02x05 - Makezaru Mono-tachi

[bunniefuu]

I've hired the biggest,
burliest men around

to carry my mikoshi
and serve as my bodyguards.

Now, all that remains
is to mow down my foes

from the safety of my own little box.

I call it the battle mikoshi plan!

It's a bluff.

Something that huge
is just going to be an easy target.

No, not necessarily.

It's true its size draws attention,

- [RAMPAGE! BATTLE MIKOSHI]

- but the bearers are heavily armored,
and are tightly guarding the poles.

- They won't go down
easily, even up close.

- Even if one bearer falls,
another steps right in.

Even if you were to reach the mikoshi…

This is bad.

They're pulling in tight.

- [PROVINCIAL OFFICIAL]

- At this rate,
Sadamune's army will slip in behind them.

- [SADAMUNE'S ARMY HOSHINA PARTY]

They'll get cut off and wiped out.

Fubuki? Don't be reckless!

Don't worry. I'm only going in
as a messenger to share an idea.

This is why court nobles
ignorant of w*r can be dangerous.

Tactics that defy a warrior's logic
are dangerous if they actually work.

Trample them! Cut them down!

I'll sh**t them down too!

For the sake of my world…

No, for the Emperor's world.

It is beyond me!

I could never hope to govern those beasts

who wouldn't even hesitate
to take an official's life.

Even under my command?

We of the Kiyohara clan
have always been low among the nobility.

We lack the lineage and capacity
to become provincial officials.

Why would you even appoint someone like me
as an official in the first place?

Kiyohara, it is not lineage
that I care about the most.

It is resolve.

I value those who have the resolve
to change the times.

Even back in the Kamakura period,
you must have wondered:

Why do idle court nobles,

who fawn over the shogunate's samurai
and cling to their privileges,

still hold power?

Were I in their place,
I could change the world.

I saw the fire, ambition,
and resolve burning in your eyes.

I recognized your worth even then.

You noticed a mere lesser noble like me,
even back then?

Your house has no standing.

You have no achievements
on the grand stage.

Yet you possess a resolve
that reaches the heavens.

That is why I entrust Shinano to you.

Go, Kiyohara.

Rule Shinano with that resolve,
for the world I shall create.

The Emperor commands you to go!

Understood!

Emperor Go-Daigo was also a hero
of unparalleled charisma and character.

As if possessed
by the Emperor's own spirit,

nobles who'd never known w*r took up arms

and risked their lives
on the b*ttlefield.

It was among the most peculiar aspects
of the era.

Lord Hoshina, pull your men to the left!

Move every soldier
you can spare to the left!

Long live the Emperor!

We shall build his world here in Shinano!

Live on and bide your time

Just carry your life and
pierce through this destiny

Wear your shame and chase your dream

For the people who believed in you

[The Elusive Samurai]

Things that won't make history

All those foolish little things

They tangle and untangle, over and over

And we breathe

What should I devote this life to?

What fate awaits me?

Even this emotion like curse

If it keeps me tethered

Live on and bide your time

Just carry your life
and pierce through this destiny

Wear your shame and chase your dream

For the people who believed in you

Come and find me, follow my clapping

Life is short, so sing and dance

Flowers will bloom for those who run

Sing for me, foolish peasants!

Your voices shall be the bells
that herald His new reign.

To build a righteous world,
we must first purge its impurities.

The Emperor's reign shall bloom
from that very blood.

Behold, my Emperor!

This blood is the very proof
of my loyalty.

I moved the troops as instructed, but…

Fire!

There are too many of them.

No matter how many we cut down,

it's as if they're crawling out
from the very earth itself.

Don't worry. Keep it up.

It should be about time.

What's happening?! Hold steady!

Damn it!
Where are the replacement bearers?

What are you dawdling for?
Get back into formation!

Not many can wield a sword
with their left hand.

If we strike there,
we can break the bearers' formation.

The left!

Concentrate your attacks from the left!

Follow me, Shinomiya!
We're taking down their commander!

It won't stop shaking!

I can't sh**t my bow like this!

It's over.

In the end, it was just
a court noble's little game.

Let's get back and grab our reward.

We took down that provincial official,
after all!

Don't act like you did it all yourself!

Huh? Didn't I, though?

What's wrong, brat?

Well…

In the mountains
behind Shinomiya's main army…

Something just…

Wait, a glint?

Weapons?

In the mountains?

My lord?

We have to ready
Shinomiya's forces for a retreat!

