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Oda Nobuna no Yabou - Volume 17 - Chapter 2




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Chapter 2 

Should we advance using T?san Road 

There were two highways leading from ?gaki Castle to Sekigahara. One was T?san Road, which was going almost exactly from east to west; the other was Ise Highway, which first made a detour via southeast. To advance into

Sekigahara from T?san Road, it was necessary to pass through the northern side of Mt. Nanguu, while if one chose to advance via Ise Highway, they could only choose the southern side of Mt. Nanguu. Without good visibility, the scouts were unable to do their job well, not to mention marching in the night. Should they choose T?san Road, the forces of Takeda and Tokugawa may force the Gifu Castle to capitulate, which might result in a battle with the two occupying strategic areas later in Sekigahara. Looking at it from the point of common sense of warfare, if they were to take a detour by advancing via Ise Highway, they would surely avoid the confrontation with their forces. If an attack came when the army was on the march, the riflemen regiments which made up the main force of the Oda Clan’s army would be scattered by the invincible cavalry Takeda was so proud of.

Despite all that, Nobuna still chose T?san Road. Directly forward. They’d simply move directly forward.

Personally leading her troops, she hurried towards Sekigahara. Yoshiharu stuck right behind her.

They finally arrived at the eastern approach to Sekigahara. In front of Yoshiharu and Nobuna, who had just arrived at the foot of Mt. Nanguu, appeared the the Uma-jirushi with the flower emblem of the Toki Clan. It stood right next to the soldiers who acted as messengers.

The commander of the troop was a female warrior with a slender body and a face somewhat similar to that of Nobuna. 

However, a single glance was enough to tell that she wasn’t from Hi no Moto. [TL/N: Hi no Moto is an archaic name for Japan. Basically “Land of the (Rising) Sun” or something along those lines).

Her skin was dark.

However, her eyes weren’t dark.

They were blue—just like those of the barbarians from the West. [TL/N: Nanban, or southern/western barbarians, is basically an archaism for Spaniards and the Portugeuse. The translation for this term shall be literal rather than in romaji (nanban). ]

Just who was she? A shinobi from the West? Wait, is her body covered in ink? ! Nobuna thought, surprised. Meanwhile, the dark-skinned girl brusquely handed Nobuna a letter from Akechi Mitsuhide.

“This is a letter I’ve been entrusted with by Akechi Mitsuhide. I’m a disciple of Gaspar-sama. In Zipang, my name would be Yasuke.” [TL/N: Zipang is another archaism for “Japan”, this time originating from Italian by Marco Polo. Yasuke is using it all the time to refer to Japan. On a side note, it’s one of possible origins of the word “Japan”, which first appeared in English in 16th century, spelled Giapan. Hence, Hi no Moto and Zipang will be the names used for Japan here]

“Gaspar’s disciple…? !”

“My father is a Westerner. As for my mother, she was a slave sold off in an African kingdom. That’s why, I am also a slave. I’ve been saved by Gaspar- sama. However, enough about that. There situation has changed all of a sudden.” 

Yoshiharu knew from history that a certain missionary from the West had brought a Black slave called Yasuke to Zipang, and that Nobunaga became fond of Yasuke and appointed him a warrior under his command. Nobunaga, who was very interested in the world beyond the sea, was practically in a great shock upon seeing a person from Africa, who was vastly different from the Western barbarians and people from the Ming China, and was said to be overwhelmed with intense curiosity. So that was that Yasuke… Yoshiharu thought, shocked speechless. In the history Yoshiharu knew, Yasuke was serving by Nobunaga’s side during the fateful Honn?ji Incident, and fought with Akechi’s troops to protect his lord Nobunaga. As expected, that fate— that fateful moment—is approaching. I can’t think of any other possibility.

However, just why would that Yasuke right now…? Not to mention, as J?bei- chan’s envoy from Sekigahara? !

Nobuna, who had finished reading the letter, whispered to Yoshiharu, “Yoshiharu. Pretending to assault the ?mi Sakamoto Castle and cross Lake Biwa—J?bei’s plan, which is to arrive first in Sekigahara via the highway Hokkoku Kaid?, failed. J?bei wasn’t able to take Matsuo Mountain. The

forces of M?ri went to Matsuo Mountain as fast as possible without going straight from Osaka Castle to Sekigahara in order to avoid encountering J?bei. M?ri troops went around from Yamato K?ga’s side via Ise Highway and set up their camp in Sekigahara. While J?bei was crossing Lake Biwa, M?ri troops have apparently made their way there using the mountain road at Suzuka Mountain Pass.”

“What? ! You mean they’ve entered Sekigahara from the completely opposite side than J?bei -chan? However, if they advanced via the precipitous mountain road which is on Yamato K?ga Peak, the march should’ve taken a long time. There’s no way that J?bei -chan, who left the capital, fell behind them who have marched out from the far more distant Osaka…!”

Yoshiharu quickly read the letter Nobuna handed him.

“Nobuna-sama. My deepest apologies. Once again, J?bei was unable to carry out her task. Be it Matsuo Mountain or Mt. Nanguu, they were both taken over by M?ri.”

The highest-priority mission given to Mitsuhide, [Retrieval of Matsuo Mountain], ended in failure.

Mitsuhide was supposed to arrive in Sekigahara first. However, on Matsuo Mountain, which was her objective, the banners of Kobayakawa Takakage were already fluttering in the wind. The troops of Kobayakawa and Ukita Naoie, whose numbers surpassed 30,000, were already covering Matsuo Mountain from its base to its very summit.

Apparently, Mitsuhide herself was clueless as to why she’d fallen behind in taking over the mountain. It was just that her attempt at avoiding M?ri troops by giving up the direct approach via T?san Road and instead crossing Lake Biwa to access Hokkoku Kaid? backfired on her, and the M?ri arrived in Sekigahara first.

And that wasn’t all.

Not only was the strategic location which closed T?san Road’s entrance to Sekigahara, Matsuo Mountain, seized, the secondary objective which had to be captured at such a juncture, Mt. Nanguu, was apparently in enemy hands as well.

T?san Road and Ise Highway. Mt. Nanguu was sandwiched right between those two important roads that were the only two options to enter Sekigahara from the east. And, the forces of Kitsukawa Motoharu, who was defending it, were over 20,000 men strong. That meant there were enemy forces

stationed in a place where they could attack either T?san Road or Ise Highway easily. Furthermore, on the southern tip of Mt. Nanguu, Mountain Kurihara, were stationed 8,000 soldiers of Ch?sokabe Motochika. On this side, the enemy was in a location where it was possible to block Ise Highway.

T?san Road and Ise Highway. Whichever Nobuna chose, Kitsukawa Motoharu and Ch?sokabe Motochika would be able to descend there and stop her advance.

“Yoshiharu. Ch?sokabe Motochika should’ve come from the west, right? Why is M?ri’s side increasing all the time? Those turncoats…!”

“The capital and the neighboring territories are too far from Shikoku Tosa. They probably didn’t understand the situation well and entered Osaka Castle.” [TL/N: If you know Ky?shu and Honsh?, then Shikoku is a smallish island close to both; it’s just below the southern part of the latter and westward of the former]

“In other words, they were swept by the course of events, right. There’s no way they are suited for the Eastern Army that is so fixated on personality. I wonder if we can’t call Ch?sokabe to the Western Army’s side now?”

“If we choose Ise Highway to enter Sekigahara, perhaps… However, there’s already no time for detours. If we move randomly, Tokugawa and Takeda will catch up to us.”

Anyway, Matsuo Mountain in the west and Mt. Nanguu in the east were

taken by the enemy, and Akechi Mitsuhide, who’d found out about it, was at a loss. In order to gain control over the western side of Hokkoku Kaid? and T?san Road, she suddenly found herself with the choice to take two mountains’ still vacant western sides as a new plan B. One of them was Mt. Sasao on the eastern side of Hokkoku Kaid?, and the other was Mt. Tenma, which was sandwiched between Hokkoku Kaid? and T?san Road. Since the troops of M?ri, which were stationed in Osaka Castle, all came to

Sekigahara, then the probability of Ky? Azuchi to the west of Osaka having been snatched was low. In that case, the only option was to take over the western exits of Hokkoku Kaid? and T?san Road and obstruct the Western Army’s main force, the armies of Tokugawa and Takeda, as they tried to invade Azuchi.

