01x09 - A Contest of Magic at the Imperial Court

[bunniefuu]

[dramatic music playing]

[Seimei] Who are you?

A man who became a demon due to jealousy...

Seimei Abe.

If you begrudge me, you'll need to be
more specific. Name yourself!

[buzzing]

-[Seimei] Ready your flute for my spell.
-Uh, right!

Gods of the Seas,
banish chaos and expel evil.

Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo!

[plays dramatic tune]

-[grunts]
-What's wrong? Don't stop!

[choking]

[Hiromasa gasps]

Uh, are you all right?

[music fades]

[insects chirping]

[foreboding music plays]

[man 1] Ah, to be born
in the same era as that man...

[man 2] Adequate as this one is,
he can't compete with a genius.

[man 3] He seems polite on the surface,
but I feel envy seething within.

[man 4] All the more pitiful he's a noble.

[man 1] He'll never surpass
him as long as he lives.

[vase smashes]

[squelching]

[Atsumi] If only he didn't exist...

[wind gusting]

[music fades]

[rock music plays]

ONMYOJI

EPISODE NINE:
A CONTEST OF MAGIC AT THE IMPERIAL COURT

-[birds chirping]
-[water splashing gently]

[Doman, echoing] Your only hope
is to pray to Taizan Fukun,

and ask him to extend Seimei's life.

But help from him carries a hefty toll.

Still wish to proceed?

[wind gusting]

-[sighs]
-[Atsumi] Hiromasa?

[Hiromasa] Lord Atsumi.

Are you all right?

Yes.

[Atsumi] Hmm.

-[Tsuyuko] Lord Seimei!
-[both] Huh?

[Tsuyuko] What is the matter?

[Seimei groaning]

Seimei!

[somber music playing]

Lord Seimei!

Come back to us, Seimei!

[straining]

[gasps]

[retching]

Finally, you're awake! How do you feel?

[Atsumi] We were worried.

[Seimei shudders]

What on earth happened to me?

Uh, are you feeling pain anywhere?

-[boinging]
-Like here? Or what about here?

Or here?

Would you stop? I don't hurt anywhere.

-[Hiromasa] Really?
-[grunts]

I'm relieved.

So very relieved!

[sniffling]

You're being far too dramatic.

[Tsuyuko] No, he is not!

You really had us all worried, you know!

She speaks true, Lord Seimei.

[shudders]

-[Yasunori] You seem to be fine now.
-[gasps]

Did you save me, Lord Yasunori?

I had nothing to do with it at all,
actually.

My apologies for being a burden.

I shall go and report this incident
to the emperor myself.

Stay away from the court in the meantime.

[shivers]

[birds chirping]

Good fortune smiles on him.

-[birdsong]
-[water splashing gently]

I survived being attacked by a sekisanko?

What happened, exactly?

[Hiromasa] Uh, you see...

[Tsuyuko] Kuromaru lent us a hand.

You breathed him in, and then he fought
the demon's sekisanko inside you.

I'm happy it worked and
healed you in the end.

Oh, by the way, Lord Hiromasa,
where did you go?

Uh...

[foreboding music plays]

Nowhere, I just went for a walk.

Uh, I needed to clear my head.

-We ran into each other, in fact.
-Hmm.

Did you?

[Hiromasa] I'm sorry, Seimei.

I shouldn't have stopped
playing my flute. It was my fault.

Why did you stop playing before?

[sighs]

There was this... odd sound I heard.

Odd?

That's right. It broke my concentration.

I am truly sorry.

Well, stop apologizing.

Right now, we should be
discussing this demon.

Mmph! [breathing shakily]

Why do you think that it attacked you?

It likely resented me.

It is called a namanari demon.

Namanari?

[Seimei] It is a human who has become
a demon while still living.

[Tsuyuko] What?

[Seimei] It had a single horn on its head,

which is proof
that it has yet to become a full demon.

It may have returned to its human form
as we speak.

They are quite the tricky ones.

[both gasp]

[Hiromasa] Why did it turn?

It's an extreme case,
to become a demon while living.

It must not be able
to rid this grudge on its own.

That said...

if it wishes to k*ll me,

I will show it no mercy.

[music fades]

-[grunting]
-Seimei, please, take it easy!

I must go see Doman.

Why do you need to see her?

Because she is the only one
who is capable

of instructing a demon
how to create a sekisanko.

Mitsumushi! Mitsuyo!

Hmm. Huh, where are those two?

Shortly after you had fallen ill,
they went back to the tree.

What?

