02x05 - Human and Sages

[bunniefuu]

The situation is complicated,

but what we need to do hasn’t changed.

First, obtain the elixir.

Second, survive and leave the island.

For now, let’s confirm only
the information we need.

We won’t worry about
the island’s mysteries at this point.

What matters most

is how to escape the island.

So, what’s the plan?

Mei knows the method.

I see.

Horai is a vast fortress,

modeled after the China’s Epang Palace.

It was built to complete the elixir

and welcome
the First Emperor to the island.

In other words, entering and leaving
the island itself isn’t impossible.

However, there are monsters
in the surrounding sea.

They serve as sentries, preventing
the island’s creatures from leaving.

Like that huge one I saw.

Compared to the Tensen,
aren’t they less dangerous?

Humans can’t compete with sea beasts,
and in a small boat at that.

Neither k*lling them
nor escaping is possible,

no matter how skilled a swordsman you are.

To begin with, the assumption
is that we don’t fight the Tensen.

We swiftly steal the elixir
without being noticed

and leave the island by ship.

The goal is solely to escape the island.

There are ships
and floodgates beneath Horai,

and the monsters are said to be trained

not to attack ships
that depart from there.

Floodgates…
That presence I felt near the shore?

Do you know where the elixir is?

Probably.

In the laboratory I shared with Rien.

Either way,

the route passes right
through enemy territory.

We don’t have much time, but I want
to prepare as much as possible.

That’s why Gabimaru and Yuzuriha will…

teach us stealth techniques.

Huh? Me?

What, seduction tactics?

No. I'm talking about Tao.

All right, first…

I’ll teach you a technique to dilute
your Tao for substitution techniques.

What for?

Give back Sen-chan’s keepsake!

Now, now, my students.

Nothing beats seeing for yourself. Watch.

KAWARIMI

See? If you talk, it’s over.

Diluting Tao is the same
as thinning your very existence.

It even worked on the Tensen.

Perfect for infiltration, right?

All right, everyone,
deep breaths and focus.

Ow!

What are you doing?
- Your Tao is disturbed.

No matter what happens,
keep your mind calm.

Tao is surprisingly physical.

Like sumo or jujutsu,
you can redirect force

and even use your opponent’s Tao.

I’ve also thought of certain
countermeasures based on attributes.

To begin with, in martial arts,
fa jin and Tao are…

He's pretty theory-heavy, isn't he?

Maybe he's a nerd?
-…there's a high chance you can do it…

Now then, first dislocate the neck bones…

You think we can do that?!

Those who can’t do it die first.

That’s how it was in village training.

All right, focus, focus.

No matter what’s done to you, don’t react.

Relax by dislocating
every bone in your body.

Don’t react, don’t react.

Stop your heart without dying.

How the hell do you guys not get tired?

If you handle Tao well,
fatigue is minimal.

Why can you suddenly use it so well?

Who knows. Talent?

Since it happened, I feel like
something about my senses changed…

From where you stand now,
I could probably take you down easily.

Oh? Really?

You’ve got some nerve, man-woman.

It’s strange.

We started out on opposing sides,

yet now we’re cooperating
toward the same goal.

And that I can find myself…

wishing that no one here will die.

If you can’t take me down, I’m putting you
in a Chinese dress too, man-woman.

Want to die?

The same…

Interesting. Think you can do it?

You?

If you can, then try.
- Wait, wait.

Huh?

Let’s decide the teams first.

Kenryu, stand over there.

Huh? Don’t order me around!

Stop resisting!

Gabimaru, you too.

Yuzuriha and Toma, over there.

Okay, okay.

Lovely braids, young lady.

I’ll k*ll you.

Fuchi.

Mei.

In case we encounter a Tensen,

let’s understand our own Tao attributes.

Sagiri has the same wood attribute as me.

Gabimaru and Kenryu are fire.

And water, metal, and earth.

These attributes influence one another.

MUTUAL GENERATION

MUTUAL OVERCOMING

MUTUAL OVERCOMING
MUTUAL GENERATION

Strengthening another’s Tao
is called mutual generation.

Weakening it, on the other hand,
is called mutual overcoming.

Do you know the Tensen's attributes too?

I do…

I remember.

Ju Fa, fire. Tao Fa, wood.

