Endless Blaze

Book 17 Chapter 23 英雄たちは太陽を食らう

2011-12-09T23:50:00.000+08:00

From the original Japanese novel.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes:本妙寺Honmyouji; 淨池廟 Jouchibyou; 北辰一刀流 Hokushin Itto Ryu; 調息 Chosoku
PS: please don't distribute this without my permission

Kadowaki Ayako was currently at Katou Kiyomasa's family temple - Honmyouji.
Honmyouji was situated in Hanzono, just north-east of Kumamoto castle. There was a long, stone stairway called the 'Munatsuki Gangi,' which led to the Jouchibyou - Katou Kiyomasa's resting place. It was a well known fact that this particular place shared the same altitude as the Kumamoto Castle Tower, providing one with a full view of the streets of Kumamoto city. Kiyomasa's body, clad in full armor and helmet, lay buried underneath Jouchibyou. In order to delay the process of decay, the sarcophagus had been filled with red paint so his original physical form very likely remained unchanged despite the passage of 400 years.

After his resurrection, Kiyomasa made this place the center of his kekkai, using the remains of his physical body as a cornerstone.
Following Kaizaki's directives, Ayako had come to this place to protect the kekkai.

It has really weakened.

Kiyomasa had set up the kekkai to hinder the invasion of enemy spirits. But the increasing power of the Golden Snake Head within the kekkai had activated the bound spirits and the spiritual energy generated had swelled to the point where the kekkai was in danger of collapse.

The Shimazu army was coming. If their attack could not be stopped, the city streets would turn into a battlefield. A repeat of the disaster that occurred in the Matsumoto incident had to be averted at all costs.

I have to do something, at least until Kagetora returns.

The problem was Shimazu Iehisa. An attack would be swift were he to somehow figure out the setup of the kekkai. In order to disperse the kekkai, Kiyomasa's remains must be destroyed.

Ayako began her work. First, she arranged an elaborate trap in the surrounding area. She buried many wooden tags all over to function as land mines. They were somewhat rough objects that could electrocute anybody unlucky enough to step on them and immobilize the victim. In this way, she could stop any intruders, giving her time to efficiently carry out the 'Diamond Blaze Diamond Net Technique' to reinforce the kekkai.
However this was only an temporary defense. How long would it last?
Ayako was tensed in anticipation for any enemy attack.

Kagetora...

She had not heard from him since then. Nor from Kaizaki either. Ayako was already near the limit of her patience. She wanted to inform Kagetora about Naoe as soon as possible. She did not know why he was pretending to be Kaizaki but, if she was not mistaken about Naoe's identity, Takaya's doubt at Enoshima would prove to be the truth. Perhaps Takaya felt guilty for projecting Naoe onto an unfamiliar man however the truth was the complete opposite. Takaya had unconsciously realized the true identity of Kaizaki.

Naoe is still alive, Kagetora.

Ayako projected her thoughts in the direction of Aso.

Even if you return to face reality, there is no need for you to despair!

Ayako clenched her fists anxiously. Then, at that moment,

"!"

Ayako's keen senses detected a strange change. Her traps were exploding and sent flying all over the place. The land mines in a few areas were rendered powerless all at once. Not knowing what was happening, she dashed towards the entrance but surprise stopped in her tracks.
Several men were making their way up the staircase; all of them carried a long-sword across their backs. Ayako had seen that face before.

"We meet again, woman."

Shimazu Iehisa...

It seemed like her traps had been discovered. Ayako stood her ground in the face of the enemy, concentrating her power just below her navel to form an incantation. Apparently, they had figured out the key point of the kekkai.

"Just when I thought I could finally put an end to Kiyomasa's 'Nue,' someone shows up trying to reinforce it. What an unwelcome nuisance."

"I knew you people would show up sooner or later. So I've been waiting, kenjutsu users."

"You seem very eager to die by our swords. Make a choice. If you step aside, we will excuse you. Otherwise, you will die."

The Shimazu swordsmen gradually closed the distance between them. Ayako drew out the sword she had prepared. She had learned sword-fighting before. At the end of the Edo era, during her lifetime as a woman, she had mastered the Hokushin Itto Ryu. Although she did not know Taisha Ryu, she had the skills to cope with a Jigen Ryu. The first strike. As long as she could evade this hit, there was a chance for her to win.

"Interesting. A real sword to determine the winner?"

Iehisa's eyes reflected the spirit of a kenjutsu master. As he approached, poised on his toes, he raised his shining, turquoise sword. His weapon was radiant.

"Then attack me with your full strength!"

The trio came shrieking with fighting vigor. Feeling suppressed for a second, Ayako's steps slowed. The three men charged like a storm. They were too fast...!
A swift blast of wind howled past her ear. She had dodged the first strike but she could not completely evade the second. A sharp sound rang out as sparks burst out from the crossed blades. Ayako had used her sword to parry the strike but the fierce power of the Taisha Ryu had cut her bare sword cleanly into two.

"!"

Then the third blow flashed before her eyes. What was this monstrous speed...!

Clang...!

The incantation Ayako released clashed directly with the enemy's sword with a sound of shattering rocks, throwing the two of them apart. Iehisa continued to slash at Ayako, who had tumbled backwards.

"Die---!"

Ayako immediately defended herself with an incantation. Taking advantage of the moment where the enemy was thrown off balance, she took out a small ocarina, deeply inhaled and blew firmly into it. The shrill sound emitted by the instrument brought forth a strong wind pressure that hit Iehisa squarely in the abdomen.

"Ngh...!"

A scale-like Fuuten character of "Bai" flew out from the spiritual flute, casting Iehisa and the others into the air. One of them rolled down the stone stairway; another was thrown against the temple bell and subsequently collapsed to the ground. However, Iehisa magnificently found his balance mid-air in spite of the tumble and recovered his footing once he touched the ground.

"...How dare you!"

Slice!

Ayako's body was cut up by a whirlwind. As Ayako's vision blurred from the pain, Iehisa lunged at her with a succession of strikes. Numerous blows sliced at Ayako's hair and cheeks even though she was shielding her body,.

"What... are you trying to do!"

"Die!"

Iehisa leaped high above Ayako's head and swung down his sword with great force. Ayako tried to use the wind to blow him back but the flute was promptly knocked out of her grip by Iehisa's incantation. She found herself in Iehisa's shadow.

His sword came swinging down on her forehead...!

And Ayako just barely parried the blow with a goshinha. But she was also hit by something unexpected. The blow was accompanied by a high voltage of electric current that ran through her body. A cry of pain escaped her throat before Ayako passed out.
Iehisa had given her an electric shock.

"Not as amazing as what the rumors say."

Iehisa snorted and stood up as his subordinates struggled to where he was. He walked towards the front of the Jouchibyou. The remains of Kiyomasa, which was supporting the kekkai, was buried beneath this mausoleum. Upon conducting a spiritual visualization, a golden radiance burning like a heat haze could be seen around the mausoleum. This was proof that the remains still possessed power.

"Hmph... This sword shall slice the mausoleum in two with one decisive stroke."

Iehisa brought his breathing down to its regular pace then positioned himself in a stance where he held his sword at eye level. As a bluish-white blaze formed on his sword, Iehisa concentrated his spiritual power. The bluish-white blaze instantly extended like a bridge. A tremendous, destructive power accumulated inside the weapon as the sword underwent a transformation. Occasionally, an electric current would be emitted, like a flash of lightning, coiled around the blade like a snake.

"Ha...!"

He swung the sword up towards the sky and it extended. The mausoleum was about to be smashed into two...!

"Disappear...!"

In that moment, something unusual occurred. The flames from the Jouchibyou suddenly blew more intensely, swallowing Iehisa's sword.

"What...! Uwah!"

Iehisa's body was wrapped in flames. He turned about violently due to the overbearing heat.

"Iehisa-sama! ...Oh!"

His retainer turned to stone. In front of the main entrance, a high school student dressed in the usual type of Japanese school uniform for boys comprising a long jacket with stand-up collar and loose trousers was standing there. The student, with bandages around his head and chest, was watching him with arms folded across his chest.

"You are 10000 years too early to be attacking my body."

"Bastard, don't tell me you are...!"

"Exactly."

Another emerged behind the senior high school student. He was a tall man with tanned complexion. On that clean-cut chiseled face was a pair of dazzling eyes. The man stood erect in front of the student with a fearless, sneering expression.

"This man is almost annoyingly stubborn by nature. If you destroy his corpse, you'll just get yourself cursed for 50000 years."

Who is he?

Ayako groaned as she raised her upper body. The senior high school student who claimed that the body was his, could he be...

"Damn you, Kiyomasa! Did you come here seeking your own death!"

"I came here to see to your death."

"What...?"

"That's enough, Kiyomasa. All this squabbling is just a waste of time," said the man in jeans. He took several gulps from the cola can in his hand. Iehisa could not believe his ears. Who was this man ordering Kiyomasa around like a subordinate?

"Coming to Kumamoto turned out to be a good warm-up exercise. Exactly what I wanted. I've been looking forward to the day where I can finally use my powers so badly. Let me have this prey."

The man swung his arms in circles as he spoke, as though he was really getting ready to exercise. He took one more gulp of the cola and roughly wiped his mouth with his arm. A cruel smile was etched on his lips. Everyone was uniformly terrified and overwhelmed from just that one look. He was no ordinary person. Who was he? His eyes carried such intensity, who was he...!

"Could it be... Could that man be...!"

"Now, you there, the first of the small fry.　Give me your best shot."

A magnificent golden blaze ignited around the man's entire body. The retainers raised their swords as fear gripped them. They could not even think of escape.

"Damn you... Damn you, damn you, damn you!"

The retainers yelled hysterically as they leaped forward. However, the man only grinned maliciously.

There was a heavy, booming sound.

The two retainers were knocked down. Ayako held her breath. Their hearts had already stopped. With one smile, two people were killed.

"Asao! ...Miyauchi!"

Iehisa's wrath was apparent as he glared at his opponent. Iehisa already knew this man's true identity. There was only one such person in this world. In the Yami Sengoku, there was only one individual who could be Kiyomasa's master!

"So you have finally come to Kumamoto, Oda Nobunaga!"

Iehisa growled like a wild beast.

"But I will not let you have Kyushu! We Satsuma warriors will protect this land even if we have to sacrifice our bodies!"

"Ho! Sacrifice your bodies as you wish! Sacrifice as much as you like until you're past the point of no regrets!"

His fighting spirit surged and with all of his power, Iehisa attacked. However, Nobunaga caught that one strike, which Iehisa had put all his heart and soul into, with the palm of his hand.

"What!"

"Haargh!"

A fierce blast of energy shot out from that palm.
Iehisa was hit squarely in the face by that blast. He flew backwards into the air in a curved trajectory. And that was the end of him. When his body landed on the ground, Iehisa no longer moved.
Nobunaga looked at the lifeless body rather casually before taking another gulp from his cola drink.

"Ahh...Ahh..."

Ayako was speechless from overwhelming fear. She had just seen it, the moment his soul was smashed. It was really crushed into smithereens like glass. That meant not just death. The soul was shattered. It was complete extinguishment.
It was the... Hakonha.

Then Nobunaga noticed Ayako, who was unable to speak due to shock. He was unbelievably nonchalant for someone who had just unleashed such a terrible power. With a crunching sound, Nobunaga crushed the can in his hand. That sound brought Ayako back to her senses and she realized that Nobunaga's attention was directly focused on her. She felt paralyzed. This was a more dangerous situation than a case of a frog finding itself the prey of a snake.

"Ho. We've something interesting here."

"Ah..Ah...Ah..."

"The manservant of that annoying tiger brat. What was her name again?"

Ayako felt herself trembling from the very core of her body. No matter how much she tried to endure it, she could not stop her teeth from chattering. Without realizing it, there were tears welling up in her eyes. Reading her fear, Nobunaga smiled with deep gratification. This was a man who took pleasure in the sight of frightened prey. He would habitually assert that there was nothing that made him feel happier than the sight of fear in his opponent. Nobunaga stretched his fingertips and lifted Ayako's chin.

"Nice woman, I'll take good care of you."

He summoned his subordinates and ordered them to take Ayako away. With insufficient energy to put a resistance, Ayako was easily captured.

"My Lord, do you know that woman?"

"She's one of the Uesugi Yashashuu. Kakizaki Haruie."

"The Uesugi... That means she is Kagetora-dono's subordinate."

"Yeah. You were with Kagetora, weren't you?"

Kiyomasa's shoulders jumped. It was not guilt he was feeling in particular but he felt as if his heart was being examined bit by bit from Nobunaga's interrogation.

"Why didn't you kill him? At the very least, shouldn't you have read his mind? It would've been easy for you to read Kagetora's heart with your ability."

"I... That man does not let down his guard so..."

"Hmph. I guess that's true. A guy who never lets his guard down. I know of this excellent skill he has of fooling others into underestimating him. Thanks to his cunning ways you have no idea how much pain he has caused to my retainers."

Nobunaga folded his arms as he looked in the direction of Aso.

"Heh. That nostalgic stage is drawing closer. All the actors have been assembled on that stage. Kagetora has also joined the cast as though we were truly fated to meet again. Let us revisit that old battle once more."

Nobunaga declared, his eyes narrowing.

"Of course, that guy will be the one to die this time round."

"My Lord..."

"Ha.... Ha Ha Ha! Even so, something interesting has cropped up this time. Kenshin is joining the war? This is so funny I'm about to fart! That senile old man, what with his overflowing self-righteousness wants to compete against me, the Sixth Demon King. Very interesting. Don't you think so, Kiyomasa!"

Nobunaga had already heard about the real situation of the Golden Snake Head from Kiyomasa.

"So we have the Kihachi clan. It's just a skull packed with the onryou of the ancient Hyuuga race, how thrilling. In other words, a can of onryou fools. Spirits grow more powerful with age. By now, they must have accumulated plenty of energy. The Ootomo fools don't even know this much, evident from their Yamata no Orochi nonsense. They're real jokesters."

"The Shimazu army is drawing near Kumamoto. We have to strengthen the kekkai without delay."

"There is no need Kiyomasa," Nobunaga retorted. "There is no need for the kekkai."

"No need...? Do you mean to say we should remove the kekkai?"

"Let those Shimazu fools enter Kumamoto. All will be well, even if our army doesn't interfere."

"Do you intend to let them fight against the Ootomo?"

"Correct. Let those fellows who want to fight have their war. We should let them cancel each other out to our convenience. We shall be the spectators watching from above. Send out some spies. Let them go at each other until they run out of steam from exhaustion."

Kiyomasa was astonished. Nobunaga was serious about his intention to draw the Shimazu in.

"But in this way, Kumamoto will become a battlefield."

"Are you displeased, Kiyomasa?"

Startled, Kiyomasa's face stiffened. Nobunaga was looking down on him menacingly.

"You are my retainer. In other words, Kumamoto is the property of Nobunaga. Do you have any objections?"

Kiyomasa could not answer. Seeing that, Nobunaga smiled with a sense of gratification.

"You reported that Kihachi's head is in Kojou."

"Yes. Although I believe it must be destroyed as soon as possible, Kojou is currently under the control of the Ootomo. It is most difficult to make a move."

"It's not that difficult."

Nobunaga smirked as he gazed in the direction of Kumamoto castle.

"My child, we shall head to that Kojou High school right now. ...Heh, just you wait. I'll show you an incredible turn of events."

"Wha...?"

Kiyomasa doubted his ears again. What was this incredible turn of events about?

"Don't look so serious. We both know things will work out even if we don't lift a finger. With little effort, everything will fall into place. We shall put that so-called Kihachi's head to the test and see if it can really sink Kyushu."

What kind of a man is he...

Kiyomasa was dumbfounded. Nobunaga probably already decided on this the moment he heard the information from Kiyomasa. He was regarding Kihachi's head as a useful tool rather than thinking of destroy it.

"Please, no! That... That is too dangerous!"

"Dangerous?"

"The Takeda, Kikkawa and the Ootomo just do not know of the true horror. That thing must not be allowed to be turned into a weapon of any sort. If that clan of onryou were to be released by any chance and Kyushu were to really sink...!"

"Interesting. Don't you want to see how it'll sink?"

"!"

"The sight of this giant island sinking is not something you'll see everyday. If it were possible, don't you want this one opportunity to see it really sink? It'll be a historic event. If it really happens, I wonder what will become of Japan."

Kiyomasa was greatly confused. He did not know what on earth this man was thinking. He could not be serious about this? Did he really mean what he said?

"If Kyushu sinks, an enormous number of people will die. Those who die and become onryou I shall control. If that happens, neither Kenshin nor Shingen nor any of the Yami Sengoku generals will be anything special. I want to make all of them yield to me as my servants! Make all of them my servants and then invade other countries!"

Nobunaga laughed at the top of his voice. It was mania. No matter how much of it was due to the fundamental nature of an onryou, there was truly no other onshou who had thoughts of this terrible extent.

What... What on earth is this man...

"The one who can control the runaway horse is the supreme ruler with the necessary courage. Let us manage the onryou of the Hyuuga. Then we'll establish the power to transform this nation from her very roots. Follow me, Kiyomasa. I will show you an unbelievable vision."

Kiyomasa did not have the nerve to say anything. Nobunaga had the gaze of a military man as he looked at the foot of Kumamoto castle.

"Let me be witness to what could be deemed as the greatest war in Kyushu. I shall watch it from here, you Satsuma warriors."

***

Meanwhile, in Aso's Kokuzou Shrine, the scene was one of chaos due to the amount of information dropping in one after another. Among them, news of the Kaga uprising had the greatest impact.
Even Mitsuhide was shocked. A rebellion was occurring in the territory of the Ikkoushuu. Traitors responsible for this rebellion had emerged in a place believed to have the strongest following of disciples. The momentum of the rebellion was greater than expected. Reports that fueled the speculation that Kenshin was the one who had incited this uprising also came flying in, instantly aggravating the situation. Kennyo hurriedly appointed Rairen as Kaga's commanding officer and immediately summoned him from Aso.

"I must leave for Kaga. Akechi-dono, I shall leave the rest to you," said Rairen.

Then he hastily proceeded to Kumamoto airport with his followers.
But that was not the end of the situation. Similar uprisings were sprouting out everywhere.
In the domains of Touhoku's Date, Kai's Takeda, Shikoku's Chousokabe and even Northern Kyushu's Mouri, incidents of spirits beginning to rebel violently in their respective territories were occurring. Caught unaware and unprepared, the various generals were stunned and upset by the growing flames of rebellion and dispatched their soldiers in a frenzied manner.

"It seems like the Uesugi's Byakuime in various places were responsible for instigating this."

"So it was really Kenshin...!"

"Apparently, Toyama and Niigata have already been toppled."

"Their consolidated military strength is several times that of the Oda."

Mitsuhide's retainers argued excitedly all at the same time. Kagetora was also present. Naturally, every single detail of the information reached his ears.
However, Takaya's expression remained unchanged.

When almost all of the proceedings had come to an end, it was near the end of the sunset. Mitsuhide came to Takaya's room.

The first thing that came out of Mitsuhide's mouth was a question to Takaya.

"You were not the one who ordered the Byakuime to incite the uprisings, right?"

Takaya quietly looked at Mitsuhide. Takaya had given no such order.
Even though Mitsuhide knew the answer, he still asked, possibly to verify his own thoughts on the matter.

"What do you think of the new Uesugi?"

"...What do you expect me to think?"

"Do you mean to say that Takemata's testimony alone is not enough to convince you?"

Takaya was silent.
Then he slowly shook his head.

"I have not confirmed it with my own eyes."

"And when you do so, will you then be convinced?"

Takaya was silent again.
Mitsuhide gazed at Takaya's expressionless face and slowly relaxed his shoulders.

"If you seek confirmation, you may do so until you feel satisfied. It would also help us verify our information. That said, there is something I wish to ask you. If you are discharged from the Uesugi, will your powers be taken away? For example, will your exorcism power be lost?"

"I don't think so," Takaya replied indifferently. "Although Kenshin-kou was the one who granted the chance, Bishamonten was the one who bestowed this power. As long as the person in question doesn't lose his devoted heart, not even Kenshin-kou should be able to take away this power once it is acquired."

"So this cannot be used as a test of your current status. What about the Sword of Bishamonten?"

Mitsuhide knew about that sword.

"I heard it is a spiritual sword that only the supreme commander can wield. If the general has been discharged, the Sword of Bishamonten can no longer be used by him, am I correct?"

"I doubt that can be used as a way to confirm my position."

The sword was Bishamonten's energy - the incarnation of exorcism power. Once the he knew how to bring forth that energy, it could never be taken away as long as Takaya did not lose his own spiritual power.

"In other words, even if a Yashashuu is discharged, that person will still have the power of exorcism. Such a person would make quite a dangerous enemy."

Takaya nodded.

All the more so if... that person was the former general.

"What do you intend to do?"

"..."

After a long silence, Takaya calmly lifted his eyes.

"It's easy to find out if I'm no longer the general. I'll be able to tell from the response of our subordinates if I were to give orders that are the exact opposite of the new general."

"Are you going to send out the command to attack Naoe and his confederates?"

"Simply declaring war... will be self-destructive."

Mitsuhide was astounded and remarked that this was somewhat timid of him.

"Do you not know of your own formidable battle strength?"

"You people don't know of the true strength of the Uesugi. When there is a new general, it means that the authority to mobilize the Meikai Uesugi army has also changed."

"Mobilize? The Meikai Uesugi... what is that about?"

Mitsuhide's mouth was agape in astonishment. He asked Takaya what he meant.

"The Uesugi soldiers on the surface right now don't even make up half of the entire Uesugi force. They are basically the ones who were with us at the very beginning when we became kanshousha. There are also those of the deceased, connected with Echigo, who are asleep in the Meikai."

"By Meikai, are you referring to the underworld?"

"Not that world. However, they're not of this world either. There is a dimension in the boundary between the two worlds. In that place, the sleeping dead are not purified. Time does not pass in that place so I guess, technically speaking, they're not really asleep."

Kagetora and the others regarded the beings in that place as 'sleeping.' There was only one person who could summon them from the Meikai. And that was the supreme commander of the Meikai Uesugi army.

This was the first time Mitsuhide heard of such a military force of the Uesugi. If the surface Uesugi army was just a fraction of their army, just how powerful was their entire force?

Easily multiple times the strength of ours...

"If I have been discharged as the general, I should be stripped of the authority to mobilize them. So if I can't summon them, it would prove my loss of authority, wouldn't it?"

Mitsuhide looked at the way Takaya stated these facts without any show of emotion and thought about how he felt.

Takaya did not know why he had been discarded. Even if one were to consider the pros and cons of omitting a battle ace of Kagetora's level from the Uesugi, the reason for Kagetora's expulsion was still unclear.

"You have been told that the new Uesugi intends to obliterate you. You heard it from Takemata himself. What do you plan to do? Fight?"

"...I will protect myself, at the very least."

Takaya said as he stood up slowly. Mitsuhide was startled and asked,

"Where are you going?"

"You've my gratitude for nursing me back to health. However, I've no intention of mingling with you guys. From now on, I will not be allied with anyone."

"Are you planning to return to your comrades?"

"Comrades? What comrades are you referring to?"

Nagahide, even Haruie could no longer be trusted. They might have communicated with Kenshin. They might have just been pretending around him.

"Wait, Kagetora-dono."

Mitsuhide said in a sharp voice.

"Will you not please lend us your power?"

Takaya stopped in his tracks.

"We desire the power to defeat the Oda. Will you not please lend us that power of yours?"

"..."

"If you would lend us your strength, we have the provisions to shield you from the Uesugi. If you stay, it would reassure us. No, not only that."

Mitsuhide said with a strong resolution.

"I wish for you to become our leader."

"What..."

This was truly surprising. Takaya wondered about their resources but Mitsuhide's face was serious.

"If I had the ability, I would have put an end to this Yami Sengoku. Although I was the one who constructed the anti-Oda alliance, I find it extremely difficult to fulfill the expectations of each and every general. However, our opponent is such that he cannot be defeated if we do not combine our forces. I desire a unifying force for this alliance. A being who can bring the hearts of the onshou together as one."

"...They have you, don't they?"

"It is impossible with my disposition. I know that I am not suited for this."

Mitsuhide stated plainly then looked at Takaya with eager eyes.

"But you are qualified. You have the strength to fight against Oda Nobunaga-kou on even ground. Furthermore, you are the former supreme commander of the Uesugi. You have sufficient reason to fight against Kenshin so you will have a persuasive advantage. A being who can transcend the strengths and weaknesses of the individual armies is necessary for this alliance. We currently do not have a powerful leader to hold the onshou of the alliance together. Since you are not dominated by any interest, it is easy for others to have trust in you. Kagetora-dono, become the torch-bearer of the anti-Oda alliance. I also wish to discuss the source of the Yami Sengoku with you."

"The source...?"

"Kagetora-dono," Mitsuhide paused, as if to allow himself to calm down. Then he started afresh. "Have you ever had any doubts? Why do you think, in these 400 years, have the onshou only started to cause disturbances now? Why did the Yami Sengoku start again in this era? I wish to show you the origin of all of this, Kagetora-dono."

Takaya wrinkled his brow as he listened to his words.

"I think the Yami Sengoku was caused by an unnatural power."

"Unnatural... power?"

"Yes. And the perpetrator... was it Uesugi Kenshin or Oda Nobunaga? My guess is that it was either one of them."

Takaya was shocked. Something which he had never thought about was suddenly thrust at him.

"How can it be..."

"I have had this feeling since the beginning that something or someone planned this war. After 400 years, the people buried in the earth have risen at the same time and started to fight. Isn't this unnatural in itself? It seems likely that there was some motive for all of this in the very beginning. That some huge power was involved to induce the awakening..."

"Are you saying that... the Yami Sengoku was deliberately caused by someone for some unknown purpose?"

"There is no proof," Mitsuhide discussed in an intelligent tone. "However, if this were true, there is no other person I can think of besides Uesugi Kenshin and Oda Nobunaga who would be capable of doing this. I do not know the objective. However, I cannot ignore the fact that a large number of spirits is being used for this pointless war. This sort of situation must be put to an end. I wish for a comrade with whom to find the answers."

"Is this what the anti-Oda alliance is about?"

"I have not told the others about this matter."

Mitsuhide told Takaya that he was the first person to hear about it and strengthened his tone.

"When Kenshin joined the war, this became an anti-Kenshin alliance as well. I had only one reason for establishing this alliance. To find out what caused the Yami Sengoku and to erase the source of it. I believe that is the easiest way to end the Yami Sengoku. I want a powerful individual to hold the alliance together. I wish for you to take up this position."

What do you think, Kagetora-dono, Mitsuhide requested.

Mitsuhide's tone did not have any childish impetus to it but a sense of rationality throughout.

Takaya only glared at Mitsuhide, remaining silent.
After a long, as if never-ending, silence Takaya broke his pause.

"Do I seem that easy a person to simply go along with your plans just because of what you said?"

"Kagetora-dono."

"As I said before, I will not ally myself with anyone. That intention has not changed."

"Is it because of your sense of duty to Kenshin? Overzealous loyalty is only foolish."

"It's not that," Takaya replied plainly. "If I am discharged as the supreme commander, I will sever all connections with the Uesugi and the Yami Sengoku. Doing so will allow me to return to a normal life. I want to return to the life of Ougi Takaya."

"Even if you return to your previous livelihood, Naoe will still target your life. Even if you wish to sever all ties, as long as you are Uesugi Kagetora, the circumstances around you will not allow it. That being the case, Kagetora-dono, shouldn't you utilize your powers to actively put an end to the Yami Sengoku?"

"You overestimate me."

Takaya smiled bitterly.

"Find somebody else. Uesugi Kagetora doesn't have the sort of power that you hope for."

"Kagetora-dono."

"If I really had that sort power, I wouldn't have been discarded now, would I?"

Saying that, Takaya started to make his way out of the room however Mitsuhide made another sharp comeback.

"Then are you going to leave Kumamoto to its fate as well? Are you saying that you will do nothing even if many innocent people die because of the Ootomo and the Uesugi?"

Takaya stopped.

"We have a prisoner on our base as well. Will you do nothing too, regardless of what happens?"

"Prisoner?"

"A girl who was wearing the exact same school badge as the one attached to Kagetora-dono's uniform. If you leave, I will kill her. Is that fine with you?"

The expression in Takaya's eyes sharpened. The school and grade badges were usually attached to the stand-up collar. If it was exactly the same, that would mean she was a second-year student of Kojou High school. Seeing a reaction in Takaya, Mitsuhide sensed that his words had an effect and said in a slightly calmed voice.

"If you are not convinced, I can let you see her. Will you still say that you will leave?"

Takaya slowly turned and looked directly at Mitsuhide. It seemed like he had abandoned the thought of leaving.

"Let me see her."

***

It was completely dark when they headed out. Mitsuhide took Takaya to the stone hut where Inaba Akemi was being confined.

Takaya was shocked to find that the young woman asleep in the sarcophagus was Inaba Akemi. The red iron oxide resulting from the burning of the yellow soil of Aso had put Akemi into a deep sleep.

"Why did you kidnap her?"

"To force the Miike family to act," replied Mitsuhide. "The Miike family have Princess Asara. Princess Asara can communicate with Kihachi's will. She is also the one being who can release the spirits of the Kihachi clan as well as control them. Kihachi's head is the nuclear weapon of the Yami Sengoku. The one who possesses it will be able to threaten the enemy and have a powerful deterrent to the enemy's offensive. In the present circumstances, its utilization is of secondary importance. However, in order to use it, a controller known as Asara is necessary. If we do not have this then it would be meaningless. We know that Asara is the youngest daughter of the Miike family. Her older brother is probably a student of Kojou High School."

"Miike... You mean Miike Tetsuya?!"

"Do you know him?"

Takaya was startled. Miike Tetsuya, though seemingly ordinary, was the only student who did not have any spirits attached to him back then. Just from his appearance, Takaya never expected this human to be related to the Yami Sengoku.

"Apparently, Kihachi's head is located in the ruins of Sassa Narimasa's castle."

Takaya's shoulders shook slightly from Mitsuhide's words.

"In other words, Kojou High School. You and Kiyomasa knew about that, right?"

"If you're referring to the Golden Snake Head then yes."

"Golden Snake Head..."

"It was called the head of the Yamata-no-Orochi. The object the Ootomo excavated."

"So it is true. The Ootomo have set their eyes on this as well."

"But I don't know if they're aware about Kihachi. As I see it, the Ootomo regard Miike Tetsuya as nothing more than a problem child."

"What careless people. In any case, it will be dangerous if the item falls into their hands. Did you hear that they have occupied Kojou High?"

"Occupied? The Ootomo?"

"It seems like the students have been trained into castle soldiers to hold fort. Apparently, they were brainwashed but it is not known how they did it."

It must be the jyako, Takaya thought. The jyako that Mikuriya planted inside the students have hatched. As a result, the students were now capable of supernatural powers. The essential members for battle have been transformed into castle soldiers.

"We must head to Kumamoto and recapture it. I do not think the Shimazu army alone will be enough to handle this situation. The arrival of reinforcements from the new Uesugi also poses another problem. Kagetora-dono."

Mitsuhide said in a low voice.

"I hope you will come with us. I wish to fight exorcism power with exorcism power. No, you must come with us. Otherwise, the hostage's life will be forfeit."

"Weren't you going to exchange her for Asara?"

"I have decided not to return the hostage until you promise to help us."

Takaya was silent. Although he used threatening words, Mitsuhide's face did not have any sort of menacing expression.

"I hope you will consider it."

After he said this, Mitsuhide left Takaya, who could not give him an immediate answer, and walked out of the stone hut. The glow of the light bulb went off. Takaya looked at Inaba Akemi for a while. The stone hut was now illuminated by the moonlight in place of the electric light.

What should I do, he pondered.

Thinking about it is useless...

He decided that there was no choice but to follow their instructions. Just when he was about to leave Inaba, who so still as if she were dead, there was a momentary bulge in the nape of her neck. Takaya caught it from the corner of his eye. Something had wriggled beneath her skin.

Then, it wriggled a second time, and a third.

"..."

For a brief period, Takaya stood there looking over his shoulder. Then he turned and left the stone hut.

There was a familiar man waiting for Takaya down the slope leading from the stone hut. He was Kikkawa Motoharu. Takaya stopped, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the other man quietly.

"I have to leave for Kokura," Motoharu started. "Uprisings have occurred. Although I feel that this is not the time to leave this place... it cannot be helped."

"..."

Takaya did not say anything and proceeded to walk past Motoharu. Then Motoharu threw in another sentence.

"Naoe died at Hagi."

Takaya stopped in alarm.

"Because the shock was too great, you hypnotized yourself."

"..."

"Last night, you remembered. You have realized that you are under hypnosis. I hope that you will once again recover your old memories."

Takaya did not turn around. He listened with his back towards Motoharu. Motoharu said a little more strongly.

"A miracle has happened."

Takaya did not move, his back still towards Motoharu.

"..."

After a brief silence, Takaya said softly.

"Thank you..."

Takaya walked away.
He did not know what Takaya's reaction was.
Motoharu remained silent as there was nothing else that he could do.

Original story © Kuwabara Mizuna

Book 17 Chapter 22 風よ、遠き王国へ

2011-03-19T15:22:00.009+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes:丹生島城 Niyuujima Castle; 臼杵 Usuki
PS: please don't distribute this without my permission

The flight arrivals from Haneda were being announced in Kumamoto airport. Not long after, the arrival hall was packed with travelers who had disembarked from the line of All Nippon Airways 645 planes.

"I made it safe and sound..."

Among them was a young university student, who shifted his cap up a little as he muttered to himself. He managed to make it safely to Kumamoto after having to wait for an alternate flight, due to trouble with his previous flight. The young man moved together with the crowd, coming to the hall on the first level.

"What.. do I do next?"

This was his first time in Kumamoto. He had taken the plane to this place despite not knowing a single thing about Kumamoto. The young man's home was situated in Shinagawa, which was relatively close to Haneda airport. That said, he did not have much experience in traveling to distant places. He readjusted his knapsack, stuffed with enough clothes to last him several days, and carried on with eyes full of determination.

Takaya...

This young man was Narita Yuzuru.
He had come because of the pulsation that started yesterday. Although Yuzuru had no extraordinary abilities such as telepathy, he had confidence in his own intuition and the visions he sometimes saw in his dreams after the Kasuke incident. Moreover, this was the first time he felt so worried about Takaya.

Takaya is in danger...

He had been distressed by an incomprehensible feeling of desperation or perhaps sorrow since yesterday, so much that he could not sleep. Furthermore, he did not know why his fingertips were afflicted with a biting chill as though they were buried in snow. All of this led him to think that something terrible had happened to Takaya.

Kumamoto.

He was told that Takaya and the others had infiltrated a certain school in Kumamoto and, after much pestering, managed to acquire information on where they were staying. Yuzuru had waited until early morning before calling the hotel and he found out that Chiaki and Takaya had not return since the day before yesterday. Thus Yuzuru concluded that something had happened to them. Fortunately, he was currently on spring break. Although he had found a part-time job, Takaya's safety was more important to him. Even if this turned out to be a wild-goose hunt, he would not mind as long as Takaya was safe. Yuzuru decided that if something had happened to Takaya, he would bring him back at all costs hence his unexpected flight to Kumamoto.

There was something unusual about Kumamoto.
During his flight, Yuzuru came across a strange report in the newspaper he was reading. The Amakusa Gokyo situated in Amakusa was blockaded for unknown reasons, effectively isolating the residents in Amakusa. According to the newspaper, a gale had formed due to hot air above the bridge, making it inaccessible to vehicles. Although the authorities have deemed it as an unusual atmospheric phenomenon and were carrying out an investigation, Yuzuru kept thinking that this was an unnatural occurrence. Amakusa was located in the Kumamoto prefecture. Kumamoto.
But this was not the only 'strange incident.'

Yuzuru had felt a strange feeling of oppression which stiffened his entire body the moment he stepped out of the plane. What was that?

What is this? Why is there such a dense spiritual atmosphere?

He quickly realized that it was not a bout of airsickness that caused the brief feeling of fatigue when the plane flew over Aso. Yuzuru understood this after he got off the plane. It was the spiritual atmosphere. The spiritual atmosphere was much denser than usual. The land was saturated with it.

Damn...

Yuzuru slumped down into a chair in the arrival hall, feeling giddy from nausea and heart palpitations. It was not normal for his body to be so deeply affected by a spiritual atmosphere. Additionally, this place seemed to be furthest from the point of the highest spiritual concentration.

Get a grip, I'm not going to be defeated by this.

Yuzuru spurred himself on, striving to boost his own morale. Once he lifted his head, the sight before him made him gulp. Yuzuru saw spirits everywhere in the hall. It had been quite a while since he last saw such spirits so clearly. Yuzuru felt nervous as there was no doubt that something unusual had happened in this place.

What happened to Kumamoto?

Takaya and the others have definitely gotten involved in a very intense and abnormal situation.

This is bad.

Yuzuru bit his lips and pressed his fingers against his forehead. Eventually, even the 'Seed of the Demon King' began to ache a little. Was it because of this atmosphere?

No...?

It was different than usual. Yuzuru could clearly feel the swelling power of the 'Seed of the Demon King.' As he tried to figure out what was going on, a loud squealing suddenly distracted him from the deep pain, causing him to turn around.

What?

The shrieking came from a group of female university students. In front of them was a group of what seemed to be members of the entertainment industry. Was there a famous actor among them? It seemed like they had taken the same flight as Yuzuru. They were probably seated in the business class section so Yuzuru never noticed them on the plane.

Standing in the middle of the entourage was a tall man. Although he was dressed in ordinary T-shirt and jeans, coupled with a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap, it could not hide his brilliant charisma. Yuzuru nearly cried out when he saw the man. From the person's figure, hairstyle and outline of his face, Yuzuru could tell who he was.
That man was...!

Shiba Eiji!

Yuzuru almost shouted his name aloud.

Isn't that Shiba Eiji of the band SEEVA?!

Indeed. Yuzuru was a huge fan of Shiba Eiji. He mostly listened to Shiba's music, in fact, Shiba's tape was currently in his Walkman. Furthermore, Yuzuru had just recently attended Shiba's concert in Yokohama so it was impossible for him to not recognize the singer.

"Whoa--...!"

Yuzuru could not help but gasp as he stared intently in that direction. The more he looked, the more he felt that he was not mistaken. Travelers and retail personnel, even members of the air crew walking by were drawn to him, some joining in the excitement. In short, everyone's eyes were on Shiba. Was this what it meant to be a superstar?

But why is Shiba here?

Kumamoto was not one of the stops in his concert tour.
As Yuzuru wondered about this, Shiba, who was talking to a man who appeared to be his manager, suddenly lowered his sunglasses a little. It could have been his own imagination but Shiba was unexpectedly looking his way. Yuzuru's heart leaped excitedly and his entire body froze this time. However, right at that moment--

Eh...!

Yuzuru felt a burst of pain from the red dot in his forehead. It felt as if a water bead had ruptured, causing him alarm and an unprecedented trembling in his entire body.

What's happening?

"Looks like he came for a promotional photo shoot."

The group of female university students nearby speculated noisily.

"It was reported in the recent magazines that he'll be in Aso for a special filming. Aww, Shiba's unexpectedly fond of Japan!"

"I thought that he would go abroad but he didn't in the end. Still, this is really amazing---"

In Aso...?

When Yuzuru turned back, Shiba and the rest were leaving. It seemed like a vehicle had arrived to pick them up. Yuzuru stood up and followed them. As Shiba and his entourage approached the main entrance of the airport, Yuzuru got caught in the swarm of people drawn to them. Then,

Eh...?

Something bizarre happened. Shiba stopped all of sudden, gazing at something. Yuzuru followed his line of sight and saw a man wearing a high-neck school uniform standing there. The man looked like a senior high school student. But what was shocking was the fact that he was covered with serious wounds from head to toe. His school uniform was soiled with mud, his hair was in a mess and his cheeks were coated with blood.

Who is that?

The senior high school student gazed at Shiba; he did not look like a fan.
Shiba quietly returned his gaze.
Then the student staggered forward. Seeing this, other members of the entourage came forward to prevent him from getting close to Shiba but the latter stopped them. The student's face was contorted in pain as he came forward tenaciously. He dragged his steps, as though simply walking was a great difficulty for him. As he came close to Shiba, it appeared that he smiled a little.

"My... Lord..."

Suddenly, he fell forward into Shiba's chest. Shocked cries erupted all around as some scrambled to call security but all of them were stopped by Shiba. Yuzuru's curiosity of how Shiba was going to respond was fulfilled as the latter placed the high school student inside the car in the driveway and got into the vehicle himself before it promptly left the airport. Yuzuru was left standing there, astounded by what he had just witnessed.

What on earth...?

There was an extremely nasty... loath-inducing feeling of foreboding. The 'Seed of the Demon King' in his forehead ached like a wound, as if it had resonated with a certain something...

The city. I guess I'll first head to the city.

Yuzuru decided that he should go straight to the source of the abnormality. His first stop would be the school that Takaya and the others attended. He should be able to gather some information about their activities from that place. Yuzuru's mind was set as he ran towards the taxi stand. Having been distracted by Shiba and the others, Yuzuru did not notice that someone had been watching him since his arrival. Walking out from the airport entrance, a young man observed Yuzuru as the latter left the airport in a taxi. This young man was wearing the same type of cap as Shiba did. One could see strands of his hair hanging out from the edge of the cap like golden threads. His figure was slender and he wore a pair of jeans.

"Well well. To have flown to such an interesting place," the young man mumbled to himself, smiling. "Welcome, Jouhoku High senior student, Narita-sempai."

***

What is with this place...!

Not long after entering the city, Yuzuru started to feel uncomfortable because of the overly dense spiritual atmosphere. Kumamoto was in an extremely unusual state. During his journey from the airport to the outskirts of the city, he had noticed many spirits, seemingly from the Sengoku Jidai, but once he crossed over the high trestle bridge of the Kyushu island highway, there was an abrupt difference in what he saw. Was this the effect of the so-called kekkai? The moment he reached the city, Yuzuru felt suffocated by a murky spiritual atmosphere. He was so overwhelmed by nausea and a chill that he told the taxi driver to let him alight at a nearby public park.

Get a hold of yourself... Get a hold...

Yuzuru washed his face, trying to pluck up his spirits. He should feel better as he grew accustomed to it. As long as he could control himself, it should be fine.

Wait, didn't Takaya teach me something to counter this?

He knew a technique suitable for use in this sort of circumstances. It was not a high-level technique. He just had to imagine a transparent sphere around his whole body. The power of this thought could rebound some of the spiritual pressure, much like a form of self-hypnotism. No matter how much spiritual pressure one was under, one could reduce its effect to the minimum.

That's it, transparent sphere. Sphere...

Yuzuru diligently focused his thoughts and found it to be really effective. He did not want to be a burden to Takaya. He felt that he ought to be able to handle this sort of problem by himself. With renewed determination, Yuzuru returned to the street leading into the city center.

The situation in the city center was even worse but it did not pose too large a hindrance to Yuzuru perhaps because he now had some immunity.

This is just miserable...

Yuzuru's face grew taut as he walked past the shops. Floating spirits, earth-bound spirits and so forth had come alive and were seen all over the place. This reflected just how strong the spiritual barrier was. Will the residents be all right? While he was pondering over this, the electric lamp above him suddenly burst. Yuzuru got such a fright that he shrank backwards. It was rather unusual for a poltergeist phenomenon to occur so openly in broad daylight. He also noticed that there were less pedestrians than he expected. He was standing on the main street of Kumamoto city but about half of the shops on the left and right were closed, robbing the place of its lively ambience. Even the few people who were present had very little life in their eyes or facial expressions and they moved around in a stupor. As a result, the street was devoid of any energy.

This loathsome feeling...

