Yumekui Kenbun Nightmare Inspector Volume 6 by Shin Mashiba

Hiruko the Baku is back in this newest installment of the series. It contains another eight episodes to tempt the mind and the soul.

In the first story, a young girl dreams of being in a dark corridor, prevented from moving anywhere, forwards or back. a heavy rope is tied around her waist, and she cannot get free. But when Hiruko helps her find what she is tied to, which way will she turn to find an escape from her dilemma and imprisonment?

The next story has a girl who is the only scion of a noble family dreaming of someone stalking her, as seen through the stalker's eyes. When Hiruko descends into her dream, he helps her see who is stalking her, right through to the future. But is her dream what she believes it to be?

Then, when Hifumi destroys Hiruko's case, he, Hiruko and Shima will have to go to Delirium to get a new case. But can they overcome the challenges that lie beyond the walls and halls of Delirium?

In the next story, Hiruko is approached by another member of Hifumi's society that wants to plumb the secrets of both the Teahouse and Delirium. She is having a nightmare about her body being replaced with that of a doll. But something is strange about her nightmare. It is as if someone is manipulating it to make her reaction to it worse. Can Hiruko figure out what or who is doing this?

Next, Hiruko relates his history with someone who came to the teahouse, Tsukihiro. He and Hiruko met shortly after Hiruko became a Baku. But while they connected in the past, their outlooks today are very different. For Tsukihiro is also a Baku, but his method with nightmares is as vastly different from Hiruko as night and day.

And, when Tsukihiro goes into Mizuki's dreams to manipulate her, can Hiruko prevent Tsukihiro from driving her crazy in her nightmare? Will more of Hiruko's secrets be revealed, and to what use will his fellow Baku put what he has learned?

Next, Tsukihiro has left, but Mizuki stays locked in her nightmare, unable to wake. Once again, Hiruko must put his powers to use to free her from her nightmare and find out more about the brother she loved so much, and who she feels Hiruko is, even if his physical form looks nothing like her beloved brother.

Then, when Hiruko falls asleep and is unable to be awakened, Hifumi must take over for Hiruko. but when he accidentally burns and destroys Hiruko's cane, will it ever be the same? And will he ever be forgiven?

At long last, we get to see that not all Baku have humanity's best interests at heart, and Tsukihiro is the one manipulating the dreams of people to make them more horrifying, and thus, more tasty for him. But will Hiruko come to the aid of Tsukihiro's victime? More, does he even want to?

Here again, Hifumi proves to be an irritant and more of a hindrance than a help. He's supposed to be investigating Hiruko, but he's on the make for, and constantly distracted by his landlady Mizuki. Since she appears much younger than he is, he also comes across as a bit of a lecher even though his aim is to marry her rather than debauch her.

An interesting set of stories, and I can almost tell that there will be more conflicts between Hiruko and Tsukihiro in the future, but which one is more emblematic of Baku as a whole? The Nightmare Healer or the one who makes them worse for his own amusement and delectation?