Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 44

They are considered the leader of the three grades attending Otokojuku, enough to save Momo and the participants on Mt. Fuji...but what exactly is the intentions surrounding the Third-Years of Otokojuku...and their mysterious leader?

Chp. 44: The Decree from Tendou Palace

142.
Togashi: What great scenery. It’s already been a month since the “Kyoura Daiyon Kyousatsu”…
Toramaru: I didn’t think how we could be alive and passing through this school gate again.
Momotarou: Yes, indeed.

143.
Togashi: But what I don’t get is that our saviors were the Third-Years.
Toramaru: When we were desperately so close to death, they appeared from out of nowhere and barely rescued us there, then performing perfect medical care. Those guys though aren’t here. This time we all would have to go to their world to see them.
(TN: I added “to see them” to sort of show the elusiveness of the Third-Years)
Momotarou: Fuffufu, I understand why you all saved us. You were entrusted with our lives until then.
Toramaru: Well, no matter how much I think, I didn’t think that the upperclassmen at this school would act with the affection in their heart thinking of underclassmen. Hey, something going on…
Togashi: Oh no, the starting bell!!
Momotarou: We’re a month late. That’s clearly not typical.
Toramaru: He…hey all of you…wa…wait up!! My…my legs aren’t completely healed yet~~~

144.
Voice: STAND UP--!!
Sign: First-Years
Voice: Salute!!
First-Years: Good Mornin—su!!
(TN: The “Su” at the end is probably just an addition of the “Osu” that is such a common salute among the Otokojuku students, thus why I kept it)
Toramaru: Those a**holes!!
Commentary:
OTOKOJUKU’S FAMOUS KANSHI CANDLE…Support a washtub over your head with ordinary oil inside it.
Commentary (continued): On top of the tub oil, a candle is floating on top of an extremely unstable woodchip. If you shake the tub even a bit, the candle will collapse, inevitably covering the body in flames. This severely violent training method was said to occur as one form of corporal punishment at the three evil schools that won fame for their fierceness immediately after the Meiji Restoration.
-From “Education and Punishment”, Minmei Publishing
(TN: “Kanshi Candle”, or “Kanshirou” = “Tub-Supporting Candle”)

145.
Toramaru: Damn this.
Toramaru: That Onihige, ho…how could he treat a tenderly hurt man like this……?
Onihige: BE SEATED--!!
Onihige: Well then, even if you will carry winning the “Kyoura Daiyon Kyousatsu” forever, we’re not going to stay festive!! Today we’re going into a fighting spirit once again!!
Tazawa: Heh, what is he saying? You were the one who ran away unnoticed.
(TN: Well that explains what happened to him)

146.
Onihige: O—shi, first period is English class. Here at Otokojuku, which always prides its bravery, those who can’t speak English won’t be able to be a true cosmopolitan. Matsuo, read out screaming from pg. 32 of your textbook!!
Matsuo: O…Ossu, first-year Matsuo will read out screaming from pg. 32 of my textbook!!
Matsuo: AI AMU A BOUI!! DESU IZO HA PENSHIRU!!
(TN: Yes, this is how Matsuo reads it, obviously translated to “I am a boy. This is a pencil!!”)
Textbook: ENGLISH CLASS FOR GOOD CHILDREN
Togashi: Hehhehe, that Toramaru: though I’m not really carrying that thing, he’s on the brink.
Momotarou: Fuffufu, if I were him, then I wouldn’t even fart.
Matsuo: (offscreen) YUU AA GYAARU. A…AYUUU SUCHUUDENTO?
(TN: Real Englsih: “You are a girl. Are you a student?”)
Toramaru: Ugugu…………
Toramaru: !?

147.
Toramaru: Wh…what are you…………!?
Toramaru: A…third-year………!!

148.
Toramaru: …………………
Toramaru: Huh……!?
Onihige: Al—right, Tazawa! Translate “Dou yuu noo mee” to Japanese.
Tazawa: Ossu, first-year Tazawa will literally translate that!!
Tazawa: DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!!
(TN: Strangely enough, Tazawa recited the Japanese version of the American Express slogan, which in Japanese is “Dekakeru toki wa wasurezu ni!!”)

149.
Onihige: You idiot, are you Jack Nicklaus---!!
(TN: Not sure what this has to do with American Express but I guess the famous golfer did ads for it in Japan)
Tazawa: Ai am soorii, Hige soorii
Onihige: Pay attention--!!
Piped Third-Year: A DECREE!!
Onihige: Uh…!!