When Shingen's soul was wrecking havoc back then, was the town of Matsumoto affected in the same way? The spiritual atmosphere obviously had an impact on the vitality of the ordinary people. Yuzuru decided to first make enquiries at the hotel Takaya and the others had stayed at.

"They still haven't returned?"

Yuzuru looked pained by the receptionist's words. Apparently, Chiaki had contacted them once but did not tell them when they would return. Yuzuru sighed.

"I see... If I'm not wrong, Ougi Takaya commutes to school from this hotel. Do you know which school he goes to?"

"Yes... But... that school is now..."

The receptionist's tone grew ambiguous upon mention of the school. Yuzuru was surprised and leaned forward.

"What happened? Which school?"

"Ougi-san attends Kojou High, but I think... I am afraid the reason why he has not returned could be because of that situation..."

"Situation?"

"I do not really know all the details," the receptionist replied and related the entire incident to Yuzuru in a small, hesitant voice.

"A mass runaway?"

"I am not sure... if that is really the case..."

According to the receptionist, the incident occurred the previous night. All of the students had remained in school and were collectively settled there.

"Settled? How can this be? Why would all the students suddenly abandon their families!"

"Well, right now even the police and other authorities are there. The situation is seriously disturbing. That is why I suspect Ougi-san and Chiaki-san are still in that school..."

It seemed like the receptionist knew that Chiaki was working as a teacher there. But what brought about this situation? Yuzuru thought for a while.

"I understand. Anyway, I'm going there to take a look. Kojou High, right?"

Yuzuru asked for the address of Kojou High then immediately left the hotel.

What's going on here?

Not only were the surroundings cramped with spirits, now there was a group of runaways holding fort in school. Yuzuru had also noticed that there were quite a few active spirits attached to the body of the receptionist and had felt extremely fearful. He almost could not endure the sight of the spirit parked on the receptionist's shoulder grinning at him with a wide smile. Takaya and the others really had a lot of courage to face this sort of thing. Normally, these spirits should not possess much power. They must have acquired the energy to move from something. If not, they would not be so clearly visible.

Kojou High...?

Yuzuru believed that was the first place he should go to as he ran along the road beside the castle moat.

As what he had heard, the police, the media and affected parents were all gathered in front of Kojou High, creating quite scene in the area.

"What... on earth?"

The main gate was securely closed but he could see a few students inside the school compound. They were like gatekeepers, positioned at fixed distances from each other.

It was not surprising that Kojou High used to be a castle site. Towards the east was the Tsuboigawa river, which served as an external moat, while the west side was encircled by a rock wall. As for the gates, there was the post office side entrance and a city side internal entrance, putting it in an excellent defense position.

The curtains to the windows of the school building were all open and it seemed like most of the students were inside. The atmosphere was extremely forbidding.
The representative of the parents council was trying to persuade the students with a loudspeaker. All of the parents gathered there had pale faces as they looked anxiously in the direction of the school building.

"What on earth happened here?" Yuzuru asked the news reporter standing next to him. "I heard the students have made this school their stronghold, is this true?"

"Yeah. All of the students have decided to abandon their families, saying that they will occupy this school to launch an operation. It has become quite a big issue."

"Occupy the school? This... isn't the age of student movements, why would they want to do that...!"

"An investigation is underway but they still haven't found anything. The school board and the police have tried to convince them to come out but nobody has any idea of the situation inside. If the students intend to make any demands from the staff members or anybody else, it seems like the authorities are prepared to accept them."

It's inside.

Yuzuru knew this. The source of the peculiarly, dense spiritual atmosphere was inside the building. This was the school. But what on earth was going on?

Why are those students...

"Apparently, this school was strange from the start," the news reporter explained to Yuzuru in a friendly manner. "There's something called the 'Iron Student Council.' It seems like this school has an extremely authoritarian student union. Some have said that the president is very enterprising in her leadership, which could explain how they were rallied together, but they don't have any history of conflict with the school itself. Still, whatever happens, I guess nothing is strange in today's society. Not to mention that they are at an age where feelings can be very volatile. It's probably something like a rebellion against adults or society. But this decision to occupy a school kind of reminds me of my school days."

The reporter was probably born during the baby boomers era. Yuzuru intuitively felt that his explanation was incorrect. This was not a rebellion against society. The object which activated the spirits of Kumamoto was inside this school. It must have had some sort of effect on the students.

Is Takaya in there too...!

What should he do?

"Student representative, come out and talk to us! All of us are prepared to hear what you have to say! If you have any requests, we will listen to it, come out and talk to us!"

The adults tried enthusiastically to persuade the students but they were not aware of the actual problem. Evidently, the students outside could hear them yet they paid no attention to them at all. They were like gatekeepers or perhaps castle soldiers without their own will.

Castle soldiers?

This place was indeed part of Kumamoto castle. Did Takaya and the others choose this school because they knew this place had something to do with the onshou of the Yami Sengoku?
Yuzuru wanted to ascertain that Takaya was safe. But how?

If I sneak in...

Yuzuru surveyed the whole area outside of the school. It was like a fortress. There was no chance for him to sneak in when gatekeepers were stationed everywhere.

Most of the adults saw this as a form of naive hysteria due to adolescence and believed that it would not continue for long. That was the reason why they had not taken any tough measures. With a few further enquiries, he was told that the students had external assistance. Food and other supplies were transported to them on a daily basis by a truck. So they were not exactly self-sustainable, were they?

A truck...

If Yuzuru had the kind of power Takaya or Chiaki had, it might be possible for him to seize that truck and sneak in, but as he was now, this was a mere fantasy. In this situation, Yuzuru felt pained at his lack of strength. He only had the idea but it was not feasible. However, he could not just watch and do nothing.

What should I do...

"They are still gathered outside. How stubborn of them," remarked Ozaki, the vice-president of the student union, when he opened the blinds and looked out at the school gate from the window of the headmaster's room. He turned to Mikuriya Juri, who was seated on the sofa behind him, and asked, "Should I dispatch troops to eliminate them?"

Mikuriya was calm throughout.

"There is no need. Pay no attention to them. As long as they do not enter the fort, all is well. Are the troops fully organized yet? How far has their training progressed?"

"Understood. The preparations are complete. They can be sent out for battle at any time."

"I see... What about the Golden Snake Head?"

"The extraction operation is currently underway."

The one who responded was Takahashi Shouun. The Golden Snake Head buried under the gym had finally been excavated. Shouun informed them that the extraction would be completed in one or two days.

"The Shimazu soldiers may be closing in on us but as long as we have the Golden Snake Head, we will be unsurpassable. Let us use our castle soldiers to impede them. I shall rely on your assistance, Irobe-dono."

Irobe Katsunaga was also present. Irobe nodded politely. He was under Naoe's instructions to assist Mikuriya. Although he did not know the exact details regarding Naoe's collaborative efforts with Mikuriya under the guise of Kaizaki, he had already heard everything regarding the Golden Snake Head after the conclusion of the alliance. There had been no contact from Naoe since then. He had said that he was going to investigate the activity of the Ikkoushuu who attacked Kagetora but what was his current status?

Anyway, I must protect this place until the Golden Snake Head is obtained.

Suddenly, there was increase in the volume of the loudspeaker outside and a loud siren. This muffled the Gregorian hymn being broadcasted inside the school. Mikuriya's face eventually hardened in displeasure.

"...Expel them from this place."

The people in front of the school gates were making a ruckus, which surprised Yuzuru as he turned in their direction. Apparently, something had happened. It seemed like the student representative had emerged. The representative was a female student with a Japanese doll-like hairstyle and she was accompanied by other students who followed her like a group of subordinates.

That is...

"Mikuriya!"

The headmaster of Kojou High shouted. The police asked the noisy staff members who she was.

"She's Mikuriya Juri. President of the Student Council."

"Mikuriya! You've finally responded to our appeals. What's going on here!"

"Everyone, please be silent."

That cold voice, which was completely unexpected for someone of her appearance, suppressed the uproar. There was a lofty look in the girl's eyes as she scrutinized the adults like she was exerting her control over them.

"Yesterday, we claimed ownership of Kojou High School. From now onwards, we shall be preparing for battle. All of you gathered here will hinder us in our fight. Please leave immediately."

"Battle...?"

"What's going on! What are you guys planning to do!"

"I do not accept questions. I am telling you people to leave immediately."

The teachers were intimidated into silence by Mikuriya's forcefulness. Mikuriya slowly folded her arms as she surveyed the crowd with an air of arrogance.

"There is no need for me to explain myself to lowly minions such as yourselves. If you value your lives, leave at once!"

What!

In an instant, Yuzuru saw something like threads of a spider web shooting out from Mikuriya's entire body. The threads spread out like a fog, engulfing everything in its range within seconds. Then a large snake emerged from the center of the white fog...!

"Uwahh!!!"

The staff members cried out, fleeing from the scene. The snake's red eyes could be seen flickering in the depths of the fog. Then, everyone was suddenly frozen in position.

Eh...

Eventually, the fog dispersed and the snake also faded away like an illusion. The staff members, parents and the police officers, every single one of them had a listless expression on their face as they walked away one by one.

"Eh... W-Wait a minute... you guys!"

Yuzuru shouted. He was the only one still standing in his original postion. Everyone else who had originally gathered there were leaving. This was definitely some form of hypnosis.

That girl...!

She was surely not an ordinary person. Yuzuru broke through the scattering crowd and dashed towards the school gate, pressing in on the student gatekeepers.

"Hey, there should be a student by the name of Ougi Takaya here! Let me see him! I know that he's here! Let me see Ougi Takaya!"

Mikuriya and the others, who were about to go inside, looked back upon hearing Yuzuru's voice.

Was my hypnosis ineffective...?

"Takaya! Takaya, are you there! Come out...! Ougi Takaya! Ougi Takaya--!"

"!"

Mikuriya's face stiffened. Next to her, Ozaki said in a pale face,

"President, that person..."

Mikuriya's eyes were emotionless and the expression on her face was cold like ice. Then she slowly turned around and walked towards him. Yuzuru saw her and braced himself.

"You say you are here to see Ougi Takaya?"

"Y...Yes."

Mikuriya nodded lightly at her subordinates. The two male students next to Yuzuru immediately grabbed his arms tightly.

"What are you doing...!"

"Who are you? What is your name?"

"I'm Narita Yuzuru. I'm Ougi Takaya's friend."

Mikuriya carefully scrutinized Yuzuru and discerned that he was not a hyoui rei or a kanshousha. Then why was he unaffected by her hypnotism?

"...Did you come here looking for Ougi Takaya?"

"Yes. I came all the way from Tokyo to look for him. If he's here, let me see him!"

"All right."

Mikuriya gave another signal to her subordinates and the two students released Yuzuru. Mikuriya turned back, then she looked over her shoulder and said,

"Follow me."

The inside of the school was like a military base. The students moved around in groups of ten, wearing their sailor-style uniforms and high-neck shirts. All of them saluted Mikuriya the moment she entered. What was intriguing was that every student had bright red eyes as though they had some form of hyperemia. And conjunctivitis was probably not the cause for it.

But it's the same as the eyes of that snake.

Yuzuru thought in this way. It was also strange that songs of praise were being broadcasted through the speakers in the corridors. He could not detect any sign of individuality in the students. They were like manmade humans whose willpower had been sealed.

Yuzuru looked inside one classroom as he walked by and was shocked. The desks and chairs were floating in the air. It was because the students were being trained to use their powers.

Superpowers...? Don't tell me all of them have that?

"Over here."

Yuzuru entered the room situated at the very end of the corridor as instructed. The room had black curtains that screened out the light, resembling a darkroom used to develop photographs. Yuzuru heard the door bolt shut and was startled a little. Had he been locked inside!

"Ch...!"

Without any warning, both his hands were bound together behind his back and his body was pushed down against a table leg. He heard the flick of a switch and found himself blinded by a light in front of him. Yuzuru could not help but shut his eyes.

"You say you are a friend of Ougi Takaya, the transfer student from class 2B," the schoolgirl of small stature asked in a cold, witch-like voice. "You know his real identity, do you not? Tell me honestly. Who is Ougi Takaya?"

"Takaya is Takaya."

Yuzuru's reply was extremely succinct.

"There's no such thing as a true or false identity, Takaya is Takaya and not anybody else. If you understand now, hurry up and let me see him!"

This precise response from Yuzuru left Mikuriya momentarily speechless. To Yuzuru, Takaya was not 'Uesugi Kagetora,' he was just 'Takaya.' This was the truth.

"No good will come from trying to hide it. Which faction are you from? The Oda? The Shimazu? Or..."

"That's my line. Who on earth are you? How about stating your own name before you start questioning other people's identities?"

Mikuriya was slightly angered by his reply. Yuzuru was very firm. Those large, chestnut eyes were full of fortitude, causing the other students present to shrink back in that moment. Mikuriya felt that he was being stubborn and gestured to her subordinate. A girl came forward from the lightproof curtains with a beaker of liquid. Something was wriggling in the liquid, causing alarm in Yuzuru. It had a grotesque shape, a green body that looked like Konnyaku. Mikuriya seized that thing with a calm expression.

"Do you know what this is?"

"..."

"It is a breeding hebimiko. This is a strong hebimiko we extracted from the body of Nezu's subordinate. It is craving for a host. It has grown inside a person's body and undergone sufficient training, making it a rather outstanding specimen. It will also make the host obey my orders."

Yuzuru's face turned sickly. He had guessed Mikuriya's intention.

Could it be that the students have all turned because of that...

"It will turn you into my subordinate."

"Wait... Wait a minute..."

"It will make you speak the truth."

The hebimiko wriggled repulsively in Mikuriya's hand. It was viscous and dense, resembling a snake of about 20 grams in weight... no, a leech.
The students restrained Yuzuru's struggling body, secured his jaw and forced his mouth open. Yuzuru was squirming out of fear as Mikuriya pressed the hebimiko into his mouth. He could not fight it...!

"Ah... Ngh..."

The strange creature was sluggish in its movement as it made its way from his mouth to his throat. It triggered such a disgusting sensation that it almost knocked Yuzuru out. Mikuriya then forced the hebimiko down his throat by applying pressure on the bulge that appeared from its wriggling and not long after, it was deep inside Yuzuru's body.

"Did he pass out?"

Yuzuru's head drooped down powerlessly. Mikuriya grinned as she wiped her hands with the towel her subordinate had given her.

"It does not matter. When he awakens, he will tell me about Ougi Takaya. Make preparations for him to be brought under our control. We shall have him as an extra combatant."

Then Mikuriya walked out of the room, the students saluting her as she left.

***

At this moment, Irobe and Takahashi Shouun had reached the construction site in the gymnasium. The excavation of the Golden Snake Head had gone smoothly.
The target was underneath the stage of the gymnasium. A rather deep hole had been dug out and one could see a rectangular casket at the bottom of the pit. Apparently, the Golden Snake Head was stored inside it.

"Using Aso-dono's account and this map of Kojou, we managed to determine that the shrine depository of the Golden Snake Head was located in this region. Fortunately, it was not damaged when the gymnasium was built as it was buried very deep underground. And it was placed in a sarcophagus. We can only hope that the contents of the sarcophagus is still in good condition," Shouun explained. "This is the map."

He handed the map of Kojou to Irobe. Apparently, this map belonged to the Aso clan.

"I see. This is a really detailed map. But where is Aso Koremitsu-dono, the one who told us about the Golden Snake Head?"

"Koremitsu-dono should be making his way to Saigonji."

Shouun turned the Kojou map over.

"If Koremitsu-dono was never resurrected, we would not have found out about the Golden Snake Head. When he was still alive, Koremitsu-dono was ordered by Hideyoshi-kou to perform seppuku after the old retainers of Sagara slandered him. I heard that he was only 12 years old at that time. He probably harbors an intense remorse because of this."

Although Koremitsu had received protection from Narimasa and Kiyomasa during his lifetime, after his resurrection, it seemed like he had chosen to align himself with his first ally, the Ootomo.

"Koremitsu-dono should be at Saigonji making preparations to set up the Ootomo's kingdom inside the volcanic crater..."

"The 'Great Fire Wheel Technique.'"

"Correct," Shouun nodded in reply.

It was a supreme incantation which the Ootomo was going to use in the Aso region.
This was the Ootomo's true goal. The Ootomo wanted to concentrate the expanding spiritual energy at the volcanic crater, which used to be a lake, and transform it into a huge reservoir of power.

The 'Great Fire Wheel Technique' was the incantation required to accomplish this plan. It was a very powerful incantation, which could be used to concentrate the spiritual might of the sun and the volcanic lava into a special container called the 'Incantation Cornerstone,' which would then fuse the two energies together. By using the edge of the volcanic crater as an embankment, it could function like a dam to house the spiritual power of the mixture in a highly active state. Upon completion of this incantation, the power from the spiritual energy of the sun and lava combined - 'Sun Power' - could be utilized whenever needed. Furthermore, as long as there was a constant supply of sun and lava, this source of power could be maintained eternally like an unending stream.

This 'Sun Power' could be used anywhere. If one were to combine it with weapons, an astonishing power would be unleashed. Furthermore, it could be furnished to all regions via the current of lava, much like the supply of tap water. Therefore, one could have access to this power even in remote areas or allow it to build up at certain points. Concentrating this energy at one point would cause an eruption at the surface and could, for example, destroy the Shimazu's base of operations in one fell swoop.

The Ootomo wanted to use the Golden Snake Head as the cornerstone for the 'Great Fire Wheel Technique.'

The nature of the Golden Snake Head was close to that of the serpent spirit. It had the ability to attract souls like a magnet, but it was not so much attracting the souls themselves as gathering together the energy that souls possessed. This made the Golden Snake Head the perfect cornerstone for the 'Great Fire Wheel Technique' where the spiritual might of the sun and lava were to be combined. After Mikuriya's entry into Kojou High, the attractive ability of the Golden Snake Head gradually became active. The magnetic force of the Golden Snake Head was responsible for perturbing the spiritual field of Kumamoto.

Once the 'Sun Power' dam was completed by Ootomo Sourin, they would be one step closer to calling this place their own kingdom.

"When Sourin-kou was alive, did he really want to build a Catholic kingdom?"

Shouun's hands paused in their movement; he looked at Irobe with a serious face. Irobe's expression was also solemn.

"I was told that Sourin-kou intends to set up many churches in the Aso city subdivision. By granting the power of the sun to the Catholics, he's planning to win the support of the Catholic spirits in the entire country and then unify the Yami Sengoku."

"That is correct, Irobe-dono."

"Did Sourin-kou really intend to set up a Catholic kingdom when he was still alive? Does he still linger on this earth in order to establish his kingdom? Were all of you resurrected for this purpose?"

"We have no say... in matters regarding the Catholic church," said Shouun.

During his peak, Ootomo Sourin ruled the six provinces of northern Kyushu island and was known as the 'Chinzei King.'
He displayed excellent foresight and took an active part in foreign transactions, bringing economic prosperity to increase his nation's power. Sourin also received the favours of Kyushu island's top retainers: Tachibana Dousetsu, Takahashi Shouun and Tachibana Muneshige. Their strength made Ootomo's Kyushu island the strongest nation at that time.

However, the glory of a feudal lord does not last long.
In this case, Sourin's own moral depravity was the reason for his downfall. He was preoccupied with glory and splendor, grew deeply egoistic, craved for riches, indulged in travel and sank into a rotten livelihood. Ultimately, the advice of his military advisor, Tachibana Dousetsu, never reached his ears. As Sourin's rule degenerated, the political situation in Kyushu island underwent rapid and substantial change. Ryuuzouji rebelled and a Shimazu uprising occurred, putting the Ootomo in an increasingly distressing position. The expedition to take Hyuuga failed and they suffered even greater losses at the battle of Mimigawa where their defeat cost them 20000 of their soldiers. From then on, the Ootomo weakened as the days went by and never recovered from this setback.

The despair of the Ootomo was greatly linked to the introduction of the Catholic church. Sourin originally became a Catholic for the purpose of using the missionaries to increase the Nanban trade but he unconsciously indulged in his faith and began to reward the actions of the missionaries in his territory, relentlessly built churches and even committed the atrocity of ordering the burning of Buddhist temples and pavilions during the war. As a result, his faith was regarded with increased religious antagonism in his family and eventually his own retainers rebelled against him.

Sourin was baptized in the sixth year of the Tenshou era. That was the year in which he personally led an expedition into Hyuuga in order to construct a Catholic kingdom in the state of Shiga. Unfortunately, the defeat at Taka Castle and Mimigawa dealt a significant blow to him and exploiting this turn of events, the Shimazu invaded the Ootomo territory.

Since his plans to create an ideal state, the Catholic kingdom, never came to fruition in his lifetime, Sourin sought to fulfill his dream in the land of Aso after his resurrection.

"...Do you feel that this is just a vain attempt? Irobe-dono."

Shouun asked in a somewhat gloomy tone.

"Indeed... When he was still alive, when my lord said that we were going to march into Hyuuga, I felt that it was just an ideal. During a time where our nation was in danger of instability, the idea of a Catholic kingdom was foolish. Everyone was opposed to it."

That ideal was a vain attempt but it could also be seen as a means of escape for Sourin who wanted to break out of the haze that enveloped his family. Shouun believed the latter to be the actual truth.

"But I feel that I can understand my lord's attachment to the Catholic church."

"..."

"My lord always had Dousetsu-dono by his side."

He was referring to Tachibana Dousetsu. Dousetsu was the Ootomo's military advisor who pledged his allegiance to Sourin after the inheritance battle known as the 'Nikai-kuzure no Nen.' He supported the Ootomo by serving as Sourin's trusted aide. Dousetsu was the quintessential military leader. He had outstanding integrity and was the type of warrior that stood out in a crowd. Irobe felt compelled to agree with him, having met Dousetsu in person.

"Perhaps Dousetsu was too diligent in my lord's view."

"Too diligent?"

"Yes. How should I put it... too outstanding, too perfect, he was too strong. My lord grew estranged from Dousetsu-dono and sent him to the furthest Tachibana castle in Bungo. Although he drifted apart from Dousetsu-dono, I can tell that my lord still feared him."

"Afraid of usurpation?"

"No," Shouun replied, shaking his head.

"My lord is not the type of person who worries about usurpation. And Dousetsu-dono lives by a code of unremitting loyalty, he will never abandon my lord. My lord also knew this, which was why the decision made him feel even worse."

"Him being too perfect... became a kind of pressure?"

Irobe asked. Shouun nodded slightly.

"Dousetsu-dono's shadow cannot be found in the Catholic teachings and culture. Perhaps my lord wanted to put up a good front or perhaps he wanted proof... By constructing a... kingdom that did not involve Dousetsu-dono..."

Irobe looked at the side of Shouun's face in silence.

"With this in mind, I feel that I can understand the reason for my lord's attachment to the Catholic kingdom. Or maybe I am overthinking this matter..."

"...Dousetsu-dono is currently at Kawaradake."

"It was my lord's order," said Shouun. "Dousetsu-dono wanted to be stationed in Aso to lead us but my lord stubbornly insisted that he should handle the construction of the 'Fallen Kingdom.' There are other people who are more than qualified to manage the 'Fallen Kingdom' but my lord does not want him to be involved."

The 'Fallen Kingdom' was the name of a large cannon, acquired from the Nanban trade, formerly used by Sourin to repel Shimazu Iehisa at Usuki's Niyuujima Castle. Sourin wanted to reconstruct it as a 'Spiritual Cannon' by using the land of Kawaradake.

"Dousetsu's resurrection... probably brought back the burden in my lord's heart," Shouun muttered, sighing as he thought of the two men.

Irobe did not say anymore. In his heart, he felt that there were truly all sorts of master-retainer relationships in this world.
The relationship between people could so much as influence the rise and fall of a nation. Only the affected parties understood the delicate feelings involved, many of which become the source of conflict.
Thus a nation was destroyed. Thus the master was beheaded... It resembled a certain master-retainer relationship of 400 years.

"The kingdom of Aso..."

Irobe mumbled to himself and sighed.
Then, the vice-president Ozaki came in to have a word them.

Shouun noticed him.
"Gorou? How is the situation outside? Has my lady driven away those people?"

"A strange person was found among them."

"What?" The two of them looked at him in a questioning manner. Ozaki appeared to be puzzled by it as well.

"That person was claiming to be a friend of Ougi Takaya and my lady's hypnotism did not affect him. My lady is personally examining him right now.

"What? What is that person's name?"

"I think it was Narita Yuzuru... if I am not mistaken..."

"Narita Yuzuru...!"
Irobe's strong reaction caught Shouun by surprise.

"Do you know him, Irobe-dono?"

"Ah... No..."

Irobe knew Narita Yuzuru. Irobe had heard everything from Naoe regarding the fact that Narita Yuzuru was the reincarnation of Kagekatsu as well as his true identity. He also knew that the 'Seed of the Demon King' had been embedded inside him by Nobunaga.

"What has Lady Julia done to him?"

"I was told that the hebimiko has been planted inside him. He will probably be brainwashed soon."

The situation was not good. Irobe thought in this way.

***

Narita Yuzuru had become a soldier of the Ootomo.
When Yuzuru awoke, he was dressed in the school uniform of Kojou High and allocated to a team like the rest of the students.

Really strange.

Yuzuru felt funny. Although the hebimiko was inside his body, it seemed like he was a bit different from the rest of the students. Yuzuru rubbed his body with his hands.

Isn't that weird worm the reason why all the students are so obedient?

Fortunately, half of Irobe's worries were not needed. The brainwashing effect of the hebimiko did not work on Yuzuru. Yuzuru vexed over what he should do next for a while before he decided to camouflage himself by mimicking the actions of the other students. He felt that this was a more convenient way to look for Takaya. Yuzuru pretended to be brainwashed and participated in the training.
Things got interesting.

I... I have superpowers!

It was an astonishing ability. He did not know if it was caused by the force of the incantation but he could lift a large desk without touching it. Yuzuru felt extremely excited by this.

Amazing! Amazing! Too amazing...!

It seemed as though he was now like Takaya and the others with this supernatural power. The ability came to him so easily.

Now I can fight like Takaya and the rest!

Yuzuru had always felt upset that he was the only one who could not do anything. He had felt extreme remorse for not being able to be of any assistance to Takaya. But as long as he had this sort of power, he could do it. He could fight for Takaya. The students around Yuzuru watched him in amazement because nobody else could utilize this power as easily as he could.

"This is just awesome..."

Mikuriya, who had come to inspect the training sessions, was also shocked by Yuzuru's ability. There was no soldier more ideal than Yuzuru. Although he did not reveal any information about Takaya, that was no longer important. There was no reason to ignore such an outstanding soldier.

"Gorou. Assign him to the first squadron of 2A. We will have considerable victory if he is included in our main battle strategy. He will be a useful soldier."

After that, Mikuriya said to the leader of the small squadron, "I will leave this to you."
Then she left with her subordinates.

Not long after, Irobe Katsunaga appeared in the classroom. The students knew Irobe was Mikuriya's guest.

"President Mikuriya told me to send for Narita Yuzuru."

The students complied without the slightest doubt, calling to Yuzuru who was in the midst of his training.

What is he up to...?

Yuzuru raised his guard as he gazed steadily at the man who was obviously not someone from this school. Irobe did not take him to the enforcement division but to the darkroom where there was no sign of anyone. The moment the door closed, Yuzuru felt uneasy. He wondered if someone had seen through his acting.

"W-Who are you..."

Yuzuru's eyes widened in alarm.

"Why did you call for me? If there's a problem then say it."

"...As expected of you. You were not affected by the hebimiko."

"!"

Yuzuru suddenly attacked with an incantation he had just learned but the man scattered it with a goshinha.

The incantation...!

"So you even have powers now in addition to being resistant to the brainwashing? That's pretty amazing."

"W-Who on earth are you! Are you a teacher of this school!"

"Heh. Please don't worry. I'm on your side."

"Eh?" Yuzuru had a bewildered look on his face.

"I am a comrade of Ougi Takaya. My name is Irobe Katsunaga."

"Irobe..."

The name was familiar to Yuzuru as he had heard it once from Takaya.
Yuzuru was stunned.

"Irobe... Katsunaga..."

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.

Book 17 Chapter 21 血に生きる怨み

2010-12-24T13:21:00.013+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes: 古事記 Kojiki - Records of Ancient Matters (Japan's oldest historical record); 日本書紀 Nihon-shoki (the oldest chronicles of Japan)
PS: please don't distribute this without my permission

Hokage explained her inner fears like a young child.
Without paying heed to the tears tumbling out of her large, black eyes like pearls, she told Haruya everything.

"Lately, I can even hear Kihachi-sama's voice when I am asleep. When I'm conscious, I find myself unexpectedly speaking with him, no, I don't know if that's really me. In fact, just a moment ago, I was Asara and conversing with Kihachi-sama."

Tetsuya felt absolutely horrified. Hokage had been interacting with Kihachi all this time. Tetsuya could not imagine what it was like to be communicating with the dead.

"Whenever I speak with Kihachi-sama, the memories of Asara stored in my blood will reveal itself. Just now, I was talking about some past events with Kihachi-sama. The festival, what happened in this cave, the incident at Takachiho, the war. Ahh, I don't now what these memories are. This is not me!"

"So you have even recovered Asara's memories? Hokage."

Haruya asked her with a serious expression.

"Have you recovered all her memories of the past...!"

Hokage nodded strenuously. Chiaki was startled by this.

Memories of her ancestor recovered via the blood...

However, this was not completely unheard-of. Occasionally, there were cases of people remembering their previous lives, many of which were due to their ancestor's memories in their blood. The recovery of memories due to a certain moment was uncommon. In this sort of cases, the more closely related one was to one's ancestors, the clearer the memories.

Hokage's connection to Kihachi's soul probably explained how she could retrieve the memories in her blood. But the ancestral blood in her veins should be very diluted by now as Asara lived thousands of years ago. It should actually be extremely difficult to recover her memories.

Is this because of Kihachi's power?

"Asara's blood is becoming more berserk inside me."

Hokage was greatly shaken.

"Kihachi-sama told me to immediately extinguish Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto's bloodline, to crush the disgusting bloodline of Mikenu-no-Mikoto. Take revenge, retaliate against the Yamato people who invaded us!"

"!"

Chiaki and Tetsuya gulped. Hokage covered her face with her hands, rattled by the fierce emotions that kept surging up within her.

"Please help me, reikami! If this goes on, I will be engulfed by Asara's thoughts! I will become Asara and release Kihachi-sama from the seal! Please stop me! Otherwise, I might do something terrible!"

Hokage cried, grabbing onto Haruya tightly. Chiaki looked at Hokage's tiny shoulders trembling beneath Haruya's large hand. He asked Haruya,

"Asara's so-called wish...Miike-san..."

"..."

"Is it to take revenge against Mikenu-no-Mikoto?"

"..."

"The Miike clan's true goal is to exact revenge against Mikenu-no-Mikoto, isn't it?"

"The legendary Kihachi...," Haruya said slowly and solemnly. "Is refering to the indigenous people who lived in this Himura region."

Chiaki's eyes narrowed.
The ancient Himura - the Fire clan - was the tribe that came under the Yamato imperial rule after it was invaded and conquered. The so-called Kihachi legend was about the rebellion of this clan after being forced to submit to the Yamato people, who conquered them, and their subsequent defeat.

Mikeno-no-Mikoto and Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto were the Yamato invaders. The story about the descent of the grandson of the sun goddess was, in essence, a legend describing the move to dominate the various nations of Kyushu island undertaken by the Yamato royalty. The Yamato people had set out from Seto Nakai by ship, reached Himura and there began their invasion. Emperor Jinmu, said to be the grandson of Amaterasu who descended upon Takachiho in mythology, had attacked the North and established the capital state of Yamato there. However, he had also instructed Mikeno-no-Mikoto and Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto to invade Kyushu island, according to Haruya's explanation. In reality, a large part of the Japanese legends found the 'Kojiki' and 'Nihon-shoki' were stories fabricated to make the victor, the Yamato royalty, appear righteous and supreme. The legends of Takachiho and Aso were among those stories.

"In the legend, Mikenu-no-Mikoto rescued Asara from the evil Kihachi. But the truth was different. Kihachi was the real victim."

Haruya's tone was somber.

"Asara was a lady from the Fire clan who was forcefully taken away by the Yamato invader, Mikenu-no-Mikoto. The current story or legend is mostly a modified version to make this seem like a virtuous act. Details of the invasion in the Kihachi legend were in fact created by the Yamato's central regime to be passed down through the generations of their own people. A legend which vilified the indigenous people thereby making the invasion justified."

"Invaders..."

Chiaki finally understood. Mikeno-no-Mikoto and Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto were both relatives of Emperor Jinmu. They were symbolic figures of the Yamato royalty who had unified and stabilized Japan.

"Asara really did exist. She was a shrine maiden of Himura. The Fire clan worshipped the sun and considered fire as a form of power granted by the sun thus held it in extremely high regard. Asara was the shrine maiden who carried out the Fire spells. It was said that Fire shrine maiden who held the highest position was also the monarch who governed the Fire nation. Asara was the one who waited on the queen. She and Kihachi loved each other but the invader snatched her away by brute force and forced her to become his wife."

Or maybe Asara was offered to the enemy as sign of surrender in the war.

"Although Kihachi was sorrowful, he stubbornly persisted in his rebellion. It was said that he was a brave, young man of the Fire clan. But in the face of the overwhelming military strength of the invaders, Kihachi was killed. We, the Miike, are the descendants of the child born of a grieving Asara and the invader."

The child's name was Himura Tsuyoshi.

By then, Kihachi had become an onryou, roaming around Himura for a period of time before wrecking havoc in the Aso region by damaging the crops with frost and so forth, causing many difficulties for the residents. Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto had volunteered to expel the onryou. He excavated Kihachi's head from his old resting place and sealed the onryou inside it. Then he built the Shimomiya where offerings could be made to Kihachi.

At this point, the one who had requested to be granted the position of being the first chief priest of the shrine was the child of Asara and Mikenu-no-Mikoto - Himura Tsuyoshi. His mother had entrusted a mission to him. Asara had endured humiliation for a long time. Although she appeared to be obedient to Mikenu-no-Mikoto, in her heart she harbored a deep hatred. She died after giving birth to Himura Tsuyoshi. However, just a step away from death's door, she had concentrated her entire will on the child in her womb and continuously repeated a 'certain wish.' And that was,

"One day, I shall be reincarnated, resurrect Kihachi-sama, and take back this land from the hands of the Yamato people. Until that time, you are to protect Asara's bloodline and guard Kihachi-sama's revered head. I will definitely be reincarnated as one of your descendants."

"This is... Asara's wish?"

"Yes. Himura Tsuyoshi heard his mother's wish, broke through his dead mother's stomach and was born. Himura Tsuyoshi became the guardian of Takachiho's Shimomiya with this enmity against his father in his heart."

This was the origin of the Miike family.
The Miike family hid the fact that they carried the dying wish of the invaded clan and served the needs of the Aso family, who regarded Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto as one of their ancestors, and had continued to do so for close to 1600 years.

"So everything done so far has been for the sake of resurrecting Kihachi's soul?" Tetsuya muttered in disbelief. "In order to take back the lost land from the hands of the Yamato people?"

"..."

As a member of the Miike family, Tetsuya had only heard that Kihachi was the head of the Fire clan. Nobody knew that the Miike family's mission was to resurrect Kihachi's onryou. Had Hokage realized this from the memories in Asara's blood? She held Haruya tightly without moving.

"That, that sort of nonsense... Who would believe that! Have we been doing those stupid things all along just because of some cryptic legend! Did Father die because of this!"

"Tetsuya."

"Nobody wants to listen to this crap! Hokage, let's go back! Come, we're going back!"

Tetsuya bellowed, ferociously pulling Hokage's hand.

"Tetsu...!"

"We're going back! Going back to your home. From tomorrow onwards, you can return to a normal life! Let's go home!"

"If you want to return, you can, but what of Inaba Akemi?"

Chiaki's one sentence stopped Tetsuya in his tracks, quashing his resolve. Hokage was greatly surprised.

"Inaba Akemi? What happened to Akemi? Don't tell me something happened to Akemi...!"

"She was kidnapped and is now being held hostage by a group of bad eggs who want Kihachi's power. They're demanding you as a ransom for her release."

"...!"

Haruya called out to Chiaki as if to stop him from saying more. Chiaki ignored him and grabbed Hokage's hand from Tetsuya's grasp.

"If you don't go, Inaba will be killed. This is why we've come to get you."

"No, sensei! You can't let Hokage go!"

"This is to save your friend's life."

Chiaki lowered his tone and drew close to Hokage's face.

"Be brave and go."

Hokage's face was extremely grim but she nodded carefully as she was intimidated by Chiaki's forcefulness. Tetsuya wanted to complain but Chiaki stopped him with a sharp glance.

"You want to save Inaba, don't you?"

Tetsuya was disgruntled, fuming behind gritted teeth. Then he flung his head back, pulled Hokage's hand and marched out of the cave.

"Tetsu...!"

After the two were gone, Chiaki turned back to Haruya.

"Are you still going to say everything will be fine despite how serious this matter is?"

Haruya lowered his eyes, shaking his head a little.

"Initially, I had no intention of telling you about it. Not to that child, nor to you."

"Then why..."

"I felt that, one day, I will have to tell Tetsuya as he is the son of my dead younger brother."

The candle flames reflected in the mirror hung above the altar quivered from the wind. Haruya gazed at the swaying light and said.

"According to the legend, the robber Kihachi and Asara used to live in this cavern. There are several places in Takachiho that are mentioned in the stories about Kihachi but a good portion of them are fabrications. This place is no different. It was, in fact, not the home of a robber but rather the hideout of Kihachi, who was the chief of the anti-government guerrilla band, and his comrades. It was their secret hideaway when they were fighting against Mikenu-no-Mikoto. This is what is told in the Miike family. Perhaps it is difficult for the people of today to imagine that there was once an ethnic struggle in Japan."

"..."

"But such a battle existed, this bloody past is a fact. The people of Japan have almost completely forgotten about their ethnicity. And in turn, they also forget the way for different ethnic groups to coexist. Ignorance and thoughtlessness will lead to unnecessary inequality on this land. I believe Japan is still immature as a nation."

"Miike-san... you..."

"The key to understanding the pain of a different populace is right here. It must be because everyone has forgotten the past hence that invasion half a century ago."

Haruya asserted. He closed his eyes, as though he wanted to sense the pain of his forbears saturated in the cave.

"What are you going to do?"

Chiaki asked gravely after a long silence, looking at Haruya's face, illuminated by the flames.

"The Miike family's mission to resurrect Kihachi has gone on for 1600 years. Now that Asara has appeared, don't you guys have to immediately carry out that task?"

"..."

"I won't be surprised if you have taken measures considering that the Miike family exists in order to honor Asara's dying wish. Don't you guys want to liberate Kihachi's spirit and cleanse the people of the Fire clan of their grudge? Aren't you going to take revenge against the Yamato people?"

Inheriting the position of reikami meant bearing the burden of honoring the behest of Fire clan and completing the mission appointed 1600 years ago.
Asara had appeared. Now was the time to complete their task, wasn't it?
Haruya listened to Chiaki's questions and calmly looked up.

"That is true. This is the mission of the Miike reikami. One that he must carry out but..."

"..."

"Asara has appeared before, a few times in the past."

"What?"

This was true. Asara was supposed to be reincarnated through the generations. But it was not really the reincarnation of Asara herself. It was more appropriately described as the female born with the 'blood most responsive to Kihachi.' The so-called Hitaki Shinji was a ceremony to determine if any of the girls born into the Miike family had this ability to be Asara. Such girls have emerged several times in the past.

"The girls were like Hokage, able to communicate with Kihachi and retrieve memories from their blood. But not one of their respective reikamis used them to liberate Kihachi."

"Why?"

"...The reason will be clear when I become involved."

Haruya, who was gazing at the cave wall, slowly turned towards Chiaki.

"Do you think that I, as one person, have enough reason to carry out this task?"

"Miike-san..."

Haruya lowered his eyes painfully and walked past Chiaki towards the exit. His expression was of one who had been forced to make a choice.
Chiaki's face was solemn as he watched Haruya leave.

Once they left the cavern, the four of them returned to the place where they had parked the car. It was already daylight. Then Chiaki saw someone standing beside the car.

"Reikami,"

The person addressed him in this way. Haruya knew this youth; it seemed like she was the lady they had met earlier at the house. In her hands was a huge, slender Kiri box.

"What you requested for is inside."

"Thank you, good work."

Haruya accepted the box.
Takachiho had grave mounds in which Kihachi's hands and feet were buried. The people assigned with the task of protecting these 'mounds' were known as 'mound guardians.' These guardians were the Miike descendants who lived in Takachiho.
Haruya placed the large Kiri box into the trunk of the car.

What is that?

Judging from its shape, it probably contained something blade-like. The youth gave a specially prepared kagura bell to Hokage.

"Miss Hokage. Please take care of yourself."

It was a night kagura bell often used in Takachiho to summon spirits. Hokage delicately accepted it, then held it close to her chest and nodded.

The four of them got into the car and left Takachiho bathed in the morning sun.

***

It was now midday.
Aso had been rather cold in the morning but now there was sunlight shining through the breaks in the clouds. Perhaps that reduced the cold a little though one still needed an overcoat to stay outdoors. There were still ice needles in the sections of the village streets hidden from the sun.
Although the foothills had not reached the extent of seeing snow accumulation, the hilly area was still covered in a near complete patch of white.
The mountain region of the Aso-gogaku said to resemble the Buddha's plate was also beautifully adorned with snow. The west sky was still mostly blotted with black clouds but the outline of the Aso-gogaku could be distinctly seen. The spiral of smoke from Nakadake was visible from this place at the foothills of the north outer mountains. The tower of smoke was much taller than the last two days.

"The mountains are echoing..."

Sensing that someone had entered, the man spoke.

"They recognize us perhaps. The people of the Fire clan are crying out. Their cries are the reason for Aso's eruptions. Standing here, I can feel the reality of these words."

The one who entered, Saeki Ryouko, looked at the mountain range as well. Enoki Masamichi gazed into the air.

"Speaking of which, Sect Guardian used to mention this more often the older he got. This Aso situation. Yakeyama in spring, the removal of the kagami at the Aso shrine, the Oden festival... Also, the flow of volcanic ash from Nakadake's eruption. I was told that in spring, the paddy fields will transform into a stretch of golden yellow, undulating like a wave whenever the wind blows, just like the sea."

Enoki said, closing his eyes. Ikeda Katsuya used to tell him everyday about the land in which he grew up, especially his memories of his childhood. Enoki had only seen such things in photographs or on film. The aged Katsuya always had eyes like that of a youngster whenever he talked about these things.

"It's unbelievable. I now have a certain fondness for Aso because of these old memories that Sect Guardian used to tell me. For someone like me who only knows of the roof of a factory and its foul atmosphere, the land of Aso which sect guardian used to speak of sounds like a distant paradise."

Enoki remarked, "Strange, isn't it?" He laughed at himself.

"My impression of the Fire clan is that they used to lead similar lives as the people of Aso that Sect Guardian used to describe."

Ryouko thought about what Enoki must be feeling and felt a tinge of sorrow.
Enoki was born in Kitakyushu. It was one of the few iron-manufacturing towns in northern Kyushu but after a rapid growth period, the amount of steel manufactured decreased slowly and it eventually lost its former bustling atmosphere.

Although Enoki was young, he had experienced hardship. His parents had a small-scale factory but due to poor management, they had incurred a large amount of debt and covertly abandoned their factory like how one would slip away under the cover of night. After that, it seemed like his parents had died in an accident but the truth was that one had forced the other to commit suicide. Painfully alone and helpless, Enoki had to quit his high school studies and began work in a factory in order to survive and to settle the debts. Knowing what he had to go through, Ryouko could understand his yearning for the Aso described by Ikeda.

Suddenly, Enoki smiled.
Ryouko looked at him, asking, "What is it?"

Enoki pointed to a strange building on the other side of the rural district. The structure was made of red brick and looked like a golden pagoda.

