“Defend the shrine-path! Let no one approach the Zuihouden
! Overlook nothing, even to the tiniest ants!”
The warriors gathered on the path to the Zuihouden had constructed a barricade to check the mob advancing on Kyougamine. Their commander was Katakura Koujuurou Kagetsuna.
Masamune asked, his face hard, “What dost thou plan? We must not harm the people of this city.”
“Seek out the curse-caster and force him to release his hold. If we cannot settle this with spells, then I will cut Yoshiyasu down with my own hands. I will kill him and stop the ‘Dakiniten-hou’!”
“Marry, the mob will soon be upon us! Canst thou do so in time? Even if thou shouldst find him, ’twill be no easy thing to approach him in the Mogami camp!”
“Then we will contact Uesugi-dono...! Let them strike at Yoshiyasu with their power of «choubuku», Dono!”
“Can we bear to wait for their aid?!”
Just then.
“They’re here!” a sentry cried. The fox-controlled mob was pushing towards them.
“Hmph...!” Masamune tsked grimly.
“Dono!” Kojuurou shouted. People bearing weapons were climbing up the hill road leading to the stone stairs.
Masamune glanced at the Zuihouden. The ceremonies continued. But the end seemed nowhere in sight.
Yuzuru only stared fixedly at the goma platforms.
Masamune gnashed his teeth.
(Make haste, Narita-dono: defeat Yoshiyasu...!)
The mob neared the stairs. Masamune stopped the warriors from drawing their swords sharply.
“We must not raise a hand against these people! Sheathe your swords!”
“But, Dono...!”
“Defend the barrier! Allow not passage past this point!”
Grinding their teeth in anguished frustration, the Date warriors concentrated their will. An invisible wall formed around Kyougamine.
Gyaaah!
It flicked away the approaching mob, and screams rang out in succession. But none of the townspeople stopped walking. All of them collided with the wall head-on. Here and there bright sparks shot out from the points of impact.
(This cannot continue...!)
The constant impacts were weakening the wall of will. Masamune shouted, “More! Put more power into it!”
“Dono!”
People flung themselves at the wall again and again in an attempt to break through. Violent sparks flew. There were too many of them!
Waaaah—! the mob roared, and surged at the wall.
They broke through in one fell swoop!
“Draw back, Dono! We will hold here!”
“Kojuurou!”
The mob attacked like a tsunami. The warriors drew their swords in a single motion.
“Do not let them pass! We must not let them pass!” Kojuurou roared. The fox-controlled mob rushed up the stairs. But their numbers were so many that to fight was impossible. The warriors were engulfed in a moment, and chaos reigned.
“No! Let them not pass to the Zuihouden!”
Waaaaaaah—! the mob screamed. Each of the townspeople carried a weapon. The Date defense collapsed against the overwhelming rush in the blink of an eye.
The ‘energy’ of the foxes danced above each person as they screamed shrilly and cavorted in ecstasy!
“I will not let them pass!”
Masamune finally drew his sword. Kojuurou cried, “’Tis dangerous here! Please draw back, Dono!”
“I will not! This spot will I defend to the last! I will not draw back a single step!”
“Dono!”
The mob crashed forward like a tsunami...!
The single eye glinted!
“I will not let them pass!”
The mob was on the verge of striking.
In that moment.
Disaster struck.
“!”
Yoshiyasu inhaled, and his mantra stopped.
Plunk.
A sharp blade tore into Yoshiyasu’s flesh.
It sank into him with a dull sound. Mogami Yoshiyasu gave a short moan.
“Guu...uuh...!”
He turned to see a dagger buried deeply inside him. Holding its hilt was—
“Thou...”
Yoshiyasu gazed at Kousaka disbelievingly. Kousaka pulled the dagger out with no discernable expression on his face.
Yoshiyasu tumbled from the platform. Blood stained his priest’s robes.
“Aaah...! Aaaah!”
Kousaka looked at the writhing Yoshiyasu coldly. Yoshiyasu held out a hand wet with blood towards Kousaka.
“Why...why...art...!”
A cold, sly smile appeared on Kousaka’s face as he kicked Yoshiyasu’s hands off his ankles.
“Never trust another person to this extent in the world of the Sengoku.”
“...”
