Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 199

Digging underground and attacking from the depths, Rasetsu has finally found a means to grounding Ryouzanpaku leader Sanen! But even with the match finally at hand, things are about to get ugly...literally!

Chp. 199: The Hannya Mask!!

67.
Sanen: Guku!!
Toramaru: He…he did it---!! Ra…Rasetsu---! A…amazing technique: Kyou-ke’s Ultimate Ougi Toushi Kiha Dosuiryuu!!
Togashi: He…took down that Sanen guy from underground---!!

68.
(Title page…yeah, I think we can call Rasetsu a mole man now)

69.
Sanen: Nuuu
Rasetsu: It’s splendid you avoided the vitals on the verge of that blow now. But this can’t be won by you now, with it coming to not being able to use your Kacchuu Senbusatsu technique.
Rasetsu: I don’t want to kill when I’m facing a man of your extent. If you manly acknowledge your defeat, you’ll save just your life.
Sanen: Fu, ridiculous……!! Fa…facing that to Sanen, one of the Three Heads of Ryouzanpaku……………!!

70.
Sanen: Th…the real match is from here---!!
Rasetsu: It cannot be helped……!!

71.
Rasetsu: KYOU-KE SAIDAI OUGI: TOUSHI KIHA DOSUIRYUU!!
Sanen: Ku!!
Toramaru: Th…there it is---!!

72.
Toramaru: Wi…with that, this match is completely decided---!! He…he concealed his body underground and may come attacking from anywhere: that’s a terrifying super-special technique----!!
Momotarou: …………!!
Togashi: A—h, what’s wrong, Momo!?
Toramaru: He has a depressed expression even though Rasetsu’s victory can be seen……………!?

73.
Momotarou: Wh…what’s with Sanen’s smile now…………!? It’s as if he’s composed for just the coming waging of Dosuiryuu by Rasetsu……………!!
Toramaru: Wha…
Togashi: What………!?
Rasetsu: YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND YET? THIS KYOU-KE DOSUIRYUU, SAID TO BE A SECRET AMONG SECRETS OF NUMEROUS CHINESE KENPOU!!
Rasetsu: THERE NOW HAS NEVER BEEN A PERSON WHO HAS CHALLENGED THIS AND LIVED……………!!
Rasetsu: YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED!!
Sanen: Fu: it seems it will be accomplished………………!! In…in that case, I will come to carve my name as the first………….!!

74.
Rasetsu: MU!!
Sanen: Fuffuffu: I’ve defeated Dosuiryuu…!!

75.
Rasetsu: ……………………
Toramaru: Wh…what---!! That Sanen has put up a smokescreen----!
Togashi: Hi…his form can’t be seen at all with this smoke---!!
Toramaru: Ri…right: he’s opposing the underground Rasetsu and planned to hide his body with a smokescreen---!!
Date: N…no, you’re wrong……!! The smokescreen is immediately clearing by the wind on the battlefield………!! We should be fully aware of him with that……!
Toramary: If…if that is done………!!
Togashi: Ooh, l…look!! The smokescreen is clearing as Date said---!

76.
Sanen: RYOUZANPAKU HIOUGI: KYOUKAI MENSHOUSATSU!!
(TN: “Kyoukai Menshousatsu” = “Evil-Monster Mask-Gate Murder”; the “kai” is literally “fabulous monster”, while the “shou” is literally “heaven’s gate” or “the gate of the palace”…but considering how specific they are, I mention it here and use the general for the translation)
Toramaru: Wh…what is th…that---!!
Togashi: Sa…Sanen has tr…transformed into a monster---!!
Momotarou: Wr…wrong, look closer!! He…he’s just wearing a Hannya Mask!!
(TN: A “hannya mask” is a mask traditionally used in Noh Theater representing a jealous female demon, usually in representation of malice or sublime emotions of a human being)

77.
Sanen: Now, you should come at me from anywhere, Rasetsu.
Rasetsu: KYOUKAI MENSHOUSATSU……!? WHAT’S YOUR PRETENSE FOR THAT……!? YOU SPECIALLY PUT UP A SMOKESCREEN SO YOU COULD PUT ON THAT MASK………!?
Sanen: Fuffuffu: are you worried about this mask………!! Well, what’s wrong?
Rasetsu: THAT BLUFF CAN’T BE USED ON ME.

