Oda Nobuna no Yabou - Volume 16 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

The Battle of Kanna River 

On the other hand, around the same time, at the eastern provinces—-the lord of Oshu, Date Masamune who was also known as Bontenmaru, declared to join the Oda Nobuna alliance due to Gamo Ujisato who acted as the envoy of Oda Nobuna entered Sendai and persuaded Bontenmaru, and now she once again went for the Kanto expedition under the name of ‘the

Western Army’. Gamo Ujisato also continued following Bontenmaru’s side for the expedition as an advisor on behalf of the Oda clan. She was told by Oda Nobuna to keep looking on Bontenmaru, a person who one would not know what she would do suddenly at all, do not let her go rampage.

After the Ashina clan of Aizu was eradicated by Bontenmaru in ‘the battle of Suriagehara’, Satake Yoshishige, who called as the ‘Bandotaro’ of Hitachi and submitted to the Date clan by sending his foster daughter, Nekohime to become a younger sister of Bontenmaru as the proof of his loyalty, was now still taking on the position as a guide in this Kanto great expedition. Satake Yoshishige who natural was a samurai of Bando and keen on ‘defeating the Hojo’ always wanted to get rid of the Hojo faction out of Kanto. With the Kanto Kanrei, Uesugi Kenshin made peace with Hojo in order to head to Kyoto now, the only one he could rely on was the Date clan.

Leading a large army passing through the Shirakawa Barrier, going South of

Oshu Street and reached Shimotsuke, after met with Satake Yoshishige and Oda clan of Hitachi (TL note: this oda is ‘??’ while the usual oda is ‘??‘), Utsunomiya clan and Oyama clan of Shimotsuki, and also the Satomi clan of

Awa (TL note: this Awa is also had different kanji from the one in Shikoku) that came as reinforcements, Bontenmaru said, “Maintain the pace and attack Musashi, this time we must destroy Odawara Castle nya. I have a secret tactic!” commanded the 50,000 alliance troops. 

Hojo Ujiyasu in Odawara Castle, “That brat, again!? Just surround the Odawara Castle whenever you like to. Anyway, you will end up getting nothing in return, just like Uesugi Kenshin.” ignored Bontenmaru who previously showed a face like as if the North Kanto belonged to her and

attacked the castle with the typical siege battle tactic. The Kawagoe Castle of Musashi consisted of the strongest sister of Hojo clan that was known

after ‘the siege of Kawagoe Castle’, Hojo Tsunashige, the tribe known as the metallic tribe and skillful generals were deployed on Kozukue Castle and Tamanojo Castle that are located at the border between Musashi and Sagami, while a secondary defense line was applied along the Tama River to stop the Date army. No matter what Bontenmaru did after entering Musashi, persist with ‘endurance’, assume the Tama River as an enormous ‘outer moat’ of Odawara Castle to hold on the Date army, once the Date army that was made up from a motley crowd met supply difficulty, Hojo Tsunashige in Kawagoe Castle and the main forces in Odawara Castle would go for the flanks of Date army, it could be said as a sort of scorched- earth tactic. Even if the Tama River was taken suddenly, the ‘main castle’ Odawara Castle still remained.

However, ‘the siege on Odawara Castle’ that Bontenmaru declared beforehand, it was a fraud.

Bontenmaru ignored Musashi, headed towards the West of Shimotsuke—-to Kozuke.

The province that connected Echigo, Musashi, and Shinano; Kozuke was the largest war zone in Kanto, where the three great generals of Kanto which were Uesugi Kenshin, Takeda Shingen, and Hojo Ujiyasu unfolded intense battles to compete for. After the ‘alliance of Kai-Echi-Sa’ was formed, each province left their substitute lord and the guards remained respectively in this ‘buffer zone’, they made a promise not to start a war again. So the land of Kozuke itself was like the existence of ‘vouch’ of the alliance.

In other words, Kozuke does not have many guards there, its defense was weak.

Bontenmaru went straight to Kozuke which was no different from an empty house, stormed the Maebashi Castle that was located in the middle of Kozuke.

In the strategic location that Uesugi Kenshin had formerly used as the main base for the Uesugi in Kanto during when she was having an expedition on Kanto.

The lord of Maebashi Castle was Hojo Takahiro, a rebellious person that swayed between the Uesugi and the Hojo like a bat. Although he submitted to the Uesugi for now due to the alliance agreement, he followed Kenshin to participate in the war to Kyoto. Only 500 soldiers were left to take care of the Maebashi Castle.

In advance, Bontenmaru even captured the stronghold of the Takeda in Kozuke, Minowa Castle regardless. The lord of Minowa Castle, Naito Masatoyo also followed Shingen to participate in the war to Kyoto.

“Huhahaha! Hojo Ujiyasu! Since there’s no one in Kozuke so let me take over it nya! From now on, the Kozuke province is a territory of mine, Date Masamune, I will create a whole new ‘country’ that’s completely different compared to Japan from Oshu to Kanto! The name is called ‘Millenial

Kingdom’ nya! The royal capital will be, of course, Sendai! The Millenial Kingdom will form an alliance with the Roman Pope of Nanban, and also the Spanish pirates to conquer the world soon! The citizens of the kingdom have obligations to manufacture the Sendai miso I invented! Just as the name said, the Millennial kingdom will last for a millennial! The Book of Revelation of the Bible has recorded as well. Once the evil Satan was sealed in the underground of the land and Jesus descended on the land destroyed by

Armageddon, a millennial kingdom appears! And I’m the progenitor who created this millennial kingdom which will last for a millennial nya~!”

“Meow! I have to rebuild this chaos era! Kozuke has become a land of beasts, the citizens of Kozuke are dominated by beasts. Next, I will lead the troops to Musashi through Tonegawa and turns Musashi into a territory of

the ‘Millennial Kingdom’! When Musashi was suppressed, to prove the exchange of the king of Kanto, destroy the tomb of Taira no Masakado! And then break the stones in Kashima Shrine into pieces! The gravels will be used to build Sendai Castle! As the tombstone was used as main stones for my demon king castle and placed under my butt, my evil eye will be fully awakened, and I’m gonna become the great demon king predicted in the

Bible! Huahahaha!”

Just as the idiom ‘loot the burning house’ said, after Date Masamune conquered Kozuke, her next target was obviously the Kimumin Castle located nearby the border between Kozuke and Musashi. In fact, Bontenmaru had started leading her troops down South.

The people of Musashi that got used to the friendly governance by the Hojo clan who valued agriculturism, “Let, let Kanto be independent?” “Is Date Masamune the rebirth of Taira no Masakado?” “But she commanded to

destroy the tomb of Taira no Masakado.” “She doesn’t even let go the stones of Kashima” “What if the big catfish beneath it starts tossing! (TL note: The Japan myth says the earthquake was caused by the flipping of a giant catfish underground, so stones are needed to suppress it to prevent the earthquake from happening again)” “Anti-Christian brat~!” “Even though we are not Christians, why are we facing these matters” fell into a sort of panic state.

“What on earth is the Spanish pirates, what’s that? Although I do not understand what she’s talking about at all just like usual, but to create an independent kingdom in Kanto, that kind of thing, she’s trying to provoke the Hojo? What’s more, using the chance when Takeda and Uesugi are having

death battles with Oda Nobuna at the central area by entering an unoccupied province? Disgusting. Evil. What should I consider you as, Date Masamune!? If you think that I will never come out from Odawara Castle

then you’ve made a great mistake. I did participate in the battle personally in ‘the siege of Kawagoe’ during the Hojo clan is facing life and death situations!”

Hojo Ujiyasu mobilized from Odawara Castle restlessly and commanded several generals with Hojo Tsunashige as the leader in Kawagoe Castle to mobilize as well, their destination was the Kimumin Castle.

Kimumin Castle was a branch castle built between the branch of Tonegawa and the coast of Kanna River, it was located on the border between Kozuke and Musashi, to the Hojo clan, it was the north ‘entrance’ of Musashi.

The Date army that crossed the mainstream of Tonegawa set up camps on a mountain located between Tonegawa, its branch, the Torigawa, and Kanna River, a beautiful triangular mountain called as the Mount Ontake as the main camp of Bontenmaru.

After Kanna River, Musashi had reached.

A sudden declaration of the building the ‘Millennial Kingdom’. 

“Migrating the home from the Yonezawa with mountains to Sendai that’s neighboring the sea, so she has such extraordinary intention right from the start!”

“Takeda, Uesugi, Hojo, any one of them also do.”

“Anyway, please hurry up and stop this real demon king whose thoughts are unpredictable.”

“In this goes on, no matter the victory belongs to the Eastern Army or the Western Army, the victor has to fight with Date, Kanto will be full of debris.”

Causing the generals of Kanto and retainers of Date clan to be shocked, even the plebeians all over Kanto fear of her, the person in question, Bontenmaru, on this day—-

“Woof woof woof!” “Bang bang bang!” “Duang duang!”

“Uwah~! Kojuuro, help nya! The dogs, the dogs are attacking me nya~! Ku, dogs are the natural enemy to cats! As a demon with the attribute of the cat, dog is my weakness nya~!”

On the summit of Mount Ontake, Bontenmaru was surrounded by a large number of puppies, her body starts spasm involuntarily.

“Don’t be exaggerated. The doggies just want to get cozy with Ojou-sama.”

“Nekohime! Help your sister, call out the cats~! Carry out the ‘Armageddon’ with the dogs!”

“Understood.” 

The escort of Bontenmaru, a maiden general with male attire, Katakura Kojuuro chose to be oblivious to it. However, the sworn sister sent by Satake clan as a shadow warrior of Bontenmaru, Nekohime released the Oshu Cat Corps from their cages that Bontenmaru fed of, the result is the cats and dogs begin an Armageddon with love and sorrow with Mount Ontake as the stage—-

“Woof woof woof!” “Nyahahah!” “Woof—!” “Nya~uh~!”

“Ku. So the final war of the world is such a sorrowful thing……I’m sorry doggies, and also the cats! This is the result predicted by the Book of Revelation…….fate, even cats and dogs can’t resist it nya…….”

“Ahahah seriously, it’s annoying—!”

Kozuke had rare insects that Oshu doesn’t have! The cousin of Bontenmaru, Date Shigezane who was very interested in insects, yelled loudly.

“How am I gonna sleep when every night comes such a scene! You guys, if not getting along then beware of getting eaten! You will be eaten along with grasshoppers!”

“……Woof uh~um” “……Nya uh~um”

The cats and dogs were intimidated by the sleep-deprived Date Shigezane with bloodshot eyes and cease-fire. Shigezane was an insect-loving maiden, 

and insects would only emit the sound of flapping wings at most, they were very quiet. While cats and dogs were very noisy.

“Oi oi. Can’t you be more gentle to animals, Shigezane? In the first place, grasshoppers do not match with the meat of cats and dogs right, kukuku.”

