Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Twenty-Eight--Towards a New Age
(A picture of Watsuki-sensei bowing)
Thank you for reading so long!
RUROUNI KENSHIN
255 chapters, 28 volumes. About five and a half years have gone by, and it's finally
come to an end.
To the editing staff who have always backed up me, to my boss who has tirelessly looked after
me ever since my debut, to the publishers who took such trouble with the tankobons, to my
hardworking assistants, and to the reader who holds this in their hands:
Thank you very much!
Part 248--Anger
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu Ryuumeisen!
Yahiko: He's never used that before!
Enishi: Clever! But whatever technique you try, my sword will knock you out of the field!
(As they meet, Kenshin sheathes his sword. Enishi's blow tears him along his left arm.)
Megumi: What? What just happened?
Yahiko: Did he . . . miss?
Misao: Ow!
Yahiko: What?
Misao (clutching her head): No, it's just . . . My ears suddenly . . . It's nothing.
Aoshi (also with a hand to his ear): The Oniwabanshu are trained in hearing, so their ears
are more sensitive than those of ordinary people. That's why we were affected.
Probably the result of the Ryuumeisen--
(Enishi is on his knees, shaking, a little trickle of blood coming out of his ears.)
Enishi: You--what have you done to me?
Kenshin: A reverse-turn of godspeed battoujutsu . . . You might call it godspeed noutoujutsu*.
Just like the cry of a dragon, the high-pitched sound of the sheath's reverberations strike
the opponent's heightened senses and paralyze them. This is the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu
Ryuumeisen.
* noutoujutsu "sword-sheathing techniques;" i.e. the opposite of battoujutsu--maigo
Enishi: You . . .
(He tries to get up, slips, and falls to his knees again.)
Kenshin: However, because of your Kyoukeimyaku, that wouldn't be its only effect. The
Ryuumeisen's sound would penetrate your inner ear.
Megumi: So that's it. Because of the Kyoukeimyaku effect, Yukishiro Enishi's five senses
were far beyond normal . . . so Ken-san responded with the Ryuumeisen. It penetrated
the hearing mechanism and paralyzed the inner ear that regulates the sense of balance!
Sanosuke: So that's the Ryuumeisen. Watoujutsu and Kyoukeimyaku just couldn't measure up.
Megumi: That's not all. That was a perfect opportunity. That was his response when
he realized that Yukishiro Enishi's sense were hypersensitive. So of course he
amplified his strongest possible attack, causing his senses to self-destruct.
Kyoukeimyaku isn't invincible! It's a double-edged sword--the stronger its attack,
the weaker its defense!
Enishi: Battousai . . .
Kenshin: It's useless. You may have bested me in speed and height, but now you can't even
stand . . . Enishi . . . Your techniques and your personality were both too one-sided.
You attacked with limitless strength. But when it was forced to defend, that strength--
Enishi: It's not over yet!
(He drives two fingers into his ear, crushing the inner organs.)
Megumi: He crushed his own--
Misao: Yeaugh!
Aoshi: The idiot crushed it . . . he was tortured by the pain, amplified by the Kyoukeimyaku.
Saitou: No . . . You didn't see him in the other fight. This man's spirit has already
transcended his body. No matter what pain his body feels, his mind won't consider it
important. He's standing, but his sense of balance is still completely off. His defense
hasn't weakened, but he's lost attacking power. They're finally evenly matched.
(Enishi strikes. Kenshin dodges sideway, and Enishi's sword strikes the ground.)
Yahiko: The shockwave parted the sea!
(Enishi is left with a sword buried in a crater of sand.)
Kenshin: I told you it's useless, Enishi. No matter how fiercely you attack, you'll never
hit me.
Enishi: So what! So what if I only attack! I don't protect anything--I don't need to! The
only thing I wanted to protect, you--you already stole her from me!
(There is silence for a minute.)
Enishi: So I will kill you! I'll kill you with my own hands!
Kaoru (thinking): That stance! The Kofuku Watoujutsu!
Kenshin: You're right . . . I took her from you. And I can't give her back. All I can do is
face your anger . . .
(He sheathes his sword.)
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu Ougi Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki!
translations by maigo-chan
last updated 8 february 2002