“My lord, it is I: Kousaka Masanobu. I have returned.”

The clear resonant voice cut through the chorus of insects from the garden to the motionless man looking up at the night sky at its edge.

He replied, “Mmn... I thank thee for thy labors.”

On one knee behind his lord, Kousaka looked up to see his master’s gaze upon the plants swaying in the cool wind.

“How fare the provinces around the capital?”

"My lord. The rumors of Akechi’s alliance with the Ikkou SectIkkou-shuu (一向宗)

Lit.: "One-minded School/Sect", a small, militant, antinomian offshoot of True Pure Land Buddhism founded by 13th-century monk Ikkou Shunjou. Its ideologies provided the basis for a wave of uprisings against feudal rule in the late 15th and 16th centuries, such as the Ikkou-ikki revolts. Oda Nobunaga eventually destroyed the sect's two large temple-fortresses, Nagashima and Ishiyama Hongan Temple and slaughtered most of its sectarians in those areas. Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated the followers of the sect in Mikawa in 1564 in the Battle of Azukizaka. The last of the Ikkou sect fought alongside Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1580s. are true. The rogue has roused the commanders there and intends to drive the anti-Nobunaga coalition into headlong confrontation with Oda.... Matsunaga HisahideMatsunaga Hisahide (松永久秀) 1510 - 1577

Also known as: Matsunaga Danjou Hisahide (松永弾正久秀), Matsunaga Soutei (松永霜台)

Initally a vassal of the Miyoshi Clan who served Miyoshi Nagayoshi as his private secretary, Hisahide was both a warrior and a tea master who would be regarded by history as a schemer and something of a villain.

Miyoshi Nagayoshi gave his daughter to Hisahide in marriage, but Hisahide turned against his master. He was rumored to have poisoned Nagayoshi's son and heir, Miyoshi Yoshioki, and Nagayoshi's three brothers died under mysterious circumstances between 1561-1564. In 1564 at Nagayoshi's death, all that stood between Hisahide and the Miyoshi domain was the young Miyoshi Yoshitsugu, whom Nagayoshi had seleted as heir, and his guardians the "Miyoshi Triumvirate", Miyoshi Nagayuki, Miyoshi Masayasu, and Iwanari Tomomichi.

Hisahide briefly joined forces with the Triumvirate against the Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru, who was forced to commit suicide. Thereafter he fought against the Miyoshi Clan and later submitted to Oda Nobunaga and served him for a few years after 1568.

In 1573, however, he was already conspiring against Nobunaga with Miyoshi Yoshitsugu—then turned back to Nobunaga and destroyed the remaining Miyoshi Clan. In 1577, he rebelled against Nobunaga again and in the end committed suicide at Shigisan Castle when besieged by Oda's army (though first smashing a priceless tea kettle, the "Hiragumo", which Nobunaga had coveted)., Araki MurashigeAraki Murashige (荒木村重) 1535 - 1586

Title: Settsu no Kami

A vassal of Oda Nobunaga, born in what is now Ikeda City in Osaka as eldest son and heir to Araki Yoshimura (some say Araki Takamura). He served as vassal to Ikeda Katsumasa and married the daughter of Ikeda Nagamasa. He later served the Miyoshi Clan when they took over the Ikeda Clan, but was noticed by Nobunaga and allowed to become a vassal of the Oda Clan.

Nobunaga gave him Settsu Province as well as several castles, and Murashige fought in many of Nobunaga's wars, including the ten-year siege of Ishiyama Hongan Temple.

In October of 1578, Murashige suddenly revolted against Nobunaga. (Opinions differ on why he did so; Nobunaga apparently held Murashige in high esteem, and his betrayal came as a shock.) Oda's army besieged Murashige at Itami Castle, and he resisted bitterly for the space of a year. However, when his attendants Nakagawa Kiyohide and Takayama Ukon betrayed him, he was left at a severe disadvantage. Thereafter he fled alone to the Mouri Clan. His wife and children as well as soldiers and everyone else left behind at Itami Castle (some 600 people) were executed at Kyoto.

