Those who ceaselessly hone their killing arts are known as "Masters."
After many generations, they have gained lethal abilities
called "Modified Bloodlines."
This is the story of one such Master, the Poison Master, Hikaru Gero,
and his attempts to get married.
Hamster Master.
We'll kick the Beast Clan's ass together.
Together?
Yeah. Arashiyama, I'd like your help.
Then, I guess I'd better show you what I'm really made of.
Ham!
Hammies.
Modified Bloodline++:
Star Map.
Modified Bloodline++: Star Map
That's a map of the island.
I got my hammies to split up and scout it out.
This will seriously come in handy.
We won't get lost on our way to the Beast Master.
Ham!
That's a piece of cake for me when I get serious.
Thank your lucky stars, Hikaru Gero. Just this once...
I'll treat you to my special home cooking!
No, thanks. I don't eat anything I haven't made my—
Hammies, offer up nuts and berries that look edible.
Wait. Hey!
Modified Bloodline++...
Ham!
...Black Hole!
Modified Bloodline++ Black Hole
Huh? What the...
Ham.
Ham!
Here you go.
The Arashiyama family's secret dish: Anything Gruel.
H-Hey, wait a minute.
Just eat it.
You'll die without food.
Master Hikaru.
Everything another person serves you is poison.
You must never let your guard down.
The slightest complacency equals death.
H-Hikaru Gero?
Are you o—
Arashiyama.
This is good.
I know, right?
And don't worry, it's clean. It's never upset my stomach.
Before my big bro up and vanished...
He made it for me all the time when we ran out of money.
Is there some trick to cooking it?
Huh? No, I just make it like normal.
Though if anything was special...
It must've been thinking about you a ton while making it.
Nutrient-packed nuts, mild seasoning for an injured guy,
and I stewed it till it was nice and tender.
That's about it.
Thanks, Arashiyama.
It's the best food I've ever tasted.
By the way, don't you think those glasses look like mine?
Huh? T-T-Total coincidence!
H-H-Ham!
Well, aren't you a nice guy?
Taking us on all on your own.
Meet the vicious league of Koala Masters.
Quiet.
She's worn out from doing stuff she's not used to.
I want to let her rest.
You're awfully sure of yourself.
Worry about yourself, why don't you?
We got this power from the Beast Master himself!
Bow down before—
Finally, some peace and quiet.
We're safe for now.
Arashiyama!
Gross.
I got my hopes up 'cause you seemed so into it.
But it's trash.
I'll have to give my mouth a good rinse out when I get home.
What'd you do to Arashiya—
I can't quit watching romantic reality shows.
You know, like when they get a mood going and then some sleazebag butts in?
That's my jam.
So I went and offed her. Sorry, man.
Hang on. The hamster chick's glasses...
look just like yours.
Disgusting.
How our family pets have fallen.
Just kidding.
Sorry. My bad. It was a joke.
I didn't kill her.
Not yet, anyway.
Asshole.
I want more. So much more, Hikaru Gero,
of your mind-blowing blood.
It's the last piece I need to perfect Cross-Sanguination.
The closer you get to dying,
the more the Gero Modified Bloodline shuts down any risky rejection.
It lets me combine bloodlines that'd never mix otherwise, risk-free.
I need more than I got with Birdbrain, so...
Go risk it all, Gero!
Get it together!
Your potential bride-to-be just got snatched!
And she's about to get busy dying!
Do you get that?!
Well? You motivated now?
Huh? Gero?
Hey. Are you listening?
Mr. Gero?
Sweet. That's 100% pure, stomach-turning bloodlust.
Glad to see you're a good sport.
You made it worth traipsing all the way out here, Gero.
Hurry it up, or the hamster chick's dead meat.
I ain't kidding.
Why me, damn it?
All these guys are from minor branches of the Beast Clan like me.
I'd heard rumors about strange disappearances at association meetings.
This explains it.
Sirius.
I'm counting on you.
Toxin: Double Dose.
Toxin: Double Dose
Yeah! That's it!
That's what I'm talking about!
Whatever anyone says,
you're still a prodigy and one of the top Masters of our generation.
Even the Cross-Sanguination I poured my all into making
is trash from where you're standing.
Biotechnology Lab
But...
How about a hundred of them?
One prodigy versus a hundred pieces of trash.
This isn't about skill.
Damn it.
I'm so close.
I can't let it end here.
I could triple dose.
But it'll probably kill me on the spot.
Toxin: Triple Dose
Master Hikaru,
You must never take risks beyond your ability.
You may be fit to inherit the Poison Clan, but an overdose will still kill you.
You must accustom yourself to toxins gradually.
A future clan leader may not die
before achieving the quintessence of the Poison Master's art.
Your goal is that pinnacle:
an utterly lethal, incurable poison.
Great family or not, that Gero sure is a pushover.
Sure, I buffed those guys with Cross-Sanguination,
but they're small fry who oughta be ashamed to call themselves Masters,
and they've got him dead to rights.
I see...
you still work like an amateur.
Mr. Beast Master, are you watching?
Why employ 100 of these people...
From plumbing to killing
...when entrusting your business to me is far more cost-efficient?
From plumbing to killing
Isn't that right, Mr. Gero?
