~Raws + Summaries~

[mercer_sensei]

the scalations have gone up to chapter 197 so far, so Ill start the raw and summaries with chapter 198

atm credit goes to various people at stoptazmo.com for the links, Ill upload them when I get home

so here ya go
Chapter 198 RAW [RS]

Chapter 198 Summary: credit goes to whatever131 at stoptazmo.com

1. with the end of the storm story arc, we're back to kogarasumaru's homebase to witness their training. what will be the after-effect of losing the flame regalia?

2. note that kogarasumaru are doing their normal physical training without their AT. kazu is obviously shown to be EXTREMELY down after having lost the flame regalia which was entrusted to him. in the midst of his daze, he got hit by an iron ball (which of course caused emily to go berserk mode ) and while it seems he's ready to beat up the guy who threw the ball at him, he asked him instead why he hadnt hit his head and asked him to hit him another time with a heavier one... "-_-

3. black flame is next shown to have a flashback in his stun/stoned situation. in his immobile state, it is shown that he is still able to think (that he wonders what everyone is riled up abt and that he's alright and is uninjured). temple head then explains saying something about how a part of his brain probably is in shock (physically) and hence is unable to move. he mentions that last time when he was in afghanistan, he witnessed similar soldiers who were in that state. anyway, he managed to restore black flame.

4. after his un-freeze, he explains that he had his team formed some sort of a warning network but was useless in the storm. black flame was not beside ikki protecting him since he assumed that ikki would be safe if he's together with the others and so he decided to protect the flame regalia in the temple himself. but when iron made his appearance, he couldnt remember what happened soon after. obviously, black flame is rather shocked that iron clock, who should have been dead, is able to defeat him, one with battle level 78, in a single hit and further comments that it was as if time has stopped only for him.

5. kazu asks black flame whether he has been in the temple guarding the flame regalia all along and when black flame said yes, kazu calls him an idiot and blames him for the loss of the flame regalia since black flame's presence, who is the strongest in his team, would be like telling the enemy where the location of the flame regalia was... kazu then rushes out, attempting to catch up to whoever has stolen the regalia but was stopped (who was it who stopped him btw? :S)

6. back to present time, kazu is parting with kogarasumaru for the day, with ikki reminding him to meet them back the next day at 7am (for their training). buccha, who is rather worried at kazu's condition, asked whether it would have been better for ikki to walk him home but ikki thinks it would be better for him to be alone for now and also that ikki has got to go for his part time job so he can get money and rebuild his AT.

7. alone now, kazu thinks back on how spitfire has given it his all to protect and entrusts kazu with the flame regalia only to have it stolen in kazu's possession. he somehow also regrets blaming black flame for the loss of the regalia (even though black flame has been guiding him) and comments on how he feels like dying...

8. we're then introduced to a girl who appears to be lost and attempts to ask for something from the crowd before coming upon kazu. when kazu helped her up after her fall though, she appears to be surprised at kazu's handprints and started giving him a palm reading, asking him whether he has had tough luck recently. as kazu appears shocked at her accuracy, she tries to move away and apologised to kazu for doing that especially now that she has stopped using her "power"... convinced that she is the real deal, kazu stopped her and she started telling kazu how a death-star is approaching him... (for those who is slow, yes!! she is a fraudster!! >_<)

9. men are shown in the alley impressed by her fraud skills, commenting that kazu is her 50th victim... anyway, she invites kazu to a seminar which could turn his bad fortune around which would cost him 10k yen (abt US$100) and after kazu started being put off, she started her brainwashing techniques (page 15, bottom panel) and in the next scene, we're shown some kind of cult gathering with its members doing weird stuff and chanting something... and in the final panel, we're shown kazu holding a devilish statue and chanting the same word!!

10. will salvation dawn upon believers!?! where is kazu heading to?!?!


Comment:
is it just me or is this chapter...really bad!! >_< we havent had a bad chapter in a long time though, so i guess its forgivable... T_T

anyway, nothing much to speculate or what have u in this chapter, straight forward and somewhat...dull -.- i guess we can speculate about what cult it might be? based on the statue and the word kazu said... in japanese, it sounds - "es-sa-i-mu"... anyone has any idea? :S

Chapter 198 has been scanlated

[mercer_sensei]

Chapter 199 RAW [SS]

Chapter 199 Summary: credit goes to whatever131 at stoptazmo.com

for this chapter, there is loads of unimportant info but to summarise just the important bit:

1. chapter starts with the mentioning of kazu, who is compared with the likes of a white pegasus which has descended on the earthly realm. unknown to him, much news about him have been spreading on the net ever since the behemoth incident.

