Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 74

Date has crushed Baron Dino with ease in the Third Fight of the Paaren Seiha...but knows the true threat remains! But will he be able to stand up to the strange powers of the Shitennou Rasetsu...or even lay a finger on him!?

Chp. 74: Toushi that Go Through Everything

140.
Date: Don’t forget to take this to hell.

141.
First-Year 1: A…amazing, that Date---!!
First-Year 2: Great, Date; we want you to do it like that to that next Rasetsu guy---!!
First-Year 3: He defeated Dino without looking at all---!!
Toramaru: You’re all so noisy, yelling out “Date, Date”---!! That guy isn’t that great compared to me!!
Toramaru: Hey—Date, it’s my turn this time. Shouldn’t we switch---!!

142.
Date: Get over here. I’m tired of waiting.
Toramaru: That f**king idiot Date, how is he coming over? How’s he going to cross that distance of the fiery surface without even a boat?

143.
Toramaru: He—y, what is he doing!? He’s floating what looks like menko cards on the surface.
(TN: “Menko cards” are in reference to the game of “menko”, a game where players try to flip an opponent’s cards, usually made of a heavy cardboard making them harder to flip, in order to increase their pile. Since both the game and the card have the same name, I ended up using “menko cards” to describe Rasetsu’s method)

144.
Toramaru: Wh…what--! He jumped across by making those tiny, floating menko cards his footholds---!!

145.
Wan Taaren: The Myoukatsu Tosui Method.
(TN: “Myoukatsu Tosui Method” or “Myoukatsu Tosui no Hou” = “Miraculous Lively Water Crossing Method”)
First-Years: Myoukatsu Tosui Method…!!
Wan Taaren: You can barely leap across with all of your own weight by using scraps of paper floating on a killer liquid surface. It’s uncommon due to its tremendous training; it must be done perfectly.
Gekkou: A bizarre fighting spirit is emanating from his entire body: he’s quite skilled even among the Shitennou.
Momotarou: Mmm……That should be best understood by Date.

146.
First-Year: Hey, look! Date is in a stance first---!!

147.
Rasetsu: That stance is Hakyoku-ryuu’s Katsusatsuken………he’s a suitable user for it……
(TN: “Katsusatsuken” = “Lively Killing Fist”)
Rasetsu: If that’s the case, then I’ll fight using the secrets of Kyouke Toushi Kiha!!
(TN: “Kyouke Toushi Kiha” = “Kyou School [Hard School]’s Helmet Finger Shaming Destroyer”)
Toramaru: Toushi Kiha”----!? Wh…what? That Rasetsu’s in a bizarre finger stance----!!

148.
Toramaru: He...hey—what are they doing---!! How could they face each other without moving an inch for an hour already----!!
Momotarou: They’re not moving. They’re mutually waiting for their opponent to commence without leaving themselves any openings.

149.
Date: !!

150.
(And there goes Rasetsu…)

151.
(…Right through a pillar)

152.
Rasetsu: There doesn’t exist a thing that my fingers can’t go through in this world.
Toramaru: Wh…what? Rasetsu’s fingers have opened an airhole in the pillar---!!
Wan Taaren: The dreadful Toushi Kiha………!!

153.
Rasetsu: TOUSHI KIHA RYOUDANSATSU!!
(TN: “Ryoudansatsu” = “Dual-Stage Kill”)

154.
Rasetsu: !!
Rasetsu: GU!!

155.
Rasetsu: GUA!!

156.
Rasetsu: TOUSHI KIHA SOUSHISATSU!!
(TN: “Soushisatsu” = “Paired Finger Kill”)
Toramaru: DA…DATE----!!

157.
Date: I’ve got you…………Hakyoku-Ryuu: Kenshitei!!
(TN: “Kenshitei” = “Fist-Stopper of Tei”; “Tei” in this case is an ancient Chinese state in modern Heinan but could also be a reference to the Chinese general Koxinga [also known in the traditional name of “Te Seng-kong”], who lead the military at the end of the Ming Dynasty and claimed back Taiwan from the Dutch)

TN: This chapter is just the perfect example of why Otokojuku is one of those series that's unique in what it does. I mean, any series where a guy seems like a massive threat, then starts making strange finger poses and uses those to destroy pillars and attack someone who fights conventionally like Date is just one you can't take seriously! I mean, just look at what Rasetsu does with his hands: if you didn't know he was a powerful martial artist, you'd think he was acting silly! (well he is...but we all know that) Heck, even using playing cards to cross a flaming oil pond is just as nuts...I still think I screwed up part of the explanation regarding the technique but it is rather obvious watching it. But then there was that staredown...yeah, I think that was to establish that after the quickness of Baron Dino, Date was not handling Rasetsu as easily. Oh, one more quick note: for some reason seeing so many of the other First-Year fighters no longer there (whether by death or by medical treatment) has definitely taken away from the commenting cast, considering how prominent we have Hidemaro among Momo and Gekkou...but that's what happens in a tourney like this I guess.