02x08 - Chrysanthemums and Peaches

[bunniefuu]

I can't see anything, but...

I can sense it.
The little guy's in trouble.

I was able to sense her tao then...

because my blood blurred
my vision in one eye.

Because I couldn't see,
I relied on my senses.

I gouged out one. The other's blurry.

Well... I can't see a thing.

But I can sense it clearly now.

You really are an incredible woman.

You have my thanks.

This is starting to get interesting!

A faint flower was blooming
unnoticed by anyone

Not a burning red,
but flickering serenely in red

I've been pausing for a long time
dragging my past at my feet

If I break free from this ambivalence,

will I be able to bloom by its side?

The future is slipping away
between my fingers

What mistake did I make
to pay this price?

Always hurting myself

and hesitant even to a small joy

I want to stop now

The flower just bloomed in dignity

and that was all I needed to be happy

I just wanted to protect this one flower

Wishing to be strong, I

picked up the vulnerability
I had once cast away

Can't break free from the ambivalence

In ambivalence, I become myself

Like rooting strongly into the soil

like swaying ephemerally to the wind

I'm slowly loosening myself to bloom

In a world without w*r, conquering it
with a sword is a pipe dream.

But that didn't stop me.

I sought to become the fastest,
sharpest, and strongest swordsman.

I wanted only one thing.

To cut down every powerful warrior...

and live forever by carving
my name into history.

How are you so strong, old man?

You're skinnier and
slower than me, so how?

Tetsunosuke, you're too greedy.

You want to be everything
because you're young.

Thicker, harder, hotter, faster.

You've lost focus.

Not everything a person eats
becomes part of them.

Eat too much, and it'll
pass right through you.

It's fine while you're young,
but cut back once you get older.

Cast off everything you can
and look closely at what's left.

You'll find everything within that.

Don't go wider. Go deeper.

Flip it on its side, and it's the same.

I never get what you're saying.

Back then, I didn't understand
my master's words.

You b*stard!

You'll pay for this!

Are you okay?

So I traveled around the country.

But I understand now.

The more you accumulate,
the harder it becomes to see yourself.

The less you have...

the better you can see.

You've made me even stronger.

Wow!

But...

that won't k*ll me!

Then I'll spend my whole life!

An eternity!

Forever and ever!

Cutting you again and again!

How romantic!

He's determined.

But if this becomes
a battle of attrition...

we'll lose.

Even if he can see her tao, he can't
k*ll her without the hindering effect.

Tao Fa's attribute is wood.

My metal attribute could k*ll her,

but I can't use tao well enough
to be effective.

If we wait too long,
Gantetsusai will die of blood loss.

What should we do?

Restoration is a flow
that supports yours.

Hindrance is one that halts it.

What are you doing? Move, Little-emon!

Is this what you're into?

Hindrance kills Tensen because it
prevents their tanden from regenerating!

In other words,

as long as I'm touching her tanden
immediately after it's destroyed,

the effect is the same!

Cut her, Tamiya Gantetsusai!

What?

Naturally, you must cut as close
as possible without cutting me.

It would be child's play for an Asaemon.

Is it too difficult for you, Blade Dragon?

I'll do it!

Honestly, it's nearly impossible
to be precise with these eyes.

At this rate,
I'll cut the little guy, too.

Cast off everything you can
and look closely at what's left.

You'll find everything within that.

Wow.

There you go, Little-emon. Child's play.

Ju Fa...

Without hindrance, this never ends.

But we don't have time for this.

I'll have to use that.

Don't do it, Brother.

Let's k*ll them together.

You're right.

Did you really think you'd
survive turning against us?

You fools don't consider consequences.

Consequences?

No matter the riff-raff
ahead or behind me,

I just crush whoever gets in my way.

I count on him to stand at my side.

That's all I need.

You may be livestock,
but I can agree with that.

Two is enough.

Ju Fa, help me!

I'm sorry, Tao Fa.

I got heated and left you by yourself.

You and I belong together.

We'll crush them together.

Ju Fa and Tao Fa, you are two as one.

We're all family,

but you're special.

I more or less understood.

Nobody else fears the Soshin or doshi.

They take their studies seriously, too.

But Tao Fa fears the Soshin,
and I don't really like studying.

Nobody really cares
if one of us gets hurt,

probably because they don't die.

But I don't like seeing
Tao Fa get hurt at all.

That's probably because you
have someone you care about.

We feel our own pain, but we can
only imagine the pain of another.

And you imagine it
because you care about them.

Imagination is the source
of anxiety and kindness.

It's just harder to notice
with bodies like ours.

Ju Fa, we're all playing over here.

Tao Fa.

Shall we go?

We have plenty of time.

We can take our time studying together.

The first change was Rien.

They are Hoko. Prototype Tensen.

They were sent to live outside the castle.

Use them to replenish your lost tao.

Replenish?

You will begin your proper training now.

It's the reason you were created.

Ran will study doin.

Mu Dan will study shuten.

Gui Fa will study shuitsu.

Zhu Jin will study taisoku.

And...

Ju Fa and Tao Fa will study bochu jutsu.

This is the reason I raised you together.

I know this is sudden,
but it can't be helped.

You'll focus on your studies
and teach each other.

The kindness disappeared from Rien.

I don't want to use the Hoko.

