The northern part of Mino Province is nothing but a vast expanse of mountainous terrain.
There was very little flat land, and in the Sengoku period, when technology was not yet advanced, the terrain presented many difficulties for large populations to live in.
March 8, 1567 (Eiroku 10) --
Immediately after annexing Mino Province, Oda Nobunaga, the warlord of the Sengoku period, departed from Inabayama Castle and headed north towards Mino with 3,000 soldiers.
Inabayama Castle is located on the summit of Mount Kinka. Kicho can be seen in one of its towers.
Indeed, she was holding her chest with both hands, staring at the punitive force, seemingly hyperventilating.
"Oh... Why... Why, how...!"
It was a sight that anyone who knew her normally would find hard to believe—she was completely distraught.
"Why are there hawks at this time of year...!"
"Please calm down, madam."
A man rushed to Kicho, who was about to fall from the watchtower, and grabbed her hand tightly.
Indeed, the man—while his features strongly resembled those of Nobunaga—did not possess the same overwhelming aura of power as him.
" My lord! A hawk...a hawk has appeared!? And Lord Nobunaga and Lord Bizen-no-kami are also here! Oh, what should we do...!"信包Nobukane
"Please calm down."
The man known as Nobukane—leaving Kicho in the care of the ladies-in-waiting behind him—slowly placed his hands on the edge of the watchtower and stretched himself out in the direction the punitive army was advancing.
"Brother, you are no longer the same brother who was defeated by a hawk... I'm sure you will succeed in your falconry hunt now."
"No, no! Why would you be so optimistic!"
Oda Nobukane was Nobunaga's younger brother, and within the Oda clan, he held the third highest position, after Nobunaga's sons, Nobutada and Nobuo.
As Kicho tried to confront him, her ladies-in-waiting hastily stopped her.
"Does your wife not trust my brother... Oda Kazusa-no-suke Nobunaga, a man of unparalleled greatness?"
Kicho could only remain silent in response to the words that Nobukane had uttered.
"And my brother is not alone. There is also my beloved brother-in-law, Asai Bizen-no-kami, the 'Dragon of Northern Omi'."
Nobukane stopped speaking there and bowed deeply to the army advancing northward across the land of Mino.
"It is hard to believe, but... Lord Bizen-no-kami accompanied our Oda army without bringing any troops with him... This must be solely due to his faith in the Oda and his sense of justice. I'm sure my brother understands that as well."
—To protect such people, my brother would even turn against gods and Buddhas and destroy them.
Saying that, Nobukane clenched his fist tightly.
"We have already requested assistance from the Tokugawa family in Mikawa. All we can do now is pray for the safe return of my brother and Lord Bizen, and—even if it means being executed, we will inform the Asai family of what has happened."
Kicho's face clouded over.
Every time a carnivorous hawk appears, thousands, or even tens of thousands, of villagers disappear into its stomach.
Hunting down a hawk with a voracious appetite was a life-threatening endeavor, a monumental undertaking that the lord of the province risked his life for, truly a matter of the survival of the region.
And if they were to refuse the project, they would instantly lose the trust of the residents, and the management of their territory would completely collapse.
Moreover, there have been only a handful of successful hunts against hawks throughout recorded history.
At best, they can only repel them, and this comes at the cost of a large number of casualties.
In such a critical situation, Asai Nagamasa, the lord of northern Omi Province, offered his cooperation with the Oda clan's army in their campaign against the Oda.
If the Oda family were to allow this, and if he were to die in battle—the Asai family, who are unaware of the circumstances, would surely never forgive the Oda family.
Nevertheless, the members of the Oda family feel a deep sense of gratitude towards Nagamasa.
Indeed, if this situation is left unchecked, the Oda family is certain to suffer heavy losses.
If that were to happen, they might even be able to take advantage of the immense damage to usurp Mino, a fertile land, and subjugate the Oda family.
However, Nagamasa did not conform to conventional views, but instead, in the face of the Oda family's crisis, he tried to cooperate and overcome the crisis himself.
In an era rife with insubordination and betrayal, the righteous attitude he displayed deeply moved and impressed the members of the Oda family and their retainers.
"I, Nobukane, will come to offer my apologies to the Asai family."
His words startled Kicho, who immediately looked up.
"This head is hardly enough to show my gratitude to the Asai family, but..."
"—That is not acceptable."
