CHAPTER 260: CHAPTER 191: IMAGAWA YOSHIMOTO HAS FALLEN INTO THE TRAP

Oda Nobunaga set out under cover of night, racing toward the front line. By the time daylight broke, there were no longer just a handful of people behind him—numerous Oda Family household retainers and powerful conscripted clansmen had caught up on horseback. They had no choice but to chase; if they really let Oda Nobunaga head out alone, they’d lose face for good, let alone risk having old grudges come back to haunt them in the future.

At the very least, they had to catch up and see what was going on, to figure out what exactly had happened.

However, because Oda Nobunaga had set out so suddenly, none of these men were prepared. Though they’d caught up, they were commanders without troops—aside from a few personal attendants, they had neither soldiers nor followers with them.

Nobunaga didn’t care about this. He had never planned to rely on these fickle-hearted people anyway. His true strength—the "professional Lang Faction" bred by his "separation of warriors and peasants" policy—was following alongside him, joining his ranks in small batches as he advanced.

These were the forces he actually intended to use against Imagawa Yoshimoto in his surprise attack.

By the time he reached Atsuta Shrine, there were already dozens of household samurai, including veteran family elders like Katsuyori Shibata and Lin Xiuzhen, along with a multitude of clan leaders and more than a thousand well-trained soldiers at his back.

Yet even at this moment, Oda Nobunaga still hadn’t revealed his intentions. He simply led this group of samurai and soldiers—faces tense and unreadable—to pay respects at Atsuta Shrine.

Atsuta Shrine is one of Japan’s oldest shrines, built at the command of the imperial prince Takehaya Sumeru, son of Japan’s twelfth emperor. Its authority is second only to the Ise Grand Shrine, making it a Shinto Sacred Land. Of the three divine artifacts inherited by ancient Japanese emperors during succession—the Eight-footed Mirror, the Eight-footed Jade Hook, and the Celestial Cloud Sword—Atsuta Shrine enshrines the Celestial Cloud Sword.

This sword is said to be the treasure that Oda Family’s guardian deity "Susanoo" pulled from the tail of the slain Orochi. Thus, Atsuta Shrine has deep ties to the Oda Family, and ever since their departure from Echizen, any major ritual or festival the Oda Family held would also take place here.

Now that Oda Nobunaga was about to launch a life-or-death assault, he naturally had to pray to his "guardian deity"—to hold a pre-battle ceremony of sorts. People of this era truly believed in such things.

Harano had no interest in all this. The place was packed, so he didn’t bother with the commotion, choosing instead to wait outside with Ah Qing and Ah Man. Standing outside Atsuta Shrine, he could already see pillars of smoke rising in the distance; judging by the direction, it was likely coming from Marune Stronghold and Jiuzhen Stronghold.

Harano glanced over a few times, then asked Ah Man, "Any news from the front?"

Ah Man shook her head. "No new updates. The Oda troops are probably still holding out, but there is some movement at the rear. Imagawa family’s navy is still sending reinforcements to Kanie Castle. Estimations say that enemy forces at Kanie Castle now exceed four thousand—maybe even over five thousand. Once those forces are set into motion, Shimazu can’t possibly hold. And capturing Qingzhou City would be no challenge at all."

"Truly do or die..." Harano murmured softly in amazement.

Oda Nobunaga was now completely ignoring the safety of his base and his lifeblood. He’d made it clear—he would either succeed or die. Perhaps that was the reason he could win? If it were anyone else in Nobunaga’s position, maybe they’d yield and become a vassal ally like the Matsudaira family. Or else hole up in a castle, hoping the enemy would weary of losses and withdraw.

At the very least, Harano asked himself—unless circumstances left him no path to survive, he could never make such a decision, risking the destruction of everything his family had built for three generations in pursuit of a single desperate chance.

He was, in fact, somewhat lacking in offensive spirit. In years past as an ordinary, by-the-book type, that had never mattered, but now... this trait was one he’d have to change.

Of course, the reason Oda Nobunaga could win was also in part due to Imagawa Yoshimoto’s own errors. He had split his army far too thin—attacking from many points at once: Dagao City, Bai Chuan Pass, Kanie Castle, all at the same time. He hoped to quickly crush the Oda Family and seize all of Owari, never once imagining Nobunaga would resist.

That, perhaps, was where he lost—defeated by arrogance?

Harano mulled over the turn of events and what would determine victory or defeat, even reflecting on his own shortcomings a bit as he was tangled in these thoughts. Suddenly, from afar in the direction of the main hall of the Divine Palace, he heard a cry of astonishment—quickly morphing into cheers, and then swelling into excited, booming calls. The soldiers sounded thrilled.

Ah Man, ever curious, darted off into the shrine to investigate before Harano could say a word, hand on her sword. On her return, eyes wide with amazement, she reported to Harano, "It’s a miracle! The Great Ming God of Atsuta has appeared! After Oda Nobunaga offered his petition and made his prayers at the main hall, the true hall behind shook with the sound of armor and marching footsteps. Everyone claims Susanoo himself is on the move—about to join the army’s campaign!"

See, the main hall is the place for worship and money offerings (like incense money), while the true hall sits behind it, serving as the dwelling of the "deity" and is usually unoccupied by people. Now, to suddenly hear such commotion from within—loudly, no less—one could easily suspect that a god intends to go into battle alongside the troops.

Of course, Harano could hardly believe an actual "deity" would stride out fully armed from the inner sanctum, but he didn’t speak up, merely shook his head and waited outside the shrine.

"Who’s there?!"

Ah Qing suddenly shouted in a low voice, her gaze icy as she stared toward the "barrier" at the side of the shrine, hand on her sword hilt. In this era, Atsuta Shrine had no outer wall. By custom, the shrine was rebuilt every twenty years, burned down and constructed anew to ensure "purity," so the main shrine wasn’t that large (not counting farmland, residential zones, and such extra facilities), and a wall was unnecessary. Instead, a sacred rope adorned with charms was strung around the area to mark the "barrier."