1 Hotaru: Shit... I can't keep up. Hotaru: He's so strong... Hotaru: That's the kind of power that overwhelms everything in its path... Kyo: What's wrong? Is that all you've got? Hotaru: This is... 2-3 Hotaru: This is the power of the Former Aka no Ou... Text: Chapter 169 - Brothers Divided Aka no Ou: Keikoku of the Goyousei... Hotaru: ...I thought that if I beat this guy, I could be the strongest... Aka no Ou: ...Do you want to become stronger? Hotaru: I don't have status or family or friends or goals... Hotaru: I want to be stronger... stronger than the Mibu, even... I have the kind of strength you get from surviving... Hotaru: That's why... I can't lose... Aka no Ou: ...Keikoku 4 Aka no Ou: Will you seek out Onime no Kyo, who left our clan in search of his past? Hotaru: Huh...? You're not going to kill me? Aka no Ou: I think this is better... Aka no Ou: You will find... Aka no Ou: The one who can awaken your strength... Hotaru: ...Sir... Aka no OU: Now go. Aka no Ou: ...There is one more thing. Aka no Ou: Keikoku... you need only to remember this. Aka no OU: Not all of the Mibu are like you... each follows his own path. Aka no Ou: Have you ever thought that what you seek may be closer than you think? Hotaru: And since then... his words have been with me. 5 Hotaru: I've... always felt that way... Hotaru: You think your water is going to beat my fire? Shinrei: Your technique isn't working too well, either... Shinrei: You traitor!! 6 Shinrei: Shit! Hotaru: Wait, there's more... Hotaru: Get a look at this! Kyo: ...Fuck Kyo: Hotaru... he's mine! Don't get in the way!! Kyo: Hotaru!! 7 Bon: Hotaru!! We don't have time for this!! If we don't hurry up, Yuya-chan will... Bon: HEY!! HOTARU!! Bon: DID YOU HEAR ME?! Bon: Shit!! He can't hear a thing... I'm going to have to go in and break this up... Sasuke: What's the point? If you stop them now, they're just going to go right back to fighting. Bon: What?! How can you be so nonchalant in the middle of a crisis...?! Sasuke: Because those two idiots just have to beat the crap out of eachother. Sasuke: ...Anyway, they've got something in common. Sasuke: They're both from the Goyousei. Don't you think Hotaru would do better than guys like use who don't know Shinrei's style as well? Sasuke: So if he can't finish this quick, I say we ditch him and save Nee-chan. Yuya: S...Sasuke-kun... Akira: You sound worried. 8 Akira: I'd like you to see this fight... Akira: I'd say they're an even match... of course, I'm just making an educated guess. Tora: Y... yeah, I get it. I mean, he's got that fancy sword and those fancy moves... Akira: He won't use all that. Tora: Huh!? Shinrei: Tch... Hotaru: Boring... Hotaru: Take this!! Tora: But Kyo was able to read Hotaru's moves too... Akira: He knows... 9 Akira: Hotaru is about as tied down as a cloud in the sky... so I haven't the slightest idea what he's thinking... neither does Hotaru have an easily readable fighting style. Tora: A cloud...? Akira: [But that's not all... there's something different about Hotaru now...] Akira: [Different from when we were in the Shiseiten... different from when he fought Kyo...] Akira: [Now... it's almost as if he has something he needs to do...] Akira: [What, that guy who never thinks about anything?] Akira: [I guess that's impossible...] Yuya: B... but why...? Yuya: Why...? If they're brothers, then why do they have to fight...? Yuya: They're brothers... they're bound by blood... there shouldn't be anything they can't overcome... Nozomu: We're tied together by blood... Nozomu: I love you, Yuya... Bon: Yuya-chan... Bon: I think... it's *because* they're brothers... Yuya: ...Huh?! 10 Bon: Ever since they were born, those two brothers have been at eachother's throats. Bon: But since Shinrei never knew that he and Hotaru were half-brothers by different mothers, only Hotaru has knowingly been competing against his "brother." Akira: ...Yes, you could say they're such opposites that Hotaru is leaving the Mibu Clan because he refuses to lose to Shinrei. Akira: But I honestly don't know what process of reasoning goes on in Hotaru's head. Bon: Hotaru's reasons... Yuya: ... Bon: I guess that's it... Bon: I don't think there are such lonely brothers anywhere in the world. Bon: I guess that's why they can't lose... huh? 11 Shinrei: You