NIPPON SANGOKU: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun (2026) s01e05 Episode Script

Fictional work. Any similarity
to real names or events is coincidental.
Underage smoking is prohibited.
Year 51 of the Seiki era. Spring.
A coup breaks out in Seiro,
the capital of Seii.
ANTI-SURRENDER FACTION CAPTAIN
MUUTON NAGAO
Wait, please! Hold on--
ANTI-SURRENDER FACTION CAPTAIN
ATERUI KURA
PRO-SURRENDER FACTION PRESIDEN
HARUICHI AZAMI
Ohga founds a new government,
declaring her resolve nationwide.
She quickly wins the people's hearts
thanks to her character
and political prowess.
HARUICHI AZAMI - DECEASED
Within Seii, a campaign against Yamato
gains momentum.
Meanwhile, in Yamato's capital, Osaka…
Move it, move it! Out of the way!
I'm running so late! Sorry!
-Hey, hold on!
-Huh?
This is the Borderland General's Bureau.
Civilians are not permitted inside.
Idiot!
I'm the Borderland General Corps
secret officer assigned to Seii!
SECRET OFFICER
SHINZO HARANISHI
I need to see
the Borderland General at once!
NIPPON SANGOKU:
THE THREE NATIONS OF THE CRIMSON SUN
EPISODE 5:
THE BORDERLAND GENERAL CORPS MARCHES OU
What did you say, Ryumon?
A coup in Seii?
BORDERLAND GENERAL
MITSUHIDE RYUMON
That's right, Your Majesty.
According to our secret officer's report,
one month ago, the new Seii government
took complete control of state affairs
effectively establishing a dictatorship.
LORD OF HOME AFFAIRS
DENKI TAIRA
A campaign against Yamato
is gaining momentum across Seii,
and there is a possibility
that they may invade our country soon.
THIRD EMPEROR OF YAMATO
FUJI III
What? That's bad, really bad, isn't it?
SWEAT SWEA
Please rest assured. I will travel at once
to Fukui, on our border with Seii,
and make preparations in anticipation
of Seii's western campaign.
Your Majesty, permission to deploy
to the front at once.
If I leave it to Ryumon,
he'll probably manage to sort things out.
Very well, Ryumon!
I grant you permission to deploy--
No!
No, no, no!
That won't do, Your Majesty.
You mustn't approve
the deployment of Ryumon's forces.
HUH?
What, why?
Right.
Your Majesty,
Seii is merely trying to provoke us.
According to this report,
the new Seii government cut unemployment
to less than half in just one month,
but running a nation isn't that simple.
Even if people found work,
most of them
probably aren't eating properly.
Come to think of it, that's true.
Besides, Seii's soldiers and food reserves
don't even come close to our levels.
For them to invade our nation…
We might as well expect steam
to rise from cold rice.
So then, Your Majesty,
why is Ryumon asking permission
to deploy his forces?
Why has the secret officer's return
been delayed for so long?
How did Ryumon foresee
the rise of a dictator in Seii?
Since Your Majesty is wise,
I'm sure you already know.
His face is way too close!
No way… I mean,
I don't even want to think about it, but…
Perhaps Ryumon's in contact with Seii…
Is that what this means?
But, Lord of Home Affairs,
the report says the officer's delay
was due to the new Seii government's
tightened security at their checkpoints…
Reports like that
can easily be tampered with.
Your Majesty!
An official from the Archive Bureau
is requesting an audience!
What?
Can't you see His Majesty
is in the middle of something important?
Come back later.
But we've received
an urgent dispatch from Seii.
What? What did you say?
Let them through!
At once!
Grand Archivist Tonotsugu Taira
humbly requests an audience with His
Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Yamato.
HEIR TO DENKI TAIRA - GRAND ARCHIVIS
TONOTSUGU TAIRA
Your Majesty, if my son offends you,
cut me down in his stead.
What, your son?
Your Imperial Majesty,
the Emperor of Yamato,
I bring you a report
from the Archive Bureau.
A man by the name of Muuton Nagao,
Seii's Chief Negotiator
and Governor of Kaga Province,
has expressed his intent
to defect to Yamato,
along with Kaga's soldiers and territory.
This is good news, right?
Also, his name's "Muuton"?
Seii really does have some peculiar names.
Right.
According to the secret officer's report,
Nagao is one of the closest aides
to Seii's Commander.
For someone like him
to defect to Yamato… Right.
That's great news, isn't it?
Yes, Father!
