Chapter I: The Divine Nation, Eashen
Before our adventure in Eashen began, we used a [Gate] to go back home to Belfast and properly prepare for the journey ahead. Our group consisted of Yae, Elze, Linze, Yumina, Kohaku, Leen, Paula, and me.
After we did all we had to in Belfast, we went to Eashen again and made Yae lead us through the dense forest. Shortly after I began to notice that the leaves were letting through more and more sunlight, the view before us became clear of foliage.
“Whoa...” I couldn’t contain my voice. We were standing on a small hill, looking down at a large town with paddy fields surrounding it. There was even a castle. It wasn’t a western style castle like in Belfast, though. It looked like the Japanese castles in Himeji or Osaka. Still, it looked somewhat small.
“That is my birthplace, Oedo, it is.”
Man, Oedo... sounds way close to Edo, the old name for Tokyo. From a single glance, I could tell that the town wasn’t really like the ones you’d see in historical dramas.
First of all, it was clearly a fortress town. There was a long moat and a tall stone wall to ward off any invaders. I could see sentries standing on the walls, and the turret towers built on them had archers inside. Some houses were scattered near the paddy fields surrounding the town, but most of the buildings were densely packed within the walls.
Eashen was by no means a large country. I heard it had an individual who could be called king, but he didn’t get involved in politics too much, which allowed the local feudal lords to do as they pleased.
The nine lords governed their own areas, having disputes now and then, and with the king at the top, they had a somewhat functioning country.
If I remember right, Yae said the names of the lords were Shimazu, Mori, Chosokabe, Hashiba, Oda, Takeda, Tokugawa, Uesugi, and Date... Okay, wait a second.
The ridiculously familiar names almost made me think it was a joke.
Is Eashen actually going through the Sengoku period? Are all the little states at war? I tried asking Yae, and apparently, the country hadn’t had any major conflicts for the past several decades.
Probably a coincidence, I guess... Or is it...? Yae’s home, Oedo, was located in the east of Eashen. Tokugawa’s domain, to be precise. From what I was told, he was a reasonably wealthy lord who was kind to his subjects.
“So, Leen, where are these ancient ruins you want to visit?” Though small when compared to many countries, Eashen was still a large landmass. We wouldn’t find anything by searching aimlessly.
“I’m not sure. But I’ve heard the place is known as the ‘Ruins of Nirya’ to the locals.”
“Yae, that ring any bells?”
“Nirya...? I feel like I might have heard that name before, I might... but I am not sure... My father should know more.” For the time being, we just followed Yae into the town. Crossing the wooden bridge over the moat, we entered an area surrounded by walls.
Once inside the town, I couldn’t help but notice just how Japanese everything looked. Most buildings were wooden, single-storied, and had tiled roofs. The entrances were shoji sliding doors, while shops had familiar curtain-style signs hanging in front. The language on them wasn’t Japanese, though, naturally. The people passing by were clad in samurai gear or kimonos. Some looked like standard townsfolk, while others resembled casually-dressed ronin. Sadly, none of them had shaved foreheads or topknots. The most popular hairstyle was clearly the ponytail.
“Whoa, what’s that? What are they carrying?” Elze was watching as two people walked across the road while hauling a kago, one of those carrier chairs.
“They’re sedan chair bearers. You pay money, those guys lift you up in that chair and take you where you need to be. It’s an alternative to horse-drawn carriages.” Elze’s eyes widened at my answer, and she stared at the kago as it passed us by. It wasn’t a scene you’d see in Belfast, so it was probably a bit of a culture shock to her.
“Wh-Why do people have to be the ones doing the carrying? Carriages are far simpler and faster...” Linze couldn’t have been more right. Honestly, I was sort of wondering the same thing. The only answer that came to my mind was “cultural differences”...
“The roads in Eashen are not as well developed as the roads in Belfast. It is highly troublesome to travel on them with carriages, it is. Horses are also scarcer here, they are.”
Well, that makes sense. I guess there are places in the world where services like this are the easiest solution.
“Touya, that person there is wearing wooden shoes.”
“Wooden shoes? Oh, those are called geta.”
“Why is that bell hanging from that tower?” Linze questioned.
“That’s the fire lookout’s fire bell...”
“What a beautiful sound... What are they selling there?” Yumina inquired.
“Wind chimes. The wind blows and you just enjoy the sound...”
“...Touya-dono, despite not being born here, you have a strange knowledge of Eashen, you do.”
Well, I guess I know a little more about Japanese history than I should... My grandpa used to watch historical dramas with me all the time.
Something didn’t sit right with me about the town. The townspeople didn’t seem all that happy. It was as if they were afraid or anxious about something...
Yae led us through a shrine’s torii arch and a bamboo thicket road that took us to an open space, where we found a large residence surrounded by a fence.
We passed through a magnificent gate with a sign that said “Kokonoe Shinmei-style Swordfighting Dojo, Kuyoukan.” Once we walked into the house’s entrance hall, Yae raised her voice.
“Is anyone home?!” A few moments later, following some audible footsteps, a female servant with her hair neatly tied up behind her head came to greet us. She looked approximately twenty years old.
“Yes, hello. Greetings... Oh my, Yae-sama!”
“Ayane! It has been so long, it has!” Pleasantly surprised, the servant named “Ayane” ran up to Yae and took her hand.
“Welcome back, Yae-sama! Nanae-sama, your daughter has returned!” After she said that, another set of footsteps echoed through the halls. Moments later, we were joined by a mature, gentle-looking woman. She wore a purple kimono and looked like she was in her late thirties. I could see some resemblance to Yae in her features.
“Mother! I have returned!”
“Yae... I’m so glad you’re alright... Welcome back.” So she was her mother, just as I’d thought. Nanae embraced her daughter tightly. It must’ve been a long time since they’d seen one another. I could see some tears shining in her eyes.
“Yae, who are these people?”
“Ah, yes. These are my friends. They helped me get through a lot, they did.”
“Oh my goodness... You have my sincerest gratitude for taking care of my daughter.” Yae’s mother sat on the floor and bowed her head. I was quick to tell her that she was overdoing it. It really shone a light on what a doting mother she was. Not everyone could express thanks with that position, even if it was related to their children.
“N-No need for that. We did as much for her as she did for us, so please, raise your head.”
“Mother, where is Father? Did he go to the castle?” Nanae and Ayane looked at each other, gloomy expressions clouding their faces. Moments later, Nanae stood up and began slowly explaining the situation.
“Your father isn’t here. He... went to battle alongside Lord Ieyahsu-sama.”
“To battle?!” Yae raised her voice in surprise and stared at her mother.
A battle, huh? That’s pretty grim. I was under the impression that the king around here had things united.
“Who are they fighting against?”
“Lord Takeda. A few days ago, he launched a surprise attack on the northwestern town of Katsunuma and is now advancing toward Kawagoe. To stop them, the master of the house and Jutaro-sama made their way to the fortress in Kawagoe.” Instead of Nanae, the one to answer now was Ayane.
So the lord of the neighboring territory suddenly began attacking this one, huh...?
“Brother went with him, too...? I just do not understand... Why would Lord Takeda suddenly invade us like this...? I cannot imagine Lord Takeda Schingen ever allowing something so foolish...!”
“I hear that Lord Takeda recently hired a strange strategist to join his retinue. The man was named Yamamoto, I believe. The people say that he is a swarthy man with only one eye, that he uses mysterious magic... He might have somehow influenced Lord Takeda.”