Kicho spoke in a clear voice, not only to Nobukane but to everyone around her.
"Oda has just seized Mino...the situation is still unstable. The local lords will surely be in turmoil over this. As a result, the Oda family currently has no one to spare."
Then, Kicho concludes.
"This concubine—Oda Nobunaga's principal wife, Saito Kicho—will be sent to the Asai family as a hostage."
"N-no, that's absolutely unacceptable!"
Murai Sadakatsu, a close confidant of Nobunaga and the Oda family's top administrative official, couldn't help but cry out.
"If anything were to happen to the lady of the house while she is in northern Omi, we would—"
"Stop it!"
Kicho cut off Sadakatsu's words with a sharp, dismissive tone.
"Have you forgotten about Lord Asai Bizen-no-kami?! He believed in us, the Oda family, and came to us alone, taking up arms himself to help us in our time of crisis!"
"Hmm... hmm..."
"In that case..." Kicho softened her tone and then, with a smile, explained.
"We too must trust the Asai family. As Lord Bizen-no-kami has shown us, we must trust them without any doubt. If we do so, our bond will deepen even further, and we will be able to pass it on to our descendants as a strong bond."縁Enishi
Furthermore, Kicho continued.
" When I am taken away—that would mean that Lord Nobunaga is no longer in this world."磔Crucifixion
In such a world, I have no need, nor do I have any value in living.
Kicho said this, flashing a terrifying smile that sent chills down the men's spines.
◇
Flying the Oda family crest banner, Nobunaga's 3,000 soldiers are heading north, where the news of the "sighting of the hawk" has come from.
However, anyone familiar with Nobunaga's military tactics, particularly his blitzkrieg skills, would immediately be puzzled by this move.
The marching speed is extremely slow.
However, Nobunaga had no choice but to be cautious, and so did the Oda's officers and soldiers.
A calm, sunny winter day.
Under a cloudless, azure sky, I was accompanying the army sent to subdue the Oda clan.
Taishakutsukimo's supple feet tread across the fertile land, heading north, leaving footprints in the faintly fragrant soil.
In the clear winter sky, the wind blowing down from the mountainous region rustled the wild grasses, carrying the fresh, green scent, and swept away into the open Nobi Plain.
The temperature is still chilly, and the air should be free of humidity—
(I can't stop sweating...)
It was as if it were early summer, and sweat was pouring and running down my face and neck.
I was fully aware that it wasn't due to the heat, but rather to nervousness.
The reason for this lies in the appearance of the man who has parked his horse next to mine.
(I never imagined Lord Nobunaga would be this tense...)
Mounted on Renzen Ashige, a horse larger in build than Taishaku Tsukige, Nobunaga kept a keen eye on his surroundings, remaining vigilant so as not to miss even the slightest anomaly.
This appearance was something I had never seen before when he rushed to our aid during the defense of northern Omi—it indicates that the situation is more serious than I had imagined.
What kind of creature could possibly provoke Nobunaga, who is even called one of the "Three Heroes" in historical accounts, to such an extent?
(—First of all, it must be a monster.)
This was evident from the fact that swords made of fluorite were provided to the officers and soldiers under Nobunaga's command.
Nobunaga himself carried not only the Sōzō Samonji, the beloved sword of Imagawa Yoshimoto who died in the Battle of Okehazama, also known as Yoshimoto Samonji, but also a long, large odachi sword on his back. But that wasn't all; before departing from Inabayama Castle, he generously lent his officers swords made of fluorite.
The list of distinguished individuals who received swords from Nobunaga before their departure included Shibata Katsuie, Niwa Nagahide, Ikeda Tsuneoki, Sakuma Nobumori, and Sasa Narimasa.
(—And it's probably safe to assume that "hawks" are birds that fly.)
In the world I came from, hawks have long been regarded as the "king of the sky" or "messenger of the gods" among birds.
However, at the same time, in ancient Japan and the Celtic cultural sphere, it was also depicted as a symbol of "death" on the battlefield.
(In this Sengoku period society, the hawk was surely a symbol of "death.")
Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain Nobunaga's meticulousness and the state of extreme tension displayed by his soldiers.
However, among that punitive force, there was one person who seemed different.
—And indeed, it was Kinoshita Hideyoshi.
When I turned around, there he was, leading a group of soldiers carrying fishing nets.
