X CHAPTER 2 : KOUSHI II Translated by Steven E. Barnes Edited by Tonghyun "Vajra" Kim KOUSHI - (1) A whistling arrow which was used to signal the beginning of a battle in ancient China. (2) The beginning of things. The start. The origin. NOTE: % indicates lines that are not spoken. $ indicates flashback lines P5 SORATA I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Sorata Arisugawa! SORATA A playful, cute high school junior! P6 YUUTO Thank you for your polite introduction. YUUTO Then I should introduce myself as well. P7 %SORATA %It bounced!! What is that? YUUTO I'm Yuuto Kigai; an ordinary civil servant, working at the local ward office. P8 SORATA Wa-! SORATA Oops. SORATA Mister, you don't look like a civil servant. SORATA I thought you worked in a bar or cabaret. P9 YUUTO People do say that. Ahahahaha. SORATA Hahahaha P10 SORATA That's an interesting weapon, Mister! SORATA It look like a huge "American cracker"!! [a firecracker] P11 YUUTO And that's amazing static electricity you've got. SORATA You're pretty good, although you look like a waiter in ladies only club. YUUTO And you're a real comedian, boy. SORATA You sure are an interesting guy, Mister! YUUTO If you praise me too much, I'll get embarrassed. P12 YUUTO But that's an excellent kekkai... [Kekkai - a type of magical barrier; see X chapter 1] YUUTO A radius of 3 kilometers has been cut out into a perfect alternate dimension. SORATA Because I'm such a candid and cute fellow, the kekkai I make also look cute. YUUTO Ah, it's true. This part is especially cute. SORATA If you think you are going to leave this kekkai, you'll have to kill me. YUUTO So it would seem... P13 [%FUUMA: Take this medicine every six hours, 30 minutes after eating] FUUMA Wha-! %FUUMA %What? Those people... P14 %FUUMA %What the hell? P15 SORATA How could someone enter the Kekkai...? YUUTO What are you... P16 %FUUMA %The wrecked shrine. The torn street. Kamui! P17 FUUMA ... Are you guys... The ones who caused Kamui's injuries? SORATA Did you say Kamui? YUUTO So, you also have business with Kamui? FUUMA You guys must have done that to Kamui... P18 YUUTO Sorata-kun, let's call it a draw for today. You should clear up his misunderstanding. YUUTO He's looking at us with a mean look in his eyes. SORATA Wha... I didn't cause Kamui's injuries! YUUTO He's an intruder, who entered into a kekkai created by an "empowered one" of your level, without letting us notice him. P19 YUUTO We don't know what kind of power he possess. SORATA Oh well... P23 %FUUMA %Nothing is damaged!? %FUUMA %It can't be; until just now, I was positive... SORATA Of course my kekkai was perfect. There's not a scratch anywhere. P24 SORATA But how in the world did he.... YUUTO Well, I think I must be leaving. I'll concede the right to converse first with Kamui to you, Sorata-kun. SORATA Oohh- Mister, we should settle our fight one of these days. YUUTO I'll be looking forward to it. SORATA ... Where're you going, Mister. YUUTO The Yamanote-line station. P25 SORATA Hey! Wait a minute... Aren't you gonna make a cool exit!? Like flying away, or vanishing! YUUTO Only a weirdo would do that in normal space. SORATA Yuuto Kigai, huh? He's not one to be underestimated. P26 SORATA Mister, it really wasn't me who hurt Kamui. SORATA It was the strange guy in the school uniform. FUUMA School uniform? SORATA Oh-, I haven't made my introduction yet. I'm Sorata Arisugawa; call me Sora-chan! [This style of introduction is only used by airheads] P27 SORATA You can't take a joke, can you? Gee, I guess you won't survive in Osaka. FUUMA What kind of guy was the man in the school uniform who wounded Kamui? SORATA I don't know either. SORATA But... I'm