Makai tenshô (2003) - full transcript
37,000 Peasants perished in the Shimbara Revolt: among them, the leader of that uprising, Shiro Amakusa. Amakusa is resurrected from hell bent on revenging the death of his fellow comrades by over throwing the Shoganate. Shiro resurrects an army of living dead swordsmen by "Makai Tensho" (Demonic transmigration). Only the Legendary Samurai Jubei Yagyu, stands in his way!
THE SHIMABARA UPRISING 1638
It was a vicious fight
that lasted three months.
Starving, ruthlessly taxed,
their Christian religion proscribed...
...the people could stand no more
and rose in rebellion.
For a hundred days
the castle resisted...
...against 120,000 soldiers
of the Tokugawa Shogun.
I am Jinno Sukezaemon.
I serve Lord Hosokawa of Etchu.
You are Amakusa Shiro Tokisada,
leader of this rebellion?
The time has come for me
to leave this world.
Kill me.
First, show me the power of your God.
Let's see you walk on water!
Fly to heaven on a cloud.
Show us what this God of yours can do.
Well?
Are those just stories?
Now...
...I call on God no more.
The castle fell.
Fearing the magic of the Christian
God...
...the Tokugawa government killed
37,000 men, women and chiIdren.
SAMURAI RESURRECTION
MATSUDAIRA NOBUTSUNA
ELDER COUNCILOR, LORD OF IZU
YAG YU MUNENORI
CHIEF INSPECTOR, LORD OF TAJIMA
The battle in Shimabara
was long and hard.
But at least those who would
stand against the Shogun are gone.
Perhaps we will have peace at long last.
The age of war is past.
Rule by the House of Tokugawa
over the entire land...
...will ensure peace.
As overseer of the barons, Tajima,
your responsibiIities are great.
Yes.
By the way, it is rumored
Musashi was at Shimabara.
Miyamoto Musashi?
Yes.
I am sure his twin swords
were hard at work there.
You and he were once the
greatest swordsmen in the land.
Now he is a samurai of no master,
while you instruct the Shogun.
Time has told.
No more will skill at arms bring glory.
Now honor will go to he who
best induces others to act.
These are not welcome words, I know...
...for one who has advanced
by the sword.
No.
You speak the truth.
The day of the sword is done.
A DECADE LATER
Tokugawa Yorinobu,
Great Councilor Kishu.
Son of the first Tokugawa Shogun,
the late Leyasu...
...and Uncle to the third and
reigning Shogun, Lemitsu...
...he was a man to be reckoned with.
A heron?
-No, Milord. A pheasant.
-A white pheasant?
A good omen, Sire!
Milord! Wait, Sire!
That way lies danger!
A fine shot.
Someone else would have
taken it if you had not.
Once it falls to someone else,
it will never be yours.
The same goes for your aspiration.
Aspiration?
To what do you think I aspire?
To rule all under heaven.
And who might you be?
Amakusa Shiro Tokisada.
As leader of the Shimabara Uprising...
...I rebelled against
the Shogun's government.
Nonsense!
He was killed at Shimabara.
Nonetheless...
...I am here.
From here on,
the Great Councilor goes alone.
You who dwell in silent dark...
...arise from the ashes.
Abandon your dwelling...
...and appear again
in the form of flesh.
Come to me...
...and be the vessel of my will.
You who dwell in silent dark...
...arise from the ashes.
Abandon your dwelling...
...and appear again
in the form of flesh.
Come to me...
...and be the vessel of my will.
You deceived me!
I cannot see.
I cannot move.
Was it for this torment...
...I sold you my life?!
Think carefully.
Have you forgotten why
you wished to be reborn?
Immortal life is yours. To take up your
sword or not is your choice to make.
My sword...
Give me my sword!
I'll kill him!
May I present Araki Mataemon,
who cut down thirty six men...
...at Locksmith's Corner.
What sorcery is this?
Resurrection.
A secret art onIy I possess.
A Yagyu master of the sword...
...who died with his future before him.
With only the memory of bitter regret...
...he is reborn in this world.
His body is restored, but
his soul is that of a devil.
Those who stand against you,
be they a thousand strong...
...he will kill on your command.
Villains! Are you not reborn
to make this a Christian land?
I have abandoned that wish.
I will ask no more of God's mercy.
This world is neither
God's nor the Shogun's.
It is the strong who must rule.
In a time of strife, yes.
But those days are gone.