‘Even though the Hojo army is coming, Ojou-sama made me sleep-deprived! It’s time to be serious already!”

“Well, it’s not the first day that our Ojou-sama has such behavior……..” Kojuuro patted on Shigezane’s shoulder with a bitter smile.

“I know that, but I’m sleepy! A child won’t grow well if does not sleep well!”

“Shigezane-dono’s breasts are bigger than enough already, so even if you stop growing.”

“Huhu. That’s it. Dogs are very suitable to be a seasoning for ramen. Put a piece of dog meat on the noodle as a selling point for the hot-selling Sendai ramen, how’s that………kukuku.”

“Wa, wauhuhuh!?”

“Please wait! Please don’t make my dogs as seasoning without my consent!” One of the Kanto generals that gathered under the command of Bontenmaru, Ota Mitaka rushed into the main camp with a serious face.

Ota Mitaka—-a Bando-samurai style tough man. He once had a long-term confrontation with the Hojo with Musashi as his citadel, but his castle was captured due to the lack of luck, and now committed under Satake Yoshishige. However, ‘this guy comes to collect the debt from the Hojo on behalf of Kanto generals!’ his enthusiasm to defeat the Hojo was extremely high, followed by participating in this battle.

“Ota. What actually are these dogs?” 

“The young lady of Date. We suffered invasions from the Fuma ninjas for a long time. Because it’s rare to see such powerful ninjas on the samurai province, Kanto. But we thought of a plan. Has a more sensitive nose than the Fuma, able to break through the surveillance of the Fuma, petite figure and agile, there is such thing in Kanto! That is the dog!”

Ota Mitaka trained many doggies, he trained them as ‘order dispatching dogs’, building ‘an espionage network of dogs’ without the Fuma knowing. Ota Mitaka spent his entire life in the history of fighting with the Hojo. His human retainers and ninjas turned to the Hojo, some of them died in battle, ultimately, dogs became his last hope.

“But there’s too many. There’s a hundred of them, Ota.”

“Shut up! My brother and son have turned to the Hojo, humans have no credibility! Only dogs and dogs alone could be friends that never betray us!”

“If, if Ojou-sama does not get married sooner, then soon you will assume cats as your last hope and the only friends could be trusted oh?”

Kojuuro advised to Bontenmaru, but “Don’t worry. Because I have Kojuuro who will never betray me” due to Bontenmaru’s decisive answer with serious, Kojuuro received the surprise couldn’t stop her eyes from flowing tears.

“Satomi has The Eight Dog Warriors, Kanto seems to be a province of dogs. Kukuku. I will never admit my defeat as a fellow of cat faction. Us Date army also forms ‘The Sendai Eight Cat Warriors’. Let the cute Nekohime choose

the talented ones to be the cat warriors nya.”

“No. I think The Eight Insect Warriors is better! Insects are smaller than cats and dogs, they are the ultimate ninjas that can go anywhere they want! And also their strength! Look at the ants, Ojou-sama!” 

“………In the end, Shigezane will cook The Eight Insect Warriors she trained as food, so scary nya.”

“My stomach did not get hungry to that extent!”

“Well, the Hojo army has been marching North and heading this way, is it really fine to do this right now”, Kojuuro sighed.

“Don’t be so impatient. Hojo Ujiyasu is a shut-in nya. We will mobilize right after the Hojo has gathered completely. Kukuku.”

“Gamo Ujisato-dono who acts as the supervisor from the Oda clan to follow us, she’s going to get angry right.”

“Uh nya~. No problem. Nama-chan was stuck in a trap prepared to contain catfish. Kukuku.”

(TL note: Nama in kanji is ? means catfish)

In the meantime—-Gamo Ujisato sent by the Oda clan to be the advisory of Date army had now fallen deeply into the trap prepared by Bontenmaru.

The Mount Ontake that Bontenmaru set her camp on was an ancient ruin. In other words, an ‘ancient tomb’.”

As an archaeologist, Ujisato,

“Amazing! The ancient earthenware fragments are everywhere!? Moreover, just looking deeper into the foothill, magatamas and iron swords, even the precious bronze mirrors imported from ancient China are popping out successively!”

Starting excavation research on the Mount Ontake passionately, ended up she didn’t attend the military discussion held by Bontenmaru. 

“I always have mistaken that the Japanese dynasty is a product from the integration of both series which are the Tenjin God of Kyushu and Kunijin God of Izumo, Kinai, Ise. Although at that time, Togoku lived the indigenous people called the ‘Emishi’, no dynasty has an official communion with China. However, that seems to be wrong. In Kozuke, there’s full of ancient tombs just like Mount Ontake! Aiya, I must stay by the side of Bontenmaru for a little longer time to excavate the lost ancient tombs of Kanto, uncover the history of Kanto and preserve the ruins……!”

“No wait, Leon. We are not here to excavate the ruins in Kanto. What about the battle?”

(TL note: Leon is the Christian name of Ujisato)

Beside of Gamo Ujisato who was the Roman maiden knight, Giovanna who had been staying on Ujisato’s side as a fellow Christian ever since the battle of Kizugawa, she asked with a tilted head while having the konjaku with full miso joyfully.

“Since it’s the battle for the Date army, it’s not appropriate for us to speak of anything. Instead of that, look at this mirror made with cupronickel! I won’t be wrong, it must be an artifact from China. Which dynasty does it belong to huh? Maybe it’s a treasure from the Wei dynasty.”

“Compared to that……..is it that, the konjaku……..doesn’t taste good, my stomach feels worse the more I eat. Don’t tell me, this thing is non-

nutritious!?”

Giovanna who could feel delicious with whatever she ate, couldn’t help but started yelling. 

“It is. Konjaku is made by mixing the inedible alkaline water with high viscosity taro powder to solidify it. If we think carefully, it really is sort of non- nutritious.”

“Why are we in this predicament that we have nothing to eat other than taro. It’s simply an ascetic practice. Even during in Malta island, I had never eaten such stuff.”

“Famine occurs frequently in Kanto due to wars, what’s more, Kozuke does not side with the sea so they couldn’t catch fish, isn’t it? But, who is the one that thought of grinding the taro into powder and solidifies it by mixing water? Speaking of that, long ago, in order to extort money from the visitor to Azuchi Castle, the stingy Nobuna-nee sama tried to grind the taro into powder and solidifies it to be the impostor of the ‘red konjaku’…….so that is the origin huh.” 

“I can’t bear it with anymore! I want to eat the Ise red bean bun!” Due to

Giovanna’s non-stopping cries, Gamo Ujisato “Can’t be helped”, spoke while brought out the name-brand product of Joshu, the ‘burning steamed buns’ to her.

(TL note: Japanese steamed buns have fillings inside which different from the China one)

“Steamed buns! Seems like it will be sweet, then I won’t hesitate! Yum yum!……..why, there’s nothing inside! There’s no filling! Only the skin isn’t it?”

“Because in Joshu, fillings are considered as valuables. As an alternative for not adding fillings, after spreading miso on the skin and burn it, they anyhow say it is a steamed bun as well.” 

“………I really can’t take it anymore……even suffering the tornadoes and rain storm in Malta island is better than here……Joshu is such a horrifying barren land……it makes me arise the thought of returning to Rome for the first time. Why the samurais of Togoku compete for such a land……”

“Because this is the transportation hub that connects streets to Echigo, Shinano, and Musashi”, Ujisato answered.

“Oh well. How about have a try on the local mushrooms? Joshu is a place of origin for mushrooms. There are mushrooms everywhere.”

(TL note: Joshu and Kozuke is the same place, just the way they call it is different)

“The mushrooms everywhere are all poisonous! And mushroom does not have much nutrient right!”

“Of course. Since it’s a name-brand product of Joshu.”

“………Zipangu was called the end of the eastern world, after reaching here I surprisingly discovered that this is actually a golden civilized country and its food is number one in the world. Zipangu is a gourmet heaven. But, actually in front of the capital exists the so-called the end of the world…….”

Seeing that Giovanna ‘uhu uhu’ cried sorrowfully, the brave general ‘always on the battlefield’, who wears helmet and armor and did not reveal his true appearance all the time, the ‘Bando samurai’, Satake Yoshishige came over here with light steps.

“Samurai from a foreign country. I brought you the name-brand product of Hitachi, please have this! The Hitachi samurais regularly have this as their meal on the battlefield! It’s good to restore stamina!”

And then he grabbed a hand of Natto and placed it in front of Giovanna, 

“………..~~~~~~~~~~!?!?!?!?!?!?”

Giovanna fainted from smelling the Natto for the first time in her life. “Rice is not needed on the battlefield! Natto shall be the main dish on the

battlefield! Because of replacing the Natto as rice and consumed it in a large amount that the Bando samurais are so strong! How’s that, Giovanna-dono,

Gamo-dono! Did you two got moved to tears by my kindness!? That’s

nothing at all! Aren’t we comrades to fight against the Hojo, Muahahaha!”

“Ahahahah~!? What is that you suddenly brought out? What the hell is that? It dropped on the mirror and spoiled the mirror! The mirror from the Wei dynasty ahah!”

“To worry of a hand mirror on the battlefield, the maiden generals from West country are so cute! A special flavor can be tasted by adding the Natto with Konjaku! Wahaha!”

“It’s not a hand mirror! Ahah seriously! Are all the Bando samurais also not understand the values of ruins and treasures in a place? This kind of primitive land is no good, I want to go back to Oumi!”

“The, the combination of konjaku and Natto, no! I going to die from it! Huhuhu, this place is the real Megiddo hill…….the world of

Armageddon…….I want to go back to Rome……!”

The maiden knight from Rome, and the maiden general from Oumi.

Apparently, they couldn’t accept the culture of Kanto and in deep trouble.

In short, due to Gamo Ujisato who would refute on behalf of the Oda clan did not appear in the military discussion, Bontenmaru’s tactic was moving on smoothly without any interference—-in the situation where they were on hold from crossing the Kanna River, before Hojo Ujiyasu led 50,000 Hojo troops and reached the south coast of Kanna River, Bontenmaru was playing with cats and dogs during the wait.

During that time, the few days when Bontenmaru was waiting for the arrive of Hojo army.

Sitting on the summit of Mount Ontake, Bontenmaru has finally captured the sight of Hojo army with her naked eyes.

“At last she’s here, Hojo-chan. I’ve waited for so long, kukuku. Blow the horns! And then followed by the Nanban music team that the Oshu proud of~! Reverse singing the Gregory chant! This is the true anti-Christian activity! Huhahaha~!”

“The morale will decline so it’s better to stop it.” “No, Kojuuro. I want to do it!”

Sandwiching the Kanna River, at the north coast was the Date army led by Bontenmaru, followed by Satake Yoshishige, Ota Mitaka, Oda clan of Hitachi, Utsunomiya clan, Koyama clan, Sano clan of Shimotsuke, Satomi clan and other Kanto generals forming the ‘Oshu-Kanto alliance’. The troops’ total number was around 50,000.

