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Blade of the Immortal (2008) - S01 - WIP vs Dekinai

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WIP (Hi10 with some OCR errors fixed)

Dekinai (Edited Hi10)

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 01 - Criminal [WIP] [7571B17B]

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 01 [0EEE071A]

Murderer.

Two years ago...

A massacre, you say?

Sinners or not, what a merciless thing to do...

Sinners?

Gimme a break.

Were they not?

Not a single one of them was a sinner.

I kept on killing even those who didn't need to be killed.

Even those who didn't need to be killed,

I kept on killing them anyway.

I believed they were scoundrels going against my lord.

But the real villain was my master.

He fooled me... but not just that...

I also got caught up in swinging my sword around like I was the best.

Now that I think about it, my own stupidity makes me want to vomit.

So then what happened?

Not just my master Horii...

Policemen, detectives, and bounty hunters...

Anyone who tried to catch me...

I killed them all.

By any chance, are you...

I knew it.

Manji the Hundred-man Slayer, I presume?

Yeah.

The sin of taking a hundred lives...

Atoning for such a thing may not be so easy.

Why don't we consult God?

Why don't we...

...consult God?

Please do.

I have received a grim answer.

He says the only sufficient penance is death.

I wish it was that easy...

I wish it was that easy—

Is that it? It's over?

From now on, the strongest man in Japan...

...is me?

Little ol' me?

Let's put an end to this, all right?

I don't really want to kill.

There's no God or Buddha, huh...

Anotsu Kagehisa...

What do you want from the Itto-ryu?

I would like you and your Itto-ryu swordsmen...

...to join my Kouken Dojo as instructors.

I'm honored by the offer...

...but I wonder if we're fit for the position.

After all, we are nothing but a band of incompetent failed swordsmen.

Even if we became instructors, would the samurai these days...

...be able to handle it?

Please do not worry.

Better for them to know how powerless they are.

I have something I would like to ask.

Anything.

Master Habaki, what are your thoughts regarding one person killing another?

Habaki-dono, what are your thoughts regarding one person killing another?

"Weep... Weep over one's own destiny."

Big Brother!

Nii-sama!

Manji!

Manji-niisama!

What a cute little sister.

Long time no see, Manji.

Old lady!

If memory serves me, there should be a hidden shrine past here.

So you tried to find a road to salvation through a foreign god, eh?

Who's asking to be saved?

Oh, was my guess wrong?

When I met you for the first time...

...your eyes looked hungry for salvation.

There's something I want to know.

Why did you put those worms in me?

How long do I have to live on in this body?

How long...

...do I have to live on in this body?!

My body is full of bloodworms too.

What!

Thanks to them, I've lived over 800 years.

That's why I have the name "Yaobikuni."

Machi is 23 this year.

I used to think the best atonement a samurai could have...

...was hara-kiri, but it's surprisingly become more of an inconvenience.

If I commit suicide, she would die alone, insane, in a ditch somewhere.

Manji, if you truly wish to be saved, then first give up the sword.

That offers more than a confession or seppuku.

Manji.

Manji-niisama!

What's up?

I found a bean cake right over there.

Want to eat it?

Machi, that's horse shit.

Horse shit?

Wash your hands and go to bed.

Okay, I'll wash my hands and go to sleep.

Infinity.

The hatamoto killer?

There's a bounty...

Idiot! Just find him and kill him!

ldiot! Just find him and kill him!

Machi, strolling along the streets at night on your shoulder is pleasant...

...but let's stop now.

What are you saying?

Even briefly, a samurai...

Even briefly, even his wife's...

...shouldn't lean on a woman's shoulder, even his wife's...

...a samurai shouldn't lean on a woman's shoulder, or...

Or you can't face the others? You won't be able to anyway.

...you can't face the others? You won't be able to anyway.

You already fell over with a stomachache in front of so many...

Now I know how Goi in Imogayu felt.

Now I know how Goi in lmogayu felt.

But what kind of dinner party doesn't serve alcohol?

Why don't we have a drink...

He ran!

Saved diffs

Original text

Open file

WIP (Hi10 with some OCR errors fixed)

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 01 - Criminal [WIP] [7571B17B]

Murderer.
Two years ago...
A massacre, you say?
Sinners or not, what a merciless thing to do...
Sinners?
Gimme a break.
Were they not?
Not a single one of them was a sinner.
I kept on killing even those who didn't need to be killed.
I believed they were scoundrels going against my lord.
But the real villain was my master.
He fooled me... but not just that...
I also got caught up in swinging my sword around like I was the best.
Now that I think about it, my own stupidity makes me want to vomit.
So then what happened?
Not just my master Horii...
Policemen, detectives, and bounty hunters...
Anyone who tried to catch me...
I killed them all.
By any chance, are you...
I knew it.
Manji the Hundred-man Slayer, I presume?
Yeah.
The sin of taking a hundred lives...
Atoning for such a thing may not be so easy.
Why don't we consult God?
Please do.
I have received a grim answer.
He says the only sufficient penance is death.
I wish it was that easy...
Is that it? It's over?
From now on, the strongest man in Japan...
...is me?
Little ol' me?
Let's put an end to this, all right?
I don't really want to kill.
There's no God or Buddha, huh...
Anotsu Kagehisa...
What do you want from the Itto-ryu?
I would like you and your Itto-ryu swordsmen...
...to join my Kouken Dojo as instructors.
I'm honored by the offer...
...but I wonder if we're fit for the position.
After all, we are nothing but a band of incompetent failed swordsmen.
Even if we became instructors, would the samurai these days...
...be able to handle it?
Please do not worry.
Better for them to know how powerless they are.
I have something I would like to ask.
Anything.
Master Habaki, what are your thoughts regarding one person killing another?
"Weep... Weep over one's own destiny."
Big Brother!
Manji!
What a cute little sister.
Long time no see, Manji.
Old lady!
If memory serves me, there should be a hidden shrine past here.
So you tried to find a road to salvation through a foreign god, eh?
Who's asking to be saved?
Oh, was my guess wrong?
When I met you for the first time...
...your eyes looked hungry for salvation.
There's something I want to know.
Why did you put those worms in me?
How long do I have to live on in this body?
My body is full of bloodworms too.
What!
Thanks to them, I've lived over 800 years.
That's why I have the name "Yaobikuni."
Machi is 23 this year.
I used to think the best atonement a samurai could have...
...was hara-kiri, but it's surprisingly become more of an inconvenience.
If I commit suicide, she would die alone, insane, in a ditch somewhere.
Manji, if you truly wish to be saved, then first give up the sword.
That offers more than a confession or seppuku.
Manji.
What's up?
I found a bean cake right over there.
Want to eat it?
Machi, that's horse shit.
Horse shit?
Wash your hands and go to bed.
Okay, I'll wash my hands and go to sleep.
Infinity.
Infinity.
The hatamoto killer?
There's a bounty...
Idiot! Just find him and kill him!
Machi, strolling along the streets at night on your shoulder is pleasant...
...but let's stop now.
What are you saying?
Even briefly, a samurai...
...shouldn't lean on a woman's shoulder, even his wife's...
Or you can't face the others? You won't be able to anyway.
You already fell over with a stomachache in front of so many...
Now I know how Goi in Imogayu felt.
But what kind of dinner party doesn't serve alcohol?
Why don't we have a drink...
He ran!
After him!
Machi, it seems I've got a little work to do.
Go on ahead and warm up the sake.
Could it be him...
Also, get the bath nice and hot...
I guess not every kengo is careful...
I am a police officer of the Katsukawa house, Saito Oi Tatsumasa.
No need to tell me your name, as your life will soon be over.
Is that so?
I've heard about you.
They say it was you...
...who killed the hatamoto Horii Shigenobu two years ago.
I'm aware of what Lord Horii did.
And I somewhat understand how you feel.
However, why didn't you commit hara-kiri after you killed your lord?
Cut the crap!
Would you die for a man like that?
Is that the duty of a samurai?
Two years ago, exactly five days after the incident.
Two bodyguards took responsibility and committed oibara.
One was named Saito Kazusanokami Tatsuie...
My father!
He was a true samurai.
Not only did you not commit hara-kiri...
...but you continue to commit meaningless murders!
For my father's honor and the lives of your other 99 pursuers...
I think I have ample reason to kill you!
I've realized something about you.
The true reason you didn't commit hara-kiri...
There are two paths for those who bear swords.
If they are walking the way of the sword, they are a samurai.
If they are walking the way of bloodshed, then they are...
...just a murderer.
Murderer...
You are a bloodthirsty beast.
Nothing but an animal with a taste for murdering people.
Shut up...
How many more will you kill?
Fifty?
A hundred?
Why not just kill a thousand like the beast you are?
Brother?
No!
Machi.
It's fine. There's nothing to worry about.
It was only a dream, just a dream.
Machi, where did you run off to?
We've been looking for you, Manji the Hundred-man Slayer.
Who the hell are you?
We need you to come with us. The one you're looking for is waiting too.
Ah, it's Big Brother.
That didn't take long.
My name's Shido Hishiyasu.
Second in command of the invincible Shinsen-gumi.
I don't give a damn about your name.
Let Machi go.
If you haven't done anything, I'll let you go.
You'll let us go?
Thank you for the offer.
How nice!
Why don't we go, guys?
Yeah, right, dumb ass.
We're about to mourn my brother Johnny, who you killed at the hidden shrine.
Fight us one on one.
Brother...
If you beat all of us, all is forgotten.
All right...
No, wait...
Huh?
I don't want to draw my sword.
Is there some other way we can do this?
Huh? What was that?
You don't have a choice.
I want to...
...wash my hands of this foul-smelling world we live in.
If you don't want to fight, then that's fine.
We'll just have her play with us.
That tickles!
I'll fight you barehanded, all right?
My sister isn't part of this! Let her go now!
Come again?
Are you really Manji the Hundred-man Slayer who fights with twelve blades?
You bastard, get your filthy hands...
Cut the bullshit! What the hell do you mean, "barehanded"?
You call yourself a samurai?
What am I gonna do with the 20 guys I brought here to deal with you?
Let them play tag or something.
I'll just watch.
Boss...
Let the girl go.
What?
Just do it already!
Machi.
Big Brother!
Manji, don't hate me.
I warned you...
...that I'd play with her.
Big Brother...
It's cold today...
Yeah.
Will you play with me tomorrow?
Yeah, I will. So just go to sleep now.
Okay, I'll go to sleep. Good night, Big Broth...
The little sister dies, and the brother follows.
In the next life, you two can hang out together.
It's all your fault!
Are you satisfied...
...with it all ending like this?
You said you wanted to fight one on one, right?
Ah, well, um, not anymore...
I'll show you if I can kill a hundred men...
...whether you like it or not.
Watch closely.
I missed it...
Machi...
I would've died here if I could, but it's just not possible.
Not with this body...
So at the very least, as a gift...
...I'll send all these punks to hell to be your servants!
Make them eat horse shit.
It's all my fault...
For your husband's death...
For you losing your mind...
Everything was my fault...
And the funny thing is you couldn't even hate me for it.
This was the Hundred-man Slayer...
"Weep... Weep over one's own destiny," huh?
You've never looked better.
I've decided.
As penance for my 100 kills...
...I'm going to use my remaining years to kill 1,000 evil men.
How's that?
Just be sure this is truly what you think is right.
Now then...
Father...
I swear I'll get vengeance...

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 02 - Conquest [WIP] [05E77D01]

The wings of hatred will not stop so long as the heart makes waves.
I want to tell you something before Takayoshi comes back.
Because of my weakness, we banished a man to the darkness.
If because of that, misfortune should fall upon you...
...I don't want you to blame that man.
Because it is my father and I who are at fault.
Grandpa?
We must just accept it, if we don't want to lose everything.
What did you wish for?
That no misfortune should fall upon anyone.
Golden Wasps!
You have trained so hard...
I, Kuroi Sabato, am deeply moved.
Although trying to defeat me with that technique is but a dream of dreams.
So beautiful...
It's like gazing upon the face of a goddess.
It was worth waiting these two years.
I shall take my leave for now.
You're running away?
What I desire is your heart.
Until that wish is fulfilled, I will have you survive.
You there, girl. Who sleeps in that grave?
I can sense your thirst for blood from back here.
But within your thirst lies a deep despair.
My father sleeps here.
I wish to avenge his death.
How noble. How trifling.
Even so, nobility and trifles are not useful tools of revenge.
The most essential thing is...
...strength that is nearly inhuman.
Does this person even exist?
He looks like a total moron.
Hyaku, come on...
Shut up!
What about this?
That's the same as before. Look.
Stop horsing around, Shinriji. You cheated, didn't you?
I didn't. We aren't betting money to begin with, so why would I cheat?
Then why haven't I won once?
So, Hyakurin...
...did you see that guy?
No, what I saw was the aftermath.
The Hundred-man Slayer, huh?
I think I'd get along with him.
If he joins us.
It'd be a problem if a guy like that became our enemy.
Either way, sitting here and talking about it won't do anything.
I'll talk to the guys at the top.
You sound awfully confident.
It's better not to make a move till then.
I know.
You woke up, huh?
Whatever.
Don't come out yet. The splinters'll head that way.
Okay...
Do you do them all that way?
Hell no.
Oh, I see...
Sorry, it's burned.
What's wrong? It's delicious.
Thank you.
You're really not that scary, which is a relief.
You're Manji, right?
An old lady named Yaobikuni told me about you.
You won't die no matter who you fight with, right?
Pretty much.
That means you're really strong, right?
Well, that's 'cause...
Please! I need your help!
My father was a samurai and was killed by people called the Itto-ryu.
Also, my mother...
I want to destroy the Itto-ryu with my own hands...
...and get my mother back from them.
But I can't do it on my own...
That old lady told me.
That a strong man named Manji vowed to kill 1,000 evil men.
She said if I asked, he would help me out.
Gossiping old hag.
I beg you!
Please help me destroy the Itto-ryu!
Go on home before it gets dark.
Could it be... you want money?
I'm not talking about money.
This happened a long time ago.
I helped out a villain and killed many innocent people.
I don't want to do that anymore.
So if I'm gonna do it, I gotta know who's good and who's evil.
Right...
So who's bad?
Your father and those Itto-ryu guys... Who's bad and who's good?
Well, that's...
Obviously it has to be them, right?
But who's to say?
When people are telling their own story, of course they're the righteous ones.
I don't wanna be the co-conspirator of some "saint" who's playing the victim.
I do that, and I'm just another criminal.
But they...
Wasn't your father a samurai too?
There's no good or evil when samurai kill each other.
I understand what you're saying, Manji.
But...
But...
It's frustrating. There were so many of them.
And to kill him like that... That way...
Talk to me.
What you saw with those eyes of yours... What you heard with those ears...
Tell me everything that happened.
Manji...
Infinity.
Infinity.
Mother, it's already past nine.
Maybe Father is having an affair.
What are you saying, child?
I said to him this morning, "Father, I turn fourteen today."
He promised me that he'd come home early.
Didn't you hear about the special meeting at the dojo tonight?
Something about those attacks on the other schools.
Those men attacking the other schools...
It's rumored that they used to be our dojo's students... Is that true?
I'm not really sure.
Father!
Rin, get back...
Mother, it's Father!
Honey!
Forget about me.
Both of you, hurry and run...
So in other words, what you were saying is...
..."We won't surrender to you bastards." Right?
I must defend my school.
I understand these things all too well.
But it's all for naught.
All the followers of the Mutenichi-ryu, except for you alone...
...have been killed.
H-How could you...
I swear I'll kill you all... even if it costs my life...
"Even if it costs my life..."
"Even if it costs my life..."
What should we make of this simple, honest reply?
Kuroi.
Yes, sir.
Wait!
Why are you doing this? Why the Mutenichi-ryu?
I heard that your style has the same origins as our own.
How can you make peace with your ancestors after this betrayal?
Interesting words just now.
Damn you... Don't touch my wife...
Master Asano, you will die tonight. So I'll tell you this now.
Then you can watch us from the realm of the dead.
This is the beginning of our long, long drama of conquest.
Fifty years ago...
My grandfather, Anotsu Saburo, and your father, Asano Takayuki...
...were rival kengo over the Mutenichi-ryu's secret teachings...
...which were granted only once a generation.
The bandits who attacked them were all defeated.
Asano killed four, and Anotsu nine.
But...
Expelled?
I do not understand!
It is not about technique.
Anotsu, it is simply that the essence of your swordsmanship is lacking.
You must have seen it on that night!
My swordsmanship surpassed Takayuki's!
And yet...
I see your true intentions now!
You talk of "essence" and such now, but the truth is...
...it's because Takayuki is your son.
You never had any intention of sharing the secrets with an outsider like me!
Anotsu, you know the words of the Mutenichi-ryu doctrine.
"Skill with the sword begins with decorum."
No matter how strong they may be...
...those who scoff at form can never comprehend the way of the sword.
But...
In battle the other day, you fought with a sword in each hand.
One was a blade from foreign lands.
Our Mutenichi-ryu has no tradition of two-sword techniques!
Moreover, it is inexcusable to use a foreign blade!
I did that to protect you!
Takayuki, say something!
I know you agree with me!
Takayuki!
Anotsu, you are the son of a cloth merchant.
Your confusion regarding these concepts is understandable.
But if we do not preserve our teachings, Mutenichi-ryu cannot stand!
Mercy... Please have mercy!
I...
I defended you!
Y-You bastard...
Why?
Master Asano, what do you think of the way of the sword?
If this were the Warring States Period...
Even then, would you stand by customs and formality?
It wouldn't be like living in a peaceful society.
If you don't win, you die. The way of the sword is the way to victory.
When I look at you, it becomes perfectly clear...
...what happens when people forget that.
The contempt suffered by one expelled from a distinguished samurai's school...
...runs far deeper than we think.
The stronger a swordsman is, the lower he falls.
There's no way back to the light, ever.
I understand what you're saying...
...but that was fifty years ago.
And my father, Takayuki...
...was tortured by his own weakness till the very end.
It doesn't matter what you say. We've made our decision.
I will destroy every sword school in the country...
...and unify them under the Itto-ryu.
What? Have you lost your mind?
So, Master Asano, it's time for you to die. Are you ready?
Once we're finished here, have your way with the wife.
You bastard...
Got that?
Yeah.
However, don't touch the daughter.
I think you'll agree that assaulting children is vulgar.
Anotsu Kagehisa, you're scum!
Honey!
The bell rings against a heartless sky.
The raven caws, "No mercy."
All walk the path that leads to nothingness.
Is this the way of the samurai? Ganging up on someone like this?
Don't get the wrong idea. The only two who fought were Anotsu and Kuroi.
Take your own life. If you're the wife of a samurai, it's your duty.
Magatsu, stop taking charge.
We don't like wasting our time like you.
You think we're here for idle chitchat?
If you want a woman, why don't you just go to a brothel...
...instead of taking someone's wife in a place like this.
Taking a man's wife in a place like this is what makes it interesting.
You're such a kid.
What?
As you can see, this woman has no intention of killing herself.
Do as you please.
Don't kill her...
Don't kill my mother...
Close your eyes and cover your ears.
Does it hurt?
Are you ready to throw it all away for revenge?
Then prove it right now.
If it hurts so much, prove how serious you are about this.
B-But...
What's wrong? You all talk?
Then do whatever you want with me.
Sorry.
Goodbye.
Wait.
Let's go.
Right.
Will Manji save the girl...
...or will it be the girl who saves Manji?
Either way, it's the fate life brings.

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 03 - Love Song [WIP] [4035EF0C]

When snow falls, the next day it will melt.
A flower in the moonlight is destined to fall.
You can become intoxicated in dreams, but reality will make you sober.
How unjust, that to struggle against time gains one eternity...
...but only through death.
Like the sand. Like her jet-black hair.
Like a butterfly crossing the sea in vain.
Its homeland, like a dream, lost...
Love for parents is only realized when they have passed.
If you try and talk to a butterfly, it flies away.
Such is life.
You're now destined to live in pain.
Did my words reveal my innermost feelings?
Yes.
I am pleased.
And now, with your understanding...
...I shall take your life.
Actually, I have come to take your life as well.
Is that so? How serendipitous.
Then let us go hand in hand down the path to the realm of the dead.
Thank you. But you'll just have to walk down that path...
...all alone, Kuroi Sabato.
I hate him too...
But the one I can never forgive...
...is you.
First I'll cut you down, the man who murdered my father...
...as the prologue to my long drama of revenge.
So beautiful...
You have become even more beautiful than when last I saw you.
My feelings for you grow and grow.
I must kill you with my own hands.
How about that.
Those love letters really were for you, Rin.
How sweet. Sweet in a creepy sort of way.
Hitting on a girl young enough to be your daughter.
Rin, I'll take over. He doesn't look like an opponent an amateur can handle.
I'm no amateur. I've been training for two entire years.
Lady Rin, I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you.
Who'd love you?
In love, I seek perfection.
But the only perfect love can be found in death.
The flow of time stops for nothing.
White snow melts and mixes with mud.
The blue moon disappears behind the mountains in the distance.
Even the most fragrant flower loses its color and dies.
Everything bows to time's fate.
It's the same for the beauty of a woman.
Before your beauty withers away...
Your hair... Your eyes...
I want to make everything of yours mine.
If you kill the girl you've fallen for, then you lose everything.
You can sure talk some bullshit, old man Sabato.
What's so funny?
Someone like you will never understand.
The only thing that can defy time itself, the only eternity allowed to man...
...is death.
I wouldn't be so sure.
For all that grandiose gibberish you go off on, things that are eternal...
...like so much dog shit, might be laying around us more than you think.
So, old man Sabato.
Not many thrills fighting little girls, don't you think?
How about us two-handed heretics of the sword...
...go at it like wild men?
Tonight is the night my love shall be fulfilled.
No matter who you are, I'll let no one interfere.
If I'm in the way, then kill me.
Don't hold back.
Hyaku, over here.
That's Kuroi Sabato of the Itto-ryu.
Why is he with the Hundred-man Slayer?
Looks like he's that girl's bodyguard.
Revenge, huh?
When we get inside the forest, use that weird attack on him.
Golden Wasps!
Well done.
My face and shoulders have not been exposed for a very long time, Lady Rin.
What the hell are those?
It's unbearable to see the women you love grow old.
This is the woman who used to be my wife.
And this is...
What's wrong, Rin?
M-Mother...
What did you say?
Indeed.
This is the head of the woman who two years ago was your mother.
No, please don't!
Go ahead and destroy her.
Close your eyes and cover your ears.
Though we were of the same school...
Those worthless trash were far too brutal in their sport.
So I saved her life.
She's far too flawless a woman...
...to be taken by those who don't appreciate such perfection.
I'm going to kill you.
Kuroi Sabato, I shall kill you...
Even if I have to sell my soul to the devil...
...I will kill you!
Stop, Rin!
Golden Wasps!
Infinity.
Infinity.
Golden Wasps!
Manji!
I have trained my shoulder to twist completely backwards.
Understand?
Now that you understand, hurry up and die.
I have no interest in talking with men.
You perverted old man...
The Hundred-man Slayer...
...lost?
Are you trying to hurt your honorable mother?
You said you would kill me, Lady Rin.
Even if it's not by your hand, I am always ready to die.
For one thing. If I am able to see you die in eternal beauty...
...I will be more than happy to die.
When you die, I will take my wife's head down from my shoulders...
...and adorn them instead with your beautiful head, Lady Rin.
I shall recreate those nostalgic days of mother and daughter on my shoulders.
And lastly, I shall take my own life and have myself stuffed as well.
Together we will rise up, and perfected by our beauty...
...our love will last forever.
I'll say it once more.
If you will give me your life, I will hand over mine.
This is the ultimate proof of my love.
If I die...
Yes. Then I, the one you hate, shall follow.
It seems you understand.
Truly?
In my own way, I am still samurai.
I swear to, after I send you off...
What?
Manji!
Are you human?
More or less.
But because of these guys, I have a body that can't die.
What?
I see... So that explains it.
So that's the Hundred-man Slayer...
A man who won't die?
If you cannot die...
...then that means you've acquired eternal life?
Well, I suppose so.
I won't accept it. I will not!
I'll never accept it!
Die!
I wish I could...
Eternity is the proof of love attained through the beauty of death!
Someone like you...
Someone like you...
As long as a fucked-up bastard like you lives...
...I wouldn't be able to die in peace anyway!
Eternity is in your hands even though you're alive.
Such men should not exist!
Quit your pointless rambling, you big perverted freak!
Lady Rin!
Lady Rin!
I lived for love. And I'll die for love.
I have no regrets.
Someone like you could never understand...
...these feelings.
Consider yourself lucky...
...that you can die!
Did you see that man?
I didn't, but Hyakurin and Shinriji did.
Hyakurin is saying she wants to ask him to join us.
He definitely is strong. He murdered the hatamoto Horii Shigenobu...
...and then killed the policemen of the Hacchoubori group, over a hundred.
You knew?
The reason we haven't caught him is because of his unique strength.
What do you mean?
If this Manji possesses interests similar to ours...
...there is a chance he will fight alongside us.
You let him go free because you predict he'll join us?
That's right.
You idiot.
You almost bought into that pervert's ramblings about love and death.
I can't believe you said, "prologue to my long drama of revenge."
I'm sorry.
But I thought you were dead then.
Manji, why do you have a body like that?
Never mind that.
Your mom, dad, and all his students are dead.
If you don't keep it going, the Mutenichi-ryu will disappear.
Isn't that right?
Risking your life over crap isn't a luxury you've got.
Even that Anotsu guy is fighting for his own school, remember?
Anotsu Kagehisa...
Master Anotsu, I need you to make a decision soon...
...or this will become very inconvenient for you.
You've shed a lot of blood to unite all the styles together.
There is a reason that the shogunate pretended not to see it.
In other words, it means someone was keeping an eye on us.
Do not worry, Master Habaki.
There are some who would consider that a threat.
But I'm not even going to think about it because my decision is already made.
Then...
I, Anotsu Kagehisa...
...accept the offer to be instructor to the Koukenjyo.
I will make a new style with my own hands.
An elite group that strives for nothing less than victory.
If the Anotsu house knows only the morality of the blade...
...no one will ever see you as a true samurai.
If there are any who'd join such a style...
...it'd only be the fringes of society like me.
Are you prepared to use...
...such subhumans?
Yes, I look forward to it.
Well said.
Yes, well said, truly.
Terrible news! Sir Sabato is... Sir Sabato is...
What happened to Kuroi?

