Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Fifteen--The Giant Against the Great Man from the front flap-- Watsuki (holding a five hundred yen coin and weeping with joy): JIM LEE!!!!! Kamatari: Sensei, you’re so weird. (Just like me!) AT A SIGNING Last month, I went to a signing for Jim Lee, the great American comic book artist. When I bought his book, I dropped a 500 yen coin and it rolled away . . . Through the help of the interpreter, he picked it up and gave it back to me!! This coin has made me happier than any autograph could. It’s my manga-artist’s good-luck charm; I’m going to keep it with me always and have myself buried with it. But, in that tense moment, I forgot to look at his face. Oops. Part 121--Attack and Defense of the Aoiya (In Shishio’s headquarters; Aoshi lies motionless with a gash across his chest.) Kenshin: Can you stand? Aoshi: . . . Not just yet. I can’t move--it’s like my entire body is beyond pain.. Only my head is clear. It’s a strange, light feeling . . . The Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki. The succession technique has great power. But it is forbidden to use it lightly. The full weight of the stroke on the body is twice that of several lesser techniques. But no matter how strong the technique is, if your enemy knows what it is, its strength will be cut in half. Kenshin: Yes, I know . . . (Sanosuke smashes the telegraph.) Sanosuke: All right, there’s one less thing we have to worry about. Yumi: Hmph. Sanosuke (yelling): There’s no time, Kenshin! Let’s get outta here! Aoshi: Go. I’ll catch up with you soon. (They pound off down the hall.) (The four members of the Oniwabanshuu have been flung down by the unharmed Iwanbou.) Iwanbou: Me--me strong! Misao: Guys!! Okina: Don’t abandon your position, Misao! Everyone’s fine! Just hold out a little longer, until the police get here! Just be patient! Kamatari: Oh, the police? Hm, I wonder if they’ll be able to make it. (In another part of town, the police station is consumed by fire, as officers flee the building.) Police: It’s--it’s a demon--! Saitsuchi (perched on the demon’s shoulder): Heh heh heh. That was childishly simple. They ran like scared rats. Well, Fuji, isn’t it about time we got to the Aoiya? (At the Aoiya) Kamatari (to Misao): Well, since your guys are all right, why don’t we get started? You’ll be tired out soon enough. Kaoru: She’s just trying to make you mad. Misao: I know, but I can’t just let this go. Just so I can back you guys up a little sooner, I’m gonna destroy this scythe-girl! Kamatari: Scythe girl? (He giggles.) There seems to be a slight mistake. (He lifts the front of his kimono.) I’m not a scythe-girl. I’m a scythe boy. (Misao screams.) Kaoru: What’s WRONG with you, Misao? Misao (weakly): El--elephant . . . it’s a freakin’ elephant . . . Kamatari (primly rearranging his kimono): (Actually, that was a little embarrassing.) How cute, she’s blushing. Could it be the first time you’ve seen one? Misao: No! When I was little I saw Gramps in the bath once! It’s just that that was a little bigger than his, so I was just kinda startled! (Okina: Stupid girl . . . ) Kamatari: Oh I see. Well, let’s put all that behind us. Well? Come on, come on. Misao (boiling mad): I’ll GET you for that!! Kaoru (holding her back): Calm down! If you let him get to you you’re just playing into his hands! Yahiko: What the hell do you guys think you’re doing?? Kaoru, I’m fine, you get him! You can’t leave Misao on her own! Kaoru: Yahiko! Wait a minute! Why don’t I take him and you team up with Misao-- Yahiko: If I can’t do anything on my own what was the point of putting me through all that training? Have a little faith in your student! Kamatari (shrugging): I don’t care. Two, one, men, women, whatever. Okina (thinking): There’s no help for it. Misao can’t fight on her own like this. We’ll have to do as Yahiko says for now. Kaoru: All right. I’ll trust you now. But you have a lot of training under the Kamiya Kasshin school still to go. I won’t let you end it here. Yahiko: Of course not! Kaoru: Good. Let’s get ‘em, Misao! (Yahiko turns to face Henya. Henya looks disappointed.) Yahiko: Hey! You sighed just now! You’re wearing a mask but I can tell! Henya: I had reason to sigh. I, one of the exalted Ten Swords, am facing down a single brat. I had hoped to fight with this swordsman of the Hiten Mitsurugi school who dances through the heavens with the speed of the wind. But I am here, at Lord Shishio’s command. (turning away) There is nothing for me here! (Yahiko looks grim.) Yahiko: I, Myoujin Yahiko, am, as you say, nothing but a brat. I said I’d try fighting you even though I’m young. I’ve seen Himura Kenshin with my own eyes. I’ve seen him fight more often and from closer up than anyone! And if you’d turn your back on a brat, you could never take Kenshin! You think you can kill me that easy, come on and try it! Henya: Listen, boy. If you wish to rush to your death, fine. But I will not kill you outright! I, Soaring Henya of the Ten Swords, will make you regret this while you live! Back to Home To Volume Fifteen To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Fifteen--The Giant Against the Great Man Part 122--Boy’s Fight Yahiko: Oh, so now you’re all "I’m gonna make you regret this"? Saying it and doing it are two different things! Henya: Fool. I said anyone could kill you with one shot. With this-- (He drops a stick of dynamite; Yahiko loses him in the smoke.) Henya: I can do this! (He reappears in the air directly above Yahiko, wings spread.) Henya: This is the fighting style of Soaring Henya of the Ten Swords--Hikuu Happa! I’ve taken the use of weapons to the limits--humans have a natural blind spot above their heads! You can’t counterattack when your enemy is above you! (He drops several more sticks. Explosions surround Yahiko.) Kamatari (beating out flames): Ow ow ow