sure he's involved with the "End of the World." P28 FUUMA "End of... The World"? P30 %KOTORI %He's really sweating,.. %I wonder if his wounds hurt? %Or... if he's having a bad dream? P31 %KAMUI %Where am I? %This is... Earth...? P32 %KAMUI %There's something inside. %A person! A woman...? P33 %HINOTO %Kamui. At last I've found you. %KAMUI %Her lips aren't moving. I heard the voice directly inside my mind. %HINOTO %Save us. Kamui. %KAMUI %Who the hell is she? KAMUI Save you? P35 %HINOTO %Save the earth. KAMUI Earth? $CHILDREN $Ahahaha ahaha %KAMUI %My childhood? %My mother and? %Fuuma and Kotori's mother. P36 %KAMUI %Since I didn't even know who my father was, the only ones who %would play with me were Fuuma and Kotori. % %We played hide and seek at the Togakushi Shrine. We stayed out %as long as we liked, and our mothers would get angry. % %Aunt Saya... She was my mother's best friend from high school; %she was nice to me too. P37 %KAMUI %I was happy. %So long ago... $KOTORI $Kyaaaaaaaa! %KAMUI %Kotori!? $FUUMA $What's wrong! Kotori! P40 $KOTORI $Mo...ther... $Onii-chan... What's... that...? [Oniichan = elder brother] $Is it mother? $Mother. She's fallen to pieces? $FUUMA $No! It's not mother! P41 $FUUMA $Kotori, forget it. $It isn't mother... $KOTORI $M-o-t-h-e-r %KAMUI %Kotori... Fuuma... P42 $MOTHER $Kamui. $We cannot stay in Tokyo any longer. %KAMUI %Mother!? $KAMUI $Why? $MOTHER $... Saya... is dead. P43 $KAMUI $Aunt Saya has died!? $MOTHER $For our sake. $KAMUI $For our sake? $MOTHER $We cannot cause anymore Togakushi people to be killed. $KAMUI $Togakushi Shrine people... They'll all die? Fuuma and Kotori %and the two fathers and... P44 KAMUI I won't let anyone kill them! P45 %KAMUI %This is... Tokyo destroyed? %But why are the Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Government Office still standing? P46 KAMUI Mother. Mother! %MOTHER %Kamui... Please be strong. P47 %MOTHER %You must live, no matter what... %Until the "Promised day" of 1999. KAMUI Mothe... Mother! P48 KAMUI ...Mother. P50 KAMUI Kotori! Kotori!! KOTORI Kamui-chan... P51 KAMUI Kotoriii!! P53 KAMUI A..A.. P54 KAMUI UAAAAAAAA! P56 %HINOTO %Kamui... P57 KAMUI You made me see this dream. %HINOTO %Certainly, this is a dream I have shown you. % %But this is not an illusion. It is "Reality". %These are the memories of your distant past. %The memories you cannot forget, no matter how hard you try. P58 KAMUI Kotori is alive! %HINOTO %That is "The Future", which will come to pass. KAMUI The future, you say...? %HINOTO %Kamui, please save the Earth. In order to change that girl's future. %Please lend me your strength... KAMUI Shut up! P59 HINOTO %Kyaaaa KAMUI ...shut up... P60 KAMUI If you lay one finger on Kotori or Fuuma... P61 KAMUI I'll kill you. P62 %HINOTO %Kyaaaaaaa SOUHI Princess! HIEN What has happened? SOUHI Princess!? %HINOTO %Kamui... P63 KANOE (chuckle) From a dream spun by Hinoto, the most powerful "Dreamer" in Japan... To drive away Hinoto herself... He is truly "Kamui". P64 KANOE However, I am grateful; the weakness of Kamui has been revealed to me. P65 [Phone: bi bi bi] YUUTO Have I disturbed you, Kanoe-san? KANOE It's Yuuto... It is unlike you to use a telephone. YUUTO Since it seems I will be late for the appointed time, I thought it best to phone you. KANOE Where are you now? YUUTO Still in Ikebukuro. KANOE It is unlike you to be late, isn't it? YUUTO I ended up a bit confined, inside of a kekkai. P66 KANOE A kekkai? P67 YUUTO Yeah. I thought that I would meet Kamui, but a cheerful lad from Osaka interfered. This boy put up a a kekkai, but it was quite remarkable. It was a perfect alternate dimension with a radius of three