Dororo (どろろ)

Those are mine!

Hyakkimaru!

Give them back.

Give them back?

You make me laugh!

These were never yours.

We are the ones here to reclaim what is ours.

What?

Hey, easy now!

Don't worry, we'll find a place to run away to.

There, there. I've never seen him act so wildly.

Must be the demon.

We don't know yet.

But we should get the women and children away from the border just in case.

There will be a war anyway.

I'm sick of this.

Being moved here and there.

It's the same wherever we go.

Hey, wait!

Something's not right.

I'll go check. We can run later.

I'll go with you.

Bro...

Those are mine!

No, they aren't.

These are Daigo's eyes now.

And Daigo's limbs.

The land will crumble if they're taken away.

It's already on the verge of collapsing.

Because you broke the contract with the demons.

We have no time left.

We must take all of you for the sake of the people.

We will devour you for Daigo!

This is my body!

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

#23 The story of the demons

Tahomaru! Mutsu and Hyogo, too...

-Bro! -Stop.

You wouldn't last a second out there.

I gotta stop them.

I'm not sure Hyakkimaru would even be able to recognize you now.

The other three are not themselves either.

I know this feeling.

I'm positive of it.

I felt it at the Hall of Hell.

Hall of Hell...

What's that?

It's where the statues of the 12 demons that ate Hyakkimaru are.

Yet...

one of the 12 failed to devour him.

I see. It all makes sense now.

That's why Hyakkimaru lived.

And is now being chased by demons.

They're trying to get back what they failed to eat.

Then why hasn't bro gotten his body parts back for a while now?

What parts are still missing?

His arms and his eyes.

Your answer may lie with those three out there.

The power of demons resides within them now.

It's a terrible struggle over body parts now.

Between Hyakkimaru and the 12th demon.

All because of the contract made by my husband, Daigo Kagemitsu.

This land cannot prosper without Hyakkimaru's sacrifice.

That's why Tahomaru...

But...

Hey!

Somebody catch that horse!

-Hold on! -Stop!

Hyogo!

Hyogo...!

Mutsu! Hyogo!

Out of my way!

Was this horse your...?

Hyogo! Mutsu!

Young Master...

You will create... a land of peace...

No, you mustn't go, no!

Mutsu, Hyogo!

You must be joking, sir.

We would follow you even into the depths of hell.

-Bro... -Hyakkimaru!

Hyakkimaru!

Bro...

Hyakkimaru...

I...

Mother, please stand back.

Tahomaru.

Do you still pity that thing, even now?

It is a curse upon our land.

Stop!

Bro...

A beast it may be, but the bond of mother and child is likewise strong.

Bro...

These are my hands. Mine.

Why does everyone get in my way?

...the body you regain will be stained with human blood.

Will you still be human then?

Human? What is human?

I'm...

A curse upon our land.

No, it's mine! I'm getting it back!

What's so wrong about that?

You won't escape.

He's gotten his arms back, so his reach is longer than before.

Hyakkimaru.

The body you regain will be stained...

But still, I will...!

How can I stop bro?

Well, it may be impossible to stop them until one or the other dies.

Hey, from what I overheard...

this Hyakkimaru guy got his body parts back from the demons, right?

And that's causing disasters in this land.

So what?

Well, you know...

If he gives his body back to the demons...

Say that again!

So now you want to live on eating bro up?