Kinnikuman 349

It's bad enough that Suguru is weakened after his first match of the finals, but Team Phoenix has decided to rub it in by forcing him and his team into a confusing underground labyrinth...and that's only the first problem!

Chapter 349: Scramble for the Kinniku Throne (76): The Second Barrier!!

88.
Ramen: There it is—this is a route map from the entrance to the exit of this Rook-Corner Labyrinth!!
Ramen: We’ve got it: if we go relying on this drawing, I’m roughly certain that we’ll escape from the labyrinth---!!
Robin: Kinnikuman, your fine memo was useful: that was a feat.
Suguru: No...It was because I was just taking it easy being carried by you.
Suguru: …Well then, it’s because I can’t take off this Defend Suit that I was burning to go take a pee since earlier…really…

89.
Robin: Ah!!
Ramen: Stop, Ramen!!
Suguru: Thus since I thought that was bad, I thought of a maze escaping method as an apology---!!
Ramen: We don’t have time, 12 minutes have passed: we must get out of this Rook-Corner Labyrinth in three more minutes.
Robin: Let’s go, everyone!!
Ramen: According to the maze-escaping method on the computerfirst we go right 6 steps---!!

90.
Ramen: Next straight 10 steps---!! Back 3 steps---!! Now right 7 steps once more---!!
Geronimo: Great, amazing: we’re quickly going through this labyrinth---!!

91.
Geronimo: Ooh, No. 100 Block---!! We’ve gotten to here in less than 30 seconds.
Ramen: I’ll ask the computer how we can escape from this labyrinth if we can clear how many blocks in all.
Computer: YOU NEED TO CLEAR 1000 BLOCKS SO YOU CAN ESCAPE THE LABYRINTH.
Suguru: There are 900 Blocks left that we need to clear of the 1000 Blocks.
Geronimo: Right, let’s go---!!
Narrator: On the basis of the Labyrinth Escape Map projected on the computer that was their lifeline, Team Kinnikuman ran through their time limit of 3 minutes!!

92.
Computer: Passing No. 300 Block!! Passing No. 500 Block!! Passing No. 800 Block!!
Phoenix: …………

93.
Mammoth: Phoenix-sama, at this rate those Team Kinnikuman guys will easily clear the 1st Rook-Corner Labyrinth Barrier.
Phoenix: Fufufu…don’t get confused, Mammothman.
Phoenix: Can they clear the labyrinth so easily?
Geronimo: N!? Wh…what’s that sound?
Ramen: Alright: I’ll analyze what that sound is of what we’re picking up.
Computer: A LARGE-QUANTITY OF WATER IS STREAMING TO HERE!

94.
Ramen: Strange: it hasn’t been the 15 minutes yet. We have a minute left, so how is there water…!?
Suguru: That Phoenix deceived us: he is pouring on the water to within this maze a minute early so he could prevent our breaking through the labyrinth.
Ramen: Thus we can’t be here: the water is already coming here. If we don’t escape the labyrinth quickly---!!
Phoenix: Hahahaha: run, run, if you don’t you’ll be swallowed by the raging streams.
Phoenix: N!?
Phoenix: Wh…what: there’s a shadow swimming frantically within the raging rapids to swoop down on Kinnikuman’s group!?

95.
Mammoth: Well, from the renouncing of Meat, Team Kinnikuman should be the quartet of Kinnikuman, Robin Mask, Ramenman and Geronimo, but
Mammoth: Su…suppose those 6 arms are!?
Ramen: We’ve done it: the exit!!
Geronimo: Aah: it’s too late!!
Geronimo: Aah, there’s a person from within the water!!

96.
Robin: A…Ashuraman!!
Ashura: TORNADO HELL!!

97.
Ashura: Quickly: now we get out from here---!!
Geronimo: Quickly, close the door--!!

98.
Suguru: We did it! We broke through the 1st Barrier----!!
Ashura: Uh…uh…
Ramen: Ashuraman!!
Phoenix: Ugugu…I had become too desperate in the destruction of Team Kinnikuman that I forgot they had an ambusher in Ashuraman…
Mammoth: Fu…fuhahahaha…what had you done, Phoenix-sama?

99.
Phoenix: I may have been happy in the way they would die, and yet they’re monsters. They’ve come to must savor the ultimate trial in the Blood-Rope-Binding Gate, the 2nd Barrier.
Phoenix: All of you will die in the Blood-Rope-Binding Gate!!
Sign: BLOOD-ROPE-BINDING GATE
(TN: The sign is written backwards like older Japanese, but it is the actual gate as stated prior)
Geronimo: Th…this is the 2nd Barrier!?

