Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 128

Raiden has found himself against Otokojuku's most improbable opponent yet: a trio of trained killer monkeys controlled by Enpou of the Sanpousei! But how is a plate-spinning technique going to handle a squad of simians!?

Chp. 128: The Three-Monkey Clean-Sweeping Method!!

87.
Enpou: !!
Toramaru: Wh…what---!! Daioujou-ryuu Higi Rinshou Renge---!
Togashi: Lo…look---!! Those innumerable amounts of discs on top of those slender rods that are standing on the ground are building an eerie sound while starting to spin--!

88.
(Title Page: Monkeys vs. Monkey-Man…you make the call)

89.
Enpou: Kukkukku, that’s quite an interesting technique. But even with that, how are you going to use them when your opponents are my faithful and superior servants……………!! So, will you show me?

90.
Monkeys: !!
Toramaru: Ooh!! He destroyed the rods simultaneously with both hands and one foot, sending three of the discs flying with tremendous force---!

91.
Monkeys: KII!!

92.
Enpou: Hoo, thoroughly defeat the monkeys first and then you can fight me.

93.
Toramaru: D…damn it, wh…what nimble monkeys---!!
Togashi: Th…they entirely avoided the fierce Raiden’s disc attacks---!!
Raiden: Ha!!
Enpou: Kukkukku, a large percentage is that it somehow is simply an attack he has not mastered……actually they have power, but those released discs don’t make any unexpected variation; they merely just come flying in a straight line…!! With his opponents being monkeys, who possess many times the reflexes of humans and have been built by training on top of that, does he think he can defeat them with that standard?

94.
Toramaru: WH…WHAT---!!
Togashi: Th…those monkeys caught the discs with the secret “Shinken Shirahadori”, said to be an essential for swords---!!
(TN: “Shinken Shirahadori”, which translates into “Real Drawn-Sword Catching”, is actually a real technique which was notable as tied to the Yagyuu style of Japanese swordsmanship; it is typically performed by a swordsman catching a sword with their bare hands when an opponent attacks them from overhead. I’m not sure if I mentioned this before or not considering how many attacks there are in this series though…)

95.
Enpou: Correct: since they understand the degree of Daioujou-ryuu Higi: Rinshou Renge, now it isn’t necessary for them to run around. Catch all of them with Shirahadori without moving from there and make him realize the dread of all of you!!

96.
(Monkey see…monkey do…and do…and do…)

97.
Enpou: Kukkukku, they’re great beasts. They can completely see all of the movements of the discs.
Toramaru: Wh…what f**king cheeky monkeys---!! They’ve completely made a fool out of Raiden----!!
Date: I don’t get it: how could the man who is Sanmenken Raiden have that sort of monotonous attack from the same intervals to the same rhythm…he should understand the best that this won’t defeat monkeys………………!!
Momotarou: ………………!!

98.
Enpou: Kukkukku: those last three are your remaining discs……!! This will be your final attack. If that’s off, then it’s natural that your fate will be decided.

99.
Raiden: If you too are a priest, then it’s best that you chant a prayer to Buddha for the monkeys. The next blow will be a farewell to this world for you and your monkeys.
Enpou: Huh!?
Enpou: Why are you speaking such stupid things out of spite? This prayer to Buddha will be chanted for you.
Toramaru: …………………!? Ra…Raiden………!?
Raiden: HERE WE GO!!

100.-101.
Raiden: A PEACEFUL DEATH---!!
(TN: The “a peaceful death” Raiden shouts out is essentially “daioushou”, which is his trademark style and manner of killing)
Toramaru: Aah, he…called it his last attack, but nothing’s changed: it’s completely the same attack from the same place----!!
Togashi: Those…monkeys have completely seen through it!! They’ll just take it with Shirahadori again---!!
Enpou: ………………!!
Enpou: It’s…can’t be: this Daioujou-ryuu Higi: Rinshou Renge is………………!!
Enpou: St…stop: don’t take this attack from the front---!! Ru…run away---!!

102.
Monkeys: UKKIII----!!

103.
Enpou: ……………………!!

104.
Enpou: …………………!!
Enpou: Nuu!!
Enpou: They…really were different in size……!! Only the three discs that he fired last were a size smaller than those that were flying out until now…………………!!
Toramaru: Wh…what, what’s…that he’s saying: there was a difference in disc size………!?
Togashi: Ho…how could those monkeys be hurt by them without catching them…………!?
Momotarou: Right, Sakkyo Kouka…………!! Raiden repeated that monotonous attack until then for throwing out those last three, disorienting the monkey’s timing for catching the discs with Shirahadori!!
(TN: “Sakkyo Kouka” = “The Confused-Distance Effect”)

105.
Commentary:
Sakkyo Kouka…a kind of optical illusion which exercises on the human eyes a change in distance and size when gazing at a moving object. If we take an example of the experiences of pitchers and batters in baseball, a ball of the same size with the same distance and same velocity is consecutively thrown over a fixed interval, to be hit repeatedly. At that moment, when even a merely smaller ball is suddenly thrown, the eyes of the batter, which is accustomed to the situation until then, will mistaken the distance length without realizing the change, delaying them from swinging altogether and getting a strike. Thus, it is a thing that will not get hit, even if the human eyes can see with peerless accuracy.
-From “Brain Physiology of Eyeballs”, Taikoubou Books
Enpou: You’re a dreadful man, Sanmenken Raiden…………!! My anger and sorrow will be compensated by taking your blood.
Raiden: COME AT ME, ENPOU!! You’ll be shown around hell by those three monkeys!!

TN: This whole fight is pretty much why I love Otokojuku, but this chapter just continues to show that as improbable as things get, it always tries to keep a sense of logic amidst it's madness. Raiden used a strange ability that seems to knock around simians no matter what their species: the troubles of trying to keep aspects of perspective in view forcing people to think something is big when it is actually small. Of course, the eye doesn't pick up on how small it is because, as the Minmei bit explains, you may not realize it until...it's too late. In fact, it was Enpou who realized what Raiden was doing being an outside observer, not being hypnotized by the throwing discs and being forced to witness what happened to his monkeys. But the buildup to the moment, watching the monkeys embarrass Raiden move for move until they fell for it was just a joy to watch...but with them out of the way, it's time for the monkey-master to take him on himself!