D. Gray-man Chapter 189: The Voice of Judas
We see Kanda wearing a Santa suit as the cover page. Some speculation surround the color page regarding the characters, but I'm rather certain that's Lavi, Allen [not 14th - the yellow-white hair is probably just to contrast], Millenie, and Road. Kanji for this title also can read as the "call/summon of Judas". I will discuss the meanings later.
"Don't touch me unless you mean it!"
The chapter begins with Link returning to camp, which is entirely demolished - except for Tevaku. Obviously he had no luck in finding Allen or any of the Thirds. Tevaku wakes up after having a nightmare about Allen killing Madarao and Tokusa, and then her killing Allen. She thinks that the Noah [Wisely] was telling her that would happen. Link proceeds to grab her hand and offers to go with her to search for their missing comrades - well, he clarified it was part of his job to watch over Allen. This is intruiging. Wisely may have left Tevak alive as some kind of warning to the Black Order. However, I really liked Link grabbing Tevaku's hand (OMG Tevak x Link canon!) Shows their affiliation. By the way, to clarify, Link and Tevak are not related. All members of CROW have pimpl-, er, two spots on their head.
Ows...
Back to the North America hellhole, Tyki and Allen emerge from the Black Ark only to land on the Earl, who in turn in paralyzed for a short while (with all that fat, you think he wouldn't mind). Little subtlety - Tyki has a cross in his neck [not a common Noah feature, unique to Tyki]. Allen realizes where he is, seeing all of the Order officials and Johnny [weeping because he's gotten captured again] and Kanda. Sheryl reveals the Jordan camp was destroyed, opens the coffin, and-
LET'S SEE WHAT'S IN THE BOX!
Tokusa rolls out! Tokusa panics, immediately shouts what he thinks is Sheryl's power. Tyki also mentions Mercyma is facing Madarao. So Madarao is fighting a Noah alone. With how easily Tokusa was taken out, I'm nervous. The Thirds were designed to take on akuma, not the Noah. Unless they have a special defense we don't know about. Sheryl affirms he is controlling all of the humans in the base and can put them in "unbecoming positions". Allen irritably responds "do you want me to stand here and let you kill me?" along with "Noahs are all such perverts" (FINALLY! Someone who recognizes them as they are.) Sheryl reminds him he's standing on Millenie. Tyki finally cuts to the chase by saying they came for him (to which Allen just has the "I hate my life sometimes" look).
Oh god, that looks like it hurts.
The Earl suddenly pins Allen to the floor and starts choking him, telling him that he "will never return to the Order again." Why? The Earl knows that more than the 14th's tool, Allen is the 14th. As Leverrier and Bak freak out regarding a possible security leak and Johnny just can't believe Allen is the 14th [remember: only high level personnel were told of Allen's nature], the Earl describes the "Good morning" incident: apparently the 14th used the Level 4 to contact the Earl. All akuma are apparently connected to the Earl such that Millenie can see what they are all doing. Allen completely doesn't recall.
Methinks mental illness is strong in the Walker clan.
And then without any warning, the 14th shows up and affirms he used the akuma to contact the Earl. Millenie is so shocked that he releases Allen from his choke hold. The 14th caresses the Earl's face and tells the Earl he expected to see him. Suddenly the 14th pulls himself right up to the Earl's face and psychotically shouts his desire: to kill Millenie and become the Millenium Earl(Homgomgomgomgom-*slaps self). I conclude the "Good Morning" incident was actually the 14th basically much telling the Earl "neener neener, this is a testament to your absolute incompetence at killing me".
Truly your wish?
Tyki, Johnny and Leverrier are all scared shitless - especially Leverrier. I can guarantee you, he is regretting leaving Allen in the field now the Earl knows. The Earl grimly responds. There are conflicting translations: in I Eat Manga's scan, he asked "is that your wish, 14th?" and in Murasaki's scan, he stated "so that was your desire, 14th?" The initial one implies that the Earl is almost willing to say he would give up his position if only the 14th would come back and the wound would be healed. The second implies that the Earl is actually enraged and is stuttering out of frustration, and can't believe it was all because the 14th wanted his position. Allen's hand releases the Earl and starts shaking.
Allen = EPIC win here
Allen virulently denies the Earl's question. He screams and coughs up blood as he remembers Cross' words about the memory erosion. Note that the lines that appear on his face and the darkness surrounding his eyes is what we saw in chapter 182 just after Crown Clown stabbed him. Finally Allen slams his head into the Earl's. He adamantly shouts to the 14th and the Earl his identity and refusal to get pulled into their family feud. Wisely remarks on Allen to Road only to find Road is... gone?
*Patiently waits for someone to write a Road and Kanda bodice-ripper novel...
