Hell Teacher Nube 104

The tragedy of death isn't just in demise but also in possible unfinished business leading to an attachment to the world. When a mysterious ghost appears with an unfinished job, it may be up to Nube's students to finally settle its score...

#104: The Horse-Riding Warrior Ghost

167.
Caption: The Sports Festival is very soon—this is Cavalry Battle Practice
(TN: The “sports festival”, also known in Japanese as “Undoukai”, is a special day held on October 10th every year where the Japanese emphasize health and fitness, in particular among children. Various sports events are held by areas on these days, including tug-of-war and, as we see here, the “cavalry battle” or “kibasen”, which is depicted here. BTW: the reason why it is October 10th is because this was the date of the Opening Ceremonies for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo)
SFX: Wa—wa—
Kazama: Let’s go—we’ll take 10 of them—
Kazama: Here.
Boy: Ah.
Caption: You lose if your hat is taken.
SFX: Paka paka paka paka

168.
SFX: Paka paka paka

169.
SFX: Byu
Kazama: Waa—
Voice: A horse-riding warrior ghost!?
Caption: Staff Office
Kyouko: There are already 12 eyewitnesses.
Miki: Hurry and exorcise it.
Nube: Hm—m…but isn’t it it’s done nothing, just threatened?
Hiroshi: It seems so, but they’ve been terrified and can’t do the Cavalry Batt—le.

170.
Hiroshi: ?
SFX: Gatsu gatsu gatsu
Box: Meibundo Castella
(TN: A couple things:
-“Castella” is a popular Japanese sponge cake which is notable in Nagasaki, where it was adopted from Portugese merchants.
-“Meibundo” is actually the inverse of “Bunmeido”, a company notable for the making of castella…and strangely also the name of a book-store chain)
Hiroshi: That’s Castella; share it.
Nube: No way! This is my first Castella in 5 years…Castella is first, students are second.
Miki: Don’t cry about it, stupid.
Kyouko: What’s wrong, did you find it?
Nube: Du—mmy, it’s properly an item I received.
Box: Purveyors of Doumori Police Station
(TN: “Purveyors” is “Goyoutashi”, which literally stands for “a purveyor to the government”)
Nube: Look at this.
Caption: Headless Traffic Accident in Doumori Town
Hiroshi: This did happen in the news now.

171.
Nube: Every year from October 7th for three days, traffic accidents occur for certain at Doumori 2nd Chome Bypass Intersection. These accidents come to have strange incidents and the heads are torn off in them. Even the police didn’t know what to do, as expected, and thought “couldn’t these be a psychic phenomenon”?
Kyouko: How could you have a serious face with Castella on it?
Nube: Finally! I’m a spiritually powered person who protects the peace of Doumori town with a bit of recompensation! An investigation was requested to Nueno Meisuke! (tiny caption) We ask of you.
Kyouko: Wait a minute.
Kyouko: Aren’t you changing what you’ve established!?
Miki: Ga—sp ga—sp
(TN: Had a hard time here with this since Miki said “gyaasu”, which really had no translation I could find. So I interpreted it to go along with Hiroshi and Kyouko’s comments here)
Hiroshi: Aren’t you a spiritually powered teacher who protects the peace of the campus with no recompensation!?
Nube: Ah—that’s bossy; I’ll do the horse-riding warrior disturbance in the distant future.
SFX: Bu—bu—bu—
Hiroshi: He was lured by that gluttonous—Castella.
Kyouko: If it’s come to this, let’s settle this ourselves.

172.
SFX: Pipi—
Ishikawa: Um—because Nueno-kun left work early, phys-ed will be done by me. You’ve been having dreams due to the clamors for the monster uproar. Do this energetically—
Noriko: I’m scared.
Kyouko: It’s fine due to Hiroshi doing something.
Hiroshi: Hehe, I’m borrowing Nube’s exorcism tools. If the ghost appears, we’ll do a body blow.
Katsuya: Uuuh, I don’t want to…
Ishikawa: Start!
SFX: Pi—wa—

173.
SFX: Wa—wa—
Kaneda: Hiroshi is strong.
SFX: Ba
Hiroshi: we’ve defeated five.
Katsuya: Hehe, these aren’t the eyes of some warrior—huh?
SFX: Paka paka paka

174.
Hiroshi: He…hey, do you see it?
Katsuya: Yeah. It seems like we’re seeing a guy with a strong spiritual feeling.
Hiroshi: Alright, let’s go!
Akira: Eh, but
Katsuya: Our opponent has a sword…
Hiroshi: Go, because it’ll be fine!
Hiroshi: Hi Ho Silver!