Huh, Nanae’s explanation doesn’t really make any sense... Takeda’s strategist. Yamamoto. That can only mean one guy. Yamamoto Kansuke. One of the “Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen.” But Nanae’s making him sound like some kind of weird wizard... Maybe it’s not so smart to conflate this Kansuke with the one I’ve heard of... Even if they do share some similarities, they could still be pretty different.
“So how is the battle going?” After listening quietly for a while, Leen suddenly spoke up. Paula, who was standing at her feet, slightly tilted her head to the side as well. Kohaku, who was sitting right next to Paula, saw that and did the exact same thing.
Heh, cute. Wait, now’s not the time for that.
“Due to the surprising nature of the attack, there are rumors that our side could not gather enough soldiers. They say it is only a matter of time until the fortress in Kawagoe is conquered.”
“But father and brother are there...!” Ayane’s words filled Yae’s face with dread. But just as quickly as that dread had appeared, it vanished and was replaced with a look of burning determination. We knew all too well that Yae wasn’t one to sit still if her family was in danger.
“Touya-dono! I have been at a ridge not so far from the fortress at Kawagoe in the past! Please...!”
“Alright. Let’s go.”
“Thank you, Touya-dono!” I took Yae’s hand and stated what I was about to do. Elze, Linze, and Yumina all nodded in agreement.
“I didn’t expect to go to war. However, I can understand how she feels, so I’ll come along as well.” Leen shrugged and adopted a faint smile. Little Paula was fully up for it as well, expressing her intentions with a little shadow boxing. I didn’t expect that to be in her programming.
“Yae, picture that ridge in your mind.”
“Very well, I will.” I took both of her hands, closed my eyes, and lightly pushed my forehead against hers. I wasn’t embarrassed at all, which was a given considering the dire situation.
“[Recall].” I could see a certain scenery. There was a large, solitary cedar tree and a distant castle... No, it was a fortress. That was Kawagoe, no doubt about it.
I let go of Yae’s hands and opened a [Gate] right there in the entrance hall. Yae was the first to dash through. The rest of the girls followed and disappeared moments after.
The sight left Nanae and Ayane staring in disbelief, so I took it upon myself to say something.
“We will do anything we can to bring Yae’s father and brother back to you. I’ll make sure we’re all back in one piece, so don’t worry.”
“What are you...?” I couldn’t think of a good answer to Nanae’s question, so I laughed it off and ran through the [Gate].
We stood on the ridge overlooking the fortress. It was clearly under assault, releasing black smoke into the sky.
I used the Null spell [Long Sense] to take a closer look at the situation. The hill fortress was somewhat holding back the invasion of the enemy forces, but the fires here and there made a portion of the defenders shift their focus on putting them out, which meant less men to repel the enemy.
The flaming arrows didn’t stop, either. They continued to rain down as the incoming soldiers gathered around the walls and climbed up.
I took out my smartphone and run a search for “Yae’s brother.” It isn’t the first time I’ve ran a search for him, so it should work... There. He was in the fortress, running back and forth along the walls. He didn’t seem hurt, judging from his pace.
“Your brother seems fine for now. Don’t know about your dad, though.”
“We have to hurry inside...!”
“Hold it. Do you actually think you can just walk over and get in there?” Leen stopped Yae from recklessly charging toward the fortress. It was surrounded by the enemy, so getting inside was no easy task. But that didn’t mean we were out of options entirely.
“I’ll cast [Long Sense], survey the area one kilometer away, and use a [Gate] to get there. If I keep doing that, I’ll be in the fortress in no time. I’ll go alone first, so we don’t get spotted. Once I get in the fortress, I’ll open a [Gate] to connect you guys there, so wait for me here.”
“I see. That does seem to be the safest route.” Leen put her hand on her chin and began pondering something. Oh, wait a second...
“Hey uh... can’t you fairies fly around with those wings on your backs?”
“Hm? Oh, no, it’s impossible. Unlike the avians, our wings have devolved. We can flap them, but they only let us float for a brief moment. Not to mention that it’s very tiring.”
That’s a shame... It’d be easier if she could fly me above the fortress or something... Then again, the defenders might think that I was dangerous and try to shoot me down, so I guess it’d be a stupid thing to do regardless...
Thus, I went with my original plan anyway.
“Kohaku, look after them. Contact me if something happens.”
“Very well.”
“What?! The tiger talks?!” Leen’s eyes widened in surprise.
Wait, didn’t I tell you already...? Oh, right... it was supposed to be a secret since you’re an important Mismedian... Well, she said she wouldn’t tell anyone about my powers, so I’m sure she’ll keep this one a secret too.
I used [Long Sense] and looked one kilometer ahead. Looks like a good spot... I opened a [Gate] in a grove close to the fortress.
“Alright, I’m off.” I stepped through the portal and came out in the grove. I could hear war cries and roars nearby, and the air felt downright unnatural. The abhorrent mix of fire and blood created a foul stench.
I looked up at the fortress and thought about what my next move should be. Just two more teleportations could get me into the castle, but I’d rather get in without being spotted by the enemy.
I cast [Long Sense] once again. And, sure enough, with all the soldiers surrounding it, there was no way for me to just warp in unnoticed. No other options, then. I have to reach a spot with only a few enemies, take care of them, and then warp into the fortress...
I looked for a place with a comparatively small amount of soldiers, but it took quite a few uses of my spell. Soon enough, I found a place not too far from the fortress’ side. I could buy a lot of time after downing the two bowmen hanging around there.
“Reload.” I inserted rubber bullets imbued with [Paralyze] into the Remington New Model Army holstered on my right hip and actual bullets into my gunblade, Brunhild, which was hanging on my back. I had to be prepared in case they had any magic-warding amulets.
“[Gate].” Drawing my New Model Army, I opened a portal to a spot where the two enemies couldn’t see me. From there, I took aim and fired paralyzing bullets at their backs. This feels a bit cheap...
They got hit and fell to the ground, but instead of getting paralyzed and staying that way, they slowly stood up and pulled out their katanas.
What the hell?! What surprised me wasn’t the fact that they weren’t paralyzed. It was their strange appearance.
Japanese-style armor on their bodies, helms on their heads, swords in hand — all of that was fine. But the masks covering their faces were absolutely weird.
They were oni masks. Red oni masks with horns and the angriest possible expression sculpted on them. Japanese headgear had mask-like visors that protected the wearer from facial damage, but these masks weren’t like that at all. They were wearing oni masks, wearing the very visage of monsters. There was no two ways about it.
There was another unnatural thing about them. I could see some spots of skin through their damaged clothing and under their helms, and it was all as red as the mask. It was as though they were red onis themselves, wearing masks to hide the fact.
Spurred by how abnormal they were, I hastily put the gun with rubber bullets back into the holster and took out Brunhild. Then, I aimed at the legs of the nearest one and fired a few real bullets. I had to immobilize them. I really didn’t want a murder on my conscience.
However, as if to show how much my sentiment didn’t matter, the soldier shrugged off the attack and charged at me with his katana. Oh, crap!
“[Slip]!” The friction of the ground under his feet dropped to nil, causing him to lose his balance and slump to the ground. Yeah! Good old [Slip] to the rescue! I took the opportunity to step on his sword arm with my left leg and kick away his mask with the other. The mask shattered and the face beneath it was revealed. He was red, that much was for sure, but it was a standard human face nonetheless. The man suddenly stopped moving. Ah crap, did I kick him too hard?
