Kenshin: Ten years have passed . . . but here nothing has changed.
Hiko (appearing behind him): So that's the grave.
(The grave is a small one, with an unmarked stone headstone. Kenshin puts a hand to the
scar on his cheek.)
Kenshin: Yes . . .
(Kenshin splashes the marker with water, offers flowers and incense, and prays.)
Hiko: Visiting the grave after so long . . . You've neglected her for ten years. What
brings you here now?
Kenshin: It's the Meiji era now. Almost all of Japan has moved on. But there are a lot of
people who know me in this city, so I avoided it, hoping to stay out of unnecessary
quarrels.
Hiko: Is that the only reason?
Kenshin (after a pause): The person who sleeps here, whom I killed with my own hands
during my days as Hitokiri Battousai--Kyoto brings back strong memories of her. So I tried
to stay away, but . . . (he turns around with a faint smile) Finally . . . I resolved to
offer flowers at her grave.
(Hiko regards him for a moment, then turns to go.)
Hiko: If you're done here, hurry up and go back to Tokyo. If you get into some unnecessary
quarrel, I'm not helping you this time.
(Kenshin looks again at the grave.)
Kenshin: I'll come again next year.
Kenshin und seine Freunde verlassen Okina, Misao und die anderen Freunde um nach Tokio zu
gehen:
(Two figures are watching from an alleyway; one is smoking.)
Chou: You sure about this, boss? You said you don't need to talk to them, but I bet
they're kinda worried about you.
Saitou: I only joined forces with Battousai temporarily to destroy the Shishio faction.
Now that duty has been fulfilled.
Chou: Zat so.
Saitou: But we are both destined to battle. When the time comes, we'll meet again, in the
midst of violence. We won't be united against a common enemy. Then, without hesitation, I
will finish what I began in the Bakumatsu.
Chou: Guess it's too bad for Battousai you survived.
(Saitou smiles slightly and flicks away his cigarette before stepping off into the dark
alley.)
Saitou: Come. My next duty is already begun.
Sie sind Zuhause angekommen und gehen ins Lokal, Kenshin bleibt draußen stehen:
Kaoru: What's wrong?
Kenshin: It's nothing . . . I didn't want to involve you in the dangers of the Battousai
within me, but after three months of being a vagabond, I find myself here. It's a little
strange for some reason, to be returning with you as if it were natural.
Kaoru: Kenshin. (holding out her hand) Welcome back.
(Kenshin looks startled for a moment, then smiles.)
Kenshin: I'm home.
In Kyoto kommt ein Schiff an:
(Enishi is standing at the railing, looking out. He is dressed in Chinese-style pants and
jacket, wearing small sunglasses and carrying a wrapped sword. Overhearing their
conversation, he smiles slightly.)
Enishi: Long? . . Long indeed. It's been ten years since I last saw Japan . . .
Im Krankenhaus ärgern Megumi und Zanza sich gegenseitig:
Sanosuke: Oh yeah, that reminds me. It's been bothering me lately. That scar of Kenshin's.
If it's such an old wound, why's it still so clear?
Megumi: Hm . . . I'm not really sure, but this is something Dr. Oguni told me a long time
ago. It's really just a superstition, but they say that if someone attaches strong
feelings to a sword wound, as long as he carries those feelings, the scar will not fade.
Kyoto--
(Enishi approaches a recently-visited grave.)
Enishi (crushing the flowers beneath his feet): So it's true that Battousai was in Kyoto.
Iwanbou (standing to his side, grinning stupidly as always): Yes. He goes by Kenshin now,
but it's him. You just missed him, he's returned to Tokyo. The other four have gone on
separately without waiting for your arrival. They've finally caught the trail of the man
they've searched for since the Bakumatsu. You can't blame them for being impatient.
Enishi: . . . I'll ask you one thing. Does Battousai still have a cross-shaped scar on his
left cheek?
Iwanbou: Yes--I didn't see him myself, but from talk in the Shishio faction, I can say
that he does.
Enishi: So it's still there . . . Then my sister has not yet forgiven him. (turning
abruptly.) Tokyo, you say. We must hurry, Mr. Gein.
Iwanbou: Yes.
