It was an era when a man lived as a warrior...
He fought, staking his life on his faith in the sword...
The final era... the Bakumatsu.
Intrigue in the Bakumatsu
On the land with the frozen moonlight
It's rolling and drawing the line
The era of destruction and rebirth now begins
Heavily holding the freedom
Choosing the invisible path
Passing the sunset that's brighter than the daylight
The vessel of time moves on as if telling the dream
There's a new dawn beyond the dark path
We may have been born from the arm of darkness
Just like being in an impossible love
We wander into the light
The path stretches indefinitely
And there's no way to go back
The third Akki Rasetsu!
The user of the Karasuma-Style Fighting Armor!
Kurota Karasuma!
The fourth Akki Rasetsu!
The user of the Kaen-Style Chinese Broadsword!
Kaen Ryu!
The fifth Akki Rasetsu!
The user of the Hachisuka Double-Blade Style!
Gensai Hachisuka!
Well, well, this is surely encouraging.
Well...
I'm well aware of your capabilities.
However, the other two have been defeated already.
Don't worry. This is just a precaution...
Tomorrow is the last day. It's finally time, Master.
Right. For tomorrow's performance,
I'll include the real name of the object of your revenge in the dialogue.
I've been waiting for that!
I'm sure that they're already aware of that, too.
It's guaranteed that they're going to use an unexpected method to attack us.
We have no intention of backing down, either. Never.
That goes without saying.
This time we'll kill the assassin ourselves!
We won't let them die an easy death, either!
Of course not.
We need to find out how they're connected to that man, too.
We've got a guest!
From the Stone Crane Mansion!
Meifu Hata
2000 years ago, there was a man who was beheaded for opposing Emperor Shi Huangdi.
However, his grudge lingered on, hating humanity and despising the world.
He returned from the Land of the Dead as an evil spirit, dwelling in his severed head,
to bring war and disaster upon the world again and again.
The people were terrified and soon began to call it The Head of the Conqueror.
We owe the Hermit Jofuku for everything.
Jofuku. Ordered by the Qin Emperor Shi Huangdi to search for the elixir of eternal life.
He took three thousand young men and women to the island of Japan
located in a far-off place called Peng Lai.
However, the true objective of his mission was to seal and eliminate the Head of the Conqueror.
But the Head returned to Japan from the darkness with its incredible magical power.
Head of the Conqueror, curse those who wish to rule the world and seek power!
Bring chaos to the land, make the people suffer and let there be many disasters everywhere!
So shall history be written! Let the wheel of history turn!
Demon Tamamonomae, Prince Taira no Masakado,
the Demon Lord Nobunaga Oda, and now...
Kill, kill, kill...
Kill, kill...
Kill, kill, kill, kill...
Shureiki!
What an impressive dark mage!
I'd expect nothing less from you, Hermit Hata Meifu,
descendant of the eighth chief vassal who served with Jofuku.
The arts of black magic are nothing compared to my secret arts!
Watch as I control the power of the Head of the Conqueror!
Stop by and play with us!
Here's Tayu Kotoha.
Welcome.
What brought you here?
Are you sure you didn't find somebody else behind my back, Sensei?
Come on! The only one that I care about is you, Tayu.
A liar will surely go to Hell.
I don't care if I'm with you though.
You're quite the liar!
I'm just here to watch a play.
I just have to see the play tomorrow at the Ushioza.
There are two sides to everything.
Supposedly many officials in Edo are very nervous right now.
Well, that's the reason this play has been so popular.
I've heard that your patronage is quite something as well, Tayu.
Indeed. We're having a party with those performers tonight.
You should watch it, too, Sensei.
Oh? That sounds entertaining.
I guess we'd better finish talking about boring stuff before the show, huh?
Well, then, Sensei.
I'll need to go greet some people.
Sure. Go ahead.
Sorry about the wait.
Hey, Tayu.
Thank you for coming.
So, does it look like they're going to move?