ow! Watch where you’re throwing those things! Yahiko: Not like I care what happens to that crazy homo, but what the hell do you think you’re doing, hitting your own guy! Kamatari: What was that! Henya (diving straight down): I’m just sacrificing a pawn. (He drives his elbow into Yahiko’s shoulder; Yahiko strikes back but Henya soars out of reach.) Kaoru (thinking): He’s squeezed his own flesh and bones until he’s light enough to sail on the force of his explosions and attack from above! Yahiko can’t win against that! (aloud) Yahiko! Kamatari: Turn your back on me, and I’ll split you in half. (Kaoru freezes.) You can’t jump in and save him. Anyway, you’re all going to die in the end. Misao (sending out a stream of daggers): Says who! (Kamatari catches them in midair.) Kamatari: Why don’t the two of you try me together? Since you went to all the trouble of setting up a two-on-one fight. (More explosions; Shishio’s men scatter for cover.) Yahiko: Dammit! (thinking) What with this blind spot above, I’m completely exposed. I can’t strike upwards. But if I could--that bat-bastard. He doesn’t think I could hit him even once, so if I could get in just one good hit . . . Kenshin could jump higher than those explosions. I’m pretty light, but I can’t do that. If I had wings like him--no, not wings, but something I could use instead! (A huge explosion knocks him back towards the Aoiya.) Henya: I’m about out of ammo. Time to finish this. Okina: That’s enough, Yahiko! Get inside! Hide inside the Aoiya! Yahiko (thinking): Run? No way. I haven't even gotten a single hit . . . I was left here as a key part of the defenses. Even if I can't jump as high as Kenshin, even if I can’t beat this guy--I am NOT running away! (The greatest explosion of all goes off at his feet.) Henya: Idiot. None can stand before my Hikuu Happa. Hmm . . . with the ammo I’ve got left, I might as well take out the others. Kaoru: Yahiko . . . Yahiko: I’ve got you. (Using a screen door to catch the updraft, Yahiko is coasting above Henya.) Henya: That brat--used a door instead of wings--? Yahiko: Learned-by-watching Ryuutsuisen! (He breaks his shinai across Henya’s back--Henya plummets to the ground.) Misao: He did it! Okina: Learned by watching . . . on top of all his days of training, he's watched Himura fight all kinds of strong adversaries. He's two or three times better than he would have been . . . Kaoru (thinking): I had no idea he'd be able to pick up Kenshin's favorite move, the Ryuutsuisen. Yahiko: Ow . . . dammit. I didn't think about how I was going to land . . . Kaoru (thinking): He's really getting better! Yahiko: Kay, so maybe I'm not as good as Kenshin. Back to Home To Volume Fifteen To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Fifteen--The Giant Against the Great Man Part 123--Girls’ Fight (The soldiers look nervously at the unconscious body of Henya.) Soldiers: No way . . . one kid beat Henya . . . Yahiko: All right! Two to go! (His voice gets weaker--we see a huge bleeding gash across his back.) Let’s give ‘em . . . all we . . . (He collapses.) Kaoru: Yahiko!! Kamatari: Like I said. You’re all gonna die in the end. (Kaoru turns from Yahiko to face down Kamatari.) Misao: Kaoru! Kaoru: It’s okay. Yahiko isn’t going to die so easily. Just watch yourself. We’re up next! Kamatari: Hmm. You seem a little different from that temperamental little girl here. Misao: LITTLE-- Kaoru (stifling Misao): I’m not so different. It’s just that when I take off my ribbons and put on my fighting gear, I’m neither a man nor a woman. I prepare myself for battle as an ordinary swordsman. Maybe you’re the same. Kamatari: Maybe so. But not in strength. There’s a huge difference between Kamatari the Great Scythe of the Ten Swords and an ordinary swordsman. Kaoru (under her breath): Misao, look at his weapon. Misao: The scythe? What about it? Kaoru: I’m guessing it weighs around eight kan.* That would definitely put it in the class of heavy weapons. So it’s got a lot of power, but it’ll be used in huge swings that leave a lot of holes in his guard. If we aim there . . . I’ll be the bait and draw him out. You take your chance to strike at a vital spot! *8 kan - 30 kilograms - 66 pounds. Misao: Vital spot . . (she remembers a "vital spot" that was exposed recently.) Ohhh! (Revenge is mine!) Kamatari: Well, come on and get it! Kaoru: You don’t have to tell me twice! (She charges; Kamatari swings the scythe downward. Kaoru flips over it.) Kaoru: Misao! Misao (dashing in): Right! (Got him!) (The weighted end of the chain snakes around to strike Misao in the ribs.) Kaoru (thinking): Oh no, the chain--(aloud) Misao! (Misao is thrown to the lower roof of the Aoiya.) Kamatari: You were right about the weak point of a heavy weapon, but that won’t work on me. The weapon of Kamatari the Great Scythe is really a great chain scythe. The essence of the chain and scythe is an attack in waves. So-- (He whirls the scythe above his head; the chain whips around, forming a sphere.) Soldiers: Oh, that's it. Lord Kamatari’s killer technique--Midarebenen. Kamatari: It destroys everything it touches, an attack and defense in one. You won’t get through. (Misao lies stunned on the roof.) Misao. Who is that? Miss Misao. Who’s calling me? Battousai kept his promise. Lord Aoshi is coming back . . . (She seems to see Hanya’s ghost for a moment; then she blinks and he is gone.) Misao (thinking): That’s right . . . when I was running around after Lord Aoshi, Hanya was always the one to look after me. Hanya . . . even in the end, you were so worried about me you came back . . . (Kaoru can do nothing but run from Kamatari’s attack.) Misao: Kaoru!! (The pain in her side forces her back to her knees.) Feels like I broke a rib. I can’t fight like this. But--(holding up a double handful of kunai) I’m not going to just roll over and die! That technique keeps you from hitting