Meiji 7 (1874). Tokyo Prison, Hachioji,
Kanagawa Prefecture Branch
Yuki...
You were born for vengeance...
Such a poor child...
A child of the netherworlds...
Lady Snowblood
Move it!
Get out of our way, woman!
Who do you think you are?!
Do you realize that he's Shibayama Genzo,
the Asakura Senryo Gang leader?
It doesn't matter! Kill her!
You bitch!
What are you, an assassin?!
You little bitch!
Don't kill her...
I want her to tell us what
fool hired her.
Yessir!
Yessir!
Who are you?! Speak!
Who gave you orders to come
after me...of all people?!
Answer me!
Wh... Who are you...?
Revenge..
Wh...Wh...Whoose?!
All those helpless people that
have suffered, thanks to you...
Woman, wh...wh...who
the hell are you?!
Lady Snowblood.
Begrieving snow falls...
in the dead morning...
Stray dog's howls... and the footsteps
of Gete pierce the air...
I walk with the weigth of the Milky
Way on my shoulders...
...but an umbrella that holds onto
the darkness is all there is.
I'm a woman who walks at the
brink of life and death...
...who's emptied my tears
many moons ago...
All the compassion,
tears and dreams...
...the snowy nights... and tomorrow...
hold no meaning...
I've immersed my body in
the river of vengeance...
...and thrown away my womanhood
many moons ago...
Chapter One: Vengeance
Binds Love and Hate
Over twenty years
have flown by...
...since the new era of Meiji ended three
centuries of peaceful Tokugawa rule.
The European ideas of social progress...
...that once greatly unsettled the people
are becoming widely accepted.
Still, provincial disputes
continue unabated...
...as do unfair practices by mercenary
plutocrats and shady businessmen...
...and actions taken by corrupt officials
seeking only to benefit themselves.
And, self-indulgent, rich men and
women only grew in number...
...while the pleas of
poor peasants...
...who could barely make ends
meet, remained unanswered.
And at this time, there lived a
woman of the netherworlds.
Everyone knew her
flowery beauty...
...but, not many knew that deep inside
her seemingly gentle and pure heart...
...burned a raging desire to
hunt down her enemies.
People say...that what cleanses this world
of decay is not pure white snow...
...but snow that is stained fiery-red:
"the snow of the netherworlds."
Damn it...
Pardon me...
I would like to see
Sir Matsuemon...
Where can I find Sir Matsuemon,
your leader?
Please, would you
take me to him?
Come with me.
Please! Please!
Pass it around!
Pass it around!
Pass it around!
Pass it around!
Pass it around!
Anything that comes here
gets passed around!
That is the law of our band!
C'mon now! Pass it around!
Pass it around!
Pass it around!
This goddess of sex
is here for us!
You think you're tough?!
She got me!
Kill this bitch!
Stop!
Stop! Stop it!
Fool! Idiot!
Ow!
How dare you!
Wh...Wh...What the...?
You fools... How dare you act
like stray dogs in heat?!
But, Boss...
You idiot!
Sir...
The lady is a very important
guest of mine.
What?!
As you know, that ruthless
bastard Shiba-Gen...
...tried to destroy our village
by bankrupring us.
This lady is the one...
...who croaked him!
Miss... I was told that you make
your living as an assassin...
...yet, looking at you, I cannot
imagine you hurting a fly.
Tell me, Miss Shurayuki...
...what is it that you seek?
Sir Matsuemon...
I would like to request your assistance
in finding these individuals.
Takemura Banzo... Tsukamoto
Gishiro...
...Kitahama Okono...
Oh... all three seem to be from...
...the Koichi Village, in the Aimi
District of Shimane Prefecture.
Now, Koichi Village... that's
where I grew up.
It has taken me a whole year...
to ascertain that very fact.
But, tell me...
Why?
Are you familiar with the Ketsuzei Riots
that occured in the 6th year of Meiji?
The Ketsuzei Riots? I can't say
that I don't know of it...
These three explited
that situation
...and swindled large sums from
the villages of kiochi
...by running a "draft-
exclusion" scam...
