Editing Kino no Tabi:Volume1 Summary (section)

===Chapter 4: Colosseum —Avengers—===

'''(Anime Reference: Episodes 6-7)'''

'''(2017 Anime Reference: Episode 2)'''

[[File:KNT_V01_TOC_C04.jpg|x200px|thumb|left]]

Kino and Hermes were running along the banks of a river in a forest. The road is in great condition, but Kino was riding Hermes at top gear, paying no heed to the motorrad’s protests. She only slows down after sending the motorrad flying down a gentle slope. She apologizes, but not before getting a lecture from Hermes. Kino reasons that failing to test one’s limits weakens one’s skills. Soon after, they spot their destination.

Upon entering the country, Kino finds herself automatically entered into a contest as per the country’s rules. Refusing it is seen as cowardice, and would land one into lifetime servitude or death. Right after admission, the guard gives her the number 24, her contestant number, and explains the rules. The contest held once every three months makes the participants contend for the right to become a citizen. The contest runs for three days, with two fights each on the first two days, and the final round on the last day.  The contestants are free to use any weapon, but are not allowed to watch the matches of their opponents. One can surrender, but only if their opponent accepts. If not, the one who gets incapacitated (most of the time, dead) first loses. Those who refuse to fight become slaves and those who try to escape get executed. The last person standing receives a medal from the king, and gets to make a new rule, as long as it doesn’t contradict existing ones. 

Kino asks further and finds out that the contest started seven years ago, when their current king ascended the throne and made the country more ‘exciting’. Those who wanted the glorious title of a citizen are made to kill each other.  Finally she learns that there are rare travelers like her who join the contest unwillingly. There was a case wherein a couple got to fight each other on the first round. The husband accepted the wife’s surrender, but ended up getting killed in the next round. The guards found the story hilarious. Hermes observes that Kino becomes uncharacteristically angry. She asks that she be led to the contest, to the surprise of the guards. One guard jeers at her intent to participate, at which point Kino reveals her two persuaders and demands once more to be taken to the contest.

They make their way through the streets escorted by the guards, witnessing the terrible state the country is in. After a while, they reach the Coliseum, an elliptical structure that Hermes finds tasteless. They are led to their quarters, a room that can aptly be called a prison cell. While Kino prepares her persuaders, Hermes suggests that she beat up her first opponent and surrender, so they could leave the country right away. Kino tells him that she plans to do so only as a last resort. She would compete earnestly, content that it ends within the time limit of three days. Kino jokingly repeats her words that morning: one becomes weak when they don’t test their limits.

Approaching the battleground, Kino observes the gaudily-dressed King and the cheering audience, all eager to witness carnage. Her first opponent is a muscular man with an iron ball and chain, who expresses disappointment that he is pitted against a mere kid. Kino first asks him two questions. First, why he joined the contest, and second, if he wanted to surrender. The man only acknowledges the first question, and swings his ball even before a trumpet signals the start of the match. The ball flies out of trajectory, shocking the man, who finds the ball’s chain broken by a bullet from Canon. He immediately surrenders. Kino’s opponent that evening is a young man with purple hair styled like a cockscomb. He carries no weapon, but wears a black cape and metal plates on his abdomen that looked like the scales of an armor. He makes a show of his weapons, blades that return to their master like boomerangs. Kino asks him to surrender, but the man only mocks her efforts, and attacks as soon as the trumpet sounded. At first Kino only dodges, but when the blades start to fly from different directions, Kino lay prone to the ground, and fires at a blade heading its way back to the man. It pierces into his belly. When Kino notices more blades making their way back to their defenseless master, she shot the man’s right leg, making him dodge a potentially lethal attack.

The next day, Kino wakes up at dawn and performs her morning routine before being led again to the arena. Her third opponent is a short old man who wore baggy clothing with a strange lump at the back, and carried nothing but a gilded trombone. As soon as the match starts, the old man points the trombone towards Kino. Kino soon discovers that the trombone is a flame thrower. Kino takes out Woodsman and points at the man’s head, moves her aim a little, and fires. The bullet only grazes the man’s cheek, but sends a fountain of purple liquid from the bulge behind him. She approaches the old man and asks him to surrender. He refuses and asks Kino to kill him, while the audience chants for his death. Kino points Canon to his face, but immediately uses its grip to knock the man unconscious.

Her fourth opponent is a beautiful, blonde young woman who has a bolt-action rifle for a weapon. The woman tells Kino that she wanted to be a citizen to adopt an adorable boy he found in the forest near the country, much to Kino’s amazement. As the fight began, Kino realizes that her opponent fires armor-piercing bullets, and jumps from one cover to another to avoid them. Kino uses fist-sized stones to attack the woman while she came closer, and asks her to surrender, stating that the rifle puts its owner at a disadvantage. The woman refuses and maintains her cover, while Kino muses how difficult it is to win without killing. Kino next attempts to drive out the woman from concealment, but is taken aback when she discovers that the rifle is transformed into a fully-automatic persuader. Kino conceals herself. This time, the woman offers Kino surrender, but attacks before she even hears her answer. Kino uses a metal door as a shield, and fires three of Woodsman’s bullets to the woman’s right shoulder, leading to her defeat.

