Kyohachi-ryu School, the origin of swordsmanship.
Its legend was believed to have ended long ago.
Yet eight successors lived on, silently immersing themselves in training.
Don't screw with me!
What's wrong, Iroha? Is that all you've got?
Shut up, Sansuke!
You win, Shikura.
If you were playing seriously, it'd be a different story.
Another one for me.
Huh? You're going for another round, Jinroku?
You've had, what, ten bowls?
Amazing.
By the way, I heard Satsuma and Choshu have joined forces.
I wonder if the Edo shogunate or the anti-shogunate will win.
Obviously whichever side knows how to use us effectively.
- Right, Shu-nii? - Yeah, that's right.
Can we join the war too?
That's for Master to decide.
I can't wait to fight. We've trained so hard all these years.
Oh, please. Any side Sansuke joins is gonna lose.
Come on, Iroha. You're the one who cries when I beat you in training.
What?
Look who's talking.
- You tripped earlier too, remember? - Huh? I didn't trip.
I know.
I don't have much time left.
It's tomorrow.
There is something I must tell you all.
You have endured harsh training together for nearly ten years.
But...
that ends today.
The Kyohachi-ryu School shall be passed down to a single successor.
Only one person can inherit it.
You must kill each other.
You will begin tomorrow when the sun reaches due south.
You must forget that you are siblings.
No one is allowed to flee.
This is our fate.
We all knew it would come to this.
Listen,
why don't we leave the mountain?
We could live somewhere secluded, where Master won't find us.
- As long as we're together-- - No.
Gentosai will come after us.
Master was just trying to scare us.
No, he's out there.
I once saw him talking with Master.
That man... is a monster.
Ever since we mastered the art of the Kyohachi-ryu School,
we have known this day would come.
This...
is our fate.
Yes.
We have no choice.
Shu-nii...
What should we do?
Well, well...
So, how many casualties on our side?
We lost 15.
Kokushu the Manslayer is absolutely insane.
What did the organizer say?
The rules do not explicitly forbid killing our troops, so the game continues.
How unexpected.
Shujiro Saga has already been informed.
A total of 192 participants have been eliminated.
Also, number 19, Ukyo Kikuomi, the first to leave Tenryuji Temple,
has been eliminated.
What a shame.
Reportedly, he lost in a duel against Bukotsu Kanjiya.
Bukotsu the Savage Slasher. He looks like another promising player.
Gentlemen, if you're ready, shall we begin?
Of course. That's what we're all here to enjoy, isn't it?
Now then, allow me to explain the betting process once more.
What you'll be predicting is
which participant will be the first to pass through the next post station.
Our opening bet is on the first participant to pass Seki-juku,
after crossing the Suzuka Pass.
Place your bets, everyone.
My bet's on number 66, Bukotsu Kanjiya.
The Suzuka Pass is no easy path.
You won't get through a fight this fierce without his level of skill.
Number 200, Naoto Yoshida. Number 201, Shoji Yoshida.
Oh, yes...
The spear twins.
Mr. Sakakibara likes to be unconventional.
Their spear work at Tenryuji Temple was exceptional.
A solid bet, I'd say.
Number 33, Kyojin Tsuge.
Oh? As for me,
I'll go with number 108, Shujiro Saga.
All bets are now on the table.
Let us proceed with the first round.
Please enjoy to your heart's content.
SUZUKA PASS, MIE
The mountain pass begins here.
You won't get to Seki-juku without crossing it.
There will be a lot of participants here. Stay close.
Yes, sir.
What's the matter?
"Kokushu the Manslayer," a man who knew only how to kill.
What has your life been like, Shujiro?
I...
I grew up in the mountains with my siblings.
Siblings?
We were all orphans taken in by Master. We shared no blood ties.
And there,
we learned nothing but how to kill.
Did you live there all your life?
No. After that, I cut down men in Kyoto as a bodyguard for the Satsuma domain.
I kept killing through the war, and before I knew it...
they were calling me Kokushu the Manslayer.
Stay alert.
You survived Tenryuji Temple?
You? You're with a child and can't even draw your sword.
Naoto!
Futaba, run!
Futaba!
- Are you all right? - Yes.
Is this...
Someone's nearby.