"That's Aso's wonderful golden pagoda, I heard it was built by someone who struck a fortune because of a rat. That's a torii beside it, right? Looks like it belonged to a religious group which was formed to evade taxes. I wonder which deity it honors?"

It was now no longer in use, left deserted like ruins.

"Is that a remnant of the war in Japan?"

Enoki mocked. Then he looked at Ryouko, drawing his mind back to the situation at hand.

"How are the casualties?"

"My deepest apologies for our lack of strength."

Half of the Birds were seriously wounded from the battle against Katou Kiyomasa.
At the end of the fierce battle, Kiyomasa had escaped again and his whereabouts were still unknown. Then they had up met with Motoharu and were now gathered together in the Kokuzo shrine.

"The luminous flame stone is being used to treat the injured. However their mental spirits have suffered a more severe blow..."

This was the first time they had participated in such an intense battle. Three members of the Birds had requested to withdraw due to fright. Seeing that Ryouko's expression had grown gloomy, Enoki nodded for lack of a better option. In order to accomplish Ikeda Katsuya's will, that was to resurrect the Fire Kingdom, the Birds had sworn their lives to the task.

The Birds had started as young members of the study group opened by Enoki.
Enoki joined the sect when he met Ikeda Katsuya after his parents passed away and naturally he became the leader of the group of young people because of his passion.
Katsuya considered him to be the one to succeed his position of sect guardian and had given him special teachings.
Katsuya had enthusiastically narrated to Enoki the history of Kihachi and the Fire clan in the same way it was passed down from generation to generation in the Miike family.
Enoki had accepted Katsuya's teachings. Apart from his solo task of carrying out external missionary work, he had also conducted a research into the Fire clan under the name of the study group of young followers that he had. These youths under his leadership were slowly trained into a group of people who fervently worshipped the the Fire clan. The Birds were members of this group, the warriors of the organization.
Ryouko was one of them.

"How should they be punished? They cannot be allowed to just withdraw..."

"I guess not."

"Especially after all the trouble taken to awaken their flying abilities with the bird technique. The blood of the Fire clan runs deep in their veins, they are high grade warriors."

Truly unacceptable. Ryouko remarked. The Birds were the youngest descendants of Aso's Miike clan gathered by Ikeda Katsuya when he established the Fire sect. It was said that the Miike have always encouraged marriages between close relatives in order to preserve the purity of their blood, making it understandable as to how this flying ability was so easily awakened.

"Pity... that they have such purity in their blood."

Enoki himself only had a weak flying ability. He required the assistance of Ryouko just to barely fly.

"We have a limited number of warriors. They are not allowed to withdraw."

"Do you want me to persuade them?"

"I'll go. They're probably frightened because it was their first time in battle. We are the only ones who can achieve Sect Guardian Ikeda's will."

"Sect Guardian Ikeda's will..."

Ryouko recalled Ikeda's gentle appearance and felt a momentary anguish in her chest.

Although the young people of the Birds had a strong connection with Enoki, they only had nothing more than a few words of conversation with the sect guardian Ikeda. Only Ryouko had grown up admiring Ikeda like a grandfather.

Ikeda used to smile whenever he saw the enthusiasm of the young people of the Fire sect:

--I once had the feelings of those youngsters too.

Ikeda once had the same experience of joining a sect when he was young as these youths did in joining the Fire sect. They said that Ikeda Katsuya was only 14 or 15 years old when he rebelled against the Miike family and left home. In Tokyo, Katsuya was influenced by a friend and began to participate in a socialist movement, during which he went through a brief period of being overzealous in his activities. But when the Manchurian incident occurred, nationalism came to the forefront in Japan, and extreme ideologies were suppressed. Beliefs and believers would become more fierce when subjected to suppression and for a time, Katsuya was trapped in this chaos. However, after the leaders of the Communist party began to release statements with varying ideas while in prison, the young Katsuya began to lose confidence in his own actions. Finally, when he was reported to the political police, he declared that his previous ideologies were wrong and devoted himself to something completely different from his previous belief.

--That was a big decision.

Ikeda had said so when he reflected on his past.

--I was too young, I wanted one 'absolute truth' to guide me.

Then the war began.
When Japan became a nation at war, Katsuya volunteered to be a navy soldier for his country.
The invasion. The fierce battles. The news of surrender that came one after another. The signs of defeat for Japan. The air raids on the country.
Katsuya had to endure all of that as one of the soldiers fighting for his country.

--At the naval battle at Kagoshima, I personally saw the sinking of the battleship 'Yamato.'

Katsuya often mentioned the events of that time. Katsuya had seen the end of that monumental, unsinkable battleship. He had seen its descent into the grease-covered sea. He used to say that he could still see the shape of the 'Yamato' as though that scene had been branded into his eyes.
Then the war ended.
Katsuya returned to Tokyo as a survivor to find the land barren as if it had been devastated by a wildfire.
That in which he once believed in, was lost.

What do I put my faith in now?

In order to find a base to stand on, the young man wandered. What he ultimately found was his own ancestors, the people of the Fire clan.

"Sect Guardian has returned to his blood roots," said Enoki. "He must have seen the descent of the Yamato people during the sinking of the 'Yamato.' Sect Guardian probably saw a vision of the defeat of the Yamato people who suppressed the Fire clan."

"..."

"When everything in Japan fell into ruin, Sect Guardian dreamt of establishing a nation to revive the Fire clan."

Ikeda Katsuya had once returned to the Miike to share his ideas with his father, who was the reikami at that time, wanting to persuade him to let the Miike family be the flag carrier of the Fire clan. But Katsuya did not fully understand the enormity of what he was suggesting.

--Immediately abandon that sort of foolish idea.

Disappointed, Katsuya then decided to establish his own 'Miike.'
With the youngest descendants of the family as his comrades, Katsuya set up the Fire sect.

But the truth was not as simple as that. At that time, finding food to eat was difficult enough let alone maintaining a sect. The pace of Japan was gradually changing. With new a democratic government, social organizations were also transforming at a rapid rate. His comrades took advantage of the flexibility that came with the changes in society. The Japan-US safety treaty matured quickly. As the Showa era underwent intense changes, Katsuya led the Fire sect while keeping most of his thoughts to himself. He had not told his followers about the ethnic group related to the Fire sect neither had he proactively carry out any missionary activities. Thus the Fire sect became a harmless household religion and Katsuya was known as an honorable religious sect founder in the cities and towns. Over time, he lost sight of the original reason for establishing the sect, which was to do battle.

Until ten years ago when Sect Guardian met Miike Hideya.

Enoki had heard that Katsuya became acquainted with Hideya, who had then just assumed his post as reikami, when he attended the funeral of his eldest brother. It seemed the two of them were fated to meet and thereafter continued to be in close contact with each other.

Then a year passed. Hideya died a premature death.
In that same year, Ikeda Katsuya decided to let Enoki succeed him. The lighting of an 'inextinguishable goshinka' inside the holy shrine also began nine years ago. That was also the time when he acquired the contents of the Miike documents. That was also the moment Enoki rallied his young followers and began to advocate the 'resurrection of Kihachi-sama.'

The young followers did not really understand their own crazed interest in the 'Worship the Fire clan' campaign led by Enoki. Their study group was responsible for decoding the Miike documents, which were made into negatives, the type that was used in cameras for photos. This secret assembly became the centripetal force that drew Enoki and the others closer to each other. From their decodings, they found the incantations for the bird technique and the crystallization method to create luminous flame stones. They went through training and practice in order to perfect these techniques. Then they also realized that Asara was needed for the resurrection of Kihachi. This was discovered barely a year ago. Surprisingly, Asara had already emerged five years ago.

In order to acquire Asara - Miike Hokage, Enoki and the others had attempted a kidnapping but was not successful. This was because Miike Haruya, Hideya's successor, had found out about their plot. Since then, Hokage's whereabouts were concealed and they could not find her no matter where they looked.

Not long after, Ikeda Katsuya's illness grew worse, the young followers felt the difficulty of resurrecting Kihachi and were close to giving up. But in an almost dramatic turn of events, they encountered a certain individual.

They met Kikkawa Motoharu.
It was at Moji. As the Shimazu's guest general, Motoharu was responsible for leading the Mouri army in northern Kyushu island into battle against the Ootomo. The followers who were drawn into the crossfire managed to save the Mouri commander with their power. Thus they became acquainted with Motoharu. Although they were absolutely amazed by the environment of the Yami Sengoku, they were probably aware of the potential power they could acquire to resurrect Kihachi.
A month later,
Sect Guardian Ikeda died.
Enoki had accompanied Ikeda by his sick bed until his death. Ikeda had no last words.
He had only said to Enoki, "I leave everything to you."
The Birds decided to act.

"They want something that can guide their way of existence."

Enoki had the young people of the Birds in mind as he said this to Ryouko.

"They are still too young."

"Young..."

"Too young. If they did not have a 'special something,' they would feel uneasy. In order for them to feel content, they have probably come to depend on the superior quality found in their blood. This might explain why they have such a deep commitment to the Kihachi campaign. They hope that someone can tell them who they really are."

"..."

"After the war, the Japanese people acquired much freedom. Such that they can freely choose whatever they think is the correct truth. But maybe that sort of freedom merely allows one to choose whatever they want to believe in."

"Sect Guardian, what are you talking about?"

"I believe if man has too much freedom, he will die. The more freedom he has, the more he will crave for principles and religion due to unease, and the more he will worship someone who can grant him these things. In order to survive in the wilderness of true liberty, people have to learn to be independent in their choices. This is quite a difficult ability to learn. It's very painful. On the other hand, it's very easy and less stressful to simply be guided by a 'proper existence.' We are all like that, if you notice, you will find that we are all looking for a mother who suits us. Perhaps we are so desperately looking for that mother that we become overly neglectful in fostering our own efforts."

"Are you talking about me?"

Ryouko felt like he was criticizing her higher education record.

"Are you criticizing me?"

"Does it sound like you're being criticized?"

Ryouko was silent. People who have passed higher education would sometimes have an ambivalence about their academic qualifications. Perhaps this was a strange mentality to have but she felt herself lacking in tenacity and survival strength in the presence of individuals who were less highly educated. Ryouko felt inferior, thinking that she was lacking in everything save for her academic background.

"I was not trying to criticize you or anyone," Enoki stated. Then he asked in a business-like manner,

"How is the situation with the Miike family? Has Miike Haruya promised to hand over Asara?"

"Yes. He must be greatly shaken."

Miike Haruya...

Despite Asara's emergence, he had not carried out his mission. That was proof that the resolve of the Miike family was dead. But the followers of the Fire sect were still here. They were here for Asara and would carry out the mission in Haruya's stead. Haruya should gratefully hand over Asara to the Fire sect.

"This is grandfather's dying wish. I will see this fulfilled at all costs."

Enoki thought of Katsuya.
He will let the elders of this Showa era--
Who are still searching for a place of true liberty despite repeated setbacks,
Listen to Kihachi's voice.

***

Uesugi Kenshin has joined the battle of the Yami Sengoku...!
This shocking information reached the Ikkoushuu this early morning. In Aso, the first person to receive this news was Rairen, who was now in the Kokuzo shrine. By the time Akechi Mitsuhide returned, there was chaos in the shrine.

"I heard the new Uesugi and Ootomo Sourin have just officially concluded their alliance. But the shocking revelation is the new Uesugi general, they say it is the dead Naoe Nobutsuna."

"Naoe Nobutsuna..!" Mitsuhide's eyes widened in shock. "But wasn't he purified at Hagi..."

"He wasn't purified, Mitsuhide-dono."

Someone from behind spoke, interrupting the conversation between the two people in the worship hall. Turning around, they saw Kikkawa Motoharu standing there. After gunning down Kotarou at Eboushidake, he had met with Enoki and his company, then hurried to this place. Besides Mitsuhide, Rairen was startled by Motoharu's words as well.

"Did you just say he wasn't purified? Kikkawa-dono. Don't tell me you knew about this from the start...!"

"I saw Naoe just now."

Motoharu was rather calm.

"Naoe Nobutsuna has come to Aso. He lives because of Kenshin's assistance and escaped purification. Naoe is still alive."

"How can this be..."

Rairen was speechless. There was an ominous look on Mitsuhide's face.

"So the lies used to deceive Uesugi-dono have become a reality?"

"What does Kenshin intend to do with Kagetora-dono if he has appointed another general? We know Kagetora-dono has not heard about this at all, does Kenshin want to abandon him?" Rairen asked.

Motoharu replied with a downcast voice.

"With not a word to Kagetora-dono about this, not to mention the deed was done without his permission, no doubt something has happened."

"I don't think it is as simple as that," Mitsuhide remarked. "Anyone with the objective of dominating the Yami Sengoku should not abandon a powerful figure like Kagetora-dono. If he has really abandoned him, then why? This matter needs some serious consideration. Whatever it is, Kenshin would not be so foolish as to leave his abandoned chess piece unattended. He will definitely try to erase it. That is what I would do if I were him."

"Are you saying that... Kagetora-dono will be killed?"

"As long as he can still fight. Of course, if he were unable to fight then it would be a different story. But seeing that he has gone to the extent of abandoning the general and reorganizing his army, it seems like Kenshin has made some major decisions."

"It can't be that Kagetora-dono will become incapable of battle in the future."

"No... Right now, there's absolutely no use for this sort of speculation. Kenshin has made a decision extremely out of the ordinary. We should proceed with extreme caution."

"Also, the movements of the Ootomo...," Rairen added in an urgent manner. "According to Iehisa-dono's investigation, it is now confirmed that the Ootomo is responsible for the suspicious spiritual activity in old Kumamoto city. The students are being brainwashed, ordinary people being used as foot soldiers. There's a high possibility that Kihachi's head is causing the spiritual magnetism."

"Kihachi's head! Is it in Kumamoto city? Have they found it?"

"We were planning to verify that but the Ootomo's defensive strength is giving us difficulties in the investigation. The Shimazu are currently in the north, ready and prepared to invade the city at any time."

"Although Kiyomasa escaped..."

Motoharu looked bitter, lightly biting against his lip.

"He was severely wounded. Now that the Oda commander is weakened, Kumamoto should be easier to take. As long as the kekkai is weakened, the Ootomo can be expelled with the Shimazu's military force. If Kihachi's head is inside the city, we should move as soon as possible."

The three of them had their respective intentions in their minds as they nodded in acknowledgement of each other's ideas.

"Attack Kumamoto."

War was imminent.

***

Further down from the Kokuzo shrine was a house Mitsuhide used as his living quarters. This was one of the multi-storied military bases built in Aso for holding discussions on strategies and plans for the invasion of Kyushu island. A minimum of one soldier was stationed there at all times.

Ougi Takaya was resting in one of the rooms.
It was a Japanese-styled room, about the size of 10 tatami mats. There was a bed in the middle of the room. Takaya was wearing a wafuku. He was seated on the bed in a kneeling position.

Having failed to escape, Takaya was captured by Mitsuhide and now under house arrest at the place where he was 'betrayed.' It was by sheer luck that Mitsuhide found him. Takaya's body was now very frail. Mitsuhide had to borrow the Ikkoushuu's power, which temporarily placed him through a curing spell, before the Fire sect followers buried another luminous flame stone into his body. With this, Takaya's health recovered a little but they had no method to alleviate the fatigue of his mind.

"You must recover," Saeki Ryouko said after diagnosing and treating Takaya. "There's no use in worrying about other things in your present condition. After all, injuries will weaken a person. Don't think about anything for now, just rest well."

Still, wasn't Kousaka exploiting this current moment of Takaya's weakness...

"Whether you want to personally ascertain the truth or whatever it is, wait until you are fully healed before doing so. Are you listening?"

Takaya had been quiet throughout.
Ryouko removed her stethoscope and closed the front lapels of his wafuku. She had heard of the situation Takaya was currently in. This patient was clearly exhausted in both body and mind but she knew it was impossible for him to not think of anything. And yet his heart was completely closed, barring anyone from delving in. She felt that even if someone were to console him, their words would only sound empty to him.
The look on his face did not seem resolute, neither was it vacant. He was simply staring ahead, eyes open without sleeping.
Ryouko courteously bowed to Takaya and withdrew from the room.

Motoharu was standing outside the room, looking at Takaya through the fusuma door left slightly open. Ryouko wanted to inform Motoharu of Takaya's condition but there was something about the atmosphere that discouraged conversation thus she briefly saluted him and left.

What an unpredictable person...

Kikkawa Motoharu gazed at Takaya, thinking in this way.
They met again when Mitsuhide brought him back but Takaya seemed different. Takaya made one worry if he had become handicapped from excessive shock; he had become a strange creature after his reckless escape.

Naoe is still alive.

The person in front of him was the one person who should be informed of this fact. But Naoe was not just alive. This was no deluded rant, nor empty words seeking to blackmail, it was a fact that Naoe had become the general and enemy of Takaya.

If this is the path you have chosen, I have no right to interfere. Naoe.

For a long time, there was something in Naoe's heart that he had to overcome at all costs. If this was Naoe's solution after a long period of meditation, so be it. Motoharu approved of Naoe as a man. He could only accept his decision. But in Motoharu's heart, he still wondered, was there no other way? --Perhaps Naoe would find him meddlesome to question this.

He should not intervene into their future, neither did he have the intention of doing so. However, there was still a gloomy feeling in Motoharu's chest that he could not dispel. This was because Kagetora was still in this prolonged 'false reality.'

It seemed like Kagetora was going to awaken. He was so close. Once Kagetora recognizes his unusual state, he will end this long dream. The fake Naoe was no longer on this earth. But Kagetora's false understanding of the reality of this world had yet to change.

Someone should show him the 'mirror,' like how Don Quixote discovered the reality of his aged and feeble self because of the Knight of the Mirrors. Let Kagetora see himself living in vain hope, let him be aware. Otherwise, should Naoe and Kagetora battle each other, it would be unfair but more than that, Naoe certainly would not want this.

This may be just my own wish.

As a friend who acknowledged Naoe, he hoped for truth to be confronted with truth. That was all.

Am I wrong? Naoe.

What was Kagetora thinking now?
If Kagetora also believed that this was the method Naoe had chosen to surpass him,
the victor would have to fight against the insurgent.

***

Not long after, Takaya released a gohou douji. He wanted to gather information about Kenshin, Naoe, and the Byakuime matter by himself. However, he found no satisfactory answer. Takaya also tried to call out to Kenshin but as one would expect, there was no reply.

After a while, Mitsuhide returned. When Mitsuhide entered the room, Takaya was in his pajamas sitting on the bedspread, looking out the framed window.

"How are you feeling? Kagetora-dono."

"... I can't die it seems," Takaya replied without any expression. "What do you guys intend to do to me?"

"Do to you..."

"I heard about your plans to use me as an onryou receptacle. You only brought me here to be used as an instrument, didn't you?"

"Did someone say that?" Mitsuhide shook his head. "We will not do that for you are of the same social status as we are. We cannot treat you like an instrument. Even if we need a receptacle, we will not do something so inhuman to you. Please trust us."

"I guess that's true," Takaya muttered. "Nothing can be accomplished even if you use this ragged body."

"...Kagetora-dono."

Takaya's face remained without emotion; he could not read any of his feelings. He was not purposefully hiding his own heart yet Mitsuhide could not figure out what Takaya was thinking at all.

He was not disheartened to the point of abandoning himself to despair, nor was he harboring any grudge or anger, and to describe him as emotionally paralyzed was not quite right either. ..It was past the boundary of comprehension.

Mitsuhide observed Takaya. He unknowingly felt he could grasp the situation a little.

"...Kagetora-dono. I have someone I would like you to meet."

Takaya only lifted his eyes to look at Mitsuhide.

"He was the Uesugi commander posted at Saga. We did not kill him but held him captive. I believe you know him. ...In order to prevent him from performing any purification, we have spiritually bound him."

"..."

"The tenacity of an Uesugi commander is truly admirable. No matter how much we tortured him, he did not say a word of Kenshin or the new Uesugi. But how will he behave in your presence?"

How would the commander who followed Kenshin respond in front of Kagetora? Mitsuhide suggested, "I hope you will see him."
Takaya agreed.
His response was soft.

***

After a while, a man was brought in by a retainer. He was a young man who looked more than 20 years in age and had a bony face. Around his neck was the spiritual cangue used to bind him.
The man was brought in front of Takaya, on his knees. Then the two of them were left alone in the room.
The man kept staring at the tatami mat, unwilling to face the person in front of him. Takaya gazed at the man for a while without a word. ...Yes, he knew this man.

"Raise your head," Takaya said in a calm tone. "Raise your head. Takemata Yoshitsuna."

He lifted his head in shock when his name was called out. Takemata Yoshitsuna used to be one of the Uesugi commanders of Uozu castle in Toyama. After his death in the seige of Uozu, he joined the military force of the Uesugi and had served under Kagetora for the past 400 years. He had moved from Uozu to Saga to carry out many tasks in Kyushu island under Kagetora's instructions. Takaya had assumed he was killed together with Saga's Byakuime but...

Takaya looked at Takemata quietly. Takemata could not tear away from his gaze, as though his eyes had been captured by Takaya's.

"Kagetora...sama..."

"Were you the one who killed Ryuuzouji?" Takaya asked. "Are you under Naoe's orders to help the Ootomo?"

Takaya saw tears gradually well up in Takemata's eyes. The moment Takaya looked at him, Takemata could no longer control himself.

"I deserve death!"

He exclaimed hopelessly like something had burst inside him. Takemata rubbed his head intensely against the tatami mat as he wept.

"I deserve death! I deserve death! I deserve death--!"

Takemata cried out continuously as though he was not going to stop until his throat dried out. His agonizing wails made one wonder if he had gone mad. Seeing this reaction, Ougi Takaya knew that what Mitsuhide and the others had told him was the truth.
He knew now that his days as the master were over.
Takemata's tears were proof of his guilty feelings. He probably felt that he could no longer escape the moment he was brought before Takaya. Takaya quietly observed his behavior. For a long time, the room was filled with the sound of Takemata's sobs and whimpers. After some time, when Takemata's tears had nearly been drained, Takaya calmly asked him.

"Can you tell me? Takemata."

"..."

"How is Father... going to deal with me?"

Amidst his sobs, Takemata replied that he did not know.

"We do not know anything about Kenshin-kou's plans either... Kenshin-kou ordered us to just obey..."

"When were these instructions handed out?"

"From...From a long time ago... Sometime... after the Itsukushima incident..."

Takaya was startled; his jaw clenched.

"After... Itsukushima..."

"Kenshin-kou appeared directly in front of us. It has been 400 years since that last happened... so I thought it was something serious. Kenshin-kou gave us his orders, said that very soon we were going to have a new general, and that his commands are to be regarded as the most important."

"..."

Takaya's eyes narrowed painfully.

"Why..."

Why would Father... He wanted to say this out loud but could not do so.
He was silent for a moment. Then Takaya... spoke again.

"Does Father really intend to join the Yami Sengoku..."

"..."

"What is Naoe going to do to me?"

Takemata's shoulders jolted.

"Does he see me as a sacrificed piece? Has he been Kenshin-kou's faithful servant, laying down the groundwork to dominate the Yami Sengoku while using me as an onshou shield for the past two years?"

"I..."

"What does Kenshin-kou intend to do after expelling me from my position as the general?"

Takemata desperately bit his lips to remain silent.

"Answer me, Takemata."

Although calm, Takaya's voice had a forcefulness that allowed no excuses. Takemata shut his eyes, shaking his head.

"I...I do not really know either. I only heard from Hakkai-dono..."

"Hakkai? Even Hakkai is alive?"

Takemata nodded. He said Hakkai had been serving under Kenshin ever since the Itsukushima battle and was apparently working together with Naoe. He was also the current 'Ken En' leader of the new Uesugi. Takaya felt startled but did not show it out. He forced himself to remain calm and asked,

"What... did Hakkai say? Tell it to me straight."

"But..."

"It's okay, Takemata, just tell me."

Tears streamed out of Takemata's eyes. With distress written on his face, he looked extremely pained for a moment but finally gave in and repeated what Hakkai had told him.

"Hakkai-dono said, 'One day, Naoe-sama will have to exorcise Kagetora-sama.'"

Takaya gasped. Those words were like a fatal strike, piercing deep into his chest.
They were going to obliterate Kagetora.

"..."

Takaya's fists were clenched so tightly that they were white and trembling.
With a hoarse voice, as if his throat was being twisted, he muttered,

"Really..."

Takemata prostrated himself against the floor. Takaya closed his eyes and calmly raised his head upwards.

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.

Book 17 Chapter 20 裏阿蘇家の宿命

2010-11-24T20:38:00.003+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes: 阿苏惟丰 (阿蘇惟豊) Aso Koretoyo; 惟将 Koremasa; 甲斐宗運 Kai Souun; 贞观 Jougan; 御毛沼命 Mikenu-no-mikoto; 苏阳町 (蘇陽町) Soyoumachi; 天岩戸 Ama-no-Iwato -the cave of the sun god or heavenly rock cave; 御神樂 mikagura - formal ritual dance
PS: do not distribute this without permission

"Hey, Haruie, what did you say?"

Chiaki Shuuhei thought he had heard the unthinkable and could not help but ask her again.

"Did you say that... Naoe is still alive?"

Backtracking a little, after Miike Tetsuya had promised to assist Chiaki that evening, Chiaki and Ayako made contact, and thus came this mind-blogging information from her lips.

"It was Kaizaki!" On the other end of the line, Ayako was still in a state of confusion. She was discovered by a member of staff after being knocked out by Kaizaki at the hospital and was given some time to recover before she was finally alert enough to call Chiaki.

"It was Kaizaki! He's Naoe! Naoe, I tell you!" Chiaki thought this was impossible and asked Ayako how she knew. Ayako pressed her hand against her temple and took a deep breath, barely suppressing her own wavering heart.

"I don't understand what's going on either. He didn't perform kanshou on Kaizaki neither is he possessing his body. But he's really Naoe...!"

Chiaki did not know what she was talking about at all. Ayako shook her head as she spoke.

"Sorry, I'm a bit confused. But only Naoe would've said such things. I don't have any explanation other than this."

Chiaki was speechless for a moment. He did his best to keep his calm, pressing the earphone closer to his face.

"Are you saying that Kaizaki Makoto is Naoe? Kaizaki is currently allied with the Ootomo. Despite this, do you still believe that he's Naoe?"

Ayako only continued to shake her head and said, "I don't know," as though she could not completely accept the situation. Chiaki nodded several times absent-mindedly in order to maintain his cool.

"Okay... okay. Then what about Kagetora? Can you tell if he's still alive?"

"Kaizaki said he didn't die. He said that he knew his whereabouts and was going to bring him back."

"Kaizaki said he's going to bring Kagetora back?"

"Yeah. I'll be going to the Honmyouji shortly, I can't just leave the kekkai as it is. You contact Yagami."

Ayako's decision was correct. The Shimazu army had arrived therefore their first priority would be to protect the town from the onryou. Kagetora would have done the same.

"I understand. Once I settle this hostage case, I'll rush back to Kumamoto. I'm concerned about the Ootomo's activities in Kojou High. Will you be okay on your own?"

Ayako nodded. Although her heart was still shaken, she had some resolve intact. Chiaki also nodded. After exchanging and verifying a few other pieces of information, he reminded her to keep in contact and hung up his car telephone.
Then he sat listlessly for a while.
Naoe was still alive.
Chiaki pondered over this for a long time. He felt an intense agitation in his chest.

So that guy wasn't purified...

"Impossible..."

They had been unable to find him anywhere despite all of their desperate efforts. But now Ayako was saying that Kaizaki Makoto was Naoe? According to Ayako, Naoe had not possessed the body neither had he performed kanshou the body when logically it should have been either one of these two possibilities. If Naoe had performed kanshou, Chiaki would have noticed it. However, when they had brushed past each other at Kojou High, the one thing that triggered a reaction from Chiaki was that scent. It was truly strange that his scent incited more of a response than his spiritual aura. Even so, why was Haruie so stubborn in her belief that Kaizaki was Naoe? Was it not just a misconception?

Kaizaki Makoto is Naoe...

If so, that would Naoe the one who had secretly manipulated the incidents at Enoshima. If Kaizaki was somehow related to Kagetora being left in the dark about Irobe's operations, then it would explain everything. If Irobe and Hakkai were now directly subordinate to Kenshin and acting in secret, was Naoe also directly under Kenshin?

What's going on here?

Kagetora was not the only one being fooled. They were also hiding this from Chiaki and the rest. Wasn't it strange? Why didn't Naoe contact them if he was still alive? Did Kenshin save Naoe? But if he wasn't a possessor or a kanshousha, what was his existing form?

I don't get it...

He did not die. Naoe is still alive.
He said he will come to my side. He wants me to wait.

Has Kagetora realized this...?
Chiaki looked serious again. He could not figure out which was the truth. Have they carried out their own measures to assist Kagetora? Or was it a matter of convenience? And what about the alliance with Mikuriya and the Ootomo...
Some sort of arrangement must have secured that. But this matter had yet to be verified. Chiaki firmly reminded himself not to lose his composure. Someone called out to him. It was Miike Tetsuya, who had gone to the shop to get some drinks at Chiaki's request.

"Sensei? What's the matter? You look a little pale."

"Ah, hmm. It's nothing."

Tetsuya gave Chiaki a can of coffee as the latter sighed dramatically. The two of them, together with Haruya, then headed to the Aso shrine in order to confirm the location of a "certain object" and spent the entire day investigating. At first, Chiaki had no intention of bringing Tetsuya with them but Tetsuya had so stubbornly insisted on coming along, even if he had to hold on to the back of the car to follow them, that there was no choice but to give in to him. And Haruya had nothing to say about Tetsuya insistence.

The object which Haruya had come to the Aso shrine to verify was the treasure known as the Golden Snake Head.

--That was originally the goshintai of Shimomiya.

The head of the Miike family had explained. In the old days, the artifact was simply known as the goshintai of Shimomiya. But in the 6th year of the Jougan era (864AD), when Mount Aso erupted, it was transferred to the Aso shrine. The Miike archaic papers in which this move was documented were safeguarded by the Miike family as it was classified information forbidden from being published to the outside world. If publicized, these ancient records would most definitely have the same worth as a national treasure. The Miike documents could not be openly read to anyone apart from the reikami of each generation.

This particular record was titled as "Shintai" in the Miike documents. The Shimomiya goshintai's shift to the Aso shrine should be simply recorded as 'a votive offering in the twelfth month of Jougan 6th' in the Aso family's public documents in order to protect the confidentiality of the finer details. After the shift, the Aso clan had decided to name it as the Golden Snake Head to which the Miike family agreed.

However, they now discovered that Haruya - no, the Miike reikami of this generation had been mistaken. The Golden Snake Head was not in the Aso shrine.

--It has been stolen!

Haruya was momentarily pale then immediately understood that this was not the case. As early as 400 years ago, the Golden Snake Head had been moved out of the Aso shrine. And to this day, the Miike family knew very little of this matter.

Interestingly, it was stated in the records that the artifact was offered to the lord of Higo castle 400 years ago, Sasa Narimasa.

This time, Chiaki was startled. He never expected the name Sasa Narimasa to pop up at this juncture. The goshintai of Shimomiya was once in Sasa's possession but after that its whereabouts were unaccounted for. Where was the Golden Snake Head now? They combed through all of the public documents but there was not a single piece of relevant information. In order to determine the whereabouts of the Golden Snake Head, Haruya ultimately decided to meet with the current head of the Aso family.

Apparently, the Miike and the Aso families have had some sort of special and profound affiliation with each other ever since the ancient times.

Haruya only had to inform them that the Miike reikami requested an audience to send members of the Aso family in a flurry to make preparations for the two of them to immediately meet. The current head of the Aso family was also the chief priest of the Aso shrine. The Aso shrine was the first Shinto shrine of Higo and was formerly known as the Kanhei Grand Shrine. The shrine held rituals that honored the legendary 12 gods led by Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto in exchange for the agricultural prosperity of Aso making it a relatively unique place of worship in the country. The Aso family was held in very high regard, so much that they were once considered as nobility. Despite their high standing, it was interesting that the Aso family had a secret relationship with the Miike family whose members were at most village chiefs.

Apparently, this was to be Haruya's first meeting with the current head of the Aso family. That said, it seemed like it was not uncommon for the two families to not meet for several generations. Apart from matters pertaining to the historical documents, there was scarcely any other kind of communication between them. In other words, the Miike reikami would only request for a direct meeting in times of emergency, clearly demonstrating the type of relationship they had. Should there be an actual meeting, any other person (including family members) were barred from the discussion. Additionally, the request for a meeting from any one of the families must be fulfilled by the other and prioritized over all other matters. This was the regulation preserved for the past 1000 years.

Naturally, Chiaki and Tetsuya were not allowed into the discussion. So they waited outside the door for Haruya to come out.

"You... I mean, do the descendants of the Miike know about the Golden Snake Head?" Chiaki asked Tetsuya. Tetsuya shook his head and said that this was the first time he heard about it.

"We have always believed that the current goshintai is the Shintai. I didn't expect it to be at the Aso shrine."

Shintai...?

Perhaps Tetsuya had unconsciously let slip a confidential piece of information for he immediately grasped his mouth. Did he know something about the goshintai?

After about one hour, the discussion ended and Haruya emerged from the door. He looked serious and said he had to return so the three of them went back to the Miike house. After having a late dinner, Haruya called Chiaki into his room, saying that he already knew where the Golden Snake Head was.

"Did the Aso family know about it?"

The Aso and the Miike families were the same in that they had secret files which were not allowed to be made public. Although the Aso family had certain documents that were openly used for academic research, not all of their documents were publicized. The outside world had no knowledge of the existence of one particular file. Its contents, included everything from personal matters to wartime secrets. Suspecting that it might contain information about the Golden Snake Head, Haruya and the Aso family head had the seal on the documents undone at the former's request. Fortunately, the file had all the details of the matter.

"400 years ago, the Aso family presented the Golden Snake Head to Sasa Narimasa as a physical proof of their allegiance. Apparently, Koremitsu, the Aso head at that time, did not know of the proper bequeathment with regard to the Golden Snake Head."

That was during the era of the chaos of war. At that time, it was more impressive-looking for the Aso family to assume the stand of a military general than that a Shinto priest. The shrine had been neglected and the legacy of the Golden Snake Head disappeared amidst the fierce death battles.

"On the surface, it is said that the Golden Snake Head is really the head of the orochi which dwelled in Mount Aso. Another story that was passed down regards it as a deification of the volcanic lava, as one of the heads of the legendary monster, the Yamanato no Orochi."

"Yamanato no Orochi...?"

"Yes. But these legends were created to conceal the truth about the Golden Snake Head, stories fabricated and disseminated by the Aso and the Miike families. The work of their intelligence units no doubt. Only the head of the family in each generation has to be aware of its true legacy."

In the chaos of the warring era, the traditions surrounding the legendary artifact had disappeared. There was no physical record as this information was preserved by verbal means. In fact, it was quite amazing that the relevant information survived the passage of 1000 years despite the fact that it was verbally passed down through such a scarce number of people through the generations. It was also a marvel that the Miike and the Aso still remained bound by this together.

During the warring states era, on behalf of Koremasa, Aso Koretoyo, the Aso high priest of the grand shrine, acquired the allegiance of a uniquely powerful mastermind by the name of Kai Souun, war veterans from everywhere and strength from the alliance with Ootomo Sourin, all of which enabled him to hold back the Shimazu from the south and the power of Hizen's Ryuuzouji. Souun's bravery and fighting skill at the Battle of Higen in particular gave rise to the remark that "the Aso clan has Souun" which had an impact on all in Kyushu island. However, after the consecutive deaths of Souun and Koremasa, the Aso clan went down a path of rapid decline. As the eldest, Koremitsu inherited the position of high priest of the grand shrine but he was merely a three-year-old child at that point. Not long after that, Hideyoshi began his invasion of Kyushu island and by the time Sasa Narimasa entered Higo to protect the Aso clan, the family seemed impoverished and in dire straits.

The reason Narimasa had protected the Aso clan was to win the support of the countrymen. Narimasa believed that his preferential regard of the Aso shrine's high priest, who was such a distinguished person, was a way to show his good will to the people. It was at this point that Koremitsu presented the Golden Snake Head to Narimasa. Perhaps Koremitsu used it to show his gratitude to Narimasa for restorng the old fief of the Aso clan. The family's documents and treasures, including the Golden Snake Head, were hidden in a place called the Otokonari shrine at that time in order to evade the disaster of war. By then, the information regarding the proper bequeathment of the Golden Snake Head was no longer transmitted thus Koremitsu simply gave Narimasa the head of the legendary Yamanato no Orochi as a rare treasure.

"So where has Narimasa stowed away the Golden Snake Head?"

Chiaki stared at Haruya, prompting him to go on.

"Narimasa was very happy and made it the guardian deity of his castle. As he regarded it as a column god, he buried it beneath Kumamoto castle and built a shrine hall to honor it."

"Beneath the castle...!"

The Kumamoto castle Narimasa governed when he was in the Higo province was in Kojou. In other words, it was where Kojou High was located.

Is the Head of the Orochi that Mikuriya and company are looking for the Golden Snake Head?

The Aso family had no later records of this matter. If nothing happened since then, the Golden Snake Head should still be directly under Kojou High. Indeed, Mikuriya Juri - no, Ootomo Sourin was looking for the Golden Snake Head, the former goshintai of Shimomiya. But for what purpose?

"Miike-san, what exactly is the Golden Snake Head? Just what on earth is the goshintai of Shimomiya? If it's not the Yamanato no Orochi, then what is it?"

Haruya hesitated. It was not surprising. Even in the Aso family, the truth about the Golden Snake Head was a secret to all but the current head. Chiaki supposed that he was not going to so readily reveal information and so he changed his question.

"Why did you feel the need to determine where the Golden Snake Head was? Were you considering the possibility that someone might have extracted it? Does the fact that Princess Asara is being targeted have anything to do with this?"

"If one wanted to use the goshintai of Shimomiya to do evil, Asara is a necessity."

"What do you mean?"

Haruya was silent. After a few minutes, he glared at Chiaki with a rather grudging expression but he ultimately came down to a decision and said with great hesitation.

"It seems like you are the only one who can help me. I guess I have no choice. I also need one who is powerful enough to assist me. You can be trusted."

"Are you willing to tell me now?"

"I hope you listen carefully. This is a great secret that the generations of the Aso clan protect with their lives."

Haruya said with a strict expression.

"Previously, I told you that the goshintai placed as an offering in Shimomiya is the onryou of Kihachi who was beheaded by Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto. Shimomiya's goshintai is in fact the head of Kihachi."

"The head of Kihachi? You mean the severed head is the goshintai...!"

"Yes. There is also a goshintai in Shimomiya at present but it is counterfeit. The real one, known as the 'true body' or the Shintai, was moved to Aso shrine a few thousand years ago. Due to its excessive grudge, the form of that severed head has changed to something reminiscent of the head of a snake, which is why it was named the Golden Snake Head. And this name inspired our ancestors to create all sorts of legends. The Yamanato no Orochi was one of them."

"...Why did the true body have to be transferred to the Aso shrine?"

"For the purpose of refuge it is said," Haruya replied indifferently. "Because there emerged a group of people who wanted to use Kihachi's head in a curse that would topple the country. To prevent evil doers from securing the severed head, it was transfered to the Aso shrine."

This was what was written in the Miike records. But in reality...

"In reality, the severed head was confiscated from the Miike family by the Aso family."

"Confiscated? Why?"

"The Miike family was under suspicion. In other words, the plot to topple the nation was not designed by an external party but by the members of the Miike family."

In the sixth year of the Jougan era, the year of the great volcanic eruption of Nakadake, the people believed that the natural disaster was caused by Kihachi's grudge. As the descendants of Mikenu-no-Mikoto, the Miike family had been assigned by the Aso family as supervisors for the volcanic crater since the old days. But this eruption incited a rumor claiming that it was a result of members of the Miike family using Kihachi's head. When they heard this rumor, the Aso family suspected the Miike family of plotting a rebellion, punished their reikami and ordered the head of Kihachi be moved out of Shimomiya.

"So which is the truth? Did the Miike family really not do it?"

"I do not know," Haruya replied. "But if it was really used, it would not have ended with just an eruption."

"You sound like you know what would've really happened."

"Kihachi's head can sink the entire island of Kyushu to the bottom of the sea."

Chiaki was taken aback; his back stiffened.

"This is the information passed down in the Miike family. The Aso family's act of confiscating the head of Kihachi was meant to control the Miike family. Regardless of whether there is any truth to the rumor, the Aso family will retaliate if we dare act blindly without thinking - that was the message of the Aso family. As the descendants of Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto, the Aso family took away the independence of the Miike family, who are the descendants of Mikenu-no-Mikoto, and put us under their supervision."

"Supervision... Why?"

"Because the Miike family are dangerous people. Not because the Miike family are the descendants of Mikenu-no-Mikoto."

Or rather, because the Miike family are the descendants of Asara.

"...What about this Princess Asara? Is Kihachi's head really so dangerous?"

"Kihachi's soul was sealed inside the Shintai and Asara is necessary to release Kihachi. She is the only person who can communicate with Kihachi and the only person who can set Kihachi free. In other words, Asara is the only key that can resurrect Kihachi's onryou."

Furthermore, Asara herself would definitely be born into the Miike family. It was said that one of the members of the Miike family was the reincarnation of Princess Asara.

Hokage had that ability. The strange occurrences that occurred during the Hi-taki no Shinji further emphasized the connection between Hokage and Kihachi. This proved that she was Asara in her previous life.

"So, if someone wants Asara, that would mean someone wants to use Kihachi's head right? And exploit Kihachi's power..."

"I suppose so. There is no other reason I can think of."

"Miike-san, you..." Chiaki's eyes flickered. "It seems like you have a rough idea of who is targeting Asara. You know of someone who wants to use Kihachi to do evil, which is why you have hidden Hokage, am I right?"

No one but the Miike family knew about Asara and the goshintai of Shimomiya. As for the information that Kihachi's soul was sealed in the Shintai, apart from the reikami and a few attendants, no one else should be aware of this matter. Haruya's attendant had passed away seven years ago so Haruya himself ought to be the only one with this knowledge.

"If information was divulged, who could have done it? And where did he get wind of this?"

"I have a hunch," Haruya answered calmly. "If there was one person besides myself who knew about this, it would be my uncle, Katsuya."

"Katsuya?"

Haruya nodded.

"He was my father's younger brother and the older brother of Tetsuya's foster father, Tatsuya. Over 60 years ago, he severed all ties with the Miike family... He took after his mother's family name, Ikeda."

"Ikeda Katsuya..."

"I was told Uncle had rebelled fiercely against the Miike family when he was young. He opposed everyone, including the reikami, broke off all relations and left home as a result. It seemed like when Uncle was young, he felt restricted by the stringent rules and traditions that have practiced since the ancient times. I heard that at one point, Uncle had even been influenced by the socialist movement and joined an underground communist party of some sort. Then the war broke out and I have no idea what happened during that period. After the war ended, Uncle established his own religion and called it the Fire sect."

"!" Chiaki thought he had heard wrong. "The Fire sect!"

"Yes. A new religion which regards Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto as its main deity. But that is just what you see on the surface, the one they worship is... the goshintai of Fire. And that is..." Haruya's eyes grew sharp. "Kihachi-houshi. That is, the one that we, the Miike family, worship as Kihachi-sama."

"What... did you say?"

"But Kihachi is treated as a secret deity so I am not sure how much of the truth has been revealed to the ordinary follower. Perhaps the members of the Fire sect are similar to those underground Catholics in their final years where nearly all of their followers worshipped an idol they never fully understood. But Uncle had one primary ambition, which was his sole motivation for setting up the Fire sect."

"Ambition? What, to use Kihachi to rule the country?"

"The Fire sect could be considered as a branching religious organization of the Miike."

"...."

"But Uncle's motive, if my guess is not wrong... I suppose they, meaning the people who are operating for the sake Kihachi, ought to be known as the 'purer Miike.'"

