Odawara Castle.
The strongest castle in Kanto.
Arriving here once again, Kanbe Hikaru stood on a hill outside the city. Around him, a thin layer of blood mist spread out, enveloping him and the twenty-three small demons behind him.
In the distance, the giant castle nestled between the mountains and the sea appeared exceptionally silent in the afternoon sun.
Stone walls layered upon each other, arrow towers densely packed, and the city gates tightly shut.
Unlike when he came to slay Gakimaru last time, the flags atop the city walls had changed.
It was no longer just the Hojo Clan's three-scale crest; there were also 'battle readiness' signal flags.
Something's not right.
Kanbe Hikaru frowned.
Although the gates were closed and the residents seemed to be at home, the human presence within the city wasn't strong.
Blood mist seeped out from beneath his skin, spreading down the hillside toward the castle in a thin, almost invisible layer.
Using blood as eyes, he expanded his perception once more.
The field of vision slowly unfolded within Kanbe Hikaru's 'perception,' and the situation inside the city gradually became clear.
There weren't many defenders.
Far fewer than the last time he was here.
Although the commoners were living their lives as usual this time, there were significantly fewer samurai on the streets, and more than half of the warhorses in the stables were gone.
"The main force has been redeployed."
Kanbe Hikaru made his judgment; it was the only logical conclusion.
After all, he could only see, not 'hear.'
However, Kanbe Hikaru had no intention of revealing himself.
There was no need.
Unlike his direct contact with the Imagawa Clan, his previous visit had only been within a 'dream,' and he hadn't directly exposed his movements. Dreams are hazy; most people find it difficult to recall them clearly unless triggered by a similar, deep-seated stimulus.
So, neither the Hojo Clan nor the people in the city knew who he was. Suddenly appearing as a demon wearing a crimson oni mask would only cause unnecessary commotion.
He hadn't come alone this time, either.
The Oni Samurai in the crimson mask turned to look at the group of small demons huddled in the blood mist behind him.
"Disperse."
His voice came from beneath the mask: "Go into the city and listen to what the Hojo Clan people are saying."
The Tanuki Spirit was taken aback: "Lo... Lord, we're going into the city?"
"You can't enter the city looking like that."
Kanbe Hikaru's tone was flat: "Transform."
"Transform?"
"Aren't you a tanuki?"
An embarrassed expression appeared on the Tanuki Spirit's face.
It was indeed a Tanuki Spirit, and their specialty was transformation arts.
But the problem was—it only had the skill level of 'one and a half transformations.'
One transformation was used to develop intelligence, and the remaining half was for the actual transformation art.
Because of this, the human form it transformed into was fixed; there would be a tuft of hair on its nose, its tail couldn't be hidden, and it couldn't maintain the form for long.
"Lord, my transformation art can only last for half an hour..."
"That's enough."
Kanbe Hikaru pulled a thread condensed from blood mist from his breast pocket and wrapped it around the Tanuki Spirit's wrist.
"This blood thread will help you obscure your abnormalities to some extent. But once you're in the city, stay away from monks and shrines. Look for tea houses and taverns, and listen to what people are saying."
He then looked at Hitotsume-kozo and the Fox-eared Girl.
"The same goes for you. Transform if you can; if you can't, hide on the rooftops."
"Remember—only listen, don't speak, don't touch, and absolutely no stealing."
"In half an hour, meet at the pine forest south of the city."
The little yokai looked at each other.
Then, they dispersed.
The Tanuki Spirit pinched his nose and, with a 'poof', transformed into a short, stout middle-aged merchant. His tail was barely tucked into his trouser leg as he waddled toward the city gate.
The Hitotsume-kozo covered his head with a tattered paper umbrella, shrinking his entire body inside so that only two feet wearing straw sandals were visible as he pitter-pattered into a group of farmers carrying shoulder poles.
The Fox-eared Girl gathered flowers from the surroundings to weave a wreath, using it to cover her fox ears.
She was actually a Half-demon—a very weak half-demon—which was why she could maintain a human form. Though she lacked other abilities, she at least looked human.
The remaining ones who truly lacked the skill to transform—a giant rat with a broken leg, a Severed Centipede, a Two-headed Crow, and the like—climbed to the treetops and rooftops outside the city, pricking up their ears.
Kanbe Hikaru leaned against an old pine tree on a hill and closed his eyes.
The blood mist served as his eyes.
And these twenty-three little yokai became his 'ears.'
Soon, the 'yokai' began to report back.
"The lord of this city has taken his troops to the front lines..."
"...The Imagawa Clan is attacking again."
"I heard it's not for territory this time."
"...Imagawa Yoshimoto came personally... saying she's looking for someone..."
"...What Onigami? Never heard of him..."
"...I think his name was, Hikaru?"
This last yokai failed to remember Kanbe Hikaru's full name, and Kanbe Hikaru's eyes snapped open.
Imagawa Yoshimoto.
Personally leading an army.
Not for conquest.
But to find—him?
"Interesting."
He stood up. The images brought by the blood mist and the information from the little yokai were converging.
More fragments pieced together a clear 'game.'
Three days ago, the Imagawa Clan suddenly assembled over two thousand troops again, setting out from Suruga and entering the Hojo Clan's sphere of influence to the east.
But this army did not lay siege to cities or plunder; they didn't even cross the traditional border between the two houses.
They simply lined up on the plains of the border, displaying their banners.
Then—they sent an envoy to Odawara Castle.
The envoy's exact words were recounted in various ways by the city's commoners, but the core message was only one:
"Hand over 'Kishin Hikaru'."
Hojo Ujiyasu naturally refused.
Not because she cared about Kanbe Hikaru—she didn't even know what the name meant.
But because, on what grounds?
Imagawa Yoshimoto had come to her territory to boss her around, demanding she hand over something she had never even seen?
This was a provocation.
An absolute provocation.
Thus, Hojo Ujiyasu gathered her troops and personally led them to the border for a confrontation.
The Lion of Sagami never initiated attacks, but she would never tolerate others flaunting their power at her doorstep.
Just like the last time the Imagawa Clan came charging aggressively, the Hojo Clan had struck back decisively.
The last war had ended in a bizarre fashion.
But that didn't mean she was afraid.
Currently, the two armies were facing off at the border of Suruga and Musashi Province—
Battle had not yet commenced.
But the atmosphere was already tense.
...
Meanwhile.
West of Mount Hakone on the border of the two provinces, at Jentaigahara.
This was an open plain with low hills on the north and south sides, and vast dry fields and grasslands in between.
The Hojo Clan's army was stationed on the northern hills, numbering about fifteen hundred men.
The Imagawa Clan's army occupied the southern side, their banners stretching out, numbering about two thousand.
The two armies were three li apart. The plain between them was empty, with only the autumn wind swirling through the withered yellow grass.
In the northern camp.
Hojo Ujiyasu stood on the high platform of the main camp. Over her deep purple kimono, she wore a suit of light armor, her jet-black hair fluttering slightly in the wind.
There was no expression on her exquisite face, but the corners of her mouth were turned down slightly, full of gloom and dissatisfaction.
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