Forced out of his mountain defenses in Shinano, Tokiyuki goes on the run once again. After the death of Emperor Go-Daigo in 1339, political alliances shift again and again, even within the Ashikaga. When tensions arise between Takauji's brother, Tadayoshi, and his steward Moronao, only bloodshed will settle things. Did Takauji orchestrate it all? The years pass by, and Tokiyuki, now an adult, must decide who he will take as his wife—Shizuku, Ayako, or Mima—or…all three? Then in 1351, Tokiyuki encounters a lost comrade during a siege…