Chapter 238 - "Si Hsing (Su Shin) -- Transformation" (The Kenshingumi stare at the five Chinese men) Sanosuke: So, it looks like four against four. (turning to Saitou) Hey, we'll leave one to you. (Saitou says nothing. He lits a match.) Misao: Me! Me! Leave one to me, I'm in a fine mood today, I'll lend you a hand again! Sano: Nah, we don't need you. You'll only be of trouble to us. Misao: What! (she's SD mad at Sano. Megumi is holding her from behind, preventing Misao from attacking Sano) Wu Heishin(smirking): The subordinates should not take part in this, if you want to stay alive. Sano: Huh? Wu Heishin: You, the samurai who's sitting in that boat. You're Himura Battousai, boss's enemy, aren't you? How about coming out, instead of using your subordinates as a shield? We don't have much time either, so... and if you die quickly, perhaps some of you may still go back alive. Kenshin: They... are not my subordinates. Every one of those who are here today with me is my trustworthy companion. (everyone glares) Wu Heishin (smirking): Com...panion... I see... Kenshin: I don't know who you are, but if you're one of the Enishi's organization, please go back and tell him to come. To settle this affair just between me and him. That should be the best way. (Saitou walks ahead) Saitou: Useless talk. Kenshin: ! Saitou: His name is Wu Hei Hsing. He's the number two of the organization. But, unlike Enishi, this guy's a businessman, so he shouldn't be at a battlefield like this. The fact that he is here means either that he was cast away by Enishi or he was fleeing, realizing the imminent defeat. Wu Heishin: You offend me. I was neither cast away nor fleeing from defeat. If one must put it, the boss was the one who abandoned the organization in a halfway measure. Thus, I, Wu Hei Hsing, am the number one of the organization from now on and therefore I expect you to treat me accordingly. Sano: Hey, wait a sec. Then why are you after Kenshin? You don't have to fight him. Wu Heishin: That's because the former boss was so noncommittal, that I thought it might be fun if I could teach him that not everything runs as he would like to. Saitou: So, it all comes down to an innuendo. You may be smart, but you're childish. (in an annoyed mood) So we have a spoiled boss, a brat who's got the entire organization without any effort... Today's job will be more boring than I thought it would be at first. Wu Heishin: You make me nervous. Okay, if you want to die so badly, so be it. Now, Battousai, make those cannon fodders of yours go away and come. Kenshin: ... first you call them subordinates, now they are cannon fodders? Wu Heishin: If they're not cannon fodders, they are an urchin, a brat and gloom incarnated! Come on now! I told you we didn't have much time! Sano (grinning): An urchin... well, I guess I can't deny that, but what matters now is what you are going to do about it. Yahiko: Kenshin has no will to fight against you. Are you going to come or are you going to retreat? We'll decide later who's the brat here. (An enraged Misao is held again by Megumi, while the onmitsu girl is yelling, "Who's the gloom incarnated !? Beg for forgiveness, you black leprechaun!") Aoshi: I don't mind at all people talking about my personality, which have been the same since my birth, but I give you a warning: if the leader of an organization is unable to analyze properly the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, then I foresee no future to the organization. Wu Heishin (mad with fury): OKAY, I UNDERSTOOD!! IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY WANTS TO DIE RIGHT HERE AND NOW!! SU HSING! (Wu Heishin gives a signal and the four bodyguards jump high above the heads of the Kenshingumi) Megumi: What a high jump! Misao: How can they jump so high with such body! (the four bodyguards - Su Hsing - descend from the air towards the Kenshingumi) Yahiko and Sano: Damn! (Yahiko, Sano, Saitou and Aoshi dodge as the bodyguards land on the sand. Their caps fall from their heads, showing some tattoos and inscriptions on their foreheads as they grin openly.) Aoshi: Suzaku... Seiryuu... Byakko... Genbu... so they are not Su Hsing, but Su Shen, "The Four Gods", as the Japanese put it. Wu Heishin: Exactly. "The Four Gods". That's their true nature! Suzaku from the South! Byakko from the West! Seiryuu from the East! Genbu from the North! They are the four lengendary godly beasts that protect the Imperial Capital! The four bodyguards that protect me are a quadruplet of martial arts experts, and each of them mastered one weapon inspired in one of the four beasts. Usually they are my loyal bodyguards as "Su Hsing", but one order of mine is enough to make them again into "Su Shen", their true nature!! SO, SU SHEN!! TO BEGIN WITH, ONE MAN, ONE DEATH!! (The four bodyguards draw their weapons. Suzaku has got two swords, Seiryuu one halberd, Byakko two spiked wristbands and Genbu a club/staff of sorts ^_^) Suzaku (facing Aoshi): Chu Ch'iao Seng Chien! Seiryuu (facing Saitou): Ch'ing Lung Ta Tao! Byakko (facing Sano): Pai Hu Chang Kung! Genbu (facing Yahiko): Hsüan Wu Hsieh Hun! Su Shen (lunging forward): HAH!! (Aoshi parries Suzaku's attack with his long sheath, Sano grabs Byakko's fist and Yahiko parries Genbu's club with the first part of the Kamiya Ougi. Saitou draws his sword and stops its tip just beside Seiryuu's neck, as Seiryuu's halberd slices Saitou's cigarette in two. Saitou is unabashed as Seiryuu grins.) Megumi: .........! Kenshin: They found out at one glance the fight styles of Sano, Aoshi, Saitou and Yahiko, and chose their foe accordingly. Misao: B... but, isn't it obvious? All they had to do was to look at the weapons! Kenshin: That's true with Sano's bare-handed fighting and Yahiko's shinai, but it's false with Aoshi's long sword. Usually people tend to pick up the same "maai", so it would be natural for Aoshi to fight Seiryuu and not Suzaku. But they realized the lack of balance between hilt and sheath, discovering that Aoshi's long sword was actually two kodachis. And that's why Seiryuu chose to face Saitou, whose sword is about 1 meter long. Megumi: On behalf of that Hei Hsing, those four bodyguards have grasped our strengths and weaknesses... Misao: If we underestimate them just because they've got the same face, then we will face problems... Kenshin: -----......... (Saitou and Seiryuu retreat one step.) Saitou (spitting out his cigarette): Feh... unlike your master, it looks like you can fight at least a bit. (Seiryuu grins) Saitou: But. (He falls into the Gatotsu stance) Saitou: To fight the Gatotsu having only "maai" as your advantage is idiocy nonetheless!! ----------- Translation note: I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA if the Chinese pronunciation is right (most probably wrong). Those who know the pronunciation, please help me! Thanks! The translations, btw: Chu Ch'iao Seng Chien -- "The Double Swords of the Suzaku" Ch'ing Lung Ta Tao! -- "The Great Sword of the Seiryuu" Pai Hu Chang Kung -- "The Fists of the Byakko" Hsüan Wu Hsieh Hun -- "The Club(?) of the Genbu" Su Hsing -- "The Four Stars" Su Shen -- "The Four Gods" "maai": it's common knowledge among martial arts practitioners. See Ruroken manga volume 4 for details. ^_^ Basically it's the "space" where you can attack.