THANK YOU SUMIRE! October is translated on her site! Check it out! Sumire's Manga Translations and when you're finished reading that - come back here for my update - more of my personal opinions this time rather than a description. ^_~
Where we left off two chapters ago, Kuronika decided to do something about Knives - she and Domina (another pilot) launch smaller ships and head toward the planet.
Where Vash left off he was heading up an elevator after speaking to Meryl - he now stands at the top of the SEEDS ship in the middle of October (?) as he looks down at the city, we see his hair is nearly black now. Creating the bullets for his gun leaves only about 1/10 of it blond. He asks for Knives to come to him and clutches his left arm as he remembers the Big Fall, July City, Fifth Moon... He remembers the past, the people he has met: characters from both the anime and the manga (as Nightow has stated in the past, he considered both as "Trigun" - so you can safely say that many of the incidents in the anime happened in the manga as well). For example: Elizabeth, Loose Ruth, Frank Marlon (with the bar lady and his son Brandon as a boy - see my personal story "Sureshot Lin"), Moore and Julias, others from both, Kuronekosama, Milly and Meryl, Legato, the GHGS (inluding Razlo & Livio as separate) - and here's something interesting, Wolfwood only shows up as his cross punisher, not his face. Rem... The breeze blows through Vash's hair and he closes his eyes as he faces the sun, we come to stand behind him as he faces Knives' huge fused form. Vash pulls up his gun from where he held it behind his back - it has been filled with his 'special bullets' - and he closes his eyes as he holds the gun against his forehead.
Back in space, Kuronika and Domina have a discussion about shooting down Knives - BUT... Knives looks up from into the sky a frown plastering his face. The next scene, his ship, the page after, the same ground where it was, but the ship has disappeared. Vash's eyes open in shock, people gape up at the empty sky, Kuronika is surprised - the weapon is fired harmlessly into the desert. And Knives' ship appears directly above the ship where Vash stands. Knives is above the ship, glowing - HE'S MAD - FLAMING MAD (email me for the picture - but just imagine hellfire here) - Domina, Kuronika, the other man on the ship - and Vash - eyes wide... He warped?
A few notes - Kuronika is probably pronounced Kronika (thus the difference in translation between mine and Sumire's) or Chronica as in Max7, I just chose to leave it the same since I didn't want to go back and change all the references. One thing I had to mention was Vash clutching his left arm versus his right - there's still been no mention as far as I've known of how Vash lost his arm in the manga - maybe it might be revealed now I wonder? If it had been his right we could have assumed it was because of his angel-arm. I find it very interesting that Vash didn't remember Wolfwood as his face - I'm curious about that little substitution. Hmmmmmm.
Sure enough, just as Kuronika's ship opens fire on Knives, the beam heads straight towards him, but Knives warps away to the city almost instantly, the weapon giving off a massive electrical charge over the desert as it hits. People scream and duck as the charge flows like lightening over a clear sky. When the smoke clears, there is an empty crater in the dirt, but Knives was unharmed, miles away. "What!?" The man on the ship looks over his computer screens, trying to figure out how Knives warped... he zooms in on Knives, and Knives is looking directly back at him. The man turns to look at Kuronika, "The whole thing was unexpected," she says. Domina watches on from her ship, hands together in almost an applause, face covered in sweat drops, "What is it Domina?" They speak of what to do next about the fused plant... But Domina keeps drifting... "Domina?" "Domina!!" "Ah, yes!" She says as she snaps out of a state after staring at Knives...
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" The man asks her. "Ah, sorry, excuse me, I wasn't listening..." Kuronika sits in thought, "Domina, the timing was too close for him to warp like that..." Did he know? How did he know when to warp, exactly? The answer... We scan down Domina's leg to a silver cord, nearly invisible, wrapped around Domina's ankle.
Meanwhile, with Knives's ship above the city, there's mass panic. Milly and Meryl run outside to the balcony to see every single person on rooftops, in streets, staring up at Knives. Men scream, pull their guns and aim upwards, firing in unison, harmlessly... But, there's another reason... Milly and Meryl look down at the people, then back at each other - until suddenly the plants start to glow... Oh no, he's starting to call them...
Back on the ship, Kuronika continues to debate over Knives, until she loses contact with Domina... "I'm not Domina," she says... Then we see Domina feathered out... .A Plant... Kuronika's eyes widen as she looks at what's left of her friend. The long silver cord reaches from space down to the planet, down to KNIVES... He looks up to Kuronika, who screams at Domina, trying to get her back... But it's too late, Knives had her, long before, and now... control of the ship as well.
"Abrevius II Abrevius II ...No response!! The ship has been hijacked!!" The side panels on Domina's ship open "!!" "Abrevius II's right cannonturrents are opening!!! An energy particle is forming at the center!! ...Target...!! Flagship Namudrif!!" The ship fires at Kuronika's ship - a cascade of electricity pours out into space engulfing the ship... And then silence. "The protection field! Status of the A.D.F. (Active Defence Field)!!" The captain calls. "It fell to 69%!" The ship can't take another blow... They're able to bring the A.D.F. back up to 82% as the captain calls for Domina. Kuronika looks on in shocked horror... Suddenly there's a power spike in the Abrevius II... It isn't the weapon from before, "It's the Tool Hammer!!"
Meanwhile, below in the city the town's people are still shooting up at Knives... The sirens blare and an announcement is made... Suddenly the bullets (with no where else to go) come crashing back down to the ground - exploding, hitting people... A rain of bullets comes down as the people scream and run for cover. Brad and Luida look on from the SEEDS ship above.
Back in space the captain and Kuronika try to figure out what to do about Domina's ship - what to do about Domina... The A.D.F. won't stand another blow... The energy is already beginning to spike... "Impossible... This is... The Tool Hammer's power has reached 170%!!" The captain screams...
VASH!!! A flash of light as Vash sends three specially made bullets toward Knives. They spiral out of his gun in a swirl of feathers and light, exploding behind Knives' head in little black holes like that which destroyed July City... Severing the cord that connected Knives to Domina!! In space the Abrevius II goes silent.