“J?bei will confront Kobayakawa and Ukita troops that are on Matsuo Mountain, defending Mt. Sasao and Mt. Tenma to the last man standing. If those two mountains are taken, the way to the capital will open before Takeda troops, while the Western Army will lose the Azuchi Castle. We will proceed to the feet of Mt. Nanguu, then advance to Mt. Sasao. It’s reckless and dangerous. If Kitsukawa’s troops descend from the mountain and close in, then troops led by Nobuna-sama may be completely annihilated.

However, there is no other way to stop the Eastern Army… If it’s Nobuna- sama, she can do it. By all means, I implore you to go to Mt. Sasao!” [TL/N: J?bei tends to speak to herself in 3rd person, so she’s the one talking in most of speech with just “J?bei”—in this case, it’s part of her letter still.

J?bei-chan is how Yoshiharu calls her, and the only other person to call her just “J?bei” is Nobuna]

Is that so. Should we advance via T?san Road? It’s the greatest gamble in my whole life, Nobuna thought, looking at the sky.

On Matsuo Mountain, which Yoshiharu had predicted to be the place where betrayal would take place, Mitsuhide was nowhere to be seen. 

If that was the case, then the power of [location] was irrelevant to Mitsuhide.

However, that was the case only if one were to… believe Mitsuhide’s letter.

It was possible that Mitsuhide had already climbed Matsuo Mountain, her will taken over by the [fate] of betrayal, and furthermore sent a letter with false information.

“Where’s J?bei?” Nobuna asked Yasuke. To that, Yasuke curtly replied, “I wasn’t able to confirm with my own eyes that Mitsuhide is on Matsuo Mountain. At the very least, she had yet to get there when I met her.

“I was merely entrusted with the letter. There is no way an average messenger can pass through the bottom of Mt. Nanguu alive, so I was suddenly given this task. What are you going to do, Oda Nobuna? It’s possible that Akechi Mitsuhide lay a trap for you. If she personally betrays and attacks you, then she’ll become a retainer who killed her master. No one will respect her, and no one will give her a place to stay. However, if Kitsukawa Motoharu from the Eastern Army can dispose of you, there will be no one whose honor will be stained. Will you retreat to ?gaki Castle and stay behind its walls?”

It seemed that although Yasuke relayed Mitsuhide’s message, she didn’t trust her.

“Why are you suspecting J?bei?”

“Because Gaspar-sama has been suspecting her. To be exact, whether it would be Akechi Mitsuhide who’d kill Oda Nobuna. That’s why I’ve been dispatched to Sekigahara. However, before Akechi Mitsuhide clearly states [Our enemy is Oda Nobuna], it’s impossible to kill Oda Clan’s prime minister

without any conclusive evidence. At that time, the Western Army’s defeat will be decided. Akechi Mitsuhide was confused when she entered Sekigahara, 

and I wasn’t able to tell her true intentions. That’s why, I stayed as close to her as possible until I received a task from her—to deliver you this letter.

From this point, Oda Nobuna, it’s your choice that’ll decide [fate]. What will you do?”

The death was already settled. Nobuna’s answer was to believe J?bei and move to the foot of Mt. Nanguu.

“Hey! If a unit this big moves, then even if Akechi Mitsuhide’s betrayal doesn’t come true, Kitsukawa Motoharu will immediately notice it, and close in for the kill. Is it really okay to go to Mt. Sasao? In the first place, why would the supreme commander lead the troops personally…”

“Yasuke. Now that Goemon, who acted as Yoshiharu’s limbs, fell, we are in a need of a first-rate ninja. I shall employ you as a warrior under my command. You will relay a message in the worst case scenario, passing the role of the general to ?tomo S?rin. If it turns out that it’s impossible to enter Sekigahara, it was agreed with S?rin that Shimazu troops, which are at the back of our troops, will lead all our troops to retreat. I want to keep the casualties to the minimum if the gamble fails.”

“Wait a moment. You have yet to meet Gaspar-sama, yet you’re going to trust me? You’re going to trust me despite my failure in assassinating Akechi Mitsuhide? Are you… not afraid of being near a slave who learned the art of assassination?”

“Although Gaspar pulls off crazy stunts like trying to return Yoshiharu to the future, I’ve heard from S?rin that he’s a man who’s always busy running around in order to make me the king of Zipang. And besides, surrounding myself with pretty female warriors serving me is my hobby. Those pretty eyes concealing strong will. Graceful body. If you take off your clothes, you may actually turn out to be prettier than me.”

“Stop screwing around. I am… a slave’s child. Even if my father is a Western barbarian, if there flows but one drop of a slave’s blood in my veins, then I can never be a Westerner myself! I was already born a slave!”

“Yasuke. In the world as I see it, both the people from the West and the people of Hi no Moto are equal. There’s no such thing like ‘born a slave’.As you can see, I even keep a monkey that claims to come from the future. Not to mention, my life’s one and only lover and companion…” [TL/N: The companion here can also mean spouse, but from what I know, they’re not married… just saying so that you know what kind of companion she means]

“I… feel that Gaspar-sama said he knew the reason why you believe you can change the world. However… no matter what, it’s still nonsensical! It’s impossible to push towards Mt. Nanguu! It’s no different from going there to die!”

Sagara Yoshiharu! Are you not going to stop your lord’s nonsense? To think you didn’t even consider turning around. There’s 80-90% probability that Oda Nobuna will die here! You’ll make Gaspar-sama sad! Yasuke thought as she jumped onto Yoshiharu’s shoulder, wrapping his neck and head within her thin arms.

“If I twist my arms, Sagara Yoshiharu will die. Go back, Oda Nobuna! Don’t waste so much of Gaspar-sama’s efforts and thoughts he put into gambling on you and the world’s future!”

“Yasuke-chan, it’s useless. Be it Nobuna or me, we’ve both made up our minds. We’ve decided to believe in J?bei-chan and push all the way to Sekigahara—we’ve decided to go against [fate] until the very end. As soon as we give up here and retreat, the Akechi troops led by J?bei-chan will be left all alone among enemies, and meet the sad fate of complete anihiliation, no?”

“That’s only true if Akechi Mitsuhide hasn’t betrayed you, isn’t it? ! What if it’s a trap? Are you going to wager the lives of several tens of thousands soldiers and their commanders?”

“That’s exactly why I and Nobuna are going to lead the troops.”

“Yasuke. You can’t kill Yoshiharu, am I wrong? Gaspar should have ordered you no such thing. After all, you have no killing intent. You’re just pretending, aren’t you?”

“Only Gaspar-sama’s hope counts,” Yasuke said involuntarily. However, in the end, she still didn’t understand. For those troops marching to their death… there was not even a chance of victory.

“Nay, there’s a chance… there is hope. I believe that Yoshiharu changed the destiny that awaited me and J?bei. Besides, the fact that Yoshiharu isn’t trying to stop me means that he does see a chance to cut his way out to Mt. Nanguu. Let’s go, Yoshiharu. Don’t be late!”

“Just like during the battle of Okehazama, I wanted to dance Atsumori [TL/N: A dance related to the Noh theatre], but there’s no time,” Nobuna murmured as she kicked the horse’s side, and rushed to the northern side of Mt.

Nanguu’s bottom alone on her horse.

“Let’s go, Yasuke-chan! However, rushing with me and Nobuna in the vanguard is dangerous, so please go to the back.”

“I refuse! What do you mean ‘Yasuke-chan’? Don’t get cozy with me! In the first place, my original duty was to bring you away from the battlefield alive the moment you fail, Sagara Yoshiharu! I was to bring you alive to Takachiho, passing through Amanoiwato once more! It’s because you may be the previous incarnation of Gaspar-sama!”

“…It can’t be helped, huh. Don’t tell that Nobuna, got it? Please. If you do, I’ll suicide by biting my tongue off, you hear? At that point, it’ll be like the second circuit didn’t happen. If I’m really him, then he’ll disappear too, you know?”

“It seems like it’s true. Apparently, my task of bringing you alive to Takachicho is hundreds if not thousands of times more difficult than assassinating Mitsuhide. If that’s the case, I shall not leave your side for even a moment!”

“…This will be troublesome in and of itself, though.”

