From Chinese translations by Hinako.
Draft: Version 2 - final
Notes: "hebimiko" corrected to "jyako"
PS: do not distribute this without my permission
Takaya and Nezu came to the Kato shrine situated near Kumamoto castle. They had shaken off the soldiers chasing them. Takaya sat on the bench, panting heavily; Nezu undid the collar button of his school uniform, as though finding it irksome.
"Damn it, that Ootomo has finally shown his true colors. And all of my subordinates destroyed..."
"Nezu." Takaya muttered, inhaling deeply. "No, better to address you by your real name. Katou Kiyomasa."
"..." Nezu frowned. "So you realized?"
"I didn't think you'd be a senior high school student..." Takaya remarked in a breathless manner. "If the people here know about this, they'd be taken by surprise. Who would've guessed that their beloved Seisho-kou, who constructed that magnificent castle, is a student at their local school..."
"I was not the one who built that castle. It was the work of the many laborers."
"I didn't mean that..."
When Kiyomasa finally managed to calm his breathing, he suddenly widened his eyes and glared at Takaya.
"Uesugi, I believe I gave you a warning, telling you to leave Kumamoto. Why are you still here? If you remain, I will not go easy on you. I will definitely kill you."
"Now isn't the time to be wasting our energy over this." Takaya retorted with a fierce look at Kiyomasa. "Several students have been injured. Or is it that you don't care what becomes of the students?"
Kiyomasa's protest was smothered, he fell silent. Takaya approached Kiyomasa.
"What did Mikuriya and the others do to the students? That tape was really some sort vehicle for hypnotism right?"
"...Only then did I realize it." Kiyomasa bit on his fingernails incessantly, unwilling to discuss it. "It's that music, it's played everyday during lunch break. The information I had received was vague, hence I never noticed it. The students were brainwashed by that music."
He was referring to the Gregorian hymn that the students listened to everyday. Within that music was the recording of a hypnotic verse, which was barely audible. The hypnotism had been passed through a series of spiritual adjustments to the stage where it was comparable to ultrasonic waves. It was virtually impossible to stop the music from entering the ears of the students. Even if they were not listening attentively, the hypnotism would still be able to permeate their brains.
"The tape just now was different from usual. Perhaps it was a special type of hypnotism that only a select group of people can hear. It was targeted at us, music combined with a dash of hypnotism designed to kill."
It was indeed strong.
One that carried the power to herald death. Nezu's subordinates had very likely sustained extensive injuries. It probably inflicted greater harm on the hyoui rei than the students themselves. The spiritual bodies had been ensnared by the hypnosis and self-destructed. This hypnotism had a lethal power. Could it be that...
Did those teachers die as a result of this hypnotism as well?
"That damn Mikuriya. They're planning to nurture the students of that school into soldiers for Ootomo."
"Soldiers for Ootomo?"
"Yes." Kiyomasa gazed at the main hall of the Katou shrine built in honor of him, and folded his arms across his chest firmly. "Right now, the enemy's Yachou are unable to infiltrate Kumamoto. Due to the ongoing crackdown on hyoui rei, spiritual bodies are ineffective. Nobody other than kanshousha can enter. As a result, Mikuriya must, in her present location, raise troops that are capable of operating in Kumamoto. She has brainwashed the students, turning that entire school into a training ground for Ootomo's soldiers. Going so far as to implement this in a covert manner, she's truly one foxy woman."
"Training of soldiers..."
"That's right. You saw those mixed spirits attached to the students' bodies right? They are attracted to the egg of the jyako buried in their bodies. The jyako has a magnetic effect."
Takaya's face tensed. "Jyako's... egg?"
"Mmm." Kiyomasa looked irritated. "The preternatural eggs come from the snake spirit which is known to have cursed venom. Mikuriya has implanted a jyako egg into every single student, letting the jyako parasite stay inside the students' bodies. Although the eggs are still in breeding phase, they're about to hatch."
Takaya suddenly remembered something, exclaiming 'Ah'. He was not mistaken then. The object wriggling like an earthworm inside the carotid artery of the student who had collapsed earlier...
Was that the larvae of the jyako...
"The Gregorian hymn also serves as prenatal care. Educating them to be fully devoted as soldiers for Ootomo. Furthermore, those who have the jyako parasite implanted in their bodies easily respond to Mikuriya's hypnotism. When I performed kanshou on this body, it was already implanted with an egg. I was immediately aware and burned it within the body. That woman is a snake master."
"Snake master...?"
"Yes. She has the ability to communicate with the will of the snake spirit and control them exceptionally well."
"If the eggs hatch, what will happen then?"
"A soldier for Ootomo would then be completed. Just like how the snake spirit obeys Mikuriya, the students will become Mikuriya's faithful servants."
All of the students...?
Just thinking about it made Takaya feel sick. Approximately 1200 to 1300 students, all of them to become warriors in the Yami Sengoku?
"!... In that case, don't tell me... all those students from the inspection team, capable of powers, have also..."
"That's right. Because the larvae of the jyako has hatched."
Takaya grew pale. "If that's the case, then all of the students of Kojou high school will one day be capable of powers..."
"Correct." Kiyomasa pressed his clearly defined lips together, looking askance at the Udo tower of his Kumamoto castle. "They will be soldiers with powers. Ootomo intends to use them as Kojou's castle garrison. Their target is a certain object buried in that school - beneath the ground surface on which Kojou was constructed. In order to prevent us from hindering the excavation project, they intend to use the students as a castle garrison."
"A certain object?"
"The treasure buried by the former lord of the castle, Sasa Narimasa-dono."
Takaya was startled. He did not expect to hear this name at this particular moment. Sasa Narimasa, Kojou's former lord of Kumamoto castle.
"The object buried by Narimasa, don't tell me the so-called Narimasa treasure is the 'Head of the Orochi'?"
"!... How do you know that?"
"Uh... Well---..."
Takaya hesitated. In any case, he could not let Kiyomasa know that he had 'heard of this from Kaizaki Makoto'. Takaya replied, "I found out about it." Kiyomasa looked somewhat skeptical, he continued.
"I'll be straight with you, it's real name is the 'Golden Snake Head'. I hear it's an extremely large skull of the orochi."
"Skull...?"
"Yeah. Like a monster with a body as huge as a river. It was the piece of treasure granted to the first shrine of the Higo province - Aso shrine."
Situated at Aso Miyaji, Aso shrine was the representative shrine of Higo. When Narimasa was assigned to Kumamoto by command of Taigou Hideyoshi, he strove hard to win the support of the people of Higo. He had invited Koremitsu of the Aso clan, who was the high priest of the great shrine as well as a general, Iyoshi and his brothers to a courteous reception at the sanctified Aso shrine. This was the moment where the Aso clan presented the 'Golden Snake Head' to Narimasa. Narimasa had been exulted for this reason, offered it to the 'castle's patron saint' in tribute and had placed it at one remote corner of Kojou, that is, somewhere beneath the gymnasium.
