* Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translation *
* Volume two: Hitokiri vs. Hitokiri *
* Chapter seven: Man with 'evil' on his back *
(Kenshin and Zanza faces each other staring)
Gohei: A job well done!
(the smoke clears off)
Gohei: Eaten the stroke of Battousai yet hath not vomitted the face of
defeat... so it may seems, he hath the hope of victory... !
Kihei: Thou art without proper thinking gears!
Gohei: !!
Kihei: If Zanza's pride zanbatou could be easily shadowed away, we see no
more than zero details of victory counts! (evil grin) So it does seem, the
match outcome is indeed strung up by me!
Zanza: Second duel move! Watch me!
(he swings the massive sword with great strength horizontally across and the
zanbatou ends up pointing behind)
Zanza: !?
(Kenshin had totally disappeared)
Kenshin: Owing to the zanbatou's massive strength and structure, the moves
are merely restricted to a pure simple, vertical or horizontal...
Zanza: !!!
Kenshin: (squatting on the zanbatou) A gaze - (narrows his eyes) reveals it
all!
(leaps into the air)
Kenshin: 'Tis but the second duel move - shall we christian it the final
curtain instead!
(whams the sakabatou on Zanza's shoulder)
Zanza: *gives a battle cry. I dunno, you try giving a battle cry that sounds
like 'wah'*
(hacks the zanbatou horizontally across. Kenshin dodges cleanly)
Kenshin: Zanza, thou art having no glitch of matching mine, but thou mayst
be allowed to attempt.
(without another word, Kenshin repeatedly strikes Zanza in all directions)
Kaoru: *Connected attacks!*
Zanza: !!! (falls down) *... Too strong... !*
Kenshin: Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. Ryu-Sou-Sen!
Zanza: (spitting out some blood) *I cannot match up to his far stretched
abilities! The thought of him this strong hast never crossed my mind... I
can but win...*
Kenshin: Halt the unneccesary duel please! Halt it here, for mine sword
pains to point at thou again. Accept thy failure with truth!
(Zanza starts to think back to his past)
Zanza: Sagara Taichou!
Sagara: Absorb this well, Sanosuke. The three hundred years of Tokugawa
support shall collapse soon, and a new era shall be built in return.
Oppression of the weak, wetting of night pillows with no desire for rest,
all shall be torn down in accordance with the new era, no bias, no
prejudice, a singular caste of people; it dawns soon. We, the Sekihoutai
hath pioneered this ushering movement!
Sano: You are going to say "no matter how much effort we hath deemed to put
in, be it 1 year, be it 10, the people shall give us a satisfying resume as
of that", aren't you! (lets out a huff of air) Mine ears hath grown fungus
from hearing it all!
(Sagara smiles at Sanosuke and they start to walk away)
Sano: Hey - Taichou! Should we usher in the era indeed, where the singular
caste system applies, shall we too be famous?
Sagara: Ay!
Sano: Then let me adopt my new surname, 'Sagara'!
Sagara: Sagara Sanosuke? Spare me spare me! 'Tis the weirdest name
combination!
(Sano gives an impish grin)
* Footnote reads: -- Sekihoutai --
Formed 1868 A.C. after the battle of Tobafushimi. A group gathered together
of peasants and commoners. They scouted the path for the government army and
provided help for the 'Ishin army', deserving to be called the pioneers of
the movement. Sagara Souzou led the first group of the Sekihoutai followed
the eastern mountain route marching towards north, advertising the word that
the new government would cut land taxes by half.
(however...)
Man1: Thou sayeth! We art - we the Sekihoutai are imposter armies?
Bandaged man: The government hath released orders to imprison the 'false
armies and officials of the Sekihoutai', the army I previously led had
landed in the merciless hands of this edict!
Men: Why is there such a disturbance...
Men: For what reason compelled them to?
Mustached man: We are the bridge they destroyed after they used us to safely
cross the choppy rivers... ! The advertising of the cutting of taxes hath
provided them with a great turmoil! To win the support of the people they
first spread this word, then when they entered into financial difficulties,
this 'cutting of taxes by half' is but a possibility in the Ishin
government's point of view! Thereby they alleged the Sekihoutai as false
armies, to sacrifice us on the altar to sanctify their innocence! To finish
us off with one attack..
(he is trembling)
Mustached man: We hath been gathered from peasants and merchants, those
Ishinshishi fellows uses this excuse to dissolve us permanently... !
Men: Sagara Taichou! What is to be done?
Men: Taichou!
Sagara: We can but match with the governor-general... (whams his hand on the
desk) Towards the headquarters in Shimosuwa! (takes his sword and starts to
leave) Sanosuke, prithee remain behind to await our next arrival.
Sano: !!
Sagara: Thou art in the blossoming of youth. I hath no reason to move you
from your anchoring point just for tag-alongs.
