Sazan Eyes (3x3 Eyes) Volume 1 Chapter 4: The Devil Eyes Mystery part 2 Translation by Dan Su Anime Berkeley Ling-Ling: IYAAAAAA!!! Yakumo: Ling-Ling-san! Where?! Where are you?! Pai: Yakumo, over there! Yakumo: Ling-Ling-san, are you alri... Ling-Ling (trying to say something): uhhhh... The three stare at the severely slashed remains of Huang-san. Yakumo: Huang-san! Ling-Ling: I...I was examining the premises (a mansion) when I found her collapsed on the ground, all covered with blood. Pai: Yakumo, she's still alive! Give me a hand! Yakumo: s-sure! Servant: What's going on? What are you all doing in the study? Madam! Yakumo stares at a wall safe, partially hidden by what is left of a painting. The whole wall is cut up pretty badly but the safe is intact. Yakumo: A hidden safe? That's strange. The scratch marks are only here [on the safe]. Unusual... Yakumo, Ling-Ling, and the servant replay a tape of the incident. Pai (making funny faces at the camera): What's this? Ling-Ling (hitting "FF" on the VCR): Sorry... Ling-Ling: As you can see, this is some footage taken from a video camera mounted on the ceiling of the study. Ling-Ling plays the tape to the point where Huang-san is attacked. Ling-Ling: After this, the "Claw" continues to scratch at the safe for a long time. So what's in the safe? That is the "Claw's" intended target after all, isn't it? Suddenly, the heavily bandaged Huang-san enters the room. Huang-san: Maybe. Pai: You should be resting. Servant: Madam! Yakumo: Huang-san! (to himself) I hope she's OK... Pai (to herself): She shouldn't be out of bed. Huang-san: Let's go over to the study. Within this safe lies one of my husband's relics. Yakumo doesn't understand the Chinese word "relic". Yakumo: ? Huang-San: Ah, sorry...in Japanese, it's called a "relic". It seems to be a treasured article from the Manchu Dynasty. It disappeared in the chaos following the collapse of the dynasty...that's what my husband told me. And now, it is a stolen good my husband obtained through illegal channels. It's also something I didn't want outsiders to see. Yakumo: Heh...I feel the excitement. Pai (excited): What is it? Huang-san: Please take a look for yourself. Yakumo: Wh-why...this...could it be? Pai: It's... Yakumo, Pai: THE STATUE OF MORTALITY! Yakumo: Alright! We found it! Hehe... Pai is ecstatic now that she can become human. Pai (happy): Yeah! Yakumo: You don't have to cry over this kind of thing. Pai: But...but but but but but but... Yakumo (smiling): Pai... Pai lets out a hearty sneeze...on Yakumo's arm! Pai: I'b sorry. Yakumo: You idiot! Huang-san: ... Ling-Ling: Anyways, Huang-san... We call this "The Statue of Mortality". We don't know much about it though. The only person who would know about it is Aguri, the editor-in-chief of Monster Buster Inc. (a Chinese magazine) but he's currently away on some obscure business trip. Nobody else would know why a ghost would want this object. [Aguri was the guy who witnessed Huang-san's ritual in the previous chapter] Huang-san: I see... Yakumo: Do you know anything else about it? Huang-san: No... Pai: Can I touch it? Yakumo: Yeah! Mind if I take a closer look? Suddenly, the servant moves in front of Yakumo, preventing Yakumo from touching the statue. Yakumo: !! Servant (closing the safe): Sorry, my late master ordered that only trustworthy people can be allowed to touch this. Yakumo (pissed off): What?! Huang-san: Chou, touching it should be OK. Chou: NO. Ling-Ling: What can we do to make you trust us? Chou: Well, I'll trust you if you kill the three-clawed ghost. Yakumo: Alright then, we'll do it!!! Ling-Ling: But we're not going to do it for free! In addition to the required fee, we're asking for 3000 yuan per day. As a service, I'll offer you these charms that ward off evil spirits for 750 Yuan each. Once I affix this to the safe, no ghost can touch it. [yuan is Chinese currency] Everyone