The Battle of Dan-no-ura: Dumplings into the Sea

The sea Dan-no-ura has never been so turbulent.

At the start of the decisive battle, the two sides were evenly matched.

Minamoto no Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a general of the Minamoto, and Taira no Tomomori, a pillar of the Taira, each stood at the bow of their ship, drawing their bows and shooting at each other.

Arrows flew like shooting stars, carrying each other's killing intent and destiny, thus beginning the final battle.

Immediately afterwards, the ships collided, and boarding action began.

The Samurai shouted as they leaped onto the enemy ship, amidst the flashing of swords and the flying of blood and flesh.

The Taira's navy, which had been sailing the seas for many years, initially did have the upper hand under Tomomori's command.

They were familiar with the tides and made good use of ocean currents. Their ship formations were flexible and adaptable, causing considerable trouble for the Minamoto's army, which was not accustomed to naval warfare.

Meanwhile, on this battlefield of ordinary Samurai, another battle of extraordinary scale also unfolds.

The Ninjas on both sides completely broke free from the constraints of the land and made the sea their new stage.

They rode on Chakra, speeding across the water like lightning, ignoring both upstream and downstream currents, their figures like ghosts.

The Water Release Ninjutsu was unleashed to its fullest extent at this moment.

Water Dragon Bullet roared as they tore through the sails, Water Formation Walls rose instantly to block the rain of arrows, Hidden Mist Techniques enveloped small areas of the sea to create killing traps, and some even submerged directly underwater to damage the bottom of enemy ships.

Fire Style and Earth Release are limited at sea, but Wind Release and Lightning Release remain formidable.

Kunai, Shuriken, Explosive Tags... all Ninja Tools await their chance to reap lives.

Higa Takuichi and Higa Shintarō, as the last Ninja spearheads of the Taira clan, charged at the forefront.

Takuichi's movements were as agile as a swallow, and his combination of wire and Shuriken was seamless, saving his companions from danger at crucial moments.

Shintarō, like a silent reef, used the simplest and most effective Taijutsu and Ninjutsu to resist the tidal wave of attacks. He already had several new wounds on his body, and his clothes were stained with blood, but his movements did not slow down in the slightest.

However, individual bravery appears so insignificant in the face of the overall situation of the war.

The turning point on the battlefield came abruptly and strangely.

The tailwind that had been helping the Taira's ships speed up suddenly stopped without warning.

The sea surface instantly fell into an unsettling stillness.

Immediately afterwards, shadowy figures appeared in the water beneath the ship.

They are a group of dolphins.

They seemed disturbed by the commotion of the battlefield, or perhaps drawn by some unseen force, weaving between the two sides' ship formations.

It is unknown which Onmyōji issued this alarming prophecy.

Wherever the dolphins swim, the fortunes of that side will wane!

This almost superstitious assertion, in the tense atmosphere at this moment, spread as rapidly as poison.

Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the group of sea spirits.

They initially seemed aimless, but soon began to converge towards the rear of the Taira fleet, in the direction of the small boats carrying Tokiko, Tokuko, and Emperor Antoku.

Just as the dolphins Setsuna—

"Call--!"

The previously stagnant sea breeze suddenly picked up again!

But it's against the wind!

A strong headwind suddenly filled the sails of the Minamoto ships, while simultaneously blowing the flags on the prows of the Taira ships backward, almost detaching them from the flagpoles!

The red Ageha butterfly flag, symbolizing the Taira, struggles desperately against the wind.

Minamoto's white flag, however, fluttered in the wind like a death knell.

"It's fate... it's fate!!" From within the Taira camp, someone let out a desperate cry.

The morale, already crumbling due to prolonged fighting, heavy casualties, and other factors, completely collapsed under the blows of these successive "ominous signs"!

The army collapsed like a house of cards.

Even with Tomomori 'Tomomori roar, even with the surviving Samurai fighting desperately, even with Takuichi, Shintarō, and other Ninjas unleashing power beyond their limits in an attempt to stabilize the situation...

The decline is irreversible, like water bursting its banks.

The Minamoto army seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack, raining down arrows like a storm.

In order to cover Sukemori's ship, Takuichi was pierced through the shoulder by a heavy arrow. He groaned and staggered backward.

Shintarō swung his sword, slicing through several stray arrows, but a cunning wind blade also slashed a deep gash in his ribs, from which blood gushed out.

We lost.

We've truly lost.

Under the desperate protection of his personal guards, Taira no Munemori retreated in a sorry state to the royal ship where Emperor Antoku was located. His face was ashen, he was still panting, and his eyes were filled with only confusion and fear.

Tokuko remained relatively calm. The battlefield was far away, and the commotion didn't affect them. Upon seeing Munemori, she understood something and softly asked, "Brother, if we are defeated, what will His Majesty do?"

Munemori wiped the blood and sweat from his face, his voice hoarse. "His Majesty has formally abdicated in favor of the new emperor... He should be sent to the Capital City... and properly settled."