The next day, Kino spends the morning reading about the country’s history. Seven years ago, the previous king was assassinated by his son, who was then a prince. All of the previous king’s family and supporters were killed. The prince did not kill his wife, who instead took her life out of grief. Their two sons were thrown out of the country, but rumor has it that they too were killed or imprisoned underground. When he ascended the throne, the king started a rule marked by selfishness and decadent living. The people initially resisted, but soon got used to their lavish lifestyle and grew to love their king and his ways.

Around noon, Kino is finally called to the final match. She loads a single bullet—a modified hollow-point bullet she worked on the previous night—into Canon. Unlike the first two days, this time she takes Hermes with her to the arena. Kino faces her final opponent, a tall, trim, black-haired man who looked to be in his early twenties. He wore a green sweater and blue jeans, and carried a katana by his side. The guard beside Hermes comments that he should be worried for Kino, as this final opponent is very strong. Hermes replies that doing so would not make Kino any stronger, and adds that she’s planning something that ought to worry the guard instead.

The man introduces himself as Shizu, and asks that Kino surrender. Kino asks if he really wanted to become a citizen of such a rotten country, taking him by surprise. Shizu retorts that Kino herself is earnestly competing even though she has no interest in becoming a citizen. Kino says that her reason is simply to fight. The match begins, and Kino draws out Woodsman. As Shizu approaches step by step, Kino fires two rounds, intentionally missing. Shizu unflinchingly continues his advance. Finally when Kino aims for his right shoulder, Shizu deflects the bullet using his sword, which makes Kino utter a cry of amazement. The guard comments how Shizu defeated his opponents using this skill, and that like Kino, he reached the final round without killing anyone. When Kino has fired her eight bullet, not one hitting, Shizu asks once more that she surrender. She refuses, and Shizu charges forward. A diagonal slash upwards sends Woodsman flying from Kino’s hands. Shizu immediately follows-up with an attack to Kino’s shoulder, but Kino blocks it with metal wrist bands. For the third time, Shizu asks Kino to surrender and warns her that continuing would forfeit her life. Kino replies that she hasn’t killed anyone in the country yet, and plans to kill one person in a flashy manner. Shizu charges forward, but Kino points Canon at him the moment he raises his blade. Kino tells Shizu that the contest should be for fun and not for killing, and that Shizu was too preoccupied with winning. Shizu accepts his defeat, and Kino prepares Canon, pulling down the rod under its barrel, while the audience chants for the kill. Kino gives Shizu a clue to her plan ''(Who’s behind you?)'', and shouts at him to bend down as she fires. The bullet flies straight towards the private box where the King is watching and enters the King’s head through his mouth, making it explode. 

Kino gets up from being thrown back by the force of the shot and collects her weapons. She waits for the audience to absorb what just occurred, then steps forward and announces her victory.

'''''“Everyone! It is unfortunate, but a stray bullet took the king’s life! I share your grief! But as the winner of this contest, I hereby proclaim a new rule! A land without a ruler will be in turmoil! Therefore, I reserve the right to choose our new king! From here on, the entire country shall become the stage! Let everyone contend for the throne, and let the victor be hailed king! Those who choose not to fight shall revoke their citizenship upon leaving the country! This is the new rule!”'''''

Silence takes over the crowd, but chaos ultimately ensues. Kino leaves in a hurry, accidentally stepping on Shizu’s shoulder on the way. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Shizu climbs up to the private box and greets the king’s corpse a ‘long time no see.’

Kino and Hermes ride inside the forest and stop when they come across a beautiful lake. Hermes breaks the silence, asking if Kino remembers meeting a young couple in a carriage who was planning to visit a wonderful country. And that some time after, they met the wife alone, who recommended that they visit the country. Kino confirms the memory. When they are about to leave, Hermes hears the engine of a buggy. Indeed, a dune buggy carrying Shizu and a big white dog appears from the forest. Shizu alights and greets Kino, and then thanks her for killing the king, his father. Kino says nothing while Hermes exclaims upon realizing that Shizu was a prince. Shizu says that he had planned to win and kill the king during the awarding ceremony, but Kino ended up doing the deed for him. Kino tells him that revenge is foolish. He agrees, and they both fall into silence.

When asked about his plans, Shizu answers that he would wander for a while until he finds something he wants to do. They are to head north, since they are used to cold climates. The dog expresses his agreement with human words, much to Hermes’ disbelief. The dog accuses Hermes of being arrogant for a mere motorrad. The two let insults fly at each other until Kino and Shizu stop their bickering. The dog introduces himself to Kino as Riku, and thanks her for saving Shizu’s life. Kino pets Riku upon receiving permission from Shizu. While doing so, Kino notices something beneath the passenger seat, and pulls out the crown the king was wearing only a while ago. Shizu tells her that he wanted it as a memento of his grandfather. Kino asks him why he wouldn’t take the throne, and Shizu answers that a person who considered killing his own father doesn’t deserve to be king. Kino puts the crown on Shizu’s head.

Shizu invites Kino to head north together. Kino declines his offer, saying that there is a place she has to visit, and because she was told not to go with unfamiliar men. Shizu becomes puzzled, and his face shows surprise for a moment when Riku whispers something to him. Kino finally leaves, while Shizu remains beside the lake, looking in the direction of his home country beyond the forest.


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