That's what Lord Yasunori told me.

-They wouldn't do such a thing unprompted.
-Huh?

Then... why?

[ominous music plays]

Oh, no...

[Hiromasa] What is it, Princess?

[Seimei] Say what's on your mind, Milady.

The demon...

I wonder if it could be Lord Yasunori...

-[gasps]
-[Hiromasa] But why?

I heard something...

[Yasunori] How are you still alive?

But he was the one who saved him,
wasn't he?

He was. But still...

[Yasunori] Best not to get your hopes up.

All we can do now is pray to the gods.

Evil and misfortune...
become one in this vessel...

Can we be certain
he was trying to save him?

Why would he suggest using
Kuromaru the way he did?

[Atsumi] Perhaps to seem
as if he was earnestly trying to help.

If that's so, then perhaps
Kuromaru succeeding was not his plan.

Was it?

I had nothing to do
with it at all, actually.

-Are you the one who summoned him here?
-No...

He was already here when I brought you in.

Lord Yasunori... would he know
how to create a sekisanko?

He would.

Do you think he could
really be the culprit, then?

Regardless, I must first seek out Doman.

The answer will present itself once I ask.

I can keep my eye on Lord Yasunori.

[Hiromasa] Good idea. So will I.

[music fades]

[Seimei] Do you... resent me?

[emotional music plays]

MITSUMUSHI, MITSUYO

[footsteps]

[man 1] Rumor has it, Seimei Abe
had a curse placed on him.

-Huh?
-[man 2] What? Uh, is he dead?

[man 1] No.
Apparently, Lord Yasunori saved him.

Really, now?
This does present a golden opportunity.

[music fades]

[birdsong]

-[Hiromasa] What are you doing there?
-Oh, this? It's nothing.

And did you see Lady Doman?

I never found her.

I even traveled all the way to Harima.

What?
Did you forget you're being targeted?

You should've let me know
where you were going!

So dramatic.

Now, I don't know why, but the entire
Court is talking about what happened.

That demon may not be
the only danger for you.

Ah, so that's the reason, is it?

Reason for what?

I've been summoned to the court
by that man.

To discuss how I'm to be dealt with,
no doubt.

Who summoned you?

Wait, the emperor?

[suspenseful music plays]

[man 2] Succumbing to a curse is truly
a pathetic display from you!

Because of the trust
His Majesty has placed in you,

we've shown prior mercy.

But this we cannot abide.

It is hardly befitting
someone of your responsibilities.

-[man 3] Indeed.
-[man 4] Hmm. Quite right!

[man 2] Your Majesty,
what are your thoughts

on demoting Seimei Abe to Dazaifu?

Seimei's abilities are the greatest
of our time! Of this, I attest!

You would have us believe
an onmyoji of such repute

nearly died
because he allowed himself to be cursed?

[Kaneie] Well, I...

[man 1] If you feel that strongly on this,

then I would like him
to duel another onmyoji.

A duel?

His Majesty will observe and compare
their spell casting,

and then determine which one was superior.

That's the contest?
Seimei would never be defeated!

Are you in agreement, Your Majesty?

Agreed.

Who will he fight, I wonder?
Yasunori, perhaps?

[man 2] He may be competent.

But we cannot deny
he is slightly inferior.

[man 1] Not to say that you have
no talent whatsoever, Lord Yasunori.

Do not mistake us.

[man 3] Because he strictly works
for the emperor,

we know not of his talents,
or how they compare to Seimei's.

Who shall it be, then?

How tedious.

What was that?

I request, as one who is quite busy,
to be excused from these proceedings.

[man 2] Watch your tongue!

[Doman] What if I'm your opponent?

[man 2] Ah, yes! Perfect timing.

Lady Doman Ashiya!

[music fades]

Why are you here?

You've been looking all over for me,
haven't you? Well, here I am.

This looks tense.

You know about the demon, don't you?

Demon? Whatever do you mean?

The sekisanko it used.
You taught it how to make one, didn't you?

If you beat me here,
maybe I'll answer that.

[tense music playing]

[man 2] Seimei Abe and Doman Ashiya,
are both of you ready?

If you are, then begin!

It's a pleasant day today,
wouldn't you agree?

However...

I don't suppose that the emperor can
see it from where he's sitting now.

I'll show the emperor
the dazzling sun as we see it!

-[rumbling]
-[magical chiming]

-[onlookers gasping]
-[man 2] Astonishing!

Nothing less from Doman!

-[man 3] The sun!
-[man 4] Oh my!

Exquisite.

