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The translation below is provided by Sanada of Hana-mi.net 1 Saitou: [Ever since the day of judgement...] Saitou: [I've been able to see them, right in front of me.] Saitou: [Only I could see them... if I spoke of them to someone else,] Saitou: [They would look upon me with an expression of disgust.] Saitou: [I tried so many times to change what was inevitable...] Saitou: [But I lack the ability to change the future.] Itou: Hajime-kun.
2 Saitou: So it's you, Itou-sensei. Saitou: Is there something you want me to do? It's rather late. Itou: No... Itou: So austere... Itou: I suppose the true samurai trains his heart as well... Saitou: Training my heart? Saitou: Joking about matters of the heart... Saitou: I am your personal guard... I left the shogunate for you... I would follow you anywhere. Text: [Saitou attacks with an amorous glance.] Text: [And he falls for it completely.] Itou: I have high hopes for you... Itou: My samurai... *heart*
3 Cat: Meow... Cat: Mew... Saitou: [Whatever I do...] Saitou: [Whatever I do, it won't change anything.]
4 Text: Chapter 22 Text: Attack
5 Toudou: ...... Toudou: ...What's going on around here? Toudou: Lately, rounin that I don't recognise have been visiting a lot... Toudou: Hey, Toudou: Who are those people? Guy: Huh? Don't you know? Guy: They're for the attack, you know... Other Guy: Hey!
6 Toudou: The... Toudou: Attack...? Guy: [Uh-oh...] Toudou: What is this!? Toudou: I haven't heard anything about this! Tell me what the fuck is going on!! Guy: Well... it's kind of awkward for me to say... Other Guy: Hasn't Itou-sensei told you? Toudou: What!? Other Guy: I see... Other Guy: You really don't know... Other Guy: Toudou-dono, you...
7 Other Guy: The man they call Saitou Hajime has become suspiciously close to Itou-sensei-recently... too close, too fast, if you ask me. Other Guy: And what's more... Other Guy: I'm sure he still considers himself Shinsengumi. Toudou: ....Damn it... Toudou: I see how it is... I'll deal with this opportunistic parasite... Toudou: I'll show him... Other Guy: Hey! Calm down! I heard from Itou-sensei that... Pretty Guy Whose Name I Still Can't Remember: Please, stop this. Pretty Guy: If Itou-sensei knew there was discord among his followers, Pretty Guy: He would be troubled.
8 Toudou: So? What do you know about this plan? Pretty Guy: Can't you just have faith in the Goryoueji? (Itou's group) Pretty Guy: Hey, I have an idea. Pretty Guy: Why don't I fill you in on all the details? Pretty Guy: Yes... what would you say if... Pretty Guy: The place of the attack... Pretty Guy: Is *there*...?
9 SFX: *smolder* Tetsu: Ow! That's hot! Text: [New Shinsengumi Headquarters, Fudoudou-mura] Testu: Yes! It's done! Tetsu: Here, Fukuchou, you can have the first one! Hijikata: ...I already ate. Hijikata: And you're just offering me the smallest one, aren't you?
10 Tetsu: I am not!! This one is plenty big!! Tetsu: And you were the one who was all "Are they done yet?" when I was cooking yesterday! Hijikata: Shut up, I would never. Kondou: Hey now, what's going on, Toshi? Kondou: Shouldn't you eat it before it gets cold? Hijikata: ...... Kondou: No, I have oranges, apples and onions. I thought we could bake them for a meal that's nutritious and delicious! (Baked oranges? WTF?) Tetsu: Huh? Really? Tetsu: [Can you really bake this kind of stuff?] Kondou: [Hmm, maybe not...] Souji: ......*heart* Souji: {Where is it? Where is it?]
11 Souji: Yes! I want some too!! Susumu: Okita-san. Susumu: Where are you going? Souji: Noo... Souji: Um, you know, Yamazaki-san, health food doesn't taste so good... Souji: *cough* Souji: So every once in a while... Souji: I want to eat sweet stuff... Susumu: Then I'll bring something to your room. Susumu: You shouldn't be out in the cold air until your fever goes down a little. Susumu: And your throat doesn't sound good, either. Souji: Oh... Souji: Well I want to eat, but... Souji: How can I say this... Souji: ...Look.
12 Souji: Everyone's over there... Souji: It's been so long... I want to be with everyone... Souji: You know? Susumu: ...... SOuji: Now's my chance!! Susumu: Okita-san!! Susumu: Running is bad for your health! Souji: I'm fine!!
