NIPPON SANGOKU: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun (2026) s01e10 Episode Script
Reunion of Mortal Enemies
Fictional work. Any similarity to
real names or events is coincidental.
Underage smoking is prohibited.
Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.
After risking his life to protect
the people of Fukui for a single night,
Mitsuhide Ryumon was left gravely wounded.
Even Yasuaki Kaku
was struck down by sudden illness.
Meanwhile, Ohga Wajima,
who had lost her authority
by retreating before the enemy
at the Kuzuryu River,
executed Yayakichi Hei,
who took the full blame, under the law.
With her authority restored,
she rose to power again.
YEAR 60 OF THE YAMATO ERA - SPRING
21:52
To break through this crisis,
Ryumon and Kaku had entrusted
a certain plan to one young man.
NIPPON SANGOKU:
THE THREE NATIONS OF THE CRIMSON SUN
MARUOKA CASTLE, SEII FACTION
After the execution of Yayakichi Hei,
Ohga Wajima moved
to strictly enforce the reformed laws.
EPISODE 10: REUNION OF MORTAL ENEMIES
She also reassessed
the centralized system of power
and instituted a military council.
Summoning her senior commanders,
she devised a grand plan
to destroy the Yamato army.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
OHGA WAJIMA
We will call this operation
"Winter General Strategy."
Understood.
1ST DIVISION COMMANDER
JIEN HIBI
At daybreak, the 1st Division will set out
and surround Fukui Reihoku Castle,
beginning the assault on Ryumon's forces.
Meanwhile, the Commander
will lead a 50,000-strong main force
to Daishoji
to crush the isolated Nagamine army.
"HEI" RENAMED AS YASUKE KONOURA
Of course, if that happens,
reinforcements will arrive from Yamato.
Over a hundred thousand,
even by the most conservative estimate.
DENKI TAIRA - YAMATO
But this is our true objective.
We will burn the towns
as we retreat with the civilians,
drawing the Yamato army
all the way to the capital, Seiro.
There they will come to know
just how brutal
the Hokuriku region's cold can be.
And Seiro is a fortress zone,
surrounded by unforgiving terrain.
Once they set foot there,
there will be no escape.
After the long march,
when their supplies are exhausted,
their morale broken,
and they have no way forward or back,
we will launch a counterattack
and annihilate the Yamato army.
CAPITAL - SEIRO
I once told all of you
that I would never yield to Yamato,
yet I retreated before the enemy
on dubious grounds.
But this time,
I will not waver.
This time,
I will be the first to lay down my life!
For the people, for the nation,
let us press onward together!
Yeah!
FUKUI REIHOKU CASTLE - FUKUI
Please wait!
You shouldn't move in your condition.
Come in.
Dr. Kata, excuse me.
BORDERLAND GENERAL
MITSUHIDE RYUMON
Mr. Ryumon,
what do you think you are doing?
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
DOITSU KATA
I thought I made it clear
you need to rest!
If you keep pushing yourself,
you are only going to get worse!
It's Kaku.
I just need to check on his condition.
Please, Dr. Kata.
You are here already.
No point turning you away now.
Kaku…
What happened so suddenly?
These were likely the cause.
Antivirals, anti-arrhythmics,
blood pressure meds, all sorts of stuff.
They came from Kaku's uniform.
Who knows what kind of back-alley doctor
he got these from.
They are all way over the proper dose.
From what I can tell, Kaku has long
suffered from multiple serious conditions.
The use of those drugs, combined with
the harsh conditions of the campaign,
very likely led to respiratory failure.
Had I known he was in this state,
I would have stopped him
from going to war, no matter what.
Dr. Kata, is there any chance
Kaku will recover?
Of course there is!
YASUAKI KAKU - 32 YEARS OLD - MALE
I can't say he's in great shape,
but I have done everything
I can as a doctor.
Now we just wait for Kaku to wake up.
I see.
Come on, don't look so damn gloomy!
Snap out of it, snap out of it!
Dr. Kata,
you are a real lifesaver.
Well said!
The state of the war is dire.
