NIPPON SANGOKU: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun (2026) s01e08 Episode Script
Dragon vs. Tiger
Fictional work. Any similarity to
real names or events is coincidental.
Underage smoking is prohibited.
Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.
Seii Commander-in-Chief Ohga Wajima
seized control of all Okuetsu in Fukui
by launching a surprise attack.
Outmaneuvered,
Borderland General Mitsuhide Ryumon
fell back to Fukui's Reihoku Castle
and ordered all forces to assemble.
Meanwhile, Muuton Nagao
moved to assassinate the Yamato commanders
stationed in Kanazawa.
But through the efforts of Goh Sugoh
and Shiryo Nagamine,
Muuton Nagao was killed in action,
and the Kanazawa night raid
ended in failure.
Even as this unfolded,
the main force of the Seii army
continued its advance,
intent on bringing down Ryumon.
MITSUHIDE RYUMON - REIHOKU - OKUETSU
Now, the decisive clash
between Ohga Wajima and Mitsuhide Ryumon
was drawing near.
Commander Wajima!
We must get going.
Sorry, Yayakichi. I'll be right there.
NIPPON SANGOKU:
THE THREE NATIONS OF THE CRIMSON SUN
EPISODE 8: DRAGON VS. TIGER
OKUETSU, 11:30, 12 DEGREES CELSIUS
SEII MILITARY CAMP
SEII COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
OHGA WAJIMA
My dear fellow citizens,
with the subjugation of Okuetsu,
we have driven the detested Yamatoans
from our land
and secured the freedom
of those loyal to Seii.
This page of history
would never have been written…
SEII STRATEGIS
YAYAKICHI HEI
…without your extraordinary passion
and tireless efforts.
YASUKE HEI - DAIKICHI HEI
And…
I ask that you forgive me
in your generosity.
For I have not been able
to properly express my gratitude
to all of you until today.
Thank you so much!
From here, we leave Okuetsu
and march toward a final showdown
with the Yamato army.
This will be a great, decisive battle,
one that will shape
the course of history for decades,
perhaps even centuries, to come.
We will never bend the knee to Yamato.
I believe that of every one of you.
That is why I will keep moving forward,
for all of you!
No matter how harsh the road ahead!
No matter what tragedies await us!
Just as my ancestors,
my father and my comrades did,
I promise to devote my blood,
my sweat, and my soul,
all of it, to this one battle!
12:12, 12 DEGREES CELSIUS
Commander Wajima.
According to reports,
after reaching Fukui,
Ryumon persuaded the district magistrate
and is now gathering
all Fukui soldiers, horses,
provisions and civilians in Reihoku.
How many troops?
Just over 6,000.
So they are ready
to take us on with such a small force.
It's like diving naked
into the midwinter sea.
Still, the Kanazawa night raid
forced our hand.
We are marching out
far sooner than planned.
I'm the one who left Kanazawa to Muuton.
All responsibility lies with me.
We lost something far too precious.
Yayakichi, we lost 2,000 soldiers
in Okuetsu.
In the lands we annexed,
Yamato people are being massacred.
And yet, to keep morale up,
we cannot even punish such actions.
Even so, it's finally time.
Yes.
As long as he lives,
Seii will never know peace.
For our people, for our nation,
and for my father,
I will have him ascend to the heavens
like a dragon should.
SAKAI
MARUOKA CASTLE
Having secured Okuetsu,
the Seii army left the Kura Corps behind
and advanced down the Kuzuryu River
with seven divisions,
invading Sakai.
Commander Wajima
divided her forces in two,
with three divisions
sealing off the river bridges
and containing
the Yamato forces in Reihoku.
The remaining four divisions
seized the abandoned
Maruoka Castle and Awara Castle
and occupied Sakai,
establishing a front
along the Daishoji River.
DAISHOJI RIVER BRIDGE
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
LEFT LIEUTENANT GENERAL
SHIRYO NAGAMINE
Oh, man.
This isn't good.
