Chương 109: [FGO]: 109
The entire nation's military forces have been mobilized in one move by the Shogun, and now the island of Honshu is about to face a surging tide of Kabane.
Even if the Shogun is furious, how much strength can he muster against Kenshou?
This person is either a madman or a rare hero not seen in a millennium, akin to Oda Nobunaga, a figure capable of stirring up great storms.
"I want to meet this madman of a man; perhaps only he is qualified to be my opponent," thought Princess Sakura, a direct descendant of the Emperor, as she licked her lips, her eyes filled with deep curiosity.
"Little sister, how is that matter coming along? How many people have sided with us?"
The Emperor suddenly lowered his voice and asked.
"Over 80% of the lords in the Shikoku region are willing to pledge their loyalty to you, brother. The entirety of Hokkaido, north of Hakodate, is already under our control, and all the post-station lords have been replaced by our people," Sakura spoke, her red lips softly parting, yet the words she uttered were enough to shock the world.
Unbeknownst to many, the Emperor's lineage had already gained control of so many regions.
"No wonder you are the Jewel of our royal family!"
The Emperor couldn't help but praise her.
It turned out that all these lords who secretly pledged their loyalty to the Emperor were the handiwork of Sakura.
Faced with the Emperor's praise, Sakura showed no emotion on her face.
"You overpraise me, brother. However, if the front lines cannot withstand the Kabane's tide, you may have to retreat to Hokkaido for safety," she said.
The Emperor waved his hand dismissively.
"It doesn't matter! Those who do not obey my command will be better off dead. It would be best if the entire island of Honshu were wiped out, saving me the trouble of taking action myself. Restoring our ancestors' glory is the mission given to me by Amaterasu! Anyone who obstructs me must die! Anyone!"
In just a few words, the Emperor's ruthless, narrow-minded nature was fully revealed.
However, Sakura showed no sign of surprise on her face.
She had long been accustomed to her brother's cruelty and heartlessness. As long as it allowed the Emperor's lineage to reclaim their lost power, she would even be willing to collaborate with demons and gods.
Seeing that the discussion was nearing its end, the Emperor said, "I am tired now; you may leave, little sister."
"Yes, I shall take my leave," Sakura replied, bowing before turning and gracefully walking out of the palace.
Shortly after, the sound of the Emperor's laughter echoed from the palace.
...
Ryou had no idea what was happening in Kyoto, far away from him, nor did he know that he had already caught the attention of a certain most legitimate royal princess.
As soon as the Shogun's proclamation was issued, he began preparing for war while simultaneously launching a verbal counterattack.
This battle was inevitable, and he had long anticipated it.
Since the Honshu Naval District had gradually been abandoned, the remaining three major naval bases—Yokosuka, Sasebo, and Maizuru—had gathered over 95% of the essence of Japan's navy.
So, the Shogun couldn't give up the Yokosuka Naval District.
But Ryou couldn't just wait for the Kabane's tide to sweep across the entire island of Honshu before taking action.
By that time, the entire Aragane Station would be overwhelmed, struggling to deal with the endless Kabane, leaving no strength to attack Yokosuka.
So, after careful consideration, Ryou concluded that now was the best time to act.
It was foreseeable that any well-informed lord would be busy strengthening their own post station's defenses, with no time to heed the Shogun's call to attack him.
Moreover, after Ryou exposed the Shogun's scandal, how many lords would still be loyal enough to sacrifice themselves for him?
Thus, after a series of calculations and plans, he predicted that the forces attacking him would not be substantial.
However, his only concern was that the Shogun would likely, no, definitely send naval forces from the remaining two naval districts, Sasebo and Maizuru, to attack.
Although the navy's most elite forces were concentrated in Yokosuka, and the ships there were the most advanced and recently launched, Ryou could only deploy the Yamato. He couldn't utilize any other warships.
If he were to forcibly deploy the captured soldiers, who had only undergone a few days of brainwashing, they might turn against him during battle.
So now, the situation was Yamato versus half of Japan's navy.
The only other ship to accomplish such a feat was the USS Enterprise, and even then, the circumstances were dubious.
This time, the Yamato was facing half of Japan's navy with no room for error.
Fortunately, Ryou's contract spirit Yamato was a super-modified model and combined with the dense coastal defense guns deployed at Yokosuka, holding off the navy should not be a problem.
