Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction Part 85--Half Feelings Kenshin: Miss . . . Kaoru . . . Hiko: These friends of yours? Kenshin: Yes. Hiko: It’s like Grand Central Station in here today. People should know when they’re not wanted. (Misao and Yahiko look outraged.) Kenshin, run outside and get some water. There’s only enough for one here. You can’t expect the kids to go all night without anything to eat or drink. Kenshin: Why would I-- Hiko: Aren’t you going for a moonlight stroll with the girl? Kenshin (getting angry): Master, that’s not why I-- Hiko: That’s your old spirit. Don’t stand here talking about it, just go! Kenshin: You were always such a slave driver . . . (Kenshin walks to the door . . . past Kaoru . . . without saying a word.) Yahiko (to Kaoru): Why did you just stand there?!! Misao: Exactly! If you couldn’t speak you should have started a fight! Kaoru: I suppose . . . Misao (smacking her forehead.): Geh. Yahiko (likewise): Just when it counts, this again. Hiko: So . . . (They turn around to face Hiko’s stare.) Yahiko (thinking): Hiko Seijuurou. The current master of the Hiten Mitsurugi school . . . Kaoru (thinking): The master who taught Kenshin all he knows. Misao (thinking): But first, above all else-- Misao & Yahiko: Lemme ask you something. How old are you? Hiko: Forty-three. There something wrong with that? (Misao and Yahiko freak.) Yahiko: How can Kenshin and this guy be so good? Misao: Wait a minute, you mean Himura just looks young? Yahiko: Yeah, he’s twenty-eight. Misao: Twenty-eight?! Yahiko: I got it! The Hiten Mitsurugi school must have a secret technique for the elderly! Misao: All right! I’m going to learn it too when I’m old! Hiko: Can I go on? Kaoru: Please. Hiko: I know you know Kenshin, but why are you here? (Brief pause.) Misao (handing Yahiko a ladle (?): Go for it. Yahiko: So Kaoru could see Kenshin. (handing the ladle to Misao) Your turn. Misao: Yeah, so Kaoru could see Himura. Both of them (passing Kaoru their ladles): You’re up. Kaoru: Well . . . it was to see Kenshin . . . Misao & Yahiko: And?? Kaoru: Uh-- Misao: What did you come here for? Yahiko: To fight at his side? Misao: To go back to Tokyo with him? To confess your love for him? Kaoru: I--er--well--no . . . I wanted to see him, so I left Tokyo . . . at that time, I really didn’t think I would ever see him again. At the Shirobeko, I thought I would hit him or something, but when I saw his face I just couldn’t . . . . Hiko: Hmm. I see. I don’t know what you see in that wooden statue, but my stupid pupil seems to be popular. Yahiko: Who are you calling a wooden statue? Kaoru: Yahiko? Yahiko: No matter how much of a master you are, you only know Kenshin as a pupil. The Kenshin we know is definitely no wooden statue! Hiko: Don’t interrupt, child. Yahiko: Child?! (Misao giggles.) Hiko: I stopped getting news about my stupid pupil at the beginning of the Meiji era. What has he been doing with the Hiten Mitsurugi I taught him? That’s what I want to know. Not from him, but from those I don’t know who came to see him-- (Kenshin walks back to the house with two buckets of water.) Kenshin (thinking): Miss Kaoru and Yahiko have come to Kyoto . . . Sanosuke must be on his way as well. Sanosuke: You got that right, bub. Kenshin: Now the battle with Shishio will be even more difficult . . . (He enters the house; Hiko smirks at him.) Kenshin: Master, where shall I put-- Hiko: You spent the last ten years wandering the country righting wrongs as a vagabond. Did it take you fifteen years to figure out the reason for the Hiten Mitsurugi school? Or were you atoning for the lives you took as the Hitokiri? Kenshin: It was . . . both. And because of what I said to you fifteen years ago. Before my eyes, people are suffering, people are in misery. Whatever the reason, I don’t want to leave them as they are . . . Hiko: Even though you’re a stupid pupil, when it comes time to act, you talk like a grown-up. Follow me! I will pass down to you the final mysteries of the Hiten Mitsurugi school! (General surprise) Hiko: What? As a great-hearted swordsman, I can’t let Shishio take over the country. Kenshin: Master. Hiko: And I don’t have time to look for another pupil. (General face-fault) Hiko: It’d be easiest to do it myself, but after all this time I’d just rather not deal with it. Kenshin: Master . . . . Hiko: You have a responsibility. Stop Shishio Makoto. (He walks out of the cabin; Kenshin follows.) Kaoru: Kenshin! (He stops) Kaoru: I came to Kyoto, without even thinking about the danger . . . are you angry with me? Kenshin Half of me is. But for the other half, I’m somehow . . . relieved. (walking again) You don’t know where Shishio’s men could be hiding, so be careful. Misao & Yahiko: No need to fear when we’re here! Kaoru (thinking): Kenshin. You couldn’t even turn around and give me a smile like always. But . . . but . . . (Hiko and Kenshin stand on a rocky ledge in front of a waterfall.) Hiko: Before we begin I have something to say to you. If you master this final technique, you’ll probably gain strength equal to mine. (frowning) No, wait, you couldn’t be that good. At your very best you might be able to just touch my level. But don’t get too sure of yourself. If you bear your burden alone and protect others by sacrificing yourself, the Meiji era will not be easy for you. Likewise, it will not be easy to gain happiness alone. If you fall victim here, the girl who came all the way to Kyoto just to see you will be left miserable and alone. Kenshin: Master, you don’t mean-- Hiko (drawing his sword): Remember this. No matter how strong you are, you’re only human. The