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
Tsukikage kooru daichi wo
Korogari fumiwakete yuku
Horobi to saisei no jidai ga hajimaru
Jiyuu wo omoku kakagete
Michinaki michi wo erande
Mahiru yori mabushii nichibotsu wo koete
Yume wo kataru you ni toki no fune wa yuku
Sono yamiji no mukou ni atarashii yoake
Bokura wa kitto kurayami no kaina kara umarete kita
Kanawanu koi wo suruyou ni
Hikari e to samayotteku
Doko made mo hateshino nai kono michi wo
Kaeru sube wa nai
You're the bodyguard British Minister Mr. Parkes has assigned to Awanokami Katsu-sama,
who's in charge of military affairs in Edo: Sakyonosuke Kanna-sama...
You were born in London.
If I remember correctly, your father was a Vice Admiral in the British Navy.
And I think your mother was the number one prostitute of Yoshiwara, a Tayu...
Jubei Nakaiya...
I'm sure people wouldn't care if a man who has died before dies once again.
You're right...
But I'm sure you didn't come just to satisfy a sick fixation with shooting a dead man, did you?
I'll show you something.
There are two sides to everything.
Kakunojo Yuyama Troupe's new play,
"The reverse side of a bribery scandal!
The Hidden Secret of the Director of Palace Upkeep"!
Today is the last day!
The deep, dark truth will be finally revealed!
It will be finally revealed!
Come one, come all!
Hey, that's for over here. Bring it here.
THE END
Akizuki-sama.
I know that we've got you involved in our personal revenge drama.
You might think it's too late now, but I still want to say something to you.
Don't worry about it.
The script is finished. His name is in there.
Leader!
Everyone, let's start the final rehearsal, from the start to the end!
All right.
Okay. All right.
The cursed spirit of darkness,
which has brought chaos and disaster to this land for the last 2000 years...
It begins to stir again.
What do you say? Do you want to enjoy this together with me, Kanna-sama?
Do you want to see it bring chaos and disaster, and make people suffer?
I only wish for an opportunity to meet that man.
Well, that's what you said...
Jofuku and three thousand young men and women were sent to this land long ago
by Emperor Shi Huangdi to seal the Head.
Supposedly the most skilled of their number was granted a blade called the Moontear Sword,
and the one who wields it is called The Eternal Assassin...
That's right. The Eternal Assassin is indeed that man, Yojiro Akizuki.
This revenge drama they're performing...
The writer's true objective is the Head of the Conqueror.
I can say the same about you.
Sealing the Head... That's my objective, nothing else.
I need it for the sake of Japan.
That is not what it's for.
As far as you know, that is.
I won't let anyone get it!
I'll seal it with my own hands. That's all!
So that's your mission, correct?
As the Eternal Assassin...
They look good.
Let's make tempura with them.
Have you heard from Yojiro since then?
No, I haven't.
Actually, what's bothering me is the fact that the star is once again...
This one is nice, too.
Then let's put that in the miso soup.
Tatsugoro Shinmon
Tatsugoro Shimon.
Because he's the head of Edo's famous fire fighting brigade Ogumi
and because his daughter is the concubine of Shogun Yoshinobu,
he has a close relationship with Katsu.
They have been secretly plotting a very bold plan
to stop the Eastern Army from entering Edo. However...
Watch the play?
This play is something else.
You came all the way to Yokohama. Why don't you watch it with me?
Yeah, I've heard about it, too.
I think it's about the incident from ten years ago involving the Director of Palace Upkeep...
That's exactly it.
"There are two sides to everything."
That's it!
Now that I think about it, maybe all this mess was already starting back then...
Ten years had passed since the Ansei Purge,
in which the government clamped down and cleaned out the anti-Imperial faction,
which mainly consisted of the Hitotsubashi and Mito Provinces.
Eight years had passed since the assassination of the Director of Palace Upkeep, Naosuke li,
who was an advocate of the faction.
Japan was literally in upheaval.
But I guess there would be no future for this country unless you overcome a mess like this.
Oh, now where's the one with the pistol, Master?
You mean, my bodyguard?
I don't know why, but he's been gone a while.
Is everything okay?
With all these big guns with me I have nothing to worry about.
How's the preparation going?
We're all set.
It's tonight!
Just as planned, we're going to inflict divine retribution on the British consul tonight!
So now the deal is done.
Depending on how things go tonight, you might have to go on stage yourself, Kanna-sama.
It's pleased! It's excited!
Leader, it's time.
Okay.
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill...
Excuse me from the stage,
but there's something I'd like to say as it is the final day for our performance today.
