The two assassins had apparently entered through the front door with remarkable openness.
“Ho-ho. So the lord Chousokabe’s here?”
One was a tall young man wearing round-rimmed sunglasses, a knit cap pulled down over his eyes, and stressed jeans, striking a somewhat heroic pose. The other was a handsome slightly older man of average height. The gatekeeper didn’t recognize them as enemies because they had swept in so brazenly.
“Are you the Tosa Red Whales? The resistance of earthbound spirits, the ones who’ve been harboring the lord Chousokabe?” The younger one demanded impudently. “I’ve come to take that lord’s head.”
By the time all the surprised guards had appeared, the onslaught had already begun. The two assassins were startlingly strong, and even the combined strength of the Red Whales was crushed. Even with everyone engaged in hard fighting, they were unable to inflict a single wound on either of them.
“Here we go.”
The young man entered the mausoleum at the back of the main temple building, smirked, and kicked down the door. He ran inside as if the barrier didn’t exist at all, took down the guardian spirits, and infiltrated the room where Nobuchika’s spirit was. Though the Red Whales fought fiercely, they were unable to stop him.
Nobuchika’s spirit, sealed like a gentle flame on the central altar, was extinguished from the world by the young man’s strange power of light...
Kusama had rushed to the scene after it was all over. The assassins had fled, and all trace of them had already been erased. Kusama sank down in front of the empty altar as if his soul had left him.
It was over, he thought.
He sat there in a state of absentmindedness until Reijirou rushed to him. No one even attempted to say anything to him before then. In fact, his soul might have left his body.
He couldn’t believe it.
Please, let it be just a dream—...
It was no wonder that the instant Kusama saw Reijirou, he yelled, “Did you kill him?” Based on Reijirou’s words and actions lately, Kusama must really have thought it was him. The half-mad Kusama who had attacked him was now lying in a room in the head priest’s quarters, tranquilized. He wasn’t asleep. His eyes were open, dazed.
His face was scrunched up and covered with tears and snot; it displayed none of the dignity of a leader. He sobbed in spurts as if he had turned back into a child. From time to time he mumbled Nobuchika’s name. Reijirou knelt formally at his bedside, watching over Kusama sorrowfully.
(—Who in the world...)
Had done this to Nobuchika’s spirit?
Miyoshi? Sogou? Or Ichijou, who had until recently controlled Tosa? Was this the Aki Clan’s revenge?
To the Red Whales, Sekkei Temple
was an important fortress. Kusama, in particular, revered the temple as a sanctuary and had placed many of their fiercest fighters on guard here. And this guard—
(How could two people have broken through on their own?)
“There was this strange white light.”
Shinnojou, who had witnessed it from outside, described it to Reijirou.
“He seemed to be chanting something like a mantra. Several of the soldiers were instantly extinguished in the same way. There wasn’t only the light, but also something like a vacuum whirlwind.”
(He eradicated Chousokabe Nobuchika ...)
Reijirou’s feelings were mixed. The image of Kusama, who had immediately turned his blade against him, was painfully scorched onto the back of his eyelids.
“I’m going to kill you, Reijirou! I’ll kill you too—!”
He glared into midair, teeth clenched.
The news of Nobuchika’s death spread throughout the entire Red Whales organization within the day.
At the hideout at the foot of Mt. Tsurugi, everyone knew by evening. Someji Shingo, acting leader, made the announcement.
The Red Whales gathered in the assembly hall were, without exception, stunned by the unexpected news. It took time to sink in, and even after Someji stepped down from the stage in a silent room, no one moved to leave their seats. The prevailing mood of celebration evaporated, and a heavy, white atmosphere enveloped them. The shock was so great that no one opened their mouths or wept or raged.
How great a support Nobuchika had been to the Chousokabe-revering Red Whales!
That was now clear.
Chousokabe had been a star of hope not only for the Ichiryou Gusoku, but for the local samurai who had died during Yamauchi’s reign as well. For the country samurai persecuted by the high-ranking retainers, the good old days of Chousokabe’s era had been a source of longing and distant veneration. Perhaps they had thought that if they could return to Chousokabe’s time, there would no longer be discrimination between samurai.
