02x01 - Infatuation Reborn

[bunniefuu]

Its existence is a mystery in this world.

It is immortal.

Fushi.

The emotions, feelings, pain,

and the death of the people he meets…

These stimulate him and make him grow

and gain.

Fushi's journey continues.

He hopes that

this will be his journey.

All right.

Thank you.

Run!

Father!

Hurry!

Hey, how long have I been on this island?

Close to 40 years.

What have I been doing all these years?

You have a duty to preserve all matters.

I know that,

but when will I be done with this?

When you can recreate that sea.

Isn't this enough?

You need awareness.

The awareness that it is yours.

That'll take a thousand years.

Do you feel lonely?

I'm bored.

Dive into the sea and play
with your friends in the sea again then.

Don't even bring that up.
That was a terrible experience.

I stopped eating fish after that.

At that time,

I just wanted to rebel against him.

No.

Fushi, what is your dream?

Be like me and do whatever you want.

That's why

I decided I wouldn't see anyone again.

I turned myself into a crab.

Fascinating.

You wish to acquire something
you cannot attain in human form.

What's happening?

Why?

As it turns out,
that specific type of crab was blind.

I can't quite remember
what happened after that.

I took on the forms of many things.

According to the black-hooded guy,

I drifted along in the sea for two years.

I grew up with this guy.

It was friendly to me,
a being with poor eyesight.

I didn't have to think about a lot
when I abandoned my human form.

At most, I thought about
the foods and tastes I liked.

At times, I needed to be on guard
against predators but that was it.

However,

"I'd feel sad if this guy died."
Just when I had thought of that…

It left me.

The Nokkers are here.

I remembered everything instantly.

About Pioran, everyone else,

and the fact that I couldn't
defeat the Nokkers on my own.

I can use these expl*sive arrows!

There was another Nokker?!

A longer bow suits Uroy's body better.

Then, all of a sudden,
I was enveloped by guilt.

I hated the fact that
I was using their deaths to live,

but I hated losing them even more.

After that, the Nokkers kept coming.

I kept fighting.

I defeated them

and ate them.

Forty years…

I wonder how everyone else is doing.

Rean and Tonari should be much older now.

It's all right. Everyone's probably fine.

Sorry to bother you when you're down.

Again? Where is it?

It is already wreaking havoc
outside the island.

Why isn't it coming here?

Perhaps it has given up on you.

Perhaps it intends to clear
the surrounding hurdles first

or to lure you away from the island.

Don't tell me it's attacking humans?

Take me to it!

Even if you depart now,
it'll be a month before you get there.

Will you still go?

Someone might die!

Too late. Lives have already been lost.

Dammit!

Those damn Nokkers!

Using such underhanded tactics!

There must've been smarter ways!

Come on. We're leaving this island.

Understood.

But can I handle it on my own?

No. There's no time to worry about that.

I've finally found you, Fushi!

My name is Hisame.
It is an honor to meet you.

My grandmother, Hayase,
was under your care.

Grandmother? Hayase's granddaughter?

Yes. I lead the Guardian Force that will
now protect you. I've come to greet you--

Wait! How did you know I was here?

I've been searching for you for so long!

I've been looking forward
to meeting you all this time!

Let go of me!

You smell.

Did you bathe properly?

Really?

Rather, why did you suddenly hug me?

Sorry. My mother taught me to do that.

Mother… Hayase's daughter, huh?

What about Hayase?

She passed away before I was born.

Is that so? That woman's dead?

Your tone…

According to my grandmother's records,

you're a kind person who valued life.

Did she also mention that she k*lled
two of the most important people to me?

Yes, but she stated that it was necessary.

Necessary…

How old are you?

Nine.

So you don't understand anything yet.

Unfortunately, you were indoctrinated
by adults with the wrong things.

That's a good thing.

Because from now on,
I'll encounter surprises and experiences.

Right and wrong things,

things about you, and love.

You're right.

Can I leave now?

I have something to do.

I'll come with you!

I'll be your guardian
and protect you from monsters!

Protect me? A nine-year-old?

