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[konishi-yakuro]

The Katana and the Crucifix

Part 2

Year: 1596

During the breakdown of the negotiation between Japan - Ming & Joseon.

Characters:

Konishi Augustine Yukinaga

Kiku-hime / Justa

Konishi Yukishige / Kido Sakuemon

Naito Joan

When Yukinaga returned to the Konishi mansion unharmed, everyone sighed in relief.

Joan finally stopped crying and started apologizing again,

"It's my fault... I should have stayed there and persuaded them more..."

Yukinaga patted his shoulder to comfort him.

"It's alright..." he said, "It's not your fault..."

He told the others to comfort Joan and went himself in his room. Once inside, he slid down to the floor.

Even though Mitsunari managed to stop Hideyoshi earlier, there was no guarantee he would forgive him.

Yukinaga's biggest fear was Hideyoshi would hurt the kirishitan, especially those around him.

He looked at the katana and wakizashi that decorated the room. He tried not to notice the crucifix next to it.

He didn't have much time to act.

Yukinaga took a piece of paper and started writing an apology and his last will. He would take responsibility for his failure and leave the clan to his brothers, so that his domain wouldn't fall into the hand of an anti-christian lord.

He took the wakizashi and lowered his clothes. His hands were shaking as he unsheathed the wakizashi.

Suddenly, the door slid open. His wife looked at him in horror and screamed.

"Tono, what are you doing!!!"

She tried to take the wakizashi from his hands, but he wouldn't let it go.

"Someone, help!!! Sakuemon!!! Joan!!!" she called for help.

The retainers quickly came when they heard the lady scream hysterically. They, too, were horrified. Sakuemon and Joan immediately tried to unarmed him.

"Let me go!" Yukinaga ordered.

"Tono, you are a kirishitan!" Sakuemon argued.

"But I am also Taiko Denka's man!!!" he retorted.

Tears fell down from his eyes. For the first time after almost a decade, he couldn't help but let others see him cry.

"I let Denka down... I let you all down..." he cried in anguish.

Sakuemon used this moment of weakness to pin him to the ground and threw the wakizashi away.

He rolled his eyes back and saw the katana and the crucifix on top of his head.

Perhaps, he should rip his heart out of his chest and cut it into two, then sent half to Hideyoshi and the other half to the pope in Rome.

--

Part 1

[konishi-yakuro]

The Katana and the Crucifix

Part 1

Year: 1596

During the breakdown of the negotiation between Japan - Ming & Joseon.

Characters:

Konishi Augustine Settsu-no-Kami Yakuro Yukinaga

Taiko Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Ishida Sakichi Mitsunari

Sanada Genjiro Yukimura

Yukinaga waited for Hideyoshi with dread. The negotiation had failed. Hideyoshi discovered he had obtained none of his demands while at the same time having lowered himself to be the Ming emperor's vassal. All of it because he convinced Hideyoshi to do so. Yet, he failed to get Hideyoshi what he wanted.

The door slid open. He lowered his head as Hideyoshi stepped in. He was accompanied by Mitsunari and Awa-no-kami's son. He knew it was bad when Hideyoshi didn't immediately tell him to raise his head.

He could feel Hideyoshi staring at him in anger. Instead of Hideyoshi, it was Misunari who spoke.

"Settsu-dono, I'm sure you have heard the incident. Care to explain what's going on? Surely there must be some misunderstanding." Mitsunari asked formally. The situation was serious.

Yukinaga had considered playing ignorant. However, it would mean shifting the blame to Joan. He couldn't do that.

"It is as it is."

There was nothing else to be done.

Mitsunari gulped. He tried to signal Yukinaga to give some excuse, but it seemed Yukinaga had given up.

Hideyoshi got up and grabbed Yukinaga's collar,

"Do you realize you have made a fool of me?!"

To everyone's horror, the rosary he always wore behind his clothes came out of the collar.

Hideyoshi looked at it with disdain. He got up and grabbed the sword behind him. He unsheathed it and walked toward Yukinaga.

"Denka, please calm down!"

Mitsunari hugged Hideyoshi's legged from behind, stopping him from killing Yukinaga.

"Let me go, Sakichi! I'm not gonna tolerate him colluding with the enemies under my nose any longer!"

Mitsunari kept holding Hideyoshi.

"Yakuro did so for your sake! Yakuro, quick get out!"

Yukinaga didn't move. He wouldn't let Hideyoshi doubt the loyalty of the kirishitan. They had nothing to do with all of this. If killing him could satisfy Hideyoshi's rage, then let Hideyoshi kill him!

"Yakuro had let Denka down and willing to accept the punishment, but I hope Denka wouldn't doubt my loyalty."

The words burned his tongue as they came out of his mouth. His heart was burning with hatred towards the man who had tormented him for a decade. The man who deprived him of his religion, who tried to rape his sister-in-law, who exiled him to a foreign land and turned him into a mass murderer.

Yet, he couldn't stop himself from acting as his loyal servant. He had been reduced to nothing but a puppet who had no control over his body. His mouth, arms, legs, his entire body belonged to this man.

Over the past years, Hideyoshi had used this body to do and say things he despised.

He had enough of it...

Hideyoshi's arms were shaking. In front of him was the man who had followed him for almost twenty years almost like his own son. How could he have the heart to simply slay him?

Mitsunari noticed Hideyoshi hesitated. He quickly ordered the young man who had been watching everything in horror,

"Genjiro! Take Settsu out!"

Genjiro quickly pulled Yukinaga outside.

Once outside, he looked at Yukinaga worriedly.

"Settsu-sama, are you alright?"

Yukinaga's eyes were blank. He ignored him and walked away.

-- tbc --

Part 2

[konishi-yakuro]

Behind the Demon Mask

Year: 1593

"Tono, it has passed the time."

