"Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!"
The men let out a shout and began their charge.
This is precisely why Hisamichi was trusted by his soldiers.
Those who personally participate in the attack during a charge are the ones who gain the strongest support from their soldiers.
Soldiers do not trust commanders who sit back and act arrogantly. They only trust men who fight alongside them—that was the way of the Sengoku period.
Historically, this issue was at the root of the conflict between the civilian and military factions within the Toyotomi regime.
In that sense, Hisamichi is a capable agitator and strategist.
"Attack!!!"
"Kill him, kill himtttttttt!!"
800 barbaric roars and the gleam of swords. It suddenly appeared from the side of the mountain path.
Matsunaga's army became more unsettled and confused than the actual number of enemies suggested.
And it was Hisamichi who initiated the chaos within Matsunaga's army.
He is charging forward with his sword in a Hasso-gamai stance, his mouth wide open and letting out a battle cry.
But a group of men shouting insults lined up beside him and overtook him.
It wasn't that Hisamichi was slow. It was the explosive power of the men, who were inspired by their own leader's attitude and unleashed their bloodlust to the fullest, that prevailed.
The men roared and charged, surging upon the enemy army, which was paralyzed with fear.
White blades gleamed, and blood splattered. It was only then that the Matsunaga army finally came to their senses, and drew their swords against the young man who, despite being the current head of the family, had walked a path of opposition to the retired Hisahide.
However, it was a mountain path. The path was narrow, and having been attacked from the flank, heavy losses for Matsunaga's army were inevitable.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
Hisamichi, who had just swung his sword diagonally to the left and killed a soldier from Yamato Province, widened his eyes in shock.
Then, letting out cries of joy, they galloped towards the general on horseback.
I recognized that man.
He is a close confidant of Hisahide and enjoys his deep trust .高山Takayama友照Tomoteru
This general had a son, Ukon, who was 10 years younger than Hisamichi.
He was the eldest son of a senior retainer. Hisamichi took good care of Ukon, and consequently, he had a close relationship with Ukon's father, Tomoteru.
"Young master!?"
"Tooo
Shocked, Hisamichi closed the distance with a menacing expression on his face as his former subordinate, with the object plastered to his face, looked at him.
It was a chaotic battle. Tomoteru's entourage was slow to respond. And he himself was shaken by the fact that his lord's eldest son had appeared as the commander of the ambush, and his reaction was slow.
He frantically pulled on the horse's reins and tried to block the attack with the monster's body, but it was too late.
Tomoteru was thrown from his horse after taking a direct hit from a diagonal slash delivered from the Hasso-gamai stance.
Of course, since he is wearing armor, the slashing attack itself cannot be fatal.
In fact, the impact of falling off the horse was even greater.
However, the fact that he temporarily lost consciousness after falling off the horse proved to be his undoing.
He got down on all fours and rushed towards him like an animal—no, he crawled towards him at high speed and literally tore out his throat.
"Ah... this is good..."
Hisamichi devoured the throat of his father's confidant, cartilage and all, savoring the taste of the flesh. A troubled sigh escaped his lips.
His face was etched with a horrifying, insane grin that would make any normal person faint.
During that time, it was the men of Hisamichi's unit who protected Hisamichi, who seemed to have no intention of fighting.
They were well aware of the race their lord belonged to, and they had vowed in their hearts that they must support him.
Thus, having savored the flesh and blood of his acquaintances, Hisamichi rose to his feet and ran towards his former comrades, who appeared to be completely terrified.
Naturally, they know Hisamichi very well.
That's precisely why our minds can't keep up with the madness unfolding before us.
They were once close allies, handling government affairs together. For the lord to bite out his vassal's throat is an act of madness.
Moreover, you, who spread madness, never showed any intention to stop your heinous acts. There was absolutely no sign of you stopping.
"This is the best...!"
He held the swords in both hands and thrust them forward in one swift motion. The tips of the blades pierced the throats of Matsunaga's soldiers, cutting through them without a moment's hesitation.
