Original subtitles

Any bad guys here?

Anybody need help?

The ultimate fighting force, the Miburo, are—

You're too loud. Everybody's sleeping, so just shut up and walk.

You're always full of enthusiasm, Masa-san.

You can always count on—

Shut up.

Ow.

We're the Miburo. Remain calm.

What is it?

H-Huh?

W-We're the M-Mibu Roshigumi.

D-Do you need help with anything?

No, I don't.

E-Excuse us, then.

I guess it was a false alarm.

Well, these things happen.

You two go on ahead.

Blue Miburo

Umbrella Rental

Wait.

Why'd you come back? Did something seem odd? I tried to act natural.

The opposite.

What do you mean?

I would've expected burly men bursting in at this hour to scare a girl your age.

I figured something was up.

Stay back!

I'll go through with it if you come any closer!

I mean it!

Good work, Soji. Now grab her from behind.

Don't be an idiot.

She's young. Maybe 12 or 13.

About the same age as Nio and Hajime. She's still a kid.

There's no point living if no one cares about me.

There is!

What makes you so sure? You don't know the first thing about it.

Everyone's always told me I'm useless.

You keep practicing, but you never get any better.

You really are good for nothing.

I agreed with them.

I wondered why I couldn't do things like everyone else.

Let go! Where are you taking me?

I can't survive anywhere else!

If you don't like the harlot's life, quit.

But he was the only one who was ever nice to me.

He was the only one on my side when the world didn't want me.

You ought to be able to see better now. You just have poor eyesight.

There's nothing wrong with you.

It's a bit cramped, but use it as you see fit.

You can make umbrellas or screens or whatever you like now.

You can laugh like everyone else.

I haven't heard from him lately.

They say some nobleman called Anegakoji's been murdered.

Dear me. How dreadful.

I eat things, but they have no flavor.

I look at flowers, but they have no color.

There's no point in living!

I want to die!

There doesn't have to be a point. You don't need a reason to live.

Hold off for today. For just this one day!

No matter how hard things are now,

if you can make it through today, you may not want to die tomorrow.

Not a chance. I'd just die tomorrow.

Then tomorrow will come.

And the day after, and the day after that.

I'll come every day to make sure you don't die!

Thank you.

You wouldn't understand.

Who barged their way onto other people's land and made life so hard here?

We've got nothing to do with it.

Not with expelling barbarians, or opening ports, or the Shogunate, or Choshu.

We're the side that gets taken from.

You'll never understand.

It's all your fault.

I just wanted to live quietly in peace.

I'll come again.

Looks like you've got one more place to patrol.

Damn it, Soji. Help me out if you're around.

Oh, no. I figured you'd do better on your own.

That was a touching speech you gave.

Don't tease me.

No, I mean it.

The strong laugh, and the weak cry.

I wonder what's gone wrong and how.

That reminded me of what we should be protecting.

The Miburo are split between Kondo supporters and Serizawa supporters.

But, you know, I'm a Hijikata supporter.

I know.

A fire.

Yes. Do you think someone got careless?

This wasn't an accident.

It's arson.

And the arsonists are...

No!

The Yamatoya has to be burn for its owner's crimes!

By order of Serizawa-sensei, commander of the Mibu Roshigumi!

Throw even one pail of water, and we'll cut you down where you stand!

Oh, how awful.

What in the world?

The palace is so close by.

What if the flames spread to His Imperial Majesty's dwelling?

They're devils.

The Miburo are devils!

Serizawa-san... why?

W-We've got a real mess on our hands.

It's over.

I just wanted to live quietly in peace.

I'm going to end it.

Everything but the storehouse burned down.

They made one hell of a scene.

The whole district might have burned if the fire had spread.

We're lucky there was no wind.

We have no time to waste.

We'll start by apologizing to everyone we can think of.

Nio, come along.

Sometimes, I can't tell what Serizawa-san is thinking.

