The Thousand Mask Warrior

Rua Mat's

Maenam or meaning Chao Phraya river is the main river in the country of Siam. Mae nam is a Siamese term for a river that literally translates as mother of water, mae and nam. In the valley of the Chao Phraya river appeared one of the oldest civilizations in the archipelago and surrounding areas, namely the Mon kingdom and Dwarawati culture in the 7th to 11th centuries AD. sunga Chao Phraya also played an important role in the kingdom of Lavo which is on the left bank of the Chao Phraya valley. Even Chao Phraya continued to help provide important roles to kingdoms after Lavo such as being the basis of the Ayodhaya kingdom before becoming part of the Ayutthaya kingdom in the 14th century AD.

Because of the importance of Chao Phraya, the Ayutthaya kingdom even ordered the construction of artificial channels, such as shortcuts to pass through a large vortex in the river, cutting the distance from the royal capital to the sea. Since then, the flow

the river changes following these channels.

The first construction was a long channel excavated in 1538 AD during the reign of King Chairachathirat called Khlong Lat, cutting the ship's route from the Gulf of Siam to Ayutthaya. In 1542, the Khlong Lat channel of Bangkok was completed. Chao Phraya was routed through the new channel and the old stream became part of Khlong Bangkok Noi and Khlong Bangkok Yai, and this was particularly useful as it shortened the distance to the 2000s league. In 1608 AD, 1,400 channel leagues named Khlong Bang Phrao were completed and shortened the original distance of Chao Phraya to 3,728 leagues. More recently, three years ago, in 1636 AD, the Khlong Lat Mueang Nonthaburi channel was also completed.

There are still some great river channel works that aim to open the way to and from Ayutthaya. No wonder the trade and state relations of Siam Ayutthaya with foreign countries are quite crowded. As a result, the defense of the kingdom became equally tight.

Before entering the Lopburi river that surrounds the royal capital, there is a river area that is dug for defense. Chao Phraya river flows include tidal types and affect other rivers such as Pa Sak and Lopburi. The current changes daily based on the tide in the bay of Siam, except the end of the rainy season when the bajir covers the tide.

one of the simple boats or barges of Ayyutthaya is the rua mat, which can be known by its bow and duck-shaped stern. This type of excavation boat, made of one logs, mostly comes from Malabar ironwood, which is used to transport rice and other goods. Rua mat is carved with chisels and its size is sometimes increased by heating carved wood over a fire or by putting a smoldering rice husk on the inside. When the wood is softened, the two parts are separated to expand the hull. The boat is driven with a steering stake.

Arima Oda, Konoshi Hidetada and Paulo Omura decided to sail to pick up the sararang with an agile mat. They entered Lopburi and then a day later entered the Chao Phraya River.

Arima Oda, the most passionate hitman in his job. He was rewarded with extraordinary intelligence and greed so that in his shortness of steps, the bloodlust was so thick. In addition to the daisho or the katana and wakizashi pair, he also slipped a dagger next to the wakizashi. This dagger is called a tanto.

Konoshi Hidetada, famous for having a pretty face and looks often smiling. An extraordinarily lewd ronin. The purpose of becoming a New World swordsman is in addition to the greatness of name and wealth, also for the sake of women. He likes to enjoy women, just like eating. Raising women from various ethnic groups in good ways such as buying or renting, or by force, such as kidnapping and abducting. Both colleagues are often worried because the pervert Konoshi Hidetada often release and delay when carrying out tasks and see beautiful women. He may decide to replace their purpose with his obscene purpose.

Konoshi Hidetada is armed with a katana and wakizashi, yari and tanegashima, or a button-axe rifle. For this reason, his task is often behind as a shooter and defense of the order of the moves of his two colleagues.

Paulo Omura, the Japanese Nasrani warrior is the calmest but coldest and most unpredictable. Like his two colleagues who use katana, wakizashi and yari, it turns out he also carries another spear that has eyes like a curved sword. These spears are called naginata. In Chinese silat, this sword-edged spear is similar to the guan dao. The clothes were just a sheet, in a wire, without body armor like Konoshi Hidetada, but wearing a wrapping cloth on both shins of his legs.

Clearly, the weaponry of these three Japanese warriors is very complete. They no longer had to pretend to be Japanese travelers in the land of Siam. Rua mat is full of their long yari plus one naginata. Their goal was to eliminate Jayaseta and his entourage. Hiding weaponry and identity is no longer an option.

For Japanese warriors, ki was important, but they believed in killing with a sword. Just as Mataram warriors equipped themselves with up to three kris on their waists, spears and swords, the Samurai including ronin and hitmen also had to bother carrying various types of weapons. They must be prepared when in one or two attacks, their weapons are released, or in circumstances that do not allow to use one particular weapon, he said, they can replace it with any weapon they have.

The broken ranks of Japanese warriors, the, fast and willing to spend time to measure the movement and style of the enemy rather than wastefully cutting down the opponent even though their attacks can be avoided is also a characteristic of the Three Gods Iai.

It seems Jayaseta has to go back to repeating the fight with the Japanese warriors. The difference is, this time he is much more powerful and powerful than before, and the enemy already understands that the person they are dealing with is not an ordinary person. Arima Oda, Konoshi Hidetada and Paulo Omura have learned from the story of the death of the Japanese ronin Betawi and the lunge of Jayaseta in the martial world. Could these three Japanese swordsmen and assassins be better prepared than their compatriots who died at the hands of Jayaseta?