Vol 3 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Chapter 2: Invocation of the Dead
The dry crack of the shi+shi+ odoshi+ echoed within the garden
Masamune, as master of the house, sat with his back towards the alcove shi+gezane and Kojuurou were seated at his side to receive this couest, a azes were steadily concentrated on the beautiful young uest rooarden
“This is the first ti thee, most noble lord of the Date I am the vassal of Takeda of Koushuu, Kousaka Masanobu I have co,” Kousaka said in a clear, carrying voice, and quietly raised his eyes Translucent skin and full red lips Kousaka continued, his straight gaze focused on Masaht to sit in audience with the celebrated Lord Date Masaon of the Oushuu’”
“And thou art Kousaka Danjou-dono? I, too, have heard y, ‘Kouyou Gunkan’, was thy work, was it not? ’Twas init, but I adreatly”
“Thy praise humbles me In my previous life as a vassal of the Takeda, I would never have drea able to meet thee in this way”
And then Masalittered sharply
“And I have heard of the resurrection of that great general, Lord Takeda shi+ngen I aenerals of the various do in their boots?”
“That is perhaps so” Kousaka spoke with only slightlyour troops into Echigo (Niigata Prefecture) from the northern Kantou”
“Echigo? Hht that to be the territory under the influence of Lord Kenshi+n”
“Lord Kenshi+n has not entered into the «Yaekatsu—” A secret smile curved Kousaka’s lips “Perhaps they will not be resurrected”
“Why dost thou thus believe?”
“They were purified er remain in this world”
“I see So Lord Kagekatsu has left”
Uesugi Kagekatsu (as also Kagetora’s younger brother-in-law) had been, as one of the three great powers of the Kantou in Toyotoami and Date If he had been resurrected, he would without question have been the biggest threat to the Date
Kousaka continued without giving any hint of whether or not he knew Masahts
“We the Takeda are old friends of Uesugi-dono If our Lord shi+ngen should govern Echigo, I am certain that Lord Kenshi+n’s mind would be at peace as well”
Masalared at that
“Humm So Takeda-dono wishes to be Lord Kenshi+n’s proxy?”
“Yes, indeed However, there are those ould hinder us in this”
“?”
“The general called Mogao as well”
“!”
Masaezane and Kojuurou drew in an involuntary breath —Kousaka quietly noted their reactions
“He is certainly a rather troubleso of the name ‘The Heroic Stallion of Dewa’ It has been a headache for Lord shi+ngen And of a certainty, for Lord Date as well, whose troops have crossed blades with him often”
“”
Masaami Yoshi+aki, my uncle, has always—”
“Been a painful experience?”
shi+gezane checked hiave Kousaka a sharp look Kousaka’s lips curved into his usual faint smile
“In this «Yaami’s aim seems to be the conquest of the entire Northeast It actuality, he appears to have already launched an intense offensive against Sendai Objectively-speaking, Moga It will only be a matter of time before the territory of Sendai collapses and falls into his hands”
“What?!”
“Lord Date, please calm thyself,” Kousaka said And then: “Wouldst thou not destroy him?”
“!”
Masaazed at him fixedly
“Our Echigo is also being threatened by Mogaami is equally a menace to both sides”
“Thou art saying that we should join together?”
“It would benefit the Date as well as the Takeda if Mogaone It would be an easy reement We could destroy him in a pincer movement”
A grin floated upon Kousaka’s lips
“Certainly, an alliance would mean that we could come to thine aid in other matters as well For instance—”
“?”
“The other difficulty which has been causing some trouble for Lord Date The resurrection of Ashi+na”
Masamune reacted as if he had been struck
“I have heard it said that the Ashi+na troops are quite daring They have advanced from the south, and have made it such that Lord Date has not been able to do battle with the Mogami at his ease We can send assistance from Kouduke (Gunma Prefecture); the Takeda can hold their attention from the Northern Kantou”
“!”
“What sayst thee, Lord Date?”
Masamune drew in a tense, involuntary breath
An offer all unsought
And yet, he could notas Takeda shi+ngen, who had once been called the strongest of the Sengoku
In actuality, shi+ngen had subdued the Northern Kantou no in of reinforceen was probably no threat to speak of for Mogaah—
(Does shi+ngen himself not have aspirations over control of the Northeast?)
That would probably be his true purpose
Both shi+gezane and Kojuurou probably also felt the saht-lipped expression attentively Masaazed at him for a little while Then—
“Well—we ask not for an immediate answer,” he said coolly “I shall wait a few days for thy reply Please think upon it with care I shall return for thy response some days hence”
“Wilt thou bethy way home?”
“I shall stay for the moment in Sendai Whenever thou hast made thy decision, please call upon me,” Kousaka said, and stood Kojuurou had stood as well to see him out when Kousaka suddenly turned to Masa
“There is one note of iotten to mention”
“?”
“According to a report froami—Lord Date, it seeami”
“!”
All present inhaled sharply
“Mother and Kojirou!”
