Full Metal Daemon Muramasa – Tyrant

Part 5

Note: This project is a fairly old work of mine, written and translated back in 2012, when I was still just starting out as a fan translator — as such, it’s not exactly the highest quality work I’ve ever put out, to say the least. I would’ve deleted it long ago, but since people still seem to be interested in it, I decided to keep it, but felt the need to give this quick warning beforehand.

Back to Muramasa’s route, Part 4

This chapter had its moments. It’s really starting to show here that you need a certain level of maturity to fully appreciate this game and the feelings and experiences that it tackles. It helps if you have a sibling of your own.

Anyway, enough of me rambling, let’s continue.

We cut to later that evening, with Kageaki and Chachamaru going back to their rooms after the meeting with Shishiku/Doushin/Raichou at the end of Part 4.

Cha: You were pretty good back there, Kageaki. Telling Raichou such a thing… haha, you’re slowly becoming a splendid villain.

Kageaki: Oh, that? That was my honest opinion.

Cha: …….

She’s visibly surprised.

Cha: Wha…?

So they go back to their rooms.

Cha: Right, time to hit the sack! Things are gonna get busy starting tomorrow.

Kageaki has no intention of sleeping, though. With one hand, he forces Chachamaru down onto the nearby table, holding her down by her hair.

Cha: T-time out! Time out! Wha-wha-what are you doing?!

(Nudity censored by yours truly.)

Kageaki: You can’t tell? I’m raping you.

Cha: B-b-but there’s a proper way of doing this! Love and romance and all that! A girl needs to be emotionally prepared, you know!

Kageaki: I have no need for such things.

Cha: H-hey! Don’t you ignore me! At least give me a proper explanation! What made you suddenly want to skip all the way to fourth base?!

Kageaki: An explanation…?

I repeated the word without stopping my hands.

Kageaki: If there’s anyone that needs to do some explaining, it’s you.

Cha: Explain w-what, exactly…?

Kageaki: You brought me all the way to Fudaraku only to make me your “partner”? What sort of nonsense is that?

Cha: W-well… about that…

Kageaki: Since when did I become your subordinate?

Cha: Ah, th-that? That was merely for form’s sake! I thought it might make it easier for you to operate here if you had a proper rank and status…

Kageaki: I never asked for it.

I lifted my other hand and reached for one of her nipples.

Cha: A-ah…!

Kageaki: I’ll say this only once. I am not the one following your orders. You’re the one following mine. All for the sake of saving Hikaru. If you can’t abide by that simple rule…

I put more strength into my right hand, the one that was holding her down by the hair.

Kageaki: In that case, I see no reason to keep you alive.

Cha: Ah, no no no! I’ll abide by your rules! I t-totally will! I’ll do my best!

Kageaki: Good. As long as you don’t forget who’s calling the shots.

Kageaki: Everything I do is for Hikaru’s sake. You would do well to remember that.

Cha: S-sure thing!

Kageaki:  “Partner”. Pfft. What utter nonsense.

He’s about to rape her.

Cha: *sob* If y-you’re gonna do it, at least… asnwer me this… d-do you… um… love me?

Kag: Not really.

Cha: Nnnnooo…! Then… t-then… is it really lust alone that drives you?

Kag: Hmpf. Hardly. I simply wanted to “educate” you. So that you know your place.

Cha: *sob* M-my… place?

Kag: Yes. You’re merely a tool to be used by me. A means to an end.

Cha: Um… one more time, please…

Kag: What?

Cha: Please… say that again.

Kag: Hmpf. You are a tool to be used by me, Chachamaru.

Strangely enough, she’s… getting turned on by this? Lolwut.

Kag: To think you were like this, even though you boldly climbed into my bed the other day… You’re unexpectedly adorable. Don’t tell me you’re a virgin.

She continues whimpering, which can basically be taken as a “yes”.

Kag: Surely you have at least taken the time to pleasure yourself. Or could it be… that you haven’t even done that?

Cha: *sob* *sob*

Kag: Answer me!

Cha: N-no… I haven’t…

Kag: Are you serious?

She nodded.

So anyway, she promises to obey him, and he fucks her brains out, as you would expect. Let’s move on.

Cha: U-um…

Kageaki: What.

Cha: I just.. um, thought it would be nice to talk…

Kageaki: Talk?

Cha: You know, like… “Was it good for you?” and “I love you! I love you too! We’ll be together forever!” and so on…

Kageaki: Hmm. I see.