Aso shrine...
Something flashed in Takaya's mind. He remembered hearing about this shrine just recently. Kiyomasa took no notice of him and continued.
"It is said that the 'Golden Snake Head' is the skull of a large serpent that lived in the depths of Aso during the ancient times. The volcano, Mt. Aso, has been around since time immemorial. That serpent would trigger an eruption of the lava amassed beneath - some have also said that it's the manifestation of the Magma God. It's also said that the 'Golden Snake Head' was controlled by Aso shrine's Sannomiya Kusakabeyoshimi deity - namely Kuniryuu myoujin. But there's yet another theory."
Kiyomasa turned towards Takaya and said. "Legend has it that the skull is just one of the heads of the yamata-no-orochi."
Takaya stared at him. "Yamata-no-... orochi...?"
Huh?
Right at this moment, a female student cycled past the shrine. She was wearing Kojou high school's uniform.
It was Inaba Akemi.
Akemi left school early in the morning as she had to go to the dentist. However, she was on her way back to school to retrieve the worksheets she had left in the classroom. Akemi saw two familiar faces in the shrine, and could not help but stop her bicycle.
Eh, it's Nezu-kun and Ougi-kun.
Akemi thought, "What are they doing?" and got off her bike. Since she had left early, she was unaware of the commotion which had taken place in school during the lunch break. This was strange to her, it was obviously time for the fifth lesson, what were those two doing here? She wanted to greet them but both of their faces were so solemn that she found it difficult perturb the atmosphere by calling out to them.
Speaking of which...
She recalled the incident that occurred after school a few days ago. Nezu had confronted Takaya, and said some truly baffling things to him. Calling him by the name of Uesugi and such, not to mention dealing out threats to make him leave... In any case, this particular moment felt somewhat bizarre to her. Akemi inadvertently slipped into the shadows, and spied on Takaya and Nezu's actions. Despite the distance, she could hear their conversation. They were talking about Kiyomasa and Mikuriya.
What the heck are they talking about...
"Hello there, young lady." Someone unexpectedly addressed her from behind, scaring Akemi half to death.
"Wah... Yes!"
Once Akemi turned around, she was shocked. An unfamiliar middle-aged man wearing a suit was standing there. He appeared unusually good-natured. Akemi thought, "Is he a tourist?" However it did not seem that way.
"Judging by your uniform, I presume you're a student of Kojou high school?"
"Yes. ...That's right... Ngh!"
Her words were mingled with groans, resulting in a strange kind of cry. The man's fist had struck Akemi's abdomen. Akemi let out a tiny moan before collapsing.
"Take her into the car, Shichiri."
A voice relaying an order came from behind. The suited man replied with an 'Understood', and carried Akemi towards the vehicle parked by the roadside. Right at that moment.
"...!" Takaya had sensed traces of suspicious activity, and turned in their direction.
"What's the matter? Uesugi-dono."
"I heard something just now..."
"A sound? ...Hey, Uesugi-dono!"
Takaya took off in the direction from which the sound had originated. As though wanting to obstruct his path, the black figure of a person leaped out of the shadows.
"!"
The man in his way had an excellent physique and wore a deep brown overcoat. A good area of the man's face was concealed by his hat. Takaya was forced to stop.
What...!
Takaya nearly exclaimed in surprise, he gasped. The youth took off his hat, revealing his face, confronting Takaya.
"This would be our first meeting since Itsukushima, Kagetora."
"!"
Takaya held his breath when he saw that face. The structure of his features was somewhat bony, however the burn injury on the right side of his face and the stitch marks were a ghastly sight to behold. Those two eyes glinted brightly like a hungry beast. Takaya muttered his name in a hoarse voice.
"Shimozura... Rairyuu...!"
The man in front of Takaya was indeed the brother of Shimozura Rairen, Honganji's bougan, Shimozura Rairyuu - known as the strongest of the Ikkoushuu. He went missing after the Itsukushima incident leaving no information on his whereabouts. The miserable scar on the right side of his face exposed by the sun, made for a dreadful sight. Without a doubt, the scar was a remnant of the battle at Hagi city.
"Inaba!"
Hearing Kiyomasa yelling behind him, Takaya looked past Rairyuu. A suited man was about to place Akemi into a car. Akemi was unconscious.
"Damn it...!"
Intending to stop Takaya from rushing past him, sharp plasma broke out before his eyes.
"Ch...!"
Takaya was blasted back, but Kiyomasa's arm caught hold his body firmly. Kiyomasa glowered at Rairyuu and shouted.
"What are you planning to do with that girl!"
"That doesn't concern you." Rairyuu smiled arrogantly as he approached them. "It's been quite a while, Kagetora. I've been waiting for this day. We finally meet again."
Takaya restrained his momentary dizziness and grunted. "--Shimozura... Rairyuu... Why you..."
"What!" Kiyomasa was extremely shocked. "Shimozura... This name, could it be the Ikkoushuu! Are you Shimozura of the Ikkoushuu!"
In an instant, the hostility in Kiyomasa's eyes exceeded Takaya's. The Ikkoushuu could be regarded as the Oda's biggest enemy. Hence Kiyomasa's drastic change in demeanor was not surprising.
"You people... What are your motives for coming to Kumamoto!"
"Don't move! Otherwise, that girl is dead."
The two of them stared fiercely at Rairyuu. However, Akemi was already in the car. Rairyuu's throat quivered as he laughed deeply.
"Seriously, you haven't changed at all, Kagetora. Look at that fighting spirit, just like a beast. You're not human, you're a monster. Hmph, even I find you intriguing. All this while I've only been thinking of wanting to crush you. Just by looking at your face, I don't feel as though two years have already passed."
"What are you planning to do! What are you going to do with Inaba!"
"Hmph, that's none of your business. Oh wait, perhaps she can be used as a weapon against you, Kagetora."
"Rairyuu..." Takaya gritted his teeth to endure the pain, he asked in a strained manner. "How is it that you're still alive...?"
"Hmph. How can I die just yet? I haven't settled the score with you at Hagi and Itsukushima!"
Rairyuu raised the hair that covered half of his face, showing Takaya the wretched scar.
"Look, this injury! You caused this at Hagi city! Burns resulting from the flames ignited by that monstrous power of yours! I did not leave this physical body and perform kanshou so as to not forget that pain, that hatred!"
Hagi...?
Takaya's face immediately turned ashen. He could not understand what Rairyuu was talking about. A monstrous power? Flames brought about by him?
"You... What are you talking about..."
Rairyuu's temples were throbbing.
"You dare say you don't remember?"
Takaya really could not remember. He had not the slightest memory of fighting with Rairyuu. Takaya's extremely honest expression of ignorance rattled Rairyuu's nerves.
"How far do you intend to belittle people! You've caused someone such deep humiliation and yet...! A person like you truly deserves death!"
