Section Seven: To Kamakura

Kamakura!?

I'd recognize this place anywhere, Master.

It may not be the way I remember it, but every cell in my body is telling me this is Kamakura.

I even sense my brother here!

Lord Ushiwakamaru...

Ushiwakamaru is right. Your current coordinates put you in Kamakura, in the southern part of Japan's Kantou area.

Kamakura?

What could youI mean, Evil Ushiwaka be doing here? This place means a lot to you, right, Ushiwakamaru?

So Evil Ushiwaka probably didn't just end up here by happenstance...

Right. This was almost certainly her ultimate destination all along.

As for what it is she could be doing here...

I'm guessing she wants to destroy the place.

？！

Remember, Evil Ushiwaka began acting independentlynot as Ushiwakamaru or Shana-oh, but as Yoshitsune.

So it's no surprise that she might want to crush Kamakura, given how much she hated it when she was alive.

... ...

There's only one thing I don't understand. Singularities basically let you go back in time, right?

So if she wanted to destroy Kamakura, I would've thought she'd try to do so while Yoritomo was still alive.

But this Kamakura looks like it's pretty close to the present day.

Well, it is fairly common for minute Singularities to manifest in modern times, so I don't think that's too strange, but still...

Oh, so that's common? I see.

Maybe she just didn't have enough magical energy to turn back time, even with the Mallet of Fortune?

If so, maybe she just decided she'd settle for destroying a more modern Kamakura?

You're wrong, Kiichi Hogen.

!

There she is.

Finally. It's about goddamn time.

Oho!

So you finally decided to show yourself, Shana-oh!

True, I do detest Kamakura.

Overseer Yoshitsune met her end there when her brother, Yoritomo, betrayed her.

That gives me ample reason to despise it.

Huh?

(Why is she talking like she and Yoshitsune are different people?)

But first...I'm starting with you, Master of Chaldea.

What the heck's going on here!?

The whole ground is giving off magical energy! It must be directly accessing a leyline! Please be careful, everyone!

This is a trap I have been laying with the Mallet of Fortune! Soon, all of Kamakura will become a land of nightmares!

Do you still not realize the truth, Chaldeans!?

None of the places you have visited thus far have been real.

You've been in Kamakura this whole time!

Huh!?

They have all been games I was playing, ways to practice this spell and prepare this land for its nightmarish transformation!

The first place you visited was not France, but Futokoro-jima.

The second place you visited was not Csejte, but Nuhama.

The third place you visited was not Australia, but Enoshima.

The fourth place you visited was not the Mediterranean sky, but Awafune.

The fifth place you visited was not New York, but Kanazawa.

I gave each of these five places near Kamakura unique characteristics...

...and lured Chaldean Servants in to occupy them.

...!

So that's why there was always a small delay whenever we tried to determine your location in that minute Singularity...

Hehe.

I...don't get it. Why go to so much trouble?

I've told you already. To prepare.

Thanks to these five bouts of playtime, I've finally learned the trick to using the mallet's full power.

And now, I have used it to transform Kamakura into a land of nightmares.

Now, this land imbues all who intrude upon it with a particular trait!

Trait? What trait?

I imagine it's something that'll give her attacks greater potency. Am I right, Evil Ushiwaka?

Indeed you are.

You are now all targets of my wrath.

And no Genji can hope to escape my wrath...

Yes, yes, we get it! Ugh, what's gotten into you, Shana-oh!? You were never this conniving when I taught you!

That's because whoever that is, they're not me, Mentor!

They may look like me, but they're not! I would never do anything to harm Master!

Who are you really, you scheming coward!?

Heh. Hehehehe!

So, you saw right through me, Ushiwakamaru. Or rather, fragment of Ushiwakamaru!

Indeed, I am both Yoshitsune and not Yoshitsune.

I am hatred incarnate, and my sole purpose is to take revenge on every last Genji.

My True Name is Taira-no-Kagekiyo!

My True Name is Taira-no-Kagekiyo!

？！

？！

Oho.

So, you have already met me once before. How odd.

I see. That explains it.

I thought it was odd that I felt so at home here in Yoshitsune's Spirit Origin, but now, it all makes sense.

We've merged at least once before. That bond must have remained, even if this Spirit Origin retained no record of it.

Fascinating!

Taira-no-Kagekiyo... As I recall, they were a legendary samurai for the Kanmu Heishi around the end of the Heian period.