Upon learning of his concerns, Yamato patted her chest and assured him that she would not disappoint her admiral.
Seeing her chest bounce with every pat, Ryou assured himself that he was not disappointed at all!
The course of events unfolded as he had expected.
This time, it seemed that the Shogun intended to make an example of someone. He dispatched over a hundred naval vessels in one go, forming a massive combined fleet that advanced towards Yokosuka with great momentum!
He had no intention of hiding his movements.
Excluding the destroyers and cruisers, there were seven major warships capable of threatening the Yamato!
The four Kongo sisters, the former flagship of the Japanese navy Nagato, and Mutsu.
And the flagship, Musashi, Yamato's sister ship!
To achieve the best deterrent effect, the Great General had indeed spared no expense this time.
Fortunately, in this world, the technological path seemed to have diverged. While the warships became more powerful, there were no aircraft carriers.
The heavy focus on steam technology resulted in the neglect of internal combustion engine development.
Although there were now small internal combustion engines capable of being mounted on motorcycles, their horsepower was far from sufficient to be used as aircraft engines.
Furthermore, with Kabane rampaging across the globe, there was little opportunity to create airstrips needed for planes to take off.
As a result, airplanes, a revolutionary mode of transportation, were never fully realized in this Kabane-infested world.
Naturally, the mother of warships, the aircraft carrier, had no chance of being born.
Even though the Yamato no longer faced its greatest threat—aircraft carriers—Ryou was still uneasy about pitting one ship against a hundred. He even considered taking matters into his own hands, planning to engage in close combat alongside Ais once again.
However, this plan was vetoed by Yamato herself.
To put Ryou's mind at ease, Yamato invited him aboard her main body and conducted a full demonstration of her combat capabilities, without concern for the energy expenditure.
After witnessing Yamato's full power, he finally felt relieved and converted his remaining energy points into magic crystals, handing them over to Yamato.
At this moment, on land, two enemy forces were advancing towards Yokosuka from the north and south, each consisting of multiple post-station armies.
Besieged on three sides, Yokosuka was in grave danger!
And in the face of such a crisis, Ryou was... sound asleep!
To be precise, he was completely immersed in a dream.
Back when he launched a surprise attack to seize the Yamato because the battle took place in the relatively narrow confines of the battleship, Ryou used the [Descent Card] to ensure absolute success. Unexpectedly, after the battle ended, he received a system notification.
[— Descent Card: Sasaki Kojiro has met the minimum requirements for unlocking the second phase.]
[Would you like to proceed with the Dream Trial?]
[Note: Completing the trial will officially unlock the second phase.]
Now, having entered Kabaneri, a low-tier world, all of Ryou's abilities, including his Noble Phantasm levels, were forcibly suppressed to level C. He urgently needed to increase his combat power. Unlocking the second phase of the Descent Card would allow him to use the Noble Phantasms of the servant he had descended into.
And Sasaki Kojiro's Noble Phantasm, Tsubame Gaeshi, has no level restriction, meaning it isn't subject to suppression.
Tsubame Gaesh is more than just a Noble Phantasm; it's an exquisite sword technique, a divine skill that can break through space!
This technique is exactly what he needs.
Although he had learned many combat techniques from Scathach that allowed him to utilize his abilities effectively, Scathach never taught him the true techniques, especially the spear technique she was famous for: the causality-breaking magic spear, Gae Bolg.
Scathach was blunt: Ryou had too many ideas. If he learned through conventional means, his chances of mastering it would be zero.
Sasaki Kojiro developed Tsubame Gaeshi to cut down a swallow.
Scathach developed Gae Bolg to ensure an unavoidable strike.
So, does this mean he can't learn it because he isn't single-minded enough?
After serious reflection, Ryou speculated that mastering these divine skills wasn't a matter of intelligence, but rather a matter of pure conviction.
No wonder Scathach favored his Kouhai so much, even personally improving Gaáe Bolg so she could release it with a rapier.
A single-minded focus on becoming stronger.
In this respect, Ryou felt ashamed of himself.
But he had his methods. What even Scathach couldn't accomplish, the system could!
To master Tsubame Gaeshi, all he needed to do was pass the trial for the second phase of the Descent Card!
And it was guaranteed to succeed—no refunds if it didn't.