“You should be a bit more cunning in your next life...!”
Kousaka thrust the dagger into the back of Yoshiyasu’s hand as he reached for his tatami.
“Gyaaaah!”
With an ugly scream, Yoshiyasu’s spirit body tried to leave his vessel in an attempt to escape the agony. But in that moment...!
«Neeagh!»
The violently raging forms of the two Wisdom Kings appeared before him.
Gouzanze Myouou, Daiitoku Myouou!
The powers summoned at Kyougamine had immediately converged on Yoshiyasu in the instant he stopped his spell.
The ferocious water buffalo bellowed fearsomely. Gouzanze bared his teeth. His fourteen arms seized Yoshiyasu’s soul.
«Le-let me go...! Nooo!»
The Wisdom King visited cruel retribution upon the soul in his grasp, tearing off Yoshiyasu’s arms and gouging out his intestines.
Blood gushed from Yoshiyasu’s spirit body. His bones cracked and snapped.
Yoshiyasu’s soul screamed horrifyingly.
«FATHER!»
!
His death screams throbbed in the air.
Mogami Yoshiyasu crumbled away before the two Wisdom Kings in unimaginable agony.
Leaving behind the remnants of what might be called an intense ‘terror’.
As if he were savoring those residual feelings, a chill smile filled Kousaka’s entire face.
(Rest in peace this time, Yoshiyasu.)
People started to crumble like puppets with their strings cut.
“What...!”
The Date stared disbelievingly.
In the moment that the mob had been about to attack Masamune and his forces, the energy of the foxes completely disappeared. Mogami Yoshiyasu’s ‘Dakiniten-hou’ abruptly ceased.
“Wh-what is...”
The people of the city collapsed in heaps.
Masamune and company gazed at them in dumbfounded bewilderment.
The line of townspeople folded in the blink of an eye.
“...”
He suddenly realized that Yuzuru was walking towards him from behind.
“... Narita-dono.”
“Masamune-dono. Mogami Yoshiyasu’s curse has been successfully exorcised.” Yuzuru reported calmly. “The koko will appear no longer. Be at ease.”
“—...”
He could not feel any true gladness.
A ruthless killer gazed out of Yuzuru’s eyes as he smiled an enigmatic smile.
A chill ran down Masamune’s back.
“...!”
Naoe whirled. The aura of the ‘Dakiniten-hou’ had disappeared. The koko had lost their power.
(Was Yoshiyasu killed?)
“Naoe!”
He turned at the sound of Takaya’s voice and saw a skeletal warrior pressing up behind him.
“!”
Takaya struck with his «nenpa». The skeleton was sent flying. Naoe formed the ritual gesture.
“ (bai)!”
The warrior was exorcised. He had been the last.
Taking one deep breath, Naoe stood.
The earth-tranquilization of the barrier point was complete.
“Kagetora-sama.”
“Right...” Takaya regained his breath, still holding the Sword of Bishamonten. “Let’s finish this, Naoe.”
“Yes.”
The stood back-to-back, Takaya facing east, Naoe facing west.
“Adarsa-jnana!”
“Samata-jnana!”
They drew several large Sanskrit characters in the air.
“Hara dobou onbokken shutan sirii.”
They chanted the Kisshou Joudohen mantra and quietly pressed their hands together in prayer. The cleansing of the earth was complete. The barrier had now been completely dissolved.
“All right.” Takaya relaxed his hands. “So now if the ceremonies at Kyougamine can just neutralize the ‘kinrin no hou’, we’re good.”
“Kagetora-sama. The signs point to Mogami Yoshiyasu having fallen to a curse at Kyougamine.”
“Eh?” Takaya turned.
Naoe said, “It’s odd that he’d be killed by a curse, isn’t it? Since he is a spirit. ...In any case, the ‘Dakiniten-hou’ has stopped. Kyougamine appears to have won the spell battle.”
“Killed by a curse... Then Yoshiyasu’s soul is—”
“His soul is probably wounded. The wounds of the soul cannot be healed by purification in the other world. The soul crumbles and loses the power to remain in this world. For the onshou of the «Yami-Sengoku», it is the same as ‘death’. ...?”