Spiritual flames kindled around Rairyuu, swelling within seconds. Witnessing the situation at hand, Shichiri Yorichika grew panicky.
"Rairyuu-dono! You must not kill him!"
"Leave me be, Shichiri! I have lived for this very moment! I won't let this pass even if it's Kennyo-sama's command! Kagetora, I want to kill you!"
"What!"
He felt as though a section of the ground had abruptly sunken in. He could not breathe. The 'Antipathy' that Rairyuu had released was oppressing Takaya. It was a smothering sensation that felt like his lungs were about to be crushed...!
"How's that! This is all your fault, Kagetora! You should regret having ever met me! If you had obediently remained in Kanto then all would've been well!"
"Nnnhh.. Ahh...!"
Now that Takaya's body had stiffened, Kiyomasa leaped into action in his stead.
"Damn you...!"
"!"
The moment Rairyuu lifted his chin, Kiyomasa's entire body was thrown nearly ten meters back. The tourists cried out. Kiyomasa's body crashed into a bench violently, generating a loud crash as it splintered into pieces.
"Scoundrel!"
"Hmph!"
Rairyuu released the incantation amassed in his fist. Takaya reflexively opened up a Goshinha. The impact shook the region as meteoric bursts of plasma crackled through the air.
"This level of defense simply won't protect you!"
Not bothering to distinguish between friend and foe, Rairyuu recklessly assailed his surroundings with incantations.
Waahhh!
Screams resounded. The roof of the shrine shattered together with the sound of an explosion. Cars were blown up, trees uprooted. People were fleeing in every direction in panic.
"Why you...!"
Once Kiyomasa managed to crawl to his feet, he immediately attacked with an incantation! However, Rairyuu effortlessly deflected it. Then he took out a bunch of pebbles from his pocket. They were stone puppets.
"Family of Amida, Goddess of Mercy! Annihilate the evil spirits!"
These stones would beckon the descent of the Goddess of Mercy. Rairyuu threw them into the air.
"Ch!"
A glare brightened continuously like a spotlight. Numerous figures of the Goddess of Mercy appeared before Takaya and Kiyomasa one after another.
"It's the Goddess of Mercy!"
"What is that! There are so many Goddess of Mercy!"
Shit...!
The Ikkoushuu were the masters of this technique. Exorcism powers were ineffective against gods. He had gotten caught in the most difficult of circumstances. The goddesses attacked Takaya together.
"Nnnhh... Ahh...!"
"Uesugi-dono!"
Kiyomasa shouted, the flames of the Katakama yari arose in his hand. As he assembled his incantation, the seven characters of 'Hail the Lotus Sutra' on the hilt emitted a radiance.
"Bloody Ikkoushuu, your magic is useless against me!"
Kiyomasa threw the Katakama yari at the group of goddesses. The spear pierced the ground and began to issue golden rays of light. It surged into a tempestuous assault, the sound of large amounts of swirling gravel followed in its wake, the figures of the goddesses gradually faded. Takaya, who was protecting his own body, widened his eyes.
This is...!
"You damn...! I won't let you get in the way!"
"Namu myouhou renge kyou!"
Kiyomasa drew a four-sided wooden sword from the pocket of his uniform. It was called a bokken, a ritual implement that followers of the Nichiren school of Buddhism used while praying. Kiyomasa held it together with his prayer beads, hitting them together to cast a strange sound.
"Disperse the enemy's ritual!"
Kiyomasa knocked the wooden sword intensely. Kang, kang, kang. The mysterious sound that swayed the air, slashed through the atmosphere, reverberating throughout the entire region.
"What!"
The goddesses disappeared. Kiyomasa's power had the upper hand. Rairyuu's anger escalated, he bared his teeth like a dog.
"Damn you! Doing this all of a sudden...!"
"! ...Look out, Kiyomasa!"
Rumbling... From beneath the ground came these sounds.
"What!"
Kiyomasa's legs were pushed upwards, he abruptly lost his foothold. He was going to fall!
"Wha...!"
The area around Kiyomasa assumed the shape of a concave, a circular pitfall. His body was going to be buried together with the earth into oblivion...!
"Kiyomasa! ...Damn it!"
Takaya launched an incantation at Rairyuu with the strength of his entire body. However, Rairyuu very easily blocked it with one hand.
"How strange! The force of your spell is so weak, what are you having doubts about!"
Rairyuu's palm began to turn red like burning, smelt iron. He concentrated his spells in his palm.
"You don't have the slightest bit of the power or keenness of the previous time! What have you been doing these two years!"
"Ch...!"
"You haven't been fighting with worthy opponents, have you! Do not disappoint me! Kagetora!"
"Damn you---!"
With a bellowing voice, Takaya forced out all of his incantations from the depths of his physical body. The two of them attacked at the same time, their powers clashed between them.
"!"
A razor-like explosion swept the ground surface. A whirlwind raged through the area in a manner that nearly tore apart the trees. Takaya shielded his own body, enduring the residual waves that charged across. An overwhelmingly astonishing energy that could practically shred the human body.
"Ah... Ahhhhh!"
"This is the end, Uesugi!"
From the storm, Rairyuu struck with an incantation. The momentary beam of light burned into Takaya's pupils.
"!"
Spells resembling chunks of iron struck against his body intensely. Even his bones felt as though they were being plummeted. The moment his back hit the ground, he could no longer see, his nervous system could no longer convey messages to his four limbs. The tips of his fingers were convulsing; his mouth was filled with the taste of blood.
"Allow me to stop your breathing."
Rairyuu's voice came from above. Takaya was limp, he could barely move. His own willpower could not be communicated to his body. A large, bony hand grabbed hold of Takaya's throat, firmly clamping down on his neck. His trachea was going to be broken. He could not breathe. In his cloudy state of consciousness, his blood-stained lips trembled senselessly. Squeezing his throat, that tough and angular sensation, that large hand... He remembered this feeling. It was very much like someone's hand.
Takaya murmured weakly in his heart.
--Na...oe...?
Just when he was about to lose consciousness,
"!"
Rairyuu sensed a murderous aura behind him, he immediately retreated backwards to quite a distance. At the same time, the soil was violently hurled about as if it was being fired upon by someone wielding a machine-gun. Rairyuu turned his head fiercely.
"What!"
Illuminated figures were descending from the overcast sky. With the sun behind their backs, they were not clearly visible. How was it that they had the shape of a human being? But this...!
"Ohhh!"
Arrow-like objects, which could not be seen by the naked eye, poured down. Despite Rairyuu's set up of a Goshinha, those objects could still penetrate it and pierced him...!
"Ch... Ahh!"
The moment his entire body was hit, a burning-like pain surged from within his torso.
"Ohhhhh!"
Rairyuu was desperately writhing in pain. His whole body felt unbearably hot, as if he had plunged into a fire. Rairyuu could not comprehend the situation and was lost in a state of confusion.
"Water... Water!"