I won't save you even if you get attacked.

I know.

Do what you want.

Understood!

Hey! I don't know why you're doing this
but this feels uncomfortable!

Stay at least five meters away from me!

I'm sorry.

Eat with us. The food is delicious.

I'll pass. I have this.

What's that?

Pickled and dried Nokkers.

You're eating something like that?

Please have this.

I'm fine.

I'm turning in.

Good night.

I've prepared some tea. Please have some.

Allow me to patch this hole up for you.

I'll help!

Shall I wash your back for you?

Okay. This should be far enough.

If I head towards the town
where the Nokker is attacking,

I might attract another one.

But if I can use Hisame and her crew,

I might be able to save the town.

Hisame…

She's Hayase's granddaughter,
but she seems rather harmless.

No!

What's going on?

I'm sorry.

I just wanted to sleep with you.

This painful sensation…

Let me see your arm!

What a surprise.

So this is the smarter way
the Nokkers came up with.

This guy kept this from me on purpose!

I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you.

My arm moved on its own.

You were trying to sneak up on me!

This is no Guardian Force!

I'm cutting it off!

You can't!

My grandmother passed this
to my mother, and she passed it to me!

It represents the will
of the Guardian Force!

What?

It feeds on my blood to survive.

So it listens to me.

It's okay. See? It's all right.

You can communicate with it?

No, but it understands me

because it knows just what I am.

I am Hayase's reincarnation.

What?

When she was still alive,

my grandmother said that she would
reincarnate into my mother's womb.

I am truly sorry for what happened.

I shall sleep over there.

Okay.

To think the Nokker and Hayase would fuse
and turn into that inexplicable thing!

So long as you do not get rid of it,
it will find you no matter where you are.

It doesn't matter.
It's just a personal thing.

I never thought that humans
would seek longevity using such a method.

So long the will continues to exist,
then one's existence does not cease--

Stop talking.

Reincarnation? All that is messing
with my head and it's driving me crazy.

What the heck is that thing?

For a living being to move,

it requires a vessel
and to be filled with fye.

What occurs when the fye
is transferred to a new vessel

is what we regard as reincarnation.

Hold on. What's fye?

Fye is the energy required
to move the vessel.

Humans refer to fye as
a "soul" or "spirit."

You should know.

When a living being
loses its capability to feel

and becomes empty,

it means the vessel can no longer
be used and the fye is released.

The fye then, by its will,
goes anywhere it desires.

Then…

Pioran, Gugu, March…

Everyone who died…

By their wills,
they probably exist somewhere.

If Hayase died of strong will,

then it's not surprising
that her fye would enter Hisame's body.

However, she would not
possess memories of her past

and essentially live as another person.

So that means Hisame is just Hisame?

She's not Hayase, right?

Yes. Does something bother you?

It wasn't Hisame who k*lled
March and Parona but I still feel uneasy.

It's not exactly right of me
to hate a nine-year-old girl one-sidedly.

You've been tormented
by Hayase for a long time.

Your behavior is understandable.

It is a common defense mechanism
of the human body.

If you feel uncomfortable
with your current state,

you should try to build immunity.

Build immunity?

Gradual exposure.

It might be unpleasant at first,
but you'll grow used to it.

You are distressed because
you don't understand the other party.

What will you do, Fushi?

Found him!

I was worried!

Please do not leave on your own!

I woke up early to build these boats.

We need to row to the other island.

Fushi, thank you.

I'll take this boat.

All right! I caught a fish!

Let's have dinner together, Fushi.

I'm fine.

After all the effort
I spent catching this…

Hisame.

When we get to the town,
have a doctor remove that thing.

What? I don't want to.

You're still young.

You shouldn't be controlled
by someone at your age.

You are a kind person, after all.

Is that the place?

Yes. It was attacked a month ago.

If you like, I could go down
and check the town for you.

You're worried that your presence
will attract more Nokkers, yes?

I've heard about that.

Is that all right?

Supporting you
is the Guardian Force's duty.

Please wait here.

If all goes well,
I will return by nightfall!

