First epilogue chapter! This is a tribute to what I consider to be one of the best games of all time, because I won't do a full story on this crossover. Enjoy!
"What do you see, Isshin?"
Hearing the young voice calling out from behind him – a fatal misjudgement if there's any assassination attempt – the well-built middle-aged samurai restrained his shoulders' instinct to do a decapitating backswing. "What do you mean, Takeru-dono?"
The young man chuckled. After all this time, this general never let his guard down around anyone, and insistent on projecting an invincible aura. "You've been staring at the sunset for quite a while. I know you're not a monk, so you're not chasing spiritual enlightenment." A thought came to him. "What, did an artistic impulse strike you? Thinking of a poem or a painting?"
"You jest," Isshin snorts. "I'm thinking of the next conquest."
"So soon?" Takeru sighed. "I'm not going to point out your lack of heir – Genichiro is still too young, no matter what that brat says – but you should take a break. Your men need a break. I'm sure you can see past their enthusiasm for the reality of the situation."
Ashine was a unique province. Situated far north, in the southern reaches of Hokkaido, it's a land of deep mystical significance. In Nanban terms, it's situated atop a main node of Nihon's leyline, easily attracting and nourishing all kinds of creatures and phenomena there. Isshin had fought a short-yet-intense war over the governing of this land, partly because this was his hometown, and partly because he was greedy of this natural advantage to push himself beyond his current martial limits.
What 'Sword Saint'? While he was busy honing himself against other warlords and the occasional royal patrols, the current head of the Minamoto Clan had usurped this position. Isshin heard that young man could cleave the sea apart and destroy a mountain with a single swing – certainly far above what he'd achieved himself. Cutting faster than the eyes could see? Summoning black flames from Kaimon? Even regular special forces shinobis under the Imperial Family's umbrella wielded more special weapons, their Conceptual Weight not inferior to his Mortal Blade.
Ashina was only just recovering. There's no denying that. Further wars, however small, would only sap the land of its strength to the point it'd be of no use to anyone. The people were happy now, but it's only temporary – the true test was continued governance and the real challenge was sustained prosperity. Isshin knew being the sole surviving victor of the bloodbath was but the first step, and he had many more to establish himself among the older clans and in front of the Minamoto.
"And if I do that, I'll get left too far behind," he resolutely refuted Takeru's advice, finally turning around to see the young man. "Do you know Kyoto is starting to make plans to cross the ocean and rob the rest of the Dragon's Heritage from Goryeo?"
He shook his head. "What Himiko-chan decides isn't for a branch family member like me to know. But I can guess well enough, especially since she's growing ever bolder with each passing day."
The young man – having just matured from being a boy a scant few years ago – was delicate to the point of feminine. Isshin had the fortune to glimpse at the current Empress when he was receiving his basic training in the capital almost a decade ago, but at that time, Himiko was only a toddler. Still, from what he knew, Takeru didn't really look like someone who's related to the Imperial Family. His black hair had a tint of purple in them, though the general wasn't sure whether it's because he's the Divine Heir or it's purely natural. In fact, if not for the presence of a high-ranking Minamoto Clan member guarding him almost day and night, Isshin would've thought Takeru's connection to Kyoto was thin.
He's of slight built, a full head shorter than the lanky Isshin, looking a bit younger than his age. Takeru always had a delicate physique, and even visiting Isshin outdoors like this could invite sickness. And because the former was practically immortal, any form of illness was simply torture, because medicine, treatment, and relief were far and few in between, forcing him to be in agony for days with no solution in sight.
Still, he felt good, so he continued, knowing Tomoe would soon appear and drag him back to his quarters. For his own good, she always argued. "My opinion… is she'll take things slower than you imagine. Goryeo is in turmoil, and Sakura implies a new dynasty will trample over the old one soon."
Isshin snorted, not out of disrespect of Takeru's opinion, but always at the very mention of the overly-feminine name of the male Divine Dragon. The young man had more insight and wisdom than his entire army combined, so it's always foolish to disregard his opinion. He assumed he could get away with laughing because of Takeru's inability to project his Guardian Spirit to the real world to punish him, much less summon it outright or do a Divine Apotheosis. He's immortal, but not invincible – in fact, his body would've crumbled and reassembled itself at the mere attempt of the above two techniques, putting him into eternal purgatory until his Od ran out or Sakura disrupted the process.
"Then, what do you think I should do?"
This time, it's Takeru's turn to chuckle. "I was right. You weren't feeling competitive, but simply bored."
Isshin's words earlier implied he wished to expand his territory beyond Ashina's current borders, become a powerful daimyō, and catch up to those much younger Princess Generals in terms of honour and prestige. Yet, the young man knew this was merely a façade the general showed to the public: ambitious and temperamental, easily guided to foolish mistakes with the promise of fighting and glory. Of course, this was partially true – a performance was best when it contained a shred of sincerity – but Isshin Ashina was far more than that.
Takeru thought his opinion about 'monks' earlier might've been false. Isshin was like a monk. Chasing an illusory thing and dedicating himself to that pursuit – the only difference was the Senpō Temple's study of Buddhism compared to Isshin's goal of martial perfection. That monastery was a relative newcomer to the land, having established several smaller temple complexes all across Hokkaido before settling down and deciding to build their centre of command here. It's by no means the 'official, state-sanctioned' Buddhist temple like Ishiyama Hongan-ji or Enryaku-ji, so like Takeru, it chose a relatively remote place.
What about him? He was nothing more than a distant descendant of Yamato Takeru, his ancestral namesake, a prince from the time this empire was still called 'Yamatai'. His bloodline would later intermingle with the Minamoto Clan during its efforts to introduce stronger and stronger Sorcery Traits via absorbing all sorts of sons- and daughters-in-laws into the family, resulting in Takeru today. That said, just like what he uttered beforehand, he was nothing but a branch family member – the nth 'Takeru', since the name was so popular in his family.