If we are going to win this battle
and take one step closer to peace,
we need you, Kaku.
Live!
Live, and see for yourself how the plan
we entrusted to him
shapes the realm's fate.
OSAKA - IMPERIAL PALACE - MAIN GATE
What brings you here at this hour?
I am Aoteru Misumi,
Auditor of the Borderland General Corps.
I request an audience with His Majesty,
the Emperor of Yamato.
His Majesty has already
retired for the night.
Please leave.
No.
An urgent report has just arrived
from the front lines.
I have come on official business
concerning this campaign,
on orders
from the Borderland General's Office.
I will say it once more.
His Majesty has retired for the night.
Please leave.
This is no ordinary matter.
Please inform His Majesty
I am here from the Borderland General's
Office regarding reinforcements for Fukui.
Auditor Misumi, was it?
Yes.
It seems you have misunderstood something.
Someone of your stain… forgive me.
Someone of your station has no right
to an audience with His Majesty.
I see, I see.
The Borderland General Corps,
where so many rose from common rabble,
wouldn't understand.
And about reinforcements… Was that it?
Seii began its invasion five days ago.
His Majesty has already been informed
through the ministers about that,
so there's no need for concern.
Still, if you insist,
I could arrange for His Majesty
to review your petition.
Though, of course,
I would expected a suitable reward.
YAMATO
Sir Guard.
I'm, well, I am deeply grateful
for your unexpected kindness
toward a witless fool like me.
You are a sensible man, Auditor Misumi.
Well then, for a single petition,
you are looking at--
-However…
-What?
I understand the ministers have already
raised the matter of reinforcements.
But no request has yet come
from the Borderland General Corps.
In that case, it would be wise to request
an audience with His Imperial Majesty.
Guess you are not
as sensible as I thought.
Seize him!
How dare you persist
in demanding an audience
when submitting your petition
would have sufficed!
You are demanding His Majesty
who's already retired for the night
be dragged out for your sake!
And to begin with, for someone like you,
neither noble nor high official,
to seek an audience at this ungodly hour
is the height of disrespect!
I carry orders from Lord Taira,
Lord of Home Affairs,
to punish any man
guilty of such insolence!
I hereby condemn you for disrespecting
His Majesty. Any objection?
No objections.
Huh… what?
I have no objections.
Provided…
I truly deserve to be charged
with the crime of disrespect.
Huh?
As I stated at the outset,
I have come here in my capacity as auditor
of the Borderland General Corps.
I am certainly not requesting
that His Majesty be summoned
for my own sake.
War decides the fate of a nation.
Such choices demand sound judgment.
Surely you do not believe
His Majesty is someone
who would weigh an urgent matter of war
against a single night's rest
and choose the latter?
To begin with,
if a request for reinforcements
has already reached His Majesty's ears,
then why have none been sent?
Does His Majesty consider a request
from the Borderland General Corps,
who oversee military affairs,
as one requiring restraint?
Furthermore, petitions are handled
by the Imperial Secretariat.
I have never heard of bribing
the palace guards to submit one.
Even if I were to entrust
the petition to you,
if His Majesty has already
retired for the night,
the earliest it could be reviewed
would be tomorrow's Imperial Council.
And if matters were to take
an irreversible turn before then,
it would be perfectly clear
which of us is guilty of disrespect.
Right, that's enough.
TAIRA
DENKI TAIRA
Sheathe your swords,
sheathe them within two seconds.
Greetings to the Lord of Home Affairs!
Right, thanks for your trouble.
He holds an important post
guarding the Imperial Palace,
so he's always on edge.
My apologies.
Not at all.
MAGURO TOYOTA
The guard merely carried out his duty.
YUKIHANE KOKURYU
Still, I could hear you
from quite a distance.
You were making
one heck of an amusing argument.
You are Auditor Misumi,
the man behind the Proposal for
Revision of Agricultural Policy, yes?
I am deeply honored
that it has come to your attention.
Right, I remember you well.
To rise this far in such a short time,
from a low-ranking agricultural post
in Ehime no less,
you've really made something of yourself.
