This time is Danzō's turn! As you'll see in the mailbag below, if the story feels it's jumping around, it's because it's that time to go back full circle into what I did for the first 8 chapters, which focuses on each of our 4 main girls. This time, it's 1/chapter, so maybe the odd feeling you guys are getting is because of that.

neverplayedmgs: And yes, the confusing manner the chapters' PoVs jump around is intentional, because as I said in one of the latest ANs, the next sets of chapters will be in fours, mimicking the first eight chapters I posted for this story. So Nobunaga - Chiyome - Danzou - Juubei, then loop back around roughly like that. Until I get to posting the rest of the set, I accept it will be confusing to readers who read up-to-date (ironically enough) than to someone binge-reading.

"Are you sure about this, Himiko-sama?" Danzō asked.

The fact this was the second time she'd done so brought up a smile on the usually-impassive little girl's face. "Given you've asked me that just now, are you… perhaps nervous, Danzō-san?"

"Yes."

Himiko twitched, before her lips curled in dissatisfaction. "Muu… Always straightforward and without hesitation. Why are you so difficult to tease?"

"Because 'tease victim' is not in my programming, Himiko-sama," Danzō replied flatly, though one could sense a slight irritation at the way the conversation's going. "Besides, I have a very strong feeling you are replacing Shirō-sama with me, thus your atypical drive to make a conversation."

"Tch. Got found out," the Empress clicked her tongue, switching to and admitting in a crass Nihon accent more similar to her twin sister's. "Though that's unsurprising, considering you love him even more than I do."

Danzō smiled. "I think you are selling yourself short, Himiko-sama." The honorifics the kunoichi was using subjectively counted as 'informal' to her, so technically, she was the initiator of this more casual talk. "Were you unconstrained by your position, I have no doubt you are more than willing to cross that social norm… despite it already being popular when I was young."

She was referring to the first two Minamoto shoguns' relationship with each other, since Yoshitsune often sounded… too obsessive of her older brother in some documents. Of course, nothing was publicly stated or proven, but the leaders of the clan since then knew the truth: she was a massive brocon, married or not. That was also the reason why the Minamoto Clan's Sorcery Trait was so unique, in a way not a single outsider knew – compared to their famed usage of undegraded Noble Phantasms – its resistance to inbreeding's negative effects. Thus, the clan members were all free to pursue incestuous relationship, so long as it wasn't made official and leaked to the public… though so far only Yoritomo and Yoshitsune were rumoured to take up this option.

Their descendants all took in converted members of other noble families – the remains of their massacre – who were instrumental in backstabbing their own clans for Minamoto's glory, thus securing their reputation and prestige for future generation to 'learn' from history books. These spouses were written down as the 'saviour' for their families' tarnished reputation, and boasted as Minamoto's merciful nature in sparing and taking them in. Of course, the truth was very far from this, but dead people – yes, really, really dead people; those who didn't die when they were killed were made sure they died – couldn't protest, no?

Hence, Danzō's quip about Himiko's affection for her older cousin, hoping to return the tease the little girl fired off first, but she was unexpectedly forthcoming of her feelings. "I'm not old enough… so maybe, later when Yamatai is formed again, stronger than ever, I'll ask for a child from him."

"Hmm… Any potential suitors until then?" Not pursuing the exact matter further, Danzō queried. "I have to assume your standards are impossibly high, so perhaps that became a rhetorical question, no?"

"Why should there be, and your question also? With every generation, there's always better people of both genders. Have you forgotten of the divine skill [Parthenogenesis]? If what I find is lacking, it's a handy solution to have," Himiko carelessly answered. "These days, homunculi research is also booming, so there's plenty of options beyond a typical marriage, sham or not. Besides, the Minamoto Clan's bloodline can also easily pass down through Aniue; why should I be burdened with producing a child?"

She was also implying a tacit approval for Nobunaga's supposed Minamoto heritage. While the bloodline hadn't manifested strongly in her bar her Thaumaturgical affinity, her younger sister Oichi was able to contract and manifest one of Amaterasu's tails as her Guardian Spirit. That was proof enough for the elders, though a fact unable to be published right now, since Nobunaga's position wasn't set in stone yet. 'Soon, though,' Himiko thought. The 'approval' didn't only come from her – who mainly judged personality and overall match anyway, and not bloodline – but also from the ex-nobles now serving the Imperial Court, who were past Clan Heads swearing fealty to the first Kamakura shogun, Yoritomo. This way, there were two potential breeding branch, and removed the risk of the Sorcery Trait dying with an unfortunate incident.

The final step was now here. Having stabilized its foundation, the Oda-Minamoto secret alliance was now openly warring on every front – the Tripartite to the north, the Mōri Clan to the south, Otakemaru's threat from within, and the Nanban threat from the West.

