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.
Remember, Gero:
Takeru Shiratori's Muscle Animals
The key is to size up your target.
Assess the machine, the prize's position, the strength of the arm, and so on. And then...
Strike your prey!
There's a lot to it.
Kinosaki-Style Date Coaching!
At the arcade! Time to get closer to her!
Now, you try it!
Mixy-Mix Max Heaven
A crane game is an old standby for dates.
Pull it off effortlessly and score big.
Ya gotta keep doing things to win her over.
Strike my prey.
I blew through 10,000 yen.
Might be better to avoid these till you get the hang of it. It's easy to get stuck.
Garden Eel Panic
It's great fun
Garden Eel
Put in a coin, 'kay?
I bet I could handle that one.
How's this?
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.
Spotted garden eels.
Finished!
Perfect! You are No. 1!
Congratulations!
That was incredible.
But it might not win girls.
Next thing!
Next thing.
Matagi
Matagi!
Matagi
That's beyond niche.
Let's make hunting memories that'll last a lifetime.
Scene: Mt. Jigoku
Pose: Setting out on the hunt
Scene: Mt. Jigoku
Pose: Hound seeking wild game
Scene: Mt. Jigoku
Pose: You've spotted game
Scene: Mt. Jigoku
Pose: Game animal under attack
Scene: Mt. Jigoku
Pose: Matagi making a kill
By the way, Gero, have you heard?
Scene: Mt. Jigoku
Pose: Peace sign after a great hunt
Decorate away.
About the "Hitman Hunter."
Background
Armory
Role-play
Decorate
Makeup
Touch-up
Hunting trophies
Next Hunt
Cryptids
Mountains
Shacks
Brown bear pelt
Yasu, King of the Japanese Serow
Shinichi, the Man-Eating Tiger
Joe, the Silent Wolf
You mean the string of famous killers getting taken out?
Hunting trophies
Next Hunt
Cryptids
Mountains
Shacks
Brown bear pelt
Yasu, King of the Japanese Serow
Shinichi, the Man-Eating Tiger
Joe, the Silent Wolf
Next Hunt
Cryptids
Mountains
Shacks
Yasu, King of the Japanese Serow
Shinichi, the Man-Eating Tiger
Joe, the Silent Wolf
Next Hunt
Cryptids
Mountains
Shacks
Yasu, King of the Japanese Serow
Shinichi, the Man-Eating Tiger
Joe, the Silent Wolf
Next Hunt
Cryptids
Mountains
Shacks
Yasu, King of the Japanese Serow
Shinichi, the Man-Eating Tiger
Joe, the Silent Wolf
The "Hunter's" goals and identity are a mystery, but skills? Proven.
Next Hunt
Cryptids
Mountains
Shacks
Yasu, King of the Japanese Serow
Shinichi, the Man-Eating Tiger
Joe, the Silent Wolf
Gao, the Giant Weasel
Johan, Servant of Santa
Gao, the Giant Weasel
Johan, Servant of Santa
Dan the Dismemberer
Kushima the Spear Master
Johan, Servant of Santa
Dan the Dismemberer and Kushima the Spear Master got taken down.
Background
Armory
Role-play
Decorate
Makeup
Touch-up
Johan, Servant of Santa
Gao, the Giant Weasel
Hunting trophies
Next Hunt
Masters
Everyone Else
Masters are the best assassins out there.
Hunting trophies
Next Hunt
Masters
Everyone Else
Hunting trophies
Next Hunt
Masters
Everyone Else
Hunting trophies
Next Hunt
Masters
Everyone Else
I doubt many people could take the Spear Master in a fight, in particular.
Cryptids
Mountains
Shacks
Pick your favorite weapon!
Matchlock
Bow
Bomb
Trap
Knife
Spear
Poison
Brass Knuckles
Sound Waves
Fire
Water
Lightning
You'd better watch out, too.
Right.
Okay, all done.
Check it out.