With a major battle looming, Ryou naturally had to find ways to increase his combat power.
Thus, a miraculous scene unfolded. Even though all of Yokosuka was thrown into panic upon learning of the Shogun's massive military offensive, Ryou, as the supreme leader and embodiment of the divine, calmly fell asleep.
Anyone who witnessed this scene couldn't help but be awestruck.
Lord Kenshou Yomogawa truly lived up to his divine reputation; his composure was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Such is the power of religious faith that even the smallest unintentional act can be magnified infinitely by the faithful.
Seeing their lord so calm, the elders and samurai of the Yomogawa family also regained their composure and confidence.
What's a Shogun compared to our lord, who is a true god?
We're going to win this war!
This sense of calm and confidence spread like a virus throughout Yokosuka, quickly quelling the unrest and temporarily averting an invisible crisis.
...
Immersed in sleep, Ryou naturally had no awareness of the outside world.
In a daze, he found himself standing on a straight stone staircase leading upwards. At the top, he could vaguely make out the silhouette of a building.
On either side of the staircase was pitch-black darkness, impenetrable even by the eye.
It was clear that he had no choice but to walk up.
After climbing about a hundred steps, his view suddenly opened up.
In front of him stood a very familiar Japanese temple.
"This is... Ryuudou Temple!?"
Ryou's eyes widened in surprise.
The scene before him was almost identical to what he had seen in the original anime.
"So, are you the challenger here to take the trial?"
A voice filled with an ancient tone spoke, and a warrior dressed in a blue-purple kendo uniform appeared at the temple's main gate.
On his back was a long katana, almost as long as he was tall.
"Sasaki Kojiro," Ryou muttered his name in a deep voice.
"That's right."
"What is this place, and who exactly are you..."
Ryou's mind was filled with questions.
But it seemed Sasaki Kojiro hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time. As soon as he asked a question, he immediately answered without hesitation.
"This place was chosen from your memory as the land most deeply connected with me, so it is the most suitable site for the trial."
Hearing Sasaki's answer, he was taken aback.
Indeed, anyone who had watched the original series would most remember the image of Sasaki Kojiro blocking the gate at Ryuudou Temple.
Even the magnificent divine skill Tsubame Gaeshi would come after that.
Sasaki Kojiro continued speaking.
"As for me, I am nothing more than an illusion, not even a true spirit. My sole purpose for existing is to test whether you have the qualifications to learn Tsubame Gaeshi."
Before Ryou could ask more questions, Sasaki Kojiro's demeanor became sharp as he reached behind him to grasp the hilt of his katana.
"It may sound a bit ungracious, but I am accustomed to communicating with others through my sword."
With that, Sasaki Kojiro unsheathed his katana without giving him any chance to refuse.
Ryou was astonished to find that Sasaki Kojiro seemed like a completely different person.
Earlier, he had seemed like a weary, world-weary old man who had seen it all.
But the moment he drew his katana, Ryou felt as if he could hear the ethereal hum of the blade itself—an expression of its sharpness.
Sasaki Kojiro's presence became overwhelmingly intimidating, making him feel as though he might be sliced in half if he took even one step closer.
Aside from Scathach, Ryou had never encountered anyone like this before.
This was what people called a martial arts master.
Someone who completely blends into their environment, appearing as ordinary as anyone else. But the moment they enter combat, their aura skyrockets.
A bead of sweat slowly trickled down Ryou's forehead. This man, who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Sword Saint Miyamoto Musashi, was making it difficult for him to move just by his sheer presence.
It was then that he realized something with absolute clarity: every time Scathach sparred with him, she was holding back significantly. Otherwise, she could easily paralyze him with her refined aura alone, making even the slightest movement impossible.
"What's the matter? Do you plan to stand there until the end of time?"
Sasaki Kojiro smirked slightly, his tone teasing.
Ryou suddenly felt the overwhelming aura recede.
To be able to control one's aura at will—martial arts masters were truly terrifying.
But he wasn't disheartened. He had only gained his powers less than a year ago, having been a powerless shut-in before that.
A challenger should have the resolve to face challenges!
Ryou quickly summoned a long katana identical to Sasaki Kojiro's.
Without hesitation, he raised the blade and struck down at him!
"Too slow! And too many openings!"
Three flashes of light flickered and disappeared.
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