Chapter 1 – Rising Sun


Author's Note (Updated Since 14-12-2024)

Formerly entitled as "Cross Of The Rising Sun", this story is now renamed as "All Under Heaven".

This historical fanfiction is loosely based on Tomb Raider 2013 but set in 1580s-1590s Sengoku Japan, Ming China and Joseon Korea; with additional elements from Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Tomb Raider: Underworld and Rise Of The Tomb Raider.

The aesthetics are heavily inspired by the video games of Expeditions: Conquistador, Battle Brothers and Total War: Shogun 2; movies of Noryang: Deadly Sea (노량: 죽음의 바다), Fall Of Ming (大明劫) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor; and 2024 TV series of Shōgun.

Some canon characters will have slight name alteration to better fit the historical and ethnic background. They are:

- Alex Weiss will be "Alexander Wyss". The surname "Wyss" is the Alemannic Swiss German variant of standard German "Weiss/Weiß".

- Samantha "Sam" Nishimura will be "Justina 'Samantha' Nishimura Yuno".

- Amanda Evert will be "Amanda Everts". The surname "Everts" is the original Dutch spelling of "Evert".

- Konstantin will be "Costantino Reres" or "Kostandin Reres".

- Ana will be "Anna Reres" or "Ana Reres".


Countess Lara Croft woke up abruptly and found herself in a warm futon on the tatami floor. Despite still feeling disoriented and extreme pain from her ribs, left kidney and calf., she sat up and looked around nervously. She was in a traditional Japanese minka but the room oddly had a small wooden Roman Catholic Cross on the front wall. To her left was a mirror showing Lara dressed in a brand new loose white linen shirt and breeches. These were typical European men's fashion. They were also Lara's favourite as they perfectly showed her profession as a courageous adventurer. Such a masculine and dangerous profession basically destroyed Lara's reputation among the aristocrats back in England. Noble ladies found her too vulgar while men deemed her too scandalous. Lara basically became the prime gossip target within the upper class and no one ever wanted to be associated with her. Even reaching the age of 21, she had no suitors or even friends at all. Lara found such "social death" status to be an advantage as she no longer needed to attend any aristocratic parties to face those endless passive aggressive insults. Back to the mirror again, the jade dragon necklace was still around Lara's neck. However, she discovered that her lower left cheek was patched with cotton gauze. Her left forearm and upper right arm were also bandaged. As she tried to stand up and leave the futon, a heart-tearing pain tingled from her ribs, left kidney and calf again. Lara bit her lips to halt herself from screaming. She carefully loosed her white linen shirt and breeches and found that all injured areas were heavily bandaged.

It did not need to take a wild guess that Lara was now in Japan and was rescued by the Portuguese… which were technically her enemies. The Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Portugal had been close allies since the establishment of the Treaty of Windsor in 1386. However, the disastrous Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578 changed everything. The pious young and childless King Sebastian was killed in action. His granduncle and successor Cardinal Henry died shortly after in 1580. Since they both lacked immediate heirs, it led to the chaotic Portuguese succession crisis of 1580. Ultimately, their ambitious relative King Philip II of Spain (uncle to Sebastian and nephew to Henry) succeeded the throne as the new King of Portugal, uniting both the Portuguese and Spanish Empires as the Iberian Union in 1580. Under the new rulership, the Treaty of Windsor was no longer valid and Portuguese foreign policy was completely tied to Spain. They were obligated to join the Spanish to crush the Dutch Revolt in 1580. Despite the Protestant powerhouse of England not yet officially involved in the war, many Anglican Englishmen were very sympathetic towards their Calvinist Dutch brethren and secretly provided funds and weapons to the rebels through shipments. The Catholic Iberian Union was well aware of such issues and always kept a close eye on them. Furthermore, the naval route to Japan was supposed to be an Iberian state secret. They were thus very likely to detain any Englishmen that they encountered in East Asia. Worst of all, Anglicans were branded as heretics and could thus be sentenced to gruesome torture and slow death by burning.

Countess Lara Croft took a deep breath and cursed quietly, "Bloody hell… I am screwed either way. I need to escape and find Uncle Roth…"

Just as Lara was about to stand up again even under severe pain, a Portuguese Jesuit Priest slowly opened the shoji and walked in. He looked visibly surprised and said something happily in Portuguese. Lara could understand none of it and observed the Priest quietly. He was in his early 40s, very handsome and masculine with short pitch black hair and a full beard. He wore a black biretta, a silver Catholic cross necklace and a black cassock with white clerical collar. Sensing the language barrier due to Lara's lack of response, the Jesuit Priest tried to communicate with Lara in Spanish and Italian but to no avail. Feeling incredibly awkward, Lara instinctively responded with her native Surrey accent English, "Emm… I don't think I understand what you are trying to say…"

The Priest's joyful expression quickly turned neutral. He raised his right eyebrow and asked in broken English with a very heavy Portuguese accent, "You are English, yes?"

