Houshin Engi
by Fujisaki Ryuu, adapted from the novel by Ano Tsutomu
published by JUMP Comics; Shueisha, Inc. 
------------------------------------------------ 

86.  Battle with Chou Koumei II
      -Brain Control-
------------------------------------------------

[127]
86.  Battle with Chou Koumei II
      -Brain Control-

[128]
KouTenka: Wh... why is Youzen just sitting there not moving!?
Taikoubou: He's gonna get killed like this!!!

TouSengyoku: Heeeyy!!  
Fight back!!!

Taikoubou: It seems as if he can't hear us!!

[129]
Youzen: *thinking* Why Master...
It's impossible for him to transform into someone he doesn't 
know...

Youzen: But... if this isn't the Transformation Skill, then...

Gyokutei (Younin): Heh...

Gyokutei (Younin):  Can't you fight back now that you've lost 
your arms and legs?

Gyokutei (Younin):  ... but, you wouldn't want to be defeated 
by a weakling, would you?

Gyokutei (Younin):  So, I'll let the ones who kill you be whom 
you think are the strongest!

Youzen: *thinking* Who I think...?

Youzen: *thinking* I understand now...

[130]
Youzen: *thinking* There's feeling in my broken arm...!!!
So that's how it is...!!!

[131]
Younin: !!!

Younin: What!?

Youzen: ... it appeared from my arm which I thought was 
gone...

Younin: Uwaaaaahh~~~~!!!

[132]
Younin: Aaahh---!!

Youzen: I understand his attack now...
The paopei used by Chou Koumei's disciples are rather 
interesting...

[133]
Taikoubou: Ohh.  
Youzen is finally making his attack!!

Taikoubou: Eh?

Younin: Uh...

Taikoubou: That guy...

Younin: Damn it!!

[134]
Youzen: I was almost tricked...
I really almost thought that you could use the Skill of 
Transformation...

Youzen: Too bad you made three mistakes...

Youzen: Firstly, even people whom I couldn't transform into, 
like Bunchuu, Dakki and Shinkouhyou, you managed to do it...
If you could transform to that degree, you wouldn't merely be 
Chou Koumei's disciple...

Youzen: Secondly, to transform into people you don't even 
know...
That is simply not possible...

Youzen: Thirdly, you transformed into the only 5 people I know 
who...
Totally understand what my brain is thinking...

Youzen: If I combine all these suspicions, I can easily 
understand your attack!

[135]
Youzen: You can create illusions according to what my brain is 
thinking!!

Younin: .........!!

Taikoubou: Oh!  So that's how it is!!
TouSengyoku: How what is?

Taikoubou: Tenka, Sengyoku, you guys saw it earlier?
Youzen stopped moving after he was struck by the light from 
the enemy's eyes...

TouSengyoku: Yeah... 
From then, he kept a defensive position...

[136]
Taikoubou: Perhaps to Youzen at that time...

Taikoubou: His opponent wasn't Younin.  For example...if he 
was imagining an opponent as strong as Bunchuu...
It would be exactly like he was being attacked by a very 
strong opponent...

Youzen: ---- that's right... your paopei uses light to 
manipulate the brain's "memory" of your opponent.
I wasn't fighting you while you transformed, I was fighting 
imaginary enemies in my head!

Younin: Uh...

[137]
Younin: So what if you've seen through the power of my paopei 
"Kami no Miezaru Te"?
That doesn't mean that you've defeated me!!!

Younin: Uwah!!!

Youzen: Your paopei is terrifying indeed...
But now that I've seen through it, you're finished...

Youzen: Do you still wish to fight?

[138]
Younin: Er...

Taikoubou: Youzen, stop scaring him.  He's kinda pitiful...

Youzen: But shishu...!

Taikoubou: maybe I've got it wrong...
But isn't this guy the artist Younin at the palace?
<Palace Musician>

Youzen: Artist?

[139]
Younin: Yes...  
A month ago, I was still an artist at the palace in chouka.

Younin: The palace artists specialize in drawing portraits of 
the Imperial family...
I've drawn Chuuou's portrait before...

Younin: At the time, I was mesmerized by Dakki...
Dakki is our life, our everything.
(Dakki~~)

One day...
Dakki: Mr. Artist, can you draw me...

I was as happy as if I'd ascended heaven...
At the moment when I was about to finish my masterpiece...

[140]
Dakki: ...........

Dakki: Your eyes serve no purpose  *heart*

My eyes were gouged out...

[141]
----But after the way Dakki treated me...
I thought that my life's light would soon be extinguished...

ChouKoumei: Was it you?
You are the artist responsible for this remarkable piece of 
work?

ChouKoumei: I am Chou Koumei, a lover of great art...
Such a talented person with such a beautiful hairstyle, it 
would be a pity to die just like that...

Younin: ---- Then, I accepted the surgery Chou Koumei 
performed on me...
I was given this paopei "Kami no Miezaru Te" and began working 
for him.
Taikoubou: That hairstyle...

KouTenka: Oi, shishu!!  
We have to save Buou quickly!!

[142]
KiHatsu: Whew... 
I thought I was going to die for sure...

KiHatsu: Damn you!!!
Taikoubou: Forget it, Buou!

Taikoubou: Youzen!  Take Buou away from this ship first.
It's too dangerous for humans here...
Youzen: .............
(KiHatsu: Oiii...don't hold me back Taikoubou~)

Youzen: All right, but shishu...
You must be careful...

Taikoubou: ?

Youzen: Our enemies are far stronger than we thought!!
If we are not careful, we might lose our lives!

Taikoubou: Right!

[143]
TouSengyoku: Yah!

Taikoubou: Okay, next is the second floor!
TouSengyoku: Let's go save my honey!!!

Younin: Wait... Taikoubou!

Younin: Aren't you going to seal me?

Taikoubou: .........

[144]
Taikoubou: ... What do you think of Dakki?
Younin: Well... 
Without the influence of her spell, I only feel a vengeance 
towards her for gouging my eyes out...

KouTenka: Shishu, do you still want to fight him?
(TouSengyoku: I've nothing to say...)

Taikoubou: ... Tenka, this person isn't worth fighting!
Let's not make unnecessary sacrifices!

Taikoubou: That's the way I like to do things...

Younin: ...........

Taikoubou: Let's go...

[145]
Taikoubou: Are these the stairs leading to the second floor?
We have to hurry to the top floor to rescue Suupuu---

[146]
ChouKoumei: Oooh....

ChouKoumei: See that, Sipuxiang!
Taikoubou and his friends have gotten past the first floor!

ChouKoumei: Ah well, I never thought that Younin could win 
anyway!

Sipuxiang: Chou Koumei, let me out of here now!!!
ChouKoumei: That won't do...

[147]
ChouKoumei: You will just have to count on Taikoubou to rescue 
you...
These are the rules of our battle...

ChouKoumei: If you should die, I will feel very sad, but 
there's nothing I can do...
Sipuxiang: All of this is YOUR doing!!!

ChouKoumei: But, from 2F onwards, they are truly my 
disciples...

ChouKoumei: It won't be as easy as the first floor...



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Translation (c) 2000 Koushi <http://houshin.net/> - all rights
reserved. No part or whole of this document may be broken up
or published on a web-page without the express permission of
the author. It may be freely distributed for _personal_ use
ONLY on the condition that it is distributed in its entirety
and no changes of ANY KIND are made, leaving all original
author and copyright information intact.

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