At the south coast is Hojo Ujiyasu, ‘the lion of Sagami’, followed by her biological younger sister, Hojo Ujimasa, the elder of Hojo clan known as ‘grandmother’, Hojo Genan, the sworn sister of Ujiyasu, Hojo Tsunashige led the ‘yellow army’ to be the core of the ‘Hojo five-color army’ that formed from five generals. The troops’ total number was also 50,000.

The two great factions, which were the Eastern army and Western army respectively were now confronting on the plain of Kanto, the battle would begin at any time. 

Hojo Ujiyasu listened to the choir of cats and dogs on the other side of

Kanna River which gave off the ‘nya nya’ ‘woof woof’ sound at the same time had her expression collapse and her face keeps twitching. The instruments played by the Nanban choir also gave off an eerie tone which brought pain to the ears.

“Does she intend to fight seriously, that shorty! Lure me out from Odawara Castle, and then climbed to that sort of mountain to play with cats and dogs……..is she looking down on Hojo, looking down on Kanto?”

The veteran in battle and also had been the elder of the Hojo clan ever since the first head of Hojo, Hojo Soun until now. The grandmother Genan, “It’s the provocation that Date Masamune proud of. Our troop number is around the same. Date Masamune must be having some plan there. Don’t be confused and do as she wished, Ojou-sama” advised to Ujiyasu.

“I know that. We have deployed the Fuma, leaving the Kurohabakigumi of Oshu aside, the dogs trained by Ota Mitaka are hindering them from carrying out espionage. Over there, cats and even insects are seen. By the way, how are they going to control the insects?”

“Hoho. It looks like a leisurely countryside battle. However, once we cross the Kanna River—- afterward will be the death battle like the ‘Kawagoe night battle’, Ojou-sama, if you have forgotten your way of fighting due to being manipulated by Date Masamune, then the Hojo will definitely lose.

Apparently, she is a foolish person, but she’s also the one that eradicated the Ashina and subdued the Satake, an outstanding person.”

Because of Ujiyasu was busy in conquering Kanto and didn’t get married, so her younger sister, Hojo Ujimasa who was the default heir of the fourth generation of Hojo clan “Don’t worry! We must be able to win! Elder sister! 

The brave warrior, Tsunashige and the Hojo five-color army are all gathered here!” answered with a smile, and yet Ujiyasu hit away her hand,

“How many times you have added sauce to your rice! Do it in one go!” excoriated her younger sister.

“Eh~. Why~. I just have to add more whenever it’s not enough, isn’t it?”

“Therefore I said your estimation is way too naive. If you couldn’t estimate the amount of sauce required to add appropriately right from the beginning and then complete it in one go, then there’s no way for you to survive in this Kanto of Sengoku Era, Ujimasa!”

“Eh~. To mix the sauce and rice with the conquer of Kanto…….” Despite Ujimasa pouted, Ujiyasu “From the first small beginnings one can see how things will develop! Remain idle on the surface, wait for the chance and capture victory with one strike, this is the essence of how the Hojo fights! It makes me worry to let you become the heir of the fourth generation of the Hojo clan.” sighed.

“Eh~. I understand already, sister. I won’t add sauce next time, but Natto instead……..for Natto, it’s sticky but sort of like solid, so it’s easier to

estimate the amount……”

“Natto is food good for the body, but our enemy, the Satake earns from it, so we can’t eat too frequent.”

“Then, how about I add the popular Sendai miso~”

“Miso made by Date Masamune, I would never eat it! Everyone bought too much Sendai miso recently! Thanks to it that the money in Kanto is flowing to Oshu in a large amount!” 

“Because the Sendai miso is easy to preserve and cheap, it’s delicious as well? It’s very suitable to be the military rations right, sister?”

The grandmother was watching the lively conversation between the Hojo sisters, while across the river, for an unknown reason, Bontenmaru went to

the summit personally with a ‘golden cross’ on her back, and then jumped on the cross after she interpolated it to the soil—–.

“God, god, why do you abandon me! Uh nya~?”

“Da, Date Masamune is doing something weird again! Rifle unit, fire and get rid of her!” Ujiyasu uttered sad calls, but her enemy was the cunning Bontenmaru. She was cleverly maintaining a distance where the projectiles from rifles and bows far-fetched from reaching her.”

The choir led by Nekohime,

“What to do~? What to do~? What should we do~lo~!”

(TL note: a Bon festival song from Aomori and Iwate, I don’t know the meaning)

During the song that only handed down in Oshu so no one understands what was going on with the ‘ne nya do ya la’, Bontenmaru,

“Listen up, Kanto samurais—-”

“Do not cross Kanna River, once you did, this plain of Kozuke will surely turn into the hill of Megiddo”, started reciting with a loud voice, Bontenmaru had a beautiful voice like an angel. Therefore, no matter who they would also can’t help but to have a hearing.

“The Mount Ontake where my operation base is, it’s actually the ‘Pyramid’ of Japan. The person from future, Sagara Yoshiharu said, in all over the world has ‘Pyramids’, the forgotten megalithic remains built by the super ancient civilization. The trait of ‘Pyramids’ is they are man-made mountains with a pretty triangular shape. During I was mobilizing to Kanto, I discovered the ‘Pyramid’. And this pyramid is Mount Ontake, Gamo Ujisato is having excavation research on it! Mount Ontake is precisely the tomb for ancient gods that were ruling Japan before the descent of Kunijin God.”

Bontenmaru took out the bronze mirror and magatama which were stolen from Gamo Ujisato and wore it.

“Return it to me!” Despite Ujisato’s shout was deafening, Bontenmaru just “Hm~I can’t hear it~” and continued her speech in front of the astonished Hojo army.

“Everyone from Kanto! Before the Tenjin God of Kyushu and Kunijin God of Izumo come to Togoku, the Togoku where the lost super ancient civilization governed of from Shinano, Kanto to Oshu did exist nya! Although that civilization has been destroyed by the Western country army sent by Yamato Imperial Court, the scattered Togoku citizens were being despised as ‘Emishi’, but relying on the countless gold yield from mountains and commercial trade with overseas countries through ports, until the Fujiwara third generation was annihilated, the lifeline of the civilization is maintaining! Everyone, due to the destruction of the Fujiwara clan from Oshu, the real history of Kanto and Oshu, the true king was forgotten nya! Right now, I just want to restore that dreaming eastern kingdom! Mount Ontake is the holy tomb that buries the historical kings of our ‘millennial kingdom’, the biggest holy land of Kanto!”

This piece of holy land could never be taken away by the so-called Hojo who was originally the Ise clan came from the Western country! Hojo was the people from the Western country. We were the people of East country. This was a holy war revolved the holy land! 

(TL note: Togoku means East country) Holy Land?

The East country existed a dynasty that was different from the Yamato Imperial Court?

The soldiers of the Hojo army started talking about even, same goes for the soldiers of the Oshu alliance army.

“No matter everyone is trying to rise Taira no Masakado as the new emperor, establish a Shogunate in Togoku or even continue fighting in Odawara and Edo castle to achieve independence from the Western country, these all originates from the ideology of restoring the lost ‘Togoku dynasty’ nya! Even though this ideology does not exist in anywhere of our hearts anymore, but it is still clearly marked in the blood of everyone who is born in Kanto and Oshu nya! Hojo Ujiyasu yo, if you really want to realize the dream of restoring Kanto, want to unite Kanto, then come and subdue me!”

Bontenmaru pointed, “Don’t listen to what she said, Date Masamune was deceiving us with a fraud that seems to have deep meaning!” Ujiyasu who was justifying with a pale face.

“Please remember nya! The black hair and eyes which are considered as ‘common’ by Japanese, this trait originally belongs to the people of Western country. The people of Oshu mixed with the blood that is close to the Nanban people. This is because Oshu had intimate communion with Nanban in history. The skin color of Oshu people is lighter compared to the West country people, and occasionally have people that are born with blue or red eyes. That is the ‘marking’ shows we return as the old Togoku people!” 

Letting her glittering golden hair to wave along with the wind, Bontenmaru maintained her posture of standing on top of the golden cross and untied her eyepatch.

Her abnormal red eye. The ‘dragon eye’ immediately exposed to the 100,000 troops.

“My most significant purpose of having an expedition to Kanto is not to besiege the Odawara castle, but to send a letter to the Roman pope of Nanban by going through the sea from the port of Kanto! Just like Minamoto no Sanetomo gave the command to build the giant ship at Yuigahama wanting to depart to Song dynasty! Although his attempt ended a failure, I’ve succeeded! My envoy, Hasekura Tsunenaga went a far distance and reached Rome! And the for the purpose of this expedition—-is to meet with the Spain fleet led by the crusades formed under the name of the Roman Pope who departed from Luzon not long ago and going to attack coasts of Kanto soon, then form the Togoku regime by joining hands with the Nanban navy! They’re coming soon! When everyone is fighting on this holy land of Kozuke, at the sea of Sagami, the black Nanban fleet! They claimed to have the newest fleet which has stronger destructive power and defensive power than the armored ship made by Oda Nobuna! They will definitely attack the castles of everyone with cannons, defeat all one by one! The same will happen to the impregnable Odawara castle which withstood the attacks from Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin before, once it suffers the long-range artillery attack from Spain fleet at the sea, it would be done for immediately.”

“Uhwawawa……..there should be a limit of becoming an antichrist………let the Roman Pope to invade Japan, she’s a devil! What would happen to me

for fighting along with this kind of person?” Gamo Ujisato who climbed up the hill and reached under Bontenmaru to take back the treasures was in great confusion, it was understandable why she did.

“Submit to me, if you’re not willing to then return to Odawara Castle and prepare to defend against the Nanban fleet comes from the sea, I shall be lenient to you as we are all belongs to the people of Togoku. If we wasted our time meaninglessly on the Kanna River, then everyone will lose their castles, lands, homeland—–!”

To Bontenmaru’s pleasing fraud, the wise general, Hojo Ujiyasu certainly wouldn’t believe in it. But a portion of troops in the Hojo army were in greater confusion than Gamo Ujisato.

They know that Oda Nobuna built the so-called ‘armored ship’ by applying the Nanban technology, and it certainly destroyed the large Murakami navy fleet who claimed as invincible with just a few of them.

No way! But! The official Nanban fleet!? Will it comes? It would be impossible for others, but for Date Masamune then she might be able to summon it! It’s very obvious—-the blood flowing inside the body of Date Masamune, half of it is the Nanban people! How many years it takes to navigate to Nanban!? Where is Rome? No idea, but it won’t take much time to go to Luzon! It is a fact that Date Masamune deployed a huge ship during the previous Kanto expedition! We’ve seen it too! But if that ship is in good condition, it should’ve reached Luzon long ago!