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 04 - Genius [WIP] [DC66CC74]

Such use of color!
I can't even comprehend the brushwork.
I had heard the rumors, but foreign art has become so advanced...
It's the shogun's secret police!
Run!
Hand over the contraband.
T-That voice...
You said we were comrades...
You're just a dog of the shogunate...
Magnificent...
You're going to get another bodyguard?
I realized when we fought Kuroi Sabato.
The swordsmen of the Itto-ryu aren't just normal people.
Manji, you're strong and you can't die, so I feel like I can rely on you...
...but I think it'd be better to get more help.
Hey, one more!
Do you have any idea where you'll find this bodyguard?
I finally found the person I've been searching for.
Father.
We have guests.
Painting is nice and all...
...but I'm the one who has to clean up and apologize to the landlord.
I'm sorry.
Master Sori.
Um...
Could it be you, Rin?
Yes, it's been a while. Otatsu, how have you been?
I've been well.
Wow, you're all grown up!
Hey.
What are we doing? Going door to door?
Isn't he just a painter? He doesn't look like a great swordsman to me.
That coming from someone who looks like he was abandoned on Mt. Takao...
...then raised by kind monkeys, and just recently rejoined society.
This person is my bodyguard, sort of an assistant...
That kind of person.
What's all this about?
Is that so...
Asano is dead...
We've known each other since we were kids.
I'm sorry. I had wanted to tell you sooner.
No, I'm the one who should apologize.
I wasn't even able to attend the funeral.
It's all right. That's only the beginning.
Revenge?
An inexperienced young woman like you?
I don't want you to go off to your death.
I understand how you feel, but it's a foolish dream.
I'm not dreaming.
I've heard rumors about this Anotsu guy.
They say he's a twenty-two-year-old genius swordsman.
Even if you've hired a bodyguard or an assistant...
Um, was it Hanji?
It's Manji!
You think just hiring him will be enough?
You may be right about that.
But what if I had more than one bodyguard?
What do you mean by that?
Father, it's the Nagasaki store owner.
Oh, you had guests over?
Not quite.
We'll finish this later.
I'm sorry for troubling you to come all the way here.
Is something the matter?
No, nothing.
That's her, huh?
So as I've explained, I haven't been able to find the right color...
...to finish this painting to my satisfaction.
Then why don't you leave it for now.
Could I get you to paint another piece?
Are you really going to do it, Rin?
I'm going now.
Thanks for your help.
Master...
Just a little while longer, so please keep still.
Won't you please lend your strength to me?
Strength?
As you can see, I'm just an artist.
I'm not asking an artist for his help.
I'm asking one of the shogun's secret police.
You knew?
Yes, my father told me.
Asano, you troublemaker...
I heard you were chosen because of your contacts and skill with the sword.
And that your sword skill surpassed my father's.
Please, Master, take up your sword.
Artists, you know, if not stimulated by something new...
...their talent and their minds get rusty.
For me, that stimulation...
...was western paintings.
But in this day and age...
...if one tried to collect such things, the authorities would be at your back.
So that's when I thought of becoming one of the authorities myself.
To join the shogunate, I honed my sword skills...
...and traveled the country gathering intelligence.
I've killed anti-shogunate dissidents on the orders of the council of elders.
I've killed even my own fellow artists.
That's horrible...
The soul possessed by the arts will surpass mundane knowledge...
...and pursue new values.
No matter the sacrifices that must be made.
I've dragged my sword through the mud.
I couldn't allow such a blade to help you on your journey.
Why do you laugh?
Let's be honest, Master.
You make a lot of excuses, but when it comes down to it...
...you just lived at your own convenience.
Instead of admitting what kind of person you really are...
...you're trying to convince yourself with your own excuses.
And all that talk about the fine arts...
It's nothing. Just bullshit.
Don't make me laugh.
Manji...
You're just not willing to risk your life for another, right?
I won't deny that.
I can't die yet.
I've got a mountain of things left to paint.
And I'm not ashamed.
It's just how we artists are.
Oh, is that so?
Then do whatever you want, you grey-haired bastard.
Manji!
Stay over in Tatsu's room tonight.
But...
Don't worry about him. He's not the type to leave you stranded.
Well, that's just a hunch...
Infinity.
Infinity.
Rin.
Rin.
Wake up.
Mother...
I'm home.
I'm so sorry for coming home late on your birthday.
Rin, are you crying?
I had a scary dream.
But I'm so glad...
...it was all a dream.
You sure like to sleep.
Brats like you should sleep forever!
You're pretty quick on your feet, little lady.
Oh, well. Butterflies are more fun to catch when they run...
Manji!
Hi there.
Now I get it.
I knew old man Sabato would never have lost to a chick like her.
It all makes sense now.
Okay, take his head.
If we take care of him, all of Sabato's followers will be ours.
All of us?
Of course.
But it's against the Itto-ryu to...
Winning is everything.
What are you guys rambling on about?
Do it or run along home and jerk yourselves off.
Stop acting so tough!
First of all, do you think you can take us all out with one sword?
I think I'll manage.
Huh? That's coming from our house.
This isn't the right color either...
My chosen path of art that I kept defending with words...
Is this my all?
Isn't there a sword somewhere?
Wait, you bitch!
You're not going anywhere!
I'll play with you guys!
Red...
That's right. It's definitely red.
A red I'm positive I've seen a thousand times before...
But what kind of red? A flower? The sunset?
No, those aren't it.
Something just as primal. The source of all red...
It's easy to put into words, but what kind of red is it?
Oh, gods in heaven...
Let the devil send me a sign!
It's done!
This is it!
This is exactly what I've been looking for!
This is the primal red! With this color...
Got him.
What the hell is this?
You're finally trapped, you fool.
The barbs blend well with trees...
...so hotheaded idiots like you think they're just pieces of bark.
Manji!
Stay back, Rin!
I've got an idea.
How about I slice that girl up right before your eyes?
Just you try it.
That idiot...
I didn't expect to get permission.
Wait up, baldy!
It's not nice to make fun of people like that.
Manji!
Not bad for a brat.
Rin!
W-Who the hell did that?
A person who treats art like a doormat deserves to die.
He's good.
Y-Yeah.
The only rule of the Itto-ryu is to fight one on one.
Those who disobey...
Wait!
I swear we didn't...
Is someone here?
Right away!
You don't look familiar.
I accepted Sir Abayama's offer and was granted access.
My name is Makoto. Pleased to make your acquaintance.
Is that so. Then I'll leave it up to you.
Yes, sir.
I really don't understand it.
You have nothing to do with the Asano family, so why did you get involved?
Even turning yourself into a bloody mess.
Yesterday you laughed at me.
So what is it? Do you get off on martyrdom?
It's not like that.
Then why?
There isn't really a reason.
You and me, we're the same animal.
Perhaps there's also an art to killing.
Don't compare us, you grey-haired old man.
There is no need to worry.
I'll restore it, and you'll have it in three days.
However, I'll need thirty gold ryo for painting supplies.
I can't lend you my strength, but I will buy all the corpses.
Master...
In the end, we're the "same animal," huh?
You're not very honest, are you?
Take care, Rin!
Thank you, Otatsu!
Please take care of Rin, Ginji!
That bastard, he still couldn't remember my name?
Let's go, Manji.

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 05 - The Shogunate aka. Army Man [WIP] [406EF695]

Insolent brat!
No one told me you were quitting the Itto-ryu.
Of course no one did. I haven't told anyone.
I thought I should tell you first.
I guess I won't be able to stay here if I quit the Itto-ryu.
What about Kage?
I'm thinking about telling him today.
If you quit the Itto-ryu, will you quit being a bodyguard here too?
Not like I'm doing much as a bodyguard anyway.
Isn't that good? It's easy.
I feel like a gigolo or something. I don't like it.
Tai, you don't like to be a gigolo?
Mister, I can show you a good time.
You'll make me hate you.
Tai, you sleep with me in the same bed when I say I'm cold...
...but you never lay a finger on me.
Am I that unattractive?
Do you not like women who sell their bodies?
Or do I look like your sister who passed away?
You look nothing like her.
What'll you do after you quit?
Well...
Listen, I can get out of here in about two years.
Right now, I have to work to pay for my mother's medicine...
...but the doctor said she might not last two years.
If I'm freed...
...my dream is to have a family with someone.
Ren...
It doesn't really matter if you throw me away.
You're a great swordsman.
As someone who can live freely with his skills if he needs to...
...you don't need to deal with a whiny girl like me.
Don't have to deal with me holding you back.
Now ain't these interesting toys.
Will you accept the offer?
Just one question. Who do these really belong to?
Um, well...
No ordinary warrior would carry these.
I've been in the business for twenty years...
...but it's rare to see swords that reek so bad of blood and guts.
In this peaceful era, no samurai's sword would ever be like this.
These probably belong to a bandit or a deranged killer.
Well, it doesn't matter. I won't ask for the particulars.
Swords are made for killing, right?
Yes, you're right.
I see you know your swords.
I fell in love with this one.
Must be a relic from the old Ezo era.
Woman.
What do you think you're doing?
Mr. Magatsu, I've been waiting for you.
This young lady has an interest in swords...
...and she's fascinated by this blade of yours.
Chinese swords are fine weapons...
...but they don't behave like Japanese swords.
They're too much for most people to handle.
Of course, that's also what I like about them.
When a sword sharpener works a masterpiece...
...he's pushed to his limits. I was sweating blood!
But the sweat just makes the cool of the evening more pleasant.
It's a good life.
Thank you, sir.
I'll be sure to come again.
Thank you!
I can't fight here...
Samurai! Sir!
That sword... Could you please sell it to me?
I'll pay...
I can pay up to thirty gold ryo.
Please.
I'm not a samurai, just a swordsman.
Miss, have you heard...
...of an Asano Dojo that was in the Honsho district up till two years ago?
A couple of my comrades were killed by the daughter of that dojo.
Well, I can't believe a single girl could do that.
I wouldn't sell this sword for any amount of money.
It's booty, so I can't say where I got it.
But if you can tell me where to find that girl...
...then I just might consider selling it.
Well?
What?
Rin, do you know how much thirty ryo is worth?
I'm used to being broke.
But can you handle never being able to take a bath?
I'm sorry.
Why do you want that person's sword so much anyway?
That sword belonged to my father.
Two years ago, after my father was killed...
...every single sword in the Asano Dojo was stolen.
That sword was one of them.
Originally, when my grandfather was head of the dojo...
...that sword was enshrined as a school treasure.
The Mutenichi-ryu dojo is so strict about form...
...that I wondered why a foreign sword was treasured so much.
Maybe it was my grandfather's way of paying respect to Anotsu Saburo.
So what do you want to do?
Did you ask where he's staying?
He's at an inn called the Mizoguchi by Sensoji Shrine till tomorrow.
If you want to go get it back by force, I'll help you out.
Manji, I'm sorry.
This is the last time I'll talk like this.
I'm already sixteen...
...and I can't keep talking about my mother and father.
It's pathetic.
I've decided it's time to put it behind me. That sword too.
Isn't he part of the Itto-ryu? Don't you hate him?
I hate him.
I hate him, but no matter how many of the Itto-ryu we kill...
...as long as Anotsu Kagehisa is alive, their numbers will still increase.
No more wasting time. I've got to find Anotsu himself.
Or I can't destroy the Itto-ryu.
Well, if that's what you want, it's fine by me.
Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Heave-ho!
Hey, stop!
It's awfully quiet, isn't it?
Are you guys really heading to Mukou-jima?
It was Tempou Dojo in Mukou-jima, right?
Yeah.
I've heard rumors that the dojo was a secret hideout for the Itto-ryu.
Do you think it's true?
Who'd you hear that from?
In this business, we just hear things.
By any chance, are you a kengo of the Itto-ryu?
And what if I was?
Infinity.
Infinity.
Man, that was too quick.
Even the most skilled kengo are vulnerable to surprise.
If people found out guys like us killed him...
...he'd be too ashamed to show his face in the afterlife. I pity him...
The guys in the Itto-ryu...
...have endured all sorts of hardships.
I've met people from all walks of life...
...but this is the first time I've seen swordsmen carry a carriage.
This is pretty hilarious.
You bastard!
S-S-Shit... When did you...
Old man, you got cocky.
I purposely missed your vitals. You want to go to the doctor?
All right, cough it up.
Who sent you?
W-What are you talking about?
If you're seeking revenge for a fallen dojo, this sort of plan is a bit much.
You'll die if you don't hurry up. Spill it and I'll take you to the doctor.
What'll you do?
What was that?
Akagi?
My bad. I guess that was a vital point.
Please take this.
Mr. Magatsu, you came on foot?
Yeah, kind of.
You're wounded...
Oh, don't worry about it.
Excuse me.
Makoto, who was that?
His name is Habaki Kagimura, one of the shogunate's guard.
The Itto-ryu is going to work under the shogunate.
It looks like you have something to say.
Not really. I think it's a good thing.
Now you can go back to being a samurai with no problem.
As long as you're with the shogunate...
...no one's going to look down on you as an outcast anymore.
That's what you wished for, right?
Yeah, you're right.
We won.
Magatsu...
I'm not leading the Itto-ryu to make some kind of invincible ronin group.
I know that much already.
We go way back after all.
What the Itto-ryu hates most is the fall of a samurai family.
So I think you're doing the right thing.
Hey, is it okay if I jump ship here?
Your reason?
It's not that I don't like how you run things...
...but I have my pride. I can't be on the side of the samurai.
Every time we destroyed a dojo together...
...I felt so good, but until now I haven't...
Nah, I'm not gonna say anything.
I'm just being selfish. You don't really care, do you?
You won't be tied down by the sword? I thought you'd say something like that.
Schools are such fragile things, huh?
Especially the Itto-ryu.
See you.
Magatsu...
You can keep on using the second floor of the Yukimachi.
Wouldn't want to make Oren unhappy.
Oh, yeah. As a parting gift, or I suppose it's a warning.
When did you cross paths with a group named Akagi?
Never. I don't remember them at all.
If you should ever meet them, watch your back.
They've been specifically targeting members of the Itto-ryu.
I'll keep that in mind.
Well, that's all I gotta say.
See you around.
Rin.
The only thing she's grown up about is crying and sleeping.
You want revenge for your parents to take the pain away, don't you?
What'll you do if you're not allowed to shed a single tear for your parents?
I know it's a harsh memory, but you'll forget about it one day.
It's a pain in the neck to force yourself to forget it.
I've finally found you.
Are you working for that Akagi group?
No I'm not. I'm not working for anyone.
Anyway, hand over that long sword at your waist.
I get it.
I was right. That girl really is Asano's daughter.
You must be the one who defeated Kuroi Sabato.
You can say that. So what are you gonna do?
The first rule of war.
Restricting your enemy's mobility is 80% of the victory.
Idiots who only aim for killing blows will likely lose their legs.
Thanks for the tip!
A hidden blade?
Stop acting so surprised.
I like you.
Are all the Itto-ryu samurai crazy like you?
I'm no samurai.
Besides, I quit the Itto-ryu.
Oh, really.
It's about time, huh?
What the hell?
The second rule of war.
Know the land and conquer the heavens!
This forest was the perfect playground for a kid.
I used to play here with my little sister.
But my sister...
...was killed by a samurai.
Insolent brat!
That's why I hate samurai!
You can keep that. Take good care of it.
Hand over the scabbard too...
What the hell?
You're not the only one...
...who's lived through harsh times.
It's been an interesting night.
Let's do this again...
...assuming we both live through the night.
You idiot, I can't die...
Manji!
Manji?
Doing this on your own...
Who asked you to do it?
I thought I told you I'd put it behind me.
I told you I'd forget all about it.

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 06 - Cries of the Bugs [WIP] [BA2F2D7C]

I'm not...
...a bug.
I said I was quitting the Itto-ryu, and now look at me.
Did you tell Kage already?
Yeah.
Tai.
What'll you do after your wound heals?
Let's see...
If I'm going to fight samurai without relying on the Itto-ryu...
...I guess I'll murder them in the streets of Banchou.
Hey, why don't I plow into a daimyo's group with just a wakizashi?
That's amazing. So cool.
You're kidding, right?
I'm kidding.
Oren, there's a visitor for Sir Magatsu.
Who would that be?
Manji.
I'm thinking of going on a little trip today.
Do whatever you want.
What's wrong?
Hey.
No.
I didn't say anything yet.
I already knew what you'd say.
Alcohol, right?
There's lodging...
...then meals, and also money for maps and riding river ferries.
It all really adds up.
It won't kill you to cut back on everything else.
No, but then I might as well be dead.
I said no, so no.
The weather's sure nice.
But it's a little hot.
Days like this are perfect for eating kuzukiri...
...but instead I'm out here on the street looking for...
...my own hot and cold encounter with an attractive young lady.
But then hoping for that is like tilting at windmills.
I should have chilled sake when I get there...
What was that for, asshole?
You have the nerve to be spiteful when you're caught whoring...
...behind your husband's back?
Don't make me laugh, you underpaid dimwit.
If we're comparing you two as men, he's way better than you!
While I'm at it, yours is like a little rhubarb, and his is like a giant radish.
What did you say? Come on, say it one more time!
The heat just went away.
She's not that young, but she's good looking.
And wow, talk about spirit.
Who the hell are you, anyway? She's my wife!
Only a miscreant would humiliate a woman in the middle of the street.
Honey!
Hey, what's the big idea?
Sorry about that. He's your husband, huh?
Your beauty moved me so. I couldn't stop myself from acting.
I'm impressed.
A tough samurai isn't exactly a rare sight...
...but it's a different story when they're unarmed.
That's quite an arm you've got, sir.
All the better to be held with, perhaps?
You're referring to that argument?
I don't mean to take the moral high ground, but we've only just met...
I thought so.
I like women, but I don't like coercion.
I was half kidding too. Let's just laugh and leave it at that.
I'll be leaving now.
Hold on!
Wow...
How lovely.
Well, it'll keep us cool at least.
Yeah.
I said I'd treat you...
...but other than sake, I don't have much to offer.
Hey, this is plenty.
My favorite dish is soybean pulp dressed with mustard.
I have some soybean pulp.
And...
It's rhubarb.
It's his favorite.
Say what you will, but you still adore your husband.
Yeah...
He's ordinary...
...and no good at his job.
What's the matter?
Back in the day, a friend of mine was poisoned at a dinner gathering.
Since then I've become really cowardly about meals.
So I should taste it?
I truly apologize.
Feel better now? It's not very strong though.
This must be poison.
It's too good.
My fingers...
Oh?
Are you drunk already?
If poison of that caliber is enough to finish you...
...I guess your stomach isn't as tough as your fists.
I knew it...
Wait, why is it just me?
You ate the same food I did and drank the same sake.
Itto-ryu deputy leader, Fusano Kenei.
A former low-ranking cop who went broke and deserted.
After that, you changed your name and joined the Itto-ryu.
Officious and fond of women.
Well? Was that accurate?
Who did you get that from? Don't tell me there's a traitor!
I'm asking the questions.
It's none of your business how I found out.
In any case, you don't have much longer to live.
Also, thanks for eating plenty of my cooking.
I was more worried about that than my acting.
That poison isn't so strong it'll kill you.
But you're suffering, so I'll end your misery as thanks for today.
Right here so it won't hurt.
I just made the biggest mistake of my life.
I've often said that all is vanity...
But down on my luck or not, I'm still the Itto-ryu's second-in-command.
Even though I'm poisoned...
...I can't face my comrades if I let a bitch get the best of me!
B-But I blocked it with my sword!
You should have dodged it instead.
Idiot.
Women can kill too, when the time comes.
I'm sorry.
I borrowed the kimono, geta, and the stove...
...but I'll be sure to call someone over, so no hard feelings?
Sorry for causing a ruckus...
Itto-ryu swordsman, Morozumi Chougo.
How do you know my name?
I have a question.
How many are there in the Itto-ryu who could be called instructors?
Say what?
If you don't talk, I'll kill you. If you do, I'll tell you what I'm after.
It's up to you to believe me or not.
T-The Itto-ryu has no acting instructors.
But there are about 30 I know of with sword skills just below our leader's.
30, huh? You're sure about that?
That's all of them in Edo. Hurry and take this off!
Is that so.
Sorry.
Shinriji, you're looking nicer now.
Oh, yeah?
Hey, Hyaku, what about where I hit you?
It barely hurt...
Hey, are you okay?
Before I served him poison, I drank about half a liter of sesame oil.
It was quite an adventure.
Amazing! You're risking your life, as usual!
What's with the "as usual"?
But I bet even an idiot like you learned something from today's job.
Yes!
I feel fulfilled just getting to play the role of your husband!
You can go home now.
Why?
They say: to boil beans, use their own husks to make the fire.
Infinity.
Infinity.
Hey, Manji.
Let's stop here.
How long has it been since lunch?
Not very long, I guess.
Hey, Rin...
You're the one who said it won't kill us...
...to cut down on costs other than maps, lodging, meals, and ferry fees.
You're right. Sorry.
Warabimochi and barley tea. Also, where's the restroom?
You'll see it inside the back door.
I figured as much.
Number two or number one? Or maybe...
You expect me to answer that?
You're blocking the light, you know.
Either sit down or leave.
You were looking at something interesting.
It's just a cut-out map.
There were marks here and there.
Every one was a dojo...
...that was forced into submission by a certain school these past few years.
Huh, you know a lot about this.
Monks should be detached from worldly matters.
That's not all. I also know about the man you both seek.
You've done all this traveling, and you still don't know...
...where to find that man, Anotsu Kagehisa?
How do you know about that?
Uji tea.
Okay, that's Uji tea. Here's the barley tea and warabimochi.
Sure, yeah...
Also, some sakuramochi.
We're out of that, but we do have kashiwamochi.
That's fine.
Thanks, sorry about that.
So back to our conversation.
You said just before, "the man you both seek."
How'd you know I wasn't alone?
I'm an Itto-ryu swordsman.
Name's Shizuma Eiku.
As you can see, I'm not wearing a sword.
I knew from the start you weren't a monk.
You smell too strongly of blood.
I've killed 128 so far.
This is only my assumption, but you must be in a different league.
So what's an Itto-ryu samurai doing here without a sword?
To kill Anotsu.
Did you hear about me from that Magatsu guy?
That's right.
He was praising your swordsmanship...
...and also your immortal body.
Anotsu Kagehisa, leader of the Itto-ryu...
He's definitely considered a genius...
...but as long as he is human, he cannot avoid the fate of death.
He might not even live to see his ambition fulfilled.
Don't you think a true leader is one with both the technique and flesh...
...to know he's certain to fulfill his dream?
So your plan is to pair up with me and take over the Itto-ryu, huh?
If either of us are alone, we won't be able to beat Anotsu.
But if we're together...
I'll let you live today. Get lost.
That's your answer?
Manji, are you okay?
You're usually supposed to hold trays.
What's with this guy?
He knew my body's immortal, but he came at me with just a dagger...
This man...
I know him.
You got your revenge again. That's one less thing on your hands.
L-Look...
I thought you'd be...
...more understanding.
Is it the Kessenchu?
Was it the old woman?
I'm asking if this was Yaobikuni's doing!
I don't know her name. She was an old Buddhist nun.
Does that mean...
...that old lady is helping the Itto-ryu?
No, that's not true.
She put the Kessenchu inside me...
...long before I had any connection with the Itto-ryu.
It was about two hundred years ago.
Two hundred years?
I've watched the era change with my own eyes.
I've had five women as wives and had more friends than that...
...but they all died before me.
Death is ruthless.
But not being able to die is cruel too.
However, it doesn't mean there isn't a way.
Nothing in this world is immortal.
That includes us.
You will learn this tonight.
What are you talking about?
Manji, your wound...
That's weird.
The worms aren't coming out.
Manji!
Go somewhere else!
Why?
Why did this happen?
It's poison!
Poison?
Most likely on his dagger...
Nice job...
You got me, Shizuma Eiku.
This is the end, huh?
Rin.
Even if I die,
...don't you set out alone.
Hurry and find another...
Stop it! I don't want to hear that!
Manji!
Manji! Manji!
Hang on!
You can't die!
Please don't die!