Himiko was mainly concerned of the yōkai's interference, having sensed his presence through divination via the Yata-no-Kagami. She had a hunch he was somewhat related to the attempt to smuggle Yasakani-no-Magatama out of the empire, but struggled to connect the dots between him and the Nanban forces behind the scenes. The latter must have a powerful individual from the Reverse Side backing them, but the remaining Nanban missionaries – led by Louíse – ensured their organization was doing its utmost to deter any international invasion between the various Textures.

The Empress had never met the Saintess, who was the nun's main teacher, but a simple scrying… or the failure to do so, to be exact, told her exactly how powerful this person was. Himiko had one of Nihon's [Trinity] as her Guardian Spirit, literally possessing the right to rule over the lands – or, to use a Ming term, the 'Mandate of Heaven' – and she felt this Saintess, Jeanne, was able to harness and control a similar amount of power from her own divine entity, one which the missionaries called 'YHWH'. Hence, she tended to trust Louíse's plea… but her hunch wouldn't go away.

Well, that's why she was here and now, stowed inside a cramped but otherwise lavish compartment inside a giant metal vessel Nobunaga had just completed. The Princess General was understandably nervous when Himiko suddenly showed up and commandeered this object, fearing there's still some undetected flaws in the prototype, but the little Empress pointed out the same concern for her other prototype vessel… and the same amount of risk, as well. If Nobunaga could climb aboard one of these, why couldn't she? Who's going to stop her? Muramasa?

'Fufufu… Aniue's not here! I can do whatever I want!'

That thought didn't mean she was about to create wanton destruction – quite the opposite, really. In her trips to 'maintain peace', as it was called, he was obsessively protective and coddling of her to the point she became sick of it. Now, he appeared to have grown out of it, but that was only because he was doing her job for her instead so she didn't have to step foot outside of her pampered life in the castle. Even after she chased him out, he simply found another lord to annoy, as Nobunaga would attest to his current work ethic: mass-producing high-quality weapons, a major investor and chef in Mitsuhide's burgeoning restaurant empire, his political and military duties as retainers of both the Minamoto and Oda Clans, etc. while the intention was to rid his loved ones of worry and hard work, his hard work made them worry over him instead in a delicious irony.

Now that he's busied with both playing mind games with Takakage and incorporating several new potential warriors into his personal retainership, not to mention the info Himiko half-wrongly fed him about Otakemaru's potential stake in this battle, he's sure not to stand in her way! Wahahaha!

'Eh, I sound like Kazumasu,' Himiko bashfully admitted in her mind. 'So we're still connected this strongly…'

Ironically, this bodyguard in front of her was just conversing with her younger twin sister earlier, but Himiko had no intention of letting Kazumasu know of her presence here. Or, in fact, this entire hush-hush super-secret mission, despite the latter being a full-fledged jōnin. The older twin would gladly point out, if challenged, she was accompanied by someone even stronger and better-suited for the job, so all the bases were covered.

"Himiko-sama, your face has considerably relaxed," Danzō pointed out. "This one is happy to provide such a calming environment for you."

"E-Eh, a-ah!" Panicking, the little girl massaged her cheeks and checked her lips at the kunoichi's remark. "G-Geez… I'm letting myself go too much…"

Indeed, without Muramasa here, the sense of freedom was truly immense, to the point she'd become lax. She spent most of her life training and actually working as an empress, and naturally that involved shedding off a lot of the normal childish relationships, as she was forced to assume a perfect adult's responsibility. Yes, much unlike other kingdoms with overly-young rulers at their thrones, her ruling life could be considered perfect, with plenty of honest, loving retainers and family members supporting her sincerely, instead of controlling or scheming behind her back.

Additionally, there's no contest for the throne, since thankfully Kazumasu had wholeheartedly embraced her new role outside of the palace compounds – the frustrations Himiko inadvertently let out for being cooped up for far too long making it through their telepathic ability – and never made a fuss even when her identity was eventually revealed. Oh, there was some dissatisfaction going through their twinned link, but it was hesitant and intermittent, growing more so lately.

If Muramasa was here, he would've been able to divine her thoughts much more accurately than Danzō – the virtue of knowing Himiko all her life – and plunge his fist atop her head, scolding and forcing her to properly talk to Kazumasu, instead of relying on assumptions and deductions through their telepathic link.

Once again, he's not here! Which means she could do whatever she wanted!

This was the sort of freedom she couldn't get even among understanding, loving families. Yes, she was greedy, in a way of wanting more and more without respite. Wealth, political position, military power, magical talent? She had it all. Loyal subjects, insightful and helpful retainers, filial blood-related and adopted family members? Check, check, and check. Still she wanted more, this time represented by the need of a very specific, wilful freedom only available to one among hundreds of millions – i.e. only Himiko herself.

