Act 11 Voodoo Child 15

Workman Francoise is attempting to gather the names of the teams for registration. “The GetBackers and these pleasant fellows” Ban announces (then there is a little corner panel where Ban is actually telling the man “Midou Ban with a quartet of Tamagawa”. Ginji is confused.).
We then get a two-page spread of (literally) words blowing in the night wind. “The Mirror of the Queen”, “Voodoo Child”, “Voodooists”, “Reverse Fuuchoin”, “The famous Coliseum of Hell”, “the interlaced destinies of the warriors” they read, and the title; “The all-out battle is about to begin in the Underground Lower Shinjuku!!”

On with the story then. Fuuga and the GetBackers team are reunited. Ginji does his usual fan dance tare-style at seeing his old friends (to which Ban says “Not tare again…”). He is glad they made it. Ban comments it’s unusual to see Sakura out so who’s protecting things back home. She says Emishi is so she’s not worried (then we see a panel of Emishi sneezing* and Makubex complaining he’s sleepy. Seems Emishi is keeping him up playing those computer games). Then Ginji notices Saizou and repeats his name over and over looking scared in tare form. Ban asks who is that? Ginji tells him he’s part of Kazuki’s family thought a different sect and that they use a similar thread skill. “HigashiFuuchouin…?” Ban says doing his usual I-am-quite-suspicious-of-you-and-likely-know-something-about-you look. Ginji screams again. “What is it now?” Ban says. “It’s Fuuga!” Ginji replies. Akabane gets excited at this and goes on about how he’s glad that one of Mugenjou’s old gangs has reformed and how this makes things even more interesting. Then Ginji gets all excited, saying that it’s great the Fuuga team made it as they can work together and will win easily. “What are you saying, Ginji-kun?” Akabane says with an evils smile then goes on that only one team can win so of course they will have to “throw down” the Fuuga team. Ban agrees then goes off on one about Kazuki taking off his clothes to see if he really is a man. (“That’s a joke right, Ban-chan?” Tare-Ginji asks). Anyway, Kazuki looks all serious and finally Ginji gets it. “So that’s how it is…Both of us will be serious.” he says. Ban tells him they need to be serious about the other teams too. He then goes on about Fuuga doing there best not to die. Maria comments that Ban is very concerned and knuckles his head. Amusing picture ensues. Himiko then goes all scary and says she’s not worried, she aches to hurry up and kill. The GetBackers look a little concerned at that. “Does it seem fun, Himiko-chan?” Maria asks. “Not particularly fun…”she replies. Ban gets moody and Maria considers how Ban is bitter and is always thinking of that… But Kazuki just realised something’s up with Himiko, Ginji quickly changes the subject. “I..In any case, I’m glad you’re all safe…”he says. Then there’s noise and shaking and Ginji wonders if it’s an earthquake but no, it’s the door opening…onto a huge stadium. An announcer speaks; “Ladies and Gentleman!! It has been exactly 100 years since the Event in Germany, a long time since the Underground Battle GrandPrix Competition took place…The Queen’s Cup!!! There at the entrance ate the brave people who got through the competitive eliminations!!” “What is this?” Ginji asks in his usual shocked mode. Akabane, after commenting on the great atmosphere, explains; he tells us this festival has occurred since the time of Ancient Rome under the emperor Caligula (oookay then…) who started it all and it is “time honoured event”. The audience gathered belong to the underground world and includes “celebrities of darkness”. These people, he says, appreciate, enjoy and savour battle and the ending of lives. “The decadent noblemen of Ancient Rome were the same,” he says. Ban says something sarcastic about it being a good hobby, to which Akabane replies that Ban’s father is the same. Some startled looks all around are followed by Ban’s “There’s no relationship.” Then he says their aim is to get back the mirror Himiko and he’s not interested in anything else. “Of course that the most important thing, GetBackers,” says Akabane. So then they are greeted by none other than (an image of) the Queen. Kazuki is shocked and Himiko asks Akabane if that’s her other self to which he replies; “Yes, the symbol of the Infernal Dome, Queen Himiko.” And so aforementioned queen Himiko starts off on a speech. Would you like to hear it? Well it’s too long so here’s what she’s babbling about. She welcomes the fighters then goes on about the limited life of a human and aiming towards heaven and so from the depths Babylon was raised up. With her favour the 5 “true heroes” who win (?) the tournament can reach this height. She then asks the fighter to battle, to shed blood and “from beyond the mist [of battle] seize victory and win eternal glory. From here, forge ahead and increase your skills to us!” Then the start of the 20th Queen’s Great Fighting Contest, the Queen’s Cup, is declared. The crowd cheers but Ban comments how the Queen’s words were farcical. Ginji notices that he can her voice and see her image but she is not herself present. Ban comments that it seems something so important must be hidden. Now back to the announcer who is introducing 4 pots and explaining how opponents for the final are to be decided. We are told that a representative from the teams takes a pot and draws the coin within it. A gold coin denotes the first match, a silver coin the second. Ban draws first (amidst Ginji praying they don’t get matched against Fuuga. Ban draws a gold coin. So it is announced and Ban flips the coin up wondering who will be their opponents. Well, a coin goes whizzing past him cutting his cheek (again) and hitting his coin. It seems the stag-headed group are their opponents. The announcer gleefully tells the audience how well matched the teams are and introduces the opponents as assassins from the Beltline, “The Beast Group, Der Henkel!!” Ginji looks none too please they are from the Beltline and Ban considers how “Der Henkel is German. “Could it be that…” he wonders. Akabane smirks. So then we go to Kagami in the audience talking to a shadowed figure. “It’s good isn’t it,” he says, “Your son’s turn is near.” The figure replies; “Yes, what father would not look forward to it.” And over a picture of Ban he goes on, “It seems my child has grown up.”

The blurb for the next chapter is very revealing;
“On the eve of the opening fight, Ban is watched by his father’s (with the furigana* reading “Der Kaiser”) gaze!! What is the goal of the man who is called the “Emperor of the Beltline”!?”

*The Japanese think you sneeze when someone is talking about you.

*Furigana is the pronunciation written over Kanji to aid reading. In manga particularly furigana is used to add to or change the meaning of words. In this case the Kanji reads “Father” whilst the Katakana above it reads “Der Kaiser”.