Disclaimer: This is fanwork based on the manga the Quintessential Quintuplets (Go-Tobun no Hanayome), by Negi Haruba. Its setting, characters and plot belong to its rightful creator. I write this only for fun and as a little writing experiment.

WARNING FOR ANIME VIEWERS: Currently, the story is following the events of the manga beyond chapter 32. If you don't want to be spoiled, STOP READING.

The War of the False Apostle

The causes of the bloodiest conflict between the Nakano powers can be traced back to the dissolution of the Renan Empire.

Of all the countries that spawned from it, none of them was as large or powerful as the Ichika Empire. They kept the old imperial traditions intact and styled themselves as the true heirs of Rena. Many believed that it was their destiny to unify the lands of the Nakanos. The early Ichika Empresses would treat their sister countries as vassals and launch several campaigns to achieve this dream of unification, but they only managed to solidify the divide. The Kingdom of Nino was too large and strong to be swallowed up. The Itsuki Commonwealth was expanding into territories beyond the Empire's control. The Republic of Yotsuba was weak, but harmless, and it was more valuable as a trade partner than as a province.

And then there was the Church.

The relationship between the Ichika Empire and the Holy Church of Miku had always been complicated. On the one hand, the Empire saw the Church as its closest ally. They shared the same values and faith in the Goddess, and the Apostles of the Church legitimized the rule of the Nakano dynasty. In turn, the Empire offered them protection and donations, which earned the Ichika Empresses the title of "Defenders of the Faith".

On the other hand, the Empire saw the Church as its most dangerous rival. While their military power was negligible, their influence over the hearts and minds of the people could not be overstated. As the chosen representatives of the Goddess on earth, the First Apostles of the Church considered themselves to be above other temporal rulers, including the Ichika Empresses, and would threaten excommunication or religious unrest if their demands were not met. Although it was a power they would only use sparingly, this "presumption of holy hegemony", as the scholars called it, had never been completely accepted by the Ichika Empire.

After all, how could they? Miku spoke for the Goddess, but Rena predated Miku. And Ichika was Rena. Or at least it should be.

Still, their mutual collaboration did not seem at risk when the New Continent was discovered. The Empire had helped the Church start their missions in the lands of Futarokunia, as the Ichikas called it, and they were the most vocal in denouncing the overambitious Ninian expansion at the Church's expense. However, their failure at stopping the Kingdom and the sentiment that they were playing second fiddle to others awakened old fears and old goals.

What had the Duchess of Yotsuba said during the Hot Springs Conference? "We only suggest that the Empress does not hold herself back".

Yes, they had been holding back. They had been holding back for generations. If they were unable to affirm the Empire's primacy at home, how could they expect the Queen of Nino to obey them abroad? The New Continent was full of promise. To let it fall in the hands of others without a fight, as they had meekly been doing for decades, was a betrayal of their heritage. It was high time that the Nakanos respected Imperial supremacy, starting with the Church.

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The False Apostle

In the year 74 of the Discovery, while the Futaros were busy dealing with the Takeda invasion, the Ichika Empress declared that the Church of Miku was under her authority and that the Imperial Archbishop (designated by Her Majesty, as per Imperial prerogative since the early days of Mikuism) was to become the new First Apostle.

At first, nobody paid much attention. Despite the severity of the implications, the announcement was made without much fanfare and it only affected the clergy in Imperial territory. However, things became more problematic when it extended to missionary efforts in the New Continent. Missions situated under the Ichikan area of influence were forced to accept the new Apostle or be expelled, and Imperial preachers started spreading the message that the Goddess had chosen the Ichika Empress and that the faithful should acknowledge her as their rightful ruler. In practice, it was an attempt to deceive the Futaro tribes that had recently converted to the religion into thinking that the Church supported the Empire in their expansionist policies, which could not be further from the truth.

Fearing that a conflict was brewing, diplomats rushed to ensure, if not peace, at least a momentary truce.

In an apparent show of good faith, the Imperial envoys proposed to sign a truce in the New Continent so as not to drag the Futaro tribes into internal Nakano matters. However, it was a ruse: the Ichika Empire didn't intend to honour the agreement and was making plans to redouble their efforts at the other side of the ocean. Fortunately or unfortunately, the ruse fell apart very quickly. The Kingdom of Nino rejected the truce that was offered to them, and the other Nakano countries soon followed.