'Just for one day… one day…' she kept telling herself…

…hoping, in futility, Tatsumi didn't snitch on her, since he was the only one who physically saw her sneaking away.

The rest of the Hyakki Yakō had great enough senses to feel her exit, though feeling she wasn't in any danger, didn't bother personally checking and querying of the reason. In fact, Tatsumi also had the same ability – Himiko simply had the misfortune of having her figure spotted. She wasn't a trained kunoichi like her twin sister, after all.

'Come to think of it, Tatsumi-nīsan and Aniue are pretty close, aren't they… Shit.'

It appeared to be fated two boys around the same age, born into the same large family, would develop quite an intense sibling rivalry. Unchecked – or perhaps, like most noble families, actually fanned by various interested parties – it'd usually grow into a full-blown dispute and war past adolescence. However, the pair was just playing around and maintaining a façade – something the Minamoto Clan's inner circle also knew – until they reached an age where they simply didn't care about the fake duels and childish fights anymore. Ironically, Himiko hypothesized this make-believe was one of the few ways they truly bonded and conversed with each other, following the saying about 'warriors talked with fists' or something like that… and their adult relationship was… rather cold and sterile.

She's not one to speak on the matter, of course, given how she and Kazumasu treated each other even in this prepubescent period.

Again, the way to truly confirm her theory was to speak outright to them… much in the same way Muramasa talked to everyone, really. She just didn't have as much guts in her tiny body as that beloved brother of hers, so she'd… put a pause on that thought for now.

Unlike seasoned combatants, Himiko's inner narration actually took quite some time to finish, since not everything was in the right order for even herself to make sense of, plus the jumbled and garbled phrases she had to correct, then backtrack to finish her various lines of thought. Guests and dignitaries all assumed she was solemnly plotting to gain power and control over them – and that's partially true – but in reality, she was simply… still a kid. No matter how much she wished to both be considered adult enough to take care of herself and ironically young enough to be pampered whenever she wanted, there were certain limitations to her body.

A major one became the reason she only asked Danzō for help, instead of Muramasa's other lovers.

She was here following her own hunch, after all – it wouldn't do if she wasn't prepared for the worst.

Regardless of Otakemaru's flimsy connection to the most recent Nanban excursion, he would appear. She's almost certain of it.

When he did, she'd fight.

Not because she's in the middle of her rebellious period, but of her duty as Nihon's empress and heir to the Minamoto Clan.

Sealing one's ancestor was never easy, but someone had to do it, regardless the cost.

Danzō should agree to this… even though Himiko, guiltily silent, hadn't told her the specifics yet. The kunoichi had the golden gift of silence even around Muramasa, who frequently had the effect of loosening a woman's lips just from his presence alone. While he could perhaps see through her silence, the fact she wouldn't say anything if she wasn't asked was a virtue in and of itself – a rare trait, given one so powerful. His other lovers would simply confess about what Himiko was attempting to put herself in front of in different ways, according to their habits and personalities.

The Beast still lived.

Despite her persistent mask in front of her former family, old habits die hard, Danzō guessed. Faced with a cute little girl in front of her, she couldn't help an urge to hug and coddle her from welling up. Yes, she'd made some progress in updating her personality software in regards of extra casualness around those who wished for it and when the situation demanded it. Himiko clearly was fed up with the amount of people constantly trying to butter her up, even among family members, so Danzō's duty was actually to provide some relief for her.

Thus, when the little Empress requested her presence personally, she was eager to spoil Himiko and agreed immediately, even when she requested the kunoichi not to inform her lord of this… excursion.

Then, when Himiko provided additional explanations – more like scatter-brained clues Danzō's hypercompetent processor instantly pieced together as her 'father's' upcoming return – she became even more enthused in this new side-job of hers.

Besides, unlike most, the Empress seemed comfortable with her silent demeanour. While she'd express her feelings more readily in this new life, it's hard to shake off how she behaved in all her previous one, and falling into quietness became one of her comfort zones. Speaking had never been her forte – her rebuke of the Brotherhood a few days ago being an exception, since she was particularly incensed and offended by their existence – and she usually was the recipient of various praises and flirts from her new family, thus she was content with not speaking most times.

After that initial exchange had set the mood, the two retreated into their own private spaces – Himiko debating and monologuing internally as aforementioned, and Danzō was thinking along the same lines, though motivated differently.

The Empress was mostly driven by her sense of duty, despite her yearning to be free of that, and a false sense of responsibility to 'take care' of Otakemaru, one of the Minamoto Clan's ancestors through his relation with Suzuka-gozen, in accordance to one of Nihon's many ancient codes of honour. While her older cousins all had eschewed that in favour of creating an utopia right now, when everything was achievable and harmonious, and she somewhat allowed herself to be influenced by those thoughts, there was still a touch of old-fashioned belief ingrained in her – not helped by the influence of her Guardian Spirit.

