[Matrixbeast]

Hibiki Volume 16.
Well, Zanki and Todayama's fight is a bust, as the Makamou (Who is a porcupine bull...Interesting combination) and one of the parents escape, Todayama unable to properly wield the guitar for any finishers, and Zanki unable to take out both of the parent monsters. Todayama is left apologetic and weak as Zanki tells him to forget all the training he's taught, realizing that Todayama was relying on him to fight alongside, rather than growing into his own warrior. Giving Todayama the guitar, he runs into the woods to train while the disc animals are out tracking the monsters. During this training, Zanki notices that Todayama is starting to develop his own fighting style.

In the meantime, Hibiki and Asumu leave off for a walk, having a nice heart to heart. I do enjoy scenes like this as Asumu finally gets a chance to air his feelings and thoughts out, rather than be the quiet wallflower he normally is. It's during their little talk that he spontaneously spurts out that he'd like to be Hibiki's disciple. Briefly afterwards, Hibiki tells him that he doesn't actually want to be his disciple nor an oni, but rather, Asumu simply wants some form of guidance. Hibiki tells him that he'll be his teacher in that sense and to not hesitate visiting him. It's a charming scene.

Back on the battlefield, they track down the Makamou, and Zanki stays out of this fight, letting Todayama fight both on his own. He holds his own well, quickly dispatching the remaining parent despite the Makamou raining down quills for him to dodge. He moves to the Makamou, and seems to have a difficult time before Zanki orders him to fight in his own way, rather than in Zanki's style. Following this advice, he manages to defeat it (And rocking out while doing so, rather than just a quick strum). After his win, Zanki tells Todayama to take on the name Zanki, but he refuses, telling him that he'll graduate into his own man, but he wants Zanki to remain Zanki. Afterwards, Zanki decides to name him Todoroki, because they both begin with "To."

This episode was really good. Despite not being new to fighting, Todayama has a crash course because he normally has Zanki by his side as well as Zanki performing the finisher. Here, he has to take out one of the parents as well as the Makamou alone, it was quite the undertaking for him. I'm not sure how I felt about Zanki just throwing him to the wind like that, but I guess he needed to hammer in that he won't always be Todayama's crutch due to the excess strain.
Asumu and Hibiki's walk together was also rather nice. Any time Asumu gets to actually let his thoughts out is nice, seeing as how he's normally reserved otherwise. I liked Hibiki shooting down Asumu's request to become his disciple, strangely. Asumu was never much of a fighter, and his being so unsure so often just didn't make for Oni material. But I do enjoy that Hibiki did turn things around, and told him that he will mentor him as basically a teacher and life coach, helping him overcome problems (Like the shoplifting thing). It was a nice conversation.

Also, after seeing Zanki and Todoroki's transformation burning their clothes off in the previous episode, it makes sense now why, after battles, they only de-transform their heads. Todoroki, this isn't your first rodeo. Come on, dude