Beside him stood Maeda Toshiie, who led the musketeers, and the two men, each responsible for the left and right sides respectively, were diligently maintaining vigilance.
(I see, it seems their relationship is good even in this world.)
Guns, which fired lead bullets using the explosion of gunpowder, were extremely effective against humans—but they were completely ineffective against monsters. Nagamasa knew this all too well.
However, even if it can't inflict physical harm, it can still cause discomfort.
For example, many people have probably experienced friends playfully throwing eraser shavings at each other during class.
It doesn't hurt when they throw eraser shavings at you, but you throw them back as if to say, "You got me!"—that's the game we're talking about.
What was Nobunaga's intention? He probably wanted to create a situation where he could use gunfire to make the hawks soaring in the sky feel uncomfortable, lure them to the ground, and then throw a net at them to restrain their movements.
They must be trying to entangle the hawk's wings and force a decisive battle on the ground.
(I hope it works out well...)
However, plans often don't work out as expected.
But how one handles that situation is what separates a genius from an ordinary person.
It's fair to say that the entire success of this hawk extermination campaign hinges on Nobunaga's ability to respond effectively.
Incidentally, Nobunaga not only lent his generals swords made of fluorite, but also mobilized about 70 horses.
These were almost all of the horses stationed at Inabayama Castle.
Monsters can only be harmed or killed by weapons made of fluorite or by other monsters.
However, when I casually brought up the topic, it seems that using a spear made from a monster's body—for example, a cut-out shell—is possible to kill monsters, just like with fluorite gems.
However, even the act of cutting out its carapace requires the use of monster-related materials such as horse horns—which suggests that ordinary humans are simply incapable of dealing with monsters.
Is that really the case in this world?理rule , you can't help but reaffirm the importance of horses.
Since fluorite is precious, and hunting monsters is difficult in itself, weapons and armor made from monster bodies are likely to be equally valuable.
In that case, to deliver an effective blow to a monster, it would be more reliable to use a horse that can be controlled "to some extent" by the humans.
(But... falconry, huh?)
To begin with, what I know about "falconry" is "hunting using falcons to catch prey."
But—
"Even so, Lord Inuchiyo, I never imagined I'd be facing off against a hawk... This Hideyoshi is incredibly excited and can't help but feel thrilled."
"You're always like that, Fujikichiro..."
As is clear from the conversation between Hideyoshi and Toshiie, "falconry" in this world seems to be exactly what the name suggests: "hunting falcons."
Those subtle differences in vocabulary were quite interesting.
(Even so...the terrain has risen quite a bit, and the trees have increased considerably...)
Having left Inabayama Castle and continued heading north, the scenery has gradually taken on this kind of look.
And as the terrain rises and changes in elevation are created, the stamina of soldiers on foot will gradually be depleted.
Meanwhile, I was running through the trees.栗鼠squirrel as I watched the horses running through the trees, I frantically wiped away the greasy sweat that was beading on my forehead due to nervousness with the back of my hand.
As I walked along the mountain path carved into the forest, I couldn't help but frown.
(Perhaps it's because I'm in an unfamiliar place, searching for an unknown opponent, or perhaps...)
Before we knew it, the trees had grown far taller than us, towering like skyscrapers and blocking out the sunlight.
(Perhaps the "hawk" is actually quite close by...)
The forest isn't dark at all.
Like fireflies, there were things that emitted light in various colors such as green, purple, red, and blue , flitting around us and illuminating our path.蠢Move
I unconsciously forgot the tension that had been tormenting me and became captivated by the sight.
Indeed, Taishakutsukige also slowed its pace to match mine, and the distance between it and Renzenashige, carrying Nobunaga, widened steadily.
"This is it."行燈斑猫Andon Hanmyo
It was probably because I was staring at it with such intense interest.
Hideyoshi, who had appeared beside me before I even noticed, said that.
"They are rather hateful monsters that illuminate the darkness we humans walk through. We often see them in Owari, but they don't inhabit northern Omi, do they?"
"—Ah, probably."
As I answered Hideyoshi, I took another look at the monsters leaping around us.
斑猫HanmyoSpeaking of which, in the world I came from, they were known as insects that lived in large numbers in cemeteries and mountain paths.
For example, when I went to visit my parents' graves, I often saw insects hopping around at my feet in the narrow spaces of sunny paths.