He was 'sent' here as a 'student of the arts' – ergo, Isshin's martial and warfare arts – but he knew he's just a lowly political hostage. No matter how the general respected and liked him, it showed how little the Imperial Family thought of this up-and-coming soldier when it's him they sent, instead of someone from the main Yamato branch or directly from the Minamoto Clan's inner circles.
This, it didn't surprise him when Tomoe showed up the instant the Dragon's Heritage entered his body. Himiko – and her predecessor – had powerful scrying ability, and a Divine Spirit this powerful wouldn't just land on Nihon territory unnoticed. With his value rising, it's only logical to send someone with both close connections to the main family and enough strength to restrain him, should he decide to rebel.
…well, no, he was quite confused why Tomoe was here, and not someone with more powerful Anti-Dragon measures. He heard the Mochizuki priestess was an expert in draconic sealing arts, and the current Miyamoto Clan Head had plenty of dragon-slaying weapons in his arsenal. But perhaps the latter was the answer – even out here, in cold, remote Ashina, Takeru and Sakura were still well within Sengo Muramasa's strike range. All it took was an order from Himiko, and they'd perish down to their very souls. No matter how haughty Sakura was, even he was rational enough he couldn't possibly attract unwanted attention to himself, especially in this weakened state of his. His Yōkai Realm, the Fountainhead Palace, was still in disrepair after his escape from Goryeo – now soon-to-be Joseon – and even a well-trained and -prepared assassin would be able to neutralize him quite easily, much less Nihon's current leaders.
However, this was also the fuel for Isshin's ambitions. If he could nurture Takeru well and merge their strengths together, then it wouldn't be an impossibility for Ashina to be recognized as an independent fiefdom, above those defeated states who fell to Nobunaga. Let it be known not even that Princess General could conquer him!
The rustling of Takeru's clothes was quite loud, since he was in a hurry. He'd sneaked out of his personal compound without permission or notice just to speak with Isshin, and the older general didn't even summon him since he was in deep thought. Thus, all the blame would've fallen on Takeru's shoulders… and Tomoe's fists would only fall on his head.
- Tap. Tap. Tap.
Suddenly, he froze.
It wasn't the sound of footsteps, but… fingers drumming against one's elbow. How it could echo so loudly in his ears, he's not sure.
He's also not sure he wanted to turn around and look at the person who's making this noise. His martial level was equal to an untrained peasant, so detection skills like Isshin's ability to know who's behind or around him were beyond Takeru. Still, the dread his cold back was feeling could only be attributed to one person.
Stuttering, he greeted without turning back, "G-G-Greetings, Tomoe-sama. How's y-y-your day…?"
A scorching, yet clipped voice answered. "Unenjoyable, thanks to you."
- Whack!
"Uuu…"
A moment later, Takeru was forced into a seiza with a comical lump poking out of his head.
"Should I expose your identity throughout Hokkaido? Make sure you can't even step out of your house?" Tomoe kept on verbally pushing him down. "Hm? Is that what you want? Hm?"
In his years of knowing her, Tomoe never raised her voice. Ever. However, Takeru always found her 'gentle' scolding to be the ones which hurt the most. He could take his family's criticisms – or even Isshin's – but she was an existence he couldn't go against. Perhaps this was why the Minamoto Clan assigned her to him, knowing his personality.
"Even though Goryeo is about to fall in the next decade, don't you think they – or their usurper later – won't be interested in bringing you back? They may not care about your status as a vessel and simply rip Sakura out of you, no?" She sat in front of him, manners as perfect as always, arms folded which supports her shapely breasts. "I won't belittle you by dehumanizing you, but what should I do if my words can't get through to you? Should it be Himiko-sama's words? Or Shuten-sama's?"
Even a female oni would experience physical changes after she gave birth, and Tomoe was no exception. The slim, toned physique she cultivated when she was young had grown shapelier, with curves expanding in just the right places without adding into her waistline. As a yōkai, this didn't mean a reduction in strength, unlike half-breeds or humans where muscles had to be maintained. No matter how large her breasts had gotten or wide her whips had grown, it didn't impede her in combat the slightest.
It did impede Takeru's ability to stay calm in front of her, though, his hormonal teenager mind filling him with thoughts such as 'sexy mother' or 'enchanting teacher'.
"…t-that's not necessary…"
"Then what is?" She sternly asked, still as calm as before. "A life-changing experience? A near-death experience? Marriage? Answer me!"
Takeru blushed heavily at the third question, and his mouth was immobile.
As the Age of Exploration wanes, particularly in the East Asian regions, information about any potential global power was naturally scarce for Westerners. While they'd gained a foothold in Southeast Asia, starting their colonization plan, unlike Proper Human History, there was very little eagerness for the gunboat diplomacy Britain favoured to be used against the 'eastern barbarians'. This was chiefly because of Nobunaga's lenient treatment for foreigners, but also because of Louise's influence. The Princess General's attitude might be taken as a symbol of weakness for Western powers who didn't know her, but the buxom blonde girl passively restrained them from trying anything silly, realizing her relationship with the Saintess.
And for those in the know, such as Britain, they knew Nihon wasn't an empire to be trifled with.
John Dee's research and notes slowly trickled down to the royal and aristocrat faction, mainly those who're experts in Magecraft. It spoke of the overwhelming level of Mystery existing there, in the Far East, but it's a Thaumaturgical resource they couldn't use even if, somehow, their military and political might soared to the point they could feasibly attempt an invasion of Nihon. Even then, the former Royal Teacher noted the land there would've passively and heavily reject foreigners who're uninitiated and unacknowledged by it. A natural defence more fearsome than any mountains or ravine, or row after row of anti-naval weapons.