As a result, the Yamato forces returning
from Kanazawa were cut off from supplies
and stranded at Daishoji,
deep in Seii territory.
Set up camp!
-We wait until the entire force assembles!
-Yes, sir!
Due to the lightning-fast advance
of the Seii army's invasion,
Ryumon, who had established his main camp
in Reihoku, Fukui, was in one stroke
driven into a desperate predicament,
hopelessly outnumbered.
REIHOKU - FUKUI
I don't get why we are hesitating!
In Okuetsu and Kanazawa,
those barbarians are massacring
our soldiers and civilians.
Women and girls are being raped!
I second that!
We can't allow any more
of their atrocities!
FUKUI REIHOKU CASTLE
WAR ROOM
We'll send our full army to Kuzuryu River
and end this in a swift, decisive battle!
Even if we wanted to,
the disparity in forces is far too great!
BORDERLAND GENERAL
MITSUHIDE RYUMON
The troops returning from Kanazawa
are pinned down as well.
Come up with something
that's actually workable!
STRATEGIS
YASUAKI KAKU
Soldiers are about quality over numbers!
Are you doubting Yamato's finest?
Time for a showdown!
No.
We won't have a showdown.
Then why gather all our soldiers
in Reihoku,
at the cost of letting them take Sakai?
General Ryumon, we need an explanation!
There's one reason
I gathered everyone in Reihoku.
We are barricading ourselves.
Barricading is a strategy to buy time
until reinforcements arrive!
Are you petitioning
His Majesty for reinforcements?
Absolutely not!
If we ask His Majesty for reinforcements,
Lord Taira will come
leading a massive force!
Even if we defeat the Seii army,
he will strip you of command,
General Ryumon,
or even your life!
Please reconsider!
-Please reconsider!
-Please, I beg you, reconsider!
There is nothing to reconsider.
All units coordinate and evacuate
every civilian into the castle.
Once that's done,
return to your posts and do your duty.
Kaku, you stay.
You look like
you have got something to say.
Go on. Speak freely.
Then, I'll speak my mind.
Judging by the Seii army's movements,
the Kanazawa night raid
appears to have been unexpected
on their side as well.
That said, Right Lieutenant General Sugoh
has been forced to withdraw
due to his injuries.
And the 30,000 troops
under Left Lieutenant General Nagamine
have had their supply lines cut,
leaving them isolated.
Still, fortune favors us in one regard.
Thanks to the agricultural reforms
he proposed,
we need not fear a shortage of provisions.
By contrast, the enemy is unsettled
by the events at Kanazawa.
Their commander is consumed
by thoughts of revenge.
That's right.
The Seii advance is only gaining momentum.
At this point,
a frontal assault is out of the question,
and any half-baked ambush
would only lead to needless losses.
In that case, General Ryumon,
I believe
this is the moment to bet on that plan.
So that means they are on the move too.
Chief Clerk Moriyama
has made his decision.
Though he was once swayed
by the enemy commander,
he is a trusted retainer
who has supported you for 15 years.
I am confident he will carry out his duty.
The rest we leave in the hands
of that silver-tongued youth.
Aoteru Misumi, you say?
PEACE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
If he can grasp my intent,
this battle may allow us
to ensnare the Seii army in one stroke.
Very well.
Proceed as planned.
But if the Seii army attacks tonight,
this entire operation
will come to nothing.
Worse yet, we won't even be able
to protect our people.
Kaku, the castle is yours.
And where will you be going, Mr. Ryumon?
Have my tea basket and kimono made ready.
I'll buy us time at the Kuzuryu River.
Mr. Ryumon, you are more versed in warfare
than anyone in the enemy ranks.
Thus, you move without hesitation,
and once you act, you are never cornered.
Furthermore, if the enemy
understands the significance
of terrain, timing and weather in battle,
victory is certain.
But if their commander isn't wise…
Mr. Ryumon, you might not get away
with losing just your left eye.
I will not regret going out to battle.
