Chapter 223: Just Then, A Gust of Wind

(Tsubame, rushing back to town, trips and falls.)

Tsubame (through her tears): Yahiko ... Kenshin...

(The wind picks up, carrying leaves through the air. She looks behind her, and a look of joy spreads across her face.)

(Kuma brings a jug of sake and two cups over to Oibore.)

Kuma: Here. Brought you this. Don't spill it.

Oibore: Ah, thank you, thank you.

(They drink.)

Oibore: That reminds me, Kuma, there's something else I want to thank you for.

Kuma: Yeah?

Oibore: Letting that girl in here. Though I didn't know you had a thing for little girls-- (Kuma splutters.)

Oibore: Am I wrong?

Kuma: Damn right you are! (he settles back) The daughter my wife took with her would be about her age. Guess I felt like being a nice guy for a change.

(A pause.)

Kuma: Anyway, you shouldn't be talking. The perfume. The hairpin. An old man with a taste for women's things isn't something I like to see.

(Oibore takes the hairpin out of his topknot and looks at it for a moment.)

Oibore: Ha ha. Maybe you're right. Thanks for the drink. It's time I got going.

Kuma: Going? Where to?

Oibore: To Kyoto. It's been a while; I miss my daughter.

Kuma: Didn't know you had any family to go back to.

Oibore: No, I'm visiting her grave.

Kuma (surprised): Then that hairpin is your remembrance of her...

(Oibore only smiles.)

Kuma: ... Forget it. When are you coming back?

Oibore: Probably be there a while ... Big cities always have places for outcasts to go, so they'll look after me.

Kuma: Yeah ... Well, you get along with everyone, so wherever you go you'll be fine.

Oibore: Ho ho. Well, I was never much good at anything. That was my only talent.

(He puts on his hat, getting ready to go.)

Kuma: You were pretty nice to that samurai.

Oibore: He was special.

He was my daughter's husband, who watched her last breath ... Kuma: That guy ... Wonder if he'll make it in time.

Oibore: That's all right. No need to worry!

(Back in the city. Yahiko roars, pushing Kujiranami's hand up and off of him.)

Shin'ichi: Kid!

(He clutches his side and falls over.)

Officer: Hey, worry about yourself!

(Yahiko squares off for another round, bloody but determined.)

Shin'ichi (thinking): It's no use ... he's in no condition to fight any further...

Kujiranami: Battousai!!

(He swipes at Yahiko with the barrel of the gun, then seizes him by the head and lifts him off the ground, leveling the gun at him.)

Officer: No way ... he's going to fire?!

(Even in his battered state, Yahiko still manages to bring his shinai up into fighting stance.)

Shin'ichi: That's enough!

Kujiranami: Battousai!

Shin'ichi (thinking): That's enough--stop! That boy is going to grow ... When he's older he's going to help a lot of people. He shouldn't die here, for no reason, to this man! Someone-anyone--stop him! Anyone!

(Nine blows strike Kujiranami simultaneously, knocking him to the ground.)

(Saitou and Aoshi jump out of the carriage, as Megumi and Misao arrive on the scene.)

Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu Kuzuryuuten!

Shin'ichi: Who's that?

Misao: Himura!

Megumi: Ken-san...

Saitou: Battousai.

Aoshi: No...

Yahiko: Kenshin...

Himura Kenshin is revived!