Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Twenty-Seven--Answer
Part 238--Sushin Transformation
(Heishin's four bodyguards face down Kenshin and the others.)
Sanosuke: Guess that makes four on four. (glancing at Saitou) Hey, you want one?
Misao (waving her hand in the air): Me me me! I want one! I'm on a roll today,
so let me take it!
Sanosuke (as Megumi restrains her): You'd do more harm than good.
Heishin: It would be better for you if your followers withdrew.
Sanosuke: What?
Heishin: The samurai on the boat. You're the boss's enemy, aren't you? Don't hide
behind your followers, come out yourself. We ourselves don't have much time.
If you die quickly, they won't all have to be destroyed.
Kenshin: They aren't my followers. Everyone here has my complete trust. They're my friends.
Heishin: Friends. I see.
Kenshin: I don't know you, but if you're one of Enishi's men, tell him to come out.
We'll settle this man to man. That's the best way.
Saitou: You're wasting your time. That's Wu Heishin. He's the organization's number 2,
but unlike Enishi, he's a practical business, unlikely to take the lead in an attack.
His being here probably means Enishi turned his back on him, or else that he foresaw
failure and is making his escape.
Enishi: You're very rude. I wasn't abandoned, and I'm not running away.
The boss is the one that's abandoning the organization. Thus I'd like you
to reconsider your thinking, as I am now the organization's Number One.
Sanosuke: Hang on, does that mean you're after Kenshin now? There's no reason for that.
Heishin: I'm tired of taking my former boss's leftovers. I thought it might be amusing
to show him what it's like to not get what you want for once.
Saitou: Essentially, you're here out of spite for Yukishiro Enishi. You may be smart,
but at heart you're a child. A child with a hand-me-down organization . . . Today's
going to be more boring than I thought.
Heishin: You are irritating. If you really want to die, then be my guest. Battousai's
underlings! Come on then!
Kenshin: First they were my followers, and now they're my underlings?
Heishin: If not, then a punk, a brat and a shady character! Come on! I told you we don't
have much time!
Sanosuke: A punk, huh. Well, I can't say no. How about it?
Yahiko: Kenshin doesn't want to mess around with you. Either come on or get out of our way!
Then we'll settle who's a brat.
(Misao (in the background, still being restrained by Megumi): Who's shady? You can
apologize by dying, you black little toad!)
Aoshi: I don't care what you think of my natural disposition, but let me give you some advice.
When the head of a group takes the field without precisely judging the strength of the enemy,
that group has no chance.
Heishin: All right! So all of you want to die! Sushin!
(The four bodyguards leap straight into the air.)
Megumi: That's so high!
Misao: For their build--
(They land all four back to back, facing the four points of the compass. Their caps have
flown off, revealing tattooed designs and Chinese characters on their bald heads.)
Aoshi: Suzaku, Seiryuu, Byakko, Genbu. Sushin. In Japan, we call them the Shishin.
Heishin: Yes, the Sushin. This is their true form! Suzaku of the South! Byakko of the West!
Seiryuu of the East! Genbu of the North! The legendary divine guardian kings of the
four directions. Quadruplet warriors, masters of the martial arts, each branded with
one of the divine beasts to guard my four sides. They became my Four Stars, never leaving
my side, but at my command they show their true strength, that of Four Gods! Now, Sushin,
kill them one by one!
(The Sushin pull their weapons from their sleeves and choose their opponents.)
Zhu Que Shuang Jian!
(Suzaku, holding two small swords, chooses Aoshi.)
Qing Long Dai Dao!
(Seiryuu, with a pike with a curved blade, faces Saitou.)
Bai Hu Zhang Ju!
(Byakko, with spiked bracelets on his wrists, takes Sanosuke.)
Xuan Wu She Gun!
(Genbu, holding a long jointed staff, picks Yahiko.)
(They charge, and their first attacks are countered.)
Kenshin: In an instant they sized up their fighting styles and chose the most suitable
opponents.
Misao: But they'd know just by looking at their weapons!
Kenshin: They would with Sano's bare fists and Yahiko's shinai, but Aoshi's long sword
is different. Ordinarily, you'd think the Seiryuu would choose Aoshi as having a long reach.
But he saw the joint between the hilt and the sheath and realized that the long sword
concealed two kodachi. The Seiryuu chose Saitou, with his three shaku seven sun Japanese sword.
Megumi: So these four who fight in Heishin's place are at the height of physical strength.
Misao: They all look the same, so you'd think they were just muscle, but that was our mistake.
(Saitou and Seiryuu clash and separate.)
Saitou: Unlike your master, you look like you have some skills.
But if you think you can hold off the Gatotsu with superior reach,
you don't know how weak you really are!
translations by maigo-chan
last updated 22 august 2001