Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Twelve--The Great Kyoto Fire
Part 99--Fly Like the Wind
Sanosuke (riding atop the carriage): Fly! Fly! Fly like the wind! Destination Osaka! Go!
(Saitou stabs up through the roof of the carriage.)
Saitou: Damn, I missed.
Sanosuke: Saitou what the hell are you doing!
Saitou: You're so loud we can't hear ourselves talk. Shut up for a minute. To continue.
Five thousand officers are deployed in Kyoto. That's about ten times Shishio's numbers. With
that alone we can hold off the fire. That letter you wrote before we left. You won't have
to worry about it being delivered, but what was it for?
Kenshin: The policemen can hold off five hundred soldiers, but they can't stop five hundred
sparks. For that, we'll need the help of those who protected Kyoto long ago.
(At the Aoiya)
Misao: Hey, Omasu.
Omasu: Yes, what is it, Misao--I mean, Okashira.
Misao: How much does a Gatling gun go for on the black market these days?
Omasu: You know about those!
Kaoru: Where did that come from!
Misao: You know . . . Speaking as myself, I really don't like the idea of relying on firearms.
But as Okashira, if we're going to deal with Shishio's faction we have to be well equipped.
Omasu: And so she . . .
Kaoru: Misao. Certainly the attacking power of the Gatling gun is amazing. It's probably
the strongest ground weapon to use against soldiers. But even so, four of the Oniwabanshuu
were destroyed by it. You can't replace the true strength of the Oniwabanshuu with the
strength of things bought with money, can you? Even Kenshin would acknowledge their
superiority.
Yahiko: There they are!
(Yahiko, Okon, Shiro and Kuro charge down the hall.)
Yahiko: A letter, a letter! A letter from Kenshin!
Okon: It was brought by the police!
Omasu: The police! Why?
Yahiko: I don't know, but this messy handwriting is definitely Kenshin's.
Misao: Just open it!
(They unfold and read it.)
Shiro: Is he serious . . .
Okon: I thought there were a lot of cops around today . . .
Kuro: A fire in Kyoto . . .
Omasu: That's ridiculous . . .
Yahiko: They didn't start doing ridiculous things today.
Kaoru: What do we do . . .
Misao: It's decided! We stop them!! Send out emergency carrier pigeons! Tell all of Kyoto!
Shirojou, Kurojou, Masukami, Oumime! Change into battle dress! Now it's the Kyoto
Oniwabanshuu's turn!
Kaoru: Yahiko, we'll help too.
Yahiko: Of course. I just can't believe we're fighting alongside the Oniwabanshuu. I would
never have dreamed it when we were fighting them in Tokyo.
Misao: There's no time! Everything's gotta be fast! Fly like the wind!
Saitou: I sent a telegram to Osaka, but it's too late to try and block off the road from
Kyoto. On top of that, no matter how fast this carriage
goes we won't get there until around midnight. With the time factor we won't make it if we search
for him randomly.
Sanosuke: All that doom and gloom won't get us anywhere. Even if we fail, Tokyo isn't so
weak it'd be destroyed with a couple of shots. Since we've come so far all we can do is give
it our best shot.
(Saitou stabs at him again.)
Sanosuke: Once was bad enough, but twice!! I'll kill you for this!
Saitou: I told you to shut up. You don't know what you're talking about.
Kenshin: Sano, Shishio isn't trying to destroy Tokyo. Think of the coming of the Black Ships
in Kaei 6, that led to the opening of the country and the beginning of the Bakumatsu. At
first sight, these monsters threw Edo into a panic, as in the song "Awoken from the
sleep of peace, we couldn't sleep all night even after four cups of tea." The terror and
uncertainty of that time and of the Bakumatsu still lurks in people's
hearts, even now that Edo has become Tokyo. If an unknown ship suddenly appears in Tokyo
Bay and opens fire, Tokyo will without a doubt fall into utter confusion.
Saitou: Today's government has no power to suppress it. Tokyo will immediately become a
lawless region, stopping all government workings at a stroke.
Sanosuke: I see. All right, I get it. It gets worse with every second that goes by. If
that's the case--fly like the wind!
(Saitou attempts to make mincemeat out of him.)
Saitou: Driver! Clear the trash from the top!
Sanosuke: Why you--
(At the harbor, Yumi looks at a rickety old battleship with apprehension.)
Shishio: What's wrong, Yumi.
Yumi: To be allowed to come to the destruction of Tokyo, a secret kept even from the Ten
Swords is a great honor, but . . . do you really mean . . . this worn-out old ship?
Shishio: Yumi. Did you fall in love with me at first sight? Experience in the Bakumatsu
taught me that to do the work of a Hitokiri there are two ideal conditions. One is confusion
in the darkness of night. The other is confusion in a crowd. The first condition, as you see,
is already fulfilled. As for the other, in other words, it's confusing the enemy by appearing
the same on the outside as everything else . . . You love me for my inner self.
Kenshin: Among the Hitokiri, Shishio Makoto followed in my footsteps. How would he do this?
Shishio: I'll show you her inner self too.
Kenshin: As Hitokiri Battousai, I know exactly what he'll do. He's probably camouflaged the
ship as a private boat and anchored it in the open.
(Shishio takes Yumi inside the ship, which is actually a framework constructed around another
vessel.)
Shishio: This is our secret weapon. She's called the Rengoku (Purgatory). What do you think,
Yumi? Are you in love?
Yumi: . . . Yes. With this we can crush the hateful Meiji government like cockroaches!
Hurry! Let's hurry and depart!
Shishio: Yes, we'll hurry. Houji, the time?
Houji: Eleven . . . twenty two.
The Great Kyoto fire and the sailing of the Rengoku will be in thirty-seven
minutes. Thirty-seven minutes until all forces collide---