Horizon:Volume 9A

Front Cover
Full Cover
Installation 1
Installation 2
Title Page
Illustration 1
Characters 1
Characters 2
Table of Contents
Character Introduction 1
Character Introduction 2
Character Introduction 3
Glossary 1
Glossary 2
Glossary 3
World 1
World 2
Study
Page 019
Page 031
Page 050-051
Page 053
Page 075
Page 093
Page 111
Page 121
Page 151
Page 171
Page 187
Page 211
Page 241
Page 273
Page 305
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Page 365
Page 385
Page 401
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Page 601
Page 625
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Page 715
Page 723
Page 741
Page 751
Page 777
Page 795

Cover Flap[edit]

Kawakami Minoru:

Born on January 3, 1975. From Tokyo. The social media game Obstacle Overture is set to restart with a new look! Currently busy preparing for that while engaging in a fierce battle with allergies.

Satoyasu:

Born in Yamagata and raised in Tochigi. “I bought a ceramic knife for cooking. The blade is white, so it looks like a magic weapon.” Just like Na*sicaä!

Installation[edit]

Oichi no Kata

Oichi-sama (why am I adding the honorific?) would probably be at the top of the list of best Sengoku wives, along with Lady Nagaoka from before.

She’s started appearing more in games and such of late, so it’s a wonderful time for the world’s wife lovers, but I doubt she thought she would be this popular 400 years later.

The historical one had a lot of ups and downs in her life. You probably already know she was Nobunaga’s sister (some say cousin instead) and was said to be one of the most beautiful women of the Warring States period, but the Oda clan did a lot of political marriages and she was married off at 21. I guess it was just her turn then. By the standards of the time, that was a fairly late marriage.

But it is said she got along well with her husband Azai Nagamasa and had two sons and three daughters with him (although the eldest son may have been adopted).

But when the Oda clan attacked the Asakura clan, which was friendly with Azai, Oda and Azai became enemies. Oda ended up slaying Azai for opposing them and Oichi-sama returned to Oda with her children. She was 27 then.

The Honnouji Incident happened nine years later and the following year, at 37, she married Shibata Katsuie. After the Battle of Shizugatake, she and Katsuie killed themselves.

We have no records of anything she said about the destruction of the Azai clan during her ten years after returning from Azai to Oda, but since she and her children were treated well in the Oda clan and since she sent Hideyoshi a letter telling him to protect her children after Katsuie’s defeat at Shizugatake, we can tell she had relationships that crossed the line between enemy and ally.

Her daughter Chacha became Hideyoshi’s concubine and her daughter Hatsu married into the Kyougoku clan, but her daughter Gou ultimately became Tokugawa Hidetada’s wife. Gou’s son was Iemitsu, giving her a family link to Emperor Showa, which means Oichi-sama is a common ancestor of both Yodogimi and the current emperor. In a way, she conquered the east, west, and center of Japan. If she hadn’t lived the life she did, I feel like it would have changed the course of Japanese history. The late 16th century has an absurd density of history.

Also, a record from when she was 37 says (loosely interpreted), “She doesn’t look a day older than 22 or 23!”, so what couldn’t she do?

Ya-san drew out her design after looking at my rough image, so this is where it started.

I designed her as a grieving woman, but I didn’t want to forget her good upbringing, so I added the fur of a Russian uniform to her M.H.R.R. clothing, which makes her look more mature.

Since she swings large objects around in combat, I kept the silhouette of her torso and arms exposed. If you include her historical specs, she has to be one of the all-around strongest characters.

(Kawakami Minoru)

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon - Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere - 8C[edit]

—This means war!

Characters[edit]

Recruitment[edit]

Top (white): Calling all mercenaries!!

Title (black): Recruiting Mercenaries

Text: Come to us, youths. Actually, it’s fine with us if you’re old. Men, women, and children are all fine. So we are recruiting anyone from any gender at any age from the teens to the 300s.

Why do we need mercenaries, you ask? Because Tres España will soon fall into hardship. The Testament can be a fearsome thing, so we kinda want to gather foreign currency while we can.

So join us as mercenaries, travel to foreign nations, do some work there, and bring back that money to help improve the situation back home! Don’t you want to shoot a gun!? Become a mercenary and you can shoot all sorts of different guns. And as a mercenary, you can even shoot those guns at Tres España!

You, the one reading this! If you have a bone to pick with someone, this is your chance! You can shoot them all you want and it’s perfectly legal!

Bottom: Tres España Cooperative Headquarters

Characters[edit]

● Musashi

Aoi Kimi: Toori’s older sister and worshipper of the god of eroticism and dancing. Fundamentally high-tension and selfish in practice.
Aoi Toori: Protagonist. Musashi Ariadust Academy’s chancellor and student council president. Mr. Impossible.
Asama Tomo: Daughter of the Asama Shrine, Musashi’s main shrine. Childhood friend and overall victim of Toori and Kimi.
Azuma: Child of the emperor and a half-god. All his abilities have been sealed and he lives on the Musashi.
Adele Balfette: From a vassal family that arrived from France. Glasses girl.
Itou Kenji: Cheerful incubus. Nude, bald, and muscular. Known as Itoken.
Ohiroshiki Ginji: Gourmet otaku with a Heart-sama style build.
Kiyonari Urquiaga: 2nd special duty officer. Flying half-dragon. Hopes to be an inquisitor. Known as Uqui.
Shirojiro Bertoni: Treasurer. Young leading member of Musashi’s commerce and industry guild.
Tenzou Crossunite: 1st special duty officer. Ninja and errand-runner who always covers his face with his hat.
Toussaint Neshinbara: Secretary. Loves history, wants to be an author, and writes doujins.
Naomasa: 6th special duty officer. Older sister type who works in the engine division. Smokes and laughs loudly.
Nate Mitotsudaira: 5th special duty officer. Member of a knight family and inheritor of the Mito Matsudaira name. Half werewolf.
Nenji: Slime with about 3 HP. Manly.
Noriki: Laborer boy who supports his family. Clumsy martial artist. Silent and unsociable.
Heidi Augesvarer: Treasurer’s aide. Shirojiro’s partner. Has a white fox named Erimaki.
Hassan Furubushi: Calpis logo-style Indian. Lives while eating and drinking only curry.
Persona-kun: Super macho man with a bucket helmet. Silent, strong, and kindhearted.
Horizon Ariadust: Toori’s childhood friend and current ruler of Mikawa. Currently an automaton. Her emotions were taken as parts for the Logismoi Oplo.
Honda Futayo: Former Mikawa student. Honda Tadakatsu’s daughter. Uses a strongly old-fashioned speech pattern.
Honda Masazumi: Vice president of the student council. Diligent exchange student who arrived from Mikawa the previous year. Has various issues with her family.
Marga Naruze: 4th special duty officer. Black-haired six-winged Weiss Hexen. Member of the manga club.
Margot Naito: 3rd special duty officer. Blonde-haired six-winged Schwarz Hexen. Always smiling.
Miriam Poqou: Girl who stays in her room because she lives in a wheelchair.
Mukai Suzu: Blind but always gives it her all. Acts as everyone’s stopper.
Tachibana Muneshige: Former Tres España 1st special duty officer. Amore. Currently working to regain his inherited name.
Tachibana Gin: Former Tres España 3rd special duty officer. Muneshige’s wife and possessor of cannon-style false arms. Fifty times.
Mary Stuart: Half-sister of English Queen Elizabeth. Well-endowed blonde. Living with Tenzou as his future wife. Owner of Ex. Collbrande.
Mishina Hiro: Granddaughter of the engine division’s chief. Loves mechanical things. Naomasa’s underclassman. Her name is pronounced Hiro, not Dai.
Mishina Shouichi: Mishina Hiro’s father. Taizou’s son-in-law. Head of Kantou IZUMO.
Satomi Yoshiyasu: Satomi Academy’s student council president. Small but does not cry. Uses the god of war Righteousness.
Ookubo Tadachika/Nagayasu: A rare Far Easterner with a double inherited name. A second year and head of the representative committee. Speaks in a fake-sounding Kansai dialect.
Kanou: Ookubo’s maid. An automaton. Head of the public morals committee. A second year.
Date Shigezane [Narumi]: Masamune’s cousin. Vice chancellor of the Date clan and uses a mobile shell named Unturning Centipede. Confident elder sister type.
Yagyuu Munenori: A 1st year ninja samurai who serves Ookubo. Hunterrrrrrr chaaaaaaaaaaance!
Houjou Ujinao: Chancellor and student council vice president of the Houjou Association of Indian States. A demonic long-lived, but has an automaton body.
Nagaoka Tadaoki: He’s super scaryyyyyyyyyyyy! His dick’s pitch blaaaaaaaaaaack!

● Academy Officials

Oriotri Makiko: High-speed battling teacher. Always wears a track suit.
Sakai Tadatsugu: Musashi Ariadust Academy’s president. Used to be a very able person but was demoted.
“Musashi”: Automaton that supervises the Musashi and overall commander. Her sharp comments are hard to put up with.
Yoshinao: King of Musashi who was sent from Hexagone Française. Has a veto right toward the academy and has the authority to manage Musashi.
Sanyou Mitsuki: Class 3-Bamboo’s homeroom teacher. Looks up to Oriotorai. Somewhat sensitive and unlucky.

● Hexagone Française

Reine de Garou: Turenne. Hexagone Française’s vice chancellor. Mitotsudaira’s mom. All-around giant breasts.
Mitotsudaira’s Father: The Reine des Garous’s husband. A victim who is full of happiness and readily cries. Not so much passive as always under attack. 24 days.

● Tres España

Felipe Segundo: Chancellor and student council president. Hard-working middle-aged man.
Juana: Vice president of the student council. Female teacher type. Logismoi Oplo user.
Velázquez: Secretary. Long-lived. Painter and Testamenta Arma user. Middle-aged.
Hironaka Takakane: Vice chancellor. Ghost. Baseball team captain. Testamenta Arma user.
Era Fusae: 2nd special duty officer. Long-lived. Ghost. Takakane’s wife. Track team captain.
Valdés Siblings: 4th and 5th special duty officers. Baseball team members.

● P.A. Oda

Niwa Nagahide: #2 of the Six Heavenly Demon Army and Five Great Peaks. A dancer and quick to adapt.
Mori Ranmaru: Nobunaga’s page. An old-fashioned automaton who originally belonged to the Imperial Palace, but was sent to P.A. Oda.
Shibata Katsuie: One of P.A. Oda’s Six Heavenly Demon Army and Five Great Peaks. Athletic type. Very troublesome after his recent marriage.
Oichi: Shibata Katsuie’s wife. Gentle berserker.
Fuwa Mitsuharu: P.A. Oda’s local anti-Sviet Rus treasurer. She, Toshiie, and Narimasa are known as the Triumvirate.
Mori Nagayoshi: Manliest young fellow in P.A. Oda. His head spins at the instant of impact.

● M.H.R.R.

Hashiba Toukichirou: M.H.R.R. Vice President and monkey-masked automaton girl. The nervous bomber type.
Olimpia: Innocentius’s older and younger stepsister. Current Pope-Chancellor.
Matthias: Representative of M.H.R.R.’s Catholics. Student Council President. Younger brother of Chancellor and Emperor Rudolf II. Being a puppet is fun!
Maeda Toshiie: Catholic representative. Treasurer. Samurai attendant that has become a ghost and is peacefully spending his days with his wife Matsu.
Fukushima Masanori: Under Hashiba’s direct command. Ten Spears #1. Speaks in an old-fashioned way.
Katou Kiyomasa: Under Hashiba’s direct command. Ten Spears #2. The busty blonde type and speaks politely.
Ishida Mitsunari: An earnest but inexperienced data entity who is often troubled. Ten Spears #3.
Katou Yoshiaki: Ten Spears #4. Gold-haired, gold-winged Weiss Hexen. Speaks sharply, but surprisingly tends to act as a mediator.
Wakisaka Yasuharu (Angie): Ten Spears #5. Black-haired, black-winged Schwarz Hexen. The carefree type, but she truly is carefree.
Hirano Nagayasu: Ten Spears #6. Representative of the Tsurugi Shrine, Oda’s main shrine. Busty. Launches swords instead of arrows and drinks a lot. Loves unreliable people.
Hachisuka Koroku: Shouroku. God of war pilot of the Hidamari Genbu. The cool kid of the Ten Spears.
Kasuya Takenori: Ten Spears #8. Black wolf. Close-quarters fighter who defeated Takigawa. Has a chest.
Takenaka Hanbei: Ten Spears #9. Hashiba’s tactician. Carefree long-lived girl. Has also inherited the name of Kuroda Kanbei.
Katagiri Katsumoto: Ten Spears #10. An earnest boy who can also negotiate.
Kani Saizou: Extremely high probability of people misreading her name. The energetic aide to the Ten Spears. Fukushima’s underclassman. Nickname: Kanitama.
Ootani Yoshitsugu: An earnest, hot-blooded, sincere, and honest virus with a strong sense of justice. Liked by cats.
Nabeshima Naoshige: Kani’s childhood friend who moved to the Ryuuzouji clan. The big sister type. A mechanical dragon pilot who bosses the Four Heavenly Kings of Ryuuzouji around.
Four Heavenly Kings of Ryuuzouji: “The five of us!” “Are the Four Heavenly Kings of Ryuuzouji!” “There’s five of us!” “But we’re the Four Heavenly Kings!” “Get outta the way!” and so on.
Asano Yoshinaga: Kani’s childhood friend and the type to get good grades. Tallllks with a weird intonaaation.
Ikeda Terumasa: Kani’s childhood friend and a builder. Is doing a lot of stuff with the Shirasagi Castle.
Shima Sakon: 3m tall, held back 5 times, and can regenerate. But it makes her go yowch. Uses the mobile shell Onitakemaru. Kohime.
Onitakemaru: A Shogun. A mobile shell. Real easy to get worked up. I’m a mobile shell now, but you got a problem with that!?
Komaoumaru: Kiso no Yoshinaka. Tomoe Gozen’s former husband. Fires beams from his mouth even after resurrecting.
Ishikawa Kazumasa: Teacher of the Ten Spears and other related students. Originally lived on the Musashi, but left for P.A. Oda after losing to Oriotri.

● Mogami Clan

Mogami Yoshiaki: Betrayal-loving daimyo known as the Fox of Ushuu. Shrewd leader who unified frigid Mogami in a single generation.
Shakenobe: The Mouse that follows Yoshiaki-sama, mon!

● Other Forces

Tomoe Gozen: M.H.R.R. Protestant with Luther as a second inherited name. A ghost. Uses a Testamenta Arma and this people with a Testament copy hammer.
Christina: Lady Nagaoka. Fully prepared to die. Lives on the north end of Nördlingen.
Masaki Tokishige: Satomi’s current representative. A fairly hard worker who serves Hashiba. Uses the god of war called Integrity.

Glossary[edit]

A[edit]

Academy: An educational facility. Used as the center of political and military power. Tend to have many branch schools.
Academy Rules: The basic laws upheld between academies. Agreed to by the Testament Union.
Age of Dawn: The age before the Testament was established.
Amako clan: Former IZUMO land. Destroyed by Mouri and Hexagone Française.
Anti-Decline Pro-Tuning: The action taken during the Age of Dawn that led to the creation of the Testament and Harmonic World.
Apocalypse: The end of the world. 1648 when the Testament’s history descriptions end.
ArchsArt: England’s primary corporation.
Ariake: Floating dock for the Musashi provided by Kantou IZUMO.
Armada battle: A naval battle fought between England and Tres España. Tres España planned to land on England but their fleet was destroyed.
Artificial Apocalypse: A compressed ley line distortion created in England’s Avalon to research the Apocalypse.
ATELL: The smallest unit of ether. Used for spells.
Avalon: A space created in England to research the artificial Apocalypse.
Azuchi Castle: P.A. Oda’s giant aerial warship.

B[edit]

Blessings: The amount of ether needed for a human to exist for one hour. 3600 ATELL. Conversion unit for a spell’s ATELL consumption.
Bunroku Campaign: Hashiba’s invasion of Korea. The first one.

C[edit]

Catholic: The old mainstream version of Tsirhc.
Chancellor’s Officers: An organization led by the chancellor which leads the academy and performs work such as defense.
Change of Rank: Having one’s clan taken away.
Contradiction Allowance: The foundational ability of the world. Allows the simultaneous existence of all sorts of physical laws.

D[edit]

Divine States: Former name of the Far East.
Divine Weapon: A weapon that, unlike a normal weapon, has a unique ability.
Divinely Ordained Prayer Academies: The original academies that existed during the Age of Dawn. More a guiding frontline base than a place of learning.
Dragon Line Reactor: A bomb that uses a runaway ley line reactor to destroy a wide area.
Dragon Races: The dragons. There are Celestial Dragons which are spirits and Terrestrial Dragons which are beasts and the Celestial Dragons are of a higher level. They dominated during the history recreation of the Germanic invasions, but ultimately lost. They are now scattered across the land.
Dunhi: A religion. Focused on reincarnation.

E[edit]

Edel Brocken: Magic brand. Location of headquarters unknown.
Eisenritter: Primary corporation of M.H.R.R.’s Protestant principalities.
Emperor: A divine individual who is said to control the ley lines using the Imperial Regalia in Kyou. Does not interfere with the world.
England: Uses a floating island and does not control any Far Eastern land or Far Eastern daimyo.
Ether: Component that makes up contradiction-allowing space.
Ether Engine: An engine that uses ether’s space-altering ability. The effect changes based on the internal crest.
Ether Fuel: Ether that has been purified into fuel. Used as External Blessings or for ether engines.
Ether Reactor: A reactor that extracts and purifies ether from the air. Has a lower output than a ley line reactor, but is relatively safe.
Europa: Hexagone Française’s primary corporation.
Excalibur: Has a first and second version.
External Blessings: Blessings accumulated outside of oneself. Ether fuel is an example.

F[edit]

Fan Gang: Qing brand. Durable but a bit rough.
Far East: Name of the Divine States after the Harmonic Unification War.
Fino Alba: K.P.A. Italian brand. Their use of springs is their selling point.

G[edit]

God of War: A giant humanoid machine that people combine with to move.
Graduation: No limit for nations other than the Far East. Far Easterners must graduate at 18.
Grande y Felicísima Armada: Tres España’s fleet for the Armada battle. Made up of cutting-edge ships.
Great Return: When Hashiba returned with all his troops while attacking Mouri during Nobunaga’s assassination. The rushed march covered about 200 km in less than ten days.

H[edit]

Harmonic Territory: Locations where the fallen Harmonic World Divine States unified with the real world while breaking apart.
Harmonic Unification War: A war between the harmonic world residents and the real world (Divine States) residents after the destruction of the harmonic world. The harmonic world residents won and began a provisional rule over the Divine States.
Harmonic World: A former alternate space that copied the Divine States. Preserved through ley line control.
Hexagone Française: Mouri clan + France.
Hidetsugu Incident: Hidetsugu, Hashiba’s nephew who was going to be left in charge during the next generation, earned Hashiba’s anger and was forced to commit suicide. The reason is unknown, but his concubine Komahime had to commit suicide with him.
History Recreation: Recreating the Testament descriptions to maintain the path the world takes.
Holy Spells: Tsirhc spells. The Catholics are related to the Testament and holy individuals while the Protestants derive power only from the Testament.
H.R.R.M.: Holy Knights Ironworks Guild. Primary corporation of M.H.R.R.’s Catholic principalities.

I[edit]

Imperial Palace: Where the Emperor lives and governs from in Kyou. It is said the three Imperial Regalia are used to control the ley lines, but the details are highly classified.
Inherited Name: The name of a historical figure given to an appropriate individual for the history recreation.
Internal Blessings: blessings stored within oneself.
IZUMO: The Far East’s largest corporation. The headquarters for Far Eastern shrines and the corporation that built the Musashi.

J[edit]

Judge/Judgment: Means “understood”. Used by criminals.

K[edit]

K.P.A. Italia: Association of Aki States + Union of Italian City States.

L[edit]

Laws for the Samurai Clans: Laws established after the Matsudaira clan established the Edo Shogunate. It determined the status of the samurai clans, but it centralized power by declaring a ‘Change of Rank’ if a clan or castle had no heir.
Ley Line: The thicker of the pathways through which ether flows.
Ley Line Reactor: A reactor that extracts and refines either from ley lines. Can easily cause lay line mutations and destroy everything within several kilometers if they explode. Due to their instability, they are banned by the Tsirhc religion.
Logismoi Oplo: Weapons of mass destruction created on the motif of the seven deadly sins.

M[edit]

Magic: Folk spells currently under persecution in Europe.
M.H.R.R.: Hashiba clan + Holy Roman Empires.
Mikawa: Destroyed by the collapse of Lord Motonobu’s ley line reactor.
Mito: South of Oushuu and north of Edo. Mitotsudaira’s territory.
Mlasi: A later non-Tsirhc religion that also worships the Testament.
Mouse: A spirit beast device to act as an intermediary between the Shinto religion and its musicians. Other religions use different names.
Musashi: Aerial city ship. The sole independent territory allowed for the Far East.

[First Starboard Ship – Shinagawa/Second Starboard Ship – Tama/Third Starboard Ship – Takao/First Central Ship – Musashino/Back Central Ship – Okutama/First Port Ship – Asakusa/Second Port Ship – Murayama/Third Port Ship – Oume]

Musashi Ariadust Academy: The Far East’s representative academy which exists on Okutama of Musashi.
Musician: A religion’s worshiper.

N[edit]

Novgorod: A large trade city on the western end of Russia. It is a floating city, but became a city of the dead after Ivan IV the Terrible’s purge.

O[edit]

Oat: A religion based on China’s sages.
Offering: Providing a god with something they will enjoy or Internal Blessings.
Official Events: Refers to the ceremonies, exams, etc. that an academy must complete during each term. If these are not completed, the academy may not take part in any external politics.
Orei Metallo/Nero: Ore or water containing ether. Can be used as ether fuel.
Orthodox: The Orthodox Concerto religion. Sviet Rus’s unique branch of Catholicism.
Oushuu: The Tohoku region. The Date clan rules the east and the Mogami clan rules the west.
Oushuu Fujiwara (Hiraizumi): A hidden village of the long-lived in southern Oushuu.

P[edit]

P.A. Oda: Oda clan + Ottomans.
Peace of Westphalia: The peace treaty that ended the Thirty Years’ War.
Protestant: A new style of Tsirhc created to escape the corruption of Catholicism and to adjust to the new age.
Provisional Council: Group of adults who act as bureaucrats toward Musashi’s student council, chancellor’s officers, and student committees.

Q[edit]

Qing-Takeda: Combination of China and the Takeda clan.

R[edit]

Religion: Organizations or groups that worship a god or the Testament.

S[edit]

San Mercado: Tres Españan brand.
Shaja: Used in Mlasi regions and means “understood”. Originally meant “courage”.
Shinto: Far Eastern religion. Worships the Far Eastern gods and uses divine music spells.
Shirasago Enterprises: IZUMO’s shrine brand.
Siege of Otate: Conflict over the succession of the Uesugi clan after Kenshin’s death. Uesugi Kagekatsu and Nagao Kagetora fought and Kagekatsu won.
Sign Frame: Spell device needed to use each religion’s basic protection.
Song of Passage: Prototype of a fairy tale created in the Far East during the Edo period.
Spell: Causing a miracle in a certain space by processing ether.
Spirit Spell: Primitive spells used by talking to and borrowing the power of spirits, which are ether with a will of its own.
Student Council: The organization that handles an academy’s domestic and foreign affairs.
Substitution: Offering something to please a god instead of using Blessings to activate a spell.
Sviet Rus: Uesugi clan + Russia.

T[edit]

Tes/Testament: Means “understood”.
Testament: A history book that provides the history of the earth’s previous age. There are seven pairs and excerpts.
Testament Descriptions: History of the earth’s previous age that is automatically updated by the Testament. However, it stopped updating after the description for 1648.
Testament Union: An organization meant to lead the history recreation.
Testamenta Arma: Weapons that use the ability of the Testaments.
Tres España: Oouchi and Ootomo clans + Spain. Currently includes Portugal.
Tsirhc: A religion which places the Son of God at the top. Worships the Testament.

World[edit]

The Story So Far:

Hi, Ikeda here. Lately, I’ve been raising cochins while haunted by a ghost. My routine these days is to wake up at 4 in the morning, open the cochin cage, give them some food, and then eat my own breakfast at 6. During the morning, I let the cochins get some exercise. At midday, I give them lunch and eat my own lunch. In the afternoon, I take the cochins to be used as offerings, move them to a different spot, and arrange to have them transported. At 5, I put the cochins back in their cage and eat dinner.

My work? I start that in the evening and keep going late into the night! Got a problem with that!? Anyway, my team went to bed early to prepare for tomorrow, so I’m checking over the Mikawa Bay salvage results with Osakabe-hime by my side.

What else do I do? You mean like go to Sanada for a summer training camp and enjoy a village festival!? But right now, apparently the Musashi group made Akechi-senpai say “eh?” at Kyou’s Imperial Palace, the emperor’s identity was revealed, and it all went boom. And I think I heard the Battle of Shizugatake is starting? But the Honnouji Incident is supposed to be tonight. I hope that all works out.

Divine Chat Screenname List:

Azuma: Azuma
Asama: Asama Tomo
Obscene: Itou Kenji (Itoken)
Me: Aoi Toori
Gold Mar: Margot Naito
Righteousness: Satomi Yoshiyasu
Scarred: Mary Stuart
Silver Wolf: Nate Mitosudaira
Still Got It: Reine des Garous
Wise Sister: Aoi Kimi
481: Mishina Shouichi
Tachibana Husband: Tachibana Muneshige
Tachibana Wife: Tachibana Gin
Smoking Girl: Naomasa
10ZO: Tenzou Crossunite
Tonbokiri: Honda Futayo
Sticky King: Nenji
83: Hassan Furubushi
Flat Vassal: Adele Balfette
Vice President: Honda Masazumi
Bell: Mukai Suzu
Horizey: Horizon Ariadust
Art-Ga: Marga Naruze
Circle Be: Heidi Augesvarer
347: Mishina Hiro
Novice: Toussaint Neshinbara
Musashi King: Yoshinao
Four Eyes: Shakespeare
Worshipper: Ohiroshiki Ginji
Laborer: Noriki
Unturning: Date Narumi
Kagetsuna-kun: Katakura Kojuurou
Fang: Oniniwa Tsunamoto
Caretaker: Rusu Makikage
Taki: Takigawa Ichimasu
Great Upperclassmen: Shibata Katsuie
O12: Oichi
Lily Flower: Sassa Narimasa
Omaeda: Maeda Toshiie
Fuwaa: Fuwa Mitsuharu
Mory: Mori Nagayoshi
Nine Tail Girl: Mogami Yosahiaki
Shigeko: Honjou Shigenaga
KageV: Uesugi Kagekatsu
Tomo-no-Bu: Saitou Tomonobu
Nagaya-Stable: Ookubo Tadachika
CAN: Kanou
Llaf: Fukushima Masanori
Kiyo-Massive: Katou Kiyomasa
The Boy: Katagiri Katsumoto
Kuro-Take: Takenaka Hanbei
Kimee: Katou Yoshiaki
AnG: Wakisaka Yasuharu
6: Hachisuka Koroku
An-Ri: Henri
Ar-Man: Armand
Super Justice: Ootani Yoshitsugu
Nari Nari Nari: Ishida Mitsunari
Kanitama: Kani Saizou
Nine Horns: Kuki Yoshitaka
Three Legs: Suzuki Magoichi
Black Wolf: Kasuya Takenori
Nabe3: Nabeshima Naoshige
Asano: Asano Yoshinaga
IT: Ikeda Terumasa
Okaaa: Nagaoka Tadaoki
Koni-ko: Konishi Yukinaga
■――: Yagyuu Munenori
Self-Destruct Girl: Christina
Kohime: Shima Sakon
Onitakemaru: Onitakemaru
Juana: Juana
Flores: Flores Valdes
My Sister’s Brother: Pedro Valdes
#1 Bunter: Hironaka Takakane
BA3: Era Fusahide

Far Eastern Powers: [Same map as before]

Relationships Between the Major Powers: [Same as before]

Musashi’s Plans:

Toori: Sis! Sis! We’re looking down at the aftermath of the Imperial Palace going kablooey from up above Kyou, but what are we gonna do now!?

Kimi: Heh heh heh. Kablooey brother, we are going to prepare and get some sleep before Honnouji, but jot down a note that P.A. Oda might be starting the Battle of Shizugatake! That’s what I call noteworthy! Anyway, we’re also doing some negotiating with Tres España who we fought before entering the Imperial Palace!

Study: The Honnouji Incident and the Battle of Shizugatake[edit]

Toori: Sis! Sis! What’s going on with the Honnouji Incident and all that stuff!?

Kimi: Heh heh heh. Incident brother, people have been talking a lot about the Honnouji Incident and the Battle of Shizugatake recently, but they’re actually pretty closely related.

Toori: Are they married!?

Kimi: Now, I don’t know if you’re anthropomorphizing them or just don’t know what you’re talking about, but stop it. Listen. After Nobunaga dies at the Honnouji Incident, Akechi Mitsuhide is slain at the Battle of Yamazaki and then the Oda clan has to decide who inherits the clan.

Toori: Oh, so it’s a succession battle between Nobunaga’s kids?

Kimi: Yes, and this was determined at the Kiyosu Conference. All the important Oda retainers gathered and made a decision, okay?

Toori: Huh, huh? Why would Oda’s retainers and not actual Oda people decide Nobunaga’s successor?

Kimi: Because Nobunaga appointed people based on their abilities, so the Oda clan had started placing more weight on ability than blood. Anyway, this led to a conflict between Shibata Katsuie and Hideyoshi.

Toori: War already?

Kimi: No? They were all mature adults. But while Shibata supported Nobunaga’s third son Nobutaka who had been adopted into another family, Hideyoshi supported Nobunaga’s grandson Hidenobu. Hideyoshi laid his groundwork well and got public opinion on his side, so Hidenobu became the successor. Now, the Oda clan was in Hideyoshi’s debt after he slayed Mitsuhide, so when he proved he could also determine its successor, all the younger Oda retainers chose to serve him

Toori: Oh, and that gradually filled Shibata’s anger meter until he started Battle of Shizugatake?

Kimi: More or less. This chart shows how it happened.

Honnouji Incident

Nobunaga dies

⇩

Battle of Yamazaki

Hideyoshi slain to avenge Nobunaga.

⇩

Kiyosu Conference

Hideyoshi opposes Shibata and comes out ahead

⇩

Battle of Shizugatake

Shibata doesn’t like the outcome of the Kiyosu Conference and rebels

Toori: I wonder what woulda happened if he’d jumped straight to war like Seijun does.

Kimi: Let’s not speculate about these things, okay?

Prologue: Ruler of the Wide Block Out Front[edit]

If the world is not broken

It cannot be fixed

Point Allocation (Self-Purification is a Different Matter)

●

A commotion filled Kyou’s sky.

As evening turned to night, several large shapes gathered in and flowed across the sky.

They were aerial ships.

Most of them were transport ships and passenger ships sent by Kyou’s guards and government to help the people evacuate.

The city of Kyou had collapsed across a wide area in the center.

The former location of the Imperial Palace was now a gaping hole.

This hole was 500m across and no one knew how deep it was.

Red ether light occasionally flew up into the sky from the darkness in the hole’s depths. The hole was definitely deeper than it was wide and its interior walls crumbled inward as tremors ran through the ground.

The entire city of Kyou was shrinking. The ground below the center had liquefied and the surface was lowering as the opened hole filled in.

An evacuation order had been given for anyone within 3km of the center. And…

“I am Ishida Mitsunari and I have taken control of Kyou to replace Akechi-sama. We are working to assess the extent and continuing spread of damage caused by Kyou’s collapse, but anyone in the designated area should evacuate and take appropriate measures. A lernen figur directing you to an evacuation shelter will be sent in the next few minutes, so please follow the given instructions.”

Mitsunari responded to the disaster by appearing both by lernen figur and physically in several locations at once.

P.A. Oda had assigned her as Kyou’s new manager.

●

Mitsunari began by urging the people of Kyou to evacuate.

…Kyou is a historical land.

It contained many famous families and a lot of people owned many possessions, so they would be reluctant to evacuate.

In the worst case, they would turn her away at the door.

So after urging them to evacuate, she took a certain measure.

She called in guard ships from P.A. Oda and the Azuchi region and positioned them around the city.

Kyou was a well planned city. Its streets were generally of a standard width, so she called in ships capable of landing on the streets and positioned them between the different sections of the city. The guard ships would prevent any crime while the evacuees were away from their homes and they could act quickly if the people who refused to leave needed to be evacuated in a hurry. And…

…They can monitor the Musashi’s movements above.

The guard ships were also meant to keep an eye on the Musashi so it couldn’t descend on Kyou.

Some would feel relieved to have the guard ships there, while others would ignore them.

And while the people decided to either evacuate or stay, Mitsunari had transport ships loaded with supplies from the Azuchi. They were all Dragon-class.

“They contain crust adjustment spells and a biodegradable hardening agent.”

Meaning…

“Those transport ships will be used to fill in the hole.”

The task was simple: fly several transport ships in to fill the hole.

But she opened a lernen figur and used a diagram to explain to the people.

“P.A. Oda’s construction skills are advanced enough to build Hashiba-sama’s one-night castle. We will be using the transport ships themselves as materials this time, but just in case a survivor shelter is caught and buried, the ships will be linked together with pillars between them to fill the hole in level by level.”

After demonstrating this on the diagram, the actual transport ships descended from the sky toward the center of the hole. A group of four ships acted as the main shaft. They searched for any life readings and then flew underground.

“First group has dropped.”

The 500m transport ships descended while packed only as tightly as necessary to fit in the pit. The downwards-pointing noses performed the crust hardening to establish a “bottom”.

The diagram showed the ships settling down while a tremor more than a rumble reached them.

“Done,” Mitsunari calmly announced to everyone. “The first group worked perfectly.”

●

Nari Nari Nari: “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! We don’t know what the bottom of the hole is shaped like, so we had no idea if that was going to work!? How could you ask me to do this, Takenaka-sama!? Not that I’m much better since I did it!”

Kohime: “Hold on, Mitsunari-sama. Are you telling me that diagram you’re showing everyone is a lie? Is that what this means?”

Nari Nari Nari: “N-no, it is not a lie! I am receiving real time readings from the bow sensors as the ships descend. But after learning the bottom of the hole was a bit thicker and flatter than expected, I determined there was no need to fix the diagram.”

AnG: “Eh? Then what’s the problem?”

Kimee: “Angie, Mitsunari doesn’t like gambling on it turning out fine. She wants to have prepared enough to know it is going to work before she even begins. …A nice idea, but good luck finding a task with that much extra time.”

AnG: “Oh, yeah. That is never happening.”

Super Justice: “Y-you two could learn something from her! Please learn something!!”

Kuro-Take: “Anyway, even though the destruction of New Nagoya Castle happened in the ocean, I managed to simulate the movement of the crust there. Thanks to that, my Three Thousand Worlds had enough data to more or less predict what would happen here. I think the margin of error was only 3 percent.”

Nari Nari Nari: “Th-that 3 percent is what I don’t like!”

Tsurugi: “Calm down, Mitsunari. 3 percent is like water. It’s like looking at the label afterwards and realizing the drink you bought isn’t nonalcoholic. Sigh, the sunset sure is pretty.”

Black Wolf: “Hirano! You’re drinking up on the deck again, aren’t you!? Aren’t you!?”

●

All hell was breaking loose on the divine network, but Mitsunari had her work to focus on.

To be honest, she was worried about Fukushima and Kani whose connection on the wide-area divine network had been cut off after the Shibata team suddenly announced their rebellion. Everyone was discussing that here and there, but…

…I need to focus on the more immediate task.

The first stage of filling in the collapsed hole with transport ships was complete.

Now she had to add more layers of transport ships filled with a hardening agent.

The hardening agent was made from Substance A that filled in the space, Substance B that triggered a hardening reaction, and Substance C that accelerated the process. It would fill the hole with a solid density once acclimation and stabilization spells were added on top.

The straining of metal rang through the sky. The ships sent into the hole rubbed together, producing sparks and noise. It was a bit annoying, but she could manage. The cicadas had started crying and she knew it was important to keep the residents informed about what they were doing here.

The hole had been filled up to 30m from the surface, so now they had to apply pressure from above to harden the filler and then begin filling in the artificial crust.

…I can have it done in three hours.

If P.A. Oda had negotiated with the local gods, it would have required assistance from nobles and other name inheritors in the Shinto priesthood, but she was the manager of Kyou. She would have to go over the heads of Kyou’s elites when she negotiated with the gods, but the best way to win the power game in an emergency was to end it quick with a show of the full power available to you.

“Honestly.”

When humans were in a crisis that put them in more danger than they could fathom, they had a tendency to play those uncertain games, perhaps to make them feel like they still had some control. That would sometimes help them escape the continuing threat, but it would not this time.

They were simply at risk.

There was a threat beyond the collapse.

“Tonight of all nights, we need to avoid any excess stimulation of the ley lines.”

So after another check on the situation, Mitsunari sent a divine transmission to a certain person.

“Ikeda Terumasa-sama. How are things in Mikawa?”

●

“Terururururururu. Message-age-age from Kyou-you-you.”

“Eh? What was that about a yoyo?”

That was really what he had heard, but Osakabe-hime raised her eyebrows in anger.

“Message-age-age from Kyou-you-you!!”

“Oh, that makes more sense,” he said while calling it up on his lernen figure. “Yeah, that’s from Kyou alright! Wow, and from Ishida Mitsunari! She’s super important! What would she want with me!? Does she want an offering of Nagoya cochin!?”

He opened the divine mail to find it was only a simple request for him to write up a summary of the current situation in Mikawa and send it to the Hashiba HQ.

Oh, is that all? he thought, his shoulders slumping, but what else would it be? He was a noncombatant. Hashiba and P.A. Oda’s main forces were gathering at the center for the Honnouji Incident tonight.

“Of course, I have my own inspection to deal with.”

“Losing-ing-ing your nerve-erve-erve?”

“No, it’s not that bad.”

She’s learning to remain stable during a conversation, he noted while thinking that he had to do what he was told. After all…

“It is kind of pain, though.”

With that, he looked south where a single light was shining.

It was in the bay.

Mikawa Bay was more than a dozen kilometers across and still slowly growing. A pale light was shining from the bottom.

The water dulled the light, but the light still seemed to be spreading. Across the entire bay, the pale light shined up on the water’s surface from below.

“That’s ether light.”

“Ether light-ight-ight-ight-ight-ight-ight.”

You are too come to think of it, he thought while considering what he should work on today.

He had been planning to access the mind of one of the repairable salvaged automatons, but he decided it would be better to continue taking measurements of Mikawa Bay.

“The ocean looks like its glowing blue right now, but it’s probably really a different color. The ley line at the bottom of the ocean is activating and that’s altering the ocean’s color.”

He looked up into the night sky where a vermilion light appeared several dozen meters above the ocean and flew northward. That red light phenomenon had been seen coming from the ocean here ever since the Battle of Mikawa.

It hadn’t been examined too deeply since it looked normal enough and they could conclude it was noise coming from the ley lines, but they still didn’t know exactly why it was happening.

The sea was glowing. It wasn’t bright enough to be noticeable during the day, but night was falling. Were there lights at the bottom just like the red lights in the sky?

He watched the blue light filling the bay, but it remained constant, never growing stronger.

“This started when Musashi stormed the Imperial Palace.”

Staring at it wasn’t going to help. He had work to do. He needed to order someone to monitor that light, he needed to assign personnel to the other tasks, he needed to see if the salvaged automatons had recovered, and…

…After all that, maybe I’ll have some time to think about other parts of the world.

“Most likely, they’re seeing lights like this elsewhere too.”

●

Kasuya noticed it after climbing onto the deck.

They were hurrying from Aki to the Azuchi. But traveling east from K.P.A. Italia meant taking a coastal route along the Seto Inland Sea. And when she looked out from the transport ship’s upper starboard deck…

“Hirano, what is that?”

Night had fallen, so the western sky only contained a hint of purple and red lights.

But the ocean was a different matter. It glowed with a yellow light. If that was ether light, it meant the ocean floor was covered with activated ether light. This wasn’t contained to a single location. The light continued along the entire east-to-west stretch of the Seto Inland Sea, so it covered a very wide area.

Hirano rested her elbow on the edge of the deck and brought a bottle to her mouth.

“The Seto Inland Sea is a shallow sea and its floor is close to the bedrock, so the state of the ley lines’ ether can be seen more strongly there when the conditions are right.”

“What conditions?”

“The harmonic territories,” said Hirano, turning her back on the glowing ocean. “Most of the Harmonic Divine States broke apart and disappeared, but there are places you can still find remnants too small to show a difference in their airspace. Those are mostly on rivers and inland seas. Those areas were naturally broken down that small by river and ocean currents rather than collapsing from the overlap of the harmonic territory and the real world, so they managed to acclimate at the time of unification. These areas tend to gather at the river mouths and oceans.

“So,” she said. “The Pacific Ocean’s trench appeared in the Seto Inland Sea and the effect of the unification causes the bottom of the inland sea to behave like the trench despite being so shallow. It is admittedly very small, but it is the closest place in nature to the ley lines.”

“So what is this light?”

“Call it a ley line light or a dragon line or whatever you want. The entire world is responding to what is happening and what is about to happen.”

“The events in Kyou are pretty shocking.”

“Testament. And given what’s going to happen at Honnouji, I imagine the inland sea will be like this for a while. I hope the local people will hold festivals to calm the ley lines.” Hirano shrugged. “But what do you think? We no longer know what’s happening to the world. That became clear starting with the Battle of Mikawa. And now we have another question to add to the mix.”

“Testament. But from us, only Hashiba and Mitsunari will be heading out to deal with this.”

“Testament. Still, this is not going to be easy for Musashi. After all…”

She kept her back to the Seto Inland Sea but looked to the right.

It was clear why she was staring into the northeastern sky.

“The Musashi is there, isn’t it?” asked Kasuya.

“Yes, but it’s too far away to see from here.”

They were at the Seto Inland Sea. Musashi was floating in the sky, but at their low altitude, the curve of the Earth was more prominent and the mountains leading to Kyou were enough to block their view.

“Would you shoot them if you could see them?”

“Traitors are to be put to death, but my divine duty would be to unsheathe my sword and execute them, not simply shoot them. But that will have to wait until we actually face Musashi.”

“Who taught you that?” asked Kasuya.

Hirano was smiling with the light of the inland sea behind her.

“My mother taught me to only use my bow to protect…but she never taught me how I should choose when I have multiple things I want to protect.”

So…

“I think I should prioritize the largest thing and protect it.”

“I see,” said Kasuya and Hirano nodded once.

“I’m not talking about chest size there, okay? Or height.”

“I-I am not lacking in either department.”

Kasuya knew Hirano was only trying to keep the serious mood at bay, so she smiled a little and looked to the northeast.

“Something we cannot predict is happening. But…”

But…

“That does not put us at a disadvantage. This must be a kindness from those who are already on the move. They are telling us to do our thing.”

●

Kani did her thing. In this case, that meant eating.

…I wouldn’t be any help when it mattered if my stomach was empty!

She was inside one of the Shibata Team’s warships. Her home for the time being was a holding cell.

She had been imprisoned. But as long as she didn’t leave the cell, she was free to do what she wanted. There was a comfortable bed and floor inside and she could get as much to eat as she wanted. So for now, she had ordered a pork chops and a steak from the dining hall and was mixing that in with the rice she had ordered.

All in all, it was enough for three. It covered the dining table they had brought in for her, but…

“Will this be enough!?”

She had to fight after eating and sleeping. To make sure she still felt full by then, she limited her vegetable intake. The more she ate, the heavier she would be, but she was light to begin with. She decided to think of the food she ate now as an anchor to increase her charging power.

At any rate, she ate and ate. She had scheduled out time for sleep afterwards. And…

“Kani-kun, I’m going to be leaving soon. Will you be alright?”

“Oh! Maeda-senpai!”

She bowed toward the lernen figur that appeared by her face.

“I’m on a tight schedule, so I’ll eat while we talk! Sorry if that’s rude!”

“Testament. I don’t mind at all. I have to go join Hashiba’s side now. That’s what the Testament says, after all. So I can’t stay here.”

“Are you really okay with that!?” she asked.

“No!” shouted Matsu, shaking both her fists up and down on top of Maeda’s shoulder.

“Ha ha ha. I love how open you are with your feelings, Ma-chan. She really likes you, Kani-kun.”

“Thank you very much! But are you really sure!?”

Because…

“Fukushima-senpai, the rest of the Ten Spears, and I are going to win!”

●

A bold declaration, thought Toshiie.

He had thought she was criticizing him for leaving everyone else here. But…

“How much stronger are you now, Kani-kun?”

“Testament! I can’t beat Shibata-senpai! And I’d generally lose against Sassa-senpai too!”

Yeah, that’s probably true.

“But,” said Kani. “Fukushima-senpai and the rest of the Ten Spears will win!”

“Really?” he asked to test her.

Hadn’t Fukushima grown so timid that Sassa ordered her to go train in the mountains? So…

“You think your timid upperclassman really will show up at the upcoming battle and defeat Shibata-senpai?”

“She will!”

“I see…”

You aren’t just saying that, are you? he wondered, but someone slapped him on the cheek. It was Matsu. He turned her way to find she had grown to her true size.

“Ha ha.”

She was laughing. She pressed her forehead against his shoulder with her own shoulders shaking.

“Toshiie-kun, you asked her if they can win and she said they can with utmost confidence.”

Matsu lightly slapped him on the back.

“You’re the doubter here, Toshiie-kun.”

Only then did he realize it was true.

He would only ask if they could win if he was considering the possibility that Shibata’s side could lose.

He could claim that came from his rational outlook. He could claim Kani’s confidence came from blind trust. But…

“Kani-kun, Na-chan will not be fighting in the Battle of Shizugatake either. He’ll only be sending some of his people.”

“Really!?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I was hoping he would be there to see how much Fukushima-senpai had improved!”

Incredible, he thought.

“Aren’t you afraid you or someone you know will die?”

“I already answered that!”

Probably so, he thought before Kani said more.

“I’m more afraid of living my life without drawing on my full strength! Because that leads to regrets!”

“Testament.”

He understood that. And agreed with it.

The Warring States period would be over soon and the Thirty Years War would follow suit. The worldwide conflicts that had been raging since the day he was born would be coming to a close.

The greatest and ultimate battlefield was out there.

The end was nigh. So…

“If you never once draw on your full strength, you will end up wondering what could have been, won’t you?”

“Not just once! All the time!” said Kani. While eating. “I’m still inexperienced and there are so many strong people all around me! If I end up fighting them, it’s only polite to go all out against them, but they’re all so strong that, um, well…!”

She tried to find the words and Matsu spoke up with a smile.

“Being an underclassman is tough, isn’t it?”

“Testament! But the underclassmen have to inherit what our upperclassmen leave for us! Like we did when we left our middle school clubs!”

“Is the Warring States period a school club?”

“Not what I meant! Every day is a battle! I was taught that to live is to fight!”

“Who taught you that?”

“My parents! They told me that life isn’t easy! So…”

So…

“They told me to get my rest on the holidays! But today isn’t a holiday!”

“Then you’ll just have to go for it.”

“And I will!”

“So what will you do now?” asked Matsu.

“Eat and sleep!” replied Kani. “And once I wake up, I’ll escape! Once I escape, I’ll fight someone strong!”

“Can you win?”

“Fukushima-senpai and the others can!”

“That isn’t what I asked,” Matsu said quietly. “You need to win.”

“I’ll do my best!”

With that, Matsu closed the lernen figur showing Kani lifting her rice bowl.

Oh, thought Toshiie, looking back to see she had shrunk again. Returning to life size must have exhausted her because she was already nodding off on his shoulder.

I can’t believe this, he thought.

“We have some incredible underclassmen.”

Until a few months ago, he had been agonizing over the thought that their age would be over soon, but he had since replaced that with making an effort to end their age.

The excellent underclassmen would take over for their failing upperclassmen.

Why was that? It was obvious. Everything his generation had built up was taken for granted by their underclassmen, so no matter what they did now, the next generation was going to use their predecessors as a stepping stone.

“Sigh.”

The name of Maeda Toshiie didn’t play much of a role there. He didn’t pay a leading role in any major battles and he wasn’t blessed with a successor to take over for him.

It was strange. Before, he hadn’t wanted it to end before he was ready. That was why he had chosen to become a ghost.

But now he rejoiced in his underclassmen’s progress and wanted to fight them if he could.

…I can’t believe this.

He would be joining Hashiba soon, but that didn’t mean he would be actively fighting on the front line. This conflict was internal to P.A. Oda. In some places, the fight would drag on and inspire war weariness, so he would visit there to intermediate and occasionally come between the two sides to stop them.

He felt like a middle manager. Probably because he was. When he thought about it, both his inherited names were. Maeda Toshiie had spent all his life worrying over others. And Wallenstein had been assassinated while negotiating for the continuation of his mercenary unit, which was an extremely middle manager thing to happen.

But what could he say? He had raised and supported some excellent underclassmen.

“Oh, so that’s it.”

He now had underclassmen he could rely on. So that just left…

…Our own problems.

But just as he thought that…

“Hey, Maeda. You’re going to Hashiba, right? Give me a ride.”

“Michi, if you’re going to evacuate, you should plan ahead.”

“Shibata-senpai sprung it on me last second! He doesn’t give a thought to us noncombatants!”

She must have thrown together what luggage she could in a hurry because she was dragging a waterproof leather trunk. She took a look around, and…

“What? You’re evacuating too? Are you sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“This could be your last time seeing Shibata-senpai.”

●

Toshiie heard Fuwa talk with her shoulders slumping.

“I made sure to go say goodbye and thank him just now.”

“What did he say?” asked Toshiie.

She shrugged her slumped shoulders.

“He thanked me for working 14-hour days as his on-site treasurer when the Testament says I’m already dead. And Oichi-sama thanked me, saying that chasing after me in the snow was a good experience for her.”

“How moving.”

“I did cry a bit given the circumstances, but maybe I should have complained some too. What do you think?”

“Did Shibata-senpai say anything else?”

“I’m not telling you that.” Fuwa pointed back the way she had come. “Why don’t you go see him yourself?”

“I’m good.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure.” He honestly didn’t know why he had answered that way, but when he opened his mouth, more words came out. “It just doesn’t seem like something we would do.”

“You’re loss.”

“I kind of agree. I’ll probably wish I had done it later on.”

But…

“I don’t have the guts. Because it feels like accepting that it really is over. That might be fine for you, Michi, but we want to always remember Shibata-senpai as the strongest.”

“So you’re laying the pressure on him by not saying goodbye?”

“Testament,” he replied. “I’ll be leaving to help out the Hashiba group and I can’t imagine more pressure than having to refer to him as ‘Shibata-san’ instead of Shibata-senpai.”

“Oh, that I can understand.” Fuwa smiled bitterly and nodded. “And since I do, I won’t press the issue further.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Testament,” said Fuwa with a nod. She watched a transport container carried past as part of the evacuees’ cargo. “Where’s Sassa?”

“He probably went off somewhere on his own. He’ll be back eventually. Around when the Battle of Shizugatake is over, I would imagine.”

“Why is he like this?”

“He probably has his own thoughts about the battle Shibata-senpai has to lose.”

“Are you sure that’s it?”

“What else could it be?”

Fuwa lifted up her trunk and rested it on her hip as she walked.

“He’s changing too. He’s watching our skilled underclassman catching up to us and bringing about a new era.”

“So he’s wishing he had done a better job too?”

“Something like that,” said Fuwa with a bitter smile. And then…

“Oh! Fuwa-sama, Maeda-sama! Are you preparing to evacuate!?”

A tentacle came to a stop while moving between the transport ships.

Come to think of it, Mori-kun is an underclassman too, thought Toshiie. But…

“Why do I feel like you haven’t influenced me very much?”

“O-of course I haven’t, Maeda-sama! Let me influence you and you’ll get all stiff at the most awkward times! I hate that part of myself, so I don’t want you learning from it!”

“I don’t think we could do that if we wanted to.” Fuwa continued in a “but anyway” tone. “We are about to evacuate, but what is Shibata-senpai ordering everyone to do here?”

“Testament! The participating combatants will be gathering soon while the warships take up an aerial defense formation! Then we will wait for Hashiba-sama’s group to arrive!”

“Should you really be saying that while I’m present?” asked Toshiie.

The tentacle thought a bit before reacting.

“Oops…”

“Stop that, Maeda! Mori’s gone flaccid!”

“N-no, I am not flaccid! I just have poor circulation!”

“I can tell. You look pale.”

“Maeda, you need to take responsibility and cheer him back up.”

“Don’t ask the impossible, Michi. I was going to tell you to do it, but that wouldn’t work either, would it?”

“It would not,” said Mori. “I don’t even see her as a girl anymore.”

Toshiie had to physically stop Fuwa from throwing rocks at Mori. The tentacle cried out as he dodged, but he soon straightened back up and held his head high.

“Don’t you worry! I found a photo of Naomasa-san from the data sent over from the mess Musashi caused in Kyou! One look at that and I can reinvigorate myself during combat!”

“Michi, wouldn’t Mori-kun receive some Shinto divine punishment if we reported this to that Musashi girl?”

“L-leave me alone, Maeda-sama! I’m in love!”

“Being in love is fine. Taking creepshots is not,” said Fuwa before pointing to their destination transport ship. “Anyway, don’t you die before I get back.”

“Thank you very much!”

“That wasn’t something to thank me for. Besides, you’ll be fighting Musashi eventually.”

Fuwa shifted her pointing hand to the south.

Only forests and mountains were visible in that direction, but they all knew what was there.

“The Musashi is actually already close enough to see,” she said. “Now, I’ll be gathering information on what happens with Shibata-senpai and at Honnouji. The entire world is in trouble if we don’t keep up with what happens next. And I’m sure Musashi knows that too.”

●

“Hey, that’s the wrong way! Do you have any idea where you’re going, idiot!?”

“Huh? You mean the meeting’s not at the Asama Shrine?”

Up in the sky, Masazumi heard the idiot’s voice.

They were at the diplomatic port on Tama’s wing. Several ships had landed there. Most were the ones they had used when evacuating from Kyou, but there were others with an entirely different design. The Far Eastern ships had a flat design, but these others had the rounded hulls of sailing ships. They hadn’t dealt with this nation’s ships since England.

“Tres España has officially landed on the Musashi and intends to hold our meeting here.”

Tres España had chosen Musashi for their temporary evacuation after the trouble in Kyou. They had been mercenaries hired by P.A. Oda’s Akechi before, so they must have decided siding with Musashi would be more valuable at this point.

And if they were to hold a meeting arranging that, it was safer up here in the sky than down on the troubled surface.

…Then again, there is a lot going on at the Musashi, both inside and out.

Internally, the base hull structures were being removed from the residential and commercial districts of each ship and people were being urged to evacuate from the Musashi before the Honnouji Incident. The wide and long blocks were being loaded on transport ships and sent outside of Kyou with a week’s worth of supplies. Some would be sent all the way to the Seto Inland Sea and Shikoku to wait.

They had considered hiring an M.H.R.R. Protestant mercenary fleet to guard those transport ships, but…

…This is a really big job.

But it was possible P.A. Oda would use a ley line reactor. Anywhere within visual range of Kyou could be hit by the long-range blast of a ley line reactor struck by a transport ship. That was one reason the M.H.R.R. Protestants were keeping an eye on Kyou but refused to get too close.

However, removing the base hulls left the Musashi more maneuverable and the power systems could be restructured to support combat. They would be able to hold their own against the Azuchi now. Because…

“If it comes to it, we have the two Kanesada cannons.”

“I notice you haven’t fired those in a while, Masazumi-sama.”

“Why would she when firing them ends the war?”

They were saying some awful things about her, but they had their own preparations for Honnouji to complete. Most importantly…

“It’s going to be rushed, but we will be holding a simple pre-Honnouji meeting over dinner with a representative of Tres España. Tres España has been working with Hashiba and they are a Catholic force, but if we can bring them to our side, we can ensure Musashi’s safety before, during, and after Honnouji. So we can’t let this chance slip by us. Do you all understand that?”

Masazumi took a breath and turned around.

“I had hoped to hold a meeting about Honnouji at the Asama Shrine while we prepared our equipment and divine protections, but that will have to come later. So the meeting with Tres España has to start right a-”

She stopped speaking there.

…Oh.

The others were unexpectedly close, which took her by surprise.

They were here. These were the people who had fought through the battle in Kyou and returned to the Musashi. The idiot and Horizon were there too, as were Asama, Mitotsudaira, Mukai, Itoken, and so many others. Even Naomasa was here, having left her damaged Jizuri Suzaku with the engine division.

Bertoni and Augesvarer were absent because their job had them working on a way of dealing with the Kantou nations, but…

…We don’t need their help until after all this is over.

She decided to ask the others about the upcoming meeting with Tres España.

“Do we have all the necessary information for that meeting ready to go?”

They all exchanged a glance and eventually Mitotsudaira spoke up.

“Do we, Tomo?”

“Eh? I record what’s said during the meetings, but I don’t organize the political information like that. Wouldn’t that be Neshinbara-kun’s job?”

“No, I keep my own records and I make decisions based on the compiled information.”

They all turned to Mitotsudaira. As their representative, the idiot held his hands out toward her.

“So do you have it?”

“I-I knew you’d make me do all the work! I just knew it! Okay, fine. …Ookubo!”

Nagaya-Stable: “I-I knew you would make me do all the work! I just knew it!”

Vice President: “Quit being a baby and hand it over.”

Gold Mar: “Are you mugging her?”

What a rude thing to say. Anyway, the necessary information arrived from Ookubo. That just left…

“Let’s get something to eat and hold that meeting. Don’t you run away, idiot! Tres España asked for a pre-Honnouji negotiation as a Testament Union nation.”

Up ahead, a large warship had landed at the center of the port. The vermilion and white aerial ship was formed by a collection of crosses. That was likely one of their main ships that had survived the Armada battle.

Someone stood in its side entrance.

“That is Vice President Juana,” explained Gin. “Which means these negotiations will not be easy. If you want her to accept your points, you must stick to your own pace throughout.”

I get the feeling you were undefeated against her.

●

–It’s already close enough to see

Academy Rules[edit]

Article 209

–When recreation of the Testament requires internal conflict or political upheaval within a nation, that nation’s policies shall be given precedence.

Chapter 1: At Gion, Raised in Kanda[edit]

Edo is- gah!

Point Allocation (Oh…)

●

Juana had already prepared a location for the meeting.

The current time was 7:30 PM and they were outside, but they were inside a jinmaku.

Tres España excelled at field battles, so she setting up a meeting inside a jinmaku was normal for her.

“I have also prepared food for our meeting. A Kyou restaurant had evacuated to the same inn as us, so I asked them to cook us some Kyou food.”

“Oh, really?” said the Musashi group as they entered the jinmaku.

The 1st and 5th Special Duty Officers took the lead, followed by their Chancellor and Vicereine. Next were the Vice President and Vice Chancellor. The rest filed in after that, but…

…Oh?

Gin and Muneshige were not among them. Were they sitting this one out due to their past with Tres España?

They always were unnecessarily strict, she thought.

“Huh, even Captain Fusae sent a message expressing her disappointment in Gin’s absence,” said Flores, who was acting as Juana’s bodyguard.

“Everyone is more worried about them than I thought.”

“If you ask me, you worry about so much yourself you fail to notice the worrying we do.”

Juana had a feeling that was probably accurate. But Flores smiled bitterly and…

“Don’t take it too seriously. Even I find myself expecting certain things from you at this point.”

“You do?”

“Testament. Like the way you’re writing up a list of souvenirs for the Chancellor when we still have a whole week before we head back. Although that one was even more than I expected.”

“W-wait, you meant that kind of thing!?”

But she did need to correct one thing.

“Those souvenirs are for the children at the hospital. It’s just that the Chancellor will have an easier time speaking with them when he visits if he too has tasted the treats I am giving them.”

“Oh, is that why?” said Flores as a voice reached them from up ahead.

It was the Musashi group. Their princess raised a hand in greeting. Once she had Juana’s attention, she nodded and…

“We are honored by- geh!”

“Horizon! Horizon! You can let someone else handle the polite greetings if you aren’t accustomed to them!” said their 5th Special Duty Officer.

“Hey, Seijun. Say something or I will,” said their Chancellor.

“Fine,” said their Vice President, stepping out in front.

She looked Juana in the eye and opened her mouth.

“We are grateful for the meeting and meal you have prepared for us. You say this is Kyou food? By that do you mean Kyou-gurt? Just kidding.”

●

Uqui: “Wait, Narumi.”

Unturning : “I didn’t say anything this time. I did think it, though.”

Vice President: “C’mon, people. Laugh. You don’t have to hold back just cause Tres España is here. Remember, this is our last chance for levity before the serious meeting begins.”

Almost Everyone: “You can’t force us to laugh!”

●

Juana raised her guard when she noticed the Musashi group exchanging glances and conversing on their sign frames. She had known this meeting would be a difficult one, but…

“Excuse me, but you will be unable to enjoy the food if you raise your guard. Please, take a seat.”

“Oh, don’t mind if I do.” Their Vice Chancellor raised her right hand and looked to the rest of her group. “If this is Kyou food, will we be using Kyou manners?”

“Eh? I’m not sure what-”

Kyou manners?

Tres España was a large nation largely made of the pure-blooded and noble long-lived who had moved there.

They didn’t have an immediately apparent connection to Kyou, but some of their pure-blooded long-lived came from the Minamoto clan, which was descended from the Fujiwara clan. It wasn’t exactly the same, but their table manners took after the Kyou ones. So…

…I see.

This Musashi group had their foundation in Mikawa and the eastern nations. They would be unfamiliar with Kyou manners, so why would they suggest using them here?

…They are following our customs to make us feel welcome as guests.

They were welcoming Tres España in as superiors. So…

“Testament. I understand. We can use Kyou manners here.”

That established Kyou manners as one rule to follow in this meeting. That would make it easier for them to reach a consensus despite the difficult circumstances. So she nodded and…

“In other words, this meeting will run on Kyou rules.”

●

Vice President: “Now, then.”

Naito saw Masazumi’s words. She knew what Masazumi wanted to say. While pulling back her chair, Naito caught Naruze’s eye.

…What do you think?

Someone responded to Masazumi.

10ZO: “We must secure this location.”

They were on the Musashi. Specifically, on Tama’s port. They were inside the Musashi’s defense field and Shinto power passed from below the floor on up into the sky.

But there were ways of ignoring or breaking through such things.

…That’s why the guards and the Chancellor’s Officers are necessary.

Defense fell under the jurisdiction of the 1st Special Duty Officer, who also handled intelligence. But the 3rd onwards traditionally assisted the Vice Chancellor and the 1st and 2nd Special Duty Officers.

Plus, Naito and Naruze’s parents had worked in that field, so they knew a thing or two about it. So…

Art-Ga: “I’ve activated a surveillance spell. If we combine that with Suzu’s audio and thermal sensing, we should be fine even without Asama setting up a field here. …Asama? Can you use your prosthetic eye? With its ether detection, fixed point observation should be sufficient. No need for full-on field observation.”

Asama: “I agree. I will be keeping an eye on things with Konoha, but I would appreciate assistance from your optical spell. This is an international meeting, so we don’t want to look too cautious.”

Naito’s first reaction to Asama’s response was, “Oh, she’s actually letting us handle it.”

Asama did have a powerful visual spell she used for targeting.

During the Shirasagi Castle battle shortly before they traveled to Sanada, she had used Branch and Leaf Connection, a large targeting spell that provided full-area support for the Musashi. She could also use substitutions, so she could probably use a miniature or concentrated version of that.

But she didn’t do that here.

She didn’t even hint at having anything like it.

…She’s stopped doing everything on her own.

Did that mean she was letting other people handle what they could?

She had never moved to the front line, but she used to provide a lot of support from behind. This interaction showed Naito just how much Asama had changed. And at the same time…

…Wow. That’s kind of a pain.

After all, this would mean more work for Naito and Naruze. Well, the Chancellor’s Officers technically aren’t supposed to have ordinary citizens do our work for us, but she’s with the Asama Shrine. That’s different, right?

At any rate, she knew now was the time to do their job.

Besides, Asama had a lot of other things to do now.

“Asama-chi, what are you gonna do later?”

“Well, I do have to arrange the compressed sleep spells and other things. But…”

Naito knew what came after that “but”.

Art-Ga: “You have to organize things at the Main Blue Thunder, don’t you? Isn’t that in a district being partially split up?”

Circle Be: “So Asama-chi is finally living with Toori-kun.”

Still Got It: “Oh, talking about a new home!? Building yourself a love nest!?”

Asama: “S-see, this is why I trailed off!”

So…should Ture-yan really be hearing this? But then someone raised her hand.

“What is it, Horizon?”

“Speaking of necessary preparations after heading home,” said Horizon, hand on chin. “This is the night before the final showdown, so I believe it is required for the protagonist to ‘dock’ with the heroine, raising a death flag in the process.”

Tres España’s Vice President spat out her water.

●

Asama realized everyone’s attention was on her for some reason.

So she held her palms out toward them in three different directions before placing her hands on Horizon’s shoulders.

“E-excuse me a moment, Horizon.”

“What do you need, Asama-sama?”

“I don’t think that is something you should do because you feel obligated to.”

“This is not about obligation,” said Horizon. “It is just that,” she continued, “this could be our last chance.”

●

I suppose that’s true, thought Asama. Behind her, the Technohexen and ninja were speaking.

“Oh, that’s actually…kind of sweet?”

“No, no, no, it really isn’t!”

…Hm, I’m not sure if it is or not.

But she saw Horizon look to the others. After glancing at each in turn, she sighed and…

“To put it simply, I am anxious. After arriving on the Musashi and learning my identity, my awful father and Mikawa were blown away in a big explosion. That experience has given me a strong aversion to losing anything, but everything that has happened since has given me another way of thinking too.”

That was…

“If you want to avoid losing things, then you must also respect the act of living your life to its fullest. I also hope that we can do both and help others do both.”

“You mean…?” prompted Asama.

“I want to live my life too,” said Horizon.

Asama heard Suzu release a held breath.

Asama did the same. And Horizon continued, even if this wasn’t the best place for it.

“It may end. It may not. But either way, I want to do as much living as I can so I will have no regrets when it does inevitably end. Then again, maybe I should give up now since being with this boy is like failing at the starting gate. Then again, if I analyze the probabilities…oh, no. Even then, it giving up now appears to be the best option.”

“A-are you trying to kill me with sadness!?”

“Calm down,” said Asama while everyone tried to stop him.

Then Horizon placed her hands on his shoulders.

“I want to enjoy my life as much as possible. I want a life packed so full of fun that I can look back on any moment and reminisce about the stupid fun we had back then.”

I see, thought Asama. The odd heat filling her body had to be secondhand embarrassment.

And she saw him nod. The corners of his lips rose and he spoke to Horizon.

“I know exactly what you mean, Horizon. We’ve got a lot in common, don’t we?”

“…Huh?”

“Don’t act so confused by thaaaaat!”

“But, Toori-sama. If we are too alike, there would be no point in getting to know each other better.” Horizon sighed. “But anyway, I believe it is important to move on to that stage at this point. It will help rid me of my anxiety and it will increase our bond of trust when it matters.”

Furthermore…

“If I have invested enough in building the relationship that it would just be a pain to start over from scratch with someone else, it might actually make me more motivated.”

“Th-that’s an awfully negative way to reach a positive conclusion!”

“Wait a second, Toori-kun.”

Asama had a sudden thought and interrupted.

She had long sensed something in these interaction of theirs.

“Toori-kun, you need to stop enjoying the banter and actually give Horizon an answer.”

●

Oh, thought Naruze, throwing out the storyboard she had just drawn.

…Now I get it.

Asama’s line had helped her realize a mistake she had been making.

“That’s right,” she said to agree with Asama. “Horizon is always the initiator with them.”

●

Mitotsudaira heard the excitement rapidly grow in the others.

“You really know what you are doing, Asama-sama. You are not known as the original Caretaker Queen for nothing.”

“D-don’t just make up these titles for me! Hey, and I don’t want all of you applauding me for that!”

…That’s Asama for you.

Mitotsudaira understood Asama’s point of view here.

Horizon made all sorts of excuses and she could seem like a pain if you only focused on those conversations, but…

…She never does reject my king.

“Yes, that’s true. Horizon will push him away with her scornful comments, glare coldly at him, attack him with her arms, and kick him in the crotch…but she never does reject him.”

“Hey, Nate? I feel like you’re defining rejection way too narrowly.”

“But she is always by your side, isn’t she?” said Mary.

Mitotsudaira had to agree with that. Because…

“As are we.”

In their “battle formation”, Horizon was by his side, Mitotsudaira was in front of him, and Asama was behind him. Those positions represented how they supported him. Maybe that was why Horizon sighed and spoke.

“Well, I had mostly resigned myself to this, so I might as well let it happen.”

“C-could you please not phrase it like that, Horizon?” Mitotsudaira knew what she had to say. “My king, you should have more confidence when it comes to Horizon.”

Her king had carried great remorse over losing Horizon. That was now a thing of the past, but…

“You are satisfied just having her back with you.”

Horizon was fairly indifferent in that sense too. But sometimes her emotions would kick in.

…Like this anxiety.

It was unusual for Horizon to talk about it like she had here.

So what did she need now?

“My king, you need to tell Horizon what you can do for her.”

What could he do? He looked to Horizon and scratched his head as he spoke.

“Horizon. The thing is,” he started. “There’s a lot I could teach you, like how to cook and common sense.”

“Toori-kun, try to stay on topic.”

Asama was being unusually strict. But he continued after raising his palms toward Asama.

“Are you feeling anxious, Horizon?”

“Something is bound to be lost in a major battle. This anxiety is sure to be a constant thing on our path of world domination, but this battle is particularly large. I am uncertain what to do.”

“Then I’ve got something to tell you,” said the king. “You won’t lose anything.”

Because…

“I, Aoi Toori, am with you. I always will be. Nothing’s gonna change that. I promise you.”

“Thank you.”

Horizon readily accepted his promise and turned toward the table.

“Now, how about we eat before the meeting?”

●

…Wow.

Astonishment filled Asama as that conversation came to an end.

Sakuya was a god of childbirth, among other things, but none of it felt real when two people she knew so well were speaking so frankly about these things.

Especially with those two. She was reluctant to call herself a specialist, but she wanted to support them however she could as the Asama Shrine.

Gold Mar: “Are you going to make an audio recording of it?”

Asama: “Of course not. If anything, I want to soundproof everything so no sounds can get out.”

Flat Vassal: “But then how do you respond if something goes wrong in there?”

Asama: “Oh, come on. How would things go wro-”

…I can think of several ways actually!!

Was that a testament to their strong personalities?

While she drank some water to give herself time to figure out how to respond, Kimi spoke up.

Wise Sister: “You two can have your turn later on.”

Silver Wolf: “Huh? Our turn for what?”

Wise Sister: “We’re short on time, so only Horizon will be able to ‘live her life to the fullest’ before Honnouji, right? So you two will have to wait until later. You can relieve your post-battle exhaustion with him! I hope you’re ready.”

Asama and Mitotsudaira both spat out their water.

●

Asama-san and the 5th Special Duty Officer should really just give up already, thought Adele. They were doing a good job of looking after the person they cared for, but they kept pushing off their own issues until later.

But they wouldn’t have moved into the Main Blue Thunder if they weren’t expecting this. This realization was somewhat surprising but also somewhat unsurprising for Adele, but those two couldn’t deny things were headed in that direction now.

They were past causing trouble or keeping a lid on it all.

Even now, Horizon placed a hand on the idiot’s shoulder and slapped it a few times before…

“Toori-sama, they might think they are helping relieve your post-battle exhaustion, but do be careful. I fear those two might suck you dry, leaving behind only a dried husk.”

“You really are daring when it comes to these comments, aren’t you?”

“As long as I remain by your side, I will never be flustered by or reject you for what you do there. In fact, I would like to observe so I can make comments like ‘Ho ho? So that is how those two do it’.”

“Um, wait, Horizon. Maybe we can wait until we’re more experienced before trying that?” said Asama, freezing in place as soon as she realized what she had just said.

After a bit, she mimed moving a piece of luggage from right to left.

“That aside, how about we start eating?”

“Don’t expect us to let that one slide!”

After everyone’s unified retort, Asama began a dance of desperation on Kimi’s invitation.

Someone raised her hand to put an end to all the nonsense. It was the Vice President. She glared at all the others before speaking.

“Hey, the food will be here soon. You can keep your sign frames open, but the out loud portion of that conversation ends now.”

Sure enough, Adele sensed someone at the jinmaku’s entrance.

The food was being carried in.

●

Juana noted that everyone had taken their seats. Although the only people at the head of the table were her, Flores, and two or three bodyguards.

Vice Chancellor Takakane, Fusae, and the others were waiting outside to guard the jinmaku and to gather information on Kyou. They would occasionally send messages via cadena firma, but things seemed peaceful outside for now.

…But will the Musashi group let us have any peace?

They had been squabbling about something before taking their seats. She was oddly impressed that they made sure to cause a scene even when they acknowledged they were short on time.

But they were much more silent now.

They had to eat and hold a meeting.

There was much to discuss. Even looking at just the present situation, Tres España was part of Hashiba’s Catholic forces, but they had two options here: support Musashi in some form, or work with P.A. Oda to perform a pincer attack.

…Even if Hashiba is Catholic, working with them is only a means of keeping them from invading us.

Looking even further into the future, this meeting was crucial. This meeting was a privilege only Tres España had and they had been lucky to receive it right before the Honnouji Incident, a major turning point of the age.

She wanted to keep it simple since they were short on time, but Musashi had Honnouji to prepare for.

Surely they would want to end the meeting quickly to give them as much time as possible for rest and resupplying.

That meant Juana could use time as a card in her negotiating deck.

So she considered her plan here.

Stall for time until Musashi has no choice but to accept our demands.

It would be safest to keep a healthy distance between Musashi and us.

Do not carelessly decide whether or not we will support Musashi or how we would do so.

The most important factor would be time. If Musashi did not get any rest, they would be entering Honnouji without any sleep. So the longer the meeting lasted, the more eager they would be to end it quickly. Which meant…

…We have an overwhelming advantage here.

Juana spoke while well aware of that fact.

“Let the meal begin. We will start a with some seasonal hors d'oeuvres as an appetizer.”

●

Gold Mar: “What are hors d'oeuvres?”

Art-Ga: “Oh, sorry. I’m drawing up a storyboard, so I can only think of sexual meanings for that.”

Horizey: “Mitotsudaira-samaaaaa!”

Silver Wolf: “K-Kyou cuisine generally only serves seasonal dishes. And hors d'oeuvres are small, bite-sized appetizers, so there will generally be a few of them served at once.”

●

Adele heard Juana begin speaking.

Juana gestured toward the covered trays in front of her.

“Please enjoy these three seasonal hors d'oeuvres. One from the field, one from the river, and one from the mountain.”

Tres España’s cooking team removed the covers in time with Juana’s introductions.

They were all curry.

●

Masazumi heard everyone inhale at once. And a moment later…

“Hass-”

Vice President: “Wait, everyone! Do not speak that name!”

Me: “Don’t ask the impossible, Seijun. Are you okay?”

I’m more okay than you at least, she thought, but she had the upcoming meeting to consider. She didn’t want to waste more time with another pointless commotion.

So she chose to defend Tres España here.

Vice President: “Calm down, everyone! It could be that all of the hors d'oeuvres ended up being very curry-ish by sheer coincidence. Do not make a scene!”

Scarred: “My! You mean those only looks like curry and are a completely different dish!?”

Vice President: “W-well, I guess you could say that… My guess is they look like curry and taste like curry, but aren’t curry.”

Almost Everyone: “Then what are they!?”

How should I know? A few of them were already glaring at her.

They were telling her to handle this. And she didn’t have much choice. She was Vice President and she had suggested the idea, so she would have to be the one to try it.

So she steeled herself, and…

“Now, then.”

She picked up her chopsticks and pulled one of the hors d'oeuvres trays toward her.

“Wait, Masazumi-dono.” Crossunite raised a hand and turned to the Tres España Vice President. “I apologize for interrupting, but we are the guests here. It seems wrong to begin eating before our Tres Españan hosts at the head of the table. …So please, get us started.”

●

Juana gasped.

…Why is it all curry!?

The hors d'oeuvres were meant to be tofu prepared in three different ways.

But what she saw in front of her was unmistakably curry.

This was supposed to be Kyou food, but it was Indian food. She wondered if there was some connection between Houjou and Kyou, but both the Kamakura Houjou and the Later Houjou had very little connection to Kyou. So…

…Why!?

This wasn’t a question she could figure out on her own. But…

“Me?”

Musashi’s 1st Special Duty Officer had just suggested that she try the curry first.

He was correct that she had invited the Musashi group here as guests. It would seem poor manners if they began eating first.

“Very well.”

She gave a quick nod and reached for the tray. She brought her chopsticks to a small bowl of curry, grabbed a potato, and carried it to her mouth.

…M-maybe it only looks like curry but is actually a tofu dish!

It was curry.

Chapter 2: Loser at the Table[edit]

Hi!

First on the agenda

Is deciding whether or not

We’ll be taking this seriously!

Point Allocation (Whether or Not We’re Sane is a Separate Issue)

●

“This is…some decent…curry.”

Narumi had a question after hearing the Tres España Vice President’s comment with head hanging.

…Whether it’s curry or not, why not just eat it?

Another question occurred to her too.

There was clearly only a single mouthful of curry in the small bowls.

…Does such a small quantity even count as a dish?

Uqui: “Why are you staring at the bowls, Narumi?”

She answered his question by voicing the vague question inside her.

Unturning: “I was wondering if food is more about form or substance.”

Bell: “Wh-what do…you mean by that?”

Uqui: “She is saying they should have made yakiniku instead of preparing these showy little bowls.”

Blunt as always, aren’t you?

But in this case, the little bowls contained curry. That was definitionally different from yakiniku.

Unturning: “Curry is designed to be made in large quantities while still tasting good. So what is the point of putting it in such small bowls?”

Everyone fell silent. Eventually, the 1st Special Duty Officer spoke up.

10ZO: “I expected a complaint about curry being served in this context, but instead we get a philosophical discussion about the purpose of curry?”

Still Got It: “Testament. I was thinking the same thing.”

Should we really let the Reine des Garous listen in on our meeting with Tres España? Well, this is ending in war no matter what, so I suppose it doesn’t matter.

Vice President: “Why are you looking at me like that, Date Vice Chancellor!?”

You know why. But…

Bell: “Um, uh…”

The bathhouse daughter picked up one of the curry bowls.

Bell: “Isn’t this…the same as any curry…just divided up?”

●

“I see.”

Urquiaga heard Narumi’s response.

Her tone said she had accepted that answer. And that she was satisfied with it. Some might interpret it as a mixture of surprise and resignation, but…

“So you understand, Narumi?”

“I do,” she said, but she must have decided that wasn’t enough of an explanation and continued. “Curry is a universally beloved food. I see it as something that is easy to like, but also has a great breadth and depth to explore. So while I didn’t understand why you would want to divide it into such small bowls, it is indeed still the same curry. It’s all the same. This must be a message,” she said. “Tres España is trying to tell us that we are all individuals, but we are all the same on a deeper level.”

●

Gold Mar: “Oh, no. We’re dangerously close to this ending on a touching note.”

Asama: “Hold on. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

Horizey: “Okayyyyyyy!! We have arrived at Masazumi-sama’s Super War Declaration Time!”

Vice President: “We don’t have time for a war with Honnouji coming up so soon!”

Novice: “You probably shouldn’t imply you would go to war if we had more time, Takarazuka Honda-kun.”

Silver Wolf: “Also, Masazumi? We agreed this meeting would run on Kyou rules, but what exactly does that mean?”

●

That’s a good question, thought Masazumi.

Both sides had agreed to use Kyou rules, but there was no such thing.

…Given the circumstances and since we’re enemies, I was planning to use that fact to say what I wanted without worrying too much.

If she made a mistake, she could escape it by saying it didn’t “count” because of the Kyou rules. That was why she had agreed to the rules without defining them. She expected Tres España had done the same thing.

…That’s what it sounded like anyway, so we should be fine.

However, the city of Kyou did have its own etiquette.

Vice President: “I’ve heard that people in Kyou never say what they really mean.”

This information was at least secondhand, so there may have been other interpretations. But…

Circle Be: “Yes, that’s true. Kyou merchants love to say things in the most cryptic way possible, so you often have to decode what they really mean. Because it rarely matches their outward words and actions.”

So the merchants saw it the same way. And…

Vice President: “Futayo. You had planned to guard the Musashi until it arrived in Aki if the Battle of Mikawa hadn’t happened, right? That would have meant visiting Kyou, so were you taught anything about this?”

“Judge,” nodded Futayo next to Masazumi.

Tonbokiri: “My father said that Kyou’s people will intentionally say the opposite of what they mean to avoid taking responsibility for it.”

Azuma: “Oh, yeah. They definitely do that.”

Novice: “That must mean Tres España is asking us to follow that custom here. We play a verbal game where we say the opposite of what we mean and never agree to anything.”

Probably so, thought Masazumi. So to sum it up…

Vice President: “We must not say what we really mean in this meeting.”

●

Juana thought about the “Kyou rules” this meeting was supposed to follow.

Kyou rules were not a real thing.

But the circumstances worked against both sides if they ran this meeting like normal. Musashi had Honnouji coming up and Tres España was supposed to be working with Hashiba. In the worst case, this meeting could get them attacked by Hashiba and their affiliated nations.

So Juana wanted some kind of filter for this meeting’s conversations – something that would let them sidestep any accusations from Hashiba and their affiliated nations.

The Kyou rules would be that filter. That was the only reason she had agreed to the Musashi Vice President’s suggestion and now it had been established.

However, the city of Kyou did have its own etiquette.

…When negotiating, you assess a potential business partner while showing them your best hospitality. If you decide they are worth investing in, you go all in. If you decide they are not, you withdraw immediately.

●

Juana understood the Kyou rules to mean hospitality and a decision to provide support or not.

In other words, you showed the other side your best hospitality while keeping your intentions hidden. If you approved, you provided your full support. If you did not, you said goodbye.

This was different from being condescending.

Kyou had long been a city of commerce.

In ancient times, the Imperial Palace’s presence meant tax money from all across the Far East was sent to Kyou.

The surplus would end up in the market where it spread to markets further away.

The same happened with information. Information from all across the Far East gathered here along with the taxes.

So the people of Kyou did not see themselves as civilian merchants.

They were a part of the Emperor and the Imperial Palace. They saw themselves as government entities with a close connection to the Imperial Court.

This place had been the Far East’s “center” for a thousand years, so no one else could do what they did.

But even that changed with the times. Masters and servants swapped places and the rulers were quickly changed. Even within Kyou, there were divisions based on which group you supported.

This had led to Kyou’s conversational style.

They stretched out the process of making a decision so they could side with or distance themselves from anyone.

Juana saw that as the Kyou rules. In other words…

Juana: “We eat and hold a casual meeting while we secretly decide whether or not to support Musashi.”

Musashi would be doing the same.

Juana: “They will be deciding whether or not to support Tres España and the Testament Union.”

They were short on time, so they would want to make a quick decision. That meant Juana’s plan remained the same as before.

Stall for time until Musashi has no choice but to accept our demands.

It would be safest to keep a healthy distance between Musashi and us.

Do not carelessly decide whether or not we will support Musashi or how we would do so.

That was why she had suggested the Kyou rules.

Flores: “Um, Lady Juana? Aren’t the Kyou rules just a word game? That thing where you never say what you mean, sort of like you’re always lying?”

Juana: “No. That would be much too dangerous. What do you think would happen if we came out and said the opposite of what we mean during a crucial international discussion?”

As soon as Juana said that, she heard a loud thud.

Someone had slammed a bowl down onto the table. It came from the Musashi Vice Chancellor seated at the very front of the Musashi group. With her bowl on the wooden table, she raised her eyebrows and shouted.

“Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!”

●

Flores’s initial reaction was confusion.

She didn’t understand what the Musashi Vice Chancellor could mean. Because…

…Ehh? But it’s really good.

She scooped the curry from the small bowls and tried each one. Each bowl had a different flavor: meat, vegetable, and plain. And each one…

“Aren’t these really well made, Lady Juana?”

“Y-yes. Even if why they are curry is still a mystery.”

“Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!”

The Musashi Vice Chancellor reached for another small bowl. And…

“Blech. Each of these is one of the worst things I have ever tasted!”

She scarfed it down.

“Please never feed me something so disgusting ever again! Definitely do not send my compliments to the chef!”

●

Tonbokiri: “There, I got everyone started on the Kyou rules!”

Almost Everyone: “Thanks for that!”

Asama: “Futayo earned some decent points up front, which should be a big help.”

Vice President: “Hmm. I know I approved saying the opposite of what we mean, but I feel like this isn’t how that’s supposed to work.”

Horizey: “Masazumi-sama, there is no use in crying over spilt milk.”

10ZO: “Doesn’t that imply that this was a mistake?”

●

Juana heard Musashi’s complaints about the food. First their Vice Chancellor and now their 3rd Special Duty Officer.

“Ga-chan, isn’t this stuff just vile?”

“Judge, it is. So vile I never want to eat another bite.”

“I know, right?” said Musashi’s vassal. “There must be something wrong with Kyou’s people if this is what they eat!”

Did they really have to take it that far? But Juana was curious, so she asked for confirmation.

“Musashi Vice President?”

“What do you need, Tres España Vice President?”

“Testament,” she said before getting to her question. “Is it really that bad?”

She saw the Musashi Vice President turn toward Musashi’s princess.

“You, glasses woman! Are you saying you do not find this curry disgusting!?” said Musashi’s princess. “First the texture of the roux feels awful on the tongue, then the flavor traveling across the tongue and into the nose is spicy and nothing more – it has no real flavor. The amount of vegetables is completely out of balance and they are undercooked, giving them this awful texture! I thought maybe the meat one would be fine, but even the meat is poorly cooked, giving it a crude flavor! Don’t you agree, glasses woman?”

How am I “glasses woman” with their vassal sitting right there? Or is she “glasses girl”?

But she did not agree. Because…

“First the texture of the roux feels wonderful on the tongue, then the flavor traveling across the tongue and into the nose isn’t just spicy – it has the most wonderful flavor. The amount of vegetables is perfectly balanced and they are cooked just the right amount, giving them the most delightful texture. Meat tends to overshadow the rest of the dish, but the meat here is cooked just right, giving it an elegant flavor.”

●

Flat Vassal: “Their Vice President loathes this curry!”

Art-Ga: “If she’s so critical of this, what kind of godlike curry do the Spanish normally eat!? Now I’m mad! I am so drawing her! …And done.”

10ZO: “Wh-why do you look so refreshed!?”

Asama: “Um, uh, Gin-san? You’re there, aren’t you? What do you make of this?”

Tachibana Wife: “Sorry. I was trying to sit this one out, but I will tell you that Lady Juana is incapable of lying during political discussions.”

Me: “For real!? If Hassan heard what she said, he might just drop dead on the spot!”

Gold Mar: “Maybe she just has terrible taste in food? And since the Chancellor isn’t part of this, we’d probably lose if Ture-yan showed up now.”

Still Got It: “Hee hee. I would like to try a different dish next time.”

Me: “You got it, maman! …Anyway, what’re you gonna do about this meeting, Seijun?”

●

Masazumi raised her right hand. These Kyou rules are a pain, she thought while speaking to Tres España’s Vice President.

“Don’t excuse me.”

“Huh?”

Okay, maybe that was taking it too far.

“I really don’t want to do the meeting right now.”

“But that meeting is very important to us.”

…What, you agreed to a meeting and now you’re trying to get out of it?

But Masazumi could see why that would be. Tres España was a representative of the Testament Union and was close to Hashiba. That was good for their reputation, but it also meant a lot of responsibility.

If this meeting ended poorly, they would be pressured by the other Testament Union nations. That would be a major problem while Tres España tried to rebuild.

…But if they succeed here as a representative, they can make a lot of progress on their rebuilding.

Was that why Juana didn’t want to do this? Was she trying to avoid the risk?

Masazumi was curious, so she asked about it.

“Why do you think the meeting is so important? I’m not at all curious.”

“Because we want to build momentum in our rebuilding. Why else?”

●

Silver Wolf: “Does that mean she doesn’t want Tres España to rebuild?”

Novice: “I smell a coup d'état! It’s a revolution!!”

Four Eyes: “Yeah, that’s definitely what’s happening here. I couldn’t agree more. You’re a genius, Toussaint. Oh, and this is using the Kyou rules.”

Novice: “Goddammiiiiiit! Why do I have to be too smart for my own good!?”

10ZO: “I’m going to assume that was following the Kyou rules too. …Anyway, Masazumi-dono, that isn’t completely out of the question.”

Scarred: “Judge. Tres España is currently working to rebuild after the Armada battle. But they are also dealing with some slight internal conflict.”

Tachibana Wife: “Excuse me. To explain, Tres España was worn down by the Armada battle, but the responsibility for that mostly fell on the academy – primarily the Student Council and the Chancellor’s Officers.

“However, Tres España’s commerce is more privatized than in other nations and its authority has been decentralized into localized jurisdictions. If the rebuilding is rushed, there is a concern the privatized businesses or the local jurisdictions will plot to come out ahead of the academy.”

Horizey: “In Musashi, anyone getting any funny ideas would have their transport ships requisitioned during a war to wear down their strength. Does Tres España not have anything like that? Or do you just punch them?”

Tachibana Wife: “I appreciate the advice, but I imagine Tres España has taken measures to avoid a path to rebuilding that lines private pockets. Which is why they would not want this meeting to introduce a new path to rebuilding or any support thereof. In other words, I think Tres España wants to avoid discussing any business interactions with other nations and instead focus on the international politics.”

