The Elusive Samurai (逃げ上手の若君)

Is this the right way?

Yeah.

After the pass, we'll be on the road where the enemy withdrew.

Ugh, a spider nest got in my mouth!

Lord Tokiyuki.

How do you feel about your first battle?

I can't say it's a battle...

I was so absorbed in running away,

that before I knew it, the enemy's head was right in front of my eyes.

You...

You... have my gratitude.

It's nothing!

To win a battle in a game of tag...

There are conditions for that.

That you position yourself as a valuable general,

targeted first and foremost on the battlefield.

And you must have trusted retainers to serve as swords.

To fulfill these two conditions,

you must be a righteous person to whom people are attracted

without forgetting your pride as an orphan of Hojo.

Only then, one day...

No matter the demons...

You can defeat them.

All right.

I...

...will surely return here!

And then...

I'll defeat Ashikaga, the source of it all!

Magnificent.

Oh, also...

I have seen the future just now.

If you throw a sword from there, you're in big trouble!

Young Master!

Get away from...

Tokiyuki narrowly escaped from the dying Kamakura.

The boy with a destiny so grand, not befitting of his tiny body.

The boy who will later shake the nation...

...will soon grow up in a new world.

Or he should be...

Rise and shine, Lord Tokiyuki!

I see you're in good spirits, even after escaping death...

...just last night!

Sir Yorishige! What's with that chaotic shrine man aura?!

Lord Tokiyuki, have some locusts!

- For the heartbroken you... Lord Tokiyuki, have some locusts!

- For the heartbroken you... - I got you the extra-large ones!

I have ordered them to warm you up,

with breakfast and people's warmth!

And what is this?!

As you can see, it's a pit!

I saw a future where you ran away!

This place is full of divine energy,

- See the future... - and my miracle-working divine power

and my miracle-working divine power

- There goes his lie again... - is in top form!

Therefore...

No matter where you run to, I will always know where you are.

After all...

This is my garden, my realm!

The Suwa Grand Shrine!

All right...

From today on, we will start training in the martial arts...

...and in academic studies!

Huh?! But I'm still trying to sort things out...

The symbol of the revival of the Kamakura shogunate can't afford to waste his time!

Huh?

Okay, that's the second time!

In the future, I believe this is called a callback!

Third time's the charm!

Come on, let me out!

Sorry about this, Lord Tokiyuki.

He's always like this.

He tends to get things going arbitrarily.

He frequently engages in bizarre behavior

and makes statements that don't make sense.

Shizuku.

This looks good!

He doesn't mean anything bad.

So please, rest assured.

Who would be assured after hearing that?!

Father, I don't think you should dig pits in the visiting path.

Sorry.

I'm grateful he saved my life.

I wonder if he has any realistic plans for the future.

I doubt that the master of this shrine,

much smaller than Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine,

has the power to help me regain Kamakura,

and defeat Takauji Ashikaga...

I really doubt it.

I'm surprised he could keep escaping without getting bored every day.

I'm so tired of digging holes!

That young master would succeed the shogunate and get spoiled...

So maybe he developed a habit of running away?

That's not true.

He is an honest and serious person at heart.

He was raised as a puppet for the throne,

He had no major goals for himself in life.

He just couldn't see the point of learning anything serious.

If there's anyone lacking...

That would be me.

I haven't shown him yet.

Whether or not I have the strength to support his goals.

I never thought I'd run away until this day.

It's the most pointless military strategy today.

It wouldn't do me good to remember it...

Oh, come on.

I don't have to study to meet your expectations.

I just have to run around on the battlefield, right?

Even if your troop...

...is losing!

Lord Tokiyuki.

I swear to God that I have never lost.

After all, I am a real god.

With the rain in the way, I can't show you what I want to.

Right now...

I'll clear the sky for you.

Hey.

Hey.

Ho!

Hey!

Hey!

Ho!

Hey!

Hey!

Ho!

A-Amazing...

The Suwa Sect, composed of warriors who believe in Suwa Myojin,

is strong and iron-clad in their faith in me.

Have you come to believe me now?

You have a god with you.

Roughly 10,000 soldiers, all united by one god.

Moreover,

if you acquire the qualities of a hero,

you will pair with a god as a hero,

and you will have many times more warriors on your side.

All right.

What shall we do now?

I'll go back to my seat...

And...

Study.

Well said!

- O-Ouch! Well said!

- You're so lovely! - His surprisingly aging skin feels like a file!

I'll believe in him.

I'm sure he'll raise me into a hero like he predicted.

I have obtained your commitment.

Everyone! You can go back now!

Hey!

Their enthusiasm is totally different from before!

They're not that enthusiastic either.

All right, time to go back and study.

A warrior never backs down on his words.

All right! Let's go!

- I've been bamboozled! All right! Let's go!

- I've been bamboozled! - Yorishige Suwa...

The person who understood Tokiyuki best,

guided the boy to the future,

and had an immeasurable impact on him in a short time.

The soon-to-be-hero...

...begins to sharpen his fangs, quietly in the bosom of God.

We've fallen so gracefully!

Shut up!

Ehe!

I see you have got used to life in Suwa.

All right.

Time for you to gain some allies.

I have gathered a bunch of retainers just for you.

Retainers...

Yes.

A subordinate of an influential warlord who fights for his life

in a master-servant relationship is called a retainer.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the strength

of a retainer is the strength of the lord himself.

It pains me to say this,

but you have lost all of your closest family and all of your vassals,

and now you must rebuild your retainers from the ground up.

Allow me to introduce!

Kojiro is the best sword user of his generation.

He might actually lead an army someday.

'Sup, Young Master.

Ayako is a powerful and talented woman with an abundance of artistic talent!

She will attend to you.

Young Master!

Shizuku is very attentive and is able to use a number of secret arts!

She can handle housework as your maid.

These three are the same age as you,