What was most frustrating was the complete failure in sneaking even a piece of magic stone which made Nihon so attractive in the first place. But after hands after hands reaching towards it were not just burnt, but mauled, they stopped coveting it illegally and grudgingly accepted the far-from-fair trade demands from the soon-to-be shogun. Who wielded the real power in Nihon, after the Empress, was clear to them, yet even Yoshimoto wasn't an easy woman to deal with. In fact, she might be more troublesome because her train of thought often jumped from one place to another, only for her opponents to realize they'd been walking down a carefully-prepared maze of crazy… and then were decimated either one-by-one or altogether.
While Nobunaga was stronger in every aspect, one could still glimpse at her plans and ambitions – the only problem was she was too strong they couldn't do anything even if they tried defending. In this case, Nihon could be said to be helmed by a two-faced system: Yoshimoto handling the 'daylight' affairs, and Nobunaga the 'darkness' one.
This wasn't even factoring the Imperial Family, who kept their throne not just because of bloodline purity, but sheer strength. Enough to let their empire run by a distant descendant without fear of betrayal, treating the various small civil wars as children playing in their backyard. Normally, such occurrence would be prime opportunity for foreign powers to take their figurative pie slices, but it was, in fact, so controlled Nihon's national power didn't even decline in the slightest.
After all, their Empress could personally destroy a naval fleet by herself. What chance did outsiders have, apart from carefully- and intentionally-selected ones?
However, the aforementioned scenarios were just exactly that. Britain didn't even have the strength to think of future imperial expansions because of the recent upheaval concerning the Pendragon Clan. Those who witnessed Countess Bathory's (certainly) unprovoked public assassination of John Dee, combined with the 'release' of his gory experimental contents to the public, had lost the current monarchy a lot of favour with the public. There were still those who remembered when Queen Mordred's descendants still ruled the lands – of how peaceful, rich, and prosperous the islands were – before it was ousted by the current ruling family. There's already discontent when laws favouring aristocrats and royals were passed one after another, burdening the commoners more and more, and this was the final fuse lit.
Even now, petitions from the Lower House favouring the return of the Pendragon Clan, currently still sat in Hungary, to the throne were gaining traction. Some Upper House members were simply too frightened to outright reject the motions when Countess Bathory's supporters 'visited' them a few times, so neither the Queen nor the Prime Minister could sweep this matter under the rug. The establishments – or 'revelation', it should be said – of several new powerful organizations only made it worse, since through offering better working and living conditions, they won the hearts of the public one district after another, with Britain's current rulers being unable to do anything but watch as those patches of lands were legally – and also magically-binding – bought.
Besides, the European powers were also passively checked by their still-powerful Middle Eastern counterparts, who not only controlled that continent's majority of economy through imports, but also the main exporter of hot weapon technology.
If only they knew what was going on in the Korean Peninsula, though, they would've sympathized with Goryeo because they're going through the same thing.
Their Dragon's Heritage was lost, though more recently than Britain. Slowly, the Mystery level declined to the point recent generations had no magical talent whatsoever, and Thaumaturgical research moved to preserving whatever they had left. Artificial methods were also being studied, looking for ways to create homunculi to strengthen this part of the empire, but resources were lacking. The easiest way to do it was striking a trade deal with Nihon for their Amrita, but the demands – while seemingly benign on the surface – were too outrageous for Goryeo to comply with, especially with its current declining state.
Knowing it would soon be annexed by the surrounding powers – Nihon from the eastern seas, Ming from the west, and Russia from the north – the would-be Joseon rulers hastened their plans to usurp the throne, change the dynasty, and stabilize the country to have a fighting chance against those three. They were most weary of the first one, because traces indicated their Dragon's Heritage had landed there, and Nihon would've been the first foreign power to notice what's going on in Goryeo. Even one day's advantage was fatal on the battlefield, much less several years' worth of preparation. Despite the lack of evidence, Goryeo and Joseon knew Nihon had been doing exactly that.
Which was why Himiko was persistently controlling Takeru's status ever since she found out of him. Not locking him inside a cage, nor carelessly parading him in public – every step must be calculated to attain maximum national benefit, and there were multiple choices where the 'benefit' was subjectively equal. Using him as a political bargaining chip? Training him to be a warrior? Absorbing his power and making him a living magical battery? There were many ways Takeru could be used, and the Imperial Family was considering everything.
In reality, Kyoto was partial to a combination of the first two options, with the third one firmly considered as backup. Because Takeru's lack of martial talent, it's stupid to send him to the frontlines even though they'd successfully trained his Conceptual Weight so he could do so. Goryeo, or its subsequent successors, had no defence against Sakura's presence, because this Divine Dragon was the source of their creation myth. It's akin to a parent entering their children's house, only to reveal the former was a psychopathic murderer and ruthlessly killed everyone. There was simply no way to reject his or his vessel's entry into the kingdom, making any kind of well-established defensive formation useless.
Besides, just Chiyome alone could breach their foremost defences and render it moot. With so many offensive options, they could afford to be conservative regarding Takeru's usage.
If not him personally, then his attendants?
That was the kind of thought gaining traction among the nobles, because dragons were known to have passive enhancing effects on their surroundings due to their massive Conceptual Weight. In effect, it was like Nihon's Three Sacred Regalias which could empower those around it, simply by having it on display and be worshipped.
This was why Isshin was still allowed to arrogantly parade his ambition to climb the ranks. Because of coincidences, he was the most appropriate to receive this draconic boost, and could be the frontline leader sent to Goryeo to accompany Takeru. Succeed, and his young family would be set for generations to come. Fail… and there were plenty of replacements.
