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Volume 2 Chapter 2 Part 6

During this time, Yoshiharu walked in and out of Dosan’s house, frantically seeking an answer to how to defeat Takenaka Hanbei, while Dosan kept scratching his head while thinking about it too.

During this era where western culture was slowly seeping into Japan, Takenaka Hanbei, who was well versed in the Onmyoudo of ancient Japan and capable of performing different spells could be considered something of a last boss character. And since Nobuna was a realist depending on logic, their characters could be described as water and fire, eternal rivals to the bitter end.

During this week of a breather, Yoshiharu was even thinking of ways to conquer Inabayama castle during his sleep. Also, during this period, Omi province’s Azai Nagamasa had been sending letters to Nobuna asking if he should send her reinforcements. Of course, that would mean Nobuna would have to agree to Nagamasa’s marriage proposal, so it should go without saying that she declined that proposal of his every single time.

In truth, it would also mean she would be handing Owari’s power and influence over to Nagamasa. Nobuna rejected all these temptation-like proposals, and declared to the envoy that was bringing them to tell his master that she would use her own power to conquer Mino.

But the tricks of this strongest Onmyouji, the genius strategist Takenaka Hanbei, were not as
simple as just the 「Ambush from all sides」.

This week of waiting and thinking passed by in an instant, and in the blink of an eye it was the time to move out towards Inabayama castle again. Using a fake army to ensure a retreat route was no longer an option. The same trick might’ve worked twice if it was used against Yoshitatsu, but it most likely would not fool Hanbei again. Because of this, Nobuna, Katsuie and Yoshiharu had made the resolve to make this a battle to their deaths if it will be necessary.

「Everyone, there will be an adjustment to our route. In order to not allow any ambush from Mino’s forces to surprise us like they did last time, we will not be charging forward like we did last time! Don’t forget to send in spies and scouting parties ahead of your own units! 」

During the second invasion of Mino, Nobuna made large adjustments to her army and the tactics it was going to be using. The vanguard would be led by Owari’s weakest retainer, Oda Nobusumi. The appreciative Nobusumi cried like a baby while saying things like:「Nobuna-nee-sama! I Nobusumi will not fail your expectations, and I swear to perform the duties of a vanguard to the end! 」. Looking at her brother’s behavior, Nobuna looked at him in a way that didn’t contain any emotion whatsoever and replied:

「We do not know what Takenaka Hanbei will do this time, so you will be the one who will be at the forefront of any scheme she undoubtedly prepared. Enjoy being the cannon fodder. 」

This plain act of letting her own brother be the sacrifice gave Nobusumi quite a scare.

「It’s too dangerous to move out at night, so we will move during the day under the sunlight. Beware of any ambushes along the way and keep you eyes peeled at all times! Are we clear?! 」

Nobuna led an army of 2000 soldiers and moved out from Aoshuu castle at the beak of dawn. Once again, the Oda clan’s army moved out from the river and towards Mount Inaba. Though the river’s waters were fast moving, the water level was not deep and the horses and foot soldiers were just barely able to cross it.

「Now there is no way for the「Ambush from all sides」strategy of Takenaka Hanbei to work! And even if the enemy appears before us, our losses will only be Kanjuurou at most! 」

「What a mean thing to say, sister! I thought you’d care about me at least a little! 」

While not worrying about her little brother being the vanguard and sending out spies to detect any traces of an enemy’s ambush, the Oda clan’s army under Nobuna’s leadership slowly and carefully walked into the enemy territory. After crossing the river and reaching the plains, Nobuna gave an order to set fire to their surroundings. Of course, she did not do it out of it being a hobby of hers or any similar desire for destruction.

「As a precaution, burn any areas that seem suspicious! I will not give Takenaka Hanbei any chances for launching an ambush against us! 」

The troops led by Kanjuurou were in the first section of the army. The second section consisted of Katsuie’s troops that were following behind Nobusumi’s troops while keepinga bit of a distance between them. At the back of the army were the troops led by Nobuna. To prevent any surprise attacks from the enemy, all troops deployed a circle defensive formation around their respective commanders. This behavior was totally unfitting of the usually rash style of Nobuna, who preferred to charge her enemies head on and be done with them as soon as possible. This was an iron wall formation where if there was an attempt by the enemy to attack them from the sides or back, all troops would be able to quickly surround them and finish them off. But because of that, Nobuna was willingly letting go of her greatest weapon: speed of movement, though she herself had not noticed this just yet.

Although they were supposed to move towards Inabayama castle, the troops lead by Nobusumi were now in a state of complete panic. After moving forward for a while, they were enveloped by an unknown white mist, and their field of vision started to gradually worsen with every passing second, but as they were about to find out, that was just the beginning.

After returning to their senses, they found out that they had left the main road to the castle and
had walked into a swamp full of towers formed by huge rocks.

「What… is this place? 」

No matter how slowly they would advance, the inauspicious aura created by this stone maze made Nobusumi realize just how dangerous this place was if they were to keep losing their way in it again and again. But now that Nobusumi, who had rashly stepped into this stone maze couldn’t find the way back, so without any other thing to do, he and his troops had walked in it. Unfortunately, they were unable to find the exit, even though they were looking for it with all their might.

This maze was created by using the stone towers for the sole purpose of making any intruder lose their way.

Before they were able to realize this, the Owari army at the back had already stepped into the stone maze.

「No…no…no…no… this isn’t good! If this goes on, Nobuna-nee-sama will be lost in this stone maze too! 」

Nobusumi ran around the maze like an ant on a frying pan, but no matter how or in which direction he was trying to move, what was in front of him were always similarly-shaped stone towers. He ran around in the maze in a frenzy, but in the end, he couldn’t find a way out.

These kinds of rash actions only caused them to move deeper and deeper into the maze where the texture of the soil below them kept getting softer and softer. The horses they were riding on seemed to be taking their next steps with increasing difficulty as well, which gave the Owari’s army lots of trouble.

「It seems like the enemy is using the muddy swamp area near the river to create a maze and trap us in there!」

Nobusumi almost burst out in tears on the spot.

Trapped in the maze just like him, Yoshiharu, Goemon and Nobusumi’s sister Nobuna all crowded around him after hearing his cry of anguish.

「Don’t give up, Nobusumi! A maze like this can be easily overcome by just sticking close to its walls! 」

「Yes, Kanjuuro, Monkey is right. This kind of demonic trick is nothing to me at all! 」

Nobuna gathered her trusted retainers around her to start discussing a way to get out of this maze.

「Manchiyo! What is going on with this maze? Don’t tell me it’s yet another trap from Takenaka Hanbei? 」

「Yes, I think this might be a trap designed after the legendary trap devised by Zhuge Liang, 「The Stone Sentinel Maze」. 」

It seems like Nagahide had a deep understanding of ancient Chinese literature since she knew about that one.

「Finally, the trap devised by Zhuge Liang whose intelligence stat is at 100 points has appeared. See, I told you that Takenaka Hanbei is known as the Japanese Zhuge Liang, and you all didn’t believe me! 」

Yoshiharu said triumphantly.