01x03 - Nightmare

[bunniefuu]

Your skills don't seem
that sharp, big brother.

I aimed for the
forehead, but I missed a little.

It doesn’t give me much
confidence about what’s coming up.

Listen, smartass! I’m just a little
stiff, that’s all that’s going on!

Quit fooling around, you two.
You need to take this seriously.

We’ll keep on following them.

Okay, but when are we going to att*ck?

Don’t worry--- I have a plan.

We’ll go on ahead. You fetch the spear.

What? Why do I have to do the clean-up?

With your speed, it should be no
problem. Catch up with us later.

Be sure to wipe the blood off it.

Being born as the youngest brother in
a family is not exactly a blessing.

You’re so slow. You might
as well be sleep walking.

We’re not sleeping! We’re just tired!

How much longer does this path go on?

We’ve been walking for a
couple of hours already.

We’ve only just started. We’re
barely a fifth of the way there.

Now look!---Musashi’s
spirit has been broken!

My spirit’s not broken!

I simply lost my composure
for a second. That’s all.

Even an extraordinary warrior
can’t overcome his age, I suppose.

Sayo. Is there any place around
here where we can take a short rest?

At this pace, we’ll never make it.

You asked me to take
the shortcut, remember?

Yeah. I did ask. But I didn’t
expect it to be as steep as this.

Kaizen, you don’t seem
to be having any trouble.

I’m used to mountain paths.
It was part of my training.

There’s an open field ahead.

Let’s take a rest there.
We can all have a meal.

Look! Musashi’s found his lost composure!

Hm.

This field you mentioned. How far is it?

I’d say a couple of hours.

There it goes. He lost it again.

You okay, Musashi? Do you need some water?

Don’t…talk to…me.

Sahei… How come you’re
not bothered by all this?

I’m used to it. I’ve been hiking in the
mountains ever since I was a young boy.

I foresee disaster!

What a surprise. You samurai
panic at the least provocation.

We’ll be fine. While we may be proficient
in martial arts, it doesn’t guarantee our

stamina. We’re not used to
prolonged physical exertion like this.

Yeah. If we take a short
rest and have something to eat.

Everyone will likely regain their energy.

Since we have limited water, I can’t
make anything too elaborate, though.

Here.

I invited him to dinner with…a rock.

You’re just full of surprises.

Looks like we’re going to
have a nice meal after all.

As I am a monk, I do not eat meat.

I figured that.

You think of everything.

I’m feeling a whole lot better now.

We should all express
our gratitude to Sayo.

After eating, I feel
strong again. Thanks for that.

I have to keep you going
‘til the end. It’s my job.

I mean as the leader of the mission.

Hm? When did you become leader?

Do you know the way?

Well…

You have to admit, she’s more dependable
than someone who’s immobilized with fear

on a suspension bridge.

Just to clarify…I don’t
have any fear of heights!

I happen to dislike
places with unstable footing!

If you keep protesting,
no more rabbits for you.

Pretty severe punishment.

No worms, either!

That’s some kind of thr*at?

Taromaru’s chest still
hurts from that last fight.

So Jiromaru is here, taking care of him.

Jiromaru is such a sweet boy.

Are they brothers?

No, but I decided to
raise them like they were.

Do you have brothers or sisters?

No.

Oh. Then who taught you hunting
skills? Like how to catch rabbits and all?

Gonsuke…and Daihachi.

My grandma…and grandpa
both had back problems.

And my mom would go to the
mountains to work with my dad.

So I had to fend for myself.

That samurai… he took everyone in
the village who I could rely on.

What kind of connection did you
have--- That samurai and you?

We’re both disciples.

Are you brothers?

Not really. But we
were raised like we were.

I never thought…we’d
end up on opposite sides.

Musashi.

Yes?

We’re running very low on water.

We should go to the
river and refill our flasks.

You’re right. Hey, Miss Leader…!

Hmm?

The river, huh? Oh, yeah…

This path will take us there.
It’s not far. A short walk.

Let’s get moving then.

There’s a river, huh? We
could catch some sweetfish.

What for? Didn’t we just eat?

Hm?

Hmm.

The mother rabbit…
Would she be upset with me?

I don’t know.

I only deal in matters of human behavior.

Hm.

Hm? What is it?

This is what she calls a
river? It’s barely a trickle.

Hey…As long as we have
drinking water, I have no complaints.

What’s the matter?

It’s weird. I had no intention
of coming this far upstream.

Did you take the wrong trail?

That would make no sense. But…

Oh well. Let’s get some water and relax.

It’s a shame we can’t catch any fish,
but the water looks clear and delicious.

Wow, that is so refreshing.

Musashi…

What is it?

I want to talk to you
about what occurred yesterday,

What about it?

The workers who att*cked us…

Do you think they were
all controlled by Iemon?

Yeah. Possibly. Luckily,
though, if you behead them, they die.

And the problem’s over.

But what do we do,

If acquaintances of the girl come
under his control and att*ck our group?

Then we have to quit being
human and become oni, I guess.

The forest…Its shape is different.

Draw your swords!

Sahei! Climb the rock
and protect the girl!

Yes, understood!

The rest of you, surround
that rock and prepare to engage!

Can you use the Gauntlet?

I wish I could, but doing so
will take a real toll on my body.

I have to try without it!