Zhu Jin, Ran, water.

Gui Fa, metal. Mu Dan, Rien, earth.

If your attribute restrains the enemy’s,
your techniques will work.

However, if it’s the opposite…
you have no chance.

Abandon everything… and run.

The teams were decided
based on compatibility.

One to secure the escape route
and one to seize the elixir.

The elixir team needs speed and stealth.

Only those who can use Tao.

What?
- A small number is better.

Hey, are you serious?

The elixir team is way more dangerous!
- No objections.

The escape team must secure
the ship underground

and open the floodgates.

Three people for each
of the three roles makes sense.

Sensei.
- Hm?

I just…

Um…

It’s all right, Nurugai.

I haven’t forgotten.

Yeah…

From what that bonsai guy said…

Not bonsai.

You want to leave
the island too, don’t you, miss?

Then we could just
let her leave on her own

without waiting
for the elixir team, couldn't we?

Wait.
- Huh?

Are you really okay with this?

Oh! Gabi!

That's right. The elixir team
is dangerous, isn't it?

Do you wish to just leave
the island like this?

Isn’t there something you’d regret
before leaving the island?

You could have escaped on your own.

But you didn’t.

I couldn’t hear everything last time.

Let me hear it now.

I’ll translate.

I…

think it's bad what Rien is doing.

He's k*lled so, so many people.

Why didn’t Master Xu Fu stop it?

I want to leave the island quickly.
Everything is scary.

But! Just once more…

I want to see Rien and the Master.

I want to ask why they changed.

Long ago, the two of them were kind.

They were kind, and yet…

Risking danger just to talk to the Tensen…

What will you do after that?

And then…

And then I'll leave the island

and live a normal life.

Let’s protect what’s normal.

Peacefully, properly.

I know it’s dangerous.

But just seeing them is enough.

I miss them.

Then let’s go.

If you just want to see them,
it might be possible.

But…

Otherwise, your "normal" life
can’t begin, can it?

Leave the journey to me.
I will get you to your destination.

Okay!

With this,
the "Rite of Ascension" is over.

So? Big fancy ritual,
but does it mean anything?

Who knows?

It’s an old custom.

Newly born Doshi,

or anyone permitted
into the castle, everyone does it.

This feels better after all.

All right, let’s reintroduce ourselves.

I'm Tao--
- Don't give your name.

There’s no value in that
when dealing with livestock.

Just being in the same room makes me sick.

Agreed, you weed.

You should’ve k*lled me back then.

Now I can see it.

Your movements.

Stop.

That man is my research subject
and my guest.

I won’t allow you to harm him.

Come with me, Chobe.

Where are we going?

To examine your Tao in detail.

This place is pretty complicated.

Feng shui design.

It follows Tao singularities
called dragon veins

and their pathways, "dragon arteries,"

expanded and renovated accordingly.

You’ll understand eventually.
You have talent for Tao.

That guy earlier…

Before, I was no match for him.

But now, it’s different.

I've clearly adapted. My power is growing.

That’s why I can tell how dangerous
this one in front of me is.

He’s on a different level
from the other Tensen.

I need to find more of their weaknesses.

As things stand, I have no chance.

As things stand…

This is my laboratory.

What is that?

An external elixir flower, Pangu.

Elixirs are extracted Tao
from humans transformed into flowers,

but the amount
from one person is negligible.

With Pangu, however,

you can generate many elixirs at once.

But elixirs are hard to preserve.

Over time, the flower’s Tao

completely consumes the human Tao.

This Pangu will eventually wither too.

Before reaching the quality
and quantity I desire.

That’s why I want your rare Tao.

Give me your cooperation.

A large supply of elixirs…
for what purpose?

Is he planning to turn Toma into this?

That’s it. That surge of Tao.

I’ve seen many humans before,

but none with a Tao like yours.

Beautiful…

Don’t worry. It’s only research.

I won’t k*ll you.

I’ll just use a part of you.

If it regenerates, there’s no problem.

Of course, I'll also
have you train your Tao.

It’ll lead to better research results.

That's just what I was hoping for.

You're joking, right?

You want to sneak in tonight?
Come on, it's time for bed.

Timing your move
is basic shinobi practice.

Unlike you, I’m human.

I think it’s good.

