Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 251

Just when the downfall of Toudou finally seemed certain, the mastermind has revealed he knows why Otokojuku entered the tournament! Now with the Shitennou in the line of fire, can the others go through with their mission!?

Chp. 251: Gruesome!! Ryougi Shunkou

27.
Togashi & Toramaru: SE…SENPAI~~~!!

28.
Toudou: WAHHAHAHA: YOU FOOLS----!! YOU’VE BRAVELY VOLUNTEERED YOUR OWN BODIES AND BECOME SHIELDS TO PROTECT YOUR KOUHAI---!!

29.
Toudou: But this moving tale ultimately doesn’t surpass dying in vain. In front of these overwhelming small arms, the destiny for all of you has already been decided.
Toudou: But you have great tenacity!! Even as you die, you’ve further taken the Niou-stance……………!!
Toudou: Well, you should chant the name of Buddha. All of you will be sent to where your kind-hearted senpai are.
Momotarou: Y…YOU----!!

30.
Voice: Ho…hold on………!! A…all of you don’t have reason to die here……!!
Momotarou: SE…SENPAI---!!
Manjimaru: We…we will show the potential of Otokojuku’s Shitennou……!!
Touodu: W…what idiots………!! Th…they’re still alive……!!

31.
Momotarou: !?
Momotarou: Th…this is…………!!
Manjimaru: Co…continue………!! Be…behind us……!
Manjimaru: An…and attack………!! Th…this is Ryougi Junkou, called the ultimate formation on the battlefield……!!
(TN: “Ryougi Junkou” = “Grave-Justice Shield-Journey”)
Momotarou: Ryougi Junkou…………!?

32.
Commentary:
Ryougi Junkou…a tactic devised during the battle of Kawanaka Island of Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, which was celebrated as a foremost famous battle during the Sengoku era, when the scouting corp of Naoe Kanetsugu, the military commander of Uesugi’s side, encountered an ambush of the bow-and-arrow corp of Takeda’s side and were trapped in a dilemma. Four brave men, who were determined to die, faced the arrows that were flying as rain and hail, mutually brought together their shoulders firmly, advanced forwards with their own bodies as shields, opened up a breach and their allies, who continued behind them, annihilated the enemy. Hereafter, this tactic became the supreme formation and the four who became the shield were praised as war heroes by the Uesugi Clan.
-From “100 Famous Sengoku Battles that Remain in Our Hearts”, Munchhausen Publishing
(TN: Both Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin (born Nagao Kagetora) are both well known as rivals during the Sengoku era. Meanwhile, the Battle of Kawanaka Island (Kawanakajima) which both of them took part in was actually a collection of five separate battles that occurred between 1553 and 1564, the most famous being the 4th one of 1561)

Shitennou: LET’S GO!!
Toudou: Wh…what are you doing---!! Fire---!! Fire at them---!

33.
Momotarou: Se…Senpai---!!
Guards: Wh…what’s happening to them---!!

34.
Guards: Wh…why!! Why aren’ they dying---! Th…they’re monsters---!! Th…they’re still advancing without dying while taking this many bullets----!

35.
Guards: Ge, th…the bullets!!
Guards: We…we’ve run out too---!!
Guards: UOO!!
Manjimaru: N…now!! Go!!
Momotarou: OSU!!

36.
Guards: HI!!
Momotarou: Y…YOU---!!

37.
Guard: Guwaa!!
Guard: Gaha!!

38.
Guards: Geha!! Kuo!!
Guard: Ugo!!

39.
Toramaru: Are you joking with us, you a**holes---!!
Toudou: Nuuu!!

40.
Senkuu: Fufu, y…you’ve done well………….
Eikei: Wi…with that, what’s remains is only Toudou Hyoue…………!!
Momotarou: …………!!
Rasetsu: It…it seems we’ve come to the end of ends, and we’ve done this like Senpai for all of you……!!
Senkuu: Th…think of us with pride……!!
Manjimaru: The…Otokojuku Shitennou have died for all of you……………!!
Eikei: We…leave you the rest…………!!

41.
Toramaru: Rasetsu, Senkuu, Manjimaru, Eikei----!!
Togashi: No…no, don’t die----!!
Momotarou: Wi…with this, I’ve increased by one more my reasons to attack you ………!!

42.
Momotarou: Th…this is your end, Toudou Hyoue!!
Toudou: Fufu: what are you jesting about, youngster!! Do you still think I can be attacked by someone like all of you?
Toudou: But here I must temporarily go away.
Momotarou: !?
Toudou: You should wash your necks and wait until the time we will meet!!
Momotarou: Do…don’t joke around: do you think we’ll miss this having reached this point---!!
Momotarou: Nu!!

43.
Momotarou: Uh!!
Toramaru: Wh…what---!! A…helicopter---!
Togashi: Th....that old-man Toudou is going to escape in the helicopter~~!!

44.
Momotarou: Kuu!!
Soldiers: Well, Your Excellency, hurry in here!!
Toudou: Umu.
Toudou: Fufu, so then, see you.
Momotarou: Wa…wait---!!

45.
Momotarou: Nugu!!
Toramaru: N…no, he’s…getting away---!!
Togashi: Wi…with them shooting like that from the air, even Momo can’t get near there somehow---!!
Toramaru: Th…though we’ve finally cornered him, it’s come to nothing---!!
Soldier: !!
Soldier: Wh…what is th….that!? So…something is thrusting aiming for this helicopter with incredible speed from the front!!

46.
Soldiers: UWAAA---!!
Toudou: Wh…what---!!
Momotarou: Th…that’s, it…can’t be---!!

47.
Edajima: TOUDOU HYOUE!! THE IRON HAMMER THAT WILL FALL ON YOU WILL BE THE PRINCIPAL OF OTOKOJUKU, EDAJIMA HEIHACHI!!

TN: Yeah...with Toudou finally in reach, there was no way Edajima was going to let him get away that easily without taking a crack at him himself! It does make one wonder how much gas he is wasting flying out from Otokojuku, fighting in the tourney, flying back to Japan, doing the Jaki funeral, then flying right back to Meiou Island to attack Toudou...but he's Edajima, don't question what he does or you'll get an earful. Aside from that, this just felt like another chapter which felt very relieving and different from all we had been through in the tournament. In particular was just the awesomeness of the entire Otokojuku force (well the First-Years and Akashi) letting loose and attacking Toudou's men just as they ran out of bullets even with the possible loss of Manjimaru, Senkuu, Rasetsu and Eikei. The fight scene with all of them going at it just felt like all the pent-up order of the whole arc is finally going away and we can just take down the enemy in a manner Otokojuku prefers...instead of these formalized matches that keep going on and on at these times. The sacrifice of the Shitennou not only felt sad, but also just felt like these characters were actually showing a sempai/kouhai relationship we never had from them prior to this moment. Before, they were either enemies or just taking turns in a tournament. But now, for the first time, you actually feel the camaraderie that we've seen mostly between Momo and Akashi, as the Third-Years actually feel like they're taking care of the First and Second-Years in a manner that befits as opposed to merely in a tourney fashion. In some ways I sort of wish there were other means by which this was developed outside of combat like how we saw the evolution of the First-Years...but after all these volumes of tournament, I guess this is all we're getting sadly.