Vash reaches into his pocket and pulls out his sunglasses. (Showtime!!) He places them on his face. "Well now, you didn't think I'd give up without a fight did you?" Knives' eyes go wide as his brother continues. "This challenge will kill me if my hair turns black... So here's a warning for you, since I still hold life valuable to me, I won't use my ability. I won't use it. From now on your opponent is just an ordinary gunman. However. This ordinary gunman will no longer bow before you!"
Knives eyes widen. "Ha! ....Still... You're still living in a dream... This is mine... Yet you still are bound to your blood and life you believe in. Your dream is absurd!" With a snap of his fingers Knives sends claws reaching toward Vash (just as he did at the beginning of their last fight)...
Vash sends shots out, the tips of Knives' claws snap off and his eyes go wide... Vash stands looking up at his brother, gun drawn. "I'm sorry, but this is not a dream. This is the reality that I have clung to... For a hundred years in this body. You simply don't know anything about me!"
Notes: I tried to translate this chapter as accurately as possible (still fixing as I learn) and I did skip some things (Brad and Luida talk, the townspeople... some things between the captain and Kuronika) so I hope you'll forgive me if I got some things wrong. If anyone gets YKO and knows that I've made a mistake let me know and I'll correct it! Otherwise I guess this will have to do until Dark Horse translates this in another year or so. ^_^ Enjoy!
The wind howls above the crashed SEEDS ship where Meryl and the others kneel attending the wounded. Meryl looks upwards, her eyes wide and mouth open, and she stands. Milly comes up to her, "...Sempai... Just now......." Meryl opens her mouth, "Yeah... It's suddenly quiet..." They look up above to where the remaining plants lay silent in their globes, "Instantly.... Has everything been leading to this?" Knives still hovers above where Vash stands at the top of the crashed ship, his own monsterous plant ship over them both, "You're acting awfully anxious."
Vash smiles darkly as Knives looks at him. Vash's coat slaps in the wind as Knives speaks, "Strange man... I considered us related. You who talks about reality, how can you overlook it? This is an overwhelming power gap. Tens of thousands of plants are perfectly fused with me. And you, not much more and you'll totally be exhausted." A sudden shocked look comes over Knives' face Vash moves his head just slightly, his eyes wide as a flash of light slices off a huge towering part of the ship he stands on. He looks back at it... "Now you're using your power to be a weakling," Knives mutters. "You're kidding yourself." The tower falls... "My young brother. (Ototo)" Vash looks up at him, Knives' eyes widen - a smile creeps upon Vash's face. He laughs, "You are the one kidding yourself." He grins as Knives frowns, "You are you," Vash continues, "A wimp using a bulldozer." He stands ready with his gun, "Think I can't parry? Your move."
Knives' feathery appendages whip out, Vash's eyes are steady... "Alright then, you ready to gamble?" Knives says. Vash replies, "Are we gonna talk? Or can we exchange more than words?" Suddenly over a dozen little black holes form within Knives' feathery arms - Vash smiles. A rush, Vash pulls his gun, the blackholes shoot out - a two page shot of the brothers - a brilliant flash - hundreds of rays of light speed toward Vash - his gun up, his eyes wide, a rush - a single bullet, a single black hole... The ship cracks "Gapo! Toga! Snap crack!" The metal breaks around Vash, rising with the pressure of Knives' attack... Knives' eye goes wide as the smoke clears - Vash, standing in the midst of the explosion, completely unharmed - a circle of broken ship around him. His left arm up to his face steadying his right hand as it holds his gun. Knives looks down his nose at Vash, his brother unwavering.
"Indeed... You punk... Using your power in the form of bullets...!!" Vash looks down his gun at his brother, "That's right... I've dueled thousands of times with this little fellow... With this gun my speed is beyond your comprehension." Knives laughs - readying for another attack - Vash remains steady, looking at his brother with cold eyes. "Heh! Conceited...!" Knives laughs, "In that case I ought to make you attack until you're out of those bullets...!!"
"Aah... You approve," Vash says, "We'll bash each other to our hearts' content, right?" Knives's looks at him in shock, "Your power is past, Knives. This star's (planet's) future does not depend upon us."
Notes: Thank you thank you!! I had a translater finish off the rest of this chapter for me! Thank you Tara! Thank you Bryn!! ^_^ Happy happy!! >_< They helped me get it translated - it's kinda exciting knowing those thousands of bullets Vash made are going to be used... But will every last one of them be used up? Will Knives win? Stay tuned! *grins*
WARNING: Some foul language used in translations.. my apologies.
A group of men stand over a teenage Vash, his right arm cuffed and chained to a post. "I didn't think I liked it," Vash narrates, "....No. Rather, I hated it." The narration continues, "Humans. Everyone. They weren't as wonderful as I thought. However, in most cases, our opponents didn't know what to make of us. They said they knew we weren't normal. As it was, the news didn't spread as we made our way around the world."
Skip back a wee bit - Knives is calling out to Vash as they travel in the desert, "Hey Vash!" Narration continues... "Time passed by us, it was 80 years after the Big Fall. Time passed by quickly for us although for the rest it passed slowly. That man," Vash watches Knives crest a hill, "was alone even when we were side by side. If only I could have grasped the distance between us. Then one day," A car pulls up to Vash who was trailing behind and offers the young brother a ride - he takes it, leaving Knives alone. "That, was the start of the tragedy."
Present time - back in space, Kuronika and and the Captain are trying to fix the damage Knives caused: "Abreivus II entering exclusive control mode. Scan & Debug, 3rd Roll begin. Force field up in 64. Avoid physical contact. End connection following supplemental process." Zoom in on Domina, still out of commission - a Plant. "Kuronika..." The Captain starts to say when Kuronika cuts him off, "Please, don't say anything Captain. This humiliation, was just the beginning."
Down below on the surface Vash and Knives continue their fight. "Weren't you letting me kill? It's my turn to ask you... How long will you watch me? You have yet to raise your blade to stop me. What... Are you that eager to die? Because you can't kill me." Knives says... appearing suddenly before Vash, face to face - Vash's gun rests inches away from his nose.
