Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 303

Even at the cost of their ally Gobarski, Momo was able to figure out and defeat Yukinojou and his "haunted sword"! But the strange mysteries of Bugen Castle are just beginning to take shape and blend in with the Otokojuku forces...

Chp. 303: The Assassin of a Thousand Faces!!

127.
Momotarou: Perhaps the ring that Gobarski had on his head and Shiranui made of the same metal by chance. That’s why Gobarski realized Shiranui’s secret.
Tomb: Gobarski Sleeps Here (with the “Go” blocked by the ring)
Momotarou: Sleep peacefully, Gobarski…your death will never be useless for us.
Lord: Fu, they’ve done it. They’ve defeated Yukinojou with only one victim…

128.
Lord: Who will fight them next!?
Retainer: Well, Shikibu-sama, one of Bugen Castle’s Four Battle-Hermits, has prepared himself and is awaiting them.
Lord: Fu, Shikibu of a thousand features, as people call him. He is the man who has mastered the essentials of ninja arts, which should be the shadow-stream of Japan’s martial arts…!!
Retainer: As that second name denotes, there hasn’t ever been a person who has seen the true face of Shikibu.
Lord: Even I haven’t.
Lord: Fufu, it will be fun in watching whatever fight this is.

129.
(Title page…yeah, that’s not him, that’s just Hien…)

130.
Hien: !!
Toramaru: Ah, look!! It’s that karakuri doll again.
Togashi: It’s going to guide us to somewhere again.
Momotarou: Let’s go. We should have three enemies left from those Four Battle-Hermits!!

131.
Toramaru: Oh!!
Toramaru: Wh…what is this musty mansion……!! It seems we have to go in here.

132.
Togashi: Is this wooden door the entrance?
Toramaru: It’s…extremely dim inside.
Momotarou: Be careful. We don’t know what tricks it has.
Voice: Ouch!!
Toramaru: Th…that hurts, Togashi!! Be careful in stepping on a person’s foot!!
Togashi: Huh~~!? Where are you looking and whom are you complaining to, Toramaru?

133.
Toramaru: N!? N~~~!!
“Toramarus”: WH…WHAT---!! Y….YOU’RE----!!
Togashi: Th…that’s---!! To…Toramaru has become a duo---!!

134.
“Toramarus”: Th…that stupid…..!!
Toramaru 1: Wh…what exactly a…are you!?
Toramaru 2: Wh…what exactly are you………!?
Momotarou: I…don’t believe this…………!!
Hien: Th…they’re two peas in a pod……..!! Even in voices…!!
Toramaru 1: Th…this is ridiculous, you guy----!!
Toramaru 2: Th…that’s my line!! I’ll reveal this guy’s true identity---!!

135.
Hien: Uh!!
Toramaru 1: Wh…what are all of you doing---!! Hurry and take the fake----!!
Toramaru 2: Wh…what are you saying? The fake is you---!!
Momotarou: ……!!
Togashi: Mo…Momo, wh…whatever you do will be fine for this~~!!
Momotarou: If you’re a student of Otokojuku, you should know this.
Momotarou: Tell me!! The three instructions of Otokojuku!!
“Toramarus”: HUH!?

136.
Toramaru 1: The…three instructions of Otokojuku---!? I…I don’t have a reason to know those things---!!
Toramaru 2: Wahhaha---!! I know them---!! One is “students should be devoted to their allegiance”!! One is “students should value bravery”!! One is “students should make principal to do modesty”!!
Toramaru 2: Wahhaha, that decides it----!! Now quickly cut this fake guy in two, Momo---!!
Toramaru 1: ………!!
Momotarou: Fu, wrong. The fake is you.
Toramaru 2: Wh…what~~!! Di…didn’t I answer them exactly---!!
Momotarou: That’s-why it’s you!! The true Toramaru doesn’t remember those things!!

137.
Momotarou: What are you---!!
“Toramaru”: Otto
Shikibu: Fuffufu, that version has been taken. Overdoing it somehow makes me well spoken of.

138.
Shikibu: My name is Shikibu, one of Bugen Castle’s Four Battle-Hermits!! People calle me the man of a thousand faces!!
Toramaru: Wh…what---!! That’s…Momo---!!
Togashi: N…now he’s become Momo’s face---!!

139.
Shikibu: All of you will be in strange fights even of this world in this mansion from here. And you will die, leaving not one behind.
Shikibu: Fuffufu, you should have fun. Don’t forget that I have thoroughly investigated everything about all of you one by one, from your personal histories to your personalities.
Toramaru: Wh…what is that guy saying---!!
Togashi: You put this on our shoulders in this place--!!
Togashi: Uo!!

140.
Toramaru: Wh…what---!! A trap---!!
Togashi: Uooo---!!
Shikibu: Fu, I’ve already decided on my first game.


141.
Hien: Ku!!
Hien: !!
Hien: What’s going on here!? In spite of all of us falling at the same time, there’s no one here…
Hien: Have we all fallen by being divided from that ceiling!?
Hien: ………!!
Voice: Hien!!

142.
Hien: DATE!!
Date: Where did the others go?
Hien: I don’t know either………!! But his aim is to separate all of us.
Date: Wait!! Don’t come any closer.
Date: Hien, are you the real Hien?
Hien: ……!!

143.
Date: As we saw earlier with his transformation technique, there’s nothing to prove that you are the real Hien.
(TN: The technique stated as “Henge no Jutsu”, but there is a slight problem with this: the two kanji here have two different readings even with two different set of meanings. “Henge” has the translation of “ghost” or “apparition”, while “Henka” is “change”, “transformation” or “metamorphosis”; thus I slightly used the “Henka” meaning as opposed to “Henge”)
Hien: Fu, that’s the same for me. I have nothing to prove that you are the real Date.
Date: Right. In that case, we will show proof with techniques mutually, because even if you resemble his face, you can’t imitate even techniques.
Date: First you will strike the end decoration on my spear with your Kakushi Senbon. If you have the skill that can go through the eye of a needle, then it would be unbelievable that you will miss by any chance.
Hien: Fu, understood. With this, it will be pleasing if I can clear the doubt…

144.
Hien: Ha!!
Hien: Huh!!
Hien: I…missed!! Ri…diculous, th…that thing is!!
Hien: !!

145.
Hien: Wr…wrong, th…those aren’t my senbon!!
Hien: Right, at that moment!! He substituted them at that moment!!
Date: With that, I’ve revealed your true identity. You should decide to resign!!
Hien: Wa…wait---!! Da…Date----!!

TN: You know, the whole idea of a mystery man who has no known identity blending in with the Otokojuku fighters and knowing everything about them allowing for them to have a hard time with him is an interesting concept thinking it over. Sure it is tricky and there are still ways to take him down (like tricking him into thinking that Toramaru was smart...yeah that worked well) but somehow it should have lead to a more interesting scenario. I say that because of...well, what's coming, but at the same time I do wonder if it should have been Shikibu that was this guy and not merely someone else with him introduced as a master ninja. Honestly I would have made Shikibu a ninja and someone else the "multi-face master" because I did like his weird introduction last time with the killer swallow. Meanwhile, somehow the whole explanation regarding why Gobarski was sacrificed does make sense now (and BTW: I did look it up and the chapter was released around a time when it was still the Soviet Union in April/May...it didn't fall apart until August of that year), but it still feels a shame that someone that cool would be sacrificed just like that. There is a lot more to say about this chapter...but we may have to wait until next time...then again...