Hitomi no Catoblepas 4

This translation is reserved for the use of Phase 3 Manga

1
Hitomi no Catoblepas
#4 The Second Person
[side text: A beautiful day, a stretching cat... surely it's these kind of moments that I want to protect!]
[bottom text: Reverberating anti-demon action! Things are heating up!]
[bottom-right author name: Tanaka Yasuki]

2
[side text: Tokio defeated the invading Yoma "Arachne". Now Genbu Temple is peaceful... but that heart is still unsettled...]
Tokio: (Including "Kuchinashi" and "Arachne", who I defeated four days ago, // there have already been six Yoma appearances in K City this month.)

3
Tokio: (So many. // The numbers of Yoma are clearly higher than even last year. // And then the "Ayatsuri no Tama" that fell out of Arachne's body... // This can't just be coincidence. // What is going on...?
Miiko: A~~~h, tasty!!

4
Miiko: Did you make all this yourself, Tokuda-san? // Ooh, what's this? Like, egg roll? // Aah, it's delicious! Mmm... this is incredible... // Could I have some more?!
Tokio: This voice... // Miiko-san!

5
Miiko: Hey there... Eheheh. // I'm just dropping in~
Tokio: Hey, Tokuda! What's Miiko-san doing here?!
Tokuda: She said she wanted to see you about something, master.
Miiko: Hakutaku-san let me in!<3

6
Tokio: Lazing about like it's your own house, eh, Miiko-san... // What on earth are you...
Miiko: I just wanted to thank you properly again today!
Servant: We have brought a ton of dessert for you~.
Miiko: Eh? No way! Yaaay!
Tokio: Hakutaku! Why did you let her in here again?!
Hakutaku: Is there some problem?
Tokio: Yes! I just... can't deal with her.
Hakutaku: It would be impolite to turn her away after she troubled herself to visit... // Also, she's rather a good match for you. Uhihihihihihi.
Tokio: Yeah, right.

7
Miiko: He~y! You two! // What are you whispering about over there, glancing over at me and all? // Hmmmm?!
Tokio: N- nothing-
Miiko: Being like that again, eh?! // You're just a dolt, that's what you are! // Why are you looking away?! // Hakutaku-san told me that as long as you don't call out Cat-chan, you can look people in the eye without killing them, you know! // You can't say it's dangerous or whatever, that's just taking caution too far!!
Tokio: "Cat-chan"....
Miiko: You're just shy, that's all, isn't it?!
Servant: Master. // There is a guest to see you.
Kazuto: Ah~~

8
Kazuto: Who'd've thought it. // A pervert. // There's a pervert over here.
Tokio: Ah-
Miiko: ?!

9
Kazuto: Yo, Tokio. // How's it going?
Tokio: Kazuto-san!
Kazuto: Ah, by the way, who's the perv-girl?
Miiko: H- // Hey! Who the hell's this?! // Ain't that a bit rude? Who're ya calling a pervert?!

10
Kazuto: Ooh... Feisty little one, isn't she.
Miiko: Got a problem?!
Kazuto: Girl... you were trying to look Tokio in the eye, weren't you. // Anyone who wants to make an effort to look into that guy's eye of their own will... // Well, they've gotta be a perv, right? // Or maybe just suicidal! Ahahah!
[TN: I'm thinking he's using "hentai" more in the sense of "crazy" than "pervert" in his explanation here, but seeing as the nickname looks likely to stick, I'm keeping to the "pervert" translation that's more natural in a general sense.]
Miiko: Aaaaahh~~~ Shimura! Who is he? What the hell's with this guy?!
Tokio: Ah, well, Miiko-san... Don't worry too much about his bad mouth, that's just how he is...
Hakutaku: The gentleman over there is another of the Guardian House of K City, like Tokio-sama.
Miiko: Eh?!
Hakutaku: Hailing from the Suzaku Hermitage, he is the 21st Head of the House of Hosomi! / Hosomi Kazuto-sama!!

11
Tokuda: I shall fetch the tea presently.
Kazuto: No need, Tokuda-san. / I won't be staying long.
Miiko: Just a minute, Hakutaku-san! // Come over here a moment!
Hakutaku: ?
Miiko: Hey, hey... // If he's the head of a Guardian House, does that mean he's a Yoma-slaying pal of Shimura's?
Hakutaku: Indeed. There are four Guardian Houses in K City: Genbu in the north, Suzaku in the south, Seiryuu in the east and Byakko in the west. // Together, they are known as the Guardian Shijin of K City.