Wait... are they being controlled by the masks?! I took out the New Model Army again and fired a rubber bullet into the other soldier as he prepared to charge me with his sword.
The impact from the hard rubber shot made the mask crack and neatly split in two. When it fell to the ground, the soldier fell along with it, collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut.
So it is the masks...
“What the hell were they, anyway...?” I closed in on the collapsed soldier.
Ugh... it stinks. Wait... he’s dead! Do these masks control corpses and make them fight or something?! Can you even do that?! Wait... the guy I shot in the leg barely even bled... It made sense once I realized that they were already dead. They didn’t have blood flowing through their veins.
“Controlling corpses... Like necromancers from video games?” They don’t seem like zombies, though. They move way too quickly for that. Being attacked by these guys could ruin anyone’s day pretty fast... I had to hurry into the fortress and decide my next course of action based on the situation.
Using [Long Sense], I took a look inside the fortress. I didn’t want them to assume I was an enemy and attack me. Finding Yae’s brother and having him listen to me was the best option.
Uhh... Oh, it has to be this guy. Black hair, black eyes, a slash scar on his right cheek, and he’s wearing black armor. He looks pretty gentle, but he’s gotta be some kinda battle god! The man was encouraging his comrades, all while soaked in the blood of his foes.
“[Gate].” If I rushed in there, I’d run the risk of surprising them and making them attack me, so I kept the portal open a small distance away from the group. There should already be a portal of light on their side... so I’ll go in now. I slowly crossed through and appeared before Yae’s brother.
“Who are you?! Are you with Takeda?!” He readied his sword and asked for my identity. The soldiers surrounding him brandished their blades as well.
“Wait. I’m not your enemy. You’re Kokonoe Jutaro, the brother of Kokonoe Yae, right?”
“Indeed, I am Jutaro... How do you know Yae?!” I raised my hands to express my lack of hostility. But Yae’s name made Jutaro all the more alert. He glared at me with piercing eyes.
“I’m her friend. We met in the Kingdom of Belfast. We found out that you were in trouble, so we came to help.”
“You’re with Yae?!”
“I am. She’s close by, too. Can I bring her over with my teleportation spell?” The soldiers surrounding Jutaro started to murmur, looking at the man as if asking what to do next. From the way they reacted to the idea of Yae arriving, I assumed they were followers of the dojo.
Soon enough, Jutaro lowered his blade and nodded slightly.
“[Gate].” A girl quickly jumped through the newly-opened portal of light. She looked around, noticed Jutaro, and ran to him at full speed.
“Brother!”
“Yae...? Is it really you?”
“It is!” As the two siblings had their heartfelt reunion, Elze and the others followed her through the portal.
“And they are?”
“My dear friends. They are reliable and kind people, they are.” Being introduced like that made me feel a little bashful.
“Where is father? Is he safe?”
“Yes, there’s no need to worry about him. He is currently protecting Ieyahsu-sama. You can see him later.” Ah... an elder brother gently talking to his worried younger sister. What a nice scene. But man... this is pretty grim.
I looked around and saw a number of wounded people scattered around, they were clearly unable to move. Some of their wounds could’ve been deadly. Alright, this is probably my best opportunity to try this out.
I took out my smartphone and turned it on. The map app was already enchanted with [Multiple], so all that was left was the [Program].
“Begin [Program]? Starting Condition: A target on screen is touched? Upon Target Touch: Use [Multiple] to mark every matching target? End [Program.]” With this, I won’t have to bother locking on to every individual target. A single touch should be enough.
Searching for just ‘injured soldiers’ would also mark the injured enemies, so I ran a search for ‘injured Tokugawa soldiers.’ Pins began dropping on the screen, indicating all the relevant targets. There were more than I had expected. I zoomed out the map so the entire fortress was visible on the screen.
I locked on to a single target by touching it, which caused all the other targets on the screen to be marked as well. I looked to my side and saw a small magic circle hanging above a writhing, injured soldier. It was the [Multiple] magic circle. Alrighty, preparations complete.
“Come forth, Light! Soothing Comfort: [Cure Heal]!” The magic circle began to spew forth some shining sparks. They covered the injured people below, causing each targeted individual’s wounds to fade away.
Moments later, I could hear cheers from all around the castle. The injured soldiers in the room stood up and moved their bodies. They looked extremely confused.
“Wait... what did you do? I can tell that you used Healing magic, but did you actually...”
“I healed everyone in the fortress. Glad that actually worked, wow...” My words made Leen look at me like I was a weirdo. I could totally understand her sentiment.
“The injured are... What is happening...?”
“It’s Touya-dono’s healing magic, it is.” Yae pointed toward me as her brother just stood there, wide-eyed and dumbfounded.
“It only closed their wounds, so don’t have them do anything too taxing. Any blood they lost is still gone.”
“V-Very well, I understand. I will make sure to notify them.” Jutaro replied to me, but he still seemed to be dazed.
Alright, that takes care of the injured. Now for the enemy attackers.
“By the way, what are the oni mask-wearing things among the enemy forces?” I finally had a chance to ask about it.
“I am unsure. But I do know that until you break their masks, they do not stop moving even if you impale them with spears or lop off their arms. They are much like living corpses.” He shook his head slowly as he spoke. Oh, so I guess they’re basically zombies after all... I looked to the side and saw Leen leaning down on the fence, examining the masked soldiers. She was pondering again.
“Hm... It’s either some Null magic... or an Artifact.”
“Artifact? What’s that?”
“It’s a term for strange relics left behind by ancient civilizations, particularly ones that have powerful magic within them. I’m quite surprised you’re unaware. Isn’t that thing in your hand an Artifact?” She pointed at my smartphone, forcing me to talk myself out of the situation with a panicked smile on my face.
Artifacts... So there’s such a thing as ancient magic tools, eh? If there’s some sort of controller that lets the user manipulate corpses, those masks would be like receivers, I guess.
“Well, whatever the case, those masked things are troublesome. [Paralyze] doesn’t work on them, so it’s best to destroy them all in one go.”
“...What did you just say?” As Jutaro gave me an inquisitive sidelong glance, I opened the smartphone’s map app and ran a search for ‘masked Takeda soldiers.’ Pins dropped on the screen, pointing at all the masked soldiers around the fortress. I touched one of them, and all the rest were targeted at once.
“Wh-What is that...?” Someone whispered, so I looked up and noticed the veritable field of small, shining magic circles covering the sky. Perfect... [Multiple] has them locked on.
I raised my hand to the sky, focused my magic, spoke the spell, and unleashed hell upon my foes.
“Strike true, Light! Sparkling Holy Lance: [Shining Javelin]!” Spears of light burst forth from the magic circles, soaring toward their targets. It was as though light itself was raining from the sky. Mostly because light itself was, in fact, actually raining from the sky.
The earth began to rumble, clouds of dust were swept up from the ground, and errant sparks of light could be seen shining out from amidst the chaos. The cadence of the repeated attacks created a beautiful light show.
When the rain of light ceased, more than half of Takeda’s army had been neutralized.
Then, I switched my search to ‘Takeda soldiers’ and locked on to them.
“Well, this won’t be all that hard. [Paralyze].” The remaining soldiers, those that were fully human, suddenly jolted upright and then slumped to the ground. Some of them had magic-warding amulets, but the sorry state of their army made them set off fleeing.
“And that’s the end of that.” The Tokugawa army in the fortress stood there in silence for a good while, but once they processed what had happened, they all raised a roar of victory. I could hear cries of joy and relief mixing together and echoing throughout the halls.
