Since we reached where Asa is shown to Break contracts, I think it's a fair time to bring this up. Zero spoilers, fear not.

For English readers, "Break" and "Seal" may be quick and snappy ways to name the powers the twins are privy to. But in my East Asian eyes, I see something more complex and feel the English term is oversimplified. So I thought, why not write about what I know?

Break - 解 / Kai

Whilst Kodansha USA and Crunchyroll translated this as "Break", it's really more like "Release".

As per Ep 6, Asa can use this power to Release intangible things such as subspaces and Daemon contracts. So what's the theoretical extent of this power?

In Chinese, 解 has several meanings including "unravel", "unbind", "untie", "solve", "answer", "explain" and so on.

While I'm uncertain from how many angles author Hiromu Arakawa is looking at this word, at least from the Japanese side it can be used like so:

1. 解く / toku - untie; unfasten; unwrap; unstitch; solve; release; cancel; dismiss
2. 解除 / kaijyo - release (from obligations); remove; unlock; terminate; cancel; deactivate
3. 解放 / kaihou - release; liberate
4. 解凍 / kaitou - thaw; defrost
5. 解決 / kaiketsu - settlement; solution; resolution
6. 解散 / kaisan - break up; disperse
7. 解答 / kaitou - answer; solution
8. 解釈 / kaishaku - interpretation; explanation
9. 解読 / kaidoku - decipher; decode

Long story short, 解 / Kai has a variety of vocabulary to work with, and thus a diverse suite of powers that extend beyond just breaking/destroying.

• On one hand, I am seriously doubtful the power can be used for things like "settling arguments" or "show me the answer" or "give me the explanation"
• On the other, I bet unlocking/deactivating digital locks is absolutely doable

Point is, "Break" to me oversimplifies 解 / Kai a bit too much for my liking, as though it's only for "destruction", as though you can only break ropes instead of unfastening or unraveling them

Personally, I would've translated it as "Release" to convey this nature across, plus it's the direct opposite of "Seal" too.

Seal - 封 / Fuu

Official or unofficial, all translations went with "Seal" for 封 / Fuu. This is definitely the best choice, but it still simplifies things a bit too much.

In Chinese, 封 has connotations of "seal", "close", "block", "bind", etc. In Japanese, usages include:

1. 封じる / fuujiru - seal off; block off
2. 封鎖 / fuusa - sealing off; blockade; lockdown
3. 封じ込める / fuujikomeru - shut in; confine; trap; contain; suppress; restrain

In terms of vocabulary, 封 certainly has less available than 解 (not that they need to be equal), but my gut says this power's limits depend on what kinds of stuff the user is allowed to "close" and "lock".

For example, I can imagine this power being used to:

• "Lock" various materials together into makeshift weapons
• Close off prey in enclosed spaces
• Trap opponents' feet from moving
• Shield with arbitrary blockades
• Close wounds

There's so much extremely compatible usages with Yuru's hunter antics.

Last Big Question

So you have these two powers which by themselves are very powerful. But what I want to know most of all is can users "release" and "seal" things at the molecular level?

If so, these two powers may as well be "Deconstruction" and "Reconstruction". Sound familiar?