MOON SAGA novel book discussion (Part Three, Ch 3-4)
3
March 1185, the second year of the Genryaku era.
In addition to the previous decree from the cloistered emperor to hunt down the Heike, Yoshitsune had also received orders from Yoritomo and could no longer remain in the capital, so he lead his army and set up camp at Bizen.
He still did not know the reason that Tsugunobu had been killed, and so had some hesitation in proceeding with the peace negotiations, but Dennai said that Tomomori’s intentions had not changed, and that he was ready to persuade Munemori and the retainers.
And on that day, Dennai visited Yoshitsune’s camp once again.
“Dennai, I get what you’re trying to say, but if you keep coming every day it’s gonna cause trouble for us. We’re not the only Genji army. Even if we don’t make a move, the other generals are aiming for Yashima. Yoshitsune was intending to deliver the plan for peace to Lord Yoritomo in Kamakura before that happened. But that chance was ruined… because of you guys, right?” Benkei said with a troubled expression.
“I know that… But the battle hasn’t started yet. My brother can’t give up on peace. So I want to gamble on that too. I want you to trust my brother.”
Yoshitsune felt the same. No matter how precious a friend he was to me, if I cause a war over my own pain, then that’s the same as sacrificing many innocent lives for the sake of revenge. Such a thing is not noble. I understood that, but-
“Dennai, there’s something that I have to ask you. Why did Noritsune make Kikuōmaru kill Tadanobu? Isn’t explaining the reason for that first the main thing?”
When Yoshitsune asked that, Dennai lowered his gaze with a pained expression.
“We’ve… I’ve asked that over and over, but he just gets worked up and keeps giving answers that make no sense. He’s always had some psychological instability because of his power of prophetic dreams, but recently it’s been particularly bad. He keeps muttering to himself, or screaming for no reason… it’s like he’s a completely different person. He didn’t have much enthusiasm for peace, so perhaps that’s why he did such a stupid thing...”
“Like a different person?”
Something troubled Yoshitsune in the back of his mind. But he didn’t know what it was, and he had no time to worry about it. He had to decide.
“… I see. In that case, one more thing. You come here every day to meet us, Dennai, but this is a Genji camp. What if I said that the next time you come here, I’ll take you prisoner…?”
Dennai was surprised by this question, but after a moment he grinned.
“Gahaha! Of course I’d come, no question about it… We took Tsugunobu’s life. If I can repay that with my own, then let me do so. But that would be the end of taking revenge against each other. In exchange for my head, I want you to continue the peace negotiations no matter what!”
He looked directly at Yoshitsune as he said that.
Yoshitsune remembered the first time that he met Dennai in the forest. He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d been taken in by that carefree smile, and regained his own ability to smile in an instant. Dennai had said then, “I think your precious friend would be hoping for you to live life with a smile.” Dennai has probably lost a lot of friends in the war too. Perhaps that’s why he’s always smiling.
Yoshitsune had made up his mind.
“I see. But if you died, Dennai, then we’d be in trouble without anyone to serve as a bridge to Lord Tomomori. Tell Lord Tomomori, no, Brother quickly. I’ll do everything I can to establish peace.”
“R-Really?”
“Of course.” Yoshitsune nodded forcefully.
“You got me. If my general says so, then I don’t have a choice… We’ll do our damnedest then!” Benkei said, slapping his knees.
“Benkei!”
Dennai took Benkei’s hand. Watching them, Yoshitsune said words of apology to Tsugunobu inside his heart.
Tsugunobu, I’m sorry. It doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to avenge you. But your death will not be in vain. Peace itself lies down that road. When I join you, I’ll apologize however many times you want. So please watch over me now.
“Well, I’ll return to Yashima right away. Yoshitsune, I’m very grateful!”
The instant Dennai turned to leave merrily, Tadanobu entered the room. He was carrying someone.
“Yoshitsune, this is terrible! Please lend me a hand!” he said, lowering the person to the floor. Yoshitsune, Benkei and Dennai rushed over and looked. It was Ginrōmaru.
“A soldier on patrol found him lying on the beach next to the camp!” Tadanobu explained, and Dennai called out in shock.
“Gin! Hey Gin, are you okay?”
Hearing Dennai’s voice, Ginrōmaru opened his eyes slightly. Benkei was ordering the nearest soldier to call Saburō urgently.
“Den...nai…? Heh… Finally found you… Everyone’s… dead.”
“What…? Did something happen on Yashima!? Is Brother safe!?”