Tachibana Husband: “I agree. Lady Juana often develops new industries, but she runs them quite strictly. She prefers to play it safe in business. The Chancellor is the same there. I doubt she wants to make any dangerous decisions with Musashi when Tres España’s domestic situation is still so uncertain.”

●

“I see,” said Masazumi to everyone’s opinions.

…So there are multiple approaches you can take here.

She had assumed Tres España would want Musashi to support their rebuilding, so she had planned to use it as a bargaining chip.

But she had assumed wrong.

She needed to better understand her negotiating partner.

“Tres España.”

“Yes?”

“Judge,” she began. “Whatever your plans might be, we have no intention at all of lending a hand in rebuilding Tres España.”

“None at all!?”

“Yes.” She nodded. And to show she meant it, “Judge. Nothing you say can change my mind on this.”

●

Flores: “Um, Lady Juana? I think you should give them one of your famous lectures.”

Juana: “N-no, I am sure they have their reasons. Besides, we are not here to pester them into helping us there. We didn’t expect their help in the first place!”

●

Juana saw that as a nasty first move.

Tres España was the most influential of the Testament Union nations that could arrive here in a hurry.

But they were close to Hashiba and they were Catholic, so they had set up a jinmaku to prevent any other nations from intervening and set up the poorly-defined “Kyou rules” to set the stage for the meeting.

No other nation could join them.

So they should be able to reach a mutually-beneficial conclusion.

…So what are they doing!?

Musashi had rejected the entire idea of international support right off the bat.

This was going poorly from the very start. And the other side was showing hostile behavior, like they were opposed to Tres España even being here.

…There must be more to this.

But what would make Musashi so stubborn here?

Just then, a voice arrived from the jinmaku entrance.

“The stew bowls have arrived.”

The next dish was here.

●

Adele watched as the hors d'oeuvre trays were removed and new bowls were brought in.

They were lined up in front of everyone and the Chancellor reached for his right away, but then he made an odd grunt and froze in place.

Adele looked below the tablecloth to see the arms hopping up and down, so they were likely responsible. Could I get the Chancellor’s share? she wondered, but she blamed the curry. Only getting three tiny bowls of such perfect curry had only made her hungrier.

“Now, then,” said the Tres España Vice President. “Please enjoy this minced conger and shrimp stew with green beans.”

Ohh! Adele felt her heart rejoice. She could imagine what this would be like. She wasn’t familiar with Kyou food, but as a Far Eastern stew, it would likely have a subtle flavor. If it didn’t use miso, it was probably more of a soup with a seafood broth or lightly seasoned bonito broth. This was likely meant as a palate cleanser after the strongly seasoned curry.

These Kyou cooks know what they’re doing.

Everyone followed the Vice President’s lead in opening their bowls.

It was curry.

Chapter 3: Feast in the Jinmaku[edit]

If you are more cautious than you thought

More will happen than you thought

If you do not do more than you thought

You will not get more than you thought

Point Allocation (Nonsensical Tension)

●

Gold Mar: “I’m gradually getting an idea of how this works…I think.”

Art-Ga: “N-no, Margot! Don’t give up yet!”

Smoking Girl: “This looks like a pain, so can I smoke now?”

Asama: “No, Masa. These aren’t smoking seats.”

Unturning: “To be honest, I appreciate that these servings are bigger.”

●

Masazumi thought while eating the curry with chopsticks.

…Why did the stew become curry?

Curry was, broadly-defined, a stew. Especially authentic curry, unlike the Far Eastern variety, because its roux was less viscous and functioned as a broth.

But these containers were a lot larger than the small bowls from before.

They appeared to contain the same curry, so why the different containers?

…Don’t tell me…

Masazumi realized she was holding her breath as she thought.

Vice President: “The small bowls from before were individual servings that were the same on the inside, which was meant to symbolize us and Tres España. So are these bigger bowls a symbol of us all coming together as a single whole?”

In other words…

Vice President: “Tres España and the Testament Union nations are saying they want to work with us. And this is their way of expressing it since the Kyou rules prevent them from saying what they mean!”

“If so,” continued Naito, tilting her head.

Gold Mar: “How are we going to respond to this?”

Vice President: “We mostly agree with what they want since we have to focus on Honnouji right now. But Tres España is linked to Hashiba, which means a pincer attack with P.A. Oda is still a possibility.”

But if she was correctly interpreting the symbolism of these bowls, Tres España had no intention of doing that.

This hinted that Tres España wanted to work with Musashi more than Hashiba.

Vice President: “I’d like to think Tres España will keep the Testament Union from acting against us…but that’s probably asking too much. This part is probably lip service from Tres España.”

Me: “What’s lip service?”

Silver Wolf: “It likely means they are serving us cheek meat. Cows do not actually have lips, so cheek meat is the closest alternative. It is perfect for stews and curries.”

Still Got It: “What is wrong with you, Nate!? It’s another term for orally servicing someone! I’m going to go try it out on your father, so wait a bit!”

Silver Wolf: “I gave that absurd answer specifically to avoid having you chime in!”

Horizey: “To combine the answers from our two experts, I can only conclude it refers to sticking your dick in a hot curry or stew.”

Art-Ga: “I have to admit, that one’s new to me!”

Asama: “Um, Horizon? Could you not say things like that while we’re eating curry?”

Masazumi lost her chance to give the correct answer, but maybe that was for the best.

At any rate, she had an idea about this.

Vice President: “If Tres España is not here to attack us, I would prefer to keep things peaceful with them. In fact, my current plan is to try and make Tres España into new allies.”

Unturning: “Why? You already fought them in that Armada battle, right? And we just got done duking it out in Kyou.”

Vice President: “England hired us as mercenaries at the Armada battle. And in Kyou, Akechi Mitsuhide and the Imperial Palace had also hired us as mercenaries. Furthermore, our first skirmish on the way to England was only to prove to the Testament Union that we meant business.”

“So,” she continued.

Vice President: “We have never fought each other in an official international war.”

Silver Wolf: “Then what do we do here?”

Vice President: “Judge. If possible, I want to hire Tres España as mercenaries. Why we would want that during Honnouji is obvious, but afterwards we should be pretty worn down. It would mean a lot to have Tres España’s protection then.”

Circle Be: “Hold on a second. You’re being too optimistic here. It isn’t easy to gather the funding needed to hire a national-level mercenary force. Besides, we don’t actually know how worn down we’ll be after Honnouji.”

Novice: “I would remind you that we limited the previous battle with Tres España to a surface battle fought by a limited number of elite fighters so we could preserve the majority of our forces.”

Smoking Girl: “Yeah, sorry I got Suzaku destroyed. I doubt you expected that loss.”

A few of the others said “these things happen” with their expressions and nodding heads.

She had of course predicted this much. With war, it was crucial to consider what happened after the fighting stopped. They had to be extra cautious with the Honnouji Incident since it could easily change the course of history.

How worn down would they be after the battle?

In that sense, she had been optimistic with what she had said. Because…

Vice President: “Even if we win at Honnouji, if our forces have been reduced too much, another force could finish us off. I expect the European forces in particular are hoping to do just that.”

Silver Wolf: “Judge. Once Honnouji is complete, Westphalia is right around the corner. And just like we discussed at Magdeburg, if we do end Honnouji, we will have suppressed P.A. Oda and Hashiba like we promised the European forces we would.”

That was right.

Vice President: “Then Hexagone Française, the Protestants, and the former P.A. Oda forces will back us at Westphalia. That agreement is one of the big reasons we’re fighting P.A. Oda and Hashiba.”

Unturning: “I just assumed it was your hobby.”

Me: “No, Seijun’s love of war isn’t a hobby. It’s her way of life!!”

Horizon hit him with a short hook without even turning around, so all was well.

The Tres España Vice President looked shocked, but…

“Pay close attention to that. I’m quite glad you got to see it.”

“Y-you are?”

This reverse talking is hard.

Anyway, Tres España was also European.

Vice President: “On the political front, the European nations will want us to be worn down by Honnouji. Because not only will we have dealt with Hashiba and P.A. Oda’s recent rise to power without them having to dedicate any of their forces to it, but we will have self-destructed and reduced ourselves to a weak fighting force.”

Unturning: “What would happen then?”

Scarred: “I think we would be allowed a seat at Westphalia, but our voice there would carry a lot less weight and the European nations would work to push us out.”

Art-Ga: “And then the European powers would surround Musashi and have their way with us?”

Tachibana Wife: “In the worst case, I believe so.”

The Tachibana Wife was from Tres España, so if she said so, it was probably true.

Laborer: “So you’re saying these Tres Españans right here are our enemy!!”

Gold Mar: “Noririn, didn’t you say you and their pitcher were friends down in Kyou?”

Laborer: “And we still are! He needs at least one person who understands him!”

Me: “Okay, Noriki, then do you understand what Miss Busty Glasses there is thinking?”

Laborer: “Of course not! What are you, stupid!?”

Me: “Now hold on, Noriki! Stop badmouthing Tenzou like that!”

10ZO: “What does any of this have to do with me!?”

Scarred: “Master Tenzou, he is implying that comment was directed at you.”

“Incredible, Ma-yan,” muttered Naito while looking the other way, but she wasn’t wrong. However…

Worshiper: “This whole situation is a real pain in the rear.”

“Indeed,” agreed Urquiaga.

Uqui: “They can do whatever they want with us. And looking to the future, they benefit if we are weakened. So the question is what we should do now.”

Silver Wolf: “Europe is ending the Thirty Years’ War and moving on to their separate international wars as they head for the next stage, right?”

Vice President: “Right. The Apocalypse is also an issue, but they must have a few different plans for that. If Musashi can stop the Apocalypse with the gathered Logismoi Oplo, they should be willing to help us with that.”

Asama: “But once they help with that, they’ll sever all ties with us if Musashi has weakened, won’t they?”

Novice: “If a weakened Musashi can still stop the Apocalypse, then whichever nation works to safely make that happen will have a lot of sway in Europe.”

Everyone considered what nation that would be. And…

Still Got It: “Oh, can you wait a bit? I’m a bit busy after my lip service ended up escalating by three or so levels.”

Silver Wolf: “That is not what an Hexagone Française Representative should be doing!”

Yes. Hexagone Française would be the most influential.

●

Gin was at an elevated location.

She was commenting via divine transmission, but she was located outside, on Tama’s bridge astern of the port. The giant structure acted as a bridge spanning port to starboard between the hull and the port and she sat on its roof. Chairs had been provided for her and Muneshige, so they were taking a break and looking overhead.

“Now, then.”

A cannon floated overhead in Kyou’s darkening sky.

That was Cuatro Cruz. She had used it at Kyou, but since its simple repairs were complete, she was using it to monitor the Tres Españan ships keeping their distance.

She had no plans to shoot them, but she had no plans not to shoot them either.

At this point, she and Muneshige considered Musashi to be their home and their affiliation.

“Gin. Would you like something to drink?”

“Judge. I would like curry.”

She realized something only after saying that.

“It’s dinnertime, isn’t it?”

Tama: “Let me know if you would like to place an order. We will cook it up in the bridge’s guest kitchen. Over.”

Tachibana Wife: “No, I would like Hassan’s curry.”

Musashi: “ ‘Tama’. Over.”

Tama: “O-of course! I will arrange that right away! Over!”

Tama was in the process of purging the base hulls, so Gin felt bad giving her extra work. But…

“If the others from Tres España do not want the curry, does it mean that we really have become Musashi people?”

“Curry is an all-purpose food, Gin.”

That put a smile on her face. The roof of the tall structure shook some. Even Tama’s great size and management system weren’t enough to eliminate the effects of removing those heavy blocks from the base hull section. But the shaking was a lot less when below the surface.

…But even this great aerial ship has reached a crossroads.

Far out in front of her, a second jinmaku was set up next to the one hosting the meeting. Most likely…

“Vice Chancellor Takakane and the others are in there, aren’t they?”

“Judge. They likely intend to rush in if anything happens. They haven’t changed at all since we were with them.”

“Which means we can’t let our guard down either.”

“Judge,” replied Muneshige. “The European power balance could be rewritten tonight. Because P.A. Oda’s Oda side will effectively lose all power tonight.”

After that, Hashiba would rise to the top within P.A. Oda. That was all in accordance with the history recreation based on the Testament.

But there were definitely some questions regarding these events. The biggest being…

…Why hasn’t Hashiba returned to P.A. Oda?

Well, she physically had. She was currently waiting at the Lake Biwa Azuchi.

The problem was how she was still part of M.H.R.R.

“I wonder why Hashiba hasn’t returned to P.A. Oda.”

“That is a good question. We have intelligence suggesting Lord Shibata has begun a rebellion up north. If that is accepted as the Battle of Shizugatake, the reins of P.A. Oda should be handed over to Hashiba tonight.”

It wasn’t clear why they were doing it like this.

But based on the current situation, the key to it all was Musashi since they had inherited Akechi Mitsuhide’s name. It was technically their Chancellor who had accepted the name, but…

“How worn down will Musashi be by Honnouji and what will the European powers do with Musashi then?”

In other words…

“What will Hexagone Française do about Musashi?”

●

A question occurred to Asama.

…Hexagone Française has worked with us a lot, but can we be so sure they’ll push everyone else out of the way to work with us now?

Not to mention England and the Protestants. She decided to ask about it.

Asama: “What do you mean? You sound certain that Hexagone Française will step forward to work with Musashi. Aren’t we also working with England and the Protestants?”

“That’s true,” said Neshinbara.

Novice: “We do indeed work with England and the Protestants, not to mention many others. Most recently, Sweden has been treating us very well. And Europe as a whole will be able to use the Kantou Liberation to accuse Musashi of pushing Hashiba to focus solely on Europe . That gives every country an opening to work with us.”

Four Eyes: “Do you really need such a long introduction?”

Horizey: “Mitotsudaira-samaaaa!!”

Silver Wolf: “J-judge! This is less about who has been working with Musashi and more about the power balance within Europe.”

Asama: “What do you mean by power balance?”

Kimi alternately pushed down on her breasts from above, but that probably wasn’t what it meant.

Asama looked to Mitotsudaira for clarification and Mitotsudaira first took a look around at everyone eating during their meeting.

After seeing there was enough of a pause for this, the wolf explained.

Silver Wolf: “Listen. It all comes down to the power balance within Europe. Hexagone Française repelled M.H.R.R. and claimed their right to be the ruler of Europe, so they have the right to speak first in political situations. So even if the Protestants or England try to make their move, Hexagone Française will get in ahead of them.”

In that case, thought Asama.

Asama: “Have Hexagone Française become the representatives of Europe?”

Silver Wolf: “You could say that, yes.”

“Then,” said Ohiroshiki.

Worshiper: “What happens if England or the Protestants try to get ahead of them?”

Novice: “Heh. Is your imagination too deficient to figure that one out? You would have a powerful nation against a weaker nation. They would be butting heads with the future ruler. Which would of course mean-”

Four Eyes: “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

Horizey: “Mitotsudaira-samaaaaa Part 2!!”

Silver Wolf: “J-judge! Even if the other nations and powers tried to surround the Musashi, Hexagone Française could trample over them and either steal their position or just crush them.”

What did that mean?

Still Got It: “From a certain point of view, that puts Musashi in a very safe position.”

Vice President: “From a different point of view, it makes us their puppet.”

Still Got It: “Testament. And that is your next task, isn’t it?”

Mitotsudaira’s mother was clearly enjoying this.

…Not too surprising.

Her daughter and that daughter’s king and friends were predicting what Hexagone Française would try to use against them and were thinking up a countermeasure.

As a mother, she had to enjoy seeing this growth of her daughter’s generation. But…

Asama: “Oh, I understand now.”

Novice: “Eh!? But how!? I never got a chance to explain it!”

Asama: “Yes, I understand now that I should have asked Mito in the first place.”

Novice: “But that’s a bad lesson to learn!!”

Whatever the case, she understood the situation in Europe.

●

Yeah, thought Masazumi.

It all came down to the power balance.

England had avoided directly supporting Musashi while arranging to give them a mercenary position. And by allowing Mary to stay on the Musashi, they had ensured future relations between the two nations.

The Protestants had provided frequent support and were working with Musashi now.

But Hexagone Française had the right to shove those two aside and move out front. In particular, they had proven their ability to fight M.H.R.R. and Hashiba during the Kantou Liberation and the siege of Paris. They had created a sense that Europe could support themselves even without Musashi’s help.

How would Musashi deal with England and the Protestants now?

What happened in the near future would determine that. They would have a lot more answers once the Honnouji Incident and all its uncertainties were behind them.

But what did Tres España think of all this?

…I bet I know.

Tres España was in a bad position. The Honnouji Incident would predict the future of the Far East, but no one knew what would actually happen there. And they also had the great threat that was Hexagone Française right next door. Furthermore, they were still rebuilding domestically.

That large nation was meeting with Musashi while facing so many uncertainties.

That meant Tres España saw this opportunity as a meaningful one.

They had fought Musashi as mercenaries earlier, but they were trying to put that behind them.

What were they after? Masazumi hoped to find out and, as stated in her optimistic plans, she hoped to ally with them.

But she did have one thing to keep in mind here.

Vice President: “I want to avoid any fighting here.”

Horizey: “You mean Musashi is trying out pacifism, Masazumi-sama!? I suppose there is a first time for everything.”

Vice President: “I was going to agree, but this is far from the first time!”

But anyway, she should probably spell that out here.

“This is probably a bad thing to say,” she began in accordance with the Kyou rules and raised her right hand.

●

Juana wanted to keep this peaceful.

…Because this has been disappointing so far.

Musashi had refused to provide support right from the beginning, but that was to be expected in international negotiations.

Tres España had its own plans here, but they needed to avoid making an enemy of Musashi.

If that happened, the nations friendly with Musashi could take an anti-España stance and it would become a lot harder to receive indirect benefits from the Musashi. So for now…

…I want to play it safe.

Just like she had decided in advance, she would generally keep her distance and play it safe. Yes, her initial thoughts had been correct.

As soon as she made that decision, Musashi’s Vice President raised her right hand.

“Yes, Musashi Vice President?”

“Judge. I just forgot something I don’t need to say.”

Juana nodded for her to continue.

“Musashi wants to do everything it can to wage war against Tres España.”

She declared war out of the blue.

●

Masazumi explained that they wanted to avoid any conflict.

“We want war.”

…We want peace!

“We are prepared to fight against Tres España. Even with Honnouji coming up, we can easily fight another battle before or after that.”

She clenched her right fist and raised it overhead.

…Peace is best!

“Because Musashi is a warrior nation that loves war above all else and is very accepting of bad jokes. When another nation approaches us, we would prefer to fight than talk it out! Which is why we have gone to such great lengths to always fight in the past!”

Yes, nothing beats peace!

So what would they do?

“Let’s fight, Tres España! I know that’s what you want too. We can call it round two of the Armada battle, so let’s battle! We can all enjoy a good war together!”

Indeed. They needed to avoid conflict. So to really drive her point home…

“We will not hesitate to use the Musashi for war! Our Kanesada cannon is prepared to fire on you at any time. Yes, all we want is peace- I mean, a piece of you on the battlefield!”

●

Vice President: “Do you think that got across just how dedicated we are to peace?”

Me: “You do know that made you sound like a nutcase, don’t you?”

Art-Ga: “Why did that flow out of you as smoothly as water down a slope?”

Circle Be: “Hey, we’re having some trouble with a few of the Kantou clans, so can I play them a recording of that? I think that would solve everything.”

Horizey: “Heidi-sama, I must ask that you use Masazumi-sama’s words irresponsibly.”

Silver Wolf: “You mean responsibly, don’t you? Don’t you?”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. War-driven politics! What’s wrong with that? One of the best parts of getting into makeup is learning to enjoy collecting the ones you like. When looking for cute underwear and clothing, you need to focus on the ones you think will make you look fantastic. In other words, our politician wins if she wages constant war and every once in a while uses it to help with the politics! What is our top industry!? That’s right – war! It’s war season and the crop is booming this year!”

Vice President: “The Kyou rules mean I meant the opposite of what I said!!”

Gold Mar: “I mean, if you take that speech at face value, it sounds like your brain is broken.”

●

Juana couldn’t believe this.

How much couldn’t she believe it? A lot. A lot a lot. Because…

…I did not expect them to excitedly declare war here.

They’re completely insane. Mister, what am I supposed to do about this?

But I doubt Mister would want to deal with this either, she thought. He isn’t a very belligerent person, so he always keeps his distance from these things.

So she had to deal with this.

But why had they declared war out of the blue?

This isn’t right, she thought.

Juana: “Flores, what do you think is happening here?”

Flores: “Testament. Is that even a question? Musashi’s Vice President’s brain is broken.”

She nearly agreed with that, but her rational side stopped her. Her emotional side was a different story.

●

Vice President: “Wait! Stop saying my brain is broken!”

Art-Ga: “Then can you explain what part of you is broken?”

Asama: “Naruze, let’s not assume that any part of her is broken.”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh heh. But there’s nothing wrong with that. Now, say it for us, Asama: ‘Oh, no. He just broke me…’ What’s that look for, Asama?”

Horizey: “Anyway, Masazumi-sama has made a declaration of peace through a declaration of war.”

Flat Vassal: “That’s technically correct, but it sounds wrong.”

●

Calm down, Juana told herself.

…Her brain can’t be broken.

If it was, Musashi couldn’t have made it this far politically. They had managed to reach agreements with England, Hexagone Française, the Protestants, and others in Europe.

Juana: “Testament. We need to calm down, Flores. Her eccentric behavior is no reason for us to follow suit. Besides, they have helped Musashi survive this far.”

Flores: “Yes, which is impressive when they’re lead politician’s brain is broken.”

Juana: “Wait! Wait, Flores! Let’s stop talking about broken brains! Constantly talking about broken brains is a sign that your brain is broken!”

Flores: “You just said it three times just now!”

That doesn’t count because I was only doing it to explain the situation.

But what was she supposed to do now?

Juana: “Do you really think they would go to war with us in these circumstances?”

Flores: “You never know what a crazy person is going to do. My brother has taught me that well enough.”

My Sister’s Brother: “Sister. There seems to be a major misunderstanding between us.”

Flores: “Okay, can you explain why you threw your first pitch directly at the other team’s third at bat during that recent game?”

My Sister’s Brother: “Because I didn’t like the shape of his nose, sister.”

Flores: “See, Lady Juana!? This is the kind of person we’re dealing with!”

That was a big problem.

But she was curious about something else as well.

Juana: “By the way, Flores. Why did you hit the first and second at bat during your friendly match the other day?”

Flores: “Those were an accident, so they don’t count.”

My Sister’s Brother: “Lady Juana, explain to my sister how avoiding responsibility by calling it an accident is a bigger problem than admitting to your actions like I have done!”

Hopefully Musashi wasn’t doing both those things at once.

But she didn’t have time to get after her own crazy people.

Juana: “Calm down, you two. And no claiming you can’t, okay?”

Flores: “Oh? Is the usual Lady Juana back?”

Was that what this meant?

Flores: “Yes, she ambushes you with a lecture, cuts off all escape, and then later realizes she was wrong to begin with!”

Juana: “I am not that pathetic!”

Juana just about said “listen” but realized that might sound like the start of a lecture.

…Honestly.

But the others must have realized something was wrong here.

Flores was usually so cheerful, but she was being very cautious about their opponent here.

Juana: “Flores, why do you think this broken brain behavior is showing up here?”

Flores: “That’s an easy one, Lady Juana. Because they have no other choice right now.”

“Do you get what I mean?” she continued.

Flores: “How about this? Do you know how they managed to get this far when they’re like this?”

Juana: “That is an easy one, Flores. Because it was the only way to get this far.”

It came down to this.

Juana: “They can switch it on and off – between normal and abnormal.”

●

Juana thought she understood to an extent.

…This broken brain behavior is only one facet of Musashi, isn’t it?

It wasn’t clear why that facet was showing itself here, but if they had no other choice, Juana could sympathize to an extent.

So it was possible this choice wasn’t actually what Musashi wanted.

…That makes more sense.

It was the same for Juana.

For so long, she had hidden her identity while working as Tres España’s Vice President. If she included the time spent working up to that position, she had spent a very long time pretending to be someone she was not.

At times, Mister and the others must have wondered why she was so strict.

That was an easy one. Because if she wasn’t, she feared they would discover who she really was. So she had suppressed her true feelings and said the opposite of what she meant.

“Yes.”

Just like Flores had said, she had often gotten aggressive to keep the others from pursuing a matter further and then later regretted it. She had groaned in the bath, slammed her head into the hallway wall, or dived headfirst into bed.

In that case…

Juana: “I wonder what Musashi is thinking right now.”

Flores: “With their broken brains?”

Juana: “But they do seem willing to talk.”

Flores: “Are you sure you can talk with them when they don’t make any sense?”

Juana: “I have a lot of practice after dealing with all of you.”

Flores: “So what are you going to do?”

She already knew.

What should she do with Musashi who were threatening an impossible war here?

Juana: “I must determine what is best for Tres España’s future: cutting all ties with Musashi to defend ourselves, or supporting Musashi to give us the upper hand in Europe.”

She didn’t need to explain why.

This was something she used to do all the time.

●

Something’s changed, noted Masazumi.

Tres España’s Vice President had seemed wary of her before, but now the woman looked straight at her.

…Is she ready to do this?

Earlier, it had looked like she was discussing something on her sign frame, but she must have reached some kind of conclusion.

She likely had her answer.

Just like Musashi had decided how they would handle things with Tres España going forward, Tres España was thinking the same thing about them.

That settled it then.

Vice President: “This will likely be a discussion about events before and after Honnouji.”

Art-Ga: “Wasn’t that our plan? So what’s the problem?”

Vice President: “Judge, it was the plan. But we don’t know if they’re thinking the same thing as us. That’s the problem.”

Meanwhile, a new serving tray was brought in.

“Now, how about we continue with the meeting,” said the Tres España Vice President, gesturing toward the food.

Horizon raised her right hand.

“Then from here on, all of our statements must conform to the Kyou rules. Fail to do so and you lose instantly. Will that be acceptable?”

“It will not,” said Masazumi, earning a pat on the shoulder from Horizon.

“That’s the spirit, Masazumi-sama. Please try not to forget about the rules.”

Anyway, the most important part of this meeting was yet to come. So far, they had only been confirming their own stances. Now they had to determinate what the other was thinking and try to get their own opinion accepted.

“Now,” she said, reaching for the lid to the third course’s tray. “Shall we enjoy the next course while we talk?”

She removed the lid.

It was sashimi.

Chapter 4: Mistake Fixer at the Shelter[edit]

No, I wasn’t

Thinking about that at all

No, I wasn’t

Avoiding looking at all

Point Allocation (Cover Up Your Bare Legs!)

●

Naito sensed a turning point when she saw the sashimi.

…Tres España’s mood has changed.

She sensed their resolve. Musashi had settled on a plan, or at least what kind of ending they wanted, but this was subtly different.

They had decided to bring about the ending they wanted. This wasn’t just a direction, a plan, or a hope. They intended to actually bring about a beneficial ending and go home with it.

What about Musashi?

Unturning: “This isn’t good.”

Narumi reacted.

Unturning: “The curry has stopped.”

●

Tachibana Wife: “How much have we deified curry if we’re using it to predict the outcome of an international meeting?”

Unturning: “I saw curry defeat a manifestation of fear on the Odawara battlefield.”

Tachibana Wife: “Well, I’m convinced.”

Tachibana Husband: “Yes, so am I.”

Azuma: “Eh? Eh? Um.”

Me: “Hey, Imperial Boy, we’ve been too busy to tease you about your origins, but we’ll get to it after this Honnouji stuff, so make sure you’re ready.”

Flat Vassal: “That’s right. I always thought Azuma-san was the emperor’s child, so I never would have guessed he was something that leaked out of the ley lines.”

Gold Mar: “I don’t think anyone would have ever guessed that.”

Horizey: “That can wait. The curry matters now.”

10ZO: “Horizon-dono, is Azuma-dono less important than curry?”

Laborer: “These things happen!”

●

“You have some good friends.”

Azuma felt a cold sweat while he listened to Miriam to one side of the shaking underground wide block plaza.

The wide block where they lived was being purged. It pained him to leave the Musashi when the others were headed for the Honnouji Incident, but…

…My presence would complicate matters.

He had come to understand that recently. Whether or not he liked it, the others had to consider the worst case scenario regarding him.

According to Miriam…

“Remember that you will cause nothing but trouble if you ask someone if there is anything you can do. That will force them to decide whether or not your request would cause problems and, whether they choose to help you or to refuse, they have to be very careful about how they deal with you.”

“What do I do if I want to do something?”

“If it’s a small thing, either just do it or tell yourself someone else will probably do it instead.”

“Judge. I’ll do that,” he said, pushing her wheelchair toward a food stand to the side of the plaza.

“Hold on, Azuma.”

“They’re open right now. And I still have some money from my part-time job last month.”

“Takoyaki!”

The girl was already onboard, so Miriam finally sighed.

“Fine. By the way, I am glad no one is making a big deal about you after what happened in the imperial palace.”

“For me, it only feels like a minor curiosity. And for the people who saw me as the emperor’s son, I imagine this solved the mystery of my origins for them.”

“Once everyone has come to terms with it, there will be those who question whether or not you are the legitimate heir.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll say I’m not interested in being the heir and that I’ve been secularized. Toori-kun and the others already treat me that way.”

“What if they claim you deceived them?”

“I didn’t know either, so how could I?”

That was true. For one, that footage from Akechi was the first time he had ever seen the emperor. Reizei and the other automatons had shown him drawings and shown him verification footage where they pointed out the location of the imperial throne, but this was his first time seeing her for real.

But at the same time…

“If the emperor really is an automaton linked to the ley lines and I am a spirit(?) born from the ley lines, then I think you really could call the emperor my mother.”

“Do you feel like a spirit?”

“What is that even supposed to feel like?”

“Hmm.”

Miriam held a hand to her forehead as they arrived at the food stand. The girl got down from Miriam’s lap and placed an order with obvious familiarity.

The food stand was run by a young man, but when he looked to Azuma…

“The usual?”

“Yes, thank you,” he replied, accepting the premade product.

“Azuma-sama,” said the young man while preparing his change. “You have a girlfriend now?”

“He does not,” immediately replied Miriam with a smile. She stretched up in her wheelchair to reach her hand out and swipe the change from him. “We both decided to become children of Musashi.”

“I see.”

The young man smiled. It looked like a relieved smile to Azuma.

Miriam took the change. The girl looked up at her and reached out her hands while climbing onto her lap.

“We three,” said the girl.

“You are not a child of Musashi – you are our child.”

Miriam could not move her legs, so she used the wheelchair’s reclining to lift the girl into her arms. After seeing that, Azuma turned back to the young man.

“Thank you for the food.”

“Stop by any time.”

Azuma nodded and turned around.

“This is a nice place,” said Miriam after moving a bit away from the food stand.

“Yeah, I think I see what you meant.”

“About what?”

“That everyone is very careful about how they deal with me.”

“Really?”

“Really,” he said, pushing the wheelchair toward another food stand. “There were rumors that I had never met the emperor, which made me seem unreliable and called into question who I even was.”

But…

“Thank you, Miriam.”

“Hold on. That was a complete non sequitur.”

“That’s fine with me.”

She had essentially said that the two of them belonged to Musashi now.

That had told him what the young man had meant.

…To the people of Musashi, a lot of the problems go away if I “settle down” on the Musashi or somewhere else.

Hence the “I see”.

His origins didn’t particularly matter if he was on his way to settling down somewhere. Miriam had realized that and said he was doing just that. By saying he wasn’t alone anymore – he was with her. So…

…We aren’t separate – we’re both “children of Musashi”.

“Thank you.”

“Again, what for?”

“I’m just saying it because I want to. Like you told me to do before.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Why not?”

“Because.” Miriam inhaled while adjusting the girl in her arms. “Remember what I said about a girl’s score being based on the score of the boy with her?”

He did remember that. But if so…

“I want to know what score you’ve given me,” she said. “And I am not talking about your apparent score.”

“Okay,” he said. “I was just thinking that you became my home back when I first met you. And you still are. That made me happy, so I thanked you for it.”

“…I cannot believe you actually said that.”

“Y-you told me to.”

“Forget it,” she said, reaching a hand up toward him to silence him. He could tell she was looking away from him and covering her face with her other hand. “I need to get used to these things, so keep on saying them. Say them even when I don’t ask you to.”

“I-is this a compromise, or are you forcing me to do it?”

“Forget it,” she said again. She muttered something under her breath for a bit, but then, “Anyway. Azuma? Why are we going to that stand too?”

Ever since this wide block had left the Musashi, the only infrastructure was that provided by the neighborhood management, so additional divine protections were being distributed via divine transmission. He glanced at one of the messages concerning that, which was displayed on an informational torii.

“You often buy that stand’s crepes, don’t you?”

“How do you know about that!?”

“When it’s just mama and me!” said the girl.

“She told me you go there after visiting the bathhouse or going shopping together,” said Azuma.

“I have an information leak,” said Miriam.

Miriam raised her hands in mock surrender, but then she smiled.

…How is this all going to turn out?

The others would soon be heading to the Honnouji Incident on the Musashi. And they were meeting with Tres España before that. But…

“Apparently Tres España stopped serving curry at the meeting. What do you make of that, Miriam?”

Miriam turned a glare his way.

“Why is curry always such an important factor everywhere Musashi goes?”

Now that was the real mystery.

●

...'’Sashimi, huh?

Futayo noted that while feeling her excitement fade.

She wasn’t disappointed by a lack of more curry. But while the others whispered to each other…

Me: “What happened to Hassan? He didn’t pass out in the kitchen, did he?”

10ZO: “We don’t know whether or not Hassan-dono is even in the kitchen.”

Asama: “Hmm, he still isn’t answering my divine transmission calls. Should I assume he’s still preparing the food?”

Everyone looked Futayo’s way.

Gold Mar: “Do you think maybe he heard that ‘ewwwwwww’ from earlier?”

If so, I solved the mystery of the missing curry for us all. I’m so good I did it without realizing it.

But, she thought regarding the sashimi in front of her. It had been served as an appetizer, but…

Flat Vassal: “I hate to say it, but this doesn’t look very good.”

Worshiper: “I know Kyou is on the ocean too, but the Musashi is usually traveling along the coast. When we need to fish, we send a transport ship to the ocean below and carry it straight back up, so not many places can compete with the Musashi when it comes to the freshness of the seafood.”

Vice President: “Futayo and I grew up in Mikawa, so we were right next to the ocean too. And I’m so used to Pacific fish that I have a hard time judging North Sea sashimi.”

Uqui: “Narumi, what was sashimi like in Date?”

Unturning: “All fish was frozen so it would keep. But this fish is raw. …It’s very soft.”

“That’s your only comment?” a few people muttered, but what else was she supposed to say? I wish I could ask Gin-dono, but she isn’t here.

At any rate, she needed to express how unpopular the sashimi was.

●

“Yum! This sashimi is delicious!”

Just before Juana was going to restart the meeting, Musashi’s Vice Chancellor raised her voice.

…Oh.

Seafood was plentiful in Tres España, so she had honestly been thinking the sashimi back home would be better than this.

Recently, a lot more Far Eastern restaurants had opened in Tres España to provide more variety to the recovering industries.

She had seen the Chancellor and Secretary stopping by a Far Eastern izakaya after work recently, so as much as they enjoyed the lively Tres Españan style, they apparently liked the calmer Far Eastern style as well.

To test it out herself, Juana had built a Far Eastern room in her home for her to drink sake and view the moon out the window, but that had been a mistake. Why was it a mistake? Because she started complaining. She was sensitive to the presence of others, so when it was dark and still out, her complaints came more readily and releasing them helped reduce her stress.

The next morning, she had woken up face down on the table with a hangover, so she decided doing that again was too dangerous if she couldn’t show more restraint. Or she needed a someone with her to listen.

But even after swearing off sake, she had taught herself about Far Eastern food and cooking. Eating the food alone in that room had felt luxurious, but…

…Freshness and variety are crucial for sashimi.

She knew that much.

The sashimi served here was from the ingredients the Kyou cooks had been able to bring with them after that big hole formed in Kyou. They must not have had all the ingredients they normally would, so it was only the basics.

Tuna, flounder, and sea bream.

It wasn’t bad. The tuna was red, the flounder was split between red and white, and the sea bream was white. Most of it was sea bream. It hadn’t been parboiled, which showed the chef’s confidence, and the flavor was indeed strong and pleasant.

…But it might not be enough for anyone who lives on the coast.

That was her opinion as someone with only a passing familiarity with Far Eastern food, so what would Musashi think with their excellent supply of seafood? She looked to them curiously.

“The wind speaks to me: delicious, oh so delicious!”

“Horizon? You don’t need to copy that ad for a Sanada specialty.”

“Deliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicious! Yes, truly delectable!”

“Right, Bara-yan? It’s so good. I love that it’s kind of chilled.”

“And this generic lineup is just the best.”

It all sounded kind of forced. But Tres España was the host here.

So Juana nodded and responded.

“Testament. I am delighted you enjoy it. I must speak with the chef and thank him for providing such good food despite the circumstances.”

●

Gold Mar: “Uh, oh. She’s really pissed about this sashimi.”

Uqui: “Is it so bad she’s calling the chef here to make an example of him?”

Silver Wolf: “Tres España is as strict as I’d heard!”

Horizey: “Anyway, it seems we have reached an understanding with them now. Which means this is the perfect time to start your war, Masazumi-sama!”

Vice President: “I said all that under the Kyou rules! I didn’t mean it!”

●

Masazumi did not set down her chopsticks. She was afraid that would act as a signal to put the other side on guard and give them a chance to intervene. So while eating, she found a moment when it would be polite to speak.

“Tres España Vice President. I would like to further discuss our great desire to go to war with you.”

Unturning: “Isn’t that being a little too direct?”

Art-Ga: “I feel like she’s actually speaking her mind here.”

Horizey: “She is keeping it simple. And this looks amusing, so I say let it continue.”

You’re not helping, she thought while saying more.

“Musashi has no intention of making peace with you. We intend to unilaterally destroy you.”

Asama: “Um, how much of this is she serious about?”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. A woman is always serious! War! Mayhem! Brutal against bearers of bad jokes! You can find it all in our warrior nation! Now, politician! Say it! Tell her we’ll dodge all of their attacks with another Musashi loop-the-loop!”

Musashi: “Masazumi-sama, that applies severe stress to the ship, so please attempt to avoid it if at all possible. Over.”

Vice President: “Why can none of you read between the lines!?”

●

Juana gasped.

…I had heard Musashi’s Vice President loves war, but I didn’t realize it was this bad.

But something about this didn’t sit right with her.

Juana: “Something isn’t right.”

Flores: “With their brains?”

Juana: “Yes, but I meant with their attitude here.”

She had sensed this before as well. Something was wrong about this. Because…

…Why would they want to fight us again during an emergency?

No matter how much they loved war, surely they weren’t that myopic. They had the Honnouji Incident, a major history recreation, coming up.

…And there’s more too.

Juana: “2nd Special Duty Officer, any activity among Musashi’s warriors?”

BA3: “Hm, other than the ones keeping an eye on us, it looks like they’re mostly moving around on the Musashi’s ships.”

#1 Bunter: “They’re on break. Probably. I can see most of the ones moving around from the transport ship. They’re headed back to their homes for the night.”

“Eh?” said Flores. She tilted her head toward Juana.

Flores: “But aren’t we about to go to war with Musashi?”

So why would Musashi’s warriors be on break?

…This is very strange.

Musashi’s actions and words did not mesh.

●

Juana knew this negotiation would be a turning point for Tres España.

So to avoid basing too much on speculation, she asked the Musashi Vice President a question.

“You say you want to go to war, so are Musashi’s warriors preparing for battle?”

“Judge. Every last warrior is ready and waiting to engage Tres España.”

…I was right.

Something was wrong.

But she only had her own viewpoint to go off of there. Confirmation and verification were crucial.

Juana: “Whether or not it’s true, can anyone explain why Musashi would say they want to go to war right now?”

After a pause, a response arrived.

BA3: “Maybe they do intend to fight and the warriors are only pretending to be on break? Or maybe they’re preparing for war on all the ships other than Tama?”

Flores: “Oh, or they’re moving to each ship to prepare to fire their main cannon. That thing could blow us away in an instant and leave them plenty of time to get to Honnouji.”

My Sister’s Brother: “Sister. Do not be so cavalier about your own possible demise.”

#1 Bunter: “No, wait. That’s obviously not what this is.”

BA3: “Oh? Why do you say that, Taka-san? I’d love to hear it.”

“Fine then,” said Takakane.

#1 Bunter: “I’ve never actually seen Musashi’s main cannon, but based on its measured effective range, it must be very powerful. They can’t just shoot something like that right before Honnouji.”

Flores: “But remember: their Vice President’s brain is broken.”

#1 Bunter: “She isn’t the one who fires it.”

Come to think of it, that was true.

#1 Bunter: “If their Chancellor is there, authority to shoot the cannon would be his. And they must delegate all the other ship functions or they could never operate such a big ship. So no matter how broken their Vice President’s brain might be, someone will be able to stop her. So what is their Chancellor doing?”

Juana faced forward.

Musashi’s Chancellor was leaning limply back in his chair with his eyes rolled back in his head.

●

Asama: “Huh? Why did Toori-kun pass out?”

Horizey: “It is a long story, but it began with him touching my butt while grabbing some of the sashimi.”

Silver Wolf: “My king! My king! Wake up!”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh heh. A kiss is the standard method of waking your heroine! Now, which one of you will do it!? Chuuuu, chuushlurpurpurprprp!”

Asama: “I would not make such vulgar noises!”

Art-Ga: “Oh, really? For reference, what noises would you make?”

Gold Mar: “I don’t think a kiss will wake him if his eyes are rolled back in his head.”

Unturning: “A solid blow to the spine should do the trick.”

Horizey: “I see. So physical attacks work best! I am learning so much today!”

●

The idiot who was leaning limply back in his chair suddenly crashed forward into the table like he had been kneed in the back.

Juana pulled back and everyone else froze in place.

But eventually the idiot woke up.

“Ah!? Hey, what was that about!? Where am I!? Wait, the butt! Where’s the butt!?”

Flores opened a note-taking cadena firma and wrote down “bizarre behavior”.

●

Now Juana had more to consider.

…So their Chancellor’s permission is needed to fire their main cannon, which means he prevents anyone else from using it at their discretion.

She knew his distribution spell was the fundamental spell used when firing their main cannon.

So if he were to act here…

Flores: “Their Chancellor could put a stop to their Vice President’s decision, but he could also choose to fire the cannon with his spell.”

That was correct. But that meant he could make either of those decisions here in this meeting. In other words…

Juana: “By bringing their Chancellor here, Musashi has turned this into negotiation over firing their main cannon.”

But she had something to ask the others.

Juana: “If that is their Chancellor’s role, then not everything their Vice President says is guaranteed to be approved. Do you agree with that?”

Flores: “Um, so it’s possible the war won’t happen?”

BA3: “But isn’t that odd? It would mean she was bringing up something as major as a war without receiving her Chancellor’s permission first.”

#1 Bunter: “Hasn’t their Chancellor given their Vice President a lot of authority when it comes to negotiations? He said something about him being too dumb for it back when they were negotiating with the Papa Schola back at the Battle of Mikawa.”

It felt like everyone’s opinion had reversed from a bit ago.

…Before, Flores and the 2nd Special Duty Officer were on the “war” side and the Vice Chancellor was on the “no war” side.

Now that they were including the Musashi Chancellor’s position as well, their opinions had reversed.

How should she interpret this?

Juana: “So apart from the logic of their arguments, Musashi’s policy has been consistent.”

With a straightforward argument, an element pointing in the opposite direction could turn everything on its head.

…I see.

Juana was certain of one thing now.

Juana: “Musashi is not speaking the truth.”

●

Juana belatedly recalled the concept of the Kyou rules.

…We viewed the Kyou rules as a conversational style based on us judging Musashi, but I get the feeling Musashi could have taken it to mean something else.

She didn’t know what that was, but…

“What kind of Kyou rules would lead them to threaten an illogical war?”

If rules like that did exist…

…Th-they would be nothing but trouble!

Whether or not they were serious about it, being presented with the possibility of war was frightening. But…

Juana: “Most likely, this ‘war’ of theirs is a kind of bluff.”

My Sister’s Brother: “Can you be certain of this?”

Juana: “Why else would Musashi claim they are about to fight a war after giving their warriors time off?”

Flores: “We covered this already: the warriors are for show and they plan to end it all at once with their main cannon.”

Juana: “You are incorrect.”

Because…

Juana: That is not an explanation for why Musashi would say they are about to fight a war – it is an explanation for how their warriors’ actions don’t preclude the possibility of war. …Remember, war involves more than just the warriors.”

#1 Bunter: “Yeah, that’s true. Beyond the warriors, we can look at the movement in the cities and the positioning of automatons and gods of war to see if they’re preparing to fire their main cannon. The warriors are the most obvious sign, but if we want to prove anything, we need to take a more holistic view.”

Flores: “Um, what do you mean by that?”

Juana: “Arguing they are preparing for war requires an alternate interpretation of how every little thing is secretly them preparing for war. Arguing they aren’t preparing for war requires none of that. I have concluded the latter argument is the correct one.”

BA3: “And what if you’re wrong about this?”

That was simple enough. There was only one possibility then, so she gave it, feeling the corners of her lips rising.

Juana: “We will not be fully wiped out even if Musashi’s main cannon hits us.”

It took a bit before anyone responded.

#1 Bunter: “I agree. As a gamble, the odds are in our favor.”

BA3: “Then if things go wrong, you’ll just have to protect us, Taka-san.”

Flores: “What will you do, brother?”

My Sister’s Brother: “Sister. We must obey our superiors. Remember that.”

“Sure,” said Flores.

Flores: “That’s how we managed to fight a second round to the Armada battle, after all. And how Lady Juana made her passionate love confession to the Chancellor.”

Juana felt she did not deserve this kind of retaliation. For one, they had all of that to thank for being where they were now.

And while she thought back on her decisions during the Armada battle’s history recreation…

Juana: “I may have been harsh, but I was not wrong. Now that we know we can survive taking that path, we have alternate options now.”

Musashi was not speaking the truth.

She didn’t know why. Was it a straight rejection of Tres España? Or were they simply being cautious?

But she did know one thing.

Juana: “They have not once attempted to leave the table during this meeting. So if this war is only a bluff, then I know what it is they want here: they are here to discuss peace. Using war as a shield.”

●

That normally goes the other way around! thought Flores.

…How do you use war as a shield?

Usually, it was peace, lives, and resources that were used as shields. You pointed to the possibility of losing those things.

But this was different.

They were outright stating their intention to go to war.

It was a threat. But…

Juana: “Their war must be a bluff. They have already hinted they are prepared to fight, but they took it too far. It might have worked as a threat at first, but it loses all meaning when they keep at it this long.”

BA3: “So you think this all talk? And if so, their true intentions are hidden deeper? Which means they don’t really intend to go to war?”

Oh, thought Flores, finally understanding. I get it now.

Flores: “You mean it’s like someone going, ‘Don’t push that button! Don’t you do it! …C’mon, why aren’t you pushing it!? Read between the lines!’? But with them it’s, ‘We’re going to war! We’ll really do it! …C’mon, we didn’t really mean it! Read between the lines!’ ”

Juana: “More or less. So now we must work out what they really want here.”

Flores: “How do we do that?”

“Testament,” said Juana with a nod.

Juana: “First, we find out what their Kyou rules are.”

●

Masazumi thought to herself while watching the divine chat where the others were discussing why the curry had stopped.

…This may be one of our easier negotiations.

Given the situation, both sides could only demand so much.

The Kyou rules were an obstacle and they had no choice but to follow them since Horizon had suggested them, but they weren’t being very strictly enforced and there was no punishment for breaking them. And if there were any misunderstandings, she could ask Horizon to end the Kyou rules.

So I can take this one easy, she concluded.

They had to say the opposite of what they meant right now, but since they both understood that, their true meaning would get through.

…So now we only need to present our demands to each other.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the next course.

Art-Ga: “Curry!?”

“Next we have a grilled dish.”

Worshiper: “That generally means grilled fish. The standard is a seasonal freshwater fish.”

I see, thought Masazumi just before the Tres España Vice President suddenly looked her way.

“So you intend to go to war with us, correct?” she asked with a smile.

Unturning: “Quite the aggressive request for confirmation.”

I agree, but I’m the one who has to deal with it. However, the Tres España Vice President was not done.

“Testament. Very well. Tres España is prepared to engage in battle as well.”

●

Juana focused her senses on reading the girl’s reaction.

She was accustomed to monitoring people’s faces thanks to the many long years she had lived ensuring no one learned her true identity. And…

“That’s a problem. We ‘can’t agree’ to ‘a battle’.”

The Musashi Vice President’s words told her everything she needed to know.

She now knew what Kyou rules they were working with.

●

Juana immediately realized that both sides were using different Kyou rules.

…We were using Kyou rules that determine our direction here.

In other words, they had to ensure they took the right direction. Would they support Musashi or not? Once they had made that decision, they would follow through on that direction. That was how business worked in Kyou.

But Musashi was doing things differently.

They were constantly talking about war and challenging Tres España to battle.

At first, Juana had taken that at face value. But once she calmed down and checked with Takakane and the others, she realized that Musashi showed no signs of preparing for battle and was in no position to do so anyway.

That had seemed strange.

So why did they continue talking about war?

…Because it had been decided for them.

That is, it was a rule they had to follow.

That had led her to the answer.

Juana: “We must have both assumed the other side was using the same Kyou rules as us.”

Juana’s side had just figured out that wasn’t the case. But…

Juana: “Musashi probably has not figured out our Kyou rules are different.”

So what would she do?

Before trying to figure that out, one thing was clear.

She typed out her words while opening the lid to the food in front of her.

Juana: “Musashi must think the Kyou rules have something to do with not saying what you really mean.”

She had done the same just now.

Juana: “I told them we too wanted war.”

But Musashi’s response had been strange.

Juana: “She said they couldn’t agree to a battle.”

That was odd.

They kept talking about going to war, but once she said she too wanted to fight, they complained.

And not because they wanted to unilaterally destroy Tres España.

But it was simple enough when viewed from another angle.

Juana: “They don’t mean it when they say they want a war. They must want to do something peacefully instead.”

Flores: “Then what was that ‘we can’t agree to a battle’ thing? Wouldn’t that mean she actually does agree to a battle?”

Juana knew how to answer Flores’s question.

But someone else jumped in before she could. It was the 2nd Special Duty Officer.

BA3: “Remember, that was in response to what Ju said beforehand. Ju challenged them to a battle and their response was that they ‘can’t agree’ to ‘a battle’. But if that isn’t what they really mean…”

Musashi’s intentions were finally becoming clear.

Juana: “Musashi ‘can agree’ to ‘peace’.”

Yes, she thought with immense relief. They were all on the same page.

Juana: “We will not be fighting here. So what will we do?”

With that post on the divine network, she fully opened the lid in front of her.

She expected the grilled dish to be freshwater fish.

“Now.”

The removed lid revealed…

“Grilled sweetfish salted and wrapped in bamboo grass.”

It was not curry.

Chapter 5: Observers in Their Seats[edit]

Are they right

Or not?

The way they search that out

Is so much fun

Point Allocation (Not For The Ones Doing It)

●

Flat Vassal: “The grilled fish seems nicer, but why isn’t it curry?”

Gold Mar: “The lack of curry gives me a bad feeling.”

Asama: “It does seem like a bad omen, doesn’t it?”

Horizey: “I know what you mean. I am unsure why, but I too have a bad feeling.”

10ZO: “B-but this sweetfish is really good!”

Novice: “I’m sorry to say, Crossunite-kun, that has nothing to do with the truth lurking in the shadows.”

Art-Ga: “Nor does anything else here.”

Me: “What are you doing, Tenzou!? You’ve gotta play along! Make a mountain outta this molehill!”

Vice President: “Do not do that!!”

●

“Gross! This food is awful!”

Juana found the Musashi Vice President’s words pleasant now that she knew the girl didn’t really mean them.

…She must be praising the food.

But she couldn’t say what she meant, so she had to say it was bad.

“The salt is too strong, it’s overcooked and undercooked, and it has this gross flavor I’ve tasted countless times before!” said the Musashi Vice Chancellor.

Flores: “Um, would that be, ‘The salt is just right, it isn’t overcooked or undercooked, and it has a delicious flavor I’ve never tasted before’?”

BA3: “Hmm, it seems like they say the opposite of each individual part of the sentence instead of just negating the entire sentence at once. But some of them don’t seem to follow that, so even if we tried to use that against them, they could say it wasn’t an absolute rule.”

#1 Bunter: “Do we even need to analyze it that closely? We know the basic rules they’re following, don’t we?”

That was true. But the real challenge was about to begin.

Juana: “Listen. We have the advantage here because our Kyou rules are a negotiating strategy, not a way of speaking. So as long as we follow that strategy, we can match Musashi’s way of talking or not depending on what helps us the most. The only rule that binds us is that strategy.”

My Sister’s Brother: “You mean we can negotiate circles around them?”

Juana: “We can try, so let’s get to it. For reference, here is our strategy again.”

Stall for time until Musashi has no choice but to accept our demands.

It would be safest to keep a healthy distance between Musashi and us.

Do not carelessly decide whether or not we will support Musashi or how we would do so.

Juana: “We will continue to follow this strategy, but I feel like we have already taken the steps needed to decide whether or not to support Musashi. So from here on, we may still have a chance to protect and add to Tres España’s advantages. Let us begin.”

●

Masazumi thought the grilled sweetfish was good, but she wasn’t sure if she should call it gross.

…Futayo already said it, so maybe I don’t need to repeat it.

She felt like she would convince herself it actually wasn’t very good if she said it out loud.

While trying to figure that out, she took a breath and straightened up. This was an important meeting.

Then the Tres España Vice President spoke across the table to her.

“Musashi Vice President, we have a deep desire for war with Musashi.”

“I hate to hear it,” she replied, saying the opposite of what she meant. But at the same time…

…I’m trying to say I don’t want war by using the reverse meaning of a response to her reverse meaning, but I hope that’s clear.

They were operating under the same rules, so…

Vice President: “I think this is working. We have luck on our side even without more curry.”

Silver Wolf: “Um, how reliant on curry are we exactly?”

Novice: “We discussed this before, but history would have turned out very differently without curry.”

Almost Everyone: “It’s that important?”

Gold Mar: “But in the same way, can’t we say history would have turned out differently without Ma-yan and Tenzou’s lovey-dovey arts?”

Scarred: “Th-that would also mean history would have turned out differently without Master Tenzou.”

Art-Ga: “History would have turned out differently if all our busty girls had average chests.”

Flat Vassal: “Y-you mean history would be better off if we were all busty!?”

Silver Wolf: “In that reality, I would have died two or three times by now!”

Horizey: “Not so fast, everyone. I have determined our current history only exists because our chests are the exact sizes they are.”

Wise Sister: “You mean the stability of space-time itself is reliant on chest size!? A fascinating new theory, Horizon!”

Unturning: “Kiyonari, how am I supposed to respond to this?”

Uqui: “They have a point. Date’s history would have played out differently if you didn’t have a certain level of softness.”

Flat Vassal: “W-wait a second! Are you saying not even the fluctuations of space-time can help me there!? Is that really what this means, Vice President!?”

Keep me out of this. You’re ruining the sweetfish for me.

But, she thought, noting everyone had relaxed their guard to an extent.

…It does seem that Tres España’s Vice President means us no harm.

So she chose to speak her demand more directly. She had already made a “declaration of peace”, but…

“I would like to immediately engage Tres España in battle. Now, immediately before the Honnouji Incident, would be the perfect time.”

●

Juana analyzed the Musashi Vice President’s statement and extracted the opposite meaning.

…That one statement included multiple phrases, but the negations all point in the same direction. So…

Juana: “Musashi wants to avoid a battle with us right now. Because now would be the worst time for a battle.”

BA3: “Testament. I think that is correct. If you took the first sentence to mean they want to make peace with us, then the second sentence would mean now isn’t the perfect time to do that, which doesn’t make sense.”

Flores: “Ugh, reading and interpreting all this takes too long!”

My Sister’s Brother: “Sister…”

#1 Bunter: “I would say to let Fusae handle it, but you probably want to prove yourself as the Vice President’s aide.”

BA3: “Oh, sorry about that. But results are what matter, so we can do this together.”

Flores: “I-I’ll try to keep up!”

Juana appreciated the effort.

Until the Armada battle, Tres España had honestly been very busy debating with other nations over the conditions for that battle and debating within their nation over the construction of the Grande y Felicísima Armada. The Student Council and Chancellor’s Officers hadn’t had many opportunities to gather together.

But things had changed. The absence of Gin and Muneshige was unfortunate, but the rest were gathering more often and had built a greater sense of unity. So…

…I want to return home with results.

So she spoke in response to the Musashi Vice President.

“Testament. An immediate battle, you say? How about we attack Kyou?”

At face value, that was an incredible thing to be saying. But the Musashi Vice President responded in kind.

“You want to attack Kyou? How would you do this?”

“Send out transport ships and ravage the people and city. We would place the abducted people in great danger and then abandon them with no food, no rest, and no guarantee of safety.”

BA3: “Isn’t that a little much, Ju?”

Juana: “I do not mean it! I really don’t!”

But her meaning must have gotten through because the girl crossed her arms and responded.

“What about Kyou’s manager – Ishida Mitsunari?”

●

Vice President: “It feels like forever since I could talk normal.”

Asama: “Oh, that’s a good point. With some questions, you don’t have to say the opposite.”

Vice President: “Judge. There are some phrases that don’t need to be reversed. For example, anywhere you don’t specify any kind of action or decision. This would be so much easier if we could exclusively use statements like that.”

Horizey: “The Kyou rules are a real pain in the ass, aren’t they?”

Me: “And who do you think got us stuck with them? Well? Stop ignoring me and eating the fish!”

Asama: “Look, Horizon. Toori-kun wants some attention. …Um, you don’t have to bashfully remove your arms.”

10ZO: “That’s supposed to be…bashful?”

Scarred: “Everyone expresses themselves in their own way, Master Tenzou.”

Silver Wolf: “Very true, Mary. I’ve recently come to understand that – or at least accept it. So, um, Masazumi? Why bring up Ishida Mitsunari here?”

Vice President: “Judge. Immediately after Akechi Mitsuhide disappeared, Ishida Mitsunari took over evacuating the people of Kyou as the city’s manager. Tres España is saying they will send out transport ships to assist the people, so I asked if that would cause any conflict with her.”

●

I see, thought Juana. She’s a sharp one.

Tres España had no real reason to help the evacuation of Kyou. They had only lodged there and been hired by Akechi as mercenaries. Even if they did assist the people of Kyou here, the thanks for that would ultimately go to Ishida Mitsunari before they could reach Tres España.

…But that is only if we assist as volunteers.

But what about this?

“Tres España is no longer in a position to perform mercenary work.”

She considered just how far she didn’t mean that one.

“When not thinking about what is to come, we could never choose to work as mercenaries for Ishida Mitsunari.”

●

Silver Wolf: “She just upped the bet!”

Me: “Eh? She’s tied up in bed?”

Horizey: Mitotsudaira-sama! Is Toori-sama telling us something he wants to try with us!?”

Silver Wolf: “Absolutely not!”

Still Got It: “Oh, dear. But you should really try it at least once. You might just like it.”

Mitotsudaira performed a chop to destroy the sign frame displaying someone who would know from experience.

She had a feeling her king was the real one to blame this time, but it was her mother that made it so much worse so she could forgive him.

Silver Wolf: “Listen. Tres España has hinted at the possibility of working as mercenaries for Ishida Mitsunari, which would mean forgetting everything they said about not going to war with us.”

In other words…

Silver Wolf: “They’re telling us to give them favorable conditions if we don’t want them working for Ishida Mitsunari.”

●

So that’s their strategy, thought Masazumi.

…I had wondered why Tres España saved those Kyou chefs and brought them here.

Now she knew the answer.

Vice President: “Tres España has already rescued some Kyou residents.”

The rest was simple.

Vice President: “So they only have to leave the Musashi, pay Ishida Mitsunari a visit, and say they have already assisted some Kyou residents but it cost them a lot. Then they suggest being hired on as mercenaries to assist the rest of Kyou’s people.”

Gold Mar: “Ohh… If they showed up emptyhanded and asked to be hired, Ishida Mitsunari could refuse in order to handle it all herself and claim all the credit for herself.”

Silver Wolf: “Judge. But if Tres España has already rescued some, then they can continue the mercenary negotiation on more equal footing.”

This was a problem.

…So they had a secret weapon other than the Kyou rules.

Masazumi was impressed they managed to set this up during that emergency. In that case…

“Musashi has no intention of hiring Tres España as mercenaries.”

She had no choice but to begin their own mercenary negotiation here.

She wanted to determine what this woman was after.

“Testament.” The Tres España Vice President nodded with a smile. “I do not think we could do anything to stop the Musashi. Two spare warships, three with damage, and eight transport ships is not enough of a fighting force to handle the Musashi.”

Looking to the reverse meaning, she was relying on threats a lot more than Masazumi had expected.

Unturning: “She’s really laying on the pressure now.”

Uqui: “So they have five functional warships and 8 transport ships. She is saying they could take on the Musashi if they cooperated with P.A. Oda using those.”

Scarred: “Isn’t the Musashi tougher than it was during the Armada battle? Couldn’t we manage that if we focused on defense?”

Bell: “Th-they’re…so close.”

“That’s right,” said Adele.

Flat Vassal: “During the Armada battle, the close-range exchange of fire was with the initial small-ship armada. Their big ships kept their distance and the fight was more about achieving our respective win conditions. And during the Battle of Mikawa, the Musashi’s defense spells couldn’t completely defend against their main cannons even from a distance.”

Scarred: “What did you do then?”

Everyone answered Mary by looking in a certain direction.

Mary followed their gazes to see Asama hanging her head and raising her right hand.

Asama: “So, uh, to be clear…I was only neutralizing their firepower there.”

Horizey: “No need to be shy, Asama-sama. I understand completely. Do not downplay your achievements. So open your heart and be honest with us all!”

Gold Mar: “Is this turning into a religious seminar?”

Musashi: “Excuse me, but for reference, my defense spells are more powerful than they were back then. However, I cannot guarantee they will hold against repeated fire from close range while we are at a standstill. Over.”

Worshiper: “Our biggest battle since the upgrades was the one against the Shirasagi Castle, right? And that wasn’t at close range either.”

Righteousness: “I apologize for interrupting, but distance has a significant effect on the power of cannon fire. In fact, Hexagone Française’s warships had to close in on the enemy during the Kantou Liberation to break through their ironclad ships.”

I see, thought Masazumi.

…So even if there aren’t many of them, we’re in trouble if they take desperate measures.

And the threat increased further if Tres España worked with P.A. Oda. They could ram the Musashi with transport ships or even use a dragon line reactor.

Novice: “As a reminder, the Honnouji Incident will primarily be a land battle. The Musashi has more power to spare with the base hulls removed, but we would still be in trouble with P.A. Oda attacking from the front and Tres España from behind. Especially with us on the ground at Honnouji.”

Art-Ga: “Huh? With who on the ground? Because it sounded a like you said ‘us’, which would include you?”

Musashi: “I have determined my odds of survival may in fact increase with Neshinbara-sama and Toori-sama off the ship. Over.”

Me: “Did you really have to name me too!? …Did you hear that, everyone? I’m famous! Bet you’re jealous!”

Asama: “Horizon! Horizon! Not yet! It’s still too soon!”

Still Got It: “I couldn’t agree more. You need to let it build and build and build until he releases it all at once. Now that is true love.”

Mitotsudaira destroyed her sign frame with a chop, but only destroying her own didn’t really accomplish much.

Naruze had been sketching the food, but now she scratched her head with her pen and spoke up in an “anyway” way.

Art-Ga: “So what will Musashi do while we’re at Honnouji? Can’t we just have it gravitational cruise all the way around Kinki?”

Musashi: “Until the land battle’s end, I will wait for your return while remaining in defense mode to secure you upon you return. However, I cannot fire the main cannon on my own authority, so do keep that in mind. Over.”

“Also,” said “Musashi”.

Musashi: “When Toori-sama leaves for the land battle, his ether fuel distribution spell will no longer be available here, meaning Kanesada cannot be fired. The Musashi will have no immediate means of counterattack against the Tres Españan fleet. Over.”

And without fleet movement, they couldn’t effectively use their secondary cannons either.

In that case, thought Masazumi when Horizon raised her hand.

“May I not say something?”

●

Juana raised her head and listened to what Musashi’s princess had to say.

“This is not at all a pain, so I wasn’t thinking we could not fire our main cannon not right here to not blow off some steam.”

That overdone reverse speak made Flores spit out her drink.

●

Masazumi stood up and worked to stop Horizon from saying any more.

“Don’t calm down! Don’t calm down, Horizon! Behave the way you always do!”

“What are you talking about, Masazumi-sama? I am currently in an extremely unstable and dangerous state of mind! I am showing off a very different charm than I usually do!”

“No, I need you to be your normal self here, Horizon! Don’t try to worry me by saying it isn’t alright!”

Art-Ga: “This might be one of the weirdest conversation Musashi has ever had. Which is saying something.”

Scarred: “Eh? It seems normal enough to me.”

Flat Vassal: “I was surprised by how natural it felt to me.”

Vice President: “If this seems normal and natural, then we are in serious trouble!”

Sensing her classmate’s glares piercing her, Horizon looked to Tres España’s Vice President again.

“So what will it be? Should we do it or not?”

That question didn’t need to be reversed.

●

Juana hesitated because she wasn’t sure how much she could trust that girl.

“I don’t want to ask, but…”

She very much wanted to ask.

“How will you hit us with your main cannon while we are on Tama?”

Everyone looked to Musashi’s princess. She nodded at them all and held a hand out to stop them.

Then she pulled a yellow card from her pocket and presented it to Juana.

“Busty Glasses-sama, could you apply the Kyou rules more heavily there?”

Juana saw Flores jot down a note starting with “busty”, so she made a mental note of her own to censor that later.

But the Musashi Vice President took a breath and looked to the side.

“Naomasa.”

“Judge. That wouldn’t be possible. We would only have to not purge this Tama port.”

As soon as Musashi’s 6th Special Duty Officer said that, a light appeared outside the jinmaku, toward the Musashi’s inner side.

A band of light appeared in the sky, which could only be…

…An internal announcement and spell!

A vibration soon followed. The ship shook vertically. It was only a few millimeters, but it was definitely there. The jinmaku fluttered from the movement.

“Oops.”

Why they all had to hold the table in place was obvious enough from their 6th Special Duty Officer’s previous statement.

“Are you prepared to purge this area?”

“We haven’t even started yet,” said their 6th Special Duty Officer.

If that wasn’t what she really meant, what did she actually mean?

But the shaking rapidly vanished. Rather than fade away, it was more like it suddenly stopped. The table lightly dropped down onto the deck. The food and dishes clattered. Fortunately this was a grilled dish. There was nothing much to spill.

But, thought Juana.

…Are they serious?

If they did this, they would lose a portion of their ship – and a major port – right before the Honnouji Incident.

So were they serious?

BA3: “The point is, they could do it.”

#1 Bunter: “It would let them eliminate us as a threat if they’re worried about a pincer attack.”

That was true.

Preserving this port would be meaningless if they were hit by a pincer attack at Honnouji.

If sacrificing the port would reduce the possibility of a pincer attack to zero, it was worth considering for them. They could view the one port an early loss to ensure they survived Honnouji.

It was a sensible sacrifice.

Musashi’s princess had been looking to the future when she suggested it.

●

Horizey: “We haven’t fired Kanesada in a while, so I figured now was as good a time as any.”

Gold Mar: “It’s always a good idea to do what feels good!”

Tama: “Um, excuse me. I am still calculating the secondary effects of that loss. Over.”

Vice President: “Hey, stop assuming we’re going to fire it!!”

●

Juana saw the Musashi Vice President turn her way.

She held her right hand out toward Juana.

“Listen. Musashi will fire our main cannon! We’ll do it! I mean it! You have every reason to feel threatened here!”

…I can’t say I’ve ever seen this negotiation style before!

Juana nodded back.

And to show she understood their Vice President’s intentions here…

“I do not understand what you are saying. So fire! Right now! Fire on us here and now!”

●

Art-Ga: “Now both sides are all fired up.”

Flat Vassal: “Are we trying to see how far we can push this, or what?”

Circle Be: “This is an excellent example of what the world would be like if everyone was like Seijun.”

Vice President: “I just secured a promise that we won’t be fighting here, so none of that! Okay!?”

Me: “How about you think back on everything you’ve said? Hm?”

●

The two of us at the top know what we’re saying and that’s what really matters, thought Masazumi, settling down into her seat.

That said, showing off the possibility of firing their main cannon might deter Tres España from siding with P.A. Oda.

If so, it was Masazumi’s turn now.

“Musashi has no intention of hiring Tres España as a mercenary force.”

That was a lazy reverse statement, but they were short on time. She wanted to take a bath and get to sleep as soon as possible.

“We do not want a mercenary force to temporarily guard the Musashi’s base hulls.”

●

Juana assessed the Musashi Vice President’s suggestion.

…She’s asking if we will guard their purged base hulls as a mercenary force.

“Where would this hypothetical force be headed?”

That question didn’t need to be reversed and the girl responded nearly instantly with eyebrows slightly raised.

“Not to Shikoku. And definitely not to Sanuki in particular.”

Juana nearly gasped at that answer.

But she did not let it fluster her. She converted her surprise into a nod and took a thoughtful pose.

But on the inside, she felt like they had seen right through her plans.

…Well done.

Shikoku.

That was certainly a tempting location for her and for Tres España.

And for Musashi, Shikoku had to be a friendly trade partner.

It was a bit far from Kyou, but they had a good reason to go there. Because Shikoku corresponded to an undeveloped continent that, in 1648, was still unexplored by the European nations. It was not part of the European nations’ history recreations. Traveling there required using a history recreation for the undeveloped continent or a history recreation of the Far Eastern clans in Shikoku.

Tres España probably could do so using their connection to the Far Eastern Oouchi and Ootomo clans, but it would be a stretch.

However, those restrictions fell away if they were acting as Musashi’s mercenary force.

Flores: “Shikoku, huh?”

There was a reason Juana received no protestation from Flores or the others.

There were a few different benefits of traveling to Shikoku now.

Juana: “They have presented us with some dangerous bait.”

The first benefit was the issue of travel and safety.

Juana: “The end of the Honnouji Incident will likely set the world in motion. In particular, it could force a variety of changes from the Middle East to Eastern Europe and K.P.A. Italia. If that happens, we will have a hard time returning home from Kyou.”

BA3: “Isn’t it fairly dangerous for us to be in Kyou at all right now?”

Flores: “Is it? If we’re here during their political upheaval, can’t we intervene?”

My Sister’s Brother: “Sister. Only if we have a corresponding history recreation.”

That was right. They could not even act as observers of the Honnouji Incident.

#1 Bunter: “We could involve ourselves by becoming a nation’s mercenary force, but that would mean taking that nation’s position. If our intervention doesn’t count as breaking the rules because we’re mercenaries, then nothing we try to accomplish through that intervention will count either, so there’s no point.”

Juana: “If we really wanted to, we could participate as Testament Union mercenaries, but then we would only be observers and we would be forbidden from interfering.”

So what would they do?

Juana: “Our best option is returning to Tres España. Once the Honnouji Incident ends, we can protect our territory, expand it as much as possible…and prepare to accept whoever ends up ruling the Far East.”

In other words…

Juana: “Tres España will sit out of the struggle for world domination and work to secure our own position.”

●

Fusae thought Juana had stated that well.

“So Tres España won’t seek world domination.”

This meant they had a superior capable of making that decision when their New World industries were booming and they were intervening in the Thirty Years’ War back at the mainland.

Juana was only the Vice President. Segundo existed above her, but he was sure to agree with her decision.

Most likely, Segundo was already setting things up in that direction behind the scenes.

…He is helping our domestic industries recover and helping rebuild.

Most likely, Juana and Segundo could both see the very real time limit they were working against.

#1 Bunter: “Either way, Hashiba and Musashi will have their showdown after Honnouji. That will solidify the Far Eastern map. Once that happens, it’ll be a real pain to get any interpretations in place even if a world nation invades and takes some territory.”

Flores: “Um…so does that mean the world nation that controls the taken territory would change, but the Far Eastern clan it belongs to wouldn’t change?”

BA3: “Testament. A good example is to think of us attacking neighboring Hexagone Française. Before, if we take some of their territory, we could declare the Far Eastern Mouri land in that territory was now our Oouchi and Ootomo land. But from now on, the Far Eastern borders will be more firmly established, so…”

Flores: “Even if we take Hexagone Française land, that would stay Mouri land?”

#1 Bunter: “Which makes taxation and infrastructure a real pain in the ass. Even now, the handover of Far Eastern land has been a lot of trouble when we and Hexagone Française take each other’s land.”

Juana: “Currently, the clan’s provisional ruling nation takes their taxes and then passes around 70% of that to the land’s provisional ruling nation as a ‘land ruling tax’.”

Flores: “Wow, that sounds like a pain. There must be no end of arguing over the tax rate. Is there any way of avoiding that?”

BA3: “Probably by becoming the clan’s provisional ruling nation too. So if we took over Hexagone Française, we would rule over Mouri as well.”

But everyone knew that wasn’t actually possible.

Juana: “The Thirty Years’ War will end in less than three months. Because Europe’s borders will be established at the Peace of Westphalia. So the name of the game is seeing how far we can expand our territory in that time. And after the Peace, we need to prepare for the next war and the next age.”

The current strategy was to look to the future. That was why the M.H.R.R. Protestants were relying on Musashi to minimize territorial losses and why Hexagone Française was working to defend itself while investigating the possibility of cooperating with Hashiba and the M.H.R.R. Catholics.

…K.P.A. Italia is preserving its position by welcoming the M.H.R.R Catholics and establishing relations with Hashiba, but how will that turn out for them?

There were concerning signs there.

The evening’s battle had been decided by the sudden appearance of a Logismoi Oplo.

Stithos Porneia.

It belonged to the Papa Schola.

…I heard he had gone missing after the fall of Aki.

Was he still alive? If so, why was he still in hiding?

That incident – the appearance of the Logismoi Oplo – would force all the European nations to consider the possibility that the Papa Schola still lived.

His possible appearance there would fill each nation with suspicion. So…

Juana: “The Honnouji Incident will set the world in motion. But Tres España’s distance from Kyou prevents us from taking action right away. So our best option is to return home and prepare for what comes next. However…”

However…

Juana: “What if we could reach a location that gave us access to Kyou, prevented intervention from the other nations, and allowed us to resupply? We could establish a bridgehead for our forces and maintain a connection with our mainland. A location like that could be seen as useful to a western nation like us.”

In the short term, they would certainly benefit from travelling to Shikoku as Musashi’s mercenary force and staying there, where they would be out of the other provisional nations’ reach.

●

Masazumi saw the Tres España group consider their options.

She could tell Horizon’s lazy attack had worked quite well. Thanks to that, both sides knew wielding simple “power” would accomplish nothing here.

And now they had begun the mercenary negotiation.

Horizey: “Masazumi-sama! What about our war!? When does the war start!?”

Unturning: “Yes, if you’re going to do that, I would prefer if you hurried it up. I’m sleepy.”

Vice President: “Is no one here willing to help me avoid war!?”

Me: “Don’t assume you understand us. You’re crazy.”

Laborer: “Ha ha ha. You’re one to talk!”

Flat Vassal: “So, uh, why are they taking so long to make a decision?”

Masazumi briefly hesitated over how to explain that one. But…

Horizey: “Neshinbara-samaaaa!”

Novice: “Heh, you don’t know? If this does turn to war like Takarazuka Honda-kun and Ariadust-kun want, it will be Tres España who started the Honnouji Incident. They are wracking their brains to find a way to avoid a tragedy that will go down in history. Isn’t that right?”

Gold Mar: “Hmm. Is Tres España really that cowardly?”

Art-Ga: “Sniff-Sniff Mitotsudaira!”

Silver Wolf: “What kind of title is that!? …But, anyway, I see this differently. Tres España is still trying to rebuild after the Armada battle. And as a Western European nation and a western Far Eastern clan, they can’t do much about the Kyou region or Musashi’s actions. But they want to do something when it matters most. Working as mercenaries for Musashi would let them remain in Shikoku, which is worth consideration on their part. …Do I have that right?”

Vice President: “Judge. That should be more or less their primary reason. The Warring States period and the Thirty Years’ War will both end soon. The Honnouji Incident is a dangerous event that could call a nation’s stance into question, but they can’t afford to just sit it out either. So instead of staying in Kyou and being partially caught up in it, they should prefer to go to Shikoku where they can resupply.”

Bell: “And in Shikoku…they can quickly…return to Tres España.”

That was part of it too.

Vice President: “If they travel west through Shikoku, they can reach Shimonoseki without any other nations interfering. That also makes it easier for them to receive supplies from their mainland.”

Mukai’s geographical knowledge there likely came from her frequent presence on Musashi’s bridge. They had cut across Osaka Bay when moving from M.H.R.R. to the Battle of Mikatagahara, but anyone could imagine a different route they could have taken then.

…We could have gone to Shikoku then.

But their options had been limited by Kantou’s promise to accept them.

And if they had gone to Shikoku, the Azuchi would have entered Kantou ahead of them and Hashiba’s control would likely have spread beyond just Edo and Satomi.

…So what we did was still the best option.

With that thought, Masazumi continued the conversation.

“If – hypothetically speaking – you do not consider the future at all…”

Going to Shikoku presented two advantages to Tres España.

The first was the freedom and safety of communicating with and traveling to and from Tres España.

The second was…

…Related to what I’m saying here.

So she said it.

“If Tres España does not perform that guard work, Musashi will not stay in Shikoku to repair and resupply after Honnouji.”

●

“Master Muneshige,” asked Gin while listening to the Vice President via divine transmission. “We were only there a short time, but what about Shikoku left the greatest impression on you?”

She asked the question, but she did not turn around. She was monitoring the Tres España group right now.

Next to her, Muneshige kept his eyes on his telescope sign frame while answering her.

“Judge. Seeing you so liberated in a land with no connection to the Testament Union.”

“I do not recall being particularly liberated,” she said, digging through her memories to see if that was really true.

For those on the Musashi, their trip to Shikoku had been a lot like a daytrip. The Battle of Nördlingen had ended in the morning and their makeup exam had started at midday. That night, their negotiation with AK had determined they would be going to Kantou right away.

…Would we have stayed long-term if not for that negotiation with AK?

In the end, Musashi’s trip to Kantou had pushed Hashiba out of Satomi and left Hexagone Française indebted to them. The timing had been perfect for beginning negotiations with the Kantou nations, so that quick decision had definitely been the right one.

Next to her, Muneshige spoke up in sudden remembrance.

“Looking back now, even the Treasurers can probably say the Vice President made the right decision. After all, we made good use of Shikoku’s Commerce and Industry Guild when departing. Because we sent Shikoku’s traders out ahead before following with the Musashi and collecting them. That short-term trade provided enough for a large city of nearly 100 thousand. Which should have shown Shikoku how useful Musashi can be for them.”

That was not the only benefit they brought Shikoku.

“Shikoku is also an undeveloped continent, so its trade is limited to the Far East. So just as the provisional ruling nations have a hard time reaching Shikoku, Shikoku cannot be officially involved with the provisional ruling nations.”

But what had Musashi’s trip to Kantou ultimately accomplished?

“Shikoku’s Commerce and Industry Guild was able to trade with the provisional ruling nations on the way to and from Kantou, by acting as a Musashi-led trade group. And when Hexagone Française returned from Kantou with Musashi’s support, Mouri made arrangements to engage in food trade with Sanuki, which you can see as one debt Shikoku has to Musashi.”

“In that case…” said Muneshige.

“Judge,” replied Gin. “Tres España can do the same thing. While they are in Shikoku as Musashi mercenaries, anyway.”

●

Now that is a nasty trick, thought Fusae, pursing her lips.

…How well does their Vice President understand our situation?

Juana spoke.

Juana: “A safe way back to our mainland.

“Short-term trade with Shikoku.

“We would gain both those things if we agree to this guard job as Musashi’s mercenaries.”

…Wow.

If they could really do that, then Tres España was in no position to refuse. Because…

BA3: “Even if it is only short term, we could really use a chance to trade for some food reserves.”

Flores: “Eh? Can’t we buy food from another nation if we need it? I know we’re still rebuilding, but we have the benefits of our New World industries.”

BA3: “The problem is we might have trouble finding any nation willing to sell to us.”

Why would that happen? Because of one simple thing: the Testament Union.

BA3: “War between the European nations continues even after the Thirty Years’ War, remember? And, well, Tres España will continue fighting a certain nation. You know which one that is, don’t you?”

Flores: “Oh.”

Anyone in Tres España who had taken their studies even halfway seriously would know that one. After the Thirty Years’ War, the empire of the setting sun would continue fighting with a certain powerful nation.

BA3: “Hexagone Française. Tres España’s next enemy will be the nation with the most farmland in Europe and great wealth from trading their excess food.”

●

So what will it be? thought Masazumi. My suggestion has to be worthwhile.

Asama: “Is Tres Españan trade really in such dire straits?”

Vice President: “Judge. Tres España hasn’t been entirely uninvolved with the Thirty Years’ War. They fought in the Dutch War of Independence and against England. Then their war with Hexagone Française will continue even after the Thirty Years’ War. …During the Thirty Years’ War, Tres España was a powerful Catholic nation with a strong connection to M.H.R.R., so they were concerned that neighboring Hexagone Française might rapidly extend its territory if the M.H.R.R. Catholics were defeated. So they supported the M.H.R.R. Catholics and deterred Hexagone Française, but that comes back to bite them after the war.”

Because…

Vice President: “A certain battle leads to Hexagone Française officially joining the Thirty Years’ War. And they battle against not just the Tres España forces working with the Catholics in M.H.R.R., but with the entire neighboring nation of Tres España itself.”

The Date Vice Chancellor tilted her head at that.

Unturning: “How strange. I could have sworn we already fought in the battle that led to Hexagone Française joining the war. About a month ago, I believe.”

For good reason, thought Masazumi. They had a lot of people from M.H.R.R. or connected to Hexagone Française, so they would know all this already.

Vice President: “I mean the Battle of Nördlingen.”

That battle had occurred shortly before summer break.

Vice President: “The Testament says Tres España took part in that battle as a spare force for the M.H.R.R. side. It also says they were the foundation of the defense. Once that battle is complete and Hexagone Française has joined the Thirty Years’ War, they will begin invading and intervening in Tres España.”

“Do you get what that means?” she asked, casting her gaze across them all.

Vice President: “The Battle of Nördlingen ended before summer break. Hexagone Française’s main fighting force returned home during summer break. And now summer break has ended. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

Silver Wolf: “The restrictions of the break have been lifted, so Hexagone Française is free to invade Tres España now.”

Vice President: “Correct. And they could do so at any time.”

That knowledge pointed these negotiations in a certain direction.

Vice President: “Tres España’s main force wants to monitor the Honnouji Incident and, if necessary, intervene, but they also want to return home as a deterrent to Hexagone Française declaring war. Shikoku is the best candidate for a point halfway between those two options. …Now, what will they choose?”

●

10ZO: “You know an awful lot about Tres España, Masazumi-dono.”

Scarred: “Hee hee. She knows a lot about a lot of things.”

Vice President: “Yeah…I just happened to know this already. Remember how I suggested we go through Kyushu after Mikawa? Well, Kyushu has a lot of connections to Honda Masazumi’s history recreation. I researched the events in that general region a long time ago, so now I know way too much about it. Tres España wasn’t my focus, but I know the general outline of their history recreation and I’ve been keeping an eye on their situation ever since the Armada battle.”

Horizey: “I see. So Masazumi-sama’s overexcited speech was paving a path to war based on detailed research. What can I do but give you my full support!?”

Vice President: “Um, how about we eat the next dish first? Okay?”

●

Masazumi felt she had given Tres España a good deal here.

…It should be enough to negotiate with.

And just as she settled on that answer within herself…

“Next is a palate cleanser.”

After the Tres España Vice President’s announcement, teacup-sized containers were brought in.

Gold Mar: “More Kyou food?”

Art-Ga: “If so, I have a bad feeling about this.”

Flat Vassal: “I can tell just how much we trust in curry.”

If only that weren’t so true.

But Masazumi felt the negotiation had to be going her way. She believed Tres España traveling to Shikoku would benefit them both. So…

“Now, then,” she said, opening her container.

It was chawanmushi.

Chapter 6: Overeating Doll in Gion[edit]

Crash

Point Allocation (Ah!)

●

Juana heard quiet groans coming from the Musashi group.

She wasn’t sure why that was, but she was happy the food was actually what she had said it would be.

That meant she was in control here.

In her relief, she had one thing to say.

“I think the idea of Musashi hiring us as mercenaries would be impossible.”

It was an extremely effective idea. The Musashi Vice President nodded when she looked her in the eye, so she must have been confident in it as well. But…

“Currently, Tres España would be able to accept that job under those conditions alone.”

Meaning…

“That is a good deal. Yes.”

●

Me: “Okay, everyone! No making fun of Masazumi-sensei for being so confident in her terrible idea! Even Masazumi-sensei makes mistakes sometimes! And this just happens to be one of those times!”

Vice President: “O-oh, shut up! And is she really turning down the whole deal!? Why would she do that!?”

Unturning: “This has proven the fortune-telling properties of curry, hasn’t it?”

Horizey: “Oh, Masazumi-sama, Asama-sama? Do you have a moment?”

●

Asama was admiring the subtle flavor of the chawanmushi when Horizon suddenly asked for her attention.

Just as she turned around to see what this was about, Horizon raised her right forearm and opened her mouth wide.

“I’m not tirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrred! I’m not sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyy!”

With a wholly unexpected shout, Horizon’s upper body crashed loudly down onto the table.

Asama stood up, ignoring the disturbed Tres España group.

…Um, I think I know what this is.

She stood next to Horizon and checked to find several cross-torii sign frames opened around Horizon.

Yes, I was right. Asama propped Horizon up in a sitting position, but…

Asama: “She’s started her sleep time for the Logismoi Oplo initialization and rebuilding.”

Vice President: “For Stithos Porneia?”

Masazumi’s question led Asama to notice the unusual quantity of sign frames.

She had Horizon’s permission to monitor this process, so she ran a search.

Asama: “She’s also running Pheugos Gastrimargia we got at Nördlingen. But that one has been running in pieces for a while now, so it looks like this sleep time was mostly triggered by Porneia.”

Silver Wolf: “Why was that one run in pieces?”

Asama: “Maybe that’s more efficient?”

But no, that wasn’t it. The Logismoi Oplo installation progress bar on Horizon’s sign frames was rapidly filling.

…What is this?

She recalled how Horizon’s system for installing the Logismoi Oplo had clearly required less sleep time with each consecutive one.

Stithos Porneia was being installed far faster than the previous ones. How did that work?

Asama: “The previous Logismoi Oplo were installed all at once, which only gave the installation OS a single instance of experience for each one. But by installing Gastrimargia in pieces, the OS received multiple instances of installation experience, which has sped up the installation of Porneia.”

“Makes sense,” said Naomasa.

Smoking Girl: “When installing each piece, the OS must have built and tested a different installation processing algorithm. Think of it like dividing your forces into a few different teams and having each team attack Gastrimargia separately to figure out the best way to install it.”

Novice: “How advanced is this OS…?”

Smoking Girl: “You say that, but we do the same thing. When working toward a large goal, we don’t try to do it all at once – we try to complete the smaller objectives that lead up to the overall goal. I don’t know if this was conscious or not on Horizon’s part, but something inside her decided sleeping for long periods was inefficient and the OS found a more efficient solution while listening to what Asama-chi had to say.”

That was probably it. And while Horizon leaned back in her chair…

“Zzzzggggzzzzgzgzgzgzgzzgg!”

Gold Mar: “Is she snoring or grinding her teeth?”

Asama: “Maybe her posture is the problem.”

But her upper body couldn’t stay balanced, so it would either flop down onto the table or lean back in the chair.

While Asama tried to figure out what to do, the arms detached, checked side to side, and then propped up their master.

“Are you alright?” asked Asama.

The arms turned her way and nodded with their wrists.

Apparently they were. Which was good enough for Asama. There was still some occasional snoring, but how deep was Horizon’s sleep during this process? She couldn’t quite remember.

And why was the Tres España group glaring at them with lips pursed?

Masazumi spoke up to smooth things over.

“I ask that you pay a lot of attention to this. As much attention as you can. Got that?”

Are you trying to gather their attention, Masazumi?

●

Masazumi thought to herself with an air of “anyway”.

…What was wrong with our earlier offer?

Tres España had a war with Hexagone Française coming up, so they had an urgent need for a supply line and for safe travel between the west and east. After all, the new school term had started and the nations could resume their international history recreations.

Hexagone Française could launch a war against Tres España tomorrow – or even today.

Masazumi knew why it hadn’t happened yet.

…Because the Honnouji Incident is stopping them.

But that would mean, she thought, Tres España’s situation is all the more dangerous.

“You have it good, don’t you?”

“In what way?”

“How do you plan to return to Tres España from here?”

It was a simple question but a useful one.

The Tres España Vice President finally gave an answer.

“If we focus on safety and travel through Shikoku as your mercenaries, it should take around 6 hours one way. With only high-speed ships, it should take less than 4 hours.”

“And if you don’t travel through Shikoku?”

Masazumi saw the Tres España Vice President smile a bit when asked that.

“In that case,” she said. “Tres España’s main fleet will stay put back home and abandon us.”

●

Juana made this decision after realizing a certain fact.

