Hello, there. It's me, Arc.
And here we are in the town of Landfrea.
Landfrea
It's the grand beginning of our sea-spanning adventure!
Look at that! Such amazing ships.
Landfrea is on a different scale compared to the other port towns.
It's quite the sight!
To see all these vessels lined up like this...
Spectacular and nostalgic!
I take it the sea is calling to you as well, Ponta?
A knight, an elf, and two beastmen.
You must be the group that wants passage to the southern continent.
And you are?
I'm the one who's arranging for your ship.
It's a pleasure to meet you!
It really is quite the port.
This is the hub for all trading that gets done with the southern continent.
And we get no shortage of folks looking to head to new lands.
The frontier spirit! The romance of seeking out an uncharted future!
There. That's the ship you all will be traveling on.
Well, it certainly looks well-equipped!
Most of the ships that head to the southern continent are armed,
and have dragon scales for armor.
You need at least that much to chase off any enemies.
Enemies? Are there pirates in these waters?
Not at all. The big threat are Krakens.
I assume that means a squid or octopus-like monster...
Yeah. And some of them are big as hell!
Here we go! Giant krakens!
The star sea monster that has appeared in countless video games and movies!
It's the salty aroma of oceanic fantasy!
I would love to get a glimpse of such a creature.
Come on, mister, don't jinx us now!
Oh, my apologies!
Here we go! Giant krakens!
The star sea monster that has appeared in countless video games and movies!
It's the salty aroma of oceanic fantasy!
We're pulling out!
It wouldn't be an ocean journey without this pose.
That said, if I fall wearing this armor...
I'd probably sink like a particularly heavy rock.
Scared now. Think I'll go back.
Hm? Where's Lady Chiyome?
Up there.
I wonder what's wrong. She seems in low spirits.
Right now, Chiyome is a dainty maiden, with a heart filled with anxiety about
traveling into new territory...
I see.
Or not.
She's not?
She's a maiden whose heart is filled to the brim with anticipation of the
lovely gentleman she may or may not meet...
I see!
Except it's not that either.
It's not that either? That's a lot of dramatic tension.
She's probably worried about Sasuke.
Sasuke? Is she close with him?
He's her big brother.
I didn't know she had an elder brother.
Well, I call him that, but it's not like they're blood relatives.
But before we left, Master Hanzo made something clear...
If it really was Sasuke who attacked the elf warrior, then this is a grave matter.
The elves have yet to escalate matters, but we must ascertain the truth.
Tsubone, Chiyome, I entrust this to you.
Yes, sir.
I didn't realize Master Hanzo was worried about that...
I must say, for Lady Chiyome to call Sir Sasuke her brother
despite a lack of blood relation,
they must truly have a a deep connection.
Well, to explain that,
we'd need to start with how Chiyome ended up in our village.
I think it's been seven years? Rou and I...
Rou?
That was Sasuke's name before he became one of the Six Ninja.
We had finished a mission on that day, and on our way back,
we came across a village...
This is terrible.
Bandits must've done it.
Let's head back.
Let's take her back to the village.
Are you awake?
Where am I...?
This is the village of the Jinshin Clan.
We found you collapsed below a cliff and tried to save you.
What about my Mother?! Where is she?!
You were the only one still alive.
Stronger...
I want to get... stronger...
Get... stronger...
I'm going... to get stronger...!
It seems that when the village was attacked,
her mother died protecting her.
So, Chiyome considers her mother's death her own fault.
There's nothing she could've done, though.
She was just a kid.
That's true. But it's not that simple to her.
So, she's desperately trying to become strong.
Damn, you suck!
How much can someone miss?
You need to relax your whole body.
Rou...
Don't think you'll be able to strike with force early on.
If you're too tense, your aim will suffer.
R-Right...
Yes! I hit it!
Yeah, you're getting a feel for it.
And the more you practice, the more refined you'll be.
R-Right!
You're being awfully kind...
I'm just thinking in terms of efficiency.