They say that since Nagao
never took much interest in the coup,
he was suspected of treason and reassigned
to the border province of Kaga.
On top of that, Seii's Commander…
Ouch!
…made groundless accusations against him
and had him flogged.
Flogged?
I sent a messenger to Kaga to verify
whether the dispatch was genuine.
The messenger returned a short while ago
and said, "Nagao's wounds
were so icky and oozy
that I couldn't even bear
to look at them."
Those were his exact words.
Icky… Oozy…
This is what they call
"seizing the moment"!
We should send soldiers,
food, and supplies to Kaga at once
and get everything set up on the ground.
That is all.
PHEW
All right.
Then we must send transport units
to Kaga at once--
If I may, Your Majesty,
I would urge you
to proceed with caution here.
What?
This is clearly a Seii ruse,
likely from the Thirty-Six Stratagems,
number 34, the "Self-injury Stratagem."
"Self-injury Stratagem"?
When you deliberately
injure yourself or an ally,
exploiting the human tendency
to trust those who are wounded,
to deceive the enemy.
Flogged on purpose? Is he a masochist?
Seii tried the same stratagem on Yamato
12 years ago.
Strategist Kaku,
who was newly enlisted at the time,
was able to see through
Seii's deceptive plan beforehand.
Because of this, we managed to defeat
Seii's Commander-in-Chief and win.
That commander's name was Wajima.
And Seii's current Commander-in-Chief
is also a Wajima.
Your Majesty,
please use your wise judgement.
Ryumon's got a point.
Wait, so what am I supposed to do?
Your Majesty!
You mustn't trust this baldy!
Baldy?
Baldy? What?
If I may, Your Majesty.
If we miss this opportunity, our northern
campaign will become far more difficult.
My information is reliable.
Your Majesty, I urge you to decide wisely.
Why the heck… No…
I don't know what to do!
Your Majesty.
Have you already forgotten
what I said earlier?
Your Majesty's only allies are…
the Tairas alone.
I am issuing an imperial order!
Grand Archivist Tonotsugu Taira,
send 30,000 regular soldiers
from Fukui to Kaga!
At once!
Borderland General Mitsuhide Ryumon!
I want you to lead 5,000 soldiers
and support Grand Archivist Taira!
What?
THUD - BANG
Well, I'm counting on you!
You're dismissed!
Please wait, Your Majesty!
If this is a ruse by Seii,
we will lose a vast part of our army!
Please rescind the imperial order!
PITTER PATTER
Baldy, baldy.
Tonotsugu may not look like it,
but he's still a child.
Take good care of him, yeah?
You know what will happen
if my son dies, don't you?
The "Self-injury Stratagem"
from external enemies,
and the "Alienation Stratagem"
from the enemies within.
Jeez.
STRATEGIS
YASUAKI KAKU
You're really in a bind, Mr. Ryumon.
Were you able to hear us from out here?
Oh? So I was right?
I said that on a hunch.
Kaku,
how do you read the situation?
It's bad. Really bad.
From Seii's standpoint,
it's the perfect chance to strike Yamato.
From that fat bastard's standpoint,
it's the perfect chance
to seize full control of your command.
Still, it's not like we're out of options.
I thought you might also have
something in mind.
Meaning you do too, Mr. Ryumon?
Yes.
Tomorrow at noon, we'll convene a meeting.
Gather the Borderland General Corps
at the bureau.
Got it. Everyone?
Yeah. We'll need the rookies
to step up too.
Ten days remain until
Seii's western expedition.
SECRET OFFICER'S REPORT BACK
YAMATO YEAR 60, SPRING
The next day, in Dotonbori.
What?
AUDITOR
AOTERU MISUMI
They're sending 30,000 regular soldiers
from Fukui to Kaga?
DEPUTY MASTER OF ARMS
YOSHITSUNE ASAMA
They suspect a ruse,
yet they're sending transport units
right into Seii's territory.
That's nothing short
of walking willingly into a trap!
Has the Emperor been so taken in
by Denki Taira's empty rhetoric
that he would let the last three years
of Farmer-soldiers policy go up in smoke?
As the ruler of this nation,
does he not care about the lives
of soldiers and civilians?
Same goes for Borderland General Ryumon!
For over 20 years,
this country has been weakened
by the Tairas' tyranny,
yet Borderland General Ryumon,
as supreme commander,
risked his life defending it
against invasions from two nations!
For him to allow Taira's son
to take command so easily…
It's outrageous!
All right, I've made up my mind.