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 07 - 3 ways [WIP] [F72083A7]

Manji...
Manji!
Manji, take this.
It's an antidote I learned from my mother.
It's made from pipevine and forsythia.
It's not going to work.
We don't even know what poison Shizuma used...
Just take it, okay?
Where do you think you're going?
I'm going to get a doctor.
Wait! Don't go wandering around alone!
I'll be right back!
Rin!
A doctor wouldn't be any help, would he?
That's right.
Manji doesn't have a normal body.
A doctor can't do anything for him.
If there's anyone who could, it'd be someone the same way.
Like Shizuma Eiku...
But he's our enemy.
Young lady.
I figured it was you.
It's been a while.
Do you remember me?
What are you crying about out here this late?
Your light's just so bright...
There's no way this is going to work.
I'm aware of your situation. Come to my hideout.
I'll mix an antidote for you.
All right.
You're barefoot...
I was in a hurry... Guess it looks dumb...
Thanks for the sandals.
Not at all. This way's easier for me.
Now, let's hurry there and then hurry back...
...before ol' Kanji bites the dust.
You call Manji Kanji?
Oh, right, I sure do.
Your laugh sounds different.
Didn't it go, "Hyohohohoho"?
Big Brother...
Machi.
Don't die...
Don't die.
Manji!
Do you know why Manji and I are immortal?
I heard it from Manji.
Yaobikuni put some bloodworms called Kessenchu inside you.
They are the Buddhist monks' ultimate means of prolonging life.
They can halt bleeding...
...and act in the place of destroyed tissue when their host is injured.
My body and his...
...are just barely held together by the patchwork of these vermin.
Bloodworm killer.
When I was wandering western China long ago...
...I happened to get a hold of this poison.
Its role is to undo the patches made by the bloodworms.
Then Manji is...
That medicine that looked like boogers worked...
I missed my chance to die again.
You're late...
I'll be waiting by the outer moat in Yotsuya.
Shizuma Eiku.
That idiot! This is why I tried to warn her!
U-Um, I left the letter there.
Yeah, thanks.
U-Um...
Who's the baby?
My grandchild. My son and his wife died before me.
I'm the only family he has...
I'm so sorry, miss.
He threatened to kill him, so I had to do this...
You don't have to apologize.
I'm sorry to get you wrapped up in this mess.
Miss...
I'm sorry, miss.
Just wait.
I'll go call for help.
W-Wait a second!
What are you trying to do?
Stop!
What are you doing, killing them?
Damn it, you're no samurai!
Die, you piece of shit!
What do you have to cry about? They were complete strangers.
It's not like that!
Why does someone with no blade...
Why did they have to be killed?
If you want to know...
...I will tell you.
Two hundred years ago, still during the Warring States Period...
...I served under a military commander.
My wife and friends all lost their lives because of him.
I was so devoted to him that I made my body immortal.
I killed at least one thousand opponents in battle.
But all that remained at the end of those long battles...
...was the Toyotomi clan's conquest subjugating society...
...and my lord's head rolling around in his fallen castle.
Now that Toyotomi has also perished, a thought occurred to me.
What exactly were the people who died in that war?
Only a handful get to win a war and leave their mark on history.
The losers, even the commanders, are nothing more than vermin.
And those who couldn't become commanders...
...were just pawns from birth.
Enemies. Allies.
We're all the same in the end.
You and I...
All of us are born as bugs and will die like bugs.
Sip it.
If fresh wounds come in contact, the blood will mingle...
...and in rare cases the worms can be transmitted.
Earn the right to be able to say life is precious.
I want you to gamble.
Live endlessly and witness endless death.
Then in time...
...you'll come to see that one woman's death isn't worth a second glance.
And if you're immortal, carrying out your revenge...
...will probably become simplicity itself.
Afraid?
What are you crying over in this cramped little shack?
Let's play outside.
The moonlight's just right for killing.
Isn't it, Shizuma?
Infinity.
Infinity.
I never hoped for anything from you.
If it was this easy to infect others with the worms...
...I never would have lost a single one of them.
I figured it out. The only thing I ever needed...
...was a person just like myself.
No way am I gonna play the part of your wife, dumb ass.
You don't know how to hold back, do you, man?
Manji, outside...
The old woman's done for.
The kid's fine, so go.
You scared of seeing tons of blood even now?
If you stay, you'll end up seeing something worse.
Go!
How can you move?
I diluted the bloodworm killer's effects, but you shouldn't be mobile so soon.
So it's called bloodworm killer, huh?
That stuff sure did wonders for my mood.
I wanted to talk to you again.
And I still want to know how you recovered so well.
Traditional Chinese medicine, I guess.
You knew.
It was a coincidence.
Well, at the time I didn't mind dying like that.
But I changed my mind.
Dying wouldn't seem right if it was you who killed me.
I was impatient too.
If we're both immortal, there has to be a twist to this ending.
This is payback for the poison.
I'll make you taste a level of agony no normal human could ever reach.
I'm looking forward to that.
I'm sorry.
I'll dig a grave for you later.
I'm truly sorry.
This isn't swordplay.
Not even a fight to the death.
You'll have to do better than that.
Same to you, asshole.
How many times do I have to suffer the pain of having my heart stabbed?
In the end, the only thing I can share with you is this suffering.
Right, Shizuma?
I'll ask you once more.
You have no intention of defeating Anotsu with me?
I harbor no grudge against him.
But whatever genius he may be, he's limited by his own mortality.
We're better qualified to control the Itto-ryu than he is.
What do you think, Rin?
Of course not, and I agree.
It seems a man has to stick by what he says in today's world.
Why?
Why don't you try to grasp what I say?
We seem to come from the same mold.
Just like me...
...it's in your nature to enjoy killing people.
Guys like us turn up sometimes.
We only truly feel alive when we see blood.
It's nothing to be ashamed of.
But you should give up on trying to stand above others.
There's one thing guys like us do once we come into power.
We massacre.
Well, what do you know...
They call you the Hundred-man Slayer, yet you're surprisingly sensible.
It's amazing.
Hey, thanks.
I'm not praising you...
I thought we'd be able to understand each other better...
Such a shame.
Manji, watch out! That's...
I know.
If I can't win you over, you're nothing but a threat to the Itto-ryu.
Soon it will be dawn. From here on you'll have to put your life on the line.
Life on the line, huh?
That's a very human condition.
Shizuma!
Please die already.
You've lived 200 years, and if you haven't stood above others once...
...then you'll be a bug till the very end.
Golden Wasps!
I'll hack you apart, old man!
Manji!
You pushed too hard... Are you okay?
Keep your voice down.
It's killin' my ears.
Look...
Look at these wonderful worms...
Manji, this body's just like yours...
I'll tell you one thing while I still live.
If you want to find Anotsu Kagehisa, go to Fukagawa.
You might run into him, if you're lucky.
How do you know where he is?
Wait, Shizuma.
Answer one question before you go to sleep.
Why didn't you dodge my final attack?
Girl...
What you said before was true.
But I've become tired of living...
...as a bug.
Don't worry.
I'll look out for him until some nice person shows up.
Thank you.
Why did you make a grave for him too?
To "pay my respects for 200 years of life," I guess.
You know, he told me he'd make my body undying.
I figured if I was immortal like you...
...revenge and other things would be easier to do.
But at the time, I was...
...I guess, completely terrified.
Not getting to die...
Having to live forever...
Just what does that mean...
Say, Manji?
Dying without reaching your goal...
...or living a long time and then finding out you can't reach it.
Which is worse?
You wouldn't find that out till you die.

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 08 - Strumming [WIP] [30239476]

I was having an old dream.
A dream?
It's a foolish story.
When I was still a child...
...there stood before me a big dog that looked like it wanted to kill me.
Unfeeling green eyes.
I learned fear.
Suddenly, the dog's eyes flashed, and the moment it bared its fangs...
...a deep shadow ran out from behind me...
...and with one stroke the dog was cut in half, head to tail like an eel.
He must have been quite a brave warrior.
Actually, no.
It was a woman... a young girl.
She seemed to be a bit older than me, but she was definitely a child.
What really amazed me...
...was that even though she killed the dog from that distance...
...the truth was she didn't have a single drop of blood on her clothes.
The moment I saw this...
...a wholly different "fear" than before ran through my body.
What I still remember clearly to this day...
...is the glimpse I caught of her profile in the moonlight.
Her corpse-like pale skin...
...and her terribly sad-looking...
Manji, do you believe what Shizuma Eiku said?
If you want to find Anotsu Kagehisa, go to Fukagawa.
You might run into him, if you're lucky.
It's something a man who lived for 200 years said before he died.
I'm sure it won't be a waste to at least check.
Fukagawa's a big place though. It'll be harder than I thought.
Hey, Manji.
As if they don't know it's a dream...
...those who roam...
...seek for a trace...
...abandoning friends and mankind.
They all left.
My mother said not to run because of my asthma...
Really?
That's a pretty hairpin.
This?
This is something my mother gave me long ago.
So why don't you put it in your hair?
You're right.
Manji. Manji.
Yeah?
I ran out of change.
I'll get some more, so wait for me.
Sure... Hey, where am I supposed to wait?
Just stay right there.
What, here of all places?
Uh-oh.
You look bored, friend.
Whadda ya want?
That didn't come out very refined. How about a good time for 28?
No thanks. Try someone else.
Is it that girl just before?
She's attractive.
I took her for a virgin, but maybe I was wrong?
I'm saying I'm not so pressed I'd do an old woman. Now get lost.
You can check if I'm an old woman or not.
I see.
Okay, come here.
Isn't it a bit early in the day to be turning tricks?
It's already seven o'clock. The sun will set before we're done.
It's odd though.
Why's a looker like you picking up customers on the street?
I'm too old to work the red-light district anymore.
Plus, a lot's happened.
Don't ask more than that.
Then just one more question.
What the hell's with this?
It's for self-protection. I work alone, you know.
What a joke. If it's for protection, why's there poison on it?
Tell me who hired you.
Well, I can pretty much guess who it is.
I don't know his name.
It was a young samurai.
With slanted eyes and long hair.
Speaking of which, I don't know what Anotsu looks like.
Slanted eyes and long hair? Well, whatever.
I'm pretty sure I'm right.
Forgive me. H-He offered me twenty ryo...
That's more than someone like me might see in a lifetime.
If you say that's more important than your life, then so be it.
But don't complain about gettin' killed if you try stuff like this.
Well, there's no point in killing an amateur...
...and my companion's coming back, so see ya. Earn your money honestly.
I'm sorry for not saying who I was earlier.
My name is Otonotachibana Makie.
The leader of the Itto-ryu, Anotsu Kagehisa, is one I am pledged to...
...as a swordswoman.
Thanks for telling me so politely.
Well, if both of us are experts, there's no need to hold back.
Bring it on.
Prepare yourself.
Don't move.
You can't even grasp your surroundings.
You're holding back, or is this all you've got?
Either way, you don't have any business with a blade...
...if you're swinging it around like you're stupid.
Like I told you, once someone picks up a blade...
...they can't complain if they get killed.
Is this how you want to die?
If you'd be a half-assed swordswoman, then just be a streetwalker instead.
It's for your own good.
Man, is the Itto-ryu that hard up for peons?
How could they send someone like her?
Makie, just become a prostitute.
You might as well, instead of a swordswoman.
Are you okay?
You were watching me fight?
From before that.
Miss, you're a swordswoman?
Yes.
You're weak.
You want this?
How come? Are you sure?
Yes.
I don't think...
...I'll need it anymore.
Infinity.
Infinity.
How do the forlorn go on living?
That's what the world calls dreams.
The world hates mankind endlessly...
It's not unusual to see someone good at both singing and playing...
...but I think it is to hear so much feeling in it from someone her age.
What do you think, sir?
You got that right, Ohatsu.
You're Omaki, right?
Yes...
Come here and pour me a drink.
I've seen your face somewhere before.
Oh, right. Till recently, there was a girl who looked exactly like you...
...in this little red-light district on the edge of town. Yeah, no mistaking it.
Say what you like, but it's the face of a women I slept with. I wouldn't forget.
How does tonight sound?
Sir.
I think that's about far enough.
We are just humble geisha.
Women who market our talents for a living.
If it's sex you want, the night is still young.
Please go to Asakusa or Shinagawa.
Miss Ohatsu, thank you so much for earlier...
Don't worry about it. You're a bit too submissive though.
Your song...
It's just very moving.
Before I came here, I was selling my body around Asakusa...
...just like you.
Just once, I tried escaping the red-light district with a lover.
It was a shame what happened to him.
He was so heartbroken he hung himself.
We were both just too young.
Even if you wish to live a decent life, once you get mixed up in all this...
...the heavens see, and they don't let you get close to any other dreams.
If Father were alive and did something like that...
...I'd be angry.
If I had a brother, and he did something like that...
...I think I'd still be angry.
You see, this has nothing to do with jealousy.
Could it be that you're still mad?
Get a life, Rin.
I said I'm sorry for buying a girl without telling you.
Or maybe that's not it. Maybe you're jealous.
Are you...
...stupid or something?
Just to let you know, Manji, I don't care what you do.
Yes, that's right. I don't care.
You're a man, so I'm sure you have your own share of troubles.
I won't say you can't spend money on a prostitute. But you're my bodyguard.
If you're doing such things when the time comes, that'd be a problem, right?
If you want to play around, just go out while I'm asleep so I don't notice.
Okay, okay. I'll watch out from now on.
Please do so.
Although, if you look at this in a different light...
...there's a way to resolve this without spending money.
For example, if you were to be my partner.
Forget that. It'd never work with a girl who's like sixteen.
Chances are you've been so busy with sword training most of your life...
...that you've never even held hands with any man besides your father.
W-Well?
Do I look more like an adult?
What the heck was that?
Sorry, sorry. What a joke!
You're a funny girl!
You know, a kid like you doesn't have the breasts or butt to look sexy...
...just by letting down your hair. If the world worked like...
Get out of here! Now!
Damn it, stupid! What are you doing?
H-Hey, wait wait wait!
Makie, there's someone out back who wants to see you.
What in the world are you doing here?
You think I ransomed you that day...
...so you could work somewhere like this as a geisha?
I wanted to pay you back the money...
I don't recall asking you to do such a thing.
Excuse me.
I heard you fought with him.
Yes...
He was a strong, ferocious fellow.
I find it hard to believe...
...but many of my men have died by his hand.
Two of those men had sword skills that threatened even me.
Even so, he shouldn't be much of a foe to you.
It's my opinion that you're the only one in the world...
...who can defeat me with a sword.
My mother...
I've been thinking about my mother.
She said if I would kill for a living... If I would be a swordswoman...
...I might as well just be a prostitute.
But I'm just a joke.
I don't even have the backbone to be either one of those.
I'm now a geisha so I can pay you back as soon as possible...
...but what will I do if that comes to an end?
If you tell me to wait, I will.
But someday...
...I'll make you mine.
If only I didn't know the true cruel intentions behind those words...
...then what bliss I would feel right now.
But, Sir Kagehisa...
...I know it all too well.
You just want my abilities.
You are...
You are the same as my father.
You would pluck away at a mere woman's dream...
...if it furthered your ambition.
Born into a samurai household but not allowed to hold a sword...
...or even hope for a modicum of happiness in this world.
I imagine that in your eyes...
...my life must look like a despicable thing.
But I...
Why weren't you intimate with me that time?
Had I fallen into a twisted lifestyle at your hands...
...I might have been able to bring myself to live as a prostitute.
I can't stand to see your talent smothered like that.
That's all.
No wonder you wouldn't stoop to my level.
You've been treated like gold by a handsome man like him.
I was hired by your ex-boss at the place you used to work.
He said to bring you back even if it's by force.
I understand.
I was acting like a child.
I just now...
...realized it.
Stupid bitch. Nobody'll wanna buy you if you chop that off!
Miss Ohatsu...
It was just like you said.
Once a woman falls into a life of whoring...
...having dreams the way other people do simply becomes too much to ask.

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 09 - Dream Shot [WIP] [F8464484]

Would you please wait here for a little while?
This will be my final indulgence.
When I come back after finishing him off...
...please think of it as proof that I'll assist you for the rest of my life.
And when that fails to happen?
Your face is pale, like a girl's.
Do you want people to point and say you're rotten on the inside too?
Well, Kagehisa?
You had to have a mere child save you. What a disgrace!
Master, please stop!
If she hadn't come, I would be dead!
I owe her my life!
The Itto-ryu head's grandson wasn't even able to defeat a wild dog...
...and you had to be saved by a girl.
Your very life wouldn't be enough to make up for such a scandal!
You imbecile!
Are you saying I have to lose even more dignity?
Master!
Just watch.
I'll erase your disgrace here and now.
What disgrace? What dignity?
Even killing women and children...
If you have to stoop to killing either to preserve it, what is dignity worth?
Your words ring true.
If samurai weren't smitten with form...
...I wouldn't have had to spend half my life as an outcast.
Right, Kagehisa?
Tough luck for you.
What's your name?
Otonotachibana Makie.
Your father's family name?
Harukawa.
Harukawa, you say?
Master, why are you doing such a thing?
It's obvious wild dogs will be drawn to the scent of blood and gather here.
If she falls from the branch...
Komae...
Yoshiaki...
That's right, isn't it?
She's the one...
What a happy little story.
The fact that she's alive in this world...
...is the ultimate shame of the Harukawa household.
You must've thought you outmaneuvered me, eh, Yoshiaki?
Kuroi, what do you think of Grandfather?
What do you mean?
The old man's a loser.
That's a reckless thing to say.
He won't let go of shame and dignity.
How is he different from the Mutenichi-ryu...
...who were too strict regarding formality and style and expelled him?
Shame, dignity, formality, style...
Are such things virtues of ours?
Never mind that people actually die for them.
Whether human or beast, death is the duty of all creation.
If death is enough to uphold dignity, then even a monkey can be a samurai.
What is it you're trying to say?
I want to build a school that laughs at their "virtues."
A powerful group that pursues nothing but the sword and victory.
Kuroi is dead too.
The Itto-ryu's numbers are swelling, but we lack strong swordsmen.
Are we an enormous glass tiger?
My childhood hero, I want you at least...
...not to betray me.
Oh.
What do you mean, "Oh"?
Weren't you waiting for me?
Maybe.
Sorry about the other day... for failing to deliver.
So you'll satisfy me this time?
Hey, Rin. I have some business with this woman.
Go treat yourself to mitsumame.
She's thin...
Pale...
Beautiful...
Yeah, compared to her, I'm still just a kid.
Right now, anyway.
But...
But just because...
Why're you shaking?
This enough?
Yeah, just enough.
Bye then.
What's with that?
What a good girl.
She doesn't need any praise from anybody in the Itto-ryu.
After all, she's trying to kill off that Anotsu Kagehisa guy.
For what reason?
Revenge.
Revenge?
To avenge her parents.
You are a little different from the other day.
The hair?
No.
Your eyes.
Hyakurin...
One more.
That was the best chance to finish me off. Is she screwing with me?
Huh. So your companion's getting with a streetwalker.
Who are you?
Well, we're not anyone in particular, uh...
It's just, you know...
Yeah, you know...
That's a strange story though.
Around here...
...there's not one place where streetwalkers could pick up clients.
Where could they get it on this early in the morning?
But all they really need is a mat.
She didn't have anything like that.
No way...
Something doesn't feel right.
It's probably heartburn.
She's doing the same thing she did the other day...
...but what's up with her ridiculous speed?
I can't believe I was lecturing her.
I thought her slender arms and that long-ass weapon were a bad combo...
Man, was I wrong.
I guess she needs the weapon's centrifugal force...
...to get that much destructive power with her slim arms.
Still though. Look how easy she controls it.
She's got serious skills.
She might be the one who...
I feel kinda bad since this is pretty much a sneak attack...
...but this'll make us even!
Where could she be hiding?
Infinity.
Infinity.
I-I'm sorry for doing so many unfair things.
Hey, don't hold back.
I mean, as you can see, I don't die too easily...
...if you don't think outside the box.
There's one way I could be immobilized forever.
Slice my head off...
What?
What are you so scared of?
Is that all it takes to frighten you?
It should be easy for you...
...the way you were fighting.
I killed three men before I saw you.
Look...
It won't stop.
It happened then, and again now...
Why...
Why do you continue to do such cruel things?
I forget while I'm fighting, but if I let my mind wander for a second...
...I get so scared of what I've done.
I suffer this awful feeling.
I start to question if his ideals are truly right...
...and become unable to hold a sword.
For what kind of ideal is it right to kill people?
Imagine if he dies before you.
The only title you earn then is murderer.
No matter how much talent you have...
...no untrained woman could ever move like that.
There must've been some reason you couldn't abandon the sword.
Remember what it was and fight for it!
If you don't want to do that, you'd be better off back at the brothel.
You're still going to fight with your body in that shape?
I've never lost a single sword fight.
That's actually a joke...
...but I won't just sit here while someone refuses to go all-out and finish this.
I'd like to show off and say I'll start fighting seriously now...
...but unfortunately, I've been serious the whole fight.
So if nothing else, I'm gonna make sure I don't have any regrets about it.
Your words put my mind a bit more at ease.
I'll join you.
What a good woman.
That stupid show-off!
Okay, now I'm ready.
Don't you get it?
Let me spell it out.
I'm seven weapons and one arm lighter than I was before.
Now I can keep up with your moves...
...I think.
If this takes much longer, that idiot's gonna come back.
So let's settle this with the next move.
Agreed. Each for their own reason for fighting.
Yeah, that's the spirit.
Prepare yourself.
There!
Can you do this without a place to kick off?
Shi...
How about it, lady? Still scared?
If you're okay then finish me off this time...
I've had about all the shame I can take...
You idiot, what are you doing drawing that sword?
Rin, right?
I want to ask you one thing.
How many people have died for your revenge?
How many people in all will be dead...
...by the time you reach Anotsu Kagehisa?
Have you ever thought about whether it's right to kill people...
...over a personal grudge rather than a just cause?
I swore in front of my parents' graves...
...to get revenge no matter what.
That I'd do anything to that end, however dirty...
I don't...
I don't believe that killing people is right.
But I'm not skilled enough to live on without hurting others.
It's a lot more human to get your hands bloody over your family...
...than to commit brutal acts in the name of a just cause.
Am I making a mistake?
Thank you.
That's what I wanted to hear.
Please go on protecting her.
And humiliate myself again, you mean...
Miss Ohatsu...
I wanted to say my farewell to you.
I'm going back to the red-light district again.
My stupid parents lost it all gambling since they don't know when to stop.
It's all too commonplace.
I'm just a bird in a cage, no matter where I go.
I'd at least like for you to get to walk in the light.
When my mother was still alive, she was a prostitute too.
We were kicked out of a samurai's household because of me...
...and raising me alone, I guess she didn't have much of a choice.
Even then, she didn't detest my father.
She even rebuked me for wanting to take up the sword...
...and get revenge against him.
I was always irritated by how she lived her life.
But compared to a swordsman who lives his life hurting people...
...how much more wonderful must it be to live your life comforting others?
I truly am proud of her now.
I can no longer turn back.
Because I've remembered I became a swordswoman to kill my father.
But I want to see you live your life with pride.
I will never forget all you did for me.
Please take care.
Right, and you too.
It's totally ridiculous.
I lost to a woman, and I was saved by a woman.
Yeah, seriously.
You always brag that you're immortal, Manji...
...but you end up needing me when it comes down to it.
If you've learned your lesson...
...don't ever lie to me again like you did today.
Excuse me. I thought you might be my companion.
Um, your companion wanted you to have this...
How do the forlorn go on living?
That's what the world calls dreams.
The world hates mankind endlessly...
...and calls it love.
They call it love.

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 10 - Changing Face [WIP] [E16D71CC]

Saki, Renzo...
...I'm home.
I guess this is what it is.
Festivals are great!
Yeah.
There you go.
Thanks.
Manji!
Look, look. Come on, look.
Say something.
Like what?
"Oh, that's cute," or "Man, that makes me want to whistle," or something.
It doesn't look good on you.
How much did that cost?
Forty mon.
We agreed just fifty mon, so you have ten mon left.
This is how you're spending it?
Can't you buy that somewhere besides a fair?
Shut up, it's my choice.
Why are you mad?
What was that for?
Well, whatever.
She's been moping around the past two or three days.
Hey, young lady.
Want some tokoroten?
Good, huh?
Yes, it is.
Of course.
Mother or Father used to walk beside me...
How many people have died for your revenge?
I have to stop thinking about it...
Sir, you look bored.
Yeah.
That's a shame...
...since you have that young lady with you, and you're at a festival.
Festival, huh...
To me, this is like a scene you can't grab hold of because it's underwater.
Underwater?
No matter what I do...
...there's just no place for me.
Guess I'll buy him some. Though I doubt it'll make him happy.
Um, excuse me...
I'll take five!
You're an energetic one, kid.
I'll give you a deal, sixteen mon.
Really? You're a great guy!
Oh, yeah?
You ladykiller!
Make it fifteen, kid.
Nice. Handsome guys are a cut above. Thanks.
Hold on, young man.
What is it?
In the world of adults, what you just did is called cutting in line.
Don't treat me like a kid.
It's your fault for not speaking up louder.
You expect a lady to raise her voice?
You're doing it now.
I think guys who can't apologize at times like this aren't very manly.
So what? I'm still a kid.
Okay, I'll let you go this time.
Excuse me! Can I get two please?
That's eight mon.
Thank you.
Are you... gonna eat that?
It's yours if you're that hungry.
What's this?
Hey, mask maker, sell this to me.
Could you hold on a minute, sir?
I'm a little busy right now.
Which one of you is younger?
Why?
I've only got one tengu mask.
It'd probably speed things up if you just fight over it...
...but the mask might break in the process.
No matter who wins, the damage will be done between you.
You have to avoid that if you don't want to lose anything.
Okay, then this belongs to you, miss.
Thank you.
You're a good guy, kid.
Oh, don't tell me I praised you for nothing.
Here, I'll let you have this one for free.
I don't want it...
What's wrong with it?
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth...
Sir, may I borrow your sword for a moment?
Please.
Here, how is it now?
It's weird.
I guess it's just lost on kids.
Oh, well.
Can I have it?
Can I have that?
Thank you!
That was something else.
Thanks... And thanks for waiting.
You're done with that now, right?
This has tasted a pretty good amount of blood.
What, you counted the number of stains or something?
Let's just say I did.
This sword is amazing...
It's killed a hundred... No, more...
And just this year alone...
...about ten.
Is that about right?
Can I ask one thing?
How do you Itto-ryu guys...
...always manage to get where we're going before we do?
Are there strings attached to our asses or something?
Sir, you've got it all wrong.
Nobody in the Itto-ryu is bored enough...
...to watch over every single place you go.
As you can see, we aren't usually together.
All we've been told about you guys is...
..."If you see them, kill them."
That's all.
Dad!
Renzo!
What... are you doing?
Sir, sorry about that...
I'm returning this.
Don't worry. It's nothing important.
He made a comment about my craft...
...and I let it go to my head.
I'm sorry, sir.
I'm a little short-fused.
It's fine...
Did you buy the mochi?
Then let's go dedicate it at the grave.
Ah, yes, sir...
Please take one you like.
If you understand the beauty of Kawakami Araya's masks...
...then you're quite the eccentric yourself.
I found him...
Kawakami Araya.
Infinity.
Infinity.
Still awake?
Yeah...
Today, that guy...
Could it be he's...
Manji...
Never mind.
It's kind of lonely after a festival...
Anyway...
Hey, kid, why can't you apologize?
You cut my sandal thong, and you won't even say you're sorry?
You kicked the bamboo yourself, and it ripped!
If you saw someone wander around with those eyesores...
...I bet you'd want to kick them too, idiot.
Apologize.
No!
Oh, yeah?
I'm in a bad mood today.
What do you want cut off? Your ear?
Okay, ear it is.
Stop!
It's you...
Who the hell are you?
Good sir, he is one of my relatives.
He is very young and ill-mannered...
...so I would appreciate it if you could please overlook his rudeness.
Should you kill a child over a small incident like this...
...I suspect it will only result in a blemish on your name.
Please.
You sure have good manners for a small-town girl.
Despite appearances, I am the heiress of a town dojo.
Heiress? Which one?
The Mutenichi-ryu main household, the Asano Dojo.
Asano? You know that one?
Asano...
Oh, right. You know, that one...
Ah, that one!
Asano, huh? You mean that Asano!
He died like two years ago, didn't he?
The guy those Itto-ryu guys killed off so easily. You're his daughter!
Why're you wandering around here alone? You homeless?
That's no good. You'd be better off as a prostitute.
Then you'd be able to show your face in public.
Why you!
Be quiet.
But...
I'm sorry for the ongoing discourtesy.
Well, I guess it's fine. If you're saying you'll take the fall for the kid...
...fix it.
Yes, sir.
Don't do it!
Hey, what are you doing?
Just a moment.
Uh-oh. At this rate, my foot's gonna get dirty.
That's better.
Sir!
It's done.
It's better than before it ripped.
Thank you.
Well, kid? Now do you get it?
A person's attitude can keep him from getting hurt for no reason.
Isn't that right, loser's daughter?
Why don't you talk back to them?
I'm thankful you saved me...
...but aren't you the daughter of a swordsman?
Why'd you do something like that?
Because today I'm unarmed, and...
..."I have to stay calm."
A parent never looks bigger than in their own child's eyes.
I guess this is what they mean.
Your parents were killed...
Yes.
By members of the Itto-ryu.
Itto-ryu...
That's right.
What's the Itto-ryu?
Did you just ask what...
You really don't know?
Yeah...
Anyway, you should come by my place.
I can at least fix you some tea.
What's wrong?
Um, well... It's nothing.
Then let's go. This way.
I'm going to see Kawakami Araya...
That idiot.
She's not even carrying a sword...
I've put myself in the hands of a demon.
No, please don't!
Mother...
Destroy her.
Hurry up, Dad!
She's been waiting!
Yeah, yeah, I know.
No, you don't. You're being slow.
Yeah, I said I know!
Calm down...
Okay, fine, but can't you do something about those clothes?
Are they that dirty?
Hey...
This isn't a drinking buddy.
Calm down...
You have to keep in mind that she's a lady.
That's easy for you to say.
I left my sword behind, and he didn't see my face yesterday.
I don't look the way I did two years ago. He won't know.
You've already put out refreshments.
You hardly ever serve tea to a guest.
I'm impressed.
Shut up. You didn't have to say that.
I'll clean up downstairs.
She's our special guest, so you'd better not be careless.
Sure...
Ah, excuse me.
Not at all. Excuse me as well.
The man selling masks around here?
You mean Kawakami.
Yeah, him. How do I find him?
Let's see...
What now?
No sense in telling him for free. Let's charge him.
Doesn't look like he's got much.
Then why not get him to take down the stall behind us?
Oh, yeah.
That would be great.
Let's do that then.
Like that?
Sure...
I can't thank you enough.
You saved a complete stranger's son...
...when your own life could have been endangered.
If you don't mind, could you tell me where you live?
I'd like to come and formally thank you again.
No, you needn't concern yourself further.
I'm sorry.
I'm not too good with etiquette in situations like this...
No. I didn't come here to talk about these things.
Had I been there, you wouldn't have had to be humiliated...
I used to wield a sword back in the day.
A sword...
Yes.
My comrades and I used to run wild quite a bit...
I'm not proud to admit it...
...but my wife took my kid and ran off because of it.
Although about a year ago, she died of an illness...
Renzo was the only one who came back to me.
That's when I had this weird feeling...
If a parent always gets himself into dangerous business...
...then his kid might just turn out the same way.
That's when I decided to make the next job my last one...
Once that was done...
...I figured it might be nice to earn a simple living working with kids.
Young lady, are your parents in good health?
Well...
Both of them are already...
I'm sorry about that...
It's in the past, so it doesn't bother me anymore.
If you want to know the truth...
...they were murdered by strangers.
Really...
Will you listen to what I have to say? In fact, I'd be quite relieved if you did.
It's too weighty a thing for me to bear by myself.
I'm sure it is, so please tell me.
If I'll do.
Thank you.
I still remember it like it was yesterday.
Every moment.
It was two years ago.

