In the Orte Empire, Count Saint‑Germi triumphs in talks with Gu‑Binnen merchants, ending a decades‑long conflict and securing the vital resources Orte urgently requires. At the same time, Naoshi Kanno strengthens his beast‑man army by adding the cat tribe. After an unforeseen envoy arrives from Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi—a fellow member of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces—Kanno, together with Scipio Africanus, departs to confront a man he believed dead. While foes once ready for war in readiness, the Black King assembles together his forces and assigns leadership to a sworn rival of the Drifter.
