In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi Sugimoto searches the wilderness of Hokkaido for a hoard of hidden gold. With only a cryptic map and a native Ainu girl to help him, Saichi must also deal with every murderous cutthroat, bandit and rogue who knows about the treasure!

If the hidden Ainu gold can ever be found, will it be worth the price paid for it in lives lost and ruined? Who really murdered the Ainu for their treasure? With Kiroranke dead, Ogata may have some answers, but after the confrontation on the ice of the Mamiya Strait he needs medical attention. The lure of the gold still calls to Hijikata and his men, and Tsurumi and the rogue soldiers of the 7th Division are far from giving up--if they can't get their hands on Sugimoto and Asirpa, they'll tear each other apart instead!