...and then skipping
out without a trace.
I don't know all the details...
...but I heard that there were
four culprits, not three.
Yes sir.
Of the four... Shokei Tokuichi
is now dead...
He was killed.
I beseech you, sir. Please
find those three.
I hear you...
...but, without knowing
what they look like...
...knowing their names alone
won't be much help.
That is not true! I believe
that you can do it, sir!
It should be possible to find many
people who know of them.
As your clan is spread widely
across the entire nation...
...if you were to use your
many connections...
...I know that you
could succeed!
I don't believe that
it is impossible...
But... what exactly
are you after?
The 6th year of Meiji... I doubt that
you had even been born yet.
It could be said that Karma
can stain the unborn...
All the young men of this nation, as
of their seventeenth birthday...
...will be registered for the draft, and
assigned to the army or reserves.
Their service is required
to defend the nation.
On November 10th, all familt
heads must register...
...their sixteen year-old male
children with town officials.
Upon reaching the
age of twenty...
...all such man will be inducted
into the military.
Going back in time... over
twenty years ago...
In the Sixth year of Meiji, March...
the nation's first draft mandate...
...was enacted by
the Cabinet.
The new government sought to strengthen
the nation through militarism...
...believing that the modernization
of Japan must be based...
...on the development of military power
similar to that of foreign superpowers.
However... the peasants did not consider
it to be a reasonable measure...
...and soon their discontent
exploded in riots.
The end to these uprisings
was nowhere in sight...
Destruction, robbery, arson... and other
acts of rebellion continued without end.
Many strange rumors circulated, the most
famous being about the "Men in White".
Men dressed in white were said to be
the pawns of the new government...
...who killed conscripts and collected their
blood for sale to foreign nations.
This is where the first chapter
of the tragedy begins.
Meiji 6 (1873), June. Koichi Village,
Aimi District, Shimane Prefecture.
Shiro!
Shiro!
Knock it off!! Let me go!
Guys!
Let me go! Mommy!
Shiro!
Let's go.
Get off, fool!
Knock it off! Let go!
Mommy!
Hey!
Look at him! He's wearing white!
Knock it off!
It's HIM...
He's the new government
man! Kill him!
Don't be ridiculous!
I'm... I'm...
...the new gradeschool teacher who's
just moved to this village!
Shut up!
Die!
Tsukamoto Gishiro
Takemura Banzo
Shokei Tokuichi
Dear!
Kitahama Okono
This is unthinkable!
How could this be?!
Dear! Dear!
Dear! Dear...!
Dear!
Has the moment come?
I believe so.
Then you ought to go...
There is othing to prevent you
from walking your path.
Reverend, I must thank you for
all these years of training.
I am disheartened because I have not
been able to repay you in any way.
Don't be ridiculous...
You have a destiny that
needs to be realized.
Forget joy, forget sorrow...
...forget love, and forget hate...
...except for vengeance, thse
must be forgotten.
And thus, there should be
no sadness in you.
A child of the netherworlds
ought not talk like that.
A "child of the netherworlds..."
...who knows how many times you've
scolded me by calling me that.
"Kajima Sayo"
"Kobayashi Tora"
You are a child of the
netherworld...
You are not a being of this
early realm.
You are a devil that abides by
netherworldly principles...
...a beast, a devil... one whose
disguise is human...
...one so evil that even Buddha
cannot save you now.
Sayo! You gotta hang in
there! Hang in there!
Otora! Don't just sit there!
I've helped many give
birth in this jail...
...but I've never seen
a birth this difficult!
If it goes wrong,
Sayo could die!
I... I don't care...
if I die...
...but... at least... save my
baby... please... Otora!
This isn't good... it's overdue... the
baby's overdue and it's twisted around...
It doesn't matter...
At least save my baby...
my baby...
You don't even know whose
child you're bearing!
Should... should my
baby be stillborn...
...if that should happen,
Otora... I'll kill you!
But, tell me... why did those four
commit such a hideous crime?
For profit...
"For profit?"
They told the people that draftees
could be excused from service...
