Preparation is key before Tsurumi’s forces can fully arrive. We can see this is where Sugimoto, Hijikata & Nagakura are helpful. Smart play from Nagakura to buy time for the rest of the group. He even was ready for Tsurumi to realize there were lies mixed in with the truth. No surprise Tsurumi figured it out because he is a master manipulator of mixing truth and lies. Love to see Nagakura holding up on his own.
The good news is the land deed. For Asirpa this is what her father wanted to leave behind for her. As the deed would allow the Ainu to protect this land and the Kamuy that they closely follow. It very much stays true to the series.
Of course Shiraishi and others are bummed out there is no gold. Hijikata finds out only half was used. While the land deed is a big deal for the Ainu, there is something that feels good about finding the gold as well. Which was the journey for all of these characters throughout the series. But now dealing with Tsurumi’s forces comes next.