He noticed Takaya’s right hand. The bandage had come loose, and blood was flowing again from the wound. Naoe took the hand in his and carefully rewrapped the bandage.
“Let’s take this opportunity to strike at Mogami Yoshiaki, Kagetora-sama. Once he learns of his disadvantage, he will likely start a war. If it is on a large enough scale, it will be the same—no, worse—than what we saw in Matsumoto two months ago. It may destroy Sendai. Let’s take some measures before that should happen—”
“So we’re going after the general’s head?”
“Yoshiaki is the root of all this evil. We will perform «choubuku» on Mogami Yoshiaki.”
Takaya’s eyes sharpened.
“Where is he now?”
“At his hotel, or maybe at Ueshima’s favorite restaurant... No, with this state of affairs, he may already be in his camp.”
“Camp? Where is that?”
"I don’t know. Probably the place where the ‘Dakiniten-hou’ was performed earlier. It would probably be fastest to have Haruie perform a spiritual sensing.
“All right. So we should get back to Kyougamine for now. Haruie should be there too.”
And the two of them hurriedly headed back.
Onshou from various territories were gathering in Sendai.
Arriving at the temple, Mogami Yoshiaki stared down at the crumbled form of the young man lying in front of the goma platform.
Fresh blood stained the tatami.
“Yoshiyasu...!”
He dropped to his knees.
Kousaka Danjou was nowhere to be seen. He had hurriedly departed after stabbing Yoshiyasu.
Yoshiaki was utterly ignorant of these events.
“You...cursed Date...!”
“So please you, Lord!” A soldier approached and reported, “There is a messenger from Ashina-dono who says the Ashina army cannot send troops to Sendai!”
“What! What dost thou mean?!”
“The Takeda army has begun invading from Kouduke and Shimotsuke! To defend against the invasion, Ashina is unable to move from Aizu!”
“What! Takeda?!” Yoshiaki exclaimed, filled with wrath. “NOW?!”
“Reporting!”
Another messenger arrived.
“Takeda has broken through our troops at the Echigo border and is on the verge of invading Yamagata!”
“What! Truly?!”
“The soldiers in Yamagata are in disarray. They are awaiting thy orders, my lord!”
“Orders? Kojirou should...Oyoshi should be there!”
The messenger reported in an anguished voice, “Yoshihime-sama was «exorcised» by the Uesugi!”
“What...! What?!” Yoshiaki paled. “Yoshi? What of that man—Naoe? What of—what of Kojirou, is he unharmed?!”
“The Uesugi seems to have escaped, and Kojirou-dono’s whereabouts are unknown...”
“Thou worthless...!” Yoshiaki’s slap sent the messenger flying. “How can...all of this...at the pivotal juncture of this battle...!”
His fists shook.
“Thou damned Takeda. Thou damned Uesugi...!”
“Dono! What of Yamagata!”
“Mmph... It matters not if I should discard Yamagata now. Gather the entire army in Sendai! We will annihilate Date and make this our stronghold!” Yoshiaki added to himself, his voice a moan, “If I...if I can but hold Sendai in my hand, this country is mine. I shall rule it all. If I but had this—”
He hurriedly stood.
“Move our stronghold to Aoba Hill. Inform the troops. Destroy Date. Prepare for the pivotal battle.”
“Yes, my lord!”
The messenger ran off. Yoshiaki gazed coldly down at the young man in priestly robes lying crumbled at his feet.
“I shall not be defeated. I shall not be the loser.”
“Uesugi-dono! I’m glad that thou hast returned!”
Masamune, clad in black armor and helm, welcomed Takaya and Naoe back to Kyougamine.
“Lord Masamune. The barrier has been dissolved.”
“That thou art safely returned is above all. Mogami Yoshiaki hath been defeated. We have won the spell-battle.”
“Yeah... But anyway, what the heck is going on? On the way here we saw a lot of people lying asleep. What in the world happened? You didn’t do anything to them, did you?!”
“They were controlled by Mogami’s hypnotic suggestion. Yoshiyasu dispatched ordinary townsfolk to attack Kyougamine. The control was broken in the nick of time, but to return them to their senses here would result in great chaos, so we placed another suggestion on them. They will sleep until the battle is ended.”
“So that’s why...”
Masamune smiled quietly.
