Not enough.
Not enough!
Kokushu the Manslayer.
I haven't had enough fun yet.
Let's fight to the death.
The battle is over.
But we're samurai.
We fight on regardless.
It ends too quickly, huh?
These sons of bitches with their rifles and cannons.
See?
That's all it takes.
It doesn't even feel like killing.
What a civilized weapon.
The age of the sword is coming to an end.
Manslayers like us are no longer needed.
That doesn't change who we are inside.
We'll always be manslayers.
I liked the way you killed back there.
Come and show me how you do it.
You feel like fighting me yet?
Kill me.
If you don't kill me now,
I'll hunt you down for the rest of my life.
It's over now.
We'll meet again, all right?!
Kokushu the Manslayer!
The era of the samurai is over. You just stay here until the day you die.
I wanna fight...
What a sorry sight you make, Bukotsu Kanjiya.
You disappeared ten years ago,
then suddenly reemerged for the Satsuma Rebellion
and even cut down your own allies.
How have you lived your life since then?
How have I lived my life?
I've been dead
this whole time.
I'm going to give you another chance to live as a samurai.
Huh?
HOKOKU NEWSPAPER PARTICIPANTS WANTED
Hey! What's going on?!
LAST SAMURAI STANDING
TO TOSHIYOSHI KAWAJI
WE MUST DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF THE POLICE. I AWAIT YOU IN TOKYO.
Lord Okubo!
Lord Okubo, please.
If we don't exterminate the shizoku in this war,
they're sure to revolt against the new age!
Please grant the police officers permission to carry guns.
- I will not. - Why?
How are we supposed to protect you from a potential assassination attempt?
Take their swords away.
- I will allow no more than that. - Mr. Okubo!
Heavy-handed oppression will only result in more uprisings.
Recall what happened in Kyoto at the end of the Edo period.
How many of our comrades fell to the shizoku's swords!
If highly skilled samurai were to plot our assassination, we couldn't stop them!
We need guns to protect Japan in the coming era!
What good does it do to use force against force?!
What do you think Japan needs in order to grow strong as a nation?
- The people! - It's the people I want to protect!
You cannot win public support by force! Do you not understand that?!
Kawaji.
The shizoku will no longer be needed.
However,
unless we find a way to coexist...
this country has no future.
I... will not give up.
THE KODOKU PROJECT
Mr. Kawaji.
Come in.
Excuse me, sir.
A telegram from Okubo for you.
To Toshiyoshi Kawaji.
We must discuss the future of the police.
I await you in Tokyo.
- Futaba. - Yes?
Go join them.
- Is that all right? - Yeah.
Thank you.
You sure?
We have two days until the rendezvous.
And besides,
these could be our last days together.
So that's how you look now.
How I look now?
Like a father watching his child.
Did having a family make you happy?
It did.
What's it like having a real family?
I'd sacrifice everything to protect them.
It taught me a way of life aside from killing.
As for me...
if I knew every day would be like this...
I'd have been better off dying in the succession match.
I've thought that many times.
Iroha.
You've got it wrong. I--
I know.
I'm going for a walk.
What do you mean, if our siblings were in trouble?
Tell us the details.
Shujiro Saga and Iroha Kinugasa are bound to get killed unless you do something.
You don't mean...
Gentosai?
Hey! Well done. You nailed it.
There's a festival on at the shrine up ahead.
That's where the two of them are.
As well as Gentosai.
You...
Who are you?
Good question.
Lately, I'm not sure even I know the answer.
Better hurry.
Kyojin.
What was that about? Who's Gentosai?
Shinnosuke, there are some things you're better off not knowing.
But--
Since we're in it, we might as well enjoy this game they call the Kodoku.
The eighth of the Kyohachi-ryu successors, Iroha Kinugasa.
I found you.
It can't be...
All right. Let's get started.
Right!
Here we go!
Found you.
Kokushu!
It's about time we settled this!
Get back!
I knew it.
Nothing beats fighting you to the death.
You only kill for the thrill of it.
Look who's talking.
It's pathetic.
Everything is so pathetic!
And I'll destroy it all!
Stop it!
What's that, little miss?
Why do you kill innocent people?
You're no samurai!
Futaba! Stay back!
Then what is a samurai?
Answer me that,
little miss.
Don't, Bukotsu. Let her go.
If I killed this girl,
I reckon you'd fight me then.
No. Don't do it.
Don't do it!
Move it!