Yoshiharu turned to look forward. He was chasing Nobuna’s back. It might seem like a desperate gamble, but there was hope. As for why that was the case, it was because Hosokawa Fujitaka’s plan had crumbled. If Mitsuhide was unable to assemble her battle formation on the fateful Matsuo Mountain

… Mitsuhide, who was able to evade the power of [location] in what seemed like a miracle, should be able to make a choice with her very own [will]. That was why she didn’t, in fact, betray Nobuna. At least, that’s what Yoshiharu believed. After that, all that mattered was only how Kitsukawa Motoharu, who was encamped on Mt. Nanguu, would move…

“Please. Since you set camp at Mt. Nanguu famous for the [empty lunch box of the prime minister], please eat a lunch box, Motoharu. I hope you will be assaulted by hunger due to the power of [location]. The probability is so small we can as well pray to gods, but there’s a chance we may be able to use Fujitaka’s strategy against her. Please…!” 

Eh? Relying on a girl’s appetite when driven into a corner on a battlefield that is about to be soaked with blood? Yasuke, who was still holding Yoshiharu’s neck with her thighs, was astounded.

“Just like during the battle at Tenn?ji, Nobuna decided she would rather trust in her will and determination and charge forward, but as a man from the future, I have a reason to gamble like this. In the [Battle of Sekigahara] I know of, the troops encamped on Mt. Nanguu ate the [empty lunch boxes], and were reluctant to engage in combat. Besides, even if Kitsukawa’s troops rush down from the summit, it isn’t certain there’ll be no way to break through. If Nobuna, who is in the lead, runs through the fastest she can…”

“I wonder! It’s a fact that Oda Nobuna has demonstrated great luck in the past, charging on her horse into enemy ranks alone and surviving, but Kitsukawa Motoharu is a brave general. What if she doesn’t get through this time? Personally, I want to stop you, but…”

“Oomph. Somehow, the mood became quite weird, so I’d rather you stop pressing your thighs against my face… if it was the young Nene or Goemon, it’d be okay, but…”

“…Hey. What are you getting excited for? You’re really an idiot! You’re definitely not Gaspar-sama. Comparing the abstemious and refined Gaspar- sama with a lowly idiot of a man like you, saying you’re his previous incarnation… it’s not even a bad joke!”

“I think so too.”

For an instant, I felt like I misunderstood. It was as if Goemon was riding my shoulders. Seeing such an illusion, tears gathered in Yoshiharu’s eyes.

Before this decisive battle ends, I can’t think about your death. Before this battle ends, I won’t cry. I swore thus just recently, and yet… Seriously, I’m so useless when you’re not here, Ishikawa Goemon. Yoshiharu smiled through tears.

“See. I knew it, you’re not him. Gaspar-sama doesn’t cry. Even if I die…”

Yasuke softly stroked Yoshiharu’s cheek. Narrowing her eyes, she thought, For a man from the future and a slave brought by Westerners from across the ocean to fight together under the banner of the queen of Sengoku era’s Zipang, it sounds like a lie. It’s just as if… it’s all a dream… 

Meanwhile.

Dark Temple’s Priestess Ekei, who was in charge of M?ri Clan’s diplomacy, set up her camp at the northern part of Mt. Nanguu’s base. She was

Kitsukawa Motoharu’s second-in-command, watching alertly T?san Road, which led into Sekigahara from the direction of ?gaki.

Mt. Nanguu was an eastern stronghold that held both T?san Road and Ise Highway in check. Ekei suggested that “since the probability of Oda Clan’s troops using T?san Road is 50%, and the probability of them using Ise Highway is also 50%, Kitsukawa-sama should move to the summit so that we can eventually react no matter which they choose!”, causing Kitsukawa Motoharu’s main force to set camp on the summit, while she herself spread

her troops at the northern part of the foot of Mt. Nanguu, taking on the task of observing T?san Road. On the other side, she made Tosa Clan’s female daimyo, Ch?sokabe Motochika, deploy her troops on Mountain Kurihara in order to watch Ise Highway. 

If Oda Clan’s troops came from T?san Road, then Ekei (and should they come from Ise Highway, then Ch?sokabe Motochika) would immediately report it to Kitsukawa Motoharu, and then bring all troops to descend the mountain in order to crush Oda. That was what Ekei suggested.

“Oh, quite the ad hoc plan! So Ekei had some insights into strategy, huh?” Kitsukawa Motoharu responded with those words when she decided to adopt Ekei’s plan, leading 20,000 soldiers onto the summit, but…

“E-E-Ekei? ! Ye, what the heck are ye doing? ! She came! Oda Nobuna is entering Sekigahara from T?san Road! Why the heck aren’t ye moving! Yer in the way, yer troops are in the way! I can’t get down!”

At this moment, the very same Kitsukawa Motoharu was enraged.

Mt. Nanguu’s summit was a bad position in the first place. When Motoharu first arrived in Sekigahara, she was unaware that Mt. Nanguu was such a steep mountain. Descending from the summit toward T?san Road required a lot of time and effort.

Furthermore, even though Oda’s troops which shifted from Sunomata

directly rushed via T?san Road without stopping at ?gaki Castle, attempting to enter Sekigahara, Ekei’s troops stationed at the northern part of the foot of the mountain didn’t even twitch.

Ekei’s troops assumed the shape of a lid, so Kitsukawa’s 20,000 soldiers encamped on the summit were blocked, and thus unable to rush down to attack Oda’s troops.

“Ekei, what are ye doing~? ! I see, so ye have made a secret deal with the Oda! Y-y-ye blockhead, Takakage highly valued ye, a daughter of the enemy destroyed by the M?ri Clan, appreciating yer talent and giving ye much favor, and yet ye…!” 

Motoharu, who completely lost her temper, directly rushed into Ekei’s troops, only to find that Ekei and her retainers were actually eating with gusto, surrounded by opened lunch boxes.

“Eek, Motoharu-sama, I’m so sorry~ It’s just that, having to cross the mountain again and again, we were all tired and famished, and it’s impossible to go into battle on an empty stomach. Let’s descend the mountain after we finish our lunch boxes. And so… here, Motoharu-sama! Please try Aki’s new specialty, [steamed buns shaped like maple leaves] ?”

Steamed buns shaped like maple leaves were a kind of confectionery introduced to the M?ri Clan by Sagara Yoshiharu. In the mind of Motoharu, who was offered the buns by Ekei, reappeared many a memory of noisy but fun times spent with Sagara Yoshiharu. A pity. With a crucial point taken by the M?ri, the Oda’s troops have no chance of winning the engagement in Sekigahara. I guess I may as well let them through, she thought as she wavered. However, before being a maiden, Motoharu was a military commander.

“A-as if ye can sway my feelings with mere steamed buns~! There’s no way ye can use empty lunchboxes as an excuse to let the enemy escape! In the first place, Ekei! Yer chopsticks aren’t even moving in the least!”

“Well, but of course. Actually, I’m already full~ After all, priestesses can’t eat too much~”

“Why aren’t ye moving? ! This is a battle the M?ri Clan bet its fate on, so why! ? Takakage trusted ye with protecting Matsuo Mountain, so how are ye going to excuse yourself! ? Ye may lose your head, ye know! ?”

“Okay, okay. Let’s calmly await the arrival of Takeda’s and Tokugawa’s troops. They ought to be rushing madly along T?san Road now. They’ll be here quickly~” Ekei wasn’t concerned in the least. She’d been practicing according to the Buddhist teachings since her childhood, causing her to become aloof from the world, and nothing could fluster her.

“It’s a single decisive battle that can end the Warring States period. We mustn’t cause this battle to become the second ?nin War. Such is

Takakage-sama’s wish, and such is the ambition of Oda Nobuna. Emei-chan just helped prepare the stage a bit~”

“Emei. There’s no way ye can hold a grudge against the M?ri Clan this late in the game. Ye forgot the old grudge; for the sake of the M?ri Clan—for the sake of the country—ye could act selfessly. Yer a priestess in charge of diplomacy who is hard to come by. That’s what Takakage believed. Or are ye going to tell me that those empty lunch boxes are all for the sake of the M?ri Clan?”

“It is as you say. Let us reveal all of our plan in this place, where Takakage- sama and Kitsukawa-sama were both gathered by M?ri Ry?sen.”

At last, the information that Oda’s troops had finally broken through the northern part of the foot of Mt. Nanguu, entering Sekigahara, reached Motoharu and Ekei.

What a pity. We were supposed to take out Oda’s army here, yet it’s already too late! Motoharu thought as she ground her teeth.

