Dororo (どろろ)

How awful...

Those locusts must've eaten up all the rice before it was harvested.

Young Master.

I checked the neighboring villages.

How are they?

Some have had their fields overrun by rats.

All are suffering from some form of misfortune.

Some villages have even been struck by epidemics.

Those near the borders are hit the worst.

It seems to be spreading inwards.

Could it be the demons?

Because we couldn't kill him?

We must find out.

To the Hall of Hell.

Please, sir.

Could you spare a morsel of food for this child?

Is that good, Sakichi?

There's still more. Chew well now.

I promise you as the man who looks over this land.

I will never forsake you.

Betrayed this world

And it simmers within

Rupturing my innards

Swelling a reddish black

Until the sun burnt skin ruptures

There is a light in the depths of the seething darkness

Confirming each other's voices in the distance

As if to stroke with wet fingertips

I'd like to touch you one day

There is a light in the depths of the darkness

Confirming each other's voices in the distance

As if to stroke with wet fingertips

I'd like to touch you one day

#20 The story of the Nue

Wow! It's all bright red everywhere I look.

Dororo.

Oh yeah.

We're here to defeat a demon.

Seems like lots of people have been killed around here.

That's funny. I've been to the mountains in the fall before.

Why am I so amazed now?

Guess I was too busy trying to stay alive to notice when I was on my own.

I'm going to eat one too.

Is this for me?

For you, Dororo.

Bro got me some food...

There are four seasons, you see? Spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Right now, it's fall.

In the fall, the mountains turn bright red.

But not red like the color of demons, I don't think.

It makes you feel so great just gazing at it.

That's what you call "beautiful."

I only just learned about it, too.

You'll be able to see it some day. I know you will.

Not just mountains. Lots of beautiful stuff like the sun and clouds.

You're just nodding. Are you really listening?

I want to hear more. More of your stories.

Bro.

You've changed.

Yeah, you really have changed.

You're nothing like when I first met you.

I got a lot of stuff I want to tell you about, too.

But first, let's go beat that demon.

Looking for the demon?

Who are you?

Hey, relax.

I came to kill the demon, too.

I'm Dice-spot Saburota.

I've been hunting the demon for about 6 months now.

It's a pretty tough beast.

I've gone after it many times, with only this to show for it.

Why are you so fixed on killing it?

It ate my ma.

Right in front of my eyes.

Your mama, huh.

I'll never forget it.

It's like I've had an empty hole right here ever since that day.

Yeah...

Those arms. I see you've been through a lot with them, too.

Must've been pretty frightening.

Let's go, Dororo.

It comes here on certain days.

Today is one of them.

Don't worry, bro is really tough.

He'll avenge your mama.

Yeah, glad to hear that.

It's coming.

What the heck? Its body...

It's a jumble of animal parts.

Demon!

Go away!

Bro!

What the heck are you doing?

I see you're pretty good.

Why are you siding with the demon?

Didn't it kill your mama?

Killing the demon won't bring Ma back.

So I'm taking others' lives away instead.

I let this guy eat up everyone that passes through here.

They all cry and plead for help.

It's only then that I don't feel empty in here.

You...

Something is strange at the Hall of Hell.

One of the demon statues lets out something like a heartbeat now and then.

It's faint, yet distinct.

I felt it, plain as day, when the Goddess's head was smashed.