kilometers. Even after he dispelled the kekkai, there was absolutely no damage to normal space. P68 KANOE Then he is of the "end of the World"... YUUTO Yes, he is one who is connected with the "End of the World"... What's more, he's a member of the "Seven Seals." P69 KANOE You fought inside a kekkai with one of the Seals? YUUTO I'm sorry but because he was so cheerful, I couldn't help myself. But this time it was a draw, since we had a guest. KANOE A guest? YUUTO Inside the kekkai put up by the Osaka boy, there was an intruder. KANOE What did you say? YUUTO Indeed, the Osaka boy was also surprised. KANOE The first requirement of a Seal is the ability to create a kekkai. To breach that kekkai...who the hell is he? YUUTO He was a boy of about high school age, and he knew Kamui. P70 KANOE Then that boy is also... YUUTO One of the Seven Seals, and the mysterious high schooler who broke the kekkai... I was teased by those two, and so I came back crying to you. KANOE What are you saying? You're one of the "Seven Minions." YUUTO I am but a humble civil servant. KANOE You're so cute, Yuuto. P71 KANOE When you arrive here, give me a detailed report. SORATA My pleasure. KANOE So one of the "Seven Seals" has contacted Kamui... What's more, the boy who broke the kekkai created by a "Seal"... P72 KANOE It can't be! KANOE Hinoto... P73 KANOE She has never misread the future, not even once. The supreme "dreamer" in Japan... KANOE She sees the future inside her dreams; dreams which she delivers to the politicians of Japan. The politicians move the country in accordance with them. P74 KANOE Hinoto has seen "The End of this World" in her dream... Hinoto, I have also seen it by sneaking into your dream. P80 %HINOTO %KAMUI!! P82 KANOE You'll be able see that your dream was indeed true, beneath the Diet building. P83 KANOE Hinoto-neesan. P86 KANOE Have I interrupted your leisure time? [On the machine is the character for "Beast"] P88 SATSUKI No. Kanoe. I am finished now. P89 KANOE One of the "Seven Minions"... Satsuki Yatouji. P90 KANOE That boy... I wonder if he is the true "Kamui". SATSUKI The computer answered "Yes". P91 KANOE (chuckle) This seems quite promising. KANOE Satsuki, they are ever-faithful to you, aren't they? SATSUKI ... It is almost time for the Governor to return. P92 SATSUKI You're his private secretary; shouldn't you return to the government office, Kanoe? KANOE Yuuto will arrive soon, with lots of intersting stories. KANOE The governor will head home shortly after returning to the office. As long as I show my face then, it'll be fine. P93 KANOE And the government office isn't far from here. Because... P94-95 KANOE This place is located right below the the government office building. P97 %KOTORI %W-what? An earthquake? %KOTORI %W-what should I do? I wonder if I should move Kamui-chan somewhere? %KOTORI %Beneath the desk, or... %KOTORI %H... He won't fit under Onii-chan's desk, and I can't move him by myself, and... P98 %KAMUI %Stop it! P99 KOTORI Kyaaaaa! P100 KOTORI Ki- P101 KOTORI Kyaaaaa! KOTORI I'm sorry! Ah... Ah... Onii-chan went and found a doctor to examine you, Kamui-ch... I mean, Shirou-kun. KOTORI Um, Kamui-ch... No, Shirou-kun... Ah... Ah... KOTORI Kyaaaaa! SORATA Huh, what? P102 SORATA Kamui! I don't believe it, you and this beautiful maiden!! SORATA Although you're "Kamui", you're still a mortal man. I understand your feelings! It was a mistake to leave you alone with this beautiful girl. SORATA Mister, you really can't take a joke. SORATA Humph! P103 SORATA Aaaaaaaa! SORATA I'm hungry. SORATA Ah, this is great! This is really great, Miss! P104 SORATA With cooking skill like this, you're ready to be a bride