I must tell Lord Sourin—!
A man walked single-mindedly along the national highway at sunset, away from the destroyed city toward Aso: Takahashi Jouun.
He now wore a different shape. After being killed by Nobunaga, Jouun had managed to possess another body somehow and was on his way to Aso—to Sourin. If Sourin had not arrived yet, he intended to go as far as Usuki. He was now relying solely on his own two legs.
(I have to tell him everything.)
All of Ootomo’s allies involved in the battle in the city had perished or been swallowed up or ‘died’ in truth. Yokote no Gorou had been fatally wounded by the blow from Narita Yuzuru. Irobe was dying and unable to move. Jouun had barely managed to possess someone.
(The «Golden Serpent Head» isn’t just a head.)
“I have to tell my lord about everything I’ve seen!”
The sun had already set, darkness had fallen, and it was difficult to see.
Jouun found a car at the city border with its keys still in the ignition. The road ahead appeared to be drivable. The engine started. Jouun quickly got in, made a U-turn, and drove east.
“?!”
He abruptly stepped on the brakes. A young man stood in the middle of the road with his arms outstretched, blocking the way.
(Wh...what the hell!)
He honked his horn, but the ‘roadblock’ refused to budge. Frustrated, Jouun got out of the car.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get out of the way!” he yelled—and then realized that he had seen this tall man before somewhere. The young man seemed to know Jouun as well. His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Huh, it’s you.”
Jouun’s guard went up.
“You can’t just drive around in other people’s cars, Pops,” he scoffed, but his eyes were serious—seriously angry, and not because Jouun had taken the car. He was about to demand the young man’s identity when the latter was suddenly infused with a hostile aura.
“!” he choked. He was suddenly frozen in place as if he’d been bound hand and foot. Though he fought with all his strength, he couldn’t move even a fingertip.
(Wh...what is this power?!)
“I’m not gonna leave even a single one of you guys alive.”
(What?!)
Jouun goggled even more when he heard the young man chant what sounded like an incantation. From his mantra, Jouun now knew where he was from.
(Impossible... Why?!)
Jouun tried desperately to resist, but the young man was stronger than he had imagined, and he could not break the bonds. Weren’t they on the same side? Why was he targeting him...?!
Jouun’s face contorted with fear as he saw the light coalescing mercilessly.
“Wait! Wait! There are still things I need to do...!”
“You’ve done enough,” the young man said with the full force of his rage. “There’s nothing more for you to do but go to the other side.”
Immediately thereafter, Jouun heard his last words on earth.
His retinas exploded with sharp searing light, and as he felt his soul being engulfed by it, when he knew it was all over, Takahashi Jouun sensed from within the whiteness:
«Mune...shige—...»
The last thing he saw on the pure white screen of his consciousness was the radiant smile of his son, Muneshige.
A cast-off husk lay on the road.
The young man expressionlessly left it by the side of the road, got into the driver’s seat, and drove off in the direction that Jouun had taken as if picking up the torch of his unfinished task.
At 8:00 p.m., a barrier went up along the Aso outer crater rim.
The caldera was now completely cut off from the outside world, with only one point of entry and exit left accessible for logistical reasons: the checkpoint Ootomo had installed at Tateno’s dam
.
The barrier was stronger than expected. Its surface was like a massive wall, preventing any spirit-beings from entering or leaving. There were, in fact, two layers of barriers; another covered the Middle Peak and the entire central cone group to defend against any who would attempt to interrupt the ritual.
Takaya and the others had descended into the caldera. Kiyomasa would be going off on his own from this point on. They carried special Fuuma-made communications equipment given them by Shichirou: green fingertip-sized snail shells that were inserted into the ear like earphones and allowed them to wirelessly communicate with each other in a way that was difficult to intercept. Shichirou dispatched Fuuma colleagues to gather information on Ootomo. Takaya and Tetsuya arrived in Ichinomiya Town.
