Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 191

Akashi may have had a ball with his first battle, but now he's attracted the attention of General Soukou...but when this match is through, he may just be repulsed by the means he has to go through this time!

Chp. 191: Zanganken Unusable!?

87.
Toramaru: Uoo, wh…what exactly is this……!?
Togashi: I…don’t believe this………………!! He…cut the pillars in the river, slanting the battleground and those iron-ball guys tumbled in to their end……!

88.
(Title page…well at least Akashi can finally take on that one-eye general now)

89.
Akashi: With that, I can go into my match with you at ease, general…………!!
(TN: I think here we finally get that “shogun” is merely the title of “General” for Soukou, so I’ll be just calling him “Soukou” from here on and the previous scripts will be properly adjusted, with “Soukou Shogun” changed appropriately to “General Soukou”)
Soukou: Ichimonji-ryuu Zanganken, said to be legendary………………! And it’s mastered by a youngster like you. In that case, Soukou must lower his hand down himself.

90.
Soukou: But what do you intend for this battlefield!? A foothold that’s slanted like this isn’t a thing which can have your power taken out to your heart’s content. But then, I don’t mind this at all.
Akashi: That won’t come to be a worry.
Soukou: !?
Soukou: Nu!!

91.
Soukou: !!
Toramaru: Wh…what~~~!! Th…the battleground is~~~~!

92.
Togashi: Wh…what exactly happened there----!!
Toramaru: A…Akashi returned the battleground to water level as it was before by just picking up and throwing a pebble----!!
Momotarou: Ri…right: Akashi-senpai didn’t just take one fulcrum, he cut the other pillars as well……………….!!
Hien: I’m completely just dumbfounded by him.
Soukou: You’re a dreadful man. This is the first I’ve had a man like you even in my long experiences in combat.
Soukou: But you’re young……You still don’t understand the thing called tactics.

93.
Soukou: This now will come to have you understand what’s possessed in death. NOW, TAKE OUT YOUR PRIDED LONGSWORD!!
Akashi: It’s futile now to wear your armor and helmet. There is nothing I can’t cut in this world………!!
Akashi: ICHIMONJI-RYUU: ZANGANKEN!!

94.
Akashi: KEE---!!

95.
Akashi: MU!?
Akashi: What pretence is this!!
Akashi: !!

96.
Toramaru: Wh…what’s going on: th…that Akashi’s sword has---!?
Togashi: Th…that black sand-like thing scattered by General Soukou has stuck to its entire surface, making it pitch-black---!!
Soukou: I’ve trapped you. This is Ryouzanpaku Ougi: Kyouji Daihatsukai!!
(TN: “Kyouji Daihatsukai” = “Magnetic-Excellence Big-Rejection World”)
Akashi: ………!!

97.
Akashi: Th…this is magnetic powder………!!
Soukou: Yes; but this isn’t ordinary magnetic powder: this is Taikyokuji Stone, which only yielded on the land of our Ryouzanpaku and possesses the most powerful magnetism in this world!! This isn’t a thing that can be wiped off so easily.
(TN: “Taikyokuji Stone” or “Taikyoku Jiseki” = “Thick-Pole Magnet Stone”; the second word, “Jiseki” has the same exact kanji as “Jijaku”, which is merely “magnet” but this, as well as when Akashi says “magnetic powder”, uses the reading of “jiseki”, emphasizing it as a “Magnet Stone” instead of merely “magnet”; since “jiseki” on it’s own really has no meaning even with the same kanji as “jijaku”, I ended up deciding to fuse the “ji” to the “Taikyoku” part here, thus making it specifically “Taikyokuji Stone” to eliminate awkwardness of the translation. It probably could also be done as “Magnetic Taikyoku Stone” or “Taikyoku Magnetic Stone” as well, but discretion is completely up to the scanslator on how they wish to have the reader take it. In my translations, it will be “Taikyokuji Stone”)
Akashi: Understood: you’re dulling the sharpness of my sword with this. But this is naïve. Even with this disrupting trick, my sword possesses the power to smash your bones!!
Soukou: Fu, is this really what it is? You should try it: I won’t even take a step like so.
Akashi: ………!!
Soukou: Now!!

98.
Akashi: NUUU!!
Akashi: !!

99.
Akashi: Guwa!!
Toramaru: Wh…what---!!
Togashi: A…Akashi was rejected the moment he swung the sword downward---!!
Soukou: Fufu, what’s wrong with your plight!! Your sword can’t even touch me.
Akashi: ………………!!