”Since Lady Ohigashi+-no-Kata is also Lord Mogaer sister—it is said that the second son of the Date, Kojirou-dono, has chosen Mogaoku» as his protector It ns of the ‘Demon Princess of Ouu’
Masamune was startled
“Could it be that Kojirou and Mother have”
“Art thou certain, Kousaka-dono?”
Kousaka looked at Kojuurou and nodded
“Yes In his previous life, he was put to death by Lord Date himself on suspicion of treason His bitterness er brother”
“!”
“I am certain that Lord Date would not wish to kill his mother, as well as his brother a second time If the Date should ally itself with us, ould venture to undertake all of these unpleasant duties” Kousaka sly “I await thy—favorable response”
And with these parting words, Kousaka disappeared out of the paper sliding doors
Masamune couldn’t find his voice He stared after Kousaka, speechless
(Could it really be that)
Masahtly
(Mother—)
The storefronts and houses of Sendai City spread out beyond Hirose River
After leaving Masa platform at Aoba Castle This place, with its statue of Date Masa spot There were anizations left, the platform was suddenly quiet
A single crow ca towards him from the east
Kousaka held out his arm
The crow landed on Kousaka’s hand, flapping its wings It opened its beak and cawed several times
“What?” Kousaka’s eyes opened wide “Kagetora has entered Sendai?”
The crow shrieked hoarsely and flapped its wings Kousaka was silent for afaintly
“I see So Kagetora’s finally coinning to go all-out in their atteoku»,” Kousaka lossy black head and throat “If that is what you plan to do, Kagetora, then I will certainly not hold back Be prepared to put your life on the line”
With a “good work”, Kousaka released the croard The crow took off, its black wings flapping against clear summer skies
The wind rustled through the boughs
Kousaka’s usual enig taken off
“To fight Oda, Kagetora ive me, Naoe”
Kousaka turned on his heels
The pigeons at his feet si
“Hey, Nee-san, you okay or what?”
Takaya’s voice ca pedestrian platfor unwell since they’d gotten off at the station As they walked along, her face gradually turned so pale that even Takaya orried
“I’et used to it if I can rest for a bit,” Ayako said, waving her hand, and sat down on a nearby bench “But what is with this aura? What the heck happened to this city?”
“Is it really that bad?”
“Lucky you You roaned, pressing a hand against her head “It’s not norths I wonder if it’s always been like this”
“? Does it have anything to do with spirits?”
“Probably Spirits filled with «ths But this is weird It’s like there’s a excessive as here”
“Are you really okay?”
“Yeah Oh—we need to get to Naoe’s acquaintance’s te there”
Yeeargh! Takaya’s eyes narrowed
“Teonna make me stay at a temple?”
“Yup ’Cause they’re free”
Takaya looked up at the clear sky dejectedly
He had a bad feeling about this
Even a sleeping tiger could still sense that much
After about fifteen minutes by taxi The temple was located in the suburbs a little ways away fro it to be the ‘shi+ngon-shuu Jikou Temple’
Takaya looked around at the grounds, which were coravel
“Haaaaah”
“Hey, hey Over here, bro”
They walked towards the entrance of the char temple office, and happened upon a person of short stature in working robes who appeared to be the head priest He ca a bamboo broom “Oh!” Ayako said softly
“Good afternoon How have you been?”
“Ah It has been a while”
The abbot, who seee, headed towards them He appeared to already be acquainted with Ayako
“Youjourney For now, please come in”
“Thank you so much for your help”
Contrary to Ayako, who seemed on her best behavior, Takaya, as usual, showed no hint of a smile The abbot seemed to notice him just then
“Aha”
The priest’s eyes suddenly twinkled For so at people upon firstthem, so he usuallyat the abbot with all the ferocity of a stray dog
“So you are the one that Yoshi+aki told me about”
“Hey, hey, Kagetora!”
Ayako forcibly pushed his head down
“Ow! What the hell!”
“He’s helping us, so give a proper greeting! And mind your manners!”
Takaya reluctantly bowed his head in apology But his eyes didn’t leave the priest The abbot somehow seemed to admire his rebelliousness
“An expression that would benefit fro”
Ayako hastily said, “I-I’etora! This person is the abbot of this temple, Kokuryou-san Say ‘nice to meet you’!”
“Oh, stop nagging me already!”
“What did you say?!”
Kokuryou laughed heartily
“It’s fine, it’s fine Please come in This way Have you had lunch? Allow me to serve you some tea”
“Okay”
Ayako scowled at Takaya with reproach
Ayako and Takaya stepped inside Many calendars and paper lanterns hung froely, the sense of life here made Takaya feel all the more inexperienced
“Why are you fawning all over hi”
“You don’t know this, but Kokuryou-san is a really stubborn person, and he’s totally scary when he gets mad”
(Stubborn and scary, huh?)
Feh, he thought, putting on a bored expression
From what he’d heard of this Kokuryou, he was an old acquaintance of the Tachibanas, Naoe’s current family, whose temple was of the same school Consequently, he was one of Naoe nobutsuna—Tachibana Yoshi+aki’s—longti
He had also assisted Ayako once, two years ago, in her work of onryou extermination