They despise the Genji clan for deposing the Taira clan and establishing the shogunate, and they're hell-bent on taking revenge on Minamoto-no-Yoritomo in particular.

There are a great many legends about them, but I think the most outlandish has to be the one about their immortality.

I don't know what sort of magecraft mechanism they employed, but it's said that not even cutting off Taira-no-Kagekiyo's head was enough to stop them from coming back to life.

What, are they some kind of immortal Heroic Spirit!?

Nn...

So why's someone like that walking around wearing Ushiwakamaru's faceer, her whole Spirit Origin?

Are we just looking at a combination of two Heroic Spirits or something?

...

All right, I see what's going on now. So that's the Taira-no-Kagekiyo spoken of in countless legends, huh?

And while there are many legends about them, there are also quite a few about Yoshitsune.

Despite belonging to the Taira and Genji clans respectively, you both have a lot in common.

The only difference is that there's less substance to Taira-no-Kagekiyo in the legends than there is to Ushiwakamaru, no?

Y-yes, that's right.

While the Palace Guard Akushichi Kagekiyo depicted in "The Tale of the Heike" might have truly existed...

...the Taira-no-Kagekiyo depicted in the legends of Kagekiyo was born more from fiction than historical events.

While it's not unusual for details about a Heroic Spirit to be scarce...

I get the sense that you never even possessed a body of your own, Kagekiyo.

Let me guess. You're more of a ghost or a vengeful spirit than a Heroic Spirit, aren't you?

...

I knew it. And now, for some reason, you've shown up and possessed my student!

？！

Taira-no-Kagekiyo.

You mean to completely take over Shana-ohno, Yoshitsune's Spirit Origin for yourself, don't you?

That's why you went to all this trouble of changing Kamakura into a nightmare land...

A place that turns any who set foot in it into your quarry!

At first, I thought you were doing this so you could kill me...but it seems your true target is the Master of Chaldea.

...

？！

Correct.

Yoshitsune's Spirit Origin is a real wonder.

Were I to properly fuse with it, I have no doubt I could carry out my life's work.

？！

Indeed.

Once I have slaughtered every last Genji across every period of time...

...both Yoshitsune's revenge and my own will at last be complete.

However...

This Yoshitsune Spirit Origin derived from the Heroic Spirit Ushiwakamaru has proved quite stubborn.

Even now, it continues to prattle on about how it refuses to aid me.

Which is why I have no choice but to shatter its soul and break its spirit.

And to do that, I must kill the one Yoshitsunethat is, Ushiwakamaru of Chaldeathinks of as she once did Yoritomo.

I speak, of course, of you: the Master of Chaldea.

？！

I see. Kind of like how a loyal dog loses its way after losing its master.

You expect that if Shana-oh were to lose her Master now...

...her soul would vanish instantly, leaving her body empty.

That, in turn, would give you a chance to completely take it over, hm?

Talk about dirty, underhanded tactics.

W-wait! Think about it!

Without a Master anchoring them to this world, nearly every Heroic Spirit currently materialized will disappear!

Surely you don't want that to happen...right?

You're forgetting something, Mash. Remember, she still has the Mallet of Fortune.

!

...I wasn't planning on revealing this much, but no matter. At least it should save me some time.

Anyway, now that the explanations are over...

Let me ask you this, Master of Chaldea.

It would be all too easy to kill you now.

However...

It would also be a waste.

For you see, this Spirit Origin still recognizes you as its Master. So I am offering you a deal.

If you agree to serve me, I will spare your life.

If you refuse...you will die, here and now.

？！

I see.

Then, it seems I have no choice but to kill

Oh no you don't!

You're not laying a finger on him! He belongs to me!

？！

？！

That's right. He may be no more than a student of mine right now...but I've already grown quite fond of him.

In fact, I'm already thinking of adopting or taking him as my bride one day!

So there's no way in hell I'm letting the likes of you kill him!

Huh?

Bride? Don't you mean "groom"?

What are you saying, Mentor!? Have you lost your mind!?

What do you mean? Besides, I saw him first.

You "saw him first"!? What do you think he is, some kind of toy!? Well, guess I know where Ushiwaka gets her crazy from!

...Heh.

That was quite funny, Kiichi Hogen. It seems you truly are one of history's greatest teachers.

Apparently, you are a master of comedy as well. Hehe. Then I suppose it's only right I return the favor!

