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
The Enomoto Fleet has departed Edo Bay and is headed north,
with the Head of the Conqueror onboard.
Eighth month, Keio 4
Edo
Four months ago.
After the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle,
Nikko
the flames of the Boshin War have already spread northward.
Utsunomiya
The Shogunate Remnants Army, led by Keisuke Otori and Toshizo Hijikata,
seek to escape via Nikko after the fall of Utsunomiya Castle.
Nikko Toshogu
Toshogu is considered holy ground, where Great Lord Ieyasu Tokunaga is enshrined.
The Shogunate Remnants Army felt that a shrine should not be exposed to the flames of war
and so, choosing not to go through Nikko, instead proceeds further north.
Presently, Kakunojo and Akizuki travel the Nikko Road,
pursuing the Head of the Conqueror headed north with the Enomoto Fleet.
I guess you weren't aware of your own feelings.
Well... I have...
I have something that I want to clarify.
Oww...
I'm sorry, my sandal...
Akizuki-sama?
Put your foot here.
I can't do such a thing...
Don't be silly!
Hey, look at them.
It's nice to be young, huh?
Oh, did your sandal break?
Y-yes...
Didn't we have an extra?
Yeah.
Um...
Here, use this one.
Thank you.
Don't mention it.
Thank you. You've been a great help to us.
We should all help those in need. See you later.
Akizuki-sama, what is that?
They likely lost their homes in the war.
The fire that the Shogunate Remnants set when they abandoned Utsunomiya Castle
spread all the way to the castle town and burned down more than 2000 houses.
There were 300 casualties and 10,000 people were affected by this Battle of Utsunomiya.
An Inn in Utsunomiya
Welcome.
Can we stay here?
Yes, but the main part of this inn was burnt down in the battle the other day,
so everyone has been sleeping in the open space.
That's fine.
Okay, then you can use the open space.
You again! Go away!
Goodness! We get them all the time lately...
I feel sorry for them, but they never stop coming around if you show them mercy.
Oh, Samurai-san over there!
I knew it was you!
Over here!
You're the ones from earlier...
Just like you said, it's the same guy from earlier.
Oh, I see.
What a coincidence.
Here you go.
Thanks.
You two are going to visit the Great Lord's shrine, too?
Yes, sort of.
I was surprised to see this area burnt down.
Honestly! If they want to fight a war, go ahead and fight a war!
But they have no business getting innocent people involved!
Now that we're in this new era, I guess the influence of the Great Lord has deteriorated...
Hey, you shouldn't say that. What if an official hears you...
You're right.
But it's so depressing around here, it'll ruin people's visit to the shrine.
There you go again.
We might not be the best performers, but if it helps lifting spirits, it's all right!
Yo, ha!
Let me take the liberty of telling you where I'm from. I'm from Koma Village in Bushu.
I've been a stray bird since I was 14.
We've been working nights, hoping to overcome these troubled times.
We may sing, but we do no wrong. Meet the three girls of Shiranami tonight!
Are you sure you're not old hags instead of girls?
We're still young girls at heart!
Now enjoy our performance!
From a fancy teahouse...
Geisha girls are coming...
Juccho came, running out of the teahouse and pulled the girl's kimono sleeve
Geisha girls are running away and Juccho is chasing them
Ha, ha, let's run, let's run, let's run!
Let's run away...
Way to go!
Come on, you too!
What? Me?
That's right. Don't just sit there. Come on, help us out.
Come on!
But...
There!
Here you go.
Come on, guys! Everyone, dance!
Even the Sumida River is close enough to reach with a rod
So why can't my love reach him
Let the wind take the dream I just had
Away to the man I long for
Here.
It's good, Big Brother!
Have you seen Yoshiwara?
Have you seen the flowers?
Sir...
You've seen the flowers, but...
Which side are you on? The government or...
Neither.
I come here often for business, but you see those kids over there?
Their parents were killed in the battle the other day.
Who knows how they're going to survive in the future...
Just kill them all... Kill them all, the ones fighting this war...
Come on! What are you doing? Let's dance! Come on!
Lord Shoten of Koma enjoys watching the autumn moon...
Come on, sir, let's dance together!
I need you to
I haven't had such fun in a long time!
What? That samurai?
Now that I think about it, I think I saw him leave a while ago.
What?
Don't just sit there. Come here and keep me company.
I'm sorry. So you knew I was here...
I steamed some chestnuts. Here you go.
Oh, they look very good.
They must be in season right now.
Is everything okay with you? You're out here at a time like this.
Something tells me that...
Don't tell me something bad happened to Yojiro!
Nothing of the sort.
I told him to run some errands for me.
He did ask me how to get to the shrine though.
These must be...
The three deities that the inn manager was talking about...
Is that it?
Akizuki-sama!
This is the place where the Head was once sealed...
Is that true? Great Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa was an Eternal Assassin?!
Then the Siege of Osaka and the Battle of Sekigahara after that was all to seal the Head?
Toshogu is a shrine built by the order of Ieyasu.
Don't tell me they sealed the Head there?!
But it seems that the seal has been broken.
Yojiro is there to confirm that for me.
Moontear Sword?
Why?
Akizuki-sama!
Stay away!
Akizuki-sama!
Where do you think you're going? Go back!
Leader!
Behind you!
Get out of there! Leader!
Leader?!
What is this light?
I can strike them!
Leader, get out of here!
Go now!
This is endless!
Leader!
Come on, let's go!
Jump!
This sword...
I was called upon...
By this sword.
Akizuki-sama!
I'm coming with you.
I'm going to walk the same path...
I'm coming with you!
THE SECRET SWORD RESONATES
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 16 ACCOMPANIMENT OF THE FOUR
Don't you leave your post!
You may be an ally, but if you leave your post, I, Hijikata, will kill you!
Hijikata-san?
Akizuki... I haven't seen you since Kyoto.
It has been too long.
It was the last day of the fifth month in Edo...
I happened to be there to see the final moments of Okita-san.
ACCOMPANIMENT OF THE FOUR
This is disturbing, Akizuki. I can see a negative aura emanating from your body.
My sword, Izumi no Kami Kanesada, is telling me so.