* Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translation *
* Volume twelve: Kyoto inferno *
* Chapter ninety-four: Begin the imparting *
(man flies away with wounds all over his body)
Men: W-What in the world! Who on earth are you!
(Hiko turns around glaring at them)
Hiko: ... you dying people have no need to know my name!
(he wields and kills them all)
Men: Waaaah!
(Hiko stands amid the human corpse mess)
Hiko: You sure are unlucky, kiddo. Ever since the appearance of the black
ships two years ago, the Bakumatsu government is getting from bad to worse
as each day progresses, causing this area to be filled with more and more
robbers who kill to loot.
(he wipes the blood off his sword)
Hiko: Today's meeting between you and I can be considered fate. Your revenge
too I have helped you fulfill.
(the little kid stares dumbly and says nothing)
Hiko: However much you hate them you cannot let the dead be revived. The
Japan of today, wherever we go, it is the same tragedies. Your living on
should cause you to be clasping hands overjoyed with happiness.
(he starts to walk away)
Hiko: There's a village nearer the hill, come with me! Let's see if anyone
should be willing to adopt you.
(he turns around as the little kid had not budged. He closes his eyes. End
flashback)
Hiko: ... You have reminded me of much past events.
(he stares at Kenshin)
Hiko: Hey, how long are you going to keep lying there? Isn't it about time
you got up already?
Kenshin: (panting heavily and showing no signs of wanting to get up)
Hiko: ... if you are not going to get up, then I would have to be reminded
of more earlier things.
(he drinks)
Hiko: For example, the last time you wet your bed was at the autumn of your
eleventh year wasn't it?
Kenshin: (getting up suddenly red with embarrassment) !!
Hiko: And once when you were hungry you started eating everything, you
carelessly ate some laughing pills and almost laughed to death. (he pours
his cup for another drink)
Kenshin: MASTER! You actually remember things which the actual person
himself has long forgotten about, isn't that a little too much?
Hiko: 'A little too much'? You my disciple had a big quarrel with me then
left home without any words now come back to say you want to continue
training, and I haven't even complained yet trained with you for one week.
Where would you be able to find such a nice master like me?
(he stands up)
Hiko: But... I am indeed feeling a little impatient.
(he holds his sword up)
Hiko: If you are still unable to wound me afterwards, then you can forget
about learning any Succession Technique.
(Kenshin stares. They stare at each other in silence)
Kenshin: *Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu's thirteenth successor Hiko Seijuro. But in
kenjutsu... he is without any doubt a strong foe...* He not only lives as
a sly and cunning person, dislike being in contact with other people, but
also holds my past in his entire palm, just on this point we can see that
he is so much more bad than Saitoh!
Hiko: These words can only be thought, not to be spoken out!
Kenshin: *Normal stances are of no use to him... if this is truly my last
chance, then I must use my full strength to attack!* Be careful then...
Hiko: Come on!
(they both jump up, Kenshin in the lead)
Kenshin and Hiko: Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu...
(Kenshin looks down, Hiko looks up)
Kenshin: Ryuu Tsui Sen!!!
Hiko: Ryuu Sho Sen!!!
Bright spark
Smaller spark
Darkness
Hiko: Hey, how long are you going to keep lying there? Isn't it about time
you got up already?
(Kenshin opens his eyes and sits up)
Kenshin: !
(he holds his forehead)
Kenshin: Ouch!
(he turns to look at Hiko)
Kenshin and Hiko: ...
Hiko: Just now at your attack you piled all your attention on the stroke
itself, therefore you did not even stop to consider the landing move,
landing head-first on the ground, causing a little brain concussion.
(he holds up his left hand)
Hiko: But, if you had not been so hardworking on your hands, then training
for another ten years would get you nowhere near me.
(a little scratch on Hiko's left hand)
Hiko: This little injury really cannot be accounted for any sort of injury,
but an injury is an injury!
(he looks at a surprised Kenshin)
Hiko: Therefore I am going to impart the Succession Technique to you now.
(he circles Kenshin in front of the hut)
Hiko: Later you can not move a single muscle, not even blinking your eyes!
Or I can surely not assure the safety of your life! Let's have a revision
first, in all known kenjutsu they have different methods of attacking.
(using Kenshin as a reference)
Hiko: (top of Kenshin's head) First we have the 'peak point', (Kenshin's
left shoulder) then we have the 'robe execution' and (Kenshin's right
shoulder) 'lateral robe', (Kenshin's right elbow) 'right arm tube' and
(Kenshin's left elbow) 'left arm lateral tube', (Kenshin's right wrist)
'upper right wield' and (Kenshin's left wrist) 'upper left wield', then the
(groin area) 'upper lateral winds'. Lastly the shortest distance to move
towards to would be the (Kenshin's solar crescent) 'sudden attack'.
* My own footnote: Sorry, just in case you don't know where the solar
crescent is, it's in the middle of your torso.
(he lifts his sword up)
Hiko: Whatever kenjutsu of any clan cannot leave these nine vital spots of
attacking. While the pattern for defence naturally developed also from these
nine spots. (he suddenly stares) BUT!
(Hiko wields his sword in a flash in nine different spots. Each spot has a
word starting from peak point, going round to lateral robe then ending with
sudden attack, "one two three four five six seven eight nine")
Kenshin: !
(Hiko completes the movement and lands behind Kenshin. All mentioned areas
have been touched by Hiko)
Hiko: If we apply the superb speed of which the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu
specially possess, attacking all nine targets at the same time, then the
opponent cannot fully retreat himself!
(Hiko stands erect)
Hiko: This is the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, "Ku Zu Ryuu Sen"!
Kenshin: (still shocked) *I didn't have time to blink... THIS IS THE
SUCCESSION TECHNIQUE!*
Hiko: "Ku Zu Ryuu Sen" and "Ryuu Sou Sen" are both chaotic sudden attacks,
however the former's nine point attack has every single point a fatal
attacking move. That plus the special fact that it has a close up suddenly,
the opponent cannot be able to defend this kind of miracle in coming
attacks!
(close up of Hiko smiling)
Hiko: This is too my most proud of kenjutsu technique.
END TRANSLATION
(c) Nobuhiro Watsuki Translation: ruroken@geocities.com
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