It's been about three years, hasn't it?
Today marks three years
and three months since my wife's passing.
Right.
That aside, I have just received
urgent news from the front
and was about to seek an audience
regarding reinforcements myself.
What truly matters is a request
from the Borderland General Corps,
and you seem to understand that well.
Shall we go together, Auditor Misumi?
By all means.
Right.
I like people who answer quickly.
All right then, Yukihanecchi. Two seconds.
What?
To attempt to condemn a man
who came on urgent business
concerning this war,
using my name no less,
is beyond offensive.
He displeased me.
His charge is the same as your wife's.
Take Auditor Misumi
-to the main hall's resting quarters.
-Yes, sir!
I was just about to
make them bring this to you.
Your wife's
head.
Auditor Misumi, come forth!
Auditor Misumi,
you have been summoned to the hall!
I, Aoteru Misumi,
Auditor of the Borderland General Corps,
request an audience with His Majesty,
the Emperor of Yamato!
GUARDIAN LION DOGS PROTECTING THE BRIDGE
Aoteru Misumi…
YOSHITSUNE ASAMA
…do you seriously think someone like you
could get an audience with the Emperor?
Painfully delusional.
FUKUI FRONTLINE SITUATION REPOR
According to the latest reports,
Borderland General Ryumon
is preparing to barricade himself in
after the Seii army's invasion of Sakai.
Given his nature,
his goal is likely to request
reinforcements from the Emperor.
But the moment he does,
nine times out of ten
that man will show up.
And if Denki Taira
takes control of the military,
Borderland General Ryumon's life
is at risk.
Strategist Kaku must have foreseen this
and entrusted him
with some kind of plan beforehand.
But honestly,
isn't this a serious miscalculation?
Even if he miraculously
secures an audience,
someone like Aoteru Misumi
lacks the power to sway the Emperor.
This time, things won't go your way.
Come in.
Deputy Master of Arms Asama,
the courier horse is ready.
I will brief you
on the quickest route to Fukui
after I prepare your provisions…
Your provisions…
Wait… You're preparing… What?
It's just to save time.
I'm fine here.
Go check the supplies
and make sure nothing's missing.
Right, sir!
By the way, what do we do with the women
you arranged for tonight?
Yeah, sorry. Reschedule them.
They are some of the few
who can actually satisfy me.
-Handle it delicately.
-Yes, sir!
Huh?
Hold on a sec!
I was literally just saying
there was no way he would get an audience.
SQUEEZE SQUEEZE
GRIP GRIP
So why the heck am I scrambling
to head to Fukui like you said,
even calling off my night with the girls?
Do I actually believe he'll pull it off?
No, no, no! No way!
Not a chance!
I'm the direct heir to the Asama clan!
There's no way I'd believe some backwoods
plain-looking guy with side-parted hair
could get an audience with the Emperor,
let alone sway him!
Absolutely not!
STRETCH
Well, fine.
You believed in me and entrusted me
with this urgent mission.
So I'll drop the lame contrarian act
and believe in you too.
I'm the grown-up here,
and I can handle it.
I'll make sure everything's ready
with no loose ends,
and I'll be waiting right here
for you to get back.
I'm choosing to believe in you, you know.
So go and carry out the duty entrusted
to you by Strategist Kaku.
THE THIRD YAMATO EMPEROR
FUJI III
Right, let's get started.
You have 30 minutes.
Sorry, Lord of Home Affairs.
Now then, Your Majesty,
Auditor Misumi is a man of foresight
who drew on his experiences
as a former agricultural official
to draft the Proposal
for Revision of Agricultural Policy.
Without his counsel,
not only would our forces isolated
at Daishoji have gone hungry,
but the civilians under our protection
would have lacked food as well.
The front lines would have faced
a far more disastrous outcome.
Wow! You are incredible!
I am unworthy of such praise.
It is only
because Borderland General Ryumon
saw fit to adopt my humble proposal.
Right.
No need to be modest about the facts.
Still, Your Majesty,
even with Auditor Misumi's achievements,
our forces remain in a critical situation.