“That’s right! Although my foster father is the lord of Yonezawa Castle of Oshu, Date Terumune, but my biological father is the governor of East Asia of the Spain fleet nya! If he knows his daughter is having trouble in Japan then he surely will rush to here regardless! Since I’m such a cute daughter that no one can be compared with, so my father dotes me a lot nya! Immediately! He’ll be here soon, huhahaha!”

“Date Masamune did not lie! That expression in her eyes is the expression of a girl that deeply believes her father will definitely come to her rescue……!” Someone in the Hojo army sounded. Or maybe it is the voice of a Komuso without a name that sneakily mixed into the miscellaneous soldiers of Hojo army (TL note: Well, that person is exactly the foster father of Date Masamune, Date Terumune). Or maybe few of the men felt the same thing from the sparkling eyes of Bontenmaru and spoke out the same thing.

The Spain fleet—-guided by Bontenmaru, it definitely will come!

Will it be on Izu, Shimoda, or Yuigahama. Or it will straight enter to Odawara—-!?

We can’t keep confronting each other with Kanna River at the middle! Begin a war, or flee, we must decide now! Date Masamune and Hojo-sama, this battle will decide who to become the overlord of Togoku! That’s right!

Despite Hojo-sama was called as the West country people by her, we can’t just leave Hojo-sama alone! Seize the holy land! This holy land belongs to the queen of Kanto, our Hojo-sama! The 50,000 troops in Hojo army starts feeling their blood boiling.

“No! Nanban fleet or what, that sort of thing will never arrive! This is all a farce performed by Date Masamune! Wanted to meet with her biological

father who she’s never seen before, wanted to be protected by her father, these are all delusions of Date Masamune herself! Resort to the protracted war tactic! Don’t be instigated by her! Date Masamune must be hiding some kind of tactic to score a victory from us!” 

Hojo Ujiyasu tried her best to shout in order to prevent her army from engaging arbitrarily. However, her voice couldn’t reach the ears of the

50,000 soldiers that were wavered by Bontenmaru’s burning-like red-eye and her angel-like clear tone.

“Grandmother! If this goes on.”

“A war was not fought with sole wisdom. The person grasped the heart of the army will be the dominant one in a war. Especially for a field battle. Just like Uesugi Kenshin—-therefore you always avoid from having a field battle with Kenshin isn’t it, Ojou-sama? You thought Date Masamune is just a kid and underestimated her.”

Genan continued “Just by looking at her eyes, the men that risked their lives in the battlefield could only give them all. Once they were begged by such a cute maiden just like now……their heart will waver. Therefore, we can never let her do whatever she wants.”

Hojo Tsunashige, who known as the strongest in Hojo army,

“Onee-sama. With the soldiers being roused to the extent, no one can stop them anymore. Let me go. We bet on the breakthrough force of the Hojo five-color army.”

Speaking of then she lifted up the ‘yellow army’ banner and rushed out the camp by a horse—-.

Tsunashige was a non-blood related younger sister of Ujiyasu. A child that wandered from Suruga as a defeated samurai. Ujiyasu’s father, Ujitsuna commented Tsunashige had a heart of bravery and unrivaled loyalty with utmost, and then made her be the sworn sister of Ujiyasu so she can always stay on Ujiyasu’s side. Not only she was given the ‘Hojo’ family name, but Ujitsuna also granted the ‘Tsuna’, one of the words in his name to her, then managed to let Tsunashige join as a leader of Hojo army. To Ujiyasu who couldn’t learn martial arts due to her natural delicate body condition, Tsunashige was a double of her, an irreplaceable existence.

If during the siege of Kawagoe, the lord of Kawagoe Castle who was in a desperate situation of being surrounded by a large army of 80,000 troops led by the Kanto Kanrei at that time, Uesugi Norimasa was not Tsunashige, then Ujiyasu would not have the courage to commence the suicidal ambush to break into Kawagoe Castle with small number of forces, a breakthrough attack by leaving everything to fate.

“Tsuna-chan? Wait! Don’t go! Date Masamune is……”

“During the battle of Kawagoe, I was rescued by onee-sama who commenced a suicidal ambush regardless of the large army surrounding the castle. Although we are not blood-related, but I’ve acknowledged onee-sama as a real elder sister of mine. If the Hojo five-color army collapsed, please retreat without hesitation, and then lure the Date army to the wide Kanto plain and fight by barricading in the traditional Odawara Castle of Hojo clan.”

“Tsuna-chan!”

“Everyone, follow me! The victory of this battle belongs to the Hojo! Victory! Victory!”

Ujiyasu wants to chase after Tsunashige.

However, “Tsunashige is a maiden general just as the title calls, let her go”, she was stopped by Genan from pulling her sleeve.

“Grandmother! No way! I’m used to being defeated, and I also accustomed to fleeing! So I can flee even if we lose to Date Masamune, it doesn’t matter even if to abandon these 50,000 troops! But, only Tsuna-chan alone……!” 

“Ojou-sama. Without Tsunashige, the 50,000 Hojo troops will arbitrarily cross the Kanna River in an out of control situation, rushed to the ‘holy land’, and then—-all of them will be killed, the result will be our army being annihilated entirely.”

Ujiyasu, “……..Date Masamune……..if Tsuna-chan were to die here……I will never, ever forgive you……” biting her thin lips hardly to endure her urge while riding a horse.

“The war begins nya! Wait first, do not attack! Wait for the Hojo army to cross over the river, everyone please endure for a little longer nya!”

“Hojo five-color army, form the wing formation! Cross the Kanna River in an instant and surround Mount Ontake! Victory! Victory!”

At first, the Hojo army was in a mess, but they reorganized at the same time when crossing the Kanna River. While swinging the ‘yellow army’ banner, the strongest in Hojo army, Hojo Tsunashige gave commands while riding a horse, remarkably commanding the ‘Hojo five-color army’, a five squads army mainly consist of cavalrymen.

“Look at the positions of the Oshu-Kanto alliance army, spread the 50,000 troops along the east and west of Kanna River! Our target has only one, and that is Date Masamune who encamped on Mount Ontake!”

What would happen? Date Masamune used herself and the main camp at Mount Ontake as a decoy to forcefully lure the Hojo army to cross the river. She certainly prepared tactics to annihilate the Hojo army—-‘The night battle of Kawagoe’. ‘The battle of Konodai’. ‘The battle of Mimasetoge’. Tsunashige who was known as the number one in Hojo for battle experience shouted “Victory, victory”, the decisive line which reprimanded the soldiers on Kawagoe Castle during the battle of Kawagoe while commanded the Hojo five-color army to break through to their target, Bontenmaru who started climbing down from the golden cross with ‘haha, haha’ sound on the summit.

The Hojo army was enlisted mainly with infantrymen and bow soldiers before, but in a certain time, it evolved into an army enlisted mainly with cavalrymen. With the big open field of Kanto as the stage and the process of repeating the Hojo-Ryu battle method, which was ‘Maintain a withdrawal battle or barricading in a castle on the surface to let the enemies put down

their guard and then assault and destroy them in that instant’, the ratio of cavalrymen in the army was steadily increasing. In order to withstand the fierce attack from Uesugi Kenshin, it was very necessary to have the cavalry unit run around the big open field of Kanto to avoid from confronting the main forces of Kenshin while destroying the anti-Hojo faction scattered all over the plain of Kanto one by one. Besides, after witnessing the redoubtable and speed advantage of Takeda cavalry unit who had been fighting Uesugi Kenshin all the time further convinced Hojo Tsunashige to introduce the cavalry tactic into the Hojo army.

(In the previous Kanto expedition, in order to cope with the Takeda cavalry unit, Date Masamune established an intriguing unit called the ‘cavalry rifle unit’ or what……….will that be here as well? But)

Tsunashige saw it.

At the back of Mount Ontake, the ‘precious’ special forces that Botenmaru had hide rushed out in a horde.

The cavalry unit directly under command of the Date army.

However, the appearance of the commander for that unit was extremely peculiar. 

“I’m a Spanish knight called Giovanna L’Ortese, under the request of Date Masamune, I’ve come to participate in the battle from Luzon in a hurry! ‘Dragon Knights’, engage! Defeat the samurais of Zipangu!”

The Nanban samurai!? They have a peculiar look compared to the people that inherited half of the Japanese blood like Date Masamune! They look just like the heavenly dogs of the Three Mountains of Dewa!

“Is the reinforcement from Spain arrived!?”

“Date Masamune did it……she summoned the Nanban army!” “The fleet will come from the sea! Odawara and Izu are in danger!”

The Hojo army just crossed the Kanna River saw the appearance of the Nanban knight, Giovanna and naturally thought of the ‘imaginary Spain fleet’ that Bontenmaru mentioned and once again fall into panic.

The pace of the separated squads in order to surround Mount Ontake desynchronized immediately.

Of course, the so-called ‘Dragon Knights’ from Spain did not exist. Actually, the generals leading that cavalry unit were Katakura Kojuuro and Date Shigezane. After Bontenmaru noticed Giovanna who followed Gamo Ujisato to here, Bontenmaru, “Ohoh. A maiden knight from Nanban huh. Then I can bring up a big act” thought came to her mind, by letting Giovanna act as the ‘superficial commander’ of the fake Nanban Knights, and the result was Bontenmaru made up the Dragon Knights.

“Hah. Making these risky feints just as always, our Ojou-sama. She makes me worried for the whole day.” 

“Uhha! But that Hojo army unfamiliar with the Nanban was scared! Even if it’s a lie but we just have to repeat it for a million times then it will become a truth, Kojuuro!”

Katakura Kojuuro and Date Shigezane who followed on the sides of Giovanna nodded with agreement.

For this feint, the calm Tsunashige at the vanguard had figured out. She shouted “Don’t be afraid! The fleet or what will never come! These are all feints Date Masamune like to playoff. Look carefully, the enemies are all Japanese! The Dragon Knights are actually the cavalry unit under the direct command of Date Masamune! Advance! Breakthrough and surround them, go for the main camp where Date Masamune is! It’s our victory for this

battle!” intending to reorganize the confused Hojo army and then surround and annihilate the Dragon Knights with the Hojo five-color army who had the advantage in number.

After heard that Tsunashige shouted ‘Victory’, the morale of the Hojo army upsurge immediately.

The tides of the battle had turned, now became the Dragon Knights facing a surrounding from enemies on its left, right, and front.

However, against the Hojo soldiers that were closing their distances,

Giovanna, “Come! But wait…..don’t shoot, that’s right, they’re in the range already! Fire!” at the same time she shouted, the warriors of the Dragon Knights also lifted up their rifles immediately and start firing—-!

“Fire while riding horses!? Oh yeah. This is the cavalry rifle unit that forced the Takeda cavalry unit to retreat!”

But the veteran general, Hojo Tsunashige, “So this is the truth of the trick” instead realized it and patted her knees. 

“Rifle must be fired by standing on the ground. Firing while riding a horse which lacks stability will greatly reduce accuracy, they won’t hit their targets! Everyone, the Date is just acting! Although the Takeda cavalry unit retreated from the first confrontation because afraid of it, we Hojo army will never be deceived by the same trick twice, advance!”

