Nurarihyon no Mago 25

There are... a LOT of notes at the end of this. Or rather, I got carried away looking up youkai legends for each of the Shikoku youkai and ended up writing way too much about them. Aside from the ones in blue, it's really not necessary to include the notes, but I thought they were pretty cool stories... anyway. Any comments / corrections / advice greatly appreciated, as always.

Scanlators / International Translators: You're welcome to use this, but I'd really appreciate if you credit Niphredil for translation.

Line break: New speech bubble / text box within the same panel
Blank line: New panel
*Asterisked purple lines are ones I'm not sure of.

-01-
Text: Kagawa Prefecture---
Text: Among certain mountains---

SFX: tap
SFX: tap

SFX: tap...
SFX: tap...
Vertical text: The threat from Shikoku, the sound of their footsteps drawing nearer!!
Bottom Text: Nurarihyon no Mago

-02-03-
[box: ]
The 7 Travelers
Youkai which appear in Shikoku.
It is said that if you happen to encounter them, death or other such misfortune will befall you.
A group who wear grass-woven raincoats and hats.

怪異は連なり街へと迫る――
**Image text: The mysterious youkai come in range of the town---
[it just looks to me like there are too many words there, and I don't get the e to combination either.]

[box: ]
Normally, they cannot be seen by the human eye, but it is said that if you look out from between a cow's back legs, you'll be able to see something...

Text: Act 25
Text: The 7 Travelers
Text: Shiibashi Hiroshi

Youkai: I'd heard the rumours... that we'd finally leave Shikoku.
”都”へ入りこめたのだ
**Youkai: We've infiltrated the capital.
隠神刑部の手招きが．．．　やはり奴は天下を取る器なり――
**Youkai: It was at the beckoning of the Inugami Gyoubu, but... he does indeed have the ability to take control---
[For one thing, I can't tell who the subject of the first part is. If the opening shot here is of them in Kagawa-ken, a Shikoku prefecture, then do they mean we as in the larger group of Shikoku youkai? Or should the subject be "He/They", referring to the ones we've already seen?]

-04-
Box: Ukiyoe Town

Nurari: Would you just give up?
Nurari: Once you've been stabbed by my blade, you won't be able to stand up.

Nurari: Though... waving a sword around now at my age is a little harsh on these old bones.
Nurari: In your country, you'd say "What a bother!"

Nurari: Before you die, tell me.

-05-
Nurari: What's a youkai from Shikoku
Nurari: Attacking me for?

Yura: Grandpa!!

-06-
Yura: *haaa* *haaa*
Yura: Hiie?!
Yura: *wheeze*
Nurari: Huh?!
Nurari: You climbed all the way up here?

Yura: *haaa* *haaa*
Yura: Ev... Everything's fine now, Grandpa...
Yura: Now that I'm here...

Yura: ...huh? That man...
Nurari: Huh?
Nurari: Oh... Uh, he wasn't really... anything to worry about.
Nurari: *ahem*... He left.

Yura: Huh.
SFX [middle]: cracking

Yura: Whaaaaaat? No way!! I certainly don't think it was nothing to worry about!!
いくら何でもわかるでーー
**Yura: I understand everything--
Nurari: No no, wait! Wait!

-07-
Nurari: I hid...
Nurari: When he couldn't find me, the guy flew into a rage for a moment then left like the wind...
Nurari: Which is just like Muchi...
Yura: Huh... like the wind...
Yura: So that's... just like Muchi...?

Yura: Damn... I let him get away?
Yura: Ugh... I can't stand how useless I am.
Yura: I hate it, that I'm weak!!

Nurari: No no, you saved me!
Nurari: If you hadn't been here... I would've died.

Yura: Really?!

Yura: You really think so?!
Nurari: Yeah...
Yura: You're not hurt, are you?!
Yura: You're not getting sick?
Nurari: Y... Yeah...

-08-
Yura: I'm so glad
Yura: That I was able to protect a good person like you... from youkai.

Nurari: ......
Nurari: And you
Nurari: You're becoming a great onmyouji.

Yura: Ahhh for some reason I feel a lot better!
Yura: And now I'm hungry too!

Yura: Hey, Grandpa, would you like to eat egg rice with me--

Yura: ......
Yura: Huh? Grandpa...?

-09-
Nattou Kozou: Oh! Supreme Commander!!
Nattou: You were safe?

Nurari: What about you? Are you okay, Nattou?
Nattou: No need to worry about me.
Nattou: Anyway... let's hurry back home. We'll be scolded by Karasu.

Nurari: I'm not going back.
Nattou: Huh?

Nurari: I won't be back for awhile so let him know for me.
Nurari: Or, Nattou... are you coming with me?