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 11 - Feathers [WIP] [D3468332]

It spins a lot.
That it does.
So long as the heart makes waves, eh...
Ah, I was just thinking of what someone I know said.
"The wings of hatred will not stop so long as the heart makes waves."
What does it mean? Was he your friend, Grandpa?
He and I were in the same school.
But he was expelled due to a certain incident...
...and was banished to the darkness.
It was due in part to my weakness.
Rin.
I want to tell you something before Takayoshi comes back.
If because of that, misfortune should fall upon you...
...I don't want you to blame that man.
Because it is my father and I who are at fault.
If you detest him, his descendants will surely come to claim your life.
We must just accept it, if we don't want to lose everything.
Grandpa...
Forgive me for bringing that up all of a sudden.
It's okay. I didn't really understand.
Then that's fine.
I'm actually hoping you won't remember what I just said.
What did you wish for?
That no misfortune should fall upon anyone.
Father, Grandpa, sorry to make you wait.
Here.
Thank you.
No, please stop!
I'm crying...
I was supposed to hold back my emotions until I finished talking...
Hey!
What's wrong?
Nothing...
Dad...
No, it's because your dad looks a little like my father...
How about that.
Um, would you like more tea?
Renzo, do you love your dad?
Um...
I can't really answer that in front of him...
That's true.
Renzo, this tea has had it.
Could you go buy some more?
What, now?
From Funamori's, next to the big gate.
I have to go that far?
She's an important guest. We can't serve her cheap tea.
Okay...
Thank you for your consideration.
I don't want him to hear the next part of this either.
I bet you don't.
You wouldn't want a son to see you kill his father to avenge your parents.
The nightmares would rob you of sleep.
I didn't come here to kill you.
That's strange.
So even though you killed ten of my comrades...
...you're just going to forget about what I did that night?
I would never forget.
Kawakami Araya, I...
Until the day I die, I'll never forget the faces of all those...
...who murdered my father and put my mother through hell.
Yes, that's right.
I killed ten of your people.
But so what?
You killed more than ten Mutenichi-ryu students.
It's punishment, don't you think?
I'd have to say it serves you right.
And? What'll you do with me?
If you were the same person you were then...
...I'm sure I would have killed you yesterday.
But now...
...you're Renzo's only family member.
He doesn't know your true self.
Going back to being a normal person...
...after doing such things to someone else's parents is too convenient.
But I understand excruciatingly well how he'd feel...
...if I took your life.
When it comes to your companion...
...I've been told, "Kill him if you see him."
But regarding you, it's up to each one of us what to do.
How could you come here unarmed?
I could just do the same thing to you now that I did to your mother.
I just wanted to tell you my feelings since you have your own child.
I want you to apologize from the bottom of your heart...
...for the offense of robbing my mother's most basic pride as a woman.
That's all.
Apologize?
Apologize, huh?
The lives and virtues of your parents must be pretty cheap.
So if I get down on my knees just once...
...you'll completely forget about this grudge over your parents?
Well, even if you're okay with that, what if those ten you guys killed...
...had kids or siblings?
Are you going to apologize in front of them and hope they'll forgive you?
In this world, the only thing that can atone for someone's life...
...is another life.
You're already well aware of that burden.
If you're lying to yourself because you're afraid to see blood, you're just...
That's not what I'm asking.
Come on...
Apologize to me already.
Are swordsmen incapable of doing anything without a drawn sword?
Watch closely.
Two years ago, I did numerous atrocities to your mother...
As a representative of all those who took part in it, I...
This is the one mask I can't afford to have removed.
I was definitely a filthy hoodlum two years ago.
But when Renzo came back to me...
...something made me think I could now come clean and leave that behind.
I could never let him know about my true self.
Never.
A little more like this maybe...
There.
No hard feelings.
Renzo, is that you?
How pretty.
I kind of like this aesthetic of yours.
Thanks.
So this is death makeup?
In a way.
You have a kid and a talent that makes money.
But you're going to take the life of a girl who doesn't have anything?
For what purpose do you hold the sword?
Whatever your opponent's situation, if your purpose is more important...
...you shouldn't hold back.
If that's enough to hurt someone's conscience...
...they shouldn't go around talking about revenge.
That's true...
Well then.
Manji, don't just sit there. Please give me a hand.
I'm putting together our battleground.
Infinity.
Infinity.
That's a pretty nice sword.
You still have more?
Bastard!
How many more "prides and joys" are you packing?
Rin's dagger, huh?
I don't possess a sword anymore.
There isn't a single type of weapon in this house.
Manji, you're exactly the type of person that kid Magatsu said you were.
You're skilled, but if even a little of your plan is glimpsed, this is the result.
Both you and the girl are fools for being so totally honest.
For me, my whole life right now is artificial.
I can just see myself killing you both, sending you down the river...
...and telling him, "Our guest went home," without batting an eyelid.
I'll lose something precious if I don't go on deceiving.
Araya, now we're on even terms. No need for any cheap tricks.
You may have changed your weapon, but not your approach.
You might only have one dagger...
...but that doesn't mean your opponent does too.
What's up with you?
You killed ten Itto-ryu swordsmen. There's no way you're weaker than me.
I swear. You two are so alike.
I guess that's it.
Die!
Manji?
You bitch...
Rin.
Move aside.
Well, sir...
This concludes your purchase.
Manji!
I used that to climb in through the window earlier.
Figured I'd leave it stabbed into the wall.
O-Oh...
I see...
Young lady...
He's a good bodyguard.
Stab me.
This is your battle.
Go on, finish me.
What's wrong?
I didn't come here to murder you.
Then Manji...
You get to do it.
Please...
Manji, no!
I don't need you to...
It's okay if they say I'm a coward who won't get her hands dirty, so stop it.
Because this would be... This would be the same as that night!
Manji!
I'm sorry...
I lost big time to him on a bet once, and it's been gnawin' at me since.
This chick tried to get in my way, and it took a little while, but...
What the hell.
Who the hell are you?
Damn it... You son of a bitch!
Manji, do grudges people harbor...
...never go away unless someone dies?
Moron...
They don't go away no matter who dies.
Miss...
I'm going to leave home tomorrow.
That guy's body wasn't there when I got back.
He's still alive somewhere, so...
You understand, right?
Your parents were killed too, right?
Goodbye.
That guy is dead.
I buried him.
You did?
Where? Where did you bury him?
I'm not sure how to say this...
...but maybe every parent has something they can't tell their child.
Even if it was done before the child could understand it...
...if he knows nothing about it, he won't have to hate anyone.
That way just might be easier.
Dad...
Damn it...
Renzo...
Manji...
He said, "I'm sorry."
I don't think he said it to us though.
He also said those who are totally honest are fools.
Let's go.
I bought this at the fair.
It's smashed.
I guess maybe it won't spin anymore.

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 12 - Nemesis of Rin [WIP] [80134D57]

Anotsu Kagehisa...
You killed my dad...
Hey, Rin.
Why are you just staring into space?
I told you to quit it.
Well, I won't! Tai, you haven't taken a bath in so long!
Stuff will crawl on you if you're not clean.
I'll do it myself, so give that here.
The wounded should just follow directions.
Do you want me to come back?
No, that's okay.
You seem better.
Kind of.
But I heal pretty slowly compared to the Hundred-man Slayer.
The Hundred-man Slayer...
Did something happen?
Is it about that Akagi thing?
No, it's not about that.
Then what is it?
Well, that's fine if you don't want to say it.
You just seem a little different than usual today.
Do I seem that way?
I'm in no position to have any say now that I've left the Itto-ryu...
...but how can I put it, y'know?
I'm here to visit the injured, and you worry about me instead.
I guess I'm slipping.
I wish Tai would talk to me that way too.
Um, are you leaving?
Yes.
If something is bothering you...
...you could always hide in the hills and swing your sword around.
You're right.
That may be the best idea.
The best thing to do when you feel depressed is to move your body.
I was thinking about training you some anyway.
Yes, sir!
Good answer at least.
But we can do sword training at my dojo.
Why do we have to go all the way back to your place?
Because I see them.
See them?
Yeah.
Spirits.
Spirits?
Yeah.
Your dojo's swarming with the spirits of its murdered students.
I can't train you in such a gloomy place.
Is that true?
Special attack!
Golden Wasps!
Three hits!
That's all?
See for yourself.
Rin, this tree's about as wide as a person's shoulders.
You hit with three out of twelve.
Two of those three hit the torso.
If the target was as big as Kuroi Sabato, that'd probably work...
...but beating a typical guy with that accuracy would be a total gamble.
I just happened to mess up this time. It really does well, when it hits.
Look, this isn't the same as swinging a wooden sword in a dojo.
You can't get away with "I messed up," stupid.
These fights are to the death.
Now you're a corpse.
Guess how you scored. Terribly, that's how.
Maybe you'd manage against a third-rate opponent...
...but if it's an Itto-ryu guy, you'd be better off running.
Stop crying over every little thing, kid.
The first thing to learn in swordplay is to know your own weakness.
Y-Yes, sir...
If you have time to cry, do some practice swings.
Moping around like this wastes more time than anything else.
We'll continue this after we eat.
Manji...
We ate together here like this the first time we met.
Yeah.
When Yaobikuni suggested I hire a bodyguard...
...I immediately thought it was a good idea.
It's true that I was lonely...
But the truth was I thought if I was with someone like that...
...maybe I could become strong too.
Maybe I don't have the talent.
Back in the day, the students taught me forms using wooden swords...
...and after Father died, I swung swords around alone every day at the dojo.
I've been watching you fight a lot recently...
...but it's not really going the way I thought it would go.
Are you kidding me?
It's one thing if you were fighting every day till you puked blood...
...but what's so special about learning forms from mere students...
...and swinging a sword at an invisible opponent on a flat and empty floor?
It'd sure be easy to become strong if all you needed was a room somewhere.
In two years time, I killed a hundred samurai.
I've been in plenty of real fights...
...and I honestly only barely manage to win when I fight the Itto-ryu.
Training in a dojo isn't going to do jack shit for you.
That's why it's here instead of the dojo?
Only those who've done what they needed to do get to talk about "talent."
Don't make me laugh.
Is he trying to cheer me up?
Could that be?
He shouldn't wake up for a while.
It's nice to train away from civilization, but I'm still a girl after all.
Manji?
There's somebody doing the same thing as us...
Incredible, he hasn't missed a single leaf within range of his weapon.
He's also looking straight ahead the whole time.
I admire him in a way.
I wonder if I have to become like that someday. But...
Who's there? If you're a swordsman, come out and name yourself.
We'll see how good you are.
Damn it... Damn it...
I have 24 Golden Wasps in all. I can attack twice.
But from this distance, he'll see me before I throw them.
It'd be a total gamble.
I-I... can't just have Manji protect me all the time.
Am I hearing things?
No...
Golden Wasps!
I hit him!
Do you wish to die, little girl?
He's going to kill me...
Infinity.
Infinity.
Don't tell me those were your only weapons.
You shouldn't underestimate an enemy this badly.
I'm a swordswoman too, sort of...
And you underestimated me even worse...
...by leaving this weapon lying around like this!
No way... He was swinging it so easily before...
I'm sorry, Manji... I'm such an idiot...
I seriously thought I could defeat him...
...even though I'm all by myself.
It's you.
I never expected Asano's daughter to demonstrate such surprising growth.
However, your technique is downright insipid.
As it stands, it can only be used to intimidate.
You're looking away from the enemy just before you release.
Why are you crying?
Because I'm frustrated of course!
The man I want to kill is right in front of me, but I can't do a damn thing!
So what will you do now? Strip and rape me?
What if I did?
I'd bite my tongue off.
What if I was going to kill you right away?
That would be better. Why not hurry and get it over with?
What I don't understand...
...is the attitude you people have of rushing towards death.
Is that the "way of the samurai"?
Say what you want...
I'm not a samurai. First of all, I'm a woman...
I only took up the sword because I wanted revenge for my parents.
Then why aren't you begging for your life?
If you get out of here alive, you'll have another chance to kill me.
What are you saying?
What the hell?
You killed my father like it was nothing, you know!
Are you pitying me because I'm still a kid? Well, think again!
No.
What do you mean, "No"?
Your thoughts?
It's a weird axe. Isn't a Japanese sword easier to use?
It certainly is.
For tight turns and sharpness...
...perhaps nothing surpasses Japanese swords.
But...
...you don't control this via power.
If you add to the axe's downward momentum just a little...
...then even my strength is enough to control it.
Even if an opponent reads my moves in an actual battle...
...it's possible to shatter their blocked sword and their skull with this axe.
My grandfather was expelled from the Mutenichi-ryu...
...simply for using a foreign sword.
I brandish a weapon like this to prove his actions were just.
I killed your father to settle the score for my grandfather.
At first, anyway.
But even if that situation hadn't existed...
...I would've thought it best to do away with people like your father anyway.
I'm not going to kill you here.
...but chances are one of my followers will eventually kill both of you.
If you don't want to die, don't get involved with me any further.
Why...
Why do you hate my father so much?
Do you hold a grudge over something he did?
It's not a grudge.
It's a cross-examination as a swordsman.
Cross-examination?
W-Wait, hold on!
I have the right to ask. Don't I?
Do you wish every day to become strong?
Y-Yes.
You came up with that ridiculous move for that reason?
I'm sorry you think it's ridiculous.
It was 300 years ago...
Oda Nobunaga brought our country its first 3,000 firearms...
...at Shitaragahara in Mikawa, and he defeated Takeda's cavalry.
Fifty years later, during the Kan'ei era. Miyamoto Musashi...
...abandoned the conviction that swords should be used one at a time...
...fought with a sword in each hand...
...and became the founder of the dual-sword technique.
Do any point at these two and call them cowards?
It's the same as you right now.
It's a matter of thinking of a way to achieve...
...the very natural motive of victory over one's enemy.
If this were cowardice...
...then it's also cowardice for cavalry to stab foot soldiers with their spears.
Am I wrong?
I don't think so...
I believe only those who taxed their ingenuity to become stronger...
...should be called excellent military commanders and swordsmen.
These are peaceful times, but sword schools keep growing in number.
However, this has nothing to do with the sword's prosperity.
Their schools mean nothing more than a mere occupation.
They allow daimyo and feudal retainers to hold a shinai...
...teach them forms, and receive praise and registration fees at best.
That's why they exist.
To what end they use their own swords is perhaps up to them.
But whenever l think about it, a certain anxiety runs through my heart.
If we...
If the Itto-ryu fight one on one...
...it doesn't matter what weapon or techniques we use.
It's a school, yet not a school.
Your father was wrapped up...
...in a bushido of nothing but form, appearance, and lip service.
We won't lose sight of our duty as warriors as he did.
I'll stake my lifetime on tearing down the walls of all the different schools.
Until then...
...I don't care at all if they brand me a demon.
There's hardly a day when you'll find me sitting in a dojo.
If you miss this chance, it'll likely be some time before we meet again.
These are yours.
Do as you like with them.
Um...
Please... Please answer one thing for me.
Why are you letting me live?
I am a member of the Mutenichi-ryu too, just like my father was.
I'm trying to kill you, and you know it...
Your eyes are looking in a different direction than your father.
If the technique you used earlier was judged by Mutenichi-ryu rules...
...it would unquestionably be deemed heterodox.
You should know that.
But you chose to walk such a path in order to surpass me.
You are a bold woman.
You're no longer part of the Mutenichi-ryu.
You're on your way to becoming just like us.
Goodbye.
Keep devoting yourself to it.
N-No...
So...
So what are you telling me to do?
Damn it...
Father...

▶ Mugen no Juunin - 13 - Wind [WIP] [B7578600]

Anotsu Kagehisa...
You're no longer part of the Mutenichi-ryu.
You're on your way to becoming just like us.
Tea's ready.
That's not it...
I'm gonna leave it here.
Something's not right.
That's unusual, you handing off a job to someone else.
What a messed up kid.
Don't underestimate him.
He's the only kid who went up against the Hundred-man Slayer...
...and lived to talk about it.
Tai?
This is for you.
You take care then, Oren.
I'll come visit once in a while.
Okay!
Oren, you have a customer!
Okay!
There you are, sir.
What is it?
A courier was here, and he brought this...
The Shingyoto-ryu...
What is that?
If you'll excuse me...
I never suspected there was a school in this land...
...that walked the same path as our Itto-ryu.
What's the matter?
I'll play a song for you. Come here.
The flow...
Where you descend after being swept away.
This is the other side of the River Styx.
It really is unusual.
That you would hand a job off to anyone, that is, much less Shira.
Do you remember the girl?
Pardon?
You know.
Oh, that one!
The girl who pigged out on zenzai and got heartburn.
What, is something going on with her?
It's just that when I see someone like her...
...I start questioning what I'm doing.
Oh, I see.
You're totally clueless, aren't you?
Yeah.
That's just as well.
But you handed off the job...
...so why are we still out here dressed like this?
Because of the person I handed it off to.
You're late.
How'd it go?
I missed him.
He'd already left.
Even if we want to go after him, we don't know which way to go.
Oh, well...
It's not a rush job...
...so let's just relax and take our time with it, Hyakurin.
You killed her?
Yeah.
Shira, you swine...
The prostitute I first called on wouldn't talk, so... you know.
Why are you looking at me like that?
Why should you care about a leg-spreader or two?
We aren't amateurs...
...and aren't we supposed to keep the job first and foremost in our minds?
There's no need to quibble over how each of our jobs is done.
I-I want...
...to see Tai.
You cry easily enough as it is.
Why not just get some sleep at night?
Let's just stay like this for a while.
Otherwise, I feel like my heart's going to fall apart.
What Makie said to me is stuck somewhere in my heart.
Indeed, to the uninvolved...
...revenge is just pointless, unproductive murder.
It's not that I don't understand what he's trying to do.
But even after he said what he said to me...
Where am I supposed to go with these feelings?
You ran into Anotsu?
Well...
I've said this to you before...
Are the lives of your parents that cheap in your eyes?
I don't know what he said, but can a kid who's got her hands full with herself...
...afford to be swayed by her enemy's arguments?
I know that.
I'm ashamed of myself.
When I was fourteen, I wouldn't have hesitated at all.
It's been two years since then.
I've been careless these two years...
...and I've become such a coward.
That I'm comparing the lives of my parents with what he said to me...
I can't believe it.
No kidding. I'm shocked.
Are you awake?
Maybe it's about the right time to call it quits.
Kuroi Sabato, who killed your father...
...and Kawakami Araya and Shizuma Eiku, who tormented your mother...
...are all dead.
Manji...
There's always the choice to end it here.
Well, I'm not the one who decides that.
It's up to you, Rin.
Infinity.
Infinity.
What's this?
The guy who killed Oren was wearing a kimono with that design.
It's yours. Do what you want with it.
Hey, why lay her body out here of all places?
Don't you feel bad for her?
I chose the coldest place.
Because I didn't know when a certain idiot was coming back.
I didn't want to show you her body once it was rotting away.
This probably wouldn't have happened if you hadn't left.
Oren just wanted to be with you forever.
It really was just that simple.
Was that dream so extravagant? Was it asking too much?
So what if you're a swordsman? What did all that skill do for her?
In the end, all people with swords know how to do is walk over others.
I thought you knew that better than anyone!
You son of a bitch...
Never come here again!
Manji?
Manji?
It's been a while.
I've decided to go on a journey.
But there's no actual destination.
I'm a priestess, so it's a journey of training to save the souls of the lost.
I thought I would bring him along with me in my travels...
But I guess Manji isn't here.
You're going to take Manji with you?
That's if he abandons the sword, shaves his head, and becomes a priest.
Of course, if he wishes to stay with you, I would not force him.
Manji might say he's going to go with you.
It's because I keep wavering.
I'll take you someplace special.
Here, Manji!
It looks great on you, Big Brother.
Y-Yeah...
His sister died because of him...
...and like a child, he said he'd kill a thousand villains as a tribute to her.
Somehow I understand the feeling underlying those words.
What is it?
Doubt.
Doubt?
He isn't sure what to do.
But that too is...
Rather, maybe that itself is the course the heavens have laid out for him.
Manji is just like me...
No, that's different.
Yours is not doubt. It's perplexity.
You lost the way you should go, and your heart is simply in vain disorder.
What divides doubt and perplexity is a firm strength.
Manji is a strong man.
Having that strength is what first allows you...
...to be in doubt over which path to follow.
You don't need a reason. Just live strong.
Then your path will open up on its own.
That idiot...
Where the hell did she go?
Manji!
Where the hell were you?
I was with Yaobikuni.
The old lady, huh?
She said to give you her regards.
Come on, let's eat quickly and get to training.
Did that old woman get inside your head?
The wind, eh? Looks like it's started to blow...
So a school that shares the motive of the Itto-ryu...
...would like to join you.
Indeed.
Therefore I intend to travel to Kaga soon.
During my absence, another would serve in my place. Is this acceptable?
It will have to be.
That is good news for myself as well.
The more who would reform the obsolescing way of the sword...
...in this time of peace the better.
If there are any good candidates at this Shingyoto-ryu...
...please recommend them as instructors for our Koukenjyo.
I will keep that in mind.
Continue surveillance.
Yes, sir.
What's wrong?
It looked like something's bothering you.
Just a little. I was thinking of my dead child.
No need to lie. If you don't want to tell me, don't say anything.
You're the one who asked.
Indeed I was.
Man, I can't stand guys who wear colored glasses.
You can't tell what they're thinking even if you look them in the eye.
He's here!
Hear me, you who left no corpse despite being given the death penalty.
The shogunate's enemy, the Itto-ryu...
...believes blindly in the power of the sword...
...and tries to create many warlike swordsmen in this era of peace.
A superb chance to eradicate them has finally arrived.
Soon, Anotsu Kagehisa will leave Edo to go to Kaga.
That is the time I shall move.
You...
...will go claim Anotsu's head.
The wind has blown.
Something occurred to me.
Even if the only one I hate is Anotsu Kagehisa...
...if someone gets in my way, I'll fight them too.
Even if they're someone's parent or sibling or husband.
If I think about selfish things, I start losing track of what I should do.
When I left the dojo...
...I had decided, "I can die so long as I get my revenge."
But you know, dying is such an easy thing to do.
If I just chose to die, what would the people I walked all over think?
If you can wake up every day, eat and sleep, have no desire or ambition...
...and keep smiling even when others trample you...
Unless you're that kind of person...
...I guess everyone has somebody hate them sometime.
If you really want to not be hated by anyone...
...you can't even fart on the side of the street.
All you're doing is trying to avenge your parents.
You should walk around with your head held high.
Yes, you're right.
My parents' lives are important to me.
Far more than the lives of complete strangers.
Maybe I shouldn't have said that.
Of course you should, stupid.
Okay, I made my decision!
Manji, I want to become at least a little closer to you...
...so I'll do my best to eat this grilled frog whole.
Manji, I want to become stronger, so don't go easy on me.
You said so yourself.
If it's not practice, you have to attack each other until you puke blood.
I'm really in the mood to make some bruises right now.
Idiot, if I don't go easy on you, you're gonna cry.
I won't.
I don't care if you beat me senseless.
But I'll attack you really hard too.
I see it!
Oren...
Miss Rin, are you able to defeat me?
You should die like a bug too.
Come, I'll destroy you.
Goodbye.
Let's go.
It's complete...
Dad, the Nagasaki store owner's here.
Okay, be right there.
Hey.
Rin.
Rin?
Not done yet...
Come on, let's eat.