Victory!!!!! The cavalry unit of the Hojo five-color army speeded up to get close to the Dragon Knights.

The bullets fired while riding horses won’t hit…..that suppose to be the case. However.

The bullets did hit.

It kept on hit the Hojo cavalry unit.

It was like the bullets were blessed by God, they just kept on hitting. The proud of Hojo army, the five-color army fell down successively.

Tsunashige “What’s going on!?” was dumbfounded with her eyes opened wide.

“That’s right! ……..The number………the number of rifles, it’s different!? It couldn’t be compared to during the previous Kanto expedition! Date Masamune! How did she gather such a large amount of rifles!?”

Don’t tell me, the total number of rifles owned by the Dragon Knights are more than a thousand. A cavalry rifle unit made of a thousand people.

Despite the accuracy will greatly reduce when firing while riding horses, but that unfavorable factor was overcome with ‘numbers’ huh, Date Masamune.

What’s truly fearsome is the financial power of Masamune! Staying in Oshu, how she gathered such a large amount of rifles…..!? 

The five-color army started to face an overall collapse.

It’s a lie right!? All those fellows have rifles in their hand uhuh! They are really the Spain army! In this goes on we will all become the target of their rifles! Stop advancing, do you wish to meet your demise! We have no chance of winning.

Even Tsunashige couldn’t stop them anymore.

“Wait! Don’t panic, calm down! They need time to reload the rifles! If the cavalry unit of five color army goes full speed now……we must be able to break through the defense of the Dragon Knights and reach to Date Masamune’s camp!”

Tsunashige’s command couldn’t reach the ears of the vanguard soldiers anymore. No, it reached, “Even so, all people at the most front will be shot down!” “Even if we break through this cavalry rifle unit, Date Masamune must’ve prepared other trump cards!” “The ‘holy land’, Mount Ontake must be hiding some powerful Nanban weapons!” They were already feared of the cavalry rifle unit, feared of Bontenmaru.

“Ooh, the Hojo army is so useless. As I said, the Mount Ontake is the hill of Megiddo! Go! Giovanna L’Ortese! ‘The pale skin Horseman of the

Apocalypse’! People that don’t worship me as a beast are not needed in the ‘Millennial Kingdom’! Kill them all relentlessly! Kukuku! Only the dead Kanto soldiers are considered good Kanto soldiers!”

The young Bontenmaru revealed her ‘evil eye’, when she mounted a horse to the side of Giovanna, the fear in the Hojo army reached its climax.

Flee, let’s flee! Everyone, let’s flee from Mount Ontake!

The five-color army, along with the Hojo army withdrew disorderly. 

They crossed the Kanna River again in the opposite direction, ran with their utmost to escape from the pursue of Date Masamune.

This battle ended here. moreover, in order to let more soldiers escape back to the south coast of Kanna River, Tsunashige who decided to stay at the rear still couldn’t understand the secret of the significant increase in the number of cavalry rifle unit.

(It’s unbelievable. How she gathered a thousand rifles. This could be considered as magic, but it’s not a trick that deceives children.)

But still, with the fact right in front of her eyes. In order to preserve the soldiers, she could only switch into a retreating battle.

“Therefore, to delay the pursue from Date Masamune, to let onee-sama able to retreat safely, I, Tsunashige will fight till the end even if only one horse is left! Everyone! Hurry and go tell your lord, do not provide reinforcement, retreat immediately!”

Bullets were fired, two of them hit the armor wore by Tsunashige.

But since the accuracy from firing while mounting horses was very low, so it didn’t hit any vital parts. It just made scratches, this extent wouldn’t bring risk to her life. I will never get down from the horse no matter how many bullets I have to receive, I will just die while mounting on a horse, Tsunashige thought.

The sound of drum signaling retreat was ringing. Hojo Ujiyasu hit the drum personally in order to tell Tsunashige to retreat. It could be distinguished from the tone of the drum. However, Tsunashige did not retreat.

“Ah, ah…….no! Tsuna-chan…….Tsuna-chan will die! Flag soldiers! Cross over the Kanna River and save Tsuna-chan!” 

In the Hojo main camp that was having great chaos from the fleeing soldiers, Hojo Ujiyasu let out a desperate voice.

But, Genan,

“Hohoho. Once Tsunashige is involved, you behaved like another person. Look closely, Ojou-sama. Date Masamune did not cross Kanna River. She didn’t enter Musashi, to West, she’s moving toward West. It’s like that’s the reason why she deployed a long formation along the Kanna River.”

While speaking of that, she was spanking Ujiyasu’s butt. “Your butt is still very soft, Ojou-sama.”

“…….To West!? Why don’t she keeps chasing by crossing Kanna River? Even though she can trample the Hojo army now. That Date Masamune shouldn’t have such mercy.”

“I don’t know. That little girl is like a younger sister of Oda Nobuna, both are big fools as well. As a grandmother that couldn’t follow this era, I don’t understand too—-but she certainly left Tsunashige alone and started galloping to West.”

“That won’t do. I cannot allow Tsuna-chan to ‘chase after’ the Date army

that’s moving West! Now is the best timing to save Tsuna-chan! And there won’t be a second one!” Ujiyasu who always organize tactics carefully and consider for a long time made a quick decision for this time.

Ujiyasu mounted a horse personally, left alone Ujimasa and the flag soldiers that calling her “Eheh? Wait for me, sister!” while chasing with panic, went through the fleeing soldiers of her army and crossed Kanna River.

Tsunashige who intended to chase after the Date army with the remaining army was stopped by Ujiyasu personally with her hand being grasped by. 

“Onee-sama!? It’s dangerous here, why are you leaving your camp!?”

“Tsuna-chan! This is a trap prepared by Date Masamune! She intends to let you chase after, followed by leading you into your demise!”

“But if her purpose is really to kill me, then she just has to pursue by crossing the Kanna River. I believe Date Masamune doesn’t have the intention to fight till the end, she did not intend to end things with Hojo at Musashi. So I must chase after her!”

“No. If you go for Masamune, then I will cross the Kanna River again in order to bring you back and being led to meet our demise together! In order to make sure she can kill me who is the third generation lord of Hojo, Date Masamune chose to not chasing after the fleeing Hojo army, but to lead you and me to meet our demise!”

It’s fine, onee-sama, Date Masamune knows your weakness of considering too many and too cautious, that was what Tsunashige wanted to say. But the fact was, Ujiyasu crossed the Kanna River with almost no escort following her. To save me, onee-sama forsook her cautious behavior, fen up foolish bravery that’s indifferent from being reckless—-.

For the sake of me. Just to save me. I cannot let onee-sama risk herself again. Tsunashige chose to escort Ujiyasu back to Odawara Castle safely.

“……..Onee-sama. You’ve saved me again after the battle of Kawagoe. I will never forget what you did for me. However, please don’t force yourself. Your stomach must be having pain like being tearing apart.”

“I, I’m not such a cautious person. Tsuna-chan. Date Masamune, I will never fall into your luring trap anymore. This time I must let you put your focus of Odawara Castle, and then get rid of your method for returning to Oshu.” 

Ujiyasu held Tsunashige’s hand tightly.

The Hojo army starts retreating from the Kanna River. Towards South, Hojo Tsunashige went back to Kawagoe Castle. Hojo Ujiyasu and Ujimasa went to Odawara Castle of Sagami. Just like she had predicted right from start, now it had switched to the Hojo traditional protracted war tactic by leading Date Masamune into the vast Kanto plain to unfold a long-term battle.

Moreover, the ‘card’ Ujiyasu used as ‘pincer attack tactic’, Kawagoe Castle and Odawara Castle would not be the only one.

“Date Masamune. Just like last time, I will create a threat at your back. In order to prevent your castle from being taken away by your relative, the Mogami clan, it’s an outstanding move to transfer it to Sendai that’s close to the sea. However, once Yonezawa weakens, its neighbor, Yamagata will follow by weakening as well—-then you definitely will return to Oshu without any choice.” 

“The Hojo army until now still can’t figure out how I actually gathered so many rifles. By using the new base, Sendai to earn an enormous amount of money from the town renaissance business, then throw it all to Imai Soukyu, kukuku. As the local invented product, Sendai ramen or the Sendai miso I mixed, both also made a great profit. The Sendai miso causing the Kanto samurai to spend all their money buying it. The wages of the Hojo soldiers were all becoming the rifles I bought nya. To speak from the Nanban perspective, maybe this could be said as alchemy……huhaha!” 

“Although Ojou-sama said chase after them and kill relentlessly, but in the end she still let the Hojo army escape. Withdraw troops for the sake of protecting the lives of Kanto soldiers……Ojou-sama is really a gentle

person”, Kojuuro smiled, but instead, Bontenmaru showed a face like saying it was a trivial matter.

“Kojuuro. My purpose is to use Tsunashige as the bait to hook up Ujiyasu which is the big fish by luring them into a trap and get rid of them. I even prepared the golden cross in case that happens. Little girl Ujiyasu, she really is a cautious person nya.”

“A~gain. Even if Ojou-sama acts like a demon king, I understand that as well. Actually, Ojou-sama is a very gentle person, like an angel.”

“That’s enough. Let me eat the red bean bun of Ise. I really want to get away from this place as soon as possible.”

How long has it been ever since we scored such a glorious victory against the Hojo army! The excited Satake Yoshishige, Ota Mitaka and other Bando samurais were gathering under Bontenmaru one by one. “Uwah—feels good to be alive! Time for a banquet, banquet!” Ota Mitaka suggested, but

Bontenmaru “Banquet is prohibited in battles nya. You guys, how many times you guys want to be ambushed by the Hojo army during a banquet celebrating victory then only will learn the lesson nya?” saying that then confiscated their wine bottles, causing Mitaka to feel gloomy.

“……I go feed the dogs…….”

Despite his face couldn’t be seen due to being covered by a helmet, Satake Yoshishige was so moved that he was crying loudly.

“Uhhohoho! I cried~! Ojou-sama, you actually exposed that red-eye to the 100,000 soldiers and admitted you inherited the Nanban bloodline personally, I’m this old but still useless for being wavered and flowed down sensation tears by your speech just now eheheh! Oh, my stepdaughter, Date Masamune-sama! From now on, I, Satake Yoshishige swore my allegiance with courtesy~! I will make a big change to this Mount Ontake, change it into the millennial kingdom of Kanto!”

“Ah, something’s wrong, hold on nya, Satake. Aiya, don’t grab my head nya!”

“The new Kanto era arrives! I, the Bandotaro and my retainers are under your command!”

Satake Yoshishige gently stroke Bontemaru’s little head while ‘uhhohoho~’ crying non-stop.

Bontenmaru was troubled by that thick palm and pushed it away, then continued.

