The Sword of Kaigen

The next morning, Kazu asks Misaki if Takeru is a good husband. Misaki warns him that it does not matter because Kazu is in no position to do anything about it. Traditionally, a man may not comment on another man’s treatment of his own family, and Takeru is stronger than Kazu. Kazu says that if Misaki asked, he would risk Takeru’s wrath rather than seeing his once-fierce sister treated so poorly. He adds that although he has never been the greatest fighter, he has found a new source of strength. He explains that during the Ranganese attack on his city, he used the Tsusano ancestral sword, Riptide, to defend his family. In a moment of desperation, he used his blood ability to strengthen his own body, increase his stamina, and reduce his pain. This allowed him to fight with more power and endurance. He believes that this would allow him to defeat Takeru if Misaki wished for it.

Misaki refuses this offer. Kazu confides that as a teenager, he spied on their parents and heard their father’s reasoning. When looking for betrothal partners, their father insisted that Misaki be paired with someone strong and intelligent because she deserved an equal partner. He initially planned to marry her to Takashi, the older Matsuda son, but upon meeting with the family, he found Takashi to be impulsive, brash, and not very bright. He believed that Takeru would be more intelligent and sensible. Misaki’s father believed that he was choosing well for his daughter. Misaki is touched, but she is sad that her father was wrong.

Later, commotion in the numu village draws a crowd of onlookers, who realize with horror that the military has piled all the corpses—both Ranganese and Takayubi—into a mass grave and now prepares to burn them. This violates all accepted religious practices and prevents the families from sending their loved ones to Laaxara. As the families object, Takeru tries to reason with Colonel Song. Song orders Takeru to control his people, warning that no graves will be permitted and that no one must ever speak of the matter again. The bodies will be burned to remove the evidence that the Ranganese were there. Song states that if the villagers comply,  the empire might be willing to send aid to help them survive the harsh winter. Takeru stares at the mass grave as several men light fires. Mamoru’s body is near the top, closest to the flames. Takeru silently turns and walks away, leaving Misaki and the rest of the survivors standing by the pyre. Misaki watches her son burn.

After Takeru retreats, other villagers attempt to reason with Song but eventually give up and watch their loved ones burn. No one can find Takeru for the rest of the day. Following the destruction of the village, the Matsuda family dojo has been turned into a makeshift shelter for women and children. That night, the women crowd around Misaki, demanding justice. Knowing that they cannot risk public opposition to the military, Misaki urges the women to remain calm. She is ashamed to realize that she has spent years looking down on these women, who have been so sheltered and oblivious to the real world she knows. Seeing them vocally opposing their own government, she realizes that she underestimated their intelligence and strength.

Misaki explains some of what she knows about Kaigen, saying that it is neither as rich nor as powerful as it claims to be, but it is still dangerous and will not react kindly to dissent. She tells the women to live in honor of their lost loved ones and to help rebuild the village as a show of respect for the sacrifices of the fallen. The next day, Takeru is still missing, and people look to Misaki for direction. Kazu remarks that she is good at speaking to people. Misaki gently says that she appreciates his support, but he must go home and care for his own people. Reluctantly, Kazu admits that she is right and leaves by the end of the day. That evening, several men search for Takeru, but Misaki finds him amid the ruins of Kumono Academy. He kneels in the snow, meditating; he has been here for nearly two days. Furious, Misaki shouts that his people needed him today, but he ignores her.

A few days later, the finawu (religious caste) arrive. Though they cannot perform full burial rites, they circle the buried pyre to offer prayers and comfort to the survivors. One Ryuhon monk asks Misaki if Takeru has prayed for Mamoru’s spirit, and Misaki admits that she does not think he has. This is a serious concern, as this lapse may cause Mamoru’s spirit to become restless.

Later, Chul-hee says that he does not understand why special monks had to be called in. Misaki explains that Ryuhon Falleya, the Shirojima localized version of the religion, is different from the standard Falleya religion followed by the rest of the empire. While standard Falleya believes that all gods and people originate from the God of Fire and the Goddess of Earth in Yamma, Ryuhon believes that all life comes from the ocean gods, Nagi and Nami. The people of Shirojima believe that the jijakalu gained their abilities because they are direct descendants of Nagi and Nami.

Chul-hee says that stories of gods and goddesses are metaphorical. However, he once saw Mamoru meditate and seemingly become one with the mountain, sensing things all around him that he should not have been able to see. It makes him wonder if there might be a sliver of truth in the myths of Nagi and Nami.

Misaki is haunted by Mamoru’s spirit and dreams that she is the Ranganese soldier who killed him. Hiroshi and Nagasa also have nightmares about Mamoru. Misaki fears that none of them will recover from the loss.

During the day, everyone works to rebuild the village. Setsuko is especially energized and seems to be recovering from her husband’s death better than others. Every day she tells her daughter that Takashi died a hero and that they should be proud. Hyori, on the other hand, experiences deep depression. Chul-hee builds her a hut to live in when she refuses to return to the Yukino estate. More time passes, and Hyori tells Misaki and Setsuko that she is pregnant. Setsuko is joyful, believing the child will be Yukino’s legacy. But Hyori believes that the child belongs to the soldier who sexually assaulted her. Ashamed, she wishes to die.

Four weeks later, the women leave their shelter in the Matsuda dojo. Misaki returns to her and Takeru’s bedroom for the first time. Takeru has found Misaki’s sword, Siradenyaa, amid the wreckage and is angry that she owns and has used such a weapon. Misaki retorts that their family survived because she protected Setsuko and their younger sons. Takeru was responsible for Mamoru, and Mamoru is dead.

More time passes. Hyori is certain that her baby is not Yukino’s, and Misaki insists that it does not matter. Angrily, she demands, “Who says that children belong to their fathers? We carry them, we nourish them inside us, we bring them into the world” (470). Then, embarrassed by her own outburst, she leaves.

That night, she has another nightmare about Mamoru. She wakes screaming to find ice spikes surrounding her and the entire bedroom. Beside her, Takeru also wakes, bleeding from cuts on his neck, side, and arms. Misaki is horrified to see that her nyama lashed out in her sleep to attack her own husband. Takeru bellows for her to get out, and she runs from the room. Outside, Setsuko finds Misaki and asks her what is wrong. Misaki fears that her regrets and anger are keeping Mamoru’s spirit tethered to the earth. Setsuko suggests that she needs to confront her anger so that she can banish it. Misaki agrees and rushes inside to write a letter.