For as dark as Kagurabachi can be, it also has underlying themes of hope and friendship and frequently shows strong bonds formed in the most unlikely circumstances.
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Vs. Sojo Arc
- Despite his initial annoyance at the trio of fish his father bought as pets, Chihiro genuinely grew fond of them and cared for them far more actively than his father ever did.
- Chihiro quickly shows a soft spot for Char, which quickly develops into a big brother-esque protectiveness toward the young girl. He is notably the first to ask about her personal needs instead of prying for information and willingly takes her out to eat himself.
- While it ends in tragedy, Madoka's sister is willing to forgive her brother's sins and pick him up to go make amends with their mother after he chooses to turn his back on his mercenary lifestyle.
- Without a second thought, Chihiro prioritizes keeping Hinao, and later an entire street of people (unknowingly including Hakuri in a nearby store) safe at expense of himself during his first duel against Sojo. Whenever he tries to endanger their lives to make his point on the destructive purpose of the Enchanted Blades, he takes the electric blows at expense of himself until backup arrives.
- The flashbacks to Char's mother caring for her. Despite her fair deal of trauma and reasons to be bitter herself as a single mother and genocide survivor, she is nothing but happy and joyful around her beloved daughter. Her dedication to ensuring the best life possible for her daughter culminates in her sacrificing her life to let her escape Sojo.
- The moment Chihiro saves Char from Sojo, he fulfills a previous promise to get her something new to eat after she threw up her first meal. The simple gesture of an uncrushed sandwich is enough to have her crying Tears of Joy.
Rakuzaichi Arc
- While Hinao downplays it herself, she obviously is invested in the safety of Chihiro and his allies, as she willingly sticks around to assist in their quest and help look after Char.
- Hakuri paying Chihiro back for saving his life by taking a punch from Hiyuki, and giving him a short morale-boosting speech to comfort him after a moment of vulnerability about being unworthy of the Enchanted Blades, telling him no matter how other people use his father's weapons, he chooses to use them for good and deserves to wield them under those merits.
- Throughout the arc, Shiba grows more sympathetic and kind toward Hakuri as he proves a loyal Nice Guy in spite of how he was treated by the people who raised him. While he initially starts off suspicious of him as a Sazanami, by the time Soya is pursuing them he actively refuses to give him up and fights on his behalf to keep him safe.Shiba: Sorry, but he's with us now.
- Chihiro giving up Enten in a hostage exchange for Hakuri. While his own father savages him for being useless and not even worth keeping alive, Chihiro refutes this and claims Hakuri is worth a lot to him, giving a Meaningful Echo to Hakuri's own speech earlier after taking a punch from Hiyuki for him. Hearing this visibly touches Hakuri.
- After hearing Chihiro's master plan to scout out the storehouse and discover what he can about it through his bond to Enten, Shiba notes the great bravery such a maneuver would take and internally notes how proud he is of Chihiro.
- Hinao, Hakuri, and Char all running around playing games and eating ice cream together throughout the background of Chapter 28.
