"♪ When the golden ears of rice bow their heads, ♪" "♪ come on out, everyone... ♪" "It's finally time, huh?" "Mm-hmm." "This is good." "So, Kanna Village won, huh?" "Way to go, Kirara-kun!" "Goro-noji, you may have died for nothing." "That's something for Gorobe-san to decide." "Kanbe is being just like Kanbe." "He just up and left, without even offering a single stick of incense." "Everybody is acting so heartless!" "He will come back." "How do you know that?" "!" "He will come back." "He is a samurai, after all." "Being able to understand each other, and to share with each other, are both as short-lived as a bubble on the water." "Obscured by the sands of time, unable to hold on," "I gave up, until I saw you again, asking" ""How much pain have you been carrying, all alone?" "And how much loneliness is hidden behind your eyes when you smile?"" "Embrace this miracle of an encounter now," "By gazing upon each other, we can become stronger." "And if this isn't what you call love, then what is it you call love now?" "We cannot lead you to the capital." "Why not?" "We, the Shikimori, take the position to become neither enemy nor ally." "We do not get involved, and we do not ask questions." "We accept any trading partner we can get." "Otherwise, those electric cells would become the cause of another war." "Why don't you seek out the location of the capital for yourself?" "What can they do?" "The Shikimori trade with both the samurai and the bandits, after all." "So then, if I had something to sell them, they would give me an appropriate send-off." "I believe so." "Kanbe-sama..." "It's okay." "Never mind about my sister." "I told you, I am going to reunite you with your sister." "Someday, go to Gorobe's grave and pay him your respects." "Honoka-dono, I wonder if you would do me a favor." "Yes?" "I want you to tell the Shikimori that Shimada Kanbe was the one who killed the imperial envoy." "That should be enough for them to know that I am selling myself." "Young Lord..." "Young Lord, because you told me to, I am accommodating these samurai-sama." "But everyone is saying how afraid they are of the samurai." "Yeah, you're right." "They are scary." "Nicely done...!" "You're strong!" "There sure is something different about you guys who trained in the city." "How about we have another match?" "Come on, hurry up!" "Young Lord..." "The samurai are assembled." "Oh yeah?" "That was pretty quick, huh?" "Well, well, well." "Thank you, thank you." "How nice." "Your faces are all looking so invigorated." "It's nice being outside, isn't it?" "You are all samurai." "And yet, your pride as samurai has been stripped away from you, and your poor selves have been locked away by my father." "Allow me to apologize for such disrespect." "I beg you, forgive me." "Cut that out, Your Excellency." "Yes, you are not the one at fault." "But I am now the minister of this town." "It's only proper that I would be the one to apologize." "Not at all." "You don't need to worry about it." "It truly feels like we've been brought back to life." "I talked with everyone before you got here, and we all insist on repaying you for your kindness." "Ask us anything you want." "What would you like us to do?" "Don't think I don't appreciate the offer." "There is one thing that I would like to ask you all to do." "What would that be?" "I would like for you to go to the villages in the area." "Oh?" "Does anyone remember how earlier, there were some peasants who were trying to buy samurai with rice?" "There might be some among you who were approached by them." "I know them." "Yeah, those peasants." "They approached me, too." "Me too." "Here, too." "My, this many of you, huh?" "As it turns out, those peasants did manage to hire some samurai." "And those samurai really did defeat the bandits." "Isn't that amazing?" "I did some investigating of my own, and it turns out that the bandits were sent from the capital." "Isn't that awful?" "It's the capital that has been taking work away from all of you, and tormenting the peasants." "The capital is the crown jewel of the merchants, you know." "They are a disgrace to all merchants." "But you are a merchant yourself, aren't you?" "I sure am." "Merchants were born out of war fatigue to rebuild the world." "However, there's no way we can all find happiness with a system where the capital is at the center of society, like it is now." "And yet, how low is it for them to use bandits as their tools?" "The bandits are still harassing villages all over the place." "It wouldn't be right to have Kanna Village be the only one that is protected, would it?" "At this