Horizon:Volume 9B Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Bowing Girls at the Site of Reunion

No, no, no, no

Of course not, of course not.

Never, never, never

Thank you, thank you, thank you

Point Allocation (Another Kind of Battle)

●

“Oh?” said Sakon, turning when she heard her name called.

She saw an upperclassman and current enemy looking her way.

…Wow, I can’t believe she knows my name.

“What did you do this time, Onitakemaru-san? You should really come clean.”

“If anyone did something, it was you, Kohime.”

“But I didn’t do anything.”

So she looked down toward the ground, as did Onitakemaru’s sight devices on her helmet. They both spoke to 20cm Ootani there.

“What the hell did you do?”

“You should really apologize right away.”

“Wh-what makes you two so sure this wasn’t your doing!?”

Ootani then turned toward Niwa.

“Niwa-sama! We will be your opponent now!”

“Eh?” Sakon watched Ootani step out in front. “We? Do you mean you and Onitakemaru-san?”

“Don’t include me!” protested Onitakemaru. “He means you and him!”

“Eh? But wait. That makes the greatest common factor Ootani-san.”

“Did neither of you listen to Takenaka-sama’s instructions!?”

I did listen. But…

“She only told us to protect Kiyomasa-senpai’s people. That’s why she dropped us off just before the Azuchi’s flip. Because we ‘look like we can survive being thrown out of the ship at speed’.”

“And saving those people includes taking on Niwa-sama!”

Oh, I do kind of remember that. Then Onitakemaru spoke to Ootani.

“Listen. Kohime has trouble remembering longer words.”

“Y-you’re not helping, Onitakemaru-san! I-I feel like you’re violating my rights!”

“Huh!? I’m only describing what I’ve seen over and over and over! Whenever I tell you the rules for cleaning, washing, or cooking, you brush it off with a ‘sure, sure’ and then you refuse to listen to me when it’s actually time to do it!”

“Only because everything you say drags on forever. You just keep going ‘oh, that reminds me’ and adding on so many details no one could remember them all.”

Still, she was pretty sure Takenaka had mentioned this.

Not remembering it had been a careless mistake, but…

“Listen, Ootani. When Kohime gets focused on one thing, she can’t remember anything else.”

So…

“That’s why Takenaka summed it all up for her by telling her to help let Katou Kiyomasa’s people withdraw while also saving Katou Kiyomasa herself. Any more than that would overload her brain.”

“Is that supposed to be an indirect compliment, Onitakemaru-san?”

“What is wrong with your brain!?”

“Calm down,” said Sakon, feeling in a better mood already.

“Excuse me, Shogun,” said Ootani down at her feet.

“Yes, what do you want, Ootani?”

Ootani knelt and made a suggestion.

“I understand Sakon-sama needing vague instructions because it is generally people like that who I fall victim to, but couldn’t you remember the longer explanations for her?”

●

Kiyomasa saw Sakon and Onitakemaru fall silent for a good long while.

Finally, Sakon slapped her head from the side.

“Don’t let it get to you, Onitakemaru-san. And here’s the thing, Ootani-san,” she said. “When Onitakemaru-san gets focused on one thing, he can’t remember anything else. That’s why Takenaka summed it all up for him by telling him to help let Katou Kiyomasa’s people withdraw while also saving Katou Kiyomasa herself. Any more than that would overload his memory.”

“Do not spread lies about my memory!”

“Sure, sure.”

I have a feeling they’re both right, which is honestly impressive. But…

“Um, about my team…”

“Oh, testament. We had them withdraw just like Takenaka-sama said to. So…”

Just as Sakon said that, Kiyomasa heard some new sounds from the clearing.

Metallic ones. They were the sounds of locks unlatching, chains rattling, and gears turning.

At the same time, she heard an “ah” from behind her.

One of the ships forming the southern fortress wall – the one acting the gate – opened up its lower hatch which functioned as the entrance.

…Why!?

It was their job to guard this place. But as she watched, the ship’s light came on and its alarms began blaring.

Lernen figurs opened here and there and a lot of people could be seen moving about in the gaps between the gate ship’s armor panels. But…

“Alert!”

