Section 4: Clamoring Abura-no-Koji

We left Itou's body at the crossroads. Someone ought to have alerted the town officials by now.

Then, when they come to collect the body...

...we'll kill them all in one fell swoop.

...

I sent Harada on ahead. He'll handle Toudou. Don't let the other Shinsengumi members distract you.

...This is the last time, Hijikata.

...

I mean it.

M-Mr. Itou! They just dumped him out here!

Th-those Shinsengumi bastards! How dare they do this to him!?

Come on! Let's get his body out of here!

...!

It's a trap! Get out of here!

Get them!

An ambush!? Why, you cowardly

This is for Mr. Itou! Diiieee!

Damn! I knew we should have all worn armor. Even I can't handle so many on my own!

Raaaaaah!

Hrn!

Guh!

I'll handle them. Take Mr. Itou's body and get out of here!

It's Hattori! Be careful, he's a tough one! Surround him!

Bring it! Let's see what you've got!

Khh...!

Step aside. I'll deal with him.

Nagakura. I thought you were more reasonable than this.

...You're hardly one to talk about being reasonable.

...You have a point there. I admit, Mr. Itou's methods weren't always admirable. But he still didn't deserve this.

Yeah, well, neither side's exactly covering itself in glory here, is it? Enough talk. Ready to die?

I suppose it's a shame Okita isn't here, but...

...let's find out once and for all which of us is the strongest member of the Shinsengumi.

Hell yeah. Now THAT I'm happy to fight to the death over.

Come then!

Bring it!

We don't have time for this.

Ghh!? I-it's you...

Saito!? What do you think you're doing!?

Me? You're the one wasting our time, Shinpachi. Just kill them and be done with it.

Does your contempt for us truly know no bounds...?

Or was this the Vice Commander's plan all along!?

...Yeah, more or less.

Tell me, Nagakura. Is this the Shinsengumi's idea of makoto?

Makoto...

No matter. It seems this is the end of my journey. Don't worry, Mr. Itou, I will keep to my ideals, even till the bitter end.

Run, my fellow Goryou Eji! I'll hold these bastards off!

B-but Mr. Hattori, you can't take them all alo

Go! We can't let Mr. Itou's death be in vain!

I don't think so, pal. We can't let a single one of you esca

Hrn!!!

Any sword devoid of ideals has no right to grieve the direction our nation is going in! The time WILL come when that twisted makoto reaps what it has sown!

...Dammit.

Now, come at me, Shinsengumi!

Savor my two katana as they send you on your journey straight to hell!

Whenever the Imagawa or the Takeda start to gain an advantage, Kenshin, the Northern God of War, always steps in to kill members of whichever side has the advantage.

It seems her goal is to maintain balance in this country.

Balance...

Yeah. She always kills just enough Takeda and Imagawa people to keep their numbers even, almost as if she's keeping track.

But why would she do something so tediouI mean, time-consuming?

How the hell should I know?

My point is, if we don't do something about her, we'll never have any hope of beating the Imagawa.

Any word from our ninja yet, Shinpachi?

Yeah, just recently. That's actually one of the reasons I came back.

They say the God of War attacked a village up north right after killing some Imagawa forces.

A village? Why would she do that?

Kenshin doesn't just kill Imagawa and Takeda soldiers.

...She kills civilians, too.

What? That's ridiculous. Killing soldiers is one thing, but what possible reason could she have for killing ordinary people?

Again, how should I know? I've never had any clue what goes through that boulder you call a head.

What I do know is that we can't allow her to kill any more of my people.

So tomorrow morning, we're heading up north to take her down.

All right, we're done here. Go get ready for the trip.

North, huh...

Hotaru, Hotaru! I wanna see your Saika gun!

Haven't you seen a firearm before?

Nope! But Harunobu said they're an amazing weapon, and that all battles are gonna be fought with them one day.

He did?

So when I grow up, I'm gonna become a gunner and fight alongside him.

The Imagawa killed my dad, so it's up to me to protect my mom in his place!

I see...

Aah! Wh-what'd you do that for!?

Listen to me. Guns are powerful, yes. But they're also very, very dangerous.

Just pulling the trigger is all it takes, and anyone can easily kill anyone else.

If my aim had been even a little off, you'd be dead right now.

That's what guns do; they kill.

O-okay...

So when you grow up, and it's time for you to have your own gun...

...I want you to use it not just to kill, but to protect the people you love, like your mother.

Do that, and I'm sure the Saika's Yatagarasu will keep you safe, too.

Got it...

But you know, isn't that also true for spears and swords and stuff?

You've got a good head on your shoulders. Yes, you're right. It's true for those, too.

Well, I still wanna use a gun! I mean, your Saika gun is just awesome!

