"OTOGl ZOSHl" "Traveler, you must not look back" "Wander on where the wind takes you" "The steps you take will guide you on your way" "Journey on into the unknown" "There's a voice you cannot forget" "Though it may bring you to tears" "You must live with all your might" "Just think of your homeland" "And all your grief will vanish" "And all your grief will vanish Throw old notions by the wayside" "Go, go, until you've slashed through the sunset" "Look up toward those distant memories" "Go, go, until you've smashed through the sunset" "It is the Heian Period in Japan." "Assuming the identity of her bed-ridden brother Minamoto no Raikou young Hikaru and her retainer Watanabe no Tsuna head toward the land of Hitachi, seeking the Magatama." "But after surviving an attack by the Tsuchigumo tribe they decide to regroup in the village at the foot of the mountains." "ACT TWO SADAMlTSU" "Who is there?" "Show yourself at once!" "It was a pheasant, taking flight." "I see..." "My brother would not have been startled by such a thing." "I still have a Iong way to go." "March 972 (3rd Year of Tenroku) Hitachi" "I didn't expect this..." "For a village under Tsuchigumo oppression it's not nearly as gloomy as I thought it would be..." "The villagers actually seem happy..." "How can it be?" "What is it?" "Nothing, just thinking you two are like a couple of fish out of water!" "We are warriors from the capital." "It stands to reason that we should be dressed differently." "That's what I'm saying..." "Warriors like you tend to stick out like a sore thumb in this village!" "What are you talking about?" "Well, for example carrying around a dangerous weapon like this!" "Ouch!" "Let go of me!" "Fine!" "Sadamitsu!" "Huh!" "You call yourself a warrior from Heian-Kyo but is it the way of the warrior to raise your fist against a villager like me?" "Then I ask you is the way of this village to greet all strangers with a chip on your shoulder?" "Next to his life, nothing is more sacred to a warrior than his sword." "You got what you asked for!" "What a load of crap." "The second-most sacred thing to a man besides his life there's just one thing in the world!" "You men from the capital are pathetic." "The most obvious answer, and you don't have a clue, do you?" "His women, all right?" "And I'm talking about drop-dead beauties like these girls here!" "Oh wait, I'm sorry!" "You're not second-best..." "You're more sacred than life, right?" "Whoops, that's not good..." "Catch!" "Take that!" "Actually, you're the one who doesn't have a clue." "I should've known." "You're a hotshot samurai, right?" "How's that?" "You got what you asked for!" "You've been warned twice, now." "This might be fun." "Tsuna..." "This man is no ordinary villager." "Lord Sadamitsu!" "Just stay back." "I won't be long." "You better draw, you're leaving yourself wide open." "In that case, why don't you strike?" "Okay, I will, if you insist!" "Ouch!" "You young idiot!" "How can you be so rude to these samurai from the capital?" "Get out of my sight!" "Hey, you over there!" "Take this wretch away somewhere now!" "Fine..." "Let's go, then." "Hey, samurai." "I bet you'II like it here." "The food's good, and so's the sake." "Why don't you make yourselves at home?" "Samurai from the capital are always welcome here!" "please, come this way!" "Crush the Tsuchigumo, you say?" "There should have been an advance unit from the capital sent to this land one year ago for the same purpose but as they never returned, the Palace has sent us after them." "Is that right..." "But no samurai from the capital have ever been here." "I see..." "However, Lord Raikou with all due respect, do you really believe the people of our village to be oppressed by the Tsuchigumo clan?" "What do you mean by that?" "It is true that the Tsuchigumo clan resides near our village." "But by no means do they have dominion over us." "We villagers live in harmony with the Tsuchigumos." "In harmony, you say?" "Yes." "In return for a share of our crops the Tsuchigumos protect us from the mountain bandits." "It is a Iong-standing arrangement that has lasted for generations." "I beg you not to carry out your plan of attack..." "But we must get back the Magatama that the Tsuchigumos stole from the capital!" "We do not wish to see any bloodshed." "That is all, my lord." "These are my two daughters." "Now then, please sit back and enjoy yourselves." "Come, pour our guests some sake!" "Now then, Lord Raikou." "Um, I cannot drink." "Well!" "Such a naive young man." "I find that very cute!" "Look here, don't be rude to our guests from the capital!" "But I've never seen any other men around here as pretty as this one!" "Now then, please have some sake!" "Uh, but I..." "please, Lord Raikou..." "Lord Raikou, the moon is especially beautiful tonight." "I-Is that right?" "Then excuse me while I go take a look!" "Lord Raikou!" "Lord Raikou is abstaining from sake at this time." "Not only that, but these situations make him uncomfortable." "In that case, Lord Tsuna, you'II have to drink Lord Raikou's share as well!" "No thank you!" "I too must abstain, as it is my sacred duty to protect