01x12 - The Lord Taizan Ceremony

[bunniefuu]

[voices droning]

[overlapping voices singing and chanting]

[rustling]

[droning and chanting continue]

[man shouting]

[chanting continues]

Put your mind at ease, Your Majesty.

After this ceremony,
the capital will be safe.

The Archbishop of Toji
being involved is proof.

He is not
one of your run-of-the-mill priests.

Splendid.

Just as I thought, we didn't need
Seimei Abe's help after all.

Did we, my Lord Kaneie? [chuckles]

[minister 1] Speaking of Seimei, have
you heard the news about him?

Of course, who hasn't?
He stole Lord Hiromasa's corpse!

[minister 1]
I always thought he was a strange one.

But has he finally lost his mind?

-Such an eerie sort.
-More like ghastly, I would say!

Well, he is a fox-child.

[man 3] What else would you expect?

[man 4] Can't the capital get rid of him?

-Just like we thought, Seimei is inhuman.
-At your command regarding evil gossip.

I shall transform it,

giving a name to its chaos.

Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo.

[rock music plays]

ONMYOJI

EPISODE 12:
THE LORD TAIZAN CEREMONY

[dramatic music playing]

[Yasunori] Nekomata.

[hisses]

[magical chiming]

I still have my doubts this will work.

[Seimei] Yes, I am aware.

Prove me wrong, then.

I will.

Only you... can save that man.

Ah, this all got complicated
in a real hurry, didn't it?

Have you brought what I asked?

Don't rush me. I'm still in the middle
of gathering them, all right?

I trust it'll be done in time.

Good grief! You sure are a taskmaster.

Will you really go through with it?

[Seimei] I have no reason not to.

[gulping]

Aah!

I have to say, even to me, it looks like
you've lost any remaining sense of reason.

[footsteps]

[Tsuyuko] What are you planning to do,
Lord Seimei?

Are you really making
Lord Hiromasa your shiki?

I had briefly considered it.

But I can't converse with a shiki.

[Tsuyuko] Then what will you do with him?

[Seimei] My plan...
is to bring him back from the dead.

[music fades]

[footsteps]

Hmm?

Lady Doman.

I would ask a favor of you.

Do tell!

[suspenseful music plays]

Your disposition has changed
drastically since I last saw you.

What happened?

I see. You're going to hold
a Lord Taizan Ceremony.

[Seimei] Yes.

[laughs loudly]

Are you serious?

Even if you succeed, Lord Taizan will seek
something of equal value in return.

You ready for that?

[Seimei] I wouldn't be here otherwise.

[Doman] Who would have guessed
you were so invested in that man?

More importantly, if I were to lend you
a hand, how exactly would it benefit me?

[Seimei] Would this suffice?

Do you understand what it means
to give me this knowledge?

I do.

You're always just brimming
with surprises, aren't you, now?

[music fades]

[rustling]

[Tsuyuko] Is it really possible
to resurrect Lord Hiromasa?

[Seimei] I have no choice but to try.

-[Tsuyuko] Then I'll go with you.
-You won't.

It's too dangerous.
This ceremony isn't a normal ritual.

But even so...

[Seimei] I need at least one friend
to remain alive.

Huh? What do you mean by that?

[Seimei] Let us depart.

[solemn chanting and drumming]

-[whimpers]
-[overlapping voices chanting]

-[Seimei] Would you let us through?
-[gasps]

[musicians playing dramatically]

[man 1] Seimei!

[man 2] You are not welcome!

[man 1] What do you want here?

[Kaneie] Hold on, Seimei!

What do you plan to do here?

[Seimei] I will be presiding
over this ceremony.

You're what now?

[Seimei] A gaudy ceremony such as this
could never bring peace to the capital.

[gasps] You're telling us this now?

And just how would you
be able to help here?

[music intensifying]

[Seimei] I'll hold a Lord Taizan Ceremony.

What exactly is a Lord Taizan Ceremony?

[Seimei] It would be faster to just
show you all than to explain.

[emperor] Very well.

Your Majesty! Do not be taken

with the words of someone
who brazenly refused your orders!

And if that weren't enough, he pilfered
the dead body of Lord Hiromasa!

[Seimei] That's true.
I have it right here.

[all gasp in shock]

[Seimei] Since he proved useless
as a shiki,

I thought I would offer him
to Lord Taizan...

-[men muttering]
-[man 1] Abominable...

[man 2] How odious!

