"My name is Yamada Nagamasa." "I am a soldier attached to the Japanese volunteer army." "Fate brought me here." "I have a secret that can be shared to no one." "I must end this dark secret with my enemies only." "This series of events occurred after King Naresuan waged the elephant war against Hongsawadee." "Though Ayothaya won the war, peace was hard to come by..." "A group of mysterious men dressed as soldiers of the Hongsawadee army ransacked Siamese people causing much grief and sorrow." "King Naresuan issued orders to all village headmen and the volunteer armies of various nations" "to find the assailants at all costs." "I have been assigned by the Japanese volunteer army chief to find these culprits as well." "They are Japanese but dressed as Hongsawadee soldiers." "They raided the people of Ayothaya causing hardship all around." "No one else must know of this treachery." "Bring me the culprit responsible for this and I will give him to the King of Ayothaya, so he can behead him." "Yes sir." "You..." "I never wanted to kill my fellow Japanese." "We don't know who this man is." "After buying iron ingots we saw him being attacked, so we helped him and brought him back here." "We rowed through the night until noon the day after." "He should have died from his wounds." "We never imagined that he was so tough." "He is a foreigner." "Can we trust him?" "I cured wounded animals." "This is a human being, how can I leave him to die?" "Now, Sasaki knows that the attackers are Japanese." "We have to stop everything before it becomes a problem for us." "You must bring Yamada to me." "Wherever you find him, kill him at once and report to me immediately." "Champa..." "White face is awake, he has come to his senses." "Water..." "White face can speak our language." "The complexion of your face is as fair as a woman." "The hair is long too, isn't it Champa?" "Krathin, help me bring some herbs to put on the wound of White face." "He became so conscious that I don't think he will die." "Yes." "Where is this place?" "The city of Phitsanuloke Song Kwae." "The selection of the King's bodyguards this time will be personally overseen by King Naresuan himself." "This man's name is Sua." "He is King Naresuan's chief bodyguard." "He is my student." "I brought him to teach you martial art techniques." "He looks so young." "Will he be able to teach at all?" "All of you listen to me." "Our homeland is now in trouble." "The treacherous Hongsawadee want our land." "This is why all of you must unite as one." "Don't just think or talk." "All of you must act." "Once we are born, all of us have to die eventually." "But, the value of our death is different." "Some bear the weight of a mountain, while some are as light as a feather." "All of you should think." "Krathin, what are you doing?" "Champa, what is this piece of wood?" "It is called a chalaew." "It prevents evil spirits from spoiling the medicine brew or others meddling with the brew." "It makes the medicine sacred and those who drink it will recover quickly." "Drink this, White face." "This is sacred medicine." "It is bitter, isn't it?" "White face." "Finish it." "It tastes bitter because it is medicine." "Isn't it true, Krathin?" "Yes." "Krathin?" "My name is Krathin." "What is your name?" "Yamada." "Mada drinks his medicine." "Actually, his name is Yamada" "Her name is Champa." "Cham... pa" "Champa" "Did you find Yamada?" "No sir." "I believe he is already dead." "He had the audacity to kill three Japanese." "He was probably silenced." "Kuroda, you must search all of Ayothaya to find the mastermind responsible." "Yes sir." "Where is my sword?" "We refer to the eclipse as the celestial dog swallowing the moon." "There's nothing for you to worry." "Have you regained your strength already?" "While you are here you don't need the sword." "The people of Ayothaya live in peace." "Everyone is friendly." "I don't know who your enemies are but all I know is if you stay here, all you have are friends." "Locals call him "Phra Khru Wat Pa"." "He was the one who assigned me to take care of you within the kitchen house of the temple." "The people of Phitsanuloke Song Kwae know him well." "White face, don't you know the monk?" "Krathin, how do you expect foreigners outside Ayothaya to know him?" "You should know that if Kham and his friends had not brought you to Phra Khru to cure your wounds," "you wouldn't have been speaking with me right now." "Kham" "Kham is Champa's elder brother." "As for me, I am Champa's niece." "White face, have you ever tried betel nuts and leaves before?" "Betel nuts..." "leaves" "Everyone in Ayothaya eats betel nuts." "I am about to eat some myself." "Why do you eat it?" "It makes your teeth strong so that they won't break off easily." "White face, why don't you try some?" "I am sure it must be tasty." "All the elders eat it." "Try some." "Put the betel nut