any vital points, but there’s one I’m gonna hit--! (aloud) Kaoru! Take aim! KANSATSU TOBIKUNAI! Kamatari: It’s futile. (Kaoru strikes.) Kamatari: I told you, it’s futile! (He swings the scythe around to slash through Kaoru, but Kaoru brings her bokutou down on the hilt of a kunai embedded in the scythe handle. Bokutou and scythe handle are broken in half.) Kamatari (thinking): A weapon-breaker! Dammit, I thought they were just trying to get through like before--! Misao: Since the scythe kept us from inflicting any damage, all we could do was destroy it. But my kunai don’t have enough power, and Kaoru’s bokutou couldn’t cut through it. Kaoru: Using the kunai as a wedge, the bokutou could break it with one stroke. Well done, Misao. Misao: It’s cause Lord Aoshi’s coming back, and Hanya’s looking out for me! Kaoru (puzzled): Huh? (Hanya? You okay?) The Makings of the Characters--Kariwa Henya Henya is based on an actual swordsman from the early Tokugawa period, Mappayashi Henyasai. Henyasai was an expert at the jumping movements that would be called acrobatics today. In this respect, he formed a part of Kenshin as well. Henya was originally meant to be introduced in the Megumi story, as one of the Oniwabanshuu, named Tengu. But in my typically haphazard way of finishing a story I missed my chance, so I made him one of the Ten Swords. I thought about a battle in midair with Kenshin, but then I thought "Kenshin’s already got the succession techniques, this is no enemy for him," so I gave him to the one following in his footsteps, namely Yahiko. By the way, a lot of readers wrote me about this chapter, saying Yahiko was too good. Hm . . . I thought this was about right for the potential Yahiko has at this point, but . . . Well, Yahiko is going to be growing up from this point on, so maybe it’s better people think he’s weak now . . . I like the idea of the Hikuu Happa, but there are a lot of other things I wish I’d done with it. For the design, I started out with a bat, and added an aerodynamic head, a little like Cyborg 0002 of 0009. One of my original concepts for the Ten Swords was that other than Soujirou, they shouldn’t be handsome. (Well, Kamatari and Fuji kind of are.) I meant Henya to look like a demon, but when he started to look a little handsome anyway, I thought "This is no good" and tried making him all skin and bone. For this, I referred to the threefold character The Freak from the American comic Spawn, using the madman. Back to Home To Volume Fifteen To the Next Chapter translations by maigo-chan Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Fifteen--A Giant Against a Great Man Part 124--Shadow of a True Desire Misao: Now the tables are turned! Beat ‘em up, Kaoru! Kaoru: Wait, Misao. Kamatari . . . will you surrender? You can’t win now, without your scythe. There's no point in any further. Misao (boiling mad): Hey wait a minute!! I’m not going to agree to that! Not only did that freak humiliate me, he broke my ribs!! Kamatari (to Kaoru): You make me laugh. (waving at the broken bokutou) You can’t win either, can you? Kaoru: That’s not true. The essence of the Kamiya Kasshin school is the sword that protects life. The idea is not to kill your opponent, but to control him. (Holding out the bokutou, now only a foot long) Therefore, one can fight without a blade, even with only a hilt. Kamatari (raising the bladeless staff): You don’t sound like you’re bluffing. But I’ve got a broken-weapon technique too. Misao (thinking): He’s not smiling anymore. (aloud) So Kaoru finally got you to take us seriously. Kamatari: What are you talking about? I took you seriously from the start. Misao: LIAR! Kamatari: It’s true. You can’t be a transvestite half-heartedly. No matter how hard I wish, I can never have a woman’s body, so I’ll never be able to compete with Yumi of the Night. And no matter how hard I train, I’ll never be as good as Soujirou, the best of the Ten Swords. As a man or as a woman, I’ll never be Lord Shishio’s favorite, I’ll always be the odd one out. Since it’s all I can do, I fulfill my duties perfectly. With all of my heart. Fighting for Lord Shishio is all I have! I can’t let anything stop me! (He drives the barbed end of the staff into the links of the chain and twists, pulling it up into a windmill and hurling it at Kaoru.) Honshuu-style Great Scythe techniques Benten Mawashi! (Kaoru dives in under the chain.) Kamiya Kasshin school Tsuka no Gedan--Hiza Hijiki! (She breaks the bokutou across Kamatari’s knee, crushing the kneecap.) Kaoru: I’m sorry . . . but I promised to go back to Tokyo with Kenshin and everyone, and I couldn’t let anything stop me either. It’s over. Tell your troops to draw back. Those who are hurt and cannot move, including you, will be treated . . . Kamatari: You must be joking. (holding a tiny stiletto up to his throat) I could never go back to Lord Shishio in such disgrace. (Misao whacks him across the head with her wrist guard, and he falls unconscious.) Kaoru: Misao .. . Misao: I hate him, and I really don’t get this cross-dressing thing . . . But wanting to fight for the one you love--that I can understand. Kaoru: Sympathy. Soldiers: This is insane . . . First Lord Henya, and now Lord Kamatari, one of the Ten Swords, is defeated by two girls . . . Captain: Don’t lose your heads! There’s still the Round Demon! Lord Iwanbou’s going to fight! Soldiers (chanting): Lord Iwanbou, Lord Iwanbou! Iwanbou (turning to look at them, with a goofy look on his face): Gufu? (They step back, aghast.) Soldiers: No--he’s too stupid!! Run for it!! Iwanbou (finding himself alone): Gufu. (He turns to look at Okon and Omasu, then Kuro and Shiro, then Misao and Kaoru.) Misao: His--his head just turned one-eighty degrees . . . Kaoru: It’s gotta be some kind of illusion. Iwanbou: GUFU!! (He bounces up over the rooftops and away.) Okon: Hey, he ran away! Okina: