Oda Nobuna no Yabou - Volume 16 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

Gifu 

Takeda Shingen set off to North from Kiyosu Castle.

The Gifu Castle that Tsuda Nobuzumi was barricading in had finally been completely surrounded by the Takeda army came from the Kiso River.

Reinforcement was not seen.

Without even giving the advice to surrender, the Takeda army began its ferocious attacks.

The vanguard unit sent to the Kiso River by Tsuda Nobuzumi to stop the marching of the Takeda army as much possible was easily crushed by the assault from the Takeda cavalry unit.

Takeda Shingen was meant to take down Gifu Castle without any saying before Oda Nobuna crossed the Nagara River and reach here as reinforcement.

Even a famous general like Shingen is getting impatient……Tsuda Nobuzumi was quietly observing the ferocious attacks from the Takeda at the handrail of the foothill of the Hommaru Palace, where was the flaw of the army, where was its weakness, no matter how long he observed, the command and tactics of Takeda Shingen were perfect. If the Tokugawa participates in this then they might get messy, his little expectation of this ended up in naught. The Tokugawa army was carrying out its duty as the ‘wall’ loyally, they have made their move to hold on the army led by Nobuna from the Ogaki Castle at Sunomata of Nagara River. If Nobuna could not reach to help Gifu Castle, perhaps it was due to the barrier set up by the Tokugawa army. 

“…….Sister……the fall of the Gifu Castle is already inevitable. You are trying to save me even now, what an indecisive person. Please move to Sekigahara immediately. This is exactly the reason why Takenaka Hanbei hardened her heart and sent me to Gifu Castle. If the important locations in Sekigahara were taken by the Eastern Army because of me, then everything is over.”

Nobuzumi could vaguely perceive that this Gifu Castle was the ‘bait’ for the ‘trap’ prepared by Takeda Shingen against Nobuna.

If Nobuna were to witness the Gifu Castle on fire during the battle with the Tokugawa army at Sunomata, knowing that ‘Tsuda Nobuzumi committed seppuku’, then she probably would give up the original plan of carrying out the decisive battle at Sekigahara, lead her precious Oda main forces to Gifu Castle in order to kill Takeda Shingen. However, that wouldn’t work.

Takenaka Hanbei advised him numerous times before he went to Gifu Castle.

“The final battle must be in Sekigahara. To win against the strongest Takeda cavalry unit in the Sengoku Era of Japan, the Oda army can never unfold a fight with them at the Gifu plains where they can completely unleash their speed advantage. We must capture the mountains at Sekigahara to build the array.

I finally understand. So now is the time for my death huh. The Nobuzumi now could clearly understand the meaning of Hanbei’s words.

Is that so. Takeda Shingen doesn’t want sister to depart from Ogaki Castle to Sekigahara but guide her to Gifu Castle instead. Therefore, she has to siege down Gifu Castle and kill me right in front of sister’s eyes……. 

“Can sister accomplish her ambition of Tenkafubu, the key would be whether she’s able to give up the Gifu Castle which acts as the ‘barrier’. Sister, I have no regrets anymore. I’ve lived my life to its fullest. So please, you must take over the world……”

Nobuzumi prayed silently, Nobuna will soon realize that saving Gifu Castle was no longer possible, and then she quickly led her forces to Sekigahara, not to fall into the ‘trap’ of trying to penetrate through ‘the wall of Tokugawa army’ in order to cross the Nagara River, but to choose the world. 

When the Takeda army was going to initiate the final attack on Gifu Castle, Sagara Yoshiharu and Oda Nobuna was now heading towards the place where everything happened, Sunomata with their forces. The deputy of Oda Nobuna army was Takigawa Kazumasu. While the deputy of Sagara Yoshiharu army was Sagara Yoshihi, Shimazu Iehisa was also acting as the strategist that provided tactics and strategies to both armies. Ishida Sakichi, Kato Toranosuke and the other two maiden generals of the Sagara Sister Corp were also participating in the battle as one of the Sagara Corp.

Sunomata was a central area surrounded by several rivers flowing to Mino. Once they reach Sunomata, all they had to do is to cross the stream, the Nagara River and they could reach Gifu Castle immediately. During Nobuna was having the expedition of Mino, the reason she succeeded was that she successfully conquered the greatest strategic location in Mino, the Sunomata which was the central area located between the West Mino and Gifu Castle (which formerly called the Inabayama Castle). 

Will the Takeda army surrounds Gifu Castle first, or Nobuna be the first one to cross Nagara River and reach to the side of Nobuzumi?

Even for Yoshiharu who came here along with Nobuna was also unable to predict the ‘future’ of this battle.

“That’s strange. Goemon and Kazu-chan haven’t come back yet. They didn’t contact me either. Don’t tell me.”

Forgetting the case if Ishikawa Kazumune acted alone, Goemon who was once lived in Kiyosu Castle was with her after all, they shouldn’t be captured by the Hattori gang that easily, that was what Yoshiharu believed. However, he did not receive any message from the two of them until now. The spy was also reported ‘the Tokugawa army left Kiyosu Castle’.

Despite Nobuna had learned that “Although her mother and Imagawa Yoshimoto were abducted in Sakamoto Castle, Juubei-chan is heading to Kyoto now just as you commanded! The Akechi army will be entering Sekigahara before the Mori army and capture the most important location, Matsuoyama! Now is the time to pick up ‘two fruits’ at the same time!” from Yoshiharu who returned to Ogaki Castle, Nobuna was still very worried of Mitsuhide who experienced the situation of her mother being abducted as a hostage again, but due to Nekomata had said “Kobayakawa-dono has given an order to not harm the hostages in Sakamoto Castle”, so Nobuna “I must give my thanks to Juubei! All troops advance! To Gifu Castle!” led her army to the East.

Akechi Mitsuhide headed to Sekigahara from Kyoto. In the meantime, Nobuna headed to Gifu from Ogaki.

Their actions were supposed to be perfect and flawless. 

After reaching Gifu Castle and saved Nobuzumi and his troops, Nobuna would immediately head West towards Sekigahara to meet with Mitsuhide, and then they would confront the Takeda-Mori-Tokugawa army directly. Build a huge field array with the Matsuoyama as the center, apply the new invented tactics to cope with the Takeda cavalry unit that had been trained long ago to give the Takeda army a big impact—-as long they can withstand until the Otomo army led by Kuroda Kanbei advancing to Kinai had reached Sekigahara, then the Western army which was being suppressed now due to the lack of forces can turn the tide of the battle.

However, when Nobuna and Yoshiharu entered Sunomata, they discovered the Sunomata Castle had erected the banners of ‘away from the corrupted land and yearn for the holy land’—-.

Due to various daimyos and generals would bet their lives to advocate their own beliefs during battles, the banners were born followed by it. For Nobuna who believed in ‘winning through the power of money’ that was inherited from the belief of her father, her banner was the lucky coin. Yoshiharu was

the golden thousand gourds. Takeda Shingen was the ‘Furinkazan’ cited from The Art of War. Uesugi Kenshin was the word ‘Bi’—-. In this battlefield, there was only one daimyo clan that would erect the hazy ‘phrase’ of ‘away from the corrupted land and yearn for the holy land’.

“Yoshiharu, it’s the Tokugawa army! They must be deployed by Shingen to Sunomata here to stop us from advancing. They took the first step!”

“It would be great if they are willing to negotiate and open the gate or us.”

“That depends on the intention of the Tokugawa army. If they intend to fight then they will keep on extending the time for negotiation in order to buy more time. If that’s the case then we can’t save Kanjuuro. Yoshiharu, how is Goemon?”

“As always! I can’t get in touch with her!”

The night vision of Takigawa Kazumasu was extremely powerful. She glanced quickly across the array of the Tokugawa army and said, “The main force of Tokugawa Ieyasu is inside the Sunomata Castle. On its outskirt, it is made up of troops from the Honda Tadakatsu squad which is called the strongest in Tokugawa headed by an elder of the Tokugawa, Sakai Tadatsugu. The female warlord, Ii Naotora squad and other famous generals from the Tokugawa clan were deployed in a long snake array along the shore of the Nagara River to ambush us” and Nobuna who received the report, “Is that so” sighed.

“To let Honda Tadakatsu who doesn’t know how to pretend a fight standing at the frontline…….it seems the Tokugawa army is being serious here. They are trying to act as the ‘barrier’ for Takeda Shingen and stop us from crossing the river.”

“But I didn’t have a sight of Hattori Hanzo who will definitely carry out ninja activities during the Tokugawa army is having a war, he might’ve mixed in the darkness already”, Kazumasu added.

Nobuna told Kazumase and Yoshiharu while she was trying to tell herself as well.

“I, Inuchiyo, and Takechiyo were very close like sisters ever since childhood. The moment Takechiyo was cheaply sold to the Oda clan, the three of us were always together. Until Takechiyo was exchanged to the Imagawa clan as a hostage……whenever I threw tantrum and hung Takechiyo wanting to make her into a raccoon soup, Inuchiyo would always come to save Takechiyo secretly by cutting off the rope with her spear and let Takechiyo drop into the river. Well, I’m a wild kid that’s hard to deal with ever since I know how to walk…….for some reason, Takechiyo gets along with me very well. In the feverish summer season, the three of us will stroll around the Furuno streets or the Atsuta shrines with cucumbers in our hands. Although the elegant Kanjuuro worried that it’s too lowly for us to walk around the streets with cucumbers in our hands and a shoulder bares out, that was not something a child from the samurai clan supposed to do haha, though I did not participate in any events of eating cucumber that is………”

Yoshiharu painfully understood the feelings of Nobuna. She did not want to fight with the Tokugawa army. She did not want to unfold a death war against them, not only because of the Tokugawa clan was once an ally of the Oda clan. The childhood time they spent when calling each other ‘Kichi’ and ‘Takechiyo’. In that pure and innocent period that was extremely precious.

Nobuna and Ieyasu were even closer than blood-related sisters.

“Despite being crushed by Takeda Shingen at Mikatagahara, she still persisted to maintain the alliance with me and fought loyally, that Takechiyo will never choose to abandon me all of a sudden. Even when I am going to fall into a desperate situation with my life and death matters…….there must be a reason for her behavior. However, right now…….”

“We have no time to hesitate anymore”, Nobuna bit her lips tightly. The Tokugawa army took the preemptive strike.

“That seems like the banner of Oda Nobuna-dono, the lucky coin!”

“Until the Takeda army has taken down the Gifu Castle, we shall not let you pass!” 

“We are the loyal forces of the Mikawa! Even if we cannot defeat the Oda army, we must hold Sunomata! As the ‘barrier’!”

“Let us show you the perseverance of the Mikawa warriors that have been fighting with the army of Takeda Shingen for a long time!”

The vanguard of the Tokugawa army launched their attacks all at once.

Despite that, despite the Tokugawa army was right in front of her eyes, Nobuna still couldn’t give the order “Go! Crush them!” to her forces. She thought of her farewell with Ieyasu. Won’t there be any room for negotiation? She was thinking of the possibility of not waging a war.

However, one of the spies that Nobuna dispatched to Kiyosu Castle made it alive back to Nobuna’s side right at this moment.

“None of us can get into the castle! But I found this at the moat of Kiyosu Castle!”

And then he handed a small black scarf full of fresh blood to Nobuna. On that black scarf comes with a ‘skull-shape’ hair accessory.

Yoshiharu could recognize that hair accessory.

That was the skull coat of arms that tongue biting ninja always bring on her side who swore allegiance to Yoshiharu on the same time he came to this Sengoku Era.

“……..This is Goemon’s………no way? Yoshiharu!?” Nobuna’s face went pale.

Yoshiharu really couldn’t speak out “This belongs to Goemon” right at this moment. 

Goemon was an immortal ninja just as the word said until. During the battle with Uesugi Kenshin at Azuchi Castle, being ambushed by the Fuma ninjas dispatched by the Hojo during the trip of Hakone, or even when being pursued by the Hagakure ninjas led by Nabeshima Naoshige at Kyushu, and—-and fought for Yoshiharu when building the one night castle on this ‘Sunomata’, during the time when they were facing a ferocious attack from the large army led by Saitou Yoshitatsu—.

“At that time, at this Sunomata, that Goemon got hit by a bullet and pretend death. Causing us to panic and shed tears for her. But actually, she wore chainmail under her ninja attire beforehand and not even an injury. That’s right, Goemon won’t die. Even though she went through so many to meet her sister again, how could this happen? That’s right, Goemon, tell me that I’m right! I already know it, so don’t pretend to be dead again! You also followed the idea of ‘picking two fruits at the same time’ right? So come out right now!”

With more words getting out from his mouth, Yoshiharu was getting agitated. “Get out! Goemon!” Yoshiharu kept shouting towards the darkness.

“Or maybe…….Goemon…….this is the preparatory exercise for your

‘death’…….perhaps, you prepared for this moment. To let me and Nobuna overcome your ‘death’ at this Sunomata……..that won’t be true. It’s a coincidence, purely coincidence! What if, I say what if, even if something happened and you fell, at that time you will definitely exchange your own life to allow your sister, Kazu-chan to get away alive! That must be it…….! Both of them also fail to return, how is that possible.”