—Which was in an uproar, with most of the furor centered on the town hall. The sealed-off area within the caldera couldn’t communicate with the outside at all. Not even television or radio signals were coming in. Police officers and town hall employees were feverishly scrambling every which way, wondering what the hell was going on.
An uneasy Tetsuya said feebly to Takaya, “The...big fire wheel thing...whatever it’s called, if it succeeds, what will happen to Aso? Is everybody living here gonna die?”
“—I don’t know.”
If the caldera was turned into a dam, two towns and four villages would sink to the bottom of the sun power-filled space. But sun power was spiritual, closer to gas than water. It was not a reservoir dam that would dispossess people of their homes...probably. Firstly—
(Knowing it will kill tens of thousands of Aso’s residents...)
It was not a plan that Naoe would ever allow. He could assert that with certainty. Naoe was not that kind of person.
But if it was an absolute order from Kenshin?
(Even so—...)
Takaya scowled bitterly. He forced back the avalanche of emotions and blanked his face.
“Sun power is not a poison gas. If concentrated in a single spot and abruptly expended, it’s true that it can be destructive, but it shouldn’t kill people just by flowing into a place. However, because it is a spiritual power, it affects the mind. Those with resistance to it will be fine, but those who don’t will find it difficult to stay.”
“You mean...they should leave Aso?”
“In the worst case, they’ll go insane,” Takaya explained flatly. “People will naturally begin to avoid this place. Tourism no longer be possible here.”
There was no way it wouldn’t have an impact on people’s lives. Tetsuya’s face turned grave.
“But if Kihachi’s head becomes the cornerstone, it will be a problem way before that. Aso will be blown away.”
“We have to get to the Middle Peak, then.”
“We’re trying to find a route. I hope we can find a way to break through.”
Takaya and Tetsuya arrived at Aso Shrine. Fortunately, it had not been damaged; Ootomo seemed to have left it alone. The black panther followed closely. The town was in turmoil, so anyone who spotted him seemed to assume he was just a big black dog. —Shichirou returned shortly thereafter.
“We have a rough idea of their defenses,” he said, spreading a large map out under the tower gate and illuminating it with a flashlight. “All the mountain trails, including the small ones, are blocked. The line of the central barrier looks approximately like this—”
He traced a contour line at 700 meters (~2297 ft) above sea level with a marker, describing a large circle with the Middle Peak as its center.
“All the roads are blocked off, so no vehicles can get through. Infiltration will have to be accomplished on foot.”
Takaya sighed bitterly. They were stuck with scaling the Middle Peak in the middle of the night. After seeing people who could fly, he was annoyed that he had no choice but to walk. —In any case, Aso was too big.
“We were unable to ascertain Nobunaga and Asara’s whereabouts. We spotted the wreckage of the downed helicopter, but their bodies were nowhere to be found.”
“Which means they’re still alive.”
“Probably,” Shichirou answered. Takaya growled as he glared at the map. Nobunaga would eventually learn that Kihachi’s head was in Ootomo hands. He had Asara. ...The problem was that Oda had the means to approach by air. They couldn’t win against Oda if he were to fly to the crater by helicopter.
“We have information that several of Oda’s pursing helicopters have landed in the south Aso area. We are doing our best to locate them.”
“Oda must be aware of the situation. Mobilize everyone you have to find him. And if you find him—”
Kill Asara.
He couldn’t say that out loud; Tetsuya was right next to him.
Tetsuya was staring intensely at the fire burning in a brazier in front of the gate. He looked a little strange, as if it were calling to him.
“Tetsuya—...?”
He came back to himself. Fire—it made Takaya uneasy.
“Are you seeing something in there?”
“Not really...seeing...” Tetsuya answered with a strange look on his face. “—Feeling.”
“Is it Kihachi again? Is Kihachi moving? What do you feel?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know... But, Ougi... I feel...I feel weird. I’ve been feeling weird for a while.”