Upon hearing this, Tokuko's tense nerves relaxed slightly. "Then... surely His Majesty's life should be..."

"In that case!"

A piercing, distorted scream interrupted Tokuko's words.

It was Mrs. Tokiko had been sitting silently in the corner the whole time.

She stood up abruptly, her body trembling violently with agitation and anger.

"In that case! Wouldn't all our efforts to escort His Majesty and the Three Sacred Treasures, enduring countless hardships and tribulations, have been utterly meaningless!"

"Mother..." Tokuko was horrified by the madness in her eyes.

"Things have come to this! How can we hand them over to the enemies who drove your father to his death, killed your brothers, and destroyed my home?"

Tokiko said sadly, "Think about why we left Kyoto in the first place, why we endured all this hardship, swords, hunger, and fear. Was it just to hand it all over to someone else?!"

Munemori shouted irritably, "Mother! The situation is still unclear! It might not be..."

Tokiko's silent gaze drifted out of the cabin, where the sounds of battle grew closer, and the Minamoto's white flag became increasingly clear. "Even if we continue to eke out a living... what awaits us is only an even more miserable life as prisoners, endless humiliation and torture! Since that's the case..."

Her gaze slowly fell on the young emperor in Tokuko's arms, her eyes filled with a mixture of grandmotherly love and determination.

"Mother!"

"If His Majesty loses the throne, who knows what kind of treatment he will face!" Tokiko took a step closer, her voice low but each word like a knife, "Even you, Tokuko, if you are captured alive... do you think Minamoto no Yoritomo, or the Cloistered Emperor, will let you go? You might be forced to marry someone from the Minamoto, and then... how will you protect His Majesty? You won't even be able to protect yourself!"

Tokuko was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale.

My mother's words cruelly shattered all my illusions of self-comfort.

Yes, in political struggles, the woman of the loser is always a spoils and a tool. She can endure her fate, but her children...

Just then, an even more intense shout of battle and cheers erupted from outside the cabin!

Accompanied by a slightly unsteady but still hearty laugh from Taira no Tomomori: "Haha! You all needn't wait long! Soon, you'll be able to see the faces of those 'fierce warriors' from the Eastern Provinces! They can't wait to 'pay their respects' to His Majesty!"

Tomomori's words were tinged with sarcasm and sorrow.

Clearly, the surrender of some Taira ships under pressure revealed the location of the royal ship.

The last Barrier has also been breached.

The last trace of hesitation in Tokiko's eyes vanished completely.

She no longer looked at Tokuko's pale face.

She turned abruptly and walked to the corner of the cabin, where some ballast stones were piled up.

She chose a piece of moderate size and heavy enough, and with trembling but firm hands, she held it tightly in her arms.

Then, she walked back to Tokuko, held out her hand, and said in a terrifyingly calm voice, "Tokuko, give me the child."

Tokuko hesitated, but in the end, she closed her eyes and let go of her hand.

Tokiko scooped up young Emperor Antoku and held him close. The child looked innocently at his grandmother, "Grandma, where are you taking me?"

Tokiko hugged him tightly, lowered her head and pressed her cheek against the child's cold little face, "A wonderful place called Sukhāvatī."

Holding the child, carrying the stone and the Three Sacred Treasures, she straightened her back and Earth Flow of the cabin step by step with determination, heading towards the bow deck.

The sea breeze howled, blowing her hair and simple sleeves.

Izuna's aria echoed across the sea:

The young emperor was dressed in Dove Grey Imperial Robe, and his hair was styled in a way that accentuated his temples—

On stage, Emperor Antoku, held in Tokiko Tokiko's arms, wore the noble Dove Grey Imperial Robe set in the script, his small hair neatly combed.

He seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere, and tears silently rolled down his clear eyes, one by one.

--Tears fell silently.

Those tears, crystal clear, fell onto Tokiko's sleeve, and also onto the hearts of all the viewers who witnessed this scene, bringing a sharp pang of pain.

"Her delicate and lovely hands are clasped in prayer," Izuna's singing voice shifted to an almost sacred gentleness, "first bowing to the east, then bowing to the west--"

The young actor playing Emperor Antoku, following instructions, awkwardly and diligently clasped his tiny hands together in Tokiko's arms, first facing the direction of sunrise, then the direction of sunset, and devoutly bowed.

"--Reciting the Buddha's name by the Emperor--"

"--The two princes picked him up and said."

Tokiko held him tightly, her other hand clutching the heavy stone and the bundle of the Three Sacred Treasures. Her voice was hoarse but clear as she whispered to the child, "Don't be afraid... beneath the waves... there is still our Capital."

"--It's all about comfort, it's the spring breeze that is impermanent."

"--In the blink of an eye, the flower's beauty has faded."

Without further hesitation, Tokiko gave him one last, deep look, as if she wanted to etch her grandson's image into her soul, before holding the child and leaping into the air.

"--Alas, the raging waves, in their segments, swallowed that jade-like body whole."

