168 - Lies and Truth 1 Bon: Hotaru...!! Text: Chapter 168 - Lies and Truth Hotaru: ... Hotaru: Hmm... Hotaru: Akira... Hotaru: And Bon... and Kyo's woman... Tora: .... Sasuke: .... Hotaru: And who are these people... Hotaru: Yo, uh... Yukio-kun and Takeshi-kun. (uh, nice to meet you, I think) (note - he can't remember Benitora and Sasuke's names, so he calls them by some really common Japanese names.) Tora: WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE?! Sasuke: Takeshi... 2 Akira: Hotaru... what are you doing here? Tora: Wasn't that guy... sopposed to be watching the first gate? Sasuke: He must have gotten really bored... Bon: ...What are you two whispering about? Tora: Huh? Oh, um, just that he's supposed to be the gatekeeper... Hotaru: Kyo... HotarU: So... you're still alive. Kyo: Ho...taru... Hotaru: How many times can you use Suzaku? I guess... you used it too much, huh? Now you're all worn out... that's no fun... Kyo: ....Shut the fuck up. Did you come here just to irritate me? Hotaru: Nah... I really came here to... 3 Hotaru: To do this!! Akira: ! Hotaru: This is revenge, yeah, revenge. Akira: H... Hotaru! You bastard...!! Bon: Wah! Wait, Akira!! Tora: Wow... he's really... extreme... (that gatekeeper guy) Sasuke: Don't encourage him. HOtaru: Ahh, now I fell better. Kyo: H... Hotaru... fuck you... Kyo: Just wait... I'll show you... Hotaru: Okay, you can show me whatever, but first, I want to know how you managed to stay alive. Oh wait... first... 4 Hotaru: First you should rest. Hotaru: I mean, I've been obsessed with beating you all this time... so if you died, that would really suck for me. Kyo: ... Hotaru: Like, if you weren't around, life would be so boring. Akira: Hotaru, you bastard... I will never forgive you... Bon: You can tell he's a Shiseiten... so reckless... Tora: That guy is just about as enthusiastic as when he fought Kyo at the first gate... Akira: He's not a Shiseiten, he's a Goyousei now, isn't he!? If I get a chance to face him, I'll kill him for sure!! Bon: I guess it's a good thing that Kyo got to fight him last time... Tora: He looked kind of tired, do you think he went to bed? 5 Tora: WHAT?! YOu mean that lazy-ass gatekeeper was one of the Shiseiten...!? Tora: But isn't he Keikoku of the Goyousei?! Hotaru: Mahouen... 6 Tora: Wahhh... he really is... Sasuke: That explosion just now was his doing... he's strong... Hotaru: ...Not many people are dumb enough to use a water attack on a fire user... Shinrei: What are you doing here, Keikoku...? Hotaru: .... 7 Bon: Really, Akira, why did he come back? There's no way he came all this way just to mess with Kyo... (although that would be typical for Hotaru...) Akira: Quit fooling around!! We don't have time for this!! We need to tech that idiot a lesson right now!! Yuya: He came to fight... Yuya: Hotaru-san... came to fight Kyo... Yuya: Ah... Yuya: But I don't know why that Shinrei wants to fight... Bon: Yuya-chan... Akira: Just to fight... yeah, that's Hotaru alright... Akira: But Shinrei? What is wrong with those two? Yuya: I think... I think Shinrei doesn't know... Yuya: That those two are... Yuya: That he and Hotaru are half-brothers... Shinrei: You look remarkably unconcerned that Kyo here intends to challenge the Former Aka no Ou... Shinrei: Keikoku of the Goyousei... you ought to kill yourself in shame... Hotaru: Hotaru... Shinrei: !? 8 Hotaru: My name is Hotaru. HOtaru: I quit the Goyousei. Shinrei: What...!? Everybody: ...What!? Sasuke: Here it comes... Tora: But... but wait... first he was the gatekeeper guy... then I find out that he used to be in the Shiseiten... and now there's this Goyousei stuff... what is he now? Tora: (handwritten text) Okay, so in the time since we passed the first gate... how many names has that guy had? Tora: And then there's this Shinrei guy that I don't know, but apparently he's whatever-his-name-is's half brother... and one or both of them is here to fight Kyo... I think... Bon: ...Just... don't think so hard about it, Benitora. Tora: Huh!? Bon: Because... Bon: Hotaru never thinks about anything at all. Tora: What are you saying!? Sasuke: So even if he's left the Goyousei, is there still going to be some ass-kicking? 