No, they are not.
To rule all under heaven takes
ability recognized by all.
You have that ability...
...far more than the present Shogun.
By the will of your father Leyasu,
you were to succeed to...
...the million-koku domain of Suruga.
But you were shut away here in Kishu,
a fief of half that size.
Let us be clear.
The house of the Shogun
fears your power, Councilor.
You say that I could
rule all under heaven?
Tell me how.
VILLAGE OF THE YAG YU
My shoulders are stiff.
You sleep too much.
Grandfather?
Well?
Loll about like this...
...and your sword grows dull!
How are you, Squire?
Why are you not in the dojo?
That is why you were
sent down from Edo...
...in spite of being Lord Yagyu
of Tajima's eldest son.
It serves me right.
Do you think I jest?
Leaving that aside,
what brings you here?
I have come for my
grand-daughters, Ohiro and Ohina.
Lord Makino, Senior Retainer
of my clan says that...
...Councilor Yorinobu of Kishu
wishes to see them.
What does the Great Councilor
want with them?
Concubines, perhaps?
I do not understand it myself.
ENSHOJI TEMPLE
KISHU DOMAIN
Kimura...
Sire!
I will take charge of them.
Ohina!
Yagyu is a league away! Go!
But...
Go!
Kimura Sukekuro of Kishu
stands against you.
State your name!
In the name of my sword master,
Yagyu Sekishusai...
...I will not let you proceed
even one step past this point.
Miss Ohina! Are you all right?
Hold on! Miss Ohina!
Hold on!
Did she escape?
Squire Kimura!
Who are you?
This is Yagyu, you know!
Mataemon! But you're dead!
I am no longer of this world.
I live...
...in the demon realm.
You were one of us!
It is gratitude you owe the
Yagyu school, not rancor.
I know neither gratitude nor rancor.
Jubei, it is only to kill you...
...that I have come back to life.
Hiding behind your name...
...living idly from day to day .
How will the third
generation of Yagyu...
...fare in a real fight?
The power of the spirit world
is greater than I thought.
My body simply moves to where I will it.
Hold!
Next time we'll take each other's
measure with no one to interfere.
What happened?
It was not only us.
Lord Makino had gathered a
number of retainers daughters.
We were kept under heavy guard,
so no word would leak out.
Grandfather was suspicious.
Hard as it may be to believe,
I suspect a serious plot.
They are bringing back
demons from the dead.
The girls are made a
sacrifice in a ceremony...
...and never return alive.
What sort of demons?
I wouldn't know!
Grandfather said more than
one will return...
...from that other realm.
Where is Ohiro?
And the others?
My elder sister and I were
separated on the way.
Shall I go?
Sir?
Where?
To Kishu.
I'll go speak to the
Great Councilor about this.
How dare you return thus?
I feel no shame.
You promised immortal life.
So give me an arm.
I will have no ear for prattle.
Will you follow me?
Or destroy yourself and return to hell?
I will not die for you.
Yagyu Jubei...
Are you so powerful?
Your face is one that knows no fear.
A perfect bearer...
What do you want?
In you will be buried the
bones of one who is dead.
As those bones feed on your entrails...
...they will thrive within you.
When they have consumed all...
...they will burst out into this world.
Your life will flicker out...
...in a great, ecstatic abyss.
Will you die now?
Or will you consecrate your body to us?
I will return alive to my Yagyu home.
I admire that spirit.
YAG YU HOUSE
EDO
Jubei is not here.
I am Inshun of the Hozoin Temple.
I will not leave until I see Jubei.
That is not possible.
Jubei has been sent to the country.
Why?
For an act of foolishness.
He was instructing Shogun Lemitsu...
...and knocked him out
with a practice sword.
The Shogun?
That is how a swordsman should train.
Yagyu Jubei stays his hand for no one.
All the more reason for me to face him.
I will stand against you
in place of my son.
Is an elder's role not
to discourage such fighting?
You are ill, Milord.
I need no Buddha's mercy.
My sword is Ashura himself.
Why would you pity a foe?
"Pity"?
My son's is a killing sword.
Defeat at arms is death.
He knows that well.
Who are you?
Hear me, Inshun.
Would you discard the Buddha's law
to master the secrets of the spear?
If your spear were made so sharp
you could kill who you wished?
Wraith...
Would you lead me astray?
For my spear I stop at nothing!
I fear not even hell itself!
But I cannot believe
that you speak the truth.
