Episode 37

## Rushin' Outta Russia

**Rushin' Outta Russia** (あばよロシア, *Abayo Roshia*) is the thirty-seventh episode of the Golden Kamuy anime series and the first episode of Season 4.

## Synopsis

As Sugimoto and the members of the 7th Division head back into Japanese territory, they're attacked by a sniper.

Meanwhile, Kadokura and Kirawus start searching for Hijikata who has gone missing.

## Plot

After crossing the national border, Sugimoto and his group arrive in Shisuka. After everyone resupplies, they're ready to take off but Asirpa realizes Sugimoto is missing. Shiraishi looks around for Sugimoto but suddenly a bullet pierces his leg. Shiraishi falls down wounded and everyone else takes cover. The group realizes there must be a sniper who is trying to lure others to Shiraishi. Tsukishima assumes the sniper must be Hyakunosuke Ogata.

Sugimoto, who earlier went off to buy some miso, rushes to the sniper's location. Tsukishima notices him and alerts Koito of it. However, Koito questions how Ogata missed Sugimoto and didn't shoot him. Asirpa asks Tanigaki to move the sledge so they can get closer to Shiraishi and help him, but Tanigaki refuses, saying that it's too dangerous because Ogata's target is Asirpa. Shiraishi attempts to escape on his own, first calling out to the dogs (which Enonoka and her grandfather stop from going to him), then by attracting birds with bublik crumbs, but nothing works.

The sniper watches Shiraishi in his binocular and recognizes him as one of the men he saw at the Russian border. The sniper is revealed to be Vasily who survived after his shootout with Ogata and now is chasing after him to continue their duel. Sugimoto locates the sniper and breaks into the room Vasily is residing. After a short fight, Sugimoto overpowers Vasily and is ready to strike but notices a drawing with Ogata's portrait peeking out of Vasily's coat. Sugimoto observes a variety of Ogata's portraits that Vasily has drawn. He asks if he is friends with Ogata but Vasily is unable to answer. Instead he takes another drawing with his own portrait and attempts to explain Sugimoto what happened by gesturing. He then shows the portraits of Asirpa, Shiraishi, and Kiroranke, but Sugimoto tells him that Asirpa and Shiraishi have nothing to do with Ogata. Sugimoto explains how Ogata shot him before and ran away and tries to illustrate it.

The group realizes the sniper is no longer shooting, meaning Sugimoto must have reached him. Asirpa runs to find Sugimoto and walks on Sugimoto talking to Vasily. She overhears him explaining how Asirpa shot Ogata in the eye and how he doesn't want her to bear the burden of killing Ogata.

After Tanigaki, Tsukishima, and Koito arrive in the room, Asirpa explains that Vasily was one of the Russian soldiers that ambushed Kiroranke and their group at the border. Tsukishima picks up the portraits and explains to Vasily in Russian that Kiroranke is dead and Ogata ran away; he also notes that they have no connection to the assassinations of the Emperor.

Shiraishi demands an apology from Vasily and is annoyed that the man is silent. Vasily opens his mouth cover, and Sugimoto comments that Vasily is unable to talk now because of his injuries. The group gets on the dog sledges and leaves Shisuka, but Vasily continues to follow them. Asirpa thinks he is following them in hopes to see Ogata again and have their sniper rematch. Asirpa wonders if Ogata comes back for her, and Sugimoto says that he might if she is the key to the gold. Asirpa is confused about Ogata's goals since he tried to kill her, and Sugimoto suggests he might be just trying to mess with their plans. While they travel further, the group visits the lighthouse keepers couple and Tsukishima passes them a letter from Svetlana. Sugimoto and Asirpa discuss their next step; they decide that only Sofia will tell them the full truth.

In a village near Lake Akan, Hijikata's Group resides in an inn. Nagakura is concerned about Hijikata and Ushiyama who disappeared two days ago. Kadokura and Kirawus agree to go search for them. Kirawus suggests they might have gone after the prisoner who was said to be hiding near Lake Akan. Kadokura reveals that he knows said prisoner, whose name is Waichirou Sekiya. He was a former vet who poisoned and killed 30 men. Kadokura recalls witnessing Sekiya poisoning another inmate just to test his luck.

Kirawus and Kadokura go to the frozen lake and ask fishermen about Hijikata and Ushiyama. Kadokura notices an eccentric young boy gliding on the ice. The boy asks Kadokura what he thinks about his skating and tells him about figure skating he saw before. Kadokura questions the boy whether he saw Hijikata and Ushiyama before, and the boy says that "he" was standing right here just yesterday. Hearing that, Kadokura looks down and notices a strange object that turns out to be a silk cocoon. After carefully thinking of the evidence he has, Kadokura announces the case to be unsolvable. Meanwhile, Kirawus is approached by an unknown man who offers him pond smelt. The man, who is actually Sekiya, has poisoned one of the fishes he gave to Kirawus. However, Kadokura slips on the ice and falls, dropping all the fish which quickly slides in the water. Kadokura blames his bad luck and says that he was born under a bad star.

A day ago, Hijikata faced Sekiya on this very lake. Sekiya offered him silk cocoons, where half of them contained different poisons and the other half were safe. Sekiya demanded Hijikata take one cocoon and then he would release Ushiyama, who he had poisoned and buried in a coffin. After considering his options and chances, Hijikata took the cocoon, which turned out to be poisoned. Sekiya noticed that he took two cocoons with so much poison that was enough to be lethal, yet Hijikata was still alive. Sekiya hid Hijikata's body and decided to wait for his comrades with tattooed skins to come searching for him.
## Adapted Chapters

* Chapter 171
* Chapter 172
* Chapter 201
* Chapter 202
* Chapter 203

## Character Appearances

* Asirpa
* Saichi Sugimoto
* Yoshitake Shiraishi
* Otonoshin Koito
* Hajime Tsukishima
* Genjirou Tanigaki
* Cikapasi
* Enonoka
* Yooyanke
* Ryu
* Vasily Pavlichenko
* Tokushirou Tsurumi *(Cameo)* *(Mentioned)*
* Hyakunosuke Ogata *(Cameo)* *(Mentioned)*
* Svetlana *(Cameo)*
* Shinpachi Nagakura
* Toshiyuki Kadokura
* Kirawus
* Toshizou Hijikata
* Waichirou Sekiya *(Debut)*
* Kiichirou Wakayama *(Flashback)*
* Tatsuuma Ushiyama *(Cameo)*
* Chiyotarou *(Debut)*
* Huci *(Mentioned)*
* Tokushirou Tsurumi *(Mentioned)*
* Sofia Golden Hand *(Mentioned)*
* Kiroranke *(from previous Episode)*
* Wilk *(Mentioned)* *(from previous Episode)*