[Okita's sister, Mitsuba, falls ill right before her marriage to Kuraba.]
[Okita only wishes for his sister's remaining days to be happy, but the cold-hearted Hijikata will have none of that.]
[Oedo Hospital]
Gin-san...
What were you and Yamazaki-san talking about yesterday?
Huh? Nothing. Don't worry about it.
If you put it like that, it makes me worry even more.
Come on, don't ask silly questions.
When men get together and talk secretly about something...
...then it's gotta be about this. You wanna see it?
[The Nurse's Fluttering Flowers.]
Oh my!
I guess boys will always be boys.
They'll get together and be up to no good.
Just like them...
That's all for today.
They look the happiest when they're with other guys.
There really was no room for girls.
And then they left without me.
They didn't even look back.
What a bunch of terrible guys to have left such a good woman behind.
I know. That's why I'm going to become super happy and put them all to shame!
Being single up to this age and my poor health have caused So-chan a lot of worry.
I have to find happiness so So-chan will no longer have to worry about me.
Yes, I have to become happy.
Tenkaiya, the family Mitsuba will marry into...
has some shady connections with the Anti-Foreigner Faction.
Hey, you okay? You should get some rest.
You're putting stress on your body.
I'm...okay...
I just want to talk with someone for a little bit...
...more...
Hey!
Her condition suddenly turned worse.
It's not looking good.
Her family should prepare for the worst.
That's what the doctor said.
Vice-Chief, please go to her.
How can you work at a time like this?
And not only that, you're going to arrest Mitsuba's fiancé of all people...
That's cruel...too cruel.
Please think of Mitsuba and Captain Okita's feelings.
I don't think you're doing the wrong thing.
If we leave them be, then eventually their weapons may kill one of our own.
But what should be done right now...isn't this.
Hijikata-san, this is not where you should be right now.
Humph.
Are you trying to say I'm cold and heartless?
I don't think so.
His wife is dying and yet the husband's out here trying to cut a deal.
Hijikata-san.
Yamazaki, you haven't told anyone else about this, have you?
N-No...
So you and I are the only ones in the organization who know of this, right?
Yes.
In that case, I want you to keep this matter confidential, okay?
Vice-Chief! You're not thinking of...!
Vice-Chief!!
Sogo!
You should get some rest.
You haven't slept a wink since yesterday.
I'll switch with you. I've already slept.
Those dark circles.
It's just makeup.
Huh?
Man, it must be nice to be carefree like that.
What's he doing here anyway?
I heard you had a huge fight with Toshi.
It's not like you to lose.
Please don't talk about that bastard right now.
He didn't go into detail, but this is what he told me.
He said he feels like he would never lose to you right now.
I asked you not to talk about him!
What's the deal? Why does everyone talk about Toshi all the time?
So where the hell is that bastard right now?
My sister's like this yet he won't even show his face.
So he doesn't give a damn if a woman he dumped is dying?
Well I guess that's how it is when you're popular with the girls, huh?
Looks like you are tired after all. You should get some rest.
Do you despise me now?
Go rest.
Am I just a nuisance?
Unlike Hijikata-san...
Chief!!
This is terrible!!
The Vice-Chief is...!!
Hm?
You're Toma Kuraba of Tenkaiya, right?
The jig is up.
Cooperate and this will go easier for you.
You're that guy from before...
You are under arrest on charges of smuggling weapons and illegal dealings with ronin.
Come with me quietly.
So you can arrest your friend's fiancé without any hesitation?
You've got a lot of nerve.
Getting involved with a relative of the Shinsengumi while dirtying your hands in a crime like this...
You've got a lot of nerve.
Toshi went by himself?
Yamazaki! Why didn't you say anything?
I'm sorry!
But the Vice-Chief swore me to secrecy.
If the members found out that Captain Okita's relative is connected to Anti-Foreigner Faction samurai,
then the captain would lose his position in the Shinsengumi.
Damn Toshi! He planned on doing this by himself from the start.
How reckless of him.
...Why...
Whatever. What you do is up to you.
That bastard!
Don't you dare go anywhere.
Stay by Mitsuba-dono.
Besides...
...right now, you'll just get in the way.
Those who hesitate with their sword will die.
So you want me to trust you?
You've gotta be kidding me.
There's no way I'm gonna be indebted to that bastard.
Kondo-san... You have the wrong idea about me.
I'm not as pure as you think I am.
I'm not one to trust others.
I only think of myself.
Even when we were together, I always felt a gap between us.
I always felt I was different from you guys.
That's why, my sister, you and him...
Chief!
Boy, you really are harsh on me, aren't you, Kondo-san?
That's because you're a kid.
If Toshi said the same thing as you, I would've hit him too.
Isn't that how our relationship is?
If one of us strayed, then the other two will punch him back to where he belongs.
It's always been like that.
That's why we'll never stray. We'll always live a straight life.
We don't know anything about this small gap that you claim to have built.
But I'll keep jumping over that and punching you out as many times as I can.
Friends like that are hard to find in this life.
We're really lucky, you know.
To have found two bad friends like that in our lives.
Sogo...
If I ever go astray, it will be your turn to punch me, all right?
She loved him...
With all her might...
Even after being treated so coldly by him, she still waited for him to come home.
She always did.
She finally got over him and was about to be happy when...
...he appeared again.
How many times will he stand in the way of my sister's happiness?
What an asshole.
He's an asshole. He really is...
But I know... I know that my sister would never fall in love with an asshole.
In all honesty, I understood.