“Did... Did you do all that...?” Jutaro turned to me. His voice was hoarse. He was looking at the area around the fortress, particularly at all the downed Takeda soldiers, clearly unable to believe what he was seeing.
“Well, I guess. I don’t like being treated like a big deal, so I’d prefer it if you didn’t talk about this too much.”
“After all that we’ve seen from him, getting surprised is plain stupid.” Elze put her hands on her hips and heaved a heavy sigh.
“I-It does seem a bit silly at this point.” Linze agreed with her elder sister.
Hrm... all I did was mix a couple of my abilities! Is it really that big of a deal? I stared at the cheering soldiers, feeling a bit conflicted about the whole ordeal.
“Firstly, I would like to give you my purest of thanks for helping us with the battle.” We gathered in the fortress’ keep, which wasn’t particularly large or fancy, and met a well-built man with a mustache. He looked to be in his early forties. The man sat at the seat of honor and bowed his head to me. Tokugawa Ieyahsu. The lord of this fortress and the territory it was built in. One of the nine lords of Eashen. I couldn’t help but notice his name was “Ieyahsu,” rather than the “Ieyasu” I was used to. The pronunciation was the same, but the spelling was different. I thought that was a little weird, but I could roll with it.
“Oh, we just happened to come around at the right time. No need to thank us.” Yumina was seated in front of us, directly facing Ieyahsu. She introduced herself as the princess of Belfast, and us as her bodyguards. It was just a way to make the situation easier to understand, but I couldn’t be more thankful for Yumina’s social decorum.
Yae was counted amongst the “bodyguards,” too. In short, we said that we came to help out because of our connection to her. Not like we were lying, either, so there were no problems to speak of.
“To think that Yae became one of Princess Yumina’s bodyguards... Life is indeed full of surprises.” Kokonoe Jubei suddenly spoke up. Yae’s father was a large, grizzled-looking man who looked to be nearing fifty years old. Currently, he was the acting instructor of the Tokugawas. Due to his time instructing Viscount Swordrick’s family, Jubei knew quite a lot about Belfast.
“Now... who is this youth that saved my fortress...?” Ieyahsu shifted his gaze past Yumina and directed it straight at me. You’re looking a little too inquisitive there, old man...
“This is Mochizuki Touya, one of my bodyguards — or, as I prefer to put it, my future husband.” Yumina’s cheeks turned all rosy as she spoke. Whoa, whoa, whoa! I did not consent to this! There was absolutely no need to say that! The Lord and the instructor both sighed in a way that expressed both admiration and astonishment. I didn’t like that reaction at all.
“Oh, I see now. The boy being betrothed to the princess of Belfast makes his feat easy to understand. How very splendid.”
“Indeed. I’m very proud of him, too.” Yumina puffed up with pride as though Ieyahsu’s praise was meant for her. Please stop. Please. I need an adult.
“Praise aside, I would like to ask you a question... Have you heard of a place known as ‘The Ruins of Nirya’? It’s actually what we came to Eashen for...”
“Nirya...?” Yumina’s question made Ieyahsu take a moment to think. Suddenly, something came to his mind and he lightly slapped his knee.
“Oho, you must mean the ruins said to house the secrets of Nirai Kanai. I don’t know much about it, actually... What about you, Jubei?”
“From what I hear, the Ruins of Nirya are in Shimazu’s territory. But they’re supposedly at the bottom of the sea. Getting inside would be no trivial task...”
“The bottom of the sea?!” What the hell? Is it some kind of water temple? Does it have an entrance that appears and disappears depending on the tide?! Well, not like we have any choice. We’ll have to go see it for ourselves. Now we know where it is, so we can make our way there if we want... but the situation right now doesn’t really give us a lot of wiggle room.
“About Takeda’s army... Do you think this will be enough for them to back down?” My question made Ieyahsu fold his arms. His head bobbed in thought.
“I believe they will regroup and try attacking us again. They may come with more of those masked warriors, perhaps even their cannon units...” No amount of soldiers would change the result, though. Cannons might be troublesome, but I could still break them.
“I must say, though... The masked soldiers, this invasion in general... it confuses me to no end. The Lord of Takeda, Schingen-dono, is indeed the proud leader of the four great military commanders known as ‘Takeda’s Elite Four,’ but this battle felt rather unlike him. The rumors may be true after all...”
“Rumors?” Ieyahsu’s words got me curious. Jubei spoke up to elaborate, rather than Ieyahsu himself.
“There are rumors that Schingen-dono might have already passed away. That his body is being controlled by a dark strategist known as Yamamoto Kansukay, who is using the shell of their Lord to lead Takeda’s armies as if they were his own.”
“Yamamoto Kansukay...”
“When you consider the existence of the masked soldiers, that doesn’t seem impossible. He might have a spell or an Artifact that can take control of corpses.” After listening to Jubei, Leen presented her own thoughts.
Well, controlling that many corpses at once doesn’t seem like a trivial thing to do. It seems possible to me. Does he plan on using Takeda to force all of Eashen to unite under one banner? Crap, now I’m thinking about Takeda’s army. I can’t exactly leave with a clear conscience now...
“Would it all cool down if someone captured this Yamamoto Kansukay guy?”
“It might... However, Schingen-dono’s death is nothing but a rumor. And, from what I hear, Kansukay never leaves Takeda’s stronghold at Tsutsujigasaki. Sneaking inside and kidnapping him would be a fool’s errand...”
Hmph. That was exactly what I was planning, but I guess that does sound kinda silly, even if I could get in with [Long Sense] and [Gate]. It would be great if there was a spell that could make a person invisible, or... Ah.
“Leen. You can use light magic to make your wings invisible, right? Is it possible to apply it to your whole body?”
“It is, yes. However, it simply makes the light encompass something, so people would quickly notice if you bumped into them.”
Alright... So she can actually make people invisible. That’ll make the stealth portion easier. I was already thinking of infiltrating the enemy fortress. So really, I’d prefer as few casualties as possible, regardless of friend or foe.
“A-Are you thinking of actually sneaking in?” Linze spoke as if she just read my mind. Sheesh, is it that obvious?
“If this Yamamoto Kansukay is really the mastermind, it’d be the easiest way to deal with the situation, right?”
“That’s true, but...” She was probably worried about me, but I didn’t feel that there was a need for that. I could always escape through a [Gate], after all.
“The main problem is getting to this... Tsutsujigasaki place. Have you ever been there, Yae?”
“No, not even once, I have not. What about you, Father?”
“Same for myself... Why should that matter, though?”
“If we find someone who has been to Tsutsujigasaki, Touya-dono can use his magic to get there in mere moments, he can!”
“What...?!”
Jubei and Ieyahsu both looked at me in sheer surprise. I didn’t really want to stand out so much, but since I was leaving Eashen after exploring the ruins anyway, I decided to just accept it.
“Allow me to be the one to introduce him to Tsutsujigasaki, then.” A voice echoed throughout the keep, coming from seemingly nowhere. It didn’t belong to anyone in the room. I quickly pulled out the New Model Army and aimed for where I’d heard the voice — out in the corridor surrounding the room.
“Who is there?” Someone took the words right out of my mouth. It was Jubei, who seemed as baffled as I was.
A person walked out of the shadows in the corner.
Whoa, it’s a ninja! The black clothes were a clear giveaway. The outfit stood out, yet I still hadn’t realized that the person was there, so it was possible they used some kind of perception-blocking spell. The person took off the cloth covering her head, revealing the face of a beautiful woman. It was a female ninja. A kunoichi, to be more precise.
