I couldn't help but scream.
The horse that Princess Haruhime was riding was trembling with fear under the gaze of the hawk.
There is nothing more powerless than a creature paralyzed with fear.
And in the hawk's bulging eyes, fixed on Princess Osamu, a piercing emotion is clearly visible.
In other words, it's appetite and curiosity, added on top of hostility.
For a hawk that has previously only eaten men and horses, the fact that it was harmed by someone else seems to be a fact that strongly attracts its attention.牝female
Or perhaps they were tired of seeing only tough muscles .牡male
Just like how humans eventually get tired of eating rice, even though it's their staple food.
The hawk scattered Oda's soldiers and then approached Princess Osamu with jerky movements.蟹股Bow-legged
Perhaps excited by the prospect of devouring a female, a hideous genital organ protruded from between the hawk's legs, shaking and swaying violently with every step it took.
"Brother-in-law, I'm borrowing this!"
I snatched the fluorite greatsword from Nobunaga's hand, broke free from Naotsune's attempts to stop me, and ran off at full speed.
It has a longer reach than the ordinary tachi sword, Ishiwari Kanemitsu.
When facing a monster as massive as a hawk, a greatsword is clearly the better choice.
Haruhime had dismounted from her horse, which was completely terrified, but seeing the hawk's ferocious charge, she must have decided that it was pointless to try and escape.
He kneels, loads gunpowder and what appears to be fluorite ore into his matchlock gun as bullets, and glares intently at the hawk.
—He probably intends to strike the hawk with one last blow and then perish.
The moment I saw that, my rationality snapped.
"What—what are you doing?! You big idiot!!"
My shouting must have reached them.
Haruhime looked at me with a startled expression—and then she cried out, revealing her emotions.
"No, Lord Bizen-no-kami, you mustn't!"
In a few dozen seconds, the hawk's beak will catch Princess Osamu.
Despite the situation, all she could talk about was me.
"Please leave me alone and prioritize your own safety, Lord Bizen-no-kami! I'll be fine, I won't die without a fight!! As long as you're safe, I—"
"Stop spouting nonsense, stop spouting nonsense!"
I exploded with emotion, yelling at Haruhime, and stepped in between her and the hawk.
He glared at the hawk stomping towards him, and, holding the greatsword which was lighter than he expected and felt comfortable in his hand, he shouted.
"Even if I survive, it's meaningless if you're dead!! If you say something like that again, I'll never—never forgive you!!!"
"a--"
Haruhime clutched her chest tightly.
"We must not lose a single one of us! No matter what the circumstances!!"
He raised his great sword and glared at the approaching hawk.
Its long neck stretched out, and its hideous face looked down on me.
Its beak opened wide, revealing razor-sharp teeth.
"I will take you with me and return to Omi without losing a single person! We will live together, grow old together, and die there!! This place must never, under any circumstances, become our tombstone!!!"
"Lord Bizen-no-kami..."
Could it be because he was injured in the leg during the attack by the hunting party?
The extraordinary speed that it displayed in the forest is no longer present in the hawk.
But even so, the monstrous creature, with its wings spread wide, rushed towards us—and in no time at all, it closed the distance between us.
And behind the hawk, the soldiers of the Oda clan were desperately pursuing it.
"We must protect our lord!"
As the hawk approached, the Asai soldiers who had been standing behind Princess Osamu pushed forward in front of me, as if to form a human shield.
Just like the members of the hunting party, they held a massive net in their hands.
It seems that in falconry, the standard practice is to restrain the bird's movements with a net.
But the price to pay is far too high.
Dozens of soldiers carrying nets lose their lives just to capture a hawk for a brief moment.
That would be nothing less than throwing away one's life along with the net.
"Get out of the way!!"
I no longer hesitated and charged into the human wall of soldiers.
They clearly hadn't anticipated that the attack would come from me, behind them, rather than from the hawk in front.
The men's physical density thinned out, and taking advantage of the gap, he leaped out in front of the hawk.
"Goa
The hawk let out an indescribable cry and opened its beak, pointing at me.
Suddenly, a bloody smell, and the ammonia-like odor of rotten fish, hit my nostrils.
The hawk's penis, swaying back and forth, enters my field of vision.
"You pathetic little cock—!"
He dashed towards the hawk and flew to the left.
The hawk, whose right eye had been gouged out, seemed to lose sight of me for just a split second.
—But that one moment is what decides everything.
