Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Blade of Aizu

Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Blade of Aizu (French: Assassin's Creed: Fragments – La lame d'Aizu) is a French novel. It was released in France on 15 April 2021 and is part of a new trilogy of Assassin's Creed young adult books by 404 Éditions known as the Fragments series. The English translation published by Titan Books was released on 6 June 2023.

The events of the novel take place in Japan, following Shiba Atsuko and her brother Ibuka from August 1867 shortly the Icarus affair until the Battle of Aizu in October 1868.

Description

Japan, 1868. The opposition between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Emperor's supporters is growing under the influence of external forces. The Templars have infiltrated the Emperor's court and are pushing him to go to war against Tokugawa, an ally of the Assassin Brotherhood. Could the glorious era of the Samurai be on the verge of collapse?

Atsuko, a 16-year-old Japanese girl, grew up in the wealthy neighborhoods of the city of Aizu. Although she is expected to follow cultural tradition and accept an arranged marriage, she dreams of another life. Since childhood, Atsuko and her brother Ibuka have been trained in martial arts. She wields weapons as well as her brother, who is regarded by many as Aizu's most promising warrior. But the two siblings share a secret: Ibuka is a formidable Samurai but has an insurmountable fear of combat. When war is declared, Ibuka must go and fight alongside their father for the honor of the family. Defying tradition, Atsuko disguises as a male soldier and enlist in the Shogun's army, eager to show the extent of her talents, while watching out for her brother.

Summary

Chapter 1

In their dojo, Shiba Atsuko and her brother Shiba Ibuka spar with each other until Ibuka gained an upper hand and bests his sister. Although irritated, Atsuko calms down after she realizes she is still young and learning at sixteen. She is still elated that her brother still trains her despite going against the usual gender roles. While talking, both siblings were interrupted by their father Shiba Tanomo, who asks who won their match. Impressed by his kids, Tanomo claims that Ibuka will make a great samurai while Atsuko knows that the upper class is gaining more influence over the Emperor than the current samurais.

Atsuko also realizes how she and other girls do not share anything in common. During a spring national festival, Atsuko remembers how one of the other girls, Yasuhime, made fun of her head injury, another girl fell laughing at her, and one girl asked if her brother was still single. Although there were female samurai, their presence are no longer welcome in the current era. Meanwhile, Tanomo tells his children that they are invited to Matsudaira Katamori's home. Their father tells him that the daimyo may expects to have a new hatamoto, a personal guard. Excited, Ibuka is warned not to make a fool of himself as their standing to the officials wavers. Atsuko is told that she is invited as well but to wear her last dress from the festival and not for her skill. However, not wanting to be a wife to some imperial, Atsuko tries to tell her father what she wants but he stops her and suggests that she wanted a new dress. Sullen and near to tears, she accepts the gift.

Chapter 2

During the summer of 1868 in Edo, the heatwave affects the residents, who cautiously refresh themselves by the Sumida river. However, during the heatwave in Nagasaki, two British soldiers dock there after months at sea. The following night, they are found dead. This event disturbs the uneven peace between the Japanese and the British while the Templar Order sends William Lloyd as the right hand for the British consul Harry Parkes. However, Lloyd states the investigation will end with no justice and that they should send a message. Parkes reluctantly claims that the Japanese accepted aid already from the French Army and already chose a side and that the Tokugawa shogunate really runs Japan.

Wielding his own katana, Lloyd calmly surmises that the Emperor and Japan signed a deal to protect the British soldiers and that they need compensation. Parkes asks how they do that while Lloyd states that they must instigate a disconnect between the Emperor and the shogun. Although Parkes states that the Emperor is young, Lloyd claims many clans are also against the shogun and ready to support the Emperor, along with Queen Victoria's support. Parkes halts at the thought of war but Lloyd explains they will never start a war but may push the shogun to think twice.

Elsewhere, Tokugawa Yoshinobu welcomes French captain Jules Brunet into his home in Edo as to discuss Parkes' demands of Nagasaki's governor's resignation and his request for five hundred soldiers to guard the foreign sector or it's an act of war otherwise. Brunet states that his brotherhood will protect you and wants the power to stay with the shogun and the people and not an isolated Emperor. Tokugawa remains wary of the Assassins but also states that Parkes spoke already with Emperor Meiji with their own version of events. Cornered, Tokugawa has to concede and face a public apology as well as have the city's governor resign.

Brunet asks him not to do so as to make sure Tokugawa is not seen as self-preserving. However, the shogun almost engages Brunet in combat for the comment. However, Brunet notices there are not alone and goes outside to deal with the eavesdropper. However, the man escapes while Brunet tells Tokugawa of being spied on by a "shinobi. Brunet tells him that he is leaving while the shogun asks who sent the spy. Brunet theorizes it may be the British keeping tabs or someone else entirely. Nevertheless, before leaving, Brunet reassures the shogun that the French Army here has his support, which provides little comfort to him.

Chapter 3

A glum Atsuko and her brother Ibuka ready themselves for Katamori while their father bought a prized cow from farmer Kokan. Going over the hills, the siblings challenged each other in a race to arrive at Kokan to pay him. Racing with their katanas, Atsuko beats her brother by six seconds while Ibuka catches up and congratulates her. Rising up, they meet with Kokan, who waited patiently for them. While giving Kokan the payment, the siblings are told that it was the first part of a debt Kokan owes to their father. Intrigued, the siblings want to know more but Kokan states it is their father's interest to tell them the story. While walking home with their cow, a skinny bandit appears in front of them.

Wanting to pass, the siblings encounter more bandits, who come out from their hiding places. Unsheathing their katanas, Atsuko and Ibuka stand back-to-back while the bandit leader offers their lives and purses for exchange for the cow. However, his fellow bandits want Atsuko, but the leader tells them a cow is enough. While Atsuko sweats, she sees that her brother has gone silent. She looks over and sees Ibuka trembling and soiling his pants. Disgusted, she states they can take him. However, Ibuka states they should give the cow. Atsuko rebutes the offer, which leads the leader to change his mind in terms of mercy.

Atsuko, done with life being against her own desires, attacks and kills the bandit leader with tsuki to his throat. Changing her stance, she kills the brigand with the naginata swiftly. A bandit with a lance comes after her but she disarms and kills him with a strike to the head. The remaining two bandits flee while she falls on top of the nearly beheaded bandit she killed. After she throws up, she still sees Ibuka in a state of shock. Trying to snap him out of it, she sees him drop his katana before he wakes up. Insulting Ibuka for his cowardice, Atsuko orders him to grab the cow. While journeying home, she shudders at the corpses while too ashamed to look at her brother.

Chapter 4

TBC

Continuity

The novel features several historical inaccuracies, such as Jules Brunet claiming to serve the Third French Republic while it was founded in 1870, or the beheading of Matsudaira Katamori during the Battle of Aizu while he was known to have died twenty-five years later in 1893.

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