Nansei: First Arrow - Know Thy Enemy in Nanmei

... ...

???

What the...? Did we just Rayshift?

When the hell'd they add me to Master's special brigade?

Arf! Arf, arf! (Pant, pant, pant)

Oh, it's that dustcloth again.

Man, it sure is hot here, isn't it!? Can't be comfortable for you under all that fur, either.

...Anyway...

What was your name again? Bakin, or Michi, or something like that?

You're lookin' kinda...rough. Not gonna die on me, are you?

N-no, I'm all right. I'm alive...somehow...

So that was a Rayshift. I've never felt anything like it.

？！

Whoa... (Looking around every which way)

Well I'll be damned. This scenery don't just look familiar.

Guess I was even more right than I thought when I said this Singularity cluster looked like the Nanmei islands.

...Hm? What's up, Lady...Barghest? You find something? (Did I say her name correctly?)

No. In fact, we've lost something. That little tengu girl isn't with us.

Ushiwaka! Ushiwakamaru!

...I don't see her anywhere, and when you're as tall as I am, you can see quite far. I'm afraid Ushiwakamaru was somehow separated from us.

Can you sense anything from your magical energy connection to her?

？！

？！

Well, crap! Now whadda we do?

...!? ...! (Gesturing to indicate he and Lobo will look for her)

？！

(Roger that!)

...Sure hope this ain't what happened, but maybe she got stranded somewhere in the Rayshift?

How 'bout Chaldea, Master? Can you reach them?

？！

...(Sigh) This may sound cold, but we are still on a battlefield. As such, we should take a moment to assess the situation.

Ushiwakamaru failed to arrive with us in the Rayshift for some reason.

In her place, we have Okada Izo and Hessian Lobo.

We cannot contact Chaldea at the moment, but we are not completely cut off.

Thanks to Miss Crane, the beacon in Master's Mystic Code is still functioning.

Thanks to Miss Crane and Habetrot, the beacon in Master's Mystic Code is still functioning.

We can therefore assume that Chaldea is at least tracking our position.

According to Hessian Lobo, who did a quick periphery check for us earlier, it seems we were the only ones sent here.

...

Arf!

I think...Lord Hessian Lobo is saying that there appears to be a settlement off in that direction.

...

Yes... Uh-huh... He also says he senses something suspicious around there.

？！

So it would seem...though only through Sousuke, and fairly hazily at that.

...I see. So the headless rider is Lord Hessian, and the large godlike wolf is Lord Lobo. Understood.

So you're also two beings in one Servant, kind of like me and Oei.

？！

Woof!

So, what? The mutt and the gigantic doggo are friends now because they're both, uh, doggos?

That's great and all, but are you sure we can trust them?

You're still barely an eighth of a Servant and you don't even have a contract with master.

Plus we just got attacked after all those weird Rayshift problems.

Far as any of us know, you could be behind all that.

...You're right, Lord Izo. I don't have any evidence to prove otherwise.

Perhaps. But let us not forget that the detective said her presence was crucial to the success of this mission.

Perhaps. But let us not forget that Sion said her presence was crucial to the success of this mission.

Master of Chaldea...

(I'm inclined to agree. I cannot conceive of one so pretty and delicate doing or plotting anything evil.)

(But my duty is to watch her. It is not my place to offer my personal opinion.)

？！

...Ultimately, it doesn't matter.

Our mission is to protect Chaldea by putting a stop to these attacks.

Regardless of who this visitor may be or what her true intentions are, I will be keeping a close eye on her to ensure no harm comes to Master.

...

...Lord Izo. Master. Can I say somethin'?

I'd like you two ta hear this, too.

If somethin' unfortunate happened ta Omicchan...

Somethin' that'd make Kyokutei Bakin the Servant turn on us...

...then I'll take responsibility and commit seppuku.

？！

Huh?

Well...maybe there ain't a lotta point in commitin' seppuku since I'm a Servant and all...

Anyway, point is, I can't stand seein' all this damn suspicion thrown her way.

Far as I'm concerned, I owe both Omicchan and Bakin my life.

So, if somehow they've gone wrong, I promise I'll end 'em myself...and me along with 'em. How's that sound?

...

...

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Well...you can't pull the wool over my eyes, you hear!?

That said, though...

If one of the greatest ukiyo-e artists ever's willing to stand behind her that firmly, I can't help but back down.

...Hey! Omichi!

Y-yes!? What is it?

Even if you do turn out to be our enemy, we can cross that bridge when we come to it.

I shouldn't have gone as far as I did. I hope you can forgive me.

Lord Izo...

Ha! Really, only gripe I got is that dustcloth of yours waking me up from a nap.

Hehe. Well, I'm very sorry for any trouble he caused.

Woof...

Thank you for understanding, Lord Izo.

Okay, now that that's settled, let's talk about the stuff I couldn't really get into at Chaldea on account of how crazy things were.

？！

Yup, I sure was! Way ta pay attention, Master.

That's right. I'd recognize this scenery anywhe

Hold on. We can speak while we walk just as easily as we can standing here.

