Namida Bridge - The Tragedy of Kureyazawa (2)

"How could they..."
Tobei's voice, as he said this, also trembled with rage. As they ran up the steep slope leading into the town of Sukagawa, Mt. Myoken, which marks the border between Wada and Sukagawa, came into view.
"Son-in-law. Have you arrived?"
Yabe Iyo-no-kami, who seemed to have arrived a step ahead, greeted Toshonosuke while catching his breath. Iyo-no-kami is one of the sons of Yabe Awa-no-kami. Endo Gagaku-no-kami had also already arrived at the scene.
"What is the battle situation?"
"We are currently being pushed back to Wakamiya Slope."
At Iyo-no-kami's words, Toshonosuke tightened his lips. The thunderstorm was becoming increasingly violent, and the entire area was white with driving rain.
"It will be bad if we are pushed down to Wada like this. Oshi-dono, Isshiki-dono. I leave the defense of the road to Wada to you."
At Gagaku-no-kami's command, Toshonosuke nodded firmly. He would not let the people of Sukagawa set foot in Wada.
"Let's go."
Exchanging a signal with his eyes with Tobei, they crept up behind the Sukagawa forces at the top of Wakamiya Slope. Killing their presence, they quickly nocked their arrows.
The bowstring twanged, and an arrow was released from Toshonosuke's hand. The arrow Toshonosuke fired caught a Sukagawa soldier, and he saw it pierce the enemy soldier's neck.
"One hit."
Muttering this, he took out the next arrow and fired them one after another. At first, it looked like the Sukagawa forces were pushing, but gradually the Wada reinforcements increased. It seemed a messenger had been sent to Hidetai in Ichinoseki as well, and from the top of the slope, he could see Hidetai giving orders with his usually gentle face turned bright red.
Furthermore, Gagaku-no-kami was leading his own troops to surround the Sukagawa forces from the foot of Mt. Myoken. He truly intended to annihilate the Sukagawa forces. Pushed by that momentum, the Sukagawa forces ran to higher ground to escape. It was well-named as Iwama (Rock Gap), as both sides of the ravine were steep cliffs. The Sukagawa forces ran up the narrow path that continued above it.
Even though it should still be broad daylight, the surroundings were as dark as night due to the storm. For that reason, even if the Wada forces wanted to pursue the Sukagawa forces, they could not.
The moment Toshonosuke was feeling impatient with that frustration, lightning struck the Sukagawa camp. For an instant, he thought his eardrums had burst from the roar. At the same time, a sickening smell of burning flesh drifted over. It seemed lightning had struck the people and horses of the Sukagawa side directly. Those who were hit directly must have died, of course.
"Toshonosuke. Our lives are also in danger. Let's retreat for now."
Tobei, whose face was completely stained with the enemy's blood washed by the rain, turned his bloodshot face toward him.
Behind him, a building that looked like a shrine could be seen. Nearby, there was something that looked like an old pine tree.
"Wouldn't it be safe over there?"
From what Toshonosuke could see, it appeared to be the tutelary shrine of Mt. Myoken.
"It's Myoken Shrine. It's barely, but it's our shrine territory."
Samanosuke, who had joined them at some point, nodded.
The three of them kicked open the door of the shrine and rushed inside.
As Samanosuke said, it seemed this was within Wada territory, and there was no sign of the Sukagawa crowd.
"Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu."
Seeing Tobei involuntarily chanting the Nembutsu, a sense of humor welled up in him even at a time like this.
Samanosuke sent a look of exasperation at Toshonosuke, who was chuckling.
"This is hardly a laughing matter."
"That may be so. But it seems the gods are on our side after all."
At the end of Toshonosuke's gaze was a stone monument inscribed with the history of the shrine. According to it, when Iwase Hiko-no-tami was chasing a mysterious light, he arrived at this pine tree at Myoken Shrine. By the looks of it, that light was not a fire, but the descent of a star spirit. It was written that the lord at the time, upon hearing this, built a shrine on this land, which was the beginning of Myoken Shrine.
