01x03 - Kami no sumu mori

[bunniefuu]

[song playing]

THE ELUSIVE
SAMURAI

THE ELUSIVE
SAMURAI

[footsteps]

[foliage rustling]

-[Ayako] Are you sure
this is the right way?
-[Shizuku] Yes.

Once we cross the ridge,
we’ll pass the road
the enemies withdrew from.

[Ayako] Oh, my gosh! I have
a spider’s web in my mouth!
[groans]

-[Yorishige] Lord Tokiyuki.
-[Kojiro] You’re making
a lot of noise.

[Ayako] Yuck, how gross.

[Yorishige] How do you feel
now that your first battle
was victorious?

I guess it was my first battle.

I was so focused on running,

before I knew it, the enemy’s
head fell in front of me.

[gasps]

I...

I wanna say thank you.

-[chuckles] Of course, my lord!
-Hmm.

There are certain conditions
to winning a w*r if you are
to win through this game of tag.

First, you must be
a valuable leader in battle,

which means you become
the enemy’s main target.

Second, you need
trustworthy retainers
to act as your weapons.

In order to fulfill
these conditions,

you must always remember
your pride and that you carry
the honor of the Hojo clan.

You must be a boy
of character who people
will recognize and flock to.

-And if you do
those two things...
-[no audible dialogue]

...the day will come
when you can defeat any demon
in the game of tag.

[inhales deeply] I understand.

I swear that I will return!

And once I do,
I will defeat Ashikaga,

the villain behind
all this evil!

[Yorishige] The hero emerges.

Oh, and also,
I just saw another vision.

[gasps]

-I saw that something terrible
would happen...
-[gasps]

-...should you
throw your sword from there.
-[growling]

-[Tokiyuki whimpering]
-[Kojiro] My lord!

[Ayako] Careful! Get back!

[Ayako, Kojiro gasp]

[narrator] Tokiyuki narrowly
escaped his beloved Kamakura,
which lay in ruins.

Though he was of small stature,
a grand fate awaited
the elusive boy.

The child, who was destined
to shake the country
to its very core,

now begins his growth
in a new world.

However...

[groaning]

Good morning,
my dear Lord Tokiyuki.

You’re not looking too bad,
considering you were running
nonstop yesterday. [chuckles]

Hey! Why were the shrine maidens
acting so strange around me?

-Lord Tokiyuki, try this locust!
-[Yorishige] Oh, because
I instructed them to do so!

It’s their task to bring you
breakfast and provide you
with physical contact

to warm your grieving heart!

And what is this supposed to be?

Can’t you see?
I’ve dug this hole to trap you.

I looked into the future
and saw you running
down this road to escape.

You see, this place
is filled with divine energy.

-[Tokiyuki] There he goes again
with his visions.
-Since I’m an Arahitogami,

-it gives me a boost
of holy power!
-Sounds like a sham to me.

-Which means...
-[gasps]

...that no matter where you run,
I will know about it instantly.

You see, Young Lord,
this is my domain,
my glorious backyard!

Behold, this is
the Suwa Grand Shrine!

-Now.
-[grunts]

Time to get to work.
Let’s start your martial
and academic arts training.

ANCIENT COURT
AND MILITARY PRACTICES

Huh? But I’ve...
I’ve only just arrived!

Well, the boy who represents
Kamakura Shogunate’s rebirth

has absolutely no time to waste.

[Tokiyuki grunts]

[footsteps depart]

Mmm...

-[clattering]
-[Tokiyuki screams, grunts]

Mm-hmm.

Let’s try this again!

You know, I learned the term
"running gag" from the future,

but the thing is,
you can’t do the joke
a third time.

-It won’t work.
-I don’t care.
Get me out of here!

[Shizuku]
I’m sorry, Lord Tokiyuki.

-Father is always like this,
unfortunately.
-[laughing] Oh.

-He has an unconventional way
of doing things.
-[Yorishige] Very interesting.

He often behaves
in eccentric ways,

-and he talks nonsense
most of the time.
-Roast deer over some rice?

Hey, Shizuku, I think
I found something tasty.

But I promise he means well,
so you have nothing
to worry about.

[Tokiyuki] How can I not worry
when you tell me that?

Now, Father, why on earth
would you dig a hole in the road
that leads to the shrine?

-[Yorishige] Ah, I’m so sorry.
-[Tokiyuki] Sure, I’m grateful
to this man for saving my life,

but does he have any realistic
plans for what’s to come
and for what I am facing?

