Original subtitles

A ghost haunts the Yagi house at night?

Don't talk nonsense.

Nagakura-san.

The ghost!

Bedhead begone.

Th-Thank you, Kondo-san.

Now I just need to shake it dry and run my hands through it.

What are you, a horse?!

Including myself, the Miburo are 15 men strong now.

I've just about got their names and faces down.

Huh? A kid?

Good morning! Did you have a good night's sleep?

Huh? Who's this?

Y-Yes, I did.

My name's Chirinu Nio. I joined the Miburo the day before yesterday.

I am called Tanaka Taro.

Like you, I belong to the Miburo.

You do? How old are you?

I count myself 13.

Really? I'm 13, too.

But wait, that's weird.

I made the rounds last night to learn everyone's faces,

but I didn't see you anywhere.

Oh, that's because...

I sleep in a closet.

Why?!

Nio!

Morning training time. What are you doing?

Oh, Hijikata-san. I was just asking Taro-kun about...

H-Huh?

That's the boy you were wondering about. Our first wolf from Kyoto.

He is? Then...

Give Taro a wide berth.

Huh? Why, sir?

Never mind why.

Blue Miburo

Working hard, I see.

Mind if I try?

When you chop wood, stick the axe in,

then just swing down.

See? You get a cleaner split that way.

You're right.

Okay, then. I'll do the rest.

No, you've done enough!

Don't worry. I have time on my hands.

That's enough! Please, stop!

S-Sorry.

Wh-Why did you join the Miburo, Taro-kun?

Because I can't live anywhere else.

Huh?

Oh, I wanted to help everyone protect Kyoto and make the world a better place.

What a load of naïve crap.

Huh?

If you'll excuse me.

I saw everything.

O-Okita-san!

Didn't Hijikata-san warn you to steer clear of Taro-kun?

P-Please don't tell him.

Hm, I don't know.

But I would like more dango from Chirinuya.

Serizawa-san found Taro-kun who-knows-where the same day we got to Kyoto.

Serizawa-san? That funny guy from the sumo match?

That's him.

He can be funny, but he also has a wild side.

He's always punching and kicking Taro-kun.

That's awful.

But Taro-kun seems to like it that way.

Huh?

Hijikata-san told you to avoid Taro-kun because he's worried about you.

I see.

Is something wrong?

No.

I just wanted to talk with Taro-kun a bit more.

I'd like to know more about him.

Oh-ho. Sounds to me like you want to be friends with him.

Friends?

What kind of relationship is that?

Good question.

Take my hand.

Y-Your hand?

Close your eyes.

M-My eyes?

Whatever you do, don't open them.

Trust me no matter what.

Y-Yes, sir.

My eyes are shut.

Now, where should we go?

I know. How about we go to the river for some fishing?

What? But how can I...

Don't worry. You've got nothing to be afraid of.

B-But... But...

Oh, but let's stop by the privy first.

Huh?

Open your eyes.

People get suspicious.

It's in our nature.

But we want to believe.

That's in our nature, too. Isn't it strange?

You can trust me, even with your eyes closed.

I think that's what we call friendship.

Bring on the grub! I'm starving!

Oh, it must be dinnertime.

Huh?

Come to think of it, I don't see Serizawa-san or his friends.

Man, I'm smashed.

I'm not done drinking yet!

I'm feeling a little tipsy.

Welcome back, sir.

He's gone and done it now.

Serizawa-san.

I don't see Tonoichi-dono. What's become of him?

Hm?

Oh, I killed him.

So much for my best white coat.

Y-You killed him?

A fellow Miburo?

Huh? Yeah.

A guy named Tonoichi.

He was a fellow ronin who came with us from Edo.

H-How could he?

But Serizawa-san, what if the Shogun's men find out we did it?

Good point.

Taro, go clean up.

The body's by the Shijo Bridge.

H-He couldn't possibly...

Yes, sir.

T-Taro-kun!

Wait!

Nio!

I hope you're prepared for the consequences.

Yes, sir.

All right, then. Get going.

Thank you, sir.

H-He really killed a comrade.

Stay calm. Stay calm.

It must have hurt.

Please... Please rest in peace.

Taro-kun! What are you doing?!

Shut up!

If I poke him full of holes, he won't float when I toss him in the river!

Y-You're talking madness—

Let go!

This isn't a person anymore! It's just a chunk of meat!

Who cares what I do to it?!

N-No! That's not the issue. He was alive just a little while ago.

This is about human dignity.

A soul lived in that body.

A soul?

Hah! You ever seen a soul?

If they're real, where are they?

W-Well...

That's why I called you naïve.

You'll "make the world a better place"? You want to "help"?

Utter bullshit.

You get food to eat, don't you?

And a futon to sleep on?

Ever eaten mud?

Or slept someplace that's covered in shit and piss?

I've been going from job to job since I was three.

Always just barely surviving.

When you die, that's it.

I can't stay alive anywhere but here.

Where's the soul in this body? Or in that one?

If it's there, prove it.

Only idiots believe in stuff they can't see!

I'm gonna survive! Even if I have to walk over corpses to do so!

I can't even imagine how hard his life must have been.

Even so...

I have to stop him.

Hijikata-san, don't you think it's about time to go after Nio?

We can't turn back time.

