01x09 - Watashi no hotoke-sama

[bunniefuu]

[song playing]

[Fubuki]
The true method of using a sword
is not stabbing with force.

It’s similar to
a kitchen knife or a saw.

The blade cuts best
and deepest when you pull back.

Cutting as you retreat.

Is that not
the perfect technique for
someone elusive like you?

But I wouldn’t be able to
take a life with this method.

I could cut hide
or meat at most.

Don’t worry.

That’s what makes it
the Elusive Sword.

[breathes deeply]

Use your raised left hand
as a guide.

Wait for the moment when your
enemy’s blade passes between
your hand and your sword.

[shouts]

[Tokiyuki] Here he comes!

Twist my upper body
to the left.

Let the weight of the sword
do the work as I lower it.

Pull the blade to the right

and retreat!

[Shokan grunts, sighs]

[grunts]

Hmm?

[grunts]

The inside of my wrist.

I don’t have any armor
protecting this area

because it impedes my movement
and it’s difficult to target.

I see you have studied
the weak points
of an armored warrior.

But a wound like this
won’t hold me back.

You see, it’ll take a while
for me to pass out from
a mere cut on my wrist.

[breathes shakily]

-And before that happens...
-[gasps]

...you think I won’t finish you?

In this tiny room?

You silly child.

[Tokiyuki panting]

I’ll corner you,
slowly but surely.

After I cut you to pieces,
I’ll have plenty of time
to tend to my wound.

[gasps]

Why did I shiver just now?

[Ayako shouts]

[both grunting, groaning]

[grunts] He’s an expert
with a naginata.

[Ayako]
I can’t land a single blow!

[Shiro laughing]

[growls, shouting]

-[shouts]
-[grunts]

You’re small, light
and lack experience!

[Kojiro shouts]

[groaning]

[Shiro] The two of you
will die here.

It’s a real shame, kid.

Ten years from now, you might
have been a skilled master.

And you would have
experienced the pleasures
only great warriors know.

The excitement when using
the strength of your body
to kick around the weak.

The joy of stealing.

The sweet pleasure
of taking a woman.

My boss taught me all of this
when he took me under his wing.

Something your virtuous leader
Yorishige Suwa will never
be able to do for you.

[Kojiro] Lord Yorishige...

is not our lord anymore.

Is that so?

It really doesn’t matter
who you serve.

Clearly your lord is clueless.

He couldn’t even
teach you brats about
a warrior’s great pleasures.

And he left you to die
in this worthless village.

Got nothing to say.
I’m right then.

Yeah. Our lord is a bit soft.

He’s also naive
and has a tendency to run away.

[grunts]

But compared to
a man like you who thrives
on making the weak suffer,

my Big Brother,
who makes protecting the weak
his biggest priority,

has far more integrity
as a warrior.

[grunts] You again?

Attacking me
with a silly little toy
like the trash you are!

[both grunt]

Still going, brat?

No mere child
can penetrate the defense
of a grown man’s naginata!

-[growls]
-[Ayako grunts]

[groans, grunts]

Stop... calling us brats!

[grunts]

I don’t have the luxury
to think about
the distant future now.

We have a year and a half until
Lord Yorishige’s prophecy.

-If we can’t defeat adults
at the age of ten...
-[grunting]

...we won’t be very useful
in the Young Lord’s great w*r!

[shouts]

[Kojiro shouting]

[shouts, grunts]

How on earth did these
nameless brats defeat me?

Go and stay
with the demons in hell.

Our lord is Tokiyuki Hojo.

What?

[Kojiro] He is now...

[both shouting]

...rightful heir of Kamakura!

[Shokan grunting, panting]

It can’t be.

This is impossible!

[shouting]

[grunting, groaning]

I can’t hit him!

[grunts, screams]

-[Tokiyuki grunts]
-[grunting]

This is bad.

I have to
stop the bleeding somehow.

[panting, grunts]

[Shokan shouting]

[panting]

[gasps]

[panting]

Not only is he evading
my sword, but also the blood
I’m splattering everywhere.

Is he some kind of monster?

[panting, chuckling]

[shrieks]

[grunts] His sword skills
are revolutionary.

[grunts]

It’s very rare to see
a warrior wield a blade
with such precision.

Someone must have taught you
this incredible technique.

Who was your teacher?

I don’t have to
tell you anything.

A skilled hawk has to
keep his secrets well-hidden.

If you reveal your strengths
within a party,

you’ll be taken advantage of

and stepped on
like the other weaklings
who don’t know any better.

