Chapter 104: Heroes

As he had declared that day, Ryu faced the Satsuma army alone—and annihilated them without leaving a single survivor.

Afterward, Ryoma and the others came to meet him at the harbor, and together they made haste back to Edo Castle.

An hour after Ryu and his party arrived, the shogunate forces had completed their withdrawal. The castle gates were sealed shut with heavy finality, and just as planned, the siege began.

Even now, a ferocious battle raged along the stone walls and beneath them. The clash of steel, the thunder of muskets, the cries of the wounded—it all rose in waves that trembled through the very foundations of the fortress.

Ryu and his companions had no intention of rejoining the fray. Instead, they waited in the castle keep alongside the Princess.

And then—something entirely unexpected, though in a good way, occurred.

Before their eyes, a man bound tightly in coils of rope was dragged into the hall like captured prey.

“Who is this supposed to be?” Ryu asked flatly.

“Yoshida of Choshu, sir.”

It seemed Sakai had taken advantage of the chaos and abducted the enemy commander herself.

“Well done. As expected of the Princess’s hidden blade.”

“Oh, it was nothing. He wasn’t nearly as formidable as he looked.”

Yet faint cuts and bruises marked Sakai’s body. Though she tried to appear unfazed, the battle had not been effortless.

Both Sakai and Yoshida—important figures in their respective camps—had already received medical treatment.

Ryu turned to Princess Kagura.

“Was this part of Your Highness’s strategy?”

“No. While we were watching your battle from here, Ambassador-dono, Sakai suddenly declared that she couldn’t stand idly by any longer. She gathered an elite unit and headed to the battlefield.”

Sakai scratched her cheek, embarrassed.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving everything to Ambassador-dono and Sakamoto-dono while I did nothing…”

“In other words, you couldn’t sit still.”

“Yes…”

And yet, carried by that restless impulse, she had returned with the enemy commander in tow. What a terrifying woman.

Then—

“Um… would you mind not continuing the conversation as if I don’t exist?”

Yoshida, who had supposedly been unconscious, opened his eyes.

“Oh? You’re awake, traitor-dono.”

“Yo. How’s it going, you worthless lord who sold Hinomaru to a foreign principality?”

“Such harsh words… By the way, what became of the Satsuma army?”

Originally, the Satsuma forces had planned to flank the shogunate army and strike in coordination with Choshu and Hizen. But since they had never appeared, the shogunate had been able to withdraw safely and begin the siege.

Yoshida’s concern was obvious.

“Princess, may I tell him?”

“Yes. There’s no harm in it.”

Ryu lifted Yoshida one-handed as though he weighed nothing and carried him out to the engawa—the balcony running along the castle’s outer edge.

“Look. That… used to be the Satsuma army.”

“……!!!”

(They’ve been… wiped out…?!)

Yoshida’s face drained of color.

“Surely… you did not kill Saigo-dono as well?!”

All eyes turned to Ryu.

“…What did Saigo look like?”

“He was famous in Satsuma as the largest man in the domain.”

“Oh. There was one fellow bigger than Togo. That must’ve been him.”

“…And what happened to him?”

“I killed him. Normally.”

“…I see…”

Yoshida drew a slow breath.

“For the record, the terms of the contract with the Principality were to be strictly kept confidential. Only the lord of Satsuma—Saigo-dono himself—knew the full details as the principal architect.”

“…………”

Every gaze in the room turned accusatory, fixed on Ryu.

“So if the Satcho-Hizen alliance were to lose… we have no way of knowing how the Principality will respond next. We rose in arms for the future of Hinomaru. As such, I must tell you this much.”

“…Why did you even agree to such a rotten scheme?” Ryu muttered.

“According to Saigo-dono, once the shogunate was overthrown, we were to immediately begin a War of Isolation.”

“In simple terms, a war to drive out both the Principality and the Empire.”

“Yes. That is why Choshu and Hizen joined as well…”

Ryoma let out a long sigh.

“So Saigo sought to use the Principality for his own ends. Yet he failed utterly, and now the details of the agreement are lost to the dark.”

“Yes. If Saigo-dono had lived, we could have predicted the Principality’s next move from the contract. But… it seems that man killed him.”

