Eat-Man Manga Translations - Volume 3, Act 8 Original Story/Art - Akihito Yoshitomi Translation by Justin Coole (cronusz@bellsouth.net) Eat-Man Volume 3 published 7/15/97 by Mediaworks through Dengeki Comics ISBN4-07-306495-9, cost 550 yen. Act 8 - Kage no Otoko (The Shadow) (A girl is being chased by two guardsmen.) Guard: Hey hold up, darlin'! We wanna play with ya! (As she runs, the girl being chased trips.) Girl: Ah! Guard: Hey hey...you alright, babe? We can't bear to see you hurt... (Suddenly, the girl hears a rustling in the bushes, only to reveal Bolt Crank. The guards draw their weapons immediately.) Guard: W-Who are you?! (Bolt says nothing as a small handgun materializes in his right hand, and he points it straight at them. Completely surprised and afraid, the guards take the hint, and run for their lives.) (The girl is still on the ground, clutching her clothing in what appears to be fear. Bolt notices and fires his gun where the guards were, only to reveal that it was a toy gun, with confetti shooting out of the barrel.) Girl: Y-You are...? Bolt: I'm kind of lost. (Bolt then takes the gun he just fired, and begins to eat it.) Girl: !? Bolt: That, and I'm also kinda hungry. (The girl giggles, and the scene shifts to what appears to be a well- guarded castle. Inside, the guards who fled have told the others about Bolt's presence.) Guard: What about over there? Guard2: He's not here either. Guard3: What did he look like? Guard4: Big glasses and a trenchcoat... (The girl...ah hell, her name's Grenda :P overhears the conversations as she walks back to her room, where Bolt is hiding.) Grenda: It would be best if you didn't go outside for a while. If the invaders catch you here, you'll be killed. (Grenda is holding a bowl of what appears to be soup, and is offering it to Bolt.) Grenda: Please forgive me, this is all I have... (Bolt holds up a small box of nails, nuts, and bolts.) Bolt: This is all I need. (As he eats, he keeps a watch outside the small window.) Bolt: Even a rat couldn't live in a place like this. Grenda: Eh? (Both are silent.) Bolt: Why don't you go back to your room? Grenda: Because this is my room. Bolt: So you run your errands from this room, but there's no place for you to sleep? Grenda: I just sleep like this. (Grenda sits down and pulls her legs to her chest, as if to stay warm. Bolt looks at her, a bit puzzled. Grenda sighs, and suddenly, Bolt is throwing his large coat over her. He puts a finger to his mouth, shushing her as the guards walk by the room.) (Bolt then notices something wrapped around her neck.) Bolt: What's that? Grenda: Eh? Oh...my necklace... Gloster put it on me. Bolt: Gloster? Grenda: He's the King. With this, he always knows exactly where I am at any given time. I can't even run away... Bolt: Why? Grenda: Because I'm the previous king's daughter. (Bolt gets a rather dark look on his face.) Grenda: It's strange, isn't it...up until 3 years ago, I was the princess... (A flashback. An old man is on the floor dressed in royal decor, obviously Grenda's father. There is another man, pointing a gun at the kings head. Grenda walks in just as the man fires his gun.) Grenda: Father... (Bolt...has gotten a little close for comfort :P ) Grenda: ! What the--?! (Bolt tries to get some, but instead eats the neckring.) <-- Heh heh Bolt: You're free now. (Grenda can't believe what just happened.) Grenda: Wh-Who in the world...?! Bolt: Just a lost guy... (The scene changes to the next day, outside the castle in the desert. A lone person is on a motorcycle. It turns out to be that girl that follows Bolt around, (can't remember name) ) Rivet: I finally caught up to you, Bolt Crank! (Entering the nearby town, she begins her search.) Rivet: Hey, old man! Old man: ! Rivet: Has a Mercenary by the name of Bolt come through here? I'm pretty sure he has, but... Old man(visibly sweating): Well...I don't know... (Rivet then sees how everyone is watching her, and catches on.) Rivet: You do know, don't you. Please tell me...I'm his sister.