Honoo no Mirage

Chapter 4: The Tiger and the Dragon

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Chapter 4: The Tiger and the Dragon

It was past noon when Takaya returned to Jikou Temple, where Ayako gave him a real tongue-lashing. Her furious, hysterical scolding and red-hot rage were a bit overwhelming, and he did regret (a little) that he hadn’t stayed and swept like he should have.

Kokuryou didn’t look angry. But he said only one thing: “If you continue in this way, you will never be able to make forward progress.”

That stabbed into Takaya.

Though he unthinkingly returned Kokuryou’s glare, he could not come up with any reb.u.t.tal. Takaya shut his mouth tightly.

That afternoon, about two hours later.

The fourth incident took place.

“! Two places at the same time?!” Takaya exclaimed when he heard.

More collapses had occurred, this time apparently in two different places at approximately the same time. After seeing the news captioned on TV, Ayako had gone out briefly to get more information and returned to report the particulars to Takaya and Kokuryou.

“The two locations were the research building of the Department of Agriculture at Touhoku University and Sendai West Highway’s Aobayama Tunnel Exit . It happened around 3:30 at both places. The only victims were at the university collapse this time, but a lot of cars were swallowed up by the highway cave-in. It looks like there were also quite a few people who received major or minor injuries.”

“So it’s really happened again,” Kokuryou said, and Takaya yelled:

“‘Really happened?’ So you expected this? You knew it was going to happen again and just sat on your hands? Hey, this is no joke! People are hurt! If you knew, why didn’t you do something about it?!”

“This coming from the one who shirked his ch.o.r.es and snuck out!” Ayako retorted sharply, and looked at Kokuryou. “I believe the perpetrator will certainly come to perform the invocation of the dead. I will head for the scene immediately.”

“But there are two locations. If you go by yourself...” Kokuryou said, and both he and Ayako turned to look at Takaya.

Takaya made a sour face. “You’re telling me to go too?”

“But will he be all right?” Ayako turned an uneasy gaze towards Kokuryou. It was true that they were shorthanded...

Takaya’s temper snapped. He slammed both hands on the table, stood abruptly, and made to walk out of the room.

“Wa-wait, Kagetora...!”

“The point is to catch the guy who comes to perform the invocation of the dead, right? You head for Aobayama. I’ll go to the university.” Takaya turned away, eyes hard. “Thanks for worrying ’bout me, but I’m not as weak as you think.”

Takaya stared down the silent Ayako and left the living room. Kokuryou rose to go after him.

“Young monk.”

Takaya stopped and turned at the front entrance when Kokuryou called out to him.

“Before you go, take a little time to prepare. Since we do not know what will happen.”

“?”

He took Takaya’s hands and molded his fingers into a strange shape. “Close your eyes,” he said, and Takaya dubiously obeyed. He made the same symbolic gesture and chanted: “On bazaragini harachihataya sowaka. On bazaragini harachihataya sowaka.”

The atmosphere charged, and Kokuryou unclasped his hands.

“You can open your eyes now.”

“?”

“That was the mantra of hikougosin, which wraps your body in armor. Now no evil magic can injure you.”

Takaya looked down at his body. Nothing had changed. But Kokuryou nodded rea.s.suringly.

“Please take this as well. It is an amulet made by my hand. It will heal and strengthen you. Dainichi Nyorai will certainly protect you.”

What he gave to Takaya was a small charm in a violet cloth bag. Takaya stared at it for a moment.

“Sorry, Gramps. Thanks.”

Kokuryou nodded silently.

Closing his hand around the charm, Takaya opened the door and stepped out into the night wind.

Ayako, standing behind Kokuryou, asked, “Will he be okay?”

“Difficult to say. Yoshiaki has really foisted some troublesome baggage on me,” Kokuryou griped, looking down at his hands.

The heat of the «aura» from Takaya’s hands still tingled.

(A frightening youngster...)

An ominous wind enveloped the streets of Sendai.

In the darkness, a bell chimed softly.

Two a.m. at the site of the Touhoku University Agriculture Department collapse.

The dead and injured had long since been transported away, and the investigation of the site had concluded at dusk. The silence of a deep night had settled around the mountain of rubble that had once been a three-floor rebar building. There were no signs of life.

A bell echoed in the darkness. There—

The lone figure of a woman appeared.

Beneath the pale light of the campus garden’s electric lamps, the faint figure gradually grew more distinct.

