CLAMP is on a bloody roll.

And blame the giongo for the lateness.


New Usage Policy

Recently, my confidence in my abilities suffered a major hit. My Japanese is not perfect, everyone knows that; also, I have trouble giving "voices" to the characters in English. Therefore, this is the last translation I'm allowing to be used as a primary source for retranslations and scanlations in a long time. I have no problem with anyone cross-checking against my translations, and basing certain fragments off my wording if it's considered good, provided that they've been cross-checked against other people's translations.

There are great translators out there (for example, Carlos-Net from MangaHelpers, iamsocool12345, inarikami) and, as seen today, I don't always manage to be the first to get the translations up. I'll be very happy if people continue to use my translations as a secondary source (cross-checking, inspiration for wordings), but it was irresponsible of my part to give permission to use my translations as a primary source. I'm open to making an exception, on a week-per-week basis, in case everyone else is very late (i.e. past Thursday) with their translations -- just contact me.

I'll continue to publish my Holic and Tsubasa translations (and occasionally Kobato) whenever chapters get released, because translating is a very valuable learning tool to me. Eventually, I want things to go back to the way they were. Maybe after I pass JLPT 3 (I was planning to take 4 this year, but that would be a waste of time, so no JLPT for me this year).

Good luck to everyone, and my sincere thanks for your support all this time!

Lifted because in the end it did not matter. See my profile for details.

---

Many thanks to cpr34 over at TF for kindly clearing up Fei Wang's lines!

Chapitre 166
Closed world

-01- (splash: Fai)

Even if the beloved ones
leave him,
even so,
he must live.

-02-

SFX: paaaaa (T/N: Light.)

SFX: zaa (T/N: Swiftly.)

SFX: zaa- (T/N: Swiftly.)

-03-

SFX: zaaaaaa (T/N: Swiftly.)

Kurogane: Hey!!

Kurogane: ?!

Shaoran: The world...

-04-

SFX: gakun (T/N: Collapsing.)
SFX: haa (T/N: Panting.)
Fai: ... This is... the other...

Fei Wang: ... That's the other curse.

Fei Wang: If you, returning to Celes with the desert princess,
are unable to kill the king yourself,
Fei Wang: it will activate regardless of your will.

-05-

SFX: gogogo (T/N: Doom.)
SFX: gogogogo (T/N: Doom.)

Fei Wang: If he killed that king himself, that magician would probably follow him into death.
Therefore, the second curse would become meaningless.

SFX: gogogo (T/N: Doom.)

Kurogane: Hey!
What happened!?

-06-

Fai: The world... will close...
by my magic...

SFX: gogogogo (T/N: Doom.)
Kurogane: What do you mean!?

-07-

Yuui: We'll become unable to leave here...

SFX: gogogo (T/N: Doom.)

Fei Wang: Ever since the magician began his journey,
Fei Wang: I've already set the trap to harm magic users in Celes other than the magician and the king,

-08-

Fei Wang: so that the completion of the two curses wouldn't be prevented.

SFX: haa (T/N: Panting.)
SFX: haa (T/N: Panting.)
SFX: gogogo (T/N: Doom.)

SFX: gogogogo (T/N: Doom.)
SFX: gui- (T/N: Jerking.)
Kurogane: We're getting outta here!!

Fai: It's impossible...
Everyone's...
SFX: haa (T/N: Panting.)

Fai: ... Looks like my magic power wasn't one that gets stronger the more I use it.

-09-

Fai: Maybe I'll get closer to death... the more I use magic.
SFX: kaha- (T/N: Sorry, I have no idea of what sound this is. Maybe I misread the katakana?)
SFX: bota (T/N: Dripping.)
SFX: bota (T/N: Dripping.)

SFX: gogogogogo (T/N: Doom.)
Kurogane: What......

Fai: But... I still have some magic left.

Fai: Shaoran-kun.
Fai: Don't let go of Sakura-chan and Mokona.

Kurogane: What are you planning on doing?

-10-

SFX: gogogogogo (T/N: Doom.)

Kurogane: !!