Jasper told Yoshiharu a little regarding the theory of the power of ‘field’ at Honnou Temple—- ‘The coercive power of history’ comes from ‘the willpower of human’ from a different dimension—-not the ‘human’ with ‘life’ and ‘willpower’, but the wonderful theory of the power of ‘field’ which leaked out from the ‘field’ dimension affected the fate of ‘human’, Yoshiharu recalled of that unexpectedly.

(Maybe that kind of thing truly exists. For example, the geographical structure of Sekigahara has the conditions for the decisive battle to happen easily. The same goes for Sunomata, the ‘Jokyu War’ between the Kyoto ministers and Kamakura clan decided its fate on a battle happened at Sunomata here. Once a war happens between the West Mino and Gifu, Sunomata will definitely become the stage for an intense battle. Even if a flash flood happens, as long the flow of Nagara River does not happen a drastic change……when I intended to build the one night castle at

Sunomata, Goemon has already foreseen her own ‘fate’…..perhaps, her instinct as a ninja already noticed, at the time when she’s going to ‘pick up

two fruits’ of ‘saving her sister and complete the mission’, that is the time for her own death)

Nobuna finally contained her feelings against Ieyasu and commanded “We won’t be able to save Kanjuuro by wasting time here! Goemon’s death will become worthless too! Breakthrough the Tokugawa army and cross over the Nagara River! All forces! Form a spear formation and focus on the weakest part of the array of the Tokugawa army!” because she couldn’t continue to see the face of Yoshiharu who is holding Goemon’s scarf while thinking (I must endure. Think of what Zenki said before. As a man, I must endure.

Don’t cry) to prevent his tears from flowing down.

Even if my friendship with Takechiyo will crack once again in this battle, I must still go on. How many efforts Yoshiharu had done for the sake of me until now. How can I let all of his efforts become vain? Therefore.

“All troops! Breakthrough the ‘barrier’ of the Tokugawa army and rush to Gifu Castle!” 

The castles at Sunomata— there did not have much expansion right after Yoshiharu built the ‘one night castle’, just some simple castles—-. The

shadow warrior that pretends as Tokugawa Ieyasu in the main camp, Serada Jiro Saburo was biting her own fingernail while consulting the strategist, Honda Masanobu.

“Masanobu-san. Even though we gave order to not be the first one to attack, Tadakatsu-san still rushed to the enemies right after she saw them just as you expected.”

“That’s right. This is how the Mikawa warriors work, so far everything is going on according to my plan.”

“However, Masanobu-san’s prediction of Oda Nobuna will definitely want to negotiate with the Tokugawa nevertheless and then we will buy time for the siege of Gifu Castle by extending the time for negotiation does not happen. Oda Nobuna does suppress her feelings against Ieyasu-sama, or she’s ready to break apart completely by unfolding an all-out war……..so?”

“I was hoping that Oda Nobuna will hesitate for a short time. She skipped the process of demanding for negotiation and prioritize on crossing over the Nagara River is truly unexpected to me. But the ‘wind’ seems to be our side”, Honda Masanobu agreed.

“Anyway, the so-called war itself is like a gigantic living creature, it keeps moving just like a dragon has its own will. No matter what kind of plan a strategist devised, he or she could never able to manipulate it all by himself or herself, Ojou-sama. Please trust in the Mikawa warriors that risk their lives to help the Tokugawa clan to obtain the world.”

“We both participated in the Honnya Temple Ikki and suffered great defeat before, so I could understand. Masanobu-san? Oda Nobuna bet everything of the Oda clan to save her brother. The morale of the Oda army is unprecedentedly high. Even Tadakatsu-san and others are formidable, they will still be overwhelmed.”

Serada Jiro Saburo, she did claim herself as a descent of the Serada clan from Kanto which is the ancestor of the Matsudaira clan, but that was actually the name Honda Masanobu granted to her when Masanobu discovered her in the army of the Honnya Temple Ikki and employed her as the ‘shadow warrior of Ieyasu’.

Originally, she didn’t even have a family name, and her own name was quite lousy as well. She born and grew up in a mountain of Mikawa called Ori, a child of the ‘mountain citizens’ that was unheard of. The reason she joined Ikki was not because of her faith to the Honnya Temple, it was because she could ‘eat’ during the Honnya Temple Ikki.

However, when the Ikki was suffering defeat successively, Honda Masanobu who fought alongside with her begged her,

“You look just the same with my most important friend. It must be the will of the god to let us meet each other. Please come with me!”

Jiro Saburo was moved by her and decided to become the shadow warrior of Ieyasu. However, the duty as a shadow warrior, a weak daimyo that no one knew when she would be assassinated was a very horrible task. She changed her mind several times and wanted to run away. But every time Masanobu would chase after Jiro Saburo with desperation and saved Jiro Saburo from the hands of the night thieves and enemy soldiers. After understanding how much Masanobu thought for the sake of Ieyasu, she finally determined to devote her own life to Masanobu. 

Serada Jiro Saburo…….according to the bloodline, she could probably consider as a branch member of the Matsudaira clan from Mikawa. An illegitimate child of the lord of the Matsudaira clan from who knows how many generations ago.

From the aspect of the accidental resemblance of two strangers, Jiro Saburo and Ieyasu looked way too alike.

However, Jiro Saburo never tried to ask Masanobu ‘to search for her own ancestor. That kind of thing was unnecessary. Shadow warrior, she was just a shadow in the end. ‘A maiden general that looked exactly the same as

Ieyasu inherited the bloodline of Matsudaira clan’ or whatever, she did not want to bring such a troubling clan dispute to the Matsudaira clan, or rather, the Tokugawa clan.

Right now, Jiro Saburo, she behaved as the ‘shadow’ of Ieyasu, takes actions as her ‘shadow’, thinks as her ‘shadow’, Jiro Saburo kept constraining herself with these things. Even for learning the habit of biting

her own fingernail. Because of when she did not bite the fingernail, she was found out to be a disguise by Honda Tadakatsu. So she did not want to repeat the same mistake again.

“The real Ojou-sama, what will she do? Masanobu-san, I really……”

“Of course, she will definitely want to avoid an annihilation battle with the Oda army. This is the way of Ojou-sama.”

“That’s right, Masanobu-san. Then let’s send a ceasefire envoy to Oda Nobuna, order the vanguard that acts as the ‘barrier’ containing the Oda army to retreat from Nagara River, let the Oda army to march towards Gifu Castle. But……we have to use the ‘evil plan’ that Masanobu-san prepared here.” 

“…….That’s right. But the moment we propose ceasefire and open the path of Nagara River is the moment when the Gifu Castle has ‘fallen’ and Mount Kinka is on fire. That is when Oda Nobuna will know her brother committed suicide. Tsuda Nobuzumi will never become a captive. If her brother was captured alive by the Takeda, Oda Nobuna will give endless concession.

Well, for the sake of Ojou-sama’s friendship, we shall let the Kiyosu Castle which could consider as her hometown to open its gate without a bloodbath.”

Honda Masanobu maintained her status of covering her mouth and the lower part of her lovely, innocent face with the black mask, told that to Jiro Saburo with a cold and inhibited voice.

“Once the Tokugawa opened its ‘barrier’, Oda Nobuna will surely rush to the plain under the Gifu Castle with wrath after learning her brother was slain, pick up the decisive battle with the Takeda cavalry unit recklessly. At that

time, we defy the ceasefire agreement and build the ‘barrier’ again to cut off the escape route through the Nagara River for the Oda army. As long the Oda army is annihilated, we can somehow get this away with whatever reason. In this case, even if the Akechi army came here from Kyoto, Oda Nobuna is already hopeless like a rat in a hole.”

“……..What a frightening tactic. A gruesome strategy. The Masanobu-san now is just like the incarnation of a devil. Even though…..the real you was not like this. If you do so, you will bring ruin and everlasting infamy upon yourself as the rare evil villain in Japan history……”

“I know. But for the sake of getting back the ‘future’ of Ojou-sama that has been taken away, it doesn’t matter for me to become a devil.” 

“However, in that situation, won’t Sagara Yoshiharu tries to stop Oda Nobuna from crossing over the Nagara River?” Jiro Saburo asked Masanobu.

Masanobu kept blinking her eyes, just like trying to suppress something that was gushing up from her heart.

“That’s true. Even for an eternal lover, they won’t just follow whatever the other person says. What’s more to Oda Nobuna who cherishes her family and friends with great care. Oda Nobuna never experiences the matter of ‘her brother dies in the battle’ before. She definitely will receive a greater blow than when she learned that Sagara Yoshiharu died in the battle during the retreat of Kanegasaki!”

She pretended to be emotionless and said it plainly.

“The fire of the Gifu Castle will be the demise for Oda Nobuna. But we can’t let Ojou-sama feel guilty for this. This is all decided unauthorized by the person responsible for this conspiracy, Honda Masanobu.

Moreover……….I’m just having the ‘fate’ of Oda Nobuna to happen in advance a little. Even if we do nothing, she will eventually fall…..before she accomplishes her ambition.” 

Once served Saitou Dousan, after being expelled by his son, Yoshitatsu,

from his province, the ‘Mino Triumvirate’ submitted to the Oda side and now participated in the Gifu Castle barricade warfare. To exactly say, the troops led by Nobuzumi from Northland were quite less, the troops barricading in the Gifu Castle were basically the Mino soldiers led by the Mino Triumvirate.

A stubborn father, Inaba Ittetsu.

The fierce general partner with Ittetsu, Ujiie Bokuzen.

And the last was the uncle and also adoptive father of Takenaka Hanbei, Ando Morinari.

Inaba Ittetsu and Ujiie Bokuzen “They shall not come in!” “We will never let

them success!” were now battling at the most frontline to defend Gifu Castle with their lives, but for the careless Ando Morinari, his face went pale and in panic.

“H-H-H-Hanbei! Are you going to let me die here along with Tsuda Nobuzumi-dono~? I don’t remember I had thought you to become such a terrible kid! Uhuhuh. It’s over. It’s over. What should I do now?”

At the beginning when being commanded to enter Gifu Castle, Ando Morinari was optimistically believed that the lady of the Oda loved her brother very much so she would send reinforcement eventually, but the result was she was contained by the Tokugawa and unable to come.

“If I knew this would happen, I should’ve pretended stomachache and refuse to enter this castle! Ohoh, that’s it! The advisor for Nobuzumi-dono, Toudou- dono! Toudou-dono is still here!”

Ando Morinari ran to where the maiden general born at Oumi, Toudou Takatora was to plead for help.

Toudou Takatora was originally serving the Asai clan of Oumi. After the Asai clan perished, she served several lords before, and now worked under Tsuda Nobuzumi. She was a competent maiden general exceled in war, 

castle building, strategy, domestic affairs, and even navy, but “How is such a little amount of salary enough for me” “A maiden general of my level should deserve more salary” “A salary that pars with the name of Toudou Takatora should be given” being picky of her salary, so she couldn’t stay long in one place. Therefore, “Without righteousness” “Without loyalty” “A traitor that who knows when she will abandon her own lord” “She must be deceiving her own lord with her youth and beauty, I won’t make a mistake” she was always besmirched by the generals around her. Despite that, Toudou Takatora did not feel upset for her own future in being an officer, it was because she did have the superior ability to being picky.

Toudou Takatora was born from a family near the Toudou village of Oumi relying on semi farming-enlisting life, not enough to be considered as a noble. If the era of overthrowing or surpassing one’s superiors did not come, then she must’ve spent her entire life in the Toudou village.

But due to the timing of the fall of the noble of north Oumi, the Rokkaku clan and the rise of the new power, the Asai clan. Toudou Takatora with the natural-born of tall stature and preeminent martial art as a maiden general, she got along well with the Asai clan that brought a new atmosphere to Oumi, and then she showed her capability not long after joining the Asai clan. She fought alongside with the beauty in male attire, Asai Nagamasa and earned merit in ‘the battle of Anegawa’.

But due to Nagamasa’s father, Asai Hisamasa chose to cooperate with the Asakura clan that was once his benefactor, personally revoked the alliance with Oda Nobuna, causing the ‘fate’ of Asai clan went downhill. In ‘the battle of Anegawa’ where he risked everything to have a decisive battle against Oda Nobuna, the Asai clan was defeated. No matter how many merits Toudou Takatora had earned all by herself, she still couldn’t change the tide of the war.

Especially the ‘siege tactic’ utilized by Oda Nobuna and Takenaka Hanbei to besiege the giant fortress that the Asai clan was proud of, the Odani Castle, that was something shocking to Toudou Takatora who was just a warrior at that time. It was because of Asai Hisamasa believed the giant fortress the Asai clan proud of, Odani Castle would never fall, he chose to turn against Oda Nobuna. But Oda Nobuna and Takenaka Hanbei did not attack Odani Castle mindlessly, they were building castles or taking over the branch castles all around the Odani Castle just like to end the game in Shogi by isolating the Odani Castle. Takatora deeply understands the so-called war was actually a festival in the form of martial arts, but it did not stop there, some existences performed skills like when artists do.

