Honoo no Mirage

Chapter 4: Vestiges of a Dream

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Chapter 4: Vestiges of a Dream

The car exited from National Highway 18 and turned onto the narrow road running along the Chik.u.ma River. Nagano City started from the opposite bank of the river at the boundary of Koushoku City.

The basin here had been called Zenkoujidaira since ancient times, and around this region was Kawanakajima.

The Cefiro pulled up, kicking loose gravel into the Chik.u.ma River riverbed. It slid to a slow stop, doors opening, and Naoe n.o.butsuna and Ougi Takaya alighted.

“...”

Overhead, the distant clear blue sky spread out boundlessly. Beyond the clear stream of the Chik.u.ma River, the town of Shinonoi could be seen. And even further in the distance, theTogakushi Mountains. For a moment they stood in the invigorating river breeze and the gentle murmur of the river flow.

“Where is this...?”

“To the voices of whips we solemnly cross the night river / Dawn looks upon the fangs of my thousand men.”

“?”

Takaya turned to look at Naoe, who was gazing at the river.

“It’s a verse from a Chinese poem written by Rai Sanyou, a historian of the Edo period. It’s a poem about the battle that was fought here four hundred years ago—do you know of it?”

“The Battle of Kawanakajima or something?”

“Yes. The battle fought between Sengoku warlords Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Though the Chik.u.ma River flowed a bit more along the foothills of the mountain to the south...ah, yes. From around here you can see the place where ‘to the voices of whips we crossed’ as it stands now.”

And Naoe cast down his eyes.

“That battle was so fierce that even in the Sengoku Period, there was no other battle with more casualties. Its aftermath seemed like a painting of h.e.l.l.”

Takaya made a dubious face. “‘Seemed like’—you make it sound like you were there.”

“...”

Naoe listened to the sound of the river for a moment without replying, fixing his gaze beyond the river.

“Surely each of the nameless warriors who fell here one after another had their own lives. Can you feel it?”

“...”

“And yet something as monumental as their deaths is buried within the footnotes of history. Certainly, it’s true that it was a time when lives were perhaps taken more lightly—or it could be that human lives were always thus. Or is it that conversely, history would not have been created at all without the acc.u.mulated weight of all those deaths? If so...”

“...”

“I’m terrified to the marrow of ‘history’s worth’.”

“...What the h.e.l.l are you...”

Naoe quietly turned to Takaya. “But their sympathies, their resentments, their grieves—those things truly existed. The emotions left behind in this land by the dead—where do you think they have gone?”

“—the emotions of the dead?”

“Yes.” Naoe slowly pointed at the flow of the Chik.u.ma River. “Please look for yourself.”

“?”

Takaya turned his gaze to the river.

It was not at all deep—a brooklet shallow enough to be crossed.

“Can you not see it?”

“‘Can I’—”

It’s just an ordinary river, Takaya was about to reply, when his eyes suddenly widened.

The clear flow of the river seemed to become a little muddied.

(...Wha...?)

He thought at first that it was a trick of the light, but that wasn’t it. The muddiness spread from the center—a red taint which dyed the clear flow of the river scarlet in the blink of an eye.

(...what the...)

Takaya, doubting his own eyes, gasped.

The Chik.u.ma River had become a vivid shade of red.

Red water, as if freshly-spilled blood flowed there.

Freshly-spilled blood.

“It can’t be...”

It was a river of blood!

“It is,” Naoe finished Takaya’s thought in a frighteningly calm tone. “The blood of too many people flowed in this river. This blood is their heart, their emotions.”

“...”

“This is how the emotions left behind by the dead stain the rivers and mountains—emotions which can never be erased.”

“...”

Takaya looked at Naoe, then returned his eyes to the Chik.u.ma River once more. Somewhere far away, a skylark was singing.

“Shall we go?”

Prompted by Naoe, Takaya also walked away.

All the while looking back at the Chik.u.ma River over his shoulder.