...by paying them a
sum of 270 yen...
...and thus they swindled the villagers
out of tens of thousands of yen.
After splitting the money
among themselves...
...they fled from the
village, as planned.
Shokei Tokuichi, who
desired my body...
...took me along with
him to Tokyo.
In Tokyo, Tokuichi opened
a little eatery.
I did as I was told, and waited
for the right moment...
I killed Tokuichi...
...and was in the midst of hunting
down the remaining three...
...when I was arrested...
Three more vengeances remain.
But... I've been sentenced
to life in prison...
I can no longer... exact my
revenge... with my own hands.
Then, you mean for this child to...
...you want this newborn to...
That's why you kept saying
you wanted a strong boy...
Otora...
I can't remember how many
times you told me...
"...you're a slut!"
But that's all right... because
it was true.
Because I wanted a child
so much... I've...
At the women's prison
in Ichingaya...
...and after I arrived here...
...I acted like a mad bitch
in heat...
...I wantonly seduced men, and
screwed one after another.
I knew this made you look
upon me with disgust.
For me, there remain
things left undone.
Even if I have to devote my
next seven lives to it...
...my vengeance...
cannot be denied.
So I... must let this child wreak
my vengeance for me.
I'll die... so my spirit can
be embodied in her!
That's the only... method of
vengeance I have left.
Otora...
I beg you...
Okiku... please take
care of this child.
You were born for vengeance...
Such a poor child...
A child of the netherworlds...
...but, Yuki...
...you must avenge
us without fail...
...your father... your big brother...
...and me...
...Yuki...
...my...
Sayo! Sayo!
Sayo!
Sayo!
She took care of the baby with the help of
Dokai, a priest and former liege vassal.
Being a "child of the netherworlds", Yuki
received severe training from Dokai.
Weighing down her little shoulders
were sad thoughts of vengeance...
...but despite this, Yuki endured great
hardships, and survived the training.
Meiji 15 (1882)
Kashima Yuki, Age 8
Stretch out your hands
and feet...
Don't get thrown out, Yuki!
Yessir!
Here we go...
Yuki!
Stand up! Stand up! Yuki!
Yuki!
Yuki!
Until the barrel stops naturally
after rolling down the hill...
...you must not become dislodged!
You were not born as a human child.
You were born a child
of the netherworlds...
...who will devote your own life
to avenge another's death.
You must never forget
that this is your duty.
Feel like a beast!
Become a beast!
What are you looking at?!
Look into my eyes!
You must look into my eyes!
You fool! Stand up!
Yuki! What's the matter with you?!
Come on now!
C'mon!
What's with that face?
Step out! On your feet!
At long last...
At long last, I've managed
to come this far...
...my dear mother...
Though born and raised as a
child of the netherworlds...
...human compassion was never
absent from her heart.
Unforgettable memories of her mother
overwhelmed her with sadness...
...yet her journey of vengeance
was far from over.
This day... marked the 20th anniversary
of her mother Sayo's passing.
Chapter Two: Crying Bamboo
Dolls of the Netherworlds
Not many days later...
...a letter arrived from the leader
of the beggar clan, Matsuemon.
Takemura Banzo, one of the villains
she sought, had been located.
Dad... I'll go sell all the
Chikufujin I've made.
I don't know what to say...
I am always making you
work so hard.
What are you talking about...?
There are so many orders that I
can't keep up with the demand.
Is that so?
Are they selling that well?
Uh-huh.
You saw me?
Why...?
It doesn't matter. They
won't sell anyway.
Here... Keep it.
I made it.
Here you go.
Say... What's your name?
Kobue. Takemura Kobue
Why?
Good-bye.
As usual, here's your three yen.
Please count it.
It's correct, sir.
Oh, one more thing...
...here...
Take it.
Your customer for tonight
is a prefectual officer...
...and he's a very important
client of mine too.
So... we expect the best from you.
I know that, sir.
Hey!
Yessiree! Here we go!
Kobue, is that you?
Heh... it's you guys.
Who did you think it was?
Whassup, good Takemura?
You don't look too well.
