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.
How is it this late?
Mom!
I told you to wake me up.
Now I'm gonna be late for school.
See you.
What are you talking about? You don't have school today.
Oh, yeah.
This is a family meal, one example of human behavior.
Next up, the mixed-gender friendship exhibit.
In addition to the art of killing, the Gero family taught me about the lives
of the humans I would start killing in the near future.
They lived on the other side of one-way mirrors, unaware of what was happening.
The Human Zoo.
These feeble, ignorant creatures live at the mercy of fate.
As heir to the Poison Clan, your duty is to control their fates.
Remember sitting down to dinner with family every night at six?
That idea you dismissed as useless?
That's the stuff I want.
Even if it kills me.
Lacking resolve, huh?
If the future head of the famous Gero family is adopting that stance,
start-ups will eat you alive.
Modified Bloodline++: Hell's Lashes
Modified Bloodline++: Hell's Lashes!
My skin accurately simulates the motion of fluids.
See for yourself!
Kinosaki!
Did I just hit an innocent bystander?
I'll compensate you, naturally.
Assuming any insurance will take you.
Hey! Are you okay?
Why are you doing all this?
Because it's our job.
But you mean more than that to Gero. He...
What is it?
Run. Leave us.
Our top priority is to get you to safety.
Gero and I need a little more time.
Don't worry. We'll be fine.
So how can I help?
I lost my supply of needles and poisons to that hit.
Crap.
I'm not fast enough to get close to her through all that flailing.
Master Hikaru, never fight another Master for less than five billion yen,
and even then, only if your victory is assured.
A Master must not risk exposing his arts, called Modified Bloodline Increments.
If someone learns of yours, you must kill them without fail.
Kill them to preserve the Poison Masters' legacy, and build upon it.
Shut up!
I've got something for you.
You, uh, what? But why?
The Water Master would've swatted it out of the air if I'd thrown it.
I wanted to make sure it got to you.
No, I didn't mean that.
I came here to rescue you. Why didn't you escape—
Your name's Gero, right? And maybe you want to be my white knight.
Well, too bad. Getting rescued like some meek little princess isn't my style.
Gero, I want to help you.
You came to get caught? How irrational.
Mr. Gero was doing all he could to shield you.
You're a shoo-in for this year's "Not Worth Saving" award!
How does it feel to risk your life for an idiot and die for nothing?
Kinosaki.
Thanks for setting me up with her...
and not someone else.
I'm glad my first was Himekawa.
Drop that syringe right now.
It's empty?
S-So fast.
I didn't see... Behind me? How'd he...
I can't control the water.
My business suit's—
You really know your stuff.
I'll call you next time my sink's clogged.
Hang on.
Is my hand on a no-touch zone?
But I didn't mean it like that.
I basically had no choice, and it's the back of my hand, so I wasn't thinking of...
Kinosaki.
What should I do?
Those marks... You're allergic to clean air, right?
You fill your suit with water
so your skin won't come into direct contact with the air.
I read about it in the Poison Masters' library.
I mixed a cream to keep the reaction under control. Use that for a while.
Huh? What for? Is this your idea of pity?
As if. I'm putting you in your place.
I beat you and cured you.
That'll teach you never to mess with me again.
It wouldn't be "cost-effective," right?
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I'll never do it again.
Listen.
Takeru Shiratori
Critters vs. Bodies
Your legal exhibits were great. Just focus on those.
We'll be watching you.
You're soft. Beyond soft.
You're telling him to think about what he's done, and that's it?
A Master kills and leaves no loose ends, guaranteed—
If he crosses me again...
he'll get my Thousand Torments toxin.
It may seem wishy-washy to you, but I wouldn't kill him if he asked me to.
Is that okay by you, Himekawa?
Sure. I'll never let myself get caught again.
Let me give you a ride.
"What's going on?" Meet my shark-bud, Chompsky.
"What's a shark-bud?" A shark who's my bud, duh.
Right, Chompsky?
Welcome home, Mom.
Critics didn't think much of Egg while he was alive.
He let go of most of his works.
All but that one painting of his daughter.
Why are you hiding in the corner?
Why shouldn't I?
My wife passed away due to a traffic accident just after we had Ageha.
Selling this painting would let us live carefree in a nice house, but we'd...
...rather keep our family together.
Hey, Gero. Get over here.
Ageha wants to thank you.
I mean, I didn't really—
Save it. Go over there and bask in the praise.
Humility just comes off as rude.
Mister...
Thank you for rescuing my mom.
Gero, when I heard you were a Master, I figured you'd be a real piece of work,
but I guess you're an exception.
My thoughts exactly, Gero. I couldn't find the right time to thank you...
But my brother, Okuto, got that operation you helped pay for.
He's recovering now, but he sends me selfies
of how much better he's doing every day.
Can you believe it?
I keep telling him to lie still and rest, but he won't listen.
Because you put your life on the line and fought,
that family,
and Himekawa's gang,
and my brother are all smiling now.
Do you see what wonderful things you've done?
Wait, where are you going?
To the bathroom. To clean it.
Seriously?
Hey, wait. We want to talk about your reward.
To be honest, all the organs in the world wouldn't cover what you did for us.
We haven't got money, obviously,
but whatever else you want, just name it.
Where the hell is Kinosaki?
Picking what to wear again?
This was Kinosaki's idea.
Okay, Himekawa. How about the three of us go out to celebrate when we get back?
Sorry! I'm on another date right now
Anyway, I'm sure you'll do fine
Break a leg!
I know you can do it!
What's wrong?
It's going to be just the two of us?
My First
Shark, shark, shark, sharkity-shark.
Shark, shark, sharkity-shark.