And so, the moment for that ‘fate’ finally came. Tsuda Nobuzumi led a suicide squad to attack Odani Castle, the impregnable Odani Castle has

finally being conquered on that day, “That Asai clan perished this easily. The so-called samurai clan is such a delicate thing.” Toudou Takatora entered the state of emptiness, appeared at the side of Asai Hisamasa and sought ‘death’.

Not going to the side of Nagamasa, but to her father, Hisamasa, was because she knew that Nagamasa would never allow others to die along with her, and Takatora also knew that Nagamasa wanted to die for love along with Tsuda Nobuzumi. The smart Takatora vaguely knew that true identity of Nagamasa. So she made a comprehensive thought.

“Hisamasa-sama. My lord. Everyone else has escaped. The people wanted to die along with Nagamasa-sama has all been driven out from the castle by Nagamasa-sama. My life belongs to the Asai clan, I don’t want to live a wandering life of consuming mud after my lord perished. I also don’t have the obsession for vengeance on the Oda clan. Please let me stay here, return to dust and land along with my lord.”

However, Asai Hisamasa “You fool!” scolded Toudou Takatora.”

“You who was risen from the foot soldier of the Toudou village until now, it’s ridiculous for you wanting to die along with your lord! The one that can be destructed along with the Asai clan is only the people of the Asai clan! Don’t confuse the relationship between the lord and retainers! The so-called samurais are just a bunch of people selling their martial arts to their lord while surviving their own lives! Leave Odani Castle, go wherever you want!”

“……..If I choose to survive, I will eventually serve the Oda clan. And then I will be criticized by the people in the future as a maiden general who betrays her lord.”

“You live for the sake of your own life or live for the sake of the evaluation from the people in the future that you don’t even know their names and faces, which one do you live for, Toudou Takatora!”

“……..That is.”

“Once you are a samurai, then you live as a samurai in your entire life! Find a clan and a lord that can unleash all of your abilities and capabilities, live on! Toudou Takatora, a talented people like you shall not be destructed by the people like Asai Hisamasa. Youths like you and Nagamasa…..the maiden generals…….choose to die along with an old fool that can’t see the trend of the world clearly, I will never allow it!”

To Takatora who was still reluctant to leave and felt guilty to abandon her own lord in order to live on, Hisamasa said, “A so-called samurai has to serve under at least seven different lords” such harsh words. “Just somehow a little higher than a leader of foot soldiers, you have no right to be prideful. The destruction of your lord is an inevitable ‘fate’. If you want to resist that kind of ‘fate’, then you must live on even if to switch your lord seven times, show off all of your strengths and skills in this world. Using the power of the maiden general called Toudou Takatora to push your lord onto the unshakeable position as the ’emperor’. Before that, you can never die.”

The intense speech left by Hisamasa before his death caused Takatora to live on.

“To let the clan I devote to……my lord…….onto the ’emperor’…….”

“You are still a young bird right now. But by surviving in this Sengoku Era, the mature you should be able to do it. You have the potential, Toudou Takatora. No. Takatora-dono. You must live on.”

And so when the Odani Castle was on fire and fallen, Toudou Takatora became ‘the person sells her martial arts to her lord’—-meaning turned into a samurai.

That Toudou Takatora was now eating a nice smelling biscuit while writing something in her room even though a siege war was happening intensely at the outside.

“What? Ando. I’m very busy right now.”

“Are you writing a surrender letter and trying to turn to the Takeda clan quietly! As expected of the person that switches her lord regularly! Toudou- dono! If you want to surrender to the Takeda, please do bring along Ando Morinari, that’s me!” 

“……..Huhu. You’re wrong. To let the commander not to die in the battle, I’m doing preparations. As long I receive the amount of salary I deserve, I won’t betray the clan I serve.”

Eheh!? Ando Morinari was getting more panic.

“As long the commander is still alive, I will devote my loyalty as a retainer until the end—-but if after this war is over, they don’t increase my salary then I will leave that is.”

“But, but, but, G-G-Gifu Castle is going to fall soon, even with my power also difficult to turn the tide.”

“You really are a careless person, Ando. If uncle submitted to the enemy, then Hanbei would lose her place in the Oda clan, right? You don’t even mind that?”

“…….Ah, is that so. That’s right. That won’t work! Hanbei worked so hard and finally showed her competence as the number one tactician in the world, I cannot become her trouble! Let’s fight until the end, Toudou-dono!”

But at the same time, “Ujiie Bokuzen bravely rushed into the second defense line, where the Takeda army is to launch a suicide ambush!” “Inaba Ittetsu- dono is now fighting at the frontline and injured! He can’t continue to fight already!” The foot soldiers with blood all over their bodies were having commotions while running all over the places. They probably are heading to where the castle lord, Nobuzumi is to report the incident.

“Whatttttt, Ujiieeee? That, that veteran brave warrior? No, no way……it’s over, we are done for! That lady from Takeda intends to kill all of us without any saying! Sure enough, let’s surrender, Toudou-dono!” 

“Calm down, Ando. Ujiie was meant to die with resolve. Instead of betraying the Oda clan and beg for his life, he chose to die for the glory as a samurai. Even Inaba has more spines than you. Although you are not blood-related with Hanbei, until all of our blades were broken, please fight with courage.”

Despite the fall of the castle was near, Toudou Takatora was still having her composure as always.

“Ujiie, Inaba, and me, us three have been living our lives together almost all of the time as the Mino Triumvirate……..poor Ujiie……”

“Speaking of poor, the samurais born for the sake of war, everyone is the poor guy as well, to speak further, the people that fight to escape from their fate of inevitable death are all poor living beings. Such a sad matter, huh.”

Ando Morinari also “……..You’re right. Ujiie pampers Hanbei a lot ever since she was young……he died beautifully.” closed his eyes.

However, right after the moment he finished his prayers for Ujiie,

“Oh, that’s it! The kind Hanbei will certainly lament for the death of Ujiie! If I also die here then how sad could Hanbei be! Sure enough, I can’t die yet~! Toudou-dono, please think of a way!”

He grasped Takatora tightly and not letting go. Takatora exclaimed, “I’m still a maiden general in her young age.”

“Alright, I’m done. Please deliver this letter to the main camp of the Takeda army. You collapse due to stomachache after delivered it. In that way, you can leave Gifu Castle safely right?”

While pushing the letter to the face of Ando. 

“The petition letter to save the life of the commander. Originally, I was intending to bring it to where Takeda Shingen is by myself, now you will deliver it on my behalf, how’s that sound?”

“………I, I won’t be beheaded by Shingen huh.”

“The soldiers defending the castle might all be slaughtered. Though this letter is meant to prevent the people in the castle being slaughtered. Well anyway, I think they won’t kill the envoy.”

“Uhm, Uhmm, is that so. But Shingen does not behave like she always did in this battle……she did a force attack like this before during the inheritance of the lord but after that, she was known as a famous general in battling with the least casualty as possible.

“She actually initiated such extremely tragic warfare, it must be in order to provoke Oda Nobuna. If she witnesses the Gifu Castle on fire, her brother was killed, then that lady with deep love will surely be in mad.”

“I was bewildered and see nothing after heard that Ujiie died on the battlefield, even though Toudou-dono is so young but you still maintain your composure huh”, Ando Morinari exclaimed.

“I’m not persistent on anything else. Ever since the end of the Asai clan, that is. A so-called samurai is a person that sells her own martial arts to the lord she serves to. The life of a person is like a journey. But a person that persists on living on like Ando is also an interesting person.”

“Ever since the end of Asai clan, huh. Asai Hisamasa-dono has also committed seppuku in the Odani Castle that was on fire. This person that stormed the Odani Castle was none other than Tsuda Nobuzumi- dono……and now karma comes. Don’t you hate him? Toudou-dono”, Ando Morinari asked Toudou Takatora. 

“I don’t. The commander was just to accomplish his mission as a samurai. And he is also doing it now. Samurais are sorrowful living beings as well.”

“Hanbei also the same, she lives with sorrow as a tactician. The life of farming on a sunny day and study on a rainy day, that probably will be a happier life for Hanbei…….so I can’t die yet.”

“No, that’s not it. Sorrow and unlucky are two different matters, Ando.”

“Uhm. The words from Toudou-dono, I can’t quite understand. I only feel that the death of Ujiie who has been staying with me all this time is a very sorrowful matter. It’s so much that I can’t bear it……”

“It’s time to go, Ando. However, at the front of Takeda Shingen, it’s better to not say you want to betray, submit to the Takeda or whatever. Your mouth is not strict, if Shingen knows that, then they might alert of you and you will be disposed of as a harmful person.”

“I-I-I got it, I will be careful”, Ando Morinari stood up with panic.

“There’s one more thing. If you don’t want to die, I suggest you not to have a peek on the content of the letter. Maintain the letter in a sealed condition and hand it to Shingen.” 

The fall of the Gifu Castle was near.

In a blink of an eye, the second defense line had already collapsed. Continuing defending was just letting the whole army make a meaningless sacrifice. 

The main court built by Nobuna was surrounded by fire, Nobuzumi was escaping from the Takeda soldiers that are holding spears while heading to the inner side, (Sister did say the weak has their own way of fighting, but Takeda Shingen is too strong. I thought that she probably would choose to surround the castle first then only initiate an attack, I was too naive. Once she unfolds ruthless encirclement warfare, we immediately collapse) smiles bitterly. In the end, I still cannot become a formidable general that could assist my sister, tears of regret flowed out from his eyes.

(Oichi. At last, I really want to have a look at our three children before I die) Finally, the fire had spread into the inner rooms.

He has no time to change into a white attire (TL note: An attire customized to wear during seppuku)

Took off the armor full of blood, sit on the tatami that already coming out smoke, pulled out the tanto. The one assisting him was the maiden general that was once serving the Asai clan, Toudou Takatora.

“This is the end, Takatora. I who burnt the Odani Castle to dust and destroyed the Asai clan is now going to be executed by you who was formerly a retainer of the Asai clan, this is what they called karma in Sengoku Era. You want to leave to a faraway place, or even join the Takeda, just do whatever you want. But you can’t die along with me.”

“Needless to say, commander. Die along with the lord, a samurai won’t to that. The so-called samurai is a person sells her own martial arts to her lord.”

“If possible, I really want to introduce you to serve the new deputy of Saru- kun, Sagara Yoshihi-dono. Because she left all of her retainers to her little sister, she didn’t even bring a single retainer from Higo. And she is not accustomed to Honshu, it must be tough for her.” 

“If you were to die then I might consider serving her as my lord. Though the person that bought me with a higher price will be my lord, that is. Back to the topic, now is not the time to talk about that. Since commander, you are still alive right?”

“Right now, that is. I will soon go to where Asai Hisamasa and Ujiie Bokuzen they are”, Nobuzumi smiled.

Toudou Takatora suddenly,

“The time hasn’t come yet. The guarantee of you committing seppuku in exchange for the lives of the soldiers in the castle is not here yet right? There would be a guest coming for a visit soon.”

Pressing on the hands of Nobuzumi to stop him from piercing the Tanto into his belly.

“I have, a guest!?”

“Yes. I entrusted Ando Morinari to deliver the letter and hand it to that person personally. That person will cross over this sea of fire and reach here. To oppose her own ‘fate’.”

“……..’Fate’……..?”

From the direction of the fire.

“It’s good to have a little brother”, the voice of a maiden general was heard.

Who will appear? Nobuzumi has the answer immediately. “…….Takeda Shingen!? How come!? Why you enter such a dangerous

place…….the main court is going to burn into ash, do you know what you’re doing now.”

Why that Shingen will? Nobuzumi could not comprehend the situation. 

But Shingen “I see. You look just the same as Oda Nobuna” smiled while snatched the Tanto away from Nobuzumi’s hands and threw it into the fire.

“Lord of Gifu Castle, Tsuda Nobuzumi. Suicide in the middle of negotiation is never allowed. I already read the letter delivered by Toudou Takatora. And now right here, I, Takeda Shingen, came here personally to convey the final notice. The lives of Toudou Takatora, Inaba Ittetsu, Ando Morinari, plus with all the soldiers defending Gifu Castle are all safe, in exchange for your head. If you refuse, then I shall assume the negotiation fails and kill all the soldiers in the castle.”

“That’s how things are right now, commander. The reinforcement led by Oda Nobuna contained by the Tokugawa. With the fact of Gifu Castle has already fallen, it’s meaningless to let all soldiers fight till death”, Toudou Takatora lowered her head and explained.

“…….So that is the case. I see. If using my head alone can save everyone…..force the soldiers that want to sacrifice their lives meaninglessly along with me in this battle………, that’s not what a commander suppose to do. Takeda Shingen-dono. I understand. There’s no reason for me to refuse. Please use my life, in exchange to save—-Takatora and others.”

“Not refuse? Your life belongs to you, you have the option to refuse”, followed by a quiet smile, Shingen showed sympathy to Nobuzumi who chose ‘death’ right at the place. Even if she tried to suppress the feelings, she still couldn’t.

“I couldn’t save the father of my wife, Asai Hisamasa. I burnt the entire Odani Castle into ashes, destroyed my wife’s family, the Asai clan. For me to end my life in this burning Gifu Castle must be karma, it is my ‘fate’. Although I want to strike back even just to give the Takeda army a slash, at least I want to die after hitting a blow, but you are too strong. It certainly is ‘plundering just like fire’.”

