Here goes Miko's approximate Jump summary/translation. ^_- Bracketed text are 'thought' text... ^_^; (original translation from Rurouni Kenshin Archive) ---------------------------------- Rurouni Kenshin Act 199: Gentle Commands Side text: No mercy no matter when it is, Saitou! GATOTSU ZERO STANCE!!! ---------------------------------- Title page: Act 199 'Gentle Commands' Side Text: It's been more than ten years since the Meiji Restoration (Meiji Ishin). The fangs of the wolf have not dulled in the slightest! ---------------------------------- As Saitou completes Gatotsu Zero Stance, his nihontou is thrust all the way into Yatsume's arm, with the hilt in the palm of hand and the tip of blade coming through elbow, sending Yatsume flying back. Yatsume lands while Kenshin, Sano, Kaoru and Megumi look on wide-eyed. Blood gushes out of Yatsume's palm and elbow as he screams in pain. Yatsume: *scream* GUGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! Megumi: *covers her mouth* U... Sano: What a move. It missed that time with Shishio, but if it did connect, it would be something like this... Saitou: *calm, uncaring* Quit howling so loudly. It's disgraceful. Just be thankful that I didn't blow your arm right off from your shoulder. Sano and Megumi: *SD sweatdrop* ...... Saitou: *takes a few leisurely steps towards Yatsume* For the likes of monsters, there is no need to use my full strength. Yatsume: *panting* ...... Kaoru: *still somewhat shocked, says to Kenshin* The fight is over, isn't it... Yatsume: *sweating all over as he puts his right hand onto the hilt of Saitou's nihontou which is stuck in his arm, maneuvering it...* Gu... Uu... Saitou looks mildly surprised/interested. Yatsume: *seems to pull the nihontou out slightly and then pushes it back into his arm! Blood spurts out of his palm and elbow as he does so* UOOO!! Megumi: *terrified, trembling, covering her mouth* Wha...! (Correcting and thrusting the katana into his broken arm to use it as a shaft...) Saitou: *standing over Yatsume* You still want to go on? Yatsume: Of course! I lived these 15 years in order to kill Battousai! It would be better to die than to retreat without fighting! Kenshin looks on, mostly expressionless but with a trace of sadness?, but says nothing. Saitou: If so, then hurry up and die. Yatsume: Don't be kidding me!! Yatsume darts off back into the doujou. Saitou: ... Well well. Yatsume is under the roof of the doujou, where he seems to be 'sandwiched' between two layers of planks of wood, with support beams running through them (sort of like the 'under side' of the house where Soujirou ran to, where there is enough space for one to crouch). There is a whole pile of bombs sitting there, spherical in shape, with a lead coming out of each of them. Yatsume: *surveying his bombs* ... damn. If I could have stopped it, I didn't want to use these. These that Enishi gave me when we set out. Yatsume jumps out from the roof to attack Saitou, who is standing in the courtyard with his hands in his pockets, unconcerned. Yatsume: GO!! OOOO!! *takes a swipe at Saitou* Saitou: *sidesteps* Hn. Yatsume's claw connects with the ground. Rock and dirt fly out like a volcanic explosion. Yatsume 'disappears'. Saitou: *looking at exploding crater, surprised* ! Megumi: *surprise* ... he's gone underground! Sano: *anxious but not as shocked* And with that arm too... A flick of the hand lights a match, which in turn lights a cigarette. Saitou still stands in the middle of the courtyard with a crater to one side and a canal on the other, taking a drag from his cigarette. Saitou: So. *drag* The spider masquerades as a mole. What does he have up his sleeve this time? Kenshin: --- a barrier (kekkai). Kaoru: Eh? Yatsume: *voice coming from the ground* ... like the great Battousai he is, he's quite perceptive. *view of the bombs embedded in the earth* 'Bandan Jiraihou'! [literally: Ten Thousand/A Lot of Landmines] Ceremic shells stuffed full of gunpowder and explosives, it is a kind of underground bomb that was passed down since the Ming dynasty in China! If you step onto it from above, or if I trigger it with these control lines, then --- *tugs on control lines* The ground to Saitou's left and to his right explodes like fountains of earth. Megumi: *surprise, lifting an arm to shield herself from the debris* ! Sano: What unforgiving power. That guy [Saitou] can't move thoughtlessly now. If he moved carelessly, he'd get both his legs blown off. Saitou