๐น Aliases: Blade Alliance, Reform Army, Moonrise Reformers
๐น Creed: End the Emperor's dictatorship, establish a joint government of Daimyos, push for imperial reform
๐น Headquarters: "Shadow Blade Hall" (hidden within a certain Daimyo's territory)
๐น Nature: Revolutionary samurai group, merging politics and military into an underground organization
The Reform Blade Alliance is a secret revolutionary organization composed of samurai and intellectuals within the Moonrise Empire who oppose the Emperor's absolute rule. They believe that the Emperor should only be a symbol of spiritual authority, while actual political and military power should be co-managed by local Daimyos through a collective government, rather than allowing a single person to control the entire nation.
This ideology directly challenges the absolute authority the Emperor has held for a millennium. Consequently, the Alliance's actions have been suppressed by the Imperial Army and the Shogunate. To survive and expand, the Reform Blade Alliance operates as a secret organization with strict military discipline. Its members are carefully selected samurai and activists dedicated to overthrowing the old system and establishing a new order.
The Allianceโs operational model combines political assassinations, military raids, intelligence warfare, and revolutionary agitation. They push for reform by infiltrating local lords and armed resistance against the Shogunateโs forces. Their ultimate goal is to establish a "Federal Government with a Council of Lords," allowing local Daimyos to govern the empire together, abolishing the Emperor's divine rule and leading the country into a more free and equal era.
However, because their ideas are so radical, they are simultaneously hunted by the Shogunate army and mistrusted by conservative Daimyos. Some Daimyos who wish to maintain the Emperor's rule even view them as a terrorist organization, forcing the Reform Blade Alliance to remain underground for years, relying on hidden bases, intelligence war, and guerrilla tactics to survive.
Internally, the Alliance uses a military structure similar to the Shinsengumi but operates with a political organizational model. Members are divided into military, planning, and intelligence departments.
Alliance Master: Sakakibara Genshin
๐น The leader of the Reform Blade Alliance. Originally a Shogunate general serving a certain Daimyo, he was exiled due to conflicting ideologies.
๐น Skilled in both swordsmanship and strategy, he possesses excellent political cunning and drives the ideal of a "Joint Government of Daimyos."
๐น Superficially a reclusive samurai, he is actually the core of the entire organization, responsible for strategic planning and contacting supporters.
Responsibility: Armed combat, assassination missions, and raiding Shogunate outposts.
Captain: Murakami Ryoma
๐น Expert in dual-blade style with rich combat experience. He is extremely dissatisfied with the Emperor's regime and views the Shogunate army as mortal enemies.
๐น Leads the 1st Division in assassinations and guerrilla warfare, specializing in dealing with the Imperial Army's elites and special agents.
Responsibility: Infiltrating the Shogunate army and Daimyo residences, and overall intelligence gathering.
Captain: Todo Kana
๐น Master of disguise and espionage, capable of infiltrating the Shogunate and enemy Daimyo forces to obtain classified information.
๐น Leads the 2nd Division in monitoring Shogunate movements, planning assassinations, infiltration, and manipulating enemy internals.
Responsibility: Managing funds, weapons, hidden bases, and contacting underground supporters.
Captain: Otani Gendo
๐น A trader from the Commercial Republic, expert in financial operations and weapon sales. Responsible for the Allianceโs military supply.
๐น Cooperates with reform-minded Daimyos and chambers of commerce to provide money and materials for the Alliance.
Responsibility: Contacting reform-minded Daimyos, planning internal support, and driving ideological propaganda.
Captain: Tsukamoto Hideaki
๐น Originally a Shogunate civil official who defected due to his support for reform. Responsible for drafting the blueprint of the new government's system.
๐น Actively contacts progressive Daimyos to build a federal-style government system.
Responsibility: Modern tactical experiments, urban raids, demolition, and mixed-firepower operations. Active in urban battlefields, port strongholds, and barracks raids; the first to adopt Pirate Alliance tactics.
Captain: Redeye Sol
๐น Origins in the Pirate Alliance; former vice-captain of the "Blood Tide Pirate Fleet." Expert in naval and urban warfare tactics.
๐น Exiled to the Moonrise Empire after being betrayed by subordinates during a failed naval battle. Taken in by Sakakibara Genshin, he became the Allianceโs key tactical advisor and frontline instructor.
๐น Despite a hot temper and arrogant attitude, he possesses immense suppressive power on the battlefield and is known within the Alliance as the "Grim Reaper in the Line of Fire."
๐น His 5th Division is known for brutal warfare and rapid reactions, making them the elite unit for close-quarters raids and mixed-arms combat.
Members come from various schools, so styles are diverse, but the organization teaches core combat techniques for its unique guerrilla and intelligence needs.
๐น Thunder Shadow Slash: A one-strike kill quick-draw technique, ideal for assassinations and raids.
๐น Swimming Dragon Triple Slash: A three-strike combo for close combat, preventing enemies from escaping.
๐น Phantom Blade Dance: High-speed footwork combined with swordsmanship to make it impossible for opponents to predict the attack direction.
๐น Silent Step: Noiseless movement for nighttime infiltration and urban raids.
๐น Shadow Evasion: Using shadows, buildings, or terrain to hide and avoid tracking.
๐น Lantern Counter: A counter-technique derived from Huoga's shadow-stealing arts, striking at an enemy's critical points.
๐น Smoke Raid: Creating chaos with gunpowder and smoke bombs, then quickly drawing a gun or blade.
๐น Pistol Thrust: Combining short firearms with blade arts to quickly end an opponent in tight spaces.
๐น Fireline Retreat Slash: Armed with both a gun and a blade, alternating between attack and retreat, ideal for guerrilla escapes and urban breakthroughs.
๐น Blazing Blade Intent: Stimulating combat intent when surrounded, causing blade energy and internal force to explode simultaneously.
๐น Undercurrent Hidden Qi: Hiding one's presence before a battle, extremely practical for assassination and escape.
๐น Formation-Breaking Will: The stronger the user's will, the better they can resist spells, illusions, mental interference, and curses.
๐น Emperor and Shogunate Army โ๏ธ: Hostile. Viewed as traitors by the Emperor, while the Shogunate army exerts full effort to eradicate them.
๐น Local Daimyos โ๏ธ: Some provide secret support, while others view them as a dangerous revolutionary organization.
๐น Commercial Republic ๐ฐ: Some traders provide secret support, hoping for benefits in a future new government.
๐น Huoga Sect ๐ฅ: Some ninjas have been hired for assassinations, but both sides maintain a distance.