“This war is a battle with time, so—-”

What Shingen said has double meanings. One was the battle related to ‘whether the reinforcement led by Oda Nobuna will reach first or the Takeda army will siege down the Gifu Castle first’. The other one was the battle between Takeda Shingen and the remaining time of the life she had. Of course to Nobuzumi, he couldn’t understand the latter one. However, this is different from before, Takeda Shingen made her resolve to gamble everything in this decisive battle, Nobuzumi could feel that. Shingen attacked with utter serious along with a terrifying level of resolve. It was impossible for him to defend.

“But you just have to tell me this through Takatora. Why you choose to come in personally. You are always a prudent person. No one knows when this castle will collapse completely. It’s very dangerous.”

“It certainly is very dangerous. However, Tsuda Nobuzumi commits seppuku elegantly in the burning Gifu Castle alone is not enough. It must be me the one who slain Tsuda Nobuzumi, take away your life with these very hands.

Nobuzumi. This time, Oda Nobuna is way too naive. She embarrassed herself by running away after Tokugawa Ieyasu changed side during our confrontation at Shitarahara, hand the origin place of the Oda clan, Kiyosu Castle of Owari easily to that Ieyasu, wanted to let Sekigahara be the battlefield of our decisive by sending you to here from Ogaki Castle as the ‘wall’ but then now come to save you personally. She’s so useless! What’s the meaning of this? This is a battle for the world for the sake of her ambition of ‘Tenkafubu’ against Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin as her opponents! Oda Nobuna, does she actually know her life is now hanging on a line? Perhaps she became arrogant after the reunion with Sagara Yoshiharu after a long time and judged the situation mistakenly!?”

Shingen was very upset.

Why does she being irritated to this extent? Nobuzumi could not understand this and feel confused.

“Sister is too kind. She’s too kind to the people around her. She’s a person that will pamper the people that she opened her heart upon. I like that kind of a sister.”

While answered.

“What I’m seeking for is ‘the strongest in the world’, the position as ‘the strongest in Japan’! The result of the battle, I don’t care who is going to become the emperor! But, the destined emperor, Oda Nobuna—-I must

defeat this sworn enemy of mine, if she acts like a child now, then even if I were to defeat her now, I still can’t call myself as ‘the strongest in the world’! In order to let Oda Nobuna show her ‘true power’, in order to let her unleash her ‘all’ as the destined emperor, I realized that sacrifices are necessary. Of course, if I have the time, I don’t even need to carry out such atrocities! But, there’s no time left for me!”

To the heat of the words that Shingen released through yelling, Nobuzumi “Ha” like he was touched.

Is that so. To this person, it’s already—-really not much ‘time’ left, at Kawanakajima, to wait until this person unleashed her ‘true power’ then only defeat her, Uesugi Kenshin had no choice but to unfold four battles against her. This person herself, to the strong enemy she acknowledges, she’s always being kind to them. She dares to give the chance for sister to defeat the Asai and Asakura clan is also due to that kindness. But this person was no longer have ‘time’ to unfold several battles with sister at Sekigahara.

“………Is that so………to let sister to battle with her ‘true power’…….to let her give out her all………you must use that sword to take away my life all by yourself huh.”

“That’s right. In order to let that person stand at the same height as me, I have to let her younger brother be the sacrifice. Let naive, hesitation, and everything, all of them disappear from the body of Oda Nobuna. To let her unleash the wrath of wanting to destroy me and the Takeda army to nothing. Tsuda Nobuzumi. I just have to kill you, Oda Nobuna—-at that time, she will become the general known as ‘the strongest in the world’. Which she failed to show during Shitarahara, the true power as the strongest general in Sengoku and vent upon me. At that time, Oda Nobuna probably will exceed me. Despite that, I will still move at the front of Oda Nobuna!”

Tsuda Nobuzumi (There’s no way to stop this person anymore) realized, and silently closed his eyes.

“………I was meant to be killed after my revolt against sister at Owari. This is the true ‘fate’ between me and sister. Saru-kun changed this ‘fate’ of mine.

Saru-kun always supported and encouraged sister who got hurt from the rejection of mother, trained sister to become a formidable maiden general, and at the same time, he did everything to let sister never step onto the road of the ‘sixth heavenly demon king’. From your point of view, sister could not exert her original strength as a general, the exact reason is the power of Saru-kun. Because Saru-kun prevented sister from stepping on the road of ‘fate’ of ‘slaying her brother’, protected her heart. If I were to die here, being killed by you, sister would most likely become a general surpasses you. Your wish to fight with ‘the strongest general in the world’ and achieve victory could realize as well.”

“…….Is that so. Sagara Yoshiharu………if he didn’t go to where Oda Nobuna is, if he came to my side…….”

“The incident of Yoshinobu set his house on fire and commit seppuku might never happen”, Shingen muttered. She had cried till voiceless.

She could no longer pretend as ‘Takeda Shingen’ anymore.

Confront each other on the matter of capturing Suruga or not, the result was causing her only brother, Takeda Yoshinobu to have an unjust death. Along with Obu Toramasa who was forced to be separated with Yoshinobu due to Shingen’s political strategy.

Those feeling of regret was a scar that would never recover in her life, she has lost the right to be a parent and stay in a life of war that left her far away from love and men, the guilty feelings of not able to respond the death wish from Kansuke who said “Bear a child”, if Sagara Yoshiharu was to come to

Kai, then she wouldn’t lose Yoshinobu and Obu Toramasa, the sadness from the unrecoverable merciless ‘reality’.

“…….Nobuzumi……..what I’ve done until now is just to push my own sadness and sufferings to Oda Nobuna, wanted her to suffer the pain along with me right?”

“No. That should never be the case, the chaotic era must end right here, it must be ended by certain people, that’s why the people all around places gathered and made their resolve to let this battle to become the final ‘decisive battle’. For that to happen, my death is inevitable”—-Nobuzumi whispered to Shingen who could not pull out the sword and had tears flowing endlessly. 

“………Your time is running out huh.”

“Huhu. I’m a bit confused, did you realize it, I overlapped you with my ‘brother’ into one…….”

Shingen did not wipe off her tears and smiled bitterly. “So, you really are.”

“That’s right. It seems I used up my time at Kawanakajima. If without the encounter with Sagara Yoshiharu, I will be assassinated by a rifleman not long after the battle of Mikatagahara. When I avoided the bullet from that assassin, I believed I’ve already overturned my ‘fate’, I won. However—-the ‘fate’ doesn’t seem to let me go that easily.”

“Well, both of us extended our life with the help of Saru-kun, there’s no need to worry anything. My life is given by Saru-kun. And luckily, I got a wife and had children. There’s only one more thing I must accomplish. That is to become the foundation for sister to achieve ‘Tenkafubu’. If I died—-sister will surely bring out her true strength to defeat you with hesitation. Today or maybe tomorrow, the final battle will start. She can make it. Your wish also would be realized.”

“……..You still believe your sister will win until the end.”

“My sister is more powerful than Uesugi Kenshin, and even you. Sister will be the only outstanding hero in Japan history that could be proud of all over the world. She will prove it soon. So please—-before your fire of life drains even further and miss the timing, my head.”

“What if I say that Oda Nobuna is also facing the ‘fate’ of destruction?” 

“If it’s sister then she surely can overcome it. Saru-kun is on her side. I’ve witnessed the moment when the two of them worked together to win against ‘fate’ several times. I was also being saved several times.”

“I see. Understood. Your heart no longer has any regret and confusion.

That’s splendid……then, rest in peace, Tsuda Nobuzumi. I will follow after you, that won’t be long.”

“…….Until the very end. Please don’t leave any regret…..”

“To kill a ‘brother’ by my own hands is such an unbearable move to make. But, I…….Takeda Shingen can no longer turn back. There’s no road on my back anymore. I’m sorry…….!”

When Shingen was going to slice Nobuzumi into two. She saw a phantom that was not supposed to be seen.

In the middle of the ‘the battle of Gifu Castle’, the one-eyed old man who died due to brain hemorrhage during the battle against the army led by Saitou Dousan—-Yamamoto Kansuke. His priest name was called ‘Douki’, the strategist of Shingen.

And that Yamamoto Kansuke was now staring at Shingen with his only eye.

A desperate expression. Not to mention, that way too desperate expression made people feel something wrong about it, but it was the real appearance of Yamamoto Kansuke. However, compared to the Kansuke before deceased, his gaze was much gentler. As if he was a monk—-.

“No good. Yakata-sama. That’s enough. You conquered the Tokaido coastline, took over the base of Oda Nobuna-dono, Owari, and at last, you took down Gifu Castle. I’m very satisfied with your achievement already. It doesn’t matter even if you couldn’t raise the ‘Furinkazan’ flag on Seta. Your father has already reconciled with you. You have already won, you achieved victory in the battle against your father, and also yourself! You cannot become a demon! Between Oda Nobuna-dono and you cannot involve in the demon’s karma loop of killing the family members of one another!

Yoshinobu-sama and Nobushige-sama will feel unhappy about this! Please do have mercy!”

Kansuke. Even if you already dead, you still stay on this piece of land for my sake huh.

Your soul always remains in this Gifu Castle huh. But I’m sorry.

If I only have one year left to live,

Then I can only walk on this path until the very end—-.

Shingen swung the sword as if to sway away the phantom of Kansuke as well.

Feeling his ‘death’ is coming, Tsuda Nobuzumi also saw that phantom at this moment.

However, the person appears in the eyes of Nobuzumi was not the strategist of the Takeda army, Yamamoto Kansuke. At the very short instance before the sword swung by Shingen hit on his neck, in a very astounding density and speed, a flashback of his life ran through his mind.

The time when he was still a child and ran around the mountains with his elder sister, Kichi who bared one of her shoulders out.

Arguing with the servant of Kichi, Inuchiyo, the days where Kichi gave the Uiro mochi as ‘baits’. 

Guiding the raccoon of Mikawa and Inuchiyo, the days where they rushed to wherever they want with their self-proclaimed ‘Nagoya fool welcoming squad’.

He had no idea when he and Kichi…….and Nobuna emerged an estrangement, and finally led to the incident of civil war in the clan on that day.

When Nobuna was going to grant death to Nobuzumi who was the culprit of the civil war, that expression, he could never forget it. That strong sister of his, she had a lonesome face that was deeply hurt.

And also. Having petition to Nobuna with the resolve of being seppuku, then saved the life of Nobuzumi and the heart of Nobuna at the same time, that desperate expression Sagara Yoshiharu had.

Was that an evil trick from Nobuna or Takenaka Hanbei had already seen through the true identity of Oichi, he encountered Oichi in a totally unexpected form of a visit.

And he fell in love with Oichi.

Being sandwiched between the Asakura clan and the Oda clan without knowing what to do, the betrayal of Asai Hisamasa.

The separation with Oichi who returned as ‘Asai Nagamasa’.

In the burning Odani Castle, he planned to cry and beg Oichi to die along with him, not as Asai Nagamasa, but as the wife of Nobuzumi, Oichi. Then the last words of Asai Hisamasa conveyed by Sagara Yoshiharu who reached there in a hurry, and he was once more being granted his ‘life’.

The fraud of the ‘golden skull’ acted by his sister. Meeting with Oichi again. 

In the Omizu Castle of Oumi, the two of them spent their happy time without anyone disturbing them. Chacha, Hatsu, Go. That was where his three daughters were born.

In a second thought, what a wonderful and happy life I’ve spent, Nobuzumi thought.

But it would be a lie to say he has no regret. In the future of Oichi, Nobuna, and his three young, little daughters. He could no longer protect them, support them, as a husband, a brother, and also a father. When he thought of that, he would feel very regret.

However, he did not worry. Someone will inherit my will.

At the moment he decided to barricade in Gifu Castle, he already entrusted a person to send his death covenant to Oichi.

He wanted to tell Oichi, you are not a ‘widow’, you’ve no need to die along with me or becoming a priest, please continue to live freely.

And then let the eldest among the three daughters of us, Chacha, who got along with Saru-kun and tickled him every time she saw him—-let sister and Saru-kun adopt her to be the ‘link’ to live after the heavy blow from my death, this should be enough to pay for what they had done for him.

Sister and Saru-kun should probably get married in secret in Ogaki Castle already.

What is necessary to a husband and wife—-the existence that can save the heart of sister is—-a ‘child’.

You can’t escape from the ‘fate’ of losing your brother. But I certainly ‘spent’ a life that originally was impossible to. You cannot even lose the ambition of Saru-kun which is ‘picking up all the fruits’. The world, love, or even ‘family’. You must grasp all of them in your hands, sister.

“………Goodbye, Saru-kun. Please be a good adoptive father of Chacha.”

The long ‘instant’ which seemed like an eternity to Nobuzumi, was is over until here.

“………Splendid, Tsuda Nobuzumi. You certainly are a true samurai.” Nobuzumi’s body fell onto the tatami with a thumping sound.

Commander, Toudou Takatora who extremely rare to show her expressions and emotions lowered her head.

Inside a room of the burning main court, Takeda Shingen shouted.