I slipped between the hawk's legs and gripped my great sword tightly.
"Don't stand in front of me!!"
A flash of silvery blue streaked across the twilight campus, and the blue tide immediately washed over its trail.
The hawk let out a terrible scream, leaped into the air, and rolled on the ground, writhing and vomiting.呻plum
Right beside me, a slimy, reddish-black, mushroom-shaped mass of flesh lay on the ground, blood gushing from its cut surface.
"What are you doing! Throw the net right now!!"
Perhaps my angry shout brought them back to their senses, because the soldiers threw their nets at the hawks.
Under normal circumstances, the hawk would have skillfully torn through the net and quickly freed itself from its restraints.
However, it seemed that he had absolutely no such luxury at the moment.
To begin with, as long as we are living creatures, there is no being that can survive having its reproductive organs cut off.
The grotesque monster, writhing in agony, becomes entangled in the net as it thrashes about, its movements becoming restricted.
"Does it hurt? Of course it does—you've lost something! Something precious!! It's bound to hurt, isn't it?!"
With hatred and murderous intent seeping through me, I approached the hawk, which was spewing cries of agony, and brought my great sword down on its tail.
"It hurts because you're alive! You're alive because you hurt!! But you—you've taken all of that away from me!!!"
The hawk's tail, covered in golden scales, deflects the slashes of the greatsword.
But I didn't care, and continued to swing my weapon down with all the hatred I could muster.
"We were born to die! To die well!! Not to be devoured by you, but to not lose anything, to pass on the traces of our existence to future generations!!!"
As I relentlessly and persistently cut off its tail without getting bored, a large crowd began to gather behind me—and I could feel their eyes on me.
Perhaps reinforcements from the Oda clan had arrived, but at that point, it didn't matter to me anymore.
To take from those who took it. All I must do is usurp the life of the hawk that took so many lives.
Therefore, it doesn't matter at all how many galleries there are.
I will simply do what I must do—that's all there is to it.
"You hurt him that much, you killed him! You must be prepared to be killed yourself!!"
Finally, the hawk's tail was severed, scales and all, and blood gushed out.
The hawk shrieks and tries to escape, but its feet get caught in the net and it falls.
Perhaps it was because its tail had been cut off, which had thrown off its sense of balance—but I wasn't such a good person that I would feel pity for something like that.
When both wings are forcefully cut off, a gruesome squelching sound is heard, and blue mucus spurts out.
If you thrust a large sword into its back, the terrifying cry of a hawk, so intense it could drive you mad, will echo through the air.
I was the only one there, in full view of everyone, frantically wielding my great sword and continuing the butchering of the hawk.
Having lost both its wings and legs, and oozing copious amounts of blood and bodily fluids—yet, for some reason, the hawk is still alive.
However, this monster, reduced to just a head and a torso, could not possibly survive in nature.
I pulled the fluorite sword that was stuck in the hawk's right eye, stabbed it again, and then—I offered the trace that Sakuma Nobumori had left behind in exchange for his life—to Nobunaga, who was looking up at me.
It was an unconscious action.
If it's anyone who's going to deliver the final blow to the hawk, Nobunaga would be a much better fit than me.
He nodded quietly, then climbed onto the hawk's back and took the sword from me.
I had already torn off the scales around its neck, revealing its soft skin and flesh.
Nobunaga placed his blade on the left side of the dying hawk's neck and swung it across in a wide horizontal motion.
With just that, the head of the hawk that had caused so much damage fell with a light thud and surprisingly easily into the young grass of the Nobi Plain.
A roar of cheers erupted, and Nobunaga patted me on the shoulder, bringing me back to my senses.
Below me, Asai's soldiers were looking at me with eyes that seemed to worship a god, while the Oda's generals and soldiers were openly showing both joy and awe towards me.
And that's when I finally realized the existence of a new force.
For Japanese people, it's probably the most familiar emblem of all.
Indeed, it is the "Aoi crest."
It was a crest symbolizing Tokugawa Ieyasu and his family, who built a long-lasting and stable regime unlike any other in world history.
◇
I have absolutely no idea what time it is right now.
But that's probably something that no one around me would know.
Throughout the castle town of Inabayama Castle, bonfires lit brightly, and people were making a racket as if it were a festival.
In the heart of the castle town lay the carcass of a hawk.
To be honest, it smells awful, but perhaps that stench is what imprints on people the great achievement of successful falconry.