You must choose one.
The spear, or the law.
A test...
Violate the law. Stab me.
A thrust like that
will take no one's life.
With the Buddha in your heart
you will triumph over no one.
Kill me!
That's right...
Kill!
Kill!
No matter.
It matters not!
Do you know now?
Do you serve the Buddha, or
with your spear draw blood?
Which is the true Inshun?
Fiends!
We have come to greet a spirit...
...fit for the demon realm.
Inshun?
From Hozoin Temple?
He has given his life in trade
to have no equal with the spear.
The greatest fighters in the land
are your vanguard.
Should all become known,
they will not be swayed.
And, Councilor, should worse
come to worst...
...become a demon yourself.
Me, reborn as a demon?
You ask much.
There are few who can.
It takes great force of spirit
and profound discontent.
If the need arises,
I offer my body as your vessel.
Who goes there?
Halt!
Halt!
Leave to speak!
Jubei...
Yagyu Jubei has presented himself.
What?
You may remember having granted me
audience at Edo Castle.
I am Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi,
son of Tajima.
I know you.
Why has Yagyu Jubei come here?
On a confidentiaI matter
of some urgency.
Let all hear. Speak.
A certain clan has fallen
under demonic influence and...
...a grave conspiracy is in progress.
Who has said that?
A certain 'Kimura'.
And you are to catch this demon?
How would one driven from Edo
merit such a task?
But what does this have to do
with me, or my Kishu domain?
Ohiro!
In the unlikely event that something
untoward were to happen in Kishu...
...I have come to warn Your Highness
against being caught up in it.
Enough of this farce!
Let us hide nothing from each other.
Intruders!
What's that?
You seem to have visitors.
I take my leave.
Who are you?
Amakusa Shiro Tokisada.
Why does a ghost from Shimabara...
...haunt the lands of Kishu?
Do you seek vengeance?
"Vengeance"...
Have you looked into hell?
Slaughter as object lesson.
The last days of those who
sought to escape Tokugawa rule...
Hell itself.
Man...
...is not born to be another's dog!
Judgment is near.
The Tokugawa will sink in flames.
Its world of dogs will be destroyed...
...and chaos will return.
Are you the God of Death?
I bring you immortal life.
Are you telling me
I must live even longer?
Your heart is bitter.
That bitterness will
disappear with my death.
Were it that bitterness would vanish
as the dew, I would not be here.
Lord Tajima...
...when did you last wield your sword
with all your strength?
Is there one you would have met
before you laid your sword aside...
...to serve as a government official?
Musashi...
I never faced him.
And one more.
With Musashi dead, there is
only one who is a match for you.
You know his name.
And you will grant me life?
You will let me live as long as I wish?
That is our wish as well.
Man must live for himself,
and for no one else.
Be you God, or be you serpent,
I do not care.
Give me strength.
I promise life in perfection.
That day, a message arrived
for Yorinobu...
...saying Shogun Lemitsu
was critically ill.
His heir, Letsuna,
was still only six years old.
Were Lemitsu to die,
confusion and strife were certain.
WAKAYAMA CASTLE
KISHU
How long will His Majesty live?
Ten days, perhaps.
Father...
...do you remember the
siege of Osaka Castle?
The House of Toyotomi fell
before I couId join your ranks.
I, Yorinobu, have seen war...
...but never fought.
I go to Edo.
1,300 samurai.
With bearers, more than 3,000 men.
All that to call on a sick relative?
How long till they reach Edo?
Seven days? Eight?
Let's go exorcise some demons.
Jubei...
An old, familiar name.
We never chanced to meet
while I was alive.
All the more reason to wish it now.
Joma!
The way of the spear is one of blood.
Without killing, you do not travel it.
A filthy demon!
Not only me.
That girl, too.
She killed herself by
biting through her tongue.
Now she waits to take your head.
But in you I sense no hate,
no grief, no impulse to kill.
Why were you reborn?
Look at me.
I am bound to no one now.
The fog has lifted.
I see now where life makes its place.
I wish single combat.
As do I.
Is this all the weight your life has?
My life is dedicated to my spear.
When his spear is broken, Inshun dies.
Come to the demon realm.
You'll like it there.
Do Inshun's words resonate within you?
The true warrior's spirit
will not suffer to be hidden.
Will you meld your power in ours?
The reward...
...is eternal life.
What would I do with that?
Who do you defend?
The Shogun or Kishu?