“Kitsukawa-sama. There’s no hurry, no hurry. Take a breather, a breather?”

I want to cut ye here and now, but it seems like there’s something ye really want to tell Takakage, huh, Ekei! I will bring ye to her! Motoharu thought as she tied Ekei with a rope. 

Sagaru Yoshiharu and Oda Nobuna were both unaware of how Ekei’s [empty launch boxes], which was an action tantamount to mutiny, caused Kitsukawa’s troops on Mt. Nanguu to be stoped in their tracks. They were unaware of it, but they believed—they believed in Akechi Mitsuhide. Also, they believed that Oda’s army was capable of getting through the northern

part of Mt. Nanguu’s foot. They’d staked everything—their lives, their path of battling day after day, their future, everything.

And, Kitsukawa’s troops… didn’t move.

“As expected, even I can’t quite believe we’ve made it this far. Don’t tell me… she really pulled of [empty lunch boxes]?”

Even Yoshiharu, who could think of only one way to break through the power of the [location]—in other words, through Mt. Nanguu—found it hard to comprehend what was happening. If one were to think about it calmly, Kitsukawa Motoharu was a brave commander who would pour all her forces into the battle before her, so she wasn’t the type to be easily influenced by an abstract concept such as the power of the [location] one couldn’t even see. If the enemy troops were spotted, her [battle instinct], refined throughout her life, would surely come out on top. Her second-in-command, Ekei, was a high priest who’d honed her spirit through meditative training in the Dark Temple, so it seemed like she had some resistance to things like [Mikky? magic] and the power of the [location].

It seems like I’ve made quite a dangerous bet, Yoshiharu realized with a shudder.

Then, just why? 

Yasuke, who was still on Yoshiharu’s shoulders, also had her eyes open wide. “It can’t be. Even though Oda troops rushing along the highway have spread into a thin line, the enemy occupying the overwhelming advantage with their position on the mountaintop isn’t coming down… just why? Just what is happening to Zipang’s battles?”

“Yoshiharu! We’ve made it past Mt. Nanguu! We’ve arrived at the intersection of T?san Road, Ise Highway, and Hokkoku Kaid?! Look! It’s J?bei! It’s the banner with the Toki Clan’s flower! They didn’t climb Matsuo Mountain!” Nobuna raised her voice.

“It’s still too early to feel relaxed. Akechi Mitsuhide’s true intentions are completely unknown,” Yasuke whispered to Yoshiharu’s ear.

Oda Nobuna. Sagara Yoshiharu.

Finally, Akechi Mitsuhide.

Since when exactly it became like this. . . ?

The time for the trio bound together by [fate] to reunite had come.

[Toraisen] and the [Golden Gourd]. [TL/N: Toraisen was a sort of Chinese Ming dynasty cash coin that replaced Japanese coins as currency for a brief time. Ask wiki about “Yongle Tongbao”, and you’ll find out that historical Oda Nobunaga had certain ties to this kind of coin, and it was sort of an emblem of his. The Golden Gourd sounds like it’s Yoshiharu’s emblem. ]

They might’ve been in a big crisis, driven into a corner. However, banners with Nobuna and Yoshiharu’s emblems still fluttered in Sekigahara’s air. 

The supreme commander, Nobuna, and Sagara Yoshiharu. Akechi Mitsuhide swiftly noticed the two of them standing at the very front of their army.

Akechi Mitsuhide recalled the moment faced the fork in the road that was her [fate]. 

When Akechi Mitsuhide had arrived at Sekigahara, Hosokawa Fujitaka revealed to her the secret of [Kokintenju], which caused her to stand in the middle of a torrential rain in stupor. It was at that time that she’d commanded, “All troops, to Matsuo Mountain.”

“S-suspicious fellow! D-darn it! My Lady!”

The assassin(s) sent out by Gaspar, Yasuke, moved to hold the back of Mitsuhide’s head with her slender arms.

At that moment, lightning fell near Matsuo Mountain, completely illuminating the whole of Sekigahara, brightening up the mountain as well.

It was barely for a fraction of a second. And so.

Koret? Hy?ga no Kami [TL/N: Mitsuhide’s real life name derived from his title]. Akechi J?bei Mitsuhide. She saw the countless troops with banners fluttering in the wind stretching from Matsuo Mountain’s foot to its peak. “That’s… [the? kanji] ? ! [Right Head 3 Big Dot Circle]? !” 

At the foot of the mountain, after a long march from Okayama, Ukita Naoie’s troops entered Sekigahara.

Their banner was none else but [komoji]. In the middle of a crest resembling a peach, the single kanji [?] was distinctly drawn. Savage fiend, eternally

wicked one… feared as such by others, Ukita Naoie, this leader of treacherous assassins, was a doting parent, treating only own child Hideie as if Naoie was a completely different person. As for since when Ukita Naoie

had appeared… if rumors were to be believed, the banner with [the? kanji]

was adopted by Naoie around the time Sagara Yoshiharu was under the M?ri Clan.

In the vicinity of the peak, there were troops of Kobayakawa Takakage, who was M?ri Ry?sen’s brains.

That banner, [Right Head 3 Big Dot Circle], which frightened Oda’s troops innumerable times in the naval battle of Kizugawa, was also known as [Left 3 Big Dot Circle].

There was no way it could be a mistake.

“Kobayakawa and Ukita at Matsuo Mountain? ! Since when? ! Why, for what reason? Unexpectedly, they marched around…!”

Her [fate] as revealed by Hosokawa Fujitaka… The verse [The time is now. I wonder if the rain knows it’s the fifth month of the lunar calendar] had put into it a powerful kotodama [TL/N: Kotodama means “word” + “soul”, and basically refers to the words’ mysterious power to affect reality] binding spell, deeply affecting Akechi Mitsuhide, who should have her troops assume battle formation on Matsuo Mountain, the location of the [Fated Betrayal].

However, unexpectedly, the M?ri had already arranged their forces on that very Matsuo Mountain. 

If the lightning hadn’t brightened the whole area, if it hadn’t illuminated Matsuo Mountain, Mitsuhide would have been now assassinated by Yasuke, who stood behind her without making a single noise. By the time Sait? Toshimitsu noticed her, Yasuke would get close enough to kill her, and Mitsuhide, who was extremely shaken, knowing own future, wouldn’t notice her back was wide open to Yasuke.

However, Mitsuhide’s [fate] wasn’t decided. All due to that one streak of lightning.

“…Toshimitsu… This is bad… Matsuo Mountain was seized by the M?ri! We’ve been outwitted by Kobayakawa Takakage once again!”

“My Lady? ! It seems like you’ve been in some kind of trance just now, but… suddenly, power returned to your eyes! You’ve come back to your senses, I presume?”

“Toshimitsu. J?bei completely fell for Fujitaka-dono’s trick. If J?bei ‘s [fate] is decided here, all that’s left will be despair—it’s useless even if you struggle. However, it’s already too late to hesitate. J?bei‘s heart is no longer in utter confusion, manipulated by the likes of [kotodama]! At this rate, the Eastern Army will win this battle…!”

Yasuke’s hands, which reached out to wrap around Mitsuhide’s neck in order to break it, stopped. Until this very moment, Mitsuhide’s heart was, just as Gaspar had feared, heavily influenced by her [fate] of being the [killer of her master], succumbing to darkness. However, this single lightning had forcefully brought to her eyes the reality of Matsuo Mountain having been taken back by the M?ri. At that moment, it was as though Mitsuhide’s eyes were opened—if it was like that, she couldn’t kill her—not until Mitsuhide made clear her determination to become the retainer who killed her own master. If Mitsuhide was killed here in Sekigahara, the Akechi troops would collapse, and the moment it happened, Oda Nobuna’s defeat would be set in stone. The time to kill would be when Mitsuhide’s [fate] would be settled as

the one of treason as per Hosokawa Fujitaka’s prediction.

“My Lady, please run! Behind, you an assassin… a ninja with their whole body painted black! It may be a killer sent by Ukita Naoie!”


“…Toshimitsu… it seems like there’s indeed someone behind me… but I can’t feel any killing intent. I wonder if someone sent by Ukita would be like this.”

“Yea. I’m Gaspar-sama’s servant, Yasuke.” “…Gaspar-dono’s…?”

“Protecting Oda Nobuna and Sagara Yoshiharu. That’s my duty. You understand, don’t you? Akechi Mitsuhide.”

