Seventh Cup: Sword of a Wild Beast

I hope that was to your satisfaction, Lord Ishida.

Once Lady Chacha hears the name "Hideyori," she'll have no choice but to act.

So this is how you wanted to use the Chaldeans as bait.

That's right. Rikyu alone would have had a hard time getting Chaldea to trust her.

That's why I also used you, their old comrade.

You must be used to the label of traitor by now, yes?

If anything, it seems selling your comrades out is second nature to you, no?

...I trust Akesato is still safe?

Oh, don't worry. A dead hostage has no value. Just do as I say, and she stays alive.

Rikyu, I take it you understand what you need to do, too? Assuming you don't want to be made to commit seppuku again.

Yes, I do.

Now then, it's time I prepared to welcome the other Chaldeans.

I see he remains unrivaled when it comes to irritating those about him.

Why are you serving Lord Ishida, Lady Rikyu?

I'm a merchant of Sakai. I side with whoever pays best.

Selling my comrades out for one girl, as you've apparently just done...

...simply does not make sense from a cost-benefit standpoint.

So that's how Akesato wound up in Lord Mitsunari's custody. You led him to her, didn't you?

I did.

I found her soul wandering this place and handed it over to Lord Ishida myself.

That still doesn't explain what she was doing here in the first place, though...

For that matter, what IS this Singularity? Why are Akesato and I even here?

This is a place for souls with lingering regrets. That girl was wandering in search of you, Lord Yamanami.

Perhaps you have some idea as to why?

Lingering regrets...

So you still haven't realized? That is a surprise. This is a place for people like Lord Ishida, you, and of course, myself.

I speak, of course, of those who died with regrets. The losers of history.

It is, in other words, a dumping ground.

The losers of history...

Now, if you'll excuse me...

I must make some tea for the Chaldeans, to keep them alive.

...

I see. So that's how it was.

...

？！

...

...

Good, you're finally awake.

The tea was starting to wear off, so I had to force some more down your throat. Looks like I made it in time.

A dungeon, obviously. I still can't believe the enemy managed to catch every last one of us. What a joke.

Girl? Even now, you're dreaming about girls? Must be nice being so carefree.

？！

How about Alter? How's she doing?

She's still not moving... Is she dead?

She sure looks it, but since she's a Servant, she'd have disappeared if she was.

I can't sense any magical energy from her body at all.

And then there's this black wound inflicted by Kukochihiko's sword of beasts...

You mean the woofman's sword?

Yes. It once belonged to Kunakoku's beast god. It's a cursed artifact that can erode people's bodies and afflict them with a disease...

The disease drains the victim of intelligence and makes them a mindless beast.

Really? So, does that mean Alter's gonna end up with a woofhead of her own?

Okita Souji Alter (Alter Ego) is long enough as it is! Now we're gonna have to throw "Woofhead" in there, too?

Huh? When did this get so serious?

Poor Alter.

？！

Unfortunately...

...the sword of beasts was created by the Ancestral Beast a long time ago, and it still bears Age of Gods Mystics.

I'm just not strong enough to do anything about it.

Come on, Alter. Wake up!

Please!

...

Well, at least we know it'll take more than this to kill her. Still, there's nothing more we can do for her now.

Come on, Shusha, let's let Alter rest for a while.

O-okay...

That aside, we're pretty much stuck here.

Even if we could escape, there's not much we could do without Rikyu's tea.

These guys know that, which is why they aren't worried about us escaping. Ugh, this Singularity's becoming a real pain in the ass.

At least they're not keeping a close eye on us. I guess that's a good thing.

You want tea?

We do. But with Rikyu on the enemy's side, our only choice is to share the small amounts they give us at regular intervals.

I've got tea. Lots of it.

Huh? How did that happen?

Look. It's all in this bag.

I thought you said that bag was full of box lunches.

Okita bought all this tea at the vending machine.

I told her we wouldn't need it, but she said we probably would.

Did she now...

You know, I thought she'd just run off and died in a ditch somewhere...

Now I see. So that's what that was all about.

Hey, Fujimaru, looks like we're still in this thing.