At worst, they'll be ambushed from behind!

- Huh? That's impossible!

- [SHINOMIYA'S MAIN ARMY]

- There's nothing but mountains
behind Shinomiya's army.

- There's no way an army
that big could pass through there.

Besides, the enemy's main commanders
should all be out by now.

There's one man who comes to mind.

A shrewd, calculating commander
known for mountain ambushes.

- [SHINOMIYA'S MAIN ARMY]

- An ambush from the mountain behind us?

But we don't see anything.

On what basis?

None!
Just order a retreat at once!

We've beaten the provincial official
and are on the verge of victory.

We can't move the main army now.

In a land as devout as ours,

the idea of a man
riding a mikoshi is absurd.

Only a god
has the right to ride a mikoshi.

And in Shinano…

…there's only one.

We'll hear you out
once Lord Shinomiya returns.

By then, it'll be too late.
Trust me! I was born a runner!

Please, hurry!

Enemies…

Enemies… Enemies…

Enemies?

E-Enemy attack!

What's happening?

Yasaburo!

Damn it!

I'll go after him!
Shinomiya, get back to the main army!

Run for it!

Young Lord!

Kojiro! Genba!

Shokan…

Lord Tokiyuki.

- The battle began on three fronts.

- [SOUTH - CENTER - NORTH]

- Within days, the northern and
southern forces would be consolidated,

- and both sides would converge
on the center for the decisive battle.

After analyzing both armies' strength,

I predicted the decisive battle
on the fourth day

and moved my troops
through the mountains accordingly.

Then I learned of
the provincial official's secret weapon

and worked it into my plan.

It was the perfect toy to draw
everyone's attention on the b*ttlefield.

While everyone's attention
was focused on the mikoshi,

we swiftly closed in on Shinomiya's
main camp and launched a surprise attack.

This is military strategy, Chojumaru.

Military strategy…

You may run around
hunting down petty commanders

and save small villages.

But if you can't read
the greater tide of w*r,

you'll never attain anything truly great.

You should've had
Kusunoki teach you the art of w*r.

A pity, but it's time to die, brats!

Young Lord!

They're on foot.
They can't catch us on horseback.

Right…

Impressive, Shokan.

Your plan worked perfectly.

Lord Sadamune.

I took the opportunity
to break through their defensive line.

Now we'll wipe out Shinomiya's army
in one fell sweep!

As you command!

A single move by one commander
turned the tide of the entire battle.

So this is w*r.

So this is military strategy.

Damn it! They struck while I was separated
from the main army!

No… Once an army has fallen apart,
it can't be reformed.

Lord Shinomiya!

I'm sorry!

If only I'd realized sooner…

Don't be ridiculous.

We can't call ourselves warriors
if we let a child do all the work.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out
how to salvage this defeat.

Like Hoshina,
we can't simply abandon our land.

If we hold our ground in this chaos,
all that awaits us is annihilation.

L-Lord Mochizuki?

Sorry. He blew up our own men too,
so please rescue them.

Yeah…

As one of
the Three Great Generals of the Suwa Sect,

I have a message for the Shinomiya party.

Remember this.
In this battle, fleeing is victory.

We'll serve as the rear guard
and buy you time.

Take your clan
and withdraw to Hoshina territory.

Suwa Myojin will rise again.

Live on and await that day.

Suwa Myojin…

How reassuring.

For that day,
we'll endure any humiliation.

What a relief.

Words from one of the Three Great Generals
sure carry weight.

All right! We'll leave the enemy
to Lord Mochizuki.

Prepare to withdraw!

Yeah!

Lord Mochizuki,
weren't you supposed to be up north?

Why are you here?

After that, we told Father
about the battle in the center.

The moment he heard my report,

he said, "How boring,"
and left right away.

"Boring"?

Yeah.

The enemy's movements here
were too boring.

So I had a feeling
there'd be an interesting twist,

and that worried me.

T-That's so random… but I'm glad he came.

This battle was never likely to be won.

Lord Yorishige still can't act openly,
so it was unavoidable.

Both the Inukai and Tokoiwa clans
had been told

to hide in the mountains if defeated.

Lord Yorishige had already prepared
supplies and shelter for them.

This is merely a preliminary battle.

Lord Yorishige's objective
is to keep casualties to a minimum

and strengthen the unity of the Suwa Sect.

Lord Yorishige had already
planned that far ahead.

A strategy just as profound,
but completely different from Shokan's.

And, Young Lord.

