Act 11 Voodoo Child 14

We start with Emishi and MakubeX playing some video game. Emishi loses. So they talk about the Fuuga lot meeting up with Saizou (who we know as both the Red and the Black Thread). Emishi says he has a bad feeling about it and is worried. Well, we all know he should be. So back to the Fuuga boys (and Sakura) on the train. “I’ve come, Kazuki! ‘The Red Thread’ answers your call!” says Saizou. And it’s that announcer again, thanking everyone for waiting and informing them that the train is now leaving and the last of the preliminary heats is starting. Here’s the game. There are 8 carriages on the train, and the team left alive in each carriage qualifies to participate. Simple stuff. So Saizou apologizes for his lateness, saying that he got held up at the ticket barriers because no one told him the local denizens would attack him. Well, we all know that’s a pile but he’s very cute and convincing. Toshiki comments that he’s the same as ever. Sakura says there’s no need to apologize. Saizou, noticing Sakura for the first time (seems he was too focused on Kazuki- what’s new there) greets her and thanks her for getting in contact. He is impressed they could know his whereabouts. Sakura replies it’s due to MakubeX’s network. “MakubeX…that Boy Emperor?” says Saizou. “Yes,” she replies, “Juubei, Toshiki and I now fight under MakubeX for the sake of ruling Mugenjou’s Lower Town.” She says something about them coming to fight the “Above” (I assume this means Babylon City). Saizou comments that Mugenjou is now undefended then. Juubei tells him not to worry about that. And then launches into another one of his Fuuga Love Fests. “As we gather below the banner of Fuuga…” blah blah then stuff about the 5 of them sharing life and death and having vowed to live for one another, this being the way of Munonofu (Bushido to the rest of us). Saizou smiles, “That is the way.” And once more we get to hear the whole fluttering in the wind like a flower, being splendid and graceful when carried into battle speech. And of course finishing on we are Fuuga and we don’t forget it. In my opinion because you’re never allowed to. Everyone looks lovingly at each other. This touching moment is ruined when some scary blokes crawling around on the ceiling appear going on about how there isn’t much time left before the preliminaries end and then saying they’re going to turn Kazuki et al into mincemeat (that’s what they said). “How vicious!!” exclaims Juubei. Kazuki says; “Of course! In this ‘Underground Grand Prix’ our sworn enemies are involved!” “Enemies?” asks Saizou. “Look!” replies Kazuki. Then we see the sign of the ‘Jet-black Thread’ on the hand of one of the adversaries. Kazuki says to Saizou that these are old enemies of the East Fuuchoin family. Saizou says that it is so and now he understands why Kazuki called him. He then whips out a white feather and, declaring vengeance on the Black Thread, attacks the ceiling-dwelling enemies with a long-winded skill. They are swiftly dispatched. Toshiki comments that Saizou is as “tremendous” as ever and then goes on about how Kazuki’s Fuuchoin family has its skill “of graceful beauty”, the West Fuuchoin’s is “tough” and that of the East Fuuchoin is “swift”. “Isn’t it, Juubei?” Toshiki says. “Yes…” Juubei answers, but is suspicious. He wonders about Saizou’s speed and considers how he felt a “sinister atmosphere”. But then Saizou is announcing they should go and “mow down” (that’s the translation my dictionary gave!) all the enemies in the train carriage.
And so we return to the GetBackers team (if you can call it a team) who are fighting merrily away. Ginji complains that it’s difficult to fight in the enclosed space of the train. Maria says this is a true test of ability. “Well now, look at Jackal” she goes on. And so we do. Akabane seems to be repelling his enemies without moving, with the power of his aura or whatever. Ginji thinks it’s amazing that Akabane can fight without physically attacking his opponents, using only an “aggressive perimeter”. He does not even seem to be shedding blood. Ginji is impressed by his strength and wonders if Akabane’s “true strength” will continue to grow. The enemies collapse in a heap on the floor, but Akabane tells Ginji not to worry as he did not kill them. He just broke the nerves and tendons in their bodies so they can’t move (and that makes it okay then…?). “Killing is easy,” is Akabane’s reason. Not to worry though, he goes on, he’ll teach you how to fight like this. But Ban whups Ginji over the head, telling him not to be influenced by Akabane. “You don’t need to learn from that bastard,” he says, “Nor you, Himiko.” Ginji and Himiko look at Ban, surprised. Ban goes on; “Certainly Akabane is strong, but he goes too far with that strength…so we need not imitate that, because we have our own way of doing things.” “Your own way…is it?” Akabane smirks. “What’s so funny?” Ban asks. Then Akabane says something quite insulting about Ban not being very brave. Ban gets pissed off and again Maria intercedes; “This team really has no unity!” she says, “But before we pass please don’t [fight]!” Anyway, there are still many opponents left. “How annoying!” Ban remarks. Akabane grins. And Ginji considers how the atmosphere between those two is tense and is surrounded by a lusting for each others’ blood. “It seems that Ban-chan and Akabane will certainly fight (yes, he’s a bit slow).
Now the train arrives at its final destination, the Infernal Dome. Some little workers on the platform await its arrival. “Isn’t it great, Francoise,” one of the workers says to his colleague, “how the train has 8 compartments. And in one compartment the last team alive can alight at this station!” “Let’s go greet the fighters!” his colleague says. “Whoah! This train is in a mess!” comments a random worker, “What kind of fighters will be left alive?!” We see Francoise and colleague open up a compartment; “Hiiii!” says Francoise. “What is it Francoise?” asks his colleague (yes, Francoise is a he). We see inside the carriage and it’s just a mass of bodies on the floor. “What is this…massacre!?” says Francoise. Anyway, no one has survived in the first 3 compartments and from the fourth emerges a team led by a guy wearing what looks like the mask of a Stag. The workers complain about the “stench of death” then go on a bit about how great the selection (or perhaps a better word would be elimination) process is then they greet the surviving team. The workmen then go to the fifth carriage which also seems to be a massacre, but then we see the outline of 5 beings moving away from the train. “W…when did they get outside?” whimpers a surprised worker. Then, onto the next carriage and who steps out but the Fuuga team. They are asked their team name and are directed away. Francoise (or maybe his friend- they both look alike) comments, blushing, that they were very beautiful people. So onto the next and last carriage. It seems the door is broken and won’t open. There is also no response from inside. “What should we do?” wonders one of the workmen, “But in any case I should contact headquarters.” And as he does so to announce that 3 teams passed the heats the door is kicked out and Ban steps out followed by the rest of the team. “What’s up with that, punk!” Ban says, “the GetBackers and these delightful fellows…have passed the preliminary heats!!” (I love his sarcasm here). There is a dramatic picture of the five of them and there ends the chapter.