[TN: Shijin, literally "Four deities", and it is derived from the "Shijinjuu", the real-life mythological four divine beasts after which the four Guardian Houses are named - as I mentioned in the first chapter. Genbu the Black Tortoise, Suzaku the Vermilion Bird, Seiryuu the Azure Dragon and Byakko the White Tiger are associated with the four points of the compass, as apparently are their respective Guardian Houses.]

Miiko: So there are three other "Heads" aside from Shimura?! // Hmmm... in that case, that Hosomi guy probably has some incredible power too! // A guy like that!

12
Hakutaku: This is an ancient tale, over a thousand years old... / In those days, K City was teeming with Yoma... it was an age of darkness. // The Yoma were straining the limits of evil, and the citizens of K City were at a loss. // In the midst of all this, a lone man rose up. // This man devised the "Youkai Art", allowing him to tame Yoma and control their powers himself. // Using this mighty power, he defeated ever more powerful Yoma, and brought peace to the city. // Yes... this man was the founder of the Guardian Shijin.
Miiko: ...!!

13
Hakutaku: He had four children. // Before his death, he entrusted these four brothers with the great duty of protecting K City from the powers of darkness. // The four brothers separated to the four corners of K City. // Their names were "Shimura", "Hosomi", "Kuramochi", and "Hon'ami". // And they have continued to protect the city to this day.
Miiko: E~~~~h, what a grand tale... / So Shimura and Hozomi are re~ally distant relatives?!
Hakutaku: Yes... / Though the family split into four branches long ago, all the Heads of the Guardian Houses carry the blood of those brothers.

14
Miiko: It's a little surprising... // He and Shimura are...
Kazuto: Hey, you, the perv-girl over there.
Miiko: !
Miiko: What do you want?! I'm not-
Kazuto: Well, sorry, but would you mind leaving? / I need to discuss some re~al important stuff with Tokio. // You'd REALLY be in the way.
Miiko: Fine! I'm going home!
Tokio: Ah-
Miiko: Thanks for the food!!
Kazuto: So, / who's she? (seems kinda cool...)
Tokio: It might take a while to explain...

15
Miiko: Gah, what the hell... / what the hell is WITH that guy?! // I'm a guest too, aren't I?! // Ah- // ...?! // The street outside the store... / What's going on over there?

16
Kazuto: Six of them! / Six in one month! That's way too many, you know... / Though incidentally, I took care of four of them! // But up until last year, there would only be about six in a whole year... // So, you're saying you defeated two of them four days ago, right? / Two of them in one day... that's crazy!
Tokio: Ehhhh... Ahhhh... Is that right...
Kazuto: Huh. // (Honestly... This guy never changes. Never got any motivation. // Is he even taking this seriously? What the hell's he take the mission of the Guardian Houses for?!) // Well, whatever. More importantly, / What I came here today to say is, // The old lady over at the Kuramochi place is in bad condition. // The Head of the House of Kuramochi is changing today.

17
Tokio: Then... the Ceremony of Succession is tonight?!
Kazuto: Yeah, so that's why I came over expressly to invite you. // Hey, Tokio! Your eye!
Tokio: Yeah.
Kazuto: There's a Yoma nearby... // Ugh... At a time like this... / We'll talk later.
Tokio: Y- yes.
Kazuto: Damn Yoma... If you're coming, then get over here... I'll kick your ass! // Tokio. / Don't interfere, you hear!
People: What's that?! // Up there! // Looks dangerous! // Some kind of huge bird... // Up! / Up there!

18
Miiko: Wh- // What is that bird...? // (That's got to be... a Yoma! // There's no way that bird can be a natural creature!)
People: Move it! Move it! // Run for it!
Miiko: (I have to tell Shimura quickly!!)
Bird: How long? / How long?

19
People: It's a monster!! // It's huge!! // Aaaaaagh!!
Bird: Guaaaaaaaaagh!
Miiko: Ah... // This is bad! // It's coming this way!

20
Bird: ?!
Kazuto: Don't just hang around there, perv-girl! // You'll get burned.
Miiko: You're...!
Kazuto: A bird-formed Yoma... // An aerial fight, huh?

21
Kazuto: Just what I wanted. // I'll barbecue ya. // With my... // Masoho Sonidori!!
[TN: Looking at the kanji themselves, the name could translate as "Vermilion Bird" - an obvious reference to the legendary Suzaku that Kazuto's family is named after. As for the reading, as far as I can tell, the "soho" and "soni" kanji readings are imposed rather than natural, but I can't figure out where they're supposed to come from.]
[inset text: Together with the inferno!]
[bottom-right text: This guy's Yoma is a bird as well?! What incredible flames... there'll be an incredible battle next issue!!]

This translation is reserved for the use of Phase 3 Manga