Efficiency?
If the newest person improves,
it encourages everyone else to work harder.
And as a result, the entire group gets better.
I see what you mean...
Well, that's just my excuse.
I actually sense something special from her.
Like what?
You might call it "strength of will."
When we saved her, and she woke up,
I expected her to take out her frustration on us,
but that's not what happened.
She came right to the conclusion that she wanted to get stronger.
That was when I felt it.
Something that I don't sense from anyone else.
It must be something she was born with.
An indomitable fighting spirit that keeps her from breaking, no matter what...
She's gonna get strong, I guarantee.
She might end up shouldering the fate of the village, some day...
An indomitable spirit...
Chiyome really is strong.
But I had no idea she experienced such a tragic past...
Definitely.
And just like Rou predicted, Mia grew skilled at a staggering rate.
He started looking after her, like a little sister, too.
What's wrong? You had a five-minute head start,
and I've already caught up with you.
So fast!
How does he do it?!
You're two are disqualified.
Damn it! Don't let him catch you, Mia!
Show him what we trainees can do!
You've improved quite a bit...
Body to wind, Tornado Shuriken!
I failed again...
When you're fleeing, don't worry about optimizing your route.
It becomes too predictable to the enemy.
I'm going to work hard to increase my speed.
It's like you're not even listening to me...
Mia, what kind of martial artist is the strongest?
Well... they're fast, and powerful—
Wrong.
A strong martial artist can always surprise their foes.
And when someone is surprised, they leave mental openings.
You don't even need speed or power then.
And the stronger the enemy, the more you should keep this in mind.
I'll do just that!
Back to the village, now.
Right!
Episode 8
The Sea Hears the Tale of the Tragic Kunoichi's Past
Mia continued to progress, and Rou eventually became
one of the pillars of the Jinshin Clan, and was promoted to the Six Ninja.
Mia?
Congratulations on being named one of the Six Ninja, Rou!
Er, Lord Sasuke!
I'm going to work hard to join you!
You came all this way just to say that? I appreciate it.
I heard you have your first mission coming up, Mia.
Oh, yes. It's just some simple reconnaissance, though...
Don't get careless!
None of our missions are simple.
S-Sorry...
I'm just kidding.
My first mission was a total mess.
R-Really?
Oh, yeah. I slipped and fell over at a critical moment,
and lost my nerve when facing an enemy...
Nobody starts off being totally capable.
It's like with your shuriken practice—
just relax a little, and you'll be at the right level of tension.
But that's all the more reason to be careful.
Yes, sir!
I had imagined Sir Sasuke as a capable individual,
but even he had his early days.
No, no, he was lying about all that.
What do you mean?
I'm the one who goofed up like that.
Sasuke was perfect from the start.
Sasuke and I worked together on our first mission.
I was in such a panic, and froze up...
Over here!
We were just supposed to do recon, but so much for that.
Could you step back?
But then Sasuke beat them all.
Then Sir Sasuke made that story up in order to help Lady Chiyome relax...
That was kind of him.
It was.
I completed my first mission thanks to your advice, Lord Sasuke.
Pursuers? No, this presence is...
What kind of creature is this?!
O-Oh, no... this looks bad...
I'll have to use that!
Body to water, Blood Needle Confinement!
I did it! I managed to win!
Another one?!
Body to wind, Scything Cyclone!
Remember what I said about not letting your guard down?
Lord Sasuke!
I had heard there were Snow Giants spotted in this area lately.
It's a good thing I came to check it out.
You really shouldn't get careless like that.
I-I'm sorry! I mean, for troubling you...
I'm just glad you're okay.
I'd rather not go through the pain of losing family...
Brother...
I have to say, you've improved a fair bit over such a short period of time.
Maybe you've got a real talent for this.
Th-Thank you so much!
After that, Mia proved herself, and was made one of the Six Ninjas,
with the name Chiyome.
The two of them went on to complete many extremely difficult missions.
I have to imagine working together only made them grow closer...
