--Stop! --You will only need to bear it for a moment.
Don't tell me... Ukyo is...?
Are you trembling?
I feel anxious. I am so fearful of that man Ukyo that I cannot stand it.
The real criminal is here.
You were the one who cut down the envoy.
I was only performing a favor.
Does a nation require two governors to rule it?
That is unnecessary.
It sure is.
I should put my other self out of his misery.
Nighty-night.
Being able to understand each other,
and to share with each other,
are both as short-lived as a bubble on the water.
Obscured by the sands of time,
unable to hold on,
I gave up, until I saw you again, asking
"How much pain
have you been carrying, all alone?
And how much loneliness
is hidden behind your eyes when you smile?"
Embrace this miracle of an encounter now,
By gazing upon each other, we can become stronger.
And if this isn't what you call love,
then what is it you call love now?
Succeeding Honorable Emperor,
on the occasion of your Rite of Succession and Pronouncement...
...we humbly request for an audience before Your Highness.
I have only one wish-- to make this world more abundant.
To bring work to those who have no work, and food to those who have no food.
That is my task, as the one who has taken the name of emperor.
Honorable Emperor...
Tessai, it's kind of embarrassing to have you call me that.
My apologies. The chief of the bandits has just returned,
and is requesting to pay his respects to you on your installation.
Bandits...
I am Kobayakawa Tanomo.
Owing to my form, I ask you to excuse my manner of greeting.
How disrespectful.
I hate mechanical samurai.
I understand that the new honorable emperor
has known the life of a peasant.
That's right. I know what kind of violence you inflict.
Once I achieved a high enough position,
I was planning to rid the world of monsters like you.
Then, are you ordering us to commit hara-kiri?
Now that I'm here, I understand the way the world works.
Once the wars were over, you guys, who had become no better than thugs,
were brought together.
The peasants were not allowed to live, and yet were not killed.
The people in the cities were told to live without looking up,
but to keep their gaze downward.
The previous emperor who did all of these things was truly amazing.
He did indeed give us orders that allowed us to prosper,
while keeping information from reaching the masses.
He managed to keep control with an unseen power.
That is an example I would like to follow, as well.
So, you are saying...?
Keep up what you've been doing.
Keep confiscating rice from the village, like you've been doing.
I thought you hated us.
I do. However, this is necessary for the capital's sake.
You're going to work for me, Tanomo-kun.
As you command.
They will be dead soon.
Those who are following Kanna Village's model will dispose of them.
The bandits are to be sacrificed for the sake of everyone's happiness.
The former emperor said that he hated the wars.
He hated them, so he ruled over the bandits to get revenge on them.
Sister! I see it! I was the first one there!
What's that?
Bandits?!
Couldn't that be the capital?
The capital?
Kikuchiyo-sama, you heard what the bandit captain said, didn't you?
Rice and women are sought after in the capital.
That ship, with the bandits accompanying it,
is undoubtedly the capital.
That is where Sanae-san and the others are.
Then, where on earth is Sensei...?
Thank goodness you're coming around.
The baby...
What happened to the baby?
How can I apologize to the emperor? Oh, Emperor...
M'lady!
What's the matter?
Something awful is happening.
What's the meaning of this?
Who was it that decided that we were supposed to be your maidservants?
The honorable emperor, of course.
From now on, we're making the inner chambers the place where we live.
Then you can release us, can't you?
We can't have that.
We must be beautiful for the honorable emperor at all times.
We will need someone to look after us, right?
Wait just a little while longer! M'lady's condition is still--
We don't care about that.
Would you get started, please?
Your execution has been set for the sixth hour.
At the appointed time, you are to be pilloried at the execution grounds.
Then will you grant me a last request, as a warrior?
Speak it.
I would like to perish as a warrior. Although I am to be pilloried,
I ask that I be allowed to purify myself, and to commit hara-kiri.
No!
Why not?
I will allow you to purify yourself.
However, by official decree, you will not be permitted to have any weapons.
Whose decree?
The current honorable emperor, of course.
The imperial envoy murderer?
My word...
"...at the hour of six tonight, the criminal who..."
What?
I can't see.
Here.
"...murdered the imperial envoy at Kogakyo Palace..."
Nunky, what does it say?
The thing of it is, it's the kind of thing that I shouldn't be reading to a child.
