"Mushi-shi"
There was a hole in the mountain...
Ah! I can see why it's a sacred mountain.
What a magnificent sight!
Lady, I'll have some buckwheat noodles.
You got it. Two orders.
And some sake, too.
Excuse me, buddy.
It's gone.
"The Sleeping Mountain"
But someone has to go.
Even if someone does go, it'll just be the same thing.
It must mean that we're still not supposed to venture into the mountain.
Mujika-dono said so, too, remember?
That's all the more reason to worry about his safety.
Are you having some kind of trouble regarding the mountain?
Wh- who are you?
I am a mushi-shi.
Something seemed odd with the mountain,
so I thought I could be of service.
Hey... a mushi-shi?
He says he's a mushi-shi.
What's going on?
Chief...
Yeah...
If that's the case, we have a favor to ask of you.
Could you search for a mushi-shi by the name of Mujika
who resides deep in the mountain?
For generations, a Guardian has lived in the mountain who knows all.
Mujika-dono is the only person who understands the Guardian's wishes.
We've been asking his advice whenever possible.
And, one of his instructions forbids us to go deep into the mountain
during harvest time.
However, since Mujika-dono didn't come back to his den for quite some time,
we broke that taboo, and several people went into the mountain in search of him.
But they soon fell ill of a high fever and nearly died.
What life energy!
It seems a little sweet, or a little bitter...
A stifling scent that sticks to my skin...
This is a path of the light vein.
It's a place where the river of life runs through.
Moreover, it's harvest time.
Even an ordinary mountain's life energy will increase.
If a person goes in unprepared, he will be hit by the energy and be bewildered.
This being a path of the light vein,
there should be a Guardian who is in control here.
The mountain's abnormalities are probably caused by changes in the Guardian.
In which case, the said mushi-shi should know something.
Wha?!
Is this boy from the village?
Hey!
What are you doing here?
I have to find Mujika.
I'm... Mujika's apprentice.
So he has an apprentice.
Hold this between your back teeth.
Ugh! B-bitter!
You were supposed to bite into it when you felt dizzy.
It's a stimulant, so...
Y-you should've warned me earlier!
Well, just take it easy for a moment.
I'll find your teacher for you.
What... are you going to do?
Mugura-nori...
There are mushi called Mugura which are like the nerves of the mountain.
I'm going to burrow my consciousness in them and run through the vegetation.
Here they come.
I don't see him.
Not this way. Go around...
to the opposite side of the mountain.
There he is.
He looked this way!
He ripped the Mugura away from me.
A-are you okay?
I see...
Let's go... He's this way.
What? Really?
A bell? I guess it's around 4 o'clock...
I don't remember there being a bell in that direction.
He should be somewhere around here.
Oh! Over there!
Over here!
Mujika!
And then? What happened after you slipped and hurt your leg?
I was eating the fruits and grasses around me.
I had water on me.
I've troubled the villagers by being unable to let them know the Guardian's wishes.
And on top of that... to be rescued by a fellow mushi-shi!
My name is Ginko.
I'm Mujika. I'm a little embarrassed, but grateful.
I've thought of this mountain as my own backyard.
But to have slipped in such a place... I'm getting old.
Perhaps it's time for me to give up my duties.
You mean as Guardian of the mountain?
The only one who can rip Mugura mushi off from an invader
is either the true guardian of the place
or someone who is exercising the guardian's powers.
The reason the mountain was undergoing unusual changes was because you,
the guardian, couldn't exercise your powers
since you were unable to move from the bottom of the cliff.
Yeah...
But I think I can somehow continue my guardian duties tomorrow
despite my leg.
The mountain will go back to being normal.
But I hear that it's difficult for a human to assume the role of a guardian.
Were there extenuating circumstances?
I'm sure you're aware by now, but this is a path of the light vein.
There used to be a rightful guardian who could suppress the mountain's energy.
But a villager killed it by accident.
The waters of the river began to smell like sake,
and the vegetation started to over-ripen and rot.
I, too, was a traveling mushi-shi in the past,
and I began to stop by this village frequently.
I saw the villagers in trouble and decided to become the guardian.
My wife wasn't able to live long,
perhaps because of the mountain's life energy.
So you're planning to make that boy the next guardian?
Yes, that's right.
He had sure footing on the mountainous terrain.
It's no wonder...
He was born of the mountain and raised on the mountain.
You saw how many children there were in the village, right?
Because of the water flowing from this mountain,
the women are constantly giving birth.
But they can't raise all the children, so some are abandoned in the mountain.
This boy is the only one who survived not getting eaten by a wild beast.
But his siblings, who remained in the village, all died young.
When his parents found out that their son was still alive,
they took him back to the village. It has been almost a year since then.
How selfish.
You're right, but it can't be helped. It's surely for the best.
The ringing of a bell...
This late at night?
Have you always been a wandering mushi-shi who's never laid down roots?
Yes, that's right... because I have a tendency to attract mushi.
If I live too long in one place, it will end up becoming a nest for mushi.
So I learned how to drive mushi away out of necessity.
Then I guess you have no choice but to be a rolling tumbleweed.