Yeah?
On the front lines, we have been unable
to halt Seii's invasion.
Many of our soldiers have been killed,
and reports say
that women and even children
have fallen victim to rape and massacre.
Speaking personally,
I have heard that my foolish son,
Tonotsugu, was shot by barbarians
and left severely wounded.
My wife and I are heartbroken
when we think of our poor son.
What barbaric brutes they are.
Even their ancestors from the north
must be weeping in their graves.
So…
Who, then, is responsible
for letting Seii run rampant?
What? Wait, is it me?
Of course, it's Ryumon.
Ryumon? Ryu… Ryumon?
Ryumon abandoned the 30,000
Yamato soldiers who entered Kanazawa,
fled to Fukui, and has been holed up
in his castle for five days.
What's more,
he left Sakai completely empty,
allowing the Seii army
to occupy it without resistance.
If that's not incompetence, then what is?
HA HA HA
Right, Your Majesty.
I do not believe Ryumon
is fit to serve as general.
On behalf
of the 57 ministers assembled here,
I respectfully petition for the revocation
of his military authority
and for the appointment
of a new general in his stead.
We submit our petition!
That man summoned me here
to learn
the Borderland General's intentions,
then crush them
before the Emperor's very eyes.
How do I break through this situation?
Think, think, think.
But then who would replace Ryumon?
If I may speak, Your Majesty.
Lord Taira of Home Affairs,
your father-in-law,
who has supported you for many years,
should be granted the post of general.
We, the assembled ministers,
humbly beseech His Imperial Majesty,
the Emperor of Yamato,
to appoint Lord Taira as general
in addition to his current office!
If I am appointed general
in place of the coward Ryumon,
I will dispatch a great relief force
to the front at once,
and I vow to crush Seii.
TAIRA
Honestly, I can't think of anyone else
besides the Lord of Home Affairs.
All right!
-Then--
-If I may, Your Majesty!
I respectfully suggest that you reconsider
granting military authority to Lord Taira,
and the deployment that would follow.
Oh?
Oh, he's dead.
Guaranteed beheading.
Auditor Misumi, time is of the essence.
Refrain from raising pointless objections!
Precisely because every moment counts,
we should deliberate carefully
and arrive at the best course of action.
Listen, we have already arrived
at the best course of action.
Or what, are you suggesting there is
someone more suitable than Lord Taira?
Oh, oh, your Majesty,
I've just remembered something!
What? What is it?
Rumor has it
that Auditor Misumi abuses his authority,
executing or exiling members
of the Borderland General Corps
he finds disagreeable,
all to elevate his own reputation.
Could that also be the very reason
he has come before the court today?
What? Really?
That's right, Your Majesty!
He's even been going around dropping hints
that he should command the reinforcements.
How shameless!
Do try to keep your self-promotion
in check.
AHA HA HA
HA HA HA
"A frog in a well
knows nothing of the great ocean."
I'm surprised a frog
so accustomed to its well
has found its way into a hall like this.
-What?
-Wow.
What? A frog?
Those who devote themselves
to elevating their own reputation
may find this difficult to understand.
What I have elevated is not my own name,
but the authority of the law.
For a minister to accept
such unfounded rumors at face value
and then argue them
so eagerly before His Majesty,
is, I believe, highly inappropriate.
As for the matter of command,
I am fully aware that I hold no office
that would permit me to lead a great army.
Raising such a reckless claim
in a setting of this importance
never once crossed my mind.
-That's enough. Step back.
-Yes, my lord!
Right, let's hear it, then.
Who do you think is fit
to command the reinforcements?
Speak.
There is no such person.
No one? What do you mean?
I believe we should not
send reinforcements to Fukui.
Wait, what's that supposed to mean?
What the heck is he talking about?
Then, what did you come here for?
I've come to request an imperial edict
from Your Majesty ordering a withdrawal.
-Huh?
-Withdrawal?
Yamato, surrender?
No, no, that's impossible.
What about our civilians?
Are you saying we abandon our territory?
That's absurd! Utterly absurd!