Getting on the car once more, they drove along the single track of Nagano’s electric railway for some minutes and crossed at the railroad crossing near the small station called Iwano. The railroad crossing was like a farm road in the middle of a field; a construction site spread beyond the field, and bulldozers and dumps came into view bit by bit. Beyond that was a dirt-colored mountain whose bareness was obviously due to human construction.

The road continued towards it.

“Hey, are you planning to take me to the construction site?”

“Over there?” Naoe responded, gripping the steering wheel and glancing out the windshield. “Can you see the tunnel exit on our right ? I believe it connects to the freeway. Until recently it was just a mountain.”

“Do you know this area?”

Naoe turned the steering wheel to the right without replying.

“This is a portentous era, isn’t it?”

“?”

“Even the mountains and rivers permeated with emotions left behind by past generations are disappearing so easily at the hands of people. And the natural surroundings of our homes are changing as well.”

“...”

“There is probably no longer anything in existence that has stayed constant through the ages.”

Naoe’s self-derisive smile evoked mixed feelings from Takaya. The car rounded endless curves, ascending the bare mountain shaped like a promontory jutting out of the level ground.

It was not a tall mountain. The slope was complete bare of trees, and packed hard as if with a trowel. This mountain was Saijo-yama. During the Battle of Kawanakajima, it was whereUesugi Kenshin had shaped his battle formations.

Even though the slopes of Saijo-yama were completely bare, a luxuriant forest grew at its summit. They ascended to the summit and came to a stop near the top.

Tall j.a.panese cedars surrounded a plaza-like area. An old temple stood in isolation—a plaque declared it to be the Shoukon Temple. Behind it stood a large stone monument. ...there was no other sign of life.

“Saijo-yama...” Standing in front of the sign, Tayaka skimmed it in a glance. “The place where Uesugi Kenshin pitched camp?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you bring me here?”

Once again Naoe did not reply. At the tip of the plaza, on a section of the promontory stood a wooden framework lookout platform designed like a signal tower. It looked new and had been constructed recently, in 1988. Naoe ascended the platform.

The platform overlooked Zenkoujidaira. Mountains surrounded the earth-colored fields spreading out directly below them, the nearby Chik.u.ma River, and the town of Shinonoibeyond, contrasting with the blue of the sky overhead.

“...wow—...” Takaya said wonderingly. Naoe, standing beside him, pointed towards the north-west.

“That green, gently-sloping mountain is called Chausu-yama. It is where the Takeda army first made their battle formations. After that the army rotated in a circle—” Naoe turned his gaze to the east. “Can you see where the trees are thickest along the tracks at the foot of this mountain? That was where Takeda set up his stronghold—Kaidu Castle. The two armies glared at each other for about ten days here...”

“...”

“The day before the battle— Noticing from here that there were many more campfires lit in the vicinity of Kaidu Castle than usual and knowing that it bespoke of a catastrophe, the Uesugi army deployed its troops immediately to counter Takeda’s plan. Lord Uesugi Kenshin—in other words...” Naoe turned to face Takaya. “...your father, Kagetora-sama.”

“...!”

Takaya swallowed his words at the sincerity in Naoe’s gaze.

A wind from the mountains blew through the s.p.a.ce between them.

They stared at each other in silence. Minutes pa.s.sed.

“...huh...” Takaya spoke, breaking the silence, his tone mocking. “What are you talking about? Is that supposed to be a ‘past life’ or something?”

“No.” Naoe paused, picking his words carefully. “I’m speaking of ‘this life’.”

The wind stopped.

They stared at each other for another long moment: Naoe motionless, Takaya frozen in place.

“What do you...?”

Naoe gazed at Kawanakajima, narrowing his eyes against the glare. “What I speak of is something that you, too, should know of already...”

“?”

“Do you know what the word ‘kanshou’ means?”

“Kanshou?”

“When people die, they go to ‘the other world’. Their souls are purified, and the memories and personality of their past life are erased before they are once more born into this world.”

“...”

“Human souls are like gla.s.swork. The gla.s.s melts within the fires of purification, losing its original shape; then, when it is cooled, a new shape is formed. Souls are like that as well. After they die, people’s souls are purified, and are then reborn. Past life, present life, future life... It continues in an endless, ever-changing cycle. And purification purges all of a soul’s memories. It is because of this purification that people cannot remember who they were their past lives. After death, a person’s soul is purified without fail, and for the sake of their reincarnation, their memories, personality, and the acts in the life just past are all cleansed away.”

