Original subtitles

Hang in there, Nagi-san!

Huh?

Someone's there!

Th-The enemy?

Nio!

Harada-san! Nagakura-san!

Is this lady Nagi-dono?

Yes. She's gone into labor.

What? The baby's on the way?

This is an emergency! What should we do?

We're rushing to my granny's place! She knows how to midwife!

All right!

We've got you covered!

We appreciate it!

Try not to shake her too much!

Don't worry, Nagi-san. We're almost there.

Blue Miburo

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Marutamachi Bridge

Damn. He's tough.

Did you think you could take me two-on-one?

Wh-What now? Do we run for it?

No way in hell. If we turn tail here...

Serizawa-sensei will never let us live it down.

Good point.

Come on.

Hold up.

We'll take it from here.

We ran here from the Kojin Bridge.

It's you guys?

Be our guests.

It won't be firework season for a while yet,

but you'd better believe I'll go out with a bang.

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Gojo Bridge

H-He ran away? We'll give chase.

No, let's not go out of our way to pursue him.

But then...

He's heading away from the city.

He won't set any fires with those wounds.

We can let Aizu and the local authorities take it from here.

True.

What about the other bridges?

And is Kondo-san's group safe?

Kondo-san.

I knew you were no ordinary man.

Still...

Head!

Head! Head! Head!

Ow.

I know that dent in the floor,

and that stain on the wall.

I've also trained my heart out.

I've swung my sword here, day after day.

Incredible. Especially for such a little kid.

Good for you, training bright and early.

You'll be a master swordsman someday.

Every swing of my sword brought me praise and recognition.

I've fought in plenty of sparring and exhibition matches.

But...

One wrong move...

One wrong step, and that's the end.

Death.

Does just facing someone with a real sword take so much out of everyone?

I misjudged because we were equals with bamboo.

He's one—no, two or three ranks above me.

I was nothing but a bird in a cage.

How keenly I feel that now.

We're the same age and both run dojos,

but we're so different.

Kondo-san.

Your face is like a demon mask.

I'm sure you never waver.

I'm sure you never cry.

On that front, I've lacked mental discipline.

May I ask you something?

What did you do with your dojo in Edo?

I closed it.

I made a clean break when I set out for Kyoto.

I can't even match his resolve.

Even if I can't beat him...

I can't afford to lose.

Maybe I'd lose nine times out of ten.

But I'll seize that one chance.

Why are you crying?

What a funny guy.

Forgive me.

As we are fellow samurai,

once we drew steel, I could not back down or give any quarter.

You are a magnificent swordsman.

What a waste.

What a wasteful thing I've done.

He's like a kid who's had his toy taken away from him.

I can't compete with that.

Sorry, Nii-san.

I wonder where we went wrong.

Hey! Wake up!

Who're you? Some beggar?

Who said you could sleep here?

This dojo is for swordsmen!

Get out now!

U-Um, who are...

Who am I? This is my house!

Y-Your house?

I'm Naozumi. Kyohachi Naozumi.

The eldest son of this house.

Born with samurai blood and a samurai soul.

The best samurai in Japan! That's who I am.

The best in Japan? That's amazing.

Yeah, you bet it is!

So who are you?

His name is Yotaro.

Dad?

He'll be living here from now on.

Look out for him, Naozumi. He's your little brother.

My brother?!

Which mistress did you sire him with?

The samurai's world is one of duty and humanity. Teach him.

Why should I?

U-Uh...

Grab a sword. It's time to train.

I'll beat you into shape.

You'd better not cry, Yotaro.

O-Okay.

Watch this.

Now you try.

I knew he had talent.

N-Nii-san, how was that?

D-Don't get a big head!

You didn't shout! Do it again!

R-Right.

Eat up, Yotaro.

There's more where that came from.

I-I can eat all this? Really?

I've never had proper food like this before.

This is a samurai house. A swordsman's house.

Those who dedicate themselves to the sword get to eat.

He makes a big deal out of everything.

It's so...

It's so warm and tasty and...

