amatsuki 96

amatsuki 96

29
Kosen: [My life has always been boring.]
Text: [Chapter 96]
Text: [Interlude ~ Kosen]

30
Kosen: [I was born a third son...]
Kosen: [To a mid-ranking samurai family.]
Kosen: [My family was politically unimportant,]
Kosen: [So no one cared if the third son spent all of his time in his room.]
(Note: In the Edo Period, the law of primogeniture decreed that the first son would inherit his family's wealth and status.  A second son might go into martial arts teaching or some other "honorable" profession, but a third son was generally useless.  It was considered "dishonorable" for a man of samurai rank, even a lowly third son, to work as a farmer or as a merchant, but since the Edo Period was so peaceful, there was little need for samurai as soldiers.  A third son could be adopted out to a childless family, but he was usually a lifetime burden on his parents and brothers.  So, many ended up going into the Buddhist priesthood either out of choice or necessity.)
Kosen: [Day after day,]
Kosen: [I studied and trained.]
Kosen: [I was virtually confined to the house.]
Kosen: [At the very least, I wasn't stupid.]
Kosen: [I knew I couldn't hope to rise above my station,]
Kosen: [But I wasn't going to fall, either.  I could only hope that some other samurai family would adopt me.]
Kosen: [I always knew that I was a parasite.]

31
Kosen: [My oldest brother was carefree, and he never bothered with studying.]
Kosen: [But people seemed naturally drawn to him anyway.]
Kosen: [My next oldest brother was quiet and serious.]
Kosen: [He was a genius who did nothing but practice his swordsmanship.]
Kosen: [He planned to become a fencing instructor.]
Kosen: [As for me, if I had a special skill, it would have been my education...]
Kosen: [I thought I was exceptionally intelligent,]
Kosen: [But I was probably just average.]
Kosen: [I was never special...]
Kosen: [I was just a third son.]
Kosen: [And that...]
Kosen: [Was all I'd ever be.]
SFX: [*buzz buzz buzz*]
SFX: [*turn*]

32
Brother: Nice weather today, huh?
Brother: Hey, have you seen Saburou?
Brother: [Hey!]
Other Brother: He's in his room like usual, studying Buddhist texts or something like that.
Brother: Eww...
Brother: Too serious for me.
Kosen: [That's right...]
SFX: [*buzz*]
SFX: [*drip*]
SFX: [*buzz buzz buzz*]
SFX: [*drip*]

33
Kosen: [I hate everything about this life.]
SFX: [*buzz*]
SFX: [*fwoosh*]
SFX: [*snap*]
SFX: [*shock*]
SFX: [*blink blink*]
(Note: The text he's reading refers to the six Buddhist hells in which living beings are trapped.)
SFX: [*twitch*]

34
SFX: [*tremble*]
Kosen: GAH!
SFX: [*throw*]
SFX: [*gasp gasp*]
SFX: [*silence*]
Kosen: [And so, I discovered my special talent.]
SFX: [*huff huff huff*]
Kosen: .....
Kosen: [I didn't need to study...]

35
Kosen: [I'd been born with eyes that let me see things that were invisible to the rest of the world.]
Kosen: *sob*
Kosen: *sob*
Kosen: *sob*
Kosen: *sob*
Monk: Come on,
Monk: How many times do I have to tell you?
Monk: You need to keep a strong heart,
Monk: Saburou-dono.
Monk: If others see you as weak, they'll use you.
Monk: If you aren't strong,
Monk: You'll be taken advantage of.
Monk: In this world, the strong survive...
SFX: [*whisper*]
Kosen: I...
Kosen: (*whisper*) I feel like I'm half dead already.
Kosen: Even the demons won't leave me alone... (*whisper*)

36
Monk: This is terrible!
Monk: If you let yourself think like that,
Monk: Won't you be taken away by them!?
Kosen: .....
Kosen: I...
Kosen: I don't care.
Monk: ......
SFX: [*grumble grumble*]
Monk: Saburo-dono,
Monk: I certainly wouldn't presume to influence a member of the samurai class,
Monk: But have you ever considered becoming a priest?
Monk: You could at least learn to defend yourself from these things.

37
Kosen: [All of a sudden, it was like my whole world opened up.]
Kosen: [My parents tried to stop me, but I refused to listen.]
Father: A temple...?  Are you insane!?
Father: How could you leave the Kinomoto family!?
Father: Saburo!
Father: What are you thinking!?
Kosen: I've already made up my mind!!
Kosen: [I cut off ties with my brothers.]
Brother: What's this you're saying about seeing demons?  That's ridiculous!
Brother: How can you be so irresponsible!?  Grow up!
Brother: Just wait, and Father will arrange for you to marry into a good family!
SFX: [*slash*]
Kosen: This...
Kosen: This is my decision!
Father: .....
Father: You...
Kosen: I...
Kosen: I'm not...
Kosen: Like you!