What should we do if this goes on?

I want to do something to steer it in a positive direction,

but I haven't even managed to talk to him face to face.

Let's go.

We're inspectors. All we can do is investigate and take precautions.

Sorry. That came out hammy.

Hayashi-san.

Right.

After further investigation,

we've learned the Yamatoya supplied large sums

to an anti-Shogunate group of "divine avengers."

They backed rebels?

Yes.

And they also refused loans to the Mibu Roshigumi.

So he set the fire to get even?

There's one other thing.

The Yamatoya used its position as a raw silk wholesaler

to corner the market and drive up prices.

The common folk suffered considerable hardship.

That's it.

Whatever the reason,

Serizawa must be punished for the Miburo to save face.

Why, if it isn't Fujita-san.

Okita-san.

What does an Aizu retainer want with me?

Kondo-san told me you were the finest swordsman in the Mibu Roshigumi.

Well, I don't know about "finest," but I'm up there.

And you support Kondo.

Please bring only those you can trust to the daimyo's residence in secret.

Excuse me.

Those I can trust?

Do something about Serizawa.

Aizu takes this seriously. Don't make us spell it out.

I assume you know what I mean.

Kill Serizawa.

That's what they meant.

Don't even joke about such things.

But you heard him.

They want us to sort it out so they don't have to get their hands dirty.

So are you gonna tell Serizawa to leave the Miburo or what?

You know he'd never go along with that.

We can hardly expel him, either.

It'd be like leaving him to his own devices.

It would be easy for Aizu to cut us loose.

A-As an inspector, I'd like to ask Serizawa-san to confine himself.

He can still turn back.

There must be a way to make him repent and mend his ways.

There's no way in hell Serizawa will go along with that!

And a little time in a room never changed anyone!

Now, now.

All right. I'll remain in my quarters.

No way.

You've gotta be kidding.

How commendable.

Now you can talk to him.

Right.

Man, that caught me off guard.

Who knew Serizawa-san would agree to punish himself like that?

In name only.

You know, Serizawa-san has been pushing us around since the Roshigumi formed.

Wasn't there a big fuss at an inn because Kondo-san forgot to book him a room?

Enough reminiscing.

Did you notice, Hijikata-san?

No one in that ten-person meeting was angrier than—

Nio, right?

No.

Hajime-kun.

I don't know why, but the Yamatoya fire touched a nerve with him.

Oh?

And I have no idea what Kondo-san is thinking.

We wait.

What do you mean, "We wait"?!

I'd like you to wait one month.

A whole month?

What if we have an even worse mess on our hands by then?

You're our commander, aren't you?!

What do you think he meant by that?

Beats me. He can be a mystery sometimes.

You've made up your mind, haven't you?

What do you mean?

It's obvious.

No one but you can tell.

Probably not.

But Serizawa-san is an honest-to-goodness freak of nature.

He won't make it easy.

Do you know why I'm a Hijikata supporter?

No idea.

Because I think you're an exceptional person.

"Exceptional"? Don't you mean "eccentric"?

True, you don't stick to the straight and narrow.

In that sense, Kondo-san and Serizawa-san are devoted to the samurai code.

They definitely deserve respect for that.

But those are aesthetic conventions our ancestors created.

Somehow or other, you ended up with a philosophy and convictions all your own.

Most people don't have either.

It's so much easier to accept old, established ideas without thinking.

Usually, people never question them to begin with.

You know, Hijikata-san...

I want to see the country you'll make.

You think big.

You could say I'm thinking of myself.

That's why I'm a Hijikata supporter.

You mean you see me as someone to protect.

But I mean it as the highest possible praise.

Soji, what will you do?

Me?

Do you have to ask?

I've been on the same course as you since you made up your mind.

I won't argue.

I will need a new sword, though.

I guess I'll have to ask Sakura-san.

And I can't skip practice or training, of course.

Maybe I should go stand under a waterfall.

Know any good ones?

