Chapter 99: Fly Like the Wind

Sanosuke (riding atop the carriage): Fly! Fly! Fly like the wind! Destination Osaka! Go!

(Saitou stabs up through the roof of the carriage.)

Saitou: Damn, I missed.

Sanosuke: Saitou what the hell are you doing!

Saitou: You're so loud we can't hear ourselves talk. Shut up for a minute. To continue. Five thousand officers are deployed in Kyoto. That's about ten times Shishio's numbers. With that alone we can hold off the fire. That letter you wrote before we left. You won't have to worry about it being delivered, but what was it for?

Kenshin: The policemen can hold off five hundred soldiers, but they can't stop five hundred sparks. For that, we'll need the help of those who protected Kyoto long ago.

(At the Aoiya)

Misao: Hey, Omasu.

Omasu: Yes, what is it, Misao--I mean, Okashira.

Misao: How much does a Gatling gun go for on the black market these days?

Omasu: You know about those!

Kaoru: Where did that come from!

Misao: You know... Speaking as myself, I really don't like the idea of relying on firearms. But as Okashira, if we're going to deal with Shishio's faction we have to be well equipped.

Omasu: And so she...

Kaoru: Misao. Certainly the attacking power of the Gatling gun is amazing. It's probably the strongest ground weapon to use against soldiers. But even so, four of the Oniwabanshuu were destroyed by it. You can't replace the true strength of the Oniwabanshuu with the strength of things bought with money, can you? Even Kenshin would acknowledge their superiority.

Yahiko: There they are!

(Yahiko, Okon, Shiro and Kuro charge down the hall.)

Yahiko: A letter, a letter! A letter from Kenshin!

Okon: It was brought by the police!

Omasu: The police! Why?

Yahiko: I don't know, but this messy handwriting is definitely Kenshin's.

Misao: Just open it!

(They unfold and read it.)

Shiro: Is he serious...

Okon: I thought there were a lot of cops around today...

Kuro: A fire in Kyoto...

Omasu: That's ridiculous...

Yahiko: They didn't start doing ridiculous things today.

Kaoru: What do we do...

Misao: It's decided! We stop them!! Send out emergency carrier pigeons! Tell all of Kyoto! Shirojou, Kurojou, Masukami, Oumime! Change into battle dress! Now it's the Kyoto Oniwabanshuu's turn!

Kaoru: Yahiko, we'll help too.

Yahiko: Of course. I just can't believe we're fighting alongside the Oniwabanshuu. I would never have dreamed it when we were fighting them in Tokyo.

Misao: There's no time! Everything's gotta be fast! Fly like the wind!

Saitou: I sent a telegram to Osaka, but it's too late to try and block off the road from Kyoto. On top of that, no matter how fast this carriage goes we won't get there until around midnight. With the time factor we won't make it if we search for him randomly.

Sanosuke: All that doom and gloom won't get us anywhere. Even if we fail, Tokyo isn't so weak it'd be destroyed with a couple of shots. Since we've come so far all we can do is give it our best shot.