Changed text

Open file

Dekinai (Edited Hi10)

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 01 [0EEE071A]

Murderer.
Two years ago...
A massacre, you say?
Sinners or not, what a merciless thing to do...
Sinners?
Gimme a break.
Were they not?
Not a single one of them was a sinner.
Even those who didn't need to be killed,
I kept on killing them anyway.
I believed they were scoundrels going against my lord.
But the real villain was my master.
He fooled me... but not just that...
I also got caught up in swinging my sword around like I was the best.
Now that I think about it, my own stupidity makes me want to vomit.
So then what happened?
Not just my master Horii...
Policemen, detectives, and bounty hunters...
Anyone who tried to catch me...
I killed them all.
By any chance, are you...
I knew it.
Manji the Hundred-man Slayer, I presume?
Yeah.
The sin of taking a hundred lives...
Atoning for such a thing may not be so easy.
Why don't we...
...consult God?
Please do.
I have received a grim answer.
He says the only sufficient penance is death.
I wish it was that easy—
Is that it? It's over?
From now on, the strongest man in Japan...
...is me?
Little ol' me?
Let's put an end to this, all right?
I don't really want to kill.
There's no God or Buddha, huh...
Anotsu Kagehisa...
What do you want from the Itto-ryu?
I would like you and your Itto-ryu swordsmen...
...to join my Kouken Dojo as instructors.
I'm honored by the offer...
...but I wonder if we're fit for the position.
After all, we are nothing but a band of incompetent failed swordsmen.
Even if we became instructors, would the samurai these days...
...be able to handle it?
Please do not worry.
Better for them to know how powerless they are.
I have something I would like to ask.
Anything.
Habaki-dono, what are your thoughts regarding one person killing another?
"Weep... Weep over one's own destiny."
Nii-sama!
Manji-niisama!
What a cute little sister.
Long time no see, Manji.
Old lady!
If memory serves me, there should be a hidden shrine past here.
So you tried to find a road to salvation through a foreign god, eh?
Who's asking to be saved?
Oh, was my guess wrong?
When I met you for the first time...
...your eyes looked hungry for salvation.
There's something I want to know.
Why did you put those worms in me?
How long...
...do I have to live on in this body?!
My body is full of bloodworms too.
What!
Thanks to them, I've lived over 800 years.
That's why I have the name "Yaobikuni."
Machi is 23 this year.
I used to think the best atonement a samurai could have...
...was hara-kiri, but it's surprisingly become more of an inconvenience.
If I commit suicide, she would die alone, insane, in a ditch somewhere.
Manji, if you truly wish to be saved, then first give up the sword.
That offers more than a confession or seppuku.
Manji-niisama!
What's up?
I found a bean cake right over there.
Want to eat it?
Machi, that's horse shit.
Horse shit?
Wash your hands and go to bed.
Okay, I'll wash my hands and go to sleep.
The hatamoto killer?
There's a bounty...
ldiot! Just find him and kill him!
Machi, strolling along the streets at night on your shoulder is pleasant...
...but let's stop now.
What are you saying?
Even briefly, even his wife's...
...a samurai shouldn't lean on a woman's shoulder, or...
...you can't face the others? You won't be able to anyway.
You already fell over with a stomachache in front of so many...
Now I know how Goi in lmogayu felt.
But what kind of dinner party doesn't serve alcohol?
Why don't we have a drink...
He ran!
After him!
Machi, it seems I've got a little work to do.
Go on ahead and warm up the sake.
Could it be him...
Also, get the bath nice and hot...
I guess not every kengo is careful...
I am a police officer of the Katsukawa house, Saito Oi Tatsumasa.
No need to tell me your name, as your life will soon be over.
Is that so?
I've heard about you.
They say it was you, who two years ago...
...killed the hatamoto Horii Shigenobu-sama.
I'm aware of what Horii-sama did.
And I somewhat understand how you feel.
However, why didn't you commit hara-kiri after you killed your lord?
Cut the crap!
Would you die for a man like that?
Is that the duty of a samurai?
Two years ago, exactly five days after the incident.
Two bodyguards took responsibility and committed oibara.
One was named Saito Kazusanokami Tatsuie...
My father!
He was a true samurai.
Not only did you not commit hara-kiri...
...but you continue to commit meaningless murders!
For my father's honor and the lives of your other 99 pursuers...
I think I have ample reason to kill you!
I've realized something about you.
The true reason you didn't commit hara-kiri...
There are two paths for those who bear swords.
If they are walking the way of the sword, they are a samurai.
If they are walking the way of bloodshed, then they are...
...just a murderer.
Murderer...
You are a bloodthirsty beast.
Nothing but an animal with a taste for murdering people.
Shut up...
How many more will you kill?
Fifty?
A hundred?
Why not just kill a thousand...
...like the beast you are?!
Nii-sama?
No—!
Machi.
It's fine. There's nothing to worry about.
It was only a dream, just a dream.
Machi,
where did you run off to?
We've been looking for you, Manji the Hundred-man Slayer.
Who the hell are you?
We need you to come with us. The one you're looking for is waiting too.
Ah, it's Nii-sama.
That didn't take long.
My name's Shido Hishiyasu.
Second in command of the invincible Shinsen-gumi.
I don't give a damn about your name.
Let Machi go.
If you haven't done anything, I'll let you go.
You'll let us go?
Thank you for the offer.
How nice!
Why don't we go, guys?
Yeah, right, dumb ass.
We're about to mourn my brother Johnny, who you killed at the hidden shrine.
Fight us one on one.
Nii-sama...
If you beat all of us, all is forgotten.
All right...
No, wait...
Huh?
I don't want to draw my sword.
Is there some other way we can do this?
Huh? What was that?
You don't have a choice.
I want to...
...wash my hands of this foul-smelling world we live in.
If you don't want to fight, then that's fine.
We'll just have her play with us.
That tickles!
I'll fight you barehanded, all right?
My sister isn't part of this! Let her go now!
Come again?
Are you really Manji the Hundred-man Slayer who fights with twelve blades?
You bastard, get your filthy hands...
Cut the bullshit! What the hell do you mean, "barehanded"?
You call yourself a samurai?
What am I gonna do with the 20 guys I brought here to deal with you?
Let them play tag or something.
I'll just watch.
Boss...
Let the girl go.
What?
Just do it already!
Machi.
Nii-sama!
Manji, don't hate me.
I warned you...
...that I'd play with her.
Nii...-sama.
It's cold today...
Yeah.
Will you play with me tomorrow?
Yeah, I will.
So just go to sleep now.
Okay, I'll go to sleep. Good night, Nii-sa...
The little sister dies, and the brother follows.
In the next life, you two can hang out together.
It's all your fault!
Are you satisfied...
...with it all ending like this?
You said you wanted to fight one on one, right?
Ah, well, um, not anymore...
I'll show you if I can kill a hundred men...
...whether you like it or not.
Watch closely.
I missed it...
Machi...
I would've died here if I could, but it's just not possible.
Not with this body...
So at the very least, as a gift...
...I'll send all these punks to hell to be your servants!
Make them eat horse shit.
It's all my fault...
Your husband's death...
You losing your mind...
Everything was my fault...
And the funny thing is you couldn't even hate me for it.
This was the Hundred-man Slayer...
"Weep... Weep over one's own destiny," huh?
Ha! These are the times that are the coolest.
I have decided.
To redeem the sins as "The Killer of 100".
I'm going to spend the rest of my life,
killing a thousand villains.
How's that?
Is it hatred? I don't understand your thinking...
Till the next...
Father...
I will definitely take revenge...
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
Overflowing,
nagaredasu
reality is just...
genjitsu no hou koso
...more of the empty lies.
munashii uso da to
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
The morning slides in from the window.
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
The unchanging wind always...
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
...just said this as it passed by...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 02 [1569207A]

The wings of hatred will not stop so long as the heart makes waves.
I want to tell you something before Takayoshi comes back.
Because of my weakness,
we banished a man to the darkness.
If because of that, misfortune should fall upon you...
...I don't want you to blame that man.
Because it is my father and I who are at fault.
Grandpa?
We must just accept it, if we don't want to lose everything.
What did you wish for?
That no misfortune should fall upon anyone.
Golden Wasps!
You have trained so hard...
l, Kuroi Sabato, am deeply moved.
Although trying to defeat me with that technique is but a dream of dreams.
So beautiful...
It's like gazing upon the face of a goddess.
It was worth waiting these two years.
I shall take my leave for now.
You're running away?
What I desire is your heart.
Until that wish is fulfilled, I will have you survive.
You there, girl. Who rests in that grave?
I can sense your thirst for blood from back here.
But within your thirst lies a deep despair.
My father lies here.
I wish to avenge his death.
How noble. How trifling.
Even so, nobility and trifles are not useful tools of revenge.
The most essential thing is...
...strength that is nearly...
...inhuman.
Does this person even exist?
He looks like a total moron.
Hyaku-nee, come on...
Shut up!
What about this?
That's the same as before. Look.
Stop horsing around, Shinri-ji. You cheated, didn't you?
I didn't. We aren't betting money to begin with, so why would I cheat?
Then why haven't I won once?
So, Hyaku-rin...
...did you see that guy?
No, what I saw was the aftermath.
The Hundred-man Slayer, huh?
I think I'd get along with him.
If he joins us, that is.
It'd be a problem if a guy like that became our enemy.
Either way, sitting here and talking about it won't do anything.
I'll talk to the guys at the top.
You sound awfully confident.
It's better not to make a move till then.
I know.
You woke up, huh?
Whatever.
Don't come out yet. The splinters'll head that way.
Okay...
Do you do them all that way?
Hell no.
Oh, I see...
Sorry, it's burned.
What's wrong? It's delicious.
Thank you.
You're really not that scary, which is a relief.
You're Manji-san, right?
An old lady named Yaobikuni told me about you.
You won't die no matter who you fight with, right?
Pretty much.
That means you're really strong, right?
Well, that's 'cause...
Please! I need your help!
My father was a samurai and was killed by people called the Itto-ryu.
Also, my mother...
I want to destroy the Itto-ryu with my own hands...
...and get my mother back from them.
But I can't do it on my own...
That old lady told me.
That a strong man named Manji vowed to kill 1,000 evil men.
She said if I asked, he would help me out.
Gossiping old hag.
I beg you!
Please help me destroy the Itto-ryu!
Go on home before it gets dark.
Could it be... you want money?
I'm not talking about money.
This is what happened a long time ago.
I helped out a villain and killed many innocent people.
I don't want to do that anymore.
So if I'm gonna do it, I gotta know who's good and who's evil.
Right...
So who's bad?
Your father and those Itto-ryu guys...
Who's bad and who's good?
Well, that's...
Obviously it has to be them, right?
But who's to say?
When people are telling their own story, of course they're the righteous ones.
I don't wanna be the co-conspirator of some "saint" who's playing the victim.
I do that, and I'm just another criminal.
But they...
Wasn't your father a samurai too?
There's no good or evil when samurai kill each other.
I understand what you're saying, Manji-san.
But...
But...
It's frustrating. There were so many of them.
And to kill him like that...
That way...
Talk to me.
What you saw with those eyes of yours... What you heard with those ears...
Tell me everything that happened.
Manji-san...
Mother, it's already past nine.
Maybe Father is having an affair.
What are you saying, child?
I said to him this morning, "Father, I turn fourteen today."
He promised me that he'd come home early.
Didn't you hear about the special meeting at the dojo tonight?
Something about those attacks on the other dojos.
Those men attacking the other dojos...
It's rumored that they used to be our dojo's students...
ls that true?
I'm not really sure.
Father!
Rin, get back...
Mother, it's Father!
Honey!
Forget about me.
Both of you, hurry and run...
So in other words, what you were saying is...
..."We won't surrender to you bastards." Right?
I must defend my dojo.
I understand these things all too well.
But it's all for naught.
All the followers of the Mutenichi-ryu, except for you alone...
...have been killed.
H-How could you...
I swear I'll kill you all...
Even if it costs my life...
"Even if it costs my life..."
"Even if it costs my life..."
What should we make of this simple, honest reply?
Kuroi.
Yes, sir.
Wait!
Why are you doing this? Why the Mutenichi-ryu?
I heard that your style has the same origins as our own.
How can you make peace with your ancestors after this betrayal?
lnteresting words just now.
Damn you... Don't touch my wife...
Asano-dono, you will die tonight. So I'll tell you this now.
Then you can watch us from the realm of the dead.
This is the beginning of our long, long drama of conquest.
Fifty years ago...
My grandfather, Anotsu Saburo, and your father, Asano Takayuki...
...were rival kengo over the Mutenichi-ryu's secret teachings which were granted only once a generation.
The bandits who attacked them were all defeated.
Asano killed four, and Anotsu nine.
But...
Expelled?
I do not understand!
It is not about technique.
Anotsu, it is simply that the essence of your swordsmanship is lacking.
You must have seen it on that night!
My swordsmanship surpassed Takayuki's!
And yet...
I see your true intentions now!
You talk of "essence" and such now, but the truth is...
...it's because Takayuki is your son.
You never had any intention of sharing the secrets with an outsider like me!
Anotsu, you know the words of the Mutenichi-ryu doctrine.
"Skill with the sword \h begins with decorum."
No matter how strong they may be...
...those who scoff at form can never comprehend the way of the sword.
But...
ln battle the other day, you fought with a sword in each hand.
One was a blade from foreign lands.
Our Mutenichi-ryu has no tradition of two-sword techniques!
Moreover, it is inexcusable to use a foreign blade!
I did that to protect you!
Takayuki, say something!
I know you agree with me!
Takayuki!
Anotsu, you are the son of a cloth merchant.
Your confusion regarding these concepts is understandable.
But if we do not preserve our teachings, Mutenichi-ryu cannot stand!
Mercy... Please have mercy!
I...
I defended you!
Y-You bastard...
Why?!
Asano-dono, what do you think of the way of the sword?
If this were the Warring States Period...
would you even then stand by customs and formality?
It wouldn't be like living in a peaceful society.
If you don't win, you die. The way of the sword is the way to victory.
I wonder what happens when people forget that...
When I look at you, it becomes perfectly clear.
The contempt suffered by one expelled from a distinguished samurai's dojo...
...runs far deeper than we think.
The stronger a swordsman is, the lower he falls.
There's no way back to the light, ever.
I understand what you're saying...
...but that was fifty years ago.
And my father, Takayuki...
...was tortured by his own weakness till the very end.
It doesn't matter what you say.
We've made our decision.
I will destroy every sword style in the country...
...and unify them under the Itto-ryu.
What? Have you lost your mind?
Well then, Asano-dono, it's time for you to die. Are you ready?
Once we're finished here,
have your way with the wife.
You bastard...
Got that?
Yeah.
However, don't touch the daughter.
I think you'll agree that assaulting children is vulgar.
Anotsu Kagehisa, you're scum!
Honey!
"The bell rings against a heartless sky."
"The raven caws, 'No mercy'."
"All walk the path that leads to nothingness."
ls this the way of the samurai? Ganging up on someone like this?
Don't get the wrong idea.
The only two who fought were Anotsu and Kuroi.
Take your own life. If you're the wife of a samurai, it's your duty.
Magatsu, stop taking charge.
We don't like wasting our time like you.
You think we're here for idle chitchat?
If you want a woman, why don't you just go to a brothel...
...instead of taking someone's wife in a place like this.
Taking a man's wife in a place like this is what makes it interesting.
You're such a kid.
What?
As you can see, this woman has no intention of killing herself.
Do as you please.
Don't kill her...
Don't kill my mother...
Close your eyes and cover your ears.
Does it hurt?
Are you ready to throw it all away for revenge?
Then prove it right now.
If it hurts so much, prove how serious you are about this.
B-But...
What's wrong? You all talk?
Then do whatever you want with me.
Sorry.
Goodbye.
Wait.
Let's go.
Right.
Will Manji save the girl...
...or will it be the girl who saves Manji?
Either way, it's the fate life brings.
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
nagaredasu
Overflowing,
genjitsu no hou koso
reality is just...
munashii uso da to
...more of the empty lies.
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
The morning slides in from the window.
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
The unchanging wind always...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
...just said this as it passed by...
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 03 [D77E7C40]

"When snow falls, the next day it will melt."
"A flower in the moonlight is destined to fall."
"You can become intoxicated in dreams, but reality will make you sober."
"How unjust."
"To struggle against time...
...one gains eternity,
but only through death."
"Like the sand."
"Like her jet-black hair."
"Like a butterfly crossing the sea in vain."
"Its homeland, like a dream, lost..."
"Love for parents is only realized when they have passed."
"If you try and talk to a butterfly, it flies away."
"Such is life."
"You're now destined to live in pain."
Did my words reveal my innermost feelings?
Yes.
I am pleased.
And now, with your understanding...
...I shall take your life.
Actually, I have come to take your life as well.
ls that so? How serendipitous.
Then let us go hand in hand down the path to the realm of the dead.
Thank you. But you'll just have to walk down that path...
...all alone, Kuroi Sabato.
I hate him too...
But the one I can never forgive...
...is you.
First I'll cut you down, the man who murdered my father...
...as the prologue to my long drama of revenge.
So beautiful...
You have become even more beautiful than when last I saw you.
My feelings for you grow and grow.
I must kill you with my own hands.
How about that.
Those love letters...
...really were  for you, Rin.
How nice. Sweet in a creepy sort of way.
Hitting on a girl young enough to be your daughter.
Rin, I'll take over.
He doesn't look like an opponent an amateur can handle.
I'm no amateur. I've been training for two entire years.
Rin-dono, I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you.
Who'd love you?
ln love, I seek perfection.
But the only perfect love can be found in death.
The flow of time stops for nothing.
White snow melts and mixes with mud.
The blue moon disappears behind the mountains in the distance.
Even the most fragrant flower loses its color and dies.
Everything bows to time's fate.
It's the same for the beauty of a woman.
Before your beauty withers away...
Your hair... Your eyes...
I want to make everything of yours mine.
If you kill the girl you've fallen for, then you lose everything.
Honestly,
you can sure talk some bullshit, old man Sabato.
What's so funny?
Someone like you will never understand.
The only thing that can defy time itself, the only eternity allowed to man...
...is death.
I wouldn't be so sure.
For all that grandiose gibberish you go off on,
things that are eternal, much so like dog shit,
might be laying around us more than you think.
So, old man Sabato.
Not many thrills fighting little girls, don't you think?
How about us two-handed heretics of the sword...
...go at it like wild men?
Tonight is the night my love shall be fulfilled.
No matter who you are, I'll let no one interfere.
If I'm in the way, kill me.
Don't hold back.
Hyaku-nee, over here.
That's Kuroi Sabato of the Itto-ryu.
Why is he with the Hundred-man Slayer?
Looks like he's that girl's bodyguard.
Revenge, huh?
When we get inside the forest, use that weird attack on him.
Golden Wasps!
Well done.
My face and shoulders have not been exposed for a very long time, Rin-dono.
What the hell are those?
It's unbearable to see the women you love grow old.
This is the woman who used to be my wife.
And this is...
What's wrong, Rin?
M-Mother...
What did you say?
lndeed.
This is the head of the woman who two years ago was your mother.
No, please don't!
Go ahead and destroy her.
Close your eyes and cover your ears.
Though we were of the same style...
Those worthless trash were far too brutal in their sport.
So I saved her life.
She's far too flawless a woman to be taken...
...by those who don't appreciate such perfection.
I'm going to kill you.
Kuroi Sabato, no matter what...
Even if I have to sell my soul to the devil...
...I will kill you!
Stop, Rin!
Golden Wasps!
Golden Wasps!
Manji-san!
I have trained my shoulder to twist completely backwards.
Understand?
Now that you understand, hurry up and die.
I have no interest in talking with men.
You perverted old man...
The Hundred-man Slayer...
...lost?
Are you trying to hurt your honorable mother?
You said you would kill me, Rin-dono.
Even if it's not by your hand, I am always ready to die.
For one thing. If I am able to see you die in eternal beauty...
...I will be more than happy to die.
When you die, I will take my wife's head down from my shoulders...
...and adorn them instead with your beautiful head, Rin-dono.
I shall recreate those nostalgic days of mother and daughter on my shoulders.
And lastly, I shall take my own life and have myself stuffed as well.
Together we will rise up,
and perfected by our beauty...
...our love will last forever.
I'll say it once more.
If you will give me your life, I will hand over mine.
This is the ultimate proof of my love.
If I...
...die...
Yes.
Then l, the one you hate, shall follow.
It seems you understand.
Truly?
In my own way, I am still samurai.
I swear to, after I send you off...
What?
Manji-san!
Are you...
...human?!
More or less.
But because of these guys, I have a body that can't die.
What?
I see... So that explains it.
So that's the Hundred-man Slayer...
A man who won't die?
If you cannot die...
...then that means you've acquired eternal life?
Well, I suppose so.
I won't accept it. I will not!
I'll never accept it!
Die!
I wish I could...
Eternity is the proof of love attained through the beauty of death!
What the hell do you know?!
Someone like you...
As long as a fucked-up bastard like you lives...
...I wouldn't be able to die in peace anyway!
Eternity is in your hands even though you're alive.
Such men should not exist!
Quit your pointless rambling, you big perverted freak!
Rin-dono!
RI-N-DO-NO—!!
RI-N-DO-NO—!!
RI-N-DO-NO1!!
RI-N-DO-NO—!!
I lived for love.
And I'll die for love.
I have no regrets.
Someone like you could never understand...
...these feelings.
Consider yourself lucky...
...that you can die!
Did you see that man?
I didn't, but Hyaku-rin and Shinri-ji did.
Hyaku-rin is saying she wants to ask him to join us.
He definitely is strong. He murdered the hatamoto Horii Shigenobu...
...and then killed the policemen of the Hacchoubori group, over a hundred.
You knew?
The reason we haven't caught him is because of his unique strength.
What do you mean?
If this Manji possesses interests similar to ours...
...there is a chance he will fight alongside us.
You let him go free because you predict he'll join us?
That's right.
You idiot.
You almost bought into that pervert's ramblings about love and death.
I can't believe you said, "prologue to my long drama of revenge."
I'm sorry.
But I thought you were dead then.
Manji-sama, why do you have a body like that?
Never mind that.
Your mom, dad, and all his students are dead.
If you don't keep it going, the Mutenichi-ryu will disappear.
lsn't that right?
Risking your life over crap isn't a luxury you've got.
Even that Anotsu guy is fighting for his own style, remember?
Anotsu Kagehisa...
Anotsu-dono,
I need you to make a decision soon...
...or this will become very inconvenient for you.
The truth is,
you've shed a lot of blood to unite all the styles together.
There is a reason that the shogunate pretended not to see it.
ln other words, it means...
...someone was keeping an eye on us.
Do not worry, Habaki-dono.
There are some who would consider that a threat.
But I'm not even going to think about it,
because my decision is already made.
Then...
I, Anotsu Kagehisa...
...accept the offer to be instructor to the Koukenjyo.
I will make a new style with my own hands.
An elite group that strives for nothing less than victory.
If the Anotsu house knows only the morality of the blade...
...no one will ever see you as a true samurai.
If there are any who'd join such a style...
...it'd only be the fringes of society like me.
Are you prepared to use...
...such subhumans?
Yes, I look forward to it.
Well said.
Yes, well said, indeed.
Terrible news! Sabato-sama... Sabato-sama is...!
What happened...
...to Kuroi?
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
Overflowing,
nagaredasu
reality is just...
genjitsu no hou koso
...more of the empty lies.
munashii uso da to
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
The morning slides in from the window.
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
The unchanging wind always...
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
...just said this as it passed by...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 04 [D34CD37B]