in your mouth first then follow it with betel leaves." "Now chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew, chew." "Who is it sneaking over there?" "Oh, it's just you." "What do you want from me?" "I have come to thank you for healing my wound even though I am a foreigner." "It is not important." "Right now the people of Ayothaya don't care about anything else but only about our country and King Naresuan." "How to protect him... if we don't have King Naresuan then Ayothaya will not exist." "Do you understand or not?" "Why did you come here, Japanese?" "Kham" "It's me." "What's up?" "I thank all of you for saving my life." "Never mind." "You are not Hongsa, the sworn enemy of Ayothaya." "The Japanese are King Naresuan's allies who are ready to die for Ayothaya and King Naresuan." "So, I consider you my friend." "Friend." "Each sword that I made must taste the blood of the damned Hongsawadee." "Staying here" "amongst strangers close to me makes me feel even more comfortable than my own relatives who are far away." "They offer love and kindness to me, a foreigner, as if our blood is of the same color." "This friendship given to me is like water that nurtures the heart and the body." "It gives me the courage to overcome any obstacles." "I don't feel like I am alone anymore." "I never imagined that friendship would grow into something much bigger." "Is it tasty?" "Oishii" "White face, does oishii mean tasty?" "Champa?" "This is oishii, this is also oishii and this is also oishii." "Oishii" "True friendship develops only when we are able to appreciate the good in one another as we accept and understand the individual qualities of each other." "My family life disappeared a long time ago but somehow the people here have rekindled that feeling back in me." "This is what gives happiness to my life and enables me to stand up against the evil that I am about to face." "I am convinced that" "destiny brought two complete strangers together to develop a bond with each other." "This bond between the people here and myself is something that has never happened to me before." "You tell me why the Japanese have to kill each other." "His identity is not as important as whether he is a good person or not." "I am worried that the Japanese will bring the enemies to our homeland." "Since the incident he hasn't spoken a single word." "I don't want to interfere with his personal business." "If he wants to tell us he will talk." "And you don't need to ask him." "Sometimes people need to keep secrets because once revealed it could lead to trouble." "If it was you, will you talk?" "So why do his fellow Japanese want him dead?" "The Japanese killed each other... what does it have to do with you?" "Don't complicate things since the trouble hasn't come to us." "I am sure he is not a bad guy." "What you should be worried about is the selection of the King's chief bodyguards." "Champa, you do not need to worry." "Will you help him, brother?" "He will be all right." "Phra Khru will help him." "Do you want us to deal with him or not?" "No." "Yamada is not a native of Ayothaya." "He can't stay there for long." "He will come back one day." "And that day will be the day he dies." "It is my secret that must die with me." "I will not allow anyone to tarnish the reputation of the Japanese people" "by accusing us of treason against Ayothaya." "Painful memories are like a sharp blade that can hurt us." "Since you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to." "At the time I decided to leave my birthplace of Suruga," "Japan was a country in chaos as warlords fought for power." "No matter who came to power, the defeated would be killed." "I am just a soldier of a lord who lost his power." "I have no relatives which is why I thought about finding a new life and decided to come to Ayothaya." "We are volunteer mercenaries in the army of King Naresuan." "A soldier is born to fight no matter where he is." "Power struggles exist everywhere but it's a good thing that" "Japan has never been conquered by a foreign power." "It is different here in Ayothaya." "We are constantly attacked by the armies of Hongsawadee." "Becoming a vassal state of your enemy is not only physically painful" "but your honor is also compromised." "You won't understand." "So, is this your Japanese martial art?" "Can your Japanese martial art compete against that, White face?" "I am sorry Champa," "I didn't think it would turn out like this." "White face, don't fight with Master Sua." "You cannot beat him" "There is only one person who can beat Master Sua." "What do you want?" "I want to be your student." "Please teach me Muay Thai boxing." "Your martial art technique is pretty good." "You don't need to learn from me." "Learning from an experienced teacher for a single day is far better than practicing by myself." "And why do I have to teach you?" "Ayothaya's