Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Four--Two Destinies
Part 30--Two Destinies--Aoshi
Sanosuke: Aoshi's gone?!
Chief: There’s no windows . . . and no one’s gone in or out the doors.
Sanosuke: He’s really gone!? How’d you let him escape?!
Chief: Don’t be foolish! We have every exit covered. It’s impossible that anyone could have
gone in or out without our noticing. The perimeter of the mansion is also secured.
Yahiko: Well, then he really is a spy. He disappeared like smoke . . .
Kenshin: No . . . there’s another entrance below us.
Megumi: Kanryuu’s secret passage! While we were in the observatory and the police were
entering, he got out through the passage in the roofspace! It goes from the roofspace, through
the walls and comes out in the woods. I’ll take you there!
(In the woods, a square of turf has been dragged aside to reveal a shaft with a ladder.)
Megumi: The door’s open. He came through here.
Chief: Search the area! He can’t have gone far! Don’t let so much as a cat escape!
(Aoshi appears standing atop a wall, holding the four heads of the Oniwabanshuu. The police
freeze at the sight.)
Chief: What are you doing? Seize him--
Sanosuke (silencing him): Stop, or he’ll just kill them. (to Aoshi) It's not your fault.
You couldn't stop the Gatling gun. They died for you, but they don't want revenge.
Kenshin: Aoshi . . . if you can’t forgive yourself, then fight me again now. Fight and destroy
me. And lay the name of "strongest" on their graves.
Aoshi (turning away): Battousai. Until I kill you, no one will.
(He disappears.)
Chief: He’s getting away! Follow him!
Megumi: Kenshin . . .
Kenshin: It’s all right. Comforting words will do no good now.
Megumi: But now it’ll be you he’s after!
Kenshin: I’ll be all right. Now this time, let’s really go home.
(At the Kamiya dojo. Kaoru greets them with open arms, all ten fingers bandaged from her
cooking efforts.)
Kaoru: Welcome back!!
Kenshin: We’re home.
Kaoru: Ouch, you really look hurt . . .
Kenshin: Miss Kaoru, your fingers . . .
Kaoru: Oh yes! There’s breakfast and I prepared a nice hot bath after your hard work. Help
yourselves!
Sanosuke (passing her by): I’m tired, I’m going to bed. (Lemme borrow a futon.)
Yahiko: Me too.
(Kaoru (looking heartbroken): But, I worked so hard . . .)
Kenshin: I'd like a bite to eat.
Megumi: I’d like something too . . . if it’s all right.
(They look at her in surprise, and then smile.)
Kaoru: Of course!
And so the curtain closes
Megumi: This tastes terrible.
(Kenshin restrains the furious Kaoru.)
On the matter of the opium and the two destinies of the fight to the death.
(Later. Megumi is about to leave with the doctor.)
Megumi: I want to thank you for everything. I’m sorry I had to burden you with another mouth
to feed . . .
Yahiko: What? Someone should come and cook for us everyday.
Megumi: Well, if I hear of a good live-in cook I’ll introduce you . . .
Doctor: No, with an assistant like Megumi we’ll get a big welcome wherever we go. (patting
her rump.)
Megumi: Ken-san?
(Doctor (broken and bleeding): Somebody call a doctor . . . .)
Kenshin: Oro?
(Yahiko: You are a doctor)
Megumi: If you ever get tired of Kaoru, please tell me. I’ll be your "opponent" any time.
Kaoru: Get out of here, you--you--you--vixen!
(Megumi giggles.)
Kenshin (blankly): What do you mean, opponent?
Sanosuke: I told you before. The girl’s too naive, don’t tease her.
Megumi: Oh, that’s all right. I was serious. If I said I wanted one like you, I might be
joking, but . . .
Sanosuke: You looking for a fight? And I thought you’d really reformed this time . . .
No way.
Megumi: Silly. By the age of 22, it’s too late to change your ways. (as they leave) Polish
yourself up a little and get in line with Ken-san. I’ll give you an opponent!
Sanosuke: Only you’d say something like that. (So whadduya mean, opponent?) Well, whatever.
(Kaoru: And don’t come back!)
(Kaoru’s sign: No Vixens Allowed.)
Sanosuke: This whole fiasco’s over.
(Yahiko (to Kaoru): Oh, shut up.)
Kenshin: Well, that's Miss Megumi all right . . .
Sanosuke: You fought at the risk of your own life, and her life is what you’ve got to show for
it . . . And in the end he shook off the police pursuit and disappeared . . . .
Kenshin: Yes . . . maybe we won’t see him for a long time yet. The wounds will heal and we’ll
train again. Before I can say I’ll win for certain I’ll have to prepare my own strength and
confidence . . . Out of regard for Miss Megumi, I said I was all right, but . . . next time,
who will win . . .
Yahiko: What are you saying. Kenshin, there’s no way you’ll lose!
Kenshin: Maybe it’ll be all right. (thinking) It has been . . . so far. If I can see
Shinomori Aoshi’s salvation in this world it’ll be all right . . .
(A traveler deep in the forest stumbles on a clearing, where a tall man in a coat stands
before four crude graves.)
Aoshi: I don’t have flowers to lay before you yet. But I will.
Traveler: What are you doing? Alone deep in the mountains.
(Aoshi walks silently away.)
Traveler: Hey, you can’t do that! Locals can’t come in here! It’s a demon’s forest!
Those who train in the ways of weapons can’t set foot in there! Hey, can’t you hear me!!
Hey--!!
Two Destinies--End
The Makings of the Characters-- Okashira Shinomori Aoshi--
Even when I wrote the paragraph about Beshimi, I was just adding the Oniwabanshuu impromtu to the story, and although
I was glad that Aoshi would appear, I was in trouble because I had no idea what he looked. But, as models for the
Oniwabanshuu, my beloved Shinsengumi came to mind, and Aoshi naturally grew out of the Shinsengumi’s Hijikata Toshizou.
But, there are two ways that Hijikata is portrayed in books and novels (if you’re a fan of the Shinsengumi I think you’ll
understand.)
One is the way he is represented in "Burning Sword:" Hijikata with great combat instincts who fought until death
(this is the Hijikata I’m a fan of.) But the Hijikata who killed his gentler feelings, who played the role of a demon and
cried within his heart, who buried his human weakness, is the Hijikata that Aoshi is based on.
How Aoshi, like Hijikata, fought until death we won’t give away here, but it won’t be long until he reappears.
Other than this model, I didn’t have any particular design, but used one from my sketchbook. However as time went on,
the image of Hijikata became looser, his bangs got longer, more in the modern style. I tried to go back and fix it, but
it would have made you laugh (hey!) so I left it how it was. The coat I took from that popular American comic . . .