Chapter 24: The Empire

Colonel Song forces the village to accept the Emperor’s order to burn all bodies, quelling protests by invoking imperial will. With Takeru absent, Kazu and noble volunteers struggle to keep order while the dojo becomes crowded communal quarters for displaced women and children.

That evening, women gather around Misaki and Setsuko, voicing grief and fury over the burning and the enforced silence. Misaki warns that open defiance risks disappearances, while Setsuko demands civility and defends Misaki’s efforts. Misaki honors the fallen, recounting Mamoru’s resolve to fight for Takayubi regardless of imperial recognition, and reframes duty as preserving the village.

As despair turns to determination, Setsuko reassures the women they can survive winter through toughness and shared hardship. Hope returns as they accept survival as their act of remembrance.

Later, Misaki and Kazu discuss the Empire’s betrayal. Misaki urges Kazu to return to Ishihama to lead his people despite imperial pressure. She affirms his integrity; Kazu agrees to go and leaves a few men to help Takayubi.

When Takeru remains missing, Misaki finds him meditating high above Kumono Academy, his jiya nearly imperceptible. He offers no apology and walks away. Misaki, enraged by his neglect, shouts after him that his people needed him.