[man 3] I bet this is a ruse,
so he can do something insidious.

[man 4] We can't allow him
to remain in the court.

[man 5] He'll use us as sacrifices!

Excellent.
This number of people should be enough.

[music fades]

This insolence has gone on long enough!

-Seize him!
-[men] Sir!

-[music playing]
-[chanting]

[all] Yaah!

[magical chiming]

[men yelling]

[all groaning]

[man whimpers]

[Seimei] Your Majesty, this must be
done for the sake of the capital.

And I, Seimei Abe, am the only
one who can restore the peace here.

[grumbling]

Let him continue.

-Are you mad?
-You can't really mean that!

How can you support him?

[Kaneie] Seimei's skills as an onmyoji
are in a class of their own.

That is an undeniable fact.

And you, Yasunori. Your thoughts?

I think we should allow him to proceed.

-[emperor] I see...
-[gasps] Your Majesty!

I am indebted to Seimei
for his help with Lady Rindo.

I now place this ceremony
in Seimei's hands!

-[man 6] What?
-[man 7] Please, your Majesty, you can't!

[man 8] Yes, reconsider!

[man 9] Allow us to handle this
in his place, we beg of you!

[man 10] Our prayers will surely suffice!

[Kaneie growling]

His Majesty has spoken!
No more objections!

[Seimei] Much obliged.

Lord Taizan, I hereby declare
to the deities of the underworld...

[chanting]

[continues chanting]

You didn't know this was
going to happen, did you?

[Seimei chanting]

[Kaneie] I have no idea
what to expect of this... this ritual!

[continues chanting]

[Kaneie] Fog.

[Seimei stops chanting]

[Kaneie] Wait... that's...

[music fades]

[water rushing gently]

[wind rustling leaves]

[grunts]

[snorts]

Why reminisce on him?

He is no longer of this earth!

[flute plays mystical tune]

[gasps]

[pulsing music plays under flute]

It can't be... [gasps]

I know that infuriating sound!

Over there! Is that not...

[wind gusting]

[men murmuring]

[man 2] Lord Hiromasa?

[man 3] He has come back to life!

[man 4] Impossible...

-If I were not seeing this, I would not...
-[rustling]

-[man 4 yelps]
-[gasps]

[men groaning and gasping]

-[man 4] It's... it's a demon!
-[all exclaiming]

Everyone! A demon is here!

[minister gasps]
Is that not Imperial Prince Atsumi?

What a terrifying sight!

-[growls]
-[man 5 yelps]

[demon Atsumi] Hiromasa...

How is it that you are still alive?

[running footsteps]

[snarls]

[flute stops]

[pulsing music continues]

Hmph!

[magical whooshing]

[flames crackling]

You seem surprised. Did my
playing sound that much like his?

By the stars,
that's the Suzaku Gate Demon!

Seimei always comes prepared.

[music fades]

Now your end of the bargain, Seimei.

Either Hiromasa or Two Leaves...

Make sure you recover at least one.

[Seimei] I will.

Curse you, Seimei Abe! Why lure me here?

[Seimei] It was imperative,
for the sake of my plan.

[demon] If you wanted to k*ll me,
you should have done so that day!

[Seimei] Oh, I will not be
your opponent here.

[demon] What?

That would be Hiromasa Minamoto.

[demon] Absurd!

-I'll slash him to pieces!
-[dramatic music playing]

Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo!

[demon grunts]

I will not allow you to harm him again.

And how will you be able to stop me
if I k*ll you, Seimei?

I have you now!

Your little tricks won't help you
when it comes to a battle of strength!

If you wish it,

then I will fight you.

Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo!

[demon] Relying on that, I see.

[blows]

Such rubbish.

[sighs] You're quite the critic. Ah!

[scoffs] Enough of your cheap tri...

[yelps]

[groans]

It's time I put an end to you!

That is beyond your skill.

[roars]

[man 1] How is this helping?

[man 2] What is Seimei up to?

[gasping]

All he's doing is running away from him!

What is the point of this?

-Two more left.
-[grunts]

[thunder echoing]

-What in blazes is that?
-[rumbling]

[wind whistling]

-[murmuring]
-[man 4] This can't be good!

Such ominous clouds...

[man 5] Is this a terrible omen?

What is happening out there?

[Yasunori] We must leave, Your Majesty.

-Hurry!
-There's something else appearing now!

Lord Taizan is a god
who controls human lives.

Likely, he was drawn here
because of this ki.

What can we expect from it?

