Kumaso country
The Phoenix
Hi no Tori
Yamato Chapter
Yamato Hen
A woman?
My deepest apologies
You Kumaso women must be brave while hunting.
I am Oguna. A merchant from Izumo.
I am travelling, in search of my missing brother.
I know of a place where healing herbs grow. Can you endure the pain until we get there?
Yes.
I am Kajika.
Kajika...
What is that bird?
It is the Phoenix. It is the guardian of the Kumaso people.
The Phoenix...
It lives in the Fire Mountain and possesses eternal life.
It is said that those who drink upon its blood will never die.
But yearning for it is pointless, if you try to obtain it you will just get burned.
The people who have lost their lives so far doing so are beyond count.
This will do.
You met with quite some misfortune, traveller.
Brother.
Brother?
I am Takeru Kawakami, head of Kumaso.
Takeru Kawakami...
This man is Takeru Kawakami!
Is there something the matter?
N-no...
Stay here as long as it takes to heal your wound and recuperate.
A messenger from Rin has arrived with correspondence.
The 66 clans in Kyushu are banding together to oppose the Yamato Kingdom.
My brother is the leader of the force.
Eat
Thank you.
Let me feed you.
My thanks.
Kajika
Oh, it is you Imari.
Don't get too friendly with the outsider!!
Remember, we are arranged to be man and woman. Don't be so cold.
Kajika?
How is your arm?
It is healing well. My thanks to you.
Ah yes, this is a traditional test of skill here.
The men of Kumaso have used this for centuries to hone their fighting abilities.
I want to challenge him next.
The outsider.
You will accept my challenge won't you?
But...
What is the matter? Are you afraid?
You cower from my challenge?
Imari, Oguna is injured.
I accept your challenge.
Oguna!
The safety rope will not be used in this match.
The loser will fall to his death.
I accept.
I admire your courage boy!
Here I come!
Oguna, be strong!
Damn you!
Just when you were almost better.
I will take care of your wounds until you have fully recovered.
You are looking very ferocious today.
But you have blossomed into a beautiful woman.
So much so as to make your own brother notice.
If that's all you came to say then you can go away.
By the way, Kajika...
How are Oguna's wounds?
He has almost fully recuperated.
His bandages will come off today or the next day.
I see.
He is too strong and skilled a fighter to be just a mere merchant from Izumo.
He must have some reason for the need to conceal his identity.
I give permission for him to stay here in Kumaso if he wants to do so.
What?
And I mean for all eternity.
My brother, are you saying that...
From what I've seen, he is a very capable man. It is a waste for him to be just a merchant.
I would feel at ease in the knowledge that I had someone like him as my brother.
My brother...
My brother said that in a month all of clans of Kyushu would advance onto Yamato.
Onto Yamato?
He said that he wanted you to command some of the soldiers.
And he also said he would give us permission to wed afterwards.
Please Oguna, become a Kumaso man.
Kajika...
Say you will become so!
I won't let you go. You are mine.
Kajika...
Do you love me?
Yes I do Kajika.
As do I. I've loved you from the first time we met.
I too loved you from that time onwards.
I love you. I would do anything for you.
Please become a Kumaso man.
I-I-I cannot.
Oguna, kill Takeru Kawakami.
We must destroy the hopes of those dogs that oppose Yamato.
I do not wish to lose Kajika.
But I cannot betray my family.
What shall I do?
Oh Kajika...
It's the Phoenix...
Let me listen upon your flute.
O immortal Phoenix...
My worries are probably an insignificance to you.
I think of leaving my father, brothers and the Yamato name and becoming Kumaso.
It will happen if I continue to stay here.
I love Kumaso and Kajika.
I am torn between the two families.
O Phoenix, please tell me...
What would you do?
The Phoenix flies the opposite direction of the Fire Mountain.
That's where the sun rises.
In that direction lies Yamato.
Does this mean I should return to Yamato?
To Yamato...
Oguna?
Oguna?!
Takeru Kawakami, I Oguna, prince of Yamato, have your life!
Yamato...o my suspicions were true...
I thought that you may have been.
Why did you not kill me then?
For Kajika's sake.
So you tried to turn me against Yamato?
To test me?
My brother.
Do not give in to death.
Who did this?
It was Oguna...
Oguna?
Why would he do that?
Because he is of Yamato.
Is that true?
I was careless.
Brother!
Oguna.
You took the life of my precious brother.
Deceived me and the people of this land.
And betrayed us all.
Oh wretched Oguna.
You must perish.
However I do not wish to kill you like a hunted boar.
Because you are a prince of Yamato,
and also the only man whom I loved.
Come out Oguna and die a brave fight.
Come Oguna!
Arrows at ready!
What is that?
It is the Phoenix.
Oguna, flee.