Is this really supposed to be fun?
No one likes a downer.
I take it back.
It's a memory, Gero.
A reminder that we had fun together.
Is that how it works?
Check the slot
Can I go ahead and print out this memory?
You'd be happy if a girl got into talking about DIY candy kits with you, right?
Well, yeah.
I'm not saying to force yourself,
but if you can get caught up in something your date enjoys,
nothing beats that.
Lock on to your heart!
Want to call it a day—
Hikaru Gero.
We need to talk.
But first...
Take a picture with me, too.
Huh?
So, uh, Kimie Arashiyama.
You want to hire Gero, and you've been looking for a chance to talk?
You could've reached out on the Dark Nav.
A beauty like me comes around once in ten million years, and I'm here for you.
You've gotta be over the moon.
Let's call it a day, Gero.
Hey, hang on! Wait! I'm sorry! At least hear me out!
Shadowing the guy you want to hire doesn't exactly inspire trust.
You're right. I'm sorry.
I thought the Hitman Hunter had come to get Gero for a minute there.
Oh, yeah, about that.
The thing is, I'm a Master, too.
Hikaru Gero.
Until someone takes care of the Hitman Hunter,
I'll let you...
protect me!
Come on. Let's go.
Wait, wait, wait!
Anyway, shouldn't a Master be able to protect herself?
F-Fighting's not really my thing!
Let's hear her out a little longer.
What? But...
If a Master is asking for help from a family she has no ties to,
she must be in a pretty bad spot.
Right, Arashiyama?
Arashiyama. Arashiyama. Arashiyama.
H-Hey!
Is Master Hikaru seriously being this nice to me?
And is he holding me in his arms and calling my name right now?
Hey! Arashiyama! Are you okay?
Arashiyama! Arashiyama!
Hang in there, Arashiyama!
He's paying attention to me?
Arashiyama? Arashiyama? Arashiyama?
My mind went blank when I found out the Hitman Hunter was after me,
Arashiyama. Arashiyama. Arashiyama.
but how lucky am I to meet the Master Hikaru Gero?
I don't even have an appointment. It's gotta be a nuisance.
Arashiyama. Arashiyama.
But he's still treating me so courteously.
Arashiyama.
Arashiyama?
I'm getting beyond the royal treatment.
What's this?
A lover's spat?
A cheat?
A love triangle?
Now I'm safe for sure!
Come try me, Hitman Hunter!
Whoa. Better steer clear of those weirdos.
Wait.
I d-didn't say I'd take the job yet.
Don't look.
Talk about a hearty laugh.
I'll make an exception and show you...
just what kind of Master I am.
Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak.
It's that table again.
Don't look. Just ignore them.
Ham!
Let's start over.
I'm Kimie Arashiyama, the Hamster Master.
This is my partner, Sirius.
Hikaru Gero, he's the one who found you in town.
When it comes to intel-gathering and small, fiddly stuff, I'm your woman.
At least as long as I have these little guys helping me.
He's adorable!
Ham.
So you're related to the Beast Clan.
Masters are all expert killers, but not necessarily good fighters.
Technically, I'm more about assassination and traps myself.
All that, and you're still not a "good fighter"?
I don't want anything to do with the Hitman Hunter,
but the association I'm part of is all fired up to take the jerk out.
And you're in danger, so you want a bodyguard?
You got it.
If you're in an association of clans, just get one of them to protect—
No chance of that.
Up until my great-great-grandpa's generation, we were Rat Masters.
Even the main Beast Clan respected us, so we got to throw our weight around.
Now, though, our bloodline's thinned out,
and I wouldn't be surprised if we got stripped of our Master title tomorrow.
Me, I've never even killed anybody.
This collar's the only link I have left.
All the branches of the Beast Clan have to wear them.
So you see how it is.
I show up to association meetings when they tell me to,
but they've already decided the important stuff without me.
Like this plan to take on the Hunter.