Buddha has no need of violence. I’m through talking. Let’s get started. (Kaoru, Misao and Yahiko are walking home.) Yahiko: Hmm . . . Kaoru: What’s wrong, Yahiko? Misao: Yeah, you keep grunting to yourself. Yahiko: There was something I was supposed to tell Kenshin, but I can’t--that’s it! Aoshi! Shinomori Aoshi! The guy who’s after Kenshin is in Kyoto! (Misao is struck speechless.) Back to Home To Volume Eleven To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction Part 86--Aoshi and Okina Yahiko: Shinomori Aoshi is in Kyoto! Kaoru: Shinomori . . . you mean, the Oniwabanshuu Okashira? Yahiko: I just caught sight of him in the crowd, but I know it was him! (Misao seizes him by the scalp.) Yahiko: Ow! What’re you-- Misao: Is it true? You’re not lying to me? Is Lord Aoshi really in Kyoto? Yahiko (thinking): Lord . . . Aoshi . . . (He knocks her hand away and pulls out his shinai.) Kaoru: Yahiko! Yahiko: Get back, Kaoru! She’s one of the Oniwabanshuu! (to Misao) What’s the real reason you were sticking so close to Kenshin? Backup for Aoshi? Revenge for Hanya and them? Misao: Backup . . . revenge . . . What’s going on? Yahiko: Quit playing innocent! Kaoru (pushing them apart): The two of you just calm down. All right. I’ll tell you. Yahiko: Kaoru! (What’re you thinking!) Kaoru: Thanks to Misao, I found Kenshin again. Now it’s my turn to help her. (to Misao) I never saw Shinomori Aoshi myself. I’m sure of alll the details, but I heard it secondhand. This may be painful for you to hear . . . (In the Aoiya) Omasu: Okina, Okina-- Okina: What? You don’t have to shout, I can hear you. Omasu: You have guests outside. Okina: I haven’t been feeling too well these past few days. If it’s someone I don’t know, just get rid of them for me. Omasu: Are you sure? It’s three young girls. Okina: Idiot, why didn’t you tell me sooner! Omasu: They’re friends of yours? Okina (rushing off): No! Never saw ‘em before in my life! Omasu (thinking): Dirty old man. (It’s Yahiko’s chow-chow girls.) Girl: Um, someone asked us to deliver a letter here-- Okina (thinking): Boring. (aloud) Thank you. Who was it? Girl: This really good looking guy. Girl 2: He was kind of gloomy, though. Girl 3: But cute. (Okina flips the letter over and sees Aoshi’s initials on the back.) (Later. Amid the hustle and bustle of Kyoto, Okina sits out in an outdoor cafe.) Okina: Roasted tea and rice cakes in oak leaves, please. Waitress: Coming right up. (Aoshi is waiting behind him.) Okina: It’s been a long time . . . I should be using polite language to my Okashira, but since we’re alone we can do away with the formalities. Aoshi: Yes . . . it will be easier to talk that way. Okina: If you were in town why didn’t you come to the Aoiya? Misao would have liked to see you. Waitress: Here you are. Aoshi: I left Misao with the Aoiya so she could live her life far from danger. I have no intention of seeing her now. Okina: Of course . . . the only grandchild of the illustrious previous Okashira. None of us want to see her in danger. So what’s the matter? Aoshi: I want you to find someone for me. He’s already in Kyoto but I haven’t been able to find him on my own. Himura Battousai. (meaningful pause) Okina: That’s enough. Can't you wake up? Killing Himura now won’t bring back Hanya and the others. I heard the details of the matter from Himura. He brought Misao back after she went looking for you. Anyway, Himura has already left the Aoiya. I don’t know where he is now. Aoshi: So he was right under my nose all along . . . Okina: Aoshi. Why don’t you just forget about this. What you need now is not a battlefield, but a place to rest your heart. Aoshi: Even though you are of the Oniwabanshuu, you cannot understand us. (thinking) Until the name of strongest is in my hands, this battle will not be over. (He walks off.) Okina: Aoshi . . . I have one thing left to say to you. If you have lost the honor of the Oniwabanshuu for the sake of violence, then making you the Okashira was a mistake. I’m sorry for Misao’s sake, but with every breath in my body, I’ll destroy you. (Aoshi walks on through the crowd.) Soujirou (who is walking the other way with Anji and two other of the Ten Swords): Well fancy meeting you here. So you did come to Kyoto! I’m so glad. Aoshi: Where’s the guy I’m always seeing feigning innocence? Soujirou: You’re very suspicious. We only got into Kyoto this morning. Aoshi (walking on): I see. A chance meeting. I have been feeling you watching me from the shadows since this morning. Soujirou (hurrying after him): I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I really do apologize. I’m sorry, so would you mind coming with us? Aoshi: I told you before. I have no intention of working for anyone. Soujirou: Oh, not at all. This has nothing to do with working for us. Mr. Shishio only wants to see you. Our previous negotiations seem to have broken down. But our own ways of gathering information are nothing to sneeze at. That alone should be worth a look. If you have lost the honor of the Oniwabanshuu for the sake of violence . . . Aoshi: All right. Show me the way. As you wish, I will see Shishio Makoto. Back to Home To Volume Eleven To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction Part 87--A Violent Meeting. From the capital there is a demon gate under the northeastern sky. On the slopes of Mt. Hiei, famous from olden times as a mountain of ghosts that protected the emperor’s castle-- Soujirou: Here it is. Well, please come in. (Houji knocks on Shishio’s door.) Yumi (stumbling out): If you’re looking for Lord Shishio, he isn’t here. (God you’re loud.) Houji: Then where is he? Yumi: I don’t know. But