Suwa Shrine is
so much smaller than
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine,

and it’s hard for me to believe
that the priest of this shrine
can help me take back Kamakura,

and defeat Takauji Ashikaga.

[groans]

SEVERAL DAYS LATER

[Kojiro] I don’t understand
how he doesn’t get tired of
running away day after day.

-[Yorishige grunting]
-[Ayako] Ugh,
I’m so tired of digging holes.

[Kojiro] The Young Lord,
he must be spoiled,
being the heir to the Shogunate?

Maybe he’s running away
from it all, who knows.

You have it all wrong.

He’s an honest
and earnest boy at heart.

But he has never had
an incentive to study hard,

simply because he was raised
to be nothing more than
a puppet ruler.

You see, he has never had
any meaningful goals
to pursue in his life.

-The one who is lacking...
is myself.
-[Kojiro, Shizuku] Hmm?

-[Ayako] Huh?
-For I haven’t proven yet

whether I truly possess
the power to help him.

The power he needs to achieve
his goals and be victorious!

[panting]

[thunder rumbles]

[grunts]

They won’t suspect I’d run away
on a day like this.

Why teach me how to fight
in battle?

It’s obvious, isn’t it?
It’s a waste of time
for someone like me.

[thunder rumbling]

Oh, come on.

I don’t need to study, okay?

I’ll do what you told me to do.

Just run away...
Just keep running around
the b*ttlefield, right?

And not help my soldiers,
even when they’re
about to lose everything!

[thunder rumbles]

[Yorishige] Lord Tokiyuki,
I promise to God,
it is impossible for me to lose.

Do you want to know why?

Because I am indeed
a god myself.

This rain is a real nuisance.
There’s something
I need to show you.

[jingling]

And now...

I’ll clear the clouds.

[bells jingle]

[bells jingling]

[Yorishige] Hip, hip...

[crowd] Hooray!

Hip, hip...

[crowd] Hooray!

[Yorishige] Hip, hip...

[crowd] Hooray!

[Tokiyuki]
This... This is amazing.

The Suwa Sect
consists of warriors
who believe in Suwa Myojin.

They are proud of their strength
and their iron commitment,

and united through
their faith in me.

Have I convinced you now,
Young Lord?

It is true, there is
a god looking after you.

10,000 men on horseback
will gather at this god’s call.

If you acquire
the qualities of a hero,

it will forge an alliance
between a hero and a god.

And our army will grow
to ten times its size!

So what shall we do today,
my lord?

[grunts]

I guess I should
go to my desk...

[grunts] ...study.

-That’s exactly
what I wanted to hear!
-Ow! Ow!

-You adorable thing you!
-Your old cheeks are
as scratchy as a nail file!

-I feel so happy!
Oh my... [grunting]
-[exclaiming]

[Tokiyuki]
I think I’ll trust him.

I believe he will make
a hero out of me,
just like he predicted.

Excellent...
He spoke the magic words.

Everyone, you can turn around
and head home!

-[groaning, exclaiming]
-[crowd member] So tired.

* TOKIYUKI

[crowd chattering, groaning]

-[Yorishige chuckling]
-[Tokiyuki grunts]

-Wait a second!
-[groaning]

Where did all
the enthusiasm go, huh?

-What’s going on? [grunts]
-Easy now, Young Lord. They
can’t always be that energetic.

I’m sure you understand.

Come on. Let’s get going
with your studies.

[Tokiyuki shrieks, grunts]

Uh-uh, a warrior must stick
to his word. [laughs]

-[groans] You tricked me!
-Come on now.

[narrator] Yorishige Suwa
understood Tokiyuki
like no other,

and he enlightened the boy
on the future that awaited him.

Though they had only
a short time together,

Yorishige’s impact
was immeasurable.

And slowly but surely,

the hero hatchling began
to sharpen his fangs
in the trusted arms of the god.

A perfectly clean fall!

-Shut up, would ya?
-[laughs]

It looks like you’re
getting used to life in Suwa.

Now, it’s time for you
to gain allies.

We shall gather retainers
just for you.

-[Ayako giggles]
-[Kojiro] Mm-hmm.

Retainers?

WHAT ARE "RETAINERS"?

[Yorishige] Yes.
Retainers are vassals that form
a master-servant relationship

with their military commander,

risking their lives
fighting for him.

It’s no exaggeration to say
that the strength of the lord

relies heavily on
the strength of his retainers.

Because you lost your family
and all of its retainers,

you must start over
and rebuild this network
of allies from nothing.

