Chapter 1

In sixteenth-century Japan, the country was plunged into the chaos of the Warring States period. This era, built upon the bones of women, children, and the elderly, was a bloody stage where passionate men could display their talents. However, in the midst of turmoil and change, what was the difference between heroes and devils?

In the spring of the 20th year of Tenmon, in Bitchu Province.

A young man, leaning against a cherry tree, gazed up at the pale petals falling from the branches, his eyes slightly weary as he murmured to himself.

Although the young man was not tall or muscular, his slender build made him appear stronger than the generally malnourished people of his time. Compared to the figures in his dreams, he seemed somewhat thin, giving the impression of a frail scholar.

He was about a head taller than the average person, standing at around 1.70 meters, which would have been considered a third-level disability in his dreams.

With these thoughts, the young man recited "Ohmidofo" and nimbly jumped up, turning to walk towards the main hall. He wore a grayish-white monk's robe that had been washed many times, making it look a bit small and exposing part of his thin arms, further emphasizing his slender build.

His face was ordinary, not the type to leave a strong impression, just a common appearance.

The young man's name was Date Jiro, his secular name. If he went by the name in his dreams, it would be Yi Da. Now, he was called Koji, the dharma name given to him by his late master when he was ordained. His master's dharma name was Koi.

It was probably similar to the names of Qin Shi Huang and Qin Er Shi in ancient China!

However, his master had no children, and Koji was the second son of a local minor lord, the Date family. According to the traditions of samurai families, the eldest son inherited the family estate, while the second son, who had no right to inherit, usually became a monk to avoid threatening the eldest son.

Of course, if the eldest son died without an heir, the younger brothers who had become monks could return home to inherit the family estate. A notable example was Imagawa Yoshimoto, the strongest man in the Tōkaidō region.

Koji now lived in a place called Umayagawa-in. If there were no special circumstances, his name would be prefixed with "Umayagawa-in" when he went out. There were no other monks in the temple, and since his master passed away a few years ago, he had been living alone, relying on the rent from the dozen or so fields outside the temple, which provided about five koku of rice annually, along with various donations, ensuring a carefree life.

After lunch, he wiped the oil from his mouth and hid the remaining hind leg of a half-grown wild boar that had run into the temple's backyard in the attic.

At the time, Japan was known as a Buddhist country, and pork was taboo, though monks eating fish was acceptable. He had heard that monks of the Jōdo sect did not even have to shave their heads, but this was just a rumor, and he had never left Bitchu Province, specifically Aka District.

After sweeping the floor, Koji secretly went to the pine forest behind Umayagawa-in, hiding in a small clearing. He followed the strength training methods he had seen in his dreams, continuously performing exercises to build his strength.

In the Warring States period, even a monk could encounter bandits who had lost their minds. The Ikko-ikki, a group of monks, had risen up to seize control of a province, becoming its rulers. This kind of rebellion happened every year, and without the ability to protect oneself, survival was impossible.

Since coming to this chaotic world and becoming a novice monk at Umayagawa-in, Koji had trained even harder, following the physical techniques he had learned in his dreams.

He tied sandbags to his limbs, running, jumping, and rolling to build strength in his arms, legs, and core.

As for specific combat techniques, Koji had only learned one move: thrusting. He repeatedly thrust a bamboo spear, about two meters long, into a pine tree.

He knew he had to build a strong and flexible body to protect himself.

After a while, he picked up the bamboo spear and began practicing thrusts, thrust after thrust, using his whole body to strike, sweat flying everywhere, sparkling in the light of the swaying pine tree.

Koji continued thrusting until he saw stars, his head buzzing, and his strength completely drained before he stopped to rest.

After resting for a while, Koji stretched his hands, removed the sandbags from his body, and placed them in a small hole. He tidied up and walked back to the temple.

"Ten more years until the Battle of Okehazama. Sigh, ten more years, I'll be 27. That's a bit too long. Maybe I should go to Aki and join Mōri Motonari, but being under Mōri Motonari won't lead to success. I'll wait a bit longer, travel around in a few years, or perhaps take a boat to the Ming Dynasty to see the scenery of my dream home."