It was likely that even Reijirou was shocked to realize how much of a mainstay Chousokabe had been to them. Chousokabe could not be dismissed as mere ‘banner’—their attachment to him was too deep. Like Kusama, Nobuchika was a symbol of hope for the Red Whales. Chousokabe was a greater presence than he had believed.
The loss of Nobuchika left a huge hole in the men’s hearts.
Utarou, too, lay on his bed and wept. Even the jovial Eikichi’s shoulders slumped. Nakagawa also had a somber look on his face.
A sense of despondency and hopelessness engulfed the entire Red Whales community. The Red Whales went into mourning for a week, so dejected that one might have thought they would never rise again.
However, that didn’t mean they had stopped fighting.
They had to move immediately to secure their just-taken Hakuchi Castle. The enemy wouldn’t overlook this opportunity. They had to take action. Reijirou, Samanosuke, et. al formed the core of this activity. Reijirou went around cheering up his depressed comrades and put Takaya and Ushio to work, since Nobuchika’s assassination didn’t particularly matter to them.
Kusama hadn’t returned from Sekkei Temple. He was in no condition to do so.
Affairs at Hakuchi Castle finally tied up, Reijirou returned to the base at the foot of Mt. Tsurugi eight days after Nobuchika’s death. The night was well-advanced by the time Takaya visited Reijirou’s private room.
“I came to take a shower.”
Reijirou seemed startled—but he relaxed back against the sofa when he recognized Takaya. On the table was a health drink with the lid open. Rather than heading straight for the bathroom, Takaya came over and sat down across from him. He had apparently used the shower as a pretext in order to check on Reijirou.
“You look tired.”
“A little. Everyone’s too depressed to be of any use.”
“I guess what happened was pretty terrible, huh?”
Though an onlooker, Takaya had been reminded once again that Chousokabe had been the Red Whales’ pillar. Ever since they had received news of Nobuchika’s assassination, the men who had formerly been so cheerful and vivacious had turned into dejected ghosts (though of course they were actually ghosts).
“They’re not only dealing with violent preoccupations, but reckless temperaments, which has intensified their reactions.”
“How’s Kusama doing?”
Reijirou stopped talking. His face was grim. Takaya studied his expression.
He sighed deeply and shook his head.
“He’s deranged...”
Kusama seemed certain that Reijirou had killed Nobuchika. He refused to listen to those trying to reassure him that Kada couldn’t have done it and that he would never do such a thing. Reijirou had killed Akutagawa. Kusama was convinced that this time around, Reijirou had sent assassins to completely eliminate Chousokabe. Nakagawa had rushed to Sekkei Temple after hearing of Kusama’s condition, but Kusama’s suspicions went too deep to be easily cleared away.
“Bring Reijirou! I’ll investigate him myself! I’ll investigate and make him confess!”
“He did this; he’s the one who sent his assassins to deprive us of Chousokabe! Reijirou was absolutely behind it! Kill him! I’ll kill him with my own hands!”
“You must not approach Kusama-san right now.” Nakagawa sent word to him. “If you come here, he’ll kill you without a word.”
He had also added: “It truly wasn’t you, was it, Kada-san?”
Nakagawa also had his doubts, apparently. Reijirou had immediately denied it, of course, but the fact that their enemies took no further action after Nobuchika’s death had spurred suspicions.
Kusama’s hatred was directed straight at Reijirou. Nakagawa told Reijirou to stay away until he managed to calm and cool Kusama down. Reijirou intended to do so. Agitating him now would be like pouring oil on a fire.
“The things I’ve done would make anyone suspicious. But, Ougi, It wasn’t me. I didn’t assassinate Lord Nobuchika.”
“I know that.”
Even Reijirou wouldn’t do something so rash.
The problem was the real culprit. They didn’t know the identity of the real assassin. There were many candidates. The Ichijou Clan, which had lost Tosa to the Red Whales; the Aki Clan; and their arch-enemies Sogou and Miyoshi...
