The morale within Arioka Castle disintegrated the moment it was realized their lord had vanished. Enveloped in the despair of being "abandoned," a traitor finally emerged from within, and the gates were thrown open. The fortress that had imprisoned Kanbe'e’s soul in a living hell for nearly a year had finally fallen.

  Zenuske, Tahe'e, and Kurouemon, who had been fighting at the Siege of Miki to prove the Kuroda family’s loyalty, did not miss this golden opportunity. Taking advantage of the general assault on Arioka Castle, they rushed back from the Miki encampment. Having maintained secret contact with Mataemon Kato, they already had a firm grasp of the situation inside the castle walls.

  Charging in amidst the chaos of the castle's fall, the three men sprinted down the stairs leading to the underground dungeon.

  "Mr. Kato! The keys!" Zensuke roared as they descended.

  Matazemon Kato was startled by their sudden appearance, yet he handed over the keys without a moment's hesitation, as if he had been waiting for this very day. Kato then hurried off to rescue his own son, Tamamatsu.

  With trembling hands, Zensuke unlocked the shackles. One by one, the heavy iron doors groaned open, their echoes haunting the damp subterranean air.

  "My Lord! My Lord!"

  The moment they stepped inside, torches held high, the three men froze. There, huddled in the darkness, was "something" in the shape of a human.

  "Is this... our Lord?" Tahe'e’s voice cracked.

  Reacting to their voices, the figure shifted slightly and looked up. From within the ragged mass, two eyes turned toward them, though they struggled to find focus.

  "Zen... Zen..su..ke... is that ..you?"

  Zensuke rushed to his side instantly.

  "My Lord! It is I, Zensuke! We have come to take you home! Can you hear me? Do you know us?! ...Oh, you are alive. You survived... you truly survived!"

  Tahe'e Mori knelt beside him, his voice thick with emotion.

  "My Lord! It is Tahe'e! Not a single day passed this year that I did not wait for this moment. To endure such a living hell... truly, truly, you have suffered enough!"

  Kurouemon Inoue wept as he spoke.

  "It is Kurouemon, My Lord! Rest easy now! We, the vassals of Kuroda, shall never leave your side again for the rest of our lives! We shall serve you until our dying breath!"

  Joy at finding him and horror at his transformed state overwhelmed them; all three were sobbing uncontrollably.

  Kanbe'e’s beard was overgrown and filthy; his hair had mostly fallen out due to extreme malnutrition. His head was covered in severe sores, and he was so emaciated he emitted a faint scent of decay. His knee joints had already stiffened, making it impossible for him to stand on his own. His eyes were hollow, making his survival seem like a miracle.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Kanbe'e realized then that his vassals had never abandoned him, watching over the castle town for an entire year. However, he had no strength left to answer them. Reaching out a trembling hand, he could only let out a wordless, shattered sob.

  As Tahe'e hoisted him onto his back, Kanbe'e’s bony frame pressed painfully against him. Even that pain felt precious and prideful to Tahe'e.

  "You are not heavy... you have become so light, My Lord... I am so sorry..." Tahe'e choked back his tears so his master wouldn't hear his heartbreak. Kanbe'e clung to Tahe'e’s back with the last of his strength, his heart finally filled with the warmth of relief.

  "Lord Kanbe'e!"

  As they prepared to leave the castle, a voice called out from behind. It was Matazemon Kato. Beside him stood the young boy Tamamatsu, who had cared for Kanbe'e after Fuji’s passing.

  Zensuke spoke on Kanbe'e’s behalf.

  "Mr. Kato... we owe you everything for this. I do not know how we can ever repay you."

  Kato spoke solemnly.

  "Lord Kanbe'e... for a whole year, you never bent your convictions. You showed me the true soul of a warrior. And Zensuke—you and the others—your devotion as vassals is unparalleled. I am... humbled."

  Kanbe'e whispered hoarsely, "Kato... come with us..."

  Catching the intent in his master's weak voice, Zensuke spoke up.

  "Mr. Kato, our master wishes for this: Will you not come to Himeji with us? With the boy, of course."

  Kato shook his head slowly.

  "A gracious offer... however, I intend to share the fate of Arioka with Tamamatsu’s older brother, Yoshinari. I feel I must not lose to the honor you men have shown. But... I beg of you, take only Tamamatsu. Our bloodline must not end here. For this, I implore you!"

  Kato prostrated himself on the ground. He returned the very gesture of desperation that Zensuke and the others had shown him months before.

  The sight moved Kanbe'e and his men to their core.

  "Mr. Kato, it is thanks to you that our Lord’s life was preserved. We, the Kuroda clan, take full responsibility for Tamamatsu to ensure the Kato bloodline lives on. Our Lord feels the same."

  Zensuke replied, glancing at Kanbe'e, who offered a weak nod of agreement. Zensuke continued:

  "Furthermore... Mr. Kato, your efforts shall reach the ears of Lord Nobunaga. If you survive Arioka, come to Himeji. We shall wait for you and Yoshinari."

  Kato bowed deeply, then knelt to speak to Tamamatsu.

  "Tamamatsu... I will stay here with Yoshinari. You must carry the Kato blood and grow strong under Lord Kanbe'e. Go to Himeji in place of your sister, Fuji. Do not worry. Once things are settled here, Yoshinari and I will come for you. Do you understand, Tamamatsu? Listen well..."

  Tamamatsu bit his lip hard to keep the tears from falling and nodded. Carrying the Kato blood, the seven-year-old boy braced himself for the weight of his family’s future.

  Kanbe'e reached out with a withered hand and stroked the head of the boy who was desperately fighting back tears.

  "Tamamatsu... your sister... let me out... into the world. Next... I will... take you... into the light."

  Kanbe'e squeezed the words out with a voice like dry wood. His throat, unused to speech for so long, rattled and shook. But his voice reached straight into the boy’s heart, bypassing the cold darkness of the dungeon.

  Hearing this, Tamamatsu finally broke and began to cry. In the boy's profile, Kanbe'e saw the shadow of Fuji.

  He could not save Fuji. But her brother stood alive before him. To Kanbe'e, rescuing Tamamatsu was his ultimate atonement for Fuji.

  Later, raised by Kanbe'e, this boy would become a member of the "Kuroda Twenty-Four Generals," a pillar supporting the Kuroda clan...

  Kurouemon took Tamamatsu’s hand, and the group departed Arioka Castle. Kato remained, watching them until they disappeared from sight.

  Clutched in Kanbe'e’s skeletal hand were Fuji’s prayer beads—the Kontatsu. His fingers, stained with mud and blood, traced the black beads one by one, as if confirming their existence. Fuji’s prayers and the loyalty of the Kato family had lit a fire in Kanbe'e's cold, hollow heart—a fire that would never be extinguished.

  Produced and written by a Japanese author, rooted in authentic Japanese history. Translated with the assistance of Gemini (AI).