“That speech basically is a fraud nya. Not speaking of the Hojo army being fooled, but even you guys who belong to the same faction also assumed it as true, what’s with that. The matter of Kanto will be discussed in the future, I won’t build the millennial kingdom or what nya.”

“Ha, what!? But, what about the ‘holy land’, Mount Ontake?”

“It’s impossible that Mount Ontake is the holy land. It’s just a normal mountain.”

“No, no, but, the ancient bronze mirror excavated in the mountain……..Gamo-dono said it is a treasure from the Wei dynasty.”

“Who knows what’s inside the Wei dynasty. That kind of things are antiques only those busybody ancient myth lovers will assume as important stuff. If it’s being sold then it might have a high price.”

“Eh, eheheheheh? Then the Spain fleet also?” 

“Of course they won’t be here.”

“What?????? Uhohohohoh! Then what’s the meaning of my sensation

tears!?” Satake Yoshishige griped his head painfully, Kojuuro “If you assume everything Ojou-sama said as truth, then you will get hurt. And for Ojou- sama, she will be shy and starts speaking harsh matters after being complimented. Satake-sama’s tears, it’s quite embarrassing.” tried to console him.

“Aren’t we going for Kanto expedition with Ueno as our stronghold? Then where are we going from now on, yum yum.”

“Kukuku. Aren’t we marching to West right now, Giovanna? I didn’t chase after the defeated Hojo army, but to advance to Shinano from Kozuke

through the Usui Pass!”

“””To, to, to Shinano through Usui Pass!?””” There was no one who knew.

Right from the beginning, Bontenmaru had not had the intention to have an expedition for Odawara Castle once again at all.

As long as she repelled the Hojo army at Kanna River, Ujiyasu would retreat and start barricading in Odawara Castle as always, wait until the Date army entered the Kanto plain and unfold the protracted war like they used to be.

Right after Ujiyasu retreated with her army, immediately entered Shinano ‘according to the original plan’, that was the secret tactic of Bontenmaru she never told anyone.

“But if Kozuke is unoccupied, then Ujiyasu will definitely come and steal it like she used to be. She’s that kind of a person. So I have to entrust my stepfather, Satake Yoshishige and the Kanto generals, a total number of 12,000 troops to arrange a defense line along from Kozuke to Shimotsuke, Shimosa, and Hitachi to act as the guarding line against the Hojo along with the Satomi clan. While I, the Dragon Knights, Kojuuro, and Shigezane will lead an army of 38,000 troops to enter eastern mountain circuit nya!”

“What are you gonna do by going to Shinano, Bontenmaru?” Gamo Ujisato who felt a very bad premonition involuntarily asked.

Tada, Bontenmaru showed a ‘pose’, declared.

“Kukuku, nice question, Nama-chan. My real purpose is not Odawara Castle! Instead, I intend to intrude into the decisive battle that decides the world and capture the world by chance! Go to Kyoto! After passing through Usui Pass, enter eastern mountain circuit and cut an open on Shinano nya!”

“””What!?!?!?”””

“Huhaha! As long we passed through Usui Pass, from eastern mountain circuit to Mino then Sekigahara will be a plain land all the way. But still, Oshu is very far from Sekigahara. I want to go save Oda Nobuna! But she’s too far nya! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! But if I captured Kozuke, Shinano, Mino, and the strongholds along the eastern mountain circuit during passing by and reach Sekigahara at the crucial moment…….I would be able to take away the most delicious part, Huhahaha!”

“Wait, wait for a moment~! Certainly, the Oda clan and Date clan formed an alliance! But the condition for the alliance made by Nobuna-sama to you is ‘Taking over Kanto however you want’ right!? Take over the world when others are fighting or what……..don’t be kidding!”

What’s with this brat! The redden face Gamo Ujisato made noise while pulling off Bontenmaru’s hair, but Bontenmaru didn’t care and continued, 

“The alliance agreement between the Oda and Date clan was signed by Nama-chan right, please read it again. ‘Taking over Kanto however you want’, the condition proposed by the Oda side has been amended to ‘Taking over any provinces in Japan’ by me, isn’t it. Since the diplomat appointed by Oda Nobuna to be fully in charge of diplomacy with the Date clan, Nama- chan herself has already signed the agreement. So I assume this agreement is valid right, kukuku.”

“Ahahahah~!? Opened up the alliance agreement, Gamo Ujisato has her eyes full with tears immediately. She really intends to embezzle the provinces along the eastern mountain circuit and capture the world!

“Bontenmaru!!!!! You are too wicked! For you to actually have such an outrageous idea! Nobuna-sama, I’m very sorry~! I don’t want to assist this fellow anymore, help me!”

“Don’t cry, Nama-chan! The world is right in front of our eyes nya! Although taking over any provinces in Japan meaning Shinano, Mino, Oumi, Kyoto, I can capture all of them, but rest assured! I won’t touch the castles of the Oda army. On the way to Sekigahara, I will only capture the castles of the Eastern Army, kukuku. By the time I appear at Sekigahara and crush the Eastern Army that was exhausted from the battle with Oda Nobuna, it would be the time for the duel between Oda Nobuna and me as the fate of demon king, it might possibly turn into Armageddon. Well, the Bible has predicted that.”

“Stop! All over Japan will be in chaos!”

Giovanna who has finally seen hope in escaping from Joshu with the only konjaku, mushrooms and burning steamed buns to eat, due to Shigezane shouted “Hooray! Shinano is the paradise for insect dishes! This time I must get the Shinano traditional cuisines into hand!”, “Eh? Shinano is that kind of a devilish land? I hate it~!” covered her face feeling desperation.

“So let’s go nya! Although the route of Usui Pass is difficult to walk, we have the assurance of managing Japan however we want nya!” To Bontenmaru who was encouraging her soldiers, Kojuuro whispered,

“Ojou-sama? Just now, Mogami-sama from Yamagata sent a letter asking help and wish us to provide support as soon as possible. What should we do?” timidly asked with a troubled expression.

“That sly fox again. Oshu-Dewa has made peace after we did as well right.

How come he was being attacked nya. He made grudges with who this time.”

“Things are like this. Mogami-sama was requested by Takenaka Hanbei- dono from the Oda ‘to ambush the empty Uesugi territory at the rear’, because of wanting to capture the Echigo with the chance, so he mobilized his troops to the conflict area between the Uesugi and Mogami, Shonai, and then he seems to intend to advance to Echigo after captured Shonai, however……” 

The beginning of the story happened when Mogami Yoshiaki received the content from the tactician of Oda clan, Takenaka Hanbei who was confronting Uesugi Kenshin at the border between Echizen and Kaga “Mogami-sama, your nephew, Date Masamune-sama has accepted to fight along with the Oda faction with the condition of ‘taking over Kanto however she wants’. On the other hand, the main forces Echigo army determined to go to Kyoto and gathering at Kaga now, the defense power at Echigo becomes extremely weak. Right now, if Mogami-sama can mobilize your troops to Shonai and bring threat to Echigo, then your merit in this battle will be far more than Date Masamune-sama—–ah of course, if the Oda army is defeated then everything will be just a talk. So please do give your help.

Uhhu uhhu” in the form of a request letter from the Western Army.

Therefore, Mogami Yoshiaki who previously decided to just be a spectator “Why does she cry in the letter, this tactician is such a coward. Well alright. I can take over Shonai and Echigo without handing them to the Oda. This is

the best robbing ever. So I will join the Western Army” made such a decision.

Anyway, Mogami Yoshiaki doted his younger sister, Yoshihime a lot, he didn’t want to lose to that detestable Bontenmaru.

“That Bontenmaru brat went to attack Kanto again. But, but, with my sister, Yoshi guarding Yamagata Castle, there’s no way I will ambush Bontenmaru from the rear this time. She will scold me. But, if I just stay at Yamagata eat salmon and do nothing, Bontenmaru who joined the Western Army will

obtain the ‘Togoku overlord’ title……..okay! Capture the unoccupied Shonai and attack Echigo afterward!” 

With Gamo Ujisato instigating Date Masamune of Oshu to attack Kanto and containing Hojo Ujiyasu at Kanto, at the same time, instigating the Mogami of Dewa to intimidate the Uesugi from the rear.

This was the ‘trump card’ Takenaka Hanbei played to reduce the number of Echigo soldiers as well after the Tanabe Castle of Tango was taken by the opponent and forced to split the Oda soldiers at Northland. 

Although Mogami Yoshiaki did not concern of the Eastern Army and Western Army, he had antagonism against Bontenmaru who was going to rise from

the ‘overlord of Oshu’ to the ‘overlord of Kanto’, but he couldn’t do anything to stop her. If Kanto belonged to Bontenmaru, then Yoshi would be very happy but he would never be able to raise his head again when facing that brat, the Mogami clan would become a retainer of the Date clan.

Don’t be kidding with me!

If Bontemaru captures Kanto, then I will capture Shonai and Echigo!

And so, Mogami Yoshiaki departed from Yamagata Castle. Moving down along the Mogami River, heading toward Shonai.

Shonai was the buffer zone being sandwiched between the territories of Uesugi clan from Echigo and Mogami clan from Yamagata.

The righteous general, Kenshin did not have the desire to expand her territory, until she decided to go to Kyoto and claimed Etchu, Kaga, and Nato as her territory, she never seized provinces of others before when she achieved victory in battles. However, maybe due to her father who died in the battle against the Etchu army when planning for the siege of Kasuga Castle and too saddened from it, Kenshin prohibited herself to capture other provinces, at the same time, once the army from other provinces had the intention of attacking Echigo, she would never forgive them easily. She stubbornly constrained to the buffer zone between the Takeda clan and Echigo, Kawanakajima for a long time and ensure her dominance of the stronghold as the Kanto Kanrei, Maebashi Castle of Kozuke which coincidentally located at the buffer zone between Echigo and the Hojo clan.

Naoe Kanetsugu went to observe Date Masamune before, the reason was also due to the conflict between the Uesugi and Mogami regarding Shonai. 

During Uesugi Kenshin was staying in Echigo province, Mogami Yoshiaki did not dare to make any move. He would stretch his claw when Kenshin went for Kanto expedition, and then went back to Yamagata after Kenshin returned to Echigo, he could only take over Shonai little by little with this battle style like picking for a fight. However, Kenshin seemed to really intends to go to Kyoto this time, so the circumstances became completely different.

“Everyone, let’s give us all! Capture Shonai! After reaching the shore of Shonai, continue moving forward, pass through the streets to attack Echigo! I will become the first person to attack the province owned by the military god, Uesugi Kenshin, Echigo from her back in Sengoku Japan! This is a matter worth to be proud of as Takeda Shingen and Hojo Ujiyasu also couldn’t do it! Yoshi, can you see it~! Your brother is a great hero!”

Just when Mogami Yoshiaki wanted to attack Shoai boldly, going to attack Oura Castle, the Uesugi army all raised the ‘Bi’ flags at the same time and rushed out from Oura Castle. Moreover, it was a large army that was out of Yoshiaki’s expectation.