“...”

“But there are some among the dead who refuse purification.” Naoe’s voice hardened. “The first of these are called the onryou. Because of the bitterness or pain or overpowering regret of their deaths, they unconsciously deny the purification...the loss of their memories...and remain in this life as incorporeal spirits. And the second are...”

“...”

“The second are those who willfully refuse purification. After their bodies die, they choose to possess another body in embryo form while unpurified, wrestling that body from its rightful owner and making it their own. By this means they begin a new life. In other words...” Naoe said, his eyes dagger-edged, "They are the ‘kanshousha’.

“...”

Takaya’s expression was unreadable. Naoe continued, the wind flapping against him, “Since their souls are not purified, they retain their memories. In this way, though they change bodies, it could be said that they continue living for hundreds of years, even until the modern era.”

“...You think that a story like this...”

“Do you...find it hard to believe? And that would probably be the end of it, were you anyone else. But you must not disbelieve it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am not speaking in the third person.”

“What?”

“In other words, I am speaking of you and me.”

“...!”

“My name is Naoe n.o.butsuna, heir to Naoe Yamato-no-Kami Sanetsuna, hereditary va.s.sal of Lord Uesugi Kenshin. ...after death, I accepted the guardianship of Lord Uesugi Kagetora, who had undergone kanshou at the command of G.o.d-of-War Kenshin, and became a kanshousha myself.”

Takaya was speechless.

Uesugi Kenshin... No way...

“This body is the twelfth that I have possessed. During these four hundred years, I have been a kanshousha of the Meikai Uesugi Army with Lord Kagetora, subjugating the evil spirits of this world. Lord Kagetora was the adopted son of Lord Kenshin; after death, he became the general of the Meikai Uesugi Army in the name of Lord Kenshin...”

“...”

“You are he of whom I speak, Ougi Takaya.”

Takaya scowled at Naoe.

His clenched fists shook uncontrollably.

“... Are you making fun of me?!”

Takaya grabbed fistfuls of Naoe’s collar.

“Did you really expect me to believe a story like that? Stop s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g me around...!” he shouted, before suddenly gulping down the rest of his words.

There was a strangely sorrowful light in Naoe’s eyes, though Takaya’s fists were still clenched in his collar.

“... You... Really don’t remember, do you?”

“... I...”

His hands loosened. “What the h.e.l.l am I?”

Naoe slowly turned his face away and closed his eyes. Takaya stared at Naoe, silently demanding an answer. The wind wrapped around them both.

Naoe mouthed the words soundlessly: Four hundred years ago...

“In that chaotic era of civil war, everyone frantically sought to expand their own land and power. Lord Kenshin alone of them all fought not for his own selfish desires, but for justice and order. The Uesugi army punished those with wicked hearts in Heaven’s name and became an army which crushed evil and spread truth, fighting for the sake of ‘the path of righteousness’ and ‘beautiful order’ in this world.”

Naoe continued wistfully, “After death, Lord Kenshin became a G.o.d of War. At length the land moved towards unity under Toyotomi, then Tokugawa, and the era of peace that Lord Kenshin had dreamed of finally became reality. ...however.”

“...”

“There are many scattered spirits from the Sengoku era who continue to wander here in this world, trailing malice behind them. These vengeful spirits hate the peace of this world and seek to disturb it, using any c.h.i.n.k or blemish to overthrow that peace. Lord Kenshin, as a G.o.d of War, called upon those spirits loyal to the Uesugi Clan to embark on a mission to pacify these vengeful souls in order to prevent that from happening. They were named the Meikai Uesugi Army, whose supreme command was entrusted to his adopted son, Lord Kagetora.”

“And that’s supposed to be me?”