The third option might sound cruel, but there was a longer-term, more passive application: as a breeding stallion. Not just in the physical sense, but spiritually, too – Takeru's successors could similarly wield Sakura's powers and gain his acknowledgement, so Nihon wasn't in a rush. Either a child or a student would be fine.
As for Tomoe? Well, she had nothing to do, so she was sent there both as a mentor and bodyguard after a thorough personality analysis.
Why was Sakura so docile, then? In a foreign land, surrounded by strangers, how could he willingly bestow his 'blessings' to them, instead of hoarding them for his countrymen and spiritual children? Well, to put it simply, because it had been affected and infected by Nihon's leylines and local deities, making him one of their own. His Yōkai Realm, for instance, was garrisoned with Tomoe's female soldiers from her closest tribesmen. Before she birthed a child of the Minamoto Clan, this was the family she was born into – different than Shuten-dōji and Chiyome – so her assignment to Ashina simply ticked too many boxes. The tribe, the Okami, controlled how much 'blessings' Sakura could trickle down to the mortal plane to control the spiritually-sensitive population in Ashina – which, coincidentally, was almost always the ruling class or influential people.
So what if Isshin was the most powerful warrior there? Without the Okami's permission, none of his Magecraft would even activate, much less threaten others. However, he was an incredibly useful pawn, hence the delicate balance between him, Takeru, the Okami, and the Minamoto Clan as a whole. Simply by offering the suggestion they could attain more glory, wealth, and influence by conquering that peninsula across the ocean was enough to make them all fall in line for a common goal, despite every participant knowing the others' intentions.
Among this, Isshin could be considered to be alone. He had to manage not just his own men, but also Senpō Temple, the Sunken Valley, and various Phantasmal Species to avoid his Ashina being razed to the ground. Takeru was neutral but friendly. The Minamoto Clan and Okami Tribe were obviously in cohorts together, though they had differences regarding how to fully utilize Sakura's abilities as a weapon the masses could wield. Tomoe was the chosen experimental subject, perfect due to her own strength, prestige, and bloodline.
…plus, once again, she had nothing better to do as a single housewife. Most of her peers – her fellow lovers of Yoritomo – had either retreated to the Reverse Side of the World or become the current clan members' various Guardian Spirits, such as Tamamo-no-Mae, Kiyohime, and Suzuka-gozen. The younger generation obviously had it hard to view her as a colleague and not a senior to heavily respect, tiring her from all the bothersome formalities. Even Muramasa and Himiko refused to abstain from this, clearly placing Tomoe as a superior, so she was rather lonely.
Whipping this newest disciple of hers into shape felt like a good hobby to start. She was surprisingly compatible with Sakura's various Domains, so she could strengthen her own [Fire] and [Lightning] Element without pause.
Ashina, despite its rather desolate landscape compared to Tomoe's native Honshu, was beautiful in its own right. The merger of various ecosystems truly felt like different worlds clashing with each other: the 'normal town' below, mainly consisting of Ashina Castle and Hirata Estate; the lush and evergreen Mt. Kongō, where Senpō Temple was located; the 'original Ashina' in the lowlands, now named 'Mibu Village'; the chilly and dangerous Sunken Valley; the Fountainhead Palace overarching across everything. Just a few dozen steps, and even a normal villager could feel themselves seemingly transported to a different dimension.
Of course, whether they would survive the trip was another matter entirely.
"Greetings, Yao, Head Monk," Tomoe politely greeted. Even if she could defeat them altogether, it's always good manners to treat others fairly. "How's the water purification plant going?"
The tall nun silently nodded, though she let her much-shorter colleague to answer.
He smiled, greeting back, "Good day, Tomoe-dono! Oh, it's so fascinating! To realize we've been drinking poison all this while!"
Sakura's 'blessings' needed a physical medium for commoners to fathom, and thus he chose the typical image of falling water. Using Fountainhead Palace as a figurative water source, it dripped conceptually 'downwards' across the various layers of Ashina, pooling in Mibu Village as its final stop. Following real logic, the water would've gotten more and more polluted the farther it was from him, so the Minamoto Clan invested on a magical water purification plan to ensure Ashina wouldn't be as infested as war-torn Honshu as a result of unchecked exposure to a Thaumaturgical source.
Still, it was shocking to Tomoe when she was brought remains of microscopic Phantasmal Species resembling centipedes from a water sample taken at Mibu. At the time, there was no visible negative effects appearing among Ashina's people, but she knew this was urgent matter and reported back to Himiko. Not wanting to deal with a wasteland where the only solution was to raze things to the ground with her Noble Phantasm, Himiko immediately agreed to the installation of various plants across Ashina's leylines, taking the figurative roles of 'dams' along the 'main river'.
Priestess Yao and the Senpō Temple's Head Monk were the best adapters to the already-existing corruption, so the only lingering effects were some changes to their physique. Fortunately, further transformations were stopped after teams of researchers and medics healed the remaining – and unseen – 'toxin' already permeating their bodies, so they could wield and cultivate their newfound powers without fear. The villagers and townsfolk were simply granted robust bodies to work in the field, without the curse of immortality irreversibly changing them into useless beings. The Okami Tribe had already complained to Tomoe their petition to slaughter these so-called 'Palace Nobles' was processed too slow, but she could only shrug her shoulders since it needed Himiko's express written approval.
Honestly, those arrogant, now-mindless beings were better off as fertilizer, Tomoe agreed. Still, it's wrong to wantonly kill a group of people. It's better to wait until there's a legalized genocide order, so she could swing her blade and shoot her bow without concern.
