Drifters 23

[1]
[A huge fire burns the forest.]

Jeanne: Where are you hiding?
Don't be shy and show up!!
Drifter!!
Or else, or else,
everything will burn down!
The forest, the castle, everything!!

Side note: Comics volume 2 on sale September 30th!!


[2]
Upper note: Comics volume 2 on sale September 30th!!

Kohta Hirano

Splash: An angel from God
or a harbinger of madness----
Jeanne d'Arc, a hellfire woman

Chapter 23: Touch and go!! [T.N.: ending theme of the Blue Seed anime, sung by Hayashibara Megumi.]

Drifters


[3]
Toyohisa: That...
would be bad.

[Toyohisa appears from behind Jeanne.]

Toyohisa: That is our castle.
Though it may be in ruins,
that is our castle.

Jeanne (grins as she turns to Toyohisa): So, there you are!

Toyohisa (smiles): Indeed.
Here I am.


[4]
[Jeanne throws a number of knives. As they hit the ground, a wall of fire surrounds Toyohisa.]


[5]
[With a snap, Jeanne creates a huge wall of fire, blocking any escape routes that Toyohisa might have created.]

Jeanne: And now,
no longer will you flee from me!

Toyohisa: Indeed.
No longer will I flee from you.


[6]
[Jeanne notices Olmine behind Toyohisa.]

Jeanne: !!
You don't learn, do you!?

[Olmine builds a stone wall behind Toyohisa.]


[7]
Jeanne: He cut off his retreat route...!! Fool!!
Have you gone mad!?

Toyohisa (grinning): Indeed.
There is no single warrior from Satsuma who hasn't gone mad.


[8]
[Toyohisa lays down his weapons and holds his sword with his teeth.]

Toyohisa: Fuhll. ("Well.")
Phow, phwohr phohd pheeth phife! ("Now, your head is mine!")


[9]
Jeanne: What is this man!?
What is this man!?!?
I don't get it!!
He cut off his own escape route, yet!!
What is this man!?
Who is this man!?
I don't get it!!
I can't get it!!
Is he willing to die!?


[10]
Toyohisa: NOW!!
OLMINE!!

Olmine: I JUST WANT TO SAY!!
THIS IS SHEER MADNESS!!

[Toyohisa poises himself against the stone wall, as Olmine slams the last magical paper onto it.]


[11]
[The second stone wall sends Toyohisa flying forward.]

Toyohisa: OOOOH!!

Jeanne: WHAT...
THE...


[12]
[Toyohisa flies through the curtain of flames.]


[13]
[Jeanne is utterly surprised.]

Jeanne: What?!
What!?!?
WHAT?!
WHAT!?!?

[Toyohisa lands a kick on her.]


[14]
Olmine: That "stone wall" is a defensive spell...
Yet, he didn't use it to defend himself...
But to launch him forward for his charge...
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!
My great master told me that
the "samurai" of "Nihon" during the "Sengoku" Era
were all insane in greater or lesser degree.
But this man Toyohisa...
[T.N.: In the background, a number of Sengoku lords' names can be seen, like Matsudaira, Kuchiki, Kobayakawa and Fukushima, among others.]
It looks like his limbs, his head, his body
are there to be sacrificed,
to throw his life away
in order to have the "honor" of getting his enemies' head!!
But that...
that is exactly like...
LIKE AN OFFSCOURING!!


[15]
Toyohisa: I was waiting for you to stand before "that",
what there is in any castle!

Jeanne: !!
A...
A well!!

[They land on the well, crashing its cover.]


[16]
[They fall into the well.]

Jeanne: ...w...
wa...
water...
That what I longed so much...
Water...
Water...

Side note: Jeanne knows her defeat.....!? Will Toyohisa have her "head"?!

TO BE CONTINUED

Foot note: Drifters 23 end
Continues on the next issue (on sale August 30th).