Don’t bother chasing after him. Our goal is achieved. Good work, everyone. We’ve won. (Suddenly, a massive shadow falls over them.) Saitsuchi: So you routed Kamatari and the others. All the better, then. (A huge sword cuts through the building opposite the Aoiya. Saitsuchi appears, riding in the hand of a giant fully twice as tall as the buildings.) Saitsuchi: That means we have you all to ourselves! The Makings of the Characters--Honjou Kamatari A gay character who fights with a scythe--my assistant started it all with these few words. As I said in the section about Usui in the fourteenth book, most of the Ten Swords started as my assistant's ideas that I developed, and Kamatari was the first we decided on. Well, it’s all very well to decide this, but when I actually thought about it, I couldn’t settle on what to do with him. At first I thought I’d do a character who looked completely masculine but whose personality was all woman, then I thought about one who looked like a totally sexy, sultry woman on the outside but who acted like a guy, and finally a macho, bearded gay; I just kept thinking of things and rejecting them, thinking them up and turning them down, until a friend of mine said "How about a cute girl type?" It’s pretty conventional, but I drew it, and he ended up being tenth in the polls . . . So I tasted another secret at the depths of the art of manga--overthinking an idea. I meant his personality to be more thoroughly light and sunny, but in the end his serious side came out and I changed my mind. (Serious is the next thing to being dark. Soon, I’ll have a bad habit of tending that way, proof that I’m still inexperienced at writing.) Thoroughly sunny plus the character’s thoughts--that’s my task for the next time we meet Kamatari. As for the design, to put it simply, his face is based on Ikari Yui from Evangelion. His body was drawn completely ad-lib, so there was no design. My analysis is that the overall triangular silhouette was influenced by Reirei in Vampire Hunter. Also, the great scythe is a real weapon. But, to get the force you saw, I exaggerated the scythe part quite a bit, and you can’t really wield it like Kamatari does. (Well, you shouldn’t be able to.) The real great scythe is a chain scythe with a long handle and is used like a mix of the usual chain scythe and a chigirigi. It’s an interesting weapon, so I think it would have been more fun to show a more realistic way of fighting with it, so I’m a little disappointed. (by the way "a gay man who fights with a scythe" is "okama no kama-tsukai" in japanese, so it's a little bit of a pun--maigo-chan.) Back to Home To Volume Fifteen To the Next Chapter translations by maigo-chan Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Fifteen--The Giant Against the Great Man Part 125--The Coming (All eyes are on the giant in armor, standing amidst the ruins of the building across from the Aoiya.) Okina: They’d go so far . . . (The Oniwabanshuu looks stunned, staring.) Saitsuchi: Yes, yes. Resignation is the crucial human attribute. They come to meet their doom courageously. Misao (clutching her side): Dammit . . . (thinking) Everyone’s hurt from fighting it out this far. And just when Lord Aoshi was coming back . . .they bring out this freak of nature. (glancing at her) Kaoru . . . Kaoru: I know. I have no intention of giving in. I promised we’d all go back to Tokyo together. But . . . maybe this time . . . it’s not going to work out. Yahiko: NOT YET! (Yahiko has managed to rise to his feet, bleeding and panting hard.) Yahiko: It’s not . . . over yet . . . Kaoru: Yahiko! Yahiko: I’m not giving in till Kenshin comes back! Saitsuchi: Tsk, tsk. That’s why you were finished before you began. You fail to comprehend your situation. It would be hard to bear a death you don’t understand. I’ll explain it to you step by steps, in words you’ll understand. Why you never had a prayer. (holding up one finger) Your situation, from a perfectly logical standpoint, point one. The possibility of Himura Battousai’s return. I calculate that it is close to zero. Lord Shishio will almost certainly defeat him. It's completely obvious that Battousai will fail and lose his life. And we have no instances of the dead returning to this world. Should Himura realize his predicament and turn back, it will take him two or three hours to arrive here. (holding up two fingers) Your situation, from a perfectly logic standpoint, point two. An analysis of your fighting ability. I see. (looking over the unconscious Henya and Kamatari) To have driven back three of the Ten Swords with a force of less than ten, including women and children, is great indeed. This will require a great deal of consideration on our part. But after your battle, you sustain a number of wounds. To put it bluntly, your fighting strength is spent. Your situation, from a perfectly logical standpoint, point three. An analysis of the fighting strength of the Hagun. This is better demonstrated than explained. Fuji? (Fuji raises his enormous sword and brings it down on the Aoiya. It smashes, and Okina is sent flying through the air. The Oniwabanshuu scramble to catch him.) Saitsuchi: From the above three points, we can draw but one conclusion! Your hopes are nil! (shrieking with laughter) All you can do is die! Yahiko: So what. (Saitsuchi gives him a cold glare.) Kaoru: Yahiko. Yahiko: This has nothing to do with logic! No matter what anyone says, I believe in Kenshin! Saitsuchi: The young have an unfortunate tendency to believe the impossible possible and confuse dreams with reality. I explained it for you with great kindness and respect . . . Very well. You will die. (Fuji raises the blade again.) Kaoru: Yahiko! Yahiko (bowing his head, making no effort to escape): Kenshin! Kenshin!! (The clang of metal rings out. Kaoru falls to her knees.) Kaoru: Ya . . . hiko . . . Misao (staring): Ka--kaoru . . . Hiko: Okay, kid. You did good. (Hiko is standing above Yahiko, blocking Fuji’s sword with his own.) Hiko: By believing in my stupid pupil till the end, you won! Back to Home To Volume Fifteen To the Next Chapter translations by maigo-chan Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Fifteen--The Giant Against the Great Man Part 126--The Giant Against the Great Man (Beginning) (Everyone stares in amazement as Hiko holds off the giant’s sword. Hiko grins, and with an extra burst of effort, turns Fuji’s sword aside, cracking it. Hiko and Fuji stare each other down.) Shiro: He didn’t just block that monster’s sword, he turned it aside . . .who is he? Misao: It’s Hiko! Hiko Seijuurou! Himura’s master and current heir of the Hiten Mitsurugi school! When Himura was talking about a backup plan last night, he must have meant him! (Yahiko is still lying on his back, staring up in shock.) Hiko: What’s wrong, kid. Paralyzed with fear now that you’re safe? Yahiko: Shut up! What about you! If you were coming you should have come a little sooner! You just did this to look cool! Hiko (picking him up by the back of his shirt): Complain to my stupid pupil, not me. It’s all his fault for not telling me exactly where this place is. I was wandering all over Kyoto thanks to him. (tossing him to Kaoru) Stand back, this could get rough. Kaoru (hugging Yahiko): Thank you. (Hiko smiles, then turns back to Fuji.) Hiko: Well then . . . shall we begin? Saitsuchi: So, you are that Himura Battousai’s master . . . and you could but brush Fuji’s great sword aside. So, in the end, this is your limit! No matter how great the ant, it is all the same before the mighty elephant. There are none who can stand before the monster of this century, Fuji of the Hagun! Hiko: Give it a rest for a minute, old man. I’m talking to this guy you call Fuji of the Hagun. (A moment of shock--no one, especially Fuji, expected this.) Kaoru: Talk . . . Misao: To that monster? Hiko: That stroke was pretty good, Fuji. You had a good grip at the moment of impact, in keeping with the methods of swordsmanship. A monster or a demon, without a thought in his head, couldn’t have done that. Saitsuchi: Don’t listen to him, Fuji! Listen to what I say! When the whole province banded together to lynch you as a freak, who took you in? That was I! Don’t think about anything else but the debt you owe me! Hiko: Old man! (Saitsuchi is shocked into silence) I’m talking to Fuji. I’ll have a talk with you later. Misao & Yahiko (thinking): He's scary . . . Kaoru (thinking): What a master . . . Hiko: Let’s see, where were we . . . yes, that was a good hit. But as you are now, you’re no match for me. You’ll die hidden in that heavy armor. Misao: So what he wants to say is that he’s good. (What an egomaniac.) (Okon (hearts for eyes): I’m in love!) Kaoru (thinking): Armor . . . ! He’s right . . . no matter how strong he is, he’ll be hampered by the armor. And he’ll unconsciously let down his guard a little with the security of being protected. In other words, even if he puts all of his strength into a blow, it won’t be as great as it could have been . . . Why is he deliberately telling this to that monster? Saitsuchi (desperately): I see your ploy! Don’t be fooled by his lies, Fuji! He’s trying to deceive you! He’s provoking you into losing your presence of mind, tricking you into taking off your armor yourself! Hiko: Feh . . . it must be tough having such a stupid master, Fuji. In payment for saving your life, he got a devoted fighter? That’s pretty good. My stupid pupil could learn a thing or two from you. But isn’t it about time you chose to fight for yourself? Your outlandish strength makes everyone around you a coward. And from your point of view, no matter how hard you wish, just because of that body of yours, you can never have a fair fight. But today it’s a different story. The man you can fight with all your strength and never defeat is standing before your eyes. (Fuji bites down on the chinstrap of his helmet, severing it. His armor falls away. He throws back his head and roars, tears in his eyes.) Kaoru: He’s crying . . . Okina: They’re tears of joy . . . We saw this Fuji only as a monster. We didn’t see the depths of his heart, didn’t recognize his sorrow as a warrior . . . And so this response . . . Hiko Seijuurou. Truly a great man . . . Misao: But isn’t he stronger now that he took off his armor? This is not a good thing! Yahiko: Stupid. This is good. Misao: What’s good about it? Yahiko: I hate to say it, but he’s doing pretty well so far. He’s pretty cool. Saitsuchi (as Fuji places him on the ground): Fuji . . . Fuji (haltingly): A fair fight! Man to man! (He readies his sword; Hiko, grinning, turns to face him.) The Makings of the Characters--Fuji (real name unknown) It seems like he was inspired by Evangelion, but Fuji really stems from the giant god-soldiers in "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind." When I was thinking "Oh man, I gotta get all the Ten Swords out," I saw the TV road show and it hit me--a giant! But my next thought was "Kenshin fighting a giant, how interesting would that be?" and I rejected it. The idea was hard to shake, though, and as I racked my brains over it, I eventually came up with the idea of pitting him against the joker of Ruroken, Hiko, in a kind of side story. When my boss saw the plans for Fuji, his first words were "Are you sure about that?" When the editor saw them, his first words were "Isn’t he a little too big?" As always when there are a lot of doubts, my friends and assistants all said that "It’s cool, it’s fine,"and when I finally tried it, I was really happy at the favorable response. Another part of Fuji came from the Frost Giants of Finnish folk tales (well, I’m not exactly sure that it’s Finnish, but . . .) The idea that giants were not necessarily monsters and