"and always like that dazzling sun." "I will defend you from all the darkness." "This is the truth from my heart." "I could get you to believe me." "don't lose it." "Your kindness won't be in vain." "You'll be carried aloft by the wind to somewhere that isn't here." "and I know you'll blossom one day." "I'll be there for you." "I hope I can watch over you like the sun for all time." "This is the truth from my heart." "There wasn't much snow this winter." "did he?" "Episode 23 In Search of the Shigu Salua" "I'm sorry." "We weren't able to decipher everything before your departure." "Not at all. it's enough that we found a way to protect the prince from the egg-eater." "That is true." "Even a demon from Nayug can be defeated if struck at its weak point." "Thank you very much." "I shall dispatch a rider to you." "You should go." "the time has finally come for you to set off." "Your Majesty." "I shall save Prince Chagum's life even if the price should be my own." "Good luck to you." "you must return safely to us as well." "You have already become indispensable to this country." "I will take my leave." "Chagum?" "Torogai!" "Torogai?" "You're riding that donkey again?" "it insisted on coming with me." "Boy?" "I see." "after all." "I had a feeling that this might happen." "Here." "What's this?" "You can't walk around in children's clothes forever." "and let's have a look at you!" "Tanda... didn't he?" "I did?" "you were just my cute little brother." "That's when it occurred to me." "The passage of time changes all sorts of things." "Shoo." "Thanks for your help." "catch." "That's what you asked me to get for you." "I see." "Do I look strange?" "It looks good on you." "You look like a fine young man now." "This is from me." "A sword's weight is a life's weight." "The sword you hold represents your life as well as your death." "Whenever you draw it do so in the knowledge that you have entrusted your life to its blade." "It's a saying we have in Kanbal." "It's recited during the coming-of-age ritual when a son receives his first short sword." "the father is supposed to say it." "Balsa." "what's the matter?" "I was summoned." "By whom?" "It's not a voice." "It's a powerful sensation like I'm being pulled by a string that I can't see." "I see." "where do you want to go?" "well... the land of feasting is one of the springs that feed into the Aoyumi like it said in the official history?" "show us the way there." "Let's move out." "Look at that motherly expression on your face." "Is that wrong?" "Assuming that you survive all this what do you plan to do afterwards?" "There's something to be said for settling down in one place." "Having children and raising them is enjoyable enough." "You make it sound like you've had children of your own." "I've had three of them." "really?" "Why would I lie about something like that?" "Lately..." "I've had this recurring dream." "A dream?" "Yes." "What sort of dream?" "I see..." "Tanda..." "Did you ever get an answer from Balsa?" "Answer to what?" "what you said to her back at Hunter's Hole." "About the three of us living together." "You were listening?" "I don't know what to say..." "You should just marry her as soon as you can." "Don't make it sound so easy." "Balsa and I both have complicated lives." "Are you talking about Balsa's oath?" "but we've probably spent too much time together." "It's like we've gradually grown farther apart or something." "my feelings for her were hot like the summer sunshine." "though they've changed..." "turned warm like the autumn wind." "that's why I'm fine with keeping things the way they are." "Are you sure?" "please." "this is one thing I can't solve on my own." "Then why don't I go ask Balsa for you?" "Chagum?" "scared out of my wits over just about everything." "I realized something." "so it's all right." "Ever since Balsa told me all about Jiguro I've been able to look at life that way." "Moribito Guardian of the Spirit" "sir." "Our interests coincide with hers." "There is no longer any reason to fight her." "there are Prince Chagum's feelings to consider." "Understood." "Master Shuga." "three of our best archers have been concealed on the return trail." "I see." "But are you sure that's what you want to do?" "We have no choice." "It is what the mikado ordered." "There isn't much water." "Looks like the first signs of drought are starting to show themselves." "eh?" "Look at all those shigu salua flowers." "Aoike?" "This is the land of feasting?" "I don't know." "we have come to fulfil our end of the bargain." "I'm glad to see that you didn't come empty-handed!" "Crown Prince Chagum." "We have come to assist in the birth of the water spirit and to welcome you back as the hero who saved Shin-Yogo." "so my brother is truly... is he?" "That's quite a change of heart you've had." "our interests now coincide." "I realize that we may not have always seen eye to eye but these men no longer mean you any harm." "but if we now share a common goal cut to the chase and tell us how to kill the Rarunga." "A Rarunga's weakness is fire." "It was written in the epitaphs that the Warriors Eight who served the founding father drove off the Rarunga using fire." "Now I see!" "it's a question of relative strengths between spirits." "and earth is beaten by fire." "which devour the egg of the water spirit...are they earth spirits?" "I can't believe I didn't make such a simple connection..." "Then the torches used in the summer solstice festival are vestiges of that?" "That's right." "that duty has once again fallen to us." "you are the descendants of the Warriors Eight." "Chagum?" "Chagum!" "Incredible!" "The power of the egg?" "Wait!" "Don't do anything rash." "it was written that the egg is to be born on the night of the spring equinox when the double moon rises." "is causing..." "No idea." "I don't know what's going to happen either." "though." "Chagum..." "What in the world is he doing?" "Shuga!" "How can this be?" "Why did we learn this only now?" "How many tablets are left!" "There should be eight remaining." "Bring them all up in one go!" "Go summon the retrieval team!" "we can't make them dive so many times in a single day." "Where does your duty lie?" "Will you read the stars in a destroyed nation?" "grant me your protection... are you all right?" "This sense of malice..." "it's not natural." "Is it something from Nayug?" "But where is it?" "That's..." "Is that a Rarunga?" "Is that the egg-eater?" "Light your weapons!" "Take position!" "You people stay back!" "they're..." "Chagum!" "Attack!" "Is it dead?" "It's still here!" "Chagum?" "Chagum!" "Chagum!" "Highness!" "Where does that boy think he's going?" "Master Gakai!" "Aoike isn't the land of feasting..." "Master Gakai!" "S-Send these tablets to Shuga at Aoike!" "He should be able to decipher them on the spot... he'll make it in time!" "Master Gakai... holding back the tears on those nights..." "When it felt like I was about to succumb to my doubts... at my side before I knew it." "It was none other than you who was there for me." "I want to be strong." I stumble and hurt myself again." "I can get back to my feet." "Thank you." "again and again." "I call out to my precious loved one." "Is my voice reaching you?" "human warmth never does." "I'm certain I sensed the presence of the one that I hold dear." "Next Time" "They have finally made peace with each other." "the missing epitaphs turn everything on its head." "The Last Hope." "Episode 24 The Last Hope" "Tanda's courage keeps their hopes alive."