The Vine-Tangled Bridge of Kiso, Volume 2

In the mountain country of Kiso, the paths of warriors and wandering masters twist through illusion, loyalty, and forbidden love. A mysterious young woman tests a warrior’s heart, while magicians turn a proud lord’s household into a battlefield of appearances. Foxes assume human form, ominous songs foretell disaster, and a man known as Naked Buhyō meets threats with extraordinary strength.

Elsewhere, traveling performers bring danger and intrigue into a secluded mountain realm. Its ruler, Danjō Dayū, guards his power fiercely, but his daughter’s love for an enemy’s son challenges the order he has built. A foreign priest’s discovery beneath the mountains entangles mining, politics, and conscience, leading to a confrontation that exposes the loneliness beneath a ruler’s rage.

Kunieda Shirō’s second volume combines swordplay, supernatural invention, and human tenderness in a sweeping adventure set in Japan’s warring age. This complete translation of the supplied second portion includes concise notes on names, songs, historical terms, and textual peculiarities. The story continues in Volume 3. AI-assisted translation.