175.
Hiroshi: Take this! Byakue Kannon Sutra!!
SFX: Bashi
Hiroshi: !!
Hiroshi: A child!?
Child: Uuh…

176.
Hiroshi: Did you see?
Katsuya: Yeah…was that…a child…?
Voice: Long ago
Caption: Library
Voice: When the Houjou Clan who governed this land was attacked by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Doumori Castle had a small battle between October 7th and 10th at their front-line base.
(TN: A couple things:
-The Houjou Clan was a clan who controlled the regency of the Kamakura Shogunate and was considered as the protectors of Japan during the 13th and 14th centuries. They were ultimately betrayed from power and ultimately invaded by Nitta Yoshisada, who killed the remains of the entire clan.
-Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a daimyo in the Sengoku Period who united Japan taking over after his former liege lord Oda Nobunaga. Considering he was active entirely in the 16th century, this probably means another Houjou Clan controlled Doumori)
Caption: Map of the Battle of Doumori | Doumori Castle
Miki: Rindoumaru, who was the child of Ogasawara Hiroyasu who was entrusted the castle, went out to the front at 14 years of age.
Kyouko: 14…isn’t that still middle school…
Miki: He was impatient for achievement and alone was cut up by the enemy line. He tragically died in action.

177.
Miki: I’m certain that the spirit of Rindoumaru is seeking the head of the enemy and is wandering around in the three days up to the 10th.
Hiroshi: Right, he wants a head?
Hiroshi: Alright, I have a good idea.
Armor: Doumori
Kyouko: What is this?
Hiroshi: Does he want to take a head? Therefore, he’ll take the head of this doll.
Hiroshi: If it’s carried on the shoulder of everyone as such, then he’ll only see the warrior wherever he looks. Here we go: we’ll set out with this!

178.
SFX: Jiro
Kyouko: Hey hey, will it really appear doing this?
Hiroshi: It’ll be fine, watch.
Hiroshi: Hey hey, I am Tateno Hiroshinari. Come, we’ll face a usual battle!
SFX: Kapo…kapo…

179.
Rindoumaru: ………
SFX: Bururururu…
Hiroshi: Now come, it’s a battle!
SFX: Dododododo
SFX: Zuba
Hiroshi: He did well…with that, rest in peace…

180.
Rindoumaru: Haaa
SFX: Dodo dodo do
Kyouko: Kyaaa!!
Katsuya & Akira: Uwaaaa
SFX: Kapo
Miki: That was no good after all.
Kyouko: He realized it was a doll and got angry.
Kyouko: At any rate, we’ll be saved by Nube.
Hiroshi: Right, at the intersection in 2nd Chome…

181.
Voice: Nube!!
Sign: Road Blocked
Nube: What is it, all of you? Why are you here…
Kyouko: We angered the warrior’s spirit.
Hiroshi: Save us and kill it.
Nube: He’s not chasing after all of you. I summoned him.
Hiroshi: !?
Nube: So I can introduce him to this spirit. Namu Daiji Daihi Kyuugu Kyuunan: spirit at this accident site, show yourself!
SFX: Paaaaa

182.
SFX: Gogogogogo
Hiroshi: Hiee, a strong-seeming warrior.
Nube: The offender of the headless traffic accidents on this road.
Nube: This warrior is a veteran who is on the enemy side of the child warrior. Every year, for the three days up to October 10th when the battle occurred, it causes accidents here and takes heads.

183.
Nube: I thought that he could be defeated by this child warrior…now go! Take his head!
Rindoumaru: ………
Hiroshi: No good, he’s scared.
SFX: Do do do do do | Nyari
Nube: Byakue Reibakuju!
SFX: Ba

184.
SFX: Zan!
SFX: Goron
SFX: Ga

185.
SFX: Pakara pakara pakara
Nube: He was wandering around all along without catching his proof, but with this, he will be exorcised.
(TN: Though it is read as “proof”, the kanji translates into “shukyuu” or “decapitated head”)
Miki: But he would have lost without your assistance, Nube.
Hiroshi: Even that child must fight…he would have been fine if he was born in modern times.
Hiroshi: By the way, you should get some gratitude from the police. Treat us to ramen.
Nube: Eh, what!?
Katsuya: A Jump hero shouldn’t take money…
(End of Vol. 12)

186.
RETURN OF THE GREAT YOUKAI ENCYCLOPEDIA

#34: ??? (Miscellaneous Knowledge)

This time I have a chat that isn’t related to youkai. It’s about Rindoumaru, who was in this chapter, being sent to the front at 14 years old. People who think that you’re a 2nd year in Middle School when at 14 are naïve. The way that age is counted long ago is different from now. Now you are at an age of 0 when you are born and you add exactly one year for each birthday after this (it’s called “Man Nenrei”), but long ago you suddenly became 1 from the day you are born and you add exactly one year each time you come to New Years after this. (it’s called “Kazoedoshi”). Therefore, there is reason that a person born in December will already be 2 years old in the next month. Why they had this way of counting is perhaps because they couldn’t remember birthdays one by one due to giving birth to many children long ago.

Further, it differed not just by age but also in the way the months are counted. Now the time where the Earth makes one revolution around the son is a year and generally is divided equally into 12, which are months, but long ago the period where the moon had one circumference of waxing and waning (29 days) was a month. The saying that the 15th night is the new moon is remains of this. However, due to too large of a gap with the “one year, 365 days” in this way of counting, there was a year where one month was completely the same month, called a “Leap Month”.