“You feel weird? Weird how?”
“Like my body is going haywire. My heart is thumping like its a volcano...”
He was about to say something else when he felt as if someone were calling his name. Tetsuya turned. He wasn’t hearing things this time. Several men approached from the shrine road to their right, calling out to Tetsuya.
They looked to be locals.
“Un...Uncle!”
It was Tetsuya’s adopted father’s son, Norihiko. The familiar faces of his relatives were all there.
“Uncle Narukawa...and everyone!”
“There you are, Tetsuya.”
Tetsuya looked dubious. Norihiko bowed deeply to Takaya next to him.
“We are Tetsuya’s relatives. Spirit-Protector Miike Haruya has been watching over your activities for some time now.”
Takaya and Tetsuya’s expressions contorted at the same time.
“He’s been watching us? From where?”
“With a spell passed down through the Miike. It’s called flame-scrying, which means to see what is happening far away by sensitizing yourself to fire. The Spirit-Protector is using it now—he told us to look for you here.”
Takaya looked at the brazier burning nearby. Haruya and company were still at Frost Shrine. Enoki had possessed Haruya to practice the magic of the fire shrine maidens documented in the Miike Records. Naoe had used water to search for Takaya; Haruya had done the same with fire. Of course, this was the first time such a technique had been practiced by Miike.
“Uncle is seriously injured. He’s in no condition to be doing this.”
“The Spirit-Protector—Tetsuya, he’s risking his life to help you. We came here on his instruction.”
Norihiko turned to Takaya.
“We know that Middle Peak has been occupied by heretics. Generation after generation of the Miike have been guardians of the Middle Peak crater, as we were charged by Aso Shrine. The Middle Peak and its crater are ours. We should be of use to you.”
“Are you saying you’ll help us?” Takaya’s eyes narrowed slightly. “...Do you know why I’m trying to get to the Middle Peak?”
The Miike were silent. Takaya wasn’t just going to recover Kihachi’s head, he was going to destroy it. Destroy the ‘god’ of Frost Shrine worshiped by the Miike.
After a long silence, Norihiko abruptly spoke.
“We will abide by Tetsuya’s will.”
Tetsuya’s face stiffened. Takaya looked at him in surprise.
This had been Haruya’s idea, and all the Celebrants had agreed with him. What should they do about Kihachi? They certainly needed more than a day or two to come up with an answer. But the situation was urgent. The Celebrants had answered that they trusted Haruya and would follow his lead, And Haruya had said that he would abide by Tetsuya’s decision.
(Why...)
Haruya must have known that Tetsuya would destroy Kihachi.
To be free from the blood hatred.
(Uncle knew and still said something like that...)
Tetsuya’s face paled as if he had suddenly felt a heavy burden dropped on his back. Takaya asked grimly, “What are you going to do?”
What was he going to do with Kihachi’s head? was Takaya’s real question. The ‘true body’ might be called Miike’s soul. It was their pride and symbol. Was he going to destroy it? Was that really the right thing to do? —Wouldn’t he regret it?
Tetsuya furrowed his brow, caught in painful thought for a long moment. Then he slowly looked up. No, he had already made his decision.
(We’re going to keep on living.)
“You’re okay with it?”
Tetsuya nodded. Both of his eyes were firmly fixed on Takaya’s. Takaya nodded in understanding.
“I want to go to the Middle Peak crater. I’d like your help to choose a route where the enemy is thinly stationed.”
Norihiko took up the request. The Miike were professionals when it came to the Middle Peak.
“We recognize that there has been abnormal activity. If practitioners of heretical arts are at the crater, then we the Miike must fulfill our mission as guardians. We will accompany you.”
“Do you know where Asara is?”
“The Spirit-Protector says he is calling out to Asara using the sacred fire.”
Apparently he had not received a response. The fire was connected to both Asara and Kihachi. If she was alive, there should probably have been some sort of response.
(Maybe she’s already dead?)
