Early in the following year in 1181, ill feelings towards the Taira family spread across the country. Meanwhile, the former Emperor Takakura, who has been an anchor to Kiyomori, passes away at the age of 21. While Kiyomori is losing his power, the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa again appears before Kiyomori and provokes him. In Kamakura, Yoritomo is establishing a new samurai-oriented political system together with his followers. Kiyomori is delighted to learn that Yoritomo is following in the footsteps of Yoshitomo and Kiyomori. Kiyomori tells Go-Shirakawa that the struggle for supremacy among samurais will be intensified from now on.
高倉上皇（千葉雄大）崩御の知らせに清盛（松山ケンイチ）は言葉を失う。清盛は幼い安徳天皇の後ろ盾として、後白河法皇（松田翔太）を復権させるという危険な賭けに出る。苦境に追い込まれる清盛を時子（深田恭子）は気楽に参りましょうと温かく励ます。一方、頼朝（岡田将生）は鎌倉で東国武士による新たな政治を始めていた。そのウワサを西行（藤木直人）から聞いた清盛は頼朝との決戦に備えるが突然の熱病に侵され意識を失う。
