01x12 - The Fall of Seii

[bunniefuu]

Fictional work. Any similarity
to real names or events is coincidental.

Underage smoking is prohibited.

Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.

Aoteru Misumi,
Auditor of the Borderland General Corps,

delivered a powerful and decisive rebuttal

that crushed the plan of Denki Taira,
Lord of Home Affairs,

to strip Borderland General
Mitsuhide Ryumon of his command.

Meanwhile, Ohga Wajima, Commander-in-Chief
of the Seii army, launched an as*ault

on Nagamine's isolated Yamato army unit
at Daishoji

as part of the Winter General Strategy.

She further dispatched 12,000 troops
toward Fukui Reihoku Castle,

where Mitsuhide Ryumon was holding out.

With time running out,

Ryumon steeled himself for a decisive
battle against the advancing Seii forces.

All right, then.
- Wait!

An imperial decree from His Majesty

the Emperor of Yamato
to Borderland General Ryumon!

"Ryumon and all soldiers
at Fukui Reihoku Castle!"

"Abandon the castle and withdraw at once!"

"This is my imperial command!"

YAMATO

Withdraw?

And no reinforcements?

EPISODE 12: THE FALL OF SEII

With the Seii closing in, abandon
the people and the castle and run?

"There are occasions when the commands
of the sovereign need not be obeyed!"

If no reinforcements are coming,
then we should fight!

Hey, wait!

Misumi, your prediction was way off.

"Misfortune and fortune
stand side by side."

"Yet none know the gate
that leads to either."

I heard the Seii even ex*cuted
their own strategist to uphold the law.

If that's true, then even if we retreat,

the people should come to no harm.

That settles it.

Prepare to leave the castle at once!
- Yes, sir!

Kaku, you stay here and rest.
- No.

Even with the imperial edict,
if I stay behind,

the enemy will be on their guard.

I'm coming with you.

That won't do.
If you push yourself now, you'll--

"What we should truly--"

"What we should truly fear is not death,

but failing to live up
to the life we have been given."

Isn't that right, General Ryumon?

I feel bad for Dr. Kata,
who tried to heal me.

But he needs to save the people here
and the wounded soldiers.

Besides, if I remain here as things stand,

all the tremendous efforts
Misumi and Asama have made

will come to nothing.

For years now, I have repeatedly advised

that we should compromise on the Toryumon.

It seems I have finally found
someone worthy of taking my place.

Are you saying
you have had your illness since then?

Even you, who understands me better
than anyone in this world, were deceived.

That bodes well for this plan.

The storm has passed,
and the ground is firm.

General Ryumon,

now is the time to decide.

Asama!
- What?

Yes, sir!
- You're the rearguard!

You heard the plan from Misumi, right?

Then only you, Kaku, and I know it.

CLICK CLACK

Draw the enemy in, then fall back.
Do your duty.

Yes, sir!

Here it comes,
here it comes, here it comes!

Relay the order to all units.

We are retreating!

Yes, sir!

WAJIMA ARMY HEADQUARTERS


Retreating?

SEII COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
OHGA WAJIMA

YASUKE KONOURA

Based on their line of march…

FUKUI REIHOKU CASTLE

…Mitsuhide Ryumon
likely intends to retreat via Ota,

then follow the coast
to Kanegasaki in Reinan District.

A southern withdrawal
would force him across the Kinome Pass.

If we catch them here,
we could wipe them out.

That's why I expect
he'll take the Ota route.

But…

could it be a feigned retreat?

Your concern is well-founded.

The current Emperor of Yamato
is little more than Denki Taira's puppet,

and I doubt Taira would willingly let go
of this chance to seize military control.

A man like him wouldn't retreat.

He would push for all-out w*r.

JIEN HIBI
MITSUHIDE RYUMON

I believe the real intent
behind the imperial edict

is meant to drive Ryumon's forces,
an obstacle to Taira, back to Kanegasaki.

And, thus, allow Taira to turn the tables

with the vast Yamato army
under his command.

DENKI TAIRA

So Taira is having the Emperor issue
an imperial edict ordering a withdrawal,

not only to deceive us but Ryumon as well?

Nothing else makes sense.

Who could possibly persuade the Emperor

when Denki Taira
is the one pulling the strings?

Such a feat would be inconceivable.

MARUOKA CASTLE
FUKUI REIHOKU CASTLE

At present, the Hibi army has
requested reinforcements to pursue Ryumon.

If we let him reach Kanegasaki,

we may never get another chance
to finish him.