In contrast, Danzō had a much more personal stake in the possibility of his resurfacing, though it failed to breach the surface of her benign demeanour… as was most things, really. She'd vanquished one 'father' of hers… and now, one remained.

The last connection to the sins of the past she wished to erase from existence… yet, she couldn't. Thus, this was her way to atone. She didn't find it fortunate her extreme skills enabled her to hide most of the gruesome things she did in her previous life, leaving her name to be remembered as a 'great ninja', and not the unrepentant, emotionless murderer she truly was.

Hence, she found it strange when she first awakened, since her new body couldn't be more suited to killing even more people if it tried. Far better than her old one, built from exotic technologies and well-proven designs, in contrast to her old body's prototypical and rather slapdash nature. It was equipped with and commanded by an updated emotional interface and rational processor… overspeccing her simply to make a better 'right-or-wrong' judgement, as Chiyome explained it, though the one Danzō was grateful the most was her newfound eagerness to find a third way, avoiding any sort of compromise and be 'properly greedy', as her beloved lord explained it.

This… could be included in one of those instances, she guessed? She resisted the urge to tilt her head in confusion, since there's usually either Muramasa or Chiyome around to both explain and tease her about it.

To reach this conclusion, there was perhaps a need to explain how things got here.

The Owari contingent were all spread around. Nobunaga and Muramasa headed south with the majority of the Oda army, along with generals and commanders like Katsuie, Toshīe, Nagahide, the Mori brothers – ironically invading Mōri territory, their near-homophone – and so on. Danzō was supposed to join them, going through the naval route to both engage the Murakami Navy and prevent them from providing support to the mainland battle. Chiyome had headed off with the still-unnamed shinobi crew they'd structured these past few years, along with whoever was free among the Fūma, to Kai. Mitsuhide was busy governing, as with Himiko's additional absence, she had both the Oda and Minamoto territory to look after publicly and discreetly, assisted by Motoyasu, Hanzō, and the Imperial Family's Hyakki Yakō.

Certainly, Chiyome had the most dangerous job, since she could potentially be assaulted by the entire might of the Takeda Clan's army, along with Shingen herself. However, Danzō trusted the serpentine girl's judgement, since she couldn't possibly screw up so badly she ended up in that situation, could she…?

In contrast, the buxom kunoichi had perhaps the safest, most boring job. It's not a given Otakemaru would show up. It's not a given Himiko would be in any real danger at all, since, despite her young age, the sheer amount of Od and Conceptual Weight she emanated even during standby was enough to put her above Danzō herself. Of course, she'd heard of the Empress's ability through Muramasa, but she preferred to wait and ascertain the evidence first than believing, admittedly, someone she loved and trusted so much.

Sitting across Himiko was one step in the right direction to prove his claims. Still, it's not like Danzō'd allow her to see open combat. No matter how much the warrior blood in her broiled, or if she turned out to be as famously temperamental as her ancestor Yoshitsune, the kunoichi would come in and snatch her away from the battlefield as a priority. Even if her 'father' would bombastically erupt and goad her forth, she had long severed her feelings for both her 'parents' before her first 'death'. The only reason she continued guiding the Fūma Clan up to that point was her attachment to the next generations – seeing them grow up, smile, frown, happy, sad, delightful, vengeful, live, die, continuously and intermittently, passing down immortal lessons in the hope their mortal lives could live up to a sliver of the originals' expectations.

She considered her first 'death' to be the definitive severance of that part of her life, thus her irritation at how little her latest group of 'children' was able to move on. Tough love, many would say, but the current generation Fūma shinobi would cry out of the unfairness of her judgement. Of course, she wouldn't have a change of heart even if she was ordered to present their heads to her current lord… but she had a sense even with this kind of threat, they wouldn't budge from their weak conviction as well.

It was shown when Kōtarō mindlessly followed her half-joke and attacked the Brotherhood members outright when they were late in excusing themselves from her presence by a mere 5 seconds. Of course, as fellow colleagues of the same occupation, it's not difficult for those Nanban 'merchants' to safely extricate themselves, but that's also partially because the redhead was too eager to earn his 'mother's' praise he stopped halfway through, part of his mind switching off the details of her order.

Given the Minamoto Clan had spread an airtight magical surveillance net around Nihon, their appearance – along with their opposing organization – wasn't really a surprise. Going straight to her, bypassing all customs and expectations, was. How the two organizations operated had been consistent throughout history, according to the information brought in by the last true heir of Zabaniya, which was to prioritize securing relationships with leaders of a nation. Yes, the two approached it from opposite directions; the Order from the top-down, while the Brotherhood from the bottom-up, but their habits were clear.

Yet, the latter chose her as their first point of contact? The lack of locals following their entourage certainly led her to this train of thought, and confirmed by further investigations, which meant they truly did rush here as soon as their accreditation was pushed through by Christian sympathizers. Fortunately, that person was Louíse, who quickly notified Nobunaga of what's going on.