he said he was all worked up about something, so maybe he’s in the training room. (A soldier is hanging from the rafters in the training room, stabbed with a sword and a spear. Shishio regards him carefully.) Houji (coming in): Lord Shishio. (The soldier is slashed in half.) Houji (thinking): I never saw the sword leave the scabbard-- (The upper half of the soldier bursts into flame.) Soujirou (coming in behind a shocked Houji): Oh, it’s been a while. The old secret sword Homura Dama. Shishio: I caught him trying to steal a sword. Did you want something, Houji? Houji: Ye-yes. I received word of Soujirou’s return, but . . . Soujirou: Now, now, don’t be angry. I’m back, Mr. Shishio. And I brought all the Ten Swords in Eastern Japan. Shishio: It’s been a while, Anji. Have you completed your training? Anji: Yes. Shishio: Henya, I've been waiting for you. Your skills haven’t gotten rusty, have they? Henya: Hardly. Shishio: Iwanbou, you look as stupid as ever. Iwanbou (grinning): Gufu. Shishio (coming to Aoshi): And you . . . You’re the first outsider ever to enter this fortress. Welcome. Aoshi: Let me say this now so we’ll have no misunderstandings. I’m here only for information about Battousai. I have absolutely no intention of working for you. Shishio: Well, that should be fine. I have a little theory about you. Everyone has their own position in life. There are those born to lead, those born to follow, and those, incompatible with anyone, born to live alone. I don’t need someone like you working for me. Someone who keeps to themselves is the key to dissolving an organization. But I like you. So what are we going to do? On the one hand, I could offer you information about Battousai. Aoshi: Or, I could help you destroy Battousai. Shishio: Don’t be impatient. You can fight Battousai purely of your own free will. You'll be doing it for us both. Aoshi: In other works, not as your underling, but your equal. (They stare each other down for a moment.) Aoshi: Do you have news of Battousai? Houji: After the fight with Chou we haven’t heard a thing . . . Aoshi (turning for the door): Then I have no need to speak with you. Soujirou: There is a clue. The old man you met, Mr. Shinomori. Wouldn’t he be in contact with Mr. Himura? So if we attacked the Aoiya and torture him, I’m sure he’ll have a thing or two to tell us. Shishio: Hmm. If that’s true . . . what are you going to do, Okashira? (Flashback.) Aoshi: Is Misao asleep? Hanya: Yes. Are you sure about this? When she wakes up I the morning and finds out we’re . . . no, that you’re gone, she’s going to be very unhappy. Aoshi: I’ve entrusted Misao to Okina. I have no worries. But are you sure you want to do this? Shikijou: We’ve been through this, Okashira. Beshimi: The ones we’re leaving here are good merchants. Hyottoko: We’d just be in the way. Hanya: After all, we’re the outsiders who only know how to live in the middle of a fight. Aoshi: . . . I understand. Then there’s nothing more I need to say. From now on, we five will use our strength as spies of the Oniwabanshuu. (returning to the present) Aoshi (thinking): I’ll lay the name of strongest on your graves. (aloud) I don’t care. Battousai’s death is my all. Shishio: Then we have an alliance. Soujirou, find a room for our guest. Soujirou: Yes sir. Shishio: Houji, choose the soldiers for the attack on the Aoiya. The rest of you are free to go. Houji: Is this all right, Lord Shishio? He’s certainly very strong, but it seems as though he once betrayed a comrade. He looks at people as if he were destroying them. Shishio: That’s fine. We’ll be doing some destroying of our own. Houji: I see. Of course. (thinking) It’s true. His spirit cannot live. He is violence incarnate. (At the Aoiya) Omasu (taking in the inn sign): It’s a wild night tonight. Okon: Omasu, where’s Okina? Omasu: Oh, he’s already asleep. Okon: That’s strange. He’s usually up half the night. Omasu: He’s been acting strange lately. Okon: Well, it’s not like he started acting strange today. Omasu (laughing): You’re right. Let’s get to bed too. The Aoiya is in grave danger. Back to Home To Volume Eleven To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction Part 88--Overture to Destruction The destruction of the Oniwabanshuu--that moment is creeping over closer to the Aoiya. Meanwhile . . . . (Hiko and Kenshin leap to the attack; Hiko kicks Kenshin in the back before he can strike.) Hiko: You held the sword high up over your head. Attacks aren’t limited to the sword. You’re relying too much on your speed at reading your opponent’s moves. It's a good thing I decided to test you before I taught you the secret techniques. I wouldn’t have thought you’d be so out of practice. Kenshin: . . . No time. Shishio could be moving in on everyone right now. I have to learn the techniques before that happens. (In reply, Hiko sheaths his sword.) Kenshin (thinking): Battou-jutsu, taking the sheath from the belt in that stance . . . Hiten Mitsurugi Second-level Battou-jutsu Souryuusen. (He holds his sword vertically downward to block.) Kenshin (thinking): The sheath first--oh no. Another second-level battou-jutsu. The attack with the sword from the scabbard-blow. Souryuusen Ikatsuchi. (Trapping Kenshin’s sword with the scabbard, Hiko smashes into Kenshin’s shoulder.) Hiko: You think you can learn the secret techniques of the Hiten Mitsurugi school in that condition? Stupid pupil. First fight a round with me. Then I’ll teach them to you. Hey, what’s wrong. I deliberately hit you with the flat, so get up. (Clutching his shoulder, Kenshin turns his glare at him.) Hiko (thinking): Unlike his skills, his gaze hasn’t dulled at