Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage (drama)

Kenkaku Ibunroku - Yomigaerishi Sōkō no Yaiba - Samurai Spirits Shinshō Drama CD (剣客異聞録 甦りし蒼紅の刃 サムライスピリッツ新章 ドラマＣＤ) is a dramatization of the events predating Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage. It was broadcast on Game Dra Night before its Scitron And Arts release on February 19, 2000. Unlike most drama CDs from SNK, the tracks tell one story with an extended three-track prologue.

Prologue
In her thoughts, Mikoto is trying to find an explanation behind her actions. Her dormant good side is remorseful while her devil side is slaying anyone who opposes her. The track then skips back to before these events, where Tohma and her are along the edges of mainland Japan. Their destination is the island of refugees and criminals, Ritenkyo. While he revels the thought of arriving in a land finally fit for him, she expresses her concerns for Tohma's standing with his family. He confirms to her that he is an avenger who only lives to kill, thus having no need for kin.

They arrive at a shady boat shop where the owner refuses to hand out a boat for free, as he fears punishment from the government. Tohma responds by showing his sword, Kohoh, as possible payment. As the shop keep marvels at the sword's crimson tinge, the swordsmen slays him and goes to secure a boat for them. Mikoto, shocked by his brutality, asks why he did this, which he takes as a sign of disloyalty. She dispels this by affirming her oath to follow Tohma and promises to do his biding. When the boat keeper's gang rushes to avenge him, Mikoto, due to Tohma's order and his dissatisfaction with her reluctance, meets and slaughters them. As she does so, she slips into her other persona.

Rimururu, in a magical prison, senses some evil energies and wonders when she can be freed. She cannot hear, see, or touch anything yet Nakoruru is able to converse with her. Her elder sister tells her that a dark power prevents her from saving Rimururu. However, Nakoruru pleads her sister to withstand her state a little while longer so she can find the means of releasing her. Her sister agrees and they lose contact once more. Alone and remorseful, Nakoruru prays to Kamui to send her someone with a strong samurai spirit.

The scene shifts to two women, one that sings a lullaby and the other who is looking outside. The latter points out an auspicious group of clouds and wonders if a storm is brewing. Underneath the cloud gathering, fighting and shouting can be heard. Watching from a distance, Saya cannot fathom the joy in the bloodsport. The man behind her agrees and begins to fondle her. She moves away from him and, after readjusting her clothes, playfully says that she needs information for a job. At first, he thinks she's joking until Saya draws one of her blades to his throat. He struggles to tell her what he knows as that "fearsome woman" will come to slay him. Two bells ring -almost like a wind chime- and the man begins to panic. They ring once more until Mikoto charges into the room and slays him. Saya tells her intruder that it was a waste to kill him and, when asked by her assailant for a fight, cheerfully replies that she's trying to concoct a way out. To Mikoto's distaste, Saya throws explosives towards her and escapes.

Near a crackling fireplace, Jushiro hums the same song heard earlier. He stops once he senses someone at his door and demands the person to identify themselves. Nervously, Rinka announces herself, which relaxes Jushiro's senses. He opens the door to see her, a harsh wind blowing as she asks if Saya has returned. She is worried to hear her still out but Jushiro says that Saya's just doing "things that adults do". Rinka screams with fright when lightening strikes around them, which gets a tease from her older partner. She takes his jokes as insults -suggesting that she is too scared of the storm to look for Saya- and leaves.

On a beach, Haohmaru plans to go where he thinks his niece could have gone. He can only think of Ritenkyo but wonders how he can slip past the government's eye. In a room on a boat, a man calls for Seishiro and is displeased to see him napping. Seishiro asks if they have reached Ritenkyo but his attendant states that they're still preparing to sail. Although his follower states otherwise, Seishiro, wanting to find his younger brother, is actually looking forward to landing on the island. They hear a thump coming from another quarter of the ship and Seishiro rises to investigate.

When he arrives to the spot, the stowaway is Haohmaru. Although he warns him of their destination, the old man is confident that he can handle it. Seishiro draws his sword, states that he wants to end their encounter peacefully, and asks his reasons for sneaking on board. Haohmaru replies that he's simply looking for a troublesome yet good-mannered girl and asks Seishiro to aid his search, giving Mikoto's name in the process. The government samurai recognizes her name as one of the members in the "League of the Three Blades of Domination", whom rebel against Japan with Ritenkyo as its base. Haohmaru begins to deny that she would do that but the damage has been done and Seishiro's suspicions are perked. They begin their duel and the veteran complements the younger fighter's abilities. However, their fight has alarmed the other passengers, so Haohmaru flees from the ship. Seishiro, knowing of Haohmaru's skill and legendary status, is impressed with being able to encounter such a strong opponent.

The Wind's Lamentation
After Nakoruru summarizes the story's setting and her sister's captivity on Ritenkyo, Mikoto is inside a room struggling with her darker half. She pleads for it to leave her but it says that it's a part of her. It mocks her weaknesses and dependence on it, taunting that she will be too frail to fight without it. It beckons her to accept her darker half as her mother did so that she will obtain real strength. Mikoto, frightened and broken, cries once it stops tormenting her and begs for Tohma to save her.

