Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translation
Volume Five--Patterns of Meiji Swordsmanship
Part 32--Extra Story--Yahiko’s Fight (Middle)
(Yahiko leaps from the roof with a mighty yell. Unfortunately he lands, on his feet, but
rather painfully.)
Tsubame: Yahiko-chan!
Yahiko: I told you not to call me that!!
Tsubame: Sorry!
Yahiko: Throw away any stupid thoughts of stealing! Or else Myoujin Yahiko of the Tokyo
samurai is your opponent!
Fighter: You brat! I’ll make you eat those words!!
(Yahiko blocks his stroke, then gives his a blow to the stomach. He follows it up with a
strike to the face, knocking him out.)
Yahiko (thinking): I can do this! I know enough to use it!
Fighter2: You--
Yahiko: Come on!
Fighter3 (striking him from behind): Don’t push your luck! Now you’re surrounded!
(They beat him. Tsubame looks on, aghast.)
Mikio (snapping his sword back in its sheath): Huh. I didn’t have to lift a finger.
Kenshin (watching in silence): . . . . .
Sanosuke (kicking him): Whadduya mean, ‘. . . . .’. Are you just gonna sit there and watch?
Kaoru (seizing him): Exactly! Yahiko’s in danger!
Kenshin: Just calm down.
Kaoru: I won’t calm down! He may be rude, but he’s my only student!
Kenshin (pulling her ponytail): Wait. Yahiko hasn’t noticed that we’re here. Our appearance
would be very unnatural.
Kaoru: But--
Kenshin: Someone who is always rescued cannot become strong. This is Yahiko’s fight. Unless
he asks us for help, there should be no interference from us.
Sanosuke (thinking): "A lion pushes its own child
into a thousand ravines," huh? But . . .
Tsubame: Stop it . . . stop it, Mr. Mikio! He has nothing to do with this. I’ll give you
the key!
(He snatches it away from her.)
Mikio: Hey. The kid's nothing. We've got more important things to do.
(They stop and walk off, following Mikio.)
Tsubame (rushing to Yahiko): Are--are you all right?
Yahiko: Dam . . . dammit. One on one I coulda . . .
Mikio: Tsubame! (she freezes) From now on, remember who your master is.
Fighters: See ya, Yahiko-chan.
(They leave.)
Tsubame: I’m sorry. It’s my fault you got mixed up in this. I’m so very sorry . . .
Yahiko (standing up without her help): From the molds they can make a real key in less than a
day. They’ll carry out their plan tomorrow evening.
Tsubame: Yahiko-chan! I mean . . .
Yahiko: It doesn’t matter. I couldn’t stop those creeps. I am still "chan." (slowly
walking away) You didn’t drag me into this. I stuck my own neck out. So don’t worry about
it. (thinking) I can’t tell the police. They’d make her an accomplice. And I’m not
asking Kenshin or the others for help. I don’t want to bother them with these guys. This is
my fight!
(Kenshin and the others watch him go.)
The next morning
Yahiko: Well . . . that’s about right.
(He has taken a wooden clothesline and hung planks from the crosspieces.)
Sanosuke: What kinda playground is that?
Yahiko: Idiot!!! It’s specially made to practice fighting many enemies at once. An quick-built
training machine!
Kaoru: Stupid. That’s useless. Think about it. The boards only move in a fixed way, not the
way real opponents would. Fighters attack in a number of complicated forms, in
coordinated waves inside an enclosure. That thing’ll train your reflexes
but it won’t be an easy way out of your problems. (half under her breath) That's all
a kid knows . . .
Yahiko: Well, if you’re so great, tell me what else I can do!
Kaoru: That is . . . that would be . . . a specialty of the Hiten Mitsurugi school! (Isn’t
it?)
Yahiko: Aren’t YOU taking the easy way out!! Aw, you’re no help. Adjutant master.
Kaoru (being restrained by Sanosuke): Come back here, you shrimp!
(Kenshin is doing the laundry by the well.)
Yahiko: Hey, Kenshin.
Kenshin: Oro?
Yahiko: Maybe you can help. I need to know a way to fight many people at once.
Kenshin: I don’t teach the Hiten Mitsurugi school. The killing sword is wrong.
Yahiko: You’re taking the easy way out too!!
Kenshin: Is there some reason why you need to fight many people at once?
Yahiko: Not really. I just want to know.
Kenshin: I see. I happen to know of a way. This is a technique used by the Ishin Shishi in
the time of the Bakumatsu. When overwhelmed by superior numbers, you first run away. To be
precise, you pretend to run away. Your enemies naturally pursues you. This takes advantage
of their individual differences, so that they follow in order of their natural speed. Target
one, turn and destroy him, then run again. If you repeat this you can bring down all of your
enemies without ever being hurt yourself.
Yahiko (exultant): I see!
Kenshin: But training to build up the strength of your legs and so on is indispensable,
so . . .
Yahiko (crestfallen): I see . . .
Kenshin: If you have to, think about how you can get your opponent in a situation where you
can fight him one on one.
Yahiko: One on one . . . a situation . . .
Kenshin: And Yahiko. The Kamiya Kasshin school is the school of the sword that protects life.
It is the sword wielded for people, to protect. One sword can protect you, or make two
destinies. If you fight and lose with such a sword, you have not fulfilled your destiny to protect
yourself. The practitioner of the sword that protects life cannot allow failure. Let this
only be engraved on your mind.
(That evening)
Yahiko (thinking): With my sword, I’ll make it my destiny to protect. I will not allow
failure. (aloud) Myoujin Yahiko of the Kamiya Kasshin school! Now for a fair fight!!!
(he rushes off towards the Akabeko.)