Then, Okita thought something like this might happen...

And here I thought man-slaying was all she knew how to do. Glad I was wrong.

Oh, I wouldn't rule that out yet. Still wouldn't put it past her.

Still, I thought man-slaying was all she knew how to do. Glad I was wrong.

？！

Was my tea helpful?

Oh yes, very helpful. Thank you, Shusha.

Yay! I still have the box lunches too, so we can all eat together!

Okay, we have enough tea that we'll still be able to get around for a couple days. That should give us enough time.

Now if we could just find a way to contact Chaldea...

Hey, second Queenie. I don't suppose you can use that weird power of yours to get ahold of Himiko, can you?

I remember she contacted us directly before.

Don't be ridiculous. Himiko's the only one who can do something that crazy. I don't have nearly the talent she does.

Cut the excuses! Just try! It's not like we have anything to lose at this point!

B-but... I don't know...

Yeah, go for it, second queen of Yamataikoku! The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven is watching!

Oh, and that kid who always looks kind of out of it, too!

？！

I believe in you, Iyo!

Ulp... O-okay. I guess we don't have many other options now, do we?

I-I'll give it a shot!

Haaaaaa!

W-well, so much for that...

Oh come on. This is the part where your bond with the previous queen or the Mystic power of Yamataikoku is supposed to kick in.

You're really killing the moment here!

I'm sorry, I really am, but it's a lot harder than it looks.

Besides, if I could just awaken any true power I have on a whim, Yamataikoku would still be around...

But your dancing's beautiful, Iyo. It feels so kind. I really love it!

Y-you think so? You know, dancing's actually the one thing I was always better at than Himiko...

What are you lot doing?

Huh!? K-Kukochihiko!? When did you get here?

It seems being taken prisoner has done nothing to dampen your spirits, Iyo.

What do you want with us, Woofman?

Woofman? ...Oh. You mean me. I'm not here for you Chaldeans.

So, no gripes about the Woofman thing, huh...

I'm here for Iyo and the child. You two are coming with me.

Me and Shusha?

That's right. Now stand up. Both of you.

？！

Do you imagine you have a choice?

You should know that if you refuse to come peacefully, we will kill the Master of Chaldea.

All right, I'll go. But why does Shusha

I'll go too. Here, Nobbu, you can have the box lunches.

Are you sure? I thought you were looking forward to these.

It's okay. I had some of mine earlier, so I'm fine.

All right, let's go. And don't try anything funny.

...Don't worry, everyone. I'm sure we'll be back. Come on, Shusha, let's go.

See you later!

...

Dammit, that kid should never have had to put on a brave face for us.

？！

Yeah.

If we do that, this one's gonna slow us down big time. Maybe we should just leave her here?

...No, it's okay. I finally finished making some adjustments.

Oh good, you're awake? ...Wait. That voice...

What the...!? What are YOU doing here!?

Now that the Chaldea matter is taken care of, we can finally focus on welcoming Lord Hideyori.

I sent the shrine maiden and the sacrifice to the altar. All that's left now is to complete the ritual.

At last... At long last, I will redeem myself for my failure at Sekigahara.

And I owe it all to you playing your comrades like a fiddle, Yamanami.

I didn't exactly have a choice after you took your hostage. You know me too well.

Oh, no, no. It's not you, specifically. Emotion trumps reason for most people.

In the end, there isn't all that much difference between man and beast.

As much as people may babble about loyalty, all they really care about is themselves.

They're beasts with human faces who will turn on you without a second thought, no matter what kind of debt they owe you.

And that is why we need strict laws to govern their behavior and punish all who go astray.

I see. So that's how you see things.

I don't require your agreement. I understand my own concept of justice, and that is enough.

...

Enough of this chatter. Let's go to the shrine, Kukochihiko.

At long last, the Kuna's Ancestral Beast will be resurrected.

And the king of our new Toyotomi reign will be reborn to grace us with his glorious light.

I brought you some tea, Lady Akesato.

Ooh, thanks! Your tea is the best, Rikyu.

I'm glad to hear that. Now please, drink up. You need it to stay alive.

