Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 308

The climactic showdown between Otokojuku and Rakanjuku has been made into a five-match playoff demonstrating the best of the two schools. But can Toramaru really handle a sumo match against a potential future master of the sport!?

Chp. 308: Certain-Kill! Vicegrip Choke!!

45.
Toramaru: Uwahhaha: how’s that? This is the processional entrance of Toramaru-zeki----!!
(TN: Toramaru’s introduction here involved a couple of sumo terms that we hadn’t encountered before:
-“Toramaru-zeki” involves the ending of “zeki”, which is an honorific used for sumo wrestlers of the makuuchi and juryo divisions.
-“Processional entrance” is the Japanese term “Dohyouiri”, which is the entrance procession of all sumo wrestlers into the ring)
Hidemaro: Uuuh, wh…why is it me…!!
Tazawa: Wh…why did the Principal truly nominate Hidemaro?
Matsuo: Ye…yeah: even though it’s natural with Toramaru, whose specialty is sumo, boasting himself as the strongest of Otokojuku, is…is he thinking of something---!?
“Student”: Fufu, they’re helpless guys, Ijuuin. Having a match in sumo with their opponents the Hanada Brothers!!

46.
Kumada: Al—right, from here the Rakanjuku vs. Otokojuku match of courage will be held with sumo!!

47.
Kumada: Will the advance guard Otokojuku enter into the arena!! This match is a survival match!! The one who defeats two first will be the victor---!!
(TN: “Survival Match” isn’t a literal translation: it is actually “kachinokori-sen”, with “kachinokori” as literally “a winning sumo wrestler who remains in or around the ringside in case his involvement is needed in pre-bout ritual. Since it’s about whoever is left around as the winner, thus I decided to make it bluntly a “survival match”)
Kumada: Wahhaha: however, Otokojuku very much seems to have a shortage of talented men, Edajima!!
Edajima: ………
Kumada: Even so, how is it that if you don’t have a chance of winning you’re coming to send out that shrimp----!!
“Flat-Head”: Fufu, so then we’ll go from me.
Hanada Younger: Fu, big brother, don’t forget that your opponent is anything but an amateur.
Toramaru: Heh, be calm Hidemaro. I’ll defeat both of them together and it won’t turn to you!!
Hidemaro: De…defeat them, Toramaru…

48.
Otokojuku Students: You can do this, Toramaru----!! Because if you lose, there won’t be anything left for this match at any rate----!!
Toramaru; Heh, leave this to me!! I don’t know if they’re the Hanada Brothers or whatever, but I was born to not lose in sumo to this guy!!

49.
Toramaru: Uo!!
Hanada Elder: Fufu, I’ll be sympathetic.
Toramaru: Ye…yeah!!
Matsuo: Wh…what an amazing stomp. L…look…!! To…Toramaru’s body floated in air for a moment…!!
(TN: Matsuo merely doesn’t say “stomp” but “shiko”, a ceremonial stomp done by a sumo wrestler prior to a match)

50.
Hanada Elder: Well, you should come at me from anywhere!!
Toramaru: !!
Toramaru: Wh…what’s with your pretension---!! You’ve turned one of your arms to your behind---!!
Hanada Elder: Fufu: even if I merely win against you, I won’t have anything to boast. Can’t I do it with a handicap like this?
Toramaru: Y…you~~!!

51.
Kumada: Uwahhaha, that’s right elder Hanada!! Handle that guy with one arm!! As expected of a star actor who possessed this with birth!! That’s plenty for a star for now!! Hey, Edajima, don’t you think that!!
Edajima: Nuu; To…Toramaru, knock down that conceited guy!! If you lose, you won’t be forgiven even if you rip your stomach open~~!!
Toramaru: O…Ossu!!
Toramaru: Le…let’s go, you guy~~!!
Toramaru: Soryaa~~~!!

52.
Toramaru: Haga!!
Toramaru: Oooh~~!!
Hanada Elder: Otto. Fuffufu: just this many spectators will be unsatisfied in a match this simple.
Toramaru: Ku!!

53.
Hanada Elder: Well, I’ll endure your attacks. You should come rapidly with all of your power!!
(TN: There are a couple terms I have to talk about here to make sure we get them understood:
-The elder Hanada uses an expression here of “Mune wo Kasu”, which is a specific term for an elder sumo wrestler opening himself up to a junior to attack him in order to give him practice.
-He also uses an expression of “don to kuru”, which was a tad harder to figure out due to the “don”, but I sort of applied it with the expression of “dondon” or “rapidly/steadily”, thus having him instruct Toramaru to come at him steadily/rapidly)
Toramaru: Y…you’re noisy----!!
Hanada Elder: Hey, put in much more power.
Toramaru: Ku!! I…can’t move.
Toramaru: Nuaa---!!

