Vol 7 Chapter 13 (1/2)
Chapter 13: Retribution for a Betrayal
Upon his return to Nikkou that evening, Tooyama Yasuhide immediately proceeded to his master Houjou Ujimasa’s chambers to apprise hietora Ujimasa thanked him with a ‘well done’
“And how did you obtain his agreement? Well do I know Ujiteru, and it would surprise me much if he did not object to such a plan with vehemence”
Ujimasa’s chosen spirit vessel was a tall bespectacled man in his mid-forties whose oval face and narrow eyes borereseo
Houjou Ujimasa’s residence, which doubled as his base in Nikkou, was located in the Narusawa villa region near Kirifuri Falls It was a relatively large structure for the area, and ht easily beas thedirector of the board of a major hotel chain despite his youth, had obtained it about five years ago The back of the house dropped away slightly into a s murmur of a brook could be heard
Ujimasa received Tooyama’s report now in the second-floor study
“Anddid you meet Saburou?”
“N-no I did not think it wise”
“Hmm”
In their previous lives, the polar opposite personalities of Ujimasa, eldest of the Houjou brothers, with his brilliant intellect and foresight and Ujiteru, with his hot-blooded belligerence, had coovernance and war
“I suppose the lie regarding knowledge of Father’s whereabouts was an unfortunate necessity, since Ujiteru would not have given in otherwise,” Ujiazed at the woods outside the“He, unlike s’ for Saburou”
“Ujiress of the ‘Nikkou Offering?’”
“He was successfully acquired through the efforts of our allies, and is noatched o’er with care byout of the ‘great power’ is complete”
“He is to be bound to the master tree at Futarasan Shrine?”
“Quite so We do not, however, have enough tree-bound souls at Mt Nikkou; as I predicted, the massed power of the unpurified spirits in this area is insufficient Wepeople Yet the tsutsuga are already devouring souls as quickly as they can”
Ujiarette to his lips, and Tooyahter
“My brothers arerods’ at Hakone, Mt Kunou, and Mt Tate But if we cannot coe, this play will end a farce We must move quickly and carefully, for we are surrounded by Takeda and Oda, and we cannot allow our enemies to perceive our plans”
”What are your commands for me, my lord?
“I have er: I will entrust you ord toUjinori at Mt Kunou and Ujikuni at Mt Tate Like your father Tooyama Yasumitsu, as an excellent diplomat, you will act as my emissary I put every faith in you You have my thanks for your work”
“Yes, my lord!” Tooyama responded just as a knock came at the door
“Enter”
The door opened to admit one of Ujimasa’s aides “My lord Date-dono requests an audience He awaits in the reception room”
“It’s all right, show him in —Tooyama, you may retire”
“Yes, my lord”
Tooyama and the aide left the rooion spread across his desk His gaze traced the notes inscribed in red marker An intricate tapestry of plans was already woven in his mind
(It must be Saburou)
The strategist’s eye
(Our clan is blessed with much talent)
A smile tilted the corners of Ujimasa’s lips There was a knock fro e entered
“Well reet him with a smile “I trust your accommodations here have been tolerable?”
Kojirou took Ujier to Hakone just now? I trust the question of Kagetora-dono has been satisfactorily resolved?” he inquired, intelligent eyes attentive “I witnessed Kagetora-dono’s powers of «choubuku» at Sendai It is as terrible as the ruree that he is , if for no other purpose than to ensure that his powers can never be turned against us”
“I aree, Kojirou-dono,” Ujimasa responded as he folded the ined I ht receive such an overture froressing nicely, with your assistance”
“”
“I could only dream of an alliance with Date-dono in the east four hundred years ago I ahted to have the aid of his brother now” Ujimasa suddenly fixed Kojirou with hawk-like eyes “You will be a chief vassal of the Houjou Clan I honor my promises”
“”
Kojirou looked down and nodded once “May I ask, Ujimasa-dono, if you have ascertained Lord Ujiyasu’s location?”
A hint of wariness entered Ujimasa’s eyes “Ah, indeed, Ujiteru was told Saburou’s fate is our father’s coe of his precise whereabouts The lie was necessary, for he would not have agreed otherwise”
“”
“But I am certain of his existence, of the fact that he watches over us still He has saved us from crisis e Yet where he ht be found”
“Then Lord Ujiyasu hioku»?”