I take no side.
But I will kill every demon I find.
You persist?
I do.
The reborn are more than two.
Among them are Yagyu.
Soon you will see.
And when you die, I will be there.
Let me go!
The demon lied!
I did bite off my tongue!
When I came to, there was no wound!
Isn't that strange?
Have you tried to kill the Sensei?
Or join in with the demons?
No!
Never!
You have not changed.
You are still Ohiro.
I ask...
...that if I become like
Mataemon or Inshun...
...kill me on the spot.
Yes, 'if'.
KAKEGAWA
KISHU HEADQUARTERS
Jubei alone is too much?
Damn Shiro!
For all he says, he is of no use!
We cannot waste time on mere
swordplay.
500,000 masterless samurai
are gathering in Edo...
...to support the triumph of Kishu.
- As we planned?
- Yes.
Do you think that without us
the land will fall to you?
Stand and watch.
We can exploit the Shogun's death
to create chaos in Edo.
We had hoped you yourself...
...would end Shogun Lemitsu's life.
Why would His Lordship do such a
thing?
If you will not, very well.
Ask nothing more of us.
What a fool! He speaks as if
he already ruled the land.
"The wise ruler", they call him,
but he is a fool.
His lust for power is easily exposed.
Tokugawa will fight Tokugawa,
and bring confusion to the world.
But who will kill Lemitsu?
Yorinobu is not the only Tokugawa.
MEMORIAL SHRINE
TO SHOGUN IEYASU
The Kishu party has stopped at Sunpu.
Stopped?
Orders from Edo, perhaps?
SUNPU CASTLE
Izu...
I take no orders from you!
I regret that no one may disobey
the late Shogun Leyasu's...
..."Rules for the Military Houses".
You are allowed no action
without official permission.
I go to Edo on a matter of grave
importance for the Shogun.
As an Elder Councilor,
you cannot object to that.
The Rules are the Rules.
I will not desist!
Over the past few days,
Councilor, under your name...
...large numbers of masterless
samurai have assembled.
They are a wild rabble,
not worth consideration...
...and as such need not trouble you.
What has been done with them?
They have all been dealt with.
If under these conditions
you must still leave your domain...
...I most strongly suggest you do
so incognito.
Have your procession stop in Sunpu...
...and leave your soldiers, swords,
spears and guns in the castle here.
I will conduct you in
absolute safety to Edo.
You are honored as wise and just.
I am sure...
...you will agree with me.
Takumi!
I am Miyamoto Musashi,
samurai of Sakushu, of no domain.
Fall back.
The true warrior is only alive for
that brief moment when swords cross.
While Musashi holds sword in hand...
...he is immortal.
Sir Musashi...
Have at me, Jubei!
I will!
Ohiro!
Demon blood...
...will take a demon's life!
Ohiro!
Sensei...
Ohiro...
She wanted nothing more
than to be with you.
Don't speak.
We go to Edo.
Sensei...
There is one I must meet there.
Your lives are in my charge.
Where is Shiro?
Summon him! I need his power!
Do you not have the power
you need without our help?
Damn your insolence!
Stopped by an official order!
The entire land will laugh at me!
Then end your life here.
Do you think we have done
what we have for your sake?
It has all been for our own.
Have you sacrificed yourself?
There is a dead man lodged in this
body.
What?
Die. And Lemitsu with you.
All of Tokugawa blood...
...consume each other and die!
Fiend!
I will kill Lemitsu.
The Tokugawa will end
in an orgy of blood.
There is no one better
to strike down the Shogun.
Leyasu, God of this shrine.
Yorinobu...
Father!
Would you smite Lemitsu?
Surely you would not destroy
Tokugawa rule of this land!
I would regret it no more
than the fading dew.
I have sold this world
in trade for immortality.
Immortality?
Then grant it to me as well!
No!
A world of war and strife...
...summons me.
I go to Edo.
Amakusa Shiro Tokisada
requests an audience.
I have waited, Jubei.
You have done well.
You are indeed my son.
So it is you, Father...
I wanted to stand against you
with nothing held back.
There have been times when
your willfulness has enraged me.
But now I look on you
with nothing but affection.
My father's wish is mine.
Be it God or Serpent...
...he who brought us here has my
thanks.
Be happy that your death
comes at your father's hands.
Do you know what enemy remains?
I will cut him down.
How would I know?
I remain myself.
I never thought to look
on you again, Grandfather.
