Brice Armstrong

As Hyoma forces Kagero to take Gennosuke and flee, memories of how these two men were once master and pupil begin to surface. But in the darkness lurks the ever angering Koshiro, ready at a moments notice to finish the job he thought he started on Hyoma... If only he could find him.

Words from the past haunt Gennosuke, and Oboro is convinced that her life will end by his hands.

On the banks of a river, one left to death has risen again. Having finally learned the truth he set out to find, Gennosuke is resigned to this war that was never theirs.

Making their way to shore at long last, Jiro and Kotaro are unexpectedly rescued by Mimiko, a Compromiser, another member of the Company, but this one interested in promoting peaceful co-existence rather than simply eliminating the black bloods.