01x17 - Memories of a Mediocrity

[bunniefuu]

Shock can be convenient.

It can forcibly draw out
what lies within a person.

Show me!

The cruelty hidden within you!

Or maybe he'll lose to the shock...

...and get crushed.

Not yet...

I'm not done yet...

Until I prove myself...

I ain't dying!

Reliable.

Noble.

Our Nijiku clan has passed down
proud blood through the generations.

And your sister and brother,
as well as I,

bear the duty...

...of governing the Ground as Hell Guards.

Ya get what I'm trying to say, Zanka?

Yes.

There are many threats to those
who live on the Ground.

They are Trash Beasts, trash rain,
and illness caused by harmful substances.

But, we must not forget.

That our biggest threat is humans!

The Hell Guards hold an important role
in overseeing humans.

What awaits you upon entering this
Central Hell Guard Training Academy...

...are gruelling trials and formidable rivals.

Strive to become more resilient Hell Guards,
through competition and learning!

The usual speech again, huh...

It's about time new trainees
start arriving, huh?

I hear one of them is
an excellent trainee.

A guy? A girl?

A girl.

Wow... What kind of girl?

Zanka still stands out
from the rest of us, huh?

He's the son of a local landowner, y'know.

A different breed.

The excellent blood...

The Nijikus are a family
of elite Hell Guards.

And despite that pressure,

he consistently tops our class.

Man's gotta be popular with girls.

He's gotta be aiming to be a top graduate
to get the Golden Throne.

Well, what can we do?

We're just the average Joes.

Ain't beating a genius with our brains.

Yeah, right...

Ain't no way I'm letting myself
be on the same level as these guys!

These guys don't know how I'd
been working hard in the shadows...

Just ya watch.

I'll just take first place
without batting an eyelid.

Stand.

Sit.

Recently, there has been an increase
in crimes committed by Givers.

We must ensure you become strong Hell Guards
who will not yield even to the Givers.

Those present here have undergone
rigorous training for three years.

We warmly welcome talented individuals.

And then...

As a special measure this year,

we have decided to assign an additional
individual of exceptional talent to this squad.

While she was raised in the Slums,
her talent is still real.

I will end up learning about it
from now on.

Of my strength and weakness,

when faced...

...with a real genius.

GACHIAKUTA

The Golden Throne.

A throne at this training academy
that is said to be the most "noble".

Only the most outstanding
trainee of that year...

...is permitted to sit in that throne.

EPISODE 17: MEMORIES OF AN AVERAGE JOE

Whoa...

Wonderful.

To suddenly outshine the entire squad
in the mock battle like that...

You do have real talent.

The Golden Throne
is within your reach, Hyo.

What's up with her?

I don't care if she grew up in the Slums,
but girl's putting on airs.

The teacher would never
praise someone like that...

Just because she beat us once,
she thinks she's better than us?

Girl thinks she can cut it as a Hell Guard
with that sloppy fighting style,

lacking even the most basic of basics?

That's what threw off our rhythm,
making us lose to her.

Once I get used to her style,
I'd have smacked her a*s easy.

I wasn't feeling so well today.

But, Zanka also lost to her.

Zanka?

Damn, she's so strong.

Couldn't beat her.

Glad I got to see a fighting style new to me.

Yeah, I'm still lacking training, too.

Damn!

I just ain't tried hard enough!

I'm the best...

I can't lose!

Your head.

It's bleeding.

She overheard...

What're ya doing here?

Thought ya'd be back to the classroom.

No.

I was looking for water to drink.

Stay cool, me...

Still, yer doing pretty good, eh?

A Golden Throne candidate
right after joining...

What's the point of sitting
in this Golden Throne?

Huh?

Well... It's a chair where
the legendary Hell Guards,

the bigwigs from central headquarters,

and other well-known figures have sat.

Everyone's longing for it.

Though, my sister ain't never sat in one.

Like I said...

It’s just sitting in some chair,
what’s the point of that?

You just want to be called
a big shot, don't you?

And then what?

The existence of the real genius
readily alters the fake one.

And that alteration is pretty obvious.