"And this... so-called purer Miike is?"

Haruya was silent. It seemed like he could not go on any further. Right at the moment when just a little more information could have allowed him to seize the crux of situation, Haruya said no more. Chiaki spoke in a low voice.

"I get it. Speaking of the Fire sect, a few days ago, several of their young followers went missing. Moreover, Ikeda Katsuya died not long before those incidents happened. Do you think this has anything to do with the letter of threat?"

"It is not possible for them to be related," Haruya replied indifferently. "I fear those young followers may have decided to act to fulfill Uncle's will now that he is dead."

"They want to undo the seal on Kihachi's head?"

"Correct."

"For what purpose?"

Haruya was silent again. Whenever this question was raised, Haruya would not reply. It seemed like this was a serious situation. Chiaki changed the question again.

"Do you know that the followers who went missing have the ability to fly? Do you know how that's possible?"

"I know of an incantation that creates this sort of ability."

"Oh?"

"It is called the 'bird technique,' an extremely confidential incantation handed down through the generations of reikami of the Miike family. To be more accurate, it is more of a technique based on the awakening of a latent ability rather than something that is created. The incantation is such that it generates a response in those who have the same type of blood as Asara did. The purer the blood, the greater the chance of having such a reaction. The Miike family have numerous types of incantations that can awaken hidden abilities in Asara's blood as well as crystalize Aso's lava, which is said to possess divine might."

He was referring to the luminous flame stone, the object which the followers of the Fire sect used.

"However to implement these incantations, one would need the blessed goshinka of the Miike family."

"If that's the case..." Chiaki leaned forward. "Did Ikeda Tatsuya rob the Miike family of their holy fire and the secrets that only the reikami ought to know of? Did he steal it from you?"

"Not from me."

Haruya had a pained expression on his face.

"It was... from my younger brother."

"Your younger brother?"

"I was not the reikami in the beginning, my younger brother was."

Haruya's younger brother was Miike Hideya. Tetsuya's father.

"Hideya-san passed away when Tetsuya was really young..."

"Yes. My younger brother had a sudden death nine years ago. At that time, I was living in Tokyo and was abruptly called back to succeed him as the new reikami."

Haruya had become rather gloomy.

"The cause of death for my younger brother was reported as an accident for the official statement. However, the truth was that his death was very suspicious."

"His death was suspicious? Could it be that...!"

"There is high possibility that he was murdered."

Chiaki gasped.

"Don't tell me Ikeda Tatsuya..."

All of a sudden, Haruya sensed the presence of another and looked up with a sharp eye. Chiaki remained silent. After scrutinizing the surrounding atmosphere for while, Haruya stated loudly,

"Tetsuya, if you are there, come in."

The beige door opened and Tetsuya entered the room. His face was very pale. It seemed like he had overheard the entire conversation. But Haruya was rather calm.

"Tetsuya, I told you to return. Why are you still here?"

Tetsuya looked at Haruya with dismay.

"I have already told you, we will deal with this matter from here onwards. There is no need for you to continue to involve yourself. Go back. Are you going to disobey an order from the reikami?"

Tetsuya's shoulders trembled with hesitation.

"I will not... just let things go on as they are."

He did everything in his power to force his voice out of his throat.

"Hokage is not your thing! I won't let you Miike do as you please! Never!"

Tetsuya shouted in an explosive manner and ran out of the room. Chiaki's face reflected this troubled turn of events but Haruya had a calm expression from start to finish as he observed Tetsuya.

"Tetsuya is very much like how I used to be," Haruya noted unexpectedly.

"Miike-san."

"I was exactly like that when I was young. I rebelled against the wishes of the family, refused to be the reikami, left home and went to Tokyo. If my younger brother had not died, I probably would never have set foot through that entrance for the rest of my life."

Naturally, Tetsuya should have inherited the position of reikami after his father but as he was too young, his relatives summoned Haruya back from Tokyo. If not for the mysterious circumstances surrounding his younger brother's death, Haruya would have never responded.

"Uncle Katsuya was the same as I was. But why would he want to establish a religion similar with that of the Miike family which he rebelled against?"

What change of heart did he have during the Choukaku battle?

"We shall go to Hokage," Haruya decided. "Even if the other party has the head of Kihachi, there is nothing they can do without Asara. We should go to Asara's side."

Haruya said to Chiaki, "Please assist me."

Was he talking about protecting Asara? Or was he talking about not handing Asara over? Whatever it was, they had to go to where Hokage was.

"Where is Hokage now?"

Hearing Chiaki's question, Haruya clearly replied.

"Takachiho. Hokage is now at Takachiho."

***

It was now late night. The drizzle of snow which was initially mingled with rain water had changed to pure snowfall. The road among the mountains was impossible to navigate by car because of the snow, especially when their vehicle had no tire chains. Going by the map, the national highway 325 had a shortcut that ran from Aso directly to Takachiho but that road was narrow and had too many bends thus it seemed like the faster alternative was to set off from the 265 line towards Soyoumachi. The roads on the 265 line were much wider, making it an easier drive.

The city of Takachiho in the Miyazaki prefecture was famous as it was the place where the grandson of the sun goddess descended to earth in Japanese mythology.

Additionally, Takachiho also had its own Kihachi myth, the story of how Kihachi was expelled by Mikenu-no-Mikoto, which was slightly different from the Aso version. Of course, this was also important to the Miike family who were the descendants of Mikenu-no-Mikoto. Takachiho's reputation rested on the legendary Ama-no-Iwato shrine, the most important of the several ancient shrines in the area. Among them was also the Takachiho shrine where rituals were performed for Mikenu-no-Mikoto.

"Is Takachiho's Kihachi the same as Aso's Kihachi? Or are they two different beings?"

"Are they the same... I suppose they can be considered to be the same."

"?"

"Although Kihachi was a person who really existed, in the legends, he is often treated as a symbol for a functional object. He is often regarded as the personification of an object."

"So Kihachi symbolizes a kind of object?"

"You can think of it in that way."

Chiaki looked at Haruya in surprise via the rearview mirror.

Could it be that...

Some kind of possibility had come to his mind about this mythical Kihachi whose existence lingered in the periphery of Aso. The words "personification" and "symbol" appeared to lead Chiaki one step closer to deciphering the true identity of Kihachi, who was banished by either Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto or Mikenu-no-Mikoto in the legends.

Could it be that this so-called Kihachi thing is...

Their car entered Takachiho city. Chiaki drove on according to the directions given by Haruya and before he knew it he had come to the upper region of the Takachiho ravine. This place was lined by a towering rock valley. The Ama-no-Iwato shrine in the short distance was considered to be the legendary "Heavenly Rock Cave" where Amaterasu was sealed in as a goshintai. As prayers were carried out on the opposite bank of the mass of water, there was no main shrine but a strangely-shaped temple. The place was like a page straight out of the annals of Japanese mythology brought into actual existence on this stretch of land. Asara - namely, Hokage, had been concealed here for a year.

"Takachiho can be regarded as the place of our origin. There are still families here with deep ties to the Miike family that date back to the ancient times. Hokage was left under their care."

"So you hid her to prevent the followers of the Fire sect from laying their hands on her?"

"We noticed that ever since the Hi-taki no Shinji, Asara's power in Hokage has continuously increased."

Haruya explained. He was behind the driver's seat in the vehicle.

"As a fire shrine maiden, Asara has special abilities. Hokage became aware of her capacity as a shrine maiden ever since the first Hi-taki no Shinji where she received a 'response' from Kihachi-sama. Her ability was so strong that we decided a year ago to hide her in an uninhabited place."

"So that Ikeda Katsuya wouldn't know, right?"

"..."

Tetsuya was listening to their conversation with a terrified expression.

"It is as you say."

"Was he the one who sent the letter of threat?" Tetsuya prudently asked. "Sensei, do you also think he's the culprit?"

"No idea... Well we don't know if he was the direct culprit."

To say the least, the Fire sect was the one who had leaked the secret.
From knowing that Shimozura Rairyuu had kidnapped Inaba Akemi, the testimonies of multiple eyewitnesses (that the one who had attacked Takaya also took away Akemi) and the information from Kaizaki Makoto (that the one who had attacked Takaya was Shimozura Rairyuu), he could now understand the situation better. The Ikkoushuu have joined forces with the Fire sect and were responsible for attacking Takaya. But it was strange that the people who had stopped Rairyuu were also from the Fire sect. Was there some unresolved internal strife between them?

Chiaki also knew that being a part of the anti-Oda alliance, the Ikkoushuu and Akechi Mitsuhide were allies, and Mitsuhide was affiliated with the Shimazu. The Shimazu were enemies of the Ootomo. The people at Kojou high were the Ootomo.

He did not know if the Fire sect had learned of the whereabouts of the Golden Snake Head. Even Haruya could not figure out that the Golden Snake Head was under Kojou High without depending on the secret documents of the Aso family.

Then how did the Ootomo learn about the Golden Snake Head? He had heard that an Aso lord (either Koretoyo, Koremasa or Koremitsu) who was resurrected as an onshou had offered himself to the Ootomo. This could explain how the Ootomo knew about it. If that was the case, the Ootomo were probably unaware that the Golden Snake Head was the head of Kihachi, much less the fact that Asara was required for it to be useful.
Although both parties were after the same object, each side was still missing one important piece of information. The situation was better than he anticipated.

"Basically, we have to first rescue Inaba. Can't let her kidnappers have that satisfaction of victory."

"Sensei, who are you really?" Tetsuya hissed in a threatening manner. "Who are you to ask so much information from the reikami? I still find you really suspicious. First Ougi and then all that complicated crap, all I know is that the moment you came here, things just got worse."

Oh dear...

Tetsuya was now attacking him, startling Chiaki a little.

"Before poking into other people's affairs, first state your own true identity! Why did you infiltrate this school!"

"Be quiet, Tetsuya."

Haruya silenced him. Tetsuya was shocked and his back stiffened.

"If you are only going to be a noisy hindrance, you should return. If you want to see Hokage, just follow along quietly."

"Uncle..."

"You are not allowed to talk back. And you are not allowed to give your teacher trouble."

Tetsuya could not disobey Haruya despite his rebellious attitude. Haruya's sternness was probably part of his dignity as the reikami though he was still needlessly cold towards Tetsuya.

--Tetsuya's father might have been murdered by Ikeda Katsuya...

This had always been kept as a secret from Tetsuya and Hokage. Were the Miike family members cold to Tetsuya in order to preserve this secret or was it that they considered this topic taboo? Or perhaps it was another way of showing sympathy?

"There is an alley in front of the building to your right, we can alight there. Drive until you see the torii."

Chiaki stopped the vehicle at where Haruya instructed. They had to walk from here on. The three of them held one large torchlight each and got out of the car.

"Follow me."

Haruya said to them, walking towards the mountain path that led through the dense, green forest. Chiaki and Tetsuya followed behind closely.

They had to walk quite a distance. The mountain path had not the slightest bit of lighting. Even if one was not likely to get lost because it was one-way, this path was really not the easiest to navigate at midnight. After walking a little further, they finally saw a faint light ahead. It came from a house. It was an ancient wooden dwelling that stood rather lonesomely in a wide space. There were two sections altogether and the smaller section was an ancient shrine.

"This is... Shimomiya," Tetsuya whispered when he saw the horizontal board hung in front. "Why is there a frost shrine in this place?"

Haruya walked towards the house. A middle-aged woman came out. She had probably received word prior to their arrival. She addressed Haruya as "reikami" and respectfully told him that they had been waiting for them. Then she noticed Tetsuya.

"This is my nephew, Tetsuya. My younger brother's son."

"Younger brother... then he is Hideya-sama's...!"

The woman bowed towards Tetsuya in a deferential manner. Perhaps this gesture conveyed her condolences. Haruya addressed the woman as "family guardian."

"Where is Asara now?"

"She has headed up to perform the mikagura."

Haruya muttered, "Really." He glanced upwards then lowered his voice.

"Has it been made ready?"

"I have sent word to fetch it. When the resident sect guardian returns from the mountains, it will be ready."

"I understand," replied Haruya before urging the others up the path into the shrine. Chiaki and Tetsuya followed him. After about ten minutes of walking, they heard the ring of a bell from the darkness.

"That sound..."

That was the sound of the bell often used in a shrine maiden dance. Before long, a faint radiance appeared in front of them.

It was a cave. There was a great opening into a cavern at the side of the mountain and the radiance came directly from the lights inside the cave. Haruya went in. The light from the burning candles they were holding threw their shadows against the surface of the rock as huge inverted shapes.

When they reached the innermost section, Chiaki's and Tetsuya's eyes widened. A shrine maiden, dressed in complete white, was dancing alone in front of an altar.
The clear rings of the bell echoed throughout the entire cave.
She was a beautiful maiden.
There was an air about her that made one felt like she was not from this world, that her entranced eyes were gazing at some faraway object. Her figure was illuminated with a swaying blaze, making her even more mysterious.

The shrine maiden would not notice them until the dance ended. So the three of them watched her until she finished her dance. Chiaki could not help but be enthralled by her and Tetsuya stood rooted to the ground with his mouth agape.
Before long, the shrine maiden ended her night dance. It was said that every night she would come to this place and dance. The shrine maiden calmly turned around to look at them. Not a single strand of her lustrous, fine black hair was out of place after the dance.

Tetsuya called her name in a hoarse voice.

"Hokage..."

Suddenly, the shrine maiden's expression changed. Chiaki was completely surprised by this. It seemed like her mask was taken off within that few seconds, changing her face as she recovered from her entranced state. She was now merely an ordinary girl standing there. Hokage saw the three of them and was alarmed.

"Tetsu... Why are you here!"

Then she realized Haruya's presence and addressed him as "reikami" in a small voice. But that cute face gradually contorted as tears streamed out of her eyes.

"R-Reikami, please save me!"

Hokage cried out like a child. Chiaki saw that a deep sadness was etched on Haruya's face.

"Please save me...! I'm already at my limit! I.. I... If I go on like this, I will be consumed by Asara!"

Tetsuya stared at her in shock.

"Hokage--..."

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.

Book 17 Chapter 19 凍える神のもとへ

2010-03-21T18:31:00.009+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes: 体舍流 Taisha ryuu
PS: do not distribute this without permission

The darkness of night in Aso seemed to have the unusual ability to warp every spirit. Murderous intent and desperate prayers surged through fervidly like hot lava, slowly smothering the great earth of deep winter. The snow had disappeared unnoticed.

Kaizaki Makoto ran through the dark forest. The water snake was still operative; it was his guide to Takaya's whereabouts. The water snake vigorously twisted and turned its body of fresh water as it flew ahead, followed closely by Kaizaki. Although his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he still could not see very far ahead and had stumbled over the roots of the trees several times.

He will not believe it.

Kaizaki had no confidence in his assertion.
Their time of honesty had stopped on that day two years ago, the moment the bullet went through Naoe's chest. Thereafter, as a result of the words and mannerisms of a 'fake,' Takaya believed Naoe's abandonment to be a lost of his attachment to Kagetora. Takaya had no evidence to overturn this belief.

For the past two years, Naoe could not convey 'his own' predicament to him. Although they had spoken on that one night at Chigasaki, outside the closed doors of Kumamoto castle, he did not believe that their meeting then was significant enough to counter Kousaka's slander. All Kaizaki could convey to Takaya were vague and powerless words, nothing more. No matter what he said, all of it was the mere words of a total stranger known as Kaizaki Makoto. He knew this himself; in Takaya's eyes, Kaizaki Makoto was just a mysterious man in the guise of a herald who bewitched others with unfathomable words.

Naoe had assumed the identity of Kaizaki in order to complete a mission and a necessity. If he could irresponsibly rid himself of what he had been entrusted with, the situation would be much simpler. However, he could not do that. This was how Naoe and Kagetora had lived for the past 400 years. But Naoe did not wish to use this as an excuse. He was always one to seize the situation from the best vantage point; he always took active measures.

Yet Naoe still felt that he had been careless. The Anti-Oda alliance was serious about roping in Kagetora and they were not about to give up despite failing to do so at Hagi. Within a short space of time, the might of the Oda had increased tremendously, furthermore his own movements had been discovered by the Takeda. There was no way the high-ranking officers of the Anti-Oda alliance were going to regard this as a matter of little crisis. If Naoe could manage this situation, he should be able to prevent a disaster from happening. He had experienced a bad premonition when he saw Takaya and Chiaki at Kojou High but regardless of his regrets, it was too late now.

I should have made both of them leave Kumamoto, by force if necessary.

Betrayed by Naoe--
It was not surprising that Takaya believed this. Two years ago, he had abused Takaya with his words and actions of exhaustion and self-abandon. With his failing powers and sight, all that was visible then had been the end. Naoe had confessed that he 'wanted this to end,' and Takaya had heard it.

As Kaizaki Makoto, he could not connect with Takaya. Regardless of what he said, Takaya would not consider it as Naoe's words, instead he would be confused by it or merely regard it as a temporary consolation.

No matter how much the imposters struggle, neither could convey anything to the other party.

Kagetora and Naoe were not even standing on the same earth at this moment. If he had his own physical body instead of Kaizaki Makoto's appearance - if he could communicate with him as the true Naoe Nobutsuna, Takaya would then awaken from the 'nightmare' he had created, return to the reality of the world and their genuine connection would end the long frozen period of time between them. However, everything had yet to start. Time for both of them remained as still as before and this stagnancy had a disquieting effect. If this continued, they would eventually drown in a swamp of falsehood, marred by confusion until death came from suffocation. Their ability to break away depended on the strength of their own resolve.

They were in the process of refining that resolve.
In short, Naoe had to hurry to Takaya's side. Although he was not convinced that Takaya had allied himself the Takeda as Kousaka had indicated, he could not just leave him to the enemy. Naoe had to act to prevent Takaya from being exploited. That was the truth. But there was an even more important reason in Naoe's heart. A reason only he and Irobe knew.

Kagetora-sama...!

Naoe continued into the forest. As the night deepened, the temperatures began to drop substantially. He was very worried about Takaya's body.

Fuuma Kotarou was currently 'Naoe' to Takaya. If Kotarou was part of the Anti-Oda alliance, he should be Kousaka's ally. He ought to have abandoned his hyouza by now. But even if Naoe did find Takaya, considering his current appearance, how was he to explain himself to him? This would go beyond Takaya's expectations. Furthermore, even if Takaya were to find out that Kousaka's words were lies, he would still learn of Naoe's position one day - the fact that he had become the general of the new Uesugi. What was he to do then?

Nevertheless, future matters were of no concern to him right now, Takaya's safety was his first priority.

Takaya-san...

Naoe ran nonstop, breathing heavily. His black hair was in a mess and his overcoat was stained with mud. He descended a slope, brushing aside the branches as he proceeded.

Please be safe.

Suddenly, the water snake jolted back sensing an unusual scent. Naoe also perceived the smell of blood. Something was approaching from the darkness. He saw a figure of a man emerging from the depths of the beech woods. Naoe raised his guard. The man appeared somewhat strange however. Was he injured? Despite moving steadily one step at a time, he was trembling and breathing strenuously in his slow approach. He was covered in blood from head to toe, so much that it made one think of him as an injured beast. His entire body emanated a strong aura of death. Naoe gathered his reserve energy but once the other man's face came into clear view, he gasped in shock.

"You..."

The one dragging his blood-stained body along was Fuuma Kotarou. It was a tragic sight. He was bleeding most severely from his right wrist and his hand was notably missing. Judging from the measures taken on his elbow to stop the bleeding, had his right hand been severed? Kotarou's black hair was in a tangled mess, his face a ghostly ashen hue due to the loss of blood. However his eyes were flaming, glistening with an exceptional radiance. He must have an astounding amount of steadfastness to not collapse despite sustaining such heavy injuries. Kotarou had reached this place after cutting down the Shimazu soldiers till not one remained alive.

Naoe momentarily forgot to make his presence known. He had never seen Kotarou with such an astonishing air around him. Kotarou suddenly widened his eyes, sensing Naoe's presence.

The enemy...!

Kotarou prepared himself. Before him stood Naoe, the alleged descendant of the Kaizaki. Naoe only looked startled.

"Why are you---..."

There was no immediate response in Kotarou's brain. He did not recognize the other as Kaizaki. Only by reflex action did he grip the Arashizanmaru again in his left hand, bellowing in a voice full of savage spirit.

"Are you... another one of the Shimazu's soldiers...!"

Kotarou glared at him with ferocious eyes, veiled by a blood-sodden fringe, like a wild dog.

"Step aside! If you dare hinder me, I will kill you as well!"

Naoe stared at him. "Did you say... Shimazu?"

When he heard the question, Kotarou's eyebrows twitched and his vision seemed to sharpen unexpectedly. Then he saw the man in front of him clearly. He had seen him before.

"You are..."

Kotarou remembered. Although they had never met face to face, Kotarou remembered his appearance from the photo. He was Kaizaki Makoto, a descendant of the Satomi, Yoshitaka's valuable assistant and the man who helped to implement the 'Way to the Underworld.' He had also heard from Takaya that Kaizaki had come to Kumamoto and was working together with the Ootomo. He was the man whose thoughts and feelings were indecipherable. He was the one who had allowed Takaya to escape in Chigasaki and the one with a style of handwriting extremely similar to Naoe's. Ever since then, Kaizaki always had a strange effect on Takaya.

"Did you fight against the Shimazu?" Kaizaki asked. "Are your wounds a result of that fight? What are you doing here? Telling me not to hinder you... Where do you intend to go?"

Kotarou did not reply, he looked at Kaizaki with renewed caution. Naoe came to a sudden realization and pressed on with his questions.

"When you said the Shimazu, are you referring to the soldiers of Takamori castle? They should have joined the Anti-Oda alliance, Kotarou, you should be their ally. Why would you fight against the Shimazu?"

Wh..at..!

Hearing the way Kaizaki articulated his lines, Kotarou had an unusual reaction. These words touched Kotarou's ears in a curious way.
This was definitely the first time Kotarou heard Kaizaki speak but he soon understood the reason for this bizarre feeling. Kaizaki's eloquence was exceedingly similar to the manner of speaking he was striving to imitate. No, what he had just heard was exactly identical to the verbal mannerisms he had wholeheartedly tried to achieve all this while by racking his brains for the answer. Kotarou was startled and could not help but doubt his ears. It was not just his manner of speaking, that unique way of wrinkling his brows when he questioned him...

"Where have you taken Takaya-san?"

"...!"

"You have colluded with Kousaka and deceived him right. You people are truly despicable to go so far as to take advantage of his self-hypnotism. However, he will never return to the Hojo even if you mislead him!"

Kotarou found it unbelievable. No, he felt, "How could this stupid matter be so," and could not stop shaking his head. It seemed like Kaizaki took this to mean something else.

"You are aware of this, aren't you? It is not possible for you to have been uninformed of the Takeda's strategy. Where is Kagetora-sama? No, going by your appearance, you probably didn't see him. Who took him away?"

That is... right...

Kotarou was stunned.

This is Naoe!

This was the Naoe Nobutsuna who should have died. His gestures, speaking tone, facial expressions... Kotarou knew them. He was a ninja among ninjas and one who who had made his mark in history with the ability to familiarize himself with the most minute details of a person's character. Additionally, he possessed the rare skill of perfect imitation. His eyes could see through everything, leaving nothing to be desired. The person Kotarou had spared no effort in his desperate attempt to become was now standing before him. In his ears, the man's speaking pattern was a close and perfect match with his target ideal. Indeed, apart from this, there was nothing more that he could want...!

"Naoe... Nobutsuna...!"

Upon hearing the other shout this name, the man widened his eyes in shock.

"You are still alive? Were you not purified...!"

Naoe was stunned that he had managed to figure this out. In Kousaka's case, he had spiritual examination abilities that gave him a perceptive advantage but Kotarou should not have been able to see through it. Kotarou certainly did not have the ability to determine the presence of a spiritual synchronization but rather than going by intuition he had used the exceptional acuteness of his five senses to discern this. As the top ninja in the country, his eyes and ears, physically trained to their maximum potential, had completely seen through Naoe.

A ninja's eyes...

Naoe felt cold sweat run down his back. The so-called ninja was in reality a terrifying race of people. Naoe believed he was up against such a person; he felt fear of Kotarou. But Kotarou's expression was even more unusual than before. He had turned pale and stiffened after calling out Naoe's name. He was in enormous shock.

"Why are you... still alive---..." His voice was shaking. "You should have been purified! You should no longer be on this earth! Why, why are you now...!"

Kotarou could not restrain the intense emotions boiling up in his chest. Eventually, he yelled with a contortion of emotions on his face,

"Why are you in this place---!"

Whose voice is this....!

A man in the depths of the forest heard this yelling. Kikkawa Motoharu had come from the wreckage of the cabins destroyed by the eruptions of volcanic gas to this place in his pursuit of Takaya.

Who is over there...!

Motoharu ran ahead. He had not found Takaya or Kiyomasa. The Birds of the Fire sect sent after them had been obstructed by Kiyomasa who had apparently engaged them in decisive combat but Motoharu had no information as to the result of that confrontation. Motoharu had continued to chase after Takaya who had taken that opportunity to escape on his own.

He did not know where Takaya was. In order to find him, Motoharu had wandered in the woods for more than an hour. However Aso's forest was too vast; he could not find any trails whatsoever.

That was when Motoharu heard Kotarou's voice.
He sensed some kind of dangerous atmosphere and as a precaution, he took out the pistol he carried and sprinted towards the origin of the shouts. He clambered up a slope, made slippery by the frost, moved the shrubs aside and came to a somewhat open space. And there Motoharu saw it - the confrontation between the two men.

That is...!

Wasn't that Fuuma Kotarou? Motoharu remembered. Although he no longer had that long bundle of hair running down his back, he was indeed Kotarou. But he had never seen the other man before.
Motoharu found Kotarou's presence in this place strange. What exactly happened which resulted in his many bodily injuries? Wasn't he supposed to be collaborating with Rairen of the Ikkoushuu? And who was the other man?

Right...! Kotarou is the one Kagetora sees as 'Naoe.'

Rairen had already been informed of Kousaka's plan. Of all places, Kotarou was the one man who should not be here at all.

Kotarou's face was pale, his jaw was trembling slightly as he stared intently at the other man - Kaizaki. Kaizaki - Naoe did not refute Kotarou's words but maintained his silence.

"Why do you have that appearance..." Kotarou asked in a restrained voice. "You are Kaizaki Makoto... What is your intention? Why did you not immediately reveal your true identity? In addition to hiding your identity, why are you using that false name, Naoe Nobutsuna!"

Naoe...!

Motoharu did not hear wrong.

Did he just say Naoe Nobutsuna!

"When did you start using this false guise? All of the Yashashuu do not know that you still live, what is the meaning of this!"

Naoe was silent. Kotarou suddenly felt bewildered as his extremely sharp mind had already analyzed the significance of Naoe's pretense as Kaizaki Makoto. Naoe only looked at Kotarou with bitterness. Motoharu held his breath as he listened to their conversation in the shade of the forest.

Could he be...

Motoharu widened his eyes as he looked at the man in the black overcoat.

Could he be Naoe? But wasn't he purified...!

Was Naoe still on this earth!

"Answer me, Naoe Nobutsuna!" Kotarou shouted in a hoarse voice.

Naoe wanted to feign calmness but the veins near his temples had become more pronounced, giving himself away. He felt that he could not hide himself from this man and steeled his nerve.

"I can ask the same of you. You wish to find Kagetora-sama, right? What do you intend to do?"

"Save him."

"Save him?"

Motoharu thought he had heard him wrongly. He shifted his attention to Kotarou in shock. Kotarou replied with a look of extreme distress.

"This is as it should be. I am his right-hand man, isn't it only natural that I should rescue him from being held captive by the enemy?"

Kotarou...!

Motoharu was startled. Did this mean Kotarou had betrayed them? What on earth was he planning to do? Was Kotarou still an ally...!
Naoe was speechless as well, immediately taken aback as he shared Motoharu's thoughts.

"I will never betray Kagetora-sama. I did no such thing, that is why I cannot quietly allow things to stand. I am 'Naoe.' He is waiting for me. It is only natural that I go save him, I will never betray him to the enemy!"

What is wrong with this man?

Naoe was astounded. Kotarou was showing an expression which Naoe had never seen before, a face which looked at Naoe with a deep feeling of regret. He continued,

"That's right, that is the expression..."

Kotarou had always been seeking for that expression. Yet why did Naoe express it so perfectly? Because Naoe was Naoe himself so this was a logical outcome. But Kotarou was extremely unwilling to resign himself to defeat, perhaps an indication of Kotarou's excellent diligence. Seeing how Naoe could so effortlessly, so perfectly and so properly express that which he had been seeking, Kotarou strangely felt envious of him. That was how it was. Kotarou thought, squinting his eyes painfully.

And in this way... you have surpassed me.

Kotarou admitted to himself that he had developed an inferiority complex to Naoe. His facial expression was very serene, a complete opposite to the agitation in his heart.

"I know this because I have been thinking about your character for the past two years. You wish to go to him as well right? That is why you are here in this secluded place in the mountains. However, Naoe, I cannot let you go. Because I have seen you."

Kotarou said, smiling all of a sudden.

"Because he is waiting for me. The only one who can put him at ease is the Naoe that I am. Even if you go, it will not be of any use. If I do not go, he will die."

Noting Naoe's stiffening expression, Kotarou felt a little superior. Although he loathed himself for behaving in this way, his lips could not stop.

"Do you understand? Naoe. You are not needed anymore, no longer of any use. I have been with Kagetora-sama for the past two years and he has been satisfied with me. Contrary to your expectations, Kagetora-sama has never yearned for you."

"Wha...!"

"Because I am Naoe, that is why it is enough. Or should I say, it is better that you are not Naoe. I have understood how to put him at ease. The Naoe that I am would never betray Kagetora-sama...!"

This man...!

Naoe's face had completely stiffened as Kotarou had discerned Kenshin's part in this matter.

"If I were you, I would never have left Kagetora-sama. He does not hope for such a thing thus I will never leave him. If I had to choose between Kenshin and Kagetora-sama, I will definitely choose Kagetora-sama. This is how 'Naoe' should be!"

Naoe could not say anything and so Kotarou relentlessly continued.

"Since the real one has chosen Kenshin, it does not mean I am not 'Naoe,' it means that you are no longer 'Naoe!'"

"!"

"There is no need for two 'Naoes.'" Kotarou declared in a low voice, raising his spiritual dagger in front of him. "Let me eliminate the fake."

"!"

Kotarou was one step faster than he had anticipated. The moment he finished speaking, he leaped forward to attack Naoe with an unexpected amount of remaining energy. Grasping the Arashizanmaru in his left hand, Kotarou struck at Naoe.

"Harrghh!"

Sparks broke out like friction between two metals. Naoe's Goshinha had warded off Kotarou's blow. Kotarou fell backwards as a result of the repelling force; Naoe too was thrown back against a tree from the impact.

"This time I will see that you die, Naoe!" Kotarou shouted as he stood up. "I will kill you!"

A murderous aura radiated from Kotarou's entire body as he charged towards him. Naoe bit his tongue in agitation; he could not allow himself to be killed in this place. The battle between the two 'Naoes' unfolded before Motoharu's eyes.

"Ohhh!"

Kotarou roared like a wolf and attacked. Naoe accumulated a mass of incantations and unleashed them all at once. Sparks from their violent interchange of strikes crackled in the air, leaving sharp scratches on the nearby roots of the trees. Naoe set one incantation on his right arm, creating a shield. However, Kotarou's attacks were simply incredible. He slashed at Naoe mercilessly, the might of his spiritual dagger much greater than before, having absorbed the blood of the Shimazu. Naoe's incantation shield burst and his skin was lacerated. That weapon moved like a sickle.

"Ch!"

As blood spurted out, Naoe retreated several paces, unable to withstand his attack.

So strong...!

"You are no longer Naoe!"

Devilish in his violent and savage intent, Kotarou growled in a hoarse voice.

"A person like you should just disappear again!"

His spiritual dagger whirred, extending to the length of a broadsword as it was thrust at Naoe with amazing force. Despite recreating his shield to parry the blow, it was instantly reduced to dust by the sheer power of the sword...!

What you said was wrong!

Naoe gritted his teeth and fought bravely. What Kagetora sought for was not a 'Naoe catered to one's own fancies.' Even if Kagetora harbored this sentiment, there was no doubt that he had endured Naoe's scream behind him; what he was waiting for should be 'Naoe's truth.' Naoe deeply believed this was so. With eyes that had commanded him to 'cry out,' the object of Kagetora's unceasing pursuit existed only in Naoe's bosom, that was all there is to it...!

Don't be mistaken!

Like the crash of a ferocious wave, Naoe bellowed.

"The one who should disappear is you, you fake...!"

There was a flash in Naoe's hand and a sword appeared. This spiritual sword, acknowledged as the 'Murasame' by Kaizaki, emanated a radiance similar to the blade of Bishamonten. Naoe immediately steadied the Murasame and slashed at Kotarou!

"Ohhh---!"

In an instant, an intense light covered the forest as though night had turned to day. The blades of the Murasame and Arashizanmaru had clashed against each other. The point of their contact provoked a violent whirlwind but neither Kotarou nor Naoe backed down from the furor. Locked in position with their teeth clenched, they pushed their arm guard against each other in a contest of strength, eyes boring into their opponent at a close distance. A tremendous amount of energy ran through the earth; the trees were moaning from the excessive exchange of power so much that even the water snake was drawn into the fray, disappearing into the chaos.

Motoharu also had to shield his body as he desperately tried to keep the situation between the two men in view despite the glare of the radiance. A ferocious energy enveloped the surroundings with a thundering roar.

"It would be best if you were no longer here! I will not let you go to Saburou-dono! The one who deserves to die is you, Naoe--!"

Kotarou yelled as though he wanted to tear his soul apart.

"You must never come back--!!!"

"!"

Naoe felt a certain fracture in his chest, an extreme pain momentarily ran through his entire body. Kotarou's fierce spirit had crushed Kaizaki's ribs...!

"Ch..Ah..!"

Kotarou seized this opportunity to deal the final blow but Naoe reflexively defended himself with an incantation at the moment of Kotarou's sudden approach. Kotarou pushed Naoe away almost as soon as the skin on the former's forehead split open, resulting in a spray of blood. Naoe tumbled over, hands outstretched to break his fall.

"Urg...Ah...!"

He was coughing up huge lumps of blood. It was at this moment that Naoe realized that something was different.

The synchronization...

The spiritual synchronization had been perturbed. He could not freely use his powers. Why did this problem crop up at such a time? No, someone must have disrupted it. But who? His four limbs were shaking. At this rate, he would not be able to move his body...!

Is it Kousaka!

"Die---!"

Naoe heard Kotarou's angry cry for the need to kill and despite trying to look back he could not even budge. His eyes remained fixed in that direction; everything was about to end here. The sword shrieked as it entered the flesh. Not a single groan could be heard as the weapon sliced through his abdomen. There was only the crude sound of his inner organs being dragged along with the blade before the sword was pulled out. The copious amount of blood released began to soak the ground.

"Urgh..."

A moan came from the depths of his throat before Kaizaki Makoto's physical body collapsed, never to stand again. Kotarou's shoulders were heaving up and down intensely, his widened eyes looking down at the defeated man.

Ignorantly.

Is it over...

"..."

Motoharu had witnessed the entirety of this duel to the death. His gaze slowly shifted from the man lying in a pool of blood to the victor, Kotarou. Black, disheveled hair covered his face, which was stained with dried patches of darkened blood.
Kotarou gazed at the dead man with hollow eyes.
He had killed Naoe Nobutsuna.
Suddenly his vision began to spin due to his own loss of blood but Kotarou forced himself to remain standing. He turned towards the depths of the forest with a blurred consciousness and stood there for a long time, seemingly without aim, still firmly grasping onto his sword in his left hand.
Motoharu did not move from the thicket as he observed Kotarou's every action.

I must go... Kotarou thought, slowly turning his body, as though he was being called by some unseen person. He took one step forward.

Kagetora-sama...

Please call my name...Call that one name which represents your acceptance of me.
Kotarou had never been one to believe in divinity but his current state of mind was almost religious in the way he thought of Kagetora.
Kotarou moved forward, step by step.
Towards Kagetora...

The gentle breeze paused quietly in the forest.
Motoharu made up his mind and slowly lifted the gun in his hand.
He aimed the muzzle of the gun at the target in the forest.
His finger latched onto the trigger.

Kotarou's skull was fractured by the bullet.
Blood streamed out of his forehead as his body toppled forward.

No need... for the fake...

The smoke from the gun spread into the darkness of the night.
Slowly, it disappeared.

***

The pure, white snowflakes silently covered the great earth.
The warriors from the other end of the clearing slowly approached the whitened figure. Had they, in the endless passage of time, always been hovering about in this way such that they could not even remember their own appearances in life? Or perhaps they had taken on these miserable forms due to overwhelming feelings of resentment? These crumbling skeletons looked over, hatred brimming in the sockets of their eyes.

They must have died rather miserably.
Takaya looked at them calmly, thinking of all the people he had exorcised.
He always felt that the powers he had were not for the purpose of punishing them nor was it to rescue them. It was an undertaking born out of his inability to save anyone.

Where was the object capable of saving the world?

Where have they gone now?

The departed spirits were crying, howling like wild animals. They drew their rusty blades, snarling with the intent to kill. They were true onryou, beings who could only appease their hatred in injuring other people. The spirits' armor clanged as they slowly approached Takaya.
Leaning against the bark of the tree, Takaya closed his eyes.
Belief in a faith as a way to salvation was no more than belief in a phantom born out of one's dependency. But if this thought gave one peace, it was fine. Some were like them, attached to a grudge that could not be cleansed in any other way than to further soil their own hands. But if they could acquire peace in this way, it was fine.
The onryou indifferent to emotion gathered, brandishing their large blades.
Takaya felt that this was the end. --If you may find peace in doing this, it is fine.

Other than this... there is no other way for me to save anyone...

Ohhhhh---!
The onryou bellowed as they charged as though set to take the head of the general, swinging down their blades on Takaya's head together. The awareness that his physical body about to be cleaved rocked his eardrums.

"..."

Takaya perceived something was amiss and opened his eyes. The large swords had not touched Takaya's body. More specifically, the soldiers on his right had been skewered by a thick branch. The other three seemed frozen, still holding their swords but without any sign of movement.

Wh...at...

A strange protective talisman had been pasted onto the onryou's backs without his knowing. There was a soft sound and then the onryou's bodies burst into flames. The warriors cried out in grief, their spiritual powers snatched away, struggling in the heat until they disappeared, leaving a black sand-like substance on the ground.

A man emerged from the trees.
He wore a military overcoat. Takaya had never seen him before.
The man who appeared on the other side of the drizzle of snowflakes was Akechi Mitsuhide.
Mitsuhide gazed at Takaya quietly for a while. He had joined the search after receiving word that Kotarou was missing and Takaya was on the run.

The snowflakes swirled in the air, delicately covering the tracks of the warriors. After a long silence, Mitsuhide slowly asked,

"Why didn't... you fight back?"

Takaya did not say a word as his face drooped to the side, giving one the impression of a dying beast. Mitsuhide observed Takaya's disposition with a quiet expression.

"This is no different from being a live sacrifice. You should still be able to use your powers."

"You meddle in other people's affairs..." The hoarse voice came out in a whisper. "Why did you interfere... I wouldn't mind if you didn't..."

"Do you wish to die?"

Takaya did not reply. There seemed to be a faint smile on his lips.

"Is it because you were abandoned?" Mitsuhide asked calmly. "Is it because of the shock of the betrayal?"

"He...," Takaya smiled. "He... is not that sort of a person."

"..."

"Betraying another to save his own life... he will never do that. He is also... not the sort of person to do such a thing."

"You don't believe Kousaka's words?"

"If he has betrayed me, then--" Takaya murmured, closing his eyes a little. "Then it's definitely because he longs to be free of me, desires it so much that he would pretend to be a despicable person by committing this act..."

"..."

Takaya calmly lifted his head; he spoke as if he was thinking aloud. "--I will... put you at ease..."

His exhausted tone of voice was so tranquil.

"If you are suffering that much, I shall...personally...set you free..."

Mitsuhide stared at him. Takaya's head was raised towards the heavens as if in a prayer.

I want to release you,
From the person that I am,
From this incurable weakness...

"Return your... freedom..."

With one final call of his name, Takaya slowly closed his lips. His eyes shut.
Mitsuhide gazed at Takaya quietly.

Uncontaminated by blood or death, it buried everything.
The pure, white bodies descending from the sky swayed down coldly into Aso's darkness.

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.

Book 17 Chapter 18 真実への闘争

2010-02-09T08:32:00.029+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes: 体舍流 Taisha ryuu
PS: do not distribute this without permission

I have always feared that person.
His words were occasionally cruel in content. I feared his words and felt like evading them. Perhaps this was the reason for the preemptive measures I took to protect myself, at times I even thought of revenge, thought of attacking that delicate timidness of his, which was why I was always growling with a cowardly and superficial front.

400 hundred years ago, despite building our lives on a conscientious master and servant relationship, a dark chasm already existed between us. Part of my heart was rebellious while the other felt fear. The reason being that he had died on the losing side of the Battle of Otate and had turned into an onryou out of his hatred of us. I was one of the commanders of the victorious side and thus felt a sense of guilt as one of his assailants. This also made me fear him.

As expected, he had his criticisms of me. In order to protect myself, I had prepared every single excuse available and even asserted my own brand of righteousness by saying that the war had been necessary, and his death, inevitable. However the more excuses I used, the more I felt that I was at fault. We were the ones who instigated the war. Had there been no other way to settle the dispute without killing him? Weren't we using the chaos of the Warring States era as an excuse because we were too lazy to look for an alternative route? Unknowingly, I began to feel that he had the right to blame me. I believed the malicious words he threw at me every now and then were his retaliations against me. I even felt that he had discovered my guilty conscience, my paralysis.

After several decades, although his grudge and attachment had weakened somewhat, the conscious awareness that I was the assailant remained buried deep in my heart, thus I could not eliminate my sense of caution around him.
This guardedness eventually injured him.

Over time, I gradually understood his personality. He could see through the character of other people. He had the ability to discern the way others protected themselves by cloaking their ego with calculated worldly logic; he could perceive the dark cunning of people's hearts and feelings of shame. I felt delighted whenever he exposed the true nature of other people's words and actions yet apprehensive at the thought that I might also be a target of his scrutiny.

I thought his harsh words were part of his vengeance against me, that despite the passing of many years, he would still continue to threaten me. I still believe this even after realizing that his vengeance was not personally directed at me but a redress against the people.

I felt like my heart had been so thoroughly exposed that several times I was too ashamed to show my face in public. I felt like I was always laid bare for him to laugh at. His poison could not be neutralized with an adult's perspective or a rebuff, one could only endure its intrusion and feverish outcome. There was no immunity to be had, the most I could do was put up a wall. For some reason, his words always seemed infallible. At least to me, his words always sounded logical.

I hated him. At the same time, I was deeply attracted by his way of living.
He was so adept at detecting another's trickery because he was just as cunning himself. He was sarcastic to protect himself.

He was always in fear. In knowing of his earnest attempts to fight against his weaknesses and deceit, I could not leave him. I sympathized with his predicament. Painful as it was, I still regarded his ever-strengthening self as the ideal, while feeling hatred and deep fascination with those eyes which saw through me and threatened me. Despite laughing at me in a sophisticated tone of ridicule, he would on occasion abruptly close his eyes and leaned towards me. How could I resist this cursed infatuation mingled with pain?
If we were to change our positions and standpoints, could we remove this 'fear'? I do not know. Our hostile origin might not disappear.
The root of my suffering was deeply implanted in my being.
Perhaps this was the reason why our relationship had become so twisted.
Perhaps we have to overcome our own natures.