“I am Tsubaki, subordinate of one of Takeda’s Elite Four — Kousaka Masanohbu-sama. I’ve brought a secret message to Tokugawa Ieyahsu-sama.”
“You’re with Kousaka-dono?!” The kunoichi kneeled on the floor, took out her message, placed it in front of her, and backed away. Even if the current battle was over, she was a ninja working for the opponent. It’d only be natural for us to be cautious around her. Eyes on the kunoichi at all times, Jubei took the message and handed it over to Ieyahsu.
I kept my gun trained on her, just in case. Better safe than sorry, after all.
Ieyahsu opened the scroll and began reading. A look of surprise dawned on his face, then he became sterner. What could’ve made him react like that?
“Milord. What does it say?”
“It seems that the rumors were true. Takeda’s forces are naught but an army of puppets.”
“It can’t be...!” Jubei was at a loss for words. So it’s true. Yamamoto Kansukay had complete control of Takeda’s army.
“Schingen-dono has already passed away, and, with the exception of Kousaka-dono, Takeda’s Elite Four are all imprisoned in the dungeons. The letter asks us to stop Kansukay and save the land of Takeda.”
“Kousaka-sama pretends to be loyal to Kansukay. He’s plotting how to take Takeda out of his hands in the shadows, however.” The kunoichi, Tsubaki, gave us some more intel. According to her, Kansukay was hiding the fact that Schingen was dead. He used the corpse as a proxy to put the land of Takeda under his command. The Elite Four noticed. Three of them were imprisoned, but Kousaka pretended to be loyal to Kansukay and thus was spared.
“In all honesty, Tokugawa has no obligation to do so much for Takeda. But at this rate, the masked soldiers under Kansukay’s command will ravage our lands. As pitiful as it might sound, the power to save both Tokugawa and Takeda lies in the hands of these Belfastian guests of mine.” Ieyahsu looked at me. And with that, it became my duty to infiltrate Tsutsujigasaki and do something about Yamamoto Kansukay.
“What are you going to do, Touya?” Despite knowing the answer, Yumina went out of her way to look up at me and ask me that.
So I’m the one who gets to decide the fates of two lands... Well, it doesn’t really bother me.
“Sure, I’ll do it. I’ll infiltrate Tsutsujigasaki. I want to go to the Ruins of Nirya with a clear conscience, after all.”
“Thank you.” Tsubaki bowed her head to me alongside her words of gratitude.
“Going in with a large group would be a bad idea, so the only ones to go will be me, Tsubaki, and Leen.” Tsubaki knew the inner workings of Takeda and Leen was a fairy with great magic skill, so it was the best choice for a smooth operation. Sadly, Paula couldn’t tag along this time. Once I told her that, the bear plush stomped on the floor in frustration and made her anger very clear. That [Program] is damn impressive...
“Alright, let’s get to it and...”
“Wait, wait! Are you really gonna sneak in there in broad daylight? Shouldn’t you wait for nightfall?” After I stood up and got ready to go, Elze said something extremely reasonable.
Guess she’s right... There’ll be fewer people at night, and the darkness can help us hide. Even if Leen makes us invisible, night time is the better setting for a stealth mission.
I decided to take a rest before the new plan. Well, it wasn’t much of a rest. I had to use a [Gate] to inform Yae’s mother that Jubei was fine, then teleport to Belfast and tell Laim that I wouldn’t be back for the night, among other things. I even had to go to Oedo and buy alcohol, food, arrows, oil, and other things to resupply the fortress. With [Storage], it wasn’t tiring in the least, so I didn’t really mind. Ieyahsu even gave me money for doing it. Quite a lot of money, in fact. A delivery service sounded more enticing than ever at that point.
The day went by quickly while I kept myself busy, and soon it was night time.
“Alright, Tsubaki, picture a place from which you can see the stronghold at Tsutsujigasaki. I’d be thankful if you picked a place that doesn’t have many people.”
“Understood.” As Tsubaki closed her eyes, I took both of her hands. Geez, I was tense enough doing this with Yae, but it’s even more unnerving doing it with a stranger... Honestly, holding a girl’s hand is heavy enough... so why are Yumina and the others glaring daggers at me?! I had no idea what I did to deserve such glares, but I decided to get this over with. It felt like the safe thing to do.
“[Recall].” I focused my magic and pressed my forehead against hers. Tsubaki was about as tall as me, so I didn’t have to lean in like I did with Yae. Soon enough, I saw the faint image of a big, single-story building surrounded by a few moats and a castle town. So that was Takeda’s stronghold, Tsutsujigasaki.
“[Gate].” I distanced myself from Tsubaki, stood in the middle of the keep, and created a portal of light leading to the enemy stronghold.
“Okay, we’re off. Kohaku, tell me if anything happens.”
«Understood.» The tiger replied via telepathy. It was a handy little thing that allowed Kohaku and I to talk privately. If something happened here, Kohaku would tell me about it and I could get back in an instant.
First one to go through the [Gate] was Leen. She was followed by Tsubaki and then myself.
Once through, the first thing I noticed was the night sky. There was not a moon visible, but several stars twinkled in the sky. We were surrounded by a dense forest, and I could see some torches burning off in the distance. That was the Tsutsujigasaki stronghold, no doubt about it.
“So that’s what we’re infiltrating...” First, I decided to examine it using [Long Sense]. I could see some bridges built over the moats and, as I had expected, the gates were closed.
Guarding the gates stood some brawny fellows, clad in full armor and holding spears.
I looked beyond the gates and saw a long, white fence built sort of like a maze. Right next to it, there was a well. Not too far from there, in an open space, I saw a garden tree that seemed like a perfect hiding spot. Alright, that’s where we’ll warp to...
“[Gate].” I quickly opened a portal and tried going through. However... instead of letting me go through it like normal, it pushed me back after taking just one step.
“Huh?” I tried passing through again. But, just like the first time, I was repelled right after putting my leg in.
“What’s going on?” I tilted my head in confusion. This had never happened before.
“A barrier talisman. That’s the most likely thing that could stop you from going through the [Gate].”
“A barrier?” Leen came to that conclusion after watching me try a few times. I could recall Duke Ortlinde saying something similar, too. Passage through teleportation can be stopped by the simplest of barriers... So that’s how it works...
“This is probably Kansukay’s doing. I can go inside freely. I’m Kousaka-sama’s subordinate, after all. Wait here while I destroy the talisman.” As Tsubaki got ready to head into the stronghold, Leen folded her arms and stopped her.
“Don’t. When you break a barrier, there’s a high chance that the one who created it will notice. Even if they don’t know that you were the one who did it, making them alert isn’t a wise idea.”
“What should we do, then?” There was only one possible answer to that question. Nothing else would work.
“Leen. Let’s infiltrate the place with the magic that makes your wings disappear. You and I can become invisible, then we’ll accompany Tsubaki as she passes through the gate. That should work, right?”
“It doesn’t make them disappear, it just affects the vision and... Well, alright. Stand over there, then.” I did as I was told. Leen placed her hand on me and gathered her magic, forming a magic circle beneath us.
“Bend, O Light. Guiding Curvature: [Invisible]!” After she spoke the spell, the magic circle rose up and surrounded us both. Once it reached the tops of our heads, it dispersed like nothing.
“You disappeared...” Tsubaki expressed her surprise.
Oh? It’s working already? But I can still see my arms, and the rest of me too! I can see Leen!
