Fictional work. Any similarity to real names or events is coincidental.
Underage smoking is prohibited.
YAMATO - BUO - SEII
Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.
Ohga Wajima, Commander-in-Chief of the northern Seii,
set as her next target Reihoku,
where Borderland General Mitsuhide Ryumon was stationed,
and advanced her forces.
In response, Mitsuhide countered with The Empty Fort Stratagem,
and slipped free of the tiger's jaws.
Despite commanding an overwhelming force,
Ohga Wajima recoiled before a lone tea master,
retreating in fear of an ambush.
Her loss of authority was plain for all to see.
MARUOKA CASTLE 21:15, 8 DEGREES CELSIUS
"I don't know why she retreated when all she faced was an old tea master."
"Overwhelmed by his presence, she panicked and retreated."
"Absolutely pathetic."
"A disappointing call."
"I'm done supporting you."
What a bunch of idiots!
They can make such misguided criticisms only because later investigations revealed
that there were no soldiers lying in ambush.
Exactly!
Had we been struck by a surprise attack from Yamato's forces at Kuzuryu Bridge,
we would have lost our Commander-in-Chief along with countless troops,
plunging us into total chaos!
You should ignore the opinions of fools
who can only see things from such a narrow, limited perspective!
I urge you to severely punish those who wrote these letters!
- That's right! - Right!
Enough.
SEII COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OHGA WAJIMA
No matter how many reasons I give for retreating,
the fact remains that there were no ambush troops.
That is the undeniable truth.
The blame lies with me for making the wrong call.
Those who wrote these letters are to go unpunished.
Unpunished?
But there are no small number calling for your resignation, Commander!
To prevent future trouble, we must set them right--
That's enough.
STRATEGIST YAYAKICHI HEI
The Commander-in-Chief appears tired. All of you, return to your camps.
Excuse us.
NIPPON SANGOKU: THE THREE NATIONS OF THE CRIMSON SUN
FUKUI REIHOKU CASTLE SAME TIME, 8 DEGREES CELSIUS
STRATEGIST YASUAKI KAKU
- How's progress looking? - Sir!
About 70% of the civilians have been moved into the castle shelters.
TEARS FOR YAYAKICHI
Good. Continue evacuating everyone inside the castle.
Respectfully, I believe we should close the gates at once
and prepare for the Seii army's attack.
Then, what about the civilians still outside the walls?
To save the many already inside the walls,
the sacrifice of the few outside may be unavoidable.
Do you know why the Great Violent Revolution
broke out in this country?
I believe it was because those in power embraced extreme utilitarianism
and repeatedly forced through policies that ignored the will of the people.
Your choice may be right from a utilitarian standpoint.
But in a reality shaped by "heaven," "land," and the "people,"
we should consider every angle and perspective
until the very last moment
to think through what is truly best,
and pour our efforts into solving the problem.
For those of us in a position to save people,
- all the more so. - Exactly.
If we cannot even try to save the lives we can save right now,
how could an age of peace ever come?
Right, sir! I'll take that to heart!
Strategist Kaku!
It's Borderland General Ryumon!
Hey.
BORDERLAND GENERAL MITSUHIDE RYUMON
Honestly, I'm so relieved you made it back alive.
Welcome back, sir!
General Ryumon, your shoulder...
Hurry, get Dr. Kata.
Kaku.
Commander Wajima's arrow did not waver for an instant.
If my tea preparation had even the slightest hesitation,
I wouldn't be here now.
The fact that you sent me off, Kaku,
is one of the reasons I avoided a worse outcome.
Truly, thank you.
Honestly, what are you saying?
It's because it was you, Mr. Ryumon, that I could send you off.
I trusted you would come back.
Well then, back to state affairs.
What... the...
Strategist Kaku... Strategist Kaku!
Get a doctor now!
MARUOKA CASTLE SAME TIME
Yayakichi.
I'm sorry I couldn't believe in you.
I lacked the insight to see what lay ahead.
I did not punish those who slaughtered the Yamato people in Okuetsu,
all to keep morale intact.
I doubted my strategist's counsel,
and I could not even carry out the revenge I had longed for.
I'm unfit to be Commander-in-Chief.
Tora,
why would the one who chose to retreat for the sake of the people and nation,
instead of carrying out the revenge they longed for,
be unfit to be Commander-in-Chief?
So long as we live on this earth, we cannot escape fate.
Heaven's timing, the land's advantage, the people's unity...
Tonight, fortune simply did not favor us.
Yayakichi...
Even if you retreat, as long as you're alive, you can press forward again.
Do not despair.
Yes.
From here on, this will be the true test.