It was a slender young woman with short hair.

She stopped in front of the mound of rubble.

Ring-ling-ling—the bell in her hand swung.

A naked steel frame was all that remained of the original structure. Even the rubble contained practically no large pieces; it was as if some unknown power had literally pulverized the concrete into its component materials.

A lukewarm wind rose.

The woman gently extracted a golden rod with tapered pointed ends from her blouse. This was one of the ritual implements of Esoteric Buddhism, called a ‘tokko’. With this object in hand, the woman stepped past the no-entry rope.

She entered the building ruins.

And where she walked—

The rubble crumbled into a fine grit.

The wind lifted a dancing cloud of sand.

She stood in front of the gigantic cave-in at the center.

In no time at all, the surrounding rubble had completely crumbled into sand.

The woman kneeled and held the tokko up in offering, then opened her mouth with measured slowness.

“On sarabatataagyata hanna mannanau kyaromi.”

The low voice faded into the night.

“On sowahanba syuda sarabatarama sowahanba shudokan.”

The woman was chanting the furei and jousangou mantras used in the prayers of Esoteric Buddhism.

She appeared to be starting some sort of ceremony there.

“On...”

“What are you doing over there?”

“!”

The woman spun as a voice interrupted her.

A long shadow appeared from the darkness.

“Rather late to be out, isn’t it?”

“...”

“I was hoping you’d show up a bit earlier... But at least now I won’t have to pull an all-nighter.”

“...!”

“So what’re you gathering the ghosts for? You’re not thinking about holding an olympics here, are you?”

The woman glowered at Takaya, her mouth tightening. Takaya’s arrogant smirk disappeared as he glared right back.

“Who are you?”

“—”

“Maybe... Date Masamune’s stooge?”

The woman suddenly charged Takaya with the tokko without replying.

“Guh!”

He dodged the attack and went on guard. The woman poised the tokko and faced Takaya, her eyes glinting with a mountain cat’s ferocity.

“Hmn... Bull’s-eye, huh?”

The woman attacked. Dodging left and right, he caught the woman’s wrist just as the point of the tokko grazed his chest on the right side.

“!”

He twisted her arm, and the woman gave a little scream.

“What the h.e.l.l are you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds plotting? What’re you planning to do with the ghosts you call? Answer me!”

The woman’s eyes flared.

Fire sparks suddenly crackled in front of him, and Takaya went flying.

“Ugh!”

He rolled on the sand. A cloud of dust rose.

(She...! Used «power»!)

The woman slowly formed a strange symbolic gesture with her hands.

“On dakini sahaharakyatei sowaka.”

(Huh?)

“On kiri kaku un sowaka...”

With a whoosh, what looked like pale fireb.a.l.l.s flared into existence around the woman. They gradually took on the shape of animals.

The blazing spheres of flame coalesced into faintly-glowing foxes.

(What the...?!)

“On dakini sahaharakyatei sowaka.”

Murderous intent suffused the woman’s face.

“On kiri kaku un sowaka!”

“!”

The foxes all attacked him at once. He narrowly dodged and shifted on guard to face the ghostly beasts who had pulled back their huge tails of light to circle around. The foxes growled, baring sharp teeth, and immediately attacked again like a gale of strong wind.

(You’ve gotta be kidding me!)

The skulk of foxes grazed against Takaya’s body as he tried to ward himself. Shifting his grip on the wooden sword in his hand, he struck towards an attacking fox in savage abandon. It gave no reaction at all as it split in half.

(Wh...?)

The cloven light merged and took on the shape of a fox once more.

“On dakini sahaharakyatei sowaka.”

The woman continued to chant her spell. Takaya held back the foxes, their tails leaving trails of light in the air as they circled him.

“On kiri kaku un sowaka!”

“Ugh!”

One of the foxes sank its teeth into Takaya’s right hand, tearing into the flesh of his palm. Blood welled. They were no illusion—they could actually kill and wound people!

“Ah...aaaaah...!”

Moaning with agony, he swung his arm around wildly, but could not dislodge the fox. It clamped its teeth down even harder. At this rate his hand would be bitten off!

“!”

Takaya’s eyes narrowed, and he slammed his hand down viciously against the hard surface of the ground. The spirit fox was torn off and disappeared, but the other foxes instantly attacked. He glared at them with feeling, but couldn’t summon any «nenpa» at all.

(Dammit!)