Musashi was using the mercenary offer and trade with Shikoku as a tool to negotiate with them. That would ensure Tres España’s safety during the Honnouji Incident and help establish friendly relations between the two of them down the line.

But Juana realized they were not looking beyond that when it came to Tres España.

…Their discussion begins and ends with Honnouji and the trade afterwards.

Which meant Musashi was not seeing something else.

Juana: “I do not think Musashi is giving any thought to what Tres España will try to do after Honnouji.”

BA3: “You think so too, Ju? I was thinking the same thing.”

The support of the 2nd Special Duty Officer made the decision all the easier.

Tres España had to take a certain stance with Musashi here. So when using their Kyou rules…

“We can agree to a mercenary contract with Musashi.”

That was a complete rejection of everything they had been discussing.

●

Juana saw the entire Musashi group – including the arms – look to their Vice President.

After a pause, the Vice President noticed their gazes.

“Wh-why are you all looking at me!? Keep looking! Take a good, long look!”

Apparently they were using their Kyou rules with each other too.

●

Me: “And with that, Seijun-kun is a big, fat loserrrrrrrrr!”

Unturning: “What happened to knowing a lot about that region?”

Scarred: “Don’t be so mean, everyone. She only made a slight misunderstanding. Like Master Neshinbara does. Isn’t that right, Masazumi-sama?”

Vice President: “I know you’re trying to help, but you are not helping!”

Novice: “Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Now do you understand the excruciating hellfire I must suffer on a daily basis!? It’s what you deserve! I’m so happy to have someone who understands me!”

Gold Mar: “Why would anyone want to understand that?”

Flat Vassal: “So they just rejected everything all over again, didn’t they? After rejecting that stuff about safe travel the Vice President was talking about.”

Asama: “But why reject it all when there are other advantages? That is, even if the safe travel really isn’t useful to them. Yes.”

Vice President: “Fine, see if I care that they rejected my idea! Dammit! Goddammit!”

●

Oh, no, thought Masazumi. I’m being targeted by a group far more frightening than our enemy.

…Our class does not hold back.

But that meant she could do the same thing, so was it a win-win arrangement? No, I suppose not.

Tres España had said they could send an escort fleet from their homeland to provide them with safe travel. It turned the idea on its head, but it was doable.

…Taking on Tres España’s main fleet would be too great a risk even for the other powerful nations.

Masazumi’s mistake had come from thinking about things in terms of the Musashi. That was her story, anyway.

“Now, then.”

She slapped her cheeks once to refocus herself. She had something to think about now.

Vice President: “Asama is correct that our offer has other advantages. So why do you think Tres España fully rejected the mercenary idea?”

Art-Ga: “Maybe you overlooked something important again?”

Vice President: “That ‘again’ was not necessary!”

Circle Be: “I’d like to get my opinion in before Seijun makes this anymore uncomfortable. I think Tres España would benefit from trade with Shikoku. Because once their war with Hexagone Française begins, England will ally with France and they’ll be in serious trouble. Spain mainly deals in woolen goods and ceramics, but they need someone to sell those things to and someone willing to sell them the food they need.”

So…

Circle Be: “To make a long story short, it would benefit them greatly to build up food reserves now.”

Vice President: “So hypothetically speaking…”

Masazumi tried asking an expert.

Vice President: “What would happen if Musashi supplied Tres España during their war with Hexagone Française?”

Worshiper: “It wouldn’t accomplish much other than improve our reputation.”

Ohiroshiki set down his bowl of chawanmushi to speak.

Worshiper: “The Musashi can transport a large city’s worth of supplies as a trade ship, but we’re still only talking about a city. We can’t hold enough to fully support a large nation. Also, the Musashi is meant to trade while traveling around the Far East, so if we concentrated on a single nation, it would likely damage the Far Eastern economy.

“Conversely, the transport ships ordinarily used for trade can transport far less than the Musashi, but they can supply an entire nation with their numbers and regular visits. If Tres España wants to build up their reserves, they could receive far more using Shikoku and Tres España transport ships than if they relied on the Musashi alone. It would be safer too.”

Nagaya-Stable: “Here, I’ll send you the numbers proving it.”

The document from Ookubo compared how much the Musashi could carry against the amount of trade needed to support a city with a population of 20 thousand. It went on to determine how many cities the Musashi could support in that way.

The numbers indicated that the Musashi would be inadequate once the number of cities reached the 6-8 range. The document gave a range because of seasonal differences and the different routes the Musashi could use to reach Tres España. The biggest loss came from taking the route from England.

…England can’t provide any food, so we would only be carrying steel, fuel, and things like that.

Masazumi thought back on when they were in England before the Armada battle.

Vice President: “Which regions of Tres España are busy with trade right now?”

Circle Be: “They know they have to fight France, so probably all of them will be busy right up to the last second. They have a lot of cities centered on Shimonoseki, so they should have well over the number of 20-thousand-population cities mentioned in that document. So I expect they’re already gathering reserves with more transport power than the Musashi could provide.”

“Judge,” someone replied from outside: the Tachibana Wife.

Tachibana Wife: “Tres España excels at expansion into the ocean, so they have a lot of major cities on the coast or alongside large rivers. Their focus on decentralization and privatization has allowed their satellite cities and cities ruled by regional governors to develop and grow in number.”

Vice President: “So even if the Musashi did provide trade, we would only be giving some extra help on top of that, if not just doing what they could have done on their own.”

Flat Vassal: “But at the same time, doesn’t this mean the Musashi is valuable as a way of providing nearly eight cities’ worth of supplies all at once?”

I see, thought Masazumi, but not because she had never looked into this before.

There was no need to look into it because she had asked the committees to provide a report on what was likely to happen in Europe, especially following the Honnouji Incident.

But Tres España was acting more quickly than that report had predicted.

That meant they had some kind of plan.

●

That’s it, thought Masazumi. Tres España was a large nation. And they would have had plenty of time to think over things during summer break.

She had been astonished by Tres España’s planning abilities in the past.

Their Chancellor and Vice President were both the plotting type. Plus, their entire nation trusted them and had come together to rebuild. The power of their king would fall as their decentralization grew, yet they seemed to have grown stronger after losing the Armada battle. That was because the people supported their nation’s actions.

…In that case…

The people were the source of Tres España’s power. But those people needed a stable source of food and other necessities.

Vice President: “But at the same time, Tres España will be enemies with England and Hexagone Française again soon.”

Nagaya-Stable: “Do you know why Hexagone Française hired us at Nördlingen and did the Protestant’s a favor even after they defended against M.H.R.R. at Paris? After the break, they have to fight a two-front war against M.H.R.R. and Tres España during the second term. That’s also why they wanted to be on good terms with Sanuki.”

“Right,” agreed Masazumi before arriving at a realization.

Vice President: “Do you think Hexagone Française can monopolize trade with Sanuki?”

Nagaya-Stable: “I’m sure they’ll leave enough for their previous connections and for Musashi.”

That was basically a yes. So…

Vice President: “Is it possible Tres España wouldn’t gain that much even if they stayed in Shikoku?”

Everyone looked her way when they heard that.

Art-Ga: “Didn’t someone just act all smug about how the most important thing about Tres España going to Shikoku was their ability to trade with Shikoku?”

She’d done it again.

●

Juana saw the entire Musashi group – including the arms – looking at their Vice President.

Eventually, the Vice President noticed them.

“Wh-why are you all looking at me again!? Keep looking! Take a good, long look!”

Was this a running gag in that joke-obsessed warrior nation?

●

Me: “And with that, Seijun-kun is again a big, fat loserrrrrrr!”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. That’s two Ls! The first one was a single L! This one is a double L! And the next one will be a trupple L!”

Asama: “Um, Kimi. We already know you’re an idiot, so please calm down.”

Unturning: “But, in all serious, what happened to knowing a lot about that region?”

Scarred: “Don’t be so mean, everyone. Everyone has a bad day from time to time. Like Master Neshinbara does. Isn’t that right, Masazumi-sama?”

Vice President: “Your help still isn’t helping!”

Novice: “I’d like to know how many versions of this unhelpful help are related to me!”

Gold Mar: “I have a feeling you’d want to die if you knew the answer.”

Silver Wolf: “Anyway, Shikoku is right in front of Hexagone Française. It also borders K.P.A. Italia, but Tres España would still have a hard time of it if Hexagone Française took control of Sanuki, since that’s one of the bigger locations for a base.”

Circle Be: “If that happened, couldn’t Shikoku defiantly strengthen their trade in Matsuyama or Iyo to the west and trade with Tres España from there?”

Vice President: “Tres España’s Far Eastern side already goes there to trade with Shikoku, so that is probably what would happen. So I was thinking they could expand on that if they worked as our mercenaries.”

Masazumi had Tsukinowa quickly open a map of Shikoku.

Matsuyama and Iyo were on the northwest end and Sanuki was near the northeast end.

Worshiper: “When focused on food trade, Sanuki produces and stockpiles a lot of wheat since they need to make so much udon. However…”

Ohiroshiki added a line connecting Sanuki with Iyo and Matsuyama on the map.

Worshiper: “There is no set trade route here. And even if there was, it would be managed by Hashiba since they conquered Shikoku, but no east-west trade route has been established along the northern coast of Shikoku. That makes it difficult for Sanuki to share their plentiful food reserves.”

Vice President: “That’s the problem with the Far East’s Warring States period. Europe had its merchant guilds, but the Far East’s commerce leagues weren’t very well developed.”

“So,” she said.

Vice President: “If Musashi were to stop at Sanuki, Tres España could act as our mercenaries and travel the line between Shimonoseki, Matsuyama/Iyo, and Sanuki. That would probably create the beginnings of a trade route and I wouldn’t have thought Tres España would turn down an opportunity like that.”

Silver Wolf: “In other words…it looks like Tres España is choosing to ‘hide out at home’ for some reason?”

Mitotsudaira was right. Every nation was on the move and Tres España had to deal with both Hexagone Française and England, but they weren’t even considering a way of securing a trade route.

…They must already have a plan ready.

Their Vice President probably even had a rough budget calculated out.

Flat Vassal: “Do you think Hexagone Française and England know that Tres España has a plan in the works?”

Silver Wolf: “Since they will be enemies during the second term, both sides will be doing their best to keep their information from each other. And even without that, international history recreations weren’t allowed during the break. It would be silly to think any nation didn’t use that time for planning.”

Vice President: “Right. And we know more or less what Hexagone Française is planning.”

Unturning: “Why do we know that?”

Still Got It: “My, my! Information leaks are such frightening things!”

Silver Wolf: “Says the source of the leak!”

And we’ve leaked things back them, now that I think about it.

But after their time at the candy house, they knew Hexagone Française was on their side.

…Then there’s the other nation Tres España has to watch out for.

Vice President: “Does anyone know what’s going on in England these days?”

●

Mary had been following the goings-on in England as best she could.

And even if she hadn’t been, she received periodic divine mails from Milton and the others. But instead of private messages, those were starting to be official messages published by Oxford’s Liaison Committee and the Committee HQ communications officials, generally indicating England’s position regarding some other nation.

That meant she still had some value to England as a name inheritor.

…Which means I need to be careful about opposing England in any way.

She had defected and given up her inherited name for the time being, but if she did oppose England, it could act as a barrier to her returning at a later date. The messages were probably part of her sister, Jonson, and the others being careful about that. She appreciated their concern and, if it could help determine Musashi’s overall policy, all the better.

She gave Tenzou a nod before answering.

Scarred: “Ever since the Armada battle, England has been strengthening their ties to the Protestants in Holland and elsewhere. They have also been maintaining diplomatic relations with Hexagone Française.”

Art-Ga: “A simple explanation is a wonderful thing.”

Novice: “M-mine are for experts only! Of course they’re going to be a little more complicated!”

Four Eyes: “You do realize you’re the only ‘expert’ in your brand of nonsense, don’t you? Oh, but if you don’t, that means even you are a beginner in your nonsense. Thank you, Toussaint. I’m on the verge of coming up with a good line.”

If this would help Shakespeare’s writing, then this was culturally relevant too. Another thing to be happy about.

But with the second term starting, England had to be searching for something more to do.

Scarred: “Before Elizabeth’s age – which would be when my name’s origin was still alive – England worked with Tres España to hold Hexagone Française in check. England’s policy in every age is to never make an enemy of all their trade partners and to always preserve their supply routes.”

Mary’s sister was great at navigating that balancing act and it was convenient for both sides if England remained “neutral” among the European nations.

Meanwhile, Tres España’s only obvious external threats were neighboring Hexagone Française and England. This was partially because it was located out on the edge of Europe, but…

Scarred: “Tres España will be hindered by the fact that they got involved in the fight over control of Europe and worked with M.H.R.R.”

Uqui: “They probably never imagined the power of the great ruler who once controlled so much of Europe would decline so much in the Protestant Reformation. As a result, the territory Tres España held on the north coast of M.H.R.R. declared independence as Holland and now they have to deal with Hexagone Française.”

Silver Wolf: “Since Tres España is located on the edge of Europe, if Hexagone Française and England turn on them, they will effectively be cut off from their European trade routes, won’t they?”

Flat Vassal: “After the Armada battle, a new trend rises to prominence: pirates running rampant on the ocean and England’s privateers specifically targeting Tres Españan ships.”

“In that case,” said Mary.

Scarred: “Because England needs to cooperate with Hexagone Française, I expect they will choose to follow their history recreation.”

Which led to another conclusion.

Scarred: “I expect Tres España will choose a path outside the history recreation or outside the usual way of following it.”

●

Juana realized the Musashi group had entered a long period of thought like her side had earlier.

…They are a perceptive bunch.

This was her first time facing them at a meeting like this. Their previous meetings – both near England and more recently at Kyou – had been battles.

Now she finally had a chance to speak with them, but it reminded her what Velázquez said about fighting them at England.

Juana: “The Secretary said they can turn anything into their ally.”

Flores: “But there’s nothing here that can be their ally.”

“Testament,” replied Juana. Then she opened a cadena firma and spoke to all the others.

Juana: “We need to establish our relationship with Musashi now. We need to keep an appropriate distance between us since we don’t know what our future holds. That should be best for now.”

●

Masazumi considered the issue.

Vice President: “All of this is so strange.”

Unturning: “Yes, I am seeing a lot of strange things here…”

What was that “…” supposed to mean? Regardless…

Silver Wolf: “Masazumi, could you just tell us what’s so strange?”

Probably a good idea, she thought.

Vice President: “If anything, we’re more on Hexagone Française and England’s side. We’ve met with Hexagone Française on several occasions, not to mention traveling there. For England, we have Mary with us and we basically have an alliance with them. Meanwhile, Tres España is more our enemy than anything. We’ve fought them several times and this is our first meeting with them.”

But…

Vice President: “Even if this was mostly happenstance, I have to wonder why the Tres Españan Vice President set up this meeting at all. And why she doesn’t want to make it official.”

Gold Mar: “Oh.”

Vice President: “ ‘Oh’ what, Naito?”

Naito placed the lid on her chawanmushi bowl before answering.

Gold Mar: “I can think of one reason for a meeting like this.”

Vice President: “Yes?”

“Judge,” replied Naito.

Gold Mar: “What if it’s too keep something hidden and prevent us from looking into it?”

●

…Huh!?

Why would you hold a meeting to keep something hidden?

Gold Mar: “I get the feeling that wasn’t their original intention. But after assessing something about us, I feel like they decided to keep whatever it is hidden.”

Vice President: “The way they’ve rejected everything we’ve suggested does give that feeling, doesn’t it?”

Could that be it? What if that was the truth behind this meeting? But before Masazumi could pursue that thought further, the Tres Españan Vice President opened her mouth.

“I do not want to start on the main topic of this meeting, so shall we continue?”

…Why now!?

Art-Ga: “Oof. Out of time. If only you weren’t so slow, Masazumi.”

Vice President: “A-and all of your cannibalism doesn’t count!?”

Asama: “Um, Masazumi, this isn’t going to alter reality, so shouldn’t you pay attention?”

That was true, but it didn’t mean Masazumi had to like it.

“As I am sure you will not agree, in our current situation, wouldn’t Tres España be better off receiving P.A. Oda’s help to support Musashi’s actions?”

In other words…

“How about we not go to war?”

●

Gold Mar: “Has she gone crazy? Didn’t Seijun threaten her earlier to show her that isn’t an option?”

No, thought Asama. She wasn’t an expert on diplomacy, but…

Asama: “I think this is a bluff. But we are short on time too, so we have to play along with the bluff.”

That thought was interrupted by more from the Tres Españan Vice President.

“Of course, this war will be Musashi’s responsibility. …And this is not based on the Kyou rules.”

…Eh?

“You aren’t using the Kyou rules?”

“Testament,” she nodded. “Your Vicereine required us to use the Kyou rules earlier, but she has essentially left the meeting. Thus, we are no longer required to follow those rules.”

So…

“You said repeatedly that we should go to war, didn’t you, Musashi Vice President? I am now saying that we will do just that. And if anything happens to us here, you are the ones who requested this first. We are only defending ourselves.”

The instant she said that, a wind blew in. It was strong enough to set the jinmaku flapping.

Asama knew what this wind meant. It contained a salty scent, which could only mean…

Tachibana Wife: “The Tres Españan fleet is preparing to take off! And they are aiming their cannons horizontally!”

Chapter 7: Careless One in the Distance[edit]

Do not demand gratitude

Listen to what people say

Do not wait

Be quiet

Point Allocation (A Mother’s "Ohitashi")

●

Masazumi thought this was too forceful.

…They didn’t just ignore the Kyou rules – they used them against us!?

The Tres España Vice President had used Horizon falling asleep to install the Logismoi Oplo as a chance to violate the Kyou rules, but that couldn’t be it.

Bell: “Masazu…mi…”

Mukai could sense people’s breathing. And her assessment of the Tres Españan Vice President was…

Bell: “She’s…relieved.”

Silver Wolf: “I get the same sense from her!”’

She had announced the possibility of war, but she was relieved about it. What did that mean?

…Naito said Tres España is trying to keep something hidden.

So this revealed something. To put it in words…

Vice President: “Tres España must want to keep us from interfering so they can keep something hidden!”

●

Me: “Man, why does she hate you so much?”

Vice President: “If anyone, I’d say it’s you she doesn’t like.”

Laborer: “You did have her grope your dick!”

Still Got It: “My! That’s a new one! Nate, you need to lay claim to a part of him too! Equality begins with a decentralized rule!”

Silver Wolf: “I don’t want to hear that from a tyrant who squeezes people dry!”

Asama: “Kimi, stop shaking your fist up and down. …Anyway, um, Masazumi? What do you mean Tres España is keeping us from interfering to keep something hidden?”

10ZO: “Can we blame the nudist for this one?”

Vice President: “I only said that because I’d figured that much out. I don’t actually know what they’re trying to hide.”

Almost Everyone: “Then get to work!”

●

Okay, fine, thought Masazumi. But she really didn’t know the answer.

…What would they want so badly they would hold a meeting to keep us from interfering?

Novice: “Tricky problems like this are best solved by simplifying the question! In this case: who should we blame for this!?”

10ZO: “You have guts to ask that question in our class, Neshinbara-dono!”

Me: “If only all of you could behave yourselves for more than 30 seconds.”

Smoking Girl: “Masazumi, how about we hand them all over to Tres España?”

Masazumi really wanted to go with that idea, but it would only hurt their position politically.

But the idiot had a question.

Me: “Seijun, have we done anything wrong? After the Armada battle, mean.”

Vice President: “I feel like I could write up a very long list there, but I don’t actually remember anything in regards to Tres España.”

Tonbokiri: “Judge! Masazumi and I have never done anything wrong to Tres España. I swear it on my honor!”

●

“Master Muneshige! Master Muneshige! She forget to mention everything she’s done – and continues to do – to us!”

“Ha ha ha. Gin, we are Musashi citizens now, so I would say we don’t count. Working on our name inheritance problem as Musashi citizens should be a lot less stressful too.”

“D-do I look stressed out to you!?”

“Not at all. But you have a tendency to take things more seriously than necessary.”

“There are times when I wish I was a simpler person…”

●

Gold Mar: “I was listening in and it was like having sugar dumped into my brain through the mouth and ears.”

Naito looked to Naruze who was drawing a storyboard on a Magie Figur below the table.

Art-Ga: “I’m making great progress on my storyboard. …So did we figure out who to blame?”

Naruze was quite calm given the salty smell of the Tres Españan fleet preparing to take off. Then again, the two of them were equipped with Schwarz Fräulein and Weiss Fräulein, which provided a sense that they could handle whatever might happen.

Of course, that didn’t apply to the others. But if the Technohexen could rescue the Chancellor, Seijun, and Horizon in an emergency, they could at least operate the Musashi.

…And if we have time, the next most important two would be Asama-chi and Bell-rin.

But this was their home turf, so the others could probably survive on their own.

Flat Vassal: “Um, can’t we just blame everyone except for Suzu-san?”

Uqui: “Come to think of it, you were the one who had the Musashi fly a loop-the-loop to crash into them.”

Almost Everyone: “So we’re going with Adele, then?”

Flat Vassal: “I-I did not crash into them! And what is this about anyway? What’s their problem with Musashi?”

Everyone looked to the Chancellor for a second.

The idiot began shouting “Oh, yeah!? Is bullying me that much fun!? Stop getting off on it!”, but they all ignored him.

Silver Wolf: “Assuming it isn’t a personal matter, is there a problem with Musashi as a whole?”

●

Masazumi used Mitotsudaira’s question to guide her thoughts. Was there a problem with the Musashi itself or with their political policies?

Then Mary raised her hand a little.

Scarred: “Could it be because we won the Armada battle?”

Vice President: “No, we did that as mercenaries, so it doesn’t count. If anything, Tres España would want to make us look really powerful.”

Uqui: “Then is it because we are working more closely with the Protestants and Hexagone Française?”

Silver Wolf: “No, that would mean making an enemy of Hexagone Française and England too. Given the current situation, Tres España should want to keep Musashi neutral so they could have us mediate between them and Hexagone Française and England if necessary.”

Vice President: “Agreed…”

Then someone spoke across the table.

“You should have had enough time to think now.” The Tres España Vice President smiled. “We have one demand.”

This was the first time they had mentioned any kind of demand.

“From here on, Musashi is forbidden from trading in Tres España’s sphere of trade.”

●

Juana realized at the last second that, while Tres España seemed to have the advantage with the time limit and the show of force, this demand more or less gave away their hand.

This could end up greatly harming Tres España’s future management. But…

“That is our only demand. If Musashi agrees to never again trade in Tres España’s sphere of trade, we can accompany and guard your base hulls. Will that be a problem?”

●

Masazumi saw some quick words on her sign frame.

10ZO: “I don’t know if she specified ‘Tres España’s sphere of trade’ both times intentionally, but if they are leaving their Far East side out of this, they could force that through. And while it would mean restrictions on certain trade items, that would be the biggest problem. I can’t think of any other real problems with it.”

Silver Wolf: “Going forward, Tres España will be reducing their trade with England and Hexagone Française. They will have lost most of their trade opportunities in Europe, so the only problems for Musashi will be Tres España’s foreign bases in the New World and Asia.”

Masazumi nodded and considered part of Mitotsudaira’s claim.

…Tres España’s bases in Asia.

Tres España was building a trade route along the coast of Africa, India, and all the way to Qing and they were building trading houses and companies. That included a lot of major cities, so a ban on trade there would mean trouble for Musashi.

So she knew what her answer had to be.

“We can’t give up trade in some places you have trade bases in Africa and Asia, so we can’t agree to those terms as-is. We need to support the former Houjou land, for example.”

“Testament. Then how about this?”

The Tres Españan Vice President showed a map of the Far East from Kyushu to the Seto Inland Sea.

Then she drew a line north to south across the west side of the Seto Inland Sea.

“We will allow Musashi to trade with the provisional ruling nations east of this line.”

In other words…

“Musashi can only trade with the Far East when east of this line in the Mediterranean Sea. We could call it a second Treaty of Tordesillas or Treaty of Zaragoza, but it won’t be as strict. How about that?”

●

Scarred: “The Treaty of Tordelillas?”

Tenzou saw Mary’s post created by the system that picked up on what she muttered under her breath.

…Mary-dono is so cute when she misspeaks!

He had discussed the Treaty of Tordesillas and the Treaty of Zaragoza with her once and they had debated them in class. That debate was a famous one because Ohiroshiki had been the primary victim. As for what they were…

10ZO: “The Treaty of Tordesillas and the Treaty of Zaragoza were used to unilaterally grant Tres España and Portugal control of land in the New World because they already controlled trade there. England disapproved and sent out their privateers, which ultimately led to the Armada battle, but are we doing that again here?”

Novice: “If it’s only for Musashi, I bet the other nations will accept it. Lending us the power to break free of it can even be used to negotiate with us. Plus, if Musashi has a shorter trade route, we can complete our circuit of the Far East more quickly. The other nations will see it as a treaty that only hurts Musashi and Tres España.”

Flat Vassal: “Then why would Tres España want to do it?”

Kimi-dono was twirling and shouting “She’s gone crazy!” over and over, but Tenzou wasn’t sure if she was talking about the Tres Españan Vice President or herself.

At any rate, if they were going to do this, it was certainly one-sided.

“Can I ask something?” Masazumi asked the Tres España Vice President. “An intangible deal like that would not last for long. Your own conditions will change eventually. …So how long are you asking us to do this?”

●

Juana breathed a deep sigh.

She did not hide her relief. Because that relief was the truth but also a trap.

She made sure not to think she already had this negotiation won.

“Until 1659.”

That year was a turning point. It hadn’t been revealed in the Testament yet, but an early note had stated that a certain war ended that year.

“A note in the Testament for the year 1635 said our war with the Hexagone Française, that began with the Battle of Nördlingen, would end in the year 1659. Our domestic circumstances will likely change then, so it would make a good ending date. So if we do survive the Apocalypse, this would continue for another 11 years.”

●

…11 years.

That was a long time for Masazumi. Under the current system, her class wouldn’t be involved in politics anymore at that point.

Novice: “We’ll all be around 30 by then.”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. You mean when I’ve powered up into an even more gorgeous woman?”

Scarred: “I wonder how old our children will be then.”

Gold Mar: “Oh? Children? Did I hear that right?”

Art-Ga: “As tense as this meeting is, I’m making great progress.”

Can none of them focus? wondered Masazumi, but she also felt like 11 years would pass in the blink of an eye.

…Because it’s going to be a very busy 11 years.

Four months had passed since Mikawa, but while so much had happened in that time, it also felt like it had all happened in a flash.

They still didn’t know what would happen with the Apocalypse. If Horizon’s Logismoi Oplo were the key, would they learn something new once they were all installed?

But if they did get through Westphalia and the Apocalypse, it seemed like the world would be even busier than it was now.

“If so…11 years might not amount to much.”

“Do you really think so, Musashi Vice President?”

“Judge,” she replied.

…I think I get it now.

Tres España was probably using the 11 years of war to start some kind of domestic project. She didn’t know if it was based in their war against Hexagone Française, but it had to be something they didn’t want another nation interfering in.

And after the war, they would use the result of that project to begin to rebuild.

They were planning an 11 year national project. That wasn’t very long and, if they were doing it during a war, they would be very busy that entire time.

The Armada battle had taught Masazumi that the people of Tres España preferred to make the most of their time.

So this had to be an important matter for Tres España.

…Which must be why they don’t want us to interfere.

If their war against Hexagone Française began at the same time, then England and Hexagone Française would also be unable to interfere. Masazumi could only think of one similar situation.

Vice President: “Sakoku – the chained nation.”

Me: “So they’ll be doing chain bondage like Nate?”

Silver Wolf: “I-I do not do that! Really, I don’t!”’

After Mitotsudaira’s sniffing at the candy house the other day, Masazumi took that denial with a grain of salt.

But she was curious about one thing.

Vice President: “Technically, they wouldn’t be completely isolationist. They do still have the New World.”

Me: “Then why do they hate us so much?”

Vice President: “Because they have something they want to do internally.”

Asama: “Oh.”

Asama made a sound. She must have realized something from that exchange with the idiot. Furthermore…

Silver Wolf: “Now I know what felt so off to me.”

“You do?” asked Asama, so Masazumi turned toward her and she nodded before continuing.

Asama: “Why would they avoid Musashi just because they want to do something internally? If they just don’t invite us to join them when they’re doing their project, they shouldn’t have to push us away now.”

What did this mean?

Silver Wolf: “Judge! I get now what my king has been hinting at. Tres España’s upcoming project will conflict with Musashi in the preparatory phase. It most likely involves something Musashi is the leading expert on! They’ve realized we would join in and steal their advantage if we found out, so they want to keep it secret!”

●

Mitotsudaira sensed all the mental pieces slotting into place.

…We were looking at this wrong.

They had wondered why Tres España would reject them.

Silver Wolf: “We have always negotiated by pushing Musashi’s advantages onto the other nation. Most notably, that the Musashi is a massive trade ship capable of moving very quickly.”

She and everyone else turned to Masazumi. And after a pause…

Silver Wolf: “Not counting our tendency to bring all international negotiations to a quick end using war.”

Vice President: “Judge. Please don’t count that here. …So why are you bringing up the Musashi’s advantages?”

Silver Wolf: “Judge. In this case, those advantages are disadvantages.”

When she saw Asama nod in support, Mitotsudaira kept going.

Silver Wolf: “Musashi’s ability to trade, cargo capacity, mobility, and combat ability are all a threat to what Tres España is planning to do. After all, the Musashi provides all of those things in a single package. We can do all of that right now. But Tres España can’t. But if they can complete their preparations while enduring a war with Hexagone Française, they will be able to do all of that 11 years from now.”

“Then,” said Masazumi.

Vice President: “What is this project Tres España is planning?”

Mitotsudaira turned to Asama who immediately responded.

Asama: “Masazumi, you gave Tres España the hint they needed back in England. Every nation would have heard it on the international broadcast, but only Tres España converted that hint into an actual project.”

Asama’s statement had already guided everyone’s gazes to Masazumi who was looking to the Tres Españan Vice President.

Then Masazumi spoke in a clear voice.

“Is that what this is about, Tres España?” she said. “Are you going to industrialize the settlement of the outside world!?”

●

Precisely, thought Juana. Well done reaching that answer.

She was speaking with a fellow Vice President. Juana had her position because their Chancellor believed in her, but that same Chancellor had given his opinion of this girl too.

…He called her a wicked girl.

She would lure them in with bait and then guide everything to her own advantage.

Yes. Tres España had taken that wicked girl’s advice.

“Settling the outside world as an industry is an interesting idea, don’t you think?”

The Musashi could do that right away if all its armaments were in order. But Tres España could do it too if they had time to prepare.

They were a large nation on the west coast of the Far East. More than that, they had the acorazado construction techniques used to build the Grande y Felicísima Armada, not to mention the necessary equipment and personnel. If they could develop all of that further during the war with Hexagone Française, then Tres España would have technology rivalling IZUMO’s in 11 years’ time.

The sun would rise again.

They had clients: England and Hexagone Française. Both those nations had heard Musashi’s offer to help settle the outside world and Hexagone Française’s President had shown interest.

But neither of them could do so during the coming war. And once Tres España had demonstrated the power of their ships, they could make the following suggestion during the peace talks after their “loss”.

“Tres España will help you settle the outside world at a large discount.”

Tres España was located on the west coast, so they could reach the outside world’s closest continent. During clear weather, they could see the opposite coast from their aerial ships.

They could support nation-scale settlement by providing warship-class habitat ships and escort ships that would increase defenses and survival rates. Once it was all in motion, they could have trade ships flying back and forth between the two banks to fully industrialize it. They would have resumed trade with England and Hexagone Française by then, so they would be able to earn lucrative profits by receiving goods from those two nations and selling them on the opposite coast.

There would be limits, but if they controlled trade in that region, they would be able to control the prices.

Which was why they wanted to keep Musashi out.

Musashi’s trade would be on a much smaller scale than Tres España’s industrialized version. A single circuit might not even earn them as much as two weeks of Tres España’s version.

But Musashi had solid trade techniques, so they could keep prices down. Tres España could also reduce costs by using several different ports and personnel, but Musashi could transport everything together on the one ship, so they would have the advantage with fuel, time, and personnel costs.

So there was a risk of other nations – especially Musashi – getting involved and driving down prices.

If that happened, Tres España could collapse all at once. Of course, they would be setting their prices and coming up with trade plans with that in mind, but…

…If we can eliminate a source of failure, I want to do so.

Thus, this meeting.

Wasting time and playing word games with the Kyou rules were fine with her. As long as she could keep Musashi out of their business. She was willing to engage in any kind of inept negotiation if it would get her that.

“Now then.”

The wicked girl had a bad habit.

She tended to forget the awful things she had done and the deceptive things she had said.

But Juana remembered and she essentially had the girl by the collar. Now she only had to demand the girl take responsibility for her words.

“What will it be, Musashi? War, or the trade restriction?”

●

…Lady Juana is ruthless when she goes on the offensive.

Flores took notes while thinking, If only she didn’t have this side.

But this was fairly subdued for her. When she was laying into the Chancellor or someone like that, her tone of voice alone would drive them into the corner of the room or hallway. She did watch her tone and behavior when engaged in diplomacy, but she still had a tendency to press people. This felt a lot like when she had someone cornered in the hallway.

At least she wasn’t in her lecture mode where she repeatedly pointed at the other person.

War or trade restrictions.

Those two choices gave Tres España the advantage. Because even if it did come to war, Tres España’s losses would be restricted to this smaller fleet sent to Kyou.

They would have to get Juana out, but that was Flores’s job. As long as the Vice Chancellor’s group did their job, they could do some serious damage to Musashi before the Honnouji Incident. Also…

“We have already begun,” said Juana, opening a cadena firma. “I have requested another fleet sent in from Tres España. They will arrive in 4 hours. It is currently shortly before 8 PM, so even if we focus on withdrawing, they will attack you from behind just as you are starting on the Honnouji Incident.”

Meaning…

“We are not the only Tres Españan fighting force you have to worry about. The additional fleet arriving in 4 hours is the real threat. So what will it be, Musashi? War, or the trade restrictions?” ●

Art-Ga: “War, huh? I feel like I barely had a chance to live my life.”

Gold Mar: “When everything falls apart like this, it’s like everything you’ve been building up has come crashing down.”

Vice President: “Wait! We can still avoid war here!”

Me: “C’mon, Seijun. Be honest with yourself.”

Asama: “Toori-kun, Masazumi has to prioritize her position over what she personally wants.”

10ZO: “That doesn’t deny anything Toori-dono said, does it?”

Vice President: “Just you watch! I’ll show you how to get out of this war!”

●

“Tres España Vice President,” called Masazumi. “May I make two external calls?”

“Two? You aren’t going to leak information on this meeting, are you?”

“No, of course not. One I will be inviting to a small house party.”

Masazumi gave Mitotsudaira an instruction there. Asama responded by activating a spell.

“Um, I gave only Masazumi and Mito free divine transmission access.”

“Very well,” said the Tres Españan Vice President while Mitotsudaira raised her eyebrows in front of a divine transmission sign frame.

“Um…mother? Are you free right now? You are eating dinner with father? No, you do not need to show me. Now, I need some quick advice. …No, it’s nothing major. It’s really just some quick advice. Yes, advice.

“Now,” said Mitotsudaira. “As I am sure you are aware by now, a Tres Españan fleet has departed the Mediterranean coast and is on its way here. …Could you sink that for me? For a house party.”

“What kind of house party is that!?”

The Tres España Vice President was understandably upset.

●

“Why not?” Juana heard the Musashi Vice President say with a shrug. “You have to start your war with Hexagone Française anyway, don’t you? And if Hexagone Française can start that while doing us a favor, all the better for them. Also…”

The girl opened a sign frame to start up a divine transmission, but it was to…

“Tomoe Gozen? Yes, sorry for the short notice, but you know the fleet you had monitoring us over there? Can we hire it as a mercenary force? We have Tres España here, so if we could do a recreation of some random Thirty Years’ War skirmish- oh, judge, judge, I know it’s not much to go on, but it’ll work, won’t it? Then I’ll send you the signal once things get started over here.”

The Musashi Vice President closed the sign frame and looked to Juana, deadly serious.

“I didn’t tell her what this meeting was about.”

“That isn’t the issue!”

“Yes, it is,” she insisted. “You declared war against us, but we don’t want to fight a war. So we’re hiring a nation to fight in our place – one that fits into the history recreation even. See, everything works out.”

She was deadly serious.

●

Vice President: “See!? I avoided war! I proved you all wrong!”

Flat Vassal: “Maybe, but you did it in the worst possible way!!”

Gold Mar: “She’s somehow transformed a local conflict at Kyou into the site of a major European war.”

Vice President: “What? What’s wrong now? Are you still not satisfied? I can drag more people into this if you really want me to. Do you?”

Almost Everyone: “Please stop!”

●

Juana thought back on what their Secretary had said: they can turn anything into their ally.

…I can’t believe they managed to drag the Protestants and Hexagone Française into this!

This is crazy, she thought while raising her voice.

“Wait!”

“You’re lucky the Horizon rules aren’t in effect. I’m willing to wait.”

Juana had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but Musashi were the experts when it came to bizarre behavior. And she knew what she had to say here.

“If you do that, it will transform the Osaka Bay region into a battlefield. And as our fleet travels to Kyou, the battlefield could stretch as far as the south side of Kyou. And if the Protestants arrive after that, Kyou’s skies will become a battlefield when they aren’t even done cleaning up after the collapse. Did you consider any of these risks!? Any at all!?”

“Oh, um, judge.” The Musashi Vice President nodded but didn’t seem happy about it. “But that’s all your responsibility since this will be either your war with Hexagone Française or a skirmish in the Thirty Years’ War, so could you stop blaming us for it? This has nothing to do with us. My point is,” she said. “If you want to stop this battle, you need to speak with Hexagone Française and the Protestants, not us. We’ll be heading to Honnouji and that’s that.”

I see, thought Juana. So that’s her strategy.

●

Juana worked her brain. She had thought Musashi planned to hire a mercenary force to strike back at Tres España, but she had not expected them to include Hexagone Française and the Protestants.

But she had a response to this.

“Then how about this?”

Had that wicked girl forgotten what she said before? Digging that back up would end this.

“We will accept your previous offer.” Juana struck with her words. “Tres España will work as a mercenary force for Musashi.”

●

Gold Mar: “Oh, crap.”

Asama: “Eh? Is that bad? Let’s see…um, Mito!!”

Silver Wolf: “Judge! If Tres España is working for Musashi, it means they’ve sided with us, which means no house party for my parents and the Protestants don’t need to come here either. It also means Musashi can let Tres España guard our base hulls.”

Flat Vassal: “Hm? I’m sure the Reine des Garous and the Protestants won’t be happy about that, but isn’t this a good thing because it ensures the Musashi’s safety?”

Worshiper: “No, this doesn’t solve anything regarding Tres España’s settlement plan.”

Silver Wolf: “Judge! If Tres España is allowed to return home now, they will begin their war against Hexagone Française right away. And even if we try to intervene, they will move to stop us.”

Asama: “Stop us? We can negotiate with Hexagone Française and England, can’t we? And didn’t they make a mistake letting us know about their settlement plan at all?”

Vice President: “They can easily stop us. If they refuse to let the Musashi stop at any of their ports, we can’t access any of the ports closest to the mainland’s coast. Also…”

Silver Wolf: “Now they can plan things out knowing their plan is known. And if everyone knows, Musashi and the other nations can use it in our negotiations.”

●

“Hm?”

Adele didn’t understand part of what Mitotsudaira had said.

Flat Vassal: “What good is using it in negotiations for the other nations once the spoilers are already out? Wouldn’t it only be useful for us?”

The only big names that could pull off a plan like that were Tres España and Musashi. Tres España had the greater scale and durability, while Musashi had greater adaptability.

…If Musashi tries to interfere, Tres España will work against us in their international negotiations.

Or they might even bring up the possibility of interference in those negotiations.

Flat Vassal: “But, like Asama-san said, doesn’t knowing about it still give us an advantage against Tres España?”

Scarred: “Lady Adele. Since we know about it now, we must continue to monitor the issue.”

Mary responded right away.

Scarred: “If we didn’t know, hadn’t noticed, or pretended not to notice, we could set the issue aside forever. If we both ignore the issue, we can both work on it independently. But now that we know, we can’t ignore it. In all negotiations going forward, this issue must be addressed and it will become a bargaining chip in all future meetings. Just like I used to be.”

In that case, thought Adele before the 1st Special Duty Officer spoke.

10ZO: “Tres España altered their plans after we saw through their settlement plan. Instead of setting it aside and hiding it, they are now using it as an immediate issue to address in our negotiations.”

Vice President: “Right. The problem is that we ca no longer pretend we haven’t noticed. Tres España sees our interference as a risk and we need them to officially grant us use of the ports necessary to settle the outside world. Whereas before we could have piggy-backed off of them.”

Flat Vassal: “Th-then…what advantage does this give the other nations?”

“That’s what I was wondering,” said Asama with a tilt of her head and the 5th Special Duty Officer answered.

Silver Wolf: “Our plan for settling the outside world was to either be hired by another nation or bring an offer to them, right? But now the other nations can compare our prices with Tres España’s. And Hexagone Française and England can negotiate to have us lower the price since they supported Musashi. And because they’re our sponsors.”

“Um,” Adele groaned in thought.

…Does that mean Musashi can’t determine the prices for the shipping and trade to the outside world!?

Silver Wolf: “Tres España can run this settlement industry as a nation, but they can also perform independent trade as a history recreation of the Far Eastern trade houses. That will give them a strong position when negotiating prices with the other nations. But with Musashi, while the Far East does hold trade houses along the Asian coast, that isn’t much compared to the world nations and it will be hard to make back enough money that way. That means our basic income will come from our sponsors, so they will definitely negotiate down the price a lot.”

Worshiper: “But if we hadn’t known, then when Tres España suddenly began their business in 11 years, we would have panicked but we could still have set the prices with the other nations in some short-term negotiations. Because while the other nations could negotiate down the prices with Tres España, Tres España would be starting fresh and would have to start at a much higher price. Unless they made a major gamble, there would be no crash in prices.

“But now that the cat’s out of the bag, what do you think will happen after 11 years of price negotiations? They really will have negotiated the prices down to the limit.”

10ZO: “Judge. I get how that benefits the other nations, but the Musashi does more than support settling the outside world. We do plenty of trade within the Far East too, right? Now, I’m no business expert, but is this really that big a deal?”

Worshiper: “I will answer in place of the former udon hag and geezer. If Musashi does try to work in that business, I think we will be in the red. With that cat out of the bag, Tres España will most likely put together some thoroughly aggressive prices and plans and this will be the primary issue they negotiate with other nations.”

Vice President: “That isn’t all.”

The Vice President continued with a sigh in her voice.

Vice President: “This new information will require us to negotiate with Tres España over the settlement business. It’s going to be a matter of contention. The other nations will see it as smaller Musashi attempting to compete with the much larger Tres España. What do you think those other nations will do when they see Tres España sidestepping everything we try to say about them?”

Adele more or less understood.

This was about a smaller being endlessly finding fault in a larger being. So…

Silver Wolf: “The other nations will demand we work this out quickly, won’t they?”

Vice President: “Yes. They will tell us to give up instead of digging in our heels. In other words, they will demand we ‘normalize’ our negotiations.”

Flat Vassal: “So they’ll be lecturing us?”

“You could say that,” said the Vice President.

Vice President: “Tres España is also part of Europe, so the European nations will probably accuse the Far East of trying to steal European interests. And whether or not anyone takes that seriously, it still gives them a justification to criticize the Far East. By demanding Musashi ‘normalize’ our negotiations, they can place Musashi below them. Even if we do try to negotiate with the other nations after that, we will have a hard time if they bring that up. Proving that it isn’t true will require using a bargaining chip of our own, or we could even have to give them a loan or support so they will ‘forget’ about it. That would honestly be a real pain.”

…Wow.

That does sound like a pain, thought Adele. But what did that mean altogether?

Flat Vassal: “Are we supposed to back out of the settlement business? If we do that, it means breaking our promise to help England and Hexagone Française with settling the outside world. And it will greatly reduce Musashi’s value to the other nations after the Apocalypse.”

What if Musashi’s value to them dropped to zero?

…We couldn’t get the provisional rule removed and we would lose all global authority!

This was a threat. Adele was now worried more about the distant future than she was about the present. And…

Unturning: “So whose fault is this?”

●

Juana saw the entire Musashi group – including the arms – look to their Vice President.

After a pause, the Vice President noticed their gazes.

“Wh-why are you all looking at me for a third time!? Don’t look! Stop looking at me!”

The Kyou rules really are gone, Juana noted.

Chapter 8: Actor at a Critical Moment[edit]

If you don’t want

Other people to hear

Then you are talking to yourself

Point Allocation (Accidental Announcement)

●

Me: “And with that, Seijun-kun is yet again a big, fat loserrrrrrr!”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. That’s three Ls for a trupple L!”

Asama: “Um, Kimi, we are well aware you are an idiot, so try to tone it down some.”

Flat Vassal: “I feel like this one was my fault, actually.”

Scarred: “Don’t be so mean, everyone. Everyone screws up three times in one day sometimes. I bet Master Neshinbara could manage it if he really worked at it. Isn’t that right, Lady Masazumi?”

Vice President: “Ahhhhhhh, that’s some of the least helpful help I’ve ever gotten!”

Novice: “Wait, now I’m really curious! Are you saying I have to work to screw up that many times, or that few!?”

●

Juana realized the meeting was over. Any further discussion would only increase the possibility of things going wrong.

She had revealed their intention to join the settlement business. But by keeping it open, they could skillfully navigate the international negotiations with Musashi and other nations. This gave them more to do, but it let them go on the offensive.

For the next 11 years, Tres España could advance that business while fighting their war against Hexagone Française. After the war, the plan was to expand that business further than Musashi could. Besides, if they had full control of the port closest to the outer world’s Asian mainland, the settlement business was basically already theirs.

…We need to be on the lookout for Musashi gaining a negotiating advantage that we failed to predict and we need to begin negotiations as soon as that happens.

Whether it was a technology, a good, or a qualification, it was possible something would show up that was more valuable than they could possibly predict now. Something like that might be worth gaining in a trade using the right to use Tres España’s settlement port.

But nothing like that existed at the moment. So…

“That should conclude our talks. And the next course should be arriving soon,” she said.

…We no longer need to use our Kyou rules.

Should they support Musashi or not? She had an answer now.

…They can be useful in places, but we should not support them.

With that thought, she spoke up with a smile.

“After eating, we will guard Musashi’s base hulls as your mercenaries. We will accompany them to Shikoku. From there, we will return home and prepare for a post-Honnouji world. I am ready to end this meeting. Will that be acceptable?”

●

Masazumi had an immediate response.

“Can you wait a moment?”

She knew she had to keep the Tres España Vice President here for now. She knew it would be dangerous to let her go.

Needless to say, nothing was going to end right away. It was unlikely to affect anything during her generation. But it would create a problem for the 11 years after Honnouji and could mean the loss of the benefits they were supposed to receive from the settlement business.

This moment would lead to a major loss and problem for the future.

It didn’t affect her generation directly and the later generations would find a way to deal with it. She knew that was one way of looking at it. However…

“Can you wait? Because,” she said. “I waited once when you asked earlier, so I only ask the same from you.”

●

That’s a stretch, thought Juana. Although I did make an irregular statement to that end before.”

“Testament. I have now waited at your request, Musashi Vice President.”

“Then-”

“We can resolve that issue during later talks.”

She had no obligation to see this through. The world wasn’t going to end here and now.

“Because we are both short on time at the moment. The Honnouji Incident is fast approaching, isn’t it?”

And to drive her point home…

“Are you going to declare war on us, Musashi Vice President?”

The Musashi Vice President shook her head.

“No. I have no such intentions. We would gain nothing from a war now.”

“I would imagine not. A war here wouldn’t change the future much at all.”

War would break out between Tres España and Hexagone Française. The Testament said so, so there was no avoiding it. Of course, they might be able to change what form it took, but it was still a major chain restricting Tres España for the next 11 years.

So she would give her nation a new industry. If the acorazado construction technology they had developed for war could support a major industry after the war, they still had a future.

She would guide the others toward a future “festival” greater than anything they could imagine at present. So…

“Do you understand that fighting a war here would be meaningless, Musashi Vice President?’

“Judge. Although we never intended to fight one. Musashi is pacifist. Please understand that.”

The instant the girl said that, something audibly thudded to the floor behind the Musashi group.

Eh? thought Juana as she looked below the table to see what it was.

Akedia Katathlipse had fallen behind Musashi’s princess.

●

Now, this is an awkward silence, thought Asama.

Everyone was glancing in her direction, so apparently this was her job.

She could tell Horizon had dropped Akedia Katathlipse during her tooth-grinding sleep.

Masazumi gave her a look that might as well have yelled “Hurry! Hurry!”, so Asama grabbed the weapon and lifted it up. I thought it would be heavier, she thought while smiling and speaking to the Tres España Vice President.

“Um, this…as much as it looks like a Logismoi Oplo, it isn’t one!”

“Eh? I-it isn’t? Then…what is it?”

“Why, it’s a body pillow!” said Asama, to give them an alibi.

“…”

…This silence is downright painful!

But if she backed out now, it would call into question the skill she had used to support the shrine’s late-night shopping show. She knew from past experience it had a blade, so…

“And the incredible thing about this particular body pillow is right here! Do you see how it has a blade!? You can actually use that as a letter opener!”

She had some kaishi paper on her, so she folded that, cut it, folded the two pieces together, and cut it again. And…

“Wow! It cuts through paper with ease even after two folds! You won’t have any trouble if you receive a letter while using your Logismoi- I mean, your body pillow!”

“Um, that looks an awful lot like something I used to own…”

“Of course! Of course! Tres España has long made torture equipment, so you probably have many items shaped much like this! However, your body pillow wasn’t as finely made as this one, was it? This is the real deal! Each one is handmade by a master craftsman. Order now and you will also receive a printer free of charge! And to be clear, this definitely isn’t Akedia Katathlipse. And it’s yours for only one very reasonable payment!”

She got it all out. And…

“…”

…Oh, no. This silence is agonizing!

She quickly chucked Akedia Katathlipse into the phase space behind Horizon. And…

“A-and just like that it’s gone. Aren’t modern body pillows great!? So easy to store!”

She was pushing it this time. She knew that. But she felt like she had gotten through it.

That was when something audibly thudded to her feet.

It was Aspida Phylargia.

●

Masazumi saw Asama purse her lips with confusion written on her face.

…We put her through a lot.

But she was a pro at lying about Logismoi Oplo. She had done it before in England, so she knew exactly how to do it. She immediately picked up Aspida Phylargia and held it up for Tres España to see.

“U-um, as much as this looks like a Logismoi Oplo, it isn’t one!”

“I-it isn’t? Th-then, what is it?”

“A bodyboard! You know! One of those things you dive into the ocean or a lake with so you can float on the surface or even glide along a bit!”

“…”

…That silence is unbearable.

So even a pro is having difficulty here, thought Masazumi as Asama chucked Aspida Phylargia into storage while sweating profusely. She smiled and waved a hand dismissively.

“B-but this is next week’s product! I wasn’t supposed to show that one off yet! My bad!”

Art-Ga: “Just awful.”

Gold Mar: “I think this might be the worst one yet.”

Asama: “H-how is that my fault! I’d like to see you do bett-!”

Before she could finish, a new thud came from the floor.

It was Maska Orge.

●

We’re doing this a third time!? thought Asama. No, wait, this is the fourth or fifth time if you count England. In that case…

…Is this a running gag for me now?

But since it was there, she had to do this. She picked it up, held it up, and…

“My apologies, but a product from our inventory popped out. Now, um, this is not a Logismoi Oplo!”

“I-it isn’t? Then, um, what is it?”

Let’s see, what could it be? I need to say something fast. Like, now fast. Um…

Well, um, this is…an archery bow!”

●

Almost Everyone: “That’s still a weapon!”

Asama: “N-no, it isn’t? I-it is a piece of sports equipment! Yes, sports equipment! And it’s not a Logismoi Oplo!”

Art-Ga: “I see what happened here. You can’t bring yourself to lie about a bow.”

●

Asama was sweating. Besides, this is obviously a bow! she thought, but maybe she should have tried harder to hide what it was.

Flat Vassal: “Aren’t those things you use to slice cheese shaped kind of like that?”

Me: “That would be a cheese slicer.”

That’s it! Way to go, Toori-kun!

“Th-this is a cheese slicer! It’s very convenient for when you want to slice some cheese while enjoying some archery!”

Almost Everyone: “That means it’s still a bow!”

I realized that the second I said it, but it’s too skinny to call a body pillow.

However…

“Um, you aren’t threatening to use that against us are you?” asked the Tres España Vice President.

“O-of course not! I would never slice you up like cheese!”

Unturning: “You probably could with one that big.”

Thank you for the rational analysis, but that isn’t what I need right now.

“You are perfectly safe, everyone! See, even if this were a Logismoi Oplo, only someone qualified to use it could draw the bowstring. And look, Horizon is asleep right now.”

So…

“Only Horizon can use it, so you’re safe!”

After speaking, she followed everyone else’s gazes to the table in front of her.

…Eh?

She saw the arms looking up at her from the table.

…Oh, noooo!

Their trip from Kantou to Kansai had already proven the arms could fire the Logismoi Oplo.

The arms were currently swaying back and forth excitedly, but they were definitely egging her on in the hopes something would happen.

…I can’t believe this.

Asama was pouring with sweat now, so she felt like she was doing a perspiration diet inside her inner suit. But…

“U-um, here, take these.”

She grabbed a nearby pair of chopsticks and handed one to each arm. The arms hopped once in delight and began fencing each other. They were really going at it and the Tres España pitcher even gave a cheer of support.

They are multitalented, noted Asama, but with Tres España and everyone else focused on the arms, she could make her escape. She hurriedly shoved Maska Orge in Horizon’s phase space.

“Wow! The bow suddenly disappeared! Just like magic!”

Everyone stared at her again.

“…”

Asama: “Wh-what is that look for!?”

Gold Mar: “You know you could have just not said anything, right?”

Art-Ga: “She’s the kind of person who feels like she’s giving the other person a raw deal if she doesn’t give them something extra. Makes it easy to write her as a top or a bottom.”

But the Tres España Vice President cleared her throat.

“Enough nonsense.” She tapped her right index finger’s nail on the table. “Threaten war and menace us with weapons all you like – we will not yield.”

Scarred: “Does this mean Lady Asama’s business skills and magic trick didn’t work on them!?”

…Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!

It was excruciating. But what was she supposed to do? She heard some sounds from the open-air kitchen outside the jinmaku. The next course was on its way.

Asama: “Toori-kun, do you have any ideas?”

She tried asking. And…

Me: “Maybe we could use Nate’s chain bondage to keep them here, or chain up their ship?”

Silver Wolf: “My king, I do not actually do that. Did you forget that was only a joke based on my mentioning the chained nation?”

Oh, that’s right, thought Asama just before something new happened.

It was Horizon. She sat straight up, rapidly rejoined with her arms, and swung up the chopsticks the arms held.

“I wasn’t sleepiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!”

Oh, she’s using the Kyou rules.

●

That was weird, thought Juana. She saw Musashi’s princess speak to their Vice President.

“Masazumi-sama! Did you get us in a war yet!? That way we can give Tres España a quick one-two and then high yo-yo our way right into Honnouji!”

“Um, okay. We haven’t quite reached that point yet…”

“Why not!?”

…What kind of question is that?

Juana had to hold her tongue, but then Musashi’s princess looked her way. And…

“Let me guess: it was her fault!”

…Ehhhhhhh!?

“H-how rude! We do not want war! And you must know how accurate that is!”

“Yes, I understand completely.”

…Hm?

Something didn’t seem right about this.

“The Kyou rules were in effect. Your statement cannot be taken as a declaration of war.”

●

“Not so fast!” responded Juana. “This meeting is not over yet. Is that not okay?”

“Oh,” gasped the Asama Shrine Representative. Her tone was a touch quizzical and she tilted her head.

“Judge.” Musashi’s princess spoke softly. “I said the Kyou rules ‘were’ in effect. I used the past tense. Thus, the Kyou rules are no longer in effect.”

So…

“If you wish to say your belligerent declaration was not for war, I can find it in my bountiful supply of generos- geh! Forget that. If you say the meeting is not over and you think that is not okay, then in my infinite benevol- gah! Forget that. My point is…”

“Um, Horizon? Maybe you should stop trying to make yourself seem so impressive?”

The Asama Shrine Representative’s suggestion led Musashi’s princess to look straight at Juana and push up on her chest from below. She held the position in silence for about three seconds before Juana raised her right hand to tell her to stop.

“That gesture can make a girl seem more impressive. Although you need some capital to begin with, so Adele-sama should avoid attempting it.”

“D-did you really have to single me out!?”

Juana could tell they were engaged in some sort of friendly fire. But that aside…

“Whatever you might think, this meeting is already over.”

“You’re ending it here? You’ll regret that.”

The Musashi Vice President’s words came from beyond their infighting.

●

“Let me be clear,” said Masazumi. “If you intend to keep Musashi out of Tres España’s sphere of trade, we will accept that and demand the same in return: we will keep Tres España out of Musashi’s sphere of trade.”

The Tres España Vice President frowned at that.

“Why would that bother us?”

…Yeah, that’s the question.

Musashi’s sphere of trade was the entire Far East. But since Musashi belonged to the Far East, Tres España could perform their trade with the provisional rulers. The only possible conflict there would be the Asian coastal regions. In terms of the Far East, that was along Kantou’s eastern coast.

If they had to choose between their business settling the outside world and such a small region in the Far East, the former would be far more profitable.

Worshiper: “Flatda-kun! That would put us at a severe disadvantage!”

Vice President: “No, there is one thing we could do then, even if it is fairly extreme.”

“Remember.”

She had remembered this herself during the idiots’ earlier conversation.

“Musashi will also be entering the settlement business.”

●

“Now, then.”

As soon as the Musashi Vice President said that, the entrance to the jinmaku opened and more food was carried in.

Juana watched it, realizing the Musashi Vice President had lost her opportunity to speak.

“This would be the hassun. That refers to the main dish in Kyou cuisine. To wish the best for both our nations’ futures, tonight’s hassun is sea bream and bamboo shoot tempura.”

“You will regret this.”

“Regret what?”

The Musashi Vice President calmly answered her question.

“We will obey the Testament by preparing for the chained nation in advance. No one can take issue with that once Hashiba has been restrained after Honnouji. Not to mention that the ban on foreign religions and other leadup to the chained nation has already been recreated by Tres España since Shimabara falls under your control. Oh, and I know it only becomes known as the ‘chained nation’ after the fact. It really means banning foreign trade except at designated locations.”

“Testament. Do you understand what doing that would mean?”

Juana had a good reason for asking this. Once Matsudaira ruled the Far East, they would realize the Tsirhc faith hindered their ability to rule, so after issuing a ban on foreign religions, they would cut off all interaction with the Catholic nations.

…As a result, trade with Europe will only be possible in a few locations like Nagasaki.

“The reservations will only be able to trade with their provisional rulers.”

“it is our job to find an interpretation to fix that and to force that interpretation through.”

She sounded awfully confident. But…

…Why?

The Far East beginning its chained nation policy would not affect Tres España very much. They could still trade with the other provisional rulers and the other nation would need an interpretation to act as an intermediary in trade with the other nations and the reservations. The extra costs that would add to the process could hurt them in a competitive market.

…But if we use our settlement business to negotiate, we should find the tariff negotiations easier.

Their biggest clients would be Hexagone Française, England, and K.P.A. Italia. M.H.R.R. was a little too far away, but it meant a lot to be in the settlement business with a future ruler like Hexagone Française and with England who would control most of the seas.

But one thing did bother her.

“Do you intend to keep us from our land in the New World?”

“You catch on quick.”

The land of Ezo, or the New World, was reachable through the Gate near Kyushu and it was Tres España and Tres Portugal’s provisional territory. Before her generation, they had already begun experimental settlements there and a lot of her upperclassmen had stayed there as pioneers.

She had thought Tres España should recover in the New World if their situation deteriorated too badly in their war with Hexagone Française, but if even the New World was affected by the chained nation policy…

“Listen,” said the Musashi Vice President. “I will grant you ownership of Ezo until the chained nation policy goes into effect. But afterwards, that empty land will be managed by Musashi in the name of Matsudaira.”

“Testament. If we are in agreement, that could be arranged. We would only need to use the time until then to expand our territory and find an interpretation that leads to further expansion.”

Juana wondered just how far this girl intended to push this. So…

“Judge. That is good enough. Then let’s end this meeting.”

“Wait,” said Juana just as the girl tried to end the meeting. “Explain what your settlement business will entail. We did that for you.”

“Judge. Fair enough.” The Musashi Vice President nodded and looked Juana in the eye. “That goes without saying. Musashi will begin settling the outside world at the same time as Tres España. But while you will seek the outer world’s Asian mainland from Kyushu, we will travel eastward from the Far East’s eastern coast. In other words, we will directly travel to and conquer the outer world’s New World from the west.”

●

Masazumi knew this was a risky bet.

…It’s a gamble.

“Hexagone Française’s plan for settling the outer world would generally be best. That means settling the Asian mainland visible from Kyushu as a bridgehead and then moving along the coast to India, the Middle East, and Europe. Maintaining a supply line will become difficult as the distance grows, but Tres España should be able to put together a major fleet you can supplement and divide up to work with the supply posts constructed along the way, creating a road leading further and further out.”

There was one main reason for doing it that way.

“The Tres Españan mainland and the New World are a long way away. So if you don’t push your settlement business further and further, another nation might take over your mainland or the New World.”

She raised her hand.

“So how about this?”

●

Masazumi spoke as plainly as possible.

“However, Musashi will cross the Pacific and settle the New World directly.”

Tres España could not do that.

“Tres España’s settlement will use a fleet of ships, albeit a large one. If you choose a route across the Pacific, you will lose shops along the way, drastically reducing your odds of survival upon arrival. Thus, your main settlement route will travel through Asia to Europe and then navigate around the Atlantic to reach the west coast of the New World. Before reaching the New World, you can receive supplies from your mainland in the outer world. After you reach it, you can receive supplies from the Ezo New World.”

The Tres España Vice President returned Masazumi’s gaze.

“Can Musashi really do that?” she asked, her eyebrows raised just a bit and her eyes staring directly into Masazumi’s eyes.

“We can and we will. With our great size, our gravitational cruising, and our many transport ships, it is perfectly possible. You know the Musashi’s strength is the high survival rate brought by its size and maneuverability, don’t you? If we form a city out of our base hulls and set it up at our destination, we can more or less complete the initial phase of settlement immediately. Although we would need to create two ships’ worth of farmland for that settlement to be self-sufficient.”

“That’s true,” said Ohiroshiki, wiping sweat from his brow. “Assuming it would support the same population an area that size does now, I would want two ships’ worth of farmland and, if possible, that would be set up inside a defense barrier surrounded by shipping containers. As for irrigation, the Far East has excellent well digging skills, so the settlement could be set up near a river in a region without major storms or flooding.”

“So,” continued Masazumi. “We would only need to build out a lifeline by setting up ‘cities’ at important locations. Of course, this would be more difficult in practice, but it would be faster than moving a large fleet and have fewer losses. However, that wouldn’t be any fun, so how about this instead?”

She grabbed the lid to the hassun while she spoke.

“Tres España wants the New World’s east coast. The north goes to England and Hexagone Française while the south goes to Tres España and Portugal. Let’s say we take all of that before you get there?”

She lifted the lid covering the food.

“Can you keep up with us when your massive settlement business moves so slow, Tres España? I only just said you would regret this, but I have a feeling that regret is already settling in.”

The food below the lid was…

“Curry.”

●

Silver Wolf: “The tides have again turned in our favor!”

10ZO: “Judge! I can almost hear the victory music!”

Gold Mar: “Yes, yes, yes! It’s happening!”

Uqui: “Heh heh heh. Even if they are Catholic, this curry means it is time they paid the piper!”

Vice President: “Hmm, I’m not sure if this is a good or a bad thing.”

●

“Now,”

Juana heard the Musashi Vice President speak.

“What will you do, Tres España? Will you use the settlement business to engage an indirect inter-academy conflict 11 years from now?”

“I have one question.”

If they were going to be like that, she had to ask this.

“Musashi will need to prioritize Hexagone Française and England, correct? Which means you will need to conquer and survive in the harsher northern lands in the New World.”

“Say that to Hexagone Française and England. I know what they’ll say: If they can steal Tres Españan territory, we’re all for letting Musashi take charge. And we will give our clients what they want.”

…How wicked is this girl!?

But Juana also understood what the Musashi Vice President was getting at here. She sounded like she was picking a fight with them, but in reality she was saying something else.

“I see what you must mean.”

She understood.

…It takes a truly wicked girl to make an invitation like this.

But Juana’s thoughts returned to the Kyou rules. Would she support Musashi or not?

“Are you asking us to split control of the New World between the north and south?”

That she could support.

“The Testament tells us different nations ruled the north and the south of the New World. I take it you want to recreate that by splitting it with us in the south and Hexagone Française and England in the north.”

That girl was saying Tres España would be free to do what they wished with the south half of the New World.

●

Good, thought Masazumi. She picked up on my hints.

…I knew she would when Tres España is so focused on the outside world and the New World!

Masazumi had thought they were a step ahead, but it sounded like Tres España had been two steps ahead.

This suggestion must have come as a surprise for Tres España. But…

Vice President: “They must have looked into reaching the outer world’s New World using the Ezo New World as a bridgehead. That’s why she was able to respond so quickly.”

Silver Wolf: “And their research told her their fleet-based settlement couldn’t manage it, but Musashi might be able to?”

“About that,” said the Date Vice Chancellor.

Unturning: “That isn’t the intuition of a genius. It’s the thought process of a hard worker who poured all of her efforts into the issue. Specifically, a hard worker who has the experience needed to reach that kind of conclusion immediately after being presented with new information.”

…Not who I want as an enemy!

Masazumi belatedly realized just what kind of nation Tres España was.

They were a nation of politics and commerce. And they were capable of looking outside their country and across the sea while also looking inwards at everything occurring within their borders.

They were always pushing onwards and, no matter how many times they stumbled, they got back up because there was a whole other world out there. They could maintain a positive outlook despite their repeated losses in the Armada battle and their war against Hexagone Française because they could sense that unseen land beyond the sea.

And this woman here had included that new world in her politics.

She would use it to benefit as much as possible.

“Did you came to test us, Tres España? And if we didn’t live up, were you going to devour us like only a large nation can?”

“Test you? Why? I have no issue with enacting the ideas we came up with here.”

The Tres España Vice President removed the lid from the dish in front of her.

It contained curry, but…

“However, it is true that our plan will take time to realize. And Musashi’s plan, while intriguing, is a stretch.”

Because…

“Unlike the south of the New World, the north’s continental climate has grown quite extreme. The west is temperate but generally arid. In the north, you reach areas of northern latitude far greater than the Far East’s northeast. Even if Musashi delivers a packaged city there, you will need to prepare equipment and materials appropriate for the climate and the initial settlement will only be possible during a limited time of year. If you must deal with England and Hexagone Française’s settlement of the north, you will have to negotiate over which of the two you will prioritize. Do you really think you can move faster than us when we don’t have to deal with any of that?”

“Then what do you suggest?” asked Masazumi.

The Tres España Vice President picked up the container of curry.

“I am saying we are prepared to eat the same meal as you.” She looked Masazumi straight in the eye with no smile in her own eyes but with a calm voice. “We have now seen each other’s hands. We should know the pros and cons of both sides.”

“So you want to put off making a decision?”

“Testament. We need to decide what to do about our respective settlement businesses, but we cannot do that quite yet. Musashi in particular has Honnouji and some other battles left to fight: the Battles of Yamazaki, Komaki Nagakute, and Sekigahara – not to mention the Siege of Osaka. We can only make a decision on this matter once we have seen your position after those battles.”

So…

“We will act as Musashi’s mercenaries this time. We will guard your base hulls to Shikoku and we will leave a small guard in Shikoku while the rest of us return to Tres España.”

“You mean…?”

“Yes.” The Tres España Vice President smiled a little. “Go and win, Musashi. I look forward to discussing this matter again at a later date.”

●

“–––––”

Masazumi felt the tension fading from her body.

…Go and win, huh?

That meant Tres España was no longer an enemy.

That had been the point of the negotiation, but now that it was over, she realized just how exhausted she was.

…Honestly.

Negotiating with that country was always terribly exhausting.

The Tres España Vice President must have picked up on her mood because she tilted her head.

“Is something wrong? I thought this was a favorable result that gives us a chance at a better future.”

“I was just thinking I need to learn more about Tres España.” Masazumi sighed. “While it isn’t related to Tres España itself, the name Honda Masazumi is involved in the history recreation of the foreign religion ban, so for a time I made sure to learn everything I could about the trouble that occurred in Kyushu’s Shimabara region and Nagasaki. And I once even played a role in one of those incidents.”

“You did?”

She doesn’t know? thought Masazumi just before the Tres España Vice President smiled and continued.

“I wouldn’t know anything about an incident that ‘never happened’.”

Silver Wolf: “She definitely knows.”

Vice President: “Not too surprising. It was a big deal.”

But what do we do now? wondered Masazumi. Like the Tres España Vice President said, Musashi had to get through the Honnouji Incident and the Battles of Yamazaki, Komaki Nagakute, Sekigahara, and more. And…

…The Apocalypse.

How were they supposed to get through all of that?”

“Tres España.”

“Yes?”

“How do you view the Apocalypse?”

“Well.” The Tres España Vice President nodded. “To begin with, Tsirhc’s teachings say to we should accept events as they happen.”

“So you’re just going to accept the Apocalypse as your fate?”

“If the people choose to resist, that too is what happens. God will not stop it. But we are to accept the result of that resistance.”

“Then…?”

The Tres España Vice President softly answered the unspoken question.

“We too are investigating the matter. There is a lot about our predecessors’ actions we do not understand.”

The term “predecessors” led Masazumi to quickly think back on the events in the Testament and in actual history. But before she could find an answer, someone else gave it: Mary.

“You mean Carlos I, don’t you?”

“Testament. I hear he was friends with Henry VIII.” The Tres España Vice President turned to face Mary. “So if England or Tres España had won the Armada battle more decisively and came to rule over the other, we may have been able to consolidate our knowledge.”

“I could speak to my sister about-”

“No. Tres España cut all ties with you on the night of that battle.”

The Tres España Vice President shook her right palm side to side. That gesture was…

Gold Mar: “She must mean the prototype to the Master Tenzou Love Love Homerun.”

Flat Vassal: “That did slice them in two, didn’t it?”

Scarred: “I-I’m sorry. I had my hands full back then.”

Art-Ga: “And the ninja had his hands full of happiness.”

10ZO: “What are you posting on the divine network!?”

The honor of a large nation came into play here, but…

“The war between Tres España and Hexagone Française would be a good opportunity, wouldn’t it?”

“We must make good use of those 11 years. But…based on our investigations and reports, the Apocalypse is a thinning of the ley lines. We know the world will not suddenly cease to be, even if the Testament stopped updating after a single day. So I think it will all come down to what we can do with that extra time.”

So they arrived at the same conclusion, thought Masazumi before realizing something.

“If you do exchange Apocalypse information with England during the war, what about with Hexagone Française?”

“Wouldn’t you know more than us?”

Would we? thought Masazumi, turning to look at Mitotsudaira who hung her head and waved her hand to say no.

…Come to think of it, that’s one subject the Reine des Garous has been tightlipped about.

While Masazumi realized how terrifying the Reine des Garous’s airhead skills were, the Tres España Vice President shrugged.

“I would guess Hexagone Française sought answers in the outside world.”

“Hm. It is true, the ships from the era in the heavens still exist out there as ruins. Hexagone Francaise may have thought they could possibly learn something about this world’s dark side there.”

“You couched that in a lot of ‘mays’ and ‘possiblies’, but that is the kind of thing they would do.”

“I see.” The Tres España Vice President nodded weakly. And, “M.H.R.R. and K.P.A. Italia have chosen to accept the Genesis Project thanks to Hashiba’s influence. And tonight it seems like they will be carrying that plan out. You understand what that means, I hope?”

“We are the ones who cause the Honnouji Incident, so we have the clear right to intervene.”

“Then,” said the Tres España Vice President with another smile. “Now that you have recovered all of the Logismoi Oplo, do you have the power to influence the Apocalypse?”

●

Asama saw Horizon shoveling curry into her mouth.

Everyone was looking Asama’s way for some reason. So she held out a palm to tell them to wait.

“Um, Horizon?”

“Judge! What do you need, Asama-sama!? I am busy completing my current mission: fill my belly with food now that I have gotten plenty of sleep! Oh, this chawanmushi is absolutely vile, but I mean that in the Kyou rules way!”

“Um, yes. I am glad you have a voracious appetite.”

“Don’t just give up!”

What else am I supposed to do?

Chapter 9: Philosopher from the Homeland[edit]

Being honest with yourself

Is what really matters, isn’t it!?

Point Allocation (You can’t tell that to them of all people!)

●

Asama decided to start by talking.

“Um,” she began. “Horizon? Have you finished installing the Logismoi Oplo?”

Her sign frame had received a report saying as much. It looked like Horizon’s OS had rewritten itself again, which had changed some of the settings, but Asama could fix that on her end.

But from what she could see, externally installing the eight Logismoi Oplo had caused the central Phtonos to activate. However…

“Is anything different now, Horizon?”

Horizon flattened her eyebrows and tilted her head.

“Anything…like what?”

…I’m not really sure.

Asama looked around and the others gave her noncommittal gestures. She understood what Naomasa meant by pointing first to her prosthetic arm and then her head, but she wasn’t sure what Kimi could possibly mean by holding Uzy between her breasts.

Asama: “Adele, the Logismoi Oplo will not make your boobs grow.”

Flat Vassal: “How did you get that from me pointing at my sign frame!?”

Me: “Hey, if pointing at your sign frame made your boobs grow, you’d do it, wouldn’t you?”

Flat Vassal: “W-well, yes, I would! I totally would! Is that a problem!?”

It wasn’t a problem, but it did seem wrong.

Anyway, no one really knew what to say. So Asama tilted her head back and…

“So, um, Horizon? How are things? Do you feel any new functions, or does the world look different to you now?”

“No, no. I am not experiencing anything like a boy after losing his virginity. Although if you want to hear any annoying nonsense of that nature, I would suggest speaking to Toori-sama in a few hours.”

The Tres España Vice President spat out the water she was drinking, but Asama decided to ignore that.

At any rate, Asama arrived at a conclusion from speaking with Horizon and viewing the data on her sign frame.

“I get the feeling we’re missing some condition or another.”

“Could it be that Phtonos hasn’t entered overdrive yet?” suggested Mitotsudaira.

“Um, how would we do that?”

Kimi responded while puckering her lips against the empty air.

“Smooooochy, smooch, smooch! You can kiss my foolish brother in front of Horizon to put her in envy burst mode! C’mon, try it out right here! This is your job!”

“Um, Horizon, would you feel jealous if I did that?”

“To be honest, I would only think, ‘they’re really going at it, huh?’ ” Horizon frowned and tilted her head. “Besides, when you two are in your own little world, you aren’t even thinking about his relationship with me, so demanding a place there would be meaningless.”

“Haven’t you ever heard of wanting something all to yourself?” asked Toori.

“Oh, did you want this curry?”

10ZO: “So is Toori-dono on the same level as curry in her mind?”

Me: “Huh!? You jealous!? Don’t act like you could be anywhere near as good as curry!”

Silver Wolf: “Um, my king? We all know how petty you can be, so please calm down.”

Horizon resumed speaking in an “anyway” kind of way.

“While gaining a relationship would be a happy thing, I have another job I must complete: I must acquire and secure the necessities to continue living. That requires work and acquiring the knowledge needed to fit into society. …With that in mind, I have very little time left over for a relationship. Demanding to have him entirely to myself feels like nothing more than lashing out because I cannot be with him at all times.”

Eventually, everyone exchanged a glance.

“…”

They applauded. Horizon raised her hands to accept their applause, but then Naruze raised her hand.

“Do you never feel lonely sleeping alone at night?”

“No, because I am in the habit of reading in bed.”

“I know what you mean,” said Masazumi. She crossed her arms and nodded deeply. “You end up falling asleep while reading, don’t you?”

Uqui: “Does that mean Toori ranks below a book?”

Me: “Yeah, that’s right! I’m equal to curry and less than a book! My new goal starting today is to become a book about curry! Then I’ll be equal to both of them!”

Asama: “Um, Toori-kun? We all know how nonsensical you can be, so please calm down.”

“That said,” said Horizon. “The times I do feel lonely lead to great sorrow. So if Toori-sama will prioritize me at those times, it means I rank #1 in his mind and I will no longer feel sorrow. But at other times, when I am fine being alone, Toori-sama is free to be with the others. But if I already had that #1 spot but felt the need to further restrict him beyond the scope of our relationship, that would be a sign of an obsession produced by jealousy.”

Horizon playfully struck her own head.

“My lifestyle precludes jealousy! This is a new discovery, Asama-sama!”

Naito raised her hand.

“Hey, this is a little awkward, but does this mean your dad chose the wrong person?”

“Great point, Naito-sama! That would mean the destruction of the world was manmade! Now that is a rare one! What do you say, Neshinbara-sama!? In your super imaginary fantasy novel, could the world be destroyed from a careless mistake or a failure to study?”

“I seem to recall a group that recently made the mid boss go ‘eh?’ because they didn’t do their assignment,” said Tenzou.

“Well, excuse me! Fine, blame me if you must! But I will rise from the ashes of your verbal onslaught and fly high as a reborn phoenix!” said Neshinbara.

“If you’re only reborn and fail to grow, won’t you just repeat the same mistake and fall back to the earth?”

“Naruze, do you have to be so harsh with me?”

“Does that mean you don’t have an argument against her point!?”

But this did tell Asama one thing.

“Horizon is – and always has been – extremely independent.”

●

Maybe it was Horizon’s status or position, but Asama had thought of the girl as extremely levelheaded. She didn’t know how much of that was carried over by the inheritance of Horizon’s soul, but her personality did seem exactly the same.

But for now…

“We just don’t know how the Logismoi Oplo are supposed to influence the Apocalypse.”

Lord Motonobu had said they could, so there had to be something to it.

…Most likely, that activates when certain conditions are met.

“Maybe we need to activate all the Logismoi Oplo at once?” asked Naomasa. “But…”

Horizon raised her right hand.

“Naomasa-sama, I do not have enough hands to carry the Muneshige Cannon and all the others at the same time.”

“I thought you’d say that. Asama-chi, what’s Phtonos’s activation state?”

Asama checked the sign frame and saw all the Logismoi Oplo links had been established.

“Looking at the ether pathways, one of them is at the center or on a higher level with the other eight below it.”

She had shown the others an abstract diagram of the pathways before. By opening the OS options on Horizon’s sign frame, she could check the additional fields for physical functions.

“They are triggered by emotions, so to be blunt, I think they activate when Horizon is under extreme stress.”

“But Horizon seems fairly happy and problem free right now.”

“Right?” agreed Asama before turning to Horizon. “Horizon? You don’t have to think about sad things to force yourself to feel sorrow or anything like that, okay?”

“But…”

“You don’t want to feel sad and we don’t want to make you feel that way either. That has been the core of our policy since Mikawa.”

“You got that right,” he said. “And we discussed this in England, remember? That not being sad means to be happy.”

His comment led Horizon to place a hand on her chin and lower her head with a serious look on her face.

“…?”

“D-don’t tell me you forget!? You’re gonna kill me with sorrow!”

“Didn’t we discuss after England that we would figure something out if that did happen and that it was okay to feel that way?”

So…

“Is it even possible for a being as perfect as me to feel stress?”

Everyone – including the Tres España group – fell silent. Eventually, Horizon raised her hand.

“That aside, if stress is the key, I think I can activate it in a crisis, which in a way means my safety is assured.”

“Futayo, this would assume we can keep Horizon safe enough activate the Logismoi Oplo’s power while in a dangerous situation. Can you ensure that?”

“Judge. My job is to fight on the front line and eliminate any threat, so I will do whatever I can based on the strategy proposed by the glasses boy.”

That meant Horizon’s safety was assured in a situation like that.

…Could there be another condition?

“To bring back up a timely topic, could it be triggered by docking?”

Horizon’s sudden suggestion made the Tres España Vice President spit out her water again.

●

Novice: “Oh, that could be! Unleashing your true power through lewd acts is a common plot point!”

Art-Ga: “The things you write never go past kissing. If they went all the way, would they awaken further each time, like a multistage rocket?”

Gold Mar: “If it worked like that, they would have people awakening to new power left and right in the brothels and red light districts. Then maybe the government would support those places as official ‘awakening spots’.”

Flat Vassal: “Um, didn’t Mary-san kind of explode with power after the 1st Special Duty Officer grabbed her boobs?”

Scarred: “Eh? Well, I did decide to be more honest with myself. …Oh. Oh, my. Thank you for the applause! Thank you so much! I intend to continue to support Master Tenzou as best I can!”

Laborer: “Ha ha ha. Yeah, honesty is the best policy! It feels nice to just be yourself!”

Unturning: “But didn’t the Chancellor kiss her after acquiring the Logismoi Oplo? Did she awaken then?”

Horizey: “I did not. What of it?”

Art-Ga: “If it’s because he’s a terrible kisser, I’ll have to rewrite this storyboard…”

Wise Sister: “No, it couldn’t be that, Naruze. If my foolish brother was a terrible kisser, he wouldn’t have blown Asama’s lid off and awakened her, and Mitotsudaira’s licking and sniffing wouldn’t have escalated so far.”

Asama: “How did I end up in the line of fire here!?”

Horizey: “Well, I may have brought it up, but it sounds like that is not the explanation.”

Silver Wolf: “Shouldn’t you have realized that sooner than this, Horizon?”

●

Juana saw the Musashi Vice President raise her right hand toward her. What could this be? she wondered.

“Do you have any thoughts on the condition for activating the true power – or whatever – of Horizon’s Logismoi Oplo?”

I don’t know why you think I would, thought Juana, but Flores looked up.

“Tres España and the rest of the Testament Union nations would really prefer it if that true power doesn’t exist, but maybe suggesting that is kind of mean.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“it could be a bluff, like with our magic ball.” Flores pulled a metal ball seemingly out of nowhere and tossed it up with a snap of her wrist to play with it. “You see, the magic ball’s actual abilities are enough of a threat to our opponents, but the most important thing is to announce that it’s a ‘magic ball’ to inspire caution and fear in them.”

“Are you suggesting…the Logismoi Oplo are only weapons and they can’t directly influence the Apocalypse?”

“You mean my awful father had his daughter seek out a scam product!? Asama-sama, can I still return them for a full refund based on your late-night shopping show rules!?”

“Unfortunately, you can only return products 2 weeks after purchase, so that would only work for Stithos Porneia and Akedia Katathlipse.”

“Don’t you dare return Porneiaaaaa! I need iiiiiit!” begged their Chancellor.

You don’t have to act so desperate, thought Juana. But…

…Does this mean the Papa Schola has sided with Musashi?

If he was the one to toss Stithos Porneia onto the battlefield, Juana had a number of thoughts on the matter.

Did he have some reason for not confirming his survival and instead letting speculation rule? An actual appearance would have been sensational, but it would have also acted as a political tool. Confirmation would mean a lot more than speculation within the upheaval of the Honnouji Incident.

After all, Olimpia currently served as the leader of the Tsirhc religion, but she was connected to M.H.R.R. and to Hashiba.

Meanwhile, there were quite a few anti-Hashiba Tsirhc nations. For those nations, confirmation of the Papa Schola’s survival would be reassuring but also an annoyance because it would require meeting up with and supporting him. And they would have to decide if they were going to form a “Previous Papa Schola Faction”.

But as mere speculation, his presence had a number of uses in negotiations.

…It is very useful information for us, due to our close connections to K.P.A. Italia.

That very same Papa Schola had given his Logismoi Oplo to Musashi. Juana hadn’t actually “given” hers to them, but in effect, all of the Logismoi Oplo were gathered here.

But if Flores’s speculation was correct…

“Could the Logismoi Oplo’s ability to influence the Apocalypse only mean that whatever nation possesses them can compete with the other nations militarily and gather them all toward a single solution to the Apocalypse?”

“Would they really be all that useful, though?”

●

“Master Muneshige! Master Muneshige! You don’t have to start working on your site because you ‘hadn’t updated it at all during summer break’! You really don’t need to upload a video of it hitting at Nördlingen, nor do you need to add a comment explaining what happened!”

●

“Anyway, if that is the case, then the Logismoi Oplo are nothing more than lecture weapons, which makes them far less interesting.”

Mitotsudaira nearly agreed with Horizon there. But…

…Wait.

Something about this bothered her.

“I think the Logismoi Oplo can be used to solve the Apocalypse somehow.”

“Why is that, Mitotsudaira?”

“Because.” She scanned her eyes across the others. Yes, most of the Musashi people here should know about this. “When Horizon impulsively fired Maska Orge, Hashiba deflected the blast with something a lot like Aspida Phylargia.”

That wasn’t all. The same thing had happened during the Battle of Mikatagahara.

“When we traveled north to Kantou and Horizon impulsively fired the Muneshige Cannon on the Azuchi, Hashiba negated the blast somehow or another. You remember that, don’t you?”

●

Horizey: “I appear to have a habit of impulsively firing them.”

Me: “You really do just fire them without warning. And you fire them even when you don’t have any fuel. Keep that in mind, okay?”

Asama: “Lately, I’ve started to think that’s part of what makes Horizon who she is.”

Silver Wolf: “It does give her a certain edge.”

Flat Vassal: “But if Hashiba can respond to those attacks, does it mean they have similar weapons?”

●

Masazumi concluded they probably did. After all, the Genesis Project had been Lord Motonobu’s idea.

“Our Logismoi Oplo were released to the nations to use as they liked, but does this mean they had another set they kept to use for the Genesis Project?”

“That would make sense.”

“But the Logismoi Oplo are supposed to be Horizon’s emotions, so what ingredients were Hashiba’s set made from?”

Someone muttered “ingredients?”, but it seemed like as good a term as any.

“Did they turn someone else into an automaton?” asked Naito.

“That would mean my awful father was even more awful than we thought, which would be a problem.”

“Also,” said Futayo, tilting her head. She kept her head at that angle as she continued. “Hashiba cannot participate in the Honnouji Incident because they are not included in the Testament’s list of participants.”

“By that logic, we couldn’t be there either,” pointed out Mary.

After an instantaneous pause, Crossunite nodded.

“It is possible someone could intrude out of a sense of duty, like I did in England.”

“To be fair, what you did in England was like a rematch for the earlier duels,” said Masazumi.

“Anyway,” said Horizon. “Whatever the case, we will learn how they plan to carry out the Genesis Project tonight. If they do have their own set of Logismoi Oplo, we should see how they use them. That should let us cheat- I mean, give us more reference data to figure out how to use my Logismoi Oplo.”

“But what are we going to do?” asked Urquiaga. “Let’s say we see their Genesis Project at Honnouji. Let’s say it violates our primary policy, but it can save the world from the Apocalypse. …What do we do then? What do we do if it is possible to save the world by denying the supremacy of elder sisters? It would be tempting to just let them do it.”

“I’m just going to ignore that part about elder sisters, but we would have to start by hearing them out,” said Masazumi.

That was important.

“Rejecting their plan is meaningless before we know what that plan is and what it really means. Hey, idiot, quit fidgeting. Sit still.”

“B-but you’re contradicting yourself!”

“Toori-kun, you don’t need try to be funny just because you’re bored.”

“But,” said Neshinbara. “Something isn’t right.”

“In your head?”

“What happened to hearing people out!?”

“It’s called extrapolating based on past data.”

“Judge. She is correct, Neshinbara-sama,” said Horizon. “People build up a reputation as they live their life and they are often judged based on it. Now, I have lived a modest and polite life, so I have a positive reputation and am even known for my ecofriendly practices. Hm, I stumble over my words this time. I must be getting used to this.”

“You mean it wasn’t a bit when you did it before?”

“Judge. And because I am ecofriendly, I care a lot about respecting the environment. So when I am in an environment that judges jokes harshly, I will respect that by being ruthless against bad jokes.”

Didn’t she always do that? But…

“So what isn’t right, if not your head, Neshinbara?”

“Judge. Think about it. The Genesis Project is supposed to be a major effort to save the world from the Apocalypse, right? So why haven’t they revealed the details of their plan even on the day they’re going to enact it? It seems suspicious to me. I bet they’re hiding some evil act that will completely overturn the current world. Why else would they avoid talking about it!?”

“Like what?”

“Well,” said Naruze. “If they’re anything like a certain doujin author I could mention, maybe they’re procrastinating on coming up with an idea until the last second before submitting their story for publishing.”

“Yeah, that’s a bad habit of Bara-yan’s. He’s always real cagey about what his story is about until he gets his manuscript thrown together right before the deadline.”

“B-but I get it done in time and that’s what matters!”

“Really?” asked Masazumi and Ohiroshiki waved his hand side to side.

“One time, he bragged about this great story he was writing, but it bombed and he lost all motivation and never continued the series.”

“Of course I didn’t! The passion inside me was gone!”

“Why did you ever think you could get involved in politics as the Secretary? Better planning would solve most of your problems.”

“Takarazuka Honda-kun, don’t you fail to budget out your book buying and end up collapsing from hunger!?”

“From initial report to collection, Masazumi-sama’s hunger collapses can be seen as a public work the Blue Thunder assists in, so she is able to collapse without worrying what will happen to her.”

“Um, then should we think of Asama-san going to the guard station to collect the Chancellor as another public work?” asked Adele.

“But, you know, what else can I do?” said Asama.