Sano: Taichou...
Sagara: It does not matter, it does not call for worries!
Zanza: *Sagara Taichou...*
(Sagara's severed head being displayed in public)
Announcer: False army Sekihoutai's first group captain, Sagara Souzou,
caused false uprisings and stirrings within the people with the announcement
of the 'cutting of taxes by half' non-existent edict. His sin is
unpardonable as so his death a million times is unavoidable!
(Sano stares at the head)
Announcer: They seemed indeed to be the Ishinshishi's most trusted ones with
the righteous outlook. But towards the end, we hath rejoiced in vain, we
hath made our hearts bleed.
(Sano is crying)
Announcer: Sekihoutai, the evil bearings of all there is!
(Zanza wrenches his eyes wide open)
Kenshin: *His sire's killing desires hath lowered to a negligable level,
wherefore now hath it been strengthened beyond the previous...
(Zanza clenches his fists)
Zanza: I can but lose... I backed the 'evil' on me for the likes of Sagara
Taichou and the Sekihoutai! I can... but lose to the self-proclaimed
righteous but self-indulged putridness Ishinshishis... I shall but lose to
them... !
Kenshin: Sekihoutai... !
Gohei: ? That fellow hath been frightened azure by something?
Kihei: Right! Right now! (pulls out another gun from his shirt) You there,
Battousai! DIE!
Kaoru, Yahiko and Kenshin: *just staring, nothing else going on*
(click. Bang. POW. Ching. Kenshin loses his footing and flies backwards)
Kaoru: NO!
Yahiko: Kenshin!
Gohei: Eh... Brother?
Kihei: Mine layered blueprints hath seen it's effects! The gun within my
reaches spells the end of his existence!
(Kenshin's footing is regained as he slides to a stop)
Kihei: !!
(Kenshin looks at Kihei. His sword had managed to stop the bullet and a part
of it is currently shattering into pieces)
Yahiko: Kenshin!
Kihei: How shall he ever see the bullet's chosen path and block with the
part of his sword... !
(grins evily)
Kihei: Be cocky not so soon! (points his gun at Yahiko and Kaoru, Kaoru
slides towards the ground) You wish to witness their death!
(Kenshin narrows his eyes)
Kihei: Gohei, dream of your ways to prevent the escape of that little boy
and that little miss!
Gohei: Prevent the escape... brother, the meaning belies the tying them up
mayhaps? But I do not bring the ropes...
Kihei: Canst thou not hath shattered their legs!
Gohei: Thou hath a valid reason for't... (walking towards Yahiko and Kaoru)
No wonder thou art my brother, thy mind moves miraculously!
(Yahiko whips his bamboo sword out)
Yahiko: Thou rotten piece of egg! Kaoru! Be not so dumbly knelt there!
Begone for your life!
Kaoru: I know not how! Previously, mine waist...
Gohei: (reaching his hand out) Do not struggle excessively!
(he stops in shock as the zanbatou grazes the bridge of his nose and whams
onto the ground beside him)
Gohei: AH! (as his nose starts spraying fresh blood) Wa ah ah ah... !
Zanza: I myself hath spoken my words, this stage is for me and him, never
shall another appear without my permission!
Kihei: Zanza!
(Zanza is fully erect now)
Zanza: I can but lose! I SHALL BUT LOSE!
Kenshin: Kihei -
(Kihei turns his attention back to Kenshin and points the gun at him with
trembling hands)
Heart attack!
Kenshin: Thou art incorrigible!
Kihei: ... (suddenly lights up with a sly smile) Say what you say then!
(draws out another gun) The distance is uncannily advantageous to me, let's
see how you shall...
Kenshin: Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu! Dou ryuu sen! (strikes the ground and sends
a shower of rocks at Kihei)
Kihei: *eyes widening in absolute imitation of 'oh my gosh!'*
(rocks strike Kihei as he falls backwards)
(the smoke clears)
Kenshin: This erring one hath restrained all muscles, thou shalt survive!
However thou shalt enjoy the bliss in which you mayst feel death serves a
better dish than life!
Kihei: Wah ah! WAH AH! WAH AH! (face a pathetic bleeding state with all the
little pieces of rocks stuck there... deesgusting)
Kenshin: Shouldst thou be the man with 'evil' on his back... or... should we
Ishinshishis throw our bid for't... ?
(Zanza retrieving his zanbatou)
Zanza: ... let us break it off here! The mightiest Ishinshishi!
Kenshin: Sagara Sanosuke, Sekihoutai's wretched fated remaining army...
(he rests his eyes as if in ponderment)
Kenshin: ... be it! (flips his sakabatou around) Let us break it off!
Kaoru: KENSHIN?
END TRANSLATION
(c) Nobuhiro Watsuki Translation: ruroken@geocities.com
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