(Iwanbou's body tears apart, revealing a man inside dressed as a bunraku puppetmaster,
with a skull mask. He laughs.)
Tsubame, Yahikos Zukünftige, geht morgends spazieren und trifft dabei auf Kenshin:
(She notices Kenshin standing alone in the midst of the bamboo.)
Tsubame (thinking): Mr. Kenshin . . . What's he doing here so early?
(Kenshin closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and gives a mighty battle-cry. Around him,
bamboo splits with the force of his ki. Tsubame screams and falls.)
Kenshin: Miss Tsubame.
Tsubame (looking sheepish): Um. Good morning . . .
(They set off together down the path.)
Kenshin: You're going to mow the fields?
Tsubame: Yes. If you don't take care of soy beans you won't have a good harvest. Mr.
Kenshin, were you practicing?
Kenshin: You couldn't really call it training. It's just exercising strict control of my
ki so my body doesn't get rusty. But let's not tell the others about this.
Tsubame: But Mr. Kenshin, of course you train your body and mind. You don't need to hide
it--
Kenshin: No, but I don't want to deliberately make it known. If I don't do this from time
to time, my heart's condition worsens and my mood becomes dark. The sword, the fight--a
swordsman is bound to these two things by bonds he cannot sever. But since I said
"I'm home" when I returned, I haven't wanted everyone to notice this . . .
Tsubame: Oh. I'm not sure I really understand . . .
Kenshin (patting her on the head): It's a little complicated. (Sorry, sorry.)
(They come to a fork in the road.)
Kenshin: Well, I'm headed this way.
Tsubame: Thanks for carrying the basket. Oh, everyone's coming to the Akabeko at five
today. After that we're going to Asakusa, so don't forget. It's to celebrate your safe
return . . . Didn't they tell you?
Kenshin: Oh, that. But are they serious? We drank all night the day we got back, and
that's pretty much all we did that last month in Kyoto . . .
Tsubame: Mr. Sanosuke said we should. He says you can do fun stuff as much as you want.
Kenshin: All Sanosuke wants is a free meal. I wish I could learn to think like that.
Tsubame (thinking, as Kenshin walks on): The best swordsman in Japan, that Yahiko looks up
to . . When Yahiko grows up, maybe he'll be a swordsman like that .
Kenshin trifft im Akabeko auf einen alten Feind:
(flashback to the Bakumatsu. Kenshin and Kujiranami are fighting in the streets. Kenshin
takes off Kujiranami's left hand with a massive upward stroke.)
Kenshin (thinking): He didn't realize I was Hitokiri Battousai . . .
(Later that night)
Mt. Ueno--A large hill standing on the northeastern side of Tokyo, where the Battle of
Ueno in the third stage of the Boshin War was fought.
Even in the modern age, the people of downtown Tokyo are very fond of it as one of the
famous sights of Tokyo, with Kanei Temple at its peak and Shinobazu Lake at its base.
(Kujiranami climbs the hill to find Enishi waiting for him at its peak.)
Enishi: How was the Akabeko, Mr. Kujiranami?
Enishi: I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Kujiranami.
Kujiranami: Who are you? Why do you know my name?
(Enishi only smiles.)
Kujiranami: If you don't have anything to say, get out of here. I'm waiting for someone.
Enishi: If you mean Mr. Gein, he's looking for a place with rooms for six people. It's our
first meeting, so I wanted a really first-class hotel.
Kujiranami: Then you're the one Gein was hinting about, the sixth, the one coming from
Shanghai.
Enishi: Not the sixth. Strictly speaking, you'd have to call me the first. I couldn't
leave Shanghai because of my work, so Mr. Gein's been handling things on my behalf, but
I'm the one behind it all. I've covered all the expenses. But there won't be any leaders
or underlings among us. We're all comrades, working for the same goal.
(A pause.)
Enishi: How was the Akabeko? According to Mr. Gein, Hitokiri Battousai has relations with
the shop.
Kujiranami: . . . It's a good place. It's been a while since I've eaten a meal in peace,
like a human being.
Enishi: . . . So, you wish to bow out?
(Flashback. Battousai slices off Kujiranami's hand. He kneels, clutching his bleeding
wrist.)