The three of them were doing their routine inspections, this time in the final water plant a touch upstream of Mibu Village. In reality, it wasn't the architectural monsters more common in centuries to come, but took shape simply as a series of short torī gates installed on the ground, filtering the leyline and killing off those centipedes before they could be ingested by innocent people. The filtration scale got significantly more detailed the more downstream they got, since by then, only the smallest larvae were left, but they were no less dangerous. Hence, despite looking quite diminutive – the torī lined up here barely reaching up to Priestess Yao's chest – they're actually more sophisticated compared to the gigantic one installed just outside Fountainhead Palace.
"You've repeated that to me so many times lately," Tomoe sighed, though her lips were smiling. "Have you made progress in your experiments?"
"Oh, the clean water means all of the orphans and homunculi survive the first batch. Do you hear that, Tomoe-dono? All of them!" The Head Monk exclaimed excitedly, though his advanced age meant his voice wasn't too loud. Compared to before, though, his complexion and physique was much better, similar to the chief battle monk guarding the Illusory Hall in the Temple, though he couldn't hide his age like that person. "I've heard good news regarding this upcoming generation, which should be the last."
The ever-quiet Priestess Yao nodded, her usually-stoic expression softening. In a rare occasion, she spoke, "There are some I'm interested in teaching, having seen your fine example with Takeru-dono."
"That's a surprise," Tomoe remarked. Making Priestess Yao have an initiative in anything was a monumental challenge in and of itself. "However, please do not credit me with that boy's progress. If any, in my eyes, he's regressing. As a teacher, that counts as a failure."
"Hahaha! Aren't we all!" The Head Monk tried to cheer her up – after all, among them, he had the most followers and disciples. Yes, a good portion of them ended up corrupt and he had to purge them from… this plane of existence, but that's not the point! "The Divine Heir requires… something special, after all. I've formed a hypothesis they learn better from natural concepts than individuals, so I'm eager to hear your opinion on that."
The white-haired woman was quite intrigued at his theory. "…perhaps you're right. But isn't that the same as giving [Fate] the reins? As we all know, it is very fickle…"
The bald man nodded. "Indeed, indeed… Even his presence means a perversion of the natural order, so perhaps it's ironic if somehow my hypothesis rings true in the future. However, we have observed plenty of counterintuitive phenomena across Nihon's history, so we shouldn't discount that possibility."
The two women agreed, before turning towards the numerous small cliffs surrounding Mibu Village and started to walk vertically on them, their duty temporarily done.
"Oh, right. Please do not address Takeru as 'Divine Heir'. People may misunderstand your allegiance, Head Monk," Tomoe warned. "Besides, he also doesn't enjoy that epithet."
"I understand," the middle-aged man mysteriously smiled, his answer quite unclear.
Tomoe noticed this but intentionally stayed quiet. Loyalty was a dangerous thing, forcing the Imperial Family to expend the resources they'd been hoarding for the next step in Nihon's expansion on unnecessary public relations. Isshin already had strange ideas regarding himself on Nihon's pecking order – Tomoe didn't need people pushing Takeru up to the same position and making the boy do things he didn't enjoy.
Technically, Senpō Temple could be categorized as 'foreign power' – as 'foreign' as the Ming nobles who sheltered the exiled Ashikaga siblings a few years back – because Buddhism, in the end, didn't originate on these lands. Nihon had a complex acknowledgement regarding their origin, eager to stand independent from their forefathers in the mainland while also knowing it's impossible when even their writing system undeniably came from there. As a result, Buddhism had an easier time blending into the local culture, quickly transforming itself into something closer to Shinto for acceptance among the locals. Even now, the verb 'worship' was used interchangeably regardless which belief one took.
Himiko and Nobunaga initially considered them as independent parties, and were still assuming parts of them now. Fortunately, unlike Proper Human History, the societal integration of the various Buddhist temples was better, but its political and martial strength were lower because of the Minamoto Clan's unknown constant intervention and meddling. This 'modification' was known only to select internal members, and current temple leaders were unaware they'd been hand-checked both politically and Thaumaturgically. It's easier to influence a large group of people when one had unrestricted and monopolized access to the Reverse Side of the World, where Yoritomo had negotiated with the actual Buddhas staying there to limit the temples' power in the name of [Harmony].
Still, all was well, because magically, Buddhism had never caused much trouble. The original Hyakki Yakō was a Shinto event, ditto the influence of magic stones on current industry. To put it simply, Nihon's magical world was dominated by Shinto creatures, concepts, and logic, and thus trouble always came from this faction and not Buddhism. Its Thaumaturgical Foundation was also quite unique; perhaps the most adaptable in the world owing to its strict teaching about the concept of [Neutrality] and [Balance]. Confucianism used to be a proponent of those, but it's currently corrupted to the point it's unrecognizable from its original values by the Ming government. It's also the founder of a truly global martial arts root, showing its adaptability as it could be applied to anything, regardless of national and cultural boundary.
That was why Senpō Temple's martial arts were so distinct than its surrounding neighbours, managing to meld its original Ming-inspired style with Nihon philosophies. It's greatly contrasted by the Snake Eyes Tribe in the Sunken Valley, who took on a standardized version of Nobunaga's fighting style as their basic training. The intelligent animals there were also getting influenced by the visiting shinobi forces, chiefly Danzō's and Chiyome's men, creating yet another branch of martial arts.
Hence, the 'styles' existing here could be divided into 5 camps: Ashina's traditional swordsmanship, taught by Isshin; the Sunken Valley's marksmanship and bestial fighting techniques; Senpō Temple's acrobatic and intricate Long Fist; Tomoe's and the Okami Tribe's complete set of magical and physical combat arts; the 'standard' samurai and shinobi techniques coming from Kyoto. The last one was the most technologically advanced, though it's inferior in individual firepower compared to Tomoe's abilities. However, when it came to genocidal and wide-area razing tactics, then the capital forces were naturally superior.
