After hearing Ryo's words, I didn't even take the time to think it over. The information was too critical to ignore, and if it was true, every second counted. We immediately set off for Nagashino Castle, our mounts galloping across the terrain at full speed, driven by a sense of urgency that no one bothered to put into words.
When we came within sight of the battlefield, the reality hit us immediately.
The assault had already begun.
In the distance, Nagashino Castle still stood, but it was surrounded. The Tokugawa clan's forces were trying to hold their ground, their lines already weakened by the constant pressure of the assaults. Facing them, Takeda's troops advanced with overwhelming superiority, organized and methodical, like an unstoppable war machine.
The shouts, the clang of weapons, the dust kicked up by the charges… everything indicated that the situation was already critical.
"They're far too powerful…"
The voice came from behind me.
"Joining this battle would be suicide."
I didn't answer immediately.
My gaze remained fixed on the battlefield, analyzing every movement, every weakness, every opportunity. For despite the obvious disparity in power, one thing was certain.
I let the silence settle for a few seconds, my eyes still riveted on the battlefield, then I calmly continued:
"You're wrong."
Some turned their heads toward me.
"We have a strength they don't."
Without hesitation, I signaled to several members of my clan. Quickly, the arquebuses were drawn. The mere clang of metal and the shape of these weapons—still unfamiliar in this world—were enough to capture everyone's attention.
They understood immediately.
Their expressions changed.
With firearms, the battle would no longer be the same.
"We're not going to fight them like they do," I added.
I dismounted, already laying the groundwork for what I had in mind.
"We're going to change the rules."
Very quickly, the group sprang into action. Trees were felled, planks assembled, and in a matter of moments, a line of wooden palisades began to take shape. Nothing complex, nothing aesthetic, but sturdy enough to provide cover.
An improvised rampart.
An advantage.
"Take up positions behind it," I ordered. "Don't expose yourselves unnecessarily. "
The arquebuses were lined up.
Aimed.
Ready.
Our objective was simple. To hit them without ever giving them the chance to hit us.
The battle changed in an instant.
Where the Ishikawa clan had been cornered just minutes earlier, the momentum shifted abruptly. The crack of arquebuses now echoed across the battlefield, breaking the rhythm of the enemy's assaults and forcing a distance that Takeda's troops were unprepared to handle. Each precise shot disrupted their lines; each volley slowed their advance.
Ishikawa, who had been under pressure until then, gradually regained ground.
His men, seeing the opportunity, reorganized, shifting from a desperate defense to a controlled counteroffensive. The combined effect of their resistance and our support transformed what seemed like an inevitable defeat… into a balanced struggle.
Then into an advantage.
Everything unfolded rapidly.
A well-executed strategy, optimal use of arquebuses, and above all… perfect coordination between our two clans.
And suddenly, a new notification appeared.
[ Main Quest: The Demon of Kai
✓ Completed ✓
✱ Objective Accomplished:
You survived Takeda Katsuyori's army and protected Nagashino Castle.
✱ Consequence:
Survival ]
Ishikawa slowly crossed the battlefield, still marked by the traces of the battle, until he stopped in front of me. There was nothing triumphant in his gaze. He was simply… grateful.
"Thank you," he said, without beating around the bush.
I nodded slightly, without answering immediately. Words weren't really necessary after what we had just been through.
But beyond this victory… one thing was clear.
I took a breath, then looked around at the surroundings, at the castle, at the men still standing.
"You understand it too, don't you?" I finally said.
Ishikawa didn't answer right away.
"This whole idea of a peaceful resolution—it's impossible."
The silence that followed held no opposition.
No surprise.
Only a reluctant acceptance.
"Other clans will keep attacking us," I continued. "No matter what we do. "
I pointed to the castle behind him.
"Those structures aren't just defensive positions."
A brief silence.
"They're resources."
Ishikawa understood immediately.
"And as long as they exist, they'll come to take them."
I nodded slightly.
"Exactly."
A light breeze swept across the battlefield, stirring up the dust still warm from the fighting.
"We can make it harder for them," I added calmly. "Slow them down. Push them back."
I turned my head slightly toward him.
"But we won't be able to avoid the conflict."
I let my gaze drift beyond the battlefield, as if trying to visualize the entire terrain of this puzzle, its balances… its anomalies.
"As things stand…" I murmured, more to myself than to Ishikawa, "there is one clan that is clearly in a position of strength."
I paused.
"The Hōjō clan."
Ishikawa didn't seem surprised.
"Their terrain is different," I continued. "The layout of their castles isn't just a matter of strategic points that emerged along the way, like ours."
I crossed my arms, thinking aloud.
"They had them from the very beginning."
A structural advantage.
"It allows them to stay on the defensive. To wait. To watch while others wear themselves out."
My gaze hardened slightly.
"For us, it's the opposite."
I gestured toward the surroundings.
"Our castles aren't built to protect us. They expose us. They force us to act, to move, to defend ourselves constantly."
A silence fell.
Then, almost in spite of myself, I blurted out:
"I have to admit one thing…"
Ishikawa turned his head slightly toward me.
"Kaishō made the right choice."
The name hung in the air for a moment.
"He figured it out before anyone else."
I let out a soft sigh.
"While we're fighting, he's just waiting."
A simple reality.
Almost frustrating.
"And at this rate… he must be quietly taking it easy."
I remained silent for a moment, my gaze lost in the commotion that was gradually subsiding around us. Behind the apparent control of the situation, my mind, however, continued to race relentlessly, searching for a way out, a flaw, a means to regain control over something that still eluded us.
If only…
If only I had someone who truly understood this era.
Someone capable of interpreting events differently than I did, of understanding the historical implications, the strategies already laid out, the decisions that had turned entire battles on their heads. With such a person, I could anticipate, adjust, build something more solid than mere reactions.
But that wasn't the case.
I clenched my teeth slightly.
"I don't even know what Ryo is planning…"
That thought bothered me more than I wanted to admit. From the start, he'd been moving in the shadows, refusing to play by my rules, but never completely outside the game either. And now that he'd started cooperating, I couldn't even be certain of his true intentions.
A reluctant ally.
Or a looming danger.
I lowered my eyes slightly, lost in thought, trying to piece things together, to find a perspective, an idea, something...
Then suddenly.
A thought struck me.
I stood motionless for a few seconds, staring into space, letting that idea take shape in my mind. The more I thought about it… the more obvious it became.
"…Shun."
The name struck me like a forgotten truth.
I remembered it very well. Even before this mystery began, he was one of the few faces brought to the forefront. At the time, I had simply considered it a detail, a staging with no real significance.
But now…
Everything took on a new meaning.
What if it wasn't a coincidence?
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
What if he had a more central role than I had imagined?
"From the very beginning…" I murmured, "he was already in place."
A piece of the puzzle.
Perhaps even a key.
Several hypotheses were racing through my mind. Did he have special knowledge of the Sengoku period? Was he connected to a specific figure from that era? Or perhaps…
His spotlight.
I lifted my head slightly.
If anyone could access information we couldn't obtain otherwise… it was him.
A faint smile touched my lips.
Ishikawa noticed it immediately.
"What is it?" he asked.
I finally turned my gaze toward him.
"I may have found our advantage."
I paused briefly.
"A way to get a head start on what lies ahead."