Vol 7 Chapter 17 (1/2)
Chapter 17: Paradise Shut
Morning dawned at Lake Ashi+’s shores in Hakone with such calht’s storm seemed but a dream
“I suppose it’s time we started”
Houjou Ujiazed out theat Lake Ashi+’s verdant green surface Naoe stopped still on the sofa at Ujiteru’s muttered words and lifted his eyes from the Houjous’ tactical map
“What are your instructions for me?”
“You will act as my aide From what you have told ht hand; advise me as you did earlier”
“Of course,” Naoe shtly
“The other generals will have no choice but to prostrate thele is complete—there will be no need for trickery then Indeed, once we have perathered in Nikkou, in the sacred precincts of the Supreme Conqueror, with Hakone via the interht to their knees by the overwhel poill hold”
Naoe’s eyes fell to the le was drawn thereon; its sides connected Nikkou, Hakone, Kunou-san, and Mt Tate He asked, “What will become of this country then? Will you destroy the current administrative and economic systems, take it back to the Edo Period?”
“You’re quite the cynic, aren’t you?”
“I would not be able to go through with this, if I were not,” Naoe responded, folding the h hardshi+p and overwhel odds by the spilled blood and sweat of countless billions—countless trillions of people—effortlessly crushed by those who lived four hundred years ago This so-called great econoht but business acuth—‘power’ that we could not have io—destroyed by the passions of those already dead There is no greater thrill, no greater pleasure”
“I do not think of e do as the destruction of the country”
“It would a What, after all, is the ‘supreme ruler over all’? The one ields the er exist At best you ht becoparty ins the petty ga for, why not try announcing your candidacy for the elections? After all, I’m pretty sure there is no lahich says soible”
Ujiteru went to Naoe and seized his chin, forcing Naoe to look at hi you must do”
“Send the body of your brother to his death, you mean?” Naoe retorted lowly, disdainfully “How convenient for me The flesh is an endless enticement to lust: to touch, to eenders and receives so readily, ould hurt nothing and no one”
“”
“Besides, if his pet dog forced him into submission, he would probably kill himself rather than live with the blow to his pride So you see, better that he dies before such a travesty can occur” Ujiteru stared at Naoe, his face pale Naoe hid his eyes behind his hand, his shoulders shaking in self- cannot betray his master, can he?”
“”
Ujiteru lapsed into silence He could not grasp the true nature of this man who tortured hi hisTakaya And yet he could not tell what lay in Naoe’s true heart—not the sche behind their backs, but Naoe’s true desire, the truth hidden in his heart of hearts
(He has such talent—I can use aprowess added to ours, we cannot lose And yet) Ujiteru thought— (this erous)
Naoe stretched hi prone with his face down A smile like a cold blade rose to his face
“Naoe, do not deceive yourself that I trust you”
“”
“I must be certain of you Will your prove your loyalty to me?”
Naoe lifted his head, face expressionless once more, his disconsolation nowhere to be seen
“—Yes”
Ujiteru left the roo behind He asked the aide beside him, “I have not seen Kotarou Where is he?”
“My lord Kotarou-dono left this one ahead to Hakone Shrine”
Suspicion crossed Naoe’s face Left? With Tooyama? Tooyama—of Odawara’s Tooyao, Naoe recalled
“I will be leaving for Hakone Shrine Prepare a car,” Ujiteru instructed
“Yes, my lord!”
Ujiteru motioned to Naoe and led the way to Takaya’s room
He had wiped all eht of the sin he was about to perforallows for crimes committed over four hundred years, and this, the ulti the person he loved most in the world
If those capable of putting on their oodness wish to condemn him for what they call his mistakes, let them do so How could those who live for e if they wish Let the strong brandish their righteousness against the weak kneeling in prayer at their feet Let the ashed world convict the sinners who can tell no lies
(Surely you, whoe me)
Ujiteru walked steadily ahead What was he thinking? Here stood the one ould enact his punishment, and in a few minutes he would see it for himself
Naoe slowly lifted the tiny pearl in his hand to his mouth
(Please protect hih he kneas beyond his power; though he had already resigned hi -forsaken criminal? Who was he to plead so sha in such a place?
