Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

"It must be that traitorous bastard from the Date Clan. We'll need to report this finding to the Imperial Court as soon as possible."After leaving the Dragon's Chamber and retreating far beyond the Yamata-no-Orocihi's ability to perceive, this was the first thing Senichi said. In response, Senken nodded his head, an inordinately serious look on his face as he said, "I had almost forgotten about that bastard's betrayal. Shouldn't the Uesugi, Ashina, and Satake Clans have dealt with him by now...?"As the lands occupied by the Date Clan were practically surrounded by forces loyal to the Imperial Family, Senken couldn't understand how they had failed to take action. The leader of the Uesugi Clan, Uesugi Kenshin, was the current generation's 'God of War'. She might be a woman, but, much like Musashi, she had managed to make a name for herself in an unreasonably short period of time. She was only in her thirties, but, thanks to the blessings of Bishamonten, one of the Shichi-fuku-jin, she could even fight people a full Realm above her without giving ground.Understanding his son's thoughts, Senichi shook his head, stating, "Even if Kenshin is known as the Dragon of Echigo, she can't simply charge into enemy territory on her own. You forget that she isn't an original descendant of the Uesugi Clan. She acquired her title and position as compensation for sheltering the previous patriarch, Uesugi Norimasa. Though he agreed to her terms and took her as his successor, Norimasa has been doing everything in his power to seize Echigo as install his son as Daimyo. If Kenshin were to leave the capital for an extended period of time, that old bastard would quickly claim it for himself."With intensely furrowed brows, it was pretty obvious that Senken wasn't enthused by his father's words. Nobu, however, had become fully alert, his expression showing shock and mild incredulity as he asked, "Uesugi Kenshin is a woman? Who's next, Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro?"As his words were intended more as a joke than anything else, Nobu felt a little enervated when his father and grandfather stared at him with somewhat confused expressions before the latter replied, "I've never heard of this Sasaki Kojiro but Miyamoto Musashi is, indeed, a woman. In fact, she is the most powerful female cultivator in Nian and the single most deadly threat to its warriors. If you ever see or hear about a woman with wild, vermillion hair walking around with a giant machete, don't let your curiosity get the better of you. Just run."Nodding his head in approval of his father's words, Senken added, "There is a saying in Nian. When Musashi nears, you either flee or die. Any warrior who crosses paths with her, even as a mistake, is fated to be struck down. It doesn't matter how many people you send. Trying to oppose Musashi is like trying to redirect a hurricane or slice through a tsunami. She is a walking natural disaster."Hearing his father's and grandfather's words, Nobu couldn't help massaging his forehead with his left hand. The way they talked about Musashi made it seem as though it was only a matter of time before he encountered the infamous redhead. Hell, he was even beginning to suspect he had been transported into the world of an eroge. After all, Yui and the others had expressed, time and again, how difficult it was to be a female cultivator in Nian. It couldn't be a simple coincidence that two of the most powerful warriors in Japanese history turned out to be female...Recalling that the Musashi of his world was born almost fifty years after his namesake, Nobu took a moment to organize his thoughts before asking, "Just out of curiosity...are there people named Abe no Semei and Benkei running around...?"Before answering Nobu's question, Senken and Senichi exchanged glances with one another before the latter ultimately nodded his head and answered, "Abe no Semei is one of the Sacred Guardians protecting Nian and the Imperial Family. She is widely considered to be the most powerful Onmyōji in history. As for Benkei...they are a little more obscure, but, according to intelligence reports, they have been traveling around the country in an effort to gather a thousand different weapons..."Hearing his grandfather's reply, Nobu needed to take a seat. He had studied Japanese History for two years and had even traveled abroad with his mother on numerous occasions. He wasn't exactly a history buff, but he knew the basics about a lot of Japan's most famous and influential people.Though they appeared in numerous video games and anime related to the Sengoku Period, Abe no Semei and Benkei had both lived and died hundreds of years before its onset. The only reason they appeared in games and stuff was because of their prominence in Japanese Folklore. Abe no Semei was the most powerful Onmyōji to have ever lived while Benkei, alongside being the Chief Retainer of Minamoto Yoshitsune, another remarkably famous figure, was rumored to have defeated more than three-hundred soldiers and samurai during his last stand at the Battle of Koromo River. In the end, his enemies literally had to pepper him with hundreds of arrows as trying to fight him directly was tantamount to suicide...