Kujiranami: Give me the final blow. The Ishin Shishi have won at Tobafushimi; it's all
over. The coming age will be like this battle--an age of guns, without skill or soul . . .
I have been a warrior all of my life! I have no wish to see this age! At least let me die
here, by the hand of the one they call the strongest. Finish me.
(Battousai turns away.)
Battousai: I'm sorry. I don't want to kill anymore than I have to. Live, in the new age .
Kujiranami: Wait, Battousai! It's not enough that the Ishin Shishi have stolen my honor?
You would even steal a warrior's death? Battousai!!
(in the present)
Kujiranami: No!
(Enishi smiles again.)
Enishi: The wind's picking up. Please be very careful not to miss.
Kujiranami: A stupid request.
(He pulls the bandages off his right wrist, revealing a cap and peg stitched to the flesh.
He picks up a cannon barrel and sets it on his arm.)
Kujiranami: The weapon is a part of me--Kujiranami Hyougo will not miss!
Enishi: Then I ask this of you, Mr. Kujiranami. With your new right arm, set off the
signal flare of our revenge.
(Kujiranami bares his teeth in a grin.)
Kenshin und die anderen haben das Lokal verlassen und hören ein Geräusch:
Kenshin: No . . . I remember that sound. (thinking) That distinctive thunderous peal . . .
That's one of the three great weapons of the Bakumatsu.
Kujiranami: A hit.
Enishi: Well done.
Kenshin (thinking): An Armstrong cannon!
Kenshin: Chief, what is it?
Chief: Didn't you hear it? That was a cannon shot! Someone fired on the city from Mt.
Ueno! A restaurant called the Akabeko took a direct hit! We're mobilizing the entire force
to surround the mountain. There could be more shots, so be careful!
Chief: Mr. Himura! The culprit left a note!
(The note contains only two characters, the word "jinchuu.")
Kenshin: Jinchuu . . .
Chief: I don't know what it means.
Sanosuke: Didn't they mean to write tenchuu?
Kenshin: No . . . Tenchuu means "the judgment of Heaven." It was a word
frequently used among the Ishin Shishi. It expressed out intention of meting out the
justice of Heaven with our own hands.
Chief: So, by Jinchuu, he means--
Kenshin: "Even if Heaven spares you, we will bring you to judgment." An
expression of a totally opposite kind of justice . . .
Chief: There are still a lot of samurai with grievances against the new government . . .
Well, this isn't getting us anywhere. I'll see you later.
(He leaves.)
Sanosuke: . . . So it was him.
Kenshin: No . . . He wasn't working alone. A single individual couldn't get his hands on
an Armstrong cannon. I don't have any proof of this. But they are avengers come to bring
justice by their own hands to I, who have killed many but received no punishment from
Heaven.
Sanosuke: Kenshin . . .
Kenshin: It's all right. (thinking) I am prepared to accept my past and my sins.
Es passiert viel, aber hier endet für diese "Fanfic" Band 18 "Hast Du die
Narbe noch immer "
Band 19
Nachdem er den Polizist und seine Familie gerettet hat:
(Elsewhere, Kenshin is walking home. Chief Uramura's daughter's words echo in his mind.)
How could they be so cruel? What did father--what did we do?
Kenshin (thinking): The reason is "Because he was connected to Hitokiri
Battousai." Like the Maekawa Dojo . . . Like the Akabeko . . . This unfair, almost
indiscriminate violence--I'll stop it next time. But after that, what should I do? If it
keeps up like this, I can't settle things by just defeating one opponent. That Otowa said
there were six of them. They probably vary in ability, but that's still six opponents. Out
for revenge, under the code they call Earthly Justice. It began with a sin I committed, a
killing . . . How can I make them forgive me? Apologize? Die? Or something else, something
totally different . . .
(He comes to a small bridge. Standing on it, backlit by the rising sun, is a figure with
white hair, wearing glasses and Chinese-style clothing.)
Kenshin (shielding his eyes against the sun): Who's that . . .
(Beside him, he seems to see a small boy, his clothes tattered, also with snow-white
hair.)
Kenshin (eyes widening): You're . . . Enishi . . .
(And beside the boy, he sees a sad woman in kimono with a shawl.)
Kenshin: Tomoe!
(The sun rises a little higher. Enishi is alone.)