At night, when the flowers close,

is the time when our Tao is weakest.

Well…

It’s better to act before
the new arrivals catch up.

We’ve rested relatively well.

I’m fine with it.

Me too. I want to leave
the island as soon as possible.

Fatigue doesn’t matter.

I don’t want to keep her
waiting any longer.

We’ll go ahead and prepare the way.

Once we get a look
at the situation, we’ll signal.

Red fire means abort. Blue fire means…

Continue as planned.

Let’s go.

So, this is the end then.

You knew from the start
it wouldn’t take long.

Tonight, we leave the island.

Horai is divided
into an inner and outer castle.

We fought Mu Dan in the outer castle.

The inner castle contains
multiple Tensen palaces.

Each Tensen residence
corresponds to their training.

Bochu Palace,

where Ju Fa and Tao Fa pursue
immortality through union.

The Taisoku Palace,

where Zhu Jin seeks
immortality through breathing.

The Douin Palace,

where Ran seeks immortality
through physical exercises.

The Shuitsu Palace,

where Gui Fa seeks
immortality through meditation.

The Shuten Palace,

where Mu Dan seeks immortality
through Tao of organs and pressure points.

So, in other words,

each immortal specializes
in their own research?

They teach one another.

I see.

I see.

And the elixir is in the Ren Tan Palace,

Rien's laboratory.

But at night, Rien isn’t there.

The external elixir flowers wilt at night,
so she can't do research.

At night, Rien is in the main palace,

Master Xu Fu’s castle.

One key point.

Do not engage the Tensen.

If you do, the plan fails.

Thieving at night has its problems.

Moonlight doesn’t reach
deep inside large estates.

Knowing the internal layout
in advance is essential.

But the Tensen castles
are constantly being renovated, right?

Not knowing and not seeing,
that’s impossible for a heist.

No. That’s exactly why this team
was chosen, wasn't it?

Gabimaru.

That's right. See with Tao, not your eyes.

Inorganic Tao is weak,
but if you sense it,

you can understand the structure.

That’s why we've chosen people
skilled in Tao perception.

If humans are the materials for elixirs,

then the lab should have many corpses.

The place where that Tao is strongest

is the Ren Tan Palace.

If it disturbs your Tao, no need to look.

I’m fine. I’m used to it.

I'm fine too.

This calmness…

This is a shinobi.

Following Yuzuriha, if we dilute
our Tao while moving through the castle,

even the guards won’t notice.

And when eliminating someone…

If it’s instantaneous,
no one around will notice.

Incredible efficiency…

In just a few hours…

we’ll be on a ship, leaving the island!

The elixir should be in here.

I don't sense any Tensen.

Simple structure, sparse layout.

Dilute Tao and hide.

We’re thinking the same thing.

R-Ran!

So they've been under
your guidance after all, sister.

You seem well.

Why…

We received information
from a certain man.

About 20 landed.

Half of them have special abilities.

In other words,

they possess Tao
of quality comparable to his.

Did he break under research
and give up his comrades?

No.

They’re not comrades. They’re enemies.

Amazing! You've kept your sanity
after Rien's "research"!

They’re still lurking nearby.

They probably plan
on making their way here.

How do you know?

I can feel my younger brother's Tao
among them.

After injuring Toma,
it became even clearer.

They’re probably
the ones who k*lled Mu Dan.

Opportunities to gain
that much Tao don’t come often.

Therefore,

we will now conduct the Rite of Abstaining
and Sustaining Life.

Capture the humans.

What about the new arrivals, brother?

Leave them to the Doshi.

They're heading here.

No need to hunt them ourselves.

I’ll tell you the timing.

Are you sure?

I told you, didn't I? I can feel it.

However, I have one condition.

Fine.

That’s why

I was waiting here for you…

You're offerings for the Rite
of Abstaining and Sustaining Life.

The rite of…

High-quality Tao,

wood, fire, earth, metal,
water, all gathered,

to be offered to the Master.

In other words, you are the offerings.

By now, your comrades
have likely been split up.

The Tensen will personally capture them.

One by one.

And process them carefully.

That is the Rite of Abstaining
and Sustaining Life.

You must have come up with some plan,

but it was all for nothing.

Do not engage the Tensen.

If you do, the plan fails.

Gabimaru…

It's over.