Good-for-Nothing
I have no intention of befriending you.
I merely received a job offer from that marriage swindler.
I hired her.
I hired her
I make it a policy of mine not to incur business debts.
Water Master, what—
Let me guess: you took another job with terrible cost-performance, right?
It's 10,000 a day.
Wha—
Don't you realize you're an industry leader?
That attitude of yours will crash prices across the...
I don't believe it.
This couldn't be any less cost-effective.
I plan to crush the Beast Clan for the sake of my café's future customers,
but why are you two so dead set on helping that woman?
It's not about me, so much as it's about finding Gero a wife.
Hold it right there!
If he helps people out by doing jobs, he'll eventually meet the one for him.
You know?
If his goal's to get married, there must be better ways.
Like matchmaking parties and apps and stuff.
Do you really need to make it life-or-death?
You're right there.
In terms of efficiency, we could obviously be more direct.
But this is the best fit for Gero.
Save girls when they're in a bind and get them to fall for you.
I call it Operation White Knight.
He didn't think he was cut out for helping people,
but once he got started, he blew my expectations out of the water.
I can't be sure,
but I think part of him has always wanted
to use his strength to create scenes like these.
Well, that's only a guess.
But I'm sure Operation White Knight is the best thing for Gero.
Finding the perfect marriage for him means picking the best way to look.
I guess no one knows people like a marriage swindler.
We're the Mitsuyubi Six, Sloth Masters.
Still, do you think Mr. Gero is all right?
Hitman Hunter! You'll be just another stain on our claws!
I'm sure other Masters are attacking him as we speak.
Close combat doesn't seem like his thing,
and won't it all be for nothing if he dies before he finds someone to marry?
Don't worry.
I called in some backup, just in case.
Crap. My estimate was too optimistic.
These guys are all nobodies,
but their instincts at CQC are off the charts,
and the groundwater will run out before they do.
I can only fight while conserving water for so long.
Water Master.
Lend me a hand.
I have no reason to take orders from—
I need your help.
Here it comes! Poison gas!
Everybody, clear out!
Don't lose sight of the target!
Keep your distance, and it's no big deal.
It'll clear up if we wait long enough.
We already planned for the Poison Master to counter with this.
The poison gas is targeting our noses and mouths?
Mr. Gero.
I am a Water Master. Mist is part of my toolkit.
But please refrain from making unreasonable demands,
like "mix it with gas and control it."
Discussing plans in advance is a basic rule of business.
Sorry.
Time is money. Let's pick up the pace.
Hey, Water Master.
Thanks. You're a real lifesaver.
A cute girl who's tough as nails and knows her job.
They should be meeting up around now.
With Ms. Arashiyama there? Won't that just cause more problems?
I'll clear my mind.
I'll abandon all hope of leaving here alive.
That's the only way to die peacefully.
The test subject they just locked in the case in front of me...
is already at death's door.
If I stay quiet and obey, I can avoid any more suffering.
I will clear my mind.
Either I keep my sanity and die a man or I lose my sanity and die an animal.
That's the only freedom I have left now that I find myself in here.
That woman's got three days to live, tops.
In a few more hours, I'm gonna...
To think they'd send women and children to spy on us.
What cruel adults there are out in the public square.
We can't have a rat girl scampering about underfoot.
Mega addictive and cleanses the organs. A two-birds-with-one-stone wonder drug:
Senzo Hashaku.
Your organs will be ours.
I couldn't turn down this job after my brother disappeared,
but I knew I couldn't handle it.
I don't wanna die like this.
I wish I'd turned the association down, even when they insisted.
No, even more than that...
I wish I'd never been born into a Master clan in the first—
H-How did you find us here?
Now that we're exposed, you leave us no choice.
Bring him death!
T-To think the guardians of order would send the Five Great Families!
How is that playing fair?
U-Um, thank—
I just carried out the job they told me to.
H-He's so cool!
Gero
There and then, I swore an oath.
My prince swooped in and saved me, so I'd be his biggest fan for life.
I said that...
But deep down, I knew.
Back then, Hikaru Gero was a mess inside.
I was just some jerk who projected my fantasies onto him.
I want to risk it.
But he reached out to help me again.
Not because someone had told him to like before, but of his own free will.
He became more wonderful than ever.
But I'm still useless.
Hamster Master.
We'll kick the Beast Clan's ass together.
This time, I want to give something back.
I'll put everything I am on the line!
Rat. Ratty-rat.
Rat!
Rat.
All you hammies and ratties in position around the cages...
Here we go.
Modified Bloodline++: Hammy-Rat Network!
Modified Bloodline++ Hammy-Rat Network
Nice to meet you.
I am the Hamster Master, Kimie Arashiyama.
What would you all say...
to smashing up the place?
Translator: William Varteresian Timer: Andy Ellis Editor: SMR Quality Control: Salem Alabanza Final Quality Control: Michelle Tymon
Cross, Cross, Cross-Sanguination.
It's almost time to get our party started...
Hyakko.
Sorry I kept you waiting, Kinosaki.
Why? Why can't I kill you?
I'm just your average, everyday marriage swindler.
I wanna get married.
Maybe we should serve wild game at our café.
You're nothing special.
Offering
Next time: "Offering."