("Well...at least I didn't loop myself into thinking that the events of my life would follow the history of my namesake to a tee...")Now that he was aware that people like Abe no Semei and Benkei were present, Nobu could safely assume that other famous figures would be present. This didn't just apply to Nian, but the world as a whole. After all, Inami had proven that people could easily survive for thousands of years. To that end, it was safe to assume that many of the most famous and influential figures from various myths would be present in other countries. To make matters worse, some of these figures would probably be the reincarnators he was presumably expected to defeat..."It's like playing Civ...for keeps..."Shaking that thought from his mind, Nobu looked towards his father and grandfather, who, as could be expected, appeared confused by his behavior. In response, he just smiled wryly, elbows resting on his knees as he asked, "So? What now? You didn't bring me down here just to show me that snakehead and tell me about some inherited duty, did you?"Scratching the back of his head, Senken appeared moderately uncomfortable as he answered, "Well...kind of? I mean, protecting this place has been the sacred duty of the Oda Clan for the last six thousand years. It was important that you at least knew about it. I have no intention of telling you how to live, but, for the sake of our family and the people who depend on us, there are certain things you need to keep in mind when you're making decisions. Take it from me, kid. If your selfish decisions result in the suffering of others, you'll end up regretting it for the rest of your life..."Wincing in response to his father's words, the smile on Nobu's face promptly faded away as a mild feeling of indignation swelled within his heart. He was well aware of the truth contained within such words as he was still regretting the decision he made prior to his reincarnation. If he had been born normally, he would have been able to accrue a tremendous amount of power by the time he was in his teens. Instead, his decision left him playing catch-up while his parents and entourage had been made to suffer as a result of his selfishness...Exhaling a sigh, Nobu surprised both Senken and Senichi by suddenly closing his eyes and saying, "Sorry..." in a meek, nearly inaudible tone. They didn't know exactly why he was apologizing, but, understanding he was being sincere, the duo exchanged glances before Senken walked over, his voice awkward yet caring as he ruffled Nobu's hair and said, "Don't worry about it...whatever you think you did wrong, we forgive you..."Though he frowned in response to having his hair ruffled, Nobu felt a sourness in his nose when he heard Senken's words. At the same time, a feeling of tightness spread through his throat and chest as memories of all the times the man had apologized to his catatonic self played in his mind.........When she learned that Yui was pregnant with Nobu's child, Nohime wanted nothing more than to strangle the 'harlot' for daring to seduce her husband. She had never felt so betrayed in her entire life, and, were it not for the presence of Nana, she might not have been able to keep her cool.Fortunately, as part of the explanation, Nohime had also come to learn about Nobu's Heavenly Treasure. She wasn't given every detail but she was informed about its ability to drastically improve a person's cultivation in a short period of time. This was spectacular news, as, despite putting on a false smile and pretending it didn't bother her, one of the things Nohime had always resented was her inability to cultivate freely.Though she was a princess and possessed remarkable intelligence, Nohime had been denied the right to cultivate freely as a result of Nobu's death. The only reason most females were allocated cultivation resources was to ensure they gave birth to a powerful heir, so, with her husband dead, the Elders of the Oda Clan had done everything in their power to deny her resources.While others near her age were at the pinnacle of Silver or even breaking into Gold, Nohime had been forced to stagnate as a Rank 9 Iron Warrior for more than a decade. It was one of the things that had always bothered her so it was a tremendous relief when she heard Nobu had the ability to drastically increase a person's Aura in a short period of time. She was in such a good mood, in fact, that she was nearly willing to forgive Yui for seducing her husband.Nearly."I'm curious to know, Yui-dono. What, exactly, were the circumstances that led to you and another becoming pregnant with my hus-with Nobunaga-sama's child? I was informed that the Yoshitsune Clan had laws strictly forbidding their Kunoichi from bearing the children of the Oda Clan. In fact, I believe the penalty for breaking said laws is execution via flogging...""No-chan! What are you saying...!?"Hearing Nohime's words, a fretful expression developed across Nana's face. She didn't expect her surrogate daughter to insinuate that Yui should be executed for her actions. Sure, the law might be clear on such issues, but, in the face of true love, rules and traditions were meaningless. She could see how Nobu looked at Yui, so, even if she cared dearly for Nohime, Nana wasn't going to tolerate such insinuating remarks.Fortunately, Yui had already been expecting such a question, so, before Nohime could even pretend to apologize, she calmly stated, "It was the decision of my Lord and Master, Nobunaga-sama. When you meet, you will quickly learn that Nobunaga-sama is unlike any other man living within Nian. His values are drastically different from ours and he has no interest in any culture or tradition that limits a person's individual freedoms. I can understand why you would hate me, Nohime-san. You are well within your rights to do so. However, no matter what, I will continue to walk this path alongside my Lord."With an indifferent expression that could put an extra layer on ice, Nohime stared directly into Yui's obsidian-blue eyes. She could see the resolution contained within the younger woman's gaze, but, after working herself to the bone for the better part of ten years, Nohime refused to believe anyone was as resolute as she. Thus, while she was prepared to adjust her behavior in accordance with her husband's sensibilities, she had absolutely no intention of recognizing Yui, or anyone else for that matter, as her equal.........(A/N: That one decision of Nobu's had far-reaching effects...)

