01x11 - Weak and Strong

[bunniefuu]

Weak and Strong

Brother!

He had potential, but he was merely human.

They break so easily.

Move, damn it!

You're in the way! Brother! Brother!

I should return him to the hole
while he's still alive.

After all, I'm capable of reason.

Brother!

Why'd you let your guard down, monster?

Toma.

What are you doing over here?

I told you to handle all the nobodies.

Right. Sorry, Brother.

His throat regenerated.

How?

He should be an ordinary human.

No...

While he was in the hole,
did he merge with them?

Hey, monster.

What's that strange vibe
I sensed coming from you earlier?

Is he talking about tao?

Ordinary humans shouldn't
be able to detect it.

Hey, you quit your stupid yapping.

Could it be that that's the monster's power?

Is that the key to k*lling the Tensen?

This man's tao is larger than before.

I can feel it.

This man is dangerous.

I should k*ll him now.

I can't see it.

He's so small, but so strong.

Is what I sensed his secret?

His tao is continuing to grow.

Is it the vines' influence?

He's exceeded human capabilities.

My brother is a master of adaptation.

But at this rate...

If he keeps going...

I'm not sure what's happening,

but my body's become awfully convenient.

You're quite courageous.

Do you not fear your body changing
and no longer being human?

Nah.

Nothing in this world is static.

I know that well.

There's only one thing
that doesn't need to change.

One? You mean your sense of self?

No.

What are you doing?

Brother...

Your privileged upbringing
is written all over your face.

You're so classy, it makes
people disrespect us.

I'll turn you two into real bandits.

Let's start with the younger one.

Are you out of your mind?

What are you doing?

You still think we're classy?

Anyone who's still got a problem
with it can add more.

A monster wouldn't understand.

Nobody understands.

Show me more of your ability.

You—no, it's all of you.

Your navel is your weakness after all.

It keeps getting bigger.

What is this man?

I'm starting to see it.

I knew you were emanating something,

but you've got it wrapped
all around your body.

Soshin, to me—

They can't.

I k*lled them all.

Come on.

Show me more of your ability. Your secret!

I see. So that's how you gather it.

Does simply shrouding yourself
in it not affect your defense?

It breaks so easily.

Impossible.

My att*cks were practically
ineffective against the other one.

Is it because I didn't wrap myself in it?

Impossible.

Seems like there's more to it,
but I'll just have to practice.

So this is tao...

Impossible.

Wow, so they can be k*lled.

I can see your tao as you're
on the brink of death.

Get up, monster.

I've got a lot of questions for you.

First, where are the Tensen?

I could be wrong, but it looks
like the scars are growing.

Huh? What is it?

Hey, you seem out of it.

Sorry.

Help me tie him up.

Am I wrong?

I'm glad my brother is alive,
but is he all right?

And these scars...

They look less like lacerations
and more like vines.

What do you think, miss?

I'm pretty impressive with a sword, right?

Strong.

I should be able to master
the use of tao quickly.

Huh?

Tao, strong, weak.

Strong, strong, no.

I don't get it.

Like this?

Strong, strong, no.

How about this?

Strong, strong.

Tao. Strong, weak.

It's like we're playing
some kind of word game.

So I can't brute force it.

He's pretty strong for a small guy.

Miss, how about that?

Strong, strong. No, no.

The Hollow and the Blade Dragon.

They're so dependable, it makes me laugh.

What are you doing?

Analyzing the monsters.

Each monster's internal
structure is different.

Though they look similar,

this one's internal
structure resembles a fish,

and this one's resembles a human.

In other words?

Each one has different weak points.

Speaking of biological mysteries...

She's a mystery as well.

Who exactly is she, anyway?

In that moment,

it looked like she used a mysterious power
to carve away the cliff so we could escape.

An ordinary human couldn't do that.

Not an ordinary human...

I made her cry again.

She's still just a child on the inside.

Hey, shinobi.

Don't make the young lady cry.

Girls won't like you
if you keep glaring like that.

That's fine with me. I'm married.

What?

That's not what I meant.

You're my underling now.
Don't make girls cry.

I'm nobody's underling.

The Hollow is more human than they say.

Strong, strong, strong, no.

Do you have a wife?

