Summary[]
Shinpachi, Kagura and Sadaharu survive the Liberation Army's bombardment and stare at the destruction of the docks. They see a wet Gintoki and a heavily injured Nobume leaving from the wreckage and rush to them. Nobume tries to tell Gintoki to go after Utsuro and the Army but Gintoki interrupts, stating they both acted out of character. She simply states that she saved him because he was a chance of victory. The samurai retorts that she was also a chance of victory so she should try to survive unless she wants Isaburo laughs at her. Nobume mentally wonders to Isaburo about her place in the world without him and how can the samurai fight against this evil without the special police(Shinsengumi and Mimawarigumi). Back at the wreckage, Utsuro, the only other survivor, watches the Army spaceships fly further into the city.
The Army general reports to Enshou about destroying the targets but Enshou insists that these "targets" still exist that need to be destroyed, referring to all of Edo. In the Shougunate palace, the officials continue to panic about the encroaching ships and lament that they should have given in a long time ago when this began. Soyo suddenly appears and tells them to flee while she stays to take care of the palace and the country. It turns out that she fled from Momochi and her ninja's care and after she sends them out find her, thinks back to sometime before. After confirming that Soyo wishes to stay in Edo, Hattori leaves her in Momochi's care while he leaves, declaring that he will do what he wants to protect the princess while Soyo should do what she wants as Shige Shige's sister. In the present, some officials fail to persuade her to leave the castle as she believes that since the people are still fighting, this building that represents the country cannot be empty. And she is doing this as a sister, not a princess.
Meanwhile, the Yorozuya and Nobume chase after the ships. Kagura and Shinpachi learn of Utsuro's escape and now believes that they have been fighting for nothing. Although Gintoki tries to galvanize them, he darkly starts to realize that he is giving up too, that nothing has changed for him from the past. Then they and everyone else in Edo watch in shock as the Army ships destroy the Shogunate palace, with Soyo unknowingly inside, and the nearby buildings. The quartet tries to flee from a group of armored Army tanks and finds themselves surrounded. Gintoki continues to depressingly believe the futility of their efforts until he hears a voice telling him not to give up and continue fighting with them. Some of the tanks destroy the rest and out of one appears three familiar figures, Hijikata, Kondou, and Okita.
Characters[]
- Kagura
- Shimura Shinpachi
- Sadaharu
- Sakata Gintoki
- Imai Nobume
- Sasaki Isaburo (mention)
- Utsuro (cameo)
- Altana Liberation Army
- Enshou
- Tokugawa Soyo
- Tokugawa Shige Shige (mention)
- Momochi Rappa
- Hattori Zenzou (flashback)
- Shimura Tae (cameo)
- Otose (cameo)
- Hiraga Gengai (cameo)
- Toujou Ayumu (cameo)
- Yagyuu Kyuubei (cameo)
- Sarutobi Ayame (cameo)
- Tsukuyo (cameo)
- Hijikata Toushirou (cameo)
- Okita Sougo (cameo)
- Kondou Isao (cameo)
Trivia[]
- Much of Kondou's speech is the same as what Gintoki said to the Shinsengumi to galvanize them in Lesson 547.