S-Soo-Won... Quickly, call a doctor!
King Il will not wake again.
I killed him.
What are you talking about?
Y-You aren't someone who could do this...
You don't know how I have lived for this day.
Episode 2: Torn Bonds
It's too quiet...
Then, no one has noticed yet?
No, sir.
The honored guests and civil officials are all drunk from the party and fast asleep.
I see.
Only General Hak's movements are cause for concern.
Who is cause for concern?
Why don't you tell me in detail?
Wh-Why?
My father cared for you since you were a child...
You're right.
I loved King Il, too.
Even though people whispered that he was a coward who feared conflict,
I used to believe that was what made him kind.
However, I was wrong.
That wasn't the case.
Do you remember my father, Yoo-hong?
My uncle?
Ever since my father was young, he was courageous and intelligent.
He grew into a man who always led our armies to victory.
Everyone wanted him to become the next king, and no one doubted he would.
However, ten years ago,
the former king, Junam, chose not my father, but Uncle Il, as King of Kouka.
No one understood his choice.
The eldest son was the rightful successor to the throne,
so why did he choose the weak Il?
But my father kept smiling.
The throne is no big deal to me.
I will continue to fight on the front lines,
to protect my younger brother and my people.
I was proud of my father, and had great respect for him.
Someday, I hoped to stand alongside him
on the battlefield, and offer my life to him.
But after succeeding the throne,
for reasons unknown, King Il killed Yoo-hong, his own brother.
No... My uncle died in an accident...
That's the official story.
But King Il stabbed my father to death with a sword.
Do you understand?
King Il, who was thought to hate weapons and avoid conflict,
killed my father with a sword.
No... It's not true...
It's the truth.
I have avenged my father, and to honor his final wish,
I will become King of Kouka.
It's not true...
This is a dream... A nightmare...
After all, Soo-won,
you smiled so kindly when you...
I love your hair, Yona.
...when you gave me this hair ornament...
I wasn't expecting you to be awake in the middle of the night.
I had heard you hardly ever visited the king's quarters.
Why did you come, Princess Yona?
I wanted to tell him...
I wanted to tell my father
that I could never forget you...
Lord Soo-won.
Kye-sook.
Everything is ready.
You've achieved your long-cherished desire.
Did Princess Yona see you?
This will make things quick.
Kill her, Lord Soo-won.
Silence the princess.
Soo-won?
Put it out! We don't want anyone suspecting anything!
Yes, sir!
Seize her.
Yes, sir!
Who... Who was that person?
That person who killed my father, and who is trying to kill me,
is not Soo-won!
He isn't my beloved Soo-won!
Prepare yourself, Princess.
This is for the Kingdom of Kouka.
Did he hate me?
Since we were young, I...
I only ever loved Soo-won.
I didn't ask for much.
As long as I could see Soo-won's smile, I was happy.
Soo-won!
I knew Lord Soo-won was here tonight, so I was trying to stay out of your way.
The guards who were supposed to be on watch are all gathered here.
There are people I don't recognize, too.
What's going on here?
Huh, Lord Soo-won?
H-Hak?
I'm sorry for leaving your side, Princess Yona.
Hak...
Hak, are you on my side?
The king told me to protect you.
No matter what happens,
I will obey his orders!
Withdraw, servant.
You are standing before King Soo-won, the new master of Hiryuu Castle.
Who's the master of what, now?
I have a bad feeling about this, but I must ask.
Lord Soo-won, where is King Il?
I just sent him to hell.
Are you drunk?
That's going too far, even for a joke.
Ask Princess Yona.
She confirmed the king's death with her own eyes.
Tell the truth!
I'm not lying.
Soo-won! You're telling me you killed your king?
You killed our kind king?!
Lord Soo-won...
Stay back.
If you get any closer, you'll lose your head.
The man standing before you is Son Hak.
This man is...
Yes. He is the heart of Castle Hiryuu, and one of the five generals...
The Thunder Beast of Kouka.
Soo-won, why? Are you trying to usurp the throne?