"...Shimada Kanbe's beheading will take place at the prison gate execution grounds..."
It can't be!
Sensei is to be beheaded?
What?!
Yo!
Oh, Masa-noji!
Are you still alive, you big oaf?
Masamune-dono! It has been too long.
What's going on? Why is this happening?
Killing the imperial envoy, to say nothing of an attempt on the emperor's life...
Attempt on his life?
What's that?
Sensei has failed.
Sure enough, this was too much for Sensei to do alone.
I beg you to forgive me of my countless offenses toward you,
not knowing of your noble birth.
Ah, don't worry about it. I didn't even know myself, after all.
You are far too gracious.
As a result of your doing away with the previous imperial envoy,
--your position is unassailable. --You ruffian!
What are you doing?!
Father!
Excellency, it's not nice to eavesdrop.
I did not hear anything.
Did you want something?
I came to see how you were doing.
I feel great!
A peasant rising up to become emperor-- isn't that delightful?
I wondered what it could mean
when the prime minister began showing such a keen interest in you, being a peasant,
but you have become quite fearsome.
Did you kill the imperial envoy for the prime minister?
There, you did hear! Still, he's the one who killed him.
This guy was in a tight spot.
The imperial envoy said he was after his position. That's why.
What shall I do with His Excellency?
Good question.
We will be arriving in Kogakyo shortly.
Oh, is it that time already?
Ukyo!
Unlike the bandits, I am a man of benevolence.
I would like to reward the man I have to thank for teaching commerce to me.
Father, you will now inspect the storehouses for me.
The Shikimori will soon be here.
You've cut quite a few men down with this, huh?
Well, you are a samurai, so I guess it's only natural.
This one is terribly dull. I'll have to hammer this one out again.
We're going to borrow these until you're done. Here.
We're going to save everyone.
Oh, you're going to pick a fight with the capital, huh?
We're not warriors if we don't move.
We can't just let this go.
Please wait.
What?
Kanbe-sama is not the kind of man to just allow himself to be executed.
The fact is, he tried to rescue the women, and this is how he wound up.
That is true...
However, we should not do something rash that is going to hinder anything.
Are you saying not to do anything?
Yes.
Not doing anything would be a lifelong shame, for a warrior.
And if you have to offer Kanbe-sama a hand, won't that be shameful to him?
If he was a samurai, he would die like a man once he failed.
Me and Katsu-noji have had it with him.
We're going to save him, and show him what kind of men we are!
It's the capital! The capital is here!
It's huge...!
Your dinner. This will be your last.
What's wrong?
Samurai-sama, you're going to be killed after this.
There's no good reason for someone who is about to die to be eating rice balls.
No. I was hired with rice. I have to eat my rice, and do my job.
It's going to be impossible for you to rescue us, isn't it?
We'll see.
Wow...
How silly-looking.
I bear you no ill will.
On the contrary, I will be the man I am from now on thanks to you,
which is why I wanted to offer you these final words.
You are not going to die as a samurai.
How disgraceful that you will not be able to perform hara-kiri.
As you guys would say, this is a losing battle.
You had best not rest easy until my head has fallen.
Isn't that adorable? He won't admit that he has lost!
After you, Kanna Village comes next, Kanbe-kun.
Ah! It's Uncle!
Oh, that's the criminal, huh?
Sensei...
He's tied up like a dog.
What are you going to do, Kanbe-san?
You just might have lost this time, Missy.
Hey, can't we still save Kanbe now?
Even if we save just Sensei now, it won't accomplish anything.
First, we're going to save the women.
Oh, and by doing that, we can surprise the hell out of him!
I know what you're going to say. However, this is something we must do.
You understand how I feel, right?
Yes.
Kikuchiyo-dono, we have to come up with a way to get into the capital.
It's the Shikimori.
Wait! Please wait one moment!
You look to be Shikimori. Where are you taking your cargo?
If it isn't the visitor we had earlier.
Indeed I am. My name is Okamoto Katsushiro.
We are on our way to give an offering of electric cells
to celebrate the investment of the honorable emperor.
I knew it!
Ah, such unfortunate people.
I'm sorry. Forgive us.
Tell the patrolmen that you were held up by highwaymen or something.
Kiku-noji, that's just not going to work.
Can't you just say that you're the samurai they usually employ as a bodyguard?
