Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 255

With a new semester comes new challenges and danger for Momo and the Otokojuku students, whether they be by belligerent new First-Years...or mysterious students with an even bigger fish to catch!

Chp. 255: Tougou’s Challenge!!

109.
“Mysterious Student”: Excuse us!!
Edajima: N!?
“Mysterious Student”: Principal of Otokojuku Edajima Heihachi-dono!! The three of us are visiting here as emissaries from the “Dark Tusks”!!
(TN: “Dark Tusks” is in Japanese “Yami no Kiba”; it could also stand for “Black Market Tusks” or “Illegal Tusks”)
Edajima: What---!! “Dark Tusks”---!?

110.
Voices: 9 X 6 is 54!! 9 X 7 is 63!! 9 X 8 is 72!! 9 X 9 is 81!!
(TN: I think I may have said this before but multiplication tables in Japanese usually end up being said with the two numbers literally “fused together” in short-hand prior to the actual number being stated at the end. I just went with actual multiplication tables here, thus “Ku-roku Go-juu-yon” is “9-6 54” or “9X6 is 54”)
Onihige: O—shi, splendid. That was a multiplication chorus!! As expected, you seem different having become Second-Years!!
(TN: The “cheer” part of “multiplication chorus” is “shouwa”, which is speaking in a chorus)
Onihige: So then, next will be fraction addition……!!
Momotarou: !!
Togashi & Toramaru: HUH!!

111.
Togashi & Toramaru: IT’S…HIM---!!

112.
Tougou: Instructor-dono, I’m borrowing just a bit of time.
Onihige: Uh!!
Toramaru: It’s…it’s that brat~~~!!
Togashi: That big-mullet guy who further let out that he’s conquering our Otokojuku, in spite of being a First-Year----!!

113.
Tougou: My name is Tougou Souji!! From today, I will take the seat of Otokojuku Representative, replacing you………!!
Momotarou: …………!!
Hidemaro: Wh…what---!!
Tougou: I’ll be waiting out front!!
Toramaru: Th…that guy is making fun of us----!!
Togashi: Is…is that the attitude of a freshman facing upperclassmen----!! Otokojuku is such a place where he has his station and will realize it---!
Onihige Ho…hold on, all of you---!! He…here it can only be done as he said~~~!!
Togashi: Wha!!

114.
Onihige: Th…there is a law that whenever another person who aims for this position appears, the Otokojuku Representative can’t ever refuse this challenge!! E…even if this guy is a First-Year freshman, he has this right!!
Onihige: And this is a customary practice since the opening of this school that the match will be held by Otokojuku’s traditional dueling method!! All of the school students will gather on the campus---!!
Toramaru: O…Otokojuku’s traditional dueling method………!!
Matsuo: Th…this is some violently bad premonition…………!!
Momotarou: Fufu: a terrible guy has come in here.

115.
“Mysterious Student”: The request from the “Dark Tusks” is as we’ve spoken now………!!
“Mysterious Student”: Shall you tell us your answer?
Edajima: You’ve extremely put in your thoughts. Coming to Otokojuku as freshmen and imploring that aspect up to now………………!!
“Mysterious Student”: Well, is it Yes or No? Of course, if you know of the terror of our organization, then you should say No.
Edajima: Alright, approach me much closer. I’ll give my reply.

116.
Edajima: THIS IS MY REPLY---!!
Edajima: WASH YOUR FACE AND COME AGAIN NOW!! CAN I THINK I’LL HAVE THIS BEHAVIOR WITH STUDENTS----!!

117.
Edajima: I AM THE PRINCIPAL OF OTOKOJUKU, EDJAIMA HEIHACHI---!!
Edajima: !!
Edajima: Nuuu, th…th…this is…!!
“Mysterious Student 2”: Tranquilizer bullets that can make even a giant elephant sleep. If you say you refuse, then we have another way; we’ll request your accompaniment!!
Edajima: Y…you…………!!

118.
Tougou: WHAT IS THIS………!?

119.
Onihige: O---shi!! So from here, in accordance to ancient tradition, we will hold the ceremony of the Representative Playoff by the means of the challenger Tougou Souji, facing current Otokojuku Representative Tsurugi Momotarou!!
Onihige: The key point of the playoff is to compete to the mutual utmost limits in the two aspects of “Heart” and “Skill”!! First of all, the first will be “Heart”!! In short: their bravery will be competed on by this Kenza Tenhoutai!
(TN: “Kenza Tenhoutai” = “Blade-Seat Heavenly Passion-Endurance”)
Onihige: The set-up is as you can see!! There is no need for tedious explanation! When the rope burns off with the flame of these candles that’s in front of these two, these stones that have blades attached from overhead will fall down!!
Onihige: Which of these will endure in this place until the final moment when the blades fall down!! The one who runs away first will thus lose!!