Enishi (smiling): What's wrong, Battousai? You look like you've seen my sister's ghost.
Part 163--Overture to a Death
Enishi: What's wrong, Battousai? Can you see her too? (He laughs.) That's right. She's
always with me. Now, always and forever. But, Battousai--(suddenly looking very angry) You
don't have the right to see my sister's phantom!
Kenshin: Yukishiro . . . Enishi . . . You're behind all this.
Enishi: So you didn't know. The last time I saw you was in the middle of the Battle of
Toshifushimi. Has it been eleven years already?
Kenshin: You--where--
Enishi: Where have I been all this time? I was in Shanghai. I didn't want to live in the
new Japan you Ishin Shishi made. Shanghai, that demon city of the Orient, the whirlpool of
riches and greed both East and West. After the Boshin War, after I lost my sister, my
family was scattered. For a kid driven out of Japan to survive in Shanghai meant coming
out on top of the fiercest competition. I drank from mud puddles, I ate dead flesh. I was
always getting sick, always just about to die.
Kenshin: . . . That's enough. Don't tell me anymore.
Enishi: You'll listen to this. This is the only thing I have to thank you for. Yes . . . I
was always close to death, but I survived. My revenge . . . To avenge my sister's death
was the only thing in my heart. Ten years of that . . . I lived in Shanghai so long I
almost forgot how to speak Japanese. I made it to the top. The top of the Shanghai mafia,
controlling an entire continent of illicit arms manufacturers.
(He draws a fancy engraved pistol and levels it almost playfully at Kenshin.)
Enishi: Kujiranami's Armstrong cannon! Otowa's assassin's tools! Banjin's special-issue
tekkou! Gein's ammunitions! All supplied by my organization! And Shishio Makoto, his
battleship? I arranged for that as well.
(Six shots ring out. Six holes smoke at Kenshin's feet.)
Enishi: But that was a mistake . . . I hardly expected you and Shishio to meet head-on.
I'm so glad you survived.
Kenshin: I understand, Enishi . . . You want revenge for your sister's death. That's
perfectly natural. I can't deny your right to justice. But one thing! Don't hurt anyone
else who's not involved in this! Your revenge is against me alone. Only I should accept
your punishment.
Enishi: No. My revenge isn't for you alone. It's your everything! Those you hold dear,
those you speak with. The whole of Japan, that you built with your bloody sword. A Japan
without my sister. That's the only thing that could equal your crime.
Kenshin: No! Enishi, I'm the only one who committed the crime. I'm the only one who should
be punished! If you keep this up, it won't be revenge, it'll be slaughter! Even if Tomoe
would have wanted revenge, she wouldn't have wanted this!
(Enishi hurls the pistol at him; it strikes him across the forehead.)
Enishi: How dare you speak of her! What do you know about what she wants!
(Kenshin bows his head. Enishi bites the side of his lip in rage.)
Enishi: Try saying her name one more time! Try it and ten Rengoku-class battleships turn
Tokyo into a sea of flame!
(Kenshin remains silent. Enishi spits blood.)
Enishi: But . . . my sister wouldn't have liked all that uproar. She loved the quiet.
That's why I picked only those who hated you as I do. I kept my force to six, and targeted
only those who had direct contact with you. If you have any complaints, I'd be only too
happy to make it all of Tokyo! I'm done here. Today was my declaration of war. The true
battle will be ten days from now.
Kenshin: Ten days!
Enishi: Yes. The place will be the Kamiya dojo. There you will see our perfect Earthly
Justice. I hope you look forward to it. I won't be relying on my mafia weapons. I'll show
you my other strength.
(He turns and walks away, laughing.)
Kenshin: Enishi! Isn't there anything else--anything but fighting--is there no way I can
atone for the crime of stealing your sister? What should I do? Answer me, Enishi!
Enishi: For someone who can't let go of an idea, you're very slow to catch on . . . What
should you do? If I have to answer . . . you can suffer.
(He continues on his way. In his eyes, Tomoe's phantom appears, a faint smile across her
lips.)
Enishi: Tomoe. Hold on, okay? It's only ten days. What? It's too long? I'm sorry. We have
to get some things ready. That's right. But we will have our revenge.