“ ‘Ahn! Oh, Toori-kun, you are incorrigible. Now watch me wiggle all bashfully!’ …What’s that smile for, Asama? It’s terrifying!” said Kimi.

Asama didn’t even bother trying to deny that level of teasing at this point, so it felt like she was getting used to it.

But anyway…

“I really don’t want to believe P.A. Oda is acting without a plan. And if it isn’t that…”

Neshinbara continued for Masazumi.

“I know! They must be doing live human sacrifices! Or bringing misfortune to a great number of people! Their methods are so inhumane that they can’t let anyone know about them in advance! Yes, like replacing half of humanity!”

Masazumi looked around, seeking the opinions of the observers.

“Do you think it could be that?”

“If they did have something set up to erase half of humanity, wouldn’t they need to distribute it?” said Naito. “And that work would gobble up tax money.”

“No, Naito-kun! They could use the ley lines or spells somehow!” insisted Neshinbara.

“If they did, we would notice something,” said Asama. “And there are defenses set up on the infrastructure that passes between nations, so it wouldn’t be easy to distribute anything across the entire Far East.”

“Asama-kun! You’re looking at this too realistically!”

“Because it’s happening in reality!!”

After that united retort from everyone, Masazumi held a hand out to stop them. And after a moment of thought…

“Assuming it is something on a smaller scale, are there spells for live sacrifices?”

“Hm.” Asama tilted her head. “Didn’t Tsirhc have that thing where someone had to offer up his own child to prove his faith was real?”

“Yes,” confirmed the Tres España Vice President . “In the Old Testament. But god chickened out partway through and tried to get out of it by going, ‘Wait, you thought I was serious!? It was only a test! I was just kidding!’ Abraham’s internal response then has been classified as the first time humanity got pissed at god. Some versions of the text even say he glared at god and clenched his fist so hard it shook.”

“Monotheistic gods end up looking so lame at times like that since there’s no other gods around to stop them,” said Naito.

“Oh.” Asama raised her hand. “The whole monotheistic god thing is really only an unspoken agreement the gods have allowed to exist in certain religions. That’s how both Tsirhc and Mlasi can both say their god is the one and only god. When they have to interact, they get around it by saying each other’s god is a being from another dimension.”

“From another dimension?”

“Yes,” continued Asama. “And Shinto has such an ‘anything goes’ attitude that when trouble like that crops up on the Musashi, we basically say, ‘what’s wrong with there being two or three monotheistic gods at the same time? If you don’t like it, you can always leave.’ ”

The Tres España Vice President held her slumping head, but Shinto was just really lax about all those things.

Asama: “Well, Shinto exists as a religion to eliminate conflict by pacifying malevolent spirits and providing everyone with a local god.”

But based on all of this, they could reach a certain conclusion.

“Sacrificing people seems unlikely, don’t you think?”

“Well, there are only so many spells you could use to turn a person into an offering. But through other means, there are ways of doing it. Like changing their form first,” said Naruze while drawing up a storyboard. “After all,” she added. “Mary there was basically being sacrificed, right?”

That was a good point.

…They were returning a relative of the Fairy Queen to the ley lines to strengthen her land of origin: England.

You could think of that as turning Mary into a local god.

“But if that is it, who would they be sacrificing?”

“Nobunaga?” suggested Naito.

Everyone tilted their head and Mary raised her hand.

“Is Lord Nobunaga executed? Or is it suicide?”

“That isn’t actually known, but I would guess suicide,” said Naito.

“That would be a bit of a pain, but it does give Musashi a reason to intervene,” said the Tres España Vice President. “During a history recreation held between two parties, if someone is being pressured to commit suicide for one side or the other, you can send a request to Testament Union to have it stopped. Not to mention that you have made a point of stopping such things yourselves.”

Everyone nodded with comments of “yeah, I guess so”. But…

“What if they’re being forced into it?”

“Isn’t that exactly what you have insisted you will not allow to happen? I would ask you to show as little restraint as you did during the Armada battle.”

She had a point. But…

“Oh, I just had an idea,” said the idiot, opening the next dish brought in and confirming it too was curry. “Let’s say the Honnouji Incident is part of the Genesis Project. And let’s say Nobunaga is being sacrificed as part of it.”

He asked his question.

“Wouldn’t they be kind of stuck if we didn’t go to Honnouji and the ‘incident’ never happens?”

●

“Hey, Kime-chan,” said Wakisaka in the night sky, Lake Biwa reflecting the twin full moons below them.

The two of them were leading the way to guide their returning comrades to the Lake Biwa Azuchi. The wind washed over the late summer lake surface as they flew.

“Musashi is up above Kyou right now, but what if they don’t come here?”

“Then we’d be stuck. But I’m sure they have more sense than that.”

“I didn’t realize we had left so much room for things to go horribly wrong…”

Meanwhile, Wakisaka’s Magie Figur sensor detected something large.

…Ohh, here they are.

The group that had gone to Aki was arriving from the south. As the large transport ship approached, she looked up on the deck to see Kasuya, Hirano, and…the really tall one had to be Sakon.

“They’re all so big.”

But she didn’t mean their height for all of them.

●

“That said, if we didn’t go, they would probably choose someone to replace us.”

Mitotsudaira agreed with Masazumi there.

“My king was given Akechi Mitsuhide’s name, but with an on-site decision like that, P.A. Oda probably wants to protest it. So I honestly wouldn’t blame them if they did choose another name inheritor from within their own ranks.”

“If it comes to that, Tres España will likely support your Chancellor’s position, along with Hexagone Française, England, and the Protestants,” said the Tres España Vice President.

Mitotsudaira appreciated that.

…But that also means I need to be there to protect my king.

As her king’s knight…

“It’s possible my king will end up in a duel against Nobunaga, isn’t it?” she muttered to herself.

Narumi raised her hand then.

“Yes?”

“To get back on topic, you mentioned the possibility of Nobunaga being sacrificed, right? But I think they probably have another reason for keeping information on tonight close to their chest.”

“Oh.”

Now that she mentioned it.

“Do you see what I mean? We don’t know how Nobunaga’s death will happen, but it is straight from the Testament. Any current student should know that. Everyone understands this, but everyone also says they have no information on the Genesis Project.”

Mitotsudaira saw where this was going.

“Are you saying to look at this in reverse? That the Honnouji Incident itself is the Genesis Project and thus we already know what it entails?”

●

That seems somewhat contradictory, thought Mitotsudaira.

…It’s a chicken or the egg kind of situation.

She liked both and both seemed like a delicious option to her, but that wasn’t the point.

Masazumi tilted her head and spoke.

“Is the Honnouji Incident part of the Genesis Project or is the Genesis Project part of the Honnouji Incident?”

“At this point, it seems hard to separate the two.” Narumi took a breath. “But I could be wrong about this. Not even this explains why they won’t reveal the details of their project. It wouldn’t be hard to say the Genesis Project is the Honnouji Incident itself.”

“Yes, the question isn’t what they will be doing at Honnouji. What they haven’t told us is how the two things are connected.”

“Could that be because…of us? I mean…we don’t like…sacrifices.”

Mitotsudaira got Suzu’s point.

If P.A. Oda revealed they were sacrificing someone, Musashi would move to stop them. That was their national policy and it was one of Musashi’s guidelines. But…

“Musashi only decided on that policy after Mikawa and only made it official at England.”

“If Mukai is right, it would mean P.A. Oda was about ready to reveal their plan but our policy made them rethink that idea because they feared we would butt in or even oppose them.”

“Oh, yeah. It really would have made an impact if they announced it after Lord Motonobu got everyone worked up at Mikawa.”

“So you’re saying they decided against it because Lord Motonobu’s daughter chose the opposite policy?”

It sounded plausible, but was that really what happened?

…We did reveal that policy at Mikawa, but it wasn’t accepted until England.

“Hmm…that doesn’t seem…quite right,” said Suzu herself, sounding like she had made a mistake.

Mitotsudaira exchanged a glance with Asama, Adele, and the others above Suzu’s head.

Silver Wolf: “Now don’t drag Suzu into our cannibalism just because she was wrong.”

Flat Vassal: “For one thing, her idea was a reasonable one.”

That was when someone began with a “but”. It was Neshinbara.

“But if things did play out as Mukai-kun suggested, it would mean P.A. Oda was already cautious of us back then. If so…”

“Judge,” said Urquiaga. Then wouldn’t they have made their announcement after defeating us at the Battle of Mikatagahara? They had proven their superiority to us in battle at that point.”

He was right. But what did that mean?

“Did they have some other reason to keep their information secret?” asked Mitotsudaira.

“Hmm.” Adele tilted her head and crossed her arms. “Is talking about it dangerous for some reason?”

That sounded familiar to Mitotsudaira.

…Wait.

She looked up to see Asama and Mary looking her way. Masazumi had frozen in place too.

“Could it be?” said Masazumi in a “you’re kidding, right?” tone. “Would they be taken by the Double Border Crest if they talk about it?”

●

“Masazumi.”

Urquiaga’s quiet voice was the only sound among them. Narumi listened as he continued.

“Congratulations on finally telling a funny joke.”

“Judge. Congrats,” said Narumi. “The Double Border Crest needs a certain condition to appear, doesn’t it? It only appears to those who attended that mystery academy 30 years ago.”

“It appeared behind us too, so being a blood relative seems to count as well,” said the Asama Shrine Representative. “But are we suggesting a possible connection between the Double Border Crest and Lord Nobunaga?”

“Didn’t Akechi Mitsuhide say he was the final student there?”

“Nobunaga could still have an indirect connection, Narumi.”

“But,” said Narumi. “If that is the key, then I don’t see why Nobunaga has to be the star tonight. We have several people with an indirect connection right here. Why would they go to the trouble of using the Honnouji Incident for the Genesis Project and use Nobunaga in that role?”

“Neshinbara.” The Vice President addressed the Secretary. “Have you made any progress on the code?”

“We can read most of it, so I’m attempting to guess or brute force the rest of it.”

“What code?” asked the Tres España Vice President.

Musashi’s Vice President nodded, looked to the others, and nodded again.

“We received a coded memo in Hexagone Française, which we have since left in Sweden Chancellor Christina’s care. We can read most of it now, but there is still a part we can’t crack. The Song of Passage was the key to the code.”

The Vice President called up their current version of the decoded text and passed it to the Tres España side of the table.

Risototooukowareta

Nagayoshinozugaigatadashii

Zukiiinofukiwoiwaoniosame

Nazuowarikotamanizugaiwoosameyo

Futarinoseijiyohaizuko

The Tres España Vice President quickly read through it.

“This appears to be another code.”

“We agree. We do have a guess at what it could mean. Would you like it?”

“Testament. If you don’t mind, we have people who analyze texts.”

“Judge,” said the Vice President, sending over another sign frame. The Tres España Vice President ran a few checks using a spell. And then…

“We will inform you if we learn anything.”

Art-Ga: “Does this mean a member of our Student Council is entirely useless now?”

Laborer: “You must mean Neshinbara!”

Novice: “Not so fast, Noriki-kun! I will admit I enjoyed how everyone was treating me, but that kind of direct attack will still damage my reputation!”

Gold Mar: “But only your reputation? It doesn’t bother you mentally?”

We had someone like that in Date, didn’t we? thought Narumi as she sent an external divine transmission.

Unturning: “Didn’t we have someone in Date who was mentally indestructible?”

Katakura-kun: “Have you ever looked in a mirror!? Even once!?”

She remembered who it was, so she ended the transmission. And to get back on topic…

“There is a lot we won’t know unless we visit Honnouji, isn’t there?”

“Judge,” said the Vice President, scooting forward in her seat. “We have several things to check while we are there: what the Genesis Project is, whether or not Nobunaga’s death is a part of it, and what Hashiba’s Logismoi Oplo are.”

“You do understand we’re talking about a battle here, don’t you?”

“Judge. A localized battle to take down a fortress. This will be our first attack on a castle since Novgorod.”

“Then.” The Tres España Vice President nodded. “That concludes our meeting. …Go and win that battle, Musashi. The time has come for us to discuss what will become of the world after all this is over.”

●

The meal and meeting had ended more quickly than Gin had expected.

She watched from the roof of Tama’s bridge as everyone left the jinmaku. Then the jinmaku was dismantled. Only Juana and Flores were still inside.

“–––––”

She knew they couldn’t see her, but she still bowed toward them.

Takakane, Fusae, and the others had to be in the landed warship.

“Gin. You aren’t going to greet them?”

“I just did.”

“I see,” said Muneshige before bowing in their direction too.

Gin saw the others’ conversation on the divine network. They had figured out what they needed to do now, what they needed to do in the future, and what was expected of them.

The people who had once expected much from Gin and Muneshige now expected much from the group Gin and Muneshige now called home.

…I’m glad.

This made her feel like they hadn’t lost their touch, but she also thought she might be imagining that. What they did at Honnouji and afterwards would matter a lot, but…

“What was that curry festival about?”

●

83: “I went to help out in the kitchen, we hit it off great, and we ended up showing off our signature dishes, so they ended up seeing if they could make their own curry.”

Scarred: “The dashi in the hassun curry was a wonderful touch.”

Novice: “That one was different from the others?”

Four Eyes: “You have the undiscerning palate of a child.”

Novice: “D-don’t act like you would’ve noticed!”

Art-Ga: “I was expecting a more exciting explanation, but that’s honestly pretty boring.”

Vice President: “Boring is what we want with Honnouji coming up! Okay, everyone! We’ve eaten, so go take a bath and use your compressed sleep charms! The Honnouji Incident begins at midnight tonight. We have less than 4 hours to go! Don’t expect to get any rest once that starts!”

Silver Wolf: “Masazumi! Masazumi! Doesn’t a major revolution like this deserve to be discussed with more gravity!?”

Chapter 10: Waiter at the Gathering Place[edit]

Still not here

But still waiting

Point Allocation (Unaware)

●

Lake Biwa Azuchi is so busy today, thought Kiyomasa.

She was currently on the deck of the transport ship that had taken her here. Within Lake Biwa Azuchi’s stealth barrier, the ship was landing in the water-top port lit up by a long array of illumination spells.

Takenaka had sent word that, once they disembarked, it would be time to wait.

Thus, resupplying at the port would be handled by Asano, who specialized in that sort of management, and the other veterans who knew the place well. Katagiri had emerged as Lake Biwa Azuchi’s manager earlier. Asano had been in a hurry and, according to Katagiri, said something “without the appropriate gravity”, so he had driven her away with a super-concentrated lecture.

…Katagiri-kun has been weirdly mature lately.

Is that because Fukushima made a man out of him? That could also be why Hirano, who loves people who are a handful, has shifted to simply watching him grow.

Whatever the case, she would be meeting up with the others soon.

The Aki group was returning on the south end of Lake Biwa in order to avoid Musashi in Kyou.

After they regrouped with Kasuya, Hirano, and Sakon, they would have to decide whether or not to send out the Azuchi.

“Takenaka-sama will be the one to decide if we head out tonight. Will we be going to Honnouji or Shizugatake?”

●

…We’re in a tricky position.

Kiyomasa realized the supplies being transported to the port were for cold region combat. She also wondered how they had ended up in this position.

The plan had been to initially support the Honnouji Incident after arriving here.

The Testament said the Honnouji Incident occurred during Hashiba’s attack on Mouri. But they had already completed their attack on Mouri, which meant they were free. So…

“We were supposed to deter and hold back Musashi when they tried to intervene at Honnouji.”

They won as long as the Honnouji Incident happened.

The Genesis Project would be completed and the Apocalypse would end.

In other words, victory.

But those initial plans weren’t going to work anymore.

They hadn’t expected Akechi Mitsuhide to grant his name to the Musashi Chancellor.

Furthermore, the Shibata Team had suddenly sent a divine transmission that very nearly did just say “We’re doing the Battle of Shizugatake, so get on over here! You got that!?” How were they supposed to respond to that?

Without them and the Shibata Team, Honnouji wouldn’t have any additional defenders. The Shibata Team was an especially big problem because Shibata’s summons meant Sakuma and her people were no longer defending the east.

And the Hashiba Team was meant to battle Shibata.

The Hashiba Team had plenty of fighting power, but what would happen if it came to a clash here?

“There won’t be any effective defenders left for Honnouji and P.A. Oda’s forces will be greatly reduced.”

In the Testament, Hashiba wins the Battle of Shizugatake. Shibata and his wife Oichi take their own lives.

Was there any way to prevent that?

Takenaka and the rest of the Lake Biwa group would be considering all of that with the Honnouji group, but…

Kuro-Take: “Hm, if Shibata-san is serious about this, half measures aren’t going to cut it. He could end up chewing us up and spitting us out.”

Kiyo-Massive: “Would it be possible to guard Honnouji first and go to Shizugatake afterwards?”

If Shibata was going to mess with their plans, they could mess with his. But…

6: “He’s taken Kani hostage. And Fukushima will probably return to the Shibata Team without knowing what’s happened, so that will begin the fighting whether we like it or not.”

…Fukushima-sama!

Kiyo-Massive: “We cannot let that happen! B-but what do we do!?”

AnG: “Can’t we just assume that Fukushiman can take care of herself?”

Kimee: “We don’t actually know what her time in the mountains did for her. And I heard she was in a pretty sorry state before that.”

Kiyo-Massive: “Th-that is not true! Fukushima-sama is-”

Kiyomasa realized two things in the middle of her sentence.

First, did it really matter if that was true? And second, if it was true, why was Fukushima in such a sorry state?

●

“Okay.”

Kiyomasa clenched her fists and did not hesitate.

She was worried about Fukushima, but those worries weren’t going to fix anything.

The Shibata Team had taken action and Kani was their hostage. All the people here could do was decide how they would respond and worrying about a month-old problem wasn’t going to help.

Kiyomasa was conscious of that now thanks to her discussions with Unno in Sanada. So…

“Fukushima-sama.”

Kiyomasa could see her again in Shizugatake. That was a good thing. All that excess mental noise was gone.

If she was going to worry, it wouldn’t be about the past.

…That’s right.

She had made up her mind. She could make her decision after meeting and speaking with Fukushima. Because she had learned her lesson and would no longer impose her own issues on someone else. And with that decided…

“Takenaka-sama, the Aki group has arrived.”

A large passage warning lernen figur opened in the southern sky before something entered through the stealth barrier. A black transport ship was guided in by Wakisaka’s schale besen.

“Kasuya, Hirano, and Shima are here.”

●

Passing through a stealth barrier by yourself takes a lot of guts, thought Wakisaka. Because it cut off all information.

Their schale besens were airtight and transport ships received airtight protection when passing through, but your body was not so lucky. It didn’t just go silent – there was nothing reaching any of your senses. You couldn’t even tell if your hair and such were still there.

The brief inability to tell up from down and left from right was enough to know how dangerous it would be over a longer period.

Was that what it felt like to die?

…Or maybe the “thinning out” of the Apocalypse system is like that.

Whatever the case, staying there for long caused your thoughts to fade as well.

So she built up enough speed to coast through on momentum and light burst into view ahead of her. She saw the ether light of a large passage warning lernen figur and…

“Lake Biwa Azuchi.”

She had only left briefly to guide in the ship, but everything looked a lot busier than when she had left.

…Maybe that’s because the Sanada group is back.

Kiyomasa had brought the 1st years on a training camp. Wakisaka hadn’t heard of any trouble there, so all of them, including that mechanical dragon transport ship, must have returned as a single fighting force.

“And now…”

She heard a burst of wind behind her. That was the transport ship. The Aki group had coasted through the stealth barrier with inertial cruising, but its greater mass meant it had slowed down a lot less. It was approaching her fast, so she turned to the bow and…

“Sorry. I’ll move out ahead.”

She hurriedly accelerated, slicing through the wind.

Kimee: “Angie, they didn’t run into you just now, did they?”

AnG: “Where are you, Kime-chan?”

Kimee: “Upper left.”

Wakisaka looked up to see a white schale besen soaring upwards. She’s so beautiful, she thought before the other transport ship guided by Yoshiaki broke through the stealth barrier.

That one was loaded with supplies from Aki. That included the Orei Metallo ether fuel which was purified at Aki, but…

…We’ll probably be using up a lot of that soon.

Kimee: “Now, what’s going to happen?”

About what?” asked Wakisaka.

Kimee: “Musashi’s actions were a surprise, but P.A. Oda isn’t giving us an easy night either.”

●

Takenaka was working to consolidate a few different thoughts.

She was in the 1st dining hall on the 3rd floor of the Azuchi Castle on the shore of Lake Biwa Azuchi.

The 12-story school building was home to Azuchi Academy and all the windows had been lit up even at night of late, but…

…I’m glad they could clear the biggest room for me when everything’s so busy.

She had just one reason to occupy this entire 180 square meter floor.

“Three Thousand Worlds.”

A massive amount of insha kotob opened and she would be selecting the best ones. She could of course do this in a smaller space, but that made it more difficult to grasp and expand on the information, which meant a time loss.

She was in a hurry, so she spread the information out in front of her, around her, and behind her.

“Three Thousand Worlds is using about 60 square meters, isn’t it?”

She massaged the top of her nose and took a breath. The cooks remained in the dining hall, cooking and stockpiling combat food for tonight, but…

“Takenaka-sama, you look tired, so have this rice ball.”

“What’s inside it?”

“It’s only rice flavored with soy sauce…and wasabi.”

That sounded like it would stimulate her hunger and wake her up nicely. But she felt like that would be a better choice for after she was done working and losing her focus. So she decided to eat it later.

“Could I get some carbonated water? With some ginger if possible.”

She had a feeling she would just puke it back up after drinking it, but it was better than having nothing on her stomach. A cook carried it over from a nearby table, but try as he might to nervously step around the Three Thousand Worlds insha kotob, he couldn’t manage it. Takenaka gestured for him to not worry about it, just in time for a new insha kotob to open.

It was from Hashiba. She was rushing down a 2nd-floor hallway and bowing to everyone who greeted her as she passed.

Monkey Girl: “U-um, Takenaka-sama? Do you have a plan yet?”

Kuro-Take: “Well, there are a few things I’m still not clear on, but for now, it seems going to Shizugatake would be the safer bet.”

Monkey Girl: “Safer…how?”

“Shaja,” she replied in accordance with the local custom. Because…

Kuro-Take: “The Shibata Team is serious about this. I really don’t think they would actually harm Kani-kun, who they’ve taken hostage, but…well, Kani-kun isn’t the type to just sit around and wait.”

The Shibata Team seemed to decide that anyone who did as they were told was harmless, but anyone who came at them was fun. Not to mention…

Kuro-Take: “If we don’t go to them, I suspect they will come to us. Shibata-san isn’t one to hold back there. He’s always been more about launching an attack than biding his time.”

That had been true at Novgorod too. During his time as M.H.R.R. Vice Chancellor, his general policy had been “attack”, including at Magdeburg. The Testament said the Battle of Shizugatake was a waiting battle, nearly a siege even, but…

…Shibata-san was given the Kitanosho Castle as his aerial ship.

That was a Jormungand-class 800m warship. Since it was the same class as the ironclad ships, it could be seen as small for the flagship of someone on Shibata’s level. But…

Kuro-Take: “Shibata-san is sure to be having the time of his life flying around showing off all his ships.”

Monkey Girl: “If this does turn into a fleet battle, you will need the Azuchi.”

Right? thought Takenaka, but what would happen if it came to that?

…The Shibata fleet will charge the Hashiba fleet and engage in an infiltration battle.

That meant Shibata troops boarding the Hashiba ships to fight.

The Hashiba fleet was primarily the Azuchi’s 6 ships. The rest were mainly transport ships, which had little combat experience.

Kuro-Take: “The Shibata fleet’s ships might be small, but they’re experienced and plentiful. The Azuchi isn’t enough to handle them all and then the damaged ships will ram into the Azuchi. And I can’t imagine a more annoying problem than Shibata-san using one of those ramming ships to board us himself.”

Oh, I’m going to vomit just thinking about it. No, wait, I held it in.

Monkey Girl: “Um, Shibata-sama would do that, wouldn’t he? He’s notorious for how easily he cut across Musashino after boarding the Musashi.”

Notorious? thought Takakane, but on second thought, he had done that for fun, not as part of a strategy.

If he tried that with Hashiba, could any of them stop him?

Kuro-Take: “Of those we have here, maybe Kiyomasa-san, Kasuya-san, or Sakon-san? Hm, they’d have a hard time of it.”

The Azuchi’s six ships were arranged in three rows: left, right, and center. If you were diving toward them from above, it would be less risky to aim for the front ships than the rear ones. That meant the front three ships were the best place for the defense personnel, but…

…We can’t expect a single person to stop Shibata-san.

Kuro-Take: “Maybe teams of two would work? We could have one person positioned on each of the front ships and one more in position to reach the ship Shibata-san lands on? But…”

Monkey Girl: “But what?”

Kuro-Take: “Shibata’s fleet will probably challenge us to a fleet battle when we are focused on Honnouji. Shibata-san is probably waiting for us to make our move.”

And…

Kuro-Take: “If Shibata’s fleet arrives behind us while we’re keeping Musashi away from Honnouji, the Azuchi won’t be able to fight Musashi very effectively even if we do win against Shibata’s fleet.”

Shibata had openly announcement the Battle of Shizugatake.

If Musashi knew about it too…

…Then we wouldn’t be able to trick Musashi into fighting Shibata-san’s group.

So should they go north? The preparations for that would be simple enough.

They would use the Azuchi to approach, but instead of beginning a fleet battle, they would lower their warriors for a ground battle. The only real problem would be…

…Shibata-san’s group could ascend during the battle, splitting our forces and changing the battlefield.

If they were expecting a ground battle, they would be in trouble if the enemy ascended and bombed them from above.

Takakane had to come up with ways to counteract and prevent that, but since they needed the Azuchi to carry them back afterwards, they had to defend it as well.

That meant a ground battle would be safer in the long run this time.

Especially because a ground battle gave them a better chance of regrouping with Fukushima. Her return would increase morale and she or Kiyomasa were about the only ones capable of directly facing fighters on Shibata or Oichi’s level.

With those two, they had around a 40% chance of defeating Shibata’s group.

So, she thought just before she heard Katagiri’s voice via divine transmission.

The Boy: “Musashi is on the move! The base hull parts purged from Musashi are being escorted south by the Tres España fleet!”

Oh, thought Takakane. The world has made a decision here. And in that case…

Kuro-Take: “I know what to do.”

Saying that was enough for her to make up her mind and get started.

Kuro-Take: “All Hashiba forces are to prepare for combat and board the Azuchi or your assigned ship. We will be traveling north to begin the Battle of Shizugatake.”

●

Katagiri used Hundred Crest Land Survey on the roof of the building being used as the port management office.

He was using reports from the outside to build up a picture of the area around Lake Biwa Azuchi and Hokuriku with the space between omitted, as well as the status of the Shibata fleet.

What seemed vague in mere words and reports could become clear when viewed visually.

He was sending Takenaka a digitized version of the model created by Hundred Crest Land Survey. Based on the image he could see…

“Tres España has sided with Musashi!”

They were working for Musashi as mercenaries. If Hashiba questioned them about it, Tres España was bound to produce a valid mercenary contract. They had in fact been working as mercenaries for Akechi Mitsuhide, after all.

But that was a problem at this moment in time.

…Now we can’t work with the Honnouji group to launch a pincer attack on Musashi while advancing the Battle of Shizugatake.

6: “I know it’s a little late, but I have to ask: do we have any forces in reserve?”

Black Wolf: “Oh, it’s great to hear your voice again. …As for your question, keep in mind that we can’t rely on the M.H.R.R. Catholics. After all, K.P.A. Italia wants a defense force because they are concerned about what happens after Honnouji. It sounds like the M.H.R.R. Catholics will be moving to their borders with the Protestants and Hexagone Française.”

Tsurugi: “Is that why they tried to stop us from leaving Aki? I thought they were going to demand we pay the food bill, so I rushed up onto the deck and waved goodbye.”

Kohime: “The food there was so good. I want to visit again sometime.”

Katagiri had a feeling these reinforcements were going to bolster the food bill more than anything. But…

6: “What about P.A. Oda forces?”

Kimee: “Do you want to know how many transport ships and warships we sent to the east?”

That was exactly it.

Sakuma and her people had been holding the east, so with them coming here, the east’s defenses would be thin. The original plan had been for Niwa or Takigawa to be waiting between the east and here, but Takigawa had retired before summer break and Niwa had joined with Shibata.

…It’s a scary thought when Musashi has been gathering the Kantou nations.

The north was a threat too. Northwest of the Shibata Team’s location was Sweden.

The marriage of Chancellor Christina had long been a concern for Sweden, but that had recently been solved using her Lady Nagaoka name and now they were waiting for their Chancellor and her husband to return. But Honnouji was preventing her return now that summer break had ended and it was possible Sweden would attack P.A. Oda for causing that delay.

…And the Testament does call Sweden the strongest nation in the Thirty Years’ War period.

P.A. Oda had its forces on the border of that region while they prepared for Honnouji.

And of course, they couldn’t ignore domestic matters either. The Honnouji Incident hinted at political upheaval, which had people worried. Also…

“We were supposed to stop the Apocalypse with the Genesis Project and declare victory. That would have solved everything. But…”

One group was interfering with that: Musashi.

The massive ship waiting above Kyou was currently directed north. Was that to avoid provoking Honnouji to the east, or had they simply not yet settled down internally?

Without Musashi, the Battle of Shizugatake wouldn’t have been a problem. They could have defended their borders with whatever forces they had to spare and no one would have interfered with Honnouji.

…If only Akechi-sama hadn’t given his name to Musashi.

Then Musashi wouldn’t have been able to interfere to this extent and Shibata probably wouldn’t have started the Battle of Shizugatake.

Yes. Katagiri felt like he understood this. Akechi and Shibata’s decisions hadn’t been rational and they flew in the face of the Genesis Project, but…

“It’s Musashi’s fault.”

Musashi had messed it all up. They had done this.

Musashi had given meaning to the act of protesting the only way to save the world.

We can’t let this go on, he thought. Because…

“Musashi still hasn’t found their own way to stop the Apocalypse.”

But they were still coming to stop the Genesis Project which was guaranteed to stop it. And yet…

The Boy: “Why would Akechi-sama and Shibata-sama help Musashi?”

●

It doesn’t make sense, thought Katagiri.

He understood what Shibata and the others were trying to say. They supported the Genesis Project, but…

The Boy: “They know it’s the right thing to do, but they think there may be a better way! They got cold feet!”

He had another reason for thinking this.

The Boy: “Thinking back, it’s been like this since Mikawa! Lord Motonobu revealed the Logismoi Oplo and said they could be used to influence the Apocalypse. But what sense does that make? Why would he be doing that when he was already working on the Genesis Project with us!?”

Kuro-Take: “Katagiri-kun.”

He took a breath instead of asking what Takenaka wanted and she continued regardless.

Kuro-Take: “Try making a joke once in a while.”

The Boy: “Eh?”

Kimee: “Don’t be like that, Takenaka. It’s nighttime right now and, from what I can see, he’s on top of a tall building. It’s the perfect setting for a teenage boy to get all worked up and blather on. Or is that something a long-lived wouldn’t understand? Go on, Katagiri. We won’t stop you, so let us see how cringe you can really be.”

Kuro-Take: “Was that dig at Katagiri-kun really just an elaborate dig at my age!? I’ll have you know I’m still quite young by long-lived standards!”

The Boy: “And nothing I said was ‘cringe’!”

Almost Everyone: “If you say so…”

What was that reaction supposed to mean? But just as his shoulders drooped, he heard another voice.

Monkey Girl: “Katagiri-kun, are you alright? Can I say something now?”

The Boy: “Um, testament! I’m fine!”

A Magie Figur appeared on his right, showing Wakisaka point at her head and then tilt her head. How rude. My brain is fine too, he thought, but he focused on Hashiba.

Monkey Girl: “Unfortunately, the Shibata Team is our enemy now.”

The Boy: “Testament. I know that. But we’re supposed to be an anti-Musashi unit! Sure, we fought all over the place for your history recreations, but this is supposed to be our crowning moment!”

Monkey Girl: “Testament. That is true. But you know what else is true? Without Nori-chan and Kani-san, we can’t withstand a pincer attack from the Shibata Team and Musashi.”

She didn’t say it would be dangerous or difficult – she said they couldn’t do it. And…

Monkey Girl: “I think Shibata-sama did this because he knows that.”

Then, thought Katagiri. Why would our allies betray us when we already have Musashi as an enemy? And he won’t be just any enemy – he’s one of the greatest forces in P.A. Oda.

The Boy: “Was everything we did a waste of time!? If we can’t stop Musashi here, what was the point of anything we did!?”

Monkey Girl: “Whether or not it was a waste of time depends on what you all choose to do next.”

“–––––”

Monkey Girl: “We considered a variety of scenarios when we planned everything out. We even considered the unlikely possibility of losing to Musashi. But we managed to take the shortest and least wasteful path to this point. Thanks to all of you.”

“But,” she said.

Monkey Girl: “Musashi took a much more roundabout path, which included plenty of waste, but they still made it here. In retrospect, they likely took the shortest possible roundabout path.”

The Boy: “Are you saying we’re going to-”

Monkey Girl: “No.”

She repeated herself.

Monkey Girl: “No, Katagiri-kun. From Shibata-sama’s perspective, we still haven’t defeated him. Whatever might be going on in the world, we have not defeated Shibata Katsuie. We are doing the right thing. We took the shortest route and we did not hesitate. But Shibata-sama still does not think we have defeated him. Which means we have not gained whatever we would gain from doing so. He and his people must not want to deprive us of that. Maybe he intends to leave the world in our hands and maybe not, but that is likely why he has started the Battle of Shizugatake now. Which means…”

Which means…

Monkey Girl: “If we defeat Shibata-sama and find the Genesis Project still has not been activated, that is when the Hashiba Team will attack Musashi as representatives of P.A. Oda. We will ensure the Genesis Project continues.”

Chapter 11: Visitors in the North[edit]

We never ate any

Kitakata ramen, did we!?

Where’s that again?

Point Allocation (That Would Be Further East)

●

“They’re still not moving. Is Hashiba’s group alright?”

It was late summer, but there was still a scattering of snow in the plaza where Shibata stood on the upper deck of his ship.

…They can worry about the weirdest things at times.

“But we’ll devour them if them if they don’t take this seriously. …What do you think, Oichi-sama?”

He called over to Oichi who stood at the deck railing, viewing the lights of the surrounding ships.

“Hashiba-kun and her companions will come. You are not hard to figure out, so I think they will know what you want.”

She looked out from the deck. Everywhere she looked were aerial ships waiting for the battle to begin.

They expected a glorious ground battle. This would be settled by the blade, not in the sky. That was the plan, anyway.

Oichi detected the scent of the combat food being cooked and she shook her head in satisfaction.

“Wonderful. …Isn’t this beautiful, Katsuie-san? We haven’t had any battles for a while, so it’s been so long since I saw these lights at night.”

She looked up into the night sky.

“Look, Katsuie-san. The two full moons are fading in our light.”

“Ohhh, you’re a real romantic, Oichi-sama! See, I got it right this time. I didn’t say romancist. And tonight, you’re the romantic. That’s the way I see it, Oichi-sama!”

“You have such refined tastes, Katsuie-san,” she said with a smile.

She’s so beautiful, he thought while she said more, still smiling.

“Do you think tonight will be fun?”

“I’m sure they’ll make it fun for us. Although to be honest, I was also wondering if we would ever get a chance to settle things with Musashi.”

“I doubt that will ever happen. Remember, they aren’t even looking at us. Novgorod was just one point along their path.”

“Ever the romantic, Oichi-sama. Can you enjoy yourself, not seeing them again?”

“The refined thing is to think ‘if only we could see them again’ and leave it at that.”

“True,” Katsuie replied. “Anyway, this was my decision.”

“What do you mean?”

“Testament.” He nodded and stepped up next to her. Damn, I’m cool. I’m firing on all cylinders tonight, he thought. “So all that pain-in-the-ass Genesis Project stuff is happening right now, but one decision from me determines whether or not the people who sided with Musashi were wasting their time. There’s Matsunaga, Takigawa, and Akechi – and that’s just in P.A. Oda. We’d be here all night if I listed out all the foreign people who don’t even know about the Genesis Project but still sided with Musashi.”

“Are you going to side with Musashi too?”

“C’mon, now. Let me talk a little longer.”

“Sorry,” she said, smiling. It was a nice smile. A truly great smile.

“The thing is, Oichi-sama, the reports from Hashiba tell us Musashi still hasn’t found an effective way of stopping the Apocalypse. I’d have to be pretty damn drunk to decide it’s a good idea to side with them. I’m the Vice Chancellor, remember? I’m the final line of defense. Which is pretty damn cool when you think about it. I can’t make that decision so lightly – especially when it means siding with an enemy.”

“But you also think it would be interesting if there was an alternative to the Genesis Project, don’t you?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because I couldn’t inherit our master’s name. For one simple reason: I didn’t want to do that.”

“I see.” He had said this so many times now, but… “I’m so happy we had our master. Because otherwise we wouldn’t be able to do this now.”

“And I finally managed to regain my true self when I met you, Katsuie-san.”

So…

“I thought it would be nice if there were multiple options and we could choose whichever one we liked whenever we liked. A single option leads to suffering. For me, at least.”

“For me too.”

Katsuie placed his hands on the railing and nodded. The railing easily bent. Oops. Will that come out of my pay? Fuwa isn’t here to find money for it… Eh, whatever.

“I wasn’t sure what to do when I found I found out how strict the conditions are for the Genesis Project. Now, I’m sure something can be done about that, but…”

But…

“I thought it would be worth it to call another star onto the stage and it seems like Akechi understood what I wanted.”

“You like Akechi-san, don’t you?”

“Do I?”

“You like people who don’t know what they should do. Like Sassa-kun, Maeda-kun, Fuwa-san, and so many others.”

“They take everything way too seriously. What I like is teasing people like that. The only ‘person who doesn’t know what they should do’ that I do like is you.”

“Why did you fall in love with me when I didn’t even know who I was?”

“I knew the person I spent my final moments with had to be someone capable of taking me in a one-on-one fight and I knew that had to be you.”

“I can’t wait,” she said. “Which is why I chose to side with you.”

●

I don’t envy Hashiba-kun’s group, thought Oichi.

“You’re forcing Hashiba-kun’s group to do all this because you’re so nice, aren’t you, Katsuie-san?”

“You call this nice? I’m just playing the self-important upperclassman here. You know, ‘Hey, Hashiba and co, get your asses over here. You think the Honnouji Incident is more important than me? Think again.’ ”

“But you know they wouldn’t come here if you didn’t do that.”

And…

“As things are, Musashi isn’t likely to reach their possible alternative answer and Hashiba-kun’s group is unlikely to reach Musashi’s level. You just won’t admit to that part.”

“They seem plenty strong to me. Like that one we met near the mountain on our way back. Who was that again?”

“Will she be able to kill us?”

A faint but insuppressible feeling rose deep in Oichi’s chest. Was it anticipation, or was it better called a tremor? But she did know it wasn’t fear, so she faced it head on and embraced it.

“I was allowed to live at Novgorod,” she said.

“And they let me go,” said Katsuie.

“Which means,” she said. “Musashi contains the ‘possibility of killing us’, don’t they?

“Which means,” she repeated. “Hashiba-kun’s group has yet to prove they do, right?”

Laughter escaped her throat.

“If we say the Battle of Shizugatake is a P.A. Oda political measure, they will obey, however reluctantly.”

“You know that’s not my style. Besides, I’m the kind of charismatic commander who just has to tell people to show up. Have you seen Naru Naru-kun? I know he’ll defend me and take responsibility for this railing I bent.”

“A shame we have to handle all the bills ourselves with Fuwa-san gone. But…”

Oichi turned to face him. The lights shining up from the fleet cast deep shadows on his demonic features.

“You’re smiling.”

“So are you.”

“True. Because right now, everything counts on us.”

That made her happy.

“Will Musashi find an alternative to the Genesis Project? Will Hashiba-kun’s group rise to the challenge of Musashi? No other nation and no one else could carry both those conflicting futures on their shoulders, but here we are doing it.”

You know what, Katsuie-san?

“I always knew I would be helpless. When I failed to earn an inherited name, I felt so hopeless and powerless, so I thought the most I could do was leave my regrets in someone else’s hands and then die. I thought that was the most I was allowed, so when I was with Azai-san, he suggested we die together. I suddenly went ‘now, wait a second’ and indicated I wasn’t ready for that and, next thing I knew, I had destroyed everyone there. Sorry about that, by the way. …Oh, I got sidetracked.”

“Not at all. Quite a shocking revelation to throw at me at this point. So, what? You cut them down to try and calm them down because you felt it was too soon to accept death?”

“My body moved all on its own.”

That really was true. She had felt released from some kind of bonds and it had felt incredible.

“It usually feels like I’m floating in water staring up at the ceiling. …Oh, but you made such an impact it reached me even in that state.”

“Good thing I’m so sloppy then. Toshi never could’ve done it. He’s too precise.”

“Matsu-san can reach me surprisingly well. And I don’t think It’s just because she’s a ghost.”

…But at the same time…

“Aren’t you like that too, Katsuie-san?”

“Like what?”

“You never thought you would be in this position, did you? The upperclassman is supposed to let their underclassmen take over, but now it’s all on you.”

“If the super strong upperclassman steps into the batter box for the final at bat, all the underclassman are gonna place their hopes on him, right?

“But,” he added. “I didn’t think P.A. Oda or the world were at their final at bat quite yet. So if the world does make it past the Apocalypse, even I’m just one point along the way. And I’ve started thinking I can live with that.”

“You mean you don’t want to be #1?”

“I already am. Haven’t you seen how strong I am?”

So…

“I’ve proven that enough that everyone knows it already. That leaves me with a new question: what now?”

“When did you start thinking this way?”

She wanted to know and he gave her an answer.

“Between Magdeburg and Novgorod, I think.”

●

Oichi listened to Katsuie speak.

“At Magdeburg, there was that Anne woman, remember? The previous Hexagone Française Chancellor who stayed belowground there. We fought her on the border back when she could still go out in the open. She was of course in a bed in Paris, deep within their territory, but her frontline fighters’ morale was crazy high. I asked about her and they said she was a young girl, but my takeaway was other people out there were in a situation like ours.”

“But she died at Magdeburg, didn’t she?”

“Testament. She was a hell of a woman. You’re still #1 of course! But I don’t mean it that way with her. We won that battle, right? We did what had to be done, we sacked Magdeburg, and we cornered Anne who was the very center of Hexagone Française. Everything would have been so much easier without her around. That’s how I mean it with her.

“But,” he said. “She didn’t fear death. Even though she’d combined with her god of war and slept underground for so long. Even though she wouldn’t have done all that to keep herself alive unless she really, really didn’t want to die. But not wanting to die and fearing death are two different things.”

“How so?” asked Oichi. She was genuinely curious. “Don’t people fear death because they don’t want to die?”

“Not quite, Oichi-sama.”

The way Katsuie crossed his arms and held his head proudly high was so cute. So…

“Tell me.”

“You got it! I’ll tell you all about this neat thing I realized. See, she had people to take over for her. I’m talking about Hexagone Française – its Chancellor, student council, officers, name inheritors, and everyone else in between or not in between. I’m talking about its cities, its towns, its villages, its roads, its nature, its everything – everything she had protected as Chancellor. And with all of them to take over for her, she could believe that everything would be alright even without her around.”

So…

“She didn’t want to say goodbye to all those people and things she held dear – she didn’t want to die – but she didn’t fear death. Because she’d done her job – done and completed it – so she could believe in everyone else. Which meant she didn’t have a worry in her heart when she died.

“But you know what?” he said. “I didn’t get all of this when it happened. I just thought she was one hell of a woman and felt like I’d won the battle but lost the war. I felt like that one woman was the only person there we hadn’t managed to defeat.”

But…

“I wondered why I felt that way. I mean, we’d won. Won big. So how could that woman act like that? And then I was wondering why Matsunaga – from my perspective anyway – ‘gave up’ before he’d finished his job. Then the same thing happened with the Kantou group.”

“Maybe they were obsessed with the idea of self-sacrifice?”

“It doesn’t make sense, right!? Living is obviously better!”

“And then Novgorod?”

“Testament,” he said, turning his enormous body to look north – toward that floating city. “I faced a fairly troublesome group there.”

●

Shibata explained.

“The first pair I faced included the Reine des Garous’s daughter.

“And the next person I faced was Honda Tadakatsu’s daughter.”

“I know him. Honda Tadakatsu was Mikawa’s Vice Chancellor. I met him a few times. You must have seen him when Matsudaira’s people visited P.A. Oda.”

“Yeah, but their Chancellor Sakai barely ever showed his face. Tadakatsu and Sakakibara would hang out with me for fun when they were in P.A. Oda.”

So…

“We even fought a few times. He was strong. I couldn’t hit him. And he couldn’t get through my armor.”

‘I wonder if that would be different if you could fight again now.”

“Yeah, aging is a pretty major factor for humans. Still, he had Tonbokiri. And I have Kamewari, so it’d probably have been a hell of a battle.”

He sighed at that point.

“But Honda Tadakatsu was blown up at Mikawa. To be honest, he was on my list of people who would be a real pain in the ass if we ran into him on the job. Makes me wonder how he let himself be killed so easily that night. Like, is that just how Far Eastern samurai do things? I had hoped we’d have another chance to fight over who’s #1.”

And after that came Magdeburg and Novgorod. With the Battle of Mikatagahara between them. But…

“I had a lot of fun after joining P.A. Oda, you know? We got into a lot of trouble during Nobuhide’s era before our master’s generation. Then Niwa came along…oops, that kind of gives away her age. Eh, whatever. And then the rest came along. When Hashiba showed up and said she would build the one-night castle, I hoped she wouldn’t push herself too hard. Then she did exactly that, so I did what I could to help in secret. And riding down the rapids was crazy fun. My point is we had a blast in our own way and everyone was fun to be around.”

Shibata realized he was trying a little too hard to get his point across.

…That’s right. We still have a lot of fun. That fun never stopped.

They started having fun and then they kept going and going.

“Anyway, I lost an arm at Novgorod and took a solid hit. But at the time, I found myself thinking I wasn’t going to lose to them yet. I knew I was still #1.”

“Yes. They might kill you, but you wouldn’t lose to them.”

“Exactly.”

But he had been wrong.

“On the trip back, I heard Tadakatsu’s daughter was aiming to inherit Tadakatsu’s name.”

At the time, he had felt she didn’t have what it took, even if Tadakatsu had died so easily at Mikawa.

“It was just like with Anne.”

Yes.

“They were having fun too. They were doing a ton of fun stuff, they kept doing it, and they hoped it could continue forever. But…but you know what?” he said. “I realized I didn’t have anything that let me be okay with my fun finally coming to an end. I had friends to party with and I had more fun people working for me, but I didn’t have anyone to ‘inherit’ who I am. I’m strong and #1 and cool and the best, but that means there’s no one out there who can replace me. Yeah, it’s lonely at the top. Doesn’t that make me sound sharp!? Hell yeah!”

“Katsuie-san,” said Oichi with a smile. “I am the same. Which is why we will die together. Because I am afraid to die. Neither of us can die just because someone tells us to. And that is why I love you.”

She continued.

“I am the same, so I understand. We made ourselves stronger and stronger because we fear death, but there were people out there who trusted us enough to let us take charge. And I also understand that there are more people who will do everything they can on their own and then let us take charge. And they trust us because you are #1. Because this is something only you can do. And that is why I love you. I will always love you.”

Oichi’s shoulders shook with laughter at that point.

“Oh, dear,” she said. “I think we might actually die.”

“We won’t die. We’ll kill each other.”

“True,” she agreed and rested against his shoulder. “We and so many others are letting Hashiba-kun’s group take charge, but will the time ever come that they will pass it all on and let someone else take charge?”

●

Kuro-Take: “The Azuchi will depart an hour from now. We will travel north and engage in a joint history recreation of the Battle of Shizugatake with the Shibata Team waiting on the Hokuriku border. Let’s see, if that ends early, we will rush back to Honnouji, but we will need to play that part by ear.”

Takenaka had moved to the Azuchi’s dining hall and she sighed as she spoke.

…I finally got it all worked out.

This one was rough. Why was it so rough? Because I understand everyone’s point of view on this one. But I’m sorry to say I’m super fragile mentally. Oh, but I believe taking the most damage here will lead to the biggest return later on. And in that case…

…It all comes down to Shizugatake.

This was clearly a high damage decision as far as the world was concerned, but she was more afraid of the damage they would take if she chose Honnouji instead. “High” might not even begin to cover it then.

“There’s no turning back now. If we all fought and lost to Musashi, then it would all be over.”

Battling the Shibata Team was a risk as well – and in a way, it was more dangerous – but Musashi was Musashi.

If they fought Musashi and lost, they would have nothing left.

But if they fought the Shibata Team, it would be a land battle. In the worst case, they might lose a few of the Ten Spears, but the Azuchi would be safe.

…And we could absorb the Shibata Team to gain authority in P.A. Oda and then put Kani-kun and the rest of the 1st years to work.

It wasn’t a pleasant thought, but she had to remain cool-headed.

Kuro-Take: “Hashiba-kun. You will be participating in the Honnouji Incident with Mitsunari-kun. Will you be alright?”

Monkey Girl: “Um, yes! I contacted Ranmaru-sama earlier and she told me to arrive by the back entrance.”

Her role is a highly unique one, thought Takenaka. Some parts couldn’t go ahead without her there. And in that sense…

Nari Nari Nari: “Th-then if you will excuse me. I would love to help you at Shizugatake, but I am busy with Kyou and Honnouji right now, so I will leave Takenaka-sama in command.”

Mitsunari bowed on a lernen figur that appeared in the dining hall.

She sounded nervous, but even a data entity would be when assisting her own creator. Meanwhile, Takenaka spread some almond cream on the honey toast brought out to her.

Kuro-Take: “You don’t have to worry about us. By the way, is everything alright in Kyou?”

Nari Nari Nari: “Yes, well, I have determined it mostly came down to handing out boxed desserts, but I have noticed some suspicious movements among the people of the city. I believe we need to be cautious even after the Honnouji Incident.”

Mitsunari’s opinion was as well thought out as ever.

She’s good at her job, thought Takenaka, but that was probably because Hashiba had trained her well.

Kuro-Take: “Then can I leave Honnouji in your capable hands? It looks like quite a few reinforcements are on their way, so good luck. I’m sure Musashi will be paying you a visit, but that isn’t a problem as long as you defeat them and ensure the Genesis Project can continue.”

Nari Nari Nari: “Testament. The Genesis Project is not a simple thing, so I will do my utmost to ensure it is completed tonight.”

I see, thought Takenaka with a nod.

She glimpsed some people at the dining hall’s entrance. They probably wanted to get a proper meal before the Azuchi’s departure, so Takenaka beckoned them in and got to work on her own food.

The almond cream on the honey toast brought a salty flavor to her tongue.

We probably won’t have a chance to eat anything like this for a while, she thought.

And I bet the Musashi is just as hectic right now.

Chapter 12: Up-and-Downer of the Observation Cell[edit]

Rise, rise

To ecstasy

Drop, drop

Before me

Point Allocation (Waiting for a Kiss)

●

“Mom, sorry I’m in such a hurry.”

Masazumi let the wind wash over her with an earthy aroma.

She was in the elevated graveyard on Okutama. The wind smelled of sand because of the collapse in Kyou below. Crossunite had said all the damage to the crust had sent dirt and dust into the air like volcanic ash. He had said it would have accumulated on the surface areas of Musashi by tomorrow.

…And I came here because that worried me.

She was cleaning off her mother’s grave as if dusting it. She also removed the weeds she recognized as such.

She felt bad doing such a rush job, but she was already running late for the Mukai bathhouse.

After the meeting on Tama and after Asama had distributed compressed sleep spells to everyone, the Date Vice Chancellor had commented that organizing so many people sounded like a pain, so everyone had split into two groups: one going to the bathhouse and one returning to their respective homes.

Horizon had said she wanted to sing at least one song, so that group had stayed with them. The idiot had rung the bell so much one of the remaining surface residents had called the guards, but Asama had taken care of everything.

Then that group had gone to the Main Blue Thunder while Masazumi came here to get a break from it all.

“We removed a lot, huh?”

Most of the blocks had been removed from the base hulls, including the residential, commercial, and business blocks. Looking aft from here, the nature district, the Asama Shrine, and the park looked like they were floating in something like a cup, which was strange to see. The Asama Shrine had been prepared to be purged using dedicated towing belts so that it could be removed at any time, so was it really safe as a meeting point later on?

…We really are preparing for battle, aren’t we?

Masazumi saw a few automatons jogging along the edge of the open hole to measure the size of the hole. They had said they would be covering it with a defense spell, so this was probably preparing for that.

She was most surprised to see the gantry cranes and derrick cranes – practically the symbols of the 1st and 3rd port and starboard ships – being folded up.

First the 3rd ships were positioned alongside the 1st ships and the gantry cranes were lifted and laid on their sides using the derrick cranes and transport ships. Then the derrick cranes laid each other on their sides. The final remaining derrick crane was lifted and laid on its side by a transport ship, but then they were all linked with towing belts and used as a midair pathway across the open hole in the ship. This use case had likely been built into the design.

“Neshinbara’s novel said the derrick cranes could be launched as shells, but that must not be true.”

But was he aware it wasn’t true? That group would be preparing for sleep at the Mukai bathhouse right now, but…

“Will they actually be able to get to sleep? We can’t have them going into battle sleep deprived.”

●

Tenzou let the wind wash over him in front of the Mukai bathhouse.

The long black plaza had lost its shape. The floor was sitting open in preparation for transport. Supplies and dismantled underground wide blocks were occasionally placed on lifts that carried them up before returning.

It all worked well, so even the wide blocks were split into four pieces and loaded vertically on the lifts. Transport ship attachment pallets were placed below the lifts to allow a transport ship to carry them away as soon as they reached the surface.

Tenzou had helped transport pieces of underground wide blocks in a few of his part-time jobs and the method had been taught in a ninja chain of command class he had taken. But he was impressed by the system set up for doing the same across all the ships.

There’s no one around, he noticed.

He could hear the sounds of construction and feel the tremors. It reminded him of when the Musashi was being modified in the Ariake.

“But this place is always full of life.”

It was fortunate the bathhouse was still here and remained functional.

The bathhouse group – those whose homes had already been transported away – were within the soundproofed walls of the bathhouse. The Suzu’s Bath bathhouse was located toward the bow of Okutama. It helped that its long block functioned as a major transport route, but a lot of activity traveled through the bow, meaning it would be removed toward the end of the process.

They had time to sleep here. Or in other words, they would have to leave once this section was removed.

…This battle is going to be a big one.

Tenzou sighed while his mind wandered.

Everyone was already asleep inside. Neshinbara had insisted he needed to watch the dismantling of the Musashi because it would make for great reference material, but he had fallen asleep the instant he lay down in his futon. The exhaustion of the day’s battle and the satisfaction of the curry must have hit him all at once.

Tenzou had come out here to guard the others while they slept, but really his thoughts were too scattered.

He couldn’t get to sleep. That seemed a bad sign since self-management was crucial for a ninja, but…

“Worrying too much to sleep before a major battle makes me sound like the main character of a story!”

“Oh? Trouble sleeping, Master Tenzou?”

Mary’s voice from behind without warning brought a slight squeezing to his heart. In a bad way.

●

“Oh!? Huh!? Mary-dono!?”

He was seated on the edge of the hole in the plaza, wearing his jacket over his sleepwear.

Mary had her blanket wrapped over her sleepwear. She had expected it to be hot even though summer was over, but it was unexpectedly chilly, maybe because the base hulls were being removed across all the ships. A wind smelling of metal and wood blew up from the bottom of the pit and she could tell the wind spirits were having a busy night.

“You couldn’t sleep either, Master Tenzou?”

“Well, I also have to keep everyone safe. It’s my job.”

That wasn’t quite what she had asked, but she knew what he meant.

That pleased her. Back when she lived in England, this level of understanding had been a rarity when she spoke with the people of Oxford or the name inheritors.

They had been able to hold a sensible conversation, but that didn’t mean they actually understood each other.

On Musashi, it was the opposite. There were times when the conversations were far from sensible, but they still resulted in a real understanding. It could be disconcerting, but it still pleased her. The way one of them would be talking about chest size and the other would be talking about national power yet they ultimately concluded that ‘if a god can’t do it, no one can’ almost seemed like some kind of performance art, but it was entertaining to watch.

That was something that had never happened in England.

Or maybe it did happen in England, just not along the path she had chosen.

That she had come to Musashi in the end told her that the path she had chosen in England simply hadn’t been possible for her to follow.

…I used to be far too stubborn with myself.

Lately, she had learned to give in but in a good way.

“Master Tenzou,” she tried saying. “I hope things can stay like this forever.”

●

Tenzou could sense that he had successfully brought his future wife this far.

He nodded on the inside and felt a desire to touch Mary. Not in a perverted way, though. How should I put it? I want to use my actions to show her that I feel the same way.

So he decided to place his arm around her shoulder to show her how important they were to each other.

But suddenly…

…Hm?

Did “stay like this” mean she didn’t want any kind of change whatsoever?

If so, he felt he shouldn’t do anything to disturb her quiet thoughts.

“…”

He froze and then sensed movement next to him.

Mary had scooted over to sit right next to him. She was so close he could feel her warmth even though they weren’t touching. Which told him…

…It’s alright! Go ahead and do it!

Fortunately, there was no one else around, so no one would post about it on the divine network if he placed his arm around her shoulder.

So he decided to do so…and did.

…Oh.

She didn’t lean into him, but he felt her firmly at his side. He felt her heat in his arm and he supported her back while pulling her closer.

“Ah…”

She expressed minor surprise but did not resist.

…That’s right.

Holding her like this must have been something she thought he might do but didn’t have to do. So she was a bit surprised he actually had, but she wasn’t opposed to it. That meant she had accepted it even if it wasn’t quite what she had expected.

He had hesitated over whether he should do it or not, but Mary had made up her own mind over whether or not she would accept it and she had chosen to trust him.

Tenzou felt his hesitation was a good sign because it meant he hadn’t done this carelessly.

But he knew going any further would be a bad idea. So…

“Mary-dono?”

“Judge. What is it?”

When she turned her blue eyes toward him, he was honestly unsure what he should say next. But…

“Do you like things the way they are?”

He decided to voice the doubt in his mind. And…

“Do you not?”

That question made him think of the idiot, the landlord, and the tenants (figuratively speaking for the second two). If what they had said during dinner was true, the Main Blue Thunder was sure to be full of excitement because something new was happening there.

Tonight’s battle really was going to be a big one. It involved the Genesis Project, so the stakes were high. So…

…Would we have been doing the same if our house hadn’t been purged?

He briefly imagined it. And…

“––––––”

Wait, wait, wait. I can’t imagine that with my arm around her. I need to focus on reality right now. Yes.

…But I would like to do that eventually.

After that mental correction, he spoke to Mary.

“There are some things I would like to change.”

“Like what?”

He saw no concern in her tilted head. Her face showed the anticipation of learning what he was thinking.

She really trusts me, huh? he thought, but he had worked hard to be someone she could trust. So…

“After we win the Honnouji Incident…let’s go house hunting.”

●

Mary gasped at Tenzou’s response.

This had surprised her through and through. Because she had been thinking the same thing.

…Yes.

It pleased her so much they could understand each other without speaking a word.

She basked in that feeling until ether flowers started scattering from her hair.

“I had been planning to wait until we had more money saved up, but we can get Asama-dono to arrange a good installment plan for us.”

So…

“I thought we could stroll around the Musashi and take a look at what’s available, even if only for fun. If it goes well, we might even find a decent surface house.”

“Judge. That sounds wonderful. A place close to the academy would be nice. Oh, and close to the market.”

She felt like she was getting ahead of herself, but the words just spilled out.

“What do you think, Mary-dono?” he said.

“J-judge!”

She fully agreed with this plan, so she gave part of her own plan.

“A-and I want at least two children!”

●

Naruze held her palm back toward the others, telling them to stay put.

“Now this is getting interesting. I’m so glad we feigned sleep to see what happened.”

“Wow. Mary-san is blunt,” said Adele.

“And wasn’t that a bit of a non sequitur on Ma-yan’s part?” asked Margot.

“That’s something royals have to think about,” said the Date Vice Chancellor.

If that was true, it would make Naruze’s storyboards a lot easier to write. It let her skip a lot of setup. But…

Asama: “Um, Naruze, I feel like we’re violating their privacy.”

Art-Ga: “There is no expectation of privacy when you flirt in a public plaza.”

Silver Wolf: “I seem to recall receiving no privacy when I was in my mother’s private home.”

That doesn’t count because the homeowner is on my side.

Vice President: “Hey, why are you stopping me at the stairs leading down to your long block? What do you expect me to do, sleep here?”

Wise Sister: “Oh, you insensitive girl. Now, how is Tenzou handling this?”

It looked like the ninja had frozen. But…

Asama: “He’s fine. The night before our training camp, I told him to always listen to what Mary tells him.”

Art-Ga: “If only you could be so proactive concerning your own relationship.”

And not just to help Naruze’s storyboards. Maybe now wasn’t the best time to say it, but…

Art-Ga: “It was only pure luck that idiot noticed your feelings when you spent all your time cheering him on and helping him chase after Horizon, so keep in mind that being timid is only going to hurt your chances. …Your chances of giving me more material.”

Silver Wolf: “Y-you could have omitted that last part!”

That must mean Mitotsudaira agreed up to that point.

“The ‘I’m happy as long as he is, so I can live with this’ trope is really unpopular, you know?”

Naruze was especially sensitive to it because she had said something similar once and received the kind of lecture that sticks with you for life.

But the Main Blue Thunder group had to be busy right now. If so…

“C’mon, Tenzou. Give me some good material.”

●

…At least two!?

For the first instant, Tenzou started calculating out how much money he would have to earn to support a family of that size, but now was not the time for such realistic concerns. Their house hunting was a “dream” in much the same way. So…

“If we had twins, would they grow up to be like you and Elizabeth-dono?”

He honestly felt like he would be in for a rough time if they had a kid who grew up to be like the Fairy Queen. But…

“They might grow up to be like you and me,” said Mary.

For the first instant, he imagined a girl who grew up to be like him.

…I would feel so bad for her…

He felt like he would have to teach her to take her hat off sometimes, but what would he do if she pointed out that he never removed his?

…Could I tell her my hat is a part of my body?

Then he could tell his daughter that her hat was not a part of her body and he knew because she hadn’t been wearing it when she was born. And he could get his parents to tell her he had been born with his hat on. Yes, that’s perfect.

“That too would make for a lively family.”

●

Flat Vassal: “I would feel sorry for a girl who took after him.”

Gold Mar: “Would she worship busty blondes too?”

Art-Ga: “Male or female ones? If female, she could find what she’s into at home.”

10ZO: “I-I took a peek because I was curious and I’m not sure why I expected any better out of you!”

●

Anyway, thought Tenzou.

…This means Mary-dono is not opposed to doing that kind of “joint work” with me.

Of course, she must have been prepared, or at least understood it would happen eventually, when she decided to be with him. And he wanted to do more than just adore her from afar, so…

“How should I put it?”

I keep learning new things about her, he thought as he put it to words.

“By being together, we create new connections between us, don’t we?”

“Well…”

“Oh, but it is possible our kids might hate one of their parents – and that would almost certainly be their father, but, um.”

Unturning: “Hurry it up. I want to get to sleep.”

…Then go to sleep!!

He knew that thought wouldn’t help, so he focused on what he was saying.

“Our relationship will create a new relationship that only we could have made.”

When he said that, Mary looked at him.

Her face gradually grew more red.

“Um, did I say something indecent?” she asked.

“No, what you said made me happy.”

“Happy?”

“Judge,” he replied. “To sum it up, this all started back when I fell in love with you.”

“O-oh, um, but…”

…Did I say the wrong thing!?

Tenzou briefly felt a cold sweat, but then Mary said more.

“I think I fell in love with you before you did with me.”

●

The 4th Special Duty Officer had been leaning out from the bathhouse’s entrance, but now Adele saw her turn around.

She had her lips pressed together on an otherwise blank face and she made a waterfall gesture.

“A cascade of sugar.”

“Tenzou and Ma-yan are incredible when they start these happiness competitions.”

“They certainly are,” said the Date Vice Chancellor, but Adele tilted her head.

“You find this amusing too?”

“A-Adele…you shouldn’t…call it…amusing?”

“Was that a question?” said the 6th Special Duty Officer, but that aside, the Date Vice Chancellor looked up at the ceiling before answering Adele.

“Their lives are so different I can’t apply any of it to my life.”

“Yeah, but listening to the romances of attractive people on the divine radio dramas is entertaining because it’s so far removed from your own life.”

Vice President: “By the way, I’m still sitting up here on the stairs. I haven’t even taken a bath yet.”

Bell: “Oh…s-sorry. I already shut off…the boiler.”

Tachibana Wife: “The bathwater is still there, so you should be fine.”

Vice President: “Hm, but I won’t be able to use the shower.”

Gold Mar: “So, Seijun, is it just me or do you care more about your bath than Ma-yan and Tenzou?”

Vice President: “I care about them a lot. They are classmates, after all. I just hope they don’t cause any international incidents.”

Girls: “That’s a lot of pressure!”

“Anyway,” continued Adele with a sigh. There was only one thing she could say right now. “Mary-san is making the most of her time before the battle, isn’t she?”

●

Tenzou listened to Mary.

“You see, I already had feelings for you before we worked to pull the swords out of the graveyard.”

“Really?”

“Judge.” Mary nodded. “You protected me from a piece of that transport ship, remember? And I mistook your intentions there.”

“You mentioned that in the bath.”

…That she got in the bath with me because she had feelings for me shows just how direct she can be.

But that is a very Mary thing to do, he added. And on that note…

“It probably would have changed history had I kissed you in front of the Tower of London.”

“Hee hee. Especially because your religion would have required you to confirm the size of my chest.”

If he had done that in front of her family, he was certain he would have been publicly executed.

…Elizabeth-dono clearly loves Mary-dono a looooooooooooooooooooooot.

He stretched that word out, but he felt like he needed to stretch it out five times as long to be accurate. That aside…

“Mary-dono.”

He looked to her, preparing to tell her it was time to get to sleep.

“–––––––”

She turned toward him with eyes shut and chin somewhat raised.

●

…Does she want me to kiss her!?

Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss. He tried stretching the word out in his mind and it seemed about right, but he still didn’t understand what was happening. But when he thought about it…

…Oh! Because of what I said about the Tower of London!

This is her way of being thoughtful, so I need to respond in kind.

“–––––––”

But the angle was bad. Not the angle of her raised chin. Their position was fully visible from the bathhouse’s entrance.

Should he use his “sitting position shift” ninjutsu to adjust her position? But then she might notice the change after the kiss. But…

…If I kiss her like this, there will definitely be a doujinshi about this released after Honnouji.

If he was unlucky, it could come out during Honnouji and he could be stabbed in the back.

…What do I do?

No, I can worry about all that later, he decided. So…

“Hey, look grampa! Check it out!”

Hiro and Taizou arrived from below, riding a lift carrying a dismantled wide block. On the surprisingly fast-moving lift, Taizou pulled Hiro behind him.

“Pretend you didn’t see it, Hiro. …What is that boy thinking doing that here?”

…I thought he was on my side, but I guess not!!

But the timing was still convenient. Mary started to open her eyes from the wind caused by the passing lift. And she seemed to realize other people could see them here.

“U-um, Master Tenzou.”

Before she could say anything, Tenzou grabbed her shoulders, spun her around a little and pulled her in front of him. He didn’t have her sit on his lap, but he held her a bit like a princess carry, hiding her from their classmates behind him.

“Mary-dono, this is what I wanted to do in front of the Tower of London.”

How long should I stretch this out?

●

Adele saw the 4th Special Duty Officer stand up and walk to the center of the bedroom constructed in the bathhouse changing room. She then struck the floor with her hands.

“He isn’t even letting us see!? Does he have any idea how long I stayed up for this!?”

“Oh, wow. There’s a huge shower of flowers out front, Ga-chan. Don’t you want to see?”

“Keep track of how much flowering she does for me, Margot.”

The Non-Fallen Angel rolled onto her side without pulling a blanket over her and kicked her legs in her pajamas. Then she went through a few breaststroke motions.

“Now what book should I draw for the event coming up after Honnouji?

“You don’t have any other material?”

“No, I have too much. This post summer break period has been a goldmine.”

Still on her side, she held her hand up in the air and opened several Magie Figurs.

“If we win at Honnouji, then we’re the big winners. There’s bound to be a festival. This will be a turning point for the world, but it will be for Musashi too. The event is going to be a big one, so I want one book I know will be a hit, but I need a second book too.”

“And you had been planning to use the 1st Special Duty Officer for that one?”

“Judge. But how things are going there, people aren’t going to buy those two would just start doing it because ‘it’s the night before the big battle’. It would be more convincing to have them house hunting after Honnouji, find a room they like, and start doing it in there to ‘test it out’ before making a decision.”

“If they could do that, they wouldn’t be making such a big deal about one little kiss.”

The 4th Special Duty Officer made a gesture with her wrist to say “that’s a separate issue”. “Hmm,” she groaned.

Art-Ga: “Asama, Mitotsudaira.”

Silver Wolf: “Yes?”

Art-Ga: “Do you want me to draw you?”

Asama: “Why would you ask us directly!?”

“Good point,” she said, laughing out loud, so her indecision had to be pretty bad. But Adele did have one question.

“What is it you know will be a hit?”

“Judge. The second book might end up being similar…but the Chancellor and Horizon.”

“Wow,” said Suzu, her shoulders shaking. And while Adele was pretty sure she had seen a few doujinshis about that already…

“What scenario will you be using?”

“Judge. Just about anything should work with them. The only problem is the reality with those two might go beyond my wildest imagination, so I need to be careful of that. Heh heh heh. I need to draw on all my ability as a writer to make this book worthy of the big victory celebration.”

In other words…

“That event is going to be a competition to see who can produce the best art and composition for something entirely unnecessary.”

Chapter 13: Evacuees in the Bath[edit]

We’re here!

We are here

That we are

Point Allocation (Prepared for a Long Battle)

●

Asama was in the bath wearing her sleepwear.

The white tub was full of water and her current job was regulating the temperature. But…

“I’m still not used to this.

The bath temperature management setting was kind of tricky, maybe because the tub was poorly insulated.

…Our bath is built better, so you can trust that what you set it to is the actual temperature.

At her family home, the Asama Shrine, the spring out back acted as the bath. It was fairly large, but it had a roof that still gave a view of the sky, which made it feel more spacious.

There was a spell to prevent anyone outside from peeping in, but that wasn’t a perfect defense because Kimi would sometimes drop in from the sky above.

Meanwhile, the Main Blue Thunder’s bath was an enclosed space, although it did have a window.

Between the open air one and the enclosed one, temperature management was easier in the former, which showed just how specialized the Asama Shrine’s facilities were.

But this was her home now. She opened a sign frame and made sure the heat in the room wasn’t leaking out anywhere.

“Let’s see…what about the window?”

The glass was made to be transparent only from within. Compared to the open air bath at her family home, this one only provided enough of a view to tell whether it was day or night, but she was surprised to find how little heat was escaping there.

…That means it must be the tub that’s poorly insulated.

If she was going to add any insulating material, it had to be to the tub itself.

But she couldn’t add that to the current tub and a new tub with more insulation would have to be bigger, which would mean remodeling the entire room.

That wouldn’t be an option. Because…

…I don’t know if it was Kimi or Toori-kun’s request, but they wanted a bath they can lie in and stretch out their legs.

She vaguely recalled a different tub in here when she spent the night in the past. She remembered it being narrower and so short that your feet would reach the side when you sat with your back against the other side.

“I bet it was Kimi who asked for a bigger one.”

Naomasa had done a near-perfect remodeling job. There were no leaks and the inclination was just enough for drainage but not enough to be noticeable.

The shower area felt so large because, as big as the tub was, it had thin sides. It seemed to be built to be used more by feel than strict management. So this bath ended up providing…

…Something other than spaciousness.

“Hmm.”

Asama felt silly talking in the bath, but she kept finding these little discoveries upon returning here after so long.

But why exactly was she adjusting the bath temperature?

Silver Wolf: “Tomo, are you still working on it?”

Asama: “Eh? Are they…already done?”

Silver Wolf: “Certainly not! He still doesn’t know what to do with himself!”

Oh, that makes sense, thought Asama with a thoughtful nod. After all…

“So Horizon and Toori-kun still haven’t entered their room.”

That was why Asama was preparing the bath.

●

Asama mentally held her head. When they were preparing to return to the Main Blue Thunder, she and Mitotsudaira had thoughtfully tried to go to the Asama Shrine or Suzu’s Bath instead. But…

“Asama-sama! Mitotsudaira-sama! If we run into any trouble, dealing with it would be a pain and a half, so can you handle it for me?”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait! What are you asking us to do!?”

Asama had tried to refuse, but the next thing she knew, the arms were tugging on her and Mitotsudaira’s skirts and he…

“Also, I won’t know what to do with myself while we’re preparing.”

So they had resigned themselves to continuing home with those two.

Asama couldn’t believe her life had come to this, but she had also been prepared for just about anything when she decided to share her life with him.

…That doesn’t mean I expected him to ask this of me, though.

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. You’re like the secretary who looks after the protagonist’s home and supports him while he’s off flirting with his love interest.”

Asama: “I don’t expect a spot by his side from dedication alone.”

Asama made sure to argue back, but Kimi said “that’s right” with a smile. Or Asama imagined she was smiling anyway. And…

Wise Sister: “Dedication isn’t enough. You need him to rely on you too.”

Asama: “I feel like this is giving me more to do, both actively and passively.”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. But if you run into trouble, you’ll rely on him too, won’t you? I feel like it only goes in that direction about 3% of the time, but that it’s an option makes all the difference. …And I’m sure you’re only here because my foolish brother told you all this already.”

Asama: “Oh…”

Kimi was right. Leave it to her to understand everything. But…

Wise Sister: “You don’t have to answer that. That’s a secret for you and him. Just like Horizon, Mitotsudaira, and I all have our own secrets with him. So…”

So…

Wise Sister: “A lukewarm bath is probably good enough.”

Asama: “Y-you just couldn’t think of a good ending line, could you!?”

Kimi never changed. But…

…What’s the temperature like now?

Asama put the cover over the tub, but she wasn’t sure how much insulation that provided. While pondering that…

Asama: “So what should we do now?”

Silver Wolf: “About what?”

Asama: “Well, Toori-kun and Horizon told us to ‘do our normal thing’ while they’re, uh, flirting and I made sure the soundproofing spell was set up right earlier, but should we take our baths first?”

She had to think about it. Because…

Asama: “If this was you and Toori-kun, there would be a lot of sniffing and licking going on, so you would want freshly purified bathwater that no one else had used, right?”

Silver Wolf: “Do you have to use me as an example!?”

Asama: “But I’m having trouble imagining how this is going to go with Horizon and Toori-kun. Well, other than that it’s going to be a disaster.”

But if she considered the current situation…

“Let’s see. They both took a shower before, didn’t they?”

After they got home, he went first and Horizon second. Afterwards, he had asked Asama to prepare the bath and…

“Just in case, I need to password-protect my PC.”

His expression had been deadly serious, but she was pretty sure he was only joking. But since he had gone into his room and tidied some things, he must have had some concerns. Asama had cast sound proofing spells on Horizon’s room and his room to ensure no sound could get out.

She was most afraid they would start giving live commentary as a bit, so she had forcibly established a spell field that prevented any divine transmissions from getting out even if they tried something.

…But I still can’t even begin to predict what they’ll do.

So just in case, she had set up a single sign frame they could use to contact the outside world in an emergency. Like a nurse call button or a mayday button. When Kimi had seen her doing all that…

“What are you, a professional?”

“Th-the Asama Shrine handles weddings and births, so we can provide all the necessary facilities.”

…That’s right.

She was curious enough to look it up and found a permanent service called the Burning Spell Field Set (“Keep your love burning strong!”). It did decent numbers, so it must have had its fans. The name reminded Asama of the story in the Kojiki where Sakuya, angry at an accusation of infidelity, set the room on fire and gave birth inside the burning room, but if you did that with both people present, it would feel a lot like the woman was telling the man there was no escape.

“Hmm.”

Asama thought some more about the bath order issue.

Asama: “Mito? Would you prefer the bath smells like Toori-kun?”

Silver Wolf: “Wh-why would you ask me that!?”

Asama: “Well, it’s just that it definitely will if you take your bath after those two do.”

Wise Sister: “Can’t you two bathe first and then refill the bath?”

Asama: “Hmm. Whenever I did that at my family home, it felt like I was wasting so much water.”

Wise Sister: “I can see why given how much water the Asama Shrine’s spring holds. Fine, can you convince yourself to do it if I tell you I want to do it that way?”

Asama: “Kimi?”

Kimi asked “what?”, so Asama sighed and answered.

Asama: “Is this you being thoughtful…or dedicated to him in your own way?”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. I don’t need to be when he already relies on my like you wouldn’t believe.”

Never change, Kimi, was all Asama could think about that. She really was the perfect person for that. She was someone here who could act on ideas that would never even occur to Asama. That was the point of their “battle formation” and why she was here too. So…

Asama: “Then I’m going to take my bath now. Is that alright?”

Silver Wolf: “H-hold on! You’re just going to leave me out here!?”

Asama: “Just out of curiosity, what are things like out there right now?”

Silver Wolf: “We are in the dining room playing Bushido Brake, a fighting game my king brought out for us. When your Mood Gauge fills up, your character automatically tries to commit hara-kiri, so you have to apply the brakes and use one of your Raid Arts, which is a real pain.”

Asama: “Um, I get the feeling Toori-kun and Horizon will run out of time if they keep playing that, so you should probably find a chance to stop soon.”

Silver Wolf: “I-I can’t! Horizon is so good I can’t break through her defenses!”

Asama did a quick search and found a tips site. Oh, the writer uses a bucket avatar. I bet that’s Persona-kun, she noted.

Asama: “Mito! Your →+H-attack is a middle apology attack, so start with that! Oh, and H-attack is apparently pronounced ‘ecchi attack’!”

Silver Wolf: “That’s working well, but I can’t imagine this knowledge will come in handy ever again!”

15 seconds passed.

Silver Wolf: “Tomo! Tomo! I won, but Horizon said, ‘It’s Toori-sama’s turn next’ and refuses to count my win!”

Asama: “Is Toori-kun any good?”

15 seconds passed.

Silver Wolf: “Tomo! Tomo! My king just set a record for three consecutive losses and now he won’t stop glancing my way!”

Asama: “Why not teach him the middle apology attack?”

Silver Wolf: “The thing is, Kimi has taken Horizon’s side now, so they’re both teaming up on my king.”

Asama: “Kimiiiiii!!”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh heh. A real man would keep trying until he achieved a truly victorious win! Bring it on, foolish brother!”

The redundancy of “victorious win” bothered Asama, but she knew better than to try and correct Kimi. Instead, she spent around 2 seconds in thought. And…

Asama: “Mito, you need to say you are his knight and you will fight on your king’s behalf. Oh, this Komon Master character uses a lot of kancho attacks, but I think he’s based on your inherited name, so try using him!”<ref>Komon can refer to the daimyo Mito Komon or the Japanese word for anus<ref>

Silver Wolf: “English honorifics go in front, so shouldn’t that be Master Komon?”

Asama: “No, this tips site’s character description for him says ‘this man has mastered the Komon’, so the name is correct.”

Silver Wolf: “What is that even supposed to mean?”

15 seconds passed.

Silver Wolf: “Tomo! Tomo! Komon Master is really good! My fighting style meshes well with him!”

Asama: “I don’t need regular reports.”

15 seconds passed.

Silver Wolf: “Tomo! Listen! They crowned me as the champion, but now my king wants to play Thief – Lost Youth Edition!”

Asama: “Oh, I’m good at that one, so I’ll play.”

Silver Wolf: “Tomo! This is turning into an ordinary weekend night!”

●

“Now, then,” said Kimi, hands on hips.

She spoke to the three seated in the dining room chairs and facing an enlarged sign frame.

“Heh heh. It’s time to clean all this up. You still want time to sleep, don’t you? And, Mitotsudaira, you need to take a bath. You can join Asama if you like.”

●

Asama: “Kimiiii! Why didn’t you say that sooner!?”

Silver Wolf: “Hey, how is that fair!? You mean I didn’t have to learn any of this pointless knowledge!?”

Gold Mar: “Don’t worry, Mito-tsan. Adele has been living her entire life loaded with tons of that sort of pointless knowledge.”

Flat Vassal: “V-video games are fun! So it isn’t pointless!”

Unturning: “So that’s how you end up accumulating pointless knowledge over a lifetime.”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh heh. To be honest, I’m glad Asama and Mitotsudaira were here to give them this break ahead of time.”

●

Mitotsudaira trudged toward her room, laden with unnecessary exhaustion.

On the way, the right hand appeared on the floor and pointed back behind her.

What is this about? she wondered, looking back to see Horizon with left hand raised.

“Thank you very much, Mitotsudaira-sama. I thought I should improve my kinetic vision and reflexes before such an important battle, so I used you for practice.”

“Oh, I see,” said Mitotsudaira before entering her room. Horizon said one last thing as she did.

“Now, enjoy your bath with Asama-sama. Once we are done, we will take your place in the bath.”

●

Asama saw Mitotsudaira enter the bath wearing a swimsuit.

After sitting on the round wooden stool, she opened a large sign frame and called up an acoustic spell.

“Hold on, Mito. What are you…doing here?”

The wolf turned a glare Asama’s way.

“My king and Horizon will apparently be using the bath after their ‘battle’, so I am keeping watch.”

“Eh?”

“Yes. She said they would take our place in the bath.”

“Eh!? B-but, um, we need time to refill the tub before that.”

“I know. And she assumed the two of us would be taking our bath together.”

Mitotsudaira smiled and Asama pursed her lips.

“But, um, I’m pretty sure I’m going to take a verrrrry long bath, so what if I’m still in here?”

“Heh heh heh. We will be spending our time having a bath party!!”

Someone unnecessary intruded in a swimsuit, but what were they supposed to do about her?

●

Toori thought to himself after entering Horizon’s room space, which had a futon laid out.

…Why does her room feel more manly than mine?

The Logismoi Oplo hung on the wall and there was a light bookshelf and household shrine in the back.

Also, Asama had left an emergency divine transmission sign frame by the window. Knowing Asama, she had thought through a number of scenarios where that would be necessary. It was positioned high enough that you needed to stand up to reach it.

…But what happens if we have an emergency lying down?

“So if we push this button, does it call the others?”

“What’s this, Toori-sama? Hoping to give them all a running commentary?”

He felt an urge to push it and see what happened, but he decided against it because he was pretty sure Asama and Mitotsudaira would come running. Then he took another look around the room.

“So hey. Is this all the stuff you have?”

“Most of my ‘stuff’ is shoved into the storage space behind me. What of it?”

“Oh, that’s right. And that’s a lot more accessible for you. Speaking of, does it have like a weight limit or space limit?”

“I once carelessly forgot to close it before bathing in Suzu-sama’s bathhouse and the bath’s water level dropped significantly, but I believe it could have taken quite a bit more had I let it.”

“What happened to all that water?”

Horizon got down on the futon and lay on her stomach. She then pushed herself up with her elbows.

“I went like this to tilt the storage space and dumped all the water out. That also dumped a lot of tableware and tools into the tub, so I hear it was quite difficult to clean up.”

“Huh,” said Toori. “So you actually have friends and stuff?”

Horizon beckoned him over. Excited at the thought of what this could be, he approached.

“That was rude.”

She hit him with a quick-rotating front suplex.

●

He landed on his head. So even after Horizon let go, the idiot remained balanced on his head, the rest of him extended perfectly straight, for around three seconds.

Finally, he fell toppled toward the window and bounced on the futon.

“Owwww! What did I do to deserve that!? And when did you learn that move!?”

“I happened to have some free time at the same time as Naomasa-sama,” Horizon told the idiot. “Be on your best behavior or I might just demonstrate a forbidden move on you.”

“D-dammit, did you have to jack up the difficulty for the final round!?”

●

Toori wondered what he should do now.

…Can we even do this in the time we have?

Would it be a single 60-minute round? Or what?

But Horizon sighed and sat back down.

“To answer your question, I have more friends than you do, Toori-sama.”

“Wh-why are you turning it into a competition!?”

Meanwhile, Horizon pulled a sign frame flipchart from behind her. It showed an image of Toori chasing a fleeing cat through the surface city and an image of…

“This is me giving the same cat some water when it approached me while I was watering in front of the Blue Thunder. The same incident has happened 21 times in the past two months.”

“So you’re saying the cat rejected me, huh?”

“And this…”

Now the flipchart showed Horizon carrying a Blue Thunder basket through a large underground space. The Representative Committee Head raised a hand in greeting while Horizon walked between rows of desks.

“When I make Blue Thunder deliveries or make regular sales visits to the various committees, I am generally greeted with appreciation and respect. And they know exactly who is hindering their work, so my approval rating only improves each time I hit you. My last sales visit, I sold everything I brought with me and the manager was overjoyed. And I have been working hard at developing new products and at selling water.”

“D-dammit! Just you watch! I’ll start making tons of stuff at the Main Blue Thunder and my popularity will skyrocket!”

“And when I sell it to people, my popularity will rise as well,” said Horizon. “And while I am at it, I will likely have time to discuss my life with you, Kimi-sama, Asama-sama, and Mitotsudaira-sama. By letting people know more about ‘us’, I can help them grow. I will not say what part of them will grow, but let’s just say this is all for Adele-sama. Yes. Anyway, what was I saying? Oh, right. By letting people know more about ‘us’, they can help us, we can help them, and we can all take it easy and live our lives together. We can enjoy the rest of our lives like that. If it were just the two of us, it might end in violence, but with all of ‘us’, I doubt that will happen. So, Toori-sama.”

So…

“Let’s do our best to run the Main Blue Thunder. I have plenty of new projects to try out.”

“Not so fast! Those ‘projects’ are the problem here!”

Horizon stood from her seated position and hit him with a brainbuster.

●

“Huh?”

Asama noticed a sign frame pop up while she was shampooing Kimi’s hair.

It was a divine transmission frame, but who would be trying to contact her at this hour?

…Could it be from dad?

Just as she was turning her head to check, Mitotsudaira (who had been listening to a divine radio drama playing from a wrist sign frame) turned around in a hurry.

“Tomo!”

The wolf used one of her bursts of speed to turn around, so the duckboard below her feet spun around with her.

That rotated Mitotsudaira back around, so Asama couldn’t help but laugh.

“What is it, Mito? You look like a puppy chasing her tail.”

“Th-this is no laughing matter! Look!”

Mitotsudaira held out a sign frame. It was a twin of the one that had appeared next to Asama.

“Umm.”

“This is the emergency divine transmission sign frame you set up in my king and Horizon’s room!”

And why did that matter?

“I can hear their voices coming from it!”

●

Mitotsudaira spoke to the “eh?” look on Asama’s face.

“You set up an emergency divine transmission sign frame, right? I don’t know how, but I think they activated it.”

“Eh? No, wait a second. I placed the frame pretty high up and I made sure the button had to be hit really hard to activate.”

“It would still activate if Horizon hit my king with a brainbuster!”

Asama covered her face with her right hand and held her left hand out toward Mitotsudaira. That likely meant “wait”. But her king’s voice was even now coming from the sign frame.

“Owwww! What was that!? Where’d you learn such a compact attack!?”

She could tell who had the upper hand in there.

●

Toori received the notice that the divine transmission had activated.

“There is a reset button on the side of the sign frame, so press that!” instructed Asama. “But don’t screw this up, okay?”

“Out of curiosity, what happens if I screw it up? Like what if I – hypothetically speaking of course – pressed all the buttons at once?”

“That would activate the emergency mode, which locks the transmission open.”

Toori and Horizon viewed the sign frame. There were three buttons which could be described as “on the side”.

And on closer inspection, Horizon had already pressed all three. Quite firmly.

“Are you kidding me?” he said.

“She said to push the button, so I went gorilla mode and smashed them all at once. Also, I would prefer not to know if this has ‘screwed it up’, but what do you think we should do?”

“Hmm,” he thought a moment before inspiration struck. He clapped his hands and explained.

“Let’s pretend it didn’t happen! We imagined all of this! The rest of you pretend it didn’t happen too!”

He had a feeling this wasn’t much different from giving a running commentary, but maybe it would count as an offering to his entertainer god?

Chapter 14: Couple Facing Each Other at the Rock Door[edit]

The biggest hurdle toward prayer

Isn’t the god

It’s the request itself

Point Allocation (Brainbuster)

●

The girls (who hadn’t actually fallen asleep yet) sat back up in the darkness, wondering what was happening.

First, Naruze pressed her hands together and prostrated toward the sign frame that had appeared at the center of the room.

“The god of doujinshis has rewarded me for my faith.”

Asama: “Oh! Hey, all of you! Due to a mistake – or an unexpected accident really – live commentary of Toori-kun and Horizon’s docking is being broadcasted out, but please just ignore that!”

Art-Ga: “Y-you can’t tell me what to do! This is a gift from my god, so I’ll do with it what I like!”

Asama: “Naruze, stop starting a weird cult. And this means you’re already listening in, doesn’t it!?”

“It does,” cut in Margot, speaking into the sign frame from Asama.

Gold Mar: “So what is this? Did they decide to try exhibitionism there very first time?”

Asama: “No, it was an accident actually, but given how Toori-kun normally acts, I can see why you would think so… I probably do need to caution him later, but since Horizon is there too, I really don’t think that’s what’s happening here. Yes, I trust them, but maybe I shouldn’t trust them so much…”

Unturning: “Are we listening to you change your mind in real time?”

That was such an Asama thing to do. But then Adele tilted her head.

Flat Vassal: “So what is happening here?”

