Pardon?
The sacred workings that have been repeated over and over again.
Where does life come from and where does it go?
Episode 3 "Sky Burial"
Hey.
Is this seriously the way we had to go?
How many times must I tell you?
If we don't follow this route, we'll stray off our westward path.
Oh, come on.
There's no harm in working up a sweat with a little hiking.
This isn't hiking.
This is rock climbing!
What? Did you say something, Sanzo?
Don't tell me this is what the path is like the rest of the way.
The West was unpredictable in the first place,
but the maps are no longer accurate
thanks to the recent mysterious phenomenon.
Yeah, quit complaining, Gojyo!
I mean, even Sanzo's doing his best without saying a word.
He's not saying anything because he can barely breathe!
The hell are you doing, you scrawny priest?!
It's not me. Why would I bother doing something that troublesome?
Huh? Then who...
If it isn't the wanted Sanzo party!
We'll be taking your lives and that scripture!
Seriously?! Right now?!
Get a clue! We don't have time for that right now!
Actually, I'm pretty sure they have a good clue as to the situation we're in.
Well? Come at me.
Damn it! Don't falter! Keep attacking!
Hey, now.
I don't like Goku getting all the attention here.
Do you really want that much attention from other guys?
Getting ripped apart due to jealousy would be a twist even for a crime drama.
Actually, it's annoying how popular I've been lately.
We're getting pursued at every turn now.
And no matter how polite we are, they insist on being like this.
That's what you call getting stalked.
They say everyone becomes popular three times in their life.
What?! So I'm wasting one of mine on this?!
Doesn't matter to me. I'm popular all year round—
What the?
Those things are... eating the demons?
Don't worry. They only feed on dead flesh.
A demon?
Are you the one controlling these birds?
Huh?
Oh, no. I'm just a caretaker.
See that village down there?
This area was a sky burial ground up until a few years ago.
Sky burial?
You know how people get buried or cremated after they die?
It's like that.
There are places that became accustomed to having birds eat away
at the dead as a method of disposing of the corpses.
Talk about bad taste.
People's ideals tend to manifest in the way they mourn.
Though sky burials can seem rather cruel and violent,
it's actually symbolic of all life returning to nature.
Exactly!
Wow! I'm so honored to meet someone who understands!
Would you care for some tea?
I know it looks shabby, but I live here alone, so please make yourselves at home!
Er, actually...
Just watch your step!
We're in a bit of a hurry, so we'll be on our way.
I know we're really popular right now,
but to think we'd be offered tea by some old demon guy...
It wouldn't have hurt to have some tea.
It might not matter for you guys,
but having me sit down with to tea with a demon is pretty messed up.
True...
I wonder how he's getting along living so close to a human village anyway.
Who knows?
More importantly, where are we going to sleep tonight?
Good point.
There didn't seem to be an inn anywhere in the area...
Um...
I beg you pardon, but I noticed your garb. Are you a priest?
Indeed.
The one before you now is the noblest priest in all of Shangri-la, Genjo Sanzo.
Please! Bless us by reading your scripture!
The people of this village have always been devout believers.
I'm glad to hear it.
But it appears that your village doesn't have an inn,
so it will be difficult for us to stay...
Say no more!
Our humble village will gladly prepare a place
for the noble priest and his companions to stay.
That would be quite helpful.
Hakkai...
We don't have a choice. We have to play our cards when we can.
Goku and Gojyo, please don't do or say anything that'll cause a scene.
We really are the Sanzo party...
So why does it feel like we're a bunch of con artists?
He almost seems like a real priest.
He is, you know.
Oh, thank you. Thank you!
We've had such misfortune lately...
Misfortune?
Yes, well... We've had a number of villagers disappear without a trace recently.
The bird man who lives up on the hill is probably the one responsible.
Bird man?
By the way, we heard that sky burials used to be practiced in this area...
Up until a few years ago, humans and demons lived together peacefully in this village.
But ever since the demons went crazy,
it became too dangerous to carry the corpses to the sky burial grounds, so we had to stop.
One of the demons that used to live here is now caring for the birds for some reason.
The rumors say he's responsible for the rash of disappearances.
But he didn't really seem like that kind of guy.
You met Tenjin?
Well, sorta.
Nothing less from the noble Sanzo party!
To be so bold when encountering a demon in this day and age!
Three demons right here
Er, well...
I'm sure the noble priest will go talk to that demon for us!