The sensation of piercing soft flesh and piercing hard cartilage and bone runs through his hand, and Hisamichi ejaculates.
He placed his foot on the fallen soldier's chest, kicked him away, and quickly drew his sword.
Blood and mucus dripped from the blade. After licking it off, Hisamichi swung the sword wildly, flailing about indiscriminately. The blade warped, and the situation worsened.刃毀box
"Young master! Please stop!!"
"This kind of fighting is pointless!!"
Some of the old soldiers in Matsunaga's army were shouting something, but it was none of Hisamichi's business.
Hisamichi can no longer think of things in any way other than in terms of a dichotomy between friend and foe.
According to his way of thinking, they were all enemies. That was already proven by the fact that they belonged to Hisahide's side.
To comply with their demands would be tantamount to aiding the enemy. From Hisamichi's perspective, it would be nothing less than rebellion against the soldiers he had gathered.
Of course, Hisamichi was a bright young man. He knew very well that the world doesn't operate on a simple dichotomy of friend and foe.
However, Hisamichi believes that dualism is an effective mode of thinking in times of turmoil.
Especially when waging a holy war to reclaim the one you love.
Hisamichi let out a mighty roar from the back of his throat.
"Kill everyone equally!!"
Hisamichi charged towards the old soldiers, intending to eliminate them first.
Old people cling to the past. They are old because they have a past. And often they cling to the past and try to confine their thinking to it.
It should be this way, and because it was this way, it must be this way—that kind of thinking.
In their minds, they still have the image of Hisamichi from when he was putting on an act. The old men can't escape that image, and they try to make reality conform to that image.
Therefore, I can't kill Hisamichi. I still have hope. Conversely, the risk of Hisamichi being killed is extremely low.
For Hisamichi, the most dangerous thing was the young soldiers.
They lack experience, and their past experiences are relatively limited. Therefore, they tend to focus solely on responding to the immediate situation rather than relying on established rules and experience.
The idea of "I'd rather kill my former master than be killed by him" was a privilege of youth.
Therefore, Hisamichi decided to leave that matter to his subordinates.
The young man possessed a remarkable ability to accurately choose the option that carried the least risk of being killed.
Thus, the ambush was successful, and Matsunaga's army of 2,000 lost one-third of its strength.
They fled back to Yamazaki Castle and locked the gates tightly.
He didn't react even when the men under Hisamichi's command hurled insults at him and threw filth and the severed heads of men they had killed at him.
That's to be expected, since Hisahide, the great strategist, resides within that castle.
You can't lure someone into the battlefield with childish ridicule. In fact, going too far could leave you vulnerable and leave you severely burned.
A 20 percent burn can be fatal to the human body. It's best to play with fire in moderation.
But even so, Hisamichi had certainly grasped a part of his father's way of thinking.
It seems that it will no longer be possible for Matsunaga's army to participate in a decisive battle on the plains.
◆
In the mountains of Tennozan, Hisamichi was looking up at the sky.
It doesn't seem to be noon yet. I felt like a lot of time had passed, but it seems that the battlefield often distorts a person's sense of time.
From the foot of the mountain, fierce battle cries and the sounds of men and horses still echo.
However, the mountains of Tennozan were eerily quiet. This was because Hisamichi's planned ambush had been completed.
Many corpses lay scattered along the mountain path, and men who had stripped them of their armor were thrusting their hips.
There are no wounded enemies to be seen. They have all been killed and humiliated. Like attracts like, and it seems both the lord and his subjects are quite similar.
"Hisatoshi-sama"
Three men came running up from the foot of the mountain.
They were sent by Hisamichi . He reported in a clear voice to the young man, who was out of breath and had blood and bodily fluids smeared all over his mouth.斥候plaster
"The battle continues at the foot of the mountain. However, our forces are at a disadvantage. It seems impossible to stop the momentum of the army marching towards Kyoto."
"in particular?"
