02x09 - Love and Karma

[bunniefuu]

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

Everyone, support my brother.

Screw that. I'm taking
the monster's head.

That won't k*ll the Tensen.

I know that! It's an expression!

Just do as my brother says!

- Shut up, man-woman!

- Idiots.

Stay back, idiots.

I'm stuck defending.

Brother!

I said stay back!

I can't block all
the tentacles and spores.

Damn it.

When they're combined,
they attack twice as much.

The runt and old guy suck at using tao.

Toma's tao won't hinder them.

But my tao hinders Tao Fa's,
and I've got something in mind for Ju Fa.

I'm the only one
who can k*ll the monster.

In the case of water tao,

objects containing it, such as chestnuts,
soybeans, kidneys, or bladders,

can be gathered and fermented
to produce tao-infused spirits.

Write the subject's name
on a perfumed talisman.

The tao-rich catalysts will resonate,

allowing you to see the target's
fortune and current state.

Chobe.

Your brother's future bears an ill omen.

I'll do it alone.

I always have. It's not a problem.

Livestock.

I'll k*ll you.

Are you all right, Brother?

What?

This had better work.

It will.

See?

By strengthening my metal with your
earth, we can hinder Tao Fa's tao.

So even two males are effective together.

It seems that way. Let's press them.

I'm going to k*ll that monster!

Piece of sh*t!

You're the piece of sh*t!

I said I'd k*ll the monster!

Stay out of our way!

Your wounds will open if they get wet.

I'll be fine, idiot.

My brother told us
to stay back, so stay back.

I never even saw him argue
back when we were bandits.

All he ever did was copy me.

Look up, idiots.

Huh?

They turned inside out?

They're switching
from attacking to defending.

They're letting their injured half rest.

Cutting that will get us nowhere.

We'll have to destroy Ju Fa and
Tao Fa's tanden at the same time.

Come with me, old man.

What?

We'll split up.
Together, we'll k*ll Ju Fa.

I have a plan.

You guys k*ll Tao Fa.

The method you used earlier should work.

Very well, Brother.

What exactly should we—

You ask too many questions.

Ow. That hurts, Brother.

I'm leaving it all up to you.

Use your own head.

You can do that now, can't you?

I don't need any direction.

I'm counting on you, you know.

My plan won't work without the skills of
the man unparalleled in eight provinces.

W-Well, in that case...

That's the face my brother makes
when he commands subordinates.

You're desperate to defend yourselves.

I have some sympathy for that.

But they've grown more than you realize.

If you remain in that embrace,
you'll crush each other to death.

I'll cut you apart.

Isn't that what you want?
To die together?

Brother!

They're reacting
to all four of us at once.

There's no opportunity
to attack their tanden.

Little guy and man-woman, back me up!

What?

I'll create an opening for you!

What do you intend to do?

I don't know, but let's trust him.

Gantetsusai!

I'm fine. Let's keep going!

There's no way he's fine.

He's just acting tough.

Countless lacerations and
contusions. Organ damage.

The back-to-back fights
have him nearing his limit.

Toma!

Your tao is the key to my brother's plan.

Get it together.

F-Forgive me.

Forget it. Let's go!

We're all covered in wounds.

But if we miss this chance...

We cannot win.

It's ready, brats.

Gatecleaver Strike!

They're regenerating!
Don't miss this chance, Toma!

Where is Tao Fa's tanden?

Bottom right! Direction of the dog!

Ju Fa!

No more. Enough.

Tao Fa!

They're still not dead?

I can't hinder them.

To k*ll them, we have to
stop their regeneration

after destroying their tanden.

Brother?!

My secret weapon.

I'd actually planned to use this
to k*ll the little fire shinobi.

But you can have it.

It's the tao-infused spirits they use.

I figured I'd swipe their water tao.

And my gut's never wrong.

It's working immediately.

The hindering effect is
preventing you from regenerating.

You spilled everything you knew
about hindering and tao.

Did you really think I'd changed sides?

Serves you right.

You'll die regretting picking a fight
with me and my brother.

How distasteful.

Distasteful?

My brother is a supremely wicked man.

Hey, don't k*ll them.

Did you feel sorry for them, old man?

I said I'd be the one
to finish off the monster.

This isn't fun for me at all.

I had fun, miss.

I'm sorry, Tao Fa. I... I...

I couldn't protect you.

I'm sorry.

Tao Fa...

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

I can't believe we all survived.

Are the others all right?

First, let me say
I don't intend to fight you.

