Episode 08

The Obsidian Goddess (の) is the eighth episode of the Orient anime series.

Synopsis
Shiro offers to help Musashi overcome his difficulties with Kitetsu Blades and get stronger, but can he be trusted?

Summary
Shiro starts crying and says he is happy to finally meet the one who is in Musashi, due to who he has those black stones. Shiro guesses that Musashi wishes to become stronger and join his friends. Shiro tells him there is a way to use the Kitetsu Blades and he just needs to accept the black stones. He explains that during the trial a haze came over and he blacked out, but he just needs to surrender himself to the feeling. Musashi wonders how strong he can get. To demonstrate, Shiro takes out his sword and cuts a large square on the ground and then cuts it to pieces, creating a large square pit in the ground. Musashi wonders if he used Kitetsu Blade for that. Shiro then throws him a Kitetsu Blade and tells him to surrender to it and he could become the ultimate Kitetsu Blade. Realizing that Shiro wishes for Musashi to become a sword, he declines and states he wish to fight with his friends. Thinking about it, Shiro then suggests to turn his friends into swords too, so that Musashi isn't lonely and then pushes Musashi into the pit, alongside a Kitetsu Blade.

Kojiro and Tsugumi, along the rest of the Bushi, are heading towards the Kishin. Tsugumi wonders if it was good idea to leave Musashi alone, but Kojiro explains there was nothing they could do for him. Instead of making things harder for him by telling him that he one day will be able to use a Kitetsu Blade, Kojiro decided to go ahead and figure the weakness of the Kishin for when Musashi joins them. Tsugumi wonders if who Musashi really is. As its really rare to have those black stones, Musashi may be someone special who inherited special power and wonders if he is from special family. Kojiro then explains that Musashi's family were farmers, just like most people in Tatsuyama. Hearing that Tsugumi gets disappointed. Kojiro explains that he was the only child of a Bushi, and due to being a Bushi, everyone was avoiding him, but not Musashi. He was interested in the swordsmanship and they became good friends. Kojiro believes that Musashi wasn't treated badly by the villagers as his parents were nice and didn't care what people think. Tsugumi then can't figure out why the Kitetsu Blades scorn him as he is ordinary person.

Nanao returns to Shiro, bringing dinner. She wonders what happened to Musashi, and Shiro states he threw him in the pit. Shiro wonders why Nanao looks sad and she explains that Musashi was kind to her and she hoped to talk with him again. Nanao guesses that Shiro lied to Musashi to get close to him, telling him he is the same as him and Shiro confirms, stating he will never lie to her. Nanao wonders if he found his goddess and Shiro confirms the Obsidian Goddess he was looking for is inside Musashi. She wonders why he just don't go and take her, but Shiro states he is also after some black stone. Nanao then realizes that Shiro intends to use Musashi as material for a sword.

Musashi has been falling for a while. He then notices the falling sword and grabs it and uses it to stop himself from falling, but black stones start to appear on him. As hot magma awaits him at the bottom, he has the choice of letting go of the sword and being burned alive or let go of his consciousness and turn into black stone. Musashi starts using the stones as climbing too to climb out, but the Goddess inside of him, states she cannot allow that and that they need to hide for now. More stones then grow out of Musashi and he ends up falling in the burning magma.

Musashi awakens in a strange world, where the Goddess tells him he should stay with her here forever. Musashi refuses, wanting to go help his friends even if he can't fight. The Goddess then grabs him, telling him that they don't need him and to remember. Musashi then remember the death of his parents from an epidemic. As he became alone, no one wanted him, but he ended up being accepted to a family, only if he doesn't do anything, don't talk to them in public and avoid the Bushi. One day Musashi sees his new father that he forgot his lunch and brings it to him, making everyone realize that he took the faithless parent's child, causing them social trouble. Musashi starts living as a ghost with no one talking to him. He feels like he is dead and wishes someone to notice him. One day, his family gives him a rock and tells him to throw it at Jisai, which will make everyone think better of him and prove that he is not like his parents. As everyone was telling him to do it, Musashi eventually gave in and threw the rock, saying that the remaining Bushi should just die. The Goddess tells Musashi that he is willing to do anything to feel wanted, and being a Bushi is just an excuse to be with his friend. Being a Bushi and wielding a katana are simply a means to an end, like the rock he threw, so there is no way someone like him can use a Kitetsu Blade. The Goddess apologize for reminding him of his past, but that was the way to break his will to fight and avoid being captured. As Musashi turns to stone, she hugs him, saying they should stay there forever. Meanwhile, Kojiro, Tsugumi and the rest of the Bushi, reach the Kishin.

Trivia

 * The chibi extra at the end of the episode adapts the Bonus Chapter from Vol. 06, Shiro and Nanao's Kitetsu Sword Hunting Log.