That's...

From coast to coast, I—

I have been secretly searching
for you, Mei-sama.

Mei-sama?

It's been centuries since Mei-sama
was banished from the palace.

She disappeared from Horai,
and we were at a loss.

We were forbidden from looking
for her by Rien-sama.

But as luck would have it,
we've been reunited.

I am overjoyed.

Let us return together.

We need your help.

What's going on here?

I could ask you the same thing.

I don't know how it happened,

but she does not belong with you humans.

Like the Tensen, she feeds off of humans.

Tensen? You mean those Tensen?

She's one of them?

So she's not human after all.

Please return to Horai and lead us.

Without your help, we...

If I get involved in any
more trouble, I could lose my way.

Lose sight of my true goal.

The real reason I joined this expedition.

What should I be doing right now?

What are you doing, human?

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

If you're trying to help her,
then you're making a mistake.

This matter does not concern you.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

I don't know the circumstances,
and I might be overreaching.

Besides, it's not something I do.
Plus, it's a hassle.

Even I'm surprised I acted impulsively.

But I can't make her cry again.

That's good enough for me.

What a nuisance.

But either way, we came
to turn you into tan.

When did they get there?

We're taking Mei-sama back with us.

Is he the boss of those butterflies?

I'm gonna k*ll him.

Judging by their appearance,
they're insect-users.

Or are they their boss?

Approaching them carelessly
would be dangerous.

I lost my left hand because of these things.

I owe them a big thank you.

Then you should thank me as well.

I'm the one who modif—
healed your left hand.

I'm not sure "thank you" is the right word.

No, I'm serious.

Everything is improved by loss.

My skill with a blade
has gotten even stronger!

What was that?

It's those invisible att*cks.

These things use them, too?

Don't charge in recklessly.

They use invisible abilities.

I see. So this is tao.

What?

Damn pests, scurrying around.

Stay out of my way, underling.

I'm not your underling.

You're getting in my way.

I wanna k*ll those butterflies.

You are no match for us.

You're not even someone who should
concern themselves with Mei-sama.

So why do you protect her?

You're right.

The old me might've abandoned her.

Since we arrived, I haven't
been acting like myself.

But I don't feel bad about it.

Helping someone who helped you
is common sense, right?

Why are you so obsessed with the girl?

She doesn't seem to like it.

The doshi study tao and train in its use.

Mei-sama is essential to that training.

Train? But you're monsters.

Tao exists within all things.

Foolish and pathetic humans,

I shall teach you before you become tan.

There are five steps to mastering tao.

Doin, taisoku, shuitsu, shuten...

And finally, most important
of all, bochu jutsu.

Bochu jutsu requires a partner,

as it involves the circulation of yin
and yang, or congress.

What does "congress" mean?

In plain terms, he means sexual intercourse.

What?

Screwing for training? That's ridiculous.

It is a noble type of training.

All things possess either yin or yang qi.

One must grow their tao
to the point that both circulate.

The mind and body are prepared through
training such as doin and taisoku,

and both parties' yin and yang are joined
and made to circulate.

This is bochu jutsu.

Tao heightened in this way is said to possess
the power to change the laws of nature.

It was our masters, the Tensen,
who developed this technique.

The Tensen are transcendent
beings who can circulate yin

and yang on their own in addition
to performing bochu jutsu.

Through repeated circulations
and conversions of yin and yang,

they heighten their tao.

They have trained
for a thousand years in order

to achieve the greatest
level of tao possible.

Yin and yang are expressed as the sexes.

In the case of the Tensen, each one is both.

The circulation of yin and yang...

That must be when they
swap between male and female.

But ordinary creatures only
possess one or the other.

Therefore, they require a partner
for yin-yang circulation.

We are male. We possess yang qi.

Mei-sama is yin, and her qi
is of the highest quality.

Joining and circulating Mei-sama's yin with
our yang allows us to perform bochu jutsu.

In other words...

Don't say it. It makes me want to puke.

Though Mei-sama and
the Tensen share the same origins,

she is an inferior being
who possesses only yin qi.

It's the reason she was
banished from the palace.

Rien-sama gave Mei-sama two choices.

Die like a dog,

or remain in Horai as our training partner.