Am I in this world or the next?
History changes its course this night.
This realm of the Tokugawas...
...ends with your blood!
Jubei!
Now I will hear...
...your last breath.
Where there is light...
...there is also dark.
That is the truth of this world.
It was a vicious fight
that lasted three months.
Starving, ruthlessly taxed,
their Christian religion proscribed...
...the people could stand no more
and rose in rebellion.
For a hundred days
the castle resisted...
...against 120,000 soldiers
of the Tokugawa Shogun.
I am Jinno Sukezaemon.
I serve Lord Hosokawa of Etchu.
You are Amakusa Shiro Tokisada,
leader of this rebellion?
The time has come for me
to leave this world.
Kill me.
First, show me the power of your God.
Let's see you walk on water!
Fly to heaven on a cloud.
Show us what this God of yours can do.
Well?
Are those just stories?
Now...
...I call on God no more.
The castle fell.
Fearing the magic of the Christian
God...
...the Tokugawa government killed
37,000 men, women and chiIdren.
SAMURAI RESURRECTION
MATSUDAIRA NOBUTSUNA
ELDER COUNCILOR, LORD OF IZU
YAG YU MUNENORI
CHIEF INSPECTOR, LORD OF TAJIMA
The battle in Shimabara
was long and hard.
But at least those who would
stand against the Shogun are gone.
Perhaps we will have peace at long last.
The age of war is past.
Rule by the House of Tokugawa
over the entire land...
...will ensure peace.
As overseer of the barons, Tajima,
your responsibiIities are great.
Yes.
By the way, it is rumored
Musashi was at Shimabara.
Miyamoto Musashi?
Yes.
I am sure his twin swords
were hard at work there.
You and he were once the
greatest swordsmen in the land.
Now he is a samurai of no master,
while you instruct the Shogun.
Time has told.
No more will skill at arms bring glory.
Now honor will go to he who
best induces others to act.
These are not welcome words, I know...
...for one who has advanced
by the sword.
No.
You speak the truth.
The day of the sword is done.
A DECADE LATER
Tokugawa Yorinobu,
Great Councilor Kishu.
Son of the first Tokugawa Shogun,
the late Leyasu...
...and Uncle to the third and
reigning Shogun, Lemitsu...
...he was a man to be reckoned with.
A heron?
-No, Milord. A pheasant.
-A white pheasant?
A good omen, Sire!
Milord! Wait, Sire!
That way lies danger!
A fine shot.
Someone else would have
taken it if you had not.
Once it falls to someone else,
it will never be yours.
The same goes for your aspiration.
Aspiration?
To what do you think I aspire?
To rule all under heaven.
And who might you be?
Amakusa Shiro Tokisada.
As leader of the Shimabara Uprising...
...I rebelled against
the Shogun's government.
Nonsense!
He was killed at Shimabara.
Nonetheless...
...I am here.
From here on,
the Great Councilor goes alone.
You who dwell in silent dark...
...arise from the ashes.
Abandon your dwelling...
...and appear again
in the form of flesh.
Come to me...
...and be the vessel of my will.
You who dwell in silent dark...
...arise from the ashes.
Abandon your dwelling...
...and appear again
in the form of flesh.
Come to me...
...and be the vessel of my will.
You deceived me!
I cannot see.
I cannot move.
Was it for this torment...
...I sold you my life?!
Think carefully.
Have you forgotten why
you wished to be reborn?
Immortal life is yours. To take up your
sword or not is your choice to make.
My sword...
Give me my sword!
I'll kill him!
May I present Araki Mataemon,
who cut down thirty six men...
...at Locksmith's Corner.
What sorcery is this?
Resurrection.
A secret art onIy I possess.
A Yagyu master of the sword...
...who died with his future before him.
With only the memory of bitter regret...
...he is reborn in this world.
His body is restored, but
his soul is that of a devil.
Those who stand against you,
be they a thousand strong...
...he will kill on your command.
Villains! Are you not reborn
to make this a Christian land?
I have abandoned that wish.
I will ask no more of God's mercy.
This world is neither
God's nor the Shogun's.
It is the strong who must rule.
In a time of strife, yes.
But those days are gone.
No, they are not.
To rule all under heaven takes
ability recognized by all.
You have that ability...
...far more than the present Shogun.
By the will of your father Leyasu,
you were to succeed to...
...the million-koku domain of Suruga.