Thanks.

Not at all!

They're taking a long time.

Could it be…

Is the situation worse than I thought?

Too late. Lives have already been lost.

Shut up.

Hey, you over there.

Did you come to check on
the village that was attacked?

No, I…

We did too. It's concerning.

We came to help the village.
Things just calmed down a bit.

There's a cemetery nearby.

I heard those things
are crawling out of the graves.

But most of the people have evacuated.
Only a handful are left in the village.

How many died?

Six dead. Thirty-three injured.

When did you arrive?

This morning.

That's odd.

The Nokkers are after Fushi, aren't they?

You know who I am?

"The White-Haired Immortal." You've got
quite the reputation. Didn't you know?

There are rumors about you everywhere.

How? I've been living
in isolation for so long.

Well, I seem to remember
a little girl rambling about you.

And those guys
from the Guardian Force too.

They're your loyal fans.

They've been talking about you
every day to get more followers.

You best be on your guard.

They just want to take possession of you.

I heard that!

Goodness! You must be…

I won't allow anyone to speak ill
of the Guardian Force. Who are you?

I'm a doctor.

I treat the injured in the village.

I see. Thank you for your hard work.

-Hey…
-I talked to the village chief.

They said they'd be honored to have you.
Let's rest in the village for the night.

Perfect! Let's have dinner together!

Sorry for having you pay for dinner.

If it'll get you to understand our cause,

eat as much as you like.

Goodness. But you've already
got quite the following, don't you?

Yes. Thanks to everyone,

we've gathered enough believers
to form a country over the past 40 years.

But we wish to have more people
learn of us and accept our cause.

Is that so? In my view,

you guys are just a group
that wants to control Fushi.

That's a misunderstanding.

He hid himself away on the island
for 40 years because of the Nokkers.

Our mission is to provide him
with a safe haven

and release him from the cage
he built around his heart.

But in reality,

what happened is you've captured him twice
and lost him twice.

You must be getting impatient.

You know a lot about our past, don't you?

We don't intend to take him c*ptive.

Rather, to protect him from the unknown

and to protect the people
from the unknown that he is.

Those are our two duties.

So that's why there haven't been
any adults around to protect you?

Please do not bring up unrelated matters!

Sorry to interrupt.

None of this matters to me.

The same goes for the past.
At least, that's how I feel now.

More importantly, Doctor…

Please remove this tumor.

This thing is still alive, right?

I'm amazed you're still alive, Hisame.

I'm thirsty.

Shall I prepare some tea?

Yes. Prepare enough for everyone.

Understood.

Fushi.

Have you heard about fragmented bats?

No.

In the past, there were those who consumed
them without knowing they were poisonous.

And the fool that I was,
I wanted to verify it.

I started by taking just a grain.

The result was severe vomiting
and abdominal pain. I thought I was dying.

However, when I tried again
every two days, nothing happened.

Then, I went for a mouthful.

Once again, I thought
I would be dead for sure,

but I continued for a month.

Then, I ate one whole bat.

I felt like death was knocking on my door
again, but I carried on for another month.

And just like before, you were fine?

Morning glory from the west, huh?

It's a nostalgic taste.

May I have a refill?

I tried other poisons
besides the fragmented bats.

Seeded frogs, pus snakes, malice turnips.

For the past 40 years, my body
has ingested various poisons and toxins.

Where are you going with this?

Why do you think I did that?

It's because I remembered

we were drugged several times.

Your tea.

And I was the only one
who recovered immediately.

This is

tea made of ugly lotus.

In 30 seconds, one's speech will become
incoherent and die within a few minutes.

It's a poison the Takunaha
often administer to k*ll the Yanome.

I was injected with the poison once too.

Thirty seconds should be up.

Seize her!

Those who have been poisoned

are strong against poisons.

You're Jananda's…

Tonari.

NEXT EPISODE

After 40 years,

the gears of fate turn again.

Hisame attempts to capture Fushi,

but she is stopped by Tonari of Jananda.

What will Fushi gain

from this reunion with old friends?