The Great Bodhisattva Pass, Book 13: Utter Darkness

Okimi’s visit to Komai Noto no Kami opens the prospect of a new life. Outside the castle, however, Lady Ogin encounters a humiliation whose consequences reach far beyond the moat. A seemingly heroic rescue gives a calculating intermediary access to the Horse Magnate’s household—and a dangerous marriage proposal follows.

Yonetomo, searching for his childhood friend, finds himself entangled in the servants’ schemes and driven across Kōfu’s rooftops. Omatsu watches the preparations for Kamio Shuzen’s wedding with misgiving while worrying about the innocent man held in prison. Elsewhere, prisoners exchange political news, youths discuss a remarkable swordsman, and a violent encounter tests loyalty and endurance.

This complete English translation preserves all eleven sections of the thirteenth book of Nakazato Kaizan’s epic. Domestic jealousy, worldly ambition, roadside comedy, swordsmanship, and new Western knowledge intersect in a town where rescue and deception can wear the same face.