“…Well then.”

Mitsuhide and Yasuke’s conversation was briefly interrupted there. It was because the messenger troops of Mitsuhide’s side had galloped over in the middle of the rainstorm. In their midst, there was also a person who was so densely covered in arrows that they looked like a hedgehog.

“The troops of Ukita Naoie and Kobayakawa Takakage, already on Matsuo Mountain…!”

“On Mt. Nanguu, which was supposed to be seized in case Matsuo Mountain fell, there are battle flags belonging to Kitsukawa Motoharu flapping in the wind! On Mountain Kurihara, there are troops that closely resemble those of Eastern Army’s Ch?sokabe Motochika’s too! The operation has ended in failure!” 

Even Mt. Nanguu! ? In that case, the Oda’s troops… the Western Army has already lost two strategic locations from both east and west… Mitsuhide was silent. In order not to alarm Osaka Castle’s M?ri Ry?sen with their movements, they had made the [attacking Sakamoto Castle] declaration, while actually going from the Lake Biwa via the Hokkoku Kaid? in order to make a detour… or such was the plan, but it seemed like what actually happened was the opposite of it. Then again, we were seen [entering Sekigahara] by that Kobayakawa Takakage! We were supposed to advance via T?san Road together with Senpai, weren’t we? If, at the time we advanced via T?san Road… When Senpai refused J?bei’s request for Nobuna-sama’s sake, J?bei’s heart crumbled. However, if J?bei made the choice to advance via T?san Road together with Senpai at that time…

“…Truly, it was Senpai who was right to rush forward along the shortest route without paying attention to safety. J?bei has made the wrong choice in this last moment… It should mean that Senpai had already known that Kobayakawa Takakage is a resourceful general who can read 100 steps ahead. It seems that J?bei might’ve wallowed in knowledge. At this rate, the victory in Sekigahara will go to the M?ri. Senpai too. Nobuna-sama too. [Unify the nation by force]’s dream too. Losing everything…” [TL/N: Unify the nation by force was Oda Nobunaga’s seal since 1567]

Mitsuhide’s heart was wavering once more. The situation was changing time and again, and her heart couldn’t settle down. Ah. Perhaps, if the time could be wound back. Just one more time. If it could be redone just once. That time, for sure.

And so, conclusive [information] had made its appearance.

“My Lady! A secret messenger from Sunomata! At death’s door!” 

“Sunomata? !”

“…Gifu Castle has fallen… after the commander, Tsuda Nobusumi-sama, opened the gates to surrender, he was decapitated personally by Takeda Shingen… Oda’s troops, whose rear guard at Gifu Castle met with Tokugawa’s troops’ ambush, was forced to move from Sunomata to

Sekigahara… Tokugawa and Takeda’s army once again started to chase the Oda’s troops, following them to Sekigahara. At this point, having lost both Owari and Gifu, the Oda’s troops no longer have any hope… Please, capture Matsuo Mountain… I implore you… I beg of you.”

Having finished relaying this message to Mitsuhide, the secret messenger drew their last breath.

“…Tsuda… Nobusumi-dono… huh.”

Disturbance after disturbance. When Mitsuhide, who was wavering all this time, deeply hesitating, heard the news of Nobusumi’s death in battle, she didn’t know what to say for a while.

Nobuna-sama has lost her one and only younger brother.

She has lost her dear land of Owari, which Nobuna-sama’s father, Oda Nobuhide-sama, had painstakingly developed without sparing his life and health.

Even that place which Sait? D?san-sama has devoted his whole lifetime to construct as the foundation for the dream of [unifying the nation by force]— the Gifu Castle.

Her childhood friend, Tokugawa Ieyasu, as well. And now, Nobusumi too.

This and that, she’s lost everything. 

[Fate] is trying to destroy Nobuna-sama, destroy Nobuna-sama running to her last victory, having one more battle until [unify the nation by force]’s realization.

All that’s left is… this Akechi Mitsuhide. Koret? Hy?ga no Kami. If J?bei, who went ahead and arrived in Sekigahara, betrayed Nobuna-sama in this desperate situation… the [fate] of Nobuna-sama’s [death]would be fulfilled.

Nobuna-sama would fail. She would be unable to unify the nation. She would lose everything halfway to her goal.

From the start, it was that kind of [fate].

Most likely, when Hosokawa Fujitaka-dono deciphered [kokintenju], she got to know [future], which Yoshiharu-senpai continued to fight, rejecting this kind of [fate] and its ending.

Giving up the request to be loved by mother, Nobuna-sama fought on until she was abandoned.

In the end, she was destined to die without being rewarded.

Furthermore, since Matsuo Mountain and Mt. Nanguu were taken over by

the M?ri, then even supposing I committed suicide here and now to prevent [fate] from being fulfilled, the final result still wouldn’t change.

If they lost their commander, the Akechi troops would scatter here.

Just like Imagawa troops when Imagawa Yoshimoto was captured in the middle of [Battle of Okehazama]—at that moment, Nobuna-sama’s [fate] would be decided.

No matter how much Yoshiharu-senpai runs around, trying to stop the inevitable, it’s already over. 

She was powerless. A lot of time was required for Tanba Province subjugation. On the Kanto front, the Oda troops went through harsh battles, and had to retreat. The Akechi troops had to engage in similarly harsh battles in Tanba, and the Osaka Castle being conquered by M?ri Ry?sen was among the reasons why that was the case. Furthermore, it resulted in foolishly allowing her mother to be taken hostage once more. Failure upon failure piled up. Finally, in Sekigahara, which was the grounds of the decisive battle, she made a lethal mistake. And so, as a result…

Looks like J?bei wasn’t able to obtain the power to change Nobuna-sama’s [fate]. Striving so hard, doing her utmost, yet she was apparently unable to escape [fate]…

Yasuke’s finger lightly touched the cheek of Mitsuhide, who was shedding tears in regret.

“Akechi Mitsuhide. What are you going to do? Your [fate] appears to be exactly the way Gaspar-sama has been predicting it. Now, I know for sure. You’ll definitely kill Oda Nobuna. This is your [fate]. Killing Oda Nobuna—this is the only reason you’ve been born in this world. Just like Judas, who

betrayed and sold off Jesus…” “…Judas…”

“Indeed. Jesus’ disciple, Judas Iscariot. It’s a story from distant antiquity. A story from the times when the Roman Empire dominated most of the Western world. Jesus, who was attempting to reform the hearts of the people of the country of Judea—people who were resigned to being oppressed by the Roman Empire which had conquered them—with [love], had predicted that he would be betrayed and handed over to the Romans, leading to his death. At the Last Supper, before his disciples, Jesus proclaimed: ‘There is one among you who will betray me’.Before his death, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane [TL/N: Apparently a garden in Jerusalem where Jesus and his disciples prayed the day before the former was crucified]. He was anguished—why had God abandoned him? The disciple who betrayed him was… Judas Iscariot.”

“…Why had Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus?”

“Who knows. Nobody understands. Those believing in Christ don’t, either. Not even the bishops in Rome. Neither does the Pope. People can only say it was [Fate]. There are also people who say Judas deliberately sold off Jesus to popularize the idea of [the son of God opposing the Roman Empire, a man who accepted his death, sacrificing himself to change everyone’s hearts]. In fact, if Jesus hadn’t met tragic death at Calvary, he’d surely have denied and reformed Judas’ old faith, becoming a local religious figure. The concept of [love] advocated by Jesus wouldn’t have reached the European peoples. It was precisely because Jesus died halfway before realizing his goal that he became the son of God, and it was his tragic death that made the concept of [love] become legendary. People weren’t born just to hate and kill each other, he said. Just like Buddha, who appeared in the Orient, speaking of benevolence…” [TL/N: On a side note, no one knows for sure why Mitsuhide had betrayed Oda Nobunaga. Another parallel between Mitsuhide and Judas as descrbied here]

“…[Love]… However, why had Jesus let the traitorous Judas be despite having predicted his fate? Jesus should have known that Judas would betray him.”

“Perhaps it was because of [love]. Perhaps he wanted to believe in Judas until the last moment.” 

“…He wanted to believe in Judas… He didn’t try to escape his fated [death] just because of that reason?”

“Can people change [fate]?” Mitsuhide asked Yasuke. “Fujitaka-dono has accepted baptism just recently in order to evade being wed. J?bei doesn’t understand it. What are Christians thinking about this?”