[sighs, grunts]

Allow me to
introduce them again!

Kojiro... He is the greatest
swordsman of your generation.

One day, he will be
your military commander.

What’s up, Young Lord?

Ayako... She has unrivaled
physical strength and is
brimming with artistic talent.

She remains a lady
even in battle.

Hi there, Young Lord!

Shizuku... She is attentive
and versed in several secret
arts that are valuable to us.

As a servant,
she also takes care of
the general affairs at home.

Even though these three are all
the same age as you, you will
always be able to count on them.

Your first task now is
to get to know them well,

-and learn how
to utilize their skills.
-[grunts]

[Yorishige]
If you all grow up together
and see each other as family,

you will end up with
a united team of skilled
and trustworthy retainers.

And soon more remarkable talent
will cross our path,
and we’ll recruit them as well.

The number of retainers
following you will surely grow!

I foresaw that in the future,
there will be a term
to describe this.

It is called the hero’s journey!

Nobody cares.

All right then.
What is it you ask of me?

-[Ayako straining]
-Ask anything of me, Young Lord,
and I will do it.

Anything?

Yes, of course.
That’s what retainers do!

[chuckles]

Hmm.

Then... how about we play tag?

Oh, anything but that.

Instant rejection!

My lord, once you start running,
you’re off into the horizon.

YAY

Right? It’s amazing how much
energy you have to run
so fast and so far.

I have another idea, get this...

Let’s sneak into the houses of
the samurai who betrayed you,

and take a dump on the floor
and rub it everywhere.

That’s disgusting!

-Why don’t we all do push-ups
till someone gives up?
-That’s just t*rture!

[Shizuku]
Hmm, I wonder how many marbles
I can fit into an ants’ nest.

What’s wrong with you?

-My retainers...
My retainers...
-[retainers laughing]

What’s wrong with them?

[Ayako grunts, sighs]

Young Lord, let’s go hunting.
Come on. It’ll be fun.

-And it’ll be good training
for you, you’ll see.
-Hmm?

Are members of the shrine
even allowed to k*ll animals?

Why, yes, we are.

We’re not like
other Shinto sects.
We frequently hunt and eat meat.

In fact, Suwa Myojin is
also a God of Hunting.

[Tokiyuki sighs]

What a strange god.

[priest] Lord Yorishige.

-It seems Lord Tokiyuki’s group
has gone hunting.
-[grunts]

[swallows, inhales deeply]

Yes, I saw that.

I also saw the tribulations
they’re about to face.

Surprise.

-Wow, that was close.
By your standards.
-What’s that supposed to mean?

It’s hard to see through
the foliage here. [grunts]

[grunting]

-[gasps]
-[tree falls]

[Tokiyuki] Whoa!

Here, my lord! Try it again!

There you are!

Dang it, Mr. Rabbit is so fast.

Sh-She’s a monster.

Totally, right? Wouldn’t be
the first time I’ve seen her
turn rabbits into red mist.

[Ayako] Wait!

[rabbit snickers]

[creature snarling]

[all gasp]

What beast is that?

[snarling]

There have been rumors
in the neighboring province...

[growls]

...that a huge
flesh-eating Ox Demon
has been roaming these hills.

[shuddering]

[Yorishige] Lord Tokiyuki,

you should know that
your adversary is a man

who subjugates far more
ferocious beasts than this one.

-[Ayako gasps]
-[Kojiro grunts]

[Yorishige] Show me. Can you
combine your allies’ strengths

to triumph and take down this
ghastly and dangerous beast?

NANBOKUCHO GAME OF TAG
OX DEMON BOTAN

-[Tokiyuki screams]
-[Ox Demon snarls]

[Ayako grunts]

[grunts]

-[Ox Demon grunting]
-[Kojiro grunts]

My arrow won’t even
pierce its skin.

-[rumbling]
-[Ox Demon snarls]

[Kojiro grunts]

Run! Retreat to higher ground!

[Ayako, Tokiyuki,
Kojiro panting]

[Kojiro] The two of us aren’t
strong enough to defeat it.

We’ll have to guide
the Young Lord while we run.

[Ayako] Okay!

No, wait. I have a plan.

-[Kojiro] Shizuku?
-[Tokiyuki]
How did you make it to safety?

[Shizuku] Kojiro and Aya,
it’s not just you two anymore.

We now have Lord Tokiyuki
with us.

[all] Hmm?

CURRENT LOCATION

Lord Tokiyuki, you try to steer
clear of the Ox Demon, while
leading it to the great larch.