Lara instantly regretted speaking as she just accidentally exposed herself to be English, loud and clear. The young Countess looked at the Roman Catholic Priest nervously and her mind was racing on what she should do next. Lara heard all the horrific stories about the Jesuits and she believed them wholeheartedly. They were ruthless inquisitors who were specialised in eliminating Protestant heresies by all means necessary. These monsters maimed, killed and burned Protestant civilians of all ages without any hesitation and remorse. A blunt escape stun was out of question since Lara could barely stand at all due to her still recovering wounds. The Countess sighed in defeat as she was certainly doomed. There was no way to run and nowhere to hide. Better to be honest and get on the good side of the Priest now so that she could earn a swift and painless death.

"Yes.", Lara answered plain and simple after a few seconds of awkward silence.

The Priest chuckled in amusement, "You are a smart one, aren't you? Anyway, I am Padre (Father) Sebastião Alvito from the Society of Jesus. And you are?", he said as he extended his right hand for a handshake.

Lara reluctantly accepted and introduced herself, "I am Lara Croft - Countess of the House Croft in Surrey, Kingdom of England."

"Nice to meet you Condessa Croft-", an awkward stomach growling from Lara interrupted the sentence. She cringed and blushed in sheer embarrassment. Padre Sebastião smiled politely, "Ah… I see. You must be hungry and thirsty. Why don't we have a little feast to celebrate your recovery?"

It was not a suggestion as Padre Sebastião immediately summoned a young Japanese maid politely in flawless Hichiku dialect that the Countess could not understand a single thing. Such a barbarous tongue literally sounded like goblin grunting. The Priest grabbed a chabudai and placed it at the direct opposite front of Lara. Just as he sat down on the tatami and placed his folded hands on the wooden furniture, Lara asked in quick succession, "Where am I? Where did you find me? What happened to me? How long have I been out?"

"Relax, you can calm down as you are safe here. You are in Portuguese Nagasaki. It is located in Kyushu of Western Japan. Alferes (Ensign/Lieutenant) Alexander Wyss discovered your unconscious and gravely wounded body on the beach nearby while on patrol duty. You suffered from multiple 2nd degree burns, shrapnel cuts, broken ribs, splinter impalement on the left kidney, a deep cut wound on the left calf and near-death drowning. You were also in a deep coma for 2 weeks. It is a Divine miracle that you can survive without any infection."

Lara was horrified as it also meant that she was separated from Uncle Roth for far too long. She asked nervously, "Are there any survivors other than me?"

Padre Sebastião apologised sadly, "I am sorry that you are the only one that we can save. There were 21 others but none of them made it. We tried to look for other survivors for 2 weeks straight but were only able to salvage some minor shipwreck fragments. May they rest in peace-"

"Have you seen a 52 years old and 185 cm tall muscular grey-haired man? Please tell me that he is not on the casualty list!"

Padre Sebastião slowly nodded, "Not that I or my men are aware of. What is his name?"

"Captain Conrad Roth."

The Priest raised his right eyebrow again, "Conrad Roth the Despoiler? The close friend of Francis Drake the Dragon?"

"Yes, the one and only."

Padre Sebastião was silent for a few seconds before summoning a maid to bring him a dip pen, an ink bottle and a notebook. He quickly recorded their previous conversation and continued writing as he spoke, "Does it also mean that the privateer galleon Endurance is here and you are one of its crew?"

"WAS here.", Lara corrected bitterly. This so-called "little feast" was nothing but an Inquisitorial interrogation. She mentally cursed and continued, "And yes, I am uncle-, no- I mean Captain Roth's personal secretary and historian. I manage Endurance's logbook and financial expenditure, as well as research the history and information of our target locations. Our ship was attacked by a horde of Wokou warships in the East China Sea. A few insane rōnin managed to board the ship… Those bloody bastards were fucking suicide bombers! They tied tons of explosive fire bombs to their torso and rushed into our ammunition cache. They exploded and completely crippled our hull from within, killing ⅔ of our crew instantly. Fragmentation also flew all over the place. A metal splinter impaled my left kidney and a shrapnel cut my left cheek. A rōnin tried to kill me while I was still disoriented. He slashed my left calf with his katana but I headshot him with my wheelock pistol. Ultimately, we shattered all these Wokou arseholes but the ship was completely undermanned for basic operation. Our misfortune then only went downhill from bad to worse. We encountered a violent thunderstorm and countless surges which tore our already crippled hull apart. I fell into the raging sea, Captain Roth went missing and the rest is history."