Thanks to you, our new play
"The reverse side of a bribery scandal - The Hidden Secret of the Director of Palace Upkeep"
has been sold out every day, and we'd like to thank you for the bottom of our hearts.
We hope every one of you enjoy every moment of the show from the beginning to the end!
We thank you very much!
Kakunojo!
There are two sides to everything.
Politics are no different. Do you understand that?
Of course I do!
If there's any traitor you wish to dispose of,
I can certainly take care of that for you since you can't do so publicly.
We have skilled men to do the job!
We are those who become Akki Rasetsu, in order to slay all who threaten the peace of the land!
Good job.
Thanks.
Good job.
Thanks.
Good job.
S-someone help me!
It's awfully quiet.
Come get us, Tengu scoundrels!
"Come out, Tengu scoundrels!"
We know you're in there!
What do we do?
Cease your resistance!
"Stop resisting!"
Let's fight!
B-but!
We're not going to die showing our backs to the enemy!
You're right!
We'll show them the samurai way of dying! We'll show them our manly spirit!
Yeah!
Is everything okay?
It's nothing. I guess the curtain will be closing soon on the other stage.
Ready!
Fire!
If you were a warrior, I would give you the mercy of committing seppuku,
but you're nothing but a merchant who cares only about money.
If you must hate, if you must despise,
then hate yourself, despise yourself for daring to oppose the Director of Palace Upkeep!
Impressive!
Thank you, sir.
I'll give you a reward. What do you desire?
I don't deserve it. All I did was get rid of a shipping agent.
Do not hesitate to ask.
Even the strongest mountain could crumble because of a single hole.
Eliminating something from inside is harder than eliminating something on the surface.
Well then, if I may...
I want you to kill me!
What?
Don't worry!
Even if I die or get killed once or twice,
I will resurrect from the pit of Hell and stir up things in the world again and again!
I see. You're going to pretend that you're dead so you can just sit back and watch!
You're truly an evil man...
Nakaiya! Jubei Nakaiya!
I see... That's what happened, huh?
That's as far as you go!
Jubei Nakaiya! My true enemy!
I've finally caught you!
I'm ready to show you! I'm ready to act out the Kakunojo Yuyama Troupe's revenge!
Kakunojo! The best in Japan!
You mere actors make me laugh! Kill me if you think you can!
Ready!
Fire!
Let's go!
Yeah!
Kill, kill, kill...
Damn it!
Ready!
Fire!
Ready!
Fire!
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill...
Th-that was awesome...
Hey, wait!
Shoot... We had things we wanted to ask them...
If I remember correctly, that man was Katsu-sensei's...
Angry? Frightened? No, it's pleased!
Does it mean that new chaos is about to unfold?
Attention!
Ready, front!
Are you still going to do it, Master?
Are they ready?
Of course, they're all set.
They can cover all of Edo in flames in an hour if they want to.
I don't care if you're Saigo or whoever, no one can enter Edo then.
You know, setting something on fire is much easier than putting it out.
But the problem is figuring out how to evacuate the entire city of Edo.
I can contact all the gamblers in Edo as a member of the Ogumi...
No, let's not do it.
Even Edo is famous for fights and fires, I don't think I want it to look like this.
Besides...
If we had to rely on them, even just once, this country will be...
"Do not turn Edo into a battlefield."
Carrying this message from Katsu,
Tesshu Yamaoka and Kyunosuke Masumitsu went around the fissure left by the earthquake
and headed to the armed camp of the Eastern Army, however...
It was already too late.
PRINCE TARUHITO ARISUGAWANOMIYA
It is the third month of the fourth year of the Keio Era.
Spring comes in name only as the country falls even deeper into chaos.
THE CLOSING PERFORMANCE BURNS
Sono te wa ai no tsurugi
Subete no hajimari no akashi
Hikaru sora no hate
Yume wa mada maboroshi
Tsuki no akari kage ouyouni hashiru kono michi
Chigireta ai no tsurugi
Sashidasu saki wa ikusen no namida ga hitotsu ni nari
Ashita wo kagayakaseru
Kono te wa ai no tsurugi
Subete no hajimari no akashi
EPISODE 7 SOTETSU MOVES
Though amateurish and clumsy, I practiced day in and day out, hiding from the sun.
But I still failed to find any clue of the enemy, and now I'm physically and mentally drained.
But right then...
There's this customer who's been coming here every day.
I knew he knew something, but who would've thought he knew everything from back then?
SOTETSU MOVES
Master... No, I mean Sotetsu Ibaraki... He's no ordinary man.
What is his true identity?
He could be the master thief who seeks the power!
Who knows?