“Leen. Is my vision unaffected by this spell or something?”
“Well obviously. Can you imagine how inconvenient it would be if you couldn’t see your own body?”
“Oh, I can still hear you.” Tsubaki sounded slightly relieved. Wow, guess she really can’t see us.
Leen grinned, walked behind Tsubaki, and suddenly began fondling her breasts.
“Fhyaaaaahhh?!”
“Hey, Touya! Why are you taking advantage of her just because she can’t see you?”
“T-Touya-san?! Wh-Why...?”
“It’s not me! That’s Leen! I’m still in front of you!” I moved the foliage around me to indicate my presence. Heck, even if you can’t see her, you should be able to tell based on the feeling on your back!
“No... Ah, hey, that’s... Ahh!”
“Hmm... They’re unexpectedly big. Are you the type who looks slender in clothing? These are quite the melons...”
“Cut it out already!”
“Ouch!!!” Since she clearly wasn’t going to stop the fondling, I hit her with a karate chop. A 612-year-old has no business being this childish. Please consider the importance of our situation! As Leen clutched her head and crouched down in pain, Tsubaki turned red from the embarrassment and backed away. Her arms were wrapped around her own chest. Good job, Leen. You made our tenuously allied ninja friend wary of us.
I spoke up, hoping to calm Tsubaki down.
“It’s okay now, don’t worry. I’ll give her a good smack and make her stop it if she tries it again.”
“...You’re going to smack my ass?”
“Quiet, you!” Leen’s joke made Tsubaki back away even further.
Can we even succeed if it goes on like this? I became slightly... No, I became very worried.
“I am Kousaka-sama’s subordinate. Let me pass.”
“I see. Just a moment, then.” The two guards looked at Tsubaki’s permit, nodded, and slowly opened the heavy gate. The place didn’t seem to have a separate entrance for individual people.
Still invisible, Leen and I quickly slipped through the open gate as well. Tsubaki walked through a moment later and the guards closed the entrance once again. Whew... We made it.
“Hey, Leen. Shouldn’t the barrier dispel our invisibility?”
“As a rule of thumb, barriers only repel magic that affect their area of influence. It won’t dispel the spell on us because, instead of affecting the area, it affects only us. That’s also why the barrier shouldn’t prevent you from leaving through a [Gate].” That made sense to me. A [Gate] only affected the destination, after all. I couldn’t enter, but I could leave with no problem. That was also why my [Long Sense] wasn’t dispelled. The target of the spell wasn’t the area, but me.
Anyway, now that we were inside, we had to go save the three members of the Elite Four who were locked up in the dungeons, then ferry them out with a [Gate]. Though if they were capable of fighting, I’d gladly have them join us. I suggested my idea to Tsubaki, who instantly agreed.
“The dungeon is this way.” Following Tsubaki, we ran through the moonless night.
The dungeon was in a building near the west edge of the stronghold.
Tsubaki said that not even her permit would let her inside. I had Leen make her invisible like us and we all used our collective vanish-ness (according to Leen, that wasn’t the right term, but whatever) to sneak inside.
We passed the guard room and walked down the stairs. In the dungeons made from stone and wood, I could see an old man. His eyes were closed and he was sitting in quiet meditation. The man was large in build, had long, graying hair and a face with several wrinkles here and there.
“Who is there?” Still meditating, he suddenly spoke up, surprising all three of us. He could sense our presence despite our invisibility, it seemed.
“Baba-sama, I’m Tsubaki. Kousaka-sama ordered me to help you. Do you happen to know where I could find Naito-sama and Yamagata-sama?”
“You’re one of Kousaka’s? Hmph, I had a feeling that he was only pretending to be part of Kansukay’s army. He’s not one to be underestimated.” Clearly amused, one of Takeda’s Elite Four, Baba Nohbuharu, bore a wide grin.
“Naito and Yamagata are in the cells further down. But don’t you think you should show yourself first?” Leen canceled her spell, making Baba raise his eyebrow and stare at us.
“Who are these two? I don’t recognize them.”
“These are guests of Tokugawa-dono. Their names are Mochizuki-dono and Leen-dono. Mochizuki-dono is powerful. He defeated the fifteen thousand masked soldiers that attacked Tokugawa all by himself.”
“He what?!” Old man Baba’s eyes opened wide. W-Wait... there were fifteen thousand of them?! I didn’t know that! I guess that explains why the map app had so many pins on it...
The old man was still looking at me in disbelief, but there were more important things to do than be awestruck. I could use magic to blow the cell open, but that would attract too much attention. Thus, I only had one course of action.
“[Modeling].” I changed the shape of the grating and began creating a space for a person to pass through. It took me about a minute to finish it, after which old man Baba walked out as if he was never locked up.
“I see that you can do some strange things, squirt.”
S-Squirt?! Well, I guess I am way younger than you... I chose not to say it, but I could’ve easily brought up that the fairy with me was way older than him.
The rough old man joined us as we walked through the dungeon and reached two more cells. They were on opposite sides of the room.
The one on the right held a gentle-looking man who appeared so ordinary that I couldn’t help but compare him to an office worker on the verge of retirement. The one on the left, however, held a middle-aged man with the eyes of a warrior and countless battle scars all over his body.
“Oh, Baba-dono. Glad to find you in good health.” The office worker turned to us.
“Looks like things are getting interesting, Baba-dono. Lemme join, in case things get wild.” The scarred man grinned with excitement, stood up, and walked over to the grating. Seeing the way they acted, old man Baba heaved a long sigh.
“Naito. How about taking this a bit more seriously, eh? The way you’re always smiling like that really gets to me. And you, Yamagata. You should try using that noggin of yours every once in a while. Not all problems can be solved with battles.” Hmm... So the office worker was Naito Masatoyoh, and the scarred one was Yamagata Massakage.
“Hey squirt, get these two out of their cells, will ya?”
“Fine by me. But could you stop calling me squirt? I have a name, and it’s Mochizuki Touya.” As I looked at and waited for him to correct himself, Leen joined the exchange.
“Just so you know, this boy is first in line for the throne of Belfast, so you ought to take care in how you talk to him.” All three of the men were at a loss for words. Well, she’s not wrong, but that description still doesn’t sit right with me... I still haven’t agreed, after all.
“Really, now? Hmm... But changing the way I call him would make me look pathetic at this point... Well, he’ll just have to deal with being called squirt.” Baba’s response made Leen smile and shrug. Well, shit. Guess he just doesn’t listen to people.
“I will take the liberty of calling him Touya-dono.”
“Then he’ll be Touya to me.” Just like Baba, both Naito and Yamagata went with whatever they were comfortable with. Man, Takeda sure is full of people who act however they want. Shame that Schingen’s dead. I would’ve loved to meet the guy who got this group of misfits to listen to him.
I used [Modeling] to free the two men just like I’d freed old man Baba. Then, I got Leen to make us invisible and we all made our way through the guard post and out of the dungeon.
“What do we do now, Your Soon-to-be Majesty?” Naito spoke with a smile on his face, clearly making fun of me. I do not approve of this, not at all. I got everyone together and told them my plan.
“I intended to let you three escape the stronghold and go on to capture Yamamoto Kansukay with my group, but...”
“Hey now, we can’t have that. Take me with you, Touya. We all have a score to settle with that bastard, you know?” Yamagata cracked his knuckles, a fearless smile spread across his face. With his face being so scarred, that motion was scary in more ways than one.