By the end of the year 77, it was clear that the Nakanos were going to war.

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Preparations of war

Before hostilities broke out, the main powers of the Nakanos started vying for allies. Each in their own way, they appealed to the Futaros for aid, but in the end the tribes of the New Continent declined to join any side.

From the point of view of the Futaros, the conflict was complex, their sympathies were all over the place, and they still hoped that a more diplomatic solution could be achieved. In any case, this convinced many of the clans to start looking for new allies and trade partners beyond the Nakanos so as not to be so dependent on them. Thus, envoys were sent to the Takeda Sultanate and the Maeda Confederation. They were former enemies, yes, but there was potential for a more fruitful relationship. Perhaps even friendship.

Since they were far away, the Futaros had the freedom to cut ties. The nations of the Old Continent, however, did not enjoy the same luxury.

As a small country sandwiched by more powerful neighbours, the Republic of Yotsuba was in a bind. They had promised aid and support to the Church of Miku, but when the Ichikan ambassador demanded recognition for their First Apostle and to provide troops and supplies for the Imperial war effort, the Duchess and the Council of 428 found themselves between a rock and a hard place. No side had room for half-hearted allegiances, and the possibility of being swallowed up was likely. They had to choose a side for good, and soon, because in the year 78 war was officially declared.

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The Siege of the Holy City

The first moves in the war were tentative. While the Ichika Empire was the largest, wealthiest and most populous country in the Old Continent, with an army able to defeat any other power in their vicinity, they could not fight a war on multiple fronts with the same effectiveness. The susceptible Kingdom of Nino and the weary Itsuki Commonwealth positioned their own armies to keep Ichika's movements in check. With this, they thought, hostilities might be limited to a minimum, with the war being decided by strategic troop placements rather than open warfare.

However, the Empire had a different plan.

At the end of the day, the war had been declared to decide who the true First Apostle was. Even if it garnered the hate of other believers, the Ichika Empire was hell-bent on ensuring that their candidate would be recognized as the only authoritative voice of Mikuism in the world. While the Ninians and the Itsukis were worried about the situation at their common borders, the Empire launched an all-out invasion of the Church's possessions in the south.

Their final goal: the Holy City itself.

The Holy City of Miku was the capital of the Church and the centre of the religion. Generations of pilgrims had filled its coffers and it boasted some of the most spectacular monuments in the Old Continent. It also had very strong walls against potential attacks, the result of a long history of raids and sieges. The priesthood of the Church rushed to find safe haven behind its ramparts, while the other towns and villages of the theocracy fell one by one before the Imperial onslaught.

Although the Church had its own troops and templars, the defence of the city was the duty of the Yotsuban Guard. There was a long tradition in the Republic to provide the Church with some of their brightest and most loyal soldiers, many recruited from the Council families and even the occasional offshoot of the ducal dynasty. Derided as mercenaries by some of the priesthood, the First Apostles nevertheless welcomed the presence of an armed group loyal only to the head of the Church and foreign to the interests and power plays of the theocracy.

When the Imperial army arrived to the Holy City in the year 80, they demanded its immediate surrender and announced that any resistance from the Yotsuban Guard would be interpreted as the Republic joining the enemies of the Ichika Empire. But the Guard did not relent.

"Your Duchess promised eternal aid and friendship to the Empress", the Ichikan general said.

"This is not what Her Most Serene Duchess meant when she said that", the captain of the Guard answered. "Declaring war on our sister countries… Blaspheming against the Goddess… Is this really what the Empress wants to do?"

And thus the Siege of the Holy City began.

It was a gruelling time for the inhabitants of the city. They were outnumbered and bombarded by the Ichikan siege engines, while their food supplies dwindled and disease thinned their numbers. But they resisted, for there was hope in the horizon. After the initial shock, the other Nakanos were adapting to the new Imperial strategy. A combined army of Ninians and Itsukis was crossing Imperial territory at a fast pace to lift the siege, and there were rumours that the Takeda Sultanate, the Maeda Confederation and even the Futaro tribes might join the efforts in defence of the Church.