120.
Onihige: So, let’s ignite them!!
Onihige: Start the match---!!
Tougou: Foolish…………!!
Momotarou: Aah, I think as such too.

121.
Commentary:
Kenza Tenhoutai…the origin of this was it’s occurrence by samurai and military commanders in the middle period of the Sengoku era, with a purpose of displaying their own courage and nerve and competing with it. There is no need to say that there is a demand of excellent emotional strength in order to withstand under the terror of kenzan without knowing when it will fall. In those days, they said that those who mastered prosperity “aren’t a samurai if they don’t do this”, but due to appearances over and over of those who were too mad with terror, failed to escape and died, many daimyou banned this. Even in the present, one region has this occur as a side show that occurs in a town by the young men and it is part of a sightseeing promotion.
-From “Strange Tales of Sengoku Duels, Volume 7”, Minmei Publishing
(TN: Just as a tad of a reminder: a kenzan is a board with needles/blades sticking up, used as part of ikebana flower arrangement)

Toramaru: Korya—newcomer----!! Now this will suit you still---! Hurry up, give your lament and run away---!!
Second-Year: Right---!! You don’t have reason to win against Momo---!
Date: Don’t show indulgence to him!! Have you forgotten: he was said to be the man who pulled the trigger of a pistole where he had a five-out-of-six probability of losing his life during the school entrance exam…!!
Togashi & Toramaru: AH!?

122.
Momotarou: How about I ask one thing? Why do you want the position of Otokojuku Representative to this extent!?
Tougou: That’s a foolish question. If you’re a man, then it’s natural to aim for the top……!! What can I say I have other than that…………..!
Momotarou: Understood…………!!
Tougou: Don’t give that false courage. You’ll come to lose your life with that trifiling willpower.
Momotarou: Fufu, that speech will be returned to you with that!!

123.
Toramaru: Uoo!! It’s…it’s falling~~~! If…if they don’t run quickly, th…then like that, both of them will die---!!
Tougou: It seems you’re not fiction with your Otokojuku Representative title. Rivaling equally with me to here…………!!

124.
Togashi: AAH, IT’S…FALLING---!!
Toramaru: E…even so, those two haven’t moved yet----!!

125.
Tougou: KUU!!

126.
Tougou: Fu, the match of “Heart” was a tie? In that case, we’ll take the match with “Skill”!!
Date: It wasn’t a tie. You’ve lost, Tougou.
Tougou: Huh!!
Date: It was you who ran a moment faster!! Momo ran because he confirmed that! That is proof greater than anything!!
Tougou: What’s that!?

127.
Momotarou: Well, shall we start it: the match of “Skill”!!
Hikouboshi: It…it’s terrible, Principal!! Tsurugi and new First-Year Tougou are in the campus----!!
Hikouboshi: !!
Hikouboshi: Wh…what is this………!! Wh…where is the Principal…………!?

TN: Now that should get your attention: catch Edajima and see what happens. It is strange that they would be able to get in and become Otokojuku students so easily just to catch Edajima...but the "Dark Tusks" probably have a certain mission at hand so it all is going to probably end up affecting the others sooner or later. As for the whole situation with Tougou...there is something that actually is brought up next chapter but it does bare being brought up a tad early: isn't there something familiar with him attacking upper-classmen just moments after arriving at this school? Well...OK, Momo and the others more were coerced into it by their upperclassmen (the invitation by those other Second-Year idiots pre-Akashi...and Jaki and his group forcing Momo to "meet them" after the Daibukai), but the fact that the underclassmen keep challenging the upperclassmen just feels like a constant at Otokojuku. Sure Momo's group was able to change everything on their own, but Tougou...well, mostly it's just him but the fact that he's obsessed in taking it to this extreme proves that he isn't messing around. Though...it is weird seeing Momo being the one on the defensive even with a bunch of swords falling down on him instead of on the protective offensive like he was earlier in the series...but hey, they're the establishment now so of course they have to handle it. But...there is still the "Skill" test...and who knows what Tougou is going to pull for that!