01x11 - Metamorphosis

[bunniefuu]

[dramatic music playing]

Come on! Answer!

Say something! Anything!

[panting]

Oh, there you are.

Huh, what a relief! Are you hurt?

[gasps]

[roaring]

-[clang]
-[demon Atsumi yelps]

[thud]

I will not allow you to die.

[woman] Lord Seimei?

[gasps]

[breathing shakily]

Are you all right?

Please come back, Lord Seimei!

[women sobbing]

[gulps]

[shudders]

[rock music plays]

ONMYOJI

EPISODE 11:
METAMORPHOSIS

[footsteps approach]

[Seimei] Where is Lord Atsumi?

[Doman sighs] Well, well!

You look more human
since the last time I saw you.

Do not make me ask you again.

[Doman] What will you do if I tell you?
Are you gonna k*ll him?

[shudders]

-[tense music plays]
-What would spur you to aid a demon?

[Doman] Isn't it obvious?

Because for the first time,
you've become attached to a human.

I had to see what would happen
if mortal peril befell that man...

[growls]

[laughs loudly]

To think he'd actually die!

Damn you! [yells]

Don't blame me!
[chuckles] Hah!

[Seimei groans]

[groans]

I think you should take
some of the blame for not stopping it.

Didn't you have enough clues to go off of?

You should've realized.

Why couldn't you see it?

Why weren't you able to save him?

[music fades]

[Seimei, shakily] I am not to blame.

He is the one who kept me
in the dark about everything.

The blame is on him.

[Doman] That's no way
to talk about a dear friend.

I have no friends. I never have.

Hmm...

He spoke to me while you teetered on the
brink of death yourself.

-I remember his words clearly.

-[magical chiming]
-[gentle music plays]

[Hiromasa] So if I offer my talent
for the flute, Seimei will be saved?

[Doman] Yes. Is that acceptable?

[Hiromasa] It is.

Between my friend and my talent?

It's not even a question
which one would be more terrible to lose.

[gasps]

[Doman] Thanks to him,
you were pulled from the jaws of death.

Quite the heroic gesture, don't you think?

As flowers are fated to wilt,
so too are humans.

The fact that he met his end
was inevitable.

It's futile trying
to bring time to a standstill

because of the death of one man.

So have a drink with me.

Come now... leaving already?

He's no fun.

Well, for one thing, you're
a lot more kind-hearted than her.

So what I'm hearing is
that you are lonely, then.

There are so many people
who are fond of you.

[music fades]

[people murmuring and crying]

[Tsuyuko sobbing]

He's gone. Just like that.

[birdsong]

[woman] Staying out all night
without any warning!

Do you have any idea
how worried you made us, Lord Atsumi?

Oh my...

What is that?

[yelps]

It's nothing...

I'll bring you a change of clothes
right away.

How did... it come to this?

[suspenseful music plays]

[Atsumi's demon] That demon's flute
you stole from him...

You can play it now, can you not?

Damn you!

[demon] At last,
you are the best flautist in the capital.

That flute will surely recognize us now.

Go on. Play it!

[grunts]

[Atsumi] Silence!

[grunts]

[demon] Throwing it away?

Don't be foolish.

You went through all the trouble
of k*lling him to acquire it!

That was your idea!

You k*lled Hiromasa!

Lord Atsumi? [gasps]

What is it?

A... a monster!

Huh?

[grunts]

[gasps]

-[attendant] Someone! Come quick!
-[Atsumi gasping]

[people murmuring]

[demon] Why are you running?

All I want is to enjoy the flute.

[Atsumi] Why won't you leave me alone?

Did murdering my friend not satisfy you?

[demon] Hiromasa was a fool.

When the sekisanko failed,
you should've k*lled him then!

[Doman] What's this now?
The sekisanko entered Seimei?

The reason I provided you that creature
in the first place

was because you wanted to k*ll Hiromasa.

What changed?

The one who sought
that outcome was not me,

but this demon.

Will Seimei live?

He will. I won't let him die.

I would hate to lose
the only source of fun I have.