“Saburou-sama, we will do something about Oda. There’s not much time. Please leave Oda to us and head for the Middle Peak.”
“If only he were someone you could handle.”
Takaya urgently wished there were two of him. He was the only one who could stand up to Nobunaga. That wasn’t self-confidence, just reality. He didn’t think Shichirou and the Fuuma could pin Nobunaga down. Which way should he go? But there was no time for hesitation.
What should he do—...?
«But I’m here, Kagetora.»
Takaya’s eyes jerked up. What was—?
“Woah...the fire!” Tetsuya suddenly screamed behind him. As he spun, the flames of the brazier whooshed and overfilled its iron basket, making everyone leap back.
Another fire serpent? Tetsuya and Takaya tensed, but the flames did not turn into a snake.
Instead, it slowly undulated and took on the form of a person.
Not Hokage—someone Takaya knew very well.
“You—...”
Blood gushed from her body.
The wound would not close. —The blood vessels would not close.
Blood flowed.
The girl on the bed lay dying.
Her white shrine maiden’s robes were turning redder and redder. The color of her blood was beautiful. Pure red, fresh from the heart. —Like the magma at the bottom of a mountain of fire. It flowed steadily out of her body through the wound. With every pulsation of her heart. Out of her body.
Asara was leaving with it.
Once she had no blood left, she would die.
I can’t die. —I can’t die yet. Not until I free Kihachi-sama and kill the invaders.
In her dreams, the girl saw a distant past.
“I will come for you, Asara, so wait for me!”
She had dreamed of him ever since she had been a little girl. Over and over again.
“I’ll rescue you from the Yamato...” the hero shouted, though wounded all over. Sword swinging, he fought until the very end. Until his last breath. The invaders trembled violently at his terrifying tenacity. That relentless resistance was embodied in the story passed from generation to generation of the demon who kept returning despite being killed over and over again.
“I’ll get our country back. I’ll rescue you!”
Beloved shrine maiden of fire...
Aso wailed on the night of the hero’s death. The divine mountain erupted in lamentation, and the sun, worshiped by the Himuka people, was shrouded by thick black smoke. As the hero died, so too did the sun. But his sense of purpose was such that he continued to resist the Yamato as an onryou.
In the land of Aso, golden ears of rice swayed.
The people celebrated the harvest: sung, danced, laughed. They prayed to the queen who presided over fire and to the holy mountain of Aso from their temples, expecting their lives of abundance and peace to continue. The shrine maiden recalled times of peace.
“Know that our resentment will move the holy mountain, Mikenu!”
Kihachi was said to have shouted just before he was beheaded.
“The divine mountain’s black plume is the resentment of the Himuka!”
Our fury and hatred will never disappear from this land...
The blood drained steadily out of her, as if her very soul were fading away.
I can’t die yet. I have to free Kihachi-sama from the head.
I’m the only one who can. Only I can break the seal.
Wait for me—... I’m flying to you now, the shrine maiden repeated in her dimming consciousness.
I’ll release everyone.
Flying to you like a bird—...
“The woman’s injuries appear to be more serious than we thought. She hasn’t regained consciousness yet,” was the boy’s report on Hokage’s condition when he returned from the first-aid room to the lobby. A young man with reddish-brown hair was sitting on the sofa there. At the slender boy—Mori Ranmaru’s words, the red-haired young man turned his gaze from the window to him.
“She’s lost so much blood, she might bleed to death.”
“—Perhaps I was a bit too aggressive. It seems I misjudged my power. Should I give her some of my own blood, O-Ran?”
Nobunaga laughed as if he thought it a fine joke. They were in the clubhouse of a golf resort at the foot of Mt. Aso. Ranmaru and Nobunaga had escaped the helicopter just before it had crashed and had sustained not even a scratch. They’d been rescued by another of their helicopters. Asara, aka Miike Hokage, was also with them. Nobunaga was not such a fool as to allow her to fall to her death.
