The Scene of Tomoteru's Murder (Part 2)

Criminal Activity

As Ryūzaki Sanosuke had promised, Shigeaki Fujino was quick to return with Shibai in tow. The arrival of this stranger was enough to pull Hashinara Yoshitakatomo and Takenaka Hanbei away from their discussions of the looming war between Takeda and Uesugi. Having never met the Samurai Detective before, Yoshitakatomo began with some questions and introductions, learning that Shibai was a thief-taker with few solid affiliations. She was currently working a case in Nijō Castle and, in thanks for the Castle Lord's hospitality, had agreed when Sanosuke asked her to lend aid to this investigation.

There were few clues that hadn't already been discovered, but Shibai fortunately knew the right kinds of questions to ask. If the murder weapon was accounted for, the method and culprit known, then the next step was to determine who had orchestrated the event behind the scenes. Everything, including the out-of-place Gehennan reference sheet and Takayama Tomoteru's immaculate summoning circle pointed to the existence of such a conspirator. Shibai began by asking who might profit from such an event.   After some erudite discussion, with Hanbei's advice and Akechi Mitsutoshi chiming in on behalf of the Oda, the group determined that Takayama Tomoteru was not likely to have been the target himself. Such a dangerous act as demonic summoning could, and did spill over, endangering everyone in Owari Castle. That made it seem more likely that the Oda Clan itself had been the target of this scheme, especially considering representatives of the Hashinara Clan being conveniently present to take the fall. Thinking back on Raym's attack on the audience chamber, Yoshitakatomo recalled that the demon had, with uncanny accuracy, sought to kill every Oda general in the room. The only non such attacked was Saitō Dōsan, who retained strong ties to the clan as a prior affiliation regardless. It had also happily occurred when Oda Nobunaga, the clan's most powerful force against Demonkind, was not present to defend them.   The matter of target and goal seemed handled. Then, who would benefit most from the Oda Clan's downfall? The Hashinara would to a significant extent, and Takenaka Hanbei voiced as much. It was obviously no plot of Yoshitakatomo's, but the ranks under her* were growing ever larger, and little oversight existed to prove that such a plot had not come from a rogue element within. Yoshitakatomo dismissed this, however, and instead asked Mitsutoshi who might wish the clan harm. The younger Akechi did not hesitate a moment before answering: the Ashikaga Shogunate. Nobunaga had repeatedly snubbed the Shogun's power without consequence. Ashikaga Yoshiaki, chafing under the circumstances which had brought her to power and stripped it away all in one breath, had every reason to wish for the Oda Clan's destruction.   That seemed the most promising candidate, but there was little evidence to go on. Nothing in the room linked the event to the Shogunate, or any other power. Even Shibai seemed stymied and unable to proceed without further evidence. With all mundane paths having reached dead ends, Takenaka Hanbei suggested that they try supernatural means to learn more about the mastermind. Yoshitakatomo had previously cast Telemetry on the summoning circle itself but not the sigil-bearing parchment. This she* now did.   At first, there was only a vague sense of fire, demonic screeching, and hurried footsteps. The sound of battle. The Palace of the Firebird, no doubt. Silence for a moment, then Yoshitakatomo was assaulted by a vision so vivid that it was as though she* were there, witnessing events through the sheet of parchment itself. Across from her* point of view sat the Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, expression grim as she spoke to an unseen visitor. Indeed, the person holding Yoshitakatomo was not visible, nor could the Princess-Daimyō sense anything about them except a voice, which was husky and feminine; the voice of a mature woman.   It was obvious that this was a clandestine meeting of great import. Yoshiaki expressed her doubts about a plan to snuff out the Oda, but Chitosemaru, the holder of the parchment, stated that everything was in order. Solomon, the conspirator claimed, was very willing to trade secrets with mortals if it would make the situation in Japan more "interesting." This, then, was the origin of the sheet of sigils. Further, Chitosemaru claimed to have been monitoring the state of Takayama Tomoteru for some time. With only a few nudges from her embedded agents, she claimed, he would play right into the role they had prepared and unleash a demon upon the Oda Clan. None in Owari Castle would be able to stand against a force like that, and Oda Nobunaga would not be there to save them. There would be, Chitosemaru suggested, no survivors.   The rest of the parchment's embedded memories were a blur, but Yoshitakatomo did get a glimpse of an unassuming samurai delivering the parchment to Tomoteru. He did not seem like anything special, but the Princess-Daimyō could pick him out later if it became necessary. As she* returned to the present moment, a few things occurred to Yoshitakatomo. Firstly, the Hashinara's presence had not been part of the plan. Indeed, their arrival within Owari Castle at that time was probably the only thing that had prevented a full-scale slaughter. Second, Ashikaga Yoshiaki was working with Solomon. With demons. The petty Shogun had until this point been little more than an annoyance with no real power, but Takenaka Hanbei confirmed Yoshitakatomo's own thoughts. This made Yoshiaki a threat, and a dangerous one, as the girl had much to resent in the Hashinara and all their allies.   That was a sobering discovery, but the mystery had indeed been solved. They knew the culprit behind Takayama Tomoteru's death, and with it the attempted assassination of an entire clan. Shibai had, at some point, lost interest, and so Yoshitakatomo drew her back into the conversation. After confirming the thief-taker's purpose and profession, the Princess-Daimyō then asked her to investigate the Hōjō Clan. They had been dealing in Absodium, a deplorable metal crafted from hellfire and human souls. With the rift in Mikawa Province now closed, they would either have to stop use of the metal, or find another supplier. Yoshitakatomo wanted Shibai to go undercover amongst the Hōjō and determine whether such an alternative supplier existed. After understanding the implications of Absodium and its use, Shibai was quick to agree. Following her job in Nijō Castle, she said, she would infiltrate the Hōjō.   With all that covered, Yoshitakatomo returned to her discussion of politics with Takenaka Hanbei. They had been interrupted before, but one topic still niggled at the Princess-Daimyō for attention. The Mōri and Takeda were perhaps the two most powerful clans in the land right now, aside from the Hashinara. Together, they could be too great a threat to deal with. While Yoshitakatomo's clan was currently friendly with Takeda Shingen and on tense good terms with Mōri Motonari, she* wanted to know how likely it would be for the two to ever work together.   Not likely, was Hanbei's response. The Mōri and Takeda were far apart, both geographically and ideologically. While Motonari wished to unite the land, Shingen aimed to conquer it. Their goals might be similar, but their reasons for pursuing them were very different. Different enough that Hanbei expected them to clash violently, rather than ever work together. Neither Shingen nor Motonari were the type to back down, and if they ever found themselves in conflict, full war was likely to follow.   She might have said more on that topic, but their discussion was interrupted again, this time by the arrival of more Hashinara generals. They had been due a meeting for a while now, and Shigeaki Fujino was there to collect, bringing Ryūzaki Sanosuke, Aotsuki Tsukamoto, and Maxim with her.   < The Scene of Tomoteru's Murder (Part 1)