Chapter 17

## Trackers

* Color
* Volume

**Trackers** (追跡者, *Tsuiseki-sha*) is the 17th chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

At night, Asirpa and Retar go to Otaru searching for Sugimoto. After picking up the scent, Retar points to a building where Sugimoto is supposed to be. Asirpa and Retar get inside, and Retar finds a sleeping man there. Asirpa takes out the *sutu* and hits the man, assuming it's Sugimoto, but after lighting the *cinoyetat* she sees Yoshitake Shiraishi before her, who she calls "excrement king". Asirpa wonders why Retar would take her to Shiraishi since he wouldn't follow the wrong scent. Shiraishi says he is there on his own, and Asirpa explains that she gave Sugimoto's sock to Retar to follow its scent. Shiraishi realizes that he and Sugimoto must have mixed up their socks after they dried their clothes. Asirpa makes a disgusted face and calls it gross. Shiraishi wonders if Sugimoto double-crossed Asirpa and left with taking all the tattooed skins they gathered. He then reveals that he heard a rumor of a some guy in a military cap starting a fight in the red-light district and then being taken to the 7th Division home base. Asirpa points her arrow at Shiraishi, demanding he take her to the 7th Division's base.

Shiraishi reluctantly agrees but says he needs to wash his face first. Asirpa thinks of how she knew something bad would happen to Sugimoto. She is then alerted by Retar and notices that Shiraishi is running away. The Escape King climbs the roofs and digs a tunnel under a fence, but he is caught by Retar. Asirpa claims that Shiraishi can try running all he wants, but he will never escape the tracking ability of a *Horkew Kamuy*.

Meanwhile, severely beaten up Sugimoto is sitting bound to a chair in the 7th Division home base. He wonders if he should have pretended to cooperate with the 7th Division but realizes that Tsurumi would see through him. He thinks of the tattooed skins that he hid with the equipment that he looted off the soldiers killed by the bear. Sugimoto concludes that everything's turned bad because he tried to do it all by himself.

The twins that attacked Sugimoto earlier enter the room and ask if he's still alive. Kouhei remarks they might have got the wrong guy since Sugimoto got caught so easily. Youhei looks at Sugimoto's face and says that despite taking a real beating, Sugimoto's face is already healing. He remembers the rumors of Sugimoto the Immortal recovering overnight from injuries the doctors thought were fatal. Youhei wonders if cutting out Sugimoto's guts would result in it just being all healed by tomorrow. Kouhei advises his brother against it, saying that if they kill him they won't be able to find out where he hid the skins. Youhei takes out his bayonet and suggests they cut off Sugimoto's fingers one by one until he reveals the skins' location. Sugimoto whispers something, and Youhei gets closer to him to hear what he says. Sugimoto promises that he'll give him a mark so he can tell the twins apart and headbutts Youhei, knocking his front tooth out and making him fall onto Kouhei. Sugimoto takes a deep breath and lunges himself into the twins, breaking the chair and taking Kouhei into a chokehold with his legs. As Youhei stabs him in the chest, Sugimoto continues to fight, once again declaring himself Sugimoto the Immortal.

## Character Appearances

* Asirpa
* Retar
* Yoshitake Shiraishi
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Tokushirou Tsurumi *(Mentioned)*
* Kouhei Nikaidou
* Youhei Nikaidou