If we do not want Yamato's history books to remember you as someone who
"cowered before Ryumon's resolve and fled,"
then we must win this war.
You are right.
To that end,
before we march at dawn, we must restore your authority
and set right the laws that have fallen into disarray.
But what I do now
could be taken as a purge in response to those protest letters.
Yayakichi, lend me your wisdom.
I have just the plan.
Leave it to me, your strategist.
I will. I'm counting on you, Yayakichi.
Completely understood.
Seii Strategist Yayakichi Hei,
in order to restore Ohga Wajima's authority
and set right the laws thrown into disarray,
resolved to shoulder all the blame.
He penned a letter blending truth with fabrication about his own deeds,
and had it circulated throughout the Seii camp as
"An Indictment by Several of Strategist Hei's Subordinates."
He wrote that he murdered the Commander's elder brothers
and made Ohga the head of the Wajima clan when she was still a child.
He wrote that he exploited her patriotism and desire for revenge,
securing his place at her side for years.
He wrote that the retreat at the Kuzuryu River
and the massacre of the Yamato civilians in Okuetsu
were both carried out on his orders,
and that all were part of a scheme
to undermine the Commander-in-Chief's authority
in order to seize full control of the nation for himself.
Although the accusations in the confession were largely unsubstantiated,
it all unfolded as Yayakichi had planned.
Senior officers who harbored resentment toward Yayakichi rallied to the cause...
JIEN HIBI
...and by the end of the night, many had added their names...
HAKUYAKU TABUCHI
...to a petition demanding his removal.
STRATEGIST HEI'S QUARTERS
Dad! Why would you put out a letter like that?
YASUKE HEI - DAIKICHI HEI
Are you trying to take all the blame?
You are the person Commander Wajima and this nation need most!
Please speak to the Commander-in-Chief directly
and tell her the letter is false!
My decision is already made.
Dad!
History tells us how dictators who lose their authority inevitably end.
With both the nation's leader and its laws being disregarded,
we could face the worst-case scenario.
If by bearing all the blame myself I can break this impasse
and allow everyone to unite once more under Commander-in-Chief Wajima,
there would be no greater joy.
Father...
To break the impasse gripping this nation,
Daikichi, Yasuke,
I need you both to cooperate in bringing charges against me.
There's no need to panic.
I'm only stepping down from this position, not dying.
For the people and the nation, I'll be counting on you two.
- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
- Are the preparations complete? - Yes, sir.
The soldiers I brought know nothing of the matter at hand.
They have only been told to follow you and apprehend a certain individual.
We will now lay siege to the Commander-in-Chief's residence.
Year 60 of the Yamato era. March 21.
Seii Strategist Yayakichi Hei led several dozen Seii soldiers
in an operation to lay siege to the Commander-in-Chief's residence.
This became known as the Yayakichi Rebellion.
One guard patrolling the residence was stabbed to death,
but Yayakichi was soon apprehended.
The accompanying soldiers, learning the operation's true objective
was the assassination of the Commander-in-Chief, surrendered.
Through a swift operation that claimed only a single life,
Yayakichi took upon himself the disgrace of being branded a traitor.
Everything unfolded exactly as he had planned.
HOW TO MAKE YAYAKICHI'S GLOVE PUPPET
No way!
What the hell were you thinking?
You've been playing Lady Ohga all this time!
You make my blood boil!
Commander-in-Chief Wajima, give a heavy sentence to that old bastard!
Nah, it's gotta be death!
Death! Death! Death!
Give him death!
This was
your plan?
You ordered your subordinates to circulate that letter of indictment, didn't you?
Enough of this!
Explain yourself, to me and to everyone, right now!
It is my great regret that,
through my own inadequacy,
I failed to kill you when the opportunity arose.
Yayakichi, what are you saying?
"Even if you retreat, as long as you're alive, you can press forward again"!
You are the one who told me that.
So why would you of all people sacrifice yourself for my mistake?
I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about.
Twelve years ago, I killed your elder brothers.
In this war,
I issued orders for the massacre and rape of Yamato civilians in Okuetsu.
I urged retreat at the Kuzuryu River to deliberately damage your authority.
And tonight, through rebellion, I sought to replace you.
My ambition was left unfulfilled, but such is life.
I ask that you judge me strictly by the law,
and sentence me to death.
Father...
Wait!
Allow me to speak.
Is there any tactician who could replace Strategist Hei
in achieving the conquest of Yamato?
No, there is not.
I foolishly believed the letter of indictment,
incited the soldiers,
and had them submit a petition demanding his dismissal.
This incident is my responsibility.
I will accept punishment in his place.
