Kinnikuman 364

He's been in the shadows helping Suguru's side since the start of the finals. Now at their ultimate hour of need, Neptuneman (disguised as The Samurai) finally enters the field...but can he convince the heroes that they need him!?

Chapter 364: Scramble for the Kinniku Throne (91): Meet Samurai!!

27.
Robin: This…sensation of popping muscles when he caught the blow…this warmth…there’s no mistaking: he’s Neptuneman!!

28.
Robin: Neptuneman, aren’t you being chased by the Choujin Hunter dispatched by Choujin Enma due to refusing entrance into the Choujin Graveyard and escaping!? Isn’t this unwise to show yourself in a place with this many people as a fugitive?
Neptune: What is that, Robin Mask?
Robin: Ah…ah~~Neptuneman’s shadow…!
Robin: Y…you’re not Neptuneman…you’re The Samurai!!
Announcer: Robin Mask, who was flying taking Mammothman’s intense tackle and almost severed his own Roulette String, has been rescued by The Samurai, the mysterious Choujin who has appeared once again!!

29.
Mayumi & Sayuri: Ooh—The Samurai is Team Kinnikuman’s Saving God---!!
Robin: Was what I saw an illusion…
Robin: N…no: that sensation when he held me was actually Neptuneman…the Neptuneman when he was still in his Kenkaman era six years ago; and the Neptuneman of the Choujin Tag Tournament last year…It’s the same sensation of Neptuneman’s body when I fought him both times---!!

30.
Robin: Is…The Samurai’s true identity actually Neptuneman!?
Mammoth: Ununu…with his throwing the Miracle Ash in the Geronimo vs. Omegaman fight and this time, I can say he’s always intruding when an Idol Choujin is a step from being defeated.
Neptune: This isn’t intruding: I’m adding myself to Kinnikuman and Robin, who have been challenged as a duo by you fiendish Choujin trio; so we can have an even fight.
Phoenix: What!!

31.
Neptune: I can’t endure a battle like a handicap match anymore! From now, The Samurai will participate as the 3rd Choujin of Team Kinnikuman!!
Announcer: The Samurai has proclaimed he’s participating in the war!!
Sugruu: The Samurai, I should have said this earlier…I have no reason to let enter the historically just Team Kinnikuman a guy who isn’t clear with a true identity of enemy or ally like you…
Phoenix: Kuhahaha: that’s wise. You’ve spoken well, Kinnikuman: Team Kinnikuman has enough power with the duo of you and Robin Mask---!
Suguru: Guwa!!
Phoenix: Hey! Mammothman, don’t care yourself with that guy. Completely cut the Roulette String that will cut out Robin Mask immediately---!!
Mammoth: Right!!

32.
Mammoth: Big Tusk Drill!!
Announcer: Mammothman is aiming and stretched out towards Robin’s Roulette String while rotating both his Big Tusks!!

33.
Suguru: Th…that’s Mammothman’s terrifying special technique that attacked Warsman in the midst of his special training for the Osaka Castle Finals---!!
Suguru: Uwa!!
Robin: Ugugu…my own fate will…be…protected by me…
Announcer: In the nick of time, Robin Mask has held him back himself---!!

34.
Mammoth: Robin Mask, your fate can’t
Mammoth: Be protected anymore.
Robin: Ge—Mammothman’s Big Tusks are branching!!
Announcer: A secret weapon of Mammothman has become revealed again---!!
Announcer: Well, the New Big Tusks are newly rushing down aiming for Robin Mask’s Roulette String---!!
Mammoth: Guwa—hahaha: Robin Mask, now you’ll be annihilated from this world---!!

35.
Neptune: You’re the one who will be annihilated from this world, Mammothman!!
Mammoth: Ge—The Samurai!!
Neptune: I hadn’t wanted to reveal just this technique but, Mammothman, this is the only technique that can punish heinous Choujin like you!
Neptune: If I take out this blade, it’ll be your end!!
Announcer: Samurai has fiercely raised overhead his left hand as if he was a samurai who took out his blade and is rushing down, aiming for Mammothman from the top of the corner---!!

36.
Neptune: IAIGIRI BOMBER---!!
(TN: “Iaigiri” = “Drawing out a Sword and Cutting”, I probably could call it “One-Sword Cut Bomber” too but somehow it works with the samurai theme to keep it in Japanese and less cumbersome)
Announcer: And done a Lariat blow to the nape of Mammothman’s neck, rescuing Robin Mask’s fate---!!

37.
Announcer: So…somehow Mammothman’s large build is soaring up with his one left arm----!!
Bibimba: What destructive power of The Samurai’s lariat!!
Meat: It…exists: there’s still a Choujin who possesses this staggering power in the Space Choujin world!!
Robin: N…no: a Choujin whose prided technique is a lariat with just this must destructive power shouldn’t be now one who hadn’t had a reputation until now. Perhaps, the Choujin called “The Samurai” is someone who has transformed from a known Choujin…
Robin: There’s only one Choujin who prides a Lariat just like this…It’s only Neptuneman, who has the Quarrel Bomber as his weapon; there’s no mistaking: he really is Neptuneman!!