100.
Suguru: The Blood-Rope-Binding Gate……
Robin: Now that you mention it, I’ve heard a thing about the two gates that are above and below Osaka Castle.
Ramen: What---!?
Robin: In the Sengoku era, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the guardian of Osaka Castle, dug a secret underground passage that linked the outside and inside of the castle so they could withdraw the soldiers of their troops to the castle inside smoothly during a battle.
(TN: Just a bit of historical factor: Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the daimyo of the Sengoku period who brought an end to the Sengoku era after succeeding his lord, Oda Nobunaga. Osaka Castle was his headquarters during his entire reign)
Geronimo: That’s the reason of this underground tunnel of hell.
Robin: And thus, this gate that was hidden for when the soldiers going through the underground to enter the castle was the Blood-Rope-Binding Gate.

101.
Robin: So then, how could they come to call this door the Blood-Rope-Binding Gate? This anecdote was left for that: …IN THAT BATTLE, WHEN TOMYOTOMI’S SIDE USED THIS UNDERGROUND FOR HIS SOLDIERS TO WITHDRAW—
General: Gate Watcher, how many soldiers are left!?
Gate Watcher: Seems to be one.
Robin: But it wasn’t one solider who returned, it was two!
Robin: …One among them was an enemy soldier who had disguised himself as a soldier of Toyotomi’s side to invade into the castle, but well then, how could he recognize between ally and enemy? The samurai general and the gate watcher were troubled with this worry…and then, the samurai general let out one conclusion!

102.
General: You’re the fake!!
“Soldier”: Ge!!
General: The soldiers of Toyotomi only have brave men. Thus, even in cases of retreat, we have a merit of defeating many enemies even alone for protecting the lives of the castle, with our armor always deep red with the blood spurts of our victims! Those who wear a clean armor like you
General: Don’t do that even alone---!!
Robin: Since that event, this gate closes solely facing any soldiers who retreat while holding a clean armor that isn’t covered in the blood of their victims.
Soldiers: UWAAA

103.
Robin: Due to this, it was called the Blood-Rope-Binding Gate by soldiers, coming to be feared so even this underground passage and this door had come to not be used ever again—
Geronimo: Hm—m, this has that terrible legend…
Suguru: Gya—hahaha: even if you guys don’t care, we’re going to pass right through this Blood-Rope-Binding Gate. This door rejects armor that isn’t dyed by blood, but my Defend Suit has become deep red covered by the large amount of Satan Cross’ spurted blood!!
Suguru: Robin, don’t care about it: let’s go.
Robin: Understood.

104.
Ashura: No, Kinnikuman, Robin Mask, don’t get any closer---
Suguru: Uwa!!
Suguru: Owa---!!

105.
Suguru: How: the armor should be perfectly dyed deep red and yet.
Ashura: Blood: it isn’t enough blood.
Ashura: You did pin the finisher of the parasite Satan Cross fragment when you defeated him and bathed in his spurted blood, but you hadn’t delivered the finisher for Samson Teacher, the other side!!
Ashura: Do to that, you became incomplete, without being dyed in blood in just your chest section. Therefore, the Blood-Rope-Binding Gate rejected you, not recognizing you as a brave Choujin---!!

106.
(SCRAMBLE FOR THE KINNIKU THRONE ARC)
SPECIAL VTR LXV (XXXXXXV)
TEAM KINNIKUMAN STANDING STILL IN FRONT OF THE BLOOD-ROPE-BINDING GATE

TN: It's really hard to think about how the second barrier was set up in the story, but in my mind it's like this: it had good intention but seems rather stupid thinking about it. The intentions seems fine at least from the bizarro historical standpoint the series give it regarding the blood gate: those covered in blood are considered allies due to fighting as they head back to HQ. But the means by which it is used here is what makes it dumb: first of all, why does Defend Suit have to be completely covered in blood? Suguru did get some blood on him from the first match (sick as it was) and it really should be enough to prove "he fought to get here". But the whole "completely covered" part was just a means by which to screw with him further by whoever set it up (whether Phoenix or Harabote) Second: why would they force some stupid, bizarre barrier like this in the first place? What if neither Satan Cross nor Samson Teacher spit anything up by the end of that match? Then what: he'd have no blood whatsoever and couldn't even proceed further...that would make Phoenix happy no doubt but at the same time would just make the whole ordeal even stupider. And then there's this: considering that Satan Cross had the armor in the first place on Team Phoenix's side, what would they do if they had this barrier to surpass and not their magic chairs? Yeah...just more stupid double standard to screw the good guys. (though I did like the return of Ashuraman's "Tornado Hell" one last time to stop the water flow earlier in the chapter)

Oh, I almost forgot in the last script but...isn't it hilarious that the "pocket computer" they bring with to handle the maze is the equivalent of an Apple IIGS or a Macintosh from that era? Considering that these days they'd probably have some IPhone or some super-futuristic device that uses modern technology, seeing stuff like this and the Famicom controller really takes you back to what was modern back then. (then again...modern back in '79 when the series started was flying cars...but like flying Choujin, that went far)