With Iku watching, Seigen prepares to make Kogan pay for his many sins. As the sun rises on the final battle, the eyes of the innocent are witness to the gruesome end of at least one mighty samurai.  

The tricks of the blind draw Gennosuke and Ushimata away from the dojo at the worst possible time. While the sensei rests unguarded, Seigen and Iku begin the final leg of their quest for vengeance.  

A letter arrives summoning the Kogan clan to the palace of Kengyou Shizuhata. Upon arrival, Shizuhata wastes no time in luring Gennosuke into a duel with the barbarian warrior Sekiun.  

Mie’s despair over her cruel treatment eats away at her mind. Her body – starved to the point of near paralysis – is powered only by the deranged fantasies locked inside her head.  

Gennosuke finds the mangled head of a comrade – a disturbing warning that could bring the dojo shame. When a Kogan mercenary crosses paths with a mysterious shadow of a man, the death toll mounts.  

A new student, Suzunosuke, slays an unwelcome ronin in a blind rage. Pleased with the young pupil’s instincts, Kogan sends Gennosuke to teach the novice a true lesson in the art of the kill.  

Seething with betrayal, Kogan begins the systematic destruction of his former heir. Seigen is forced to face off against familiar opponent in a battle where neither samurai emerges unscathed.  

Questions arise about Seigen’s past, and Gennosuke vanishes after being passed over as heir. Amid suspicions over Iku’s conduct, Kogan summons Seigen for instruction in the Shooting Star Technique.