And Nio will figure something out.

He's a man of the soil.

Huh?

We have that in common.

If I'm being honest, I want to change things, too.

To change this world.

T-Taro-kun, look!

A topless dance!

D-Do you think this is funny?

Oh, you stopped.

I'm not joking around.

When you think about it with a cool head, doesn't it seem weird?

What?

No one would go for a drunken stroll around here.

This wasn't a row that got out of hand.

It was a murder, planned in advance.

Nio doesn't do what he's told.

He's a crybaby, and he has a hell of a long way to go.

Taro-kun, I'd like you to leave this to me.

But I want to put the future of the Miburo in the hands of people like him.

You want me to leave this to you?

Yes.

Are you nuts? Serizawa-san will kill me if you screw up!

I know.

H-He's crazy.

I can't trust guys like him. It'll get me killed.

There's... There's no hint of doubt in him.

A-All right.

What do you want me to do?

Let's start by carrying Tonoichi-san.

Right.

H-He's too heavy. I can't do it.

Not like that, you can't.

When you carry something heavy, you've got to press right up against it.

Move him gently, so he doesn't get any more damaged.

Hold him steady.

It's hard.

Don't worry. We can do this.

Okay.

That should do it, right?

Yes.

S-Serizawa-sensei! We've got trouble!

Yeah?

Move it! Come on, clear a path!

Make way for the great samurai, Serizawa-sensei!

How horrible.

They cut him to ribbons.

Who died?

Who killed him?

D-Damn that Taro.

I'll kill that brat.

A hat, socks, a sword, and a sack.

The dead guy must've been a traveler.

How awful.

Do you think robbers got him?

So that's the game.

Odds were somebody would find the body.

Disguising it was the smarter choice.

I bet Hijikata set this up.

Hijikata?

That bastard.

Now, how to clear this up?

Perfect timing.

He wanted to ask you something, too.

I'm Chirinu Nio. We met two days ago.

Oh? A proper reintroduction? I like your attitude.

Taro, I hope you're ready for what you've got coming to you.

Well, that can wait.

What's your question?

We'd like to hear your reasons for murdering your comrade, Tonoichi-san.

What?

He's an idiot! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!

So it was you!

You pulled that damn stunt.

Why did I kill him, you ask? No real reason!

I cut him down in a drunken rage. End of story.

We're dead.

You killed Tonoichi-san for the Miburo, didn't you?

What?

Don't move a muscle.

I could snap your neck without breaking a sweat, boy.

Choose your next words with care.

You can't buy drinks anywhere near that bridge.

I find it hard to believe you passed through there by chance.

Oh, yeah?

Serizawa-san, you said you did it in a drunken rage,

but I think you lured him there... and cut him down in cold blood.

So if you had... a clear reason to kill him...

Continue.

Yes, sir.

You did it...

because Tonoichi-san was a traitor who planned to sell out the Miburo.

Hijikata-san looked through Tonoichi-san's things for me.

He found letters seeking solo work and offering information to extremists.

You couldn't let that pass.

So you killed him.

To protect the Miburo.

News to me.

Don't assume a bit player like you can guess what a great man is thinking.

I understand. I'm sorry for bothering you.

If you really did just kill Tonoichi-san in a drunken rage,

and forced Taro-kun to help you get away with it...

And what if I did? What would you do?

Nothing. Forget I said anything.

I don't know what I ought to do yet.

Everyone here has his own idea of justice.

A-Are you out of your mind?

I was so nervous.

Th-That was beyond reckless. You almost got yourself killed back there.

No, he wouldn't have killed me on the spot.

Yes, he would. You're only alive because he happened to be in a good mood.

It's not funny. Not even a little.

Well then, if you'll excuse me.

Hijikata.

Tell me about that guy.

He's just a kid.

No, I don't think so. No normal kid has guts like that.

Serizawa-san, you keep trying to get things done too forcefully.

A good commander's not afraid to take blame.

Why a bonfire?

I would have liked to bury him, but we can't do even that much.

So even if his body returns to the earth, I want his soul to fly free through the sky.

Where's the soul?

If it's there, prove it.

Seriously? I don't get you.

No.

But I don't think it's fair to deny it...

if you can't prove it's not there.

I really don't get you at all.

Oh, I know! Taro-kun.

Take my hands.

Huh? N-No way.

Just do it.

Don't say anything. Just close your eyes.

Why should I?

Whatever you do, don't open them.

Not even a little.

O-Okay.

Trust me no matter what.

O-Okay.

Now, let's take a walk around the compound.

Huh? Like this?

I know you can find Serizawa-san's room, even with your eyes closed.

What? You've gotta be kidding me.

Don't worry. I'll come with you.

That only makes it worse!

Oh, but do you mind if we stop by the privy first?

Huh? Why should I?

Okay. Open your eyes.

Well? Not so scary, right?

No! It gave me the heebie-jeebies!

Stop messing with me!

What? Why?

Are we not friends yet?

Where the

Soul Dwells

Next time

Chirinu Nio here.

There's one more: Saito Hajime-kun.

He acts gruff and he's got a mean glare, but he's as tough as any grown man.

Oh, I wonder if he'll yell at me for calling him a kid.

Next time: "The Name of the Enemy."

It won't disappoint.

The Name

of the Enemy