Founding (開闢, Kaibyaku) is the 2nd episode of Blade of the Immortal: Immortal.
Characters[]
- Taito Magatsu
- Souri
- Tatsubō
- Rin Asano
- Manji
- Nisaburo Tsuchimochi
Synopsis[]
Rin announces that she will go meet her father's friend Souri, the painter, in her journey for revenge. Souri cannot lend her a hand, but instead gives her funds. Rin, now with a full wallet and no leads, finds her father's sword at the blacksmith's from which it was supposedly stolen. However, its wielder is a swordsman of the Ittou-ryu, 'Taito Magatsu.'
Summary[]
Souri was painting when he received news of visitors by his daughter. When he went to see them, it took him a few seconds, but he realized that was Rin Asano. As they spoke and she explained what happened to her father and mother, Souri couldn't believe her father died because of and old grudge. As he had heard of Itto-ryu, he told her that hiring a single bodyguard won't be enough to which he revealed she knew he used to be a spy for the shogunate and master swordsman and wanted to hire him too. But Souri declined, as he was no longer a swordman and wished to continue painting. Manji then left, leaving Rin staying at Souri for the night.
In the morning, Rin woke up little before a man killed her. She tried to escape, but was caught by him, but then Manji came saving her. As Manji turned, there were lots of men ready to fight. While they fought, Souri was painting and wondering what he was missing. He was looking for a particular colored red, but couldn't figure out what red exactly. Then a blood splatter of a man that Manji killed covered the painting, making Souri realize that was the red he needed and as he was just thinking on how to finish the painting, one of the men crashed on it and destroyed it, leaving Souri shocked. As Manji dispatched all of the men except the first assassin. he fell into his trap and was bound to a tree and stabbed. The man then went for Rin, but got stabbed in the throat from the back by Souri, who was angry that he trampled his art.
Souri asked Manji why was he willing to take so much beating to protect Rin and Manji explained that she reminded him of his sister, who was killed before his eyes because of him. As Souri wasn't going to come with them, he gave Rin 30 ryu, so that they have money and don't have to sleep on the streets.
As they left Souri, Rin went to a blacksmith giving him all of Manji's weapons so he can sharpen them. She then noticed a sword there, one that belonged to her father. The blacksmith explained it belonged to a member of Itto-ryu and in that moment Taito Magatsu came to take it. As he left, she followed him outside and asked him if she could purchase it. Taito then asked her if she knew the Asano clan and that he was looking for a girl from that clan and while he won't sell the sword for money, he may consider it, if she has information on the girl.
Rin returned to Manji and told him about the sword, but said she had given up on it, as she wanted to focus on killing Anotsu. But as Manji didn't believe her, he went out during the night and found Taito, who recognized who Manji was from a wanted poster. Manji wanted to fight Taito and if he won, he would take the sword. Hearing that Taito realized the girl must had really been the Asano girl he was looking for and then guessed it was Manji who killed Sabato and Nisaburo. As they started fighting, Taito eventually stabbed Manji in the leg. Taito then told Manji he was the first person outside of Itto-ryu to not have died after he fought him for that long. Taito kept explaining he was born in that region and the forest had been hit by a flood and the water had fused with the mud. One day, a friend of his didn't knew that and had died in the mud after he want in it. Taito then revealed Manji was standing in the same stop his friend died and Manji then noticed he was sinking and then jumped and stabbed Manji, leaving him to fully sink in the mud. Taito then started heading back, recalling moments from the past, but then got stabbed from behind by Manji. He was surprised by that and then left the sword to Manji and escaped, saying that they will meet again, if both of them survive.
In the morning, Rin woke up and saw the sword next to her. She went to Manji, asking him what was that about, but he acted like he didn't knew and guessed she must had purchased it. As he told her it was okay to cry and that way she was remembering her parents and revenge. Rin then called him "onee-chan" wanting to make him cry too, as she looked like his sister. Manji then told her that he won't cry for something like that and her sister used to call him "nii-sama", after which she called him that and left.