Kagurabachi 123: Chiaki Overview

Kagurabachi Chapter 123 opens up with another Sorcery Bureau meeting. This time, the topic of discussion is Kunishige and Urita’s proposed Enchanted Blade plan.

The military department suggests their Datenseki experiment while fully admitting it’s extremely dangerous. Hasumi advocates for the plan based on Kunishige’s perception skills.

The bureau, led by Izaru, thinks the plan is irrational. To entrust a fleeting and unpredictable resource to a “two-bit” swordsmith would be ridiculous.

During the meeting, the bureau receives a message from the Kagari clan. Hiyuki will be born in 6 months, and they are 100% sure she will be the first Flame Bone wielder in 400 years.

Three months after her birth, the Kagari would do test runs, followed by 3 months of fine-tuning to make Flame Bone viable within a year. This plan is more realistic than the Enchanted Blade plan but is shut down by Izaru because they don’t have a year to wait—unless they can find a way to buy time.

The Chiaki Flashback

Chiaki, Kunishige, Shiba, and Azami were neighborhood friends growing up. The former Soga princess came into her role around the time Chiaki was born. Chiaki’s awakening is the first time in history that the prophet showed up in a minor offshoot of the Soga clan.

Because of this, Chiaki was no longer permitted to hang out with her friends. Shiba secretly delivered letters from Kunishige to her, but her mother had the letters burned. The princess’s prophecies hold so much weight that an entire clan’s fate could be determined by them.

Chiaki blames herself for the failure of the Irishima talks. To protect the people she has left, she agrees to surrender herself to the Mikaboshi.

The Sorcery Bureau Accepts the Mikaboshi Demands

The Enchanted Blade plan is rejected. Chiaki will be surrendered in exchange for a one-year truce.

The Soga clan coincidentally had a girl born six months ago to the clan’s direct lineage. They are confident that even if Chiaki bears a child, the power of prophecy will stay with them. This not only keeps the power in Japan but also keeps the power in the primary bloodline.

Ichiki voted against Chiaki’s surrender but was outweighed by the politics of the Sorcery Bureau and the Soga clan. Also, Chiaki is willingly giving herself up. The one-year truce will hopefully provide time to prepare the Flame Bone of the Starving.

Kagurabachi 123 Breakdown

Poor Chiaki

How sad Chiaki’s life has been ever since being “gifted” the power of prophecy. The previous princess didn’t look too happy during her tenure either.

She already wasn’t enjoying her life, so the decision to surrender herself shouldn’t come as a surprise. She will be trading one cage for another. Her experience with the Mikaboshi is a wild card, so at least there’s a chance it could be better. Her life with the Soga clan is set in stone. She would never be with the love of her life or her friends.

Baby Hiyuki

Next chapter, Takeru Hokazono needs to clear up this baby Hiyuki business because it’s breaking the community. There were way too few details for it to not become a meme. What do they mean they’ll start test runs soon? How is a baby supposed to wield Flame Bone, a power capable of leveling the country? Is it when she’s born that everyone in the clan gains power? We need answers.

Soga Clan Controversy

Ichiki reveals that the Soga clan may be more nefarious than we thought. He said the power of prophecy has never “officially” showed up in a minor branch, meaning there are rumors the Soga clan are eliminating the possibility.

Kagurabachi 123 Rating

I’d give this chapter an 8/10. Hasumi feels like a stand-in for the audience. He’s trying his best to do what’s right, but everyone else is focused on preserving their own self-interest. I’m interested to find out if the Soga clan’s influence persists in the modern day.