Koukoku no Shugosha

Set against the backdrop of a brutal alternate-history conflict, Koukoku no Shugosha chronicles the devastating war between the Imperial Country of Koukoku and the rival nation known as Teikoku. First Lieutenant Naoe Shinjo serves as a dedicated officer within the Koukoku army, but his world is shattered when the East Division of Teikoku launches a sudden, overwhelming invasion that completely crushes the Koukoku North Defense Forces. In the wake of this catastrophic defeat, Shinjo and his battalion of just six hundred soldiers receive a desperate directive. They are ordered to engage in rearguard combat to delay the advance of a massive Teikoku army numbering forty thousand troops. Facing impossible odds, Shinjo is thrust into a prolonged and harrowing struggle for survival, forced to lead his outnumbered men through a seemingly unwinnable war. The manga was illustrated by Yu Ito, adapting Daisuke Sato’s original alternate-history war novels for serialization in Shueisha’s Ultra Jump magazine. The critically acclaimed series earned significant recognition, finishing as a runner-up at the 9th Japan Media Arts Festival, the 11th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, and the inaugural Manga Taisho Awards.