[Matrixbeast]

Hibiki Volume 20.
This one was rather straightforward, but one part confused me a little, but I'll get to that in a bit.
Zanki starts by leaving for Todoroki's location, wanting answers for his shredding on the guitar after every battle. Someone isn't very happy...
So Asumu is working hard at his new job, but life catches up to him and he fumbles a bit, dropping a tray and shattering a tea cup. It's not too bad, considering his last downer event...It's here that the old man entrusts the shop to him should he and Hinaka be indisposed helping the Oni, quite a hefty responsibility...

Anyway, we cut to Zanki offing two more crab demons and the Makamou, and he engages in his little rock session once more, but this time Zanki arrives and catches him in the act. We get an explanation that he's doing it to ward off any evil energy in the area, and I'm unsure whether or not that's an excuse, but Zanki accepts it.

Then we see the cloaked man insert a vial containing something into his staff, then planting it into the ground (He also did this in the last episode, but I don't think it amounted to anything, unless I didn't realize it), and here is where I get a little confused. Two demons and a Makamou appear before him, and they say it's thanks to him that they have life, implying that he revived him. But they're not very similar to the monsters Todoroki killed earlier, having stingers on their arms and now being able to fly (The crab Makamou, too), and Hibiki's conversation with the old man seems to imply their different. So did the cloaked man revive the recently killed monsters and upgrade them, or are they unrelated monsters with a Makamou that just happen to resemble a crab?

Anyway, Hibiki and an untransformed Zanki arrive on the scene to help Todoroki, and we see Hibiki use his new ability to create a flame/energy blade from his Ongekibou, cutting off one of the crab's wings, stopping it from flying, and Todoroki gets the kill. Zanki says he's going to come back, but as a supporter for Todoroki, and he starts rocking out once more.

Nice episode, nothing too special, but it was good. Todoroki's talk with Zanki was nice, and having him decide to un-retire and aid Todoroki is cool. Asumu just got a boatload of responsibility dumped on him on his first day, so...Sorry kid. Hibiki using that fire blade thing in a fight was neat, too.

I think, right now, the only problem I have is the cloaked villain. I know I'm only 20 episodes in so I shouldn't be antsy, but it's just so confusing to follow when he's involved, now. First he was feeding demons rambutans that gave them power ups, but stopped after one went berserk. Then he encountered Akira on the bridge, but that was so confusing I have no idea what actually happened since all we know is that she passed out. And, recently, he's been putting vials of science juice into his staff and planting it into the ground, with demons seemingly reviving, except when they don't and the scene just ends with no idea of what the result was.
I'm getting a little frustrated since he's been showing up for the past 8 or so episodes now, and there's just far too many questions concerning him at the moment. All we know is that he's apparently high up on the rankings, since other demons bow in his presence, but beyond that...Nothing.

No, I'm not looking for the show to just remove the cloak and tell me everything, but his constant machinations and "Experiments" with no rhyme or reason behind the scenes is just getting weary.