Chicken Little is long gone. Father is near death’s door. Devils are closing in. Keiji, Elizabeth, and Keisuke have only one option: seek the Righteous Master. In Volume Nine of Rooster Fighter, our poultry heroes find themselves face-to-face with their most vicious foe yet. Thankfully, they’re not alone in this battle.

Within the Aokigahara Sea of Trees lies the Righteous Master, the one who trained alongside Keiji and Keisuke’s father. When a devil attacks the woodland creatures resting in the forest, the trio defeats it with their usual gusto. However, when they come across a powerful leopard, the ultimate test begins. And once it’s finished, the Righteous Master finally makes his appearance, and he’s, well, a hoot.

At this point, there should be no surprises left in Rooster Fighter. However, Shu Sakuratani still finds a way to pull out some head-turners from time to time. Considering the Righteous Master is a wise being, his form shouldn’t be so shocking. What is shocking is how he managed to train a leopard, whose powers come from a very familiar source.

However, there’s no time to lose. On top of having to heal Father, another devil is on their tails: Tsumegaki. At first, this nerdy-looking devil appears to be no threat. But when Keiji and Keisuke go on the attack, they learn quickly to never judge a book by its cover. Needless to say, this devil is one powerful mofo!

So powerful, in fact, that Keiji and Keisuke can’t defeat it in their current form. That’s when the leopard tags himself in, giving Tsumegaki one hell of a fight. The punches, kicks, and supernatural powers these two have are showcased in the same way the late Akira Toriyama would’ve shown Goku facing off against Frieza. (I wouldn’t be too surprised if this was the inspiration for this battle.) How it ends is not exactly satisfying, but at least there’s a bit of hope for our heroes found in the aftermath.

This leads into what Keiji, Keisuke, and Elizabeth must do now. Tsumegaki is too powerful, and their Righteous Eggs aren’t at full capacity. That’s when the Righteous Master spells it out for them, and it’s news that Keiji doesn’t take lightly. However, if he wants to defeat Tsumegaki and Madam Kugone, it’s a path Keiji and Keisuke need to walk.

It still baffles me how amazing Rooster Fighter is. This joke of a manga about a powerful chicken should be done by now, but Shu Sakuratani still finds ways to keep it badass and cool on almost every page. And if the end of Volume Nine is any indication, we know exactly what’s in store for our heroes next. Suit up, gang! It’s time for a Training Arc!

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media. Click here to read past reviews of Rooster Fighter!