Chapter 49: Dragon, Tiger, and Qilin

Lord Shingen, I have long heard of your great reputation. Throughout this realm, you and I have always been paired together as the Tiger and the Kirin.

However, we have both been entangled in countless affairs and have never had the chance to meet. It just so happens that the scenery here is quite pleasant, and Kawagoe Castle is close at hand.

Since a meeting is dictated by fate, why don't the two of us move to the small town and, following the ways of the ancients, boil wine while discussing the heroes of the realm?

Riding a fine steed, Hojo Akitoki shouted as he nipped at the heels of the retreating army of Takeda Shingen.

Given the objective superiority of heavily armored cavalry, their might in charging enemy formations and severing enemy generals' standards was beyond dispute.

Yet, considering both the knights in the saddle and the heavy barding on the horses, they carried an immense burden.

Once the time came for pursuit, especially a long-distance chase like the present one, armored cavalry gradually found themselves falling short.

Therefore, as time passed and the morning sun climbed higher, the actual distance between Takeda Shingen and Hojo Akitoki was steadily growing.

Hahahahaha! Lord Akitoki's kind offer is deeply appreciated by Shingen!

Because the distance between them was becoming safer by the moment, Takeda Shingen shed the wretchedness of the previous night.

This much time was more than enough for him to recover the poise of the Tiger of Kai.

Listening to Hojo Akitoki's clumsy attempt at provocation—or perhaps fueled by the annoyance of seeing his opponent about to slip from his grasp—Takeda Shingen felt his mood inexplicably improve and did not mind exchanging verbal blows with him.

Since Lord Akitoki is in such high spirits, why not pay a short visit to my province of Kai?

Once Your Lordship has finished admiring the scenic beauty of Kai, I shall personally escort you onward to Odawara Castle!

Needles concealed in cotton; even in death, a tiger loses none of its majesty.

Despite suffering such a heavy blow this time, Shingen's words still carried the intent to contend with Hojo Akitoki once again.

His remarks implied nothing less than the fact that the next time, it would be his turn to march his armies upon Odawara Castle.

Heh, heh, heh.

With a slight smile, Hojo Akitoki gradually reined in the fine steed beneath him.

Having pursued the enemy throughout the entire night, even though the mounts of his force were carefully selected Western imports and fine Eastern steeds, a man's willpower must sometimes yield to objective reality.

If he did not pause here to restore the endurance of the horses...

The person about to appear next—if that person were to discover even the slightest flaw—

Judging by that individual's performance in field battles, someone so adept at seizing fleeting opportunities would truly unleash a devastating, torrential assault upon the moment any vulnerability was exposed.

Should that happen, what should have been a grand and joyous victory might end in a crushing defeat at the very final threshold.

That simply would not do.

My Lord, the Hojo army is slowing its pace.

Takeda Nobushige was the first to keenly notice the movement of the Hojo forces in his rear.

Thus, he spoke to his lord, who was still frantically whipping his horse's rump.

Ah, truly worthy of being called the Kirin of Sagami, Hojo Akitoki.

Though he had already praised his opponent several times, Shingen still felt compelled to voice his admiration.

He is recovering the endurance of his horses to prepare for the person who comes next.

I would have thought that at his age, amidst such a sweeping victory, he would surely grow arrogant and lose his composure.

I never expected...

Turning his head to inspect the Hojo army as they slowly reorganized their entire force, the pleasant mood Shingen had just cultivated vanished completely into thin air.

The person who comes next?

With his exceptionally sharp mind, Nobushige grasped the underlying meaning instantly at his elder brother's hint.

As it turned out, his brother's retreat in the direction of Uesugi Kenshin's massive army was not merely to borrow the might of that rival's military prestige.

In order to escape Hojo Akitoki's pursuit, he also intended to covertly deal Hojo Akitoki a vicious counterblow.

Just imagine: after surviving such a catastrophe, the Takeda clan's military prestige had suffered a severe setback.

In the short term, they would inevitably be powerless to launch further external campaigns. Conversely, as their fortunes shifted, the Hojo clan's deterrence would be vastly amplified.

In the face of a battered Takeda Shingen delivered right to his doorstep, alongside a Hojo Akitoki whose previous strength was spent and whose new strength had yet to rise—

Someone as adept at seizing opportunities as Uesugi Kenshin, whom would he choose to strike?

Slaying Takeda Shingen would certainly be wonderful, but it would also inadvertently do Hojo Akitoki a massive favor.

The Hojo army, whose overall strength remained largely intact, would undoubtedly press forward into Kai without delay.

They would become the ultimate victors of this campaign.

