SHY Vol 28,29 - Ninja Iko was ultra cool! Sekilala's backstory...

Volumes 28 and 29 of SHY start and complete the Iko and Sekilala sub-story. This arc centers on their complex relationship with love and finally reveals the true target for the final showdown against Amarariruku. As you may remember from the previous post, Iko was attacked and left nearly dead, while Teru was kidnapped and taken to the enemy base.

After reading the preview segment in the 27th volume, I was genuinely worried that they would do something terrible to Teru considering the threats from Stigma. However, it turns out their idea of torture was more akin to putting her in embarrassing situations, which was honestly more amusing than anything else.

In the meantime, Iko approached the ninja clan and asked to be trained. Within one month, she became a quite adept ninja. This training, combined with the powers of "Black Iko", allowed her to fight on the same level as the fake heroes and even defeat Fake Shy within a few minutes.

The assault on the enemy base was led by Iko and the ninja clan. They managed to make it inside, but only Iko ended up facing Sekilala Lovesong because the others were stalled by Kufufu Kekerakera. They were trapped in a bizarre, life-sized board game where players literally age from childhood to old age.

Sekilala eventually delves into her backstory. After establishing an initial romcom style relationship with Shine, the story dives deep into tragedy. It is honestly horrifying material; she ends her story in a jail cell wishing for death while waiting for Shine to arrive. Shine eventually does come, but it is too late for her. At least she seemed to have found peace thanks to Iko, but still...

The 29th volume ends with a double revelation that changes everything. First, Shine's body is on the moon, and the Amarariruku base is actually a massive rocket currently flying toward it. The second revelation is that Teru's heart is only beating because there is a ring inside it. If they defeat Stigma, the ring will disappear and Teru will die immediately.

Honestly, I am still puzzled about what exactly happened to Shine in the end. Throughout the various volumes, we have seen her endure many misfortunes, but nothing ever seemed remotely dangerous to her superhuman powers as a hero. What exactly caused her death in the first place? I feel there is going to be a shocking revelation soon, and it may involve something related to Teru.

I was amazed by Iko's growth in these volumes. She transformed from a worried friend into a fierce warrior ready to do whatever it takes to bring Teru home. The focus now shifts to the conundrum of Teru's heart, but I am sure they will find a way for her to survive in the end.

I am still not sure if Iko sees Teru more as a friend or as a potential partner, and I think that ambiguity is intentional on the author's part. They show the two as being incredibly close, yet the story shies away from going further to avoid hindering the narrative. I guess we can only hope for more development after the end credits.

The other heroes were noticeably absent in these two volumes, and I wonder if they will have a chance to shine again in the remaining four volumes. I feel that some of the heroes introduced later were a bit thin on content and ended up being quite forgettable. My best guess is that they will remain on Earth to counter whatever Stigma has prepared, while Teru, Iko, and Ai face him on the moon.

Judging from the preview segment, the rocket will accelerate and reach the moon in the next volume, where the final showdown against Stigma will happen. How will they manage to solve the problem of Teru's heart? Surely there has to be a way to avoid another tragedy and allow Teru to continue living her not-so-normal life.