Original subtitles

So this is the Miburo's headquarters?

Yagi-san is putting us up in his compound.

You'll eat and sleep here, too.

Come to think of it, I heard the local kids talking about this place.

Huh? What did they say about it?

"Demons live there."

Meaning us.

Honestly, Hijikata-san. Don't scare him like that.

So, um, where is everyone?

I think Yagi-san's at a meeting.

Wait in the yard.

Granny. Iroha.

I think this place might be bad news.

Blue Miburo

What's that smell? I can't quite tell what it is.

A-Are you hurt?

Not good enough!

You'll have to do better, Sanosuke!

Parlor tricks won't work on Nagakura Shinpachi!

Wanna bet, jackass?

Hm? Who's the kid?

Huh?

Hey! Who're you? You can't just wander in here!

Oh, um, I'm...

He's a new recruit.

He's one of us.

A new recruit?

Are you screwing with us, Hijikata?

This ain't no game! I won't stand for it!

You're the one messing around, Sanosuke.

Go wash your face and cool your head, idiot.

Soji, I've had it with these pranks of yours.

Are you sure you want to do this? It doesn't pay to take me lightly, Nagakura-san.

You're the one getting cocky here!

Quit your yapping.

O-Oh no. This is turning into a brawl.

Fine! We'll sumo wrestle to settle it!

Fine by me.

Show me what you're made of!

Make it a best-of-three!

Now you're talking!

Huh? Sumo wrestle? Wh-Why that?

Sorry. You see how it is.

I'll referee, then.

We're taking Hajime!

Huh? Why me?

We need a kid to fight a kid.

Don't treat me like a kid!

See what I mean? What a child.

Chirinu Nio accepts your challenge!

Now that's what I call maturity.

I-I'll take you on!

Loser has to run laps. Got that?

You'd better not lose, Nio!

Yes, sir!

All right. If you lose, I'll run with you.

He's still in the ring!

Loser doesn't get dinner!

Crush 'em!

Whoa!

That boy's tougher than he looks!

Grab his belt, Nio!

Trip him, Hajime!

Who won?

A tie! It's a tie!

Damn it.

One more round.

Aw, crap.

Huh? What?

How could you wrestle without me?

Whoa! Here he comes!

Somebody stop him!

He'll throw us all!

I'll take you on!

Alas!

Hey, asshole! Don't underestimate me!

He even got Sano!

It's hopeless.

H-He's too strong.

Sir Kondo!

I, Serizawa Kamo, shall be your opponent.

He has ten arms?!

Face the Serizawa Five!

They're just standing behind him!

We may have five faces, but our hearts beat as one!

You scared, Kondo?

All together now!

Look.

There he goes.

The kid went flying!

These are the Miburo?

The band of ruffians all the townspeople are afraid of?

They don't scare me one bit.

H-Hey.

Nagakura Shinpachi

Harada Sanosuke

He's laughing.

Think he hit his head?

Todo Heisuke

Yamanami Keisuke

Inoue Genzaburo

Saito Hajime

Guess he snapped.

Okita Soji

Hijikata Toshizo

Hiryama Jusuke

Hiryama Goro

Noguchi got caught again!

Noguchi Kenji

Niimi Nishiki

Noguchi.

Sir Kondo! What of our bout?

Serizawa Kamo

Kondo Isami

They got another one! At Sanjo Bridge!

Sanjo Bridge? Do they mean...

Hurry!

Get ready!

Nio.

Will you join us?

I shouldn't have to warn you, but it won't be pretty.

I know.

Everyone who lives in Kyoto does.

Vindication

Another severed head?

Who is it this time?

What's the notice say?

A sinful priest, apparently.

Another one. It's been nonstop for a year now.

Says here he was a schemer.

Well, that's that, then.

He got his just deserts.

Must've done something awful.

What's the world coming to?

Hijikata-san.

I don't know much about these things,

but is it always bad people who get killed and good people who do the killing?

Do people who are trying to make the world better really do things like this?

Extremists have been frequenting a particular inn.

We raid it tonight.

See for yourself when we do.

He's right.

I need to see with my own eyes.

That's why I came here.

Are you really sure, Nio?

Y-Yes, sir. I want to know.

I want to find out what's happening in Kyoto.

All right. Stay behind us.

Let's move.

We're on patrol! No one move!

That's weird. What kind of inn has no lamps?

Die!

He killed him.

He actually killed him!

Okita-san.

Th-This wasn't the deal!

What deal?

W-We just had to off this one bad guy. Easy money, they said.

We were supposed to get our fill of wine and women.

It's refreshing to see such a shameless scumbag.

W-Wait!

I just tossed the dead guy's ear into the house they told me to!

I just learned something new.

So, without righteousness or conviction, people can end up like you, huh?

Ahem, Hijikata-san.

Think about where the blood's spattering.

Be quiet.

We'd better hurry home so you can have a bath.

Can't sleep?

Did you want them to live, however vile they were?

Huh? Oh, no.

Anyone who kills for money needs to pay.

So what's bothering you?

Nothing's bothering me, exactly. I was just thinking.

