Hell Teacher Nube 75

When you pick up the phone, are you sure whose on the other line...is of this world? When Hiroshi and Kyouko discover a mysterious phone in a forgotten place, they may end up dialing their way to a real wrong number!

#75: The Line to That World

131.
Voice: Hey hey, did you know? About the inside of the gym storehouse?
Voice: There is an old room that was used for the children’s board room long ago. And in there, there is one old telephone.
Voice: That phone was cut off but if you dial 0 and take the receiver, there will be a voice.
Voice 2: Eh, how?
Voice: In truth, that phone communicates with “that world”.

132.
SFX: Gacha
Nube: Ah, Domiso’s Pizza? One plain. Eh? Ah, yes, nothing on it, just the crust. Eh? Are you worried? No, it’s because I have toppings here; so then, please make it half the cost. Understood?
(TN: Yes, this is a parody of “Domino’s Pizza”, which does have franchises in Japan among the 60 countries in the world who have this American-based chain. Although generally most Japanese pizza has all sorts of toppings on them, they can be sold “plain” with just cheese and sauce in Japan as well…though Nube is going to the extreme avoiding even the cheese and sauce and just getting baked round crust)
Nube: For toppings, my school-lunch leftovers are enough: sausage with jam and mayonnaise.
Principal: This is the first I’ve seen a guy order just the material for the pizza. You really are a poor man; you’re a shame to the school.
Nube: I must make these math tests throughout today. If you have a complaint, then take the delivery. (mu)
Principal: Ah, right. I’m going home.
SFX: Wa—wa—

133.
Nube: He~~y, hurry on home because it’s already late.
Kyouko: Ah, ri—ght.
(TN: Yeah, Nube just wants to get rid of them for a pizza all to himself)
Voice 1: See you—
Voice 2: Bye-bye.
Kyouko: Ara?
Kyouko: The window to the gym is open.
Hiroshi: It truly is. Did they forget to close it?
Kyouko: Nothing we can do—
SFX: Gara gara
SFX: Boso boso boso (whisper whisper whisper)

134.
Kyouko: Someone’s inside. There’s a speaking voice.
Hiroshi: Really?
Kyouko: This room.
Hiroshi: There’s a room that’s in the storage room now. Why is that…
SFX: GIII…
Voice: Hello…hello…hello…
Hiroshi: Who are you? Why are you in this place!?

135.
SFX: Don!
Hiroshi: Uwacchi
Hiroshi: Kyouko, close the door!
Kyouko: OK! Let him loose~~
SFX: Jita bata jita
Hiroshi: He’s running to there.
SFX: Dosun batan gan gon
Kyouko: Ow, he’s biting.
SFX: Gara gara gara
Hiroshi: Kya—the desks are coming down~~kya—kya—
Hiroshi: Fu~~you’ve caused a lot of trouble.
Kyouko: If we had thought it was a thief, then isn’t this a kid?
Kyouko: I have his bag. Grade 3, Class 4; Suzuki Rantarou. What are you doing in this place?

136.
SFX: Pui
Hiroshi: This brat—having an attitude of defying upperclassmen!
Kyouko: Isn’t it fine already? What’s left is to leave this to teacher. Huh?
Hiroshi: What is it? What’s wrong?
Kyouko: It…it can’t be…
SFX: Gacha gacha
Kyouko: The desks outside collapsed with the uproar earlier…we can’t open the door!
Hiroshi: What’s that!? This room doesn’t have room and our entrance was just that door.
Kyouko: It’s completely locked up!!
Hiroshi: ! Right.

137.
Hiroshi: Don’t we have a telephone?
Rantarou: ……Ah…
Kyouko: Right: with the school telephone, we can use the internal line.
Hiroshi: Actually, Nube should still be left here.
Nube: U—m, what’s the number for the Staff Office?
Kyouko: Can you dial it suitably?
Hiroshi: Weird? There’s no sound…

138.
Voice: Hello
SFX: Za—za—
Hiroshi: Ah—I’m sorry, we’re locked in a vacant room in the gym…alright.
Voice: Understood: I’ll go and rescue you immediately.
Hiroshi: Thank you, We’ll be wai—ting.
Rantarou: Wh…who were you talking to now?
Hiroshi: Eh? Who? It was a strangely low-voiced person but

