Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 213

With a bit of skill (and a ton of his dumb luck), Togashi has defied all odds and defeated the noble Michele! But with both of them nearing their own respective deaths, can either of them savor a victory with an impatient Gouki awaiting!?

Chp. 213: The Essence of a Young Man!!

169.
Toramaru: He…he did it: To…Togashi’s great come-from-behind big upset~~~!! And…and following with that----!! It was surely a miracle that his fundoshi also unexpectedly got entangled on his dosu that couldn’t come out---!
Togashi: Y…you dummy, do…don’t you get it yet? I…I said that luck is my own true power!!

170.-171.
3RD CHARACTER POPULARITY POLL ANNOUNCEMENT!!
TOTAL APPLICATIONS: 9274 LETTERS
1ST: DATE OMITO: 2596 VOTES
2ND: TSURUGI MOMOTAROU: 1711 VOTES
3RD: HIEN: 807 VOTES
4TH: RAIDEN: 368 VOTES
5TH: J: 305 VOTES
6TH: GEKKOU: 301 VOTES
7TH: AKASHI GOUJI: 270 VOTES
8TH: DAIGOUIN JAKI: 246 VOTES
9TH: TOGASHI GENJI: 227 VOTES
10TH: RASETSU: 193 VOTES
RUNNER UP: 11TH: TORAMARU RYUUJI: 182 VOTES
Toramaru: Wh…what: how could it have come to this?

Thank you very much for the many applications! The ranks of 12th and below will be gone through next:
12TH: EIKEI: 174 VOTES
13TH: SENKUU: 166 VOTES
14TH: MANJIMARU: 132 VOTES
15TH: EDAJIMA HEIHACHI: 130 VOTES
16TH: BARON DINO: 77 VOTES
17TH: THE THREE MONKEYS: 59 VOTES
18TH SHOUKAKU: 44 VOTES
19TH: HAKUHOU: 36 VOTES
20TH: SANEN: 28 VOTES
(TN: Probably the only real surprise for me this time around is...Date in first. Then again with all of the fights he had, let alone the fact that the Ryoukou finale around that time, it probably makes some sense. On the other hand, I am happy to see Raiden suddenly have a surge in popularity…but that I say has to do with his increased role in the series with the monkeys and “translating bizarre Chinese kenpou”. [and, as I said above, the Ryoukou fight being around then; polls seem to sometimes just reflect current events just as much as a character’s popularity] Respectable votes as well for Jaki and Akashi…and as for Eikei: well if you combine the “Eikei” and “Shoukaku” votes together, you get 218, placing him in 10th instead of Rasetsu…well, that’s how I see it. And Edajima in 15th…he will not be please with that.)

172.
Toramaru: We…well, get up quickly, Togashi---!! Are you going to be dangling in that place forever----!!
Togashi: Ri…right: I’m going now!!
Gouki: Surely, the word to be found for this is only “bad luck”. A man such as Michele the Black Rose by a man like him……………!!

173.
Gouki: That 1/100000th uncertain element that was calculated by the computer before the battle seems to have been this.
“Voice”: Fu, but his bad luck has come to here and been exhausted.
“Headband”: Please look at his lifeline!!
Togashi: !?
Togashi: Huh!!
Togashi: WHAT----!!

174.
Togashi: Uoo! Da…damn, what’s going on---!! The…the fundoshi is…being cut as my lifeline~~~!!
Toramaru: To…Togashi---!!
Momotarou: Ge…get up, qu…quickly get up---!!
Togashi: Th…that a**hole th…thought he could overdeliver a speech as such---!! I…I’ve come to my last moment and something will happen after all----!!
Togashi: N…no---!! I…it’s not enough----!

175.
Togashi: KUOO!!
Toramaru: To…Togashi---!!
“Headband”: Fufu, a thing like that is the end of the sludge after all.
Togashi: The…the rest I request of you~~~!! O…OTOKOJUIKU BANZAI----!!

176.
Togashi: Uh!!
Togashi: Huh!!
Togashi: Wh…what---!! Y…you-----!!
Michele: We…well, qu…quickly get up………To…Togashi……!!

