Killing the imperial envoy, to say nothing of an attempt on the emperor's life...
Sensei has failed.
Sure enough, this was too much for Sensei to do alone.
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.
Can't you cut off my head without hiding your face?
Remember, right here.
Don't miss.
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?
That's the way!
Not bad.
Honorable Emperor, to the capital, quickly!
Honorable Emperor!
Kanbe-kun, bravo!
Wow, samurai sure are formidable, huh?!
I think that those who wage war have something fundamentally wrong in the head.
The wars are over now. Why do they want to fight like this?
Fine, I am the emperor now. I am in charge of many people's lives.
We have to avoid fighting that won't accomplish anything.
Everyone, listen!
The attempt that this man made on the life of the former emperor...
...was carried out in order to rescue some women that my predecessor had kidnapped.
That's the reason. It's okay, I understand.
I will brush aside everything that has happened,
and release Kanbe-kun with a full pardon.
I will also set free all of the women!
Whoa! Can this really be happening?
Emperor is a nice man!
My predecessor kidnapped these women in order to create a successor.
What an awful tale, huh?
It's no wonder why you would be angry, Kanbe-kun.
Honorable Emperor!
Tessai! If you'd be so kind, let the women go.
That's the deal, Kanbe-kun.
What is to happen to Kanna Village?!
I'm returning their women. That will be the end of it.
We won't be going to Kanna Village again.
Are you sure about this? Doesn't this set a bad example for the masses?
Everything was my predecessor's fault, and I'll leave it at that.
As for the way I will be governing things...
...I think everyone understands now.
Ah, it's you. How is Kirara-kun doing?
Huh? Katsu-noji!
What a poor sense of timing that boy has!
Whoa now, stop. I've come to an agreement with your leader.
Such a hard worker.
You think you can just take the women with you?
You guys are going to be cut down for sure.
Shut up! Just take us to where they are!
You needn't worry.
We are not only bringing you along so that you can show us the way.
You're also going to act as our shield.
Y- you lowly peasant!
That's quite the menacing thing you just said, Missy.
You can have it back.
Just a moment, Ayamaro-sama.
The inner chambers are past this point, and as such,
only those who have the permission of the honorable emperor may pass.
Those two are Shikimori--
Y- you miscreant!
What gave me away?
S- stop! Can you not see who I am?!
You want to go at it?!
Wait!
Kanbe!
Kanbe-sama!
Tessai-dono, what is the meaning of this?
It is the will of the honorable emperor.
The predecessor's handmaidens are to be released.
Huh?! What's going on, Katsu-noji?!
Take the women and leave at once.
And don't ever come back to the capital again!
You don't have to tell us.
Excellency...
Begging your pardon!
Is Sanae here?! Sanae, wife of Rikichi, from Kanna Village?!
Sanae?
Ah, the previous emperor's woman?
Yeah.
She's inside.
Thanks.
Katsushiro...
Why have you come?
I wanted to be of help.
Rejoice!
You have been set free!
R- really?
We can go home to our village?
Kanbe-sama!
Sanae-san, did you hear?
Sanae-san!
Thank goodness! You're all right!
Who are you?
Sorry to startle you. It's Kirara.
Kirara, the Mikumari. I've come to get you.
Mikumari-sama...?
Why...?
Let's go home, Sanae-san. Rikichi-san is waiting for you.
I cannot go.
Sanae-san, are you still saying that? The emperor is dead now.
What's the deal?
I don't know...
Sanae-dono is carrying the emperor's child.
She's what?!
About that...
What happened?
The child...
I...
I killed it.
No you didn't. There was nothing you could do.
The previous emperor passed away, and you fell ill...
You don't have to spell it out!
I... cannot return to Rikichi-san.
I will pray for the souls of the emperor and our child for the rest of my life.
Sanae-san...
I am taking you home with me.
My predecessor could have done this
without having to resort to using the bandits.
The capital can be either friend or foe, depending on the humor of the masses.
To the masses, the capital is now without a doubt on their side.
With the release of the women,
Kanna Village will be looking up to the capital now.
You really think so?
We're going to head to the farming areas now.
What is it you are saying?
The peasants have never seen the capital. That's why they fear it.
Let's show them the capital.
We will go to the peasants, and make friendly with them.
And then, finally, we will head to Kanna Village.
If Kanna Village hadn't hired those samurai,
these reforms would have never happened.
That's why I would like the capital to personally give them their reward.
As you command.
However,
there might be an unfortunate accident that takes place.
Understand?
Peasants that have known war will not go back to being regular peasants again.
I was in a farming village, so I would know.
Peasants that have learned a way to release themselves
from the discontent that they bear...
...are very dangerous to the capital.
Excellency, please take advantage of the situation and escape with those others.
What?
Excellency, having served as the lord over Kogakyo,
you cannot resign yourself to living out your days as the keeper of some warehouse.
Then Tessai, you come as well.
I cannot be allowed to go.
But you used to work for me.
Right now, I serve the young lord.
Tessai...
I will tell the young lord...
that your excellency has been taken away by those others, to serve as their shield.
