Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 180

Manipulating his shots perfectly to the point not even Souketsu knew until it was too late, Gekkou has finally taken complete control of the match and appears victorious. But even the most wily opponents have a final option...

Chp. 180: The Final Secret Technique!

47.
Toramaru: Yo…you’ve done it; you’ve done well, Gekkou---!!
Togashi: That’s…a big reversal with a twist in Souketsu’s technique---!!

48.
(Title page…wait, Manjimaru? Isn’t this still Gekkou’s fight?)

49.
Souketsu: Nuuu………!!
Gekkou: It’ll be best that you stop pulling out that arrow. If you pull it out, you’ll gush out in one swoop a large quantity of blood from the smooth muscles of your heart not possessing the ability to expand and contract, instantly coming to your death.
Souketsu: U…understood………………bu…but, th…this Souketsu wo…won’t end it like this………...this….can’t be the reason for my end……………!!

50.
Souketsu: Sp…splendidly accept and w…watch this, Gekkou……!!
Souketsu: Th…this wi…will be my final secret technique……!!
Gekkou: ……………!!

51.
Toramaru: Wh…what---!! That Souketsu, he…he still intends to fight with that body---! An…and further, wh…what is that bizarre stance---!!
Togashi: Th…that’s like the stance of a fist---!! Can…can he use a fist outside his bow---!
Gekkou: I…I don’t know……what…what exactly will happen from this stance……!! He should have already run out of physical strength to move from that interval………! Bu…but, that is just tremendous bloodthirst……………!!

52.
Souketsu: HERE IT IS: RYOUZANPAKU TOUKYUUJUTSU SAISHUU OUGI!!
Gekkou: !!

53.
Gekkou: CHAKU-KE KONBOUJUTSU OUGI: SENPEIBAKU!!
(TN: “Senpeibaku” = “Shading-Fan Curtain”)
Souketsu: Nu!!

54.
Gekkou: I thought so………!!
Toramaru: Wh…what; what…exactly is that now!? Is…is something the matter---!! Te…tell us Raiden!! You should know what it is.
Raiden: Ri…right: that now is Shihatsu Toudan, which I’ve heard of in this world……………!!
(TN: “Shihatsu Toudan” = “Finger-Brushing Transparent-Bullet”)
Togashi: Wh…what is Shihatsu Toudan……………!?

55.
Commentary:
Shihatsu Toudan…the ultimate secret, said to be well known in the top schools of Japanese archery and thought up by Kyuu Eikan, the founder of Sengen-ryuu. It is a special technique where you select five fingers as a bow, you handle strings that are made of sheep intestines that are thin to the point they can’t be seen by the eye and further first at the same time four arrows that have been whittled from the whiskers of a whale that, again, can’t be seen by the eye. From what we understand from here, the second time was done seemingly not perceived in its design as just being a technique with an unyielding blow, but that’s the technique’s intention.

Incidentally, due to it’s optimization as an assassination art, this technique was firmly prohibited when an enemy turned it and had it in hand facing Kishin, the emperor at the time.

-From “Laws of Chinese Court Etiquette”, Minmei Publishing
(TN: “Sengen-ryuu” = “Thousand Bowstring-Style”; as an added silly note, “Kyuu Eikan” literally translates into “Glorious Change in Archery”)

Souketsu: Ma…magnificent, Gekkou………A…after all, e…even this seems to not surpass wicked mischief facing you.
Gekkou: No, this merely was just my luck was good………!! Naturally, your technique now should be completely soundless……but there was a string sound faintly when you fired the arrows, due to the blood settled on your hand.
(TN: A slight note to make that I really should have: “tsuru” is the word for two types of strings: the strings used for a bow as in one that fires arrows or the string used for a musical instrument like a guitar or a violin)

56.
Souketsu: Fu, I…I’ve gained comfort with that good luck. Yo…you, who hadn’t overlooked down to the smallest chink, are a step greater than even I.
Souketsu: I….I’ve lost, Gekkou……!!
Souketsu: N…now it’s come to this………!!
Togashi: Aah!! Th…that Souketsu is pulling out the arrow in his chest and committing suicide---!

