Chapter 139: Four Ayakashi

Four Ayakashi (4体の妖, 4 Karada no Yō) is the 139th chapter of the Kekkaishi Manga written and illustrated by Yellow Tanabe.

Summary
Four powerful Ayakashi appear in Karasumori, one in each direction. Yoshimori guesses that they emerged from boxes planted in advance. Miki Hatori volunteers herself and Higurashi to help deal with the new threat. Okuni and her subordinates watch as the others decide on a strategy. Hatori offers to provide cover, but insists that the Kekkaishi should be the ones who actually defeat the Ayakashi. Higurashi reveals a strange ability to grow large, black wings (Yoshimori at first mistakes him for an Ayakashi Majiri), and after Hatori hops on his back, they take to the sky. Tokine suggests that they split up, and Yoshimori agrees.

Tokine and Hakubi encounter the first Ayakashi, which resembles a large spider. Hakubi worries that its reach may be a problem, but Tokine eliminates this threat merely by focusing on the body with a Kekkai. Yoshimori attacks the second Ayakashi, which resembles a giant snake. He avoids the projectiles that the Ayakashi spits from its mouth, and blocks the mouth with a Kekkai before using a larger one to destroy the whole body. Hatori notes that the Kekkaishi don't even seem to need help, just before the third Ayakashi, which resembles a flying manta ray, approaches from the air. Hatori easily destroys it with her Black Wing projectiles. Okuni seems somewhat impressed with the progress, but suggests they should be figuring out what the box user is actually after.

Madarao has some trouble tracking the final Ayakashi because it keeps moving, but finally leads Yoshimori to it. Unlike the others, this Ayakashi resembles a woman with short, wild, dark hair, dressed in a kimono. The Ayakashi comments that though Yoshimori is cute, she hates men, and immediately attacks with long strands of hair. Meanwhile, Hakubi leads Tokine to the battle, but she spots a dark, human figure watching from inside the school, and decides to investigate it.

Yoshimori tries to protect himself with his Zekkai armor, but is still restrained by the hair. Madarao is captured as well, and with nothing to protect him, the hair saps his strength. The Ayakashi is struck from behind, and her head falls off, but it regrows almost instantly. She turns her attention to Hatori, who attacked her, and sends hair strands to attack her. She tears off Higurashi's wing, but he assures Hatori that he can regenerate it quickly. He asks if the Ayakashi might be of the humanoid type, but Hatori disagrees because its appearance doesn't quite fit. The Ayakashi draws on Karasumori's power and begins to transform, its hair thickening into many arms. Hatori notes that it is the perfect type to send to Karasumori: it moves quickly, loves to fight, hates humans, and can steal energy from foes, so it can quickly transform. Yoshimori tries to use Kekkai to catch the Ayakashi, but it avoids them and targets Higurashi, missing but tearing off a large chunk of the school roof. Inside the school, Reiji Kakushino notes that he was nearly hit in the last attack, but is pleased with the Ayakashi that his client gave him. In a nearby classroom whose door is covered in talismans, a giant cocoon is suspended between the walls, just over one of Reiji's numbered papers.

Characters (in order of appearance)

 * Yoshimori Sumimura
 * Hakubi
 * Tokine Yukimura
 * Madarao
 * Miki Hatori
 * Higurashi
 * Okuni's Subordinates
 * Okuni
 * Reiji Kakushino

Ayakashi

 * First Cardinal Ayakashi
 * Second Cardinal Ayakashi
 * Third Cardinal Ayakashi
 * Fourth Cardinal Ayakashi