point, those of us who have been made to suffer by the capital must band together." "For that purpose, the best thing we can do is to copy the actions of Kanna Village." "You're telling us to protect the peasants?" "The samurai's katana is there to protect something." "The current excellency does indeed have lofty purposes, doesn't he?" "Am I right, men?" "I will agree to what you ask." "I will, too." "Fight!" "Fight!" "Let's give it to the capital!" "Okay, I'm giving you all your swords back." "I've also got your things packed for your trip." "We'll be outside soon." "Why did you kill the envoy?" "I thought you did not get involved, and asked no questions." "I'm asking what you gain by turning the capital against yourself." "Nothing." "Such foolishness." "This is the capital." "It must be somewhat familiar to you, isn't it?" "The once-great headquarters is now the merchants' marketplace." "Let's go." "Sanae-san-- er, M'lady..." "M'lady...?" "The sun is so strong." "I entreat you to come inside." "Yes..." "Ah, it's so tiring to talk like that!" "I'm going to bite my tongue saying things like "entreat."" "It makes my neck stiff." "Same goes for "M'lady."" "But that's what the custom is here." "Besides..." "You don't need to worry about it." "I am sure that the emperor will forgive you." "You sure have changed, Sanae-san." "I was just mistaken about the emperor." "Why are you taking that guy's side?" "!" "Mizuki-san, you are mistaken about him as well." "He is a kind gentleman." "Those guys are just common kidnappers!" "Mizuki-san, stop!" "Yeah!" "If the shopkeepers heard you say that, we'd be in trouble!" "Forgive the intrusion..." "Madam, the emperor is calling for you." "The Lady is in a delicate condition, and so for governmental affairs," "I must ask that she be allowed to forego... decline... er..." "No, Mizuki-san..." "Sanae is coming." "Presenting the emperor!" "Honorable Emperor, the reason for our audience today concerns the incident of the recent murder of the imperial envoy to Kogakyo." "As this samurai has declared himself to be the murderer, we, the people of Shiki, have brought him here for the purpose of turning him over for your judgment." "I appreciate all the trouble you have gone to, bringing him here." "Thank you very much." "Ayamaro..." "I will allow you to answer me." "Do you know this criminal?" "I am afraid I do not recognize his face." "I give you the Honorable Lady." "Oh, Sanae." "Come over here." "I trust you are in good health." "Where have you been?" "I was enjoying the breeze outside for a time." "Sanae, what do you see with your untainted eyes?" "This samurai claims to be the criminal that killed the imperial envoy." "Yes..." "Samurai, look at me." "This is not a corpse." "This is a living form." "During your prolonged wars, things went out of control." "I will allow you to answer me directly." "Criminal, what is your name?" "Shimada Kanbe." "Shimada Kanbe." "You fool!" "Did you have any motive in cutting down the envoy?" "You cretin...!" "Is this true, Samurai?" "I told you, I cut him down." "That is enough of your jesting." "What is it that you want?" "Guess." "Do not speak with such disrespect!" "Silence!" "I have not allowed you to speak." "Please forgive me." "Shimada Kanbe..." "Do you know who the real culprit is?" "Or are you merely a fool?" "You will not answer?" "Then I have no choice but to investigate." "Take him away." "People of the Shiki, move aside." "Fire!" "Fire on the ruffian!" "Would you shoot me?" "!" "If you shoot me, the emperor dies." "Nonsense!" "Would you care to try?" "What will rupture when your bullets pass through my body?" "!" "What nerve!" "You coward!" "Listen to me!" "I am taking the women with me, in exchange for his life!" "Are you Sanae, the wife of Rikichi, from Kanna Village?" "Where are the other women?" "They are in the inner chambers." "Emperor, I will have to use you as a shield for a little while." "Miserable lowlife!" "I will not leave." "The emperor needs me." "Please, spare the emperor!" "Sanae-san!" "I am in love with the emperor." "This woman is carrying my child." "What a predicament." "This has been most entertaining." "You are a farmer." "I understand that, Grandmother." "No, you don't understand!" "Why can't I go together with them?" "Those men are goin' to fight." "What good are you goin' to be to them in a fight?" "I intend to see this war through to the end." "It is my duty, as the one who brought them to the village." "You talk like you're a grown-up!" "You don't understand what you truly feel!" "I do know what my true feelings are." "I have stood next to him here in