I've come to tell you, Kannagi's faithful Zokusho, the truth.
The one behind the plot to murder the princess was Kannagi.
Ohika, become my Zokusho.
Okoro
You will accept, will you not?
Lord Akachi, I do not believe what you say.
Even if what you say is true,
I have sworn loyalty to Lord Kannagi.
I will bear Lord Kannagi's crimes with him as his Zokusho.
Master Ohika...
Are you saying you refuse to obey me?
I am sorry.
To think all of you would so deeply trust a man like him.
Lord Akachi...
Appear, Okoro.
Dear...
Fuyo!
Mistress...
What are you doing, Lord Akachi?!
Submit to me, Ohika.
You intend to become king?
Then, why do you want me?
Curse your own role as Kannagi's Zokusho.
It is not just you.
I have already acquired six Hayagami.
I will ask one last time.
Will you voluntarily submit yourself to me,
or will you watch your wife die first, before I force you to submit?
I hear your wife is with child.
That bastard...
You didn't run away, Arata the Sho?
I understand. I will submit to you.
However, please give me your word
that you will not lay a hand on my wife or family, or my guests.
Ohika-san...
You have my word.
Dear!
This is right.
Hayagami Kaneri, submit now to the great Sho before me.
My life shall be as one with the great Hayagami.
Master?
What was that sound?
Please, spare my child.
Ohika...
What is this monster?
Human life means nothing to him.
He's...
...a demon.
So you're the one?
That is the Hayagami Tsutsuga submitted to?
What's wrong? You're cowering.
Akachi!
You're late, Kannagi.
Akachi...
Fuyo!
I refused to believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.
Why did you kill them all?!
The battle for the throne has begun, Kannagi.
Appear, Homura!
Okoro!
Akachi!
Homura!
Akachi...
Appear!
Wow...
So this is a battle between members of the Twelve Shinsho.
Honi-chan...
Why, Akachi? Why did you do this?!
Akachi!
Emisu...
Emisu loved you.
But you...
Kigisu, Haga,
Uka, Kuroji, Sasage,
Ohika...
That's right. They're your Zokusho.
Now they give their power to my Hayagami.
This battle is over, Kannagi.
I will take your Hayagami, as well.
Kannagi's Hayagami...
Akachi...
Damn you!
Aw, man!
Why, Akachi?!
It was you who betrayed us first, Kannagi.
Now you will feel the pain of loss.
The agony will remain with you forever,
along with the sin carved into your right shoulder.
I won't kill you.
Not until I hear the words straight from your lips.
Now, submit to me.
Terrible...
He betrayed the princess,
then he framed another for his crime so he could become king.
Stop!
You're fighting an unarmed man!
Master Arata!
Don't do it, Arata!
Do you desire the throne, as well?
You destroyed the lives of people who were living in peace.
You killed innocent people.
And even... And even a life that wasn't born yet.
What does it mean to be king?
There's no meaning in obtaining a title like that!
No meaning, you say?
Stop flaunting that idealistic sense of justice, boy.
If you are a Sho, remember this.
From now on, it's either submit or be submitted to.
I will grant you a reprieve.
Continue to suffer in your agony.
Wait!
Lord Kannagi, bring my master back to me.
You're strong, aren't you?
You can bring him back, right?
You can save Master Ohika, right?
My master respected you.
He always said you were a great Sho.
He said no other Sho could compare to you.
So you can do it, right?
I cannot.
Once a Sho has been submitted and absorbed by another's Hayagami,
he can never return.
He will never come back!
Besides, I no longer have my Hayagami.
The master and mistress were so happy to have their first child.
They told me I would help look after the baby.
They asked me to care for him like he was my own family.
They laughed... We all laughed...
I'm sorry.
Why?!
Wait!
You're depressed?
Is it because Akachi took your Hayagami?
Or is it because Ohika-san and the other Zokusho were forced to submit?
You knew, didn't you?
You knew this would happen, right?
You killed the princess!
You must have known that,
with her gone, the Sho would start a submission war!
And this is the result!
Ohika-san was a good man.
He trusted me, even though we had only just met.
He even tried to protect me.
He even believed in you until the end!
You betrayed all the Zokusho who believed in you!
So why are you the one getting depressed?!
Don't be ridiculous!
What do you know?!
We were under the princess's control all that time.
I couldn't let that opportunity pass me by!
I wanted...
...to set Homura free.
Wait, Lord Kannagi!
It's no use. He's no longer...
You're the one Tsutsuga submitted to!
He was taken in by your Hayagami, wasn't he?
You're just like Akachi!
I hate Sho.
Hey, where are you going?
Are you going after Akachi?
Are you gonna do the submission war thing?
No.
Then, where are you going?
The princess told you to lead the nation, right?
Doesn't that mean you're to become king?
I told you, I won't become king!
Yo!
Hey!
What're you so surprised for?
Well, where'd you come from?
Forget that. Are you...
Oh, uh... I mean, you've been out of school for a long time, so...
Who are you?
Huh?
Oh, yeah. You're right.
I'm not your friend anymore, am I?
Thanks for this.
What is it?
What's with him?
I want you to lead Amawakuni in my place.
Was the princess really telling me to become king?
To do what Akachi is doing?
The moon is beautiful again tonight.
I can't forgive him.
I can't forgive Akachi.
But, if I'm to stop him...
It's natural to be scared.
Even I would be, against him.
I can't see Lord Akachi's heart.
It's as if he has no soul.
No. That's not it.
I am scared, but even more so...
I'm angry with myself because I couldn't do anything.
Because I'm weak, because I don't have enough power...
I want to get stronger.
I want to get stronger and make Akachi...
But that would make me the same as Akachi.
The strong make the weak submit to them by force.
It still ends in us killing each other!
You're thinking too much.
Kanate...
You've never fought for real, have you?
I have.
Kanate!
Then bring it on! You're mad, right?
Come on! Bring it!
I don't want to hurt anyone.
Pathetic! Then just do nothing!
Pretend you didn't see anything and run away!
I won't acknowledge you.
If you want to get stronger,
if you want to get the things you want,
you have to get hurt, and hurt others!
You can't lead this nation!
Just give up right now!
I don't want to run anymore!
The princess trusted me.
I have to get stronger to live up to that trust.
I have to fight.
If the Twelve Shinsho fight using their Kamui,
the nation will suffer terribly.
I want to stop it, without submitting myself or anyone else!
But that's...
That's right.
Warden Tsutsuga didn't submit to you because he lost.
You didn't take his life.
Maybe he entrusted it to you!
Entrusted?
I believe you have what it takes to wield Saniwa with justice.
Entrusted...
Now I remember
something Mistress Makari told me when I was young.
She said there is a legendary Hayagami
that possesses no fighting Kamui,
a sword of origins that will reign over the world.
Master Arata, your Hayagami may be the legendary Hayagami,
Tsukuyo.
A sword of origins,
one that doesn't fight, but will reign over the world.
Tsukuyo?
This light...
Is that so?
Save him? You mean it?!
There's no guarantee,
but it might be possible to take back a life
that had been absorbed by a Hayagami.
With great power...
The princess might be able to bring
Ohika-san back from Akachi's Hayagami.
Bring him back...
I could see the master again.
Lead this nation...
I think I understand what that means now.
Master Arata...
To make sure no one else has to suffer,
I will move forward.
Hinohara...
Hey!
I am just a normal girl.
I thought you had shut yourself up at home,
and now you're faking amnesia?
Why did Tsukuyo choose someone like you?
I promised
Homura
that I would protect you!