As you wish.

Watch out!

They can be k*lled! Let’s do it!

What happened here?

Apparently…they pulled the trees out
to change the shape of the forest.

They made a new path! So they
could lead us to this spot!

Look. It’s not your
fault, Sayo. You were tricked.

Damn these rocks!

Stay back!

Taromaru! Jiromaru!

Sayo, over here!

Everyone alright?

Think so…

It seems all the
monsters have been eliminated.

Sayo’s safe. Thanks, everyone.

Heikuro… I’ve made up my mind

Huh? About…?

About Iemon.

I was wavering. But I’ve made a decision.

When I finally meet him---

Goromaru!

-Goromaru! Goromaru!
-Goromaru!

Jiromaru…

Jiro…maru…

Taromaru…Please take care…of them.

Goromaru!

Look, you missed your mark again.

Come on, are you playing around?

Not at all, big brother. It wasn’t my
fault. The falcon got in the way and threw

me off target. It ended up
extending the man’s life by three breaths.

Very well. So far, everything
has gone according to plan.

In that case, let’s leave the
finishing blow to our baby brother.

Kaizen, give me the Gauntlet!

Never mind!

Who the hell are you?!

Who are we, you ask? Who
exactly do you think we are?

Are you Iemon’s soldiers? Release the
girl and confront me! So I can k*ll you!

Don’t be in such a hurry,
Musashi. There’s a lot to catch up on.

Let’s have a conversation with our
swords. A good, thorough fight to the end.

Quit the nonsense!

Stop playing around and show yourself!

Are you sure you want that? If
I do, none of you will survive.

Taromaru, wait!

You’d be fighting at a disadvantage.

Excellent analysis. Now
that’s the Musashi I know.

If you want the girl back, come to the
mountain temple upstream tomorrow morning.

We’ll be expecting you.

Don’t run away.

It’s my fault this happened. If
I just hadn’t gotten distracted…

You can’t take the blame,
Sahei. We were all caught off-guard.

Musashi…

The men who spoke to us…

They seemed to be
strangely familiar with you.

Do you know them?

I’m not sure.

But the sound of that voice…I have
the feeling I’d heard it before.

Hm…

They were different from the
villagers who’d been turned into monsters.

They didn’t show themselves

But they seemed to be acting
under their own free will.

I agree with you. They were
acting a lot like Gensai.

So what you’re saying is they’re the most
dangerous opponents among Iemon’s minions.

And the only one we caught a glimpse
of was the one who kidnapped the girl.

He was as agile and athletic as a monkey.

One of the remaining two took
out Goromaru with a single strike,

And the other has a voice as cold as ice.

Even if Musashi had
been wearing the Gauntlet,

It would have been a challenging battle.

I hate to bring this up, but we need to
create graves for Goromaru and Jiromaru.

So… When do we depart?

Well… They said tomorrow morning.
So we should leave before dawn.

You’re joking. You’re seriously
going to the mountain temple?

What? You have some alternate plan?

Obviously. We just
continue with what we’re doing.

We’re here trying to find Iemon. There’s
no need to respond to this guy’s orders.

Yeah?! What about the girl,
then? What happens to her?!

That’s a matter between
the girl and her abductors.

What are you saying?
The girl’s in trouble---

Screw you!

Heikuro!

How dare you call yourself a
monk?! You’re not even human!

As a human, I can calculate things.

If we continue as we planned, they won’t
need the girl anymore, and in time,

they’ll simply release her.

You saw what they did to Goromaru!
They k*lled him like he was an insect!

What makes you think they
won’t do the same to her?

-Heikuro!
-Stop all this.

Why fight among ourselves
while we starve to death?

That would be a waste of
the rabbit she caught for us.

Kaizen… Is abandoning those in
need, truly the teaching of the Buddha?

My duty… was to go
retrieve the Oni Gauntlet.

I have no interest in any other mission.

It makes sense that you’d want
to seek refuge in that logic.

But we are well into our journey.

It won’t harm you to be
interested in what happens along the way.

The tone of that voice… I’m
involved in this somehow.

Musashi…What are you…

Another bad omen.

Someone else will die.

Not my concern.

Are you awake?

Untie me.

I could certainly do that…

But then I’d cut off your
legs so you couldn’t run away.

Is that what you want?

No.

You’re a fast learner.

So, are you acquaintances of Musashi?

Kind of.

What is it you want from him?

We’ve been asked to carry out a mission.

In order to do that, first
I’ll be cutting off his arms.

And when it’s my turn,
I’ll be cutting off his legs.

To complete the task, I’ll
be cutting off his tongue.

Then, when he’s become quiet and easier
to carry, we will take him to where he’s

been requested. That’s our plan.

You are very wicked people.

Oh, no. He’s the one who’s wicked.

Who are you, by the way? How
are you and Musashi connected?

Surely you can’t be his daughter.

The fact is… I’m the leader of the squad.

He was having trouble
finding employment, but who knew

It was so bad, he’d end
up working for a kid.

He’s fallen pretty far. Too bad.

Sounds like you knew Musashi in the past.

Oh yeah. We know him quite well. He
tormented us plenty, back in the day.

That’s true. But not anymore.

When the sun rises tomorrow…

…That will come to an end.

Listen, kid…

You’re going to die tomorrow
morning. So prepare yourself.