The Order was similarly strange. Typically, they'd cosy up with either Himiko, Nobunaga, or a member of the Tripartite, because they saw themselves as above 'common men'. However, the one they chose to back this time was the Mōri Clan, who, while powerful, was nowhere near the top of figures expected to be able to unify Nihon once again.

Hence, her considerable experience pointed her to one thing: Someone was playing them behind the scenes, obviously having thought using just one Nanban insurgent to stir things up in Nihon wasn't enough. Yes, while Cabral and Kelley had different origins, in the end, they worked together in a united front once they felt they'd secured Yasakani-no-Magatama. This time, the Order and Brotherhood could be causing trouble from two different directions… if the Minamoto and Oda Clan weren't so overwhelmingly powerful it made them no different than toddlers' two-pronged attack.

Louíse's report was spot-on regarding the level of current Nanban Mystery. Aside from select few families and groups – none of which were affiliated in any way with either the Church or the 'Big Five' colonial powers – the most powerful magi were merely on the calibre of Carbal and Kelley. The 'monsters', as the nun described it, were actually more likely to assist Nihon and induct it into the burgeoning 'secret group' of true Mystery inheritors than conquer it.

Whether Nobunaga could stomach not being the active force behind the scenes for once… Danzō was unsure of. Because that was her dream, not Nobunaga's, not 'Tenka Fubu' – a world connected and at harmony with each other, a place where someone like her could live sinless and without prejudice, a reality where there was no nation, country, or empire dividing them all.

Nobunaga had admitted the original 'Tenka Fubu' was a far too ambitious a notion, since ruling the world through violence had never worked. The redhead wasn't ready to accept the kunoichi's interpretation of a 'unified world' yet, but at least she's considering it. Besides, that kind of goal could only be achieved across generations, and clearly not in this era.

Now, they had to focus on the challenge ahead, which to Danzō was also to uncover who was it manipulating these two 'esteemed' organizations to come here – an old player, or a new force? Other than keeping Himiko safe, she'd focus even more on this question than fighting her 'father'. Nobunaga and Muramasa were more than enough to deal with one errant yōkai, no matter if he's one of the Three Great Calamities.

The Oda Clan's anonymous shinobi force did a great job in uncovering some clues – and most surprisingly, they all came from Goemon's underlings instead of the talented but unruly Named Ones she and Chiyome had gathered. It's simply a lesson which taught rank and prestige meant nothing in reality, because the only thing they should chase and apply was compatibility – it's far more efficient to have a decent and low-ranked genin if one's mission was heavily tied to and rewarded simple, mass information gathering.

The Nanban representative this time was named 'Maria', a Spanish young girl barely out of her teenage years – in fact, very similar age to Chiyome. Hailing from the Spanish Empire instead of British, like Kelley, she'd garnered enough resources and political backing to become the leader of this 'expedition' despite her young age. It's likely Spain saw Britain's embarrassing faux pas and decided to strike while the iron was hot, not to mention the information Cabral had managed to gather about Nihon in his few short years in Nihon. Perhaps it's incomplete, but clearly far more detailed than Kelley's impromptu visit and subsequent near-instantaneous stay, having worked within the system for far longer.

She was good enough to avoid showing her face yet, opting to send her men to negotiate and entice the Mōri Clan while she worked in the shadows. These people were, naturally, the Order members who were somehow duped into doing her biddings while Maria herself wasn't a core member. It simply showed what Danzō lambasted them about was true, because those organizations now no longer held true to their original beliefs, instead being swayed by personal ambitions and needs.

The shadowy figure behind her… was a Phantasmal Species much stronger than Kelley, proven by the few times the genins caught her using her Magecraft. A traditional Thaumaturgical Foundation, which meant its Conceptual Weight was clearly palpable for the sensor-type shinobis surrounding her at all times, indicating she came from a well-established lineage and good family. This was in contrast to Kelley's almost self-taught style – while he used several techniques reminiscent of his mentor and partner-in-crime, the royal tutor John Dee, most of it was his own interpretation of his incomplete talent for the Universal Language, usage of his Guardian Spirit Ouroboros, and his own combat experience.

Nothing more was known about her, because Danzō was concerned this blonde girl was able to not only detect and capture the Owari genins, but also convert them for her own personal use. Unfortunately, this meant the buxom kunoichi couldn't prove Himiko's worries about the presence of her 'father'… so she tried another way.

Nobunaga was oddly hesitant to make full use of her current relationship with Nihon's Christian parts, in contrast to her typical overbearing persona. Whether this was due to the lessons in her first life or not, Danzō was unsure of, but it meant someone had to step in, lest an unwanted third party took advantage of the situation.

