Politics on Pentagrams (Part 1)

Gathering / Conference

With the aid of Shigeaki Fujino, a group consisting of Aotsuki Tsukamoto, Ryūzaki Sanosuke, and Maxim arrived in Takayama Tomoteru's room at Owari Castle just in time to interrupt a strategic meeting between Takenaka Hanbei and Hashinara Yoshitakatomo. There had been whispers of a great meeting between the Hashinara Clan's top generals for some time now, especially with Maxim's sudden return from Gehenna. Fujino had taken it upon herself to make it happen, and so it was. Abe no Seimei offered some brief telepathic objections at the stealing away of Aotsuki, but he was able to reassure her, and the meeting could begin.

Yoshitakatomo began by sharing the plot she* had uncovered using Telemetry on a parchment found on the late Tomoteru's bookshelf. Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki was no doubt behind the elder Takayama's murder, and it appeared to be part of a larger conspiracy to end the Oda Clan in its entirety. This was not entirely shocking news to those present. The Ashikaga Shogunate's animosity toward the Hashinara and their allies was no secret. It did, however, mean that Yoshiaki suddenly represented much more of a threat, especially if she continued to work with Solomon.   With that out of the way, the discussion could turn to the war rapidly brewing in Eastern Japan. Thanks to the efforts of the Tea Bucket Men, Takeda Shingen was ready to begin his assault on the Uesugi Clan to his north. He had sent a missive that same day requesting Hashinara assistance in the battle to come. While it seemed that Yoshitakatomo had little intention of openly granting that assistance, it was agreed between those present that they also had an interest in not allowing the Uesugi to win. While they had occasionally landed on the same side of a conflict as Uesugi Kenshin, the Champion of Bishamonten's unyielding stance against darkness would no doubt prove a monumental problem if they were allowed to succeed and expand their power.   Some among the Hashinara had their own reasons for wanting to rebel against the gods, so Nikola Tesla's "God-Slaying Weapon" was also of great interest. It would likely be out of their reach, however, unless they ensured that the Takeda survived the coming war. Yoshitakatomo remained understandably hesitant to split the Hashinara's attention from the Mōri Clan, but her* allies, Aotsuki, Oda, and The Wolfpack, had no such compunctions. Aotsuki Tsukamoto was not particularly interested in violent action against the Takeda. He had enough to worry about regardless, with the Ikkō Ikki at his doorstep, Kannonji Castle appearing every night, and the Shogunate apparently after his life.   Hanbei suggested, therefore, that this would be an excellent chance for the newly-refounded Wolfpack to participate in a show of strength and loyalty. As they now claimed control over Shima Province, they could reasonably act as their own geopolitical entity. Most importantly, if anything went wrong, the Hashinara could deny any involvement. This idea seemed to appeal greatly to Yoshitakatomo and Sanosuke both. Maxim, however, was not entirely convinced. He would have to risk his allies in a dangerous battle against a god. A god he had a grudge against, but a divinity still. Hanbei suggested that some members of Maximum Force could be returned to Maxim's command, but that wasn't wholly what he was after. It seemed Maxim wanted something more in exchange for his involvement...