Why are you so nice to me, anyway? I certainly never did anything nice for you.

All I did was wander around like a ghost after I died from some kind of disease and woke up here.

Why, it's merely incumbent upon us to help one another in times of need.

Besides, you are so composed while you drink your tea, it is a pleasure to serve you.

Really? Well then, don't mind if I do. Though I gotta say, it'd be nice if I could get some food, too.

I honestly didn't think I'd still be getting hungry after I died, but here we are.

Understood.

But I'm afraid I must ask you to be patient, as I have some business I need to attend to right now.

Okay! See you later then!

Goodbye.

(Sigh) I appreciate Rikyu being so nice to me, but it's pretty obvious I'm gonna get sold again.

Man, even as a ghost, I can't avoid getting sold like a piece of merchandise. Talk about unlucky.

...

Come to think of it, Sannan never did come back to the parlor again after that.

...Or maybe he did, and I just didn't see him 'cause I was dead.

...I hope he's doing okay.

Well, look at you. I didn't know Sannan had it in him. I wish he'd told me about you himself.

Wh-who's there!?

Nice to meet you. I'm the captain of the Shinsengumi's First Unit, Okita Sou

No, never mind that. I'm just a friend of Sannan's.

Ungh... What...happened?

Hey, Lady Chacha. How're you feeling?

Oh, yeah. Prolly not great since I stabbed you and all, huh? Hyahahahaha!

Right. I remember now... I'm sorry for the trouble, Nagayoshi.

Looks like you're back to your old self. Phew. Now I won't have to commit seppuku.

...

Nagayoshi, do you think Mitsunari resents me?

You mean about Sekigahara? That battle where he picked a fight with Ieyasu and ultimately ended up decimating the Toyotomi clan?

If anything, YOU should be the one resenting HIM for that.

Even His Imperial Majesty would've had a hell of a tough time against Ieyasu. He should've known better.

No... That's not what I mean.

Mitsunari vowed to fight for the Toyotomi, but I didn't want anything to happen to Hideyori, so...

...I forbade him from getting involved in the war.

And...that's why Mitsunari ended up fighting the Toyotomi clan alone.

Hmm. Beats me. I was dead by then, so I don't know exactly what happened there.

That battle turned out to be the beginning of the end of the Toyotomi clan.

By the final battle at Osaka Castle, I was no longer myself.

It's my fault my sonHideyori, died so young.

...

Hey, what's done is done. What matters is what we do now, right?

...

I don't know if Hideyori is really there or not, but either way, I think I have to go see for myself.

I have to take responsibility for what I did. I owe that to Mitsunari, Hideyori, and His Imperial Majesty...

Oh good, so you know what you gotta do. Then let's get going!

It's not that easy. They're not just going to let me go there.

Not when Master is already in danger.

Ah, don't worry, we'll figure something out. Especially with that busybody helping us out.

Noticed me eavesdropping, huh?

Sure did. So? You got an idea?

Well, since it looks like our boss doesn't know what to do right now, either...

...I figured the Shinsengumi could step up and help you out, Princess Toyotomi.

Like I said before, it's really hard to get into this Singularity, so we can only send three more Servants.

Are you all agreed on which three get to go?

P-please, let Chacha be one of them! Chacha feels like Chacha HAS to be one of the Servants to go there!

What about your wound, Chacha?

It's fine! It may not have seemed like it, but Nagayoshi was actually holding back when he struck Chacha.

I really wasn't.

But I guess a mom can do some pretty impressive things when she's worried about her kid.

Let's not get sidetracked, please.

As for me, this ties back to the incident with the Shinsengumi's commander, so I'm definitely going.

You don't mind, right, Vice Commander?

Nope. I'm trusting you to handle it.

I have to go, too. I have to see what this New Yamataikoku business is about, and I'm worried about Iyo, too.

Are you sure we can trust you to rescue Senpai and the others, Chacha?

Y-yeah! Chacha's sure we'll save them!

...

...

All right, I trust you. Take care of Master, and good luck with your son!

...Thank you, Mash.

Okay! Now that that's settled, let's get started. Oh, I also managed to run a brief analysis of the particles concentrated in the atmosphere there.