Asama: “Well, Horizon hit Toori-kun with a brainbuster, which started the live commentary, and then Horizon locked the transmission in place.”

Gold Mar: “Yeah, these things happen.”

Tonbokiri: “Horizon-sama’s talents know no bounds!”

Bell: “Eh? Eh? What is…a brainbuster?”

“I know that one.” Adele stood up. “Help me out, 6th Special Duty Officer!”

“Judge. It goes like this, Suzu.”

Naomasa held Adele’s head below her left arm and bent backwards while lifting Adele straight up. The curving path positioned Adele completely upside down. And…

“Then she would drop me onto my head to bust my brain! …Okay, 6th Special Duty Officer, you can let me down now!”

“Sure.”

Naomasa dropped Adele on her head.

“So it is a perfectly vertical drop,” analyzed Gin just before a tremor ran through the floor and Adele bounced off of her head.

“Owwwwwwwwwwwwww!!”

Suzu cried out in surprise and Mary applauded.

“Now I understand. He hit the switch with his feet, didn’t he?”

Naruze wasn’t sure it was quite so understandable, but when Adele got back up…

“Ow ow ow ow! Wh-why would you actually use it on me, 6th Special Duty Officer!?”

“Hm? Wasn’t that the point of the demonstration?”

“Yeah, I had a feeling there was a miscommunication while I was watching you two,” said Margot.

Naomasa was apologizing, but Naruze had everything mostly figured out.

Art-Ga: “Asama, we understand now. So what do we do about it?”

●

Asama considered the question while Mitotsudaira marveled at how that explanation had been sufficient.

She wanted to do something about this from here, but…

“I could erase the spell, but I can’t take control of it or alter it. It was a simple spell, so I didn’t bother including any of those functions.”

Asama sent a few spells to Naruze.

Asama: “Um, Naruze? I just sent you some spells. They’re patches for the opened divine transmission spells, so they will mute the audio. Once the patch is in place, you won’t be able to hear the running commentary, so apply them ASAP.”

●

“Judge,” said Naruze while throwing an immediate chop to shatter the spell sign frame sent over by Asama.

Art-Ga: “Understood. I’ll make sure we can’t hear anything. The rest of you should too, okay?”

The others exchanged a glance before nodding.

Girls: “…Judge!”

Asama: “I’m a little worried you’re not being honest with me, but you must not listen in, okay? I really, truly mean that. You must not. Do you understand me?”

Gold Mar: “Why does that sound like she’s trying to tempt us to do it?”

Meanwhile, the bedroom scene was still in progress.

They could hear the voices.

“Hey, wait! Don’t face me with that threatening stance!”

“Ho ho? Toori-sama, are you unable to talk this out with words?”

What were they doing? Then the door to the bath opened and Masazumi emerged.

“Hm? What are you all doing up? Get to sleep.”

Ugh, fine, grumbled Adele as she cracked her neck, got up with Naomasa, and began to explain.

●

Hm, thought Toori. At least we’re able to communicate.

…And the wrestling moves just spices things up a little.

In that case, he needed to tell her what really mattered.

“Let’s see, what were we talking about before?”

“I believe you were telling me you wanted to eat bugs for dinner tomorrow. You mentioned that cicadas are your favorite.”

“I did not! I’m pretty sure you’d just said your anticipation for having me grope your boobs was at 2000☆%!”

“Haaaack spit!”

“Did you only do the sound cause we’re indoors? That’s a neat trick, Horizon!”

“So what were you saying, Toori-sama?”

“W-well, it was about your boobs.”

“Care to try again?”

“I still think it was about your boobs.”

“Wrong. Try again.”

“Ooh, ooh, ooh!”

He got his late summer night started by beating the futon with his arms and hooting like an ape.

“Sorry, I didn’t expect that to be so much fun!”

“Acceptable. …Seriously though, I believe we were discussing how to run the Main Blue Thunder properly, but thinking about it again, running an entire store ourselves would probably be a lot of work.”

“I-it was a lovely idea, so why would you reject it yourself!?” he asked.

“I am an excellent automaton, known for her self-restraint and balanced outlook on life,” she said. “But I doubt I would be here if I didn’t want something like that.”

“I see,” said Toori. He looked up at the ceiling and took a breath before continuing. “So, what? Do you want to keep having fun the rest of your life, Horizon?”

“Judge. If I spend my life having fun, I will not spend it wallowing in sorrow. I do not know how long that life will be, but if we circle the Far East each year, the time will come that I feel like I have enjoyed each location’s fun several times over. At that point, I doubt I will fear even death.”

“And is today the start of those fun days?”

“No,” said Horizon. “This is not the start.”

●

…This isn’t the start of those fun days?

Toori considered what Horizon had said. And just to be certain…

“You’re not saying the start is yet to come, right?”

“Judge. If that was set in the future, I would not be here now.”

“Then,” he thought while he spoke. “Was it at dinner earlier when we decided we would be doing this?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the night before ImMoral Manga when you all stayed up talking?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day Asama and Nate moved in?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we spoke with the Celestial Dragons and they taught us so much?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we all slept in that tent?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we decided on our current ‘battle formation’?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we began our comeback at Novgorod?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we lost at Mikatagahara?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we finished the Armada battle and arrived at IZUMO?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we discussed this stuff on our date in England?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we ate yakiniku in England and discussed all sorts of things?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we talked like this at Mikawa?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day I failed to accomplish anything at Mikawa?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then,” he thought a bit before asking. “Then was it the day you arrived on the Musashi?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then,” he thought again. “Then was it the day you died on Remorse Way?”

“No, it was not.”

I see, he thought with a nod. I see, I see, he thought with two more nods.

“Then was it the day we had a blast cooking over a campfire or doing our school arts festival in elementary school?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it our first day of elementary school?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day you came to my place so long ago?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we first held hands?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day we first met?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day you first laughed?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day you first cried?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then was it the day you were born?”

“No, it was not.”

“Then, um…I kind of doubt it, but was it the day you were, uh, ‘made’?”

“Must you wiggle around when you say that? And to repeat myself yet again: no, it was not.”

He waved a hand in front of her glaring eyes, but he thought he got it now.

“So we’re parallel.”

●

Asama: “Oh.”

Art-Ga: “This happened before, didn’t it? Under fairly different circumstances.”

Silver Wolf: “Hey! We told you not to listen!”

Scarred: “But it’s such a lovely conversation. And I understand it so very well.”

Vice President: “I feel like we made our comments at this point back at Mikawa too.”

●

“Judge, we are.”

Toori nodded at Horizon’s affirmation.

“Then we can speak from our parallel positions.”

This is so familiar, he thought while he spoke.

“We are parallel. You’re actually saying your fun days are yet to come, right?”

Horizon gave a direct response.

“No, I am not.”

●

Honestly, thought Horizon. He is so persistent. So very persistent.

And he asked another question.

“We are parallel. So the day you were born wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day you first cried wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day you first laughed wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we first held hands wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day you came to my place so long ago wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So our first day of elementary school wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we had a blast cooking over a campfire or doing our school arts festival in elementary school wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“I see,” said. He must have come to understand a number of things. He took a breath before continuing.

“We are parallel. So the day you died on Remorse Way wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

She already knew when her fun days had started, but it was a day not present in her memory. And…

“We are parallel. So the day you arrived on the Musashi wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day I failed to accomplish anything at Mikawa wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we talked like this at Mikawa wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we ate yakiniku in England and discussed all sorts of things wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we discussed this stuff on our date in England wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we finished the Armada battle and arrived at IZUMO wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we lost at Mikatagahara wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we began our comeback at Novgorod wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we decided on our current ‘battle formation’ wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we all slept in that tent wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day we spoke with the Celestial Dragons and they taught us so much wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the day Asama and Nate moved in wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So the night before ImMoral Manga when you all stayed up talking wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“We are parallel. So dinner earlier when we decided we would be doing this wasn’t any fun?”

“That is incorrect.”

“Then,” he said. “We are parallel. You won’t ever have any fun in the future either?”

“That is incorrect.”

“In that case,” he said. “Are you saying none of it was fun and all of it was fun?”

“You already know that, don’t you, Toori-sama?” she said. “Those times were difficult, sorrowful, angering, and full of unknowns, but now that time has passed and I look back on them, I can accept some of it, but I wouldn’t be where I am now without those times, so even if I couldn’t forgive what happened at the time, I now know what I gained from it and I cannot bring myself to reject the happiness I found there. And I am sure the same will continue to happen in the future.”

So…

“As an observer, every last bit of it can be separated from the facts of the time and instead viewed as ‘part of what led me to happiness’.

“Of course,” she added. “This is all predicated on the fact that I am happy now. But this is…”

“A borderline?”

“Judge.” She nodded. “Because I have a future, I can accept both the sad things and the fun things.”

So…

“I want to accept the sad things while viewing them through the lens of the fun things.”

Chapter 15: Up Close Explorers[edit]

What matters

Is being honest

And finding honesty

Point Allocation (Extremely Difficult)

●

Oh, now’s my chance, thought Toori.

…It’s now or never.

“Hey, Horizon? I-”

He stood up.

At that precise moment, something shoved forward on his butt. It felt like a pair of hands.

He didn’t even need to think about it. He knew it was the arms. But he still lost his balance and ended up placing his own arms around Horizon.

“Oh, dear. And here I thought we were having a nice discussion, but I see you haven’t changed at all.”

Horizon had removed her arms, so her sleepwear had slipped down while he held her.

●

Ohh, silently gasped Toori. They were so close their knees bumped together. And…

…They’re bare!

Finally! Then again, I feel like I’ve only just arrived at the foot of the mountain. I’m still a long way from the peak. So calm down, me. But if the scenery is nice at the foot, you’ll still snap a picture of those mountains, right!? Uh, I mean that mountain.

“Toori-sama, why are you zooming in so far?”

“Well, you know. They already have a dedicated section in my mental photo gallery from occasionally peeping on you at the bathhouse or catching a glimpse when you aren’t wearing as much. Oh, but I’m not as bad as Tenzou.”

●

10ZO: “I-is he incapable of doing anything without insulting other people!?”

Silver Wolf: “Y-you boys are listening in too!?”

Novice: “Yes. I thought it was wrong and tried to erase the sign frame, but I ended up increasing the volume instead. Asama-kun, how do I fix that?”

Asama: “You voided the warranty by messing with it, so you’re on your own.”

●

Not that Tenzou matters right now, thought Toori.

What mattered was right there in front of him. Yes, those boobs. Those glorious boobs.

But when he tried to say something, Horizon held a hand out to stop him.

“Toori-sama. Why are you hanging your head? Are you alright?”

“No, wait! Wait! Your first close-up boob staring is something you only get to do once in your life! I need to burn this image into my retinas, so…”

She slapped him from both sides at once.

“Owwww! What was that!? A slap designed to keep the impact from leaving my head!?”

“You are zooming in too far. And what is so great about chests? Boys have them too.”

“Huh!? A girl’s chest is nothing like a boy’s! They’re bigger and they, y’know, are pulled down by gravity! Well, some aren’t.”

She both-sides slapped him again and he found her glaring at him afterwards.

“Toori-sama, do not insult Adele-sama like that.”

“Huh!? So does Nate not count!?”

“Judge.” Horizon nodded. “Mitotsudaira-sama has her sniffing fetish, so she can get along just fine without boobs.”

●

Silver Wolf: “I-in my defense, they have gotten a little bigger recently!”

Flat Vassal: “Since I was named during such an important event, should I assume I’m quickly becoming so famous I can influence world events!?”

Asama: “Kimi, when you roll with laughter in the tub, all the water spills out.”

●

Toori watched as Horizon stripped off her sleepwear. She did it like it was nothing at all.

…Oh.

She was naked now. He had seen her in a swimsuit before, but there was nothing to cover her this time. She’s on the skinnier side, isn’t she? he noticed, but she had meat where it mattered. Maybe that was just how it worked with automaton bodies.

She’s beautiful, he thought before she spoke up.

“Now, Toori-sama, this part here best demonstrates what a freak my horrible father was when he designed me.”

“Nooooooooooooooooooooo! Don’t ruin my dreams!”

“In a way, isn’t everyone’s body designed by their parents? My father just happened to be a bit more thorough. I believe that may be the same reason Mitotsudaira-sama takes after her father.”

●

Silver Wolf: “T-twice in a row!? I get targeted twice in a row!? No, this just shows how deeply my king and Horizon support me, so it’s a good thing really!”

Flat Vassal: “Dang! Why does this feel like a defeat!? It feels like…how should I explain it!? Like the opposing team committed a foul and I missed the penalty kick!”

Asama: “I feel like they’ve been implicitly talking about me too…”

Wise Sister: “Heh heh. Their discussion does assume the existence of girls who do have such things.”

●

“Anyway.”

“Hey, could you not sit cross-legged in the nude? Isn’t there a sexier way you could sit?” asked Toori.

Horizon tilted her head.

“Why must I act sexy for you?”

“Um, from a strictly logical perspective, we can’t exactly do the deed if I can’t get my physical hardness up.”

“Very true.” Horizon dropped her fist into her other palm. And, “Then I grant you permission to massage my boobs after you appreciate them visually.”

“I still need permission for that at this point?”

“It would be a crime if you massaged them without permission. Although Asama-sama would likely just let you do it even if you didn’t ask.”

●

Wise Sister: “And there’s your mention! Not so implicit now, huh!? I bet it would go something like this: ‘Ahn, o-oh, Toori-kun, you’re just incorrigible.’ ”

Gold Mar: “Wow, I even heard that in Asama-chi’s voice. Great job, Kimi-chan.”

Asama: “I-I would not say that! I wouldn’t!”

Art-Ga: “You would just let him do it without even saying that much. Don’t worry. I got it right.”

Bell: “G-got it right…how?”

●

Yeah, Asama probably would do that, thought Toori. But…

“This is about you, okay?”

He started by “visually appreciating” them. Then he reached out his hands and got a slap for his trouble.

“Owww! What did I do wrong this time!?”

“One clap, two bows, one clap. It is important to show respect for the boobs you are about to enjoy.”

She had a point, so he followed her instructions. Then he touched them.

…Oh.

“What do you think, Toori-sama?”

“I feel a combination of soft firmness and a great elegance that seems to pull in any finger that touches them. I can tell people will tell tales of these boobs as the first in a new generation of boobs. The color and the fineness of the skin go without saying, but they also boast a density that can only be described as sublime.”

“I asked what you thought, not for a poem about them, idiot.”

And…

“Sorry, but how long is this going to take?”

“C-couldn’t you be a little more cooperative here? Just a bit?”

“What do you suggest?”

“Hmm,” he groaned in thought. “Then could you moan while I massage them?”

“Very well.”

Since she agreed, he began massaging them. And…

“Ahn, ahn, ahn.”

“Not in that wooden voice! And not with that blank expressioooooooon!”

“You cannot expect me to pour my feelings into it my very first time. You play too many porn games.”

“B-but could you at least try? A little?”

“Very well.”

Since she agreed, he resumed massaging them. And…

“Hiyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

“Not like you’re an overacting martial artiiiiiiiiiiist!”

“Fine then,” said Horizon, beckoning him over. “Come here.”

“Hm?”

He leaned toward her and she planted her lips on his. Before he could even express his surprise, she pulled away again.

“Mm.”

And she kissed him again. A bit deeper this time. Then she pulled away again.

“I believe these things ordinarily start with kissing,” she said.

“Do you like kissing?”

“Do you know the purpose of kissing, Toori-sama?”

“No. What is it?”

She nodded before answering.

“Covering the respiratory organs prevents breathing, which automatically increases body temperature. I get cold easily, so this is necessary before we get to the sexual part. Unless, of course, you want me to do some sprinting or standing martial arts techniques before we get started.”

“I should’ve known it was something like that!”

●

Unturning: “It is true having the timing of your breathing interrupted when you are nervous can create an opening in your defenses.”

Flat Vassal: “I really don’t think this is about that.”

Gold Mar: “Is it true, Asama-chi?”

Asama: “Mito! You’re the licking expert, so you should know what happens when your respiratory organs are covered up!”

Art-Ga: “No, she makes up for it by breathing through her nose with all the sniffing she does.”

Silver Wolf: “Could you stop making things up about me!?”

●

Toori considered what Horizon had said. I don’t want her getting cold.

“You could pull your sleepwear up over your shoulders. Oh, but I’d prefer you don’t close it in front.”

“I do need to stay warm. Perhaps we should ask Naomasa-sama to install a heating system below the tatami mats.”

Horizon opened a sign frame and operated the air conditioning.

“I did not expect to be turning on the heat at the end of summer.”

“It’s better than getting chilled or sprinting, right?”

The room temperature soon rose. The air conditioning was designed for a tatami mat room, so Toori felt warmth seeping up from below the floor. Asama’s spells are great, he thought. But these things work differently in different places, so I need to keep learning.

“Covering your respiratory organs, huh?”

He kissed her. After taking a breath, he did it again.

…So could you call this a form of suffocation?

He wondered that while he and Horizon scooted closer and closer so they didn’t have to extend their necks so far to peck at each other’s lips. And eventually, he noticed something.

“Hey, why are you princess holding me?”

“Ho ho? Would you like to try it the other way around?”

He tried it. And…

“Wow, you’re heavy! I’ve always wondered what you eat to end up like this! And why are you stretched out straight as a board while I try to princess carry you?”

“As an automaton, I am stuffed full of mechanical parts. And the straight posture is a habit of mine. It is good posture.”

He put her down. He felt pathetic not being able to lift his wife.

“Are you lighter when you remove your arms?”

“I could also remove my head.”

“Hm. Maybe we should skip that kinkier stuff our first time?”

“If you insist,” said Horizon, removing her arms. And when he tried again…

“I-I can actually manage this…I think?”

“Then we can do it this way.”

The arms were “looking” up at him, but he would just have to get used to that. He wished they would stop miming resting a head in their hands, though. He really wished they would stop that “C’mon, get on with it!” gesture. Were they that impatient? But…

“Ha.”

He let out a breath and realized they had set a pretty decent mood here.

“Hey, Horizon.”

“I know you enjoy massaging my boobs, but could you not turn the tips like dials?”

“Don’t call them diallllllllllllls!! What are you, a safe!?”

●

Wise Sister: “Like this!? Do you turn the dials like this!? Now, let’s see which part of you opens up! What valuables are you hiding in your body safe!?”

Asama: “Kimi! Don’t stick your hands under my swimsuit! They’re slippery!”

Silver Wolf: “I-I see you smiling over at me, Kimi! Don’t you dare get any ideas!”

Gold Mar: “The visual and the hitbox are pretty different there, so attacking them can be a bit of a challenge for beginners.”

Art-Ga: “They are not making this storyboard an easy one…”

●

“Anyway,” sighed Toori. The way Horizon was acting as they pressed their foreheads together and grabbed at each other’s shoulders seemed like her usual self, but her hair was a mess and her breathing was noticeably heated.

…This isn’t what she really thinks.

He trusted her enough to know that. In fact, Horizon was always like this with what she did and said. She was like an animal in a way. Maybe she couldn’t bring herself to be honest and maybe she just found it to be a pain – no, it was probably both at once – but she only ever expressed her love through actions like this.

She was never like this with anyone else and she never left his side.

He could only guess, but he had a feeling she was only honest when she was in control and he wasn’t responding.

Like when she had kissed him. She was honest when she caught him by surprise. But now that he was ready and responding, she returned to normal.

His response brought things back to “the usual”, so she did the same.

That was just how it was. But she rarely got to express her love to this extent, so she had to be enjoying herself.

That just left the issue of who would be in control, but…

…We’re wrestling on the futon right now.

However, they weren’t using pinning techniques.

“What do you call this? You know, the start of a wrestling match, where they grab each other’s hands and yell.”

“It is known as a hand-to-hand lock up..”

“Ehh!? You’re gonna lock me up and use your hands on me!? That’s hot!”

Horizon took a bridge pose and threw Toori in a cross-arm front suplex.

●

Horizon took action while the idiot landed face first and bounced.

She quickly circled around to the idiot’s side where he lay on his back. She first held an open hand to the base of his throat to pin him down. Meanwhile, she sat straddling his legs to keep his legs from struggling.

She sat down.

“And now I have mounted you.”

“Wait, we’re doing this with you on top!?”

“Did you have a question?”

“Y-yes, I just asked one! Didn’t you hear that question with a big question mark at the end!?”

“I only wanted to say that. Do not take it so seriously.”

Horizon pulled a rubber glove from the storage space behind her.

“Now, we can begin.”

“Waiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit! I don’t think that’s how this works!”

“Oh? And how would you know when you have never done it before? Sigh, you can’t assume everything in your porn games is realistic.”

“Are you trying to make an enemy of everyone who uses those games to study up on sex?”

“Now, if you don’t mind.”

“Ahn, not so rough.”

She quickly stripped the wriggling idiot by opening his sleepwear to the sides. The way he covered his face with his hands was disturbing, but he was likely just having some fun.

But then she noticed something.

“No fair!”

“Eh?”

The idiot followed her gaze down to his crotch, where he saw…

“The god mosaic!”

●

“Huh?” Toori tilted his head.

The god mosaic was for his jokes, so had been using it constantly of late.

“Asama supplies it, so she would have rights over it, wouldn’t she?”

So he opened a sign frame and checked the mosaic stats page. He could view the data, but…

“Oh, that’s right. I use cheap ones because I leave it active all the time. And I order them in bulk.”

“Are you saying it will not disappear until its timer has run out? When did this one activate?”

He checked the sign frame. It said…

“This is a 2-hour version and it activated…about an hour ago?”

She dropped her fist straight down into his gut. It made a pretty nice sound.

“Ugh! Wh-why would you do that, Horizon!?”

“That is my line. Why wouldn’t you deactivate it before this?”

“I must’ve, uh, gotten careless? I had to strip as a punishment for losing that video game, remember?”

She readied her fist again, so he held a hand up to stop her. He could tell she was serious about this and she was correct here. So…

“I guess I’ll have to ask Asama for a favor. She has rights over it, so she might be able to forcibly cancel it early.”

“Will you use the emergency call?”

“No, I wouldn’t call this an emergency. Can you stop by the bath real quick?”

“That would only get me chilly again. …But I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

Horizon sighed and glared down at him.

“I will prove to you that I am a capable girl.”

●

Mitotsudaira and Asama threw soap and brushes at Kimi while she wasted a Summit Dance spell to dodge out of the way in the bathtub.

“Kh! I can’t hit her!”

“Heh heh heh. If you don’t like it, you could try aiming better.”

“Tomo! Could you hit her with your bow?”

“I’m the Asama Shrine’s representative and Kimi’s Ootsubaki is subordinate to Asama, so I would be able to ignore the effects of her spell and hit her without issue.”

“Wait! Wait! I was only joking!”

Then again, that probably is about the only way to hit her, thought Mitotsudaira. And…

“Oh?”

A knock came at the bath door.

Mitotsudaira thought she sensed Horizon’s presence outside the door.

“U-um.”

“Mito! Hide this!”

Asama shoved the sign frame into Mitostudaira’s hair before reaching for the door and opening it. Outside, they saw…

“The arms?”

What could this mean? The three girls watched curiously as the arms held out a tray of glasses and a pitcher they had brought with them.

“Oh, did you bring water to keep us hydrated? We have been in here a while.”

The arms nodded. After Asama took the tray from them, they began gesturing. The right arm stuck its forearm up and they drew out a box around that, made a “crumpling up a piece of paper” motion, and then gave a V for victory.

“Do you mean the god mosaic?” asked Asama.

How did you understand that? wondered Mitotsudaira, but that had actually been her guess too. After a moment…

“Ohhh, I think I know the problem. Toori doesn’t have the right to forcibly cancel an active one, does he? Since he uses it for his performances outside, he never needed to adjust the time limit.”

“But, Tomo? You can change it, can’t you?”

“I can.” Asama nodded, opened a sign frame, and made a few adjustments. “This should forcibly cancel it with a click of a button. Give this to him, okay?”

She handed the sign frame to the arms, who both bowed before turning around.

“Oh.”

They must have tripped on the mat at the bath’s exit because they fell over and dropped the sign frame on the floor.

The sign frame audibly shattered and the arms panicked.

…Oh, dear.

Both arms drooped sadly.

Mitotsudaira couldn’t help but feel sorry for them when she saw the flustered way they tried to figure out what to do.

“Hey, Tomo?”

“Eh? Oh, right. Don’t worry. I can create as many copies as you need. Here, have several.”

Mitotsudaira wasn’t sure how having multiple copies would help, but the arms excitedly returned. Then Kimi poked her head in from behind.

“So you won’t drop them this time.”

She grabbed two ribbons from the clothes basket and used them to tie a sign frame to the wrist of each arm.

The decorated arms bowed toward the girls before leaving. The girls waved goodbye before shutting the door.

“That would have been a moving scene if it weren’t about the god mosaic,” said Asama.

“I think there were several other fundamental issues,” said Mitotsudaira.

“Heh heh. But now Horizon can remove my foolish brother’s mosaic! You two need to learn that process yourselves! Asama, you should set up a script to produce those management sign frames on demand!”

“No, that sounds like a pain. It would be easier to leave a few with Horizon and Mito each week. Doing it on demand like this makes me feel like I’m handing out a permission slip for…well, you know.”

“Heh heh. It’ll be interesting to see how many each of you use in a week.”

Hearing that, Mitotsudaira looked to Asama and the shrine maiden glared up at the ceiling.

“Heidi gave me this to harass me, didn’t she?”

●

Each arm held up the sign frame it had brought and then they combined them into a single frame.

“Oh,” said Toori when he saw it. “Now I can get rid of it. Horizon, we can do it!”

“Heh. My arms are so skilled. Which means I must be even more skilled.”

“Sure, sure,” he said. He started to cancel his god mosaic but stopped just before he did.

“Wait, why do you want to see it so much? Are you curious what it’s like? You are, aren’t you? …What’s that look for!?”

“Can you please just do it already?”

No need to be embarrassed about it, he thought. So as the next step in the process, he canceled the mosaic. The sign frame shattered and the god mosaic dispersed as no more than light.

“There, that did it.”

“Toori-sama.”

“Yes?” he asked with a tilt of the head and she glared at him.

“If you feel like getting carried away, we can always return to the wrestling.”

“Wh-what did I say this time!?”

“Calm down,” said Horizon. They were still seated facing each other and she looked down at his lower half. “Hm, now that I have a better look, it does look a lot like a piece of meat ready to be cooked up. Enough to feed 5, perhaps?”

“A-are you trying to make it shrink!? Why else would you say that!?”

“Not at all. I am merely relieved.” Horizon breathed a sigh of relief. “After we made Nagabuto-sama sky blue, I was afraid removing your god mosaic would reveal you had covered it in white face powder and lipstick and dressed it up in a bride’s white kimono.”

“Even I’m not that bad. You’d have to be a national treasure level pervert to do that.”

“But I suppose it looks fine enough without makeup. If that is what it is meant to look like, I can live with that.”

“Say what you want, but I’d be pretty disturbed if I found you were wearing mascara down there.”

“Don’t be silly.” Horizon waved her hand dismissively. “But perhaps we should have Asama-sama purify it first.”

●

Art-Ga: “Okay, this I have to hear. I just have to.”

Gold Mar: “ ‘I must purify that for you’ really is the go-to scenario for shrine maiden porn.”

Asama: “Qu-quiet, all of you! Focus on the transmission!”

10ZO: “Didn’t you specifically ask us not to listen to that?”

●

Now, then, thought Toori.

“How about we get started?”

“Yes, we are short on time.”

That was really just an excuse. He started by kissing her on the lips and then kissing her body.

He was beginning to see why people loved kissing so much. Then he pecked at her chest, kissed her navel, and continued on down.

“Um, was it two bows, two claps, and one bow?”

She kicked him. He just barely stopped himself before he rolled on out into the hallway and he prepared to dash back when he made a critical mistake.

“Hm? Why did you just collapse, Toori-sama?”

“Well, when it swung below me like a pendulum, the tip kinda rubbed across the tatami mat like striking a match.”

●

Laborer: “Yeah, that’s gonna hurt!”

10ZO: “Why is he only capable of explaining himself so well when it’s about something like this?”

Flat Vassal: “How much worse is that than scraping your finger?”

Novice: “It’s probably more like rubbing a skinned knee on a tatami mat.”

Tachibana Wife: “Excuse me, but what is going on tonight?”

●

Toori managed to recover after a few grunting breaths and he knew exactly what to say to Horizon.

“About what I said before that kick, it is sometimes referred to as the bodhisattva Kannon, so bowing in prayer seems appropriate to me.”

“I do not have a bodhisattva on my crotch. Have you lost your mind?”

“Don’t judge before you’ve given it a good look.”

He and Horizon viewed it together. And eventually…

“There is a surprising similarity,” said Horizon. “Although that interpretation requires some abstract thinking.”

“Hmm. This is my first time seeing one in person, so maybe I placed undue importance on it.”

“You can see plenty of them uncensored along the European routes, after all.”

“Yeah, but this is yours and that makes a difference. …And not because your awful dad designed it, or whatever!”

“Anyway, you may continue.”

The two of them bowed in prayer together before kissing. Then he gave that place a kiss too.

“Do you like doing that?” asked Horizon.

“I huv hit.”

She kicked him away for talking while kissing it.

After he flipped over onto his back, she swiftly circled around to his other side.

…Uh, oh!

Given how much time had passed, it was about time to begin the mounting.

“You’re on, Horizon!”

“Heh. It would seem you are aware that whoever ends up on top will set the mood for the rest of the night, Toori-sama.”

“Yeah, if I win and get on top, it’ll play out like a porn game crossed with a sweet and loving talk show!”

“And if I win and secure the top position, I will continue the event while checking on and critiquing everything you do.”

He had to resist the part of him that found that tempting. He would do this how he had originally envisioned it. So…

“Hah!”

He sprang up to a crawling position to keep her from rolling him over again.

Horizon was especially dangerous tonight now that she had apparently learned some throwing techniques.

But if he kept low, she couldn’t throw him. So if he could crawl up to her and corner her…

…I’ll win a tactical victory!

But just as he reached that conclusion…

“I see an opening.”

Horizon slid underneath him.

Before he could even question it, she had grabbed his spread arms by the wrists and her bent knee was pressed against his stomach from below.

“Tomoe nage.”

●

Unturning: “Wait.”

Asama: “This is just their way of flirting.”

Wise Sister: “That it is. They really have always been like this.”

Art-Ga: “Adele, Naomasa, can you demonstrate that move for me? It’s hard to draw.”

●

Toori attempted to resist while he was flipped around.

He had to win this. Because…

…I need to make sure Horizon really wants to do this.

They had discussed it a lot, but she was such a hard girl to figure out. So if he was in control, set the right mood, and did it the right way, would she let him know how she really felt?

…Hard to say.

Part of him felt that would only be pushing his own way of doing things onto her.

But if she didn’t want to do it, he doubted things would have even gotten this far. So…

“I’m not down yet, Horizon!”

The tomoe nage left him on the futon with his arms over his head, but Horizon was holding his wrists.

She was in the same pose.

So if he grabbed her wrists back and forcibly flip himself over, they would both be on their bellies. If he then got up, bringing them into the hand-to-hand lock up pose and tackled her from the shoulder…

…I can push her over!

He felt even he could manage that much, so he grabbed Horizon’s wrists and tried it. And…

“Toori-sama.”

He heard her voice.

“I find this to be silly, but I also find it to be fun. I can’t help but enjoy this strange relationship of ours and I want to bring it to the next level.”

●

Oh, thought Toori. Then I don’t need to do that.

…I don’t need to push my way onto her.

Just as he thought that..

“Toori-sama.” Horizon got up with her back to him. But…

“Are you ready!?”

“Judge,” he replied, clapping his hands once before spreading his arms. “Come at me, Horizon!”

“Judge,” she said before leaping.

She performed a backflip into a body press. She flew through a perfect arc to land a….

“Somersault press!”

●

Horizon was really into it. She already knew how much Toori cared for her, but this mashup told her all over again.

So she had to respond with her greatest moves. Also…

…He told me to come at him.

Yes. He had said the same thing while reliving his remorse at Mikawa.

…He told me to come to him.

He had done it again here. So she leaped at him. And…

“Oh?”

Perhaps she was a little too into it.

She had given her flip a little too much juice. It was still within the margin of error, but she was going to land butt first. Meaning…

“This is actually a somersault senton.”

It landed.

●

Scarred: “Did that sign frame just produce a very loud noise?”

Gold Mar: “A body press spreads the damage across the full surface of the body, but a senton is more like a butt slam and focuses the damage more.”

Silver Wolf: “I-is my king alright!? Kimi, why are you rolling around in laughter!?”

Art-Ga: “Wait. But given their positions…wait.”

●

Horizon saw the idiot extending his arms toward the ceiling as if to catch her.

Meanwhile, she was seated in his lap.

She had apparently made a perfect flip and nailed the landing better than she had ever managed practicing with Naomasa.

“Toori-sama,” she called.

When he didn’t respond, she slapped his belly.

“Eh!? Oh, ohhh! Horizon! You really came at me!”

“Judge, I did indeed. But this means that I am-”

She was going to say “the one on top”, but then she noticed something.

“Hm?”

She felt like something was stopping her hips from below. Then the idiot below her noticed it.

“Oh?”

There was no mistaking it.

It had gone in.

Chapter 16: Gambler Starting in the Mounted Position[edit]

If I were an entertainer

My policy would be

To never let a once-in-a-lifetime joke get away

Point Allocation (A First For Humanity)

●

Toori couldn’t believe what had happened. Horizon was in his lap with her hand on her chin.

“If I am not mistaken, I believe this is a remarkable feat never before achieved.”

“Huh? Remarkable? What?”

“Isn’t it though, Toori-sama? What past saint or leader could have done something like this?”

“Hm. I can’t argue with that, but how in the world did this even happen?”

●

Art-Ga: “Drawn from the side, it went like this. When Horizon performed her midair flip and fell ass-first, the idiot must have pushed his hips up while preparing to catch her from below.”

Unturning: “As long as the angle and height were correct, it would only be a matter of speed.”

10ZO: “Do we really need to analyze this?”

Asama: “Um, Kimi? Are you okay? It looks like you’re having trouble breathing.”

●

Once they both had grasped what had happened, Horizon heard Toori speak quietly.

“Y’know, I was really hoping we could set a better mood than this.”

“Such as?”

“Well, I could say ‘Horizon, are you ready?’ and you would say ‘yes, please come to me, Toori-sama’.”

“You asked me to come at you and I did so, which seems within the margin of error to me.

“That said.” She struck him on the belly once. “I do not mind that it turned out this way.”

●

“You don’t!?”

Toori sat up straighter when he heard that.

“So you’re also thinking how nice it is to feel like we’ve become one?”

“It irritates me that you must use that porn game terminology. What does it even mean to ‘become one’? A predatory fusion? We are not Mitotsudaira-sama’s mother.”

“Th-then how would you describe what we’re doing?”

“Well.” Horizon took a look around. “That is easy to answer. And simple too.”

“Then what is it?”

“We are using every method we can think of to show that we will never let the each other be alone.”

And…

“If this does result in a child, then we really will not be alone. And even if it does not, we can confirm our feelings this way as many times as it takes.”

●

Everyone was listening to the divine transmission.

“You must not cry, Toori-sama.”

Because…

“The part where I smile has yet to come.”

●

She’s right, thought Toori. He took a deep breath and suppressed a great many things.

“I’ll make sure to smile, so you can cry if you want, Horizon.”

“Do not be silly. These are not tears. They are eye juices.”

“That’s what you’re going with?”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

Pursuing that further felt like it would ruin everything they had going here, so he chose not to. But…

“Oh, yeah. This is supposed to hurt, isn’t it? Is that why you’re crying, Horizon?”

“What is supposed to hurt?”

“Well, y’know.” He pointed at her hips. “They say a girl’s first time hurts, right?”

Horizon frowned, looked down, and tilted her head.

“But it doesn’t?”

“Eh?”

Horizon raised her right hand for him to see. And…

“I would like to question the assertion that it is inside me.”

“I-it totally is! Where else would my dick have disappeared to!?”

“Perhaps it was crushed by my approximately 80kg of weight and what you think you are feeling is a hallucination brought on by the brain chemicals meant to reduce the pain.”

“N-no, it’s in! I promise you it’s in! Try lifting your hips!”

Horizon did so and they both looked.

“Hm, it is in.”

“See!? I told you! Don’t scare me like that. I was wondering what I’d do if it had been crushed!”

“But then why doesn’t it hurt?”

He had an idea there.

“I know! This happens a lot in porn games! The slutty characters always say things like, ‘wh-why does it feel so good when it’s my first time!?’ ”

He took a fist straight down into the gut.

“Who are you calling slutty? I could see that happening with Asama-sama or Mitotsudaira-sama, though.”

●

Asama: “Th-that’s not true. I mean, I haven’t tested it out, but I will feel pain like normal. I promise. Mito, stop averting your gaze!”

Gold Mar: “It sounds like Asama-chi and Mito-tsan have really earned a lot of trust from Horizon.”

Flat Vassal: “Well, they are in a position where she can trust the Chancellor with them.”

Silver Wolf: “Um, why are all of you just accepting what she said about us?”

●

Toori saw Horizon look up at the ceiling like she had a sudden revelation.

“Judge. I know why there is no pain.”

“Really? Is it cause Porneia activated?”

“No, my automaton body automatically shuts off its senses in an area experiencing a sudden burst of pain. This happened at Sanada too, but it means my OS is functioning properly.”

“Waiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit! You can cheat like that!?”

Horizon glared at him.

“Why wouldn’t I do this, Toori-sama? No one wants to feel pain.”

“But isn’t that also cutting off all feeling of me being inside you?”

“Yes, it is doing that too.”

“Time out,” said Toori with his right hand held out toward Horizon. “Um, can you try switching off that sensory block?”

“No. It would hurt.”

“Just for a second, okay? You might find out you like it, right?”

“Unlikely,” said Horizon. “Imagine you fell from a height of 2m onto a milk bottle that happened to be on the floor and it was vertically installed in your butt. Would you enjoy that?”

“Y-you’re trying to make me shrink, aren’t you!?”

But he wasn’t about to be discouraged.

“I really mean just for a second. That’s no time at all. Try it for just the one second and you might learn it’s nothing like you’re imagining. Isn’t it worth knowing?”

“Based on the statistical data I have gathered, agony is the much more likely result.”

“Wait, hold on!”

She had given him a hint earlier.

“You said your awful dad designed all of this, right? So maybe he predicted this and made it so you wouldn’t feel pain.”

“I see. So there is a possibility of an atypical result. Very well.”

Horizon opened a sign frame.

“Only for a moment.”

She operated the frame. She navigated a few levels down in the settings and then pressed the center button of a certain page. And…

“––––––”

●

Toori saw Horizon fall silent.

“W-well!? Experiencing a brand new feeling, Horizon!?”

She dropped a fist into his solar plexus much harder than her past punches.

●

“Owwwww! Wait, ah, no, ahn!”

Yeah, that’s about how that’s going to turn out, thought Asama while the sign frame continued to produce strange noises of that sort.

…But Toori-kun can be really persuasive when he wants to be. He just has this way with words.

Asama had trouble saying no when he asked for a favor, so she sensed danger in how things had gone there. Mitotsudaira was staring into the distance with exasperation on her face, so it seemed they both had a lot to learn from this.

Art-Ga: “Taking mental notes?”

Asama: “Yes, actually…”

Then Asama realized what she had said.

Asama: “I-I mean no! Why would I need to do that!?”

“Heh heh. Don’t even try to deny it. At least not when you’re with my foolish brother.” Kimi placed her arms around Mitotsudaira and Asama’s shoulders from behind. “Everyone has their own way of saying neither of you are alone. For Horizon, it means saying ‘I am here and I will not be lost’. You have your own way, don’t you? So you need to let him know.”

“Well…”

“He tends to get involved in other people’s business. And with Horizon, he tries to show off. You two need to tell him how you feel and give him the confidence he needs to do that.”

Kimi added an “okay?” and slapped their shoulders, but Asama felt like she had just been assigned some brutally difficult homework.

But…

…She’s right.

He had to be happy that he and Horizon could desire each other and share the feeling that they were there for each other and would not be lost.

…I…

What kind of feeling could Asama provide him? No, she already knew the answer. But how could she dedicate herself to him in order to convey that feeling? In other words…

Art-Ga: “ ‘What can I do to make him happy. Ahn,’ moaned Asama while wiggling in excitement.”

Asama: “H-hey! Stop inventing a monologue for me!”

“This is something to think about.” Mitotsudaira slumped down onto the bath duckboard. “My parents never went through this. They joined together to express their feelings for each other as soon as they met.”

“And I’ve heard my mother arrived in what amounted to eloping.”

“Heh heh. And our parents fought a duel.”

So…

“That things went so smoothly for you two actually makes your task a lot harder.”

Asama had to agree with Kimi there. But…

“Oh.”

She realized those two were speaking on the sign frame again.

●

“Hm,” groaned Toori. “I didn’t expect our first time to be quite so avant-garde.”

“I worried doing things normally wouldn’t be any fun, so this does have its appeal,” said Horizon. “Also, it is still inside me, so our first time is not over yet. You can still attempt to do things differently if you want.”

“Eh!? You mean you’ll help me set the right mood!?”

“Have you forgotten that I am on top?”

Horizon artlessly moved her hips back and forth. It was a simple motion, but…

“Ah, hey, everything leading up to this has left me pretty weak!”

“Oh? What’s this, Toori-sama? Am I doing a good job even with my sensory block in place?”

“Yeah, I’m realizing letting you have your way with me is pretty great!”

This deserved high praise, so he arched his back in preparation to give it.

“Superb.”

“Ho ho? I imagine my awful father designed it based on what he enjoys, so this must mean the two of you have similar tastes.”

“Noooooooooooooooooo! Are you trying to kill me with sorrow!?”

●

Gold Mar: “She actually said it.”

Flat Vassal: “The Vicereine is ruthless.”

Silver Wolf: “My king! Keep fighting! You can survive this!”

●

“Settle down,” said Horizon. “There is always next time, so there is no need for you to do this your way this time. …By the way, Toori-sama, you seem to be at your limit. Are you alright?”

“D-don’t be ridiculous! I can last longer than this! I totally can!”

“Then if you last another 5 minutes, we can trade places.”

Horizon removed her arms and had them grip her hips. Then she had them move her up and down.

“This makes it a lot easier.”

“Stoooooop! Don’t mechanically milk meeeeeeeee!”

“Class is about to begiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!”

“W-wait! Are you trying to milk me or make me shrink, Horizon!? Make up your mind!”

“Oh?” said Horizon. “You seem to be at your limit, Toori-sama. And a one, two, one, two.”

“Nwahhhhh! Stop keeping tempo! Please, please stop!”

How could you even describe this situation? Whatever you called it, she couldn’t imagine it any other way.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Toori-sama?”

He held a pillow over his face and gave her a thumbs up with his other hand.

She had the arms remove that pillow and brought her lips to his raised thumb.

“This is Porneia, Toori-sama.”

As soon as she squeezed her lips around his thumb, he reached his limit.

●

Sensing a terrible tremor or shaking, Mitotsudaira exchanged a glance with Asama.

She could tell they were both frowning in confusion, but Asama still opened a sign frame to check the king’s physical state.

“This says he isn’t dead.”

“In fact, it looks like he’s extremely excited. Look at this spinning heart symbol.”

“I didn’t know it did that,” commented Asama before smiling at the voices coming from the other sign frame.

“Okay. Let’s do it again right away, Toori-sama.”

“I-I’ve been defiled…”

True to Asama’s sign frame, the joy in the king’s voice was plain to hear.

“Anyway,” said Asama, applying a soundproofing spell to the other sign frame.

Asama: “It would be crass to listen in any longer. Not that it wasn’t crass to listen in as much as we did.”

●

But I’m glad, thought Asama.

She had been lost once and he nearly had been, but they had gotten over that and now they had sworn their futures to each other.

They were enjoying themselves.

They weren’t just protecting each other to avoid losing them.

That much went without saying, so now they were imagining what kind of future they wanted together.

“Way back at the beginning, he said to have fun with it.”

He was always saying that and it had finally come to the forefront.

…Yes, that’s right.

This had to be what those two wanted.

They wanted to have fun.

Where did they want to go while they made so many people’s dreams come true, conquered the world, and stopped the Apocalypse?

It wasn’t just to avoid losing anyone.

They wanted to have fun.

It was a small wish.

But it was such an important one.

The king who would grant everyone’s wishes had decided on a small wish for himself.

What did he want to do while he granted everyone’s wishes and made Horizon’s dream come true?

He wanted to have fun.

He understood that now.

But that would be a difficult dream to realize. It was predicated on never losing anyone. That was enough of a challenge that Masazumi would definitely purse her lips if asked to make it happen.

But it was worth it.

And Asama and Mitotsudaira would be supporting him in that. After all, he pushed himself hard. No matter how much fun he was having or how happy he was, he would sometimes be worn out.

This had to lead to what Kimi was talking about before.

They had established the hooks needed to support him in the future.

…In my case…

Asama saw the answer in the place, the connection, the time, and the things she could do for him.

Everyone had to have their own ideas regarding this. And Mitotsudaira turned to look at Asama.

“Yes.”

The knight nodded, so she may have already understood all this because she had long supported him. Kimi had been laughing in the tub, but now she was only smiling.

So Asama sensed something.

Asama: “I’m glad.”

For both Horizon and Toori-kun. And…

Asama: “No one’s worried anymore, are they?”

●

“Right.” Naito agreed with Asama while Naruze lay on her side after finishing her drawings for the moment. She then rolled over to the wall.

“Ugh.”

“What’s wrong, Ga-chan? You’ll hurt your wings doing that.”

“What am I even supposed to draw? The only way I can outdo that is to give them a corner post and have them use a High Fly Flow to achieve their docking! This was supposed to be a bonus stage, but now doing a documentary is the only option left!

“Ugh,” she groaned again. “I’m exhausted.”

“Ga-chan, I love that you know how to think about others when you need to.”

10ZO: “She does?”

Scarred: “Don’t be rude, Master Tenzou. Lady Naruze traveled to London and rescued you to support our confession, remember? She has a good heart.”

That made Naruze scramble into a sitting position with her face bright red.

“No, wait. You can’t just say that. I- k-kh!”

Ga-chan is so cute when she gets like this. But the biggest issue at present was…

“When will the Chancellor be done?”

●

It was quite some time before Asama heard Horizon’s voice from the sign frame.

“Asama-sama, we are done here, so take care of the rest.”

What is she handing off to me? wondered Asama while she shut off the theatre viewing sign frame in the bath and quickly set the tub to drain and refill. While the water drained from the tub, Kimi shouted, “Oh, no! I’m being sucked down the drain! It’s vacuum sucking me!”, but Asama ignored her. After draping her sleepwear over her worn out swimsuit, she took Mitotsudaira and Kimi to the living room.

But Mitotsudaira tapped out on the way. She suddenly gasped and…

“I-I need to go change in my room real quick. Is that alright?”

“Oh, can you smell it?”

“Y-you don’t have to mention it out loud!”

The wolf left and Asama stood in front of the curtain.

“Oh, the arms. Are you here to greet us? Heh heh.”

Like Kimi said, the arms emerged from below the curtain and then opened it for them.

…Wh-why am I so nervous!?

“Excuse me.”

Asama looked cautiously inside. And she found…

“There you are, Asama-sama.”

Horizon had already put on her sleepwear and sat atop a noticeably disheveled futon. Asama had been concerned Horizon’s hair would be messed up, but it seemed fine. As for him…

“I-I was defiled…”

He was doubled over, but his crying was obviously fake.

Asama sat down, placed a hand on Horizon’s chin, examined her for any unexpected injuries, and then opened a sign frame to check her status that way.

…Oh, she’s in a great mood.

I’m glad, thought Asama before speaking it aloud.

“Are you glad you did this?”

Horizon took a look around. Then she scooted over to the entrance on her knees and beckoned Asama over.

“What is this about?” asked Mitotsudaira, who had finally worked up the courage to enter the room

Horizon beckoned her over as well. Kimi was called over too, leaving only him and his fake crying left. Horizon sighed at the center of the gathered girls and spoke quietly.

“Judge, it was a good thing. But do not ever let that boy know I said so.”

Why do they have to turn everything into a competition?

●

After helping get Horizon bathed and otherwise cleaning up, Asama was finally getting bed at shortly past 10, leaving only an hour and a half until they had to leave.

Not everyone had stayed up so late. Mitotsudaira had gone to sleep much earlier since she would be on the vanguard. Kimi was the only other one still up.

“We should probably at least get a nap now on the assumption that we can get some real sleep once the Honnouji Incident is over. A nap using compressed sleep.”

“Heh heh. Thanks for helping out. But, Asama.”

“What?”

“I can’t wait until you and Mitotsudaira get a turn.”

“W-we will not let you listen in.”

“We’ll see,” said Kimi before leaving, so Asama could only sigh.

He and Horizon were sleeping peacefully in Horizon’s room. Those two could be a pain and tended to cause trouble, but if they would continue to do this sort of thing and if Asama would as well…

“––––––”

Did she briefly smile because she too thought this was fun?

“Good night.”

When she woke, it would be time to fight a battle. And afterwards, a new age was sure to begin.

●

The Musashi activating its stealth barrier was visible from the city of Kyou below.

“It’s finally happening. They must be preparing for their night attack on Honnouji.”

Mitsunari watched as the massive ship vanished and the sky opened up above.

Similar activity was occurring at the Lake Biwa Azuchi.

Once the Azuchi was ready to depart, it turned toward Hokuriku and floated up.

“Now, how will this play out?” wondered Mitsunari while quickly arranging to have food and blankets distributed to the shelters. “Such a quiet beginning for such a momentous night.”

Chapter 17: Blocker During the Retreat[edit]

Not letting them through

Is our objective

And our method

But what about them?

Point Allocation (Rite of Passage)

●

Sakuma was the very first one to be alerted of the Azuchi’s approach.

She had the inherited name of more than one member of the Sakuma clan. One of those gave her the Urban Name of Retreating Sakuma and she did indeed excel at retreating battles, but when it was time to defend, she would move up to the front line and delay the enemy. She was currently performing recon for that purpose, but…

“Oh, c’mon. I was here patting myself on the back for noticing the Azuchi’s approach, but we already received an alert from the P.A. Oda divine network? We even got a guidance message for the Azuchi’s departure.”

“Wellll, it did arrive quite suddenly, Sakuma-sama,” said the girl on divine transmission duty on the Kariya Castle’s bridge. “Since this is an internal history recreation, P.A. Oda must not be sure if they should fully treat us like enemies or not.”

“No, no, no, no. This was definitely Shiba-chan’s doing. We need to be more careful.”

“You say that, but it’s already begun.”

Hearing that, Sakuma checked the image sent in from the front line.

“They aren’t even using their stealth?”

“Since it is primarily a land battle, I assume they will keep their ship outside the battlefield. That giant ship can be intimidating looming overhead, after all.”

“Then…then how about this?”

Sakuma decided to make use of whatever suggestions she received.

“Who cares if it’s intimidating? Yeah, let’s do this. We’ll launch an attack and delay them!”

●

Kiyomasa was cleaning when she learned Sakuma’s fleet had floated up on its own to intercept the Azuchi.

This was supposed to be a land battle, so until it was time to prepare to leave the ship, she had decided to clean the Azuchi’s interior.

She had been gone for about a month, after all. And in her room…

“Oh, dear. What a mess.”

It was so bad she sighed heavily enough for her track jacket to slip from her shoulders.

She had forgotten. She had been infuriated by her interaction with Fukushima, but she hadn’t wanted to lash out at anyone else. So instead, she had taken it out on the books, plates, boxes, bottles, lotion containers, miscellaneous items, and even the posters in her room.

Her bed was especially bad. Nothing remained. The bed and its mattress were still there, but she had tossed all the bedding into the air so that it fell down near the center of the room. And at the peak of that tantrum mountain was…

“The testament pillow.”

The pillow perfectly balanced atop the mountain looked like a piece of artwork to her.

That pillow had to be the conclusion. The last piece.

She finally recalled how excited she had been and how far she had subsequently fallen a month ago.

…And after I calmed down some, I did my best not to look at or touch that “mountain”.

She had known she had to clean it up eventually, but getting rid of the “mountain” had felt like admitting defeat. Even though she had gotten her hopes up on her own, been shot down on her own, and got mad on her own.

Repeatedly putting it off until she had calmed down had brought some peace back to her mind.

She had been in a great mood when she left for the training camp. Because it had let her escape all this. But it had all come rushing back when she had cried at Sanada’s entrance.

And here it was waiting for her.

“Hmm.”

What should she do with the “mountain”? A lot of it was still usable. She had only thrown it around a bit, so anything that hadn’t broken would be fine. But…

“This bowl was a souvenir of our trip to Mito.”

The bowl fallen behind a stack of documents was something she had gotten when they attacked at Mito after the Battle of Mikatagahara. They had gone to warn Musashi, defeated Musashi’s Vice Chancellor, and been forced to withdraw when Musashi’s 5th Special Duty Officer received some assistance. Kiyomasa had been injured then.

Fukushima had said a flat plate would be difficult to use with one arm, so she had asked for a bowl at the soba restaurant they visited on the way back. Kiyomasa had tried it and it had fit in her hand perfectly.

…Fukushima-sama unconsciously knew the size of my hand.

She sighed with a hand on her cheek. And…

“O-oh, no. I don’t have time for this.”

She could think about all this later. They were on the way to the Battle of Shizugatake, but the Honnouji Incident was likely to begin at the same time. And if the Honnouji Incident was completed…

“It will mean this all mattered and also didn’t matter.”

In that case, she thought. She placed the bowl atop the “mountain” and bowed toward it.

“It doesn’t matter. I can throw it all away.”

Tidying up now would occupy her time until the Battle of Shizugatake, but she wouldn’t be able to finish it all.

There were always people who had nothing to do because they couldn’t participate in a history recreation. She considered having those people dispose of it all. But…

“N-no, I can’t let them see this.”

She grabbed the testament pillow from the very top and hugged it to herself while trying to think up a spot to hide it. And…

“Oh.”

Outside – outside the window, not out in the hallway – a deep rumble passed by the Azuchi.

A beat later, an alarm blared through the hallway.

“The Sakuma Fleet is firing on us from the front, port, and starboard. We are shifting into defense positions and should pass them by without issue, but please do not step out onto the deck to watch and please do not become suddenly worried that a rope on the outside of the ship is not properly fastened. I will not have time to spare to collect you. Shaja.”

●

Huh, thought Sakon. So this is what an Azuchi invasion is like.

“Onitakemaru-san, isn’t it great how much lazier you can be when you look formidable?”

“Kohime, surely there is a better way of phrasing that. And they literally just said not to go out on the deck!”

“But, but, I was already out here! Because I thought I could see Shizugatake from up here. Which is when you yelled at me for thinking I could, gave me an overly detailed lecture using maps and everything, and I ended up thinking you’d be a really nice and helpful person if you didn’t say such mean things.”

“Damn you. Why do I get the feeling you still don’t understand why you can’t see Shizugatake from here!?”

“What’s the point of remembering something that would never be useful again? Shouldn’t I use my brain for more important things?”

“Damn you!”

Sakon’s helmet started another lecture, so she held it under her arm and walked across the deck.

She was currently on the Azuchi’s 1st center ship. Specifically, on the mobile deck on the upper port side. Not even she was going to go up to the main cannon in combat readiness mode so she could touch it while exclaiming how big it is. Because I already did that before we left port.

And until a bit ago, she had been helping out with anything she could.

The Azuchi was a warship. With a battle coming up, a lot of supplies needed to be transported within the ship. On the outside of the ship, help was needed getting all the defense mechanisms set up, fixing the armor in place, and so on.

But there was one problem.

“Kohime! Get inside already!”

Artillery fire was already coming from the north. The shots were unexpectedly accurate, so the ether light of defense barriers had been spraying out from the 2nd ships more than the 1st. This was accompanied by a loud shattering sound, but that sound was gradually growing louder and more distorted. Probably because the Azuchi was picking up speed. But as more arcing shots passed by overhead…

“They’re aiming for the 2nd ships again? Why?”

“The rear ships are shielded by the front ships, so it’s commonly assumed you don’t need to use defense barriers for them. I used to place a defense ship out in front for the same reason.”

“Onitakemaru-san, that’s why you can never win any battles of note.”

“All that matters is that you win in the end!”

Now he’s making excuses?

But why was the enemy targeting the 2nd ships with arcing shots?

“Even if the 2nd ships are under attack, we still have to keep defense barriers active for the 1st ships. And this much fire going to the 2nd ships tells us they are targeting the 2nd ships, which means we must also keep defense barriers active for them even if the enemy stops firing on them. Do you understand what that means?”

“Onitakemaru-san, you can’t just start lecturing me out of the blue and then expect me to understand. You’re bad at communicating.”

“The fault lies in your refusal to learn!”

No, I think that’s a separate issue. But…

“What does it mean?”

“Huh? Oh. …Listen. If an aerial ship is forced to remain in defense mode, it consumes an absurd amount of fuel. Firing artillery only takes an instant, but the defense barriers must be constantly active. The Musashi is designed for defense and handles this quite well for such an old ship, but the Azuchi is a warship.”

“What difference does that make?”

“Each of the Musashi’s defense barriers is light. That also means they are weak, but the ship’s high-level control system lets them be instantly duplicated and reinforced. I saw this in action in the records of the Battles of Mikawa and Mikatagahara. They are making good use of their three decades of experience. But each of the Azuchi’s defense barriers is heavy. That also means they are strong, but do you know why that is?”

“To stop big shells.”

“It does that too, but no.”

“if it does do that, then how is it a no?”

What was that thing about sufficient versus necessary conditions? Was that what this was about?

But the helmet under her arm said “whatever” before continuing.

“With defense barriers strong enough for a single one to stop a powerful blast, you don’t need a high-level control system. Because you don’t need to activate multiple layers or accurately track the enemy’s location. You can face the enemy and only deal with the attacks coming head on. That’s how warships do it, but…”

“We’ll be wasting a lot of energy if we keep doing that here?”

“Right.”

“We’re just letting them pummel us. Why don’t we fight back?”

“Fighting back requires energy too and compensating for recoil is a pain. But more than that, ordering everyone to counterattack stations would break up the personnel arrangement set up for the land battle.”

“So it’s better to take the hits and pass them by than to fight back?”

“See, you do understand. That’s exactly it.”

“I see,” said Sakon with a nod. She knew firsthand that some things weren’t worth fighting even if they hurt.

And if this way was beneficial and served their objective, then it was far better than when she did that. But, but…

…All that stuff I went through led me to Onitakemaru-san, Mitsunari-sama, and the others, so maybe my old pain was worth it after all.

Her classmates often said she was “soft”. They told her to shape up and focus more. But if I do that, I’ll do more than just hurt people.

“Why are you smirking, Kohime?”

“I-I am not! How rude!”

But she did understand the current situation.

“Then the Azuchi will just have to hurry up. Is the point to charge deep into the enemy formation so they can’t fire on us without risking friendly fire?”

“Exactly. …I’m impressed you figured that out, Kohime. Well done.”

“Well, I had a good teacher.”

“Ho ho? Did you now?”

“Testament. I did. You were very thorough about all that information that won’t be any use after today.”

“Damn you!!”

You shouldn’t be louder than the artillery fire.

That aside, she understood what was happening.

But when she looked back, she saw the artillery fire focused on the 2nd ships. Even though the Azuchi was picking up speed.

“Why are they concentrating their fire back there?”

●

In the Azuchi’s god of war hangar, Koroku considered where to position Genbu.

Genbu could move autonomously, so she was seated up on its shoulder.

“Should I help defend things up top?”

She crossed her arms in thought and Genbu moved toward the main upper hatch for her.

“If I rush on down now, I’ll be hit first and foremost.”

The hatch opened to the rear, so it would protect her from the artillery fire coming in from the front. But she couldn’t hide there forever and she had to protect the workers up on the deck.

Boarding time and arrival time were the most dangerous for a god of war.

That danger was exacerbated by the dense artillery fire. Koroku tended to be on the cautious side, but this was a bad bet even taking that into account. So…

“The hatch won’t work.”

Genbu slowly stopped when she said that.

The people working below looked up as Genbu changed direction.

It was now headed past the upper hatch to the aft hatch’s launcher.

That was used to launch materials nearly vertically so they could drop along a precise trajectory, so it was meant to transfer materials between ships or for emergency transport during battle. And Genbu was heavy enough for the launch to work.

“This sounds fun.”

Genbu sped up. But something about this bothered Koroku.

“What happens if the enemy artillery hits us mid-launch?”

Even if she defended against it, the force of the shell’s impact would still have an effect. If she was blown away from the Azuchi, it would take time to return to the battle and she couldn’t assist the workers.

She honestly wondered what Hexagone Française did about this for their gods of war. After the Siege of Bitchu Takamatsu Castle, they had been surprised to see her (“That little thing was piloting that big black one!?”), but she should have asked them some questions instead of just glaring. This regret was quite late in coming, but what was done was done.

…There were so many good games out during summer break.

The paranormal phenomena had stopped partway through the break and each mysterious phenomena exorcism team had taken credit for it, but she didn’t know who actually deserved the credit. But just to be safe…

“I should avoid the launcher.”

She did feel a little bad when Genbu stopped and slowly changed direction again.

6: “Takenaka, what should I do?”

Kuro-Take: “Oh, perfect timing. Can you come up on the front deck? They’re ramming a transport ship into us there.”

6: “Now you tell me!”

She felt really bad when Genbu dashed over to the main elevator.

●

Sakuma was really into it. After all, this was the grand finale for her old friend Shibata.

For better or for worse, he was prepared for what was to come in a way she wasn’t, so she had nothing to tell him and didn’t feel like stopping him. This was his ending, so it was his decision.

If she stopped it prematurely, he might very well go with the original suicide. That was the kind of guy Shibata was.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it’s not a bad thing.”

That was what made Shibata such a tough Vice Chancellor. No one could break through his defenses.

But that was also why so many people had relied on him.

…So what now?

She was looking for that answer tonight. She was asking the question as part of his forces. The answer would come from the Hashiba forces. The Shibata forces were to be destroyed here. So…

“What now!?”

While Sakuma viewed the Azuchi up ahead, the corner of her eye caught a speedy hunk of metal racing ahead in the sky left of the bridge.

It was a transport ship. The ultra-heavyweight high-speed ramming attack invented by Hashiba was now being sent straight toward the Azuchi.

“Go, go, go! This is where it truly begins!”

●

The people who had taken up position atop the Azuchi to take observations or manage the defense barriers saw it coming.

A black transport ship flew in from up ahead and Genbu rode the elevator up to meet it.

“It’s already in defense position!”

Genbu shouldn’t have been able to see the ship yet or know when to time its defense, but it already had its right arm raised and was dashing forward.

The transport ship was mere moments away from colliding with Azuchi’s bow.

But Genbu wouldn’t allow it. It stomped its feet and used the edge of the deck to leap forward before the elevator had fully risen.

The black god of war leaped along a trajectory that took it just barely below the slightly upwards-angled cannon.

It thrust its right arm out with all that momentum intact.

“Launch…Excessive Jab.”

It struck. Something happened at the end of its outstretched right arm.

A gravitational tremor. The attack produced a ring of light that shimmered like heat. It was a shortrange attack, but the very tip of its secondary effects passed over the deck and beyond the bow.

“Got it.”

Koroku was exactly right.

The shaky blow struck the incoming transport ship on the keel.

It was a solid hit.

The ramming transport ship’s bow seemed to bounce upwards before it split in two.

●

Yes, thought Koroku.

The transport ship continued to split apart in front of her. Yes, Excessive Jab’s power would not vanish right away. It lingered in space, but it also remained inside whatever it hit, spreading across the entire structure.

As long as the initial blow was solid, the gravity lingering in that space and the enemy’s charging speed would automatically continue the split. And the gravitational tremor added a twist to the severed port and starboard halves, so they would…

“Scatter.”

The ship made of hardened wood and metal groaned, split, and broke apart all on its own.

The wreckage writhed and scattered through space as it passed Koroku by. The ship’s own momentum caused it to scatter its pieces when it collided with the wind. And…

…The defense barrier.

It crashed into a defense barrier opened by the Azuchi, further smashing the pieces until nothing remained.

Only the wind seemed left. But…

“Azuchi!” shouted Koroku. “Respond!”

●

Sakuma saw the result of her handiwork.

She had sent in a transport ship to ram the enemy. It had been destroyed. So…

“Hey, hey, hey. You forgot the entire point of transport ships, didn’t you?”

Hashiba took everything too seriously. When they rammed someone with a transport ship, they used to it like it was a giant artillery shell. They would sometimes put a dragon line reactor in one, but that was only to secure victory in a history recreation.

That wasn’t what this was. The ultimate victor wasn’t what mattered.

Not for Retreating Sakuma, anyway. For her, all battles were retreating battles. The ultimate victory wasn’t the point there.

The enemy always had the upper hand. She couldn’t hope to be the victor.

She had to escape, protect something, or survive. An inconclusive ending was the best she could hope for. So what really mattered was…

“The very first turn, Hashiba.”

If you got in a good hit right away, escaping was a lot easier. If you broke the enemy’s front line, your odds of survival improved. So she would make her big move on the very first turn.

“See, see, see!? They’re spreading out!”

She saw a cluster of light. That transport ship had been loaded full of cargo containers.

Which contained spell charms.

…I borrowed this trick from Tres España!

“Eat explosion spells!” she shouted as the night sky up ahead was lit as bright as day.

The light turned from white to yellow and then red and black like a fruit’s skin peeling away to reveal the flesh within. The sky was saturated with explosive flames.

The sound arrived later.

●

Niwa watched the light in the southern sky from her southern position within the Shibata Fleet’s fortress-like formation.

She was up on the deck of one of the ships making up that fortress.

“Sakuma-san is really going at it.”

This set a mood that made her want a drink. And her subordinates…

“Okay, everyone. I had the cargo opened up, so it’s all-you-can-drink. Use some drinking substitutions to earn yourself some Blessings for the battle.”

“Shaja! Thank you!”

Niwa heard cheers down below along with the sounds of people running through the ship.

“Hurry! I need some of that Super Chogoro!”

“I’ve got my eyes on the Iconic. Y’know, the Russian shochu with a Tsirhc icon for a logo!”

“Then I call dibs on that Russian specialty called Lost Temper!”

It was good to know they were all happy. It felt best to think of this as a kind of festival. Sakuma had probably chosen that big explosion because she understood that.

In other words, the festival had begun. But…

“Sakuma-san.”

“Yeah, yeah. I see it. I know.”

Sakuma’s smile was obvious even in the audio-only divine transmission.

“The Azuchi isn’t playing along! I didn’t get a direct hit!!”

●

Sakuma saw something break through the explosive flames.

It was the Azuchi. That enormous warship. The top of its six ships carried a city to support the personnel needed to run a warship of that size. Its massive form approached through the sky, wrapped in black smoke and red flames.

Everyone on the bridge cried out in surprise.

“The Azuchi received only light damage! It’s practically unscathed!!”

A large insha kotob opened on the bridge and checked the Azuchi’s status. The check focused on the ship’s ends and large surfaces, but…

“Hmm. Sakuma-sama, I checked to see if we missed anything, but we didn’t!”

“You don’t need to rub it in!”

Why is my crew like this? she wondered with a tongue click. But she also crossed her arms.

“The damage isn’t what matters. We’ve achieved one of our jobs.”

“Shaja! That’s true!

“Because,” said the navigator, removing her headphone insha kotob now that her auditory scan was complete. “I heard the Azuchi’s cannon fire! They used a blast of their main cannon against our spell charms! That means the Azuchi has entered combat mode! Now they need to make some internal changes before they can begin gravitational acceleration!”

The bridge crew cheered but then exchanged a glance and spoke as one.

“But what happened to the shell they fired!?”

It hit them.

●

“Azuchi” was up on top of the 1st central ship’s bridge. She used to remain inside the bridge, but that had changed after Houjou’s surprise attack on their way to Kantou.

…I was unable to respond adequately while inside.

She could blame her lack of experience, but now that she had that experience, she would make use of it. There wasn’t much equipment on the open-air rooftop, but she had prepared enough to manage simple command and communication functions.

Now she only had to stand up here, receive data from her fellow automatons and the Azuchi itself, and process that data.

She was doing so now.

She was glad she had come outside. That had given her a direct view of the ether reaction when Hidamari Genbu smashed the transport ship sent in by Sakuma.

She had fired the main cannon on her own discretion. So…

Azuchi: “Takenaka-sama, I apologize for my presumptuous action. Shaja.”

Kuro-Take: “Don’t. It was a good split-second decision. If it had been up to me, I think that would have been one of the options I considered.”

Azuchi: “Thank you. The next time I have a chance, I would like to use the full power of the Azuchi to convince you this was the only option. Shaja.”

The only damage from the blast was the equipment on the ship’s surface that wasn’t tied down. The ship’s armor had groaned, but the stress was far less than when they used gravitational cruising.

…The only problem left is the power system.

She had fired the cannon because she wanted the blast to scatter the explosion spell charms.

Fortunately, the 1st center ship’s #1 main cannon had been angled upwards to allow Genbu’s attack to pass below it. That directed the blast upwards and pushed the center of the charm cloud upwards. But a divine transmission arrived from a subordinate automaton.

“ ‘Azuchi’-sama! The reduction in power is minimal, but our preparations for gravitational acceleration were interrupted! We have to redo it all from the beginning! Shaja.”

“I have the Azuchi’s course and the Sakuma Fleet’s position. Calculate an estimated time of contact and send that to Takenaka-sama. I will continue firing the main cannons. Shaja.”

“Eh!? You’re not done? Shaja.”

“Shaja,” replied “Azuchi”. “Rework your power acquisition. We must begin the countdown to gravitational acceleration while also firing the main cannons. It will take longer, but the ether can be pooled. Needless to say, we do not have time for another failure, but we can still turn this around if we manage to accelerate immediately after firing. Shaja.”

She knew what she had to do.

“Main cannon gunners, target the Sakuma Fleet’s weak points. Make sure you hit. Shaja.”

●

“Azuchi” gave her command and then confirmed that an exchange of artillery fire had begun.

Several lernen figurs appeared by her hands and then vanished. The status of the Azuchi’s ether conduits, the accumulated recoil from the cannon fire, and more were being calculated in real time.

But the buildup of power for gravitational cruising was again underway. Some internal points were adjusted and reset.

“ ‘Azuchi’-sama, we will be adjusting each ship to release the stress. Shaja.”

“ ‘Azuchi’-sama, this is the shipboard Tsurugi Shrine. We are beginning Hirano-sama’s divine protection retuning. We are ready to reintroduce power to the 32 linked torii engines, so we are prepared for gravitational acceleration. Shaja.”

“Shaja,” replied “Azuchi”. Then she gave them all a command. “All hands, once your preparations for gravitational cruising are complete, enter ground battle standby mode. Shaja.”

As soon as the “Shaja!” reply entered her shared memory, she heard a scraping sound overhead.

The Sakuma Fleet was firing.

…So they finally “missed”.

It only took reaccelerating and then firing. Based on the hits to the Azuchi’s defense barriers, the Sakuma Fleet’s “retreat” was a combination of defensive alignment and artillery accuracy.

This was different from the Battle of Novgorod. Then, they had effectively formed a wall of ships positioned front to back and defended against Sviet Rus’s numbers with multiple defense barriers while also returning fire, but this time they were arranged side to side and slowly descending while firing.

There was likely a strategy to it, but that was not what “Azuchi” was interested in. She only had to send the data to Takenaka and rely on Takenaka’s decision.

●

Kuro-Take: “Ero, ero, ero, ero, ero, ero.”

The Boy: “A-are you alright, Takenaka-senpai!? Everyone is getting their provisions in the cafeteria right now, aren’t they!?”

Kuro-Take: “Yeah, it’s just that we suddenly lost speed from the artillery fire and now we’re picking up speed in preparation for gravitational acceleration. The interior air pressure keeps changing and everything keeps shaking, so the smell from the kitchen rushed in at me. Yeah, it’s like the god of ero is telling me to do ero things.”

The Boy: “Someone! Someone please! Does anyone understand what Takenaka-senpai is saying!?”

Azuchi: “Um, excuse me. I think this is all ultimately my fault. …Shaja.”

●

While using a lernen figur to send Takenaka data on the situation outside, “Azuchi” viewed the night out ahead.

The exchange of artillery fire produced several splashes of ether light in the distant sky, but the shells were only hitting the defense barriers. The two sides were just too far apart. And…

“Oh.”

She noticed a change to the scenery. There was a forest on the ground below, but it suddenly became a lot more white.

“We have entered the northern harmonic territory! Shaja!”

The color white blew across the Azuchi.

Her lernen figur showed the outside temperature plummeting. It had been around 20 degrees, but it dropped nearly to 7 all at once. And a report came in from the bridge.

“I have determined the exterior temperature is around 3 degrees Celsius! The chill is reaching the interior ventilation system through the surface vents. I am taking action to prevent the wind from freezing the ship’s surface! Shaja!”

That was the provisional border with Sviet Rus for you. The Sakuma Team and Shibata Team had taken data on Hokuriku on their way to the Battle of Novgorod, but the stress of the cold regions had been considerable.

…Which is why I wanted to fly through it all at once using gravitational acceleration.

Based on the air temperature, the interior of the harmonic territory was already close to winter conditions. But for them, this had to be “end of summer” weather.

“Ha.”

When “Azuchi” used her mouth to expel her interior heat, it turned white in the air.

She was again glad she had gone outside to command.

Inside, the data was little more than speculation, but now she could literally experience it herself. Everything she felt here was what the ship was feeling, so she felt like she herself was a sensor.

Her body was contributing to their navigation and their understanding of the battlefield. Nothing could be more wonderful as an automaton.

“Shaja.”

…Standing outside reveals so much more.

She had always been the indoorsy type, but she had found everything to be so different once she tried going out. She could understand the sky full of wind, explosions, and scattering ether as something literally surrounding her.

And she understood something else as well.

This was what the Azuchi’s crew experienced on the battlefield.

She hadn’t done this for long, but she could see the warriors and the workers moving around while looking out for incoming shells. But as an automaton, their reactions tended to look excessive and they also often failed to notice certain sounds and lights.

On the bridge, all the data was scanned and sent to her, so she had always concluded the crew made a lot of unnecessary actions and overlooked a lot.

She had, of course, understood the situation outside forced them to do so.

But she hadn’t really understood. Noises sound very different depending on the environment and the battlefield was a mess of many different sounds overlapping and drowning each other out. Even if the light reached someone’s eyes, it could look different depending on their position, their equipment, and so on.

Everything was a confused jumble and that was the entire point. The scans she had received were something simple extracted from the whole, but…

…They omit a lot.

When a shell hit, a voice called for assistance. Of course, the bridge crew knew there was no need to send additional personnel there, but the people who heard the call for help would feel worried or even consider going to help.

If it was possible to rearrange personnel to answer the call for help, should she do so?

She should.

It would hasten the repair work in that location and it would improve morale.

But that decision could not be made from the bridge.

She could only make that decision while outside where she could see the people’s reactions.

“So the time has come when even automata must go outside. Shaja.”

It had not been long since her birth, but what she had been taught as basic knowledge was already changing. That thought brought a feeling of great unknown, and…

…Oh?

She had begun calculating the extra space in her memory, suggesting she had high expectations for this new age. Or perhaps she was experiencing something akin to resignation.

She wished she could ask “Musashi”, the Musashi’s manager, about it.

And while she thought about all this…

“Oof.”

Hands suddenly grabbed the edge of the roof and a tall form climbed up. The newcomer was illuminated from behind by the light of an explosion.

“Sakon-sama!?”

Chapter 18: Rooftop Visitor[edit]

I believe that

A senseless soul is found

In a senseless body

In a senseless spirit

And in senseless actions.

Point Allocation (Shaja)

●

Sakon was deeply troubled.

“Oh, there she is! I found ‘Azuchi’-san, Onitakemaru-san! Hello, it’s nice to meet you. Oh, this here is Onitakemaru-san. He can be loud, but if you just accept it as normal and don’t let it bother you, he can be a lot of fun.

“Like, um, do you know that Rockin’ Kokeshi that sways side to side and dances when you make noise? They sold them as a souvenir in Hida. They were apparently banned from sale shortly after they first went on sale because they seemed cursed and they would twitch in a really provocative kind of way. Anyway, he’s like one of those.”

“Do not try to communicate using references no one else will get!”

“You need to calm down, Onitakemaru-san. I was only introducing you.”

He shouted “damn you”, but that made him seem all the more like those souvenirs, which was quite charming. But…

“Oops.”

A shell unexpectedly flew by overhead. Then again, I’d be back to normal in 30 seconds even if it did hit me. Meanwhile…

“Um, ‘Azuchi’-san? Do you have a moment?”

The next one hit her.

●

It only took 25 seconds. She had fallen over in the meantime, so she got back up.

“Hey!” shouted Onitakemaru. “You need to be more careful since you’re so unnecessarily tall!”

“Whew, I haven’t taken a direct hit from artillery in a while. It’s a good thing I removed you to greet her.”

“But you would have taken less damage and recovered more quickly with me on.”

“I wouldn’t have had the chin closed, so the shock would have sent you flying off to who knows where.”

“I’d call for you, so come get me! That is your duty!”

“Excuse me. Shaja.”

Oh, whoops. Sakon looked over to see “Azuchi” giving the two of them an expressionless look.

…Umm.

“Just out of curiosity, what was it like when that shell hit me?”

“Eh? Oh, it looked like you went ‘pop!’ and disappeared. Shaja.”

“That’s interesting. I can’t see it myself.”

“You need to be more cautious,” said Onitakemaru. “I asked while you were out and her policy is to ignore the shells that won’t the ship, so you need to stay crouched.”

“Onitakemaru-san, you sound like a really good navigation device.”

“ ‘Really good’ doesn’t even begin to describe a shogun like me!”

“Yes, yes.” After Sakon sat down on her knees, she found “Azuchi” looking her in the eye, so she went ahead and set Onitakemaru’s helmet next to her. “Um, I would like to get inside the Azuchi.”

“Huh? You mean inside the ship? Shaja.”

“Testament. I do. But, um, it seems I missed my chance to do so.”

“Because she was wandering around out on the deck,” added Onitakemaru.

“You’re the one who was so excited about going to Hokuriku for the first time you shouted ‘yippee!’”

“I did nothing of the sort!”

You did in your head, I just know it. But as expected, “Azuchi” looked confused.

“Why not use one of the many emergency hatches? Shaja.”

That was the expected response, but Sakon waved her hand dismissively.

“Because I would get stuck.”

“Her butt is bigger than you would think and those emergency hatches all lead to passageways you have to duck through, right? Even if Kohime got down on her knees, her stomach on up wouldn’t fit.”

“D-don’t call it my stomach! Call it my waist! You make it sound like I have a big gut.”

“I see.” “Azuchi” nodded and viewed Sakon more closely. Sakon moved her hand side to side at her waist.

“I would only fit up to around here.”

“Now, there may be some that work, but the few she tried didn’t. I suggested she go ask you and she agreed, guessing you would be up on the roof. I didn’t expect her to climb up here, though.”

“I see.” “Azuchi” nodded again. And, “I could have given you an immediate response had you asked via lernen figur. Shaja.”

●

“Azuchi” looked at the two people in front of her.

Sakon had a smile frozen on her face while she pushed on Onitakemaru’s helmet to roll him around.

“D-damn you! And you agreed with my suggestion!”

“No, I was only following your ‘really good’ instructions.”

“You would betray me the instant things don’t go your way!?”

They must be good friends, concluded “Azuchi” while realizing something else.

…Yes.

If I work outside, distractions like this can interrupt the chain of command.

She considered whether or not she should return to the bridge while she responded to them.

“The hatch behind me leads directly into a vertical passageway that should suit your needs. Shaja.”

“Oh, oh. Thank you so much, ‘Azuchi’-san!”

“Ah, you idiot! Damn you!”

“Eh?”

Sakon had stood up, so she took another direct hit to the head.

●

“Sakon got lost and died twice on the roof? That was fast.”

While receiving some portable food in the dining hall, Kasuya thought, She died a lot back at Aki. Twice is basically nothing.

…But if they’re saying she “died”, it must have been her head or torso.

Of course, it wasn’t quite the same thing as actually dying. During the Aki training camp, they had tried saying she had “resurrected”, but they had thought that sounded too over the top. After some thought, they had all given their ideas.

“Why not call it an ‘error’?” Kasuya had suggested.

“Treat it that lightly and she will start earning three ‘errors’ without a second thought,” her guardian had said. So…

“Then what if we only say she died if it was her head or torso?”

It was impressive how that shrine maiden managed to sound so dignified saying that. But it certainly looked and felt like she died when that happened. When it was only a limb, Sakon would say she had been “hit”, so she apparently saw that as a minor injury.

Loup-Garous had decent regenerative abilities too, but Kasuya couldn’t do anything on that level. But…

“She gets really hungry after doing that, so I bet she will stop by here later.”

Meanwhile, Kasuya saw Takenaka holding her head. She also noticed Katagiri collapsed on the table next to Takenaka.

“Is something wrong?”

“Eh? Oh, no. Do you need something, Kasuya-san?”

Takenaka wiped her mouth off with a napkin and Kasuya pointed toward the kitchen.

“I was told to submit a request to you if I wanted a second serving or had a special request. And they are handing out Hida beef bentos today.”

The smell wafting out from the kitchen was irresistible. But…

“Why are you here too, Katagiri?”

“Eh? Well, you know how the Battle of Shizugatake came as a surprise? I’ve been sending out a bunch of messages essentially saying ‘we’ll settles this tonight, so don’t make a fuss’ to everyone not participating and to the surrounding nations. I’m currently taking a break in here.”

“You must have to customize the message for each clan, so that can’t be easy.”

“Testament,” said Katagiri, but he straightened up in his seat and opened a lernen figur. “But this is my job.”

He had gotten a lot more confident of late. But something about this bothered Kasuya.

“Takenaka? I couldn’t help but notice this lernen figur from your Three Thousand Worlds.”

The lernen figur hovering next to Takenaka displayed a certain diagram.

“This shows the current state of and predictions for the Sakuma Fleet’s movements. What are we going to do about them?”

●

“Azuchi” checked something after sending Sakon and Onitakemaru inside.

…Here it comes.

During the exchange of artillery fire, the parts of the Sakuma Fleet to port and starboard began to move. No, this was only an extension of what they were already doing.

“They are retreating. Shaja.”

True to her Urban Name, Retreating Sakuma’s fleet had been retreating this entire time.

But that action produced a certain effect.

“By retreating, their fleet gathers at the rear, increasing their density. So…”

“Azuchi” raised her voice, while noting the lernen figur by her hands telling her that preparations for gravitational acceleration were nearly complete.

“Takenaka-sama, I need an answer! Shaja!”

●

Takenaka took a breath. Now is the time to settle this.

She gave a nod and Kasuya took action after accepting two portable food boxes. Kasuya handed one to Sakon, who had arrived in the dining hall, and then spoke to everyone present.

“It’s time to go, everyone!”

“Testament!”

The response was powerful and everyone got to work. A voice responded from the kitchen.

“Hey! We have some extras from cancels and overestimating demand! You can take the whole box!”

Sakon took the box and held it below her arm.

The rest was simple. Takenaka knew what to say while she watched everyone hurry to their standby posts.

“Azuchi, begin gravitational cruising! Follow the directions I gave you before!”

●

Hirano heard Takenaka’s instructions first of all.

She was on the ether management floor of the 1st central ship’s engine division.

The floor was 30m long and nearly 20m wide and tall, it was directly linked to the power system, its management system was made up of 32 oblong torii running down the center, and it had covered mechanical kamidana lined up on either side.

The Tsurugi Shrine’s shrine maidens were swapping out the program charms installed in the kamidana. The plain wood cartridges were cleaned by automatic purification when connected. And once they were in place…

“Contact!”

With that, walls of light emerged from each oblong kamidana and raced down the management floor. With each one, the gravitational acceleration mechanisms in the main engine division gave a roar and the sounds of acceleration transformed to the ringing of a Shinto shrine’s large bell.

This continued without end. The roaring of the engines might as well have been a giant musical instrument. The sound reverberated through the floor and everyone applied silence spell lernen figures to their ears.

Hirano thought to herself while the sound made her hair, clothing, and skin tremor.

…It’s finally happening. No, it’s already happening!

She would generally remain on the Azuchi. Because the Tsurugi Shrine was in charge of managing the ether conduits in the power system for the Azuchi’s engine division. There was dedicated engine division personnel for that, but some aspects of ether management required a religious expert to handle.

It was the Tsurugi Shrine’s shrine maidens that allowed the Azuchi’s power system to remain so small and efficient. That was how they could outdo the similarly-sized Musashi in speed.

…From what I’ve heard, being a city ship means the Musashi uses more decentralized authority, so the Asama Shrine doesn’t have complete authority over the engine division.

As a city, authority was likely split between the people and the government. With a densely populated city, they had to maintain the proper balance while making sure they could still operate with any one piece missing. That was how Musashi did things.

But the Azuchi was different. It was a warship and it focused on internal efficiency to make sure it could fight.

As for what happened if one of the pieces was missing…

“We respond with multiple personnel! Let’s get Nightless Castle Azuchi to its big performance!”

“Yes, ma’am!” responded the management shrine maidens, who had plenty of experience.

After Mikatagahara, Hirano had traveled around completing the tuning necessary for the Honnouji Incident, but these shrine maidens had remained aboard the Azuchi and been the foundation of its ordinary cruising through several battles. Now that they were used to it, they probably understood the whole of the system better than your average engine division worker. And now..

“Beginning linked power deployment! This will be a major burden on the system, but will it hold, everyone!?”

“It will! Even if we went a little nuts before and ruptured its rear!”

Out the countless lernen figures in the air, the shrine maidens ran over to the 6 groups of 32 that applied to power management. They all gave the necessary approvals.

“Team leader!”

It had been a while since anyone had called Hirano that. She tapped the sword emblem lernen figur in front of her and responded.

“Begin linked power deployment! Respond to the Sakuma Fleet’s attack!”

●

Oh, thought Sakuma. So the Azuchi really is going to charge on ahead?

She had of course considered this possibility. This was her second time taking on a colossal ship. Last time, the Musashi had taught her a painful lesson at Novgorod.

But that was only because the Musashi had side flipped over her fleet and fired their main cannon along the way.

She had seen that the Azuchi was also capable of flipping like that when it was traveling to Kantou. If they intended to fly past her fleet, that was likely the method they would use. But…

“Now, now, now. You need to set it up first. How’s this for starters?”

Sakuma gave her fleet a command.

“Pack in tight at the center and make a full speed retreat!”

●

“Wow, that is dirty.”

On the roof deck of her own ship’s bridge, Niwa thought it was about time to prepare to fire on the Azuchi. She smiled bitterly at the fleet battle she saw playing out in the southern sky.

…Sakuma-san loves her simple-but-annoying-to-deal-with tactics.

The two fleets were flying toward each other head-on. And as the others on the deck watched…

“Niwa-sama! Aren’t they going to collide!?”

“Watch out! The Sakuma’s fleet is going to crash! Can someone explain what she’s thinking!?”

“Oh, how like a spring wind she is. Like an easterly gust scattering the cherry blossoms in the light of the moon. Hee hee, laughs the wind.”

“I asked for an explanation, not a poem!”

Ugh, fine.” Niwa cleared her throat and everyone turned her way and sat on the deck while she turned her back on the battlefield and spoke to them.

“So, uh, listen up. I’ll explain this for you to pass the time until it’s our turn.”

“Shaja!”

…A strong response.

She nodded once and opened a diagram on an insha kotob. It showed the Azuchi and the Sakuma Fleet from above and from the side. The two sides were approaching, but the Sakuma Fleet was lined up end-to-end in front of the Azuchi. Their current course would lead to a head-on collision, but…

“Sakuma-san is using a simple tactic. She ordered her split fleet to rapidly fall back while moving in toward the center. That effectively creates two long lines of ships.”

That was the best method if they wanted to stop the Azuchi’s advance. Right now, the Azuchi would want to avoid the damage from a head-on collision more than just about anything else.

“But if they simply form up in front of the Azuchi, the Azuchi will just flip over them.”

Everyone nodded in understanding.

They had seen the Musashi do that at Novgorod.

And the Azuchi’s power system was equivalent to the upgraded Musashi’s. These were not just your average aerial ships. They were linked with towing belts and they could manage worldclass maneuvering.

Plus, the Azuchi had already performed a side flip on their way to Kantou. They had the knowhow.

So Sakuma had lured them into it.

“Sakuma-san split her fleet to either side to lure them in. The Sakuma Fleet wouldn’t actually want a head-on collision with the Azuchi. And their split formation would give them more opportunity to damage the Azuchi’s port and starboard ships. But once the Azuchi tried to pass between them, they’ve blocked the way forward. Guiding the Azuchi straight in like that means their gambit was successful.”

A hand went up. It belonged to a female student with a guitar on her back.

“Couldn’t they have continued attacking from the sides?”

“The Azuchi has gravitational acceleration, so it could force its way through the split fleet. They would use their defense barriers as a wall and fly rapidly on through. That was what Sakuma-san lured them into trying. By keeping her fleet split and falling back at the same speed as the Azuchi.”

But…

“Falling back at high speed makes something possible when maneuvering a ship. Do you know what that is?”

She heard only confusion from the listeners. A few exchanged a glance and asked their neighbor.

“Does it let them maintain their distance from the Azuchi?”

“No, no. I wouldn’t really call that maneuvering, though. So…”

“Testament.” A drummer boy raised the hand holding his drumstick. “The higher speed allows for quicker maneuvering.”

“Correct.”

Niwa nodded and the listeners raised their voices in excitement. The drummer bowed toward her and she nodded back before tapping the diagram.

She displayed the actions a ship could make at low versus high speed.