stands, cigarette in hand, silhouetted against the light as Yatsume speaks. Yatsume: How about it? The terror of not knowing where the next explosion will be, and the terror of not being able to move even an inch. And there is the terror of me myself attacking from the earth at the same time... *laughter* Ku ku ku ku ku ku... Watch carefully, Battousai. It looks like another person connected to you is going to die... Kaoru: *looks over at Kenshin, concerned* Kenshin... Kenshin: *calm, serious* Unfortunately, I have no intention to let anyone die before my eyes. Yatsume: Don't regret what you have just said. *to Saitou* Here I come. This will be the end of you. Next I will trigger the explosion of all the landmines, and at the same time... Yatsume pulls on the cords and the ground in front of the doujou explodes, earth and stone flying up and out. Yatsume: GO!! *jumps up and above the explosion of earth* Megumi: *looking up and shielding her eyes* ! Sano: *anxious* UP!! Yatsume: *going down for an attack* (In the end, the landmines are just a decoy! By making him focused on the ground, I'll finish him off from above!) Sano: *close up of really wide eye* --- and even higher up. Yatsume: *surprise* Eh. Saitou had jumped even higher up than Yatsume, and has locked Yatsume in a hold from above! [Legs 'riding' on Yatsume's back, right hand on the back of Yatsume's head, pushing down, his left arm locking up Yatsume's left arm] Saitou: *still got cigarette between his lips* That was really obvious. You idiot. Yatsume: *as the two of them plumet back down, Yatsume's face is going to connect with the ground* GUOOOOO!! Impact. Blood. A bit of broken fangs on the ground. Saitou stands over Yatsume and twists Yatsume's left arm around. Saitou: *left hand on Yatsume's wrist, right hand on the hilt of his nihontou which is sticking out of Yatsume's palm* It's about time you returned this. It would be such a pity for this precious blade to be rusted by the blood of a monster. Yatsume: Gu... *panting* Ha... Saitou pulls the nihontou out of Yatsume's arm. Yatsume: *screaming* PIGYAAA!!! Megumi: *looks away, closing her eyes* Ku... Kaoru: *looks down, shutting her eyes* Tsua... Saitou has his right hand around Yatsume's left wrist, Yatsume's arm limp, and his left hand on the hilt of his nihontou. Saitou draws his left arm back with the point of the bloody blade towards Yatsume. Saitou: A brat who recklessly lives for nothing but his own private vendettas does not reach the levels of 'Aku Soku Zan' [Evil Instantly Slain] at all, but if you say that it is better to die, then I'll do as you wish. Die. Saitou is about to kill Yatsume when he finds someone else's hand on the hilt of his nihontou. Yatsume: *turning to look up, surprised* ! Kaoru: *surprised but anxious* Ah. Saitou: --- What do you think you're doing. Kenshin: *his hand on the hilt of Saitou's nihontou* I won't let anyone die before my eyes, just as I said earlier. Yatsume: *complete shock, eyes wide* .............. Saitou says nothing as he glares at Kenshin. Kenshin says nothing as he stares back at Saitou, determined. Finally, Saitou lowers the blade, pulling it away from Kenshin. Saitou: *coldly* What a plight he is in, having his life saved by the very one who was the object of vengence. Kenshin: *standing over Yatsume, who has pulled himself back up to a more or less sitting position* Yatsume... If you want to fight me, then come again when you have healed your wounds. It should have been a private fight between the two of us... if you want to fight, then I will accept your challenge at any time. Only... if it is something you can do, then I wish for you to go north and live for your clan. You would definitely be a big help to them, having such free control of the earth. Yatsume: *bowing his head* .........gu............ U...... oo...o............... Kenshin stands there silently, looking down at Yatsume, who is kneeling, his elbows on the ground, his head bowed... in remorse? Kaoru looks on concerned and slightly sad. Kenshin: Megumi-dono. I'll leave the tending of the wounds to you. Megumi: *slightly flustered, rushing over with her medical box* Ah... yes. Saitou: *to Kenshin, taking a drag on his cigarette* As always, you're good at talking. And how do you intend to sweet talk that boss up there in the sky? Kenshin: ------ ............ Saitou: *letting go of the issue* Well, fine. Now finally we'll have the main performer make his entrance. *End Act*