But you were shut away here in Kishu,
a fief of half that size.
Let us be clear.
The house of the Shogun
fears your power, Councilor.
You say that I could
rule all under heaven?
Tell me how.
VILLAGE OF THE YAG YU
My shoulders are stiff.
You sleep too much.
Grandfather?
Well?
Loll about like this...
...and your sword grows dull!
How are you, Squire?
Why are you not in the dojo?
That is why you were
sent down from Edo...
...in spite of being Lord Yagyu
of Tajima's eldest son.
It serves me right.
Do you think I jest?
Leaving that aside,
what brings you here?
I have come for my
grand-daughters, Ohiro and Ohina.
Lord Makino, Senior Retainer
of my clan says that...
...Councilor Yorinobu of Kishu
wishes to see them.
What does the Great Councilor
want with them?
Concubines, perhaps?
I do not understand it myself.
ENSHOJI TEMPLE
KISHU DOMAIN
Kimura...
Sire!
I will take charge of them.
Ohina!
Yagyu is a league away! Go!
But...
Go!
Kimura Sukekuro of Kishu
stands against you.
State your name!
In the name of my sword master,
Yagyu Sekishusai...
...I will not let you proceed
even one step past this point.
Miss Ohina! Are you all right?
Hold on! Miss Ohina!
Hold on!
Did she escape?
Squire Kimura!
Who are you?
This is Yagyu, you know!
Mataemon! But you're dead!
I am no longer of this world.
I live...
...in the demon realm.
You were one of us!
It is gratitude you owe the
Yagyu school, not rancor.
I know neither gratitude nor rancor.
Jubei, it is only to kill you...
...that I have come back to life.
Hiding behind your name...
...living idly from day to day .
How will the third
generation of Yagyu...
...fare in a real fight?
The power of the spirit world
is greater than I thought.
My body simply moves to where I will it.
Hold!
Next time we'll take each other's
measure with no one to interfere.
What happened?
It was not only us.
Lord Makino had gathered a
number of retainers daughters.
We were kept under heavy guard,
so no word would leak out.
Grandfather was suspicious.
Hard as it may be to believe,
I suspect a serious plot.
They are bringing back
demons from the dead.
The girls are made a
sacrifice in a ceremony...
...and never return alive.
What sort of demons?
I wouldn't know!
Grandfather said more than
one will return...
...from that other realm.
Where is Ohiro?
And the others?
My elder sister and I were
separated on the way.
Shall I go?
Sir?
Where?
To Kishu.
I'll go speak to the
Great Councilor about this.
How dare you return thus?
I feel no shame.
You promised immortal life.
So give me an arm.
I will have no ear for prattle.
Will you follow me?
Or destroy yourself and return to hell?
I will not die for you.
Yagyu Jubei...
Are you so powerful?
Your face is one that knows no fear.
A perfect bearer...
What do you want?
In you will be buried the
bones of one who is dead.
As those bones feed on your entrails...
...they will thrive within you.
When they have consumed all...
...they will burst out into this world.
Your life will flicker out...
...in a great, ecstatic abyss.
Will you die now?
Or will you consecrate your body to us?
I will return alive to my Yagyu home.
I admire that spirit.
YAG YU HOUSE
EDO
Jubei is not here.
I am Inshun of the Hozoin Temple.
I will not leave until I see Jubei.
That is not possible.
Jubei has been sent to the country.
Why?
For an act of foolishness.
He was instructing Shogun Lemitsu...
...and knocked him out
with a practice sword.
The Shogun?
That is how a swordsman should train.
Yagyu Jubei stays his hand for no one.
All the more reason for me to face him.
I will stand against you
in place of my son.
Is an elder's role not
to discourage such fighting?
You are ill, Milord.
I need no Buddha's mercy.
My sword is Ashura himself.
Why would you pity a foe?
"Pity"?
My son's is a killing sword.
Defeat at arms is death.
He knows that well.
Who are you?
Hear me, Inshun.
Would you discard the Buddha's law
to master the secrets of the spear?
If your spear were made so sharp
you could kill who you wished?
Wraith...
Would you lead me astray?
For my spear I stop at nothing!
I fear not even hell itself!
But I cannot believe
that you speak the truth.
You must choose one.
The spear, or the law.
A test...
Violate the law. Stab me.
A thrust like that
will take no one's life.
With the Buddha in your heart
you will triumph over no one.
Kill me!
That's right...
Kill!
Kill!