38.
Announcer: Mammothman, who has taken The Samurai’s Lariat, is flying towards the wall of the castle---!!
Voice: Aah, it’s the Muscle Prophecy coming from Mammothman’s breast.
Announcer: Mammothman’s entire body has caved into the wall in the castle---!!
Neptune: Right: the Muscle Prophecy has truly been regained by Team Kinnikuman---!!

39.
Phoenix: Mammothman, what a disgrace you are: on top of a Choujin of your extent being sent flying by one left arm, they’ve regained the Muscle Prophecy!!
Suguru: The always cool Phoenix has lost his calm…now’s my chance!!
Suguru: Hmph!
Phoenix: Wh…what are you doing!?
Announcer: Somehow while in the stance of being taken by the Scorpion, Kinnikuman is doing a handstand and lifting up Phoenix---!!
Suguru: Samurai, that was a magnificent Lariat. There are many things that I’m not pleased about yet about you, but for now we previously decided to win this match…

40.
Suguru: The Samurai, I welcome your entrance to Team Kinnikuman---!!
Announcer: Along with acknowledging the team entrance of The Samurai, Kinnikuman has struck the top of Phoenix’s head to an iron pole!!
Neptune: Kinnikuman, I thank you. I’m immediately tearing out the page written about me from the Prophecy
Neptune: And now connecting the rope like this…
Neptune: There!!
Announcer: Adding to the five Prophecy Pages connected by the Roulette Strings, now the 6th Samurai Prophecy page is newly being connected to the Roulette Strings---!!

41.
Robin: Al—right Kinnikuman and Samurai: the two of you will return to the corner.
Robin: It is here that I and Mammothman will fight one-on-one.
Robin: Mammothman, I’ll be teaching to you now the terror of having cut the Roulette String which is tied to your Prophecy.
Announcer: Announcer: Kinnikuman and Phoenix, which had the right of the match, have pulled back to the corners and it has changed in the ring to an aspect of one-on-one of Robin Mask and Mammothman---!!
Mammoth: But even with the countless numbers of white strings for Team Phoenix, how are going to search for my Roulette String?

42.
Robin: By just cutting them one at a time, one-by-one!!
Announcer: Robin Mask is severing the white strings on the side of Phoenix’s corner so he could search for Mammothman’s Roulette String---!!
Suguru: Great: if you do that, then I’m certain you should come across the string tied to Mammothman’s Prophecy somewhere.
Mammoth: You idiot—that operation will be fatal to you.
Robin: What!?
Robin: N!? The severed strings are moving.
Robin: Uwaaa---!!

43.
Announcer: Somehow the numberless white Team Phoenix teams that were severed by Robin are stabbing Robin’s body as a mass---!!
Suguru: Robi—n!!
Mammoth: Guwa—hahaha: we forgot to mention this at the start but
Mammoth: The strings unrelated at all to the Roulette Strings can attack those who sever these strings when they’re severed on purpose!!
Mammoth: Powerful Nose!!

44.
Announcer: The revived Mammothman has stretched out his own nose and twined it around Robin Mask’s body---!!
Mammoth: Die---!!
Announcer: Robin Mask has struck the room lights---!!

45.
Robin: With…my operation for searching for the Roulette Strings of Team Phoenix by severing every last one of their nu…numberless strings se…severed off…what then can I do…
Robin: This sound of falling glass fragments…
Robin: I…have it: a method to identify just the Roulette Strings of Team Phoenix from within those numberless strings by using these glass fragments!!

46.
(SCRAMBLE FOR THE KINNIKU THRONE ARC)
SPECIAL VTR LXXVIII (XXXXXXXVIII)
ROBIN MASK VS. MAMMOTHMAN

TN: I'm going to be getting further into the cliffhanger next time due to how stupid some factors of it gets. For the moment, though, there is the whole mystery and "non factor" of Neptuneman as "The Samurai". Now I get the whole purpose of the disguise: throw off Omegaman while fighting in the finals so he doesn't get sent down to Choujin Enma. (though they really don't explain why he doesn't want to go there aside from just magically being put back together again) But the problem is that this whole thing feels like a mystery that is in actuality a non-mystery: we know it's Neptuneman, Geronimo knows it's Neptuneman and even Robin has a massive hunch about it. But the whole thing about him being mysterious just seems like padding in some way sort of like how Mongolman was handled: we knew he was Ramenman from the start, but they kept with the Mongolman bit just to keep throwing off the main characters like they were idiots. (well...Suguru) Here it's the same: we get it, they get it, it's mostly just Suguru and Phoenix's side that are being prevented from realizing the truth right in front of their faces. I mean I know it works in a technical way but it just feels weird every time they pull this.

The only other real complaint I have for the chapter: the magic nature of how Phoenix's side just keeps adding in one thing after another that "they never told them about". In particular are those "strings that magically stab you if you cut them on purpose". Do such strings even exist that would be so precise? It all just feels like means to force the match to keep going as is instead of following any sort of real-world logic...but of course, things always get strange somehow or another. And there is the whole reason of why Robin wants to fight Mammothman specifically all of a sudden...but the truth behind that gets so stupid that I rather just hold off until the chapter of revelation to tell you why. (then again...there is next chapter's stupidity too)