“Is [fate] something already decided and can’t be changed, or is it something people can change if they’re determined? No matter which religion, no matter which school of thought, it forever remains a difficult question whose answer can’t be found. It’s just that… Gaspar-sama thinks individual faith is important. He believes in [free will of humans]. He thinks it should be possible to predict whether someone is going to be good or evil, and what their [fate] is going to be. That’s why, in order to change Oda Nobuna-sama’s [fate], he came to Zipang… though I, personally, find myself prone to believing in determinism. A slave’s child is a slave. As long as there’s even a single drop of a black man’s blood in one’s veins, then that person is forever a slave to the Westerners. Something like freedom? We don’t have it. The only exception is me, saved from the [fate] of a slave by Gaspar-sama. If it’s for that person’s sake, I can… do anything.”

“…In that case, are you going to… kill J?bei?”

“Akechi Mitsuhide. I will let you decide. Just what is it that you want to do?”

“…J?bei … I want to… believe Nobuna-sama… I want to believe in Yoshiharu-senpai… I want to believe in… myself…! That I was born only to kill Nobuna-sama, that I’ve fought until now only to kill Nobuna-sama, that J?bei ‘s fate is to become Hi no Moto’s Judas… I refuse to acknowledge any of those…! J?bei…!” Akechi yelled. [TL/N: One of rare cases when Akechi is using “I”] 

“Right now, it’s perhaps the first and last opportunity to obtain Sagara Yoshiharu. Are you going to throw this opportunity away?”

“I can do it! If, if Tsuda Nobusumi-dono hadn’t been beheaded by Takeda

Shingen… J?bei’s weak heart has perhaps broken. Maybe it has collapsed. However… Nobusumi-dono, having a premonition of his [fated death], fought to the last breath to protect Gifu Castle! Nobusumi-dono had betrayed Nobuna-sama time and again, rebelling against her, but she’d continued to treat him with [love] as an older sister would. That’s why, Nobusumi-dono’s [fate] has changed. Rather than be a rebel who killed his older sister, he fought for the sake of his older sister as her younger brother, and met a warrior’s death!”

I’ve heard that Yoshiharu-senpai has facilitated their reconciliation. Senpai surely saved Nobusumi-dono, who was supposed to be killed by Nobuna- sama. Even if he was unable to change the fact that Nobusumi-dono’s finally met with [death] anyway, Senpai was able to create and maintain a connection between his and his sister’s hearts. J?bei too. This J?bei, too, was saved by Senpai. At that Kiyomizu-dera. If Senpai allowed J?bei to fall in combat back then, he would gain an opportunity to change the [future] predicted by Kokintenju, yet he saved J?bei. Nobuna-sama as well. At Kiyomizu-dera. At Tenn?ji. Time and again, they personally fought to save J?bei when she was on the brink of being defeated and killed, spilling their blood for her sake. J?bei was given this much love, be it from Senpai or Nobuna-sama.

“That’s why, J?bei wants to overcome [fate]. Nobuna-sama and Senpai believe in me until the end, after all…!”

“…Indeed. Sagara Yoshiharu, who came from the future, knew of your [fate] since the very start. He knew that you were to be Zipang’s Judas. And yet, 

he protected you… However, if, I say if, he didn’t believe you anymore? In this eleventh hour, you were unable to take over Matsuo Mountain and Mt. Nanguu. Furthermore, there’s the captured mother at Osaka Castle. If one was to suspect that you’ve colluded with the M?ri when you decided to take a different route than Sagara Yoshiharu back at the capital, then there’s plenty reasons to believe that.”

“They still believe,” Mitsuhide replied, her body trembling. “I have a message for Nobuna-sama. In this situation, J?bei can’t move across Sekigahara. We have to do our utmost to secure all of those positions that aren’t claimed by the opponent yet. It will be dangerous, but I can only request that Nobuna- sama directly enters Sekigehara passing through by the foot of Mt. Nanguu. Will you relay this message for me?”

“There is a possibility that once I leave Sekigahara, you’ll go to Matsuo Mountain and reunite with Kobayakawa. Even if not, telling them to flank Mt. Nanguu is already too dangerous. It’s not impossible that you’re intending to use me to set up a [trap]. I will pass your message onto Oda Nobuna, but I will not speak for your sake. I will tell her that Akechi Mitsuhide is under suspicion. What I believe are Gaspar-sama’s words. Is it okay like that?”

“…I don’t mind it. If they can’t believe me, then…”

After Yasuke, who held in her hand a letter entrusted to her by Mitsuhide, disappeared, Mitsuhide faced Sait? Toshimitsu, who had been listening

attentively to the duo’s exchange while completely dumbfounded. Then, she ordered, “Toshimitsu. Immediately advance to Mt. Sasao and Mt. Tenma still left unoccupied in the western part of Sekigahara and secure them. This Moroyama shall be the final line of defense; I want you to defend the western exits of Hokkoku Kaid? and T?san Road to the last man standing. You will then reunite with the main body of the troops led by Nobuna-sama and defend them. If you allow enemies to make it across Sekigahara, then the Oda troops will only be able to hole up in the Azuchi Castle, and the Oda Clan will be no more. Having eight out of ten chances to win, Takeda Shingen will intend on allowing neither negotiations nor retreat. We definitely cannot retreat from our last defense line.”

“I’m afraid that telling them to flank Mt. Nanguu’s foot must’ve served to reinforced their suspicions of our betrayal. If Nobuna-sama fails to enter Sekigahara, the Western Army will crumble. How would you like to proceed?” Sait? Toshimitsu inquired, shivering.

“At that point, it’ll be time for J?bei’s [fate] to be fulfilled. However, I shall not become Judas no matter what. At that time, you will take over the command over the Akechi troops, Toshimitsu, while J?bei will commit suicide,” Mitsuhide announced. 

“…Ah… ah… Nobuna-sama… Senpai… they came. It’s not a dream. It’s not a dream! J?bei…”

If Shimazu Yoshihiro and other’s forces from Kyushu were advancing in the lead to enter Sekigahara, Mitsuhide would perhaps despair, and say, “J?bei lost Nobuna-sama and Senpai’s trust. She was suspected. She failed to escape [fate].”

However. 

Descending Mt. Sasao, the ones who appeared leading Oda’s troops until

Sekigahara’s crossroads when she came to meet them were none other than Oda Nobuna and Sagara Yoshiharu.

“J?bei! Great cause! I will go to Mt. Sasao, while you and Yoshiharu will go to Mt. Tenma! We’ve been forced into a dead end, but it’s, on the contrary, okay this way! There is one last battle until we succeed in unifying the nation by force!”

Since when last was it…? Those three people met together, sharing the same time and place.

“I’ll avenge Kanj?r?… not. We’re robbing the nation! You, me, and Yoshiharu… we’re Viper’s students! It’s not over yet. Takeda Shingen has

abandoned the cautiousness she’s shown so far, pursuing a quick victory so much it’s abnormal. There’s a chance we can win, J?bei!”

“J?bei-chan. I’m sorry. Just because I’ve decided not to advance via T?san Road with you, I’ve made you suffer… however, I and Nobuna will face [fate] together with you until the end, J?bei-chan. We’re… the day we were born, the place we were born, and even the era we were born in are all different.

Even so, we’ve all fought until today bearing the same resolution to oppose [fate]. When we die, we three die together! Got it, Yasuke-chan? While you protect me and Nobuna, protect J?bei-chan too!”

“…So you broke through in the end. I’m really, really tired of you guys…”

Mitsuhide thought, Just what was it I’ve been so confused about? [Kokintenju] is, in the end, nothing but simple words. Sagara-senpai’s [number one] was always Nobuna-sama. He hasn’t wavered even once. At the time we played kemari [TL/N: A kind of soccer played in Japan in the last 1000 years. Came from an even older game from China. Too bad, 

Englishmen! You didn’t invent football in the 18-19th century! Ha! ] at Honby?ji, Senpai has clearly stated “I love Nobuna”.

Even if J?bei can’t be Sagara Yoshiharu’s [wife], even if J?bei accepts her [broken heart], still… Senpai continued to protect J?bei all the time even

while knowing that her [fate] was to become his [beloved’s killer], protecting her from [fate]. J?bei wasn’t just one-sidedly loving Senpai. I… I was loved by this person all along. I’m loved now. And, surely, I’ll be loved in the future too.