boxing is our national treasure." "It doesn't belong to foreigners." "And more importantly your blood is not the same color as mine." "My blood is Ayothaya blood, yours is Japanese." "Yes." "But now I live in Ayothaya and when I die the soil of Ayothaya will cover my face." "It is not my birthplace but where my soul will rest." "Who taught you to talk like this?" "All the people of Ayothaya here taught me..." "Taught you what?" "They taught me the difference between an honorable death and one that is not." "If one dies for the country and King Naresuan, no matter how many lifetimes one is born, it is still worth giving up one's life." "At this moment, my heart is Ayothaya." "In Ayothaya if someone wants to learn any art or discipline, they will need a teacher." "From now on, you have a teacher." "You must be virtuous and never use Ayothaya's martial arts to bully others except for protecting the country and yourself." "You cannot fight with others if you are not at peace inside." "It is like a swordsman who only depends on the sharpness of his blade." "In the end, he will never understand the way of the sword." "Ayothaya's boxing is an intelligent form of martial arts handed down from generation to generation since "Sukhothai" era." "It is the art of attack and defense." "We have used eight weapons 2 hands," "2 feet," "2 knees, and 2 elbows" "in battle for hundreds of years." "It is a martial art which has beautiful movements with hidden strengths and aggressiveness." "Meanwhile your Japanese martial arts are smooth, fluid and peaceful." "You watch your opponent and use his strength to take him down by grappling rapidly and forcefully." "If you are able to combine the best of both martial arts then nobody will be able to beat you." "Your boxing technique is much better, Japanese." "I taught him myself because I saw he had the determination to learn." "He can be useful to our country in the future." "Sua, are you angry that I taught Muay Thai boxing to a foreigner?" "No sir, you must have thought it out already." "And I am thinking about entering him in the selection trials for the King's bodyguards." "But he is a foreigner, can he actually do it?" "Luang, listen to me." "Love for one's country doesn't necessarily belong to only those who were born in the same land." "Love for one's country can be born in the heart of anyone who wishes that the soil of the country covers his face when he dies." "You three believe me... this Japanese will become an important force of Ayothaya." "I give this to you." "It's your sword." "You hammered it." "It must be yours." "I have my own sword." "Where is it?" "Does it belong to the Japanese?" "Yes." "Is it as sharp as our swords?" "Muen, you don't know anything." "Japanese swords are famous for being extremely sharp." "Sharp and thin but strong." "Just like the Ayothaya people who appear to be peaceful and weak but will never give in to any enemy." "Use it to kill your enemies." "Your sword is a masterpiece, Japanese." "The blade is Japanese but the handle is Ayothaya," "just like you and me." "Some Japanese swords take a lifetime to make." "It is so thin and sharp that you can cut the head of your enemy without him feeling the pain..." "The heart of a samurai is as strong as a rock, but must be as sharp as the end of the sword." "You guys made me realize that a friend in need is a true friend in deed." "This memory will remain with me until the day I die." "The loyalty shown by the people of Ayothaya to their country and King Naresuan is so great" "that I feel honored to be living on this land." "What is "Tanai Luek"?" ""Tanai Luek" is the personal bodyguard to the King who is at the King's side at all times without bearing arms." "A "Tanai Luek" must be extremely skilled with his bare hands," "skilled in the discipline of Muay Thai boxing." "We must select fighters of Ayothaya who are loyal to their country and are prepared to die for their king only" "Every drop of ink tattooed into your blood represents the sacred alphabet of Buddhist values." "I am not just piercing your skin with a metal rod." "Each sacred alphabet will remind you to do only good deeds." "Remember, the only eternal thing in life is being virtuous, so when you die, your name and your good deeds will not die with you." "So that is eternal and from now on the blood that flows in you is Ayothaya's." "You are not from Ayothaya." "Even though you weren't born in Ayothaya, but I ask that your spirit belongs to Ayothaya." "From now on, you are my personal bodyguard." "The heart of a fighter has to be ready to die at any given moment." "Dare to die if your death is for a good deed and for your country." "What brought you here, "Sua Pa Maew Sao"?" "King Nandhabureng of Hongsawadee has sent 200 killers from various tribes to assassinate Your Majesty." "They have already set foot from "Mae La Mao" border." "I lost my son during the battle with King Naresuan." "And he dares to mount an attack on Hongsa." "If I cannot bring his life to appease the spirit of my son" "I won't be able to rest in peace." "Those of you tribesmen who are able to bring me his head" "will enjoy the rewards and riches for the rest of your life." