in preparation (for); in case (of); in the lead-up (to)
to put oneself on guard; to stand ready; to square off
thoroughly; through and through
diminutive; dwarfish; pygmy; narrow (e.g. thinking); small
thrust; stab; tsuki; thrust to the throat (in kendo); tsuki; thrust to the chest
to drive someone off with gunfire
to knock down; to knock off
to get twisted; to get crooked; to become twisted (of a mind, relationship, etc.); to become warped; to become troubled; to become complicated
madness; craziness; insanity
human intellect; knowledge
event; phenomenon; matter
other than; excluding; without
to boil strongly; to be excited
to disappear; to vanish; (arch.) to die
break in time; interruption; pause
ironically enough; as irony would have it; in a nice little twist
ingenuity; inventiveness; creative originality
incarnation; impersonation; personification; avatar
unbelievable; incredible; implausible
when; at what time; how soon; normal times; ordinary days
pout; displeasure; ill humor; ill humour; sullenness
highlight (scene); high point; climax; show-off scene (of an actor in a play)
disabling; invalidation; nullification; vitiation
error of judgment; miscalculation
preparedness for death; do-or-die spirit
tightrope walking; high-wire act; funambulism; treading a tightrope; walking on thin ice; pulling a risky balancing act
then; in that case; considering; if that is the case; if so
(not even) a little; (not even) a tiny bit
decisive blow; game-winning hit (e.g. in baseball)
beginning and end; doing something from beginning to end; being unchanged from beginning to end; from beginning to end; the whole time
to be prolonged; to drag on
to avoid (physical contact with); to avoid (situation); to ward off; to avert; to put aside; to move out of the way
to mark the end; to spell the end
law; rule; regulation; destiny; fate; karma
story; tale; narrative; account; fable; legend
artistic modulations in traditional Japanese performances; opening, middle and climax (end)
introduction, development, turn and conclusion (quadripartite structure of certain Chinese poetry); story composition and development
something like ...; something called ...