Now then, as for the sacrifice...

[Atsumi] Come again?

-[rattling]
-In order to extend his life force,

you'll need to offer
something of equal value.

Equal to his life?

[demon's voice]
You should offer Hiromasa's.

[Atsumi gasps]

[demon] We want to eliminate him, and this
would be the perfect opportunity for it!

[Atsumi] I will not let you do that!

Lady Doman.

-[thunderclap]
-[demon] Sacrifice Hiromasa's life.

[Atsumi] I said no!
I won't let you k*ll him!

[demon] Snuff him out like a candle!

[Atsumi] I won't allow it!

Would one of you
make up your mind already?

Huh.

How about this?

He offers his talent for the flute.

The gods do love the sound of his playing.

[Atsumi] His talent for it...
That could work.

[thunder echoing]

[demon] But even after
he lost his ability,

it didn't change his disposition
in the slightest.

-[emotional music playing]
-I loathe him!

-I'm envious! I despise him!
-[Atsumi] Be quiet!

[gasps] That is not how I feel!

Hiromasa has been a true friend to me,
and I to him.

I taught him the flute!

So why, after all that...

How? How could I k*ll him?

I didn't want to!

Hiromasa was...

[sobs]

He is my...

He was my... precious friend.

[emotional music continues]

[water splashing gently]

[footsteps approaching]

[clattering]

[liquid pouring]

[magical chiming]

Care for a drink?

[gasps]

[music fades]

A-ha, so this is where
you've been skulking.

Oh, Lord Yasunori. Did you need me?

Look here.

What is this?

[Yasunori] A talisman
that contains a human soul.

The soul of one... Hiromasa Minamoto.

[Seimei gasps]

[Yasunori] I felt there could be a chance
the demon was not targeting you.

Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo.

So I secretly applied this talisman.

However...

his soul was the only thing
I was able to protect in the end.

So then...

[Yasunori] Yes.
We cannot consider him dead just yet.

[Seimei shudders]

Even so, this likely changes nothing.

Although his soul is intact,

his heart has stopped,
and so has his breathing.

We're prolonging the inevitable.

Hardly. This just might work.

And how could it?

We are going to hold
a Lord Taizan Ceremony.

And do what?

We'll ask Lord Taizan
to intervene and save Hiromasa.

The deity who controls human lives?
That Taizan?

Come now! Do you know
how serious what you are proposing is?

I do.

This ceremony you are suggesting is not
something that can be done so blithely.

Even if you can summon him,

he will require payment
of something of equal value,

which very well may be your own life.

I would expect as much.

You think it would bring Hiromasa joy
if you were to die like that?

[shudders]

[meows]

[Yasunori] Enough of this, Seimei.

All that can be done now
is to return his soul to his body

and allow him to properly meet his end,

in accordance with the laws of nature.

You know it is the right thing to do.

You need to let him go.

Everything that has happened...
is all because of me.

Hiromasa...

forgive me.

[suspenseful music plays]

I will not let you die.

[Atsumi gasping]

[demon] Hiromasa is to blame for it.

[Atsumi] You lie! He never deserved this.

[demon] I will never forgive him
for stealing that secret song.

It took years of mastering the flute

before that ghostly melody
could be properly resurrected...

[Atsumi] Stop, I say...

[demon] Years! But it didn't matter!

-[flute playing mystical tune]
-[panting]

[gasps]

[demon] He only needed
to hear it once to play it!

[Atsumi] I've heard enough!

[flute music continues]

[demon] And that demon's flute!

The way he'd flaunt the fact
that no one else but him could play it!

[Atsumi] He is not to blame
for any of this!

[woman shrieks]

[man] A demon!

[Atsumi] No, wait... I'm not!

-[man] There's a demon here!
-[Atsumi yelps]

[people clamoring]

[man] Keep away!

-[demon] He's to blame!
-[Atsumi] You're to blame!

-If it wasn't for you...
-[demon] If it wasn't for him...

[Atsumi] A demon's flute.

I'll never have the skill to play it.
Ever.

-[snipping]
-Hmph.

