Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 312

With the matches of Otokojuku and Rakanjuku neck and neck, is there any way to break the tie between the two private school of men? The next challenge may end up solving the problem...but may end up being dangerous regardless of who does it!

Chp. 312: Faithful Presence!!

127.
Kumada: Nothing I can do about this: the match of intelligence is a tie---!! So choose! Our next match---!!
Edajima: Fufu, with that, it’s one victory, one defeat and one tie.
Kumada: That’s right! More and more we’re reaching the critical moment from here!!
Momotarou: Presence…Crest Taking……!?
Card: PRESENCE (Crest Taking)
(TN: The true name in Japanese of the Presence challenge is “Daimondori”, with “Daimon” being a crest of a yazuka gang)
Hakuhou: Aah—what is “Crest Taking”…!!
Matsuo: Th…this is some violently-bad premonition…!!

128.
(Sakigake!! Otokojuku Famous Scenes (4))
Tenchou Gorin Daibukai – vs. Ryouzanpaku 16-Greats
Akashi Gouji vs. General Soukou
(TN: This, sadly, is the last of the “famous scenes collection”…and I’m sort of happy they chose this fight. While a lot of Akashi’s fights have been strange (his first with Momo), short (the Pooron Kokurenju trio) or…distracting (the marine he fought in Alcatraz), this was probably the one fight that pushed him to his limit and forced him to really use all his skills and mental abilities. Heck, General Soukou is probably one of the most powerful Ryouzanpaku fighters around [though some would make arguments for Hakuhou or Souketsu or even Sanen] so it is a respectable choice. As for what other fights they should have had as “memorable scenes”…well Jaki was with Momo’s best fight but I still would have liked to have seen either his Zeus or Spartacus fights up there. J should have gotten at least one of his fights there too, preferably Manjimaru but I would have also taken Gobarski (or even his massacre of the Genseki-ryuu 16). Same goes for the other Sanmenken, particularly if you talk about Raiden/Enpou or several of Gekkou’s fights [Eikei, Centaur, Souketsu…take your pick…I didn’t add Raja Mahal but some could argue that too]. Togashi should have gotten his fight with Hien but…Hien was a bad guy then so it sort of works for his favor…while Toramaru…the only real fights of note were his double-teams with Togashi against the Kokurenju duo and the Alcatraz duo. Tough to think of the Shitennou but they had a couple notables…maybe Senkuu/Achilles and Eikei and the Ryouzanpaku fencer with the bees…Manjimaru’s best remains J and Rasetsu…the less said the better. Oh…and yeah, anything with Edajima obviously should be here such as the fight with Hou or Toudou…or Taaren and Kennou)

129.
Kumada: So then, let me explain the method of the match!! Presence is known as the largeness of the courage and looks of a man. From here they will compete in these courage and looks.
Kumada: From what’s been investigated by me, in this neighborhood are violent organizations who have bisected into a demarcation of east and west: Shueigumi and Janpugumi.
(TN: Silly note: obviously both gangs are named after two aspects of the magazine/publisher Miyashita was associated with at the time: Shueigumi or the “Shuei Gang” is based on Shueisha, the company behind WSJ, while Janpugumi or the “Janpu Gang”, is a literal reading that has a similar reading to “Jump” as in “Weekly Shonen Jump”)
Kumada: You will go to the offices of these gangs and steal their crests, which should be called their lives as the symbols of their families!! That is the Presence match!!
(TN: The top kanji here is “Shu” as in “Shueigumi”, the lower is “Jan” as in “Janpugumi”)

130.
Togashi: Wh…what’s that---!!
Pharaoh: So he’s saying that th…they’re going to raid scoundrel offices---!!
Kumada: Right!! One representative player of both schools will be chosen, with one party coming to go to the Shueigumi and the other to Janpugumi!! Whoever returns possessing the crest first will be the winner!!
Kumada: How’s that, Edajima? Don’t you have a complaint?
Edajima: Fufu, do as you like!! Whatever the match, we won’t show a vacancy!!
Tazawa: Th…they’ve gone mad………!!
Hakuhou: Wh…what exactly are they thinking of us, re…really…!!
Kumada: COME OUT!! IJUUIN!!

131.
Kyousuke: Usu!!
Kumada: Representative of Fuun Rakanjuku, Ijuuin Kyousuke!! He is accomplished in both military and literary arts; a man who has mastered the summit of a man in all aspects of heart, skill and body!!
Kumada: Well, Edajima, who will you be sending out!? But then, your students have heard of the scoundrels and seem to be peeing in their pants!!
Kyousuke: Principal, I have a word but here’s where a nomination will be made by me.

132.
Kyousuke: Representative of Otokojuku: Tsurugi Momotarou!! I nominate you.
Momotarou: !!
Hakuhou: Huh!!
Togashi: Wh…what----!! That guy brazenly nominated Momo…
Edajima: Fufu, fine. You should do this as your heart’s contents, Tsurugi!!
Momotarou: Osu!!