I will admonish Borderland General Ryumon
before the council!
Hold on.
Here.
Don't be impatient, Misumi.
Right now,
this is still an information war.
Meaning, we don't know who's right yet.
Besides, you said it yourself, didn't you?
History is made up entirely of exceptions.
We can't change the fact that
Borderland General Ryumon lost command.
TAIRA
However, with the right strategy,
we can still turn the situation around.
RYUMON
Yes. As they say,
"Judge matters by merit,
judge action by its timing."
Thank you, Mr. Tsune.
It's nothing.
I managed to get through
to that hardheaded Misumi.
Man, I really am something!
NOON
Now then.
Here in Kanazawa is where we rendezvous
with Muuton Nagao.
Kanazawa still has plenty
of Japan-era buildings,
so it's practically a fortress.
It's ideal for laying an ambush,
with the Tedori River at our backs.
Once we advance to Kanazawa,
there's nowhere to run.
If Nagao's surrender is a lie,
our army will be wiped out.
The Tedori River is one of Japan's
fastest-flowing rivers.
With the snow melting,
it could be flooding.
If we're ambushed at the crossing,
there's a 90% probability
that our unit will be wiped out.
And if Taira's son ends up dead,
Mr. Ryumon's command…
no, even his life will be in danger.
Right Lieutenant General Sugoh
and Left Lieutenant General Nagamine
have left Osaka with Grand Archivist Taira
leading the vanguard
and the main force, respectively.
We'll be heading to Kaga as well.
That's all.
Hold down the fort while we're gone.
What? Hold down the fort?
Strategist Kaku.
Chief Strategist
of the Borderland General Corps.
Three years ago,
at the Battle of Nagashino,
they say he predicted
the Buo army's position
and succeeded in ambushing them
with just 20 men.
He's racked up numerous achievements,
and the soldiers all say the same thing.
"Kaku never fails."
That said…
DEEP THOUGH
…why share the current situation
with those of us staying behind?
What the heck? They totally need me!
ANGER
Leaving me out? No, this is messed up!
I'll tell him. I'll set him straight!
If I may!
Borderland General Ryumon,
permission to speak, sir.
CHIEF CLERK
KINTA MORIYAMA
Chief Clerk Moriyama, you may speak.
Thank you, sir.
Given the circumstances, it may be wise
to align ourselves with Seii!
Let's hear your reasoning first.
At present, Seii is inferior to us
in military strength,
and their reserves are also insufficient.
However, Seii's Commander, Ohga Wajima,
is said to be benevolent
to a righteous cause.
She's also easy on the eyes, and has
a good reputation among the people.
-Really?
-That's right!
Meanwhile in Yamato,
the Taira clan amasses more power,
and the Emperor's authority
has already been lost.
Frankly, there is no hope
for Yamato's future!
That's true.
-He's got a point.
-True.
To achieve peace across the land,
we should abandon Yamato
and swear allegiance to Seii's Commander,
who is benevolent to a righteous cause!
I beg you to consider this as well.
As do I! Please swear allegiance to Seii!
-Swear allegiance to Seii!
-Swear allegiance!
I ask this as well!
Strategist Kaku! What's so funny?
Well, I mean…
seeing how completely brainwashed you are,
I couldn't help it.
What?
Kaku, do you have something to say?
Oh, yes.
Then let me ask you, Chief Clerk Moriyama.
What is this "benevolence"
of Commander Wajima?
It's this!
She hands out porridge to people in need,
and saved the people with her reforms!
That's benevolence!
Oh?
Well, hold on.
The rice used to make that porridge
came from the land tax the people
had overpaid to the old Seii regime.
In other words, their own money.
Isn't it only right to return the money
from those taxes back to the people?
Wajima never told the people any of that,
and instead acted as if
she had given them the porridge herself.
Then she pushed through reckless reforms
and, with her eloquent speeches,
led her people not toward peaceful lives
but down the path of war.
That is not true benevolence.
PEACE ACROSS THE LAND
But…
Exactly!
Well… figures.
And what of Wajima's
so-called righteous cause?
To… to protect Seii loyalists in Fukui,
and subjugate Yamato,
the very land that gave rise to Seii!
That is a righteous cause!
You have it backward.
Backward! Backward?
Seii only began clearly proclaiming
a righteous cause
after Ohga Wajima
became Commander-in-Chief.
You can also think of it this way.
She's not seeking to conquer Yamato
because of some righteous cause.
Rather, she's proclaiming
a righteous cause to hide her true motive.