Take that!
Move! Out of the way!
You have no chance with that arm. Just give up.
You're telling me to give up?
It's 'cause we gave up that we ended up this way.
How did it feel to have your sword taken?
Have you been happy?
I've been happy.
Then why are you here?
In the end, the only way you can prove it to yourself is to kill people.
You can't even save a single person without killing, can you?
The era of the samurai is over?
I don't give a damn.
All we have to do
is build it all over again!
Move!
I found you.
Kokushu!
Enough of this!
Take that!
Run!
That was a good move.
But you're done for.
Any last words?
If that's all you've got...
you won't be able to defeat my brothers.
You can rest assured.
Everything shall soon perish.
The fourth of the Kyohachi-ryu successors,
Shikura Adashino.
I can't believe he dodged that too.
And now the third,
Sansuke Gion.
You monster!
Sansuke.
In time with me.
Got it.
He's way too strong.
Run!
Iroha! Let's move!
Move!
Kokushu the Manslayer...
I am...
happy.
Shujiro!
The first participant to reach Chiryu-juku was...
number 277, Kamuykocha.
Yes! Splendid!
His long trip from Ezo was worth it.
And number 66, Bukotsu Kanjiya, has been eliminated.
- What did you say? - Killed by number 108, Shujiro Saga.
Well, well. That's Kokushu the Manslayer for you.
It's a shame to lose Bukotsu the Savage Slasher.
It only means that yet another specter has vanished.
For us, it's something to celebrate.
I agree.
Of course.
Organizer. It's almost time.
I have duties to attend to, so I shall be taking my leave for now.
Of course. The Superintendent General is a busy man.
So,
the time has come.
I hope you continue to enjoy the Kodoku, gentlemen.
I've already telegrammed them the meeting place.
Good. Keep the rich bastards entertained.
Understood, sir.
Come in.
Excuse me, sir.
It seems Kawaji returned from his business trip a little while ago.
I'll go see him right away. Get the carriage ready.
Yes, sir.
You still can't get hold of Shinpei?
No, sir. I sent someone to his home, but he didn't seem to be back yet.
Should we ask the police to conduct a search?
No. Have the Home Ministry staff members split up and try to find him.
Yes, sir.
What are you--
It's been a long time, Lord Okubo.
Hanjiro! You're... alive?
I'm sorry to disappoint you,
but Kawaji is not headed this way.
What do you mean?
I have a message from him instead.
"Farewell."
What is...?
Just what is going on?
OKAZAKI-JUKU
Where do you think Iroha went off to?
Knowing her, she'll be just fine.
Extra!
Shujiro, this is...
Lord Okubo was killed?
But why?
This is no coincidence.
What?
The Kodoku's involved with this.
Are you Mr. Saga?
Who's asking?
A message from Mr. Maejima.
"I am returning to Tokyo for an emergency. Keep heading for Tokyo."
That's all.
Understood.
Goodbye, then.
Futaba.
We'll get to Tokyo as fast as we can.
All right.
Look out! A carriage is coming!
Don't move too much. It'll open up the wound.
Thanks.
Hey, you two.
I just had a dream.
About when we all lived together.
Sansuke and I were bickering like we always did.
Shikura-nii was strong.
We all used to smile back then.
Yeah.
We sure did.
If we had the succession match back then...
I'd be dead.
It's thanks to Shu-nii running away...
that I'm still alive now.
But until we defeat Gentosai...
we can't move forward.
We'll take him down,
all of us siblings together.
That bastard...
We can't beat him unless we're all together.
You're right.
We just gotta do it.
Yeah.
Let's start by getting all the siblings together.
At Shimizudani in Kioi-cho...
He actually did it!
Organizer is truly a formidable man.
This will allow us to focus on the Kodoku.
Indeed.
We still have many remarkable participants left.
The weak ones are gone.
Only the strong remain now.
CHIRYU, OKAZAKI, HAMAMATSU, SHIMADA
Well, gentlemen.
I hope you continue to enjoy the Kodoku.
Cheers.
- Wait for me. - Run!
He's right behind us!
Let's play some more.
Well, lucky me.
I was short on tags.
Good.
That should be enough.
You wanna fight too, sir?
Come on, why not?
It's fun.
Really? You couldn't kill them?
I even gave you their location.
Keep killing each other until only one is left standing.
LAST SAMURAI STANDING
END OF CHAPTER ONE
Subtitle translation by: Lewis Williams