Vol 4 Chapter 72 (1/2)
Chapter 72: Returners to the Borderline
How often can people
Make “now” their peak?
Point Allocation (It Will Happen Again)
“I get what it means…but are they serious!?”
Yoshi+yasu voiced her opinion of Date’s decision relayed to her by Musashi+
The Date clan wastheir view of Musashi+ to just before Kojirou’s death But…
…Does Date really understand what that means!?
“Anyone with half a brain could tell what kind of trouble and grudges that will create!!”
The vassal lowered the ends of her eyebrows and raised her right hand
“Um, sorry, Satomi President, but I can’t tell Could you maybe explain…?”
Yoshi+yasu groaned and fell silent as the salmon whispered into the vassal’s ear
“You irl like that,to feel bad about, mon”
“See how stress-free life is with Shakenobe around?” added Yoshi+aki
Daht Yoshi+yasu with a clenched fist in her heart, but Yoshi+aki looked toward the distant festival instead of her
Yoshi+aki was apparently leaving the explanation to Yoshi+yasu, so Yoshi+yasu turned to the puzzled vassal
“Uetting it It’s a political issue”
“R-really?”
“She’s lying, s over, mon”
I’ at the salmon who promptly hid behind the vassal
Well, as long as I can’t see hi her head
“Date Kojirou died teeks ago What happens if the Musashi+’s state is rewound to there?”
“That e had just started on the plan to reht?”
“Yes Musashi+ had just suffered a defeat You had been unable to defeat Hashi+ba and you had yet to remodel to secure your new military power”
Meaning…
“You have nothing to offer when it comes to the war-related aspects of your Vice President’s decision at the special student general assembly”
…This isn’t good
Tenzou felt a cold sweat Musashi+ planned to head out and fight Hashi+ba But if they were viewed as they had been teeks before…
…Theythey doubt we could win the battle
That would be troublesoes to overturn all of those rejections and Date ht make substitute demands Also…
Marube-ya: “This is bad I mean, this won’t just be Date…”
That was right Tenzou looked to Saitou and the Sviet Rus Committee Heads
“Excuse us,” said Saitou before beginning a discussion around Kagekatsu Tenzou could read their lips, so he could pick up on so
…As I thought, they’re trying to apply Date’s conditions to the…
If just one nation had an advantage, it would create a gap between them and the other two So…
Nine-Tail Girl: “That sounds like fun, so ill be doing it as well”
That was fast! thought Tenzou as his cold sweat grew
What would happen at this rate?
…None of the nations will adotiate on the assu Hashi+ba!
If it was only Date, it es and accepting substitute deami had already requested to use the same conditions as Date and Sviet Rus would likely follow
…This is…
But then he heard a voice
It was Horizon She relaxed her standing pose and once more pulled a teacup from somewhere
“So Date had laid a trap They pretended to be cooperative while laying the groundwork, but they chose conditions advantageous to their own nation during theproper Norotiation table…but to Musashi+, the cooperation of Oushuu and Sviet Rus is so ould like if at all possible No, iven the polar opposite of a good deal”
She nodded and took a sip of tea
“Yes, this has been an excellent lesson”
Kagetsuna-kun: “I appreciate hearing Musashi+’s princess say that”
Suzu listened to Katakura’s voice over the divine transmission
…He sounds…pained?
There was a souilty tone to his voice that was aler It was low and still, but…
Kagetsuna-kun: “Our policy is toto Masamune and her lost amble on Date’s part After all, we have to side with Matsudaira in the end But…the question is e start doing that Masao That means at about a week after the Musashi+ entered the Ariake So please think about this”
Think about…
Kagetsuna-kun: “You have just suffered a defeat, so how are you going to get Masamune on your side? We inforeneral asse her Musashi+’s will is alive and well, so she understands your motivation and intent But the situation around her as an individual has not changed fro these talks”
Suzu felt that was a very difficult thing to do After all…
Sht while negotiating, how are we supposed to talk about a future where we fight Hashi+ba?”
Exactly Further ith three nations at once, but those nations were in a position to share their benefits and losses So…
Marube-ya: “Judge …Here it is Sviet Rus just sent a e to Masazumi via their committees It says they would like the saned by someone named Saitou”
That settled it
From here on, they could not use the Musashi+’s ability in battle as a bargaining chip
…That means…
The three nations would not trust theht Hashi+ba
…And after we all worked so hard…
A lot of the students had spent the nights in tents pitched on the schoolyard, in classrooym, or in other similar places They had taken shi+fts, but they had been working twenty-four hours a day
After working, they had bathed at Suzu’s bathhouse or the Asa twenty-four hours a day recently
They had all spoken to each other there and Suzu had heard a lot of what they had said It saddened her that she could not use all of that here, but…
…Ah
Suzu realized Musashi+ lacking the ability to fight created a certain change to the negotiations
Bell: “Musashi+ can’t…go to war”
Wise Sister: “Yeah! Even Suzu has caught on to the deepest secrets of Musashi+’s decisionlater to celebrate! With an Ootsubaki spell, they’ll probably grow quite a bit!”