Kanda is back in action! He grabs Road and attacks the Earl, only to be blocked by Tyki. Allen takes the oppurtunity to kick Sheryl and retrieve Tokusa. They all try to escape. Allen asks Kanda how he's holding up, to which Kanda responds like the petulant teen he is. Kanda then tears Road's ribbon off to use for his hair. Sheryl breaks the pipes surrounding the Branch and uses them to block the exit, and of course has to announce he won't let them escape (it makes me all warm in fuzzy inside to hear the Noah refer to Allen as the 14th...)
One Noah, two Noah, three Noah, Tobasco sauce...
Wisely, Tyki, Sheryl, Millenie, and comatose Alma block their path. The Earl proudly announces how they will make Allen abandon the Order, but not force him - because he would leave on his own. The Earl declares it as Allen's "going-away party". Sound familiar? This whole arc started out with Wisely saying they would use Kanda's brain for "their party". This seems to be the "party" that the Noah have created. Allen is simply exasperated. He asks who the comatose Alma is, and Tokusa answers, calling Kanda also out as an artificial disciple. Allen is, well, confused. So Kanda speaks up and says...
Self-explanatory.
Wow, Kanda. Simply wow. Best Millenie expression yet (Reever's is a close second). As everyone is shocked, Millenie just asks "what... was that?" Kanda says it again. Wisely weakly points to Alma, and Kanda repeats his question AGAIN (just realized I like Kanda wearing the ribbon better than the hair tie). The rest of the Noah just glare at Wisely with the "you-freaking-idiot" look. Methinks that Wisely had orders to have Kanda remember Alma. Wisely then realizes that he didn't screw up (perhaps read Kanda's mind and found Kanda was playing dumb). However, Road bluntly calls it Alma, "the defective disciple".
Kya! I swear, if any more characters act psychotically or freaky, I'll die!
Kanda glares hatefully, stating Alma is dead. Road than tells Kanda that is Alma, and the Order has been making him suffer his entire life from guilt, and now Alma is a soulless tool - his friend is not dead, but suffering endlessly. Then her coup de grace: "gee, I wonder if it has something to do with 'that person'... the woman who made you kill him?" Kanda almost stabs Road (plz plz plz do it Kanda!!!!) Allen stops Kanda, telling him to focus on saving the people around. Before Kanda can recover, Wisely activates his demon eye, telling them that they will use his brain to awake Alma Karma. Allen and Kanda see a symbol appear underneath them, and the scene changes.
And so it begins.
Allen wakes to see some strange child over him. The kid asks him if he's woken up and to raise a hand if he can move. Allen raises his hand haphazardly, completely confused. Alma then nearly bursts into tears of joy, and jumps over Allen. He starts talking to the pool of water that Allen is next too, saying the same lines we saw in Kanda's flashback last chapter. Allen realizes that he really wasn't the subject of the comments (so self-centered). Finally, Alma tells the water "Happy Birthday Yuu"!
Predictions/Other Thoughts:
Lots of discussion on this chapter, but this was a chapter I was personally waiting for - to clarify recent events and move at a slower pace but with more little items to notice. The big events of the chapter are the 14th's psychotic announcement, the "party" being defined", and Kanda's reaction to Alma.
It is no wonder this chapter is called "The Voice of Judas", and also can be interpreted as the Summon of Judas. That's because these events are only taking place because the 14th contacted the Earl months back via Level 4. In general, the 14th summoned the Earl - I think he knew the Earl would react as such after he contacted him. Why do I say that the 14th is at the core? Again, the "party" is called out as Allen's "going-away" party. Earl@Co want the Allen to leave the Order on his own accord, or so they say. They also don't want the Order to investigate the Akuma Egg. It is likely that the Earl combined goals of separating Allen from the Order and destroying the N. American Branch for it's research regarding the Third Exorcists. The key for that? Alma and Kanda.
I also wanted to bring up the prophecy surrounding Allen's Innocence - he is the "Destroyer of time". Bookman interpreted this as Allen would destroy the Millenium Earl. But what does it mean now that we know "Millenium Earl" is more likely to be a title of a position, and the 14th wants to be it? I predict next chapter will be of Allen observing Kanda's past and seeing the terrible things the Order has done. Purpose I think is to shake Allen's belief in the Order to the core. Perhaps a glimpse of Madarao. After that, I think it's very likely the 14th will appear again in this arc since he is a target. But what will Alma's awakening lead to? I have little to no ideas on how that helps.
Since I can't stop recommending songs, I'd say Judas Priest's Prophecy from Nostradamus fits this chapter, leading into "Revelations" from the same band for the next chapter. If you can't stand heavy metal with grating vocals, try "Cry for the Moon" by Epica. Thanks to I Eat Manga for some translations and Murasaki for the scans I used. Overall 17.5/20 chapter - great sketches, great improvements, not so much info as clarification but fascinating.
Credits go to earthforge@ MH
