Beyond the Clash of Arms (剣戟の彼方 Kengeki no Kanata), also translated as On Opposite Ends of the Sword-Fought Battle, is the twelfth episode of the anime Hakuōki: Shinsengumi Kitan (Demon of the Fleeting Blossom: The Tale of the Shinsengumi). It aired on June 20, 2010.
Plot
January 1868
A large conflict between the Bakufu army and the SatChō alliance, that will later be called The Battle of Toba–Fushimi, has begun. There are 15 000 former Bakufu army soldiers versus 5 000 SatChō soldiers. Despite the Bakufu outnumbering the SatChō, the latter are armed with modern weaponry (guns instead of swords), therefore the Bakufu loses.
Shinpachi apologizes to his men since they are following him straight to hell now due to his recklessness. Shimada disarees by saying that it is past time to talk this way now, and such modest words are unbefitting a captain. Sano covers Shinpachi when most of his men are dead but then loses sight of him and gets incredibly worried.
Inoue reassures Chizuru that everything will be okay
Back at the headquarters, Chizuru is treating wounded soldiers asking them to stay conscious, and Inoue, noticing her concern about everyone who is out fighting, reassures her with a smile that they are true warriors who volunteered to do very hard jobs helping each other. He tells her to believe in them, and she agrees.
Hijikata admits that the era of swords is gone
At some point, all the Shinsengumi captains come back except for Shinpachi and Shimada, and the others prepare to accept the loss. After Kondou's wound, Hijikata decided to take command and attack the enemy's headquarters at Gokounomiya Shrine, but the mission failed as Saitou reports that they could not go through the line of fire. Others also add that even from great distances one of every two shots hits the target, and the SatChō forces purposely put their weapons on higher locations to target large groups of samurai.
Shinpachi and Shimada appear at the last moment and everyone is relieved. Shinpachi jokes about still having his feet (referring to the belief that ghosts do not have feet, therefore he is not a ghost). However, most of his men have died. Everyone hears a cannon very close by, and Hijikata is forced to admit that the era of swords is gone. He orders to retreat but not admit the defeat and just relocate using the Rasetsu forces to distract attention. He also needs someone to travel to Yodo Castle[Historical note 1] and ask for support, which Chizuru volunteers to do, and Inoue decides to go with her.
Inoue protects Chizuru from gunshots at Yodo Castle
While running to Yodo Castle, Chizuru asks if they are going to send reinforcements. Inoue responds that he and Chizuru have to persuade them for Hijikata's sake. When they reach the castle, they see closed gates, and when Inoue speaks up, a soldier shows up in a window and starts shooting. Chizuru panics but Inoue quickly understands that the Yodo Domain has switched sides, so he grabs Chizuru's hand and they run away.
Inoue gets killed
Running back into the forest, they face three samurai of the Bakufu army who have apparently also switched sides and started shooting. Inoue protects Chizuru and takes all the gunfire. Then he tells Chizuru to run away and asks her to tell Hijikata the following:
I apologize my strength was not enough. I want you to forgive me for not being there for you until the end. I cannot express how grateful I am for showing me my final dream.—Inoue Genzaburou, a few seconds before his death
Kazama saves Chizuru
Chizuru screams in tears, and Inoue attempts to attack the samurai but loses and dies. The traitors move on to attack Chizuru as she is furious and heartbroken wishing to avenge Inoue, but Kazama appears out of nowhere and kills them all in a few seconds. Chizuru is not sure whether to attack him or not but he tells her not to as he is only there to check what the Yodo Domain is up to. He officially confirms to her that this clan has betrayed the Bakufu. Chizuru puts her sword away and falls on her knees beside Inoue's dead body. Kazama watches her and reveals to her that all Kyoto's domains were handed a secret letter from the imperial court which said:
The SatChō army flies brocade flags.[Historical note 2] They are your allies.