Ginrōmaru tried to speak, but instead coughed and spat up blood. There was a large wound on his abdomen, and even his breathing looked painful.
“Nori… killed… Tomo… Couldn’t stop him… Dennai, I’m sorry… Help… Help Kiku...”
He tried to reach out to Dennai. But his hand wandered through the air, and then fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
“GIN!… Hey Gin! Don’t die!… Damn it!”
As Dennai cradled Ginrōmaru, Tadanobu stared on in horror.
“What is this… What the hell is going on?”
At that moment, Saburō rushed over to them. He immediately pressed his hand against Ginrōmaru’s wound, but he was not breathing, and Saburō shook his head in quiet regret. His powers could not be used on those who were already gone. From behind Dennai’s slumped shoulders, Yoshitsune spoke.
“Dennai, you should return to Yashima immediately… Something has happened to Noritsune.”
Yes, something has happened to him.
Yoshitsune was sure of it. Noritsune had always taken a defiant attitude, but that was only ever with regards to the Genji. His attitude towards Tomomori, his relative, may have been rude, but he was a loyal retainer through and through. Or rather, it seemed to be an even stronger attachment. If he had raised a hand against Tomomori, then it was not the will of Noritsune, but rather, the actions of something else.
Yoshitsune, who was himself fighting the demon within him, understood this.
“Yoshitsune-sama! Yoshitsune-sama!” A soldier rushed in yelling. He lowered himself onto one knee and through panting breaths he reported, “The Heike ships in the sea near Yashima have all begun to sail west!” Dennai looked up in surprise. The soldier continued.
“In order to pursue them, Noriyori and Kagetoki’s armies have also begun to move across land.”
“Damn it! One thing after another...”
Yoshitsune clenched his fists in frustration. The moment he had thought that a path to peace had opened, the situation worsened again. It was as if things were being manipulated by an evil force.
“Our army must also move immediately! Do not fall behind the other Genji armies! Whatever happens, we must reach the Heike first!”
“Yes sir!”
Arriving on the battlefield first was such an achievement among Mononofu that even allies would compete among themselves over the honor. The soldiers thought that he was aiming to beat the others there, as a Mononofu would, but Yoshitsune had a different idea.
He looked across the faces of Saburō, Benkei and Tadanobu and spoke sternly.
“Unfortunately, we can no longer avoid battle. The orders I have received from my brother are to exterminate the Heike. Kagetoki and the others will spare them no mercy. But if what Ginrōmaru has said is true, then we can stop the war merely by putting an end to Noritsune’s rampage. We must stop Noritsune. That’s the only way to minimize the number of casualties...”
Everyone present nodded forcefully. Dennai stepped forward.
“In that case, Yoshitsune, there is something I can do to help. I have connections to the naval forces in the Seto Inland Sea. If we go by boat, we should certainly arrive faster than those traveling by land. I can only provide a limited number of boats, so let’s split the army in two, and we’ll pursue Noritsune by boat.”
This time it was Yoshitsune’s turn to nod.
“We Mononofu possess too much power, and so we have paid dearly for it… Enough is enough. We’ll put an end to this war here...”
“Yes!”
In that moment, the thread that had been stretched to breaking point by the trials of fate once again formed a strong connection.
4
The Heike army that had departed Yashima on Noritsune’s orders headed west across the Seto Inland Sea towards Hikishima Island in Dan-no-Ura.
However, the morale of the soldiers had clearly fallen due to the loss of Tomomori, who had kept the Heike clan together in Munemori’s place after their retreat from the capital. Furthermore, since Noritsune had slaughtered Munemori and the chief retainers who were the clan’s support, and was trying to rule the Heike through power and fear, the number of people willing to pledge servitude to him was exactly zero. One after another, soldiers fled to Sanuki Province while pretending to prepare the boats, or sought refuge among the powerful clans who supported the Genji, or purposefully allowed their ships to fall behind the others and deserted the army. When the thousand ships that had left Yashima arrived at Hikishima, their number had fallen to a mere five hundred.
On the other hand, Yoshitsune’s army, using the two hundred boats that had been provided by Dennai, arrived at Hikishima five days earlier than the Kamakura armies belonging to Kagetoki and the others.
March 24th, 1185, the second year of the Genryaku era.
The rising sun reflected off the waves, and the surface of the water shimmered with golden light.
Yoshitsune stood at the bow of the ship, squinting in the sunlight to see what was happening on Hikishima in the distance.
