Excuse me! Pardon me!
Begin!
Uh..are you all right?
Be more careful! Mr. Wild Boar!
Huh?
Well uh... !
I...l'm very sorry!
Unbelievable...
Kyoji!
Master!
You over slept again?
I'm sorry I'm late!
How's the first round going?
It's almost done.
You won?
All right!!
I'm so sorry. I must be really late.
Thanks for coming. You must have been busy.
Tate, this is your big game. So I postponed the deadline for my article.
Oh! It's you!
Sorry about before...
You both know each other?
We bumped each other at the train station.
Here, you for got this.
Oh my god! What was I thinking? Thank you.
Next to your life, that sword is the most important thing, eh?
Well, I was in a hurry.
Let me properly introduce both of you.
This is my friend and kendo disciple, Mr. Miura.
Kyoji Miura. Nice to meet you.
Yuka Kiritake, I'm a freelance journalist. Although, I just started.
And uhm, she is also my fiancee.
What?! I never knew you were engaged!
True love is always a mystery.
What?
The second round is starting soon. Could you please escort Yuka?
Shall we?
Uh, yeah.
Head!
Head Strike! Game point!
He did it! Perfect!
Now he's made it to the semifinals.
There will be a 15 minute break before the semifinal round.
Uh, Yuka, would you like something to drink?
No thanks. I'm all right.
Well then, I'll be right back...
Huh?
Daimon! What the hell are you doing? You scared me!
You broke your own rule about being on time...
Now you leave a beautiful girl all by herself...? You really are an idiot!
It's not like that! Her name is Yuka Kiritake...
she's Tate's fiancee!
She's Tate's?
Ah, now it all makes sense. The two of you were so mismatched...
it looked like beauty and the beast.
What do you mean by beast!? Take it back!
A...all right! I'll take back the beast. How about "wild animal"?
Go some place else if you two want to fool around.
Well, it's my high-school kendo rival, Shinri Shiogami!
Ah, Miura. What a shame. You're still an unworthy opponent.
That bastard!
So that's the demon swordsman of high school kendo, Shinri Shiogami?
He likes using the name Shinri, because it means "god of death".
His sword skill is incredible,...
but he uses illegal attacks to deliberately injure people.
Do you think you could beat him?
I'd never want to lose to him!
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are about to begin the semifinal round.
I got to get back!
Head!
The final two competitors are Nishiwaki and Tate.
The winner will represent Tokyo in the Japan national tournament .
Bow!
Begin!
Forearm! Head!
Whew...that was close.
Don't!
That sword technique...l must have it!
Doctor!
This is just a nightmare...
This is just me, having a nightmare...
Today, a strange accident occurred at a Kendo tournament held in Tokyo.
During the final round Of the tournament,...
4th ranked Tate struck 5th ranked Nishiwaki's breastplate...
with an unusual stroke that cut the breastplate...
squarely in half and broke four of Nishiwaki's ribs.
That's incredible!
It's really looks like he cut it with a sharp sword.
Oh! You're back, big brother.
You must've seen it. The breastplate cut in two pieces. His broken ribs!
I saw it, but I still can't believe it.
Despite his victory, Masanari Tate declined the invitation...
to represent Tokyo in the National Championships.
What?! How could he turn it down?
Tate sensei could certainly win the national championship!
He injured a person. Of course he would decline the invitation.
But what a waste!
He has the nobility to choose...
good sportsmanship rather than the crown of victory.
Kyoji should only learn from Tate's good example, right?.
I saw it...l clearly saw it with my eyes...
That was not a dream.
Here is...the proof it wasn't...
I was on duty today, so I was the first person to come to school.
Then I saw these TV cameras all lined up!
Rena, maybe you will get discovered as a TV Star!
I couldn't believe it when I saw it on TV.
Because he's really a strange looking, effeminate man.
He's both the art teacher, and the adviser for that loser Kendo club...
That makes me think there's something fishy about him.
What do you mean by fishy?
N...nothing.
Hey! Kyoji. You must have seen the tournament.
There were so many TV reporters here covering Tate's story, just before.
Wha...?
Hey wait, Kyoji!
Oh there you are.
I have to get to the teacher's room.
Tate's not there.
Huh?
I heard the school got a call from him, asking for a leave of absence.
I stopped by his place this morning. He wasn't there.
Disappeared...hmm?
People think he acted like a fiend. The media is in a frenzy.
That's stupid! The match was ruled as perfectly fair. You were there.
I saw it. But I still can't believe what I saw.
How did you see it?
How?
Tell me exactly the way you saw it.
Well...
Nishiwaki tried to do...
a forward stroke to the head like this...
Tate moved quickly, and struck the breastplate with a follow through.
And at that moment, did Tate look different to you?
Not really...
