Enkazan Station-17 Years Before the Start of Canon
"Retreat! Retreat! Abandon Station! The Lord is Dead, The Castle has fallen." A Bushi(Knight) shouted as he hauled a Box half his size with him, "Retreat aboard the Sakura! Start the Engine."
He looked at the train; only then did he realize he was alone. "Tch!" he clicked his tongue. He could not operate the train alone; he was not trained to be the driver. Jūzō carried the future of the Shiranui clan, the only clan that could go toe to toe with the Kabane; in fact, Lord Shiranui killed a few hundred Kabane before he was bitten, "Damn it, focus Jūzō."
He had no other choice; the closest station was the Aragane Station. It would take around 2 days of travel. The idea of setting up a station on an Isolated mountain was not such a great decision as they thought it was.
He loaded the box onto the Engine car, he quickly pulled the track lever and aligned the rails with the main line, allowing the train to exit the station.
"GRAAAHH!" A Kabane lunged from the shadows. He shoved it back, drew his katana swiftly, and decapitated it with a single, clean stroke.
Pain exploded through his left arm, the one he'd used to shove the Kabane back. He glanced down. A bite mark stared back at him, the flesh around it already turning grey, a red pulse throbbing beneath the skin. "Fuck me!"
"My Lord!" He turned behind. A boy stood there, barely fourteen, shaking where he stood. "Please help me!"
"Boy, are you Bit?" He asked him and looked him over top to bottom, but he didn't have any blood or wrinkles on his clothes. "If you are not, I need your help."
"I will do whatever you want." He replied, "But you are bit." he pointed at his hand.
"I know, that's why I need your help. Do you know how to drive a train?" He asked him, The boy nodded, "Yes, My Lord, I was a trainee." They then boarded the train, and he handed the boy the master key of Sakura.
He led him to the box and slowly opened it. Inside… lay the future of Enkazan Station. Wrapped in a soft cloth was a baby, no more than a few months old. Strands of black and white hair framed a small, delicate face, the contrast already striking even in infancy. The child was sleeping, as if they were not close to dying.
"This is Master Shiranui Enma." Beside the child rested the treasures of the Shiranui family. A katana lay carefully placed, still within its sheath. The scabbard was black, marked with deep crimson patterns that seemed to coil along its length, subtle yet ominous. Even untouched, it carried a heavy presence, like something waiting, not sleeping.
Next to it was a worn book, its cover aged but well-kept, and a sealed letter placed gently near the baby's side.
"The train has enough coal and water for three days," he said, pointing at the map. "The nearest station is Aragane. Head there… and give the lord this letter. He will handle the rest."
The Boy nodded, "I will do my best, My Lord."
Jūzō nodded. "What is your name?" he asked.
"Haruto. Haruto Sakamoto, my lord. May I know your name?"
"I am Takeda Jūzō." He paused, catching the flicker of shock on the boy's face, and allowed himself a faint smile. "You may know me as the Deputy Lord of Enkazan. Haruto Sakamoto, I entrust to you the future of Enkazan and the Shiranui clan. Do you accept this responsibility?"
"I will sacrifice my life if I must, Lord Jūzō." He did not need to be told twice. One look at his face was enough to see the resolve in his eyes. "Good, you must depart now."
He felt the heat creeping up his face. He knew his end was near. Stepping off the Sakura, he turned back once.
"Goodbye, kid. Take care of Master Enma. And keep the train. Sakura is the best of its kind."
Haruto nodded and shut the door. He inserted the master key into the keyhole and turned it. The engine roared to life.
Jūzō drew out the suicide bag and placed it over his heart. He stood there, watching the Sakura pull away from Enkazan. "I'm coming, Hime," he murmured, speaking his wife's name. He pulled the cord. And with a faint smile, he was gone.
***
Two days later — Aragane Station
"Haruto, we are approaching the Aragane Station." Daigo Ishida, one of the survivors and a steam smith, shook him awake. He was one of the survivors he rescued at the west gate, far from the breach at the east, where the train was. "We should arrive within five minutes."
He nodded and looked out of the window toward Aragane Station. "Good. Have you taken a final count and inspected everyone?"
"Yes. We have a total of eighty-one survivors, and none of them are bitten or injured," Ishida replied. "We'll have to bargain hard to stay in Aragane."
"Don't worry, I have a letter from Lord Takeda Jūzō. Lord Yomogawa may be willing to listen to us after he reads it." He took the driver's seat. "Besides, no one would want to turn away the Shiranui banner. They would love to get their hands on the technology of the Sakura."
"Hm, you're right," Ishida noted mentally. "A train faster than eagles, armor strong enough to withstand cannon fire, our food preservation system, our air cooling system, and the Type-53S Cannon, which can pierce through walls of steel with ease, not to mention the train has a whole dedicated compartment to store copies of our books on Technology and Medicine … it is truly a treasure worth killing for."
"Hm. Time to find out if we're going to stay here or not." Haruto pulled the rope, announcing their arrival with their signature horn.
Yomogawa Castle
"I was not aware that Enkazan Station had been breached. Had I known sooner, I would have sent the Fusōjō and the Kōtetsujō to rescue the survivors." Kenshō Yomogawa, the ruler of Aragane Station, read through the letter carefully. "I have no issue granting what is written here. The Sakura will remain under your command until young Enma comes of age. However, I have conditions of my own."
Haruto bowed, showing proper respect. "What do you require, Lord Yomogawa?" he asked.
Yomogawa raised a finger. "First, your steam smiths will assist in improving our trains." Haruto nodded; that had been expected. "Second, the Sakura will remain under your command, but it will undertake missions on behalf of Aragane." He raised a third finger, his gaze steady. "And finally… Lord Enma will be betrothed to my daughter, Ayame."
"I can accept your first two conditions, Lord Kenshō, but the third is beyond me. I cannot decide the future of my lord, nor should I. I am but a driver who was fortunate enough to survive. I command the Sakura, nothing more. I am no lord of Enkazan."He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Why not wait until they come of age? They may choose each other of their own will… or you may arrange it then."
Kenshō pondered for a moment before nodding. "That is acceptable. I hope you find a good life in Aragane."
Haruto let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Thank you, Lord Kenshō. Our people will remember this for the rest of their lives."