Taboo-Tattoo 5

Taboo Tattoo

p01

title: #05 Fire Fox

white float: White Rose's fiery fennec will burn everything to ashes with her fox's flame
black ad: More books being printed! Volume 1 on sale now!
box: Name: Lisa Lovelock \ Alias: Lovely Fennec \ Affiliation: U.S. Army \ Rank: Second Lieutenant
tl note: Lovely Fennec is her official English Alias. In kanji it reads "Shiranui Kitsune", or "Will-'o-the-wisp Fox".

p02

*pant* *pant* *pant*

Summary: As chance would have it, Seigi has gained a mysterious ancient super-weapon, a "spell crest." He now assists Izzie, who is dispatched from America to Japan, in her mission to recover the spell crests...

Shit!
No one told me Blue Moon had a kid like that with 'em!

p03

You're not much of a runner.
sfx: hah, hah
*pant*
If you're gonna be a thief you need to be better at running away, {small} Mr. Spell Crest thief.

p04

Don't get cocky with me!

Outta my way!

Kch-

Your movements are too stiff. Loosen up.

p05

Don't try to fight the increased strength you get from your spell crest.
You mustn't go against the flow. Keep a more natural stance!

I've been hearing that so much it's wearing my ear...

Out!!

p06

OK
That was better.

buildings sfx(?): wirrr wirrr
hand sfx: Fft-

p07

Phew, close... It'd have sucked if it cut out right in mid-fight...
You need to consider the timing of when to replenish your trigger.

The "drive" after using a trigger generally lasts about 10 minutes.
You can't extend the activation for a longer time by taking in a lot of your trigger at once, so watch out.
Y-Yeah... I'll be careful.

I guess I've still got a long way to go in my training.
float: But...

sfx: *clench*
float: I'm... getting stronger, aren't I...

He's only been using a spell crest for two weeks... His speed at adapting is uncanny.

And moreover, he's compatible with the Void Maker.
float: I suppose for now we can say that he's a gifted child with spell crests...

p08

According to Aristotle,
one who is self-sufficient, without needing to associate with others, is either a beast or else a god.

I am aware, moreso than anyone else, that my own true nature is that of a "beast".
Mew
But I don't feel ashamed of that fact, and I've never thought of trying to cure myself.

Your mother cat... moved her nest... has she...?
I've never felt the need to do so.

p09

Well, fine... from now on... you can take care of... yourself...

I need to go... to work now...
Rather...

Never mind a beast. If the Princess wished it, I would become an ogre or a devil.

p10

sfx: pop

sfx: *daze*
sfx: plop plop plop

I made coffee.

p11

Oh?
What's the matter Alex?

This guy...
He just asked out a girl from his favourite coffee shop and got turned down.

Aww, you poor thing.
After that bitter experience you need a hot cup of coffee with sugar.

Th-Thanks a lot, ma'am.
*sob*

PFFFFFF!!
WOAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

p12

What the hell is this!!

What's this all about? Is this some kind of prank?
OK Harry, steady now...

What're you trying to say? "The misfortunes of others are sweet like sugar! Teehee <3"?
Sorry, sorry. I'll pour you another...

You've been acting distracted all morning. Has something come up?

Hmm...
A little something with Blue Moon, maybe...

Come to think of it, Lieutenant, you've known their leader for a long time, haven't you?
Well, pretty long... 5 years now I guess.
I met her once, when we were still back stateside.

p13

How to put it... the gap between her demeanor and her appearance made her pretty cute.
Hey, don't be rude.
Hmm...
But though she seems that way now, she used to be quite unpersonable.

Like she had built a wall between herself and others...
Though she seems to have mellowed out lately.

I bet the Lieutenant charmed her with that trademark cheeriness.
"Charmed"...?

I had an interest in her.

Izzie hated Spell Crests.
It was clear from the things she would say at the time that she didn't like them.
Whoa... She's never this serious.
And yet she was obsessed with them, going so far as to join the army and make use of the power... I wanted to know why.

p14

.... So... Did you find out what her reasons were?

Nope. {editors: sorry, blame it on Engrish}

But I consider Izzie a close friend.
And she has the same faith in me, so whenever we talk, it raises my spirits.
float: ... Although... The fact that she's hiding something from me is kinda depressing...

It's been bothering me...
Won't we also be attacked like Blue Moon was?

We certainly can't deny that possibility.
Bah! Don't worry about that!
Aside from the spell crest detectors we just recent deployed,
we've got surveillance cameras and all kinds of sensors installed in the area.

