Chapter 77

Chapter 77 is the seventy-seventh chapter of the Dead Mount Death Play manga.

Unofficial Blurb
With a little help from friends, benefactors, and dragons-and-serpents-and-dual-fanged tigers alike (oh my), Corpse God shifts his stance on which side of the sky he stands.

Short Summary
The chapter begins by offering a sliver of new context regarding the assassination of the Byandy Empire's

Synopsis
Atop a hill overlooking the capital of the Byandy Empire, the spirit of the recently deceased child emperor regards Corpse God grieving over his bloody corpse. The emperor insists that although Corpse God may have killed him, Corpse God is not responsible for his death; when an "enemy necromancer" made Corpse God's "empathy run wild," Corpse God was overcome by the sentiments of all the dead who despised the Empire. So assured of his "best friend's" innocence is the emperor that he elects to become the Corpse God's accomplice in covering up his own murder, advising his friend that they ought to conceal what physical evidence they can; after all, Corpse God shall have to live long and live well in order to atone for killing his dearest companion.
 * Flashback

Years later, in the aftermath of Geldwood's slaughter of Corpse God's found family, the emperor regards Corpse God once more mired in grief. He reflects on his previous talk of long lives and atonement a touch ruefully, as he had not meant for those words to 'bind' Corpse God so, and he wonders if Corpse God plans to "do it again"—to kill himself for the sake of someone else.

A century later finds Corpse God welcoming a duel to the death with the Calamity Crusher—

—and, more than a month thence, a different duel with a different foe rages in a different land. As for whether Corpse God is any different, or his friends...

Civil A. Sabaramond expresses appreciation for Corpse God's conceptualization of himself as "the enemy of the world," though he fails to understand Corpse God's attachment to Earth or what was meant by 'returning this body'. Once it occurs to Civil that Corpse God, as a necromancer, must be referring to bodily possession, Corpse God decides that "next time" he shall possess Civil.
 * Present

Takumi Kuruya's unease worsens the more Takumi listens; deep down, underneath memories of his semi-successful family suicide and his time with Sons of the Styx, Takumi too desired a peaceful life. In an impulsive move, Takumi—aware that this is utterly uncharacteristic of him—hacks into public loudspeaker systems to address Corpse God directly. Misaki Sakimiya, Xiaoyu Lei, and Corpse God—whose skeletons dissolve due to his lapse in attention—all look up as Takumi's voice reverberates throughout the city: "Polka" is making a mistake in giving up his desired peaceful life for Shinjuku's sake, says Takumi, and in believing himself incompatible with Earth. Despite once fearing and distancing himself from Corpse God, Takumi has come to believe the members of their little group—including the real Polka Shinoyama—are all compatible with each other. Takumi reminds Corpse God to have faith in his friends, and to remember that Takumi and Misaki's job is to ameliorate Corpse God's integration with this world—so they will make Corpse God "fit in" if they have to.

Within the span of an executed command, Takumi blacks out the electrical and surveillance system the area of Shinjuku that Corpse God, Civil, and Kochou Eightport are in, ensuring at the very least that Civil and Corpse God's fight should not be recorded by any public cameras. He informs Corpse God of this and encourages him to "do whatever the hell [he] wants" over fretting over whether his role is to be the "'good guy' or 'bad guy'."

Takumi's speech inspires Civil to nominate Corpse God's friends as his first (presumed) targets, which earns him a forbidding look from Corpse God. Corpse God's expression then melts into one more gentle at the notion that Corpse God, for once, does not have to be the villain. Corpse God casts two spells from which a small assortment of jewels begin pouring—and a dragon, a large serpent, and the dual-fanged tiger Rafa & Gufa emerge, teeth bared. All three (four) lunge for Civil; while evading their attacks, Civil calls out a question: did Corpse God, despite all his previous pretty words, ultimately take advantage of Polka's fortune? Corpse God proudly retorts that the jewels are both ones he bought with his hard-earned money, and ones secured via the help of an "important friend" of his.

Under the cover of night and within the seclusion of a side street, Corpse God expresses surprise that Tena Sorimura came to meet with him. Recalling a certain comment on his Higuro-Kannagi deepfake video—one that mentioned a "girl in a wheelchair"—Sorimura replies that only Corpse God, he supposed, could have written such a thing. Corpse God moves on to business: after bringing up Sorimura's offer of a 300 million yen award for information on a certain symbol, Corpse God says he will tell Sorimura the symbol's significance in exchange for jewels—a request Sorimura ought to be able to fulfill, as he acquired "an overseas jewel mine as 'the Phantom Snow Tengu'.
 * Flashback

When Corpse God shows Xiaoyu his haul of jewels at the Abandoned Building, Xiaoyu asks if they will provide Corpse God enough magic with which he can envelop the entire district with "'Corpse God' or whatever it is." Corpse God responds that it will suffice, but it may prove insufficient for the ensuing battle. After a moment's thought, Xiaoyu offers to fund Corpse God with his own substantial amount of money, citing their pact and mutual safety as reasons enough to do what he can to help.

Between Xiaoyu's and the emperor's respective shows of support, Corpse God concedes that, on both sides of the sky, someone has always reached out a helping hand to him. He smiles, Takumi's encouragement still ringing in his ears, and he thinks, "He's right."
 * Present

Trivia

 * The dragon strongly resembles the multi-pupiled dragon that is depicted slain by Shagrua in Chapter 1.

Referbacks

 * To Corpse God's fight with Shagrua Lugrid in Chapter 1.
 * To Corpse God's remark to Takumi regarding the weight of his friends' lives in Chapter 7.
 * Corpse God's fortunetelling session with Sorimura, wherein the girl in the wheelchair was first mentioned, takes place in Chapter 29.
 * To the dirigible incident and Sorimura's request for information in Chapter 26.
 * Xiaoyu noticed his bank account received a gross influx of money courtesy of his sister via Taipei's bank account in Chapter 59.
 * The clandestine nighttime meeting between Solitaire and Corpse God was teased in Chapter 73.