that they had hearts formed Fuji’s core, and I went from there. As for the design, I have to admit, I used the Prototype Model from Eva as the basis. I tried a lot of things before I decided on his design, and at first, I just picked my favorite of the Evas, the Production Model, to use for the face. But my assistants all said, "They look too much alike," so it was rejected. Finally Takei Hiroyuki-sensei (from Butsu Zone--he used to be my assistant) couldn’t stand to see me groaning with my head in my hands any longer and suggested a design based on the prototype model, flavored with a skull. I incorporated a helmet with a string he was chewing on and finished the face. I tried to do the body without being all Eva-Eva about it. Those who know will have realized it at once. It’s Dogura Magura from Obata Takeshi-shishou’s "Arabian Lamp Lamp." I said I would combine two conflicting elements, a monster that’s good-looking (well, clean-cut), planning to conquer this lofty goal. . . However I was working on Fuji’s section at a time when my schedule was really intense, and I didn’t have time to polish up the design, so I sort of regret the whole thing. Obata-shishou, I’m really, really, really sorry . . . Back to Home To Volume Fifteen To the Next Chapter translations by maigo-chan Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Fifteen--The Giant Against the Great Man Part 127--The Giant Against the Great Man (End) (All eyes on Hiko and Fuji, who assume battle stances but remain motionless.) Misao: . . . They stopped? Kaoru: It’s their range . . . Misao: Huh? Kaoru (thinking): Probably Fuji’s standing just a step outside of Hiko’s range. And Hiko’s a master, his range will be the very limits of the sword. He isn’t going to make any foolish leap. Fuji can’t move in any further . . . (aloud) This stalemate could go on for a while. Okina: Yes, but the match itself will be over in an instant. (thinking) Careful little strikes against a giant like Fuji will accomplish nothing. Fuji himself must realize that one blow with all his might and main will be most effective. Fuji’s attacking power has been increased by the removal of his armor; will be take Hiko down with the next blow? Or will Hiko dispose of him neatly, cutting through his exposed giant’s body with his sword-- (aloud) In that full moment the match will be decided. Kaoru: Yes, exactly. Misao: No one knows what you're talking about! Oniwabanshuu (looking dazed): The match in an instant . . . If they don’t settle it in an instant, this whole place will be in ruins . . . Misao: Tell me! C’mon, tell me! Yahiko: Everyone’s being stupid, shut up. Hiko Seijuurou is Kenshin’s master. No matter how much we worry, it’s all laid out for us to see. He’ll win. Hiko: What’s the matter? You froze all of a sudden. You scared of me? Fuji (with a bit of a smile): Let’s . . . do it. (He places his other hand on the sword hilt.) Okon: With two hands?! Omasu: Oh no! Saitsuchi: Oh, the other hand! His power is magnified! It becomes still greater! (Fuji roars and brings the blade home. The force of the blow drives everyone back and leaves a great crater in the earth.) Saitsuchi: He did it! Not a trace left! Fuji--I mean, the Hagun is the greatest of all! Hiko (in a swirl of cloak): That stroke was perfect! (He is perched on Fuji’s giant blade, his own sword driven through it for a handhold.) Hiko: But it’s too bad . . . (Fuji smiles faintly, accepting his fate.) Yahiko: Get him!! Hiten Mitsuruji-ryuu Kuzuryuusen! (Fuji’s bleeding body falls to earth.) Yahiko: No mercy . . . (Definitely different from Kenshin.) Misao: You killed him? Hiko: He’s so huge, even that won’t touch him. He’s not gonna die. (Saitsuchi is collapsed under the weight of Fuji’s arm.) Omasu: He doesn’t look like he’s dead either. Kuro: Guys like that never die. Okina: As a fellow old man, I’m embarrassed. Hiko: I don’t know if he’ll live to come back, but I’ve fulfilled my promise to my stupid pupil. You just wait and trust him in. Kaoru: Of course . . . (thinking) Kenshin . . . (Deep in Shishio’s headquarters, Kenshin stops and glances behind him.) Sanosuke: What is it? Kenshin: Nothing . . . I just thought I heard Miss Kaoru’s voice . . . (Both Sanosuke and Yumi check his forehead for fever.) Kenshin (annoyed): I’m not crazy. Sanosuke (as they continue running): I just thought you’d lost so much blood, you were hearing things. ‘Scuse me! Kenshin: But even if I was only imagining it, I feel a little better hearing Miss Kaoru’s voice. I’m sure the Aoiya is fine. Sanosuke: You’re pretty optimistic. (They rush onward down the corridor.) The Makings of the Characters--The Old Man Saitsuchi Fuji is the divine giant-soldier, so Saitsuichi’s inspiration was very different from Kushana. He’s taken from the aforementioned Finnish tale of the Frost Giants, an evil little man who tricks the giants. Add to this the pilot of the giant robots and you have Saituchi. Fuji was never a villain to begin with, so I feel a little sorry for Saitsuchi, who had to be evil to the bone. On top of that, after Fuji’s fight, I was going to use him in Ruroken’s first battle of the old men, Okina vs. Saitsuchi, but a voice inside of me said "Who’s going to be happy to see two old men fight? Who??" and I cut it out. The most terribly manipulative of the Ten Swords, he vanished without having a chance to show off those huge brains. Senkaku was fine, but I’ve been tending to use characters with weird heads. Ah . . . I think now that Ten Swords was too many, and I should have settled for six or seven . . . As for the motif, I think those of my generation will get it at once. It’s from the NHK puppet show "Tale of Purin-Purin" (and now I’m thinking, what a title . . . ), the dictator of the republican country General Ruchi. There’s something weird about being a dictator of a republican nation, but when I was a child