In reality, Tomoe was the 'manager' of this place, so she was very busy. This was what gave Takeru the chances to sneak away from his mountainous homework and play around.
For example, she's now visiting the temples of the Snake Eyes, guardian of the mystical beasts lurking in the Sunken Valley. The pair of gigantic white snakes were, unlike popular belief, unrelated to Sakura, and were actually as native to this area as its semi-intelligent monkeys. The Divine Dragon was the outsider – some would say 'invader' – so there needed to be a concerted study enacted to separate the two. Yes, the two parties influenced each other, but their origins must be made clear lest corrupting Phantasmal Species like those centipedes were born.
- Zuzuzu…
When the 'inspector' revealed herself, the two white Great Serpents, worshipped as local deities here, obediently crawled out of their lairs to meet her. They understood the present hierarchy the moment their rocketing charge, powerful enough to topple mountains, were knocked back with one swing each from this woman, burning their snouts and concussing them heavily all those years ago. She allowed them to oversee this area, and not the other way around.
After exchanging silent, telepathic pleasantries, she informed, "Senpō Temple was close. Perhaps, at that time, we'll need to harvest your body parts. Do prepare for that."
She didn't mean they had to lay down their lives. As a Phantasmal Species, though just of the Monstrous Beast rank, their vitality was powerful enough to regenerate any lost organs. Some were required to finalize Senpō Temple's experiments, so Tomoe merely reminded them not to forget and make things easy. This solution was deliberately withheld by the Minamoto Clan's researchers as a controlling mechanism against the Temple, though they wouldn't sabotage the latter's efforts if they figured it out on their own. Tomoe was responsible for maintaining order around here, so these 'transactions' wouldn't end in bloodshed.
To create an artificial Divine Heir. That's what Senpō Temple was tasked with, so there would be more options on the battlefield against either Goryeo or Joseon – whoever came out on top of this tumult. It was forbidden to cause casualties, and permanent disfigurement was also the Temple's responsibility. It was under these heavy restrictions it was allowed to chase immortality this way, and the research results were allowed to be used by the monks, eager for their own way to enlightenment.
Most ended up as warrior monks when their magical capacity reached a lower-than-expected ceiling. The problem, as the Minamoto Clan researchers surmised, the Temple were unwilling to do what the Imperial Family did, and recklessly incorporate mystical elements into their bloodline. The Minamoto Clan survived because of the all-powerful Sorcery Trait Yoritomo had established with the assistance of the trio of Imperial Regalia, so Senpō Temple was unwilling to take the same risk. However, it's this recklessness which had been slowing them down, though that's to the capital's liking to prevent them from gaining too much power too soon.
Tomoe had seen the research planning for this supposedly 'last' generation, and she was pleasantly surprised at their completion and potential for success… if the monks knew the last pieces they needed were just next door. She decided to intervene solely if they were too frustrated and risked permanent harm or deaths to the orphans and homunculi, silently 'inspiring' them with the solution. If not, then Nihon still had plenty of time. Himiko seemed eager to watch the feuding peninsular dynasties tear into each other before launching an all-out offensive, buying time for several other projects like this to ensure they were victorious with the least amount of blood shed.
Hisui, the redheaded kunoichi leader of the shinobi force dispatched to Ashina, addressed the five warriors in front of her. "What do you think?"
One of them, who had a wraith doppelganger floating around his back, answered, "It's quite a promising project. We should be able to massacre them without resistance."
His peer mostly nodded in agreement, though one quickly added, "Of course, this is discounting the possibility they recovered their Thaumaturgical Foundation, along with an airtight distribution of Divine Confetti."
She smirked. "Don't you think you're too paranoid? Your strength is certainly more than enough to handle whatever's coming."
Another one replied, "Our strength, yes… but what about speed? Hisui-sama, our transformation will have us move through multiple conceptual planes, meaning while it's difficult to hit us, we can't chase targets very far or quickly."
Indeed, the kunoichi had seen their skills. Once they entered their yōkai forms, they looked like they were moving in quicksand, only dangerous to the foolish and unprepared. This was even counting in their teleportation abilities, because it's not like Muramasa's in-development Flying Thunder God technique which could traverse continents in a heartbeat. This five were anchored into the local area where they transformed, and were given free spatial reign over it, yes… but it's ultimately quite a small distance. The only solution was to have them revert back to human forms, but by then, their abilities would've lost their point.
This was the Headless Team, five of this land's best warriors prior to Isshin's emergence. They were spared from death chiefly because of their choice to pursue martial arts and not political gain – a path, ironically, the general was walking down now – and avoided the aftermath of the conclusive war in this area, when Isshin defeated Shuzen Tamura.
Originally, they were human, but capital forces quickly noticed their magical talents – chiefly, their aptitude for complete yōkai transformation: the esteemed Sage Arts. They quickly made contract with two yōkai groups: kappa and nukekubi, gaining their aforementioned additional skills. Uniquely, their heads would disappear completely into a pocket dimension during transformation, unlike the nukekubi whose heads were always lying around somewhere in the physical plane. In exchange, this five gained a near-immortal body, which could only be harmed when regular weapons were imbued by the blessings of Divine Confetti. Powerful enough magical weapons could still harm them as usual, though they had to be of a higher Conceptual Weight than them.
