Vol 4 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Chapter 4: Flowing Stars
“He wants to speak to me? Masamune?”
Chiaki and Ayako had told hiaze suddenly fell to the bandage around his right hand given him by Masamune and his household
“To Uesugi Kagetora That’s what he said?”
“They pretty h that’s only to be expected if they were in contact with Kousaka,” Chiaki couy Kousaka, that bastard Didn’t he say he was here to negotiate an alliance for Takeda with Date against Mogaami?”
“Just because he thought he could finish us off?”
“Then why did he save Kagetora?”
Naoe, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth to speak “I wonder if there’s soaahtly”
“But Takedadown Date”
“No—” Naoe shook his head ”That’s alaao I don’t think Takeda would go so far to destroy Date Just,a deal with Mogami Yoshi+yasu personally
Ayakowith Moga”
“Well, who knows?”
Chiaki unfolded his ar around, doing whatever he wants But Moga too bad either, huh? All this transfer of the capital crap? Can it be accoestion?”
“But he sounded pretty serious about the transfer of the capital, didn’t he?” Yuzuru entered the conversation “The capital is filled to bursting, and the probleer on a scope that Tokyo can resolve by itself—it has to involve the entire island chain But even if so within twenty or thirty years”
“That’s true The complexity of this country as it is now really cannot be dealt with using Sengoku-Era sentiments”
“Huoku» onshou have any idea how to solve the awful mess of today’s national proble aze “Anyway, Kagetora What’re you going to do about Masamune?”
“Hmm, that’s true” Takaya returned expressionlessly “In any case, we have to dissolve the curse on Sendai The joint spells we need to neutral this ‘kinrin no hou’ are ‘Gouzanze Myouou-hou’ and ‘Daiitoku Myouou-hou’, you said, right?”
“I think we can trust that information Since it is true that either of these will neutralize Dakiniten-hou”
“Can we—do it?”
Naoe closed his mouth They could handle «choubukuryoku», but they were not experts in curses
“I wouldn’t say that we can’t do it, but ould need to choose a place that is very spiritually advantageous”
“An advantageousplace?”
“Yes The power of location is significant A place with a strong, pure spiritual aura such as a holy site increases the power of spells cast there If we’re to break the curse barrier, we should do it where the effect is weakest”
Takaya amine, then?”
Everyone turned to him Takaya raised his eyes determinedly
“We’ll need Masamune’s poon’t we?”
“Are you gonna accept his invitation, Kagetora?”
“I gotta go and have a look, right? And I think we can trust Masauy Kousaka” Takaya responded flatly to everyone present “I’ll go see Masamune tomorrow”
No one raised an objection
“I want to talk to you,” Yuzuru had said to Takaya, so the two of them had come up to the roof
Night had fallen, and lights shone in the city The tail-lights of cars flowed alongand gazed down at the scenery for a while without saying anything
They had not spokenit
A car’s horn blared distantly Takaya finally opened hisdown on the hustle and bustle of what seemed almost like another world
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
“”
Yuzuru was silent for a etora”
Takaya raised his head, blinking
“That’s your name, isn’t it?”
“”
“I’ve heard all about you guys Uesugi Kagetora is your true naetora”
“Chiaki told you?”
Yuzuru’s gaze fell to his feet
For ahimself—then he turned to Takaya resolutely
“You can’t throay yourself, Takaya!”
“Huh?”
“Right now, you’re planning to discard ‘Ougi Takaya’, aren’t you? You’re thinking that throwing yourself aon’t ht? That it’ll be fine That it doesn’t i Takaya’ away”
“Yuzuru”
“I’ to let you do that!”
Yuzuru’s tone was more forceful than usual
“Noto let you act so selfishly I’ you! It’s true that I don’t have your power or your strength, but still I’ to let you run away like that!”
Takaya looked at Yuzuru in surprise Yuzuru was glaring fiercely at Takaya, hands clutched into fists
“I’ll never forgive you if you betray the people who treasure you now by doing that There et power!”
“Yuzuru—”
“We only have you Miya-chan and your parents only have you To us, there’s not one good reason for ‘Ougi Takaya’ to disappear!”
Takaya was speechless Yuzuru pleaded with hihtly, “There etora’ without losing ‘Ougi Takaya’ Some way that won’t hurt anyone You have to find a way—”
It would take everything he had to find a way
So that he would not need to betray anyone
Takaya finally understood
His seventeen years were probably next to worthless in coi Takaya’ was one si Kagetora’
That hat he had thought in self-derision, and in that light throwing away ‘Ougi Takaya’ was the right thing to do for those who needed Kagetora —If he could not have that poithout doing so
But that had never been true
It was not necessary for him to throw himself away There had to be another way He did not have the right to betray anyone
Yuzuru finally sentle smile
“You can callto be following right behind you everywhere you go I’ to watch you so you don’t take any stupid shortcuts” He sly “I’ve already made up my mind, so be prepared”
“Yuzuru” Takaya looked slightly stunned, but it gradually becarin “You’re really obstinate,” Takaya said, and extended his right hand “Gimme your hand”
“Huh?”