38
Kosen: [I cut off my hair.]
Kosen: [I cut off my family.]
Kosen: [Suddenly, my body felt light with joy.]
(Note: The paper in the background is Kosen's letter of introduction with his new name.)
Kosen: [I'm ME!]
Kosen: [I don't have to live in the shadow of my brothers!]
Kosen: [I'm special, too!]
Kosen: [I can make a difference in the world!]
Monk: I'm surprised!
Monk: But you seem happy now, Kosen-dono.
Monk: You really are serious about learning to be an exorcist, aren't you?
Kosen: Y...
Kosen: Yes!
Kosen: Abolutely!
Kosen: I've heard about a place where they specialize in demonology,
Kosen: So could you please write me a letter of recommendation?

39
Monk: You have the skills... and little by little, you're growing up.
Monk: You aren't worthless.
Monk: Never forget that you have value.
Monk: Oh, but one more thing -
Monk: No matter what others may say,
Monk: And no matter what happens, you can always come home.
Kosen: [And so I met Shamon, that sinful priest...]
Kosen: [And I caught a glimpse of that girl he had with him, the one who'd been possessed by a dog spirit.]
Shamon: So, you wanna learn how to exorcise demons, huh?  Well, you've come to the right place!
Shamon: I hear that you're a smart kid with a talent for cooking, so we'd be glad to have ya!

40
Kosen: Hey...
Kosen: You're that sketchy-looking outsider that Shamon-dono took in, aren't you?
Shinonome: Heh, nice to meet you, too.
Kosen: You have a surname, right - are you from a noble family?
Shinonome: Well, sort of.
Shinonome: I guess you could say that.
Kosen: Heh... and now you're doing chores in a shrine?  Did your family go broke?
Kosen: What was your name again?
Kosen: K...
Shinonome: Kon.
Shinonome: Shinonome...
Shinonome: Kon.
Shinonome: It's rude to go making insinuations about other people's family situations.
Shinonome: Especially when you're just a third son who decided to become a priest, you know?
Shinonome: I'm just saying.
SFX: [*hahahaha*]
KOsen: Hmph, I guess.
Kosen: But you're still one to talk...
Kosen: ...
SFX: [*twitch*]
Kosen: Wait.

41
Kosen: Who...
Kosen: Who are you?
Kon: Huh?
Kosen: How...
KOsen: How did you know about my past?
Kosen: I never told anybody where I was from!
Kon: ...What are you talking about?
Kon: I know...
Kon: Because I'm you.

42
Kosen: !?
Kosen: What!?
Kosen: You're not me!!
Kosen: I'm me!
Kosen: What are you trying to say!?
Kosen: .....
Kosen: I...
Kosen: [Suddenly, it was like I could see my life flashing before my eyes, but all of my memories of myself were being rewritten with his face.]
Kosen: What's happening...!?
Shinonome: .....
Shinonome: There, that should do for now.
Kosen: [I couldn't tell which thoughts were my own anymore.]
Shinonome: I've got a job for you.
Kosen: Huh?
Kosen: [My past unraveled.]

43
Shinonome: I need you to be me for a while.
Kosen: [My life has always been boring.]
Kosen: Huh?
Shinonome: But when I want my life back,
Shinonome: You give it back, okay?
Kosen: [But things are different now.  Now, I feel like I'm running...]
Kosen: [Chasing...]
Kosen: [After myself.]
(Background text that's too small for me to really read, so I'm guessing)
(Toki: All this time, I've been relying on other people.)
(TOki: I think it's time I took action.)
(Toki: But I don't want to drag other people into this.)
(Toki: I've made up my mind.)
(Toki: But none of this has anything to do with "Kon's" life.)
(???: If the old you had heard about this, you would have done something...)
(???: You must feel like you're falling apart inside.)
(???: Damn it, I was really worried about you, you idiot!!)
(Kon: I'm coming with you.)
(Toki: going too...)
(Kon: You idiot...)
(Kon: You never pay attention to what's going on around you...!!)
(Kon: I guess I just jumped right into the middle of things, too...)
(Toki: Whew, I guess we're just lucky! (but we still got beaten up.))
(Kon: No shit. (we got beaten up!)_
(Toki: Yeah, Kon, you're looking pretty rough...)
(Kon: Shut the hell up!)

44
Toki: Kon!
(Kon: I have to find out who I really am.)
Toki: I want to be friends!
(Fish: That's right.)
(Fish: I've seen it before.)
(Fish: A heart that's completely empty...)
(Fish: A soul of pure "nothingness.")
(SFX: [*gasp*])
(Fish: Most people hold onto joy, or sadness, or anger, but not you.)
(Fish: In other words,)
Kosen: [I just...]
(Fish: Your existence is meaningless, isn't it?)
Kosen: I'm sorry...
Kosen: [I just wanted...]
Kosen: [To be special...]
Kosen: Toki...