“Your lands will stretch from sea to sea, but peace comes at the price of bloodshed. Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose.” Teenage lovers Takeo and Kaede have finally wed in secret, and now Takeo sets out on his mission to reunite the Three Countries and help Kaede reclaim her ancestral lands of Maruyama. But their destinies are shaped by uncontrollable forces. As Takeo leads an army into battle, Kaede, far from his protection, is treacherously betrayed. Their passionate love will last until death – but in the savage, beautiful world of the Otori, that is only ever a lightning sword-stroke away.