01x14 - Tekkamen

[bunniefuu]

IMPERIAL CAPITAL BEFORE DAWN,
JANUARY, TAISHO 13 [1924]

Halt!

There's someone there.

Sir, what should we do?

We have to cut them down.

But, sir...

He's seen us.

We have no choice!

He's a soldier too?!

MAO

THE IRON MASK

On that day, the area was
reportedly littered with blood,

military uniforms and bayonets,

along with countless silver lumps
scattered among them.

MAO

MAO
Silver lumps?

OTOYA
It looks like the military trucks

OTOYA
took everything away.

I wonder what they were?

This is concerning.

NANOKA KIBA
The cursed talismans were blown to pieces...

The lingering traces of an Onmyo spell.

I have a bad feeling
about this Metal aura.

Metal?

Seems some hotheaded young officer

who was unhappy with the recent
military reduction policies

tried to stage a coup.

I hear his entire platoon vanished
without a trace.

Do you think they all deserted?

No, apparently,

Captain Shirasu secretly took care
of them behind the scenes.

What? An iron mask?

That's Captain Shirasu.

I hear he's worn that ever since he was
severely injured in the w*r with Russia.

I've heard rumors about him...

My, my, Captain Shirasu!

How wonderful of you to join us!

This is hardly my sort of place.

A salon for political and
financial elites.

Not at all.

The reason we invited you today
was at the earnest request

of a young lady from
an aristocratic family.

She tells me she has
been an admirer of

the legendary Captain Shirasu
for some time.

Captain Shirasu!

I heard that you were deployed
to the continent.

I'm delighted to finally meet you...

...Captain Shirasu.

Or...

Should I call you Hakubi?

You kept to Kyoto for years, but here
you are in the Imperial Capital.

HAKUBI
What are you plotting...

YURAKO
...Lady Yurako?

YURAKO

That woman eventually
started showing up

at salons frequented by
the political and financial elite.

She claims to be
a member of the nobility,

KAMON
but something about her doesn't add up.

What are you talking about, Kamon?

He's back again.

That woman's family...

Both Viscount Arimiya and his wife
were caught in the fires

following the big earthquake
and perished.

Their only son was
the heir to the estate.

The heir?

But the ones managing
the estate right now

are a couple claiming to be relatives.

No one knows what became
of the estate’s rightful heir.

I know of a similar case as well.

The son of an aristocratic family whose home
was taken over by complete strangers.

And then, a woman claiming
to be a relative

appeared at the home of the former
doctor who had taken him in.

I see.

What is that woman doing at the salon?

Well...

There's a rumor going around
among the wealthy.

Word is, an onmyoji of the Goko Clan

who can prolong life
is coming to the Capital.

Is it Shiranui?

Does that mean Mao is going
to be attacked again?

The rumors about the Goko Clan
started spreading

around the same time that woman
began appearing at those salons.

I think...

She's working for Shiranui.

What do you say, Mao?

Want to go and meet that woman?

I'm interested.

A Metal aura appears, and now...

We're back to Shiranui,
the Water sorcerer.

Thank you for coming!

You must be Mr. Kuchinawa
and your friend...

Oh, Dr. Nekomata!
We're honored to have you here!

Nekomata?

What a horrible alias.

Oh, by the way...

Nanoka and Otoya,
please wait in the other room.

Huh? Why?

Accompanying servants
aren't allowed inside.

Servants?!

At this salon, powerful men come
to discuss complicated subjects.

It's not a ball.

And here I thought
I would get to wear a gown...

You look cute, Miss Nanoka.

Thank you.

Have you heard the rumors?

Oh, about the messenger of that onmyoji
who can extend people's lives?

I hear they're supposed
to appear tonight.

The rumors are spreading quickly.

Yes.

So the woman who works as
a messenger for Shiranui

uses gatherings like these to find
clients seeking to extend their lives...

Is that how it works?

Yeah, but it looks like they're
at the stage of taking reservations.

After all,

Shiranui's life-extension spells
are incredibly crude.

I'm surprised he managed
to stay in business

this long in Kyoto
without getting exposed.

Shiranui's purpose in coming
to the Imperial Capital,

must be the secret art of Taizanfukun.

True.

Mao, you said you became one
with the body of Byouki,

but what happened to its head?

Byouki's head escaped.

The secret art of Taizanfukun

is contained within the head of Byouki
that consumed the secret scrolls.

I do not know the spell.

But Shiranui doesn't know that,
and he's coming after you.

Well, well!

We are honored by your presence,
Lady Yurako.

Good evening.

Yurako...

Wow, her face is covered,
but you can tell she's beautiful.

Kamon?

It's been far too long.

Yes, it has.

Good evening.

Uh... And you are?

Good to see you again.
I'm Kuchinawa.

Oh, of course. Kuchinawa.

How've you been?

Fine, thank you.

Kamon.

Mr. Kuchinawa...

Good evening, Lady Yurako.

So he's caught wind of us.

What do I do now?

Mr. Kuchinawa, what's been
keeping you busy these days?

Well, I've been keeping
an eye on the city.

Mao!

I... Uh...

