"My lord, please put on heavy armor!"
Seeing that the matter was settled and his lord had decided to save the villagers of Kaede's Village, there was no changing his mind.
Akechi Mitsuhide stopped trying to dissuade him. In his heart, he was glad to serve such a benevolent and righteous ruler.
As his retainers, he and all the Hatamoto Samurai around him felt immensely honored.
Yet Hojo Akitoshi, who seemed ready to lead from the front himself, wore only light armor.
That was something Akechi Mitsuhide could not possibly accept.
Blades showed no mercy on the battlefield. If anything went wrong, Akechi Mitsuhide knew that even committing seppuku to atone would be too little, too late.
"He's right, Lord Hojo Akitoshi."
His decision to save the villagers had turned Kagome into something of an admirer. Under Inuyasha's jealous gaze, she stepped forward to persuade him as well.
"Lord Akechi Mitsuhide is right. Shouldn't you wear a little more protection?"
"No need."
Smiling as he declined their kind intentions, Hojo Akitoshi adjusted the light armor he wore.
"The demon outside attacks by controlling an invisible Hair Sea. Light armor will give me the greatest freedom of movement."
"I have martial skills honed through years of training, as well as instincts sharpened on the battlefield."
"Keeping myself agile might actually give me a better chance of survival, and a chance to defeat that demon."
"Yes. I failed to consider that fully."
Akechi Mitsuhide thought it over. His lord seemed to have a point.
Wrapping himself in an iron shell would certainly improve his defenses, but that was a response suited to fighting humans on a battlefield.
If he faced the demon outside encased in iron, a moment's carelessness might leave him knocked flat, without even a chance to get back up and escape.
At that thought, Akechi Mitsuhide silently resolved to stay at his lord's side and protect him once they marched out.
If the demon wanted to harm his lord, it would first have to step over his body.
But...
Akechi Mitsuhide cast another resentful glance at the girl standing beside his lord, gazing at him with boundless admiration.
If not for this woman, why would my lord ever have made such a decision?
"In that case, I'll go into battle with Lord Hojo Akitoshi too!"
Kagome suddenly made a decision that left Kaede and Inuyasha utterly astonished.
Under the bewildered gazes of Akechi Mitsuhide and the samurai around them, the girl summoned her courage and looked around.
Then she picked up the bow and arrows lying on the ground nearby.
"What could an ugly woman like you possibly do? Just stay in camp with your head tucked down."
Before Kaede could stop Kagome, Inuyasha spoke with his usual brashness, his voice laced with mockery.
Having had a little more time to recover, Inuyasha stretched and felt that his earlier injuries were no longer much of a problem.
"No. I want to do my part on Lord Hojo Akitoshi's path of benevolence and righteousness."
Shaking her head, Kagome made it clear that she was going.
She was not the sort of girl who spoke pretty words, only to hide behind her gender when it was time to act.
Besides, as far as Kagome could see, not a single samurai in the camp had cared about the safety of the villagers outside.
Yet the man before her, the most respected person in the entire camp, had stepped forward.
He had declared that he would follow the path of benevolence and righteousness.
Such a great daimyo, who cared so deeply for his people!
She tightened her grip on the bow and arrows, even though she had little confidence in her ability to use them.
In her heart, however, she swore that she would protect Hojo Akitoshi on this expedition.
"Kagome!"
With the shrewdness of age, Kaede needed only one look at Kagome's expression to guess what the girl was thinking.
But Kaede was still concerned about the Shikon Jewel. The villagers mattered, but the Shikon Jewel was just as important.
And the only person who could find the Shikon Jewel now was the girl before her, the reincarnation of her elder sister.
"You should stay behind!"
After weighing everything, Kaede made her choice.
She did not want Kagome taking this risk.
"Hmph."
Seeing that both the old priestess Kaede and the demon Inuyasha wanted to keep Kagome from joining the battle, Akechi Mitsuhide watched them.