And this was where their talents were apparent: the skyrocketing of their individual Conceptual Weights after they mastered their Sage Arts. Usually, a transformation wouldn't empower individuals to their extent, which was why the capital greatly valued them and directly recruited them from underneath Isshin's governance. Even a kappa's generally merely-annoying attack, the shirikodama extraction, was incredibly deadly in their hands.
Hey, they were never his official citizens to begin with. What's wrong with a little poaching?
Ako, the Sword. Gokan, the Wall. Gachīn, the Moon. Ungo, the Shield. Yashariku, the Killer. These were their names.
The one with a wraith hanging around his shoulder was Yashariku, whose dialogue was followed by Gachīn and Gokan.
"It's a shame there's not more of you…" Hisui mused, to which the five wholeheartedly agreed.
Now that they literally had eternity to hone their skills, since they retained their intelligence during their transformation due to the capital force's assistance, it was quite lonely to be five-of-a-kind. Close as they were, almost to the point of brotherhood, the view from the figurative martial peak was destitute. Isshin might be able to overwhelm them skill-wise, but they had time and an immortal physique by their side. Add to that the general's rather lacklustre magical talent, the best he could do against them was a draw. Hence, he was eagerly learning from Tomoe everything he could, as he coincidentally had the [Fire] and [Lightning] Element, eager to avoid losing again.
"Well, it's quite a small sample size, after all," her lover commented from his standing-guard position near the door sill. Jō continued without looking into the room, vigilant of any spy. "There's lots of eager opportunists on this island alone. We can use the usual baiting strategy."
He was talking about the desire for normal folks to gain equal standing with the increasingly mystical population they're living with. Yōkais were already quite common, but what's not was seemingly regular human beings stepping up and attaining attributes necessary to put them in equal standing. Hence, the rest were envious and eager for a separate opportunity – the types who wanted things given to them instead of working hard for it themselves. With a small incentive, it's easy to invite these people on high-risk experiments because they'd throw away their souls in a heartbeat.
"It's just a suggestion. If you guys don't want it…" he casually waved off his own suggestion, tilting his face to watch over the room's occupants with one eye. "You're all in charge, not me."
Indeed, his job was solely to monitor Isshin and his immediate families, not leading subterfuge operations under the cover of 'recruitment'. Compared to his lover, who had great commanding ability, he specialized in individual assassinations, equipped with an array of skills, techniques, and weapons. Isshin would be a tough target to defeat if it came down to it, but Jō was confident in accomplishing the mission even if he had to give up his life. Besides, that's the advantage of belonging to a shinobi clan: If he fell in combat, then there would be replacements. Fukurō's newly-adopted son looked promising, so perhaps when that boy received his codename…
Jō could pass down this prosthetic arm to him.
He hadn't realized how ironic his thoughts were when comparing them to his other self in Proper Human History, purely because it's Isshin who chopped off his arm and gave him the resources to rebuild his shinobi career from scratch. Now, Jō was fated to have one of his limbs amputated, but this time, it was simply from a childhood wound which wasn't treated in time, requiring medical amputation. The Minamoto Clan, via its connection to the Kōga and Fūma Clans through Chiyome and Danzō, took him in and retrained him to be the man he was now.
"No sweat. We take all suggestions, especially from a senior like you, Jō-san," Ako bowed, not caring whether his politeness was appreciated or simply annoyed the man. "And let's not quibble with age; we al know you have more real-world experience than us old guys. Hahaha!"
The five men laughed. Indeed, when compared to the slender and well-built man – or even Hisui in front of them – there's no way in mistaking who's chronologically older. Their prime had passed a touch, their bodies growing flabbier and more rotund, and getting harder to get into shape. But despite all this, their careers as unbeaten warriors was limited to this surrounding area, and they'd never clashed blades or matched wits against an opponent from the capital, or the barehanded masters of the southern islands. Add to that the time they spent in solitary training, and their actual battle experience was found wanting.
That was proven when just Hisui alone defeated them soundly without causing any harm to either parties, showcasing she's far above them in skill and deviousness. Regardless of her methods – samurais usually like the excuse of 'shinobis not fighting fair' – they lost even when fighting together. Yes, they hadn't trained their teamwork back then, being mere acquaintances with each other, but the point stood.
Even after their newfound powers… what could they do? Rebel? Against one superior, yes, but… against the whole institution? They're not stupid enough to ignore the fact the same people who gave their powers could easily take them away. They were merely soldiers who would be sent off essentially to die – to enact the figurative kamikaze – so they should focus on following orders right now. If Hisui wanted to increase their numbers, then they should obey. If she wanted to pursue quality and invest more in the quintet, then they would train obediently.
The Uzui Forest was, for a lack of a better term, completely normal. 'Normal', as in a standardized training field for shinobi. Of course, tor regular people, it would be either a death zone, a sacred forest, or a source of nightmare. In that sense, it's the 'typical' abnormally lush, misty, and eerily silent mountainous deciduous forest.
The moisture level here was more akin to tropical forests – hence the mist – but the latitude-driven temperature should make it impossible. For keener observers, they should realize this was maintained by a combination of active Magecraft and ancient passive Bounded Field. The usual consciousness-altering mental suggestion, five senses blockade, magic energy absorption, and automated traps guarded the place… not just from outsiders, but also to those who wanted to run away from the inside.
"Boy, come eat your vegetables!"
"Don't wanna!"