“Just do it”
Yuzuru obediently placed his hand on Takaya’s palm Takaya quietly closed his eyes
“Yuzuru I’onna make you a promise”
“A promise?”
“I’onna betray anyone If I bitch about it” The corners of Takaya’s mouth curved up in a small smile “You can knock me doith this hand”
“”
Yuzuru also smiled
“You’d probably just hit me back”
“I wouldn’t do that”
“You never know”
Yuzuru grinned happily to see Takaya finally acting hiain
But he was changing
The seeds of change had already been planted
Naoe gazed out at the two friends frohtly as a voice called to him from behind
“Why don’t you cli there so silently?”
A youngat the foot of the stairs
It was Kousaka Danjou
Naoe turned to hih and slowly ascended
“Looks like Kagetora is in one piece?”
“He would not be so easily done in by some onshou”
Kousaka caaze over at Takaya and Yuzuru
“Huht Narita Yuzuru?”
Naoe replied guardedly, “You were the one who told us not to take our eyes off him, Kousaka Danjou”
Kousaka snorted “True enough He appears to be the only person who can draw out Kagetora’s powers, huh?”
“Why don’t you stop putting on airs and just tell me? The true nature of Narita Yuzuru Who in the world is this young man that’s supposed to be a ‘threat to the Roku Dou Sekai’?”
Kousaka answered with a faint s me, wouldn’t it be faster to seek an answer froi Kenshi+n?”
“! What?!”
Looking at the color draining out of Naoe’s face, Kousaka said, “On that score, Kagetora doesn’t see his memories, hmm?”
Naoe’s face stiffened slightly As if feeling him out, Kousakawhat you sow, hle your way out of it now Since you slept with your s You’ve let the way of the retainer fall to the wayside”
Naoe held his breath Kousaka continued mercilessly, “Well, Naoe? How did it feel to toss away even your honor to satisfy your desires? Did you want Minako that etora that much?”
“—That’s not true!”
“And really, you didn’t have to do it at that scene of carnage Ah, of course In the Otate no Ran four hundred years ago, you were the ringleader of those who drove Kagetora to his death, were you not? The two of you started in mutual hatred, so I suppose that’s the only place where you could end up”
“No!” Naoe raised his voice, glaring at Kousaka “Mutual hatred? I never hated him I never hated him at all!”
“Then why did you steal Minako away froetora? Did you want that wo to sever the bond between lord and retainer?”
“Nothat’s not true! I—!”
Kousaka cut Naoe off coldly, “You went so far that you flew right past tragedy into coetora into her body with kanshou, which is pregnant with your child”
“!”
“I’ to let you make the excuse that you had no other choice in the assault froetora on Minako’s body The body that you raped, that bore your child—Minako’s body Yes, it was precisely the saetora kill Minako To drive the soul of your beloved out of her body in order to etora was vehemently opposed to it But with that abominable ability of yours, you overcame his objections That abominable ability to performkanshou for someone else!”
“”
Naoe stood frozen, his eyes widening
“You should be thankful that at least Kagetora didn’t go mad Kenshi+n ant «power» it is You used it as a tool for your loves and hates Did you hate those two so etora so much?!”
“Shut up!” Naoe shouted, with sowith those words
The smile suddenly vanished from the corners of Kousaka’s mouth
He asked Naoe quietly as the other uish, “Did you hate Minako?”
Naoe’s eyes abruptly flew open
“Did you hate Minako, on Kagetora’s love in those days of carnage? Minako, who eased Kagetora’s hardened heart? Did you hate her?”
“”
“Who was it you really held in your arms?”
The expression fled from Naoe’s face
The wind suddenly blew through the space between them
Kousaka gazed at Naoe silently for a moment, then asked slowly, “Do you love him so much?”
“—”
“Was it with a heart twisted and maddened, in self-deception Or”
He received no reply
For alike compassion
Then he suddenly glanced away and focused on Takaya and Yuzuru Kousaka gazed at the gentle light glowing from Takaya’s body as he stood there with Yuzuru’s hand in his
The door would soon be closed—
“Date will probably offer their aid You can use their strength to great advantage Take the offer”
“ Does Takeda really want an alliance with Date? Is it true that you’ve joined with Mogami?”
Kousaka’s laugh was a low rua was just a little business deal”
“Business? What sort of business?”