Here goes Miko and Kristin's approximate Jump summary/translation. ^_- Bracketed text are 'thought' text... ^_^;

Rurouni Kenshin Act 214: Enishi Falls Apart

Title Page: Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Romantan -
Act 214: Enishi Falls Apart

Kenshin stands (or should I say poses?) with his sword before a background of night sky, his head turned to one side, his eyes closed. Please excuse the editor while she pauses to wipe her drool.

Vertical Side Text: The days in which one searches for the meaning of one's life are watched over by thousands and millions of stars.

Horizontal Side Text: The newest individual volume number 23 "The Consciousness of Crime and Punishment" will be available on November 4th!

In the waters outside the cove on Enishi's island, a three-masted ship waits at anchor. Within the cove, a group of burly guys are unloading supplies from smaller boats onto the beach.

Burly Guys: ....... .......

Inside the mansion, Kaoru (still in her bathrobe) watches from her window, holding a mop in her hand.

Kaoru: It's here... A good chance to escape. The communications ship. (I'll hijack it!! There's no other way to leave this island!)

Side Text: The Great Plan of Escape begins!!

As she forumlates her plan, she pulls the mop handle out of its base, leaving her with a long wooden pole to use as a weapon.

Kaoru: (I don't stand much of a chance in a head-on fight, and even if it went well, I know nothing about the skills of navigation, thus it would not be possible for me to cross over the sea. And even if I wanted to hide and smuggle myself on board, on that small a ship I'd be found before we ever reached Tokyo. Making them steer the ship to Tokyo, while ensuring my own safety... In order to do that -----)

In some unspecified part of the island, Gein stands in a grove of trees, carrying a bag in one hand.

Gein: So at last I'll be able to say farewell to this place.

A footstep alerts him to someone's approach.

Vertical Side Text: (Ad for next issue of Jump) A mysterious person gives Saitou secret information!? 'Rurouni Kenshin -Meji Kenkaku Romantan -'

Gein turns to see a short man surrounded by four extra-burly thugs who appear to be wearing aprons. The short man is dressed in a dark, Chinese-style uniform, and stands with an air of smug authority. He also has notably pointy eyebrows. ^_^;

Short Man: *smirking* Pleased to meet you, Mr. Gein. I've heard so much about you from the Boss.

Gein: ... I see. So you are the famous Number Two of the organization.

Short Man: I am Wuu Heishin. (Wuu = family name, Heishin = given name.) I am pleased to make your acquaintance.

Gein: *reaching out to shake hands* The pleasure is mine.

His gesture is swiftly blocked by two of the extra-burly thugs.

Heishin: *still smirking* I'm sorry. Please don't be offended. I do not excel at the martial arts like the Boss does, so I have ordered these bodyguards, the 'Suu Shin' ('The Four Stars' -- Heishin's name means 'Black Star'), not to let anyone come close to me.

The Suu Shin frown menacingly.

Heishin: Where's the Boss?

Gein: Enishi's in the mansion on the hill. I'm the only one who is heading back to Tokyo.

Heishin: I see. Then please get onto the boat. It will be departing once it has unloaded the cargo.

He turns to leave, still smirking.

Gein: And you?

Heishin: I'll be staying here. Because of the frenzied police activity, I intend to be cautious and hide out here for a while.

He and the Suu Shin head off in the direction of the mansion. Gein watches them go, thoughtful.

Gein: ( ... Just the opposite of Enishi's reign of terror based mainly on bold exercise of true force, here is Heishin who exercises control through management, based on careful administration of strategy. Certainly the kind of man that the rumors describe. Owing to the absolute balance between the two of them, the organization has grown to be what it is in just a few years... But, if the tables were turned, if either one of them showed any signs of trying to break down that balance ----) ...... Well, it's something that won't matter to me soon enough.

In the mansion on the hill, Heishin and his thugs arrive at the rooftop balcony at the rear of the house, where Enishi awaits them.

Heishin: *smiling* It's been a while, Boss.

Enishi: Oh, it's Heishin. When did you get here from Shanghai?

Heishin: Just the other day. I got the news that both the 'Advance into Tokyo', which had been pending for a while, and the Boss's 'Private Battle' would be over soon. So I came to check once more that you have not forgotten what you have promised. *significant look*

Pushing up his glasses, Enishi smiles.

Enishi: What a suspicious guy. But I suppose it is just like you to be suspicious. I haven't forgotten. 'In exchange for the organization's backup and support for my private battle, I will give all of the organization over to you.'

Enishi: What I had been after from the beginning was military and financial power enough to make Jinchuu possible. It just happened that an 'arms organization' has both. After I am done with my business, naturally I would have no interest in it or attachments to it.