Oh, please protect him
Though I have no hope left, please protect him
He cast the silent prayer to the Buddhas
(Save him)
Ujiteru stopped in front of the room and turned to Naoe
“I atch froh which you will become a vassal of the Houjou I trust you understand”
“”
Naoe stepped within Light flowed in through the s, illuhtness He sank to his knees beside the still figure Though the ‘life-preserving spell’ alone sustained Takaya’s life, the peace on his face made him appear ht So long as the power of that purity protected hiht, he could live for years—decades—in this state
(I want you to live)
Takaya-san he whispered the name, just once And almost believed that he would open his eyes and awaken
Killing hihtest touch of his filthy hand to that pure nih to disrupt the spell and allow the blaze of life to slip naturally away from this soulless body
It would be a painless death An easy death—perhaps the easiest of all
He wanted to do it, wanted desperately to touch Takaya’s clean flesh with his black hand stained by sin and lust But Takaya in his pride would probably choose death over being sullied So in the end, it would be Naoe’s obscene desire, his blood-smeared lust, that would kill him
One touch fro What irony Heaven had bestowed upon him
If this is destiny, you have no choice but to accept it: you who, in your noble isolation, your spotless ‘whiteness,’ reject all things unclean Would you not rather perish than live bearing the black stains of disgrace? In death you will be eternal
(You are my only ‘sanctuary’)
Takaya slept
Naoe placed his hands on Takaya’s pillow and leaned over hi down at his face When he closed his eyes, he could hear Takaya’s heart He would be the one to stop that steady pulsating beat
Naoe’s brow creased, and his hands clenched into fists
Are you capable of that?
(Takaya-san)
You should never have trusted ed from your lonely solitude, trusted no one I have wiped all hesitation from my mind—yet at the last moment your smile still shakes me
You should never have opened your fragile heart to a ret that now
“Would you be happier if I didn’t exist?”
What did you feel as you said those words to nize your caring? A uish overand accepted it as my ‘just recompense?’
(You should have recognized that in me)
Naoe gazed upon the sleeping Takaya’s quiet face for aTakaya’s smile into his heart
He didn’t want to be asked ‘why?’ He held no answers
I don’t care if you never forgive me Here and now you cannot resist me Therefore hate liness
Let it be etched into your soul
You cannot bring peace to a lunatic like me
Because I no longer have any concept of sin
(That is why, O Heaven—)
I beg you to protect him He is pure, and I am a madainst him
He stretched treers and slipped his hand beneath Takaya’s collar, shutting his eyes tightly and praying with all his heart as he brushed gently against Takaya’s chest
He could feel Takaya’s body teertips as the pure spiritual energy surrounding Takaya dissipated with a whisper of sound
Takaya was dying Naoehis ainst Takaya’s
(Takaya-san!)
He thrust his tongue into Takaya’sthe pearl across His hand slid back down as if to chase Takaya’s declining heartbeat to the last palpitation, stopping directly over his heart
The beat was fading
Little by littlelittle by littledying
Until finally it stopped
From Takaya’s soulless body, from beneath his closed eyelids—
Slid a single tiny, faintly glea down, down until it fell from his white cheek
How long had it taken?
Ujiteru approached as Naoe finally tore hi steadily at Naoe’s face, he touched Takaya’s neck over his carotid artery before taking his left wrist to ascertain that he no longer had a pulse—that his body was ‘dead’
Naoe sat motionless as a statue
“ Naoe”
“”
Ujiteru returned his gaze to Takaya—Takaya’s corpse, now The corners of his lips tightened with heartbreak
Naoe re
“The a Mirror must be taken to Ujiyasu-sama”