Cannon shells hit Saiuno-Annammese ramparts while soldiers are running in chaos.

Saiunese Officer – "Man the cannons! Hold the ramparts! Enemy is closing in!"

Everyone got their musket in their hand before they are going to man their trenches. While bowmen run on to the ramparts. Explosive shells landed everywhere; soldiers were thrown off by the explosion while Saiunese muzzle-loading cannons returning fire; but it prove to be useless.

Saiuno-Annammese musketeers firing their muskets from each loophole inside one of the ramparts, Cpt. Liu arrived with two swordsmen who covering him.

Cpt. Liu – "What about the situation!"

Saiunese Soldier – "Enemy barrage is getting more rapid, our counter-battery fire cannot counter them, and we are losing more artillery!"

Explosive shell hit the nearby wall and it damaged through them, musketeers whose stationing there was killed by the explosion.

Cpt. Liu – "Explosive shell?"

Saiunese Soldier – "Yes sir. It's damaged our forts and killed many of our troops."

Annammese soldier rush in and report Cpt. Liu.

Annammese Soldier – "Sir! There are insurgents in the city! Our garrisons are under attack!"

Cpt. Liu – "Shinkai! You order your soldiers to hold the perimeter! Shotsu! You come with me!"

Saiunese Officer – "Yes sir!"

At the Saiunese garrison, Eigetsu is wearing silver Saiunese lamellar armor provided by soldier in the armory, he put on the red plumed-kettle helmet.

He may be weak in the combat but he has to protect himself first by doing that.

Kourin give him the sword, it's jian sword, made of steel.

Eigetsu – "Thank you, Kourin."

Kourin – "Please be careful."

Eigetsu – "I will be back to you. I promise."

He hugs Kourin before he leaves to take a survey on the wall.

While he is walking on the rampart, he could hear gun sound and sword fight came from the city. It does seem that insurgents were inside the city wall.

Eigetsu – "I think we should use telegraph to call in reinforcement from the Saiunkoku."

So, he decided to go to garrison's Morse telegraph post.

While he's walking, mortar shell landed on the rampart. He collapses by the explosion.

Saiunese Soldier – "Are you alright sir?"

Eigetsu – "I'm alright. Let's take another way."

When he arrived at the Morse telegraph post, he found that the Karlsbaden military advisor is waiting for him.

Karlsbaden officer – "Gott sei Dank! You are still alive."

Eigetsu – "I have to use your telegraph if we want to stay alive!"

Karlsbaden officer – "Wie Sie sagen Herr!"

He uses the telegraph to send the message to the Palace in the Imperial city of Saiukoku. While he's tapping the telegraph, Eigetsu tell him the message he want to send.

Eigetsu – "This is from Saiunkoku's garrison in Vinhlong…. We need the reinforcement…. And this city can be fall at anytime…. From To Eigetsu."

Imperial Palace, Imperial City.

While Kouyuu is got himself lost in the palace as usual, he saw Shuuei with a piece of paper and seriously face, walking fast toward Shuurei's palace.

At Shuurei's palace, Ryuuki is reading the westerner's book labeled "Aodhagáin ar na dualgais nua-aimseartha." Or the treatise on the modern warfare, it was written in Auroran language.

Ryuuki – "Bhí gunna Meaisín ina fhachtóir sa reisimint. Tá sé rangaithe mar airtléire."

Shuurei bring him a cup of tea and take some look at his book.

Shuurei – "You can read the western book, can you translate this?"

Ryuuki – "I can read their book. But I cannot translate this."

Shuurei felt that Ryuuki is acting like the foolish emperor again in this time.

But then someone is knocking the door loudly.

Shuuei – "Your majesty! It's me! Ran Shuuei!"

Ryuuki – "Why are you disturbing my moment with Shuurei?"

Shuuei –"Please pardon me but I have urgent message from Intendant To Eigetsu!"

Shuurei – "You may come in."

Shuuei – "Thanks you! Your majesty!"

Shuuei comes in with a message, translated from Morse one.

Shuuei – "Oberst Karlich, the Morse telegraph officer in our palace, had got the message sent from Vinhlong, the Protectorate of Annam. So he ran to me and hand over me this translated message."

Ryuuki – "Read it."

Shuuei – "As you wish sir! …..This is from Saiunkoku's garrison in Vinhlong, We need the reinforcement and this city can be fall at anytime…. From To Eigetsu….."

After they heard that, Shuurei begins to worry. As Kourin and Eigetsu are in danger, Ryuuki cannot just sitting and watch them perished.

Ryuuki – "You and Seiran, prepare your army to board the train to Vinhlong. We got to save that city as we can…. If we can, whole Annam can be recovered."

Shuuei – "Yes, your majesty!... But Seiran is the bodyguard of Prime Minister Tei."

Ryuuki – "I can handle that. But our serious situation now, is the war in Annam… He should join you; you two are one of my finest soldiers."

Shuuei – "Yes sir!"

Ryuuki – "Shuurei…. I don't want to ask you to do but….. Can you go to Pinto and ask him for his Visayan mercenary company…. I think that we need more firepower."

Shuurei – "Sure I can!"

Shuurei changes from her sleepwear back to her formal attire before she goes to foreign legation with one imperial guard to be her translator.