all. Just like when I taught him the Hiten Mitsurugi-- (aloud) That was just child’s play. You’ve got some hard training coming up. Kenshin: Huh? (Child’s play?) Hiko: Nothing. Come on and fight. There’s no time. You keep fussing like that and you won’t be in time to save those friends of yours. (Five soldiers, hooded and masked, approach the Aoiya; each has three blades lashed to their left arm to form claws.) Aoshi (in Houji's office): The Kyousoushuu? Houji: They were picked from our soldiers for effectiveness in darkness. They’re a unit of spies who specialize in night attacks. You said the original headquarters of the Oniwabanshuu is now just an inn. Like a rat’s nest. It’d only be a waste to send the Ten Swords. Even a handkerchief is too much to catch rats. Kyousoushuu: We have no use for anyone but the old man. You can kill the others Roger. All right, spread out. (They divide up and enter the Aoiya; two creeps into Okina’s bedroom. He pulls away the bedcovers--) Okina (wide awake and ready): Who are you? (The soldier is stunned.) Okina (standing up): I said, who are you. (The soldier strikes with the claw.) Okina (knocking it aside): Answer (smashing his skull with his fist) the question!! Second soldier: Shit! (The rest of the Oniwabanshuu have him surrounded.) Shiro (catching his arm before he can blow a whistle): You can try, but your friends are all asleep. (They tie him up for questioning.) Shiro: I can see they’re Shishio’s men, but what do they want? And why did they just decide to attack the Aoiya? Omasu (to the soldier): We’re not demons. If you tell us, you can go. (He spits in her face.) Shiro: Bastard!! Okina (holding him back): It’s smart for a spy to keep quiet, but--Okon, get me some candles and a few nails. To cross me, the most terrible of the Oniwabanshuu, is sheer folly. (By the clock in Houji’s office, it’s eight o’clock in the morning.) Houji: They’re late. What could the Kyousoushuu be doing? Soldier (bursting in): Lord Houji!! (They hurry to the front gate. The captured soldier stands there; candles have burned down on his hands, coating them with dripping wax.) Houji: They--they can’t have been defeated? (The soldier falls; in the flesh of his back are the words: I’ll be waiting at the lookout. Come alone. Okina.) Aoshi: It will take a large handkerchief to destroy these rats. Okina of the Oniwabanshuu was my teacher and the only one who could stand before the previous Okashira. I don’t know if even the Ten Swords you’re so proud of could win . . . (thinking) As I thought, I’ll have to go myself. Okina (thinking, as he dons his battle gear): I told you, Aoshi. If you have sacrificed the honor of the Oniwabanshuu for the sake of violence, I’ll destroy you myself!! Back to Home To Volume Eleven To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction Part 89--Aoshi versus Okina (Aoshi stands on a hill overlooking the city.) Aoshi (thinking): A natural high ground from which you can see all of Kyoto. The Kyoto Oniwabanshuu’s lookout. (Behind him is a small one-room house. He enters; Okina is waiting for him.) (Misao pounds up the path to the house. Flashback--) Misao: You’re lying!! Hanya and the others can’t be dead. It’s a lie! Kaoru: It’s not a lie. The four of the Oniwabanshuu died protecting Shinomori Aoshi. Misao: Beshimi and Hyottoko maybe, but Hanya couldn’t have died so easily! Kaoru (thinking): What a way to talk. Yahiko: I saw how strong Hanya was. But it doesn’t matter when your opponent has a Gatling gun. It’s true. They really died . . . Kaoru: Shinomori Aoshi went after Kenshin to prove that the Oniwabanshuu deserved to be called the strongest. Kenshin told me this himself, so I’m sure of it. But it seems to have backfired . . . Misao! (Misao runs off for the Aoiya.) Misao (thinking): I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it. How could they all die . . . Gramps’ network can find out if it’s true or not. (throwing open the doors) Gramps! (Omasu and Kuro are fixing the hole in the floor made last night.) Omasu: Um, Okina’s kind of, um . . . Misao: What happened to the floor? Omasu. Uh. Well, you see, Okina was talking in his sleep and did his "Sexy Commando!" punch and--Misao! (Misao pushes past her and roots through a closet for a certain box. Finding it empty--) Misao: Answer me. Omasu. What is he doing? If Gramps took out his battle gear in this day and age, something is going on! Okina: Are you ready, Aoshi. Aoshi: Yes . . . To destroy a former comrade . . . I have already prepared. (He draws the kodachi.) Okina (thinking): Two-kodachi style . . . (aloud) The technique mastered by the previous Okashira alone . . . you are truly well called a genius. But when genius is warped, it harms only the ordinary. You will be destroyed. (Houji reports to Shishio, as Yumi and Soujirou play shogi.) Shishio: So the attack on the Aoiya was a failure . . . Houji: I must apologize. I foolishly underestimated them . . . In recompense Ten Swords Houji of the Hundred Sense will go himself . . . Shishio: There’s no need. I’ve already sent Shinomori Aoshi. Houji: But-- (Soujirou: Check. Yumi: Ooh!) Shishio: I have no need for his interference. Your life is more important. By the way, Houji. Do you believe in hell? Houji: Hell . . . ? No. Good men and evil man are made of the same flesh. In the end, they both rot and return to earth. Shishio: I might have known you’d be so rational. But the truth is, I believe in Hell. Take the legendary Hitokiri Battousai. This Okina is taking off his mask of a friendly old man to destroy Shinomori Aoshi, who lives only to say that he killed Battousai. And the Meiji government, who cast me