At low speed, they could turn more sharply, but it took time to cover distances. But…

“At high speed, sharp turns are difficult, but they can move more to the side, so they cover more ground faster than at low speed. So falling back at the Azuchi’s higher speed lets them change their course more quickly. That lets them rapidly gather in front of the Azuchi and form a wall there.”

Sakuma had created a wall. From the Azuchi’s perspective, it was a 2-dimensional wall with plenty of depth.

“Sakuma-san left the center open to lure the Azuchi in and now she’s taking action to stop the Azuchi’s gravitational acceleration.”

What did that mean?

“A side flip required a period of acceleration similar to an approach run. The bow needs to dip down a lot while traveling straight forward. But now the Sakuma Fleet has formed a thick wall in front of the 1st central ship’s nose. Attempting a side flip from here would mean a head-on collision with the Sakuma Fleet. They didn’t do anything special to stop the Azuchi’s flip. Any ship can do the same thing. But it’s just like Sakuma-san to choose a method that assumes a head-on collision. …Now, how will the Azuchi respond?”

●

Sakuma grasped the big picture from her flagship at the center of her fleet.

“Front ships back to the 7th line! Maintain altitude and abandon ship once the Azuchi reaches you! The 8th line on back should wait for now, but be prepared to take action!”

The Azuchi was coming. The 1st and 2nd central ship were leading the charge.

…Is that to reduce air resistance?

For a ship of the Azuchi’s size, the weight of the atmosphere was a significant slowing factor. The Musashi distributed that using their 1st port and starboard ships’ powerful bows and their interference spells, but the Azuchi didn’t have those to reduce the odds of being hit by artillery, so they sent their central ships out ahead to split the atmosphere to the sides.

The front and rear central ships used their virtual oceans to accelerate to the limit. And they would soon shift to gravitational cruising.

But as things were, that would mean a head-on collision.

“Front ships, prepare to fire!”

Sakuma only had to hold her ground. That would stop the Azuchi.

…That’s right, that’s right! I know your tricks!

She knew what actions a Musashi-size ship needed to perform a side flip.

She had seen it at Novgorod and again in Kantou. Yes, she had been defending P.A. Oda’s eastern border, so she had gotten a good look at the Azuchi’s side flip.

It had performed the flip right out of gravitational cruising then, but she had recorded the data to compare it to how the Musashi entered their flip. She had even exchanged that data for the data “Azuchi” had taken.

So she knew what kind of action the Azuchi needed. So she was confident the Azuchi would stop to avoid a head-on collision. All their acceleration now was a simple bluff.

…They think they can scare me into clearing the way!

“All hands, show them what you’re made of!”

She wouldn’t run. None of them would.

“That’s right.

…I’ll retreat, but I won’t run!

That was how Sakuma saw it.

Of course it was. No matter how great the foe and no matter how impossible the history recreation, she had played her part in the retreating battles. And…

“Shiba-chan, I remember what you said before the Battle of Shizugatake.”

A smile escaped onto the corners of her lips.

Yes, this was what Shibata had said.

“Sakuma, it’s not surprising, but I’ve never seen one of your retreating battles. You generally quit while you’re ahead and even those you retreat from get to see it all from behind! So…so let me see it this time.”

How could she refuse after that? She had to do it.

“Shiba-chan,” she said, watching the Azuchi approach by pushing its virtual ocean acceleration to the limit. The layer of virtual ocean around the ship was already scattering into the air and freezing into flecks of ice.

The cloud of ice rushed in like a white wave. And the massive ship approached behind it, towering above Sakuma on the left and the right. But…

“Don’t send me to the vanguard.”

She knew what that meant.

“You might as well be saying you won’t be around to see it once we’ve already lost.”

●

Niwa watched the approach and retreat playing out on the diagram.

She was honestly disturbed by it.

…You’re letting them get too close!

She was decent enough at fleet battles, but she preferred ground battles. However, even she could tell that approach was abnormal. And she could also tell…

“Sakuma-san, you need to start firing!”

Sakuma had a reason for letting the Azuchi get so close.

Because this gave her the proximity and relative speed needed to break through the Azuchi’s powerful defense barriers.

She wouldn’t just stop the enemy. She would damage them and delay any additional attacks. So she had stopped firing meaningless shells and had her ships retreat while having the rear lines of ships ascend to get a clear angle of fire.

And Niwa could tell their current position was about as good as it was going to get.

That was exactly when white light raced across the southern sky.

Ether light burst as Sakuma’s 64 ships all opened fire at once.

●

Sakuma watched what happened after she gave the order to fire.

…The Azuchi is continuing forward!?

She had opened fire based on the calculations telling her she could break the Azuchi’s defense barriers even from head on.

But if the Azuchi was still advancing, it could only mean they had done something to strengthen those barriers. That put Sakuma’s fleet at risk, but…

“Whatever, whatever, whatever! I’ve fired my shells! We’ll start by seeing what happens when they hit!!”

She watched as the Azuchi made its move. The bridge navigator detected it and shouted over to Sakuma.

“Sakuma-sama! The Azuchi’s central ships have opened up their sides!”

“Are they braking!?”

This couldn’t be gravitational acceleration. Doing that would mean running right into Sakuma’s shells followed by a head-on collision with her fleet. So they had to be opening up their armor panels to perform an air brake.

“But it’s too late! We’ve already fired!”

As soon as she said that, a new light burst out beyond the artillery light. It was…

…Acceleration light!?

●

Sakuma saw the acceleration light emitted by the Azuchi.

It was the blue light of gravitational acceleration. But why would they do that? Were they really going to ram Sakuma’s fleet?

Sakuma watched as the Azuchi left behind all of the supply transport ships it had been towing.

It shot forward at full power. If they continued like that, a collision was unavoidable, but…

“No!?”

The acceleration light was too powerful. So this was something different. The Azuchi had indeed entered gravitational cruising, but…

“Wait, wait, wait! Are they backing up!? After shooting forward like that!?”

●

The Azuchi shook hard.

“Azuchi” was strapped to the bridge roof with a harness, but she was watching everything that happened.

“Gravitational cruising in reverse! Shaja!”

The gravitational thrusters had all been deployed from the sides, except facing backwards.

…We will now fall back!

After drawing the Sakuma Fleet in as much as possible, they switched to full speed in reverse using their gravitational acceleration.

The Azuchi’s central ships were set up to travel backwards with only their port and starboard gravitational thrusters and the ships had clearly extended several meters beyond the malleability of armor and metal. Everything groaned in protest as it tore through the chilly sky, but…

“Here we go! Shaja!”

●

“No, no, no! That’s not possible, you idiots!”

…What are they doing?

The Azuchi still hadn’t applied the brakes. The momentum of their forward charge launched a wave of pressure forward, producing a great roar. It sounded a lot like a colossal paper bag popping. But past that, the Azuchi had simply reduced its speed a bit. And it wasn’t enough. The massive ship slid through the sky without stopping as it approached Sakuma’s bow.

Then Sakuma’s shells reached it. In that instant…

“Sakuma-san!”

A divine transmission arrived from Niwa.

“Their port and starboard ships are behind them!”

●

“Huh?” questioned Sakuma. There was nothing odd about the Azuchi having its port and starboard ships fall back. Because…

…Keeping their central ships out front helps with the air resistance during gravitational acceleration.

“No!”

That wasn’t it. Because that only applied during forward gravitational acceleration. When moving in reverse like this, why would they do that except as a feint?

“The towing belts!”

As soon as she found the answer, she heard a metallic shriek high in the sky. It came from the west and the east. It echoed as if in a valley and it was clearly coming from the sides of the Azuchi’s central ships.

She recognized the sound. It was the shriek of towing belts being forced to tow a heavy load.

“Did they keep their port and starboard ships back in order to pull the central ships back with the towing belts!?”

●

Katagiri had resigned himself to his fate.

What other choice did he have when this this happened right when he was trying to evacuate the dining hall?

…Oh, wow.

They came to a sudden stop. No, a ship as massively heavy as the Azuchi couldn’t just stop. But the rapid movement felt inside the ship had suddenly ceased and everything was pushed forward by momentum.

The dining hall’s tables all had their legs fixed to the floor. But those fixtures had just popped off with the sound of breaking metal. And these fixtures hadn’t broken even during their side flip on the way to Kantou.

…Oh, but maybe the fatigue has been building up.

He hated how rational he was at times like this. At any rate, most of the tables were long enough to seat six, so while the cooking tools hanging up in the kitchen slid along their hanging rails and crashed into the wall, the freed tables crashed into the other tables and repeatedly damaged the floor with their momentum.

It sounded like the rapid chattering of giant teeth. Five seconds ago, a table had been rushing toward Katagiri. Three seconds ago, he had realized there wasn’t time to run away and his torso would be torn in half. Two seconds ago, the approaching table’s leg broke, so it bounced him up diagonally.

Presently, he was rolling along the tables gathered at the bow end of the dining hall before bouncing off the wall.

It was far from a common experience, but…

“Th-that was lucky! First I’m lucky enough to dodge Kiyomasa-san’s Caledfwlch and now this!”

He had a reason for getting right back up. Namely…

“Takenaka-senpai!”

He looked over to see Takenaka sitting on a table two away from this one, her face inside a paper bag.

…She always is prepared!

But the situation was not good. After all, everything had been pushed forward. And…

“Um, is it just me, or is this getting stronger!?”

What did that mean? He had wondered if they were serious about this, but…

“Can the Azuchi really reverse direction like this!?”

●

“Azuchi” realized the forces were in equilibrium.

The status reports coming from the bridge and elsewhere told her the towing of the central ships had worked as planned. Even though the shells were approaching outside and everything felt like it was being thrown forward.

…I can see it!

The towing belts connecting to the port and starboard ships were sparking. As for the ships themselves…

“ ‘Azuchi’-sama!”

The automata in charge of the port and starboard ships contacted her.

“The four port and starboard ships have secured their towing belts! We can begin full towing support! Shaja!”

“Will this work? Shaja.”

“It will,” replied the other automata. “Our calculations are always accurate. Shaja!”

●

Hirano performed a minor dance while tightening her inner suit’s chest band to keep the inertia from jiggling her chest.

The ether management floor of the 1st central ship’s engine division was shaking as much as any other part of the Azuchi. Everything was bending and creaking and several of the shrine maidens had fallen to their knees. But…

…We can hold together, can’t we!?

The management system and the program kamidana remained intact and running.

The Azuchi’s core permitted it all to happen. So…

“The rest comes down to us. We can do this! Activate linked power deployment spell!”

She stood before a 7m spell circle. It was surrounded by blue torii and a sword emblem rotated in the center.

That program would manage the entire maneuver. The initialization phase had already been installed, but the main phase was yet to begin. It was extremely precise and some discrepancies with the actual events could arise, so the main phase portion had been constructed so it could be retuned in real time.

Hirano would be completing it while she installed it.

The automaton calculations said the work could begin when the installation was around 20% complete, which let them start around 12 seconds before the full installation was complete.

This was highly dependent on the structure of the program and the order at which it was deployed, but it showed that times were gradually changing. She used a dance step to send her thanks to the Azuchi’s dosojin who managed the output and then she guided the data through the ship as the administrator.

She did not have time to recite a purification prayer, so she used her dance as a substitution and twirled.

“Taking control of linked power deployment. Submit!”

She drew a sword from her hip and stabbed it down into the spell circle before her.

The spell circle immediately broke, the glass-shattering sound acting as a response to all the creaking and groaning. And…

“ ‘Azuchi’!”

She removed her blade and sheathed it with the proper follow through motion while she spoke.

“Go now!”

●

It happened suddenly.

Sakuma saw unexpected darkness directly ahead.

…Huh?

Her brief confusion came from the illusion that she had gone blind.

But she hadn’t.

Tons of sparks were thrown into the empty space before her eyes.

That was the artillery fire her fleet had launched toward the Azuchi.

What had happened? No, she knew the answer. But it was just so ordinary and so massive that she had trouble accepting it. Yes, she knew exactly what had happened here.

…The Azuchi backed up!?

●

Takenaka shouted as the severe inertia nearly threw her paper bag forward.

“1st central ship, ready main cannon!”

In the instant she sucked in a breath, she felt an odd weightlessness. But before she could determine what that was, she finished her command.

“Aim dead ahead! Fire on the Sakuma Fleet!”

Chapter 19: Excited One at the Boarding Spot[edit]

When something is enjoyable without a purpose

It is even more enjoyable with a purpose

A purposeful life

Is still a life without its purpose

Point Allocation (So Say I)

●

Yoshiaki heard the signal gun from her position above the Azuchi’s 2nd port ship.

Light flashed as the Azuchi fired its four main cannons.

The Azuchi’s 2nd central ship was currently being launched backwards.

This was happening at about the same speed as its forward momentum. Yoshiaki couldn’t say what was happening inside the ship.

But while it was pulled back by the towing belts on either side, its horizontal position remained stable.

…Fortunate they were out in front of us.

The Azuchi had used its gravitational cruising and the towing belts to perform a back dash.

That had dodged back out of the way of the enemy’s artillery while firing on the enemy out front.

“The Sakuma Fleet is packed in tight. And they opened their defense barriers when they fired, so they should have lost sight of us for a split second.”

So…

“The Azuchi can fire on them as much as it wants. They’ll probably start by tearing down the front of her fleet.”

That was when light shined bright out front.

The Azuchi’s main cannons had crashed into the Sakuma Fleet’s vanguard ships.

It was a direct hit.

●

Sakuma’s vanguard was formed from lines of two ships each. She received word that the first two ships were destroyed, that the two behind those were hit, and so on.

She had already told 7 lines – 14 ships – to retreat. That just left doing it.

“Rear lines, back up and ascend! The Azuchi is coming!”

The Azuchi had backed up along with its port and starboard ships. She could see that from the ether readings, so…

“Here it comes! The Azuchi has stopped backing up!”

This was crazy. The Azuchi’s interior would have floated up and back after being shaken forward and now everything would be thrown aft while in near-zero-g.

But she knew who to blame for this. Yes, it had to be her.

“This is your high damage, high return! Isn’t it, Takenaka! Are you ero-ing in there!?”

●

Takenaka had swapped to a fresh paper bag.

All of the dining hall’s tables and chairs – and her too – were floating. The Azuchi’s rapid forward and then backward movement had achieved inertial equilibrium, placing everything in zero-g.

The floating sensation felt a lot like falling from a great height and she wanted to enjoy the weightlessness, but she had to resist. I can’t let myself ero out of simple curiosity. After all, she was busy commanding the ship right now.

“Ero ero ero ero.”

“Takenaka-senpai! What are your instructions!?”

Whoops. I ended up ero-ing out of simple curiosity after all. Huh, looks like the ero just floats there.

She closed the paper bag with a smile and tossed it to Katagiri. He just barely dodged it, so it kept on floating until it hit the ceiling. And…

“The Azuchi’s reversal is complete! Shaja!”

The table Takenaka sat at clattered against the others before they all hit the floor. Katagiri fell too and bounced. Takenaka felt much better after emptying her stomach, so she gave her next command.

“All ships, full speed ahead!”

●

Sakuma heard a sound.

It was the sound of all impurities in the air being purified just before gravitational acceleration. The sound of every little thing being tuned was actually quite pleasant, but it could only mean bad news reaching her in the darkness now.

And the cannon fire had stopped.

The Azuchi was coming. They must have stopped their attack so they could redirect that power to their gravitational cruising. So…

“Can we see them!?”

The Azuchi had lights on its outer edges, which revealed just how large it was, but those were currently extinguished. However…

“There we go, there we go, there we go! The moonlight and snow is giving them away.”’

She could see it. She could now see the great form that had been hidden by the artillery light. It was far off in the sky, but it was clearly something other than an island. And…

…They’re coming.

Light scattered behind the Azuchi. Some of it was ether light, but not all. During the startup phase of gravitational acceleration, its power compressed the air, causing the moisture to freeze into an ice fog.

The rest would happen in an instant.

“Rear lines, ascend! Full speed ahead!”

Her entire fleet would move forward. The front lines would remain at their current altitude, but the rear lines would ascend to both secure an angle of fire and to rise up like a wall to block the Azuchi’s side flip.

Her fleet had just one task: stop the Azuchi again.

●

Sakuma concluded she had won the previous round.

The Azuchi had attempted to use their gravitational acceleration, but they had been forced to fall back. She had lured them in and they had decided they could not force their way through.

So she would do the same here.

They had fallen back so they could redo their approach run.

…Which means I need to move forward too.

She had data on the Azuchi’s side flip maneuver, but she couldn’t rely on that anymore. She had stopped it just now, so they would go for something even crazier next.

“Sakuma-sama! Could the Azuchi attempt something other than a side flip!?”

“Hey, hey, hey! That would mean they’re running away! The Battle of Shizugatake is supposed to be all about them ‘surpassing’ us, so they can’t run from that challenge!”

Running away would be the smart thing to do. But…

“They’ve been handed the world power of P.A. Oda and the future world power of Hashiba as ‘insurance’ for the world, so they can’t just run away. They’re the world’s insurance now and no one’s going to trust an unreliable insurance.”

That settled it. This was a childish competition.

“We both know the rules. We decided on them earlier. We’re here to tell them that isn’t possible. So now it’s time for them to show us they can surpass the Shibata Team with their side flip!”

Yes. The Azuchi wasn’t just trying to get past them.

…They want to jump straight past Shiba-chan’s formation to get behind them.

Immediately following that thought, it arrived.

The Azuchi.

No, it had already been there, but it now looked much larger. Its powerful acceleration was headed directly this way, but…

“Stop that ship, everyone!”

●

Niwa saw Sakuma move forward.

“Is she preventing the Azuchi from adjusting its approach!?”

The others seated nearby shouted in what could have been surprise or fear.

“I’m glad we’re not on the Sakuma Team.”

“The Hashiba Team has the Azuchi, but I heard they had to play with dragons and gods of war during the Siege of Bitchu Takamatsu Castle.”

“Yeah, and the Shibata Team has to spar with that demon. Not to mention Oichi-sama.”

Everyone looked to Niwa.

“We’re so glad we’re on the Niwa Team!”

“The dance and music training can be tough at times, but Niwa-sama goes furry at other times!”

“And there are times when I wonder if she’s really the type for the animal ears look.”

“That it’s a stretch is what makes it so great!”

They didn’t view this quite the way Niwa would have liked, but then a hand went up.

“Is Retreating Sakuma really allowed to move forward?”

“Oh, now there’s a good question. I think the issue here is the Azuchi’s approach distance. The Azuchi just backed way up. What do you think happens to their jump now that they have that longer approach?”

Everyone exchanged a glance at her question. Eventually, she received a hesitant response.

“They can make a longer jump?”

“Shaja. Exactly. Most likely, the Azuchi wants to do more than just jump over the Sakuma Fleet. They also want to clear us, Shibata-san, and the rest of the formation.”

To help explain, she opened an insha kotob and displayed a diagram of the Azuchi.

During the Azuchi’s side flip in Kantou, they had landed while turned 180 degrees from their initial orientation. That meant they were facing whoever they had jumped over.

“If they do the same here, they will end up behind us to the north. That gives them a number of advantages, but it also puts the Shibata Team between the Sakuma Fleet and the Azuchi. That makes direct artillery fire much more difficult for Sakuma. But not so for the Azuchi.”

So…

“The Sakuma Fleet has to prevent them from achieving such a long approach. With a shorter approach, the Azuchi still might manage their side flip, but they won’t clear the Shibata Team. And in that case, the Azuchi has to decide whether they will face the Sakuma Fleet or the Shibata Team when they land. A difficult question for them.”

Sakuma was moving forward.

“This is proactive defense. You eliminate your opponent’s advantages to ensure a safe retreat, don’t you, Sakuma-san?”

●

“Sakuma stood at the front of the bridge. She wished she could be on one of the front ships to better see her opponent, but her subordinates would never allow that.

…But seeing your opponent’s actions for yourself can make all the difference.

Fortunately, this opponent was especially large. She could see all of its actions quite clearly.

And the Azuchi was coming. Its course was angled a bit downwards in preparation for the flip. So she knew what to do.

“Vanguard 1st line! Abandon ship while flying full speed ahead!”

“Are you going to ram them!?”

“Almost there. They’re almost there. If the Azuchi gets past there, we can’t stop them!”

She would crush them before the game of chicken could even begin. She had been prepared to sacrifice the two ships on the first line anyway, so she would use them to prevent the Azuchi from raising its bow before the flip.

If the Azuchi flew over those ships, it could no longer pull off its flip. And if it tried to continue flying upwards, Sakuma had her rear lines rising into the sky.

But if the Azuchi kept its bow down to fly below the two ships, it would collide with the rest of Sakuma’s ships as they pursued.

So she knew exactly what to say.

“Good, good, good! Don’t any of you run away!”

“Sakuma-sama! That’s where you’re supposed to tell us to abandon ship while you go down with the ship as captain!”

“Yeah, but I don’t know how to fly the ship!”

“What kind of captain are you!” they shouted, laughing. But…

“Sakuma-sama! Is the Azuchi going to hit us!?”

“They have their port and starboard ships with them! They can probably adjust the length of the towing belts, but that means the central ships are trapped between those ships and can’t escape!”

“Is that why you had us block their path down and ahead?”

“You bet.” Sakuma nodded, looked to the others, and gave them a toothy grin. “Don’t you want to see what a head-on collision with the Azuchi looks like!?”

“Shaja!”

They didn’t hesitate to respond. They oriented their seats forward and adjusted their seatbelts. And then they all spoke together.

“A head-on collision sounds great! Especially as part of the Sakuma Team!”

“Can I take a selfie with the Azuchi ramming us in the background!? My parents keep asking me what my job is like!”

“Go for it.”

The girl who coordinated things on the bridge bowed toward Sakuma.

“Throwing yourself at your problems is indeed the usual choice for students, Sakuma-sama.”

“Shaja,” was all Sakuma could say.

“The front two vanguard ships are moving out!”

She could see the acceleration light out ahead.

“Sakuma-sama!”

Light scattered and fell from either side of the two ships. That was the crew abandoning ship. She could hear their voices.

“See you later! The rest is in your hands, Sakuma-sama!”

“Go join Shiba-chan as soon as you can!”

It all came down to what happened next. Everyone knew it. So…

“Rear ships, stop your ascent! Brace for impact and fly full speed ahead!”

As soon as she gave the order, she saw one of the answers.

The Azuchi maneuvered in response to the flying vanguard ships. It chose to…

“Fly over them!?”

●

A group was watching the Azuchi and the Sakuma Fleet’s actions from afar.

They were the P.A. Oda forces waiting at Lake Biwa Azuchi.

As an expert at fleet battles, Kuki had helped arrange the Azuchi’s rapid departure. He had managed the Lake Biwa port and given advice for preparing the Azuchi.

So while he prepared for his return to base, he opened an insha kotob and joined his subordinates in viewing the battle status reports coming in from the Niwa Team.

But his first thought upon seeing the battlefield was unrelated to the battle itself.

…It looks cold there.

He had actually been invited to join the Azuchi as a temporary commander, but he was glad he had declined. He hated the cold.

…As an aquatic demon, I prefer to stay far away from Hokuriku.

Because he would freeze. Sviet Rus had a lot of demons and a fair number of his distant relatives lived there, but all the aquatics said the heating costs were ridiculous.

The Azuchi was currently invading the sky there, but…

“They made it over the ships!?”

“Hm. What’s going on here?”

At the supply station hastily built for the workers helping prepare for the Azuchi’s departure, Konishi turned toward Kuki after cooking up some takoyaki.

“Want some?”

“That feels a bit like cannibalism.”

“Then what do you normally eat? Worms? Wheat gluten?”

“Must you be so rude!?”

“Then answer my question.”

“Testament,” he replied, opening a diagram of the Azuchi and the Sakuma Fleet. “The Azuchi’s 1st central ship’s ascending course just cleared the two ships the Sakuma Fleet sent out ahead. But now the Azuchi has no choice but to hit the Sakuma Fleet a bit further back.”

The 1st central ship flying above those two ships to avoid them had been a mistake.

…If only they could have moved to the sides.

But the Azuchi couldn’t do that thanks to the towing belts. Those belts could be removed, but then they couldn’t link the ships’ movements to make their side flip. So…

“They have no choice but to go for the collision!”

“Can’t they keep going up?”

“Sakuma-kun already deployed her fleet upwards.”

“Then how about down?”

“It’s too late to do that. They haven’t even started lowering their bow. They could try to force it, but they couldn’t get a low enough angle. They would only manage a shallow dip before hitting the Sakuma Fleet.”

“Then they can just accelerate into the collision. Even if it’s shallow, they win if they get in below those ships, right?”

“They aren’t all that far up. Their 1st central ship’s bow would crash into the ground.”

“Kuki-kun. Whose side are you on?”

“Hashiba-kun’s of course.”

“Oh, that’s right,” said Konishi. “Anyway, you should probably ride non-warships from time to time.”

While everyone responded to Konishi’s comment with puzzlement, the communications committee member receiving data from Niwa raised her voice.

“The Azuchi’s 1st central ship is angling forward! And accelerating! They intend to slip below the Sakuma Fleet!”

●

“So after passing above our front two ships, they’re forcibly accelerating downwards to slip below us!?”

Sakuma drew out the Azuchi’s intended path on both diagrams. On the sideview diagram, the Azuchi’s 1st central ship could be seen passing below her fleet. But…

…That won’t work!

She had sent her vanguard ships out ahead because she had predicted this. She had forced the Azuchi’s course upwards so it couldn’t dip down here. Seeing that her prediction had been correct, she knew she had been right to send those vanguard ships out.

But the Azuchi was still redirecting its course downwards and preparing to charge in.

“But they don’t have the angle or the distance they need!”

While the Azuchi’s central ships drew out a parabolic course, they needed to hurry downwards or be rammed by Sakuma’s fleet. But trying to rush it by accelerating from the rear would crash them into the ground just like striking a chisel or nail.

So how did they intend to get below her fleet from here? She could only think of one possibility.

“The towing belts!?”

●

Sakuma hurriedly checked the diagram of the battle status.

She needed to focus on the relative positions of the Azuchi’s port and starboard ships compared to its central ships. When she analyzed their relative altitudes and horizontal positions…

…I was right!

The towing belts themselves couldn’t be seen at night, but they would be connecting the ships together. So…

“Only the two central ships need to slip below us! After they descend rapidly, the towing belts will forcibly pull up on them to adjust their course and keep them from hitting the ground while they pass below us at an accelerated speed!”

The Azuchi’s port and starboard ships had already moved out ahead. They had joined the central ships in flying above Sakuma’s vanguard ships, but they had continued to ascend afterwards.

They were in position to support the central ships from above. So…

“All ships, descend immediately!” yelled Sakuma, just as the Azuchi arrived.

The Azuchi’s central ships were on a descending course and their gravitational thrusters were releasing ether light.

Their sharp angle should have sent them crashing into the ground, but Sakuma shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Down!”

The predictive calculations drawn out on her diagram said her fleet still had a chance if they descended right away. Her ships were in the perfect position to collide with the bridge of the Azuchi’s 1st central ship.

That collision would be unavoidable. If the Azuchi tried to descend any further, they really would hit the ground. So…

“Hit them to stop them! Don’t expect the ground to do our job for us!”

Sakuma decided she needed to descend.

She didn’t know if they would actually make it or not, but if the enemy was going for it, she couldn’t just sit and watch. Part of her wondered if this could be a feint, but…

“Watch this, everyone!”

She activated the virtual oceans upside down. Her fleet dropped straight down.

“We’ll block the Azuchi’s path!”

●

Takenaka braced for impact on the dining room table which was now angled like a downwards slope.

She had a lernen figur open in front of her. It showed footage from outside, but it gave her a horizontal view instead of straight out from the bow.

That kept the Sakuma Fleet in the center of the screen. And…

…Here they come!

They were descending toward the accelerating Azuchi. It was a 3D game of chicken.

The screen showed he the entire Sakuma Fleet had increased its downward speed.

Below the night sky, the entire two-by-two line of ships had white ice fog spraying from the sides.

They had flipped their virtual oceans upside down. That propelled them downwards with considerable speed. So…

“Everyone, get ready!” shouted Takenaka.

And…

“Ero.”

●

Katagiri saw Takenaka stick her face in the paper bag from his position crawling below the sharply-slanted table.

…Umm. We kind of need more to go off of than just “get ready”.

Yet Takenaka was otherwise occupied and couldn’t say anything more.

The chef in the kitchen waved the bundle knives he was holding to ensure they didn’t fly off and hurt someone. The side to side wave might as well have said, “That isn’t happening”.

…Yeah.

So Katagiri took a breath and raised his voice.

“Everyone, brace for impact!!”

●

Sakuma heard the navigator girl raise her voice.

“The Azuchi is rotating its port and starboard thrusters! It’s turned them backwards for reverse thrust!”

They had used that to stop earlier, but they couldn’t do that this time. They had too much momentum. So…

“Are they going to reduce their downward momentum!?”

That meant they were just barely keeping that under control. But…

“Observations of the Azuchi have revealed something unusual! They have disconnected some of their towing belts!”

Everyone on the bridge voiced their confusion over that.

“Huh?”

Everyone shared Sakuma’s reaction: That’s crazy.

Disconnecting the towing belts made it impossible for the Azuchi to pull off their side flip maneuver. Which meant…

…Have they given up on it!? No!

“Wait, wait, wait! Which ‘some’! Which towing belts have they disconnected!?”

No, she could see that for herself. There was one oddity in the Azuchi’s motion.

Straight ahead, the massive Azuchi’s 1st central ship had descended like it had dropped down a shallow waterfall. But…

“Sakuma-sama! The central towing belts connecting the two central ships have been disconnected! And the rear ship is accelerating forward on an ascending course!”

What would happen then?

She input the rear ship’s movement and the towing belt disconnection on her diagram to find out.

The answer was right there in front of her.

…They really are crazy!

The Azuchi’s 1st central ship angled down as if pitching forward and the 2nd central ship crashed into the bottom of its stern.

●

Niwa saw something absurd.

Thinking back, this had all begun when the Azuchi’s 1st ship had moved to fly over the Sakuma Fleet’s vanguard ships.

While the 1st ship angled forward on its way back down, the 2nd ship had remained horizontal.

She had thought it would be following the 1st ship’s lead after observing its timing, but…

…No way.

Several layers of defense barriers were opened on the bottom of the 1st ship’s stern and the 2nd ship’s bow. Instead of being spatially fixed, the barriers were all fixed to the ships.

It was a rear-end collision.

What would that do? Just as the forward-pitching 1st ship was pointing down and blasting its gravitational thrusters in reverse, it was struck upwards from behind. So…

“The 1st ship flips forward while shooting up a bit!”

That was exactly what happened.

The towing belts only held it in place from the sides. The massive ship’s 1st central ship flipped as it flew, like a toy suspended by strings on either side. It flipped forward and above the Sakuma Fleet.

●

“Pushed by a tugboat and pulled by the towing belts. Those are transport ship techniques. The Azuchi’s done its research. Surprising for a warship.”

I wonder how nice the Azuchi’s repairs were, thought Konishi while viewing the diagram.

Of the damage the Azuchi took entering Kantou, the aft acceleration system had been repaired by Ikeda Terumasa, the current owner of the Shirasagi Castle. Ikeda was busy repairing the destroyed Shirasagi Castle and he had Osakabe-hime, the Shirasagi Castle’s OS, with him.

The Azuchi had been constructed at about the same time as the Shirasagi Castle. The Shirasagi Castle had been meant for Hashiba and their attack on Mouri, but the Shirasagi Castle’s construction had been delayed by trouble getting the acceleration system working.

The Azuchi had resolved that problem by deciding to use Musashi-based large-ship gravitational thrusters.

Ultimately, the Shirasagi Castle’s acceleration system had been completed by placing a much larger burden on the OS. It had been given to Takigawa since only a veteran could make proper use of it, but…

…After those repairs, the Azuchi must include a combination of Shirasagi Castle tech and its own tech, which is bound to have boosted its power.

Konishi had ridden that ship here.

“Now what will they do?”

She could only guess about that, but…

“This is pretty crazy even given the boosted power and whatever the Tsurugi Shrine is doing. I mean, their 1st central ship is flipping above the Sakuma Fleet.”

The diagram showed the Azuchi’s front ship had hopped up above the Sakuma Fleet. And it had performed a vertical half-rotation.

“They’re accelerating backwards while flipped upside down above the Sakuma Fleet. You know what that means, don’t you, Kuki-kun?”

“A privet?”

“That’s right. The famous Sviet Rus privet. The perfect greeting for the Shibata Team who attacked Hokuriku.”

Konishi voiced what she imagined was about to happen.

“The Azuchi had been studying Musashi and the situation in Kantou. They needed to so you can’t say you’re glad you aren’t with them, Kuki-kun.”

●

Sakuma always “read” the battlefield.

She would read her opponent’s next move, the move after that, and the move after that.

This “reading” was the most important thing when entrusted with the rear guard and retreating from the enemy. But…

…Really, really, really? Now this is a pain!

If she “read” wrong, she was toast. She had read them at Novgorod, but they had still literally flown over her head there. And now…

…They’re doing the same thing!

Her opponent had done it again. Yes, this opponent had outdone her again.

They must have polished their skills in Kantou and probably during summer break too. But who was this opponent exactly?

“ ‘Azuchi’!? And Takenaka too!?”

●

“Azuchi” confirmed the 1st central ship was following the appropriate course, even if its maneuver was unstable.

She was currently standing on a ship flipped upside down and flying backwards.

Everything flowed by in reverse, but this was the result of extensive simulation.

“After the Musashi made a fool of me and I was unable to fight back, did you really think I would spend all summer break at the Lake Biwa Azuchi doing nothing at all? Shaja.”

She called Takenaka.

“May I proceed?”

She asked for permission with the utmost automaton courtesy.

“Not even Musashi has demonstrated this sort of all-out attack. May I use it against our own people? Shaja.”

She directed her gaze toward the lernen figur she had raised up. It depicted a girl in the dining hall.

“Takenaka-sama.”

Takenaka had her face inside a paper bag.

“Takenaka-samaaaaa!!”

On the screen, Katagiri dove into view in a sliding pose. He came to a screeching halt and turned toward “Azuchi”.

“Oh, ‘Azuchi’-san! Um, the thing is! Takenaka-senpai is, uh, indisposed.”

The dining hall shook, bouncing Katagiri up and flinging him off screen. Even the table Takenaka sat on flew to the right.

…Hm, a manmade and a natural disaster simultaneously.

That thought entered her mind just before she saw someone else on the screen: the kitchen’s chef. He and the part-time cooks were using knives to spell out letters.

“O – K – A – Y.”

“Th-the command center’s leader is currently unavailable, so I have instead received a decision from the highest-ranked person currently available in the command center!”

“Azuchi” hurriedly sent out the instructions.

“2nd central ship! Use the reaction to dive below the Sakuma Fleet! Shaja!”

●

“Sakuma-sama! The Azuchi’s 2nd central ship is diving below us!”

“The Azuchi’s 2nd port and starboard ships are advancing with synchronized movements! They aren’t stopping!”

The collision and the stability provided by the port and starboard ships had allowed the 2nd central ship to dive below Sakuma’s fleet.

The Azuchi was above them, below them, and on either side of them.

The Azuchi’s ships had her long line of ships surrounded.

“Their 1st central ship is above us! Their 2nd central ship is below us! And their port and starboard ships are passing us by on port and starboard respectively!”

The Azuchi covered all four sides, passing them by like a moving tunnel.

…Are they going hit us with a crossfire!?

Sakuma asked herself what she should do.

…Honestly!

This was why she couldn’t get enough of retreating. Because the decision always came down to her.

Of course it did. A poor decision would get her side obliterated. If the enemy reached the main fleet behind her, it would shame her as the rear guard.

No one wanted to make the call.

But I’m different, thought Sakuma. Which was what allowed everyone else to think they were different too.

Yes, they’re all willing to follow me because they know they can trust me to make the call.

If she told them to go, they would go. If she told them to wait, they would wait. If she told them to die, they would die.

So she made the call. She knew exactly what to say here.

She knew this was most likely her first time saying this since receiving her inherited name, but she said it anyway.

“All ships, scatter! Get out of here!!”

●

Immediately after it all, “Azuchi” swung her right hand. She only had to give a short command.

“All ships, fire. Shaja.”

The Azuchi’s six ships unleashed a barrage of artillery.

They formed a perfect crossfire from the top, bottom, left, and right of the enemy fleet.

Chapter 20: Scattered Reporters[edit]

Activate shake reduction

Confirm picture tuning

Zoom in

No one else in the frame

This will work!

Point Allocation (You Forgot to Hit Record-cord-cord)

●

The destruction began instantly.

The two ships forming the Sakuma Fleet’s vanguard were immediately reduced not just to rubble but to metal dust.

Those lead ships, which had already been evacuated on Sakuma’s command, were obliterated by the force of the artillery coming from all sides, combined with the shockwaves of those blasts and…

“Explosion spells. Shaja.”

An external broadcast sounded from the flying threat.

Red flowers blossomed in the night sky above the snowy forest. It began with just two ships. And…

“Nothing is obstructing the Azuchi’s progress. Continue onward. Attack swift and strong. Enemy fleet in our path, please be on your guard. The Azuchi is in a hurry to travel the unlimited expanse of the sky. Shaja.”

True to those words, there was nothing in the Azuchi’s way.

What had been there was now gone.

The Azuchi’s six ships had separated and fired from their positions above, to the sides, and below. The main cannon blasts rumbled out like the ringing of great bells, punching through defense barriers, piercing and tearing armor, and devastating the ship beyond.

The concepts of defense, armor, metal, and size no longer mattered. In the face of such great destruction, the enemy fleet could only scatter in the wind.

Much like a vegetable on the cutting board being sliced from one end to the other, the Sakuma Fleet was rapidly crushed from one end to the other.

“Shaja.”

The Azuchi spoke via its external broadcast.

“A unified shaja. A unanimous shaja. A shaja from our six ships.”

The destruction showed no sign of slowing. In fact, it sped up.

“This is the Azuchi’s privet for the night. I hope you enjoy it. Shaja.”

●

While the Azuchi began its artillery bombardment, preparations for their next move were already underway within the ships.

At the power management system that functioned as the Azuchi’s core, requests from the power system and command system were piling up.

“But letting the power fluctuate too much is bad for the thrusters and conduits.”

Hirano was controlling several management systems at once. The largest was the management lernen figur for the power peak line which was enlarged and linked with everyone else’s. As time passed, the available power was displayed as a bar graph and the bars would change size based on the requests coming in and as they either provided support or canceled power to one system to reroute it where it was needed more.

When the bar briefly dropped too far, she would bring back support supplied at another time or, if a specific factor was drawing too much power, either find a fix for that factor or delay sending power to that factor.

But none of these were isolated issues. They were all complexly entangled with other issues. Trying to delay sending power to one factor would mean delaying other issues as well, which could cause problems.

That was especially true with all the artillery fire going on. The fire control system required a fixed amount of power, but given the maneuvering the Azuchi would have to complete soon, she wanted to avoid having a constant drain on the power like that.

Furthermore, if the fluctuation of power was too great, it would reduce the force of the power system and recovering from that could be a challenge.

You couldn’t shift up a gear right away.

That left her struggling to solve a constantly changing puzzle, but…

…The thrusters aren’t losing power as much as I expected.

Hirano could claim it was her team’s skill at power management, but she knew it was thanks to Ikeda’s work repairing the thrusters. She opened another lernen figur.

“We should send a divine mail to thank Ikeda Terumasa-kun. He did a good job and submitting our thanks will help increase our overall divine protection.”

When she directed the lernen figur toward the sweaty shrine maidens with rolled up sleeves, they quickly began fixing their hair.

●

Standing below the stars, Ikeda checked and found the Battle of Shizugatake had already begun.

He was working in a jinmaku near Mikawa Bay. Because…

…Summer break is over, but the academy still hasn’t told me to come back.

In fact, the academy had told him not to come back until he had finished his work.

He couldn’t really blame them. He had inherited his name despite not having any real skills. A major nation had given him a job as a name inheritor, so he knew the academy would want to prioritize that over his school activities.

“In elementary school, an endless summer break was the kind of thing I dreamed about.”

But now that he was living that dream, he found he did kind of want to return to the familiar environment of the academy. He was also self-consciously aware that he didn’t like being removed from the category of “normal”.

…But you could say the same thing about Asano, Nabeshima, and Kani.

“And there’s that bastard Nagaoka who went to the summer ImMoral manga and bought gold disks with his busty wife!”

He had seen that on the divine network news. Every nation was interested the actions of each other’s name inheritors, so you could find articles on them if you looked. Since Nagaoka and the Swedish Chancelor had gotten together at the Battle of Nördlingen just before the break, there had been several articles about them during the break. The first few Ikeda read, he had managed to keep a mature attitude: “They’re just making stuff up, aren’t they? Nagaoka must hate these.” But when he saw an article titled “Hashiba’s Ikeda Team plays with Nagoya cochin all day. Are they alright? A tour of the best foods in destroyed Mikawa☆”, his reaction changed: Has the entire world’s press turned against me? We are not here to shore up Hashiba’s food reserves! My team members are getting better at managing the farm, though! And their schedule was entirely based on looking after the cochin now, so while everyone used to stay up with him when he worked through the night, he now only had the night guards for company. Well, them and Osakabe-hime.

“Teru-Teru-ru-ru-ru? What are you doing-ing-ing-ing?”

“I’m restarting the salvaged automata. I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I’ve gotten this far.”

A few automata were lined up on the table in front of him.

They were originally Houjou models, but they had been heavily modified in Mikawa. He had assumed that was so they could function in New Nagoya Castle, but he found they were actually made to perform a lot of everyday tasks instead. He had trouble getting a read on Lord Motonobu’s character.

But he had also recovered some of New Nagoya Castle’s wreckage from the bottom of the ocean.

“I found some automaton repair data in their few remaining memory units and record banks.”

“What are you going to do-do-do-do?”

“Restart them. I already said that.”

If he got the process wrong, he could damage the automata. He didn’t like that idea because it felt like killing someone, but doing this right was part of his job. If this went well, would he get to go home sooner or would they make him stay here longer? He wasn’t sure.

“I have more work than I thought and they keep giving me more,” he sighed.

“Teru-Teru-Teru. Mail-ail-ail.”

“Mail? From who? Asano or Nabeshima?”

I could be in trouble if it’s from Kani, he thought. But…

“The Azuchi!? Aren’t they doing Shizugatake right now!?”

●

“Oh, I got through! This is the Azuchi’s engine division ether management team. Ikeda-kun? When you repaired our thrusters, did you use Shirasagi Castle tech by any chance?”

Hirano addressed her question to the lernen figur showing a boy illuminated by a faint light with night scenery behind him. He frantically bowed as he responded.

“Oh, testament! I got Osakabe-hime’s help, so we used a lot of that!”

“I helped-elped-elped? Teru-Teru is troubled-oubled.”

The other shrine maidens cried out. They were all students, but they were currently on the job. Some quickly hid behind the equipment and others nonchalantly did up their hair while continuing to work. The older veteran shrine maidens saved the image, and…

“Ho ho ho. I feel young again.”

“Oh, dear. I ran a deeper search and found his address.”

Are they planning to stalk him? They sound young enough as it is. But for Hirano…

…So it did come from the Shirasagi Castle.

Shirasagi Castle worshiped Osakabe-hime. If she helped repair the Azuchi, then the Azuchi would automatically receive her divine protection. But that was external support, so…

“Excuse me, but I will submit this to you under the name Shogyobu Daimyojin, okay?”

●

Ikeda realized Osakabe-hime had suddenly gotten up.

What is this? he wondered as a lernen figur appeared over her head. It was labeled Shogyobu Daimyojin and the text <Reset: P.A. Oda Internal: Local: Unrestricted Movement: Manager Ikeda Terumasa: Approved> scrolled across it. That was when he realized it was resetting Osakabe-hime’s privileges within P.A. Oda.

…I did pick her up as a stray, which put her in a restricted state.

He didn’t know much about shrine stuff and he had planned to submit to have her registered as an OS once the Shirasagi Castle was fully repaired, but…

“Teru-ru-ru-ru? This-this-this.”

“Um, yeah. An important person is saying you’re necessary.”

That was actually because she had helped repair the Azuchi.

When repairing the Azuchi, the OS adjustments had been a lot easier when using programs taken from the Shirasagi Castle, so he had used quite a few of those. They seemed to be working well, but the Tsurugi Shrine managers probably wanted to purify all the data to use Tsurugi Shrine divine protections instead.

“So to thank you for everything you have done, the entire Azuchi power management team would like to say- oops.”

Hirano was interrupted by the entire screen shaking. The Azuchi had accelerated.

●

“Oops,” said Hirano and braced her feet against the shaking from the acceleration. She nearly lost the lernen figur linked to Ikeda, so she grabbed it and pulled it close. She took a look around to see the others similarly bracing their feet or holding onto the railings to stay in place.

“Now, we’re really flying!” said one of the older shrine maidens. “It was just like this when we entered Kantou!”

Those were the words of someone who had been here longer than Hirano and had been a shrine maiden longer too. Hirano quickly gave her instructions.

“Everyone, prepare for acceleration!”

Tension instantly ran through the space.

●

Tension ran through Ikeda.

Yes, the footage from the Azuchi was concerning.

Hirano had pulled her lernen figur in close to her, providing him with footage he could only call…

…Enormous!

Uh, oh. Will I have time to open a console and record this? Please have time. Yes! I made it! Wait, it’s still happening! In fact, they’re filling the screen now!

Oh, thank god I was exiled to Mikawa. Well, not that I was actually exiled.

“Ikeda-kun? We’re a little busy right now. Is that alright?”

“Testament! This is perfectly alright! Nothing has ever been more alright! Thank you! Thank you so much!”

For now, he accessed the P.A. Oda Religious Committee page, found the Tsurugi Shrine at the top of their shrine list, repeatedly made 3000 yen offerings, and drew plenty of Shinto Surprise cards.

He heard some quiet laughter and an alarm coming from the Azuchi.

“Anyway, until we meet again.”

The divine transmission ended. The screen went black and Ikeda bowed his head and clasped his hands in prayer. He ended the recording and prayed some more. He looked to the side and found Osakabe-hime was mimicking him. But isn’t she supposed to be on the receiving end of prayers? Anyway…

“Sounds like the Azuchi is having a rough time.

“Can they win-win-win?”

“Hmm, in their position, it’s not so much about winning.” He copied the recorded data and saved the copy as a backup. “Whichever side wins or loses, both sides are winning and losing. Hashiba and Shibata are fighting a civil war here.”

This was part of his job too. He needed to…

“I want to restart these automata and, if possible, ask them what happened at Mikawa.”

This job came from Takenaka of Hashiba.

He honestly didn’t know anything about the Battle of Mikawa, Lord Motonobu, or New Nagoya Castle. He thought Takenaka and her group would know more than him, but…

…What is this about?

Was there something they still didn’t know and wanted to find out?

“Ah,” said Osakabe-hime, looking north while glowing faintly from her hair.

A red light shot from Mikawa Bay and scattered into the north, but…

“There was-was-was artillery-ry-ry-ry.”

Was she receiving feedback from the Azuchi?

“It hit-it-it-it,” she said.

Fierce fighting was underway in the northern sky. If Hirano’s thanks had been legitimate…

“Has the Azuchi started firing!?”

●

Niwa saw unilateral destruction as a barrage of lights soared through the sky.

…Wow.

The Azuchi vs. Sakuma Fleet battle had developed into a powerful hammering.

The Azuchi had three-dimensionally arranged its ships around the long line of the Sakuma Fleet and charged in.

The 1st central ship flew backwards and upside down up above and the 2nd central ship flew below to attack from both vertical sides. Then the four port and starboard ships were all concentrating the fire on the enemy and pummeling them.

The attacks tore into them.

The Sakuma Fleet’s tightly-packed line formation proved to be a devastating mistake. They were only able to face the Azuchi’s three-dimensional formation with two ships at a time. And…

”Niwa-sama! The Azuchi’s rate of fire is increasing!”

Niwa could tell. The Sakuma Fleet’s vanguard couldn’t form a wall against the Azuchi’s main cannons. And since the port and starboard ships would be overkill against just two ships, they began firing on the ships further back.

Something exploded.

Some of the Azuchi’s shells must have included explosion spells.

“They’re firing penetrative physical shells to break through the armor and following that up with explosion spell shells to bring the ships down quick.”

It was a common tactic in fleet battles. Physical shells could penetrate. Spell shells covered a wide area. So after smashing through the enemy’s armor, you sent spell shells through the hole. And that destroyed the enemy from within.

Or if the armor was too tough for that, spell shells would be sent in first to apply light damage over a wide area and that softened up the armor enough for the physical shells to cause real damage.

Which came first changed, but they were always used in conjunction.

But, thought Niwa.

“Those armor-piercing shells can only break through so reliably at night because of the Azuchi’s high level of firing control.”

The progress of destruction was keeping up with the Azuchi’s speed. The continuous metallic sounds and explosive booms reached Niwa, sounding more like the air itself being shredded.

“Niwa-sama! Is Sakuma-sama not going to ram the Azuchi’s 2nd central ship with her fleet!?”

“Further gathering her fleet for that would only get them destroyed before they could reach that ship. She has an eye for these things, so she knows that. Bringing down the enemy would require a dense formation, but that would only let the Azuchi concentrate their fire more.”

The attacks from the sides were especially devastating.

The Azuchi’s main cannons were arranged lengthwise along its deck, so the ships directly above and below the Sakuma Fleet had difficulty getting a good angle of fire.

But not so for the ships to port and starboard. Their main cannons – including the aft ones – only had to turn to the side and fire at will. If the Sakuma Fleet all descended at once, they would be targeted by the port and starboard ships first.

So Sakuma had chosen a different tactic.

“She’s scattering her fleet. Not to run away, but to ‘retreat and win’. That sends all the ships on their own courses, making them harder to predict. Which means the Azuchi will have a hard time telling which ships are on a course that can hit them.”

So how would she describe this situation?

“Sakuma-san hasn’t given up yet!”

●

Takenaka looked up and checked the current status.

This ship was apparently flying upside-down. She could hear constant artillery fire, the dining hall shook around her, and when she looked out the window she could see flames and ether light coming from overhead, which meant from the ground.

A fierce battle had begun.

She raised her right hand and bowed toward the chef who had given the order to charge.

“Thank you. You saved my rear there.”

“Don’t sweat it! And don’t just throw your ero bag around! Put it in the trash can!”

Kimee: “Why is our commander being scolded by the chef?”

AnG: “Doesn’t Musashi’s Chancellor get scolded by like every single other Musashi resident?”

●

“Hm…?”

Toori woke up in a dark room.

“I feel like someone’s talking about me…”

He took a look around, but he only saw Horizon sleeping next to him and the arms looking up at him. Nothing out of the ordinary there. He was a bit disappointed to look down at Horizon’s sleeping face and find she hadn’t woken up, but he also bowed deep toward Asama, Mitotsudaira, and Kimi’s rooms. He was truly thankful.

He saw the arms mimic the action. And…

“Oh, whoops. I triggered an alert with the compressed sleep.”

He went back to sleep.

●

Katagiri got up from lying down.

Takenaka had a lernen figur in front of her to display the view straight out from their ship. For the other visual checks, she relied on the more general information coming from the Azuchi and she opened Three Thousand Worlds. He sat down alongside her.

“I will assist you!”

He took the footage coming from the Azuchi’s sight devices and lined them up around Takenaka. It didn’t provide a full 360 degree view, but it provided a much wider view. And he used that data to…

…Examine it with Hundred Crest Land Survey.

His spell let him manipulate surrounding water or light to his will. The process used ether, so he could affect lernen figurs too.

He created symbols with light and sent them into the lernen figurs to provide notes.

The shells. The enemy ships’ courses. The overall currents and trends. Writing every little thing would just be overwhelming, so he summarized and, if he deemed something irrelevant, omitted things. And…

“Katagiri-kun, keep that up. I’ve found it!”

He didn’t need to ask what she had found. He had seen it too.

“Is that Sakuma-sama’s flagship descending to ram our 2nd central ship!?”

●

“Azuchi” confirmed how clever the enemy was.

“Sakuma-sama can fool even machines? Shaja.”

After all, she had trouble grasping the Sakuma Fleet’s positions.

No, they were fighting. She knew the enemy fleet had to be descending past the 12th line they were destroying.

But she couldn’t confirm that.

Sakuma’s ships were performing feints with their courses.

This was nothing as simple as zigzagging. They were using the depth as seen from the Azuchi’s perspective. They used their virtual oceans and thrusters to make it look like they weren’t moving when they actually were.

The most confusing part was the idling of their acceleration systems. They had acceleration light scattering down from them, which the Azuchi interpreted as them ascending.

But they weren’t. That was no more than an explosion of ether light created by dumping ether into the acceleration system without actually using any acceleration spells.

It was a simple trick, but it was extremely deceptive. The only countermeasure was to run calculations to verify the results of their scans, but that doubled the calculation load they were forced to complete.

However, the enemy was using feints and tricks like that.

Sakuma clearly understood how these things worked and was accustomed to taking advantage of it. Meanwhile, she was moving her own ship into position and taking aim.

Sakuma was attempting to ram her ship into the 2nd central ship flying below.

This was part of a strategy that was more than scattering her fleet to run away.

Kuro-Take: “Her scattering fleet is a calculated diversion, so I would love it if someone could measure out the movement of all the obstacles between us and her ship.”

Azuchi: “Katagiri-sama! Can you handle that!? Shaja.”

The Boy: “I’m working on it!”

Katagiri’s Hundred Crest Land Survey was sending over results.

…Predicting ship routes is not our forte.

But people were a different matter.

They could hesitate to make decisions, but they could read their enemy’s intentions based on their “intuition” rather than probability or logic and work together to reach an answer.

“Azuchi” could see this quite well in the data Katagiri sent over.

A lot of his notes didn’t fit with the result she had in mind. But…

“Those parts are generally unrelated to the whole. Shaja.”

Only the routes moving toward the 2nd central ship were necessary. The rest had less detailed information, but that would be Katagiri focusing on what mattered.

But this provided enough guidance. She sent all the data to the 2nd central ship and took back control of the chain of command. That way she could…

“Clear a path! Shaja.”

“Azuchi” fired the cannons. Instead of spreading destruction across the enemy fleet like before, she took aim at just the ships blocking the 2nd central ship’s path and providing a defensive diversion for Sakuma’s flagship, the Kariya Castle. She swung her hands forward.

“Open fire. Shaja.”

●

Everyone in the Kariya Castle felt the change in the impacts reaching them as sound. And…

“Our scattered vanguard!”

Their fleet had been blocking their view out front, firing shells and scattering charm chaff, but now they were being pushed back.

This was not just ships being destroyed one after another as before.

Only the ships working to protect the Kariya Castle were targeted and each one received concentrated fire from one of the Azuchi’s 6 ships.

One ship was smashed downwards by the 1st central ship flying above it.

One ship was blasted to port and starboard by the ships on the opposite sides.

It looked like it was receiving a brutal combo from the sides. And…

“The Azuchi’s 2nd central ship is approaching from ahead and below!”

That was fast, determined Sakuma. It was progressing more quickly than she had anticipated.

She had sacrificed the rest of her fleet in order to ensure victory here. And yet…

“You’re still going to outdo me, Ten Spears!?”

This wasn’t Hashiba. She wasn’t here. Sakuma was only up against the Ten Spears, but…

“Charge! Tell all ships that’s my final command!”

Chapter 21: Expert at Knowing When to Quit[edit]

You are aware

Of that person

When that person

Becomes aware of something

Point Allocation (My, How Flashy)

●

The Azuchi continued its bombardment.

The Sakuma Fleet’s ascending rear lines were left in place while the rest scattered. That served to obstruct the Azuchi’s view ahead.

Their best plan was to clear a path by breaking through the scattering ships based on Katagiri’s instructions and then either strike Sakuma’s Kariya Castle or pass below it.

“ ‘Azuchi’-sama! We have detected a pattern in the Sakuma Fleet’s movements! Shaja!”

What that fleet was doing was obvious at a glance. The ships around the Kariya Castle were flying on every side of it to act as physical shields.

Those defenses would last mere moments against the Azuchi’s main cannons, but…

…I only now noticed.

She had the spec chart in her head, but she only realized this after viewing the ship here.

“Sakuma-sama’s Kariya Castle is a size smaller than the rest of the ships. Shaja.”

It was small, fast, and well defended. Which meant…

“It’s designed to use the other ships as shields. This must be her last resort! All hands, continue the counterattack. Shaja!”

●

“Sakuma-sama! See you later!”

The ship to the right scattered in the wind. Sakuma pressed against the bridge’s front windshield to wave goodbye. Both the arms pressed against the glass were prosthetic. That was her “reward” for screwing up at Novgorod. But she thought they looked pretty cool and she figured they might come in handy when it came to retreating.

But as she pressed those hands against the windshield with enough force to crack the glass, she asked a different question.

“How about that!?”

She had been defeated at Novgorod.

Her retreat had been defeated by a massive ship and its combat power. She was facing an equivalent force now, so…

“How about that!? I’ll show you I’m not as useless as I once was!”

●

Sakuma thought, My history recreation is already mostly complete.

She had inherited multiple names from the Sakuma family that served the Oda clan.

She was fighting in the Battle of Shizugatake as Sakuma Morimasa, who was known for his bravery, but as an Oda clan vassal, she was the master of Kariya Castle – “Retreating Sakuma” Nobumori.

Nobumori was a bit of a pain. He was originally an important vassal of the Oda clan, right alongside Shibata and the others, but when he was left in charge of the fight against the Ikko Ikki, he had trouble against Honganji Kennyo and his companions, causing the war to drag on. To take responsibility for that, he was rebuked by Nobunaga and then exiled.

Sakuma’s unfortunate fate was to become a monk at Mount Koya and live out a quiet life there.

But the time for that had come and gone for her and for the world.

…So I can’t really get after Shiba-chan for calling this a party.

This is pretty fun.

I can’t hide that’s what I really think. I can show off my skills here, I have comrades I get along with, we can all work toward the same goal, and we have an enemy to defeat together.

But battles aren’t easy. I know you can’t always win.

So if someone is there to save your ass when you have to retreat, they’re a hero, right?

That’s me.

I’m thankful the Sakuma family was used by Oda so often I could inherit more than one of their names and switch between them when necessary. That let me defend Kantou and now I need to be Sakuma Morimasa who fought at Shizugatake.

I wouldn’t be allowed to move between battles like this if I wasn’t worth it.

No matter the battlefield or border, I’ll defend it and keep the enemy from crossing. It’s that ability that lets me keep fighting when my time should have ended long ago.

It’s fun.

I’ve never failed to thank everyone for letting me do this. And I have so much freedom on the battlefield because they just tell me to “join in wherever and protect anyone who’s in a bind.” If they manage to win, I celebrate with them. If they lose, then it’s my time to shine as the hero.

“But what about this?”

Protecting people no matter how bad things get is my special move.

That’s why my fleet is designed for defense, but I generally don’t have any special ships designed just for me. Sometimes I have to use a substitute fleet made up of transport ships to lay out an impenetrable defense.

At Novgorod, I managed to resist Sviet Rus’s great numbers.

And then there was Musashi. That massive ship managed to fly right over me.

Isn’t that cheating?

But, she also thought. They felt the need to deploy the Azuchi and other large ships against us. In that case…

“Is this where I’m supposed to end my career!?”

She hadn’t been exiled. She hadn’t lived out the rest of her life quietly. Who did she need to thank for that? Nobunaga? Shibata? Or…

…Musashi!

She was reminded of that enemy by the Azuchi’s presence.

“Sakuma-sama!”

A divine transmission arrived from the ship protecting her out front. The ship was breaking apart and engulfed in destructive flames and the abandon ship alarm was playing over the transmission.

“It’s up to you now!”

●

Sakuma’s view opened up. She only shouted the word “charge”.

The Kariya Castle accelerated. It accelerated downwards like she had ordered. And the bridge’s side escape hatch was purged by spell explosives.

The entire crew was abandoning ship. They all gave Sakuma worried looks as they escaped ahead of her.

Wind roared through the bridge. Sakuma merely looked out ahead with two insha kotobs in hand.

Wreckage filled the air. Explosive flames illuminated the night sky. Ether light scattered through the atmosphere.

She had seen these sights countless times on countless battlefields. And…

“There they are!”

The Azuchi’s 2nd central ship hadn’t slowed down at all. It was on a collision course. But Sakuma saw something in her newly cleared view.

The Azuchi’s main cannons were accurately aimed her way.

●

“You have approval. Fire at will.”

Takenaka spoke quietly in the upside-down dining hall.

“Because Sakuma-san is a friend.”

●

“Azuchi” watched as the twin main cannon blasts slammed into Sakuma’s Kariya Castle.

With such a close-range shot, the scattering light only barely preceded the great scraping noise.

…Were they destroyed!?

But “Azuchi” confirmed the answer with her mechanical sight devices. As the bursting ether light fell away, she did not see any wreckage or shards.

“The Kariya Castle is lightly damaged! I have determined its charge continues! Shaja!”

Sakuma’s Kariya Castle was a small ship, but it had managed to deflect the Azuchi’s main cannons. How did it do that?

“Did they match our timing and counteract it with their own cannons!? Shaja!”

●

“Y’know,” Sakuma said on the windy bridge. “You’re supposed to aim before you fire.”

One of her insha kotobs shattered. It was the one for the Kariya Castle’s firing control. She was focusing it all on sharpshooting and for one singular reason.

“If it’s bright enough out, the cannons can track your movements. That’s a lesson for you, Azuchi.”

She had fired her cannons as a counterattack against the enemy’s main cannons.

Only a warship could pull off that trick when there was no other option for defense.

Using an attack to defend was an unorthodox example of her retreating principle.

She mustn’t fire first. By activating acceleration spells within the long barrels, she could generally negate the enemy attack before the barrels were destroyed. And in the same way, she would lose if she was too slow.

If possible, she wanted to aim for the first moment after the enemy shells were launched. If that threw off their initial angle, they would be way off course before they reached her.

“Now, the shell acceleration spells have shattered and their ether is scattering as chaff!!”

She had sniped their main cannon blasts immediately following their launch. She had less power, but the shells themselves had been transformed and they scattered a shockwave all on their own. That also scattered the spells meant to protect the outer casing of the shells.

The main cannon shells meant to smash her smaller warship had instead spread their power across the Azuchi’s upper surface.

The Azuchi’s 2nd ship had to have lost sight of her.

But she knew the 6 ships were already linked. The 2nd central ship’s view was blocked, but the other ships would take over there. Which meant…

“Are they coming!?”

Artillery blasts from 5 directions slammed into her all at once.

The other 5 ships had opened fire now that the diversionary wall was gone.

●

Niwa was watching it play out with a magnification spell.

“Sakuma-san…”

The bombardment from 5 sides caused explosions, filling the night sky with a dust and spray of ether light.

It was a direct hit. Descending courses had a tendency to take straight lines. They must have aimed for that. So…

“Will she reach them!?”

“Eh?” said the others, looking her way, so she expanded the magnification spell insha kotob she was watching.

It displayed the southern sky. The Kariya Castle dumped flames and a cascade of light into the air, but…

“She hasn’t fallen yet. She’s lost her armor, but she’s ‘undamaged’!”

Niwa didn’t need to explain why. “Oh,” one of the others said. “I see the ship!”

Exactly. A ship had stripped off all the fire, ether light, and shards scattering out into the sky.

“She purged all her exterior armor to avoid the bombardment and to increase her speed. It’s a plan Sakuma-san put together to bring the Kariya Castle home alive, not just for defense. Technically speaking, any ship could do it, but not all at once like that and not to defend against an attack.”

But it was obvious what this would lead to. The Azuchi’s 2nd ship could not fire its main cannons again right away. And the other ships’ cannons had only just reached a decent firing angle.

They couldn’t respond to the Kariya Castle’s sudden acceleration.

●

Sakuma decided to see this through to the end.

She would find the answer to her question: was she good enough?

“Answer me!”

Shibata would be retiring here. Takigawa already had, as had Matsunaga and so many others, even from other nations.

It must have been fun and they kept on doing it. So…

“Hashiba! Prove to us that our way won’t cut it anymore!”

She flew toward the bridge of the Azuchi’s 2nd central ship. She wasn’t falling – she was descending. She could fall after hitting them.

She would stop them here. And…

“Give me an answer!” she shouted, right when it happened.

On the Kariya Castle’s deck, visible out from the bridge, something rapidly descended from directly above, arms spread toward either side of the small ship’s deck.

It was Hidamari Genbu.

●

The heavy black machine sank into the deck’s outer panels and Koroku used the sole control to keep it from breaking through.

She had gravity active in both arms. If necessary, she would hit the enemy with the gravity barrier she had used to repel Bernard’s dragon swarm, but…

“Sakuma Morimasa!”

She shouted exactly what Takenaka had told her to say.

“Is this your final retreat!?”

●

Sakuma clenched her teeth.

She could already see her destination.

…What do you know!?

But she clenched the metal fists held against the windshield and spat out a breath.

“Damn!”

Whether she or anyone else tried to understand each other or not, this was still a battlefield.

What was her answer? She already knew.

“Shiba-chan…I’ll do everything I can!”

Her party had ended, but she hadn’t stopped. That wasn’t allowed.

From here on, she would probably stew with envy toward Shibata and the others who had completed their stories. She knew she was behind the times and she was no longer the hero.

…Damn!

But this was a battlefield. Whose battlefield? Shibata’s.

So she raised her voice.

“Ahh!”

She raised her hands and slammed them against the windshield. The wind blew and the glass washed over her like spraying water. But she didn’t care.

She spoke to the black god of war in front of her.

“I, Sakuma Morimasa, surrender!”

She surrendered. She did not fall.

●

Sakuma descended toward the Azuchi.

Niwa watched as a black god of war jumped down onto the Azuchi.

The magnification spell showed Sakuma standing on the god of war’s shoulder with arms crossed. She looked confident, but it had to be at least partially bravado.

But this meant the privet was over.

The Kariya Castle was now ownerless and it descended behind the Azuchi on autopilot.

Genbu landed on the Azuchi.

The black god of war slid along the deck and had to stop itself on the raised section at the base of a cannon.

But that was all.

Sakuma’s retreat was over. And…

“Niwa-sama! Why did Sakuma-sama choose to surrender!?”

“No, that was her final retreat.”

Because…

“If she continued down, the Kariya Castle would have been destroyed by Genbu, accomplishing nothing. But if she’s taken prisoner, the Azuchi has to respond and protect her. Which option slows her enemy more, preventing their invasion for just a while longer?”

With exclamations of surprise, everyone applauded toward the southern sky, but Niwa was honestly concerned.

…Since when did Sakuma-san get so passionate?

She must have felt a need to prove herself facing a massive ship for the first time since Novgorod.

Plus, tonight was a history recreation linked to Shibata.

…What if that passion affects me too?

I need to be careful, thought Niwa.

“Niwa-sama! The Azuchi has reconnected itself! It’s beginning the side flip maneuver!”

●

“Oh,” said Magoichi when she saw it from the Lake Biwa Azuchi.

As a gunner, she reflexively reacted to sudden movements, but this one was especially large. And it was one she recognized.

“So we can see the Azuchi’s flip from here.”

She had seen it up close at Kantou, but this was the opposite. In the distance, she could see them attempting to fly over the Shibata Team’s heads.

They were beyond the short mountain range north of Lake Biwa. A black wall rose up into the sky there. The Azuchi’s six ships took a course like they were swinging themselves upwards.

It was hard to tell with such a colossal ship, but they had to be moving faster than sound. That may have been why arcing clouds trailed after the ships, decorating the dark night.

“Quite the picture,” sighed Magoichi as she watched it all.

A fierce battle awaited that ship.

And the people here had their own preparations to complete. The Musashi was hidden behind its stealth barrier and they had no idea when it would reemerge.

Also, preparations for the Honnouji Incident were underway southeast of Lake Biwa. Magoichi was certain the Musashi would respond when Honnouji began, but…

“They must be resting before the battle right now. A nerve-racking silence for us.”

She pondered the differences between the two sides when she heard the roar of the six ships in the northern sky.

“When did Musashi become the ones pursuing us?”

●

“Hmm?”

Toori awoke in a dark room.

…Huh? Didn’t this already happen?

Didn’t I wake up for no good reason and…oh, right. I was thankful for something and I joined the arms in some bowing.

And now…

“Oh.”

He hadn’t noticed it before, but the ceiling was unusually high up. Which meant…

“Right.”

He finally realized that this was Horizon’s room.

Chapter 22: King of the Bedroom[edit]

Hey

Did she

Steal my futon?

Point Allocation (Secret Royal Art)

●

Toori got up.

He looked around the dark room partitioned by curtains, confirming that this was the space next to his own room. This was Horizon’s place.

The futon here was meant for one, but they had decided to share it for the night.

“Share?”

He looked over to see Horizon sleeping with her eyes open and her body stiff and straight.

…Is this the Pharaoh Sleep that Naruze and the others mentioned?

Leave it to Horizon to remember to pull a gag even when she sleeps.

“But wait. Hold on. She wasn’t like this when I woke up earlier.”

Her arms had been removed, but he was pretty sure she had been sleeping normally.

Yeah, that’s right. The arms and I bowed toward Asama, Nate, and sis. Cause I have all of them to thank for what’s happening now. But…

“She must have started the Pharaoh after that.”

He opened a sign frame and snapped a photo on instinct, but then he noticed her right hand waving at him. Which would mean…

“Are you awake?”

“Oh? You wanted to photograph your sleeping wife? You have some…unorthodox interests, Toori-sama.”

Horizon artlessly got up. Then she bent her arms behind her head and wiggled her hips side to side.

“Hm! …Oh, I am simply doing some wakeup stretches. It assists my morning bowel movement.”

“You didn’t expect me to wake up then, did you?”

“Forget about it,” said Horizon in the dim glow of the auxiliary lighting sign frame hovering near the ceiling. Asama had it set to come on whenever someone got up.

“Toori-sama, are you ready? This is a time for secrets.”

“Eh? Oh, yeah. I guess it is.”

He reached below his change of clothes and pulled out a basket he had snuck in. It contained something he had whipped up quick after returning home last night.

“I made some marzipan. In two colors: white and red as celebratory colors. The red one has jam in it. Not that you can tell the colors in this light.”

“Toori-sama.”

“Yeah?” he asked and Horizon replied while skewering a piece of marzipan with a fork.

“Well, I just thought this was interesting.”

“What was?” he asked back and Horizon looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

“Well,” she said again. “I honestly thought the two major highlights of a relationship were docking scenes and fight scenes where the theme song is playing over them.”

“Eh? Are you saying our docking scene wasn’t any good?”

“It seems to me the quality of such things is a matter of individual taste, but as it included some historical firsts, I believe it was a major contribution to human possibility.”

“Wow, you’re sounding really smart right now, Horizon! …So what about it?”

“Well,” she said a third time. “If that is indeed a highlight of our relationship, then I was thinking that doing it again would give us more time for secrets like this.”

Her point was a little unclear, but he thought he got what she was trying to say.

He thought a bit before trying to respond.

“I guess you’re right. Without that, we wouldn’t have this.”

In that case…

“When you do something big and you think it couldn’t get any better, you discover new things you haven’t done yet. And that’s a discovery you only make after you do something that seems like it couldn’t get any better.”

“Judge. And I find that interesting. I can sense the possibility there. You wonder if there could actually be something better, something bigger. And…”

And…

“Whether relationships or anything else, what determines the value of the things we encounter in life?”

“What makes you ask that?”

“Judge,” replied Horizon. “It seems to me now that their value is determined by their newness – not how big or great they are.”

“How would you explain it in terms of boobs?”

“With boobs, you have to look past the size and shape and consider their firmness and the skeletal frame they are situated on. And you must not forget the people who prefer the more aged variety. This is a difficult topic to discuss in terms of boobs, Toori-sama.”

“I really didn’t think you’d take my gag seriously…”

“This is a time for our secrets, remember? …Although I did mostly respond on a whim.”

“D-do you have to lift me up just to tear me down again!?”

“Calm down.” Horizon held a hand to stop him. And she took a breath. “But if everything vanishes into the past eventually, how much does any of it actually matter? Because anything in the past can be framed as a good thing. The past is like a parallel happiness. …Oh, but I just woke up, so I’m really just saying things.”

“Yeah, I got that feeling when you started getting poetic.”

“It is true I am a poetic girl.” Horizon grabbed another piece of marzipan with her fork. “The world is filled with ubiquitous things we are unaware of and unknown things to be discovered in the future. If relationships are the same, then the more ways to arrive at them, the more fun there is to be had.”

“And now we can share those things and work at them together, huh?”

“That is indeed what it would mean, Toori-sama.”

They both bowed their heads atop the futon.

“I look forward to our new life together. …Toori-sama, you must bow your head lower than mine.”

“Wh-why are you like this!?”

“But anyway.” Horizon raised her head. “We are sure to find many more things we are unaware of.” She narrowed her eyes. “After all, we are no longer alone. If I find something difficult to tell you, I can go to Asama-sama, Mitotsudaira-sama, or Kimi-sama for advice, which leads to secrets with them. And I of course look forward to hearing what they have to confide in me and achieving a deeper understanding of you and them.”

“Now, there’s a scary thought.”

When he said that, Horizon beckoned him over. She bowed toward the rooms where Asama and the others slept.

“You too, Toori-sama.”

He didn’t mention he had done so already because he couldn’t thank them enough. And…

“If I tried to thank Asama-sama, Mitotsudaira-sama, Kimi-sama, or the others, they would only smile and refuse to accept my thanks. But that does not mean I will forget how thankful I am.”

“Right?” He had to agree with her there. “Asama and Nate both said they would rather I rely on them than thank them. Like I do with sis.”

But…

“That isn’t easy. I’d have to say something like ‘thanks, I’ll rely on you more from now on’, which doesn’t quite get across how I feel.”

“You are bad at relying on people. You are much better at having them rely on you.”

“Of course I am. I mean, I’m a king. If I think it’s a problem when people rely on me, I’ll never get anywhere. And I know I can’t hand all that to someone else.”

However…

“They all understand that and share the burden with me.”

“Because even you are a normal person. Asama-sama, Mitotsudaira-sama, and Kimi-sama must all understand that.”

“Yeah, when you’re right, you’re right. I’m as normal as they come.”

“Judge.” Horizon nodded. “Without your bad jokes, nudity, and crossdressing, you would be a forgettable background character.”

“Wh-who do you think I am – Tenzou!? And what about my good looks!?”

●

Art-Ga: “What? Tenzou woke up all of a sudden? He had a nightmare about going unrecognized at Honnouji because the enemy ignored him as a background character? Sounds more like a prophetic dream to me. But why did you contact me about this, Neshinbara? You want me to draw a doujinshi about Honnouji? Titled ‘Secrets of Honnouji Laid Bare’? That’s such a cliché title. Ah ha ha! Sorry, I’m in a bit of a high trying to work out what I’ll be drawing about the Chancellor.”

Four Eyes: “I will buy three copies of that doujinshi.”

Novice: “Stop interrupting! Anyway, I also want you to call Stuart-kun for me. The damage here could spread. Because it will affect morale.”

●

“Anyway,” Toori heard Horizon say. “It probably is selfish to want to remain a normal person even as the burden you carry grows. I similarly want to take it easy and continue my work at the café. I think it is perfectly fine to do that while also conquering the world.”

“I agree there. In fact, you kind of have to do it.”

“Thank you,” quietly said Horizon. “I hope I can solve some of the problems you carry on your shoulders, but I will also share that burden with you. We have a goal and, as important as it is, we will still be tired at times and sad at times, but there is a risk we will be unable to keep our distance from it all. I have my time at the café, but you are frankly abysmal at taking time off.”

“Why do you always have to turn these conversations into jabs about me!?”

“Calm down.” Horizon held out a hand to stop him and then bowed toward the adjacent room again. “Fortunately, we have people who can teach us so much and who we can rely on and go to for assistance. I am thankful for the relationships that gives us all that. Because they came here knowing what it would mean. …For Mitotsudaira-sama, being with you effectively makes her dream come true, so you need not feel like you are burdening her as you share the problems standing between you and this other dream.”

“Yeah… She’s a lot like sis in that sense. She never really asks much of me.”

“That is true of Asama-sama as well. So you indulge in her kindness and rely on her. I think the extreme form of that could be the eternal task of building a kingdom and conquering the world.”

“Is that why you set all this up? Intentionally or not.”

Toori pointed around in a circle and Horizon tilted her head a bit. And eventually…

“Anyone can tell when something is important. And there have been many times when I realized anew just how important something was. As those things become our past, they reinforce the motives behind our actions. I am sure we will find many things we were unaware of and learn we should have done things some other way, which will also reinforce our motives.”

“You’re actually super smart, aren’t you?”

“I will make decisions about things, but instead of leaving that decision as final, I merely place it in a box of possible decisions. …Oh, and that you fail to understand this proves that you are an idiot.”

“Th-that sounds pretty final to me! What happened to the box or whatever!?”

“I meant it as a compliment. I will toss this in the box despite your lack of understanding. …Even if I do know you are indeed an idiot.”

“You refuse to back down, don’t you?”

“Because I am starting from a different place,” said Horizon. She then took a look around. “I am sure a lot more will happen and we will likely find more advantages for doing this sort of thing. For now, a lot of it feels more like a burden than anything, but I also think our family will grow and become livelier in the future.”

So…

“Our future is filled with fun.”

Toori smiled a bit at that.

“So it comes back to what’s fun, huh?”

“Relationships come in endless variety and they provide new values and pleasant memories. Wanting as many of them as possible does feel greedy.”

“So what will you do?”

“Judge.” Horizon nodded. “I think you should take my awful father’s inherited name. Besides,” she said, gesturing toward the Logismoi Oplo on their wall hangers. “Politically speaking, the leader of Matsudaira is free to start blasting with these, which should help us attack the other nations. Fortunately, they won’t actually hit anything. We wouldn’t want to be responsible for any real damage.”

●

“Why did you just spring out of bed, Muneshige-dono? Do you need to call Gin-dono?”

“Oh, no, I am fine. I just had what I believe to be a prophetic dream. Yes, a prophetic dream about the Logismoi Oplo hitting.”

“Sounds like a bad omen to me!!”

“Noriki-kun, that is not something to say with a big grin.”

●

“Anyway,” Toori heard Horizon say. “As much trouble as it will be, we should be fine for the time being as long as I remain Matsudaira Motonobu’s daughter.”

“Hmm, that’s not going to be fun for you.”

“I will be fine. Because if anything does happen, I can blame it on my father.”

“Y-you’re also going to blame him for things that are your fault, aren’t you!?”

“That aside, I do not want a repeat of what happened at Mikawa. That battle established the precedent that it is acceptable to include the Logismoi Oplo in the history recreation. At the very least, I want to avoid any other groups hoping they can use me to get their way.”

“You really are super smart, aren’t you!? You’re so clever!”

“Heh,” breathed Horizon. “Of course I am. I have saved Masazumi-sama from disaster on more than one occasion, after all.”

●

“Why did you just spring out of bed, Masazumi? Do you need to use the privy?”

“Oh, no, I’m fine, Futayo. I just had what I think was a prophetic dream. Yes, a prophetic dream about Horizon introducing the Horizon Rules to the Honnouji Incident.”

“Yeah, I could see that happening. Vividly even.”

“4th Special Duty Officer, let’s not encourage her.”

●

“But,” said Horizon. “Since I have the authority of Musashi’s Vicereine, I can participate in political matters as Musashi’s princess and assist Masazumi-sama, so nothing will change there. Meanwhile, when we are speaking with foreign VIPs, Masazumi-sama could use your inherited name to our advantage.”

“Hey! Don’t you mean I could use my inherited name!?”

“Are you planning to follow the history reaction by pooping your pants and then eating tempura?”

“What the hell!? That’s a new one to me!!”

But this leads into what I want to do, he realized.

“That would make me king of the Far East, wouldn’t it?”

“I suppose that would make me the first lady.”

“What, do you like the sound of that? Because it would, Horizon. …What’s that look for!?”

Eh, she’s probably just happy. As for him…

“We’re about to start so much, Horizon.”

“Looking back, we are constantly starting things. That tends to be how we live our lives.”

Horizon lay back down, opened a sign frame, and checked something.

“Since we woke partway through the compressed sleep cycle, its effect was reduced.”

“Can’t we go back to sleep? And ask Asama to give us a hand once we get up.”

“I feel bad relying on her already. She does so much for us.”

Horizon bowed toward Asama’s room.

“Pleasant dreams, Asama-sama.”

●

Asama woke with a start, her heart pounding.

“A lewd dream!” she shouted, but then she realized…

…Huh?

She didn’t remember her dream. That wasn’t unusual. She wasn’t sure if she should be disappointed by that, but her sleepwear was badly disheveled.

She looked down to see they were parted from the bottom up to just past her navel and the top had somehow managed to pull down enough to expose just her breasts. She was glad she was wearing a swimsuit below, but based on the structure of the sleepwear…

“This would only happen if I forcefully spread my legs wide and pushed the chest down…”

What kind of dream had she had?

She noticed her pillow was badly deformed, perhaps from burying her face in it and squeezing it tight. She patted it back into shape and, by the time she took a break, her night sweat had cooled.

It wasn’t chilly since this was a late summer night and the room was air conditioned, but her sweat had cooled. She opened a sign frame and activated a cleaning spell. After adjusting the impurity away, she collapsed back into her futon. And…

“Toori-kun and Horizon.”

They were asleep in the adjacent room. They already had been when she and Mitotsudaira had gone back to their rooms after she cleaned up.

…Finally.

Maybe it was wrong to think it was impossible for those two to ever calm down, but they had at least accepted each other. She was sure they had discussed and confirmed many more things, including the value of what they were doing. And then they would be moving on to the next thing.

“Good.”

●

Good, she thought again.

Thinking back, she had known Horizon as P-01s since last year, but everything had changed at Mikawa and now they had the present.

Given what had happened ten years ago, this felt like a long-awaited conclusion.

Nothing like ten years ago would happen again.

When he had returned, he had stopped doing anything at all and Asama had often wondered what would have happened if not for Kimi.

But all of that had been fulfilled here.

…It’s like purification.

All the bad things could ultimately be converted into something good. She knew they were still on their way to “all’s well that ends well”, but she also knew that things were “well” now.

Good.

Had she created a single blessing here? Something that would help guide them? She felt conceited to feel that way, but those two were definitely there in the adjacent room.

…Good.

She thought that about the two of them, about him, about Horizon, and about herself. Could she believe it was the same for everyone because it was late at night and the room was so dark? Whatever the reason, she felt an excitement she didn’t think was related to the strange dream she apparently had. And…

“Yes.”

The tears caught her by surprise. Just like when she was back at the shrine. She again shed tears of happiness. She knew this would be far from the last time it happened. And…

“I…”

I want that too, she thought. I can wish for it while I wait. Because I’m part of the “family” now.

His very presence made her happy and she knew he needed her and wouldn’t hesitate to seek her help. She understood deep down that showing appreciation didn’t need to be the most important thing.

“Yes.”

If she hesitated to claim her happiness, she might as well not be part of the family. She hoped she could shed these happy tears for herself someday.

She knew there would be much fun to be had going forward. With him of course, but also teaching Horizon things, simply spending time with her, and nodding along while hearing the complaints she couldn’t share with him. She would be doing it all with Mito and Kimi too, so she doubted there were enough hours in a day for it all. But…

“Huh?”

She did have one question. It always happened this way, but…

Asama: “I just checked the sign frame and why are all of you still awake?”

●

Gold Mar: “Well, Gin-chan woke up all of a sudden and tearfully shouted something about the Logismoi Oplo gaining perfect accuracy.”

Tonbokiri: “Gin-dono, why did helping update that site help you calm down so much?”

Tachibana Wife: “I-I am so sorry for losing my composure!”

Asama: “Hm, I’ll retune the compressed sleep spells and distribute fresh ones, so please actually stay asleep this time.”

Art-Ga: “So what about Mitotsudaira on your end? Is she fast asleep?”

●

Mitotsudaira woke with a start, her heart pounding.

“A lewd dream!” she shouted, but then she realized…

…Hm?

She didn’t remember her dream, but she did remember the sensation. Someone was petting her head and all over her body, holding her tongue between their fingers and playing with it, letting her lick their skin and flesh, and letting her rub and grab it so she could feel its shape.

“Um…”

A dream was only a dream. Reality was reality. So she looked down at herself to find her sleepwear was disheveled.

The front was completely open and the swimsuit she had worn below was scattered around her. I can’t wear this again tonight, she realized, but her body’s condition was another problem.

She must have been hot because she had rolled the futon up and held it sideways in her arms. It even had bite marks on it.

…What kind of dream did I have?

But she did know why this had happened. Partially because of what happened that day, but also…

“The smell was so powerful.”

Asama had kept a cleaning spell constantly active in field-effect mode, but just once Mitotsudaira had caught the full scent before the spell took effect. The scent was gone now, but its remnants still lingered in her mind.

His sweat and such had been mixed with Horizon’s, but that had only made it stand out more. And…

Asama: “Mito! You had a lewd dream, didn’t you!?”

Silver Wolf: “Wh-what makes you think that!?”

On her sign frame, she saw everyone was awake and having fun. But she was awake too. Asama scent over a retuned compressed sleep spell, so while she accepted that…

…Whatever.

She had always been so stubborn. She did have her domain and standards to consider, but…

“I want to have fun.”

She smiled toward the adjacent room and the one beyond that and then collapsed back into her futon.

While wondering if she would return to that same dream.

●

“Why do they never seem to sleep? Over.”

A question I should have asked ages ago, thought “Musashi” while she continued her management of the ships.

She was on Musashino’s bridge. She stood behind the stage created as a command post. In front of her, “Musahsino” had taken that stage to complete the follow-up work after purging the base hulls and to organize the Asama Shrine and other areas waiting to be purged.

They also had a visitor.

“Hanami-sama, how are we doing? Over.”

“Very good.”

“Judge,” replied everyone on the bridge. “Musashi” could see the answer well enough from her sign frame.

“Musashino” was writing out the process for the Musashi’s lightening and its shift into combat mode. “Musashi” was checking the work and approving it. This process had been planned long ago, but this was more or less their first time actually doing it.

It was originally meant to help them escape.

…The imagined scenario was using gravitational cruising to escape an attack by another nation’s fleet and then being attacked again at our destination.

If more than one nation worked together, their odds of trapping the Musashi improved. If that were to happen, they would dump their cargo to lighten the ship and ensure the Musashi itself could escape. Of course, requiring the crew to evacuate the base hulls would cause a number of problems, but the plan was to escape to Mikawa, IZUMO, or the Ariake.

What would have happened during the Battle of Mikatagahara if the Ariake hadn’t been waiting for them and the Satomi Chancellor hadn’t done what he did?

“Imagining worrying hypotheticals is useful for simulating a worst-case scenario, but you cannot rewrite the past. Over.”

Then a voice came from the front right corner of the bridge.

“ ‘Musashi’-sama, did something happen between you and Sakai-sama? Over.”

“ ‘Musashi-Sakai’, if you require more work, you need only say so. Over.”

“N-no, ‘Mitaka’ said something to that effect! Didn’t she, ‘Kokubunji’!? Over!”

“Uh, next up is ‘Kichijoji’. ‘Kichijoji’. Over.”

“We are passing through ‘Nishi-Ogikubo’. Next up is ‘Ogikubo’. ‘Ogikubo’. Over.”

“W-wait, you can’t just skip ‘Nishi-Ogikubo’ and go to me! How is that fair!? Over.”

None of them seemed to have enough to do, so “Musashi” sent them all more work. Processing work from the other ships was transferred to the bridge and they all groaned, but…

“You are allowing the humans’ reactions to influence you too much of late. It creates a time lag and accomplishes nothing, so be more careful. Over.”

“You say that, ‘Musashi’-sama, but didn’t you cook breakfast for Sakai-sama earlier? Over.”

“I know how to keep it from influencing my work. Over.”

They gave her skeptical looks, but she concluded that a fact was a fact.

But while she was scanning the incoming data, she noticed a few curious things.

Musashi: “Ookubo-sama, we have external data coming in from outside observers. The Protestants are sending information on the Azuchi’s movements. Over.”

●

I knew it, thought Ookubo.

Since she would not be fighting on the front line at Honnouji, she was staying up working, but the world refused to stay still and kept giving her more work.

She was currently on the top of the academy stairs.

She had no interest in using the Student Council rec room that class used as their home base. At the same time, she found visiting this location of so many meetings and decisions stirred up a variety of emotions in her.

…If only everyone hadn’t seen my underwear here.

But the vantage point did give her a view of the Musashi in its entirety. It was missing a lot of pieces at the moment and she could see transport ships, gods of war, and automata at work. Most of them using the guide rails on the hull to install torii-shaped devices that would open up and deploy defense barrier shields. Others were adding on all sorts of equipment, but…

Nagaya-Stable: “The Protestants must want to earn some points since we just had a meeting with Catholic Tres España. Especially when we let Tres España evacuate our base hulls to Shikoku instead of getting the Protestants’ help. …Might as well reap the benefits of this popularity while it lasts.”

The data being sent over was indeed about the Azuchi’s movements. Kanou stood behind Ookubo as a bodyguard, but she also scanned and interpreted data for Ookubo. She briskly prepared some tea and…

“Milady, the Azuchi has jumped over the Shibata base, reaching a point behind them.”

“Yeah, but the Shibata forces will respond to that and it’ll end up being a head-on confrontation anyway. I suppose the Protestants aren’t in a position to tell if the Azuchi has split up or if the Shibata forces are responding to that.”

“After completing their post-flip attitude control, I have determined the Azuchi began some new movement. The observers should have been able to observe the sound and light that produced, so wait for that, milady.”

“Judge,” agreed Ookubo, resuming her work.