Flash back again - Younger Knives and Vash in the same circumstance, Vash has the gun in his left hand, it's shaking. "Why... Why do you point that gun at me?" Knives asks. Vash lowers his gun, Knives steps back from his brother who is still chained to the pole, a huge blade has formed on his left wrist. (It appears to me the men who picked up Vash in the desert have chained him here to leave him to die - he's not human...) "I'm helping you," Knives says, stepping back. "By..." Vash screams, "The villagers... all of them... even the children... How many more do you have to kill before you are satisfied! How many!" Knives looks shocked, then smiles, "You know what's going on here... This village attacks travelers who stop for a bite to eat. They are naturally driven to these ends. and you never change!! Your way of thinking has begun to resemble the humans on this star more and more. Everyone here is part of the same family, they stood by quietly while you were robbed. You've received a blow from the same comrades who left you." Vash grits his teeth, Knives staring into the sky. "...Again, it's just the same. Perhaps on this occasion I'll leave you hear to collect your thoughts (cool your head)." Knives looks down at Vash, an evil look glazing his face, "I have come to repaint the map." Then turns to leave. "Wait! Wait Knives!" Vash screams, "Don't go! Don't go! ....Damn!!" Vash aims his gun at the chains, shot after shot trying to break free... "Come back Knives! I'll go with you!! Knives!! Aaaaaaah!" Sending the last bullet into Knives' left shoulder. Knives looks up in shock, Vash is breathing heavily as Knives puts his hand to the bullet wound. "......Vash.... What did you.... Still... Well... Aiming at me! You piece of shit!" Knives screams in anger and his blade wips out - severing Vash's left arm from his body!! The arm falls to the ground, Vash's eyes go wide and he screams.
Back to present, the brothers are still talking, face to face... "...Last time," Knives starts when Vash doesn't respond, "At best, it was an accident. You don't have the ability to finish this." Vash lowers his gun, "Rest assured Knives, this is the end of the end. This time we're together, even if I have to use all of my remaining power, I will bring a conclusion to this." A smile comes to Knives' face, and one appears on Vash's as well. A blur of motion - two two page spreads as Knives and Vash's blackholes join into one and poof out of existence (think the last episode of the anime, only on a much smaller scale...) Knives laughs, "Can't you do it? By now I'd have expected even a slave to produce a 1 kilometer radius!" He smiles cooly, "Thinking of a comeback to deny it? Eh? However, I can give you more time in this place before it must end." Vash smiles as his brother floats up into the air again. "More time?" He pushes his sunglasses up his nose, "It's past time. However, this time we'll set a limit to end this game. In the next second one of us will be able to get up. Of course, which of us will get up again, Knives?"
Note: It's done! Finally! Wow is this hard!! I hope you'll forgive me if I don't always manage to translate all of it again - I think I still may have missed something and I'm not positive on tenses yet so there are probably a lot of mistakes! But it really does sound that Vash is serious that it's going to END... NOW. ^_^ But they've still got to deal with Kuronika and Legato yet, so we're not quite out of the woods!! At least, I hope not... Don't end it too soon Nightow-san!! ^_^
I also wanted to give a shout out to Nicholas for helping me with some of the book chapters on TM#10 and #11 since he got his copies before me!! >.< So jealous... Thank you Mr. Priest-man!!!! Hee hee hee.
A lone bullet hits one of Knives 'scythes' - the bullet forms one of the little 'blackholes' - the scythes swirl into the hole. Five more shots and Knives looks over his shoulder, Vash empties the shells, reloads his gun and fires another volley. Knives' eyes go wide, each shot causes the scythes to swirl inwards and disappear... Knives is forced to cut one off as it poofs into the air - he grits his teeth, eyes worried... "YOU..." he spits.
"You aren't returning fire," Vash smirks, gun still pointed up at his brother, "Taking in what you saw just now?"
Knives thinks: "What is it? I didn't expect the first strike to collide. It could have severed my neck. Is he just trying to weaken the target? Why only this so far? This persistant decision to refuse me? There's a good chance I'm overlooking something... What is he waiting for? To change my mind? It's impossible, that can't be all that idiot's been thinking. I see. More of them? That's what this is...."
Meanwhile below, what looks like telephone operators (who are connected to the plants apparently) suddenly have a reaction in the "girls" - "We've overlooked a subtle pulse!" One operator yells, "How did this happen....!!" Kaiser, the old man from TM4 looks on - "The girls are conversing!"
Knives smiles, "I see... You're saying you want to persuade me that this plants, before now, haven't been sent here as victims...!! Wouldn't you say in your calculations that in your soft heart the goal you are striving for... Is to be human!! I've seen the hard times you've had with this species! It's a disgrace! You can't atone for them with your blood! Do you think we should lend even one ear to your excuses?!!" He screams, but Vash isn't affected.
Knives lashes out with his power but Vash stands firm, "....Knives. What you don't know the path I want. You cannot decide what person I am." He lifts his left arm, "Do you remember this? You cut off my left arm. That village..."
"Ah, that was the little lesson I taught you," Knives cuts him off. "To give you time to wear off your headstrong nature..."
"You want to justify the murders? What are you trying to say?" Knives asks.
"No. I must tell you the 'reason' I have, but first I must set the stage or you won't understand." Flashback, a girl walks up to the fallen Vash, his arm lying nearby. She pulls down the hood from her jacket and Vash narrates, "You...?" The girl says. "She... She was concerned for someone outside the family. She continued to get closer, for three years she made visits. The reason R (radioactive) contamination. Over time they were banished from the city if they were accidentally contaminated. In this place, to be banished from a city meant certain death. All of the people agreed to be banished even though they knew the danger, they wanted to live for themselves even until death. On the day of the accident they all agreed to go a great distance away. Far enough to keep away the contamination. She said this while crying, that she was left behind by herself. They would become violent in the mountains of unjust and despair. They began to get used to treating themselves severly. I couldn't understand why the way of the people was to punish people by banishing them for the sake of those living. Because this severe punishment was as cruel as murder. And so, she began to cry, for hours and hours." Vash stands holding his cut off arm, looking down at the girl fallen to her knees in grief.