all I noticed was how huge his head was. By the first glance you knew he had an IQ of 300 (maybe even 3000), truly a great design. The plot was even more incredible; he was really an alien who had transformed into a meteorite to come to Earth! And his real body was a giant brain! It was a really neat puppet show. I look forward to the next one. Back to Home To Volume Fifteen To the Next Chapter translations by maigo-chan Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Fifteen--The Giant Against the Great Man Part 128--Soujirou Takes the Field (Houji pounds his fist against the table.) Shishio: What is it, Houji. Houji (shaking with rage): A telegram . . . from intelligence in Kyoto . . . The attack on the Aoiya has failed. Iwanbou has fled, and Henya, Kamatari, Fuji and Saitsuchi have been arrested . . .! Shishio: In other words, the Ten Swords are all but destroyed. Houji: Why! They even had Fuji with them, there was no way they could have failed! How did-- Shishio: They were stronger than we were. That’s all there is to it. Soujirou (adjusting his wristguards): After all, in this world the flesh of the weak is the food of the strong. The strong live, the weak die. But it’s okay. I’m strong, so I can do the work of all of the Ten Swords, can’t I? (on his way out) Well, I’ll just be a minute. Shishio: The strong live, the weak die. Those words I taught him are the code he lives by. It’s his only truth. Because he has suppressed all emotions but amusement, it’s impossible read the lines of his sword. He uses his natural gifts to the fullest. A born prodigy who surpasses even Battousai. And there's something Battousai didn't see at Shingetsu. The other gift of Okubo’s assassin. The supreme violence I discovered and perfected in Seta Soujirou. You were given a glimpse of what will destroy you, Battousai. (Elsewhere) Yumi (pushing herself away from Sanosuke): All right, I’ve had it! Sanosuke: What’re you so mad about, I’m the one that had to carry you the whole way. Yumi: Shut up. What woman would be happy about being carried like a dog? Sanosuke: Kay, then how ‘bout like this? (holding a straw dummy in classic bride-over-the-threshold manner) Yumi: No way! (Not with you!) Sanosuke: You can count me out too. (A twisted bitch like you.) Yumi: What was that?? Kenshin: Miss Yumi. Is that the next room? Yumi: Yes. That’s the room of Soujirou the Prodigy, strongest of the Ten Swords. This time, you’ve met your destiny-- Sanosuke: Hey, I think I’ve heard of this guy. He any good? Kenshin: Yes. (Yumi: Are you listening?) Kenshin: He’s the youth that cut through the reverse blade in an exchange of battou-jutsu. We both withdrew then in a draw. Had we continued, it was obvious by looking at our swords who held the advantage. But now I have the true reverse blade and the succession technique, the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki. This time, I will not be defeated. (They open the door. Soujirou is waiting for them.) Soujirou: It’s been a long time, Mr. Himura. I’m pleased to see you arrived here safely. Sanosuke (smacking his forehead): This is him . . .? (thinking) Don’t know what kind of hero I was expecting, but this is the kid Kenshin can’t defeat? Kenshin: I thank you for your kind words, but I have no time for wit or conversation. Will you fight, or let me pass? Answer me quickly. Soujirou: Time . . . ? Oh, you mean the Aoiya situation. The Aoiya’s in no danger. We just received word that our attack had failed. (noticing the shock on all three faces) Mr. Houji was surprised as well, but, well, the truth is the truth. But now it’s I who has no time. I’ve got to do the work of the Ten Swords all on my own. I can’t allow you to take up too much of my time. And so--(falling into battou-jutsu stance) (Kenshin takes the stance as well, and they charge towards each other. They strike, blocking the other’s blade with their own, and fall back. Soujirou’s sword has a hairline crack at the point of impact.) Sanosuke: All right! Yumi: Whadduya mean, all right. It was just a tiny scratch. They’re almost even. Soujirou: Wow . . . It doesn’t look any different, but your new blade is very fine, Mr. Himura. My treasured Kiki Ichimonji Norimune is nothing in comparison. Yumi: Kiku Ichimonji . . . (thinking) But that’s an even greater sword than the Nagaso Nekotetsu! He cracked that famous blade . . . ! Sanosuke: If the wielder is the best, then the blade is the best. Even a small crack will be a huge disadvantage, fighting in this enclosed space. Whatever happened in their last match, Himura Kenshin is faster at battou-jutsu. This time he’s got ‘em! Soujirou: You’re gotten better, Mr. Himura. You were so strong to begin with, it’s amazing that you could improve. But it’s strange. No matter how strong someone like you gets, I just can’t understand you. Well, it’s all right. You’ll never be a match for Mr. Shishio. I’ll just have to take you a little more seriously. (He dashes forward and seems to disappear, reappearing beside Kenshin to take a swing at him. Kenshin barely dodges.) Kenshin (thinking): That--that leg strength. So this is the strength of the assassin that cut down General Okubo in a moving carriage! Soujirou: Huh? Did I miss? FREE TALK Hello, it’s me again. As I write this, I’m fighting off early-spring drowsiness. I’m so sleepy . . . As usual, I’m going to talk about games. Every time I write these, I end up sounding like a gamer, and I thought I wouldn’t this time, but I’ve heard some things I have to write about. First, the rumors about a polygon Samurai Spirits have turned out to be true. To tell the truth, I heard it when it was just a rumor back in early autumn of last year, but when Ten-Samu came out, I thought "So it is Gase, isn’t it?" . . . As a 2D supporter, I was somewhat worried, but when I saw the released images, it looked as though it might be good. I think