Even if it costs you… your life?
What we should truly fear is not death,
but failing to live up
to the life we have been given.
Well then, wait for good news.
The east wind is blowing.
Mr. Ryumon, please come back alive.
MARUOKA CASTLE
19:52, 10 DEGREES CELSIUS
According to our secret officer,
the Yamato forces
are doing little more than flooding
the moat and reinforcing their defenses.
They show no sign of advancing.
Ryumon's aim is most likely…
-They are barricading themselves in.
-Yes.
How disappointing.
Father, Sakai is nearly secured.
We are ready to move at any time.
Commander Wajima,
we should strike Reihoku Castle tonight,
before Yamato reinforcements arrive,
and take it in one swift assault.
Urgent report!
Borderland General Mitsuhide Ryumon
has taken position at the Kuzuryu River!
What?
Was the earlier report wrong?
How many soldiers?
Ryumon is alone!
What? Alone…
Alone?
KUZURYU RIVER
20:32, 10 DEGREES CELSIUS
ELEGANT GENTLEMAN MASTER OF TEA CEREMONY
TEA MASTER RYUMON'S TEA UTENSILS
You idiot! Why are you bowing back to him?
Sorry, my bad. Reflex.
So that's Mitsuhide Ryumon.
What's that old geezer doing out there
in this freezing cold?
It's pitch black. Can't see a thing.
Isn't that a tea ceremony?
He dumped the tea. Why'd he do that?
Dunno, but isn't that just hot water?
It's dark, and my eyesight's crap.
I can't tell.
That's whisk purification,
a step in the tea ceremony.
That said, the soldier who said Ryumon
had "taken up position" put it well.
He's waiting for us alone,
unarmed, on a bridge, making tea.
As expected of Mitsuhide Ryumon.
He's a man you can't easily read.
How do you read that, Yayakichi?
If I may borrow a line from
a late Japan-era manga on Chinese history,
Romance of the Three Kingdoms,
"Wait. Don't rush.
This is a trap by Ryumon."
Something along those lines.
In other words,
what we truly ought to be wary of is…
…the 32nd of the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
The Empty Fort Stratagem.
You deliberately lure the enemy
into your own lines,
heighten their suspicion,
and drive them to withdraw.
A clever ploy said to have been used
by Zhuge Liang and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Yes. That said,
though both are well-known stories,
their authenticity remains unconfirmed.
On a bridge with nowhere to take cover…
Not to mention,
visibility on the far bank is poor.
If he has soldiers lying in ambush
and is planning a surprise attack…
Then the moment we set foot there,
it'll be over.
We'll suffer devastating losses.
Is it an empty bluff,
or is he planning an ambush,
ready to take us down with him?
In this darkness,
with the wide river between us,
there is no way to know which.
All I can say is this.
The Empty Fort Stratagem
is a desperate, last-ditch gambit.
A do-or-die move
when you have no other way out.
I doubt even Mitsuhide Ryumon
is an exception.
Yayakichi, relay my orders
to the whole army.
We now advance.
Completely understood.
We are well within range for a barrage.
However, it is only a lone tea master.
If you leave the defeat
of a Yamato General like Ryumon to others,
you will risk being seen as timid,
and it could damage your reputation
as Commander-in-Chief.
Our nation is founded
upon your authority, Commander.
You must strike down Ryumon
with your own hands
and demonstrate that authority.
Very well, Yayakichi.
I trust you.
I will send the dragon to the heavens.
Clear the way.
Tora, please come back alive.
If you defeat Ryumon,
I'm sure your father's spirit
will be at peace.
The Empty Fort Stratagem.
A strategy built on psychological warfare.
I'll expose
what lies within your heart.
Then you can apologize to Papa
in the afterlife.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Even with an army this massive before him,
Ryumon's form is untouched by doubt.
How rational and beautiful.
Such composure after being struck
by an arrow and engulfed in flames
can only mean one thing.
His troops are lying in wait
in the dark of night.
That is the rational answer!