I can't help imagining how they feel.

Neither do I, Tao Fa.

It's not much, but let's use fruit
to replenish our tao.

Thank you.

I'm glad I was paired with you, Ju Fa.

Several years later,
Mei vanished from the castle.

I didn't know why.

But significantly, nobody seemed to care.

Our training became more intense,

and our sense of reality
became even more distorted.

It's okay. I'm here.

I must protect Tao Fa's smile.

A hundred years passed, and the animals
we brought from the mainland died out.

Our training continued.

A hundred more years passed,
and the Hoko village fell into ruin.

Our training continued.

How long are we going to keep doing this?

Soon the Hoko will be gone,
and we'll run out of crops.

What are Rien and
the grandmaster thinking?

They must have a plan.

We can bring in sources of tao
from the outside.

The outside? You mean humans?

Obviously.

If you don't like that, eventually
we'll run out of tao and die.

We're not truly immortal.

Besides, I doubt we'll
achieve perfect immortality

no matter how much we train.

You mean our training and
Tao Fa's suffering was pointless?

How can they smile?

Have they truly lost their minds?

Have they grown accustomed to the
endless training and lost their minds?

Or is it me?

Are Tao Fa and I the crazy ones?

I must protect Tao Fa's smile.

What is that, Tao Fa?

Chum. It's for attracting
humans from the outside.

In the grandmaster's homeland,
they send flowers with invitations.

Isn't that perfect?

If we do it enough times,

some humans who find it strange
might come to investigate.

The kaijin won't attack it if we
launch it through the sluice gate.

The ocean currents
will carry it to Wakoku.

I don't want to use the Hoko.

I can't help imagining how they feel.

Tao Fa, are you okay with this?

Totally.

Is that weird?

No, of course not.

Humans are like the Hoko.
Less than livestock.

They're ours to use.

We're not crazy.

It's this world that's crazy.

Everything besides us is crazy.

Livestock, livestock.

That's their Kishikai transformation?

They combined.

Feathers—no, wings?

Either way, it can't be easy
for them to move indoors.

We can't do anything like this!

What did you say?

Brother!

I'm amazed it can fly with those wings.

I agree. Structurally,
it should be impossible.

Twisted and unnatural,
yet somehow seductive.

Their appearance is like love itself.

You're struggling
after your betrayal, Big Brother.

After that monster, you're next, old man.

I'm not letting you beat me to it.

Wait!

You're bleeding too much.
Let me tend your wounds.

We don't have time for that.

If I k*ll that monster,
my name will go down in history.

But you'll die!

I'm okay with that.

Gantetsusai! Hey!

Are those fluffy spores causing this?

Ow!

Take cover. Touching
the spores is dangerous.

This is bad.

They keep falling.

Brother!

I know, but don't stop me now.

Okay.

As long as I maintain my sense of self,
I can control this power.

As I thought, my metal tao
is effective against Tao Fa's wood.

If I can destroy her tanden, she'll die.

But...

Brother!

They're both enormous and quick.

And most of all, they've got two tanden.

Where'd all your bluster go, Big Brother?

Shut up.

Brother! Brother, Brother, Brother!

Okay, okay. Calm down, all of you.

No single one of us can k*ll that monster.

We may not like it, but
we have to work together.

Work with him? You're joking.

I don't want you anyway. You're injured.

You're one rude brat.

Your brother's indebted to me
for teaching him, you know.

He's not a brat!
And I don't owe you anything!

You heard him.

Do I need to punish both of you?

Shut up, idiot.

Our current enemy is that monster.

If you want to k*ll
each other, do it after.

If you hold me back, I'll k*ll you.

Right back at you.

All right. Let's do this.

I'm still treating your wounds.

I'm amazed you stuck around this guy.

You're the one who told me
to wait for you.

Now, then.

Let's go k*ll a monster.

On the other side, even today

Someone is unraveling,
yet they still stand

A stab to the chest, this loneliness

Points and lines,
breaking off and vanishing

My shattered mask

It's more than I can bear

But I must keep on living

Tomorrow awaits to greet me

It's endless

And so fragile

Is it better to believe
hearts don't exist at all?

Radiant and soft

Was the hand

I squeezed back on that day

How much farther until we reach that
Horai place the doshi thing mentioned?

Roughly eight ri.
We'll be there before tomorrow.

What?!

Is this not a bit reckless?

They say shinobi can run 40 ri in a day,

but we're samurai. Without horses...

Then we'll use the horse whistle.

Horse whistle?

Wait. You're not serious, are you?

Of course I am.

The doshi told us how to use it
during the interrogation.

You've completely lost your mind. Don't—

Shugen-sama, the genin searching
the area have returned.

They recovered what we believe are
the personal effects of the expeditioners.

Could you take a look at them?

Tenza... Genji...

It can't be...

Brother... Brother Genji!

Judging by the state of the bodies,
some were k*lled by criminals.

We have no time to waste.

We must travel to Horai as quickly
as possible and find our companions.

I will k*ll the sages and the criminals.

In that case, Shugen-sama...

This is the cave.

Please use the horse whistle.

What's that whistle for?

Don't you remember?

It's for controlling monsters.

The monsters live inside that cave.

You can't be serious.

I'm deadly serious.

Like I said...

Shugen's lost his mind.

I'm on my way.