Hell Teacher Nube 171

In order to save a village and keep Yukime for good, Nube has decided to go north to finally confront the Mountain God who created her. But deep in the snowy mountains, only one thing is certain: someone isn't coming back alive...

#171: Nube/Yukime: The Final Battle of Love!? (End)

69.
Narrator: Nube and Yukime have come to meet with the Mountain God who created Yukime, so they can calm a curse and to gain permission for Yuikme to live in a human town……
Nube’s Can: Oshiruko

70.
Nube: --My dad…long ago, he was a splendid spiritualist who saved poor people without receiving money.
Nube: My mother and I were proud of him and
Nube: He was loved by everyone in the town.
Nube: However…
Nube: Mother became sick. An enormous amount of money was needed for medical treatment.

71.
Nube: Dad had relied on the people of the town he had saved up to now out of necessity but…
Jikuu: Please, I’ll be fine with even a bit of money…
Jikuu: The money…
SFX: Pishya
Nube: And then, mother died…dad, who came to have an absentminded condition, left me in the care of my grandmother and left home…
Nube: And then, several years later, he became a dead-man of money, being active as a corrupt spiritualist who quickly seized at exorbitant money in exorcisms and fortune-telling. He seemed to understand the heartlessness of humans with mom’s death…

72.
Yukime: …That’s a sad story…
Nube: --Well…we’re here.
Nube: By the way: what sort is your father. We’re going to meet him from here…the Mountain God who created you…
Yukime: The Mountain God is…a god of nature. It exists just so it can protect the laws of nature.
Yukime: If…a human doesn’t protect the laws of nature, the human will be killed without hesitation.
Nube: …Right, persuading it will be a burden…

73.
Caption: Mt. Dokayuki Entrance: No Thoroughfare
(TN: “Dokayuki” was mentioned as one of the towns in the previous sign; it’s translation is “Ground-Added Snow”)
Taxi: Customer, it’s impossible with the snow ahead from here.
SFX: Gacha
Sign: Tokan (Tohoku/Kanto) Taxi
Voice: I do not mind. Let me off and I’ll walk…
SFX: Za
Nube: Mother…loved the you that saved people with a kind heart, even if…even if we were poor…
Nube: She loved you----!!
Jikuu: You good-for-nothing. Meisuke.

74.
SFX: Hyuuuu…
Nube: S**t, we’ve gone into a snow storm. That Mountain God: he’s noticed us in spite of our coming.
Yukime: Nueno-sensei!
Yukime: Let’s quit this after all! The Mountain God will not permit me to live in the human world. We’ll just get killed!
Nube: Yukime.
Yukime: If…if I get you killed, teacher…I’ll take the penalty of the Mountain God alone. You have to go home…

75.
Nube: Even if I went home, a town without you has no meaning, Yukime.
Nube: You won’t be alone anymore.
Yukime: Teacher…
Nube: I’m certain that we must persuade the Mountain God…
SFX: Gogogogogogo

76.
Nube: An avalanche!
Yukime: Teacher!!
SFX: Dododododo
Yukime: Hold on!!
SFX: Dododododo

77.
SFX: Oooooh…oooooh…

78.
Nube: Th…that’s the Mountain God…It’s like he’s Daidara Bocchi…now that you mention it, that too was a god of creation but…
Yukime: The Yamagami who governs the mountains of this area…Oomizutsu-sama.
(TN: I chose to use “Yamagami” here since I translate “Mountain God” with “Yama no Kami”, thus I chose to use something more formal [and Japanese] for the being itself)
Oomizutsu: Human.
Oomizutsu: Why did you lead out this yukionna?
Oomizutsu: Yukionna are spirits of snow created by a god of nature. They are beings who at times make snow fall on the mountain and at times notify the fear in the mountains to humans…Yukionna are a natural link to all things in nature. Leading one out is breaking the laws of the natural world……
SFX: Biri biri biri

79.
SFX: Gu
Nube: Yukime….Yukime possesses a human heart. I’m certain in that you created her but…she’s already gone beyond becoming close to human and can’t do her original yukionna job.
Nube: Please, permit Yukime to live in a human town. Yukime…is happy living with humans.
Oomizutsu: …………
Nube: …Does it understand…?