177.
Toramaru: Wh…what is this; wh…what’s going on----!! Th…that Michele isn’t dead yet!! A…and he intends on sa…saving Togashi----!
Michele: Wh…why are you hesitating? I…I almost don’t have the power left in me anymore…………………!!
Michele: Qu…quickly ge…get up here. Be…before this life come to an end…………
Togashi: …………!!
Michele: Yes, that’s fine………!!

178.
“Headband”: Has he lost his mind? That Michele’s unnecessary behavior is rescuing the life of that sludge who was his enemy with this chance!!
“Headband”: This is a serious traitorous act, commander!! Leave his disposal to me!!
“Headband”: Fufufu.

179.
“Headband”: Die, traitor----!!
“Headband”: !!

180.
“Headband”: Uooo, wh…what are you doing co…commander---!!
Gouki: The sludge is you!! You who don’t understand the pride and strong spirit of men who fought betting their lives are not qualified for the Meiou Island 16-Warriors!!
Togashi: Wh…why…………wh…why would you save me……!?
Michele: Fu, I…I don’t know either.

181.
Michele: Bu…but, I’m certain it would be the same even with a reverse in position of you and I. Th…that is understood by me………………Y…you too are such a man.
Michele: So…so, please go, throw your chest out…y…you won against Michele the Black Rose…………!!
Michele: I…I don’t have regrets…………I…I’m proud in fighting a person like you………
Togashi: …………!!

182.
Togashi: MICHELE…YOU WERE A TRUE MAN…!!
Date: He’s a splendid man while an enemy; Michele the Black Rose……
Momotarou: Yes: bushido, chivalry…their names are various, but you can’t change the way of living as a true man anywhere through the world…!!

183.
“Chinese Man”: This is, this is the commander. We’re indebted that you’ve come to Meiou Island’s Underground Battle Training Facility!!
“Chinese Man”: Michele the Black Rose seems to have been defeated. But please be calm: we’ve already the preparations for the next one.

184.
“Chinese Man”: Go ahead: please, look. Try this man…!!
Gouki: Nu!!
“Indian”: SU~~HA~~SU~~HA~~

185.
“Chinese Man”: The numberless needles that have been sharpened on the walls of this room will come to set off by flying from all directions with one switch. What will happen when they fire in a volley aiming for that man sitting in the center……!?
Gouki: Dummy: how can he avoid that many needles from point-blank range in that small room!?
“Chinese Man”: Fufu, so then I’ll show you.

186.
Gouki: ……………!! What’s the meaning of this!? That man was stabbed over his entire body by all of the needles without avoiding them while sitting…!!
“Chinese Man”: No, you’re wrong commander. He avoided all of his vitals that are numerous in the entire body!! With a subtle movement that can’t even be seen by the eye!
Gouki: …………!!

187.
“Chinese Man”: As proof, not even a single drop of blood is flowing while accepting needles just that deeply. Of course, this is without feeling any pain!!
“Chinese Man”: HIS NAME IS RAJA MAHAL!! He is the strongest warrior in history that has mastered the secret path of Rama Yoga, a mystery of present times that was handed down in India!!
(End of Volume 23)

TN: I have a lot to say about Raja Mahal, in particular in connection to another fighting game character (sort of like how I compared Senkuu with Benimaru)...but I'll get into him (and another weird revelation I made that will tie into this) when we start his fight. Meanwhile, this chapter shows that there are stupid creeps who exist even among the supposedly honorable faction that exists in Gouki's team, particularly with that idiot in the headband. I really don't know why he would be on the Meiou Island team...but good that he's gone before he fights considering he probably was wasting up space for someone more interesting. Meanwhile, I do like the respect that Michele was given upon his passing, considering that even someone as high-prided as him could get a different perspective of things once seeing them in a different light. Once Togashi proved his material in combat, he showed him the truth and Michele chose to respect him instead of continuing to consider him trash. Heck...even Gouki seems to have a better opinion of Togashi after this considering that he protected both him and Michele. Then again, while I'm still upset that Togashi didn't really get any real fights to himself prior to this, I'm happy that he did get one Otokojuku victory (in his own bizarre way) and we can move on to the next of the Meiou Island fighters...which is that yoga man I'll go further into next time.