"Because of this, I investigated." Vash continues, "The result as I understood, their contamination was caused by accidentally allowing the plants to run by themselves. They were seperated from the last place they called home. The concluding result was to save a number of plants and some 10,000 peole from harm. This... We didn't know the true reason... Do you know? Knives..."
"What. They have not the power to keep from defiling life?" Vash slams his foot down, "No!! We cannot think they are lower than us! That's why. One cannot forget the lives that were ended here! That is my focus... It is not a stubborn decision. I will not permit this to be the conclusion! Knives!!"Knives readies to fight him again... As they fight, Vash thinks, "So... I finally understand. However the showy appearance that covers your body, isn't there still a human within you? However you conclude that every moment you are desperate to become distant from it. It is that, you alone have failed to notice what is in your heart. That's..."
Below the plant angels start to scream - the humans below are tired of waiting for Vash, they're worried they'll lose their power sources. The army general screams "FIRE!" Cannons go off, exploding all around Knives' ship...
Vash screams, "... St...STOP!!" Knives laughs, "This is it! This is what you found out, this is your own generosity!! And this is your focus to achieve!? In all of history they have only cared about themselves first! I'm fed up with this! Where is the salvation for this species!!?" He readies a "black hole" to fire at the humans to stop them - Vash fires a shot, cancels it out, "You bastard..." Knives screams at Vash who then fires more shots - the cannon-fire disappear with his shots.
Breathing heavily, Vash tries to regain his breath - Knives laughs at him. What a miserable man you are. You didn't have to stop all four shots. Wouldn't you say you just spent the bullets uselessly? Eh? Come now and show me how to fall... Didn't you expect this manner of self-preservation?"
The general gets ready to fire again... Only suddenly Brad's ship flies overhead spewing a smoke trail which covers the sky in darkness. "Oooh!" Someone yells. "Wait, don't fire! Hold your places until this lets up! Damn! We can't see anymore!" A sergeant steps up yelling, "Disregard it! We don't have time to wait for the skies to clear! Fire the cannon at the same angle! Fire...." Then, out of the sky...
MILLY AND MERYL ON TOMAS!!!! ^_^ They 'fly' out of nowhere, land on the general - rolling him into the dust (he screams something I can't translate yet). Everyone around is in a panic, "Ahh! Captain!! Captain! Shoot! What...!? What...!! Tomas?! Where's the Captain!?"
"Do you think we took care of 'em, Milly?" Meryl says, "We can't turn around to look!"
"Hai!!" - Milly's agrees laughing, "Sempai! Do you think Vash-san saw us?"
Meryl's sweating, "I don't think anyone can see through this smokescreen!" Sweatdrops form on her face.
Milly sits on her toma, "How disappointing.... What?"
Meryl shoots off her derringers in frustration, "We only could help for a minute and he wasn't even watching!?"
Brad looks on "Good. In that smoke that idiot can do whatever he wants to." There's a closeup and he thinks, I think this is as much as I can do.... "Sorry," he says outloud and Vash breathes a sigh and looks up at Knives again. "....It's no good Knives... Shall I review my little conclusion." Knives looks down his nose at him, "I do not care. However we shall bring this drama to an end."
Meanwhile out in space Domina is lifted out of her seat, her body still disformed, wings and appendages of a plant. "Report," the Captain states. "Collect Plant Independant 'Domina'. Connecting to isolation storage unit." The Captain asks, "Personal salvage?" The response, "Currently in the middle of the scan. Success rate less than 0.03%. Complete restoration most likely impossible. It is almost completely desolved." Kuronika comes into the room with the Captain, "Kuronika," he says as she looks up at the lifeless form of Domina. "Stop the personal salvage," she says - the Captain responds, "Wha!" Kuronika says, "Wait an hour. Please make the highest priority to analyzing the enemy reports." The Captain starts to say, "But... But... Are you certain?" A tear rolls down Kuronika's face... "That was her wish. Because that kid, even until the last moment was indeed truly wiser than I."
Note: ALL DONE!! WHOO HOO!! Sorry it's taken me nearly the entire month to complete this but I had a translation session today and just buzzed through the rest of it. There are, I understand, a few awkward spots, forgive my lack of skills on this subject, but I hope you enjoy what I got up here for you! And if you noticed, this is BOOK 13!!! YAY! More Trigun-goodness - yokata!!! ("Thank goodness!" for you non-Japanese readers) Enjoy!
But it starts out in the smoke - (remember the smokescreen Brad laid to stop the army?) well, below, Milly and Meryl are still going on their tomas - "Uwa!!! Sorry!! Gwaa! SORRY!!" (forcing people out of the way, they're making the "uwa and gwaa" sounds!) Meryl suddenly looks ahead at the clearning smoke, she says to Milly looking back, "The smoke's clearing, we have to turn around!!" Milly yells, "Hai! Sempai!" Then suddenly her eye goes wide, "BANG!" (okay, so actually it's "do!" the sound of a gunshot) and Milly's toma trips!
Milly's sent face first into the ground! "MILLY!!" Meryl screams!! Milly lies unconcious as the toma runs off wounded, shot in the leg, Meryl turns her toma around, "Milly! Are you okay!! Hang in there! Milly!!!!!" Meryl gets down and shakes Milly but she's not moving - and as the smoke clears... A dozen or so army guys stand with their rifles pointed at the girls. Meryl grabs Milly and tries to drag her out of the way - but Milly's so big Meryl has problems - one of the officers says, "Don't hesitate!" Meryl strains again, and the captain says, "Shoot to kill!" 
