Original subtitles

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 ass 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 ass!

Lame ass!

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 kill 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 kill 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!