He was nervous. He had taken the risk of getting his head chopped by informing the enemies about his army movement. He hoped they didn't waste his effort and evacuate everyone.

"Tono, if we don't go soon, you will be impeached."

It looked like he couldn't buy them any more time...

"Prepare to depart." he said.

He took the oni-mask and put it on to cover his face.

He got out of his camp and mount his horse. He rallied his soldiers and gave a signal to depart.

The armor had never felt so heavy in his life. This battle would be a pointless massacre to save the face of the Japanese army that previously lost to a small number of people in the fortress.

They had agreed to a truce, but now Hideyoshi-sama ordered him to be the vanguard of this revenge operation. How could his partner trust his words if he had to keep breaking the deal they made?

When he arrived, the siege had started. To his dismay, the fortress hadn't been evacuated. The enemies put up a good fight. However, he was certain it was inevitable that the fortress would fall.

To his surprise, the siege actually lasted longer than he expected. The defenders threw some torches to burn the attacking soldiers. The casualties were getting heavy. They had no choice, but to retreat.

Despite his allies' complaints that he was late, they accept his proposal to give the defenders a chance to surrender. The defenders had no chance, but they wanted to minimize the casualties on their side.

Hideie-sama sent a messenger demanding surrender or they would slaughter 10000 peasants they had captured earlier. He prayed the defenders would use this chance. They should have known they had no other chance.

They didn't...

So, the Japanese killed 10000 peasants.

On the 7th day, the defenders finally ran out of their luck. A thunderstorm prevented them from incinerating the Japanese.

His order was clear.

Take no prisoner.

These people's fate was sealed. Women, children, old, young. No one would be spared.

Still, he ordered to leave a path open on his side hoping people would slip out and save themselves. Unfortunately, most of the people inside were civilians who didn't understand the military practice.

Finally, their time was up. Kato's army stormed the northern gate. Not long after, his side of the gate was opened from inside.

With a heavy heart, he signaled his men to storm in.

Once inside, everyone went on a killing spree until no one left alive.

As he and some of his men inspected the town that was now littered with corpses, he noticed a teenage girl was hiding behind a mount of straw.

He took his men in another direction so that they wouldn't notice the girl. Whether she managed to escape or not, it's up to fate.

However, the girl came out of her hiding place and charged at him with a knife. His bodyguard took out his sword and slashed her chest.

She was choking in her own blood, gasping for air in pain.

He took out his katana and approached her. Her eyes were on his. He wasn't sure whether they were staring at him with hatred or pleading for mercy. It didn't matter. All she saw was probably the face of an oni.

He closed his eyes, raised his katana, and stabbed her heart. Blood splattered on the demon's face.

It was no longer raining, but he felt water pooling behind the oni-mask.

[konishi-yakuro]

Kiyomasa woke up in the morning. He sought Mitsunari, but couldn't find him. He went panicked and ran outside. He found him bleeding on the grave.

"No..."

konishi-yakuro​:

Kiyomasa got into a room and slept soundly.

Mitsunari took a bath but didn’t go to sleep. He took a tanto from the armory - Hideyoshi kept some nice weapons here on display - and slipped out into the night.

He went to his beloved’s grave. It was covered in fresh snow.

“I’ll join you” he whispered. “Nothing ties me to this world anymore…”

A glint of steel in the moonlight… he collapsed on the grave, slowly bleeding out. 

[konishi-yakuro]

Kiyomasa got into a room and slept soundly.

konishi-yakuro​:

Kiyomasa pouted.

“Well, pick a room and make yourself comfortable. The house has everything.”

[konishi-yakuro]

Kiyomasa pouted.

konishi-yakuro​:

“I don’t care! i just want to be with you!”

“Then stay. But don’t expect me to ever love you.”

[konishi-yakuro]

"I don't care! i just want to be with you!"

konishi-yakuro​:

“I want to stay with you!”

“You think I could forgive you? After everything you did?” Mitsunari teared up. 

[konishi-yakuro]

"I want to stay with you!"

konishi-yakuro​:

“So…, what should I do?”

“Whatever you wish.”

[konishi-yakuro]

"So..., what should I do?"

konishi-yakuro​:

Well, of course!

“Sooner or later, he will learn what you did.”

[konishi-yakuro]

Well, of course!

konishi-yakuro​:

Uuh…. he didn’t really want to do that….

“Are you worried about his reaction?”

[konishi-yakuro]

Uuh.... he didn't really want to do that....

konishi-yakuro​:

“Who?”

“Hideyoshi-sama.”

[konishi-yakuro]

"Who?"

konishi-yakuro​:

This made Kiyomasa felt awkward.

“Would you call him?”

[konishi-yakuro]

This made Kiyomasa felt awkward.

konishi-yakuro​:

Kiyomasa pouted.

Mitsunari sighed. “We should probably inform Hideyoshi-sama what happened.”

[konishi-yakuro]

Kiyomasa pouted.

konishi-yakuro​:

“So… When will return to the mainland?”

“I don’t know.” Mitsunari had no intention to leave. He had no intention to even survive tonight.

[konishi-yakuro]

"So... When will return to the mainland?"

konishi-yakuro​:

Kiyomasa wasn’t sure when they’re going to return…

Mitsunari sipped his wine.

[konishi-yakuro]

Kiyomasa wasn't sure when they're going to return...

konishi-yakuro​:

“Thank you.”

Kiyomasa ate hungriiy.

Maybe I should have poisoned him…

But Mitsunari was not that vengeful. He was just tired…

[konishi-yakuro]

"Thank you."

Kiyomasa ate hungriiy.

konishi-yakuro​:

Kiyomasa waited.

Mitsunari soon served the mulled wine and some food.