He was able to determine that the Heike ships were lined up along the coast of the island. The number of ships put them at an overwhelming disadvantage. But on those ships were also the royal family, including Emperor Antoku, the wives of the Heike clan, elderly soldiers and many others. Yoshitsune estimated that their actual strength in battle might not be so much greater than that of his own army.
“It’s finally happening.”
When he turned around, Saburō was standing there.
“Yes. Today we’ll be able to put an end to everything… I wanted Yoshinaka and Tomoe, and Tsugunobu to be able to see this. It is happening in a very different way to how we hoped, but I wanted them to be standing here with me.”
Saburō said in a purposefully bright and joking manner, “You know them, they’re probably drinking sake and watching us, right? `Hey Yoshitsune, act more like a general!` They’d be teasing you like that.”
Yoshitsune gave a wry smile. He felt that they really would say things like that to him, if they were alive.
In a military conference the previous night, Yoshitsune had communicated his orders to the soldiers on each ship. They were to protect Emperor Antoku and as many members of the royal family as possible, to not raise a hand against a woman or child, and to not kill any soldiers who were not resisting them. And at the end of the conference, he had added one thing.
“Now, the Heike are in a fragile state due to internal conflict, and even a breeze could cause them to scatter. There is no longer any need for unnecessary killing. We aim for one thing only- the head of Taira no Noritsune!”
Benkei and the others were inwardly surprised at this. They weren’t sure how seriously Yoshitsune meant it, but it was the first time he had ever spoken of taking someone’s head. But Yoshitsune surely has his own ideas, everyone thought, and remained silent.
The morning sun rose into the sky, and the time for battle arrived.
At Yoshitsune’s signal, a war-cry rose from here and there on the ships, and they all began to row toward Hikishima. Aboard Yoshitsune’s ship were Benkei, Saburō, Tadanobu, Dennai, and the captain and sailors only. They were the elite unit, but even so, they were few in number. This was Yoshitsune’s strategy, and when the battle began, he immediately ordered the captain, “Do not engage with the ships around us! Avoid them as much as possible and head west!”
Swinging his naginata around to knock the incoming arrows from the sky, Benkei yelled, “Hey, what the hell is this!? Yoshitsune!”
Yoshitsune looked straight ahead as he answered.
“Noritsune is not on any of these boats. He’s further west.”
“What!? H-How the hell do you know that? You can’t possibly have looked in every one of these boats!”
“I’m not sure why… but I know. He’s calling to me… Noritsune is.” He smiled fearlessly.
“He’s calling you…?”
That was why Yoshitsune had been able to tell the other soldiers to take Noritsune’s head. No matter how much they wanted that achievement, or how desperately they searched for him, they would never make it to Noritsune’s location. He had said that because he was certain.
The boat carrying Yoshitsune and the others rowed forward through the hail of arrows. When the rocks of Hikishima finally came into clear view, they saw a sailing ship that was noticeably bigger than the others. In front of that ship, countless other boats were tied together with rope, forming a gigantic raft.
Yoshitsune pointed to the sailing ship and shouted, “Head straight for that ship!”
Yoshitsune leapt from his boat, jumping across the surrounding boats towards the sailing ship. Benkei and the others followed him. The soldiers who had noticed Yoshitsune turned their boats towards him and tried to attack, but most of them were thrown into the ocean by Benkei and Dennai before they could reach the raft of tied up boats.
Yoshitsune charged over the boats towards the sailing ship without hesitation, as if he knew Noritsune was aboard. Just when Benkei and the others following him were beginning to run out of breath, they saw a black shadow flying towards them. An immediate anxiety ran through them.
“Kiku...”
Dennai whispered, gasping for breath. Kikuōmaru's gaze was downcast, focused on his feet, and it was impossible to see his expression.
“So he finally makes an appearance...” Benkei prepared his naginata. From beside him, Dennai stepped forward.
“Kiku! Is it true that… Noritsune killed Brother?”
“Uuuh...”
“You, why didn’t you stop him!? Even you should have noticed that Noritsune is acting strangely! Think about the difference between right and wrong at least that much!”
Dennai was shaking with rage. More than anger at Kikuōmaru, it was anger at Noritsune who had used Kikuōmaru's submissive nature to his own ends.
“Kiku, Gin… is dead...”
Kikuōmaru's body jerked.
“He was worrying about you until the very end. He told us to save you with his last breath.”