We're here today representing
the House of Hamakatsu...
It doesn't look like Kobue
is home yet.
She's out selling her wares.
She's probably shopping on her
way back home.
What's so funny?
Look...
...wake up, why don't you?
Look... do you really think that
people are buying your Chikufujin?!
You dumb asshole.
Your daughter, you see, is...
...throwing everything she
makes into the sea!
But, Kobue brings home money...
Do you wanna know where that
money comes from?!
Look... eight yen in all.
The due date passed long, long ago.
You got to be kidding me!
It's all your fault to begin with.
You're making her sell herself!
Oh, what a poor thing!
She has to do it, to pay for her
drunkard daddy's booze and medicine...
Quiet! Kobue would never
do such a thing!
Here we go.
Place your bets!
Place your bets, please!
Place your bets.
Place your bets now, please.
Say... is that a girl
travelling gambler?
Yes, sir... Apparently, she's from
Sanshuu. An independent.
Said her name is "Oyuki..."
Is she hot or what?!
She sure gets a rise out of me!
She's no ordinary mouse.
You shouldn't play...
Quiet!
All right! One, folks!
One!
One, folks!
One, folks!
Banzo!
Hey, gimme a card.
Right, next round...
Place your bets!
Place your bets, please.
Place your bets, please.
All right! Four, folks!
Four, folks!
yeah! I got it!
Four, folks!
Four, folks!
Place your next bets, please!
Here we go.
All right. Place your bets please.
Place your bets please.
Here we go.
Next bet...
Here we go.
Bets please.
Bets please.
No more bets!
Score!
Hold it!
Mr. Takemura... we need to talk!
Please forgive me...
Can't do it.
S... Spare me...
Boss...
Huh?
Why don't we roll him up and
throw him into the sea!
Don't be in such a hurry.
First, we should torture him
as much as we want.
P... Please forgive me!
Y... You can have Kobue...
Too late for that, you smartass!
Fool...!
Please wait.
As a professional, it is my fault
that I did not detect his cheating.
Allow me to pay compensation.
It's none of your concern! Butt out!
Just what the hell is going on?!
What is that you want, stranger?
I beg you please...
I must ask you to spare his life,
no matter what the cost.
Don't tell me that you knew
that he was cheating?!
Well, in any case...
Masa... Kame... let him go.
Boss!
We shouldn't cpmcern ourselves with
trivialities like this all the time.
I appreciate this, sir.
You bastard! The next time you
show up...
...forget being rolled up and
thrown into the sea...
...you'll be shredded to bits
and fed to the pigs!
You bastard!
Oh?
What brings you here?
If something happens, you should
go to Tokyo.
Okiku of Tajire, in Ueno's 7th ward,
can put you in touch with me.
Thanks, but I can't leave
my dad here.
You're still hanging around?
I owe you one for what you
did for me earlier.
But, you know... it wouldn't
really matter anyway...
...wheter I lived or died...
If it weren't for my daughter...
By the way... why did you
save my life?
Because we have a little business
to take care of, Takemura Banzo!
Shall we go?
Go? Where to? Who are you anyway?!
I've come to take you away... to take
you to where you truly belong.
Come now... it's time to start the
journey of death.
Who... Who are you?
Just who are you?
What are you gonna do to me?
Are you scared, Banzo?
I bet you are.
A man like you has memories
so gruesome...
...that you can't forget them
even if you want to.
What are you talking about?
A long, long time ago...
...you lived in the village of Kiochi.
That's what I'm talking about.
You, Tsukamoto Gishiro...
...Kitashama Okono...
...and Shokei Tokuichi...
the four of you...
...in order to swindle money from
the unsuspecting villagers...
...killed an innocent man...
...and raped and tortured his wife
for three days and three nights.
I know nothing! I know nothing
about it!
Look closely at my face.
Doesn't this face remind you
of somebody...
...somebody that you have raped?
My name is Shurayuki.
There was a woman who died in
a jail... who died cursing you.
I'm the daughter of
Kashima Sayo.
I was wrong.
I was wrong.
They made me do it...