“It was probably Miyoshi,” Takaya muttered with his hands folded against his mouth. “They sent assassins in reprisal for the Life-Ripping Star and Hakuchi. It’s the most natural explanation.”
The question was: did Miyoshi have people with such high abilities? According to the survivors of the battle, their strength had been of a special rank, at least at Samanosuke’s level or even higher. If Miyoshi had two men of such strength, their spies should have had information about them. But that wasn’t the case.
“Maybe it was Oda?” suggested Eikichi. It would explain a lot if they’d been warriors Oda had sent to assist Miyoshi. He had heard that Oda used assassins of a special class of power rarely found in Shikoku.
“Could it have been...?”
(Oda?)
Takaya glared grimly into the air. It would be a problem if so.
But even more problematic names were about to turn up.
For the Red Whales, the shock of Nobuchika’s death was devastating.
How they had depended on him! He’d been their dream, the bearer of their hopes. They were as dispirited as if their souls had leaked out of them.
There was still no sign of recovery a week later, and a gloomy atmosphere hung over the cottage village. The despondent soldiers had no energy to carry out their duties; in their place, Mutou Ushio took on tasks he wouldn’t normally have been asked to do, shuttling back and forth between Mt. Tsurugi and Hakuchi. In the end, he became the person in charge of transporting supplies to Hakuchi (since there was no one else willing).
“Damn it, another stupid screw-up.”
Ushio, who was alternately glaring between the cargo list and the pile of cardboard boxes unloaded from the truck, finally lost his temper and shouted at the soldiers, “C’mon, guys, enough is enough! What’s with all these mistakes?! Are you even trying?!”
Ushio’s scolding went unheard. Everyone sat on the ground looking as if the world had ended. Their concentration was poor. No matter how he scolded them or agitated them, they refused to snap out of it. At his wit’s end, Ushio tsked.
“I know you’re heartbroken that your lord’s dead, but it’s time for you to get over it. It’s not like you can bring him back. How long are you going to mope around? Do you call yourselves men?”
But his careless remarks rubbed the men the wrong way.
“What are you talking about? You’ve got a cocky mouth for someone from the modern era, Mutou Ushio!”
“You better watch your mouth! What do you mean, ‘mope’? What do you know about it?!”
“You don’t know anything about Chousokabe-sama, and yet you act like the big man among us Red Whales!”
They cursed him and ganged up on him to beat him to a pulp. A lot of resentment and rage had built up, and Ushio was the perfect prey for them to vent their anger on. In the end he was tossed outside, naked and on the verge of tears.
“What the hell—...”
The most seriously ill, however, was the Red Whales’ leader, Kusama.
He had not set foot outside of Sekkei Temple. Everyone feared that he would shave his head and enter the priesthood, but things were worse than that. If only he were simply depressed. His body and heart had burned to ashes. But once his despondency reached its peak, he exploded with a paroxysm of rage aimed at Reijirou. His rage was so deranged that Nakagawa had a hard time stopping him. Even when he managed to calm Kusama down somehow, Kusama would flared up again as if he were having a fit. Nakagawa was exhausted. For the time being, Kusama was in no condition to think rationally.
(What a mess.)
Nakagawa, his nerves frayed, was exhausted.
(If this continues, Kada-san, Kusama-san will really kill you.)
“It wasn’t me. I didn’t send the assassins.” Reijirou had claimed, but his timing had been too good.
The assassination had been carried out while the Red Whales’ attention had been distracted by the attack on Hakuchi. It made perfect sense. Reijirou wanted to cut the Red Whales loose from Chousokabe, and the quickest way was to eliminate Nobuchika.
In fact, some of the leadership were suspicious of Reijirou.
(I believe Kada-san, but...)
Shinnojou entered to announce that he had a visitor.
“Oh? Is Heishirou back?”
When told that he was waiting on the beach, Nakagawa stood and responded, “Let’s go.”