All of you!

Prepare to meet your end!

Ugh, they just keep coming!

Dammit, where are all these crow tengu coming from!?

It's the Mallet of Fortune! Neither Kagekiyo nor Yoshitsune could command tengu without it!

Never mind that! How do we stop them!?

We can't even reach Kagekiyo like this, much less harm her! Then again, if we do harm her, I fear what may become of Lord Ushiwakamaru.

I'm right here, Benkei.

Yes, I know that!

But you are only a fragment of your true Spirit Origin...

And unfortunately, Kagekiyo there still possesses the rest of it!

... ...

...All right, I suppose there's no point in keeping this secret any longer.

I already took on a new student, which isn't exactly an everyday thing for me, so I'd hoped to save my other name for a different, special occasion.

I wanted to stretch this out as much as I could so that when did finally reveal it, it'd be a huge and delightful surprise!

But with the way things are going, I guess there's no time like the present!

Mallet of Fortune!

!?

Return to my side!

Gotcha!

What just happened!?

The mallet just flew out of Kagekiyo's pocket and into Lady Kiichi's hand!

Of course! This is my wish granter, after all, so it's only right that it would come back to me!

Besides, who do you think I am, anyway!?

I am blazing firelight that pierces the heavens like a pillar of flame.

The heavenly drums ring, but not with thunder!

The tengu streaks through the night like a shooting star!

I am one of the greatest onmyouji and swordfighters of all time, and I reveal to you now that Kiichi Hogen is only a transitory name!

In truth, I am Soujoubou, the Buddhist high priest of Mt. Kurama and king of the tengu. I alone command legions!

My other name is Kurama Tengu, and I am the greatest and most powerful tengu in all of Japan!

I am one of the greatest onmyouji and swordfighters of all time, and I reveal to you now that Kiichi Hogen is only a transitory name!

In truth, I am Soujoubou, the Buddhist high priest of Mt. Kurama and king of the tengu. I alone command legions!

My other name is Kurama Tengu, and I am the greatest and most powerful tengu in all of Japan!

？！

I knew it!

Then, the proposal earlier that seemed to come out of left field...

...was actually for an interspecies marriage straight out of mythology!

Yup! That's right!

The Mallet of Fortune is one of my most secret treasures!

Of course it would return to me of its own volition!

...But only if you revealed your identity first?

Urk.

Ohhh, okay. I was wondering why you chose now of all times to reveal something like that.

Now it makes more sense.

Ghh.

Hmm. I suppose it was still important that we go after Lord Ushiwakamaru...

But if you can summon the mallet back to you like that, couldn't you have done so much earlier?

It certainly seems like something you should be able to do even from a great distance...

Ghhhhhh.

I-I just thought I would see what Chaldea was capable of, since Shana-oh seems so comfortable there!

Waaah! Don't make me spell it all out!

Mentor...

I've never seen you on the defensive like this! What an amazing day this has turned out to be!

Shut up, Shana-oh! No piggyback ride for you! Ever!

？！

My, my. What a lovely sight to see you all laughing and getting along so well on the battlefield...

Is that the sentiment you were hoping for?

If anything, you've only made me angrier! Have you forgotten what I've done to Kamakura!?

I don't need any more crow tengu to fight my battles! I'll kill the Master of Chaldea and all the rest of you myself!

No you WON'T!

!

You bitch!

That was the mallet...

What did you just do to me, Kiichi Hogen!? No... Soujoubou of Mt. Kurama!

Make a wish.

What...?

Make a wish!

Now that I've hit you with the mallet, the seed has been firmly planted!

If you want to return to your old self, then kick Kagekiyo's ass and take back your Spirit Origin!

Do you hear me, Shana-ohNo, Ushiwakamaru!?

I hear you, Mentor!

Not you, Shana-oh! The other you!

So you are speaking to this Yoshitsune, Tengu? Pathetic.

I am hatred incarnate. My only purpose is to eradicate the Genji.

Thus, Yoshitsune belongs to me, for she too burns with hatred.

She will never be able to leave me.

We both detest Yoritomo. We both despise the Genji.

It was the intense enmity radiating from this Spirit Origin that called to me in the first place.

... ...

...Oh, for...

This is so pitiful I can hardly stand it. Is that all you care about? Grudges and killing?

Just look at me. I'm Medb, the queen of Connacht.