I've never been able to forget it...
even to this day! Please...!
Where is Gishiro?
Where os Okono?
I don't know! I really don't know!
Please forgive me!
Please spare me!
I will neither forgive nor spare you!
Please...
Please don't kill me...
Don't slay me...
I beg you... please...
Please, I beg you...
If I die... what happens to my
daughter...
...what about my daughter Kobue?
Please! Please!
For Kobue's sake...
An eye for an eye!
All life is transitory...
the virtuous, eternal.
Having slain one of her enemies,
it is now the break of dawn.
The sea assaulted the shore, as if it
was reflecting Yuki's innermost feelings.
In this journey of vengeance, the end
was receeding from view.
Chapter Three: Umbrella of Blood,
Heart of Strewn Flowers
"Tsukamoto Gishiro"
"Tajire"
It's just so unfortunate...
When we heard from you that Gishiro
was dead...
...she didn't want to believe it,
no matter what I said.
But, now that she's seen his tombstone
with her own eyes...
...well, what else can we do?
It's just to bad...
If only we had...
If only we had gone searching
much earlier...
When did he die?
Three years ago...
...a shipwreck during a voyage to
America, or so the story goes.
When he was alive, Gishiro
was said to have...
...been involved with foreigners,
smuggling opium.
Three years ago?
Yuki had just come to me to receive
pickpocketing training.
The training I have received from the
Reerend... and from you Auntie...
...it's all so that I can personally
avenge my mother's death.
Gishiro was the leader
of the four villains...
How I longed to destroy him...
...stricking him down with the sword of
vengeance, for my mother's sake.
Oyuki!
Be strong...
Don't you know that you've still
got to face one more wrongdoer?!
Sir Matsuemon...
I beseech you...
Please try to find Kitahama Okono
as fast as you can.
I have my men working on it, but...
...there's only so much we can do.
Looking for someone?
We meet at last. I've been looking
for you everywhere.
What do you want from me?
I'd like you to explain something.
That tombstone... belonged to a
Tsukamoto Gishiro, did it not?
There's nothing I can tell you.
I doubt that's true...
You shredded flowers left as
an offering to the dead...
...something no one would do
without a good reason.
So you had something against him...
That man, that is.
It's none of your business.
My name is Ashiro Ryurei.
See, I publish a cheap little rag
called "The People's Paper."
I also write novels too,
when I feel like it.
I guess you could say that I'm just
a walking hunk of curiosity.
If something catches my attention...
...I'll sniff out the truth,
no matter what.
You sound like you're a stray dog.
Yes... If I find some leftover
meat, then I'm doing well.
It's best if you stop bothering
me from now on.
What makes you say that?
That unwise curiosity of yours
might cost you your life.
Is that a threat?
If you like
You know, people call me
"the man of threats."
People fear me because I use my
newspaper as a weapon...
...basically I'm a dirty blackmailer.
So. when somebody threats me instead...
...that makes me even more curious.
What is it that you want?
Please don't think that I'm trying
to threaten you...
I just want to know what's going on.
Leave me alone.
Shu
Shura
(Netherworlds
Shura Yuki
(Netherworlds Snow
Shura Yuki Hime
(Netherworlds Snow Lady)
By Ashio Ryurei
It was the sixth year of Meiji,
that long ago.
A tragedy befell an innocent family...
gruesome, horrific, and hellish.
They were victims of a blood-chilling
plot.
Time has passed, but who
will exact vengeance?
Time has passed, but what dark
deed remains unavenged?
Whose tears fill the river of revenge?
Whose sould is filled with
turbulent Karma?
Who kills without premeditation,
without any thought for her own safety?
Knowing neither forgiveness
nor compassion...
...she traveled the land, seeking
out her enemies...
...and left their corpses withou
a second glance.
Her name was Shurayuki...
the child of vengeance.
Certainly...
The person who told Ashiro Ryurei
about you... was indeed I!
Why did you have to, sir?!
I just cannot comprehend... why
you did that, Reverend.
Don't you see?
It's bail, to lure out...
...the one villain that remains:
Kitahama Okono.