80.
SFX: Dooo~~n!
Yukime: Kyaaa~~~!
SFX: Hyun! | Bo bo
Nube: Yukime!
Nube: Understand, Mountain God! We…want to live together…
Oomizutsu: Beings who have broken the laws of nature: perish.
SFX: Oooooh

81.
SFX: Dodododododo
Nube: …No…this wasn’t an opponent that understands talk…
Nube: I’m sorry, Yukime, I…
Yukime: No, teacher…it’s fine…
SFX: Goooo

82.
Jikuu: Mu!!
SFX: Dogaa
Nube: Da…dad, why are oyu here!?
Jikuu: Meisuke…you’re a completely foolish man…the Mountain God is a god of nature…it doesn’t understand human feelings…

83.
Nube: You came to rescue me, not for me to hear that.
Jikuu: Meisuke…when your mother died…there were words she said in a murmur that was only heard by you…Tell me them once more.
Nube: …”Humans become idiots and rescue people”…mother…it’s because she loved the form of you rescuing the poor people…
Jikuu: Don’t speak, Meisuke. I realized it when I heard the story. I’ve made a mistake…
SFX: Suru

84.
Jikuu: But now, there is nothing I can do. I do not want my dirty self to be called dad. I abandoned the young you…I’ve done a large amount of dirty things for money…
Jikuu: If I think about it, I hadn’t done one single thing that is like a father for you…
SFX: Su…
Jikuu: Now…at least I will atone for it…
SFX: Fuasa…
Jikuu: Meisuke…live in happiness with that girl.

85.
Nube: Dad! What are you doing!?
SFX: Shu!
Jikuu: Namu Daiji Daihi Kyuugu Kuunan Koudai Reikan Byakue Kannon
Jikuu: In ancient times, so humans could subdue the anger of a god of nature, a human who possesses a strong spiritual power would abandon their life and seal the god of nature.
SFX: Paaa…
Jikuu: By becoming a human sacrifice!
SFX: a

86.
Nube: Dad---!!
Yukime: Teacher, it’s dangerous. The cave is crumbling!
SFX: Gogogogogogogo
SFX: Gagagagaga
SFX: Zuzuzuzu…

87.
Nube: With this…the curse that had been placed on the villagers will be cleared…
Yukime: You have a wonderful father. He really was…your father…
Nube: Thanks. Dad…

TN: Well...it's been nice knowing you Mr. Nueno...Mugenkai Jikuu. For as short a time you've been in this series, you've finally realized and understood the truth regarding how a dad is supposed to act as opposed to the corrupt self who died the day your wife died. And not only that, but you went out on top, taking down the Mountain God to save both a village and your son's girlfriend. Well done, sir...well done.

With those words said, this was just a powerful and epic ending to what probably has been one of the long-running sub-plots of the story. Some probably would say some of what has just happened is abrupt considering what happened, but it just felt appropriate with how the story had been built up to this point. For some reason, my first impression of Oomizutsu when he first appeared just gave me vibes of the Gnome King from "Return to Oz": this huge mountain-like being who rules over all and who believes himself to have complete domination of those around him. You do sort of wish that he would have the heart to understand that Yukime isn't like the other beings he created...but the truth is he doesn't know everything...nor does he care. All he knows is what is set in natural order: a yukionna is created, kills people and makes snow, pure and simple. Everything that happened with Yukime was beyond anything it could do by it's own means (it couldn't control her going out there that night the hunter shot her and Nube saved her life...and from there, Yukime's development just seemed to be separated from what should have been), but it both doesn't...and can't comprehend anything other than the law that is set up by nature for what is supposed to be done. You sort of wish an exception would be understood, but gods are much more rigid and strict with natural order being kept, thus why it wouldn't change no matter what was said on any side. If Oomizutsu understood, then maybe Jikuu wouldn't have been sacrificed just as he understood finally why his son and wife loved him...but what's done, sadly, is done. Jikuu saw that the only way for Oomizutsu to understand was for a sacrifice to possibly eliminate/quell it so that it would no longer bother those who defy nature due to circumstances it will never believe in. Another kami will probably take it's place and other yukionna will probably emerge (though I wish we knew what happened to Tsurara myself), but the one who ruled over Yukime is finally gone and she is free to do what she wishes in human society finally. There really was no other way...and as I said before: for as much of a cruel, dead man that Jikuu was, he completely redeemed himself in an epic manner...and I doubt Nube will never forget his father now that he's gone, even with the stupid actions he did prior. And...considering the Mountain God is gone, I doubt there will be any further problems regarding Yukime...well there are still some, but a lot of the main troubles that has been bugging her for the last few years is finally out of the way so it should mostly be minor...maybe...