“Really… you’ve really come. You’ve really broken through at the foot of Mt. Nanguu, braving the danger that came with it. You’ve really rushed to T?san Road. You’ve… really believed in J?bei…”

It was as if Sagara Yoshiharu had brought about another miracle after Sunomata, she thought while narrowing her eyes.

Mitsuhide gave up. She resisted [fate].

However, Yoshiharu soon found out that it was by no means accidental that Mitsuhide was able to escape the fetters of the kotodama Kokintenju.

“Nobuna-sama. Sagahara-senpai. About Nobusumi-dono’s case, I have no words to say! If it weren’t for Nobusumi-dono’s death, J?bei might’ve really betrayed you under the power of kotodama Kokintenju. When J?bei learned of her [fate] of betraying Nobuna-sama from Fujitaka-dono, her heart was

truly at a loss…!”

I see. So it was Nobusumi, Yoshiharu thought as he came to realize everything. Furthermore, Hosokawa Fujitaka was likely eventually going to guide Mitsuhide to her [fate] on Matsuo Mountain, where the M?ri have taken up positions.

Mitsuhide was the intellectual type, but she was weak to mental attacks and suggestions. That was exactly why Fujitaka had pulled out the trump card known as Kokintenju. If the Akechi troops had followed the original plan and went to Matsuo Mountain, it would’ve been possible to use the power of the [location], and who knew how the situation would develop from there.

However, the M?ri troops weren’t aware of Fujitaka’s strategy relying on the power of [location] that made use of Kokintenju. The steps taken by Fujitaka and M?ri Ry?sen were mismatched. Had Kobayakawa Takakage known of Kokintenju’s existence, she’d have surely stopped Fujitaka’s plan, saying resentfully something like “this sort of old prophetical writings has no power to make a new supreme ruler emerge in Sengoku’s Hi no Moto. We shall bring about a new era of man. Men fight, men resist [fate], men decide”.

So far, Fujitaka’s methods had been completely on the mark, and the situation had continued to deteriorate as if [fate] itself was Fujitaka’s ally. However, from now on, not all would carry on in this manner. Perhaps Fujitaka had used up all her [good fortune] in the early phase.

Ironically, the fact that Fujitaka had told Mitsuhide of her future… And the fact that Yoshiharu had revealed the [future] to Nobuna…

And, above all, the fact that Nobusumi had died a noble death against the Eastern Army…

Those three changed the [course of events] completely. There was no other way to look at it. 

And precisely for that reason, the Oda troops cleared the northern part of Mt. Nanguu’s foot as well as T?san Road.

“…Will you forgive this me, who was supposed to commit the grave sin of betraying Nobuna-sama?”

When Mitsuhide, who dismounted from her horse, knelt by Nobuna’s feet and confessed her wrongdoings, Nobuna said, “I see. Kanj?r?, huh…” She then looked up into the night sky, and jumped off her horse as well. She put her hand on Mitsuhide’s shoulder softly and helped her up.

Nobuna then continued, “Although it can’t be helped that I’m mourning

Kanj?r?’s loss, why would you feel guilty and cry, J?bei? There’s no way I can blame you for uncommitted sins from the [future] that didn’t come to be, can I?”

“Fujitaka-dono has revealed to J?bei the secret of [Kokintenju]. J?bei will… eventually kill Nobuna-sama. This is… the future that should take place…”

“What a coincidence. I’ve just got this story out of Yoshiharu. The one about the future where you’re supposed to betray and kill me.”

“…Nobuna-sama. J?bei has already been rewarded. Please, kill J?bei.” “Why?”

“J?bei still hasn’t lost her senses; she hasn’t been fettered by [fate]. J?bei has thought like this. However, thinking about it calmly, if J?bei’s letter was the trigger, then had Kitsukawa Motoharu on Mt. Nanguu moved, then J?bei’s fate of becoming a retainer killing her master had really been fulfilled. As long as J?bei’s alive, the possibility that she’ll be engulfed by [fate] remains. If J?bei is killed, then this future will never come to be. It’ll be possible to avoid. In the end, this is the only thing that J?bei can do for Nobuna-sama and Senpai.”

“The heck is that? I refuse, of course! J?bei? Be it Viper or Kanj?r?, Yoshiharu has obviously never accepted such an option! I and you, we’re D?san’s pupils. We’re two, but one. We can overcome [fate] as many times as it takes! Yoshiharu has come to this era of the warring states to change both my and your [fate]. In order to pick the fruit of both on his own. If it’s

Kanj?r?’s death in Gifu Castle that changed J?bei’s fate, then it just means that Yoshiharu’s past efforts in Owari when he dissuaded me, thus saving Kanj?r?’s life, finally bore fruit. The little time Yoshiharu gave Kanj?r?, prolonging his life somewhat, wasn’t in vain… don’t you think so?”

“…Nobuna-sama…”

“Right, J?bei-chan. Also, the fact that the three of us were able to reunite wasn’t something I’ve accomplished with my power alone. Nobusumi changed it. That guy, he persevered at Gifu, continuing to fight until the end. He fought so well that Takeda’s army was forced make an all-out attack. It was to the extent that it wouldn’t have ended if they hadn’t killed the commander, Nobusumi. That guy’s death wasn’t in vain… that guy… that guy, he… fixed the broken relation between J?bei-chan and Nobuna.

Actually, it should’ve been my heart that was slashed first. But, you know what… Goemon trained me as many times as it took… so… haha…”

Goemon-dono as well? Mitsuhide lost her voice. She was no longer shedding tears. She wasn’t the only one suffering. Nobuna-sama too. Senpai too. We’ve lost irreplaceable people, and yet, they trusted J?bei and came to Sekigahara. 

“Jeez, let’s just stop fearing the [future], J?bei-chan. It was my mistake. it’d have been much better had I believed in you two earlier and revealed everything about the [future]. The one who was afraid of your [future] was none else but me. However, I’m no longer afraid of anything. In exchange for his own life, Nobusumi preserved the bonds between you two, J?bei-chan, Nobuna. Nobusumi had carried out his duty until the end. He persisted.

That’s why, I, too, will do whatever is necessary. I still have my life. My life, my existence, is the last of the last trump cards to change the fate of warring states’ Hi no Moto. I’ll pour it all into this one battle in Sekigahara. It’d been one utterly dangerous predicament after another until now. I feel like I’ve been saying this all the time, but now is [the time]—no mistake about it.”

“…Senpai… You’re right. It’d have been better to say it sooner. Many tears were spilled in vain…”

“I-it’s not my fault, okay? ! It’s true that I told him ‘don’t reveal the future!’, but that was a story from a long time ago! That is, the night when Yoshiharu swore his loyalty to me as my warrior—as my knight!”

“As a knight…? Nobuna-sama. Just what is this about?”

“I did like this,” Yoshiharu said. He grabbed Mitsuhide’s white hand, and as he pressed his lips against the back of it, he said, “Sagara Chikuzen no Kami Yoshiharu [TL/N: Chikuzen no Kami is the name of a honorary court office Hideyoshi received in real life. Consider it a sort of title], as a warrior, and as a knight, swears a lifetime of friendship and love to Koret? Hy?ga no Kami Mitsuhide [TL/N: It’s not exactly romantic love he swears. I can’t rule out that it can carry such a meaning, but what he swears here is more like brotherly love or true friendship on the level of love]. It’s the way Southern Barbarians use to testify such things.” 

It made Mitsuhide overflow with feelings she was unable to express with words. If the order they had met in was different—for example, meeting the Sait? Clan before the Oda Clan—then perhaps Yoshiharu would have fallen in love with Mitsuhide before he met Nobuna. A world like this—a history like this— perhaps was once a possibility. Something unknown to Yoshiharu split the three’s [fates]. Perhaps they were supposed to meet only during the

[Honn?ji Incident], just as it should be.

However, as Mitsuhide was bound by the threads of [fate] one after another in rapid succession, she was barely able to turn back at the last moment. We weren’t [fate’s slaves]. And that won’t change even if we suffer a crushing defeat in this Sekigahara.

“…Senpai. Until the moment J?bei dies, J?bei will not forget… J?bei got rewarded…”

“No. I was the one who’s been rewarded. I’ve come to this world for the sake of this very moment. I’ve fought. I’ve lived. Thank you…”

For long, deep in the dark.

