Chapter 51: Confrontation

Kenshin: It's a familiar feeling for me to be targeted, but I have no intention of giving my life without cause. First tell me why you're here.

Akamatsu (whirling his chain): My cause? Don't worry. I'll lay it on your grave!

(he hurls the weighted end of the chain. Kenshin leaps out of the way.)

Akamatsu: I can see you, I can see you. Left, Battousai--

(But faster than he can swing the chain, Kenshin has made a circle and is now standing behind him.)

Kenshin: You can see me? Can you even see my afterimage? I didn't intend to move that fast.

Akamatsu: Why you--

(he leaps up, casting out the chain. Kenshin unsheathes the sword, threads the point through one of the links and sheathes it, breaking the chain in half. While Akamatsu is still in midair, Kenshin strikes him in the chest with the point of the sheathed sword. Akamatsu goes down but immediately gets to his feet.)

Kenshin (holding up the sickle): Give in. You can't defeat me. Answer me. Who are you? What connection do you have with Saitou?

Akamatsu (kneeling): I'm sorry! It was my fault! Please forgive me. I didn't want to do it. But Saitou forced me to...

Kenshin (turning away, thinking): Mere small fry... I can't believe all you say, but (thinking) Such a challenge... what is Saitou thinking? (aloud) Learn from this mistake and wash your hands of it.

Akamatsu: Ye--yes. (throwing two more chains) I thought you'd say that, you fool!

Kenshin (thinking): Concealed weights?!

(One chain binds his hand to the sword; the other wraps itself around his throat.)

Akamatsu: Feh. Your reaction to protect your throat was very neat, but what will you do now? Both of your hands are completely caught. You can't move!

(He yanks on the chains, dashing Kenshin against the ground.)

Akamatsu: If you compare speed, I come out worse. But if you compare us, I am the victor!

Megumi: Someone's after Ken-san?

Kaoru: Yes! Maybe they're the same ones who killed Sanosuke!

Megumi: He's not dead. Yet. But if it's true we'd have no way to recognize them. We should be careful.

Kaoru: Yes... but Kenshin isn't here.

Megumi: Even if Kenshin's alone we don't have to worry about him, unlike this peacefully sleeping idiot. (pounding on Sanosuke) All right, wake up. I want to go home.

(Sanosuke groans.)

Megumi: Well, we can't go out looking for him in the dark. At least the officer the chief sent is here, so it's safer than outside.

Kaoru: That's true...

(Inside the dojo)

Yahiko: I thought police carried sabres. You've got a Japanese sword.

Saitou: Sabres are fragile and unreliable. I obtained special permission to carry this. Japanese swords are, after all, the best.

(Outside... )

Akamatsu: You dead yet? Six times should be enough. I promised to lay the truth on your grave. I and Saitou, just like Jin'eh, are hired killers from the politicians. I don't know the reason why. Because of the Black Hat case, these guys found out where you were. They probably wanted us to keep you from telling anyone about what went on during the Bakumatsu. All the guys still living in the government have stuff buried in their pasts.

Kenshin: Hmm... so Saitou Hajime is an assassin like Udou Jin'eh... If I remember correctly, Saitou enforced discipline in the Shinsengumi, and I heard he was the one who wielded the sword in many murders inside the company... hmm.

Akamatsu (thinking): He took all six?!

Kenshin: Even in the Meiji era, he's still doing such foolish things...

Akamatsu: You'll die for sure smashed against this rock!

(Kenshin twists in midair, standing on the rock with the chains crossed. He draws the sword with his teeth.)

Akamatsu (thinking): Shit, in this position I can't use both hands--

(He screams.)

(Later, Kenshin walks home.)

Kaoru (waiting in front of the door): Kenshin!!

Kenshin: Miss Kaoru.

Kaoru: We were worried. Oh! You're hurt. Chain marks! (a long pause) You weren't doing anything weird out there, were you?

Kenshin: Wha?

Kaoru: Anyway, someone's after you. You'd better avoid going outside for a while.

Kenshin: Miss Kaoru... where did you hear...

Kaoru: The police. The chief sent someone to tell you. (leading him inside) He's an assisstant police inspector of the Metropolitan Police Office and a member of the sword-bearing police, Mr. Fujita Gorou.

Saitou: It seems from your condition that Akamatsu gave you some trouble. You have indeed become weak.