“Uuuh… Gin… Nori… Dennai… Me… All family,” Kikuōmaru said in a moan, slowly raising his head. He glared at Yoshitsune with eyes swirling with hatred and murderous desire.
“We were happy… But then... We met you… You destroyed everything…! I’ll kill you… Definitely kill you!!!”
“I’ll listen to your nonsense later. Where is Noritsune?”
Yoshitsune began walking without waiting for an answer. Kikuōmaru was struggling to resist the urge to attack Yoshitsune as he approached.
“… Nori… Is waiting… Go...!”
It seemed Noritsune had ordered him not to touch Yoshitsune. He spoke to Yoshitsune with eyes like a beast hunting prey. Yoshitsune continued to move forward, and walked right past Kikuōmaru. Benkei followed him and also tried to walk past, but that instant, Kikuōmaru's fist flew at his face with blinding speed. Benkei had no time to dodge, and was thrown against the side of the boat.
“You bastard! What the hell was that all of a sudden!?”
“Nori waits… For Yoshitsune only… Everyone else… I kill!” Kikuōmaru said, and cut the boat free from the ropes that bound it to the others. The boat that Kikuōmaru, Benkei and the others were on rocked in the waves, and slowly drifted away from the sailing ship.
“Coulda fuckin’ mentioned that!” Benkei stood up, rubbing the side of his face. Yoshitsune, who was already jumping across the boats ahead, turned back and yelled, “Take care of him for me!” before hurrying on.
As well as Noritsune’s presence, which was rapidly growing stronger, Yoshitsune could also sense En. As if it were responding to that energy, the restraints on his awakened form that Yoshitsune was suppressing began to snap one by one. His blood seethed, and his eyes became a deep red in color.
In front of Yoshitsune, a group of soldiers stood bracing themselves. Yoshitsune shouted, “If you wish to keep your lives, leave here now!”
Rather than stop, he took a run up and leapt through the air, far over the heads of the soldiers. He covered enough distance to leap over eight of the boats forming the raft that led to the sailing ship.
“Wh-What!? Is he a monster!?”
The soldiers were too dumbfounded to make a move. Some of them fled at the sight. He was not someone a normal soldier could oppose.
Wait for me Nori. No, his possessor, En.
Inside Yoshitsune, another restraint snapped.
“I kill...”
Kikuōmaru stood in a fighting stance in the center of the boat, still glaring at Dennai and the others. Saburō drew his sword, and tried to persuade him one last time.
“Kiku, I’m sorry but we don’t have time to be careful. If you won’t get out of the way, then we really will kill you… Okay?”
“Won’t forgive traitors… All of you… I kill!”
Kikuōmaru was muttering over and over as if he were in a delirium, in his agitated state it was impossible to talk to him calmly. Saburō prepared himself, and swung his sword at Kikuōmaru. The sound of their blades clashing echoed, and Kikuōmaru sent Saburō flying with a punch from his other hand. His strength was unimaginably monstrous.
“Grrr….graaar”
Dennai noticed something unusual about Kikuōmaru.
“This is bad… Kiku, stop! If you awaken any further, you won’t be able to change back!!!”
“What do you mean ‘awaken’!?” Tadanobu asked, approaching cautiously.
“Kiku has a lot of beast type Mononoke blood in him… If that awakens completely, no one will be able to stop him!”
“Then what do we do?” Tadanobu asked in a panic.
“We gotta finish him before then!!!”
Everyone took Benkei’s words as a signal to attack.
“GRAAAAAAAAAGH!”
Kikuōmaru was like an animal that had lost its self-awareness. His fighting ability was extraordinary, and he swiftly clashed blades with all four of them at once, and then threw further attacks. Even Benkei, who was proud of his superhuman strength, was outmatched. Though everyone attacked with all their strength, the next instant everyone had been thrown to the floor of the boat.
“Huuuurrrrrgh….Grrrrrrrrr…..”
Awakened, Kikuōmaru's body was covered in steel-like hairs, and the nails on each of his hands had lengthened into deadly talons. He no longer resembled Kikuōmaru, but a werewolf.
“What the hell is he? He’s too strong!… Shit!”
Benkei swung at Kikuōmaru again, but he twisted to dodge, and at the same moment landed a kick to Saburō, and slashed at Dennai with his claws. Dennai was using all his strength to block him, and was unable to counterattack. In that moment, Tadanobu slashed at Kikuōmaru from behind, but his sword bounced off his body.
“What the hell is this!?… I can’t cut through!”
“Gaaah!”