I understood that a guy who always faced death couldn't risk taking care of my sister.
I understood...that he turned her down because he thought that would be better for my sister.
I understood...that all he really wanted was for my sister to be happy.
I understood all of this... But it still gets on my nerves.
He pisses me off.
And that's fine with me.
All right then...
Boss, thanks for listening to my long story.
Don't tell my sister this, okay?
Oh, never mind, it's not like you were listening anyway.
He took away a lot of important things from me, but I still gotta go.
Kondo-san told me I'd die.
So this may be the last time.
I just needed to get it all off my chest to someone, even if it's to a Jizo statue.
[Note: Jizo statues are part of the Buddhist religion and said to be guardians of dead children.]
One of the important things you talked about...
...includes him, right?
Boss.
That was a good nap.
I'll go with you so I can shake off this grogginess.
After all, I lied to your sister about how we were friends and all.
I'll be with you till the end, Soichiro-kun.
Boss...those black circles...
Some punks beat me up.
Sister, I'm a lucky guy.
You don't often meet friends like these in your lifetime.
Yet, I already have three of these bad friends in my life.
This is not what you told me, Kuraba-dono.
I thought the Bakufu's dogs were already on our side.
But that's Toshiro Hijikata of the Shinsengumi, feared by all as the demon Vice-Chief.
If he's on our trail, then it'll be trouble for you and for us.
I'm sure reinforcements will be arriving soon.
No.
It's already too late for reinforcements.
It looks like he really came here by himself.
By himself? Why?
Who knows? It's difficult for us merchants to understand how a samurai thinks.
If that's the case...
All we have to do is take care of him and we'll be done.
Let's make sure he disappears, okay?
Doctor!
Her pulse is getting weaker. Her life is in danger.
We did everything we could...but...
Is her family here?
Well, the thing is...
Sister...
I'm sorry.
I...
Outta the way! Make way for the Shinsengumi!
Toshi... That idiot...
Who among us would ever want to kick Sogo out of the organization?
We're all comrades, aren't we?
You idiot!
Why do you always put all the burden on yourself?
So you plan on being the bad guy all by yourself too?
I know how you feel, Toshi...
...About Mitsuba-dono!
What a pity.
I'm sure Mitsuba will be sad, too.
To lose one of her old friends.
I really wanted to be on good terms with you people.
If I got the backing of the Shinsengumi,
then I could run my business without any restrictions.
That's why I approached one of your relatives and even set out to marry her,
but who knew she was that sick?
I figured if I had his sister, then Sogo would be easy to control,
but according to her doctor, she doesn't have much time left to live.
It really is a pity.
So from the start, you just used her to get us on your side?
I loved her.
As a merchant, I love things that will make me a profit.
But only as a tool.
She was damaged goods, but I gave her happiness like other people.
If anything, she should thank me.
I just want her to taste a bit of happiness like other people before she dies.
It's not like you're that much of a nonconformist, you know.
You and I are alike.
I've also done countless horrible acts.
And to top it off, I'm trying to kill the husband of a woman who's dying.
Yeah, that's pretty cruel.
So you can say, we're like two of a kind.
No wonder they call you the demon Vice-Chief.
I think you and I will get along well.
That's really...
...an exaggeration.
I just...
...want the girl I love to be happy.
A life like that is impossible for a guy like me who lives by the sword.
I just wanted her to marry a normal guy somewhere,
have kids like everyone else and live a normal life.
That's all...
I see...
Well, like I said, it's hard for us merchants to understand how a samurai thinks.
Fire!!
What's going on?
I-I don't know.
Go!
It's the Shinsengumi!
Toshi!!
Die!
Toshi!!
Start the car.
Yes, sir.
I misjudged them.
I guess it's impossible to work with barbaric monkeys after all.
Head to the hospital.
That woman may be dying but she can still be used as a hostage.
You bastard!!
Sh-Shake him off!
What the hell are you doing?
Hurry up and shoot him!
You!
Don't worry.
I just went to get some rice crackers for her.
You go deliver it to her!
I'm sure she'll be happier to get them from you.
You're leaving me behind.
So make sure you don't go astray.
Walk down the path you have chosen for yourself.
Please...okay...?
Sis...
I'm sorry...
I'm...a good-for-nothing brother.
In the end, I'm the one who robbed you of your happiness.
I'm sorry.
Sorry...
So-chan,
it's okay.
You've worked so hard...
You've grown...grown up into such a great man.
You've gotten so strong.
...Sis.
I'm not strong... I'm not... I'm...
You mustn't look back...
You're the one who decided, right? Back then...
It was the path you chose.
Then you mustn't apologize...
And you mustn't cry...
You never looked back.
You just looked straight ahead and kept walking.
I loved looking at your backs as you walked away.
You were all gruff, impudent and clumsy.
Yet you were all so kind and I loved you for that.
That's why... I...was so very happy.
To have been able to meet wonderful people like you.
To have had...a wonderful little brother like you...
So-chan...
You are...
...the brother I am so proud of...
[Super Spicy Rice Crackers]
Man, this is spicy.
So spicy!
Dammit, what the hell...?
It's so spicy, it's making me cry...
Man, it's spicy...
It's spicy.
[Preview]
The brave warriors of Babel are trying to stop the construction of the Filthy Tower.
The next episode... "The Most Exciting Part of a Group Date is Before it Starts."
[The brave warriors of Babel are trying to stop the construction of the Filthy Tower.]
[Will they be able to stop the horrible plan?]