Mid-night. The Hashiba camp at Bitchu-Takamatsu.

  The only sounds breaking the oppressive silence were the distant croaking of frogs and the ripples of the marsh waters surrounding Takamatsu Castle.

  Inside his tent, Kanbe'e had summoned Ekei Ankokuji. Even the snapping of charcoal in the brazier sounded like a blade slicing through the air. Kanbe'e did not offer tea. Instead, he stared directly into Ekei’s eyes from the shadows, his gaze piercing.

  "Mr. Ekei... I shall speak plainly. A rebellion has broken out in Kyoto led by Mitsuhide Akechi. Lord Nobunaga has been slain at Honno-ji. The era of Oda is over. This is certain intelligence, brought to me by my spies who risked their lives to be the first to deliver it."

  Ekei’s eyes widened. For several heartbeats, he seemed to forget how to breathe.

  "Unbelievable..."

  The voice he finally forced out was trembling slightly.

  "Mr. Kanbe'e, is this the truth? Or is this some grand deception to force us into accepting your peace terms? And yet... looking into your eyes, I see no hint of a lie."

  Ekei recalled the ominous prophecy Kanbe'e had once whispered—that lightning would strike Kyoto. The "lightning" Kanbe'e had foreseen had indeed just struck the capital. A cold sweat ran down Ekei’s spine. He felt as though he were peering into a bottomless abyss within the man standing before him.

  "Tell me... did you know this would happen? Did you orchestrate this 'opportunity' from the shadows just to propel Mr. Hideyoshi to the seat of power?"

  Kanbe'e let out a low, defiant chuckle.

  "You overestimate me. I am no god. I have merely caught the great wind called 'the era' faster than anyone else. Mr. Ekei, now is not the time for suspicion. Listen well. The cruel reality is this: at this very moment, we are the only two people in this camp who know of the Great Lord’s death."

  Kanbe'e leaned in closer, his words coiling around Ekei’s consciousness like a serpent.

  "What happens tomorrow if the main Mori force learns of this? They will surely give chase to crush our retreating army. However, in that time, Mitsuhide Akechi will solidify his grip on Kyoto. Mori would then be branded as accomplices to a traitor, destined to be annihilated alongside Mitsuhide Akechi by the remnants of the Oda clan. You have two choices: be defeated by me, or be slaughtered by the changing times."

  Ekei glared at Kanbe'e, raising his voice to suppress his own agitation.

  "So, you are telling me to set my seal here and now, before the Mori clan grasps the full details of the situation? But Lord Nobunaga demanded five provinces. Such a humiliating condition cannot be accepted now, of all times!"

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  "That is why I am easing the conditions. On my own authority."

  Kanbe'e’s response was swift and unrelenting.

  "We do not need five provinces. Bitchu, Mimasaka, and a portion of Bingo. We settle with that. Izumo and Hoki shall remain in Mori’s hands. Furthermore, Lord Hideyoshi guarantees the safety of the rest of Mori’s territories. Is this not a perfect deal for the Mori clan to avoid total ruin?"

  Ekei gasped.

  "Three provinces? You would reduce the demand by two? Mr. Kanbe'e... are you so desperate to bind us here and return to Kyoto at any cost?"

  Kanbe'e’s eyes stabbed into Ekei’s chest like cold steel.

  "Precisely. There is no time for hesitation. Tomorrow, Mr. Muneharu Shimizu must honorably commit seppuku. With that, the peace treaty shall be finalized, and we will withdraw immediately. Accept this, and Mori protects its lands with minimal loss while earning a massive debt of gratitude from Lord Hideyoshi—the next master of the realm. Reject it, and the Mori name will perish in a quagmire of chaos. Mr. Ekei, the choice is yours... now."

  Ekei remained silent, biting his lip. His pride as a diplomatic monk and the survival of the Mori clan hung in a delicate balance. Kanbe'e increased the pressure.

  "Mr. Ekei... at this very second, the fate of the realm rests in our palms. Will you let the future of the Mori clan turn to ash because of your indecision? Decide!"

  A gust of night wind shook the tent, causing the candlelight to flicker violently. Finally, Ekei relaxed his shoulders and let out a dry, bitter laugh.

  "Mr. Kanbe'e... you are a terrifying man. At the edge of a despair that feels like the end of the world—the death of Lord Nobunaga—you immediately haggle over a dead man’s will to turn an enemy into an ally. Very well. The Mori clan shall buy into this mad gamble. Muneharu Shimizu shall disembowel himself at sunrise... to ensure the name of Mori does not sink into this marsh."

  Kanbe'e nodded deeply, just once.

  "A wise decision. Mr. Ekei, once the rite of seppuku is complete at dawn, we shall return to Kyoto like the wind. Witness with your own eyes who shall become the master of the realm. However! Your seal alone is not enough. Have Mr. Takakage Kobayakawa and Mr. Motoharu Mori write their oaths immediately. A blood-sealed pact stating that anyone who leaks the news of Lord Nobunaga's death shall be executed unto the tenth generation."

  Kanbe'e smirked.

  "As for an excuse for not pursuing us, you may tell them we vanished as swiftly as birds through the sky. That should save face. It is enough that only those here know the truth. And when we are victorious, we shall share a fine sake once more!"

  Ekei gave a deep, silent bow and vanished into the darkness. Watching him go, Kanbe'e finally exhaled a long, heavy breath.

  (Now, the world changes. The path is cleared to send Lord Hideyoshi into the wilderness left by the Demon King.)

  Kanbe'e looked up at the sky. There, he saw the phantom of the wise mentor who had once guided him and departed too soon.

  "Hanbe'e, are you watching? From the land of the dead, watch a little longer as Lord Hideyoshi becomes the ruler of the world..."

  Kanbe'e drew Fuji’s rosary (Kontatsu) from his robes. Sliding the beads through his fingers one by one, he began to chant an Oratio in a quiet, reverent tone.

  "Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum... (Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come...)"

  The prayer was a vow to seize hegemony, and at the same time, a requiem for the gruesome power struggle that was about to begin.

  (Fuji... the peaceful world you dreamed of, where even enemies can love one another... it is only a little further. The path may be stained with blood, but I will go. Watch over me a while longer...)

  Kanbe'e’s finger traced the sign of the cross.

  In the eastern sky, the first faint light of dawn appeared. It was a blood-red daybreak, signaling the start of the greatest forced march in history—the Great Chugoku Overturn.

  Produced and written by a Japanese author, rooted in authentic Japanese history. Translated with the assistance of Gemini (AI).