Padre Sebastião nodded, "I must say… That is a very eventful journey… If you are a crew of the Endurance, then you must know you are classified as a pirate according to the most venerable law of the Iberian Union. Captured pirates are either publicly executed by hanging or sentenced to harshest mining labour in Angola or Mozambique. I wonder why you are so honest and easy to spill all the beans?"

"Do I look like I have a choice? I am full of injuries, can barely stand up, stranded on a barbarous uncharted land, ship destroyed, friends either dead or missing and now I am being cornered by my executioner."

"Fair point but the last part is an absurd misinterpretation. The General Council Of The Holy Office Of The Inquisition In Portugal and our Roman Papal superior have no authority to sentence punishment. They are the job of the secular authority. We Inquisitors merely have the power to interrogate and judge if you are guilty of heresy or not. Therefore, you being a pirate does not concern me but a heretic does."

"You think that I am a heretic? I can be a Catholic recusant."

"No loyal subjects of the sacred Roman Church will ever aid the heretical Queen Elizabeth and her vile murderous gangs of pirates. You are an Anglican, right?"

"... Yes… Are you going to burn me now?"

"No, at least not yet."

"Why?"

"Because your story interests me. Depending on your answer, I can help convince the Council of Portuguese Nagasaki to grant you a light sentence or even a clean release."

With that said, the same young Japanese maid returned, slowly opened the shoji and walked in with a huge tray. It had 2 plates of sushi, a soy sauce bottle, 2 pairs of chopsticks, 2 teacups, a kettle and a matcha powder bowl. While Lara was indeed very hungry and thirsty, she refused to touch any food yet due to their bizarre nature.

"What are these green tea-like liquids? Why are those rice not in a bowl but attached with cold and raw fish pieces? That's disgusting and you can't eat them.", the Countess was absolutely confused.

Padre Sebastião smirked and explained with amusement, "The green tea is called matcha. They are ground powder from compressed green tea leaves and you mix them with boiling water to drink. Ancient Chinese actually drink tea in such a way but they no longer do so because Great Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang banned such practise. I guess you have tried tea in the way of directly putting dry processed leaves in?"

"Yes… It is kinda ironic that the barbarous land of Japan actually preserved the most authentic way of drinking Chinese tea.", Lara grabbed a cup of matcha prepared by the Priest and took a light slip and commented, "Hum… not bad at all… It is good! But I still prefer the current Ming method because I like to directly chew those tea leaves. Anyway, what are those raw fish pieces with rice dishes?"

"Those are called sushi. The rice is vinegared with sugar and salt. For raw fish… well… I had to admit that they look nasty and I was scared to try them when I first saw them. However, as long as they were freshly served, they were safe to eat even though they were raw. We have eel, yellowtail, salmon and tuna here. Just choose any you want and drip them with soy sauce and wasabi to eat."

"Wasabi? You mean those green stuff?"

"Yes, they are actually horseradish which are ground into a paste. They are quite spicy so be careful with the amount you add."

"I adore spicy food. It is just my purse that cannot afford any back in England. Here in East Asia, I can have as many as I want for their cheap price.", Lara clumsily used the chopstick and barely picked up a piece of salmon sushi, placed a huge pile of wasabi and dipped it with soy sauce. Once she put the entire piece into her mouth in one go and started chewing, she began to cough and tears dropped from her eyes. She drank a half cup of matcha and wiped her tears with her sleeves. She took a deep breath and commented, "Bloody hell! It is intense but very delicious. The spice is chilling but refreshing. The raw fish texture is weird but somehow soft and has a natural sweetness within. I love it!"

"Then that is great. Glad that you like it.", Padre Sebastião praised as he skillfully used chopsticks and elegantly placed a small amount of wasabi on the top of the sushi. Then proceed to consume it with a single bite. The motion was slick and completely contrasted to Lara's clumsiness and devouring hunger.

Lara asked curiously, "How can you use that chopstick thing so easily? It is so damn clunky."

"Practice makes perfect, my friend. I have been using it since I first arrived in Macau. The first thing I try is the soy sauce fried noodles. I have no idea how to use chopsticks back and make a whole mess on their street dining table. I still remember how the local customers all pointed at me and said「哇,個鬼佬食到成隻豬咁樣。」."

