Chapter 298 Toward the Land of the rising sun-Second Half
"You're right, but this still annoys me!" Shogun Nobunari Hojo agreed, attempting to calm himself down.
"Hojo-Sama, your duty now is to fortify our territories, lest Magitek comes here. In fact, if what I've heard about him from my acquaintance is true, he will surely come here. We shouldn't underestimate him," his advisor added.
The Shogun's face showed a sign of annoyance, but he suppressed it and asked, "Master Todo, what have you heard?"
"Hojo-Sama, Magitek is a very powerful mage and has an army at his beck and call. Alone, he might not be a threat to us, but with his armies and a variety of his advanced technology, he is a fearsome enemy," Todo, the advisor, started explaining but was cut off with an amused laugh from the Shogun.
"That's not anything new; I already know about that information. I don't think your acquaintance would know anything that the Hightower councilor wouldn't know," the Shogun stated.
"Also…" Todo wanted to continue, but he was once again cut off.
"Enough! Do you think I'm an idiot who doesn't know anything!? I AM A SHOGUN! A Shogun of this land!! Are you or am I Shogun!?" the Shogun asked his advisor with a threatening glare.
Nobunari Hojo, as a clan that wanted to usurp the seat of the Shogun, is sure to have a lot of patience in waiting for an opportunity. However, the same couldn't be said for his patience toward his subordinates, especially those who think they know better than him.
Especially Todo; the only thing that he endured Todo until now is because Todo is known for his intelligence and meticulousness, to the point of paranoia. Many times, his plans prove to be overly cautious and waste a lot of resources.
This made a lot of Todo's political enemies use this as an excuse to lower Todo's prestige and influence over the Shogun, making his advice sound like nagging instead of cautious advice to the Shogun.
Since Nobunari Hojo had already obtained the seat of the Shogun and had somewhat stabilized his rule, he needed to do the same thing that many rulers throughout history do: reduce his retainers' influence or, to be precise, eliminate potential threats to his rule.
And Todo's clan had a lot of influence that could rival his rule, so Nobunari Hojo wouldn't leave him alone.
"Without a doubt, you are the Shogun! Hojo-Sama. I apologize for my offense," Todo bowed toward the Shogun and stopped advising him.
Initially, he wanted to tell the Shogun that Daniel and his army had won a war against Mammon, and Daniel had thoroughly beaten Mammon in a fight. However, he knew it was futile and didn't want to incur the new Shogun's ire.
"Heh…" Shogun snorted, then continued. "Master Todo, you give Magitek too much credit." The Shogun stood up and walked toward the balcony, looking into the horizon beyond the vast, bustling city of culture and heritage.
"Now that I already rule this land, according to the old covenant, the Orochi will obey the true ruler of this land. And I AM the true ruler! If Daniel dares to come, he will die in the sea! No matter how powerful he is, can he fight against a god-like entity such as Orochi?" The Shogun declared as he raised his hand and gestured for his advisor to see the land under his rule, asserting his might.
"Yes, Hojo-Sama." Todo didn't comment; he could only bow and agree, indulging in the Shogun's pride and vanity.
"Anyway, Master Todo, you're right to say that Magitek is very powerful. I'll have the Onmyochi perform the Kamikaze ritual, preventing any air traffic from entering or leaving this country. Only the sea, which we have full control over, will be able to enter or leave," Hojo Nobunari said.
Todo wanted to advise against it, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. Nobunari Hojo's move will worsen their relationship with the world, as no tourists can enter or exit, leading to crashes for planes attempting to enter their territory.
"It is as you say, Hojo-Sama." Todo followed along without giving his opinion.
Unknown to him, Hojo felt resentment at Todo's silence since he himself knew that this move would damage his reputation and the country's relationship with the world. People in the Curtained World would surely frown upon it, but Todo didn't advise against it.
He felt that Todo should have already planned to rebel and was thinking of a way to undermine him in secret. So his resentment for Todo is even deeper, and he's sure of Todo's treachery in the future.