But if we pursue them now,
we can take down Ryumon and Kaku,

draw out the Yamato forces
lying in wait at Kanegasaki,

and force them
into the Winter General Strategy.

Letting Ryumon escape
won't help the people.

Here, you must strike down Ryumon
with your own hands

and demonstrate that authority.

Our main force

will now join the Hibi army
and pursue Ryumon's forces.

Everyone, follow me.

WAJIMA - KONOURA

HIBI - TABUCHI
RYUMON - KAKU - ASAMA

BANG

HIBI - TABUCHI
RYUMON - KAKU - ASAMA

WAJIMA - KONOURA

GALLOP GALLOP

BORDERLAND GENERAL CORPS
DEPUTY MASTER OF ARMS

SURNAME: ASAMA
GIVEN NAME: YOSHITSUNE

WHOOSH

ADVANCE

CRASH CRASH CRASH

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WAJIMA

Good work.

Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.

The Seii Western Expedition, in which the
northern nation committed 70,000 troops,

was shattered by the stratagems of
Yamato's military adviser, Yasuaki Kaku.

More than 10,000 Seii soldiers,

along with Commander Jien Hibi,

Staff Officer Hakuyaku Tabuchi,

and Yasuke Konoura,

fell at Ota
while shielding their commander.

The battle would later be known as
"The Ota Scrapped Car Ambush."

Seii Commander-in-Chief Ohga Wajima,
captured by the Ryumon army,

approved an immediate
ceasefire and withdrawal.

As the Kura army and more than


complied and retreated to their homeland,

Second Division Commander Daikichi Konoura
and over 100 Seii soldiers refused.

They continued to resist
and were put down by the Nagamine army.

This brought about a truce
between Yamato and Seii.

A peace conference
was set for the following month.

Mr. Ryumon, I wonder
if any good candidates will come today.

Mr. Ryumon,
you are really strict, you know.

You haven't hired a single person
this month or last month.

You should compromise a little.

I cannot compromise.

For the sake of this country's future.

The future of this country, you say?

They might just make this country,

this "Nippon,"

into a peaceful world

without w*r.

One I could never bring about.

I'm sure of it…

Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.

Strategist Yasuaki Kaku
died on his journey home.

He was 32.

PLUM TREE AND WHITE-EYED BIRD

YEAR 42 OF THE BUO ERA
YEAR 60 OF THE YAMATO ERA - BUO



Yamato Calendar Year 60, spring.

ODAWARA
[FORMERLY KANAGAWA]

Buo, Odawara.

FIRST EMPEROR OF BUO
MOMOKUNI HOJO

What? Yamato predicted our move?

PRIME MINISTER AND STRATEGIST OF BUO
JURO MUSASHIKAMI

Your Majesty,

Lord Musashikami reports
that a young man from the Ryumon faction

apparently persuaded the Yamato Emperor.

Wow, seriously?

I thought when Lord Taira mobilized his
massive army, that would be our chance.

How boring.

Lord Musashikami asks,

"What shall we do about the surprise
attack on Osaka, Yamato's capital?"

Let's just call it off.

Recall all the warships.

Oh, and make sure Yamato doesn't find out.

All right, that's enough of that.

Everyone, dismissed!

Yes, sir!

Oh, right.

Himehito?

I heard you and the Yamato Emperor
share the same Japan-era ancestor.

So I thought,
"Wait, are those two related?"

But apparently you're not.

Anyway, I doubt you will,
but just in case…

Don't think about
joining forces with Yamato

to found a nation called "Nippon."

Um, Your Majesty,

I'm sorry,

but I don't quite follow
what you're saying.

LMFAO!

Well, the fact you're even here

just shows how magnanimous I am.

Keep that in mind.

The young man who persuaded
the puppet emperor…

DIRECT DESCENDANT OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY
HIMEHITO OHKIMI

Well, quite the interesting kid.

YAMATO
OSAKA

Yamato, Osaka.

The Imperial Palace.

A solemn funeral was held for all members
of the Borderland General Corps

who fell in the Seii Western Expedition.

ONE MONTH LATER

One month
after the Seii Western Expedition,

delegations from Yamato and Seii
gathered in Osaka's Naniwa District

for the so-called
"Naniwa Peace Conference"

to set postwar policy.

SEII - BUO - YAMATO

In that conference, it was agreed

that the Seii-held Kaga Province
would be demilitarized,

and a new territory would be created
from part of Kaga.

The Yamato-Seii international peace
organization, the "Nippon Federation,"

would administer the territory,
and the two nations would jointly govern.