-[man 1] It... it's a monster!
-[yelps]

[men exclaiming in shock]

[panting]

One more to go. But...

[splutters]

You've deceived us, Seimei!

How does this ceremony
protect the capital?

[chittering]

[whimpering]

Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo!

-[magical chiming]
-[squawks]

Feeling confident turning your back on me?

[groans]

[men whimpering]

-[Kaneie yelps]
-[magical chiming]

This way!

[Kaneie whimpering]

[Seimei] Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo!

[shrieks]

-[magical chiming]
-[growling]

[Kaneie] Good heavens!

[Yasunori thinks] Hurry up, Doman!

At your command regarding evil gossip,

I shall transform it,
giving name to its chaos.

Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo.

Well, look at that!
Not bad for something I threw together.

-[energy crackling]
-[monster grumbling]

[Tsuyuko] Kuromaru!

-[magical chiming]
-[gurgling]

-Hurry and run!
-Yes, ma'am!

Milady, it is far too dangerous
for you to stay here.

You think so? Surely I'm being of
more help than the Minister of the Left!

That was the Minister of the Right.

What do I know?

I'm only interested in bugs.

-[music fades]
-[yelling]

[eerie sighing sounds]

-[monstrous hissing]
-[demon grunts]

[demon panting]

[Seimei trembling]

[wind whistling]

-[unearthly grunting and hissing]
-[flames crackling]

[blade rings]

-[energy buzzing]
-[wind sighing]

How tiresome...

[demon] You can't run forever... Seimei Abe.

True. So let's end this.

[chanting]

Enough of your trickery!

[continues chanting]

[demon yells]

-[grunts]
-[Tsuyuko] Lord Seimei!

[groans and coughs]

Doman!

[Doman] Lord Atsumi!

You are quite the sight
in your demon form.

Why are you impeding me?

[Doman] I can't let you k*ll him, or this
will be a much duller place for me.

-[monster shrieks]
-Anyone in my way shall die!

-[Doman gasps]
-[monster screeches]

[dramatic music plays]

[panting]

[groans]

I will not let you revive him!

Struggle all you like.

It's pointless!

Oh.

Wait... What happened to your wound?

[magical chiming]

[crashing]

[grunts]

[gasps]

[magical chiming]

[Tsuyuko] What's this?

[Yasunori] Even as he fought,

Seimei was making preparations
to summon Lord Taizan.

[rumbling]

It's dangerous here. Let's depart.

What is all this?

Mitsuyo!

[gasps]

Mitsumushi...

[wind gusting]

[grunts]

[creaking]

[gasps] He's in danger!

-[Yasunori] Milady!
-[panting]

He will not resurrect!

[yells]

Please, wake up! It isn't safe here.

[shrieks]

[magical chiming]

[music fades]

Lord Hiromasa!

Have you returned to us?

I have.

I heard you call out to me.
Thanks for that.

-[Tsuyuko] Listen... Lord Seimei, he...
Yes, I know.

Although my soul was sealed
in the talisman,

I heard everything through it.

[thinks] But... how was I able
to come back to life?

[echoing] ...using a resurrection
spell would be a last resort.

[Doman] But help from him
carries a hefty toll.

Still wish to proceed?

[Hiromasa] How?

We are going to hold
a Lord Taizan Ceremony.

He'll want equal value,
which very well may be your own life.

[Seimei] I need
at least one friend to remain alive.

-[flute playing]
-My word...

That couldn't have been your compensation!

Could it?

[flute playing poignant tune]

[Hiromasa gasps]

[magical whooshing]

If we were to lose you,

it'd all be pointless!

Seimei!

[energy buzzing]

[gasping]

[energy fades]

[wind whistling]

[wind fades]

[poignant music continues]

[groans]

It's just like you...
never thinking how your actions affect us!

[sobbing]

[running footsteps]

[demon roars]

Lord Atsumi, stop!

You live again. How irritating.

[roars]

Don't do this!

Get a hold of yourself.
I will not fight you!

[demon] Then die once more!

[both grunt]

Only you... can save that man.

I don't understand. How can I?

[Doman] His horns!

Huh?

[Doman] Chop them off
and he'll return to his normal self.

He's filled with poison.

Horns and fangs are signs of desire,
rage and ignorance,

the poisons that turned him!

[Hiromasa] His horn!

[yells]

[demon grunts]

[growls]

Lord Atsumi...
I will be the one who'll free you!

[gentle ballad plays]

[music fades]