Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Thirteen--A Beautiful Night
Part 107--Bright King
Yumi: Lord Shishio, this might not be for me to say, but aren't you a little worried about Brother Anji fighting Sagara
Sanosuke? The only one who could have taught that man the Futae no Kiwami is the priest himself . . . Since he's gone
so far already, could he hold back during the fight out of compassion . . . ?
Shishio: You don't have to say it. The possibility is there. Anji may be a fallen monk but he lives in accordance
with Buddhism.
(In his chamber, Anji stares at a small statue of a Boddhisattva.)
Shishio: He has the most compassion of all the Ten Swords. Yet--
(Anji smashes it.)
Shishio: He acts far more out of divine wrath than compassion.
(Inside the statue is a small black tablet. Anji tucks it inside his shirt.)
Shishio: The Bright King Anji has no mercy for those who stand in the way of redeeming the world. Stop worrying about
it, Yumi. There's something I want you to do.
(Kenshin, Sanosuke and Saitou walk through the gates to the main doors. A figure stands in front of them.)
Kenshin: Someone's . . . there.
Yumi: Welcome. We've been expecting you. Inside, the depths become a labyrinth. So that you will not lose your way,
I, the unworthy Komagata Yumi, shall be your guide.
Sanosuke: Using a woman to make us careless . . . He's full of tricks. Be careful.
Saitou: Only you'd fall for such a weak trap.
Sanosuke: !
Kenshin: Shishio's not so desperate.
Sanosuke: !!
Yumi: Please follow me.
(They cross a narrow bridge across an underground gorge.)
Kenshin: This is more of a maze than a cavern. A single misstep would probably plunge us into a storm of traps.
It's a very elaborate system of defense.
Yumi (before she opens the door before them): Oh yes, I almost forgot. I have a message from Lord Shishio. Each
battle must be man to man, to the end. One man waits in each room. Each time, you must choose one to fight him. The
other two must do nothing to help.
Sanosuke: Great! A fight's gotta be man-to-man!
Saitou: I don't care, but having this all neatly arranged annoys me. Just give me my opponent.
Yumi: And you, Mr. Himura?
Kenshin: It's fine. But after the match, no matter who it is, I will not give the finishing stroke. I know this is a
fight to the finish, but I will not take part in a duel to the death.
Yumi (giggling): You're so sweet. Well, then, the first match.
(The doors open onto a gigantic statue.)
Kenshin: Acala, the god of fire?
Saitou: How flashy. One of the Ten Swords is a monk?
Sanosuke: Yeah . . . a fallen monk, who lost his footing on the way . . . There's something I want to ask this guy.
This one's mine.
(Sanosuke and Anji square off, staring each other down.)
Kenshin: Miss Komagata, who is he?
Yumi: The Bright King Anji. He's good.
Kenshin (thinking): Anji . . . so he's the one that saved Miss Misao, third strongest of the Ten Swords . . . I don't know how you met, but be careful,
Sano. This is no ordinary man.
Sanosuke: Hey. It's been a month or so now. I thought we'd met again, but not like this.
Anji: I, too, never dreamed of this. So all you said at Shimosuwa about hating the Meiji government was a lie. You
have abused my trust.
Sanosuke: You're the one who can't be trusted, you shitty monk! You're helping the crazy twisted Shishio destroy--what
happened to saving the world??
Anji: Nothing happened. This destruction is the first step to salvation.
Sanosuke: WHAT??
Anji: Listen. You think saving the world means
liberating everyone from confusion and pain. I thought so too. When I followed the Buddha's path I prayed for it with
all my heart. But the real world isn't like that. It is full of beasts and demons unworthy of being saved. These
beasts in human form steal the future from those with pure hearts . . . After the turmoil of the Bakumatsu we entered the
Meiji era. However, in the sudden transformation the wanton, corrupt men who cannot be saved went too far. To save
those who must be saved, one must punish those who cannot be saved. For this purpose, I, Bright King Anji of the Ten
Swords, shall accept the divine wrath of Acala. This world will be destroyed, razed to the ground, and returned to
nothing. Those who should be saved will be saved, those who should be punished will be punished, when their hearts are
judged for their next lives. This will truly be the salvation of the world. Do you understand, Sagara Sanosuke?
Sanosuke: I don't understand, freak! I don't know all this religious crap like you, but I do know one
thing! I don't accept your way of saving the world!
Kenshin: Sano!
(Sanosuke charges, hitting the wall next to Anji with the Futae no Kiwami.)
Kenshin: That's what we saw on the Rengoku . . .
Saitou: That's the third time. I guess it wasn't just a fluke.
Sanosuke: I've trained with hundreds of boulders since Shimosuwa till I got to Kyoto. I've mastered the Futae no
Kiwami. Give it up, Anji. I don't want to use what you taught me against you.
Anji: Mastered . . . ? Don't be arrogant, boy.
(He punches the wall, making a crater.)
Anji: What I taught you was just one of the basics. This is mastery.