Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 174

They are a formidable force known far and wide throughout Chinese history...and the winner of the last three Daibukai tournaments! But if Otokojuku is to make the finals, they must first surpass the mysterious warriors of Ryouzanpaku...

Chp. 174: Hell’s Magician

109.
Commentary: 11TH CENTURY, ANCIENT CHINA, THE SONG PERIOD, WHICH WAS WHIRLING IN UPHEVAL AND TRECHARY. HEROES AND GREAT COMMANDERS WHO DIDN’T ACCEPT THE WORLD WHICH WAVED A STANDARD OF REVOLT FOR THE POLITICAL POWER OF THE ERA ASSEMBLED AND CREATED ANOTHER WORLD.
(TN: Reminder: The Song Dynasty existed between 960 & 1279 and was divided between the “North Song” and “South Song” periods, being a troubled time for the entire nation of China)
Commentary: THEY BUILT UP A LARGE STRONGHOLD WHICH SKILLFULLY USED THE ADVANTAGES OF NATURE AND CRUSHED THE ATTACKS OF ANY LARGE ARMY. THEIR NAME WAS RYOUZANPAKU—

110.
Commentary: THERE, MANY SCHOOLS OF FAMED KENPOISTS AND ARMED WARRIORS WHO GATHERED FROM THE ENTIRE HUGE NATION OF CHINA PILED UP VIOLENT TRAINING AND RESEARCH; BEFORE LONG, THEY HAD COME TO SEE THE COMPLETION OF ONE NEW STYLE WHICH WAS CALLED RYOUZANPAKU HYOUYOKUKEN.
(TN: While I went into “Ryouzanpaku”’s meaning in the last chapter, “Hyouyokuken” = “Displeasuring Respect Fist”)
Commentary: THEIR OVERWHELMING FIGHTING STRENGTH, WHICH CAN’T EVEN BE IMAGINED IN THE NUMBER OF SECRET TECHNIQUES, FRIGHTENED EVEN THE WORTH OF A THOUSAND SOLDIERS WITH JUST ONE WHO HAS MASTERED THEM.
Commentary: SINCE THEN, IT IS NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT THE RYOUZANPAKU ARMY WAS LARGE ENOUGH BY THEIR POWER TO SUPPRESS THE GREAT SONG NATION, WHICH THEY PERFORMED BY DECREE OF THE EMPEROR.
-FROM “MILITARY HISTORY OF CHINA”, MINMEI PUBLISHING

111.
(Title page…when the first two pages are all Minmei commentary, you know how epic this is about to be…then again, it’s Baron Dino’s turn, you don’t need Minmei to show how epic that will be)

112.
(After all the hype and building them up…time for a drink…preferably alcoholic)

113.
Toramaru: Wh…what, he…he’s of…the Ryouzanpaku 16-Greats---!!
Togashi: But what’s going on there…isn’t that one guy that’s riding on the horse and drinking alcohol on the opposing cliff?
Togashi: Ah, I’ve got it!! I’m certain the rest of the guys were all killed to the point of progressing to the semi-final battleground!
Toramaru: Wahhaha, that’s right. It seems that’s how it was settled!!
“Horserider”: Harya---!!

114.
Toramaru: Huh!!
Togashi: Th…that guy, he…he ran down that thin rope-ladder to the battleground while riding his horse---!!

115.
“Horserider”: Selfish guys……if this is about when my allies are coming, then I don’t know when they’ll arrive. But it’ll be fine: it’ll be enough for me alone to be all of your opponents.
Togashi: Wh…what---!! Th…that guy, he…he’s going to face alone the th…thirteen of our Otokojuku---!
Toramaru: Da….damn that!! He…he’s completely mocking us~~~~!
Toramaru: I can’t stand that joke!! I’ll go and knock him down---!
Togashi: Ho…hold on, Toramaru---!! Are you going for that? It’s my turn here---!
Voice: Fufu, you two, you’re undeveloped guys as usual………………
Togashi: Huh…!?

116.
Togashi: BA…BARON DINO!!
Baron Dino: Leave this here to me, Tsurugi-kun!!
Momotarou: Please be careful. The Ryouzanpaku 16-Greats…we don’t know anything yet about their power. Even if he said he’ll be an opponent to us just alone, we can’t think that it’s merely a bluff.
Baron Dino: Fuohhohho: I’ll show him with his eyes. For I, who is called the Hell’s Magician, my heart is throbbing for fighting after a long time.
(TN: Dino’s epithet in this battle is actually translated in English already as the “Hell’s Magician”. It’s the exactly the same in Japanese: “Jigoku no Majutsushi” is “Hell’s Magician”)

117.
Togashi: Wa…wait a moment---!! Oldie Dino!
Toramaru: The nominee earlier was me!! No…no matter what happens from my senpai, I must protect my turn!
Togashi: Wh…what…………!?
Toramaru: Wh...what’s wrong with that handkerchief………!?
Togashi: !!
Togashi: Uwa!!