Such use of color!
I can't even comprehend the brushwork.
I had heard the rumors,
but foreign art has become so advanced...
It's the shogun's secret police!
Run!
Hand over the contraband.
Th-That voice...
You said we were comrades...
You're just a dog of the shogunate...
Magnificent...
You're going to get another bodyguard?
I realized when we fought Kuroi Sabato.
The swordsmen of the Itto-ryu aren't just normal people.
Manji-sama, you're strong and you can't die, so I feel like I can rely on you...
...but I think it'd be better to get more help.
Hey, one more!
Do you have any idea where you'll find this bodyguard?
I finally found the person I've been searching for.
Father.
We have guests.
Painting is nice and all...
...but I'm the one who has to clean up and apologize to the landlord.
I'm sorry.
Sori-sensei.
Um...
Could it be you, Rin-chan?
Yes, it's been a while. Otatsu, how have you been?
I've been well.
Wow, you're all grown up!
Hey.
What are we doing? Going door to door?
Isn't he just a painter?
He doesn't look like a great swordsman to me.
That coming from someone who looks like he was abandoned on Mt. Takao...
...then raised by kind monkeys,
and just recently rejoined society.
This person is my bodyguard, sort of an assistant...
That kind of person.
What's all this about?
Is that so...
Asano is dead...
We've known each other since we were kids.
I'm sorry. I had wanted to tell you sooner.
No, I'm the one who should apologize.
I wasn't even able to attend the funeral.
It's all right.
That was only the beginning.
Revenge?
An inexperienced young woman like you?
I don't want you to go off to your death.
I understand how you feel, but it's a foolish dream.
I'm not dreaming.
I've heard rumors about this Anotsu guy.
They say he's a twenty-two-year-old swordsman prodigy.
Even if you've hired a bodyguard or an assistant...
Um, was it Hanji-kun?
It's Manji!
You think just hiring him will be enough?
You may be right about that.
But what if I had more than one bodyguard?
What do you mean by that?
Father, it's the Nagasaki store owner.
Oh, you had guests over?
Not quite.
We'll finish this later.
I'm sorry for troubling you to come all the way here.
Is something the matter?
No, nothing.
That's her, huh?
So as I've explained, I haven't been able to find the right color...
...to finish this painting to my satisfaction.
Then why don't you leave it for now.
Could I get you to paint another piece?
Are you really going to do it, Rin?
I'm going now.
Thanks for your help.
Sensei...
Just a little while longer, so please keep still.
Won't you please lend your strength to me?
Strength?
As you can see, I'm just an artist.
I'm not asking an artist for his help.
I'm asking one of the shogun's secret police.
You knew?
Yes, my father told me.
Asano, you troublemaker...
I heard you were chosen because of your contacts and skill with the sword.
And that your sword skill surpassed my father's.
Please, Sensei, take up your sword.
Artists, you know, if not stimulated by something new...
...their talent and their minds get rusty.
For me, that stimulation...
...was western paintings.
But in this day and age...
...if one tried to collect such things, the authorities would be at your back.
So that's when I thought of becoming one of the authorities myself.
To join the shogunate, I honed my sword skills...
...and traveled the country gathering intelligence.
I've killed anti-shogunate dissidents on the orders of the council of elders.
I've killed even my own fellow artists.
That's horrible...
The soul possessed by the arts will surpass mundane knowledge...
...and pursue new values.
No matter the sacrifices that must be made.
I've dragged my sword through the mud.
I couldn't allow such a blade to help you on your journey.
Why do you laugh?
Let's be honest, Master.
You make a lot of excuses, but when it comes down to it...
...you just lived at your own convenience.
Instead of admitting what kind of person you really are...
...you're trying to convince yourself with your own excuses.
And all that talk about the fine arts...
It's nothing. Just bullshit.
Don't make me laugh.
Manji-san...
You're just not willing to risk your life for another, right?
I won't deny that.
I can't die yet.
I've got a mountain of things left to paint.
And I'm not ashamed.
It's just how we artists are.
Oh, is that so?
Then do whatever you want!
You grey-haired bastard.
Manji-san!
Stay over in Tatsu's room tonight.
But...
Don't worry about him. He's not the type to leave you stranded.
Well, that's just a hunch...
Rin-chan...
Rin-chan.
Wake up.
Mother...
I'm home.
I'm so sorry for coming home late on your birthday.
Rin-chan, are you crying?
I had a scary dream.
But I'm so glad...
...it was all a dream.
You sure like to sleep.
Brats like you should sleep forever!
You're pretty quick on your feet, little lady.
Oh, well.
Catching butterflies when they flee...
...is more fu—
Manji-san!
Hi there.
Now I get it.
I knew old man Sabato would never have lost to a chick like her.
It all makes sense now.
Okay, take his head.
lf we take care of him, all of Sabato's followers will be ours.
With all of us?
Of course.
But it's against the Itto-ryu to...
Winning is everything.
What are you guys rambling on about?
If you're gonna do it, then do it. If not, run along home and jerk off.
Stop acting so tough!
First of all, do you think you can take us all out with one sword?
I think I'll manage.
Huh? That's coming from our house.
This isn't the right color either...
My chosen path of art that I kept defending with words...
Is this my all?
Isn't there a sword somewhere?
Wait, you bitch!
You're not going anywhere!
I'll play with you guys!
Red...
That's right. It's definitely red.
A red I'm positive I've seen a thousand times before...
But what kind of red?
A flower?
The sunset?
No, those aren't it.
Something just as primal. The source of all red...
It's easy to put into words, but what kind of red is it?
Oh, gods in heaven...
Let the devil send me a sign!
It's DONE—!
This is it!
This is exactly what I've been looking for!
This is the primal red! With this color—
Got him.
What the hell is this?
You're finally trapped, you fool.
The barbs blend well with trees...
...so hotheaded idiots like you think they're just pieces of bark.
Manji-san!
Stay back, Rin!
I've got a good idea.
How about I slice that girl up right before your eyes?
Just you try it.
That idiot...
I didn't expect to get permission.
Wait up, baldy!
It's not nice to make fun of people like that.
Manji-san!
Not bad for a brat.
Rin!
Wh-Who the hell did that?
A person who treats art like a doormat...
...deserves to die.
He's good.
Y-Yeah.
The only rule of the Itto-ryu is to fight one on one.
Those who disobey...
Wait!
I swear we didn't—
Is someone here?
Right away!
You don't look familiar.
l accepted Abayama-sama's offer and was granted access.
My name is Makoto.
Pleased to make your acquaintance.
Is that so.
Then I'll leave it up to you.
Yes, sir.
I really don't understand it.
You have nothing to do with the Asano family, so why did you get involved?
Even turning yourself into such a bloody mess.
Yesterday you laughed at me.
So what is it?
Do you get off on martyrdom?
It's not like that.
Then why?
There isn't really a reason.
You and me, we're the same animal.
Perhaps there's also an art to killing.
Don't compare us, you grey-haired old man.
There is no need to worry.
I'll restore it, and you'll have it in three days.
However, I'll need thirty gold ryo for painting supplies.
I can't lend you my strength, but I will buy all the corpses.
Sensei...
ln the end, we're the "same animal," huh?
You're not very honest, are you?
Take care, Rin-chan!
Thank you, Otatsu!
Please take care of Rin-chan, Ginji-kun!
That bastard, he still couldn't remember my name?
Let's go, Manji-san.
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
Overflowing,
nagaredasu
reality is just...
genjitsu no hou koso
...more of the empty lies.
munashii uso da to
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
The morning slides in from the window.
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
The unchanging wind always...
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
...just said this as it passed by...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 05 [B5687C20]

Insolent brat!
No one told me you were quitting the Itto-ryu.
Of course no one did. I haven't told anyone.
I thought I should tell you first.
I guess I won't be able to stay here if I quit the Itto-ryu.
What about Kage-san?
I'm thinking about telling him today.
If you quit the Itto-ryu, will you quit being a bodyguard here too?
Not like I'm doing much as a bodyguard anyway.
Isn't that good? It's easy.
I feel like a gigolo or something. I don't like it.
Tai-niichan, you don't like to be a gigolo?
Mister, I can show you a good time.
You'll make me hate you.
So Tai-niichan,
you sleep with me in the same bed when I say I'm cold...
...but you never lay a finger on me.
Am I that unattractive?
Do you not like women who sell their bodies?
Or could it be...
Do I look like your sister who passed away?
You look nothing like her.
What'll you do after you quit?
Well...
Listen, I can get out of here in about two years.
Right now, I have to work to pay for my mother's medicine, but...
...the doctor said she might not last two years.
If I'm freed, it's...
...my dream is to have a family with someone.
Oren...
It doesn't really matter if you throw me away.
You're a great swordsman.
As someone who can live freely with his skills if he needs to,
dealing with a whiny girl like me is something...
...you don't need.
Just holding you back.
Now ain't these interesting toys.
Will you accept the offer?
Just one question. Who's are these, really?
Um, well...
No ordinary warrior would carry these.
I've been in the business for twenty years...
...but it's rare to see swords that reek so bad of blood and guts.
In this peaceful era, no samurai's sword would ever be like this.
These probably belong to a bandit or a deranged killer.
Well, it doesn't matter. I won't ask for the particulars.
Swords are made for killing, right?
Yes, you're right.
I see you know your swords.
I fell in love with this one.
Must be a relic from the old Ezo era.
Woman.
What do you think you're doing?
Magatsu-sam, I've been waiting for you.
This young lady has an interest in swords...
...and she's fascinated by this blade of yours.
Chinese swords are fine weapons...
...but they don't behave like Japanese swords.
They're too much for most people to handle.
Of course, that's also what I like about them.
When a sword sharpener works a masterpiece...
...he's pushed to his limits. I was sweating blood!
But the sweat just makes the cool of the evening more pleasant.
It's a good life.
Thank you, sir.
I'll be sure to come again.
Thank you!
I can't fight here...
Samurai! Sir!
That sword... Could you please sell it to me?
I'll pay...
I can pay up to thirty gold ryo.
Accept it, please.
I'm not a samurai, just a swordsman.
Miss, have you heard...
...of an Asano Dojo that was in the Honsho district up till two years ago?
A couple of my comrades were killed by the daughter of that dojo.
Well, I can't believe a single girl could do that.
I wouldn't sell this sword for any amount of money.
It's booty, so I can't say where I got it.
But if you can tell me where to find that girl...
...then I just might consider selling it.
Well?
What?
Rin,
do you know how much thirty ryo  is worth?
I'm used to being broke.
But can you handle never being able to take a bath?
I'm sorry.
Why do you want that person's sword so much anyway?
That sword belonged to my father.
Two years ago, after my father was killed...
...every single sword in the Asano Dojo was stolen.
That sword was one of them.
Originally, when my grandfather was head of the dojo...
...that sword was enshrined as a school treasure.
The Mutenichi-ryu dojo is so strict about form...
...that I wondered why a foreign sword was treasured so much.
Maybe it was my grandfather's way of paying respect to Anotsu Saburo.
So what do you want to do?
Did you ask where he's staying?
He's at an inn called the Mizoguchi by Sensoji Shrine till tomorrow.
If you want to go get it back by force, I'll help you out.
Manji-san,
I'm sorry.
This is the last time I'll talk like this.
I'm already sixteen...
...and I can't keep talking about my mother and father.
It's pathetic.
I've decided it's time to put it behind me. That sword too.
Isn't he part of the Itto-ryu? Don't you hate him?
I hate him.
Althought I hate him,
no matter how many of the Itto-ryu we kill...
...as long as Anotsu Kagehisa is alive, their numbers will still increase.
No more wasting time. I've got to find Anotsu himself.
Or I can't destroy the Itto-ryu.
Well, if that's what you want, it's fine by me.
Hey, stop!
It's awfully quiet, isn't it?
Are you guys really heading to Mukou-jima?
It was Tempou Dojo in Mukou-jima, right?
Yeah.
I've heard rumors that the dojo was a secret hideout for the Itto-ryu.
Do you think it's true?
Who'd you hear that from?
In this business, we just hear things.
By any chance, are you a kengo of the Itto-ryu?
If I was,
what'll you do?
Man, that was too quick.
Even the most skilled kengo are vulnerable to surprise.
If people found out guys like us killed him...
...he'd be too ashamed to show his face in the afterlife.
I pity hi—
The guys in the Itto-ryu...
...have endured all sorts of hardships.
I've met people from all walks of life...
...but this is the first time I've seen swordsmen carry a carriage.
This is pretty hilarious.
You bastard!
S-S-Shit...
S-S-Shit...
S-S-Shit...
When did you...
Old man,
you got cocky.
I purposely missed your vitals.
Wanna see a doctor?
All right, cough it up.
Who sent you?
Wh-What are you talking about?
If you're seeking revenge for a fallen dojo, this sort of plan is a bit much.
You'll die if you don't hurry up.
Spill it and I'll take you to the doctor.
What'll you do?
What was that?
Akagi?
My bad.
I guess that was a vital point.
Please take this.
Magatsu-san, you came on foot?
Yeah, kind of.
You're wounded...
Oh, don't worry about it.
Excuse me.
Makoto, who was that?
His name is Habaki Kagimura, one of the shogunate's guard.
The Itto-ryu is going to work under the shogunate.
It looks like you have something to say.
Not really. I think it's a good thing.
Now you can go back to being a samurai with no problem.
As long as you're with the shogunate...
...no one's going to look down on you as an outcast anymore.
That's what you wished for, right?
Yeah, you're right.
We won.
Magatsu...
I'm not leading the Itto-ryu to make some kind of invincible ronin group.
I know that much already.
We go way back after all.
What the Itto-ryu hates most is the fall of a samurai family.
So I think you're doing the right thing.
Hey, is it okay if I jump ship here?
Your reason?
It's not that I don't like how you run things...
...but I have my pride.
I can't be on the side of the samurai.
Every time we destroyed a dojo together...
...I felt so good, but until now I haven't...
Nah, I'm not gonna say anything.
I'm just being selfish.
You don't really care, do you?
"I won't be tied down by the sword..."
I thought you'd say something like that.
Styles are such fragile things, huh?
Especially the Itto-ryu.
See you.
Magatsu...
You can keep on using the second floor of the Yukimachi.
Wouldn't want to make Oren unhappy.
Oh, yeah. As a parting gift, or I suppose it's a warning.
When did you cross paths with a group named Akagi?
Never. I don't remember them at all.
If you should ever meet them, watch your back.
They've been specifically targeting members of the Itto-ryu.
I'll keep that in mind.
Well, that's all I gotta say.
See you around.
Rin.
The only thing she's grown up about is crying and sleeping.
You want revenge for your parents to take the pain away, don't you?
What'll you do if you're not allowed to shed a single tear for your parents?
I know it's a harsh memory, but you'll forget about it one day.
It's a pain in the neck to force yourself to forget it.
I've finally found you.
Are you working for that Akagi group?
No I'm not.
I'm not working for anyone.
Anyway, hand over that long sword at your waist.
I get it.
I was right. That girl really is Asano's daughter.
You must be the one who defeated Kuroi Sabato.
You can say that.
So what are you gonna do?
The first rule of war.
Restricting your enemy's mobility is 80% of the victory.
Idiots who only aim for killing blows will likely lose their legs.
Thanks for the tip!
A hidden blade?
Stop acting so surprised.
I like you.
Are all the Itto-ryu samurai crazy like you?
I'm no samurai.
Besides, I quit the Itto-ryu.
Oh, really.
It's about time, huh?
What the hell?
The second rule of war.
Know the land and conquer the heavens!
This forest was the perfect playground for a kid.
I used to play here with my little sister.
But my sister...
...was killed by a samurai.
Insolent brat!
That's why I...
HATE samurai!
You can keep that. Take good care of it.
Hand over the scabbard too...
What the hell?
You're not the only one...
...who's lived through harsh times.
It's been an interesting night.
Let's do this again...
...assuming we both live through the night.
You idiot, I...
...can't die.
Manji-san!
Manji...san?
Doing this on your own...
Who asked you to do it?
I thought I told you I'd put it behind me.
I told you I'd forget all about it.
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
nagaredasu
Overflowing,
genjitsu no hou koso
reality is just...
munashii uso da to
...more of the empty lies.
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
The morning slides in from the window.
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
The unchanging wind always...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
...just said this as it passed by...
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 06 [33D4639E]

I am...
...not a maggot.
I said I was quitting the Itto-ryu, and now look at me.
Did you tell Kage-san already?
Yeah.
Tai-niichan.
What'll you do after your wound heals?
Let's see...
If I'm going to fight samurai without relying on the Itto-ryu...
...I guess I'll murder them in the streets of Banchou.
Hey, how's this;
what if I charge into a daimyo's group with just a wakizashi?
That's amazing. So cool.
You're kidding, right?
I'm kidding.
Oren-chan, there's a visitor for Magatsu-dan.
Who would that be?
Manji-san?
I'm thinking of going on a little trip today.
Do whatever you want.
What's wrong?
Hey.
No.
I didn't say anything yet.
I already knew what you'd say.
Alcohol, right?
There's lodging...
...then meals, and also money for maps and riding river ferries.
It all really adds up.
It won't kill you to cut back on everything else.
No, but then I might as well be dead.
I said no, so no.
The weather's sure nice.
But it's a little hot.
Days like this are perfect for eating kuzukiri...
...but instead I'm out here on the street looking for...
...my own hot and cold encounter with an attractive young lady.
But then hoping for that is like tilting at windmills.
I should have chilled sake when I get there...
What was that for, asshole?
You have the nerve to be spiteful when you're caught whoring...
...behind your husband's back?!
Don't make me laugh, you underpaid dimwit.
If we're comparing you two as men, he's way better than you!
While I'm at it, yours is like a little rhubarb, and his is like a giant radish.
What did you say? Come on, say it one more time!
The heat just went away.
She's not that young, but she's good looking.
And wow, talk about spirit.
Who the hell are you, anyway? She's my wif—
Only a miscreant would humiliate a woman in the middle of the street.
Honey!
Hey, what's the big idea?
Sorry about that. He's your husband, huh?
Your beauty moved me so. I couldn't stop myself from acting.
I'm impressed.
A tough samurai isn't exactly a rare sight,
but it's a different story when they're unarmed.
That's quite an arm you've got, sir.
All the better to be held with, perhaps?
You're referring to that argument?
I don't mean to take the moral high ground, but we've only just met...
I thought so.
I like women, but I don't like coercion.
I was half kidding too.
Let's just laugh and leave it at that.
I'll be leaving now.
Hold on!
Wow...
How lovely.
Well, it'll keep us cool at least.
Yeah.
I said I'd treat you...
...but other than sake, I don't have much to offer.
Hey, this is plenty.
My favorite dish is soybean pulp dressed with mustard.
I have some soybean pulp.
And...
It's rhubarb.
It's his favorite.
Say what you will, but you still adore your husband.
Yeah...
He's ordinary...
...and no good at his job.
What's the matter?
Back in the day, a friend of mine was poisoned at a dinner gathering.
Since then I've become really cowardly about meals.
So I should taste it?
I truly apologize.
Feel better now? It's not very strong though.
This must be poison.
It's too good.
My fingers...
Oh?
Are you drunk already?
If poison of that caliber is enough to finish you...
...I guess your stomach isn't as tough as your fists.
I knew it...
Wait, why is it just me?
You ate the same food I did and drank the same sake.
Itto-ryu deputy leader, Fusano Kenei.
A former low-ranking cop who went broke and deserted.
After that, you changed your name and joined the Itto-ryu.
Officious and fond of women.
Well? Was that accurate?
Who did you get that from? Don't tell me there's a traitor!
I'm asking the questions.
It's none of your business how I found out.
In any case, you don't have much longer to live.
Also, thanks for eating plenty of my cooking.
I was more worried about that than my acting.
That poison isn't so strong it'll kill you.
But you're suffering, so I'll end your misery as thanks for today.
Right here so it won't hurt.
I just made the biggest mistake of my life.
I've often said that all is vanity...
But down on my luck or not, I'm still the Itto-ryu's second-in-command.
Even though I'm poisoned...
...I can't face my comrades if I let a bitch get the best of me!
B-But I blocked it with my sword!
You should have dodged it instead.
ldiot.
Women can kill too, when the time comes.
I'm sorry.
I borrowed the kimono, geta, and the stove...
...but I'll be sure to call someone over, so no hard feelings?
Sorry for causing a ruckus...
Itto-ryu swordsman, Morozumi Chougo.
How do you know my name?
I have a question.
How many are there in the Itto-ryu who could be called instructors?
Say what?
If you don't talk, I'll kill you.
If you do, I'll tell you what I'm after.
It's up to you to believe me or not.
Th-The Itto-ryu has no acting instructors.
But there are some with sword skills just below our leader's.
About thirty that I know of.
Thirty, huh? You're sure about that?
That's all of them in Edo.
Hurry and take this off!
ls that so.
Sorry.
Shinri-ji, you're looking nicer now.
Oh, yeah?
Hey, Hyaku-nee, what about where I hit you?
It barely hurt...
Hey, are you okay?
Before I served him poison, I drank about half a liter of sesame oil.
It was quite an adventure.
Amazing! You're risking your life, as usual!
What's with the "as usual"?
But I bet even an idiot like you learned something from today's job.
Yes!
I feel fulfilled just getting to play the role of your husband!
You can go home now.
Why?
They say: to boil beans, use their own husks to make the fire.
Hey, Manji-san.
Let's stop here.
How long has it been since lunch?
Not very long, I guess.
Hey, Rin...
You're the one who said it won't kill us...
...to cut down on costs other than maps, lodging, meals, and ferry fees.
You're right. Sorry.
Warabimochi and barley tea. Also, where's the restroom?
You'll see it inside the back door.
I figured as much.
Number two or number one? Or maybe...
You expect me to answer that?
You're blocking the light, you know.
Either sit down or leave.
You were looking at something interesting.
It's just a cut-out map.
There were marks here and there.
Every one was a dojo...
...that was forced into submission by a certain style these past few years.
Huh, you know a lot about this.
Monks should be detached from worldly matters.
That's not all.
I also know about the man you both seek.
You've done all this traveling, and you still don't know where to find...
...that man,
Anotsu Kagehisa?
How do you know about that?
Uji tea.
Okay, that's Uji tea. Here's the barley tea and warabimochi.
S-Sure, yeah...
Also, some sakuramochi.
We're out of that, but we do have kashiwamochi.
That's fine.
Thanks, sorry about that.
So, back to our conversation.
You said just before, "the man you both seek."
How'd you know I wasn't alone?
I'm an Itto-ryu swordsman.
My name,
Shizuma Eiku.
As you can see, I'm not wearing a sword.
I knew from the start you weren't a monk.
You smell too strongly of blood.
I've killed 128 so far.
This is only my assumption, but you must be in a different league.
So what's an Itto-ryu samurai doing here without a sword?
To kill Anotsu.
Did you hear about me from that Magatsu guy?
That's right.
He was praising your swordsmanship...
...and also your immortal body.
Anotsu Kagehisa, leader of the Itto-ryu...
He's definitely considered a prodigy...
...however,
as long as he is human, he cannot avoid the fate of death.
He might not even live to see his ambition fulfilled.
Don't you think a true leader is one with both the technique and flesh...
...to know he's certain to fulfill his dream?
So your plan is to pair up with me and take over the Itto-ryu, huh?
If either of us is alone, we won't be able to beat Anotsu.
But if we're together...
I'll let you live today.
Get lost.
That's your answer?
Manji-san, are you okay?
You're usually supposed to hold trays.
What's with this guy?
He knew my body's immortal, but he came at me with just a dagger...
This man...
I know him.
You got your revenge again. That's one less thing on your hands.
L-Look...
I thought...
...you'd be more understanding.
ls it the Kessenchu?
Was it the old woman?
I'm asking if this was Yaobikuni's doing!
I don't know her name.
She was an old Buddhist nun.
Does that mean...
...that old lady is helping the Itto-ryu?
No, that's not true.
She put the Kessenchu inside me...
...long before I had any connection with the Itto-ryu.
It was about two hundred years ago.
Two—
Two hundred years?!
I've watched the era change with my own eyes.
I've had five women as wives and had more friends than that...
...but they all died before me.
Death is ruthless.
But not being able to die is cruel too.
However,
it doesn't mean there isn't a way.
Nothing in this world is immortal.
That includes us.
You will learn this tonight.
What are you talking about?
Manji-san, your wound...
That's weird.
The worms aren't coming out.
Manji-san!
Go somewhere...
...else!
Why?
Why did this happen?
It's poison!
Poison?
Most likely on his dagger...
Nice job...
You got me, Shizuma Eiku.
This is the end, huh?
Rin.
Even if I die,
...you must by no means act on your own.
Hurry up and find someone else.
Stop it! I don't want to hear that!
Manji-san!
Manji-san! Manji-san!
Get a hold of yourself!
Don't die!
Please don't die...
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
nagaredasu
Overflowing,
genjitsu no hou koso
reality is just...
munashii uso da to
...more of the empty lies.
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
The morning slides in from the window.
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
The unchanging wind always...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
...just said this as it passed by...
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 07 [90DAE7B0]

Manji-san...
Manji-san!
Manji-san, take this.
It's an antidote I learned from my mother.
It's made from pipevine and forsythia.
It's not going to work.
We don't even know what poison Shizuma used...
Just take it, okay?
Where do you think you're going?
I'm going to get a doctor.
W-Wait! Don't go wandering around alone!
I'll be right back!
Rin!
A doctor wouldn't be any help, would he?
That's right.
Manji-san doesn't have a normal body.
A doctor can't do anything for him.
If there's anyone who could,
it'd be someone the same way.
Like Shizuma Eiku...
But he's our enemy.
Young lady.
I figured it was you.
It's been a while.
Do you remember me?
What are you crying about out here this late?
Your light's just so bright...
There's no way this is going to work.
I'm aware of your situation. Come to my hideout.
I'll mix an antidote for you.
All right.
You're barefoot...
I was in a hurry... Guess it looks dumb...
Thanks for the sandals.
Not at all. This way's easier for me.
Now, let's hurry there and then hurry back...
...before ol' Kanji bites the dust.
You call Manji-san Kanji?
Oh, right, I sure do.
Your laugh sounds different.
Didn't it go, "Hyohohohoho"?
Nii-sama...
Machi.
Don't die...
Don't die.
Don't die.
Manji-san!
Do you know why Manji and I are immortal?
I heard it from Manji-san.
Yaobikuni put some bloodworms called Kessenchu inside you.
They are the Buddhist monks' ultimate means of prolonging life.
They can halt bleeding...
...and act in the place of destroyed tissue when their host is injured.
Both our body's...
...are just barely held together by the patchwork of these vermin.
Bloodworm killer.
When I was wandering western China long ago...
...I happened to get a hold of this poison.
Its role is to undo the patches made by the bloodworms.
Then Manji-san is...
That medicine that looked like boogers worked...
I missed my chance to die again.
You're late,
foolis—
"I'll be waiting by the outer moat in Yotsuya."
"Shizuma Eiku."
That idiot!
This is why I tried to warn her!
U-Um, I left the letter there.
Yeah, thanks.
U-Um...
Who's the baby?
My grandchild. My son and his wife died before me.
I'm the only family he has...
I'm so sorry, miss.
He threatened to kill him, so I had to do this...
You don't have to apologize.
I'm sorry to get you wrapped up in this mess.
Miss...
I'm sorry, miss.
Just wait.
I'll go call for help.
W-Wait a second!
What are you trying to do?
Stop!
What are you doing, killing them?
Damn it, you're no samurai!
Die, you piece of shit!
What do you have to cry about? They were complete strangers.
It's not like that!
Why does someone with no blade...
Why did they have to be killed?
If you want to know...
...I will tell you.
Two hundred years ago, still during the Warring States Period,
I served under a military commander.
My wife and friends all lost their lives because of him.
I was so devoted to him that I made my body immortal.
I killed at least one thousand opponents in battle.
But all that remained at the end of those long battles...
...was the Toyotomi clan's conquest subjugating society...
...and my lord's head rolling around in his fallen castle.
Now that Toyotomi has also perished,
a thought occurred to me.
What exactly were the people who died in that war?
Only a handful get to win a war and leave their mark on history.
The losers, even the commanders, are nothing more than vermin.
And those who couldn't become commanders...
...were just pawns from birth.
Enemies. Allies.
We're all the same in the end.
You and I...
All of us are born as maggots and will die like maggots.
Sip it.
If fresh wounds come in contact, the blood will mingle...
...and in rare cases the worms can be transmitted.
Earn the right to be able to say life is precious.
I want you to gamble.
Live endlessly and witness endless death.
Then in time...
...you'll come to see that one woman's death isn't worth a second glance.
And if you're immortal,
then carrying out your revenge will probably become simplicity itself.
Afraid?
What are you crying over in this cramped little shack?
Let's play outside.
The moonlight's just right for killing.
lsn't it, Shizuma?
I never hoped for anything from you.
If it was this easy to infect others with the worms...
...I never would have lost a single one of them.
I figured it out. What I needed.
The only thing I ever needed was a person just like myself.
No way am I gonna play the part of your wife, dumb ass.
You're a man that doesn't know how to hold back, aren't you?
Manji-san, outside...
The old woman's done for.
The kid's fine, so go.
You scare of seeing tons of blood even now?
If you stay, you'll end up seeing something worse.
Go!
How can you move?
I diluted the bloodworm killer's effects, but you shouldn't be mobile so soon.
So it's called bloodworm killer, huh?
That stuff sure did wonders for my mood.
I wanted to talk to you again.
And I still want to know how you recovered so well.
Traditional Chinese medicine, I guess.
You knew.
It was a coincidence.
Well, at the time I didn't mind dying like that.
But I changed my mind.
Dying wouldn't seem right if it was you who killed me.
I was impatient too.
If we're both immortal, there has to be a twist to this ending.
This is payback for the poison.
I'll make you taste a level of agony no normal human could ever reach.
I'm looking forward to that.
I'm sorry.
I'll dig a grave for you later.
I'm truly sorry.
This isn't swordplay.
Not even a fight to the death.
You'll have to do...
...better than that.
Same to you, asshole.
How many times do I have to suffer the pain of having my heart stabbed?
In the end, the only thing I can share with you is this suffering.
Right, Shizuma?
I'll ask you once more.
You have no intention of defeating Anotsu with me?
I harbor no grudge against him.
But whatever prodigy he may be, he's limited by his own mortality.
We're better qualified to control the Itto-ryu than he is.
What do you think, Rin?
Of course not, and I agree.
It seems a man has to stick by what he says in today's world.
Why?
Why don't you try to grasp what I say?
We seem to come from the same mold.
Just like me...
...it's in your nature to enjoy killing people.
Guys like us turn up sometimes.
We only truly feel alive when we see blood.
It's nothing to be ashamed of.
But you should give up on trying to stand above others.
There's one thing guys like us do once we come into power.
We massacre.
Well, what do you know...
They call you the Hundred-man Slayer,
yet you're surprisingly sensible.
It's amazing.
Hey, thanks.
I'm not praising you...
I thought we'd be able to understand each other better...
Such a shame.
Manji-san, watch out!
That's...!
I know.
If I can't win you over, you're nothing but a threat to the Itto-ryu.
Soon it will be dawn.
From here on you'll have to put your life on the line.
Life on the line, huh?
That's a very human condition.
Shizuma!
Please die already.
You've lived 200 years, and if you haven't stood above others once...
...then you'll be a maggot till the very end.
Golden Wasps!
I'll hack you apart, old man!
Manji-san!
You tried too hard... Are you okay?
Keep your voice down.
It's killin' my ears.
Look...
Look at these wonderful worms...
Manji, this body's just like yours...
I'll tell you one thing while I still live.
If you want to find Anotsu Kagehisa, go to Fukagawa.
You might run into him, if you're lucky.
How do you know where he is?
Wait, Shizuma.
Answer one question before you go to sleep.
Why didn't you dodge my final attack?
Girl...
What you said before was true.
But I've become tired...
...of living...
...as a maggot.
Don't worry.
I'll look out for him until some nice person shows up.
Thank you.
Why did you make a grave for him too?
To "pay my respects for 200 years of life," I guess.
You know, he told me he'd make my body undying.
I figured if I was immortal like you...
...revenge and other things would be easier to do.
But at the time, I was...
...I guess, completely terrified.
Not getting to die...
Having to live forever...
Just what does that mean...
Say, Manji-san?
Dying without reaching your goal...
...or living a long time and then finding out you can't reach it.
Which is worse?
You won't know that till you die.
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
Overflowing,
nagaredasu
reality is just...
genjitsu no hou koso
...more of the empty lies.
munashii uso da to
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
The morning slides in from the window.
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
The unchanging wind always...
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
...just said this as it passed by...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 08 [84AF3055]

