On June 3rd, the 10th year of Tensho—the day following the Incident at Honno-ji—two letters arrived for Fujitaka Hosokawa, who had only recently succeeded in persuading Akechi. One was from Mitsuhide Akechi.

  “This is an urgent communication.

  My long-cherished ambition was finally realized before dawn on the 2nd at Honno-ji. I have driven both Nobunaga and Nobutada to their deaths, fulfilling my deepest desire.

  This success is owed entirely to the secret support of comrades like yourself, for which I am profoundly grateful.

  Now, the peace of the realm lies within our hands. I rely upon your strength, my sworn friend and kinsman, more than ever.

  I ask that you join me with all haste, so that we may together deliberate upon the future of this land.

  The messenger shall convey further details by word of mouth.

  With fear and reverence,

  June 2nd

  Mitsuhide Akechi

  To FujitakaHosokawa

  The other letter was sent by Kanbe’e. Upon reading it, Fujitaka Hosokawa was struck with sheer horror.

  “This is an urgent communication.

  You shall undoubtedly receive a sweet and tempting invitation from Mitsuhide in the coming days, intended to lead your heart astray. However, you must never, under any circumstances, act upon it.

  Shortly, I shall depart Bitchu alongside Lord Hideyoshi, leading twenty thousand troops. We shall race toward Kyoto with the speed of the wind; by the time we arrive, our numbers shall have swelled to fifty thousand.

  The banner we raise is the righteous one: 'The Subjugation of Mitsuhide Akechi.' The reinforcements Mitsuhide expects no longer exist anywhere in this world. Mitsuhide is walking blindly into a dead end at Yamazaki, from which there is no escape.

  For you, Mr. Fujitaka, I believe your true loyalty lies in ensuring the 'Light of Kokin Denju' is never extinguished. Cut your hair at once and show the world your mourning for the late Lord Nobunaga. If you do so, Lord Hideyoshi shall never doubt the loyalty of the Hosokawa.

  Mitsuhide is already a walking corpse. The era of the realm is already within Hashiba’s palm.

  This matter must never be spoken of to another. Exercise the utmost caution to leave no trace of this in any record. This letter, too, must be cast into the flames and reduced to ash immediately after reading.

  Do not be careless; leave not a shred of evidence. Should this leak to the world by any misfortune, neither Lord Hideyoshi nor I shall have any means left to save you.

  However, should this matter be settled as planned, I solemnly swear to stand as a shield for your precious 'Kokin Denju' treasures and ensure they are passed to future generations. I shall protect them, literally, at the cost of my life.

  I trust you understand this from the bottom of your heart.

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  With fear and reverence,

  June 1st

  Kanbe’e Kuroda

  To Mr. Fujitaka Hosokawa”

  Fujitaka’s hands shook with violent rage as he held the letters. In a life dedicated to the arts and characterized by composure, he had likely never felt a fury so scorching.

  “Curse you, Kanbe’e…! Does that provincial strategist dare to threaten me, Fujitaka, with these blades of words?”

  Fujitaka gripped the letter so hard it nearly crumbled.

  Kanbe’e’s letter was no mere warning. It was a cold-blooded 'fumi-e'—a test of loyalty—leveraging Fujitaka’s past ties with Mitsuhide to force a choice: survive as an accomplice or perish in the purge. What was unbearable for Fujitaka was the humiliation that even his own intellect had been mere cogs in Kanbe’e’s massive machine.

  “He intended to use Mitsuhide as a sacrificial pawn from the very start… using me to deceive him, only to strike his back. He demands I play a part in this treachery!”

  Fujitaka violently tore the letter apart. His shoulders heaved with anger as he glared into the darkness of the room. His pride as a member of the prestigious Hosokawa clan burned as if dragged through the mud. For a moment, he considered throwing the letter back in Kanbe’e’s face and joining Mitsuhide to intercept the Hashiba.

  Yet, as his anger boiled, a cold calculation began in the corner of his mind. The distance from Bitchu to Kyoto, the marching speed of the Hashiba army, and the fact that Mitsuhide was even now waiting anxiously for their arrival.

  The conviction radiating from Kanbe’e’s letter was no bluff. It bore the 'records of the future,' written as if the outcome had already been decided.

  Most unsettling of all was the line promising to protect the Kokin Denju at the cost of his life. While it affirmed Fujitaka’s significance as a cultural successor, its unspoken meaning was clear: the Kokin Denju was now a hostage. If he betrayed Kanbe’e, he would lose what was more precious than life itself. It was a strike to his most vital point.

  As he connected all the pieces, a chill like ice ran down Fujitaka’s spine.

  “He cannot win… Mitsuhide cannot defeat this 'monster' known as Kanbe’e Kuroda.”

  Before long, his heavy breathing subsided, and his rage turned into a desperate sense of resignation.

  “It is over. I have been outmaneuvered by Kanbe’e Kuroda. To side with Mitsuhide is to guarantee the destruction of the Hosokawa. But I still have a duty to perform. I cannot let the light of Kokin Denju vanish in this world of chaos.”

  Faced with Mitsuhide’s plea for cooperation and Kanbe’e’s declaration of subjugation—two polar opposite letters—Fujitaka Hosokawa sat within his base at Miyazu Castle and faced his son, Tadaoki.

  “Father, this letter from Kanbe’e Kuroda… claiming he will soon depart Bitchu as a subjugation force. It is impossible to return from Bitchu in just a few days. Is Kanbe’e not merely deceiving us to keep us in check?”

  Fujitaka stared at Kanbe’e’s letter and sighed deeply.

  “No, Tadaoki. Kanbe’e Kuroda is a man who does not write what he cannot achieve. The terrifying confidence dwelling in this script… Mitsuhide has been led to believe that Hashiba is coming to his aid. But the reality approaching is not a reinforcement, but a 'Grim Reaper' baring its fangs. Because of this… I cannot even send a word of reply to Mitsuhide.”

  His son, Tadaoki, stood up in shock.

  “Then, did Kanbe’e Kuroda intentionally let Mitsuhide run loose, only to use him as bait so they could be the first to take his head? He made him believe Hideyoshi was an ally, while already preparing to tear out his throat… and he demands we become his 'accomplices'?”

  Fujitaka closed his eyes, imposing a moment of cold judgment upon himself.

  “Precisely. No reply shall be sent. Cut your hair this instant. Sever your ties with Mitsuhide and show your mourning for Lord Nobunaga. That is the only path to survival Kanbe’e Kuroda has granted us. What a terrifying man… He has used us, the ones Mitsuhide trusted most, to cast him into an abyss of isolation.”

  Fujitaka grasped his own topknot and drew a small knife.

  The dull gleam of the blade severed his black hair—a final, silent offering to Mitsuhide.

  Thereafter, Fujitaka Hosokawa entered the priesthood without responding to Mitshide Akechi’s invitation, taking the name 'Yusai Genshi.'

  In the public eye of history, this act was praised as 'loyalty to one's lord.' Behind the scenes, however, it was the moment a great man succumbed to the 'ultimate trap' set by a genius strategist.

  Fujitaka Yusai Hosokawadevoted the rest of his life to preserving the Kokin Denju, the secret interpretations of the Kokin Wakashu anthology. His silence was a vow to take his 'life-or-death promise' with Kanbe’e to the grave.

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