133.
Kumada: Ijuuin will go to Shuueigumi to the east, Tsurugi will go to Janpugumi to the west. The place is as written on the map!!
Kyousuke: This will be a quite interesting match.
Momotarou: Fufu, I thank you for nominating me.
Kumada: So I wish good luck to both of you!! Each of you depart---!!
Tazawa: Ca…can those two come back alive……!!
Matsuo: I…it’s an unbelievable match………!!

134.
Sign (Second Panel): Shuei Entertainment
Kyousuke: It’s there.

135.
Shuei Mobster: Huh---!?

136.
Kyousuke: Is that your crest? I’ll be taking that!!
Shuei Mobster 1: !?
Shuei Mobster 2: Are you sane? Have you thought of where here is?
Shuei Mobster 2: Nuha!!

137.
Kyousuke: Come on!! It’s unfit for the representative of Fuun Rakanjuku to be sane!!
Shuei Mobsters: What’s that---!!
Voice: Hand over your crest----!!
Sign: JANPUGUMI
(TN: Note the symbol being the classic WSJ pirate insignia)
Voice 2: WH…WHAT---!!
Momotarou: Aah, that’s right.

138.
Janpu Mobster 1: This brat----!!
Janpu Mobster 2: Don’t mock scoundrel things----!!
Janpu Mobster: Gafu!!
Momotarou: I’m not mocking. I too am betting my life with this madness!!

139.
Kyousuke: As expected of brawling pros. I can’t win this so easily.
Kyousuke: I’ll be taking this crest.

140.
Kyousuke: UH!?
Kyousuke: …!!
Voice: Slowly turn this way.
Gotou: Boss of Shueigumi: Gotou Gonzou. You’ve been doing it extremely flashy, boy.
Kyousuke: Ku!!

141.
Gotou: You’re quite skilled, but you can’t do anything with this as your opponent. If you make even a step from here, I’ll blow off your head.
Gotou: I know your true identity!! You’re a stray bullet of Janpugumi.
(TN: What I translated as “stray bullet” here is the word “Teppoudama”, which usually has a meaning of “bullet” or “gunshot”, but also has a couple other meanings, including “a lost messenger” or “bulls-eye”. Considering how Kyousuke randomly wandered into the area, I decided to go with “stray bullet” combining the “lost messenger” and “bullet” meanings)
Kyousuke: Stray bullet…what is that!?
Gotou: Don’t play dumb----!!
Kyousuke: Guku!!
Gotou: You can’t merely go back.

142.
Momotarou: I’ll be taking this, chief.

143.
Momotarou: I’m getting out of here. I can’t be taking the receiver with the way things are.
Gotou: IT’S GOTOU OF SHUEIGUMI---!!
Momotarou: Huh!?
Gotou: DON’T SPREAD OUT THAT EXTREMELY MOCKING BEHAVIOR, JANPU~~!! WE’VE CAUGHT YOUR STRAY BULLET!!
Gotou: If you want him returned, then get thirty million in cash and bring them here!! If you don’t, we’ll kill him and declare war on you---!!
(TN: Gotou uses an expression of “Gennama”, which is slang for “real money” or “cash” as seen in the translation)
Gotou: Is that fine? You have thirty minutes!! That’s your limit!!

144.
Gotou: UNDERSTAND, FOOL!!
Momotarou: !!
Momotarou: Ugu!!
Janpu Mobster: Die---!!
Janpu Mobster: This guy has made fun of us---!!

145.
Momotarou: Ku!!
Janpu Mobster: Gagi!!
Momotarou: Nuu!!
Momotarou: It…it seems I was overseen as soft…Th…they aren’t incomplete after all.

146.
Shuei Mobster: Thirty minutes have steadily passed already. He’ll only have war.
Gotou: This is death to you. You’re one who has a cold father who would abandon you pathetically.
Kyousuke: Fufu, however it is, do as you like. I’ve been sowed by you.
Gotou: That’s good grit!!
Kyousuke: ……!!

147.
Momotarou: He…really is a guy I can do nothing about. I’m going now, Ijuuin!!
Kumada: They’re late. (to himself) I’m worried I’ve done a bit too much………

TN: Now this...was a weird chapter, particularly for this late in the series. In a way, Miyashita seems to give back somewhat of a flashback from some aspects all the way back to the first chapter with this, with Momo headed straight right into the mouth of some yakuza whether he wants to or not! (well this time he has to...but mostly just because Kumada made things way too dangerous even beyond what he figured) It seems rather straightforward with him and Kyousukue invading the two offices, until...well, the attack by the Shuei towards Kyousuke and Momo's sudden attack. In a way, seeing Momo getting hurt like this here and now just gives me a feeling for the first time that not even he is invincible and can smile off every single force he comes across in the world. Heck, this isn't even something like an organized fighting tournament where Momo can anticipate and take on any force: as you saw here, he was stabbed merely trying to respond back to the Shuei mob to get Kyousuke back...by a member of the Janpu mob he was supposed to get the crest from! I know some would say that Momo would appear weak being down on his guard and attacked like this, but I think for once he finally has to experience that not everything can be controlled even by himself. I sort of hope he can reach Kyousuke somehow or another...but that's for next time...oh boy, it's for next time...