As the ship gate fully opened up, Ootani’s voice shouted from it even though he stood right here.

“I have fully hijacked the program controlling this ship! All crew should immediately evacuate to adjacent ships or to the interior of your formation!”

●

Kiyomasa looked to the small data entity puffing his chest out at her feet.

“Now do you see why I am so small!? I split off part of myself and snuck it into the fortress wall of ships, so I have already mostly taken over control!”

Just then, shouts and an erupting sound came from the “upper floor” of the ship. Smoke burst into the sky from there.

“Some of the crew attempted to resist me, so I activated the ship’s defense system. I will keep them under control for the time being.”

Kiyomasa heard more shouts, but not from the fortress wall of ships. These came from the west.

…Is that my team!?

The shouts and war cries came from surprisingly close by.

From the moat. Five hundred warriors emerged from the moat in front of the ships and charged toward the open gate.

“This was Takenaka’s decision,” said Onitakemaru while watching them. “While your people had already begun moving, we had them move in the opposite direction from the one you had ordered. Niwa there had already created a rock wall and she had launched an attack on the forest, so it wasn’t hard to judge her range. We had to take the long way around, but once inside the moat, it was a straight shot here.”

Sakon opened a lernen figur and displayed an image.

...An aerial photo of this clearing.

“The Azuchi took this during its flip. It was a close thing, but this caught the arrangement of personnel from above.”

So…

“With you fighting so intensely with Niwa-sama, there was a lot of noise and the fortress wall of ships was focused entirely on you because they were afraid you would aim Caledfwlch in their direction. That meant we could focus on moving quickly.”

Sakon’s explanation brought relief to Kiyomasa.

…So that’s it.

She hadn’t made a grievous error after+ all. Perhaps that was why the 500 charging the ship gate raised their hands in her direction.

“Kiyomasa-sama!!”

They called her name and beckoned her over.

“Get over here! There’re plenty of enemies to go around inside!”

She started in that direction. But…

“Um, will you two…?”

“Oh, yes, We will take care of things here.”

Sakon smiled casually and her helmet spoke up while pulsing with light in places.

“That is correct. …Katou Kiyomasa, you completed most of the job already. We will only be cleaning up. All the credit goes to you.”

“I-”

“If Onitakemaru-san and I win, it’s because of you. After hearing everything you said, I know I’m the perfect person to take on Niwa-sama.”

“Confident, huh!?” said Niwa with a little smile. But Kiyomasa had another thought.

...In the end, I’m entrusting this with someone else.

She felt like she always entrust tasks with other people in the end. But…

“Can I entrust this with you?”

“Testament! I’m just taking the best part for myself.”

Kiyomasa nodded at that.

…I suppose so.

She lived by entrusting things with others. But what if that was okay? And what if that went beyond Fukushima, the Ten Spears, and those who served under her? What if it applied to the broader world too?

What could she do then? What could she accomplish and then entrust with someone else?

She already knew the answer. She was doing it right now.

“Kiyomasa-sama!”

Her 500 were calling her.

“We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t held the line!!”

They were all there on either side of the passageway being used as a gate. They had taken the ship already.

“Testament!”

She ran forward. A small form hopped up onto her shoulder: Ootani.

“From what I can see, there is a fault in the autonomous operation system which is hindering its movements. I will work to improve the program, so use it as you usually do. I will use that to inform the improvements.”

As he explained this, a few lernen figurs opened and closed and her right shoulder’s autonomous armor rotated once. The unit rose and fell a few times.

...Oh?

The weight that had been with her since taking Niwa’s attack was gone now.

Impressive, she thought while also realizing she was falling behind the times. But…

“Wait for me!”

She ran toward the next battlefield without turning back.

She ran into the Shibata formation where her people were waiting. Yes, she would find her purpose in there.

The purpose for her coming her.

●

“Whoa! Wh-what are you doing here, Sassa-sama!?”

Sassa turned toward Hashiba as she ran up to him on the path between the Honnouji building and the main gate, which was illuminated by the glowing pillars to the north.

“Huh?” he said before placing a hand on his chin and looking up into the sky. “You’ve got the wrong guy. There’s no name inheritor called Sassa here.”