It looks like they invade Spirit Origins and sap your magical energy.

So I whipped up some basic Mystic Codes with a magical energy shield that should hopefully keep you guys safe.

Damn, you really are a genius, aren't you? Thanks, that'll be a big help.

All right then, let's get this Rayshift star

Hang on. I have one request I want to make first.

What's this now?

Don't worry, it won't take long. It's about these coordinates...

Are you ready, Rikyu?

Ready? Ready for what, exactly?

What crime have I ostensibly committed that Lord Kanpaku decreed I must pay for with my death?

Still going on about that? Pitiful.

You know as well as I do that Jibu-no-Shou Ishida proved you have been bribing daimyo all across the country to line your pockets.

Jibu-no-Shou Ishida? Ha! What would the Kanpaku's dog know?

And that damn HideyoshiNo, that damn monkey would know even less!

Watch your tongue, Rikyu-Koji! Your slanderous remarks towards Lord Jibu-no-Shou are bad enough, but denigrating His Imperial Majesty is absolutely unforgiveable!

I'm not looking for forgiveness. Besides, what's wrong with a merchant making a few extra sen?

You call this a nation for the people? You call this a time of peace? Is this Toyotomi justice?

Keep on this path and it is only a matter of time before the people will turn away from you, you damn monkey!

Silence! Hurry up and get on with it!

...

Hrn!

Well now... Cutting open your own stomach hurts a lot more than I thought.

And seeing your own insides is quite...

...No. This blood...

This very blood is...

Hehe, hehehehe. I can see them now... I can see the corpses of that damn monkey and dog clear as day!

Tremble... Fear the time when the sun sinks below the horizon!

Dammit, he's gone mad! Kill him! Kill hiiiiiim!

Hehehehehe! Know this, monkey. Know this, dog! I will be gleefully awaiting the sunset within the bowels of hell!

And on that day, you shall know my anger! My rage! My darkness!

Forgive me!

...It certainly smells like death in here.

Of course it does. This is where Kunakoku's god, the Ancestral Beast, was sealed away.

Even I have no idea what lies beyond that darkness.

So this is where the dregs of the Age of Gods remain, huh?

I-I'm scared...

What are you going to do with us?

You mean you don't know? And here I thought you were originally a shrine maiden of Kunakoku.

And even if you weren't, I would think it'd be obvious. We're going to sacrifice you and that child in order to revive Kunakoku's beast god.

And you actually think that's going to work?

Originally, we were meant to complete the ritual by sacrificing you, Iyo, during our war against Yamataikoku.

But Himiko's power and your betrayal reduced me to what you see standing before you now...

...and forced me to wait, biding my time in a cave of endless darkness, for my chance to strike back.

But Lady Himiko tried to save you, too!

Enough pointless squabbling. Anyway, did we really need the child, too?

Yes. This one is the special sacrifice I had Rikyu look for. The beast god is especially fond of children, you see.

And this child was a far better fit for a sacrifice than any other soul wandering this land.

Can you not see it yourself, Lord Ishida?

I don't know what makes someone a good or bad sacrifice. But if a child must die to bring about the new Toyotomi reign, so be it.

Well then, any moment now...

...the Chaldeans should show up and walk right into our trap.

This must be the place!

Long time no see, Lady Chacha.

Jibu-no-Shou Ishida, at your service.

I believe this marks our first meeting since the day you refused to send aid from Osaka Castle.

Mitsunari! Where is Hideyori!?

Calm yourself, Lady Chacha. You're the last one we needed to welcome Lord Hideyori back. The last sacrifice, that is!

What the...!? Can't...move!

Ever the fool, I see. Just one mention of your child, and you dropped everything to rush right here.

This is why your generals began betraying His Imperial Majesty after seeing the sorry way you behaved, Lady Chacha. You truly are the Toyotomi clan's angel of death.

Wait, Mitsunari. Is this girl the only one the Chaldeans sent here?

What? But, Lady Chacha... You said you came alone, right?

Oh Mitsunari... You're even worse at warfare than I'd heard. No wonder you couldn't even claim Oshi Castle.