This marked the first attempt

at a peaceful resolution
since the Three Nations Period.

A decision on the fate
of Seii Commander-in-Chief Ohga Wajima

was postponed
to a future session of the assembly.

Well, I guess that about wraps things up.

All thanks to me, the rightful heir of
the Asama clan, serving as the rearguard.

DEPUTY MASTER OF ARMS
YOSHITSUNE ASAMA

No, I guess it's thanks
to Strategist Kaku and all the others.

AUDITOR
AOTERU MISUMI

Given the history between Yamato and Seii,

building a true alliance
will be a long, difficult road.

But I believe walking that road

is the surest path
to realizing peace across the land.

Well, the one who's gonna make
that world happen isn't you. It's me.

If you put your knowledge to use,
it might be possible

to secure the borderlands
and end the Sangoku period.

The reunification of Japan
wouldn't just be a dream!

Saki, because you believed in me,

I found the courage to keep going.

But we're still only halfway there.

Saki, I swear I'll make this world--

Auditor Misumi!
Deputy Master of Arms Asama!

By order of Borderland General Ryumon,
report to headquarters immediately!

Oh, what's this?

Don't tell me
my promotion finally came through.

Speak. What happened?

We have received word

that Seii Commander-in-Chief Ohga Wajima
was attacked and assassinated

on her way back from the peace conference!

What?

Assassinated?

The dozen Yamato soldiers and two
Taira ministers with her were k*lled too.

According to witnesses in Shiga,
where the attack took place,

the assailants
were wearing Seii military uniforms!

What? You've got to be kidding me!

Just when we were
about to work together with Seii…

I mean, wasn't the Seii Commander-in-Chief

well-regarded
by her people and her troops?

However well-regarded she may have been,
she seized power through a coup.

It's only natural
that some would hold a grudge against her.

Yeah, but something's
not right about this!

Exactly!

YAMATO

Why were Seii soldiers in Shiga,
which is Yamato territory?

And how did they know
Ohga Wajima's escort route?

Then there's the fact that two of those
traveling with her were Taira ministers…

TAIRA

What is it? What's wrong?

It can't be!

Right.

Good work on the Shiga matter.

The Seii men we hired
under the pretext of assassinating Ryumon

have all been disposed of.

Right.

They probably never imagined
the one they k*lled

was the very Commander-in-Chief
they worshipped.

Indeed.

The look on their faces
when I told them the truth…

It was quite the sight.

Yukihanecchi. Within two seconds.

What?

From here on, it's our turn.

BORDERLAND GENERAL HQ

That same day,
Lord of Home Affairs Denki Taira

arrested and imprisoned Mitsuhide Ryumon,
accusing him of causing the incident

through negligence in border security
and of worsening relations with Seii,

a nation that could have become an ally.

OUTSIDE THE IMPERIAL PALACE

Borderland General Corps members
denounced it as an unjust arrest

and demanded
that the Emperor pardon Ryumon.

But Taira sealed off the Imperial Palace

and imprisoned 34 members, including
Aoteru Misumi, on the same charges.

MAIN HALL

Furthermore, Denki Taira placed the blame
for the nation-shaking incident

on Yamato's third emperor, Fuji III,
for having trusted Mitsuhide Ryumon.

With Taira assuming full authority,

Fuji III was redefined
not as the head of state,

but as a symbolic figure.

SEII

Meanwhile, Taira issued
an ultimatum to northern Seii,

using as his pretext the claim

that Seii soldiers had k*lled
Yamato soldiers and their families.

Seii denied any involvement,

and since the incident
also involved Wajima's assassination,

they withheld a final response.

Dissatisfied, Denki Taira

nullified every agreement
reached at the Naniwa Peace Conference

and declared w*r on Seii.

NEWSPAPER

"Seiro, the capital,
fell with little resistance."

"Wherever the Yamato army
led by the Lord of Home Affairs passed,

not even a child's cry could be heard

and the corpses of countless Seii people
blocked the flow of the river."

THE EVENING SUN NEWSPAPER

Just like I promised you,
I'll climb my way to the top from here.

I'm pretty amazing, after all.

No matter where you end up,

you are the kind of man
who never gives up.

Right, Aoteru Misumi?

No matter how much we join hands
with other nations

and strive for peace…

if we don't change this country,
rotten to its core, none of it matters.

Someone has to start.

Whether others help or not
is beside the point.

I'll be the one to start.

Denki Taira, the day will come.

TAIRA - PEACE

Just you wait!

END OF THE SEII WESTERN EXPEDITION ARC