“We prepare for battle. A spy hath reported the siege web woven by Mogami and the other onshou moving to tighten around us. We will meet their attack.”
“...So you’re determined?”
“We are commanders. This is the way of the Sengoku. Nanbu and Satake will attack from the north. Whereupon our soldiers will go out to meet them.”
Takaya took a long hard look at Masamune’s magnificent black armor, glinting majestically in the firelight.
(The One-Eyed Dragon Masamune...)
The crescent moon crest on his helmet flashed, breathtakingly beautiful. Takaya unconsciously straightened.
(To have that eye looking at me—)
“Kagetora.”
Chiaki appeared from the area around the goma platforms. He and Ayako had returned earlier. The fire-wheel ceremonies of the ‘Daiitoku and Gouzanze Myouou-hou’ continued in front of the Zuihouden.
“The neutralization of the ‘kinrin no hou’ is progressing well. It’ll be finished soon if we don’t get any interference. The curse on Sendai will be completely erased, and the suggestion should be removed, too.”
“Right. Anyway, where’s Yuzuru?”
“About that...Uesugi-dono.”
“?”
Yuzuru was seated in a grove of cedar trees a little apart from the goma platforms. His eyes were open, but he sat unmoving as if in a trance.
“He hath been thus ever since Yoshiyasu was defeated. As if he sees naught and hears naught.”
Takaya moved to Yuzuru’s side. Yuzuru gave no reaction. Takaya squatted and slapped Yuzuru’s cheeks lightly.
“Yuzuru... Hey, Yuzuru...”
Yuzuru didn’t seem to notice. Takaya slapped him a little harder.
“Yuzuru. ...Hey, it’s me. Yuzuru!”
“...?”
Life suddenly returned to Yuzuru’s eyes. He looked back at Takaya as if he had just come back to himself.
“Takaya?”
“You back, Yuzuru? You okay?”
“I...”
Yuzuru looked around at himself.
“What have I been doing? What happened with the ceremonies? Takaya, what about you guys...?”
“You don’t remember anything?”
“Uuuhm...?”
He appeared to have no memory of what had happened. Of controlling Daiitoku and Gouzanze.
Nearby, both Masamune and Naoe looked grim.
“He is dangerous, is he not?”
“So that terrible spell-casting earlier was indeed Yuzuru-san?”
“Mmm... Which is his true nature? In any case, his powers are beyond that of a human being. If ’twere not so, then he would not be able to command the Wisdom Kings like servants.”
“Powers beyond that...of a human being...?” Naoe’s face stiffened. “Lord Masamune. What in the world do you—”
“Dono!”
Kojuurou trotted over from the opposite side.
“What is’t, Kagetsuna?”
“Dono. Kousaka-dono...Kousaka Danjou-dono requests an audience!”
“What!”
All of them reacted sharply to that announcement. Following behind the Date retainer was, without question, Kousaka Danjou.
“You are departing for the front at last, Date-dono?”
“Bastard...!”
Takaya leapt up. Naoe held him back. Takaya yelled hotly, “Let me go, Naoe! ...Are you—are you Kousaka, damn you?!”
Kousaka looked at Takaya with cool impassiveness.
“Ah, Kagetora-dono. You’re here as well?”
“Kousaka, damn you! How dare...how dare you touch Gramps and his wife...!”
“You can’t, Kagetora-sama! You must restrain yourself for now!”
Kousaka turned to Masamune, ignoring the struggling Takaya.
“Mogami intends to make Aoba Castle his stronghold.”
“What?”
“Yoshiaki has entered Aoba Castle. The main body of his army has not yet arrived from Yamagata. If we should take his head, there is still time—”
Kousaka cast a glance at Takaya. Takaya swallowed his rage and glared at Kousaka. He stepped forward.
“Lend me your soldiers, Lord Masamune. We will go to Aoba Castle and perform «choubuku» on Mogami Yoshiaki.”
“Uesugi-dono—”
“If we can take him down, the rest will be small-fry. The Mogami will crumble. We’re heading out now, Naoe, Chiaki.”
“Right,” both of them replied, following as Takaya turned on his heels.
(Just you wait, Mogami Yoshiaki.)
He looked up at the eerily swirling clouds. The wind brought with it the smell of blood.