If he kicks him off of that hill, our village will be safe!
Bless, bless!
Right...
Of course not!
I would never assault the villagers!
So tasty!
I owe a debt to that village from when I lived there,
not to mention I'm a vegetarian.
I see.
Well, even if that's the case,
as long as you live here, they're going to keep casting blame on you.
I'm sure that doesn't sit well with you, either.
Why don't you just move away from here?
You don't have to take care of the birds, do you?
I believe that the ritual of the sky burial is an important part of our culture.
To return life back to nature...
For those who consumed in order to live to then offer up themselves to be consumed...
I want that sacred ideal to be preserved
for the day Shangri-la is at peace once again.
That is why I choose to stay here.
Is that really the only reason?
Hey, stop it! That's mine! Beaks off, you jerk!
Ow, ow, ow, ow!
Stop that, Tenba. Come here.
Stop fighting over food with a bird.
But this is rare.
He usually doesn't go near anyone other than myself.
It's probably because this one's pretty much a wild animal.
He's a monkey.
Who you callin' a monkey, you stray water sprite!
Water sprites don't have owners in the first place!
Don't spit on me, you gluttonous monkey!
Why is that bird with you?
He hurt his wing and can't fly very well. He's still pretty young, despite how he looks.
I can understand taking care of that one,
but isn't it hard taking care of all these birds?
What do you do for their food?
It's true that there isn't much for them to eat ever since things have changed,
so I feed them the flesh from livestock now and then.
Tenjin and Tenba...
They both mean "the teachings of Buddha."
Oh, you're even knowledgeable about other practices!
You truly are the noblest priest!
Sure enough, although he just looks like a jerk with droopy eyes.
Do you want to become food for those birds, you noxious, shitty water sprite?
Tenjin!
Tenjin! Tenjin, don't!
You mustn't! You know it's forbidden for relatives to be present!
Tenjin!
They're flying back in such a wonderful mood today since they finally got to eat so much.
Flying back?
I see. So they're not being kept here.
There are so many of them. Where do they fly back to?
Well, where do you think souls return to?
Huh?
For example, if you or the people close to you died...
where do you think those souls would go?
I don't really know anything about souls and stuff,
but if you die, it's sort of the end, or...
Actually, right now, it's better to work hard to survive rather than
thinking about what happens after you die, or something...
Huh?
True. That is the most important thing right now.
Sorry to ask such a strange question.
What was that?
My chest felt really heavy just now...
What do you think, Sanzo?
About what?
The villagers believe that he's the one behind the disappearances, but...
Who knows?
We gave him a warning, just like they asked.
The rest isn't up to us.
Huh?
What is this?
Where do you think those souls would go?
I wonder why I felt so sad and weird back there.
There's no point in thinking about what happens after you die.
Yes, yes, here you go.
What's the matter? You seem rather worked up—
I guess we caught a hag today.
We can't be too picky.
If we get too messy and they start being cautious, we'll miss out on food.
Hardcore roleplay with a steamy cougar...
Pretty sure you're not shooting that kind of porn here.
They've been slowly kidnapping people one by one
so the village wouldn't panic too much.
That way, they maintain a food supply here down to the last villager.
Apparently we have a couple of culprits on our hands.
Wh-Who the hell are you guys?!
And, of course, all of the suspicion would be placed
on the strange demon living right outside of the village.
You're so smart!
Is that what you thought we'd say?
Talk about petty.
Shut up!
Goku...
My bad.
And so we're gonna leave dealing with these guys to you.
It's probably going to be hard, but try not to get too emotional.
Such wisdom and compassion!
You are truly the noble Sanzo party.
If there's anything we can do to thank you, please say it!
Hakkai...
Oh, yes...
He says, "Just let me sleep."
Or rather, you guys should make sure to apologize to the bird man, too,
considering you all were suspecting him.
That's...
We know we may have been unfair to Tenjin, but...
But we just can't live comfortably knowing there's a demon so close by.
Right.
I definitely didn't get enough sleep.
Gojyo, have you seen Goku?
Huh?
The monkey's gone?
I know he got up early to go to the bathroom, but...
Isn't he just wandering around somewhere nearby?
Oh, the boy that was with you left early this morning.
Huh?
He said something about wanting to tell someone something.
That idiot.
He must've gone up the hill.
He seemed rather deep in thought yesterday.
That stupid monkey, trying to use a brain he doesn't even have...
Tenjin!