Hence, she sent Hisui to garner as much useful information about Europe's political landscape as possible, to augment what she already knew from before.

…in short, it was a mess.

The Saintess had shifted her attention to the atrocities the colonizers were doing in the New World, taking most of her main disciples along with her to cover as much area and culture as possible. The person operating her movement in mainland Europe was the 'daughter' of the recently-deceased maestro Leonardo da Vinci, whom Danzō heard was around Himiko's age now, so it wasn't as surprising to her as to others. Compared to her teacher, this girl was infinitely more devious, inheriting her 'father's' genius and her teacher and current 'mother's' powers, aggressively dismantling and sabotaging established outposts of the Pope seemingly in revenge of her 'father's' execution.

Danzō guessed the reality was more complex than this, because this girl's existence was… well, non-existent until after his death. There were a lot of familiar tricks the kunoichi could pull herself which resulted in this same fact, but since she was tied up here and couldn't go abroad, she could only take the information with a pinch of salt.

When alive, her 'father' was a patron of the Brotherhood, but the relationship quickly deteriorates in da Vinci's later years, as the Catholic Church increased their pressure and discrimination against him. It was by this time the Saintess publicly supported him and lambasted the Pope's efforts, having done so in secret for many years before that, and he was eventually left alone by his deathbed, with not a single Brotherhood member visiting. As to what drove that decision, Danzō was also unsure, but it left her with a negative opinion of the currently-retired leader of the Brotherhood, whom she addressed directly in her chiding of the Brotherhood members Kōtarō eventually attacked.

Ming had gotten itself mixed with its feud with the Order, which enabled Himiko's secret forces to easily locate and execute the Ashikaga siblings in the first place, so Danzō had no desire to have Nihon experience the same fate. Besides, that empire had grown so chaotic it should be easy to extract territories from the troubled citizens near Nihon's coastlines. Conquering by force was difficult. But conquering when the people wanted to be conquered? That was true conquest, Danzō presumed.

What was Spain after, then? Or, to be more precise, what was Nanban after? Italy was rocked by the dethroning of the Borgia family from its ruling class, Spain was approaching its zenith, Britain was still in the infancy of Elizabeth's rule, while the Eastern Block was helmed by the current Pendragon heir. That last one was unapologetically aligned with the Saintess, who was now probably preaching in the Americas' wilderness, and had directly attacked John Dee at his residence to Danzō's knowledge. Thus, it's not out of the realm of possibility whoever had designs on Nihon's massive magic stone mines and artefacts chose Spain as their representative this time, while they skulk in the shadows.

It's difficult to discern their identity even after consulting the knowledgeable Muramasa, because Maria was simply excellent at the orthodox teachings so common in Europe. It's not like the Minamoto Clan whose abilities and strengths were so distinctive, or the higher-level Renaissance-era Abrahamic Thaumaturgical Foundation the Saintess's followers were blessed with, like Louíse. Right after the Dark Ages, Europe was swathe with esoteric teachings which eventually became 'the norm' – and this was the skills Maria was witnessed using.

So, to gauge her identity, Danzō would have to engage. Which was a happier proposition than seeing her current run off to fight Otakemaru, despite Muramasa's worry.

- Zuzuzuuu…

A low-pitched groan soon emanated from the walls around Danzō and Himiko. The room they're in was incredibly furnished, befitting of an empress's room, and thus significantly soundproofed both physically and magically… and yet the sound still came through. Well, to be more precise, it was an all-encompassing vibration which their sensitive bodies could perceive as sound, and not an actual breach of energy travelling through solid and air.

"Oh, we're almost there?" The little queen perked up, having followed Danzō's silence into absentmindedness.

The kunoichi shook her head. "Unlikely. Perhaps 'tis simply time to contact Nobunaga-sama's vessel, which required us to be closer to the surface, as Shirō-sama's specialization over his Imperial Regalia does not enable us to communicate this far away."

"Hmm… How complicated. Are you sure we can't just use Yata-no-Kagami?" Himiko asked, rather bored and stiff from sitting still for quite a long time in a claustrophobic environment. "I know your 'father' can sense it, but… I'll be discreet! I have a new trick to show you!"

Danzō was rather taken aback when the Empress scrabbled all over her lap, eagerly shoving her face close like a little puppy – which was an apt description, given their size differences, as just her breasts alone were nearly the size of Himiko's face. "I… suppose not. Besides, we have already completed the manoeuvre… thus your request has come a touch late."

"Mumuu…" the girl grumbled, harrumphed, and chose to sit right on Danzō's plump thighs after a quick spin. "Pamper me! I am bored!"

"Yes, yes. I have considerable experience in doing this, so rest assured," the kunoichi declared in a motherly tone, before promptly hugging Himiko like a body pillow and patting both her head and chin with either hand. "Please be calm, Himiko-sama. Our time shall come."