He shouted out, dashing to the wash basin. However the arrows continued to attack Rairyuu relentlessly. Even if he hid himself in the shadows, those things were capable of penetrating any material and continued to strike at his body. He could not take it anymore...!
"Damn it!... Damn it.. Ahhh!"
Rairyuu was in so much pain that it was unendurable. He wildly released his incantations as he forced his battered and exhausted legs to run, jumping into the car that Shichiri had prepared for him. The car immediately skidded away.
"Uesugi-dono!"
Climbing out of the pitfall, Kiyomasa ran to Takaya's side. Takaya did not move, he had sustained a fairly severe injury. Kiyomasa held him up as he spat out the black clots of blood stuck in his throat.
What on earth happened...
Kiyomasa looked up at the sky in a testy manner.
"Ah!"
Kiyomasa cried out, however he could not find the words to continue. Takaya, weakly responsive, could only shift his eyes a little to look upwards. Although his vision was dim as though his eyes were covered with a black veil, Takaya saw it.
What...
Someone, descended from the sky.
It was a person. Most definitely a human being.
Is that... a person...
The people at the scene held their breath, so much that there was not even the slightest gasp of surprise. Everyone was speechless as they were too astonished.
It was heavenly, a circumstance that was unimaginable.
Beams of light shot to the back of Kumamoto castle from the cracks in the dense, black clouds. The dark clouds served as a backdrop as the people slowly descended from the sky. Were they angels?
If they had wings on their backs, everyone would probably be convinced of this fact. However, the ones who came from the sky, every single one of them appeared ordinary. Five, six... They were young men and women. Casual attire, jeans, uniforms... Their clothes were no different from the typical youngster. They were downright average and simply ordinary people.
Their normal attire brought about a sense of peculiarity, which made them appear even more divine.
Having a manner similar to those standing on the ground, they descended from the sky.
The men and women gazed at Takaya and Nezu.
In Kiyomasa's arms,
with traces of breath, Takaya muttered.
How is... that possible...
With their backs against the black clouds that heavily cloaked the sky,
the wingless angels had descended.
***
The car reached the entrance of the hotel. Once the valet opened the door to the back seat of the car, Tachibana Dousetsu and Takahashi Jouun got out of the vehicle.
Led by the attendant, the two of them proceeded to the high-class suite where Kaizaki had agreed to meet them. From this day onwards, all discussions to conclude the alliance were to be held in Kaizaki's room. As agents of the lord Ootomo Sourin, Dousetsu and Jouun had obtained Sourin's full authorization to come to this place.
Dousetsu had already met with Kaizaki. As far as Dousetsu and the others were concerned, they saw Kaizaki as a fugitive from the Satomi. Negotiating with offers of information on the Oda and the Takeda, he had requested Ootomo for refuge and successfully acquired consent. Kaizaki was a brilliant man. Dousetsu had an exceptionally deep level of confidence in him. Kaizaki was truly amazing to have obtained such a reputation within a short frame of time.
The one who had proposed this alliance was Kaizaki. At first, Dousetsu did not have much trust in the other party involved in the alliance. But after listening to what Kaizaki had to say, as well as some investigation on his part, Dousetsu grew partial to the notion that this was the one alliance that should be actively pursued even if one had to risk everything with this single venture. Following that, Sourin approved of the idea as well.
Led by the attendant, the two of them took the elevator up. The other party had already arrived and was waiting for them.
"Dousetsu-sama." Stepping out of the elevator, Jouun followed closely behind Dousetsu, and called him as if to verify something. Jouun looked considerably nervous. "This alliance, will it really benefit the Ootomo?"
Dousetsu was extremely calm. "What are you afraid of? Jouun."
"No, Jouun isn't afraid. But that person isn't any ordinary onshou. Not too long ago, they were still actively expelling all onshou such as ourselves to the other world without exception. Jouun is uncertain about whether they would so easily form an alliance with us."
"That's right." Dousetsu replied calmly in a melancholy voice. "That is why we can't afford to be enemies with them. Isn't that so?"
Jouun was startled, he lifted his head. He felt as though he had finally seen the light. He had only paid attention to the existing threat to the Ootomo but never considered the outlook. The threat they posed was all the more reason that they should not be enemies with them.
Dousetsu had come to this decision after considering the prospect of this alliance. Yes, his mindset resembled the time where he fought against Taigou Hideyoshi when he was still alive.
"Dousetsu-sama."
"The one who was supposedly the least enterprising, has become wildly ambitious. That's what happened. Their power is a threat to the Yami Sengoku. They have the strength that brings them closest to finding the path to domination."
Dousetsu looked ahead with a cynical but solemn expression as he walked down the corridor.
"Uesugi Kenshin."
"..."
"All that talk about him being the avatar of Bishamonten, ultimately, his true intentions have been revealed. But perhaps this was all part of a plan. Amidst his claims to be the god of war who rectifies erroneous views with the right ones, perhaps from the very start, his objective was absolute dominion. He must have been waiting for this day to come."
Dousetsu surmised. He could not help but suspect if all of these undertakings were part of a scheme. Was Kenshin, as everybody said, truly a warrior of justice? Did he have no ambitions at all? Wasn't this merely a facade designed to deceive others? In order to figure out Kenshin's true intentions, Dousetsu was constantly pondering over the matter.
Regardless, this event would certainly create a new storm of influence to the Yami Sengoku.
"The moment this matter is made known throughout the entire country, all of the onshou would probably be alarmed by it."
"The tiger of Echigo has finally joined the battle of the Yami Sengoku." Dousetsu stood before the room, reverting to his keen expression. "A new general is going to be instated."
"..."
Inside the room, besides the Satomi's Kaizaki Makoto, there was also the envoy of the other party of the alliance. Dousetsu took another deep breath as he stood in front of the door.
"An impending upheaval, Jouun."
"Dousetsu-sama."
"The power standings in the Yami Sengoku shall change as a result of this. Prepare yourself for the significance of what we are about to carry out. The importance of what you are about to see. We shall witness it firsthand, earlier than any other onshou, Jouun."
"Yes."
"The new Meikai Uesugi army. The people part of the new Meikai Uesugi army. As well as their new general. Although we still haven't seen him yet... To be able to compel Kenshin to choose him and abandon Kagetora, that man's worth..." Dousetsu turned his head and uttered. "Let us wait and see shall we."
"Dousetsu-sama."
"The man who is held in good graces by the god of war who has given himself to ambition. We of the Ootomo shall get a first taste of his strength."
Jouun nodded with an nervous expression. Tachibana Dousetsu nodded slowly in reply, gesturing to the attendant.
The doorbell rang.
As they waited for Kaizaki to answer the door, Dousetsu inhaled deeply once again. He gently adjusted his tie, straightened his back, a smile appearing on his mouth. Then Dousetsu softly mumbled.
"The new general of the Meikai Uesugi army, Naoe Nobutsuna. I wonder what sort of leader he will be. I'll be looking forward to it."
Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.
Draft: Version 2 - final
Notes: "hebimiko" corrected to "jyako"
PS: do not distribute this without my permission
Takaya and Nezu came to the Kato shrine situated near Kumamoto castle. They had shaken off the soldiers chasing them. Takaya sat on the bench, panting heavily; Nezu undid the collar button of his school uniform, as though finding it irksome.
"Damn it, that Ootomo has finally shown his true colors. And all of my subordinates destroyed..."
"Nezu." Takaya muttered, inhaling deeply. "No, better to address you by your real name. Katou Kiyomasa."
"..." Nezu frowned. "So you realized?"
"I didn't think you'd be a senior high school student..." Takaya remarked in a breathless manner. "If the people here know about this, they'd be taken by surprise. Who would've guessed that their beloved Seisho-kou, who constructed that magnificent castle, is a student at their local school..."
"I was not the one who built that castle. It was the work of the many laborers."
"I didn't mean that..."
When Kiyomasa finally managed to calm his breathing, he suddenly widened his eyes and glared at Takaya.
"Uesugi, I believe I gave you a warning, telling you to leave Kumamoto. Why are you still here? If you remain, I will not go easy on you. I will definitely kill you."
"Now isn't the time to be wasting our energy over this." Takaya retorted with a fierce look at Kiyomasa. "Several students have been injured. Or is it that you don't care what becomes of the students?"
Kiyomasa's protest was smothered, he fell silent. Takaya approached Kiyomasa.
"What did Mikuriya and the others do to the students? That tape was really some sort vehicle for hypnotism right?"
"...Only then did I realize it." Kiyomasa bit on his fingernails incessantly, unwilling to discuss it. "It's that music, it's played everyday during lunch break. The information I had received was vague, hence I never noticed it. The students were brainwashed by that music."
He was referring to the Gregorian hymn that the students listened to everyday. Within that music was the recording of a hypnotic verse, which was barely audible. The hypnotism had been passed through a series of spiritual adjustments to the stage where it was comparable to ultrasonic waves. It was virtually impossible to stop the music from entering the ears of the students. Even if they were not listening attentively, the hypnotism would still be able to permeate their brains.
"The tape just now was different from usual. Perhaps it was a special type of hypnotism that only a select group of people can hear. It was targeted at us, music combined with a dash of hypnotism designed to kill."
It was indeed strong.
One that carried the power to herald death. Nezu's subordinates had very likely sustained extensive injuries. It probably inflicted greater harm on the hyoui rei than the students themselves. The spiritual bodies had been ensnared by the hypnosis and self-destructed. This hypnotism had a lethal power. Could it be that...
Did those teachers die as a result of this hypnotism as well?
"That damn Mikuriya. They're planning to nurture the students of that school into soldiers for Ootomo."
"Soldiers for Ootomo?"
"Yes." Kiyomasa gazed at the main hall of the Katou shrine built in honor of him, and folded his arms across his chest firmly. "Right now, the enemy's Yachou are unable to infiltrate Kumamoto. Due to the ongoing crackdown on hyoui rei, spiritual bodies are ineffective. Nobody other than kanshousha can enter. As a result, Mikuriya must, in her present location, raise troops that are capable of operating in Kumamoto. She has brainwashed the students, turning that entire school into a training ground for Ootomo's soldiers. Going so far as to implement this in a covert manner, she's truly one foxy woman."
"Training of soldiers..."
"That's right. You saw those mixed spirits attached to the students' bodies right? They are attracted to the egg of the jyako buried in their bodies. The jyako has a magnetic effect."
Takaya's face tensed. "Jyako's... egg?"
"Mmm." Kiyomasa looked irritated. "The preternatural eggs come from the snake spirit which is known to have cursed venom. Mikuriya has implanted a jyako egg into every single student, letting the jyako parasite stay inside the students' bodies. Although the eggs are still in breeding phase, they're about to hatch."
Takaya suddenly remembered something, exclaiming 'Ah'. He was not mistaken then. The object wriggling like an earthworm inside the carotid artery of the student who had collapsed earlier...
Was that the larvae of the jyako...
"The Gregorian hymn also serves as prenatal care. Educating them to be fully devoted as soldiers for Ootomo. Furthermore, those who have the jyako parasite implanted in their bodies easily respond to Mikuriya's hypnotism. When I performed kanshou on this body, it was already implanted with an egg. I was immediately aware and burned it within the body. That woman is a snake master."
"Snake master...?"
"Yes. She has the ability to communicate with the will of the snake spirit and control them exceptionally well."
"If the eggs hatch, what will happen then?"
"A soldier for Ootomo would then be completed. Just like how the snake spirit obeys Mikuriya, the students will become Mikuriya's faithful servants."
All of the students...?
Just thinking about it made Takaya feel sick. Approximately 1200 to 1300 students, all of them to become warriors in the Yami Sengoku?
"!... In that case, don't tell me... all those students from the inspection team, capable of powers, have also..."
"That's right. Because the larvae of the jyako has hatched."
Takaya grew pale. "If that's the case, then all of the students of Kojou high school will one day be capable of powers..."
"Correct." Kiyomasa pressed his clearly defined lips together, looking askance at the Udo tower of his Kumamoto castle. "They will be soldiers with powers. Ootomo intends to use them as Kojou's castle garrison. Their target is a certain object buried in that school - beneath the ground surface on which Kojou was constructed. In order to prevent us from hindering the excavation project, they intend to use the students as a castle garrison."
"A certain object?"
"The treasure buried by the former lord of the castle, Sasa Narimasa-dono."
Takaya was startled. He did not expect to hear this name at this particular moment. Sasa Narimasa, Kojou's former lord of Kumamoto castle.
"The object buried by Narimasa, don't tell me the so-called Narimasa treasure is the 'Head of the Orochi'?"
"!... How do you know that?"
"Uh... Well---..."
Takaya hesitated. In any case, he could not let Kiyomasa know that he had 'heard of this from Kaizaki Makoto'. Takaya replied, "I found out about it." Kiyomasa looked somewhat skeptical, he continued.
"I'll be straight with you, it's real name is the 'Golden Snake Head'. I hear it's an extremely large skull of the orochi."
"Skull...?"
"Yeah. Like a monster with a body as huge as a river. It was the piece of treasure granted to the first shrine of the Higo province - Aso shrine."
Situated at Aso Miyaji, Aso shrine was the representative shrine of Higo. When Narimasa was assigned to Kumamoto by command of Taigou Hideyoshi, he strove hard to win the support of the people of Higo. He had invited Koremitsu of the Aso clan, who was the high priest of the great shrine as well as a general, Iyoshi and his brothers to a courteous reception at the sanctified Aso shrine. This was the moment where the Aso clan presented the 'Golden Snake Head' to Narimasa. Narimasa had been exulted for this reason, offered it to the 'castle's patron saint' in tribute and had placed it at one remote corner of Kojou, that is, somewhere beneath the gymnasium.
