02x03 - Immutability and Change

[bunniefuu]

How unusual.

An outsider.

Are you the one who k*lled Mu Dan?

Who are you?

Oh?

You b*stard.

You've piqued my interest.

Go on.

I was actually hoping to dissect you.

But I'm not in the mood
to take any lives right now.

Fuchi-dono, good.

Did something happen?

It's Mei-san.

We thought it was just exhaustion,
but she's not recovering.

Wasn't this girl younger before?
Who is she?

She's apparently one of the Tensen.

What?

I even witnessed her using strange powers.

She's one of those monsters?

I have limited access to materials,
but I'll make something for her fever.

In exchange, Mei-san...

Please tell us everything you can
about yourself and the Tensen.

The death of my family member made me
realize the seriousness of the situation.

Who are you, and what do you want?

Depending on your answers,
I may not be able to forgive you.

U-Um...

Wait. You can't expect a proper
explanation with her limited vocabulary.

True.

Phrasing!

It's all right, though.
I'm used to interpreting.

Meanwhile, Sagi, could you
help me prepare the medicine?

Why'd you want to meet here?

What do you want, Shortymaru?

My memories have returned,
but my battle instincts are dull.

So I want you to help me limber up.

You want all of us to g*ng up on you?

Well, yes.

You think you can use me for practice?

You, too.

You hate me most of all, don't you?

If you want to k*ll me,
you don't have to hold back.

Hold on. If you try to take advantage
of the situation to cause mischief,

I'll cut you down.

In that case, so will I.

Hey, man-woman. You can use my sword.

I'm going to beat his a*s.

The doshi and Aza Chobe.

I learned something
from those two battles.

Relying too much on tao is dangerous.

But I can't beat the others,
much less the Tensen, without it.

I need to figure out
when and how to use it.

Oh.

Thank you for your help.

Don't underestimate me!

He's fast.

Don't use your eyes.

Feel him with your tao.

He's muscular.

Normally, I couldn't overpower him.

But...

If I aim for the weak points in his tao,

even a feeble blow
can become a strong one.

Wait, Nurugai!

But this confirms it.

It's impossible to beat the Tensen
at tao manipulation.

They're monsters who have trained
in its use for a thousand years.

A human could never beat them.

In that case...

I'll use the tao surrounding them.

The greater the power directed at me,

the greater the reaction
when I use it against them.

Using the Tensen's own tao could be
an effective countermeasure.

Wow!

You could use that to k*ll a Tensen!

No, it's still not enough.
I have a lot to work on.

He's even better than they say.

Gabimaru may be able to reach their level.

But should we be relying on a criminal?

Gabimaru, I've learned something
from observing tao.

- There are probably types of tao with
different attributes and compatibilities.

- Ow...

Types?

If we utilize those,
we could k*ll the immortal.

What?

You wanna fight, too?

What do you think
you're doing, man-woman?

I am ashamed to ask this,

but could you teach me
how to fight in actual battle?

What?

Not for revenge, but so
I can ensure my own survival.

You expect me to trust a bandit?

This is all I can do
to demonstrate my conviction.

But I'm serious.

I don't like you, but you're
stronger than me, so...

Teach me how to fight with a sword.

Suit yourself.

I was just about to swing a sword.

Bring that with you.

I'll taste mud if I have to
in order to get stronger.

So I can fight on my own.

So I can fight alongside
my brother as equals.

Strength is change.

I can k*ll these guys later.

I'm coming to save you, Brother.

He's strong.

Way stronger than the doshi.

He's one of them, huh?

I'm intrigued.

Your warped tao mixed with something
upon coming to the island, didn't it?

The Waitanhua Flower
turns humans into tan.

Despite that eating away at your tao,
you've retained your sense of self.

That's very unusual.

This calls for further study.

At this rate, I can't win.

But there's no guarantee I'll be
able to control that if I use it again.

No, wait...

I don't need guarantees.

It's k*ll or be k*lled.

It feels like roots spreading
throughout my body.

Focus so it doesn't rob me
of my consciousness.

His speed and power are superhuman.

I still have my sense of self.

I have to finish this quickly.

Your weak point is your navel, right?

I don't believe it.

He's not regenerating.

So they die when their navel is destroyed.

I'm at my limit, too.

I have to turn back.

I don't believe it.

You unleashed the Waitanhua Flower's tao,
and yet, you're controlling it.

I've never seen anything like this.

So that was a clone?

I only meant to conduct reconnaissance,
but now I wish to see it for myself.

Beautiful.

I must bring you back
to the castle for research.

I'm at my limit...

Any more, and I'll lose myself...

Don't overdo it. You'll die.

You should be more careful with yourself.

Now sleep.

I know, Toma. I'm different from our dad.

I promise I'll come back.

I'm falling apart...

I'm breaking...

Where am I?

You're awake, human.

What the hell is this?

Your body is valuable.

The process of turning you into tan made
your tao mix, and your human tao won.

It's a miracle.

In a thousand years,
I've seen nothing like this.

You will be the final key
I need for my research.

What, did you suddenly get turned on?

No. This is bochu jutsu.

I wish to gain a deeper understanding
by circulating our tao.

It will also heal your weakened tao.

Circulate?

All tao has an attribute.

Wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

These five attributes affect each other.

There is hindering, which weakens
a person's tao through contact.

Then there is restoration,
which strengthens their tao instead.

Whoa, are you for real?

Bochu jutsu is ineffective
without harmony between both parties.

Do you have any preferences?

Any act you wish me to perform?

Yeah. I want you to do something.

