Since we've had so many sunny days recently, it feels like it's been a long time since I've seen such a gloomy, overcast sky.
Perhaps because the ground is protected from direct sunlight, the temperature feels much lower than it has been in the past few days.
Under such weather conditions, I was receiving some unwelcome guests.
They are the high-ranking priests of the Ikko sect of the Hongenji Temple, a group based in Osaka with numerous followers throughout Japan.
Among the row of bald men was the face of his half-brother, Okazaki Yasuyuki.
Now that I think about it, when I first met him, I seem to remember him saying that he was training at Hongenji Temple.
He was probably the one who guided them to northern Omi.
It was a long-awaited reunion, but it certainly seemed like an unwelcome one.
A pleasant " shi" sound rings out with a "kakon".鹿威Shishiodo
This wasn't the Nagahama Imperial Palace, but rather the grounds of the Hachiman Shrine in Nagahama.
There were several reasons why the Nagahama Imperial Palace was not chosen as the venue for the meeting, but the main reason boils down to this: "We didn't want them to know the internal structure of the palace."
Above all, seeing how those monks make no attempt to hide their dissatisfaction and animosity towards me, I think it's understandable that they would make that judgment.
Incidentally, their arrival had already been announced to the retainers who were living around the Nagahama Palace.
It was now clear that the moment the high-ranking priests of the Ikko sect departed would signal the start of a new battle.
"...Lord Fifth Rank Lieutenant General. What business do those people have with you here?"
"He's my close confidant and a valuable subordinate. There's no need to worry."
"..."
By the way, I have Takatora and Myo in the room with me.
As for Takatora, in addition to being my page, he is already highly regarded within the household for his bravery, such as killing Hisamasa, so it's not surprising that he's by my side.
And Myo—apparently there was some internal turmoil within the Takamine Party before the official decision was made—is now serving as my personal garden guard.
I don't know much about her, but I hear this cat-eared girl is one of the most powerful fighters in the Takamine Party, so it would be incredibly reassuring to have her by my side if something happened.
However, to the high-ranking priests of the Ikko sect, it seemed unacceptable that a "zashiki-warashi" like Takatora was calmly serving me, a "human."
Their eyes, filled with rage, relentlessly lashed upon Takatora and Myo.
However, Takatora seemed to have become accustomed to such stares, and Myo, in particular, didn't seem to pay them any attention at all.
However, this pointless time must come to an end soon.
"Thank you for coming all this way."
I remember the time when I first arrived in this world.
I remember those days when I was in the evaluation room, not knowing what I was doing or who I was going, and everything was a struggle.
Of course, I'm still struggling every day, but I feel like I've become quite accustomed to this world.
He straightened his back, slowly looked around at the faces of the high-ranking monks, and said in a low voice, projecting an air of authority.
"However, we received no prior notification that you would be visiting us... Please forgive our inability to provide a proper response. And with such a large group of you here... we have no choice but to be on guard."
"..."
After a moment of silence, the monk, who appeared to be the leader of the visitors, bowed.
" Yes, Lieutenant General Asai, please forgive our sudden and impolite visit... I have come here on behalf of our head priest, the 11th head priest."下間Shimozuma頼宗Next week顕如Kennyo
The Shimotsuma family, in historical fact, was a family that played a leading role in various aspects of the Ikkō-shū sect.
The mere fact that someone connected to that family has arrived makes the significance of this delegation undeniable.
"...What can I help you with?"
"...Immediately close Biwa Shrine and join us in subduing all the demons and zashiki-warashi in Japan."
Yorimune gives me an extremely frank response to my frank question.
That seems to me like nothing more than an extremely radical opinion.
"What nonsense... Monsters, especially dragons, are not something we can control; we have no choice but to coexist with them. Kyo shares the same opinion on this... and we even have the Emperor's decree."
"Regarding that matter, the head priest suspects that the Asai family may have lent the Emperor to them."誑Tabura
This is the epitome of insincere politeness.
An extremely overbearing way of speaking, delivered from an extremely calm demeanor and tone of voice.
This is likely due to their belief that what they consider to be justice is what matters, and that anything else should be eliminated.正just
"Demons and zashiki-warashi (house spirits) are incompatible with humans and must be destroyed. We must then create the world that humans should be. We must reclaim the pure and innocent Japan for ourselves."
"...Is that even possible?"
As I spat it out, I honestly thought, "How can he say such a thing in front of Takatora and Myo, who are zashiki-warashi (house spirits)?"
Perhaps they can say that precisely because they don't acknowledge Takatora and the others as fellow living beings.
"Of course we can! In fact, we have completely eradicated the monsters from Kaga Province! Our teachings have spread widely throughout Kaga—and now there are no more monster attacks, and the people live in peace."