Th-This place isn't quite what I was—
Shark!
Sh-Sha—
Sharkity-shark!
Predation
Tomato
Welcome to the Belly of the Beast.
Date Mission
Start!
Date Mission, start!
Date Mission
Start!
Date Mission
Start!
Date Mission
Start!
Thanks to Operation White Knight, Gero saved the kidnapped Himekawa...
Tomato ketchup?
and managed to wrangle a date when she couldn't be more into him.
Now to tell her how he feels and seal the deal.
He's already onto me.
I guess I can't hide from a Master.
But Gero, remember Rule 1, Subsection 3 of the Kinosaki School of Dating.
If you can't find anything else to talk about,
compliment something she's wearing.
It shows you're interested, for one thing.
Gero, Himekawa's covered in stuff you can compliment her on.
Pretty earrings. A lovely necklace. Cute nails. A stylish jacket.
Pretty earrings
Lovely necklace
Pretty earrings
Cute nails
Stylish jacket
Lovely necklace
Th-That necklace...
Go for it!
It looks awfully old. Is it a keepsake?
Huh?
Himekawa's speechless, too.
Oh, this?
It came with a dehumidifier I got at a flea market.
Who could've seen that coming?!
C'mon, make conversation!
A flea market dehumidifier that came with a necklace?
There's tons of follow-ups to that!
Did you, uh, cut your bangs?
Nope.
Don't give up!
Don't look at me! Look at Himekawa!
Hey, Gero.
Uh-oh. All that goodwill we earned has gone right down the drain.
If you're not eating that, gimme it.
Thanks.
Safe! Thank goodness Himekawa's so easygoing.
I love these.
L-Love?!
And you're out!
This is a disaster.
I've got no choice but to...
lend a hand!
That must be a Greenland shark.
Wow, you know so much!
O-Oh, that's the "support shark" that went away due to bad user reviews.
Tell her a whale of a tale
about your childhood
Wow, you know so much!
And it makes whale puns!
E-Excuse me.
Th-That monitor isn't for diners...
Please? Just a little?
Tell her a whale of a tale
about your childhood
What's up? You've barely touched your food.
Oh, well...
I, uh, can't eat anything someone else has made. It's become second nature.
As far back as I can remember, I've done nothing but train as a Poison Master.
I made my own meals, and all that mattered was that they weren't poisoned.
I'd just eat alone in between my training.
Excuse me, miss? Uh, manager?!
I'm in love.
I think I kind of get it.
I was alone all the time when I was a kid, too.
You'd bet-orca
listen to her
I didn't have any family to start with,
and I had no friends at the orphanage.
One day, a rich guy nearing the end of his life adopted me.
I think he would have been happy with anyone.
He just realized he'd left no legacy at the end of his life and got scared.
I inherited the Himekawa name and a huge fortune.
Normally, I wouldn't have had to work a day in my life.
But...
He had a crapton of crying works of art locked away.
I did some digging, and found out he'd gotten them illegitimately.
I know how hard it is to be alone,
so I decided to send them all home.
By the time the gallery was empty,
expenses had eaten through the Himekawa fortune.
So now, I work part-time five days a week to survive.
Kind of ridiculous, isn't it?
Whoa.
Earlier, for the first time, I got to do something people would thank me for.
I couldn't have done it without you.
And you've been doing that all along? I've never met anyone as cool as you.
Sorry. Was it something I said?
No, nothing like that.
No one's sung my praises like that before.
It's kind of embarrassing.
Go for it!
Shark, shark, shark, sharkity-shark.
Gulp.
Shark, shark, shark, sharkity-shark.
Shark!
Shark, shark, shark, sharkity-shark.
Sh-Sharkity, uh...
Himekawa, would you do something for me?
Please...
Be my friend.
Shark!
Uh, Gero? That was your big chance!
You had me going there.
Friends? Sure thing. I thought you were going to ask me out.
Honestly, I'd like to.
But I don't know the first thing about you.
More than that...
I don't think you know me at all, either.
Maybe I made a good impression earlier,
but that's just my polished surface.
Truth is, there are parts of me so foul I don't want to face them.
I want to experience more things together,
and get you to know all of me, a little at a time.
Then, if I can convince you to see me that way, too,
I'd like to make that proposal.
That's...
the first step toward the happy marriage I'm looking for.
I get it. So you want to start off as friends?
How should I put this? That's shameless as all hell.
Uh, I mean...
Fine by me.
But stealing my heart won't be easy.
Anyway, I figured you were with Kinosaki.
Kinosaki is my marriage advisor.
Oh, is that all?
Friends
Ms. Himekawa!
Since you can't eat food other people make,
how about you make us lunches next time?
S-Sure.
I'm big on rolled omelets.
Gero.
You've got a bodyguard gig next.
The only daughter of a big-time CEO.
But that'd be cheating!
How scummy can you get?
It's not cheating. You just made friends.
And Himekawa is about the only woman you know, right?
But there's a whole sea of other fish out there. A bunch you'd never think of.
Getting to know a lot of girls will help you see their good points clearly,
and you'll learn to like them even more.
Maybe Himekawa really is the one for you,
or maybe it's someone you haven't even met yet.
Whoever she is, I want you to have the best possible marriage.
Translator: William Varteresian Timer: Andy Ellis Editor: SMR Quality Control: Salem Alabanza Final Quality Control: Michelle Tymon
I want to improve myself.
So this is a college welcome party? I've heard the legends.
A man who can cook attracts triple the ladies (Kinosaki approved).
The melody of this forest.
Pom-po-pun.
Daigo Oshima, economics major.
I super thank my lucky stars.
The Sound Master
Next time: "The Sound Master."