They could ambush us from the bridgehead,
from the mountains,
or exploit this opening
to strike our main camp.
If Ryumon's death
or the end of the tea ceremony
is the signal to begin the ambush…
I have to retreat now! Or I won't be able
to protect our people or our nation!
All units, retreat immediately!
So, they have retreated.
I see…
"Fortune lies even in leftover tea."
Now then…
it's your turn.
How will you speak to the heavens?
OSAKA
SAME TIME, 15 DEGREES CELSIUS
What?
YOSHITSUNE ASAMA
-You're telling me to leave Osaka?
-Yes. Please get ready at once.
AOTERU MISUMI
You selfish side-parted hair bastard!
You just turn up out of nowhere
and this is what you say?
Mr. Tsune,
you'll head to Fukui alone as a messenger.
Weapons, a horse, food,
and whatever else you'll need,
prepare them as quickly as you can.
Be ready to leave Osaka
as soon as I return.
No, no, no! That makes no sense!
And where are you even going?
To seek an audience with the Emperor.
What?
SAKAI - REIHOKU - OKUETSU
Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.
The Seii army advanced west,
occupying Okuetsu and Sakai.
Setting Reihoku as their next target,
they pressed forward.
Facing this unprecedented crisis,
Borderland General Mitsuhide Ryumon
resorted to a bold gambit,
the Empty Fort Stratagem.
With heaven and earth on his side,
Ryumon bore the mandate of fate.
Shaken by his commanding presence,
Seii Commander-in-Chief Ohga Wajima
feared an ambush and ordered a retreat.
Thus, the people of Fukui were protected.
Yet all knew
it was only a temporary reprieve.
Ryumon and Kaku
entrusted the nation's future
to a single silver-tongued youth.
None other than Aoteru Misumi.
Meanwhile, Seii too
was approaching a major crossroads,
one that could decide the nation's fate.
Doubts about Ohga Wajima's command
were beginning to surface.
For the first time, Ohga's worthiness as
a leader was about to be put to the test.
THE EMPTY FORT STRATAGEM
real names or events is coincidental.
Underage smoking is prohibited.
Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.
Seii Commander-in-Chief Ohga Wajima
seized control of all Okuetsu in Fukui
by launching a surprise attack.
Outmaneuvered,
Borderland General Mitsuhide Ryumon
fell back to Fukui's Reihoku Castle
and ordered all forces to assemble.
Meanwhile, Muuton Nagao
moved to assassinate the Yamato commanders
stationed in Kanazawa.
But through the efforts of Goh Sugoh
and Shiryo Nagamine,
Muuton Nagao was killed in action,
and the Kanazawa night raid
ended in failure.
Even as this unfolded,
the main force of the Seii army
continued its advance,
intent on bringing down Ryumon.
MITSUHIDE RYUMON - REIHOKU - OKUETSU
Now, the decisive clash
between Ohga Wajima and Mitsuhide Ryumon
was drawing near.
Commander Wajima!
We must get going.
Sorry, Yayakichi. I'll be right there.
NIPPON SANGOKU:
THE THREE NATIONS OF THE CRIMSON SUN
EPISODE 8: DRAGON VS. TIGER
OKUETSU, 11:30, 12 DEGREES CELSIUS
SEII MILITARY CAMP
SEII COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
OHGA WAJIMA
My dear fellow citizens,
with the subjugation of Okuetsu,
we have driven the detested Yamatoans
from our land
and secured the freedom
of those loyal to Seii.
This page of history
would never have been written…
SEII STRATEGIS
YAYAKICHI HEI
…without your extraordinary passion
and tireless efforts.
YASUKE HEI - DAIKICHI HEI
And…
I ask that you forgive me
in your generosity.
For I have not been able
to properly express my gratitude
to all of you until today.
Thank you so much!
From here, we leave Okuetsu
and march toward a final showdown
with the Yamato army.
This will be a great, decisive battle,
one that will shape
the course of history for decades,
perhaps even centuries, to come.