After returning to the castle aboveground, Nobu briefly excused himself to use the bathroom before meeting up with his father and grandfather in one of the more traditional rooms. Both fell silent when he entered, but, before he could ask what they were talking about, Senken beat him to the punch, asking, "What do you know about the situation in Asai?"Though Hitomi had already informed him about Nobu's reaction to the death of Tako, seeing his son apologize in the Dragon's Chamber caused Senken to have doubts. He was originally planning to let Nobu take charge of the situation. If the latter wanted to settle down and focus on building a family, however, he had no intention of opposing him. It was a little unorthodox but he could easily lead the Oda Clan for another decade if his son wasn't ready to step up.Not expecting his father to suddenly mention Asai, Nobu found himself at a momentary loss for words. His beatdown and capture two days prior had helped to put things in perspective. He was still weak, and, the moment he found himself surrounded by enemies, he was basically fucked.With that thought in mind, Nobu closed his eyes and took a long and deep breath before opening them to say, "My information specialist, Kumiko, has gone through all the documents related to the recent turmoil in Asai. I've also gone through a number of documents personally so I have a pretty good idea what's been going on..."Nodding his head in approval, Senken pulled out a large scroll, seemingly out of thin air, before unfurling it on the ground and asking, "And? What do you think we should do about it? Like, if you were the person in charge of dealing with the rebellion, how would you resolve things?"Furrowing his brows, Nobu hesitated to answer. In response, Senken just waved his hand in a casual gesture of dismissal, saying, "Relax, kid. I'm not going to go back on our previous agreement. You're free to continue staying in Yumegakure for as long as you like. We're just interested in hearing how you might tackle the situation."Seeing that the scroll was actually an extremely detailed map of Asai and the surrounding region, a glimmer of interest appeared in Nobu's eyes. It even included a breakdown of the balance of power between the various factions that had rooted themselves within the city. This included color-coded properties, and, more importantly, an outline of each faction's military forces.Before discussing things further, Nobu pulled out his stone tablet to take a photo of the map. This was something he had been trying to get his hands on for quite a while, but, thanks to the contract that restricted their actions, neither Hitomi nor Suzune was allowed to give him a detailed map as it was considered a state secret strictly regulated by the Imperial Family. Anyone found in possession of a detailed map would immediately be tried as a spy, so, with the exception of Daimyos, Generals, and a few affluent merchant associations, everyone else was completely ignorant in regards to the shape, structure, and territorial breakdown of the Archipelago.With several other reincarnators running around, Nobu knew it was only a matter of time before he would need to wage war against them. The Goddess had made it pretty clear that the others were unaware of each other's existence, and, based on how his father and grandfather had been acting, Nobu felt it was safe to assume they couldn't openly discuss their true identities or past lives. Thus, with the expectation that he would be pitted against eight other reincarnators, each in possession of a balance-breaking cheat, Nobu decided to start planning ahead.Fortunately, just as he took a snapshot of the map, yet another notification appeared on Nobu's stone tablet. When he saw what it was, a massive grin developed across his face as a tattered and ancient-looking map had appeared as an App on his Home Screen. It didn't immediately reveal his surroundings, but, in exchange for a substantial amount of Aura, he could basically send out pulses of energy that mapped everything in a 100m radius.Seeing the weird look on his son's face, Senken's serious expression morphed into a wry smile as he asked, "You still with us, kid...?"Blinking back to awareness in response to his father's words, Nobu adopted a wry expression of his own as he explained, "Sorry. My Heavenly Treasure just unlocked a mapping function. It consumes a lot of Aura, but I can use it to create an overhead map of everything in my surroundings. Better yet, it apparently lets me save any maps I've scanned directly. I'm not sure if it updates in real-time, but I now have a map of Owari-Asai stored in my stone tablet."Hearing Nobu's explanation, both Senken and Senichi were shocked. Everything they learned about Nobu's Heavenly Treasure made it appear increasingly broken. At the same time, however, they felt it was remarkably suited for someone