Emperor Sutoku falls into Nariko's trap and passes the throne to Emperor Konoe, the son of Nariko and the retired Emperor Toba. Meanwhile, Akiko becomes seriously ill and passes away. Seeing Kiyomori frantically pounce on Buddhist priests who were unable to save Akiko, Tadamori feels that Kiyomori has the same fierce temper as his biological father, the late cloistered Emperor Shirakawa.