Chapter 1

After his consciousness awakened from chaos, Kuroda Nagamasa staggered along the streets of the Time Government, a golden pattern drawn on his forehead. It was the mark left after the talisman meant to hide his face took effect, so that the talisman would not interfere with a Saniwa’s daily life.

“Am I... alive again?” Although Kuroda Nagamasa had just listened to a long list of instructions from the staff, he was still dazed even now, his heart full of disbelief.

He, Kuroda Nagamasa, after death had somehow come to this place a thousand years in the future called the Time Government, regained a young and vigorous body, and been told by the staff that from now on he would work here as a “Saniwa.”

Right now Kuroda Nagamasa was walking along the road, preparing to collect the “Honmaru” that belonged to him. He did not worry about getting lost, because there were many other new Saniwa heading in the same direction. Everyone looked bewildered and excited, dazed and delighted all at once.

However, because everyone was a beginner, before they became familiar with things, they all had talismans贴 on their foreheads to hide their faces, turning into a golden marking. Kuroda Nagamasa observed them without a word and found that he could vaguely make out each person’s face, yet could not distinguish their features. Their voices too were neither clearly male nor female, with no discernible traits. This concealed talisman was extremely powerful.

He could only identify people by the numbers on the uniforms they wore.

Walking at the very front was a Konnosuke, or so everyone called it. At the very least, Kuroda Nagamasa had never seen a little fox that could talk. Konnosuke led the way while loudly explaining to the newcomers, “The Honmaru each Saniwa-sama will receive belongs to you. After that, manuals will be handed out to tell everyone how to forge your own Sword Tsukumogami, and from then on you will lead them in battle against our enemy, the Time Retrograde Army!”

“Konnosuke would like to remind all of you, lords! Although you have become Saniwa who can ‘judge the gods,’ that does not mean you may treat the Tsukumogami in your Honmaru however you like. If you do evil deeds, you will still receive the punishment you deserve from the Time Government. Even if you are capable of hiding it from the government, after that... please bear the consequences yourselves!”

Kuroda Nagamasa did not pay much attention to the warning about “doing bad things.” Instead, he was delighted, having caught the key words: “...Sword Tsukumogami? Does that mean I will keep fighting side by side with my Sword Tsukumogami, the way I lead my retainers?”

Before his death, Kuroda Nagamasa had loved swords, and he was also skilled at commanding troops in battle. So the work he had to do from here on out was all in familiar territory. His heart settled at once, and he felt at ease.

“...During the early period before all of you become familiar with the work, you must not remove the talisman on your forehead. Also, you must not tell the Sword Tsukumogami your true names. This is because of the reason why ‘Kotodama’ and the gods can ‘Kamigakushi’ humans...” Konnosuke did not explain this part in detail. “However, once you have lived with the Sword Tsukumogami for a long time, these rules can slowly stop being followed!”

Kuroda Nagamasa silently memorized these rules. After registering and receiving his Honmaru according to procedure, he was given a small Compass. This was the key to his Honmaru. As long as he awakened the Compass, he could go to the “Honmaru” that sat in the void at any time.

“Now, please come over here to receive your initial sword! Choose one of the five initial swords. After you return to the Honmaru, the initial sword will be responsible for explaining the next steps to the Saniwa-sama!” Another petite Konnosuke called out in an orderly fashion. It crouched at the entrance to a room, and faintly one could see five swords displayed on the sword rack inside.

“Kashuu Kiyomitsu, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, Hachisuka Kotetsu, Kasen Kanesada, Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki.” When Konnosuke announced the names of these five initial swords, Kuroda Nagamasa was shaken to the core. By the time it was finally his turn to go in, he could not help carefully examining those blades inch by inch.