Back to Vash and Knives (this is a killer ain't it?) A bright light erupts around Vash and Knives - shot after shot, Vash still continues with this shots... A close up of Vash, and of Knives - a panel of nothing... Then blood... "....." "Why did," Knives asks, "You cut short your speech?" Vash smiles in his sad way, "Are you pleased? Or will you miss our conversation?" A single black drop falls... it splats on the ground - blood. "!?" Knives looks at the drop on the ground, then looks at Vash who's covered in shadow. "Indeed! What you said makes sense, we do not need any more weak words, do we?" Vash looks up at him (AAAH!!!) The next page Vash is COVERED IN BLOOD.... SOB!! More blood splatters...
And suddenly we're back with the Captain and Kuronika. One of the plants - and also Kuronika are overseeing whatever is being done to Domina... Domina looks pretty bedraggled - hooked up to tubes and whatnot - her features hardly recognizeable... "Please, look at this," Kuronika says. "What...What is this?" The Captain asks as they look at a graph, "It's a spacial curvature graph chart during the time the "gate" was left open. It dropped to zero. It's calculated to the instant of our "jump out." It should have remained flat afterwards. It happened dozens of times, then it went away again .07 seconds after gate open." The Captain says, "...Kuronika?" She replies, "Look Captain, I'd like to keep this under constant surveillence." It pulls back and we see Domina, Kuronika thinks, "What caused the drop? I couldn't have misheard, because I saw it for myself. We didn't take into consideration a fused body when we estimated re-entry. We were completely exposed upon entry. I'm sorry it was that tactic that caused this. Very much so... Domina!!"
Back to the ground! A single bullet falls to the ground - then dozens more... The army men lower their weapons to see a black cape... Then a large metal object that the bullets hit into harmlessly... a two-page spread of LIVIO!! He lifted up a huge panel in the ground - pushing it open to save Milly and Meryl!! Meryl looks up at Livio, her mouth hanging wide open as she cradles Milly, blood trickling down her forehead. Next page Meryl's still gaping at him, he looks a bit out of sorts for a moment and says, "Y... You... You two were with Vash-san," Livio says, "I'm Livio de Pupe" "The chewy?" Meryl asks. "No, not chewy," Livio thinks, "But it'll do."
"I'm on your guys' side," he says, "And I would really like it if you could escape, please." Meryl argues, "It's impossible!! We can't get to the boarder in all of this confusion! We have to wait until the smoke screen clears before we can get to Brad!" Livio tilts his cowboy hat to her, "We won't have to go into confusion if we're victorious." *swoon* his smile is so cute! And when the door (or whatever it is, I'm actually not sure if he just appeared holding this big metal thing or if it's actually from the ground...) is secure he jumps up onto it - Meryl's eyes go wide. He stands at the top of the metal door, pulls out his double fang, twirls them (oh heck yah - true cowboy style!!) and faces the hundreds of army guys!!
Livio talks to himself, "In this urgent situation we have to get them to the ship. Examine. Discuss. Threaten. ----We may have to find another way here." Then he looks out over the guys and says, "Let's make this quick, I have a question for you. Where's the General?" The army guys all look at him and they have various expressions - but no one answers and Livio says, "There?" and Livio leaps up again (all you see is a spike of speed) when he falls back down, "No!" Comes down on the army guys, "It's a feint!" Someone says, and The next pages is basically Levio beating the tar-hill out of the army guys. *GRINS* He zips through them like - well - heck, this is the guy who took down Nick so of course he's got the speed, agility, strength - and one fancy spin thing he does while shooting his guns... MIND YOU - not killing them!! He shoots them all in the legs or feet - jumping on heads and whatnot during this scene. HEH HEH HEH! All leading the army guys away from Milly and Meryl - those that can walk anyway, and no matter of shouting "Fall in! Form ranks!" can help them! ^_~
And then the chapter ends on a page - a flash of bright light at the top of the tower... Vash in shadow, his sunglasses the only thing lit... And then the sky.
Notes: Here you are! All done! Fastest ever! There are a couple notes I have for you - first off, I'm sorry that the Kuronika part is so stunted, the kanji is difficult to translate. Number two, I translated Livio referring to himself as "we" but he doesn't reference himself as anything but "boku" so he may not. Mind you the stunted list is correct as far as I can tell - kinda like he is talking to himself, weighing his options. Third, the "Pupe" bit - I researched the word and could only find a Japanese musician who wears a cowboy hat under that name - so it could be an obscure reference like the other Trigun characters. Fourth - the "chewy" bit was a Kanji for "chew, bite, gnaw" - but it doesn't sound like 'pupe" so I'm not sure what Nightow was going for here... If anyone can enlighten me, I'd appreciate the help!! Otherwise we'll have to wait for the official translation. PS - if you'd like to see scanlations email me... *grins* I'm not posting the link officially.
Kuronika sits in her chair, visor over her eyes. She gives commands to the computer, retrieving information, "Begin spirit submergence. Both heartrate and brainwaves normal. "A" reaction resisting normal behavior... Showing report. Projecting image directly into field of sight. Diving into "section" within the fused body. Begin..."
The sun is going down over Gunsmoke as Kuronika "Spirit dives" through a conglomerate of plants - she speaks about them, "Collective consciousness of the objective is huge and very extensive, however... Concept of individualism is not very high. Thoughts of self are deep within the stratum of consciousness within the "Seed", however... Usually such a conflicting "fusion" is fatal," and she reaches into one of their heads, learning something about them that Nightow doesn't reveal... "This is...." she trails off as the report is finished about the spike in the activity when the "Gate" opened.
The plants doing the research report, sweatdrops on their faces, cutting back to them in the middle of the conversation... "!! It also, it also appears to have cut off. How many were there? Unoknown, however when the gate was open it shaved off 7% of the Northern Hemisphere. Is it okay... that planet? I have a feeling we should have gone down as you thought... My apologies."
Meanwhile, back on the surface, Knives smiles, lashes out narrowly missing Vash - but his brother didn't twitch. "It's not yet time to be concerned with the conclusion. I'll give you a freebee under the circumstances." Vash's arm flies backwards and Knives looks down at him curiously, ".....It's not impossible... Your tenacity deserves admiration (or 'I rather admire your tenacity')." Vash stands still, not speaking as Knives' eyes scan the ground behind him - it's compeletely sprayed in blood. Knives smiles, "Well done. You're already asleep."