“Kansukay is surrounded by the oni mask soldiers, and he himself uses some strange magic. Guy’s inhuman. Think you can really beat him?” Old man Baba said something strange. As my expression became a confused one, Naito continued where Baba left off.
“Yamamoto Kansukay was once a strategist under Schingen-sama’s command. A capable man with a good head on his shoulders, he was an excellent strategist. But he somehow got his hands on a jewel imbued with demonic power. Ever since he got his hands on that, he seemed to get crazier every day. He began killing cats and dogs, started doing weird experiments... and that soon escalated to the point of him committing actual murder. Since then, he created the corpse-controlling ‘oni masks’ and became more powerful than ever. We couldn’t stop him. The power in that jewel of his was far too great...”
So, that thing actually made Yamamoto Kansukay go insane? Some kind of demonic power, huh? That was probably the Artifact controlling the corpses.
“What do you think, Leen?”
“There’s little doubt that this jewel made him lose his sanity. Artifacts might sometimes be so strong that they develop a mind of their own. They could even house such things as the grudges or obsessions of their creators.” Grudges...? That makes it sound like a cursed item. Whatever the case, Leen made it easy to understand. Takeda’s strategist, Yamamoto Kansukay, was being controlled and turned insane by a cursed jewel. Therefore, it was safe to assume that breaking the jewel would take care of the situation.
“So, where can we find Kansukay?” I turned to Tsubaki.
“I believe he might be in the building in the central quarter of the stronghold...”
I took out my smartphone and ran a search for ‘Yamamoto Kansukay,’ but didn’t get any hits. Hmm? Is he somewhere else? No, that can’t be it. To confirm my suspicions, I ran a search for ‘Leen,’ but didn’t get any results either.
It’s that damn barrier. It’s blocking my [Search] enchantment. Man, what a pain.
“Tsubaki, where is the central quarter?”
“Uhm... It’s in this direction.” I used [Long Sense] to move my sight toward where she was pointing. It was a spell that affected me, so the barrier couldn’t do anything about it.
Once I passed the large garden and was about to take a look inside the building, I saw a man walk out of it.
A black kimono, a black hakama, swarthy skin, and an eyepatch over the left eye. That’s Kansukay, no doubt about it.
I took my sight back and asked Leen how to destroy the barrier. Since I already saved the Elite Four, all that was left was to prepare myself for the moment they found out. Then all I had to do was teleport to Kansukay.
“I believe there should be magic-imbued talismans placed at the four corners of this stronghold. Breaking just one of them should do the trick.”
“I know where to find one. Follow me.” We all followed after Yamagata. Thanks to our invisible forms, we got there without anyone noticing.
There was a small stone jizo statue placed in a little hole in the wall. It was about as tall as Paula.
“No doubt about it. This little jizo is one of the talismans.”
A statuette? Not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word “talisman.” In this world, “talisman” seemed to share its meaning with “charm” and the like, so they came in many shapes and sizes.
“So, we should just break this and teleport straight to Kansukay, right?”
“Now wait just a second, squirt. We might be tough, but going in without weapons is crazy. Don’tcha have something for us?” Sheesh, this guy sure is the demanding sort... Old man Baba was completely right, though. But the only weapons I had on me were the New Model Army and my gunblade, Brunhild. Neither of them were something I could give to them...
“Well. Guess I’ll have to make some.”
“Make some?” The Elite Four looked at me like I was a lunatic. I ignored their stares and used [Storage] to take out the steel I kept from when I was making bikes.
“You okay with a spear? Do you have any requests or preferences?”
“Hm? Yeah, I’d like a spear. Naito does best with two short swords, and Yamagata likes his greatswords...”
“Sure thing.” I used [Modeling] to reshape the steel. First, I made the two short swords. Then came the greatsword, and last, but not least, the spear. The three took their weapons and tested out how they felt and handled.
“To make something like this in such a short amount of time... You are amazing, Touya-dono.”
“The whole thing’s made of steel, so I thought this spear would be heavy... but it’s surprisingly light. Balance is a little strange, though." I had made the hilt hollow solely to make it lighter. It was basically a steel pipe with a spearhead on top. That gave it more endurance than standard spears, but I had no idea if it was any sharper as a result.
“So, we ready?” Everyone nodded in response. I unholstered the New Model Army and loaded it with bullets from my waist pouch. Specifically, the bullets imbued with a small explosion spell.
I aimed at the jizo statue in front of me. It seemed like an action that would wind up getting me cursed, but there was no other option. Once I pulled the trigger, the jizo shattered into countless pieces.
With the barrier destroyed, I took out my smartphone, turned on the map app, and ran a search for the oni mask soldiers.
Yup, it works. I can use my phone’s functions again.
I locked on all the oni mask soldiers, planning to take them all out.
“H-Hey, what’s that?!” Yamagata and the other two looked up at the night sky with wide eyes. They were staring at the small [Multiple] magic circles. Leen was looking over at them as well.
“You’re doing that again?”
“It’s a good idea to get rid of all those who could get in our way, right? Things would get pretty bad if we teleported there and instantly got surrounded.” I raised my hand to the sky, focused my magic, and activated all of the [Multiple] magic circles.
“Strike true, Light! Sparkling Holy Lance: [Shining Javelin]!” Light rained from the skies for the second time in recent history. The dead of night made it a beautiful sight, much like a meteor shower.
But man, I wasn’t among the enemy forces last time, so I had no idea it was so loud and made the ground shake this much...
Spears of light fell all over the stronghold, destroying the oni mask soldiers one by one. It didn’t matter if they were outside or indoors, the spears reached their targets even if they had to pierce through roof tiles. Crap... I didn’t really think this through.
Once the rain of light stopped, I could hear the normal soldiers start to shout that they were being attacked, so I locked on to all the ‘enemy Takeda soldiers’ and cast [Paralyze], making the area turn quiet.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Hey... Did you really just do all that?!” Old man Baba looked around while blinking in disbelief. For a brief while, the other two’s mouths were open wide due to the shock, but they soon spoke up.
“Dear me... This is unbelievable...”
“Okay now, don’t you think you took care of Kansukay with this?” It was a possibility, considering that ‘enemy Takeda soldiers’ included him, as well. I didn’t expect him to be harmed, though. Not only was [Paralyze] weak against anyone with talismans, but it didn’t have much of an effect on anyone with high magical aptitude.
“I think Kansukay’s just fine. It’s not a problem, though. Just means we have to take him head-on. Let’s go finish this.” I opened a [Gate] to the central quarter, where Kansukay was.
Once I was through the portal of light, I saw a one-eyed, swarthy man standing in the large garden. He was surrounded by immobilized Takeda soldiers. The eyepatched man noticed our sudden appearance and looked right at us, his shadow dancing due to the two bonfires next to him.
“I see. So the Elite Four are responsible for this, then? You’ve truly surprised me. How did you accomplish this?”
“You don’t need to know that. Now shut up and die!” Yamagata brandished his greatsword and charged at Kansukay. Whoa, damn! Now there’s someone who’s quick to act! But I guess his appearance isn’t exactly hiding that. Yamagata Massakage — the captain of Takeda’s shock troops — swung his blade straight toward Kansukay’s neck. However, it was blocked by the katana of an armored samurai who jumped out from the side.
“Wha—?!” He was clad in red armor and a helmet with a lion decoration. The samurai’s white hair danced around as he deflected Yamagata’s greatsword.
A red oni mask was covering his face. He was almost two meters tall and had muscles so large that it looked like they were going to burst. Wait... it can’t be...
