Strain

Chapter 1

MAYO, THE HORSE

  • Story by Buronson

  • Art by Ryoichi Ikegami

  • English Adaptation by Yuji Oniki

  • Lettering and Touch-Up art by Cato

  • © 1997 Buronson/Ryoichi Ikegami/Shogakukan inc.

In this chapter we are introduced to a contract killer named Mayo, “the horse”, that charges 5 dollars. “That is all we are worth” he says. He is drawing a horse in a bar located in Kuala Lumpur waiting for work when an underaged prostitute (Shion?) enters, running from a john whose wallet she had just stolen. She gets punched by the john, who then leaves, and she throws a fit at Mayo saying she needs the famous 5-dollar killer to kill that john.

Mayo, on his way to meet a client sees the john and knocks him out. Mayo meets his client in a room filled with horse art. He gets hired and goes to his mark. When he enters there is a woman alone in bed. Just before pulling the trigger, Shion? enters the room calling out to her mom. She tries to seduce Mayo so he won’t kill her mom. He refuses her advances but tells her to pay 10 dollars for a new contract.

Mayo goes to the original client and kills him. Afterwards he is seen by someone who thought they saw a ghost.  Jump to Tokyo Raceway there is a group of men discussing horses and breeding when one of them gets notice that someone saw Mayo. He thought he was executed in jail. We end with the group discussing genes and superior strains. As long as one person remains of the superior breed.

Chapter 2

THE GHOST

  • Story by Buronson

  • Art by Ryoichi Ikegami

  • English Adaptation by Yuji Oniki

  • Lettering and Touch-Up art by Cato

  • © 1997 Buronson/Ryoichi Ikegami/Shogakukan inc.

In Kuala Lumpur the man who saw Mayo and thought was a ghost is talking to another guy about the murder and they knew it was connected. They also know it was connected to “the organization”. Mayo is with a prostitute inside a vip room of strip club who asks him about being Japanese because of his skin. When he leaves her, he leaves 5 dollars.

Mayo meats up with the old man from the bar. He warns Mayo about having killed his client. “The organization” has already called about it. They find those that kill their own and will not overlook it. Yang, a young bookie, comes running asking Mayo for help. He is being chased by men he stole money from for placing bets. Mayo chases them away with threats of physical force using skewers. Yang takes Mayo out to get women and drinks. On the way they pass a prison and Mayo looks away. Yang asks about it and he says its just habit.

On the way to get babes hey see Shion? get thrown out of a building by a bunch of men. Mayo approaches her and she starts crying, saying her ‘mom  is ….’. She drops a doll on the floor and Yang comments that she must be Japanese because the doll was Japanese. Chapter ends with Shion? and Mayo staring at each other in the rain.

Chapter 3

STRAY KITTEN

  • Story by Buronson

  • Art by Ryoichi Ikegami

  • English Adaptation by Yuji Oniki

  • Lettering and Touch-Up art by Cato

  • © 1997 Buronson/Ryoichi Ikegami/Shogakukan inc.

Mayo and Yang came across Shion (who is crying) while out on the town and are looking at each other. Yang is wondering if they know each other. Men come and throw her belongings in the street telling her that she is on her own because of her mom being dead. Shion cries some more, and Mayo walks away. Yang yells at Mayo asking how he can leave Shion like that. Shion picks up her things and Yang asks her what she is going to do.

Mayo is lying in bed when the old bartender (Sai) puts a gun to his head and asks if he ever locks his door. Mayo tells him to go ahead and shoot and that he doesn’t care. Mayo inquires if the bartender finished the job. He says someone had to, but she was already dead from her illness. Mayo confirms that he didn’t kill the mom because he knew Shion was her daughter but now, he regrets it since she will never make it on her own.

Inside the organization… Aoki tells Murai that the ‘job’ has been completed. Murai asks him how important he thinks that woman was and then reveals she was worth hundreds of billions of yen because of her STRAIN.  Then he tells Aoki that the superiors ordered the killing of the mom, but he believes they should also kill the girl.

Sai is walking around town when Yang pulls up in his car looking for him with scratches on his face. He tells Sai how his old lady scratched him because he was out late and came home with another girl. Sai laughs at the situation saying no wonder she is so mad.  He goes to look at the girl and finds Shion. Sai sends them to Mayo’s because taking care of a kitten might soften him up.

Sai is back at the bar and being abused by some syndicate men. They are trying to find out what happened to their man that was found in the dump. Their man was supposed to go meet Mayo before his disappearance, so they think it was Mayo. Sai sticks up for Mayo. The syndicate tells Sai that they have another job for Mayo. They show a picture of Shion. If Mayo kills her, they will believe him, if not then they will know he is guilty.

Mayo is about to leave Yang and Shion at his place. He claims he has nothing to do with the girl. Yang is pleading with him to stay when Shion comes out from shower staring at one of his horse paintings. Whe Yang asks her what is wrong she says Komagatake mountain in Hokkaido. Mayo stops in his tracks wondering how she knew the mountain.