‘SEEVA’ had rented the entire golf course as their headquarters in Aso. Before them lay a spacious fairway and a view of the five peaks of Aso beyond the forest. —Needless to say, Nobunaga knew what Ootomo and Naoe were planning.
“Since it looks like things are starting, I would say they’ve got the cornerstone. I didn’t think Kagetora would lead them to it... Or did they give up on Kihachi’s head and come up with another cornerstone?”
“Tono, what should we do with that woman?”
He’d intended to use her as a hostage in his dealings with the Himuka cult, but perhaps that was no longer necessary.
“Humph, I shall get my revenge, cursed bird-people. Thanks to them, Narita Yuzuru is no longer of any use to me. I will punish them at my leisure later. Kagetora too, of course. As for Asara, well. If she’s useless, then she will only hinder us if she is allowed to live. It would probably be a good idea to finish her off as soon as we squeeze the whereabouts of Kihachi’s head out of her. All we need is the head,” Nobunaga said, and rose. The crash had not injured him at all, thanks to a judicious application of his psychic powers on landing.
“A Kihachi’s head which has been powered up immensely. Hmm, I’m so excited, I’m tearing up.”
“But first, Tono.”
“Ah. Shall we make our move, then, before Ootomo and New Uesugi complete their monstrous ritual? Are the helicopters ready?”
“Servicing is almost complete. They’ll be ready to take off in an hour.”
“Good. We’ll hit them from the air, so make sure to bring plenty of firepower.”
Standing by the cold window, Nobunaga scowled at the mountain ridgeline looming in the darkness.
“I’ll use this head the Ootomo woman couldn’t handle to its fullest. But first, shall we wipe out Ootomo and the New Uesugi?”
His gloating lips suddenly tightened. Had he sensed something? Ranmaru wondered at the shift to alertness.
“Is something wrong?”
The smile faded from Nobunaga’s eyes. His expression unusually blank, his gaze drifted to the side as he announced in a low voice, “—A man has come bringing memories of the good old days, O-Ran.”
“Good old days?”
“Aye. Come. I’m sure you’ll want to see him as well. Let’s go.”
(I’m too late...!)
By the time Akechi Mitsuhide rushed to the scene, the attack had already taken place. The troops he had gathered in Kugino had been wiped out by Ootomo’s attack. Moreover, a barrier had been set up over the whole of Aso, and a strange atmosphere enveloped the area. Ootomo seemed to be preparing for some kind of ritual.
(I won’t let them do whatever they want.)
Mitsuhide retraced his path to re-establish contact with Kiyomasa and the others, but encountered Ootomo soldiers and got into several skirmishes along the way. Though he managed to deal with them and escape somehow, he wandered onto a strange path and got lost. That it was nighttime didn’t help. Mitsuhide strayed into a wooded area and discovered something unexpected.
(Those are...!)
Hidden deep in the woods were several helicopters that obviously belonged to the Self-Defense Force. Strange, this couldn’t be a training area. And it certainly wasn’t a helicopter port.
(They’re the helicopters that were chasing the bird-people...)
A bad feeling ran down his spine. Mitsuhide gulped.
(Could they be...)
“We’ll be taking off in an hour. Our lord will be on the second helicopter. Finish your inspections of the firearms.”
“Kusaka, Ranmaru-dono wants to see you at the house.”
Cold sweat beaded on Mitsuhide’s forehead. He’d instantly recognized that the people around him were Oda’s «nue».
(Is Lord Nobunaga here too?)
Mitsuhide followed the vassal summoned by Ranmaru through the darkness. Beyond the trees was an open, gently sloping hill with a beautiful lawn. It appeared to be a golf course. He could see the lights of the clubhouse in the depths of the forest. —Was he there?
Mitsuhide watched them work, concealed in the shadows of a fir tree. «Nue» hurried back and forth between the helicopter and the clubhouse. Where were they flying to? Was their objective—
(Asara and Kihachi?)