Fukurō couldn't hold back the grin forming underneath his thick moustache and long beard, speckles of white peppering the mostly-black facial hair. It's quite rare seeing his partner, the ever-elegant Chō, chasing and forcing a forkful of raw vegetables onto an emaciated child. To be honest, he also shared the beautiful, buxom kunoichi's negative viewpoint on the boy's pickiness; 'It's been washed and peeled. Tastes good, too. Why doesn't he like it? We should test other things on him…'
Somehow, his mind turned to rice, East Asia's staple food. Shinobi training included carefully-measured nutrient intake to forge a body a certain way after a mentor discovered a student's speciality, so rice or wheat isn't necessarily often eaten. Additionally, survival training meant shinobis had to make do with anything they found on the field, removing one's dependence on a steady intake of carbohydrates and creating a flexible physique which could blend with any culture, any time. This was true even inside Nihon; what if a potential genin who grew up in the mountains suddenly had an allergy for seafood? Other than the sheer embarrassment, during infiltration, it's often necessary to wine and dine with prospective clients or targets, and spewing the contents of one's stomach did not make for a good sight.
Hence, it all started with the basics, such as vegetables. Or 'salad', as the Nanbans called it. Honestly, it's little different than what vegetarian monks eat, so Fukurō and Chō found it hard to fathom a random boy picked up from the battlefield, who should be gorging himself with anything edible in front of him, could develop any form of pickiness at all.
With the end of the Sengoku Period, far faster than anyone's expectations and simulations, this nameless shinobi clan made of talented outcasts and 'freaks' had little to do apart from the most gruelling, torturous job: observation and patrol. It's this type of mission which always played negatively against a shinobi's mentality, and the reason Hisui had arranged many varieties of missions to avoid an employee's biggest enemy: boredom.
For example, straight after this, Fukurō would head south and train himself against the martial arts masters there, since the Mōri Clan had finalized its surrender and enabled easy naval transport towards the south's various ports. Chō, meanwhile, was regretting her slip of the tongue, since she was the one who once offhandedly claim she's looking for an instructor job.
She certainly didn't expect it to be a babysitting job instead. Mainly because this wasn't her choice of war orphan, but her long-time partner's.
A pair of shining butterflies shot forth, a thread of magic energy connecting them together as soon as they left Chō's hands. While one would simply assume they're enchanted shurikens, they didn't fly or shoot forth in any logical manner for either the weapon or real butterflies. Instead, they flew eerily straight like kunais, easily passing the boy's frantic sprint, then suddenly curved and wrapped themselves around his ankles, sending him falling face-first to the ground.
"Ow!"
The boy's groan of pain was a mistake, because as soon as he opened his mouth, her chopsticks immediately shoved down the dreaded greens down his throat. Chō expertly uppercuts and throat-throttle him to make sure he didn't spit out the food, but forcibly chew and swallow them instead. "Do you want to do this every day?" She growled, her mature, pretty face distorting due to exertion and frustration. "There will be poisons and toxins you will ingest in the future for training. Believe me, they're way worse than this." She pointed at her hand, still placing the chopsticks in his mouth and threatening to stab him through his skull if he didn't cooperate. "Now be a good boy and eat!"
Fukurō sweat-dropped in place of his newest surrogate son, because he knew the boy would've been too frightened to react otherwise.
'Names' had started to be given out again. They mostly went to the still-nameless Lone Shadows, though it's of a different series than Fukurō and the rest. The former were given out 'names' related to weapons, while the latter, being an older generation, were given animal titles instead. The next selection would come soon, and this boy… should be in contention for the name 'Ōkami', chiefly because he didn't have competition yet.
Mochizuki Chiyome, the [Snake]. Katō Danzō, the [Weasel]. Fukurō – real name Senzaemon – represented the [Owl], while this scrambling and screaming partner in front of him was the [Butterfly]. Their subleader, Hisui the [Kingfisher] and her partner, Jō the [Monkey], were off in the north doing their part. Above everyone were the Empress herself, Himiko the [Fox], and Shuten-dōji the [Dragon].
The Lone Shadows' direct commander, Muramasa the [Blade], was the person who 'named' their generation, while Chiyome was the one who primarily took care of this bit of administrative trivia, even though Danzō was their day-to-day de facto commander above Hisui. [Longsword], [Vilehand], and [Spear-Bearer] had already established themselves as the first graduates from the program, supervised by Nobunaga the [Gun]. Technically, Mitsuhide was the holder of [Sword], but she's much too high-profile to actively work as a Lone Shadow, and she enjoyed the public attention too much.
[Blade] and [Sword] were written using different kanji, and actually held a different meaning for those who were confused. [Blade] encompassed every sharp cold weapon ever created by man, while [Sword] – using Nihon's word on katana – was more specific. All [Swords] were [Blades], but not all [Blades] were [Swords]. By the way, [Longsword] used the comparative word tachi, but ironically, the usually-masked man preferred much shorter weapons in his duties.
However, unlike the 'animal series', it's been decided the generation after that would receive adjectives instead, more in-line with the already-popular nicknames. They were supposed to be headed by the now-retired Hisahide, who carried the moniker [Flower], but that project was still in progress. Selecting talented babies among thousands using Divination and other related Magecraft was a risky business, but the return was an absolutely loyal yet intelligent tool, with Hisahide taking on the role of a caring mother. It's different than the first two generations, towards whom the Minamoto Clan's helping hands were extended, because they, as downtrodden as they were in the past, were at least teenagers. Even this boy in front of him was picked after he was a fully-grown child past his toddler years.
According to rumours – and this was 'rumours' even towards experienced shinobi like him – soon, there would be several young girls born to carry those monikers. Hisahide was actually investing her resources on… what's technically a kindergarten, as opposed to this Usui Forest or the capital's bootcamp.
"Stand up, boy."
Not being able to hold his amusement any longer, Fukurō commanded. This was a touch unethical because this session was supposed to be Chō's responsibility, so he shouldn't interfere, but he couldn't help himself.
The boy raised his eyes, in hope Fukurō would give him the break he wanted.
Unfortunately, this was shinobi school, and not a nursery.
"Eat your vegetables and rice."