Katsugeki: Touken Ranbu (活撃 刀剣乱舞)

Halt!

There's something shady about them.

Are they undercover shogunate agents?

Man, they're pesky!

Captain, one backhanded swat wouldn't hurt, right?

Don't even think about it!

Damn it, we lost them.

The sun's going down. We should head back.

I was just kidding!

You have a point.

Let's go!

Hey, I said I was only kidding!

Geez, you Shinsengumi swords don't know how to take a joke, do you?

What was that?

Both of you, this is not the time to be fooling around.

We're not fooling around!

Kane-san! That's Edo!

Yeah!

Man, it's huge!

Episode 4 What I Wanted to Protect

"Closed"

The town seems pretty deserted, huh?

Well, Edo must be buzzing with rumors of a looming attack by Satchou.

At this point in time, the shogunate has been continuously losing.

They must have their backs to the wall.

The last time we mobilized was 1863.

So they've really gotten cornered in the last five years.

It's the Tosei forces aggressively attacking Edo,

and the volatile shogunate vassals glaring at each other.

Even the slightest provocation would trigger a war.

That's why we're chased down mountain trails.

Sorry to keep you waiting!

How'd it go?

I glanced over everything, but couldn't find any major changes in history so far.

All right, let's recap our current mission, then.

Like I mentioned on our way to Edo, our mission is...

to make sure the two-day meeting, starting the day after tomorrow,

between Katsu Kaishu and Saigou Takamori goes as planned.

Thanks to this meeting, Edo Castle will fall in a bloodless surrender.

And if we fail...

History will be altered, no doubt about it, huh?

Yeah.

The Time Retrograde Army will appear between March 13th to the 16th, 1868.

Their predicted landing spot will be the shore between Shinagawa and Shiba.

The sea, huh? So, it's that way!

The storehouse of the Satsuma-han's Shimazu clan.

That's where Katsu Kaishu and Saigou Takamori are slated to meet.

Kane-san?

So this would be the Second Unit's true first battle, right?

Our first mission since we've come together as a team.

Let's do our best!

Is that Katsu Kaishu?

He must be a busy man if he's working before such an important meeting later in the day.

It was the right call not assigning Mutsunokami to stake him out.

I can see him shirking his stakeout and gushing about those warships.

You're not mistaken.

Hey, you guys.

Those are pretty strange outfits. How about you come with me to the station?

Again?

Hey, did you hear me?

We should run.

Probably.

Hey, come back here!

That took a while, did it not?

We ran into some gung-ho petty officials.

How's the situation?

The meeting started right on schedule.

Security's tight all around the residence.

If we get too close, a horde of guards will come running.

You won't believe how they chased me all over Edo. It was brutal!

Is that breakfast?

What time were they meeting until today?

Seven-and-a-half.

That would be until 17:00, then, huh?

I wish we knew exactly what time it is.

Are you in need of a watch, perhaps?

An able pipe fox has everything from ointment to fried tofu snacks on hand.

He is prepared at all times for every unforeseen circumstance!

Is that the only watch you have?

Wow, that's pretty thoughtless of you.

Then the captain should hold onto it.

So the Tokugawa Era, after lasting 260 years, is going to end thanks to this meeting, huh?

Kunihiro, if we make sure the meeting goes as planned today and tomorrow,

we'll have fulfilled our mission.

Right.

A pocket watch brings back memories, huh?

Memories?

Hijikata-san carried one, too, remember?

Did he?

What Hijikata-san died trying to protect.... I wonder what it really was.

If you can't figure that out, no way I can.

Hey, Katsu is leaving the residence.

- Let's go, Yagen. - Right.

Both of you, be careful.

Don't get careless around those guards.

Okay.

The meeting's barely over and he heads straight back to the navy, huh?

These higher-ups don't have it easy.

I'm going to check out the perimeter from here.

Right. I'll go around the other side.

Hijikata-san, huh?

No, like this? He had stooped shoulders, so...

Izuminokami?

Hey, did you find anything?

I realized that we never talked about where we'll meet up.

Oh, right. We didn't.

Let's meet up back here.

Understood.

Saniwa is our master now, you know.

Hey!

So you saw me.

I can see that both you and Horikawa hold your former master in special esteem.

Are you saying that you didn't?

Well, I've served a lot of masters.

Is that right?

I do think it's a shame. They were all great men.

But I'm not a protective sword, only to be carried around anymore.

I can think and take action for myself.

And that is all for the sake of serving our current master.

I guess I said too much.

Yagen.

The same goes for Kunihiro and me.

Good work.

Hey, how's it going?

It's the same old, same old.

Today's the last day they're meeting.

The Time Retrograde Army is sure to make a move.

The meeting will end at 9:00 pm.

That's pretty late.

We have to protect this place until then.

That said, it's gonna be a drag just sitting here keeping an eye on them.

Should I go patrol the area while taking a walk?

Not a bad idea, but...

Konnosuke, show me the images from yesterday and today.

If they have some scheme in mind, there should at least be some clues.

This is the footage from yesterday.

And here's today's.

What's this?

- Those are the bodyguards. - Yeah.