We should head for the settlement Hessian Lobo discovered while we go over it.

I'd like to do whatever we can to help resolve this situation while we wait for communications with Chaldea to be restored.

What do you think, Master?

？！

...

Ugh, it's so hot here... And the humidity's even worse!

You said this is a southern province?

That's right! So of course it's hot around here. Know where we are? We're in Ryukyu!

Oh, you might've heard of Ryukyu as the location of modern-day Okinawa, Master, but that ain't this place.

No, this Ryukyu's a mystical land that don't actually exist anywhere in the world.

A mystical land? But, isn't Satsuma located in Ryukyu? That's Shimazu territory, right?

Yes, that's right. Or at least, it used to be. As Oei just mentioned, it's known as the Okinawa Islands nowadays.

And Oei is also right in that, historically, this place never existed.

？！

That's easy! Painted this scene m'self, I did!

Well, okay, guess it was technically Katsushika Hokusai the painter.

"Ryukyu Hakkei," aka "Eight Views of the Ryukyu Islands." That's the name of the eight-piece nishiki-e woodblock prints I made 'bout this place.

Go on, look around! See that summit? That inlet? Those pine trees!?

Straight outta my paintings!

...Well, I guess they're not all complete originals. I did base them on some existing material.

I've seen the Ryukyu Hakkei nishiki-e woodblock prints, too, though it took me longer to recognize the similarities.

I see. If that's true...

...then whoever helped create this minute Singularity must know your work well, Hokusai.

However, this Minamoto-no-Tametomo general trying to destroy Chaldea is from a time far before yours.

At least, that's what I recall from the information Holmes gave us.

At least, that's what I recall from the information Sion gave us.

Hokusai, I doubt this is the case...but are you involved in all this?

("Be warned that the Foreigner class has a dangerous tendency to lose control, even if they have no wish to do so"...)

("You should know that the Foreigner class has a dangerous tendency to lose control, even if they have no wish to do so"...)

(Even if they have no wish to do so, huh... I can understand how hard that must be for them, but nonetheless...)

Who, me?

Heh. Well, can't blame ya for bein' suspicious. I'm pretty damn taken aback here, too.

Still, I can't say I had no idea somethin' like this might be comin'.

In fact, this whole business with Kyokutei Bakin and Minamoto-no-Tametomo makes it downright inevitable.

Unfortunately, I can't get into why that is without gettin' in the weeds on Minamoto-no-Tametomo.

？！

All right, Master, you got it!

Minamoto-no-Tametomo's a Genji warrior. Lived 'round about the same time as his uncle, Ushiwakamaruthat is, Lord Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune.

He used ta raise so much hell even as a kid that his parents eventually disowned him and banished him to Kyushu, though even that didn't slow him down.

At the tender age of fifteen, he led a cavalry that ended up takin' over the whole damn region!

That's also where he got the name "Chinzei Hachirou."

Chinzei is Kyushu's old name, and Tametomo was the eighth son of his family, so he put Chinzei and eight, or "hachi," together ta get Chinzei Hachirou.

Freakin' awesome, ain't it? I love that kinda shit.

Oh yeah, I understand.

I see. So this general is very strong then. That sounds promising.

After all that went down, Tametomo ended up comin' back home ta Kyo...

...and it wasn't long after that he ended up takin' part in a major battle called the Hougen Rebellion.

It was a fight between a retired emperor and the current emperora showdown between brothers in a fateful war.

And wouldn't ya know it, Tametomo's old man sided with the retired emperor!

The generals opposin' him were the leader of the Taira clan, Taira-no-Kiyomori, and Tametomo's older brother, Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo!

？！

Sure was!

And so, once again, father and son of the Genji clan were fated to do battle!

Anywho, Tametomo sided with his old man, even though he'd been disowned, and fought with the fury of a thousand ordinary soldiers.

With his famous Gonin-Bari longbow, he killed one famous samurai after another.

But, no matter how valiantly he fought, they were waaay outnumbered. The retired emperor had no choice but ta barricade himself in his palace.

But then, Minamoto-no-Yoshitomo came along and set fire ta the whole damn thing, and that spelled victory for the current emperor...

...and defeat for Tametomo.

(Wistful sigh...) A fire in Kyo, huh... Man, I would've liked ta see that...

You always did get stars in your eyes whenever you heard stories about fires, Oei.

？！

It was a huge, incredibly powerful bow that would take five regular men ta string, but Tametomo could do it alone.

Needless ta say, most bows only take one person. Two, tops.

？！

There're more fantastical stories 'bout Tametomo and that bow than I can count.

One of 'em says his left arm was a whole twelve centimeters longer than his right.

Another says the special arrows it fired once went straight through a samurai wearin' armor and even pierced the enemy standin' behind him.

Yet another says he once fired an arrow from Izu Oshima all the way ta Kamakura on the opposite shore and that it basically dug a well where it landed.

Then it sounds like we would do well to avoid engaging him at range.

At any rate, those stories are indeed fantastic, but no matter how valiantly he fought, it seems he still ended up part of a losing army.