And indeed, right next to me, near the corpse, Nobunaga continues to drink, in high spirits.
Even after learning from Haruhime and Naotsune that Kicho had come to the Asai family as a hostage, his mood did not change.
"There's nothing particularly special about it."
Nobunaga signaled to me, who was sitting to his right, and laughed as he poured a cup full of sake.
"The Asai family would never treat Kicho roughly. And with Ichi there, it will probably be a good distraction for Kicho."
I thought to myself, "I have a feeling that Ichihime is actually quite dangerous..." as I poured sake back into Nobunaga's cup.
"And so, I feel terrible about what I did to Lord Ieyasu. You went to the trouble of coming all the way here for me, and yet..."
"No, that's perfectly fine."
Ieyasu, who was sitting to Nobunaga's left, said while staring intently at me.
"Although we Mikawa warriors are full of brave men, we have been inspired by Lord Bizen's remarkable achievements. We had been somewhat complacent, so this has been a good opportunity to remind ourselves that there are always people better than us."
"No, that's not true..."
I frantically waved my hands in denial.
However, Ieyasu continued speaking.
"Well, now I can confidently take control of the east. We will control the east, Lord Bizen will control the north, and Lord Nobunaga will aim for Kyoto... This is truly an ideal arrangement."
"Hmm..."
Nobunaga suddenly showed a serious expression and began to compare me and Ieyasu.
"Hey, Lord Ieyasu."
"What can I do for you?"
"Don't you think our alliance—it might be worth reconsidering once again?"
"Hmm..."
Ieyasu continued to stare at me and let out a small growl.
To me, it somehow reminds me of a dog.
When people think of Tokugawa Ieyasu, they generally emphasize his cunning and shrewdness, which earned him the nickname "the old fox"—but the Ieyasu before us is still young.
If anything, he gives off the impression of a fierce guard dog wary of me getting close to its master, Nobunaga.
However, we can't keep talking forever.
To be honest, my stamina was at its limit, and I felt like I was going to fall asleep any minute.
"Brother-in-law, I apologize for interrupting your conversation, but where is Lord Mikawa staying?"
"That's what I meant."
When I pointed it out to Nobunaga, he immediately made a face as if he'd bitten into something bitter.
"At this point, nothing has been decided. I am terribly sorry, but Lord Ieyasu will either have to stay at a temple or shrine at the foot of Mount Kinka, or—"
"Then please hand over the mansion I am currently renting to Lord Ieyasu."
"--what?"
Indeed, Nobunaga let out a cry of surprise. Ieyasu's eyes were wide with astonishment.
However, the reason is quite simple—
"Don't say such foolish things, brother-in-law. If that's the case, where will you be going to bed tonight?"
That pretty much sums it up.
However, to be honest, I didn't really care where I slept as long as there was a roof and walls.
Since I don't have a soft, fluffy futon, it feels like it doesn't matter where I lie down.
"Any vacant house in this area would be fine."
"What are you talking about!"
Ieyasu is looking at me with worried eyes.
His expression suggests that one might be thinking, "Has he gone completely mad?"
I shook my head, deciding to preempt him before he could speak.
"I understand that my brother-in-law and Lord Mikawa have a long-standing relationship. They probably have a lot to talk about."
When I stared back at Ieyasu, he seemed to think I had seen through him and quickly averted his gaze.
"I had a thorough discussion with my brother-in-law this morning, and more importantly, considering that he will be pacifying the western regions from now on, we will inevitably have many opportunities to meet. Therefore, I think it would be best to hand over the residence to Lord Mikawa-no-kami now so that he can have a good conversation with Lord Nobunaga—"
However, such an argument was not going to be taken seriously, and Nobunaga and Ieyasu rejected my offer, saying something like, "How could the leader of northern Omi stay in a private home?"
But that's also my negotiation technique, based on a psychological background.
If you firmly argue that something is absolutely unacceptable and then propose a compromise, the other party will have no choice but to agree unless there are exceptional circumstances.
As a result, Ieyasu entered Inabayama Castle in my place, and I ended up staying at Kinka-ji Temple at the foot of Mount Kinka.
Of course, the temple was surrounded and guarded by soldiers of the Asai family.
Inabayama Castle had only recently become part of the Oda family's territory, and Naotsune insisted that it absolutely needed to be guarded, partly because of this.
Oda soldiers were also deployed for security, meaning Kinka-ji Temple was protected by a double barrier of protection from both the Oda and Asai clans.
