Ch.245Eastern (5)

Temuge looked at a corpse with a complicated expression.

Minamoto Yoritomo.

He was a towering figure who established the first shogunate.

Such a prominent figure was now reduced to white bones, all flesh and skin burned away.

And this wasn’t limited to Yoritomo alone.

All of Miyako had burned to the ground.

The massive Buddhist temples, magnificent castles, luxurious nobles’ residences, and even the palace—all of it.

The capital of the Kamakura Shogunate, once one of the most prominent cities in the archipelago, had been reduced to ashes.

“Do you regret it?”

At my words, Temuge silently looked at me.

His face was a mixture of complex emotions.

Even for someone who had lived as a seasoned commander and general on battlefields for many years, this scene appeared difficult to accept.

“I… do not regret it.”

I silently nodded at Temuge’s answer.

Then I mounted my horse.

As I got on, Temuge gazed at the devastated Miyako.

Then he nodded and mounted his horse as well.

“The Oshu army will soon attack, Father.”

“Indeed.”

The Oshu army was all that remained now.

With that, Temuge and I turned our horses around.

As we departed, the once-splendid shogunate capital was abandoned.

All that remained to guard it were blackened buildings, countless corpses, and the skeleton presumed to be Minamoto Yoritomo.

* * *

“What did you say?”

Fujiwara Yasuhira was greatly shocked.

And for good reason—he had just heard that Oshu was under attack by faceless men who had suddenly appeared.

Due to the large-scale expedition, Oshu Province was completely empty.

In such a state, an attack by these faceless men was enough to deliver a fatal blow.

“We must return immediately, General.”

“No, we must continue advancing and overthrow the shogunate.”

To make matters worse, the opinions of the commanders under Oshu were divided.

One side argued they should return to Oshu,

While the other insisted they should continue advancing to defeat the shogunate.

“Our home base is under attack!”

“The shogunate is on the verge of collapse. We just need to hold out a little longer.”

As this heated debate continued,

A messenger urgently approached Yasuhira.

“Eastern Expedition Commander! It’s… it’s terrible news.”

“Wh-what is it? Don’t tell me Oshu has already…? That can’t be…”

The weak-willed Yasuhira immediately feared that Oshu had already fallen.

Seeing this, several of his commanders blushed with embarrassment.

This was because the leader they had previously served, Fujiwara Hidehira, was a true general who could read the bigger picture.

Hidehira was Yasuhira’s father and a famous general.

He had skillfully used diplomacy to ally with the Minamoto clan and bring down the Heike clan, securing dominance in the northeast.

He had predicted the division within the Minamoto clan.

Before his death, Hidehira had called Yasuhira and left instructions to seek out Yoshitsune, build a friendship with him, and bring him in as a retainer.

Unlike his predecessor who possessed such foresight, Yasuhira was an inexperienced figure blinded by immediate gains.

As a result, he overreacted to such news and made a fuss.

While concern was appropriate, appearing weak in front of his military commanders was not a good look.

However, Yasuhira failed to read the atmosphere among his retainers.

He didn’t consider his position or influence. Only his emotions mattered to him.

“N-no, Commander. I’m told that Miyako has been reduced to ashes due to the Mongol attack.”

“What about the Eastern Expedition Commander? Is he alive? Dead?”

“Well…”

“Speak clearly!”

Under Yasuhira’s pressure, the messenger bowed and detailed what happened when Miyako fell.

Slaves rushing toward the moat surrounding the walls piled up like mountains of corpses,

Those shooting arrows from above to prevent their approach burned to death.

The people living in Miyako ultimately perished as their bodies burned in unquenchable flames.

Minamoto Yoritomo, the shogun of the bakufu, had watched all of this unfold from atop the castle.

He realized his end had come.

So he surrendered himself to the burning tower.

“…and so Miyako was completely burned away, and the fires are still flickering.”

“My goodness…”

“How could this happen…”

The Oshu army, having just pulled back to rest, never imagined such events would unfold.

Just three days.

That was all the time it took for the Mongols to burn Miyako, the shogunate capital.

After hearing all this, the commanders silently looked at Fujiwara Yasuhira.

His eyes were already filled with terror.

Feeling everyone’s gaze, Yasuhira broke into a cold sweat, not knowing what to do.

“Re-retreat! Prepare to return immediately!”

“General! We cannot turn back now!”

“That’s right. The Mongol army is close by. We must prepare for battle and defend ourselves.”

If Miyako had fallen, the Oshu army would naturally be the next target.

