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Ame Warashi is worried that the Fuuri “ganged up” with the Yatagarasu to plot against the shop and Watanuki (whom she calls “the shop’s manager substitute”).

After several chapters — and several years — we get to see Zashiki Warashi, who is still inside the cage that Watanuki gave to protect her (mind you, the cage that Syaoran got from Nirai Kanai). The cage looks big enough to keep her inside, but we cannot see her appearance. She’s covered in a large robe. There is an ominous feeling about it.

Zashiri Warashi asks if Watanuki is okay (she calls him “that person”), and her speech bubble lines are wobbly, so as to represent her current state of frailty. Ame Warashi gently scolds her since she’s not exactly in a position to worry about other people, to which Zashiki Warashi replies she’s okay and the only one to be blamed for things ending up the way they did — she’s still Zashiki Warashi, after all…

It seems like Neko Musume did what Watanuki asked her to because Ame Warashi passes along the message that Watanuki wants to see Zashiki Warashi, despite Ame Warashi advising against it.

At one point, we see Zashiki Warashi’s hands and they are pitch black — I don’t know if they were drawn that way to represent her silhouette or if she’s actually turned dark like that.

She then says that she is going toward Watanuki. And this time, her speech bubble line is steady. All her previous speech bubbles had wobbly lines but not this one. This one has firm lines, so as to represent her determination. She definitely wants to meet Watanuki. I’ve been told by my friend Thiago Syaoran who’s helping me with translations that Zashiki Warashi is still using very formal Japanese when she speaks. So whatever happened to her, it still did not affect the way she speaks.

She leaves the cage and there is black thick smoke all around her, akin to those that Watanuki saw around the lady addicted to lying from volume 1. As she left the cage, it returned to its original size and Zashiki Warashi is holding it. We still cannot see her face, but her hair has grown tremendously, surpassing her own height. It’s a very creepy imagery, but beautiful nonetheless.

On the next scene, we are taken to Jorougumo’s nest, wherever that is. Yaobikuni is with her (the Jorougumo is her companion now, after all). They are wearing sleeping outfits and they are both lying on what appears to be a bed. They were definitely sleeping on the same bed.

Jorougumo wakes up from her sleep as she realizes Zashiki Warashi has left her cage.

We are then taken to the Oden Kitsune’ nest, again wherever that must be, where Papa Kitsune tells his son that “things are about to start moving again”.

Sitting at the top of a high cliff is the Yatagarasu, looking fabulous. She just says “…the next move” while longingly looking at the distance in front of her. I’m glad we still haven’t seen all of Yatagarasu, she’s such an intriguing figure. I want to see more of her! (I will use “her” because of her female appearance).

This goes to show that pretty much ‘everyone’ from the yokai world knows that Zashiki Warashi is going to the shop and they all know something big is about to happen.

Back at the shop, Doumeki is arriving from the university and Watanuki tells him he has a favor to ask him. He wants Doumeki to “not hesitate” when the time comes. Doumeki asks if there is anything he can do to prepare himself and Watanuki tells him he is already prepared because he has been carrying “it” with him at all times.

Doumeki pulls out the Shape Shifting Ring that Watanuki gave to him in volume 17 of XXXHOLiC (Rou). This was Jorougumo’s payment to Watanuki for obtaining the crimson pearl to her and it turns into an exorcising arc bow when Doumeki wears it.

Speaking of the crimson pearl, I need to make a correction: I have been implying in my past reviews that Watanuki has the crimson pearl in his possession, but I was wrong. He obtained it from Yaobikuni and then gave it to Jorougumo since she had asked him for it in the first place — to which she paid with the Shape Shifting Ring that Watanuki then gave to Doumeki on his birthday. Way too much time has passed since those things happened and my memory has tricked me.

The chapter ends with Watanuki looking to the Moon saying that this time around, they will be the ones inviting them to the shop.

Oh the tables have turned! Watanuki knows what he is doing now (but we still don’t know what price he paid to Masaki).

Another bulky 17 pages for this twelfth and last chapter of volume 6, completing its 175 pages for it!

XXXHOLiC Rei will be taking a break throughout the month of May, probably to prepare things for the release of volume 6. I wonder if there will be as many changes and retouches in volume 6 as there were for volume 5.

Chapter 77 will come out on June 15th with color pages! I hope we will get to see Zashiski Warashi’s arrival in the shop on the color pages!