Duel at Shinja

Conflict: Second Hitokiri war.

Date: August 10th, 15th year of Shourisha.

Location: Shinja valley, Kunihae.

Combatants: Wakai Tenshu, Sagara Tao, and Sano Seibuki vs Sojiro Okita and Hajime Okita.

Outcome: Sagara, Sano, and Hajime wounded. Sojiro fatally wounded.

Casualties: None dead, 4 combatants wounded.

Prelude: The village of Shinja in Kunihae was attacked by Imperial forces at August 10th, the 15th year of Shourisha. Whether this was because the Imperialists was searching for the Hitokiri, or attempting to punish the population for their Christian beliefs is unknown by historians, but as both reasons are credible it is most likely that they sought to complete both goals in one strike. But the Imperial army only bring a minor force consisting of two infantry companies and one artillery squad, which would point at the fact that they did only seek the destruction of the village. Yet they were led by two experienced Hitokiri hunters, which could mean that they were aware of Sagara’s and Sano’s – or at least Wakai’s – presence. The attack begun at midday with the Imperial artillery opening fire upon the village, erasing several civilian structures as well as damaging parts of the graveyard. After causing significant destruction the cannons ceased fire and one of the Imperial companies attacked a desperate defense of armed villagers. The battle was even, as the civilians refused to give up. Meanwhile, the second company of Imperialist infantry proceeded at distance from the village and prepared a flanking move against the front defense. But as they walked past a hill, Wakai Tenshu appeared and used his sakabato to strike down the entire company (since a sakabato lacks a cutting edge all men survived, but became unconscious). Sagara and Sano who just entered the battle did not hesitate to kill their enemies, but Wakai was faster and could defeat most of the men. The few remaining soldiers moved aside and let past two Hitokiri hunters of the Okita family; Hajime and Sojiro.

The confrontation: Hajime immediately engaged Wakai Tenshu and forced him backwards, cutting him off from the two younger Hitokiri. Left alone with Sagara and Sano, Sojiro waits to draw her sword and begins with asking Sagara why he left. It turns out that the Tao clan and Okita family had arranged a marriage between their two youngest heirs and that Sagara never came back after escaping the battle of Taogakure, making Sojiro believe that he left her. He replied to her by saying that he had never been interested in a relationship with anyone, and that his only goal was to avenge the death of his family. This angered Sojiro, who charges against Sano and cuts him in the shoulder using the Tai ryu sen. Sagara then enters the battle, attempting to strike Sojiro in the back, but she foresees his attack and seems to disappear. Sano is hit from nowhere and falls forward with deep cuts over his legs, and Sagara is cut over the chest less than a second later'''. Despite being barely able to stand, Sano confronts his opponent with all three 'Gatotsu'' forms, but doesn’t manage to hit her even once. Sagara was almost unconscious and unable to assist his friend. After a flashback, Sano remembers that he and Sojiro was formerly comrades during their time in the Shigai clan, and therefore she was aware of his techniques. Sano was inflicted great amounts of injuries while Sojiro was not even hit once. As everything seems hopeless, Sano reveals his ultimate technique, one that he intended to use against Sagara if they were to fight again – the Gatotsu stance zero. Sano wounded Sojiro but was unable to kill her because of his loss of blood limited his movements.

In the meantime, the battle races between Hajime and Tenshu. While Hajime furiously attacks his opponent, Tenshu doesn’t seem to put much actual effort in avoiding the attacks. After evading Hajime’s Gatotsu, Tenshu turns and strikes his opponent in the back with his sakabato, causing damage to his spine and therefore immobilizing him with great pain. Tenshu then moves to assist Sagara and Sano, hoping that it is not too late to save them.

Despite the loss of blood that should have prevented a normal human to even move, Sano unleashes his second most devastating combo: an immediate use of all four Gatotsu forms without leaving any room for his opponent to evade or parry them. Sojiro was then fatally wounded and were loosing blood quickly, but her strong will allowed her to engage her unprepared opponent and appeared to kill him. Sano falls unconscious due to pain and loss of blood in the same moment as Tenshu arrives. Sojiro uses her last amounts of energy to attack her new opponent, who only uses one hand to parry her strikes while asking her to follow him for healing. Eventually she faints next to the two other unconscious samurai, and Tenshu takes the two Hitogumi members to the church for proper healing. Even Sojiro and Hajime is healed in the village, but leaves before Sano and Sagara recovers from their wounds.