"Of the three Miyoshi generals, it appears that Miyoshi Masakatsu was annihilated and killed by the forces of Oda general Shibata Katsuie. Iwanari Tomomichi's forces have been routed . Currently, Miyoshi Nagayoshi is pushing back Shibata's army and routing the forces of Niwa Nagahide and Kinoshita Hideyoshi, but he cannot hold out any longer. Our army's defeat is certain."緒戦In the end
"I see"
Hisamichi said admiringly.
They seemed surprised that the old man put up a much better fight than they had expected.
"If my father's army had come down here, that old man would have been in a bit of trouble."
"Without a doubt"
"However, there's nothing we can do about it now."
Hisamichi declared, as if to say he had lost all interest.
"My father, confident of victory, chose not to fight himself, instead remaining holed up in his mountain castle. Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, the situation appears to be heading towards an Oda victory. And here we are, caught in the middle, standing here pathetically, kicking at corpses."
"Shall we withdraw?"
Hisamichi burst into laughter at the men's questions, looking very amused.
After laughing for a while, he moistened his throat with some nearby blood and then said:
"Now, where should I retreat to? I'm a rootless wanderer now... just like you. I don't have the money to continue employing you anymore."
"Then, General."
"Yes, that's right. Let's call it a day here and disband our army."
Hisamichi continued with a cheerful and refreshing smile.
"And so, those who wish to follow me, do so. Let's bring victory upon ourselves and then witness a pathetic defeat ."時化Rough seas
"If we do not retreat, where are we supposed to go?"
"Well... what about Echizen?"
Of course, this is based on anticipating future developments.
Hisahide would probably prefer to place Yoshitsugu in Kyoto, a place that is easier to escape from, rather than in the remote mountainous region of Yamato Province.
Furthermore, if Kyoto is the target, an invasion can be launched from Wakasa and Echizen provinces, which are under the control of the Asakura family.
The young man's question, which implicitly contained such calculations, made the surviving men exchange glances and laugh.
"That sounds wonderful. I hear Echizen is a prosperous region. There must be many beautiful women there. And of course, many good men too."
"Where there is money, there are good women and good men, and also alcohol."
"You can't find any decent people where there's no money."
"Isn't that about us?"
Even Hisamichi couldn't help but give a wry smile at the men who were getting carried away and laughing hysterically.
"What's up with you guys? You seem pretty enthusiastic."
"That's only natural, isn't it?"
"General, do you remember what you said to us a long time ago?"
"The fundamental principle of war is simply winning or losing. If you lose, you can just find a new master."
When Hisamichi responded, the men clapped their hands and laughed like children.
"Then let's do that. Lord Hisamichi, please find a new portable shrine, and we'll carry it together."
"You guys are really stupid."
"That's why we should follow a wise leader."
The blood-soaked men wore the biggest smiles imaginable.
"You only live once, so you'd be missing out if you didn't enjoy it."
"That's true. That's a very accurate observation."
Hisamichi responded in a cheerful voice. He curled the corners of his mouth into a sinister grin and directed it at them.
The men all responded with menacing expressions. It even seemed like their natural laughter.
"Well then, in order to enjoy my limited life, I shall knock on the door of the Asakura family of Echizen."
"That one's the best."
"But since we're here, why don't we kidnap some women and children via Tanba Province before heading to Wakasa, General?"
"In this world, money comes first. If you don't fill your pockets and make yourself look presentable, you'll likely be turned away at the door by the noble Asakura family."
The men who survived the ambush laughed loudly and began to make their way around the middle of Mount Tennozan in high spirits.
Of course, they took all the weapons and other valuable items from the bodies of the soldiers they killed.
Nobody feels any guilt whatsoever. All they're thinking about is how to make ends meet.
"Now, I will head to Tanba Province. I will settle things with my father another time."
The cheers of the men echoed across Mount Tenno. It was somehow like the laughter of victors.
An hour and a half later, a resounding roar of victory from the army marching to Kyoto echoed through Yamazaki.
The death of Miyoshi Nagayoshi, the leader of the Miyoshi Triumvirate, and the capture of Hosokawa Akimoto, the Muromachi Shogunal Deputy, marked the worst possible end to the war for the forces from the Kinai region.