His Imperial Majesty was so stunned by your sheer ineptitude that time.

What are you talking about!?

This.

Who are you!?

All right, that's enough from you. Your hostages are coming with us!

Oh no, you don't!

That's my line!

What do you think you're doing, Yamanami!?

Sorry, but I'm done helping you people.

Are you sure about that, Yamanami? You do realize what this means, don't you?

Of course I do. Right, Okita?

Mhm. Maybe next time, you'll think twice before messing with the Shinsengumi.

Jibu-no-Shou Ishida, was it?

One of the Master of Chaldea's Servants!? What's the meaning of this, Yamanami!?

Don't worry about Akesato. I got her to safety myself.

Thank you. I'm glad you still remembered our haori code.

Hey, I'm still Captain of the First Unit. You came here 'cause of Yamanami's signal too, right, Saito?

Well yeah. A good captain knows how to read between the lines of what his commander's saying, after all.

There we go. You okay, son? Uh, or is it missy?

I'm a boy! Thanks, shady old man!

Don't call me "old."

Dammit! Forget them, Kukochihiko! Start the ritual with Iyo alone if you have to!

I don't think so!

L-Lady Himiko!

Sorry I'm late! The coordinates were a little bit off. Anyway, oh my gosh! It's been forever, Iyo!

You... You tricked me!

Kinda rich coming from you, isn't it? Who started tricking who here?

We probably would've fallen for your trick too, if not for Yamanami's code.

So the queen and I altered our coordinates to make sure we'd arrive separately.

And Chacha was the decoy!

D-dammit!

It's time you got what's coming to you, Jibu-no-Shou. And the Shinsengumi will make sure you do!

Dammit! Kukochihiko! Rikyu! Kill them!

Hehe... How truly pathetic, Lord Jibu-no-Shou.

Seeing your plan fail this spectacularly is so pitiful it actually makes me laugh.

Rikyu... You too!?

Look at you. So certain you were going to win the battle you began, only to be shocked when the comrades you thought you could count on betrayed you.

It's like Sekigahara all over again.

Sekigahara...

It just goes to show, Lord Ishida, people will never willingly follow someone like you.

In a way, I'm almost impressed you went to fight such an fateful battle with so little talent.

How dare you talk about me like that, you miserable little tea peddler!?

...I'm sorry. Did you just try to do something to me?

Wh-what's going on with your body? How did it absorb my sword!?

Can you not even cut down a "little tea peddler," Lord Ishida? You're even weaker than I thought.

Hey, Yamanami, it looks like these guys're having a falling out. Now's our chance to get out of here!

Got it. ...Huh!?

Hang on. What is this? I can't move my legs!

Huh!? Our feet are covered in that black muck! When did that happen!?

Is this Dark Blight!? ...No. It's something heavier, and even darker!

It's still too soon for you to go, good Chaldeans.

Since you're all here, why not stay and enjoy the show I prepared to go with our tea?

Show?

That's right. I'm speaking of Ishida Mitsunari, Jibu-no-Shou and head of the Toyotomi clan's five commissioners...

...being put to death.

You're...executing me?

I am.

Your life is the very least of the price you can pay to make up for your crimes against the people of Japan, Jibu-no-Shou.

THAT'S your reason for killing me? The depth of your misguided sense of victimhood is almost breathtaking, Rikyu.

You have no one to blame but yourself for Lord Taikou ordering you to commit seppuku.

And now, you're going to punish me for what happened to you? Who do you think you are!?

Were you not listening? I told you. You're doing this to atone for the crimes you committed against the people of Japan.

And who gave you the right to speak on their behalf!?

Good grief... You really are a stubborn mule, Lord Ishida.

But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, given your failure to recognize who I am even after looking right at me.

But I wonder if you'll still be able to claim you were in the right after seeing this?

...

Wh-what is it? I don't understand.

Oh? Do you still not remember this face?

No, that face... I know I've seen it somewhere before, but...

...!? No... It can't be!

Ah, so you finally remembered.

Yes, that's right. I'm the one you treated as less than human before killing me on orders from your beloved Kanpaku.

...Komahime of Dewa.