It should come to no surprise that things are winding down rapidly in this story by this point. Tetsuo's massive event at the end of volume four only served to create further panic and destruction to the already ravaged area of Neo-Tokyo. With this panic comes international unrest and the coming of the Americans. With scores of aircraft carriers, helicopters, jets, and soldiers poised off the coast of Japan, it is made clear rather quickly that they are there with one purpose: destroy Akira. The problem is, the military seems oblivious of the presence of Tetsuo. The scientists collected aboard the American fleet are fully aware of Tetsuo and while they continue to try and convince the commander of the forces there of his danger, the military continues to ignore Tetsuo's existence. The military, in fact, opts to ignore the reports the scientists submit and send in a small contingent of special forces troops to kill Akira, much to the disappointment of the scientists.
Meanwhile, the Colonel brings the last Esper to Lady Miyako's temple, although both he and the girl are heavily wounded, resulting from the attack in the previous volume. The Colonel and Kei meet and discuss the condition of Chiyoko, still wounded back at the ruins of the military headquarters. Kei wants to go back with the Colonel to retrieve Chiyoko and bring her back to the temple, to which the Colonel agrees. The two journey through the Tokyo wastes and the tension runs high as they are attacked by roving groups of Akira worshippers. There are points where it truly seems as though they may not make it to the headquarters but eventually they do. This does not deter the attackers, however, as they launch their last stand attack inside the headquarters. All are killed through the course of battle, but Kei is wounded and remains unconscious for some time afterward. The Colonel converts a caretaker drone to transport Kei and Chiyoko back to the temple. The transport is driven by Kaneda and his friend Kaisuke, who followed Kei and the Colonel earlier. The Colonel remains behind at the headquarters, vowing to destroy Tetsuo.
Speaking of Kaneda, he is caught up quickly with the events he missed while gone and Kaisuke introduces him to an old enemy, Joker, who once led a rival biker gang called the clowns. Joker is now working with Kaisuke to restore bikes and stockpile weapons to someday use against Tetsuo. Kaneda finds new clothing and a new bike and he and Kaisuke help get Kei and Chiyoko back to Lady Miyako. It is hinted at strongly throughout this volume that Kaneda and Kei are developing feelings of love between them. At one point, late in the story, Kei agrees to work with the Espers and Lady Miyako and face Tetsuo alone, as it is revealed she has a form of their power and can function as a medium to channel their collective powers. When she agrees to this she asks Kaneda to stay with her overnight in the temple. Tetsuo is unsure how to respond as he clearly wants to. Once he finds out she will face Tetsuo he flies into a rage and vows to protect her and states that he will face Tetsuo alone and kill him rather than risk Kei's life. He kisses her and says he will stay with her another time, which is a very touching moment in the story and it feels genuine in the face of all of the dangers emerging. Kaneda, Joker, and Kaisuke, along with others, round up bikes, weapons, and other gear and charge toward Akira's base to strike at Tetsuo. Kei asks Chiyoko to follow and help Kaneda.
At the same time, the American special forces moves into the area hoping to disperse biological weapons to kill Akira and his followers. It is hinted that if the bio-weapons fail, then the American fleet is armed with numerous nuclear missiles that can be launched. The followers of Akira get wind of the incoming American forces and arm themselves, preparing for all-out war.
Tetsuo and Akira are interesting as well. Akira mostly sleeps throughout this volume, as children often will. Tetsuo, it is explained by Lady Miyako, is undergoing a period of evolution wherein the power within him is growing stronger and more independent, desiring to break free of the body it is imprisoned in. She explains that if that occurred before Tetsuo was stopped, Tetsuo could become like Akira; that is, a being composed entirely of the power, and retaining no recognizable semblance of the true personality of the person. Throughout the volume Tetsuo appears at peace, not the raving, pill-popping madman he was in the previous volumes. He has kicked the pill habit and is clean with energy. This makes him all the more dangerous as he and Akira "play" as kids do, though within the center of the earth, creating massive earthquakes. Tetsuo also teleports to the moon and ravages it, blowing out at least a third of it in a display of raw power. Obviously this creates weather problems and tidal chaos in the oceans, further prompting the American military to move froward with their plans of striking at Akira. Tetsuo begins to unravel and mutate as the story progresses however, as his power is growing exponentially. He teleports to the American fleet and destroys a large portion of it as Kei appears as well. The two engage in battle and Kei flees after damaging Tetsuo. She acknowledges her failure to stop him but understands she must face him again.
With that, volume five comes to a close. The action is slower than in the previous two volumes, but it is a refreshing pace. Characters are fleshed out and relationships are explored that make the readers care more about the story in the long run. The collapse of Akira's followers is realistic and the sense of dread near the end as the various groups converge on Akira's base is the best way to foreshadow the climax in the upcoming volume. And the reader can see that not everyone will survive; it is obvious that some will not make it. And with that, the story is nearly complete. Following volume six I will post one final entry looking at the film and some of the differences. Until next week, mata ne!
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