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◯ Assassination of the Shogun May, Keicho 8 (1603). Edo Castle. Only three months had passed since Tokugawa Ieyasu was appointed Seii Taishogun. A major incident occurred that shook the realm. Seii Taishogun Tokugawa Ieyasu has been assassinated. Within the heavily guarded Edo Castle, Ieyasu's life was taken by someone unknown. The culprit is a mystery. Was it an assassin from the Toyotomi family, a remnant of the Western Army defeated at Sekigahara, or a conspiracy from within the Tokugawa clan? Without the truth coming to light, news of Ieyasu's death spread throughout the country. It was the moment the balance of power, which had been barely maintained since Sekigahara, collapsed. ◯ The Tokugawa Clan Splits After Ieyasu's death, his third son, Tokugawa Hidetada, was named as his successor. However, the Tokugawa administrative system was incomplete, and the mechanisms for controlling the various daimyo were not yet fully established. Furthermore, a movement surfaced to support Ieyasu's second son, Yuki Hideyasu, who ruled the vast Echizen domain of over 670,000 koku. Those who supported Hidetada, those who pushed for Hideyasu, and those who plotted independence from the Tokugawa family emerged. Though veteran retainers like Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and Okubo Tadachika attempted to settle the situation, the conflict within the vassal corps only deepened. Eventually, armed clashes broke out within Edo Castle. The hereditary Tokugawa generals moved their armies according to their own interests, and civil war erupted throughout the Kanto region. June, Keicho 8. The Edo Shogunate effectively collapsed. The newly born military government lost the authority to rule the realm. ◯ The Return of Rival Warlords News of the Shogunate's collapse spread instantly across the country via the highways. Daimyo whose lands were reduced at Sekigahara, former retainers who lost their territories through dispossession, and local lords dissatisfied with Tokugawa rule rose up one after another. Riots, rebellions, and castle seizures occurred in rapid succession, and the master-servant relationships of yesterday crumbled. [Ouu / Ezo] In northern Mutsu, Nambu Toshinao and Tsugaru Tamenobu maintain their power. In Ezo, Matsumae Yoshihiro solidifies his independent rule. In Sendai, Date Masamune increases his military strength aiming to unify Oshu. Uesugi Kagekatsu and Naoe Kanetsugu in Yonezawa plot to retake their old territory of Aizu, while Satake Yoshinobu in Akita looks for a chance to return to Hitachi. Mogami Yoshiaki also aims for supremacy in Dewa, leading to fierce conflict between these forces. [Kanto / Koshinetsu] In Kanto, the Hidetada faction and the Yuki Hideyasu faction clash. The hereditary Tokugawa generals of the Honda, Okubo, and Sakakibara families are also split, while the Ii family establishes an independent defense system centered on Hikone. In Kozuke and Shinano, Sanada Nobuyuki solidifies his power, and the opportunity for a comeback arrives for Sanada Masayuki and Nobushige, who were exiled to Kudoyama. In Kai, Takeda remnants rise up to restore the Takeda family. In Sagami, remnants of the Hojo clan aim to retake Odawara, and in Boso, Satomi Yoshiyasu plots territorial expansion. In Echigo, Hori Hideharu secures his domain as conflict with former Uesugi retainers reignites. [Hokuriku / Tokai] In Kaga, Maeda Toshinaga strengthens his independent stance backed by a massive domain of over a million koku. In Echizen, Yuki Hideyasu shows defiance against the Tokugawa main line, causing unrest among the generals of Etchu and Echizen. In Owari, Mikawa, and Totomi, former Tokugawa retainers fight over castles, and a scramble for Ieyasu's former territories breaks out in Suruga. In Mino, various daimyo split between East and West, turning the region into a decisive battlefield once again. [Kinki] At Osaka Castle, Toyotomi Hideyori and Yodo-dono become the symbols for the restoration of the Toyotomi family, gathering loyal daimyo and ronin. In Omi, the Kyogoku family and various castle lords struggle for power, while forces related to the Hosokawa family move in Tanba and Tango. In Kyoto, the Imperial Court watches the movements of the daimyo closely, but security deteriorates rapidly as riots and local uprisings occur throughout the Kinai region. [Chugoku / Shikoku] In Suo and Nagato, Mori Terumoto plots to recover his old territories in the Chugoku region. The movements of kinsmen like Kikkawa Hiroie draw attention. Fukushima Masanori in Aki, Ikeda Terumasa in Bizen, and the Kobori family in Bitchu proceed with territorial defense. In Shikoku, the Hachisuka family of Awa, the Ikoma family of Sanuki, and the Kato and Todo families of Iyo prepare their militaries. In Tosa, Chosokabe remnants rise up against Yamauchi Kazutoyo to restore their clan. [Kyushu] Kuroda Nagamasa in Chikuzen, Kato Kiyomasa in Higo, and Hosokawa Tadaoki in Buzen maintain their respective powers. In Hizen, Nabeshima Naoshige and his son Katsushige solidify their domain while keeping a close watch on former Ryuzoji retainers. In Satsuma, Shimazu Iehisa and Yoshihiro increase their military strength. Former Otomo retainers attempt a comeback in Bungo, and signs of territorial struggle appear across all of Kyushu. Thus, dozens of powerful forces and countless minor factions stand divided across Japan. Subjugation, rebellion, collusion, alliance, and betrayal. Yesterday's ally is today's enemy, and even prestigious families once destroyed raise their banners again. There is no longer an absolute ruler in Japan. The age of warring states has begun once more.