A Drunk Ronin and His Talking Blade Side Story3

On a rainy day in Nagasaki, Tasuke and Kōgyū return to Kōgyū’s residence after finishing their errands. While Tasuke drinks freely with his talking sword, Kanikichi, the sound of rain reminds Kōgyū of the day they first met. Years earlier, Kōgyū had been cornered by three thugs on his way back from Dejima. Just as the situation turned dangerous, a shabby ronin appeared behind them—Tasuke. Armed with nothing but a broken umbrella, Tasuke casually drove the men away. When Kōgyū asked why he had helped him, Tasuke simply replied that Kōgyū’s eyes “weren’t dead,” and that was reason enough. That rainy day became the beginning of their unlikely friendship.Back in the present, the rain over Nagasaki continues to fall, just as it did on the day they first met.