Shigeru's uncles, hoping to rid themselves of their popular and powerful nephew, send him to Iida's capital city of Inuyama, ostensibly to be married to a young princess from a different clan named Kaede. Unexpectedly, Kaede and Takeo fall in love at first sight. As the delegation arrives at Inuyama, it is revealed that Takeo's biological father was of The Tribe, a group of families with special powers, and they abduct Takeo, making a claim upon him because of his ancestry. Takeo strikes a deal with them and escapes them, but he arrives too late: Shigeru is betrayed and killed, Iida ultimately perishes at Kaede's hand after attempting to rape her, and the country is overrun by the army of Arai Daiichi.