Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the Muromachi-era shogun, wields power as a central political strategist determined to consolidate authority by manipulating historical narratives. His regime aggressively pursues possession of the sacred imperial regalia—particularly the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword, lost centuries prior during the Battle of Dan-no-ura—aiming to legitimize his clan’s rule and unify Japan under the Northern Court. Agents under his command covertly recruit coastal fishermen to retrieve the relic, unwittingly unleashing a curse that blinds the young musician Tomona and kills his father, catalyzing the protagonist’s quest. As ruler, Yoshimitsu enforces state-curated historical narratives that glorify his regime while systematically erasing dissenting accounts. He views the radical artistic partnership between the disfigured performer Inu-Oh and Tomona as dangerous subversion, as their defiant performances resurrect marginalized perspectives of Heike warriors, directly challenging official propaganda. To dismantle their influence, Yoshimitsu exploits Inu-Oh’s estranged father, weaponizing familial resentment and political ambition to disrupt their revelatory art. His methods blend legal coercion, psychological manipulation, and public threats, culminating in an ultimatum that forces Inu-Oh to renounce artistic truth or witness Tomona’s execution. Yoshimitsu’s governance subordinates cultural expression to political control, framing unapproved storytelling as a destabilizing force against social order. After Tomona’s execution for refusing to recant his defiance, the shogunate temporarily suppresses their dissent, though the duo’s spiritual defiance endures beyond physical eradication. The shogun’s historical role as a Noh theater patron is reimagined through his hostility toward transformative art, positioning him as an architect of systemic oppression. His calculated maneuvers—devoid of personal backstory beyond political ambition—embody conflicts between authoritarian historical revisionism and the irrepressible persistence of counter-narratives.