Kinnikuman 327

Just when you think this tournament can't have any more twists, Soldier has revealed strange abilities of his own, including the same Face Flash as Suguru! Is there possibly something that he hasn't revealed that could change everything!?

Volume 30: True – Friendship Power!!
Chapter 327: Scramble for the Kinniku Throne (54): The Suspicious Warrior! Soldier!!

7.
Announcer: Soldier is lifting off his mask and firing an intense light from his face, bending the iron pole that’s being held by Mammothman like candy---!!

8.
Mammoth: Uoo!!
Audience: And even so, this is a light that possesses such destructive power! We haven’t seen such a tremendous radiation of light----!!
Caption: HIMEJI CHOUJIN HOSPITAL—
Terry: A…amazing…
Wars: It’s not a technique, nor an art, it’s…what exactly is it…

9.
Meat: Aah!!
Terry: Can you tell me what’s wrong, Meat-kun!?
Meat: I…I’ve seen the same phenomenon as the scene being shown on TV three times until now caused by Prince!!
Terry: What—by Kinnikuman!?
Meat: The…first time was before the start of this Scramble for the Throne Survival Match: there was suddenly a violent mysterious light from Prince’s real face as he was throwing his mask into a rotten, dirty river, making the dirty river into a clean river that fish can swim in the twinkle of an eye…
Meat: And then the second time was when Terryman was fighting King the 100 Ton in the first round: he bent like candy the handle of the giant see-saw in the center of the ring with that mysterious light, saving Terryman from 100 Ton’s special technique…
Terry: That’s right: I was saved from 100 Ton’s Jet Roller See-Saw in that moment by Kinnikuman!!

10.
Meat: The third time was when Prince and Robin took Zebra and Parthenon’s Canvas Presser in the 2nd Round: he ended up firing that mysterious light and the duo were rescued from being crushed to death…
Meat: That light that came from the face under Prince’s mask I’m sure is the same as the one that’s being fired by Soldier on TV!!
Terry: Just like Kinnikuman, there isn’t any greater material for being the Throne Successor of Planet Kinnikuman for that Soldier by possessing the “Face Flash” function…so…so then, it’s possible that Kinnikuman is a fake and Soldier is the real Prince…
(TN: I used quotes here for “Face Flash” because Terry really shouldn’t know it’s called “Face Flash” yet…heck, Mayumi just announced it by its proper name and it’s not like Terry is listening to him subliminally in Osaka Castle)
Caption: OSAKA CASTLE
Mayumi: Mama, we don’t have to worry: that Face Flash being fired as light from the face under his mask, in truth, can only be used by those who descend from the Royal Family, even within the Kinniku Clan…
Mayumi: However, there are records left behind stating of those who can’t use the Face Flash that are descendants of the Royal Family like me and of those who can use the Face Flash even among those who aren’t descendants of the Royal Family within the Kinniku Clan.

11.
Mayumi: Thus, we can’t restrict the Throne Successor instantly from the use of the Face Flash.
Sayuri: I too believe there isn’t a true Throne Successor outside Suguru.
Sayuri: However, when I look into the dark, sunken eyes of the Choujin called Soldier, I really don’t think of him as a complete stranger…Perhaps the true identity of that Soldier is Suguru’s big brother Ataru, who went bad and ran away from the castle 25 years ago!
“Ataru”: I’m leaving this unfun house---!!
Sayuri: Ataru---!!
Mayumi: He…can’t be…Does Ataru have a reason for appearing before us now…

12.
Mayumi: N…no, hold on: we gave him a Spartan training of studying and wrestling since childhood and may have appeared like that as revenge towards us who hadn’t permitted him even to play…
Sayuri: Aah….how could this have come to this…

13.
Mayumi: Ooh! The pages of the Muscle Prophecy are turning by itself!!
Mayumi: It’s stopped: there may be something important written here.
Mayumi: U~~~m, what is this: “When the skull falls, the vortex man will appear possessing an idea that should help the fighters of superior friendship.”
Sayuri: Papa, what does that mean?
Mayumi: Skull? Fighters of superior friendship? Vortex man?
Mayumi: Hm—m: it seems this is important, but I can’t solve right now whatever is being secretly pointed out…

14.
Mayumi: But really, does this prediction of the Prophecy have a good meaning or a bad meaning for Suguru and us…: “WHEN THE SKULL FALLS, THE VORTEX MAN WILL APPEAR POSSESSING AN IDEA THAT SHOULD HELP THE FIGHTERS OF SUPERIOR FRIENDSHIP”
Mammoth: Ge: it melted!!
Announcer: With an opening in the faltered Mammothman, Soldier jumps first---!!
Announcer: And is riding on Mammothman’s shoulders----!!