Ya cut yer hair, huh?

Nah.

- Just wanted to feel the breeze.
- The impostor imitating the genius.

Hey, how'd ya do that technique?

- Can ya teach me that?
- The impostor trying to steal from the genius.

- Ya listening?
- The impostor trying to steal from the genius.

- Man, I envy the genius.
- The impostor criticising the genius.

- Must feel good, that.
- How sickening.

Wish I were born as one.

But...

Today's lesson is special.

Here you will find every conceivable weapon.

Select the finest piece
from these by intuition.

A Hell Guard's true worth lies in their
mastery of diverse weapons,

yet the ability to select arms,

that suit them and are truly exceptional
is equally indispensable.

Use your keen eye to select.

The most revolting thing...

...is that I mistakenly believed
I was different from the other impostors.

GACHIAKUTA

That training academy has
a weapon selection lesson, huh?

So...

That's the weapon you chose, eh?

But...

What are you doing down there?

Hang on...

You said that lesson
was three days ago, right?

So, you've been in this imitation well
without eating or drinking since then?!

Had we not passed by,
you would've died!

I found a hole,
so I just jumped in it.

I can't... get out...

That so?

We'll just try some of the local speciality,
the leaf-shaped buns.

Everyone chose what they thought
was the strongest weapon.

I thought Hyo would do the same.

So I went out of my way to be eccentric.

I chose the one that looked tattered
and unlikely to be usable as a weapon.

It's a common thing, right?

That it might actually
be an amazing weapon.

So it wasn't that great
a weapon after all?

Wasn't even a weapon.

Due to a mistake on the academy's part
when arranging the weapons,

some baffling stick got mixed in.

Didn't think everyone
would look at me like that.

And then came the real genius
picking her weapon,

which everyone eagerly awaited.

It was a perfectly ordinary sword,
and that was it.

Man, I'm so lame!

Yeah, I'm totally lame! Lame a*s!

Lame a*s!

I was the jerk who only
wanted to be called a genius!

I realised it.

In the end, no matter what a mediocre guy does,
he can never become a genius!

Let me die...

Just k*ll me already...

I'm just an impostor,
and so is this stick.

This is too pathetic...

Huh?

Shouldn't you just surpass
the geniuses as a mediocre guy?

Frankly, I've no bloody clue what
constitutes genius in the first place.

But, why would you have to
be someone else, a genius?

Anyway...

For what it's worth,
you're still up for it, aren't you?

You're still holding to that "mere stick".

A normal person
would just throw it away.

But, you're holding tight to it.

It's not my place to say this
as a passerby, though.

But, once you realise your weakness,
you can become stronger.

Oh, right...

We'll be coming back here for the buns.

So, show it to me one day.

The moment mediocrity surpasses genius.

Lovely Assistaff...

I told you...

I ain't dying until I prove it...

I'll show ya...

...the hidden power of the mediocre normie!

Zanka.

Hidden... power...

Mediocre...

Normie...

You must be seeing a fun hallucination there.

The gurgling poison!

And the neurotoxin!

My favourite...

Hallucinogen!

Well? Well? Well?

I tried injecting you with that!

Wicked stuff, isn't it?

Sucks to be you!

I mean, I can't suck out the poison.

This poison was given to me by the bloke
who tried to k*ll me by slipping it into my drink.

It can give you hallucinations so vivid
they could be mistaken for reality.

The intense nausea that follows
can become addictive!

Oww!

My ribs hurt!

Did you know? When your ribs broke...

It's hard to laugh.

You knew? Well, of course.

I was expecting a fiercer battle with you,

but I didn't think it'd end this soon.

I guess fighting other Cleaners
would be more fun.

Wow, you're really enjoying this!

Wait, that's not fair!
Let me join in too!

And whoop...

I see light!

Ugh, no one's here either!

Geez, what's going on here?

I don't even know where am I...
I'm so lonely...

Only you are my friend now.

Roachy!

Wait!

Wait for me!

Roachy!

Fun time's almost over now, Zanka.

Let's feed you to the Trash Beasts.

I, Jabber, have fulfilled
my duty pristinely!