SFX: su (T/N: Slow movement.)
Fai: Get out...
of here.

SFX: ba- (T/N: Scattering.)

-11-

SFX: paa (T/N: Light.)

SFX: shun (T/N: Hiss.)

SFX: ba- (T/N: Scattering.)

SFX: fu- (T/N: Unexpected.)

SFX: gu- (T/N: Grab.)

-12-

SFX: bashi- (T/N: Sudden impact.)

Kurogane: What's up!?

SFX: gofu (T/N: Cough.)

Fai: My magic power...
isn't enough...

-13-

Fei Wang: Of course his magic power wasn't enough, huh?

Fei Wang: Though if the one eye given to the replica was there, maybe it'd work.

Fei Wang: It's just Clow's blood relative as the princess' companion, eh?

Fei Wang: I guess I should be happy that I was able to deal with the witch's minion,
that youth from Suwa, and the magician who doesn't have enough power left.

-14-

SFX: shun (T/N: Hiss.)

Shaoran: ...!!

Mokona: Shaora... n.

Shaoran: Mokona!
Mokona: Take... Mokona's earring... (T/N: Literally, "ear ornament".)

-15-

Shaoran: !?

Mokona: The other Mokona
just taught it in a dream...

Mokona: Please...

SFX: su- (T/N: Smoothly.)

-16-

SFX: paaaa (T/N: Light.)

SFX: ha- (T/N: Surprised.)

SFX: gui- (T/N: Jerking.)

-17-

Fei Wang: Damn witch.
Fei Wang: That was a "magic tool" for this occasion?

Fei Wang: However,
even possessing the power of the magic tool, the two cannot pass.

-18-

SFX: gu- (T/N: Grab.)

Fai: Go!

-19-

SFX: sha- (T/N: Slicing through the air.)

-20-

SFX: goton (T/N: Sorry, I don't know.)

-21-

SFX: gashan (T/N: Crash.)

SFX: fasa (T/N: Sorry, I don't know. Some magic sound, probably.)

-22-23-

SFX: fasa (T/N: Sorry, I don't know. Some magic sound, probably.)

SFX: shun (T/N: Hiss.)

Teaser: Sacrifices were made,
but hope has remained!
Celes country -- escape!!

---

Page 8: The completion of the two curses? So the first curse was supposed to activate in Celes? But that must've changed somewhere along the way, because Sakura's premonition was for Infinity.

Page 14: No "Shao-rin"? Dammit. And he somehow looks so cute in that last panel. ♥

Page 16: Black Mokona pwns all.

Whoa. Kurogane was a bit overdramatic back there, wasn't he? And I wish we had seen Mokona's and Shaoran's expressions. But scratch that, what I'm wondering is how he figured out that leaving an arm behind would work. He -is- the smartest of the bunch, but... Was that a gamble he made? Also, now Souhi is gone. If the next world really is Nihon, I wonder if they're going to get the original Ginryuu, or perhaps commission a third one.

---

Next time, in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle...

Chapitre 167
Wounded ninja (T/N: I'm sort of gambling "ninja" here, as it's only the first character.)

Splash ~ Yuuko and Black Mokona
The dream must be brought to an end,
in order to advance towards the future.

Splash ~ both Shaorans
Those swords,
who do they protect,
who will they hurt?

Kurogane awakens. The one beside him is Tomoyo-hime. He returned to Castle Shirasagi in Nihon-koku. His promptly severing off his left arm was in accordance with Tomoyo-hime's voice. Despite those intentions, seeing as Yuui is a magician, it wouldn't have been possible to escape the magic if Kurogane hadn't done that. (T/N: Actually just "art" or "technique" is used here, not "magic".) Along with the "curse" from before the departure was a "foresight" of things turning out like this. (T/N: Not entirely sure, but the point is, Tomoyo knew.) If not through the journey, Kurogane wouldn't have been able to understand the pain of those who must not change the future. The power wanted so that no more dear people are lost. The calamity invited because of that power.

Tomoyo-hime: ... True strength.
It seems you have understood.