Saya appears in Jushiro's home and teases him for slacking off. Jushiro, who was napping, informs her of Rinka's concern and humorously calls her "the child's mother". They continue to swap friendly jeers with one another until he asks about her nightly espionage activities. While she tries to feign ignorance, he lightly chides her for risking her life with other men. Playing along with him, she offers to sleep with him, to which he refuses. They spot Rinka and Saya apologizes for making her worry. Rinka, stubbornly refusing to admit that she was doing anything of the sort, prepares to stamp out. Jushiro stops her for a moment and tosses her something for her "rat". After Rinka corrects him about Testunosuke being a hamster, Saya muses that he could be a great father figure. Once she hears this, Rinka throws Jushiro's gift at his face, saying she doesn't need it.

Haohmaru, gathering himself from the ocean, arrives on the shores of Ritenkyo. He begrudgingly curses a wound he received, knowing that it would mean nothing to him when he was younger. He ponders how to find his niece before Seishiro when a tiny voice frets over his battered state. The swordsman demands the intruder to reveal itself and it begs him to look down at his feet. Once he does, he is startled to see a miniature Nakoruru. She explains that twenty years ago, in order to repair the damage done to nature, she became a spirit by offering her soul to Kamui. Haohmaru initially thinks that it was due to duty but she attests that it was also her own desire. He asks how Rimururu took her decision and she explains her sister's current predicament: she was sealed on this island by someone twenty years ago and Nakoruru has been trying to save her. Before she can finish her request, Haohmaru agrees to rescue the other Maiden of Light since he figures that her problem is related to his goal. He gets up again and Nakoruru tries to stop him, begging him to let her patch his wounds. He denies her, knowing that she can't distance herself too far from the forest, and says that she'll only be in the way before departing.

The scene shifts to "Devil" Mikoto slaying her adversaries on the streets. She declares that the "League of the Three Blades of Domination" now own the island and no one has the power to overthrow them. After downing another opponent, she states that she is looking for a suspicious woman. If the women is not handed to her soon, she threatens to burn the entire village.

The Lawless Capital
Seishiro's boat arrives on Ritenkyo. His assistant implores the samurai to ask for reinforcements but he only asks which path he should take. Once he sees the man hesitating to accept his query, Seishiro informs him that, even if they have the advantage of numbers, inexperienced men will have no chance against the ferocity of Ritenkyo's residents. Reluctantly, his assistant tells him a rumor of a beautiful demon-like women who is said to be found in the island's forest area.

Resting by a campfire, Haohmaru mumbles Mikoto's mother's last words, which wished for Mikoto's happiness. He bitterly remembers the last time he was with his niece, where she was convinced that everyone hated her. He yells that she is loved but she continues to dwell in her sadness due to the "advice" given by her personal friend. Whenever she is melancholy, she hears a voice offering to grant her power. He tells her to ignore it or she'll end up like her mother. "Devil" Mikoto slips out and tells him that it is eternal. Haohmaru threatens to end it for good yet it taunts that he'll only harm Mikoto's body and laughs at him. A spark stops him from thinking about it any longer and he senses someone coming towards him. He readies himself and fends off a charging Rinka. They fight for four bouts until he notices his opponent is a "kid". Angered by his comment, she kicks him and he counters by disarming her. Her kick, however, opened the wound he was suffering from and he collapses.

Sometime later, Haohmaru awakes in Jushiro's home, his wound properly attended. His host introduces himself and, after asserting Haohmaru's condition, hands his guest a bowl of food. Jushiro explains that he dragged Haohmaru there and Saya patched him up (and apparently took a liking to him). When Haohmaru begins to say his name, Jushiro stops him and says that, based on reports from his old job at the shogunate, he doesn't want to hear it. He states that he will only allow shelter for the swordsman until his wounds are healed. Saya and Rinka enter and Jushiro whispers hushed introductions for them. As her co-worker predicted, Saya sits next to Haohmaru and provokingly flirts with him. Jushiro warns her to stop since Rinka is watching with a "scary expression".

At the forest, Seishiro encounters Mikoto. She warns him that no one is allowed to pass further into the island's holy ground and asks him to identify himself. He gives his name and position then asks her to lead him to the island's castle, Tengen-jyo, as he wishes to see Tohma. Hearing her lord's name, she asks what business Seishiro has with him. He utters that he will kill him, which Mikoto won't allow. In response, he draws his sword and she, after remembering what Tohma had told her, recognizes her opponent as Tohma's brother. She requests that he leave Ritenkyo and attacks when he refuses. After two strikes, she falters since Seishiro seems much stronger than her. Her doubts unleashes her devil half and the fight continues with "Devil" Mikoto beating Seishiro towards a cliff. He jumps off the cliff and slides down its surface. When she leaves, he assess Mikoto's strength as too dangerous to be kept alive, apologizing to Haohmaru for failing to see a way to save her.

