02x04 - Spy Advancement Exam

[bunniefuu]

FIRST TEST SITE
PLEASE WAIT HERE

G-Good morning.

I see. So it's the Yozakura family
this year, huh?

For real?

Just as I predicted,
it's the Yozakura family!

And it's Shinzo right off the bat!

This is gonna be an awesome story!

Huh? Is there any reason
for Big Bro Taiyo to hide?

Nah, that's fine.

Shinzo's got three defects: he's shy,
he's a scaredy-cat, and he's a wimp.

Pretty sure that within five seconds…

Oh, wow, there's tons of people.

I knew I should have said no.

Huh?

…he'll stumble.

If he finds out his kid brother's there,

he'll be too nervous
to get the test started.

I told Taiyo to hide himself for now.

You're so nice.
- You're so nice.

Big Bro Shinzo, hang in there.

Um… let's see.

Welcome, and thank you for coming today.

I'm in charge of the first stage.

I'm Shinzo Yozakura.

His voice is so soft.

Each proctor will be signing

the spy licenses of those who pass
with special ink.

Three signatures earned by the third stage
will undergo a chemical reaction,

transforming into a Silver-rank license,
and you'll have passed.

Three total.

Meaning the other two are…

First, you'll be striving
to earn my signature.

So without further ado,
the first stage will be comprised of…

a game of tag.

All of you will be "it,"
and you'll be trying to catch me.

My entire body is coated
with a "fingerprint catcher" substance.

Touching me with your palm
will leave a fingerprint

and will count as proof
that you've touched me.

The time limit is three hours.

Whoever lays even a finger on me
will pass this stage.

If we can all g*ng up on him,
it should be a cinch.

Worst case for him,
we might all pass, right?

They're all underestimating
the Yozakura family too much, huh?

All right.

Never mind what kind of test it is…

Shinzo's firepower is abnormal.

Now, then…

the test starts now.

The first thing you do is run.

LIGHTNING FLOWERS

This is bad.

You got that right.

I got hit, but it didn't go through me?

What's the deal with that trajectory?

These are Knockout b*ll*ts
that I invented.

If they hit you square,
you won't wake up for a full day.

In other words, you'll have failed.

About a hundred of us left.

Taking out a third of us
in one fell swoop…

that's the Yozakura family for you.

A game of tag where you hunt It.

Let's begin.

MISSION: YOZAKURA FAMILY

MISSION 31
SPY ADVANCEMENT EXAM

Even for a Gold Rank,
taking on a hundred people in tag?

It'll be over in a flash!

I realized
when I attacked the whole group.

That Taiyo was taking the test.

I don't know what his reasons are,
but trying is a good thing.

I'm going to take him seriously,
no special treatment.

As his proctor.

As his elder brother.

FRESH GREEN WIND

Ugh.

With just a single knife…

I'd love to get a close-up,
but if I get near him, he'll knock me out!

Shinzo's Blooming, Destroy,

can see through any attack
and demolish it.

You can't breach it by using fair tactics.

So the most realistic option is to make
him open up by exploiting his weaknesses.

Weaknesses?

Ever since he got stung like crazy by bees
as a kid,

he's been terrified of bugs.

So…

you can sic my Super-realistic Bug Drones
on him to really dig into his trauma!

What a fiend.

No, no, Big Bro is crazy sensitive
to his family's pain…

so if you fake being critically injured
by one of his attacks…

T-Taiyo.
- …you can traumatize him for life!

No!

Another fiend.

Come on! That would be too harsh
on Big Bro Shinzo.

Get serious about this. For example…

Since he's physically mighty,
why not load him with lethal toxins?

The youngest is the biggest monster!

Well, then what should we do?

Hmm.

You guys, thanks a lot.

But you know what, I can't.

I can't exploit the proctor's weaknesses

that only a family member
would know about,

and taking measures against
an anticipated proctor is also out.

I'm going to become a Silver Rank
fair and square, on my own!

Big Bro Taiyo, you're so cool!

You're so wonderful.

Sleep with me!

Mutsumi would never say that.

In my own way…

I'm getting through this!

Love how he's assaulting him!

He might have a chance to touch him.

You underestimate me…

Taiyo.

Turmeric…

I see what you're doing.

Both Empty Dew and Empty Chorus of Cicadas

are peak skills
used to knock out the opponent.

You're taking the high road
so you won't hurt Shinzo.

That's so like you, Taiyo. But…

on a mission,
that kindness will make you vulnerable.

There are never
any half-measures with Shinzo.

Not as a proctor, nor as an elder brother.

If it means letting my kid brother
die like a dog in the future…

then I'll k*ll him right now.