100.
Akashi: STU…STUPID: WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS NOW…………!! IT’S LIKE THERE’S AN UNSEEABLE WALL SURROUNDING HIM……………!!
Akashi: Nuuua----!!

101.
Akashi: Gufu!!

102.
Soukou: No matter how many times you do it, it’s futile. Let me teach you: the true meaning of this Hiougi: Kyouji Daihatsukai…!!
Soukou: When the Taikyokuji Stone Powder stuck to your sword, there was also Taikyokuji Stone on my armor and helmet that I am wearing. Understand? It can’t be seen by the eye, but there is a powerful magnetic field surrounding my circumference.
Soukou: And thus, your sword and my helmet and armor are tinged with magnetism of the same pole!!
Akashi: !!

103.
Soukou: With this, you already understand: Your sword power indeed is tremendous, but from the repellent force of two powerful magnetic forces, you will repel away without being able to lay even a scratch on my body.
Toramaru: I…I don’t get it: wh…what exactly is that guy saying…………..!?
Togashi: You…you are an idiot, Toramaru---!! Th…this is a problem of grade-school science---!
Momotarou: Wh…what is this…………!! With this, Akashi-senpai won’t be able to use his sturdy sword………!!
Raiden: Nuu!! Dreadful…………that’s Kyouji Daihatsukai, which I’ve heard of in this world…………!!

104.
Commentary:
Kyouji Daihatsukai…Reimei-Ryuu’s Chin Houko, said to be the ancestor who rejuvenated Chinese Kenpou, had produced Taikyokuji Stones, which is said to be 55,000 Gauss for around 1 cubic cm in Mt. Gyokusen while simultaneously treasuring what he was enlightened to while never taking it off it’s premises when he secluded himself on Mt. Gyokuzen for pursuing his own secret fists and perfected it from combining it with his kenpou.

In brief: magnets have a S pole and N pole; there is a strong attracting power produced in the interval of opposite poles, but a strong repulsion power produced in the interval of similar poles.

That is, if you stick Taikyokuji Stone Powder to the weapon of an enemy and wear protective guards that possess Taikyokuji Stone of the same pole, you can come to have an invincible defensive curtain (Body Barrier).

Even in the present, the application scope of magnetism (magnet power) called "the fourth energy" have crossed many divergences in military affairs, transportation, power generation and space development.
-From "The Great Magnetic Field", Minmei Publishing
Caption: (both are S Pole/South Pole)
(TN: A couple notes:
1. "Reimei-ryuu" = "Bright-Plow Style"
2. To get a good glimpse at how powerful a cubic cm of the Taikyokuji Stones are, 55,000 gauss is equal to 5.5 Tesla (a "tesla" is 10,000 gauss in measurement) and is stronger than the strength of medical magnetic resonanse imaging system in practice at this time, which have usually a maximum of 3 T and is more powerful than most typical magnets in use by common people, which usually measure 100 gauss/0.01 gauss)

Soukou: This is a complete victory with the perfect defense.
Soukou: These are my tactics, which I pride as invincible and undefeatable. And thus, what's left from here is merely to finish you off!!

105.
Soukou: Take this!! Ryouzanpaku Ougi: Rensashi!
(TN: "Rensashi" = "Lotus-Chain Gift")
Akashi: Mu!!

106.
Akashi: Nugu!!
Soukou: No matter how you lift it, you can't escape from this Koushi Net!!
(TN: "Koushi Net" or "Koushimou" = "Steel-Thread Net")
Akashi: !!

107.
Momotarou: A...Akashi~~~!!
Soukou: You're a dissapointing man, but that's the match!! Fufu: if you words to leave to your allies, you should say them!!
Akashi: Guku!!
Akashi: Y...you're a fast man............!! Bu...but, this blood has become highly ignited............!!

TN: And that's why you need to wear armor in your fights, folks: yeah it may be cut to bits, but it may also have magnetic properties to prevent you from being hit by a sword. Some probably could say that this was just too good a set-up...but considering Otokojuku's fights, it doesn't worry me anymore. Personally, I think the whole simple usage of magnetism between attraction and repulsion preventing Akashi to strike with the Zanganken was a brilliant move and pretty much seals off his main means of attack...well his main means, considering we know Akashi is probably one of the smartest fighters and always seems to have some back-up strategy to allow for him to ultimately take the match. In a weird way that's what makes Akashi probably one of the more interesting on Otokojuku's side: while most of the other fighters seem to add more gimmicks to his arsenal, Akashi just sticks with Zanganken and uses his brain to outthink in ways to let him win a match...and I'm sure he'll get through Soukou's strategies soon enough!