* Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translation *
* Volume 13: The perfect night *
* Chapter hundred and seven: King of Light *
Yumi: Shishio-sama... if I may have a word more... Do you not suppose that
making Anji duel against Sagara Sanosuke is not very reassuring?
(picture of Anji in front of an idol)
Yumi: (voice over) I heard that it was Anji himself who taught Sagara his
Futae no Kiwami... if that monk could do things like that, could he not too
let down his guard during the fight with Sagara?
Shishio: Do you need to tell me that? I know this is highly possible.
(picture of idol)
Shishio: Anji may have broken off from Buddhism, but still he has lived the
life of a monk for long, so in the Juppongatana he is naturally the most
merciful. However...
(Anji punches the idol. There is a wooden plaque standing)
Shishio: (voice over) ... once his anger rises beyond his merciful nature,
he shall start to act in accordance with us!
Anji: ...
(he takes the plaque)
Shishio: (voice over) King of light, Anji, shall have no one stand in his
way when he fulfills his philosophy of saving the world!
(picture of our three heros walking towards the entrance of the hole)
Shishio: (voice over) Just not to let you sit around with nothing to do, I
have a job for you to do, Yumi.
Sano, Saitou and Kenshin: ...
Kenshin: Someone... is there...
Yumi: Welcome all sirs. We have waited long for your arrival. The path from
here onwards leads you into a myriad of paths, so to prevent you from
getting lost, I, Komagata Yumi will lead the way for you.
Sano: He wants to use women to distract us. I've seen lots of this around,
so watch out, everybody!
Saitou: Only you would fall for a childish trick like this.
Sano: !
Kenshin: Shishio is not such a shallow character.
Sano: !! ...
Yumi: All right, please enter.
(a few twists and turns later)
Sano: Goodness, this is indeed a maze through and through. One wrong move
and we're in for the gist of the booby traps.
Yumi: Although we mostly use this to trap external enemies, the design I
must say is rather spectacular... Oh yes, I forgot to tell you something.
(her hand is on a door)
Yumi: Shishio-sama asked me to be messenger to you. He said the duel shall
be one on one, we will allow only one person to be on the dais at any one
time, and everytime to choose only one to duel. The remaining two are not to
lift a finger to help.
Sano: Bingo! Fighting calls for speediness of battle and fast results.
Saitou: I have no strong objections. But one on one is too slow. Whoever is
strong enough, they may attack me all at once!
Yumi: And what may your opinion be, Himura?
Kenshin: It's fine with me! But once the winner has been decided, no one is
to be killed for I shall not just stand by and watch. Because I only agreed
to duel, and I did not agree to kill.
Yumi: Hoho... what a childish man. All right then, the first one may step up
now.
(the doors open)
Everyone except Yumi: !
Kenshin: An unmoving statue of the King of Light...
Saitou: There is a monk in the low-down, underground based, disgraceful
Juppongatana?
Sano: That's right. There is the one who has 'left the light'. I have
something to ask him, so I guess I'll lead the battle team now.
(Sano walks downstairs to meet Anji)
Kenshin: Komagata-san, who may that be?
Yumi: 'King of light' Anji from the Juppongatana. His skills are sharp!
Kenshin: *Anji... he's the one who saved Misao-dono... in addition to... I
don't know what exactly happened between the both of you, but you must be
careful, Sanosuke... look at that aura of battle from his stance...*
Sano: Hi! It's been a month hasn't it? I've been wanting to meet up with
you, of course, not under this situation...
Anji: Neither did I... so all that nonsense you said about 'not forgiving
the Meiji government' were all a pack of lies. Frankly speaking, I am very
disappointed in you...
Sano: I am the one who's disappointed, you stinking monk! You're helping
that Shishio perform his destruction out of self-pity aren't you! Didn't you
want to 'save the world'? What kind of saving is this then?
Anji: There is no kind. Only by leaving the ring can the first step be
taken.
Sano: Aa?
Anji: You listen up! You must think that the only way to 'save' this world
is to pull all the people from darkness, right? I was like that too, when I
had one minded heartness towards Buddhism, praying from the bottom of my
heart that it took place.
(Sano stares)
Anji: But reality is so far off. This world has so many beasts and criminals
unworthy of saving. These evil people sought to do all the disgraceful
things, destroying the lives of those innocent, those looking forward to a
better future... After the chaotic Bakumatsu, to the current Meiji, but
facing the change of a new life many have rotted their ideals away. Leaving
many who cannot be saved now... And these people must be removed before
those worthy of saving can be seen!
(he clenches his fist)
Anji: And now, as the King of Light, Anji, I shall punish those deserving
ones in the fury of the unmoving statuette here! Only if I fight on to
reduce this world back into nothing, only if I rescue those worthy of
rescuing so as to remove the strait of evil in everyone's hearts and redraw
the plan of humanity, can I have truly 'saved the world'. Do you get it?
Sagara Sanosuke!
Sano: No I don't, bald-head! I can't even be a greenhorn when it comes to
spiritual things, unlike the experienced airhead you are. But there is
something I have gotten wind of, though. And that is...
(he raises a fist)
Sano: That is my inability to accept your so called 'saving the world'! You
hear that? INABILITY. TO. ACCEPT!!
(he charges)
Kenshin: Sanosuke!
(Sano shouts and crashes his fist into the wall behind Anji. The wall
crumbles)
Kenshin: ! That was what he used during the Rengoku ship episode...
Saitou: This is it's third appearance, there's really nothing to brag about!
Sano: After splitting up with you, en route to Kyoto, I've at least mustered
up a hundred boulders to train with. Now do you see the seeds of my hard
work beginning to flourish in your eyes! Futae no Kiwami; this I have fully
perfected.
Anji: Fully perfected? Insolent lad!
(he dashes his elbow into the wall same time lifting his leg to stamp onto
the wooden floor)
Anji: Whatever I've taught you were the basics of the basics.
(he stares at Sano)
Anji: MINE is the truly perfected one!
END TRANSLATION
(c) Nobuhiro Watsuki Translation: ruroken@geocities.com
(
geocities.com/athens/olympus) (
geocities.com/athens)