into the flames to conceal their own sins. While these men of violence wash away blood with blood crawl upon this world, is it not suitable to call it Hell? (He gets up and walks towards him.) Shishio (pulling off one glove): I don’t think you’re prepared for this. After all, there’s no getting out of Hell alive. Houji, you’re in need of purification. (Aoshi attacks with the two kodachi; Okina blocks.) Aoshi (thinking): He’s hiding something in his sleeve. (Okina attacks, hitting Aoshi across the temple.) Aoshi: Tonfa!! Okina: You know I was the only one who could face the previous Okashira, Aoshi. I can’t kill with a sword. These steel tonfa are my answer. Your Kodachi Nitou style won’t get through. (Aoshi says nothing; he blurs until he seems to be everywhere at once, surrounding Okina.) Okina: Flowing-water movement. Moving at different speeds to confuse your enemy’s vision. It used to be a favorite technique of mine. However you move, in the instant that you attack, you think you can harm me? Take this! (He strikes; Aoshi counters with one sword.) Kodachi Nitou Onmyuo Kousa! (He uses the other kodachi to drive the first through the tonfa, cutting it in half.) Aoshi: What couldn’t get through was the previous Okashira’s Kodachi Nitou. Be it steel, or a former comrade, or Himura Battousai . . . there is nothing my Kodachi Nitou cannot cut through. Back to Home To Volume Eleven To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translation Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction Part 90--A Death-place of Fresh Blood Omasu: The lookout! Okina is fighting Aoshi there! Misao (thinking as she takes off running): I have to stop them! If Gramps and Aoshi are fighting for real it won’t end without someone really getting hurt. I’ve got to stop them somehow! Kuro: I wonder if that was the right thing to do. Omasu: I know. If we left now, we wouldn’t make it in time. But even so, she has to do all she can. The person she’s closest to and the person she most loves . . . she’s about to lose one of them. (Okina is knocked to the floor.) Okina (thinking): He’s strong . . . he doesn’t even compare to the Aoshi I knew. All his emotion abandoned, transformed into a thing of violence, all his latent power has come out . . . Aoshi: Tell me where Battousai is, Okina, and it ends here. Okina: You mock me . . . I may be an old man but I am the spy Okina of the Oniwabanshuu. I would never betray a comrade to an enemy! Aoshi: Then I will destroy you here. And I’ll go on to the Aoiya to question the other four . . . Okina: You will not! (thinking) Aoshi. Your strength already exceeds that of the old Okashira. Bur for that very reason, if it cost me my life, I must destroy you. For Himura, and to protect Japan from demons like Shishio. (Shishio advances on Houji, hand outstretched. Houji, backed against a wall, can only scream.) Shishio: Shut up. (He presses his palm against Houji’s forehead.) Houji (thinking): What . . . this . . . how can his temperature be so high . . .?! What on earth . . . Shishio: Ten years ago when my entire body was burned, my sweat glands were completely destroyed. I lost the ability to regulate my body heat through perspiration. According to the doctors, I shouldn’t be able to live sustaining such a high temperature. It’s what I have left from the flames of Hell. It’s not just my arms. Legs. Belly. Chest. My entire body continues to burn. And of course, (pointing to his head) here as well. So my voice became pure heat, without a trace of coolness. And one day I began to speak the truth. Man’s true nature is violence, and this world is Hell. Shishio: Himura Battousai denies his true nature and desperately clings to reason. The new government hides the sins of the past and deceives Meiji Japan with its ideals. Equally small, equally fragile. I raise my voice with my blazing-hot mind, "This is wrong." Only through violence can we live with the capacity to be a strong nation. This is indeed Hell. You’re shaking, Houji. Are you scared? Houji: No, quite the reverse. I’m shaking with joy . . . All those I’ve met serving the new government were shrunken fools, hardly worth remembering. But I finally chanced to meet a man of true caliber, greater than I had ever imagined. I’m honored to build a new Japan with this man! Shishio: You’re ready . . . I’m relying on you, Houji. Yumi (thinking): So another one loyal to violence is born. Aoshi: Give up. With only one tonfa you have no chance of victory. (He stabs with one kodachi; Okina catches the blade with his bare hand.) Okina: Come on, Aoshi. Even with one tonfa, one blow with all my strength behind it in such close quarters tells a different story! Ensatsu Goukoukon (He strikes.) Okina (thinking): How was that . . . ! (Aoshi retains his stance.) Okina (thinking): The kodachi reversed! Not good. This stance is the secret Kaiten Ken-- Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren (The kodachi fly. Misao throws open the door.) Misao: I . . . made it . . . (Okina collapses, bleeding in a dozen places.) Aoshi: It’s over. Back to Home To Volume Eleven To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction Part 91--Misao’s Resolve (Okina, heavily bandaged, is sleeping; Misao kneels beside him. Everyone else is clustered outside the door.) Shiro: He took stitches all over his body, 138 in all. The doctor said it’s a miracle he’s alive . . . Kaoru: In other words, it’s mysterious that he didn’t die. Shiro: He didn’t let up on him at all . . . . (Flashback. Misao opens the door on the scene.) Aoshi: It’s over. (He walks past her into the forest.) Misao: Lord Aoshi!!! Aoshi (without turning