After I spent my life indulging in endless pleasure and freedom, I ended up dying as a miserable husk of rage and resentment.

But so what?

No matter how tainted I may become, I still want to be beautiful.

That's who I am. That's what it means to be me.

What about you, Ushiwakamaru? What does it mean to be you?

Well, I suppose

Quiet, I'm talking. This is for the other Ushiwakamaru.

Listen, Ushiwakamaru, or Yoshitsune, or whatever your name is.

As much as I really, really hate to admit it, that body of yours is something to be proud of.

Seriously, it's pissing me off... But never mind that now.

My point is, while your personality may completely suck, you are rocking one of the best warrior bodies I've ever seen.

So how long are you going to let this Kagekiyo person possess you? If you don't kick them out soon, I'm going to have to beat your ass and do it myself.

...Hmph.

It doesn't matter what you say. It won't make any... ...Nn...nnn...nn...?

Th...

Thank you...Lady Medb...

Impossible! Was that you, Yoshitsune!? Are you trying to take your Spirit Origin back from me!?

Impossible... Impossible! This cannot be happening!

We're almost there! She just needs another nudge!

Master!

？！

？！

Mas...ter...

I... I...

Now, Lord Ushiwakamaru!

Oh yes! You'd better believe I'm not going to miss this chance!

Yoshitsune! My other self who lost her way and wounded up combining with Kagekiyo! It's time we became one again!

You and I are both Ushiwakamaru, Shana-oh, and Overseer Yoshitsune!

And what's more...

We are our Master's Servant, and loyal to him alone!

...

...I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you, everyone.

But I'm my old self again!

There you go! Now that's more like it, my idiot student!

Once this is all over, I'll give you as many piggyback rides as you want! Kanra kara kara!

...I...

...failed...?

But how? That Spirit Origin was perfect for me!

It shouldn't have been possible for it to reawaken like this...

...let alone drive me out!

Why does Kagekiyo still look like Lord Yoshitsune?

I'm afraid I wasn't able to take all of my Spirit Origin back. She's still got a little piece of it.

Give it back! That Spirit Origin belongs to me!

I don't have a Spirit Origin of my own... I need that one to eradicate the Genji!

No.

I refuse to let you have so much as a fraction of my Spirit Origin. Only my Master can command it.

You have no claim on it, Taira-no-Kagekiyo!

Curse yooouuu!

Aw crap, that's a big one!

Is that...Taira-no-Kagekiyo's spirit body leaking out of Lord Yoshitsune's Spirit Origin!?

Get ready, everyone! This is gonna be a tough one! But first...

Whoa!

Oho!

...That's more like it. Come on. Let's do this.

Cú!

It seems all are present and accounted for. Excellent! Then let's get to it!

？！

Yes, Master! And I, the real Ushiwakamaru, shall help you send it on its way!

Ah...ah...

Yoshitsune...

Ushiwaka...

Ah...ahh... Ahhhhhh...

Ahh... Ahhh...

Yo...shi...tsu...ne...

Yes, it's me.

Back then, I was surrounded by countless soldiers, and you lacked a form of your own.

So while I didn't realize it at the time...

I now know why I thought I sensed someone there weeping along with me.

It seems I wasn't imagining things after all.

Yoshi...tsune...

You...mustn't be...

...alone... I can't...let...you...

...It's okay.

I know I cried back then in that residence, but...

I'm not alone. I never have been.

Someone has always been there beside me.

Benkei. Kaison. Yoshimori.

Yoshinari. Shizuka.

Mentor. Kouju. Mother. Lord Hidehira.

And I have people with me now as well.

I have Master. Benkei. Lady Mash.

I have Lady Da Vinci and all my fellow Heroic Spirits.

And I have Lord Goredolf, Lord Meunière, and Lady Sion as well.

？！

...

So you don't have to worry about me, Kagekiyo. I'll be all right.

Lord Yoshitsune...

Oh come on, now you're crying, too?

N-no. This is just...um...sweat.

Oh brother.

...Yoshitsune.

You are...not alone...?

That's right.

Then...you will...no longer...cry...?

...That's right.

I see.

Then all is well.

It seems this hatred was perhaps too much for your small Spirit Origin to withstand.

So I will take it with me to the afterlife.

Farewell, Yoshitsune. Farewell, Shana-oh.

Farewell, Ushiwakamaru...the child I saw that day.