have no substance whatsoever! You're irritating!! Shinrei: [And he thinks he's stronger than me...!?] Hotaru ...I won't lose to you. Shinrei: [He...] Shinrei: Why, Keikoku? Why ally yourself with Kyo? Shinrei: Until now, you've wanted only to fight Kyo! He wounded you! Why are you involving yourself with someone who deserted the Mibu? Shinrei: And now you've thrown away your honor and power and wealth, even your name as a Goyousei... Shinrei: But... why...? Kyo: ... Hotaru: ... Hotaru: Isn't that something everybody gets to decide on their own? 12 Hotaru: Kyo is my friend. (He uses the kanji for comrade but specifically uses the phonetic reading for friend) Hotaru: So I've got to stand up for him... Shinrei: What...? Shinrei: He never smiles! Why is he smiling...!? Akira: Hotaru... Hotaru: Right now, there's nothing more important to me than my friends. Hotaru: That's something Kyo taught me, so I'm going to protect them. Shinrei: .... Shinrei: F... 13 Shinrei: "Friends!?" What are you talking about!? Onime no Kyo is our sworn enemy!! Hotaru: I only realised it because of Kyo, but during the time I spent with him and the Shiseiten was really kind of happy... Hotaru: I like the way things are right now... so I'm going to protect that. Shinrei: What kind of idiotic reasoning is that!? Hotaru: Hey, Shinrei... why are you fighting? Hotaru: What's the most important thing to you? Hotaru: Huh, Shinrei...? 14 Hotaru: Whoare you fighting for? Shinrei's mother?" Be strong, Shinrei... become even stronger. Shinrei's mother?: I know you can do it... Fubuki: "You must live for the Mibu and die for the Mibu." Fubuki: That is the Mibi soldier's creed. Shinrei: What...? Shinrei: The Mi... Hotaru: Oh, I know! You're doing this for the Mibu Clan... Shinrei: So what if I am!? Do you think that's funny!? Shinrei: I'm doing my duty!! Shinrei: Keikoku... I know you've only ever cared about fighting... Shinrei: But have you never noticed the world around you!? 15 Shinrei: What do you know?! Shinrei: You only act out of your own selfish desires!! You aimlessly float from place to place just as free and carelessly as a cloud!! How could you possibly understand how I feel?! Shinrei: In my eyes... in my eyes you haven't done one thing of worth since you were born!! My duty... is to protect the Mibu Clan and the Aka no Ou!! How could you possibily understand what a heavy responibility that is?! Hotaru: Shinrei... Hotaru: Can't you feel it just chaining you down...? Shinrei: You would never understand... we're just essentially opposite in everything... Shinrei: I've felt this was for a long time... Shinrei: Yes... 16-17 Shinrei: Ever since I found out you were my half-brother. Shinrei: We have chosen different paths... we will never come close to understanding eachother!! Akira: He... he knew!? Hotaru: Shinrei... you... Hotaru: You knew... Hotaru: [A long time ago...] Hotaru: [Even then I knew something was wrong...] Hotaru: [Starting with the fact that my own dad was sending assassins out for me...] Hotaru: [I was chosen for the Goyousei, who discard their noble names...] Hotaru: [I never expected that I would meet the Former Aka no Ou...] 18 Aka no OU: Not all of the Mibu are like you... each follows his own path. Aka no Ou: Have you ever thought that what you seek may be closer than you think? Hotaru: Shinrei... what? Shinrei: ...I'm frankly surprised that you know too... Shinrei: But you're mistaken if you think I want anything to do with the product of my father's indescretions. Shinrei: I will beat you in a fair fight!! Shinrei: Even if you are my younger brother... Shinrei I will not lose to you!! Akira: [They won't lose...] 19 Akira: [They won't give in... they're brothers, but they're alone...] Shinrei: ...That's enough. You are no brother to me. Shinrei: You are an enemby of the Mibu... nothing more than a traitor. I should kill you... Hotaru: Shinrei... Hotaru: Thank you. 20 Shinrei: What...!? Hotaru: I don't need to hear it again... Hotaru: Either way... Hotaru: Shinrei... I'm going to release you. Shinrei: ...What!? Hotaru: Yeah... Hotaru: I know we haven't really been much like brothers... Hotaru: But... I'm going to break those chains around you... 21 Hotaru: And make you remember... what it's like to have something really important to you...