2. page 2 and 3 (which are meant to be a double page but is split in half T_T) talks about him (symbolised as a pegasus), to be searching for an unknown person who stole the flame regalia. However, due to the chains binding him (symbolised as his physical limit), caused his soul to leave his body and is currently lost in the earthly realm. btw those naked chicks surrounding him is thinking he's cute and asking him out/wanting to "service" him etc

3. a guy in costume then makes his entrance, seemingly the leader of the cult (he's called "roki" btw). after this guy's appearance though, another fat guy was introduced, shown to be the mastermind behind this "show". anyway, "roki" started acting weirdly (squeezing one of the chick's nips), causing the fat guy to question the show's organiser, a masked dude (apparently ikki's senior) who the guy acting as "roki" is and this caused the organiser to start reprimanding the actor (who had a nosebleed after doing the nip-squeeze )

4. anyway, while attempting to continue the show, "roki" noticed that kazu was amongst the crowd and started talking about this being a gathering of confused souls and relates saying how confusion is the proof of being alive. he then moves on to say though, that while this is the case, there seems to be one who is alive but is carrying a soul of the dead and goes to describe who that person is (covered in white robe currently etc etc). realising that he's the one being talked about, kazu obviously is surprised. roki goes another step though, mentioning kazu's full name and also what happened during his childhood etc etc, which amazed kazu at the specifics and this of course also earned the crowds laughter (due to kazu's funny childhood )

5. being serious now, roki mentions how kazu's heart is frozen and cold and proceeds to ask him to have a battle with him, with a condition that if kazu wins, roki will tell him what he wants to know - about the real form of the man who took the flame regalia. again shocked about the extent of knowledge that roki has about him, kazu questions his real identity but was simply told that he's the embodiment of the devil king - bermond (someone confirm this name? i cant seem to find it :S the statue looks like baphomet though "-_-)

6. worried and pissed that everything's going out of plan, the masked dude started reprimanding the actor but only got a reply that the usual scenario was boring and so he wanna spice it up it was revealed here that the actor has been ikki all along!!

7. referring to "roki" as the "damn" cult leader now, kazu asks him whether he's serious in telling him everything kazu wants to know and gets a confirmation from "roki" tat he will do what he can. having said that, ikki is shown to be pumped in anger with narration in the background explaining that because ikki has been friends with kazu for a long time, he knows abt kazu's feelings and hence is angry at the current kazu... kazu on the other hand, declares that if what "roki" said isnt real, it will be too late to ask for forgiveness even after he turns him into cinders

8. ikki's flame of anger finally lits back the fire within kazu's soul!! how will this battle develop!?

[mercer_sensei]

Chapter 200 RAW: [MU] [RS] [SS]

Chapter 200 Summary: credit goes to whatever131 at stoptazmo.com

chapter starts with the fight declaration between the 2 while kazu gets dressed. the fight condition apparently was chosen as some kinda tag-game with roki capturing the "ghosts"/naked chicks (u can guess why he wanted to be the capturer ) and kazu freeing the captured ones. kazu accepts the match saying that he's played that game many times in the past before but was somehow concerned that the girls should be wearing something. this of course gets the girls affection and they were all over him to ikki's envy.

battle starts and ikki goes to do his "stuff" (much to his senior's agitation) while in the blink of an eye, kazu goes to free them and the crowd were impressed. seeing kazu having somewhat of an advantage(?), roki proceeds to attempt to stop him and kazu comments that roki is similar to someone he knows and proceeds to have a flashback of the tag game he had last time, which kazu refers to as a bad memory.

in the flashback, kazu is shown to be crying because he has been playing the role of the "devil" (the one to chase and find the others) all day long and he's sick of it. ikki, being ikki, does not shown kazu pity, despite ringo telling him to. he instead tells kazu that he's boring and tells him to go home. because of this, kazu was prompted to train his speed so that he could catch them when he's playing the tag game as a devil again. seeing kazu train so hard, ikki stole his trainers and when asked by ringo why he did it, ikki simply replied that if kazu gets any faster, ikki would actually have to be the "devil" the next time they play and he wouldnt want that...

back to present time, kazu is shown to be out-performing roki and he calls roki a slowpoke... the weird-eyed guy then asks ikki's senior what they should do in the situation considering their "roki"-image are being ruined by the challenger... senior dude then tries to justify ikki's situation saying how the costume outfit is heavy and is meant to hide the AT so as not to be seen by others and hence is slowing ikki down... after a moment of hesitation though, he actually comments that while that is so, he thinks that a real serious kazu would actually be stronger than ikki and he knows this because he has fought with them before...

again returning to the flashback, roki tells kazu that till the end, the trainers were never returned, with a picture showing young-ikki dumping them into the river. young-ikki later met young-kazu on the way home and he thought at that time that kazu wanted to get back at him having found out who had stolen the trainers but apparently, kazu was simply focussing on his training despite not having any shoes on. the present ikki/roki then proceeds to tell kazu that while what kazu lost that time was simply a pair of trainers, he silently comments that the replacement kazu got was the litting of a flame within him and that in turn lights up a raging fire within ikki himself!!