Cha: ………

Kageaki: I’m done with you now. So get out.

Cha: B-but this is my room!!

Kageaki: So what? Are you going to force me to leave?

Cha: Ah, no no no! I’d never do that!

Kageaki: Of course you wouldn’t. In any case, I don’t particularly mind if you stay. Just go into that corner over there and make sure not to get in my way.

Cha: You’re terrible! I don’t want to hear such horrible words from a brute like you!

Kageaki: Horrible? I thought you enjoyed it.

Cha: That’s it! *sob* You’re just horrible! The enemy of all womankind!

Cha: And yet… you’re still pretty normal.

Kageaki: Normal?

Cha: Compared to all the others who were affected by Hikaru’s corruption, I mean.

She was right. Compared to the others, who completely lost all self-control and drowned themselves in their primitive instincts, murdering, screaming, raping, pillaging… compared to them, my case is rather exceptional. I can talk and think, my mind is my own.

Kag: Am I the first one like this?

Cha: Yeah. It’s probably the result of your wish to save Hikaru. You can’t really do that if you degenerate into a beast, after all. Or… it might be due to the bond you’ve formed with your Tsurugi.

Cha: Well, who cares. It’s the end result that counts. You’re in top shape now. More powerful than ever.

Kageaki: Indeed.

Minato Kageaki was reborn for the sake of one single goal – saving Hikaru. All other obstructive thoughts have been discarded. No doubts clouded my mind any longer. It was truly refreshing.

I will do anything to accomplish my goal.

Cha: Hmm… there’s only one thing that might cause problems.

Kag: …….?

Cha: The one and only person that could possibly turn you back to your old self.

Muramasa.

Cha: It probably would’ve been easier to just destroy her… but whatever, we’ll deal with her when the time comes. Plus, we might actually need her in the future. And it’s not like there’s anyone who would come to her aid. There’s no way she could escape from where we left her.

She was right. The only person who shares her past – Muramasa the Second – was in fact her greatest enemy. She had no allies in this world anymore.

Kag: Even if she should appear before me by some miracle, there’s no way she could return me to my former self. It’s beyond her.

Cha: Good. In that case, we can continue to work towards our mutual goal without obstructions.

Kag: In other words, saving Hikaru.

Cha: Yes. And making her transcend humanity and be reborn as a god. All according to her wishes…

Cha: Have you read that article yet?

Kag: I have. Could there really be a god slumbering beneath the earth? Sounds like utter nonsense.

Cha: As long as people believe in it, God will descend. I am certain of that.

Kag: Hm. If it can provide a means to save her, I care not what it is. And I will crush everything that stands in my way. Even if Hikaru’s existence is nothing but a fading dream, I’ll shatter the plane of reality itself and make that dream come to life!

Chachamaru leans in and kisses him.

Kag: Why did you do that?

Cha: It was a kiss marking my loyalty to you. You are my one and only master, and I am willing to serve you. I’ll become a sword to slay your enemies, or a shield to protect you from harm. I’m here for you, Kageaki. So let us go, hand in hand – till the final hours of this world are come.

[end of scene]

I am surrounded by darkness, locked inside this chamber, every single day identical to the previous one, as if time itself had frozen still.

The darkness remains unchanging. So do my shackles.

Within the depths of this black void, my heart is slowly withering away with each passing second, and will continue to do so till the end of time.

I couldn’t protect him.

My master, along with Ashikaga Chachamaru, threw me into this dungeon and left.

I have no right to condemn him for his actions. Everything he did was the result of my weakness, the fact that my power, as his Tsurugi, was insufficient. If only I had been stronger, none of this would have happened.

There is no way for me to escape from here, for the chains that bind me are forged from the same material as my own steel.

All I can do is hang my head in shame like a discarded doll, knowing that I have paid the price for my mistakes. There is nothing else in this world that I can possibly do now…

…save for one thing.

Muramasa: Midou…

I will never give up on him. That is the one thing I refuse to do.

Even though I swore loyalty to him, determined to lend him my aid when demanded. And yet, in the one single moment when he needed me the most, I let him down.

His soul was snatched away, his heart and feelings, more precious than anything in this world, cruelly twisted to dance to the whims of the Ginseigou.

It is something I myself have demanded of him in the past. I attempted to sway his heart using my own corruption, but he refused. He was determined to solve his problems another way. He wished for us to mutually accept each other, and fight side by side as partners.

I vowed never to forget that.

Even if my life should continue on for centuries, I will never forget. No amount of time can erase that memory.