Alas, serving the ruler is like following the tiger; no one knows how the tiger would react, and the ruler's temperament is even more unpredictable than the chaotic weather.
— Todo Clan Compound —
After the meeting was finished, Todo returned to his clan. He's not foolish enough to not notice the change in the Shogun. Before Nobunari Hojo became the Shogun, he was more tolerant and always heard his advice. But now, Nobunari's tolerance toward him seems to be a lot shorter than it used to be.
He knew that Nobunari Nobunari was already seeing him as a threat to his rule, despite the fact that he never thought to rebel or undermine Nobunari's rule.
Or maybe this is the mentality of the usurper who had taken the seat of the old Shogun, thinking that other people would do the same to him. No matter whether they are loyal or not, as long as their retinue has sufficient influence to threaten them, they would think that their retinue would usurp them.
Now, Todo needs to find an escape route; otherwise, he and his clansmen might be exterminated in the future.
— Night - South of Japan —
After a lengthy journey lasting over four hours, the VTOL now glided through the night sky, approaching the distant horizon where the Japanese landmass awaited. The hum of its advanced engines resonated within the cabin, fostering an atmosphere thick with anticipation. The night, crystal clear, unveiled a tapestry of stars overhead, while the distant city lights below sparkled like scattered diamonds.
"ETA 10 minutes until we reach the landing zone," the pilot's voice echoed through the cabin, reaching everyone on board.
Seated within his personal room, Daniel peered out of the window. It marked his first visit, yet there was a sense that his presence might stir up trouble. Uninformed about the current situation in this unfamiliar land, lacking spies or informants, he felt a certain unease.
Abruptly, the entire VTOL shuddered as a thunderstorm erupted, and fierce winds assaulted the aircraft, seemingly determined to bring it down.
Amidst the ferocious storm, the once steady VTOL now succumbed to the relentless fury of the tempest. The deafening roar of thunder and the howling winds drowned out all other sounds as the aircraft descended, battling the violent currents below.
Inside the cabin, chaos reigned. The violent turbulence tossed the occupants around, and the emergency lights flickered, casting an eerie glow. Despite the turmoil, Daniel, Heracles, and Momotaro found themselves separated in the chaos.
Daniel clung to whatever he could, bracing himself against the violent lurches of the plummeting VTOL. The sounds of metal groaning and the roar of the storm outside filled his ears as he desperately tried to maintain his grip and composure.
"Heracles! Momotaro! No matter what, protect the crew!" Daniel shouted loudly as he gripped the railing in the hallway, trying to steady himself against the turbulent descent.
"Yes, my lord!" Heracles shouted, but he was thrown to another section of the cabin, struggling against the turbulence. His immense strength helped him secure a foothold, but the disorienting movements of the craft made it challenging to stay upright.
Momotaro, separated from both Daniel and Heracles, fought against the buffeting winds, his grip on a handrail the only thing keeping him from being swept away. The relentless assault of rain and sea spray made it nearly impossible to see anything beyond a few feet.
As the VTOL descended perilously close to the churning sea below, it became evident that a crash was inevitable.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the thunderstorm struck at the VTOL engine, blasting it to bits. The explosion tore through the plate and the railing that Daniel was holding onto, propelling him outside of the VTOL and into the sea below.
"My lord!" Heracles was about to jump down and follow, but Momotaro stopped him.
"What!?" Heracles was ready to protest, but Momotaro's bloodshot eyes and blood on his mouth, gritting his teeth, made Heracles hesitate.
"Remember your duty, Heracles-san. Protect the crew!" Momotaro said, showing determination. Though he also wanted to follow and help his lord, the order was clear: 'No matter what, they must help the crew!'
Heracles nodded, gritted his teeth, using his powerful strength to try to hold onto the VTOL, preventing any crew from being swept away by the wind. Meanwhile, Momotaro guided the pilot to find a safer emergency landing zone, relying on his familiarity with the sea in his homeland.
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