At the Visayan quarter in the foreign legation,

Visayan soldier in dark green uniform is standing guard the front gate of the Visayan quarter. When he saw Shuurei, he gives her a salutation.

Visayan soldier – "Saudação, Sua Majestade."

Shuurei doesn't know what he said.

Shuurei – "What did he said?"

Imperial Guard – "He said 'Greeting, Your majesty' sire."

Shuurei – "Can you say to him?"

Imperial Guard – "As you wish sir."

He walks to the Visayan guard before he talks to him.

Imperial Guard – "Sua Majestade queria ver seu mestre, o comodoro Marcus Pinto."

Visayan soldier - "Alright. Esta é a demanda de sua imperatriz. Você pode passar."

Shuurei's imperial guard walks back.

Shuurei – "What about him?"

Imperial Guard – "He say you may pass."

Shuurei - "Great."

Shuurei walks straight to the mercenary quarter. She was greeted by the man with moustache and wearing an officer uniform. Shuurei can recognize him as Commodore Marcus Pinto.

Com. Pinto – "Greeting, your majesty. This is our honor for welcoming your visit to our quarter. What can I help you?"

Shuurei – "I came here to seek your assistant for our empire."

Com. Pinto – "Regarding of your proposal. What do you mean?"

Shuurei – "Our imperial army is preparing to embark to Annam. Emperor Ryuuki sees that we need more firepower. So he asks me to come here and seek your help."

Com. Pinto – "I see."

Com. Pinto stands up and walks to the front of the map which depicting Saiunkoku's territories and its protectorates.

Com. Pinto - "We are settling in your empire. We are so grateful for your kindness. But since us, Kingdom of Visaya, isn't the formal ally with your empire. We can't help you. But thankfully, I was the mercenary. We can intervene in your war with no any officially connection with my kingdom."

Shuurei smiles before Com. Pinto says more which make her stop doing that.

Com. Pinto – "But since we were the mercenary. We can't intervene in the war which not profit for us. So I need your assurance if you still want us."

Shuurei clench her hand and think about him.

Shuurei – "Greedy Visayan…. Is Ryuuki's thought is right?"

Finally, she decides.

Shuurei – "150 Gold pieces if your troops join in."

He grins and stands up.

Com. Pinto – "You have my word! My Visayan mercenary will help you win the war!"

Three Hours later, Back to Annam.

Many areas in Vinhlong were captured by the insurgents, but Saiuno-Annammese forces are still holding most of the fortification areas.

Saiunese Garrison is a one of the most intense combat areas in the city as insurgents are gathering outside the wall and open fire toward Saiunese musketeer on the wall.

Eigetsu backs to the office to take care of Kourin who was not the combatant. He takes off his helmet and sits down.

Eigetsu – "The help is on the way. They should be on the Sa Provincial railroad for now."

Kourin – "What's going on out there?"

Eigetsu – "Only intense combat out there. Don't worry; their forces don't have ladders to scale our wall."

But then, they heard the gunfight outside their room. Kourin begins to fear what's happened out there. Could be Annammese insurgents are breaking through toward them or Saiunese are trying to hold their lines.

Eigetsu grabs the pistol on the table, when the sound is silenced. He aims his pistol toward the door and ready to fire.

The door is opened. That's not the Annammese insurgent, but instead that's Ran Ryuuren with two breech-loading rifles in each hand.

Eigetsu – "Ryuuren-san!"

Ryuuren – "Eigetsu… Take this!"

Ryuuren tosses one rifle to Eigetsu.

Eigetsu – "Why are you here? Ryuuren-san?"

Ryuuren – "I came here for some trip, thanks to the rail system introduced by the westerners."

Kourin – "But the insurgency made you cancel the plan?"

Ryuuren – "You're brilliant, Kourin. In fact, I don't like to fight."

Ryuuren then make the cover by using the table and cabinets in that room in order to prepare the possible combat.

Ryuuren – "I heard that my brother and Seiran along with Shaorin Army are arriving here by train."

Eigetsu – "I sent Morse telegraph to call them from the Imperial City."

Ryuuren – "You can use Morse telegraph! Oh… I have to train for many times to use this gun."

Eigetsu – "No sir, I can't use it. The Karlsbaden officer in this garrison had used them."

Ryuuren – "The men of Karlsbad, They should rather be our warrior than technician."

Hour later, aboard the train on the way to Vinhlong.

Ran Shuuei is sleeping on the wheat sack while Seiran is polishing his sword. They preferred to rest in the cargo car instead of luxurious passenger bogie, because they wanted to live alongside with their soldiers.

Saiunese soldiers are sleeping while they hold their musket in their hands, Visayan mercenary is looked more modernized than Saiunese one since they have Breech-loading rifle like most western nations.

While Seiran is looking his soldiers, Shuuei asks him while he's sleeping.

Shuuei - "You still awakening?"

Seiran – "I'm still worrying about Shuurei. I would like to protect her than fighting abroad."

Shuuei – "If you're not taking some rest, you would be sure sleep on the battlefield with no chance to awake again."

Seiran – "Alright… I'm just… worried about my first time to fight abroad."

Shuuei – "Have I not worried like you?"