They said to my face:
"A 'Master' who can't and doesn't kill,
and who works a normal job at a normal company,"
should at least make herself useful as a shield."
Thanks for today.
I feel calmer now.
I got carried away earlier, but the future head of one of the Five Great Families
wouldn't guard a branch-family nobody in a million years.
I can't afford your massive fee, for one thing.
I'm so glad I got to meet my fave before I die.
Let's say 10,000 yen a day.
When should I start guarding you?
Are you sure, Gero?
I mean...
You're in a real bind, aren't you, Arashiyama?
Well, I don't see a problem.
This wasn't part of my plan to get you hitched.
Still, you sure are honing that charm of yours. Good job.
It's like he's acting out my fantasies.
So he was cheating?
Kinosaki, what should I do?
A falling out?
Try hugging her back.
A love triangle?
Huh? You know I can't!
Maybe he proposed?
Oh, there you are.
Hey.
Ham!
Hikaru Gero and assistant! I'm gonna introduce you to the association today.
Ham!
Like it or not, you'll have to deal with them.
They'll all be in for a shock when I show up with Hikaru Gero!
So this is how Arashiyama normally acts?
She's the quirkiest woman so far,
but she is a fellow Master.
Maybe someone like her will mesh with Gero better than I think.
Cuddly Animal Plaza
Closed
This is the place.
I'll do the introductions.
Serpent Master Ryumon
Serpent Master, Ryumon.
Owl Master, Chojabaru
Owl Master, Chojabaru.
Hippo Master, Shibaseki
Hippo Master, Shibaseki.
Orca Master Kankaiji
Orca Master, Kankaiji.
Buffalo Master Horita
Buffalo Master, Horita.
Alligator Master Hamawaki
Alligator Master, Hamawaki.
Is everybody napping?
No, the humans...
are all dead.
Are you in the association, too? What happened?
Who's that?
Kinosaki! Arashiyama! Run!
Um...
You're a Poison Master, aren't you?
I don't know what you're doing here,
but this is perfect timing.
Now I don't have to go look for you.
And I can cross a big name off my list.
The Hitman Hunter
Did...
Did he just...
stab him?
Hey.
Run. Now.
I avoided a fatal cut by a hair.
I've stopped the bleeding, but it won't last.
You the Hitman Hunter?
What are you after?
He did that...
with one little knife?
This guy's not human.
I'm in trouble if this drags out.
Can I hold out and set a trap for him? No chance.
I've just gotta face him head-on,
and go all out from the start.
Optical reflex accelerator.
Toxin: Vision
Toxin: Vision.
Muscle reflex enhancer.
Toxin: Javelin Strike
Toxin: Javelin Strike.
I'll overwhelm him with a double dose.
What's up?
Huh? A mistake?
Yeah. Okay.
But the Poison Master's still a hitman, right?
He takes bodyguard gigs on the Dark Nav?
Are you sure you've got the right guy?
No one in the Five Great Families works gigs like that.
And he seems dangerous. He shot two syringes into his own neck.
Yeah, two at once. Dangerous, right?
I think I'd better take care of him now after all.
Yeah.
I'll beat him to the punch.
No way.
I took Toxin: Vision, and I still can't keep track of him?
That was a close one.
You guys okay?
You'd better believe it
You sure are nice to the animals.
Did they do anything wrong?
Where did you come from? A branch of the Iron Clan?
I'm just a regular guy.
No way. You must be from some family.
I don't need to lie to someone who's about to die.
All my relatives are teachers.
Then...
He's a mutant.
Masters spend generations building up their bloodlines,
Um, do you mind if we finish this now?
and this freak has surpassed them in one.
I've got lunch plans with my girlfriend.
Damn it. I've never tried this before,
but what choice do I have?
Toxin: Triple Dose.
Toxin: Triple Dose
U-Um, why would you do that?
It's suicide.
I guess I should've known a triple dose...
was more than I could take while injured.
