Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 75

In a match where a mere poke of a finger can mean instant death, Date has found a way to stop Rasetsu's bizarre weapon choice...but just because his attacks have been given the finger so far...doesn't mean they will for long!

Chp. 75: A Glance Isn’t the Truth

158.
(Yeah…like fingers can be used with fists smashed against them)

159.
First-Year 1: It’s over---! That’s Hakyoku-ryuu Ougi Kyokushitei---!!
First-Year 2: What an amazing technique, as expected of Date---!!
Hidemaro: That Rasetsu’s dreadful fingers are completely sealed---!!
Toramaru: Heh, what are they saying? If they thought that I could do something like that, then I will!! Hey, Date—can’t you switch with me—do you truly not want me to take my turn--!!
Rasetsu: Fu, do you know the ancient Chinese proverb, ‘A glance isn’t the truth’!?
(TN: The full expression, which probably I’m writing out to make sure I got it right, is “Ikken wa Shin Narazu”; “ikken” can be translated as “glance”, but also can be “apparently”, “seemingly”, or a “first meeting”; “shin” is using the kanji for “truth”, while “narazu” is a negation version of the verb “naru” or “to become”, thereby being “without becoming”. Essentially the expression expresses the concept akin to what we say in English as “a first impression can be deceiving”)
Date: What……!?

160.
Rasetsu: Nuha---!!
Date: !!
Date: Nu!!

161.
Rasetsu: Fu, do you get what I meant? You planned to seal my fist, but somehow your situation is the reverse.
First-Year 1: What’s wrong, Date--!! Don’t glare at him forever and, finish the match at once---!!
First-Year 2: Right, as it’s been until now, Date overwhelmingly has been superior in the match!!
Momotarou: You’re wrong……! The dilemma right now is Date’s.
First-Year: N--!? Wh…what are you saying, Momo!?
Date: Rasetsu’s finger-fist can go through Date’s chest in that stance.
First-Years: Wh…what---!!

162.
Rasetsu: You won’t be able to endure this forever. You know without saying it which has the advantage between the power that’s suppressing from the sides of you and the power that’s pushing from the front of me…………………!!
Hidemaro: Wh…what is Date doing? Shouldn’t he release his suppressing fists----!!
Momotarou: It’s useless…………even if he released his stance and released his footwork, that guy’s finger-fist will quickly pierce through Date’s chest from that. As is, he can only push him back………!!

163.
Rasetsu: I’ve got this match…………!!
Date: Ku!!
Toramaru: Da…Date---!!

164.
Date: Uuh!!
Rasetsu: You’re stubborn, are you still enduring this? But with 1cm; if I had one more centimeter, my Soushisatsu will go through your heart.
Date: You can’t kill me.
Rasetsu: What--!!

165.
Toramaru: Huh!! That Date, what’s he doing closing his eyes----!!
Date: TOU YOU KAI ZAN HA KAN
(TN: The next couple dialogue bits that Date speaks are all an incantation so I won’t be translating them yet)
Date: METSU HEI KEN SHUN AN
Rasetsu: What are you grumbling; are you saying your final prayers?
Date: EN KAI BAKU EN SHIKI MU CHOU ZEN AKU
Date: SATSU SEI MAN KOKU AI KU

166.-167.
Date: OOH!!
Date: HAKYOKU-RYUU: KICHOUTOU!!
(TN: “Kichoutou” = “Spirit-Unleashing Prayer”; the first two kanji in “kichou” also has a reading of “kiba” in the verbal “kibaru”, which is the verb of “to go all out”, so by combining this reading to the individual ones, I came up with this translation)
Rasetsu: !!

168.
Rasetsu: Nuu! Wh…where do you still have this much power…………!!
Toramaru: Well, Date’s forcing him back----!!
First-Years: A…amazing, l…look at his muscles----!! What exactly is that!? I can feel his power suddenly gushing from somewhere---!!
Wan Taaren: It’s a kind of Renkatsu Kisouhou.
(TN: “Renkatsu Kisouhou” = “Life-Training Spirit-Insertion Method”)
First-Year: Renkatsu Kisouhou……!?

169.
Commentary:
Renkatsu Kisouhou…humans can only use 50-60% of their own latent physical ability in any sport. The purpose of the Kisouhou is to instantly draw out 100% of the body’s ability possessed in themself from a mental concentration by hypnotizing themselves. Normally, there are many methods for hypnotizing yourself, but many recite the “Mitsukyuukyou Incantation”. Even today among the supreme first-class players in sports who demand an instantaneous power that is higher than their weight class, there are those who have a mastery of putting this method to practice unnoticed.
-From “The Mysteries and Sports of the Body”, Minmei Publishing
(TN: “Mitsukyuukyou Incantation” or “Mitsukyuukyou no Juumon” = “Incantation of the Secret Nine Doctrines”

Date: HA---!!

170.
Toramaru: He…he did it; he escaped from his desperate dilemma---!!
Rasetsu: Fu, you have done it. You’re a master of Renkatsu Kisouhou.
Rasetsu: However, I’ve heard unimaginable words of the exhaustion of your physical strength after you use the Kisouhou. Furthermore the bleeding…………
Rasetsu: I can already see this match. I’ll conclude it at once.

171.
Rasetsu: Nuoa---!!
Toramaru: Wh…what’s with that Date: he can’t avoid it without taking a stance!! What’s wrong, Date----!!
Rasetsu: Can’t you move anymore?

172.
Rasetsu: !!
Rasetsu: GU…GUAA---!!

173.
Rasetsu: Th…this is………!!
Rasetsu: Uuuh--!!
Date: Hadn’t you realized that the sinew of your own fingers were ripped to pieces with my Kenshitei earlier? Since you’ve really overtrained your prided finger-fist, you couldn’t even feel the pain.
Date: The essence of Kenshitei isn’t to stop your opponent’s fist; it’s to make it unusable.
Rasetsu: Huh!!

174.
Rasetsu: You…idiot: there isn’t anything that my Toushi Kiha can’t go through!
Date: Don’t you get it yet? Your fist now can’t even go through tofu.
Rasetsu: Gua!!

175.
Date: Thus, you too don’t seem like my enemy…………!!

TN: This was a very smart chapter and definitely goes along with the title and with Rasetsu's expression at the start: first impressions are always deceiving. Whereas one moment Date has sealed off Rasetsu's hands, he has the leader where he wants him...leading to Date to smush his hands upon release...but keeping the fingers apparently intact...leading to the shocking revelation that what Rasetsu was using was taken out prior but not even sensed by him! It sort of weird that it felt so little happened in this chapter (and most of my hassle was me going nuts over that Minmei explanation of the "latent potential technique" used by Date) but it was more complex than it seemed, obviously showing that...well, you know by now.