Hitomi no Catoblepas 8

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Hitomi no Catoblepas
#8 Manoeuvering
[bottom-right author's name: Tanaka Yasuki]
[insert text: The Ceremony of Succession begins!!]
Michiru: I am the 21st Head of the House of Kuramochi. // Kuramochi Michiru.

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Michiru: O Shakara-Ou, // I wish to form a Youkai contract with you from this day forth.

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Michiru: You shall dwell within this flesh, // and grant me the use of your power.

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Miiko: A dragon...!! // Wow... it's so big... That's the House of Kuramochi's Yoma...!!
Tokio: (It has begun... the Yoma of the Head of the Guardian House is being transferred... // From Tamaki-sama to the 21st Head, Michiru-san... // The Ceremony of Succession...)
Person: Now, let us begin the Ceremony of Succession... // of the Head of the House of Shimura.
Person: Gyaaaaaaaah!
Person: Stop, Tokihito!
Tokio: (My brother... // The 21st Head of the House of Shimura should have been my brother...)
Person: What are you doing, Tokihito?!

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Person: Tokihito - !!
Tokio: (I cannot forgive you... // You have fallen into Mictlan, // And I will stop you with this eye.)
[TN: Mictlan - a reference that isn't Buddhist for a change! It's actually the name of the main Aztec underworld. The kanji used for it read "the path of evil".]

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Michiru: *freaky chanting, damned if I can read it* // Unh!

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Miiko: Ahh!
[TN: The bubble says "Wapu!"; I'm presuming it's supposed to be some kind of exclamation or sound-effect, but I've never seen anything like it. If anyone has a better idea, please let me know ~_~]
Miiko: I - I'm drowning...!! / What's going on?! This water... // *glug glug*
Tokio: Don't worry, Miiko-san. / This is not true water. // This is an illusion, displaying Shakara-Ou's power - dominion over water. / See, we can breathe.
Miiko: Huh?! It's true... // ...!! // (The mark on my arm is disappearing... // The curse is gone!)

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Shakara-Ou: That is acceptable... O Young Head of the House of Kuramochi, Michiru... // My great power of water and of healing... // I grant unto you.

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Miiko: That was incredible~! That Ceremony of Succession! // That sudden flood-type thing...!!
Tokio: It seems that Shakara-Ou's excess power flooded the hall and healed everyone within. / I'm glad your curse was removed.
Igarashi: My back pain seems to have vanished.
Mitsuki: I had a slight cold, but it's gone now! / Shakara-Ou really is so amazing!!
Kazuto: That's great, you guys. // Still... old Tamaki looked pretty damn healthy for someone who's supposedly about to die. // I wonder why we've all been gathered here... They said she an important statement to make... // Agh!!

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Tamaki: And who are you calling an old dying woman?!
Michiru: Kazuto-san, are you all right? / My grandmother can be a little rough...
Kazuto: What the hell?!!! Attacking me from behind - sick people should stay the hell in bed!
Tamaki: Who you calling sick?! I'm sure you can see I'm perfectly fine, lout!! // Everyone was told that I've been in bed with back pain for a few days, but... / Perhaps your aides delivered the message wrong!
Kazuto: Nanao, why you...!!
Mitsuki: Reeeeally? So sorry about that~...

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Michiru: I'm so glad that you decided to come, Tokio-kun. / It's been about a year, hasn't it?
Tokio: My sincere congratulations for today, Michiru-san.
Hakutaku: Indeed, congratulations.
Michiru: And you must be Kishida Miiko-san. I've heard about you. / I'm glad that my powers could remove your curse.
Miiko: I'm very grateful!
Michiru: Tokio-kun... You came because you were worried for me, didn't you? / Thank you.
Tokio: That's all right... // I'm just glad that you managed to get through the ceremony safely.
Hakutaku: Incidentally, I can't see Iwao-dono's face anywhere around here...?
Michiru: !!...... // My father... // My father didn't come.

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Miiko: (Still, Michiru-san is really beautiful, isn't she... // She's the Head of a Guardian House, and part of the management of the huge Seiryuu Corporation... // She's amazing... a real celebrity...!!) // You're exactly the kind of woman I aspire to be, Michiru-san! / So ladylike... and grown-up... // And you have huge breasts!
Michiru: ......!!
Mitsuki: Huh?

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Michiru: Oh... oh, no... Miiko-san...
Mitsuki: Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!
Miiko: EH?!
Tamaki: Ah, apologies, everyone. / Michiru still has not acquired full control of her powers.
Kazuto: Hey, hey, hey...
Tamaki: It seems that if she becomes agitated or excited, she may cause nearby water to act violently...!
Michiru: Oh... I...

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Michiru: I'm really very sorry...!!
Miiko: Danger! / Danger!
Tamaki: *ahem* // Now then... // Today is a truly special day! // Are you ready, Michiru? / Tokio? // And Kazuto?

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Tamaki: You must all prepare yourselves steadfastly from this point. // Michiru, and indeed all of you, are very young... None of you have held the House Head's responsibility for more than a few years! / From my point of view, you are all still novices. // Our enemies will take advantage of this.
Tokio: ...!!
Kazuto: (What an incredible old woman... She no longer has the Yoma's power, yet I couldn't even see her movement!)
Tamaki: And Hon'ami isn't even in K City right now for you to depend on...

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Tamaki: In truth, when I was reading the heavens, I saw four evil stars approaching K City. // I fear that they may be the "Shikyou"...!!
Hakutaku: The Shikyou?! / Those four wicked Yoma who breached the limits of cruelty on the Chinese continent...
Tokio: Are you saying that even beings like that are being revived?!
[TN: I'm not entirely sure that it's Tokio saying that - the bubble could be pointing at Kazuto, or even at Hakutaku again, but it doesn't really matter anyway.]
Tamaki: You should know, Hakutaku-dono, that my predictions are always one hundred percent accurate! // We can view the Shikyou as Hajun's assassins! // Their goal is to destroy the Guardian Houses... / This is a fight that cannot be avoided! // We must all prepare our hearts for battle!!

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Kazuto: Huh... whatever may come, it won't be a match for me.
Miiko: Shimura...
Tokio: It's all right. There's no need for you to worry, Miiko-san. // .............. // (This is something I must do, // Brother. // Even if we should end up fighting one another... // I will stop you.)

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Hajun: I hear you have sent the Shikyou on the move, / Kaimei.
Kaimei: Yes... / Kuramochi Tamaki today passed her Head's seat to her granddaughter Michiru...

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Kaimei: Right now, the Heads of the Guardian Houses, though they may possess powerful Yoma, are nothing more than a collection of youngsters. / It seems that the best chance to defeat the Guardian Shijin has come about.
Hajun: If we can just eliminate them, / the barrier sealing us in this underworld will vanish.
Kaimei: Indeed...
Hajun: The day is near // when we Yoma will once again hold K City, nay, the world in our hands.
Kaimei: Please leave me to carry out your bidding. / Hajun-sama...!!

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[insert text: The unfathomable depths of the darkness... Here sits a man. "Tenma Hajun" - those eyes, those features - this is unmistakeably "that man"!!
[TN: I like the starry eyes. But who didn't see Tenma Hajun = Tokihito coming a mile off? :p]