I was just told to stay here by myself.

So if you don't bother me,
I won't bother you.

But if you do, I'll crush you.

Who is that? They're reading a book?

No doubt. This is rentan palace.

But Rien not here.

Where is Rien, Gui Fa?

Rien left just now.

I was just told to look after this.

"This"?

Gui Fa very shy. Even more than before.

That is Rite of Clarity.

Objects containing tao turned into
catalysts to see fate and fortune.

Use talismans to see target.

We knew you would come.

We've been waiting here for you.

Then if we destroy that, they won't
be able to read our movements.

Is this a tao attack from above?

I feel like I'm being crushed.

Take your hand off your sword.

Sagiri!

You can still move? Impressive.

But I have orders from Rien.

If you want to fight, I'll crush you.

I don't intend to fight.

First, allow me to apologize.

For invading your island,
and everything we've done since.

We may have been ignorant,
but we are to blame.

I apologize for that.

Sagiri...

How commendable.

However, I've also seen things
that make my blood boil.

I hear you're the ones who
lured humans to this island.

In that case, you brought
this conflict upon yourselves.

But don't you think both sides have lost
too much to simply write this off as that?

So I came to stop the fighting.

It's pointless for us to
continue k*lling each other.

We will leave the island without a word.

I ask that you let us go.

The Elixir and shogunate
aren't the priority now.

Making it back alive comes first.

Her tao has risen. This woman...

The pressure vanished.

Fine. I'll let you go.

I was only told to protect this place.

I was never really interested in this.

Then...

But I don't think there's a point
in returning to Wakoku alive anymore.

What do you mean?

You asked where Rien went, Mei.

What?

I'm showing you
a tao illusion, not reality.

Rien is beneath the main palace.

They went to the sluice gate.

They're preparing a ship with the doshi.

A ship? For what purpose?

To turn all the humans of Wakoku into tan.

What? How?

The completed starter has been
embedded in paradise butterflies

and packed onto a ship.

They'll emerge in Wakoku

and disperse.

Thousands of butterflies capable
of flying vast distances.

In the blink of an eye,
they'll envelop Wakoku.

Once the humans have
become Waitanhua Flowers,

they'll come together as one.

They'll become Banko, the god beast,
and refine the perfect tan Rien seeks.

Sagiri!

So it's pointless to return.
You'd just turn into flowers.

Why?

Why do all of this?

Why?

Oh, right.

Do you think we'll understand each other
if we discuss the reason?

I don't know what you know about us,
but you're barking up the wrong tree.

Humans are merely
an ingredient for the Elixir.

We have no more attachment for you
than we would for critters.

Not true.

Grandmaster's research
for emperor and people.

You know using human life wrong.

The situation has changed, Mei.

We tried scattering chum several times.

A few hundred years ago,
the first outsiders came to the island.

That's when we learned...

how marvelous humans are.

Their fragility and
the quality of their tao

were greater than we expected.

They were a far better
ingredient than the Hoko.

Ran was drawn to their beauty.

Mu Dan seemed to enjoy themselves, too.

Ju Fa and Tao Fa also realized

that using humans was
the quickest way to end our training.

Humans are full of doubt.

Doubt is the essence of tao.

They waver between two extremes.

That is what makes humans so fantastic.

Love and hate.

Life and death.

We Tensen know neither love nor death.

Searching for a different ingredient
now would be unthinkable.

Especially now that
the Elixir has been perfected.

It's impossible for us
to reach an understanding.

I don't mind letting you go,
but a truce would be pointless.

All we can do now is take from each other.

While we're speaking...

another will be taken.

Nurugai.

How many is that?

Uh, two...

Two hundred fifteen...

You've cut them 215 times.

You've k*lled them 215 times.

Their regeneration is slowing.

Just like we discussed.

You can't k*ll your opponent
without hindering tao.

But is that the only way
to overpower the Tensen?

What about exhausting them
through regeneration?

When done in rapid succession,
it seems to slow down.

Exhausting tao for regeneration
probably impossible.

Can regenerate hundred, thousand times.

k*ll someone a thousand times?
With a magic trick?

It's called tao.

That'd be impossible for an ordinary man.

Sensei, you can't keep going!

Did we say a thousand times?

It seems like it'll take fewer than that.

Damn it!

Wait, Nurugai!

Don't go after them.

They're exhausted as well.
They won't recover right away.

We'll finish them
carefully and decisively.

What's wrong with you? You're insane.

The one who takes cannot understand.

But their victim never forgets.

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