Heishin: *still smiling* That's reassuring. I'll be staying in the private lower mansion for while, so just send me a message if you have any need of me.

Enishi: Hang on. There's one thing I want you to do.

Heishin: You're talking about Mr. Gein, aren't you? If that's the case, then don't worry. I've already given instructions to my men on the ship. I feel so sorry for him. He's going to be beaten by 30 masters of the martial arts and thrown into the sea.

Enishi: I'm impressed. I admire that kind of a quality in you.

Heishin: It's my only redeeming quality. Now, if you'll excuse me...

He takes his leave and makes his way down through the mansion, surrounded by his thugs. (How do they manage to walk down stairs in formation like that??)

Heishin: 'After I am done with my business, naturally I would have no interest in it or attachments to it'... ? That's fine. But. Isn't his attitude too pompous to be giving something away?

As the sound of their footsteps recedes, Kaoru peers around a corner and heaves a sigh of relief.

Kaoru: *sweatdrop* (That was close, that was close. Some other strange guy has appeared. Before even more trouble arises, I had better get out of here as quickly as possible.)

She sneaks up the stairs, her slippered feet almost silent.

Kaoru: (Making them steer the ship to Tokyo, while ensuring my own safety. To do that, there is only one way to go about it. Take Yukishiro Enishi hostage! Even if the possibility of success is definitely not high, if I do it now, while he is still recovering from the wounds from his fight with Kenshin ----...)

She grips her mop handle fiercely.

On the balcony, Enishi has settled into a rocking chair, half-covering himself with a blanket. He sighs and tilts his head upward, smiling slightly.

Enishi: ( ... It will all be over soon... What is left is just to slowly and carefully witness Battousai waste away and die in the depths of despair... ... It will all be over soon. Sister ---...)

He closes his eyes and envisions Tomoe . . . only to find that she is no longer smiling. Enishi turns pale with shock as the image of his sister gazes back at him sorrowfully, then slowly closes her eyes.

Enishi lurches to his feet, upsetting the rocking chair and knocking over the nearby table. At that very moment, Kaoru charges in, wielding her mop-handle.

Kaoru: YUKISHIRO ENISHI, PREPARE TO ---

Enishi: *gripping his forehead in agony* UAAAAAAAA!!!! Why... Why are you wearing that kind of expression? Why will you not smile like you always do!? *wild-eyed* Sister......!

A blurred image of Tomoe haunts him. He looks up to find an immobile Kaoru staring at him in shock.

Enishi: *shaking with rage* That's it... Because she's still alive... Because Battousai's 'Substitute for my sister' is still alive!!

Kaoru goes white as Enishi's hand suddenly shoots out and grips her throat mercilessly. She drops her weapon as he lifts her up, strangling her.

Kaoru: !! ...... ka... ha......

Enishi: Just as I thought, Jinchuu will never be completed if I don't kill you! DIEDIEDIEDIE...

A heartbeat throbs. Enishi freezes.

Enishi: Ga...............

He throws his head back, as if involuntarily, and releases his grip on Kaoru's neck.

Kaoru: Ah...

She falls backward to her knees, clutching her throat and gasping for breath. Enishi collapses to the floor.

Enishi: *sounds of breaking glass* UOEEEEEE GEE...EEEEE

He crawls away from her on all fours, vomiting. Kaoru stares at him, sweating violently.

Kaoru: ( ... I... I understand now......... The reason why Yukishiro Enishi didn't kill me back then---... Probably... when he saw his sister... Tomoe-san being brutally cut down when he was young... the impact, strong enough to turn his hair pure white, left a deep deep scar in his heart. From then on, he has seen in the young women he faces a shadow of his lost sister's visage...)

Her eyes widen with realization.

Kaoru: (And so, even though his head tells him to kill, his body rejects the idea no matter what.)

Enishi: *clenching his teeth, still on all fours* Why... Why will you not smile for me, my sister......?

Kaoru gazes at him with something that could almost be compassion.

Kaoru: (It wasn't that this person didn't kill me, it was that he couldn't kill me ----...)

The scene changes to a dark sky over the sea, with a view of the three-masted communications ship on its return journey to Tokyo.

Narration: Meanwhile, in Tokyo Bay, near the mouth of the Arakawa River, three hours past midnight--

Blood spatters. On the ship, Gein stands among dozens of fallen bodies, all of them stained with red. Three remaining men gape in horror as he looks over his shoulder toward them.

Gein: So, once they are done, they are going to immediately dispose of me. Enishi, Heishin, all human beings are corrupt. But they made a grave mistake in thinking that the puppeteer would be weaker than his puppets...

He holds up one gloved hand, revealing pale, thin, and apparently deadly filaments trailing delicately from each fingertip.

Gein: Thanks for the reception. But the organization is now useless to me as well.

*End Act*