anytime. KOTORI W-well... KOTORI If you say so; there was an earthquake just now, wasn't there? SORATA Hmm? I donno 'bout it. KOTORI Eh? Eh? KOTORI But the shaking was dreadful... FUUMA No, there was no earthquake. KOTORI Huh? Huh? P105 FUUMA Kamui? FUUMA Does it hurt? If you don't eat, you won't keep up your strength. KOTORI W-well, if it is all right, I'll bring some soup. P106 SORATA Hey, hey. I know how badly you're hurt, but you haven't answered her at all. SORATA That girl nursed you to health with all her heart... P107 SORATA You're sure a quiet one, Kamui. [SORATA: Thanks for the meal] SORATA Mister, could you please leave us alone for a minute? I'm not gonna do anything to him. I just need to speak with Kamui about something. P108 SORATA Sorry, Mister; it'll be over soon. FUUMA I'll be downstairs. If you need anything, just call, Kamui. SORATA Does he think I'm gonna eat Kamui or something? SORATA How could a cute person like me do that? Right, Kamui? P109 KAMUI I don't like a stranger calling me by my first name. SORATA When that girl and her brother aren't around, your manners are totally different, Kamui. KAMUI What do you want? P110 SORATA Are your injuries OK? P111 SORATA That guy in the school uniform was so persistent, in addition, the strange girl with the sword coming out of her hand showed up... KAMUI You bastard, are you one of them? SORATA No way. I don't know a rough kid like him, and there's no way I could have forgotten the face of a babe like that, if I did meet her. P112 KAMUI Then why the hell do you know about it! SORATA Just when I finally found you returning from school, and thought I could talk with you, you flew off with that rough kid. SORATA I tried as hard as I could to chase you. SORATA But before I knew it, you guys started fighting, without setting up a kekkai. KAMUI a kekkai? P113 SORATA Yeah, a kekkai. SORATA Come to think about it, that guy in school uniform also babbled about the kekkai. That means that guy is also associated with the "End of the World". KAMUI "End of the World"? SORATA The "promised day" of 1999. P114 SORATA Don't get me wrong. I'm not dumb enough to fight "Kamui". P115 SORATA Here. Drink some tea and calm down. SORATA I'm a priest at Kouyasan. [Kouyasan ("Mt. Kouya") is one of the spiritual capitals of Japanese Buddhism. In this case, Kouyasan refers to the Mantric Buddhist Sect (Shingon sect), not the mountain itself. People also refer Kouyasan as "Oyama", which means the divine mountain.] SORATA You look like you don't believe me. SORATA I understand. It's hard to believe that a priest this cool actually exists. SORATA Well, I'm different from a typical priest, but I attended a high school at Kouyasan. P116 SORATA There's a reason. I'll explain later. SORATA Kouyasan is the headquarters of the Shingon Sect. Recently, due to the influence of manga and other things, it seems much of the general public thinks we're magicians or a bunch of weirdos. SORATA Most priests there are ordinary priests who seriously practice the Buddhist principles. Recently, Kouyasan has been full of tourists, and its image as a mystic place has faded, but... P117 SORATA Still, there is a diviner with the title of Stargazer (Hoshimi) inside Kouyasan. SORATA As his title implies, he divines the future by gazing at the stars. But it's different from the zodiac you often see in the magazines. He uses Shukuyoudou, in other words, the astrology of Tantric Buddhism. [Shukuyoudou: The Ways of Mansions and Days of the week. "Shuku" means mansion, while "You" stands for the days of the week. (Mansions are portions of the sky used to track the positions of celestial bodies) Shukuyoudou is based on