“Uhohoh!? What’s going on. Why there are so many Echigo soldiers in Shonai? Isn’t it empty now? It supposes to be an empty castle like the Maebashi Castle of Kozuke that brat captured right!?”

The dumbfounded Mogami Yoshiaki saw it. The commander of the Echigo army was a pale face maiden general playing the Chinese lute while carrying a backpack on a horse.

“Ken, Kenshin!?”

No, she was not. Although she was a maiden general with white skin and nice-looking facial features, her gaze was ferocious. The eyes were filled with ‘ambition’ and ‘morale’. It was totally different from Kenshin who has cold gazes like snow.

Considering maiden with white skin, it was better to say she looked more alike to Hojo Ujiyasu.

“Kanto will leave for Date Masamune temporarily. But intruders to Echigo will never be forgiven, this is the will of Kenshin-sama. Mogami Yoshiaki, your motive to invade and capture Echigo from Shonai, Kenshin-sama has already been predicted. Kenshin-sama entrusted the defense of Echigo to me—-”

“Who are you? Although you are a bit taller than that Sendai brat……”

“My name is Uesugi Kagetora. Previously called Hojo Saburo. I’m the biological younger sister of Hojo Ujiyasu and stepsister of Kenshin-sama. I’m the person inherited the way to play the Chinese lute and the ‘righteous’ spirit from Kenshin-sama and also inherited the ‘knowledge of tactics’ from Ujiyasu elder sister.”

“What!? ‘Kagetora’!? That’s the former name of Kenshin…….she allowed the maiden that sent by the Hojo as a hostage to inherit her name for sake of the alliance huh, that girl who called herself as Bishamonten!?”

“Uesugi Kenshin. That fellow, has she forgotten the grudges with the Hojo regarding a long-term battle for Kanto? Why does she trust on the younger sister of Hojo who just reached Echigo by putting her in an important position? Is there something wrong with her mind?” Mogami Yoshiaki was astounded.

“Mogami, you will never understand. Kenshin-sama does not hold hatred against Hojo. She believes that Kanto would be able to restore its order under the name of Kanto Kanrei, that’s all she wants. She is a selfless righteous general. She even bestowed the Uesugi family name to me who came from the Hojo family. And then she also entrusted the defense of

Echigo to me. If I have the intention to rebel, it’s possible for me to guide the Hojo army into Echigo. But Kenshin-sama……..she really is a pure and innocent person.”

Hojo Saburo, as the fate of a Kanto maiden born in this chaotic era, she was manipulated by the circumstances around her. She was once a hostage under the Takeda clan for a short time. This was due to Hojo Ujiyasu had many younger sisters with Ujimasa the eldest after Ujiyasu, so the young Saburo who was the youngest not even has the chance to stand on the battlefield, she was mainly used as the hostage member for diplomatic affairs.

Despite she received plenty of love from Ujiyasu, Ujimasa and other elder sisters as they valued family harmony. However, the days of being forced to be separated from her siblings and spent her time in another province as a hostage, to Saburo, those were the lonely days.

Especially after the ‘Kai-Echi-Sa alliance’ was formed, when Saburo decided to be the one joining under Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo as her stepsister, the sworn enemy to the Hojo clan that had been fighting each other all this time for Kanto, Saburo was troubled due to her excessive fear and loneliness.

I could no longer get out from Echigo, isn’t it.

I can no longer return to Kanto anymore, isn’t it.

I can no longer meet again with my siblings anymore in my life, isn’t it. Despite she was a stepsister, in the end, that was just a figure of speech. 

Once the Hojo betrayed Uesugi, she would become the helpless hostage to meet the fate of being executed.

Especially if Uesugi Kenshin swore ‘to never find a spouse in her lifetime’, insisted to live single. Half of her life was spent on one battle after another

that commoners couldn’t understand. It was clear that she was an existence couldn’t relate to something like ‘family love’.

The people of Kasugayama Castle, how will they treat me, who come from the detestable Hojo clan?

Just imagining it a bit, she had tears filled all over her face.

(…….I feel cold. So cold. So scary. I want to go back to Odawara…….but, I must be helpful to my elder sisters. Because the only thing I can do now is to become a hostage to protect the Hojo clan……)

With terrified feelings, while being welcomed at Kasuga Castle of Echigo after crossing the alliance territory, Saburo met with the military god of Echigo, Uesugi Kenshin for the first time and greatly astonished by her dazzling beauty and that gentle smile.

This person is……the military god? A god general? The undefeated Bishamonten?

She looks so delicate, and what’s with that peerless beauty…….? Kenshin gently held Saburo’s trembling hand and softly said.

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing to be scared of. From now on, you are my younger sister. So I will never let you have any unhappy memory in Echigo.”

She’s like a goddess descended from heaven, Saburo thought. Her eyes are filled with loneliness too, she also thought. 

“Please bring genuine order and peace to Kanto as the bridge between Uesugi and Hojo. Tonight onward, your name is ‘Uesugi Kagetora’. I have given my name to you. I will never let anyone in Echigo bully you.”

Uesugi……..Kagetora……..!

How come. I am nothing more than a hostage sent by the Hojo clan. How come.

“After I deceased, the child of my elder sister, Uesugi Kagekatsu will inherit the position as the Echigo protector. Meanwhile, you will inherit the Kanto Kanrei. The long-term battle between Hojo and Uesugi, the war predicament of Kanto, it will be ended in your hands. Only you who born in Hojo clan and became a part of Uesugi clan could do it. Please.”

This person, she never knows how to hate someone, she really just fought for ‘righteous’ until now, and she is very lonely, even more than I who was born with many siblings, Saburo knew it.

“Kagetora. As a souvenir of coming to Echigo, I will give you this fluffy rabbit.

It was sewed by me. Well due to my clumsiness, it looks a little like a monster that is.”

And now, Saburo couldn’t contain her feelings anymore. She had endured it all the way in the fate of being a helpless hostage. The feelings she was suppressing has finally leaked out.

Thank you very much, I will view this fluffy rabbit as Kenshin-sama, I will never leave this away from my hand, cried while lying on Kenshin’s arm, Saburo vowed—-.

“Mogami Yoshiaki. I, ‘Uesugi Kagetora’, the next generation of Kanto Kanrei, I will respond to Kenshin-sama’s trust with my bravery!” 

“Even if I couldn’t compare with the military god, Kenshin-sama, I must still show my worth as a warrior that won’t disgrace the name Uesugi Kagetora! Echigo army, engage! Crush the Mogami army, chase after them until they won’t come to bother Kenshin-sama anymore, capture Yamagata Castle!”

Uesugi Kagetora was in furious anger.

Wanting to respond to the trust and expectation from Kenshin, or maybe the feeling of ‘love’ that surpasses the former, the blood of Hojo army in her body was also clamoring to fight with the enemies right in front of her eyes until she must capture their territory.

“What! Even my territory!? This fellow……has both the gloominess of the obstinate Kenshin and the greed of wanting to take over other provinces like the Hojo! What a troublesome one!”

“Hu–huhuhuhu! With Kenshin-sama ceased to attack the Hojo and Takeda after the alliance was formed, I can only earn my war merit by capturing Yamagata! You are the one intended to take Shonai from us! You are the one at fault! Evil! So you have to receive our retaliation! Echigo army, our

target is the head of Mogami Yoshiaki! Advance!”

“Uhohohoh!? A war tactic the same as Kenshin!? You despicable brat! With comparison, Naoe Kanetsugu who only knows to talk but don’t know how to fight is way better~!”

But that Naoe Kanetsugu was now staying at the side of Uesugi Kenshin in Kaga.

Takenaka Hanbei would definitely instigate the Mogami to intimidate Echigo. With Mogami being excited about capturing Shonai right in front of his eyes, even if he couldn’t occupy, at least he would surely want to invade Echigo. At this rate, the Echigo army tht went for war far away from their homeland would be wavered—-after noticing the risk at their rear during preparing for a decisive battle in Kaga, Naoe Kanetsugu intended to guard Shonai personally, but Kenshin “Right now you must become my deputy. Just like

Kojuuro to Bontenmaru, you are indispensable.” stopped Kanetsugu from doing so.

However, the child of Kenshin’s elder sister, Sentoin and Nagao Masakage, Uesugi Kagekatsu who was going to inherit the position of Echigo protector was still too young to be a commander in practical battles.

As a replacement, the person Kenshin appointed to be the leader for the ‘soldiers’ guarding Shonai and Echigo was none other than the younger sister of Ujiyasu who was sent from the Hojo clan to here as a stepsister for Kenshin after the alliance was formed, Hojo Saburo. Kenshin granted her name ‘Uesugi Kagetora’ to this clever little girl who looked exactly like Ujiyasu. Kenshin was once called ‘Nagao Kagetora’. This meant Kenshin granted her own name to the sister of her sworn enemy, the Hojo. After Kenshin went to Kyoto, Uesugi Kagetora would take over as the Kanto Kanrei, hoping to put an end on this tiring Kanto chaotic war between Uesugi and Hojo. This was a wish of Kenshin. Besides, with both the cleverness rivals Ujiyasu and ambitious, Kagetora was a brave general who was different from her elder sister who liked to barricade in a castle, did not know why Kenshin took a liking to her.

Before coming to Echigo, Hojo Saburo thought “To Echigo, Hojo is their sworn enemy. The peace of these two provinces won’t last long. I am a hostage and a spy as well. Once accidents happened, then I am gonna fight with Kenshin till death in this Echigo” and be on guard against Kenshin, and feared of the people of Echigo. After Kagetora was moved by the feelings of Kenshin who acted like a defenseless elder sister to her which was absolutely different from the face of ‘Bishamonten’ she showed in battles, Kagetora had now become ‘a maiden general adores Kenshin, trusts in

Kenshin and supports Echigo’, standing side by side with Naoe Kanetsugu.

In short, Uesugi Kagetora was leading a surprising number of troops, furthermore, she looked so formidable that it was hard to believe this was her first time participating in a battle. In the ‘Agakitashu’ of the people of Echigo, those who did not follow Kenshin to Kyoto joined under the ‘Bi’ flag of Kagetora one after the other, they were providing troops for Kagetora constantly.

Despite they could be considered as a fighting tribe that rooted at Echigo and carried out various battles since the Kamakura period, yet they were suppressed by Kenshin who advocated the desireless idea of ‘not waging any war of conquest’, therefore their battle morale went for a big outbreak after hearing the ‘command of attacking Yamagata’.

The Mogami army suffered a great defeat, going the opposite way of the route from Mogami River they came from and returned to the depths of the Three Mountains of Dewa, Yamagata. However, Uesugi Kagetora “Banish

the evil! Never forgive! This is my battle!” led the Echigo army into Yamagata and continued attacking the branch castles of the Mogami faction relentlessly. 