It is my fault that his heart was twisted. And for that, I cannot ever forgive myself. Nor will I ever give up hope.

It cannot end like this. I will not accept such an outcome.

I must get out of here. I have to find him!

I am reminded of the centuries I slept within the depths of the Minato mansion. However, my present confinement differs greatly from those years. For I can no longer bear to stay still and slumber within this empty blackness in neverending idleness.

I have a master waiting for me.

I can no longer bear the thought of being alone.

I want to be with him.

And yet, the darkness remains ever unchanging. The only thing moving in this blackness is time itself, ushering my soul towards its inevitable decay.

(My god Muramasa, you deserve several hugs.)

……….

……….

……….

After some time, Douji shows up in her dungeon.

Douji: I know not how you ended up here, but I see the time has come for me to repay the favor.

[end of scene]

We cut back to Fudaraku castle and Kageaki, who’s meeting up with Chachamaru and Jouan.

Jouan says that he’s been anxious to be able to meet Kageaki – apparently he’s been the talk of the town lately. He also informs Chachamaru that a meeting is to be held tonight, and that she should bring Kageaki along as well. Chachamaru also tells Kageaki that there’s a certain person she’d like him to meet. Jouan then leaves, and another soldier, one of Chachamaru’s subordinates, shows up. He brings a message to Chachamaru, namely that Muramasa has escaped from her prison.

So later that night, Chachamaru takes her to said person: Wolf.

Wolf: Hah! Underwears!

He tries to grab Chachamaru, who evades.

Kageaki: Don’t tell me this is the person you wanted me to meet.

Cha: W-well… you know…

Kageaki: If by any chance, you only brought me here to meet a man like him… well, in that case, this meeting will not end very nicely. *evil grin* For you, I mean.

He moves closer to Chachamaru.

Cha: N-no more! Please no more punishment! I’ll be good! I know that was hardly the most appropriate first impression to get of a man, but please, find it in your heart to forget about what just happened!

Kageaki: Very well. But then what is this man, if not an utter fool?

Cha: A pervert.

So eventually, they turn the conversation towards things that actually matter.

Kageaki: So, what is the purpose of our meeting here?

Wolf: The desecration of God. We shall drag God, the crystallization of all our hopes, up from beneath the earth.

…

Wolf: It pleases me greatly that we were able to meet, Minato Kageaki.

Jouan shows up.

Wolf: Ah, Bartholomew!

Jouan: Good evening.

Kageaki: Bartholomew?

Jouan: It is my Christian name.

Christian name? I was under the impression that Christianity was strictly forbidden by the Rokuhara.
Wolf: Well then. It is about time we began. Ah, but before that… who might that young lady be?

He gestured towards the other person near Jouan. She was a young woman seemingly in her twenties, elegant and well-ordered, and yet, surrounded by an air of melancholy.

Jouan: She is a new companion of ours. Much like Minato.

Chachamaru then runs over to Jouan and quickly informs him about Muramasa’s escape.

Chachamaru: I’m being stationed to Sasagawa starting tomorrow, so I thought I’d ask you to handle this issue.

Jouan: Leave it to me.

The lights are then turned off, and the room is enveloped in almost complete darkness, with only a faint light remaining.

A larger group of people, more than ten, by Kageaki’s estimation, begin shuffling about in the darkness to surround him and Sakurako.

Wolf: As you can see, we are joined by two brand new comrades tonight. However, let us start by introducing ourselves first. Our group is a varied one, consisting of members from many walks of life.

Here, a child of unusual, supernatural powers.

(He gestures towards Chachamaru.)

Then, a secret Christian.

(Points to Jouan.)

…people pulling the string of the continental business world, founders of religions, mass murderers that any sane man would condemn to death, a silver star whose name is known all over the land…

…former members of the military, complete and utter fools, powerful landowners, physicists, monks, salarymen, first-class prostitutes, master chefs and astrologers…

That we are diverse is an understatement. We are not connected by race, nor by nationality.

Wolf: What connects all of us is one shared desire.

Kageaki: And what would that be…?

Wolf: God.

A variety of voices are then heard from the group. Some long for god in order to save them, others desire love, and there’s even one person who simply wants to see if god is real because he thinks it’s a joke.

Chachamaru: This world is filled with nothing but filth like them, see? However, there is one thing they do have, and that is money and connections. They support us from the shadows. All for the sake of what you and I are about to do. In other words…

Chachamaru: Making Hikaru into God.

