--MANGA TRANSLATIONS--
--TRIGUN MAXIMUM CHAPTER 68--

Printed in Young King Ours, January 2004
Translation by sumire

Page 91

Flashback. Young Wolfwood leaving the orphanage.

Wolfwood: Well, I'll be going now, Auntie.

Everybody: Take care of yourself!
Stay hydrated!
Don't let cavities go untreated!
Wash your hair every three days!
Always say grace!
Try to sleep in a proper bed!
Wolfwood: Okay, okay.
I'll take care of myself.

Page 92

Wolfwood (narration): They said it was a job travelling around the borderlands, helping to establish churches in the settlements there.

Kids: Nicholas!
Hey!

They're all throwing confetti.

Aunt Melanie: Take care!
This will always be your home. Come back any time!

Page 93

Wolfwood (narration): The little space within those walls was the only paradise I had ever known.
A world where you didn't have to be covered in mud, where you didn't have to steal or run.
It's been six years since then.

Page 94

Brad: What!?
The Ark!?
Vash: It's all right now.
You made it.

Page 95

The kids scream in terror when they see Wolfwood and the carnage behind him.

Page 96

Vash: Everyone, wait a minute!! Listen to me!

Wolfwood: Forget it, Tongari.
It's all right.
It's not something children should see.
..... Hurry up and go.

Wolfwood (thinks): I'm a killer... a so-called freak.

Livio sits leaning against a piece of wall, out of the children's sight.

Livio: .....

Page 97

Brad: ...Hey!! Vash!!

Vash: What is it?

Brad: Big trouble. The "Ark" has picked up speed.

Vash: !!

Brad: If we don't get moving, we'll be in their sights in less than an hour.
Close enough that we won't be able to avoid an attack.

The far-off Ark.

Page 98

Brad: Hurry! Don't take anything that isn't absolutely essential!
When you're ready, line up in pairs!

Kid: We're gonna ride on that?

"Big sister": Yes. It'll be big sister's first time, too.

Aunt Melanie: Hey! Gary! You'll get hurt if you run like that.

She sees a satchel under a shelf.

Aunt Melanie (thinks): Nicholas...

Brief flashback to earlier that day.

Wolfwood: Auntie... If the kids ask questions...

Page 99

Wolfwood: ...Cover for me.
Just tell them that it was just a stranger who looked like me.
Kid 1: Big brother Nick? That old guy?

Kid 2: No way.

Kid 3: I don't know. But that's what Auntie called him.

Kid 4: Really!? I couldn't hear her.

Kid 3: But still, it's weird. Why would our big brother Nick be here, in a shootout?

Aunt Melanie (thinks): Nicholas... Is this really...

Vash: Is this really the way you want things!!?

Wolfwood: There's no time. The ship is leaving.

Page 100

Vash: This is no time to hesitate, you loser priest!

Pow!

Wolfwood: Look.

Wolfwood shows him the coin fragments.

Wolfwood: See, Tongari? This is who I really am.
(aside): One of them was the samurai's.

Vash: .....

Wolfwood: You're interfering in something that doesn't concern you.
You understand, don't you?

Page 101

Vash thinks.

Vash: But you still should go!
Set aside that way of thinking!

Wolfwood: What!? You've got some nerve, when you can't even do that yourself!

Livio stands up.

Wolfwood: ... What?

Livio: I... I'll go convince them!

Vash: Wait!

Wolfwood: Hey, wait!

Page 102

Livio trips over his own feet and falls in a crash of furniture.

Wolfwood: Looks like he hasn't quite recovered from the fight.
That's a relief... in more ways than one.
(aside): Is that what he's really like?

The ship takes off.

Page 103

Vash: ..... Is it really all right?

Wolfwood: Yeah.
I said, I'm satisfied.
.....
And... I'm grateful to you, too
Vash (blushing): Eh heh heh. Um, well...
You're giving me the creeps.
Wolfwood: I. Was. Kidding.
If anything, you should be thanking me.
Wolfwood: ...Anyway, sit down with me for a bit.
It's been a long time since I last had a drink with you.

Pages 104-105

Vash and Wolfwood sit down on a sofa under the open sky. They open a bottle of liquor and toast each other.

Page 106

Wolfwood: Smile, Tongari.
I like it better when you're smiling.

Page 107

Wolfwood: I'm sorry I said you had a hollow smile.

Vash (gritting his teeth and bowing his head): ...Listen, Wolfwood...
Don't say stupid things.
Wolfwood (thinks): Ah, God...
God...
Please answer my one prayer...

Pages 108-109

A bit of paper catches Wolfwood's eye. He looks up. From the ship, the children are showering him with confetti.

Page 110

Flashback. The ship, a few minutes earlier. Aunt Melanie thumps a satchel onto the floor.

Aunt Melanie: Listen, everyone.
What I'm about to tell you is the absolute truth.
Sometimes reality is harsh, but I want you to listen carefully until the end.
And then... let's all decide together what we're going to do with this.

Flashback. After Wolfwood left the orphanage. The children are all cutting up paper and filling a satchel with confetti.

Aunt Melanie: My goodness, what are you all doing?

Child: You know...
Big brother Nick is going to come back sometime, right?
So when he does...
We thought we'd all celebrate together again.

Page 111

The present. The children fling confetti out of Brad's ship.

Voice-over: After all, surely...
Despite everything happening so suddenly...
We had decided, so...

Pages 112-113

Wolfwood surrounded by images of Aunt Melanie and the children.

Voice-over: Welcome home.

Pages 114-115

Wolfwood cries.

The bell tolls.

Pages 116-117

The bottle slips from Wolfwood's hand.

Pages 118-119

Wolfwood. The bottle on the ground.

Vash buries his face in his hands.

Page 120

Knives' Ark flies overhead.

To be continued next issue...

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