the village for many days." "I realized that I was unconsciously following him with my eyes." "I blamed myself." "I felt embarrassed about it." "And the samurai-sama?" "He has not noticed." "This is a surprise." "Can you go on enduring' this?" "I am the daughter of the Mikumari." "I do not wish for anything more." "It will be difficult." "What a stubborn girl you are." "What do you want, long-timers?" "I don't know where you get "long-timers" from." "You hush." "You guys are terrible!" "Keeping it from us that he decided on going to rescue Rikichi's wife and Honoka's sister like that." "It's not as though we excluded you." "At the time, Katsushiro was down, and you had been taken prisoner by the bandits, right?" "I hate it when people split hairs!" "I can't stand you adults." "Katsu-noji, you tell him!" "Hey!" "My battle lies together with Sensei!" "Are you saying that rebuilding the village is not the job of a samurai?" "No, it's not that..." "Have you considered for yourself why Kanbe-sama left you behind?" "Now, now, that's enough." "Here is a bento lunch for you." "Kanna Village has the most delicious rice." "Thank you." "Come on, let's go, Katsu-noji." "That katana is dull, you know." "I'll have Masamune hammer it out." "Masamune-dono knows many people." "He might know where the capital is." "Rikichi!" "I wanted to go, too." "You should take it easy and recover." "We will bring your wife home, no matter what." "Please wait!" "Nunky!" "Komachi!" "Please, take us with you." "Please!" "Look, we're not going out to have a good time." "Please, let us help you in some way." "I'm begging you." "Help us out?" "This is war." "Now, now," "I get worried about all sorts of things when you go off on your own, Nunky." "Well, excuse me." "I don't want to expose you to any danger." "Then again," "Kirara's pendulum might come in handy." "Don't let go of my hand." "Right." "Groupie, don't let go." "You got it." "Long ago, we never would've permitted this." "Kirara might never be able to serve as Mikumari no more." "There's just no helping' that girl." "I brought some dinner." "There's some for the criminal inside there, as well." "Hey there, Samurai-sama..." "I don't know what has come over Sanae-san." "She says the emperor is a kind man, even though we were kidnapped by him." "Is it true that Sanae-dono is with child?" "Yes." "I see." "But she has done everything for our sakes from the start." "She said that nobody would touch us, as long as she was in the emperor's good graces." "So, she's just fooling herself." "Please, you have to do something for her." "Whatever I might be able to do," "I am still awaiting execution for attempting to kill the emperor." "You liar." "You've got something planned." "That's why you let yourself be captured on purpose." "Listen, I'll lend you a hand." "Please help all of us." "How many girls are there?" "About ten of us." "Is there a girl among you who has an older sister named Honoka?" "Huh?" "That's me." "Seriously?" "I'm Mizuki." "Nice to meet you, Shimada Kanbe." "Oh?" "They caught the guy who killed the envoy." "I wonder what sort of man he could be." "How do you mean?" "He's the lowlife that caused a commotion in the city!" "I'd sure like to see his face." "He's going to be beheaded, right?" "You know, I should go pay my respects to the emperor." "The old man merely gazed off into the distance from the hideaway in which he lived." "The baby cries, seeking only for the warmth of his mother." "We are born paying the price for someone's punishment, for someone's sins, but there is no such thing as a future without salvation, and the present slips quietly into the past." "We string together nothing but hollow ideas, and tell nothing but hollow lies." "And as the rain falls down upon us, something appears and then fades away." "I can see..." "I think I can see... the rippling of the water might be telling me something..." "A new journey for me and Nunky, and Sister and Katsu-noji has begun." "I'm a little bit worried about Sister." "I thought that Katsu-noji was the person who Sister liked, but maybe I was wrong." "Nunky has lost his temper with Uncle Kanbe, and Katsu-noji has lost his way in life." "Ah!" "Nobody is good for anything without me around!" "I'm going to have to work hard to look out for everybody now." "Oh!" "Here it comes!" "Here it comes!" "The Mikumari sees all!" "That weird guy Ukyo has started to work some sort of rotten scheme." "What is Uncle Kanbe trying to prove, cooped up in those tight quarters like that?" "Okara-chan, this power is making me feel tingly, and my neck is getting stiff." "Well, bye now!"