“Y-you’re definitely Sassa-sama. I mean, you talk just like him! You’re always provoking Shibata-sama like that and, um, getting yourself attacked for it!”

“Shut up, you moron! That idiot’s up north having the time of his life right now!”

Fuwa and Toshiie were there too. Toshiie was apparently putting on quite a show, but the latest reports said that had settled down.

…Toshi has a way of trying to be thoughtful even though no one asked him to when he’s really just trying to make himself feel better about it.

Sassa thought he had a better understanding of how to deal with those issues. Which was why he wasn’t needed up north. And…

“What’re you doing out here? Get on in there and get ready.”

“Oh, r-right! But I, um, thought I should greet you first, Sassa-sama.”

“Again, there’s no name inheritor called Sassa here.”

“Um, but, uh.”

She probably wanted to give a proper greeting. But he hated having other people make it sound like was being nice or any nonsense like that.

He was just doing what he felt like doing. Why did they insist on reading deeper meaning into it?

…But she’s the type to carry these things with her…

He understood what that was like, so he wanted to leave this at only a greeting. Any more than that and it would drag on, which he didn’t want.

So as the upperclassman, he pushed her for a response.

“Do you have a souvenir for this ordinary warrior who just so happens to have the same name as a name inheritor? You do, don’t you?”

“Oh, testament! I do!”

…I can’t believe she really does…

He had pushed her to say it, but it still came as a bit of a surprise. This also said she had planned for this to be more than a simple greeting, which came as even more of a surprise. I’d appreciate having a girl like this around, but it’d also make things awkward.

He didn’t dislike her and he knew she was good at her job, but she had a way of never disliking anyone, which clashed with his style. It’s a lot easier when everyone out there’s either an enemy or an ally.

But from Hashiba’s perspective, anyone who had helped her out was an ally, everyone who served her was an ally, and even the enemy was an ally if they would take her side in something.

It sounds so damn exhausting. But she managed to pull it off.

“So what’d you bring me?”

“Testament! Do you want the strawberry flavor or the banana flavor?”

“Both.”

“Y-you only get one.”

“I’m not going to eat both. Toshi will be along later, so I’ll take one for him.”

“I-I will give Maeda-sama his.”

“You know that isn’t happening.”

Hashiba briefly froze and finally hung her head.

“Testament…”

She held out one of the paper bags inside her paper box.

“So what is this?”

“Oh, testament! It’s Lake Biwa Azuchi’s new specialty treat Priestess Vivako! Th-the project was actually started to celebrate my conquering(?) of Mouri, so the Viva part comes from F-French.”

“And this woman here is Vivako?”

“No, it’s a tie-up with the Azuchi Academy Manga Club’s mascot character Biwako-san. But by combining ‘Priestess’ and ‘Viva’, it becomes a play on words about, um…”

“Never mind. Forget I asked. I don’t need to know. Close that lernen figur!”

Hashiba repeated “okay” several times, bowing each time, but there was one thing Sassa had to say.

“Y’know, about that. About Paris, I mean. You didn’t win that fight.”

“I-I did too. I did. Everyone is so rude about that.”

“When Fukushima came to our group, she definitely wasn’t acting like she’d just won a big battle.”

“W-well, Nori-chan, had, um, more going on.”

“And that’s another topic I don’t want to hear more about. So stop right there, idiot.”

Instead, he accepted the paper bag and then Hashiba asked him a question.

“Was Shibata-sama doing well? And Oichi-sama too?”

“The best I can say is that idiot was his usual self. And Oichi-sama was smiling about everything.”

“So you’re here in Shibata-sama’s place, Sassa-sama?”

“Don’t be dumb,” he said while remembering what Shibata had told him before he came here.

According to the Testament, he didn’t participate in the Battle of Shizugatake, so he had needed to leave.

But Niwa and Sakuma had shown up regardless. So had Mori. Based on that…

…I thought I might as well stick around too.

But Shibata had disagreed.

●

“Naru Naru-kuuun? You interested in visiting a dangerous place?”

