#i still have nightmares about the gekirin tho

[akemilena]

Tsukino Demon Parade special drama CD (Summer) track 4

澄んだ泉のほとりにて

By the side of a clear spring

Track 3 || Translation index || Track 5

Tsubasa: … There we go. Um… Shuuu!! Shu!! Are you here?

Shu: Hello, good evening, Tsubasa. It’s a wonderful night, the moon is beautiful.

Tsubasa: Shu! I’m so glad you’re here! As always, with a way too cool entrance.

Shu: Hm? Is there any problem?

Tsubasa: No, it’s nothing! I just thought that I’m saved if you’re here!

Shu: My, I didn’t know you had such burning desire for me. Did something happen, Tsubasa?

Tsubasa: Ahhh… well…

Shu: That’s rare. For that Tsubasa to hesitate.

Tsubasa: Hey, what’s with the “that”! What does it mean?!

Shu: *laughs* It just means what I said. You understand, right? Last week you got into a huge fight with Shiki too.

Tsubasa: No, that was…!!!! That was… his fault. He says he likes sake, so I brought to the banquet a rare kind of sake I got by chance… and then…

Shu: And then?

Tsubasa: When I left my seat for a second, he!!! That stupid idiot oni!!!! He drank it all by himself!!! I also wanted Dai-chan and Rikka to drink it, and I was looking forward to tasting it too, you know!!!

Shu: I see. If that’s true, then I understand why you’d get angry.

Tsubasa: Right!?!?! Ahh… but…

Shu: Hm?

Tsubasa: Today… I think I might make you angry.

Shu: Make me angry? Hey, hey, now that’s ominous. Leaving aside if I’ll get angry or not, tell me your problem first? We’ll talk after that.

Tsubasa: … Right… Y-you know…

Shu: Yeah.

Tsubasa: Um…

Shu: …

Tsubasa: *puts his hands together* Will you give me your gekirin*?!

Shu: … Gekirin?

Tsubasa: Yeah. You’re a mizuchi, but your real form is a dragon, right? I heard from Shiki. You’re not a being that should be living in a small spring like this, that you’re like a deity. And I want that gekirin of yours!

Shu: … And why do you want something like that? What will you use it for?

Tsubasa: Ah- that’s…

Shu: Certainly, I’m a kind of dragon, and I have a gekirin. However, as you know, it’s in a place I don’t like to show, and I don’t like people to touch it. As you imagine, I’d prefer hearing your reasons…

Tsubasa: Uh…

Shu: Tsubasa?

Tsubasa: Close to the forest where I sleep, there’s a small village, you see…

Shu: Yes, I know. The children from there usually play in your shrine, right? You were angry that they were noisy and were interrupting your nap.

Tsubasa: Yeah. And in that village… since a month ago or so, a weird illness has been spreading… people that were healthy suddenly got a fever and collapsed… and they’re always in bed. And among them, there are some of those kids… no, it’s not just because of that, but… you see, I don’t really like if it’s too quiet…

Shu: Hmm?

Tsubasa: Shu… are you laughing?

Shu: I’m not laughing.

Tsubasa: Anyway! It kind of bugged me so I searched into it, and found out it’s not a normal illness. It’s a curse.

Shu: A curse that harms people… that’s not gentle. Who on earth did it?

Tsubasa: A nasty tsukumogami. The first person to get sick was a merchant from a rich family, and he recently got a jar with a shady history from who knows where. That was the tsukumogami’s identity. Apparently it has cursed and killed hundreds of people… and it has no purpose or anything anymore. It’s become a being that just brings misfortune to people and kills them. I want to stop that! Also, at this rate, the kids will…

Shu: I see. Then, how is my gekirin involved in this?

Tsubasa: Uh… if I could, I’d finish him off quickly myself, but you know, that thing is quite mature now… and honestly, it’s a bit tough. Ah, just so you know, I don’t think I’m going to lose! But this is not just my problem. I can’t afford to fail. So I want to make assurance double sure, and that’s why I want a powerful weapon. Shu, you have an amazing purifying power, right? So… uh… you can’t, after all?

Shu: Hm…

Tsubasa: Please, Shu!! I beg of you!!

Shu: *sigh* Good grief. And Shiki was just teasing me the other day because I was spoiling Ichiru and Issei too much…

Tsubasa: Oh… then…

Shu: I’ll forgive you just because it’s you. It’s special, okay?

Tsubasa: Thank you, Shu!!! *hugs* I love you!!!!

Shu: Okay, okay. Here.

Tsubasa: … Eh? We’re… we’re taking it now?? Eh, wait… but can I touch it and take it? I know I asked you to give it to me but… will it grow again? It won’t?

Shu: You’re asking all of that a bit late. I want to give it to you before my resolution falters. I don’t like to touch it myself either, so I prefer others to take it. It will grow again eventually. Probably. That’s all.

Tsubasa: U-uwaahh… I’m super sorry, Shu…

Shu: Use it efficiently, okay? Also, next time, don’t bring sake to Shiki, bring me some rare tea.

Tsubasa: I definitely… definitely!! Will bring it to you!!! U-um… well then… excuse me~

Shu: Ugh… do you see it?

Tsubasa: Yeah… just at the middle of your neck… there’s a scale that’s shining lightly… I guess… it’s this?

Shu: I don’t know myself, but probably, yes.

Tsubasa: … Can I take it?

Shu: If you ask me so many times it makes me want to say no!

Tsubasa: Ah- okay. Then… I’m sorry, Shu!

Shu: Ugh!!!

Track 3 || Translation index || Track 5

TL notes:

Okay so *breathes* time to explain:

Gekirin (逆鱗) is one of the 81 scales dragons have, placed under the chin, and the only one that grows upside down. Dragons originally don’t cause humans any kind of harm, but they absolutely hate it when someone touches their gekirin, so if someone does they get incredibly furious and kill the person instantly (Tsubasa you’re so lucky Shu is so kind you have no idea).

From this legend, the expression that the “gekirin should not be touched” was born, and then it adopted the meaning of “invoking the wrath of the emperor”, and that’s why gekirin is translated as “imperial wrath” nowadays. (Source)

As to what kind of powers does it have by itself and how can someone use them, I have no idea. I’ll leave that to your imagination. Hope I managed to explain it a bit tho!

Tsubasa and Shiki’s fight is also explained in this short story.

In this track:

Tsubasa: Karasu tengu (烏天狗), a crow-billed goblin. Can fly in the air at will

Shu: Mizuchi (蛟), a type of Japanese dragon or legendary serpent-like creature

Thanks for reading!