Akatsuki no Yona [Chapter 99]

Top 4 character poll results. [The comments are by Japanese fans and they aren’t thorough since the font are really small that I couldn’t barely read some of them ^^;]

1. Haku <3005 pts> Comments: I single-mindedly like him and he’s so cool, my heart goes dokidoki whenever Haku thinks of Yona. It is utterly amazing when he does some courageous thing. Even if he isn’t a dragon, he’s the strongest and simply too cool when fighting. His feelings are in a struggle in front of Yona yet maintaining an anxious distance. He is a character whom I cannot take my eyes off. Even if Haku is Yona’s, but my first place is still Haku! His personality, black hair, everything is quite good! I also want to bet everything to protect him, I like his sweet side.

2. Yona <2289 pts> Comments: Suddenly becoming cute and at times having a strict expression I like this contrast, in front of pain she won’t run away.  As a girl, I really looking forward to[?], and I also like the cute Yona during normal times. I’m crazy about her that I’m so into her that I don’t know how many times I’m attracted to her, beautiful, cool, advancing bravely in order to live on, fighting in order to protect, I like her the most. I would suddenly want to become her comrade. I super like the scene when she told Haku, ‘Haku, teach me how to use the sword. That’s an order.’

3. Jeha <868 pts> Comments: Even if normally looks light as a feather, but as everyone’s elder brother type of person, he protects the others. I like the most his personality wherein he thinks of the other comrades. Because he is the ideal love-something[?], I super like him as the ‘older brother’. Fast[?] personality and can play a musical instrument is a bit quite praiseworthy. At the side story, he was cute when he was young that I also want to take him away.

4. Yun <802 pts> Comments: Self-proclaimed ‘genius bishounen’ but becoming the only one ranting sarcastic [/tsukkomi] character and really cute, like him the most. He’s shrewd and dependable. I like him for having an ordinary person’s awareness. At Jeha’s arc when he said ‘I cannot protect Yona’, it made me think that he’s somewhat profound.

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And, Haku is still busy slashing the Kai soldiers. He curses for he is gradually starting to become unable to keep up his strength. A soldier tries to slash him from behind but Haku immediately points his halberd at the soldier. Without touching him, the soldier falls down. And it turns out that Kija has already clawed the guy. Then, the two kill some advancing soldiers. While back to back, Kija asks what he is dallying for, and his agility seems to have regressed. Haku asks about his fever. Kija tells him that it is no problem, the fever had left. Jeha calls out to the two to pay attention from above. Jeha jumps up and attacks the soldiers with his daggers[?] from above. While one of the soldiers is asking what kind of people are these. His sword was cut in half by Shina who also goes attacking the other soldiers. Haku asks why they didn’t run away. They look more dead than alive and look, they couldn’t even stand straight.

Jeha retorts back that Haku is the one looking unsteady so how about they switch and Haku, be the one going to sleep. Kija says that they already had enough sleep and it is their turn to make an appearance. More soldiers in horses are advancing. Jeha asks the two dragons if they can still do it. Kija says of course. Haku looks at the Jeha and Kija sweating and looking ill. Then, Yona and Yun arrive. They watch Haku and the others slaughter the soldiers. Yona says that Kija and the others are there. Yun exclaims that it is too reckless, those guys obviously still in a state wherein they couldn’t recklessly move. And more soldiers in horses came advancing. Haku thinks that it totally won’t end for the soldiers coming from the number of towns kept on advancing one after another. While Kija continues to claw the advancing soldiers, he becomes dizzy that one soldier manages to slash him with a sword. The two onlookers are shock but Kija gathers his strength and attacks the soldier.

Unfortunately, there is another solider behind him who slashed his back. While Haku looks back, Jeha worriedly calls out to Kija. Bleeding Kija finally collapses. The soldier shouts that is great, kill him. Jeha tries to quickly get rid of his opponent to go to Kija’s side. Yona worriedly calls out to Kija who was defended by Shina. Shina manages to kill another attacking soldier but he is getting tired. Then, one of the soldiers on a horse stabs Shina’s back with a spear. The soldier says that he had successful got rid of him. Shina manages to turn around and slash the soldier down. Kija worried calls out to Shina. Looking ill, Shina looks around at the others fighting and the soldiers that kept on coming. He takes off his mask. They are now surrounded by soldiers. Jeha shouts for Shina to stop, if he relies on his physical strength to release his ability..

Shina uses his power but he suddenly trembles and collapses. The soldier smiles and says that it is right now, these guys are already at their limit, charge into the town. Get rid of all the people in the town. Haku is surprised as the soldiers bypass him and head straight towards the town. Haku calls them shameful [/curses] as he tries to kill as many as he can. Jeha tries to kick as many as he can. The soldiers are now advancing towards Yona and Yun. While Yun tells her to wait for they are all surging towards them, Yona prepares to shoot them with her arrow. She tells him to quickly run away. Yun tells her not to. [<- it is useless/do not provoke them?] Haku and Jeha shout for them to run away. Kija and Jeha are totally helpless for they couldn’t even stand up. Yun calls out to Yona again which made her hesitate. Then, Zeno calls out to Yona. Zeno charges at the soldier and gives him a hug, I mean cling on him tightly like a koala bear. The other soldier slashes his back. Zeno falls down but manages to stands up.