Mitsuhide instinctively pulled his coat collar shut. Tension ran to the tips of his toes. If their target was Kihachi’s head, he would have to stop them. He must never get his hands on the head.
(What should I do?)
Mitsuhide gulped again. Was he here along with Ranmaru? He had to do something to stop him.
(—Blow it up?)
If he could blow up the clubhouse, he would at least stall them. Mitsuhide calculated. It would be better if he could make his enemies fight each other. He would incite Ootomo’s soldiers. If they attacked, even Nobunaga would not be able to move so easily.
(All right...)
He went into action. Under the cover of darkness, he approached the clubhouse. «Nue» came out of the entranceway as if to meet him, noisily discussing something. Something about a ‘woman’.
(Woman? Asara!?)
“Asara is here.”
Mitsuhide’s shoulders jolted. The boy’s voice had come from behind him.
“You came looking for Asara-hime—she’s here. She’s going to guide us to Kihachi.”
Mitsuhide slowly turned to look behind him, his expression that of a man who’d come face-to-face with a ghost. A small slender boy was standing there. With his soft chestnut hair and fair, exquisitely-chiseled face, he looked like an angel in a painting. But Mitsuhide soon realized who this angel really was. He’d been very familiar to Mitsuhide in their previous lives, for he had always accompanied not God, but the Demon King.
Mori Ranmaru—...
“This is the first time we’ve met since Honnou Temple, I believe, Mitsuhide-dono.”
Ranmaru had chosen his words deliberately despite the fact that they had never come face-to-face at the time. But that was not the last of the shocks to Mitsuhide.
A tall man appeared from the shadows of a tree behind Ranmaru. He was wearing jeans and a leather jacket with a black logoed cap low over his eyes, and his longish red hair tied back. He was quite a handsome man with a firm straight nose, but there was nothing frail about him. His body was conspicuously muscular and suffused with a beast’s nimbleness and strength. If ‘brilliance’ was the sort of gravitational pull that drew people’s attention while he did nothing more than stand there, then he was the king of ‘brilliance’. Even in the dark, he gave the illusion that the sun shone only on him—
Mitsuhide felt the blood drain all the way down to his feet. His lips trembled, and his hoarse mutter choked in his throat.
“To...no...”
There in the darkness, Oda Nobunaga stared silently at him with that same cold look in his eyes.
The ‘Ritual of the Great Fire Wheel’ had started two hours ago.
Five Tendai monks of old Bouchuu were performing the ritual in concert from five platforms installed on the crater wall: one each to east, west, south, and north, and another large main platform placed in the south. Each of the monks had received instruction from Toutetsu of Rokugou Manzan on the ritual to be performed from his own platform. (Toutetsu, of course, was the Uesugi plant.) In addition, dozens of auxiliary platforms had been installed in old Bouchuu at the base of the mountain, where the Uesugi and Tontetsu and other monks were working together to provide support for the ritual. A throne had been constructed behind the large main platform for the master of the spell, from which Sourin watched over the proceedings. Since he was a baptized Christian, he did not participate in the actual incantations—he only watched over the process.
The temperature around the crater dropped precipitously as darkness fell. Beneath the howling of the freezing-cold wind came the eerie combustion sounds of the crater floor 150 meters (~492 ft) below them.
“The magma’s activity appears to be increasing,” said Ichimata at Sourin’s side. Evidence of that came not only from the crater floor, but from the low rumbling of the ground. It must be a volcanic earthquake. They could feel the volcano’s quickening from the vibrations beneath their feet, which had clearly been caused by the ritual.
“The mountain is reacting to the spell,” Sourin said. Or rather, the spiritual might of the magma was.
