Episode 36
A Great Distance in The Wind, The Sky at Dawn, Chapter Thirteen.
Gyouten
How are you feeling, Taiho?
The chief ministers have assembled to decide...
...this matter of Shoukou, the town chief of Shisui.
However, due to a lack of evidence concerning his crimes, he cannot be dismissed.
What about the letter?
Oh, you mean this?
The indictment supposedly written by her Majesty.
However, her Majesty is supposed to be in En...
...and now she sends this to us all of sudden.
How can we believe this is genuine?
Her Majesty is...
Also, your request to dispatch the Provincial Army to Shisui...
...cannot be granted.
Cannot be granted?
But I am the Lord of Ei Province, and it is my direct order.
The Provincial Minister of Military Affairs and his three generals have all fallen ill.
Then what about the Royal Army?
We cannot mobilize the Royal Army without her Majesty's consent.
Please, you must rest for now.
Tell her Majesty not to do anything reckless.
I want you to stay by her side.
Taisai...
About the child that the Taiho brought here...
Has he died?
Well, we shouldn't be too optimistic yet, however...
...he has been trying to say something, and according to him...
...there was a murder committed, just as the Taiho claimed.
What a shame.
If that's true...
It is absurd to think that the town chief would order such a wrongful act...
...is it not?
Minister of Military Affairs...
I want you to prepare the Royal Army to be dispatched to Wa Province.
I wish the best for her Majesty...
Takuhou
A horse carriage took the man named Enho...
...and went straight into the town castle.
And as you all know, Shoukou's barricaded himself there since yesterday.
We don't know why he was taken to the castle...
...but if it has to do with that bastard, it must be for an evil purpose.
If he is still alive, I want to rescue him.
Good work.
We were going to make a move soon anyway...
...it won't make a difference if we do it now.
What do you say?
Fine with me, I'm ready.
Let's do this!
All right! We've put up with him for three long years.
Let's put an end to Shoukou's tyranny!
Yeah!
Where's Shoukou?
Find Shoukou!
Where's Shoukou?
Find Shoukou!
In the second month of the second year of Sekiraku...
...one of Shoukou's residences in Shisui was attacked...
...by a group of about twenty people.
However, their target, Shoukou, was not home.
The rebels escaped to Ei Province.
However, they left a message, "Shu-On", inside the residence.
Shu-On
Shoukou's surname is Seki-On...
...so the message was interpreted as a threat to take Shoukou's life.
Infuriated, Shoukou dispatched two hundred men to hunt down the rebels...
...and reinforced his bodyguard with five hundred men.
That same night, before the two hundred could be recalled...
...the granary at the town castle was attacked.
The soldiers, exhausted from that morning's pursuit...
...once again allowed the rebels to escape.
More than the half of the rebels managed to break out through the...
...Northeast Garrison and escape to Ei Province.
The men who were guarding the granary... Relieve them of their posts...
...and have them executed tonight.
Interrogate the captured rebels and find out the whereabouts of the other members.
Other members?
This morning, they attacked my residence...
...and now, they attacked the granary where food was stored.
They left the message "Shu-On" to make us think that they were after me...
...but I suspect they are just refugees who want some food.
They will probably attack the granaries once more.
Have fifteen hundred of the provincial soldiers...
...that were sent over by Lord Gahou guard the granaries.
Wait, also send five hundred provincial soldiers...
...and five hundred town guards to the border of Ei Province.
Examine anyone who is heading toward Ei Province...
...and entering Takuhou with great caution.
Kill anyone suspicious on the spot.
The granary feeds the people during famine.
Attacking it is a direct attack on her Majesty's property.
I will not allow even one criminal to get away with it.
Go!
I want you to leave Takuhou.
What?
I have a safe house in a quiet area in the East.
Stay there until the rebels are caught.
But, I can't speak the language...
That's right...
The Vice Minister of Military Affairs has left to transport Enho, hasn't he?
There's no Sen-nin in the safe house, but I will write a letter for you to take.
Are you sure about this?
I do not want you to get hurt...
...until the time comes when we kill Queen Kei...
Meikaku
Kantai, is it true that they attacked a granary this time?
"Shu-On", eh? That's clever.
These guys in Takuhou are pretty good.
But they failed to kill Shoukou this morning, and this time it's the granary.