In 1582, after Oda's death and Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to power, Murashige returned to Sakai City in Osaka as a master of the tea ceremony. In the beginning he called himself Araki Douhun (荒木道糞), formed of the characters for "road" and "excrement" in remorse for abandoning his wife and children. Later, Hideyoshi forgive him his past errors and gave him the name Doukun (道薫), with "excrement" changed to "fragrance".

He died in Sakai at the age of 52., and others have already joined him. He has contacted Eizan Enryaku TempleEnryaku-ji (延暦寺)

Enryaku-ji is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei, established by Saichou in 788 during the early Heian Period (794 - 1185). Oda Nobunaga leveled Enryaku-ji in 1571 in order to end the power of the Tendai warrior monks. as well.”

“Is’t so.” The broad shoulders turned slowly to reveal a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties with a long, angular face. His deep black eyes, though cool at first glance, glittered with pride and hints of the indomitable will concealed in their innermost depths. His thick lips tightened abruptly.

"Accursed Oda. Those he wronged in his past life return now to demand retribution. I blame them not for’t. ‘Twill be harder now for Oda to suppress the provinces around the capital.”

“The stubborn resistance of the onshouonshou (怨将)

Lit.: "vengeful general": the spirits of the warlords of the Sengoku period, who continue their battles even in modern-age Japan. in the area has held Oda back up to this point, but he can no longer afford to overlook them now that they have banded together.” Kousaka paused, then added, “Oda has stopped his drive east to begin gathering his troops to exterminate the anti-Oda forces. My lord—”

“Hmn.”

The man stepped back into the room and took his seat its head.

“The provinces around the capital will become another of Oda’s bases. He will not allow the forces arrayed against him to strengthen further. ’Tis well. If Oda is stretched, the unification of the KantouKantou-chihou (関東地方)

Lit.:"East of the Gate", the easternmost of five regions located on Honshuu Island which comprises of the seven prefectures of Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. This is the most highly developed and industrialized region of Japan and was the heart of feudal power during the Edo Period.

During the Edo Period, the area was also called the "Kanhasshuu" (関八州), or Eight Kantou Provinces: Musashi, Sagami, Kazusa, Shimousa, Awa, Kouzuke, Shimotsuke, and Hitachi. will become that much easier. That is the reason for which I called thee here, Kousaka.”

“My lord!”

“The Houjou have begun to move.”

Kousaka looked up abruptly.

“Thou hast heard of the theft of the ‘Tsutsuga Mirror’ from Toushou ShrineToushou-guu (東照宮)

Toushou Shrines (lit. "Light of the East" or "Illumination of the East") are Shinto shrines in which Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a holy incarnation of a buddha along the shinbutsu shuugou (merging of Shintoism and Buddhism) beliefs, which put forth the idea that Japanese gods are local manifestations of Indian buddhas come to lead the Japanese people to salvation. Ieyasu is worshiped as such a deity, and around 130 Toushou Shrines are still in existence in Japan.

The Toushou Shrine in Nikkou, the most famous of the Toushou Shrines, was built in 1617 and dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu when his son Tokugawa Hidetada was shogun of Japan. Five structures in the shrine complex are National Treasures of Japan. A bronze urn enshrined there contains Ieyasu's remains.

Another Toushou Shrine is located in the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture on Mount Kunou. It was Ieyasu's original burial site and thus the oldest Toushou Shrine in the country.

A third Toushou Shrine is located on Mt. Hourai in Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture. It was built by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, and completed in 1651.

These three shrines are known as the 'Three Great Toushou Shrines.'

In total there around around fifty Toushou Shrines around Japan, including:

- Shiba Toushou Shrine located in Minato Ward, Tokyo
- Nagoya Toushou Shrine located in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
- Sendai Toushou Shrine located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture?”

“Yes. It was two months or so ago, if memory serves. But is ObuObu Toramasa (飯富虎昌) 1504 - November 11, 1565

Obu Toramasa, who according to some accounts was a descendant of Minamoto no Yoshiie, was a chief vassal of the Takeda Clan who first served Takeda Nobutora, then his son Takeda Shingen, and later became tutor to Shingen's eldest son Yoshinobu. He was one of Shingen's Twenty-Four Generals and was nicknamed "The Wild Tiger of Kai." However, he was implicated in a plot to rebel against Shingen by Yoshinobu and was forced to commit suicide at the age of 62.-dono not searching for it with the «nuenue (鵺)

In Japanese mythology, the nue is a chimera formed from the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the legs of a tiger, and a snake-tail. The nue can transform into a black cloud and brings illness and misfortune.