Kind of like me and Arc.
But even the two of them would have to be conscious of each other,
once they hit a certain age...
An infinitely burning passion began to swell between the two of them.
But as ninja, their positions forced them to suppress those feelings!
Until, one day, on a mission...
The story's not over yet?
I'm getting to the good part.
That's enough of you two. Surrender now.
Chiyome!
Faced with a life or death situation,
all those repressed feelings sprang forth!
Sasuke! Don't worry about me, run!
I would gladly sacrifice myself for your sake!
What are you saying, Chiyome?! I can't imagine my life without you!
If you're going to die, then so will I!
Brother!
Chiyome!
I love you.
I'll never let you go.
What an amazing display...
I guess when it comes to love,
there's no such thing as enemies or allies!
That's right! We all live together in this wonderful world!
And we should all spread that message!
The flames of forbidden love!
And so they became one!
Please don't insert me into your haphazard fantasies!
Oh, how long were you listening?
From the beginning!
These ears aren't just for show.
The first half was more or less accurate...
but the ending was completely made up!
Unsurprising.
Yeah, it wasn't hard to tell.
Did I embellish a little too much?
Just leave me alone...
Chiyome...
It's true that I'm worried about my brother, Sasuke.
But despite that...
You see?
Seriously, it's not like that!
There's the giant Kraken! I've been waiting for this!
Are you seriously happy right now?!
Lady Chiyome, there are two types of concerns in life.
One is the kind you can do something about.
And the other is the kind you cannot do anything about...
In the case of the latter, things will play out however they will.
And at those times,
why not join me in a bit of exercise to lift your spirits?
I challenge you to see who slays the beast first!
Challenge accepted!
Are you two seriously wrapping it up on that note...?
You could make salted squid for a thousand people with this beast!
But the size is rather...
In that case, leave it to me!
Thanks for that, Sir Knight!
You're no slouch either, missy!
What do you say, Lady Chiyome? Feeling a bit relieved?
Yes!
Whoa, hang on! Are you gonna eat it?!
It's supposed to be real good after being cooked over coals with some salt.
Hooray! Hooray!
Till we meet again!
Well, what do we do with all this squid?!
Primas, The Kingdom of Fobnach
I have to say, this town is bustling with beastmen.
The great Kingdom of Fobnach is ruled by beastmen.
Granted, there's no shortage of diversity amongst them,
so the culture and traditions tend to get mixed together.
I see...
I'm going to head to where Danka is recuperating and check on him.
Chili peppers!
And they have tomatoes, too!
If only I had some pasta... Maybe I should buy them anyway...?
Cooking with red nail and tomato?
What else would you use them for?
You grind red nail up and use it to blind people.
Tomatoes are poisonous,
so if you eat them without preparation, you'll get sick.
First you need to treat them...
These aren't quite the chili peppers and tomatoes that I'm familiar with, then.
Still, with so many stands, it makes me tempted to try my hand at vending...
And wouldn't you know, we have something to sell!
Huh?
What's this line for? It wasn't here before...
And something smells incredible. What in the world...?
Step right up, folks!
We've got tasty grilled Kraken for you!
I'll take two!
Three over here!
All right, form an orderly line!
Here you go, two grilled Kraken!
What the heck are you guys doing?!
Oh, Lady Ariane!
Since we had so much squid, I figured we may as well serve it to everyone.
Would you care for some?
You have to be squidding me!
No, it's quite tentacool.
Unbelievable... I take my eyes off you for a few minutes, and this happens.
Come now, it's fine.
We were able to get rid of all that squid, and earn some traveling expenses.
So, how was Sir Danka?
Well, that's the thing. He's apparently left town already.
Egad!
Translation: Lee Francis Timing: Andy Ellis Editing: Zachary Carlysle Quality Control: William Haggard Translation Check: Rei Miyasaka
Next Time
Reunited To the Sound of a Dark Beast's Howl
Beware the Kraken! #PontaIsOut&About