Later in the day, Haohmaru awakens from his nap and looks for his sword. Rinka hands it to him and informs him of her distrust of samurai. He counters this statement by pointing out her care for him, which she disclaims as Saya's treatments. She questions his laughter and replies that she reminds him of someone from twenty years. The listener is given a brief montage of Rimururu scorning and crying at Haohmaru. Feeling nostalgic, he tells Rinka to be happy for the people she likes and presently goes back to sleep. She quietly murmurs that she doesn't know the meaning of happiness.

Mikoto returns to Tohma's side and reports her run in with Seishiro. Seeing as how Mikoto didn't personally finish him off, Tohma speculates that his brother could have followed her. She apologizes for her failure and offers to try again. He doesn't care as he wants to have the honor of defeating Seishiro for himself. He changes the subject by enlightening her about the "Atom Rebels". Although they share the same goals, he sees them as a threat due to Saya's interrogations with a government official, meaning that there could be a slight chance they could contact Seishiro. He orders Saya to be captured and the elimination of her current residence, Akatsuki Village.

Clash
With "Devil" Mikoto in command, she orders Oboro's troops to destroy everything in their search for Saya. She belittles her good half's contradictory morals: she doesn't want to kill but will do so if Tohma orders.

Haohmaru chats with Jushiro while he's tuning his sword. The old man sees his hosts for being more than he lets on, saying that they smell of blood and have a fighter's will. Presenting this to his host, he wants to know what the League of the Three Blades of Domination and Jushiro's party are doing at Ritenkyo. Nonchalantly, Jushiro asks the same and Haohmaru tells him that he's looking for a girl named Mikoto. Jushiro expresses his sympathies until the town's alarm rings. Rinka runs in and reports that Mikoto of the Razor Trio is attacking their home. Jushiro demands to know where Saya went and Rinka answers that she left for town. He stands to save her and Haohmaru, in spite of his injuries, wants to go as well. Haohmaru reluctantly pronounces his goal at Ritenkyo: he will try to get Mikoto to come back home; if he can't, he'll kill her. Rinka insists on coming along as well but Jushiro forbids it, telling her to go wait for them to return since neither him or Saya will die easily. Both men run off.

Fire spreads across the town, people are massacred, and Mikoto has found Saya. She proceeds to brutally beat the ninja for trying to bargain with the government, a claim that Saya rejects. Before she lops off the woman's arm, Jushiro shoots Mikoto's weapon. Mikoto is stunned to see Haohmaru there and Jushiro uses this chance to carry Saya. More concerned about tending to her survival, he gives Haohmaru a few parting words before speeding off, shooting a few of Oboro's amazons along the way.

At Tengen-jyo, Seishiro examines the place and searches for Tohma. He finds his brother in the middle of training and greets him as "brother". Tohma is amused that he can still be called as such. Seishiro asks why Tohma killed their father and his brother only states that he wants to test his power with his father's blades. As a samurai, Seishiro draws his blade and declares his will to kill Tohma. They clash several bouts until Tohma knocks his brother off his feet. After a few boastful words, their duel continues.

Back at the village, Haohmaru is fighting off "Devil" Mikoto. It notices that he is not fighting to his full potential and takes a moment to guffaw. Talking to Mikoto, he knows that she has found a lover and laments how he failed to slay the entity when he had the chance. After several blows, Mikoto stabs him but he is successful in casting her weapon aside. He threatens to kill Mikoto to rid of the evil half yet it tells him that his efforts are futile since it is one with Mikoto's soul. It painfully wails when Mikoto regains control and tells her uncle to run in a strained voice. She warns him that the "thing inside her" has more power and that she might kill him if it comes out again. She says that she belongs here for Tohma's sake. However, her uncle reasons that Shiki didn't spare her child to live in a life of bloodshed. "Devil" Mikoto takes over and attempts to kill Haohmaru. They're interrupted when an explosion erupts at Tengen-jyo. She runs to it and he follows her.

The next morning, Saya turns and moans at her wounded self. Rinka cheerfully greets her and Saya whines for her to enter quietly. Jushiro announces himself the same way as Rinka giving Saya more grief. Finishing her wailing fit, she asks what happened to Tengen-jyo and Jushiro doesn't know since it's surrounded by swarms of amazons. It also means that the Razor Trio are still alive as well. Rinka inquires about Haohmaru but, even if he heard nothing about him, he assures that the old man is pretty resilient. The drama ends with Jushiro commenting on how sad Haohmaru must be.

Cast

 * Seishiro Kuki - Naoki Oikawa
 * Tohma Kuki - Tetsuya Sakai
 * Mikoto - Yumi Kakazu
 * Jushiro Sakaki - Kunihiko Yasui
 * Saya - Kyōko Hikami
 * Rinka Yoshino - Yōko Asada
 * Haohmaru - Daiki Nakamura
 * Nakoruru - Harumi Ikoma
 * Narration, Rimururu - Keiko Kamitani
 * Man - Tetsuji Morita
 * Government official - Kazunori Sekine