"This direction corresponds to the demon gate of Sukagawa Furumachi. What Isshiki-dono said might be true."
At Toshonosuke's words, Samanosuke also grinned, a smile appearing on one side of his cheek. According to Samanosuke, this Myoken Shrine was also the guardian deity of Sukagawa.
"Normally, this is a shrine where Jibu-dono, who manages Sukagawa Castle, should show sincerity to the local deities. Seeing that Jibu-dono neglected the Myoken Shrine too much, the Lord had the shrine repaired just last year."
"I see. There is no doubt that the local deities responded to the Lord's sincerity."
While nodding in agreement, Toshonosuke felt a strange surge of energy. Could it be that Jibu's fate is truly coming to an end?
Now, he could understand why Tameuji had been so enthusiastic about inviting the Suwa Myojin and Hachiman Shrine. That merit was now about to come their way.
When he suddenly checked the situation outside, he felt that the wind and rain had weakened slightly.
When he opened the shrine door and went outside, Toshonosuke looked down below. Perhaps realizing they had lost, he saw the Sukagawa forces retreating through the fields, aiming for the northwest direction.
"We were saved..."
He muttered this involuntarily. Combined with the strange sense of exhilaration from having just finished the battle, Toshonosuke felt refreshed.
"Toshonosuke. In any case, the sun will set soon. Let's join up with Gagaku-no-kami and the others and ask for further instructions."
At Tobei's words, Toshonosuke nodded.
"We must also bring back the bodies of Hannai and the others."
The moment he said that, his chest tightened. Hannai was a bit of a joker, but he was a comrade who had come down from Kamakura with him. He had envied Toshonosuke, who had married Riku early, but who would mourn Hannai's soul?
Just then, Gagaku-no-kami himself appeared. There were other Wada clansmen as well.
"So you were here. For today, this is as far as it goes."
It was hard to say that the outcome was completely settled, but Gagaku-no-kami's face showed relief that they had at least managed to enter Sukagawa.
"Gagaku-no-kami-sama. What will you do from here?"
At Samanosuke's question, Gagaku-no-kami showed hesitation for a moment.
"A while ago, I asked a local to guide us. It seems that after Munakata-dono and the others were killed, the Princess's palanquin was left abandoned in the shadows of Iwama. Now that it has come to this, although it is against my wishes, we have no choice but to have the Princess return to Wada once more."
Toshonosuke exchanged glances with Tobei and Ando. Indeed, the Sukagawa forces had fled back. They could not leave the Princess's palanquin as it was.
"In the first place, is the Princess safe?"
It was when Tobei muttered that. A man who looked like a farmer from Sukagawa came running over as if tumbling.
"It's terrible!"
"What happened?"
The man's face was deathly pale.
"There are several corpses lying at the foot of Namida Bridge. Among them, there seems to be the body of a noble person..."
Hearing that, Gagaku-no-kami's face turned pale.
"Guide us."
The local guide seemed unable to stop his teeth from chattering after the scene he had just witnessed. Trembling violently, he led the group to the scene.
It was a place where both sides were gloomy cliffs. A stifling, raw smell of blood hung over the entire area. According to the locals, the small bridge over the ravine was called "Namida Bridge" (Tear Bridge) for some reason.
At the foot of that bridge, the woman's palanquin that Princess Michiyo should have been riding in was left as it was.
With a fearful look, Gagaku-no-kami opened the door of the palanquin. Inside the pool of blood in the palanquin, the beautiful Princess Michiyo lay dead, face down, with her chest stained crimson. It seemed she had committed suicide by stabbing her chest with a dagger.
Furthermore, beside the palanquin was the body of another woman. He recognized this one too. It was Yui, the Princess's nurse. Not only that, the white-haired man's abdomen was slashed in a cross shape. It was Iwakiri Tozaemon.
It could only be described as a scene from hell.
In the face of this unexpected turn of events, even Gagaku-no-kami, who should have been a man of strength, seemed unable to find words.

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