The children soon run out of rice and food and, unable to find work or other means, Seita is forced to steal from local farmers' homes during air raids. When he is caught, he comes to terms with his desperation and takes an increasingly ill Setsuko to a doctor. The doctor informs Seita that his sister is suffering from malnutrition but offers no help. Desperate, Seita withdraws all of the money remaining in his mother's bank account, hoping that it will be enough to treat Setsuko or buy food. As he leaves the bank he becomes distraught when he learns from a nearby crowd that Japan has surrendered to the Allied Forces. Not only that, but he finds that the ship his father captained has been sunk along with most of the Imperial Navy. His father, who had once promised him that Japan could never be defeated. Seita returns to the bomb shelter with a heavy heart and large quantities of food only to find Setsuko lying on the ground, hallucinating and trying to encourage Seita to eat little rocks that she thinks are rice balls. Seita hurries to prepare some food and gets Setsuko to try a bit of watermelon. She thanks him and, exhausted, closes her eyes. She never wakes up.