***

Hydrogen sulfide was spurting out of the ground; it was a hellish sight. The fumes had a slight tinge of sulfur-yellow.
The wreckage of uprooted trees and destroyed cabins, which exposed the bare earth, was an appalling scene of devastation. Hot gray mud shot out with gurgling sounds, occasionally swelling into huge bubbles that burst open. The air was reek with the fumes of sulfur such that prolonged inhalation would become dangerous. The poisonous volcanic gas ought to have accumulated to a concentrated degree.

Kaizaki Makoto - no, perhaps he should be referred by the name of the person controlling this body. Naoe Nobutsuna glared at Kousaka standing on the other side of the fumes. The last time they confronted each other in a similar fashion was onboard a ship which was destroyed two years ago in the waters of Hiroshima. In that battle, one party had sustained a near fatal injury while the other was thought to have been purified. Naoe had not been purified. His story had yet to end. At Hagi, Naoe had been rescued by Kenshin. By Kenshin's power, his soul had acquired the strength to remain on this earth.

But his soul was not in Kaizaki Makoto. With his outstanding ability in spiritual examination, Kousaka had discovered that Naoe was using spiritual synchronization to remotely control Kaizaki Makoto. This so-called spiritual synchronization involved harmonizing one's spiritual wavelength with a target object, which in turn allowed the user to comfortably operate the physical body. The relationship between the two sides could be illustrated by the idea of a human robot. Naoe (the operator) accesses the information received via the five senses (tracking device) of Kaizaki (the human robot), makes a decision and sends a command to Kaizaki's motor nerves to make him move. By this method, Naoe could become Kaizaki himself. The only difference was that 'the human robot' was a genuine 'living being' in this case.
The way Takaya controlled the 'Sword Gohou Douji' and the reijuu was based on the same principle. Although these methods required skills of a very high level, it was exceptionally difficult if the target object were human.

"You surprise me. To think that you're using a technique that doesn't suit your character at all. But just who gave you that sort of power?"

Naoe's -- Kaizaki's eyes flitted upwards sharply. But Kousaka persisted with his ridicule, completely unaffected by it.

"Isn't that man a descendant of the Satomi? He's called Kaizaki or something. I heard he was Yoshitaka's favorite. After going through so much trouble with their preparations, those Satomi ended up losing two generations so unexpectedly... Now I understand what happened to them. So the truth was you were stirring up mischief behind their backs."

Naoe tightened his lips, glowering down at Kousaka.

"What business does the Takeda have here?"

"Considering that Awa's Satomi has shown up, is it so unusual for Kai's Takeda to be here as well?"

"Stop playing around. Answer me."

"Seriously, what is going on with the Uesugi? How strange that Kagetora-dono has mistaken another person for his long, trusted confidant while we have Naoe-dono borrowing another man's name and body, sniffing around in this place together with the former Ken En leader thought to have gone missing. What is the Uesugi trying to accomplish by having their honorable staff officers betray their master?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Hmph. I see. Seems like Irobe isn't the only one following Kenshin. I didn't expect it to turn out this way. Interesting. I guess the makeshift stratagem to deceive Kagetora wasn't needed after all."

"Deceive...?" There was anger in Naoe's tone. "What nonsense did you spew to Kagetora-sama!"

"Don't worry, I only told Kagetora in advance that you have betrayed him by becoming Kenshin's direct subordinate and manipulating the Byakuime."

Naoe's expression stiffened. Kousaka laughed.

"Yes, we managed to uncover this information. Someone secretly controlling the Byakuime stationed throughout the country assisted the Ootomo in conquering Kyushu island by assassinating Ryuuzouji. I knew well beforehand that the culprits were the Uesugi."

"!"

Then, the ones who killed the Byakuime were...

The Takeda? Naoe thought, wrinkling his brows. Kousaka and the others had a better grasp on their plans than he expected. The reason the Takeda or the Fuuma were able to detect this before Kagetora did was probably because they had always been monitoring Kenshin. By following the suspicious movements of the Byakuime in various parts of the country, they could surmise that there was another chain of command separate from Kagetora's.

"Where is he?" Naoe asked without answering Kousaka. His sentence ended with a threatening tone. "I can sense the wave motion of the Kiji incantation. This was probably Kiyomasa's doing. Where is Kagetora-sama? I know he was imprisoned here. Where is he now?"

"Oh? So you're here looking for Kagetora?" Kousaka smiled a little and squinted. "And what will you do once you find Kagetora? So you are especially here to save him despite being the cowardly rascal that you are with all this sneaking around? How nice. But you used to support general Kagekatsu, didn't you?"

Naoe's cheeks trembled slightly. Kousaka laughed again upon seeing this.

"But Kagekatsu's personality and memories have already been purified in Narita Yuzuru. He no longer exists. What you guys want is not Kagekatsu but a weapon, right? But then again, be it Kagetora, Kagekatsu, or you people, you are all merely tools to Kenshin. Despite a mouthful of beautiful but empty words on justice and order, and that embellished face of a saintly nobleman, the desire to become the dragon god of this world is probably deeply ingrained in his bones."

"Kenshin-kou is not that kind of a person!" Hakkai shouted in a stern voice. "They are not empty words! Kenshin-kou is someone who understands true justice and order. In fact, all the generals of the Yami Sengoku should follow the noble ideal that Kenshin-kou encourages!"

"Such heartfelt words." Kousaka snorted in laughter. "Ask any retainer of the generals of the Warring States era and you will get the same answer. That my master is the only one most suited to be the supreme ruler. Invading forces and religious sects also say the same, that they are in the right, their principles are gospel, and thus everyone else should obey them. Isn't that the same as what you said? You want everyone else to comply because you think you are the righteous party. Is that Kenshin's rhetoric? Interesting. I understand now."

"You... damn Takeda! Are you asking for trouble!"

"No wonder Kagetora-dono became estranged. He's an intelligent man, he should have long figured out the villains in this situation. Furthermore, he's a descendant of the Hojo. Ujiyasu-kou is still alive thus Kagetora-dono may not necessarily remain loyal to Kenshin to the very end."

Kousaka looked at Naoe sharply.

"Now that you've reduced yourself to Kenshin's running dog, what do you intend to do by going after Kagetora? Naoe-dono."

Naoe clenched his teeth. Behind him, Hakkai fiercely replied.

"To prevent the Takeda or the Hojo from exploiting Kagetora-kou's powers! Step out of the way!"

"I see, so you've come to kill Kagetora before the enemy can exploit him, is that it?"

"!" Hakkai turned to Naoe in shock. Naoe glared at Kousaka.

"Naoe, why don't you say a few words instead of giving me that look? There's no way Kenshin will just ignore such a dangerous object. Instead of letting him go, he might as well finish him off. Isn't that right?"

"That's impossible," Hakkai muttered in doubt and implored Naoe. "Naoe-sama, it can't be... it can't be that you really want to kill..."

Naoe's deep voice forcefully cut off Hakkai's sentence.

"Kousaka, I don't have the time to dally with you here. If you dare hinder us, I will personally strike you down."

"I already know what you're thinking in your heart." Kousaka uttered coldly. "After 400 years of mistreatment at the hands of Kagetora, you've had enough, right? Surely you must have wagged your tail and jumped into Kenshin's proposal wild with joy. So will it be your turn to abuse him now? Do you want revenge? Or do you want Kagetora to kneel before you so that you can order him around like a dog!"

"..."

"That's right. You must have entertained that idea of Kagetora in the beginning. If Kagetora surrenders, are you going to sully him like a woman? In any case, you can't be having any other intention besides this lowly desire. Sadly, this isn't even a case of using powerful connections for intimidation as how a fox may exploit a tiger's might, but a dog leeching off Kenshin's power. How disgusting, Naoe Nobutsuna!"

Suddenly there was a sound of blunt grinding and a fine line of blood appeared on Kousaka's cheek. Naoe was boiling with anger, clenching his trembling fists.

"Even if you do this..."

Kousaka smiled with contempt, wiping away the blood from the cut on his cheek caused by Naoe's incantation.

"Blathering man." Naoe lowered his voice and said. "I have no time for your nonsense. What do you intend to do with him? The ones who rescued him were the disciples of the Fire sect. How is the Fire sect connected to you?"

"Hmph. Flying into rage out of humiliation is proof that what I said was true. The disciples of the Fire sect have joined us in a common effort. In order to expel the Oda and the Ootomo from Kyushu island, they have given us their assistance."

"What did you say...!"

"Kagetora-dono has officially sworn to revert to his identity as Hojo Saburou."

"!"

"I told him that Naoe Nobutsuna had betrayed him to us in order to save himself. Kagetora-dono has had a very bad relationship with 'Fuuma Naoe-dono' so he immediately believed it. He hates you and Kenshin, and has pledged to fight together with us and will no longer return to the Uesugi."

"Is that the truth!"

"Kagetora-dono is our comrade. If you're going to kill him, then I have to use whatever means available to stop you."

Kousaka's fighting spirit swelled in his entire body. His beautiful lips, shaped in a way befitting of a brush painting, warped in all of its slyness.

"I'm sorry to say but your lives will now be forfeit."

"!"

Something spurted out all of a sudden by his feet. There was a boom that sounded like a landmine had exploded; hot mud erupted all over as though it wanted to encircle the two of them.

"Nghahh!"

Their faces were blasted by a direct outburst of hydrogen sulfide. As the hot fumes rapidly obscured their field of vision, their throats were burned by the heat such that they could not even breathe. The eruptions of hot mud set fire to the rubble of the wooden cabins once again. Naoe desperately formed a goshinha but the impact of the explosions was too overwhelming, especially when coupled with Kousaka's incessant rain of incantations.

"What's the matter! Do you want to die here! 'Kaizaki Makoto'!"

"Ngh..!"

Hit by an incantation, the vehicle exploded. A relentless attack. Kousaka had probably set up a kekkai around himself before their arrival as he paid no attention to the erupting gas and continued to attack violently. The goshinha was overpowered. The two of them were forced to physically shield their own bodies but they refused to accept defeat.

"Ohhh--!"

Naoe growled as he launched a retaliatory blast. The ground began to shake. Trails of hot mud ran in bizarre fashion towards Kousaka in his attack. However Kousaka deflected every single one of them. Hot mud scattered everywhere together with the intense sprays. Naoe continued with his offense, using the mud without hesitation. A fierce cross-current of incantations took shape between the two men.

"Ngh... damn it!"

Amidst the turbulence, Hakkai shouted at Naoe.

"I will hold him back..! Please go on and pursue Kagetora-sama!"

"The opponent is too strong! You won't be able to handle it!"

"I didn't come empty-handed! I will cover you, when he falls back please use that opportunity to leave! Ngh!"

A sharp incantation arrow slashed through Hakkai's shoulder. Blood spurted out, staining his coat.

"Hakkai!"

"I am fine! Don't worry about me, hurry!"

Naoe gathered his spiritual energy and using the momentum of the sulfuric gas storming back towards him, he increased the defensive strength of the goshinha to its maximum. At the same time, Hakkai drew a small iron disk from his waist. The disk looked like a flattened cone.

"Naumakusanmada Bayabei Sowaka!"

After the chant, he threw the disk into the air. The iron conical device rotated in the air like a spinning top. With Hakkai's chanting of the Fuuten dharani, it created an astonishingly powerful whirlwind, dispersing the steam of the sulfuric acid.

"Ngh..!"

The fumes of sulfuric acid blew at Kousaka. As he backed away from the intense wind allowing an opening for escape, Naoe immediately charged through the forest.

"Do you think I'll let you escape!"

As Kousaka yelled, a black object elongated in his hand and snapped in the air. The rubber-like tool wrapped around Naoe's neck.

"Ngh!"

Naoe groaned in pain as his neck was strangled. It was no object that wound around him but an unknown black shadow. The chain of what was known as 'Dark Lock' was formed by a spell and allowed the user to control it like a weapon. Kousaka yanked the front end of the Dark Lock, tightening its grip on his prey's neck.

"Let me break off this human puppet's neck!"

"Naoe-sama!"

The iron cone whirred through, severing the chain. The taut 'Dark Lock' snapped, disrupting Kousaka's energy as he lost the order of its features. Hakkai seized this chance to retaliate.

"On Agyanauiei Sowaka!"

As he chanted the Fuuten shingon, the iron cone transformed into blazing disk that reeled towards Kousaka. There was a loud boom in the air, an explosion from the impact of the iron cone on Kousaka's kekkai.

"Damn it, doing that all of a sudden...!"

"I will hold him back! Naoe-sama, please hurry to Kagetora-sama...!"

"I shall leave this to you," Naoe said to Hakkai and followed the water snake hurrying into the depths of the forest. Kousaka wanted to chase after him but was fiercely blocked by Hakkai and could not proceed. It was strange as a kanshousha like Kousaka should not have any problems defeating a mere Ken En. No, it was not that, it was because Hakkai's power had distinctly increased.

"Damn Uesugi...!"

Kousaka grew serious and began to strike back. Hakkai protected his body as he was suppressed. Then he drew his full strength.

If you have made your decision, I can only obey it, Naoe-sama...!

"Ohhhhhh!"

The flames roared as the fumes burst out from the ground more intensely than ever.

***

Fuuma Kotarou was surrounded.
From the depths of the darkness, the group of armored warriors, now armed with blades, that appeared like will-o-wisps had surrounded Kotarou. Where did such an enormous number of spirits previously conceal themselves? They were probably fortress soldiers residing near Takamori castle. Akechi Mitsuhide and the others had anticipated Kotarou's actions.

"Will you please follow me back? Kotarou-dono." Shimazu Toyohisa requested in a low voice. "If you do so, Akechi-dono will forget this and not condemn you. They trust you. Please restore your calm, admit your mistake and return."

Kotarou was still glaring at his opponent with brimming hostility.

"I do not wish to cross blades with you as we are part of the same alliance. I was told you are able to distinguish between right and wrong. Come, please return to Akechi-dono."

"And if I say that I have no desire to return?"

"Then I will use everything in my power to stop you," Toyohisa hissed, drawing his katana. "This is Akechi-dono's order. He wants me to kill your physical body!"

Kill...!

Kotarou's back stiffened.

Planning to kill me?

Of course, this was not wholly unexpected. To purposefully fabricate the idea of 'Naoe leaving Kagetora,' the elimination of this hyouza which Kagetora believed to be Naoe was the most efficient way to accomplish this. If this physical body ceased to exist, it could convey Naoe's absence. Takaya would then believe in 'Naoe's betrayal.' Mitsuhide and the others considered Kagetora an indispensable military asset for the anti-Nobunaga alliance. That was why they were so fervently pushing for Kagetora's return to the Hojo, after all he was the only one who was Nobunaga's equal in terms of power. If Kenshin was going to participate in the Yami Sengoku, it became all the more necessary for them to secure Kagetora. Mitsuhide intended to appease Kagetora as a stopgap measure for his goal. Therefore, Kotarou should not be saving Kagetora. No, Kotarou's desire to rescue Takaya was not a matter of general concern, his identity as 'Naoe' was.

"You want to kill this physical body... you want me to die?" Kotarou muttered as he turned pale. "I... must not die."

"What?"

"I must not change my appearance. This is 'Naoe's' face. If not for this appearance, he will not recognize me as 'Naoe'."

"What did you say?" Toyohisa asked, widening his eyes. Kotarou caressed his own face.

"Only with this face will Saburou-dono... no, Kagetora-sama acknowledge me. He will not accept any other appearance. This face must never change. If it does, I will be rejected by him...!"

"What are you talking about! You have to change your hyouza because you're 'Naoe'."

"I will never betray him because I am 'Naoe'!"

He was completely incapable of a moderate reply; Kotarou had lost his composure.

"This physical body is the only one. It must never change no matter what...!"

Toyohisa stared at him. This was the first time Kotarou demonstrated such a stubborn attachment to a physical body when he used to consider the hyouza as a tool. His attachment stemmed from something other than a simple desire to carry out his orders.

Reject...

Kotarou was absolutely horrified at what he had just said out loud, as though all of the heartache he had sustained in the past two years because of Takaya had broken out in one breath.

--Don't you have something to say right now! Isn't there something you want to do to me!

At that time, he had embarrassed himself as he could not understand his wish. When Takaya condemned him for 'not understanding anything at all,' he felt like he had been banished from the category of a normal human being.

Am I a flawed product?

Takaya's words were like acid rain. The bizarre liquid would eat into Kotarou's being whenever Takaya disapproved of him. His self-esteem collapsed thereafter as the world he had firmly believed in began to disintegrate at its foundation, to the point where Kotarou was now struggling in the ruins of his supports.

Since the day he started playing the part of Naoe, Takaya became the deciding factor for the success of his performance. He had to satisfy Takaya and inadvertently, Takaya became the law. He became the only person who was correct. When Takaya expressed doubt in the beginning, Kotarou had not wavered as much. He had merely surmised that his technique was inadequate. However, as the denunciations accumulated, Kotarou was eventually eroded by the affliction in question. No matter what reply he gave, Takaya did not accept it. His calculations were in chaos.

Did I make a miscalculation somewhere?

Was the formula used to derive the answer wrong?

Was the principle I always relied on wrong?

How have I lived all this while?

Am I inherently wrong?

He was like an actor whose performance had been repeatedly dismissed by the director to the point where he had sunk into mental confusion. He hated Takaya for not accepting him, then questioned his own methods, questioned his abilities while his doubts internalized deeper and deeper until he grew uncertain of the very core of his own existence and character. Takaya's exhaustion became the resident force that criticized Kotarou's manner of living. He had to become the Naoe Takaya yearned for. When that 'infallible person' accepts him as Naoe, his manner of existence would then be acknowledged.

Is this good enough?

Is this correct?

"I must go to him..."

He would not be Naoe if he did not. He would get 'no' as an answer and suffer rejection. Kotarou seemed to be in fear. His eyebrows knitted painfully and he spoke as if revealing all on his mind.

"I need to undo his misunderstanding. I did not betray him. No matter what happens, Naoe will never betray him to anyone. He seeks for this sort of Naoe. I am Naoe, the Naoe. I will never admit to something which I did not do at all."

"Kotarou-dono, what are you talking about?"

Kotarou had to become Naoe. However his 'Naoe' was completely different from the 'true Naoe' and Kotarou had yet to be aware of this. The 'Naoe' Kotarou had set as his target and was striving towards was 'what he believed to be the Naoe Takaya yearned for.' With a desperate expression, Kotarou yelled out.

"Step aside! Do not hinder me, I have no time! He is waiting for Naoe. I must go to him. I must immediately go to him to undo his misunderstanding and tell him that I never betrayed him...!"

Kotarou's sentence broke off. His eyebrows were twisted in pain. Tell him, I am with you. Then please show me that look of relief...

Let me see...

Kotarou appeared startled. What was this strangled feeling in his chest? Whenever Takaya was sure of him, he would always call Kotarou 'Naoe,' and show him a uniquely soft expression which Kotarou had never seen before. Sometimes it would be an unmistakably genuine smile, other times he would close his eyes as though he was tired and lean towards him... Whenever he saw Takaya in that manner, an indescribable feeling would well up from the depths of his chest like fresh water. When Takaya accepted him and was at ease, his expression really satisfied Kotarou.

Please... let me see...

Please let me see that expression of yours again. Kotarou helplessly thought in this way. He could not but accept that he was harboring this hope. Kotarou gazed at his hands as he trembled.

I... am seeking...

He wished for Takaya to call him 'Naoe' in a relieved manner so earnestly for that was the only way he could be sure of himself. That was the moment of Kotarou's absolution. Naoe - that was the promise of deliverance.

I am... seeking the emotion of that moment...

The oil flowing in this human machine had turned to blood.

Affection...

Affection was an initial necessity to make sense of the man 'Naoe'. It was also the very thing he needed to have sympathized with Ujiteru and an emotion he could not lack in order to understand Kagetora's heart.

Saburou-dono...

Suddenly, his entire cardiac atrium was choked by something distinctly different from just reverence. Kotarou clenched his fists, as if to prevent this new-found sensation within himself from escaping. His fists balled tightly.

This man...

Toyohisa looked at Kotarou as some strange artifact and spoke again.

"You are not heeding our warning. Kotarou-dono."

Kotarou came back to his senses. Toyohisa signaled the warriors with his eyes and one by one the departed spirits brandished their naked swords. Toyohisa lifted his sword towards Kotarou with deliberation, aiming the shining tip of the blade at his forehead.

"I will ask you one more time. Is that your answer?"

"..."

"You do not regret this?"

The blade mirrored Kotarou's rebellious expression.

"Then be at peace as I send you to your death!"

"!"

There was a flash in Kotarou's eyes and his fingers moved into action. The soldiers' blades had a spiritual energy that issued a white radiance as it burned up. At the same time, Toyohisa gathered power into his rending technique and stepped towards him.

"Kill him---!"

The crystal between Kotarou's fingers shone with a blinding light. It was labeled with the character of 'Sword.'

"Ohhh!"

Clang!

The piercing sounds filled the district. Toyohisa's stroke was parried by Kotarou at close distance. Kotarou, who should have been unarmed and defenseless, was now holding a short dagger in his hand. That was Arashizanmaru - the divine blade passed down through the generations of leaders of the Fuuma clan. The two weapons, each possessing its own spiritual vigor, released intense sparks that bounced off each other. The armored soldiers came chopping within a hair's breadth but Kotarou disrupted their formation. Countless swords flickered in the darkness...!

I must not be killed!

The muscles in Kotarou's entire body became beast-like. After dodging a set of attacks with his weapon, Kotarou abruptly switched to an offensive focus. There was a cry of pain; the warrior whose skull was split open crumbled to the ground. Kotarou continued to slash at the warriors' torsos with his blade. The beloved dagger he was so accustomed to using hummed like a living creature as it sliced through the enemy.

Slash...!

His hands were quick to deal damage like snapping bamboo. The howls of the warriors shook the forest. Not conceding, Kotarou bellowed.

"Ohhh--!"

It had turned into a chaotic battle. With one short blade, Kotarou struck down the enemy one after another. The Fuuma's original sword technique had no unnecessary moves; only death awaited his prey. But no matter how many of them he beheaded, the enemy still came in droves. There was no time to breathe, the enemy's numbers were too great! At this moment, Toyohisa rushed in...!

"Kill him....!"

The atmosphere was reek of ferocity. Kotarou evaded by reflex action. Blood spurted from his cheek.

"!"

His face was scratched having failed to completely avoid the blow. The astonishing speed of the strike was indeed worthy of its fame as the downward slash technique that replicated the force of great waves. Kotarou redistributed his physical strength. This was to force his opponent to fall back with a sharp offensive in case he could not keep up with dodging and be sliced in two.

Damn it...!

They were using Taisha Ryuu. Their spirit-possessed blades were so mighty it could cut through iron.
Despite his injuries, Kotarou's agility did not diminish. The Shimazu warriors roared wildly, attacking with such unbelievable force that it was hard to believe they were merely spirits. Kotarou gathered his strength, increased his reaction speed and brandished the dagger in his hand with rapt attention.

I cannot die in this place!

He thought in this way from the very bottom of his heart.

"I must not die in this place---!!"

It was a vicious battle to the death. Kotarou's fighting prowess had already surmounted the limits of a human being. The enemy was part of the strongest Shimazu army of the Warring States era and their tenacity was preserved even in death. When ordered to attack, they were like fighting dogs ready to tear their enemy to pieces.

"Kill... Kill---!"

Toyohisa bellowed. It was startling that every single one of the Shimazu soldiers were using Taisha Ryuu. Cowardice was the most shameful act among the warriors of the Satsuma. At the Battle of Sekigahara, Toyohisa himself had went to the extent of letting himself be used as bait and had charged into the enemy ranks in order to let his general, Shimazu Yoshihiro, break away from the battlefield.

The sound of blade slicing through flesh was followed with an outspurt of blood. Kotarou's garment was torn away at the tip of his shoulder and the blood gushing out stained his entire back red. However Kotarou did not drop his weapon. With his dimming vision he fended off the scattered attacks from the departed spirits as he bled.

I must carry on in this body...!

Kotarou's eyes were bloodshot. His physical body was now wholly dependent on his animal-like fighting instincts to move.

--Why didn't you come save me?

As he panted heavily for air, he could hear Kagetora's voice.

--As I expected, you're no good.

--At the very end, you still don't understand.

Saburou-dono!

"Kill him---!"

Sparks burst out as blade met blade. The enemy pressed forward with the arm guard of his sword but Kotarou pushed his opponent aside with all the strength he could muster. His body was already covered in countless sword wounds yet he did not lose his footing. An ordinary person would not have been able to stand. Kotarou wrapped the handle of his dagger, which had grown slippery due to his blood, with a rag very quickly to regain his grip and spurred himself on despite his dizziness from the loss of blood. The enemy showed no mercy. The attacks were still as relentless and never-ending as before. Although his entire body was covered in blood, Kotarou did not let down his guard.

"Ch!"

He continued to slash his way through without stopping. Kotarou evaded the numerous blades that came at murderous speeds with astounding reflexes. Then Toyohisa's sword struck again.

"Go to hell--!"

Kotarou's eyes flickered as he snarled like a lion.

"Ohhh--!"

Part of someone's limb was completely severed, exposing a blunt surface of flesh and a fountain of blood. With a thump, the severed part fell to the ground convulsing. It was the hand holding onto the dagger, Kotarou's right hand. After a split second from the momentary pause between them, Toyohisa, injured in one eye, attacked with a kesagiri...!

"Die---!"

Kotarou immediately ducked to the ground, grabbed the hand still clutching onto the weapon and pounced at Toyohisa's leg. With one slash, the back of Toyohisa's heel was sliced open.

"Ch..Ah!"

Toyohisa toppled over from the injury to his leg. Kotarou immediately held him down and thrust the knife into his throat. A blood-curdling scream came from his open mouth as he neared death. Avoiding the blood that came spraying out, Kotarou rolled over to the side as more warriors came charging from behind. Kotarou pried the dagger from the tight grip of the severed hand and continued to fight back. But his vision was growing muddled from the loss of blood and his movements slowed as he was not used to fighting with his left hand.

How can I die in this place...!

This was the only a thought compelling him to move. Kotarou squeezed every ounce of strength from his body. He cried out,

"How can I die in this place---!!"

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.

新春あほノベル New Year Silly Novel

2010-01-01T15:50:00.000+08:00

Original text from Kuwabara Mizuna's official site.

The topic: "A Certain Samegao Castle at Arai City shall be hosting the festival known as 'The Legend of Echigo's Wild Kagetora - The Winter Encampment' it seems, and apparently there is going to be a play about Kagetora during the festival."

"Let's do this, alright?"

Kazuragawa Kei, of the theatrical troupe 'Wings of Dove', was startled.

"What the heck. You're saying this now that we're at the meeting hall!"

It was the start of the brand new year. Kei was called out by troupe member Takanashi Eri for the first shrine visit of the new year but was unexpectedly brought to an audition hall instead.

"The festival's gonna take place at Arai, Niigata. And there'll be a play. I heard they were having auditions. I really want a part in this, particularly the role of Kagetora's wife. Kei-kun, you want the role of Uesugi Kagetora, don't you?"

"Isn't it stated here in the recruitment ads that they want couples or newly-weds?"

"I don't have a boyfriend at the moment, that's why I brought you along Kei-kun--!"

"Who the heck is Uesugi Kagetora anyway?"

"Are you going to accept this role, Kei?"

Kei swung around, surprised by a deep, unpleasant voice.
Renjou Hibiki was standing there.

"R-Renjou...? (Why is he here?) H-Happy New Year."

"Not only do you reject my plays, you intend to stand on yet another person's stage."

(Oh crap.)

Kei thought. Renjou's face was pale as a murderous intent pervaded his face. Kei determined that if Renjou were to behave as he usually did by brandishing his knife in this place, he would have a brush with the law at the very start of the new year. The moment he attempted to make an escape, Renjou dived in front of him.

"What now, Kei! Is it really better than my play? Would you choose Kagetora over me!"

"Now j-just wait a minute!"

"It's useless, Kei-kun, when it comes to this man!"

The one who rushed into the hall panting was Chuuguuji Sakura.

"This brat has once again sneaked out of his house despite his upcoming deadline! Unbelievable! Thanks to him I don't have time for the new year!"

Renjou's face was pale, probably because of the approaching deadline for his work.

"You! If you've so much spare time to waste here, please focus on writing a few decent lines! Your head is always preoccupied with unnecessary matters, that's why every single time your manuscript is sent for galley proofreading, it comes back with all these shocking red amendments (Water... thanks)... Eh?"

Gripping the scruff of Renjou's neck, Sakura looked at the signboard standing at the entrance with apparent disinterest.

"The Legend of Echigo's Wild Kagetora? Kei-kun, will you be acting this play?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"I heard some formidable celebrity director will be producing this play."

Formidable celebrity director?!

The moment Renjou and Kei heard that, their faces turned ashen.

"Could it be Haibara!"

Suddenly, the doors opened.
It caused a stir inside the hall. Renjou and Kei both swallowed a gasp.
The one who emerged was...

"I am the director for this play, Ougi Takaya."

The one who emerged was none other than Takaya-san.

"And he is the stage manager, Naoe Nobutsuna. If you bastards give me shit, I'll send you flying into that ashtray with my powers. So prepare yourselves and give it your best shot."

Kei stood there in blank amazement.

(This is my 'master'...)

The curtains to the stage of destiny were raised.

嵐の夜 A Stormy Night

2009-12-08T19:30:00.009+08:00

Original text from Kuwabara Mizuna's official site.

A stormy night.
At that moment, Hibiki was by the window, listening to the thunder.
The streets of Tokyo, bathed in the huge flashes, were momentarily reversed in color like a negative; a whiteness emerged from the flash.
Afraid of the thunder, Hibiki's pet cat Hotaru refused to leave his lap.
It was strange that hearing this natural thunder reminded him of a man-made thunder. A feverish thunderstorm had shaken the theater that day. A ferocious thunderbolt created by a human's hands. With that single blow, 'life' was created from the sea of the storm.
From that day onwards, he desired the sound of thunder.
Someone once said that the roaring thunder of Haibara Yuugetsu's theater was the voice of God.
Driven by the urge to savor the loud reverberation that shook the earth, he felt sorry for the frightened cat as he set her down. Somehow, Hibiki knew that at this moment, that man was having the same feeling.
Coming out to the veranda to bathe in the thunder.
Bathe his entire body in that vast energy.
Right now, that man must surely be doing the same.

*

A stormy night.
At that moment, Kagetora was at the seashore, listening to the thunder.
Across the raging waves, a boat was being tossed about. It was like a wooden leaf. There was no telling if it would be washed ashore or capsized; he witnessed the fate of the boat intently from the shoreline.
We, the dead who live, are not affected by the human world.
If so, are we merely watching? Watching until that boat hits the rocks and shatters to pieces. Until that boat is engulfed by the waves and sunk. Nothing seems tangible, only the generous amount of time to watch exists.
But the storm eventually passes.
We only know that it will pass. Here at Echigo, although the winter brings severe snow, we endure with the knowledge that the winter will pass. In understanding this, we know that as a result of enduring to the very end, a day will come when the sun will definitely shine.
In that case, will there also come a day when the regret, anger and hatred in this chest will pass?
In the driving rain, he heard the sound of footsteps on the sand.
With just that sound, he automatically knew who was approaching him from behind. There were very few people who would walk in such a place without wearing a kasa or a mino.
Contrary to expectations, the so-called storm, which itself was ignorant of its time of passing, was very much like existence itself.
Or are we no more different than that boat?
Indeed. We are in the center of a storm. The one known as 'existence.'

Book 16 Chapter 17 贖罪

2009-11-18T20:42:00.007+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes:
PS: do not distribute this without my permission

How long had he been walking?
He could only hear his unusually loud footsteps and his panting.
It seemed like there was no end to this dense, green forest no matter how far one walked. Takaya held his wound as he plodded through the mountain wilderness. He was only thinking of getting as far away from that place as possible.
The Birds did not pursue him. Perhaps he had thrown them off his trail. But Takaya was no longer sure of where he was.

Where is this place...?

Takaya was lost. Furthermore, he was in darkness. He had stumbled several times over the tree roots. The ground was covered in snow, making it rather slippery. Were these remnants of the landslides in the past? Rocks of various sizes hindered his way. Considering his injuries, it was not easy for him to maneuver over those rocks or to climb that precipitous slope. Takaya dragged his heavy body forward.
Every corner of this mountain woods looked the same. Furthermore, the layers of snow gave one the impression of walking in circles. He really could not tell where he was. Neither could he tell how far off he was from that place. With his speed, perhaps he had not gone far at all.

"!"

Takaya suddenly slipped over the snow, sliding about five meters down the slope.

"Ngh..!"

He managed to steady his body by grabbing onto the tree roots. He was desperately gasping for air. He had long exerted more than what physical strength he had. Takaya no longer had the stamina to stand and sat up on the ground. He looked up at the sky as he caught his breath. He could see the black sky above the canopy of the dense, green forest.

I can't walk... anymore...

His mind was vacant and his consciousness darkened. The condition of his injury was not good; one small movement and his lungs would scream, his sternum would ache. His limbs did not seem to be his as they were unbearably heavy and slumped powerlessly onto the ground.

Because of the frost, the tree trunk he was leaning against was moist and slippery.
It was a cold night. The snow had stopped not too long ago. In its place, the icy mountain air stung his lungs. If his sweat grew cold, he would probably be further robbed of his body heat. Furthermore, this place would become extremely chilly at night. His fingertips were already numb. At this rate, the high-neck school uniform would not be enough to withstand the cold. With his current strength, it was not certain if he could still reach the foothills.

...This is it.

Takaya closed his eyes in defeat.
This was the result of his recklessness.
He was well aware of his injuries. Even a healthy person should not underestimate the harsh cold of the night in the mountain woods. One could die from one's lack of discretion, especially so in fleeing to such a place in this type of physical condition. Takaya was not ignorant of this point. Under normal circumstances, he probably would not have made this sort of decision.
But there was no time to think about the consequences.

Am I going to perish in these mountains, die in this wilderness...

He pondered vaguely. A smile unexpectedly appeared on his tired face. Laughter came out of his trembling throat. What kind of a situation had he landed himself in? It was so stupid, so outrageous, that it was downright absurd.

As he looked at the night sky, he felt an uncontrollable wave of nostalgia. Not too long ago, he had once laughed at his own ludicrous predicament in a similar fashion. When was that?

That night at Kuniji...

Unable to return home to his drunkard father, he alone had paced up and down the streets. It was the same as his current situation, a cold night, except that he had bought a cup of hot coffee to warm his cold hands back then. At that time, he could not go home and there was no place for him to stay downtown either. Thus, he was forced to put up with the freezing winds throughout the night, huddled up in the darkness at one corner of a construction warehouse. The cigarette in his mouth had been extremely bitter. That night had been so cold. There was also hunger. His body and mind, frozen to the bone. ...Extremely miserable. He never expected leaving home to be such a miserable affair. It could not be helped if he had turned into a corpse by the next morning. As he recalled the past, he laughed at himself.

It was miserable and pathetic. Enduring his own misery and lonely helplessness, he desperately buried his face into his sleeves, unable to stop shivering from the cold.

I haven't changed at all...

Right now he was in a similar predicament. Barely five years had passed since then, but it felt like he had gone through a long journey. The feeling that he was going to die on Mt. Aso was exactly the same as his thoughts of death on that night five years ago. Just that there was no warm cup of coffee this time or the cheap knife in his pocket...

"Ngh.."

In moving his body a little, the pain from his wound heightened to the worse degree. Takaya was breathing heavily as he leaned against the tree trunk. His vision grew vague; his consciousness dimmed. His entire body felt tired and heavy. ...At this rate, he was really going to die in the wilderness. Despite thinking in this way, Takaya's heart no longer had any strength left to put up a struggle.
Exhausted, he closed his eyes.
He lifted his head towards the sky.
Not even his tears could flow out...
He had spurred himself to escape. However, this result was not wholly unexpected. The result of fleeing into the severe winter of the mountains in this condition could not be clearer. There was no chance of success. It was a reckless act and he knew it.

I obviously know...

He closed his eyes and parted his lips slightly.

Can I... give up now...

He should just give up. ...This endeavor.
As expected, it was meaningless.
Meaningless was the only way to describe it. It was nobody's fault, nobody's but his. The one who had brought about this hopeless circumstance was his headstrong self who could not abandon his foolhardy heart right to the end.

--It ended long ago.

The words he did not want to acknowledge...

--As a living being, you're merely running away from the solitude that you have to bear.

I know...

Takaya whispered like a dying little bird.

I'm well-aware of the futility of this situation...

It was nobody's fault.
He was the instigator. It was not a crime someone else had committed.

I completely understand...

He had always caused so much suffering to Naoe, so much sorrow. His display of childishness was such a pointless front. All of his groveling was such a grave act of immorality. In order to prevent others from discovering his powerless self, he always lived in fear. The ridiculous threats he made were indicative of his apprehension of this world. Never was there such a person who had lived so long yet made so little progress...

Even after living these 400 hundred years...

It was not so much stupefying as comical. His true character resembled the frivolous king that appeared in fairy tales. Intoxicated by the showers of praise, he was blinded to the fact that everybody was really laughing behind his back.
But the truth was that the king knew. He constantly feared the day when someone should come and expose his depravity, reveal his shame, and thus he passed each day with unease and trepidation.

He was afraid of others suspecting that he was not as amazing as portrayed but merely putting up a show of power which he did not possess. He was immensely proud of himself when commended on his brimming charisma. But the truth was, if he was not so highly esteemed by others, he would not be able to find his place. He was such a person.

That was why he understood what constituted a 'truly charming' person, and that was, a person who was not artificial. That person would not be pained even if he disappointed others. Perhaps only someone who did not yearn for any sort of reward would be able to capture the hearts and adulation of others. Although he did not fully understand the ways of the world, at the very least, he knew that the so-called charisma he had was artificial. Thus he was prepared for the day when his true colors would be revealed, causing disillusionment in everyone. He could hardly sleep peacefully because of his fear of being exposed by someone acquainted with a true model of charisma.

He was as timid as a mouse. Because his personality type could be subjected to criticism, he paid extreme attention to the possibility that his insufficiency be discovered, to the extent of feeling threatened. He would become incredibly self-conscious from a single mention of his inferiority and harbored caution and bitterness towards anyone who so much as brushed against his inner guilty conscience.

He could only maintain a relationship with those who were interested in him, therefore he never took the initiative of expanding his circle of connections. For such a passive person, it was only a matter of time before everybody left him.
He could not form a normal interpersonal relationship. Naoe had once criticized this.

That's right... not normal...

He was waiting for this one person but wanted to always surpass him.
And yet he wanted them to have a 'normal relationship'.
It was a contrived and egoistically stupid matter; a normal person would not even think of such a thing.

Not normal at all...

As he confronted the source of his feelings of inferiority, Takaya lifted his muddled brown eyes to the sheet of black covering the canopy. The darkness was so dense that not even the stars could be seen.

He had always conducted himself fastidiously due to his anxiety. What should he do in order to lead a normal life like everyone else? Although he had sought for ways to achieve this, things always failed to pan out smoothly, which only made him irritated, uneasy and disgusted with himself.

...I want to be like you.

He wanted to be able to communicate with many people on equal footing like he could. He wanted to be like that.
He just wanted to be like that.
After 400 years, he merely wanted to be like everyone else.
However the circumstances of his surroundings always fostered his willfulness, making him indulge in careless elation. Furthermore, he did not have the courage to resolutely change his low self-esteem.
After all the trouble of obtaining this body to provide himself with another opportunity, the results were still the same.
On top of that, he had forced both of them down the worst possible path.
Look.
This was the result.

I know that... very well...

His irredeemable character...

There is no worth in me that deserves your love. Right from the very beginning, there was no such worth.

The one who is waiting...

Is me...

Takaya rested his cold, exhausted body against the tree trunk.
He always found his [Naoe] lack of pretense to be so beautiful. Glorious and honest. The number of people who desired him [Naoe] must be as many as the stars in the vast sky. The way he [Naoe] only paid attention to him had made himself so conceited.

...Everything was lost.

Right now he did not even have enough strength left to criticize himself...

It started snowing again.
The pure-white snowflakes swayed down from the apertures in the forest canopy. Takaya stretched out his thin fingers, catching a snowflake. It dissolved on his fingers into ice-cold water.
It seemed like the cold had begun to steal his bodily warmth. His fingertips were frozen. Once he relaxed his muscles, his teeth started chattering due to the intense cold. Takaya hugged his shaking body, huddling up.

The inner vicinity of Mt. Aso was growing colder, no wonder it was snowing.

There was no sign of the Birds. Had Kiyomasa defeated them? What would that man do next? Return to Nobunaga?
What about Motoharu? What about Kousaka?
Will they send soldiers after him? At this rate, it was impossible for him to reach the foothills, but perhaps they would not find him until morning. Even if they did find him,

I can't... move anymore...

The bitter snowfall cloaked the entire area in white.
No sound could be heard. ...It was so quiet that his ears ached.
This mountain was a living organism and the red, burning blood stored underground was a testament to this.
Perhaps this place was closest to the Earth's berserk life force. The so-called eruptions, the heated lava of the Earth's blood...
This savage mountain region, a product of the hundreds of millions of years that had passed...

It continued to snow.
Takaya gazed at his surroundings with a sense of familiarity.

Yes...

In his previous life, he died at Mt. Aso.
Takaya closed his eyes.
He had always forbade himself from thinking back because he did not want to remember.
That last decisive battle at Aso. His power had clashed directly with Nobunaga's Hakonha. Nakadake had erupted as a result of the enormous explosion of energy. And in the midst of the furor, an entire mountain was nearly destroyed and his body had been ripped to pieces.
Naoe's child...
Was still in the womb...
As if trying to recall the feelings from that time, Takaya looked up and placed his hand on his abdomen. Her appearance appeared in his blurred vision.

Minako...

The Mary who granted this thirsty throat with the water of tranquility.
Her motherly love forgave everything in his existence. She had even silently acknowledged the irredeemable sly and coward that he was. That smile appeared in his eyes like a pure light, truly brimming with the love of the Holy Mother.

Endearing Minako...
Pardon my sin.
The one who subjected you to the most cruel act, was not Naoe, or any other person...
But myself.

--Only you will I never forgive!

He was told that these words had always tormented Naoe.
But, it wasn't like that.
The one he could not forgive was not Naoe.
Neither was it her. She was the victim. It was Naoe and his... No, she was the victim of his [Kagetora] incurably vile heart.

The first to find out about the miserable affair was Haruie. After having been separated for several months, Haruie noticed a difference in Minako's body when she went to see them. Through Haruie's interrogation, it seemed that Minako had the intention of keeping it a secret from Kagetora. But Haruie had decided to inform Kagetora about it.

--Listen to me calmly. Kagetora.

When he heard this, apart from his violent anger at Naoe, Kagetora also felt, in the deepest darkness of his heart, the satisfaction of a devilish desire. With the way things had transpired, it could be concluded that he had completely obtained this man called Naoe. He finally had his entirety in his hands. A plan of calculated precision had been designed in his subconscious. And the fact that this desire, which should not have existed, was fulfilled had Kagetora intoxicated to a nearly despondent level. He had committed a crime for his own sake. Committed the unforgivable sin of violating the Holy Mother.
With this, Kagetora understood that the most wicked person in this affair... was himself.

Everything that happened after that had been retribution. Although it was executed by means of Naoe's power, the fact that he had killed her remained unchanged. In order to live, he had sacrificed her.
Via the taboo of kanshou...

Please forgive me. These words...
I don't have the courage to say it.

The snowflakes continued to pile up.
Under these circumstances, even the soul would become frozen. He could feel his body slowly weaken, losing its vitality.
Even the energy to blame himself was exhausted.
He was so foolish, foolish enough to flabbergast another.

What should he do to obtain forgiveness?