with the destiny of uniting the Archipelago.Recovering quicker than his son, Senichi asked, "Can you transfer the details to a piece of paper? If you can actively map your surroundings, that is an unbelievably useful ability in a tactical setting. It could also make managing the territory a lot easier."Since he couldn't find anything that would allow him to superimpose the map onto an object, Nobu eventually shook his head before answering, "No, but I can probably draw it out if I have a piece of grid paper. The map on my stone tablet also uses grids so I shouldn't have any problems creating a copy. I'm not the best artist but I'm pretty good when it comes to linework."Nodding his head in understanding, Senichi decided to shelve the topic of creating updated maps until later. That wasn't the reason they had gathered like this, so, with various duties awaiting him, he decided to get back on track, saying, "Well, we can discuss that later. For now, why don't you try answering your father's question? Your Heavenly Treasure is clearly oriented towards rul...managing others. Let's hear what you have to say."Though he furrowed his brows in response to his grandfather's clearly intentional slip, Nobu was eager to end this conversation so he could rendezvous with Yui. Thus, after taking a moment to organize his thoughts, he answered, "If you had asked me this question a few weeks ago, I would have insisted on assigning a specialized task force to assassinate the current Governor. After that, I would place an embargo on trade with Granus before expelling their ships from port..."Rather than admonishing Nobu for his lack of foresight, Senichi just nodded his head in approval while Senken adopted a strangely proud look on his face. This caused Nobu to feel uncomfortable as the advice he had received from both Hitomi and Suzune left him doubting this was the correct course of action.Noticing Nobu's discomfort, an amused chuckle emanated from Senken's throat before he teasingly inquired, "You're surprisingly sensitive, ain'tcha?"Glaring at the ashen-haired man, Nobu briefly considered telling him to shove a bamboo shoot up his ass. Fortunately, Senken beat him to the punch, adding, "Truth be told, I don't dislike that way of thinking. When I was your age, I got into a lot of trouble because I disliked how political everything was. Hell, if we're being completely honest, I was closer to twice your age before I finally got my shit together..."Scratching the back of his head, Senken's smile became somewhat awkward as he recalled all the trouble he and his friends had gotten into. If his father and the members of his entourage hadn't been there to bail him out, he probably would have lost his life on more than a few occasions...Taking advantage of his son's silence, Senichi decided to add, "Demonstrations of power are vitally important to the stable management of a territory. If this incident didn't involve another country, it might have worked. Unfortunately, we-"Before Senichi could finish speaking, Nobu gave the man an incredulous look, stating, "I said that was the plan I would have come up with weeks ago. The Matriarch of the Yoshitsune Clan and their Information Elder have already explained to me why such a course of action isn't acceptable in this instance. Since then, I have been thinking of other plans to try and resolve everything in a way that ensured the greatest number of benefits for the province..."While he wasn't particularly fond of being interrupted, Senichi just supplied a curt and patient nod before gesturing for Nobu to continue. He knew exactly what kind of woman Hitomi was, and, while he felt the Yoshitsune Clan had too much sway over his grandson, there wasn't much he could really do about it. Nobu had already cooked rice with the Guardian of the Yosthisune Clan, so, depending on what the fates had in store, the Oda and Yoshitsune Clans would be one and the same...With his father and grandfather patiently awaiting his explanation, Nobu took another deep breath before going on to assert, "Trade with Granus has become integral to our economy. In spite of this, I still believe the best course of action moving forward is to place an embargo on trade. So long as we are openly trading with them, the Imperial Family will be unwilling to support our deposition of the current Governor..."Since the Imperial Family had prohibited trade with foreign countries, the Oda Clan was, technically speaking, in gross violation of the law. The only reason the Imperial Family hadn't cracked down on them was because the Oda Clan was among their most powerful allies and one of the only families that still supported the Ashikaga Shogunate. They were also the largest consumer of luxury goods imported from the Heavenly Kingdom and Granus, so, when it came down to it, they would be the most affected if trade suddenly ceased. It was an amazing