Demon Sword Dance
Book 2 of the Dororo Novel Series
Toriumi Jinzō
Part 5 - Hell on Earth
Chapter 3
Ichijōdani was to the northeast of Mount Monju, in the Asuwa District of Ezichen Province. The city was strategically located at the conflux of the Asuwa River and the much narrower Ichijōdani River, which cut through the valley via a narrow gap between mountain peaks. It was a picturesque and beautiful place, though the view was marred somewhat by the enormous fortress that stood perched on a high slope in the distance.
The Asakura Clan first became involved with Ichijōdani on August 9, 1366. It was granted to the family by the reigning shōgun, Ashikaga Yoshiakira. From that point forward, the clan used it as their primary base of operations. By the time Asakura Takakage took power, the fortress high on the hill was already complete.
A few dozen armored and helmeted riders lined up along the Ichijōdani River and approached the fortress. The horses moved very quietly, but every tiny sound made the riders glance warily around. The family crest on their banners was three japonica flowers, so it was obvious that these were warriors serving the Asakura Clan.
The rider who led the others was particularly conspicuous. His head was bald and bare, though he couldn't have been more than thirty years old. The gold thread and fittings on his armor sparkled brightly in the dappled sunlight. Though he was currently frowning in agitation, he would be considered by most to be an attractive man, at least when he wasn't scowling. His name was Asakura Mitsuhisa. He was a monk and his older brother Takakage's staunchest supporter.
In his youth, Mitsuhisa spent time at the Kennin Temple in Kyōto associated with the Rinzai Sect of Buddhism, where he was treated particularly well because of his close connection to his brother. There wasn't a man, woman or child in Asuwa District who didn't know his name.
Despite his role in the priesthood, in 1461, Mitsuhisa traveled from Kyōto to Echizen to collect a tax to support the operation of the temples and shrines in Kyōto. In 1466, he attacked the Ichijō Clan in the Asuwa District, helping his brother secure control of the region.
While the fortress in Ichijōdani was quite large, there were many others maintained within the province. The riders, led by Mitsuhisa, reached the front of the fortress and stopped. A tiny dart flew out from atop the earthen embankment above the fortress and pierced Asakura Mitsuha's horse in the stomach. The darts were made of bamboo and not metal, or the damage might have been much worse. The horse bucked and reared, but Mitsuhisa was used to controlling horses in combat and quickly quieted his steed.
Dororo climbed to the top of the earthen embankment and looked down. "Gah!" He was so surprised by the riders that he lost his balance and fell, rolling away from the embankment.
One of the riders charged at Dororo's unmoving body, but he jumped up and darted away from the horse's legs before he could get trampled. "Why, you little…"
The other men gripped their spears tightly.
"Don't pester us, brat," the rider who'd almost trampled Dororo said. "Unless you want us to pester you."
"Enough," Mitsuhisa said.
The riders frowned, but made no move to attack Dororo. Dororo confirmed that he was safe, then approached Mitsuhisa with his palms upraised. "Excuse me, sir, but I have a request, if you're willing to grant it."
Mitsuhisa frowned down at Dororo in distaste. "Never mind," he said. "Kill him."
Dororo was not easily dissuaded—or easily frightened. "Huh? But aren't you Asakura Mitsuhisa, the most compassionate warrior monk in all of Ezichen Province? Would you really kill a child?" He folded his arms.
Mitsuhisa laughed. "You are insolent," he said. "Did you figure out who I was and decide to pull some kind of prank?"
Dororo did recognize him: he'd seen Asakura Takakage when he'd lived in the capital. Takakage was one of the three most powerful generals of the Western Army.
"I couldn't just approach you like a normal person," Dororo said. "There's no way you would have agreed to meet with me."
"You talk far too much, child," Mitsuhisa said. "What is it that you want?"
Hyakkimaru jumped down from the embankment and dropped to his knees before Asakura Mitsuhisa.
"And who are you?" Mitsuhisa asked.
"I humbly ask you to forgive my younger brother's rudeness," he said. "I'm a traveling swordsman. My name is Hyakkimaru."
"Hyakkimaru?" Mitsuhisa's eyes lit up. "Bring them both," he said, then motioned for the riders to enter the fortress.
The riders surrounded Dorororo and Hyakkimaru, then bound their hands behind their backs. Neither one resisted. Dororo gave Hyakkimaru a cat-like smile that seemed to say, I told you so.