Me dressing up as a Shikimori will be less suspicious, I guarantee it!
This is a pretty sneaky trick, coming from you, Katsu-noji.
I will take that as a compliment.
Uncle might do something like this, too.
Perhaps.
Sister, what are you doing?
I am going too.
Are you planning to keep an eye on us?
No. You two do not know Sanae-san's face. Best that I come along...
Missy, you're fitting right into this battle, huh?
I think I might be scared for you, Sister.
You two say nothing. I will do the talking.
Understood. Once we're inside, Missy and I will get the women.
Katsu-noji, you're making a beeline for Kanbe, right?
Halt!
We bring an offering of electric cells
to celebrate the honorable emperor's investment today.
We're checking you, just in case.
Keep back!
Why do you think we are wearing these things?
Do you want to contaminate all of your future progeny by coming any closer?
Since we have already been contacted by you, you may pass.
What is this place?
Thank you for coming.
I am Ayamaro, who has been appointed inspector over these storehouses.
How many bales of rice do you appraise the value of your offering as being,
if I might inquire?
The folks in the capital eat this much rice?
This is unusual.
You are a member of the Shiki, yet you are not aware of the system?
Shut up, you bastard!
Why, you...!
Kikuchiyo-dono, why?!
This is horrible of you! What's the story with all of this rice?!
Who are you people?!
What's the meaning of this?! Eh?!
You swipe all that rice from us, just to hoard it?!
W- w- we need it to purchase the electric cells.
What?
You see, we make the peasants grow rice to give to the Shikimori,
from whom we acquire electric cells as collateral.
This is the system the capital has devised in order for it to prosper.
Don't you talk so high-and-mighty to me! You can just grow your own rice!
Do you know how hard the farmers are sweating away,
while you guys sit around here doing nothing?!
You've got to... you've got to feel sorry for the rice...!
Damn it...!
Kikuchiyo-dono!
I'm going to hack up everything in this capital!
Please stop! Do not fracture the system!
Is that any of my concern?!
Stop, Kikuchiyo-dono!
Shut up!
I thought we were here to rescue Rikichi's wife!
To hell with your system! To hell with it!
We are looking for the women that the emperor kidnapped.
Do you know where they are?
Take us there!
Katsushiro-sama!
Look after Kikuchiyo, Kirara-dono. I'm going after Sensei!
Hey there!
It's Ukyo-sama!
He's the emperor?
It's the end of the world.
Listen up! Ensconced here is the honorable emperor,
the Minister of Kogakyo, Ukyo-sama!
He has arrived in his homeland to pay his respects,
as well as to carry out the death sentence of Shimada Kanbe,
the criminal who earlier threw this land into commotion
by murdering the imperial envoy,
as well as the one who made an attempt
on the life of the previous honorable emperor.
This traitor will meet his doom here.
The people may rest easy.
The anxiety that the former honorable emperor...
--...suffered as a result --Can't you cut off my head
--of the attempt on his life, was considerable, --without hiding your face?
and was the cause of his truly regrettable demise.
Remember, right here.
Don't miss.
The old man merely gazed off into the distance
from the hideaway in which he lived.
The baby cries, seeking only
for the warmth of his mother.
We are born paying the price
for someone's punishment, for someone's sins,
but there is no such thing as a future without salvation,
and the present slips quietly into the past.
We string together nothing but hollow ideas,
and tell nothing but hollow lies.
And as the rain falls down upon us,
something appears and then fades away.
Okara-chan, I saw it! The capital was really there!
The capital was this humongous battleship!
The capital is filled with people named merchants,
who know even more about commerce than Maro-sama.
The soldiers didn't have anything to do after the wars ended,
and so they lowered themselves to being bandits, causing all kinds of violence,
but even they could be managed with the power of money,
and the merchants made them their allies.
This is where things become worrisome.
Katsu-noji is annoyed at something, and he's not acting very cool.
Sister is also at a loss. Samurai sure are strange.
They always talk about showing off their bravery, or being shamed,
and that's why their stomachs are never full.
Katsu-noji worked as hard as he could to gain Uncle Kanbe's recognition,
but I wonder what Uncle would say if he could see Katsu-noji now.
Everyone went to go rescue Sanae-chan.
I'm worried about whether or not everything will go well.