Shibata was telling Sassa to go to Hashiba. But there was a problem with that.

“Y’know, maybe you’re too uninformed to know, but the Testament doesn’t mention me being at the Honnouji Incident either, idiot.”

“Ohhhh? And why do you know so much about battles you’ve got nothing to do with? Are you wayyyyyy less important a warrior than you let on?”

They were on the bridge, but Sassa had still punched Shibata thrice and been knocked away by a return blow.

Instead of trying to break up the fighting, the others had tidied themselves up for when accounting arrived to assess the damage. But…

“I don’t show up at Honnouji either, you know?”

“What’s your point?”

“Don’t you feel bad for Hashiba, Naru Naru-kuuun? We’re super strong, so we’ve gotta help her out.”

“Toshi’ll be headed that way.”

“Toshiie is, y’know, sensitive in a way you’re not.”

Thinking back, Shibata had probably suspected Toshiie would return. Which was why he had called in Sassa and made his suggestion.

And again…

“Hashiba, do you think I’m a replacement for that idiot?”

“No, you are your own person.”

But…

“In the sense that you are both towering figures and reliable upperclassmen, you and Shibata-sama have a lot in common.”

“God, you’re annoying. Just super annoying!”

“Wh-what did I say?”

“I can see why they agreed to let you inherit the name of some annoying sandal bearer.”

But that did sum up the situation. While Toshiie would be by later, the only ones there were Sassa…

...Ranmaru, Yasuke, and Mitsunari.

He knew those first two fairly well. Mostly because they worked security at Lake Biwa Azuchi. He didn’t know Mitsunari very well, but as an aide to Hashiba, he knew he could count on her.

But the idiots on the other side didn’t have much of a fighting force. But they knew that and they were here anyway. They would probably come straight in from the front. So…

“Well, I guess I can help out some. You’d better be thankful, underclassman.”

●

“Yasuke-sama, I am hiding in the bushes in stealth mode and I have detected an unusually irritating person. Two, in fact.”

“Ranmaru-kun, do you just judge everyone harshly!? You do, don’t you!?”

“Calm down,” said Ranmaru. “They are irritating, but they showed up. That is what matters. As for how I judge Sassa-sama’s character…I feel like I need to retroactively add 20 points to my assessment of Shibata-sama. That gives him more points than you, Yasuke-sama, so you need to try harder.”

“I wasn’t asking you to be even harsher!”

An insha kotob appeared next to Ranmaru’s face. Its message was prefaced with an “urgent” label.

“We have urgent news from Shizugatake: the Shibata Team’s south gate has been breached.”

●

Nagaya-stable: “We have word the Shibata Team’s south gate has been breached. The interior is going to be pure chaos from here on.”

While the Musashi made its turning maneuver, Masazumi listened to Ookubo’s report atop the transport ship docked at the Asama Shrine’s underground section.

The warriors were finishing their boarding below and she was discussing with Futayo and others how to coordinate with those warriors. She was also activating each spell Asama distributed to them all.

Vice President: “After Shibata loses, Hashiba will be worn down by the battle. Will that keep us safer down the line?”

“Lord Shibata is not the type to lose so easily, Masazumi.”

Futayo scolded her. Masazumi was curious, so she asked further.

“But you’ve fought him twice and lived to tell the tale.”

“The first time, I was focused on defense and fought a very rude battle. I also had Muneshige-dono’s assistance. The second time was a series of mutual blows, but if we had struck more deeply, the differences in our body sizes would have left me dead and him seriously injured but alive.”

The Tachibana Husband continued for Futayo while making some adjustments to his spear. He rotated the spear quickly in his right hand and instantly stopped it atop his index finger.

“Judge, that is true. When it comes to physical might, Lord Shibata is not as powerful as the Reine des Garous, but he can reach her level with his superior technique and speed. We cannot simply look up to him, but we must first look up to him if we hope to surpass him.

“But,” he said. “It was after that battle that the Vice Chancellor decided on her path in life. And she worked with Gin-san to battle Celestial Dragon Sasuke-sama at Sanada. ...So how will she stack up now?”

“I could say the same about you for achieving victory over Oichi with Gin-dono’s help.”