“…………”

However, there was one person present who could already predict the Principality’s actions.

The man who had blundered magnificently—Ryu Arden.

“Well, don’t worry. I’ve already taken precautions. Still… just how strong did Saigo believe Hinomaru to be? From the continent’s perspective, it’s merely a stubborn mid-sized nation at best.”

The comment was somewhat insulting. Yet no one could refute it.

Incidentally, one month before the war began, Ryu had sent a carrier pigeon to the Imperial Capital.

Perhaps that was the “precaution” he spoke of.

The siege dragged on for days. With each passing sunrise, the momentum of the Choshu-Hizen forces waned.

Ryu’s carefully laid traps. Night raids. The steady command of Ii Naomasa and Itagaki Taisuke. The confusion brought on by Yoshida’s absence.

All combined to grind the enemy down to exhaustion.

But retreat was no longer an option. To turn their backs now would mean being cut down by the still-vigorous shogunate army.

This battle would not end until one side was utterly destroyed.

And then—

The final soldier’s head flew through the air.

A roar of triumph erupted from the shogunate ranks, shaking the castle keep itself.

Yoshida’s head drooped.

“…………”

“You’ve lost. The Satcho-Hizen alliance is finished.”

“I see… so we have lost… To fight to the last man… I must commend our army. I shall praise them in the afterlife—together with Hijikata.”

“Yes. Do that.”

The Princess and Sakai exhaled in relief.

With Ryu and Ryoma present, defeat had never truly been a possibility. But only Esther and a select few knew the truth of who they really were.

The shogunate army had done well indeed.

“We’ve done it, Princess.”

“Yes. This victory belongs to our comrades. We must properly reward them later…”

And then—

A scream pierced the air.

“Hey! Look at the sea!!!”

“What in the world is that fleet?!”

“One hundred—no, two hundred ships! And each one is twice the size of ours!”

Ryu and the others gripped the railing and stared toward the horizon.

The Princess went pale.

“Could that be… the Principality’s army…?”

On the sails of the approaching ships fluttered the bold emblem of the Principality.

“P-Princess! This time, I shall buy us time alone!”

“Stop, Sakai! I will not permit a meaningless death!”

“But—!”

(So they were waiting to reap the spoils… The Principality intended to use Satsuma from the very beginning…)

“We have two choices,” someone murmured. “Continue the siege… or sally forth.”

“Princess, allow me to lead the troops. With Lord Ii and Lord Itagaki, surely—”

“It may be our only option…”

Ryu shot Yoshida a cold glare.

“There. This is the calamity you invited. Burn it into your eyes.”

“…………”

Yoshida had no reply.

The Princess and Sakai could not hide their unease. Ryu sighed.

“I warned you. The Principality is greedier than any great power.”

“Ryu, now is not the time for that,” Ryoma said, drawing his sword and placing one foot on the railing. He was ready to leap into battle.

“Hold on, Ryoma. Look to the left.”

“To the left…?”

Everyone turned.

From the left side of the horizon emerged another fleet—equal in scale to the Principality’s.

On its sails flew the dragon banner of the Empire.

“That is… the Imperial Navy?!”

“Yes. I assumed the Principality would try to seize the spoils. So I sent a letter to the Empress in advance.”

“As expected of you, Ryu!”

Not only the Princess and Sakai, but every member of the shogunate stared at the sea in stunned disbelief.

The Imperial fleet fired volleys of magic cannons into the unsuspecting flank of the Principality’s ships and charged.

“Go, Imperial Army. Devour them.”

“Indeed. Our Empire is supreme!”

“Gyau.”

In the end, every ship of the Principality was reduced to wreckage drifting upon the waves. The Imperial fleet, bearing only minor damage, entered Edo harbor in triumph.

“Shall we go greet our compatriots?”

“Of course!!!”

“I-I will come as well! As Princess, I must offer my thanks in person!”

“Then I shall serve as your escort!”

“I have nothing better to do. I shall join.”

“Gyau.”

Thus, with the Imperial Army hailed as heroes of Edo—no, of all Hinomaru—the great war at last drew its curtain.