Aso shrine...
Something flashed in Takaya's mind. He remembered hearing about this shrine just recently. Kiyomasa took no notice of him and continued.
"It is said that the 'Golden Snake Head' is the skull of a large serpent that lived in the depths of Aso during the ancient times. The volcano, Mt. Aso, has been around since time immemorial. That serpent would trigger an eruption of the lava amassed beneath - some have also said that it's the manifestation of the Magma God. It's also said that the 'Golden Snake Head' was controlled by Aso shrine's Sannomiya Kusakabeyoshimi deity - namely Kuniryuu myoujin. But there's yet another theory."
Kiyomasa turned towards Takaya and said. "Legend has it that the skull is just one of the heads of the yamata-no-orochi."
Takaya stared at him. "Yamata-no-... orochi...?"
Huh?
Right at this moment, a female student cycled past the shrine. She was wearing Kojou high school's uniform.
It was Inaba Akemi.
Akemi left school early in the morning as she had to go to the dentist. However, she was on her way back to school to retrieve the worksheets she had left in the classroom. Akemi saw two familiar faces in the shrine, and could not help but stop her bicycle.
Eh, it's Nezu-kun and Ougi-kun.
Akemi thought, "What are they doing?" and got off her bike. Since she had left early, she was unaware of the commotion which had taken place in school during the lunch break. This was strange to her, it was obviously time for the fifth lesson, what were those two doing here? She wanted to greet them but both of their faces were so solemn that she found it difficult perturb the atmosphere by calling out to them.
Speaking of which...
She recalled the incident that occurred after school a few days ago. Nezu had confronted Takaya, and said some truly baffling things to him. Calling him by the name of Uesugi and such, not to mention dealing out threats to make him leave... In any case, this particular moment felt somewhat bizarre to her. Akemi inadvertently slipped into the shadows, and spied on Takaya and Nezu's actions. Despite the distance, she could hear their conversation. They were talking about Kiyomasa and Mikuriya.
What the heck are they talking about...
"Hello there, young lady." Someone unexpectedly addressed her from behind, scaring Akemi half to death.
"Wah... Yes!"
Once Akemi turned around, she was shocked. An unfamiliar middle-aged man wearing a suit was standing there. He appeared unusually good-natured. Akemi thought, "Is he a tourist?" However it did not seem that way.
"Judging by your uniform, I presume you're a student of Kojou high school?"
"Yes. ...That's right... Ngh!"
Her words were mingled with groans, resulting in a strange kind of cry. The man's fist had struck Akemi's abdomen. Akemi let out a tiny moan before collapsing.
"Take her into the car, Shichiri."
A voice relaying an order came from behind. The suited man replied with an 'Understood', and carried Akemi towards the vehicle parked by the roadside. Right at that moment.
"...!" Takaya had sensed traces of suspicious activity, and turned in their direction.
"What's the matter? Uesugi-dono."
"I heard something just now..."
"A sound? ...Hey, Uesugi-dono!"
Takaya took off in the direction from which the sound had originated. As though wanting to obstruct his path, the black figure of a person leaped out of the shadows.
"!"
The man in his way had an excellent physique and wore a deep brown overcoat. A good area of the man's face was concealed by his hat. Takaya was forced to stop.
What...!
Takaya nearly exclaimed in surprise, he gasped. The youth took off his hat, revealing his face, confronting Takaya.
"This would be our first meeting since Itsukushima, Kagetora."
"!"
Takaya held his breath when he saw that face. The structure of his features was somewhat bony, however the burn injury on the right side of his face and the stitch marks were a ghastly sight to behold. Those two eyes glinted brightly like a hungry beast. Takaya muttered his name in a hoarse voice.
"Shimozura... Rairyuu...!"
The man in front of Takaya was indeed the brother of Shimozura Rairen, Honganji's bougan, Shimozura Rairyuu - known as the strongest of the Ikkoushuu. He went missing after the Itsukushima incident leaving no information on his whereabouts. The miserable scar on the right side of his face exposed by the sun, made for a dreadful sight. Without a doubt, the scar was a remnant of the battle at Hagi city.
"Inaba!"
Hearing Kiyomasa yelling behind him, Takaya looked past Rairyuu. A suited man was about to place Akemi into a car. Akemi was unconscious.
"Damn it...!"
Intending to stop Takaya from rushing past him, sharp plasma broke out before his eyes.
"Ch...!"
Takaya was blasted back, but Kiyomasa's arm caught hold his body firmly. Kiyomasa glowered at Rairyuu and shouted.
"What are you planning to do with that girl!"
"That doesn't concern you." Rairyuu smiled arrogantly as he approached them. "It's been quite a while, Kagetora. I've been waiting for this day. We finally meet again."
Takaya restrained his momentary dizziness and grunted. "--Shimozura... Rairyuu... Why you..."
"What!" Kiyomasa was extremely shocked. "Shimozura... This name, could it be the Ikkoushuu! Are you Shimozura of the Ikkoushuu!"
In an instant, the hostility in Kiyomasa's eyes exceeded Takaya's. The Ikkoushuu could be regarded as the Oda's biggest enemy. Hence Kiyomasa's drastic change in demeanor was not surprising.
"You people... What are your motives for coming to Kumamoto!"
"Don't move! Otherwise, that girl is dead."
The two of them stared fiercely at Rairyuu. However, Akemi was already in the car. Rairyuu's throat quivered as he laughed deeply.
"Seriously, you haven't changed at all, Kagetora. Look at that fighting spirit, just like a beast. You're not human, you're a monster. Hmph, even I find you intriguing. All this while I've only been thinking of wanting to crush you. Just by looking at your face, I don't feel as though two years have already passed."
"What are you planning to do! What are you going to do with Inaba!"
"Hmph, that's none of your business. Oh wait, perhaps she can be used as a weapon against you, Kagetora."
"Rairyuu..." Takaya gritted his teeth to endure the pain, he asked in a strained manner. "How is it that you're still alive...?"
"Hmph. How can I die just yet? I haven't settled the score with you at Hagi and Itsukushima!"
Rairyuu raised the hair that covered half of his face, showing Takaya the wretched scar.
"Look, this injury! You caused this at Hagi city! Burns resulting from the flames ignited by that monstrous power of yours! I did not leave this physical body and perform kanshou so as to not forget that pain, that hatred!"
Hagi...?
Takaya's face immediately turned ashen. He could not understand what Rairyuu was talking about. A monstrous power? Flames brought about by him?
"You... What are you talking about..."
Rairyuu's temples were throbbing.
"You dare say you don't remember?"
Takaya really could not remember. He had not the slightest memory of fighting with Rairyuu. Takaya's extremely honest expression of ignorance rattled Rairyuu's nerves.
"How far do you intend to belittle people! You've caused someone such deep humiliation and yet...! A person like you truly deserves death!"
