Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Twenty-Four--End of the Dream
Part 210--Oibore: Man of Unknown Origins
(An old man walks down the road, carrying a fishing pole; a small flock of songbirds
surround him.)
Old Man (singing): Oh, well, what the hell. Oh, well, what the hell. Oh, well--mm?
(He sees Misao and Yahiko ahead of him, entering Rakuminmura.)
Old Man: A couple of young ones. Come to join us? Doesn't look that way . . .
(Misao and Yahiko reach the gate.)
Yahiko: All right! From here on out we can't afford to slip up! Give this all you got!
Misao: Let's charge 'em!
(A group of Rakuminmura inhabitants decend on them.)
Men: Hold it right there!
Where'd you come from?
Don't take another step!
It'd disgrace our honorif we let outsiders in whenever they wanted!
Yahiko: What are you talking about? You don't have any honor to lose.
Misao: Yeah, you bunch of bums.
Men: We won't go easy on you cause you're kids!
Kick 'em out!
Yahiko: Let's do it, Misao!
Misao: I said, let's charge 'em!
(The fight begins.)
Men: What is this?
They're not bad!
Misao: We don't have time to waste with bums!
Yahiko: We're taking revenge for Kaoru! We're gonna see Kenshin!
(A wave of men jump them. When the smoke clears, Yahiko and Misao are buried underneath
them.)
Man: How was that? One of the 48 outcast techniques, Fallen Lives!
Yahiko: What is this?!
Misao: That is not funny!
Man: Shut up, you smart-mouthed kid!
Old Man: Looks like fun.
Man: Oibore!
Old Man: It's been three days since I saw y'all. I brought some shikemoku from town.
Divide it up, now.
(The men swarm on the shikemoku, letting Yahiko and Misao up.)
Old Man: You all right, young'uns?
Yahiko: Who are you?
Old Man: It's been so long, I've forgotten my own name. Now they call me Oibore (old fool),
the nicest old guy you'll ever meet.
Yahiko: The nicest old guy . . .?
Misao: That sounds suspicious.
Oibore: Not at all! Look at this. (gestures at the birds around him) They say animals
won't come near someone with a bad heart.
Yahiko & Misao: Plus, he's a little nuts.
Oibore: Now, young man, young lady, what brings you here?
Yahiko: We're here to see someone. Something wrong with that?
Oibore: To see someone? Not the one who just came in, the samurai with the chained-up
sword?
Yahiko: Yeah, Kenshin. Thanks for your help. See ya around.
Man: Hey!!
(They walk off; Oibore looks thoughtful.)
(Back at the Oguni Clinic.)
Megumi: And that's everything. Other than what I saw and heard myself, if you ask the
others they'll tell you about the same.
Aoshi: It doesn't make sense.
Megumi: What?
Aoshi: Is there anything else? No evidence left behind?
Megumi: The evidence was all seized by the police. Oh--it's not really evidence, but that
thing Sanosuke brought back is in the dojo storeroom.
Aoshi: I see . . . Well, I'm in the way.
Megumi: If you're going back to the dojo I'll come too. You won't know where the
key to the storeroom is.
(Kenshin sits.)
Kenshin (thinking): No more. I'm tired. Just let me sleep . . .
(He finds himself sitting on a hill of bones.)
Kenshin (thinking): Here again . . .
Shishio: Hey. Look at you now.
Kenshin: How ironic that it should be you . . . It doesn't matter. Just take me.
Shishio: You fool. Who do you think you are? I'm just here to laugh at you. But I
might take you with me all the same. You just have to realize that you were a failure.
Your sword, your beliefs, your life, everything . . . admit it was all one big mistake
you can never take back.
Misao: --mura!
(Kenshin opens his eyes.)
Misao: Himura . . . What are you doing? Get up, Himura! We're taking revenge for Kaoru!
(Kenshin's head only sinks lower.)
Yahiko: You can stay there. Just listen to me. I'm going to make him pay for what
he did to Kaoru. But I don't really know what's after that. I just won't give up.
I won't be confused. I'll just look straight ahead, singlemindedly, without turning back.
I'll be strong under the Kamiya Kasshin school, like you said. And like you, I'll wield
my sword for the weak and those who suffer that I see all around me.
(He turns.)
Yahiko: I'm not coming here again. I'll be waiting at the Kamiya dojo.
(He walks off. Kenshin sits, motionless. After some time, Oibore comes and settles
down against the wall next to him.)
Oibore: That's a fine boy, there. Now I've been living here for some time now, but you're
the first I've seen to have a fine boy like that come from the outside asking after him.
Y'know, I wonder if you didn't come here a little too soon.
(Yahiko and Misao are walking home, nearing the dojo.)
Misao: What was that? Pathetic! He's soooo pathetic!
Yahiko: (Don't say soooo.)
Misao: That was not Himura! I wish I'd never seen him like that.
Megumi: Wait just one minute!
(Megumi is arguing with Aoshi outside of the dojo.)
Megumi: What are you thinking? Do you even know what you're saying?
Yahiko: Megumi!
Misao: What is it, what's going on?
Megumi: Listen! Listen to what this idiot wants to--
Misao: Don't call Lord Aoshi an idiot!
Megumi: An idiot is what he is!
Aoshi (to Yahiko): You'll help too.
Yahiko: What is this?
Aoshi: Tonight we're going to unearth Kamiya Kaoru's grave.
translations by maigo-chan
last updated 1 jan 2001