Takaya clicked his tongue in disgust and sidestepped the foxes. He tried focusing his will again to attack, to no avail. He should have been able to strike with «nenpa», but nothing was happening. Was it not effective against the foxes? No, it was he himself who couldn’t use it!

(Why can’t I use «power» at a time like this!)

“On kiri kaku un sowaka!”

“!”

The foxes bunched and struck. Just as they were about to sink their fangs into his heart—

A sharp plasma bolt cut them off.

Gyaaaah!

They gave a strange shriek, blazing.

“What?!”

The woman glared and stopped her spell.

The foxes disappeared mid-a.s.sault in a shower of fire sparks in front of him. A strange power had come to life at Takaya’s left breast.

“You...!”

Takaya climbed to his feet dazedly and shifted his grip on the wooden sword. But in the next instant an invisible power flicked the sword away and thrust him back.

“Waugh!”

Takaya landed face-up. The woman took the opening and pressed hard against his neck. Then she raised the tokko over her head.

“I’ll send you to the next life!”

“!”

She brought it down with all her might, aiming for Takaya’s heart.

But—.

“Uagh!”

The tokko stopped dead just before it touch him, as if it had been repelled by a strong magnet; no matter how much force she put into it, the tokko would not sink down any further. Its tip glowed orange above Takaya’s left breast.

Something was protecting Takaya’s body.

(It’s—!)

“You...!”

The woman raised the tokko once more. Takaya tore frantically at the hand strangling his throat. He threw the woman off him with all his might.

“Ah!”

Takaya captured the tokko from the woman’s hand as she rolled. The woman’s eyes glowed red!

“Waugh!”

He took the «nenpa» squarely and went flying once more. He hit the ground and tumbled.

“Ugh...” Takaya groaned, unable to stand. The woman walked towards him, panting wildly.

The blackened, burned charm of Dainichi Nyorai slid out from the pocket at Takaya’s chest.

The woman picked it up and incinerated it in the palm of her hand. The ashes of the charm scattered.

Takaya fought to hold onto his receding consciousness, but his vision was already misting.

The woman raised the tokko.

“I will make this the place you breathe your last!”

In that moment.

“!”

The tokko suddenly shot out of the woman’s hands as if it had been struck by a bullet. The woman turned, holding her wrist.

“Who’s there?!”

Takaya squinted in the same direction with blurring eyes.

(What...?)

A still white shadow flickered in the darkness.

“You!!”

The woman struck out with «nenpa». A powerful aura moved. Sparks and an earth-shattering roar accompanied the flare that turned the darkness into a white blaze.

“Gyaah!”

The woman was flung away, and pale white fireb.a.l.l.s scattered from her body. She collapsed onto the ground and was still.

(Who...?)

He sensed the person looking at him.

(...La—...dy?)

Takaya’s vision gradually dimmed.

(Nao...e...?)

The world receded from him rapidly.

He lost consciousness there on the sand.

His white coat fluttering, a young man walked to the spot where Takaya lay and kneeled on one leg beside him. He picked up Takaya’s wounded right hand and wrapped a white handkerchief softly around it.

Kousaka Danjou murmured under his breath, “So you will no longer use your «powers» except to protect Narita Yuzuru, Kagetora?”

A cloud of sand danced as if to conceal any reply.

“I absolutely oppose any alliance with the Takeda!” Shigezane shouted at his lord in the brilliantly-illuminated Date mansion of the deep night. “They scheme to take the Northeast even while claiming to join hands with us. Would we not be a.s.sisting them in their plot? I absolutely oppose!”

“However, Shigezane-dono,” Kojuurou interrupted him sharply, “If thou wouldst consider our current predicament, Takeda’s aid is heaven-sent. If they do nothing but draw away Ashina’s forces, the possibility is great that we could then catch Mogami in a pincer movement. Destroying Mogami must be our first priority!”

“Even with no power other than our own, we have enough to crush Mogami! Thou art too optimistic, Kojuurou! Takeda is a sly lion! Wilt thou have us be devoured by this interloper?”

“What, wouldst thou have us be destroyed by those armies lying in wait around us before we can even approach the lion’s jaws?”

