--MANGA TRANSLATIONS--
--TRIGUN MAXIMUM VOLUME 2, CHAPTER 1--
--"THE BLUE WIND OF DEATH RETURNS"--
Translation by sumire
Page 5
A captive Descartes and a military police unit are staking out a desert compound.
Descartes: The grim reaper's toma-drawn carriage...?
Captain: Well, whenever there's one of those mass disappearances, it turns up in the eyewitness testimony.
Descartes: I hadn't heard about any carriage, though.
Captain: That's a problem--from a societal perspective.
- Descartes: Although you're the ones who won't even tell the Satellite News.
- Don't fuck with 830 years with hard labor.
Captain: Now, now. This is your big chance for a reversal of fortune.
Pages 6-7
Title illustration: Vash and Wolfwood.
Page 8
- Captain: That's the manor of Lord Daryl Goodman.
- We've extracted information from eyewitness reports all around here and come up with this location.
- Descartes: And all I have to do is go up and ring the doorbell?
- Somehow, I doubt he'll actually answer the door in person.
- Captain: .....
- It's been three months since he last appeared in town to buy supplies.
That, and...
...I want you to find out if our men have been there yet.
It's been over a week [since we last heard from them].
- Descartes: You're fucking with me, all right.
- To you, a convict has no human rights.
- Captain: This is strictly business.
- With this, you'll get a big cut on your sentence.
Which means you actually have a chance of being released within your lifetime.
Sounds good, doesn't it?
- Captain: That's what your strength in combat can buy you.
- We're expecting great things from you.
Page 9
The soldiers bring Descartes his boomerangs. He "accidentally" hooks an unwary soldier and sends him flying.
- Captain: Watch it!
- That collar has an extremely sensitive triggering mechanism!
Descartes: ...Heh. Excuse me.
Page 10
Descartes prepares to attack. Suddenly, Grey and Midvalley appear in front of the house.
Descartes: Hey!! We've been spotted...!?
Page 11
Captain: Never mind. Kill them!
Page 12
Descartes throws. His bionic arm releases its spent cartridges, which hit some nearby soldiers.
Soldiers: Ouch!! Hot!!
Page 13
The boomerang hurtles towards the house, slicing all the lampposts in half.
Page 14
The boomerang strikes Grey, and both crash into the house.
- Midvalley: .....
- That wasn't very nice.
Page 15
Midvalley runs for cover as Descartes and the soldiers open fire. And fire and fire and fire and fire.
Page 17
The smoke clears.
Descartes: How about that?
Captain: Make sure they're dead before you open your mouth.
Page 17
- Descartes: Heh. It's been a while.
- Looks like I overdid it a little.
- Descartes: There's not so much as a scrap of flesh left...
- --!?
A hand grasps his waist. A saxophone is raised.
Page 18
Grey rises from the rubble and impales Descartes on his chest.
Page 19
Soldiers: He... he... heeelp!!
They are struck by a supersonic saxophone blast.
Page 20
The soldiers fall dead.
Captain: Wha... What happened!?
Page 21
Gantlet arrives and plows into a crowd of soldiers.
Page 22
- Gantlet: Call off your attack...
- Retreat at once!!
If you don't...The remaining soldiers' bodies suddenly jerk to attention. Hopperd lets out a snort of disgust.
- Legato: Don't get out of line, "Gantlet."
- I'll entertain them.
Page 23
Legato: All right?
- Hopperd: .....
- As you wish.
- Captain: What's... What's going on?
- I can't move anything below my neck...!?
- Legato: Now then, what shall I do with you?
- Let me see...
One... two.. three... just about 40 of you.
Then I think I'll have you all get into this truck here.Page 24
Legato makes the soldiers all march into a single small armored car, gradually crushing themselves to death.
- Legato (laughs): Aren't humans amazing?
- If they just make use of muscles that ordinarily go unused, they can accomplish anything.
Page 25
- Legato: Of course, they can still sense pain.
- Even as they feel themselves crushing their own bodies into a pulp, they can't stop.
A plug on the bottom of the truck comes loose and blood comes gushing out.
Legato laughs.
Page 26-27
- Legato: Of course...
- ...I want to show you an even more splendid hell.
Won't that be fun, Vash the Stampede?Page 28
A cafe in a desert outpost.
Man A: Damn this fly.
Man B: Out here in the borderlands, even the flies are hard pressed for a meal.
Page 29
Brad (snorts): This is why "Outsiders" are so...
Sensei: Good work. How much were they?
Brad: 1700 for two head. That's highway robbery.
Sensei: Now, that's not so bad.
- Sensei: In any case...
- Just a little more and we'll be home again at last.
Brad: .....
Flashback.
- Sensei: ...Drop in and see us once in a while.
- All we hear are exaggerated rumors. Everyone wants to see you again.
Page 30
- Vash: ... Thank you...
- But I can't right now. I've got some dangerous people after me.
Someday, when this is all taken care of,
I promise, I'll come see you.
If I hadn't ended up in the "Village" back then, I'd probably be dead now.Sensei: Brad. Hey, Brad.
Page 31
Sensei: Are you tired? You don't look so good.
Brad: Jeez, give me a break.
- Sensei: Come on, let's be on our way.
- I want to make as much progress as possible before nightfall.
Brad: Where are we supposed to meet the welcome party?
Sensei: Meranis Crossing, tomorrow at noon.
Brad: Whoo-ee. There's a pretty long ways to go.
Page 32
Close-up of the fly on Brad's back. It is a puppet.
Page 33
Leonof sits in darkness with the thousands of strings that control his puppets.
Unika appears before Legato.
Page 34
- Legato: ...So you've found him. (laughs)
- Vash the Stampede.
At last, the second act begins.To be continued...