And they quickly ran away after that...
I don't know if we should expect much from them.
I disagree.
They're the ones who have been gathering the Touki weapons.
They're smart...
It's Shoukou they're after.
They attacked Shoukou's house...
...ostentatiously left the message "Shu-On" and escaped to Ei.
And then they attacked the granary.
They snuck into the town castle, again leaving "Shu-On," and escaped to Ei.
Shoukou's been using fear to keep Shisui under control.
If he overlooks this affront, people will lose their fear of him.
He can't afford to let that happen.
That may be true, but...
...Shoukou will send the remaining provincial soldiers, and his own men to...
...reinforce the guards at the border of Ei Province.
On top of that, he has to send his town guards to search for other rebels...
...and to guard other granaries.
He doesn't have enough troops for all that.
But I'm sure he'll try to reinforce the defense of the town castle.
Yes, he will.
At the town castle, fifteen hundred provincial soldiers...
...a thousand town guards, and five hundred archers...
...for a total of three thousand soldiers.
Even if he sends out the soldiers...
...he'll keep at least one thousand at the castle.
And within three days...
...all of the soldiers that have been placed in Shisui will return to the castle.
That's why they'll strike before that happens.
They're probably going to stage another diversion outside Takuhou...
...then Shoukou will have to send soldiers from the town castle to respond.
I'm sure Shoukou doesn't want this to drag on.
And then, when the town castle is unguarded, the main force will move in.
But there's something they don't know.
Normally, Gahou would abandon Shoukou in a case like this.
He has no reason to save a petty official who cannot control his own population.
But Shoukou is Gahou's right arm, and knows his dirty secrets.
If this revolt goes on longer...
...and the Royal Court steps in to investigate Shoukou at Gyouten...
...Gahou will be found out.
That's why Gahou will send a large force to Takuhou...
...as promptly as he can.
Air cavalry in the sky, mounted soldiers on the ground...
If the rebels can't face Shoukou's three thousand head-on...
...they won't stand a chance.
Prepare a letter to Mr. Saibou.
Kokei
It's been two days since we attacked Shoukou's residence, and the granary.
We haven't made any move since then.
Most likely the waiting is killing Shoukou.
Next, we'll attack Shoukou's safe house with two hundred men.
Looking for a decisive victory...
...Shoukou will dispatch all the town guards and provincial soldiers...
...to the house from the town castle.
Will it really work like that?
Because of our previous attacks...
...they think that we'll flee out of the province again...
...so he isn't going to move the soldiers from the borders.
All he has is the soldiers at the town castle.
While our men draw the soldiers to the safe house...
...we'll take down Shoukou.
I can do it with a hundred.
Youshi, the safe house is dangerous.
In the worst case, you'll have to fight against more than two thousand soldiers.
If possible, please try to capture Shoukou alive.
Youshi...
If you'll do that, I will take the safe house with one hundred.
The soldiers from the town castle will be here soon!
Close the gate!
Archers! To the ramparts!
Don't let our enemies get close!
As soon as Shoukou learned of the attack on the safe house in Takuhou...
...he dispatched one thousand provincial soldiers and five hundred town guards.
Before the assault group of a hundred men had a chance to escape...
...the house was quickly surrounded.
There are quite a lot of soldiers out there.
We'll have to hold out.
Hyouki?
What's the matter?
What is going on?
I-I am just a Kaikyaku! I have nothing to do with...
Asano...
Youko...
I see, so Yuka went back...
But I'm glad.
You are alive!
So, you are the queen of Kei...
Looks that way.
Is that why you're dressed like that?
It doesn't suit you.
Well, we should go.
What?
Let's get out of this world.
That's why I'm here.
I cannot do that.
Why not?
I am the queen.
I may not be the best queen...
...but if I leave, many people will suffer.
That's how this world works.
That's not what I hear.
What?
A ruler is chosen by a Kirin.
But there are many people who disagree with the system.
Lord Shoukou is one of them.
Shoukou?
Did Shoukou send you here?
What did he tell you?
He told me that this world is wrong.
That's why he's going to destroy it.
Destroy this world?
He's committing these crimes to see if the Heavens will really punish him.
How foolish!
Does he know how many people have suffered from his idiocy?
Foolish?
Why do you say that?
A Kirin choosing a king?