Don't you think you'd be better off studying martial arts than sharpshooting, Hotaru? You definitely have a knack.

But guns are so cool. Especially the way you use them.

Oh? You can tell what makes them special, huh? Well, listen to you.

You've got good taste...

But anyway, it's sunset now. You should go home before it gets dark.

Okay! Bye, Hotaru! See you tomorrow!

...See you tomorrow.

More that I hate people who hate kids.

It takes one to know one.

？！

...

The Saika will side with anyone for a price. We kill adults and children alike.

Who do you want to kill? Imagawa? Takeda? Uesugi?

And...why did you form a contract with me?

You mean, at that rest stop?

...That was nothing.

...I don't even particularly want to believe this, but...

...are you stupid or something?

？！

...

Anyway, I'm going to bed. We have an early day tomorrow.

Huh? That god of war person showed up yet again?

Yes, sir. And just like last time, she appeared without warning and killed everyone around her.

The history books made clear that she could be irritatingly fixated on justice and righteousness, so I never expected her to be an indiscriminate killer.

I guess we'll just have to give up on advancing further north for now then. Great.

It certainly won't be easy to settle things with the Takeda clan as long as this god of war is around.

So we have a god of war to the north and Takeda to the east. I really hoped to avoid a whole Three Kingdoms situation here.

All that aside, why would Takeda pick now to break our agreement?

We formed the alliance so we could fight the Northern God of War together. What could he be thinking?

He's probably counting on this new Chaldea faction.

Even after teaming up with us, there was still no action he could take against this god of war, after all.

And the same is true for us.

Until we figure out what to do about that pesky god of war, both the Imagawa and the Takeda will remain at a stalemate.

Maybe he just wanted something to change. Or maybe he thinks he has a surefire plan for victory.

A surefire plan for victory, huh... To be honest, sir, I don't think even I could so much as scratch her.

And while I'm not going to underestimate the Master of Chaldea, I also don't see how he could possibly be strong enough to defeat the Northern God of War.

You think so too, Hattori? Honestly, I agree.

But no, I shouldn't say that. Not when Lord Yoshimoto himself sees him as a threat.

Maybe that's the Master of Chaldea's talent...

What do you mean by that, sir?

Oh, never mind that. I was just thinking out loud. Anyway, the question remains. CAN they do something about the Northern God of War?

Hmm... No, it's probably because Harunobu knows his chances for victory are running out.

How so, sir?

Even if Lord Yoshimoto can't move right now, our soldier augmentation is proceeding smoothly, and our army is only getting stronger with time.

The Takeda, on the other hand, are being carried almost entirely by Harunobu alone.

And the more refugees they take in from Imagawa territory, the more difficult it becomes to keep all their people fed. So for them, the situation will only get worse with time.

I see. So he saw that his already minuscule chance for victory would soon drop to zero...

...and decided to gamble.

Very possibly. But never mind what the Takeda are thinking. The question is: What will we do now?

What shall we do, sir? Use this opportunity to attack Kai?

No, they wouldn't make it that easy for us.

That they appear to have left themselves vulnerable only means they've got defenses in place.

Not to mention that there's no guarantee the god of war wouldn't come and attack us while we were off attacking them.

I suppose we're left with no choice but to wait and see what happens, then.

No, not necessarily. I think this is a perfect time for us to get in on the action as well.

What do you mean, sir?

We were going to have to do something about the Northern God of War sooner or later. Let's see if we can't get the ball rolling in that direction.

I'm sorry, Mr. Itou. I wish I knew what you meant, but I'm just not smart enough to keep up with you.

Don't overthink it, Hattori. As charming as your earnestness is, let's just take it easy this once.

So often these things are about playing it by ear.

By ear, huh.

All right, on that note, let's go have ourselves a little chat.

A chat?

That's right. A chat.

High octane. And fill it up.

You got it, Lord Harunobu. I gotta say, your ride is as magnificent as ever.

Thanks. How've things been with you?

Oh, I can't complain. We're getting by all right. But the villages up north, well...

...I see. Hey, while you're at it, give me a wash, too. The works.

You got it, Lord Harunobu! I'll have it spick-and-span in no time!

We'll head north from this rest stop.

Then, you and I will work together to kill Kenshin, the Northern God of War.

But even Yoshimoto has been reluctant to challenge her. Do you have a way to win?

I didn't until now. The Master of Chaldea has appeared...

...and brought a certain someone with him.

The Master of Chaldea? So, do you mean

You mean me, right?

Thank you for waiting, Master.

Much better now, thank you. So, what do you think of my new outfit?

It is. Now that I don't have a hole right through my stomach anymore, I thought I would try something more modern. Like it?

？！

I was getting fed up with Harunobu strutting around in his fancy modern clothes, so I thought I'd show him how it's really done.

