Episode 23

## Overwhelmed

**Overwhelmed** (蹂躙, *Juurin*) is the twenty-third episode of the *Golden Kamuy* anime series.

## Synopsis

Chaos has broken loose at Abashiri. The 7th Division is shelling the prison. The prisoners are loose. Sugimoto is trapped inside. Can they find No-Face in the chaos?

## Plot

As the 7th Division arrives at the Abashiri Prison, the convicts start panicking. Sugimoto and Shiraishi, who are still in the cell with fake Noppera-Bou, decide they need to run and Shiraishi is tasked with coming up with escape plan. However, Kadokura shoots into their direction, preventing them from leaving.

Tanigaki asks Inkarmat if she's been working with Tsurumi all this time. Inkarmat argues that since Sugimoto's group failed, only Lt. Tsurumi can get Noppera-Bou and Asirpa out. Tanigaki asks if Inkarmat is okay with the Ainu gold getting into Tsurumi's hands but Inkarmat replies that it doesn't matter to her nor to Tanigaki.

Inudou orders the prison guards to get into their positions and prepare Maxim guns to defend the prison. Tanigaki sees the 7th Division's ship coming close and takes Inkarmat into the tunnel. Tsurumi orders his soldiers to fire and the cannons from the ship break the walls of the prison fence. Tsurumi and his men board a boat and swim to the prison. Tsukishima asks Tsurumi what he is intending to tell to the Central about this mission. Tsurumi presents the scenario he's come up with: in order to disperse a swarm of locusts moving up the eastern coastline of Hokkaido, the 7th Division requested help from Rear Admiral Heiji Koito; during the return to Shari, the 7th Division assisted in helping to end the sudden riot in the Abashiri Prison. Tsurumi claims that nobody from the mainland will come here to investigate the truth. Tsukishima argues that survivors might ruin this coverup story, to which Tsurumi nonchalantly asks "*Survivors? From this prison?*" and a drop of brain fluid runs down his face. Terrified prison wardens ask the 7th Division to spare them but the soldiers kill every one in their way. Tsurumi orders everyone to head to the cells. Inudou tells his wardens that if they don't fight, the *Shinigami* will overwhelm them.

After getting out, Tanigaki finds Inkarmat stuck under the debris of the destroyed tunnel. She tells him to run but Tanigaki refuses to abandon her and puts all his strength into lifting up the rubble to free Inkarmat. The roof of the tunnel falls but Tanigaki and Inkarmat are saved by Ushiyama who tells them to get out. Ushiyama manages to throw off the heavy rubble and comes out unscathed, with only his suit dirtied. White lights appear in the sky and Tanigaki says those are star shells that were used in the Russo-Japanese War. Meanwhile, Hijikata is seen walking along the prison wall.

The 7th Division continues their assault. Tsukishima throws grenades at the guards and the soldiers charge forward towards the prison cells. Shiraishi attempts to cut out the wooden panel in the floor to escape through the narrow space under the cell. The fake Noppera-Bou starts screaming, alerting Shiraishi and Sugimoto of the sudden fire in the cell.

Stunned by the loud sounds of explosions, Toni drops Asirpa down and she starts running away. Toni calls out to her, asking if she wants to see her father. Asirpa asks if Toni and Kadokura knew the Noppera-Bou in the cell was a fake. Toni explains that after their escape Inudou secretly switched Noppera-Bou for decoy and that Kadokura has observed Noppera-Bou for seven years so he must have noticed. Asirpa demands to know the truth but Hijikata who has come into the scene asks Asirpa to come with them. Asirpa says that she needs to save Sugimoto and she won't come without him. Hijikata explains that Noppera-Bou will only tell them about the gold if he sees his daughter; that's why everyone came here, including Sugimoto who cares about the gold more than he cares about his life.

Tsurumi and the 7th break into the prison building and search for Noppera-Bou. Sugimoto takes fake Noppera-Bou hostage and tells Tsurumi to get back or else he will kill Noppera-Bou. Tsurumi says that he has 63 of his men with him but Sugimoto is ready to fight them all; he tells the soldiers to throw down their weapons but Nikaidou attempts to shoot Sugimoto. Tsukishima grabs Nikaidou who is demanding that he kills Sugimoto himself. Sugimoto goes back to the cell with fake Noppera-Bou, who killed by Nikaidou's shot. Sugimoto warns the 7th Division that he will blow Noppera-Bou's brain out if they don't leave the building. Usami, who is among the soldiers, notices Kadokura who is trying to escape from the prison building. Usami chases after Kadokura and shoots him, wounding him in the shoulder. Kadokura pulls the lever that unlocks all the cells in the prison, effectively freeing 700 deadly criminals. Tsurumi orders his soldiers to affix their bayonets as the released prisoners are charging at them.

