--MANGA TRANSLATIONS--
--TRIGUN MAXIMUM CHAPTER 54--

Printed in Young King Ours, August 2001
Translation by sumire

Page 134

Title caption: At last, Vash and Knives' hidden past is revealed. The confrontation between brothers parted by fate is nigh!

Page 135

The ship's mobile strike unit is looking for Vash and Knives.

Brad: You're sure you saw it, right?

?: Yes, I'm sure I saw something falling.

?: That reflected light was from a Plant crystal!

Brad: !?

What's that!?

Brad: It's that preacher's gun! But is that all?

?: I don't see any signs of life around here!

Brad: Then look for them!

Page 136

Nighttime. Vash and Wolfwood in the desert.

Vash: He's lost a lot of blood...

A couple of bullets have gone right through him...
(thinks) Is this the end?

Wolfwood: Idiot.

It's my life you're talking about.
Don't give up on me that easily.

Vash gapes in surprise.

Page 137

Vash: Wolfwood!?

Wolfwood takes a vial from inside his jacket and takes a swig.

Wolfwood: It takes more than this to knock off the Eye of Michael.

Vash: ......

The Eye of Michael...!?

Wolfwood: You might say it's something like...

...a guild of assassins.

Page 138

Flashback to young Wolfwood training with a machine gun. A man who appears to be a younger Trip of Death approaches him.

Trip of Death: Very good!

You already possess a sufficient level of combat skill!
However...

Page 139

Trip of Death shoots Wolfwood.

Trip of Death: Just one bullet...

...and you show a significant decline in ability.

Wolfwood screams as he is shot again.

Trip of Death: You understand, don't you?

In order to successfully carry out your mission,
You need physical strength beyond that of an ordinary person.
Now then...
What shall we do?

Page 140

Wolfwood strapped to a table, hooked up to dozens of tubes and wires.

Narration (Trip of Death?): Your ability to heal...

Your fortified skelelton...
Your increased muscle mass...
Your honed senses...

Page 141

Adult Wolfwood standing in front of a mob of other Eye of Michael members.

Narration (Trip of Death?): Know that these functions are your very existence.

Page 142

End flashback.

Wolfwood: Because my regenerative system was artificially accelerated,

I age faster than normal.
If my old friends could see me now,
...they probably wouldn't even recognize me.

Page 143

Vash: That man...

He's a friend of yours, right?
Why is he trying to kill you?

Wolfwood: ......

I shot him.
My plan was to rub him out--make it look like an accident...
...pretend to be Chapel myself...
...and finish up by killing Knives.
So there wouldn't be any more kids ending up like me.

Wolfwood thinks of Double Fang.

Page 144

Wolfwood: Tongari...

Luida (in flashback): It just goes on and on...

...The very definition of Hell itself.

Vash: ......

Page 145

Wolfwood: Don't let the gun pointed at you by your brother

shake your resolve.
I'm begging you, Tongari...
If you're too late...
Everything I've done will have all been for nothing.
I'm counting on you...

Wolfwood's head slumps.

Vash: .....!?

...Wolfwood?
Hey!
Wolfwood!!

Vash stares at Wolfwood in horror.

Vash: .....

Page 146

Vash: DON'T DIE!!!!!!

Wolfwood (irked): Can't I sleep either?

Page 147

Daytime. Brad and company find Vash and Wolfwood.

Page 148

Vash sits wrapped in a blanket.

Brad: I'm amazed...

I know you're supposed to be of superhuman strength, but this...

Vash: I'm okay.

Besides, we don't have much time.

Page 149

Brad: Ever since our attack,

the Ark's strikes have noticeably weakened.
You can see the light of the 'naked' Plants noticeably dimming.

Vash: I think that Knives...

...has been shaken by his exposure to the collective consciousness of the fused Plants.

Flashback to the moment when Knives' tendril touched Vash as he was falling.

Vash: Just for a moment...

I 'saw' that feeling, like my individual self was being swallowed up.

Meanwhile, Wolfwood is lying on a sofa, curled up in a blanket.

Brad: Yo.

Page 150

Wolfwood: Where is Knives now?

Guy with glasses: His course itself is almost unchanged.

He's crossed Carcassus...

Wolfwood: ......

Guy with glasses: ...and is headed for East December.

Wolfwood: Oh.

Wolfwood curls back up in his blanket.

Woman: Also, spurred on by Knives' attacks,

People have begun a mass migration.
Abandoning their towns...

Page 151

Brad: There's one last thing.

According to our latest calculations...
The ships from Earth...
They might arrive sooner than we had previously estimated.

Wolfwood sits up.

Wolfwood: .....

Vash: Really!?

Brad: Yeah.

But that's not good news.
It means our time limit just got shorter.
If we don't stop Knives before the fleet arrives--

Page 152

Image of Knives rampaging in space.

Guy with glasses: But...

The fleet should have Plants of their own!
Right?

Vash: No...

Page 153

Vash: Knives can do it...

His 'arm' is precise enough to reach all the way through the atmosphere
and perform a delicate operation like that.
And if he reaches them without regard for degradation--

Image of tendrils of Knives' Angel Arm reaching from Plant to Plant, causing them to react.

Vash: All he has to do is repeat the fusion process from his end.

?: Shit!

Brad: Then that's what he's been after all along!

The ship people fall silent, chagrined. Wolfwood is puzzled.

Page 154

The ship lands in a town. Vash comes out and sees...

Vash: Marlon!!

Marlon: Well, if it isn't the tumbling tumbleweed, still alive and kicking.

Page 155

Vash: That's my line! You're all right!

Marlon: Yeah, about that...

Marlon's flashback.

Narration (Marlon): Most of the folks in town have all up and left...

I had decided to give up and accept my fate, and was enjoying my last supper...
...when I was rudely interrupted.
Some nerve, asking me to make one more gun.
I said, "Forget it, that S.O.B.'s probably dead right now,"
but some people just don't listen.

Page 156

Marlon: But, well,

I guess in the end, the girl was right.

He tosses a wrapped gun to Vash, who stares at it in surprise. Marlon walks away.

Vash: ....Marlon!

"The girl"...
You mean...

Marlon: Stay sharp.

Get through this alive, and go thank her yourself.

Page 157

Marlon sees Wolfwood outside on the porch next to the twisted remains of the Cross Punisher.

Marlon: Hey! You want me to do this one, too?

Wolfwood: Can you?

Marlon: Like hell I can. Who do you think you're talking to?

Give me two days and I'll show you.

Vash smiles.

Page 158

Meanwhile, on the Ark, Knives is looking down at a bank of broken Plant bulbs.

Elendira: Master Knives! Please wait!

The smell of decay has reached this far...
It's not good for you!

Page 159

Knives jumps.

Elendira: Master Knives!

Page 160

Knives embraces the dead Plant Angel.

Knives: This color...

This smell...
This feeling...

He crushes her body.

Page 161

Knives: Let it color...

...the depths of my soul.

Knives (thinks): So that I may never hesitate again.

And let me repeat it until you have disappeared...
Farewell... My brother...

Pages 162-163

Wolfwood dressed and carrying the Cross Punisher, ready for action.

Page 164

Wolfwood: It's dog-eat-dog.

No need for me to stick around.
So long, Tongari.

Wolfwood leaves the town.

To be continued next issue...

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