It seemed like he had started to hallucinate.
He did not know why there were the shapes of his family in the darkness. It was the backyard of his previous residence, a precious scene. There was the figure of his mother, Sawako, over there. The Magganou tree peony was in full bloom. His hated father was also there. On his face was the gentle smile that he used to be very fond of. Miya was standing to one side, her hands full of Magganou tree peony seeds, laughing at him.

Brother, let's plant this.

Those flowers will never bloom now... Miya.

Takaya said to his sister in the hallucination.

She was the sister he always protected. In becoming her shield, he could endure whatever hardship that came his way. I grew strong because you said you needed me, because you were completely dependent on me, and it made me feel that I could stay in this place. Miya could not lose him. This became his raison d'être.

I have never considered you as my burden...

You are important to me. That carefree and naive smile of yours has always saved me. Even now...

Just give up...

He was once again thinking of these ridiculous escapes, there was really something abnormal in him.

--Naoe will not come to save you.

His reason for attempting this reckless escape,
Was because he could not bear to be confronted with the fact that Naoe would not come to save him should he continue to stay there. That was all.

Am I... running away again?

He had already sworn to himself, braced himself, that no matter what happened, he would not avert his eyes from the truth.

--You are now in a nightmare.

He heard Kaizaki's words. Takaya could not forget that warmth. He had seen a fool's paradise when Kaizaki embraced him. Why were his arms so similar to Naoe's? It was surprising that the person who pursued him so intensely was someone other than Naoe. Takaya had willingly let him embrace him as though he had forgotten to take all matters into consideration

Kaizaki...

How could he come so close to his heart when he obviously wasn't Naoe?
Or was it that anyone of similar character could replace him? In the end, was that all that came out of it? Just like that?
...Just like that.

--You are in a maze...

Does such a maze really exist?

Or was he still in the maze? Then was he to die in this maze without ever escaping...?

In his muddled state of mind, Takaya witnessed many hallucinations for some time.

Yuzuru was angry, saying,

You must come back.

Sure... He replied in his heart. Takaya tilted his head slightly.

But you should be okay right?

You'll be fine even if you don't have me, right?

Yuzuru was strong. Much stronger than he was. He could definitely overcome any difficulties. And also overcome his own destiny...
When he first met Yuzuru, the primary feature he noticed was his strength. Straightforward, tough... Although Takaya had a rebellious appearance, he still envied him in his heart. He had wondered if he could acquire some of his strength if he were to stick with him.
Yuzuru was very strong. He had the same kind of strength as Kagekatsu. Without a doubt, he had to be the one for the Uesugi. History was correct. In order for the Uesugi to endure that turbulent era, he had to be the one.

Were the others protecting Yuzuru well? Those reliable people. Chiaki, Ayako, Irobe.
And... Naoe...

Naoe---...

He murmured his name again.
The pain in his heart had reached its peak; he was paralyzed now. Be it anger, hatred or sorrow, he could not feel anything.

I can't feel anything anymore, Naoe...

Where did things go wrong?
Your existence is truly too immense...

The dancing snow made a white carpet on the earth.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Takaya slid down and closed his eyes.

I want to have you once more.
Will it not work?
Must I give up now?
Why didn't I say this earlier?
Before all this... happened...

Like that night of flames...

With these two legs, he had to go and confirm it.

Take the truth...

With these two hands, he had to seize it.
This blood-depleted body was so cold it could no longer budge.

Father---....

Snow continued to pile up.
The frosty snowflakes accumulated on his outstretch legs and his shoulders. His body temperature continued to drop. His consciousness had dimmed. His eyelids were heavy. He could no longer feel pain or the cold. His fingers could not move either.
The forest was extremely quiet.

I've always felt...

Always felt extremely...
Extremely tired.

He could hear the sound of footsteps.
The sound of armor.
The dead closed in.
Hearing the loud clanging of armor...
Takaya opened his eyes a little.
In the snow-white forest, one appeared. And then another.
Skeletal figures of departed spirits clad in irreparable armor had appeared.
They were very much like the departed spirits he had seen, with armor that could not be shed even in death, attached to a deep grudge.

Is this an illusion...

It did not seem like it.
Takaya lifted his head, then closed his eyes. They did not look like onryou who have simply died in the wilderness. In this case, he might be torn to pieces.
A small smile appeared on his lips.

...Hurry and set me free...

The armor-clad death gods had descended.
For his requiem.

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.

Book 16 Chapter 16 白い嵐

2009-10-22T20:41:00.007+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes: washi (hand made Japanese paper); 鬼字 Kiji (literally 'demon character')
PS: do not distribute this without my permission

That night, Katou Kiyomasa requested to see Takaya. Naturally his request was not granted at first, but the Fire sect disciples eventually grew intolerant of his wordiness and extreme obstinacy.

"I know that he's still alive! As a friend, I just want to be sure that he is all right!"

Kiyomasa was as noisy as a child. The disciples reached the limit of their patience after one night of his carping and had no other choice but to inform Motoharu about this.

"What? Kiyomasa?"

Motoharu pondered deeply for a while before saying, "I understand." He agreed to let Kiyomasa see Takaya on the condition that he must not utter a word and someone had to be present to keep a close watch on them.

"Kagetora-dono was injected with a tranquilizer and took some sleeping pills. He's now fast sleep, so you can only look at him."

"That fine with me," said Kiyomasa. He could finally see Takaya again under the close watch of a Fire sect disciple. As they left his room, Motoharu sighed in a melancholy manner.

Kagetora-dono...

Kagetora's predicament lingered in his mind.

Takaya appeared to have lost his bearings after that conversation.
He had seemed dazed and speechless. Although Motoharu knew Takaya would be shocked, he did not expect it to this extent. Kousaka had left at his own discretion after he had finished with whatever he wanted to say and do. However, out of concern for Takaya, Motoharu could not simply leave the room as Kousaka did.
But no matter how much he had called him, Takaya's eyes had not moved.

He will not be crippled by this... will he...

The depth of Takaya's shock caused Motoharu much distress. Kousaka's words had a devastating effect on Takaya.

It's not surprising...

Although this was for the sake of their battle, it was too cruel. Motoharu despondently looked out the window. The drop of guilt expanded in his chest. Kousaka had told him not to feel bothered and trivially stated that Kagetora was reaping what he had sown, but was that really how it was? Motoharu placed his hand on the cold, glass window. Feeling conflicted, he sighed deeply again.

Takaya was still fast asleep.
With both arms secured by the disciples of the Fire sect, Kiyomasa was brought to the adjacent cabin.
The water level in the kettle was much lower now. Takaya had been half-forced by Motoharu to take his medicine. Otherwise, there was honestly no way he could sleep. At the entrance, the disciples wanted him to bite on a piece of washi. This was to prevent him from speaking.

"We'll know if you try to communicate using a wave a thought, so there's no use trying," warned the disciples. Kiyomasa roughly replied that he understood and bit the washi without hesitation. He walked towards Takaya.
Not even the sound of his breathing could be heard as he slept.

Guess there's no escape for him with this condition...

Kiyomasa sighed, thinking of what he should do.
He was plagued with uneasiness. After learning that the head of Kihachi was the core of the Fire sect disciples and the reason for their support of Kikkawa Motoharu's Shimazu stratagem, Kiyomasa could not lay idle in this place. ...But how was he to escape? He could not use any of his powers due to the tight security. Despite waiting for a chance to make his move, the enemy continued to deny him of any opportunity.
He thought of using Kagetora to turn the situation in his favor... but all things considered, this seemed useless.

Do I just sit and wait for an opportunity?

Furthermore, Kiyomasa could not just leave Kagetora as it is. They were planning to use Kagetora in the resurrection of Kihachi. Kiyomasa could not let them have their way. If he could not prevent them from using him, then he simply had to...

Kill him.

However, the close surveillance here rendered both of his ideas unachievable.
Forced to a dead end, Kiyomasa looked at Takaya's sleeping face.
Takaya appeared so unguarded in sleep.

The greatest enemy of Nobunaga-kou...

It suddenly occurred to Kiyomasa that, at this moment, he could obtain all the information which Kagetora possessed. No other information would be as valuable to Nobunaga as this one. He could find out all of Kagetora's thoughts as well as all the secrets of the Uesugi. In this way, the Uesugi would be stripped naked. This could become the decisive blow to destroy the obstacle that was the Uesugi. Nobunaga-kou would definitely be able to exploit this information.

That's it. Alright...

Kiyomasa had made up his mind. Although it required some mental preparation, he was the only one who could do this.

Read Uesugi Kagetora's thoughts.

Kiyomasa thought and secretly stretched out his hand to touch Takaya's sleeping body. But the moment his fingers touched his shoulder,

"!"

Kiyomasa almost cried out in fright. His fingers had been tightly seized by Takaya's hand from under the blanket. Kiyomasa was startled and looked at his face. Takaya opened his eyes.

"Ah...!"

Kiyomasa nearly exclaimed aloud but Takaya manage to hush him with a Shh! in his thoughts. His heart had nearly leaped out; Takaya was not asleep. Perhaps he had noticed Kiyomasa approaching him, or had been waiting for him to come. Takaya gripped Kiyomasa's hand and said in his mind.

//Don't make a sound. Listen to me.//

U...Uesugi-dono. You noticed?

There was no response to Kiyomasa's question. The conversation was uni-directional. Takaya could convey his own ideas via Kiyomasa's telepathic abilities. Apart from this, the rest of the information inside him was protected with a defense that prevented Kiyomasa from accessing it.

//It seems like you were planning to read someone's thoughts without permission. Unfortunately, you're not so lucky this time.//

Takaya 'thought' in his heart. Kiyomasa's face stiffened. Kagetora was more astute than he was and would not so easily let him have his way. The lifeless expression in Takaya had disappeared; an aggressive radiance emanated from his eyes. Gazing directly at Kiyomasa, Takaya told him,

//I want to leave this place.//

What...

Kiyomasa stared at him. He did not even have time to ask how he was going to do this. Takaya continued to transmit his thoughts in a one-sided manner.

//I need your strength. Do as I say. Bring this building down and we can escape amidst the chaos.//

E..Escape? In your current condition?

Although Takaya had recovered significantly with the help of the luminous flame stone, it did not change the severity of his injury. Takaya should not even be able to move about normally, let alone escape. Furthermore there was a kekkai encompassing the area, leaving was not going to be easy. They were too closely watched and could not use their powers, so attempting to start a commotion was out of the question. Kiyomasa felt that it was impossible but Takaya's intentions were resolute.

//I have an idea. Concentrate your telepathy in the depths of my body. ...There's something that can be used for our escape.//

Takaya wanted Kiyomasa to place his hand on his own chest. Kiyomasa moved away from eyes of the guards, and calmly slid his hand beneath the blanket. Takaya positioned Kiyomasa's hand above his own heart, then placed his own hand on top. He slowly closed his eyes and concentrated.

What...

Kiyomasa sensed some kind of burning object on Takaya's chest. His skin began to heat up. Takaya shut his eyes and concentrated, wrinkling his brows in pain. The heat from the depths of his body drew close to the skin surface. Then it finally...

This is...!

A hard stone had completely emerged from Takaya's chest and was now in Kiyomasa's palm. It had an octahedral shape and was red like a ruby. It was the luminous flame stone the Fire sect disciples had buried into Takaya's body. It was said that only the followers of the Fire sect had the ability to manufacture them, spiritual stones produced by the crystallization of the divine power of the lava beneath Aso. Kiyomasa stared at Takaya. Expelling the luminous flame stone from the body must have required a lot of energy. Takaya's forehead was covered with sweat, his breathing was chaotic.

//If not for your ability to read thoughts, it can't be extracted. ...Take it.//

But if this object has been extracted, Takaya's body..., and his injury...

//I will tell you the plan and you will do as I say. If you want to escape then help me.//

Takaya's keen eyes were like those a carnivorous wild beast; they had a forcefulness that did not allow disagreement.

Takaya said,

//Nod if you understand me.//

Kiyomasa nodded with a tense expression.

//Good...//

His eyes shifted to the entrance. Fortunately, the Fire sect followers had not noticed anything. Takaya ordered him to leave. Kiyomasa gripped the luminous flame stone firmly in his hand and turned back.

"Okay. I already know that he's all right. Time to go back," Kiyomasa said to the Fire sect followers. He took one glance over his shoulder at Takaya then left the cabin. Seeing that he was gone, Takaya sat up.

Kiyomasa was escorted by several members of the sect.
He looked up at the sky. A darkness lied deep in the forest. It was almost 11 pm.

"Walk."

Urged in this manner, Kiyomasa walked down the alley in the forest back to the wooden lodge. His arms were still secured by the same two disciples.

How do I...

Shake these two off?

Will I really be able to do this--...

Though in doubt, Kiyomasa decided to follow Takaya's instructions. Once they passed the halfway mark en route to their destination, Kiyomasa suddenly clutched his stomach and doubled over.

"W...Wait! It hurts, it hurts!"

"What's the matter?"

"My stomach... my stomach is acting up again!"

"Your stomach... what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I have been feeling uncomfortable for quite some time now. D..Did you guys give me something weird to eat!"

"What!"

"It...It's no good..."

Kiyomasa clung onto one of the disciples with a face close to tears.

"I think I've diarrhea! The bat... bathroom... Are we not there yet!"

"Bath..bathroom!"

"D..Damn! It's too late! Wait for me here! I have diarrhea!" yelled Kiyomasa.

Sporting a hunched posture, he burst into the thicket of trees in a distressed manner. The Fire sect followers, though dumbfounded, were successfully fooled by the act as they had grown accustomed to Kiyomasa's melodramatics in last few days. Kiyomasa's acting skills were truly amazing.

Is this the area...

Kiyomasa crouched near the tree roots, taking care not to be found out. He took out a wooden sword from his pocket and held the luminous flame stone.
He did as Takaya instructed, using the sword to carve a spell on the luminous flame stone. This spell technique was unique to the Nichiren sect as it utilized a Kiji as an invocation, which could grant the user all sorts of magical power. Kiyomasa chose the Kiji for stimulating underground water, then added the characters of 'kyuu' and 'myou' onto the stone. The combination of these characters caused the luminous flame stone to glow. Kiyomasa buried it near the roots of the fir trees, held his wooden sword and prayer beads together, and completed the incantation in earnest despite knowing that the disciples would be alerted to resulting blast.

"What!"

The Fire sect disciples were startled by the noise.

"What are you doing!"

The Fire sect followers yelled fiercely. Kiyomasa roared back defiantly,
"Shut up! I'm conducting a prayer to cure my stomach! Got a problem with that!"

Thinking it best that to bar Kiyomasa from doing anything strange, they dragged him back to the main cabin.

Will this be good enough? Uesugi-dono.

All that was left was to wait for it to start.

There was no sign of anyone; all was silent and still. After several minutes, it happened without warning. Towers of steam began to successively shoot out of the ground in the region where the flame stone was buried. Saturated with water vapor, the dry earth turned muddy. Water came frothing up from the subterranean. No, this was not just water - it was boiling water.

The entire area was transformed into a basin of hot sludge with gurgling sounds from beneath, huge bubbles were inflated like living organisms. The surface of the hot mud swelled upwards into a hemispheric shape as sprays of murky water polluted the air. Soon, steam began to rise and the boiling water spread to the surrounding areas. The heated earth gradually dissolved the layers of snow. Something unusual was happening underground.

"What?"

Kikkawa Motoharu was the first to notice this abnormality. He had left the task of monitoring Takaya to the Fire sect disciples and stayed in the main cabin with Enoki. However, still troubled over Takaya, he headed down the stairs intending to go to the next cabin. That was when he noticed a stench coming from the outside.

"It smells sulfuric to me," said Motoharu. Enoki twitched his nose in acknowledgment.

"It's like..."

There was a strange fume. Often described as the stink of rotten eggs... A smell common around volcanic craters.

The smell... of sulfur?

No, this is volcanic gas...!

"Motoharu-sama, it smells like sulfuric acid fumes!"

"What!"

Boom! Rumble!

There was an intense shaking coupled with a resounding explosion as if the mountain had been blown to pieces.

"!"

Outside! Motoharu and Enoki rushed out. There was another violent quake.

"Uwah!"

Yet another thunderous blast was heard which sounded like the explosion of gunpowder. Motoharu saw it. Jets of hot mud were shooting out everywhere towards the sky.

"What is that!"

"Motoharu-sama, the next cabin!"

With the rumbling from beneath, geysers of hot mud demolished the wooden cabin Takaya was in. Motoharu and the others ducked. In the violent explosion that followed, they were showered with wooden fragments of the lodge.

"Kagetora-dono...!"

"Look out! Motoharu-sama!"

Hot mud rained down on them. Motoharu and the others cried out from the unbearable heat. Boiling water doused the entire area. The hot mud, which was close to 100 degrees, began to burn the trees.

"What on earth...!"

Motoharu looked around him astonishment. The Fire sect disciples were in utter confusion.

"Don't go outside! There's hot mud! You'll be more than just burned if it hits you!"

"Nnnh... ahhh!"

An intense quake rocked the house with vibrations so great that they could not even stand. All of them instinctively sensed the danger of remaining indoors and ran out. In that moment,

!

Mud geysers eventually toppled the dwelling with a destructive force.

"Ohhhh!"

Drenched in hot mud, the disciples fled in all directions. As the eruptions had yet to subside, Kiyomasa took advantage of the chaos and ran around randomly.

"Uesugi-dono! Uesugi-dono!"

Takaya was standing beside the destroyed wooden cabin. The high-neck uniform he was wearing had been smudged with dirt, but at the very least he was not hurt. However, Takaya seemed to be repressing the pain from his injuries; his forehead was covered with sweat. He clenched his teeth and looked back.

"Looks like it was smoothly executed."

By allowing the strength of the luminous flame stone to fuse with the power of a spell, it brought the underground volcanic gas to life. The area had turned into a scene of chaos as a result of these water eruptions. Although he felt apologetic to Motoharu, it could not be helped as this was the result of using volcanic energy.
But did Takaya really have any energy left to escape?

"Your body won't be able to take it, Uesugi-dono!"

"It will! Let's go, Kiyomasa!"

Overcome by that assertion, Kiyomasa followed him. Takaya was steadfast in his intention to escape. Not long after they entered the woods, they were spotted by Motoharu and the others.

"What! Kiyomasa and Kagetora...!"

Motoharu hatefully looked at the hot mud shooting up from the ground. Only Kagetora was capable of this feat. Motoharu knew this was definitely the work of Kagetora.

This is going overboard....!

Attempting to escape in that body condition was simply suicide. That injury should have left him immobile for two to three weeks. If he exerted himself without discretion, his life would be endangered. Thinking in this way, Motoharu was abruptly beset by a dreadful idea.

Don't tell me...!

Motoharu was startled; he looked behind.

Don't tell me he really wants to die!

"Motoharu-sama! It's too dangerous to stay here!" Enoki and the others cried out as they ran towards him. Motoharu yelled back at them with an aghast expression.

"Don't worry about me, find Kagetora-dono! He should not have gotten far!"

"Has he escaped!"

"This was started by Kagetora! Find him immediately! If we don't bring him back at once, he will die!"

"Die? What about Kiyomasa?"

"Forget about Kiyomasa! If you find him, just kill him!"

"Understood!"

Disregarding the scalding mud, Enoki belted out commands to the disciples. Despite being caught in the initial panic, they came back to their senses once they heard Enoki's instructions. With a focused spirit, their bodies began to emit a golden divine light, and one after another they flew into the sky. It was clear evidence of the bird people's flying ability.

The mud-spattered trees erupted in flames. The encircling blaze reminded Motoharu of that night at Hagi.

This is not good.

How could he escape with that broken body? If this was not suicide, it was the act of a madman.

Things will be bad if he doesn't come back!

There were 'Yachou', onshou under the Ootomo's command, hovering about in the vicinity. If they find him, he could not imagine what would happen. Furthermore, his life was definitely at risk with that kind of injury.

Why did he do this...!

Motoharu felt he was beyond redemption. Was this his final struggle? Or was he trying to escape again!

Kagetora-dono!

Deep in the forest, two men were making their way down to the foothills. This area was untouched by the fire, there was nothing but the pitch-black forest. Neither was there any clear path. Takaya and Kiyomasa merely relied on the thin layer of white snow to lead them down the mountain while they fought to catch their breath.

"Uesugi-dono...!"

Takaya had fallen behind. As expected, he was having a lot of difficulty moving. He was panting heavily, using the trees to support him as he shielded his body.

"Why bother looking back..."

Takaya asked in a pained voice, his sharp eyes twinkled in the darkness.

"You really should just abandon this sort of baggage..."

"But you...!"

"You are my enemy!"

Takaya still had the strength to threaten the other with words. But his face was ashen from his desperate attempts to hold back the pain, his forehead was covered in perspiration. Without the aid of the luminous flame stone, his body was probably in a lot of pain.

"Or do you see this as a good opportunity? Do you wish to kill me... and deliver my head to Nobunaga!"

"As I thought, it was too reckless of you to escape in that physical condition! I'll carry you!"

"Don't touch me!"

Kiyomasa was startled by his refusal and withdrew his hand. Takaya was like a wounded beast.

"You have no permission to touch me! If you dare touch me, I will kill you!"

"..."

Overwhelmed by his vehemence that threatened to shred everything, Kiyomasa gasped. He could not reply.

At this moment,

"!"

A large group of black shadows flew down from above the trees. They were from the Fire sect.

"Found them!"

"Capture them!"

Kiyomasa clicked his tongue in disgust; he drew his wooden sword and prayer beads.

"I'll hold them back! Go quickly, Kagetora!"

"Kiyomasa...!"

"Save it! I won't let them catch you! I definitely won't let you become a receptacle from something like Kihachi!"

Kiyomasa appeared to be protecting Takaya by shielding him from the bird people.

"Don't be mistaken, Kagetora! I am doing this for the sake of the Oda! The 'Golden Snake Head' is not an eight-headed orochi, but a far more frightening monster! And you are its receptacle! They want to turn you into a human medium for Kihachi's will! If Uesugi Kagetora becomes the dwelling of the Kihachi onryou group, we are going to have trouble!"

"Kihachi onryou... group?"

"Now that you know, hurry up and run!"

As if driven away by Kiyomasa's majestic roar, Takaya turned and left. Saeki shouted, "Pursue Ougi Takaya! Kill Kiyomasa!"

"Who are you planning to kill!"

A ball of fire formed in Kiyomasa's right hand. The flames extended outwards, transforming into a large katakama yari. Kiyomasa concentrated his energy and the seven characters 'Na Mu Myou Hou Ren Ge Kyou' burned with a golden radiance.

"Stay back---!"

Kiyomasa held the katakama yari up high, throwing back the ones who intended to pursue Takaya. A deep humming sound came from the katakama yari as it swerved around, causing explosions in the sky which obstructed the way of the bird people.

"Uwahhh!"

"Yasuo!"

Hit by the explosions, they fell to the ground. Saeki activated the luminous flame stone inside Kiyomasa with an incantation.

"Nnnghh!"

His chest burned as though inflamed. As Kiyomasa struggled in pain, the others began to attack him one by one with their own flame stones. It was the very same method they had used to expel Rairyuu.

"Ohhh!"

Kiyomasa held his wooden sword to the sky.

"Don't you underestimate me---!"

An intense ringing surrounded Kiyomasa as he put forth every ounce of his body's strength.

"What!"

The arrows created from the flame stones were deflected by the wall created by the wooden sword. Kiyomasa desperately intensified the spin of his sword. However, Saeki remained composed and stimulated the morale of the bird people.

"This wall is inconsequential, strike it down! We are the natives of the Fire sect! Repel all those who stand in our way!"

"Ngh!"

Their attacks had a renewed ferocity. Kiyomasa frantically swerved and pivoted his wooden sword, but a few of the flame stones that pounded down on him like a violent hale broke through the barrier and injured Kiyomasa's body. Blood splattered out; his heart seemed to be on fire. Kiyomasa gritted his teeth.

"Damn you--!"

Snarling, Kiyomasa brandished the katakama yari once again.

"Like hell I'm going to let your Kihachi clan take over Japan!!"

***

I must go and save him...!

Within the darkness, Fuuma Kotarou hurried towards Kikkawa Motoharu's residence. Although the soles of his feet had grown slippery due to the snow, it posed no hindrance for Kotarou, a ninja tempered in Hakone. His eyes were fixed on the journey ahead. Kotarou wanted to go and 'save' Takaya, who had been imprisoned by Motoharu and Shimazu.

Saburou-dono... No, Kagetora-sama!

That was the only thing Kotarou was thinking about.

I must go and save him!

For Kotarou who always regarded 'strategic benefit' as a standard by which to decide how to act, his current actions could only be seen as disadvantageous. Fuuma Kotarou should have given complete support to Kousaka's or Rairen's scheme - Naoe's betrayal of Kagetora. But Kotarou could not do this. Why? Because 'Naoe is not someone who will betray Kagetora.'

I will not betray you.

Kotarou ran swiftly through the forest without stopping.

I will never betray you.

It sounded like he was trying to convey his thoughts to Takaya. With a resolute determination to prove his innocence, Kotarou continued to run through the forest.

--Do you no longer have any feelings?

These words had bound his will, changing Kotarou into a person different from 'Fuuma Kotarou'.

--Have you even forgotten... how to kiss?

This had turned into a case of putting the cart before the horse. Kotarou, who used to be willing to do anything to make Kagetora return to the Hojo, was now only vaguely aware of his original goal. Had he become so engrossed with wanting to become Naoe that he finally believed he was Naoe? He could not criticize his own actions because he was not completely conscious of what was happening to himself.

He could not calm down. He could not understand the fretful sentiments he was having, this heartbroken feeling. It unnaturally spurred Kotarou to run on. Yet he was not aware of its apparent effect. This was not the simple feeling of inferiority he always believed he had. It was something deeper, something which concerned his own being...

--It's impossible for you to understand!

Ujiteru's words echoed in his heart again. Back then he had only thought of them as foolish words. He had felt that Ujiteru, who could not bring himself to harm Takaya's physical body, was truly ignorant for acting on his emotions. Kotarou had had no empathy for him. Neither had he found it strange that he could not sympathize with others. Furthermore, Kotarou had also believed that this was proof of 'perfection'.
But wasn't it really because he lacked the ability to sympathize?
Wasn't it really because he was not a 'perfect human', but rather, a 'somewhat defective' one?
He began to feel this way ever since he started masquerading as Naoe in front of Takaya. Anxiety stemming from a deep sense of agitation grew with each passing day, intensifying as time went by. Disproved in every single respect by Takaya, very soon all Kotarou thought about was how to make things right before he came to a complete loss.
Kotarou was ultimately losing himself.

Through the great snow, Kotarou silently pressed on into the mountains. He felt that Takaya was somewhere in this mountain ridge, crying for his aid.

--You can never understand!

These were Takaya's words at Hagi. Now that he thought about it, that was the first yoke. The one who compelled Kotarou was Takaya. The one who rejected him was also Takaya, but the only one who could give him affirmation, was still this one person - Takaya. Kotarou felt that, more than making him resume his identity of Hojo Saburou, more than forcing him to return to the Hojo,

I want to obtain your acknowledgment!

Kotarou continued to run. That desperate look on his face gave the impression that he was afraid of something. He had come to a small path. Then, the clamor of an explosion came from a distance.

What...!

The shaking beneath his feet seemed to pull him back from his thoughts, Kotarou looked ahead nervously. A rumbling... A persistent sound accompanied the vibrations of the earth. Kotarou could hear the splattering sound of hot mud shooting out.

That was...!

Yes, it came from the direction of Motoharu's residence.

Could it be that...

Kotarou had very keen intuition. He slid down the path between the trees, and hurried in the direction of the blast. The ground was shaking. He heard the explosions again, then a sudden brightness covered the mountain ridge with a thunderous roar. Great flames surged out to the sky.

Over there!

Motoharu's cabin. Takaya should be there. Something abnormal must have occurred to bring about this pandemonium. Kotarou ran forward as the flames advanced towards the mountain ridge. Kotarou immediately understood what had happened. This was definitely Takaya's doing. Had he given up on waiting and acted on his own? If so, that would mean he had decided that no help was coming and took the initiative of opening an escape route.

No, Kagetora-sama!

He shouted as he ran. I will save you. I have come to save you. Please do not act rashly...!

Kotarou sprinted on the charred rock path with the speed of a wild deer. He had to find him as soon as possible and protect him. If Takaya had acted because of his misunderstanding of Naoe, he had to vindicate himself as soon as possible. He had to tell Takaya that he had come to save him. Everything about the betrayal was a lie, he had to undo the misunderstanding!

"!"

Sensing an intense spiritual presence ahead, Kotarou reflexively took precautions. The sound of clanging armor drew close.

What...!

Not long after, glowing shapes like blue-white will-o-wisps emerged in all directions from the forest. The shapes merged and took on human forms. They were the spirits of a group of armored warriors. Soldiers clad in broken armor appeared before Kotarou.

Which clan are they from...!

The onryou drew their swords, their armor swaying as they approached. Kotarou consolidated his power and assumed a fighting stance. Then, a man appeared behind the onryou.

"I cannot allow you to go any further, Kotarou-dono."

"What...!"

The man wearing a long, white coat had a knife in his right hand. He was a hyoui rei. He must be the leader of the onryou. The man said to Kotarou,

"I am Shimazu. Shimazu Toyohisa. I have come to stop you on behalf of Akechi-dono. Since you disobeyed our instructions, I no longer regard you as a comrade. ...Prepare yourself!"

Shimazu Toyohisa...!

The first born of the Shimazu brothers - Iehisa's son. At the famous Battle of Sekigahara, he was the man who died in place of Shimazu Yoshihiro, his general and uncle, during his attempts to break away from the battlefield by fighting resolutely to break through the enemy ranks. Apparently, he had answered Mitsuhide's request by rapidly dispatching an army to this place.

Are you going to stop me...!

Kotarou's eyes had a sharp radiance; he heightened his guard like a wild beast. Shimazu's onryou soldiers steadily approached, intending to surround him. Kotarou gritted his teeth bitterly.

Saburou-dono...!

***

"!"

The sounds of the explosion also reached Kaizaki and Hakkai, who were still in their vehicle. With the water snake leading the way, the two of them had reached the mountain road to Eboushidake.

"W-What happened!"

The vibrations could be felt in the vehicle and the rumbling sounds did not stop. While paying attention to his control of the steering wheel, Hakkai glanced at Kaizaki.

"Wasn't that...!"

"Speed up," ordered Kaizaki. "That was the spiritual wave of the Kiji charm. Kiyomasa is from the Nichiren sect. As a devout follower, it's not surprising for him to use the Kiji."

"Then Kagetora-sama...!"

The car sped up, scaling the winding and uneven mountain road. It was a really steep slope with no paving, but the large horsepower of the 4WD allowed the vehicle to continue into the mountains.

"!"

Because of the hot mud spurting out from underground, the entire area had been laid to waste.

"W..What on earth happened here!"

It seemed like they could not drive any further. The trees were on fire, resembling columns of flames and the collapsed wooden cabins were covered with mud. All traces of the former landscape were gone. The steam was so thick it saturated the air, furthermore there was the occasional spray of hot mud in certain areas. Hakkai covered his nose. Very dense volcanic gases had drifted into the area, making it very dangerous to remain. If they stayed for too long, they would be poisoned.

"K..Kaizaki-sama..."

Kaizaki gazed at the miserable state of the place with a solemn expression. There was no one here anymore. And no sign of Takaya.

Takaya-san...!

"Looks like our guest finally arrived."

"!"

Hearing the male voice behind him, both of them turned around.

This voice is familiar...!

On the other side of the rising steam, a human figure approached. The pure-white steam calmly separated as if clearing a path to welcome the stranger. A beautiful man in a white overcoat emerged from the depths of the forest...

"!"

Kaizaki gasped. The one who approached was, without a doubt, Takeda Shingen's trusted aide - Kousaka Danjou.

"How late you are."

Kousaka said in a sweet voice, walking over slowly. The hell-like volcanic gas seemed only to disappear with his presence. Kousaka smiled proudly.

"You... are still alive!"

"Is that any way to greet someone? ...Still as cold as ever despite the long parting."

Kaizaki was momentarily speechless, then stared as Kousaka fiercely. Kousaka smirked, holding his chin with his soft fingers.

"Still the same cowardly man despite that expression. Did you borrow another person's body to hide your true colors? Hmph, how foolish."

Kaizaki was guarded. He coldly said, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh please. I have no wish to see this puppet show of hypocrisy. That troublesome spiritual wave that started just now was vexing enough. Haven't the puppet strings been exposed?"

Kaizaki's expression stiffened. Kousaka looked at him with playful interest and smiled maliciously.

"But then again your acting skills have always been third-rate."

"You...!"

"It's truly interesting that someone like you has spiritually synchronized with a living person. But the fact that the one before me is not the original body displeases me. If I feel like it, I ,Kousaka, can cut off your strings of your control."

Hakkai was extremely nervous. Kaizaki glared at the other viciously. Kousaka smiled again then declared in a loud voice.

"Looks like not even Yama, the King of Hell, wishes to accept you! Well, it was good of you to return! Allow me to welcome your resurrection, Naoe Nobutsuna!"

A gale blew past, fanning the rage of the fires behind them. Steam blew fiercely at their bodies, clouding their field of vision. Within the snow-white storm winds, their confrontation began.

Book 16 Chapter 15 割れていく水鏡

2009-08-28T18:24:00.017+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes: 宮町手野 Miyamachi Teno; 式内社 Shikinai-sha (Japanese Shinto-shrines recorded on Engishiki-927 AD Japanese book of laws and regulations); 速瓶玉命 Hayamikatama no mikoto; 手野の大杉 Teno no Oosugi (Giant Cedar of Teno)
PS: do not distribute this without my permission

"Naoe will not be coming to save you, Kagetora-dono."

Takaya could not readily accept Kousaka's words. On the other hand, Kikkawa Motoharu had an intense look of disbelief which read, "How can that be."

"Kousaka-dono. You..."

"You've finally been abandoned by Naoe. Kagetora-dono." Kousaka said in an elated voice. "Do you still not understand? Naoe has betrayed you."

Takaya was shocked. He could not say anything; he merely stared at Kousaka.

"How sad it is to be unexpectedly betrayed by the retainer who followed you for the past 400 years. I can understand your refusal to believe this, but I think a white lie would only make it more tragic for you. So I've decided to tell you the brutal truth."

"Betrayed... me?" Takaya mumbled in a hoarse voice. "Naoe... has...?"

"Yes. Your trusted aide, Naoe Nobutsuna, betrayed you in order to save his own neck."

"!"

Kousaka looked at Takaya, who was in shock, with pity and calmly said,

"You're probably not aware of this since you were in Kumamoto. ...A few days ago, Naoe was captured by our comrade, Shimazu Yoshihiro-kou."

"What... did you say?"

"I was told you wanted Naoe to investigate the disappearances of the members of the Fire Sect. I can tell you now that the disciples of the Fire Sect are Shimazu-kou's associates. Naoe's thorough investigation led to a fight with the Shimazu's soldiers, and he was eventually captured by them."

Takaya had never heard of this. Kousaka gazed at Takaya, who already had doubts over what he was hearing, and continued in a low voice.

"At first, Shimazu-kou wanted to kill him immediately but Naoe raised an unexpected request."

"..."

"Using his own life as a bargaining chip, he betrayed his master. ...He betrayed you, Kagetora-dono, by offering to deliver you to Shimazu-kou."

Takaya was speechless.

"...How can that be..."

"I believe you saw Naoe a few days ago. That was to lead the Shimazu's subordinates to Kagetora-dono's whereabouts. ...I don't think I have to go into the details of what happened after that. Our fellow, Shimozura Rairyuu-dono, attacked you. Then we saved you while you were unconscious and brought you here. That was the plan."

Kousaka wore a matter-of-fact expression, giving the entire explanation in one breath. Obviously, this was a false account. But, as expected of a tactician, the lie was executed with such perfection that it was unquestionable. Even Motoharu could not help but admire his delivery.
Takaya had no information in hand that could negate this account.
His face had turned completely pale.

"You're lying..."

"This isn't a lie. That man is truly a despicable and shameless lowlife. And it seems like he has another motive for saving his own skin."

Takaya looked at Kousaka uneasily. Kousaka prudently returned his gaze.

"Do you want to know about Saga's Byakuime?"

"...What...?"

"I see you're unaware of this by the look on your face. Then let me tell you. The one who overpowered the Byakuime you sent to Saga was not the Oda, or Ryuuzouji, and it definitely wasn't the Ootomo. Rather it was the very person standing here, Kikkawa Motoharu-dono."

"What did... you say..."

Takaya looked back at Motoharu.
It was the truth.
Motoharu nodded solemnly.

"Furthermore, several days before your Byakuime even had the opportunity to crush Ryuuzouji Takanobu, the latter was killed by another powerful faction."

"...!"

This was unknown to Takaya. This piece of information had never been conveyed to him.

"What do you mean by this?"

"Apparently, the Ootomo and a certain power had joined forces, and were plotting to assassinate Ryuuzouji. The Saga territory was Ryuuzouji's domain thus it wouldn't have been easy for the Ootomo to move freely in that region. And yet it seemed as though every single one of Ryuuzouji's movements was leaked to the Ootomo. There must have been a spy aiding the Ootomo."

Kousaka discussed in a cold voice.

"The one who aided the Ootomo was your Byakuime."

"That's impossible...!" Takaya fiercely retorted. "The Byakuime wouldn't have acted without authorization! Without an order from me, they wouldn't...!"

"What if it was an order from Kenshin?"

Takaya jolted; his face turned ashen.

"From Father...?"

"Yes. If it was an order from Kenshin, the Byakuime would act as according to his instructions."

"How can that be..."

"The Uesugi army was responsible for Ryuuzouji Takanobu's murder. If you were not informed of this, it was because they kept it a secret in order to conceal their actions. Consequently, they intended to lure the Ootomo into Saga. In order to stop them, we, together with Kikkawa-dono, supported the Ootomo's banishment of the Byakuime, and eliminated them completely."

Saga's Byakuime had aided the Ootomo. Takaya found this unbelievable. Such a case had never occurred before in the past 400 years. He would never have expected the Byakuime to take orders from someone other than himself...

"Our worry has become a reality. Uesugi-dono." Motoharu told Takaya in a sensitive manner. "Kenshin has made his move."

"Made his move...?"

"I remember mentioning this to you in the past. Kenshin has abandoned you in order to achieve his own ambitions and desire for a new Uesugi army."

"!"

Motoharu had brought this up at Hagi city. That uncertainty returned to Takaya's chest once again. Takaya appeared stark; his lips were trembling.

"That's impossible...! But...!"

"Apparently, Kenshin has decided that you are not good enough to accomplish his true desire. Perhaps he doesn't have complete confidence in you since you're a Hojo." Kousaka said mercilessly to a startled Takaya. "And it seems like Naoe has joined Kenshin's side."

"!"

"That was why Naoe begged for his life. Naoe ran into conflict with the Shimazu while acting under Kenshin's orders. Naturally, he had to hide this from you, not to mention his need to carry out the duty Kenshin had entrusted to him. He could not just die in vain if he is to accomplish his mission. For this reason, he no longer has any kind of loyalty to his master and considers his own life to be of higher priority..."

Takaya gasped.
Upon seeing this, Kousaka continued.

"That is how it is."

"..."

His whitened lips could not stop trembling. Takaya's eyebrows crumpled as he turned painfully towards Motoharu, as though he was crying for help. He pleaded,

"Motoharu..."

Kikkawa Motoharu was silent. He could not give any answer. Once he understood Kousaka's intentions, he could only complement Kousaka's story and completely deceive Kagetora.
Takaya was intensely shaken.
No longer had any loyalty. These words pierced deeply into his chest.

No longer interested in me...

A Naoe who no longer touched Takaya's heart...

Disappointed... in me...

"There's a limit to how much your heart can take, am I right?" asked Kousaka, as if he had read his thoughts. "Two years ago, before the Itsukushima battle, the falling out between the both of you was evident even to a bystander. Although it's none of my concern, I was always worried that things would turn out this way."

Right...

Naoe's cold eyes at that time appeared in his mind.
During that night at Hagi city... But Takaya really believed that they had reached into each other's hearts at that time. No matter how much they hated each other, no matter how much their depravity left them wasted, Takaya believed that they had truly captured each other's soul on that night.

--Your... no, our 'ideal' way of existence!

They could look for it. At the very least, he wanted to look for it. Together with Naoe. But since then, Naoe's heart was no longer close to Takaya. So much that even the wedge in Takaya had disappeared. Naoe no longer used words that could connect their hearts. Even when he risked everything and cried out to persuade him, he still couldn't convey it to Naoe's soul, could he? He believed in their connection, but wasn't it really nothing more than his own set of delusions?
And now, was he abandoned? Did he no longer have the strength to feel interested? Or had some other object stolen his interest, diminishing Kagetora's charm in his eyes, causing him to discard Kagetora...?
He always believed that their hearts had truly connected in that fire, believed that their feelings were so intense that they had perceived it.
Was it just an illusion?
Perhaps everything had ended on that night two years ago.

Is that... it...

Everything Takaya saw turned dark. But he had always cherished that one strand of hope. He still prayed that it was not the end for the two of them.

"It ended long ago. Two years ago." Kousaka said firmly. "He's a really headstrong, selfish man. He has caused you so much pain, even merciless in his departure. I truly sympathize with you, Kagetora-dono. In spite of everything, he still had the nerve to trample on your heart in this way."

"But---...."

Takaya trembled, stretching his fingers to his dry lips. If that was the case, then what about this? This seemed to encourage that glimmer of hope in him...

"...That kiss. What about that kiss a few days ago? He said he came to see me, and kissed my lips..."

Motoharu was so startled his eyes had widened. But Kousaka was unmoved. He folded his arms across his chest with a cold expression and said,

"That was probably... the 'kiss of a traitor'."

"!"

Takaya suddenly looked at Kousaka.
There was a soft flare; the firewood in the warm furnace cracked. The three individuals were brilliantly illuminated by the red flames.

The man who had betrayed to preserve his own life - his shadow appeared indefinably warped in the flames.

In Takaya's heart, time had stopped.

***

The snow falling in Aso valley had eased a little. It was going to be a cold night. Because of the heavy snow, the fir trees surrounding the main building of the Shinto shrine were cloaked in white.

This particular regional shrine at Miyamachi Teno was located at the foothills of the northern Aso caldera. The Shikinai-sha was an important memorial of the son of Takeiwatatsu no Mikoto, Hayamikatama no Mikoto, who was among the first generation of Aso's regional administrators. The shrine had a long history and housed the famous natural monument known as the "Giant Cedar of Teno". Due to a typhoon several years ago, the cedar tree had lost its former grandeur, its bark was peeling away and efforts to preserve the tree were underway.

A little deeper into the mountains away from the Kokuzo shrine was an old tomb. It was a stone mausoleum, one of the ancient burial places commonly seen in the northern region of the caldera. Its interior was illuminated with lights.
Inaba Akemi was locked in the innermost room of this stone building.
Shimozura Rairyuu and Shichiri Yorichika had brought her to Northern Aso.

Akemi was asleep in a sarcophagus. Her body rested in a sarcophagus filled with cotton wadding, in a deep sleep as though she was one of the dead. Red paint had been spread on the inner side of the sarcophagus, thus, as long as she remained inside this sarcophagus she would never awaken. This paint was made by burning raw sienna from Aso with spiritual fire; its red pigment had a magical quality that could put one to sleep.

"...But she'll just be asleep," explained the guard who led the way. "Continue to sleep without eating or drinking. After a long period of time, the body will weaken. There will come a day where it'll weaken to the point of death, no longer able to preserve its life."

"How long can she last?"

The guard tilted his head a little, pondering over the question, then he replied.

"Hmm.. about ten days."

"I guess the response of the Miike family, who have Princess Asara, will determine her fate."

The man wearing a military coat muttered and dismissed the guard before walking out of the stone mausoleum. The lights were turned off. He headed down a gentle slope and came to the main building of the Kokuzo shrine.