I must excuse myself for the evening!

Lady Yurako?!

Let's follow her, Mao!
- Right.

We can't catch up.

Do you think she put up a barrier?

Is she a sorcerer?

Who is this woman?

We should be heading back,
Miss Nanoka.

So this is what a rich
man's garden looks like.

Nanoka!
- Huh? Mao?

Stop her, Nanoka!

Is she the one working
for Shiranui?!

Out of my way!

W-What was that voice?!

It sounded like multiple voices
all speaking together!

Lady Sana...?

Lady Sana?!

Mao...

I didn't want to meet like this.

That was quite a surprise...

That was Lady Sana?

Lady Sana...

...is still alive?

MAO

Mao joined forces
with Byouki and fled!

The Master! The Master's been k*lled!

Lady Sana...

Lady Sana...

Lady Sana, too...

Oh my god...!

Her heart's been
ripped out of her chest.

Mao k*lled her!

Hyakka.

Are you okay?

Kamon.

Why did Mao k*ll Lady Sana?!

Calm down, Hyakka.

A lot of people saw it.

I saw it, too.

Hakubi...

MILK HALL

HYAKKA
I saw Lady Sana's lifeless body

with my own eyes.

You saw it too, Kamon.

I did.

Right down to when
her body was buried.

But I'm positive
that was Lady Sana.

Even if she calls herself Yurako.

And she's working for Shiranui...

Why?

Maybe she came back
from the grave?

That's impossible!

You of all people saying that?

We're sorry to bother you
after closing time, Miss Tenko.

TENKO
Not at all.

For some reason, the owner
was happy to accommodate us.

Please, sir.

My pleasure.

But if that woman is actually alive,

then the story about
Dr. Mao k*lling her was false?

Yes.

That accusation has
weighed heavily on Master Mao.

But despite learning
that she was alive,

he did not seem happy about it.

That was Lady Sana?

She's nothing like
the image I had of her.

Out of my way!

That voice...

There's no way I imagined it.

Should I tell Mao about it?

So, Mao...

If it comes to it, are you prepared
to fight Lady Sana?

Whatever happened before, Lady Sana...

...is working for Shiranui now.

She's the enemy.

Treating Lady Sana as the enemy...

I can't do it!

Hey, you keep quiet.

Even though it was ages ago,

she was once the woman
you promised to marry.

I wouldn't call it a promise...

If you are to inherit all
of the secret scrolls...

...that means you will
become my husband.

I will obey my father's wishes.

Lady Sana was in love
with someone else.

What?
- What?!

Yeah, I knew.

Lady Sana only had eyes for him.

Had there been no struggle
over the succession,

Lady Sana would have
spent her life with him

and found happiness.

I want to save her.

So it was unrequited love.

But still, it feels like
he's never gotten over it.

Mao...

I didn't want to meet like this.

And what did she mean by that?

Out of my way!

That wasn't a human voice.

I'm going to tell Mao, after all.

Mao...

Shh!

Something's coming.

This is...

What is that?!

It looks like a shikigami.

A shikigami?!

This Metal aura...

It’s the same one
from that military incident.

Did it come for me?

Long ago, I befriended
a wealthy Kansai merchant

and he let me travel aboard
a ship bound for Edo.

Although the skies were clear
and it looked like smooth sailing,

the ship suddenly capsized
and we almost died.

I thought maybe we struck a whale,

but I saw something that looked like
a giant onmyoji swimming away.

I thought my eyes
were playing tricks on me...

But now that I think about it,
was that Shiranui's doing too?

Yeah.

That must have been Mokuzu.

One of Shiranui's underlings.

Were you targeted, too, Hyakka?

I mean, your eye...

Huh?

Yeah. It was around the time
of the w*r with Russia.

What is this?

Metal aura?

Nanoka, take Otoya with you and run.

What? But...

I'm the one it's after.

It's working?
- Yes.

That's a Metal shikigami.

Fire melts Metal.

Fire overcomes Metal.

That is why Master Mao
is using a Fire katashiro.

Did I stop it?

Mao!
- Master Mao!

He's gone...!

Nanoka!

Nanoka, what happened?

Mao was...

Was he abducted?

Yes. It seems to have
used some sort of barrier.

What the hell?!

I thought Shiranui was the only one
trying to capture Mao alive?!

It was a mechanical Metal shikigami.

He was shot.

We need to help him!

The Sword of Hagunsei...

It's trying to get to Master Mao

Please! Take me to Mao!

What is this?

It's the trail of Metal aura.

Let's follow it.

Right!

Where am I?

Water...

SHIRANUI

Shiranui...

It really is you, Mao.

Ever since that day,

not a day has gone by that I've
forgotten how much I loathe you.

Loathe me...?

NEXT TIME
White Bone Cave

is a natural maze of countless
branching tunnels.

All you have to do
is make it out alive.

You k*lled him, didn't you?!

That's why...!

Answer me, Shiranui.

Why is Lady Sana still alive
and with you?

How is she even alive?!

What was Lady Sana like?

Extra! Extra!

Mysterious m*ssacre at Hitokabe Village!

Next time: "Shiranui."