The Sword of Kaigen

Misaki gathers her children as loudspeakers announce the arrival of reinforcements from the Kaigen military. Planes will begin bombing the area shortly, and all survivors are directed to go to a nearby shelter. When Takeru arrives, Misaki asks where Takashi and Mamoru are, but he does not answer. He picks up Setsuko, who is unconscious, and orders everyone to follow him to the shelter.

On the way, they meet Chul-hee. He says that no one from the Yukino family has been found. Misaki wants to go to the Yukino estate to find Hyori and her son, but Takeru forbids it. Furious, Misaki snatches a weapon from Chul-hee’s belt, dodges Takeru’s reach, and runs. She arrives at the Yukino compound and finds the body of Hyori’s son, Ryota. Then she finds a Ranganese soldier raping Hyori. Filled with rage, Misaki leaps on the man and slits his throat. Hyori sobs that she is a ruined woman who could not protect her son or her dignity. She says that she wants to die, butt Misaki commands her to stand up and go to the shelter with her. They find Takeru waiting for them.

As they continue to the shelter, they find another survivor: Atsushi, the boy who Mamoru saved. He cries that his father is injured and lost in the forest. Takeru picks up the boy, and they all run into the shelter, knowing that they do not have time to find Katashi. In the shelter, Hyori asks where her husband is, and Takeru says that Yukino is dead. Hyori screams.

They stay in the shelter all night. The survivors cram together, some dying overnight, others crying and screaming, while outside the military bombs the village. Misaki understands that Mamoru is not coming and must be dead. In a numb stupor, she sits in the shelter, unable to comfort her remaining sons. She looks across to Takeru leaning against a wall and wishes that he would speak. She irrationally feels that “if she could reach out and grab onto him, he might stabilize her” (346), but he is as distant and silent as ever, and she is alone in the dark.

The narrative shifts to Misaki’s past. She brings Robin home to meet her parents and then walks him to a bus stop in the rain. They carry a lantern between them, lit with Robin’s tajaka ability. Misaki’s father has recently betrothed her to Matsuda Takeru. Robin does not understand this antiquated custom and does not see why Misaki cannot refuse. But Misaki has a plan. She previously introduced Robin to her parents as a friend from school, but now, she will return and ask for her father’s permission to return to Carytha and marry Robin. Robin must leave first, and if all goes well, she will follow him in a week.

Robin gets on the bus, and Misaki walks home. She speaks with her father, begging him to break the betrothal and allow her to marry Robin. Her father knows that he cannot force Misaki to do anything, but he orders her to marry Takeru anyway. If she refuses and returns to Carytha, that is her decision, but she will be an outcast from her family. Misaki feels a surge of grief but does not argue. Her father promises that the sacrifice will be worth it when she has children of her own and that Takeru will keep her family safe.

A month later, Misaki marries Takeru. To her surprise, Robin comes to visit. He believes that she must have been coerced into the marriage and offers to help her escape. Misaki is conflicted. Part of her wants to leave with him, but she also knows that she is responsible for her decision to stay. She feels bound by her duties as a daughter and as a wife. She knows that Robin will not simply abandon her, so she must be cruel to make him leave. She tells him that she does not love him and that their relationship was a fun diversion.

Takeru arrives and threatens Robin. Desperately, Misaki tells Robin that he is no match for Takeru and must leave or die. Finally, Robin leaves. Misaki watches him, silently wishing that he would turn around and take her away. That night, she finds her sword left in a bag by the door. She hides it beneath the floorboards and hopes that her father’s promise is true.

The narrative returns to the present. In the morning, the survivors emerge from the shelter to find Takayubi completely destroyed. Many Ranganese soldiers lie dead in the ruins. Though Misaki has seen destruction before in Livingston, it never horrified her then as it does now. The survivors pick through the wreckage and wait for aid.

As the highest-ranked survivor, Takeru takes charge, offering his home as a base of operations and delegating tasks. Misaki leaves to search for Mamoru. Atsushi points her in the right direction, and she eventually finds Mamoru’s body in the snow. Alone, Misaki sobs and apologizes to her son for failing him. Then she gathers her composure. She knows that those who die with unfinished business, especially the young, are at risk of becoming restless spirits who cannot pass over into their afterlife, which is called Laaxara. To prevent this, she must pray and put his spirit at ease. She assures him that because he saved Katashi and Atsushi, he fulfilled his duty to his family and should have no regrets.

However, she does feel regret, which is also dangerous. She fears that her own bitterness will doom Mamoru’s spirit unless she can find some way to make peace with herself. For his sake, she promises to try. In the snow, she holds her son for the last time and tells him that he has done enough.

Misaki tells Setsuko that Takashi is dead, and she reacts with surprising calm, proud that he died a hero. Misaki also tries to explain to her younger sons that Mamoru is dead. Nagasa and Izumo are too young to understand, but Hiroshi does. Misaki is again unnerved by the 5-year-old boy’s strange intensity, as he protests that he did not have a chance to catch up to Mamoru first, and he is not strong enough to be the Matsuda heir. Misaki does not know how to comfort him.

That afternoon, visitors arrive. Misaki is shocked to see her brother Kazu among them. Kazu left the rest of the family safe in the capital and came as quickly as he could to help. He asks to speak with Takeru and Misaki in private. Takeru agrees, though he orders Misaki to keep her mouth shut, and Misaki timidly obeys. Kazu watches this exchange with shock but does not comment.

Kazu’s home was also attacked by the Ranganese, not hit by a storm as the news claims. The attack was not as large as the one in Takayubi, and they were able to fight it off with the strength of the Tsusano family, though they did have many casualties. Soon afterward, Kaigenese government aid arrived, gathered the dead, and would not allow the families near, ordering the town to secrecy. Along with the Kaigenese were allied Yammanka troops who were supposedly sent to help the cleanup effort.

Kazu has come to warn them of the impending takeover by the government. Takeru stiffly insists that it is his duty to do whatever the Empire requires of him. When Misaki tries to speak, Takeru cuts her off, shocking Kazu again. Then a messenger announces that a Kaigenese official has arrived.