"Puppeteers of the Crucified Shadows" (Kurushi no Jūjika) The descendants of Japanese Christians who survived the era of persecution now exist in the world of Trench Crusade as outcasts, whose faith is distorted by demonic pacts and centuries-old violence. Their troops are a mix of samurai, monks, and sumo giants, ashigaru, united by a fanatical belief in the "Resurrection of the Japanese Christ." Their goal is not victory, but redemption through suffering. Ashigaru Cross Troops (Jūjika no Ashigaru) These infantrymen are former peasants and artisans recruited into the army of the "Puppeteers of the Crucified Shadows." Their tappo (arquebuses) and armor are reinterpreted through the prism of perverted Christianity, turning into instruments of holy terror.