I was having an old dream.
A dream?
It's a foolish story.
When I was still a child...
...there stood before me a big dog that looked like it wanted to kill me.
Unfeeling green eyes.
I learned fear.
Suddenly, the dog's eyes flashed, and the moment it bared its fangs...
...a deep shadow ran out from behind me...
...and with one stroke the dog was cut in half, head to tail like an eel.
He must have been quite a brave warrior.
Actually, no.
It was a woman... a young girl.
She seemed to be a bit older than me, but she was definitely a child.
What really amazed me...
...was that even though she killed the dog from that distance...
...the truth was she didn't have a single drop of blood on her clothes.
The moment I saw this...
...a wholly different "fear" than before ran through my body.
What I still remember clearly to this day...
...is the glimpse I caught of her silhouette in the moonlight.
Her corpse-like pale skin and...
...her terribly sad-looking.
That was...
Manji-san, do you believe what Shizuma Eiku said?
If you want to find Anotsu Kagehisa, go to Fukagawa.
You might run into him, if you're lucky.
It's something a man who lived for 200 years said before he died.
I'm sure it won't be a waste to at least check.
Fukagawa's a big place though. It'll be harder than I thought.
Hey, Manji-san.
~As if they don't know it's a dream...~
~...those who roam...~
~...seek for a trace...~
~...abandoning friends and mankind.~
They all left.
My mother said not to run because of my asthma...
Really?
That's a pretty hairpin.
This?
This is something my mother gave me long ago.
So why don't you put it in your hair?
You're right.
Manji-san. Manji-san.
Yeah?
I ran out of change.
I'll get some more, so wait for me.
Sure...
Hey, where am I supposed to wait?
Just stay right there.
What, here of all places?
Uh-oh.
You look bored, friend.
Whadda ya want?
That didn't come out very refined.
How about a good time for 28?
No thanks. Try someone else.
Because of that girl just now?
She's attractive.
I took her for a virgin, but maybe I was wrong?
I'm saying I'm not so pressed I'd do an old woman.
Now get lost.
You can check if I'm an old woman or not.
I see.
Okay, come here.
Isn't it a bit early in the day to be turning tricks?
It's already seven o'clock.
The sun will set before we're done.
It's odd though.
Why's a looker like you picking up customers on the street?
I'm too old to work the red-light district anymore.
Plus, a lot's happened.
Don't ask more than that.
Then just one...
...more question.
What the hell's with this?
It's for self-protection. I work alone, you know.
What a joke. If it's for protection, why's there poison on it?
Tell me who hired you.
Well, I can pretty much guess who it is.
I don't know his name.
It was a young samurai.
With slanted eyes and long hair.
Speaking of which, I don't know what Anotsu looks like.
Slanted eyes and long hair?
Well, whatever.
I'm pretty sure I'm right.
Forgive me. H-He offered me twenty ryo...
That's more than someone like me might see in a lifetime.
If you say that's more important than your life, then so be it.
But don't complain about gettin' killed if you try stuff like this.
Well, there's no point in killing an amateur...
...and my companion's coming back, so see ya.
Earn your money honestly.
I'm sorry for not saying who I was earlier.
My name is Otonotachibana Makie.
The leader of the Itto-ryu, Anotsu Kagehisa, is one I am pledged to...
...as a swordswoman.
Thanks for telling me so politely.
Well, if both of us are experts, there's no need to hold back.
Bring it on.
Prepare yourself.
Don't move.
You can't even grasp your surroundings.
You're holding back, or is this all you've got?
Either way, you don't have any business with a blade...
...if you're swinging it around like you're stupid.
Like I told you, once someone picks up a blade...
...they can't complain if they get killed.
Is this how you want to die?
If you'll be a half-assed swordswoman, then just be a streetwalker instead.
It's for your own good.
Man, is the Itto-ryu that hard up for peons?
How could they send someone like her?
Makie, just become a prostitute.
You might as well, instead of a swordswoman.
Are you okay?
You were watching me fight?
And before that.
Miss, you're a swordswoman?
Yes.
You're weak.
You want this?
How come? Are you sure?
Yes.
I don't think...
...I'll need it anymore.
~How do the forlorn go on living?~
~That's what the world calls dreams.~
~The world hates mankind endlessly...~
It's not unusual to see someone good at both singing and playing,
but what sets her apart is to hear so much feeling in it from someone her age.
What do you think, sir?
You got that right, Ohatsu-neesan.
You're Omaki-chan, right?
Yes...
Come here and pour me a drink.
I've seen your face somewhere before.
Oh, right.
Till recently, there was a girl who looked exactly like you in this little red-light district on the edge of town.
Yeah, no mistaking it.
Say what you like, but it's the face of a women I slept with. I wouldn't forget.
How does tonight sound?
Sir.
I think that's about far enough.
We are just humble geisha.
Women who market our talents for a living.
If it's sex you want, the night is still young.
Please go to Asakusa or Shinagawa.
Ohatsu-san, thank you so much for earlier...
Don't worry about it. You're a bit too submissive though.
Your song...
It's just very moving.
Before I came here, I was selling my body around Asakusa...
...just like you.
Just once, I tried escaping the red-light district with a lover.
It was a shame what happened to him.
He was so heartbroken he hung himself.
We were both just too young.
Even if you wish to live a decent life,
once you get mixed up in all this...
...the heavens see,
and they don't let you get close to any other dreams.
If Father were alive and did something like that...
...I'd be angry.
If I had a brother, and he did something like that...
...I think I'd still be angry.
You see, this has nothing to do with jealousy.
Could it be that you're still mad?
Get a life, Rin.
I said I'm sorry. For buying a girl without telling you.
Or maybe that's not it. Maybe you're jealous.
Are you...
...stupid or something?
Just to let you know, Manji-san, I don't care what you do.
Yes, that's right. I don't care.
You're a man, so I'm sure you have your own share of troubles.
I won't say you can't spend money on a prostitute. But you're my bodyguard.
If you're doing such things when the time comes, that'd be a problem, right?
If you want to play around, just go out while I'm asleep so I don't notice.
Okay, okay.
I'll watch out from now on.
Please do so.
Although, if you look at this in a different light...
...there's a way to resolve this without spending money.
For example, if you were to be my partner.
Forget that. It'd never work with a girl who's like sixteen.
Chances are you've been so busy with sword training most of your life...
...that you've never even held hands with any man besides your father.
W-Well?
Do I look more like an adult?
What the heck was that?
Sorry, sorry. What a joke!
You're a funny girl!
You know, a kid like you doesn't have the breasts or butt to look sexy...
...just by letting down your hair. If the world worked like...
Get out of here! Now!
Damn it, stupid! What are you doing?
H-Hey, wait wait wait!
Shut up, shut up, shut up!
Makie-chan, there's someone out back who wants to see you.
What in the world are you doing here?
You think I ransomed you that day...
...so you could work somewhere like this as a geisha?
I wanted to pay you back the money...
I don't recall asking you to do such a thing.
Excuse me.
I heard you fought with him.
Yes...
He was a strong, ferocious fellow.
I find it hard to believe...
...but many of my men have died by his hand.
Two of those men...
...had sword skills that threatened even me.
Even so,
he shouldn't be much of a foe to you.
It's my opinion, that you...
...are the only one in the world who can defeat me with a sword.
My mother...
I've been thinking about my mother.
She said if I would kill for a living...
If I would be a swordswoman...
...I might as well just be a prostitute.
But I'm just a joke.
I don't even have the backbone...
...to be either one of those.
I'm now a geisha so I can pay you back as soon as possible...
...but what will I do if that comes to an end?
If you tell me to wait, I will.
But someday...
...I'll make you mine.
If only I didn't know the true cruel intentions behind those words...
...then what bliss I would feel right now.
But, Kagehisa-sama...
...I know it all too well.
You just want my abilities.
You are...
You are the same as my father.
You would pluck away at a mere woman's dream...
...if it furthered your ambition.
Born into a samurai household, but not allowed to hold a sword...
...or even hope for a modicum of happiness in this world.
I imagine that in your eyes...
...my life must look like a despicable thing.
But I...
Why weren't you intimate with me that time?
Had I fallen into a twisted lifestyle at your hands...
...I might have been able to bring myself to live as a prostitute.
I can't stand to see your talent...
...smothered like that.
That's all.
No wonder you wouldn't stoop to my level.
You've been treated like gold by a handsome man like him.
I was hired by your ex-boss at the place you used to work.
He said to bring you back even if it's by force.
I understand.
I was acting like a child.
I just now...
...realized it.
Stupid bitch. Nobody'll wanna buy you if you chop that off!
Ohatsu-neesan...
It was just like you said.
Once a woman falls into a life of whoring...
...having dreams the way other people do...
...simply becomes too much to ask.
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
nagaredasu
Overflowing,
genjitsu no hou koso
reality is just...
munashii uso da to
...more of the empty lies.
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
The morning slides in from the window.
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
The unchanging wind always...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
...just said this as it passed by...
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 09 [5152D6EA]

Would you please wait here for a little while?
This will be my final indulgence.
When I come back after finishing him off...
...please think of it as proof that I'll assist you...
...for the rest of my life.
And when that fails to happen?
Your face is pale, like a girl's.
Do you want people to point and say you're rotten on the inside too?
Well, Kagehisa?
Having to be saved by a mere child.
What a disgrace!
Master, please stop!
If she hadn't come, I would be dead!
I owe her my life!
The Itto-ryu head's grandson wasn't even able to defeat a wild dog...
...and you had to be saved by a girl.
Your very life wouldn't be enough to make up for such a scandal!
You imbecile!
Are you saying I have to lose even more dignity?
Master!
Just watch.
I'll erase your disgrace here and now.
What disgrace? What dignity?
Even killing women and children...
If you have to stoop to killing either to preserve it, what is dignity worth?
Your words ring true.
If samurai weren't smitten with form...
...I wouldn't have had to spend half my life as an outcast.
Right, Kagehisa?
Tough luck for you.
What's your name?
Otonotachibana Makie.
Your father's family name?
Harukawa.
Harukawa, you say?
Master, why are you doing such a thing?
It's obvious wild dogs will be drawn to the scent of blood and gather here.
If she falls from the branch...
Komae...
Yoshiaki...
That's right, isn't it?
She's the one...
What a happy little story.
The fact that she's alive in this world...
...is the ultimate shame of the Harukawa household.
You must've thought you out- maneuvered me, eh, Yoshiaki?
Kuroi, what do you think of Grandfather?
What do you mean?
He's a loser.
That old man.
That's a reckless thing to say.
He won't let go of shame and dignity.
How is he different from the Mutenichi-ryu...
...who were too strict regarding formality and style and expelled him?
Shame,
dignity,
formality,
style...
Are such things virtues of ours?
Never mind that people actually die for them.
Whether human or beast,
death is the duty of all creation.
If death is enough to uphold dignity,
then even a monkey can be a samurai.
What is it you're trying to say?
I want to form a style that laughs at their "virtues."
A powerful group...
...that pursues nothing but the sword and victory.
Kuroi is dead too.
The Itto-ryu's numbers are swelling, but we lack strong swordsmen.
Are we an enormous glass tiger?
My childhood hero, I want you at least...
...not to betray me.
Oh.
What do you mean, "Oh"?
Weren't you waiting for me?
Maybe.
Sorry about the other day...
For failing to deliver.
So you'll satisfy me this time?
Hey, Rin.
I have some business with this woman.
Go treat yourself to mitsumame.
She's thin...
Pale...
Beautiful...
Yeah, compared to her, I'm still just a kid.
Right now, anyway.
But...
But just because...
Why're you shaking?
This enough?
Yeah, just enough.
Bye then.
What's with that?
What a good girl.
She doesn't need any praise from anybody in the Itto-ryu.
After all, she's trying to kill off that Anotsu Kagehisa guy.
For what reason?
Revenge.
Revenge?
To avenge her parents.
Surely,
you are a little different from the other day.
The hair?
No.
Your eyes.
Hyaku-nee...
One more.
That was the best chance to finish me off. Is she screwing with me?
So your companion's getting with a streetwalker.
Who are you?
Well, we're not anyone in particular, uh...
It's just, you know...
Yeah, that...
That's a strange story though.
Around here...
...there's not one place where streetwalkers could pick up clients.
Where could they get it on this early in the morning?
But all they really need is a mat.
She didn't have anything like that.
No way...
Something doesn't feel right.
It's probably heartburn.
She's doing the same thing she did the other day...
...but what's up with her ridiculous speed?
I can't believe I was lecturing her.
I thought her slender arms and that long-ass weapon were a bad combo...
Man, was I wrong.
I guess she needs the weapon's centrifugal force...
...to get that much destructive power with her slim arms.
Still though.
Look how easy she controls it.
She's got serious skills.
She might be the one who...
I feel kinda bad since this is pretty much a sneak attack...
...but this'll make us even!
Where could she be hiding?
I-I'm sorry for doing so many unfair things.
Hey, don't hold back.
I mean, as you can see, I don't die too easily...
...if you don't think outside the box.
There's one way I could be immobilized forever.
Slice my head off...
What?
What are you so scared of?
Is that all it takes to frighten you?
It should be easy for you...
...the way you were fighting.
I killed three men before I saw you.
Look...
It won't stop.
It happened then, and again now...
Why...
Why do you continue to do such cruel things?
I forget while I'm fighting,
but if I let my mind wander for a second...
...I get so scared of what I've done.
I suffer this awful feeling.
I start to question if his ideals are truly right...
...and become unable to hold a sword.
For what kind of ideal is it right to kill people?
lmagine if he dies before you.
The only title you earn then is murderer.
No matter how much talent you have...
...no untrained woman could ever move like that.
There must've been some reason you couldn't abandon the sword.
Remember what it was and fight for it!
If you don't want to do that, you'd be better off back at the brothel.
You're still going to fight with your body in that shape?
I've never lost a single sword fight.
That's actually a joke...
...but I won't just sit here while someone refuses to go all-out and finish this.
I'd like to show off and say I'll start fighting seriously now...
...but unfortunately, I've been serious the whole fight.
So if nothing else, I'm gonna make sure I don't have any regrets about it.
Your words put my mind a bit more at ease.
I'll join you.
What a good woman.
That stupid show-off!
Okay, now I'm ready.
Don't you get it?
Let me spell it out.
I'm seven weapons and one arm lighter than I was before.
Now I can keep up with your moves...
...I think.
If this takes much longer, that idiot's gonna come back.
So let's settle this with the next move.
Agreed.
To each their own reason for fighting.
Yeah, that's the spirit.
Prepare yourself.
There!
Can you do this without a place to kick off?
Shi—
How about it, lady? Still scared?
If you're okay,
then finish me off...
...this time.
I've had about all the shame I can take...
You idiot, what are you doing drawing that sword?
Rin, right?
I want to ask you one thing.
How many people...
...have died for your revenge?
How many people in all will be dead...
...by the time you reach Anotsu Kagehisa?
Have you ever thought...
...about whether it's right to kill people over a personal grudge,
rather than a just cause?
I swore in front of my parents' graves...
...to get revenge no matter what.
That I'd do anything to that end,
however dirty...
I don't...
I don't believe that killing people is right.
But I'm not skilled enough to live on without hurting others.
It's a lot more human to get your hands bloody over your family...
...than to commit brutal acts in the name of a just cause.
Am I...
...making a mistake?
Thank you.
That's what I wanted to hear.
Please go on protecting her.
And humiliate myself again, you mean...
Ohatsu-neesan...
I wanted to say my farewell to you.
I'm going back to the red-light district again.
My stupid parents lost it all gambling since they don't know when to stop.
It's all too commonplace.
I'm just a bird in a cage, no matter where I go.
I'd at least like for you to get to walk in the light.
When my mother was still alive, she was a prostitute too.
We were kicked out of a samurai's household because of me...
...and raising me alone,
I guess she didn't have much of a choice.
Even then, she didn't detest my father.
She even rebuked me for wanting to take up the sword and get revenge against him.
I was always irritated by how she lived her life.
But compared to a swordsman who lives his life hurting people...
...how much more wonderful must it be to live your life comforting others?
I truly am proud of her now.
I can no longer turn back.
Because I've remembered I became a swordswoman to kill my father.
But I want to see you...
...live your life with pride.
I will never forget all you did for me.
Please take care.
Right, and you too.
It's totally ridiculous.
I lost to a woman, and I was saved by a woman.
Yeah, seriously.
You always brag that you're immortal, Manji-san...
...but when it comes down to it, you end up needing me.
If you've learned your lesson...
...don't ever lie to me again like you did today.
Excuse me.
I thought you might be my companion.
Um, your companion wanted you to have this...
How do the forlorn go on living?
That's what the world calls dreams.
The world hates mankind endlessly...
...and calls it love.
They call it love.
Aenaku
Sadly,
me ga samete
I awakened...
Overflowing,
nagaredasu
reality is just...
genjitsu no hou koso
munashii uso da to
...more of the empty lies.
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
The morning slides in from the window.
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
The unchanging wind always...
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
...just said this as it passed by...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 10 [3DDB8CDD]

Saki, Renzo...
...I'm home.
I guess this is what it is.
Festivals are great!
Yeah.
There you go.
Thanks.
Manji-san!
Look, look. Come on, look.
Say something.
Like what?
"Oh, that's cute," or "Man, that makes me want to whistle," or something.
It doesn't look good on you.
How much did that cost?
Forty mon.
We agreed just fifty mon, so you have ten mon left.
This is how you're spending it?
Can't you buy that somewhere besides a fair?
Shut up, it's my choice.
Why are you mad?
What was that for?
Well, whatever.
She's been moping around the past two or three days.
Hey, young lady.
Want some tokoroten?
Good, huh?
Yes, it is.
Of course.
Mother or Father used to walk beside me...
How many people...
...have died for your revenge?
I have to stop thinking about it...
Sir, you look bored.
Yeah.
That's a shame...
...since you have that young lady with you, and you're at a festival.
Festival, huh...
To me, this is like a scene you can't grab hold of because it's underwater.
Underwater?
No matter what I do...
...there's just no place for me.
Guess I'll buy him some. Doubt it'll make him happy though.
Um, excuse me...
I'll take five!
You're an energetic one, kid.
I'll give you a deal, sixteen mon.
Really? You're a great guy!
Oh, yeah?
You ladykiller!
Make it fifteen, kid.
Oh, nice!
Handsome guys are a cut above.
Thanks.
Hold on, young man.
What is it?
In the world of adults, what you just did is called cutting in line.
Don't treat me like a kid.
It's your fault for not speaking up louder.
You expect a lady to raise her voice?
You're doing it now.
I think guys who can't apologize at times like this aren't very manly.
So what? I'm still a kid.
Okay, I'll let you go this time.
Excuse me! Can I get two please?
That's eight mon.
Thank you.
Are you... gonna eat that?
It's yours if you're that hungry.
What's this?
Hey, mask maker, sell this to me.
Could you hold on a minute, sir?
I'm a little busy right now.
Which one of you is younger?
Why?
I've only got one tengu mask.
It'd probably speed things up if you just fight over it...
...but the mask might break in the process.
No matter who wins, the damage will be done between you.
You have to avoid that if you don't want to lose anything.
Okay, then this belongs to you, miss.
Thank you.
You're a good guy, kid.
Don't tell me I praised you for nothing.
Here, I'll let you have this one for free.
I don't want it...
What's wrong with it?
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth...
Sir, may I borrow your sword for a moment?
Please.
Here, how is it now?
It's weird.
I guess it's just lost on kids.
Oh, well.
Can I have it?
Can I have that?
Thank you!
That was something else.
Thanks... And thanks for waiting.
You're done with that now, right?
This has tasted a pretty good amount of blood.
What, you counted the number of stains or something?
Let's just say I did.
This sword is amazing...
It's killed a hundred—no, more...
And just this year alone...
...about ten.
Is that about right?
Can I ask one thing?
How do you Itto-ryu guys...
...always manage to get where we're going before we do?
Are there strings attached to our asses or something?
Sir, you've got it all wrong.
Nobody in the Itto-ryu is bored enough...
...to watch over every single place you go.
As you can see, we aren't usually together.
All we've been told about you guys is...
..."If you see them, kill them."
That's all.
Dad!
Renzo!
What... are you doing?
Sir, sorry about that...
I'm returning this.
Don't worry. It's nothing important.
He made a comment about my craft...
...and I let it go to my head.
I'm sorry, sir.
I'm a little short-fused.
It's fine...
Did you buy the mochi?
Yeah.
Then let's go dedicate it at the grave.
Oh, and sir...
Please take one you like.
If you understand the beauty of Kawakami Araya's masks...
...then you're quite the eccentric yourself.
I found him...
Kawakami... Araya.
Kawakami... Araya.
Still awake?
Yeah...
Today, that guy...
Could it be he's...
Manji-san...
Never mind.
It's kind of lonely after a festival...
Anyway...
Hey, kid, how about an apology?!
You cut my sandal thong, and you won't even say you're sorry?
You kicked the bamboo yourself, and it ripped!
If you saw someone wander around with those eyesores...
...I bet you'd want to kick them too, idiot.
Apologize.
No!
Oh, yeah?
I'm in a bad mood today.
What do you want cut off? Your ear?
Okay, ear it is.
Stop!
Nee-chan...
Who the hell are you?
Good sir, he is one of my relatives.
He is very young and ill-mannered...
...so I would appreciate it if you could please overlook his rudeness.
Should you kill a child over a small incident like this...
...I suspect it will only result in a blemish on your name.
Please.
You sure have good manners for a small-town girl.
Despite appearances, I am the heiress of a town dojo.
Heiress? Which one?
The Mutenichi-ryu main household, the Asano Dojo.
Asano? You know that one?
Asano...
Oh, right. You know, that one...
Ah, that one!
Asano, huh? You mean that Asano!
He died like two years ago, didn't he?
The guy those Itto-ryu guys killed off so easily. You're his daughter!
Why're you wandering around here alone?
You homeless?
That's no good.
You'd be better off as a prostitute.
Then you'd be able to show your face in public.
Why you!
Be quiet.
But...
I'm sorry for the ongoing discourtesy.
Well, I guess it's fine. If you're saying you'll take the fall for the kid...
...fix it.
Yes, sir.
Don't do it!
Hey, what are you doing?
Just a moment.
Uh-oh. At this rate, my foot's gonna get dirty.
That's better.
Sir!
It's done.
It's better than before it ripped.
Thank you.
Well, kid? Now do you get it?
A person's attitude can keep him from getting hurt for no reason.
Isn't that right, loser's daughter?
Why don't you talk back to them?
I'm thankful you saved me...
...but aren't you the daughter of a swordsman?
Why'd you do something like that?
Because today I'm unarmed, and...
..."I have to stay calm."
"A parent never looks bigger than in their own child's eyes."
I guess this is what they mean.
Your parents were killed...
Yes.
By members of the Itto-ryu.
Itto-ryu...
That's right.
What's the Itto-ryu?
Did you just ask what...
You really don't know?
Yeah...
Anyway, you should come by my place.
I'll fix you some tea.
What's wrong?
Um, well... It's nothing.
Then let's go. This way.
I'm going to see Kawakami Araya...
That idiot.
She's not even carrying a sword...
"I've put myself in the hands of a demon."
No, please don't!
Mother...
Destroy her.
Hurry up, Dad!
She's been waiting!
Yeah, yeah, I know.
No, you don't. You're being slow.
Yeah, I said I know!
Calm down...
Okay, fine, but can't you do something about those clothes?
Are they that dirty?
Hey...
This isn't a drinking buddy.
Calm down...
You have to keep in mind that she's a lady.
That's easy for you to say.
I left my sword behind, and he didn't see my face yesterday.
I don't look the way I did two years ago. He won't know.
You've already put out refreshments.
You hardly ever serve tea to a guest.
I'm impressed.
Shut up. You didn't have to say that.
I'll clean up downstairs.
She's our special guest, so you'd better not be careless.
Sure...
Ah, excuse me.
N-Not at all.
Excuse me as well.
The man selling masks around here?
You mean Kawakami.
Yeah, him. How do I find him?
Let's see...
What now?
No sense in telling him for free. Let's charge him.
Doesn't look like he's got much.
Then why not get him to take down the stall behind us?
Oh, yeah.
That would be great.
Let's do that then.
Like that?
Sure...
I can't thank you enough.
While your own life could have been endangered...
...you saved a complete stranger's son.
If you don't mind, could you tell me where you live?
I'd like to come and formally thank you again.
No, you needn't concern yourself further.
I'm sorry.
I'm not too good with etiquette in situations like this...
No. I didn't come here to talk about these things.
Had I been there, you wouldn't have had to be humiliated...
I used to wield a sword back in the day.
A sword...
Yes.
My comrades and I used to run wild quite a bit...
I'm not proud to admit it...
...but my wife took my kid and ran off because of it.
Although about a year ago, she died of an illness...
Renzo was the only one who came back to me.
That's when I had this weird feeling...
If a parent always gets himself into dangerous business...
...then his kid might just turn out the same way.
That's when I decided to make the next job my last one...
Once that was done...
...I figured it might be nice to earn a simple living working with kids.
Young lady, are your parents...
...in good health?
Well...
Both of them are already...
I'm sorry about that...
It's in the past, so it doesn't bother me anymore.
If you want to know the truth...
...they were murdered by strangers.
Really...
Will you listen to what I have to say?
In fact, I'd be quite relieved if you did.
It's too weighty a thing for me to bear by myself.
I'm sure it is, so please tell me.
If I'll do.
Thank you.
I still remember it like it was yesterday.
Every moment.
It was two years ago.
Sadly,
Aenaku
me ga samete
I awakened...
nagaredasu
Overflowing,
reality is just...
genjitsu no hou koso
munashii uso da to
...more of the empty lies.
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
The morning slides in from the window.
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
The unchanging wind always...
...just said this as it passed by...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 11 [7938847C]

