Kurenai 48

Chapter 48

01

Box: Seiryou Academy

Text: Volume 8 is on sale now!!

Text: With the chaos in Kyoto resolved, Shinkurou's peaceful days return...

Announcement: Sorry for the interruption...
Announcement: but we have an announcement.

Announcement: Kurenai Shinkurou-kun of Year 1 Class 1...
Announcement: is to immediately report to the headmaster's office.

Sign: Headmaster's Office

02

Murasaki: Uuh!
Murasaki: Hinkuwou!!

Shinkurou: You...?
Murasaki: Mh?

Murasaki: You should be glad!
Murasaki: Today I came to see you!

03

Text: A flower of evil blooming in the ugly darkness!!!
Title: Chapter 48 Downfall of the Strongest
Credits:
Original Work: Katayama Kentarou
(Shueisha: Super Dash Bunko)
Manga: Yamamoto Yamato
Script: Koyasu Hideaki
Continuity Organization: Furuya Daisuke

04

Shinkurou: Oh, so that's why!

Shinkurou: Lin-san is being released from the hospital...
Shinkurou: So...
Murasaki: Yeah.
Murasaki: I'm sure she'll be happy if you go too.

05

Sign: All sweets 20% off

Murasaki: Wha-...?

Murasaki: Shinkurou!!
Murasaki: What is that!!?

Shinkurou: What do you mean?
Shinkurou: It's just Santa Claus.

Murasaki: Santa...
Murasaki: Claus?

06

Shinkurou: Murasaki...
Shinkurou: Surely you know what Christmas is, right?
SFX: Shake shake

Box: That's right.
Box: Murasaki was born and raised in the Inner Sanctuary.
Box: She was kept from any knowledge deemed "unnecessary"...
Box: I guess that included Santa Claus and Christmas.

Box: She doesn't even know of those small joys...
Box: that even kindergarteners know about.

Shinkurou: Murasaki.
SFX: Excited

Shinkurou: Every year, there is an event in December known as Christmas.
Murasaki: An event?
Shinkurou: Yes, it's sort of like a small festival.

07

Sign: Lin Cheng-Shin
Murasaki: I see...

Murasaki: So if I stay up late, will I be able to meet this Santa Claus?
SFX: Open

Murasaki: Lin!

Lin: M-Murasaki-sama!!?
SFX: Quick action

Murasaki: Lin, did you know that on a day called Christmas this old man flies through the sky using magic and...
Lin: P-please wait while I put on some clothes...
Lin: You, don't look!!

08

Lin: Face the other way!!
Shinkurou: I-I'm sorry!

Shinkurou: A flower arrangement?

Murasaki: Kirihiko brought it!

Shinkurou: Kirihiko-chan did...?

09

Murasaki: Oh!

Murasaki: There's a Christmas tree here, too!

Murasaki: Santa Claus flies around to all these, right!?
SFX: Run run

Shinkurou: Lin-san.

Shinkurou: Um...
Shinkurou: About Kirihiko-chan...

Lin: Don't look at me like that.

10

Lin: I have no desire for revenge.

Lin: I challenged her and lost.
Lin: That is all.

Lin: And since she saved Murasaki-sama in Kyoto...
Lin: I truly have no reason to turn my sword on her.

11

Text: The next day

Yuuno: Now then, Shinkurou-san.

Yuuno: Thank you for the explanation.

Shinkurou: Yes...
Shinkurou: Umm...

Shinkurou: About how you came and saved me at the hospital...
Shinkurou: Sorry it's taken me so long to properly thank you for tha-

12

Yuuno: Kyoto.

Yuuno: I hear you...
Yuuno: went there with Murakami-san.

Shinkurou: Um, yes...
Shinkurou: Oh, but that was...

Yuuno: I do not want to hear any excuses.

Yuuno: Why did you not tell me anything about this?
Yuuno: Don't tell me you find Murakami-san to be more-
Shinkurou: N-no, that's not it at all!!

Yuuno: Of course not.
Yuuno: You would be much happier going on a trip with me.

Yuuno: We used to live together, so we could just stay in the same room.
Yuuno: And then who knows what would happen between us.
Yuuno: Oh, maybe even that...

13

Shinkurou: Um...
Shinkurou: Yuuno-san?

Shinkurou: I was thinking of spending Christmas here with the Houzuki family.
SFX: Twitch

Yuuno: Really?
Shinkurou: Yes...

Yuuno: Understood!!
Yuuno: In that case, we need to go have a planning meeting in the main building!!
Shinkurou: Eh? But what about practice?
Yuuno: Cancelled!!
SFX: Run run run

14

Yuuno: Okay, listen up.
On paper: Christmas
Yuuno: From what has happened in the past...
Yuuno: it is clear that there are a few barriers we must overcome to spend Christmas together.

Yuuno: First of all, there is Murasaki-chan.
Shinkurou: Oh...
Shinkurou: She has to go to some grand party with a punch of VIPs.
Shinkurou: I need to give her her present afterwards.

Yuuno: What about Murakami-san?

Shinkurou: She has to help with the restaurant.
Shinkurou: It's the same every year.

SFX: Stand

15

Yuuno: So...

Yuuno: You really will be spending Christmas...
Yuuno: here?

