The Taira clan finally succeeds in subduing the pirates, however, Tadamori is not granted the rank equal to the aristocrats. Kiyomori, on the other hand, gets promoted and pays a visit to Tadazane. On the way back home, Kiyomori and Morikuni, fisherman-turned-samurai, encounter Takashina no Motoaki, a lower-class aristocrat, and his daughter, Akiko. Motoaki immediately takes a liking to Kiyomori and asks him to take Akiko as his wife. Although Akiko feels reluctant to marry Kiyomori because of her low status, she gradually falls for Kiyomori as he reveals his honest feelings toward her.