Your selfless devotion,

riding day and night,
risking your life for the Suwa Sect,

has deeply moved us all.

When the next great w*r comes,

we, the people of Shinano,
pledge our every effort in your support.

Our final mission as the Elusive Warriors

was to carry word of the defeat on
the Central Front to the Southern Front.

The moment they received the message,

Lord Unno and Lord Nezu
rushed to the Central Front.

Thanks to
the Three Great Generals' valiant stand,

the Shinomiya party was rescued
from the brink of destruction,

and casualties were kept to a minimum.

With all hope of victory lost,

Lord Tokoiwa in the north
and Lord Inukai in the south

fled into the mountains.

Kiyohara, the provincial official,
escaped amid the confusion.

We barely managed to hold back
Shokan and Ogasawara's army,

and lost a great deal of land.

Pains me to ask,
but I'm in your hands, Yasaburo.

[HOSHINA TERRITORY]

Yeah. We fell for the enemy's strategy
and failed to finish off Kiyohara.

The responsibility this lies with me.

The Hoshina party will provide
for the Shinomiya party's needs

and perform rites for the fallen.

Leave everything to us.

I'm in your debt.

With Lord Shinomiya on our side,
we have the strength of a hundred men!

Next time, we'll slaughter them!

Yeah…

They're always way more fired up than us…

[MOSTLY THE GENTLE TYPES]

We could even merge our two parties
for the future.

That might not be a bad idea.

The Suwa Myojin
will rise once more, right?

I'll do whatever it takes
to live to see that day.

Labeled enemies of the Imperial Court
and defeated in battle,

the Suwa Sect will lose
all their lands if this continues.

They had no choice but to stake everything
on a great upheaval.

That awareness and resolve
gradually spread among them.

Chief Chamberlain, Mitsunori of Minamoto.

Imperial Councillor,
Noritaka of Tachibana.

Provisional Middle Councillor,
Kinhira of Fujiwara.

Those are all the promotions
for this occasion.

It is a cruel thing

when even talent cannot advance you
further because of your lineage.

It is painful when your path
to advancement is blocked,

but it is just as sad that you cannot rise
in rank without going to Kamakura.

Lord Kiyohara, there's no use lamenting
the advancement you'll never attain.

We have no choice but to accept
that these are the times we live in.

Even so, I'll wait for the day
when even those without lineage can rise.

Yoritsugu! Yoritsugu!

Where is he?

Yoritsugu!

It's not easy bringing news of defeat.

But more than anything, Lord Yorishige
will be overjoyed that you're safe.

Look over there.

Lord Yorishige had a hut built over there

for times when
you would be on the b*ttlefield.

He lets no one inside,
performs his ablutions,

and prays for your safe return.

Ablution…

To pour cold water over himself
at this time of year…

He really cares that much about me…

Now, I truly understand.

My goal is the same as Lord Yorishige's.

To restore the Hojo
is to save the people of Shinano.

This isn't the time to mope.

I'm going to reclaim the throne
alongside him.

I'm back, Lord Yorishige.

Yorishige

is soaking in a hot spring.

He's soaking in a hot spring
he unearthed with his holy power,

with sake and snacks.

We're risking our lives out there, and
you're off having the time of your life?

You idiot Myojin!

Well, I was performing ablution
until just a moment ago.

What's the point
if you're using hot water!

It's fine!
- Hey!

There's no rule
that says it has to be cold!

Maybe I really can't work
with him after all.

Teach him a lesson!

Yeah.

In this battle, the Suwa side lost land,
but gained stronger bonds.

Above all, Tokiyuki and Yorishige
deepened their shared goal,

and the Suwa side united
ahead of the coming great w*r…

Or so it seemed.

If you want "romantic"

Love me more than anyone else

You're such a gentle person

And I know that's why
you are so kind to her, too

It's fine, it's totally fine

Just carry all the heavy luggage for me

You act cool in front of everyone

But when we're just
the two of us, you act cute

Be loyal like a dog

And don't disappear like a cat, okay?

Sometimes it makes me feel a little sad

I look up at the stars,
feeling sentimental

Who are you with right now,
and what are you doing?

Hey, if you can love and be loved,

I will keep your heart racing

If you're not going to choose me

I will send you straight to absolute hell

I can't hear you

I don't care anymore

If you want "romantic"

Love me more than anyone else

Let's go.

EPISODE 18 [YEAR 1335]:
THE BOY WHO BECAME A GOD