Shinkurou: Y-yes.
Shinkurou: I used to do that every year when I was staying here...
Shinkurou: But I was thinking it might not be the best idea now...
Shinkurou: since it would be like I was moving back in.
Yuuno: Not at all!!

Yuuno: We'd love to have you!
Shinkurou: Thanks...

SFX: Slide
Mother: Yuuno, you have another call.

16

Mother: It's Aragaki-kun from the third year.
Mother: Oh, am I interrupting?

Yuuno: I-
Yuuno: I'll be right back.

Mother: She really doesn't have to take these so seriously.
Mother: They're just asking her out on a Christmas date.
SFX: Step step

SFX: Smile

Mother: Feel free to stay over at our place on Christmas.
Mother: And of course, you can stay in her room!
Shinkurou: Wait, what...?

Mother: It's perfectly okay.
Mother: I won't interrupt, so feel free to go all out...
Mother: and have lots of sex.

Chizuru: What's sex?

17

Shinkurou: Ch-Chi-chan...
Shinkurou: Um...
Shinkurou: That's something you'll learn about when you're older...
Shinkurou: I guess...
Chizuru: Ohh...

Chizuru: Then when Chizuru grows up...
Chizuru: you can teach me, onii-chan!

Chizuru: Promise?
Text: Eh heh heh
Shinkurou: Um, okay...

SFX: Rinnnng

SFX: Open

Shinkurou: Ginko?

18

Shinkurou: I wonder what it is...
Shinkurou: she has to tell me in such a hurry.

Sign: Fuumitei
Dad: Oh, Shin-chan, you're here!

Dad: Sorry, but she's still working on her "other" job.
Shinkurou: Eh?

Dad: She's seemed really enthusiastic ever since she got her grandfather's notebook.
Dad: She might get mad if you interrupted her.

Dad: Well, you can just go take a bath...
Dad: and wait a bit!

Shinkurou: I can't believe this. She's the one that called me over.
Shinkurou: And I even rushed over...

Shinkurou: But a house with a bath sure is nice.
SFX: Slide

19

SFX: Step

SFX: Splash

20

SFX: Drip

SFX: Stare...

Shinkurou: Um, hi...

SFX: Shock

21

SFX: Slide
SFX: Slam

Ginko: Daaaad!!!

Ginko: You did this, didn't you!?
Ginko: You...
Ginko: idiot!!!
Dad: C'mon, I'm sure with that trip to Kyoto, you already-
Ginko: Shut up, you human garbage!!
Ginko: You trash!!

Shinkurou: Sigh...
Shinkurou: So she didn't have anything to tell me after all...

Shinkurou: I feel like...
Shinkurou: I'm just being manipulated by everyone around me.

22

Shinkurou: This would never happen...
Shinkurou: to her.

23

Box: One year ago

Text: United States of America - Manhattan
Text: Just once before beginning his work as a dispute mediator, Kurenai Shinkurou accompanied Juuzawa Benika on one of her jobs.

24

Man: Our objective is world peace!!

Man: But this country's president has no plan that will achieve that!
Man: Only one man can pull it off and he is none other than me!!
Man: Appoint me as the president right this instant!!
Man: If you don't I will begin killing the hostages, one by one!!
Police: Damn him!!

Police: We've discovered the identity of the criminal group.
Police: It is a new religious group established a few years ago.
Police: A great number of the believers are active soldiers.

SFX: Vroom

25

Police: Wh-
Police: Who are you?

SFX: Step out

Benika: Who's in charge here?
Benika: Call him here.
Police: Wait!! Who are you!?

26

Chief: I am the one in charge.
Chief: Who are you?

Benika: Juuzawa Benika.

Man: Who is that woman?

Chief: Wait a second!
Chief: You can't seriously be planning to head in there alone!
Chief: There are dozens of them and they have around 100 hostages!

Chief: Also, they have already killed three hostages, all children!
Chief: They're completely insane!

Benika: Shinkurou.

27

Benika: This is the front line.

Benika: Are you scared?

Benika: You are about to start the same job as me, correct?
Shinkurou: ...Yes.

Woman: Waaaahhhn!!
Woman: Help me! Mamaaa!!

Benika: Hand me that megaphone.

28-29

Benika: Hey, you bastards!!!

Benika: I'm coming up there to kick your asses, so prepare yourselves!!!

Box: And...
Box: the case was resolved.

30

Box: A few minutes after Benika-san entered the building...
Box: the criminal group had been defeated.

Box: Her loyal subordinate, Inuzuka Yayoi, had gotten her the information she needed about what was going on inside...
Box: and Juuzawa Benika had used that information to "mediate" the issue.

31

Box: Benika-san gave me a firsthand example...
Box: of the ideal form of someone heading down the path...
Box: I was about to start down.

Box: I wonder if I...
Box: will ever be able to become like her.

SFX: Rinnng

32

Shinkurou: Benika-san!

SFX: Beep
Shinkurou: Hello...

SFX: Ksshh...
SFX: Kssshhh...
SFX: Click

Shinkurou: Benika-san!!?

Shinkurou: Benika-san!!

Shinkurou: Beni-...!!

33

Text: Meanwhile in Hong Kong.

34-35

Zena: Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!
Zena: I finally defeated...
Zena: Juuzawa Benika!!!
Bottom: To be continued in the March Issue

Text: Benika is dead!? A new life-or-death battle begins!!