Lord Raikou." "Are samurai from the capital such sissies that a Iittle sake would keep them from fulfilling their duty?" "Just one cup, then, to honor the samurai of Heian-Kyo." "Well!" "I've never seen such clear sake before, even in the capital!" "The only place you'II fi nd this sake is in this village..." "What is it, Raikou?" "I thought I heard Hikaru's flute playing just now..." "Hikaru must be in Hitachi by now." "How I have burdened Hikaru..." "Are you all right?" "Yes." "I feel much better today..." "Are you looking up at this same crescent moon somewhere in the east?" "You mustn't go too far." "Promise me you'II be back to show your brother your smiling face." "That's the perfect music to go with my mildly drunken state." "True, that's an elegant-sounding fl ute." "My brother...please lend me your strength!" "Tsuna..." "Forgive me for fleeing the banquet, Tsuna..." "You are not to blame, Lord Raikou." "After all, sake is not something to be forced on the drinker." "Are you all right, Tsuna?" "This is nothing, not for a warrior from the capital..." "Damn, that's good!" "Lucky me, I get to eat pheasant stew, meet an angel and drink great sake!" "What's wrong?" "Aren't you eating?" "We would, but it won't be long before..." "Lord Sadamitsu..." "Are you afraid?" "We certainly got a different version of the Tsuchigumo story than what we heard in the capital." "If we were to attack the Tsuchigumos would it be an unwanted favor in the eyes of the villagers?" "Tomorrow morning, Iet us go and ask them about the Tsuchigumos." "Our decision can wait until we've heard their side of the story." "You're right." "Tsuna, you've had a Iong day." "You should get a good night's sleep for once." "As should you, Lord Raikou." "It's been a while since we had a roof over our heads..." "Who the hell?" "Damn it!" "He got away!" "Is anyone there?" "I need a light." "Someone, bring a light over here!" "Lord Raikou, are you all right?" "Yes." "What's all the fuss at this late hour?" "Did you not hear the commotion just now?" "Commotion?" "I didn't hear anything at all..." "My lord and I were attacked in our sleep by some intruder!" "Are you sure it wasn't a nightmare or something?" "How dare you?" "AII right, never mind." "Sorry to disturb you." "Well, then, I'II just leave the light here, all right?" "Tsuna..." "Yes?" "You see that?" "The sword wielded by that man we confronted this morning It's just like it." "Abe no Seimei, did you say?" "His ability to divine the fortunes of all things from the movements of the stars..." "I have heard it is far more prodigious than those of any other onmyoji, past or present." "What do you say?" "Is there something that requires such divination?" "Well, you see..." "Between you and me..." "The Emperor's condition is worsening day by day." "Indeed?" "Is that so?" "But Seimei has sequestered himself in the Onmyo Chamber to pray for the safe return of the Magatama to the capital." "If it pleases you, sir, I shall go to the Onmyo Chamber now and have Seimei divine the prognosis of the Emperor's illness." "No, wait." "I prefer to be discreet." "I shall summon Seimei to my residence after he has finished praying." "As you wish, my lord." "Damn that Regent." "Manipulating me, is he?" "I shall need Seimei to prolong his prayers a bit longer..." "That man from yesterday..." "I think the village elder said that he lives on the outskirts of the village." "Right." "Is something the matter, my lord?" "No, it's nothing." "Lord Raikou, we must be on our toes." "This man is no ordinary villager...that much is certain." "Yes, you're right." "Wake up!" "We need you to answer a few questions." "Oh, it's you two." "Don't just barge in here." "We didn't expect you to still be sleeping." "I sleep when I want to sleep, and eat when I want to eat." "We can see that you were out carousing until all hours last night!" "Why don't you just leave me alone?" "I believe you've seen this before!" "Here!" "Wait, this sword..." "I knew it was you!" "You'II pay for this!" "Where did you find my sword?" "Stop feigning innocence!" "Haven't seen it since I dropped it a year ago." "See, it goes with this one." "What?" "It looks like we have the wrong man." "I told you already, I've been here since yesterday." "We apologize for disturbing you at this hour." "Sadamitsu, was it?" "There's something we'd Iike to ask you." "What would that be?" "Is it true that the villagers are getting along with the Tsuchigumos?" "Is this really a peaceful village?" "Just what are you trying to get at?" "It's the Magatama you two are after, isn't it?" "If the villagers truly wish to live in harmony with the Tsuchigumos then we shall try to recover the Magatama another way." "But if the villagers are only holding their silence out of fear then as warriors from the capital, we cannot let this go!" "Huh!" "Listen to those noble words." "What's that?" "How dare you mock Lord Raikou?" "I just want to know if he's ready to stand by those noble words of his." "This isn't a Iittle game we're talking about, see?" "You swine!" "Enough with the insults!" "Certainly, I came here fully prepared to repulse the