Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Twenty-One--And So Time Passed
Part 180--The Night Wears On . . .
And so time passed . . .
1865. The Second Subjugation of Choushuu.
Takasugi Shinsaku, in spite of his illness, took command of the Choushuu army and led them to victory like the
god of war himself. Without seeing the dawn of the new era, he died two years later. His death poem was "I made an
uninteresting world interesting." His life was such that he wrote only the first line of the poem, not the last . . .
1868. The Boshin War.
Saitou Hajime was separated from the mainforce in the third battle of the Aizu war. Duels to the death spread
around him until the last. After the new era, he took refuge in Aizu. At the time of the Seinan War, he participated
in the government forces Keishichoo Battoutai. Afterwards, he lived as police lieutenant Fujita Gorou. The Shinsengumi
fought on in various places in the north. The fifth unit fought unflinchingly in the Hakedata War before disbanding.
(A flag is raised over a battlefield.)
Soldier: The Bakufu is retreating!
In the midst of all this, the first unit fought at Toba Fushimi--
Soldiers: We did it, we won! It's the dawn of a new era!
Kenshin (thinking): So it's over . . . finally . . .
Commander: Himura, over here! The fourth unit of the Shinsengumi is still fighting towards Fushimi!
(Kenshin turns to look behind him, and for an instant see Enishi staring coldly at him.)
Kenshin: Enishi!!
(But he's gone.)
Commander: What is it?
Kenshin (thinking): . . . Enishi . . . His hair was snow white. That's the form his pain took . . . It's not over.
It's not over yet . . .
1877. Saigou Takamori's uprising in the Seinan War.
Katsura Kogorou, overworked, was frequently bedridden. In the midst of the Seinan War, he died.
His dying words were, "I nearly did it, didn't I, Saigo?" He died guided the country to its future even to the end--
1878. Shishio Makoto's coup d'etat.
However, this battle would never be recorded in history.
Two months later.
(Kenshin finishes his story.)
Silence . . . No one could speak a word. They soon left the place.
(Kaoru, Tsubame and Megumi are in bed. Tsubame lies awake; she finally sits up.)
Kaoru: You can't sleep, Tsubame? Can't help it, I guess . . . This is scary. I'm sorry you had to be involved.
Tsubame: Oh. No, it's not that. It's just, Tomoe . . and Kenshin . . . I feel so sorry for them.
Megumi: I wonder if you should feel sorry for Tomoe. To die protecting the one you love . . . She literally loved
him until the day she died. That's not bad. If I had been in her place, I would have done the same thing, without
a second thought.
Tsubame (thinking): Megumi . . .
Kaoru: Maybe you're right . . . But her fate was sad. Between two men, one she killed and one who killed her . . .
The two men she loved were two sides of the same coin, as if there was some karmic connection she couldn't escape.
If Kyosato hadn't met Kenshin . . . If Kenshin hadn't been the one to kill him . . . I think Tomoe was a very rational
person. That's why, when she had to choose between Kyosato and Kenshin, she couldn't even compare them . . .
Megumi: You're taking her side pretty strongly.
Kaoru: That wasn't my intention.
Megumi: Don't tell me you're admitting defeat to a dead woman!
Kaoru: I am not! It's not about winning or not winning!
Megumi: Oh really? Then if you had been in her position, could you have died like she did?
Kaoru: I couldn't.
Megumi: I thought not.
Kaoru: That's not what I meant! If I died, then Kenshin would blame himself and be in more pain. That's why, no matter
what happens, I will not die!
Megumi: You--then you'd have forgotten all about Kyosato. You're not in Tomoe's situation at all.
Kaoru: Oh . . .
Megumi: But . . . that's all right. I don't want to see Ken-san hurt any more either. And you're not a substitute
for Tomoe. (turning back into bed) Well, let's get some sleep. If we talk any more about this Tsubame will break.
(Tsubame, caught between their arguing, is white and frozen.)
Kaoru: Tsubame!
Tsubame: Hah?
Megumi: Good night.
Kaoru: Wait, Megumi!
(Sanosuke is sitting outside the dojo. Yahiko walks up.)
Yahiko: Hey! My turn to stand guard, Sanosuke!
Sanosuke: Don't be stupid. Go potty and go to bed.
Yahiko: What!
Sanosuke: We really don't need to stand guard, anyway. After making a declaration of war, a surprise attack would
be pretty pointless.
Yahiko: You're right!
Sanosuke: But after ten days, it'll be an all-out fight to the bone. Yahiko, maybe after ten days you'll be able
to fight too.
Yahiko: I was ALWAYS going to fight!
Sanosuke: Then make sure you don't get between Kenshin and Enishi. This isn't like with Shishio, when it was the
fate of Japan on the line. This is personal. Unless they themselves decide the outcome, it won't mean anything.
If you think you're a man, stay out of it. Even if it means Kenshin dies.
Yahiko: All right . . . But that'd be a thousand to one chance.
Sanosuke: If it were you, it'd be a 999 to a thousand chance.
(They scuffle. Yahiko loses.)
Sanosuke: But those other guys, if they fight, go for it. (Not that you're ready.) It's all pretty sketchy . . . I
get the feeling that revenge is just an excuse for them.
Yahiko: Right then! I'm going to train for the succession technique!
Sanosuke: (Oh, he's fine now.)
(Yahiko starts doing the exercise Kaoru gave him, bringing his wrists up to cross over his forehead.
Sanosuke watches him for a little while.)
Sanosuke (mimicing his movement): Is this some new game?
Yahiko: I said it's training!!
Sanosuke: So you make your hands cross in front of your forehead?
Yahiko: Yeah. I don't really know why, but Kaoru said that if I do it ten thousand times, she'll teach me the
succession technique. So I'll do it 10,000 times in the next ten days. And then the technique!
Sanosuke: Good luck. Since you want to be strong that bad.
Yahiko: . . Yeah. When I heard Kenshin's story today I finally understood.
The strength of the Kenshin I look up to. Not just the strength of the Hiten Mitsurugi school,
but the strength to keep on living bearing the pain of the heart worse than death. (thinking)
Not wanting to be in the way or the only one that's weak was only half of it. No matter how I struggled,
I couldn't make it. (aloud) Now, in the true meaning of the word, I want to be strong . . . Then I can
follow in Kenshin's footsteps and protect the weak I see weeping before me. (smiling self-depreciatively)
Although I guess I still have a long way to go.
Sanosuke: Don't grin like that.
Yahiko: What!
Sanosuke: If you're going to laugh at your dreams, you should stick out your chest and laugh loud.
(thinking) Maybe this guy'll make it. (aloud) Just don't expect anyone to believe you.
(He looks up.)
Sanosuke (thinking): Wonder what I should do . . .
(Inside, Kenshin sits, lost in thought, as a clock ticks beside him.)
translations by maigo-chan
last updated 6 july 2000