"Yes. A year after Lord Kenshin’s death, you were defeated in a battle of succession by Uesugi Kagekatsu, similarly adopted by Kenshin, and died at the age of twenty-six. Since you had always been strong in spiritual powers, Lord Kenshin called upon you to take up this role. You remained in this world as a kanshousha, exorcising the onryou of the Sengoku era. In addition, you are the only one with the authority to call upon the Meikai Uesugi Army should the need arise, so you have maintained your memories throughout these four hundred years with kanshou. And I have been beside you throughout all these years as your guardian.

“... That’s impossible,” Takaya muttered dazedly. “I have no memories of any of this—Kagetora or Kenshin or... You said that kanshousha should remember their past lives, right?”

“None of us remember our past lives. We only remember our lives before we became kanshousha...”

“And I’m saying that I don’t remember any of that! This Kagetora or whoever it is you said—that’s not me! I’m Ougi Takaya, and I have no memories of being anybody else or anything like that...!”

“Perhaps. But strictly speaking, it’s not that you don’t have the memories. You should carry those memories within you—you’ve only forgotten them.”

“What the h.e.l.l are you talking about! Do you have any proof at all? If you’re going to say that I’m Kagetora, then prove it!”

“Proof—” Naoe murmured, and smiled slightly with downcast eyes. “That is what you...require from me?”

“...”

“In the ten times that you have performed kanshou, I have never once been mistaken about your ident.i.ty. Whatever shape you a.s.sumed.”

“But it’s not me.”

“No,” Naoe insisted forcefully, “there is no mistake. It is you. Kagetora-sama.”

Takaya scowled. “...I don’t have any memories of it.”

“I—” Naoe frowned very slightly, “—know the reason for that.”

“...”

“We took a severe blow in a battle thirty years go. Both you and I temporarily perished. I performed kanshou, but afterwards, no matter how many times I called out to you, you never answered. I thought that I would never see you again. I was truly afraid.”

“...”

“There has been...so much tragedy in your history.”

“Mine? Why?”

Instead of replying, Naoe bit his lips lightly. Takaya stared at him. Seconds pa.s.sed in silence before Naoe seemed to come to a decision and opened his mouth to speak.

“Right now the world is heading towards an unseen Sengoku era.”

“Unseen...Sengoku era?”

“In the shadowed parts of the world the onryou from the Sengoku are on the verge of beginning another war for domination of the world.”

“!” Takaya’s eyes widened. “What in the world are you...!”

“It seems the onryou are seeking another chance; sustained with the energy of their own hatred, they wish to re-enact the civil war that began four hundred years ago.”

“Wh-what do you...mean?”

“«Yami-Sengoku». Those warlords that history saw defeated could never accept their defeat and so began another war to rule over the entire country. They could not accept the fact that they had already lost. It seems that Yuzuru-san has somehow become embroiled in that battle.”

“Yuzuru...!” Takaya demanded sharply, recollecting himself. “You know what’s going on, don’t you! Tell me! What’s happening? What the h.e.l.l were that dream of his and that woman from the other day?”

“I don’t know the connection between them, but...” Placing his hand on the railing of the viewing platform, Naoe replied, “It seems that Yuzuru-san has been possessed by the spirit of one of the warlords.”

“One of the warlords?”

“Take a guess?”

“Look—”

“I had another purpose for bringing you here to Kawanakajima today. That’s your hint.”

“Another purpose for bringing me here, huh...”

“He, too, wanted to rule the country in his previous life.”

Takaya’s face gradually stiffened. “No way. It can’t be...”

“It is exactly who ‘it can’t be’,” Naoe calmly divulged. “The spirit of the Sengoku warlord Takeda Shingen is finally on the move. Our mission this time is to exorcise the spirits of Takeda Shingen and his followers, who were probably the ones who revived him.”

“!” Takaya was at a loss for words.

The spirit who had possessed Yuzuru was that historically famous Sengoku warlord—Takeda Shingen!

“... You’re lying to me.”

“I have never lied to you, and nor will I start now.”

“Why do you keep...”

“People have been terrified of Takeda Shingen’s onryou, so to speak, since ancient times; in fact, for many years after his death, Shingen’s onryou was fairly violent. In the end, he was put to rest by his own high priest, Kaisen-Kokushi. However...”