“I know not what Father intends In our previous lives he stood behind us always, and I believe he is doing the sah he retired and yielded the position of clan head to me when he was yet in his prime, he watched over us in our wars and in the aduidance I remember that time” Ujimasa smiled “But noill see the Houjou become the conquers of the Kantou That is the moment when he will be resurrected—no, when he must be resurrected I will make make him ruler of the country, for he is worthy to assuht kindled deep in Ujient eyes “If Father had lived, neither the Taikou nor Ieyasu would have taken the country I will show the world that Houjou Ujiyasu is the true ‘supreme ruler’”
“ Ujiained consciousness Do you wish to meet him?”
“Ah, so he is awake? He is in good health, I trust?”
“He is physically unharmed Will you see him?”
“Very well,” Uji calmly
Kojirou’s so-called “Offering” was confined to the basement of the mansion The estate overlooked a valley, and a small brook could be seen from the basementIron bars had been fitted over those same s to prevent any chance of escape
Uji corridor Standing in front of it was a young man unfamiliar to him
“Kojirou-dono, who is this?”
“My vassal One who kno to draw out the Offering’s «power»”
“I see”
The young ht brown hair and hazel eyes, raised his head slightly and gave Uji and the shape of his face declared him a half-blood His dainty red lips quirked in a s the room, and his aide missed it Neither did they notice the look he and Kojirou exchanged
At first glance, the white-themed interior appeared completely normal, simple yet clean The only ornas on the walls The room held a bed, table, and unit bath If not for the bars on the s, it would be a very pleasant and ordinary guest room
The ‘Offering’ was seated on the bed As Ujirily
“You look well”
“Who are you people?” Narita Yuzuru deained consciousness fro, only to be ied into a stupor He had just re-awoken to realize that he was confined to this roo this?”
He spoke in his ordinary low tones, though it was obvious that he was furious He had every right to be: though he had not beenwas still a criry hostility
“It appears er brother is much in your debt for your care”
“Younger brother? What’re you talking about?”
“I had heard that you and he are close Yet Saburou intentionally betrayed the fact of your existence to the warlords”
“Saburou? You can’t mean”
Uji behind his glasses “My naetora’s elder brother”
“Kagetora’s! Then you’re Takaya’s!”
Yuzuru iht not be a japanese history buff, but he’d encountered the naaetora and the others frooku—even more than Takaya, for some reason
Houjou Ujimasa became the fourth head of the Houjou Clan upon Houjou Ujiyasu’s retirehtened his control of the Kantou and vied for poith the various warlords of the Sengoku He had stood against the Taikou Hideyoshi+ to the last, and, defeated in the fae of Odawara, had coer brother Ujiteru according to Hideyoshi+’s command
Ujiical brother, and his coo Takaya was surely not indifferent to this man
(But ould he have)
“Your name is Narita Yuzuru, I believe?” Ujimasa’s voice pulled him back to the conversation ”I have heard that you wielded a ‘great power’ in Sendai—that Daiitoku Myouou and Gouzanze Myouou destroyed Mogami’s ‘Kinrin no Hou’ by your will
“I’ about” Yuzuru was not disseh Takaya and others had told him about the part he played in Sendai after the fact, he still found it difficult to believe that he had actually done any of it “What does that have to do with anything?”
“We wish to borrow this unearthly power,” Uji “The power to move the Gods”
“I refuse,” Yuzuru i about this ‘power’ I certainly don’t know anything about using it But even if I did, I wouldn’t help you”
“You’re Saburou’s friend Do you not think it would be to Saburou’s benefit to help us?”
“Takaya’s benefit?” His words agitated Yuzuru “What do you mean?”
“Saburou has returned to us He will fight for us as a warrior of the Houjou”
“You’re lying!” Yuzuru exclai his voice “Takaya would never help you!”
“Why do you doubt me? Saburou is our brother Of course he would help us As Saburou’s friend, you should understand his feelings”
“Takaya is Takaya, not Kagetora! Even if Kagetora’s , he would still be Takaya!”
“And if this ‘Takaya’ should disappear, and he becaetora’ completely?”
“!” Yuzuru’s expression immediately froze “He couldn’t have”
“It is the truth Saburou is wholly ‘Saburou Kagetora’ once reed to help the Houjou”
“Thatcan’t”
“If your friendshi+p for hi us your power You will do so sooner or later in any case”
“Wait! Are you saying that Takaya was the one who told you to bring me here?!”
“You may think of it that way Your stubbornness will not help you here; you will not be harmed if you simply obeyed quietly and allowed these people to draw out your power”
“Takaya! Where is he? Let me see him! I want to talk to him!”
“I leave him to you,” Uji Yuzuru held hiled violently
“Let me see Takaya! I want to see him!”
“Stop this”
Yuzuru’s eyes narrowed at Kojirou Kojirou looked back at him expressionlessly
“There is no escape If you don’t want anything bad to happen to you, be silent and obey”