“M-Milord...?” The hoarse voice that somehow escaped old man Baba’s lips confirmed my assumption about the armored samurai.
That was Takeda Schingen. He who was once the lord of Takeda. Now reduced to a mere puppet under Kansukay’s complete control.
“Kansukay, you filth! You’d dare to use Lord Schingen as a shield?!”
“A shield? I would never. Lord Schingen merely protected me. That’s all. Though, I do regret pushing him into a situation that made it necessary. I shall call for a replacement.” Magic gathered around Kansukay, forming a large circle in the middle of the garden. That circle’s element is... Darkness! He’s summoning something! “Come to me, O Darkness. I seek the service of bones: [Skeleton Warrior]!” A skeleton crawled out of the magic circle. It was wielding a curved sword in its right hand and a round shield in its left. Man, this Kansukay guy sure seems to have a thing for undead-related powers.
“Blade Mode.” I took out Brunhild and instantly transformed it into a longsword. The skeleton charged at me, so I swung horizontally and split it in half.
But the skeleton slowly began moving and regenerated, seemingly shrugging off my lethal blow. Its split spine shifted back in place and it got up, prepared to charge me again. What the heck?!
“Come forth, O light! Shining Duet: [Light Arrow]!” I heard Leen casting a spell, and a moment later, an arrow of light pierced through the skeleton in front of me. The bones shattered into fragments, never to regenerate again. Huh? Why’d that work?
“Surely you know that undead are weak to Light magic, right? Pointless slashing gets you nowhere, dummy.” Oh, right. I returned Brunhild to gun mode and reloaded it. I elected to use Light magic bullets.
I aimed at the skull of another skeleton coming toward me and pulled the trigger. The gunshot was accompanied by a burst of light that splinted the bones, preventing it from rising again.
I looked to the side and saw Tsubaki, old man Baba, and Naito valiantly fighting the living bones, whose regeneration made the struggle look fruitless.
“This is annoying. I’ll just end it all at once.” Leen released her magic, causing a magic circle to appear below her feet. It began to widen until it was large enough to cover the whole garden.
“Come forth, O Light! Shining Exile: [Banish]!” Right after she spoke her spell, all the skeletons in the garden burst into particles of light and vanished. What the hell was that? That was awesome! Guess I shouldn’t have expected any less from the clan matriarch of the magically-adept fairies.
“Hmph... Light-element purification magic. Not bad at all. However...” The red armored samurai stood before Kansukay, ready to protect him. He aimed his katana at Yamagata, blocking his path and preventing him from moving forward.
“Milord! Please move aside!”
“Schingen-sama! Blast it all, that slimy wretch!”
“Look at how he treads over our feelings… What scum!”
“Heheheh, it’s useless. Our dear lord protects me. I know full well that you are unable to cross swords with the leader you are so grateful to. That means you cannot lay a hand on m—” Before Kansukay could finish his sentence, Schingen’s mask suddenly shattered. Things were dragging on a bit, so I shot it with my gun.
The armored samurai dropped to the ground face-down. The puppeteer no longer had any hold over it. Cool. Destroying the mask really did stop him. With the deed done, I spun Brunhild in my hand.
“Wh-Wha—?!” With a surprised expression on his face, Kansukay looked between Schingen’s still body and me.
“Squirt, you...”
“Hey, I didn’t even know him.”
“That’s true... Still, I would appreciate it if you considered our feelings, too...” Old man Baba and Naito both looked at me with shocked expressions, but I really didn’t know how to react.
“H-Heheheh, impressive. But I still have this!” Kansukay took off the eyepatch over his left eye. There was a red, shining eye — no, a jewel — inside the socket. It shone in a mystifying, ghastly, ominous manner, as if beating like a heart. Is that the jewel we were told about?
“As long as I possess the ‘Jewel of Immortality,’ I cannot die! You can even behead me and still, I will instantly recover!”
“So you used the jewel’s power to grant immortality to the oni mask soldiers?”
“Heheh, that I did! The negative side is that I can only give the simplest orders when the soldiers are too far away from me, but this Artifact more than makes up for it with the great magic power and immortality it provides!” Kansukay proudly answered Leen’s question. It was becoming very clear that that thing was the cause of this whole troubling situation.
“Hoo-ahhh!!!” With a mighty war cry, Yamagata swung his greatsword down on Kansukay. The attack neatly cut off his arm, but it quickly turned into a black mist and vanished into nothingness. Moments later, Kansukay’s shoulder grew a perfectly new arm.
“Wha—?!”
“I told you it won’t work! I can regenerate no matter how many times you cut me! And it’s all thanks to this jewel!”
“[Apport].” I cast a spell, and a small round object appeared in my hand.
Well, he just said he wouldn’t regenerate without the jewel, right? I threw the shining red jewel into the air and caught it, just in case Kansukay hadn’t realized what just happened.
“N-No!” He hastily placed his hand against his left eye. Obviously, the jewel was no longer there. Wait. It occurs to me that this thing was in his nasty old eye socket for who knows how long... Ew. Ew. Ew. This is gross!
“Y-You bastard! When did you—?!”
“My my, talk about having sticky fingers. Is that another Null spell?”
“Yeah. [Apport] allows me to instantly bring small objects to me. Useful in situations like this.” Leen took a look at the jewel in my hand, quickly took it between her fingers, and examined it with squinted eyes. Her brow furrowed as her glare turned intense. That thing’s pretty gross, honestly.
“Hmph, this one’s really bad. It has a curse that gathers the negative energy from the surroundings and makes the owner’s heart impure. It was likely applied by some weird wizard. Either way, it’s the reason this man lost his sanity. Though, considering that a clean heart gets in the way of controlling corpses, I can’t help but call it practical.”
“I’m impressed that you can tell that much just by looking at it.”
“Don’t underestimate the eyes of a fairy.” She proudly puffed out her chest.
Guess I shouldn’t have expected any less from the clan matriarch of the fairies. I keep forgetting that she’s kind of a big deal...
“Artifacts are magic tools from ancient civilizations. They’re all extremely precious, but this one has absorbed so much malice that it’s now safe to call it a concentrated disaster. It’s best to destroy it.” Leen raised her right hand, still holding the jewel, and aimed at a nearby wall.
“What are you doing?! Stop that!”
“I won’t.” Leen maliciously smiled at the desperate Kansukay. Man, she really likes doing things that people don’t want...
Leen threw the jewel with all she had, making it hit the wall and shatter into many pieces.
“GHaahgHGHhh!!!” With a blood-curdling scream, Kansukay fell to the ground. After a writhing for a while, he stopped moving and began gradually drying up into a twisted, mummified form.
Soon enough, he became dust, and the gentle wind blew him away into the night sky.
“Thank... you...” Huh? Did I hear a voice just now... or was it my imagination?
“What... What just happened?”
“This means that Yamamoto Kansukay already died. Interacting with the jewel probably absorbed his magic, willpower, and stamina, among other things.” After Kansukay vanished and left nothing but his clothes behind, Yamagata asked a pretty good question. Luckily Leen was there to clarify. So, with the jewel destroyed, the body was unable to sustain itself? That meant he was undead himself, huh?
“Ah, Lord Schingen!” Just like Kansukay, the oni mask soldiers turned to dust and disappeared into the night sky. I could only hope that this would allow them to rest in peace.
The Elite Four and Tsubaki put their hands together and sent their prayers off for the dead. Maybe it was because I was Japanese, but I couldn’t help joining them.
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