Chapter 93

Where the Ship is Headed (船の行く末, Fune no Yukusue) is the 93rd chapter of the Fumetsu no Anata e manga.

Summary
Fushi rebuilds Renril's castle. While sitting above on the top of the tower, Fushi looks do to the townspeople below. He laments that it feels odd. All the townspeople are beneath him yet they feel like they're crawling on top of him. The further away he gets, the weaker their sensations feel to him. He wonders if he can really pull things off two weeks from now when the battle starts.

Pocoa explores Renril and notes that it's a great place full of good food and hot men (although she thinks the women are ugly). She finds Kai in a forge and asks him what he's doing. He tells her he's making a new kind of weapon; the only one of its kind in the world.

Pocoa goes off and finds Hairo practising with a crossbow. She asks him what he's doing and he tells her he's testing the anti-Nokker arrowheads. She stares at him, then asks how old he is and if he has a girlfriend. He tells her he's 18 and that he doesn't have a girlfriend because he could die and he doesn't have time for such trivialities. Pocoa responds that she thought so and totally understands him. She then runs off and bids him good luck.

Messar spots her and comments that she's grown. He asks her if she's found a good boyfriend yet and she replies that she hasn't and that he should introduce her to some candidates. Bonchien appears and calls for Messar to round up Kai and Hairo and he says bye to Pocoa.

Pocoa then finds Fushi and demands that he play with her. Fushi says hi to her and tells her he's memorizing all the castle's weapons. Pocoa sees Iddy and asks Fushi who she is. Fushi introduces Iddy, but tells Pocoa that Iddy doesn't understand words. Pocoa then pets Fushi's horse and is about to ask him something about it but is quickly interrupted by Kahaku. He informs Fushi that "Baron Springroll" is calling for him and Fushi heads off. Pocoa starts complaining about how bored she is and how no man is escorting her. Kahaku then suggests they both chat until dinner. She then awkwardly tries to curve his suggestion by saying she likes his face but not his personality, and that she definitely can't be his girlfriend. Pocoa asks if Kahaku still likes Fushi even though he looks like a man and Kahaku says he does no matter who Fushi is. He notes that he feels like his love is being tested as things are now.

Fushi arrives in a room where Bonchien is as Bonchien closes the door. Bonchien tells him that a doctor asked for Fushi's help to make the sleeping liquid he used to put the Bennett people to sleep. Fushi quickly summons a bowl and asks how much they need. Fushi then slumps over from inhaling the sleeping potion as Bonchien, who covered his face with a bandana, catches him and lays him on the floor. Bonchien comments that he's glad Fushi is an idiot. He then calls for the Immortal Army to come in. Kai, Hairo, and Messar enter and they ask him what it is he wants to talk about. Bonchien tells them they're approaching the deadline of the battle and that he wants to educate them as much as possible so that can make up their minds. Bonchien calls out to the Beholder and asks him to make himself visible to the Immortal Army. He says he wants them all to have a talk before the battle. Hairo, puzzled, asks Bonchien who he's talking to. Suddenly the Beholder appears before all of them to the shock of the Immortal Army. Messar falls back and screams asking who the Beholder is and where did he come from.

Bonchien tells the group that he's always been able to see spirits, thus he was able to see the Beholder ever since he met Fushi. Kai speculates that the Beholder is the demon mentioned in Tonari's book and can't believe he'd actually see him. The Beholder responds that he is neither a demon or a spirit. Then comments the Bonchien is simply unique and that occasionally defects like him are born.

Bonchien says that the Beholder is the true "pilot" of the ship they're boarding, not Fushi, and they have the right to know where they're headed. The Beholder asks him what he wishes to know. Bonchien asks if the Beholder could stop the battle with his own powers and the Beholder says it's possible, although he's never tried. Bonchien asks him why he doesn't then and the Beholder replies that he simply observes, he watches as Fushi acquires all the things he does. Hairo tells him people are dying, the Beholder replies that those deaths will become the seeds of Fushi's growth. Kai asks why the Beholder is doing this and he replies that one day Fushi will replace him, and when that day comes, he will vanish. Messar then asks if he made Fushi because he's gonna disappear or if it's because he wants to disappear.

Bonchien asks the Beholder to release Fushi. The Beholder says perhaps one day but now isn't the time. Bonchien then asks what will stop the Nokker attacks, what decides their actions, and who is controlling them. The Beholder tells him death is necessary to find out the answer to his questions. Bonchien reiterates back that the only way to understand the Nokkers is to become disembodied like them.

Meanwhile, Pocoa asks Kahaku why he's still with the Nokker in his hand and how he can trust it. Kahaku tells her that he can't leave the Nokker, even if he didn't trust it, because they've always been together. He assumes that if he leaves it will be the end of his life as he knows it. He compares the Nokker and him to how children don't get to pick their parents. Pocoa then tells the Nokker itself to go back to where it came from since its been relying on Kahaku for too long. Kahaku's Nokker arm begins to write something in the dirt. The Nokker writes: "I do not know what will happen when I leave this place. All that I have gained so far may vanish. This is my fear. We communicate through feelings. Pain always equals evil. We have always believed suffering is evil. We Nokkers cannot tolerate bodies which bring that evil. If anything leads Nokkers to attack, it must be feelings." Suddenly, Messar grabs his sword and stabs the Beholder through the back. Some blood drips to the ground as everyone else is frozen in horror. The Beholder throws Messar back against the wall and then levitates the sword out of his back and crushes the it up. He then vanishes from the room as the crumbled up sword falls to the ground. While everyone is still shaken up, Bonchien asks the Immortal Army to decide whether they're onboard with this ridiculous ship.

Chapter Notes

 * With the recreation of Renril's castle, their preparations for the battle are complete.
 * The Beholder makes himself visible to Bonchien, Kai, Hairo, and Messar.
 * The Beholder reveals that one day he will vanish and Fushi will replace him.
 * Kahaku doesn't want to part with his Nokker because its always been a part of him.
 * Kahaku's Nokker explains that the Nokkers cannot stand evil so what attracts them must be evil feelings.
 * The Beholder bleeds.