But if you act like a clown and
shamelessly pander to the boss,

you will be rewarded.

There’s only brief moments
when I reveal
my sharpened talons.

When I k*ll a man
who has seen through me...

and the moment
when I will k*ll our boss
and take over this party.

Hiding oneself is
an art of survival
in times of chaos!

Now shut up and die!

[Kojiro] Hiding.

Die!

[Fubuki] There’s
an attack with a blade
held completely straight.

Another, the wrist
slightly bent.

If hidden well, the opponent
won’t know which one is coming
until it’s too late.

But in his case,
there’s a slight difference
in the position of his elbow

when he pulls back his blade.

Which means he’s not
sufficiently disguising
his technique.

How did you--

-[thud]
-[groaning]

A formidable skill if you
completely had your technique,

but unfortunately, you don’t
understand how it works.

[shouts]

I was wrong.
I thought you might be hiding
something really special.

I’m disappointed.

[groans]

[whimpers]

Not only does he
wield two swords,

he’s skilled in unarmed combat?

I’m scared to find out
what else this kid is hiding.

[Fubuki] Holding
this village is important

and so are the tactics
of the children.

When I find a hidden treasure,

it can revive my cold body
and bring it back to life
a little bit.

I am drawn to him
for some reason.

I sense that he is
hiding something truly great.

[shouting]

All right. I’d say
that’s enough out of you.

[gurgles]

Now, how are you doing...

Chojumaru?

[Shokan grunting, shouting]

[Tokiyuki panting]

[panting, chuckles]

[exclaiming]

[Shokan] There’s no hope.

I’m going to die.

I’ll lose too much blood before
I manage to k*ll this kid.

It’s useless.

I’m fading.

So my life...

ends here?

Father!

What do you mean when you say
there’s no territory
for me to inherit?

[Shokan’s father] Forgive me.

For generations, the family
has divided up the land
amongst all its sons,

and now,
only this small plot remains.

From now on, we’ll give
the entirety of our territory
to the eldest son.

Just like
all the other families.

You will live here
and help your older brother.

[Shokan] You’re telling me
to become my brother’s servant?

[grunting]

[panting]

I have studied martial arts
and learned the art of w*r

so that one day I could
protect my own territory!

A warrior without a territory
is no warrior at all.

If I wanted my own land,
I had to take it with force.

I entered hell and never left.

Soon, taking from others
became a pleasure.

I sold children.

It felt good to know
their future would be
as dark as my own.

I was hunted
and couldn’t find rest.

The tides seemed to turn
in my favor

when I was called to fight
in a great battle.

But we were defeated,
and once again, I was unable
to make a name for myself.

Your life is always some kind
of hell, isn’t it, Shokan?

Why not escape somewhere
no one can find you?

Surely there must be
a place where light shines
upon a man like you.

[Shokan] Spare me
your fairy tales, Kusunoki.

The light you speak of
doesn’t exist.

Hmm? What’s this?

Before me,
there’s something shining.

[gasps]

I can’t win.

A child who can laugh
so purely inside this hellhole
cannot possibly be human.

He’s smiling at
an evil scoundrel like me.

My Buddha...

[narrator] By the time
the fight was over,

the blade of compassion
had turned the room
into hell on Earth.

Who is it that kills
a wicked scoundrel
in these chaotic times?

Demon or Buddha?

Demon-heart Buddha Blade.

Young Lord, you are amazing.

The two of us barely even stood
a chance against that monster.

It’s all thanks to the technique
that Fubuki taught me.

Yeah, that’s true.

Defeated him by cutting
his inner wrist and then
just keeping away from him.

The Cowardly Sword rules!

Don’t call it that!

The remaining enemy fighters
will flee

once we spread word
their general’s dead.

Oh, we’re almost done here--

-[gasps]
-[gasps]

-Huh?
-[soldiers shouting]

[Kojiro] Are you serious?
Sadamune’s here!

[gasps]

You again, brat?

[gasps, grunts]

"You again"? That should be
our line, not yours!

You’re the one invading
other people’s territory!

Oh, shut up!
These are the times we live in!

I’d like to feed your eyes
to a snake and watch it
swallow them whole.

[both] What’s wrong with you?

[Kojiro] Bug-eyed Monster,
you never give up, do you?

I’m not a monster! Take it back!

[Ayako]
How are you not a monster
with those hideous eyes?

What did you say
about my divine eyes?

[Fubuki] Leave it to
Sadamune Ogasawara to bring
in reinforcements

-through the front village
entrance just in time.
-[arguing continues]

He has a keen perception
of this battle.