9 Hotaru: I told you, I quit the Goyousei. Shinrei: You WHAT!? Shinrei: Bastard... Shinrei: Do you intend to betray the Mibu Clan... and the former Aka no Ou!? Shinrei: Don't screw with me! You really intend to do something as STUPID and TRAITOROUS as leaving!? Shinrei: Are you trying to disgrace the Mibu Clan!? You're dishonoring Saisei and Taihaku and eerything it means to be a samurai by associating with these people... Shinrei: How dare a person of your status betray your samurai honor?! Hotaru: Taihaku and Saisei... Shinrei: Your devotion to the Mibu must be incredivly weak if you've already forgotten what great people those two were... and it was your so-called "comrades" who... Shinrei: To throw away your honor is truly inexcusable... 10 Akira: It was I, Akira of the Shiseiten, who killed Saisei!! Shinrei: ...What?! Akira: Saisei and I both acknowledged eachother as warriors... Akira: She was fighting to protect something important to her... she knew she was risking her life when she challenged me... and I risked my life, too... 11 Akira: Although it was Saisei who died that day... in fighting, we both proved the truth of our existance... Akira: But either way, your fight is not with him...!! Yuya: A... Akira...san... Hotaru: ... Shinrei: Proof of your existance...!? Hotaru: Whoa... I've never seen Akira get pissed off like that... he's just like Kyo... 12 Tora: And the one who fought Taihaku was me... Kageboushi no Benitora!! Tora: Taihaku was the saddest, loneliest guy I've ever met... but he was kind even when we were fighting! Fighting with him taught me true strength... and true kindness!! Tora: I had such respect for that guy that I threw everything I had into that fight!! 13 Tora: And I knew that both of us were fighting because we had people we had promised to protect!! Tora: Didn't the rest of the Goyousei teach you anything?! Sasuke: ...Tora, you idiot. Shinrei: A promise, hmm? Shinrei: Well, isn't that a nice little story... Shinrei: But why did you have to kill Taihaku!? TOra: N... No way, man!! Somebody else killed him... Shinrei: That's enough... 14 Shinrei: I don't have time to listen to your bullshit... Shinrei: Whow would believe such an obvious lie as that!? Shinrei: ...What!? Hotaru: I'm giving this back. Shinrei: But this is... Fubuki-sama's sword!? ...How did you...!? Hotaru: That was the sword that killed Taihaku. Tora: You mean it was that bastard Fubuki who killed Taihaku!? 15 Hotaru: I found it sticking out of him... That tiger-print guy over there must be strong, but... Hotaru: I don't think he could get away with stabbing Taihaku in the back... Hotaru: Somebody who could do that would have to be a member of the Mibu Clan... and at least Taishirou-class, you know? Shinrei: That's a cute little explanation. Shinrei: So that's why you left the Mibu... Taihaku: Shinrei, you can't only think of yourself. Taihaku: Have you ever thought that maybe our enemies have people important to them as well? Fubuki: Taihaku is dead. Hotaru: I dunno if it really was Fubuki who killed Taihaku, but... Hotaru: You know, it ain't none of my business what you do, but maybe you ought to... Shinrei: Shut up!! 16 Shinrei: I will not listen to such a cowardly lie...!! Shinrei: Keikoku... I've always known you were stupid, but I thought you at least had integrity. Those people you've been associating with have poisoned you... Shinrei: They probably planted Fubuki-sama's sword there just just to trick you...!! Tora: WHAT!? Tora: We would NEVER stoop to such a dirty trick!! Shinrei: Such ridiculous lies will not shake my faith... Shinrei: And you, I should have known... The pathetic fool who lacked faith in the Mibu has finally turned traitor. Shinrei: Let me tell you what I think... 17 Shinrei: I, Shinrei, am a loyal soldier of the Mibu. And so, whatever their reasons, all those who oppose the Mibu will recieve death at my hands... Shinrei: It is my duty to serve the former Aka no Ou, and the Taishirou who safeguard our clan...!! Hotaru: Damn, you're always so uptight... whatever you say is soooooo annoying. Shinrei: What did you say...? Never mind, the words of a traitor like you cannot hurt me. Hotaru: Ah! Shinrei: !! Shinrei: What? I don't see anything... 18 no text 19 Akira: !! Shinrei: What... Hotaru: Oh yeah... Hotaru: Even that ain't a cure for stupidity... Shinrei: ... Shinrei: Bastard... Shinrei: I will tech you a lesson right in front of Onime no Kyo...!! 20 Yuya: It's... Yuya: It's a... Yuya: It's a... 21 Kyo: ... Hotaru: ...Yeah, whatever. Hotaru: I've wanted to do this since I was born.. Yuya: (continued from previous page) It's a fight they want!