Nobuna, Mitsuhide, as well as Yoshiharu, had finally found a small but dazzling and bright glimmer of hope in the dark.

“The days when we were busy with all kinds of things weren’t in vain. They were not meaningless. Nobusumi lent us his strength. Nobuna and J?bei- chan overcame their [fate]. However…”

“’However’? What is it, Yoshiharu? Is there still something on your mind?”

“Yeah. In the battle of Sekigahara as it happened in history, the troops of the Western Army stationed on Mt. Sasao and Mt. Tenma were beaten. The supreme commander of the victorious Eastern Army set up their position on the western side of the peak, Momokubariyama. However, since Mt. Nanguu was claimed by the M?ri, there is no way to get there.”

“Indeed, Mt. Sasao is a dead end in the west. Even so, there is a chance to win, Yoshiharu! Whom do you take me for? In the battle of Sekigahara you speak of, the supreme commander of the Western Army isn’t me, right?”

“Yeah, it was Sakichi.”

“See. Don’t lump that child whose stomach got upset after eating a few persimmons together with me, a veteran of many battles!”

“No, well, at the time of the outbreak of the war, Sakichi’s stipend was low, and Sakichi got low evaluation for failing the siege of Oshi. . . there are many reasons that can be quoted, but… well, never mind. Indeed, you’re right. If it’s you, Oda Nobuna, then there’s a possibility that you can reverse the dire circumstances of losing both Matsuo Mountain and Mt. Nanguu.”

“J?bei. I’m sure you understand, but showing that the Oda troops driven into mountains are in dire straits is the only way to victory! And, it’s precisely because the predicament of our Oda army isn’t a lie that there’s a chance to bait the opponent. It’s revival from the brink of death!”

“Acknowledged, Nobuna-sama!”

“…I still can’t imagine the tactic Nobuna has in mind, but got it. Fighting together with Oda Nobuna and Akechi Mitsuhide, I’m confident we can reverse this dire combat situation.”

“You’re saying it now, Yoshiharu?” “Indeed, to think he’s saying it only now.”

Even if [fate] catches up to us three again, if all of us three rush forward together, we can make it eat dust. 

That’s why, let’s fight, Yoshiharu thought as he overlapped his hand with Nobuna’s and Mitsuhide’s hands, grasping them tightly.

“It’s unfortunate that T?en isn’t here in Sekigahara, but Momokubariyama is a stone’s throw away. Let’s make an oath. Oda Nobuna, Akechi Mitsuhide, Sagara Yoshiharu. Although our surnames and times we were born differ, still…”

“Is that so. Even if it’s unavoidable that we weren’t born on the same year, month, and day…”

“Let’s pray that we will die on the same day of the same month of the same year!” 

Meanwhile, during the time the Oda troops were starting their advance towards Mt. Sasao and Mt. Tenma…

Being formally appointed by Nobuna as her warrior, Yasuke, who was appointed as the one responsible for intermediation between Dominus Party and the Oda Clan, once again landed her buttocks on the shoulders of

Sagara Yoshiharu, who’d returned on a horse. Amazed, she said, “What’s up with that? First a make-believe knight of the Western Barbarians, and then Oath of the Peach Garden? We’re in Zipang, no? What a farce.” [TL/N: It was an oath between Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. They became sworn brothers, and swore to protect the Han Empire from the Yellow Turbans. ]

“Oh? You sound quite familiar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. So Yasuke-chan was an orientalist.”

“Akechi Mitsuhide can be a fatalist, or Kokintenju, or Judas Iscariot… it’s quite a troublesome matter, and I was worrying over it quite a bit, but seeing the exchange and expressions of you three just now, I understood where the whole treason uproar came from. Just like Gaspar-sama feared, it was basically a lovers’ quarrel—or, to be exact, competing for Yoshiharu, right?

Oda Nobuna and Akechi Mitsuhide are friends with deep affection for each other, so as long as the three of you became a family, it’d do. How ridiculous… albeit Catholics advocate monogamy, in the Islamic empires, it’s normal for the ruler to have many wives. Even in Zipang, there are plenty of male generals with multiple concubines, no?”

“Wait a bit, Yasuke-chan. Just now, a splendid tripartite relationship has been established! Don’t bring up this topic before Nobuna and J?bei-chan! Originally, the true motive of Mitsuhide had never been confirmed! You’re saying that I’ve been on the verge of being one of the main reasons because I’ve appeared here? !” 

 

“Islamic royalty, she says? And Catholic royalty is also different?” Nobuna, who was very interested in foreign cultures, interjected without thinking even though they were in the middle of a march.

I see! Indeed, indeed, Nobuna-sama is prone to strong jealousy, so she won’t accept her husband having a concubine. However, in the first place, this is the problem, J?bei thought as her expression turned a bit sour.

“Ah… again, just as the issue was about to be solved…”

“The emperor of the Ottoman Empire has a [harem]. During the golden age of the empire, the harem was said to have gathered as many as 1 000 beauties. The empire was respected by all cultures around the world, regarded with curiosity, and even Christians and Tanegashima tolerated it, Oda Nobuna. So, how about it? Why don’t you just introduce the harem here too?” [TL/N: Lmao. On a side note, Tanegashima was the island where firearms first appeared in Japan, and its name came to refer to “firearm(s)” for a long time in Japanese. Here, though, Yasuke may be referring to the

Portuguese… hard to say. ] [If you have a better idea what she’s referring to, be my guest, it was quite a confusing sentence]

“H-h-harem? ! In other words, Yoshiharu’s persistent crap about that [harem] or whatever was… Ottoman Empire’s… that was the origin? ! Yoshiharu, you… don’t tell me you plan to gather 1 000 beauties?”

“That’s just like Qin Dynasty’s Qin Shi Huang, it’s too tyrannical!”

“Nah, I’ve barely even known anything about Ottoman Empire’s harem! It’s not that! I meant the situation in the future where a guy or a girl is so popular they’re surrounded by the opposite sex in big numbers! It’s a common noun! It’s also in the works, but it’s only four, five heroines at most!” Yoshiharu protested. 

“Is that so. So you really were going to establish a harem of pretty girls. Speaking of it, there was a time in Azuchi Castle when Imagawa Yoshimoto mentioned something of the sort…”

“I remember it! Nobuna-sama, J?bei, Imagawa Yoshimoto, Kobayakawa Takakage… who was there again? Were there only four?”

“Argh, who cares. Listen, J?bei, Yoshiharu. Be careful not to die in battle easily. If I’m lost in the middle of the battle, I want the two of you to take over the country. At that time, don’t hold back with giving me congratulatory words. Also, succeed my and Viper’s dream. As for things like you two never getting married in your lifetime, let’s not mention it. When people die, they turn into ashes, leaving nothing on earth. That’s why… there is no need for things such as fidelity towards the dead.”

Eh? Nobuna? Yoshiharu subconsciously refused to believe his ears. There was no way Nobuna was just joking. She had a serious and sorrowful expression.

She mentioned the strategy of [revival from the brink of death], but there’s no denying the fact that the Western Army is in dire straits. Furthermore, starting from the moment Takeda vanquished Nobusumi, this decisive battled has turned into one where neither side will rest before completely annihilating the other. The fact that we three gathered alive and attempted to gain victory in Sekigahara was something that hadn’t happened in the original [future]’s unification of the country by force. The possibility of us realizing this [dream] is, after all, infinitesimal. Above all, the life of Nobuna, who’s trying to bring down the Eastern Army… Is she leaving us her last will? 

I will not let her determination be in vain, and I won’t let Nobuna die. I’ve continued to fight and become strong exactly for this reason, Yoshiharu swore in his mind.

“Nobuna-sama, leaving us your last request is unnecessary! All of us three will definitely survive; let us obtain victory. Also, let us grasp the [future] even Senpai still doesn’t know in our hands. If J?bei’s [life] continues even beyond that, then it’ll all have been given to J?bei by Nobuna-sama and Senpai.

Disregarding whether J?bei was born with the [fate] of a traitor, J?bei has been give so much love from Mother, Sait?-dono, and you two. J?bei shall waver no longer. As for taking Sagara-senpai from Nobuna-sama, by no means will that happen. Be it this body or this soul, they’re with Nobuna- sama!”

At this moment, Mitsuhide’s heart was finally released from the guilt and fear related to the [sin] she had been supposed to commit.

However… this [traitor’s fate] was about to pass from Mitsuhide to yet another female general. 



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