YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master

The yatagarasu race is led by the kinu, also known as the Golden Raven. When his son, the future kinu, is ready to take a bride, noblewomen from the Four Houses are sent to the Cherry Blossom Palace to compete for the honor of his hand in marriage.

The Prince immediately buries Yukiya under a mountain of chores. Can the "blockhead" keep up with a workload that crushed all his predecessors? And why does the Prince seem so intent on avoiding his potential brides?

The Prince loses a fortune at dice and leaves Yukiya as collateral. While working as a drudge in the criminal underworld, the boy witnesses a deadly meeting. Meanwhile, the ladies of the Cherry Blossom Palace prepare for Tanabata.

The Prince unexpectedly calls in at the Southern Houses palace and finds his brother there. Meanwhile, Lady Shiratama puts a proposal to Lady Hamayu about an alliance of sorts between the Northern House and the Southern House.

In the wake of a bloody disturbance, Shiratamas breakdown exposes Hamayus past. How will the other ladies receive their rivals story? And do any of them truly have a say in the events unfolding around them?

Yukiya is shocked to discover that the Prince always knew about his noble heritage. As recriminations fly, Rokon takes the boy to meet a man who tests his understanding of loyalty and what it means to serve.

The Prince confronts Asebi with her correspondence and unravels the last mysteries of Cherry Blossom Palace. But did she act with malice, or merely naivety? And with no other would-be consorts left, does it even matter?

Yukiya and the Prince find a remote farming village devastated by vicious monkeys. A lone girl survives the attack, but is she the innocent victim she seems? Yukiya suspects an even darker side to this unprecedented disaster.

Yukiya agrees to accompany Natsuka to the underworld. The negotiation threatens to fall apart when Sakuō appears and offers Yukiya a chance to learn more about the monkeys. However, to do so, he must take a great risk.