"Still no news on Kagetora-dono's status?" The man removed his gloves as he asked Fuuma Kotarou who was half a step behind him.

"We are currently searching for him using all of our resources."

Kotarou replied in a low voice. He had been collaborating with this man for the past few days ever since he left Takaya at the hotel. This man was a companion of the person Kotarou had met at the lobby that day. Kotarou had learned of Rairyuu's assault on Takaya from this man. He had then rushed back to Kumamoto, to the hospital, but... what awaited Kotarou was an unbelievable set of words.

--Ougi Takaya has passed away.

His remains had been taken away. Kotarou dispatched his subordinates in an all-out search and discovered that the cunning disciples of the Fire sect had taken Takaya away. They had not received any other information to date.

"Shimozura Rairyuu is truly a problematic fellow. I don't know what personal grudge he holds against Kagetora-dono, but I never expected him to disregard Kennyo-dono's orders by attempting to kill Kagetora-dono, who can very well be considered as our comrade. I was told that Kennyo-dono was rather infuriated and ordered Rairyuu to Kyushu island."

"I see."

"I have been asking around and heard that Rairyuu fiercely opposed to an alliance with the Shimazu."

This was not entirely surprising. During the rule of the Han government, the Shimazu had suppressed the disciples of the Honganji clan more severely than the way the Catholics were persecuted. Rairyuu had asserted, "I can't fight together with that sort of people." His rebellious mindset was understandable.
The man in the military coat turned around and faced Kotarou.

"In order to crush the Oda, this alliance is necessary. The power of Kennyo-dono and Shimazu-dono is essential. I believe internal conflicts should be resolved as much as possible, but it seems like it would be better for us to prevent those two parties from directly coming face to face. I have also wasted a lot of time in persuading Kennyo-dono. ...I take it that you share my views."

But Rairyuu's hatred of Kagetora was extremely strong. Trying to mediate harmony between them was perhaps an impossibility. But Kotarou had already made up his mind. There will not be a second time. If Rairyuu wanted to harm Takaya,

I will kill him.

The man did not seem fully aware of Kotarou's thoughts.
He grew quiet and listened to the clear stream of the shrine's river flowing by the side. The moment he reached the top of the stairs,

"Kotarou-sama!"

A soldier called out, running over from the opposite side.

"We have located Kagetora-kou's whereabouts!"

***

"If so, that would mean Saburo-dono is with Motoharu-sama!"

Kotarou exclaimed in an unusually loud voice.
Kotarou was speaking with Shimozura Rairen. On the night of the Hagi incident two years ago, Rairen died when his throat was mauled by a tiger reijuu at the Taishou cave. However, he had forcibly taken a new physical body to allow himself to come back to life. His external appearance was different but Kotarou recognized him. The man he had met in the hotel lobby a few days ago was in fact Rairen.

"We just received word that Kagetora-dono was handed over to Kikkawa-dono and Kousaka-dono. We also know where he is. Although he was injured, he life isn't in any danger."

"With Motoharu-dono..."

Kotarou seemed a little relieved, somewhat lost in his thoughts.

"...In that case, the bird people who saved Saburo-dono from Rairyuu-dono's attack were indeed the..."

"The followers of the Fire sect."

Rairen replied. It was no secret that Kousaka and his company had some dealings with the followers of the Fire sect because of Kihachi but no one expected them to actually operate together.

"Looks like the Takeda and Kikkawa have succeeded in allying with the Fire sect."

Rairen had a cold expression as he remarked that as a disciple of the Ikkoushuu, it was impossible for him to mingle with those of a different faith. The man from before began to speak.

"We can leave Kagetora-dono with Kikkawa-dono for now. Kotarou-dono, you should continue with the plans to attack Kumamoto together with me."

"No. I have to go and fetch Saburo-dono."

"There is no need to do that. Kotarou-dono, you should stay here."

"Why?"

Kotarou was very sharp. He was suspicious of Rairen's reasons for persuading him to stay in this place.

"If I do not save him, Saburo-dono will start to doubt me. Right now I am Naoe Nobutsuna to Saburo-dono. Naoe will not just lay idle when Saburo-dono's whereabouts are unaccounted for. In order to return Saburo-dono to the Hojo, I must acquire Saburo-dono's trust in the Naoe that I am. If I were to go and save Saburo-dono, Saburo-dono will be more convinced that I am Naoe."

"...But with this method of yours, I don't know how long we'll have to wait before you finally succeed."

Kotarou was speechless for a second. Rairen continued ruthlessly,

"In order to split up the Uesugi, the Takeda wants to capitalize on your disguise of Naoe."

Kotarou stared at him. "What did you say..."

"Even if you are against this idea, the Takeda is well-aware of Kagetora-dono's fatal flaw."

They knew perfectly well where Kagetora's biggest failing was. In order to sever Kagetora's feelings of attachment to the Uesugi, what was the most effective way to shake his spirit? What method could they use to force him to a dead end?

Naoe has betrayed...

Kotarou realized what Rairen was trying to say. The depth of Kagetora's attachment to this man called Naoe - even if he could not understand this emotion - Kotarou had personally experienced it. He knew how intense and strong that emotion was.
Because of Kotarou's Naoe, Kagetora had plunged into confusion, was hurt, saw a Naoe who no longer touched him, suspected whether his heart had distanced itself from him and was full of unease. And now, Naoe...
What if he really abandoned him?
Really betrayed him?
He could easily imagine Takaya's shock and hopelessness. This would be the final blow.
To be abandoned by Kenshin meant the loss of the base that provided him a reason for existence for the past 400 years. This shock would bring about an unimaginable feeling of desolation.
And if Naoe were to really leave him at this point in time... instead of an injury, it would leave a lethal stroke on him.

"Kagetora-dono will probably be badly shaken." Rairen said plainly. "Do you understand now, Kotarou-dono? 'Naoe has betrayed Kagetora.' Therefore, not only must you not go to his rescue, you cannot show your face to him."

"But I am Saburo-dono's...!"

"Correct. So all will be well once you return to your identity as 'Fuuma Kotarou'."

Kotarou was stunned.

"Kagetora has taken Kotarou-dono's current appearance as 'Naoe Nobutsuna' hasn't he? In that case, you can still rely on a different physical form. Return to the original 'Fuuma Kotarou', and serve Saburo-dono. There won't be any problems then."

"..."

Did Rairen notice the effect of his words?
Kotarou's face, usually concealed beneath a mask, had completely stiffened upon hearing his words. His original self would never have this sort of an expression. His original self would have mechanically and heartlessly accepted this strategy as proper and to be expected as a matter of course. Rairen was not aware of the change in Kotarou.

"But I'm sure I don't have to specially explain this to you. Kotarou-dono, you are the mainstay of an excellent ninja army. I shall leave Saburo-dono to you."

After he finished, Rairen led his attendants out of the main building of the shrine.
Kotarou's face was white like a sheet of paper. Fuuma Kotarou clenched his fists so tightly that they could not stop shaking.
From one corner, only the man in the military coat noticed the indecision of the supposed emotionless doll.

***

The southern region of the volcanic cones standing at the center of the Aso volcanic crater was known as the Southern Village valley. From this vantage point, the Aso-gogaku's 'Nirvana statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha' had its head on the right; its sleeping appearance was also slightly different.
Night descended on the Southern Village valley.

Meeting at Tateno, Kaizaki and Hakkai proceeded with their search for Takaya's whereabouts, but it seemed like there was a barrier in place to prevent outsiders from finding him. Probes using a gohou douji or a wave of thought brought back no results.
Aso was too vast.
He could not specifically pinpoint Takaya's location from the latter's response earlier. Now the impediment was stronger, to the point where he could no longer use a wave of thought to find him.

"The barrier seems to be a spiritual wave scrambler."

Kaizaki remarked. He was seated next to the driver's seat in the 4WD. For this reason, they could not find him with the eyes of a gohou douji. Using the hand bell proved to be useless in this situation as well. Was randomly searching for a connection the only way left?

"Mikuriya-sama dispatched her subordinates from Kojou High to pursue Kiyomasa after he left the Katou shrine, and it seems like they have traced him to this region."

"Was it those missing followers of the Fire sect..."

Kaizaki and company had already independently investigated the disappearances of the Fire sect followers. With the testimonies of eyewitnesses and the hospital staff, coupled with Mikuriya's scouts, they could almost conclude that they were the ones who had taken Takaya and Kiyomasa.

But, to what purpose...?

At present, Kaizaki was still unaware that the followers of the Fire sect, Kousaka, Kikkawa Motoharu and the Shimazu army were all linked to each other.
Only Shimazu Iehisa was of concern to Kaizaki.

The Fire sect... Definitely has nothing to do with the Yami Sengoku---...

"But is this acceptable? Doing this..." Hakkai gripped the steering wheel and asked. "If the Ootomo finds out about our attempts to save Kagetora-sama, wouldn't there be trouble?"

"It doesn't matter. I will think of some excuse."

Kaizaki did not see any problems with their current operation.

"Moreover, I am currently playing the part of a Satomi fugitive. Not an Uesugi."

"..."

Hakkai still could not erase his unease. He could decide whether it was appropriate of this man, especially as a general, to be operating in this manner because of Takaya.

My only duty is to obey his commands.

Hakkai reassured himself, shifting his view back to the path ahead. Hakkai drove the 4WD towards Hakusuimura. It seemed like Kaizaki had already thought of a method which would not be affected by the spiritual barrier.

The vehicle reached its destination at the Shirakawa Yoshimi shrine.
The Shirakawa water supply was a name familiar to all. The land of Hakusuimura was rich in natural springs and was also the source of the Shira river that flowed through Kumamoto city. The limpidity of its waters was second to none when compared with the eight other regions in the country also rich in natural springs. The Shira river could be said to represent a typical feature of locations harboring a water source.

Hakkai and Kaizaki got out of the vehicle. The sound of running water flowing downstream could be heard as they entered the depths of the fir forest. There was no one to be seen at this time of the day. They reached the shrine located deep in the forest.
There was a spring in front of the main building. The water in the lake was extremely clear. Were it day, one would be able to see the different levels of its greenish bottom. Unfortunately, they were now surrounded in darkness and the lake reflected the shadows. The ripples created whenever spring water bubbled upwards gave off a weak radiance in reflection of the snow, twinkling softly.
Kaizaki and Hakkai walked toward the lake.

"This water contains much spiritual energy."

The spring water was saturated with Aso's spiritual power. If they used the water here, it would definitely be up to the task. Kaizaki said in this way.

"What do you intend to do?"

"I want to use the Water Mirror method." Kaizaki calmly removed his leather gloves. "Utilize the pulse of groundwater to locate his whereabouts. Only transmissions via the subterranean will be unaffected by the spiritual scrambler."

Kaizaki ordered Hakkai to make the necessary preparations, and took out a specially prepared wooden doll from his coat. On it he wrote the Sanskrit characters that represented space [kha], wind [hūṃ], fire [ra], water [vi] and earth [a]. Hakkai wrote Takaya's name on the back of the doll with his brush. On the kaishi paper was a complete set of squares, in which he wrote the characters of the Buddhist guardians of the four directions. Kaizaki chanted the Suiten dharani and gently placed the kaishi paper on the water surface. The kaishi paper floated to the center of the lake, gently emitted rays of light before dissolving into the water. At the same time, the entire water surface began to glow blue-green, displaying what appeared to be the directional diagram he had drawn moments ago. Then the water began to swell, the central portion bulged towards the north; the surface began to form complex shapes of varying elevations. It resembled Aso's topography; the water had become a perspective model of Aso's terrain.

Kaizaki continued to chant the dharani, then placed the doll on the water surface, which was emitting a green radiance.
And then...

The doll slowly glided across the water surface in the northwestern direction. Upon reaching the analogical mountains, it sank and melted.

"This is..."

A little less than 10 kilometers to the northwest, in the mountains of Eboushidake. As the doll melted, the water began to sway, then returned to a flat surface once more. This time the lake took the appearance of a looking glass. Hakkai could not help but exclaim.

"Ohhhh...!"

The surface of the pond had become a screen. Its focus took on a grainy quality. Slowly, the outlines became more distinct, and finally it showed the figure of a person.

"It's showing...!"

It was Takaya. It was Takaya's figure. Although the image was not clear, it was indeed him. He was in a room somewhere. The Water Mirror method was one of the incantation techniques which utilized water and liquids as a medium to reflect back target objects from distant places. It was possible with whole containers of liquid or even a single drop of water. It relied water surfaces to capture and transmit images from a distance. Fortunately, the technique was successful thanks to the water in the kettle beside Takaya.

"Kagetora-sama..."

Hakkai involuntarily lean towards the water surface but was stopped by Kaizaki. If any foreign matter were to touch the water surface, the reflection would disappear. Hakkai, who had not seen Takaya in years, stared at the image feeling quite emotional. He sighed, unable to take his eyes off the visual.

Takaya was seated on the bed, his head drooped. He knew that he had sustained severe injuries, but were his wounds all right now? Although he looked like he had recovered, he seemed dispirited. His face was extremely pale and his expression rather broken.

Takaya-san...

Kaizaki felt frustrated with himself again and bit his lips. The anger and anxiety boiling up from the very bottom of his heart was unbearable. He was angry at himself for failing to protect Takaya from an enemy who had caused him such grave injuries. He could not forgive himself for being here instead.
All of sudden, perhaps sensing a peculiarity in his surroundings, Takaya looked over in their direction.
Communication was definitely not possible with this method. It could only transmit images. Could it be that Takaya was aware that someone was watching him?
The expression in his eyes when he looked over, was full of unthinkable sorrow.

"..."

Kaizaki felt a chill run down his spine.
He had an abhorrent premonition.

Kaizaki made his decision there and then. After taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes. He concentrated his spirit, put his palms together and interlocked his fingers, then proceeded to move his arms up and down as though he was ringing a bell.

"Kaizaki-sama..."

Hakkai did not understand what he was trying to do and quietly watched him. Kaizaki was chanting some sort of Shinto ritual prayer. It seemed like he wanted to borrow the spiritual might of the enshrined deity of the Yoshimi shrine. The enshrined deity, Kuniryuu myoujin -- that is, Hikoyai no Mikoto, who was one of Aso's agriculture deities enshrined at the Sannomiya of Aso shrine. He was the son of Emperor Jimmu and the father of Takeiwatatsu no Mikoto's wife, daughter of Aso city.

Blue flames slowly kindled around Kaizaki's body, as though his energy was starting to resonate with the power of the deity in the lake. Kaizaki opened his eyes.

"Honorable deity Yoshimi, please descend on this sacred lake and guide me to Ougi Takaya's position!"

The lake shone brilliantly, a gale blew past, and in an instance great waves surged from the surface of the lake. The water swirled up into a spiral, its core forming where the wooden doll had sunk. That circular pillar of water rumbled lightly and separated from the water surface, rising into the sky.
Hakkai found it incredible.
The block of water floating in the air was like a glass piece of art and could freely vary its form and structure. It stretched to a slender shape, finally assuming the form of a snake. It was a water snake.

"Guide me to Ougi Takaya!"

In response to Kaizaki's words, the water snake twisted its body, its watery skin quivered, then it swayed repeatedly, dancing above Kaizaki and Hakkai as its transparent body blended with the darkness.

"This water snake will show us the way. Let's go, Hakkai."

"Ah... Understood!"

The two of them hastily returned to the vehicle. The spiritual snake born from Aso's spring water remained ahead in the air guiding the two of them. Water was their friend. The underground water of Aso would seek for Takaya's breath and lead Kaizaki and Hakkai to him.

Passing through the fir woods decked in snow, the vehicle zoomed forward.
Snowflakes began to dance in the gray sky once again. The windshield wiper swept away the snowflakes that fell onto the screen as the vehicle followed behind the water snake, taking the national highway to Eboushidake.

***

"You can't find Kotarou-dono?! What happened!"

Rairen asked in a stern voice upon receiving this report from his subordinate. Inside the living area of the Kokuzo shrine, his subordinates replied with hesitation, scared out of their wits.

"Umm... Moments ago, Kotarou-dono unexpectedly drove out with a look of great urgency. When his attendants asked him where he was going, he did not say anything and left by himself...!"

"By himself? He didn't say anything?"

Rairen was surprised. Kotarou's behavior was extremely unusual in his subordinate's account. Kotarou's aide, Shichirou, ran in as summoned by Rairen. Shichirou was nervous and could not calm down.

"Where did Kotarou go? Did you hear anything!"

"This...!" Shichirou was also startled by Kotarou's unexpected departure. "Kotarou-sama did not tell us anything! He told us not to follow him and just left! What on earth is...!"

"Rairen-sama! This fellow was asked by Kotarou-dono on Kikkawa-dono's whereabouts...!"

Several members of the Ikkoushuu ran over breathlessly with the aforementioned informant.

"What...! And did you tell him?!"

"I... Because Kotarou-dono had this look on his face that did not permit otherwise, I had no choice but to...!"

"What is wrong with him!"

Although Kotarou was a retainer of the Hojo, he was also an important player in the alliance established to defeat the Oda. Was he heading to where Motoharu was? Kotarou could not be unaware of what that meant. Rairen felt confused. He always believed that Kotarou would never do anything disadvantageous to the plan to return Kagetora to the Hojo. But what was the meaning of this now...!

"He probably wants to go to Kagetora-dono's side."

"!"

Rairen turned around in shock. The man wearing a military coat stood there leaning against a pillar. Rairen gasped at this impossible answer.

"What did you say? How can that be?"

"He has gone to save Kagetora-dono."

"What do you mean save him...! How can that be! Why is there a need to save him! Kagetora-dono is under close protection! He should know this! Naoe is supposed to have betrayed Kagetora-dono!"

Rairen never expected Kotarou to violate their plans. The man in the military coat shook his head gently.

"Rairen-dono. It seems like that ninja is no longer the Fuuma Kotarou that you know."

"Don't tell me..."

Rairen found it difficult to accept the reality of the situation but it seemed like the man had anticipated this. He advised in a calm tone.

"It would be better for us to send out the men just in case. We can't let him come into contact with Kagetora-dono. If worse comes to worst..."

"..." Rairen's expression grew serious, he immediately summoned his subordinates. As they hurried forward, he commanded them on the spot.

"Chase Kotarou-dono down! If you find him, bring him back immediately!"

"Understood!"

His subordinates set out straightaway. Although Rairen was still in disbelief, his face gradually grew solemn.

Why did he...

"..."

The man in the military coat gazed at Rairen quietly.
The man's name was Akechi Mitsuhide.
He was the man who once betrayed the tyrant and destroyed his empire. With a calm look on his face, he looked back at the snow falling on the Aso-gogaku.

Book 16 Chapter 14 迷宮に降る雪

2009-07-03T22:00:00.007+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes:
PS: do not distribute this without my permission

The mountains of Aso-gogagku in the distance resembled the appearance of a sleeping figure. Stretching from the east were the mountains known as Nekodake, Takadake, Nakadake, Kishimadake and Eboushidake. The precipitous and uneven rocks of Nekodake resembled a human nose, mouth and chin; the level top of Takadake was the chest; the smoking Nakadake lied at the position of the navel. The people of Aso used to call this recumbent figure the 'Nirvana statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha'. But the locals who knew of the severe side of the Aso volcano thought differently. That was not the 'Nirvana statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha' but the dormant appearance of Asura.

The snowfall was heavier than before. A vehicle stopped outside the cabin on the mountainside of Eboushidake. The roads were probably coated with layers of snow as the grooves of the tires were packed with white ice and slush. A young man in a suit got out of the driver's seat.
He was a follower of the Fire Sect - Enoki Masamichi.
He was the leader of the bird people. The young man, chosen from the members of the Fire Sect for his exceptional abilities, formed part of a special team within the sect which operated independently. Enoki had always been their leader.

"Sect Guardian."

Enoki was addressed in this way by his comrades, who streamed out of the small loghouse. Saeki Ryouko was the first to approach him and gave him an umbrella.

"Welcome back."

"The snowfall is getting heavy. We need tire chains on the drive wheels. ...Yasuo."

Enoki called out the youngest member among them.

"Could you affix the tire chains for the vehicle? I'm still not really good at it. No matter what I do, I can never install them properly. I think it would be better to leave the car with you."

"Understood!"

The one known as Yasuo replied formally, immediately wanting to prepare the tire chains. Enoki chuckled.

"You can do that later. I wish to make an announcement. You should come as well. ...Saeki, where is Motoharu-sama?"

"He's waiting inside the room."

"Let us go."

His comrades responded in the affirmative and followed behind Enoki. The group of self-proclaimed bird people of the Fire sect comprised nine members including Enoki as their leader. Their ages ranged from 18 to 31 years of age, making the average around 20 years of age. It was not too long ago when they first realized their identities as bird people but on every single one of their faces was the brimming look of confidence and pride of having been selected. They followed the 'Protestant Guardian' Enoki into the small cabin.

***

"The Head of Kihachi is missing?"

Upon hearing this, Kikkawa Motoharu questioned him further with a solemn expression.

"What happened? Isn't the Head of Kihachi in the Aso Shrine?"

They were assembled in a hall equipped with a large furnace. Enoki was seated on the sofa as he discussed the situation with Motoharu.

"According to our records, during the volcanic eruption in the sixth year of the Jōgan era (864AD) the Head of Kihachi was shifted from Shimomiya to the Aso Shrine as you mentioned. But our investigation has revealed that there is no such object in the Aso Shrine right now."

Under the pretense of conducting an academic survey, they had requested a university associate professor they were acquainted with to look into the shrine's treasures. From the information gathered from the shrine's caretakers, there was really nothing of the sort in that place.

"Could there be a mistake in the records?"

"We're talking about Ikebe's official documents here." Enoki's slender, lidded eyes glinted. "I don't believe a mistake is possible with records about Kihachi."

"Then where on earth is it?"

In the archives of Aso shrine, there was no mention of the head of Kihachi. Since there was no documented evidence, the aforementioned object must have been consecrated in secret. Enoki had taken his investigation one step further. By relying on the clues from this era, the offerings made in the 12th month of the sixth year of the Jōgan era, by scrutinizing every record pertaining to the shrine's treasures, he had found something similar to the object in question.

"You found it? Does it really exist?"

"Yes. 'The object of offering in the 12th month of Jōgan 6' is definitely a reference to a certain treasure. But 400 years ago, in the 15th year of the Tenshou era (1587), it was taken out from the shrine and given away as a token."

Motoharu's reaction was obvious. The 15th year of the Tenshou era was the year Hideyoshi carried out his conquest of Kyushu island.

"Do you know who it was offered to?"

"Yes. It was the feudal lord of Higo at that time..." Enoki stretched out his body. "The general by the name of Sasa Narimasa."

"What? Sasa... Sasa Narimasa-dono?!"

Enoki nodded.

"But that's about all I can glean from the records. As far as its present location is concerned, it remains unclear. Narimasa died a year after settling down. After that, its whereabouts..."

"You don't know..."

Motoharu felt powerless and sighed deeply. Enoki continued with supplementary information. The head of Kihachi could be in Narimasa's hands or, if the Aso family had unpublished data, its whereabouts might be detailed therein.

"Hmph. I see you have failed to find the important head of Kihachi. What a joke."

The tall, black-haired man standing behind Motoharu remarked.

"Kousaka-dono."

"For all the inspiring talk of liberating Kihachi's onryou, it would be meaningless if we don't have the essential head, wouldn't it? Nothing can be done even if we bring Princess Asara, isn't that right?"

Kousaka's arrogant manner displeased the followers of the Fire sect. The youth, Yasuo, could not tolerate his speaking tone and interjected,

"Our investigation is still ongoing! We will be able to find the honorable head of Kihachi-sama for you, there's no need for you to remind us about it!"

"As it should be. You were the ones who proposed this idea after all. ...You people want to resurrect Kihachi. We need the power to annihilate the Ootomo and the Oda. That's why we've formed an alliance. But we've already acquired the missing Princess Asara, furthermore the receptacle for Kihachi is ready."

Kousaka smiled maliciously.

"You want to revive the power of the Fire sect, don't you? Then please make haste in the search of that honorable head."

The members' fists were tightly clenched. Kousaka looked at them coldly, then sighed contemptuously and shifted his attention to the flames of the warm furnace.

"Sasa Narimasa indeed... Hmph, if I knew this earlier, I would've let him live a little longer."

Motoharu, who had been pondering deeply, suddenly lifted his head and looked at Enoki and the others.

"...That man might know something."

***

"The treasure from the Aso Shrine offered to Sasa-dono?" Kiyomasa looked at Enoki cautiously.

"Correct." Enoki nodded. After listening to what Motoharu had to say, he assumed that Kiyomasa might know of some information as he was Narimasa's successor. As a matter of fact, Kiyomasa himself did vigorously aid the defeated high priest of the Aso shrine for a brief period of time during the troubled era of the Sengoku Jidai. He did play a part in the restoration of the Aso clan and had also fervently repaired many small abandoned shrines and other structures.

The "Golden Snake Head" was something he had heard directly from one of Narimasa's surviving retainers...

"..." Kiyomasa did not immediately reply. He half-closed his eyes, carefully leaned back in his rocking chair and assumed a casual demeanor. That pair of eyes watched the expressions of Enoki and Saeki attentively.

"The archives for the 12th month of Jōgan 6 mention a treasure. As someone who succeeded Sasa Narimasa, you should know of this."

"Really..." Kiyomasa tilted his head a little, nonchalantly putting up a puzzled guise. "Most of Narimasa-dono's belongings are kept at his family temple, however I've never heard of an object of offering from the Aso clan. ...Is there such a thing?"

"If you dare lie..." Saeki Ryouko, standing behind Enoki, raised her forefinger and pointed towards the top of her left chest. "It won't do you any good."

She was indirectly referring to the luminous flame stone buried in his body, threatening to activate its combustive property again and cause so much pain he would wish he was dead. But as expected of one of the Seven Spears of Hideyoshi, he calmly continued to play the fool.

"When I say I don't know it, I don't know it. What else do you want me to say? Even if there was such an object, Taigou-dono probably confiscated it when Narimasa-dono decided to commit harakiri. Anyway, what's the deal with Aso-dono's offering? What kind of object is it?"

"It's a human skull." Enoki said in a low voice.

"A skull?"

"It was once the goshintai of Shimomiya. But even though it's a human skull, its shape is said to be exceedingly similar to the head of an orochi. It was said that the skull assumed the form of an orochi's head due to the excessive hatred when it was beheaded by Takewatatsu no Mikoto."

What?

Kiyomasa was speechless. He lifted his head.
He had never heard of this before.

Human? Wasn't it supposed to be the eight-headed orochi?

"That skull contains a highly-concentrated accumulation of grudge." Enoki told him coldly as he walked slowly towards him over the carpet. "That skull is saturated with Kihachi-sama's grudge - no, onryou. That power is capable of sinking Kyushu island. If we allow one who doesn't fathom its power to wield it irresponsibly, it could cause an irreversible disaster."

"What do you mean?"

"It isn't just one person's grudge that's concentrated in that skull."

Enoki stated with a menacing expression, his appearance completely different from before.

"Do you want me to tell you, Katou Kiyomasa? What lies concealed in that skull..."

"Sect Guardian...!"

Stopped by Saeki, Enoki was startled and halted his words. The exchange of looks between them was so deep it was impervious. Kiyomasa found this a somewhat curious affair and felt unceasingly nervous.

That's right...!

They were referring to the "human skull" that the Aso shrine had offered to Sasa Narimasa...

Could it be the "Golden Snake Head"?

The underground treasure of Kojou, which was now occupied by the Ootomo, was the very object Mikuriya and the others called the head of the orochi. With their current dominion of Kojou High, wasn't it obvious that they were targeting that "eight-headed orochi"? But what were they talking about here? This was something new to Kiyomasa. Wasn't the "Golden Snake Head" an orochi that used to reside in Aso's subterranean in the ancient times? Wasn't it the incarnation of Aso's volcanic lava?

What's going on here?

Who were these people anyway? They addressed Kihachi with the honorific of "-sama", saying that its head was beheaded by Takeiwatatsu no Mikoto. Kiyomasa had never heard of the "Golden Snake Head" regarded as a human skull. He had never heard of this matter before even though he was in contact with members of the Aso clan. Or could it be that not even the members of the Aso clan know about this?

Capable of sinking Kyushu island?

What sort of monster was this? And what was the story behind its beheading by the agriculture deity, Takeiwatatsu no Mikoto?

"..."

Kiyomasa took extra care not to let the other two notice his discomposure. It appeared that these people knew something that neither he, Sasa Narimasa nor the Otomo knew about.

What is their objective?

He could not guess what they were thinking. They were allied with the Mouri; modern people who could fly in the sky. Who were they? And what was Kikkawa Motoharu's true goal?

Alright...

Kiyomasa made up his mind without any change in his facial expression. He calmly stood up.

"Seems like this is some extraordinary object, but I know nothing about it. If you really want to know, you should head to Toyokuni Shrine and directly ask Taigou-dono."

"...Do you really not know anything?"

"Oh for crying out loud! Who do you think you're talking to? I have been sanctified at the Katou shrine, I am someone who possesses divinity. Would a deity tell lies!"

"..."

"Do not speak to me in that sort of tone. When you imprison a deity you should at least present him with the relevant offerings. What a brat without the slightest bit of courtesy. Also, that extraordinary stunt of flying in the sky... I can understand if you are female, but I've never heard of a male celestial maiden. Look, even my tea has gone cold with all this talking. Bring me another cup. You don't even have any refreshments!"

Enoki and Saeki looked at each other dumbfounded.

"Oh right, is there an onsen in this house? I haven't taken a bath since yesterday, I feel dirty. I very much prefer to be clean! I'm also a vegetarian so all three meals must not have any meat in it! My soup must have nameko mushroom!"

What is with the sudden impudence...

Perhaps Enoki was stupefied by Kiyomasa's willfulness, he gave Saeki a few directives and went out of the room by himself.
Saeki appeared disgusted with Kiyomasa's princely tirade and his incessant demands. She brought a coffee pot as he directed and poured him a new cup of coffee.
Kiyomasa quietly waited for her to fill his cup. It seemed like Saeki was not particularly vigilant of Kiyomasa perhaps due to the luminous flame stone buried in his body. She quietly filled his cup with coffee and coldly said, "Please have this."

Kiyomasa returned to his chair, picking up the cup slowly as he rudely scrutinized Saeki Ryouko. That overly insolent way in which he looked at her, as if he was examining her limbs, displeased Ryouko. She stared back at Kiyomasa ferociously. Then Kiyomasa deliberately smiled like a lecher and said.

"...You're still a virgin right?"

"Huh?" Ryouko was taken aback.

Kiyomasa paid even more attention to the look on her face.

"I thought you were whats-his-name Enoki's woman, but it doesn't seem like it. It's truly a pity for a beauty such as yourself. How about becoming my woman?"

"!"

The moment Ryouko widened her eyes in anger, a sharp pain burst in Kiyomasa's left chest. The luminous flame stone erupted unexpectedly.

"Ow...!" When his body jolted, he dropped the coffee cup in his hand. The steaming liquid splashed onto Kiyomasa's knee. "Ah... it's burning! Burning!"

Kiyomasa leaped up due to the scalding injury, jumping all over the place as he cried out in pain. Ryouko was frightened by his reaction and hastily grabbed a towel.

"A-Are you okay!"

She touched him, wanting to dry Kiyomasa's clothes. At that instance,

"!"

Kiyomasa gripped Ryouko's right hand tightly. Ryouko jumped in fright and looked up directly into Kiyomasa's eyes. Kiyomasa widened his eyes like a demon, staring down at her as if he wanted to break through her. He was like a different person; his crushing presence scared Ryouko and froze her movements.

"Ah..." Her right hand was firmly locked in Kiyomasa's grasp.

A few seconds passed.

"..."

Ryouko immediately came back to her senses. Realizing that Kiyomasa was gripping her hand, she slapped him fiercely.

"!"

Kiyomasa released her hand as a result of the blow. Ryouko pushed him backwards with all of her strength and flew into a rage.

"Have you no shame!"

She scolded him indignantly, flung the towel at Kiyomasa and ran out of the room in a frenetic manner. Kiyomasa did not even seem aware of his swollen cheek, but appeared startled, still seated on the floor as she fled through the door. Kiyomasa had contact telepathy. In that few seconds of contact, the large amount of information he managed to extract from Saeki Ryouko far exceeded Kiyomasa's expectations. He had acquired secret details that alarmed him.

How can that be...!

Kiyomasa gasped.
The shocking sea of information that invaded his brain like a furious wave caused Kiyomasa's heart to pound at a speedy rate. The Ootomo and Sasa were probably unaware of this matter. In fact, not even the keepers of the human skull, the Aso clan, knew about this...!
He was left speechless by the facts that far surpassed his presumptions.

How did it end up this way...

Kiyomasa's face was a pale-white. He felt like shouting out, clenching his fists from the shock.

How can there be such a thing!

He had to inform Nobunaga-kou as soon as possible. The true identity of the "Golden Snake Head" was definitely not something as simple as an eight-headed orochi. If the Shimazu were to acquire this object, the situation could turn ugly! Not only Kyushu island but the whole of Japan could...! Could be destroyed...!

I can't let them do this!

Kiyomasa exclaimed in his heart.

I have to report this to Nobunaga-kou as soon as possible!

***

The burning firewood in the warm furnace crackled in the scarlet flames. The flames swayed briefly, causing the shadow of the table on the wall in the room to sway in similar fashion. The fires of the furnace illuminated Takaya's face. Takaya was seated upright in his bed. He could now sit up thanks to the restorative powers of the luminous flame stone. But Takaya's appearance was still strange. He had the same gaze all this while, deeply pondering over something. Takaya's still hand covered his face. Only his eyes, which could be seen between his fingers, flickered.

What is this...!

His eyes widened. Breathing heavily, Takaya groaned in his heart.

What is the meaning of this uneasiness...

Takaya gnashed his teeth, struggling with his inner thoughts. There was a monster obstructing his memories. It was not that Takaya could not remember the events of Hagi, he simply could not approach that place. Takaya desperately considered his condition.
He had never noticed this. Nor did he feel abnormal. Was this something he unconsciously wanted himself to ignore? Why...

I'm scared...!

The more he wanted to remember, the more he was pressured by intense apprehension. Breathing was difficult; sweat seeped out onto his skin. Takaya's efforts to repress his fear was pushing him near breaking point. He felt like screaming madly and escaping, but strove to confront it head on.

--Naoe was shot.
--Burned down Hagi city with the power of fire dragons...

That...matter...

He held his head tightly and shut his eyes, painfully shaking his head over and over again.

I don't know...at all...!

The scar on Rairyuu's face appeared. Was it caused by his own flames? Did he destroy Hagi city? Shot? I don't know.
The more he tried to remember, the more he was suffocated by this oppressive feeling which hindered his breathing. Naoe should have been with him all this while. After that, there was Itsukushima, they had always been fighting together...

Where?

A chill ran down his spine.

Where was Naoe at that time?

The severe uneasiness closed in. What happened to him after Hagi? He endured his fear and desperately asked himself. What happened before the battle at the Suigun castle? Where did he go? How did he move?

I don't know!

Takaya bit his lip, shaking his head incessantly.

I... can't remember!

--You have the strength to see it.

Is 'this' what I have to face no matter what?

Takaya panted, removing his hand from his face.

Is this what you were referring to? Kaizaki!

He bit his lips so hard it was bleeding. The taste of blood filled his mouth, startling him. Takaya wiped away the blood but the instant he looked at his fingers, his body jolted.

"Ahh...Ahh..."

The blood he saw merged with the 'monster'. His fear increased, crushing his heart. Takaya's entire body tensed. He clutched the bed sheets, breathing heavily as though he wanted to cry out for help.

No! I have to see this...

He struggled to open his eyes.

I have to see this!

The answer he wanted should be in front of him. Even if he could not see it, he should be able to sense it by intuition. He must not divert his eyes. Takaya's eyes were full of fighting spirit, staring into empty space as he trembled.

Don't escape!

Under the agonizing stress that could drive one mad, amongst this tumult that made one suicidal, was the answer that he had to grasp at all costs. He must not retreat. He must see this. Takaya clenched his teeth, fighting by himself. This was a battle where no one could help him.

***

How many hours have passed?
It continued to snow in the forest. The sky appeared rather dark outside the window. The flames of the furnace were reflected in the glass window. The fire quivered slightly, coloring Takaya's face a tangerine red. Someone was gazing at him from the room entrance. It was Kikkawa Motoharu. He had been standing there for some time. Motoharu had been observing Takaya.

An astonishing expression...

He had been thinking too much, such that he appeared haggard. He looked like a psychasthenia patient who was taking things too hard. His pensive eyes seemed carved into his face. However there was a strange, burning radiance in the depths of his pupils. It seemed like he could kill with just his eyes alone if someone approached at random.
This expression was not human, Motoharu thought. Describing it as a reversion to primal resolve would be an understatement. It was a demonic aura that intimidated people - he still felt that this was not enough to describe the look on his face.
Takaya suddenly noticed Motoharu's presence and lifted his head.
He was filled with murderous spirit.

Truly astonishing...

He felt that he was simply demon wearing the form and structure of a human being. Motoharu took a deep breath, as though bolstering himself for what was to come. Then he walked in.

"Your school uniform has been washed." Motoharu said, placing the school uniform, which had just been sent back from the laundry, by the side. Takaya was on guard, with a kind of nervousness that was suffocating. Takaya stared intensely at Motoharu as though he would bite at any moment. He was a completely different person from the day he awoken. His eyes were far more intimidating than the time Motoharu saw him at Hagi. Even a hungry beast had a much less intense expression than his.

Even if he rips my throat out, there's nothing I can do about it.
Motoharu resigned himself to this notion and sat on the chair.

"How are you feeling? A little better?"

"..."

Takaya did not answer. But the look in his eyes said more than words from his mouth could ever express.

"Don't look at me with those kind of eyes. I am not your enemy. I only came to see how you are faring. How's your injury?"

Takaya was silent. He was like an injured tiger. His guarded appearance was proof that their conversation earlier had pushed him over his limits. He had probably been struggling with the abnormality within himself all this while. For this reason, his nerves... to say that it had been flipped inside-out would be an understatement. His uncertainty showed that he was obviously threatened by the prospect of having all of his words and deeds negated.

Motoharu was slowly beginning to understand Kagetora's personality. In the past, he would have taken Kagetora's threatening stance at face value, be overwhelmed by his compelling force and would have probably cowered in fear...
But Kagetora's true feelings were always opposite to his actions. This extreme hostility was all the more an indication of his uneasiness and unbearable fear within himself.

"..."

Motoharu felt like he could understand Naoe's feelings and sighed a little.

"I wish to speak with you again."

The tension in Takaya eyes did not let up. Motoharu endured his gaze and continued.

"During that time, we were probably not calm enough when we came face to face. Furthermore, I did not understand you completely as a person. If I had said anything superfluous, I apologize."

Motoharu said with an honest intonation, looking at Takaya.

"Can we talk about that time?"

"..."

Takaya was still extremely cautious to Motoharu's every word. His lips were pursed together firmly and his assertive eyes caused one's heart to ache. Motoharu was silent for a while. Then he said,

"I lost my younger brother, Takakage, in that battle as well as my nephew, Terumoto. My retainers have also disappeared in that Sea of Aki. Perhaps you can say that the Mouri was wiped out in that naval battle."

Those who were originally dead to begin with have returned to the place where they ought to have gone. That was all. Perhaps you would say that...

"But I still think, wouldn't it have been great if I could live together with my brother once again, however short a period of time."

"..."

"I am certain that the bonds between the Two Rivers of the Mouri have never disappeared."

Motoharu said, thinking back on his last years.

The Two Rivers of the Mouri never had a smooth relationship after the death of their father, Motonari. Takakage had always been an outstanding individual among the brothers, excelling both as a politician and a military strategist. Nearly all of the Mouri's valuable military had been established by Takakage. There was also very little to criticize when it came to his personal principles. ...Thus his father Motonari had very high expectations and deep trust in Takakage, ultimately sending their nephew, Terumoto, to be under Takakage's tutelage.
He was an exceptional person, no matter the field, and always garnered everyone's attention.
During the age of Toyotomi's regime, he had been selected to join the Council of Five Elders. Henceforth, even though they were known as the Two Rivers of the Mouri, Takakage's and Motoharu's paths had diverged. Takakage had conformed to the trend of the times by actively becoming intimate with Hideyoshi, and under Hideyoshi, succeeded in consolidating his power. But Motoharu had been dissatisfied with fighting under Hideyoshi's flag and chose to live in seclusion after letting his son take over the family's assets.

Motoharu was aware of the dark emotions in his heart. He knew very early on that his father favored Takakage much more than him and had confidence in Takakage. Whenever he was with Takakage, he would always unconsciously shrink away.
Resigning himself to his fate, Motoharu felt that he was more suited to work behind the scenes, and wanted himself to accept the reality of the situation. But the disparity between the brothers had become so great that Motoharu felt he could no longer fight alongside him.

"After Father's death, the Two Rivers of the Mouri was just an empty reputation..."

Takaya listened to Motoharu in silence. Motoharu smiled.

"I know it. Takakage had not committed any wrong. It was I who felt inferior, awkward, and distanced myself from him. Takakage was only expressing his own strength and lived. Takakage was not wrong."

"..."

"He wasn't in the wrong, ...that's why it's unbearable for me."

Motoharu said, closing his eyes.
Takaya was silent.

But Motoharu certainly did not hate Takakage. The fact that he had loathed Kagetora from the very bottom of his heart when he lost Takakage at the Suigun castle after their resurrection in the Yami Sengoku was proof of this. Although it only lasted for a short period of time, they could finally accomplish a mission together as the Two Rivers of the Mouri, something which once ceased to exist in the past. The link in their hearts had never been completely severed. They could be sure of this. Motoharu now felt that resurrection was not a completely meaningless affair.

"Therefore," Motoharu continued. "I feel that I can understand Naoe's feelings for you."

That threatening glare in Takaya's eyes weakened a little. Apart from Naoe, Tomo-hime had also shared the same feelings. Their sense of inferiority was not born out of hatred for the other party. No... it was because the other party was an important attachment hence that intolerable feeling.

"The feelings that Tomo-hime had, simply broke the limits of her tolerance by chance. As for Naoe, it was a dispute between two types of feelings that by the end, it had become too pure."

Then tragedy struck, forcing both of them to an impasse that could not be overcome.
And what about himself...?

"..."

Takaya kept glancing at Motoharu, who was now silent. Takaya had not said anything. It suddenly occurred to Motoharu that perhaps Takaya could not understand the sort of intolerable feeling that he had just described. Once he thought about it, his younger brother Takakage's face appeared on Takaya's, bringing about this inconceivable feeling of affection for him.

"I... Kagetora-dono." Motoharu looked at Takaya directly. "Perhaps I'm being a little arrogant by saying this, but I have unknowingly put myself in Naoe's shoes. I think his attitude is a result of a distention of those feelings, I sensed this whenever I looked at him. I also wanted to see how far both of you could go."

No, not wanted to see...
Rather, he felt that even if their end was an unsightly one, he could not divert his attention. In fact, Motoharu believed that Kagetora's actions at Hagi city were more than just repulsive. It was simply something very extraordinary.
He had said that Naoe's everything belonged to him.
Motoharu remembered that very clearly. He had said that everything of that man was his. Only he had the right to determine his life and death. Naoe's memories... and his history. No one apart from him was allowed to touch Naoe. He only wanted what was true of that man. Kagetora had shouted with the eyes of a madman.
And Motoharu had felt that he was really mad. It was not something as simple as a wish to dominate him. It was a monster of a desire to dominate. It was unbearable to have personally witnessed that scene. What had frightened Motoharu was the way they were so explicit in their attachment to each other, with no effort made to hide it.