I've been waiting a long time for you, Shujiro Saga.
Iroha!
Stop! I won't fight my little sister!
Save your words!
Do you have any idea what happened to us because of you?
Can you imagine what your own brothers felt when you left them behind?!
Since I left the mountain,
I've lived every day as if I were dead.
I'm sorry.
Move back!
Iroha!
Come.
Iroha, go in front!
Defend yourself. Unless you want to die.
Get closer!
Surround them! Closer!
- Move up! - Closer!
No! Get back here!
Gojiro!
Stay back! Keep your distance!
Aim for the brat!
That brat! Go after her!
Take down the brat and the woman!
Who is he?
He's gonna kill me!
Sheathe your sword.
Why did you help us?
Among our people,
taking the life of a child is believed to be the greatest evil.
We honor those who shield children and do not wish to fight them.
Why would we believe you so easily?
Wait...
Thank you.
May I ask your name?
Kamuykocha.
As long as that child is with you, I will not strike.
Kamuykocha...
- He's Ainu. - Ainu?
The indigenous people of Hokkaido.
I saw them at the Battle of Hakodate.
So it's true that the newspapers made it all the way to Hokkaido.
We can pass through Seki-juku with these.
More participants will be coming from behind.
We need to hurry.
Iroha,
take this one.
If you really want to kill me,
then do it in Tokyo.
Wait.
I'll go with you.
There's still something you need to do.
You can't just walk away from it.
All right.
Is one enough?
Carrying too many is risky. Let's move.
Yes.
Come in.
Pardon the intrusion.
I'm here to report on the investigation progress.
The Kyoto Prefectural Office
has discovered bloodstains and dismembered human remains.
They reported numerous eyewitness accounts
of sword duels involving individuals believed to be shizoku.
Furthermore, the location of the eyewitness accounts
has been gradually shifting over time, from Shiga to Mie.
You're saying the shizoku are fighting with each other as they move?
Indeed.
And...
they appear to be heading toward Tokyo from Kyoto.
At least that's how it looks.
So they're moving toward us?
There's more.
The reports say numerous gunshots were heard at Tenryuji Temple.
Lord Okubo.
A large number of shizoku armed with guns and swords are approaching Tokyo.
Which implies that discontented shizoku are plotting a civil uprising--
If they were plotting a civil uprising, they wouldn't need to cut each other down.
But sir...
I understand.
If ignored, it may escalate into a national crisis.
Kawaji, track down the source of the guns immediately.
Maejima, analyze all telegram communications from the past month.
- There might be traces left behind. - Yes, sir.
TENRYUJI TEMPLE
SEKI
SEKI-JUKU
REQUIRED POINTS: THREE
We're almost at the exit.
There should be someone here to check our tags.
No need to be so wary.
I am Tsurubami, in charge of overseeing your passage.
Pleased to make your acquaintance.
Now, your wooden tags, please.
Shujiro Saga, three points.
Futaba Katsuki, three points.
Iroha Kinugasa, five points.
You are all cleared to pass.
This is for you, Miss Kinugasa.
This red tag counts for three points.
In exchange, hand over three tags other than the one around your neck.
Tsurubami, was it?
Yes.
What is the purpose of this game?
I cannot answer that.
Let me put it another way.
Who are you people?
I cannot answer that either.
That said...
I believe you and Kinugasa are well acquainted with "Kodoku."
What are you implying?
Three bugs.
Well then, may your journey go well.
Gentlemen,
we've confirmed all participants have passed through Seki-juku.
And the result?
The first participant to reach Seki-juku...
was number 33, Kyojin Tsuge.
Yes!
Looks like I've won this round.
Darn it!
Well, I'll be damned.
No surprise for a former ninja from Iga.
Morosawa, maybe we went a little too far taking a long shot, huh?
It's only the first round.
We've got plenty of chances left to recover.
I see.
And then there's number 277, Kamuykocha.
I never expected the Ainu to join this game.
Well now, this is getting unpredictable.
Honestly, I can't be thankful enough to the organizer
for providing us with so much fun.
Much obliged.
Now then, let us proceed with the second bet.
Our second bet is on the first participant
to pass through the next checkpoint, Chiryu-juku.