The six kinds of mantras called the ‘Pure Light Dharani’ were chanted at each of the directional platforms to start the ‘Ritual of the Great Fire Wheel’. Each was quite complex, involving various movements and protocols that included not only mudras, but prostration, ringing of bells, stick-burning, etc., and a bewildering succession of movements. The great main platform then assembled the threads spun by each of the four directional platforms. A bell was rung at a steady rhythm to keep everyone in sync. Around the crater came the rumble of the earth, the voices of the monks, and the sound of the wind, accompanied by the bell’s punctuation, all of them chorusing into the darkness.
The prayer and austerities of Ratnasambhava [Houshou Nyorai] formed the crux of the spell, and took much time. The foundation part of the ritual would probably take them until after midnight.
Flames at the bottom of the crater cast a reddish glow on the crater walls, and countless vertical graven shadows emerged from the rock face. Despite the heat within, the Middle Peak’s midwinter night was deathly cold. His ears and fingertips felt as if they might break off at any moment.
The mantra didn’t break off.
The «Golden Serpent Head» had been enshrined in front of the large main platform.
Mikuriya’s use of its power seemed to have scoured away the decomposed spiritual aura it had exuded after its exhumation from the old castle to some extent. However, the power it contained had increased by several orders of magnitude—which was only natural, given the tremendous number of spirits it had swallowed. Just being near it was enough to make him feel oppressed and unable to breathe.
Julia continued to sleep in the waiting area below. She lacked even the strength to participate in the ritual.
Ichimata, now in charge of security, was in the parking lot next to the ropeway station. He looked down the desolate mountainside, strumming with unrelieved tension. Time and again he put his walkie-talkie to his ear to check in with his men.
“How are things looking? Anything unusual?”
There were lookouts at the summits of Kishima Peak, Eboushi Peak, and Narao Peak. He would receive word if anything happened, but all appeared to be quiet.
“I see. Don’t let your guard down—I’m counting on you.”
He removed the walkie-talkie from his ear and looked down at the braziers of Kusasenri and Bouchuu. 8,000 troops were standing by at Kusasenri. All the other trails leading to the Middle Peak were blocked. He could clearly see the fires of their allies through the clear air, though they flickered like stars from time to time in the wind.
(Let it conclude without incident...)
The Uesugi at old Bouchuu were thinking the same thing.
Kagetora’s intention to oppose them had dismayed Uesugi to no small extent. Neither Hakkai nor Irobe had returned. The movements of Chiaki and Ayako, the two who had turned New Uesugi down, remained opaque.
(It would be a bother if they interfered.)
Yoshie and others had misgivings about Naoe performing the ‘Ritual of the Great Fire Wheel’ without consolidating his supporters. It was thought the Yasha-shuu would follow Kenshin, but Nagahide and Haruie had their pride. This approach might provoke a backlash. Shouldn’t they have acted against Nagahide and Haruie earlier? True, in order for Naoe and company to move behind the scenes, they’d needed the activities of Kagetora et. al. to serve as a diversion. It was said that to deceive the enemy one must start with one’s allies, but Naoe must certainly have known that they would become his biggest enemies if handled badly.
(If he fails, he will surely be accused of bad leadership.)
Yet Naoe seemed to know that very well.
There in the cold wind Naoe stared fixedly at the glow of the Middle Peak’s crater. He didn’t have the physical stamina to participate in the ritual, but neither could he leave the site to rest. He seemed determined to personally witness the progress of the prayer and austerities.
For you to become a leader...
Naoe’s brows contracted sharply, and his eyes narrowed. The creature known as conscience lived always in his heart, its steady gaze fixed on him. Unable to remove it or ignore it, Naoe could only tolerate it on the dark ground.
Takaya’s face never left Naoe’s mind, not even for a moment. Takaya with his arms around his knees in the darkness, giving Naoe a hard stare of reproach.
The completion of the sun power dam is the New Uesugi’s...
Naoe stared even harder, painfully.
The fires swayed wildly in the wind. The unbroken flow of spell-casters chanting the mantra of Hosho Nyorai in unison seeped into the frozen earth.