around): Get out of here. And never show your face to me again. Omasu: Is she crying? Okon: Probably. Yahiko: No way, she’s got more balls than that. (The Aoiya people bite his head off.) Shiro: No, she’s really crying! Misao’s only sixteen! Omasu: Exactly! She’s usually pretty rough, but she’s really delicate! Okon: And what are you talking about balls to a girl anyway? Misao: SHUT UP! EVERYONE BE QUIET! Omasu (in the aftermath): It’s probably better not to talk now. Kaoru: Yes. While she sorts out her feelings. After that we can talk all we want. (Flashback: Kaoru and Yahiko have gone to the Aoiya after Misao has run off.) Kaoru: Shinomori Aoshi and Mr. Okina! So Misao’s-- Omasu: Gone to stop them. She’s fast, but probably-- Shiro: It’s been a while. It’s probably already been settled. (He pulls out a pocket watch to check the time; reflected on its surface is Aoshi walking towards them.) Aoshi: You know where Himura Battousai is. Kuro: O . . . Okashira . . . Shiro: You’re here . . . Omasu: Okina . . . Aoshi: Answer me. Or I’ll kill you. Okon: What do we do . . . Kuro: Even Okina couldn’t stand up to him . . . Shiro: If we all attacked at once . . . (Yahiko steps forward.) Yahiko: Shinomori Aoshi. I thought you were above this. (A long pause.) Aoshi: You’ve got guts, at least. (pushing the kodachi out of its sheath a little) You know where Battousai is too. Yahiko: Yeah, I know, but Kenshin’s in the middle of some important training. Are you going to teach him how to be killed? Fine!! Even if you don’t find him, Kenshin will fight you again someday! And this time he’ll defeat you! Kaoru: Yahiko’s right. So don’t raise your sword up anymore. Not this sword which you’ve used against so many people. It is a villain's sword that will only bring you misery. Aoshi: I don’t care if it is a villain's sword. If it kills Battousai, it’s good enough. I’ll wait at Shishio’s headquarters. Tell Battousai that. (He walks off.) Shiro: Lord Aoshi has fallen completely to the path of violence. Okon: What are we all going to do now . . . Omasu: I don’t know. But whatever happens, we’ll help Misao to settle her heart. (There is a letter sitting next to Misao. She remembers Omasu handing it to her, saying, "Okina left you this. He said if anything happened to him to give this to you.") Ciao, my pretty darling Misao. (Misao about dies of embarrassment.) If you’re reading this, I have probably left his world. But, there's nothing to be sad about. I prepared to destroy my enemy and prepared to be destroyed by him. As of today, the Oniwabanshuu is dissolved. After this, it is all up to Himura. Forget about the Oniwabanshuu and about Aoshi. Find happiness as a normal girl, living a normal life. Good luck. (Misao gets to her feet, marches to the closet, and removes her clothes.) Omasu: Stop, Misao, that’s immodest! Kaoru: Misao have you gone mad?! Okon: You men turn your backs!! (Misao dons full battle gear.) Misao (thinking): I’m sorry Gramps. I was born and raised in the Oniwabanshuu. For me, it’s my family and my friends. (aloud) All right, everyone. From now on, we, the Oniwabanshuu, will go on as before. We and Himura will stop the ambitions of Shishio’s faction. (thinking) Without the Oniwabanshuu I could have no happiness! (aloud) Whoever our enemy is, even Lord Aoshi, we will destroy him! (thinking) I will protect the Oniwabanshuu. From now on no one is going to die. (aloud) From now on, instead of Shinomori Aoshi, I am the new Okashira! Everyone: WHAT??? (That’s crazy!) Kaoru: That’s absolutely ridiculous. Stop talking like that! Omasu: She’s right, Misao. Just-- Misao: Not Misao! Okashira! Kyoto Police Headquarters Chief: It must have been a long trip. You’re later than we expected. Saitou: I had some business to take care of. Chief, the swordsman from Shishio you just captured-- Chief: Ah, in the very bottom cell. (Saitou turns) Um, wait a minute, Fujida. Before you go there’s a little matter for you to take care of. A week ago, there was a big fight in town and we took this guy in, but . . . whatever we say, he just sits there. We can’t get him to move. Could you do something? Sanosuke (behind bars in the cell behind him): Heh heh. Just like I wanted. ‘Stead of stumbling around in the dark, I made some trouble for the police to get ahold of you. Quickest way I could think of to find Kenshin. Saitou: It’s you . . . Sanosuke: You got it. Sagara Sanosuke arrives in Kyoto with style! Back to Home To Volume Eleven To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction Part 92--The Rooster and the Broom Sanosuke: Well, it was kind of a gamble whether you'd come to Kyoto or not. When I thought about it, I didn't know if you'd set Kenshin on him yourself or what. Hey, you could look a little more pleased to see me. I did some training on the treacherous Nakasen Way. Saitou: ? Sanosuke: Thanks to my getting lost, this guy pushed me a lot farther than I really needed to go. (turning to the audience) When I checked with Kenshin, I found out he went by the easy Toukai Way, so think about that before you start finding fault. That's why, Saitou! I'm gonna show you the fruits of my training! Chief: Do you know this person? Saitou: No, not at all. (They turn away.) Sanosuke: Hey, wait!! Saitou: It's easy to mistake one person for another when you're angry. He's just in the way, so leave him down here for a while. Sanosuke: Running away, eh? Open this door or I'll open it myself! All right! (The wooden bars shatter.) Sanosuke: Surprised, huh? Try making fun of me again and I'll do the same to you. Chief: Why you-- Saitou: Chief. I'll settle this myself. Wait for me upstairs. Sanosuke: I've got a lot of things I want to ask you, but first we'll settle the fight we started in Tokyo and--hey!! (Saitou, totally ignoring him, examines the broken edges of the wooden bars.) Saitou: . . . I see. The technique's basis is similar to the sukashi of karate, but with so much more force that they can hardly be compared . . . So what happened to the basics of defense I told you to learn? (Sanosuke looks blank, then shrugs. Saitou grabs the front of his shirt.) Sanosuke: Since when do I have to listen to what you say! Defense just isn't my thing! I'll fight you my way! (Saitou tosses down the piece of wood and turns away again.) Saitou: I don't have any men to spare, but even so--you're useless to me. Sanosuke: Running away again! Saitou: I'm very busy. I don't have time to play with you. Sanosuke: Well, guess it's my win by default then. Saitou: If that's what you want to think. Sanosuke: Ah, I knew you wouldn't go for it! C'mon, fight me! Fight me! (He stops as Saitou unlocks the far door.) Sanosuke: Aren't those cells even worse than these ones? Saitou: Correct. Inside is the first important prisoner of this case. He was captured soon after Battousai arrived in Kyoto. He's from the elite corps directly under Shishio, one of the Ten Swords. He goes by the name Sword-Hunter Chou. (Chou sits in the cell with a leg-iron and hands confined by a board with two holes in it.) Chou: God, you guys are loud. I was trying to get a little sleep, can't you keep it down? Saitou: You have time to spare. I have some questions for you now. Chou: Well, whatever you say. Saitou: Something happened yesterday in Kobe. The troops to put down Shishio were finally assembled. There were about fifty swordsmen, picked by me from the army and the police. Yet one man, working completely alone, killed them all in a single night. Thanks to him, I've lost almost all of our fighting power. Is there someone among Shishio's followers who could have done this? Answer me. Chou: That's easy--of course there is. He's right under your nose. Chou of the Ten Swords. And before breakfast, too. Saitou: You don't want to answer me seriously? Chou: Oh, and here I was being serious, too. Saitou: Then I won't be using my influence to make any bargains for your release, in exchange for answering my questions? Chou: Suit yourself. I've got no regrets about the outside world Sanosuke: So you're scared of Shishio? Even if you were released, once he heard you screwed up and got captured by the enemy, you wouldn't live much longer. You're probably safer in here. Chou: You're really starting to annoy me, rooster-head. Sanosuke: You're the one who's annoying. Even though you're a coward, you've always got to have the last word, don't you, broom-head. (Saitou pictures a farmer chasing a rooster with a broom.) Chou: I'm not scared of Lord Shishio and I'm not scared to die. I'd just hate to be told what to do by a boring guy like you. Sanosuke: Your luck just ran out. Now that I'm in Kyoto I'm in a really bad mood. Whether I'm boring or not, let's have this out in a good clean fight, broom-head! Chou: I was hoping you'd say that, rooster-head! (Saitou smokes, ignoring the tumult.) Chou: Rooster! Sanosuke: Broom! Chou: Rooster! Sanosuke: Broom! Chou: All right! If you beat me I'll answer your questions! But when you lose you won't know what the hell happened to you! Hey, bamboo-screen face! Quit standing there like an idiot and give us a signal. Saitou: Even if you know no fear, don't go too far. (He tosses away his cigarette; as it hits the floor Sanosuke and Chou charge.) Sanosuke (thinking): The leg-iron-- Chou (swinging his right leg forward): Like I said, once you lose, you won't know what the hell-- (The ball strikes Sanosuke in the face--with no effect.) Chou (thinking): What-- (Sanosuke punches--connecting with the wooden handcuffs.) Sanosuke: If you can't use your hands it's not a fair fight. Let's try this again. Chou: You . . . you were going for the handcuffs all along . . . Sanosuke: If you're complaining, I'll take the leg-iron off too. Chou: Damn . . . (turning away) Boring! Sanosuke: What! Chou: Guys like you are the ones I really hate. I'll talk. Ask your questions and get the hell out of here. Saitou: All right, let's begin. Sanosuke & Chou (thinking): Damn. In the end he's the one that won. Saitou: Second question. The first was the the incident I just mentioned. The other is, does Shishio have any other plans for the destruction of Kyoto? Back to Home To Volume Eleven To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction Part 93--That Name is Usui (The guard outside Shishio's headquarters is seized, his throat swiftly cut. A blindfolded figure walks down the path inside.) Chou: A man who could kill fifty picked men in one night. There are two men like that in the Ten Swords. Sanosuke: Two . . . that's not that many. Chou: If he did it in one night, that probably means it took him one or two hours. I could have done it without a time limit. Sanosuke: Or it's possible that all the Ten Swords were behind it. How about that? You're probably the worst of them. Chou: All right, let's settle this! Fight me, you rooster head! Sanosuke: I was hoping you'd say that, broom head! Saitou: All right, but make it quick and go on with your story. Chou: Of the two, one is Soujirou the Tenken, the one who's always smiling. Saitou (thinking): I thought it might be him . . . Chou: He's young, but he's been with Lord Shishio the longest. The story goes h met Lord Shishio when he was running from the government. That's why of all the Ten Swords Lord Shishio trusts him the most and gave the assassination of Okubo