Ukyo will search for me.
No. I'm afraid, Excellency, that you are no longer of any worth to him.
But how am I to...?
Sister!
Komachi!
Sister!
I'm so glad you're all safe!
I saw it! Uncle Kanbe was incredible!
But, but, I was most surprised by that man named Emperor!
After all, he said that it was okay for everyone to get away!
Emperor is a nice man, huh?
Yes...
I'm not so sure we should really be thinking that.
Why not?
I just can't bring myself to trust Ukyo, who is now the emperor.
I do not think this is over yet.
Who cares? Everyone's safe. You're just thinking about this too hard!
It's Sanae-chan! Sanae-chan!
What a pretty kimono! Amazing!
Komachi...?
Yes! This huge fellow is my groupie.
Who-- who are you calling groupie?!
I'm going to get you for getting carried away with yourself, half-pint!
Is Rikichi-san here, too?
Rice! Rice! The capital is going to treat us to rice!
They said it's free!
First thing they do is ply us with rice...
Aren't you coming?!
Yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming!
The capital has just left for the campaign trail.
This rice is being offered as a gift,
in celebration of the honorable emperor's installation.
Receive it with gratitude.
The samurai is back!
Now then...
What do we do now, with our extended family?
Let's have the Firefly Inn take us in.
Once we rest there overnight, we'll take everyone to Kanna Village.
Is my sister there?
No, we'll meet her on the way.
Forgive me for borrowing this.
This is a keepsake from my ma.
I'm sorry I had to do it. However, if I hadn't, you would not be safe now.
Listen to you! You're not only a samurai, but a thief as well.
So it seems.
I bought some things for you to wear.
Everyone, please change your clothes!
Excellency...
W- w- wait, wait, wait, wait! W- what do you think you're doing?!
D- did Ukyo order this?
Kyuzo...!
Kyuzo... why, you...!
He expresses benevolence, even as he intends to wipe us all out, does he?
This has nothing to do with you.
Do not lay a hand on Shimada Kanbe.
Wait!
Please wait, Kyuzo!
My, what have we here?
We'd like to make use of a room. Don't worry, we will not be staying long.
How very formal of you. Please, make yourselves at home.
Shichiroji is still at the village.
Never mind that blockhead.
My word, he is always left-behind Shichiroji, isn't he?
I heard about what happened this afternoon.
I'm so pleased that everyone is all right. You don't need to pay.
I'll be sure to charge that man through the nose for it later.
Sanae-san, they said that our beds are ready.
Won't you get some sleep?
Sanae-san...
How is she?
Mizuki-san is with her.
I'm worried about her, so tonight,
we decided to take turns staying next to Sanae-san.
Will you be okay, just the two of you? If you like, I would be happy to join you.
That's all right. Thank you, Yukino-san.
How can something like this be allowed to happen?
How can she say that the emperor, the one who kidnapped her, is a kind man?
The look in her eyes was the real thing.
She sincerely loved the emperor.
Is that all you have to say, after taking on the capital all by yourself?!
That's right. I was caught off guard by it.
There was something there that you could not cut down with a sword.
Sensei, you've lost my respect!
Please stop.
Kanbe-sama, what can we do for her? You have to feel sorry for Rikichi-san.
There isn't a thing we can do for her.
It's so cold of you to say it like that!
Then, what can you do for her?!
Katsushiro-sama, you wouldn't understand!
The way we felt, handing over our rice to the bandits every year!
We were like living corpses, kept around only to produce rice!
Sanae-san offered herself to them, in order to save us from our misery!
It was a very noble act!
If I'd had just a little courage back then...
If I'd had the courage I have now,
then I'm sure that Rikichi-san and Sanae-san would be--
Stop! What's passed is passed.
Whoa-whoa-whoa! Kanbe-kun, aren't you the suave one?
After all, you were so bowled over by the way that Sanae looked,
that you let yourself be unceremoniously captured, right?
Leave it alone already, Kiku-noji.
As for the lady, we can only give her a little time.
What she needs most right now is Rikichi. Rikichi will remedy her.
You're just a fountain of elderly wisdom, huh?
You bet I am, you punk kid.
Well, whatever the outcome, the village's women have been saved.
That's pretty good by itself, isn't it, Kanbe-san?
You fools!
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, how are you? We finally succeeded in rescuing Sanae-chan!
I should have expected as much from Uncle Kanbe.
He didn't care that he was having his head cut off,
he turned the execution block into his own climactic scene.
He did the same thing when I first saw him.
I wonder if Uncle likes running wild in front of lots of people.
Katsu-noji tried hard to rescue Uncle and Sanae-chan himself,
but it was all taken away from him just as he was getting there.
I feel sorry for him.
It's like Sister said, he should have just waited it out quietly.
It looks like there was something the matter with Sanae-chan,
once she was rescued.
It's too difficult for me to understand,
but even though the capital kidnapped her,
she thinks very highly of the emperor, the head of the capital.
I wonder what will happen to her.
Everyone has been saved, but there are still lots of problems,
and I'm all nervous and excited.
Okay then, bye now!