Further to the further, the difference in the way of counting months is the same as in English. If you’re a person who has studied a bit, then you’d realize that that the way of counting months in English is a tad strange after September. Up to August is fine due to their origins in the names of gods and people, but their 9th month is “September” (Sept. expresses “7”, it is called the “7th month”), the 10th month is October (Oct. is 8), the 11th month is November (Nov. is 9), the 12th month is December (Dec. is 10) and it has slipped by exactly two months. That is because with the 3rd month (March; the Month of Mars) was the New Years long ago; and in the Roman period, the New Years was changed to the 1st month (January; the Month of Janus) Why is there this quite random thing in this calendar? Eventually, it was because it’s a thing that humans created as they pleased…

Now that I mention it, there are people who are making an uproar for the end of the century in 1999 soon, but in Japan’s old calendar, 1999 is 2659 AD. This isn’t the end of a century or anything. Ultimately you can’t seem to be deceived by numbers. Well then!

(TN: A few things.
1. First of all, the concept of “age” in Japan and other East Asian cultures is essentially as stated here. The former way of counting an age was through “Kazoedoshi”, which literally translates into “Added Years”. The concept came over from China and, as stated, began with the child being born as “1” and each birthday being acknowledged only on New Year’s. In 1902, Japan switched to the “Man Nenrei” (translates literally as “a full year”) age concept and had to enact a law in 1950 so people could actually stick with it. However, “Kazoedoshi” is still used by older Japanese and still used in traditional aspects such as fortune telling and religion.
2. Japanese calendars prior to the adaptation of the Gregorian calendar in 1873 were lunisolar calendars adapted from the Chinese model. They counted by the moons of the year going from “Ichigatsu” or “The First Moon” for “January” to “Juunigatsu” or “The Twelfth Moon” for “December”. Further there are traditional month names used in poetry or in various traditional means. Further, due to Japan’s connection with China, these months usually were 3 to 7 weeks later than when they are today.
3. “Leap Months” did exist both in China and Japan but the determination of when the month was added was based on a complex calculation. However, the only rule regarding this is that the “Leap Month” can never occur in the “11th Month” where the Winter Solstice was. [This would be what we consider December, considering the Chinese [and the Japanese used to] start their year around February, which in a previous entry I explained as the beginning of their “spring” season)
4. The naming I used in this chapter regarding months sort of got changed around in the part regarding the explanation of the English names due to the explanation and usage by the Japanese names. Due to this, I ended up using expressions regulating “the month” as opposed to the name so I could get to the heart of the month in English they were talking about.
5. The basis regarding the former and current calendar and their connection to Rome can be summed up as such: in the beginning, Rome used a lunar calendar of 10 months, going from March to December, which included two months of “Quintilis” and “Sextilis”, leading to a year of 304 days, with the 61 days between December and Martius (March) having no name at all. However in 713 BC, Numa Pompilius chose to create two new months, adjusting the original 10 and creating January and February, with February intentionally kept at a short, unlucky 28 days due to it being the “month of purification” prior to March. (likewise there was the existence of a “leap month” at the time just like China/Japan). The calendar eventually was modified by the change of Rome from Republic to Empire, leading to the modern Julian calendar and the transformation of “Quintilis” to “July” [after Julius Caesar] and “Sextilis” into “August” [after Augustus Caesar].
6. The concept of the year of “2659 AD” has to do with the former counting of Japanese years, whereas the first year was 660 BC, seen as the founding of Japan. Thus by adding 660 to 1999, we get the “Japanese year of 2659”.)

187.
Notification of the Next Volume
Minako: That will be all for Vol. 12. Many thanks for this. Slowly please rest until Vol. 13 comes out…
(TN: You can’t hate Minako-sensei…you just can’t. After all she has done both in Nube’s childhood and taking down the Oni, anything she does just deserves our respect…for the most part.)

TN: Well a Jump character may not accept money for their heroics...but at least Castella can be a tad more rewarding. (well to Nube) Besides, food at least is something to savor compared to the unlimited potential for good and bad tied to money...but that's for another time. This chapter was a fun one but also a tad strange in that it sort of shows the continued evolution of Nube's students in their desire to satisfy and assist the youkai and the ghosts with problems, but always seem out of the loop regarding the situation leading to the continued need for Nube. Hiroshi and the others have come really far to both investigate Rindoumaru, his whole problem regarding his fateful battle at the castle, and attempt in a way to satisfy his soul by trying to create a "mock cavalry battle" where it would behead the weirdly-made dummy (obviously only Hiroshi would make it that terrible and get away with it) But of course, Rindoumaru's true purpose being to eliminate the enemy warrior causing the traffic accidents by Nube was a nice twist, revealing the multiple ghosts that were involved and that Nube knew of Rindoumaru's plight and figured to use him to eliminate the beheading ghost to have him rest in peace. Sure it was a tragedy that a kid his age would have to fight but...that was the era sadly, one some of us may never really understand due to matters of culture and scenarios.