There's a pause, then Tomoyo-hime shows Yuui in. Yuui promptly knocks Kurogane on sight.

Yuui: This is payback,
"Kuro-sama".
Kurogane: ... I'll get you!

At that time, Shaoran meets Watanuki.

There's "something" I want to tell you.
Crossing a far away time,
the two now come across each other---

---

Kurogane awakens in a bed. Where's this? What about them?

Tomoyo: Nihon country. The people who came travelling with you are here at Shirasagi castle as well.
Kurogane: Tomoyo-hime......
... it's you.
Tomoyo: Yes. Welcome back, Kurogane.

Tomoyo-hime smiles.

Two-page spread: meaningless rampart. (T/N: Sorry, I can't make any sense of this.)

Kurogane half-rises from the bed.

Kurogane: Back then, that voice...
Tomoyo: Was mine.

Fai: “Go!”

At that time, Kurogane lost his consciousness and had a glimpse of a dream.

Whispering black-haired girl: If you want to live with him,
then
if you wish from the bottom of your heart,
exchange him for that which carries the same magic power as that person.

Tomoyo: Back then,
because of the wound that even with my “amulet/curse” didn't block off, you were on the verge of death.

Image of the side of his stomach bleeding.

Tomoyo: People also dream before they die.
Kurogane: So you crossed into the dream and informed me of the way to take him out? (T/N: "Take out" as in for a walk, or out of something.)
Tomoyo: That magic was making the magician who used it into its kernel. (T/N: Kurogane and Tomoyo don't use the words "magic" or "magician" here, but "art" and "practicioner" instead.)
Therefore the magician cannot leave the interior of the closing shape.
However,
because he exhausted his power to evacuate you and the others...
Kurogane: My arm covered with his magic became a scapegoat.

Tomoyo-hime closes her eyes.

Tomoyo: ... Have you understood strength?

Kurogane: ... Who knows?

Kurogane laughs inadequately.

Kurogane: But looks like my strength has decreased.
I killed one person.

Tomoyo-hime recalls Ashura-ou's corpse.

Tomoyo: ...
Kurogane: ... Did you learn it through a dream you saw? That this would happen if I killed that guy?
Tomoyo: I was wishing it would not come to that.
Kurogane: So that's why you told me about the “curse” thing?
Tomoyo: Won't you say “tell me beforehand”?
Kurogane: Those who don't know don't understand the pain of knowing and not being able to tell.
Kurogane: Even if you condemn them, it can't be helped.
Tomoyo: ... Kurogane...
Kurogane: Besides, I have no regrets about losing my arm back then.
Kurogane: I... always wanted power.
Kurogane: So that those precious to me wouldn't be taken away by anyone.
Kurogane: However,
Kurogane: having power comes along with inviting disaster.

Images of Sakura (Shaoran) being stabbed, the twins.

Kurogane: And...... also things that can't be protected with power alone. (T/N: He could be referring to promises here, since "protect a promise" is a Japanese expression for "keep a promise".)

Tomoyo-hime gently touches Kurogane's left shoulder.

Tomoyo: ... It seems you have understood true strength.

Tomoyo-hime stands up.

Tomoyo: I am sorry for making you wait. Please, come inside.

Dressed in a kimono, Fai opens the sliding screen and enters. They gaze at each other in silence. Fai approaches the bed.

Kurogane: Oi.

Silence. Fai hits Kurogane's head with his left arm and laughs.

Fai: This is payback, “Kuro-sama”!
Kurogane: ... I'll get you!

Kurogane laughs too.

Elsewhere. Floating Shaoran in a kimono meets Watanuki, who is similarly wandering about in his pajamas.

---

So, the people betting on Nihon-koku win this one.

Well, I think Fai/Kurogane is pretty much canon now. And there was even some Kurogane/Tomoyo service on the side, too. XD

I'm pretty sure there's a fancy psychological term for what Fai and Kurogane are doing right now...

Shaoran! And Watanuki! WTF-ness! ♥

Now all that's left to answer is... Where the heck is Sakura's body?

Oh my. I have dyslexia japonicus now. XD