Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 11

In a "Koro-seum" showdown for grade pride (and school funding) Momotarou faces off against Akashi, the head of the 2nd-years...but can his swordsmanship defeat the power of the head and his Zanganken which can cut through anything!?

Chp. 11: Dance of the Deadly Swords

48.
Announcer: Listen to these loud cheers: the grounds of the “Koro-seum” being presented at Otokojuku has now transformed into a crucible of excitement!!
Announcer: After just the stroke of one sword by both opponents, they’re continuing to glare at each other, looking for an opening.

49.
Onihige: For commentary, we go to the principal of Otokojuku, Edajima Heihachi. Principal, what do you anticipate with the developments of this match!!
Edajima: Fufufu, I am the principal of Otokojuku, Edajima Heihachi.
Onihige: Thank you very much.
Hidemaro: Mo…Momo.
Momotarou: Fufufu, really, were you fooling around…………
Akashi: Well isn’t that nice? I’ll be showing a magnificent death to those students of Otokojuku among the huge crowds.

50.
Akashi: RYAAA----!!

51.
Akashi: Fufufu, this Zanganken that cuts what it touches…it hasn’t given damage to your longsword, but

52.
Akashi: Fufufu, however, you can’t run from my swipe forever.
(TN: Akashi makes mention of “maai”, or “interval”, but somehow it really didn’t feel natural with how it was written. Therefore I ended up making it “swipe”)
Momotarou: !!
First-Years: Mo…Momo--!!

53.
Akashi: Hoo, you dodged it well. You would have spilled your guts if it went a centimeter deeper.
Onihige: Momo’s in a crisis. This match’s advantage belongs to Akashi, who has stepped into many bloody fights.
Student: To…Togashi---!?
Cop 2: U---m, I didn’t think a high school arts festival could have such a realistic performance.
Cop 1: Hey~~~you stars----!!

54.
Onihige: Momo can’t touch him and is merely running away. This match is now a matter of time.
Edajima: Fufufu, that’s not it. Don’t you understand?
Edajima: That Momo appears to be measuring the swipes while reading Akashi’s swordplay, aiming for his one chance.

55.
Momotarou: Fufufu, what’s wrong? You can’t kill me with just a flesh wound.
Akashi: I thought you had the study of dojo swordsmanship, but somehow you’re quite capable. But, the true value of Ichimonji Zanganken isn’t like that.

56.
Togashi: If you take a single step, I’ll blow your brains out.
Matsuo: To…Togashi……!!
Togashi: Don’t move. You can’t match him no matter how many swords you have.

57.
Cop 2: That gun is our police-standard Nambu 38-caliber.
(TN: “Nambu” is a Japanese gun manufacturer, notable for creating and providing the firearms for the Japanese during WWI & WWII)
Cop 1: U—m, hold on, this scene is impossible in this scenario. Really, that pistol, which must be called “the life of a policeman”, was stolen. How could there be such a foolish cop?
Momotarou: Togashi, you shouldn’t be appearing here.
Togashi: Don’t be joking. He showed his cruel eyes to me. His shoes have trampled on the heads of others. How could he force that behavior on us?
Togashi: This debt has to be paid back.
Akashi: Fufufu, calm down. I can just hurt a fool like you in one strike.

58.
Togashi: DON’T CLAMP ME YOU DUMMY----!!
(TN: I had a hard time with this, mostly due to Togashi using the term “koki”, which had several meanings. But the best one I found involved a “belt buckle”, leading to me translating it as “clamp” at this time)
Togashi: Huh?

59.
Togashi: Uo!!
First-Years: To…Togashi---!!
Akashi: Fufufu, Ichimonji-ryuu Ougi!! I can see anything, even the bullet from a gun.
(TN: Considering that “ougi” here is tied to the attack, I kept it in Japanese. “Ougi” is Japanese for “secret” or “mystery”)

60.
Akashi: Fufufu, you fool.
Togashi: Mo…Momo……
Togashi: Take me to the hospital after the match with this guy. I won’t move even a step so I can see it for myself.
Togashi: I…ask this, Momo…
Momotarou: Aah.
Cop 2: Th…this is making me cry.
Cop 1: That Togashi actor has a mixed-up face, but had a cool performance.

61.
Akashi: Fuffufu, you’re forever foolish in planning to perform a Naniwabushi. I’ll get back to the match promptly so I can go home.
(TN: A “naniwabushi”, also known as a “roukyoku” is a genre of traditional Japanese singing popular in the Edo era and in the early 20th century)
Momotarou: What, do you plan to go home from here alive?
Akashi: What---!!
Akashi: N--!?

62.
Student: From what you said, we may be the worst first-years to appear since Otokojuku started.
Hidemaro: When you see our guts and courage, it’s natural to become weak.
Student 2: But you’re a greater fool for killing an ally in front of our eyes.
Momotarou: Let’s finish this.

63.
Akashi: Fufufu, right. You just want to settle this while thinking of your ally. Then I’ll cordially see you off, even if you end up in hell.
Akashi: This is the end---!!
Momotarou: I’ve already seen all of your swordmanship.

64.
First-Years: Mo…Momo--!!

65.
Akashi: Fufufu, well I have a better opinion of you. I can’t completely throw away this year’s first-years.
Akashi: I won’t question it next time.

66.
Momotarou: When he’s healed in three months, I’ll properly pay back Togashi’s debt.
First-Years: He…did it! Mo…Momo won---!!
Onihige: This is a big upset. Akashi Gouji, the head of the second-years, has been destroyed in front of the power of the first-years.
Edajima: Fufufu, I am the principal of Otokojuku, Edajima Heihachi.

67.
Tazawa: Hold on, Togashi---!! Momo won---!!
Hidemaro: Doctor--!! He’s bleeding horribly.
Tazawa: Wh…what is this!?
Togashi: Fufufu, did my acting surprise you? Since that Momo was really sluggish in his fight, I lit him up.
Onihige: We—ll, the audience who saw that are surging into the ring--!!
Audience: Fixed---! We want our money back---!!
Cop 1: U—m, what an impressive performance.

TN: It's sort of strange if you look at this, but somehow the climax of the chapter was both classic...and really familiar. I know that several other shonen have used the "fallen ally empowering the main fighter" bit before (most notably in YYH with Kuwabara awakening Yusuke to defeat Toguro the younger), but I really loved how Togashi did something slightly similar to Momotarou, both enlivening him and the entire first-year to stand up to Akashi, particularly in how it was all treated in a gag-related fashion. (especially the whole bit where his "performance" ends up making everyone storm to get their money back) One thing this chapter though really made me appreciate better was the battle style of Momotarou: while I don't know if this will be his battle style for the whole series, the fact that he spends most of the fight studying his opponent and figuring out their action and movements so he can counter and win appropriately is a slow but smart method in battle. With so many shonen heroes just rushing in and hoping to overpower them from the first blow, the way Momotarou defeated Akashi (since the key is to defeat him so the Zanganken has no meaning) made me appreciate him more. (likewise Akashi is starting to grow on me: he's a creep but he has his honor and realizes that the first-years are much more loyal and defensive...compared to idiots like Maruyama and Edogawa) But most of all, I really liked how the cops were just oblivious to it all the whole time, including having their gun stolen by Togashi and thinking it was all just a show even as the rest of the Koro-seum audience hated the outcome! (makes me wish we sort of had them later on)