Matsuemon's men are not
without their limits.
However... should Ryurei's novel
become widely read...
...I'm certain that Okono
will read it.
And, when she does... she will
surely take action.
That will be... the moment when
you can at last destroy her.
Besides, you see...
...I've come to really like...
this Ryurei fellow.
He's using his talents as a writer...
...to express his hostility and malice
towards the political system.
He may be a rogue, but I felt
strongly that he's be...
...the ideal man to write your story,
a tale of the netherworlds.
But, will Kitahama Okono take action...?
Will she reveal herself?
You must wait and see...
You must be patient.
Yuki, you must not rush things.
If you must endure a moment
of peace and tranquility...
...when the winds of carnage do not blow
the snow of the netherworlds...
...your Bhudda will not punish you.
...to Mount Kazusa...
...from Mount Kazusa, looking into
the valley...
...a little child picks up a pebble...
Born to settle and old score.
Born to seek vengeance.
Yet, listening to the children sing,
she could not help but be moved.
As she continued to travel her
lonely path...
...the glimmers of the past became
dimmer and dimmer.
Just tell me, please...
...that this is merely fiction!
That it's all made up, just to
make it interesting reading!
No... I've written nothing
but the truth.
You're not lying...
It's all truth.
Then... Oyuki... killed my dad...
Just who are you?
I'm... Banzo's...
I'm Takemura Banzo's daughter.
This is awful! Just awful!
So now we have... another
girl seeking vengeance.
Born under unlucky stars,
both of you...
...you... and her.
Wait!
Wait, why don't you?!
There's no way... No way can
you understand how I feel!
I do!
I can understand...
Are you... Ashio Ryurei?
Yeah, so what do you want from me?
Because your "Lady Snowblood"
story seems all-too real...
...the people have become confused and
riotous. So, we must question you.
Come with us to headquarters!
You've got to be kidding me...
Silence! Take him!
Quiet!
Hey! We don't got all day!
Who is it?
Who are you?
Takemura Kobue.
Kobue? Takemura?
You must be Banzo's...
Did you come here to see Yuki?
I wouldn't ever want to see her!
Then what brings you here?
Ashio Ryurei got arrested
by some cops.
I didn't know that there was a
police station there, though...
...inside a restaurant called
"Kagetsu", that is...
Wait! Wait a second! Wait, I said!
Take that!
You bastard! You fuckin' retard!
Get up!
Scum!
There!
C'mon! Out with it!
Where's Shurayuki?!
I spent a cosiderable amount of time
reading the story in your paper.
Clearly, it's based on a real event.
There's no way someone who didn't
know Shurayuki could've written it.
Kitahama Okono... So you've revealed
yourself, just as I expected.
So, the money you pocketed from that
ruthless murder twenty years ago...
...paid for this shady little hideout
of yours, eh?
That sure is nice to know.
Silence!
Tell me! Where's Shurayuki?!
Tell me!
Tell me! Tell me!
I don't know! I'm not
in touch with her!
You stubborn fool!
Don't hold back! Go ahead
and beat this scumbag!
Dumb ass!
Suffer! Suffer a lot more!
Suffer!
There!
That should be enough. Let's
hold off for the time being.
But...
He's no good to us if he's dead.
We'll use him as bait.
Bait?
Yes. Shurayuki will, without a
doubt, soon show up.
She's here!
So you've come, Shurayuki!
I've been waiting for you.
Kitahama Okono... as last...
at last we meet!
That's right! I deliberately acted
just as you hoped I would.
Thunder-Sand Bomb!
What?! Thunder-Sand?!
Hold your breath!
Hold your breath!
Be careful!
Shurayuki!
Oyuki...
Okono...
Has she escaped?!
It's all done now,
Yuki...
...your vengeance... everything.
Is it really over? Is it supposed
to feel like this?
It is over...
It's all done now.
Just forget it all.
Can the netherworld's snow, soaked in
bloody carnage, regain it's purity...?
You were born inside a jail,
a child of vengeance...
How can you live like a normal
human being, Yuki?
I do remember...
...from the moment I was born...
