Okubo:I’ll
come straight to the point, with no beating around the bush. Shishio is
plotting in Kyoto.
Sanosuke:That’s
not straight to the point at all, Mr. Okubo. Who’s this Shishio?
Good question, Sanosuke!
Just who is Shishio Makoto? The answers can be found in his past, which
is intertwined with that guy - what's his name? Oh yeah, Himura Kenshin.
^_^x
In the days of the
Bakumatsu, Kenshin was known as the Hitokiri Battousai - the best out of
all the master assassins. Originally, he was a 'Shadow Hitokiri', but after
a while, Battousai was given the role of fighting the Shinsengumi, and
his role was made more public. The role of 'Shadow Hitokiri' was passed
on to another Ishin Shishi member. A man from Choushuu, known as Shishio
Makoto. In other words, Shishio is the Hitokiri Battousai's successor.
He took his work seriously, and kept himself secret enough that not even
his predecessor, Kenshin, knew what he looked like. It was rumored that
he died during the Boshin war...
Okubo:
He
accepted his role as a killer in the shadows only to prove his strength
to the leaders of the Ishin Shishi, never thinking of the weak or of his
comrades as you did. Among his assassinations are some that must never
come to light . . . The very foundations of the Meiji government would
be shaken. If we had entered the new age with Shishio alive, he could have
used this weakness to play with Japan in the palm of his hand.
It was decided, by
his fellow Ishin Shishi, that Shishio Makoto had to be killed. He knew
too much, had seen too much, and was far too clever and ambitious to be
allowed to live. He was shot, his body was set on fire, and he was left
to burn...
Shishio is still burning!
The attempt on his life failed, and instead left him covered with burns.
He's wrapped from head to toe in bandages, his pores have been fused shut,
and his body temperature is unnaturally high. It's as if the flames of
Hell burn within him! They burn the brightest within his brain, fueling
his desire for power and revenge.
Shishio:
Himura Battousai denies his true nature and desperately clings to reason.
The new government hides the sins of the past and deceives Meiji Japan
with its ideals. Equally small, equally fragile. I raise my voice with
my blazing-hot mind, "This is wrong." Only through violence can we live
with the capacity to be a strong nation. This is indeed Hell.
How could he let a
Government not even capable of killing him properly continue to rule Japan?
The answer was simple: he couldn't. |