Spiritual flames kindled around Rairyuu, swelling within seconds. Witnessing the situation at hand, Shichiri Yorichika grew panicky.
"Rairyuu-dono! You must not kill him!"
"Leave me be, Shichiri! I have lived for this very moment! I won't let this pass even if it's Kennyo-sama's command! Kagetora, I want to kill you!"
"What!"
He felt as though a section of the ground had abruptly sunken in. He could not breathe. The 'Antipathy' that Rairyuu had released was oppressing Takaya. It was a smothering sensation that felt like his lungs were about to be crushed...!
"How's that! This is all your fault, Kagetora! You should regret having ever met me! If you had obediently remained in Kanto then all would've been well!"
"Nnnhh.. Ahh...!"
Now that Takaya's body had stiffened, Kiyomasa leaped into action in his stead.
"Damn you...!"
"!"
The moment Rairyuu lifted his chin, Kiyomasa's entire body was thrown nearly ten meters back. The tourists cried out. Kiyomasa's body crashed into a bench violently, generating a loud crash as it splintered into pieces.
"Scoundrel!"
"Hmph!"
Rairyuu released the incantation amassed in his fist. Takaya reflexively opened up a Goshinha. The impact shook the region as meteoric bursts of plasma crackled through the air.
"This level of defense simply won't protect you!"
Not bothering to distinguish between friend and foe, Rairyuu recklessly assailed his surroundings with incantations.
Waahhh!
Screams resounded. The roof of the shrine shattered together with the sound of an explosion. Cars were blown up, trees uprooted. People were fleeing in every direction in panic.
"Why you...!"
Once Kiyomasa managed to crawl to his feet, he immediately attacked with an incantation! However, Rairyuu effortlessly deflected it. Then he took out a bunch of pebbles from his pocket. They were stone puppets.
"Family of Amida, Goddess of Mercy! Annihilate the evil spirits!"
These stones would beckon the descent of the Goddess of Mercy. Rairyuu threw them into the air.
"Ch!"
A glare brightened continuously like a spotlight. Numerous figures of the Goddess of Mercy appeared before Takaya and Kiyomasa one after another.
"It's the Goddess of Mercy!"
"What is that! There are so many Goddess of Mercy!"
Shit...!
The Ikkoushuu were the masters of this technique. Exorcism powers were ineffective against gods. He had gotten caught in the most difficult of circumstances. The goddesses attacked Takaya together.
"Nnnhh... Ahh...!"
"Uesugi-dono!"
Kiyomasa shouted, the flames of the Katakama yari arose in his hand. As he assembled his incantation, the seven characters of 'Hail the Lotus Sutra' on the hilt emitted a radiance.
"Bloody Ikkoushuu, your magic is useless against me!"
Kiyomasa threw the Katakama yari at the group of goddesses. The spear pierced the ground and began to issue golden rays of light. It surged into a tempestuous assault, the sound of large amounts of swirling gravel followed in its wake, the figures of the goddesses gradually faded. Takaya, who was protecting his own body, widened his eyes.
This is...!
"You damn...! I won't let you get in the way!"
"Namu myouhou renge kyou!"
Kiyomasa drew a four-sided wooden sword from the pocket of his uniform. It was called a bokken, a ritual implement that followers of the Nichiren school of Buddhism used while praying. Kiyomasa held it together with his prayer beads, hitting them together to cast a strange sound.
"Disperse the enemy's ritual!"
Kiyomasa knocked the wooden sword intensely. Kang, kang, kang. The mysterious sound that swayed the air, slashed through the atmosphere, reverberating throughout the entire region.
"What!"
The goddesses disappeared. Kiyomasa's power had the upper hand. Rairyuu's anger escalated, he bared his teeth like a dog.
"Damn you! Doing this all of a sudden...!"
"! ...Look out, Kiyomasa!"
Rumbling... From beneath the ground came these sounds.
"What!"
Kiyomasa's legs were pushed upwards, he abruptly lost his foothold. He was going to fall!
"Wha...!"
The area around Kiyomasa assumed the shape of a concave, a circular pitfall. His body was going to be buried together with the earth into oblivion...!
"Kiyomasa! ...Damn it!"
Takaya launched an incantation at Rairyuu with the strength of his entire body. However, Rairyuu very easily blocked it with one hand.
"How strange! The force of your spell is so weak, what are you having doubts about!"
Rairyuu's palm began to turn red like burning, smelt iron. He concentrated his spells in his palm.
"You don't have the slightest bit of the power or keenness of the previous time! What have you been doing these two years!"
"Ch...!"
"You haven't been fighting with worthy opponents, have you! Do not disappoint me! Kagetora!"
"Damn you---!"
With a bellowing voice, Takaya forced out all of his incantations from the depths of his physical body. The two of them attacked at the same time, their powers clashed between them.
"!"
A razor-like explosion swept the ground surface. A whirlwind raged through the area in a manner that nearly tore apart the trees. Takaya shielded his own body, enduring the residual waves that charged across. An overwhelmingly astonishing energy that could practically shred the human body.
"Ah... Ahhhhh!"
"This is the end, Uesugi!"
From the storm, Rairyuu struck with an incantation. The momentary beam of light burned into Takaya's pupils.
"!"
Spells resembling chunks of iron struck against his body intensely. Even his bones felt as though they were being plummeted. The moment his back hit the ground, he could no longer see, his nervous system could no longer convey messages to his four limbs. The tips of his fingers were convulsing; his mouth was filled with the taste of blood.
"Allow me to stop your breathing."
Rairyuu's voice came from above. Takaya was limp, he could barely move. His own willpower could not be communicated to his body. A large, bony hand grabbed hold of Takaya's throat, firmly clamping down on his neck. His trachea was going to be broken. He could not breathe. In his cloudy state of consciousness, his blood-stained lips trembled senselessly. Squeezing his throat, that tough and angular sensation, that large hand... He remembered this feeling. It was very much like someone's hand.
Takaya murmured weakly in his heart.
--Na...oe...?
Just when he was about to lose consciousness,
"!"
Rairyuu sensed a murderous aura behind him, he immediately retreated backwards to quite a distance. At the same time, the soil was violently hurled about as if it was being fired upon by someone wielding a machine-gun. Rairyuu turned his head fiercely.
"What!"
Illuminated figures were descending from the overcast sky. With the sun behind their backs, they were not clearly visible. How was it that they had the shape of a human being? But this...!
"Ohhh!"
Arrow-like objects, which could not be seen by the naked eye, poured down. Despite Rairyuu's set up of a Goshinha, those objects could still penetrate it and pierced him...!
"Ch... Ahh!"
The moment his entire body was hit, a burning-like pain surged from within his torso.
"Ohhhhh!"
Rairyuu was desperately writhing in pain. His whole body felt unbearably hot, as if he had plunged into a fire. Rairyuu could not comprehend the situation and was lost in a state of confusion.
"Water... Water!"
