3 bar menu

Volume 3 Chapter 5 Part 6

「…Looks like…you aren’t just a simple warrior. 」

「Correct. Though I’m now a Buddhist, and was given the name Matsunaga Hisahide, I was once a drifting spellcaster. So as to say, the nemesis to you Onmyoujis. 」

「Spellcasters…people who use demonic spells not of Chinease Qimen Dunjia, Shingon Esoteric Buddhism or Indian Vajrayana, but from other countries. 」

「Hehe. Looking at you, one of the Onmyoujis who have dominated this country ever since the Heian era, I can barely control myself. Just because you don’t understand the origins of our spells, you label us as heretics. As demons. Thanks to your prejudice, we’ve been discriminated as if we were evil spirits ourselves. 」

Even Takenaka Hanbei, a genius, knew nothing of the origins of these spells of hers. But from her instincts as an Onmyouji, she vaguely understood one thing: the Matsunaga Hisahide in front of her wasn’t someone she could underestimate.

「Matsunaga-sama. The era when the ruling class relied on the Onmyouji had ended. The Tsuchimikado clan tasked with protecting the capital is gone and has long since left for Wakasa. So there is no reason for your to feel jealousy anymore. 」

「To be honest, I never thought much of that grudge myself. After seeing such a strong Onmyouji like you, I just feel like I want to fight against you to test your abilities. And, I do have something that I want to ask you. 」

「…What is it? 」

「Oda Nobuna-sama doesn’t believe in the existence of the supernatural . For us who have lived in the darkness, Nobuna-sama is the true Demon Lord, and so she will definitely destroy the Dragon Veins that has long thrummed beneath Kyoto. The seal upon the Kyoto spirits that you Onmyoujis spent hundreds of years managing will be utterly shattered. What little left of the power that Onmyoujis have today will vanish along with the Dragon Veins of Kyoto. In other words, for Onmyoujis, Oda Nobuna-sama should be their true enemy, and you should understand that too. So, why do you insist on helping her with her plans instead? 」

(That is all she wants to ask? Then this should be enough.)

Hanbei revealed a faint smile.

「If that’s the case, then the people who abuse spells like us, causing incidents that affect the entire country, will no longer be a problem. Because, at the same time our strength as protectors of this country vanishes, all demons and ghosts will disappear quietly into the new future as well. 」

To use the words of the modern era, it meant the light of a new age would soon shine upon the dark times of the past. Hanbei gave Hisahide an innocent smile as she spoke in a matter-of-factly tone.

「But…when that time comes…won’t you…!? 」

Hisahide’s voice shivered slightly in a mixture of shock and awe.

「Don’t tell me…you had made…such a resolve…! 」

The true meaning, resolve and feelings behind Hanbei’s words…of all the people present at Kiyomizu-dera right now, only Matsunaga Hisahide, one whose life was also based upon the supernatural, understood… and for the intelligent Hisahide, just this point alone was already enough.

(I’ve lost completely to Oda Nobuna-sama.)

Hisahide understood that the time had finally arrived for her soul to bend to Oda Nobuna’s will.

But Hisahide, who was nicknamed 「Venomous Scorpion」, would not be so feared by everyone around her if she were to give up so easily. The more she realized her imminent defeat, the more she couldn’t accept it and let go of it. Her resilience and resistance in the face of adversity was what truly gave Matsunaga Hisahide the nickname 「Venomous Scorpion」.

Following a snap from Hisahide’s fingers, more unknown and ominous beings arrived at the temple, materializing from the dark sky above them.

(Five, ten, twenty…thirty of them…!)

All of them had faces of young and decent looking girls. They all wore red artisan attires and exuded an alluring presence, as if they were smaller versions of Hisahide, but their eyes were empty, and thee was no light in them whatsoever.

「…Puppets…?! 」

Hanbei held her talismans firmly as she assumed a battle-ready pose, while the demon-like laugher of Hisahide rang out in the darkness around them.

「Do you understand, cute little Onmyouji? The essence of spellcasters isn’t just illusions. The true powers of casting illusions originated from the skill of manipulating puppets in Persia. 」

「Persia…?! 」

「Of course the people in the east have their gods they worship too, but whether it is Buddha or Asura, they are all but the reincarnations of Angra Mainyu, the highest god of the Persian pantheon. 」

「I had no idea this spellcaster will be so hard to deal with… 」

For the first time, Hanbei appeared shaken as she couldn’t understand the spells that her opponent was using at all.

There are definite laws in all spells or sorcery which must be followed and utilized by the caster, but, the foundation of this spell embodied totally different laws from that of an Onmyoudo. Hanbei could remember nothing similar even from official records of the spells and curses from other countries that she read before. For her, this was a completely different and foreign culture from the Tang Dynasty.

Located even further to the west than the Tang dynasty China, even further than India which is said to be the western edge of the world… this is where the country of Persia was located, and something was telling Hanbei that this peculiar spell from Persia may be extinct even in its home country.

But, through the long Silk Road, it has finally reached its destination. In Kyoto, through Hisahide, who was acting as a medium flows the same Persian blood from which it was created, and it is here in Kyoto where this old and peculiar spell that is almost like the summoning of evil spirits could once again be awakened.

「Your Shikigami and my puppets… Let us decide now just which one of them are stronger. 」

Even with Hanbei’s abilities, the odds of her winning against an enemy whose powers were unknown to her were pretty low. On top of that, she had already lost nearly half of her Shikigamis in the ongoing battle.

「Master. Please, leave this to us and run away quickly! 」

Zenki whispered silently, but Hanbei knew that if she left, the main hall would be up in flames again in no time.

She was at a complete disadvantage right now.

Even Nobuna, who had been using her tanegashima on the roof to shoot at the enemies below was gradually being surrounded by Matsunaga Hisahide’s troops.

(This woman, she’s going so far just to test the limits of Nobuna-sama. After losing her master, Miyoshi Nagayoshi, and being labeled as a murderer, she has become distrustful of anyone, even becoming the enemy of the Shogun… she’s a person who meanderes between the boundaries of the real world and dreams……!)

Hanbei solidified her resolve.

To fix Matsunaga Hisashide’s twisted, dark and chaotic soul, it became obvious to her that a sacrifice would have to be made.

「I might just die here…Yoshiharu-san, I’m sorry if that does happen… 」

While coughing violently and holding the last talisman in her hand, Hanbei threw it at Hisashide…. But this last spell slipped away from her small fingers powerlessly.

*Cough!* *Cough!* *Hack!*

As a streak of fresh blood flowed down from the side of Hanbei’s lips, the small girl collapsed onto the ground.

「What is this? What a turn off…to think that I could was getting so exhilarated to finally start killing and have a chance to blow off some steam, only for it to end just like that… but really, is that it? If that’s the case, then kill everyone here. 」

Hisahide said, her voice tinged with a hint of regret.

After hearing this, those impenetrable puppets moved as per her command. They were going to start their last attack at the hallways and roof, attempting to end Nobuna and her retainer’s lives.

「Oi. What the hell are these things? Why are there puppets suddenly attacking us now? Is this an illusion? 」

「No, those aren’t illusions! They have real bodies! Nobuna, you need to get out of there, now, or else everything is going to be lost! Damn…to think that we’re gonna reach a Game Over screen at Kiyomizu-dera of all places, this is totally not like how it went down in the games, you know?! 」

「That’s why I kept telling you that it is bad to desire too many things at once, Sagara-sama! 」

Yoshiharu’s spear had no effect on the puppets at all, and he was overwhelmed by the difference in their strength. As the sword in front of him slashed just inches away from his neck, Yoshiharu heard the nervous loud roar of Goemon.