Rien-sama inflicted those scars
on her body as a mark of that.

However, Mei-sama disappeared from Horai.

Please return so that we
can conduct our training.

I see now why she's afraid of you.

You're totally disgusting.

A human wouldn't understand.

Ninja, I'm gonna k*ll that centi—

Since we arrived, I haven't
been acting like myself.

No,

I've been seeing sides of myself
that not even I knew about.

I'm a little surprised.

Apparently I find that kind of
behavior unforgivable.

Marked?

Don't talk about her like she's an object.

I see.

It will be difficult to turn you into tan.

Senjutsu: False Kishikai.

I'll k*ll you all here.

I'd like to see you try.

Hermit? More like a transformed monster.

That Tensen transformed
into a monster as well.

Is this the same ability?

We can't afford to lose this time.

Whoops.

Their att*cks are easier
to dodge now that they've merged.

I feel dizzy. Did I inhale
the insects' scales?

They're tough opponents.

Underling, assist me!

I can't!

It's hard.

But it'll burn.

Senjutsu: Tin Splinter.

They're not as strong as the Tensen,
but I still can't see it.

Those butterflies
are dangerous, Shortymaru.

Ninpo: Pyro Bridge.

Stop.

You'll hit Mei-sama.

Tao, the invisible power.

I can sense it vaguely,

but I need to be able to detect it
more precisely in order to fight.

I don't have time to stumble
over this opponent.

My real opponents are them.

If only I could understand
what the girl said.

You're straining yourself
too much, apparently.

In order to see tao, your mind
must be both strong and weak.

How do you know that?

It's essentially the same way Sugita Genpaku
translated the Tafel Anatomie.

I deciphered her words
and had her demonstrate.

I had her assist me in sensing my own
tao by having her touch it directly.

I sense something, but that's all.

I don't see anything.

Seeing tao requires training
and a specific state of mind.

Gabimaru, in your case,
you need to weaken your mind.

Weaken it? We're in the middle of battle.

Regardless, you must.

Tao is like a visible
expression of life force.

Without both strength
and weakness, it can't be detected.

Weaken my mind?

Strong, fruit of weak.

Weak, seed of strong.

That's not weakness.

It's the seed of strength.

Strong and weak.

All important.

I doubt it can be learned overnight, though.

No, I'm good. I mostly get it.

What?

Mostly? Wait a minute.

Big.

Huh?

Gabimaru tao big.

That feeling.

Senjutsu: Tin Splinter...

He's dodging them.

He understood from just that explanation?

He's an Iwagakure shinobi, isn't he?

I've heard some of them
use superhuman abilities.

He may not know the term tao,

but it wouldn't surprise me
if he's mastered similar techniques.

This is Gabimaru the Hollow's true nature.

It's the result of training
to the point of losing one's humanity.

I can predict the intention and direction
of his att*cks from the movement of his tao.

I can clearly sense
the monsters behind me, too.

I trained endlessly at Iwagakure,

but none of them taught me this feeling.

It's not just strong presences.

I sense weak ones as well,
everything around me.

By accepting my own weakness,

I can finally sense the weakness in others.

The space between a tough heart
and a delicate one, or both.

It's like I'm deep in the waves of conflict.

I understand her strength now.

The way she moves forward while wavering.

Both stronger and weaker.

I know the intention and direction of
each and every insect on its arms.

It's like knowing
the large waves that are created

when a single drop of water collides
with its surroundings.

Ninjutsu? No...

I can't believe a human
is capable of such a feat.

He's like... like the Tensen.

You can't win now.

Now I'm finally
on the same level as the Tensen.

He learned to detect tao
in such a short amount of time?

The precision of his technique is...

Tell me.

Do you have other allies?
Where are the Tensen?

This is the end for me.
I shall answer your questions.

Including me, three doshi were instructed
by the Tensen to spy on the humans.

They said there was something different
about the ones who arrived this time.

That if we didn't do something about them,
they could become a thr*at to us.

It would seem they were right.

Hey, wait!

I'm the star here. You're stealing
my spotlight, underling.

I'll deal the finishing blow.

I'm not your underling.

Ninpo: Stone Storm, Centipede Mode.

So this is Horai...