13 Susumu: ...No one else knows how ill he is, yet... Susumu: [Maybe they're better off not knowing right now...] Susumu: [But...] Susumu: Even if they knew, what good would that accomplish? Susumu: But at the very least... Susumu: [The Kyoukuchou and the Fukuchou should know...] Saitou: Whether you tell them or not... Saitou: The outcome cannot be changed.
14 Saitou: No matter what others decide, you must remain a spectator. Saitou: It's the safest way. Saitou: And yet I see you're troubled as well. Susumu: ...... Susumu: Soon enough, his condition will progress... Susumu: To the point where he'll cough up blood regularly.
15 Susumu: To be honest, there's nothing I can do. Saitou: And that's something he definitely won't want to see... Saitou: Particularly because... Saitou: He lost his mother and sister to the same disease. Susumu: ...... Susumu: As usual... Susumu: You're more a ninja than I am. Saitou: Hmm, you could say that.
16 Saitou: I've gone beyond the normal limits of duty. Saitou: Allow me to give you a full report. Hijikata: ...Very well. Saitou: Well, it's not so much the fact that they're going to do something... Saitou: Rather...
17 Saitou: Why they haven't done anything in the past three months. Hijikata: ...Maybe they feared an attack from the Shinsengumi. Kondou: ...... Hijikata: But it's been over half a year and they haven't shown any bad intent towards you, even though we planted you as a spy... Saitou: No... Saitou: Their intent is bad... Saitou: I feel Itou's eyes on me all the time... Saitou: Not in mistrust, but for... another reason... Hijikata: ...How do you even sleep at night... Saitou: Yes, I fear I shall lose my virtue... Saitou: I told him my age, but maybe I have that cute underaged boy look... Saitou: Or maybe he just likes men his own age... (Note: Homosexuality was fairly common among samurai, but it was almost always confined to relationships between an older man and a teenaged boy. For an adult man to be interested in men his own age was considered kind of weird. To like men but not like women was also strange. Even the relationships between older and younger men declined sharply in the Meiji Era due to western influence.) Hijikata: Ugh, that man gives me the creeps...!! Kondou: Hey, Toshi... Kondou: I really am stupid...
18 Hijikata: Kondou-san... Kondou: I trusted him... I even let him go to Edo... I just looked away... Kondou: Even though I knew we did not share the same desire to protect the Shogunate and improve the situation in the capital. Kondou: ...But now... Kondou: When I think that we'll have to assassinate him, I... Hijikata: Even if you don't like it... Hijikata: What you're saying is right. Hijikata: Itou is the brains of the Goryoueji, and you're the heart of the Shinsengumi.
19 Kondou: ...I know. Kondou: Hajime, you see to it that we meet the core members of his organisation. Kondou: ...But Toshi... Kondou: I don't know... Kondou: I don't know if we can end it like this...
20 Ryouma: [Hey, boy!]
21 [Text on grave markers reads Ryouma Sakamoto and Nakaoka Shintaro] Mutsu: Sakamoto-sensei... Mutsu: I guess you don't have to worry about that cold anymore, huh? Mutsu: I hope you're feeling better... Mutsu: And I guess Nakaoka-taichou won't have to yell at you for being late all the time anymore... Mutsu: If only he could scold you again... Round Headed Man: Mutsu-san... Round Headed Man: We just got the confirmation from Itou-dono.
22 Round Headed Man: The Ichimura brothers are with the Shinsengumi... Round Headed Man: And... Man: Nakaoka-taichou said that the assassin was none other than the younger brother, Tetsunosuke... there's no doubt... Nakaoka: Ryouma recognised him... there was no mistaking that red hair... Nakaoka: That brat's with the Shinsengumi! Nakaoka: Ryouma even brought the kid to his home to study... I can't forgive that bastard!! Nakaoka: He betrayed Ryouma...!! Mutsu: Ichimura-san... Mutsu: Of the SHinsengumi...
23 Crying Guy: S... stupid Taichou!! Why...!? Crying Guy: Why would the Shinsengumi...? Hair in Eyes Guy: Because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Hair in Eyes Guy: But they were wrong to blame Taichou for problems they themselves helped cause... Hair in Eyes Guy: That much is clear. Mutsu: We all grieve for our fallen leader... Mutsu: But Sakamoto-sensei would not want even more senseless killing in the name of revenge.
24 Mutsu: So we have only one target... Mutsu: The man who killed Sakamoto-taichou and Nakaoka-taichou... Mutsu: We will kill Ichimura Tetsunosuke of the Shinsengumi.
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