Oh? What about?

What if someone I'm supposed to kill is like me?

What if they also want to make the world a better place?

What should I do then?

Hijikata-san, I always thought there were bad people who steal and kill,

and good people who try to stop them,

and that was why Kyoto is such a mess.

But it's not really good versus evil, is it?

Good people are fighting each other until it rains blood.

No one's evil to start with.

At least, almost no one thinks that they could be the bad guy.

What should I do?

Huh?

How can I learn to act like you and Okita-san?

That's simple, Nio.

Have principles you'll never compromise on.

If nothing and no one can take them from you...

that's your idea of justice.

As long as you have that, you can cut down anyone you need to.

Damn, I'm sleepy. Time for some shut-eye.

I see. I get it now.

The faint smell that clings to this house...

is blood.

It smells like blood.

I don't know anything yet.

I need to see and think about many more things so that I can make up my own mind.

What is justice?

What's right? What can't I give up?

For as long as I live, I'll keep on wondering...

until I find what I think is right.

Something on your mind, Nio-kun?

Oh, Okita-san. Yeah, I guess. I was wondering what justice is.

Oh, justice, huh?

Do you know?

You have to figure it out for yourself.

R-Right.

It's not something someone can teach you.

Oh, that reminds me. I haven't paid my respects to the Yagi family.

Gennojo-san just stepped out. You'll run into him sooner or later.

You really don't stand on ceremony, do you, Okita-san?

That's my justice.

Good one, right?

Nio! Get over here now!

Oh, that reminds me. Hijikata-san wants to see you.

What?

O-On my way, sir!

The three of us are going on patrol.

Patrol, sir? You can count on me.

Wait, the three of us?

Kondo-san.

I-I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Nio.

It's a pleasure to serve with you.

Indeed. Kondo Isami is my name.

The pleasure's mine.

Th-Thank you, sir.

Give me a break. You won't last an hour like that. Try to relax.

Uh, yes, sir.

I thought Kyoto would be full of simpering bluebloods,

but I see plenty of samurai wearing proper sets of swords, too.

The lord of Aizu led a thousand troops to the city in the twelfth month last year.

It seems like there have been lots more samurai ever since.

Oh? In that case, Kyoto is as fine a place as they say.

I'm glad I came here, Toshi.

It's good having you here, Nio.

Three of you locals have joined up now. We can use your expertise.

Oh, no, I don't know anything that...

Wait, that reminds me. Who are the other two?

Look.

Follow him.

Yes, sir!

H-He's so fast. Well, he is an adult, I suppose.

Why's he so slow?

Forget about me! Don't let him get away!

Y-Yes, sir.

He must have run down there.

This area is full of narrow alleys.

We'd better split up.

I'll go left.

Kondo-san, you go straight ahead.

Nio, take the right.

Shout your head off if you find him.

Yes, sir.

I don't know what that guy did, but cornered people can turn dangerous.

A kid?

But she's outside of our search area.

Are you okay?

Come here.

You don't have to say anything.

Here. For you.

You must really care about these sandals. Did your big sister give them to you?

Yeah. Thanks.

You're welcome. Can you get home on your own?

Murderer!

He ran for it!

Nio!

Out of my way!

It'll be all right.

Curse that man. No real samurai would turn and run like that.

But he won't get far. Toshi can run like the devil.

Does no one in Kyoto know how to fight?

I'm sorry, sir.

Huh? What for?

I ignored orders.

And then I ran away.

Oh, right. You shielded that girl.

I saw a child crying. I couldn't just leave her.

I was so frantic to protect her.

I heard that both my parents were murdered.

You "heard"?

Oh, a temple took me in when I was still too young to remember.

I think they had about ten kids like me.

We were taught to hold back our tears and smiles.

Why?

Because they wouldn't get adopted otherwise.

Yes, sir. I think they were right about that.

Thanks to that advice, I got to live with Granny and my sister.

But I think, deep down, I wanted to cry.

I wanted someone to hold me tight while I cried my eyes out.

I left home spouting a lot of big talk about wanting to make the world better.

But in truth...

I just want a world where kids feel safe to cry.

And I'd like to be there for them when they do.

I want a world where that can happen.

I'm sorry. I didn't help at all. I'm a disgrace.

Full marks.

Huh?

You helped that girl. I couldn't have asked for more.

R-Really, sir?

Yes.

That was the right thing to do?

It was.

I'll never forget...

Looks like you do know what justice means to you.

...what Hijikata-san said to me, or how big Kondo-san seemed in that moment.

Welcome to the Miburo.

But back then, I had no way of knowing...

Y-You played me...

Serizawa.

...that the Miburo's first purge had begun.

A World Where

It's Okay to Cry

Next time

I'm Chirinu Nio, and my life with the Miburo has only just begun.

I do get lonely living away from Granny and Iroha,

but everyone here is fun to be around, so I can handle it.

Something's been bothering me, though.

It's about another boy my age named Tanaka Taro-kun.

Next time: "Where the Soul Dwells."

It won't disappoint!

Where the

Soul Dwells