We will never bend the knee to Yamato.
I believe that of every one of you.
That is why I will keep moving forward,
for all of you!
No matter how harsh the road ahead!
No matter what tragedies await us!
Just as my ancestors,
my father and my comrades did,
I promise to devote my blood,
my sweat, and my soul,
all of it, to this one battle!
12:12, 12 DEGREES CELSIUS
Commander Wajima.
According to reports,
after reaching Fukui,
Ryumon persuaded the district magistrate
and is now gathering
all Fukui soldiers, horses,
provisions and civilians in Reihoku.
How many troops?
Just over 6,000.
So they are ready
to take us on with such a small force.
It's like diving naked
into the midwinter sea.
Still, the Kanazawa night raid
forced our hand.
We are marching out
far sooner than planned.
I'm the one who left Kanazawa to Muuton.
All responsibility lies with me.
We lost something far too precious.
Yayakichi, we lost 2,000 soldiers
in Okuetsu.
In the lands we annexed,
Yamato people are being massacred.
And yet, to keep morale up,
we cannot even punish such actions.
Even so, it's finally time.
Yes.
As long as he lives,
Seii will never know peace.
For our people, for our nation,
and for my father,
I will have him ascend to the heavens
like a dragon should.
SAKAI
MARUOKA CASTLE
Having secured Okuetsu,
the Seii army left the Kura Corps behind
and advanced down the Kuzuryu River
with seven divisions,
invading Sakai.
Commander Wajima
divided her forces in two,
with three divisions
sealing off the river bridges
and containing
the Yamato forces in Reihoku.
The remaining four divisions
seized the abandoned
Maruoka Castle and Awara Castle
and occupied Sakai,
establishing a front
along the Daishoji River.
DAISHOJI RIVER BRIDGE
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
LEFT LIEUTENANT GENERAL
SHIRYO NAGAMINE
Oh, man.
This isn't good.
As a result, the Yamato forces returning
from Kanazawa were cut off from supplies
and stranded at Daishoji,
deep in Seii territory.
Set up camp!
-We wait until the entire force assembles!
-Yes, sir!
Due to the lightning-fast advance
of the Seii army's invasion,
Ryumon, who had established his main camp
in Reihoku, Fukui, was in one stroke
driven into a desperate predicament,
hopelessly outnumbered.
REIHOKU - FUKUI
I don't get why we are hesitating!
In Okuetsu and Kanazawa,
those barbarians are massacring
our soldiers and civilians.
Women and girls are being raped!
I second that!
We can't allow any more
of their atrocities!
FUKUI REIHOKU CASTLE
WAR ROOM
We'll send our full army to Kuzuryu River
and end this in a swift, decisive battle!
Even if we wanted to,
the disparity in forces is far too great!
BORDERLAND GENERAL
MITSUHIDE RYUMON
The troops returning from Kanazawa
are pinned down as well.
Come up with something
that's actually workable!
STRATEGIS
YASUAKI KAKU
Soldiers are about quality over numbers!
Are you doubting Yamato's finest?
Time for a showdown!
No.
We won't have a showdown.
Then why gather all our soldiers
in Reihoku,
at the cost of letting them take Sakai?
General Ryumon, we need an explanation!
There's one reason
I gathered everyone in Reihoku.
We are barricading ourselves.
Barricading is a strategy to buy time
until reinforcements arrive!
Are you petitioning
His Majesty for reinforcements?
Absolutely not!
If we ask His Majesty for reinforcements,
Lord Taira will come
leading a massive force!
Even if we defeat the Seii army,
he will strip you of command,
General Ryumon,
or even your life!
Please reconsider!
-Please reconsider!
-Please, I beg you, reconsider!
There is nothing to reconsider.
All units coordinate and evacuate
every civilian into the castle.
Once that's done,
return to your posts and do your duty.
Kaku, you stay.
You look like
you have got something to say.
Go on. Speak freely.
Then, I'll speak my mind.