They have a habit of jumping in front of people as they walk, and for this reason they are often called " " or " ".道教Guide道標signpost
(So, just because I've become a monster doesn't mean my role in this world hasn't changed at all—)
I instinctively grabbed the spotted cat that had jumped right beside me and took a closer look at it.
It looked exactly like the "spotted cat" I knew, but the crucial difference was its back.
In other words, a soft, squishy, mushroom-like organ is growing there.
Indeed, the mushroom-shaped organ was emitting various kinds of light.
"Lord Bizen-no-kami, if you pay too much attention to him, he might bite you."
Hideyoshi is warning me.
"The lantern-spotted cat is gentle, but its teeth are tough. If it bites human skin, you won't stand a chance. Also, be careful, or it will spray you with its foul-smelling liquid from those mushroom-shaped protrusions."顎jaw
I hastily stopped fiddling with the mushroom-shaped thing and placed the lantern-spotted cat in my palm, observing its entire body as if I were licking it.
Both boys and girls are naturally drawn to unknown creatures—it's simply because they are human .性Saga
This is unavoidable at this point.
"What an interesting creature..."
"These lantern-colored cats are said to sleep until other creatures venture into the forest. In other words, unless something special happens, they just sleep all the time... They're not so different from us lazy humans."
Saying this, Hideyoshi made a circle with one hand and said, "If these guys are doing anything other than sleeping, it must be this..."
Then, he inserts his other finger into it and pulls it out.
Indeed, his right hand clearly had six fingers—
"Hey, you fool! What do you think you're doing in front of Lord Asai Bizen-no-kami?!"
Before I could even ask about my finger, Toshiie rushed over in a panic, smacked Hideyoshi on the head, and then held his head with one hand, forcing me to bow my head.
"I am terribly sorry! Fujikichiro... no, Hideyoshi has a certain lack of character—"
"It's fine."
While restraining Toshiie, I looked at Hideyoshi's thinning hair in places.
Hideyoshi is believed to have been born in 1537, so he would be exactly 30 years old this year.
His face is deeply tanned and he looks old enough to pass for 50—but that's probably the result of considerable hardship.
That's very clear from his face.
"Hey, Lord Hideyoshi."
"yes"
"The lantern-eyed cat doesn't emit light unless other creatures enter the forest."
"That will be the case."
And Hideyoshi declared with a completely nonchalant expression.
"These little monsters seem to have been glowing for quite a long time. That means there are already other inhabitants in this forest besides us..."
In other words, the tension I was feeling was nothing more than an instinctive warning not to go any further.
But I had absolutely no intention of retreating at this point.
(How can I just abandon my brother-in-law, who has been so kind and helpful to me...?)
That's exactly it.
I had come to trust and respect Nobunaga, the older brother of my beloved wife, Ichihime, quite a bit.
However, those feelings were not solely based on the communication they had when the Asai family came to their aid during a crisis.
Just moments ago, he had been giving me very serious advice about my seemingly trivial matters concerning my lower body.
I couldn't just send him off with a simple "Oh, the hawk's here? Okay, I get it, goodbye," after he'd gone to such lengths for me.
Although the members of the Oda family strongly opposed it, I felt that if I compromised my beliefs, I would no longer be myself—and more than anything, I felt that I would be betraying Ichihime, who was in love with me.
However, I can't help but feel suffocated, as if a heavy weight has been placed deep in my stomach, and a chill runs down my spine.
My body is screaming in distress on a different level than my mind.
"Are you... nearby...?"
I unintentionally let out that sound.
But that's probably something everyone in Nobunaga's punitive force feels.
Despite their heavy breathing, the Oda soldiers were determined not to succumb to the overwhelming pressure.
Every soldier had become highly sensitive to even the slightest presence.
They strain their ears to avoid missing any unusual sounds around them, and strain their eyes in the dark spaces where the light of the lantern-covered cats doesn't reach, making sure not to overlook even the slightest sign of something being amiss.
("A hawk is something that lives in the sky... but this feeling of pressure...")
Taishakutsukimo's light green eyes gleamed as he stretched his neck and surveyed his surroundings with a resolute expression.
But I know this because I'm riding on its back.
Indeed, her body was trembling slightly. Taishakutsukimo was also feeling fear.
However, she never shows it outwardly, and behaves like a lady, making sure not to let others see her panicking or flustered.
(Even you get nervous, huh...)