Blood sprays from Vash, his knees buckle, he falls over as his bullets fly out from where he was keeping them on his person. Knives snatches one. "....Well now. You may not have put enough thought into this. But this... I do not see it settled with this." Vash falls over, blood trailing behind where he's fallen, "Stay asleep Vash," Knives says, "Reality is too hard. It may not be impossible for you to be burned." He turns and looks at the sunset.
Livio stands in front of a group of fallen soliders, the sun setting behind him. The shadows fall across his face as he turns to look at the nuclear bunker where the warhead is being kept.
The sun is setting behind the SEEDS ship - Knives hovers over the top where Vash has fallen. His finger is still on the trigger as his eyes stare emptily over the darkness caused by the shadow of the ship... Then, slowly, one light turns on. Another... Vash's blank eyes are wide as he looks below as the city lights up - he can see cities, streets, blocks, all lit up far, far below. His finger twitches, letting loose the trigger as Knives turns to look at him. His fist moves, his foot, his gun, and Vash, shaking, starts to pull himself up, so slowly. Suddenly a blade strikes the ground mere inches from his left cheek and Vash's eyes go wide. Knives looks down on him maliciously, Vash glances at his brother's blade. Knives eyes go wide suddenly and his head shoots up - looking into the darkening sky.
Meanwhile, below, Livio rushes the bunker. But something has gotten there first - it busts out, a spike, mere inches below Livio's chin, he looks down - Knives screams as something hits him - Elendira appears behind Livio. A shot lances down from the heavens, striking Knives, he looks up as Kuronika screams, "With my compliments 'Knives kun'!!!" Vash gets to his feet, his mouth open in a silent scream, he aims his gun at Knives. Suddenly a giant mace slams into the ground between the brothers... Brought there by Legato!
Vash's eyes go wide, Knives looks down in shock, Legato smiles. The final fights are about to begin....
Note: DONE!! Yay!! We've got all of the players here though! Yay!! And for a minute there I thought for sure that Vash was dead - yikes! It's a pretty scary moment... And I'm not quite sure why Vash was sleeping - maybe because of Kuronika's diving? Maybe... I'm not sure if she has any idea that Vash is down there - she seems pretty willing to take out Knives herself now. *grins* She reminds me so much of Rinnah (B&G) it's scary!!
Warning: Contains brief discriptions of a graphic nature & some foul language - readers beware!
Flashback - Legato narrates as he talks to Vash in the cage where Knives holds him captive in books 7/8. "This is what the man asked."
"Why do you continue to butt-in on Knives behalf?" Legato smiles as Vash stares wide eyed at him.
"I had ages to answer such silly questions... How many more?"
"I expected you would understand," Vash says, "That bastard wants to purge everyone on this planet, without exception. You as well... Someday he'll kill you. You want that.... why!!"
"...You don't know?" Legato says with a smile, "I suppose if he didn't still need me in this world, he would. But Knives-sama's existence is entirely based on my help."
Present - Legato lands with his spiked ball "thing" as Vash looks up at Knives who is preoccupied. Legato and Vash look up into the sky where something is coming through the cloud-cover... "You've appeared again," Vash says with a grimace to Legato, "It's funny but I didn't think I'd see you again." Vash's eyes go wide, Kuronika's ship!! Knives' face lights up in an enthusiastic grin as Kuronika points the ship's gun at him... Stopped mere inches from Knives nose!
The people on the planet watch in confusion, "What? What is that!!" "The Earth's ship...!!" "You're lying...!" "Who could pull off such a joke!?" "It isn't falling is it!!" "What in the world provoked this!! This is it!!" People pray, others watch in horror... Milly, holding a rag to her head, and Meryl look up, Meryl is speechless. "..........." Then manages, "Vash-san..."
Kuronika looks down at Knives, a sweatdrop on her face, Knives eyes go wide, and suddenly Kuronika fires. The blast carries through Knives' ship, down to where Vash and Legato stand, Vash looks up in horror. Knives lifts one hand, creating a barrier. He's grinning as Kuronika looks down on him, not happy. Legato's eyes widen, then he says, "Knives-sama..." His eyes narrow as he remembers his past.
"I was prepared for the end. I did not require a gun, slaves do not possess guns." Legato narrarates. "This was what it was to live in a sea of vomit, a dry fort city of 301 people. Every "thread" of my inner brain (medula oblongata) knew the end was coming in ten days. None of them were aware that an entity existed that could end it all. In one moment, everyone would die." He stands on a caged-in balcony looking at the city, maybe sixteen years old, a part of the slave trade, his hair uncut and long, wearing hand-cuffs and a long white robe. "In order to prepare for this day and this entity, I spent polishing my skill. I consoled myself in this way watching the bags of shit. There I watched the parasites making mistakes to pass the time. I need only to wait for the end, where they would all be shot between the eyes. Only to wait for each of them to be turned into pieces of meat. Crying and screaming, they would curse their unjust misfortunes. Mercy will not save you. Your existence says it is so." The cuffs are magnetic, they clang to a metal post as he's oogled by potential buyers, completely naked. "Unfeeling. I could manipulate a hundred men by myself, merely to win favor as I passed the time. Within one moment the unpleasantness would end by a single lead bullet aimed directly through the body." This time it's an ugly fat man, huge lips, squinty-eyes, huge earlobes, he looks over Legato with a critical eye as they pull his legs apart. "You might be what I have had in mind," the fat man says... Apparently likes what he sees, although acts like a hysterical drama-queen. He starts to cry as Legato watches him, "I'm so sad, I think my heart will explode!" He sobs, "To live with such a beautiful face, I love how beautiful it is! Why! Oh why!"
"I was raised as a sex slave for the heads of authority that weren't satisfied with the pleasures of only torturing people to death. I was raised for them to be satisfied in other ways. I was forced time after time until I was robbed of everything I had. I resigned myself to all of it." Completely dead to the world, Legato's eyes go wide, as the man, holding Legato's legs up under his arms, sputters... "Then..." As the fat man slides apart - LITERALLY - cut in half - his body falls to pieces, as well as the rest of the slave-traders in the surrounding city. Legato falls to his face, his hands still cuffed, his eyes wide.