“Oda Nobuna, now you shall see me as your true enemy. We fifty-fifty. Who cares what you had done at Shitarahara. What’s the meaning of leaving the strategies prepared to deal with the Takeda army on Sekigahara alone and come here to save Gifu Castle that was meant to be abandoned. Throw away your naivety! This is the decisive battle that gathered all the warriors all over Japan to decide who’s ‘the strongest in the world’! There are no such things as ceasefire and peace! Show me your true power, Oda Nobuna! Win against that ‘fate’ of destruction!”

“And now, the decisive battle between the Oda and Takeda will be one that surpasses the all-out battle at Kawanakajima. A cruel annihilation war that has never happen in Japan history.” Takatora covered Nobuzumi’s body with a piece of white cloth while shook her head.

“Toudou Takatora. According to the agreement, the lives of the soldiers are saved in exchange for the head of Nobuzumi. The castle has fallen. Ando,

Inaba, or even the soldiers, all of them are exiled. I don’t mind if they want to leave or stay. However—-Toudou Takatora. You must join the Eastern Army, assist the Takeda along with the Tokugawa army. Your wisdom and courage could be useful on the battlefield.”

“What if I refuse to?”

“Needless to say. You know too much. Even the matter of my life is running out. I’m not that of an idiot to release you back to the Oda faction.”

“Can’t be helped. But, don’t you afraid I’ll betray you? I’m a woman that switches her lord one after another. I show no loyalty to anyone, a woman that only sells her martial arts. I’m one during the fire of Odani Castle, now

remains the same when the Gifu Castle is going to burn entirely, I’m just that way.”

“I see. But—-as long your lord is still alive, you will never betray her right?”

“………Eheh, agree. As long she’s still alive, that is. Even if I will leave due to the salary is unsuitable, I will never do any move that could betray her.”

“Let me say it in advance, Toudou Takatora. I, Takeda Shingen, until I’ve defeated Oda Nobuna and the Western Army and raise the Takeda flags on Seta, I won’t die before that.”

“It doesn’t seem I have the option to reject”, Toudou Takatora muttered.

“…….Kansuke. I’m sorry. In the end, I still can’t fall in love with a man and bear a child. Therefore, even if to become a demon, I still must grasp the position of ‘the strongest in the world’ in my hands, raise the flags of

Furinkazan at Seta, and then I’ll go to where you are. That is the banner made by you and me—–” 

The main court of Gifu Castle collapsed.

The Gifu Castle, which signified Nobuna’s ‘Tenkafubu’ just as Azuchi Castle did, had fallen.

The dream castle that inherited from Saitou Dousan. The Mount Kinka was on fire.

That scenery, it can be clearly seen even for Nobuna and the Nobuna army that were repeatedly engaging the ‘barrier’ built by the Tokugawa army in order to cross the Nagara River.

“……….Kojuuro…….Kojuuro……Noooooo!” Nobuna could not make in time.

She had once sent Nobuzumi to a death land and parted ways. But due to the return of Sagara Yoshiharu and Akechi Mitsuhide suppressed Tanba so she barely made in time, I sure can save Nobuzumi this time! While thinking that she tried to cross over the Nagara River, but the view right in front of her eyes—-.

“……..Kojuuro……..everyone I love……..everyone………all of them have no exception…….! Ah…….ahah……….uwahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

She could barely squeeze out words, that was already her limit. And then she started to cry without a voice. Nobuna’s emotions were surging intensely now, but for her to be this far of turmoil, Yoshiharu never saw it before.

During the retreat of Kanegasaki, she got angry after hearing the report of ‘Yoshiharu died in a battle’ and revealed her demon king form to ‘set the Mount Hiei on fire’, it was because of the drug given by Matsunaga Hisahide that she entered a state of confusion. But it was different for now. And the decisive battle to decide the world belonged to whose was going on now.

She had initiated several attacks on the ‘barrier’ of the Tokugawa.

Sorry to ask that, but does Ojou-sama’s mental has already collapsed, she wouldn’t actually become frenzy huh—-The soldiers of the Oda army were all trembling with fear.

“Nobuna!”

Yoshiharu had no choice but to get his horse close to Nobuna’s horse, then he hugged her tightly from her back to barely hold on Nobuna who wanted to head to the Tokugawa army all by herself.

“Let go! The Tokugawa army, Takeda Shingen, all of them are never be forgiven, never!’

“That’s why what would happen if you died in battle! As the patriarch of the Oda clan! As the chief commander of the Western Army! As the emperor, you……..!”

“………..But Kojuuro, Kojuuro.”

“Endure it. Endure it. Nobuna. You must able to do it!”

Yoshiharu embraced her who cried like a baby, (Perhaps the unseen ‘fate’ has come to make things clear) while noticed that, he felt shivers through his body.

Originally, Nobuzumi was supposed to be killed by Nobuna in her expedition on unifying Owari. But that was the path of survival that Nobuna had forsaken her maiden self and chose to become the sixth demon king to accomplish her ‘Tenkafubu’ ambition. Yoshiharu prevented that from happening—-. There was not a reason he could to be said as reasons. It was just because Yoshiharu did not want Nobuna to become the demon king, so he interfered ‘fate’. That was not the end. Yoshiharu was driven by his own certain intense feelings that was hard to describe with. Now he thought it back—-Yoshiharu had already in love with Nobuna at that time. He loved her without boundary. And now Yoshiharu noticed it, the point of divergence of ‘fate’ which caused Nobuna to switch from a ‘human maiden’ into the path of ‘demon king’ was exactly the incident of ‘killing Nobuzumi’.

Not getting along with her mother, Dotagozen ever since she’s a child must’ve caused her heart to become unstable.

“Everyone I love is dead.”

That kind of thinking brought pain to Nobuna, she repeatedly experienced the sudden death of her father, Oda Nobuhide who was the only person understands her, the death of the Nanban missionary, Xavier who was like a first love to her, the death of her ‘grandfather’ and also guardian, Hirate Masahide made the pain to grow stronger.

Killing Nobuzumi could be said as Nobuna killed ‘the people she loves’ with her own hands, the sudden ‘factor’ for her to severs ‘the sadness of losing her loved ones’ all by herself. Cuckoo or whatever, just kill it if it doesn’t chirp. As long it was killed then there was not a need to afraid of the ‘fate’ of losing that cuckoo eventually—-.

That kind of self-forsaking behavior which nearly the same as self- destruction done by Nobuna could be said to begin ever since she made a mess on the funeral of her father, Nobuhide.

And besides, Nobuna’s ‘fate’, her stepfather, Saitou Dousan who had the same ‘Tenkafubu’ ambition as Nobuna was dead in ‘the battle of Nagara River’ after the crusade from his son, Yoshitatsu. In the original ‘history’, when ‘the battle of Nagara River’ burst out, Nobuna wanted to save Dousan by leading troops from Owari, but in the middle of crossing the Kiso River that located at the border between Owari and Mino, she was ambushed by Yoshitatsu. In the end, she could not make it in time.

In other words, in the original ‘history’, Dousan was supposed to die in the battle against Yoshitatsu.

“However, this future of ‘Dousan dying in battle’ was also prevented by Yoshiharu. He saved Dousan with the help of the ‘Kawanamishuu’ that had activities freely on Kiso River and Nagara River before, that should already change the fate of Nobuna completely.

That thinking of ‘Everyone I love is dead’ by Nobuna had been weakened step by step after Yoshiharu risked his life to save Nobuzumi and Dousan with reckless actions. Nobuna who lost Nobuhide and being a kid at this time—-she slowly accepted lover, and her being loved self, she recovered the heart that a maiden supposed to have.

Yoshiharu always protected the heart of Nobuna that was unsure when it would be broken again due to sadness and despair.

No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side, I came to this era for your sake,

Despite all that.

“……..Let go! Please, let go! It’s, it’s all my fault to send Kojuuro to Gifu Castle, and this happens…………I’m the one killed Kojuuro…….!

Ah………ahhhhhhhh……..!” 

Nobuna was now bearing the pain of losing that she supposed to through the incidents of ‘killing Nobuzumi’ and ‘Dousan died in battle’.

And Dousan was supposed to die in ‘the battle of Nagara River’.

Right now, because Nobuna could not pass through that ‘Nagara River’, so she lost Nobuzumi—-.

(It’s way too just in time to be a coincidence. Sure enough, it’s ‘fate’ huh?)

The heart of Yoshiharu wavered on the land of Sunomata after learning ‘the death of Goemon’. Normally he should not waver. If this world does really exist ‘the coercion power of history’, no matter how we struggled or what kind of different path we persisted to make, the ‘future’ will still eventually ‘converges’ to the destined ending, then what we’ve done until now were all meaningless struggles, so that so-called avoiding the ‘future’ is nothing more than a false hope and it made Nobuna suffers more pain. Right now, Nobuna is crying in fluster as if a baby abandoned by her mother. At this rate, even if I continue to do things to avoid ‘the incident of Honnou Temple, and this ‘fate’ of ‘the incident of Honnou Temple’ is actually absolutely inevitable……!?

(In that way, the moment I failed at that final ‘fate’ falls onto Nobuna, I’ll still try to oppose that ‘fate’ of Nobuna nevertheless and chose to enter the

‘second reincarnation’? I attempted to hand both fruits of love and Tenkafubu to Nobuna but failed, so I’ve determined that without making a choice, Nobuna can never be saved and imposed to eliminate our love? To let her accomplish her ambition of Tenkafubu, I have to take away love from her side to let her become the ‘chaste queen’?)

No, that is impossible.

I—-I’ll never give up my love for Nobuna. 

Even if the life of ‘second reincarnation’ really exists, I will still never give up.

(I’m not Jasper, absolutely! I’m Sagara Yoshiharu, the only Sagara

Yoshiharu in this world! Because……I definitely will never let Nobuna experience this kind of pain twice! It’s already unbearable even just one time……letting Nobuna experience this kind of pain one after another……totally impossible!)

Despite this, I still can’t understand.

Why that Takeda Shingen killed Nobuzumi? The Takeda Four Generals must’ve pleaded for his life.

“Why, Takeda Shingen. You, who lost your sister, Nobushige in ‘the battle of Kawanakajima’, and caused your brother, Yoshinobu suicide in the matter of Suruga expedition, you should clearer than anyone about suffer and pain of losing siblings in a battle. Why……!”

The whole Oda army fell into chaos.

The Tokugawa army opened the ‘path’ in front of Nobuna all together.

To let the agitated Nobuna leading the Oda army to cross over the Nagara River under this pace and head to the below of Gifu Castle, where the Takeda army was.

This was the ‘trap’ prepared by Honda Masanobu, she wanted to lure Nobuna to Gifu Castle, Yoshiharu noticed.

However, in that instant gap—-Nobuna freed her body from Yoshiharu’s arm. Nobuna rushed over through the side of Yoshiharu with her horse.

The horsemanship learned by both of them had an overwhelming strength gap. 

I can’t catch up her already. Ahhhh.

I got careless.

I couldn’t protect Nobuna from ‘fate’. Saitou Dousan.

Matsunaga Hisahide. Help me stop Nobuna.

“Nobuna! Don’t cross the Nagara River! If you rush to the plain with Takeda army as your target recklessly, you will face a tragic defeat like what

happened to Ieyasu at Mikatagahara!”

“…….Yoshiharu. I don’t mind to exchange the world for Kojuuro. You are the one that taught me to not give up on anything, Yoshiharu…….so, I can’t become a demon king anymore. But I can’t leave Kojuuro’s dead body alone in Gifu Castle and retreat. I will go there alone, sorry……”

“……..Nobuna! What about Tenkafubu! If without you, then Japan…..”

“Yoshiharu. The Oda clan will be inherited by you. You are already my husband. You sure can to do it. Uesugi Kenshin, Takeda Shingen,

Kobayakawa Takakage, and Juubei. Save the ‘fate’ of all the maiden generals in Sengoku Era, and then, as the Kanpaku, Fujiwara Yoshiharu, unite the world.”

“That won’t happen. I’m not coming to this Sengoku Era to replace you as the emperor! It’s because I want to be with you, together we change your ‘fate’……….!” 

“…….Yoshiharu. I’ve already aware of it. When you ‘came’ to this era, someone in this era lost his life in exchange for this, right? If I’m not wrong, he’s a foot soldier called Tokichiro…….Tokichiro must be the person of ‘fate’ that is going to inherit my will after I was dead before I accomplish my

ambition and became the ’emperor’, right?” Yoshiharu lost his words immediately.

The person that saved Yoshiharu who suddenly fell into this Sengoku Era and ‘disappears’ from ‘history’ right from the beginning is—-.

The poor wanderer with unknown birthplace, Kinoshita Tokichiro.

Tokichiro was exactly the person who earned enormous merits after ‘the Sunomata one night castle’ and ‘the retreat of Kanegasaki’ and rised, then promoted as the lord of Nagahama Castle of Oumi, Hashiba Hideyoshi.

And after ‘the incident of Honnou Temple’, Hashiba Hideyoshi inherited the business of Tenkafubu expanded by the Oda clan and united the Sengoku Japan, became the adoptive son of Konoe Sakihisa and obtained the position as Kanpaku, ultimately being granted the new last name ‘Toyotomi’ by the Imperial Court, known as the Taiko, Toyotomi Hideyoshi—-.

