嵐の夜 A Stormy Night

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.'

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Book 16 Chapter 17 贖罪

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.

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Book 16 Chapter 16 白い嵐

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.

---

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.

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Book 16 Chapter 15 割れていく水鏡

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.

---

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.

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Book 16 Chapter 14 迷宮に降る雪

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."

---

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.

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