it’s probably using the motif of the first Samurai Spirits as its basis (I'm guessing from Nakoruru’s clothes--in the pictures I saw, her skirts were short) but it’s too bad that the 2D Samurai Spirits continued into the fourth is coming to an end. Besides, because Ambrosia itself probably won’t be resolved, and because I still want to see more of the chracters’ lives, I’m still hoping for a sequel to the 2D version. Speaking of games, someone's given me Final Fantasy VII (my thanks to S-san) but I have no time, so I haven’t played it yet. I probably won’t get a chance while I’m being serialized. I have the Samurai Spirits RPG waiting too. It’s too bad, but I’ll just have to be patient. To change the topic, my style has changed recently. I’ve receieved a number of opinions from various people, but I myself think that since serialization began, this is a second turning point. It’s pretty different; specifically, it’s more simple, with fewer wrinkles and lines in the hair and clothes, and the eyes have gotten smaller. (Sadamoto Yoshiyuki-sensei of Evangelion has had an especially great influence on the eye size.) A perfected style has its charms, but for myself, I intend to change my style gradually as the flow takes me. It’s only been three years that I’ve been able to earn my living though manga. It’s still too early to be perfect, and at the moment I become perfect, I’ll probably be finished . . . There are many ideal styles, but at the heart of it all is Obata-shishou. The road is too long, but I’ll do my best. Finally, the Ruroken anime. Lately it’s been very good, and I can just relax and watch it every week. In particular, thanks to the effort Kantoku-san poured into the volume seven manuscript, Kenshin’s farewell to Kaoru came out perfectly. I hope they’ll continue to keep up this standard of work. As for the latest development in Shonen Jump: the story from here on has all sorts of difficult meanings that I’ve been racking my brains over. Let me verify something here, though: as I’ve written somewhere before, in Ruroken I’ve fundamentally been aiming at a happy ending. Please bear this in mind and enjoy the new developments. See you again in the next volume. --Watsuki Nobuhiro Back to Home To Volume Fifteen To the Next Chapter Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations Volume Fifteen--The Giant Against the Great Man Part 129--Shukuchi Soujirou: Oh? I missed. (swinging his sword onto his shoulder) Oh well. Next time I’ll have you. Sanosuke (thinking, amazed): He’s fast! That was as fast as Kenshin’s godspeed. No . . . unless I’m going crazy, that was faster than . . .. (shaking his head violently) No way! Nobody on earth could be faster than Kenshin. (aloud) Hey, what was that he just did? Yumi (also stunned): I don’t know . . . Sanosuke: What!? You were the one yapping about how good he is! Yumi: That’s what Lord Shishio says! This is the first time I’ve seen the boy fight! Sanosuke: So what’re you-- Kenshin: . . . Shukuchi. Sanosuke & Yumi: Huh? Kenshin: That which surpasses godspeed. The extreme godspeed Shukuchi. Soujirou: Oh, you know it? You really are a swordsman to the bone. I didn’t know what it was called either until Mr. Shishio told me. Houji (pouring wine): Shukuchi? So there’s his natural gifts and his suppressed emotions. This is Soujirou’s third strength? Shishio: Yes. Shukuchi--a rare body technique by which one springs from initial speed to top speed through great strength of the legs, penetrating the range of your opponent in an instant. It is spoken of widely among the schools. To the layman, it looks as though the distance between the two fighters had suddenly shrunk, hence the name. Shishio: They say the Mouri no Sanbonya could do it, but all three of them together could never touch Soujirou. Houji: So Shukuchi is speed that the eye can’t follow--that’s what he can do. Shishio: No. That’s Battousai’s godspeed, at its best. Soujirou’s ultimate godspeed Shukuchi is speed the eye can’t even see. Soujirou (smiling): But, Mr. Himura. That wasn’t the real Shukuchi just now. To be precise, that was three steps before the Shukuchi. That’s why you could see and avoid it. In Shingetsu, I compared you with Senkaku and guessed it would be enough to bring you down, but, I’m sorry, I seem to have misjudged you. This time, let’s try two steps before the Shukuchi. (He leaps forward, visible only as a series of rips in the tatami mat under his feet. Kenshin dodges to the side but Soujirou follows him, and Kenshin barely avoids his blow.) Sanosuke: Don’t stop, Kenshin! That’s what he’s waiting for! (Soujirou whips back around. Kenshin leaps into the air--suddenly Soujirou appears in the air behind him.) Sanosuke: WHAT?? (Kenshin brings around his sword to block, and they return to earth unhurt.) Kenshin (thinking): It’s not just his feet, even the way he carries himself is fast. On top of that, because his emotions are held back I can’t read his movements, and it makes him seem even faster. But on the other hand, if I could cut through head on instead . . . !! I mastered this with the succession technique Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki. The strongest and fastest of the Hiten Mitsurugi school’s charging techniques. Kuzuryuusen (Soujirou is utterly taken aback. Kenshin slides to a halt, looking over his shoulder.) Sanosuke: He got him! Soujirou (reappearing just behind Kenshin): No. The killing begins here. (He deals him a great blow across the back. Kenshin, bleeding profusely, manages to keep his feet.) Kenshin (thinking): He dodged--it should be impossible to block or evade the Kuzuryuusen. This Soujirou really is faster than me--no, faster than the Hiten Mitsurugi school--!! Soujirou (looking just a little shaken): That’s odd. I thought I had you that time . . . The Giant Against the Great Man--End Back to Home To Volume Fifteen