For a thrilling view,
I believe the moon is better.

[magical whooshing]

[onlookers murmuring]

What good's a moon
if it's been drowned out by rain?

Let's add some lightning, shall we?

[both gasp]

How very dreary this rain is.

[magical chiming]

[music fades]

[gasps]

-[man 3 wailing]
-Uh... Huh?

[growling]

What is that thing?

-[man 3 shrieks]
-[hissing]

[moaning]

-[grunts]
-[man 3 yelps]

Yah! Hurry! Run!

[panicked gasping]

What is happening?

-[man 4] Help me!
-[sighs]

[whimpers]

[roaring]

[magical chiming]

[men whimpering]

[sighs]

"Rin, byo..."

[Kaneie] This way, Your Majesty!

-[floating heads screeching]
-[yelps]

[roars]

[magical chiming]

The protection of my Lord falls upon me,
alone.

"...to, sha..."

[gasping]

-[whooshing]
-[shrieks]

Would you get up and run?

My... my back...

[Seimei] "...kai, jin..."

[whimpers]

[Seimei] "...retsu, zai..."

-[magical chiming]
-"...zen!"

[floating head wails]

What happened?

-[Seimei] Hey.
-[gasps]

[Hiromasa] Seimei!

Did you do this?

[Seimei] I'm purging them.
Ready your flute.

[gasps]

I can't. I... I didn't bring it.

-Go on.
-I'm sorry.

[dynamic music plays]

Shall we team up?

This doesn't seem like
a good time to continue our duel.

I'll draw them in and you can purge them.

-I don't think you...
-Let's go!

-[roaring]
-[Doman] Hup! Too slow!

[grunts]

-I'm ready, Doman!
-Got it!

[all growling]

[magical chiming]

Banish chaos and expel evil.

Kyu Kyu Nyo Ritsuryo!

[groaning]

[gasps]

[all gasping]

-Ah!
-There's Seimei!

-Oh, my God.
-It's all there.

-[groaning]
-Minister! Are you all right?

[clears throat] Quite.

[Kaneie] Surely this should be
sufficient proof of Seimei's abilities.

Do you not agree?

Well, I...

Come now.
After protecting all of us from peril,

is there still someone here
foolish enough to mistrust him?

[groans]

[chuckles]

[gasps]

[grunts]

-[birds cawing]
-[Doman yawns]

I finally escaped that rogues' den!

Don't you feel sorry for me,
being dragged into all of that nonsense?

What was your reason
for doing all of that?

All of what?

Those floating heads,
they were your shikis, weren't they?

[Doman] Hmm?

They were relatively harmless.
All they did was growl.

Also, the moment they burned away,
I saw them.

Your talismans, that is.

[light, suspenseful music playing]

Hmph.

It's my apology for nearly k*lling you.

As I thought, you were involved.

So who is that demon?

I promised to answer that if you won,
didn't I?

You haven't beaten me yet.

[Seimei] Aren't you going a bit overboard
for one of your games?

Figuring out who that demon really is
should be child's play for you.

Unfortunately, the list of people who have
grudges against me is quite long.

No one considers me endearing.

You really are an arrogant one,
aren't you?

Am I?

He was worried for you.

He even sought my help
in the middle of a storm.

What are you saying?

Don't tell me you still don't know?

If you told me, then I would know.

I can't believe
how blind you are to everything.

[grunts]

And to think that some call you
the greatest onmyoji of our era!

Even a child has more insight.

-[Seimei laughs]
-Huh?

There's need to bait me like that.
I will expose the demon's identity soon.

Sit back, have some sake
and enjoy the show.

This is starting to get intriguing.

[music fades]

[crickets chirping]

[Hiromasa] I can't. Uh, I didn't bring it.

[footsteps approaching]

[gasps]

Two Leaves... I never hear it of late.
Why would that be?

[flute playing mystical tune]

[Suzaku Demon] I see.

You offered your talent
for playing the flute to Taizan Fukun.

That's right. And ever since then, I have
not been able to play a single note.

[flute music continues]

[sniffs]

But I don't regret doing it.

All I wanted was to save Seimei's life.

Still... I have to admit...

now, when I hear the sound of a flute,

I feel such sorrow, such anguish,

and such envy!

-[flute music stops]
-I feel completely lost.

Telling Seimei about this
would only be a burden for him.

As for this,
I think it's time I gave it back to you.

Keep it.

When you leave this world,
you can give it back then, if you want.

[grunts]

[Hiromasa] That's true.

[gentle ballad plays]

[music fades]