He shouts for Yona to run away and starts charging again towards some soldiers. Yona shouts for him not to [do that/stop]. Yona and the others are horrified to see Zeno being stab by a soldier right through him near the chest. With one swing, the soldier throws Zeno’s body near Yona. Everyone still look stunned in disbelief. Yona calls out to him but there is no response. One of the soldiers dismounts his horse and says that it is a girl. Yun tries to protect her by standing in front of Yona but he was easily kicked away by the soldier. Pointing a sword at Yona, the soldier tells him to come over to him. Yona hugs Zeno tightly. The soldier repeats for her to come over and even if she tightly hugs a corpse, she also won’t be able to do anything. This irks Yona that she quickly swings her sword at the soldier and made him drop his sword. Yona shouts for him not to touch her and if he moves one step, she definitely won’t let them get away [with it].

The soldiers laugh at her threat for this girl is crying at one side yet on the other side, saying such strange words. Yona mentally calls out to Zeno that if she is a bit stronger..!! Then, a bloodied hand reaches out to her crying face and tells her not to cry. Yona calls out to Zeno. Zeno says that it is because he is too far away from Hiryuu castle that his recovery is so slow. Zeno stands up and tells her that he is okay for the yellow dragon cannot die. And the wound where the soldiers stabbed and slashed him are gone. While everyone including the soldiers looks stunned again, Zeno says that as he is the dragon who is born in this world [/era] as her shield. As long as there is a titled, ‘yellow dragon’s shield’ guarding her in front, he absolutely won’t let her be harmed.

Comment: Ah, first of all, next time, please do not tell me/post here any major plot spoilers until the Chinese scanlation is out. Thank you. ^^ Now, the poll is out and yay, Haku tops it ^^ And of course, he’s the first one the readers will see upon flipping to the page. =P Apparently, he is getting tired. Apparently, those soldiers are indeed cowards that there are a lot of them and they would rather kill the weak, defenseless and few. I guess these guys are way too used to winning that as sore losers they are resorting to this rather than fighting it to the end with Kouka. I mean aren’t they too enthusiastic to kill off the villagers whom ironically from their country. They would rather be killed off by people protecting their own villages rather than fighting the real enemy. I know it is for the story but I think it is a blunder not to finish off the defeated dragons. Or at least, halve their forces so that they can do two things at once. Hm..I guess this can be realistic because soldiers are usually just from small villages, etc and they are not really educated to know what they ought to do in the battlefield. They can be quite shortsighted. And I guess somewhat sadist for wanting the guys to experience the same thing they did when they were helpless against Kouka.

Well, nevertheless, it is quite rare to see such a bloodbath in a shoujo. Apparently again, it turns out that Haku and Jeha are the stronger ones in the group and they are too busy fighting to be anyone’s shield. In terms of immunity, I guess Kija is the one worst hit by the illness that he is also the first one down during the fighting. Also, it doesn’t help much that he and Shina aren’t as mobile as Haku and Jeha. Well, Haku got battle experience to know that he ought to steal a horse. So, in this case, the dragons helping out Haku, helps out a bit temporarily. I think Yona’s group needs someone with brains in strategies and stuff in order to fully enhance their potential even if they are few but powerful. They better buy some books about it for Yun. Next, I understand Yona wanting to fight rather than running away but in this situation, it seems best to run away. Shooting one arrow at a time isn’t going to do much at an advancing army. If she has to shoot, she should have done that while all the dragons are still fighting. As a girl, those soldiers are probably planning to get rid of some stress on her. Well, they must really want it for them to actually stop for her. ^^; Also, she is the raison d'être of the guys so it would be stupid if they are doing all that and she gets herself injured, killed among other things.

Actually, from those soldiers’ intention, it might probably be best to be killed by them. Okay, that is debatable if being raped by an army but alive is better than a swift death. And also, I’m not sure they can outrun the horses so running away isn’t exactly an option either. Since they are already in that situation, it might be best to fight it to the death. I guess for Yona, that scene is more traumatic. Isn’t that the same way her father died? Hm, her reaction seems to be similar too. Too stunned to do anything much except cry..though this time, at least swing a sword once and threaten. ^^; Actually, I don’t know if I should be complaining about that since Haku and the others are also too stunned to do anything..well, if they did, hehe, it wasn’t shown. I mean, there should be no soldiers around while they look stunned or else, they would be slashed/stabbed, too. As for Zeno, ah, does a shield mean bodily throwing yourself towards armed people? I have read of immortal characters in other series and they do say, even if one doesn’t die, hey, it hurts when they are stabbed, slashed, etc. So, I guess Zeno is okay with that. ^^; I actually wonder if he cannot die like forever or there is a limit to that.

Anyway, he doesn’t seem to have any weapon though I hope he knows..ah, karate or any martial arts without the use of weapons or something. Anyway, if he doesn’t have any known attacks, I guess he is betting on the soldiers’ fear that they are going to fight against an immortal/zombie, etc to freak them out and go away. Also, I don’t know if it is a drawing error but when he is standing up, he only got slashed on the side instead of stabbed in the chest. There is no hole there and only at the side. So, he just ‘died/gone unconscious’ of shock from massive bleeding rather than stab in the heart and slashed sideways? Or, he just passed out and they all thought he’s dead ^^; Anyway, that’s a minor thing, I’m curious how does a shield fight..wait, shield is just blocking and defending..so unless he can do better than throwing himself around on the soldiers, they are still in trouble..wait, he only is concerned about Yona and not the town. ^^;; Or rather, at least, it is more possible that he can protect her as a shield rather than protecting the town. So, if they want to protect the town, someone else or others might come to help them out. Hm..unless the sword suddenly reveals itself. I guess after this, they got a lot of question for Zeno. Or maybe whacking him a bit for giving them a fright. =P Scans by 红莲汉化组

Word of the day:

The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. ~ José N. Harris, MI VIDA: A Story of Faith, Hope and Love