“...?”

“Do you know of Shingen’s Maenduka?”

“Maenduka? What’s that?”

“There are many places in the country that could be called Takeda Shingen’s tomb. ...this was apparently for the purpose of carrying out his last will and testament, to ‘conceal my death for a period of three years’. ...one of Shingen’s tombs is located in a place called Iwakubo in Koufu. There Shingen’s body was cremated in secret at the mansion of Tsuchiya Uemon. It was said that the villagers of that time called that place ”Maenduka“ and were afraid to approach it—” Naoe’s eyes narrowed. “But just a few days ago, someone destroyed that tomb.”

“Destroyed the tomb?”

“Yes. But in reality this tomb called the Maenduka was the place where Kaisen-Kokushi entrapped Shingen’s onryou.”

“Entrapped...”

“In other words, someone has broken the seal upon the Maenduka.”

“For what purpose?”

“That’s fairly obvious,” Naoe said. “So that Shingen can take over the country.”

“Who would do that?”

“I will have to make a guess.”

“...”

“The seal was broken on the Sixth of this month.”

“The Sixth is when Yuzuru started skipping school. And I guess that’s when he had that dream, too?”

“It is said that when possessed, those who are especially sensitive will sustain some harm to their spirit; perhaps the dream that Yuzuru-san saw was of this kind. Well, it’s not impossible. After that, the spirits bound to various places who are part of the Takeda Clan also began gathering power and are moving quite vigorously in order to unleash Shingen’s might.”

“Moving to do what?”

“To gather around Yuzuru-san.”

“Seriously?”

“Have you heard the story about the evening that a meteor fell on the Takeda house temple, Erin-ji?”

“I said that I hadn’t...”

“That’s true. It happened then. That wasn’t really a meteor—even though it was described by eye-witnesses as a huge falling ball of fire—it was actually a host of onryou.”

“!”

“Feeling the signs of Shingen’s revival but not knowing where he himself was, they must have been desperately searching for him.”

“What did you do to Yuzuru yesterday?”

“I confined him.”

“Shingen, in Yuzuru?”

“Yes. Only, I couldn’t really hope to contain him with the tools I had, so I gave Yuzuru-san himself a hint. I made use of the fact that he carries a great deal of spiritual power and directed him to bind the spirit that had possessed him. ...Even though I don’t think he himself is aware of it...”

“So it’s really Yuzuru himself who’s suppressing Shingen?”

“Yes. The «talisman bracelet» I used is actually to aid Yuzuru-san; part of the Hakku Darani of the Ryougonshu that Kaisen-kokushi used to seal Shingen into the Maenduka is engraved upon it. I think that if Shingen should conceal himself within Yuzuru-san’s shadow in his fear of that spell, Yuzuru-san will also find it easier to «bind» him. But even so, if we don’t complete the exorcism as soon as possible...”

“Could something happen?”

"Shingen’s spiritual power is immeasurable. If he should temporarily surpa.s.s Yuzuru-san’s abilities, I don’t know if he will be able to go on a rampage and destroy the «spirit binding». If that happens, then Yuzuru-san himself will be in danger. In the worst-case scenario, Shingen could dispossess Yuzuru and complete kanshou.

Takaya’s breath caught in a startled gasp. “What do you mean by dispossess?”

“I mean that he could drive out Yuzuru-san’s soul and completely take over the body for himself.”

“Take over...?”

“In that case, Yuzuru-san would no longer be Yuzuru-san.”

Takaya was stunned. “Then what would happen to Yuzuru’s soul?”

“With no place to go, he may become a wandering spirit or perhaps he would simply move on and be cleansed; in any case if the spirit is separated from the body too long, it becomes the same condition as ‘death’.”

“—”

“That’s why we must hurry. Unfortunately, I don’t have the ability to exorcise someone of Shingen’s spiritual power, so I’ve called on an ally who does have that power. We will certainly perform the exorcism in any case.” Naoe cast Takaya a rueful look. “Though your old self would have been able to perform the exorcism without any trouble.”

