These are the translations for the images kindly scanned by Wuken-san and by Hiko-san. All credits go to them! And now, for the translations... pg. 1 (Enishi is coming from the air, as Kenshin prepares his move) Megumi: Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu Misao: Mei Ryuu Sen! Yahiko: I've never seen this technique! (Kenshin glares, as Enishi glares back) Enishi: It's useless! No matter what your techniques are, I'll crush them all with my sword! pg. 2 Enishi: HAAAAAAH!!! (his sword descends, describing an arch) -- WATOU JUTSU: SHIKKUU TOUSEI !!-- Kenshin: OOOOOOOHHH!!! (he grabs his sword and his scabbard) -- HITEN MITSURUGI RYUU: MEI RYUU SEN !!-- pg. 3 Side text: What is the true nature of the new technique?? (Kenshin's sword produces a series of vibrations as the sword is back to the scabbard) Enishi : !! ~ Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Romantan ~ Chapter 248 - Anger pg. 4 (Enishi manages to open a deep gash on Kenshin's right arm, as they slide on the sand.) Megumi: ...What? What happened? Yahiko: Did he manage to avoid---? Misao (hands on her ears): Ouch! pg. 5 Yahiko (realizing Misao's descomfiture): What? What happened? Misao (still a hand on her ear) : Hm, just a bit... My ears are a bit... well, it's not much. Aoshi (also with a hand on his ear): The Oniwabanshuu are all trained to hear the faintest sounds, resulting in better hearing capabilities than the ordinary people. So that's why we were affected. Misao and Yahiko (surprised): ! Aoshi: And probably this is the effect of Mei Ryuu Sen... (Enishi falls into his knees on the sand) pg. 6 (Enishi is down, his left hand covering his left year. His body is slightly shaking. As he turn to Battousai, Enishi's ears are shown bleeding) Enishi: You... Battousai... What have you done to me?! Kenshin: The opposite of the god-speeded battoujutsu (drawing of the sword). In a few words, it's the "god-speeded noutoujutsu" (sheathing of the sword). When I sheathed the sword, I generated a supersonic sound due to the friction between the tsuba (sword guard) and the scabbard, a sound like the a roar of the dragon. Knocking such sound into the opponent's ear when he passes by me, I am able to render numb for a moment the hearing nerves of my foe. This is the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu "MEI RYUU SEN" --- pg. 7 (Enishi tries to stand up, his left hand still covering his ear and his right hand using the sword as a support.) Enishi: You... (Suddenly, Enishi falters and falls again. He stretches his right hand just in time to avoid falling face flat to the sand ground.) Kenshin (panting): --- but for you, who is under the influence of the "Nerves of Insanity", the effects is worse... the echo of the Mei Ryuu Sen reverberated deep in your ear... Enishi: !! Megumi: !! I understand! As every perception of Enishi has been greatly increased by the "Nerves of Insanity", such high sensitivity allowed Ken-san's Mei Ryuu Sen to numb not only the hearing nerves of Enishi, but also the semicircular cannals that regulate the equilibrium of his body! (the image behind Megumi shows the semicircular cannals -- the "san han kikan") pg. 8 Sanosuke: Indeed the Hiten Mitsurugi is a great technique... it doesn't lose neither to Watou Jutsu nor to the Nerves of Insanity. Megumi: Not only that, but this is also a good chance. As we saw just a few moments ago, Yukishiro Enishi has his perceptions highly increased and sensitive to every stimulus. So, obviously, if he gets high sensory excitations, those will be magnified and, eventually, the very nerves for perception will be rendered useless. The Nerves of Insanity aren't invincible at all! On the contrary, the higher it raises the offensive power, the lower gets the defensive power, so that such a technique is a blade of two edges! Enishi (summoning his strength to get up): Ba... Battousai.... Kenshin (panting heavily): It's useless... no matter you overcome me in strength, speed and height, for a while you won't even be able to stand up... Enishi, you specialized your techniques and personality too heavily on attack, so that you are virtually invincible when you attack. But such strength is dimmed when you have to defend yourself... pg. 9 Enishi: DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!!! (Enishi plunges his hand into his left ear, piercing his eardrum. Blood gushes from the wound. Everybody is surprised.) Enishi: N...G... GAAAH!!! AAAAAAAHH!! (Enishi worsens the wound further, destroying whatever remained of his eardrum (ouch!) ) pg. 10 (Enishi finishes destroying his tympanum) Enishi: NWAAAAAAA!!!! Megumi: He tore up himself the numb -- Misao(surprised): Waaaaah!?!?! Aoshi: Idiot... All he can get from the loss of his eardrum is the intense pain due to his nerves of insanity. Saitou: Which reminds me that you were not present at their last fight. His (Enishi's) spirit has already taken over his body. No matter how intense the pain is felt by the body, that doesn't matter much if that information doesn't make it to the brain. (showing Enishi bleeding from his ear, panting heavily) --- But even though he has stood up, it's true that his sense of balance has gone astray. That didn't seem to lower his defensive power, but it did lower his attack power. At last, they are equals. pg. 11 Enishi: HAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! (taking little heed of the profusely bleeding left ear, Enishi charges towards Kenshin, who gets surprised.) pg. 12 (A mighty vertical slash from Enishi makes sands fly high as the blade hits the beach, opening a ditch in the sand that runs even into the sea!) pg. 13 Yahiko (obviously surprised): !! He split the sea in two with the shockwave!! Megumi (worried): Ken-san!! Misao (awed): What a strength (gosh!)!! (Enishi pants heavily, his sword on the sand as Kenshin is unscathed, standing just aside the moat. ) Kaoru (sighing in relief): Kenshin... Kenshin (also panting heavily): I said it was useless, Enishi... no matter how fierce your attack is, you won't hit me again... pg. 14 Enishi: TO HELL WITH THAT! No matter what happens to me, all I do is to attack! I know no defense! And I have no need of defense!! (looking with furious hate to Kenshin) THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO PROTECT HAD BEEN-- -- BEEN ALREADY STOLEN BY YOU!! pg. 15 (Everybody silences) Enishi (gritting his teeth): That's why -- I will kill! pg. 16 Enishi: I WILL KILL YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS!! Kaoru (thinking as she shivers with fear): !! That stance is-- -- KOFUKU ZETTOUSEI !! -- pg. 17 Kenshin: -------.... yes, you're right. I did steal that from you. I won't be able to give it back to you, but at least I have to meet face to face with your anger... (sheathing his sword) -- HITEN MITSURUGI RYUU OUGI -- -- AMAKAKERU RYUU NO HIRAMEKI -- (end of chapter 248) Notes: 1) This is a translation of the images kindly provided by Wuken-san and Hiko-san. 2) That "roar of the dragon" stuff was originally the "neighing of the dragon", but I thought that it didn't make much sense... 3) Any comments about the translation, please e-mail me. Serizawa Kamo serizawa@excite.com