Judging by the Seii army's movements,
the Kanazawa night raid
appears to have been unexpected
on their side as well.
That said, Right Lieutenant General Sugoh
has been forced to withdraw
due to his injuries.
And the 30,000 troops
under Left Lieutenant General Nagamine
have had their supply lines cut,
leaving them isolated.
Still, fortune favors us in one regard.
Thanks to the agricultural reforms
he proposed,
we need not fear a shortage of provisions.
By contrast, the enemy is unsettled
by the events at Kanazawa.
Their commander is consumed
by thoughts of revenge.
That's right.
The Seii advance is only gaining momentum.
At this point,
a frontal assault is out of the question,
and any half-baked ambush
would only lead to needless losses.
In that case, General Ryumon,
I believe
this is the moment to bet on that plan.
So that means they are on the move too.
Chief Clerk Moriyama
has made his decision.
Though he was once swayed
by the enemy commander,
he is a trusted retainer
who has supported you for 15 years.
I am confident he will carry out his duty.
The rest we leave in the hands
of that silver-tongued youth.
Aoteru Misumi, you say?
PEACE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
If he can grasp my intent,
this battle may allow us
to ensnare the Seii army in one stroke.
Very well.
Proceed as planned.
But if the Seii army attacks tonight,
this entire operation
will come to nothing.
Worse yet, we won't even be able
to protect our people.
Kaku, the castle is yours.
And where will you be going, Mr. Ryumon?
Have my tea basket and kimono made ready.
I'll buy us time at the Kuzuryu River.
Mr. Ryumon, you are more versed in warfare
than anyone in the enemy ranks.
Thus, you move without hesitation,
and once you act, you are never cornered.
Furthermore, if the enemy
understands the significance
of terrain, timing and weather in battle,
victory is certain.
But if their commander isn't wise…
Mr. Ryumon, you might not get away
with losing just your left eye.
I will not regret going out to battle.
Even if it costs you… your life?
What we should truly fear is not death,
but failing to live up
to the life we have been given.
Well then, wait for good news.
The east wind is blowing.
Mr. Ryumon, please come back alive.
MARUOKA CASTLE
19:52, 10 DEGREES CELSIUS
According to our secret officer,
the Yamato forces
are doing little more than flooding
the moat and reinforcing their defenses.
They show no sign of advancing.
Ryumon's aim is most likely…
-They are barricading themselves in.
-Yes.
How disappointing.
Father, Sakai is nearly secured.
We are ready to move at any time.
Commander Wajima,
we should strike Reihoku Castle tonight,
before Yamato reinforcements arrive,
and take it in one swift assault.
Urgent report!
Borderland General Mitsuhide Ryumon
has taken position at the Kuzuryu River!
What?
Was the earlier report wrong?
How many soldiers?
Ryumon is alone!
What? Alone…
Alone?
KUZURYU RIVER
20:32, 10 DEGREES CELSIUS
ELEGANT GENTLEMAN MASTER OF TEA CEREMONY
TEA MASTER RYUMON'S TEA UTENSILS
You idiot! Why are you bowing back to him?
Sorry, my bad. Reflex.
So that's Mitsuhide Ryumon.
What's that old geezer doing out there
in this freezing cold?
It's pitch black. Can't see a thing.
Isn't that a tea ceremony?
He dumped the tea. Why'd he do that?
Dunno, but isn't that just hot water?
It's dark, and my eyesight's crap.
I can't tell.
That's whisk purification,
a step in the tea ceremony.
That said, the soldier who said Ryumon
had "taken up position" put it well.
He's waiting for us alone,
unarmed, on a bridge, making tea.
As expected of Mitsuhide Ryumon.
He's a man you can't easily read.
How do you read that, Yayakichi?
If I may borrow a line from
a late Japan-era manga on Chinese history,
Romance of the Three Kingdoms,
"Wait. Don't rush.
This is a trap by Ryumon."
Something along those lines.