She had to greet the nearby nations regarding the Honnouji Incident and its likely aftermath. Several nations had already asked to hold negotiations on a number of topics.

…We need to win this.

The Honnouji Incident’s start time was approaching fast and some nations were taking advantage of that by making demands at the last second. In particular, the tribal groups that couldn’t even be called small nations located between Sviet Rus and P.A. Oda were volunteering as mercenaries, but they likely wanted a foothold for their eventual independence.

From P.A. Oda, AK was brazenly demanding to negotiate a business deal. He seemed to be doing well. I need to pull myself together to, thought Ookubo just before…

Musashi: “Ookubo-sama, I have a question. Over.”

Nagaya-Stable: “A question? Like what?”

Musashi: “Will the Azuchi arrive in time for the Honnouji Incident? Over.”

●

“Musashi” saw Ookubo start with “well”.

Nagaya-Stable: “If we knew that, it would greatly change Musashi’s response and our preparations right now. Whether or not we need to battle them as well makes a big difference. But…”

Musashi: “You do not know? Over.”

Nagaya-Stable: “Sorry.”

Musashi: “Not knowing is the default state, so do not let it bother you and continue your work. But do you really not know even though the history recreation says Hashiba must win? Over.”

Ookubo said “well” again.

Nagaya-Stable: “In addition to the possibility of interpretations, as much as we would like to think Hashiba has the upper hand, Shibata has Niwa, Sakuma- oh, Sakuma was already defeated, but the point is he has fighters like that on his side. And…I’ve received word that Hashiba herself is not present with the Hashiba forces.”

Why would Hashiba be absent from the showdown between Hashiba and Shibata?

Nagaya-Stable: “Since they’ve already dealt with Mouri and they want to prioritize the history recreation of the Great Return, leaving Hashiba alone at Honnouji is a valid choice. Ishida Mitsunari or Ootani Yoshitsugu would make an excellent bodyguard for her.”

Musashi: “That would mean the Hashiba forces are fighting at Shizugatake without their top level commander. Over.”

Nagaya-Stable: “It’s a great chance to prove the worth of their Ten Spears. But at the same time, the Shibata forces aren’t stupid. They’ll use their strength and their heads to respond. This could be an even greater challenge for the Hashiba forces than their attack on Paris.”

And…

Nagaya-Stable: “This is more a battle of numbers than it is how well they can respond and react. Because the Hashiba forces can’t afford any losses. They have an overwhelming disadvantage here, so they have to be careful. The best we can do is…well, I suppose making sure we’re ready for anything that might happen.”

“I see,” said “Musashi” in understanding. This told her what plan to go with.

She viewed the others on the bridge and found not one of them looking back at her. As it should be. They had work to do and automata did not require rest except when undergoing maintenance. She found the state of the bridge beautiful. So…

Musashi: “I have two things to tell all of you.”

She continued.

Musashi: “First, until the conclusion of the Honnouji Incident, this ship will provide assistance for the representatives of Musashi. Their job is to swiftly bring an end to the Honnouji Incident’s history recreation no matter what it takes. Our job is to assist them and ensure they will be successful. Over.”

That determined what they must do.

They would support everything that happened so it could end as quickly as possible. If they did that, the speed of the Azuchi’s arrival would be a moot point.

…We only need to quickly resolve the Honnouji Incident and leave.

And she had one more thing to tell them.

Musashi: “You must all think. I have a task for you. Until the Honnouji Incident ends, consider how your post and the Musashi as a whole can respond to the Azuchi. Come up with at least 1024 options each and upload them to our shared memory. I will compile that into a library we can use at any time during battle. Over.”

All Ships: “Judge! Over!”

An excellent response. Did she think that because she too had been influenced by the humans?

But they had a task to complete. And…

“ ‘Musashi’-sama! The Azuchi has passed the peak of its side flip maneuver. Its ships are twisting while taking their descent orientations! It appears they will stop their rear inertia after completing their descent north of the Shibata forces!”

Outside observers provided data on the enemy’s unseen movements.

That location was now a battlefield.

Chapter 23: Attacker in the Darkness[edit]

You are meant to be there

You are going there

When you look back

That is a bottomless home of monsters

Point Allocation (Counterattack Begins)

●

Yoshiaki sighed in relief when the Azuchi’s side flip passed its peak.

“We’ve gotten through the entrance and the approach. From here on, we’re on the battlefield with the Shibata forces.”

She was in the sky above the 1st port ship. Angie was above the 1st starboard ship and they had both been using Zwei Fürstin in anti-ship mode to blast as much of the Sakuma fleet as they could manage, but…

…The final armor purge was a close one.

It had happened behind them, so they hadn’t been able to react.

Yoshiaki hadn’t expected the enemy to have multiple stages of tricks that could hold off the Azuchi’s main cannons. And…

“Even that small, a full surface purge of a warship isn’t normal.”

That pushed her and Angie back. The Ten Spears and the Azuchi’s six ships had only just barely defeated a group of ordinary warships, even if they were the Sakuma Fleet.

Retreating Sakuma hadn’t grown complacent or careless. They had only managed to fight off that opponent because…

“It all came down to the last thing Takenaka said.”

Yoshiaki doubted they could win with power alone. So…

AnG: “Kime-chan, are you glad you came?”

Kimee: “I will be once this is over.”

They would be facing even more powerful opponents soon. She and Angie would provide covering fire from the sky, but the ground unit would be facing Shibata and Niwa, which wouldn’t be easy.

As for Hachisuka…

“Hachisuka.”

Yoshiaki checked her Magie Figur to see Sakuma was still on Genbu’s shoulder while the Azuchi performed its flip.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Riding it is way different from watching! This is crazy! Do I have gravitational control to thank for my feet staying put while we spin around!? You people have a lot of money!”

“Be quiet.”

“Huhhhh!? What’s that!? I know you said the bridge doubles as the academy, but do you have a medical center below it!? Where’s the cafeteria!? Is that it!? Where Takenaka’s sticking her head out the window and puking!?”

“Be quiet, POW.”

“Sorryyyy! So sorryyyyy! I’ll be quiet! Quiet as a whisperrrrrr!”

Glad I’m not near there. I might just shoot her.

AnG: “You’re a lot like Shouroku, so you must be super irritated by this.”

Kimee: “Don’t worry. I’m older, so I can handle it better.”

AnG: “That just means your fuse is a bit longer, doesn’t it!?”

Probably so. And the Azuchi had just reached the peak of its path. They had been rising this far, but now they would descend and gain speed all at once. But…

…It’s time to go.

The Azuchi was circling behind the Shibata Team.

Next, they would be battling the Shibata Team.

●

Yoshiaki didn’t know if this battle should be called infighting, a history recreation, or something else entirely.

Maybe I should wait until it’s over to think about that too, she decided.

But she did see a pattern in the lights on the ground. That was the Shibata Team’s battle formation spread out below. She could make out the rear side – which was to the north – from the lamp lights. And there she saw…

…Wait…

Kimee: “Takenaka! Something isn’t right about their formation!”

Kuro-Take: “Um, yes, I see it. I eroed on reflex as soon as ‘Azuchi’-san told me, so I’m feeling better now.”

What was going on down there?

Yoshiaki looked down at the ground where the Shibata Team’s formation was illuminated by the lamp light reflected off the snow.

Kuro-Take: “They’re facing north, aren’t they? Which means they predicted we would be circling behind them like this.”

What that meant was obvious at a glance.

Kuro-Take: “The Niwa Team on the south face was pointing south to face the Azuchi’s approach. But the Shibata Team in the center was pointing north. He must have guessed we would flip over them.”

Then it came.

Artillery light rose from the Shibata Team fleet spread out in the darkness below.

Alarms and the voice of “Azuchi” raced through the six ships a moment later.

“Artillery fire detected below! It is the Shibata Team! We will now accelerate to leave this airspace and stop north of the Shibata Team!”

That created a certain layout.

“We will be facing the Shibata Team! All hands, prepare for battle!”

●

“Now, then,” said Niwa as she viewed the rising clouds and listened to a great mass descending in the sky north of her.

It was night, but the clouds were rising. Beyond the Shibata Team’s cannon fire, the wind sounded like it was rupturing.

That was because a ship of the Azuchi’s size was descending from a side flip.

That ship was the size of a city. Its pressure on the atmosphere produced clouds and a great wind. It had to be using cushioning spells just like the Musashi did, but that wasn’t enough to negate it all.

Below the Azuchi, the atmosphere was compressed and then tried to escape, initially lowering the temperature and then sending a powerful wind rushing out.

…But Hirano-san is aboard this time, so they should be fine.

Hirano was a representative of the Tsurugi Shrine, so she would have greeted the local gods in the region below. Those gods could manipulate their land’s environment, so by making offerings of sake until the descent was complete, the climate changes caused by the Azuchi could be considerably reduced.

Shibata had predicted the Azuchi would descend to the north and so directed his fleet northward. Cannon fire continued to rumble from that direction, but return fire would be starting soon. But in addition to that…

“Now, then. Oh, I already said that, didn’t I?”

Niwa faced forward.

To the south. She could see the forest the Azuchi had passed over and the few remaining ships of the Sakuma Fleet were descending toward the center of Niwa’s battle formation.

“The members of the Sakuma Team who scattered and abandoned ship are gathering here, aren’t they?”

She gave an order and raised her right hand.

“That’s fine with me. Quickly arrange to receive them!”

●

Sakuma saw it from atop the descending Azuchi.

…My ships are returning?

From Genbu’s shoulder, she saw a few surviving ships gathering beyond the Shibata formation.

Similarly, the people who had abandoned the destroyed ships were gathering from the southern forest.

They were all being taken in by Niwa’s unit to the south and they would likely fight as part of her formation.

Their battle was not over yet. And based on that…

“Argh. Now I want to join them.”

“What a pain.”

Was Hachisuka annoyed with Sakuma, or did she mean it the same way Sakuma did? Sakuma didn’t feel like asking, but she could tell they were seeing and experiencing the same things.

“But now what? Niwa’s reinforced herself with my people, so what are you going to do?”

“We’re already doing it.”

“Huh?”

Her question was blown away by a great noise, along with all else.

To the sides, from the rear, and dead ahead, the Azuchi had fired its main cannons straight out horizontally.

…What is this?

The shots were not angled down to hit the Shibata Team’s formation. The barrage crashed into a wall of warships.

Sakuma visually followed the shells and saw a great many lights appear all at once.

Defense barriers had opened in front of the fortress wall formed by a row of Shibata ships.

The shells hit. Ether light shattered. Loudly. But…

“You’re continuing this meaningless shellfire!?”

As powerful as the Azuchi’s main cannons were, the ships Shibata had placed along the perimeter of his formation were all defense ships and warships that were either ironclad or of a similar class.

So why would the Azuchi continue this barrage against them?

“Below!?”

Just as Hachisuka had hinted, the Azuchi had sent out a ground unit.

With the Azuchi’s descent complete, they would be dropping down from the bottom of the ship. And to keep any artillery fire away from them, the Azuchi’s long range main cannons were providing covering fire. So…

“Is the ground battle beginning!?”

●

Yoshiaki felt a chill as soon as the Azuchi settled down between two northern mountains.

This had nothing to do with the air temperature. She had been following along within the Azuchi’s gravitational control field this entire time and that field hit her harder than expected, subtly affecting her circulation and shifting her organs.

As the Azuchi slid backwards, it must have used its thrusters to forcibly push itself forward and negated the recoil with gravitational control. The discrepancy between her actual movement and the forces acting on her body affected her on the inside, giving her a falling feeling like she had suddenly broken through the floor.

There was no point in doing anything about it. A health control Magie Figur activated and quickly adjusted her senses from top to bottom, as if reversing the chill.

AnG: “Kime-chan, this is probably what the boys mean when they say they can feel a ‘squeezing in their balls’. Y’know, like on a thrill ride.”

Kimee: “I will have to thank ‘Azuchi’ for this valuable experience.”

But light shot in from directly ahead.

That was the cannon fire coming from the Shibata Team’s fortress ships.

They were sending accurate attacks to the now-stopped Azuchi.

Probably because their descent had reached its lower limit. Before, they had only been firing after the path of the side flip, but now they were firing from head on.

The Azuchi was entering a true firefight with the Shibata Team’s ships.

The Azuchi was floating and fully exposed.

The Shibata Team’s ships were landed and also fully exposed.

It was a nearly motionless exchange. But one thing caught Yoshiaki’s attention.

Kimee: “Now, can they break through that formation? That’s up to our elite ground unit. Kasuya, clear us a path.”

●

Kasuya breathed in the outside air.

She wore a pair of silver crosses on her back and, even though it was late summer, she wore an M.H.R.R. winter uniform with a scarf installed with a defense divine protection.

The situation was already underway. They were currently in the stern standby station on the Azuchi’s 1st central ship.

Only around 200 would be following her. But…

“Here we go!”

The large door was opened just enough to let in the air, but now it opened vertically.

They were at the stern, facing backwards. The Azuchi was moving forward a bit to avoid sliding backwards after its descent. They would be using that movement to jump out to the front.

A forest rushed by below. They had to be at least 120km out. But…

“Okay.”

Kasuya raised her right hand and, rather than jump down, she stepped out into empty air.

The fall was about 150m. Katagiri predicted the descent would take around 12 seconds when using a descent spell.

“Brace for landing!!”

Did her voice reach those under her command? It didn’t really matter. The Hashiba Team’s greatest strength was their ability to manage on their own. But didn’t Kiyomasa just ask the underclassmen to clean her room?

At any rate, she had to focus on herself. She pulled a spell charm from her pocket while she fell rapidly at an angle.

It had no activation button. The simple activation system would trigger as soon as she pulled it from its paper case.

The spell caused the charm to turn transparent and become a lernen figur. And when she held it up like a visor…

…I can see!

The lernen figur let her see through the night. The night vision spell was derived from the divine protection of “God is all-seeing”.

She fixed the lernen figur in front of her eyes. That said, her Lou-Garou blood meant she already had good night vision and could detect things by scent. But she needed some information that didn’t provide her.

“Uh, oh!”

She was descending toward the tree branches. And she still had the Azuchi’s speed with her. She would not fare well if she crashed into a trunk or branch at that speed.

Those obstacles were all outlined by red light in the lernen figur.

She saw a tunnel of trees drawn out ahead of her. And…

…The shortest path!

Which route was best for landing without reducing speed? Everyone’s lernen figure was linked to the Azuchi above and it provided a blue ribbon line indicating the best path.

A moment later, she plunged into the forest.

The wind of her descent rustled the leaves, but she continued on, more forward than downward.

Below, she could see the ground illuminated by the battlefield lights and the moonlight. And below the forest trees, she saw…

“Snow!”

After checking its location, she grabbed a tree branch, threw herself forward, and tapped the heels of her boots together.

Immediately, she felt the sensation of solid ground below her feet.

She didn’t even need to look. Skate blades made of ether had formed on the front and back of her boots.

This was why she had wanted to maintain Azuchi’s momentum during her descent.

“Everyone, prepare to skate!”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, 12 seconds had passed. But she was no longer waiting to land.

She sent Azuchi’s momentum forward as she skated along.

The blades below her feet scattered the snow, but she did not sink down into it. Her forward momentum caused the ether blades to slide along the snow with a scraping sound. She heard many more of the same sound from behind her.

They were all following along. In that case…

“Now we charge!”

●

“Takenaka-sama! Kasuya’s unit has descended to the forest below and has begun skating out ahead. She lost four. Those four will continue on foot and join with the rest later. …Takenaka-sama? Are you listening? Shaja.”

…This divine transmission from “Azuchi” sounds like a lecture, but I do appreciate it.

And I honestly wasn’t really listening, thought Takenaka. Because…

“Sorry, Takenaka-sama! The Deskwork Division will secure the dining hall!”

“Securrrrring!”

The name inheritors not participating in Shizugatake and the students ordered to do deskwork rather than combat hurried to fix in place anything movable.

Everything had been reinforced in advance since they had planned the side flip maneuver, but the feint maneuver and reverse maneuver they used against the Sakuma Fleet had caused some problems. Hirano had managed to keep the power system stable, but from an welfare perspective, the Azuchi was a fairly dangerous place to live.

…That’s the high damage affecting us.

But we defeated Sakuma-san in the end, so it was worth it, she concluded. She noticed Asano was here. Multiple posts had reported her as something of an airhead, but…

“Yesss, yesss, yesss. Here’s the liiist.”

She handed all the participants a lernen figur.

While listening to distant cannon fire that sounded something like the roaring of the ocean, Takenaka checked the lernen figur she was given to see a diagram of the dining hall with a shelf highlighted.

…I didn’t know there was a shelf there.

For that matter, all the shelves and tables had already been blown away.

But Asano was already moving on to another room. And the students reinforcing the dining hall were facing the location of the shelf Asano had indicated.

There was nothing there. But…

“Here!?”

One student grabbed empty air and opened it. The interior of a shelf appeared there.

…Oh, that’s her storeroom spell.

Several shelves opened in empty air. They disappeared if you weren’t viewing them from the right angle, but the interior continued on further than the wall behind them. There had to be a lot of supplies and equipment inside.

“I see,” was all Takenaka could say.

Asano’s job was to split up her storeroom spell and leave it in crucial locations. If you needed something put inside, you only had to go to the hangar and ask the engine division’s maintenance team. The automata were in charge of determining the ideal locations. As long as the spell’s “lid” was on, nothing would spill out during the Azuchi’s sharp maneuvering.

Asano had probably thought up and suggested the idea herself. Because her spell was unique. And also…

…What she accomplished during the summer training camp.

Takenaka could tell a lot would become apparent during the Battle of Shizugatake. That made her want to break through the battlefield the best she could, so she made further preparations. And…

“Oh, Takenaka-sama! Can you come over here!? We’ve finished securing everything!”

Even as they said that, a push sent the table below her sliding along. They were moving it toward the table fixed in the center of the dining hall. When her table hit that one, her momentum sent her skidding onto the central table.

Then the chef walked up to her and set down several plates and pots.

“Now, eat! I know you’ll just throw it all back up, but you still need food! Also, don’t sit on our tables!”

He has a point. But…

“Takenaka-sama!”

While she moved into a chair instead, a lernen figur from “Azuchi” appeared next to her.

“We are having trouble supporting the ground unit’s approach! The Shibata Team has increased the density of their artillery fire. In another 10 seconds, the Azuchi will stop its advance and Kasuya’s unit will continue on ahead. Shaja!”

●

Kasuya realized the Azuchi had slowed in the sky above.

Most of her people were keeping up with her. They had all been selected from M.H.R.R.’s mountain unit. She had done a lot of her training with them and she had been friends with a lot of them ever since. Which meant…

“Kasuya! I’ll move out ahead! Because I have better eyes!”

She was accompanied by students her own age. A lot of them, while not locals, had lived here at some point. Many had worked with, worked for, or helped guard the Shibata forces, so they had been the best choices for this ground unit.

Their primary job was to reach the Shibata Team’s battle formation and the warships forming their fortress wall.

They skated along.

“Kasuya!”

One, an upperclassman girl, moved out ahead.

“You probably don’t know me after everything that happened and with your promotion.”

“No, I know you. You are Kousaka Kageyu. You work for Miki Academy Chancellor Maeno Nagayasu and you will be busy gathering information on Akechi after Honnouji, won’t you?”

She knew she and the rest of the Ten Spears held a special position, so she had made sure to learn about those around her. And that included the ones joining her now.

“You are Inada Daihachirou. You work for us – that is, for Hashiba. You hurriedly inform us of Maeno Nagayasu’s circumstances and of the plan for the Great Return, so you make Hashiba’s Great Return possible.”

It was probably Takenaka’s doing, but most everyone here was involved with the Great Return and the Battle of Yamazaki that come after the Honnouji Incident. Kousaka and Inada’s history recreations were related to the process leading up to those things.

So once the Azuchi’s crew gathered after this battle, they could shift right into the Battle of Yamazaki.

Kousaka smiled while skating alongside Kasuya.

“Sorry. I’m through feeling inferior. You don’t have to be a big name to be a name inheritor,” she said. “And the thing is, my Chancellor is already gone. He killed himself a bit ago.”

Kasuya knew that. That was part of an incident anyone from Hashiba would know about. In other words…

“As part of the Hidetsugu Incident, right?”

“Testament. Because he knew how important Hidetsugu-sama was. Given the later rise of the Date clan, he said we should avoid any real losses there. His advice was rejected and he had to go through with his suicide. Leaving behind a message to Hashiba saying such things shouldn’t happen. And what happened then? Thanks to Hashiba’s decision, Date and Mogami are now our enemies and Musashi is more powerful than ever. I thought Hashiba was such an idiot. I still do, honestly. But,” she said. “Maybe we have more important things to worry about? There are things we aren’t privy to. No one at our level is told anything about the Genesis Project, but I can still make some guesses. It’s supposed to end things but not let it end, right? So if we can’t make that happen, will my issues not matter anymore?”

“Testament. I won’t presume to say I know how you feel, but I have experienced something similar.”

That was…

“I have a memory of someone I cared for leaving me out of her care for me.”

“Testament. Is that so?”

Kousaka said “Is that so?” again while stretching a hand upwards and slapping a tree branch.

The branch bent like a whip and cracked at empty air.

Immediately, a sudden light pierced the darkness and tore into that branch.

…A bullet!

At the same time, Kasuya sensed a presence rushing their way from the mountains. A scent too. The scent was a combination of metal and spell gunpowder.

“Here they come!” shouted one of her comrades.

Kousaka and Inada exchanged a glance and a smile.

“Messengers, scatter to the sides! This battle will take more than unpowered skating! You know who we’re up against, don’t you!?”

They did. The enemy arrived from the mountains on either side and raced alongside them while firing their guns.

“These are the remnants of Takigawa’s tactical skating team from Oda! After the Siege of Kanie Castle, they chose this as their final battlefield!”

●

The Takigawa remnants saw this as their chance to settle the score.

“Kasuya Takenori!”

Their ninja techniques allowed them to quickly and silently approach and carry out an assassination. They had skate spells open on the soles of their boots, so they could skate on water, ice, or snow.

And so…

“Kasuya Takenori!!” they all shouted.

That was their only reason for being here. It all went back to the Siege of Odawara, that battle fought just before the fun of summer break.

They had lost their commander Takigawa Ichimasu there.

The final showdown had been between Takigawa and Musashi’s 5th Special Duty Officer. That 5th Special Duty Officer had ended the battle by seeing through Takigawa’s physical copy strategy. But…

…Sorry.

We know it isn’t fair to blame you, they all thought while increasing the speed of their attacks and their skating. But even so…

“Takigawa-sama fought you before she fought Musashi’s 5th Special Duty Officer!”

Yes. Takigawa’s part of the Battle of Shizugatake was completed early, during the Siege of Odawara.

And Takigawa had lost.

Against Kasuya Takenori, who led the enemy unit below.

Afterwards, they had placed the badly injured woman on a small transport ship and sent her to her hometown. She was already growing cold by that point, but it had looked like she was smiling at them and they had all cried.

And before they could do anything about it, summer break had begun.

At the same time, the Kantou Liberation had happened and they had temporarily joined Sakuma’s team while seeing which way the world would go.

All while noticing how nothing ever went the way they thought it would.

They knew it wasn’t fair to blame Kasuya. But…

“If not for you, Takigawa-sama might not have lost to Musashi’s 5th Special Duty Officer!”

“If Takigawa-sama had won, the Kantou Liberation might not have happened!”

“If that hadn’t happened, we might not be fighting each other here!”

Takigawa had hoped to minimize these kinds of internal conflicts.

She had known Shibata quite liked Hashiba and that the top levels of P.A. Oda were a close-knit bunch even as they spread apart.

So she had hoped to carry out the Genesis Project while valuing those things.

“But that one event distorted and eliminated our dream!”

That wasn’t Kasuya’s fault. They knew that. But they did have a clear reason for being here.

“For Takigawa-sama!”

They all performed three flips during their skating descent, drew their blades, and aimed their rifles.

“We will avenge her! Avenge her on the snow!!”

●

“I had a feeling Takigawa-san’s people would show up here.”

Niwa looked to the night sky while watching the Sakuma Team’s remaining personnel and ships gathering within the Shibata Team’s formation.

…No one ever does what anyone wants, do they?

Niwa knew Takigawa hadn’t liked infighting. That was why she had completed her history recreation of Shizugatake by dueling Kasuya Takenori during the Siege of Odawara.

She had decided a one-on-one duel was preferable to a battle between large groups at Shizugatake.

Of course, she hadn’t done so just because she cared about her allies.

She would have also realized it would preserve P.A. Oda’s forces, leaving them greater strength to combat Musashi.

After Shizugatake, Hashiba still had to face Musashi at the Battles of Komaki Nagakute and Sekigahara. Takigawa had thought reducing Hashiba’s forces before that would be a waste.

Niwa understood Takigawa’s thinking perfectly well.

That was why Niwa was participating in Shizugatake in Takigawa’s place now.

Which meant she was acting as Hashiba’s enemy.

She knew some would see this as wasting all of Takigawa’s efforts.

“But…”

Takigawa was gone.

However, there were those who would take issue with her absence.

So Niwa had taken her place.

She was not acting as Takigawa’s replacement to accept those who had adored Takigawa.

She was taking on the name to make it clear that Takigawa was truly gone.

But, she thought.

…I didn’t think it through.

Takigawa’s people, who had nowhere else to go, had hitched a ride with the Sakuma Team.

“If you hadn’t taken Takigawa-sama’s place,” they had told her, “we would have participated as independent mercenaries.”

She was not Takigawa, but they had served under Takigawa.

“We too will retire after this, but we thank you for letting us retire as the Takigawa Team and not as simple mercenaries.”

“Honestly, I didn’t want you here,” Niwa had said, sounding truly exasperated. “The idea was to be a ‘fake’ Takigawa-san so you didn’t have to show up. I mean, are you sure you want to do this? She didn’t like infighting.”

I really don’t want to say this, she thought, but she said it anyway.

“I think Takigawa-san really cared for all of you.”

She wasn’t talking about herself, but those embarrassing words still led the Takigawa Team to bow their heads.

The lieutenant who had served as Takigawa’s aide raised her head and smiled.

“Takigawa-sama didn’t like to open up, did she?”

“Shaja. She didn’t. And I can see now that feelings don’t always travel in just one direction.”

What Niwa had thought was for the best had actually made things worse, but the people here appreciated what that had given them.

It was impossible to decide what happiness meant for someone else. That was true for Niwa and Takigawa as well.

But Niwa still wanted to direct things in a positive direction. And…

…What do I do about the people who are happiest when things head in a negative direction?

Like Shibata.

He too was probably going to “retire” here.

She could make a pretty good guess how he would do it too. But…

“That wasn’t fair, Takigawa-san.”

Because…

“You went on ahead, leaving all of us to see this through.”

What a pain, thought Niwa, moving her gaze from her own formation to the Azuchi stopped in the northern sky.

The Takigawa Team and the Kasuya Team had to be battling below that massive ship. And…

“We need to get our next move underway. To liven up this festival.”

Chapter 24: Outstanding Achievers on the Snow[edit]

You might have a disadvantage

But you don’t have to worry

Remember that

Point Allocation (Work is Tough)

●

Kasuya could tell it all came down to the next 2km.

Her unit was currently heading straight toward the Shibata Fleet. Spells formed snow skating blades on their feet as they descended the snowy forest slope.

The Azuchi’s measurements said the forest would end in just over 2km. There was a clearing beyond that and the fortress wall of ships was about a kilometer from there.

Her sight enhancement spell drew out red lines to show her the location of the trees and any large rises or drops. The enemy was occasionally outlined with an orange alert, but she never got a clear reading and those outlines would vanish before long.

…Are they using ninja stealth spells!?

Projectiles flew her way. She thought it would be gunfire, but it was mostly kunais. The Takigawa Unit was swiftly descending the mountains on either side, but instead of coming directly for Kasuya’s unit, they arrived ahead, behind, and sometimes above them.

“Tonight we enjoy another dance upon the snow!”

They would rapidly spin three or four times while skating along and used the motion to throw the blades.

Kasuya could have handled it if they were only throwing one, but they threw countless kunais while constantly changing their rapidly intersecting routes.

“Tonight we invite you to the world of illusion!”

…Sh-shut up!

But their attacks were precise. Unsurprising for people who served under Takigawa. When the attacks arrived, Kasuya’s unit would take evasive action or produce metallic sounds as they blocked the kunais. Some of them were slowed each time that happened.

Kasuya realized the enemy was gradually spreading her unit out front to back.

Kousaka and some others were making their own attacks to deter the enemy, but pursuing the enemy on the mountains meant climbing the slopes. That meant these attacks somewhat slowed them too.

“Captain!” called Kousaka as she fell behind.

But she said nothing more. Because the enemy was close enough to overhear anything she might say. Which meant…

…Are we in trouble!?

If Kasuya’s unit was spread out too far, they would have difficulty after leaving the forest. Once they were in the clearing leading to the fortress wall of ships, they couldn’t scatter the enemy fire if they were spread out and their own supporting attacks would be thinned out.

Kasuya realized she needed to slow down and allow the others to catch up. But…

“––––!”

She accelerated instead. She moved out alone, pulling away from the others.

●

The Takigawa Unit mentally nodded in understanding of Kasuya’s decision.

…A smart choice!

The Battle of Shizugatake was when the younger members of Hashiba – who would go on to be known as the Seven Spears – were first discovered. If she was meant to be one of Hashiba’s top fighters…

“She needs to be able to breach our defenses singlehandedly!”

They blamed her for Takigawa’s death. They weren’t sure if they should pursue her, but if they did, the rest of her unit would reach the clearing below unharmed. That was probably what Kasuya wanted to happen. So…

…She isolated herself and left herself vulnerable to act as bait!

Pursuing and slaying her would be so easy. But…

“It would be even easier to crush her unit and then catch her in a pincer attack with Shibata-sama and the rest!”

Okay, they decided, changing course. There’s no point in taking the bait.

So they crossed paths with each other and occasionally took each other’s hands to take sharper corners and build up speed.

“To deal with them more quickly, we will first split up!”

They took a circular path. But instead of a single large circle, they split into three circles spread out across the length of Kasuya’s unit.

“Split them into three and surround them!”

●

Inada, who was now commanding the majority of the unit with Kousaka, regained his skating speed and spun around backwards.

The Kasuya Team had been split into three and surrounded by the three circles formed by the Takigawa Team.

The two sides of the valley acted like a halfpipe. The sounds of skates on the snow came constantly from the mountains. The Takigawa Team would accelerate within the mountain darkness and suddenly appear in the valley with the Kasuya Team.

…Here they come!

As soon as Inada aimed his gun toward one mountain with a two-handed grip, the ninjas racing down the snow on either side and out in front performed four rapid spins.

“They aren’t just to the sides and above us!?”

He put up his defenses against this surprise.

“Inada!” called Kousaka out ahead while two sounds rang out in quick succession.

They both came from up ahead: Kousaka’s gunshot and a clang of metal from overhead.

Not from below. From overhead. There was someone coming from below, but there was someone else coming from above.

The ninjas on the right and left were pulled by their comrades’ hands, disappearing back to the sides. At the same time, another ninja a mere meter overhead had been stopped by Kousaka’s shot.

“I nearly had you,” said the ninja before jumping away.

And while those ninjas drew the Kasuya Team’s attention, more arrived. They skated down the form the forested slopes on the right and left.

“––––!”

They used a gap on the slope as a ramp and jumped overhead. They performed a sideways spin in midair, threw kunais, and took their neighbors hands to alter their trajectories.

Instead of forming a simple circle around the Kasuya Team, they had created…

…A three-dimensional birdcage!

●

“Ha ha ha ha ha! Your luck ran out as soon as you entered the forest!”

The Takigawa Unit had formed three circles and set up a circulation between them.

They all skated quickly and added speed by using the edge of their skate spells to kick off the snowy ground.

The forest was a skater’s paradise. The snow had covered and hardened on fallen trees and large rocks, creating natural ramps. So the veterans could rush in and “level out” the snow while performing jumps.

The rest followed, those skilled enough to jump jumping and the rest remaining below. This created…

“A snowy night illusion!”

“We invite you to a world of gasps and surprise!”

They attacked. The vines hanging from the branches were superb. They could grab those and swing on them. When they were targeted, they could let go and perform three and a half twirls. When landing, they could include a double Lutz.

The enemy skating below had to hurry on head, so they wouldn’t have time to aim and fire on the Takigawa Unit moving between the left and the right, the top and the bottom. Because they were jumping from shadow to shadow within the forest. Every time they leaped from the snowy ground, it would distract the enemy’s focus. But…

“All hands, fire!”

The enemy girl skating within the central circle raised her right hand and her voice.

“Right side, focus your fire!”

●

The Takigawa Unit saw the enemy’s response. It was an incredibly simple thing, but…

“They’ve made their decision!”

The skating enemy split their roles between the two sides.

Their left side defended to the left, front, and back while their right side took aim at the right slope and…

“Fire!”

The central girl shot a tracer spell bullet toward a point on the right slope.

Immediately, their entire right side fired their rifles toward the same height as the tracer.

They unleashed a united volley as a group.

“…!”

The Takigawa ninjas on the left slope did not hesitate.

But they know what had happened to the ones on the right slope.

The height the central girl had fired on was the height they used most often. That height gave them the most leeway when turning toward the bottom of the slope.

Of course, they weren’t always at that height. Each one of them skated differently and when they picked up speed to reclimb the slope, they would often overshoot that height.

But that height was still a threat. So…

“––––!”

Several kunais flew from the shadows created by the trees on the right slope.

They were directed down toward the enemy’s right side, preparing their next move after firing.

They hit.

The enemy wasn’t blown away, but a few flinched or swerved, losing a lot of speed.

That had been effective, but they all knew the truth.

Those kunais were a sign that they had taken real damage.

The ninjas who had been shot and immobilized in the darkness had thrown them to try and hit the enemy moving on ahead.

They had been trained to throw several each, so based on the number thrown, around 7 had been hit by the gunfire.

The kunais had hit about the same in return. But…

“Take aim!” shouted the girl in the center circle as she accelerated her skating. She swung her right arm and pointed at the right slope. “Fire and charge the right slope!”

●

Kousaka’s first thought was to secure the slope.

Once they held one side, the enemy could no longer surround them or pass by overhead, in front, or behind them.

But that required charging the slope.

This would delay the entire unit’s progress and likely lead to casualties.

Also, this was not Kousaka’s unit. It was Kasuya’s.

She wasn’t sure how far she should take this, but…

…The captain left me in charge, so every person I lose is to my shame!

This wasn’t their only enemy. Their true opponent was the Shibata Unit. Their job was to open a hole in the fortress wall of ships.

That meant their one and only objective was breaching that line.

But this immediate enemy was different. While they did want to pursue Kasuya, they were primarily focused on crushing Kasuya’s unit here.

They had to hold a grudge against Kasuya, but as ninjas, they did not lose focus on the battlefield.

“Honestly!”

It was said ninjas placed their heart under the blade, but they did not hide their hearts. They had to want to catch up to Kasuya as soon as possible, but they kept responding calmly to her unit’s actions.

So Kousaka knew she and the others couldn’t afford to make a mistake. They had to consider this opponent first and foremost.

A chance to defeat them would eventually come. So to remain safe until then…

“Charge!”

This would slow their skating, but that was fine. They had to defeat this enemy first.

Kousaka’s side was equipped for a ground battle which would include artillery, but their enemy was equipped for a mountain and forest battle. That meant her side was more heavily equipped.

In a direct clash, they would have the advantage.

Once they had dealt with one side, they would form up for defense and attack the other. So…

“There!”

She fired a tracer bullet. A volley raced out toward that height. And…

“Chase down the Takigawa Unit!” she shouted while they all moved.

At the same time, Inada shouted up from behind.

“Kousaka! The enemy on the left slope is charging!”

…So they’re coming!

While they charged the right slope, the enemy charged in from the left slope.

This created a pincer attack. And Kousaka saw something else.

The enemy on the right slope should have been pushed back and on the verge of defeat, but…

“Huh?”

From her perspective, they took a simple action.

The slope of the dark and snowy forest grew steeper the higher it went, ultimately forming a vertical wall. The bare rock was visible in some places.

But the enemy “fell back” onto that wall.

They moved up and out of reach.

They even skated up an overhang of more than 90 degrees.

●

The Takigawa Unit skated along the snowy wall, out of reach of the Kasuya Unit’s charge below.

“Ha ha ha! Did you forget we’re ninjas!?” shouted the veteran in the lead.

“Far Eastern ninjas and Chinese martial artists know how to ignore gravity! Haven’t you ever played a fighting game!?”

“Oh, shut up!”

The enemy’s temporary commander’s shout was nice to hear. The Takigawa ninjas on the right slope wall nodded in appreciation, knowing they had made the right decision.

…But it was honestly a close thing!

Even with their skating spells and their ninja martial arts, climbing a steep forest slope in unfamiliar territory was a dangerous thing to do.

The other side was just barely managing it and the same was true of them. But bluffing was a virtue.

Also, this had been well worth doing. It was fortunate the enemy’s charge hadn’t reached them. And…

“The left group has arrived!”

Their comrades had arrived to attack he enemy from below, but they primarily used projectile attacks to avoid a clash that would only put them at a disadvantage.

They had successfully set up a pincer attack.

The situation was devastating for the enemy.

But they all saw the enemy’s current leader – the girl wielding a rifle – looking up at them.

Despite being on the receiving end of a pincer attack, she raised her right hand and her voice.

“Aim!”

Her people at the leading edge of the charge aimed their guns while doing a less than stellar job of skating.

They remained focused on defeating one side. The imminent clash did not shake them. Which meant…

“They are our definite enemy!”

●

Hearing gunfire, the Takigawa Unit dodged, attacked, and responded.

Sounds of spell gunpowder echoed through the forest and great force struck both sides.

Some of the Takigawa ninjas were knocked off course and some of the enemy were blown away. And…

“Ohhh!”

They did not stop. The gunfire was incessant and the throwing blades soared through the air.

“Yes,” someone said. “That’s right.”

“It ends here. It must end here, so it will end here!”

“Yes,” someone said. “The Takigawa Unit ends here!!”

As soon as their voices roared out, a flowing sound reached them. It came from far to the south. From the Shibata Team’s main formation.

“Music?”

It seemed out of place, but they knew what song it was.

“That’s a skating song. But…”

But as quiet as the music was from here, it wasn’t exactly graceful. All the parts that would require a conductor had been eliminated, creating something more like the popular music you would hear around town. That could only mean…

“Yes, that’s right.” The veterans lifted the corners of their mouths. “There’s no point in following the program any longer. This is an exhibition match.”

A few of them expressed their agreement. This battle was all about exhibiting the glory of the Takigawa Unit.

But who was playing this music?

“Is it Niwa-sama?”

No. It wasn’t. Who was she on this battlefield?

“It’s Takigawa-sama!”

●

Niwa sang within the Shibata Unit’s main formation.

Of her 3000-person mehter, only around 200 had appropriate instruments. Of those, she had chosen six of the best as her backup band. For the rest, she applied acoustic spells and sang.

“Ah.”

That one sound left her throat. Artillery fire was booming all around and all the moving people created footsteps and the clattering of equipment, so she had to find a sound that would break through all of that.

She found one. So…

…This will work.

She raised her right hand and the drums started. The four-on-the-floor beat wasn’t one she used often. It kind of reminded her of the Technohexen from Nördlingen, but that beat would work for now.

She had lyrics to use. The Far East had many songs that had been sung since ancient times. She chose one of those here.

“Hey, how are you doing? Still going at it like you used to?”

Ki no Tsurayuki was a major Far Eastern singer. He was from more than 300 years ago now, but he had obliterated the slow city music scene at the time and discovered several new talents. And he had sung this song.

“There’s no place like home. The plums are coming soon.”

But…

“Look at all the white clouds. So very far away.”

However…

“But do not wall yourself off. Do not distance yourself. Someone is thinking of you.”

She sang.

“I know I am. No one knows what the future holds.”

And…

“Today again I haven’t done a thing, but the sun will set all the same.”

And yet…

“I miss you dearly.”

●

The Takigawa Unit nodded at the lyrics they heard.

Yes, they thought. This was something they hadn’t been aware of. But this feeling they had thought was only anger was much better described by this piece given to them here.

They allowed themselves to accept how much they missed her.

…Takigawa-sama.

She wouldn’t have wanted them to do this. If she were still leading them, she would have chewed them out for it. In fact, she wouldn’t have allowed it to happen in the first place.

But this was what it meant to them.

“The Takigawa Unit will never vanish!”

They were here. They hadn’t given up and left. They were still here.

That was what they had wanted. They had wanted to stay this way. So…

“Never forget! Takigawa Ichimasu, known as one of Oda’s Four Heavenly Kings, is here by way of her unit!”

They launched an attack on their enemy struggling on the slope.

They were on a slope so vertical it was practically a cliff face. But they were ninjas and they had trained with Oda skating spells.

So they knew exactly what to do.

“Attack from above!”

The veterans in the lead located the footholds.

Snow had covered and frozen on the fallen trees. By using those as ramps, they could perform vertical backflips. From there…

“Go, V360 Turn!”

More than 10 of them threw kunais while performing great flipping leaps through the air.

They soared over the enemy’s heads and sent attacks into their midst.

But in that instant, they saw something.

With a bouncing sound of impact, the wind repelled them.

●

Kousaka saw it too.

“She’s finally here!”

A gale blew by overhead, scattering the enemy.

She knew what this was.

A certain power had launched a high-speed counterattack from the direction of the Shibata Team up ahead.

“Kasuya Takenori!”

Chapter 25: Singer from the East[edit]

Never let out even the slightest response

Never forget even the smallest thing

Point Allocation (The Secret to Getting Excited)

●

I have no words, thought Kousaka.

Because the power of the enemy-devouring black wind was overwhelming.

After all, the black wolf was not running on the snowy ground.

She was in the trees. The forest’s plentiful trees were her footing. And…

…She isn’t even using the branches!

It all happened so fast it took Kousaka a moment to notice, but the wolf had her body oriented nearly parallel to the ground as she ran through the trees. She used her powerful legs and muscles to essentially climb the tree trunks like stairs.

Kousaka had heard this technique relied on quick bursts of speed.

The black wolf ran as if gravity had been shifted by 90 degrees.

She held her silver crosses in her hands and her white scarf rippled behind her.

“Lu, la, la.”

The wolf devoured the attacking ninjas in the air.

The poor footing meant nothing to her. She used light twists of the ankle to drum on the trees and create loud vibrations.

Her strikes raced out. To them – no, to the enemy, it was a counterattack in every possible way. But Kasuya simply had to launch herself toward the closest enemy and swing her claws.

In an instant, more than ten ninjas were scattered through the air. Only then did the rest realize what was happening.

“Kasuya Takenori!”

I already said that. And I guess this means the enemy didn’t expect her to come back. But, thought Kousaka.

…That’s not how it works with a wolf.

Kasuya hadn’t gone ahead to reach the Shibata Team more quickly.

…She was checking on the footing for a counterattack!

Wolves were careful hunters. In an unfamiliar place, they would repeatedly investigate, check on locations their prey could escape to, locate escape routes in case they were pursued themselves, and only then use that place as their hunting ground.

During the Kantou Liberation, the Reine des Garous had surrounded herself with her own territory, but this was the same idea. At her level, she could rewrite any location into her own hunting ground. And in Kasuya’s case…

“La, la, lu.”

Her short, choppy howls sounded a lot like a song.

She raced through the air and the darkness while simply hunting.

Kousaka knew the ninjas were not the most dangerous thing in the dark forest of this battlefield.

There was something in this world much more frightening and much more suited to this place.

“Lu, la.”

Kasuya raised a wolf’s howl as she raced through the trees.

●

Kasuya ran.

It took her mere moments to cross the space covered by the enemy.

She would have continued right on past them, but…

…Now I turn!

She was essentially standing on the sides of the trees, climbing the trunks like stairs.

She turned in the same way. Instead of continuing in a straight line, she only had to choose a trunk that was “above” from her perspective. That allowed her hunt to reach the tail end of the enemies on the left slope.

Of course, all of them were skating. Enemy and ally alike were on the move toward the clearing where the fortress wall of ships waited.

She hurried to keep up.

She still hadn’t turned things around. Her attack had not fully eliminated the enemy on the right slope. She had only hunted down the ones soaring through the air. That was only two or so. There were plenty more where that came from. And…

“Kasuya Takenori!”

The enemy had located her.

From her perspective after making a midair U-turn by kicking off the trees, the enemy line descending from the east slope was dead ahead. And they were ready for her. They aimed their kunais and guns her way.

“I can see you!”

She could see it all from her position.

But there was a good distance between them. Her initial momentum had forced her turn into a wide turn. The enemy had plenty of time to attack before she could get close. And…

“Surround her!”

The enemy’s quickly skated around to try and form another circle. They hoped to surround her.

Meanwhile, she picked up speed. She hurried to beat out the enemy’s attacks and encirclement.

“Stay!!” she shouted loud.

●

The Takigawa Unit didn’t understand what she had said to them.

…Stay!?

What? As in, stay where they were? They all ended up looking to each other to see if anyone else knew.

But the enemy responded. They ducked down low even while skating.

The battle wasn’t over yet. And this battle was primarily being fought with projectiles. So had that been a signal to go on the defensive? But…

“That makes them sitting ducks.”

Kasuya sped up, but it wasn’t enough to reach them. Not even a leap fueled by Loup-Garou strength could reach them when they were skating. That distance wasn’t so easily covered. So…

“Attack!”

Their kunais and rifles were aimed at the enemy forces and Kasuya. But just then…

“Huh?”

They saw a pair of colors.

The blue and white appeared suddenly. While Kasuya kicked off the trees to pursue them, a great wall pushed in from behind her. It almost appeared to be formed from scattering moonlight.

The cascade of moonlight arrived with a sound of a rolling stone and the ring of chilly air. It was actually…

“The Azuchi’s cushion wind!”

●

Sakuma felt and saw it from Genbu’s shoulder.

The action itself had been simple. The Azuchi had descended.

While the giant ship suddenly lowered its position while exchanging cannon fire in the moonlight.

It had a reason for doing so. Its positions above the mountains meant it was higher up than the Shibata Team’s formation, giving it a poorer angle of fire.

So it lowered.

But there was an obstacle below: an area of thick, tall woods. The conifer forest, with its pointed trees stretching toward the sky, looked dark in the moonlight. It covered well over 50 square meters.

What happened when the ship descended below that?

Sakuma saw the answer for herself.

“Did you deactivate the cushioning spell!?”

When a ship that large flew, it used a cushioning spell to eliminate the noise and atmospheric disturbance. All large ships were obligated to do so. Failing to do so would lead to criticism from the other nations.

But what if it was done within their own territory? And out in the mountains where no one lived?

“Deactivating the atmospheric cushioning and descending sends great wind pressure across the forest.”

That wind pressure exploded below them.

Sakuma heard the roaring wind. She also heard snapping trees and crashing impacts from below the ship. The snow on the ground and broken tree branches rose into view from between the ships.

She also saw a white wave race out to the Azuchi’s surroundings.

A tsunami of sound whipped up the snow and spread through the forest night with intensity approaching that of a shockwave.

“Hold on, Hachisuka! Is your Kasuya okay down there!?”

“Probably,” Hachisuka replied from within Genbu.

The Takigawa Team definitely took the brunt of that, thought Sakuma.

●

One member of the Takigawa Team was still standing.

It was all over before they even noticed something was happening. Their knowledge of and experience in the mountains told them this was some kind of avalanche, but they were slow to react because none of that knowledge or experience told them about an avalanche arriving horizontally.

It hit them all the worse because they had taken attack stances against the crouching Kasuya Unit and Kasuya herself.

The snowy gale had hit them head on and a few were even swept away.

And by the time the wind had blown through, this one member found himself all alone.

Around him, the remnants of the snow were blowing down toward the foot of the mountain as no more than wind.

Most likely, he was still within that wind. The place was still lit up white thanks to the two full moons in the sky above. And…

…I don’t hear anything.

He was familiar with the concept of a whiteout.

He couldn’t see anything in any direction and the snow on the ground kept him from gleaning anything from the terrain either.

Everything had been erased by the white. And then he spoke out loud.

“Is it over?”

The Takigawa Team’s program and exhibition had to be over now. That may have been why.

…Ohh.

Looking around, he spotted the enemy at a distant point behind him.

But not because the white was clearing away. He could only see some crouching shadows in the distance toward the mountain, where the wind was blowing from. The ten or so figures had their backs to the snowy wind, but they seemed to be glaring his way. They were all aiming rifles his way as well.

“I see.”

Those were the first of the Kasuya Unit they had knocked out of the fight.

They had definitely been defeated. But they hadn’t “retired” from the battlefield yet.

“I see,” he said again.

Or maybe he only thought it. Because his body was frozen and wouldn’t move when he told it to. But…

“So you were the same.”

Once he said that, he heard a sound.

How far away was it coming from? A moment later, he felt an impact and collapsed into the snow.

Only then did he realize the sound had been innumerable gunshots.

●

Kasuya sensed that the battle was moving on.

During her turn, she had noticed her supposedly defeated people preparing an attack far behind them. She had heard the Azuchi’s descent and the gentle wind preceding it had carried the scent of them readying their guns.

Either Kousaka or Inada must have given them the order. From what she could see, some had intentionally joined that group.

…Which means none of them were “missing” from the battlefield.

“Oh.”

She landed, finding the snowy ground harder than she expected.

The wind on her back extended the distance and time of her leap.

She traveled through the white void of enemies, below the pale moonlight, and between the dark trees.

“Everyone, after me this time!”

●

Kousaka followed Kasuya.

…This time, huh?

But Kasuya had actually said something this time.

When she had gone on ahead without a word before, Kousaka had known she would be back.

The leader of a wolf pack only left without saying anything to hunt without alerting the prey. When that happened, the rest of the pack had to make sure the prey did not notice their leader’s presence.

That was exactly what they had done.

The wolf leader had returned and now the hunt was over. So…

“Let’s go, everyone!”

Kousaka didn’t know if they could all keep up. A black wind led the way. The Loup-Garou equipped with a silver cross on each arm kicked off the snow with no concern for the white wind still blowing in from the north.

And she sang.

The black wolf sang while pursuing the white wind and scattering chalk dust.

“I reveal the darkness without facing it.”

The wind carried her voice.

“I am Loup-Garou.”

Fallen twigs snapped below her feet.

“I bite at human fear from the abyss.”

She touched the leafy branches.

“Hear me, Loup-Garou children.”

She demonstrated a series of acceleration and running that linked together like a dance through the forest.

Kousaka hurried after her and urged the others to do the same, but…

“Eh?

Kasuya’s song should have been over. And yet…

…It isn’t?

That didn’t make any sense.

That was an old Loup-Garou song. They were a rare species nowadays, but back when they were still numerous in Europe, they would apparently sing that sing while gathering in the night to dance and play.

In Kousaka’s birthplace, the same song was passed down with altered lyrics to make it a human song. The song had ancient roots and the lyrics ended with that call to the children, so it was thought it had been created by Loup-Garou royalty. But…

“–––––––”

Out ahead, Kasuya’s words continued. Kousaka couldn’t actually hear it, but she could see the white breaths leaving Kasuya’s scarf.

Kasuya was still singing.

●

The Reine des Garous heard a familiar song in a familiar place.

She was at her candy house in the forest night.

Her daughter’s class had enjoyed a training camp here until the previous morning.

If the reports she had heard were accurate, they had gone on to squash Kyou and were about to visit Honnouji, but…

“Nate should be resting right now.”

She was simply walking around outside the house to clean up.

Those “outsiders” living here had added a new scent to her divine protections. That was probably thanks to her daughter’s presence. The candy house had recognized her daughter and her daughter’s king as its master, which had messed with the divine protections around the house.

So she was walking around and fixing the forest protections and the spirits that were in an awkward in-between state.

She walked.

But that didn’t seem like enough.

Wolves were mischievous.

So she occasionally touched the trees, let the wind wash through her hair, and made audible footsteps. The sound of the leaves she touched, the scent of the wind, and the firmness of the ground were all corrected to the way she liked it. She did not reject the touch added by her daughter, her daughter’s king, and their friends, so it all piled up like fallen leaves, giving the place a richer scent.

This is perfect. When the moon was out at night, it was a wolf’s time. But today, he was here too. So instead of howling, she approached the lights of the house and simply sang.

“I reveal the darkness without facing it.”

The wind carried her voice.

“I am Loup-Garou.”

Fallen twigs snapped below her feet.

“I bite at human fear from the abyss.”

She touched the leafy branches.

“Hear me, Loup-Garou children.”

She walked. She sang. But the song did not end there.

“I travel the night without challenge.”

She smiled a little.

“I am queen.”

She passed by the shed.

“I dance in the moonlight and the deep shadows.”

She arrived in front of the house.

“I am queen of the Loup-Garous.”

The door in front of her opened and her husband emerged in his pajamas.

“Mrs. Loup-Garou, was that the song you used to sing?”

“Hee hee. I haven’t sung it much since we left. Partially because I realized what it means.”

“Do you think Nate remembers it?”

“She should. She will be the next queen after all. That second part is passed down by the Reine des Garous, mother to daughter. The first part should be known to pretty much any Loup-Garou.”

She added a “however” and looked northeast.

They were out here because they were concerned about the east.

Yes, the east.

M.H.R.R. was there, but Kyou was past that. Once her daughter’s class completed the Honnouji Incident, attention would turn to this region near the provisional border. But…

“Mrs. Loup-Garou, the soup is ready! Nate’s king left the recipe for us.”

“That he even left a stock for us to use makes him seem a little overly eager to please.

“But that’s fine” she added, gently embracing her husband and entering the house.

A song reached her ears even as the door closed. Someone was singing somewhere far to the east.

“What is it?”

“Well,” she said to him, looking up into the sky through the cracked-open door. How should I put this? she thought, aware of her smile as she closed the door. “I can hear the song that only you and Nate should know.”

“I don’t hear anything.”

Of course he didn’t, but it pleased her that he placed the two of them on the same level like that.

Maybe he was just being nice, but tonight was the full moon. And she knew exactly how to get herself to forget about all this:

“Let’s have lots of furry fun in my beast form tonight.”

●

Kasuya approached the forest’s exit.

The rest of her people were keeping up with her. She hadn’t slowed any. She hadn’t been using her bursts of speed because that would eat away at her stamina, but…

“How about this!?”

Kousaka and the others were plenty fast.

They hadn’t been able to keep up with her original skating because that had been her full speed, but they were keeping up well enough. But one thing worried her.

“Are you all keeping your breath!?”

Our primary mission is to clear a path to the line of ships,” said Kousaka and the rest agreed.

A few moved out ahead and raised their arms.

“We can last that long, even if we run into a fight in the clearing first!”

“Ha ha. I heard you gasping for breath when we were climbing the slope earlier.”

“And we’re descending the slope now! It’s completely different!”

Everyone laughed, but they were right.

The rest of the way to the clearing below was downhill.

The fortress wall of ships at Shibata’s main formation was set up on a gentler part of the downward slope and a moat filled with melted snow water had been dug around it.

They had measured the size of the clearing when the Azuchi made its side flip.

It was a kilometer front to back and about the same wide. And…

“The Shibata Team’s mobile shell unit is 10 thousand strong!”

The enemy’s interception unit would be waiting for them when they emerged from the forest.

And that was what they found in that moonlit clearing.

●

The Shibata Team’s interception unit did not hold back.

It was comprised of the mobile shell unit.

They took a defense formation four layers thick in the center and three thick on either side. A single formation generally meant at least a thousand troops, but these were mobile shells.

And they were already facing the forest entrance, waiting.

From the clearing, the entrance of the mountain forest was dark and uncertain. It was only a tree-covered passage traveling through a shallow valley created by snowmelt.

A rough, frigid wind blew from there, as if preceding the enemy.

Not long before, gunfire and other sounds of battle had come from there.

The snow expelled from the forest now coated the clearing. There should have been green grass growing there, but tonight only the snow and the shadows of mobile shells could be seen there.

Then the enemy arrived.

Figures appeared from the depths of the forest.

The sight spells on the inside of the mobile shells’ helmets outlined the enemy’s shapes in red.

There were nearly 170 of them. They had heard there were about 200 to begin with, but…

“The Takigawa Team must have done it!”

And after some praise of “great job” and replies of “testament”…

“Fire!”

The gunfire was made by the gunner units on the second layer of the left and right formations. They borrowed the shoulders of the spearmen kneeling in front of them to stabilize their stances and fired on the still-unseen enemy.

They continued firing. They used muzzle-loaded weapons to comply with the history recreation, but they still fired as rapidly as that would allow.

Their mobile shell arms fully stopped the recoil of firing. And by providing the firing program to the mobile shell’s OS as a program…

“All gunners, synchronize your shots!”

They sent out waves of bullets with the perfectly-managed and precise movements of a machine.

Their unified gunshots rang through the night as loud as artillery fire.

And figures burst out ahead of them all.

That was the enemy.

The bullets were already flying. But the gunners did not stop. Their muzzle-loaded chambers were empty after the previous volley. The internal spring automatically ejected the previous cartridges into the air while they all loaded their next rounds.

They synced their programs again while aiming for the enemy visible past the still-flying bullets.

The rifles and the powerful bullets were both aimed toward the people who had emerged into the moonlight.

A line of silver entered their chambers.

They loaded silver bullets.

“Center line, charge! Hurry!”

The captains leading the right and left gunner groups shouted as one. An acoustic spell played a trumpet sound while they raised their voices, their eyes on the group of nearly 170 that had burst from the forest.

“They’re a nonhuman unit!!”

●

Kasuya stepped on the snowy ground.

Until now, it had felt like running across floating stones. Like she was stepping on the forest ground through the hardened stone.

But not now.

There were no trees or leaves overhead. Only the dark and cloudless sky. And the full moons.

On the ground were the partially-melted snow and summer grass starting to decline some in the late summer.

The surrounding air carried the scents of people, metal, and oil instead of the deep green.

This was a battlefield.

But her feet stood on solid ground. The surface stopping her toes was much firmer than the Azuchi’s deck, the snow, or the tree trunks.

And her sight spell showed her bright lights.

They were bullets.

There were six gunner groups on the left and right. Each group appeared to have 100 gunners firing, but that meant each chamber was launching eight bullets for an attack wave of approximately 4800 bullets. The bullets really did whiz by to the left, right, top, and bottom.

“A smart choice. They couldn’t hit us if they tried to aim at us.”

“We made that mistake earlier, dammit.”

Kousaka and more were coming up behind her.

And the rest were there too.

The beast reached the battlefield before the bullets arrived.

Directly ahead, a defense formation of a thousand charged from directly ahead.

They used their mobile shell thrusters to form a great pressure following after the bullets. Long ago, an entire formation charging in perfect synchronization would have been impossible, but Mitsunari had come up with a way at Nördlingen.

The mobile shells’ movements were controlled to move them all as a single whole.

It said a lot about Shibata that he was already making use of that method here.

“Now.”

With that, Kasuya accelerated on the very next step.

She was on the battlefield instead of in the forest, so she could now let the speed take over.

●

The charging mobile shell unit confirmed that their speed had surpassed 200km/h. All their armor was positioned in preparation for a collision and they were aware they were playing the role of the ram.

Their sight spells told them where the enemy was and how they were moving. Everything was being managed by a single program, but the overall feedback from each individual’s reactions was taken into consideration.

That showed just how well Ishida Mitsunari, who was now their enemy, had done creating the program.

Those on the front row of the 1000 saw something.

It was a dot.

They thought it must have been a wolf to begin with.

But the first step she took outside the forest, she suddenly became a dot.

They were supposedly a kilometer apart. They should have covered only half the distance. But the dot leaped as if swinging to the side while gradually approaching. There was a pause between each swing, and…

“She’s dodging the bullets!”

No, it was more than that. She was also closing in on them.

“She’s coming! Dead ahead!”

Everyone reacted to the front row’s shouted prediction.

The program responded to the general feedback by shifting the density toward the center, giving the entire group an arrowhead shape.

The program decided what they would do about the fast approaching dot.

“Break through with all 1000 of us!”

The result was immediately seen.

They saw a wolf’s hair and back ahead of them.

She had swung her entire body around for a tornado attack. And from unexpectedly close to the ground.

“La, la.”

She sang as she repeatedly accelerated through the air, leaving a chain of steam explosions in her wake.

Then both sides collided.

●

Kasuya did not feel fear.

A thousand people charged at her like a solid wall.

The arrowhead formation was made up of mobile shells.

So what was she to do? She knew what, thanks to the summer training camp.

…I hit plenty of Terrestrial Dragons with counterattacks!

She did the same here. There was just one thing to do: charge straight in, low to the ground, and strike upwards. If she solidified her body as a single axis, she could withstand the return force.

She knew what weapon to use.

She used her speed and, more than that, the Argent Clou silver crosses on her arms.

“Drill Bunker!”

She launched a drill of silver ether from each arm. She instantly pulled herself left and poured acceleration into her entire body.

“Lu, la la!”

She sang while sending a right punch into the remaining wave of people.

●

It hit. The impact lifted the first enemy from the ground, but the drill didn’t let him go there.

The pile bunker raced out, accelerating as it pushed the airborne enemy into the others behind him. But the wolf used her great strength to push on through. A few more were lifted from the ground, hitting even more behind them.

“…!”

The drill rotated. The pile bunker accelerated. It was still only partially ejected.

Then the wolf pushed her ankle out ahead. She put her hips into it. With her lower body situated, she was ready to swing her upper body. And the enemy hit even more of their own behind them.

The impact led to destruction. In a chain reaction, armor broke and ether fuel leaked but turned to spray from the force of the blow.

Light scattered. Armor fragments were illuminated as they too scattered.

Above it all, the wolf rotated her upper body.

Without any hesitation, the pile bunker reached the limit of its ejection. The drill pushed through while spinning everything around.

The wolf sang. None of them realized she was keeping the beat.

But the wolf’s arm swung in time with that beat.

She pushed on and broke a new enemy.

“La.”

She launched them up.

She kept moving.

While solidifying herself in place, she used the relative speed of the attack to strike the enemy diagonally upwards. But the center of the enemy group kept their momentum intact and poured all their movement into overcoming her attack.

“Gah!”

Like something catching on the tip of a branch and being thrown backwards, the wolf launched the center of the 1000-man group into the night sky.

In that instant, the wolf raced below the scattering group. She switched arms, bringing her right arm to bear.

“Argent Clou!”

The second blow struck the enemies coming up behind the others.

●

The Shibata Unit did not overlook the second strike splitting the 1000-man group.

They had been prepared for their vanguard to be blown away.

The first shot at the enemy came with certain risks. And…

“Well done!”

The second formation charged toward where the first formation had been blasted into the air.

Their comrades in the first formation had been defeated but not in vain. Because…

“They stopped the #8 Spear’s charge!”

No, she hadn’t actually stopped. That was true even when she crouched low to attack with her two-arm combo.

But breaking through a thousand people required a fair amount of control.

“You’re sorely mistaken if you think that doesn’t leave you vulnerable!”

The first formation had revealed the force and angle of the enemy’s impact. Their programs were not made to deal with something like this, but they could make up for that with their experience. If they let that experience guide their actions, it would provide the program with the general feedback it needed.

So for now, they passed through the gate crated by the airborne first formation.

“Got you now!”

The instant they charged in, their view suddenly opened up.

“Huh?” Their confusion wasn’t surprising. Most of their view had been obscured by the first formation’s collapse and launch, but that had suddenly gone.

What this meant soon became clear. Their sight spells told them.

A new figure had charged in on either side of the #8 Spear as she ran in and prepared to make her third attack. They were…

“Tigers!?”

No, those were people.

They had thrown out their sight spell visors to let the moonlight reflect off their eyes.

“Are they transforming nonhumans!?”

●

Kousaka and Inada commanded their people.

“Throw out your sight spells!”

There was a good reason for that.

The sight spell visors were great at detecting ether and distinguishing between moving and stationary objects, but because they were made of ether themselves, they were somewhat affected by ether currents and could even be blocked by them.

On the night of a full moon, the light reflected off the moon made of spirit stone would carry ether down from the sky. That was why moonlight energized nonhumans and increased the effectiveness of spells.

When they removed their visors below the full moons, the moonlight entered their eyes.

Then they could no longer stop the thing they had been subconsciously suppressing. That is…

“The nonhuman unit’s beast transformations!”

Their running bodies scattered an ether mist as they transformed. They took on forms based on a human skeletal structure but that displayed more animal traits.

●

The nearly 170 members of the nonhuman unit transformed as they ran.

Their running grew to a sprint as they poured onto the battlefield.

They had all been chosen for being high-speed predators like tigers, lions, black dogs, wildcats, etc.

With the wolf in the lead, the pack of dots all ran in their own ways. The wolf out front had displayed the path through the bullets, so now it was up to their effort and skill.

“How about that!?”

“We lost 5!”

They did well enough. They had already arrived at the enemy’s collapsed first formation.

That enemy was in the way.

After scattering the airborne enemy to the sides, they accelerated.

Their captain was in the center, performing her follow through after her attack. After seeing the previous two attacks, it was obvious she needed that follow through to avoid putting too great a strain on her body.

She had demonstrated her strength with this adlibbed attack.

When they had received word of her slaying more than 100 Terrestrial Dragons during her summer break training camp, they had laughed it off as a joke, but none of them thought that now.

“Good enough!”

Nonhumans lived in human society, but they never lost their respect for the strong and powerful.

She was a leader.

The black-haired Loup-Garou was part human. That wasn’t a problem.

They were all outcasts. M.H.R.R. was a Catholic nation. Thanks to the Technohexen hunt, nonhumans were generally seen as outsiders, so most of them had joined the guards, the night guard, or other enforcement roles.

Most of them were originally from Hexagone Française or Scandinavia.

They had heard the Shibata Team treated their kind well. But a nonhuman unit had been necessary for the M.H.R.R. Catholics to fight here. Shibata himself was intimidating enough from his appearance alone.

They had been taken in by Hashiba. And she had given them a role to play.

They were messengers.

They were distinct from ninjas. They would visit different lands and check them out, but they would not infiltrate as deep as a spy. They were more like the ones who gathered up the information collected by the ninjas and took it back home.

Their survival rate was much higher than the human one. Which was what made it a mission for nonhumans.

And this linked back to a certain history recreation.

The Great Return after the attack on Mouri. Someone had to visit different lands and confirm certain information and make deals there.

In the worst case, the other nations would forcibly intervene in that part of the history recreation. Because if they captured the messengers, they could restrict Hashiba’s future.

Thus, the use of nonhumans, who carried the greatest battle strength within a person-sized package.

Kousaka and Inada were both messengers related to the Honnouji Incident.

They knew Hashiba wanted to ensure the Honnouji Incident and the related history recreations went through without a hitch.

But there was a reason for them to take part in the Battle of Shizugatake along with that.

Their presence here would make sure the Honnouji Incident happened tonight.

And what happened after that?

The Battles of Yamazaki, Shizugatake, Komaki Nagakute, and Sekigahara, as well as the Osaka Campaign. The conflict between Hashiba and Matsudaira would continue, but…

“The Genesis Project.”

“To end it but not to let it end.”

“So at what point will they not need us anymore?”

Most nonhuman species respected strength.

They had been given a place to live and a role. That seemed like enough, but at the same time…

“There’s more we can do!”

So they would do that here.

They all emerged into the ether moonlight with their visors removed. They pursued their strongest leader. She was still young. But if she could race out ahead of them, that was reason enough to respect her. They would all show off their strength, but this was something none of them could do.

So they passed by her on either side to…

“Protect her!”

They opened defense barriers as they ran to block the gunfire the enemy was launching from either side, not worrying about the possibility of friendly fire. These human spells were honestly the best way to stop silver bullets.

But as the bullets shattered the ether shields and were shattered by the shields, a thought occurred to the nonhumans.

“Humans are so stupid.”

“They should have known we’d fight back if they gave us shields like this.”

They really were stupid. They rarely considered the possibility of being betrayed. But…

“These are perfect for protecting our leader!”

The group that had moved ahead formed a wall on the left and right. All while they ran. Beasts had no time to stop and wait.

The rest ran through the center. All at once. They ran toward…

“The second formation! We can officially blow off some steam against these humans! Don’t hold back!”

Their leader had attacked first. Now it was their turn.

“We’ll clear the way!”

They weren’t as strong as their leader, but they could hit hard and, more importantly, they had numbers. Plus, nonhumans had something simple animals did not.

“We know how humans fight, what weapons they use, how they view nonhumans, and what tactics they use. We know it all from the other end!”

They roared and clashed head on with the enemy.

●

“Hurry!” shouted Kasuya as she threw her body into an immediate run after completing her follow through.

She was worried about the group running along on the sides with defense barriers open. They were protecting the group as a whole, but having their arms occupied was inconvenient when running.

They needed to hurry. Because…

“Look in the sky!”

A pillar of light rose into the sky near the twin circles of the full moons.

It was southeast of here, near Lake Biwa Azuchi.

Light was passing through that sky. It was thin and still, but it extended far into the sky, its tip vanishing out of sight. It was all colored the bluish-white of ether light.

But its position was a problem. Because below that light…

“Honnouji is opening!?”

Chapter 26: The World’s Related Ones[edit]

No one

Can cover up their own existence

Point Allocation (No Time For Editing!)

●

“It’s happening.”

Inside Lake Biwa Azuchi’s stealth field, Magoichi viewed the situation outside on an informational insha kotob along with Kuki and the others.

“Honnouji’s stealth barrier is opening!”

●

From Genbu’s shoulder, Sakuma saw the light rising into the sky to the southeast.

“Oh, oh, oh…”

She thought she had something to say, but no words came.

But seeing that light jutting straight up into the night sky made her feel so alone.

…I can’t believe this.

It occurred to her that her group had caused that.

Everyone in P.A. Oda had played some role in making that light happen.

But…

“Hey, Hachisuka, where are you going?”

Genbu had started walking. Toward the elevator leading into the ship. Even though shellfire continued to sound nearby and that pure vertical line stood tall in the sky.

“What’s this, what’s this, Hachisuka? Preparing to fight? Hey, Shiba-chaaaaan! Hachisuka’s on her way, so be on your guard!”

“No,” said Genbu, holding Sakuma’s legs in place with a hand. “I’m taking our POW to a cell.”

“Eh!? Wait, wait, wait! You’re supposed to treat POWs with care! And aren’t you at all interested in what’s going on out there!? Didn’t you see that badass light in the sky!?”

●

Inside the Azuchi, Nabeshima, who had been tasked with cleaning Kiyomasa’s room, called in the Four Heavenly Kings of Ryuuzouji, who were cleaning the hallway, and they all looked out the private room’s window.

The Azuchi was still shaking from the artillery fire, but the east-facing window also gave a partial view to the south.

“Take a look at that!”

“That’s a little bit past Lake Biwa Azuchi!”

“No, it’s a big bit past it!”

“No, it’s a huge bit past it, you fool!”

“No, it’s a tiny bit past it.”

“I’d say it’s a medium bit past it.”

“We’ve found our enemy this time: you!!”

If they got into a fistfight, they would mess up the room and Kiyomasa would find out Nabeshima had let them in the room, so she really hoped they would stop.

But…

Nabe3: “Asano! Are you seeing this!?”

Asano: “Seeing whaaat?”

Oh, right. She never cares what’s going on outside!

●

Ikeda was extracting automaton programs from one of the informational toriis salvaged from Mikawa Bay that had originally been installed inside New Nagoya Castle.

First order of business is getting her to boot, he thought.

“Hmm.”

He had put in a lot of work today, so he considered treating himself to some off time editing that boobs video. Does that make me weird?

But he still had some work to do before then. And…

Nabe3: “Hey, Ikeda. Take a look to the north.”

IT: “Huh? Why? …Ahhh!? What the heck is that!? Honnouji!?”

Nabe3: “Ah ha ha ha ha. You’re actually shocked! Lame!”

…Don’t you know this is important! Not that I’m going to say that out loud!

●

Tomoe Gozen frowned at the information coming in from a high-speed scout ship she had sent up in east M.H.R.R. territory.

She and the rest were on the roof of the academy they considered their “front line”. She stood on the edge of the stone fortress so she could enjoy the view with some ghost-friendly alcohol.

“I thought it would never happen, but there it is.”

A single line of light rose high into the eastern sky.

She could tell it had come from the general direction of Honnouji. Honnouji had hidden its interior with a stealth barrier, so that must have been opened.

However, something bothered her.

Lady AM: “Ivan, what do you make of this?”

Kagekatsu-kun: “Heh. It looks like no more than ether light to me, just very powerful. Simply put, this is an ether exchange 120 times more powerful than what we saw in the sky above Novgorod.”

Gozen had predicted this was far more powerful, but one thing caught her attention.

Lady AM: “Exchange?”

“Testament,” replied Ivan the Terrible. After a pause, Marfa took over for him.

Mayoress: “It’s either an ether field or a conductive wire using gravitational control. Aerial ship thrusters will eject the force in one direction to push themselves forward, but when you need to float, come to a stop, or anything else requiring a balance, it’s best to include a portion that ‘pulls’ instead of having it all go in one direction.”

“Which means,” said Marfa.

Mayoress: “They’ve created a balanced fortress. But for what? What is Honnouji really?”

That was Gozen’s question.

She could only smile bitterly, but she could respond.

Lady AM: “Could they be launching Honnouji into the sky with the full moons?”

“Would that accomplish anything, Tomoe Gozen?”

“How should I know? That’s for them to decide.”

Behind her, Guericke nodded in response.

“True. It is I who decides if my experiments are worthwhile or not.”

“Is this an experiment, Guericke?”

“Testament. I do not know, as I am not an expert here. But…”

But…

“It does not appear to be a simple ritual. Because we can see it from here. On the ground, the ether light must be producing pulsing waves.”

“So a ley line reactor?”

“Testament,” said Guericke. “This appears different from Mikawa, but based on the materials they have transported there, they likely have 8 reactors. And in the center, a platform on which to output something.”

How could they best describe this? The scientist mayor had his opinion.

“They are clearly interfering with the ley lines. Whether that is a means or an end, it is likely necessary for their Genesis Project.”

“I see.” Gozen nodded. “But I wonder.”

“Wonder what?”

“Where are the ley lines?”

Guericke tilted his head at her question.

“They…are everywhere. But the main ones are found in the ground or along currents. Focusing only on the planet, they are generally thought to be underground.”

“That is a scientist’s generalized answer.”

But she still wondered. When she watched that line rising into the sky…

“I wish I had visited the Imperial Palace at least once.”

“Tomoe Gozen, is now really the time to grow wistful for your youth?”

“I’m still young, dammit!”

She scolded him, but she did wish she had let her youth guide her back in those days.

She was curious about the Genesis Project, but also about the truth presented by Akechi.

“They gave destiny a personality, did they?”

Now…

“What was that poor teacher trying to tell us? I think I’ll try asking an acquaintance who I know is probably hiding somewhere crazy.”

●

On the Musashi, they were judging when to deactivate their stealth field.

This was being led by Ookubo seated at the top of the academy stairs.

If she was being honest, she wanted to bring down the stealth and enter Honnouji right away. Something troublesome and conspicuous was underway out there. And yet…

“They’re on the move, so what are our people doing!?”

They were asleep. Or to be more accurate…

…They’re only now waking up!

Their officers were starting to wake up.

But even with the compressed sleep, most of them hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

Vice President: “Yeah, sorry. Can we delay our part for a bit? Or just the preparations? We’ll make sure we’re ready to leave in time at the Asama Shrine, but give us a bit more time right now. Just a bit, okay?”

Nagaya-Stable: “This is one of the most important moments in history!”

Asama: “Yes, but it turns out Horizon ate too much last night, so she’s been holed up in the bathroom for a while now.”

Horizey: “How rude! I just thought I would clear out my system after a good night’s sleep, but it turns out I ate bit too much last night. And I was in here busy scolding myself, so I do not need the rest of you getting after me as well.”

How were they even supposed to respond to that? But…

Flat Vassal: “Also, Suzu-san seems a bit out of it. I don’t think she got enough sleep. That could affect the Musashi’s flight, so isn’t there anything we can do?”

Well, with her we can make an exception, Ookubo found herself thinking. Apparently she was getting used to that class’s internal caste system.

And it wouldn’t accomplish anything to get her blood pressure up here. According to the data Kanou brought her…

“So Honnouji has opened. They must be preparing for the midnight starting time.”

The internal structure had been kept a secret.

If they could get a general idea of the layout from external observations, they would have an easier time attacking. Scouting that out needed to take priority for now. But…

“I don’t see any external observations here.”

“The ether disturbance is too powerful, so combining all the spell observation data gives us this.”

She checked the sign frame Kanou passed her and saw an indistinct diagram drawn there.

It looked like two or three similarly-shaped outdoor theaters overlapping each other, but…

“Are those some kind of stage? And why are they overlapping?”

“A mysterious phenomenon is affecting the data, so any long-range observations will have a mirage or duplication effect applied. Combining direct visual observations after the Musashi approaches seems like the best course of action to me, but we could also send someone ahead to investigate.”

That probably is best, thought Ookubo. But if she was going to arrange that…

“Huh?”

“What is it, milady?”

“If this makes it easier to attack, then the preparations will be easier too…which means I’m giving them the time they wanted to get more sleep, aren’t I?”

“Milady! This will provide direct results too! So we can wake them up while also proving our worth here!”

“Even if we do wake them up, they’ll just go back to sleep the instant our backs our turned.”

“Milady! You are taking their side here! Please return to your senses!”

What an awful thing to say. But…

“How should we arrange that investigation? Have we sent any spies?”

“Judge. The 1st Special Duty Unit sent out multiple teams. The plan is for them to take spell recordings from multiple directions to work out the internal structure.”

“I see.” Ookubo nodded. “Then we can leave that to them. …Now, I guess we should wake those officers. Whatever happens after that is their responsibility. We just have to fulfill our own responsibilities.”

“Milady! That is a great way of putting it!”

This did feel a bit like avoiding the problem, but was it weak-willed to think this was the only option?

●

Musashi’s 1st Special Duty Unit had already infiltrated the area around Honnouji.

That said, they were not actually inside Honnouji itself. Honnouji was located on a hill on the eastern outskirts of Kyou and its land covered a 4km mountain range.

“There’s a wall, they have a barrier up, and the interior is already filled with ether light.”

A ninja unit familiar with spells had been sent on this particular mission. They were split into 5 teams of 3, disguised as merchants and medicine sellers.

Each team realized they would be detected by the security spells if they approached, so they instead made observations from five different directions.

They were positioned around the earthen wall acting as a physical barrier around Honnouji. The local people and merchants likely used the road that had been built around the wall.

Thanks to the trouble in Kyou, there were carts carrying relief supplies and people rushing to other lands even in the middle of the night.

The Musashi groups were most surprised by…

“Are they preparing some kind of festival in the village downhill from the wall?”

The villagers must have seen the Honnouji Incident as an event to celebrate.

To avoid suspicion, the Musashi teams had visited the village’s shrine and registered as visitors. Under fake names, of course.

During their visit, the shrine had indeed been setting up paper lanterns and such to prepare for a festival.

“Overall, they seem to be treating the Honnouji Incident as a festival. Gives me the impression this will set the Genesis Project in motion.”

“The people we passed earlier made it sound like what happened in Kyou was more important than anything here in Honnouji.”

“Does that mean P.A. Oda has the local people’s support and is well liked by them?”

That should have been obvious, but it was easy to overlook. P.A. Oda was a large nation, after all. And they had achieved victory after victory, so they would have the people’s support.

“They also have a lot of famous warriors.”

“And P.A. Oda games, manga, and plays use their real names without having to worrying about the rights.”

“To be fair, Musashi uses the real names for Matsudaira people and fake names for the rest. That’s always such a letdown. Like in baseball games when they shorten the names to fit and you wonder who the hell ‘Shimazuta’ is before you realize it’s short for Shimazu Takahisa.”

“You can always tell which company made the game by whether they abbreviate Chosokabe to Choso or Chokabe. And when they use Tate for Date, it makes them seem so much weaker.”

“Right?” they all agreed while looking up at the ether light wall rising into the sky.

“Will all those rights issues be gone once we’ve conquered the world? That’ll be kind of sad in its own way. Seeing ‘Morimoto’ and having to figure out it’s supposed to be Mouri Motonari is half the fun.”

“At least we won’t have to stay up all night using an editor to rewrite the data to the real names anymore.”

“But I will miss the excitement when editing ‘May-sama’ to ‘Mary’. Not to mention our captain’s unilateral anger about it.”

The three boys exchanged a three-way handshake and then slapped each other on the chest.

“Okay, let’s get to work.”

Their job was simple. Each team had to take spell measurements at precisely the same time.

The measurements were meant to reveal Honnouji’s structure behind the vast barrier, so they would take two measurements: one from the bottom of the hill and one from as close to the top of the hill as they could get. That would let them estimate the underground structure within the hill.

Instead of directly sensing anything, the spell worked by sending a program into the barrier’s ether as a recording device. The barrier existed to keep outsiders away, so once they decoded the barrier’s spell structure, they could set up their spell to strengthen it as a divine protection rather than forcibly try to break through.

However, the ether they used to strengthen the barrier would include a “circulation” and a “recording” spell that would travel across the barrier.

Then the recording spell would circulate through the interior of the barrier, gathering data.

It would take time, but the gathered data would return to the teams in the end.

The trick was that the teams that released the spell and the teams that collected them didn’t have to be the same. Of course, the recording spell wouldn’t necessarily capture everything while it traveled along. Their experiments told them they would have most of what they needed if the five teams each spent 10 minutes on it.

They had just finished collecting the spells at the base of the hill and were on their way to gather data at the top of the hill, but…

“This ain’t good. It looks like they have regular patrols.”

“I guess they would be more on guard now that they have a giant ether pillar gathering everyone’s attention.”

“Hey, they’re coming!”

A group of two in P.A. Oda armored track suits approached wielding flag-bearing spears.

The Musashi team had three people. They were disguised as merchants and tried to act as natural as possible as they stuck to the right side of the hill road, but…

“They look extra cautious to me.”

So the trio began chatting. Staying silent was like asking the guards to speak to them. No one ever wanted to interrupt a conversation.

Instead of walking abreast, they stayed more casually clustered together.

“Hey, how’s the combat in that game you bought the other day?”

“Well, Hattori Hanzou’s antiair attack has him throw dumbbells, but it has such a slow startup. …How about you? Weren’t you playing it in the arcade before?”

“No? I don’t really play fighting games.”

The other two drove their fists into his sides from an angle the guards couldn’t see. And they whispered to each other.

“Get a clue, moron!”

“Stick to the story while the guards are here!”

“B-but my substitution for today’s divine protections was to not lie.”

“Well, that’s that then.”

The other two were convinced. They watched as the guards approached.

“Okay, you give us a topic to go with.”

“F-fine.”

The one sucked in a breath and put on a show of just chatting with this friends.

“I’m not usually one for anthropomorphized characters, but Righty and Lefty from the sign frame game Super Irresponsible Princess are pretty cute for arms, aren’t they?”

●

In case of emergency, P.A. Oda’s guards were required to patrol in groups of two. That way if they found enemy spies and those spies fought back, one could defend while the other escaped to provide a report. So these two were laughing and discussing that policy.

“Ha ha ha. If something happens, I’ll stop the enemy, so you escape to the guard station back there, okay?”

“Don’t be silly. You have your family to think about, so you get to the station. Ha ha ha.”

While they laughed, they were both thinking “It all comes down to who’s faster. So it’s a test of our spell skills.” But…

“Hey.”

A trio giving off strong “idiot” vibes was approaching from up ahead.

A quick spell scan showed they had registered as visitors at the local shrine.

That meant they were outsiders, but the village at the bottom of the hill was preparing a festival today. That would mean plenty of merchants on the move, so these three could be safely ignored. But as they got closer…

“What is wrong with you!? You…you just don’t get it, do you!?”

“That’s right! Anthropomorphizing them ruined it! They’re great the way they are! The less said about their body the better, but I do think the recent warrior characters have been pretty good!”

“Eh? Really? I prefer the anthropomorphized versions!”

They passed by.

The merchants appeared to lightly strike each other in the side for some reason. After a few more steps, the two guards suddenly spoke up without looking back at the trio.

“Y’know, I hate to bring it up, but…I prefer to leave things as they are. It’s better than cheap anthropomorphism.”

“Yeah…you have to start by loving the real thing.”

If anything happens, I need to make sure he gets away safely, they both decided as they continued their patrol.

●

“That was too close!”

“Yeah, but our conversational skills were so good they didn’t suspect a thing!”

“Three cheers for Musashi’s culture!”

The three of them hurried to secure one of the spells. The sign frames were fully transparent. They couldn’t produce any light and they couldn’t do anything that made it look like they were opening sign frames. Thus, the recording spell collection was done automatically. They faced the earthen wall, and…

“I realized when we did this down below, but this process could really use a signal to say it worked.”

“Yeah, the recording spell itself is split apart within the barrier and any one of us can collect them.”

“We need to wait here for ten minutes. Just be patient.”

Other trios would be doing this same thing at 5 other locations. But…

“Everything’s been shaking for a bit now. Is it some kind of spatial tremor?”

“Coming from a ley line tremor, yeah. What could they be doing in there?”

“And what even is the Genesis Project?”

They tilted their heads in thought, but then one snapped his fingers.

“I know! I bet the final boss will explain it all once our Chancellor and his class go there!”

“Yeah, I can see that happening. They’ll listen to this really long speech and then, once the battle’s over, they’ll be like ‘we don’t have time to escape!’, but isn’t that their own fault for wasting so much time listening to the final boss’s speech? I always think the heroes should’ve just ignored the speech and started fighting. Our people do that a lot, actually.”

“But I could see the final boss giving the long speech after nearly defeating our people. Like those times when you want to grab the screen and shout ‘why don’t you just kill them already!?’ ”

“Yeah,” agreed the others. “That probably is what’ll happen.” But…

“Our Vicereine – or the Arm Master as I like to call her – would probably just obliterate her opponent in that situation.”

“That would be pretty unsatisfying, but I guess it would solve everything.”

“The world is saved! From what, we never found out! …Yeah, that’d be a new one.”

“I see what you mean,” agreed the others. And…

“Oh, just three minutes left.”

Just as one of them said that, a different pair of guards arrived from the left. This one was a boy and a girl.

“Lucky bastard!” the trio whispered on reflex, but this was definitely a threat.

“Oh, no! The 1st Special Duty manual says with boy-girl pairs, the boy tends to be extra aggressive so he can show off in front of the girl!”

“Oh, god. They look so happy talking together. Damn, I’ll get him for this!”

“B-b-b-but what do we do!? Three losers staring at a wall in the middle of the night is the kind of thing that has the local elementary school telling the students to walk home in groups the following day!”

“Calm down,” said the one who was technically the group leader. He checked how quickly the guards were approaching. “Okay, we need to use the Nonchalant Watering ninja technique!”

“Eh? We’re really doing that? What happened to your pride?”

“I’m not familiar with that one.”

“Judge.” The group leader nodded. “Students invented this one during the era before the Age of the Gods. It’s a sort of barrier spell that makes sure people will pass you without comment at night. You have a drink with you, right? It was on the supply list.”

“Yeah, I do, but what do I do with it?”

The leader held the bamboo water bottle at his crotch and begin pouring out its contents while humming.

“Go like that and it’ll make things so awkward that couple runs off! It’s the ultimate psychological barrier spell for these circumstances!”

“What did happen to your pride!? But hold on!”

One of them held up his water bottle.

“I brought iced coffee because I like it and it helps keep me awake.”

“It’ll just look like the color is darker than average! It’ll be fine!”

“Wait,” said the third one. He held something up for the other two to see. “Sorry, but I brought tomato juice.”

“Who brings tomato juice on a mission!?”

“Well, I didn’t really think I’d need it and it was close to expiring, y’know?”

Meanwhile, the guards approached.

“D-dammit, we’re out of time! Hurry!”

●

P.A. Oda’s two guards had been discussing the TV drama Visit From an Assassin. It had already ended, but a special episode aired during summer break had been set in the girl’s hometown.

“Really? I loved the scene where the local administrator was assassinated while making it look like a cave-in. It was so dynamic!”

But after that comment, the girl suddenly fell silent. The boy thought he had said something wrong, but…

“Tch.”

Tonight was the night of an important event, but there were three guys doing their business on the wall over there.

He figured he only needed to shine his flashlight spell their way to express his displeasure and then walk on past.

The girl with him kept on walking without trying to hide behind him, so he respected that decision.

“Sigh, do they have to do that on our land?”

The closest of the boys spoke while applying some vertical shaking.

“Oh! Ohh! Sorry, man! We’ve got to help set up the festival down below, but we drank a little too much! We’ll clean this up and get going!”

“You don’t have to clean it.”

“Really!? Thanks a ton! And thanks for keeping us all safe!”

“Yeah, yeah,” said the male guard, tapping the female one on the back.

They resumed walking and he made sure to speak loud enough for those three to hear.

“Damn drunks.”

He shined his flashlight spell on the first and then the second.

Something black was rapidly spraying out.

●

“Eeeeeek! What is that!?”

“H-hey! You! Are you alright!? Are you sick!?”

“N-no, don’t worry about it! This is normal! Perfectly normal! I quite like it, actually!”

“But that’s not a normal amount!”

“Again, don’t worry about it! This is just the right amount to keep me awake! Leave me alone!”

●

The male guard chose to prioritize his partner who had swallowed another shriek.

So he chose to make a quick exit. But one thing did bother him.

…Does a drink to keep you awake really change the flow rate and color that much?

But even if there was a trick to it, he couldn’t imagine why you would bother. And there would be another patrol along before too long, so he decided to let them handle this.

“W-we need to continue our patrol.”

He swept his flashlight spell on past the second one.

The third one was spilling something red straight down.

●

“Eeeeeek! Something’s wrong with him!”

“H-hey! You! Are you alright!? You’re bleeding!”