LIE ON FIREWOOD AND PERSUADE THE HEAVENS
real names or events is coincidental.
Underage smoking is prohibited.
Year 60 of the Yamato era. Spring.
After risking his life to protect
the people of Fukui for a single night,
Mitsuhide Ryumon was left gravely wounded.
Even Yasuaki Kaku
was struck down by sudden illness.
Meanwhile, Ohga Wajima,
who had lost her authority
by retreating before the enemy
at the Kuzuryu River,
executed Yayakichi Hei,
who took the full blame, under the law.
With her authority restored,
she rose to power again.
YEAR 60 OF THE YAMATO ERA - SPRING
21:52
To break through this crisis,
Ryumon and Kaku had entrusted
a certain plan to one young man.
NIPPON SANGOKU:
THE THREE NATIONS OF THE CRIMSON SUN
MARUOKA CASTLE, SEII FACTION
After the execution of Yayakichi Hei,
Ohga Wajima moved
to strictly enforce the reformed laws.
EPISODE 10: REUNION OF MORTAL ENEMIES
She also reassessed
the centralized system of power
and instituted a military council.
Summoning her senior commanders,
she devised a grand plan
to destroy the Yamato army.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
OHGA WAJIMA
We will call this operation
"Winter General Strategy."
Understood.
1ST DIVISION COMMANDER
JIEN HIBI
At daybreak, the 1st Division will set out
and surround Fukui Reihoku Castle,
beginning the assault on Ryumon's forces.
Meanwhile, the Commander
will lead a 50,000-strong main force
to Daishoji
to crush the isolated Nagamine army.
"HEI" RENAMED AS YASUKE KONOURA
Of course, if that happens,
reinforcements will arrive from Yamato.
Over a hundred thousand,
even by the most conservative estimate.
DENKI TAIRA - YAMATO
But this is our true objective.
We will burn the towns
as we retreat with the civilians,
drawing the Yamato army
all the way to the capital, Seiro.
There they will come to know
just how brutal
the Hokuriku region's cold can be.
And Seiro is a fortress zone,
surrounded by unforgiving terrain.
Once they set foot there,
there will be no escape.
After the long march,
when their supplies are exhausted,
their morale broken,
and they have no way forward or back,
we will launch a counterattack
and annihilate the Yamato army.
CAPITAL - SEIRO
I once told all of you
that I would never yield to Yamato,
yet I retreated before the enemy
on dubious grounds.
But this time,
I will not waver.
This time,
I will be the first to lay down my life!
For the people, for the nation,
let us press onward together!
Yeah!
FUKUI REIHOKU CASTLE - FUKUI
Please wait!
You shouldn't move in your condition.
Come in.
Dr. Kata, excuse me.
BORDERLAND GENERAL
MITSUHIDE RYUMON
Mr. Ryumon,
what do you think you are doing?
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
DOITSU KATA
I thought I made it clear
you need to rest!
If you keep pushing yourself,
you are only going to get worse!
It's Kaku.
I just need to check on his condition.
Please, Dr. Kata.
You are here already.
No point turning you away now.
Kaku…
What happened so suddenly?
These were likely the cause.
Antivirals, anti-arrhythmics,
blood pressure meds, all sorts of stuff.
They came from Kaku's uniform.
Who knows what kind of back-alley doctor
he got these from.
They are all way over the proper dose.
From what I can tell, Kaku has long
suffered from multiple serious conditions.
The use of those drugs, combined with
the harsh conditions of the campaign,
very likely led to respiratory failure.
Had I known he was in this state,
I would have stopped him
from going to war, no matter what.
Dr. Kata, is there any chance
Kaku will recover?
Of course there is!
YASUAKI KAKU - 32 YEARS OLD - MALE
I can't say he's in great shape,
but I have done everything
I can as a doctor.
Now we just wait for Kaku to wake up.
I see.
Come on, don't look so damn gloomy!
Snap out of it, snap out of it!
Dr. Kata,
you are a real lifesaver.
Well said!
The state of the war is dire.
If we are going to win this battle
and take one step closer to peace,
we need you, Kaku.