"What do you hope to achieve by imposing such circumstances on us?"
I glared at Yorimune and said, with the same intense murderous intent I had on the battlefield.
But the official in front of me showed no sign of being intimidated at all.
He, too, is likely one of those who have survived countless life-threatening situations.
"Yoriyuki, even demons have their own will and feelings. That was the case with the Water God earlier. The Rainbow Silkworm and the Jorōgumo... those kinds of demons rose up to save us from danger... Are you telling me to kill them?!"
I didn't explicitly say that the Jorōgumo's motives were not exactly what they seemed, but rather I raised my voice.
Then Yorimune looked back at me and calmly replied, "That is correct."
"Demons and zashiki-warashi are beings outside the circle of humanity. They are beyond human comprehension... Therefore, they must be killed."
"And if you dogmatically eliminate everything you don't like... what's left then?!"
After letting out a furious yell, I glared at Yorimune and the others, who looked terrifyingly cold, and said in a low voice:
"I'm not saying we should let all monsters live. If necessary, we'll kill them, just like we kill humans. Just like when I killed the hawk in Mino."
I continued, my eyes filled with anger even as I looked at Ankyu, who was calmly standing among the followers of the Ikko sect.
"What lies beyond blind faith and unquestioning exclusion is a society tainted by suspicion and mutual surveillance. That is not the ideal world I envision."
"Lord of Bizen... no, Lord Fifth Rank Middle Captain."
Ankyu, finally forced to speak up, posed an extremely brief—yet crucial—question.
"Does this mean that our paths and those of Lord Fifth Rank Lieutenant General will never intersect?"
"...I have no intention of accepting your opinion. At the very least, since you have insulted my people and my vassals, I have no intention of welcoming you."
"You'll regret it."
"If that happens, then it simply means I'm no longer myself."
They have their own ideals and their own sense of justice.
I have my own ideals and my own sense of justice.
It would be great if we could understand each other.
It would be best if we could interact and unite with each other, just like me and my brother-in-law, Nobunaga.
However, in many cases, the ideals and sense of justice held by people were in conflict, often creating a decisive divide.
However, the conflicts that arise from that divide must never be avoided.
If you try to avoid conflict, you will be swallowed up by the other side, and your own will will be twisted, turning you into a puppet.
To live as a human being, as an independent individual with a strong sense of self, one must fight.
No matter what awaits us on the way.
◆
The movements of the high-ranking priests of the Ikkō sect who left my presence are being tracked by members of the Kōhō faction.
My initial expectation was that he would incite the Ikko sect followers in Kita-Omi on his way back—but it seems that was just my unfounded worry.
"...I see, then that's fine."
After hearing in detail about their movements leading up to their departure from Asai territory, I couldn't help but sigh in the face of the new obstacles that had become apparent.
Myo made a dangerous suggestion, "Should we... kill all of them?", but doing so would only hasten the start of an all-out war with Ikkoshu.
After ruffling her hair, I left the Hachiman Shrine grounds with Takatora and Myo.
"..."
However, as I had known from the beginning, my way of thinking and that of the Ikkoshu members were parallel lines, never to intersect.
Considering the stories of Europe and the Southern Barbarians that I heard from the water god, and the possibility that the same thing could have happened in Japan, I could understand the arguments of the high-ranking priests of the Ikkō sect.
However, to begin with, there was absolutely no chance of winning against the dragon, and killing a precious demon like Taishakutsukimo was something I could never accept.
"Phew..."
Aware of the vague unease lingering deep within my chest, I decided to walk towards Kanebo.
If I were to return to the Nagahama Palace, I would probably be held captive by Ichihime and Haruhime.
But before they could take me captive, there was someone I had to meet.
Yes, it's the Jorōgumo who remains unconscious in the Kanebo Square—still not awake.
"M-My lord!?"
"Oh, don't worry about it. It's for the greater good."
In the square, farmers, townspeople, and retainers were gathered, once again working to cool the burn marks on the Jorōgumo (spider woman).
The method involves each person bringing their own cloth, cooling it in water from Lake Biwa or a newly formed river, and then applying it to the affected area.
But despite their efforts to care for her, the eyes of the Jorōgumo, which resembled a Japanese doll, never opened.
He slowly approached the giant, calling out to the townspeople and farmers, thanking them for their hard work.
(Even so, the water god is quite something...)
The Jorōgumo is a colossal creature, easily exceeding 30 meters in length.
The mechanism that floated on Lake Biwa is still not entirely clear—but even so, the fighting techniques unleashed from that massive body must have possessed considerable destructive power.
The image of the dragon, completely unfazed by it, and instead playing with it as if twisting a baby's arm, came back to my mind...
(What will become of Japan when the water god gets serious, or when he becomes enraged?)