“Look, how many times do I have to say that I’m not Kagetora?”

Naoe’s sigh seemed to say “I guess it can’t be helped.”

“I will go back to guarding Yuzuru-san. Thanks to the bracelet’s dharani, I don’t think the onryou will be able to approach him, but there is one person who must absolutely not come into contact with him.”

“What? You mean the guy who broke the seal on the Maenduka?”

“Most likely.”

“Someone you know?”

“...”

Naoe returned Takaya’s gaze. “It’s just that that person shouldn’t have the «power» to break the seal upon the Maenduka by himself.”

Takaya looked at him dubiously.

“In any case, in order to save Yuzuru-san as well, we must carry out the exorcism of Shingen and his followers. Kagetora-sama.”

“You’re so pig-headed! I told you I’m not him!”

“You will a.s.sist me, will you not?”

“...”

The two stared at each other for a few moments, submerged in silence—

Lips twisting reluctantly, Takaya brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Only because it concerns Yuzuru...”

“So you’ll help me.”

“But! I’m only going to lend a hand because I’m Yuzuru’s friend. I’m not buying any of this bull about tigers or cows, ’cause I am absolutely not it!” 1

“... I see.”

Naoe nodded, a slight, calm smile hovering on his lips. Takaya, noticing it, turned away sullenly.

“Then there is a favor I must ask of you now.”

“?”

“The young woman you met the day before yesterday. Please keep an eye on her.”

“So she really is involved?”

“She has also been possessed by some spirit.”

“Whose?”

“That I do not know. But for some reason it feels quite dangerous. Please do not let Yuzuru-san see her again.”

“... I got it. But.”

“What is it?”

“That exorcism thing or whatever—what is it? Is it that Buddhist ceremony where you burn incense or something?”

After a moment of silence, Naoe spoke. “It’s a bit different from the type of exorcisms that you generally hear about.”

“?”

“All that we can do for the spirits who remain in this world is to cleanse them of their lingering regrets and resentments so that they will want to move on. However, in too many cases that is not possible, and we must send them to the other world by force.”

“And that is...«choubuku»?”

“It is ‘the power to send spirits to the Underworld’,” Naoe replied. “Broadly speaking, the power we use as weapons can be separated into two kinds: «nendouryoku» and «reinamiryoku». «Nendouryoku» you saw earlier. It’s external—the power to affect a substance. «Reinamiryoku» is the power to influence the internal state—namely, the soul—of your target. «Choubukuryoku» is of the latter kind, but is it a power bequeathed to us by our guardian deity, Bishamonten.”

He cast a sidelong glance at Takaya. “Do you wish to see it in action?”

“...huh?...”

“For example, the onryou behind you, who has been targeting us for some time.”

“!”

He spun around without thought.

His breath caught.

Standing there at the top of the platform stairs was the skeleton of a warrior in armor and helm!

“Ugh...!”

(No way...!)

The skeletal warrior drew its sword and walked towards them. Naoe’s voice never wavered from its cool calm. “Jibakurei of Kawanakajima. Judging from its hostility, a warrior of the Takeda Clan.”

«—!»

Raising its voice in a silent shriek, the ghost of the dead warrior brandished its sword and attacked!

“Uwah!” Takaya recoiled.

Naoe joined his hands in a ritual gesture.

“Ari nari tonari anaro nabi kunabi!”

The sword sliced downward. Naoe thundered, “ (bai))!”

Shyurp!

It happened in an instant. The air rent apart, and the warrior was sucked into the crack. Afterwards smoke drifting in the s.p.a.ce it had stood—the skeletal warrior had disappeared.

“...ah...”

“What you saw just now was choubuku.” Naoe turned to Takaya. “Don’t think that this does not concern you.”

“—”

Takaya gazed dumbfounded at where the warrior had been.

“...huh...” After a moment his lips twitched into a thin smile. “Pretty interesting,” Takaya grinned boldly. “Fine, I’ll come with you.”

“...”

Naoe gave a slight, quiet smile.

“I am grateful for your company.”footnotesA play on Kagetora’s name, 景虎, the second character of which means “tiger”.

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