No matter.
It matters not!
Do you know now?
Do you serve the Buddha, or
with your spear draw blood?
Which is the true Inshun?
Fiends!
We have come to greet a spirit...
...fit for the demon realm.
Inshun?
From Hozoin Temple?
He has given his life in trade
to have no equal with the spear.
The greatest fighters in the land
are your vanguard.
Should all become known,
they will not be swayed.
And, Councilor, should worse
come to worst...
...become a demon yourself.
Me, reborn as a demon?
You ask much.
There are few who can.
It takes great force of spirit
and profound discontent.
If the need arises,
I offer my body as your vessel.
Who goes there?
Halt!
Halt!
Leave to speak!
Jubei...
Yagyu Jubei has presented himself.
What?
You may remember having granted me
audience at Edo Castle.
I am Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi,
son of Tajima.
I know you.
Why has Yagyu Jubei come here?
On a confidentiaI matter
of some urgency.
Let all hear. Speak.
A certain clan has fallen
under demonic influence and...
...a grave conspiracy is in progress.
Who has said that?
A certain 'Kimura'.
And you are to catch this demon?
How would one driven from Edo
merit such a task?
But what does this have to do
with me, or my Kishu domain?
Ohiro!
In the unlikely event that something
untoward were to happen in Kishu...
...I have come to warn Your Highness
against being caught up in it.
Enough of this farce!
Let us hide nothing from each other.
Intruders!
What's that?
You seem to have visitors.
I take my leave.
Who are you?
Amakusa Shiro Tokisada.
Why does a ghost from Shimabara...
...haunt the lands of Kishu?
Do you seek vengeance?
"Vengeance"...
Have you looked into hell?
Slaughter as object lesson.
The last days of those who
sought to escape Tokugawa rule...
Hell itself.
Man...
...is not born to be another's dog!
Judgment is near.
The Tokugawa will sink in flames.
Its world of dogs will be destroyed...
...and chaos will return.
Are you the God of Death?
I bring you immortal life.
Are you telling me
I must live even longer?
Your heart is bitter.
That bitterness will
disappear with my death.
Were it that bitterness would vanish
as the dew, I would not be here.
Lord Tajima...
...when did you last wield your sword
with all your strength?
Is there one you would have met
before you laid your sword aside...
...to serve as a government official?
Musashi...
I never faced him.
And one more.
With Musashi dead, there is
only one who is a match for you.
You know his name.
And you will grant me life?
You will let me live as long as I wish?
That is our wish as well.
Man must live for himself,
and for no one else.
Be you God, or be you serpent,
I do not care.
Give me strength.
I promise life in perfection.
That day, a message arrived
for Yorinobu...
...saying Shogun Lemitsu
was critically ill.
His heir, Letsuna,
was still only six years old.
Were Lemitsu to die,
confusion and strife were certain.
WAKAYAMA CASTLE
KISHU
How long will His Majesty live?
Ten days, perhaps.
Father...
...do you remember the
siege of Osaka Castle?
The House of Toyotomi fell
before I couId join your ranks.
I, Yorinobu, have seen war...
...but never fought.
I go to Edo.
1,300 samurai.
With bearers, more than 3,000 men.
All that to call on a sick relative?
How long till they reach Edo?
Seven days? Eight?
Let's go exorcise some demons.
Jubei...
An old, familiar name.
We never chanced to meet
while I was alive.
All the more reason to wish it now.
Joma!
The way of the spear is one of blood.
Without killing, you do not travel it.
A filthy demon!
Not only me.
That girl, too.
She killed herself by
biting through her tongue.
Now she waits to take your head.
But in you I sense no hate,
no grief, no impulse to kill.
Why were you reborn?
Look at me.
I am bound to no one now.
The fog has lifted.
I see now where life makes its place.
I wish single combat.
As do I.
Is this all the weight your life has?
My life is dedicated to my spear.
When his spear is broken, Inshun dies.
Come to the demon realm.
You'll like it there.
Do Inshun's words resonate within you?
The true warrior's spirit
will not suffer to be hidden.
Will you meld your power in ours?
The reward...
...is eternal life.
What would I do with that?
Who do you defend?
The Shogun or Kishu?
I take no side.
But I will kill every demon I find.
You persist?
I do.
The reborn are more than two.
Among them are Yagyu.
Soon you will see.
And when you die, I will be there.
Let me go!
The demon lied!
I did bite off my tongue!