From the words of Katakura Kojuuro, Bontenmaru learned the predicament of Mogami Yoshiaki, “That selfish and capricious uncle is such a hassle nya. He lacks coordination way too much nya, kukuku.” had a bitter smile. 

“The Uesugi is not easy to deal with, knowing that uncle will aim for their empty castles, so she deployed an unexpected amount of troops to guard Shonai, and now he’s defeated, see. It would be better if he’s willing to synchronize with our pace and attack Shonai simultaneously when we were attacking Kozuke.”

“Mogami-sama has antagonism against Ojou-sama, that’s why he wanted to settle it with his own power. However, who could figure out that Ojou-sama will actually honestly cooperate with him!?”

“As an enemy, he’s a nuisance. As an ally, he’s unreliable. This uncle is really beyond help already nya. Well, failed to attack Shonai is nothing of a big matter, leave him alone.”

“It would be fine if he was just being repelled. The commander of the Uesugi army, Uesugi Kagetora is a remarkably warlike maiden general, right now she’s leading the army to Yamagata Castle with large momentum. Mogami- sama will be retaliated soon.”

“A person that likes to invade actually becomes a retainer of Uesugi Kenshin, the ‘righteous general’. For Kenshin to entrust the defense of Echigo to a younger sister of Hojo Ujiyasu. By the way, if the person in question is

Nama-chan who doesn’t know how to fight, she will definitely be beaten by uncle very badly.”

“Ojou-sama! At this rate, Yamagata Castle and the Mogami clan will! That’s not all, your mother, Yoshihime-sama is in Yamagata Castle as well!”

“………Uhuhuh. Mother……..she’s that sort of a person. Although I made up with mother already when I transfered my castle from Yonezawa to Sendai, but think again, we actually didn’t make it up officially at all, the result is mother went to reprimand uncle who frustrated from losing to me in the competition for town renaissance, stayed in Yamagata and never came back nya.”

“Uhwa! We’re in trouble!”

“It’s considered lucky that Yoshihime (TL note: Not Bontenmaru’s mother, another person) and Jikumaru are housekeeping in Sendai.”

Now go provide support to Yamagata, just when Kojuuro was going to say it. However, Bontenmaru showed a poss ‘duang duang’, cried with tears.

“Uhuh……..I really want to go! I want to go save uncle and mother, I want to mobilize the whole army to Yamagata!”

“That, that’s right! Let’s go, Ojou-sama!”

“But, Kojuuro, what you said was right, compared to other heroes, I who born at a late time, now is the only chance to capture the world!”

“Wait a minute? I didn’t say that sort of words!”

“Right now, we can only leave uncle to figure it out all by himself! I believe that the uncle I respect can definitely do it! I’m so sorry, uncle, I’m sorry, mother~! Well done, Kojuuro~! To spur on my wavering heart, you actually harden your heart and advised me to give up Yamagata to capture the world~! I will never forget your loyalty to me in my lifetime!”

“Please wait! Please don’t fabricate my speech and assume it as the truth all by yourself!”

Uhwa! If we refuse to provide reinforcement, then the relations between

Ojou-sama and Yoshihime-sama which went through hardships to make it up will be in a deadlock again, the worst situation could be they would never meet each other again in their lives……..the puzzled Shigezane wanted to advise Bontenmaru to change her idea. However, Bontermaru, huhu, gently smiled. Not that usual ‘smile of an evil-eye demon king’. Instead, it was a genuine smile of an adorable maiden that would never be shown at the front of her soldiers—-.

Gamo Ujisato also couldn’t help but be stunned. It felt full of loneliness, but let people feel the determination in her eyes at the same time, such an angelic smile.

“If I were to give up the world and return to Yamagata, then mother will really condemn me. Having said that, if I were to split my troops that already split plenty of them to inhibit the Hojo again, then the world or Yamagata, I won’t obtain both of them. Therefore, this is the best.”

“…….Ojou-sama…….”

“I must let the name Date Masamune to be known to the world, and then receive compliments……from mother.”

Just like saying to her confused self, or maybe not wanting to let others notice the tears in her eyes, Bontenmaru raised her head to look at the clear, blue sky. 

However, Kojuuro couldn’t even expect that in her dream, the letter written by Bontenmaru to Mogami Yoshiaki was such a rip-off matter.

“Greetings to my uncle, it seems you are quite troubled regarding the attack from the Uesugi army against Yamagata. I, Bontenmaru who is a gentle and sentimental person really want to return from Kanto to help you, but the ingenious Kojuuro said ” That’s great, Ojou-sama, even the fate helps us! 

Why you bother with that old fox who doesn’t treat you friendly all the time, just let the Uesugi attacks Yamagata! During the main forces of Kenshin aiming for Kyoto is confronting with the Oda army, if we wait for the two armies at Yamagata destroyed and we Date army went at that moment, then no matter both annoying old fox or the Uesugi army, we can get rid of them all at once. Besides, Kenshin can’t return immediately right now. Not only the castles and the land of Yamagata belongs to Ojou-sama, but we might also even capture the great province Echigo! In that way, Oshu, Dewa, and Echigo all belongs to Ojou-sama! Long live the Millennial Kingdom,

huhahaha!” such devil’s whisper instilled my ears. Ahah, so horrible. I never know Kojuuro with a gentle face is this sort of a devil. However, I can’t do such infidelity and unfilial actions. I don’t want to attack my uncle! I don’t want to fight with my uncle who did noble behaviors such as feeding me poisonous takoyaki, or ambush Yonezawa when I went for Kanto expedition! Yamagata is a land belongs to uncle! Hoho, Mogami Yoshiaki is not just a benevolent lord in the Yamagata history! You are also a handsome man!

And you were deeply admired by your younger sister! I, Bontenmaru believe you will never lose to someone like the Uesugi! Therefore, I will depart to the West with tears—-to Sekigahara. Hence, please uncle protect Yamagata with your own power. From Bontenmaru”

Mogami Yoshiaki who was barricading in Yamagata Castle while overseeing the branch castles in Yamagata fell into the Uesugi army’s hands with salmon in his hand, he was indignant after reading the letter by Bontenmaru which was sent by putting it in a bamboo tube and delivered by the ninja dogs of Ota Mitaka. 

“That brat~!!!!!!!!!!! Kojuuro will never say such things, she actually dares to joke with me! Where’s Sekigahara of West? Eheh? Don’t tell me it’s at Mino? Don’t be kidding with me!”

He shouted angrily. Probably this was so-called to bristle with anger.

“Ahahah, here they come! Why! Why is there Uesugi army hiding in Shonai?

And not only drove my army away, but they even try to invade Yamagata territory boldly! Isn’t the Uesugi won’t wage any war of conquest?”

The debut of ‘Uesugi Kagetora’ who will attack the Mogami territory relentlessly was something totally unexpected to Mogami Yoshiaki.

“Damn. That Hojo brat……..! That fox woman! She actually stuffed her warlike younger sister to Kenshin and use the Echigo army to seal Bontenmaru and my actions! Cunning people are everywhere! Oh no. Most of the branch castles were taken away. And then, once the final defense line, Hasedo Castle fallen, Yamagata Castle will become an isolated castle…..!”

Although Mogami Yoshiaki was a wise general, his familiarity with Kenshin’s behavior made an opposite effect here. He certainly didn’t expect the maiden general from the Hojo clan would be leading the Uesugi army to attack Yamagata, initiated a great battle to destroy the Mogami clan without any saying. But as a family of samurai ancestor in Sengoku Era, Hojo could do it. The Hojo had fought in Kanto for three generations, they mercilessly seized Izu, Sagami, Odawara, Musashi, and Kozuke provinces.

Mogami Yoshiaki was barricading in Yamagata Castle, “Although the Date army stopped for an expedition is what Ujiyasu wants too see, but now I can only request for help from that brat” had no choice but to endure his humiliation for requesting help from Bontenmaru.

Yet, Bontenmaru refused to provide help. 

Not only that, she never intended to stay in Kanto, instead, she straightly went to Mino and entered Sekigahara.

“If she went to that far of a place, then she probably couldn’t get back to

Yamagata in time after the decisive battle ended~! I don’t mind she abandon me! Since I’ve done so many things to bring trouble to her! But…..Yoshi is here, Bontenmaru ohhhh~!? Don’t tell me, you want to abandon Yoshi here as well? Impossible. For a daughter to abandon her mother, that’s impossible! Do you know how big of a sacrifice Yoshi made to give birth to you! Poor Yoshi! Ohhhh~uhm!”

At the back of Mogami Yoshiaki who was tightly grabbing the letter while crying with his giant body trembling, don’t know when—-Yoshiaki’s younger sister, who was Botenmaru’s mother as well, Yoshihime stood up while holding a Naginata.

If she didn’t fall in love with a Nanban merchant and gave birth to

Bontenmaru, then Yoshi would undoubtedly be ‘the overlord of Oshu’, if only Bontenmaru didn’t exist, Yoshiaki deeply believed in that and doted his younger sister until now.

“Ahahah, Yoshi!? This letter, that is, there’s nothing in it. This is a fake letter written by me just now! Not a letter from Bontenmaru! This is a tactic I prepared to deceive the Uesugi army! I will spread this letter around the camp of the Uesugi army……..! To let Uesugi Kagetora put her guard down! And then I will go for a night ambush right away!”

“Hah. Brother. Please don’t be horrified just because of Bonternmaru refuses to provide reinforcement. If this thing were to spread around the enemy camp, letting them know that Yamagata will never have reinforcement, the Mogami clan will surely be annihilated right?” 

“But, but, but, that, that, that, I don’t want you, you, to know that Bontenmaru wants to abandon and go to Mino that’s far from here! Uhohohoh~uhm!”

“What are you talking about, brother? Yoshihime lifted the Naginata and swing at the air. A dragonfly with its body sliced apart fell on the ground lightly, and then.

“Excellent. Well done, Bontenmaru! It must be hard for you, but you finally made the correct decision! It’s fine! To prepare for this day to time, I’ve trained myself with martial arts all day and night after gave birth to you!

Yamagata will be protected by me and brother.”

“What? Yoshi praises Bontenmaru, this is unheard of……..I see. That brat has turned into an excellent maiden general of Sengoku Era huh……setting her sight from Oshu to the ‘world’. Is she crazy or should be said she inherited the talent from Yoshi, which is the one. I, I think the former should be more likely”, Yoshiaki muttered while chewing the salmon.

“So please throw away your hesitation and go for the ‘world’! Bontenmaru, this is the first and also the final chance granted by the gods of the Three Mountains of Dewa to you. Go, to Sekigahara!”

However, Uesugi Kagetora had both the righteous of Kenshin and tactics knowledge from Hojo, in addition to her natural bravery. And that Kagetora was leading the veteran Agakitashu. In contrast, the Mogami army was greatly depleted from the defeat at Shonai, there was a great disparity in the difference of troop number between both sides. Apparently, they were not easy to deal with. From the side of an eye to her face, Yoshihime had a cold sweat flowed through.