"What does that last sentence mean?", Lara asked curiously.

"It is Cantonese and it literally means 'Wo, that monster eats like a pig.'."

"Really?! Did they seriously call you a monster?!", Lara cry-laughed out loud.

"Yep, apparently our skin tones fit the appearance of their folk religion's ghosts. They thus call every European that they encounter as 'monster'. Meanwhile, the Japanese call us 'Nanban', meaning 'Southern Barbarians'."

"I just realise that we are the perfect bedroom monsters to snitch naughty children at night if they don't behave."

The duo both laughed at the joke and exchanged various lighthearted stories regarding their adventurous journey across the world. The priest then put down his chopsticks after a few more pieces of sushi. He continued to write in his notebook while asking Lara, "So, I wonder why a noble lady like you would join the notorious pirate Conrad Roth the Despoiler and the Endurance. You can stay in England and enjoy all the wealth and comfort. Why choose such a dangerous and illegal path?"

Lara answered while still chewing a yellowtail sushi, "Umm… it is hard to explain without knowing the personal life of Captain Roth first. You see, when he was honourably discharged from the English Royal Navy due to failed internal power struggles in 1566, he quickly found new employment as a Privateer for English state sponsored raids, explorations and smuggling. Roth acquired a vast amount of priceless ancient artifacts-"

"You mean rob and steal from the Spanish and Portuguese Empires."

Lara cringed, "Anyway, the sudden influx of Amerindian treasures greatly raised the interest of our collectors and historians. My father Court Richard Croft was one of them and became close friends with Captain Roth after several business deals. They went on many treasure-hunting expeditions together. My father was the brain and Roth was the muscle. He was the best man of my father's wedding to my mother Amelia De Mornay-"

"Wait, your mother was French."

"Yes, she was a Huguenot from Picardy."

Padre Sebastião quietly mumbled, "Another Protestant heretic…"

Lara pretended that she heard nothing. She ate a piece of tuna sushi and continued, "While not related by blood, Roth is like a true uncle to me and I am very fond of him. As long as I can remember, he is smart, strong, kind, patient and is very good at dealing with annoying hyperactive kids like me. He saved me multiple times from venturing into dangerous spots in my home Manor or taking blame for my wrongdoings. Uncle Roth is like my childhood crush and will forever be my idol and life mentor. Both my parents approved of my tomboyish potential and allowed Roth to train me in the art of combat, orienteering and survival. When my mother died in a shipwreck across the English Channel, it was Uncle Roth who discovered her body."

"May she rest in peace."

"Indeed, she was a great woman and an even greater mother. Unfortunately, her death sent my father into deep depression. He became completely obsessed with immortality. Uncle Roth help my father to gather ancient pagan sources to conduct resurrection ritual on mother-"

"Blasphemous satanism! This is outrageous! Only faith in God can provide eternal life! Don't you heretics understand?!"

"Yes, I do and I think they do as well because the rituals never work no matter how many times they try. My father eventually passed away from an unknown lung disease when I was 16 and uncle Roth became my guardian. He protected me by fending off my mother's ambitious brother, uncle Atlas De Mornay from claiming the Croft family inheritance. I officially inherited my father's title, status and all the family property when I turned 18 which was 3 years ago. I always wanted to become an adventurer like Uncle Roth, so I immediately joined the Endurance to explore the world."

"Explore or plunder?", Padre Sebastião narrowed his eyes and asked sharply.

"If you are asking about whether we robbed any Spanish or Portuguese ships and settlements, then no. Uncle Roth was already 49 when we set off from Chatham Dockyard in Kent in 1578. He was getting too old for dangerous battles so we strictly avoided any confrontation with the Spanish or Portuguese. However, we did raid countless indigenous tribes along the way and I could not guarantee if they were actually allied with you guys or not. We sailed down to the West and South Africa, then to the Greater Sunda Islands through the Indian Ocean. After that, we ventured north to Vietnam, South China and eventually set our destination to Japan. When we reached the East China Sea, we got screwed by a huge horde of Wokou and the subsequent massive thunderstorm. You get the rest."

"Umm… I see... Very interesting… Thank you for your information and honesty. That's enough for today.", Padre Sebastião said as he finally put down his dip pen and closed the notebook. Before he left the room, he remarked, "Enjoy the rest of your sushi and matcha. If you need anything, just ask the maids for help. Sleep well and I will see you tomorrow."