Yup. If Tametomo had won that battle, it prob'ly would've changed the whole course of history.

Besides, if anythin', this was the point where Tametomo's real legend was only just beginnin'.

You mean it goes on?

Oh yeah! Tametomo definitely wasn't the kind of guy ta let one defeat stop him.

After he was exiled, he ended up driftin' ta the Izu Islands.

And this time, he claimed all of 'em for himself!

How's that any different from when he drifted over to Kyushu?

Woof...

Obviously, the Imperial Court wasn't gonna stand for that, so they ordered Tametomo ta be put ta death.

When he saw a fleet of ships carryin' five hundred warriors bearin' down on the islands, even Tametomo knew the jig was up.

But he wasn't 'bout to go down without a fight, so he grabbed his bow and shot an arrow at a ship carryin' three hundred soldiers.

And with a prayer to the Great Bodhisattva of Arms, that one arrow struck its mark...

...and sunk the entire ship, killing everyone board!

？！

But, when the rest of the warriors made land, Tametomo ended up takin' his own life in his house rather than fall ta enemy blades...

...The end.

So, would ya say that about covers Tametomo's life, Omicchan?

Yes, I would.

The prevailing theory today is that Tametomo ended his life on Izu Oshima after he was exiled...

...but some believe that his final resting place is actually Miyakejima, or even Hachijoujima further south.

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Oh! G-good point, Master. (I was so caught up in these stories I didn't even notice...)

You said this was a mystical island that never existed anywhere, yes? That sounds just like a faerie country.

Sure did! But I think I'd better let Omicchan take it from here.

Once I get goin' on this stuff, it's impossible ta shut me up!

You mean "Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki," aka "A Wonder Tale: The Moonbow"? I'd be glad to!

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...?

Arf! Woof! Woof!

Huh? Sousuke, where are you going? Come back here!

Guess your dustcloth got tired of all your rambling.

Well damn, sorry for jabberin' on for soHm?

？！

Sousuke said one of his comrades is nearby.

One of Sousuke's comrades? You mean, one of the other Dog Warriors?

It must be! That seems to be why he ran off so...suddenly...

Whoa... I'm sorry. I just got really dizzy...all of a sudden...

Huh? Hey, what's wrong, Michi? You feeling okay?

A-are you all right?

Omicchan? Crap, she can't stand on her own! Here, Master, gimme a hand!

Great, more work for us!

...Wait! Hold on, Master.

Take a look at Hessian Lobo. I hate to say it, but we'll need to help Michi later.

？！

Indeed, Master. They may appear human, but they have no physical form. They seem more like evil spirits.

Whatever they may be, they are clearly in our way. We have no choice but to go through them.

I wonder if these things are why Sousuke ran off like that.

Ugh, they're revolting. Like we didn't have enough problems already!

...(Relieved exhale)

The hell was that all about!?

Thought we'd got the little bastards, then they up and explode on us!?

Were they just so mad about losin', they literally couldn't contain themselves or somethin'...?

...Hmm. Those things that attacked us prob'ly came from this settlement.

Does that mean this is where you sensed that strange presence earlier, Hessian Lobo?

...!?

Another enemy!? ...No, wait.

Mmf, mmf!

Oh hey, it's the dustcloth. What's that in its mouth?

Sousuke...?

Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried about you.

Phew. Looks like you're feelin' a lot better now, Omicchan.

Can you stand on your own then?

Yes, I think I'm okay now.

Sousuke! Why did you run off like that!?

And what did you bring back?

Woof! (Drop)

This is the Kou bead for piety, one of the Eight Virtues!

Shino...? Shino! It's you!

That's right. Of course. This Kou bead was always your destiny.

I never would have guessed you were hiding out in a place like this. I was really worried about you, you know?

...(Vacant stare)

Arf!

(Yaaawn)

(Looking around)

...Ruff!

Hmph. You certainly gave us a surprise, didn't you?

So that puppy there is another one of Kyokutei Bakin's Eight Dog Warrior familiars, huh?

He's definitely a... No, never mind. It's impressive how composed and dignified he is.

(That's a Shiba Inu! A Shiba Inu!)

(I learned as much from seeing Sousuke, but these Eight Dog Warriors are some of the most graceful and adorable pups I've ever seen!)

...Are you trying to stop yourself from grinning or something? Cut it out. It's creepy.

The truly strong tend to smile at all times. Pay it no mind.

Senpai...

If you're... Please...ome in! Senpai...!

Wah! Ch-Chaldea!? Are our communications working!?

Senpai! There you are! Thank goodness... Are you okay?

What a relief! I'm sorry it took us so long to restore our comms.

Yes, we're aware.

？！

First, Ushiwakamaru is still here at Chaldea.

It looks like Okada Izo and Hessian Lobo Rayshifted in her place. Have you met up with them, Senpai?

He sure has! And as you can see, we're all doing fine!

...

Phew. Thank goodness. This must have been quite the shock to all of you.

If this is a good time, I'd like to explain what's going on here with our side of the conflict.

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...Right!