150.
Togashi: A decree……!!
Hidemaro: What are they………!!
Onihige: Th…Third-Years………!! So the time has finally come…!!
Piped Third-Year: This is only for the following four: Head of the Otokojuku First-Years Tsurugi Momotarou, J, Togashi Genji & Toramaru Ryuuji!! You must appear immediately at Tendou Palace, the residence of the Third-Years! Head of the Third-Years, Daigouin Jaki.
(TN: “Tendou Palace” or “Tendoukyuu” = “Move the Heavens Palace”)
J: Head of the Third-Years………!!
Togashi: Daigouin Jaki……!!

151.
Piped Third-Year: That is all we have to announce.
First-Years: !!
Toramaru: Wh…why did you do that, you head!!
Toramaru: Yo…you fool, I don’t know whether you’re third-years or not, but I nearly burned to death---!!
Onihige: St…stop, stop that Toramaru---!!

152.
Toramaru: Ge!!

153.
First-Years: To…Toramaru---!!
Third-Year: Onihige, the head of the third-years has questioned you among the staff from the beginning. Are you fit to be an Otokojuku teacher with your soft teaching style…!?
Momotarou: Fuffufu, well. The third-years at Otokojuku are worse than the teachers.
Momotarou: Right, To…
Togashi: ……………………
Togashi: Nuu………

154.
Toramaru: What is this!?
J: Beyond this wall is the Third-Year’s district………
Momotarou: Fufufu, it’s like a prison.
Onihige: This is as far as we go. From here, the marching order is just those four.
Tazawa: Well this was said after the entrance ceremony: whatever we did, we weren’t allowed to go just behind the eastern part of the school building.

155.
Toramaru: Damn this, I don’t know what use they have of us, but I’m going to settle it only with those earlier guys.
Onihige: Be careful of your mouth, idiot, you don’t understand yet their terror…!! The true form of the Otokojuku third-years...
Voice: Fuffufu: Onihige, with how you’ve been chattering, you’ve become a teacher with feelings for your students. Now, those four will come in.
First-Years: They’re speaking for real. Oh, look at that. Aren’t we being mocked by those 3s---!!
(TN: The “sangou” part somehow confused me: were they talking about the three from before or just third-years in general?)
Matsuo: Ah…rain……
Onihige: I don’t understand…I don’t stand anything about them………….!!

156.
Momotarou: This is the entrance to Tendou Palace……
Voice: That building’s on bad taste.
Togashi: ……………………
Momotarou: What’s wrong, Togashi, you look scared. You’ve been acting strange since you heard the name of the head of the third-years in class earlier.
Togashi: Phew, it’s really nothing.
Momotarou: Well, so then that’s good.

157.
Bald Third-Year: Well, enter. The head of the third-years is waiting.
Bald Third-Year: Then again, there’s the story of if you survive getting through the Chinju Corridor and arriving in the inner sanctum where our head is waiting to play.
(TN: Chinju Corridor or “Chinju Chokurou” = “Ancient Guardian Linear Corridor”; though in actuality, “Chinju” is also a term for a “local Shinto god”, I thought that the literal term was probably better for this purpose)
Toramaru: Chinju Corridor………!!
Commentary:
Chinju Corridor…in China’s Qing Dynasty, the kenpo schools who lined up at the Eastern Dairin Temple and studied at the Western Kuuran Temple are challenged to the end as proof of those who have mastered their studies. Within this corridor which extends straight to the inner sanctuary, they stop at several chambers where they face tricks and guardians one by one and only those who go through there are awarded proof of their studies.
-From “Great View of Chinese Military Arts", Minmei Publishing
(TN: The “Qing” Dynasty is also known as the Manchu Dynasty)

Toramaru: Hehhehe, interesting. I’ll run out there first.

158.-159.
First-Years: !!
“Giant”: Are you manly………!? Are you alive………!?
“Giant”: REPLY!!

TN: And now for today's lesson: when you see a giant man sitting on spikes and he's lacking an eye...you know you're in for a long fight! We'll be getting to "him" next time, but for the most part this chapter is the one that truly begins the new arc regarding the Third-Years and their "plans" for the First-Years. It does seem peculiar that they would call out the quartet who fought in the Kyoura Daiyon Kyousatsu the moment they came back to school, but considering what they want, it probably was important enough to make them throw themselves in the middle of class to make sure they got them. (though you do feel saddened that Onihige has little control regarding these matters and that the upper-classmen just keep going on and on at his "softness"...then again considering all he's done, he really isn't that soft so it's all relative). Of course, it's also bizarre to see Togashi starting to act up a bit, particularly in relations to the name of the Third-Year head...but that we'll get into as the arc continues on. (but keep an eye on Togashi for next time!...or at least hope we don't get any more credit card slogans!)