[demon] Are you going
to wallow like this forever?

[Atsumi gasps]

[demon] The flute is
your one true calling.

-Don't let him usurp it!
-Who's there?

[demon] None other than I.

Whatever kind of evil you are,
you cannot lead me astray.

Don't you despise Hiromasa?

He is responsible for all your anguish.

Ridiculous. I don't believe that.

Prodigies like him can't help
but make others feel lowly by comparison.

He could never understand
this misery we feel!

Be quiet.

-You hate him, don't you?
-I said quiet!

[Atsumi whimpers]

You adore the flute.
But you also adore your friend.

Wh... what are you driving at?

You must decide between the two.

The flute, or your friend.

Choose!

[demon] And so... I chose the flute for you!

You don't have to suffer anymore!

[chuckles] Hiromasa is dead!

He will no longer be a nuisance!

I had a feeling
you'd return to this place.

[groans] Why are you here?

If I left you alive,
it would cause problems later on.

[Hiromasa] Please...
save Lord Atsumi for me.

He is far too gone to save.

[growls]

[demon yells]

-[magical chiming]
-[demon yelps]

Now's your chance. k*ll me.

I shall.

-[demon chuckles]
-Huh?

[laughing]

I knew you were nothing like that man!

Hiromasa was beyond naïve!

Naïve?

That's right. He was.

Do you despise me?

[demon] I do.

[Atsumi] Please... Hiromasa.

-You have to flee.
-[demon] You have to die.

[grunts]

[blade rings]

[Atsumi whimpers]

But why?

It's simple.
I have faith in you, Lord Atsumi.

-[Seimei] Where are you? Say something!
-[gasps]

[Seimei] Where have you gone?

I'm here!

I'm sure Seimei can help
turn you back into a human.

I want the kind-hearted man
I've known to return, don't you?

-[Atsumi shudders]
-[demon chuckles]

[giggles]

[Atsumi] Yes.

[chuckles]

Seimei...

[gasps]

[emotional music plays]

Lord Atsumi?

[demon] This innocent demeanor of yours,
that is what I detest the most!

He was so naïve to the very end.

Not in his wildest dreams
could he imagine I would k*ll him.

[Seimei] And yet you did k*ll him.
Didn't you?

[demon] Yes, that's right!

And thus, my wish was granted!

[breathing shakily]

[laughs]

And now that that man is dead,
I can finally...

finally...

[gasps]

[shudders]

[Atsumi] I... I have no idea
why it had to end this way.

Demons can be wretched,
and they can also be endearing.

[Seimei gasps]

[sobs]

If your wish was granted,
then why are you still in demon form?

Doesn't that mean
you're still unfulfilled?

[gasps]

[Seimei] So long as you're held c*ptive
by those feelings,

you can't become human again.

And what does it matter if I can't?

There's something important
I must attend to.

[emotional music continues]

[music fades]

Hmm?

Lady Doman.

I would ask a favor of you.

Do tell!

-[running footsteps]
-[man 1] You there! Stop!

-You can't go in there!
-[man 2] What are you doing?

[man 3] What's the meaning of this?

[Seimei chuckles]

Please, Lord Seimei, talk to us!

[crowd exclaiming]

Rather than let him
rot away in the ground,

I thought he would be
more useful as my shiki.

-What are you saying?
-You despicable fox-child!

Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo.

-[blows]
-[chittering]

[crowd gasping]

-[groaning]
-[gasps]

-[groaning]
-[man 4] Seimei...

Watch out! This man's dangerous!

With that, good people,
I must beg your leave.

-[Michinaga] Don't go, Lord Seimei!
-[man 1] A thousand curses on you!

-[man 2] You lowly fox-child!
-[man 3] He's inhuman!

-[man 5] Shame on you!
-[man 6] Bring Lord Hiromasa back here!

What is he thinking?

[distorted voices]

[man 3] He's inhuman!

-[man 5] Shame on you!
-[man 6] Bring Lord Hiromasa back here!

[man 2] You lowly fox-child!

[gentle ballad plays]

[music fades]