***
Some days before, Hyakkimaru had fully recovered from his battle with the demons and decided to leave Hino Village. He was determined to get into the Asakura Clan's fortress at Ichijōdani at the earliest opportunity. It was guarded by sentinels day and night, so there was no easy way to approach it. Dororo's idea was to wait for a patrol to pass by the entrance to the fortress and make a direct appeal, so that was what they’d decided to do. While being bound and dragged inside wasn't the best possible outcome, Hyakkimaru could honestly say that he never thought they'd manage to get this far.
Dororo and Hyakkimaru were brought to a room in the samurai guardhouse, where their hands were unbound. They weren't treated as prisoners, but it seemed that Mitsuhisa wanted them to be closely watched. Hyakkimaru had never been inside a fortress before and was quickly lost, even though the samurai guardhouse wasn't very far from the front gates. There was an atmosphere of tension and high alert enveloping the place, though he saw no obvious cause for this.
After a long wait, Asakura Mitsuhisa entered the samurai guardhouse, trailed by his bodyguards. Hyakkimaru went to his knees with his hands raised in supplication and his face cast down. Dororo copied his movements.
"Are you aware of the consequences for attacking a samurai while they're going about their daily business?" Mitsuhisa asked. "I imagine you are."
"I am prepared to face whatever punishment you deem fit," Hyakkimaru said. "But I would not have risked so much if I did not have an urgent request to make of you."
"Oh? Interesting. What is this request?" His eyes were hard and cold, but his tone conveyed a hint of amusement.
"Forgive my impertinence, but it is the greatest ambition of my life to meet Asakura Takakage, if only for a moment."
"What? You wish to meet my brother?"
"I beg you to carry my request to him," Hyakkimaru said, pressing his face to the floor. Dororo did the same.
"Great general Mitsuhisa sir, we came all the way from the capital, hearing of your and Asakura Takakage's great deeds. Won't you please consider the request?" Dororo asked, using an uncharacteristically polite tone.
"You call me 'great general,' do you?" Mitsuhisa barked out a laugh. "I applaud your courage, foolish though it is. I can request a meeting, but there is no guarantee he will agree."
Hyakkimaru was near tears. "Anything you can do for us is greatly appreciated," he said. "I thank you for hearing us."
Both Hyakkimaru and Dororo bowed their heads politely.
Mitsuhisa withdrew from the room, along with his guards. After they left, Dororo faced Hyakkimaru with eyes full of admiration.
"What?" Hyakkimaru asked. "What did I do?"
"You talked like a samurai," Dororo said in a hushed whisper. "I didn't know you could do that. You've never done it before."
"Not in front of you, no. Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do?'"
Dororo's idea had gotten them into the fortress successfully, but there was no guarantee that Hyakkimaru would meet Asakura Takakage. He was a great and fearsome general of the Western Army who served Shiba Yoshikado, the lord of Ezichen Province. Even Hosokawa Katsumoto, the leader of the Eastern Army, was frightened enough of him to put a high price on his head.
Hyakkimaru and Dororo stayed in the fortress until nightfall, when torches were lit in the guardhouse and outside the fortress. Dororo yawned hugely, then said, "Maybe we should give up, aniki. It's getting late."
Less than a minute later, the door to the room slid open, revealing two samurai. Mitsuhisa had returned, leading another samurai in heavy, well-maintained armor and a helmet that identified him as a high-ranking general. It was Asakura Takakage: of that, Hyakkimaru had no doubt.
Hyakkimaru and Dororo prostrated themselves before the two samurai.
"I'm Takakage. Are you Hyakkimaru?" Asakura Takakage asked.
Hyakkimaru's voice shook when he answered, "I am Hyakkimaru. I beg you to forgive my selfish request in desiring to meet you, sir. Seeing you now fulfills an aspiration that I have carried with me for many months."
Takakage frowned. "You really are him. I had my doubts, but you're one of Honekawa's men."
"Yes," Hyakkimaru said. Lying here would gain him nothing. "I served in the Eastern Army under Honekawa Dōken, for a time."
"Dōken killed many of my men, including members of my clan. Should I treat you as an enemy, then? What punishment would you choose for such crimes?"
Takakage drew his sword.
Dororo gasped in surprise. He hadn't known the details of Hyakkimaru's military service, aside from the fact that he'd been in the Eastern Army.
"I didn't kill any of your men," Hyakkimaru said. "I swear it."
"Be silent. I've heard of you, you know. You used some kind of cannon to set fires and destroy blockades. Who knows how many dozens or hundreds of men died because of you."
"It gets worse," Mitsuhisa put in. "He met with Taga Takatada, and everyone knows he's a spy for the Eastern Army. Kid, you really walked into the wrong place."