Heishirou of the Wooden Dolls was waiting for Nakagawa at Katsura Beach. Katsura Beach, once known for moon-gazing, was now a park and tourist attraction with an aquarium and dogfighting center. Beyond the pine forest was Katsura Beach, strewn with many-colored pebbles and sandwiched between Ryuuou [Dragon King] and Ryuuzu [Dragon Head] Capes.
Heishirou, a spy employed by the Red Whales, was waiting for Nakagawa at Ryuuzu Cape. He was thickset with a somewhat comical appearance.
“You seemed absorbed, so I decided to wait for you here.”
His friends called him ‘Puppeteer’—an information trader’s moniker. During the Sengoku, people who made their living traveling around the country, such as itinerant Buddhist monk, renga poets, and monkey-trainers, served as informants and sources of information for the warlords.
‘Puppeteers’ had originally been members of this cohort; the Red Whales, however, gave this moniker to those who traveled off-island to gather information. Heishirou was one of these Puppeteers, and was on especially good terms with Nakagawa. The Red Whales were at the tip of Shikoku and had little contact with the outside world, but through these Puppeteers they were able to obtain a rough idea of conditions in various other places. Heishirou didn’t return many times in a year, but he’d happened to learn of Nobuchika’s assassination.
“This is big, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yes. ...I don’t know what will happen next. Nakagawa shook his head weakly and sighed. Leaning against the fence, he looked toward the sea. The waves were a little high. ”I never thought there would be an attack against Sekkei Temple. I never imagined they’d be able to break through. I don’t think we were careless. It must mean the enemy was very strong."
“Do you know who you’re dealing with?”
“Probably Miyoshi or Sogou. Oda is backing them.”
“Oda?”
That was Nakagawa’s guess. If Reijirou hadn’t done it, Miyoshi was the most likely culprit. But their leader Kusama was convinced it was Reijirou.
“I can tell you’re very busy. Maybe I should come back once things have calmed down a bit.”
“No, that’s all right. We’ll deal with our issues. Do you have new information for me?”
“Well...” he answered apologetically, and began to tell Nakagawa about the situation in other countries, especially in the Kantou sphere.
“What? Takeda?!” Nakagawa’s eyes widened. “Takeda’s invaded Etchuu?! Truly?!”
Heishirou nodded solemnly. Takeda had attacked Etchuu. Which meant—
“So Takeda invaded their ally in the alliance, the Ikkou Sect?! What in the world!”
“The anti-Oda Alliance has collapsed,” Heishirou said, looking up at Nakagawa. “Takeda has broken the alliance. He’s launched an invasion.”
“Truly? That’s... Takeda Shingen has—but why now...?!”
They didn’t know why. But it was true that Takeda had suddenly invaded Etchuu-Toyama, trampling on the peace they had established with their most important sworn ally, the Ikkou Sect. And that wasn’t all. Takeda had begun an earnest full-scale consolidation battle over the Kantou-Koushin’etsu region, already resorting to violence to force smaller entities formerly on equal standing to submit to his rule. It was hard to tell what had prompted Takeda’s sudden confidence. The Ikkou Sect had suffered a severe blow, and the Toukai region and even Suruga had immediately fallen under Takeda’s control.
“Isn’t this an inconceivable act of treachery?”
“I can only conclude that Shingen is now determined. The quiet tiger has finally bared its fangs.”
Takeda’s army had been called the strongest of the Sengoku. The surrounding provinces must be trembling in fear. Even they in faraway Tosa could feel a chill down their backs.
“That alliance has had terrible internal power struggles for a while. They say this was always going to happen. The Ikkou Sect will probably retaliate. Matsunaga Hisahide may turn to Oda. Akechi’s intentions are currently unclear.”
“So Takeda’s broken the alliance...”
What was going to happen to the «Yami-Sengoku»?
Heishirou also gave him other detailed information. He was one of the most well-informed of the Puppeteers, and often picked up gossipy rumors as well as seemingly-trivial news. Heishirou was good at listening and an asset to the Red Whales, confined as they were to Tosa. After he had mostly finished telling of what he knew, Nakagawa told him about the Red Whales’ current situation.