Their reason was something as simple as concern for her safety. He gave a pointed snort to express his displeasure.
What, was this girl from your little backwater village more precious than my lord, Hojo Akitoshi?
Though Akechi Mitsuhide did not put that meaning into words, his behavior made it unmistakable.
Kaede's aged face flushed, while the thick-skinned Inuyasha simply ignored him.
"I..."
Thin-skinned, Kagome immediately tried to speak. She did not want to give anyone that impression of her.
"Mitsuhide, enough. Say no more."
Hojo Akitoshi raised a hand, stopping the atmosphere from turning any more uncomfortable.
Then he turned to Kagome with a gentle smile and asked her a question.
"It's dangerous. Do you really want to go?"
"Of course!"
Meeting Hojo Akitoshi's gentle gaze, Kagome's heart gave another sudden leap. Her entire face reddened, but her answer was firm.
"All right. Stay with me, and don't stray from my side."
"If you get too far away, I might not be able to protect you."
"And put your abilities to use in the coming battle. Do your part to help us win!"
He neither tried to persuade Kagome to stay nor said anything that might make her feel looked down upon.
Instead, Hojo Akitoshi gave her his clear approval.
The feeling of being needed and valued instantly filled Kagome's heart.
"Yes!"
Too excited to say anything more, Kagome clutched her bow and once again swore that she would fight with all her might.
"Someone teach her how to use a bow. A little last-minute training should help her shoot more accurately."
Without speaking further to Kagome, Hojo Akitoshi summoned a trusted follower skilled in archery.
Then, without looking back, he strode toward the gap in the ravine.
Following behind Hojo Akitoshi, Akechi Mitsuhide took one last look at the excited Kagome before leaving.
He also glanced at Kaede, who had reluctantly followed, and Inuyasha, whose expression was conflicted.
"My lord, do you truly intend to...?"
Seizing his last opportunity, Akechi Mitsuhide offered his counsel in a low voice.
"If a king does not move forward, how will his subjects know which way to go?"
With his blade in hand, Hojo Akitoshi's presence grew more imposing with every step.
By the time he reached the gap in the ravine, his aura was so powerful that others could hardly look directly at him.
Seeing their lord display a presence unmatched in this age of war, even the samurai who had been unwilling to risk their lives for people they had always regarded as lowborn found themselves moved.
Now every one of them was wholeheartedly ready to follow their lord into the charge.
"I understand."
Keenly noticing the change in the samurai around him, Akechi Mitsuhide finally understood the deeper purpose behind his lord's actions.
Through repeated acts of benevolence and righteousness, his lord would win the wholehearted loyalty of the entire Hojo Army.
Then the Hojo Army would be impregnable! No one in this age could stand against it!
My lord Hojo Akitoshi truly understood human nature!
"To battle!"
Hojo Akitoshi stood still for a moment, waiting for the samurai around him to prepare.
Then he drew the Muramasa Blade Sirius and slashed it downward, bellowing the order to attack.
"Lord Hojo Akitoshi of the Hojo Army marches to battle!"
Answering Hojo Akitoshi's roar were soldiers specially selected from the camp for their powerful lungs and booming voices.
They shouted with excitement, while other soldiers blew conch shells to signal the charge.
"Raaah!"
In an instant, earthshaking roars rose in wave after wave, mingling with the resounding calls of the conch shells.
With banners bearing Hojo's Three Scales Crest mounted on their backs, the Hatamoto Samurai surged around Hojo Akitoshi, marching toward a world of benevolence and righteousness.
"This is the Hojo Army?"
Surrounded by a charging force whose magnificent momentum rivaled an army thousands strong, Kagome could not help crying out again.
All she knew was to follow closely in Hojo Akitoshi's footsteps.
"Damn it. These humans... they're only humans."
Inuyasha was left speechless. Even he, a demon, felt fear stir in his heart.
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