He was not sure about the other three blades, but “Yamanbagiri Kunihiro” and “Kasen Kanesada” felt familiar to Kuroda Nagamasa. After all, the swordsmith Horikawa Kunihiro had been quite famous in those days. As for Kasen Kanesada, its owner Hosokawa Tadaoki had even taken part in the plan to attack Ishida Mitsunari together with him. An old acquaintance indeed.

...His observation had not been wrong. Those two blades really were the same ones from his memories! Could they become Sword Tsukumogami and come back to life? Then the other swords in the Honmaru... could they also be those famous blades from long ago?

“Have you chosen, lord?” Konnosuke asked, flicking its tail in confusion. “As long as you choose one and pour spiritual power into its original blade, you can awaken that Sword Tsukumogami.”

“I’ve chosen.” While he had been shocked just now, Kuroda Nagamasa had already decided to choose one of the two familiar swords as his initial sword. He had already seen Kasen Kanesada many times, so without hesitation Kuroda Nagamasa picked up “Yamanbagiri Kunihiro” and instinctively infused it with spiritual power.

As a shower of cherry blossoms fell, a blond young man wrapped in a white blanket appeared with his head lowered, and said softly, “I am Yamanbagiri Kunihiro... What’s that look for? Do you mind that I’m a counterfeit?”

“No, it has nothing to do with being a counterfeit. You are very famous.” Kuroda Nagamasa shook his head steadily, then spoke with sincere praise. “I heard you were Kunihiro’s first masterpiece, so I chose you. Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, I hope you will serve me from now on and be loyal to me. Is that all right?”

“...” Yamanbagiri Kunihiro was visibly stunned. This time, he finally lifted his head, looking at his new master in confusion after being praised. After holding back for a while, he finally tugged at the blanket and turned his face away, murmuring, “Honestly, I don’t know what you’re expecting.”

After two seconds of silence, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro added in a low voice, “...I will obey your orders.”

Konnosuke’s mouth twitched as it watched. After Yamanbagiri Kunihiro followed the staff to collect the Honmaru supplies, it could not help reminding him softly, “Saniwa-sama, actually you didn’t need to say anything at all. Because Sword Tsukumogami summoned personally by your spiritual power are innately loyal and close to you.”

“Konnosuke has no intention of belittling the Tsukumogami, my lord, but their race is still Sword Tsukumogami, different from humans. You don’t need to treat them entirely the way you would ordinary people.”

“I understand.” Kuroda Nagamasa thanked it gently. He could understand why Konnosuke had reminded him, but he had his own judgment. “From now on they will follow me for a long time and fight together with me, so I am treating them the way I would treat my retainers. This has nothing to do with whether the other side is human or a Tsukumogami.”

“Retainers?” Konnosuke blinked. Then it realized that this Saniwa-sama was very likely an ancient soul recruited by the Time Government. The little fox, suddenly enlightened, immediately fell silent.

Not long after, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro had already come back carrying the supply box and the other odds and ends that had been handed out. Now the two of them could use the Compass to return to their own Honmaru. Konnosuke’s beginner guidance ended there, and it added one more enthusiastic reminder:

“There are forging formulas for all kinds of swords in the booklet. If Saniwa-sama doesn’t know what to do, you can take a look! However, Konnosuke does not recommend being in a rush to forge rare swords in the early stages, you should first keep the Honmaru running stably. The initial sword will also be responsible for reminding and advising you about this!”

“The forging formulas for all kinds of swords?” Kuroda Nagamasa’s heart stirred. Even after he brought Yamanbagiri Kunihiro to his new Honmaru, he was still thinking over that sentence.

If Kuroda Nagamasa had any expectations of this new job... today he had already been so shocked by all kinds of miracles that he was numb. But there was one thing:

He still hoped to see the state of his family heirloom, Otegine, after it became a Tsukumogami!

[Author’s Note]

A short 30,000-character piece, no pairing. It’s purely because I saw Kuroda Nagamasa and Hasebe’s former master relationship in the Touken Ranbu stage play “Three Star Swords,” and it was just too shippable!!!