“Right, I did hear about that. That you admitted two people of the modern age, and they’re performing admirably. Their names were Mutou, I think, and I forget the other one.”
“Ougi. Mutou and Ougi.”
“Yes. The one who commanded a commando unit. I heard about him—that he has one red eye. I heard that Kada-san likes him, and that Yoshimura-san and his lot very much do not.”
He already knows that much? Nakagawa thought, astonished.
“He appears to have made a name for himself during the attack on Hakuchi. What kind of a man is he, this Ougi?”
“Well. He has a way of deliberately pushing people away, but something about him makes you come back. He has a strange power of attraction, such that you can’t take your eyes off him.”
“Hmm. You’ve really scored, then, haven’t you, Nakagawa-san?”
“Yes. When he’s with us, his presence mysteriously energizes his allies, as if he were the sun shining on them. Ougi Takaya is a man who may perhaps transform the Red Whales.”
“Ougi Takaya?” Heishirou repeated. “Did you just say Ougi Takaya?”
“That’s his full name. What about it?”
“Hmm...” he said, and repeated, “‘Ougi Takaya’. Must be my imagination. I thought I’d heard that name somewhere...”
“You’ve heard it before? Where?”
He couldn’t really remember. He was sure it hadn’t been in Tosa. Nakagawa’s expression was forbidding as Heishirou wracked his brain.
“Where? What did you hear? What is going on with Ougi Takaya?”
Heishirou kept thinking. Frustrated, Nakagawa urged him to remember.
“I’m sorry, I thought I heard something, but...”
Nakagawa’s face turned grim, his brow furrowing as he felt half-forgotten suspicions rearing their ugly heads.
"Uesugi?
Hearing the unexpected name, Reijirou’s eyes widened. It was the next morning.
Maki of the intelligence unit, who was investigating the identity of the assassins based on eyewitness information obtained from the surviving soldiers at Sekkei Temple, came to Reijirou’s room with a report of the results. The name that flew out of Maki’s mouth was neither Aki nor Miyoshi, but that of an enemy they had never imagined.
“Uesugi...you mean Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo? That Uesugi?”
“Aye,” Maki nodded.
The Red Whales of Tosa had heard of Uesugi. It was said that a group of people working under Kenshin continued to use their special powers to exterminate onryou. But the name had never much concerned him before. Their background knowledge was meager.
“According to the soldiers who witnessed the attack, the assassins chanted a mantra and gave off a strange light that extinguished Lord Nobuchika. We’ve confirmed all the mantras in question belong to Bishamonten.”
“Bishamonten?”
“Yes. Apparently the method and style closely resembled the Uesugi special technique of «exorcism».”
“Exorcism...”
“It’s a technique distinctive to Uesugi whereby the target spirit is forcibly sent to the other world. It’s said to be obtained by becoming a devout believer of Bishamonten, and even among the Uesugi is used expressly by the kanshousha.”
There were several types of «exorcism», including «kouhou-choubuku», which enveloping the victim in light, and «ressa-choubuku», which ripped open the air like a vacuum whirlwind; the techniques used by the assassins at Sekkei Temple had resembled these greatly. Of course, no one in the Red Whales had actually seen an Uesugi «exorcism». So they could only depend on hearsay, and they had not heard of any other technique similar to this one. The characteristics of the attack matched exactly.
“Uesugi’s kanshousha are called the Yasha-shuu and are feared by many.”
“Uesugi...”
Reijirou’s face turned grim. For the Red Whales, they were a completely new enemy. Rumor had it that they were like a private police force with no ties to any one party, who worked to return the spirits of the dead to the other side; they were bad news for the onshou.
“So this private police force came to assassinate Nobuchika?”
“But apparently Uesugi entered the «Yami-Sengoku» as onshou a little while ago.”
“What? Entered?” Reijirou sat up slightly. “You mean to take part in the war? As onshou?”
“Well... I’m sorry we do not have more information on this, but their stronghold of Echigo is now in Takeda hands.”
“So instead, they’ve set their sights on Shikoku...on Tosa?!”