In Mirage of Blaze: The troops of the various clans, lumped-together masses of onryou, are called the «nue». Mori Ranmaru commands the Nue-shuu of the Oda, who are onryou with strong powers.» of ShimotsukeShimotsuke-no-kuni (下野国)

An ancient province of Japan held by various daimyo in the Sengoku Period which is now the prefecture of Tochigi. ?”

“ObuObu Toramasa (飯富虎昌) 1504 - November 11, 1565

Obu Toramasa, who according to some accounts was a descendant of Minamoto no Yoshiie, was a chief vassal of the Takeda Clan who first served Takeda Nobutora, then his son Takeda Shingen, and later became tutor to Shingen's eldest son Yoshinobu. He was one of Shingen's Twenty-Four Generals and was nicknamed "The Wild Tiger of Kai." However, he was implicated in a plot to rebel against Shingen by Yoshinobu and was forced to commit suicide at the age of 62. was killed three days ago.”

“What...!”

Kousaka involuntarily half-raised himself to ask, “Killed...by whom?!”

“According to the «nuenue (鵺)

In Japanese mythology, the nue is a chimera formed from the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the legs of a tiger, and a snake-tail. The nue can transform into a black cloud and brings illness and misfortune.

In Mirage of Blaze: The troops of the various clans, lumped-together masses of onryou, are called the «nue». Mori Ranmaru commands the Nue-shuu of the Oda, who are onryou with strong powers.» who escaped, the assassin was a servant of the Houjou. I sent ObuObu Toramasa (飯富虎昌) 1504 - November 11, 1565

Obu Toramasa, who according to some accounts was a descendant of Minamoto no Yoshiie, was a chief vassal of the Takeda Clan who first served Takeda Nobutora, then his son Takeda Shingen, and later became tutor to Shingen's eldest son Yoshinobu. He was one of Shingen's Twenty-Four Generals and was nicknamed "The Wild Tiger of Kai." However, he was implicated in a plot to rebel against Shingen by Yoshinobu and was forced to commit suicide at the age of 62. in an attempt to retrieve the ‘Tsutsuga Mirror’. Though they were not certain, they sensed what might be onshou activity in NikkouNikkou-shi (日光市)

Nikkou City, located in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, is a popular tourist destination known for the Nikkou Toushou Shrine, where Tokugawa Ieyasu's remains are enshrined, as well as Futarasan Shrine, built in 767.. If the Houjou do indeed hold the ‘Tsutsuga Mirror’—if the Houjou should have the use of such a tool, then even kanshoukanshou (換生)

To possess another's body, driving out their soul, so as to be reborn with memories intact. Only Naoe of all the kanshousha has the power to perform kanshou on another soul. could not stand against it. If the mirror is not sealed, ’twould mean our doom.”

Kousaka’s expression was also extremely grim.

“... My lord.”

“Danjou. I charge thee with the task of recovering the Tsutsuga Mirror. If thou canst not do so, use any means at thy disposal to destroy it.”

The man gazed at him with eyes that scorched the air.

“To unify the KantouKantou-chihou (関東地方)

Lit.:"East of the Gate", the easternmost of five regions located on Honshuu Island which comprises of the seven prefectures of Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. This is the most highly developed and industrialized region of Japan and was the heart of feudal power during the Edo Period.

During the Edo Period, the area was also called the "Kanhasshuu" (関八州), or Eight Kantou Provinces: Musashi, Sagami, Kazusa, Shimousa, Awa, Kouzuke, Shimotsuke, and Hitachi., we must destroy those troublesome Houjou. They must die ere they become the great evil standing in the way of our unification of the country.”

Kousaka’s expression as he looked at his master Takeda ShingenTakeda Shingen (武田信玄) 1521 - 1573

Also called: Takeda Katsuchiyo, Takeda Harunobu
Title: Shinano no Kami

Historically: Daimyo of Kai who became the head of the Takeda clan by rebelling against his father. Conquered Shinano and fought against Uesugi Kenshin. The two clans clashed five times on the plains of Kawanakajima, where neither gained complete victory until Shingen died of illness in his campaign against Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu. was much more serious than usual. Shingen stared into the distance, his eyes burning with the ambition he had not been able to achieve four hundred years ago.