Shigezane glared sharply at Kojuurou. Kojuurou emphatically leaned forward from his kneeling position and said to Masamune, “Our inferiority of numbers is now quite plain. Dono, we have no choice but to join with Takeda for the nonce. We returned to protect this land, our Sendai—’tis self-evident, then, where the emphasis should lie. No seeds of ambition lie scattered in our resurrection; we returned to protect the people of this land. To obtain this land, Mogami has already ravaged its buildings and slain its people. We must destroy Mogami ere he creates any more victims.”

Masamune was completely still as he listened to Kojuurou’s words.

There was reason in each of their arguments. But it was true that they had not returned to partic.i.p.ated in the «Yami-Sengoku»; they were here to protect the territory of Sendai from Mogami’s grasp even to the bitter end.

The removal of the threat right before their eyes was the first order of business, as Kojuurou had said, but...

But Masamune was worried about one thing more.

(Mother and Kojirou are with Mogami...)

If what Kousaka had told them was true...

There was bitterness in Masamune’s expression.

His mother, Yoshihime, was Mogami Yoshiaki’s younger sister. She had married into the Date Clan to stop the fighting between the two clans, but had remained loyal to Mogami.

In her previous life, Yoshihime had doubted the one-eyed Masamune’s abilities as a general. She had favored her younger son Kojirou for succession to the head of the clan and plotted countless times to kill him. Masamune, in order to weed out this internal unrest, had been forced to kill Kojirou.

The bitter memories of those distant days stirred.

(’Twas to protect myself.)

He’d had no choice.

He had tried to reason with himself times beyond counting, to allay the unbearable guilt of having killed his brother by his own hand.

It was inevitable that he would come to hate even more the mother who had thus shunned him.

After those events, Yoshihime, not hiding her shock, had returned to Yonezawa. Decades later, mother and son were finally able to reconcile with each other in Yoshihime’s last years when they had both grown weary of the cruelty and loneliness of in-family fighting.

(So after death ’tis turned back into this...)

This was the shadow that now lay over his chest.

It was natural for Kojirou to feel bitter towards him.

And his mother, Yoshihime....

(Did she never forgive me...?)

As his one eye fell—

There was suddenly a big commotion in front of the mansion’s entrance. Shigezane and the others whirled simultaneously.

“!”

“What...!”

Kojuurou was the first to stand; the family retainers followed. Shigezane, about to chase after them, looked back at Masamune.

“Dono—”

Masamune returned his grave, intense gaze and stood.

“What is it, Kojuurou?”

“Dono.”

Masamune pushed his way through the retainers to the front of the entrance to see an unfamiliar young man lying in Kojuurou’s arms.

“...!”

Next to them was Kousaka Danjou.

“What dost thou mean by this, Kousaka-dono?”

“I am sorry to cause you trouble. It was very sudden.”

“Who is this young man?”

“He was being attacked by one of Mogami’s underlings, from whom I rescued him. If it would not be too much trouble, perhaps you could lend him a room and treat his wounds....”

Masamune looked at Kousaka sharply.

“Is he of thy acquaintance?”

“...”

Kousaka’s expression was as cool as ever.

Kojuurou said tactfully, “We shall ready a bed at once. Tsunamoto-dono, wouldst thou see to the preparations?”

Kojuurou returned to the interior of the house with several others. Kousaka said to Masamune as he removed his coat, “The night is somewhat cold, is it not? I beg your indulgence for lodging for the night. ’Tis too late to return to my hotel.”

“I do not mind...”

“May I beg a shower as well? And perhaps fresh robes and a cup of coffee...” Kousaka said, stepping inside. There was feverish activity among the people of the household. Kousaka, as if cognizant of his own supercilious behavior, stopped mid-way down the hall and suddenly turned back to Masamune.

“Date-dono.”

“?”

“When that young man wakes, take care in confronting him.”

“What?”

Kousaka smirked. “He is a rather troublesome person. And likely will be for Date-dono as well.”

“... What means thou by that?”

“He is of the Uesugi.”

Masamune glowered. Shigezane and the others beside him were stunned.

“Uesugi?! Yet thou hast said that Kagekatsu-dono has not been resurrected—”

“You should perhaps know that Lord Kenshin once had two adopted sons?”

“?”

“Lord Kagekatsu and one other: Uesugi Kagetora. This young man is Lord Kagetora.”

“!”

All of them inhaled sharply. —Uesugi Kagetora!

Kousaka said, his smile even wider, “He is also the supreme commander of Lord Uesugi’s onryou hunters, the Meikai Uesugi Army. They are called ”Uesugi’s Yasha-shuu“, and he is one of thekanshousha.”

