The Government Army launches an all-out attack against the Saigō Army so Takamori and his fellows burn their personal belongings before their sally. Then MURATA Shinpachi's bowel rumbles and Takamori says.
"I want to catch eels in Kōtsuki River but we have no time. It's regrettable".
They smile broadly and he tells them that they're the last samurais and fight well.
"Chesto, do your best!"
However many of them are bombarded and shot and KATSURA Hisatake who shoots one of his enemies with bow and arrow but he is shot also. And KIRINO Toshiaki is shot by KAWAJI Toshiyoshi who joins the Government Army in the head. Shinpachi commits suicide.
Takamori (Ryōhei Suzuki) spearheads of his fellows in his last battle
The Saigō family, SHIMAZU Hisamitsu and KSIEDA Takeji heat the booming of guns. Jūdo tells other officers that he will return to Tokyo. HENMI Jūrōta sied in the battle and Takamori who is shot in the right leg but he approaches his enemy with a grim face but he is shot in the stomach now. Ito bows to a shrine in the house and appreciates the pain her husband has taken and then she hears dog barks near her. They are Tsun and Goja released in Miyazaki and she realises what happened to her husband. In Tokyo, ŌKUBO Toshimichi who comes home and tells his wife that the rebellion was suppressed. She asks him how is Kichinosuke (Takamori) but he never answers it. He drops his hat and bag and kneels down on the fllor and cries,
"Kichinosuke!"
Ito (Haru Kuroki) finds both Tsun and Goja return home
Again in 1904. Kikujirō says that his father respected heaven and loved people seeing his writing in the frame. He also says that he loved people at the sacrifice of his life and that's why others loved or respected him.
Takamori's death becomes widely known. TOKUGAWA Yoshinobu learns it from Fuki at his residence. She says he is a true samurai so he couldn't betray his fellows though he says to himself why he didn't escape like him seeing his picture of an ox. It is rumoured that Takamori became a star and when someone joins his/her hands to the star, he/she will be happy. KATSU Kaishū who is in a restaurant of gyū-nabe (*) mutters,
"Sego-don, you became a star at last. I hope you will be on good terms with Ryōma".
The star is Mars that approaches the earth in reality. In Amami Oshima, Aikana sings a farewell song and in Tokyo, Jūdō eats eel with tears in his eyes. He builds a big residence with the intention of living together with Takamori and his family.
Fuki (Rin Takanashi, right) informes Tokugawa Yoshinobu (Shōta Matsuda) that Takamori died in the battle
The Saigō family restores calm and one day Kikujirō returns home with Kumakichi. He shows his prosthetic limb to his family.
"Btrother, don't you need your stick any more?" asks Toratarō. Kikujirō tells him to look at him and walks slowly without a stick. After that Ito puts Takamori's writing "Kei-ten, Ai-jin" on the fur rug he used. Then she talks to her family about what he said to her in Nobeoka. He didn't want to make his family hold their tongues because he was regarded as a rebel. And he hoped his children complete a new country and not to be ashamed of being the children of Saigō Takamori. Toratarō says that his father is worshiped by Saigō Star but Ito admonishes him he was not a man who liked to be worshiped but always got close to the weak and a man who was "futtoka" (daring) and passionate.
Ito talks to her family about the last words of Takamori
On the 14th of May in 1878, Tochimichi departs for the Imperial palace in Akasaka ignoring the needlass talk of IWAKURA Tomomi. He then invites him to a kabuki play in which ICHIKAWA Danjūrō IX appears as Takamori at Shintomi-za Thatre and it makes a big hit. Toshimichi tells him "Someday", and rides in a carriage and in it he finds a bag and a piece of paper with the letters of Cangoxina in his pocket. But immedidaely after, some former samurais stop it showing Zan-kan-jō (a letter that denounced him) and pull put him from the carriage. They stab him who is defenseless and he is wounded all over his body (**) but says,
"I cannot die...I have many things to do...".
He tries to pick up the paper but he cannot stand up any longer and falls down on the ground. then he heard the words of Kichinosuke. he says,
"I forget taking you, Shōsuke" when they visited Higo (Kumamoto) together (***).
Ōkubo Toshimichi (Eita) is stabbed to death by former samurais
Again in the satsuma rebellion. Takamori who is shot in the stomach tries to stand up but he cannot do it any longer. He falls down on the ground and sees the blue sky says in feeble voice,
"It's time I should die..."
And those are his last words.
(*) Current sukiyaki.
(**) After that a member of the Imperial guards became to accompany important persons to protect them from terrorists.
The images are from the official website of "Segodon".