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Your Majesty," "I think they will try to attack you at a stream near the Phitsanuloke Song Kwae, the route to return to Ayothaya." "Good!" "I will meet his challenge" "Be patient Your Majesty." "200 Hongsa tribesmen are not the obstacle." "A high powerful mountain is still lower than the grass that grows on its top... 10 bodyguards might be able to use war strategies to our advantage and cause damage to Hongsa City, Your Majesty." "Sua, take 10 bodyguards to meet the 200 Hongsa soldiers" "Yes, Your Majesty." "Use only one to deal with 10,000 others." "If your heart is superior to that of the normal man then victory is in sight." "Remember..." "In two nights they will come back and be by your side forever." "I will wait for two nights and if you do not return, I will go to help you." "Your Majesty, our blood and soul are to protect you and Ayothaya" "Your sword will taste the blood of the enemies of Ayothaya just like you wished." "If Ayothaya has brave men like all of you, we will not be afraid of any enemy." "Pick up a piece of soil in front of you" "and keep it in your pocket." "When you are in combat, it will remind you that this piece of soil is like your place of birth and death, a burial site handed down from your ancestors, where you must protect for the sake of your children, grandchildren" "and great grandchildren in the future." "I thank you for your love in me and my country." "I feel like we are brothers who share the same blood." "In front of the Buddha image and the sacred spirits here, you and I will swear to be brothers and never betray one another." "We will die for each other like this sword which has a Japanese blade and an Ayothaya handle, which cannot be separated." "I will kill your enemies and you will kill the enemies of Ayothaya." "Let the sky and the earth be our witness..." "Will you swear or not?" "I swear." "That giant's name is "Tosakan"." "The green face is "Rama"" "and that monkey is "Hanuman"." "It is a battle between the giants and monkeys." "Do you understand, White face?" "What are you worried about?" "When I am here," "I feel only happiness and peace." "Only the people of Ayothaya treat me like one of their own." "I was never afraid before" "but now I am scared" "What are you afraid of?" "I am afraid of leaving you." "In Japan, we have a legend of Hagoromo." "The Hakuryu, a fisherman, fell in love with an angel who came to visit the earth." "Hakuryu stole Hagoromo's wings so that she couldn't return to heaven." "No matter how he loved her, he still had to return her wings and both of them parted ways in the end." "It is necessary for me to return to the Japanese village." "What awaits you there?" "Teru Teru Bozu" "What is it?" "It's a doll used to bring good weather like you, Krathin." "White face, don't go, please don't go." "What are you doing, Krathin?" "Today if you die, your evil deeds will stay with me but if I die, the secret dies with me." "If your hands never spilled blood, you will never be able to achieve greatness." "You" "Kham" "Love King Naresuan, love Ayothaya... promise me" "Kham..." "Kham..." "Kham..." "Kham..." "Kham..." "Kham..." "Kham..." "May your spirit rest in peace." "Your courage will always remain in the hearts of the people of Ayothaya forever." "Your death is only one but it give rise to tens and hundreds of brave souls." "Be proud, my brother." "Kham, I will use your sword to kill the enemies of Ayothaya as you intended." "This piece of King Naresuan's soil will always remind me that this is the birth and death places of a true friend like you." "Brave men do not yearn for long life." "I promise that" "I will protect this land with my life." "I almost die from the hands of my fellow countrymen." "Then so be it but destiny brought me here to this great friend where even high mountains, wide seas and disconnected land cannot stop our friendship." "This made me realize that those with different bloods can still be friends." "True friendship is based on equality and it will never fade away." "The people of Ayothaya and the Japanese will be united as one forever." "I will repay the friendship of Ayothaya people." "I swear that this land is not my birthplace but where my soul would rest." ""Yamada Nagamasa" loyally served Ayothaya until King Songtham's period." "He took the title of "Orkyasenapimuk"" "and later was appointed the "Governor of Nakornsrithammarat"." "Yamada passed away in 1633 holding on to his commitment:" ""This land was not my birthplace but where my soul would rest.""