Her true motive…
Revenge for her late father,
or something along those lines… How dumb.
Throughout history, dictators have
waged war under seemingly noble banners.
Driven by revenge,
she deceives the people,
drags them into conflict,
and seeks not peace across the land,
but only the conquest of Yamato.
That is no righteous cause.
Ohga Wajima is
nothing but a foolish dictator
masquerading as a virtuous leader.
She is unfit to rule the world!
How can you be so sure?
I have good instincts.
RUSTLE RUSTLE
SLIP
OHGA WAJIMA
What's this?
Isn't this
from the secret officer's report?
That's…
"Commander Wajima's totally my type.
She seems nice, too."
"Maybe I'll defect to Seii!"
Get a grip.
No, but I mean,
at least compared to the Tairas…
We, the Borderland General Corps,
have never fought
for the prosperity of the Tairas.
We fight to bring peace to the land.
A far greater cause.
To serve
in the Borderland General's forces
without grasping something so basic…
Utterly laughable.
Auditor Misumi.
Yes, sir.
What is his offense under military law?
With your permission.
Chief Clerk Moriyama incited disloyalty
among the ranks during the council,
undermining morale.
Under military law, three years of exile
would be a proper punishment.
And what about those
who sided with Moriyama?
All responsibility lies with Moriyama,
who incited the others.
I believe those who sided with him
should be pardoned.
Very well. I sentence Moriyama to exile
and pardon those who sided with him.
Take him away.
War is fast approaching.
Any reckless talk in the bureau
will be punished under military law.
All right then.
Hold down the fort while we're gone.
Yes, sir!
OSAKA - YAMATO YEAR 60, SPRING
16:21, 12 DEGREES CELSIUS
It's finally happening.
Yeah.
If everything goes as planned,
they'll send 30,000 regular soldiers
to Kaga and that's that.
Still, between Denki Taira's son
and the possibility
that Muuton Nagao's surrender is a ruse,
there's plenty of cause for concern.
Mr. Tsune,
from what we saw at the council,
I think it's safe to assume those of us
staying behind have a role to play.
What role?
That I don't know.
You don't say.
That said, some things don't add up
at the moment.
First, the fact that they held a council
and briefed those staying behind
on the situation.
As you know,
only Borderland General Ryumon
can deploy soldiers by imperial order.
Sharing the situation casually
with those of us who have no authority
would only stir anxiety and confusion.
So you think
there's something else going on?
Yes. Second,
Right Lieutenant General Sugoh
and Left Lieutenant General Nagamine
were sent ahead with Taira's son
as the advance party.
And third,
there's that.
Is that Chief Clerk Moriyama?
What about him?
He's just being sent into exile, isn't he?
Yes. He's being exiled
to Oda in Fukui-Echizen.
It goes without saying
Echizen crab is delicious.
It's known for its connection
to Oda Nobunaga,
the warlord to implement
the soldiers, farmers separation.
Nobunaga's statue is in Oda,
built in the first year of the Heisei…
Back to the main point, Misumi.
Right. What's worth noting
is the number of escort soldiers.
Roughly 200, I'd say.
Seems a bit excessive,
but I guess it'd be bad if he escaped
and passed information to Seii?
That's certainly possible.
But what you just said, Mr. Tsune,
could also be seen as a justification
after the fact.
Then why the extra soldiers?
That I don't know.
You don't say.
What if Moriyama's suggestion
to swear allegiance to Seii and his exile
was all orchestrated
by Borderland General Ryumon
and Strategist Kaku
to serve some sort of purpose.
What?
But if that were true,
it doesn't add up
that I wasn't told beforehand.
Unless they somehow anticipated
that I'd sentence Moriyama to exile.
No, even if that were true,
Chief Clerk Moriyama's acting
was far too convincing!
You can't sweat that much just by acting.
Could it be
that those two even anticipated
Moriyama would suggest defecting to Seii?
SWISH - CLACK CLACK CLACK
Though there are many tadpoles
under the sun,
only a rare few become frogs.
Lie on firewood and persuade the heavens.
Therein lies the key
that determines victory.
PAT PA
YAMATO
For you to leave parting advice, Kaku,
you must see great potential in Misumi.
Whether he remains merely gifted,
or becomes a true prodigy…
I simply chose to bet on the latter.
Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.
Aoteru Misumi was but 18 at the time.
The course of the world
is set into motion.
LIE UPON FIREWOOD
AND PERSUADE THE HEAVENS TO CLAIM VICTORY