Asama: “What do you oing to war I know that has to be a disappointment, but let’s do our best here, Masazumi”
Four Eyes: “This is the nation ere negotiating with…?”
Vice President: “Dammit! Is anyone on my side!? Anyone at all!?”
Masazuhed in her heart
…So Date set us up
She had known about Masaes of inforroundwork…
…They never said anything about returning everything to the time of Kojirou’s death!
There was no point in co their checks, her father and the rest of the Provisional Council had used the people most familiar with the respective clans To have that suddenly overturned eted at someone who knew them well
She understood all too hat Date was trying to do
“They’re putting up a greedy resistance to ensure their future stability”
For Oushuu, this would al the Age of Dawn These were the people who had never succu, so it was Musashi+’s failure for not understanding what that unknown past would lead them to do
They had likely gone for as big a victory as possible
Also…
Novice: “We can’t force Date to discuss their Seiryu problem here”
Vice President: “Judge They’ve set up this three nationsso it’s impossible for the three nations to lose Even if Date wanted to nullify the , they could not back out on their own All three nations would have to back out at once…so the best et us to back out instead”
It was a matter of pride
Sviet Rus, Mogaotiation was nullified due to any one of the the three
They were taking advantage of Musashi+’s position, but they one all out with it
…So they won’t accept Musashi+’s ability to fight, hm?
Then hoas she supposed to gain the cooperation of the three nations?
Backing out of the negotiations would only push theaami would eventually have their clanhood revoked
Moga
…So…
Masazuht about what to do
The three nations ht and cooperation That hy Masazumi had corrected all of the problems and confirmed in which direction Musashi+ was headed at the special student general assembly
But their opponents had rejected all power Musashi+ had
And unless she accepted that rejection, thecould not continue
…Dammit
They refused to accept anything Musashi+ had done or was doing No matter what she said, that refusal was their condition for discussing this in the first place
She wished she was ignorant enough of politics to call this unfair After all, her opponents had their own profits and losses and had their oays of benefitting and finding relief
She knew that perfectly well, but…
…I…have a choice
She could give the three nations every possible privilege and serve theain their cooperation
That wouldMusashi+, but it would save the Far East and stop the Apocalypse But…
“…No”
She could not sacrifice anyone to save so
Yes That hat they had decided And it was the lesson they had learned at Mikatagahara
They had to save everyone while s
…Then…
Masazuht about what they had to do here if they were to save everyone while s
She was unsure whether or not she could just ask the idiot who had been left with that wish
And then…
Me: “Hey Can I say so real quick?”
The idiot spoke to her
Me: “Can you all listen for a moment? I just asked Tenzou and it sounds like we’re in a bit of a tricky situation”
Vice President: “Sorry I made a bit of a mistake I’ll fix it”
Me: “Eh? Oh, that’s not what I meant That doesn’t matter”
Hey…
Me: “What is a king?”
And…
Me: “I thought about this a bit back at Mikawa and I thought I had an idea of the answer I thought about it soland, I met the sun nudist at IZUMO, I asked Nate Maahara Oh, and a lot’s still happening now”
So…
Me: “Seijun”
Vice President: “What?”
Me: “You’re there, aren’t you? You haven’t gone away?”
Vice President: “Yes, I’m here”
Me: “Then Futayo?”
Tonbokiri: “Sorry I fell asleep for a bit there”
Me: Oh, so you’re there Okay Tenzo…is here I guess… Yeah, he’s here…”
10ZO: “Wh-why are you trailing off like that!?”
Me: “Don’t worry about it Don’t worry about it …I guess there’s not much point, but Mary”
Scarred: “Yes Thank you for all the help you provide Master Tenzou and me”
Me: “Wow… I’s so seriously… Okay, Uqui”
Uqui: “Judge I a well”
Me: “I’onna lose to you! …So are you there, Gold Mar?”
Gold Mar: “Hht now”
Me: “Oh, thanks for all the deliveries …What about Black Mal?”
Mal-Ga: “Judge …I’m here”
Me: “Sure Sle me some more doujinshi+ sometime, okay? …Are you there, Naomasa?”
S to work …But I am here”
Me: “You can act like a real woe-chan?”
Marube-ya: “We are shi+ro-kun and me both And it’s all thanks to you”
Me: “A…Neshi+nbara”
Novice: “What is it? Oh, we haven’t spoken since I was a wall drawing, have we? It’s good to be back”
Me: “Sure And lend me some porn once I’m back, okay? …Um, Bell-san”
Bell: “Eh!? Oh, y-yes I’m…here…?”