When the madness comes to an end, Legato sits, still handcuffed, naked, looking up into the sky at the twin suns, pieces of people and the building around him. "Instantly. They were cleansed thoroughly, and skillfully... beheaded." His eyes widen. "What was I on the verge of having my hand doing? However much aware of it I was..." He sees the head of the man who owned him, completely in shock, he picks up the man's head and looks at it. "I was moved to tears by delight. My life was prolonged, I could tease death!" Then, looking around, he senses a presence, "!!" Knives stands in the midst of the destruction, looking at him darkly. "My feeling of excitement could not be expressed in words. Truly, nothing in this entire suffocating world existed that could equal his existance. ....No. This was beyond that." Legato looks up at him in surprise, "I wanted to get acquainted with him," Legato narrates as Knives smiles.
"...Profoundly interested eh. After shredding them all, should I be expected to leave one alive... It was not meant to entice, it was by accident you say." Knives says, "...How can I manipulate my form?"
Legato stands, walks over to Knives, suddenly the plant lashes out - sends a blade to Legato's neck. He doesn't move, just looks sad as the blade presses into his throat. Legato sinks to his knees, "..... At your side...Please, I only wish that you would permit me to remain at your side?"
"If that is what you hoped, then right this moment, show me what "skill" you possess. This this blade away from your neck. I'll grant you your wish, but if I don't approve, then I will have no reason to keep you alive any longer."
&nbps; Legato makes the blade cut the hair surrounding his neck, a small trickle of blood forms. Then, Legato smiles. Knives' eyes go wide. Still smiling, Knives pulls his blade away. "Your name. What are you called?" Legato, eyes wide, clutches his neck, blood trickling over his hand.
He starts to cry... "I... I don't have one!"
"Then... I'll give you one, something whimisical, but also strong..." Knives turns and walks away, and Legato stands and follows him.
"Right then. In that instant. My life was made right."
Legato flashes back to T#2 when Knives crushes him - he narrates, "Now, please listen to me once more. If I had killed Vash the Stampede... Would I have offended you again?" There's a chapter splash of Legato wearing all black.
Back to the present, Kuronika and the others in the ships are still working at fighting back Knives. "Prepare for second attack!" Kuronika orders.
"That's crazy!!" Another plant yells, "Even with a precise shot and at a zero distance, we still have to consider that the population is directly below the target..!!"
"It's all right! It's 'Knives' turn to play," Kuronika says, "For all we know it might not be a war, they might be hostages!" They ready for the attack, "Equip all heavy artillery and ready to fire the proton cannon!! Control transfer all green! Safety fully released! Pattern D, fire in unison on 3!! 3! 2! 1! FIRE!!" The blast hits Knives full on - but he disappates the attack - light fills the sky.
Meanwhile back on theh ground, while Legato's attention is on his master (and his memories of course) he turns and realizes that Vash is gone! A little trail of blood spreads off in one direction and Vash falls to his knees, "KAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" He screams, aiming his gun up in the air, screaming... "Huff... Huff... Hufff..." Breathing heavily, his gun suddenly falls from his hands. Vash's eyes widen, his hand shakes, Legato has taken control of his body. "Huff... Huff... Hufff..." He still tries reaching for his gun but suddenly Legato wrenches his arm backwards. Vash falls on his face, his arm twitching, held backwards behind him.
"...It's regrettable..." Legato says, his hand out over Vash as if he were a puppet, "That everything... Will end. Vash the Stampede."
Vash's hand twitches, Legato thinks to himself as blood spreads out over the ground. "This body... Is attempting to resist again. You cannot avoid the end. However... How many more months will you appreciate the abolute nature of the ability within my body? (bad trans.) ...It's worthless to say anything. Rather... Has its sense of hearing is already become numbed? The legendary gunman, Vash the Stampede... This conclusion was not what I had in mind," Legato thinks. "...However, it is my only wish."
Flashback again - the "Arc" flies over the brightly lit Fifth Moon, ".....What is it?" Knives asks.
Legato is in his coffin as Knives walks up to him, "If I had killed Vash the Stampede, would I have offended you again? ...And... Lost the honor to speak with you?" Knives looks at him, Legato's head is bowed.
"Have you finished your contemplations?" Knives says with a sneer, his eyes sleepy. "...So I take it...you're serious... You have sufficient ability. Perhaps if his attitude clashes with my faithfulness..." Knives grits his teeth, yawns, tears form at the corners of his eyes, "It may be my downfall?"
".......I don't need your faithfulness. If you cease to be useful to me, it will be your death. However," Knives continues, "I have one last request for we two. Do not think we are comrades because I will lock you up and squeeze everything from you. Remember that... Human....!!"
Back to the present, blood is pooling around Vash's face as Legato narrates, "I understand. I know my desire. There's only one. This strong-hearted faithfulness, I believed I'd receive my sucess... This will never be realized if I allow you to pass by. Right now, your figure lies crouched before me." (needs clarification - but Legato's basically saying he may need Vash to fulfil his plan) "This evening, it all ends. Probably my life as well. The way... To eternity is probably closed. ....This is my only regret, that I have not realized it until today." Vash's foot slips out, his face is planted again, "...He's no longer moving. I should have realized this body's ability would be too large a burden. Are you dead?" He asks of Vash... Vash is silent - his arm wrenches back harder and harder - Vash is screaming, "I see," - Legato lifts him from the ground and slams him back down - blood flies everywhere. "This is Vash the Stampede....... The Humanoid Typhoon."
"I would say this man has reached his limit. How can he continue, coming back again and again, dancing the line of death? To remember only good, to cling so hard to an ideal as to not feel sadness." Vash tries to stand - flings back - a single drop of blood flies from him to land on Legato's face. Legato lunges for Vash, grabs his collar and looks into his bedraggled, bloodied, almost lifeless face... ".....?"