"I know, I know!" Despite this acknowledgement, she threw a mild tantrum by swinging her lower legs around. "Just… how much longer?!"

- …!

Suddenly, Himiko tensed… because she felt Danzō do the same. Thinking there was some incoming threat, she swivelled her head around… only to once again be surprised when Danzō displayed anger on her face, instead of worry.

"…are you so eager to throw everything we have worked towards these past few years to waste, Heika-sama?" The kunoichi's tone dropped dangerously, as well as throwing away the more casual honorifics in favour of her typical speech mannerism. "Shirō-sama has decreed myself to safeguard you at all cost, and prioritize your escape instead of assisting you in combat."

Himiko, scolded, looked down sadly. "…so he already knows."

"Affirmative. Partially, that is also due to him knowing my position at all times due to the connection we have made," Danzō sternly explained. "He has troubled himself to apologize for ordering me to disregard my feelings much like my hated fathers did in the past. Watching his face…" The kunoichi's expression softened, as was usual when talking about her lord and lover. "…enforces to me you are not to take to the field. Please, do choose to kill this lowly one first, if you decide otherwise."

"…fine. You don't have to say it like that," Himiko sulked, curling further into a ball and shrinking her already-small figure into something resembling a folded personal futon. "I'm not that bloodthirsty… though I caution you to underestimate my survival skills, aside from my fighting strength."

Satisfied she'd knocked the Empress's hopes a peg, Danzō relented, "I have no doubt of your strength, which should be able to contain my 'father' much better than my haphazard skills. I have not forgotten we are meeting with Shirō-sama, and with all of us together, who can threaten you in this world?" The kunoichi rocked the little girl to cajole her to open up slightly, instead of making the exact same face Kazumasu often did when her retainers scolded her for being too brash. "Let us focus on the obvious first, before worrying about the clandestine."

"Hmph! I made all the effort, and those Nanbans barely posed a challenge…! Why are they so plain and direct, instead of using cleverer tactics?"

Danzō shrugged. "I think that was merely relative to your brilliance. Other empires with supposedly greater strength have fallen to those exact tactics you looked down upon."

"Please stop flattering me. I have enough people doing that every day," Himiko huffed, though her cheeks softened with happiness at the praise. "Do you think they're going to do something more over-the-top than last time? In order to bury our previous victory in history as the victors?"

"I would think so. Of course, they do not know of our trump cards yet, thinking Chiyome-san's power was the be-all-and-end-all," Danzō admitted. "Still, I would like to hear your opinion on what they should be doing."

Himiko hummed. "Hmm… The men who visited the Mōri Clan should be just cannon fodders. There's no need to specifically allocate resources to handle them. The Mōri Clan's most feared weapon was the Murakami Navy… but we're well-equipped to handle it all, leaving Aniue to sweep up the land battles." Closing her eyes and taking several seconds to conclude her thoughts, she finally spoke, "The possible wildcards are Dee and Kelley, because I'm sure they're not the types to simply lay down after getting defeated so thoroughly."

"'Tis curious, truly, how one Thaumaturgical Foundation could be so perverted its original version was its anathema and the best choice to combat it," Danzō observed, recalling Chiyome's report of the battle around a year ago. "Miss Louíse was powerful, yes, but I think her victory could be more amounted to compatibility than raw power. Hence, I feel 'tis paramount to draw her into the battle, if those two so appeared."

"And have… preparations been made on that front? I am too far up the political ladder to address Fróis directly," Himiko asked. "Kippōshi-san should be close to her, no?"

"Yes… though she has been pandering herself to various religious groups, using the threat of Nanban to unify them, instead of allowing them to run adamantly against her." Danzō pondered for a while, before resuming, "Although I'm not sure whether the current Christian sect has joined in on our movement or not…"

In fact, Nobunaga already had several Christian retainers, chief amongst which Kanbei and Ujisato Gamō, while the Minamoto Clan also had a few serving them, such as the imperial physician Manase Dōsan, along with some members of the Hyakki Yakō. Remembering this fact, Himiko suddenly spoke, "Wait… Didn't the Date Clan's Princess General also joined recently? I heard she's become Kippōshi-san's lover…?"

"That… Please do not mention that in front of them both," Danzō sheepishly requested, in a rare moment of not knowing what to say when she wanted to speak. "Besides, if this leaks out… Kippōshi-san's de facto fiancé would be hurt."

"That little girl… What's her name? Kichō, right?" The Empress guessed hypocritically despite the two of them being of around the same age. "The heir to Mino… Jeez, why haven't they gotten married yet?"

"You know full well why, Himiko-sama," the kunoichi pointed out, back to using a more casual tone.

"…it's like a web, isn't it?"

