KATANAGATARI 2

A warrior known today as the Old Shogun.

Yet even after he emerged as ruler from the Age of Warring States, he was unable to let go of his attachment to the Shikizaki blades, because of their venom. War was over; there was no reason to seek them out─but the end and the means had been reversed. The Old Shogun no longer sought the blades in order to win battles, but fought battles because he craved more blades.

The premier example of which was the Great Sword Hunt.

This legislation sought to collect every single sword in the entirety of Japan, ostensibly to build a giant buddha─all told, the Old Shogun amassed over one hundred thousand swords, and melted them to slag for the Katana Buddha─erected at Seiryoin Gokenji Temple, on Mt. Sayabashiri in Tosa. In the process, he effaced the regional dominion of the daimyos, before they ever had the chance to scrap their acquiescence for antagonism.

And yet─he failed to capture all the swords.

By then, twelve of the thousand Mutant Blades of legendary swordsmith Kiki Shikizaki were already well known for being masterpieces─and try as the Old Shogun may, he could not hunt down the Twelve Possessed.

Zetto the Leveler.

Zanto the Razor.

Sento the Legion.

Hakuto the Whisper.

Zokuto the Armor.

Soto the Twin.

Akuto the Eel.

Bito the Sundial.

Oto the Cured.

Seito the Garland.

Dokuto the Basilisk.

Ento the Bead.

He knew who owned them, and their whereabouts─but he was unable to wrest them from their owners.

Fighting and failing─twelve times over.

Because he launched multiple attempts per sword, and failed every single time, his actual record21 had to be far worse than 0 for 12. Even the Old Shogun, the ruler of the nation, was exhausted by these chronic failures─and when he died, his fiefdom was worth little over 50,000 koku.

Time went on.

Since the Old Shogun lacked a successor, the Yanari, known for their political dexterity,22 stepped in to govern─beginning the Owari Bakufu, in which the Yanari Shogunate controlled all of Japan.

Peace and Order.

These words were the Yanari trademark.

Inevitably, the swords of Kiki Shikizaki became less and less of a necessity─this should have been the case in the time of the Old Shogun, making it an obvious eventuality.

Swords.

Swordsmen.

Even warriors─were no longer a necessity.

They had been forgotten.

Wiped from the public consciousness.

This was a new world, built on peace and order.

And under the Owari Bakufu─it lasted well over a hundred years. But at a point when almost no one living had experienced a war, an incident occurred.

Or perhaps “occurred” is the wrong word.

Takahito Hida, Kaoyaku of Oshu and a trusted ally of the Owari Bakufu, incited the first nationwide conflict in more than a century─sending tremors through the government.

The power of the bakufu had been macerated23 after decades in the lukewarm spring of peace, allowing for the uprising to plow straight through the bakufu, until it was only a step away from being overturned. In the final estimate, it would be wrong to say the bakufu was victorious, since their victory brought on a legacy of trouble.24 Perhaps the Yanaris should not have touted “Peace and Order” and rather built their realm around the words “Trust No One.”25

Twenty years later.

Or after twenty precarious26 years with no clear strategy.

A certain Whitehaired Schemer made a proposal.

To hunt the last swords down.

The swords that even the Old Shogun failed to capture.

Those masterworks, the Twelve Possessed.

And make the nation face afresh the power of the bakufu─

Though suffering vicissitudes,27 the Whitehaired Schemer was doing precisely what she boasted she would do. From among the Twelve Possessed of Kiki Shikizaki, she had captured Zetto the Leveler, Zanto the Razor, Sento the Legion, and Hakuto the Whisper.

From Komori Maniwa, one of the Twelve Bosses of the Maniwa Ninja Clan, she had seized a katana so sturdy it could never bend or break─Zetto the Leveler.

From Ginkaku Uneri, the Lord of Gekoku Castle, she seized a katana with an edge so sharp it could cut anything in two─Zanto the Razor.

From Meisai Tsuruga, the Mistress of Triad Shrine, a katana that was impossibly a thousand swords in one─Sento the Legion.