Legato's eyes go wide, "!!" he looks down at Vash, Legato remembers himself as the poor abused slave and he continues, "He's foolish. No, in reality, this man I have clashed with, his will to fight, his ideals, not to mention his admirations... This man...no, rather this is a man as well. I don't see the value in returning to this world of mine." A smile breaks over Legato's face and he suddenly lets Vash go!! "....My bad," he says, Vash's breaks out in a sweat, "Yeah?".
Legato steps away from Vash, "You can't possibly... 'You're the wrong man'. Your existence is so like my own."
Suddenly he flies in and swipes Vash's coin case from his pocket! "Ha ha! Too bad isn't it... After all you could have used..." He holds it up, "This," he says. "...It isn't so impossible with this however. To be of use to you however, it needs to remain unchanged." He presses the button - it rewinds. "This one was specially made. From its tiny form, it emits an extraordinary magnetic field. My 'ability' is a weak point for you. When played, the thread of my spell is lightened. By saying these things, I know what I'm doing opposes my total faithfulness itself," Then Legato puts it back in Vash's pocket. "...Isn't that what you are thinking? My 'ability' allows me to overwhelmly crush my opponent in this war. You see, this thing is quite handy. But if I hadn't made it... Would you have been happier?" It flashes to all of the Gung-ho guns...
"WHEN?" Vash demands.
Vash and Legato continue their standoff - they're face to face, Vash asks, "When?" Vash remembers all of the Gung-ho Guns, "WHEN?"
"...That's none of your concern..." Legato responds. "Between then and now I had expected you to had expected you to become a murdering devil... The result, wasn't you. ...But first, shall I set you free from my spell? However, my man, before that you will receive a second chance." Legato starts a countdown for Vash to pick up his gun... "...3" "...2" "...1" Vash picks up his gun at the speed of light and aims it at Legato's head. Blood flies from him with the movement.
"There... ...Are you satisfied...!!" Vash says breathily.
"...Continue... Please..." Legato opens his mouth to speak and Vash crams his gun between Bluesummer's teeth. "........ SHOOT." Legato says. "Shoot me. Shoot. Blow out my brains. I fyou do, you can progress onwards." But suddenly veins start to stick out of Legato's neck and suddenly Vash falls backwards, Legato stands over him, the gun still in his mouth. Legato's arm starts to to bulge and glow beneath his coat, his back expands, he's using his psychic energy... telekenetic energy... Legato grins, the long spike and chain attached to the huge mace starts to move...
Suddenly it leaps off the ground into Legato's hand, he bites down on Vash's gun, flings the long handle around, bringing the giant mace out of the ground and crashes into Vash!!! Vash's coat flutters from underneath the mace... Legato looks down at it waiting.
Meanwhile, Knives isn't even paying attention, he's still looking up into the sky, but a smile comes to his face.
Back on the ground Livio and Elendira continue their own stand-off. Elendira clutches her briefcase as they speak to one another. "Well. ...That's odd. I suppoose I probably didn't pierce everywhere right? Or maybe I didn't just hit the right spot..." She let's out a chuckle as she comes in suddenly, letting loose her briefcase for mere seconds to plunge a pocket knife into Livio's right side, he stands in shock, his eyes wide... Then suddenly the knife pops out on its own and falls to the ground. He smiles.
".....I see," Elendira says pouting, "That's the purpose for the Eye of Michael. ...Vulgar group really."
"Not how you imagined them? ...But... After all, you haven't been a very good judge of "character" have you?"
"Even an insect like you can possess "strength"," Elendira replies. "But does that ability make you a leader?"
"...where's the General?" Livio asks (remember a few chapters ago he went to stop him).
"He's not a stain on the wall."
".... In that case, you've stopped him for me," Livio replies finally.
Elendira's lips pucker, "Oh, I see." She frowns, "You should still be anxious. Even though you have hit the wall, how are you going to stop what is going to hapen? Tell me your ideas. ...HA. Great self-confidence there. You aren't confident at all. Rather, you're ordinary. Matter of fact, I'd say!"
Elendira smiles, shoots Livio again, hits him in the chest, he gets knocked back... But suddenly, much to Crimson Nail's disbelief, Livio pops up behind her! He aims his Double Fang at the back of her neck. "What of factly ordinary, wasn't that what you were saying?" Livio asks. "You believe every time I continue to get hurt when I come near you it should be considered a loss."
She grits her teeth as they speak, "....!! Without me knowing...!!"
"YOUR strength isn't great. Moreover, unless you get rid of your pride, it's a weakness."
"What is... By you... Impossible, I won't accept defeat...!!" Elendira shrieks, she's already swung her briefcase backwards! "...Isn't that right? FOOL!"
She shoots, the huge spike throws Livio backwards and he falls into the ground. She stands, not looking back, "Scared enough to use a bluff as the first shot. As if he could avoid death by stepping around it! ...Feh. I have yet to see a person in all this world who could do such. Seeing. Reading. Memorizing. You cannot connect them." Then her eyes move backwards... They go wide... Livio's standing with his chin on the huge spike, guns still in hand, a smile across his face - completely unscathed!! "How? That's what you were probably going to say right? Every time I get near you, I get hurt. Only, it's YOUR turn to lose. BIG time."
Meanwhile, out in space, panels on the larger Earth ships open and smaller almost gun looking ships come out. They rocket into space toward the planet... "Special stealth contact squad commence decent...!! Arrival on planet's surface, T-minus 7 minutes."
Note: DONE DONE DONE!! *bwahaha!* Okay, there are probably a few little errors again... But better than previous chapters! Also, for those of you keeping up on previous chapters, you may want to go back and read 85 again, I did some editing on it because I knew just how BAD it sucked... Now it flows better. Today's chapter I'm a bit more sure of - and as you notice, I'm not as slow as I once was! So scary, what will happen to Vash?! The last time he was in a spot like this he had to use his A-Arm (remember TM5?) but if he uses it again that's it! AAAH!! And we have to wait a whole month to see what happens next!!! T_T