The clock was ticking on the Imperial advance. And in the year 81, the greatest battle in the history of the Old Continent took place.

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The Battle of the Eight Armies

Alerted to the presence of Nino's and Itsuki's troops in the vicinity, and fearing the arrival of the Takeda, Maeda and Futaro reinforcements, the Imperial generals ordered an assault on the Holy City. Thus began the Battle of the Eight Armies.

In truth, the name of the battle is misleading. Of all the forces involved, only five (the besieging Ichikan army, the Yotsuban Guard, the Church defenders, and the Ninian and Itsuki relief armies) saw real action, whereas the Futaro, Takeda and Maeda volunteers and mercenaries remained on standby. Nevertheless, it was the largest land battle ever seen in the Old Continent at that point, with ample opportunities for episodes of bravery, desperation and heroism.

For a moment, it seemed as if the initial Imperial assault would end victorious. The lines of the Church's templars and soldiers faltered, forcing the defenders to leave several key gates in the hands of the attackers. However, before the Imperials could push forward, the Yotsuban Guard blocked their advance and stood firm despite taking heavy losses. It was a stalemate.

And then the Ninian cavalry arrived.

The progress of the relief army had been slow. Because they had to traverse unfamiliar territory, the Itsuki Commonwealth had insisted on bringing a sizeable supply train that slowed their march down. When the allied forces neared the surroundings of the Holy City and scouts brought news of the assault, the impatient Ninian commander ordered their heavy cavalry to charge into the enemy lines without waiting for the Itsukis or the rest of the infantry, who were ordered to envelop the Imperial besiegers in a pincer move.

By all accounts, the charge of the cavalry was fierce and bold. The finest and best armed riders of the Kingdom of Nino crashed into the Imperial rearguard, shocking the besiegers. Still, the forces of the Ichika Empire did not crumble. They were also the elites of their nation, proud servants of the one and only Empress of the Nakanos. However, when their own scouts informed them of the arrival of more and more enemy troops, the Imperial high command ordered a full retreat.

It was over. The Battle of the Eight Armies had ended with a decisive loss for the Empire.

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The aftermath

The war still continued for several years, but after the failure at besieging the Holy City, it was evident that the Empire could not face the combined might of its sister countries and resist for long. Open battles led to small skirmishes and minor sieges, and diplomats came and went from the royal courts, trying to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. The Empire attempted one last feint to take the Church's territories again, but the Ichika Empress herself decided to call her troops back at the last moment.

Finally, in the year 86, a peace treaty was signed by all the parties involved.

There were no changes in the borders of the Old Continent, but the terms were still harsh for the Empire. They were to reject the claims of their False Apostle and go back to the orthodoxy of the Holy Church of Miku. Moreover, as war reparations, they would renounce their rights and titles in the New Continent in favour of the Church. While the Ichika Empire remained the most powerful of the Nakano countries, the treaty meant that they had to abandon all their hopes for expansion in the New Continent. It was a heavy blow to their imperial aspirations.

A heavy blow others were planning to take advantage of.

Author's notes:

It's been a while since I updated, but I needed to recover my inspiration for the longest piece of the fic. After all, we're nearing the last part of the race.

This chapter covers the events of the Sister's War Arc (ch. 78-86), and with that name it had to be depicted as an actual war. It was a turning point in the manga, probably one of the most controversial due to Ichika's role in it. Nevertheless, it was probably this one which motivated me to write this kind of fic, since the very titles of the arc and chapters reinforced the "historical conflict" metaphors of the story.

In historical terms, the main influences are the Italian Wars waged in the 15th and 16th centuries, and above else the episode of Imperial armies sacking the city of Rome in 1527. There are also influences from the Siege of Constantinople in 1453 and the Siege of Vienna in 1683, especially with that cavalry charge at the end. If you want musical recommendations for this chapter, I'd suggest Sabaton's The Last Stand and Winged Hussars (about the aforementioned sack of Rome and siege of Vienna, respectively), which helped with my own writing.

Coming soon: "Secrets of the Republic".