Sorry to come by so early. Are you asleep?
Huh...
The smell of incense?
Tenjin, are you here?
What is this place?
Accessories, a stuffed animal, kids' toys...
A pretty hand mirror...
A girl's barrette...
I wonder if these used to belong to his family or something.
But why are they set up like this?
Goku-kun?
Oh! Sorry for barging in without permission!
That's fine, but... What brings you here so early?
There's something I wanted to tell you
before we left town.
Tell me?
Why don't we have some tea inside? I'm sure Tenba will enjoy the visit.
Man... What's taking Goku so long?
I'm rather worried about him going off on his own.
Demon or not, a timid guy like that couldn't take him down.
Oh?
Not to mention we already busted the real kidnappers...
Excuse me, you dropped something.
Yeah, I forgot about that.
Where did you get a mitten like that?
I found it on the hill yesterday.
I thought some kid from this village might've dropped it.
Um... May I see that?
I knew it. There's no doubt about it. This is my son's mitten.
I beg your pardon, but where is your son?
He died from in the epidemic six months ago... He was only six years old.
But how did this end up on the hill?
We buried these gloves with my son.
Hey, Sanzo.
So this village has been burying bodies ever since you stopped the sky burials?
Yes. We made a cemetery right outside of the village.
Take me there right now.
Huh?
Gojyo, please head up the hill, just in case.
Whoa, hey. What the hell's going on?
Gather some men with shovels, too.
Are you sure about this, Sanzo?
If I'm just overthinking this, I'll just recite a sutra.
So you guys caught the guys behind the disappearances?
That's great news!
Though I guess it's hard to be happy considering how many lost their lives.
Yeah, but that means your name's been cleared, right?
Did you come all the way here just to tell me that?
That's not the only thing.
Hey, come on, Tenba. Don't get in my way.
It almost feels like my son's made a friend.
Did you have a family, Tenjin?
It looked like there was a lot of stuff in that shed over there.
Ah... They're things that those mischievous birds end up bringing here.
Birds love shiny things, you know?
I see. Well, I'll take that stuff back to the villagers then.
Huh? Er...
I'm sure it'd be pretty hard for you to go return them, right?
There was a lot of valuable stuff there.
You really are a good boy.
They're gone! The bodies are gone!
Over here, too! Even the ones we buried last week!
Birds that only eat dead flesh...
There's no doubt about it.
In order to have enough food for the birds to eat, that man...
You can't violate someone else's morals on the premise of your "ideal."
Not even when you're dealing with the dead.
What...
So, my son...
My wife gave up her own life to give birth to him.
What's going on?
But you see, my son...
Tenba was born with a heart ailment.
I was there to see it with my own two eyes...
The birds ripping apart my son's corpse.
My son's corpse that was butchered by the villagers
was pecked away, revealing his beautiful, red flesh,
until all that was left was a pure white skeleton.
It was truly a magnificent sight.
Tenba's soul returned to the earth... To nature, grand and eternal.
I thought that the origin of one's life should begin a certain way...
My body's numb and I can't move at all...
But it was in that moment that I realized
it was my duty to continue to carry out that empyrean ideal!
And for that...
I'm willing to...
Return to nature, my ass.
The fact that you named that bird after your son
and had it take his place contradicts everything you just said.
You were just blinded by your son's death.
No!
No, I...
You know...
I though really hard about what you asked me yesterday.
If... If someone important to me died,
I don't know where the soul goes...
But no matter where they might go, no matter what shape they might take...
I'm sure they'll always be in my heart.
Tenba, where are you going?
Wait! Tenba!
Damn it, you stupid monkey.
Yeah...
I'm sorry I'm so stupid.
It's more important to think about how you're going to live
than about what happens when someone dies.
Yeah, I'm really sorry.
I don't even know why I thought that myself...
But I just wanted to tell someone.
You're an idiot, so stop thinking about complicated things like that.
As long as you're alive, you'll always have this mess to come home to, you moron.
The ones who support me... My precious...
Quit crying, you stupid monkey.
Quit calling me stupid over and over again, you pervy water sprite!
You admitted you were stupid just a minute ago!
Ah...
You brought everyone back with you?
It won't be much longer...
Just wait a little more.
That's right... good boy.
Episode 4 "Nataku"
Episode 4, "Nataku."
Watch without fail.
Ready, and...
H.H.
Ura Sai
Lettering: Hirata Hiroaki
Ura Sai!
No Smoking