The Sunomata one night castle, the retreat of Kanegasaki, managing the Nagahama Castle of Oumi, entering the Himeji Castle, or even the battle with the Mori.

All of these are the deeds supposed to be done by Tokichiro.

“………You, Yoshiharu. You actually came to this era to complete the ‘fate’ of Tokichiro. From a wanderer without a last name to become Kanpaku, all finally the emperor—-that must be the actual ‘task’ you need to be done in this country.” 

It’s all a lie, don’t be kidding with me—-Yoshiharu is trembling.

‘History’ is going to carry out ‘the final clear’? I have to replace uncle Tokichiro!?

“Yoshiharu. As long I’m alive, you have no choice but to give up on the feelings of the other maiden generals have for you except me for my sake. Because of my existence, this chaotic war will never have the end of the day…..it’s better for me to disappear here. In that case, ‘history’ will absolutely converge to the ‘future’ you knew of. As a person who knew the ‘future’, you sure can guide the ‘history’ of Japan to a better direction in relative to me. Am I right?”

“No. No! I’m not a replacement of uncle Tokichiro! I am I! I’m Sagara Yoshiharu!”

“…….Yoshiharu………”

“Nobuna! Even if the duty given to me by ‘history’ is to live as a replacement of Tokichiro……even if that is my ‘fate’……..I won’t agree with that kind of ‘fate’! To me, you are more important than anything! Please don’t go, I don’t allow it!”

Takigawa Kazumasu. Shimazu Iehisa.

And Sagara Yoshihi.

They noticed Nobuna’s sudden leave from her camp all by herself and headed quickly to the back of Yoshiharu with their horses.

“Nobuna-chan, you can’t go! Especially not at Gifu to throw away the viper’s ambition!” 

“Now is exactly the time to endure! Gifu Castle has fallen! We must head to Sekigahara as soon as possible to group with Akechi Mitsuhide!

“I understand your feelings of losing your brother. But you have to bear with it. Please don’t give up the world! Please don’t betray the efforts Yoshiharu had made so far, please!”

“Uhuh. Sorry. You won’t understand”, Nobuna smiled.

“Because. All of you did not lose your siblings in war……..Because of Yoshiharu, he connected the bonds between you and your siblings that were supposed to be severed. Me too. In the past I…….., I also don’t

understand……..this kind of………this of kind thing………is impossible for me to stay sane……! Letting Kojuuro die alone, I survive and obtain the world and get together with Yoshiharu instead, this kind of thing, I absolutely can’t do it………!”

Kazumasu, Iehisa, and Yoshihi didn’t what to say to Nobuna anymore.

Nobuna headed to the Nagara River with the help of the horse she was riding.

Yoshiharu realized the ‘truth’ that he did not think of until now, he scolded himself silently for realizing it too late.

(I see. The reason why Jasper did not choose Juubei-chan, but Ootomo Sourin who lost her brother as well as a ‘close friend’ of Nobuna is…….!)

Jasper carried out the ‘divination’ with the platonic solid, not to discuss whether he has the ability to ‘predict the future’ or he just oversaw the fragments of his own ‘memory’ just like he said, but he certainly predicted ‘the death of Tsuda Nobuzumi. 

Nobuna desires family love, she will pour her love limitlessly to people that she once again opened her heart upon. Especially that person is her only blood-related brother—-losing the precious brother of hers, Nobuna loses her sanity, she fell into the path of destruction in an instant. There’s no one can stop Nobuna already.

Right now, the only person that can stop Nobuna was the maiden general who lived in the province of shura, Kyushu, lost several little brothers and lived a life of lacking parental love and fears the ‘prophecy of destruction’, Ootomo Sourin. Sourin was the only person that could share the feelings of despair of ‘letting own brother die in the battlefield’, the ‘pain’ that Nobuna was experiencing now.

For that sake, Jasper trained Ootomo Sourin to become a support of Nobuna.

However, that Sourin encountered with Yoshiharu and others, to overcome her ‘fate’ of ‘killing own brother’, she was now staying at Kyushu frontline to command the defending soldiers of the Ootomo army. Even if to call Sourin to Honshu now, she definitely couldn’t make it in time. If followed by the plan that Jasper had, brought Sourin to the side of Nobuna and let them meet

each other, or maybe right here just for a moment. But the past was the past, no matter how regret Yoshiharu was, he could do nothing about it.

Although I can’t replace Nobuzumi, but I probably can protect the heart of Nobuna from being crushed by the despair and guilty of causing the death of Nobuzumi once more. But I can’t chase up to Nobuna anymore. What should I do? What should I say? What actions I have to make? How can I tie Nobuna onto this land? Goemon. Zenki. Matsunaga Danjo. Uncle viper……! 

“Brother Sagara! If we lose Oda Nobuna after Imagawa Yoshimoto, then the ‘fate’ of the Western Army will be the end! We must bring Oda Nobuna to Sekigahara no matter what it takes! Akechi Mitsuhide must’ve reached Sekigahara first and placed formation on the most strategic location of

Sekigahara, ‘Matsuoyama’! Please, before the Mori and Akechi unfolds an intense fight, head to Sekigahara, quickly……!”

The ‘words’ of Iehisa went through the ears of Yoshiharu when he was at loss.

The mind of Yoshiharu now was at a peak state.

He sensation, thinking, and everything, all of them became extremely keen now.

He immediately awared of it. “…….’Matsuoyama’……..!?”

In the ‘real history’, during ‘the battle of Sekigahara’, the general that placed his formation at Matsuoyama was a nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, meaning Kinoshita Tokichiro, the ‘Kingo Chunagon’, Kobayakawa Hideaki.

He undoubtedly was a person from the Toyotomi clan, the main general gathered by the Western Army to defeat the Tokugawa clan.

However, that Kingo Chunagon Hideaki actually turned to the side of the Eastern Army in the decisive battle in Sekigahara—-he submitted to Tokugawa Ieyasu and eradicated the Western Army.

If the Kingo Chunagon Hideaki who was leading a large army and placed formation on the most strategic location of Sekigahara, Matsuoyama remained fighting as a general from the Western Army, then the Eastern Army, headed by Tokugawa Ieyasu might lose in that battle. 

However, what w the reason for him to do so, no one already knows. But in

the ‘real history’, Hideaki ‘betrayed’ the Western Army—-they believed it was because he was not satisfied by the attitude from the Toyotomi clan to him.

Even if not knowing the point on his motive in betraying, Hideaki in ‘the battle of Sekigahara’ was very similar with Mitsuhide on ‘the incident of Honnou

Temple’. Besides, even the ‘ending’ of acting this far of a betrayal, died while bearing the stain as a ‘traitor’ and get nothing other than that stain that was hard to remove with.

If the theory of the ‘power’ of ‘field’ said by Jasper really existed—-this battle had practically entered the same path as ‘the battle of Sekigahara’ happened in the history.

At least, this happened the moment ‘the final son of the Oda main family’ had been eliminated by the Eastern Army in ‘Gifu Castle’.

If Nobuna enters Sekigahara with us—-.

Juubei-chan is now placing her formation on that ‘Matsuoyama’.

Mother became a hostage once again, Sakamoto Castle was snatched away, lost her love for me, being crushed by the stress until it’s unbearable, Juubei-chan…….!

Don’t tell me…….Hosokawa Fujitaka, he wants to use the ‘field’ called ‘Matsuoyama’ to replace Honnou Temple as the ’cause’, triggering both ‘the battle of Sekigahara’ and ‘the incident of Honnou Temple’ at the same time!?

Sekighara—-Matsuoyama—-‘the traitor’, Kobayakawa Hideaki. Kyoto—-Honnou Temple—-‘the traitor’, Akechi Mitsuhide.

The two greatest ‘betrayal act’ in this Sengoku Era. ‘Combining’ both ‘futures’ into one. 

In order to deceive me who come from the future.

I deeply believed that as long I don’t let Nobuna stay at the ‘Honnou Temple’ of Kyoto alone, ‘the incident of Honnou Temple’ will not happen. Taking advantage of my confidence in knowing the future, Fujitaka intends to break through it with the ‘power’ of ‘field’……..!?

That smile Juubei-chan showed me when we parted at Honnou Temple, it was a ‘fake smile’, she’s pretending as ‘the cute junior of Sagara Yoshiharu. But the truth is……..Yoshiharu has finally understood.

“That’s right. Juubei-chan is now in the state of on the verge of collapse. Although before heading to Sekigahara, she showed a smile in front of me, but……..that was just an act…….I shouldn’t part with Juubei-chan too early at Honnou Temple and return to the side of Nobuna, at least until the middle of the marching, I have to stay by the side of Juubei-chan!”

Not doing anything and let Nobuna head to Gifu Castle, then the ‘fate’ of Nobuna will surely end here.

However, even if I miraculously brought Nobuna and the whole army to Sekigahara successfully, Akechi Mitsuhide has already entered Matsuoyama. Hosokawa Fujitaka imposed a strong waver on Mitsuhide. Even that ‘proposal’ was also an ‘act’ to let Mitsuhide turn to their side.

Fujitaka will make a further ‘move’ on Mitsuhide who is on Matsuoyama now. If Nobuna enters Sekigahara in this condition—-Nobuna and Mitsuhide, the ‘fate’ awaits them will achieve.

Yoshiharu was already helpless. He couldn’t even think of a plan to get away from this. Nobuna’s ‘fate’ or Mitsuhide’s ‘fate’, both had been ‘checkmate’.

He could only believe that. 

“………..The moment I……….decided to pick up all the fruits………the moment I decided to sacrifice neither Nobuna nor Juubei-chan, wanted to save both of them from ‘fate’…….this result was already meant to happen. I even caused Goemon to die. Even though Goemon has been warning me to not pick up all the fruits all this time. Even that Goemon, she died in in the middle of picking two fruits when she decided to…..! Just as Jasper said. I

failed……!”

All the maiden generals that won against ‘fate’ together with Yoshiharu shouted loudly. They want to tell Yoshiharu ‘that is not correct’.

“There’s no such thing, Sagara-chan! Didn’t you help me and my sister to meet again!”

Being sandwiched by Himeko and Nobuna, Takigawa Kazumasu was encouraged by Yoshiharu and cheer up again.

“Aiya! There’s no such thing, brother Sagara! Us Shimazu four sisters got made up was also thanks to your effort! I was saved by you! Even if I couldn’t become your wife, I’m already very satisfied with being able to meet with you!”

Among the Shimazu sisters, only Shimazu Iehisa came from a different mother, she was troubled by the difference of bloodline before this.

“That’s right. Don’t say such things as failure, Yoshiharu! That is your misinterpretation. You saved me and Tokuchiyo. Stand up. Bring up your confidence. The actions and efforts you’ve made can never be wrong. The proof is right here, we were saved from ‘fate’ by you and still alive. Please don’t forget it. Your ‘task’ in this world is decided by no one other than yourself!” 

And overcome the ‘fate’ of death at Hibinohara, Sagara Yoshihi found her own ‘life’.

“…….Everyone……thanks. But Nobuna is going to cross the Nagara River. There’s already no way to bring Nobuna back.”

“Yoshiharu! This world does not exist a ‘future’ that has destined ‘everything’, humans can oppose ‘fate’! Didn’t you tell us that! You always struggled and insisted to fight in order to change the ‘fate’ of the maiden generals. That will never be meaningless! You definitely can pull ‘fate’ to your side! The relevant efforts, decisions, and actions, you’ve done everything! The person that is worthy to grasp ‘fate’ is not a person like Hosokawa Fujitaka who hides behind ‘history’! ‘Fate’ will show its smile to you who shouted, opposed, and shed blood endlessly!”

Sagara Yoshihi pushed the back of Yoshiharu. “Don’t hesitate. Go. Bring Oda Nobuna back to here. You can do, definitely. Your efforts surely will have ‘answer'”, while shouting.

“That’s right. That’s right. I’m not a wise person, instead of thinking, my body always moves in advance. Even since I had petitioned against Nobuna to not kill Nobuzumi, always……!”

Yoshiharu’s expression recovered. Back to the time when he noticed that Nobuna wanted to kill Nobuzumi.

To change the ‘fate’ of Nobuna, I don’t mind even if being slain

huh, Yoshiharu had never thought of that. He just wanted to save Nobuna. That’s all he wanted. His body moved all by itself. The ‘answer’ was nothing more than the ‘answer’ he got after he moved.

A reason is longer needed. As long I’m not defeated by myself, I still won’t lose. Yoshiharu thought. 

“Look closely, Goemon……! I will carry through my ideal till the very end!” Yoshiharu rode a horse to the Nagara River.

To chase after his dream, to chase after Nobuna. 

In the night of Sekigahara, rain started falling.

To prevent Kobayakawa Takakage at Osaka from noticing them, the Akechi army didn’t go through the eastern mountain circuit but instead take the water route from Lake Biwa to Oumi, then head to Sekigahara from Northen street.

That Akechi army had finally reached the venue of ‘fate’, Sekigahara.

The Gifu Castle was set on fire and the incident of Tsuda Nobuzumi died in battle have not reached the ears of Akechi Mitsuhide and her deputy, Saitou Toshimitsu yet. The funny thing was, the Gifu Castle was set on fire at almost the same time when Mitsuhide reached Sekigahara.