Thinking about that, I felt a chill run down my spine.
Monsters can only be wounded by other monsters or by fluorite gems.
The dragon was also an entity that fell within the framework of those rules—but that's precisely why it was all the more problematic.性質Tachi
Which is more powerful: the destructive force of the Jorōgumo's full-force punches and kicks, or the destructive force of my Ishiwari Kanemitsu slash...?
(No need to think about it)
If we subscribe to Ikko-shu's ideology, it seems to me that Japan has no future.
Moreover, if you were to make enemies of all the monsters, your opponents would include not only the Water God, but also that Hagoromo Yanagi.
(Although Hagoromo Yanagi herself had called it a "failure"...)
But we shouldn't take that at face value.
The term "failure" is merely a comparison to the overwhelmingly powerful Outer Gods, and to begin with, Hagoromo Yanagi exists on a different level from that of humans.
The feeling I had—that humans are completely powerless against it—is absolutely not wrong.
"...But still, he hasn't woken up."
"Oh, really... We've tried calling out to them, but it's just been like this for a while now..."
"But he's not dead."
"That's right, my lord. Just like us, he's breathing and his chest is moving. So he can't be dead... Hmm..."
While talking to a nearby farmer, I touched the Jorōgumo, which looked like it was wearing a rubber suit.
The sensation is unlike rubber; it's just like human skin.
It's a strange feeling, but that's just how it is, so there's nothing I can do about it.
Incidentally, a damp cloth was placed over the burn scar, so it wasn't possible to see the affected area directly.
(Out of energy...?)
Seeing the unconscious Jorōgumo (spider demon), those words suddenly crossed my mind.
As expected, the one I had in mind was Taishakutsukimo.
To transform from a horse into a human, she needs a large number of males.精液Energy
Perhaps the Jorōgumo (spider demon) also possesses something like that.
I think that if we pour in enough power, it might awaken again.
"Well, that's fine."
I called out to the people gathered at Kanebo.
"Don't push yourselves too hard, guys."
"No, that won't do, Lord Bizen-no-kami... no, Lord Fifth Rank Lieutenant General!"
A young townsman, wearing a twisted headband, said, holding a bucket filled to the brim with water.
"This huge monster risked its life for us! Mom said it would be terrible to just let a monster like that die!"罰drumstick
"There's not much I can do, but I still have to do what I can!"
"And if he wakes up, we'll have to thank him!"
After exchanging a few words with the noisy crowd, I decided to return to the Nagahama Imperial Palace.
In that way, people can sometimes develop a fondness for monsters.
That is probably an emotion that would be difficult for the high-ranking priests of the Ikkō sect to understand.
And as long as they retained that feeling, they wouldn't easily fall for the incitement of the Ikko sect followers—that faint thought was also beginning to sprout within me.
(But that time will come eventually...)
For feudal lords of the Sengoku period, confrontation with religious forces was also a rite of passage.
In historical fact, the Mikawa clan under Tokugawa Ieyasu boasted an unshakeable bond.
However, that unity crumbled during the Mikawa Ikko-ikki rebellion, and Ieyasu fought fiercely with his retainers who sided with the Ikko sect—and as for Nobunaga, well, that goes without saying.
Religion is a terrifying thing, possessing the potential to dismantle worldly forces within the human psyche.
(That's precisely why we must develop a new approach to the biwa faith, one that will replace the Ikkō-shū sect...)
It doesn't have to be the Shimazu family's "Iroha poem," but something easy to understand and approachable would be good.
It seems necessary to establish the Biwa religion's system as quickly as possible, with the Biwa Grand Shrine, also known as the Great Hall of Worship, as the head temple, and building shrines throughout the country.
And if possible, let's insert the Zashiki-warashi into that system as an intermediate being between humans and demons.
"...I suppose we'll have to ask Kyoko to lend a hand in that situation."
"teeth...?"
"No, it's nothing."
It's a man's fantasy to dress a silver-haired, tanned, loli elf in a shrine maiden outfit.
Of course, it's also fine to dress other girls in it.
While Naoko might get excited depending on the situation, I can easily imagine Hisashi sitting there like a little doll.
(Well, Kyoko doesn't seem to have the luxury of doing that right now.)
Since the coming-of-age ceremony, Mrs. Todo's health has not been good.
Seeing Takatora come of age and officially enter service with the Asai family—perhaps the tension that had been building up inside him suddenly eased.
Or perhaps they've already become satisfied.
She raised her son and daughter by selling her body and ruining her health, and now they are both employed by the Asai family.
It's perfectly normal for a mother to feel a sense of self-fulfillment, believing that her life and her efforts to protect her child were indeed worthwhile.
"...I think it's about time to send a messenger."
I muttered to myself as I led Takatora and the others towards the Nagahama Palace.