Shukuyoukyou (text of Shukuyoudou), which incorporates the elements of Indian astrology with some flavor of Persian and Chinese. True Shukuyoudou only uses 27 mansions but the version influenced by Chinese astrology uses 28.] SORATA When I say "Stargazer," it might seem very romantic to you, but he's really just an ordinary old priest. I've known this old man since I was a kid... Well, I'll explain this later too. P118 SORATA A week ago from today, a messenger arrived from the Stargazer. SORATA Even though I say messenger, it wasn't human. A "Gohou" had come. SORATA I believe you know about "Gohou". SORATA "Gohou" is a magical familiar used by practitioners of Tantric Buddhism and Shugendou. By the way, Onmyouji (Japanese sorcerers) use "Shikigami" instead. The shape of the Shiki or Gohou depends on the spell caster, so it's a good opportunity to show off his sense of beauty. [SORATA: I can even make a Gohou like this.] P119 SORATA Quickly, I took a bike to the Kongoubu Temple, where the old man was, because if I was late, I would have been forced to listen to his sermon again. When I arrived at the "Stargazer room", deep, deep inside the Kongoubu Temple, the old man looked unusually serious. SORATA He said to me... P120 SORATA Kamui will come back to Tokyo. P123 KYOUGO Saya... In accordance with your wishes, I have continually prayed that the day would never come, when this is brought into the world, but... P126 KYOUGO You've finally come back, Kamui... to Tokyo. P128 %KOTORI %I wonder if Kamui is all right? $SORATA $I just need to speak with Kamui. %FUUMA %Kamui. KOTORI Kamui-chan... P129 KOTORI I wonder what happened during those six years. KOTORI Six years ago, mother passed away... suddenly, Kamui-chan and his mother moved out. P130 KOTORI I wonder where Kamui-chan was for the six years after that. KOTORI I wonder if Tooru-obasama is well... $FUUMA $You're wrong. That's not mother. P131 $FUUMA $Kotori, forget it. That is not mother. P132 $That's not mother. $KOTORI $Kyaaaaa! $FUUMA $Kotoriiii! $KOTORI $Mother!! $FUUMA $Kotori! That's not mother. Mother died from sickness! P133 $FUUMA $Kotori! That's not mother. Mother, mother died from sickness! $That's not mother. Mother died from sickness. $...from sickness. $KOTORI $Nii-chan, for dinner tonight, I've $KOTORI $made- P134 $FUUMA $Kotori...? $KOTORI $A...Ah. Aaaaaaa. P135 $FUUMA $It's all right. It's a bird. $It's not mother. It's not mother! Kotori! $KOTORI $Nooooo! $KOTORI $Mother! $FUUMA $Kotori! $KOTORI $Mother- P136-137 $Forget it, Kotori. $No matter what happens, Kamui and I will protect you. P138 KOTORI What's wrong? Oniichan? FUUMA No... It's nothing. %FUUMA %Kamui... P139 SORATA Kamui, why did you come back to Tokyo? P140 SORATA One of your relatives must have passed away. P141 SORATA Chi- KAMUI Bastard, looks like you came here to die. P142 SORATA You're really a hot tempered guy. SORATA I told you that I don't want to fight Kamui. SORATA If we fight here, the vicinity of shrine will get caught up in our fight. SORATA I don't care about the big guy, but you don't want to hurt that cute girl, do you? P143 SORATA Old man Stargazer also said this. "Kamui will return." P144 SORATA "Separated from his one and only parent by her death" "Guided by the star of his own destiny" P145 SORATA "He will return to Tokyo," he said. P146 $TOORU $Ka...mu...i... $Please go to Tokyo. P147 $TOORU $Your destiny is waiting. P148 %KAMUI %Mother... %At that time, you said to not cause the deaths of any more %Togakushi people; you took me away from Tokyo, without even %attending Saya-obasan's funeral, [Obasan = aunt] P149 %KAMUI %That day, two weeks ago... It was mother who told me to %return to Tokyo once again, while enveloped in flames. $OLD MAN $Separated from his one and only parent by her death" $OLD MAN $Separated from his one and only parent by her death" P150 $OLD MAN $Guided by the star of his own destiny, he will return to Tokyo. P151 SORATA Sorry I made you remember such painful things. SORATA But you have to hear my story. P152 $HINOTO $For the sake of Earth... P154 %KYOUGO %Saya... %I let you die in such a terrible way, for the sake of this Holy Sword. P155 %KYOUGO %For Kamui. %Kamui. %KYOUGO %I must ascertain if Kamui is worthy of receiving this Holy Sword and... P156 KYOUGO Who's there?! What are you? P157 NATAKU I have come to receive that sword. KYOUGO This Holy Sword is for Kamui. You know that but you still came here? KYOUGO If you know the role of this Holy Sword, that is all the more reason I can't surrender it. No matter who you are... P158 KYOUGO If you leave now, that's fine with me. But if you plan to challenge me for the sword, you'll die here. P161 KOTORI Speaking of father, I wonder where he went? P162 KOTORI Did he go out shopping somewhere? Or did he go to the shrine? %FUUMA %Why was father so surprised when he saw Kamui? He wasn't surprised %because of Kamui's wounds. %FUUMA %Come to think of it, even though mother was so close with Tooru-obasan, father hasn't spoken a single word about Kamui and his family since the day mother died. P163 %FUUMA %Why... KOTORI Uh, uh, I wonder if I should bring more tea upstairs? Speaking of which, we have ice cream. I wonder if Kamui-chan still likes vanilla ice? I have bought ice cream so if our guests upstairs want some... We also have strawberry and mocha. I thought I would eat them with you. P164 KOTORI I would probably be a nuisance. Maybe it's better if I don't bring anything... FUUMA Kotori... FUUMA Are you glad that Kamui has come back? KOTORI Yeah. P165 KOTORI I don't know what happened to Kamui-chan while he was away from Tokyo, but... KOTORI I was happy just to see that he was all right. FUUMA That's right. P166 KYOUGO %Such power; who on earth is he? He must be one associated with %"The End of the World". Let me ask you again. P167 KYOUGO It seems you have no intention of leaving. %I have no choice. P168 KYOUGO In order to protect this Holy Sword, I have sacrificed something that's most precious to me. KYOUGO It is my duty, as priest of this shrine, to guard this sword. NATAKU It is my duty to retrieve that sword. KYOUGO Who gave you that order? P169 KYOUGO If you have have no intention of leaving or answering my questions, I have no choice but to kill you. P172 KOTORI It came from the direction of the shrine! FUUMA Stay here! P173 SORATA What's that sound? What happened? Your wound hurts? KAMUI No. Something called to me. SORATA Called you? Who? P176 KYOUGO Although the sword is not in the hands of Kamui, it's hard to believe that someone actually withstood the lightning from the Holy Sword... Can it be that...? P177 KYOUGO The Seven Seals, no. One of the Seven Minions? P178 KYOUGO You are... P180 KYOUGO You must be... P181 KYOUGO ... You're... NATAKU Nataku. P182 FUUMA Father!! FUUMA Father!! FUUMA Fa...father...!! KYOUGO The Holy Sword is... P183 %FUUMA %The Holy Sword, the object of worship at our temple, is... KYOUGO It... has... started... The first arrow... signaling... The End of this World... Has been... fired... P184 FUUMA Father, don't try to talk! KYOUGO Ka...mu...i... Take... back... the... Holy Sword... A kekkai... Before... the... Se...ven Seals... are... destroyed. P185 KYOUGO Fuuma... You... are... Ka...mui's... FUUMA Father... Father! KAMUI Un...cle... P186 The final legend of the Earth has begun. X 2 - End