Tsuchigumos." "Really?" "Then why don't you show me how prepared you are?" "Wait!" "Lord Raikou?" "I shall take care of this." "You do realize that we're playing for keeps, don't you?" "Of course." "So the Emperor's orders are that important to you?" "There is someone I wish to protect, that's enough for me!" "That's it!" "You're as good as beaten." "Lord Raikou, please put down your sword!" "Perhaps I have no chance, but I still cannot back down." "I cannot surrender at any cost!" "Lord Raikou!" "Never mind!" "Damn, I can't duel morons, it throws me off." "AII right then, I can see that you're committed." "I'm not about to let you scar this pretty face of mine!" "I think you already know that the villagers have an agreement with the Tsuchigumos." "Yes, that they supply the Tsuchigumos with farm produce." "That's one thing." "But there's another form of tribute that's even more important to the Tsuchigumos." "What is it?" "Young girls." "When I first came here a year ago and found out about this agreement I was desperate to put a stop to it..." "A year ago?" "Don't tell me, you're not..." "I'm the sole survivor of the Imperial forces." "No!" "We arrived here, and tried to enlist the villagers' aid in crushing the Tsuchigumo clan." "But those damned villagers turned us down." "After that, we would end up getting ambushed by the Tsuchigumos wherever we went." "So the villagers informed them..." "The attack last night as well?" "Most likely..." "The Tsuchigumos were too much for us." "They used the terrain to their advantage, and it didn't take them long to decimate us." "although I was lucky enough to survive look what they did to me." "Then those young women you were with..." "They're being sent to the Tsuchigumos as an offering." "Can you imagine what that must be like?" "Far from enjoying music and writing poetry like the women in the capital these girls barely get enough to eat, and now they're going to be sacrificed." "They can cry all they want, but once they've been chosen to go, there's no escaping their fate." "Not only that, but no one will even go near any of them once they've been chosen as offerings." "I've never heard of such cruelty!" "So now you understand that this transient peace of ours comes at the expense of flesh and blood." "That's the true face of this village." "Dreadful..." "There's nothing to be done about it." "Because that's how things are done in this village to survive." "But why won't you fi ght it?" "A man of your abilities?" "There's nothing..." "There's nothing I can do." "They allow me to stay here in return for not interfering with their affairs." "And after all this time, I'm in no position to return to the capital." "It's just like the village elder said." "I'm nothing but a rogue, living on with no shame." "I want to hear your true thoughts!" "Surely your kindness towards those women wasn't a sham!" "Surely it's not right to force someone so young to become another's plaything, just because she was born in this village!" "I know you feel the same way!" "If we fight together, we'II find a way to prevail!" "But we must not let the villagers send any more women to be sacrificed!" "Sorry, but I've left the world of the warrior." "I can't help you two in this." "Nothing we can do." "You and I will have to defeat the Tsuchigumos without his help." "We shall find a way to prevail on our own." "Until we have the Magatama in our hands, we're not going to yield an inch." "I, Watanabe no Tsuna, have always been ready!" "I don't feel their presence at all." "True, my lord." "But if the Tsuchigumos have informants among the villagers you can be sure that they're waiting for us..." "Tsuna!" "Lord Raikou!" "Are you all right, Tsuna?" "Hey!" "What are you..." "I have a huge bone to pick with the Tsuchigumo clan, see?" "Besides, the women tell me that my back's crying." "Who do they think they are?" "Does that mean you'll join us in the fight?" "Let's get one thing straight, now." "I, Usui no Sadamitsu, am taking up arms for the women, that's all!" "But if we fight together, we'II be sure to find a way to prevail." "Right, Taisho?" "Taisho?" "I'm counting on you, Usui no Sadamitsu." "Now that's settled..." "Follow me, men!" "Minamoto no Hikaru and Watanabe no Tsuna are about to enter the lair of the Tsuchigumo clan with Usui no Sadamitsu." "Will these 3 succeed in rescuing the captive women and reclaim the legendary Magatama?" "To be continued..." "Outside the window, the rain is falling, shutting us in." "If you feel bad about today, then come pick me up." "That's what I want to say, but I can't..." "The dreams that I wished upon a star are all coming true, one by one." "Yet I just can't seem to catch up with you." "The dreams that I wished upon a star are all coming true, so..." "I want to get closer to you." "Our new comrade-in-arms is certainly a strange fellow," "Though he's an able fighter, he's also a drunk and a womanizer." "He must never find out Lord Raikou's true identity!" "So this is the lair of the Tsuchigumo clan?" "I can hear a voice coming from inside!" "And it sounds like a woman's voice..." "Act Three, Tsuchigumo." "Don't miss it!"