So it made more sense to at least put up resistance rather than turn tail and flee.

But these words fell on deaf ears for Yasuhira, who was already gripped by fear.

“I am the head of the Fujiwara clan! I am the law! Pre-prepare for retreat immediately!”

“Ge-General!”

“Sigh…”

Fujiwara left with his guards, making it clear he would hear no more.

Seeing this, the commanders could feel that the future of the Oshu army was not bright.

* * *

Not far from Miyako, the movement of soldiers was visible.

“The Oshu Fujiwara are cowards.”

“Yes, Father.”

Temuge responded to my words.

“The enemy doesn’t seem to be making a strategic retreat. What are your thoughts?”

At my question, Temuge bowed before sharing his opinion.

“You are correct, Father. Judging by how hastily they’re fleeing, they appear unprepared for a cavalry attack.”

Retreating so defenseless was essentially asking to be devoured.

When withdrawing in a formation vulnerable to flank attacks, it would be difficult to counter if cavalry attacked from the rear.

So even a retreat needed to be strategic.

But these men were not doing that.

“It seems many lives will be paid as the price.”

At my words, Temuge raised his weapon.

Then he bowed and pleaded with me.

“I will bring you the enemy commander’s head.”

Temuge’s eyes held both reverence and fear.

It seemed the sight of Miyako reduced to ashes had greatly affected him.

This meant he was in an unstable state.

I couldn’t send Temuge to the battlefield in such a condition.

“Rest here.”

“I am fine.”

“I mean there’s no need for you to step in yet.”

As I said this, I pointed to the enemy’s flank with my hand.

Seeing this, Temuge was greatly surprised.

“Wh-when did they…”

Right beside where the Oshu Fujiwara were fleeing in panic,

The Kheshig were following closely, ready to pounce like tigers at any moment.

At their front was Munglig, with eyes as fierce as a wild beast.

“Munglig and the Kheshig should have no trouble hunting down the Fujiwara.”

“But the enemy numbers are great. For the Kheshig alone to attack…”

In response, I simply smiled.

Then I pointed toward the front.

Temuge turned his head to look at the vanguard.

“HRAAAAAAAAAAH!”

A roar like that of a tiger echoed through the air.

With that sound, Munglig and the Kheshig descended upon the Fujiwara vanguard.

“En-enemy attack!”

“Wh-when did they get here! Ugh!”

Before they could say anything more, their heads were already severed by the swords of the Kheshig.

“My God…”

The Kheshig led by Munglig were the most destructive unit in the ulus.

With such a unit launching a surprise attack, the Fujiwara army couldn’t help but fall into chaos.

However, it seemed not everyone in the Oshu army was a fool.

“They’re counterattacking.”

The enemy army outnumbered the Kheshig.

Using this advantage, the Oshu commanders delayed Munglig’s surprise attack by sacrificing troops.

“If they get surrounded, it could be dangerous.”

“Munglig is a capable field commander and the ulus’s finest warrior… and hunter.”

As if responding to my words, Munglig escaped the encirclement at the perfect moment, just before being surrounded.

As he escaped, the Oshu army looked with dismay at where the Kheshig had disappeared.

If they pursued now, they could inflict damage on the Kheshig.

But doing so would make them lose sight of their original purpose: retreat.

If their retreat was delayed, their home base could be occupied by the Tamma.

So the enemy chose to retreat rather than chase the Kheshig.

“They’ve made a poor choice.”

Temuge nodded at my words.

This was because the Kheshig who had attacked the vanguard weren’t the only ones.

Exactly opposite to where Munglig had launched his surprise attack, another Kheshig unit was pursuing with an eerie atmosphere.

“I wonder if they can continue retreating while being attacked from both sides.”

Munglig’s flank attack wasn’t a one-time strike.

It was an assault that would continue pressing from both sides until the enemy gave up.

This kind of attack resembled hunting dogs that grip their prey’s neck and refuse to let go.

After some time, the Oshu army halted their advance.

It seemed they wanted to block the Kheshig’s attacks in advance before moving, as the damage was accumulating.

“Now it’s time for us to move.”

As I said this, I mounted my horse.

Temuge, beside me, also skillfully mounted his horse.

“The Kheshig have stopped the enemy’s retreat! Brave warriors of the ulus! Raise your swords!”

At this, the warriors of the ulus raised their swords.

Their morale was sky-high after consecutive victories.

“CHARGE!”

As the order to charge was given, the ulus soldiers rushed forward.

Hearing this sound, the Oshu forces could only wear expressions of shock and terror.