That's what you were whispering about over there? What a waste of time.

We'll see about that once we get there.

Besides, in Chaldea, nobody would look twice at another one of me running around.

Really?

Nope! There've been plenty of times we've had several different Nobunagas alone.

Seriously? You're not talking about a movie or something?

I wish.

Anyway, compared to that, two of me is nothing.

Hahahaha! I like your attitude, girl. But then, I'd expect no less from the Dragon of Echigo. Right, General Harunobu?

Enough of the pointless chatter. We need to go north. Come on.

We're going to have to cross through Imagawa territory to get there. I'll go on ahead and draw their attention.

The rest of you, wait a bit before following.

Can you handle them on your own? I should go with him, right, Master? Partly so I can monitor him?

Understood. Don't worry about me, Master. I'm feeling much better now.

Now, now, Master. I don't want you making the same mistake I did.

？！

Don't be ridiculous. Besides, we need to move quickly here. Your horse can't possibly keep up with my car.

Oh, don't you worry about that.

Come, HoushouI mean, HT-1100!

Is that

A motorcycle?

That's right. Houshou Tsukige was considerate enough to transform into a motorcycle under the circumstances. Now I can easily keep up with your car, Harunobu.

Well I'll be damned... I was shocked when I first saw the general's car, too, but this is something else.

So this is Houshou Tsukige's new form...

Hehehe. You can't fool me. Your car used to be a horse too, didn't it?

You could tell, huh? That's right. My ride here is Kurokumo, all decked out in classic Takeda red.

But that's something I could only do as the Rider of Kai.

Well, I'm the Rider of Echigo, so there you go.

Didn't you materialize as a Lancer?

Well, whatever. There's still no way you're keeping up with Kurokumo.

We'll just see about that. For one thing, Houshou Tsukige is much lighter.

And while I don't know what this means, he has an 1100cc engine.

Oho, you've got guts. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, then? How about a race?

Fine with me. First to reach the border wins. Three, two, one...

Go!

Full throttle, Kurokumo! Let me hear you roar!

Go, Houshou Tsukige! Get your four silver cylinders pumping!

They didn't even wait for us to agree... Are they both stupid or something?

Okay. Catching up to them won't be easy, but I'll do my best.

That's right. It's a tanuki.

Just kidding. It's only my old used van.

？！

Well, at least we know where they're headed. Thanks for the lift, Saika girl.

No problem. Just give me a moment to tidy up first.

I don't suppose I could get a lift too, could I?

Who're you!?

Oh, don't worry about me. I'm not here to hurt anyone.

That voice... It can't be!

So, there you have it, Saito.

You want me to be an envoy to the Takedaor rather, Chaldea?

Yes, exactly. We did just kill their Lady Nobunaga, you realize.

So I am concerned they may not be willing to talk if we were to pay them a visit ourselves.

Which is why I was hoping one of our old friends might go on our behalf.

Me? Your old friend? Well, I guess you're not technically wrong...

I don't like this, Mr. Itou. Of all the Shinsengumi members, I trust Saito the least.

He was the one who betrayed me and all the other Goryou Eji on that fateful day.

Now, now, Hattori, don't be like that. We should be welcoming every old Goryou Eji comrade we can find.

Oh, that reminds me. You know that money you "borrowed" from me over the years? Consider that debt repaid, as a little extra gift from me to you.

The Vice Commander and Okita better still be alive.

Of course they are. They're hostages, and so only good as leverage to make you do what we want as long as they remain so.

So I don't actually have a choice, huh? Why didn't you just say so from the start?

Oh, I prefer to avoid hackneyed clichés whenever I can. They're just so gauche.

And besides, you were always one of the more reasonable Shinsengumi.

I was very impressed with your judgment when I learned how you got out of the Shinsengumi and began working for the new government at just the right time.

So I would love for you to rejoin the Goryou Eji. Plus, we offer a much more friendly workplace than the tight-asses in the Shinsengumi ever did.

So what do you say? How about joining us as a true comrade, in every sense of the word!?

So what, now you're just being openly snide?

Yes. Yes, I am.

Tch. All right, I'll go talk to my Master. But I can't promise he'll be willing to listen.

Wonderful. Thanks for doing this.

Are you sure about letting him go, sir?

If I may speak plainly, I know he acts otherwise, but Saito's not one to switch loyalties easily.

Oh indeed. I'm sure he's doing his best to come up with a way to secretly save his comrades even as we speak.

Then why?

Because he should make for a good decoy.

A decoy...?

Oh, that reminds me. Keep a close eye on Okita for me, will you?

She might be our prisoner now, but she can still be veeery scary.

Understood.

Now we just wait and see how things play out...