Answer my questions. What is this island?

What are you guys doing on the island?

According to her, both the Tensen and
this island were made by a single human.

A human?

A renowned hermit from the mainland.

He was researching immortality
based on Shinsen thought.

In Taoism, all things
are said to be made from tao.

On this island, he discovered
a way to directly manipulate it.

By repeatedly blending
and joining the tao of living creatures,

he sought immortality
through trial and error.

That was how the Tensen were born.

As a fusion of human and plant tao,
they are both female and male.

They can use both forces
to augment their own tao.

They've continuously tempered
their tao for a thousand years,

while most creatures lose theirs
through activity or over time.

No human stands a chance against them.

Except by using one method.

You mean tao.

So, why do those superhumans
stay cooped up on this island?

In Taoism, the practice
of achieving immortality

through breathing techniques
and meditation is called naitanho.

Meanwhile, methods
that grant anyone immortality

regardless of their
physical traits or training—

for example, creating such a
concoction—is called gaitanho.

That is what the Tensen are creating.

What?

You mean...

That's the Elixir of Immortality.

So it does exist?

It's currently under development.

What they call tan is a prototype
developed through research.

They gather human lives like nectar
and efficiently ingest their tao—

in other words, their life force.

It's like adding the years you take
from someone's lifespan to your own.

The Tensen extend
their lifespans using tan.

Their tao must not be
perfectly self-sustaining.

That's why losing large amounts
over a short period kills them.

But don't the Tensen have
plenty of tan already?

What are they going to do
once they perfect

their method of granting
anyone immortality?

Don't know.

Probably Grandmaster Shufu's will.

Shu...?

Who?

The hermit who made the Tensen
and this island, Shufu.

In other words, Jofuku.

During the Qin Dynasty,
he served the first emperor.

In pursuit of immortality, he took


and 100 craftsmen across
the eastern sea and went missing.

He lived over a thousand years ago.

Perhaps he's still conducting his
research somewhere on the island.

We conduct research
and perform experiments here.

It is a garden for producing
and observing immortal beings.

So all those monsters are
living beings created by people?

Yes. Each one was created for a purpose.

The Hoko were created to observe
how the immortal live.

The Soshin teach Taoism to the Hoko,

who have little concept of death,
and maintain order.

We are merely creations as well.

A combination of the
grandmaster's tao and flower tao.

We are both a single
and separate entities.

Both family and myself.

It's that easy?

It's not easy. Tao is the source of life.

No, the source of everything.

Like dust, it can be found everywhere,
giving all things their shape.

That incense and the air are forms of tao.

Therefore, to manipulate tao

is to manipulate the natural
laws of the world.

But unlike inanimate objects,
manipulating life is difficult.

That is why your tao is valuable.

I wish to study it.

So you'll use me to conduct your research

and turn everyone on the island
into Elixirs of Immortality?

No.

Everyone on the mainland.

What?

We have prepared for that.

All we need now is the perfect tan.

If you'll help us,
we'll allow you to join us.

Instead of turning you into tan,
you can join us on the path to perfection.

What's the smartest choice here?

In my current state, I can't k*ll her.

It'd be tough to run, too.

What should I prioritize?

I'll perform bochu jutsu with you,

if that'll help me master the use of tao.

But I don't like being on the bottom.

Don't worry. I'll be gentle.

Don't fight the situation. Adapt.

I'll adapt and consume.

Wait for me, Toma.

As I thought, your tao is marvelous.

In other words, that Jofuku guy
is the origin of all of this.

What is this?

What is the meaning of this?

My body imperfect.

When I use tao, turn into tree.

Can't heal myself.

Then if you heal your tao
the way Gabimaru did...

Can't.

Too little. Not enough to circulate.

Rien destroyed my tanden. My ovule.

Rien?

Rien and me. First students
made by Grandmaster Shufu.

But Rien changed.

k*lled many for gaitanho.

Couldn't stop her.

I ran away from Horai.

So that's what happened.

At this rate, Mei-san will...

Use my tao.

What?

The Tensen have total control over tao.

They should be able to extract another
creature's tao and make it their own.

They can do that?

But then you...

It's fine.

Mei, I will turn into a tree soon.

And this is my atonement.

Atonement?

I met her several centuries ago.

I had a wife and daughter.

They both turned into trees before me.

The other villagers transformed
one by one until I was alone.

Then that moment arrived.

They were merely the same age.

That was all,
but I saw my daughter in her.

My young daughter...

I actually knew there was
something different about her.

That she wanted to leave the island.

But I ignored all of that so
we could pretend to be a family.

Forgive me.

I wasn't seeing you, but my daughter.

For centuries, I made you play along
with my lies and lingering attachments.

This is my only chance to make up for it.

Please use my life.

It wasn't a lie.

We were like a real family.

Like a real father and daughter.

Biele, fuqin.

Miss, you shrank again!

I mean, I understand the circumstances!

But if I'm being honest, I wish you'd
ridden on my shoulders looking like that!

Shut up. It's nothing to cry about.

You'll understand once
you're grown up, kid.

You're going to learn to fight from him?

Your wound has healed over.

It may leave a scar, though.

Thank—

No need to thank me.
I still don't trust you.

Everyone.

You can listen while you work.

Sensei.

Sensei.

Gabimaru and I discussed
our plans for the future.

Hey, Catmaru. Who put you in charge?

Better me than you.

What? Don't get ahead of yourself!

Honestly, we've no sense of unity.

What's up?

Someone here.

From the ocean. Very big.

Many tao.

As in lots of people?

Not sure, but...

Very strong.