I have a bath ready for you, too. And why don't you change your clothes?

You'll need to learn to use chopsticks, too.

Once you're done, it's right back to training.

Okay.

I've got to work hard.

Who's got time for cleaning first thing in the morning?

That way, I can keep eating good food.

A samurai needs to know how to write.

Don't piss in the garden!

Yotaro did it—

Don't lie.

I've got to get stronger,

so that I can stay in this house.

So that I can keep living this life.

Whoa. Amazing.

He's a match for Naozumi.

They each give as good as they get, blow for blow.

How is this a match between kids?

Looks like the Kyohachi School has a bright future.

I wouldn't be so sure.

The time of the sword is passing.

How much longer will it put food on the table?

But with these two, there just might be a chance.

Kyohachi Estate

We've got a challenger!

Th-That's his fifth win!

Who does he think he is, barging in here?

I see the Kyohachi School's nothing to brag about.

Is there even one decent samurai in this place?

I-Is the master here yet?

He went out to give a home lesson and hasn't come back.

Don't get cocky!

Stop, Naozumi!

This looks bad.

Let go! Let go of me!

He's dead.

I sure showed him! Serves him right!

What in the world...

I killed his ass.

What a pushover.

I'm stronger than he ever was.

Dad! What gives?

Who strikes someone from behind?

Who revels in taking a life?

Naozumi, your spirit hasn't matured.

If you can't show your opponent respect, you are no samurai!

I am a samurai.

I've got samurai blood in my veins!

He's no samurai!

We're not related. He's a fake!

Never say that again, you fool.

I forbid you to touch a sword for the time being.

It's blood.

Blood is what makes a samurai.

Damn it.

Marriage?

Naozumi, you're 22 now.

Don't you think it's time you stopped roving and settled down?

Total nonsense.

I hear Naozumi-san's been visiting the gambling halls.

Oh, my.

He only keeps bad company.

And I never see him in the dojo.

You wanted to talk, Father?

Yes. It's about Naozumi.

Yotaro, how does he seem to you?

Do you think he has what it takes to inherit this dojo?

I think Nii-san—I mean, Naozumi— could make it work.

Of course, I'll stand by my brother.

I asked Naozumi the same question.

When I asked him about you,

he said only he was worthy.

That alone shows which of you ought to be head of this family.

He lacks even a scrap of humility.

Yotaro.

Think about inheriting the family line.

I'm sorry it's not much, but get something hot to eat.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

Those children are what I would've been if I hadn't been taken in that day.

Thinking back, I've been given so many things.

Could I get even more as head of the family?

But I won't lose anything if I don't.

I told you, I'm leaving!

Old fool. Senile old bastard.

Nii-san!

Oh, Yotaro.

You're leaving? Where to?

I'll tour the country, training my skills.

Training? What will happen to this house and the dojo?

You'll inherit them. At least that's what I heard.

What? No, I couldn't possibly.

You should take it.

More and more guys'll stop coming if you go hard on them.

Anyway, I'm not cut out for teaching.

The times chose you.

Most of all, I feel suffocated in this house.

If anything, I should've left sooner.

That day... The day I killed that challenger, I knew.

I can't hold back the wild samurai blood in my veins.

It wants to fight.

You can't mean that.

So long, Yotaro.

Wait, Nii-san!

I'm giving you the whole house. It's yours.

I didn't want the house or to be head of the family.

I just didn't want to go back to that life.

I didn't want this life taken from me.

Nii-san, I ended up taking everything from you.

The guilt has tormented me ever since.

Nii-san...

Did I manage to do something to make up for it?

Nagi...

I'm sorry I couldn't make you happy.

Crime

and Fortune

Next time

Hijikata Toshizo here.

So that scumbag Naozumi's fighting Serizawa now?

I would've liked to finish what we started.

Why are you so hung up on the age of the samurai, anyway?

Why do you swing your sword?

What the hell kind of burden are you carrying?

Next time: "Those Who Struggle."

Watch. That is all.

Those Who

Struggle