Wolf: At first, this group was nothing but a haphazard collection of occult fanatics. As far as my research paper was concerned, I almost did not believe it myself. But then… something happened.

Chachamaru: *I* read his paper. And upon reading it, I sensed the existence of god.

Kageaki: Sensed it?

Cha: Yes. You see, I have to ability to… hear certain voices. I was not born a human. For that reason, I hear voices that they cannot. Voices bawling and screaming at the bottom of the earth.

Cha: Would you care for a listen, Kageaki? Do you feel like having a taste of my world?

Kageaki: Ah… argh!

What… is this?

Voices?

Again, random members of the group start crying out in ecstasy for their god.

God? No. This voice is merely…

Cha: Indeed. This is no god. It is merely raw power. It has no will or intelligence. It is nothing but an enormous mass of power, without a purpose, baser than insects. And that’s exactly why it longs for a master that could give it a purpose…

Cha: That’s why it never shuts up and keeps on screaming, day and night…

Her tone was littered with a mixture of anger, resentment and despair.

Wolf: And thus, me, a believer of god and she, a prophet able to hear the voice met.

He then says that he known the exact location of of god, about 150 kilometres below Fudaraku. The key to opening the path towards god, he concludes, is the Ginseigou.

Wolf: *turning to Kageaki and Sakurako* I welcome both of you into our group. We, who long for the advent of the Golden Dawn!

Wolf: Welcome… to the Green Dragon Society.

[end of scene]

We then cut to Muramasa, currently at the new residence of the prince (since the previous one was destroyed by Hikaru), accompanied by Chief/Akitaka, Douji, Kanae, Sayo and Ichijou. Through Muramasa’s viewpoint, we get to know that she told them everything about herself and how she was betrayed by Chachamaru and Kageaki.

Everyone is sufficiently shocked and is utterly confused about Chachamaru’s motivations. They conclude it must be something greater than merely using the Ginseigou’s power in the war between the Rokuhara and the GHQ.

The prince wants to save Kageaki first, but Chief advises him to postpone it, since Kageaki seems to be in no immediate danger, even though he’s being used by the enemy. Instead, he suggests doing something about the opposition between the Rokuhara and the GHQ, both of which are preparing for a final showdown.

The flow of the conversation ended up turning towards politics. To these people, it is an important matter to discuss, it seems. I can’t deny its importance, nor do I condemn their actions as inconsiderate or cold-hearted…

…

However… I…

And the scene ends before she can finish that thought, but I’m pretty sure we all know what -or who- she was thinking about.

We cut back to Kageaki in his office, who’s informed by a lower Rokuhara soldier that certain raw materials have been stolen from a Rokuhara warehouse. Kageaki follows him out to the fields to inspect the situation.

The robbers intention doesn’t seem to monetary gain, he concludes in his thoughts, since there are several valuable things that weren’t taken. Kageaki then gives out the order to arrest the manager of the warehouse in question with charges of black market trafficking.

After going back to Fudaraku, Kageaki informs Shishiku, Doushin and Raichou of what just transpired. We find out that the whole black market accusation was made up by Kageaki in order to conceal the truth – that the robbery was done by ant-Rokuhara rebels who wanted to postpone the ceremony for the imperial proclamation of Kuniuji’s succession (which is expected to reorganize the Rokuhara after Moriuji’s death and lead to a final showdown with the GHQ forces). The materials stolen were needed for the ceremony. However, the truth had to be concealed because it would make the Rokuhara look bad. Kageaki announces that he will have the owner of the warehouse executed as a scapegoat.

Doushin: You handled the situation perfectly, Lieutenant Minato. Let me prepare a reward for you.

Kageaki: A… reward?

Doushin: Yoshikiyo!

Yoshikiyo: Yes, Lord Doushin?

Doushin: Treat this man here to a good time.

Yoshikiyo: Understood!

He turns to Kageaki.

Yoshikiyo: *blushing* Li-lieutenant… would you prefer to be the top… or the bottom…?

(Oh my.)

Kageaki: I’ll have to respectfully decline.

Yoshikiyo: *still blushing* But I could cater to your every need, sir! I could use my mouth, or my hands, or e-even my feet…

Kageaki: I SAID, I’LL HAVE TO DECLINE.

[scene ends]

After all is said and done, he’s about to go back to his room, when he’s stopped by Shishiku, who invites him to dine together.

In the dining room, Shishiku has a proposal for Kageaki – he wants him to kill Chachamaru and join him. Kageaki refuses.