It spins a lot.
That it does.
So long as the heart makes waves, eh...
Ah, I was just thinking of what someone I know said.
"The wings of hatred will not stop so long as the heart makes waves."
What does it mean? Was he your friend, Grandpa?
He and I were of the same style.
But he was expelled due to a certain incident...
...and was banished to the darkness.
It was due in part to my weakness.
Rin.
I want to tell you something before Takayoshi comes back.
If because of that, misfortune should fall upon you...
...I don't want you to blame that man.
Because it is my father and I who are at fault.
If you detest him, his descendants will surely come to claim your life.
We must just accept it, if we don't want to lose everything.
Grandpa...
Forgive me for bringing that up all of a sudden.
It's okay. I didn't really understand.
Then that's fine.
I'm actually hoping you won't remember what I just said.
What did you wish for?
That no misfortune should fall upon anyone.
Father, Grandpa, sorry to make you wait.
Here.
Thank you.
No, please stop!
I'm crying...
I was supposed to hold back my emotions until I finished talking...
Nee-chan!
What's wrong?
Nothing...
Dad...
No, it's because your dad looks a little like my father...
Really?
Yeah.
Um, would you like more tea...?
Renzo-kun, do you love your dad?
Um...
I can't really answer that in front of him...
That's true.
Renzo, this tea has had it.
Could you go buy some more?
What, right now?
From Funamori's, next to the big gate.
I have to go that far?
She's an important guest. We can't serve her cheap tea.
Okay...
Thank you for your consideration.
I don't want him to hear the next part of this either.
I bet you don't.
You wouldn't want a son to see you kill his father to avenge your parents.
The nightmares would rob you of sleep.
I didn't come here to kill you.
That's strange.
So even though you killed ten of my comrades...
...you're just going to forget about what I did that night?
I would never forget.
Kawakami Araya, I...
Until the day I die, I'll never forget the faces of all those...
...who murdered my father...
...and put my mother through hell.
Yes, that's right.
I killed your people.
Ten of them.
But so what?
You killed more than ten Mutenichi-ryu students.
It's retribution, don't you think?
I'd have to say it serves you right.
And? What'll you do with me?
If you were the same person you were then...
...I'm sure I would have killed you yesterday.
But now you are...
...Renzo-kun's only family member.
He doesn't know your true self.
Going back to being a normal person...
...after doing such things to someone else's parents is too convenient.
But I understand excruciatingly well how he'd feel...
...if I took your life.
When it comes to your companion...
...I've been told, "Kill him if you see him."
But regarding you,
it's up to each one of us what to do.
How could you come here unarmed?
I could just do the same thing to you now that I did to your mother.
I just wanted to tell you my feelings since you have your own child.
I want you to apologize from the bottom of your heart for the offense...
...of robbing my mother's most basic pride as a woman.
That's all.
Apologize?
Apologize, huh?
The lives and virtues of your parents must be pretty cheap.
So if I get down on my knees just once...
...you'll completely forget about this grudge over your parents?
Well, even if you're okay with that, what if those ten you guys killed...
...had kids or siblings?
Are you going to apologize in front of them and hope they'll forgive you?
In this world, the only thing that can atone for someone's life...
...is another life.
You're already well aware of that burden.
If you're lying to yourself because you're afraid to see blood, you're just...
That's not what I'm asking.
Quickly now...
Apologize to me already.
Are swordsmen incapable of doing anything without a sword drawn?
Watch closely.
Two years ago, I did numerous atrocities to your mother...
As a representative of all those who took part in it, I...
This is the one mask I can't afford to have removed.
I was definitely a filthy hoodlum two years ago.
But something made me think I could now...
...come clean and leave that behind, when Renzo came back to me.
I could never let him know about my true self.
Never.
A little more like this maybe...
There.
No hard feelings.
Renzo, is that you?
How pretty.
I kind of like this aesthetic of yours.
Thanks.
So this is death makeup?
ln a way.
You have a kid and a talent that makes money.
But you're going to take the life of a girl who doesn't have anything?
For what purpose do you hold the sword?
Whatever your opponent's situation,
if your purpose is more important, you shouldn't hold back.
If that's enough to hurt someone's conscience...
...they shouldn't go around talking about revenge.
That's true...
Well then.
Manji-san, don't just sit there. Please give me a hand.
I'm putting together our battleground.
That's a pretty nice sword.
You still have more?
Bastard!
How many more "prides & joys" are you packing?
Rin's dagger, huh?
I don't possess a sword anymore.
There isn't a single type of weapon in this house.
Manji-san, you're exactly the type of person that kid Magatsu said you were.
You're skilled, but if even a little of your plan is glimpsed, this is the result.
Both you and the girl are fools for being so totally honest.
For me, my whole life right now is artificial.
I can just see myself killing you both,
sending you down the river...
...and telling him, "Our guest went home," without batting an eyelid.
I'll lose something precious if I don't go on deceiving.
Araya, now we're on even terms. No need for any cheap tricks.
You may have changed your weapon, but not your approach.
You might only have one dagger...
...but that doesn't mean your opponent does too.
What's up with you?
You killed ten Itto-ryu swordsmen. There's no way you're weaker than me.
I swear. You two are so alike.
I guess that's it.
Die!
Manji-san?
You bitch...
Rin.
Move aside.
Well, sir...
This concludes your purchase.
Manji-san!
I used that to climb in through the window earlier.
Figured I'd leave it stabbed into the wall.
I see...
Young lady...
He's a good bodyguard.
Stab me.
This is your battle.
Go on, finish me.
What's wrong?
I didn't come here to murder you.
Then Manji-san...
You get to do it.
Please...
Manji-san, no!
I don't need you to...
It's okay if they say I'm a coward who won't get her hands dirty, so stop it.
Because this...
This would be the same as that night!
So...
Manji-san!
I'm sorry...
I lost big time to him on a bet once,
and it's been gnawin' at me since.
This chick tried to get in my way, and it took a little while, but...
What the hell.
Who the hell are you?
Damn it... You son of a bitch!
Manji-san, do grudges people harbor...
...never go away unless someone dies?
Moron...
They don't go away no matter who dies.
Nee-chan...
I'm going to leave home tomorrow.
That guy's body wasn't there when I got back.
He's still alive somewhere, so...
You understand, right?
Your parents were killed too, right?
Goodbye.
That guy is dead.
I buried him.
You did?
Where? Where did you bury him?
I'm not sure how to say this...
...but maybe every parent has something they can't tell their child.
Even if it was done before the child could understand it...
...if he knows nothing about it, he won't have to hate anyone.
That way just might be easier.
Dad...
Damn it...
Renzo...
Manji-san...
He said, "I'm sorry."
I don't think he said it to us though.
He also said those who are totally honest are fools.
Let's go.
I bought this at the fair.
It's smashed.
I guess it may not spin anymore.
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
Overflowing,
nagaredasu
reality is just...
genjitsu no hou koso
...more of the empty lies.
munashii uso da to
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
The morning slides in from the window.
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
The unchanging wind always...
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
...just said this as it passed by...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 12 [D0F70609]

Anotsu Kagehisa...
You killed... my dad!
Hey, Rin.
Why are you just staring into space?
I told you to quit it.
Well, I won't!
Tai-niichan, you haven't taken a bath in so long!
Stuff will crawl on you if you're not clean.
I'll do it myself, so give that here.
The wounded should just follow directions.
Do you want me to come back?
No, that's okay.
You seem better.
Kind of.
But I heal pretty slowly compared to the Hundred-man Slayer.
The Hundred-man Slayer...
Did something happen?
Is it about that Akagi thing?
No, it's not about that.
Then what is it?
Well, that's fine if you don't want to say it.
You just seem a little different than usual today.
Do I seem that way?
I'm in no position to have any say now that I've left the Itto-ryu...
...but how can I put it, y'know?
I'm here to visit the injured, and you worry about me instead.
I guess I'm slipping.
I wish Tai-niichan would talk to me that way too.
Um, are you leaving?
Yes.
If something is bothering you...
...you could always hide in the hills and swing your sword around.
You're right.
That may be the best idea.
The best thing to do when you feel depressed is to move your body.
I was thinking about training you some anyway.
Osu!
Good answer at least.
But we can do sword training at my dojo.
Why do we have to go all the way back to your place?
Because I see them.
See them?
Yeah.
Spirits.
Spirits?
Yeah.
Your dojo's swarming with the spirits of its murdered students.
I can't train you in such a gloomy place.
Is that true?
Special attack!
Golden Wasps!
Three hits!
That's all?
See for yourself.
Rin, this tree's about as wide as a person's shoulders.
You hit with three out of twelve.
Two of those three hit the torso.
If the target was as big as Kuroi Sabato, that'd probably work...
...but beating a typical guy with that accuracy would be a total gamble.
I just happened to mess up this time. It really does well, when it hits.
Look, this isn't the same as swinging a wooden sword in a dojo.
You can't get away with "I messed up," stupid.
These fights are to the death.
Now you're a corpse.
Guess how you scored.
Terribly, that's how.
Maybe you'd manage against a third-rate opponent...
...but if it's an Itto-ryu guy, you'd be better off running.
Stop crying over every little thing, kid.
The first thing to learn in swordplay is to know your own weakness.
O-Osu...
If you have time to cry, do some practice swings.
Moping around like this wastes more time than anything else.
We'll continue this after we eat.
Manji-san...
We ate together here like this the first time we met.
Yeah.
When Yaobikuni suggested I hire a bodyguard...
...I immediately thought it was a good idea.
It's true that I was lonely...
But the truth was,
I thought I could maybe become strong too, if I was with someone like that.
Maybe...
...I don't have the talent.
Back in the day, the students taught me forms using wooden swords...
...and after Father died, I swung swords around alone every day at the dojo.
I've been watching you fight a lot recently...
...but it's not really going the way I thought it would go.
Are you kidding me?
It's one thing if you were fighting every day till you puked blood...
...but learning forms from mere students...
...and swinging a sword at an invisible opponent on a flat and empty floor...
What's so special about that?
It'd sure be easy if all you needed to become strong, was a room somewhere.
In two years time, I killed a hundred samurai.
I've been in plenty of real fights...
...and I honestly only barely manage to win when I fight the Itto-ryu.
Training in a dojo isn't going to do jack shit for you.
That's why it's here instead of the dojo?
Only those who've done what they needed to do, get to talk about "talent."
Don't make me laugh.
Is he trying to cheer me up?
Could that be?
He shouldn't wake up for a while.
It's nice to train away from civilization, but I'm still a girl after all.
Manji-san?
There's somebody doing the same thing as us...
Incredible, he hasn't missed a single leaf within range of his weapon.
He's also looking straight ahead the whole time.
I admire him in a way.
I wonder if I have to become like that someday.
But...
Who's there?
If you're a swordsman, come out and name yourself.
We'll see how good you are.
Damn it... Damn it!
I have 24 Golden Wasps in all.
I can attack twice.
But from this distance, he'll see me before I throw them.
It'd be a total gamble.
I-I can't just have Manji-san protect me all the time.
Am I hearing things?
No...
Golden Wasps!
I hit him!
Do you wish to die, little girl?
He's going to kill me...
Don't tell me...
...those were your only weapons?
You shouldn't underestimate an enemy this badly.
I'm a swordswoman too, sort of...
And you underestimated me even worse...
...by leaving this weapon lying around like this!
No way! He was swinging it so easily before...
I'm sorry, Manji-san...
I'm such an idiot...
I seriously thought I could defeat him...
...even though I'm all by myself.
It's you.
I never expected Asano's daughter to demonstrate such surprising growth.
However, your technique is downright insipid.
As it stands, it can only be used to intimidate.
You're looking away from the enemy just before you release.
Why are you crying?
Because I'm frustrated of course!
The man I want to kill is right in front of me, but I can't do a damn thing!
So what will you do now? Strip and rape me?
What if I did?
I'd bite my tongue off.
What if I was going to kill you right away?
That would be better. Why not hurry and get it over with?
What I don't understand...
...is the attitude you people have of rushing towards death.
Is that the "way of the samurai"?
Say what you want...
I'm not a samurai. First of all, I'm a woman...
I only took up the sword because I wanted revenge for my parents.
Then why aren't you begging for your life?
If you get out of here alive, you'll have another chance to kill me.
What are you saying?
What the hell?
You killed my father like it was nothing, you know!
Are you pitying me because I'm still a kid? Well, think again!
No.
What do you mean, "No"?
Your thoughts?
It's a weird axe. Isn't a Japanese sword easier to use?
It certainly is.
For tight turns and sharpness...
...perhaps nothing surpasses Japanese swords.
But...
...you don't control this via power.
If you add to the axe's downward momentum just a little...
...then even my strength is enough to control it.
Even if an opponent reads my moves in an actual battle...
...it's possible to shatter their blocked sword and their skull with this axe.
My grandfather was expelled from the Mutenichi-ryu...
...simply for using a foreign sword.
I brandish a weapon like this \hto prove his actions were just.
I killed your father to settle the score for my grandfather.
At first, anyway.
But even if that situation hadn't existed...
...I would've thought it best to do away...
...with people like your father anyway.
I'm not going to kill you here.
...but chances are one of my followers will eventually kill both of you.
If you don't want to die, don't get involved with me any further.
Why...
Why do you hate my father so much?
Do you hold a grudge over something he did?
It's not a grudge.
It's a cross-examination as a swordsman.
Cross-examination?
W-Wait, hold on!
I have the right to ask. Don't I?
Do you wish every day to become strong?
Y-Yes.
You came up with that ridiculous move for that reason?
I'm sorry you think it's ridiculous.
It was 300 years ago...
Oda Nobunaga brought our country...
...its first 3,000 firearms at Shitaragahara in Mikawa,
and he defeated Takeda's cavalry.
Fifty years later, during the Kan'ei era,
Miyamoto Musashi...
...abandoned the conviction that swords should be used one at a time...
...fought with a sword in each hand...
...and became the founder of the dual-sword technique.
Do any point at these two and call them cowards?
It's the same for you right now.
It's a matter of thinking of a way to achieve the very natural motive of victory over one's enemy.
If this were cowardice...
...then it's also cowardice for cavalry to stab foot soldiers with their spears.
Am I wrong?
I don't think so...
I believe only those who taxed their ingenuity to become stronger...
...should be called excellent military commanders and swordsmen.
These are peaceful times, but sword styles keep growing in number.
However, this has nothing to do with the sword's prosperity.
Their styles mean nothing more than a mere occupation.
They allow daimyo and feudal retainers to hold a shinai  and teach them forms...
...for praise and registration fees at best.
That's why they exist.
To what end they use their own swords is perhaps up to them.
But whenever I think about it, a certain anxiety runs through my heart.
If we...
If the Itto-ryu fight one on one...
...it doesn't matter what weapon or techniques we use.
It's a style, yet not a style.
Your father was wrapped up...
...in a bushido of nothing but form, appearance, and lip service.
We won't lose sight of our duty as warriors as he did.
I'll stake my lifetime on tearing down the walls of all the different styles.
Until then...
...I don't care at all if they brand me...
...a demon.
There's hardly a day when you'll find me sitting in a dojo.
If you miss this chance, it'll likely be some time before we meet again.
These are yours.
Do as you like with them.
Um...
Please... Please answer one thing for me.
Why are you letting me live?
I am a member of the Mutenichi-ryu too, just like my father was.
I'm trying to kill you, and you know it...
Your eyes are looking in a different direction than your father.
If the technique you used earlier was judged by Mutenichi-ryu rules...
...it would unquestionably be deemed heterodox.
You should know that.
But you chose to walk such a path in order to surpass me.
You are a bold woman.
You're no longer part of the Mutenichi-ryu.
You're on your way to becoming just like us.
Goodbye.
Keep devoting yourself to it.
Y-You're wrong...
So...
So what are you telling me...
...to do?
Damn it...
Father...
Aenaku
Sadly,
I awakened...
me ga samete
Overflowing,
nagaredasu
reality is just...
genjitsu no hou koso
...more of the empty lies.
munashii uso da to
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
The morning slides in from the window.
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
The unchanging wind always...
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
...just said this as it passed by...
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
Where should I go?
doko e yukou

▶ [Dekinai] Mugen No Juunin - 13 [19D283F4]

Anotsu Kagehisa...
You're no longer part of the Mutenichi-ryu.
You're on your way to becoming just like us.
Tea's ready.
That's not it...
I'm gonna leave it here.
Something's not right.
That's unusual, you handing off a job to someone else.
What a messed up kid.
Don't underestimate him.
He's the only kid...
...who went up against the Hundred-man Slayer...
...and lived to talk about it.
Tai-niichan?
This is for you.
You take care then, Oren.
I'll come visit once in a while.
Okay!
Oren-chan, you have a customer!
Okay!
There you are, sir.
What is it?
A courier was here, and he brought this...
The Shingyoto-ryu...
What is that?
If you'll excuse me...
I never suspected there was a style in this land...
...that walked the same path as our Itto-ryu.
What's the matter?
I'll play a song for you.
Come here.
The flow...
Where you descend after being swept away.
This is the other side of the River Styx.
It really is unusual.
That you would hand a job off to anyone, that is. Much less to Shira.
Do you remember the girl?
Pardon?
You know.
Oh, that one!
The girl who pigged out on zenzai and got heartburn.
What, is something going on with her?
It's just that when I see someone like her...
...I start questioning what I'm doing.
Oh, I see.
You're totally clueless, aren't you?
Yeah.
That's just as well.
But you handed off the job...
...so why are we still out here dressed like this?
Because of the person I handed it off to.
You're late.
How'd it go?
I missed him.
He'd already left.
Even if we want to go after him, we don't know which way to go.
Oh, well...
It's not a rush job...
...so let's just relax and take our time with it, Hyaku-rin.
You killed her?
Yeah.
Shira, you swine...
The prostitute I first called on wouldn't talk, so... you know.
Why are you looking at me like that?
Why should you care about a leg-spreader or two?
We aren't amateurs...
...and aren't we supposed to keep the job first and foremost in our minds?
There's no need to quibble over how each of our jobs is done.
I-I want to... see Tai.
I-I want to... see Tai.
I-I want to... see Tai.
I-I want to... see Tai.
I-I want to... see Tai.
I-I want to... see Tai.
You cry easily enough as it is.
Why not just get some sleep at night?
Let's just stay like this for a while.
Otherwise,
I feel like my heart's...
...going to fall apart.
What Makie-san said to me is stuck somewhere in my heart.
Indeed,
to the uninvolved revenge is just...
...pointless, unproductive murder.
It's not that I don't understand what he's trying to do.
But even after he said what he said to me...
Where am I...
...supposed to go with these feelings?
You ran into Anotsu?
Well...
I've said this to you before...
Are the lives of your parents that cheap in your eyes?
I don't know what he said,
but can a kid who's got her hands full with herself...
...afford to be swayed by her enemy's arguments?
I know that.
I'm...
...ashamed of myself.
When I was fourteen, I wouldn't have hesitated at all.
It's been two years since then.
I've been careless these two years...
...and I've become such a coward.
That I'm comparing the lives of my parents with what he said to me...
I can't believe it.
No kidding. I'm shocked.
Are you awake?
Maybe it's about the right time to call it quits.
Kuroi Sabato, who killed your father...
...and Kawakami Araya and Shizuma Eiku, who tormented your mother...
...are all dead.
Manji-san...
There's always the option to end it here.
Well, I'm not the one who decides that.
It's up to you, Rin.
What's this?
The guy who killed Oren was wearing a kimono with that design.
It's yours. Do what you want with it.
Hey, why lay her body out here of all places?
Don't you feel bad for her?
I chose the coldest place.
Because I didn't know when a certain idiot was coming back.
I didn't want to show you her body...
...once it was rotting away.
This probably wouldn't have happened if you hadn't left.
Oren just wanted to be with you forever.
It really was just that simple.
Was that dream so extravagant?
Was it asking too much?
So what if you're a swordsman?
What did all that skill do for her?
In the end, all that people with swords know how to do, is walk over others.
I thought you knew that better than anyone!
You son of a bitch...
Never come here again!
Manji-san?
Manji-san?
It's been a while.
I've decided to go on a journey.
But there's no actual destination.
I'm a priestess, so it's a journey of training to save the souls of the lost.
I thought I would bring him along with me in my travels...
But I guess Manji isn't here.
You're going to take Manji-san with you?
That's if he abandons the sword, shaves his head, and becomes a priest.
Of course, if he wishes to stay with you, I would not force him.
Manji-san might say he's going to go with you.
It's because I keep wavering.
I'll take you someplace special.
Here, Manji-niisama!
It looks great on you, Nii-sama.
Y-Yeah...
His sister died because of him and like a child,
he said he'd kill a thousand villains as a tribute to her.
Somehow I understand the feeling underlying those words.
What is it?
Doubt.
Doubt?
He isn't sure what to do.
But that too is...
Rather, maybe that itself...
...is the course the heavens have laid out for him.
Manji-san is just like me...
No, that's different.
Yours is not doubt. It's perplexity.
You lost the way you should go, and your heart is simply in vain disorder.
What divides doubt and perplexity is a firm strength.
Manji is a strong man.
Having that strength is what first allows you...
...to be in doubt over which path to follow.
You don't need a reason. Just live strong.
Then your path will open up on its own.
That idiot...
Where the hell did she go?
Manji-san!
Where the hell were you?
I was with Yaobikuni-san.
The old lady, huh?
She said to give you her regards.
Come on,
let's eat quickly and get to training.
Did that old woman get inside your head?
The wind, eh? Looks like it's started to blow...
So a style that shares the motive of the Itto-ryu...
...would like to join you.
Indeed.
Therefore I intend to travel to Kaga soon.
During my absence, another would serve in my place.
Is this acceptable?
It will have to be.
That is good news for myself as well.
The more who would reform the obsolescing way of the sword...
...in this time of peace the better.
If there are at this Shingyoto-ryu...
...any good candidates, please recommend them as instructors for our Koukenjyo.
I will keep that in mind.
Continue surveillance.
Yes, sir.
What's wrong?
It looked like something's bothering you.
Just a little. I was thinking of my dead child.
No need to lie.
If you don't want to tell me, don't say anything.
You're the one who asked.
Indeed I was.
Man, I can't stand guys who wear colored glasses.
You can't tell what they're thinking even if you look them in the eye.
Right?
He's here!
Hear me, you who left no corpse despite being given the death penalty.
The shogunate's enemy, Itto-ryu,
believes blindly in the power of the sword and tries to create many warlike swordsmen...
...in this era of peace.
A superb chance to eradicate them has finally arrived.
Soon, Anotsu Kagehisa will leave Edo to go to Kaga.
That is the time I shall move.
You...
...will go claim Anotsu's head.
The wind has blown.
Something occurred to me.
Even if the only one I hate is Anotsu Kagehisa...
...if someone gets in my way, I'll fight them too.
Even if they're someone's parent,
sibling...
or husband....
If I think about selfish things, I start losing track of what I should do.
When I left the dojo...
...I had decided, "I can die so long as I get my revenge."
But you know, dying is such an easy thing to do.
If I just chose to die, what would the people I walked all over think?
If you can wake up every day, eat and sleep, have no desire or ambition...
...and keep smiling even when others trample you...
Unless you're that kind of person...
...I guess everyone has somebody hate them sometime.
If you really want to not be hated by anyone...
...you can't even fart on the side of the street.
All you're doing is trying to avenge your parents.
You should walk around with your head held high.
Yes, you're right.
My parents' lives are important to me.
Far more than the lives of complete strangers.
Maybe I shouldn't have said that.
Of course you should, stupid.
Okay, I made my decision!
Manji-san, I want to become \hat least a little closer to you...
...so I'll do my best to eat this grilled frog whole.
Manji, I want to become stronger, so don't go easy on me.
You said so yourself.
Even if it's practice, you have to attack each other until you puke blood.
I'm really in the mood to make some bruises right now.
ldiot, if I don't go easy on you, you're gonna cry.
I won't.
I don't care if you beat me senseless.
But I'll attack you really hard too.
I see it!
Oren...
Rin-dono,
are you able to defeat me?
You should die like a maggot too.
Come, I'll destroy you.
Goodbye.
Let's go.
It's complete...
Dad, the Nagasaki store owner's here.
Okay, be right there.
Hey.
Rin.
Rin?
Not done yet...
Come on, let's eat.
Aenaku
Sadly,
me ga samete
I awakened...
Overflowing,
nagaredasu
reality is just...
genjitsu no hou koso
...more of the empty lies.
munashii uso da to
jitsu wa mou tsugi no jyunbi wo shinaito
To be honest, I have to get ready for the next one.
The morning slides in from the window.
asa wa mado kara suberikomu
Regardless of what I see, I remember.
na ni wo mite mo omoi dasu
I remember...
Omoidasu n da
The unchanging wind always...
kawаranai kaze wa itsumo
tooritsugari ni kou itta dake
...just said this as it passed by...
owarenai tabi ni hitsuyo na mono
"What's needed for this endless journey?"
doko e yukou
Where should I go?

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Blade of the Immortal (2008) - S01 - WIP vs Dekinai