The answer to Himiko's rhetorical question was simple: Things were just too complicated, with various webs interconnecting with each other. On one hand, there was Muramasa's harem; on the other, Nobunaga's. Factor in the Minamoto Clan, and romantic relationships were moving far too slowly for anyone's liking. Still, some restraint must exist, lest a sexual anarchy would occur and hinder Nihon's plan of expansion. Yes, a moral environment where everyone could equally pursue their interests was certainly ideal, but clearly not invincible and easy to manipulate into destruction.

There was one thing in their advantage, though: age. Everyone concerned were still very young, in contrast to Nobunaga's previous life when the norms and traditions were far stricter. Besides, with Mystery rebounding closer and closer to its height in the Heian Period, it's not a problem to live and stay young past a century or two, as evidenced by the various members of the Hyakki Yakō. Even at this eve of the Sengoku Period, there's still decades and centuries to go before Nihon could metamorphosize back to Yamatai – the true form it's always meant to take.

And yes, that was not an exaggeration: After this battle, it could be said the Sengoku Period would end, and a new era of unified national identity would be completed.

So close, yet so far.

"It's entirely possible they're going to postpone the wedding until everything's done, huh…" Himiko muttered, her voice a mix of relief and unhappiness. "So we have to work hard. I don't want to be the baby of the bunch forever!"

Danzō smiled at the Empress's outburst. "I think Shirō-sama has recently received a new batch of retainers who are of similar age to you, Himiko-sama. Would you like to befriend them?"

"I don't wanna~! I want a younger sibling to bully…!"

"Well, then, that's complicated…"

- Zuzuzuuu…

"Oh, are we finished? Then is the battle close?" Himiko eagerly queried once she heard their entire room groan once again, following the movement of the vessel. However, she caught sight of Danzō's terse lips, and quickly verbally backpedalled, "Of course, I won't be rash. Think of it as a supervisor coming for an inspection!"

"Good." Still hugging the tiny Empress, Danzō stood up and said, "Do you wish to survey the operation from the front, then?"

"Of course!"

The decorated metal door to their room slid open, much in the same lightness, speed, and quietness as its paper counterpart, revealing an almost sterile hallway made entirely of light-painted metal. No lavish colour combination or furniture here – the only break from the monotony was the smooth golden spheres embedded halfway into the walls at regular interval, positioned a touch higher than Nobunaga's already-imposing height, since most of the facilities here were designed for taller Nanbans in mind. However, this blandness was supposed to be temporary, as this was the first prototype, after all. Running as light as possible was the safe choice, given its mission was to immediately plunge itself into war with minimal testing.

Himiko felt rather awkward for being carried like a baby by Danzō, but given this was a rare chance to engulf herself in the warmth of another living being, she relented and didn't kick up a fuss. She didn't have any particular memories of her parents – only from second-hand accounts – and while her immediate family members more than made up for their absence, she still lacked a true mother figure. Danzō was not that, but at this very instant, she could very well be. Thus, the Empress allowed herself to be carried to the operating centre, disregarding the look she's getting from the occasional crew members passing by.

Given the relaxed setting despite them being in the eve of war, most of them weren't reprimanded when they failed to bow on sight, but Himiko let them go this time because she's too busy hanging on tight and enjoying the softness Danzō was emanating, both physically and spiritually.

The vessel wasn't big – clearly far smaller than the one Nobunaga proudly showed Kennya as part of their negotiations – so they quickly reached the main bridge. Typically, a VIP room was placed as far away from the operating centre as possible both for comfort and preventing these VIPs – typically inexperienced in military matters – from influencing the required clockwork-like environment for everything just to function.

As they got closer and closer, the hallway ended and opened up into a larger central enclosed deck, despite the vessel's external dimensions clearly not allowing something of this size to exist. Almost at the size of a ship-building hangar, Danzō and Himiko exited to a third-story viewing balcony, where they could observe the busy operations happening below. Much like the living quarters they're from earlier, this part was clearly enchanted with high-level [Space] Thaumaturgy in order to expand the internal area. Not to the level of the Imperial Palace, obviously – hence the Empress's relatively cramped personal room, when compared to the grandeur she's used to – but this was done in order to avoid magical detection during stealth operations.

And yes, while this trip wasn't strictly hush-hush, it's still important to be as quiet as possible so they wouldn't get ambushed by marine-specialized defences and Phantasmal Species. For instance, the Ouroboros Chiyome fought all those times ago operated perfectly well in deep-sea environments, and was the perfect attack to use if Kelley knew of this movement and decided to intercept, for example.

"Action, starboard!" The appointed senior officer barked his order, seemingly oblivious of being observed by the Empress. "Arm, Tube 1! Tube 2! Tube 3! Tube 4!"

The crew hurriedly followed his orders, loading the long, cylindrical metal objects with magic stones dully glowing from underneath their covers around the centre portion into their respective hatches.

"This thing called a 'submarine'… is cool!" Himiko whispered, full of admiration to Nobunaga.