Toshimichi to him. But he didn't do this. After Soujirou assassinated Okubo, he was supposed to gather the Ten Swords scattered in Eastern Japan. Not only would it be strange to attack Kobe, in the opposite direction, there just wouldn't be enough time. Sanosuke: So who was it? Quit making such a big deal out of it and say it. Remember who's in charge here. Saitou: You keep quiet. So among the Ten Swords there's someone else equal to Seta Soujirou. He was responsible? Chou: Yes, I'm sure of it. Of all the Ten Swords, he's the one Lord Shishio is the most cautious of. (Inside Shishio's headquarters. The bodies of several guards are sprawled in the corridor.) Guard: The intruder is gone! We lost sight of him! There's no one here! He disappeared! Houji: I apologize, Lord Shishio. Yumi: This would happen while the boy's gone! Houji: The Ten Swords are lying in ambush. It won't be much longer. Shishio: There's no need for that. I would hate for the Ten Swords to fight among themselves. It's his work. He's probably already here. Houji: To attack his own comrades . . . I can't believe he would . . . (The blindfolded figure is clinging to the ceiling directly above Shishio.) Yumi: Lord Shishio! (The figure strikes; Shishio draws his sword, deflecting his blow.) Shishio: You've gotten better. Houji: It's you, Usui!! Saitou: Usui the Blind Sword . . . Chou: Yes. Before the new age he was a swordsman of incredible skill who was used by the Bakufu to counter the Hitokiri. He cut down many famous killers, but when he fought Lord Shishio, he was slashed across both eyes, blinding him. After that, he trained for revenge against Lord Shishio until he mastered the greatest sense of kenjutsu, the opening of the Mind's Eye. And now-- Usui: What are you so mad about, boy? If you leave a weakness, you shouldn't care if I use it. That's what I joined forces with Shishio for. Isn't that right? Houji: I'm well aware of that! I'm angry you broke in and slaughtered the guards! Usui: If I fight with the strength of a thousand, it's settled. Whether I meet fifty soldiers or those weaklings. Oh, speaking of fifty soldiers, a suspicious unit of fifty men were gathering in Kobe, so I killed them. Houji: What . . . ! I've told you to stop acting on your own-- Shishio: Usui. A man with a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek and a tall thin wolf-like man-- they were not among them? Usui: They were just fifty common soldiers. Shishio: They are the Ten Swords' greatest enemies. Usui: I see . . . Then when you and those two come together it will truly be settled . . . Chou: Soujirou the Tenken and Usui the Blind Sword . . . the strongest of the Ten Swords without a doubt. But Soujirou would never act without Lord Shishio's command. In that way, he's safe. You look pretty tough, but Usui could beat you. Saitou: Hmm . . . He sounds interesting. Well, one more question. Yesterday we received word of Shishio's plans for the destruction of Kyoto, but no details. What is he doing in Kyoto? Chou: The Ikedaya affair. You know about it? Saitou: It's common knowledge. June 1865. After setting Kyoto ablaze, Ishin Shishi extremists assassinated important members of the Bakufu who opposed them at the Ikedaya inn. The Emperor was transported to Choushuu. Here, where they were holding a secret conference to raise an army, the plan for a strong attack was countered by the Shinsengumi. It's known as the Ikedaya affair. Although the unit of assassins called the Miburo were hated, they risked their lives to protect Kyoto from the great fire. It was the Shinsengumi's greatest achievement, making their unique fighting ability legendary. Chou: The loyalists set fire to the Thousand Year Castle to stop the Shinsengumi. Lord Shishio plans to destroy Kyoto the same way. Kyoto will be surrounded by 500 soldiers and burned to the ground. In the confusion, the Ten Swords will eliminate all important members of the government. Just as Lord Shishio was burnt by his own comrades in the time of the Bakumatsu, we'll return the outrage exactly as they did. As suits Lord Shishio, it will be a declaration of war tinged with irony. Chou: We'll begin when all Ten Swords are gathered. The day is near. Saitou: I see. The Emperor was moved to Tokyo. But ever since the Tento decree was issued, Kyoto has been Japan's center . . . Even without that, the Thousand Year Castle is the spiritual capital of Japan. If it is not guarded, the people will lose their faith in the government at a single stroke. Sanosuke: The government can go to hell. Chou: What, are you still here? Sanosuke: I'm here! If Kyoto goes up in flames, the ones with the biggest problems aren't going to be the government. It's going to be the people that live here. Ten years ago it was destroyed in the violence of the Bakumatsu and the Boshin War . . . They've only now managed to find peace and prosperity. If someone screws with them again, they'll lose everything they gained. Shishio's men or the government, all they do is screw with people's lives! By the character of evil on my back, Kyoto is not gonna burn! Saitou! I'll settle with you later. First we've got to find Kenshin! Saitou: You may settle it however you like. I'm already done here. For the spirits of the wolves who fought under the flag of Loyalty, I will stop the burning of Kyoto. (pause) Saitou: What. Sanosuke: Can't believe that was you. I thought I was dreaming. Saitou: . . . Right. Well, stop beating it to death and go find Battousai! (Idiot.) Sanosuke: Wait a minute, was that an order?! (I'm no underling of yours!) Overture to Destruction--End Back to Home To Volume Eleven To Volume Twelve