with no one noticing, not the detectives who walk past him nor Aikawa when he slips beside her into a room. He often emerges suddenly from the shadows, be it when striking down Know or seizing Soara—or, in another sense, when he emerges from the smoke and balloons high above the rooftop. When he emerges to knock down Know, his body appears to emerge from a swirl of darkness; however, this swirl is not repeated on the other occasions, so it is unclear whether that was artistic license or indicative of preternatural power.

When Lemmings is spun mid-air by Majiri, he seems to thump his right arm with his left hand on purpose, as if to change or arrest its inertia; this allows him to seize Majiri's leg with his right hand. Majiri praises Lemmings for coming as far as he has with a mere human body, i.e. without using blood power, magic power, or a long-lasting technique, none of which she senses within him.

## Trivia

* In Chapter 4, Corpse God's book of Terran legends is open to two entries: one on Vampires, which Corpse God is reading, and one on Mummies. The latter's featured illustration depicts a bandage-wrapped humanoid outstretching its hand toward the viewer. What is visible of, the text description reads as follows: "Mummies are dead bodies th[at] are wrapped in bandages a[nd] kept preserved through n\_\_ [...] Some of the methods [...] most famous monster [...]" Mummies have never been mentioned or discussed outright, but the drawn mummy—particularly how it outstretches its hand—unintentionally or intentionally evokes Lemmings.
* Lemmings is under Takeru's strict orders not to harm any of Rozan's bodyguards "no matter what they do to him." This informs how Lemmings has handled Xiaoyu thus far, e.g., via ignoring Xiaoyu's attacks during the invisible hands incident and intervening on Xiaoyu's behalf during the Shinjuku War.
* Majiri says that she has heard that Lemmings has done "so much for "her family" over the years. However, her briefly antagonistic attitude toward him immediately after that suggests that the "much" that Lemmings did was not favorable, as does her remark "Let's forget what happened with my people...for now."
* Lemmings rarely asks to be paid in advance.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 1, Chapter 8.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Chapter 105.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 2, Chapter 17.
4. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 2, Chapter 9.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 4, Chapter 33.
6. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 4, Chapter 34.
7. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 4, Chapter 35.
8. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 8, Chapter 69.
9. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 9, Chapter 76.
10. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 9, Chapter 79.
11. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 11, Chapter 89.
12. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 11, Chapter 90.
13. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Chapter 96.
14. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Chapter 97.
15. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Chapter 99.
16. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Chapter 102.