senior leadership; senior leader; upper echelon (of power); top-ranking officer
crafty; tricky; sly; sinister (look)
to bend; to warp; to yield; to be supple (e.g. bamboo, body); to be flexible; to be pliant
to smoke (a cigarette); to behave as ...; to accelerate; to rev up
slaughter (of animals for meat); butchery
rapid succession (e.g. questions)
to kick back (ball, person, etc.)
to run through; to run past
numerical inferiority; being outnumbered
great numbers; numerical superiority
lower part; substructure; subordinate (office); good and faithful servant
thick fog (of suspicion); black veil of secrecy; covered-up crime, unethical act, etc.
to be damaged; to receive damage
numerical value; numerics; reading (on a meter, etc.)
present continuous tense; present progressive form
nasal mucus; dripping nose; snot
to use abusive language; to curse; to call someone names
to burst (open); to break; to split
gaining time; stalling for time; time-buying
nothing but; none other than
playing at (something); game of make-believe; something done together
some people; a few people; several people
premature; untimely (e.g. death); early
a drop in the bucket; a drop in the ocean; (lit.) (pouring) water on a hot stone
evil influence; (evil) clutches; tentacles of evil
box; case; car (of a train, etc.); shamisen case; shamisen; public building; community building
to fling off; to throw off; to cast aside; to abandon; to throw to the winds
bestial; beastly; beast-like; brutal