Around the same time when the banner of Mitsuhide, ‘Toki kumquat’ raised up at the west-north entrance of Sekigahara, Northen street, the gentle rain turned into a heavy rain instantly, winds were blowing fiercely, the moon that was irradiating the ‘Toki Kikyo’ disappeared, and then lightning could be heard at the Sekigahara which was surrounded by mountains.

“Ojou-sama! The lightning is very scary! It’s too dangerous to be hit by the gales and rains! Let’s ascend to Matsuoyama immediately!” 

Saitou Toshimitsu urged Akechi Mitsuhide who was standing idly under the heavy rain to climb the Matsuoyama. However, enduring the high fever that was causing her whole body to feel like collapsing, suppressing her urge to save Madam Maki who was imprisoned in Sakamoto Castle, Mitsuhide, with her physically and mentally exhausted condition, but her mind was on somewhere else. Her gaze which lost its focus staring at the space.

Sekigahara fell into darkness with the moon being hindered by the thick clouds in the late night.

“……….Mother………Sagara-senpai……..I always had my tactics ended up in failure has now finally did not disappoint Nobuna-sama. Now, now, everything’s over……..now. No matter the world, or even Sagara-senpai, all

of them belong to Nobuna-sama already. Dousan-sama, it’s already enough huh. I had completed my missions remarkably…..”

“O, Ojou-sama? What’s wrong? Perhaps, your body?”

“……Nothing’s left anymore, Toshimitsu. I just…….feeling a little bored to the days of wandering…….I already………have no place that I can return to.”

At that ‘fateful’ Honnou Temple……Mitsuhide was truly believed that Yoshiharu will march with her until the middle of the journey when he was going back to Ogaki Castle. They will head to the port of Sakamoto Castle of Oumi together. Sakamoto Castle was the base castle of Yoshiharu.

However, Yoshiharu chose to take a straight route, he headed to the eastern mountain circuit route that could reach from Honnou Temple to Ogaki Castle, to Nobuna’s side the fastest. Mitsuhide understood that was the right choice. Yoshiharu had to return to Ogaki Castle as soon as possible. There was no time for him to take a roundabout. In order to save Nobuzumi who was trapped in Gifu Castle. 

When Yoshiharu was invited by Mitsuhide to head to Sakamoto Castle of Oumi along with her “Sorry, although I want to do that as well” considering the ‘feelings’ of Mitsuhide while maintained his ‘rationality’ and gave the answer “I will return through the eastern mountain circuit again”, at that

instant, Mitsuhide’s heart had finally broken apart. Ahah. So this is ‘lost love’, Mitsuhide finally understood. From now on, I must pretend as ‘a good junior of Sagara-senpai’. However, how long do I have to keep this going on? It will never end as long I’m still alive? Until the end of my life? When only can I escape from this kind of suffering?

She knew that Yoshiharu loved only Nobuna alone. Despite that, in a corner of the heart of Mitsuhide, she was still having the final hope, and that final hope was gone at Honnou Temple too. The ‘flaw’ that was once grown in her heart expanded further, Mitsuhide couldn’t stop it. No matter how Yoshiharu said ‘the two of them belongs as one’. Akechi Mitsuhide and Oda Nobuna, they were still two different persons in the end. Even though they had fallen in love with the same man—-.

Saitou Toshimitu (That’s weird. Ojou-sama is showing a very strange face. Even when she was driven into a dire situation at Tanba, she also didn’t show such an empty face. The lost love against Sagara-dono, does that bring such a heavy blow to her?) naturally came up with that unusual premonition and her body trembled.

The ‘messenger’ came from the Yamato Imperial Court was struck by the heavy rain as well and reached to the front of Mitsuhide and Toshimitsu with his whole body soaked with water.

“According to the order given by Sanjonishi Dainagon-sama, I’ve come to see Akechi Mitsuhide-dono with the ‘origami’ of ‘Kokondenju’. This was a promise Dainagon-sama exchanged with Hosokawa Fujitaka-dono, the ‘Kokondenju’ will be returned to the Sanjonishi clan by Fujitaka-dono at a suitable time, but one ‘origami’ of the ‘Kokondenju’ will be passed on to Akechi Juubei Mitsuhide. And it must be passed on to Akechi-dono when she just entered Sekigahara.”

Kokondenju.

Being told by Hosokawa Fujitaka that it would be passed on to her eventually. The most secret matter of the Yamato Imperial Court. That was a thing with the power to manipulate the ‘history’ of Japan—-.

Mitsuhide simply opened the painted box that was keeping that ‘origami’. What inside was a red washi with its color faded and carefully folded into the shape of ‘pentagram’.

Pentagram symbolizes Kikyo. The ‘Toki Kikyo’ banner Mitsuhide was using also mimicked the pattern of the five petals pentagram flower.

This origami seemed related to the Akechi clan, or rather, related to the Toki clan, Mitsuhide noticed that.

“Ojou-sama, I have a bad feeling about this! That origami is a tactic prepared by Hosokawa Fujitaka! Though it’s just an origami, but to leak out the

information of ‘Kokondenju’ which is inherited in a bloodline, that’s illogical! I feel that it’s better not to unfold it!”

Toshimitsu wanted to halt her. But Mitsuhide seemed like being possessed by something and unfolded the origami in her hands.

A ‘poem’ was written inside it.

‘The time is now, the fifth month when the rain falls’ 

(TL note: In romaji, the poem is ‘Toki wa ima, ame ga shita shiru satsuki kana’ which could be interpreted as ‘it’s time for the Toki to rule the world, the fifth month has come’)

In the Sekigahara with thunder and lightning.

Akechi Mitsuhide—-Right now, she knew the ending of her own ‘fate’. “…….’Toki, right now’…….”

The truth of ‘fate’ that Sagara Yoshiharu tried to overturn. “‘Rule the world, the fifth month has come'”

Ahah.

Toki clan. Meaning I, who is the successor of the Toki-Genji. I will assassinate Nobuna-sama and rule the world.

The blue Toki Kikyo flower, it will be coated with fresh blood, just like the red flowers on the fifth month.

This is.

This worst ‘ending’ is.

The ‘fate’ of Juubei huh.

Sagara senpai—-despite knowing that I will assassinate Nobuna-sama in the ‘future’, he is still protecting me.

In this occasion, if only Sagara-senpai is on my side. If it’s right now.

There definitely must be some way to make things back to normal. But. 

Sagara-senpai, he is now on Nobuna-sama’s side already. If Nobuna-sama accomplished Tenkafubu.

Senpai will never return to my side. Then the path I should choose is—-.

“Toshimitsu. Relay the message of marching to Matsuoyama to the entire army.”

“What is written in the origami!?” To the puzzled Saitou Toshimitsu, Mitsuhide gave a command with a trembling voice while ripped the origami into pieces, letting them scatter along with the wind into the depths of darkness.

The Akechi army started heading to the ‘fateful’ Matsuoyama—-. 

“‘Move the world, feel the ghosts, influence the people, harmonize the couple, poems are the best of it’—-poems do have the power to manipulate the power of incorporeal existence.

Waiting for the arrival of the army led by Niwa Nagahide from Echizen, to this Tanabe Castle of Tango.

Hosokawa Fujitaka was telling Ashikaga Yoshiteru that his ‘secret tactic’ to overturn the final battle for the world in the final of the final moment had finally succeeded.

“Takeda Shingen, to answer the expectation from her father, Takeda Nobutora, she will never stop her goal of raising the ‘Furinkazan’ flags on Seta. Us barricading in Tanabe Castle of Tango, the Kyogoku clan rise up at Sakamoto Castle of Oumi, and the final man from the direct bloodline of the Oda main family has been cut off, right now, this battle has been assimilated with ‘the battle of Sekigahara’ predicted from the ‘Kokondenju’. All we have to do now is wait, wait for the report of Oda Nobuna fell into desperation and confusion after experiencing the ‘fate’ of ‘her brother’s death’ which was supposed to happen earlier, then died in a battle happens under the Gifu Castle to follow after her brother.”

Ashikaga Yoshiteru, “Oda Nobuna is not suppose to be such a weak maiden general” gave objection.

“Can’t Oda Nobuna just bear with it. What if she analyzes the situation calmly and heads to Sekigahara instead?” 

“Yes. in this ‘history’ that has been tampered by Sagara Yoshiharu, Oda Nobuna did not have the experience of ‘killing Nobuzumi’. She did not turn into the sixth heavenly demon king completely. To prevent her from turning into the sixth heavenly demon king, Sagara Yoshiharu was fighting with ‘fate’ all this time. The experience of her little brother’s death that was supposed to happen in the long past, Oda Nobuna did not go through that until now. The burning of Mount Hiei was not done. The massacre upon the Ise-Nagashima Ikki was not executed. With the protection from Sagara Yoshiharu, her heart remains its beauty and kindness all this time. But—-unfortunately, it’s not very likely that she can overcome this trial.”

“Despite that, what if Sagara Yoshiharu…….or something else saves the heart of Oda Nobuna that is falling into the depths and headed to

Sekigahara?”

“Even if Oda Nobuna enters ‘Sekigahara’, at that time, the general that occupied ‘Matsuoyama’ will turn to the Eastern Army just as what happened to the original version of ‘the battle of Sekigahara’, which is Juubei who knew her ‘fate’ of ‘betrayal’ in this case. Juubei must be in great confusion right now. Will she still fight as a general of the Western Army knowing that Sagara Yoshiharu will never return to her side after Oda Nobuna obtains

victory or she will comply with the ‘fate’ and turn to the Eastern Army—-.

“Will she really betray? That kind and upright little girl, she will do such things?”

“Of course, she surely will hesitate until the final moment. But Juubei will turn to the Eastern Army in the end. Because with Oda Nobuna having lost Tsuda Nobuzumi right now, Sagara Yoshiharu can no longer give his love to anyone other than Oda Nobuna. Juubei will eventually understand this and severs her feelings against Sagara Yoshiharu at the final of the final moment.”

“Therefore, regardless of Oda Nobuna will head to Sekigahara or head to Gifu Castle, this battle will ends with the victory of the Eastern Army—-the victory of the Ashikaga clan. But I’ve already know the ‘fate’ of Juubei. Even if her unlucky ‘fate’ is going to achieve, I definitely will save Juubei from it”, Hosokawa Fujitaka said with a smile.

“My lord. I, Hosokawa Fujitaka is also opposing the ‘fate’ now.” 

“Gifu Castle has fallen” “Tsuda Nobuzumi died in battle” and other information were delivered to the Nanban Temple of Kyoto in rapid pace. Jasper made use of

To the ministers in the Yamato Imperial Court or even the citizens living in Kyoto, “The Gifu Castle has fallen after Kiyosu Castle” “All that’s left is

Azuchi Castle” “As expected, she can’t rival Takeda Shingen” “Besides,

there’s Uesugi Kenshin and the Mori as well” “Lady Oda Nobuna’s ambition shall end here” were bewildered and caused commotion.

Under the situation of Kyoto might be engulfed by fire at any time, “In order to not leave any regret, I have let the people and Europa and the future generations of Zipangu knows the history of Zipangu and the life journey of Nobuna-sama” Frois continued her writing of ‘Japan history’ silently. The unfortunate ‘fate’ that hit the queen of Bungo, Ootomo Sourin. The oracle of Usa Hachiman. The story of Oda Nobuna, the exceptional hero that overturned the common sense of Japan. And at last, the activities of Sagara Yoshiharu. As if being possessed by something, Frois wanted to write it down, everything of the people she saw by her own self in Zipangu.

At the side of this Frois, Jasper said “If only Sourin-sama is here. If only I can bring her to Kyoto here” and regret on his inability of bring Ootomo Sourin who was struggling her own fate to here from Kyushu.

“The little brother of Nobuna-sama will eventually dies, I always knew it. Her brother was supposed to meet the ‘fate’ of death long time ago. Sagara

Yoshiharu forcibly changed his ‘fate’, but that was just a temporary extension of his life. And yet, his resistance has reached its limit. Hosokawa Fujitaka grasped the knowledge of ‘future’ on the same level as Sagara Yoshiharu.

So, against a person from this era, Hosokawa Fujitaka who could be claimed to have overwhelming wisdom, there’s no way that Sagara Yoshiharu can win…….. To save Oda Nobuna-sama, only Ootomo Sourin-sama who also lost her brother repeatedly in war could do, let her comfort Nobuna-sama.

That Sourin-sama is now confronting Nabeshima Naoshige at Kyushu frontline, battling all by herself to end her own ‘fate’ of ‘killing

brother’……..even if I can bring Sourin-sama to the side of Nobuna-sama right now, everything’s too late. But, this is not the end yet. There’s still a chance that Nobuna-sama will change her direction to

Sekigahara…….Sagara Yoshiharu, he probably will overcome this ‘fate’. Yet, the greatest danger that he could never overcome comes after that.”

“To let Sourin-sama be the Hephaestus of Nobuna-sama, that is your plan. That means you came up that plan with the circumstances of you have predicted the death of Nobuzumi-sama.”

Frois stopped writing and asked Jasper. 