And from Hakuhei Sabi, the Sword Saint, of late the Strongest in Japan, a katana so thin you had to squint to see it─Hakuto the Whisper.

Hunted each one down.

To do so, she had used a sword they call the Kyotoryu─a swordsman whose teaching forbade him the use of any kind of weapon.

The Seventh Master─Shichika Yasuri.

…

…

Which takes us to the present moment.

It remains to be seen whether or not this Sword Tale will end “Happily Ever After.”28 For the time being, the Whitehaired Schemer and the Seventh Master of the Kyotoryu continue their journey─

■　■

Right after the match was over at the Basket, they snuck back to the inn and headed straight for the outdoor32 bath. They had traveled quite a distance─not like anybody was complaining, but in less than five months, they’d journeyed from the Capital all the way down to Satsuma in Kyushu, almost entirely on foot, and the unforgiving trek was catching up with both of them. Which made sense for Togame, waifish as she was; meanwhile, so big and muscular he was something of a monster, Shichika, too, having fought for five months straight, counting his time spent training in the dojos, could use a break. Especially ever since they arrived in Kyushu─somehow word had gotten out that he’d bested Hakuhei Sabi, the Strongest Swordsman in Japan, in a stopover at Ganryu Island on the trip over from Honshu.33 Lousy ronin were constantly challenging Shichika to duels, since he was newly minted as the Strongest, and to make it to their destination, Satsuma, he had dealt with one sorry challenger after another. Of course he was worn out, the exhaustion as much physical as mental.

A hot spring was exactly what the doctor ordered.

When Togame asked him to take a dip, he was all for it, though unsure what it would entail.

Bathing under the stars.

Girls and boys together.34

Nothing unusual for the time─in fact, back then, it was the norm. Sure, they could have taken turns, but Togame was not the type to care about that sort of thing, and Shichika had not been taught to care. Plus, he needed to protect Togame. He was happy with whatever kept him by her side.

This was the sort of inn that existed because of its hot spring. The bath outside was the size of a pool. Though not so deep, Togame was so small (and even smaller once she doffed all of her kimonos, layer after layer, in order to bathe) the steaming water reached her shoulders when she sat. She tied her long white hair back with a tenugui,35 and from the tray floating before her, which she had ordered as room service, she poured herself another cup of sake, a little tipsy.

Because Shichika was enormous beside Togame, most of his upper body stuck out of the water when he sat, but since the spring was on the hotter side, it suited him fine, judging from the look of pleasure on his face. Baring every inch of his ripped torso, he gazed up at the starry sky.

“Great spot, huh?” began Togame, gesturing with her little cup.36 Her cheeks were getting rosy. It had seemed that there were other guests, but at this hour, the two had the entire hot spring to themselves. “They said the water’s good for sprains and bruises─is it working?”

“Not sure,” replied Shichika. “I don’t have any injuries for it to work on.”

“Hmm. True.”

“But it feels great just to stretch my legs out in an enormous tub like this.”

Togame smiled like she thought something was funny.

“Shichika. Remember what I told you? When we were leaving Kyoto. Protect the swords. Protect me. And protect yourself─just as I cannot have you nicking up the swords that we’re collecting, just as you must not allow me, your employer, to come to harm, I cannot have you suffering a mortal blow in battle, as we would have to call the Sword Hunt off. Remember?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“At first, I thought the last part would be hardest─with Ginkaku Uneri, and Meisai Tsuruga, and Hakuhei Sabi…and the Maniwacs. These were fierce opponents, but you came away without a scratch. I know that it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve protected yourself marvelously. To be honest, I am seriously impressed.”

“What the hell?”

Complimented out of nowhere, Shichika was bashful. Twenty years growing up on that desert island─and five months out in the world.37 His worldview had matured enough for him to be embarrassed when Togame gave him compliments.

“You make it sound like it’s behind us,” he said.

“Oh?”

“Togame, don’t tell me you think capturing four swords means we’ve accomplished something─we still have a long, long way to go.”

“I understand that, thank you very much. Except…”

She poked the tray floating before her─

Sending the carafe38 and cup over to Shichika.

“Drink.”