Hijikata claims that the Shinsengumi fight because they have something to protect
Kazama reveals his true form
The demon also adds that the Bakufu are now the insurgents while the SatChō are the loyalists. The SatChō are after power and money, and Kazama calls humans "foolish creatures". Chizuru exclaims that not everyone fights for money, and Kazama understands her implication on Shinsengumi, but he does not see how they are different from him as they also kill those who oppose them. Hijikata appears behind his back and protests that the Shinsengumi fight because they have something to protect. He sees dead Inoue and asks Kazama if he was the one who did it, Chizuru tries to explain but Kazama interrupts her and takes the blame. Hijikata points his sword at him, and Kazama makes a comment that it will be "another pointless death". This triggers Hijikata's rage, and he engages into a fight. Kazama is forced to show his true demon form with silver hair, yellow eyes and 4 horns on his head, which massively increases his strength. He keeps taunting Hijikata who feels the need to even the odds and takes out a vial with Ochimizu. Kazama calls him foolish, but Hijikata lets out his frustration:
From the beginning, we were a bunch of fools. Following a stupid dream is all we have been doing to come this far. We are still just halfway up that steep slope. There is no way I can stumble now, falling all the way back down!—Toshizou Hijikata, the speech before drinking Ochimizu
Hijikata turns into a Rasetsu
After that Hijikata drinks Ochimizu and becomes a Rasetsu. Reacting to Kazama's mocking commentary about Rasetsu being just fakes and not real opponents to actual oni, he claims:
I cannot stand this anymore. Those Bakufu cowards... You demons who are always in the way... Fake, you say? So what? Even up until now, we have been treated like a bunch of fake samurai. However, our convictions shall not bend. Whether fake or whatever, persistence will make it real. So if I, a Rasetsu, can defeat you, I... WE can become real!—Toshizou Hijikata, the speech before attacking Kazama
Hijikata manages to cut Kazama's face with his sword. But when they both decide to go all-in, their fight is stopped by Amagiri and Yamazaki. Amagiri is a demon so he does not seem to sustain any injuries while Yamazaki gets a deep cut on his back. Hugging Hijikata, he scolds him and, smiling, loses consciousness.
Yamazaki saves Hijikata and scolds him for his recklessness
What are you doing, Vice-Commander? You are our head and we are limbs. If the limbs are gone, we can still proceed somehow, but if the head is gone, everything falls down.—Susumu Yamazaki, after having stopped the fight between Hijikata and Kazama
Chizuru, Hijikata and Saitou bury Inoue
Amagiri persuades Kazama to leave, and Kazama admits that both he and Hijikata have barely escaped death. But promises to finish the battle one day. The demons leave, other Shinsengumi members arrive and help carry Yamazaki back to the headquarters. Chizuru, Hijikata and Saitou stay to bury Inoue, and Saitou asks about the other dead samurai on the ground. Hijikata explains that those killed Inoue. When Chizuru is surprised having though that Hijikata actually believed Kazama, he confesses to knowing the truth all along, because when Chizuru was facing Kazama she did not have the sword in her hands which would had been impossible if she had been facing Inoue's murderer. Chizuru retells Inoue's last words and they all pray for him.
The Shinsengumi find out that the shogun has gone to Edo
The Shinsengumi head to Osaka Castle where they reunite with Kondou and Souji. Kondou informs them that the shogun has gone to Edo followed by the Aizu Doman. The Shinsengumi are left with no supplies and no support, the Rasetsu Corps have been defeated with silver bullets, so they also decide to retreat and prepare for battle.
Chizuru mourns Yamazaki
While on the ship, Yamazaki makes sure Chizuru still has the medical notebook that he gave her before. Shortly afterwards, he dies and is buried in the sea. Hijikata states that nobody has died in vain.
Historical note
- ↑ The Yodo Domain (淀藩, Yodo-han) was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. During the 1868 Battle of Toba–Fushimi, the master of Yodo changed his allegiance from the Bakufu to Imperial forces, going as far as closing his gate and refusing protection to the retreating army of the shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu.
- ↑ The brocade flags (錦旗 Kinki), or banners, were the flags used by Imperial court from 1221 to 1869. They were Imperial Standard and in the colors used by Government Army. What Kazama refers to most likely means that the letter claimed that the SatChō were now officially the good guys as opposed to the Bakufu who were now the ones to be banished.