But I felt a strong spirit from him. A shiver ran down my spine...
when I saw Tate's eyes through his mask.
I see...
But Tate broke that guy's ribs. That wasn't good.
It could even mean the closing Of the Kendo Club.
No way!
Look! Tate will have to resign as the kendo club advisor because of this...
And except for you, all the other members are just names.
Then I need more members! It's not going to close down....Huh?
Hey! Dan wait up!
Yo! Miura!
I need your help! I'm begging!
What?
P.U. !
This smells really sweaty.
The smell must be nothing for someone who's so obsessed with mountains,...
that he wound up repeating another year of school.
But why is this thing so tight...?
Everything can't be as comfortable as your sleeping bag.
Here, hold the sword like this.
Place your left pinkie and ring finger like this,...
and use the right hand just to support it.
Yeah, that's it.
Well then, let's begin.
What about your protective gear?
I am at the second level of Kendo. So you don't have to worry about me.
All right! Then I won't hesitate to beat you!
Whoa! You have power... but Kendo isn't about power!
Wrist! Head!
Owwww!
Are you all right?
Damn it!
Your leaving yourself...
wide open!
What's wrong with you? For a mountain climber, your legs sure are weak.
It's not over yet!
This time! You're going to get it!
Hey, that's a mop!
Wow!
Not yet! Head!
Uh... Y.. You won...?
I'm beat. I never thought it would be this tough.
You were like a different person when you grabbed that mop.
Have you ever fought using a cudgel?
With a cudgel?
It's a cane made from oak trees.
I've never heard of that, but a cane is a mountaineer's friend.
I can use one to catch trout.
That's sounds cool! So... Do you want to practice Kendo with me?
It may not be a bad idea.
Tate!
Yuka...
Master is not here. He's been missing.
Master? That's a classic.
It's probably my Grandpa's influence.
Your whole family lives together? That sounds nice.
Only when Grandpa doesn't lecture me.
You're spoiled...
Tate lost his parents early, and had to live at his uncle's house.
I heard his parents died abroad, in an accident.
They were killed by terrorists...
He was in the fifth grade when it happened.
I have great respect for him...
He's been involved with volunteer groups ever since high school.
In college, he went all over the world working as a volunteer.
That was about the time we met each other.
Was he practicing martial arts back then?
Martial arts?
That's what he told me.
But once he saw a Japanese sword, he started Kendo.
He said it touched his Japanese spirit.
The Japanese sword exemplifies the contrary elements of beauty and power.
He told me that over and over.
But I got scared of him every time he held a real sword.
Master told me that the sword is the soul of man. I feel that way too.
Master really had an influence on you.
Once, I acted like a big shot after I reached the first level of Kendo.
But Master taught me a hard lesson.
When you use the sword...
or any kind of power without purpose, it becomes useless.
If you want to be powerful, Then use your brain.
He had taught me an important lesson in life that day...
"That I should think before I act." Ever since then, I called him Master.
I admire and respect him more than anyone else.
Sometimes I feel like he's my brother. Other times I feel like, he's my hero.
I'm glad you're not a woman.
What?
Let's get back.
Aren't you cold?
No...But I wonder why...
Why what?
We've only met each other twice, but I feel like I've known you a long time.
Uhh...Yuka...
Yes?
At the tournament when Master struck the breastplate...
he looked like a totally different person to me.
A different person?
He looked like an ancient warrior. Using a real sword.
Yuka, did you see anything?
How could I possibly see a thing like that?
Kyoji, you must have been hallucinating.
Uhh...l guess you're right.
Well, I have to get going.
But...
Kyoji!
Tate quit his job as teacher.
What?
He left a message for you. He's waiting for you at his dojo.
Hey! Kyoji!
Do me a favor and tell Dan to meet me there!
Why me...?
Master, please listen to me. Withdraw your resignation!
Master!
I don't know who forged this sword, but it was made very well.
Let's practice with it today.
Wha...?
Don't worry, it's not much Different than a wooden sword.
Come and strike at me, just like we usually practice.
But...
Do it!
Trust your sword, and set your soul on it.
Overcome your fear of death by letting your mind go.
That's it.
Is he crazy? This can't be happening!?
Awaken!...Warrior Bilka!
Where are we?
Thauantin-suyu...the holy land
Thauantin-suyu?
I am the reborn spirit of the warrior, Yawaru!
You are the reborn spirit of the warrior, Bilka!
Yawaru? Bilka? What are you talking about?
Just trust me. Join me my friend. Awaken, Bilka!
This is crazy! I don't understand any of this!
Stop!!!!
You will need that sword for later....
Why? Why? Why is this happening!?
A pure and dark ambition begins its journey.
To these reincarnated souls! Come together, to the land of Nazca!
And find your own destiny!