Nattou: Whaaat?! Wait...
Nattou: S... S... Supreme Commander?! What do you mean?!

-10-
Kana: Ahhh I'm tired!!

Kana: Kiyotsugu-kun sure did talk for a long time, didn't he?
Rikuo: I know, right?
Rikuo: It's a good thing the days are long this season~

Kubi Nashi: Honestly... I got tired of waiting!
Kejourou: Escorts get a lot of free time...
Kappa: ......

Rikuo: Still, Kiyotsugu-kun's youkai knowledge blows me away
Kiyo text: Shikoku has a lot of Tanuki, you see
Kiyo text: In particular, Tokushima...
Kana: I know, I'm really learning a lot!

Kana: Yeah, the more I know, the more scared I get.
Kana: But that's just how it is with youkai!

Kana: And of course, conversely that's the charm...
Rikuo: ......

-11-
Rikuo: This is bad... Kana-chan
Yuki Onna: Rikuo-sama...
Yuki: That night for sure, *something*
Yuki: Most definitely occurred, did it not?

Rikuo: N... Nothing happened, Tsurara!
Text: You're talking in a weird way!
Yuki: No!!

Yuki: Women can tell!!
Yuki: That girl... Ienaga Kana!
Yuki: Since the other day, she's only been thinking about the Night form of Rikuo-sama...
Yuki: That's because, when it comes to the Night Rikuo-sama, she's completely in...
Rikuo: ......

Yuki: "L", plus
Flag: L

Yuki: "O", plus
Flag: O

Yuki: "VE"!
Flag: VE
[Originally, this was the word ho-re-ta, so it fit a lot better on the flags :P sorry for the awkwardness]

Rikuo: Whaaaaaaat?!
Text: How'd you figure that?!
Yuki: It's obvious!!
Ao: ......
Yuki: Now~! Please own up to what you did!!
Yuki: I had made dinner and was waiting for you!!

-12-
Kana: ......

Rikuo: Uh... um, no we're just...

Kana: So, Oikawa-san... your house is this way.
Yuki: You really don't know anything, do you, Ienaga-san.

Kejourou: Somehow it seems like they're having an interesting conversation, doesn't it...
Kubi Nashi: You think so?
Kappa: Oh right, the conversation right now...

Kappa: That time, I was made to go pick up his bag from school at dawn, you see.
Kubi Nashi: Really, Kappa?
Kappa: And that's why I was seen by people and investigated by the media again.

Kubi Nashi: Heh... dear me. Even Master's no innocent.
Kejourou: You're one to talk, Kubi Nashi~

Rikuo: Enough!
Rikuo: What's wrong with you two?!

-13-
Tamazuki: You're Rikuo-kun, right?

-14-
Rikuo: ...?!
Rikuo: Wh...
Rikuo: Who are you?!

Kubi Nashi: !!
Kana: Rikuo-kun... do you know them?
Rikuo: N... No...

Ao: Hey, what's your problem?
Rikuo: H... Hang on, Ao--
Rikuo: Kurata-kun, stop it!

Rikuo: Is he a high schooler...? He's... not a middle schooler.
Rikuo: Have I... met him somewhere before...?
Rikuo: Uh.. Uhm...

Tamazuki: Oh, I see--
Tamazuki: So I didn't need to ask?...

Tamazuki: Because we're so alike.
Tamazuki: You and me, that is.

-15-
Tamazuki: Overflowing with young talent
Tamazuki: The inheritors of... blood.

Tamazuki: However... you've had everything from the very beginning.
Tamazuki: Whereas I... will be taking everything starting now.

Tamazuki: Because I'm just biding my time in this town too.

Rikuo: Huh?
Tamazuki: Well, you just wait and see... I'll gather up a lot of "fear".

Rikuo: W... Wait...

-16-
Inugami: *pant*

Inugami: *pant*
Inugami: *pant*
Inugami: *pant*
Inugami: Babes on both arms?! Just as I figured, you sure are some big shot~

SFX: slurp

-17-
Kana: Hiie?!
Kana: Wh... Whaaat?!

Rikuo: Kana-chan?!

Kana: Nooo~~~
Kana: Rikuo-kun!

Text: Hahaha...
Inugami: Just sayin' hello

Kejourou: What's with those guys?!...
Kejourou: Let's go, Kubi Nashi!
Kubi Nashi: N... No, wait a sec...

Kejourou: What're you so scared abou--

Rikuo: ......
Yuki: M... Master...

Kana: Why...
Text: *haaa*
Text: *haaa*
Kana: What's... that...
Kana: But... just now... they weren't there before...