In other words,
what we truly ought to be wary of is…
…the 32nd of the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
The Empty Fort Stratagem.
You deliberately lure the enemy
into your own lines,
heighten their suspicion,
and drive them to withdraw.
A clever ploy said to have been used
by Zhuge Liang and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Yes. That said,
though both are well-known stories,
their authenticity remains unconfirmed.
On a bridge with nowhere to take cover…
Not to mention,
visibility on the far bank is poor.
If he has soldiers lying in ambush
and is planning a surprise attack…
Then the moment we set foot there,
it'll be over.
We'll suffer devastating losses.
Is it an empty bluff,
or is he planning an ambush,
ready to take us down with him?
In this darkness,
with the wide river between us,
there is no way to know which.
All I can say is this.
The Empty Fort Stratagem
is a desperate, last-ditch gambit.
A do-or-die move
when you have no other way out.
I doubt even Mitsuhide Ryumon
is an exception.
Yayakichi, relay my orders
to the whole army.
We now advance.
Completely understood.
We are well within range for a barrage.
However, it is only a lone tea master.
If you leave the defeat
of a Yamato General like Ryumon to others,
you will risk being seen as timid,
and it could damage your reputation
as Commander-in-Chief.
Our nation is founded
upon your authority, Commander.
You must strike down Ryumon
with your own hands
and demonstrate that authority.
Very well, Yayakichi.
I trust you.
I will send the dragon to the heavens.
Clear the way.
Tora, please come back alive.
If you defeat Ryumon,
I'm sure your father's spirit
will be at peace.
The Empty Fort Stratagem.
A strategy built on psychological warfare.
I'll expose
what lies within your heart.
Then you can apologize to Papa
in the afterlife.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Even with an army this massive before him,
Ryumon's form is untouched by doubt.
How rational and beautiful.
Such composure after being struck
by an arrow and engulfed in flames
can only mean one thing.
His troops are lying in wait
in the dark of night.
That is the rational answer!
They could ambush us from the bridgehead,
from the mountains,
or exploit this opening
to strike our main camp.
If Ryumon's death
or the end of the tea ceremony
is the signal to begin the ambush…
I have to retreat now! Or I won't be able
to protect our people or our nation!
All units, retreat immediately!
So, they have retreated.
I see…
"Fortune lies even in leftover tea."
Now then…
it's your turn.
How will you speak to the heavens?
OSAKA
SAME TIME, 15 DEGREES CELSIUS
What?
YOSHITSUNE ASAMA
-You're telling me to leave Osaka?
-Yes. Please get ready at once.
AOTERU MISUMI
You selfish side-parted hair bastard!
You just turn up out of nowhere
and this is what you say?
Mr. Tsune,
you'll head to Fukui alone as a messenger.
Weapons, a horse, food,
and whatever else you'll need,
prepare them as quickly as you can.
Be ready to leave Osaka
as soon as I return.
No, no, no! That makes no sense!
And where are you even going?
To seek an audience with the Emperor.
What?
SAKAI - REIHOKU - OKUETSU
Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.
The Seii army advanced west,
occupying Okuetsu and Sakai.
Setting Reihoku as their next target,
they pressed forward.
Facing this unprecedented crisis,
Borderland General Mitsuhide Ryumon
resorted to a bold gambit,
the Empty Fort Stratagem.
With heaven and earth on his side,
Ryumon bore the mandate of fate.
Shaken by his commanding presence,
Seii Commander-in-Chief Ohga Wajima
feared an ambush and ordered a retreat.
Thus, the people of Fukui were protected.
Yet all knew
it was only a temporary reprieve.
Ryumon and Kaku
entrusted the nation's future
to a single silver-tongued youth.
None other than Aoteru Misumi.
Meanwhile, Seii too
was approaching a major crossroads,
one that could decide the nation's fate.
Doubts about Ohga Wajima's command
were beginning to surface.
For the first time, Ohga's worthiness as
a leader was about to be put to the test.
THE EMPTY FORT STRATAGEM