武義物語
登場人物
- 戦友
- 金太(きんた)
- 家臣 - 矢城城主と血縁有り。
- 内野川敦大(うちのかわあつひろ)
日ノ本の国、幕府衰退により方々(ほうぼう)で勢力が蜂起し、時代(じだい)は群雄割拠の乱世へと突入した。 そんな中、肥後の国にて、決意を胸に立ち上がったもののふがいた。名は武義と言ふ。
元々、古野口(このぐち)と言ふ集落に住む一家の長男であった武義は、農民達の間で日々武勇伝として伝わる武士の生き様に憧れ、幼き頃からチャンバラごっこに明け暮れていた。
やがて武義が青年となった頃、その地域を統治していた矢城城主は、絶えず続く東西の戦にて多くの兵を多く消失し、百姓からも積極的に兵力を募っていた。
立て看板を見て字が読めぬ武義は、周りから兵を募ってると聞いた。 百姓として畑仕事で足腰を鍛えていた武義は、力に自信があったのだろう。 両親に内緒で兵となることを決意し、三日月が照る晩にそっと家を抜け出した。
翌朝、城内では兵として志願してきたもの達の試験が行われた。 武義は武具を手に取るよう命じられる。畑仕事で使っていた鍬よりも長い鑓。 然しながら、縦横無尽に振り回す様を見た矢城の侍奉行は、武義の力強い武具の扱いに感銘を受け専属の兵として雇う事にした。 武義の士(さむらい)としての人生が始まったのである。
武義は敵国の首を手柄に幾多の合戦で勝利に貢献し、多くの兵から信頼される程にまでのし上がる。 武義の声に足軽達は慕い、そして勝鬨の声をあげる様になっていった。
城主に忠義を尽くす、それが武士の生き様である。 武義もまた刀を掲げそして、城主に忠義を示し、武士として技に磨きをかけていった。
かねてより悩まされてきた西に位置する熊陣の戦いで勝利すれば、今後の憂いはなくなる。 ｢いざ、参ろうぞ！｣
武義一行が矢城から降りて熊陣に侵攻する途中、一人のおなごの声がした。
｢おっとぉ、おっかぁ、兄者じゃ、兄者、兄者じゃあ。｣ 久方ぶりに見た妹であった。
｢まさか…？武義…？たけよ…。生きとったとね…｣ ｢こら、おっかぁ、頭を下げんば。武義か…｣
立派になった武義の姿を見て両親は涙を流していた。 …父上、母上、妹よ、それがしはこの矢城を守るため城主に仕え、そして立派な武士となるでの…
とうとう武義は熊陣の戦いにて、敵将の首を討ちとる大手柄をあげた！ その戦功を称えられ、いよいよ武義は矢城の城主の家臣となる事が決まったのである。
元々武士の家系で育ったわけでもない農家出身者が、戦場で次々と手柄を上げるのを快く思わぬものがいた。 古くから矢城に仕えていた家臣、城主と血縁の有る内野川敦大(うちのかわあつひろ)から武義は妬まれる存在となってしまったのである。
敦大の妬みはだんだんと歪んでいき、武義が謀反を企てているという噂を流し、武義を亡きものにしようと謀略した。
この企みに気付いた武士がいた。武義と幼き頃より共に育った竹馬の友、金太(きんた)である。
金太は武義の身に危険が迫っている事を伝えようとするが、謀略が露見した事を知った敦大は、家来達を待ち伏せさせ、この勇敢な戦友金太の命までも奪おうとしたのである。 勘が冴える頭脳派であった金太は、追われていることに気付きながらも武義の元を訪ねようと試みるが、寸でのところでとうとう追っ手から逃れられず斬られてしまう…
｢何の騒ぎじゃ｣ 武義は屋敷を出て駆けつけると、金太はすでに斬られ虫の息であった。 ｢何故じゃ、何故金太がこのような目に…｣
武義は、微かな声で語りかける金太からすべてを知る事になった。
｢金太、死ぬな、金太ああああああ…！！｣ 武義は金太を抱きしめそして泣いた。
墓穴を掘り、亡骸を埋め、金太を弔った。 手を合わせ目を閉じ過去の記憶に思いを馳せる。
金太は下級武士の息子として生まれた。 幼き頃、武義は金太から彼の父が手柄をあげた話を良く聞いたものだった。 武義もまた胸が躍るように興奮し共に志を語り合った仲でもあった。
金太は百姓である武義をいつもからかっていたが、兄弟が病で死に、母が死に、最後に熊陣にて父が戦で死に… 一人心を閉ざそうとしていた金太を救ったのは武義であった。 竹とんぼを二人で作り、一緒に種を飛ばしながらあけびを食うたこともまた良き思い出である。
武義は怒りと悲しみ、全ての感情を押し殺す為に歯を食いしばりながらひたすら刀を研いだ。
敦大と家来は謀りを知った武義を亡きものにせんと武義の屋敷を取り囲んだ。 しかし、屋敷の中から鎧と怒りをを纏って待ち構えていた武義によって次々と斬られていく。
敦大を追い詰めると、大きく刀を振り翳し、家臣に斬りかかった。 ｢仇じゃ！｣
｢やめろ武義！｣
武義は迷わず止めを刺した。
｢金太よ、仇は…取ったぞ…｣
真赤に染まった刃からは血が滴り落ちている。
騒ぎを聞きつけた矢城の兵達が集まる。味方同士の斬り合いはご法度であるが故、武義は追われることになってしまった。
｢無念じゃ。長らく忠誠を尽くしたこの城に残る術が御座らぬ…｣
ーーー後に武義は名を改め、忠誠を誓ってきた矢城への想いを込めて“矢城山”武義と名乗ることになる。
十、二十、三十と増える兵に追われながら殺意を払い抜けるかの如く次々と斬り倒して逃げ続ける。 月明り眩しい満月の夜、観音様は全てを見ていたのじゃろうか…
城を抜け藪の中をかけ抜けていた武義はいつの間にか囲われ、崖の上に立たされていた。 ｢もはやこれまでか・・・・｣