While the deadly fight ensues, Nikaidou crawls to the Noppera-Bou's cell but inside only finds fake Noppera-Bou's corpse. Sugimoto and Shiraishi are crawling in the area underneath the cells. Sugimoto thinks that Hijikata set them up, and Shiraishi adds that Toni must have taken Asirpa to Hijikata. Shiraishi believes that now Hijikata is heading to the place where Inudou keeps the real Noppera-Bou. Sugimoto realizes that Hijikata was planning to separate him and Asirpa all along as he knew that he would stand in the way of his plans. Shiraishi and Sugimoto reach a small vent opening and Shiraishi manages to get outside by dislocating his shoulders. Sugimoto asks Shiraishi to take Asirpa to the main gate and for him there; he then asks Shiraishi to take care of Asirpa.

Followed by Hijikata, Toni and Asirpa, Inudou comes to the lecture hall. Hijikata says that he was suspicious of the place before but Kadokura never found anything there. Asirpa asks about her father and Hijikata tells her they will catch Inudou when he tries to move Noppera-Bou. Toni gets distracted by the loud sounds of explosions and Hijikata asks if he is okay; taking her chance, Asirpa runs away from them. Hijikata takes out the photos he has previously made of him and Asirpa and says he will use it to convince Noppera-Bou.

Asirpa is stopped by Kiroranke and they quickly run into Shiraishi. He explains that Sugimoto is trapped beneath the floors of the cells. Kiroranke agrees to rescue Sugimoto and Asirpa asks him to take Sugimoto to the lecture hall where Hijikata claims Noppera-Bou is hidden. Shiraishi reveals that it's not an option since Sugimoto asked them to wait by the main gate. Asirpa is determined to meet Noppera-Bou to confirm if it's her father but Shiraishi warns her that Hijikata will try to separate her from Sugimoto. Kiroranke proposes he will take Noppera-Bou to the main gate. Asirpa hands Kiroranke her *makiri* and tells him to give it to Sugimoto.

Kiroranke finds Sugimoto and blows up the walls of the cells with explosives. The sound and the smoke alert Nikaidou who finds the secret passage Shiraishi made earlier in the cell. Kiroranke tells Sugimoto about the lecture hall and gives him the *makiri*. Sugimoto asks Kiroranke to return to Asirpa and wait for him and Noppera-Bou at the main gate; he also asks to tell her that he promises she will see Noppera-Bou soon.

When heading to the hall, Sugimoto realizes he is being followed by Nikaidou, who attacks him. Nikaidou stabs Sugimoto and his bayonet goes through Sugimoto's cheek. Sugimoto throws Nikaidou to the ground but Nikaidou uses the gun hidden in his prophetic leg and wounds Sugimoto's leg. Before Nikaidou can fire another shot, Sugimoto manages to use his gun against him, blowing away Nikaidou's right hand. Sugimoto escapes when he hears the 7th Division soldiers coming.

Hijikata and Toni enter the lecture hall. Toni says he hears something from below, which might be a basement. Toni opens one of the doors and is hit with a metal ball in the face, thrown by Inudou. Toni manages to fire a shot into Inudou before he collapses. Hijikata rushes to the sound of gunshot and finds wounded Toni lying on the ground with Inudou sitting nearby, seemingly unconscious. Hijikata checks on Toni and then sees the figure of real Noppera-Bou standing in the doorframe. Inudou uses this distraction to chain Hijikata to himself and throw away his rifle. Both Inudou and Hijikata unsheathe their swords and start a deadly chained duel.

Shiraishi and Asirpa come to the main gate where they meet Ushiyama, Tanigaki and Inkarmat. Kiroranke returns and says that he rescued Sugimoto but he went to the lecture hall alone, promising to bring Noppera-Bou for Asirpa. After hearing that Hijikata and Inudou are in the hall too, Ushiyama heads there too. Inkarmat climbs the ladder to the roof to get a better view from high up.

Injured and unable properly walk, Sugimoto crawls to the lecture hall. Before the hall he sees a disfigured person in orange robes. As the guiding lights shine, Sugimoto recognizes the same blue eyes that Asirpa has and realizes that the real Noppera-Bou is standing before him.

## Adapted Chapters

* Chapter 131
* Chapter 132
* Chapter 133
* Chapter 134
* Chapter 135 (p. 1-7)

## Character Appearances

* Saichi Sugimoto
* Yoshitake Shiraishi
* Toshiyuki Kadokura
* Genjirou Tanigaki
* Inkarmat
* Shirosuke Inudou
* Tokushirou Tsurumi
* Hajime Tsukishima
* Heiji Koito
* Otonoshin Koito
* Tokishige Usami
* Kouhei Nikaidou
* Toni Anji
* Asirpa
* Toshizou Hijikata
* Tatsuma Ushiyama
* Kiroranke
* Wilk
* Youhei Nikaidou *(Mentioned)*