A prostitute approaches Manji as he waits for Rin. Though Manji sees through the prostitutes ruse, he accepts her invitiation. But this woman, 'Makie Otonotachibana', seem to weak to be a warrior of the Ittou-ryu as she claims. After sparing Makie's life, she appears before Manji again with different eyes and hair.

Discussions of the task of naming the instructor at the Ittou-ryu school, allotted them by the shogunate, have begun. They will make the Ittou-ryu's sword known to the world. Taito Magatsu vows to make that a reality, but decides to leave from Kagehisa Anotsu's side. At the same time, Ittou-ryu leaders start to be targeted. The tip of that blade is also pointed at Magatsu.

Manji and Rin involve the four known as Mugai-ryu, who hold information on Kagehisa, in order to assassinate him. Lying in wait on the road that leads out of Edo, based on information only known to Rin, she and Shira close in on Kagehisa as he tries to flee from the others.

Manji wants to go after Rin, but he has no pass. That's when Souri and Magatsu appear before him. Souri tells Manji that he can acquire as many passes as Manji likes, but there's a condition. Meanwhile, a gray-haired, one-armed Shira appears before Hyakurin and Shinriji as they re-work their plan for assassinating Kagehisa.