“Eh?” said the Tachibana Wife.

She looked to Futayo and her expression briefly froze, but…

“Oh.”

She must have eventually noticed her own reaction because she cleared her throat and raised her prosthetic right index finger toward the two spear users.

“You are striving to be the Peerless in the East and the West before settling things once and for all, so you should not be comparing yourselves to our great predecessors to praise each other like that!”

“I meant that as praise of you, Gin-dono. That is basically standard policy for me.”

“She’s right, Gin-san. Neither the Vice Chancellor nor I could have reached this point without you. I ask that you continue to help out in this way.”

“Did you think you had to ask for my help, Master Muneshige?”

“I asked because it would be such a shame if you didn’t.”

“You do not have to say these things in front of people…”

Masazumi was mildly surprised to see the Tachibana Wife blush over that. But…

Tonbokiri: “I was scolded.”

No, that was an expression of trust.

…Futayo and the Tachibana Husband just don’t set up “barriers” like that.

In the Testament, Tachibana Gin was a woman who inherited the head position of the Tachibana family in order to protect it. She had been raised to do just that, so she was skilled enough to rival her magnificent father and she must have practiced great self-control to never leave any kind of opening.

She was a strange woman who had just the foundations of combat hammered into her under the tutelage of two experts and a strange man who had improved himself for no other reason than his love of her, but she had also been told to live free. These two and the Tachibana Wife were completely different. The amusing part was how the Tachibana Husband did notice some things and provide assistance as a husband, but Futayo provided completely different assistance from the position of a friend.

This difference between the Tachibana Husband and Futayo had been created by…

...Their different relationships with her.

What caused that? Gender differences? The environment where they first met? Their personalities? How they approached people? Masazumi could come up with a lot of possibilities, but she only really knew that it was a tricky question.

But there was one thing that still bothered her with the battle so close.

“Will we have an easier time of it if the Battle of Shizugatake progresses?”

“No, I don’t think so, Masazumi-dono.” Crossunite shrugged as he viewed several sign frames at once. “If anything, they will head here with even greater force.”

“You mean they’ll take on some of Shibata’s forces after the battle?”

“Possibly, but they could also simply take on their upperclassmen’s will,” said Mitotsudaira, sending her hand forward with a burst of speed a few times. “They can’t all produce power beyond their skill, but people are not machines and it is common for their will to hold some of their skill in reserve. Thus, things like morale, emotion, self-suggestion, and any number of thoughts can draw out that reserve and bring out their true power. If Hashiba defeats Lord Shibata and inherits his will, they will be worn down, but they will also be able to challenge us with the true upper limit of their skill.

“Of course,” she said. “To inherit all that, they must experience a true clash in their current battle. They will fight a series of fierce battles, but the Shibata forces want to provide the benefit found there. If the fighting isn’t fierce, their will might not reach their underclassmen.”

●

The northern land had become a battlefield.

The fortress wall of ships surrounding the Shibata formation had opened its gates.

Both the north and the south ones.

The north gate had been destroyed and the south gate had been infected with a virus.

The Shibata Team responded. Maeda Toshiie’s ghost warriors acted as a wall on the path running north to south and those on the east side were sent in to push that wall forward.

But everyone on the Shibata Team heard something.

“Ohh!”

Large groups raised a roar of accomplishment to north and south.

And the wall was broken. From here, they had only two paths to victory: push back the enemy or annihilate them.

“Bring it on!” shouted a mobile shell racing westward. “I was sick of fighting Protestants and Hexagone Française anyway! They’re all so puny!”

“I’ve always wanted to try and take out Hashiba the Conqueror’s warriors!”

The mobile shells of Shibata’s main fighting force lowered their demon face visors to cover their eyes.

“Let’s go devour them!”

“Testament!” they shouted as they accelerated, but they also heard a certain sound.

The blowing wind and a series of metallic impacts came from low in the sky.

“What is that?”

“I can’t tell and I’m looking right at it! Some kind of bizarre fight is happening beyond our reach!”

Who was fighting who?”

“It’s the escaped Kani Saizou and our on-site treasurer Fuwa-san!”

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