(One thing I have to note is that Shishiku sounds a bit gentler in this scene, unlike his usual douchebag tone. For that reason this is a surprisingly good scene.)

Shi: Ah, I remember now… I remember her saying that your interests coincided. Is that why you’re so loyal to her?

Kag: I will leave that up to your imagination.

Shi: What if… what if I filled the role she occupies right now? Would that be sufficient?

Kageaki then insists on knowing why an officer like Shishiku is so particular about him.

Shi: It’s just that… you remind me of my younger brother. We were separated in youth, and I’ve no idea where he is now or if he even lives. I don’t even remember what he looked like. But… if he’s out there somewhere, he should be roughly your age. It truly is such a foolish sentiment on my part.

Kag: Your Excellency…

Shi: Any man your age should do just fine. But you… you have a strangely nostalgic air about you.

Kag: ……..

Shi: Hah. Listen to me, talking such nonsense. It is nothing more than a wild delusion. I merely wanted to have you for myself to be able to taste what it’s like to live and fight side by side with a brother of my own blood. Such nonsense… How could I, of all people, allow myself to be overcome by such sentimentality?

Kag: Even if we do not serve in the same unit, we are stil Rokuhara. Comrades.

Shi: It’s for show, is it not? It doesn’t look like you are motivated by loyalty to the Shogunate.

Kag: I see. Not when compared to your exemplary devotion. You fully embody the just cause of the Rokuhara.

Shi: Oh? Do I truly appear that way?

Kag: Am I wrong in thinking so?

Shi: No, you are not. Still… it is purely my own self-interests that drive me. We aren’t that different, you and I. I do not know what plan you are hatching in that head of yours, but I have no right to throw any criticism at you for it. We share the same selfishness.

Kag: ………..

Shi: Everyone has at least one thing they are unconditionally loyal to, something they will never let go. I have no friends or family in this world any longer. Only this country. And I am willing to give my life to protect it. You, too, have something similar… do you not?

Kag: Yes, your Excellency.

Shi: In that case, we are of the same kind. More than strangers, less than brethren.

Kag: ………..

Shi: Hmpf. Whatever. I’ve been acting rather unlike me. I took up more than enough of your time for now. I’ll be going.

He stood up without bothering to even salute. After a few seconds, he vanished from my line of sight and left the dining hall.

Selfishness.

Unconditional devotion.

Kag: …………..

End of scene.

I enter a small room deep within Fudaraku Castle. A room kept for the sake of one single person.

Kageaki: Hikaru…

The room’s sole occupant opens her eyes and looks up at me. However, her pupils are without life, reflecting no intellect, no recognition.

Her life now exists merely in a dream.

A dream that will soon come to an end.

Chachamaru left for Sasagawa the previous day. Ever since then, I’ve been looking after her in this room.

Unconditional devotion. The only person worthy of such feelings was right in front of me.

Kageaki: Hikaru.

Like a man uttering a sacred word, I spoke her name once again.

Someone I am willing to protect with every fiber of my being. A person who means the entire world to me.

A loved one. The only family I have left.

I fight for that sole reason. For her sake, I can overcome the impossible. Even if I have to drag up God himself from the bottom of this earth.

I will do it. I have to.

For her sake, I would gladly cast the world into chaos.

[scene ends]

Back to Muramasa’s point of view at the prince’s residence.

Ichijou: Muramasa.

Muramasa: Yes?

Ich: I have something I need to ask you. Do you know Sorimachi Ichizou? He told me something the other day. He told me that the Tsurugi of Muramasa is an armor struck by a curse, forcing its wearer to murder an ally upon felling an enemy. So tell me! Is that the truth?

Mur: Yes.

Ich: I… I refuse to believe it! Minato would never stoop so slow! He would never go as far as murdering innocent children!

Mur: What you had heard was indeed the truth. However, do not be mistaken. My master did not kill  a single soul. It was all me. He was merely manipulated by me into… into…

Mur: ………..

Ich: What’s wrong, Tsurugi? Spit it out!

Mur: ……..

No. That’s not true. Not any longer. Not since the vow we took that day. We accepted each other and became one. We embraced our true nature.

The death brough about by Muramasa is a sin shared by the both of us. Crimes commited of our own free will.

For the two of us are one Musha, one soul, one steel.

Muramasa then goes on to correct herself and tells her the truth – that Kageaki accepted her and all the murders were committed willingly.

His mind was forcibly twisted, and I will heal it. It is my duty as his Tsurugi – as his other half.