despite a challenge started by him, kazu's silent fighting spirit reverses on ikki himself!! how will things develop in the next chapter!?


comment:
lol, i cant believe ikki was that mean with kazu and kazu actually is still sticking to him now "-_- i got to agree that respect level for kazu actually rose quite a bit in this chapter

[mercer_sensei]

Chapter 201 RAW [MU] [RS] [SS]

Chapter 201 Summary: credit goes to whatever131 at stoptazmo.com

as of last time, we see ikki burning up with his desire to defeat kazu and apparently, he isnt gonna play fair to achieve this because in this chapter, ikki started using the show's many equipments at his disposal for his attacks. The initial attack was made by using a hidden speaker in the demon statue to produce a sound blast to disorientate kazu and give ikki a chance to land his blow. after kazu dodged it though, lasers in the gargoyle-like statues begins firing at him but hits the crowd instead. while suavely saving a naked-maiden in danger, kazu protested at the danger that the crowd is being involved in and ikki simply justified it saying that the voltage has been tuned down to not cause death (probably) and simply produce a little heat... (how is he gonna get kazu anyway if all he's gonna feel is a little heat? "-_-)

as the match progresses, we see that ikki is not only using the equipment to his favour but also the show's many loyal crowd and even the dead souls to defeat kazu (the naked chicks who're meant to be captured on the game). a surprised kazu was then hit with a bat by one of the chicks and was then told by ikki that he never said the dead souls are his ally... kazu of course calls roki for playing dirty but instead got a reply from roki that for the sake of victory, all efforts (battle strategies, intelligence, geographics) should be exhausted and that is what working hard to victory is about...

slowly losing his consciousness from the earlier blow and being drowned in the tauntings of the crowd, kazu started hallunicating and begun having flashbacks of the time when he was battling the sora brothers along with spitfire. it was revealed here that the moments before his death, spitfire was actually teaching kazu about the ways of the flame... he mentions that the flame, like the wind, has no definite form and is free... narration then goes saying how spitfire is relaying his life, along with the "what" of the flame road's infinity atmosphere - infinite inferno to kazu... and this is because, beside ikki, the man who carries the name "spitfire" is probably the only one who knows abt kazu's true worth... moving on to the time when kazu is watching spitfire's msg, spitfire told him that because the flame and the wind has no definite form, once it is misused, it could easily rob others of their lives and hence spitfire emphasised for kazu to not forget it before finally moving on to "Lesson 1"...

returning to present time, spitfire's msg continues, telling kazu abt flame road's chapter of "restrain" - those who handles flames must learn how to control it and that essentially means it is a requirement to learn the techniques to bind the freedom held by flames... with that in his mind, the entire crowd was frozen on their tracks as the we hear kazu starts his trick with his declaration of "oh time"!! as he finally gathers the courage to strike back without caring what the means are, kazu tells roki that he will show him about the ways of the flame road and lands his first battle hit!!

the one who inheritted the soul of the flame, finally burns for the first time!!


comment:
sorry it took some time, i was trying to make it sound good in english as there are lots of sayings/symbolisms in this chapter regarding flame which somewhat sounded weird after translation "-_- i left it out in the end but for those curious, its page 15 where spitfire is listening to spitfire's msg on his laptop, the narration goes something like in actuality the extreme gush of fire (the type used in melding things together in industries? the highly oxidised one) has a lower heat quantity compared to the simply a reddish strong flame... and this whitish-green flame burns brightly and silently in the darkness and melts anything it touches... i have no idea how i can relate this to whatever spitfire is telling kazu so i took it out... sorry "-_-

oh and i got to say, it actually took me until now to feel that its really a waste for spitfire to be dead... although if he aint, the impact would not be there for us to enjoy

speed demon ftw in the chapter huh? do i again hear fangirls fawning over him? for us fanboys though, yes, the girl with the bat sure is a wonder to me eyes ^_^

[mercer_sensei]

Chapter 202 RAW [MU] [RS] [MediaFire] [SS]

Chapter 202 Summary: credit goes to whatever131 at stoptazmo.com

chapter starts with the explaination of the "time" trick. basically, the rider has to hit the opponent at certain location of the body where the movement is being produced AND also the nerve points like the chin, back of the head etc and hence stunning them them and robbing them of movement completely... normally, the opponent will be on the verge of blackening-out and even if they retain their senses, their body will be still unmovable and will feel this heaty-burning sensation... it is classified as a skill of the flame road because even though the rider isnt using any flame, the opponent do feel some kinda "heat"...

