No wonder Japan's daimyo all liked becoming monks

"Hojo Akitoshi?"

Perhaps it was because he was too shocked, or perhaps because he was too frightened.

He stared at Hojo Akitoshi, whom he had hoped was dead-or, failing that, would at least never return.

Masamasa's gaze swept over this man and the figure of Akechi Mitsuhide behind him.

With a thump, he dropped to his knees even faster than his elder brother Ujiyasu. None of the bluster he had shown while shouting at his brother remained.

More amusingly, not only had he knelt quickly, but his entire body was trembling. His head was bowed so low that his hands almost hid it.

What a spineless fool.

Ujiyasu shot his younger brother a weary look. He saw much further ahead than Masamasa did.

Deeply alarmed, Ujiyasu also dropped swiftly to his knees. After all, this command tent was a long way from the entrance to the main camp.

Moreover, the men protecting this tent were, in theory, all his trusted confidants.

And now?

Hojo Akitoshi had walked all the way from the camp entrance to this tent, yet not a single warrior had come to report his arrival.

Even the so-called confidants guarding the tent had failed to give any warning!

If that did not reveal anything, what did?

What could possibly make things clearer?

Following his brother's example, Ujiyasu buried his head in his hands and once again witnessed Hojo Akitoshi's methods.

This man constantly spoke of a world of benevolence and righteousness, but beneath that facade surely lurked a bottomless darkness!

"Get up. Both of you, get up. What's all this?"

"We're all members of the Hojo clan. There's no need for such grand formalities."

Looking at the two brothers prostrate before him, Hojo Akitoshi kept offering pleasant assurances that this was unnecessary.

Yet he made no move whatsoever to help either of them up. He simply walked past them.

Hojo Akitoshi brazenly took the seat of honor. Under the eyes of Ujiyasu's confidants around him, he smiled as he watched.

The two brothers had turned to face him, their backsides still sticking up.

"Please forgive us, Lord Akitoshi. Masamasa has only just returned from the front."

"In the heat of battle, he spoke out of turn. But please rest assured, my lord."

"For the great cause of the Hojo clan, Masamasa will devote himself utterly until his dying breath!"

With Ujiyasu's head pressed so close to the dirt, his voice sounded somewhat muffled.

Hearing his elder brother plead on his behalf, Masamasa relaxed a little and adopted an even more respectful posture, scarcely daring to breathe.

"Lord Ujiyasu, whatever do you mean?"

"As I told Lord Masamasa, I, Hojo Akitoshi, was fortunate enough to take this position through everyone's recommendation."

"Naturally, I must devote every effort to the prosperity of our Hojo clan. Only then can I face our ancestors in the afterlife a hundred years from now."

Hojo Akitoshi waved a hand, speaking with an unconcerned expression.

In truth, he did not want to acknowledge these ancestors, and presumably they would not want to see him a hundred years from now either.

But for appearances' sake, he still had to hold his nose and acknowledge them.

"Masamasa!"

Realizing that no amount of pleading would help, Ujiyasu turned to berate his younger brother.

"Lord Akitoshi-ah, no, my lord clan head."

Masamasa understood perfectly well that a wise man knew when to yield. Before Hojo Akitoshi, he could not muster any defiance at all.

He banged his head against the ground several times, then immediately begged for mercy.

"After the battle, my blood was still surging, so I drank a few extra cups of sake to steady my nerves."

"I never expected my tolerance to be so poor that I would spout nonsense before you. My lord, I humbly beg your forgiveness."

"Oh, I see."

Hojo Akitoshi nodded, his narrowed eyes lingering on Masamasa's back.

As he remained silent, the atmosphere inside the tent grew oppressively heavy.

With every passing moment, the two brothers trembled more violently, like sieves being shaken.

"Hahaha! A trifling matter, a trifling matter. You've just fought a bloody battle, after all. Quite understandable."

Laughing aloud, Hojo Akitoshi told Akechi Mitsuhide to help the two men up.

Only after the brothers exchanged a few reluctant tugs with Mitsuhide did they finally rise, trembling with fear.

Just when they thought the matter was over, Hojo Akitoshi suddenly spoke again.

"Drinking on the battlefield before victory has been secured—as one of the commanding generals, Masamasa, what example are you setting for the warriors and foot soldiers?"