The curtain's already risen.

Be ready to act at a moment's notice.

As you wish.

The only reason the fire started by that jackass Serizawa didn't spread

is because we got lucky.

I knew it. They're practically next door.

If the fire had spread this way...

Hajime-chan.

Well, if they're fine, that's what counts.

After the Yamatoya fire,

Serizawa confined himself. Who knows why.

He stays in an inner room, has his meals brought to him,

and even insists on people escorting him to the outhouse.

The inspectors check in occasionally, but those are the only times he goes out.

What bugs me...

is that when Nio went in alone and came out nearly an hour later.

His eyes were swollen, and he looked out of it.

He gets some wild ideas sometimes.

When I saw him this morning...

Hajime-kun, I'd like to spar.

...he seemed his usual self. Still...

He's as big a pain as his sister.

You there!

How dare you click your tongue near His Imperial Majesty's august dwelling!

Highly suspicious!

What domain do you serve? Name yourself!

Their crest has a one and three stars.

More Choshu guys, huh?

Well, it's not like I was hoping they'd let me in.

Hey! Wait!

I've never done a full circuit around the palace before.

It really is shaped like a box.

The Hall of State is another box in the middle of it.

Anegakoji said the emperor lives and performs rituals there.

Shimo-dachiuri Gate

Nine gates lead inside.

Hamaguri Gate

Naka-dachiuri Gate

Inui Gate

Imadegawa Gate

Ishiyakushi Gate

Seiwa-in Gate

Teramachi Gate

Choshu men guard most of them.

Sakaimachi Gate

Choshu

It goes to show how much pull Choshu has, even in there.

Government is a funny thing.

It comes down to a bunch of guys in there squabbling.

That's all I understand, anyway.

But the city we live in is like another big box around them all.

If a fire really got going, the people inside would have nowhere to run.

It's been a while. Guess I'll drop by.

Good to see you, Hajime. I've been waiting!

What? Leaving so soon?

Help out at the shop for a—

I just came to pick up Iroha's letter!

Listen here, Hajime!

See you!

"How's it going, Hajime-chan? It's me, Iroha!"

"Things have been so hectic here that I haven't had time to write. Sorry."

"I bet you missed me."

Like hell I did.

"I can't write any details,"

"but something big's going on in the palace right now."

"It has me a little worried."

"I just hope nothing happens to you, my brother, or the rest of the Miburo."

"Anyway, till next time, Hajime-chan. Iroha."

That little idiot.

We protect you. What are you worrying for?

A horse?!

That's a mighty fine horse.

And a big one, too.

What's it doing here?

Serizawa-san bought it. It just arrived.

A horse, huh? I wish I had one.

That's Serizawa-sensei's horse. Don't paw at it.

Guess I'll get some exercise in before I eat.

You're off-center.

Your left hand should stay dead center.

The transition to your next swing sucks because you can't keep it there.

Hajime.

This is basic stuff.

Wh-Who asked you?

Don't you care about what Serizawa's done?

A lot of people could have died.

S-Serizawa-sensei has a plan of his own.

You wouldn't get it.

You've got no future sticking with Serizawa.

What are you talking about?

Kill Serizawa.

That's what they meant.

Nothing, really.

I believe in him.

He always does the right thing.

I'm telling you to drop that stupid jackass who's living in the past!

Listen.

I won't go easy on you if you side with him.

"Living in the past" was overkill.

Well, I can always say sorry at morning practice.

But that chance never came.

At first light on August 18th...

upheaval struck the Imperial Palace.

Discord

Next time

Kondo Isami is my name.

Events have taken a grave turn.

Strife has erupted in the palace.

As servants of Aizu, the Miburo take up guard duty.

Our supreme commander, Serizawa-san, is regrettably confined,

but this is an emergency.

I must restore peace with my fellow commander, Niimi-dono, and our men.

Next time: "The Two Strongest."

The Two

Strongest