When I reached out and stroked Taishakutsukimo's neck, she didn't react in any particular way, and calmly began to walk away.
But I know.
That she is very embarrassed inside.
Perhaps he's embarrassed that I've seen through his hidden fear of hawks.
Up until now, Taishakutsukimo has always guided and encouraged me.
She must have thought of me as her "older sister."
Now, my "incompetent younger brother" has seen through my true feelings and even shown me kindness—so it's no wonder I feel embarrassed.
If this were between humans, a narration would play saying, "The distance between the two will eventually shrink..." and before you know it, they'll be in bed together—but unfortunately, Taishakutsuki is a horse, so it's unlikely that their relationship will progress to romance like in light novels or doujinshi.
Just as I was thinking that—
"Whoa!?"
Taishakutsukimo suddenly started running and began to stray from the mountain path.
"My brother-in-law, what are you doing!"
"Lord Bizen-no-kami!"
I can hear Nobunaga's voice and the voices of his soldiers from behind me, but there's nothing I can do about it now.
Taishakutsukimo scurried across the forest, eventually leading me to a space where the lights of a large number of Andon-Han Neko were gathered.
And what will we find there?
"...It's huge."
A gigantic creature with a pure white body.蚕silkworm lay there.
Even women who claim to hate insects might find themselves murmuring "They're so cute..." when they see adult silkworms.
Indeed, what was standing before me was exactly what I knew as a silkworm, but simply enlarged.
Its body looked soft and fluffy, but—I immediately noticed something was wrong.
"What is this...?"
Indeed, a large laceration ran across the silkworm's back, and blue blood was gushing out from it.
The giant silkworm in front of us still seemed to be conscious, and it slowly took hold of me and Taishakutsukimo with its beautiful black compound eyes before staggering away.
" Isn't this... ?"天虹蚕Tenko-san
Soon, Nobunaga, riding a gray horse, came chasing after us and, as he pulled his horse alongside mine, muttered something like that.
I couldn't help but ask again.
"A celestial rainbow silkworm...is that it?"
"Hmm. So, you don't even know that, brother-in-law..."
Nobunaga gazes with pity at the silkworms in their pitiful state.
"Although they're called silkworms, they're actually monsters. The threads they spin when they make their cocoons to become adults are said to be so strong that even fluorite cannot cut them. And because those threads shine with seven colors like a rainbow, they came to be called rainbow silkworms."
"So, if the demon, Tenkosan, is injured..."
"Hmm..."
Nobunaga groaned, glaring into the deeper depths of the forest.
As I gazed in the same direction as my brother-in-law, I was aware that my heart was beating incredibly fast.
"Oh..."
My eyes are glued to it.
I can hear it. I can hear it clearly.
A slow, yet heavy thud of footsteps was approaching.
It's getting closer and closer.
And the light of the lantern-colored cat also becomes increasingly vivid.
"My brother-in-law... now's your chance to escape."
Nobunaga said in a murmur.
"What are you talking about now...?"
I replied in a hoarse voice.
Taishakutsukige and Renzenashige began to straighten their postures, ready to run at full speed at any moment.
Overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, I took deep breaths, then exhaled.
But when you're truly overcome with fear, you can barely even breathe.
It felt like I was taking deep breaths, but in reality, I was only inhaling and exhaling about half the amount of air I normally would.
As Nobunaga drew his sword, I drew my own Ishiwari Kanemitsu.
In the darkness, the blade gleamed with a bluish-silver color.
With one hand gripping the sword and the other so tightly that my hand turned white from the reins of Taishakutsukimo, I could no longer think clearly and was simply desperately trying to process the information in front of me.
Illuminated flickeringly by the lantern-shaped cat, the figure of the monster that appeared to have severely wounded the sunflower silkworm came into view.
A strong, unpleasant smell, a mixture of blood and animal odor, assaulted my nostrils, causing me to involuntarily choke.
"a..."
It must have reacted to the sound of me coughing.
The monster stopped moving, raised its body high, and suddenly spread its wings wide to the left and right.
--At that very moment.
The Taishakutsukige and Renzenashige, carrying me and Nobunaga, immediately turned around and began to flee at full speed to rejoin the punitive army.
"That...that's..."
Illuminated by the various colors emitted by the lantern-colored cat, what was visible was—
—Indeed, its appearance was nothing like the "hawk" I knew; it was hideous and vicious.