However, if he were to let Takeda Shingen pass and instead launch a direct night raid upon Hojo Akitoki's exhausted troops, the situation would be entirely different.

In this era, a single man could elevate a nation, and a single man could ruin one.

If he could manage to slay Hojo Akitoki directly, the Hojo clan, just then showing signs of flourishing power, would suffer a blow as sudden as a falling pillar.

Having lost their heir apparent, the Hojo clan might well plunge into chaotic internal strife for supreme power!

And even if he failed to kill Hojo Akitoki!

Casting a glance back at those gorgeously equipped and terrifyingly formidable Hojo troops, Nobushige felt that gobbling up such a cavalry force would be exceptionally satisfying.

It would not only weaken the Hojo clan and restore the balance of power in the Kanto region, but it would also reward the Uesugi army with a batch of precious supplies!

What a pity...

The thought was magnificent indeed, yet deep regret flickered in Nobushige's eyes.

A man's reputation precedes him; even at such a triumphant and exhilarating moment, Hojo Akitoki was still able to anchor his mind and keep it from running wild!

What a terrible pity!

Sighing once more, Nobushige gradually looked ahead toward the direction they were advancing.

On the other side of the landscape, the familiar banner bearing the character for Bishamonten was slowly unfurling across the earth!

The so-called Bishamon banner refers to the banner of Bishamonten (a heavenly name), also known as Tamonten, the king among the Four Heavenly Kings.

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King familiar to later generations traces his origins back to this deity.

The title of King Bishamonten enjoyed immense popularity during the Tang dynasty and was regarded by armies as a guardian deity. Thus, the Eastern realm, which held a profound admiration for the Tang, adopted this faith as well.

It commanded numerous devout followers across the lands of the East and ranked among the Seven Gods of Fortune of the East.

By choosing such a standard as his military banner, Uesugi Kenshin's ambitions were laid bare for all to see.

My Lord!

The identical address rang out simultaneously in two separate locations.

With a simultaneous pull on their reins, both Hojo Akitoki and Takeda Shingen—

Led by these two men, their respective armies began to fix their gazes upon the Uesugi Kenshin forces advancing from afar.

I am finally going to meet this person.

Having already seen Takeda Shingen, Akitoki felt the Tiger truly lived up to his name.

What about the remaining Dragon?

Filled with boundless curiosity, combining the memories from his past life playing video games and consuming anime, he reflected on Uesugi Kenshin.

This figure was shrouded in numerous legends.

One theory claimed that Kenshin was actually a woman, primarily because he always kept himself tightly wrapped in armor on the battlefield—

And never married nor took concubines throughout his entire life, having only three adopted sons, an exceedingly unreasonable state of affairs for this era.

If that were the only point, it might be dismissed, but there were conclusive historical records explicitly stating that around the 10th of every month, Uesugi Kenshin experienced regular abdominal pain.

Furthermore, his ultimate cause of death was recorded as a malady known as the great insect disease, which served as a linguistic code for menstruation in the Japanese language.

Coupled with accounts of his fair, beardless, delicate, and handsome facial features, well-proportioned physique, and penchant for feminine-styled lavish robes...

(I have made a slight alteration here; in reality, during the period of the Battle of Kawagoe, Uesugi Kenshin was only fifteen years old.)

(He had also just recently gained control of his family, and his name was reportedly still Nagao Kagetora.)

(I have advanced the timeline considerably here, but since this is a novel, I hope readers will simply smile and accept it.)

Pondering these various rumors surrounding the soon-to-be-met Uesugi Kenshin while stroking his chin, Hojo Akitoki felt a strange light dancing in his eyes.

My Lord? My Lord?

Perhaps because Akitoki was too deeply absorbed in entertaining thoughts of some amusing scenarios, Ieyasu—no, Mitsuhide's low murmur of counsel went completely unnoticed.

Left with no choice, Akechi Mitsuhide had to raise his volume and call out a few more times.

Oh, Mitsuhide, what is it?

Snapping back to reality abruptly, Akitoki felt slightly embarrassed for accidentally zoning out on the battlefield.

Naturally, he maintained a placid exterior as if nothing had happened.

The Uesugi Kenshin forces opposite us have halted and braced their formation. They do not appear to be launching an attack.

Unaware, and unable to know, what whimsical thoughts had just crossed his lord's mind, Mitsuhide simply assumed his lord was fatigued from pursuing the enemy all night.

He hurriedly and solicitously voiced his observation.

Mmm.

Nodding, Akitoki was just about to speak when suddenly—

From within the array of Uesugi Kenshin's army, several horsemen holding aloft their distinctive Bishamon banners galloped out.

Judging by appearances, Uesugi Kenshin himself was among those riders.