57.
Souketsu: UO!!
Souketsu: Th…that’s………!!
Toramaru: Ge…Gekkou…………!!

58.
Souketsu: Gu!!
Souketsu: Ri…right, you’re going to finish me off with that kon yourself without having my suicide. E…even that is…natural. Th…this is the right for you………………!! So…so, you should ki…kill me quickly.
Gekkou: Don’t move!!

59.
Gekkou: CHAKU-KE OUGI: TENGAI SHINTEN!!
(TN: Reminder: “Tengai Shinten” = “Cough-Following Needle Point”)

60.
Souketsu: …………!!
Gekkou: I shot out the arrow quickly since it was opening the smooth muscle. With that, you won’t be bleeding any further.
Souketsu: !?
Souketsu: Y…you…………!! Wh…what is with this behavior……!?
Gekkou: It was a good match. I can’t let fall a life that I’ve saved with a trifling spirit.

61.
Gekkou: Don’t move from there for a while.
Souketsu: Ge…Gekkou, this…is the first I’ve met a man like you……!! I’ve…lost not just in skill but in every way……………!!
Togashi: Ge…Gekkou………!!
Toramaru: Di…did you see: th…that Gekkou, who always has a mug like an iron mask, was smiling.
Togashi: Damn, don’t go having that cool behavior---!!
Momotarou: Fufu; he’s that sort of man: Gekkou, one of the Otokojuku Sanmenken. A man who wins and understands the heart of the defeated.

62.
Old Man: Fuohhoho, that was clever behavior. This is surely a position of a complete defeat in this match now.
Old Man: Someone, pull out Souketsu.
Ryouzanpaku Soldier: Umu.
Old Man: Well—then, who will go next? They should understand plenty Otokojuku’s true power with this.

63.
“Flat Head”: Gramps, leave this duty to us.
Old Man: Hou.
Old Man: RYOUZANPAKU 16-GREATS’ TOUKETSU AND TAIKETSU!!
“Flat Head”: What will spread out in front of us is a wasteland of slaughter……………!!

64.
Toramaru: L…look---!! A two-man team is coming down from Ryouzanpaku’s encampment! It seems the next match will be a two-on-two tag match---!!
Manjimaru: Nuu……!! Th…those two are………!!
Momotarou: Manjimaru-senpai, do you know them…!?
Manjimaru: ………!!
Toramaru: Uwahhahaha, if this is a tag match, then it’s our turn---!!
Togashi: Right: it’s the revival of the Golden Combo who was shown in the battle with the brothers Amon and Unmon of Pooron Kokurenju in the first round---!!
(TN: A bit of a mistake was made by Togashi here: he states the Pooron Kokurenju fight occurred in the Preliminary League…it was back in the first round of the finals actually, as we saw…but Togashi was never the smartest page in the book)
Toramaru: LET’S GO, TOGASHI---!! I’ve left the on-the-spot relaying to Momo and Date---!!
Toramaru: Hu—h!?

65.
Toramaru: MA…MANJIMARU---!!
Manjimaru: THOSE SCUM WILL BE BURIED BY MY HANDS!!
Toramaru: Wh…what~~!! A…combination has been formed of…me and Manjimaru---!?

TN: Manjimaru really needs to speak to explain why exactly Touketsu and Taiketsu are on his "to crush list"...but considering that is what's coming, having this surprising ending was more funny than it really explained too much. Not to mention this: considering those two seem to know of Otokojuku's manners since they know Manjimaru, at least it makes sense they would hop out next after the failures of the first two Ryouzanpaku fighters.

As for Gekkou's conclusion with Souketsu...I know that it probably is a minor matter but somehow I think that Gekkou's explanation as to how he stopped that final move (with probably the most excruciating Minmei explanation in a while, believe me on that) continues to probably keep with the concept that he is blind in some ways: yeah he probably could have just had honed senses to pick out the blood leading to the sound of Souketsu firing the arrows, but remember that hearing on a blind man is way more acute than the hearing of a normal person...well at least it sort of kept the concept in my head working to me. It is weird in the end though Souketsu would live...since I guess it's sort of getting hard for me to keep track from match to match why some opponents live and others die. I guess it's all in the nature of the character: if they're a jerk, they usually die...if they're not too bad, either they somehow are given mercy by Otokojuku...or eventually die by another force like a fellow team-mate or just from the exhaustion of the battle. But yeah...I think the last thing I want to see again is Gekkou smiling like he did at the end of this fight.