Kagurabachi Chapter 42: Chihiro’s Journey into the Vault to Rescue the Prisoners, and the Weakening of Kyora Sazanami’s Hold on Shinuchi

The latest installment of Kagurabachi, chapter 42, was published in Weekly Shonen Jump issue #34 on Monday, July 22, 2024, at 12 am JST. This chapter featured Shinuchi’s abilities having a strong impact on Kyora Sazanami’s mental state, leading him to disrupt the Rakuzaichi auction in a state of frenzy. Meanwhile, Chihiro was faced with a race against time to rescue the remaining captives as the subspace collapsed.

In the previous chapter, Kyora Sazanami displayed the various insect-based abilities of the Shinuchi (Magatsumi), such as the Spider, Dragon Fly, and Centipede, while battling Chihiro Rokuhira. Fortunately, Hiyuki’s prompt arrival to the subspace rescued Chihiro and enabled a retaliation.

Kagurabachi Chapter 42: Hiyuki’s Plans for Chihiro Revealed to Tafuku

Kagurabachi chapter 42 begins with a flashback, in which Tafuku questions Hiyuki about her intentions to eliminate Chihiro after their mission. The Kamunabi sorcerer insists that she must do so in order to obtain the Enchanted Blades from the boy.

Hiyuki believes that Tafuku is showing compassion towards the boy, but the sorcerer reminds her that Chihiro will never turn his weapon against Hiyuki. He asks if she is capable of taking someone’s life with such certainty. Surprisingly, the Flame Bone user feels remorse for ending Chihiro’s life in the past.

Hiyuki, as seen in Kagurabachi chapter 42 (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

Despite his pitiful state, she refrained from killing him at that time. However, the Kamunai sorcerer made it clear to Tafuku that she did not hold him in the same high regard as he did. Despite this, she briefly faltered in her determination when remembering Chihiro’s plea to save the prisoners.

Despite her initial hesitation, she quickly composes herself and realizes she must complete her mission by putting an end to Chihiro.

A Kamunabi sorcerer, as seen in the chapter (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

In chapter 42 of Kagurabachi, the story shifts to the auction room, where the sorcerers on Kamunabi’s Shinuchi bidding team observe Kyora. They soon realize that he is struggling to maintain control and wonder how he is able to wield the blade in his current state.

At the same time, a Kamunabi sorcerer who had likely witnessed the war informs his fellow sorcerers that what they had seen of Shinuchi is only a fraction of its true power. In the midst of this, the crowd realizes that Kyora Sazanami’s performance has vanished from the central stage.

Kagurabachi Chapter 42: Kyora Sazanami’s Shinuchi Brings Chaos to Rakuzaichi

In chapter 42 of Kagurabachi, chaos ensues as the audience struggles to comprehend what has happened to Kyora during his performance. At the same time, Kyora Sazanami fights against an unfamiliar force within his mind, attempting to seize control of his thoughts.

Despite his grunts and shouts, Chihiro Rokuhira struggles to rid his mind of the thing attempting to hijack it. In the midst of his battle, he becomes aware of the Storehouse’s subspace deteriorating at an alarming rate. His concern grows for the captives trapped within the crumbling vault.

Hiyuki, Chihiro, and Kyora are transported to the auction hall (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

Hiyuki Kagari proposes a hasty elimination of Kyora Sazanami. In chapter 42 of Kagurabachi, Chihiro and Hiyuki can be seen sprinting towards Kyora. However, they are abruptly transported from the subspace to the Rakuzaichi auction room, finding Kyora there as well.

Suddenly, the leader of the Sazanami clan reveals Shinuchi’s enigmatic abilities by conjuring a garden filled with deadly flowers that ensnare the onlookers. They soon come to the realization that branches and flowers are sprouting from their own bodies. Tragically, many of them meet a gruesome demise. As a result, Kyora’s control over Shinuchi weakens and he becomes uncontrollable.

Shinuchi's mysterious flowers (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha) — Shinuchi’s mysterious flowers (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

In chapter 42 of Kagurabachi, Shiba suddenly appears behind Hakuri. He takes in the situation of the ongoing battle. Hiyuki joins Hakuri and Shiba and urges them to take action and defeat Kyora before it’s too late.

Despite Hakuri’s warning that Shinuchi’s powers are causing significant damage to the Storehouse and it is on the verge of collapse, he advises against killing Kyora. This is because if they were to eliminate Kyora, the Storehouse would immediately disintegrate, resulting in the loss of all the prisoners’ lives.

As a solution, someone must enter the vault and infuse each prisoner with their Spirit Energy so that Hakuri can transfer them using his Storehouse powers. However, due to Kyora’s weakened state, Hakuri is unsure if the storehouse will hold on for more than a few seconds.

Chihiro dives to save Inazuma's elder sister (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha) — Chihiro dives to save Inazuma’s elder sister (Image via Takeru Hokazono/Shueisha)

Despite the risks, entering the sorcerer’s Storehouse would be a suicide mission. Nevertheless, Chihiro remains determined. Despite Shiba’s pleas for him to stay away from the vault, the sorcerer cannot bear the thought of innocent lives being lost because of the Enchanted Blades.

In chapter 42 of Kagurabachi, Hakuri tasks Chihiro Rokuhira with once again entering Kyora Sazanami’s Storehouse to rescue the prisoners. While inside, Chihiro, an Enten-user, notices the elder sister of Mr. Inazuma falling into the depths. The chapter concludes with Chihiro diving to catch the girl’s hand and prevent her from falling to her demise.

Kagurabachi chapter 41 highlights
Kagurabachi manga gets English print release in Fall 2024
Kagurabachi volume 3 cover illustrates Chihiro’s relationship with Hiyuki and Kyora
Kagurabachi becomes the first major shonen series to receive manga animation in English
Masashi Kishimoto joins Horikoshi in Kagurabachi appreciation with a heartfelt recommendation for volume 3