15.
Announcer: And Soldier is placing his body weight frontwards as such with a Flying Body Scissors Drop---!!
Announcer: This is intense! He’s crashing the back of Mammothman’s head into the corner of the hole of the cube ring used and opened by Brocken Jr. for Prisman---!!
Robin: He can’t defeat Mammothman with a mere Body Scissors Drop. Thus, he used the hole in the ring for the certainness of the technique! Soldier…you’re a dreadful man!!
Announcer: He’s strong indeed! This Soldier who had been taking damage from Phoenix until earlier is fighting unthinkably beyond recognition! Is the engine of Team Soldier finally in full throttle!?
Suguru: Wh…what’s with that Soldier? He steadily watches a person’s faces! Doesn’t he have a plan even with those weird tastes…

16.
“Soldier”: I’m a bit tired from abusing the Face Flash: Buffaloman, switch with me.
(TN: Considering what happened last chapter, it really is hard to sort of imagine Soldier as “the brutal, evil Soldier” with what’s emerging…so I’m just going to put his name in quotations from here on)
Buffalo: Captain Soldier, I thought you were strange watching with the way you were fighting with Phoenix and Mammothman since earlier…
“Soldier”: ………!?
Buffalo: You seemed as if you were fighting just so some particular person could watch you fight but…
Buffalo: Well, me and Brocken Jr. joined this team having been charmed over by your personality. However you fight is for your convenience but…
“Soldier”: Buffaloman…
Phoenix: Mammothman, it’s best you with with me, but don’t run out of energy.
Announcer: Well, now Buffaloman is appearing for Team Soldier!!

17.
Mammoth: That’s obvious: I’ve been disgraced for going down before Phoenix-sama’s eyes. Though whatever happens, I will retaliate on Team Soldier.
Announcer: Well, in the ring seems to be the dream showdown as chosen by the readers: we’re genuinely showing a showdown of 2nd place Buffaloman vs. the monster Mammothman!!
(TN: The “2nd place Buffaloman” is more referring to the previous reader ranking polls)
Announcer: Really, will the Long Horns win or will the Big Tusks win---!?
Announcer: Buffaloman and Mammothman have solidly come together in the center of the ring! The ring is creaking!!

18.
Buffalo: Torya---!!
Announcer: Buffaloman has thrown Mammothman into the rope---!!
Announcer: And a Shoulder Tackle to the place he returned to---!!
Announcer: Will Mammothman fall from the cube right with that force---!?

19.
Announcer: Mammothman has entwined his huge tusks into the rope, returning to the ring with one rotation!!
Mammoth: Big Tusk U-Turn!!
Announcer: Mammothman is twining his elephant nose around Buffaloman, and with that is throwing him into a Body Slam---!!
Suguru: A…amazing…that Buffaloman who prides his 10 Million Power has overwhelmingly lost in front of Mammothman…
Buffalo: Kukuku…Mammothman, that’s a poor technique for such a guest of honor: understand well that I say it’s no good…

20.
Buffalo: With that, I’ll present you with my best special technique as a means of showing gratitude to you!!
Announcer: Buffaloman is kicking up burningly to behind him his right leg, like what’s done by a bullfighting bull. Is this a prelude for the Hurricane Mixer---!?
Mammoth: Kukuku…come, come, I’ll kill what you’re avenging!!
Buffalo: Let’s go, Mammothman!!
Announcer: Gege—an iron pole of the ring is flying from somewhere to Buffaloman, who had seemed to be set for a Hurricane Mixer---!!

