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

Rurouni Kenshin Act 222: Yahiko's True Fight, Part 4

At the warehouse by Arakawa River...

Mafia Man: *getting cut down* GUAA!! *blood gushing out*

Side Text: The strongest combination...!?

In the middle of the warehouse stand Shinomori Aoshi and Saitou Hajime. Around them are the carcasses of the dead Chinese weapons mafia members who were guarding the place, though neither of them seem to have even broken out in a sweat. Aoshi has his kodachi in hand; Saitou has his nihontou in his left, and some documents in his right... and a cigarette in his mouth.

The rest of the police task force who came with the two of them can only stare at the two in amazement.

A Couple of Police: *in awe* It's all over much faster than expected. Wow, with just the two of them. It's this kind of thing. There were fifty men, weren't there. There's no need for us to be here.

Saitou: *taking a look at the documents* An island with a precipice... Much farther at sea than expected...

Aoshi: *looking over at Saitou* Are Yukishiro Enishi and Kamiya Kaoru there?

Saitou: Going?

Aoshi: Yes.

The police chief (the one with glasses and curly hair) bursts into the warehouse, looking anxious.

Police Chief: *huffing and puffing* Oh my God, Lieutenant Fujita! Kujiranami Hyougo has destroyed the police station and escaped!! I have prepared a horse carriage outside! Please return to town immediately!

Saitou takes a puff of his cigarette and Aoshi looks grim but calm.

Saitou: Well well...

Meanwhile, at the clinic where Megumi works, Misao stands over a room full of hurt policemen, some stretched out on the floor, some sitting against the wall.

Misao: *heaves a sigh* Oh well well. I came over here 'cause I was bored, and look at this. Is this a warzone hospital?

Megumi: *working on the patients* Stop the idle chatter and give me a hand.

Misao: *looking excited* I heard that an escaped criminal was going wild in town. Shall I go and clean it all up and then come back?

Megumi: *frustrated* If you have no intention of helping out, then go home.

The old doctor comes back, heaving a sigh of resignation.

Megumi: Doctor! What happened afterwards?

Doctor: It seems the criminal hasn't been able to get into town because a few policemen are fighting courageously. Seems like there won't be a major increase in people with injuries after this. But what concerns me is that it seems there was a young man who was fighting amongst them who carried a shinai (bamboo sword)---

At that, the same terrible thought springs to the two women's minds...

Megumi: *stands up, picking up her medicine box* It couldn't be...!

Misao: *starting to run* Let's go!!

Title Page: Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Romantan -
Act 222: Yahiko's True Fight, Part 4

Two pages with panels showing everyone in the story: Kaoru in her bathrobe, staring out a window; Tsubame running to Rakuninmura, tears in her eyes; Megumi and Misao running; Heishin looking cunning; Enishi expressionless, still looking battered from the fight; Kenshin with his chained up sword in Rakuninmura; Sano, off somewhere; Oibore playing with his birds; Shinichi looking shocked; Aoshi and Saitou in a carriage; and finally, Yahiko, facing the giant in the streets outside town.

Side Text: The end of the century a hundred years ago! The era of romance! The days when living your life is a drama in and of itself!!

In the streets outside town, Yahiko has his shinai in hand, determination in his eyes even though there is blood all over his clothing. Kujiranami stares down at the boy, his eyes crazed.

The small group of police look on, worried and anxious.

Shinichi: *panting, worried* Young man...

Police A: He said 'Show down'......

Police B: It is certainly true that at that distance, grenades can not be used, and they can each have only one hit against the other... But no matter what the case, there is too great a difference in strength and body build...

Shinichi: (Do you have a chance of winning? Young man.........!)

In Yahiko's mind...

Yahiko: *determined, grim* (There is one spot that I am attacking. There is one chance of winning!! But if I fail...)

The wind blows, taking a few fallen leaves with it.

Yahiko closes his eyes.

Yahiko:(Don't flinch! Just fix your eyes on what is before you!! For the sake of chasing after that faraway figure with his back to me which I see every time I close my eyes...)

Yahiko remembers a time when he was chasing after Kenshin, Kenshin's hair streaming out behind him as he ran.

Yahiko: And for the sake of someday overtaking him...

He opens his eyes...

Yahiko: (For that, there is no path for me but to go forward.)

He grips his shinai, resolute.

Yahiko: (There is no trail to blaze but what is before me!!)

A leaf, brought close to Yahiko gets shredded to pieces...!

Shinichi: *eyes widening with surprise as he sees the leaf* !

Police B: What's wrong?

Shinichi: *staring still* Nothing... Just now... a leaf was split apart just before it was going to touch the young man...

Police B: Huh? It's probably some trick of the eye.

Shinichi: *eyes still wide in awe and wonder* (No, I really saw it... Though it is only one leaf, it really was split open... Can it be that this is what I have heard about--- That only the best swordsmen would emit, the battlecry of the spirit, 'KENKI'!?) [ken: sword, ki: aura, spirit]

Yahiko grips his shinai hard and charges!

Yahiko: HERE I COME!!

Kujiranami: GAAAA!!

With that cry, Kujiranami brings his cannon arm down onto the boy!

In response, Yahiko launches into...

Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Ougi no Mamori HATOME!!

[Ka: living, life; shin: heart; ryuu: school of; ougi: ultimate technique/secret/meaning; mamori: defense; ha: blade; tome: to stop]

He crosses his hands, ready to stop the 'blade' of the cannon with the backs of his hands...!

Police C: *shocked* Stopping the blade with the back of the hand!?

Police A: *similarly* That's absurd! It's too reckless!!

The cannon connects with Yahiko's hands with a great crash... blood is spurting out from the boy... his eyes go white.

The policemen can only stare in shock.

Then right before their eyes, the boy's eyes focuses once more out of sheer will and lets out a battle cry...

Yahiko: O... OOO!!

Shinichi: *staring* !

Yahiko leaps forward...

Ougi no Seme HAWATARI!!!

[seme: attack; ha: blade; watari: to pass, move across]

He thrusts the point of the shinai in under Kujiranami's arm!

Yahiko: *remembering what Kenshin did against Kujiranami in that fight in the doujou [Vol 20, Act 185]*: (The underarm is one of the human body's weak points. If it takes a blow, the impact can break the ribs and even reach the lungs. Even if the opponent retains conciousness, for a while, his breathing will be difficult and he won't be able to move even a finger.)

Kujiranami is thrown back...

Kujiranami: *foaming at the mouth* GA...

However, though the force of the blow was great, precisely because Kenshin used it once before, it only fuels the insanity of the giant.

Kujiranami: *with Kenshin's image in his mind's eye*BATTOUSAI!!

With a mighty blow, he brings his left hand down upon Yahiko, smashing the boy face down onto the ground. Blood splatters.

Shinichi: *anxious* AA!!

Ravens gather near the shoddy sign that denotes the place's name: Rakuninmura. A cold wind blows as Tsubame arrives, panting from running, determined, yet with tears still gleaming at the corners of her eyes.

She starts to enter the village of the fallen.

Riffraff: *barring Tsubame's way* Hold it right there.

Tsubame: *surprised as she is surrounded* !

Riffraff: What are you doing here all alone, little girl? This is not a place for outsiders. 'Cause one must have a certain resignation to step in here...

Tsubame: *with mingled desperation and fear* (Kenshin-san... Kenshin-san...!)

The kenkaku still sits, his head bowed, his sword wrapped in chains...

*End Act*