He shouted out, dashing to the wash basin. However the arrows continued to attack Rairyuu relentlessly. Even if he hid himself in the shadows, those things were capable of penetrating any material and continued to strike at his body. He could not take it anymore...!
"Damn it!... Damn it.. Ahhh!"
Rairyuu was in so much pain that it was unendurable. He wildly released his incantations as he forced his battered and exhausted legs to run, jumping into the car that Shichiri had prepared for him. The car immediately skidded away.
"Uesugi-dono!"
Climbing out of the pitfall, Kiyomasa ran to Takaya's side. Takaya did not move, he had sustained a fairly severe injury. Kiyomasa held him up as he spat out the black clots of blood stuck in his throat.
What on earth happened...
Kiyomasa looked up at the sky in a testy manner.
"Ah!"
Kiyomasa cried out, however he could not find the words to continue. Takaya, weakly responsive, could only shift his eyes a little to look upwards. Although his vision was dim as though his eyes were covered with a black veil, Takaya saw it.
What...
Someone, descended from the sky.
It was a person. Most definitely a human being.
Is that... a person...
The people at the scene held their breath, so much that there was not even the slightest gasp of surprise. Everyone was speechless as they were too astonished.
It was heavenly, a circumstance that was unimaginable.
Beams of light shot to the back of Kumamoto castle from the cracks in the dense, black clouds. The dark clouds served as a backdrop as the people slowly descended from the sky. Were they angels?
If they had wings on their backs, everyone would probably be convinced of this fact. However, the ones who came from the sky, every single one of them appeared ordinary. Five, six... They were young men and women. Casual attire, jeans, uniforms... Their clothes were no different from the typical youngster. They were downright average and simply ordinary people.
Their normal attire brought about a sense of peculiarity, which made them appear even more divine.
Having a manner similar to those standing on the ground, they descended from the sky.
The men and women gazed at Takaya and Nezu.
In Kiyomasa's arms,
with traces of breath, Takaya muttered.
How is... that possible...
With their backs against the black clouds that heavily cloaked the sky,
the wingless angels had descended.
***
The car reached the entrance of the hotel. Once the valet opened the door to the back seat of the car, Tachibana Dousetsu and Takahashi Jouun got out of the vehicle.
Led by the attendant, the two of them proceeded to the high-class suite where Kaizaki had agreed to meet them. From this day onwards, all discussions to conclude the alliance were to be held in Kaizaki's room. As agents of the lord Ootomo Sourin, Dousetsu and Jouun had obtained Sourin's full authorization to come to this place.
Dousetsu had already met with Kaizaki. As far as Dousetsu and the others were concerned, they saw Kaizaki as a fugitive from the Satomi. Negotiating with offers of information on the Oda and the Takeda, he had requested Ootomo for refuge and successfully acquired consent. Kaizaki was a brilliant man. Dousetsu had an exceptionally deep level of confidence in him. Kaizaki was truly amazing to have obtained such a reputation within a short frame of time.
The one who had proposed this alliance was Kaizaki. At first, Dousetsu did not have much trust in the other party involved in the alliance. But after listening to what Kaizaki had to say, as well as some investigation on his part, Dousetsu grew partial to the notion that this was the one alliance that should be actively pursued even if one had to risk everything with this single venture. Following that, Sourin approved of the idea as well.
Led by the attendant, the two of them took the elevator up. The other party had already arrived and was waiting for them.
"Dousetsu-sama." Stepping out of the elevator, Jouun followed closely behind Dousetsu, and called him as if to verify something. Jouun looked considerably nervous. "This alliance, will it really benefit the Ootomo?"
Dousetsu was extremely calm. "What are you afraid of? Jouun."
"No, Jouun isn't afraid. But that person isn't any ordinary onshou. Not too long ago, they were still actively expelling all onshou such as ourselves to the other world without exception. Jouun is uncertain about whether they would so easily form an alliance with us."
"That's right." Dousetsu replied calmly in a melancholy voice. "That is why we can't afford to be enemies with them. Isn't that so?"
Jouun was startled, he lifted his head. He felt as though he had finally seen the light. He had only paid attention to the existing threat to the Ootomo but never considered the outlook. The threat they posed was all the more reason that they should not be enemies with them.
Dousetsu had come to this decision after considering the prospect of this alliance. Yes, his mindset resembled the time where he fought against Taigou Hideyoshi when he was still alive.
"Dousetsu-sama."
"The one who was supposedly the least enterprising, has become wildly ambitious. That's what happened. Their power is a threat to the Yami Sengoku. They have the strength that brings them closest to finding the path to domination."
Dousetsu looked ahead with a cynical but solemn expression as he walked down the corridor.
"Uesugi Kenshin."
"..."
"All that talk about him being the avatar of Bishamonten, ultimately, his true intentions have been revealed. But perhaps this was all part of a plan. Amidst his claims to be the god of war who rectifies erroneous views with the right ones, perhaps from the very start, his objective was absolute dominion. He must have been waiting for this day to come."
Dousetsu surmised. He could not help but suspect if all of these undertakings were part of a scheme. Was Kenshin, as everybody said, truly a warrior of justice? Did he have no ambitions at all? Wasn't this merely a facade designed to deceive others? In order to figure out Kenshin's true intentions, Dousetsu was constantly pondering over the matter.
Regardless, this event would certainly create a new storm of influence to the Yami Sengoku.
"The moment this matter is made known throughout the entire country, all of the onshou would probably be alarmed by it."
"The tiger of Echigo has finally joined the battle of the Yami Sengoku." Dousetsu stood before the room, reverting to his keen expression. "A new general is going to be instated."
"..."
Inside the room, besides the Satomi's Kaizaki Makoto, there was also the envoy of the other party of the alliance. Dousetsu took another deep breath as he stood in front of the door.
"An impending upheaval, Jouun."
"Dousetsu-sama."
"The power standings in the Yami Sengoku shall change as a result of this. Prepare yourself for the significance of what we are about to carry out. The importance of what you are about to see. We shall witness it firsthand, earlier than any other onshou, Jouun."
"Yes."
"The new Meikai Uesugi army. The people part of the new Meikai Uesugi army. As well as their new general. Although we still haven't seen him yet... To be able to compel Kenshin to choose him and abandon Kagetora, that man's worth..." Dousetsu turned his head and uttered. "Let us wait and see shall we."
"Dousetsu-sama."
"The man who is held in good graces by the god of war who has given himself to ambition. We of the Ootomo shall get a first taste of his strength."
Jouun nodded with an nervous expression. Tachibana Dousetsu nodded slowly in reply, gesturing to the attendant.
The doorbell rang.
As they waited for Kaizaki to answer the door, Dousetsu inhaled deeply once again. He gently adjusted his tie, straightened his back, a smile appearing on his mouth. Then Dousetsu softly mumbled.
"The new general of the Meikai Uesugi army, Naoe Nobutsuna. I wonder what sort of leader he will be. I'll be looking forward to it."
Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.
