TW:S2 Story: Wanderer of Faith (Battle of Fukuoka)

[Maltz]

Two. Head Counts

Nobody noticed when the rain stopped.
It had washed away any blood on the grass,
which now appears especially green under the setting sun.

"My lord, we have finished head counts. We lost Two hundred and eight men."

Sitting on a little folded chair, the taisho slightly frowned.
The battle gave his bamboo armor a few more cracks.

"Please do not worry, my lord. Most of them are wounded by arrows. Our strength will fully recover in one year."
"How about Shoni's army?"
"One thousand and two hundred men completely wiped out. Today we shattered Shoni!"

Looking at the exciting ashigaru, Suzuki Sadayu's quietly sighs in relief.

"Inform the emissary. We will proceed with the peace treaty with Shoni."
"My Lord, please forgive me but... now we have a perfect opportunity to destroy Shoni! Buzen castle is less than a week's march away."

Suzuki beams a simple smile.

"Your job is to fight. My job is to help you survive. You do your job, and I do mine."

[Maltz]

Three. Memorial for the Dead

The dead hears no mourning,
The dead feels no pain.
The living erects a memorial,
For their mundane pursuit of fame.

Tonight I'll drink with my fellowmen,
Celebrating our fortune of seeing another day.
Walking on the path to end Sengoku,
Many more will fall on the way.

The battle ends in a memorial for the dead,
Yet words of compassion has just begun to spread.
Here we'll build a promised land of purity,
For the faithful, hope always lies ahead.

[Maltz]

Four. Know Thy Enemy

Candles flicker in the lantern, the wind forecasting a change in weather.
A few cloud quickly pass in front of the moon.
It is going to rain tomorrow.

"Shoni's army is here. The battle is tomorrow."
"How many?"
"About one thousand and two hundred."
"We have a numerical advantage."
"But our soldiers are not as good as theirs."
"Our strength is actually about equal."

"An army's strength lies not in numbers or quality. Victors know how to use their army."
"Yes, my lord."

Sitting in the middle of the captains is a general in his 30s.
His bamboo armor rests on a stand behind.

"What's the terrain between Shoni's camp and ours?"
"There is a hill, slightly closer to Shoni's camp than ours."
"If Shoni gets to the hill first, they will have a height advantage against us."
"That's not good."

Suzuki closes his eyes.
The song of crickets brings peace to his mind.
There is a way to reverse the disadvantage.

"Shoni Tokinao knows this, too. And being the daimyo, he will march in front of his army."
"Yes, my Lord. The daimyo only stays in the back if case of imminent danger."
"So he will not feel imminent danger."

There is weakness in every man.
Shoni's overconfidence will mark the end of his clan.
Under the darkening moon light,
The captains eagerly learn their taisho's plan.

[Maltz]

Five. Morning Rain

Morning rain drips from helmet,
From the tip of spear to my hand.
My fellowmen quietly awaits fate's command,
Forming the first line, this morning may be our last.

We cannot see the enemy,
Yet battle drums come from behind the hill.
We accept battle as our destiny,
On top the lush grass our blood will spill.

Now I feel the ground's tremor,
Toward the top of the hill, our enemy begins to move.
Our taisho speaks of victory,
The truth of his promise, only time will prove.

[Maltz]

Six. A Flying Samurai

"Run for your lives!"

The Shoni army has collapsed. A samurai, among many, lost his will to fight.
Showing a disgrace, he turns his back toward his enemy. But he cannot outrun the cavalry's charge.

"BOOM!"

Under the high speed impact, the samurai was sent flying down the slope.
He rolls and rolls, hearing his fellowmen scream in the slaughter.

"Don't let any run away!"

Suzuki Sadayu issued his last order of the day. The cavalry will run them down in a matter of time.
The battle of Fukuoka is won, but maybe he knew it from last night.

[Maltz]

Seven. Through the Throat

We charge from uphill,
Too fast for them to react.
Our weapons thrust from atop,
Too scary for them to attack.

Here is an enemy who is not looking,
Here is a weakness which is not defended.
May my spear finds his throat, intended,
May his blood gushing out, splendid.

Death cry was muffled on the hill of agony,
Blood was buried with the meadow of gory.
Shoni's line completely collapsed,
We embrace a hard-fought glory.

[Maltz]

Eight. Three Ranks

"Soldiers, we face an uphill battle!"
"But do not let the hill fool you, like it fooled our enemies. They have begun to march to their doom!"

"First rank, our spears will stab through their cavalry!"
"Second rank, our swords will cut through their spears!"
"Third rank, our arrows break their morale!"

"To faith!"
"To faith!"
"To honour!"
"To honour!"
"To the land of purity!"
"The the land of purity!"
"Charge!"



"Charge!"