I don't mind. It suits my personality and it's not a big deal.
I see...
From the viewpoint of someone who is unable to set foot outside of this mountain,
I'm a bit jealous.
For better or for worse, this mountain will be the final resting place for my bones.
Okay then... I'll go back to let the others in the village know what's going on,
but don't overdo yourself while I'm gone.
I know. And don't you come back
until the restriction period for entering the mountain is over.
Well, you take care, too.
Yes, stay well.
Mujika...
I'm still your apprentice, right?
Of course. Even the trek here from the village can be training.
You're on track to be one helluva mushi-shi.
Yeah!
Hey! The mushi-shi is back! And Kodama is with him, too.
Mujika-san is safe!
It's getting closer.
And it's not because of the wind. Where on earth is...
Ginko-san!
Something is strange about that sound. There are no bells around these parts,
and my dad and the others are saying they can't hear anything.
I wonder if it's some kind of mushi.
Let me ask you one thing.
Have you already learned how to become Guardian?
Guardian?
I'm talking about the way for a human to become a guardian.
By keeping the Mugura mushi inside your body,
you are in a state of constantly performing Mugura-nori.
Even while you're sleeping,
all things that are sensed by the mountain flow into your body.
If you bear it and become able to control Mugura,
you'll even gain the power to restrain the mountain's unusual energy.
I haven't learned that yet.
I see.
Well, the source of the bell is a mushi you don't have to worry too much about.
Go home and get back to sleep.
Where're you going?
I'm in the middle of a stroll.
Got it?
The mountain... is completely silent...
Which means that it is right around the corner...
The old man is calling over something terrible.
Where is he?
That sound... it's heading towards...
The summit!
Oh, you still have business with me?
Your foot's not injured, is it?!
All that time, you were beckoning a Kuchinawa in that inconspicuous place.
What are you talking about?
That bell-like sound that's getting closer... that's the cry of a Kuchinawa.
It's a mushi that eats guardians...
a mushi that eats mountain and swamp guardians
and takes their place as guardians.
It is also a mushi which will bring stability to those places.
It is my mission to do this. Don't interfere.
The previous Guardian was a magnificent one.
It was a beautiful guardian whose figure was that of a giant old boar.
I am... to blame.
I shouldn't have said what I did...
Save the details for later. Get off this mountain now.
It's too late. The Kuchinawa has already found me.
A creature like the Kuchinawa ought to sit in the guardian's seat...
as it's too difficult for a human.
What I taught Kodama is just the wisdom he needs to survive.
What're you doing?
I'm ripping the Mugura from you.
It's useless!
Even if you could do that, there's no other recourse...
There must be something, other than doing this!
What about the villagers?
They revere you... need you...
You said you were a little envious of me,
but the truth is, I was a little envious of you, too.
You can't just decide to die by yourself like this!!
Don't! You'll only get yourself dragged in!
What's this?!
Mujika?
Mujika!
Hey! Mujika's back!
Mujika!
Saku...
Welcome back!
Thanks.
Hey, everyone. How's the mountain?
Well, there have been several strange occurrences this year, too.
We appreciate your coming.
Hey, Mujika. Can't you come live in our village?
We need you here in the village.
I can't.
Why not?
I have the tendency to draw out mushi.
If I live in one place for too long, it will become a nest for mushi.
Isn't there any way around it?
Saku... my younger sister... she's always waiting for your return.
Can't you settle down with her here?
There is only one way for me to be able to live here.
And that is for me to kill and eat the mountain guardian and take its place.
Then, I will be able to keep mushi off the mountain with my mind.
I want to live here, too.
But there is no way that it can happen.
My map of the Guardian's pathway and poison are gone.
When did they go missing?
Saku! Where have you?!
Oh... I got... some boar meat.
I'll make a hot pot with it right away,
it'll just be a bit.
I'll make a really good one.
S-Saku...
So... so tell me you won't ever leave...
I dreamed about something that certainly isn't part of my memory.
When I arrived at the summit, you were on the ground...
and Mujika was nowhere to be seen.
I looked and looked for him, but I couldn't find him.
There wasn't a trace of his den either.
And not one villager remembers who Mujika was.
Once a guardian is eaten by Kuchinawa...
once the guardian is replaced by a new one, that's what happens.
Only those who were on the mountain at the time will have their memories intact.
Oh? Was it you who prepared this mushi repellent?
Yeah.
Wow, I'm impressed.
I can do that much. After all, I'm Mujika's apprentice.
Hey, Kodama...
There's a tree which the others can't seem to cut down.
They want to know if you have any ideas.
I'm on my way.
I'll be right back.
Sure. Don't worry about me.
Brr, it's cold.
There's no other recourse!
There must be something, other than doing this!!
He was right... unfortunately.
What a majestic being.
And it couldn't care less what humans think.
Right, Kuchinawa?
As if yawning, the Kuchinawa gave a single cry,
and thereafter his stomach just heaved in silence.
"The Sleeping Mountain"
One-eyed fish.
"One-Eyed Fish" One-eyed fish.
"One-Eyed Fish"