YOKKAICHI-JUKU
You must be Mr. Saga.
We've been expecting you. Please, come in.
I knew you'd show up.
No surprise. A seasoned warrior like you has a sharp sense of survival.
Why did you choose Yokkaichi?
I told you I'm a strategist, remember?
The Suzuka Pass is no easy path.
Bringing along a girl who can't even fight must've been a pain, huh?
I figured it must be about time you're hoping to form an alliance.
What's this?
Not just the little miss, huh? You've got quite the beauty tagging along.
- Quiet. - Don't count on it. Kyojin here.
Pleased to meet you, Iroha Kinugasa.
How do you know my name?
Like I said, I'm a strategist.
Kyojin.
I do not trust you.
However...
I came here to improve my chances of survival.
Do you know what Kodoku really means?
Three bugs, right?
Yeah.
This is how you write Kodoku.
A hundred insects are sealed in a jar and made to fight to the death.
Only the last one left alive becomes a god
and gains the power to slaughter all.
You know your stuff.
Once, Iroha and I...
were bugs inside that jar.
So this is your second time? You two lead quite the life.
Well, anyway, if this really is that type of Kodoku,
it means only one person will survive to the end.
Are you prepared to kill
those you once fought alongside?
I've got someone I need to save.
But...
It doesn't mean I'm going to play this game on their terms.
Looks like I was right to reach out to you.
We're allies now, Kokushu Saga.
What's that?
It's called a handshake. You just grab each other's hands.
It's a foreign greeting.
It means, "I'm not holding anything in my hands and I trust you."
You too, little miss.
I'm Futaba Katsuki.
A pleasure.
What is it?
Making us kill each other like this...
What does the organizer really want?
Even offering such a huge sum of money.
Exactly. That's the real problem.
If we don't learn what they're really after,
we'll end up dancing in the palm of their hand.
So you've got a plan?
That's why I brought up the idea of an alliance.
What exactly are you planning?
We're going to find out what this Kodoku really is.
And to do that, I want to run an experiment.
An experiment?
Well, I'll explain the details tomorrow.
Something to look forward to.
Make sure you get a good rest today, okay?
KODOKU
You must kill each other.
Shu-nii.
Where are you going?
The bathroom.
No...
Gentosai?
Why are you traveling with that child?
We met at Tenryuji Temple and have been traveling together since.
That's all.
You really think she can survive this?
After leaving us behind,
is this some kind of atonement?
Iroha,
what happened after I left?
Please tell me.
Master...
He feared the techniques of Kyohachi-ryu School might be leaked.
So he tried to kill us all.
Ikkan-nii...
He stood up to Master so we could escape.
Thanks to him, we were able to get off the mountain.
We were scattered.
Just because I am a woman, I wasn't allowed to hold a sword.
I've spent my life
running from Gentosai.
Everything that happened
is all because you ran away back then.
Please forgive me.
Why did you join Kodoku?
My wife is suffering from cholera.
My daughter is dead.
It's only a matter of time before my son becomes sick too.
But I don't have the money for medicine.
I see.
So you're a father now.
And you, Iroha?
Why did you join Kodoku?
You told me I still have something I need to do.
I'm not sure if I want to involve you.
I need to think more.
Iroha.
I ran away back then.
But I have no intention of running
from the suffering I caused you all.
And yet,
getting to see you again, alive...
is something I'm truly grateful for.
We need two more to pass through Chiryu.
I guess we should win them now, while there are plenty around.
There's a ferry at Miya-juku.
The participants are bound to--
Your face.
What?
Maybe I was wrong.
What's this guy mumbling about?
Not here either...
Gentosai.
Any leads?
Yes.
Enter.
- We've identified where the guns are from. - Where?
When we looked into the records from the smuggler we arrested recently,
we confirmed that a large shipment was brought in from Britain to Yokohama.
The shipment contained over a hundred Snider rifles.
Impossible. A lone smuggler couldn't possibly afford that many rifles.
Right. It seems he had clients.
Who?
Mitsui.
Sumitomo.
Yasuda.
Mitsubishi.
Behind this incident...
are the four powerful zaibatsu supporting the Meiji government.
95 REMAINING
Subtitle translation by: Daisy Savage