139.
Rantarou: The phone here isn’t connected to the line.
Hiroshi: Eh?
Kyouko: N…no way: what does this mean?
Rantarou: The phone here is connected to that world…It’s a famous rumor among the 3rd graders.
Hiroshi: What was that now…!
Hiroshi: No, hold on. Weren’t you using the phone earlier?
Rantarou: Th…that’s.
SFX: Jiririri
Kyouko: Hi

140.
Kyouko: It’s…ringing.
SFX: Jiririri—n Jiririri—
Hiroshi: The phone that shouldn’t be connected is…
SFX: Gachai
Hiroshi: Who is this!!
“Voice”: I’m coming to save you~~~ (Ha—ha—ha--) I’ve arrived at the school now~~
SFX: Gachan!
Kyouko: Wh…what’s coming? What’s coming to save us!
Hiroshi: Well—but he is a fast guy that has kindness~~

141.
Kyouko: Don’t joke around! This isn’t a home-delivered pizza! Isn’t this some monster rescue squad!
Hiroshi: I know—this thing is a pushy guy.
SFX: Jiririri
Hiroshi: !
Hiroshi: Hey, that’s enough. Something will be done by us!
“Voice”: Wait for me~~I’m arriving in another two or three mintues~~ (Ha—ha--) It will be fine~~be patient.
SFX: Chin
SFX: Gori gori gori
Hiroshi: Wh…what is it?

142.
SFX: Riri—
“Voice”: Now—I’m opening the lock of the gym~~~wait for me, soon~~
“Voice”: I’m going there now~~I’m going there now~
SFX: Zuru…zuru…
SFX: Goto Zuru Goto Zuru
Hiroshi: It…it came.

143.
Hiroshi: You s**t—you’ve done a prank to the phone!! It really is connected to that world!
Rantarou: I don’t have reason to prank you.
Rantarou: My…my father died two years ago.
Rantarou: It was a sudden traffic accident; I didn’t even say goodbye. I thought that if this was a phone connected to that world, I’m certain I could talk to my father.
Hiroshi: ………
Kyouko: Right…
Hiroshi: I had been bad; I understand, because I don’t have my mom either.
Hiroshi: !!
SFX: Baki!

144.
SFX: Zugagagaga~~n
“Creature”: I’ve caught you…I’ve caught you…I’ve caught three…
SFX: Ha—ha—ha—
Kyouko: Ah……
SFX: Gari gari gari | Baki baki
Rantarou: Ah…aah.

145.
(Man…that is one ugly spider)

146.
Hiroshi: !
Sign: Emergency
Hiroshi: S**t
SFX: Ga!
SFX: Parin
SFX: Riririririririri
Hiroshi, Kyouko & Rantarou: Nube!!
SFX: Jiwa

147.
Nube: Namu
SFX: Zuba
Hiroshi: Y…you were quick as expected…
SFX: Zatsu
“Spider”: Gyaaaa~~~
Nube: Idiot: I didn’t notice the bell; this strong mass of aura is what I don’t have reason to not notice.
Nube: Understood: this is the cause.

148.
Nube: Namu Daiji Daihi Kyuugu Kyuunan Koudai Reikan: apparate the cord’s destination!!
Hiroshi: Aah: an unseen cord is connected to that world…
Nube: That thing has stretched from that world these unseen cords and is waiting to catch bait…like a spider.
Hiroshi: The rumor was true…
“Spider”: Guaa
SFX: Dododo | Gui

149.
“Spider”: Gege
SFX: Gurun (wrap)
Nube: This cord is a spiritual body. It can also tie up spirits…get your head into the trap set by you and die!!
“Spider”: Gyaaaa
SFX: Buran

150.
Nube: It would be best for this circuit to be cut off for eternity.
Kyouko: Nube, actually that child…
Nube: N?
Nube: Understood, your father…but…wouldn’t it be better to give it up after all? Talking to people who have died isn’t a normal thing and may just invite regrets.
Nube: Well, don’t get mistakenly caught this time.

