Book excerpt: In the six months since Gen rejected Ei’s attempt at bartering peace, Sekiei, Hakurei, and the others have sheltered themselves in the western regions, guided there by Oto. Though Oto is the strategist Ruri’s attendant, her true identity is that of U Torahime, the daughter of the U family. Within that same time period, the White Wraith Adai Dada and his armies have encroached further and further into Ei territory, and the nation is in dire straits. With nowhere else to turn, Kou Miu, the younger sister of the emperor who ordered Chou Tairan’s death, comes pleading for the Chou and U families’ help. The decision they face is a tough one. Should they stay in the western regions where it’s safe? Or should they risk their lives to defend the very nation and sovereign that have wronged their family for so long? The curtain rises on Ei’s counterattack, and Miu may just be the key to victory.