For now, they're continuing to be mired down due to that big earthquake,
but supposedly some in the army are saying that they should detour around it to attack Edo.
We should probably take the initiative and try to negotiate with Saigo ourselves.
Or...
...get help from England and push them back.
I see!
But we might end up stirring up a nest of snakes.
This is troublesome.
Wait!
Are you just going to walk away after bumping into the soul of a samurai?!
Oh...
Why you!
Don't do it!
Calm down!
Don't stop me!
This is Japan!
I won't let you foreigners walk all over us!
I'll kill you!
It is true...
This is Japan.
But before that, this is still a private quarter!
Before you start swinging that sword around here, I'll ask you to follow our rules!
What did you say?
Young Master, this person has outlasted his stay, hasn't he?
How much does he owe us so far?
Yeah!
Shit.
He owes us... Let me see...
It's not safe around here anymore.
I can't believe people come to this place carrying a sword for killing others.
How tasteless... That's disgusting.
Thanks, Tayu.
You're welcome.
Come, Katsu-sensei is expecting you.
Young Master, show him there.
Yes!
Kaku-sama!
Yo, Kakunojo!
The best in Japan!
What?
Is that true?
Hold on. You can't make a scene here.
But!
To think the man who writes for the traveling troupe is...
Now I really can't take my eyes off that play.
Tayu, thank you for inviting us today.
Actually I'm not quite aware of what's going on myself.
What?
It looks like we've received an excessive amount of money for the flowers, too.
I thought it was paid by your preferred customer, but...
Is everything okay?
Oh, yes...
I guess we'd better go with it and see what happens.
Yeah.
I'm sure it's agonizing, for even a traveling performer, to die on stage.
They've got rather interesting performers.
It's cold!
Hey, that foreigner from earlier is Parkes!
Parkes? You mean the English minister?
Let's kill him!
Don't be ridiculous!
We've got a bigger mission to carry out.
But!
Killing foreigners is a mission, too! Not to mention he's a famous one!
True! An opportunity like this doesn't come too often!
Let's do it.
All right.
Kill, kill, kill!
Why you!
Kill, kill, kill!
Kakashi!
Shureiki, huh?
H-hey!
What the...
What's going on out there?
Kill, kill, kill!
Not your business!
Yes!
K-Katsu?!
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!
Kill, kill!
S-someone, get the police!
Hold it!
This is a private quarter!
There's no way I'll let police come in here!
We protect this place ourselves!
They must be in the hands of an immortal.
It is pleased!
I can hear the laughter of the Head of the Conqueror!
Those who desire it are gathering in this land... Can it sense this?
Yes, indeed! Yes, indeed! Yes, indeed!
Hey, Mister Katsu!
These men...
They're no humans.
Make way!
This is the Kanagawa Magistrate Office!
I guess I have no choice but to go and contain the situation myself.
Don't worry.
They're going to be here any minute now.
It's rehearsal day!
Ready!
Fire!
Kakashi!
Are you okay?
Kakashi, you shouldn't move!
She's right. Stay still.
Good job!
A nest of vipers, huh?
Troublous...
SHUREIKI UNLEASHED
The hand is the sword of love
It proves the beginning of all
Beyond the sparkling sky
The dream is still an illusion
Running on the path
Just like chasing the shadow of the moonlight
The torn sword of love
At the end of it thousands of teardrops become one
And brighten tomorrow
This hand is the sword of love
It proves the beginning of all
EPISODE 6 THE CLOSING PERFORMANCE BURNS
Sotetsu Ibaraki, the true objective of this play of revenge is the Head of the Conqueror!
That's the same objective as yours, Akizuki-sama.
Sealing the Head...
That is my objective. Nothing else.
I, too, need it for the sake of Japan.
THE CLOSING PERFORMANCE BURNS
I won't let anyone take it. I'll seal it with my own hands!
So that's your mission...
...as the Eternal Assassin!