Masamune looked down at the unconscious Takaya in astonishment. When he looked back over his shoulder, Kousaka had already disappeared down the hall.

(Uesugi Kagetora—...)

The slightest amount of strain stiffened his face.

In a nook of the garden at sunset—

The tiny figure of his mother was crouched among her moss roses, clipping the flowers there one by one.

He stood behind her, watching over her.

It was as if she were clipping away all memories of him.

His mother’s expression as she turned.

As if she were asking forgiveness from them—

As if she were asking forgiveness...

He could hear the chirping of birds.

Morning’s clear light shot through the paper sliding doors.

When Takaya came to, it was about five hours later. An unfamiliar ceiling, an unfamiliar room. The futon he lay on was brand-new and smelled of the sun. In his confusion he tried to leap to his feet, but—

“...Ugh...!”

The numbness of his body tragically frustrated his efforts.

He couldn’t reconcile his current state.

(Where...?)

It wasn’t Kokuryou’s temple. The j.a.panese-style room, which seemed relatively new, smelled of cypress. He surveyed his surroundings, trying to puzzle it out, but there were no signs of people nearby.

He realized that his right hand was wrapped in a bandage. Someone appeared to have treated him.

(What the heck happened?)

He could recall much of it: encountering that enigmatic woman where the university building had been destroyed, taking a direct hit from a «nenpa» and collapsing. But that was where his memories ended. Someone had apparently carried him away in the nick of time, but... His memories broke off abruptly at that point.

(Where am I?)

Takaya blinked.

Just then, someone approached the room, and the door slid open smoothly. The face that peered inside belonged to a young woman dressed in j.a.panese-style clothes.

“Oh...thou art awake,” the woman said in a lovely voice, and smiled at him softly. Her long black hair swayed gracefully. Takaya stammered, covered in confusion:

“Um...ah...”

“How dost thou fare? Wouldst thou have rice soup or aught to eat?”

“Ah, where is this?” Takaya inquired from the pillow. “Is this your home?”

The woman gave him a small, quiet smile. “Thou couldst say that I am renting a room here, but thou needst not be suspicious of us. Please be at ease. Thou art safe here.”

“Ah, you are...”

The woman stopped Takaya from getting up.

“Please, rest thou for a little while longer.”

“No, but—”

“We shall prepare a meal for thee immediately,” the woman said, and turned to leave the room. But the door slid open, and a tall man with an eye patch appeared.

“Ah, Dono.”

“Ah, thou wert here, Mego. Thou hast come to see how he fares?”

(Dono?)

He looked at the man, startled.

Masamune also noticed that Takaya was awake.

“So he hath regained consciousness at last?” Masamune asked his wife Megohime. “Make thee morning preparations, Mego. I shall break my fast here this morn.”

“Dono. I prithee do not tax him overmuch—”

“’Tis well; content thyself,” Masamune said lightly, and Megohime replied with a troubled smile. After she left the room, Masamune sat down cross-legged next to Takaya. Then he folded his arms and peering silently at Takaya with his one eye.

Takaya was plainly bewildered.

But Masamune seemed completely unconcerned.

“Hmmm...” he hummed, and suddenly slid forward to jerk Takaya’s chin up with his right hand. Takaya was surprised, but immediately glared.

“Ho.” Masamune’s left eye narrowed. “A bold countenance; ’tis the unmistakable look of a general.”

“You—”

Masamune grinned, looking at the wary Takaya. “’Twould seem that thou hast been fairly done over by the Mogami.”

“The Mogami...” Takaya was taken aback. “That woman from yesterday wasn’t an onryou of the Date?”

“How now, what foolishness.” Masamune smiled, letting go of Takaya. “Why should we destroy this our own territory? ’Twas the Mogami. Or if not so, the Ashina.”

“We... Our own...!” Realization finally dawned on Takaya, and he took in a sharp breath in astonishment. “You...you’re not...!”

Masamune said calmly, “We mean thee no harm. Be at ease.”

(He can’t be...)

Takaya looked with fresh eyes at the young man.

But it was true that the force of the personality that pervaded his entire body belonged to no ordinary person. The word ‘general’ seemed to have been made for this man with his refined and powerful presence.

Conviction shuddered through Takaya.

(He is...Date Masamune.)

Tension enveloped both of them.

Masamune’s single eye glinted as he gazed straight at Takaya.

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