Chapter 162: Masamori's Choice

Masamori's Choice (兄の選択, Ani no Sentaku) is the 162nd chapter of the Kekkaishi Manga written and illustrated by Yellow Tanabe.

Summary
In a flashback, Yoshimori and Masamori carry home bags of groceries. Trying to keep up, Yoshimori trips and falls, but Masamori manages to catch his bag. Masamori reaches out to help Yoshimori up, but notices the Houin on his hand, and instead grabs Yoshimori's wrist roughly and drags him along. Yoshimori apologizes, and Masamori wonders why Karasumori chose Yoshimori.

In the present, Mudou orders Masamori to chose whose life will be spared, his or Yoshimori's. Masamori hesitates, and Yoshimori tells Masamori to stop protecting him, so that he can handle things himself. Masamori lets his Zekkai fall and asks Mudou to take Yoshimori's life. Both Mudou and Yoshimori seem surprised as Masamori lists his reasons to live: he has duties to the Night Troop, and other unfinished business, so he cannot afford to die yet. He claims to have fulfilled his role as a brother, and is sure that things will work out for Yoshimori, either through luck or talent because he is "the chosen one." Mudou compliments Masamori for making the same choice he did, and Masamori rises to leave. Mudou launches two extra large discs at Yoshimori. Inwardly, Masamori reveals that he made his choice in the hopes that Yoshimori's mistrust of him would finally allow him to fully use Zekkai, which requires the accumulation and domination of negative feelings. Yoshimori dodges the discs, which pass over him and head for Masamori, who defends with his Zekkai. Mudou reveals that the larger discs aren't harder for him to control as he previously stated, and Masamori realizes Mudou was aiming for him all along. Masamori struggles to push back the two discs, and in desperation to save him, Yoshimori activates Shinkai, bathing the area in white light. Mudou and the discs are obliterated, and Masamori recognizes this as the same "Zekkai" Yoshimori used at Kurosusuki. As the light fades, Yoshimori collapses from exhaustion.

Characters (in order of appearance)

 * Yoshimori Sumimura
 * Masamori Sumimura
 * Lord Tan'yuu
 * Mudou