“Keep your hands off the Home Ec Club.” That’s no mere warning from Juzo Ogami; it’s a threat to anyone who dares to try to harm his friends. Although our hero in Kill Blue had his fair share of allies during his hitman days, it wasn’t until this chance to relive middle school that Juzo finally found people he could call his pals. But someone wants to take this joy away from him, and as the sixth volume of Kill Blue shows, that’s not something anyone should dare try to do.

This whole volume is taken up by a rescue mission, as Noren and the rest of the Home Ec Club are kidnapped by members of the JARDIN Syndicate. With disciplinary committee member Shido Jumonji joining them, Juzo and Kotatsu set off to find the bus with the captured students. Once they reach the bus, Juzo and Shido face off against Yoshitsune and Johnny, hitmen with unique skills. Thankfully, not unique enough to be a problem for either Juzo or Shido.

Johnny’s got a thing for jellyfish, with his specialized robot looking exactly like the nautical creature. For Yoshitsune, his skill of catching bullets in mid-air means Juzo will have to use physical strength to take him down, something he doesn’t have much of in his middle school body. However, Juzo’s pissed off enough that he’s able to show off some killer punches that show why he’s still the best hitman around, shrunken body or not. As for Shido, he winds up being very useful against Johnny, especially with him being more irked at the JARDIN assassin’s interests than him actually kidnapping his friends.

Kill Blue then delivers a surprisingly good fake out. Things seem like they’ve calmed down, but Juzo still senses the tension. That’s when the new head of JARDIN appears: Yoichiro Oka. He seems like a decent guy. A well-knit family, a love for cooking, and a genuine sense of care for those around him. But then you remember, “Oh, right, he’s the one who kidnapped Noren and the rest.” After all, just because someone has a family doesn’t mean they’re a good person. (Just ask Kim-Jong Un!)

That’s when the second act of this rescue mission shifts into full gear. With Shido out of action, it’s Juzo that must take full command of the mission. But that doesn’t mean that he’s got no backup, as a certain ex-wife appears not only to deal with a couple of goons, but also to give Juzo back his adult body…for a brief moment. When that happens, the fun truly begins!

Although we only briefly saw Juzo’s skills in adult form in the manga’s beginning, this moment gives us a good idea of what his true strength really is. Both guns and fists are used in his battle against Oka, with the new JARDIN head keeping up well with Juzo’s skills. But with a bus filled with students on fire and Noren held in a separate building, Juzo’s urgency to rescue everyone pushes his strengths to higher levels than ever before. And then, well…

It’s hard not to spoil the real fun of the sixth volume of Kill Blue. While there have been plenty of great fights and a plethora of rescue missions already, this one shows just how far Juzo will go to save those he cares about. But even scarier is the kind of power Oka seems to throw around, both in physical strength and in the kind of corporation he runs. With this being the halfway point of the manga, it’s safe to say that Kill Blue has shown all of its cards for the overall narrative. So now, the real game is about to begin!

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.