As long as the Oda family does not betray the Asai family, it would be fair to say that the highest level of security is guaranteed.
Incidentally, it seems that Taishakutsukimo was fortunate enough to only suffer bruises.
However, they are currently monitoring the situation and the horse is being cared for at the horse stables of Inabayama Castle.
If there are no problems, it should be fine to start running again tomorrow—what a tough creature.
"Um, Lord Bizen-no-kami..."
And inside Kinka Temple, in a four-and-a-half tatami mat room—not only was I there, but Princess Osamu was also present.
This was because Naotsune insisted, "We must not leave our lord alone!"
Seeing him loudly proclaim, "Someone must protect our lord!", I thought to myself, "Why not you?", but before I could point that out, he hastily decided, "Let's assign Shigeharu-dono. Let's do that."
However, for Haruhime—even though it couldn't be helped—she had yelled at him in the middle of a falconry hunt, so she felt quite awkward.
Moreover, he even went so far as to call the greatest military strategist in the land a "big idiot."
Leaving aside the obvious fact that Haruhime isn't a guy, I can't help but worry that what I said might have hurt her feelings.
Most importantly, even now, she still won't make proper eye contact with me.
(Well, I've really messed up now...)
However, there's no point in dwelling on such regrets.
As I tended the fire in the hearth, I called out to Princess Chihime, who was sitting in the corner of the room in a formal kneeling position.
"Hey, Osamu. Don't stay on the edge, come over here. It's cold, isn't it?"
"No, well...it's okay."
"It's not okay at all..."
I stood up, strode towards her, and took her hand—it was chillingly cold.
Being petite, she is even thinner than Ichihime.
This will surely cause your body to cool down very quickly.
"Come on, make sure you warm yourself properly by the fire."
"...yes"
Then silence falls.
The only sound that really comes into play is the crackling of the fire in the hearth.
However, the silence itself wasn't unpleasant; rather, it gave me a sense of calm.
Perhaps due to her tragic past and the resulting philosophical outlook on the world, unlike Ichihime, Haruhime has no girlish air about her—she exudes a calm demeanor that evokes the image of a married woman.
"...Lord Bizen-no-kami"
"...What?"
How long did the silence last?
Suddenly, Haruhime spoke, and I responded in kind.
"Um... thank you very much."
"What...?"
"No... so, well... it was during a falconry trip..."
Her dark brown, wavy hair appears brighter in the light of the hearth.
As Haruhime smoothed her hair, she opened her mouth without looking me directly in the face.
"Um...to think you'd want to live and grow old with me...I'm so happy...oh, no! Um, well...it's nothing."
Haruhime's face turned red, and she lowered her head.
Or perhaps it only appeared that way because it was illuminated by the orange light of the hearth, but it was intensely provocative.
A shy, married-woman-like young girl—just those words alone make me feel like I could get a full erection.
In fact, just looking at Princess Osamu's luscious lips and neck was enough to make my Big Sun, which had been kept in a state of abstinence, stand erect.
Haruhime, whose gaze was fixed not on my face but on my chest and abdomen, seemed to have immediately discovered that my hakama was being lifted high by my foolish son, forming a tent.様looks
Now that it's been exposed, there's nothing we can do about it.
I stood up and sat down beside Haruhime.
She instinctively tries to escape, but I grab her slender wrists and pull her back, then pull her into my arms.
"...No, that's not allowed."
"why?"
"I'm dirty... so please, someone else..."
I held onto Haruhime's wrist and blew softly into her ear.
She then shivered and looked at me with teary eyes.
Her beauty mark near her eye is strangely alluring.
I swallowed hard.
(—I need to be prepared.)
Before going out falconry, I was recalling the conversation I had with Nobunaga.
I simply cannot allow this clash of values to cause Ichihime any more suffering.
I needed to reassure her that I was alright now, by taking a concubine.
The mother's mental state affects the development of the baby in the womb—so it's crucial to reassure Ichihime and ensure she gives birth to a healthy child.
But more than that pretense, I myself wish for Haruhime to be happy.
Having gone through a horrific past, she is still tormented by its remnants—I wish I could support her with my own hands. That is my wish.
(In any case, since they had welcomed Haruhime into the Asai family, this was an unavoidable path.)
"Oh... no... it's not allowed..."
As I pressed my lips against the nape of Chihime's neck, who offered no resistance whatsoever, I gently embraced her delicate body, suppressing my sexual desire as much as I could.