Was the plan to destroy Nobuchika and occupy Tosa? If so, it was an extremely worrisome situation.
“So you’re certain they were Uesugi’s kanshousha—their Yasha-shuu or whatever it is?”
“Kenshin’s elite under his direct command, I believe. I’ve heard they’re all exceptionally strong warriors, and greatly feared by onshou.”
“Uesugi Kenshin’s elite...!”
As these warlords originated from the Kantou and had little connection to Tosa, information about them was scarce. Speaking of the Kantou, Chousokabe’s navy had been dispatched during Hideyoshi’s subjugation of the Houjou of Odawara, but Reijirou had never set foot on it; it was like a foreign country to him.
“A foreigner from the Kantou wants to occupy Tosa? They underestimate us. Do you think the Red Whales will allow such a thing? Uesugi Kenshin? Don’t make me laugh!” He slammed his fist on the desk. “This is ridiculous! As if I’d let them get their way! I’ll crush you with my own hands, you damned assassins. You’ll not take a single step in Tosa!”
On top of the desk, Reijirou’s fists were tight with rage.
“If Uesugi is targeting us, there may be other spies in Tosa. We must investigate thoroughly. And when you find them, show no mercy. Kill them on the spot! Make an example of them, and display their corpses at Urado Castle!”
It’s Uesugi!
Uesugi is after Tosa!
Rumors instantly spread throughout the Red Whales organization. Uesugi had apparently been behind Nobuchika’s assassination. He’d been extinguished by Uesugi’s «exorcism». An earthquake swept through the panicked Red Whales. This was a completely unknown enemy. This Echigo warlord, whom they had never discussed before, was suddenly going to invade Tosa. Rumor spawned rumor, and the Red Whales carried on as if they were being attacked by the Black Ships of the Perry Expedition. Upon learning of the terror and power of Uesugi’s «choubukuryoku», some trembled with fear while others panted for battle; various reactions overtook the organization.
The rumors soon reached Takaya.
“Uesugi?”
Takaya involuntarily held his breath. Eikichi was the one to tell him.
“That’s right! Uesugi Kenshin is a warlord from Echigo. His men have entered Tosa! They «exorcised» Lord Nobuchika!”
(No way...!)
Takaya’s eyes widened, his face reflexively tensed.
“Uesugi is targeting Tosa. They’re a formidable enemy. Their spies have probably already infiltrated us. They need to be killed as soon as they’re identified! You too, Ougi!”
His shoulders jerked.
“If you find any spies, kill them right away. They’re kanshousha. If we don’t kill them, they’ll kill us. Kill them with your evil eye!”
Takaya turned pale and remained silent. Eikichi thought it strange.
“What’s wrong? You look pale.”
“It’s nothing,” Takaya answered, and quickly left. Eikichi found it peculiar, but didn’t give it much thought.
(Uesugi’s «exorcism» extinguished him?)
As he walked outside, Takaya found himself in a state of intense agitation. —Who had done it?
At present, only the Yasha-huu could wield the power of exorcism. (When it was activated by the entire army, the power manifested differently.) The surviving Yasha-shuu—he could only imagine it was Irobe or Haruie. Nobunaga’s «hakonha» had ended Chiaki. It would be a different story if someone new had been appointed to the Yasha-shuu, however. They were said to have entered the war; had they set their sights on Chousokabe? Or—
(Naoe?)
Was it you?
(Was it you...?!)
Ushio found Takaya standing in the forest, expression tense. He was practicing Usubae-ryuu.
“Ougi...!”
He was about to call out, when he realized Takaya was in no mood to respond. He looked strange.
(Something’s wrong.)
A storm loomed.
For a while after learning the identity of the assassin, Kusama remained unconvinced.
When he heard the name ‘Uesugi’ from Maki of the intelligence unit, he didn’t understand at first what he was talking about. That was how fixated Kusama’s mind was on ‘Reijirou is the ringleader’.
"Is it true?
“The testimonies of the survivors almost all agree. The way they wielded Bishamonten’s mantras match up well with what we know of Uesugi’s exorcism.”
