Exactly the ending I expected. Because I hate to be the bearer of Bad News, but to everyone who was hoping for a more Substantive Epilogue or to see them later in their life, there is actually an extremely good, Very Large Reason to end it right here and just leave their future to our Imaginations.
In fact there's 2 Very Large Reasons. Because Gosh Darn It, They said they only needed the one, that it would be the last, they promised. But Damn if it just didn't need a Big Budget Sequel.
Guys this Manga saw the Ōtsu Incident (1891) and the Tokyo Earthquake (1894).
This last chapter was 11 years after that.
It's 1905 Baby.
Just 9 years left till The Great War.