This world is controlled by nonsense!
That's why Lord Shoukou is trying to destroy it.
He's trying to save you.
Save me?
That's right.
You may not realize it now, but this world is like a bizarre play, you see?
And everyone has their roles to play.
You were given the role of a queen.
You're just being forced to play that role.
Remember when we were back in Japan?
You were free, weren't you?
Free?
But you don't need to play the queen anymore.
We'll be saved, come on, let's go.
The gun...
Oh, this?
I fixed it up so it can fire.
Have you shot anyone with it?
Of course not!
You know I would never do such a thing!
I am the queen.
I have to protect the lives of my people.
I'm telling you that you don't have to!
But the reason I'm fighting now isn't because I'm the queen.
Or because someone told me to...
I'm doing it because it is my destiny.
You don't have to do anything!
Yes, I do!
It doesn't matter whether I'm in Japan or Kei.
I saw a child get run over...
And if it's Shoukou's doing, he is wrong.
If that's what he has to do to destroy the world, then something's wrong!
A young girl was killed, her brother is struggling to live...
...and an innocent old man was abducted.
It's all my fault.
That's why I want to save him.
Not because someone told me to, but because I need to!
Youko...
Enough!
H-Hey.
Youko!
Hey, Youko!
Youko!
Looks like more provincial soldiers have arrived.
Hmm? What's that?
One of Shoukou's men is inside.
Take him into custody.
Hey Youko!
Youko!
They have the numbers, they'll probably climb over the wall after sundown.
Begin returning to the main house.
As expected, Ei's provincial army didn't move...
It will be difficult for the Taiho...
...to mobilize Ei's provincial army to capture Shoukou.
I doubt my own royal army would move either, even on my orders...
Hankyo, I'll leave the rest to you and Jyuusaku.
Subdue as many of the enemy as possible during the night.
I thought you did not want to take the lives of civilians.
I've made up my mind, besides, I have no other choice.
You have my consent.
And when it's over, bring Asano to me.
Youko!
I'm sorry I shot at you earlier.
Please save me!
What is this Kaikyaku saying?
Beg all you want, you won't get anything.
You're the queen, right?
They'll listen to you, right?
Please!
Stop it.
Huh?
I said stop it.
I have somewhere I need to go.
Later, my subordinate will take you to...
Wait a minute!
Is there anything I can do?
No.
There has to be!
I've been thinking while traveling with the entertainers...
That why was I brought to this world...
I'm sorry, it's all my fault.
It's not that simple!
After I met that girl, Suzu, I thought I had finally understood...
...why I was brought to this world.
Being forced to play the role of the ruler, Yuka was...
...well, it turned out to be you...
...but I thought I was meant to save you and go back, but that wasn't it.
Hey...
If this is how it ends, then why am I here?
Asano, you've just been trying to find a role to play.
Damn it!
This stupid world should be destroyed!
And then, I'll be...
Don't blame the world!
The fact that I became the queen is not more significant than...
...the fact you were born a man, and I was born a woman.
I'm here, and I believe in what I need to do.
Then what am I supposed to do?
The world doesn't give you a reason to live.
And neither can I.
The assault on the safe house should be underway, my Lord.
Even if any of the rebels do escape, they'll never make it across the border.
They are done for...
M-My Lord!
Rebels are at the South Gate trying to enter the castle!
What?
Recall the soldiers from the safe house!
They closed the gate, the soldiers cannot return to the castle.
BLAH
Moreover, we dispatched more soldiers to the house this afternoon.
What's your point?
Currently, there are only about two hundred soldiers guarding the castle.
Close the Middle Gate immediately!
Damn it!
Koshou!
The Middle Gate is opening!
Youshi!
We're going into Shoukou's main residence.
Cover me!
I was counting the sands of time without realizing.
In a false dream I became speechless.
I would stare into the fire...
...as I swore to be true forever.
Let my prayers be heard, I will overcome hardship...
...and keep my oath until the end of the world.
Youko smiles softly, and Shoukei returns the smile as she stands next to Suzu.
The three of them stand on the ramparts and look down.
The Twelve Kingdoms episode 37...
Episode 37
A Great Distance in The Wind, The Sky at Dawn, Chapter Fourteen.
A Great Distance in the Wind, the Sky at Dawn, Chapter Fourteen.