弓兵から肩、そして脛当ての合間を射抜かれた武義は、バランスを崩し後ろの崖へ倒れこむように落ちた。 ｢金太よ、それがしも後に続く、で、の……｣
The Tale of Takeyoshi – a samurai of an allegiance－
Dramatis Personae:
Takeyoshi YASHIROYAMA – a samurai from Higo region
Kinta – a Comrade of Takeyoshi
Atsuhiro UCHINOKAWA - a vassal and a blood relative of the lord of Yashiro
In the land of the Rising Sun, decline of the regime let resisting powers to upraise here and there. The land broke into a turbulent age, in which rival powers compete ruthlessly.
That was the time when a man, in Higo region, stood up to hold up his will. His name was Takeyoshi.
Takeyoshi grew up as an eldest son of a family lived in a settlement of Konoguchi. He had been longing for a martial stories of a samurai handed down amongst the peasants, thus spent his childhood days playing swords.
Takeyoshi was in his youth when the lord of Yashiro, a ruler of the region at that time, lost many of his soldiers from continuous battles, and was actively levying troops from peasants.
Proclamations were not for Takeyoshi without sufficient literacy, but he got wind of the affair. For years Takeyoshi had built up his strength working in the fields, perhaps he was boasting of them. He had determined that he’d become a soldier, and one night he slipped out of his home. The night was a crescent moon.
Next morning, he applied for a duty and was tests amongst those pride in their strength. Takayoshi was ordered to take a weapon. It was a spear, much longer than a hoe he was familiar to. Nonetheless an administrator of the lord of Yashiro was impressed by how Takeyoshi had flourished a spear without difficulty. Takeyoshi was hired as the lord’s exclusive troop. The life of Takeyoshi as a samurai has begun.
Takeyoshi had contributed in winning countless battles, striking down opponents. He had gained the trust from the foot soldiers. The soldiers honored Takeyoshi and thus responded to Takeyoshi’s voice in giving a shout of triumph.
It is the way of life for samurais to show allegiance to their lords. Takeyoshi, as well, raised his sword and trained his skills, thus had shown his allegiance to his lord.
Battle at Kumajin – west side of the region had been a great worry for the troop. Victory at Kumajin will be a golden opportunity to eliminate that worry.
