WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 11 of Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood, "Confidential File 701, Past and Future," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Jin's involvement in the destruction of the Karasumori clan has set up one last major conflict between him and Sawa in Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood. With Sawa still looking for answers and Jin one of the only people left alive who can answer them, Episode 11 teases yet another confrontation between the two. But a surprise visit from some Shogunate agents forces Sawa to go on the run -- and into the arms of some familiar faces.
Continuing from the conclusion of Episode 10, Sawa asks Jin if he was involved in the destruction of her village. When he acknowledges his role in the massacre, Sawa is at a loss for words. She acknowledges that Jin saved her but is confused as to why he'd make her devote her life to serving the Shogunate after he ordered the death of her clan. Before Jin can give her any answers, though, the two are interrupted by the Shogun's special forces. Jin shows Sawa to an underground passage and lets her escape, offering to meet her at midnight to clear things up.
While Sawa escapes through the underground tunnels, she is pursued by various special forces members. Luckily, Elena manages to meet up with her in time and they easily fend off their pursuers. Emerging from the tunnels, the two are greeted by Rinko, who is under orders to bring Sawa in by any means necessary.
Sawa engages Rinko in combat by herself -- telling Elena not to intervene -- but doesn't draw her blade; instead, taking the Nue executioner on with her bare hands. Seeing much of her old self in Rinko, Sawa tries to reason with her but that only makes things worse. After breaking off some of Rinko's metal bands, Sawa weakens her enough to land a knockout blow, leaving Elena questioning whether or not Rinko should be left alive as the pair escape.
At Sawa's bookshop, which has been kept a secret from the Shogun and his agents, Elena fills Sawa in on what's been going on in the city, revealing that the Tokugawa Shogunate's hold on Ryumyaku has been weakening. This has sent the country into disarray and shifted momentum in the rebels' favor. While the two talk, Asahi arrives, much to Sawa's shock and relief, and Elena reveals that Jin found and saved the wounded Asahi with the help of Nue's supply of Karasumori blood.
Before Sawa and Asahi can have their touching reunion, Elena goes into labor, leading to a dramatic parallel of events. While rebel fractions continually push back Shogunate forces and various areas of Tokyo burn to the ground, Sawa and Asahi assist Elena through childbirth, successfully helping deliver a healthy baby girl. As Elena and her newborn daughter sleep, Sawa and Asahi have a heart-to-heart with Sawa promising to stay by Asahi's side going forward. She even offers Asahi her mother's bloodstained diary as a way of recording their future days together, but when Asahi falls asleep Sawa steels her resolve and heads deeper into the city.
Thanks to this distraction, it looks like fans will have to wait for at least one more episode before getting some closure with Jin and Sawa's storyline in Joran, which isn't to say that Sawa's reunions with both Elena and Asahi aren't both satisfying and welcome following the stresses of the last few episodes. With the Tokugawa Shogunate crumbling to the ground, Sawa seems destined to go after the true puppet master responsible for all suffering: Yoshinobu. Jin's priority seems to be keeping Sawa safe for now, but he's just as hard to read as ever.