We're plenty well prepared!

p15

You know you're just asking for it by saying that.
Oh give me a break, this isn't some Hollywood movie.

p16

sfx(top left): beep

Wha-?!
sfx(center left): woop woop woop

Speak of the devil! An enemy attack, and close!?
sfx(black): vwom
sfx(white): (dunno, ignore. "ki ki ki")

p17

sfx: splut
sfx: krshhh...
sfx: Ffft

p19

Watch out for friendly fire!

p20

sfx: thunk
Kah...

David!

p21

sfx: pshunk
sfx: vwrreeee

p22-23

sfx: BANG

float: What... was that...!?
Khah...Hagh!!

p24

sfx(bottom): BEEEP, Vrrrr
Waaagh!

p25

That startled me. ....Something urgent?

What...?!

We're doing the fitness exam today.
I want each of you to give your very best, so you'll have no regrets.

Those who perform well will get a place on the track and field team, whether you like it or not.

Izzie-san, 6.9 seconds.
Wow! That foreign girl's got some good legs on her. She's fast like an anteater!
I think you mean an antelope.

p26

You're a pretty fast runner, Izzie!
Thanks.
Well, even so I was holding myself back...

float: She's fitting right in.

box: Boys' self study
float: There should be a generation gap. Is she able to talk with them?

Ichinose-san, 6.2 seconds!
Amazing!
No way!

Huh!

Standing long jump, 3.56m!!

p27

Wonderful, Ichinose!
You could take on the world at this rate! You could even surpass that monster, Bolt!!
It's j-just a fluke...
Just where have you been training, huh!? By golly you're the very picture of an athlete! {small} You're on track team!

Ah-
Wah!

Wait a minute Touko!
Do you always get these kinds of results? {small} Frankly this is world-class.

No but... For the past while I've just felt in really good shape, like my body's light and I'm full of energy.
I don't usually do this well!

float: It's... activated?

p28

float: If so her senses should also be heightened...
Ahn! <3

...Hey- Izzie, what are you doing!?
I'm sorry, just a little something I wanted to double-check...

Khsch...
Lieutenant, it's an emergency! We received a call for reinforcements from White Rose!
I'm not aware of the details but you should move to White Rose's hideout immediately!

Mr. Gotouza
radio: I'm heading over as well.

Due to circumstances that I must attend to, I request to leave school early.

p29

Eh? What're you talkin'...

Please, sir.

float: That look in her eye... Whatever she's doing isn't on the up-and-up!

All right, granted!!
Go on and do whatever it is you gotta do!

Thank you very much, sir!

sfx: bzzzzz
float: An Enemy? ...No.

p30

float: No, this is reacting to Izzie.

float: She's not there...?
handwirtten: Bring it on!! \ Ya-no! \ Ya-no! \ C'mon, sprint!! \ This never ends

Teach! I gotta use the washroom!
Uh? Hey!

sfx: drrrrrt...

p31

No good, she's not answering.
I'll try Tom too...

Seigi-kun?

float: We mustn't carelessly get him involved this time!
float: Plus, I'm driving right now!

Tom's not answering either...
sfx: bzzzt... beep

The detector's alarm stopped...?
float: Spell crests can't be stopped voluntarily; she must still be Driving...
float: Which means Izzie must have gone outside the detector's range.

p32

I knew it. Something's definitely up!

p33

float: If she's in a hurry she'd be traveling over the rooftops!

float: But which direction...?

float: There!

Izzie!!

p34

That's quite enough of your mischief, you little cat burglar.

You're Iltutmish the Stray Cat, Right? {small} I've seen you in pictures.

You can change... the molecules in the air... into combustible substances?

p35

Although it appears... the spark to light it... must be made separately...

I'm impressed.
You figured it out. Even though it should be odourless.

I have... a good nose...

No, I mean it's not... Well whatever.
Methane, ethane, propane... If it's a burnable gas with a simple molecular structure, I can make it easily.

But as for yourself, you've also got a weird blade there.

That bang earlier was from a shock wave releasaed by that sword, right?
You gotta tell me how that thing's put together inside.
And after that, maybe how you got into the house, if you could.

p36

Those are... secrets.

Hahah! They would be, huh...
You don't just give away your hand to the enemy like that.

But in any case...

How dare you intrude on my home, right when we were having a pleasent group chat.

And to do in so many of my adorable boys...

p37

Don't think for a second that I'll let you get away with this.

You can't blame me if there's nothing left of you but cinders!!

p38

Are you telling me... someone of your murderous... war-loving race... feels anger at the thought of fallen comrades?
Enough of your... tasteless jokes....

Foolish enemy of the princess,
You will die!

sfx: weeeooo
cops: Pull over!
tom: Wha~

float: Lisa!!