else quickly rushes out of the room since they count as "ghosts". (the scroll wards them off :-) Chou: Uh, it's time to retire for the night, madam. Ling-Ling: It's a high-quality charm used by many (Taoist) priests and it works wonders! A 10-piece set will cost you 620 yuan per month, so for twelve months the total comes out to... ...but everyone has already left the room. Ling-Ling: Don't leave me here alone! The scene changes to Yakumo, Pai, and Ling-Ling's room. Pai: Good luck, Yakumo. Yakumo: Thanks. (to himself): Look at me, I'm even scared of a charm... Yakumo: If I'm willing to die, I can do anything. But I cannot die... I shouldn't have talked so big. So how are we going to do it, Ling-Ling-san? Can we kill the ghost? Ling-Ling is examining her ghostbusting gear. Ling-Ling: Hmmm...camera, video camera, transmitter, receiver, infra-red scope, survival knife... I've also prepared some other goodies. Let's go, Yakumo-kun, Pai-chan! The trio go into the study. Ling-Ling starts working on the safe. Yakumo: What are you doing?! Ling-Ling: Don't worry about it - I disabled the security system. This is how we'll catch the culprit. Yakumo, Pai: ?! Ling-Ling: I think that this whole affair is only made to look like a ghost's doing. Yakumo: But there really is a "claw" ghost! Ling-Ling: There's no such thing as a ghost. The "claw" is just some kind of a trick. Pai: Even though you don't believe in ghosts, you still use charms? Yakumo: Pai, if you're going to become human, you'd better understand the human "commercial spirit". Ling-Ling opens the safe and takes out the statue. Ling-Ling: So what do you think? It's in our hands now. Now that we've provoked the criminals, they should be coming soon. Yakumo: Huang-san won't be too happy about that. What's wrong, Pai? Pai: I sense it...yesterday's ghost is getting closer. Yakumo: Yesterday's ghost? Where?! Pai: Ling-Ling-san! Look out! Behind you! A blinding light appears behind Ling-Ling. It takes possession of the statue and Ling-Ling is thrown across the room. Yakumo: It's here?! Pai: Ling-Ling-san! Yakumo: Damn it! Pai: Huh? Who is it? It's not the ghost from yesterday! Yakumo: ?! What?! You mean it's not the "claw" ghost?! The light starts to fade. Yakumo chases after the it. Yakumo: W-Wait!!! Pai: Yakumo! Behind you - on the ground! Three claw marks appear on the ground and start to move toward Yakumo. Yakumo picks up a chair, ready to defend himself against the "claw" ghost. Yakumo: Goddamn "Claw"! Stop chasing me! Yakumo hits the ghost with the chair. The chair shatters, leaving only the chair backing in Yakumo's hands. Yakumo: Uh oh... Pai: Yakumo! Yakumo pins the ghost to the floor with the back of the chair. Yakumo is blown away by the resulting explosion and lands rather painfully on a desk. Pai: Yakumo! Yakumo: Yeeoww! Undaunted, the impaled ghost makes its way toward Pai, who is holding the unconscious Ling-Ling in her arms. Yakumo: Pai! Yakumo reaches back at the desk for something to throw at the ghost. Unfortunately, he's not looking and picks up Ling-Ling's charm. Yakumo: Aaargh! I'm paralyzed! As the ghost gets closer, Pai takes up a defensive position in front of Ling-Ling's body. Pai: Noooooo!!! If you kill any more people, Pai won't forgive you! Yakumo manages to grab a lantern on the desk and throws it at the moving chair. The chair backing bursts into flames and stops dead in its tracks. Yakumo: What?! Why did it run away? Afterwards... Yakumo: In conclusion, the Statue of Mortality was stolen, and there was a small fire... What do we do now? A blip appears on Ling-Ling's scanner. Ling-Ling: Hehehe! Just as I planned! I planted a bug on the statue. It's still on the premises. ---End of chapter 4 [Translator's notes: "ghost" and "monster" can be used interchangeably. Also, I prefer "statue of mortality" over "statue of mankind" but they both refer to the same object.]