I beg you to show mercy to Strategist Hei.
I am equally guilty.
Please...
Please forgive Strategist Hei, who served you loyally for so many years.
What a shameless farce.
They intend to drive Father out for good, just to save their own skins.
I'm begging you as well. Please forgive my dad!
No, Brother!
Even if you punish some token officer,
people will just see it as shifting blame,
and criticism of the Commander-in-Chief will only grow.
That would render Father's plan meaningless.
Father, I fully understand your resolve.
I will see to it that your wish is fulfilled.
Commander-in-Chief Wajima,
you must not forgive my father.
Yasuke!
Why?
Whatever my father's true intentions may have been,
the fact remains, he led troops to the residence of Seii's Commander Wajima,
the nation's supreme authority, and took a life in the process.
This is an undeniable truth known to many.
As for the retreat at Kuzuryu River,
caution before nightfall is one thing,
but at midnight, vigilance is only natural.
Yet despite being the nation's strategist, he conducted no proper investigation
and claimed foolishly that "there is no exception to The Empty Fort Stratagem,"
placing you, Commander-In-Chief, in grave peril. For this,
my father deserves death a thousand times over.
Death!
Right now, resentment toward my father is swirling through our ranks,
and morale is in disarray.
To defeat the enemy, we must set the army right.
To set the army right, we must set the law right.
Commander-In-Chief Wajima,
I ask that you publicly execute my father, the traitor,
and show the nation the path of justice.
Death! Death! Death!
Yayakichi,
this isn't the way I wanted
to have to trust you or your plan.
I hereby sentence the traitor, Yayakichi Hei, to crucifixion.
Born in Year 2 of the Yamato era, in Uzen Province.
As a child, he was raised under the Seii regime's "anti-Yamato policy,"
educated from an early age to oppose Yamato.
From a young age, he served as district governor in his region,
contributing to Seii's economic recovery and improvements in public order.
He was later appointed as a foreign affairs official,
entering repeated diplomatic negotiations with the eastern state of Buo.
Under the pretext of preparing for invasion by their shared enemy, Yamato,
he secured a de facto non-aggression pact.
Afterward, he was deeply impressed
by Byakko Wajima's "Westward Advance Doctrine,"
a policy to halt Yamato's expansion
and address food shortages brought on by cooling.
He joined as a staff officer,
earned Byakko's deep trust,
and served as his adviser in both public and private affairs.
He was also cherished by the Wajima heirs, raised in a single-father household,
and came to be treated as one of their own.
After Byakko's death,
seeking to fulfill their shared ambition of the conquest of Yamato,
Yayakichi poisoned and murdered Byakko's inept sons and incited Ohga to rise.
He devoted the remainder of his life to the westward campaign alongside Ohga.
Tora...
though my life should end, my wish will live on.
From beyond the grave, I will pray for this nation's prosperity
and the happiness of its people.
Yayakichi Hei. Fifty-eight.
Under pelting rain, he died in Fukui, his ambition left unfulfilled.
Down with the traitor!
Loyalty and patriotism!
Long live our Commander-in-Chief!
Down with the traitor!
Loyalty and patriotism!
Long live our Commander-in-Chief!
Down with the traitor!
Loyalty and patriotism!
Long live our Commander-in-Chief!
Come on, Yasuke, this is messed up.
After all Dad did for this country, for him to die like this...
There's no way that's right!
History will judge today's choice.
But if we do not win this war,
Seii has no future.
I'm not our father. I'll do things my way.
Under Commander-in-Chief Wajima, I will lead this country to victory.
Dammit! All we can do is keep moving forward!
Then I'll make damn sure Dad didn't die for nothing!
Down with the traitor!
Loyalty and patriotism!
Long live our Commander-in-Chief!
Down with the traitor!
Loyalty and patriotism!
Long live our Commander-in-Chief!
Down with the traitor!
Loyalty and patriotism!
Long live our Commander-in-Chief!
TORA, DO NOT DESPAIR
YAMATO
I will not let this country, or its people,
be ruled by that nation of utter corruption!
Papa, Yayakichi,
I will show the world
the dream you devoted your lives to!
The girl who had lost her family,
and the strategist who had lost his lord,
took each other's hands and dreamed of conquering Yamato.
Twelve years later,
the parting of the two who had shared joy and sorrow
would make Commander-in-Chief Ohga Wajima a true leader.
Meanwhile, in Osaka...
OSAKA SAME TIME
...where news of the death of Seii's strategist had yet to reach...
one young man
was about to stake the fate of the realm on a single, decisive gamble.
THOUGH MY LIFE SHOULD END, MY WISH WILL LIVE ON.