example of the 'rules for thee, not for me' mentality..."While we await the decision of the Imperial Family, we'll send a representative to conduct a public audit. In actuality, they will just be a figurehead while a team of experts investigates the Governor's family and negotiates terms and pledges support to the other influential factions in the region. This includes the merchants of Granus, who, in exchange for being able to stay in port, will need to pay a leasing fee..."Though he actually wanted to investigate Granus and try to seize some of their tech, Nobu wasn't too optimistic about their chances of success. Thus, taking advantage of the fact it took literal years to complete a round trip between their two countries, he wanted to put pressure on those currently in port using the inbound ships as leverage. After all, while those currently present might have more than enough supplies to set sail, those just arriving would have no choice but to resupply."Our end goal will be to renegotiate terms and redistribute power in Asai so that a repeat incident is less likely to occur. If the merchants of Granus refuse, we will take inbound vessels hostage and force them to exchange their goods in exchange for the supplies necessary to return. We may end up making an enemy in the long term but we should be able to benefit for the next seven years or so. In the end, this is the consequence their actions have mandated. If we give ground in the pursuit of profits, they will become even more brazen in the future. Instead, we should focus on increasing our revenue through internal production and distribution. Relying on imports from another country will place us in a precarious position if we ever find ourselves at odds with our neighbors..."As the merchants of Granus were disgustingly opportunistic, it wasn't even remotely difficult to imagine them increasing their prices the moment Owari entered into conflict with the surrounding Provinces. They would basically be able to name their prices, so, in an effort to teach them a lesson and temporarily remove them from the picture, Nobu was more than willing to step on a few toes.Hearing Nobu's surprisingly rational assessment of the situation, smiles developed across the faces of Senken and Senichi. Nobu had even pointed out a few things they had overlooked, so, while they still had a number of misgivings about the future, the notion that Nobu would be the one to unify the Archipelago was now firmly cemented in their minds...And thus they laughed.......(A/N: Our boy is as clever as he is petty xD...)

"That's a big ass crystal...and is that a dragon's head on the inside...?"Deciding to shelve his retribution until he was strong enough to personally give his grandfather a good punch, Nobu turned his attention towards the massive crystal on the far side of the room. He had also noticed a pedestal containing some kind of metallic fragment, but, compared to the yacht-sized dragon head, it didn't really stand out.Though he continued glaring at his father for several seconds, Senken eventually looked toward Nobu before shifting his attention to the same crystal and explaining, "This big bastard is known as Yamata-no-Orochi. According to legend, it was defeated by Susanoo-no-Mikoto-sama near the ass end of the Age of Gods. Unfortunately, as you can see here, it possesses an immortal and undying body. It managed to piece itself back together with a bit of help from the demons of Onigashima. It took the combined efforts of every clan, sect, and village within Nian to fell the beast a second time, and, were it not for the sacrifice of Queen Himiko, it might have destroyed the entire Archipelago..."Staring into the beast's eyes, Nobu felt an indescribable sensation of trepidation at the very core of his being. His 'plot sense' was sounding alarm bells in his mind, and, even though the monstrosity was currently sealed within a massive crystal, he got the distinct impression he would be fighting it at some point in the future."There's no fucking way..."Having seen the Godzilla vs. Kong movie prior to his death, Nobu could easily envision just how large the united body of Yamata-no-Orochi must be. The head in front of him made the skull of King Ghidorah look like a fucking smart car in comparison. Since the latter could literally perch atop mountains, its wingspan enough to embrace entire city blocks, it wasn't difficult to imagine Yamata-no-Orochi destroying the underdeveloped cities of Nian just by walking through them...Raising his brows in response to Nobu's reaction, Senken asked, "What's wrong, brat? You look like you're about to shit yourself. Don't worry. As scary as this bastard might look, it isn't getting out of that crystal any time soon..."Groaning in response to his father's careless words, Nobu earned curious looks from both Senken and Senichi as he palmed his forehead and