Return to Yamato.
Why?
Why do you aid me?
There still remains something you must accomplish.
You must not die here.
Go now.
Oguna.
Everyone, return to the village.
But Lady Kajika...
I will go after him alone.
I will take his head to avenge my brother's death.
Just you wait Oguna.
Lord Oguna has returned from Kumaso.
Oguna!?
I have returned brother.
I have taken the life of Kumaso's leader, Takeru Kawakami, as father ordered.
I have this necklace as proof of his demise.
Where is our father?
I would like to see him as soon as possible.
He has begun his journey to the other world.
It was exactly a month ago...
When he suddenly collapsed while in the mountains.
The private funeral has been performed. We are now in a hurry to complete the tomb.
Father has passed away?
What tragedy... I wish he'd at least held on until this day...
If I'd reported the death of Takeru Kawakami and my safe return...
Imagine how delighted he would have been.
Our father delighted?
What is so amusing?
Father would not be the slightest delighted.
He sent you to Kumaso in the hopes that you would die.
What?!
Father did not care the slightest about you.
Father killed your mother's clan. He feared that you would one day learn of this and seek revenge.
He hoped that you would be killed so he could be rid of you.
That cannot be.
That is why you were sent alone.
We never thought in our wildest dreams that you would return alive.
But we do appreciate you killing Takeru Kawakami for us.
The scorpion has lost its sting.
They are no longer an enemy to be feared.
Oguna, in recognition of your deed, we will give you a position of high standing.
How does the position of the North Granary's caretaker sound?
What was the reason?
What in the world was the reason for me to journey to faraway Kumaso and kill Takeru Kawakami?
Move it!
What are you doing!
Get up!
Why you worthless, lazy wretch!
Stop!
Oh, Lord Oguna.
Kajika!
The yearlong journey here to kill me must have been harsh.
I am prepared to die. What I did deserves death.
Before I die, I wish to return this to you.
Come Kajika, take your vengeance upon me.
What splendid workmanship!
Our father would indeed be pleased.
The preparations for tomorrow's formal funeral are all in order?
Yes.
Have the people who will be buried with our father been chosen?
Everything is in order.
My brother, will you be burying soldiers and women?
Of course. The same had been done for our grandfather's funeral.
My brother, I ask you to listen to me.
Please stop this foolish tradition of ritual murder!
Foolish tradition you say?!
Are you saying that our ancestors have all been fools?
The idea that loyal servants of a grand emperor follow their lord to death to serve him in the afterlife is truly one of splendor.
What is so splendorous about killing innocent people?
SILENCE! SILENCE! SILENCE!
So, who has been chosen for burial?
80 people in total have been chosen my lord.
20 women, 25 warriors and 35 servants.
The servants too have been chosen.
Kajika.
Oguna.
Kajika.
All will be fine.
I will free you.
I will free all of you.
Oh Lord Oguna.
Your attempt to interfere with the funeral is unpardonable.
So you have decided to betray your blood?
It looks as if you wish to join father. We are happy to oblige.
Oguna.
I apologize. I wished to save you all.
How unfortunate you are to be here.
Unlike your brothers, you have always been very kind and sincere ever since you were a child.
Even so, you have ended up here.
Oguna, would you not play upon your flute again for the last time?
Yes.
The phoenix.
Many lives will end because of one that has already ended.
Humans must learn that the value of each single life is equal to each other.
O Oguna, you were chosen to teach this.
You were all chosen to serve the Emperor in the afterlife.
Your duty is to protect his greatness in our stead.
Rejoice in the knowledge that you will join him.
Commence!
Oguna.
Kajika
This concludes the funeral. Father would indeed be satisfied. Come now men, let us drink tonight.
I still live...
Oguna.
Kajika, you too live?
It must have been that magnificent light that came from the Phoenix that has allowed us to live.
So the others may still be alive.
It's a flute.
It is the sound of Lord Oguna's flute.
It is coming from the burial site.
How can this be?
It continues to play.
This is the fifth time today that it does so.
Kajika, do you still fare well?
Yes.
How do you feel Oguna?
Strong enough to last a year or even ten years longer.
Aaaagh, I can still hear it play.
Almost six months have passed.
Is there nothing we can do brother?
The people of our land have become afraid and some have abandoned it.
It must be those buried who haunt us.
Perhaps it would be better if we exhume them and perform the necessary acts to appease their spirits?
Do not say such madness!
If we did such a thing then our authority would be lost. I will not permit it.
Oguna?
Yes Kajika?
I think my end is near.
I too am at the end of my journey.
Oguna, are you not afraid of dying?
No, because we are together.
I too feel the same way.
We will be...
together for all eternity...
Eternity...
Years later, the custom of ritual live burials ended after the introduction of terra cotta figures.