satisfied that he's able to perform the trick, kazu comments here that it is tiring (duh!! he did it on the entire crowd!! is that even possible!?!?) looking back at "roki", kazu then asked him whether his "miracle" is broken/finished already and started thinking abt ikki due the similarity they share and wonders when he will be able to fare up to ikki since up till now, it would appear to kazu that between them, its always only kazu who is always trying hard and even then ikki is able to trash him with his little finger despite not taking it seriously...kazu stops here though as he suddenly realise that he has no reason for winning and said out loud how boring it is...

hearing/thinking that he's being undermined, ikki begins to mumble something as kazu feels a weird gust of wind blowing even though they're underground... as it slowly dawns upon him that "roki" was the cause of the wind, kazu dodged the incoming knee counter-attack (infused with a wind interface) but somehow was still hit by the huge air pressure!! an indoor tornado was then formed, and the rising gust of wind frees everyone from the frozen state and the crowd started escaping, leaving the 2 heroes to battle it out!!

shocked that "roki" is able to perform a trick similar to sora, kazu turns to question his identity only to find the rider in front of him no longer dons his mask. narration reveals that rather than being shocked at roki's real identity, kazu is shocked at what he has never once saw before - a face of someone burning with intensive combat spirit. a flashback is then shown, with narration saying that while kazu has felt this "aura" before during their childhood school competiton, he has never seen ikki's serious face and because kazu has always assumed that ikki is able to take care of him with simply his little finger, he begins wondering when is it that ikki has started being "serious" like him...

having realised that ikki has always gotten serious because of his desire to defeat him, spitfire's recording then begins playing, talking about how even though following someone means that one will never be lost, it would also means that one would forever only be able to stare at the back of that person... and hence, to find one's own "path", one can only do it by moving his own feet ahead. At the same time that kazu begins to voice out his desire to defeat ikki, Lesson 2 is introduced - "Flame/freedom is something which will burn fiercely according to one's desire!!"

The budding ego and desire! its no longer stoppable!!


comment:
o_O sabre, i cant believe u said last chapter is better, as far as i'm concerned this chapter is better than all the naked chicks in the previous chapters!! (well maybe not :P) and i dun think ikki stole kazu's shine in any way... if anything, he complements it *wink*

and yes, its actually "aeon clock" isnt it? its weird though, the japanese katakana writing shouldnt really be written like that as far as i know :S or is it me japanese? i agree more needs working on me language T_T

its crazy how kazu supposedly freezes the entire crowd isnt it? "-_- even if one person take 0.0238 seconds to freeze, the entire crowds would take ages to stun!! >_<

[mercer_sensei]

Chapter 203 RAW [MU] [SS]

Chapter 203 Summary: credit goes to whatever131 at stoptazmo.com

yo all, there like 80% action in this chapter, no need for me to summarise much then ^_^

1. storm king vs (dethroned) flame king!! wind and flame power on full burst!!

2. kazu is happy. that person who has always been his target. that person who is the closest and yet the furthest away from anyone. that person who gives a feeling that he belongs to another world. that person who he has decided to surpass one day... and that person is now chasing him instead!!!

3. as ikki attempt to land a blow, kazu dodged and disappeared, leaving many flame ball remnants. this move is being referred to as the flame road's "after burner" (more info at Afterburner - Wikipedia) basically, the move gives short bursts of speed to the rider with the same principle as the jet engine of a fighter plane

4. seeing this, ikki creates a solid wall of air to stop kazu's movement and trap him which he then follows up with a wind projectile attack at kazu - pile tornado!!

5. unable to dodge it, kazu stopped the incoming attack with a wall of "time" (how does he do that anyway? "-_-) and again, both voiced their desire to defeat one another before ikki made another follow-up attack with his move - the pile tornado's limited express!! its a move produced by allowing the rider to ride the internal wall of the tornado...

6. black flame comments saying how because of the "wind", the flame starts... and the then newly-risen flame will strengthen the wind, which in turn fuels the flame again... he then adds that the guy who kazu always looked up to and aims for, is indeed strong...

7. as kazu's defeat seemed imminent, tears rolled down his cheeks... seeing this and slightly annoyed, ikki asks his long-time rival what the idiot's weeping about... kazu is happy. (narration "kazu is happy" starts the chapter and ends the chapter :S just added it coz i felt it would better potray kazu's state of mind )

8. the 2 who walks side-by-side now, both the flame and the wind will always soar high no matter where they go!!


comment:
well thats a rather nice conclusion to the battle and lets face it... the chances that a side character will defeat the main character is kinda low in shounen manga "-_- kazu to be where he is now is already not bad :P loving the kazu re-referencing as a fighter plane btw, even one of the ghost girl knows and calls him "stealth" ^_^

sorry the summary might seem weird, but i dun think there is much need to translate