"I don't have anything to do with the Eastern Army or the Western Army!" Hyakkimaru insisted. He felt like that was true, but he'd met many high-ranking officers in the Eastern Army, and it seemed that the Western Army was aware of him by reputation as well. How had that happened?
Takakage and Mitsuhisa laughed hard enough to shake the walls. "Everyone says that," Takakage said. "You must be new around here."
Hyakkimaru and Dororo gaped up at Takakage in shock.
"Hyakkimaru, you may not know, but I owe Lord Taga a great debt. And you've shown courage in coming here."
"I did what I said I would," Mitsuhisa said. "My brother is here. What did you want to ask him?"
"I'm trying to find a general," Hyakkimaru said.
"Oh? Which army is he in, Eastern or Western?"
"I don't know," Hyakkimaru said.
Takakage and Mitsuhisa exchanged glances. "What's his clan, then?" Takakage asked.
"The clan is Daigo," Hyakkimaru said.
"There was an Emperor called Daigo a long time ago," Mitsuhisa said, "and there's a Daigo Temple in Kyōto, but I'm not aware of any clan."
"There are a few samurai clans with that name, though they're somewhat obscure," Takakage said. "Let's see...I've heard of Daigo Shinbē, Daigo Kagemitsu..."
Hyakkimaru's shoulders shifted forward involuntarily. "Yes. Daigo Kagemitsu is his name."
Mitsuhisa folded his arms. "Are you sure about that, Hyakkimaru?"
"Yes. He lived near the capital eighteen years ago."
Takakage snorted. "Well, he's a samurai all right, but you'd be wrong if you described him as human."
"That much, I do know." Hyakkimaru clenched his fist. "I heard that he was a retainer of Yamana Masakiyo."
"I don't know if it's the same man, but there's a Daigo Kagemitsu in the Eastern Army," Takakage said. "He's in Kaga, serving under Togashi Masachika."
"Kaga? Where in Kaga?"
"He could be anywhere in Kaga," Mitsuhisa said. "There's a war on. Fortresses are popping up all over the place and armies are on the move. We don't know the ins and outs of the Eastern Army in so much detail. You can't expect us to tell you something that specific."
Hyakkimaru reddened. Mitsuhisa was right. Even if he and Takakage did know where Daigo Kagemitsu was at the moment, they'd be fools to reveal what they knew about the Eastern Army's movements. Hyakkimaru could very easily be a spy.
"Knowing where he was eighteen years ago doesn't help much in pinning down his whereabouts now," Takakage said. "I've told you as much as I know."
Togashi Masachika was only eighteen years old, but he was the governor of Kaga Province and ruled from Takao Castle.
Mitsuhisa smiled, and it wasn't unkind. "Does that satisfy you, Hyakkimaru?"
Hyakkimaru prostrated himself before Takakage and Mitsuhisa again. "Yes. Thank you very much."
"It's getting late," Takakage said. "Take these two to a temple. They can spend the night there."
Mitsuhisa nodded in acknowledgement.
"So long, Hyakkimaru," Takakage said. He left.
Hyakkimaru bowed politely to see him off. Dororo's jaw was on the floor.
"I guess I should have expected him to be like that," Dororo said sagely. "Great military general at all. Gotta be efficient."
Hyakkimaru glanced sidelong at him. "You're very rude, Dororo."
"Who, me?" He pretended to be contrite, but he was laughing internally; Hyakkimaru could tell.
The next morning dawned gray with sparse cloud cover. There was a chill in the air that heralded the arrival of winter. Hyakkimaru didn't learn about Asakura Takakage's defection to the Eastern Army until he passed through Ichijōdani and heard the news. It had happened while he was training on Mount Monju, in September. Takakage had been offered a secret agreement to act as regional military governor by shōgun Yoshimasa and Hosokawa Katsumoto, which he'd accepted. Things were difficult for him for a few months after that, but he brought Ezichen under control with help from his three younger brothers. It was just as Hōichi had predicted: Lord Shiba was deposed by the shōgun as ruler of Ezichen, and Asakura Takakage's star was rising.
Hyakkimaru looked up at the gray sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
"Does it snow along with thunderstorms in the northern provinces?" Dororo asked.
Hyakkimaru didn't answer. His eyes flicked from the sky to the northern road, but otherwise, he didn't move a muscle. He and Dororo stood there for a long while in gray mist before they started moving again.
This is the end of Demon Sword Dance. The story concludes in The Fall of Daigo.
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