Jao is looking forward to a winter spent in Masahiro's comfortable house, warm and well-fed for once. Then he discovers Masahiro has gone to meet Takeshi, the old Kazematsuri, Jao's number one enemy. Takeshi has called in the one favour Masahiro owes him. It's odd though: the favour is that Masahiro has to go to Doshu, the capital city, and stay there for two weeks. And he has to take Hana along. It's all very suspicious, and Jao follows them. It's a three day journey on a fishing boat, in freezing weather, and he has to deal with a very angry, frightened, and above all, tight-lipped Hyan, Hana's brother, who seems to know something dire about his little sister. When Jao and Hyan arrive in Doshu, the situation worsens rapidly. Masahiro is drugged by Jao's old enemy Gosuke, Hana is abducted, and Jao has to team up with Takeshi to save her. Can he avert a political crisis in the process?