“Why would Uesugi do that to our Chousokabe?”
Maki told Kusama that Uesugi had entered the «Yami-Sengoku», that it had kanshousha and could attack the Red Whales, and that it had recently teamed up with Ootomo to subjugate Kyuushuu. In addition to Maki’s explanation, Nakagawa added, “Puppeteer Heishirou also believes it likely that it was Uesugi’s exorcism. That they may have sent assassins to prevent a full-scale revival of Chousokabe.”
Kusama looked blank. Perhaps he felt spent. But he was stubborn to the last.
“You say that, but in fact it was Reijirou who instigated it. He wanted to...!”
“Kusama-san,” Nakagawa reproached forcefully, “Kada-san didn’t do anything. He’s committed to the independence of the Red Whales, but he would never kill Nobuchika-sama like that.”
“But Akutagawa-dono was killed by Reijirou!”
“Akutagawa-san’s case was different!” Nakagawa denied intently, leaning forward on his knees. “Kada-san was deeply concerned by Akutagawa-san’s influence over Kusama-san! He’s not a smooth man, so perhaps he felt words weren’t enough, but Kada-san could see things Kusama-san couldn’t! He sensed Akutagawa-san’s hidden motives!”
“What do you mean, influenced?! I’ll not allow you to speak ill of Akutagawa-dono...!”
“Open your eyes already!” Nakagawa’s roar silenced Kusama. “You’re easily intoxicated by the words of others, Kusama-san. You’re quick to believe those who flatter you, but the opposite is also true: you yell at those who attempt to give you frank advice and refuse to listen. That’s no way to lead the Red Whales!”
He must have hit a sore spot. As expected, Kusama didn’t reply.
“Calm down and think coolly, Kusama-san. If we’re facing Uesugi, we must become even stronger.”
Kusama stared silently at the floor.
What were they going to do?
“Please think about it carefully, Kusama-san.”
For a long time, Kusama remained motionless. The crazed look disappeared. He had regained himself, and the delicate folds of his heart were finally wavering. He pressed his hands against his forehead as tears streamed down his face, filled with sorrow for the departed Nobuchika.
During the furor of this series of major events: the attack on Hakuchi, Nobuchika’s assassination, Uesugi’s assassin—the calendar had turned to December.
The Red Whales were on high alert in Tosa. And Takaya was also given a job: to guard Daiken Shrine.
“We still haven’t settled your blunder at Hakuchi Castle,” Reijirou said. This was punishment, so to speak, for the fire started and allowed to spread by Takaya’s commando unit’s mine-clearing operation.
But there was also great significance to it: Daiken Shrine was where the Life-Ripping Star was hidden. In other words, he had been given the important task of guarding the Life-Ripping Star.
Daiken Shrine was located near the summit of Mt. Tsurugi. Takaya headed there through the mountains one snowy day.
The ordinary rank-and-file who didn’t know the whereabouts of the Life-Ripping Star apparently took this as a demotion; Yoshimura and his gang were overjoyed. But Reijirou wasn’t so blind. He didn’t forget to punish Yoshimura and company, who were dispatched to Hakuchi Castle. Rather than fulfilling their expectations of joining the splendorous frontline troops, what awaited them was a week of nighttime hard labor, including civil engineering repairs. This was a hardship that, as expected, Yoshimura and his gang found hard to bear.
“Damn it, why do we have to put up with this?”
Nevertheless, the visit to Hakuchi was a chance for Yoshimura to obtain some valuable information.
Tani Shinnojou was visiting Hakuchi Castle. Shinnojou, who had fought in the same unit with Yoshimura in the battle against the Aki Clan the previous year and looked up to him as a more veteran soldier, came to meet with Samanosuke.
“Yoshimura-san!”
Shinnojou saw Yoshimura carrying a block and ran up to him. It had been a while since he’d seen him last.
“Ah! How’ve you been, Shinnojou?”
The two had missed each other and were happy to see each other again. When he had reached a pause in the work, they went down to the riverbank to enjoy a leisurely conversation over cups of coffee.
