Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

In 1635, Hanshiro Tsugumo's clan had fallen from grace, and he sought permission to perform the ultimate act of self-discipline, seppuku, in the courtyard of Lord Ii's castle. However, before granting this request, Senior Retainer Kageyu Saitō regaled Hanshiro with the tale of Motome Chijiiwa, a fellow samurai who had visited the castle a year prior, also seeking permission to end his life. Suspecting that Motome was bluffing in order to secure financial compensation, Lord Ii's retainers hastened the ritual, with Hikokurō Omodaka serving as Hanshiro's second. But Motome, beset by personal demons and pleading for one final day to tend to his ailing wife and child, proved unable to fulfill his duty, instead breaking his bamboo sword within his own stomach. Omodaka pressed him to continue, but it was Saitō who ultimately put an end to Motome's suffering by severing his head.

Moved by the tragic tale, Hanshiro persisted in his request for seppuku, seeking Omodaka as his second, only to find that he was unavailable. Subsequent requests to Matsuzaki and Kawabe were also met with failure, leading Hanshiro to reveal a dark secret from Motome's past: in 1617, Motome's father, Jinnai Chijiiwa, had performed unauthorized maintenance on the castle, earning his banishment, which ultimately led to the tragic demise of Motome himself. This revelation served as a catalyst for Hanshiro's actions, as he recalled how Motome's wife, Miho, had taken her own life with the same broken bamboo sword after being returned to her alongside the 3 ryo she had sought to save her infant son.

As Hanshiro brought the 3 ryo back to Saitō, his disgust at the senseless suffering of those around him boiled over, driving him to seek retribution against Omodaka, Matsuzaki, and Kawabe for their inaction. Armed with a bamboo sword, Hanshiro battled multiple opponents, showcasing his martial prowess before ultimately accepting his own mortality. In a poignant moment, he challenged the very notion that a warrior's honor was merely a facade, knocking down the castle's decorative suit of armor as a symbol of his disillusionment.

In the aftermath, Omodaka, Matsuzaki, and Kawabe took their own lives in shame, while Lord Ii returned to find the suit of armor reassembled, its once-polished surface now dulled by the weight of their collective guilt.