Me: “Yeah, sorry, sorry Didn’t s there …Is Noriki there?”
Laborer: “You know I am, so you don’t need to ask”
Me: “Yeah, but you know I’onna ask anyway… Okay, Adele”
Flat Vassal: “Oh, yes, yes Judge What is it?”
Me: “Well, now that We has fixed your mobile shell, show it to me sometime …Flat Girl”
Righteousness: “Hm? What do you want?”
Me: “This’ll probably be a pain, but take care of things okay? …Imperial Boy”
Azuood luck”
Me: “Your shtick sure has changed… Okay, Ohiroshi+ki”
Worshi+per: “Judge Leave things here to me!”
Me: “You aren’t at so spot, are you? …Hassan”
83: “Do you want some curry?”
Me: “Deliver some to my house I’ll make curry bread out of it …Now Itoken”
Obscene: “Ha ha ha! Good to hear fro!”
Me: “Yeah It does see since I’ve spoken with everyone like this You there too, Nenji?”
Sticky King: “Yes I aht since Mikawa If not, we athered around you, but ould not have done so at a single call like this”
Me: “You talk too much, Nenji …Now Pe-yan”
Bucket: “…♪”
Almost Everyone: “Can’t you talk when it’s just text!?”
Me: “I don’t thinkon and on …You there, Sis?”
Wise Sister: “Heh heh I a fro me up for no reason!”
Me: “At least give ht in front of me”
Silver Wolf: “Judge …No ’s call”
Me: “Good to see you haven’t changed And don’t you ever change …Are you there, Asama?”
Asama: “Eh!? Wh-what do you want all of a sudden!?”
Me: “Well, you’ve always helped me out so much and I haven’t said it as ive me in the future”
Asama: “That’s where you would normally say thank you!!”
Me: “Now this shrinedemands… Oh, but, um, Horizon”
Hori-ko: “This whole thing sounds an awful lot like one long death flag to me”
Me: “She said it! She just said what I was thinking but had enough sense not to say!”
Hori-ko: “Anyhat do you want? Why are you hogging the divine network like this?”
“Well,” said Toori
Me: “This is a troublesoht? A really troublesome one”
No, he had feeling their situation had been troublesome for a while now But…
Me: “Now that I think about it, things have been trouble for all of you ever since Mikawa”
Silver Wolf: “U? It has not been that much trouble for us…”
Me: “Yeah, judge, judge That’s because you all can handle it But…you’ve spent a lot of ti, when you’re in class, when you’re eating with s with each other at length It’s been that way for three weeks now Ever since we lost”
Hey
Me: “Is that necessary for your dreams?”
Asama: “Well…”
Me: “If anything, it’s necessary toit for what I started at Mikawa and what I’ve dragged the rest of you along on”
Then…
Me: “What aland What does it ? Yoshi+tsune said it was to do whatever you wanted, Anne showed through her actions that it’s to guide and protect everything, and Matsunaga wasup as much of a resistance as he could Yoshi+yori chose a method I don’t like so he could tell me not to be like him And he told me to smile And Nate Maman told me that, if I wanted tothat could make my own dream come true”
But…
Me: “I feel like it’s fine as long as all of your dreams come true I still don’t really knohatI can say”
That was…
Me: “If you’re getting all depressed and find you can’t act onit all backwards I made that request to Asama so I could make sure that wouldn’t happen I said I would support you to dom that could make your dreams come true and to make sure you wouldn’t be defeated before that happened So…how should I put it? Things are getting pretty tough and you et Don’t you ever forget, okay?”
He said it
Me: “I’ll take on your ie of all of your iive up Don’t you ever let it get to you If things are looking bad, just tell yourself you can leave it with ht now”
So…
Me: “Since I can do that, I’ since Mikawa”
Listen
Me: “Nate”
Silver Wolf: “Judge!”
Me: “You’re ht? Even if everyone’s starting to look down, tell thes aren’t that bad Sis, you take care of that too”
Wise Sister: “Heh heh What a hopeless boy”
Me: “Yeah, I can be pretty careless …U after , but I’m as frail as a rabbit, so protect me and make sure I don’t die”
Asama: “…”
Asama: “You don’t make it easy to respond to you, Toori-kun …Understood I will protect you as much as I can”
Me: “That’ll be a huge help And if anything’s impossible for you, leave it withup a bit of a feedback loop, but thanks …And Horizon”
Hori-ko: “What is the s?”
Me: “Well, ita ive you a dreaive you a dreaive you the same kind of dream as the rest of us”
Hori-ko: “If I have all my emotions, I will have a dream?”
Me: “Judge Then you can stand alongside us and in At the very least,that”
So…
Me: “The identity of my dream must lie beyond that”
Listen
Me: “Seijun, everyone, this is probably getting to be a lot of trouble, but I’ll beme If you don’t, I’ll die pretty quickly …Got that?”