“What? You fought with the unwanted guests from Uesugi at Sekkei Temple?”
“Yeah. They were an extremely deadly foe.”
Shinnojou told Yoshimura about the incident in detail. He had, after all, been present. He described in full their strength and how utterly beyond his ability they’d been. He also described the terrible techniques used by the assassins...
“White light?” Yoshimura jumped on the description. “A white light swallowed up our comrades?”
“Well... it looked like a pure white light gushing from the palms of their hands. It swallowed our comrades, and by the time the light disappeared, nobody was left. ...Yoshimura? Do you know something about it?”
Yoshimura suddenly made a thoughtful gesture.
“He pressed the armor-orb against the ground like this, and light flooded out and swallowed up the spirits. When the light went out and everything returned to normal, there was no one left.”
(Isn’t that similar?)
Yoshimura was thinking about Eikichi’s story. The technique that Takaya had used at the ‘Star Cave’ sounded similar.
“A white light swallowed them?”
“That’s right. They chanted a spell—Bishamonten something something. Bishamonten is apparently Uesugi’s guardian god.”
“Bishamonten...!”
Come to think of it, the armor-orb was a weapon made using the power of Bishamonten. Wasn’t that suspicious?
Yoshimura suddenly started laughing, shoulders shaking. It surprised Shinnojou.
“What’s the matter, Yoshimura-san?”
“Heh! Heheheh. Shinnojou, this! This is it. This is perfect!” Yoshimura clenched his fists and laughed loudly. “Now we can completely fuck Ougi up. We can get rid of him!”
“Wh-what are you talking about, Yoshimura-san?”
“What you’ve told me is great, Shinnojou!”
He clapped Shinnojou on the shoulder, still laughing. It was a great discovery, if he did say so himself. Yoshimura had come up with an extraordinary plan.
(I’m going to turn Ougi into Uesugi’s spy.)
Using the similarity between the incident with the armor-orb and Uesugi’s «exorcism», he was going to inform the leadership that Takaya was Uesugi’s spy. This would definitely get rid of him. Not only that, he might even be executed on the spot.
(Wait a minute. If I threaten him with this, I can get him to do my bidding.)
Yoshimura shivered with the stunning possibility. He couldn’t stay in his seat. How good it would feel if he could make that cocky man from the modern age his personal servant.
(What a great idea! I’ll set Ougi up as a spy for Uesugi!)
Yoshimura was completely intoxicated by his own evil scheme. But he had no idea that Takaya really was Uesugi. His mind was occupied with the task of deposing Ougi Takaya.
At dusk, someone was watching the cottage village at the foot of Mt. Tsurugi from the forest.
“Ha-hah, they’re making such a big fuss—”
It was Yasuda Nagahide. They had continued their investigation and had finally pinned down the Red Whales’ hideout in East Iya. Yamanaka Shikanosuke was with him. With them was one more person: a boy wearing a navy blue mountain parka. Date Kojirou, joining them from Tokushima.
“Tosa Red Whales. Look under the lid, and they’re nothing special. A group of Chousokabe vassals?”
“Not quite,” Kojirou explained. “Not just vassals—they’re said to have gathered like-minded spirits of all ages and origins. They’re a strange group of onryou who apparently don’t submit to anyone’s rule. Don’t underestimate them, or you’ll get hurt.”
“I suppose.” Nagahide took off his orange round-rimmed sunglasses and glared at the cottage village. “If they were real resistance fighters, they wouldn’t crumble just because their lord has been killed. Well, that’s all right. We have one more mission.”
“The Life-Ripping Star?”
“They’re the ones who stole it, right?”
Kojirou nodded. The testimony of Miyoshi survivors had revealed the identity of the thieves.
“I’ll make them tell us where it is.” Nagahide’s eyes glinted panther-like. “It doesn’t matter where they’ve hidden it. I’ll get the star back real quick. Right, Red Whales?”
The snow-covered foot of Mt. Tsurugi quietly melted into darkness. The corners of his lips curving, Nagahide lit the cigarette in his mouth with a tiny flame.