“Come, let us be going!”
On the way Takeyoshi’s troop descend from Yashiro and lead into Kumajin, he heard a woman’s voice.
“Father, mother, look it’s my bro!”
It was his own sister, of which he had not seen for years.
“It cannot be….Takeyoshi!? Takeyo…were you alive?”
“Mother, we should lower our heads. Takeyoshi…”
Takeyoshi’s parents were shedding tears, seeing Takeyoshi’s brilliant appearance.
“Father, mother, my sis, I will follow my lord to protect Yashiro, and be a respectable samurai.”
Takeyoshi at the end, rendered distinguished service by striking down the opponent general! He was given praise for his service and was admitted as a vassal of the lord of Yashiro.
It was not so common for a man of a peasant origin to perform such achievements. This was not always pleasant for the others. Takeyoshi had become an object of jealousy to Atushiro UCHINOKAWA, who was an old vassal and a blood relative of the lord of Yashiro.
Atsuhiro’s envied Takeyoshi so much as to lay a conspiracy to make away with the man.
However, the plan was perceived by one samurai – Kinta. Kinta and Takeyoshi have known each other since they were boys together, true bosom friends.
Kinta had tried to inform Takeyoshi of his danger. However Atsuhiro, who had known that his plan was detected, had even plotted to take away brave Kinta’s life. Atsuhiro’s retainers ambushed Kinta. Kinta, knowing that he had been tracked, still made his attempt to visit Takeyoshi, but alas! Kinta was almost there when he was caught by his pursuers and was slashed at the end.
“What is all this noise?”
Kinta was at the death’s door when Takeyoshi got out of his premises.
“Why!? Why does a thing like this happen to Kinta……”
Now Takeyoshi had heard everything from Kinta, breathing faintly.
“Oh, Kinta you shall NOT die! Kinta!”
Takeyoshi, he himself dug Kinta’s grave, buried him, and mourned for him.
Takeyoshi had put his palms together, closed his eyes and sent his heart out to the memories.
Kinta was born as a son of samurai at a lower class. Through Kinta, Takeyoshi were well familiarized with Kinta’s father’s heroic episodes. Takeyoshi had heard them with excitement and together they had shared their wills.
Kinta used to tease Takeyoshi often for being an upstart, but in fact it was Takeyoshi that saved Kinta from keeping his mind closed when Kinta’s brothers died of illness, his mother passed away and so his father at the battle of Kumajin……
We made bamboo-copters together, we ate “akebi” fruits, spitting seeds...good memories with Kinta flows through Takeyoshi’s mind.
Takeyoshi, repressing all his emotions…anger, sadness …solely sharpened his sword.
Atsuhiro with his retainers were now surrounding Takeyoshi’s premise to eliminate him. There, however, stood Takeyoshi waiting for them, armed and ready, and in aura of outrage, slashed them one after another.
Atsuhiro was soon driven into a corner. Takeyoshi brandished his sword over his head, slashed at Atsuhiro, also a vassal of his lord.
“Vengeance, this is!”
“Stop it, Takeyoshi!”
Takeyoshi now had no hesitation in killing Atsuhiro.
“I avenged you, Kinta…”
His sword was dripping with blood in crimson red.
Now the troops from Yashiro gathered. Crossing swords with an ally is strickly prohibited. Takeyoshi had no choice but to be pursued.
“It is a pity. Although I have pledged allegiance to Yashiro, there is no way that I can stay.”
----- Takayoshi renamed himself “Yashiroyama”, which expressed his feelings agaist Yashiro which his allegiance lied to.
Troop after troop he is chased by. Ten, twenty, maybe thirty.
He slashed them down, and down, as if he were dismissing his murderous thoughts. A full moon, moonlight shining brightly. was the goddess of mercy watching all...
Takeyoshi ran out from the castle, through the bushes. And after a long chase he was surrounded by the pursuers. He was close to the edge of the cliff. "All is up..." At that moment, an arrow, striked through Takeyoshi's shoulder and a slight gap between his shinguard. He had lost his balance, and fell off the cliff, as he had collapsed. "Kinta, I'm following you..."