118.
Togashi: Wh…what----!! Wh…what exactly is going on----!
Toramaru: The…handkerchief thrown by Dino became a dove and fl…flew away---!!
Toramaru: Ah!!
Toramaru: Be…before we knew it!? Dino has gone down to that place----!!
Togashi: Wa…wait!! That’s dirty; wh…what happened---!
Manjimaru: Baron Dino, one of the Three Ninshuu of Otokojuku’s Chinju Corridor: he’s a strange man………………but with his softness, he won’t have enough lives no matter how many he has.
(TN: It’s been a while since a term for the Chinju Corridor fighters was used [then again Dokugantetsu and Henshouki are dead and Dino hasn’t fought since Rouroukan], but since "Ninshuu" directly seems to be "people", I decided to call them "Ninshuu" here since that's what they're called this time around)
Momotarou: ………!!

119.
Baron Dino: My name is Baron Dino. Please to make your acquaintance.
Suiketsu: Suiketsu of Ryouzanpaku. Well, don’t you want a cup too?

120.
Baron Dino: No, that won’t be happening. I drink wine; even so, I’ve decided on a 15-year old white Champignon Speciale.
(TN: “Champignon Speciale” is an alcohol that probably was just in this series, but it is of note that “champignon” is the French name for “agaricus bisporus”, also known as the “common mushroom”; it could also be in reference to a German cheese company or a cheese with mushrooms in it)
Suiketsu: Ah~~~!?

121.
Toramaru: Did…you see---!! Wh…what is that: th…that playing card sliced in two li…like a daikon that alcohol bottle that was made of pottery---!
(TN: “Daikon” is obviously in reference to the white radish commonly seen in Japanese cuisine)
Togashi: Is…that Dino’s new weapon---!!
Suiketsu: I see, interesting. It seems the edge of the card has been treated like a sharpened blade.
Baron Dino: These are Solingen Cards, genuine European Killer Magic!! Your neck will be like that alcohol bottle.
(TN: Two items:
Once again, Baron Dino already has an English name to Japanese Kanji, with the “Killer Magic” part of his attack style. Though there is no actual reading here, the kanji has “satsu”, or “kill” between the two kanji for magic: “majutsu”
Solingen is a city in the North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, which holds the nickname of “City of Blades” due to holding many manufacturers of bladed objects, such as swords, knives, scissors and razors, coined in the Middle Ages by the prominence of local swordsmiths)

122.
Baron Dino: Take this----you conceited man---!
Toramaru: Uoo!! A…amazing, Dino: the…the cards are flying out at tremendous speeds that can’t even be seen by the eye----!

123.
Suiketsu: It’s regretful, but I don’t have the time to keep company any further by playing cards.
Baron Dino: Uh!!

124.
Suiketsu: Ha!!
Baron Dino: !!

125.
Baron Dino: Nu!!
Suiketsu: Die---!!

126.
Toramaru: Di…Di---no!!
Manjimaru: He’s…been killed----!! His…head has been lopped off with one blow----!
Suiketsu: Fufu, foolish. That’s the natural result when you easily take as such the backlight position with your back to the sun as I did…
Baron Dino: My…head~~~!! Wh…where is my head----!!
Suiketsu: Huh!?

127.
Baron Dino: Ooh, there, there!! It was here, my…my dear head~~~!!
Baron Dino: My name is Hell’s Magician Baron Dino. You have a destiny which I’ve drawn as the Joker.
(TN: As Dino’s card demonstrates, the Japanese kanji for “Joker” (which it translates here) is “Shinigami Card” or “Death God Card”)
Suiketsu: Fufu, you’re an interesting one. Your deathbed sake is my treat.

TN: I remember back when I translated the fight with Tsuru Tsurulina the 3rd at the end of an arc of the original Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo saying this: whenever magic is used in shonen manga, it always seems to be just the "summoning of mysterious, mystical forces" like zapping people with fireballs or lightning or summoning massive monsters...and hardly ever seems to be "sleight of hand" magic tricks akin to what you see at parties. While Tsurulina the 3rd is a good example of the typical magic you see in the real world in battle (even if he too has sentient playing cards), Baron Dino...is better. In a series like Otokojuku, where anything can be a battle style, the usage of actual magic where you just trick a person's mind in order to draw blood is just an impressive, cool feat in itself. It isn't just about battle strength but also about playing with the mind and with the eyes as you saw with what's happening so far with Suiketsu. Of course, having blade-edged playing cards helps too...then again, it does make me wonder: considering Dino's always looked like a magician, I wonder why he seemed more content playing a European baron with the whip and the deadly bird prior to this moment? (yeah it worked but...come on, it's magic in fights, that is cooler)