The men who came to our aid
are still busy handling
the first enemy wave.

We can’t win like this.

There are no enemies on
the south end of the village.

We should gather our allies
and together escape from there.

[gasps]

No!

The enemy is closing in
from the south as well?

Not exactly.

[Genba] Here we go!

Is that fire?

[Ayako] Look! Reinforcements
from Suwa Grand Shrine.

They made it just in time.

Damn it!

Retreat!

Just gather Shokan’s soldiers
fighting near here, then leave.

[stammers] Yes, but, Sadamune...

We are not at all prepared
to take on Suwa’s main army
right now.

-[horse whinnies]
-Hyah.

Hmm?

The battle is
happening outside,

so why is there blood
on the inside of the door?

Lord Yorishige, Sadamune
and his reinforcements
are retreating!

Chase them all the way
to the border.

And, Tokitsugu, clean up
any bandits left in the village.

Understood.

-[sighs] They’re getting away.
-Hey.

Genba!

[Genba] You should be grateful.

We only made it in time
because I rode at full speed.

Oh, hey. I saw
a sultry woman on the road.
You know what happened?

My nose started gushing blood.
It was scary.

I thought I was a goner.

No, don’t die! Do you hear me?

[soldier 1]
What about over there? Go!

[soldier 2]
Go look out on the hillside.

-No drawer unopened.
No stone unturned!
-[soldier 3] Over here!

Mr. Yorishige.

[breathing shakily]

I’m so glad you are safe.

Uh, yeah.

That hurts just a...
a tiny bit.

[sighs]

Hmm?

Sadamune. Shokan is...

[Sadamune] He’s just lucky.

If we hadn’t stopped
the bleeding when we did,
he would be gone now.

[Shokan]
Why did you come for me?

[Sadamune] We received word
that you are wasting time

committing useless atrocities.

Of course, Suwa’s men
recognized the opportunity
and pounced on it.

Who told you
to k*ll the villagers, hmm?

You cannot collect taxes
from an uninhabited territory,
you idiot.

Bestow punishment
as you see fit.

[Sadamune] I must say though,
your strategic insight for
this operation was outstanding.

I will give you
a small territory.

You can sharpen
your fangs there.

Prepare for the decisive battle
against Suwa. It will come.

You are prohibited against
being a bandit.

Serve me as a soldier
and nothing else.

Yes.

[Sadamune] I can tell
his will to be a bandit
has gone from his eyes.

Has his malice drained from
him along with his blood?

[narrator] In the following
years, rogues gradually
fell under the control

of the increasingly powerful
feudal lords

and eventually disappeared.

This era in which
the unrestrained
bandit samurai thrived

was coming to an end.

[soldiers chattering]

-[soldier 1] Take off the blood.
-[soldier 2] Prepare some food.

[soldier 3] Have a scout
send word to Suwa Grand Shrine.

Mr. Yorishige,
please reward Fubuki
with something very special.

It’s because of him we survived.

The village too.

[laughing]
Oh, so happy to hear that!

We will pay him handsomely
of course!

-[straining]
-Oh, one more thing.

I really want to have Fubuki
join my party as a retainer.

Splendid idea!

Um, wait a minute, Chojumaru.

I’d love to be your friend,
but becoming a retainer is
a different story.

I would like to serve a lord
who can lead the country,

but I certainly will consider
becoming Lord Suwa’s retainer.

[grunts]

Look here.

He’s the lord.

This one.

[chuckles]
My name is Tokiyuki Hojo,

orphan of Takatoki Hojo and
heir to the Kamakura shogunate,

and I hope to lead
the country one day.

[spits]

What?

Sorry I hid it from you.

I decided not to share
my true identity

until I talked to Mr. Yorishige.

[Fubuki]
I thought he was hiding
a huge secret, but this...

This secret is too big.

If he was just a commoner,
he would be a kind,
elusive boy.

But knowing
that he is a Hojo child...

all of his skills are
transformed into
mighty weapons!

This is invigorating.

The amount of millet I consume
does not come cheap.

But if that’s okay,
I will serve you.

[gasps]

[Fubuki] I will bring forth
every bit of strength
this prince possesses

and help him try to win
the country.

You know, at Suwa Grand Shrine,
we’re allowed to eat rice
instead of millet.

Serious? Must be paradise!

I just can’t tell if
this guy is really smart
or totally clueless.

[chuckles]

[song playing]

[Fubuki] Let’s go!