Dennai was knocked to the floor by an attack that tore open his shoulder. Saburō quickly pulled him to his feet, but there was no time to heal the wound.
“Because he’s awakened, his body has hardened. Now that he’s like this, he can never change back.” Dennai whispered regretfully, and immediately after, Kikuōmaru groaned and began to spin his entire body around.
“Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!”
For a moment it seemed that he had curled his body up to spin faster, and that instant, a deafening screech split the air, and sharp streaks of light shot from his body.
“Watch out!” Dennai quickly yelled, and everyone barely dodged the beams of light. Benkei’s naginata, which had touched the light, was sliced cleanly in half.
“What the hell!? How many damn powers does he have!?” Benkei shouted, throwing away the remaining handle of his naginata. Dennai swiftly wrapped the wound on his shoulder with cloth to stop the bleeding, and then continued speaking, staring coolly at Kikuōmaru.
“I have an idea… But you’d damn well better not hesitate, Tadanobu… Alright?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Tadanobu asked with a puzzled expression, and Dennai grinned back at him. Then he returned his gaze to Kikuōmaru and yelled, “Right, everyone attack at once again!”
“Right!”
Benkei, Saburō and Tadanobu headed for Kikuōmaru one after another. Confronted with the rampaging beast, they tried to somehow stop him, but they were unable to land a single blow. With Kikuōmaru's attention divided between the four of them, Dennai circled around behind him, and slashed at him as he attacked Tadanobu. Kikuōmaru immediately noticed and sent Dennai flying with a kick, then leapt at him with tremendous speed and made a great swipe at the upper half of his body. His sharp claws dug deep into Dennai’s back.
“Gah!” Dennai let out a short groan, and then for some reason, a smile appeared on his face. He threw both arms around Kikuōmaru's back, pulling him close face to face and under-hooking his arms.
“Now! Tadanobu, kill him!”
“Wha-!?”
“Stab through both of us! Now’s… your chance!”
Dennai’s power was the ability to suppress his opponent’s powers by touching them. There was no way that he could return the awakened Kikuōmaru to his normal form, but he had enough power to neutralize his armor. That was why he had deliberately allowed Kikuōmaru to attack him at close range.
Kikuōmaru tried to escape from Dennai, and dug his claws into Dennai’s back over and over again. When that didn’t work, he bit into Dennai’s throat with sharp fangs.
“Agh! Hurry!… I can’t… hold him...”
“No way! I can’t do that!” Tadanobu shouted in horror, holding onto his sword. Dennai looked as if he were about to collapse, but smiled at Tadanobu.
“Take revenge for Tsugunobu… Please… Put Kiku… and I… out of our misery...”
“Aa… AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”
Crying, Tadanobu prepared his sword, charged at Kikuōmaru, and stabbed through his back.
“GYAAAAAAAARGH!!!” Kikuōmaru screamed. Dennai continued to smile until the end.
“Well done… Tadanobu… thanks… Kiku, I’ll stay with you, so… give me a break...”
Tadanobu withdrew his sword, and Kikuōmaru crumpled to the ground. Dennai slumped to his knees and then fell over, lifeless.
In a state of numbness, Tadanobu sank to the ground, still crying. Saburō and Benkei were covered in wounds. All that could be heard was their gasping breaths.
“Uuh...”
Tadanobu regained his senses, and opened his eyes wide in an expression of disbelief. Next to Dennai’s lifeless body, Kikuōmaru was crawling, trying to rise to his feet.
“Nori… I can… Keep going… Won’t forgive people… Who hurt Nori...”
Dennai had said that once Kikuōmaru had awoken, he could never return to his normal state, but Kikuōmaru had definitely regained consciousness. But his fighting instinct still remained, and he turned to Tadanobu and raised his hand.
“Tadanobu, watch out!”
“Aaaaaaahhhhh!”
Tadanobu screamed and stabbed Kikuōmaru again. Kikuōmaru lunged forward in an attack, and reached out his hand with empty eyes, as if he were trying to touch something.
“Nori… We were… All… Family...” he whispered and collapsed. Tadanobu reflexively held on to him, and embracing his body, broke down crying again.
“Why… are we fighting…?” Tadanobu sobbed, and a heavy silence fell. Benkei sat cross-legged on the floor, and muttered as though he were spitting out his pent-up regret and anger.
“This… is war.”
Rather than an answer to Tadanobu’s lament, it seemed that he was desperately trying to convince himself.
“It’s war!”