-18-19
Tamazuki: So you've arrived... 7 Travelers.
Tamazuki: Or rather... Heads of the Hachijuuhakki Yakou.

Tamazuki: We can do it... We'll take this land.

[names]
Head -- Yosuzume

Head -- Gangi Kozou

Head -- Inuhouou

Shikoku Hachijuuhakki Yakou
Head -- Inugami

Head -- Te-arai Oni

Shikoku Hachijuuhakki Yakou
Clan Leader -- Inugami Gyoubu -- Tamazuki

Head -- Hari Onna

Head -- Sodemogi-sama


Text, top left: The Heads have gathered...!!
Tamazuki: The ones to ascend... will be us.

Text: Chapter 25 / END
Text: Next time, a show of thanks for our popularity!! A huge 23 super-tense pages!!

- - - CHAPTER END - - -


Chapter Notes - Shikoku Youkai
[or should I say... roll call?]

Hachijuuhakki Yakou // 八十八鬼夜行
As far as I can tell, it's the Shikoku equivalent of the Hyakki Yakou led by Nurarihyon. Instead though, the kanji at the beginning read 88 rather than 100.

Yosuzume // 夜雀
Literally, evening sparrow. In Japanese legend, this is a youkai taking the form of a sparrow which appears on mountain paths and flies around travelers at night, noisily chirping at them. Other regional legends say it appears as a black moth.

Gangi Kozou // 岸涯小僧
A type of kappa, this waterside-dwelling youkai is covered in fur, with a lot of hair on its head like a kappa and webbed hands and feet. An alternate name, read the same way but using the kanji雁木小僧, is said to describe its jagged teeth which resemble the "teeth" on a cog/gear.

Inuhouou // 犬鳳凰
This is an alternate name for the bird youkai Basan/Basabasa. It's a huge chicken-like bird which has a flaming crest on its head and spouts flames from its beak. The flames, similar to those of will o'wisps, are not hot and do not actually burn. Sort of on a tangent (I just thought it was cool) Houou / 鳳凰 is also the name of a mythical Chinese wind/firebird, said to be the ruler of all winged creatures.

Inugami // 犬神
"Dog God". The most widely known dog demon spirit in western Japan. They were originally said to be the spirits of starving dogs which had been killed and buried in the street, and developed such a grudge towards the people walking above them that they turned into demons. There was also a custom of enshrining the remains of a dog as an inugami and having it become a sort of guardian spirit for the family.

Te-arai Oni // 手洗鬼
Literally, "hand-washing ogre/demon". An Edo-era Shikoku legend tells of a variety of giant, with a stride length of over 12km / 7.5 miles – enough to step over mountains and such – who wash their hands in the ocean.

Inugami Gyoubu // 隠神刑部
The kanji read hidden - god - justice - division/dept". According to Shikoku legend, this is the supreme commander (yep, like Nurarihyon) of all "baketanuki", demon/monster tanuki [raccoon dogs]. He has a reputation for inciting his subjects to cause upheaval and unrest and join in rebellions, and attempt to take over the area's stronghold.

Gyoubu seems to be a prestigious title granted by a feudal lord of Matsuyama-jou (松山城). I also found a few references to an ancient Chinese department of justice, containing officials who dealt with the judgments and punishments for criminals. In this manga, the term seems to apply only to Tamazuki, so I'm inclined to go for something more like "enforcer" when it comes to this interpretation, but really I can't be sure until we learn more.

Tamazuki // 玉章
It could be unrelated, but still... There are a couple words with different readings, tamazusa and gyokushou which use the same kanji, referring to either beautiful writing/poetry, or a letter honouring its recipient.

Hari Onna // 針女
Her name literally means "needle girl/woman". She shares a name with a Shikoku youkai who has the face of a young woman and sharp pointed hooks at ends of her wildly flowing hair. Roaming the streets at night, she tries to seduce men to return her looks and smiles, resulting in them being caught and immobilised by her hair, and abducted by her if they do so. It is said you can escape her if you barricade yourself in a house with a sturdy door until morning, but when you emerge you'll still see on the door the scratchmarks from her hooks.

Sodemogi-sama // 袖もぎ様
Sode is a sleeve, Mogi comes from the verb to pluck / pull / tear. There is a custom of ripping off your sleeve and dedicating it to the deity Sodemogi-san/-sama, if you happen to fall down on the road whilst travelling. This is supposed to appeal to the god for safe passage on your journey, otherwise you will encounter some other calamity or misfortune.

All folklore info taken from WikiJP's Nihon no Youkai Ichiran (日本の妖怪一覧 )page.

As a sidenote, Volume 2 of the manga will be out 3rd October!