Chapter 23

## Hunter's Spirit

* Color
* Volume

**Hunter's Spirit** (猟師の魂, *Ryōshi no tamashī*) is the 23rd chapter of the *Golden Kamuy* manga.

## Synopsis

After defeating the bear, Nihei explains to Tanigaki that, judging by her face, the bear would have definitely become a man-eater. Tanigaki is curious about it, and Nihei cuts the bear open to demonstrate her insides to Tanigaki. Nihei concludes that the bear is a six-year old sow that has not had any cubs before, which is typical of bears that would later become aggressive. Nihei jokes that female bears are more emotional and scarier, just like female humans. As he continues to skin the bear, Nihei talks about bear character traits. He reveals that he has killed over 200 bears on his own, and each time was different. Nihei says that bears also possess habits that are common between all bears; learning them all will put the hunter at an advantage.

Nihei guesses that Tanigaki has never hunted a wolf, prompting Tanigaki to ask if Nihei has fought a wolf before. Nihei replies that he's never hunted one and doesn't know a thing about wolves, that's why he wants to hunt it down. He then recounts how the wolves were exterminated by humans after they started hunting livestock. Yet, there's a wolf that survived the battle of wits against mankind, the last of its kind. Hunting that wolf down excites Nihei, as he wants to find out who is more cunning out of them two.

Meanwhile, Asirpa and Sugimoto continue to chase the deer that Sugimoto shot earlier. Sugimoto says they must hurry, and Asirpa worries that if the deer keeps running, the stress will make its meat taste worse. After finding deer tracks, Asirpa and Sugimoto plan to ambush the animal, which is hiding in a Sakhalin fir down the slope. Asirpa promptly slides down by using a hiking stick, which alarms the deer. Sugimoto runs after the buck, but falls down and loses the prey. Asirpa reveals to Sugimoto that the deer ran up to another slope, which is surprising, considering its wound. She suggests they make a quick temporary shelter out of a stunted Sakhalin fir. Inside their makeshift tent, Asirpa and Sugimoto start a fire, but it's still cold. Asirpa tells Sugimoto to take his coat off and turn his back to the fire so his body could absorb the heat. She explains that in Ainu they call it *setur sesekka*, warming one's back. Sugimoto looks upset, and Asirpa assumes he is worried about the flavor of the deer's meat. However, Sugimoto is anxious about completely other thing...

In another part of the forest, Tanigaki and Nihei are dining on the bear meat. Nihei presents his special dish, "Nihei style roasted heart". As he bites into the meat, Nihei says that eating fresh heart is a privilege reserved only for hunters, like him and Tanigaki. He then asks Tanigaki if Matagi drink bear's blood, then tells the soldier about the recipe he learned from a Mongolian friend — "Nihei style blood sausages". Nihei eats the sausages and comments on how much he enjoys the bloody taste of it. He warns Tanigaki that the sausages fill you with a lot of energy so he should watch himself to not blow off the roof of his hut. Nihei, clearly overly energetic, loudly exclaims "BONER!", which doesn't get any reaction from Tanigaki.

Nihei notes that Tanigaki is very quiet and that the Matagi lifestyle really rubbed off on him, saying that Matagi hunters are not allowed to talk while they're on the hunt in the mountains. Tanigaki replies that Nihei must have met a really talkative Matagi before, as most of them don't talk about their lifestyle much. Nihei wonders why Tanigaki is here with him, and why he is still wearing the army cap; he asks why Tanigaki doesn't go back to his hometown to become a Matagi again. Tanigaki reveals that he has his own reasons for remaining in the army and he was fully prepared to abandon his hometown in Akita. But when he came to the mountains, Tanigaki felt like a toxin deep inside of him was slowly seeping away. As Tanigaki recites the Matagi chant that they say to guide the spirits of bears to the afterlife, he laments that he never said those words for the people he killed during the war.

Having heard his tale, Nihei says that hunting the wolf is just an excuse for Tanigaki, as he is unable to return back to the army or go back home. Instead, his hunter's spirit is wandering aimlessly through the forests of Hokkaido. Nihei tells Tanigaki that after they've killed the wolf, Tanigaki should take its pelt and return to his hometown. Tanigaki takes off his cap and throws it into the fire, and the two men laugh.

## Character Appearances

* Tetsuzou Nihei
* Genjirou Tanigaki
* Ryu *(Cover)*
* Retar *(Mentioned)*
* Asirpa
* Saichi Sugimoto

## Anime Episode

* Episode 6
* Golden Douga Gekijou: Nihei Episode