(Kenshin remains where Enishi left him, his fists clenched.)
Kenshin (thinking): Enishi . . . Tomoe!
Unable to find the answer of how to atone for a Hitokiri's sins, ten days from now,
Kenshin will face Enishi. But that answer, in the heat of battle, would take a far
crueller form than anyone could guess--
Er geht heim:
(Something crunches underfoot. He looks up to find himself in a bleak, dark landscape,
where the ground is composed entirely of human bones.)
Kenshin (thinking): What is this place--when did I-- (aloud) Hills of white bones . . .
like Hell . . . a place fit for Shishio.
(He passes a hand over his eyes.)
Kenshin (thinking): No . . . I am just as fit for Hell. I wielded my sword for the new
age, for the sake of the oppressed . . . to those close to the ones I killed I was just a
hitokiri. I caused so much suffering . . .
(A figure is walking up ahead, her back towards him.)
Kenshin: Miss Kaoru?
(He runs to catch up with her.)
Kenshin: Miss Kaoru, what are you doing here? Kaoru . . .
(He reaches out to her. She turns, and Tomoe's eyes fix him with a cold stare. He wakes
up, gasping for breath.)
Kenshin (thinking): I'm going mad . . .
Er sieht seine "Familie" im Dojo:
Kenshin: There's something I want to tell you all. About this battle, from the beginning.
(A little later, they're all seated on the porch, listening.)
Kenshin: This morning, on my way home, I received a declaration of war from the mastermind
behind all this. Ten days from now, he will attack the Kamiya dojo with all his forces . .
. This man's name is Yukishiro Enishi. My brother.
Kaoru: Your brother?
Kenshin: More accurately, my brother-in-law. The brother of Himura Tomoe, the wife I
killed with my own hands. It began in the Bakumatsu, the story of the hatred behind this
scar . . .
DIE GESCHICHTE BEGINNT:
Der Mord, warum SIE ihn hasste:
"Killer":
The first year of Genji (1864), Kyoto.
(Three samurai, Ishiji, Shigekura, and Kyosato, are walking home late at night.)
Kyosato: It's getting late. We should hurry a little. Lately there have been more of those
Hitokiri--
Ishiji: Like that so-called Hitokiri Battousai? Whether he exists or not, we'll crush the
rebellion soon.
Shigekura: Now, now, let's not talk shop when we've got reason to celebrate.
Kyosato, you're going to be married next month, aren't you?
Kyosato (who is probably twenty years younger than the other two): That's right . . .
Shigekura: Marrying your beautiful childhood sweetheart . . . you lucky dog.
Kyosato: Thank you.
(Footsteps behind them.)
Kyosato: But I can't help worrying. In these troubled times, why should I--
Shigekura: What are you talking about.
(An intense gaze follows their every move.)
Shigekura: In this world, everyone's trying to find a little happiness. If anything, if we
make a new age in this work of ours, that's the form it should take.
Battousai: You must be Shigekura Juubeh. Though I bear you no grudge, for the sake of the
new era, I must have your deaths.
Ishiji: Who are you . . .
Battousai: A Choushuu Ishin Shishi. Himura Battousai.
(All three reach for their swords. Battousai kills Ishiji before he can even draw.)
Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuutsuisen Zan!
(He leaps in the air and stabs downward, killing Shigekura as well.)
Kyosato: Mr. Shigekura--Mr. Ishiji!
(Kyosato blocks Battousai's blow, but is driven back against a wall, Battousai's bloody
sword inches away from his throat.)
Battousai: Give up.
(Kyosato pushes him back, freeing his sword.)
Kyosato (thinking): I won't die. I don't want to die. Why should I have to die!!
(They begin to fight, trading blow for blow.)
In the fifteen years between the coming of the Black Ships and the Meiji era, "Honor
the emperor" "Destroy the shogunate" "Expel the barbarian"
"Open the country"--amidst all these ambitions and ideals, those who carried
swords were split into two, Tokugawa Shogunate and Ishin Shishi. This was the Bakumatsu!
(With a final cry, Kyosato charges. Battousai's blow strikes, and Kyosato collapses in a
pool of blood. His sword lightly grazes Battousai's cheek in a long, thin vertical line.
Battousai touches his cheek and looks at his own blood in amazement--it's the first time
he's been touched.)