“That’s right. That was also one of the reasons why I choose Sourin-sama to be the ‘assistant’ and ‘double’ of Nobuna-sama. Of course, let’s say Nobuna- sama’s brother did not die, doing that also won’t cause any problem that is……..everything happened now is going on just as what Hosokawa Fujitaka predicted. There’s a chance that I and Sagara Yoshiharu will disappear together due to the scheme by Hosokawa Fujitaka. Frois. Even if

this Nanban Temple is on fire, if my ‘observation art’ is accurate, then you and Organtino will survive. Please do complete the ‘Japan history’. I also hope you will record down the efforts I’ve done to change the ‘fate’ of Oda Nobuna-sama and Ootomo Sourin-sama in this Zipangu. Even if I were to disappear from this world, the words you written down will leave down my trace.”

“Jasper-sama will disappear!? What do you mean?”

“……..I can’t say things regarding this matter. If I reveal further, this might put your ‘fate’ in danger. If that happens, then no one can write this history of Zipangu from the point of view as a Nanban person. After Hosokawa Fujitaka has achieved everything, no one can write the history objectively anymore.

Only the history books that benefit the Ashikaga clan will be left for the future generations. But if it’s written by a Nanban person and brought it oversea, then even with the power Hosokawa Fujitaka has, he also can’t bury the real history into the darkness.”

“………You’re right. I will to pass on a real history that has nothing to do with the politics and interests at that time to the future generations.”

“But there’s one thing I have to tell you in advance, Frois. You’ve seen it I believe, The Ama-no-Iwato that is slumbering in the cave of Takachiho. I brought a mobile squad from Mushiga, searched throughout the mountains of Takachiho and discovered that ancient ruins.” 

“Yes. The bottom of the ‘cave made with rocks’, is there something slumbering in there?” Frois asked.

“Because that will disrupt the history so I hope you not to write it down—-that ‘Ama-no-Iwato’, it is an item used by the ancient Tenjin gods when they descended to Takachiho. If people with resistance entered it, they can survive and move around the time and space. This could be categorized the same as the miracle of ‘Jacob Stairs’ said by the Europa people, it is the main body of the ‘door’ opened by Oda Nobuna-sama using the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan at Tennou Temple. At this rate, Oda Nobuna- sama will face defeat, when Hosokawa Fujitaka is going to win, we must bring Sagara Yoshiharu to that place alive no matter what……but Sagara Yoshiharu will never accept it. It’s not an easy task. So we should employ another method right now.”

Frois could only understand around half of what Jasper had said.

From her experience, she also clearly understood that Jasper would not say anything more than that even if she asked.

Jasper left Frois who started to focus on writing down the ‘Japan history’ again, headed to the yard of the Nanban Temple.

At the yard, under the cycas, a black shadow was swaying over there silently.

“What? What’s going on, Jasper-sama? Is it time for my debut?” That black shadow emitted the voice of a young girl. Though she stammered in her speech, but she seems can speak Japanese. The light from the moon glowed upon the shadow. A slim waist, Long and thin limbs, a slim young girl with the look that rivals Oda Nobuna. And then different from the Japanese and Nanban people, she has black skin. 

“Although I predicted the incident that ends the ‘fate’ of Oda Nobuna-sama will happen on Kyoto, that’s why I called you to stand by at Nanban Temple as a trump card……but Hosokawa Fujitaka intends to use the power of ‘field’ to bring the ‘history’ forward. Then I have no choice but to play out my trump card. Bring Sagara Yoshiharu to Takachiho is your original mission, but that would be the final method. From now on, I will give you a new mission.

Please prioritize that mission first.”

“Murder, abduct or whatever, I will do anything. Although my father is a Nanban person but my mother is a black slave. Even if my father is a noble, in the end, the child of a slave is still a slave. Because when I was going to be sold to the Nanban merchant as a slave for entertainment, Jasper-sama saved me”, that young girl with black skin answered.

“Gracicas. If Akechi Mitsuhide is ‘the person’ that completes the ‘fate’ of Oda Nobuna-sama, no matter how ‘the battle of Sekigahara’ develops, as an emergency method—-you can only carry out ‘assassination’. Go, Yasuke.

When Akechi Mitsuhide shows her sign of turning towards the Eastern Army, kill Mitsuhide—-kill Koretou Hyuuga no Kami.”

“‘Yasuke’, that is a Zipangu-style name huh? Doesn’t sound cute at all. But fine, as long Jasper-sama wants it, I can kill anyone”, that little girl smiled, jumped over the high wall and disappeared. 

Breaking through the ‘traps’ set up by Kobayakawa Takakage, the Ootomo army led by Kuroda Kanbei was now marching on the streets with Kinai as their target, they started to build bridge to cross over a certain river. Kanbei had already overcome the area that Takakage set up her water trap. The water level of this river rised suddenly, this was a accidental product caused by the record-breaking heavy rain.

“Huuu! This unexpected heavy rain doesn’t seem good. The ‘luck’ is on the Eastern Army’s side! Although I estimate that we can barely make it to the decisive battle, it’s all because of me being abandoned by luck again and again! Moreover.”

Kanbei was commanding on the main base temporarily built in the area of the shrine at the coast while very worried about the safety of Takenaka Hanbei who was confronting the Echigo army at Kitanosho of Echizen.

“The Kengou Shogun and Hosokawa Fujitaka who were supposed to escape to Ming dynasty appeared at Tanabe Castle of Tango. This was a tactic of the Eastern Army. Despite that, Hanbei will still choose to split half of her army from Echizen to attack Tanabe Castle. In the meantime, she intended to instigate Mogami Yoshiaki at Dewa to ambush the rear of Echigo, imposing half of the Echigo army to return back to Echigo. But I keep on feeling that only this time that Hanbei’s tactic won’t work. Although Uesugi Kenshin is a general that always employ the straight confrontation way and not playing schemes, but the advisor helping Kenshin is Naoe Kanetsugu.

That person, though she’s not good in fighting but she has wisdom and daringness that rivals Takenaka Hanbei. Hanbei might make her resolve to fight with her enemy till the end to prevent the Echigo army from reaching to the decisive battle in time.”

The movement of the Mori army after they entered Osaka Castle was totally unclear. The spies sent to Osaka Castle, none of them came back. She also couldn’t grasp where the Ukita army went after they headed to Sanyodo from Okayama Castle. Kobayakawa Takakage and Ukita Naoie excelled in information warfare. They were trying their best to not letting Kanbei knowing their movement information. It’s useless to send spies, just sending their lives to their demises, while thinking that Kanbei was getting restless.

“The sacred lots of this shrine are very accurate. We should rely on gods when we are having troubles. Try to draw one, tactician-dono!”

Tachibana Muneshige was eating onigiri with big munches while encouraging Kanbei.

“Humu! You’re right! It’s useless to worry! Let’s change the atmosphere, how about divination! This time must have a best luck!”

While twisting her own hand, Kanbei started to draw one—-. ‘Worst luck’.

‘Worst luck’. ‘Worst luck’. ‘Worst luck’. ‘Worst luck’.

“Uwahhhh! Only ‘worst luck’ came out after so many times, what’s with this!”

“That’s, that’s strange…….sure enough, it seems to be impossible to happen……”

“Again, ‘worst luck’! Very strange, absolutely very strange! No, this is a trap prepared by Kobayakawa Takakage!”

“Tactician-dono is just thinking too much?”

“Uwahhh. It’s all Takakage’s fault that our army does not have any further movement isn’t it! Even though I expected that we will be the first one to reach the designated place for decisive battle, Sekigahara, but now we can’t make it! If I led an army of this large scale and late, then everyone will mock me as a ‘second grade tactician’!”

“Well, well. Divination works sometimes and sometimes not……..because tactician-dono is a Christian, the god that is worshipping in this shrine must be making fun of you!”

“I, Simeon will never yield to this kind of bad god! Ahah! That’s it! Muneshige!

Let’s use the newest ‘Tarot’ that I obtained from a Nanban ship to appraise the fortune in this battle!”

Tarot? Tachibana Muneshige tilted her head.

“My lord, Sourin-sama was also being tortured by ‘the oracle of Usa Hachiman’ and fell in great pain. I have a little bad premonition about this Tarot from the Nanban. Don’t tell me that this will torture us just like ‘the oracle of Usa Hachiman’.

“Why the sacred lots from this shrine are fine, but Tarot is not good instead, Muneshige! This is totally different from ‘the oracle of Usa Hachiman’, okay!

In short, it’s very accurate, I’ve already tested and verified it! It’s different with the common sacred lots! The person that picked the Tarot card will pick her own ‘fate’! Muneshige, you do it, pick it while whispering in your heart ‘can the Western Army win in this decisive battle that decides the world belongs

to who’!”

“Eh? Me?”

“Because I’m the operator so I can’t pick it, and I’ve picked it before. You can’t pick again for a certain amount of time after once! Well, if you pick every day and always accurate, then there’s no suffering in your life and easily win everything! That kind of thing won’t happen! That’s why, you who never picked Tarot card before in your life is the most suitable one!”

“Then, let me pick one……..”Muneshige got tensed up while mumbled and plainly picked out the most above card of the Tarot card stack that Kanbei took out.

“T-Tactician-dono. I’m done, what’s this card means? I can’t even see whether it’s good luck or bad luck. I only know it went upside down.”

Kanbei took a peek on the card showed by Muneshige and felt hard to breathe.

That card is—-‘judgement’.

“This card means the ‘final judgement’ presaged in the ‘John Book of Revelation’ of ‘Bible’! That means this battle is certainly the final battle that will decide the overlord in this Sengoku Era! But…….”

That’s right.

The card picked by Muneshige was ‘reverse position’.

If it was in ‘normal position’, then it should be a lucky card that showed a smile to Oda Nobuna and others from the Western Army. The actions done by Nobuna and Yoshiharu and others until now would be settled in the final battle, they should have get their reciprocation.

However, the ‘reverse postion’ of ‘judgement’ presaged a totally opposite ‘fate’.

“I see…….huh, this is the worst card that I can imagine, Muneshige! The ‘fate’ awaiting us Western Army is……the ‘fate’ of Oda Nobuna and Sagara Yoshiharu…….the ‘future’ that was meant to create no longer exists. The efforts built up by Oda Nobuna and others, they will not getting any reciprocation in this battle! Everything will return to zero! Oda Nobuna and Sagara Yoshiharu will be defeated, their ambitions being crushed, losing all the ‘future’! We’re already ‘no route to escape’ anymore!”

“Eheh? That means the Western Army will be defeated, tactician-dono!?”

“It won’t end just by a defeat! How it will actually turns out, I also cannot predict it! Forget about emotions and analyze calmly, this decisive battle that separated the Japan to East and West certainly becomes the ‘final judgment’ just as the word meant, and—-and, after that, what will happen? No……no way.”

“But, but, with your wisdom, you should have a way to avoid it! This Tarot card not only presages ‘fate’, it also tells the way to avoid ‘fate’ right?”

There was a way to avoid it. Based on the display.

“There is one, but that is”, Kanbei lost her words half way. Cold sweats keep on flowing over her body.

“‘Back to the past and restart’—- the way to let Oda Nobuna and others to escape from the ‘fate’ of destruction explained by this ‘reverse position’ of ‘judgment’, I’m afraid this is the only one. But, what does it mean ‘back to the past’? The Tarot is meaning the ‘history’ itself restarts and everything became nothing? Impossible. This kind of thing could never be tolerated! Or else, what’s the meaning of the way to survive did by Sagara Yoshiharu and others? By the way, let the ‘history’ built by us Japanese and everything in this world to become nothing? First of all, how can a person return to the past alive!”

Kanbei noticed an extremely ominous ‘possibility’. Yes, that’s right. 

In this world, the person that had already ‘returned to the past’ to change the ‘fate’ of Oda Nobuna, there was one.

Sagara Yoshiharu.

The person that could trigger that kind of miracle, there wouldn’t be one even among ten thousand people.

One thousand years also would never appear one. Only extremely limited people were capable to.

But, the miracle of returning to the past was possible!

For instance—-wasn’t there also a person that failed in his process of opposing the ‘fate’ of Oda Nobuna and entered ‘second reincarnation’ existed?

The true identity of the Nanban missionary that uses ‘observation art’ is, don’t tell me.

Denies love on Oda Nobuna, denies Sagara Yoshiharu’s ideal of picking up all the fruits, if it’s for the sake of Nobuna I believe he could even carry out assassination, that Nanban person with unknown identity is actually—-go against Sagara Yoshiharu literally everything, the man that obstructed

Sagara Yoshiharu’s ambition continuously, his real ‘name’ is.

“Tactician-dono? Tactician-dono? The cards dropped. Are you fine?”

“…….Muneshige. Forget about the matter of tarot cards just now. Don’t tell anyone about it. The ‘future’ indicated by the tarot was nothing more than an ‘omen’ for now. If you rashly told everyone, its power of words will ‘achieve’ it as a fact. So, we saw nothing just now.” 

“……….T-Tactician-dono……..!? Please don’t cry. As long we work together to fight against ‘fate’, we must be able to overturn the will of gods! What in the world did you found out, tactician-dono!?”

That shouldn’t be the case. Oh god. This is all because of my own foolish opinionated thought, Kuroda Kanbei put her hands together to pray.