"If they follow your example and drink themselves senseless, missing opportunities in battle as a result, how can our Hojo clan prosper?"

"In consideration of your merits and your brother's plea, this time you'll get fifty strokes of the military staff. Get out!"

"What?"

Hearing this, Masamasa abruptly lifted his head and stared at Hojo Akitoshi's indifferent face.

If he truly received fifty strokes, his part in the Battle of Kawagoe would effectively be over.

And with that many blows, if they were administered in earnest...

He would likely lose half his life and spend a hundred days or more bedridden at home!

But...

Masamasa stared at Hojo Akitoshi for a moment, then turned toward his elder brother.

A few seconds passed before Masamasa lowered his head in resignation. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the tent.

He could see that if he preserved his dignity, others would let him keep it. If he refused, they would force that dignity upon him anyway.

In that case, he might as well leave with some dignity.

"Lord Ujiyasu."

As though ordering fifty strokes for the man's younger brother were utterly inconsequential, Hojo Akitoshi moved on and asked Ujiyasu with a smile.

"I heard earlier that our Hojo clan has a few resources I don't know about."

"Especially when it comes to dealing with demons. Our clan has a few trump cards, doesn't it?"

Hearing this, Ujiyasu sighed inwardly again. His hopes had all but died.

Perhaps he had still harbored some resentment toward Hojo Akitoshi before, but now, hearing the question from the seat of honor...

Ujiyasu cast a barely perceptible glance over the retainers in the tent, all of whom stood with their eyes lowered in studied silence.

Where on earth are my trusted men?!

Even as he shouted this inwardly, Ujiyasu became still more respectful on the surface.

"My lord clan head, your succession ceremony has not yet been held."

"And the Battle of Kawagoe followed immediately afterward, so some aspects of the handover were delayed."

"This was my failing. In fact, where demons are concerned, every daimyo domain with a long history has its own deities that it worships."

"Besides-

"within the domains, there are also powerful monks, Onmyoji, shrine priests, and others."

"These include renowned shrines throughout the land, as well as the Onmyo Bureau directly under the shogun-institutions specifically tasked with handling demonic affairs."

"When powerful Great Demons cause trouble, they will also go to exorcise them as circumstances warrant."

Then, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube, Ujiyasu poured out everything Hojo Akitoshi wanted to know.

"So that's how it is. I really have been ignorant."

Looking pleased, Hojo Akitoshi clapped his hands in appreciation, then waved Ujiyasu away.

He occupied the tent as though it were rightfully his, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it had originally belonged to Ujiyasu.

Once Ujiyasu had left, outwardly calm but inwardly despondent, Akechi Mitsuhide, his foremost loyal retainer, immediately approached Hojo Akitoshi.

In full view of the warriors who had yet to leave the tent, a bone-chilling gleam shone in Mitsuhide's eyes.

"My Lord?"

"The Hojo clan is one united family."

Seemingly answering an entirely different question, Hojo Akitoshi told Akechi Mitsuhide to remain calm for now.

Lowering his head, Hojo Akitoshi finally began to understand a few things.

For instance, in his previous life, he had often read in Japan's historical records...

Japan's daimyo had a peculiar tradition: the heads of their clans were very fond of taking monastic vows.

Many famous daimyo had Buddhist names even if they never became monks.

Even the children of defeated enemy daimyo were usually sent into temples.

Back then, as a fine young man on Blue Star, he had naively assumed this was because Buddhism flourished in Japan.

After all, it had even produced the Ikko-ikki, whose temple forces could clash head-on with those of the daimyo.

He had never expected there to be such a deeper significance. No wonder Uesugi Kenshin even used a war banner bearing the character for Bishamonten.

The man even called himself Bishamonten's incarnation!

"Deities born of faith? Deities sustained by offerings? Or perhaps merely demons granted divine titles?"

Hojo Akitoshi struck his left palm with his right fist, recalling the few deities who had appeared in Inuyasha.

Especially that unfortunate river god whom Inuyasha and his companions might encounter soon.

"Heh. A deity that demons can easily defeat is nothing to worry about!"

"Our immediate priority is defeating that tiger, Takeda Shingen."