21.
Buffalo: Wh…who did it? Who threw the iron pole!?
Buffalo: Cap…Captain Soldier!!
Announcer: Somehow, the injurer of Buffaloman’s right leg was Soldier, a teammate just the same!!
Audience: AAH
Buffalo: What were you doing injuring my most important right leg which produces the instantaneous-released power for entering my Hurricane Mixer----!?
Soldier: ………
Suguru: Buffaloman! That Soldier guy was an accomplice for Phoenix from the start--!!
Suguru: It was their plan to drag Justice Choujin like you and Brocken Jr. into this fictional team called Team Soldier and cleverly eliminate both of you in the middle of the match---!!

22.
“Soldier”: CAN’T YOU BE QUIET----SUGURU!
Suguru: …………
“Soldier”: People called “men” don’t talk that much!! It’s better if they watch just the results silently with both eyes!!

23.
Suguru: …………
Suguru: Wh…what’s going on: naturally when spoken of just like that, I respond back, but…when I look into the eyes of this Choujin Soldier, somehow, I become meek.
Caption: OSAKA CASTLE—
Mayumi: Su…Suguru…Soldier truly addressed him as Suguru, without calling Suguru Kinnikuman…
Sayuri: Y…yes…
Mammoth: What are all of you, saying things without knowing the reason---!!

24.
Announcer: Mammothman, who has grown impatient, is charging, thrusting his Big Tusks aiming for Buffaloman---!!
Buffalo: Hahaha: it’s fun again to have only enemies surrounding me---!!
Announcer: Buffaloman is returning fire with his Hurricane Mixer---!!
Buffalo: Uh!!
Buffalo: This wound on my right leg……!!
Buffalo: ……!?
Announcer: Buffaloman is in a form that has avoided Mammothman’s Big Tusks due to stooping from the pain in his right leg---!!

25.
Announcer: What destructive power of Mammothman’s Big Tusks! He struck both the corner post and iron pole, breaking off up to a section of the ring---!!
Buffalo: If…if I didn’t have that wound on my right leg, I would have been like that too…Th…thus, Soldier anticipated the destructive power of Mammothman’s Big Tusks and used the iron pole on my right leg on purpose…!!

26.
(SCRAMBLE FOR THE KINNIKU THRONE ARC)
SPECIAL VTR XLV (XXXXLV)
BUFFALOMAN VS. MAMMOTHMAN

TN: The end of this chapter is just weird in how it played out: Soldier hurt Buffaloman on purpose, but at the same time it was enough to stop him from being crushed by Mammothman! I get that he wanted to protect his team-mate, but regardless of him saying "this was the way he does things", it is still harsh to force an ally to take a blow just so he can avoid an even bigger one. Aside from that, there is one interesting peculiarity that I noticed about this chapter that really finally seemed to be mocked or lamp-shaded by Yudetamago: the fact that Suguru's style of "Friendship" really isn't for every Choujin out there. We get the cameraderie that they try to show off between Choujin, but admittingly it does get syrupy and disturbed by how the Friendship stuff plays out with the main allies. Of course, this sort of reflected the feelings of the shonen of this series' era, where they had a big deal with "if we all work together, we can make things happen" and expressing it out loud. Soldier's style of "Friendship", as we've seen a bit before and we'll see further in the next couple chapters, is more akin to a more trustworthy, reliability style seen with other shonen that had emerged since this started, in particular the more hard-edge series such as "Hokuto no Ken" (Fist of the North Star) and "Sakigake! Otokojuku" They have the concepts of "allies" like many shonen, but those series do seem more mature about trust and reliability, allowing for each fighter to handle things on their own without having to overrely and listen to the obsessive whining of their other allies who want to think of a more emotional style of Friendship. It is strange to think of it like such, particulary in comparing the styles of Friendship to Otokojuku (which, BTW, had not even started by the time the Throne began but was over a year on by this point), but I think that those types of series did seem to have an impact on Yude and allowed for them to explore other means of "friendship" aside from what they preached for essentially most of the series.

Oh and as for why I'm being so suspicious regarding the "Soldier may/may not be Ataru" bit....well look at how this chapter turned out! One moment they seem to deny that the Face Flash is anything important, the next Soldier is calling out for "Suguru"! Yeah...obviously something is going on we can't say what.