Mur: If you want to kill me, that’s fine. However, for now I will flee. I can’t let myself be killed just yet.

Ichijou: And why’s that?

Mur: There’s something I have to do, no matter what.

Ichijou: What exactly?

Mur: Returning my master to his former self.

So after hearing that, Ichijou decides to let her go, but warns her that once she’s healed Kageaki, they’re gonna fight it out.

The scene ends.

We then get a very short scene of Chachamaru returning to Rokuhara HQ, and the group concludes that the time has come for the decisive battle against the GHQ.

And then cut to Yokohama (the GHQ headquarters).

So it seems like the day of the ceremony has already been decided. Chachamaru tells Kageaki and Wolf, who’s also present, that the Ginseigou will awaken the previous day. She proudly declares she can analyze the inner structure of things and people, so she’s 100% certain about the date.

Kag: How come you have such an odd ability?

Cha: That’s a secret~

So anyway, after some more hijinks the mysterious elf girl from Kanae’s route shows up.

Chachamaru then reveals what is considered to be top secret information within the GHQ – the blue haired girl herself is the bomb that the GHQ has been developing. The very same bomb they’re planning to use to destroy Fudaraku.

Wolf: That’s only partly true, though. She’s more like… the fuse. The actual shell containing the gunpowder is somewhere else.

Cha: Hard to believe, huh? But you see, she’s not a real person. But rather… half-human, half machine.

So basically, she’s apparently the most powerful destructive device in human history. Chachamaru also explains that Clive is planning to take to the skies on the day of the ceremony and drop the bomb, destroying Fudaraku (aka what happened in Kanae’s route).

Cha: However, the actual reason for her existence is something entirely different.

Wolf: We want her to come into contact with the Ginseigou. To combine the destructive force of the two.

(Oh, I see. Remember that weird black hole shit that happened after the bomb was dropped in Kanae’s route. That must have been something in connection to this.)

Kag: W-what..?! If you do that,  it will-

I care not if Fudaraku is razed to the ground, or if all of the townsfolk of Kamakura are burned to death along with it. However, this will kill Hikaru as well…!

Cha: I’ll be honest with you. Your suspicions are correct. This might endanger Hikaru’s life. In fact, the possibility is quite high…

Kag: Chachamaru…!

Cha: But if left alone, Hikaru will die for sure. However, if their destructive powers are combined, the resulting explosion just might reach down 150 kilometres below the ground…

Wolf: …cutting open a path towards God!

Kag: Is such a thing really possible…?

Wolf: Yes, the possibility is there – for Minato Hikaru to become God! Chachamaru and I believe in it. What about you, though…? Are you planning to quit? Are you giving up on your sister?

Kag: Never.

I am ready to sacrifice everything if there is even a minuscule shred of hope to be found for her.

[end of scene]

So we cut to Murmasa, who’s eager to go to Fudaraku in order to save Kageaki. The prince and Chief are, however, trying to persuade her not to be too hasty and co-opreate with them instead of going alone.

So here’s the plan: the team will consist of Ichijou, Douji, Chief and Muramasa. Ichijou will wreak havoc inside the castle with Masamune, while Douji is searching for Sakurako. And Chief will secure the escape route while Muramasa looks for Kageaki. If you’re wondering why Kanae isn’t here – she’s apparently overseas on some business.

We’re then back in the Rokuhara HQ with Chachamaru, Kageaki, Shishiku, Raichou and Doushin. To sum it up, they basically get word of the prince’s attempt to attack Fudaraku, and agree to co-operate in order to stop it. There’s constant tension in the air due to the others suspecting (or rather, knowing already) that Raichou secretly co-operates with the prince (as seen in Ichijou’s route).

Back to Muramasa’s viewpoint. She and the others are about to head towards Fudaraku.

Chief: Do you need anything?

Muramasa: I’m fine.

Ichijou: Me too.

Masamune: My soul burns bright with the fire of justice! What else could I possibly need?! Arrrgghhh!

(Yes, he actually cries out like a beast. Masamune’s really creepy at times.)

Chief: Very well. Oh, and Muramasa…

Mur: Yes?

Chief: I’m leaving my son in your care.

Mur: Understood.

Douji: Time is of the essence. We should make haste.

…….

…….

…….

…….

Chachamaru: Oh~? And just where exactly were you planning to go, I wonder…?

And then, an entire batallion of Rokuhara soldiers appears before them. Time for another cliffhanger!

Continue to Muramasa’s route, Part 6