"There were people who loathed one other." "their souls soaked in blood..." "And their bonds were broken by blades... their sincerity walls... please die... please die..." "Clouds shroud a night with a waning moon quivering in the haze" "A cruel trap involving a pair of crucified fledglings since smoldering feelings lie firmly in their hearts destruction!" "severely as a flower pierce with a trembling blade" "Even when I shut the fated tears deep within my eyes my eyelids still remember you" "The Fierce Woman's Plot" "Koshiro-dono..." "Akeginu-dono?" "!" "W-what are you doing here?" "!" "Koshiro-dono..." "Behind you..." "Is that not Muroga Hyoma of the Kouga who stands dead?" "What?" "!" "Ah!" "So that's why I didn't sense his fall!" "you're truly fearsome..." "Akeginu-dono." "What are you doing here?" "Don't tell me something happened at the Chiryu inn?" "!" "W-what's happened to Oboro-sama?" "!" "Koshiro-dono..." "The Kouga..." "Kisaragi Saemon of the Kouga suddenly appeared at the inn and slowly and mercilessly tortured Oboro-sama to death..." "P" " Princess..." "What" "What am I doing?" "!" "I swore to protect her with my life..." "yet what did I do?" "!" "Damn you!" "Damn you!" "You'll pay!" "You'll pay for everything!" "Koshiro-dono..." "Akeginu-dono." "When Oboro-sama was slain..." "what were you doing?" "!" "Don't tell me- but later managed to break free..." "I dishonorably stayed alive so I could inform you and Tenzen-sama..." "I never wanted to hear that!" "Akeginu-dono!" "But now I can have no regrets..." "Now kill me by your own hand..." "A" " Akegi" "Kill me..." "Akeginu-dono..." "Kill me." "Kill me!" "A" " Akeginu-dono..." "Please kill me..." "Akeginu..." "Koshiro-dono..." "The Iga... have lost." "So let us meet our deaths together..." "Koshiro..." "Oboro-sama..." "Whew." "Mimicking a woman is exhausting..." "So Chikuma Koshiro died as if dreaming of being held by Akeginu..." "Hyoma..." "So Oboro's hawk returned to an inn in Chiryu..." "In that case..." "Koshiro-dono?" "!" "Koshiro-dono!" "Koshiro-dono!" "Koshiro-dono is..." "Koshiro-dono is..." "Akeginu..." "Koshiro-dono!" "Koshiro... after all..." "Saemon-dono." "You can slay them from close range in that form..." "Oboro..." "Koshiro-dono... and yet..." "You..." "You did this to Koshiro-dono..." "Akeginu." "Who's there?" "One of the Kouga has died upright here." "He and Koshiro-dono most likely killed each other at the same time..." "Hyoma... but his hair is swept back." "It appears this is the man known as Muroga Hyoma." "Akeginu!" "What are you doing?" "!" "Akeginu!" "Akeginu!" "Please stop defiling that dead man's body!" "I was also disgusted when Tenzen placed Kasumi Gyobu for all to see on the border bridge..." "He may be our enemy but he was skilled enough to kill Koshiro before he died..." "Don't you think insulting that would be insulting Koshiro too?" "the fact that he stood even in death means he must have had strong attachment to someone..." "Don't you agree?" "What about Tenzen?" "Don't tell me Tenzen was also" "Tenzen-sama?" "Absurd." "That is all but impossible." "Saemon-dono." "Are you certain Tenzen is dead?" "Of course I am." "He was definitely no longer alive." "What nonsense are they spouting?" "We cannot miss this chance to strike the Iga!" "Oboro..." "Wait!" "Saemon-dono?" "!" "People are coming from the east." "A suspicious number for this hour..." "Hattori Hanzo Residence" "Hattori Hanzo Residence" Father." "Father." "Have you heard about Ofuku-sama's secret departure for Ise?" "Is that why you've returned?" "She most likely intends to participate in this ninja war..." "Please send men at once." "Let her be." "Father?" "Koshiro-dono..." "Who goes there?" "!" "W-what is this?" "!" "men!" "Eh?" "!" "by request of the retired Ieyasu-sama!" "And who are you?" "!" "W-what?" "!" "The retired shogun?" "!" "What nonsense!" "His name is not one to be used lightly!" "Who are you?" "!" "in Iga." "Iga?" "!" "What?" "!" "What did you just say?" "!" "Did you just say Iga Tsubagakure?" "!" "Ofuku-sama!" "'Tis all right." "Stand down." "Might you be the Iga clansmen who are fighting the Kouga now that the Hattori Hanzo pact has been nullified?" "Who are you?" "son of the shogun." "Might your names be Oboro and Akeginu?" "Eh?" "!" "How do you know that?" "!" "so I was right!" "The old shogun gave the names of Iga-no-Ogen's ten most prized ninja." "You are vital in that you are fighting for Takechiyo-sama's succession." "Incidentally..." "To whom does this corpse belong?" "from Kouga Manjidani." "you say?" "!" "Splendidly done!" "where are the rest of your comrades?" "They are all dead." "That can't be!" "Only a few days have passed since the pact was annulled!" "Please tell us..." "What do you mean when you say we're fighting for Takechiyo-sama?" "What?" "!" "You don't mean..." "You've been fighting the Kouga without even knowing why?" "Very well..." "I will tell you just how important of a mission your battle is..." "You're truly not concerned about Ofuku-sama?" "she may cause unnecessary trouble..." "Quite the opposite." "I'm leaving Ofuku alone to prevent unnecessary trouble." "Ofuku was once the second wife of Inaba Sadonokami but she eventually learned that her husband had a child with a mistress." "she invited them over while he was away and then suddenly stabbed mother and child to death." "she sped off in her palanquin." "She is the type who gets more riled up and defiant the more you get in her way." "as it will cause the least trouble." "Father..." "Kyohachiro." "I guarantee you this." "Whatever shrewd scheme Ofuku concocts no common interloper will have an effect on this ninja battle." "wouldn't you agree?" "Oboro." "Akeginu." "Might I ask you to accompany me to Sunpu?" "I insist that you accompany me!" "I must not let these two die!" "What do you say?" "I promise you won't regret it." "The anti-war pact negotiated by the Hattori house has been nullified." "nor do I know the reason for fighting." "I intend to visit Sunpu at once to appeal to the retired shogun and Hattori-dono." "We will go to Sunpu." "Oh!" "That's wonderful!" "Oboro-sama!" "We can't just let the Kouga go now!" "we will not let the Kouga get away!" "Nor will I let either of you die!" "having Oboro-sama go to Sunpu might be our best plan now..." "And then I can" "We could meet the retired shogun and Hattori-sama at Sunpu... we can reinstate the anti-war pact..." "So this ninpou war is actually to decide the Tokugawa successor..." "How utterly amusing..." "So that's why..." "So that's how it is..." "The mist of sorrow softly touches these lips blotted with red droplets" "The mirror in the sky beautifully illuminates the distance in the night" "Giving more than a passing thought to the myriad of showering stars firmly bind them" "Those beautiful eyes that sparkle with a lazuline hue..." "Even if they wind up closed by a harbinger from the darkness since no one can steal the bridge of connected dreams they still reflect the limitless tomorrow" "Next Episode" "A woman waits silently on the Imure Bridge at dusk." "Destruction cuts through the funeral mist and pierces a brilliant chest." "as the enemy's humanity is seen." "Red threads trail the water's surface..." "On the next Basilisk ~ Kouga Ninpouchou" "Flowing Mercy"