DESTINATION

In the meantime, Kojiro and Aya
will be waiting for it there.

I think you two already know

what can be found
under the tree, right?

-Mm-hmm.
-Mm-hmm.

-[Ayako grunts]
-Well, my lord,
it’s all yours now. Good luck!

Wait! What do you mean
it’s all mine?

-[rumbling]
-[gasps]

[snarls, growls]

[Tokiyuki] You want me to
lead it there while dodging it?

I mean, that’s insane!

Seriously!

What kind of retainer
makes their beloved lord
be part of such a plan?

He doesn’t like the plan,
but he’s evading
in incredible fashion!

He’s doing great!

My lord is disturbingly
good at this.

Look at him run!

[Ox Demon panting]

Let’s break this thing!

-Here it comes!
-[rock whooshes]

It’s ready!
Right there below the tree!

Got it.

-[snarls]
-[grunts]

Hey! Now what am I supposed
to do with this thing?

[snarling]

Come on, you swine.

-You dared to bare your fangs
at Tokiyuki Hojo’s party.
-[gasps]

And now you will pay the price.

[snarling]

[Shizuku] Neither arrow
nor sword can hurt you.

Not even falling off the cliff
would end your life.

I’m sorry,

but what awaits you below,
you cannot survive
the blade of god.

[water swishes]

[sighs]

This is heavenly.

Yes! Hot springs are
a Suwa specialty!

[Tokiyuki] Wow.

-[Ayako giggles] Yay!
-[Kojiro chuckles, grunts]

-[Tokiyuki]
We k*lled the beast in no time.
-Man, that was hard.

I really wanna butcher
and eat it.

[Tokiyuki] Once we saw the bow
had no effect, we combined our
individual strengths into one.

We used our resourcefulness
to our advantage,

-and swiftly dealt with
this mysterious monster.
-Hey, Young Lord!

-Let’s go to the spring
and take a dip together!
-[Kojiro] This beast...

-[giggles] Huh?
-[Kojiro] What was it,
you think?

I think it was a remnant
from ancient times.

None of its family remained
to bear offspring.

If there were
others of its kind left,

I believe it wouldn’t have
fallen under
the influence of evil.

[Kojiro sighs]
I say from now on,

the Tokiyuki party’s meetings
should always take place
in the hot springs.

-[Ayako] Oh, I like that idea!
-[Shizuku chuckles]

I’ll get us ice
from the ice chamber,

and I’ll bring
some mandarin juice.

I was thinking, "Tokiyuki Party"
is too obvious to our enemies.

We should come up with
something more secretive!

You’ve got a point.

Since we use our lord’s
"running" as our main
battle tactic,

how about the "Wrap Up Your Tail
and Flee Party"?

No way!

-Sweet-tooth Party!
-That’s so lame!

Born to Runner Up Party.

Uh... That’s terrible!

-Loser’s Pick Party!
-That hurts!

Fleeing, Escaping,
and Just Running Party!

Too long!

-Although I’ve lost
everything dear to me...
-Hi-yah!

-...they cheer me up
and treat me like their friend.
-[chattering]

-And yet, they always remember
that I’m their lord.
-[chuckling]

How about
"the Elusive Warriors"?

How’d you think of that?

Because we’re warriors
for an elusive lord!

[chuckles]

[Tokiyuki] Yes.
The Elusive Warriors.
It’s perfect!

I’m not sure I deserve
such incredible retainers.

I wanna grow strong alongside
you in this great land!

[Kojiro] Finally,
we get to fill our bellies!

Let’s eat the juiciest parts
of that beast first.

Lord Yorishige doesn’t
have to know, don’t you think?

-[screams]
-Huh?

-[groans]
-[Kojiro] What the...

Why did you eat our whole catch,
you imbecile of a god?

[grunts] The beast fell to
the influence of evil!

So I consumed it to purify
its soul in my sacred stomach.

BEAST THAT’S STRANGE TO ME
WILL WANDER IN GLOOMY DARKNESS

[Kojiro] Shut up!
Give me back my meat!

[Ayako] You’re a gluttonous god!

REJECTED

[Tokiyuki]
I wonder what’s going on
in this god’s stomach?

[bird shrieks]

I see.

I see now.

Yorishige of Suwa is forging
wicked plans, it seems.

I will not let him
get away with it.

[song playing]

EPISODE 4 [YEAR OF 1333]:
SADAMUNE APPEARS!
Let’s go!