No, you're not the type to fixate yourself on that kind of thing.
Did you turn your sword on our kind king, who detested weapons?
Your pride allowed that?!
Kindness?
This kingdom has no need for a weak king!
Son Hak...
The grandson of Son Mundok, former head of the Wind Tribe,
he rose to lead the tribe at a young age.
A single blow from his blade is like lightning,
earning him the nickname of the "Thunder Beast of Kouka."
That's enough!
Lay down your weapon, Thunder Beast.
Lord Soo-won, are you all right?
Soo-won...
Was the Soo-won I saw an illusion?
I thought I could entrust you with the princess.
Fool. You may be one of the five generals, but you are still young.
What?
At this rate, the Kingdom of Kouka will fall into ruin before long.
For you and Princess Yona, who have indulged in peace at Castle Hiryuu,
there is no way to imagine Lord Soo-won's feelings—
Quiet, Kye-sook.
What does that mean?
The Soo-won you know never existed.
Should anyone get in my way, I will cut him down,
no matter who he is.
I don't want to hear this.
I don't want to hear any of this anymore...
Wh-What?
After them! Don't let them escape!
Yes, sir!
This way, General Hak!
Were you the one who made that terrible shot, Min-soo?
Huh?
Take the princess and follow me. Don't fall behind.
Y-Yes, sir.
Out of the way!
This way!
Yes, sir.
General Hak, behind you!
We should find somewhere to hide.
You're right.
Let's go.
Yes, sir.
There's no end to them.
Princess, is King Il really dead?
I see.
I'm sorry. I just couldn't believe it.
Until just a while ago, he was smiling so happily about your birthday.
It's only a matter of time until they find us.
The soldiers that Lord Soo-won brought here,
along with the guards loyal to him, are gathering within the castle.
If we're caught, they'll definitely kill us...
Yes.
I'll secure an escape route for you.
You two must escape from the castle.
But you...
Don't worry about me. I promise I'll get away.
They're around here somewhere! Find them!
Yes, sir!
Six soldiers in front of the rear gate.
More waiting in ambush.
Min-soo, you...
I'll draw them after me.
You use that opportunity to escape.
Princess,
take care.
There she is!
She's over there!
Don't let her escape!
Min-soo...
Princess, hurry!
There she is! This way!
Princess... King...
They seem to have escaped into the mountains.
I will organize a party to search the mountains immediately.
General Hak was raised in the precipitous mountain village of Capital Fuuga.
Even if he has the princess with him,
it will be difficult for the men of the castle to find them.
Princess Yona,
should we rest a while?
Is Min-soo dead?
Am I going to die, too?
Is Soo-won going to kill you, too?
I don't have a life to give to that piece of crap.
Please don't die, Hak.
If you die, I won't forgive you...
I still can't believe it.
I can't believe King Il died,
and left the princess alone...
You good-for-nothing king.
Soo-won...
I'm sorry.
I had them comb the mountains all night, but they still haven't found anything.
How are things inside the castle?
People are beginning to notice something is wrong, and unrest is growing.
General Joo-doh, what's going on?
Is this the work of insurgents?
We're investigating the matter as quickly as we can.
What shall we do, Lord Soo-won?
Let's go, Princess. Our pursuers are coming.
Where are we going?
During the party, even though my father was crying tears of joy,
I didn't utter a single word of thanks to him.
Where am I supposed to go now,
leaving my father behind?
Hak...
We'll go anywhere, as long as it means you'll live.
That is how you can return the king's feelings.
My sixteenth birthday...
That night,
I lost my family, my home, and the people I loved.
And then, I had the encounters that led me to the present.
What is that?
Fire!
Who are you?
A new enemy!
Quietly depart
from the Kingdom of Kouka!
I won't let you do as you please to this kingdom!
Damn you...
What?
I will live
to repay my late father's love, and my friends' kindness!
Next Time
Princess, use me so that you may live.
That is what I'm here for.
Next time, Akatsuki no Yona episode 3:
Episode 3: The Distant Sky
The Distant Sky.