“N-no, don’t worry about it! I had no other choice! None at all!”

“But that’s a lot of blood! And it’s oddly thick? Are you sure you’re alright!?”

“It’s known for having a lot of iron! And it’s partially fermented!”

●

After finishing their business, the trio fixed their clothing and waved to the guards.

“Sorry if we alarmed you. Anyway, we’re in a hurry!”

“Y-yeah, to the hospital I hope! Or should we call someone for you!?”

“No, don’t bother! You’re a great guy!”

The trio hurried away, distancing themselves from those two. Their bashful-looking jog eventually transformed into the rapid sprinting of the 1st Special Duty Unit until they had escaped into the woods below the hill.

“1st Special Duty Unit Special Recon Team 2 here! Mission complete!”

While they gave their report and raced between the trees, one of them spoke up.

“I’m glad I didn’t bring green melon soda or milk as a joke.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m so glad I didn’t bring corn soup as a midnight snack.”

“You shouldn’t have brought coffee or tomato juice either! But we completed our mission regardless!”

“Let’s get out of here,” they all said, picking up speed. Their rendezvous point was a good distance away, but they had received reports saying the other four teams were on their way there too.

Their mission had been a success.

●

Asama received word from Musashino’s bridge that they wanted to borrow the Asama Shrine’s spell processing ability.

She was currently on Remorse Way. They had chosen to meet up at the Asama Shrine since the purged areas had turned it into a launch point, but he and Horizon had said they wanted to view the memorial on Remorse Way first.

The others were eating a light meal at Suzu’s bathhouse. She had a feeling they would end up gathering at the surface area above the Asama Shrine, but…

“Now I learn the bridge wants to use our spell processing.”

The divine mail from “Musashino” was short and concise. It essentially said that…

…They want to process the Honnouji analysis spells as soon as possible.

The data gathered by the spells could be processed by the automata, but recording spells could be tricky. The processing work would go by quicker if they were first purified to flatten them out. But most of the Musashi’s shrines had been purged by this point, so distributed processing wasn’t an option. Hence the request to do an unplanned level of processing at the Asama Shrine, but this would affect the ether purge management already being done at the Asama Shrine. That meant they needed permission first, but…

…Dad’s so busy he can’t go around granting permission like this.

Her father intended to do everything he could to help the Musashi before purging the Asama Shrine. She knew he was making various temporary contracts to ensure the Asama divine protections, or replacements for them, would remain in effect even with the Asama Shrine off the ship.

At any rate, the battle would be starting soon. The Azuchi and Hashiba had to be in a similar situation.

We’re going through a lot of the same things, thought Asama as she had Hanami run a scan of the shrine before she sent approval to “Musashino”. Then she faced straight ahead.

Horizon’s memorial was located to the side of Remorse Way.

It was night, but the streetlights illuminated a fair amount of the woods to the side. After their supplementary exam during summer break, the tree branches and such had been cut back a lot to clean things up. That lightened the ship in preparation for later battles, but it also allowed the bluish-white streetlights to reach the few meters to the memorial.

“It’s been a while since we came here.”

She watched Horizon and him seated on either side of the memorial. Kimi and Mitotsudaira were further back.

“We never did manage to do anything about this during summer break, did we?” said Mitotsudaira.

“When I saw it during the exam, I realized it wasn’t necessary anymore and considered setting it up in the Main Blue Thunder for decoration,” said Horizon.

“So much happened during the break there just wasn’t time to think about it,” he said.

“Heh heh. But what about now? Isn’t this a good opportunity, Asama?” said Kimi.

“I suppose it is,” agreed Asama.

Everything today made this a good turning point, but also…

“Most of the surface has been purged and this area is only still here because it’s the path leading to the academy. It would be a lot easier to remove now since it wouldn’t influence much else.”

●

Horizon tapped on the top of the memorial a few times.

“Such a strange idea.”

This was something she had thought today and countless times in the past.

“Why do people think a carved piece of stone can represent, for example, my death or my presence? It’s so one sided and it means nothing for people who didn’t know me. All it does is create some temporary local sentimentality.”

“That’s cause people forget things if they don’t keep notes,” he said.

“Then why not just keep a note?”

“Y’know, that’s a pretty good point.”

“My king! My king! That is not the point of contention here!”

Suddenly, Asama sat down next to Horizon.

“Horizon.”

Horizon looked over and found Asama smiling.

“No one wanted to think about you being gone and we didn’t want to understand it either.”

“Then…”

“By placing this memorial here, we could act like it was here in your place.”

“Are you saying it acted as my substitute even though it is nothing like me?”

“Yes.” Asama nodded. “In a Shinto sense, if you really had been dead, paying our respects here would have allowed it to act as a door to your soul. And none of us could bear the pain when you were just suddenly gone. So when it got to be too much for us, we would come here and feel like we had spent time with you, even though we knew it wasn’t really you.”

“What about the fact that my mind is not in this rock?”

“It’s an issue of how the living people feel. The deceased could respond in kind by becoming a local spirit or god, but in general, they never meet with the living again.”

“In that case.” Horizon slapped the top of the memorial. “What is this really? Self-deception? Self-satisfaction? I am unsure how to describe it, but it is something the living decide for themselves and accept without any input from the deceased, only to let it weather away with time. And the deceased may have never wanted any of it.”

“Horizon?” Asama looked Horizon in the eye. “It is said the afterlife had already been established in the era before the Age of the Gods and that it existed in multiple forms. So whether you are Shinto or not, you might be divided by religion on the other side, but you can come and go if necessary and you can even return to this side using the reincarnation rule. But…”

But…

“This side and that side are two different places.”

“Are you saying it is acceptable for the people left on this side to use their misunderstandings and selfish ideas to put words in the deceased’s mouth? When the deceased have no way of responding or correcting them?”

Hearing that, Mitotsudaira raised her right hand with her head lowered.

“Um, the source of my inherited name had a lot of apocryphal stories told about him, like his pilgrimage across the Far East and his Echigoya disguise. And I feel like I’ll just be adding to that without any input from him…”

“Heh heh. So in later years, the Vice-Shogun will be associated with dogs and having a penchant for sniffing things!” said Kimi.

“I-I just knew you were going to say something like that!”

“Oh, and I guess I’ll be doing that for Matsudaira Motonobu.”

The idiot’s comment put an “oh” look on the other three’s faces.

“My king, did you receive that inherited name from Horizon!?”

●

Oh, whoops. I hadn’t told them yet, thought Toori.

“Sorry, we discussed that earlier.”

“Heh heh. Not a problem. After all, Asama hasn’t processed the request yet, has she?”

“That’s true. If you don’t register it with the shrine, it can count among us, but it won’t be official. So, um.” Asama looked to Toori and Horizon. “For Horizon, it was only a provisional inherited name, so this shouldn’t have any real effect on her shrine contract. As for Toori-kun, Matsudaira Motonobu was already an Asama follower, so this should give you access to a lot of additional divine protections. But in general, everything should continue as normal. Except for one other thing…”

“You mean that Akechi guy’s name?”

“Yes, approval for that did come through from the Testament Union before it did from P.A. Oda.”

“Huh? Isn’t the Testament Union under Hashiba’s control?” asked Mitotsudaira.

“Which means this was probably Hashiba’s idea. Because if Toori-kun inherits Akechi Mitsuhide’s name, she can slay him at the Battle of Yamazaki.”

“Then,” said Horizon, looking to Toori. “You must be careful, Toori-sama.”

“Yes…and the Asama Shrine will support you in every way possible if anything does happen.”

“Heh heh. You said that back at Mikawa too. So what all does this full support package include? Lewd services?”

“Don’t tease me, Kimi. Anyway, Toori-kun, you don’t have to worry. You will be fine no matter what happens.”

“Asama.” He looked her way. “This isn’t placing a burden on you, is it?”

“Eh?” Her eyebrows shot up.

Across from her, Horizon nodded.

“There is no good reason to look after this idiot so carefully. Yes.”

“No, this isn’t a burden at all. It doesn’t feel that way at all anymore.”

“Anymore?”

“Eh? Oh, well, I have Mito and Horizon’s help now. So we can just play it by ear.”

“I see.” Horizon nodded. And, “Asama-sama, about my earlier question…”

●

Kimi considered Horizon’s question: She must not know what to do about the memorial.

After all, she was here, but it was a memorial to her death and to Kimi’s brother’s remorse. Ten years had passed and it still hadn’t been removed.

Kimi knew what Horizon wanted to say.

“I do not want this remorse or this memorial.”

…No, that’s too tame for her.

“I want this memorial gone, so dump it into the sky.”

That was more like it.

No one wanted to trouble others with something they didn’t want in the first place. But Horizon had realized how she really felt about Kimi’s brother, which pleased Kimi.

Asama had to understand this too. So she had laid out the path, but she had done her best to keep Kimi’s brother from noticing. Because if he figured it out, it would be his turn to be reluctant. And he would feel like he was taking advantage of Horizon’s situation, meaning they were no longer on equal footing.

…They’re so difficult.

But that pleased Kimi.

They were so considerate of each other, they accepted each other, and the loop continued. But the best part was how there was always someone who was willing to help shoulder the burden without feeling like it was a burden at all. In this case, that was Asama’s role.

“Horizon. It is true the deceased may not want this. Maybe we are putting words in their mouth.”

“Judge. Do the thoughts of the deceased not matter?”

“Effectively no,” insisted Asama. “But how about this, Horizon? When is it you feel you have become someone’s friend?”

“When…I have spoken with them, seen how they act, and feel confident that we are in fact friends.”

“Right. That is how relationships are established. Sometimes you know it right away and the relationship subtly changes with time. Other times you don’t even notice at first and you gradually realize it over time.”

And…

“The living have no way of knowing what the dead think. So there will be plenty of misunderstandings and assumptions regarding them.”

“Then…?”

“Yes,” said Asama. “But as time passes, people go ‘huh, maybe it wasn’t that way after all’ or ‘maybe it was more like that’ as they gradually settle down and can take a more detached view. They can’t speak with each other anymore and they can only see each other in their imaginations. The memories may fade with time and they may even take a different path in life.”

But…

“Everyone does eventually respect the dead but they also become less attached, reaching a point where they can remember the dead at any time. By that point, the living are no longer intruding on the dead, but they still remember them.

“How does that sound to you, Horizon?”

While Kimi watched on, Horizon looked up into the sky for a bit.

Eventually, Horizon mimed moving a piece of luggage from right to left. It looked like a “setting that aside” gesture, but…

“…”

A bit later, she mimed picking the luggage back up and paused in thought. A few seconds later, she looked to Asama with the imaginary luggage in hand.

“Gah.”

“Horizon! Horizon! You were trying to say something nice, weren’t you!?”

“N-never mind me, Mitotsudaira-sama. I bit my tongue so hard I believe I know what my next meal will taste like.”

“But,” said Kimi. “Horizon? What do you want people to do when you die?”

“Well…”

Horizon breathed a deep sigh.

“I hope I can be of some use to someone after I die. But even if that is not possible, I wouldn’t want to be a burden to anyone but I would want them to remember me from time to time. And when they do, I would want them to smile, not to cry. That is how I would know I had lived a good life.”

“Silly girl,” said Kimi. “If you have already all that figured out, then stop worrying about the world after you die and start figuring out how you can blossom in the present. You know what the present is, don’t you? As long as you remain alive, the present lasts forever.”

●

“That’s right,” said Asama. “And if you follow Kimi’s advice, I know everyone will eventually be able to smile even after you are gone.”

Horizon quietly nodded.

…This was interesting.

I might just have this talk with my children if I ever have any, thought Asama. After all…

…I feel like I had a similar talk once.

With her mother.

It was truly strange.

She always tried to be teaching other people, but she felt like she was still the one doing the learning. She felt like she had now confirmed the usefulness of everything she had learned, including from her mother.

Then she heard his voice.

“Asama.”

His fingers wiped the tear from the corner of her eye.

“Your mom was a great person.”

“She was.”

Nodding made her cry with a smile. She heard a quiet laugh of released tension from Mitotsudaira.

And Horizon nodded too.

“I see.” Horizon looked Asama in the eye as she spoke. “If they allow you to smile like that…then perhaps tears are not all bad.”

●

“Now,” said Horizon after confirming that Asama’s tears had stopped. “We do not have much time, but we should decide what to do about this memorial.”

Mitotsudaira thought that kind of heavy lifting should be her job, so she raised her hand.

“Shall I carry it somewhere? But we don’t really have time to take it back home right now.”

“Home! She called it home!”

Shut up, Kimi.

But Asama spoke while putting away the handkerchief she used to dry her tears.

“We can leave it at the shrine. For the time being anyway.”

“The shrine! She didn’t call it home!”

I would tell you to shut up, Kimi, but Asama kind of deserved that one.

Meanwhile, Horizon placed a hand on her chin and tilted her head.

“Couldn’t Mitotsudaira-sama take a running start and throw it off the ship?”

“Um, it might hit Oume if I did that.”

“Eh? You…can actually throw it that far?”

Why is that a surprise? she wondered, but maybe that was a bit much. And it was probably a bad idea anyway. Because…

“The Musashi is in stealth mode and it would probably cause a scene if the memorial suddenly fell from the sky.”

“A stone of ill omen crashes into a home! Its name: Horizon! What an excellent mysterious phenomenon!” said Horizon.

“The point is that would be bad!” insisted Mitotsudaira.

“Judge. Then how about we leave it on the edge of a transport zone and have a god of war throw it as a weapon the next time we engage the Azuchi in battle?”

“Um, do you want to throw it away that badly?”

“What else am I supposed to do with it, Mitotsudaira-sama? I can hardly use it as a business card, can I? Oh, I suppose I could place it in front of the Blue Thunder and have it purified by all the customers seeing it and going, ‘pft, can you believe this rock actually made some idiot sad?’ ”

“Th-that attack was completely unprovoked!” protested the king.

“Calm down,” intervened Mitotsudaira. “We could carve off the writing and use it as a weight or a decoration. Natural stones are rare on the Musashi. So…”

She placed her hands on the memorial, planning to see if she could pick it up.

“Now, then!”

●

Horizon looked at the memorial. Mitotsudaira had her hands on it.

“–––––––”

But something odd happened.

The stone did not move.

“Ah,” gasped Mitotsudaira, tilting her head and relaxing her strength. But the stone showed no sign of moving or moving back. The wolf must have found this odd because she placed her hands on it again.

“This thing is pretty heavy. I hope you don’t mind if I actually try this time.”

She took a breath and went for it all at once. But…

“…!”’

The memorial would not budge. Instead, the block below Mitotsudaira and the memorial began to audibly strain. The noise was coming from the artificial crust located below the ground.

Eventually, warning sign frames popped up all around them, so Asama frantically waved her hands.

“Wait! Wait, Mito! Stop! The artificial crust is going to break!”

“Eh? Um, then what is with this memorial? It’s extremely heavy.”

How bizarre, thought Horizon. What did this mean?

“Perhaps my buried remains are pulling it back down from below?”

“That’s a terrifying thought, but nothing was ever buried below it.”

“Again I must question what the point of it even is.”

“Don’t look at me like thaaaaaaaaat!” shouted Toori.

But Asama raised her right hand. She opened a sign frame and nodded toward Horizon before speaking.

“Um, I have an idea, so I’m going to ask my dad.”

●

Asama: “Dad, I know you’re busy, but do you have a moment?”

Asama Dad: “Hm!? What is it, Tomo!? Need a spell because Toori-kun is too exhausted to get it up again!?”

Asama: “…I will hang up, you know?”

Asama Dad: “Oh, you’re right! I included that spell in the package I sent over before, didn’t I? You did give that package to Toori-kun, I hope? But don’t look inside. These things need to stay between us guys. Anyway, did you need something?”

Asama: “Um, yes. You know Horizon’s memorial? She says she wants to throw it out, so how do we remove it?”

Asama Dad: “We worked so hard setting that thing up and now you want to throw it out!?”

Asama: “Horizon says she doesn’t want it around.”

Asama Dad: “Oh, no arguing with that. Let’s see, if I’m remembering right, you can’t just pick it up.”

Asama: “Right. Mito tried just now, but the ground below was about to break.”

Asama Dad: “Yeah, make sure you stop her before it does break. You see, it’s screwed in.”

Asama: “Screwed in?”

Asama Dad: “Yeah, it’d be pretty horrific if one of the Musashi’s wild maneuvers caused it to come loose and fly into another part of the ship, right? So we screwed it in.”

Asama: “You screwed it in?”

●

Mitotsudaira followed Asama’s depressed sounding advice and rotated the memorial instead of lifting.

“Oh! It’s rising!”

“It’s spinning! The memorial is spinning!”

“Let me see. Heh heh heh. It turns surprisingly smoothly.”

Everyone grabbed on and helped rotate it. After it rose about 10cm, it started to wobble. The screw must have come out of the base. Mitotsudaira tried lifting it again.

“It’s surprisingly light. And look.”

A single thick screw stuck out of the bottom. A closer look showed the thick screw was attached to the bottom of the memorial with four smaller screws. According to Asama…

“”When large or heavy non-natural objects are placed outdoors, they are either managed by whoever is in charge of that area or they are required to be fixed in place. This is the latter option. That usually means surrounding it with a cage or attaching supports, though.”

“It isn’t as light as pumice, but it is still quite light,” said Mitotsudaira. “You could not use it as a weight. If anything, maybe we could break off pieces to rub our heels in the bath?”

“Y’know, that thing made me feel a lot of remorse and stuff!” said the king. “It meant a lot to me!”

“Heh heh,” laughed Kimi. “An object’s value can shift in the blink of an eye. That probably says something about human nature.”

“But what should we do with it?” asked Mitotsudaira. “It’s too light to cause any damage if we throw it at enemy warships.”

“True…”

“Hey, Horizon!? Why are you looking at me like that!? If you’re going to hit me with it, at least be gentle!”

Mitotsudaira was relieved to see her king was in such high spirits.

…Oh?

A sign frame suddenly appeared by her face. She checked to see what it was.

Bell: “E-everyone’s ready…so we’re going…to the Asama Shrine now! Where are you?”

Horizey: “Gah!”

Asama: “Horizon! Horizon! You were trying to thank Suzu-san, weren’t you!?”

This was getting sad. But if everyone was ready, then it was time to get moving.

…It is about time for us to reach Honnouji.

Vice President: “The report Ookubo put together gives us a general layout of Honnouji. Now the question is how we break in. Well, that and…”

Masazumi paused to choose her words.

Vice President: “It sounds like the Battle of Shizugatake being fought in Hokuriku is approaching the end of its initial phase. Kasuya Takenori’s unit is trying to break through the Shibata Team’s formation.”

“Kasuya?” parroted Mitotsudaira.

She recalled clashing with her on the bridge across Edo Bay during the Kantou Liberation.

“Mito, Kasuya is the one who was sniffing around before your mom was vaporized.”

“Wrong, Asama!” said Kimi. “She was the one sniffing around before Mitotsudaira’s mom shot her werewolf stuff everywhere!”

Mitotsudaira wondered what these people thought her mother was, but she knew asking would be a bad idea. That aside, she had fought the Shibata Team at Magdeburg and Novgorod. Shibata in particular she had attacked with the 1st Special Duty Officer and taken off his arm. If that was Kasuya’s opponent…

“She probably will break through.”

Kasuya seemed like someone with the strength and willpower needed to accomplish that.

●

Kasuya was engaged in combat.

Her team was at the entrance to the Shibata Team’s formation.

They were in the clearing ahead of the fortress line of ships and they were in the process of smashing through the enemy’s defensive lines.

She had broken through the first and Kousaka and Inada were working to break through the second while leading the rest.

They hit.

A loud crash rang out, the force of the clash seemed to swell out, and it all exploded a moment later.

“Ohh!”

The beasts had won.

Metallic sounds scattered and the blood of her people flew, but her side had the advantage.

The enemy’s second line was swept up and broken like a wave. And…

“Here I go!”

Kasuya charged into the opening her people had created in the center of the enemy’s second line.

Chapter 27: Strange Ones at the Line of Contact[edit]

Have you learned yet

That there’s no reason to worry

And there’s no reason to feel inferior?

Point Allocation (But It’s Still a Hard Job)

●

Kasuya raced across the clearing.

Her gaze was directed past the enemy’s broken second line.

The enemy’s third line was there. She would reach the fortress wall of ships if she broke through that third line and the fourth beyond them.

Her team was doing well, but they weren’t done yet. They were about halfway through.

At this point, there was no turning back.

…We have to keep going!

Kousaka and Inada had gone ahead and launched the enemy’s second line upwards more by pushing them than striking them. And now…

“Here we go!”

Kasuya nodded at their bestial roars.

Up ahead, she could see the enemy’s third line charging her way.

…They’re coming!

This was the enemy’s third charge, but that didn’t mean they could take it lightly.

Her team’s speed had dropped after breaking the enemy’s first two lines.

New techniques, reliability, and quantity were the greatest tactics and strategy. This had been repeatedly proven during the Thirty Years’ War and the Warring States period.

The enemy was making repeated charges using their mobile shell control system.

The nonhumans were faster than the mobile shells thanks to their acceleration during tight turns and over short distances. That was why nonhumans would generally rush into the enemy unit, break it apart, and then defeat each individual enemy.

But that didn’t work when the enemy was charging in along a straight line as a single whole. Especially when this wasn’t the first or even the second time – it was the third and soon to be fourth time.

Kasuya’s team were from M.H.R.R., so they knew a lot about mobile shells. They had also been selected for their strength even for nonhumans, so they were managing for the time being.

But they were still largely relying on their speed.

Their momentum had dropped considerably after the second clash. The enemy had a much greater chance of “winning” the next clash. So…

…It all comes down to this third one!

Just as Kasuya thought that, she heard wind blowing on either side of her. She knew what had to be producing the sound.

“Accelerating mobile shells!?”

Reality eloquently answered her question.

Of the three groups laid out left to right, the units closest to the forest and the central unit had accelerated toward her team in a defense formation.

They charged in with spears at the ready. And…

“They’re coming in from the sides!?”

If her team did not break through the central unit, they would be caught in a pincer attack from the sides. The enemy would use that to crush them.

And Kasuya saw the third group preparing something as they accelerated in from the front.

Only their front line prepared it with support from behind.

“Defense spells!?”

●

Kasuya saw large ether shields glowing in the moonlight.

They were a crucial part of any defense formation, but…

“They’re using them to charge us!?”

How useful would those defense spells even be when her team crashed into them at speed? In the worst case, the enemy would run right into their own shields, damaging themselves.

But her team could tell one thing when considering the pincer attacks from the side.

…Those defense barriers are meant to stop us here!

Those shields were not meant to protect the enemy from the clash or to defeat Kasuya’s team.

They were meant to create a wall that none of Kasuya’s team could breach.

They were meant to block the way.

And with the way forward blocked, the enemy’s pincer attack would press in on Kasuya’s team, breaking them.

Their acceleration was probably designed to stop Kasuya’s team at just the right place. It was being controlled by a program, after all. The 1000-man defense formation was moving as a single whole.

Thus, the third line had moved forward to stop Kasuya’s team. They formed a wall to place Kasuya’s team in the perfect position to be crushed by the pincer attack from the sides. Which meant…

…They want to make sure they defeat us here!

●

While running, Kousaka realized Kasuya was preparing for an attack. So she immediately swung her arm back.

“Don’t!” she said.

Their leader was skilled, but she was young and tended to be overprotective of her people. She had even returned for them earlier instead of abandoning them. So…

“Get ready, everyone!”

“Wh-what are you doing!?” demanded Kasuya.

“That should be obvious!” Kousaka answered their young commander’s question while accelerating out ahead with Inada. “This is a battle! We wouldn’t bother doing anything meaningless, would we!?”

●

The Shibata Team used an aerial warship for its north gate. By landing the ship and opening its port and starboard cargo bay doors, it functioned as a checkpoint. Its entrance was currently closed, but it functioned as the center point for everyone in the clearing out in front.

The first and second central lines waiting directly out ahead of the north gate had been breached and the third line was charging in, matching its time to the second and third lines on the left and right.

They were intercepting Hashiba’s nonhuman unit from three directions. The third central group would stop the enemy with pure stubbornness if necessary while the left and right groups crushed them in a pincer attack.

No matter how nimble those nonhumans were, they would have a hard time turning a full 90 degrees right away. And if they did do that, it would mean splitting their force and they would be crushed either way. So…

“This ends here!”

The center third line held defense barriers out in front as they charged.

They were closing in. Both sides were accelerating, but something happened about halfway through the charge.

The nonhuman unit suddenly spilt down the center.

“They changed course!?”

Were they avoiding the third line in the center to avoid the pincer attack?

But that was meaningless. The third line only had to adjust their speed.

The nonhuman unit would still be crushed by the pincer attack in front of the third line.

So this action only hastened their doom.

The third line didn’t panic and continued their charge with defense barriers at the ready. The thrusters on their shoulders meant they formed a partially floating wall and pushed on with the rear lines supporting the front lines.

“Go!” they shouted, continuing their unified acceleration.

Then the entire front line saw something.

They saw the back end of the split nonhuman unit.

●

“What in the-?”

The front of the third line were still accelerating when they saw the back end of the nonhuman unit.

It was made up of the injured. They were all worn down after the clash with the second line. Some were bleeding and others had their arms bent at unnatural angles.

This didn’t surprise anyone. They had been up against 1000 mobile shells. That nonhuman unit had repelled them all with less than 170. It was only fair that at least 30 of them had been injured.

That group hadn’t just come to a stop – they were collapsed on the ground.

They must have been badly injured and exhausted because they were lying down and clinging to some kind of staff.

No, wait.

“Those are guns!”

The enemy had not yet given up.

The injured nonhumans were lying on the ground to aim their guns.

The uninjured ones were trying to find a way through, but the injured ones were entirely ignoring the pincer attack as they took aim from the ground.

“Everyone, halt acceleration!”

As soon as she realized what the enemy was doing, one of the commanders at the four corners of the defense formation shouted a warning.

But it was too late.

Gunfire rang out and the recoil sent the injured nonhumans rolling backwards. They had definite smiles on their faces. They stared up at the moon, their smiling fangs shining in its light.

There was no need to ask why. Their gunfire had hit.

But they hadn’t hit the wall meant to block the nonhumans’ way. Their gunfire had slipped through the slight gap below the defense spells. They had accurately fired through that gap of only about 5cm to hit the legs of the mobile shells.

“…!”

Not all of them had been hit. Only a few. But it was enough to knock them off balance and topple them.

In that instant, everyone in the third line saw the split nonhuman charge rush in at them. Those nonhumans readied their claws or weapons to hunt their fallen prey.

●

A triple massacre began.

The first came when the pincer attack from the sides struck the unmoving injured members of the nonhuman unit.

As for the second…

“Ohhh!”

The nonhuman unit charged into the holes opened in the front of the third line and broke the entire line as if sinking their fangs in and swallowing.

The damage to the third line was severe. The timing of the clash had been carefully calculated, but the nonhumans rushed in just as the pincer attack hit.

It was almost like the pincer attack was pushing them in.

Once in their midst, the nonhumans truly were monsters. It barely mattered that the humans were wearing mobile shells. Their human strength and the movable range of the mobile shells were easily overwhelmed.

But more than anything, the unified control made this true hell for the third line. They wanted to fight back, but the combined feedback meant they were bound by what the others wanted to do.

Ultimately, none of them could move the way they wanted to.

“Ah, ah…ah!!!”

They were broken, beaten, and crushed. Some tried to accelerate away, but…

“Ah!”

They were caught in a pincer attack as the third massacre.

●

Kousaka silently thanked their injured.

…Great job!

This had happened in the forest too. They had decided on a certain rule for this battle.

Anyone injured would be left behind. But once that happened, the injured were to ready their guns and provide supporting fire.

They were nonhumans in their beast transformations, but they had excellent aim. They had complained during training that beasts weren’t meant to use guns, but their results here showed they had continued their training when Kousaka wasn’t watching.

It came in handy.

Kasuya would of course know this too, but she wouldn’t have any experience in how to “use” anyone beyond herself and she wouldn’t be aware of how determined everyone else was.

As their leader began defeating the third line with her sight spell visor still on, she didn’t even look back.

But she must have noticed. That injured group would have been hit by the pincer attack either way. Her focus on the frontal attack had to have come from her thoughts concerning that group.

She gathered up all her anger and frustration and threw it at the enemy. That made her strong. Truly strong.

Which was why the rest of them followed her.

But at the same time, she was kind even to their enemy. While the rest of them used their claws or weapons to slash and deliver deadly strikes, she generally stuck to blunt impacts.

Those impacts had to be very heavy, but they were delivered against mobile shells. If anything, these attacks were meant to send the enemy flying and knock them out of the fight.

…Why is she so kind?

While they were ultimately all on the same side, this was still their enemy. If they didn’t win here, the enemy would defeat them. So why?

“Why does she avoid losing them?”

After that question occurred to Kousaka, she heard the wolf yelling up ahead.

“Kousaka! Inada!”

The black wolf crushed and struck the enemy, rendering their defenses and all else meaningless.

“Cover the sides for me!”

●

Kasuya sucked in a breath.

Unlike before, her attacks to the right and left were complete combination blows.

They were delivered to the sides, but they were generally smashing attacks sent up from below. She just added a hook to draw in the enemies on the sides.

“Lu la!”

She struck, slipping past the enemy’s attack and defense and smashing them with brute strength as she continued onward.

She lacked the momentum she had when leaving the forest. Her entire team was worn down after breaching the second line.

She didn’t have Hirano or Sakon with her like she did during the break. Oh, and Ootani too. And none of these people were as skilled as Kani who she had worked with before.

“Let’s go!” she shouted, receiving responses from behind her.

“Ohhh!”

Her team didn’t use testament or shaja. They roared their response to their commander.

And they all crushed the enemy to the left and right.

These were not her usual powerful comrades, but she had left the sides to them. They worked to fulfill that role well enough that she really did feel protected. So…

…I can focus on the center!

She struck, deflected, repelled, and continued forward. She ran. She raced. She picked up speed.

“La!”

In that instant, she felt a refreshing chill surrounding her.

…Oh.

She had broken through the enemy.

At some point, her group had destroyed the third line.

●

The Shibata Unit worked to remain calm.

They were under attack, but they still had the advantage. An overwhelming one.

The enemy had broken through the center of their first, second, and third lines. But…

“They’re worn down!”

After breaching the third line, the nonhuman group was noticeably slower than before.

That was due to their beast transformations.

For Loup-Garous and other spirit types that had a link to their homeland, their beast transformation would create a “field” around them and they drew an ether supply from that. But most bestial nonhumans were not like that. After their transformations, maintaining that form consumed a lot of ether.

Their beast sides were strengthened in the moonlight because the moonlight provided more than enough ether for them. That the ether-rich moonlight was necessary for that showed just how great the ether consumption was.

When they frolicked in the moonlight, they would simply wear themselves out and fall asleep. When they woke up, they would be in human form again.

The past two attacks had worn them out. So the Shibata Unit knew what they had to do.

“Prepare to fire!”

The enemy had dodged their gunfire at first, but things had changed. The gunfire was guaranteed to hit an unmoving target.

So they took their three-stage firing positions. The front row sat down, the second kneeled, and the third remained standing. Then they all only had to take aim at their targets and fire.

The enemy had begun to accelerate. But it was too little too late. So the gunners remained calm and their commanders gave the word.

“Fi-”

They never finished the word.

A nonhuman was there. Not from ahead and not from the forest.

She dropped straight down from the sky, directly in front of them.

“Thanks for clearing the way, Kasuya.”

She had six golden wings spread wide behind her. Her name was…

“Ten Spears #4 Katou Yoshiaki. This is my first time using Weiss Fürstin’s anti-ship cannon form against people.”

She had already prepared her weapon. A group of metal acceleration panels had been rearranged into an anti-ship acceleration cannon measuring more than 30m long.

The gold-winged Technohexen spoke while Magie Figurs opened all around the cannon.

“Help me out. Help me end this as soon as possible.”

With that, she fired her cannon.

●

A booming roar echoed out.

The explosion was fireless, so it was only composed of the impact of the shell hitting and the shockwave created by its passage through the air.

But the blast still swept everything away.

The mobile shells were blown away, crashing into the hull of the north gate warship and several of the defense barriers.

The real danger was the equipment that slipped from their grasp. Countless metal spears soared through the air and rained down on the mobile shell groups to the sides and the gunners on the decks of the fortress wall of ships.

Some stabbed into the decks, some worked with the shockwave to pierce the defense barriers protecting the ships, shattering some of those barriers.

Looking from the top of the ships to the bottom, everything was scattered in front of the north gate. Below the still-soaring blast, mobile shells and equipment all lay collapsed but alive on the ground.

“Hey, are you alright!?”

While checking on their comrades, they saw something more.

Some of the north gate warship’s armor had been torn away, but the ship wasn’t destroyed.

“Yes!” someone shouted. “Our defenses held!”

All those collapsed below the ship hadn’t fought for nothing. Several people raised their voices to celebrate that.

They moved toward the clearing. Some used descent spells and others took the stairs, but none of them forgot to bring their equipment.

They all saw a dust cloud racing across the clearing below them. The battlefield wind scattered that dust into the sky.

A beat later, something emerged.

A cannon.

This was not the one the white Technohexen had fired earlier.

A black anti-ship cannon emerged from below the scattering dust.

●

While everyone froze in place and the explosive blast carried heat around the clearing, Yoshiaki opened her mouth. She spoke while converting her Weiss Fürstin to cruising form.

“Technohexen are never alone.”

“Testament. Where the white goes, the black goes also. I’m Angie, the #5. Nice to meetcha.”

The other speaker was next to her. The other girl aimed her Schwarz Fürstin in anti-ship cannon form and she was finishing the preparations to fire.

“The main ground unit behind us is carrying the supplies. Take will want to get inside eventually, but we can take a break before taking care of the rest.” Angie paused. “Oh, whoops. We haven’t gotten inside yet, have we? I’ll open the gate for us.”

Angie scratched her head and spoke to the warship out ahead.

“Good morrrrrrning!”

It’s not even midnight yet, thought Yoshiaki, but that greeting was accompanied by an explosion of power.

This second shot was much like Yoshiaki’s earlier one. Except this one tore through the north gate warship.

●

“Great job.”

After spreading her arms and raising her hands to acknowledge the applause coming from the kitchen, Takenaka sighed.

…Whew, I’m free of all that stress now.

They had breached Shibata’s fortress wall of ships. The latest reports said they had blasted a hole through the center of the cargo bay at the bottom of the ship, creating a pathway 5m tall and 15m wide.

The nonhuman unit was apparently working to defeat the enemy inside the ship and secure that pathway. The injured members of Kasuya’s team and their main ground unit would be enough to handle the remaining enemy ground forces in the clearing.

That main ground unit numbered 7000. They would use the route Kasuya’s team had taken as a safe zone to carry in various supplies.

The Battle of Shizugatake would be a short-term battle, but whether or not you had a well-supplied base would affect morale and would greatly alter the enemy’s tactics. Takenaka wanted to take over the north gate ship and two or three more of the ships bordering the clearing. That would allow the Azuchi to approach the north side of Shibata’s formation and increase the safety of their base.

…After all, that ground unit is mostly made up of non-name inheritors.

They were not great warriors like the Ten Spears. They were trained, but the 7000 were primarily young students.

Even so, they were moving in with the intent of defeating and conquering the Shibata Team.

“And after that…it would be nice if we could absorb the Shibata Team into our ranks.”

That was what Takenaka most wanted.

●

Takenaka considered Shibata’s heroic status to be the biggest impediment and the key factor to defeating his team.

That team had its skilled warriors like Shibata himself, Niwa, and Sakuma and they also had all the competent fighters under their command. That the Sakuma Team had joined the Shibata Team shortly after their fleet was mostly sunk was a very Far Eastern tactic, but…

“It shows a belief that they’ll be fine as long as they have Shibata-san or Niwa-san with them.”

They would withdraw, but they wouldn’t put up a desperate resistance. They put off surrendering until later. Instead, they gathered around one of their heroes and attempted to quickly return to the fight.

In that sense, what did it mean that they had taken Sakuma prisoner but no one had stayed with her?

Kuro-Take: “Sakuma-san, are you sure you’re all that popular?”

Candy Drop: “Hey, hey, hey! I’m popular! Super popular! Anyway, there’s no gaming PC in this room, so get one in here! I need to show Hachisuka I can beat her high score!”

At least their prisoner seemed happy.

But based on what the Shibata Team and those following him were doing, the most important part of this battle would be defeating Shibata. The next most important would be what to do about Niwa and the other skilled warriors.

The real question was what to do with them after they had been defeated.

The best option would be to give the impression they had held a final showdown between the skilled warriors of both sides but not actually do it. Then they could build a base here, constantly demand the other side surrendered, and absorb the Shibata Team.

If their skilled warriors had fought a final showdown, it would provide a convincing reason for the Shibata Team to join them. Power wasn’t everything, but those people could not get by if they stayed with someone powerless, so it was important to prove Hashiba had even more power.

On top of that, Hashiba had to demonstrate that they cared about more than power. They had to let the Shibata Team know there were those who worked on the battlefield in a support role. That would provide a path for surrender more than anything else. So…

…I would really like for Kasuya-san and the others to clear the way and secure a safe location while defeating as many of the enemy’s skilled warriors as they can.

But that was asking a lot. Still, that was what Takenaka wanted as a commander.

“They are so much stronger than they used to be.”

Their defeat during the Keichou Campaign had motivated Kasuya, Yoshiaki, and Wakisaka to improve. Hopefully this “north gate breaching” mission had helped them get over that old loss.

Takenaka had reconsidered a lot as well.

She had relied too much on the Ten Spears during the Siege of Bitchu Takamatsu Castle. The scale of the battle and the Exiv Fantasy elements like the Terrestrial and Celestial Dragons had been too much for them. We had summer break coming up, so in hindsight I should have solved it all with some super high-damage by crashing the Azuchi into the enemy. Yes, a giant ship ram would have been perfect. Yay, yay, hooray!

Azuchi: “Takenaka-sama, your silence is concerning, so please say something. Anything. Shaja.”

Impressive, “Azuchi”. You know my thought patterns too well.

But the enemy would be focused on Kasuya and the others soon. The next group of warriors would set up a base and then the battlefield would more or less be flipped inside out.

“So next I should use the ace up my sleeve.”

A cook carried a plate out from the kitchen. It contained an apple pie. If I eat that now, I’ll have my ero all charged up for when the stress hits. Gotta keep the cycle going.

Kuro-Take: “Okay, Kiyomasa-san, you’re up next. Good luck.”

The Battle of Shizugatake was moving on to its next stage. So…

Kiyo-Massive: “Testament. My unit has arrived at our destination.”

“Oh.” Katagiri turned around after ordering a drink at the counter. “Everything is progressing as planned.”

●

Kiyomasa stood just barely within the moonlight.

She was on the border between the forest and a clearing.

However, this clearing was not the one bordering the northern face of the fortress wall of ships where Kasuya’s team was fighting. This was the southern clearing on the complete opposite side.

She had a single task: execute a pincer attack on the Shibata Team. Takenaka’s plan was for their main force to attack from the north as a diversion while Kiyomasa and the 500 warriors under her command destroyed the south side of Shibata’s formation. And then…

“We settle this quickly and move on to Honnouji.”

She looked back to the southeast, but the forest obscured her view of the sky. She knew what had to be there, though. A light would be rising into the sky from Honnouji and the Musashi would be on its way there.

When she faced forward again, she could see their current enemy. The ships lined up in front of her looked like…

“A castle.”

The warships lined up a kilometer ahead looked so much like a fortress wall.

The aerial ships were lined up to form a circular wall. There were gaps between the ships, but rough moats had been dug there. Some of the gaps had even used the dug-up dirt to create earthen walls or had snow piled up into a barrier.

The ships were all at least 15m tall. They would be at least as sturdy as Paris’s walls that counted as Bitchu Takamatsu Castle.

Climbing over them was out of the question.

That meant breaking through the gaps between the ships was the only option.

The warriors inside the fortress wall were currently gathered to the north. The Azuchi was there and Kasuya’s team must have breached the wall there. Earlier, Kiyomasa had seen two explosive blasts and dust clouds rise into the air from the north. Kasuya’s results had delighted her.

The north side would soon become a sight of intense battle. With that in mind…

“It’s finally our turn.”

Her people behind her nodded with bitter smiles.

“We need to get going. Everyone to the north is already fighting.”

“We’re always seen as the foundation of Hashiba’s defenses, so this happens a lot.”

“Things would be different if the Fukushima Team was her.”

Their comments made her smile bitterly too. After all, getting here hadn’t been easy.

…You don’t normally jump out of ships during a high-speed maneuver.

●

I always ask so much of them, thought Kiyomasa with a sigh.

They had done well against gods of war and Terrestrial Dragons back at Bitchu Takamatsu Castle, but none of it was something anyone should have to do.

And now they had performed a group dive from a ship during a high-speed maneuver.

Their opportunity had come during the battle with the Sakuma Fleet.

They had jumped when the Azuchi made its initial charge. When the 1st and 2nd central ships had been sent out ahead and then pulled back by the towing belts, all that speed had canceled out to zero for just a moment.

That quick forward and back had not been a game of chicken, nor had it been meaningless. The central ships had been sent out in front of the Sakuma Fleet so that her team could drop from the bottom of the ship.

They had predicted that was the one moment when the Azuchi’s speed would be at a safe level. And they had predicted the Sakuma Fleet would only be able to focus on the Azuchi afterwards.

Their predictions had been correct.

After descending, they had acted separately from the rest, with Kiyomasa in command. Her team had proven at Bitchu Takamatsu Castle that they were capable of moving as a group under harsh conditions.

With a few other units joining them for extra strength, they were to charge the Shibata Team from the south.

However, they couldn’t do so right away.

They had intel saying Niwa would be guarding the south side. And after Sakuma’s people abandoned ship, they had made their way to the Shibata Team’s south side to join with them.

Hurrying to the south side would only mean running into and battling them.

So while it placed a great burden on Kasuya’s group, a breaching mission had been carried out to the north.

Kasuya’s group was the Hashiba’s main force, but they were being used as a diversion while Kiyomasa’s group attacked from the south.

The Shibata Team would be facing the Azuchi, so Kiyomasa’s group could attack them from the rear.

That was the general idea behind Takenaka’s plan.

Kiyomasa thought it was asking a lot, but she also knew she was well suited to this kind of mission.

…My team is accustomed to taking defensive action and Caledfwlch gives me one of the most powerful attacks in the Ten Spears.

But a focus on defense slowed them down. They were still above average, but they weren’t even close to matching the speed of Kasuya’s team. That left only Kiyomasa if speed was needed on this side, but Takenaka had made a request regarding that.

“Only use one Caledfwlch blast.”

She held the combined double-scythe spear in her right hand.

Caledfwlch.

The divine weapon could store ammunition, but that was not unlimited. Especially now. During summer break, P.A. Oda’s ether was being focused on Honnouji preparations, so ether supplies for other uses had been limited.

…Yet I still used a shot at Sanada.

I shouldn’t have done that.

I couldn’t help myself, though. These things happen. Yes.

It didn’t even shake me when one of my girls wished the Fukushima Team was here, but I couldn’t agree more. Yes. But even if she were here, this is the battlefield and I swore to myself I would not let myself get distracted by such things.

At any rate, Caledfwlch currently had three rounds loaded.

She would use one here to destroy that fortress wall and the remaining two she would use after the Battle of Shizugatake.

For their battle against Musashi.

That battle would likely begin after the Battle of Shizugatake and the Honnouji Incident were both over. And it might be a long series of battles. If she was going to use a power strong enough to change the course of a battle, it had to be there.

After all, the history recreation already assured them victory here at Shizugatake. So…

“–––––”

She breathed in.

Calm down.

The clearing was about a kilometer front to back. She could easily cover that distance with a full-power Caledfwlch blast.

…If possible, I should direct it toward where Kasuya-sama is fighting so it can provide her support too.

Once she had broken through the southern fortress wall of ships, her 500 warriors would attack. They would effectively only be causing confusion and a diversion, but the Shibata Team would be forced to pay attention after the sudden Caledfwlch attack. And the more they confused the enemy, the more they could help Kasuya’s team.

…I need to give this my all.

She opened a lernen figur showing an aerial photograph taken from the Azuchi. She displayed her location on that and began to move.

Just then, she realized several figures were lined up atop the ships forming a wall in front of her.

“Them?”

She knew them. She recognized them. She had fought alongside them at Novgorod. She hadn’t literally been by their side then, but anyone in P.A. Oda would know them.

“Niwa-sama and her Mehter?”

The enemy had predicted this pincer attack.

Chapter 28: Cheerful Girl in the Cell[edit]

Yes

When I went to check on her

She was still in there

That was then, though

Point Allocation (Tragedy Soon Struck!)

●

Kiyomasa gestured for her 500 warriors to fall back.

They were small for an attacking force. If they were hiding in the forest, Niwa’s group would have to stay on their guard.

She looked out ahead to see Niwa and her warriors standing on the wall a kilometer away. They numbered 3000, which wasn’t much for a defense unit, but…

“That’s Niwa-sama’s Mehter. I thought they were meant for conquering cities, but they must have been deployed here as defenders or to attack an approaching army.”

There could be even more waiting behind that group. Kiyomasa hoped the Azuchi had managed to check on that while side-flipping above.

But Niwa’s group was looking directly at Kiyomasa’s.

They were ready and waiting.

The report Kiyomasa had seen said Niwa had moved to the north side to support the Takigawa Unit after bolstering their numbers with the Sakuma Team.

But apparently that report had been inaccurate.

This meant Niwa had abandoned the north front.

And now that she was back here, there wasn’t a warrior out of place under her 3000 defenders.

“Did she predict we would be acting separate from the Azuchi?”

Niwa stared down at them from atop the ship.

She was one of the Five Great Peaks. Among P.A. Oda’s top officials, she shared the top two spots with Shibata.

Hashiba, who Kiyomasa served, had created that name by taking a kanji each from those two’s names.

And Niwa was here now in place of Takigawa who had retired just before summer break.

Takigawa had been quite skilled herself and Niwa was considered a suitable replacement for her.

Kiyomasa took a deep breath while looking up at that woman.

“Now.”

Something bothered her. She checked on it while facing that fortress wall made up of ships.

Kiyo-Massive: “Takenaka-sama, we have arrived and located the enemy. How are things on your end?”

●

Takenaka wanted to hold her head in her hands. Because things were moving a little too fast. For one, I haven’t even started on my apple pie yet. Am I supposed to ero after only looking at it?

No, I need to use my head.

…Sorry, but give me some time to think.

Some high-damage would give me the motivation I need to think. Because I don’t want to get hit by it, but I would love to send it our enemy’s way. But…

“Why is Shibata-san doing everything so half-assed?”

She had honestly expected him to predict their side flip maneuver.

It was one of the nicest maneuvers available to the Azuchi.

It let them circle behind their opponent and, more importantly, it was super intimidating for the enemy below.

So of course she would use it.

And an opponent of Shibata’s level would respond. If they were moving behind him, he would already be facing that way waiting for them. And she would have predicted his prediction.

So after the side flip, they would have circled behind the Shibata Team to face them directly.

But this only meant they had predicted each other’s actions. They still had the rest of the battle to think about.

So Takenaka had set something up.

While the Azuchi circled behind the Shibata Team, she had dropped off a separate unit.

She had dropped them off before the side flip maneuver because she hadn’t expected the enemy to predict the drop-off of a ground unit during their feint charge.

After all, that was asking a lot of Kiyomasa and her team.

But the enemy had predicted it after all.

…I think I get it.

Takenaka had a general idea what had happened.

“Did Shibata-san predict this? No, he didn’t. He doesn’t give anything this much thought.”

●

Takenaka sighed and stood up. Her mouth pulled tensely to the sides. She found it hard to believe, but as she gathered the pieces, she became more confident of her conclusion.

…Niwa-san must have predicted it.

But they had launched an all-out attack on the north face. It was odd for Niwa to not respond to that at all. So…

“There must be someone there.”

While she considered it, Takenaka opened a divine transmission lernen figur. She opened a new instance of Three Thousand Worlds while she spoke.

“Kasuya-san? Yoshiaki-san and Wakisaka-san too. Be careful out there.”

Because…

“Someone on Shibata and Niwa’s level is out there. That’s why Niwa-san hasn’t gone your way, so do be careful.”

●

“Huh?” said Angie with a tilt of the head.

They had just about conquered the clearing in front of the northern fortress wall of ships. The warriors who had arrived later were working with the nonhuman team to clear the rest of the defenders and the ships, so the clearing was quickly becoming a safe zone. The latecomers were hurriedly setting up a base and creating a space for the injured and any surrendered enemies.

The Azuchi and the Shibata Team were still exchanging artillery fire overhead, but…

…We have a lot of Shibata Team survivors and prisoners down here, so they can’t aim directly down at us.

That might happen eventually, but they were currently setting up a Catholic system for a large antiair defense barriers. That wouldn’t cover the entire space, but it would be enough to protect the key points from angled shots that relied on freefall.

But now…

“You say there’s a powerful fighter coming? Who? Besides, we’re pretty strong too.”

“Angie, pride comes before a fall,” said Yoshiaki.

“Testament. It’s true,” said Kasuya. “For example, they could have a long-range gunner like Hirano. Not all powerful fighters are close-range fighters.”

Angie knew that. But she still had an honest question. They had already conquered this area and Shibata’s team was keeping their distance from the taken ships.

So if someone was coming from there…

“Who could it be? That tentacle guy uses a god of war, doesn’t he?”

“If a god of war was coming, we would see it before it got here. And even if it came in one big leap, our people in the secured ships would see it.”

“Then could it be that crazy berserker? Oichi-sama?”

“Angie, Oichi-sama doesn’t discriminate between enemy and ally. She cuts everyone down equally, so if she were here, the Shibata Team would have to pull out.”

“Then who?”

AnG: “Shouroku, Sakuma-san hasn’t escaped, has she?”

6: “Do you really think you can beat me with a score like that?”

Sounds like she’s having fun. And hurry on over here, Shouroku.

…But that aside, who could it be?

They had to reassess the situation. That began with observing the enemy.

“Take, should we respond once we find this person?”

“I was supposed to deal with Niwa-sama now,” said Kasuya.

“I’m more worried about Kiyomasa than anyone.”

Yoshiaki was right. So for now…

“We wait until things have calmed down in there and then we make our own attack. Yoshiaki and me from above and Take from below as an active defense.”

“Sounds good,” said Yoshiaki and Kasuya nodded too.

“We need to be careful we don’t let our guard down.”

Just as Yoshiaki said that, a lernen figur appeared next to them all.

It was a warning. An alert. The sound and light indicating danger was accompanied by a sudden color. It rose from the ground across the entire area.

“A cold white mist!?”

●

Yoshiaki sensed danger.

Anyone who had trained in Technomagie would recognize this cold mist. That included Angie.

“Um, what is this again? I know what it is! I swear!”

“Angie, you don’t need to hide your minor failings like that.”

This was a rushed countermeasure to what they were doing here.

“Everyone! Hurry back into the forest!”

As soon as Yoshiaki shouted that, something appeared.

…Hands!

Bony arms made of bluish-white ether light grew from the ground. Because this was…

“Necromancy!”

These were ghosts.

They tried to grab at the living’s legs to pull themselves up out of the ground, so Yoshiaki held out a hand to stop Angie and hurried back. By then, she could hear cries of surprise and terror from all around. The wolf looked back her way from the line of ships up ahead.

“Yoshiaki! Wakisaka!”

“Face forward, Kasuya!”

As soon as Yoshiaki said that, the dead bones stood up from the ground. And…

“Evacuate those ships!”

Screams erupted from the line of ships just before a light appeared.

The north gate warship up ahead had been sliced in two.

Something had swung a great ether light attack that produced an explosive blast and a tearing sound and then pushed the warship out of the way.

“A giant ghost skeleton!”

That was the answer right there. Yoshiaki now knew who was here. There were already eight giant skeletons pushing past the line of ships to reach them. And someone stood in the clearing beyond them.

“Is that you, Maeda-senpai!?”

●

“Yes. Yes, it is,” said Toshiie, his arms crossed.

A cold white mist wafted across this space. Just like in Novgorod, he had a feeling ghosts did well in cold environments. Well, maybe it doesn’t improve their abilities in any way, but they at least look more at home.

But he was currently summoning a large group of ghost warriors.

“Hired for 4 gulden, the Landsknechte fight to fulfill their promise to their holy land and their god.”

Nice, he thought. It’s been too long since I’ve done this. But at the same time…

“I’m not sure how to put this, but sorry. I know this is nothing but a nuisance for you. I really do wonder what I’m even doing here. I mean, I don’t like these internal squabbles. I was hoping it could all work out for everyone and even sent out a ship to take you away. Then I was going to wait to join you all at Lake Biwa Azuchi.”

But…

“That I couldn’t do that and that I came back shows I’m still not as decisive as I’d like.”

He snapped his fingers. He flicked the hilt of his currency sword and some gold fell out.

He had plenty of funds to work with. When he had returned, Shibata had told him to “use all of this, idiot”. And…

“My contract with Shibata-senpai has me working for half an hour. To follow the Testament, I’ll be joining Hashiba’s side partway through the battle, so then we can go to Lake Biwa Azuchi. But I will be fulfilling my obligations until then, Hashiba.”

The rising army of ghosts collected the gold, raised a hand to greet Toshiie, and made their way to the battle line.

“Yes, I’m counting on you all. There’s no curry this time. Oichi-sama makes it a lot, but not tonight. I know because I can’t smell it. So…”

He pointed out ahead with Matsu mimicking him from his shoulder, her little wings spread behind her.

“Go, Kaga Millionen Geist. Make me look good before I leave the party early.”

●

Kousaka and Inada quickly left the line of ships to reach the clearing.

“Fall back into the forest! Hurry!”

From a ley line perspective, field spells couldn’t cross the boundaries between different kinds of terrain. Maeda’s Kaga Millionen Geist was generally used inside enemy territory, so it would actually have a hard time escaping from the kind of terrain it was used in.

If that remained true tonight…

…We have to get the rookies and ordinary people out of there!

The rest was a job for Kousaka and the other nonhumans. She knew there were a lot of those ghosts and she knew ten of them could join together to upgrade their form and fighting power. She and the other nonhumans had fought alongside Maeda a few times while fighting in M.H.R.R. Because he was…

…Wallenstein the Mercenary King!

She had never expected to be fighting against him. But…

“Let’s go, everyone!”

They were worn out. But they had received supplies and used stamina recovery and cooling spells.

They had to last half an hour against these ghosts. Ghosts were slow, so that sounded doable. However…

“Huh?”

She couldn’t immediately react to the enemy that suddenly appeared before her.

It was a ghost. Supposedly, anyway. The color and the ether light were familiar enough. But the speed was different. The humanoid ones were supposed to be slow, meaning only their great numbers made them a threat.

And yet this one ordinary-looking skeleton had rushed right up in front of her.

…Oh, no!

In the split second opening created by her careless assumption, she saw a blade rushing toward her. But…

“Kousaka!”

A bear claw shattered the enemy from the side.

That was Inada. After a moment of hesitation, he moved out from her side and further shattered the skeletal remains with his knee. Ether light scattered and he grabbed something from within.

“Check this out!”

Inada held up a metal piece of equipment.

“I don’t believe it.”

These enemies were definitely ghosts. But there was a reason why they could move faster and heavier than ordinary people.

“The ghost army is using high-speed mobile shells!”

●

Yoshiaki sensed danger.

The large skeletons that had smashed through the warships up ahead stood more than 10m tall.

But that wasn’t the whole story.

They had reinforcing armor roughly covering themselves, making them look like gods of war.

Instead of attacking with claws or just their arms, they held official swords or spears. It was almost like…

“We’re up against a group of mass-produced gods of war!”

The large skeletons roared. Their roars were strained and distorted.

Then they raised their weapons and used their great strength and reinforcing armor to open the bisected warships like gates.

The exterior and interior of the battlefield were now connected. The base Hashiba had set up was now joined with the interior of the Shibata Team’s formation. And that vast land was covered by countless skeletons and great apes made of bones.

The garden of the dead shined a ghastly white in the moonlight.

In that field of white and ether light, every red glowing eye was directed toward the Hashiba group. Around a third of them wore crude mobile shells and all of the large skeletons joined together to…

“…!”

…emit a deafening roar and rush toward the Hashiba group.

●

Sounds traveled surprisingly far. That applied to the roars and artillery blasts coming in from outside, but also…

“It’s pretty loud when I bang on my cell!”

Kani briefly wondered what she should do. She had filled her stomach and gotten some sleep earlier, so now she was trying to escape from here.

She wanted to leave because of how loud everything was outside.

She didn’t know what exactly was going on, but almost everyone had left the ship’s quarters where she was being held and she kept hearing artillery fire and destruction outside.

She could guess that the Battle of Shizugatake had begun and her allies had made it this far.

Which meant she needed to get out and fight too. She had had opportunities before, but she hadn’t taken them because escaping was meaningless if her allies weren’t here yet. So she had eaten and slept instead, but…

…I can’t summon Sasamura here!

They must have set up a spell field inside this cell. She had thought she would only need to summon Sasamura, but it wasn’t that simple. So her first order of business was finding another way to escape.

“Toh!”

She dashed from one edge of the room and threw a kick into the bars.

It made a loud sound and, for just a moment, the locking spell’s lernen figur appeared in front of the lock. Some of the bars bent a little bit, but not enough for her to escape.

…These bars are tough!

But just as she thought it might work eventually, she heard a commotion from the hallway.

She looked out to see a familiar face. He looked a lot like an octopus hot dog.

“Mori-senpai!”

“Oh! Kani-kun! Is this where they had you locked up!?”

The tentacle approached her cell. But after he noticed the bent bars…

“Kani-kun!? I know what you were trying to do, but you can’t! You aren’t supposed to escape when someone locks you up!”

“That is very true, I suppose!”

“Testament! Kids these days shouldn’t be so quick to search out excitement. Listen. This cell was built with P.A. Oda tax money. That means it was made out of the taxes your parents paid. And here you are trying to destroy it. Doesn’t that seem wrong to you?”

“Um, can I say one thing, Mori-senpai!?”

“What is it?”

“Well!” Kani asked the tentacle her question. “The toilet paper at school is paid for with tax money too, which means it’s made out of the taxes my parents paid! So when I wipe my butt with it, am I wiping my butt with their money!?”

“Teenage girls should not be talking to tentacles about their b-butts! Th-that seems very wrong to me!”

She felt like he was avoiding her question. But…

…Huh!?

When she checked the state of the lernen figur, she realized things had changed for the better.

So she placed her back and hips against the curve of the bent bar. A lot like she was pushing her back toward the hallway.

“Um! Mori-senpai! Please move out of the way!”

“Kani-kun! You mustn’t bend those bars any further!”

“Okay! I won’t bend the bars anymore!”

“Good! I am glad to hear it!”

“The thing is! The cell’s field extends a bit into the hallway, but it seems to follow the room layout because it didn’t follow when I bent the bars! So now that I’ve bent the bars beyond the field, I can press my back against them like this and set Sasamura’s summon coordinates to out in the hallway!”

In other words…

“I’m going to escape!”

“Hey, wait!”

She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to wait for, so she went ahead and summoned Sasamura.

●

…The ejection summoning has so much momentum I can’t use it in enclosed spaces!

Kani realized her mistake.

She shouldn’t have summoned eight Sasamuras in the narrow hallway. The ejected cowling spears had detected the narrow space and, in their attempt not to hit anything around them, they had all collided with each other. The force of the impacts had caused them to bounce outwards, splitting and smashing the hallway and breaking through its walls.

“Wow! That was fun!”

Kani kicked down the cell’s bars now that they their foundation had been torn up and she rushed out into the hallway.

She found herself on a balcony with an excellent view outside.

The eight Sasamuras were floating in the air after freeing themselves from the hallway, but someone might come running if they saw the cowling spears, so she stored them once more.

She did make sure to connect to the ship’s information system and report the damage.

…Because honesty is the best policy!

Only then did she remember something.

“Oh! Mori-senpai!”

She didn’t see him around. He was below her, along with the broken ship materials. This was the equivalent of a building’s third floor and, when she looked down, she saw an impressive pile of smashed materials and…

“Mori-senpaiiiii!”

She couldn’t tell if he was in that rubble pile or not, but he didn’t respond.

What do I do!? She doubted he was dead, but she would feel bad if he was hurt. After all, she had never seen someone who would look so tasty on display in a butcher’s shop. She had once described him to Maeda as “the type who’s probably really tasty if you slice him up”. The boys in the area had all frozen in place, so Maeda had smiled and warned her not to say such things in front of the boys. She had taken that to heart and only ever repeated it in front of the girls afterwards. Fuwa-senpai thought it was hilarious!

Anyway, what do I do!? she wondered when someone approached from the side.

“What is happening over here- oh? Kani!?”

“Fuwa-senpai!”

It was Fuwa. She wore a coat over her winter uniform and she sighed as she surveyed the state of the ship.

●

…Let me guess: Kani was in there.

Fuwa could guess that much from what she saw.

Kani had caused all this damage in an escape attempt. Fuwa had come to this ship because it was where the Shibata Team’s administrative business was concentrated, but…

“Kani, I guess I’ll ask: what happened here?”

“Oh, testament! I summoned Sasamura a little, but Mori-senpai was in the way!”

“Hm, that wouldn’t be enough to kill him, so don’t worry about it.”

“Really!? Then I won’t!”

Fuwa felt a little bad for Mori, but then Kani asked a question of her own. She looked out through the hole in the wall first.

“Um, what are you doing here, Fuwa-senpai!? I thought you boarded a ship leaving here!”

“Um, yes, but I got talking with that idiot and it felt like we should go our separate ways.”

“Oh…oh, s-sorry! I didn’t realize you and Sassa-senpai broke up!”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

Don’t let it get to you, thought Fuwa as this underclassman’s senior. But if she was asked to explain how she did mean it, she wasn’t really sure what she would say. However…

“Fuwa-senpai! What are you doing here!?”

I’m even less sure what to say to that…

●

Kani heard a long, drawn-out “uh” from Fuwa.

Then Fuwa held a hand to her face.

“Here’s the thing, Kani.”

“Yes!?”

“I’m honestly not too excited about this, but, well, I don’t think I have much of a choice.”

Fuwa swung her arms outward a bit.

That motion opened several insha kotobs around her.

And she smiled with her eyebrows lowered.

“I don’t know how this is going to turn out, though.”

No, she did. She definitely did. Because…

…She’s a name inheritor and an officer!

So Kani spoke from the subordinate position of an underclassman.

“Are you accepting the challenge, Fuwa-senpai!?”

Fuwa briefly raised her eyebrows.

But then her widened eyes bent in a smile and she mouthed a word.

“Idiot.”

Yes! thought Kani. I’m an idiot! Because…

“I’m an underclassman! I’m not good enough yet!”

So this time, she properly summoned Sasamura. There was only one thing to say at this point.

“May the best fighter win!”

A loud roar arrived from outside. Almost like a response to her determination.

●

Niwa kept her eyes on Kiyomasa in the distance while she listened to the noise coming from behind her to the north.

She recognized the sounds of metal splitting, colliding, and sparking.

She knew what had to be happening. Maeda was enjoying himself on the north end.

“In the end, Maeda-kun really did want to join in, didn’t he?”

No matter how smart they pretended to be, boys were ultimately all idiots. Instead of giving themselves over to their emotions, they would bind themselves with duty and such things, which only let their stress grow.

Niwa was different in that regard.

She tended to act as a buffer between different parts of the organization. Even in the Testament, she was both one of the older Oda retainers and someone who later gave Hashiba many warnings while Hashiba relied on her.

She knew she was like an excellent piece of furniture meant to fill small gaps, but there were advantages to that.

“Now, let’s do our thing.”

She raised her right hand high and swung it.

The motion she produced indicated four-four time. She was the conductor. The motion set the Mehter behind her into motion.

●

Kiyomasa saw that Niwa was suddenly down in the clearing.

She hadn’t overlooked Niwa’s descent. Niwa’s movement had just been that well done. And Kiyomasa had located her the instant after she was down, so it wasn’t a problem. But something else bothered her a lot more.

She couldn’t hear anything.

Niwa had been swinging her raised right hand for a bit now.

The 3000-man Mehter up on the fortress wall of ships behind her was playing music in response.

Some played string instruments, some played percussion instruments, some played wind instruments, and others sang and danced while clapping to the beat.

But Kiyomasa couldn’t hear any of that.

She thought maybe they had an auditory stealth barrier active, but there weren’t any such spell circles open around the 3000. The only light source she saw were the score display insha kotobs opened in front of them.

Yet none of it made a sound while Niwa approached.

Niwa’s steps were dance steps, suggesting the unheard music was reaching her. That may have been why Niwa reached for the cloth tying back her long, swaying hair.

“––––––”

She untied the cloth as part of her dance.

In that instant, Kiyomasa shouted to everyone behind her.

“Fall back!”

●

The word “danger” came to Kiyomasa’s mind.

…Niwa-sama is one of the Five Great Peaks!

“The Five Great Peaks are actually six!” was the ad copy for P.A. Oda’s famous Five Great Peaks Manju because it was a 5-manju set that always came with a 6th for free. Yoshiaki had complained, saying that just made it a 6-manju set, but Kiyomasa thought it was a matter of human psychology that would take a long time to explain.

Regardless, that showed just how important the Five Great Peaks were in P.A. Oda, but all of them, and Hashiba too, had been given something by Oda Nobunaga.

Nobunaga had given it to them as an alternative when it was decided P.A. Oda would not be receiving a Logismoi Oplo.

“The power of an angel!”

Technically, it was a spell.

Maeda Toshiie and Sassa Narimasa had Israfil, which let them borrow the power of the earth.

Akechi Mitsuhide had Jibril, which gave him authority over words.

And Niwa had…

…Uriel, which lets her convert the kind of power she uses.

Niwa would likely use that authority here.

This was the final night for her friend and colleague Shibata. This was a festival. So…

“–––”

Kiyomasa took a defensive stance while watching light scatter from the cloth Niwa had released into the air.

That was ether spray, meaning that was a spell cloth. And its next effect was…

…A dragon?

A small dragon made of rock appeared on Niwa’s right shoulder. But it had no physical form. That shining being was…

“Kiyomasa-sama, that is an earth dragon! It is a major earth spirit said to cause earthquakes and…”

The warning from the forest behind her never finished.

With a dancing motion, Niwa held up the earth dragon in her right hand and lifted her right leg high.

This caused something.

The earth dragon suddenly vanished. A transformed Niwa appeared in its place. Ether light enveloped her. Stone horns made of ether grew from her head while armor of the same texture surrounded her arms and legs. A tail attached to her as a stabilizer.

“City destroyer spell – Rockflow Encirclement.”

As soon as Niwa said that within the scattering ether light, she swung her raised leg down like an axe.

It dropped.

Once her heel struck the ground, a solid impact rang out and something happened.

A rock wall large enough to block Kiyomasa’s view instantly grew up between her and Niwa.

…Huh!?

It happened too suddenly for Kiyomasa to do anything in response. The stone sliced through the wind as it jutted up from the ground. The rock wall between Niwa and Kiyomasa was well over 700m wide and more than 30m tall. It suddenly broke through the wind directly below Kiyomasa too.

“…!”

The rocky crust rose up all at once, blasting the southern clearing into the sky.

Chapter 29: Owner of the Stage[edit]

Winning means goodbye

Losing means goodbye

I don’t want to cry

But I worry I didn’t practice enough

Point Allocation (This Isn’t a Rehearsal)

●

“Azuchi” saw something she couldn’t understand.

…Huh?

It was unprecedented for an automaton’s thought to end in a question mark.

It happened past the Shibata Team’s formation. That was likely where Kiyomasa’s group was. But something strange had suddenly come into existence there.

“Is that a stone wall? Shaja.”

This didn’t seem possible because it was natural rock not made of ether.

She had not detected any kind of earthquake. She could only detect the sudden appearance of the giant stone wall past the Shibata Team.

The rock looked black in the night. It was a single solid piece of stone, but it was unreasonably large. It looked like a fault had suddenly risen aboveground, so it was nearly 800m wide and at least 30m tall.

It was as if an ironclad ship had grown up from the ground.

But “Azuchi” was more worried about something else.

“Is Kiyomasa-sama alright!? Shaja!”

●

Niwa kept her step light as she danced.

When she raised her arms and lifted her earth dragon armor toward the moon, light raced across every bit of her arms.

…Djinns really do love the moon.

Her encirclement spell used herself as a vessel to fuse with a djinn.

She borrowed its power.

But it did more than that. Ordinarily, the djinn would end up in control of her body. Even if she remained conscious, the djinn would have hijacked control and she would only be able to act in a bestial way.

In that case, she would generally only be active when eating and otherwise sleep. Yes, even with djinns, animals were fairly lazy. They didn’t study or train. If they ran out of food and had no way of getting more, they were surprisingly willing to give up on life and return to the ley lines.

Even so, there were still people who took advantage of that arrangement. There were two or three cases a year where someone claimed “I-I didn’t touch you! The djinn controlling my body did!” and Niwa would be called in as an expert to explain that wasn’t how it worked.

So you had to be careful with this kind of spell. You had to only play with the djinn.

You were borrowing their power, but you couldn’t let them take control.

Hence, playing with them. Simply put, you had to stay in the lead.

You had to understand that the djinn was inside you and make moves to draw their interest, much like playing with a puppy or a cat.

Here, that meant reaching out a hand, stomping a foot, doing a little dance, sometimes crouching low to their eye level, and keeping the dance going.

This earth dragon was the greatest of the earth element djinns. In P.A. Oda land, sand dragons were easier to capture, but she had chosen an earth dragon for the European battle front. Capturing it and befriending it had been a lot of work. It had been too shy to dance with her at first, so it had taken 17- No, I’m still young.

At any rate, everything was working well now.

She danced.

The djinn came from the ley lines, so it had a nice tempo. It matched its rhythm to her dance moves.

In Mlasi, it was said djinns enjoyed song.

So music was necessary here.

After borrowing the djinn’s power, she applied something else as well: Uriel.

That gave her greater control over how to use her power.

Once that was in effect, the rest was easy. She had her 3000-man Mehter play music the djinn would dig and then she focused its power on the attack she wanted to make.

Fully releasing a djinn’s power within a human body would destroy the body. But what happened when she was borrowing the djinn’s power and then applied Uriel to give her free use of that power?

The answer could already be seen: the massive rock jutting up in front of her.

“But so much of this depends on the djinn’s mood, so I can’t use it near a populated area. If something happened, the locals would complain to P.A. Oda.”

So she ordinarily split up this ability and used the individual pieces.

In Novgorod, she had only combined with the djinn.

In Nördlingen, she had only used the 3000-man Mehter.

It had been a while since she had used both and linked them with Uriel. So…

“What will you do, Katou Kiyomasa-san?”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than something collapsed before her eyes.

The long, thick stone wall was pierced through the center and shattered.

A light emerged from the center of the destruction, extending toward her.

“Caledfwlch!”

●

Kiyomasa aimed for perfection.

She had been right to have the rest of her group fall back into the forest.

Niwa’s crust upheaval hadn’t reached the forest and Kiyomasa could predict Niwa’s location on the other side of it.

…She wouldn’t have moved laterally!

So she had pulled straight back from her earlier position and chosen to use a Caledfwlch blast.

Caledfwlch could break through that stone wall. And the great mass of stone before her eyes was the obstacle standing between her and Niwa. With Caledfwlch’s ability to instantly grow, she could reach Niwa faster than a bullet. So…

“Finish this, Caledfwlch!”

●

A white beam raced out.

Niwa smiled at the complete lack of hesitation in the light and its power.

“Splendid job!”

When borrowing a djinn’s power, she could not lose the djinn’s respect, so she would speak more stiffly. She sometimes felt like it changed her personality too much, but she didn’t have a choice. At the moment, she saw Kiyomasa beyond the rubble and rock cascading down from the air.

“Azure Lightning Encirclement.”

She released her second spell cloth.

She added on another.

She invited a second djinn to play along with the earth dragon.

“Lightning beast, show us your lightning speed!”

●

A great blade of ether light stabbed toward Niwa’s chest.

She responded with movement.

She gained bestial ears and claws, the power and form of the earth dragon fusing with the lightning beast’s in the moonlight.

“Too slow.”

She sent out a right hook without even moving her shoulder, shattering the blade.

Caledfwlch’s impressive sword was broken by a right fist carrying the divine protections of two djinns.

●

…Huh!?

Kiyomasa couldn’t believe her eyes.

This wasn’t the first time Caledfwlch’s blade had been broken. At the end of the Siege of Bitchu Takamatsu Castle, it had been destroyed by the Roi-Soleil’s divine protection. But…

…She did it barehanded!?

But she had done it. And it wasn’t a one-off thing. The blade continued to grow, but Niwa faced that light head on and unleashed a flurry of attacks.

Instant after instant, another blow landed. She threw right and left punches and kicks. She would spin around to attack with her heel or backhand. She rapidly smashed Caledfwlch’s blade as it tried to grow toward her. And all Kiyomasa could do in response was support Caledfwlch and…

“Reach her!”

She launched it. But she also saw Niwa look her way while moving and smashing.

“––––”

She smiled. And her lips moved to mouth two words.

“Too slow.”

None of this could be described as slow. It was all happening much too fast.

Niwa’s speed had obviously increased. Both her reaction speed and her movement speed.

…Was it the lightning beast!?

What would happen if she borrowed the power of the djinn that descended to the earth with lightning bolts?

“Hah.”

The final blow shattered the tip of the glowing blade, which had now stopped growing.

It was over.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye. All that remained was the ether light of shattered Caledfwlch, the physical weapon left in Kiyomasa’s hands, the valley formed from the destroyed stone wall, and…

“Look.”

Niwa swung her right leg and struck the ground.

With a tremor and a blow even greater than when Kiyomasa destroyed the stone wall, the two remaining halves of the rock exploded.

Such a massive volume exploding in an instant created a shockwave and explosive blast while a deafening boom rang out.

Countless broken rocks scattered across the clearing, falling atop each other while the view cleared.

That let Kiyomasa see the direction Niwa was pointing: the southeast.

…The forest.

A large portion of the forest’s edge had been felled by the formation of the stone wall and the shockwave of its destruction.

That cleared the view of the night sky and something was visible in the shallow portion of that sky.

A massive group of ships was ejected into the night sky while trailing light.

It appeared right alongside the pillar of light rising from Honnouji.

“Musashi has emerged!?”

“Now, you’re running short on time,” said Niwa, reaching for her hair with the hand that had been pointing toward Musashi.

She released her final hair tie. The scattering cloth was another spell cloth which glowed as it vanished into the sky.

In its place, a Mouse sat in Niwa’s hand. It was colored red and was made of fire.

“This is my phoenix. He was a real pain to capture, but he’s a cute little thing.”

She smiled as the red bird sank into her hand.

That gave her three djinns.

Kiyomasa’s opponent had just become more formidable, but she had already launched Caledfwlch. However…

…I have to do this.

“Understood,” she said, turning away from the Musashi. “Here I go.”

“You’re still doing this?”

“No.”

She wasn’t just “going”. It must have been the same for Musashi. During Mikatagahara, they had only been trying to go to Kantou. But things had changed when they had faced Hashiba after that.

“Here I go.”

They had been turning aside and breaking down everything in their path and making sure they didn’t lose anything as they went.

The word was the same, but the meaning was different. Kiyomasa felt that difference deep down as she said it here.

“Here I go!”

●

“Not so much ‘going’ as it is ‘let me pass’.”

“The Song of Passage you mean, Masazumi-sama? Shall I sing it for you!?”

Masazumi shook her hand to decline Horizon’s offer.

They were currently gathered at the Asama Shrine. The Musashi was on its way to Honnouji, but once it arrived, they would be riding a transport ship down. Their safety was assured since the Musashi would be accompanying them as a shield, but that unfortunately meant they would be landing further away from Honnouji.

…But that’s better than taking an unnecessary risk right at the start.

In that sense, they were asking “let me pass”. But…

“As soon as we leave the white stealth field, we see a pillar of light in the sky. Never a dull moment today.”

“I do feel like I’m growing accustomed to these strange situations,” said Mitotsudaira.

It’s true a lot has happened, thought Masazumi. But…

“Everyone.”

She called out to them and they were all there. Some of them had joined along the way, but on the path to this point, they had all been given important roles and lived up to the challenges presented to them.

Not all of them were the officers or her classmates. The warriors and the various committee members were here too.

She spoke before them all.

“We’re doing the Honnouji Incident this time. This will be a localized battle, but you know what that means, don’t you?”

It meant…

“Even a small mistake could turn this from Honnouji into ‘Oh, No’-ji.”

●

Gold Mar: “What…just happened?”

Art-Ga: “Yikes.”

Flat Vassal: “So, uh, did she really think that was a good idea? Because it wasn’t.”

Vice President: “D-did you think it was a good idea to answer your question for me like that, Balfette!? Because it wasn’t!”

Me: “Did you realize you just did it too, Seijun? Cause you did.”

●

So did you, thought Masazumi with a glare toward the idiot, but then she cleared her throat and resumed speaking.

“Listen, everyone. This is an important battle. Because…”

“Masazumi-sama! This is the Musashino bridge! Please look to the north! That’s to port! Over!”

“Now the bridge is interrupting me!?”

What’s wrong with that? said the idiot. And, “North is…that way, right? Next to Honnouji’s light?”

Everyone turned to port.

The Asama Shrine was located in an atrium-style structure. Everything beyond the outer walls had been purged and large sign frames displayed the outside scenery.

One of those screens showed the Musashi had fully lowered its stealth field.

…Everything is moving toward Honnouji now.

With that thought, she looked to the surface visible on the sign frame.

“Ohh.”

She saw the nightscape lit up by Kyou, Nara, and other cities.

Kyou in particular had a lot of light for such a late hour due to the recovery work continuing through the night. The lights near Lake Biwa were likely on through the night for the Honnouji Incident and Lake Biwa Azuchi.

“Those are the lights of a battle to north,” said the Tachibana Wife.

Sure enough, the sky above Hokuriku was illuminated a bluish-white from below. If the light of the harmonic territory was visible, it likely meant that was the Battle of Shizugatake where Hashiba’s people would be fighting. And…

…Honnouji.

Looking to the ground out past the bow, the light pillar rising into the sky faintly illuminated the hill and the surrounding area.

As reported, the ether light pillar did not provide a view inside of Honnouji. There were occasional gaps, providing glimpses, but…

“Heh heh. I had heard they had some kind of open-air stage and it sure looks like it.”

“Judge. That’s another topic to discuss at our final strategy meeting before going in.”

But, thought Masazumi. I didn’t notice anything unusual out there.

…What was it “Musashino” wanted us to see?

Looking again, she could see a white fog covering Lake Biwa Azuchi since its stealth was active. And Honnouji was the same as it had been last time they checked.

She sensed a strange pulsing coming from Honnouji at times, but that was probably a ley line reactor.

She could tell something big was starting, but…

…Is there something more?

Just as she checked the sign frame again…

“Oh,” said Mukai, holding a hand to her ear. She was probably receiving data from the Musashino bridge. She pointed directly to a shallow northeastern point instead of at the sign frames.

“There’s…an aerial ship…flying toward…Honnouji!”

●

Naito watched Asama immediately zoom in one of the sign frames.

When Asama turned her way, Naito held out a hand to say “I know”. And…

…There it is.

She didn’t mean the ship. She had already located it on the zoomed-in sign frame. This was bout the emblem on the ship’s side.

“That’s Hashiba’s emblem. The circled gourd.”

“Is it the registered original and not the mass-produced version? Then she must be onboard herself.”

“Hashiba is here?” asked Asama. “I know we mentioned this before, but I didn’t expect her to really do it. Why would Hashiba be participating in the Honnouji Incident?”

Naito had been wondering the same time.

Everyone crossed their arms and groaned in thought.

Two positions away from Naito, Neshinbara opened several sign frames. He looked to the warship flying parallel to the Musashi but rushing to Honnouji.

“Listen. If you ask me-”

“Really, she’s probably just going to wait around until the Honnouji Incident is over so she can start the Battle of Yamazaki right away.”

“Judge! Exactly what I was going to say, Takarazuka Honda-kun! And if she hopes to start the Battle of Yamazaki-”

“She needs an early end to the Battle of Shizugatake we can see lighting up the sky over Hokuriku.”

When even Narumi stole his line, Neshinbara stopped moving altogether.

…That’s what happens when you don’t just come out and say it.

Naito decided to keep that thought to herself. Whatever the reason, they knew Hashiba was on her way to Honnouji. We need to be careful, she decided.

“Huh?”

Then she noticed something else on the zoomed-in sign frame.

Hashiba’s ship accelerated, moved further away from the Musashi, and changed course toward the northern side – the rear side – of Honnouji. And a figure stood on the rear deck.

“Is that…?”

Asama zoomed in the image further and applied some image correction to make the face visible.

She also added a fair amount of light amplification, but not as much as she might have thanks to Honnouji’s pillar of light. And this revealed…

“Chancellor! That’s Hashiba!”

●

Hashiba looked up into the sky and sighed.

The Musashi was there.

From their perspective, she would be standing partially in front of Honnouji’s light pillar.

But from her perspective, the Musashi was cruising through the night sky along with the twin full moons.

That empty dark blue sky seemed so vast and so cold. The massive white and black aerial ship floating in that sky would be her opponent in the upcoming Honnouji Incident.

“And now,” she said, lowering her head and removing her mask. “We finally meet.”

She straightened back up.

She looked straight at the Musashi with nothing in between them.

What did she look like to them?

●

Asama gasped.

She saw Hashiba on the sign frame open in front of them all.

“I don’t believe it…” she said with a hand over her mouth.

Next to her, he mimicked her, Horizon and Kimi did the same, Mitotsudaira followed suit, Noriki and Tenzou did too, Mary looked at them all in confusion, and the rest continued the mimicry.

“I don’t believe it…”

“Y-you don’t all have to say it just because I gave a cliché response!”

Neshinbara was stomping on the deck shouting “Dammit! Dammit! Why am I so slow!?”. Did he want to be the one to get the ball rolling that badly?

But Asama really couldn’t believe what she saw on the sign frame where Hashiba looked straight up at them. Her face looked pale, but…

“Why does she look so familiar?” said Horizon, tilting her head.

Asama looked to all the others, Horizon’s arms gave a count of three for them all, and Asama joined the rest in yelling at Horizon.

“Because she looks just like you!”

●

Masazumi shook her head once.

…I need to keep calm.

She looked to Horizon once. Horizon was making a funny face by having her arms stretch her mouth horizontally.

“Hey, um, Horizon? Could you let me compare the two of you?”

“Why bother? She just so happens to look a bit like me is all.”

“How would you know?” asked Naito, turning away from Horizon, but Masazumi thought it might actually be true. But on the other hand…

“I guess she does look different.”

As the image grew more distant, Hashiba bowed once more and Asama argued against the idea she had started herself.

“Now that you mention it, Hashiba’s hair is black and she looks younger than Horizon does now.”

“You aren’t going to say she looks 10 years younger, are you?” asked Mitotsudaira.

“No,” said the idiot. He tilted is head and groaned in thought. “If anything, she looks more like a middle school graduate?”

“Which would put her right in the middle.”

Right? thought Masazumi, but Horizon raised her right hand.

“How about you find her at Honnouji and question her there?”

“Can you stop recommending that other people do what you want to do?” said the idiot.

But Horizon had a point.

“We should learn a lot at Honnouji.”

“Didn’t that same line of reasoning embarrass us pretty badly at the Imperial Palace?”

That was also a good point, but what were they supposed to do about it? Then a transmission arrived from “Musashino”.

“Everyone, the Musashi will now turn to face Honnouji. Please prepare to disembark. Over.”

That settled it.

The situation was underway. So…

“Let’s go to Honnouji,” said Masazumi, noticing a change in the wind produced by the Musashi and the background scenery flowing to the side. She turned to face Honnouji below the pillar of light rising into the sky. “That’s where we’ll settle things with the Genesis Project!”

●

“Do you think this will settle things, Ranmaru-kun?”

Ranmaru tilted her head at the dark silhouette of a half-dragon revealed by the bright light behind him.

“You are visible like this, Yasuke-sama.”

“You never do actually converse with me, do you?”

“Yes, I do,” she said. They stood at the entrance to Honnouji, where they could see the Musashi in the sky. “Do you think they will come here, Yasuke-sama?”

“They’re pretty strong.”

“They are,” she agreed. “I never imagined they would reach the depths of the Imperial Palace on Akechi-sama’s invitation.”

“What did your fellow automata think of that one, I wonder.”

“I can determine it did not end badly for them. So…”

Not often I speak based on speculation, she thought.

“I think we need to ensure this ends badly. In the very end, at least.”

“Probably so,” said Yasuke. “We need to really work at this.”

“Yes, we do. Especially when such a strong helper has arrived.”

She and Yasuke looked to the side.

On the right, another figure was revealed by the light behind him.

He had arrived on a transport ship earlier.

“Excuse me,” said Yasuke. “But the Testament says you shouldn’t be here.”

“Huh? That’s why I said I’m here as an ordinary warrior. I’m not here as a name inheritor, so don’t get bent out of shape over it.”

“Oh, well, in that case…”

“Yes.” Ranmaru nodded and looked up at him. “We thank you for your assistance.” She bowed. “Sassa Narimasa-sama. And I am aware that is a pseudonym at the moment.”

Midnight was fast approaching. That was when the Honnouji Incident would officially begin.

Afterword[edit]

That was Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon IX-A. This volume will probably only be two parts, so I feel like I crammed a lot into this one.

That includes both the Honnouji Incident and the Battle of Shizugatake that began parallel to it. If you ask me, Shizugatake seems like it was probably a more important part of Hashiba’s life than Honnouji. Even without Honnouji, Nobunaga would have eventually died somehow and the succession issues would have happened. Even if Nobunaga had recommended one of his kids in a will, the Oda clan was full of very skilled people and I expect it would have split apart eventually.

In that case, Honnouji only hastened that end and Hashiba would have always had to fight the Battle of Shizugatake to settle things with the Oda clan.

Now for the usual chat.

“Got any painful memories from your school days?”

“Yeah. In elementary school, there was a lot of construction work around where I lived. Dump trucks drove by all the time, so the kids had to cross the road on a pedestrian bridge.”

“Now this is a really Showa-sounding story.”

“It was just barely still Showa then. Anyway, it was popular among the kids to get up on the pedestrian bridge and spit down on dump trucks passing by below. How much spit you gathered up and dropped on them determined your hero ranking.”

“Now that I’m old enough to drive, this story just makes me want to kick those brats’ asses.”

“So one day when we were all heading home, I saw a dump truck approaching the pedestrian bridge. I wanted to prove I was the greatest hero, so I whipped out my dick and started firing.”

“You started firing?”

“But the dump truck slammed on its brakes and stopped before it could hit. The driver hopped out and ran up the pedestrian bridge’s stairs. I was too terrified to stop the stream. My friends were running away and I called out for them to come and help me, but they ignored me and fled. The driver beat me up and I had to apologize at morning assembly the next day.”

“So, hey. How have you managed to live for decades keeping this secret?”

Really, how? My work background music this time was Matsutoya Yumi’s Anniversary. The lyrics about ‘believing in tomorrow’ are so deep. I’ve really started thinking that recently.

This time, I’ll ask “who was the most disturbed?” Part 2 is next. Wait a while.

December 2015. A snowy morning.

-Kawakami Minoru

Notes[edit]

Back to Volume 8C

Return to Main Page

Forward to Volume 9B

Horizon:Volume 9A

Cover Flap[edit]

Installation[edit]

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon - Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere - 8C[edit]

Characters[edit]

Recruitment[edit]

Characters[edit]

Glossary[edit]

A[edit]

B[edit]

C[edit]

D[edit]

E[edit]

F[edit]

G[edit]

H[edit]

I[edit]

J[edit]

K[edit]

L[edit]

M[edit]

N[edit]

O[edit]

P[edit]

Q[edit]

R[edit]

S[edit]

T[edit]

World[edit]

Study: The Honnouji Incident and the Battle of Shizugatake[edit]

Prologue: Ruler of the Wide Block Out Front[edit]

Academy Rules[edit]

Chapter 1: At Gion, Raised in Kanda[edit]

Chapter 2: Loser at the Table[edit]

Chapter 3: Feast in the Jinmaku[edit]

Chapter 4: Mistake Fixer at the Shelter[edit]

Chapter 5: Observers in Their Seats[edit]

Chapter 6: Overeating Doll in Gion[edit]

Chapter 7: Careless One in the Distance[edit]

Chapter 8: Actor at a Critical Moment[edit]

Chapter 9: Philosopher from the Homeland[edit]

Chapter 10: Waiter at the Gathering Place[edit]

Chapter 11: Visitors in the North[edit]

Chapter 12: Up-and-Downer of the Observation Cell[edit]

Chapter 13: Evacuees in the Bath[edit]

Chapter 14: Couple Facing Each Other at the Rock Door[edit]

Chapter 15: Up Close Explorers[edit]

Chapter 16: Gambler Starting in the Mounted Position[edit]

Chapter 17: Blocker During the Retreat[edit]

Chapter 18: Rooftop Visitor[edit]

Chapter 19: Excited One at the Boarding Spot[edit]

Chapter 20: Scattered Reporters[edit]

Chapter 21: Expert at Knowing When to Quit[edit]

Chapter 22: King of the Bedroom[edit]

Chapter 23: Attacker in the Darkness[edit]

Chapter 24: Outstanding Achievers on the Snow[edit]

Chapter 25: Singer from the East[edit]

Chapter 26: The World’s Related Ones[edit]

Chapter 27: Strange Ones at the Line of Contact[edit]

Chapter 28: Cheerful Girl in the Cell[edit]

Chapter 29: Owner of the Stage[edit]

Afterword[edit]

Notes[edit]

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