muttered, "Well, that about confirms it.." in a tired and exasperated tone.Just as his father was about to ask, Nobu met Senken's gaze, asking, "Let me guess...the Oda Clan has been entrusted with keeping watch over the head of Yamata-no-Orochi and one of the items required to free it? I'm guessing the other Great Noble Clans have a similar duty while the Imperial Family protects the items required to bring them all together? Since that piece of metal over there looks like part of a sword, I'm guessing it's a fragment of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. That must mean the Yata-no-Kagami mirror and Yasakani-no-Magatama jewel are kept elsewhere..."As the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, Yata-no-Kagami, and Yasakani-no-Magatama were the 'Three Sacred Regalia' of the Imperial Family back in his previous world, Nobu could easily surmise they were the items used to both seal and release Yamata-no-Orochi. After all, according to the legend, they were literally forged from sections of its body. It stood to reason that they would be required to make it whole again.Surprised by Nobu's sudden reference to two of the Imperial Family's Heavenly Treasures, Senken's expression displayed his incredulity as he remarked, "The Yata-no-Kagami mirror and Yasakani-no-Magatama jewels are two of the Imperial Family's most sacred Heavenly Treasures. Who informed you of their existence? I didn't learn about them until I had already become Daimyo and there's no way in hell that old bat would have revealed such sensitive information..."Having already thought about how he would answer questions pertaining to his previous life, Nobu appeared calm as he held up his invisible stone tablet, dangling it as he shamelessly stated, "One of the people on my Friends List is a Goddess. Every now and then, she is generous enough to give me important information related to the history of Nian."Feeling the stone tablet vibrate in his hand, Nobu's smile visibly cracked as he thumbed the screen to check his notifications. When he saw the threat contained within, a cold sweat broke out across his body. In spite of this, he maintained an uncomfortable smile as he jokingly appended, "I wasn't supposed to tell you that..."Though he wasn't sure how they would react, Nobu wasn't particularly surprised when looks of realization appeared on the faces of his father and grandfather. He had already started to suspect they knew about his reincarnation, but, for reasons he could only guess at, the Goddess didn't want them on the same page. Her behavior reminded him of one of those asshole Dungeon Masters that got pissy whenever someone meta-gamed in the middle of a D&D(Dungeons & Dragons) session...After promising he wouldn't mention her a second time, Nobu placed the stone tablet in his sleeve pocket before shifting his attention to the metal shard on the pedestal and asking, "Is that piece of metal a part of the seal, or does it just function as a key?"Unsure of how to answer his son's question, Senken looked towards his father. In response, Senichi just shrugged his shoulders, answering, "In cases like this, it is common for the people entrusted to guard the seal to remain ignorant of its functions and release. Before you mentioned them, it never even occurred to me that the Yata-no-Kagami and the Yasakani-no-Magatama might be required to unseal the beast. Our duties tasked us with protecting the Dragon's Chamber and the secrets sealed within. Nothing more, nothing less."Resisting the temptation to walk over and place the sword fragment inside his storage dimension, Nobu caressed his chin for a few moments as he stared directly at the crimson-eyed beast. He had felt an emotion similar to existential dread when he first met its gaze, but, now that he was thinking about how to best fuck it over, it seemed considerably less intimidating. Almost like he was playing a game.As that thought crossed his mind, a somewhat mischievous smile spread across Nobu's face as he turned around and promptly took a selfie with the monstrous serpent. He remembered one of his favorite streaming duos, Game Grumps, doing something similar during a Windwaker playthrough in his previous life. He had found it pretty funny at the time, so, now that he had the chance to pose with a literal legendary creature, why the fuck not?Though his actions earned him incredulous looks from his father and grandfather, Nobu largely ignored them as he absentmindedly droned, "My Heavenly Treasure allows me to..."Furrowing his brows, Nobu briefly shifted his attention away from the stone tablet to stare back at Yamata-no-Orochi. The aforementioned King Ghidorah possessed the ability to communicate with its other heads via telepathy. He didn't want to think anyone had the ability to interface with one of the monstrous serpent's heads, but, understanding there was a non-zero chance of such an