(Behind him, Kyosato groans.)
Kyosato: I . . no . . . I . . don't want to die. I was . . finally going . . . to marry
her. I've always . . .loved her . . .
(Battousai drives home the final blow.)
(Two men come out of an alleyway.)
Men: We've come to see.
Battousai: Inspectors. Good work.
Man: Your cheek.
Battousai: It's nothing.
Man: But he reached your face with a sword . . . he must have been very good.
Battousai: No . . his skill itself was nothing. But his will to live was incredible. I'll
leave the rest to you.
(He starts to walk away, then looks back at Kyosato.)
Battousai (softly): May you find happiness in the next world . . .
Man: Did you say something?
Battousai (walking away): No, nothing.
(The men are leaving papers with "Heaven's Justice" written on them with the
bodies.)
Man: Will to live, huh . . . I guess a first-class swordsman can tell that just by
crossing swords with someone . .
Man: Yeah . . . Maybe he could tell that, but he killed them all without even blinking. He
really is a Hitokiri . . .
"Battosai wird geboren":
Heaven's Justice!
(Battousai kills, again and again, under that motto.)
(At an inn in Kyoto. Battousai is washing his hands in a basin.)
Battousai (thinking): The smell of blood . . it won't come off.
Iizuka (coming in): Oh, Battousai, there you are. Come quick. Master Katsura's waiting.
Katsura Kogorou--The young leader of the Choushuu Ishin Shishi, active as the leader of a
substantial province. Later joined with Saigou Takamori and Satchou Doumei to bring about
the downfall of the shogunate. One of the Ishin Triumvirate.
Katsura: It's been a while since we've been able to meet. Are you doing well?
Battousai: Yes . . I'm doing them in very well.
Iizuka: Hey, watch it.
Battousai: What is my assignment tonight? Katsura: Well, it's not so important I'd call it
an assignment. . .
Battousai: If it's not important, please refrain from calling me.
Iizuka: Hey!
Battousai: I've assassinated almost a hundred people these past six months. No matter how
we hide ourselves, the shogunate is beginning to sense we're here. It isn't a good plan
for me to be near the Choushuu Hantei. The Bakufu forces are growing stronger day by day.
Especially the wolves in Mibu . . .
Katsura: The Shinsengumi . . .
Battousai: We haven't yet crossed swords, but they could be the strongest of the Bakufu's
weapons . . .
Guy: What could that ragtag crowd possibly--
Katsura: I understand. We'll look out for them.
Iizuka: Well, about that assignment.
Katsura: Actually, tonight, during the Gion Festival, there's to be a secret council held
at a certain inn. Mr. Toshiwara and Miyabe are expected to attend.
Battousai: You need a bodyguard?
Katsura: Well, no. I was wondering if you would join us.
Iizuka: That's great! What an honor! Hey, your name could go down in history--
Battousai: I decline. It's easier if a Hitokiri keeps to the shadows as far as possible.
And I'm not interested in history or honor. If we achieve a new age in which all can live
at peace, that's enough.
(He turns and leaves.)
Iizuka: It's no good. Maybe he's killed too many, but lately he's been acting strange. I
thought maybe he'd show some interest if we dangled the bait right in front of his eyes .
. .
Guy: Bait? Master Katsura's come all this way--
Iizuka: Call it what you want.
Katsura: Iizuka's right. But I saw one thing here. He may act strangely, but his heart
hasn't changed since I met him a year ago--
(Flashback: one year ago in Choushuu. A group of armed men are gathered, waiting their
turn to show their skills. Katsura and another man, Takasugi, are a little ways off on a
hill.)
Katsura: I came all the way from Kyoto because you said you had something to show me. What
is this, Shinsaku?
Takasugi: You'll see. This is the strength of the new era. The Kiheitai!
Takasugi Shinsaku--Essentially the second in command in Choushuu. A battle-loving man from
the most active of the Choushuu factions, he succeeded in unifying the province in forming
the Kiheitai to topple the Bakufu.
Takasugi: Birth or status means nothing! Anyone can join my Kiheitai if they have the
ambition and the strength.
Katsura: Certainly after 300 years of peace, they could be better than the soft samurai.
But will this really work?
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