(? Not entirely sure here.) He may be using the name of Leon. Old man: Did you say...Leon?! (Rivet removes her ragged cloak, only to reveal that she is wearing what appears to be an exact duplicate of Bolt's trenchcoat.) Rivet: Yep! He also wears this cool outfit! Man: Did you say he...was Leon?! Rivet: ! (She is being approached and surrounded by a bunch of men.) Rivet: W-What? (She is shocked at the following news.) Old man: Leon...is the one who killed Emperor Charles! (The scene shifts nearby, where Grenda has finally made her escape from the castle. She's leaning by a wall, looking again at the castle while she catches her breath. Suddenly, she hears Rivet and the men talking...) Rivet: That's a lie! Bolt is not a killer! Grenda: ! (She gets closer so she can hear what is going on.) Man: Leon was hired by Gloster, and he then killed Emperor Charles. And now with Gloster sitting on the throne, this country has weakened. Even Princess Grenda has been put through horrible things. Rivet: But...I know none of you have met Bolt before! All your talk about him being a killer isn't even proven! Man: It's too bad that no one really saw him do it... Guy1: I'm gonna take care of him! It's his fault that this country has been plunged into hell! Guy2: I'm going too! Guy3: Yeah! Before long, we'll make him come out to feel the pain he's caused us! Rivet: H-Hang on! We're still not sure if Bolt is Leon! Jeez! What's with them! Old man, where is Bolt right now?! Man: About now I'm sure he's in the castle over there. Rivet: Castle? Bolt's in that castle? Man: It's so tragic...We...We asked him... We asked him to take Gloster's position away...! (Grenda is running furiously back to the castle. She remembers the flashback with her father being murdered.) Grenda: Bolt-san is Leon...?! It can't be. It can't be!! (Shift to the castle. Bolt is now kicking ass. The guards realize that a man that can produce big cannons out of his hand is not someone you really want to screw with, and they run. As he drops the said big gun, he produces a small handgun. He then hears the sound of another gun prepared to fire at him. It's in Grenda's hands.) Bolt: Why did you come back? Grenda: Leon... A girl came looking for you...saying you were Leon. Bolt: ....And? Grenda: You're...You're the one who killed my father! (Bolt says nothing.) Grenda: Why...? I thought you were a kind person... Bolt: Sorry. I have a job to do. Grenda: You would do anything for money?! Would you even kill those people who relied on you?! Bolt: I'm not a killer. I'm a Mercenary. Grenda: It's all the same! You kill people! Bolt: Then go and take revenge. Grenda: I will. But my revenge won't be on Gloster alone... After you kill Gloster, I will kill you! Bolt: Do what you want... (The scene shifts into the king(Gloster)'s room.) King: What's this? Where is everyone?! Where's my breakfast?! (He then notices another man with him in the room...Bolt. And he's packing a piece right in the king's face. Behind Bolt, Grenda stands, her gun pointing straight at Bolt. However, as he raises the gun to shoot at the king, she remembers the situation with her father all over again...) Grenda: STOP IT!! (Bolt and the King are motionless.) Grenda: Get out of here...and don't ever come back... (Bolt then turns to look at her. She has another flashback about another man, apparently Leon, who looks somewhat like Bolt. He wears a black coat, and he's smiling at her while his white hair flows. She is soon snapped back into reality, as he looks at her.) Grenda(thinking): No way...he can't be Leon... (Outside the king's room, in the palace.) Guard: There's no one here! Guard2: The room's are empty! Guard3: Is it because of him(Bolt)?! Guy: Hey! I found Princess Grenda! (Rivet and everyone else rush to see her. She is sitting by a balcony, just looking out at the sky.) Man: Princess! Man2: You're alright! Man3: Leon...where is he?! (Grenda says nothing.) Rivet: Tell me this... Bolt...is Bolt actually Leon? Grenda: He's not Leon. Rivet: Oh... Grenda: That man...who was he? (Rivet smiles.) Rivet: If it was Bolt, he'd say 'I'm a Mercenary.' or something like that. (Scene changes to outside the desert. Bolt and the King are having a...friendly chat.) (Re: Bolt's pointing his handgun right at the man.) King: P-Please stop it! I'll give you m-money! Bolt: I just want to hear one thing. Do you remember ever seeing my face before? King: I.. don't! I've never met you! (Bolt smiles.) Bolt: ...Right. (Bolt fires the handgun, only to have the barrel produce a bunch of confetti. He then drops the gun, and begins to leave.) Bolt: I don't remember meeting you, either. END ACT-8 Translation last updated: 01/18/00 Any feedback or corrections or gobs of cash send to cronusz@bellsouth.net