78.
Sanen: Ha!!

79.
Toramaru: Kakkaka, what exactly was his plan for that Hannya Mask---!! He’s a fully transvestite guy somewhere!! He isn’t on his guard, angry at his face being wounded even at this point!!
Togashi: Ri…right: go, Rasetsu---!! Finish this match at once---!
Date: Haven’t you realized it, Momo………!! It’s strange…!! There’s something strange about Sanen’s movements………!
Momotarou: Umu……

80.
Hien: I’ve heard that the Hannya Mask is a symbol for another face that’s possessed by a person. And thus, it is a mask of darkness that can never be exposed to public notice……
Momotarou: Ha!! It…can’t be, he’s……!!
Momotarou: Do…don’t, Rasetsu---!! St…stop---!! Th…that Sanen is----!

81.
Rasetsu: With this, it’s over: I’ve completely taken your behind!! Sanen, you lose!!
Sanen: Fufu: I’ve caught you…!! The loss is yours, Rasetsu!!
Rasetsu: Huh!!

82.
Rasetsu: GUHA!!

83.
Rasetsu: Y…you, th…this is………!!
Togashi & Toramaru: RA…RASETSU---!!
Rasetsu: Guoo!!
Sanen: Fu, you thought you could take my back, but you were misfortunate……………This is the true aim of Kyoukai Menshousatsu!!

84.
Sanen: This has come to the end. The essential of Kyoukai Menshousatsu is to unfasten the joints of my body, making it possible to move even if I reverse both my sides.
Sanen: Within the smokescreen, I simultaneously reversed my kimono and put this mask on the back of my head. In other words: you were waging an attack from underground to my reversed other side.
Sanen: And thus, you took my back and I waited for you to yield a moment of unpreparedness.
Rasetsu: Nugugu!! I…made a mistake…………!!

85.
Commentary:
Kyoukai Menshousatsu…the origin of this technique, which is known as one of the best surprise attack plan in Chinese Kenpou, was in the decisive battle of Kougen between Li Bashiburu and Chin Eikou in the closing years of the Qin Dynasty. Facing Chin, who far and away surpassed him in ability, Li made an optical illusion by wearing in reverse all of his armor and helmet and facing to the back. Unprepared, the approaching Chin was defeated by a blow.

Since then there has been Kyoukai Menshousatsu, which has perfected it by developing it even in the inversion of the joints.

Incidentally, this rumor was transmitted down the Silk Road and conveyed to Western Europe; with “reversible”, which means freely reversing in present English, has an etymology with the name Li Bashiburu.
-From “Beyond the Silk Road”, Taikoubou Books
(TN: A couple notes:
1. “Reversible”, which is the whole silly basis for the legend, is in Japanese “Ribaashiburu”, which is mostly close but “Ri” being more read as “Li” in Chinese.
2. It’s been forever since we had a “Taikoubou Books” entry with how many “Minmei Publishing” we’ve had as of late…admittedly it took me by surprise for a moment.)

Rasetsu: I…won’t lose………I don’t have a reason to lose…………!!
Sanen: Rasetsu…I won’t forget your name…………!!

TN: That...was strange. Literally...strange. The ability of Sanen to rip his joints apart, switch them around backwards, then wear a mask to make his back seem like his front...effective but merely just strange and disturbed in some senses of the matter. I was a tad confused by how exactly (or more like "what exactly") Sanen was doing while waiting for Rasetsu to screw up leading to the big blow at the end, but it seemed more like deceiving his mind and body to make him think that he was maneuvering and then getting him open for the big fail at the end. Not too much else to say...except that the return of Taikoubou Books also nearly threw me off. (then again at least we have another publishing source again...it isn't like Minmei Publishing can discover every weird Chinese Kenpou quirk out there...though they do try to find nearly all of them)