Live!
Live, and see for yourself how the plan
we entrusted to him
shapes the realm's fate.
OSAKA - IMPERIAL PALACE - MAIN GATE
What brings you here at this hour?
I am Aoteru Misumi,
Auditor of the Borderland General Corps.
I request an audience with His Majesty,
the Emperor of Yamato.
His Majesty has already
retired for the night.
Please leave.
No.
An urgent report has just arrived
from the front lines.
I have come on official business
concerning this campaign,
on orders
from the Borderland General's Office.
I will say it once more.
His Majesty has retired for the night.
Please leave.
This is no ordinary matter.
Please inform His Majesty
I am here from the Borderland General's
Office regarding reinforcements for Fukui.
Auditor Misumi, was it?
Yes.
It seems you have misunderstood something.
Someone of your stain… forgive me.
Someone of your station has no right
to an audience with His Majesty.
I see, I see.
The Borderland General Corps,
where so many rose from common rabble,
wouldn't understand.
And about reinforcements… Was that it?
Seii began its invasion five days ago.
His Majesty has already been informed
through the ministers about that,
so there's no need for concern.
Still, if you insist,
I could arrange for His Majesty
to review your petition.
Though, of course,
I would expected a suitable reward.
YAMATO
Sir Guard.
I'm, well, I am deeply grateful
for your unexpected kindness
toward a witless fool like me.
You are a sensible man, Auditor Misumi.
Well then, for a single petition,
you are looking at--
-However…
-What?
I understand the ministers have already
raised the matter of reinforcements.
But no request has yet come
from the Borderland General Corps.
In that case, it would be wise to request
an audience with His Imperial Majesty.
Guess you are not
as sensible as I thought.
Seize him!
How dare you persist
in demanding an audience
when submitting your petition
would have sufficed!
You are demanding His Majesty
who's already retired for the night
be dragged out for your sake!
And to begin with, for someone like you,
neither noble nor high official,
to seek an audience at this ungodly hour
is the height of disrespect!
I carry orders from Lord Taira,
Lord of Home Affairs,
to punish any man
guilty of such insolence!
I hereby condemn you for disrespecting
His Majesty. Any objection?
No objections.
Huh… what?
I have no objections.
Provided…
I truly deserve to be charged
with the crime of disrespect.
Huh?
As I stated at the outset,
I have come here in my capacity as auditor
of the Borderland General Corps.
I am certainly not requesting
that His Majesty be summoned
for my own sake.
War decides the fate of a nation.
Such choices demand sound judgment.
Surely you do not believe
His Majesty is someone
who would weigh an urgent matter of war
against a single night's rest
and choose the latter?
To begin with,
if a request for reinforcements
has already reached His Majesty's ears,
then why have none been sent?
Does His Majesty consider a request
from the Borderland General Corps,
who oversee military affairs,
as one requiring restraint?
Furthermore, petitions are handled
by the Imperial Secretariat.
I have never heard of bribing
the palace guards to submit one.
Even if I were to entrust
the petition to you,
if His Majesty has already
retired for the night,
the earliest it could be reviewed
would be tomorrow's Imperial Council.
And if matters were to take
an irreversible turn before then,
it would be perfectly clear
which of us is guilty of disrespect.
Right, that's enough.
TAIRA
DENKI TAIRA
Sheathe your swords,
sheathe them within two seconds.
Greetings to the Lord of Home Affairs!
Right, thanks for your trouble.
He holds an important post
guarding the Imperial Palace,
so he's always on edge.
My apologies.
Not at all.
MAGURO TOYOTA
The guard merely carried out his duty.
YUKIHANE KOKURYU
Still, I could hear you
from quite a distance.
You were making
one heck of an amusing argument.
You are Auditor Misumi,
the man behind the Proposal for
Revision of Agricultural Policy, yes?
I am deeply honored
that it has come to your attention.
Right, I remember you well.
To rise this far in such a short time,
from a low-ranking agricultural post
in Ehime no less,
you've really made something of yourself.
It's been about three years, hasn't it?