151.
“Voice”: Rantarou, it’s your father. Are you doing well?
Narrator: And so, the line to that world was cut off forever.
SFX: Shuuuu… | Buchi
Nube: Now—now, are you hungry? Have some pizza.
Kyouko: What are these, lunch leftovers?
Hiroshi: He can’t even be doing this. He is a hero but—

152.
RETURN OF THE GREAT YOUKAI ENCYCLOPEDIA

#13: Spider Youkai

Our chat this time wasn’t going to have material to write about in particular, but because the youkai was in the form of a spider, let’s talk about spiders.

Spiders are well mistaken to be insects, but they’re friends with scorpions. Their varieties are many, there are over 36,000 species throughout the world and over 1,500 are living even in just Japan. Of youkai that are in the form of spiders, Jorougumo and Tsuchigumo are famous, but we’re going to have another separate chance to go about Jorougumo, so let me explain about Tsuchigumo.

In the Heian era, the famed heroes Minamoto-no-Yorimitsu and his Shitennou, who were known to have defeated Shuten Douji of Ooeyama, had one other strong enemy. That was Tsuchigumo. It lived in the cave of Nishiyama, could change into beautiful women and youkai apparitions and tormented Yorimitsu and the others, but it was eventually defeated by Yorimitsu and Watanabe No Tsura, one of the Shitennou. It’s quite a mediocre story, but there was an interesting fact here. In truth, the word “Tsuchigumo” is a derogatory term that points at the aborigines of Japan. People in the Middle Ages thought that these former inhabitants, who differed from their lifestyles, were youkai. Even within folklore, we can see and take the violent antagonism between people.

For some reason, that tale has come to not be related to the Great Youkai Encyclopedia, but because antagonism between people is an important problem that has come to be the source of wars around the world now, we must think about this seriously. And thus, when all of you readers become adults, I want you to come to live in cordial terms with people throughout the world!

(TN: A few notes:
1. A quick translation for the two “spider youkai”: “Jorougumo” = “Prostitute Spider” or “Entertainment-Woman Spider”; “Tsuchigumo” = “Earth Spider”. And yes, we will be learning more about Jorougumo later on…though strangely that chapter won’t be any time soon…heck, it’s chapter isn’t until 1996 and this chapter, both in WSJ and in this volume release, came out in 1995!
2. Minamoto-no-Yorimitsu is a famous Heian hero who worked loyally for the Japanese government and whose fame was built based on various legends and tales, including his battle with “Shuten Douji” (a massive “oni ruler”) and “Tsuchigumo”
3. The “Shitennou”, Japanese for “The Four Heavenly Kings” or “Four Guardian Kings” and inspired by a similar Buddhist concept, are a legendary group of retainers under Minamoto-no-Yorimitsu, made up of Watanabe no Tsuna, Sakata no Kintoki, Urabe no Suetake and Usui Sadamitsu.
4. I guess we have to go into both versions of “Tsuchigumo” to understand it’s usage both in the legend and in real life.
-The “real” Tsuchigumo were a race of underground dwarves who lived in the Japanese Alps; also known by the Ainu of “Koropounkur” It is unknown if they actually exist, since limited research has been done on them since the 1930s.
-The folklore “Tsuchigumo” was a spider-limbed monster who was stopped by Minamoto no Yorimitsu and one of his Shitennou, either “Watanabe no Tsuna” (the one mentioned here) or “Sakata no Kintoki” (the member who is considered by some to be the legendary boy hero Kintarou)

TN: Weird...so quickly after the Misaki chapter, we get this freaky one. Maybe not as scary or freaky as the Seven Misaki...but the whole idea of phoning a spider who is coming to eat you while lying about being a "savior" is just a weird concept. Of course...strangely the chapter seemed to build itself less with the actual youkai and just with the concept of "anticipation" regarding it showing up alongside Hiroshi, Kyouko and the kid Rantarou being trapped in a room together with no way out and a dreaded creature slowly coming to take them for food. Rantarou...he was decent, nothing special but at least he worked for the story. Somehow I keep getting a weird idea of the movie "Frequency" thinking of him wanting to talk to his dead dad...but that involved a radio and time-travel from what I heard so it's just the wrong thing to think about. (not as wrong as Nube's pizza...but the poor guy's got to eat somehow)