One should not pursue another to this extent. One should not seek such things from another so fiercely, endlessly, wanting others to pursue him alone...
Most people had similar desires, big or small, but they would never actually seek for it. Because they knew that it was dangerous. To begin with, it was ultimately a desire that could never be fulfilled. Not only would it destroy oneself, it would also reduce one's relationships with other people to nothing. They would use their rationale to regulate this desire, skilfully prevent it from intensifying, constantly deceiving themselves and others in order to live on. Only mature adults could proficiently accomplish this.

"But please do not misunderstand me. I am not trying to blame you."

Motoharu calmly assured Takaya, who was still quiet.

"I was intimidated by you. After that, I remembered what Naoe said, and I admit that I had made a mistake. There's nothing unusual about you, just that you are too sincere. You treat yourself and others too earnestly, that's why you cannot easily become close with another or allow compromise. I believe this is a very strong quality. It would be easy to put the blame on you but looking at the clarity in which you dealt with such feelings, without a tinge of fear, I was intimidated by your staunchness."

"..."

"Or perhaps the exceptional timespan of 400 years has made you like this. But Kagetora-dono..."

Motoharu said, gazing directly into Takaya's eyes.

"Within the colossal fires you brought forth that destroyed Hagi city, I saw the kind of hell that can plague a person's heart."

Takaya had a pained expression. Motoharu looked straight at him. That anxiety appeared on Takaya's face again. Motoharu watched over him quietly.
Takaya lowered his eyes a little, then...

"Do you think... I'm trying to break away?"

He finally spoke.
Motoharu stared at him.

"If what you say is true, then am I running away from reality?"

"Kagetora-dono."

"Is that it? Kikkawa Motoharu."

Motoharu seemed trapped in a dilemma and could not say anything. Takaya stared at Motoharu sharply. In response to that overly serious look, Motoharu had to brace himself again. He did not avoid his eyes and calmly nodded. Takaya frowned.

"... Then, what about Naoe?"

"..."

"What happened to Naoe?"

Motoharu's expression was extremely solemn. Takaya painfully waited for an answer. Motoharu said strictly,

"Isn't that something you should remember? Kagetora-dono."

"!"

Takaya lifted his head as though he had been hit. Motoharu relaxed his tense lips as he looked at Takaya. Then he slowly extended his hands. His thick, honest hands cupped Takaya's cheeks in a fatherly manner. Takaya stared at him.

"Listen carefully. Kagetora-dono." Motoharu looked into Takaya's eyes and said. "Naoe died. On that night."

"..."

Takaya did not blink. He stared at Motoharu without moving. Motoharu was not blaming him, he was merely telling him.

"You should be vaguely aware of it. The reason why you can't remember what happened at Hagi. The reason why your heart feels so uneasy."

Had he hit it on the mark? Takaya's face stiffened.

"You have been thinking all this while, haven't you? That's why you appear so haggard."

Motoharu had seen through it.
Seen through the fact that Takaya had started to doubt himself.
Right now, Takaya was having suspicions about himself. Could he really trust this normal self? Or was he lying to himself on some fundamental level?
Why did he feel uneasy?
After coming to this place, Takaya had begun to ponder. After meeting with Motoharu again, a strange feeling had caused him nervousness. Takaya wanted to know the cause and had been pondering over it. His thoughts had went round in circles when he met Kaizaki, and now he was experiencing something similar, so much that he was now utterly fatigued from his contemplation. Motoharu noticed Takaya's predicament.

"You feel very unhappy stuck in the maze right?" Motoharu said softly. "The answer has always been in front of you, but you've been rejecting it, isn't that the reason why you can't leave the maze?"

Takaya slowly shook his head. "Naoe... has been with me."

"That is because you have regarded a completely different person as Naoe. ...Due to the impact of losing Naoe."

Takaya still shook his head.

"...Kagetora-dono."

"No... Naoe has always been with me. Always been with me for the past two years."

"And because of this," Motoharu drew nearer to Takaya's face, "you've suffered hurt when you shouldn't have."

A single teardrop slid out of Takaya's widened eyes.

"N...No..."

"Didn't you want to know the truth? Don't you wish to escape from the maze? Kagetora-dono."

"No...!" Takaya could not bear it and shouted. "This sort of answer is not the way out. I didn't run away from reality! Even if he has lost interest in me, he still accepts me as I am...! I won't listen to you!"

"I know you don't wish to acknowledge this, but if so your nightmare will never end! Do you still not understand your sin! If you will never show your injury or pain because of the real Naoe, wouldn't Naoe be the one most saddened by this matter! The actions of the fake would be considered as the truth by you, can you imagine how Naoe would feel about this? There's no situation more frustrating than what you have subjected yourself to. If I were Naoe, I would've died with my eyes open! I don't believe you have allowed yourself to go mad because of some calculated action, but as long as you continue to do this you will be betraying Naoe!"

"Shut up!"

"Listen carefully, Kagetora-dono! All of this was brought about by your dependent heart. Your loneliness is something that you have to bear as a living being. It's a fundamental aspect of all living beings. You cannot run from it. Trying all sorts of methods to avoid it is childish!"

"Don't say anymore!"

"Kagetora-dono!"

"You always say things with no backing to confuse me! It was the same during that time! Naoe never wanted to join your side! Not only that, he died..."

Motoharu gasped in shock. Takaya abruptly stiffened; his fingers slowly pressed against his lips.

"D-Died in... my... arms--..."

"Kagetora-dono...!"

Takaya whispered the words in a hoarse voice, his eyes had widened so much that his eyelids were about to tear open. The image of that sea of flames grew clearer. Slowly, he remembered that scene. It was indeed this particular memory. Takaya remembered. It was a memory of "that time".

"Ahhhhhhh... Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Kagetora-dono!"

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Don't fool yourself anymore! Kagetora-dono!"

"!"

Hearing a sharp voice from behind, Motoharu turned back reflexively. A man had entered at an unknown point of time and was leaning against the wall, looking at them. Motoharu called out his name.

"Kousaka-dono!"

"Kousaka...!" Once he mentioned the name, Takaya's face stiffened. "You..."

"Long time no see, Kagetora-dono."

Kousaka Danjou said in a low voice, his red lips curling a little. Takaya came back to his senses, once again taking on a guarded appearance.

"You're still alive...!"

"Sorry for not living up to your expectations. In order to see Kagetora-dono's beautiful countenance, I've returned from the realm of the dead. Can't you at least show a little appreciation for my efforts?"

Takaya stared at him fiercely. Kousaka returned his glare with a sweet-tempered expression, and said.

"..Hmph. Still a timid little tiger I see. But that was very naughty of you, Motoharu-dono. You shouldn't tell lies to Kagetora-dono."

"Tell lies?" Motoharu asked in surprise. Kousaka smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yes. Motoharu-dono should really be more considerate of others, telling lies is never a good thing. I never expected you to lie about Naoe dying and such."

"Wh...!" Takaya was startled and looked at Kousaka. "What did you..."

"Everything that Motoharu-dono has said is false, Kagetora-dono. Don't be taken in."

Motoharu did not understand the real intention behind Kousaka's words. He wanted to refute but was stopped by the sharp look in Kousaka's eyes.

"Motoharu-dono. A clumsy white lie cannot be used to comfort someone. You've taken Kagetora-dono's feelings into account, so I guess it's to be expected that you would want to tell him that Naoe is dead. But at this point in time, it would be unfortunate if we don't tell him the truth. We should be frank and tell him the facts of the situation. Motoharu-dono."

"K..ousaka-dono...?"

Kousaka ignored Motoharu, who was in a state of confusion, and gazed back at an uncertain Takaya. Kousaka walked towards him slowly, then he said in a pitying manner,

"You... have been betrayed by Naoe, Kagetora-dono."

Book 16 Chapter 13 ふたりのジュリア

2009-03-27T11:40:00.008+08:00

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version 1 - final
Notes:
PS: do not distribute this without my permission

Kaizaki Makoto was badly shaken.
Something inconceivable had happened.
Upon waking from his dreams, he found himself in an unfamiliar place yet again. He thought he was dreaming but this feeling was very real. This was not his own room. This time, he was lying on a bed in what seemed like a hospital ward, why was he in this place? He looked at the clock immediately. This had happened so often that by now he automatically knew what to do next. Makoto gazed at the date on the clock. February the 20th.

"It has been 10 days...!"

This was no joking matter. He wanted to better ascertain his surroundings and looked for his glasses, but they were not beside him. No matter, he resorted to squinting (a common habit of shortsighted people) out the window. The view was exactly as he expected - a completely unfamiliar landscape.

'He' appeared again...

Kaizaki Makoto felt a burst of loathing.

Did the 'other' me appear again?

Dread and vexation both invaded his thoughts, so much that Kaizaki Makoto felt its weight on his shoulders. As usual, he had no memories whatsoever of this brief period of time. He should be at his own residence at Kayasaki. ...How many times has this happened already?

I must've done something baffling again.

Perhaps something so serious that he had to be sent to hospital.

"Ahhh..."

Makoto sighed hopelessly. There was no doubt of his abnormality now, this confirmed it.

Give me a break...

Makoto had this sudden urge to pray.
For the past few months, it seemed as though there was another Kaizaki Makoto nested within Makoto. Was this schizophrenia? While he was unconscious, he still moved as though there was another person in control. Without warning, he would often lose several days to several weeks worth of memories. However, all of his acquaintances would assert that he behaved normally during that stretch of time whenever he asked. He had heard of this phenomena before but he never expected to end up like this. For this reason, his interpersonal relationships at his company were in complete disorder. As he had recently gone through a slew of business problems, Makoto wondered if he was suffering from psychasthenia and would be better off seeking medical help, but...

Where is this place anyway...

He should first call for the doctor and inquire about the reasons for his hospitalization. The moment Makoto decided on this, the door opened and a tall woman entered. She looked like the extroverted type, a vivacious beauty, but Makoto did not recognize her. The woman gave Makoto a frightening look for reasons unknown to him.

"So you're finally awake. Kaizaki Makoto."

Suddenly, Makoto felt uneasy. ...Had he done something terrible to this woman?
Kadowaki Ayako's entire body was burning with murderous intention.

It was to be expected.
After Shimazu Iehisa's attack, Ayako had left the unconscious Kaizaki in the care of the doctor and pursued Iehisa's company but ultimately lost them in the chase. She knew that the military forces of Satsuma's Shimazu were currently engaged in an invasion at the periphery of Higo. Yashiro was under attack. Although it was guerrilla-style warfare, she never expected them to go so far as to enter the city of Kumamoto. This was truly unexpected. The Shimazu's military invasion involved the activation of the onryou from every single ancient battlefield within the perimeter and the casualties were slowly rising. The 'Ken En' dispatched by Kagetora had been accompanied by a large Uesugi army unit yet no decisive headways had been made, neither could they calm them.

If the Shimazu have entered Kumamoto, this city would become the stage for a tripartite confrontation between the Ootomo, the Oda and the Shimazu. The nervousness of the onryou at the periphery was intensifying with each passing day. The kekkai had disappeared thus the district would probably turn into an onryou battlefield if the Shimazu military decide to massacre their way into the city.
Ayako had not factored the Shimazu into the overall picture hence her current anxiety.

But one good did come from this situation. The two people who had accompanied Takaya to the hospital were indeed the missing followers of the Fire sect. Ayako had verified this by questioning the doctor and nurses with the help of a photograph.
The woman was Saeki Ryouko.
The man was Enoki Masamichi. --The young follower who the Sect Guardian Ikeda loved dearly.

Saeki Ryouko used to stay at Kurume. She had been seen flying away from the flames.
By the look of things, there was a 80% possibility that they were the ones responsible for taking away (the remains of) Kagetora. However the driver was a conundrum. He was certain that he had transported Takaya by car but could not remember the destination. When he had regained his senses, he had found himself driving an empty vehicle down the National Highway 57, near Tateno, towards Kumamoto city. Furthermore, not a single member of staff had personally seen them transporting his body out. The trail of clues ended here.

The National Highway 57.

Before that was Aso.

Even if it was really Aso, there're no more clues.

She had called Kagetora unceasingly as instructed by Kaizaki but there was no response to indicate that the message had reached him, there was no reply from Kagetora. Trapped in an impossible situation, Ayako had returned, wondering if this man knew of any other information. But why would the followers of the Fire sect help Takaya? And why would they have to lie about being his family and take away his body (even though Ayako did not believe he was dead)?

"Who are those followers of the Fire sect?" Ayako interrogated Kaizaki Makoto with a dreadful look in her eyes. "If they are involved in the Yami Sengoku, which faction are they from? You said that Kagetora fought with Shimozura Rairyuu right? Then are the members of the Fire Sect who saved Kagetora your comrades? Or..."

"I'm really sorry... about that..." Seated on the bed, Makoto replied in a serious manner. "I don't understand what you're talking about. Seems like a lot of troublesome things occurred, but I... uh, don't even know who you...."

Ayako's eyebrow jolted, slanting upwards. "What did you say..."

"I'm really sorry. I know I've given you a lot of trouble. But I don't even know where this place is..."

"Can't you tell with one look! This is a hospital. You were knocked out by Shimazu's attack, weren't you? Beaten down until you lost consciousness, weren't you!"

"Shimazu? Did I fight with that guy?"

"?"

Ayako's eyes widened. His responses were strange. Makoto tried his best to remember but gave up after a while and sighed helplessly.

"Did I fight with someone when I wasn't around this time? ...Unbelievable."

"What are you saying!"

"I'm truly sorry, could you please tell me where this place is? Ah, I know this is a hospital. Please tell me the city and the prefecture... um, this might even be a town. Anyway, please tell me the name of this place."

Ayako stared at him, wide-eyed. She thought Kaizaki was playing the fool and almost wanted to reprimand him with a 'Why you...' but Kaizaki's expression was truly earnest.

"You, what on earth..."

"It's only natural that you should be angry but I'm really not joking. You... I don't know your name but you probably have some issue with the other me right."

"The... o-other you?"

"Mmm." Makato pressed both hands against his head. "I don't know if you will believe this but it's as if I'm ill. How should I put this, it seems as though I'm schizophrenic or something. When I'm asleep, some other consciousness would have control of my body, like another person has taken over."

"This... Do you think anyone will believe this!"

"How bothersome... What should I do..." Makoto frowned and thought for a while. "In that case, as evidence that this is true, could you call my personal doctor? He's very aware of my symptoms. Once you listen to his explanation, you should be able to believe me. He'll definitely tell you of my illness."

Makoto suggested. He took the writing pad beside the bed and wrote a few words on it.

"Eh?" Ayako was bewildered. His way of writing was somewhat different from the Kaizaki of yesterday.

He's left-handed...?

Yesterday, she was certain Kaizaki had used his right hand. Furthermore, the style of his handwriting was different. The characters he wrote were inclined towards the upper left and somewhat skewed, suggesting that he was nervous.

"Please call this doctor."

Ayako hastily compared the slip of paper he gave her with the memo Kaizaki had given her yesterday. They were completely different. Not just the handwriting, even the numbers were written differently. Kaizaki now wrote the numbers in a very fluid fashion. The handwriting on the two slips of paper clearly belonged to two distinctly different people.

What's going on...?

"Eh? Not again."

Makoto abruptly looked at his watch and murmured. His watch was on his left hand.

"This is really unbearable," he muttered, "I'm left-handed so I will usually wear my watch on the right, opposite to the usual. Seems like the other me is right-handed."

Makoto appeared frail and remarked, "Wearing it on the left makes me feel uneasy." He took off the watch. Come to think of it, his speaking manner was different as well. The Kaizaki Ayako knew spoke with more depth. He now spoke at a quicker pace, his manner was a little bureaucratic and there was no lingering timbre at the end of his sentences. But it was not forced as one would expect if he was indeed putting on a show.

"What's going on..." Ayako was puzzled. "Are you really schizophrenic?"

"Yes." Kaizaki nodded his head sullenly. "Could you please tell me where I am now? I would like to contact my personal doctor or my colleagues."

"We're at Kumamoto."

"Kumamoto?!" Makoto's voice leaped to a higher pitch. "Kumamoto... That Kumamoto?! The one on Kyushu island! How did... How did I come this far? What on earth is happening? Why have things turned out this way?"

"Do you really not remember anything?" Ayako became truly worried, she gazed at Kaizaki's face. "Not even about the Yami Sengoku?"

"Yami... Sengoku? What's that?"

Ayako sank into partial bewilderment as she looked at Kaizaki.

"Then you don't know me either? Not even Ougi Takaya?"

"Ougi... Takaya...?"

Kaizaki placed his hand beneath his mouth. He repeated the name in a low murmur.

"This name..."

"Do you know Kagetora!"

"Ougi Takaya..."

It seemed like Makoto was attempting to verify knowledge of this name. He reiterated the name, carefully.

"Ougi... Takaya... I don't know who he is..., but somehow... I feel like I've repeatedly called out this name before..."

"What do you mean? Why?"

As he repeated the name, Makoto eventually hesitated. All of a sudden, he appeared uneasy and asked in a pleading manner,

"Who is that? Do you know who he is? Could that be the name of the 'other me'?"

"N-no, that's not it..."

"I've always felt like my chest..."

A cramped feeling, as though something was knotted up tightly. Were these the lingering feelings of his 'other self'?

"Ougi... Takaya..."

He repeated the name deeply, struggling to figure out the significance of this name. Ayako watched his face as she waited for an answer, but Kaizaki could not grasp onto anything substantial.

"I wonder what sort of relationship I have with this Ougi Takaya?"

"..."

Ayako felt a burst of horror within her.

This man is really weird.

No, he had been abnormal from the start, considering his actions when they first met him on the rocky terrain of Enoshima. Yes, there was something weird about this man to begin with. Ayako had felt that something was amiss with this man, especially with his connection to Takaya.
Kaizaki was also the one who had imprisoned Takaya and the latter's demeanor was notably strange after that incident. At that time, when Ayako teased Takaya about the mark on his neck bearing a resemblance to a hickey, Takaya had glared at her with unquestionable fury. The assistance he had provided in Takaya's rescue had incited suspicion. From then on, it became a taboo to mention Kaizaki's name in front of Takaya. Whenever he became the subject of a discussion, Takaya would overreact. Then, he would always have a pained expression that vanished into the depths of his being.

Why...

And then there was yesterday. He was obviously allied with the Ootomo, why did he speak as if he was helping Takaya...

"Who are you exactly..."

Ayako looked guarded. Kaizaki honestly did not understand a single thing. Knowing that he was truly ignorant made his character all the more puzzling. Ayako reflected on the way Kaizaki had called Takaya's name; she knew of one other person who always addressed him in this way. Furthermore, Takaya had cried back then when Kaizaki covered him with his overcoat.

Don't tell me...

Was it all a coincidence? No, it couldn't be, something was not right. But if so, everything would make sense.

I'm probably just over-analyzing this.

Because they had run a thorough search and found no information on him. He was so weak during that time. This was not possible unless a miracle had happened. Furthermore, Kaizaki's schizophrenia was not a result of any sort of possession. There was only one soul in this body. And if this soul was indeed him, she should be able to identify it immediately.

Just a resemblance perhaps?

She was surprised that the Satomi would exploit an individual who was a schizophrenic, wasn't it extremely unusual?
Ayako recalled a particular anomaly in Yagami's report of the Enoshima event.
The suspicious disappearance of Satomi Yoshitaka. The remnants of the air around the area where Yoshitaka collapsed had all the typical features of the aftermath of an exorcism. Meaning that, back then...

Kaizaki was not at Enoshima...!

"Could it be..."

Ayako groaned. Kaizaki suddenly lifted his head.

"Could it be what?"

"Kaizaki. If you're schizophrenic, then do the switch here. Call your other self out!"

"That's impossible for me... I can't switch myself."

"Call the other one out! If you're really schizophrenic, call your other self out now!"

Ayako suddenly grabbed his shirt, Makoto jumped in fright.

"Please don't be harsh on me! I can't!"

"I want to be sure! Kaizaki Makoto! Who on earth are you...!"

"Don't be... harsh...!"

"You! Don't tell me you're...!"

Kaizaki's body jolted. Ayako was taken by surprise when Kaizaki's fist suddenly struck her abdomen.

"Nngh..."

Ayako groaned, crumpling onto the bed. The expression on Kaizaki's face was now that of a different person. The other Kaizaki had emerged.

"Sorry..." Kaizaki apologized to Ayako in a deep voice. "You stay at Kumamoto. The Honmyouji kekkai that Kiyomasa installed is about to crumble."

"Kai...zaki..."

"Apparently, Iehisa has made his move. The Shimazu's troops will be arriving soon. If the kekkai is destroyed, I do not know what will become of Kumamoto. The city streets will turn into an onryou battlefield."

"You... why... are..."

Kaizaki's eyes grew gentle, he bent towards Ayako, then placed his large hand softly on her head. Kaizaki said calmly.

"I know where he is. He did not die. I will bring him back."

With this, Kaizaki nimbly stood up. He put on the overcoat hanging on the clothes rack, wore the watch on his left hand again and hurried out of the room. Ayako painfully shut her eyes. A small teardrop seeped out.

..Na...oe...?

His footsteps disappeared down the corridor.

***

Kaizaki flagged down a taxi on the main road and hastily told the driver of his destination.

"Please take me to Tateno station as quickly as possible."

Too careless...

The synchronization was difficult to manage while he was inside the kekkai. Kaizaki sighed, not resigned to his predicament. He was actually knocked unconscious by Shimazu Iehisa...

Haruie is vaguely aware now.

But no matter. Now that Takaya could not act, it was likely that the old Uesugi would not function as smoothly. He was the only one who could give them instructions. Nevertheless, there would eventually come a day where he would have to tell them everything.

...What sort of answer would you give me then? Haruie.

The synchronization was briefly broken as Kaizaki had been concentrating his spirit on sending a wave of thought to Takaya. Takaya had responded to his call thus a gohou douji was sent to locate him. But a kekkai restricted its movements and it could not get close.

Damn it...!

Kaizaki gnashed his teeth in anger. No matter what sort of power he obtained, however he flaunted whatever principles he had, wanting to stand on an equal position as him, wasn't he still incapable of protecting Takaya as usual? What was the worth of these powerless hands? If he could not rescue him in this real world, didn't that point to his uselessness? Even if he was crushed, even if they hated each other, during that time when he could protect him by using his own body as a shield, didn't it make him feel infinitely happy?

N-no, it's not that...!

He was not wrong and at the same time he wanted to save Takaya. Kaizaki said to himself. He reminded himself over and over again. He should be able to do it. No, he must do it.

If not, I don't deserve to be reborn.

Once he closed his eyes, he could see Takaya crying out in grief. Kaizaki anxiously bit the joint of his finger pressed against his mouth to endure this repulsive premonition.

Not now, Takaya-san...

If I carry out a spiritual trace under these unstable conditions, you will really collapse. Even though his words could not be communicated, Takaya's unease and uncertainty were transmitted back continuously. Takaya was now in intense turmoil, so intense that it could be relayed back over so far a distance.

I cannot conduct a spiritual trace now.

--I want to rise with my own power.

But Takaya did not understand that this dangerous intent would be accompanied by ruin.

I cannot let you fight alone.

He did not even know what he could do for Takaya but his mind was set on heading to Takaya's side. Kaizaki had come to this decision as though spurred by a newfound motivation.

There's no need for anymore excuses.

No contrived excuse could grant him as much strength as the thought of personally going to his side. Even if he could not be of any use in the battle he [Takaya] chose to fight, at the very least he wanted to be with him and hold his hand firmly. Even if he had to bear the pain by himself, he should still be able to embrace his [Takaya] body closely forever.

What can I do in order to become your strength?

He could not be a mere spectator watching from a distance. Even if this suffering was a consequence of his own actions, he could not blame Takaya.

I was rescued by you.

And this strong will to live again,

Is also something that you granted me with.

Kaizaki whispered in his heart, clenching his fist lightly. In his heart, he remembered the warmth of his skin that lingered in his hands.

--Naoe...

In that short night, he had been redeemed immeasurably. That night, Kagetora had saved him from the many 'wrongdoings' that he had inflicted upon others in the past. Until now, he had never realized how much his own yearning made him [Takaya] feel uneasy and terrified.
What can I do to remove your distress? But was he truly capable of asserting 'there is nothing for you to be afraid of'?

From the bottom of my heart... I want you.

Be it your 'weakness' of never turning back due to fear of loss, or your 'cunning' desire for perpetual worship, I want all of it. He would pray as he held Takaya tightly in his embrace, yearning to claim even the vile, incurable aspect of this individual as his own with a blazing force.

Sever it, surely it can be turned into something else.

Kenshin had given him another opportunity to come back to life. Thus he had to act as accordingly to fulfill Kenshin's orders.

But...
The strength to live once again was given by Kagetora.
The one who gave him the power to stand again when he had stumbled en route was none other than Kagetora.

You told me that the ideal way of existence was not for me alone but for the both of us.
He did not not believe in anything, he did not expect anything... but constantly reminded himself of Kagetora's words.
Those words had given this heart, on the verge of demise, one last iota of strength...

--Someone like you, can't be trusted...

He wanted to remove Kagetora's pain, literally strip away the numerous layers of defenses around his heart. But however close he got to the inner depths of his being, the very core of Kagetora always thought in this way, and thus rejected Naoe. This was the very affliction which he should have alleviated and yet, because of his 'incorrigible ego' (his hatred of someone superior to him, his petty inferiority complex due to his defeat, his delusions of being harmed because he felt threatened), he could not close the divide between them.
Despite violently rejecting himself, he was always the person crying out the most intensely, 'hoping for rescue', when Kagetora was there.

I... know this very well.

Kaizaki closed his eyes painfully, clenching his fist on his knee.

I can definitely change.

If the abandonment this 'incorrigible ego' meant the 'death of the self', then he would not consider this as an abandonment. I want to change it to become someone with the strength to save you.

Change this ego into the power to save you.

He had chosen this sort of love.
This love was definitely possible.
Because in order to achieve it, he had come back to life.

I won't let you fight alone.

Please, let it not be too late. Kaizaki prayed as he gazed out the window.

The trees along Sugiki disappeared. The national highway leading towards the outer volcanic rim of Aso stretched endlessly. The vehicle continued along the straight route. To the right was a deep ravine. He had once traveled down this road, a long time ago.

About 30 years ago.
They had hid in these very mountains of Aso in order to evade the Oda and protect Minako.
Before that final battle, Naoe had left the frontline under Kagetora's orders to escort Minako in an escape to a place out of the enemy's reach. Kagetora himself knew that Minako's presence would place him in a lethal disadvantage in battle. He had said 'I cannot involve her' and ordered Naoe to protect her.
Nagahide had violently protested against the reduction the Yashashuu's manpower by one but Kagetora had stubbornly refused to heed his words. Because of this, Nagahide wanted to murder Minako, regardless of the consequences, but was discovered by Kagetora and stopped. This particular dispute between them could be the reason for the subsequent lack of news on Nagahide's whereabouts for a long time.
Nagahide was not the only one whose relationship with Kagetora had soured.
Kagetora and Naoe had been cold towards each other for some time.

--I shall leave Minako in your care.

That day, Kagetora had summoned Naoe and told him so.

--I can trust you.

Kagetora had given these orders with those same eyes that always expressed a 'lack of trust' in him. Since then, Naoe had always been guessing at Kagetora's real intentions. Did those words carry a literal meaning, or had he taken their military efficiency into account before reaching this decision, or was it something completely of malice? Was there no other implied meaning? It felt like a trap. Perhaps it was really a trap. On the soil of Aso, he had taken Kagetora's beloved woman and... done something cruel. Naoe had yet to atone for this sin.

It was snowing on Aso. The forest bordering the volcanic crater was coated in a layer of snow, but the roads did not seem adversely affected by the weather.

"Things don't look too good this evening."

The taxi driver remarked after listening to the weather forecast.

"If it starts snowing in the city, transport is going to be a hassle. If there's a pileup of snow, there'll be a massive traffic jam down here. At least, not everyone is on the road..."

Kaizaki looked out the window at the thick ash clouds.

Snow...

It was snowing as well, on that day.

The car turned right off the national highway into a narrow slope that led down to the bottom of a valley. Tateno, the entrance through the Aso volcanic rim, was also utilized by the northern Aso JR Houhihon line and the diverging line of the south-south Aso railway track. The taxi stopped at Tateno station. Parked in front of the station was a 4WD, which appeared to be waiting for Kaizaki.

"Kaizaki-sama...!"

A man wearing a short coat got out and waved in his direction. It was Hakkai. As the cold snowflakes swirled down, Kaizaki got out of the taxi.

***

The rays of light pierced through the cracks in the clouds. With nary a hint of turbulence, the steady sea flickered with a silver radiance. It resembled a lake. On the other side of the Ariake sea, shaped like a big river, were the immense shapes of the mountains.

"It is a little misty today."

Irobe Katsunaga said to the young lady as he walked out of the ferryboat to the quay wall.

"That is the Shimabara Peninsula. The small mountain in front is Mayuyama, the higher mountain in the background is the Unzen Fugendake. I was told that Shimabara city was established in front of it."

It was a 30-minute drive from Kumamoto city. Irobe had come to the new harbor of Kumamoto. At the pier, the ferry leaving for Shimabara was about to embark. It took an hour to reach the Shimabara harbor on the opposite bank by ferry. The distance was about 20 kilometers hence it was much closer than Aso.
The ferry station was only completed recently. The triangular roof of the waiting quarters was rather appealing. Although there was still some time left before embarkation, a group of passengers hurried towards the pier. Irobe watched them, then gazed at the sea once again.
In the distant, a swirl of smoke rose from the peak of Fugendake. The thickening mist mingled with the ash drizzle in the dusk, making it difficult to distinguish the rising smoke from the clouds.

"It seems like the activity of Fugendake has calmed somewhat, but apparently we shouldn't let our guard down. Can you see that region, the area where the surface of the mountain appears dark brown? I heard it used to be covered in greenery, but now all of it has been burnt by the lava."

"..."

The results of disaster damage were obvious from this stretch of land that cut into the sea. It was said that the amount of smoke emitted had decreased substantially since the days when Fugendake's volcanic activity was at its highest. Depending on the direction of the wind, occasionally the city of Kumamoto would experience a rain of volcanic ash.
Irobe turned towards the young lady. She was a senior high school student of small stature, dressed in a sailor-style uniform.
Mikuriya Juri.
Mikuriya's arms were wrapped around her chest as she observed Fugendake, then she said.

"The land of Shimabara will contribute to our Catholic cause. Irobe-dono."

She pointed at the left side of the island.

"That is the group of islands known as Amakusa. After the arrival of the missionary 'Friar Almeyda', Amakusa could well be deemed as the representative city of Japan's Catholics. Almeyda-sama and our lord Ootomo Sourin had a deep relationship, moreover, he visited Usuki several times. At that time, a school was founded. It was truly a Catholic city not just in name but in reality. ...Until the official ban of this religion."

Mikuriya Juri explained, the smile disappeared from her lips. The mad storm that suppressed the Catholics had spread to Shimabara and Amakusa. Followers had been dismembered in punishment as an example to others, questioned via torture... The cruelty of it all was truly unspeakable. They had been hung, or burnt at stake, or drowned. Apparently, a few had been locked inside a jailhouse, and there had been children who died with their stomachs full of maggots that ate their way out. The martyrs had met their ends with the firm belief that death was the only way they could reach the kingdom of heaven.
Due to the relentless crackdown and cruel methods, thousands had abandoned their faith during that period.

"A human being would not have committed those acts." Mikuriya uttered in a serious tone. "The people who did that were demons."

"..."

Whatever suffering she had endured was unknown. There was a vacant look in Mikuriya's face as she pursed her lips together, the expression of an old woman with hidden bitterness. It differed greatly from her usual look, surprising Irobe
Of course, Irobe knew of that era. He had personally witnessed the many deaths of the Catholics by limb dismemberment. As the rumors spread by word of mouth, an overwhelming majority had found it brutal and inhumane.

"Lady Julia..."

Called in this way, Mikuriya suddenly came back to her senses. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Then she took out a cluster of ancient coins from her pocket and showed them to Irobe. The coins were connected together by a strand of thread that ran through their centers.

"This is?"

"Something known as a 'money buddha'. You use it like this."

She said, holding up the six coins by the thread in front of Irobe for a demonstration. The six coins were pulled together into a cross shape.

"A rosary..."

"Members of the underground Catholic society have this. Usually, it will look like a bunch of ordinary coins, only during prayer does one straighten it."

The Catholics who escaped the suppression had hid underground and managed to preserve their faith in this way. The mark of the cross could be found carved onto the knifes they had wielded to protect themselves, on other small items, walls and pillars, all used secretly in their worship. The Virgin Mary was also among the carved images. By braving those difficult times with various methods, the Catholics successfully maintained their faith in secret.

Amakusa harbored many of the underground hideouts of the Catholics as well. From the time of the ban until the advent of the Meiji era, these hideouts continued to serve their purpose through the subsequent generations. It was said that in the absence of a Catholic priest at one point, a mentor known as Mizukata had performed the baptisms and carried out the ceremonies by himself. However, with the passing of time, the words of prayer had degenerated into an incomprehensible chant and the Catholic church turned into an aberrant but customary religion which was completely different from the original system.

"..."

Lost in thought, Mikuriya quietly clasped the six-piece 'money buddha' in her palms. An announcement signaling that the ferry was about to embark was broadcast around the harbor. A whistle sounded. Apparently, the entire crew was already onboard the vessel. As they waited for the sound of the whistle to fade away, listening to the the waves beating up the shore, Mikuriya said to Irobe.

"I believe you may be aware that I am the second wife of Sourin-sama. I used to be the chief maid of his legal wife, Lady Elizabeth. Sourin-sama divorced her because Lady Elizabeth very stubbornly refused to convert to Catholicism."

"I heard she was born to Nadahachiman's Nada family of Shinto priests."

"Yes. The lady was associated with the Shinto priests devoted to the God of War Hachiman, thus becoming a Catholic would have been impossible."

The name Elizabeth was bestowed upon her by the Christian organization after her death. She was regarded as an evil wife.

"But I can understand her. The lady was the wife of a general during the Sengoku Jidai. She could not possibly betray her own faith in the God of War Hachiman."

Thus I was looked upon as the woman who snatched away another's husband, and for this reason suffered hatred...

Mikuriya Juri sighed deeply as she watched the peppery smoke rising from Fugendake across the sea. The ferry slowly glided past them.

"Where is the general Naoe-dono at the moment?"

"He is at Nikkou. I, Irobe Katsunaga, shall be handling the entirety of this assignment."

"I see. I did not expect him to require the head of Ryuuzouji Takanobu as a gift for our alliance. Truly startling. What brilliant leadership. Thanks to you, the Ootomo could easily enter Saga."

"In this way, Higo will be isolated from the other forces of the Oda. If Kiyomasa disappears, Higo should fall smoothly into our hands."

"Yes, if all goes according to plan. Please look over there."

Mikuriya said, pointing towards the Ariake sea.
Irobe gazed in that direction. Amongst the great waves in the distance, in the direction which the ferry had proceeded along, an object resembling a ball of fire could be seen. Irobe concentrated on it intently.

"Shiranui? In such broad daylight, do shiranui even appear in places other than Yatsushirokai?"

"That is not your usual shiranui. Please look carefully. That is the Shimazu's ship."

"The Shimazu's ship?"

Irobe was startled, he looked at Mikuriya. Mikuriya nodded.

"The Shimazu army which seized Yashiro has arrived intending to attack Kumamoto from both sides by exploiting the two-way water and land transport system. Do you see the flag with a cross in the center of a circle? Looks like a scout ship."

He could tell that she had long been aware of this situation. Mikuriya was extremely solemn, staring at the sea disapprovingly. Irobe finally realized it.

I see...

He now understood the reason why Mikuriya had specifically invited him to this place. As the commanding officer of Kumamoto, she was fulfilling her duty by informing the Uesugi envoy, Irobe, of the movements of the Shimazu's navy. She could be considered as an excellent general. He had been told that during a war, her face would have the very calm expression of a military counselor. Irobe grew earnest.

"How does the Ootomo intend to respond?"

"The Ootomo's navy have yet to arrive. They are currently engaged in battle against Chousokabe, who came to the Sea of Genkai, and cannot leave. ...Although all of the land routes up to Saga are under our control, we still hope for naval support to cover the sea routes."

Mikuriya explained, looked directly at Irobe.

"We would like to request naval reinforcements from the Uesugi."

"A navy..."

"Yes. It does not matter if this requires some time. Can you relay my request?"

"...I will do my best. But judging from the situation, it will only be a matter of time before the Shimazu navy enters the Ariake sea."

"We will restrict the Shimazu's movements to the outer perimeter." Mikuriya said confidently. "We shall make use of the Amakusa Gokyo to cut off the channel, preventing them from entering Shimabara bay."

The Amakusa Gokyo was a great bridge linking Kyushu island with the Amakusa archipelago. It was known as the 'Pearl Line', allowing one to cross over to Amakusa by land. It was a great bridge of symbolic significance to Amakusa.

"Then we will utilize the Amakusa Seto great bridge for Hondo Seto. And finally, at Shimabara, the Hayasaki Seto in Amakusa will be blocked with a wall. With this, the Shimazu's ship would not be able to enter Shimabara bay."

"Wall? But who is going to set that up? As I understand, the Ootomo's army have yet to enter Amakusa."

"I have my fellow comrades here."

For a brief moment, Irobe could not understand Mikuriya's words, but as he came to a sudden realization, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Could it be... Mobilizing the onryou who died in Amakusa during the Shimabara rebellion...!"

"I want to resurrect all of the onryou of Hara castle."

Mikuriya gazed at the Shimabara peninsula on the other side of the sea with an idealistic expression. She continued.

"Do you know what can intensely solidify the spirit between men and release power? Irobe-dono. It is faith. During the Sengoku Jidai, the fetters of parent and child, or master and vassal, all amounted to nothing. Only faith can effectively unite people. Those who met their unfortunate ends during that rebellion are my fellow comrades. This yoke is much stronger than the taking of hostages or the formation of alliances for mutual benefit."

"...Lady Julia..."

Mikuriya gripped the rosary tightly with her small hands.

"Amakusa's Shimabara rebellion was an uprising sparked by sufferings of the Catholic peasants due to their suppression and persecution. Led by Amakusa Shirou-sama, many stood up to fight as a significant percentage of the population of the fiefdom were staunch Catholics. After three months of battle to defend the city, everyone died. Of course, their only hope for salvation was by entering the Kingdom of Heaven. But their spirits still remain on that land. Is it because of their extreme remorse, their extreme pain? They cannot go to the Kingdom of Heaven."

"..."

"The spirits of these martyrs are all over Kyushu island. They believe that they cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven even in death due to inadequacies in the strength of their conviction. They are desperately calling out the Lord's name from beneath the earth but cannot go to Heaven."

Mikuriya looked directly at Irobe.

"I want to set up a kingdom for them at Aso. Then call their Catholic souls to Aso. The 'Golden Snake Head' can summon their souls. As long as we have it, we can even call forth earth-bound spirits. I want to beckon the dead stranded in hopelessness on the land, encourage them and give them a place to pray again. Together we can repent, pray, devote ourselves to religion, and this time they can definitely enter Heaven."

Irobe quietly looked at Mikuriya Juri clutching onto the rosary, as she spoke in a passionate tone. Irobe finally understood the purpose of her Catholic kingdom. A place which could serve as a stepping stone for the grieving and indignant dead to the Kingdom of Heaven - was this the utopia Mikuriya spoke of? The kingdom of Aso. The establishment of a kekkai on the slopes of the Aso crater to turn it into a kingdom.

"...I see."

From Mikuriya's words, it seemed like the sole objective of her undertaking was to grant the souls of her comrades with a chance at purification.

No...

Irobe looked at the 'money buddha' in Mikuriya's hands and felt that there was more to this than what was presented on the surface. She appeared to have some deep-seated attachment. Why did she carry a 'money buddha'?

"Lady Julia's former name was indeed Lady Odai, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Mikuriya looked over. "Julia is my baptismal name. Is it of any concern?"

Irobe gently shook his head.

"No... This is merely a coincidence but do you know of a lady very similar to yourself, named Odai, who was christened as Julia?"

"What? I did not know that. Who would that be?"

"The adopted daughter of Konishi Yukinaga-kou. When Yukinaga-kou sent his troops to Korea, she was an orphan who was brought back to become his daughter, and received a Catholic baptism. After that, Lady Odai went to Ieyasu-kou."

"Oh?" Mikuriya's eyes widened. "Ieyasu-kou's..."

"Mmm. But I heard that after the ban of the religion, she did not relinquish her faith and was thus banished to Kouzushima. Even now, there is a festival at Kouzushima still celebrated in her memory."

"..."

A shadow suddenly clouded Mikuriya's eyes. Then she slowly lowered her head.

"I see. That lady did not relinquish her faith."

"Is there anything wrong?"

"No, just that the names are similar... it is somewhat..."

Mikuriya uttered, gripping the 'money buddha' tightly. From her reaction, Irobe saw through everything.

I see. She...

"The eggs of the hebimiko buried in the students of Kojou High will hatch in the next two days."

Mikuriya's face had returned to her usual expression as the student council president.

"I have implemented the hypnosis. It shall start with the sequential gathering of the fighters hosting the breeding hebimiko at the institution. The training to be conducted by the 'Iron Student Council' is perfect and without blemish. The troops needed for the complete control of this outstanding city will be completed soon."

The aforementioned students had already started to gather at the school yesterday night. The assembly consisted of over two hundred students in uniform.
Among them was Koganezawa Kyouko.
The group of students were under such perfect control that even Mikuriya, who had given a speech, felt pleased. The uniform of Kojou High thus became their battle attire.

"As we speak, Yokoteno Gorou should be giving out directives inside the school. We can at last reap the benefits from six months of toil. The 'Golden Snake Head' seems to be mimicking our progress by the way it keeps increasing in power. All that is left is to wait for the completely excavation of the physical artifact. I am the master of the serpent. As long as I can control it, not even a large-scale invasion by the Shimazu will be of any threat."

"..."

"The construction of the 'Destroyed Kingdom' has also gone smoothly. Please take look at this."

Mikuriya's attendant handed a newspaper to Irobe. It was today's morning paper. On one side was a special report with a bold headline about a certain accident in a cement-producing factory in Fukuoka. It occurred yesterday. A sudden explosion in the factory's equipment had left many of the factory workers with serious injuries.

"This is..."

"The cement factory where the accident happened is located at the foothills of Kawaradake. Kawaradake castle used to be the Ootomo's major crossroad."

"Kawaradake castle..."

It was known as the first major crossroad of Buzen. The Ootomo, the Mouri, the Shimazu and other clans had all once fought fiercely for control of this castle. It used to be the battlefield of an intense war. Kawaradake was composed of Ichinotake, Ninotake and Sannotake, and was famous in the past for being a copper mine where many bronze mirrors and other relics had been unearthed. Ichinotake was now a mining field for the lime used in the production of cement, which had reduced half of the mountain to plains. One could no longer see the former beauty of its geographical features. The bare, white rock surface was now exposed, the flat mining side resembled a precipice in its strange, towering appearance.

"Kawaradake used to be a battlefield. The land is soaked with the grudge of the many warriors who died with remorse. If we use the rocks here, which contain large capacities of antipathy, or this copper for the manufacture of a gigantic cannon, what will it be like?"

"So the 'Destroyed Kingdom' is a large cannon...!"

"Correct." Mikuriya smiled. "Seems like the activated grudge exploded in the cement factory. Tachibana Dousetsu-dono is presently on standby at the Kawara shrine, overseeing the construction of the cannon. With the Yamato serpent and the 'Destroyed Kingdom', the Ootomo will be the strongest. The Shimazu and the Oda will be no match for us. Let us strike back at them."

Mikuriya said very confidently, lifting her head resolutely at the horizontal stretch of the Shimabara peninsula on the other side of the sea.
Irobe looked up from the newspaper with a nervous expression.
The whistling of the ferry across the Ariake sea echoed softly.