You come at me
with the aim to k*ll, too, Taiyo.

Lightning Strike!

Yeah!

Lightning Strike creates a thunderbolt
out of the ions in the room.

But Turmeric's conductivity
can also act as a lightning rod!

That piercing downward stab,

the way he times
the electrical discharge…

he's still got a ways to go
before he masters them,

but this is Taiyo going for broke.

I'm sorry.

I wasn't going all out.

Let's fight to the death…

Big Bro Shinzo.

That's right, Taiyo.

It's not all about playing fair.

Even if they're your rivals,

if you can show them the benefits,
you can get them to work with you.

Using every resource you have on hand
is what makes a good spy.

They all scattered at once.

They're going to band together.

I guess I'll thin them out
before my targets scatter completely.

This is what traumatizes you, right?

Take that!

They all filled Taiyo's head
with some strange ideas, huh?

When my Blooming, Destroy, confronts fear,

it instinctively destroys that fear,
showing me the path to conquest!

He's opening himself up,
begging me to hit him.

A prosthetic and blood made by Kengo, huh?

So he tried to get me to falter?

He can exploit my weaknesses,
but my Blooming can't be deceived.

LIGHT-SPEED RAPID SHUTTER

From all directions!

But with my Blooming, I can see them.

I'll destroy the ground
and defend myself with the rubble.

And regroup!

Melting Rock Glaive!

Taiyo? You're out of your mind!

That's what he should do.

Shinzo's Blooming has a weakness.

That's right.

It's family.

Shinzo's Blooming
is the power to destroy what he fears.

In other words, his Blooming
can't handle what he doesn't fear.

The family he loves,
his beloved kid brother…

faced with someone
who creates the opposite of fear…

Not good.
I can't analyze Taiyo's Hardening.

This is dangerous. It's life-threatening.

Can he withstand Melting Rock Glaive?
What should I--

…Destroy will be neutralized.

A panic that's born
out of concern, not fear…

will create a split-second
of vulnerability.

I said "fight to the death"…

but I was the one
lacking enough resolve, huh?

You've outlasted me.

Congratulations
on clearing the first stage, Taiyo.

Thank you very much.

And…

I'm sorry!

STEEL SPIDER 50 M
Huh?

SEVEN EVILS SPECIAL POISON
Hurry, guys! You've only got 15 seconds!

Yeah!

That's the deal they made?

Everyone who passed,
please go up to the roof.

That's the venue for the second stage.

What, you're here already?

Looks like Shinzo
didn't do a good job of culling you.

You must be exhausted.

You have the final stage left as well,
so take a break now

and have some tea.

Ah…

this is the subtle elegance
of the Yozakura Senke-style tea ceremony!

Created as a self-defense tactic
for detecting poison

and for exposing spies hiding overhead
by reflecting the ceiling!

How well-informed you are.

The tea ceremony is a hospitality skill.

Each and every one of my movements
has meaning.

These elegant skills
also apply to spycraft.

Now, then, don't be shy. Drink up!

Not happening, Big Sis Futaba.

I'll bet anything
that it's been tampered with.

The way she lies through her teeth
is just like Kyoichiro.

Well, Big Sis Futaba is pretty vile!

All right, let me take the plunge.

I knew it.

Sleeping Dragon.

I infused the tea with my aiki.

The slightest tremor will unleash it.

The three key points of the Spy Exam
are Mind, Technique, and Body.

In the first stage,
you prevailed over Shinzo's "Body."

In the second stage, you'll be tasked
with conquering my "Technique."

The time limit is one hour.

Fall off the building,
and you're disqualified.

If the wind's pressure breaks your cup,
you'll get unlimited refills.

Use your "techniques"
for bypassing locks and systems…

to drink all the tea in your cup.

That's how you'll clear the second stage.

With every tilt,
the amount of wind pressure intensifies.

And the instant it spills over the rim…

you're blasted away.

Meaning you can't secretly toss the tea,
because the cup would break.

Agh!
- Damn it!

I'm an aiki user,
and even I'm useless!

Only around half of us left now…

That was an epic blast just now!

But it actually felt like a soft breeze.

Your presentation was exquisite!

I'm glad to hear that.

Usa? How the heck did you--

Ah, well, thanks to my job,
I just got lucky.

Luck is also a form of talent.

And you maximized
the slight edge that you had, so…

congratulations on clearing
the second stage.

Is there some kind of trick to this?

I'm so glad I'm in this line of work!

Good luck to you, too, Taiyo!

Hmm, can Taiyo catch on, I wonder?

Nice going, Kengo. You figured it out?

Well, you know I'm good
at observing people.

And I'm just as vile as she is. But…

The question is, can those examinees
grasp Bis Sis' intention?