Today marks three years
and three months since my wife's passing.
Right.
That aside, I have just received
urgent news from the front
and was about to seek an audience
regarding reinforcements myself.
What truly matters is a request
from the Borderland General Corps,
and you seem to understand that well.
Shall we go together, Auditor Misumi?
By all means.
Right.
I like people who answer quickly.
All right then, Yukihanecchi. Two seconds.
What?
To attempt to condemn a man
who came on urgent business
concerning this war,
using my name no less,
is beyond offensive.
He displeased me.
His charge is the same as your wife's.
Take Auditor Misumi
-to the main hall's resting quarters.
-Yes, sir!
I was just about to
make them bring this to you.
Your wife's
head.
Auditor Misumi, come forth!
Auditor Misumi,
you have been summoned to the hall!
I, Aoteru Misumi,
Auditor of the Borderland General Corps,
request an audience with His Majesty,
the Emperor of Yamato!
GUARDIAN LION DOGS PROTECTING THE BRIDGE
Aoteru Misumi…
YOSHITSUNE ASAMA
…do you seriously think someone like you
could get an audience with the Emperor?
Painfully delusional.
FUKUI FRONTLINE SITUATION REPOR
According to the latest reports,
Borderland General Ryumon
is preparing to barricade himself in
after the Seii army's invasion of Sakai.
Given his nature,
his goal is likely to request
reinforcements from the Emperor.
But the moment he does,
nine times out of ten
that man will show up.
And if Denki Taira
takes control of the military,
Borderland General Ryumon's life
is at risk.
Strategist Kaku must have foreseen this
and entrusted him
with some kind of plan beforehand.
But honestly,
isn't this a serious miscalculation?
Even if he miraculously
secures an audience,
someone like Aoteru Misumi
lacks the power to sway the Emperor.
This time, things won't go your way.
Come in.
Deputy Master of Arms Asama,
the courier horse is ready.
I will brief you
on the quickest route to Fukui
after I prepare your provisions…
Your provisions…
Wait… You're preparing… What?
It's just to save time.
I'm fine here.
Go check the supplies
and make sure nothing's missing.
Right, sir!
By the way, what do we do with the women
you arranged for tonight?
Yeah, sorry. Reschedule them.
They are some of the few
who can actually satisfy me.
-Handle it delicately.
-Yes, sir!
Huh?
Hold on a sec!
I was literally just saying
there was no way he would get an audience.
SQUEEZE SQUEEZE
GRIP GRIP
So why the heck am I scrambling
to head to Fukui like you said,
even calling off my night with the girls?
Do I actually believe he'll pull it off?
No, no, no! No way!
Not a chance!
I'm the direct heir to the Asama clan!
There's no way I'd believe some backwoods
plain-looking guy with side-parted hair
could get an audience with the Emperor,
let alone sway him!
Absolutely not!
STRETCH
Well, fine.
You believed in me and entrusted me
with this urgent mission.
So I'll drop the lame contrarian act
and believe in you too.
I'm the grown-up here,
and I can handle it.
I'll make sure everything's ready
with no loose ends,
and I'll be waiting right here
for you to get back.
I'm choosing to believe in you, you know.
So go and carry out the duty entrusted
to you by Strategist Kaku.
THE THIRD YAMATO EMPEROR
FUJI III
Right, let's get started.
You have 30 minutes.
Sorry, Lord of Home Affairs.
Now then, Your Majesty,
Auditor Misumi is a man of foresight
who drew on his experiences
as a former agricultural official
to draft the Proposal
for Revision of Agricultural Policy.
Without his counsel,
not only would our forces isolated
at Daishoji have gone hungry,
but the civilians under our protection
would have lacked food as well.
The front lines would have faced
a far more disastrous outcome.
Wow! You are incredible!
I am unworthy of such praise.
It is only
because Borderland General Ryumon
saw fit to adopt my humble proposal.
Right.
No need to be modest about the facts.
Still, Your Majesty,
even with Auditor Misumi's achievements,
our forces remain in a critical situation.
Yeah?
On the front lines, we have been unable
to halt Seii's invasion.