54.
Student: It…it’s like he isn’t moving, like he’s planted roots with his feet---!!
Toramaru: Uoo---!! Hey, what’s wrong, what’s wrong.
Togashi: Ho…however I think of this, this opponent really is too evil.
Hien: Yes: at any rate he is the vessel who will certainly be a yokozuna in the future and standing with the burden of the world of sumo.
Kumada: Uwahhaha, with that, it’s like sumo of an adult and a child!!
Edajima: Fighting spirit--!! Can’t you put in fighting spirit, Toramaru---!!
Hanada Elder: Fufu, do you understand a bit!? Even if you experience some of the skill that is deep in the path of sumo, this is evidently the difference of an expert and a novice.

55.
Toramaru: Hehe: wh…why are you letting out that great thing? Don’t you know that frizzy hair is jutting out from the space of your futon?
Toramaru: You idiot, I’ve caught you--!!
Tazawa: Ooh, it’s Toramaru’s external-arm throw---!!
(TN: Another sumo term: “uwatenage” is a throw using the outside of an arm)

56.
Hanada Elder: Nugu!!
Hanada Elder: Ha!!
Toramaru: Hehhehe, what’s with that hand? Can’t you win with one arm against an opponent that’s an amateur like me?
Edajima: Wahhaha, you’ve brought it out Toramaru!! With that, you’ll completely ruin his honor---!!

57.
Kumada: That joking behavior!! He’s a foolish man. He’s seriously angered elder Hanada. Edajima, you will come to lose one of your students.
Edajima: What’s that~~!!
Hanada Elder: I…I must clear my humiliation----!!
Toramaru: N!?
Hanada Elder: Certain-kill Vicegrip Choke---!!
Toramaru: UGA!!

58.
Hanada Elder: How’s the feeling!?
Toramaru: Ugugu…le…let go of me you---!!
Hanada Elder: This is different from pro-wrestling or judo: there is no give-up. I’ll be breaking your spine with this.
Toramaru: Guoo!!
Matsuo: Th…this is bad; To…Toramaru’s spine is giving an eerie sound--!!
Togashi: Th…that’s the technique with the destructive power to smash even tombstones we saw before the match---!!
Hanada Elder: Doryaa----!!

59.
Toramaru: Gugya!!
Kumada: He’s getting his just deserts.
Students: TO…TORAMARU---!!

60.
Hanada Elder: Fufu, it’s match with that. He’s gotten the white in his eyes and has fainted.
Hanada Elder: Well, can’t the next shrimp come on out here!!
Momotarou: Fu, you’re quick with that speech. Toramaru hasn’t lost yet.
Hidemaro: Mo…Momo……!!
Hanada Elder: What!?
Momotarou: Sumo is a thing where the match ends when a part of the body lands on the ground or goes from the arena to the outside. Toramaru is still grabbing onto your mawashi and standing within the arena.
Hanada Elder: Fufu: you’re still saying that?

61.
Hanada Elder: His body has rigored and he isn’t letting go of the mawashi with the shock of his spine breaking. Because of that, I should let his arms go and release and throw him to outside the arena!!
Edajima: Fu, you’re wrong. He isn’t in rigor. Even if he’s lost consciousness, Toramaru’s soul is still fighting!!
Edajima: More than death, you don’t stop attacking!! That is the guts of an Otokojuku match!!
Hanada Elder: What is he~~~!! Even if he seems to be letting go, he isn’t completely letting go.
Hanada Elder: He’s an obstinate man, like a snapping turtle!!

62.
Hanada Elder: Koryaa, can’t you act properly---!!
Toramaru: Hehe: that’s a headbutt……bu…but I wo...woke up thanks to you!!
Momotarou: Now, Toramaru---!!
Hanada Elder: Huh!?

63.
Toramaru: Uo---!! Remember this----!! Th…this is the potential of Otokojuku’s Toramaru Ryuuji---!!
Hanada Elder: Gugya!!

TN: I know how this series is a lot of the time, but am I the only one who gets sort of sick of moments where the rival/adversary underestimates the opponent and puts up a handicap that ultimately leads to their downfall? Heck, with how the match started, the elder Hanada could have defeated Toramaru easily if he didn't decide to "have fun" with it. In a way, it sort of shows "arrogance before fall" like a lot of villains in this series has done, but I just get sick of it when it just gets overdone like this series tends to do. (probably one of the weaker aspects) Regardless, I did like some of the concept of sumo wrestling coming into play with this chapter, particularly Toramaru's guts holding him on until he was "reawoken" by the elder Hanada leading to his defeat...but I just feel like Toramaru, yet again, was cheated out of a victory he could have earned himself...as is the case with most of his fights in the series. (outside the few good ones he actually earns)