What did I tell you?
This is what you get for killing lots of people and spreading hatred.
Please die.
Promise me.
Don't touch the two of...
Hitman Hunter!
You won't kill Hikaru Gero on my watch!
Huh? Arashiyama?
What? If you get in the way, I've gotta "take care" of you, too.
Shove it, you big dummy!
"Spreading hatred" my ass!
He offered to be my bodyguard!
Ham!
I'd rather die than be a shield for some jerk,
but I'm happy to die for my fave!
Sirius Squad!
Ham!
Let's go.
Modified Bloodline++: Canis Major!
Modified Bloodline++: Canis Major
The Greater Dog that shines...
in the winter sky!
How do you like that?
Hey! Put me down!
H-Hang on! What are you doing?
What do you mean?
I'm taking him to a doctor. He's at death's door.
Huh?
Canis Major gave him a change of heart?
Didn't you come to kill me?
Why save my life?
I've never seen Masters try to cover for each other before.
I don't want to kill you anymore.
Isn't that...
enough of a reason?
I see.
Put me down.
But the doctor...
This isn't so bad that I can't fix it myself.
My name's Piichi Nakagawa.
I want to rest Master Hikaru's head on my lap, too.
My goal...
is to wipe out the Beast Clan, one of the Five Great Families.
I heard they were planning "something dangerous that'll kill a lot of people,"
so I figured I'd take them out before the damage could get too bad.
Why did you hunt people who weren't Beast Masters, then?
They were just on the way.
Come again?
Itabashi Cleaning
I had no clue where to find the Beast Clan,
so I went around asking people who seemed to know them.
A homicidal maniac they did a deal with once.
An old guy with a knife on a pole.
People from their branch families.
I took care of the dangerous ones while I was at it.
Oh. Wait, what?
Dan the Dismemberer...
took payment for killings in octogenarian men instead of money.
Kushima the Spear Master would involve innocent bystanders to get his jobs done.
I want to open a café with my girlfriend.
But I've got to get rid of all the dangerous people first,
or our customers won't be able to relax.
Why is his head still on her lap?
You're picking a fight with one of the Five Great Families? Are you nuts?
Huh? But, uh, wouldn't it be better if all the bad people were gone?
Normally, that'd just be wishful thinking,
but he might actually be able to pull it off.
I thought the Gero Family of Poison Masters must be pretty dangerous, too.
But it turns out you're different.
You're not a threat to the world I want.
At least, not right now.
So, uh...
You mean you're letting us go?
Ham!
Well, problem solved, then!
Mr. Gero, do you know about the Beast Clan through your family connections?
Of course not.
People call us the Five Great Families for convenience,
but it's not like we have much to do with each other.
Oh, I see.
You're from a branch of the Beast Clan. Do you know anything?
I've never visited the main house or met any of the family.
That figures.
All I know is I have this collar they give all the branch fami—
Arashiyama!
A bat?
Wh-What happened to Arashiyama?
I don't know.
Did this collar cause it?
Whoa there.
If you try to break that, it'll suck the host's blood dry.
The Bonda Constrictor is a living accessory engineered to suck blood.
I went ahead and activated it, meaning that woman's got three days to live, tops.
Why put that on her?
Wouldn't want 'em running off now, would I?
The livestock, I mean.
Don't give me that death glare.
Hikaru Gero. Piichi Nakagawa.
If you're looking for me, I'll extend a special invitation to you.
Come to the Beast Clan's home turf: Dogo Animal Kingdom.
Translator: William Varteresian Timer: Andy Ellis Editor: SMR Quality Control: Salem Alabanza Final Quality Control: Michelle Tymon
Listening to you makes me sick.
Ultra simple: everything about chopping squid you're in too deep to ask.
Kota Hanezawa!
This is 100% a trap for sure!
This is what somebody who is good at fighting can do.
Absolutely delicious.
Next time: "The Animal Kingdom."
The Animal Kingdom