Many of our soldiers have been killed,
and reports say
that women and even children
have fallen victim to rape and massacre.
Speaking personally,
I have heard that my foolish son,
Tonotsugu, was shot by barbarians
and left severely wounded.
My wife and I are heartbroken
when we think of our poor son.
What barbaric brutes they are.
Even their ancestors from the north
must be weeping in their graves.
So…
Who, then, is responsible
for letting Seii run rampant?
What? Wait, is it me?
Of course, it's Ryumon.
Ryumon? Ryu… Ryumon?
Ryumon abandoned the 30,000
Yamato soldiers who entered Kanazawa,
fled to Fukui, and has been holed up
in his castle for five days.
What's more,
he left Sakai completely empty,
allowing the Seii army
to occupy it without resistance.
If that's not incompetence, then what is?
HA HA HA
Right, Your Majesty.
I do not believe Ryumon
is fit to serve as general.
On behalf
of the 57 ministers assembled here,
I respectfully petition for the revocation
of his military authority
and for the appointment
of a new general in his stead.
We submit our petition!
That man summoned me here
to learn
the Borderland General's intentions,
then crush them
before the Emperor's very eyes.
How do I break through this situation?
Think, think, think.
But then who would replace Ryumon?
If I may speak, Your Majesty.
Lord Taira of Home Affairs,
your father-in-law,
who has supported you for many years,
should be granted the post of general.
We, the assembled ministers,
humbly beseech His Imperial Majesty,
the Emperor of Yamato,
to appoint Lord Taira as general
in addition to his current office!
If I am appointed general
in place of the coward Ryumon,
I will dispatch a great relief force
to the front at once,
and I vow to crush Seii.
TAIRA
Honestly, I can't think of anyone else
besides the Lord of Home Affairs.
All right!
-Then--
-If I may, Your Majesty!
I respectfully suggest that you reconsider
granting military authority to Lord Taira,
and the deployment that would follow.
Oh?
Oh, he's dead.
Guaranteed beheading.
Auditor Misumi, time is of the essence.
Refrain from raising pointless objections!
Precisely because every moment counts,
we should deliberate carefully
and arrive at the best course of action.
Listen, we have already arrived
at the best course of action.
Or what, are you suggesting there is
someone more suitable than Lord Taira?
Oh, oh, your Majesty,
I've just remembered something!
What? What is it?
Rumor has it
that Auditor Misumi abuses his authority,
executing or exiling members
of the Borderland General Corps
he finds disagreeable,
all to elevate his own reputation.
Could that also be the very reason
he has come before the court today?
What? Really?
That's right, Your Majesty!
He's even been going around dropping hints
that he should command the reinforcements.
How shameless!
Do try to keep your self-promotion
in check.
AHA HA HA
HA HA HA
"A frog in a well
knows nothing of the great ocean."
I'm surprised a frog
so accustomed to its well
has found its way into a hall like this.
-What?
-Wow.
What? A frog?
Those who devote themselves
to elevating their own reputation
may find this difficult to understand.
What I have elevated is not my own name,
but the authority of the law.
For a minister to accept
such unfounded rumors at face value
and then argue them
so eagerly before His Majesty,
is, I believe, highly inappropriate.
As for the matter of command,
I am fully aware that I hold no office
that would permit me to lead a great army.
Raising such a reckless claim
in a setting of this importance
never once crossed my mind.
-That's enough. Step back.
-Yes, my lord!
Right, let's hear it, then.
Who do you think is fit
to command the reinforcements?
Speak.
There is no such person.
No one? What do you mean?
I believe we should not
send reinforcements to Fukui.
Wait, what's that supposed to mean?
What the heck is he talking about?
Then, what did you come here for?
I've come to request an imperial edict
from Your Majesty ordering a withdrawal.
-Huh?
-Withdrawal?
Yamato, surrender?
No, no, that's impossible.
What about our civilians?
Are you saying we abandon our territory?
That's absurd! Utterly absurd!
LIE ON FIREWOOD AND PERSUADE THE HEAVENS