“Ere long we shall set forth to subjugate the Houjou.”

Shingen’s gaze fixed again on Kousaka.

“One day thou wilt lead the army that will conquer the southern Kantou. But first the Tsutsuga Mirror must be found and destroyed.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I cannot guess at the schemes of the Houjou. Be on thy guard, but make all haste. The fate of our clan hangs in the balance. Dost thou understand me?” Shingen asked sternly.

Kousaka prostrated himself and answered, “I do, my lord.”

“Let me be clear: we will subjugate both the Houjou and the Date in the Northeast. Once we have finished punishing the Ashina of the Aizu, we will prepare a pincer attack on the Houjou. And—” Shingen cut himself off, then spoke more forcefully, “—of the one who was my earlier vessel.”

“...”

Kousaka was silent, but his eyes flashed. Shingen asked cautiously, “Thou art certain of what thou glimpsed of his true form?”

“With all respect, my lord. If it were not so, I cannot think that Saburou KagetoraUesugi Kenshin (上杉謙信) Feb. 18, 1530 - Apr. 19, 1578

Also called: Nagao Kagetora (長尾景虎), Uesugi Masatora (上杉政虎), Uesugi Terutora (上杉輝虎)
Title: Kantou Kanrei (関東管領)

Historically: Fourth son of the noted warrior Nagao Tamekage, Kenshin wrested control of the Nagao clan from his brother Nagao Harukage and fought for control of Echigo Province. He accepted the name Uesugi Masatora when he gave refuge to his nominal lord, Uesugi Norimasa, and at his urging campaigned to push the Houjou out of the Kantou Region.

He adopted the name "Kenshin" when he became a Buddhist monk and a devotee of Bishamonten. The standard his army carried onto the battlefield bore the character 毘 ("bi") for Eight-Sword Bishamonten. He battled Takeda Shingen five times at Kawanakajima, as well as the Houjou and Ashina clans and Oda Nobunaga, whom he defeated despited being outnumbered. However, Kenshin died soon after the battle. He named his two adopted sons, Uesugi Kagetora and Uesugi Kagekatsu, his heirs, hoping that they would divide the Uesugi lands peacefully between them after his death.

In Mirage of Blaze: He became a god of war after his death, ascending from Nin Dou to Ten Dou, and established the Meikai Uesugi Army to ensure that the peace of Japan is not disrupted by the onshou. He named Kagetora as its commander. would have been at his side. Faced with a being with power equal to Kenshin, the only one capable of sealing that enormous power—the only one able to stand in Kenshin’s place would be Saburou-dono.”

Shingen pondered Kousaka’s reply for a moment, then smoothly stood and walked past him back to the edge of the garden.

“Thou wouldst say Saburou is the only one who might control him?”

“As Kenshin’s proxy...”

“...One day we shall have to deal with him. To leave him to Saburou is akin to entrusting him with a bomb of infinite destructive capacity. He is more a danger than the Tsutsuga Mirror. ’Twould be best to destroy him ere he falls into Oda’s hands.”

“What is your will, my lord?”

Shingen turned, his decision made.

“In any case, the extermination of the Houjou comes before all. I entrust the Tsutsuga Mirror to thee.”

“I am at your command. But if I threaten the Houjou,” Kousaka’s brows creased, “Saburou-dono wouldst, belike, come to their aid.”

“...Because they are his true father and brothers?”

Shingen thought for a moment, his eyes lowered slightly.

“Indeed, I do not think he would attack his own kin. Saburou...Kagetora...” he said the name contemplatively, looking out at the garden. Insects chirped.

“Though ’twere for but a short time, he was adopted into our clan. Still, I never called him my son...”

“My lord.”

“Hath he lived all through these four hundred years...?”

Shingen sighed, then smiled slightly.

“Kenshin too hath forced cruel things upon him...”

Bell crickets chirped nearby. Nothing of summer remained in the night wind. The end of August was near.

Lord and vassal fell silent, listening to the sounds of the garden.