Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Fifteen--The Giant Against the Great Man
Part 127--The Giant Against the Great Man (End)
(All eyes on Hiko and Fuji, who assume battle stances but remain motionless.)
Misao: . . . They stopped?
Kaoru: It’s their range . . .
Misao: Huh?
Kaoru (thinking): Probably Fuji’s standing just a step outside of Hiko’s range. And Hiko’s
a master, his range will be the very limits of the sword. He isn’t going to make any foolish
leap. Fuji can’t move in any further . . . (aloud) This stalemate could go on for a
while.
Okina: Yes, but the match itself will be over in an instant. (thinking) Careful little strikes against a
giant like Fuji will accomplish nothing. Fuji himself must realize that one blow with all his
might and main will be most effective. Fuji’s attacking power has been increased by the
removal of his armor; will be take Hiko down with the next blow? Or will Hiko
dispose of him neatly, cutting through his exposed giant’s body with his sword-- (aloud)
In that full moment the match will be decided.
Kaoru: Yes, exactly.
Misao: No one knows what you're talking about!
Oniwabanshuu (looking dazed): The match in an instant . . .
If they don’t settle it in an instant, this whole place will be in ruins . . .
Misao: Tell me! C’mon, tell me!
Yahiko: Everyone’s being stupid, shut up. Hiko Seijuurou is Kenshin’s master. No matter how
much we worry, it’s all laid out for us to see. He’ll win.
Hiko: What’s the matter? You froze all of a sudden. You scared of me?
Fuji (with a bit of a smile): Let’s . . . do it.
(He places his other hand on the sword hilt.)
Okon: With two hands?!
Omasu: Oh no!
Saitsuchi: Oh, the other hand! His power is magnified! It becomes still greater!
(Fuji roars and brings the blade home. The force of the blow drives everyone back and leaves
a great crater in the earth.)
Saitsuchi: He did it! Not a trace left! Fuji--I mean, the Hagun is the greatest of all!
Hiko (in a swirl of cloak): That stroke was perfect!
(He is perched on Fuji’s giant blade, his own sword driven through it for a handhold.)
Hiko: But it’s too bad . . .
(Fuji smiles faintly, accepting his fate.)
Yahiko: Get him!!
Hiten Mitsuruji-ryuu Kuzuryuusen!
(Fuji’s bleeding body falls to earth.)
Yahiko: No mercy . . . (Definitely different from Kenshin.)
Misao: You killed him?
Hiko: He’s so huge, even that won’t touch him. He’s not gonna die.
(Saitsuchi is collapsed under the weight of Fuji’s arm.)
Omasu: He doesn’t look like he’s dead either.
Kuro: Guys like that never die.
Okina: As a fellow old man, I’m embarrassed.
Hiko: I don’t know if he’ll live to come back, but I’ve fulfilled my promise to my stupid
pupil. You just wait and trust him in.
Kaoru: Of course . . . (thinking) Kenshin . . .
(Deep in Shishio’s headquarters, Kenshin stops and glances behind him.)
Sanosuke: What is it?
Kenshin: Nothing . . . I just thought I heard Miss Kaoru’s voice . . .
(Both Sanosuke and Yumi check his forehead for fever.)
Kenshin (annoyed): I’m not crazy.
Sanosuke (as they continue running): I just thought you’d lost so much blood, you were hearing
things. ‘Scuse me!
Kenshin: But even if I was only imagining it, I feel a little better hearing Miss Kaoru’s
voice. I’m sure the Aoiya is fine.
Sanosuke: You’re pretty optimistic.
(They rush onward down the corridor.)
The Makings of the Characters--The Old Man Saitsuchi
Fuji is the divine giant-soldier, so Saitsuichi’s inspiration was very different from
Kushana. He’s taken from the aforementioned Finnish tale of the Frost Giants, an evil little
man who tricks the giants. Add to this the pilot of the giant robots and you have Saituchi.
Fuji was never a villain to begin with, so I feel a little sorry for Saitsuchi, who had to be
evil to the bone. On top of that, after Fuji’s fight, I was going to use him in Ruroken’s first
battle of the old men, Okina vs. Saitsuchi, but a voice inside of me said "Who’s going to be
happy to see two old men fight? Who??" and I cut it out. The most terribly manipulative of
the Ten Swords, he vanished without having a chance to show off those huge brains. Senkaku
was fine, but I’ve been tending to use characters with weird heads. Ah . . . I think now
that Ten Swords was too many, and I should have settled for six or seven . . .
As for the motif, I think those of my generation will get it at once. It’s from the
NHK puppet show "Tale of Purin-Purin" (and now I’m thinking, what a title . . . ), the dictator
of the republican country General Ruchi. There’s something weird about being a dictator of a
republican nation, but when I was a child all I noticed was how huge his head was. By the
first glance you knew he had an IQ of 300 (maybe even 3000), truly a great design. The plot
was even more incredible; he was really an alien who had transformed into a meteorite to
come to Earth! And his real body was a giant brain!
It was a really neat puppet show. I look forward to the next one.
translations by maigo-chan