I remember everything I saw...
I can still picture it before
my eyes...
That's why...
...my mother's vengeance is my own.
This revenge... is mine.
"Chapter Four:"
Just as I thought... you
are alive after all.
I was hoping that I was only
imagining things...
Why... did you fake your deah?
Who are you talking about?
If you're talking about a wretch named
Tsukamoto Gishiro, he's dead.
He died when his ship foundered
three years ago...
That's not true! Gishiro is alive!
He's right here!
Right in front of my eyes!
The boat that you were on...
yes, it did sink...
But... as the police were after
you for opium smuggling...
...the shipwreck provided you with
a wonderful opportunity...
...to fake your own death!
You survived... and continue to
engage in shady dealings.
You haven't changed...
You haven't changed at all since
you ran away ten years ago.
Why did you come here?
To make you forget about things...
...about Tsukamoto Gishiro...
and the man you saw...
You must forget them all.
Your Shurayukihime story is at an end.
With Kitahama Okono's death,
it's all over.
There's no more to write about.
Are you threatening me?
It's so like you.
No. Just giving advice.
Let me tell you something...
These days I'm mostly involved
in the weapons trade.
Even the government can't buy
weapons without my involvement.
I believe that Japan will soon
be at war.
Japan is streangthening its military forces
and preparing them for the conflict...
...and I'm lending them a hand,
helping to expand the Empire.
I don't have time for some silly,
twenty-year old tale vengeance.
The place where I conduct most of
my business is the Rokumeikan.
It's supposed to be the place where
we negotiate with foreign powers...
...and debate the use of Western
ideas to modernize our society.
But, what really goes on there are...
...nightly parties for the
elite members of our society...
...who indulge themselves in self-
gratification and hedonism.
Despite this, society is changing.
And I will float with the tide...
...all the time harvesting more
money and power!
It's fine to be concerned with justice
and conscience, or upholding principles...
...yet, in the end, it's all nothing more than
empty words, at least in this filthy hole.
Forget newspapers and all that,
why don't you?
If you feel like it, you can
come work for me.
I cut my ties to you all those
many years ago.
Oh, well. But, let me say this...
Don't continue to stick your nose
in where it isn't welcome. Stay out!
That's my final... advice, from
the bottom of my heart.
Ryu...
Gishiro is alive...
What?
He was just here, before you came.
Then... that man in the rickshaw...
Wait! Please wait!
He won't get away... I'll
finish him, I swear it!
And, listen, there's one more thing...
...there's one more thing
I have to tell you.
Gishiro is...
...Tsukamoto Gishiro is...
...my father.
When I found out that one of the scum you
were looking after was my own father...
...what kept me going was the fact
that I thought he was dead.
If it weren't for that, I couldn't have
written your story of carnage.
But... when Kitahama Okono was killed...
...at the moment, I realized
who had actually killed her.
That's why I couldn't tell you...
There was no way that I could've
told you.
I won't be writing "Shurayukihime"
anymore.
There's no way that I can write it
anymore.
But...
Chapter Four: The House
of Joy, The Final Hell.
"Charity Masquerade"
May I have this dance?
Oh!
Oh! Oh, yes!
Yuki!
Wait!
"Stay out! That's my final... advice,
form the bottom of my heart."
Damn it!
This is so typical of him...
It doesn't matter if someone dies...
as long as his hands remain clean.
No matter what happens, he'll
have his way.
Ryu!
tsukamoto Gishiro...
I'll kill you!
For twenty years... all these twenty
years... It's all I've thought about...
It's all that mattered.
That's about to end now.
Yes. That's about to end now.
Oyuki! Don't worry about me...
Do it! Do it!
Yuki! Hurry!
Hurry!
Yuki!
An eye for an eye!
Begrieving snow falls...
in the dead morning...
Stray dog's hownls... and the footsteps
of Geta pierce the air...
I walk with the weight of the Milky
Way on my shoulders...
...but an umbrella that holds onto
the darkness is all there is.
I'm a woman who walks at the
brink of life and death...
...who's emptied my tears
many moons ago...
THE END