event occurring, he promptly supplanted, "Actually, we shouldn't be talking in front of this thing. It's way too calm for a monster that has been sealed inside of a crystal. If my intuition is correct, someone might be controlling one of its other heads to spy on the other seven..."The moment he finished speaking, Nobu noticed the pupils of Yamata-no-Orochi's massive eyes contract. He might not have noticed it if the creature was the size of an actual snake, but, with eyes twice the size of a ceremonial gong, it was pretty fucking hard to miss.Fortunately, Nobu wasn't the only one to notice the not-so-subtle change. Senken and Senichi were both in the latter half of the Sixth Realm. They could even perceive the flapping of a hummingbird's wings so there was no way in hell they would fail to discern Yamata-no-Orochi's peculiar reaction to Nobu's words.........Located nearly eight thousand kilometers North-East of Owari-Shuto was the Fortress City of Date, a major city located near the center of Nian's Mutsu Province.Years prior, the city of Date had a relatively small population of only 23,492 people. Despite this, it had made a name for itself across the Archipelago as nearly every resident of the city was either a Warrior or a battle-hardened soldier.Alongside the Uesugi, Ashina, and Satake Clans, the rulers of Date City, the Date Clan, had helped to defend against the encroachment of Onigashima for generations. This had garnered them a tremendous amount of support for the Nianese people and countless commendations from the Imperial Family.Unfortunately, shortly after the betrayal of the Mogami Clan, their closest ally, the leader of the Date Clan, Date Terumune, fell fatally ill when his son, Data Masamune, contracted smallpox. It left the young Masamune without his left eye while his Terumune, suffering from a congenital breathing problem, inevitably passed away after squandering the family's resources in pursuit of a cure.Succeeding his father at the young age of seventeen, Masamune struggled to establish himself as Daimyo due to his limited experience and lacking cultivation base. He was a highly skilled warrior, but, with many of his relatives surpassing him in cultivation, it was only a matter of time before the family began fighting amongst itself.After failing to gain control even after three years, Masamune was eventually contacted by an old friend in the Mogami Clan. Soon after, a massive army flying the banner of Onigashima appeared north of Date City. The forces of the city were more than prepared to repel them, but, shortly after the battle ended, the warriors in charge of the rout learned that every mainline descendant of the Date Clan had been assassinated.At the behest of Masamune, a group of elites manages to penetrate the Date Clan estate using a number of secret passages. They managed to wipe out the forces opposing the young Daimyo's reign, and, in exchange for his fealty, they were willing to grant him power and help him spread his name throughout the Archipelago.By sacrificing his humanity and becoming a demon, Masamune had become much stronger than the warriors who had pledged their allegiance to his clan. He had also allowed a veritable army to invade the city through its secret passages. Since then, the population of the city had grown from 23,492 to more than 69,000. The only caveat was that most of these newer residents were demons, youkai, and evil spirits. As for the human population, those that had failed to escape were basically relegated to livestock as the warriors still loyal to the Date Clan were either executed or converted to demons.As a cadet family to one of the original Eight Great Clans, the Date Clan had inherited the duty of protecting one of Yamata-no-Orochi's heads. Masamune had only become aware of this after his betrayal, but, having already tied his fate to Onigashima, he had little choice but to allow them to study and attempt to deconstruct the seal. The latter proved impossible, but, after several years of analysis, the group of youkai researchers had managed to interface with the head sealed within by infesting it with a parasite. Said parasite was also a youkai, and, thanks to its efforts, they had been able to spy on the other Great Noble Clans for the better part of a decade."Hoooo...I never expected that those barbarians in the Oda Clan would be the first to ascertain the truth. It seems this youth, Nobu, possesses quite the unique treasure..."Though Nobu had managed to catch himself before he revealed too much, the existence of his Heavenly Treasure was no known to his enemies. They weren't aware of its functions, but, knowing it allowed him to communicate with a Goddess was more than enough to catch the interest of the one-eyed man seated atop a throne formed from the bones of his deceased family members.........(A/N: Amongus...)

Chapter 124: Echoes of the Past