"Thump--!"

The heavy thud of the falling water, like a death knell, struck everyone's eardrums, shattering the Taira's last hope and perseverance.

The hem of that Dove Grey garment flashed briefly in the rolling waves before being completely swallowed by the merciless seawater, leaving no trace.

Tokuko reached out to grab it, but then slowly withdrew her hand.

Next came the first maid, then the second, the third...

The ladies-in-waiting and maids who had once served the Taira, whether still attached to their former masters or knowing they could not escape their fate, calmly and resolutely plunged into the cold sea like dumplings being dropped into boiling water.

Tokuko also walked to the side of the boat.

She closed her eyes and leaned forward.

They didn't shout, they didn't struggle, they simply used this method to draw a final line for themselves and for this family that was about to be completely wiped out.

Seeing this, the generals' fighting spirit transformed into a determination to die.

"We can't let them capture him alive!"

"How can we allow ourselves to be humiliated by that brat Minamoto!"

"Farewell, everyone, on the road to the Yomi!"

The surviving Taira Samurai unleashed their final roar.

Some of them desperately clung to the Minamoto soldiers who rushed onto the ship, and rolled into the sea together.

Some simply discarded their weapons, straightened their armor, gave a final salute towards Kyoto, and then calmly stepped into the deep sea.

Sukemori watched all this with a numb calm on his face.

He found his younger brother Arimori vacant look in his eyes, and reached out his hand.

Arimori looked at him and nodded.

The two brothers, supporting each other, walked to the ship's railing, took one last look at the sea and sky that had witnessed their family's glory and destruction, and then jumped together.

Standing atop the wreckage of the main ship, riddled with arrows and shattered armor, Taira no Tomomori still stood like a war god.

He looked at his clansmen falling into the water around him, and at the Minamoto fleet with its white flags waving in the distance, and let out a wild laugh:

"Ha! Minamoto no Yoritomo! Do you see that? This is the end for the men of the Taira!"

He bent down, lifted a heavy anchor, and with his last bit of strength, raised it high. Then, embracing the cold iron block, he crashed into the sea like a falling star!

The last key figure of the Taira has also disappeared.

On the stage, the once illustrious the Taira Clan, like fallen leaves swept by a whirlwind, scattered and sank into this graveyard called Dan-no-ura.

Apart from the muffled sound of water splashing and the howling of the sea wind, there were no other loud noises.

The audience below the stage was already sobbing uncontrollably. Regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners, they were all deeply shocked by the tragic grandeur and despair of this collective act of sacrifice.

That was more than just a play; it was the most direct and tragic portrayal of the fall of an era and a family.

However, the tragedy was not over.

The last group of people were still standing on the stage.

Higa Shintarō, and a few other Taira Ninjas covered in blood and seriously injured.

They watched as their lords threw themselves into the sea, and as the Minamoto's ships began to approach, preparing to claim the spoils and clean up the battlefield.

Shintarō slowly turned around to face his companion. His face was expressionless, only his eyes, covered in blood and dust, remained as still as dead water.

"We..." he began, his voice hoarse, "Are Ninjas bound to the Taira."

"The Taira is gone. We... have nowhere to go. The Higa Clan will no longer accept us 'losers.' Other clans will not hire Taira Ninjas."

He raised his hand, untied his tattered Ninja Tool Pouch, and pulled out a bundle of Explosive Tags.

He carefully wrapped the Explosive Tags around his torso, layer upon layer, with blood-stained wire.

The audience stared wide-eyed, looking at this scene in disbelief.

They had initially thought that the Ninja could at least escape and survive using their skills...

Shintarō finished wrapping the Explosive Tags and checked them one last time. Then, he looked up at his companions.

Without hesitation, the Ninjas pulled out their last Explosive Tags and began wrapping them around their bodies.

Their movements were equally calm, as if they were simply carrying out an ordinary task.

Shintarō took a deep breath. Then, he straightened his spine abruptly and, with all his might, let out a final shout.

"We are Ninjas--!"

"It's a prop without a heart--!"

"Going forth without a will! Passing away while clinging to life—!"

"Above--!"

"Understood--!" the surviving Ninjas responded in unison.

The next moment!

Like moths drawn to a flame, they unleashed their last remaining Chakra and strength, charging relentlessly toward the nearest Minamoto ship!

"Stop them!" a commander on the Minamoto ship cried out in alarm.

Arrows flew, Ninjutsu rained down.

But they neither dodged nor avoided it.

"Burst!"

"Burst!!"

"Boom--!"

"Boom--!"

A series of deafening explosions suddenly erupted on the sea off Dan-no-ura!

Clusters of blazing Kakkō and thick smoke shot into the sky, engulfing the figures rushing towards death.

Steel fragments and blood-stained strips of cloth scattered in the blast wave.

Then, the Kakkō went out and the thick smoke dissipated.

Those Ninjas, along with their last pride and sorrow, transformed into the most dazzling fireworks at the end of this decisive battle.