In what world is this a second stage?

What is it but a total farce?

We'll use force
to make you sign our licenses!

What the--

Ugh. My body…

Staying calm is Spy 101.

I'm going to refill your cups now,
so sit tight.

I'm not asking you
for something unrealistic,

like overcoming my aiki.

But look at the information
you have at this moment,

and the path will reveal itself.

Each and every one of my movements
has meaning.

…for bypassing locks and systems…

Ah, well, thanks to my job,
I just got lucky!

Bis Sis Futaba…

allow me to drink this.

Please, be my guest.

From that look
of conviction in his eyes,

he's going to pass the test.

What everyone fixated on
was detecting my aiki,

but that's not what this test is about.

That final move was a smokescreen.

The real aiki was infused in my movements
while preparing the tea.

Anyone familiar
with the Yozakura Senke School

would notice that something was amiss,

or else they could detect it by seeing
the "wind" when I infused my aiki.

And then by following my steps
in reverse order,

just like cracking locks or hacking,
you can remove my aiki.

If you simply change your perspective,
it's not a difficult test.

That said,
good for you for catching on, Taiyo.

To think that you were just
the neighborhood kid at first.

Excuse me?

Here are today's worksheets.

Thanks.

Is your cold better?

Yes. I think I can go to school tomorrow.

You're so lucky to have
such a big house, Mutsumi!

Our place is so cramped,
and my little brother's a pain.

I wish I were an only child, too!

It may be huge,
but being alone is boring, you know.

Oh, really?

Thanks for the worksheets.

Sure. It's on my home anyway.

See you tomorrow at school!

Hey, can I invite a friend over some--

Absolutely not.

The Yozakura family's secrets
are ironclad.

There's no reason to invite a nobody
of dubious origin like him to this house.

Your jealousy is so obvious.

Shut up!

Unlike the rest of us
who live in the underworld,

Mutsumi had to interact
with the outside world,

and that made her feel even lonelier.

I know! You should bring this bag
for your school lunches tomorrow.

It's adorable!

Thanks, Big Sis Futaba!

I think that's what made her interactions
with the neighbor kid her age,

though fleeting,
all the more precious to her.

Thanks for carrying
my morning glory for me.

See you next semester!

She may not have had much freedom,
but those were peaceful days…

that vanished along with our parents.

You did great just managing to attend
your matriculation ceremony.

If it's too tiring,
you don't have to force yourself to go.

Taiyo.

Those older kids
were messing with you yesterday.

I don't want them bothering you,

so I thought I'd walk with you
for the time being.

Sorry. Should I mind my own business?

No, no.

Thank you.

My kid brother keeps bugging me
to take him with us, too.

Even though the elementary school's
in the other direction.

Taiyo was starting to become
a steadfast rock for Mutsumi.

It was then that…

the "accident" happened.

Why would you let her
leave the house at this hour?

Shinzo's on protective detail.

No worries.

It's high time that you admitted it.

In Mutsumi's eyes, that boy
is someone she can never replace.

Friends, sweethearts, family…

I don't know the right word
to describe them…

but they went on spending time together.

In the past,
Mutsumi used to be somewhat negative,

but when it came to Taiyo,
she couldn't have been more positive.

While it seemed as though Mutsumi
was the one prodding Taiyo…

the reverse might have actually been true.

Your omelets
are really salty these days, Mutsumi!

Maybe because Taiyo likes them salty?

On the other hand,
with every extra gram of sugar,

his eating speed slows down
by five seconds on average, so...

Huh? This is scary.

Okay, I'm heading out now!

Guess I'm gonna be an uncle soon.

Will it be a niece? Or a nephew?

You're getting
way ahead of yourself, idiot.

It's gonna be twins.

Oh, jeez.

It was just a tiny spark at first.

A small ray of light shone on the Yozakura
family, which never saw the light of day.

An extremely frail and faint light.

But it grew brighter and brighter
and stronger and stronger.

More and more… more and more.

Thank you for the tea.

I hope you liked it…

Taiyo.

Big Sis Futaba?

Whoops.

Oh, snap. My tear glands
are so fragile in my old age.

I don't think you're that old.

I'm not going to ask you
why you're taking this test.

I know that you have an important reason.

Whoa!
- You thought it over

and made your decision as a spy.

I'm happy to see how independent you are.

All right.

Time's almost up.

ONLY FOR THE SILVER RANK EXAM

Congratulations
on clearing the second stage.

Thank you very much!

Okay.

I'm leaving that idiot to you…

Taiyo.
- Huh?

Holes!

Now, then…

the final stage starts now.

NEXT EPISODE
THE FRUIT OF LOVE