“…No, I’m good on alcohol.”

“A little bit will do you good. Or is my sake not good enough for you?”

“…”

“DRINK IT.”

Tipsy? She was toasted.

She swatted at the water like a little kid.

At a loss, Shichika poured himself some sake and took a very tiny sip (or pretended to).

“Well?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“Except─what?”

“Oh… I just mean, so like, you know how we just took Hakuto the Whisper back from Hakuhei Sabi? I was gonna say, that gives our schedule, on the Sword Hunt, some flexibility.”

“Flexibility? I don’t understand…” Shichika sent the tray back toward Togame, signaling his inability to keep up with her. “What do you mean?”

“Before I hired you to join me on this Sword Hunt, I made a couple of blunders39… I’ve been desperate to make up for those losses. I’ve been so tense. But as of last month, when you took down Hakuhei Sabi, my losses have been redeemed40 for the most part.”

“Ahh…”

Togame the Schemer had been double-crossed twice over.

Once by the Maniwa Ninja Clan, and again by Hakuhei Sabi.

Her schemes did as much damage when they worked as when they backfired─which is exactly what had happened. At first she called upon the Maniwa, but no sooner did they lay hands on Zetto the Leveler than they betrayed Togame─for the money. Next, she hired Hakuhei Sabi, the Strongest Swordsman in Japan─but the venom of the Shikizaki blades consumed him, and the second he held Hakuto the Whisper, he left her employ.

After suffering betrayal two times in a row, Togame was in a hopeless situation, and her last hope41 had been to hire the Kyotoryu, a school banished to a desert island. At the time, she aimed to pay a visit to one Mutsue Yasuri, renowned Hero of the Rebellion, and the Sixth Master of the Kyotoryu, but sadly the man had given up the ghost.42 Instead, the Seventh Master, Shichika Yasuri, partnered with her on the Sword Hunt.

“To start things off, we reclaimed Zetto the Leveler from Komori Maniwa, and on Ganryu Island, we reclaimed Hakuto the Whisper from Hakuhei Sabi. ‘Reclaimed’ being the key word here. These were the swords I lost, which makes it hard to label them as signs of progress, but things are moving forward now, without a doubt. I can finally stop scrambling─and settle into the Sword Hunt, taking my time.”

“Your time.”

“My time, getting down and dirty.”

“…”

Shichika didn’t see why she needed to get that way, but he let it go. Togame seemed dead serious.

Intrigues43 were her field, not his.

If it meant Togame could rest a little easier, then he was glad. The quest to round up all the Mutant Blades of Kiki Shikizaki held no great meaning for him. Forged as they were with emphasis not on the swordsman, but the sword, these katanas (and indeed their venom) did pique his interest─as an exemplar of the Kyotoryu, forsakers of the sword─but that alone was not enough to see beyond the nuisance. While not at all averse to effort, he was by no means a diligent man.

Shichika was fighting for a woman, for Togame─and if she could shed some weight off of her shoulders, he was glad for her.

Aware of this or not…

“To tell you the truth,” Togame said, “at first I doubted whether you could handle it─though maybe ‘doubt’ is a strong word. It’s just that Komori and Sabi made me overcautious. They turned my Sword Hunt upside down. I was afraid the second you laid hands on the Leveler, you would leave my employ, just like the others.”

“That’s crazy. I could never─wait, is that why you’ve been sending the swords back to Owari as soon as we get them?”

“I won’t deny it.”

Togame went on.

“But I’m done being so concerned. This is not the sort of journey you can continue burdened with suspicion… We’ve recovered from the loss of their betrayals. There’s an aspect of your character, as a person, that makes it hard to leave you to your own devices…but for the time being I am satisfied that you won’t stab me in the back, not intentionally. Don’t prove me wrong.”

“What is this?” Shichika laughed. “All this time, I’ve felt nothing but loved by you.”

“…This ain’t that kind of story.”

“I thought you hired the Kyotoryu, to be your sword, because I wouldn’t stab you in the back, like the Maniwacs or Sabi. Because the Swordless Swordsman─doesn’t work for money or for swords.”