When I came to, there was no wound!
Isn't that strange?
Have you tried to kill the Sensei?
Or join in with the demons?
No!
Never!
You have not changed.
You are still Ohiro.
I ask...
...that if I become like
Mataemon or Inshun...
...kill me on the spot.
Yes, 'if'.
KAKEGAWA
KISHU HEADQUARTERS
Jubei alone is too much?
Damn Shiro!
For all he says, he is of no use!
We cannot waste time on mere
swordplay.
500,000 masterless samurai
are gathering in Edo...
...to support the triumph of Kishu.
- As we planned?
- Yes.
Do you think that without us
the land will fall to you?
Stand and watch.
We can exploit the Shogun's death
to create chaos in Edo.
We had hoped you yourself...
...would end Shogun Lemitsu's life.
Why would His Lordship do such a
thing?
If you will not, very well.
Ask nothing more of us.
What a fool! He speaks as if
he already ruled the land.
"The wise ruler", they call him,
but he is a fool.
His lust for power is easily exposed.
Tokugawa will fight Tokugawa,
and bring confusion to the world.
But who will kill Lemitsu?
Yorinobu is not the only Tokugawa.
MEMORIAL SHRINE
TO SHOGUN IEYASU
The Kishu party has stopped at Sunpu.
Stopped?
Orders from Edo, perhaps?
SUNPU CASTLE
Izu...
I take no orders from you!
I regret that no one may disobey
the late Shogun Leyasu's...
..."Rules for the Military Houses".
You are allowed no action
without official permission.
I go to Edo on a matter of grave
importance for the Shogun.
As an Elder Councilor,
you cannot object to that.
The Rules are the Rules.
I will not desist!
Over the past few days,
Councilor, under your name...
...large numbers of masterless
samurai have assembled.
They are a wild rabble,
not worth consideration...
...and as such need not trouble you.
What has been done with them?
They have all been dealt with.
If under these conditions
you must still leave your domain...
...I most strongly suggest you do
so incognito.
Have your procession stop in Sunpu...
...and leave your soldiers, swords,
spears and guns in the castle here.
I will conduct you in
absolute safety to Edo.
You are honored as wise and just.
I am sure...
...you will agree with me.
Takumi!
I am Miyamoto Musashi,
samurai of Sakushu, of no domain.
Fall back.
The true warrior is only alive for
that brief moment when swords cross.
While Musashi holds sword in hand...
...he is immortal.
Sir Musashi...
Have at me, Jubei!
I will!
Ohiro!
Demon blood...
...will take a demon's life!
Ohiro!
Sensei...
Ohiro...
She wanted nothing more
than to be with you.
Don't speak.
We go to Edo.
Sensei...
There is one I must meet there.
Your lives are in my charge.
Where is Shiro?
Summon him! I need his power!
Do you not have the power
you need without our help?
Damn your insolence!
Stopped by an official order!
The entire land will laugh at me!
Then end your life here.
Do you think we have done
what we have for your sake?
It has all been for our own.
Have you sacrificed yourself?
There is a dead man lodged in this
body.
What?
Die. And Lemitsu with you.
All of Tokugawa blood...
...consume each other and die!
Fiend!
I will kill Lemitsu.
The Tokugawa will end
in an orgy of blood.
There is no one better
to strike down the Shogun.
Leyasu, God of this shrine.
Yorinobu...
Father!
Would you smite Lemitsu?
Surely you would not destroy
Tokugawa rule of this land!
I would regret it no more
than the fading dew.
I have sold this world
in trade for immortality.
Immortality?
Then grant it to me as well!
No!
A world of war and strife...
...summons me.
I go to Edo.
Amakusa Shiro Tokisada
requests an audience.
I have waited, Jubei.
You have done well.
You are indeed my son.
So it is you, Father...
I wanted to stand against you
with nothing held back.
There have been times when
your willfulness has enraged me.
But now I look on you
with nothing but affection.
My father's wish is mine.
Be it God or Serpent...
...he who brought us here has my
thanks.
Be happy that your death
comes at your father's hands.
Do you know what enemy remains?
I will cut him down.
How would I know?
I remain myself.
I never thought to look
on you again, Grandfather.
Am I in this world or the next?
History changes its course this night.
This realm of the Tokugawas...
...ends with your blood!
Jubei!
Now I will hear...
...your last breath.
Where there is light...
...there is also dark.
That is the truth of this world.