Koji murmured, looking at the setting sun, shaking his head and sighing.

About twenty miles from Umayagawa-in was the Date family's castle, Kagerou Castle, a small fortress with two layers. The inner castle had only one keep, while the outer castle was where the samurai and their families lived, separated by a two-zhang-high stone wall.

Now, hundreds of people were marching in a long line towards the castle, with Kagerou Castle burning behind them, smoke billowing into the sky. All the useful items and weapons in the castle had been loaded onto packhorses, and the granaries had been completely emptied.

The ground was littered with the bodies of the elderly, women, and children.

The leader of the group turned to look at the burning Kagerou Castle, his face twisted in a grimace, and shouted, "Date Nobukazu, you deserve this fate!" He then hurriedly led the group away from Kagerou Castle.

On the eastern side of Kagerou Castle, a dozen men knelt on a small hill, observing the height of the smoke. They were in tears, pounding the ground with their fists. The leader, a sturdy man, clenched his fists, stood up, and drew his long sword, seemingly unconcerned about being discovered, and shouted, "Hirakawa Hisahiro, I will one day exterminate your entire clan!"

Behind him, a thin old man, tears streaming down his face, looked at the smoky Kagerou Castle and asked softly, "Kunai Daisuke, what should we do now?"

The sturdy man was Kunai Daisuke Masahiro, the chief retainer of Kagerou Castle and the Date family. He wiped the tears from his face, his expression twisted, and said, "The lord led the troops to fight the Nishizawa army and died in Bizen Province, causing the Date family to suffer heavy losses. The evil Hirakawa dared to attack Kagerou Castle, angering the Nishizawa family. The Nishizawa family should now know the situation at Kagerou Castle and will take action on our behalf. Nishizawa, I've heard the lord had a younger brother who became a monk nearby."

Nishizawa Nobuhiro, the thin old man, was originally the scribe of Date Nobukazu. He nodded thoughtfully at Kunai Masahiro.

Kunai Masahiro gazed at Kagerou Castle and said, "If there is no heir to the lord, the lord of Yatsushiro, Niimi Masahira, will not act on our behalf, and the local lords will seize the Date family's estate."

Nishizawa Nobuhiro's face tightened. He understood that Kunai Masahiro was not exaggerating. There were few men who could make such a decisive decision at this moment. They needed to find the lord's younger brother who had become a monk as quickly as possible to ensure that Niimi Masahira, the sworn brother of Date Masahiro, would speak on their behalf in the Nishizawa family.

This way, the Date family would not decline, and their generations of retainers would not decline with them.

In the keep of Yatsushiro Castle, Niimi Masahira received the report. His face darkened, and after a moment, he said, "So the Date family is finished."

Niimi Masahira was fifty-five years old, considered old in the Warring States period, but he looked around forty due to his regular exercise. He was energetic and imposing, though the white hair in his black hair and the sharp gaze in his eyes betrayed his age.

With the support of the Nishizawa family of Izumo Province, he had grown from a small lord with a hundred koku to a powerful lord controlling two districts of Bitchu Province, known as one of the three great lords of Bitchu along with the Shō and Sanmura families. If not for being vassals of the Nishizawa family, he would have already captured Matsuyama Castle and become the strongest in Bitchu.

Sitting beside him was the chief retainer of the Niimi family, Akitō Jizaemon Masahiro, a descendant of the Akitō family, the former guardian of Bitchu Province. After the Akitō family was defeated in Matsuyama Castle in 1509, they fled to Aka District. Akitō Masahiro, with his administrative skills, became a key supporter of Niimi Masahira, gradually rising to the position of chief retainer.

Akitō Masahiro bowed and said, "My lord, I've heard the Date family has a monk who is the lord's younger brother."

"So the Date family isn't finished yet. Kagerou Castle is a good place. If the Shō family gets it, it will be like a thorn in our side. If the Niimi family can have it, it will be a thorn in the Shō family's side. Jizaemon, secretly send someone to kill him. Kagerou Castle can be the residence of the Akitō family."

"Understood," Akitō Masahiro bowed deeply and replied, and then everything fell into darkness.