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Naomasa
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I leave my family’s palace in the morning, and, as the Sun begins to rise in the East, I arrive at the shinden-zukuri that belongs to Devikuro Shukong. In the early morning, one of his attendants rushes to meet me as I stand outside the gates of his grand manor, standing patiently in place as I stare straight ahead without feeling so much as a pang of regret. My nerves have died down; the pain of my injuries has begun to fade; the memory of my defeat no longer maintains its presence in my mind.
Today I will kill Devikuro.
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In the garden of the central courtyard, Devikuro Shukong stands a short distance opposite me while calmly pulling at the mala seeds on his bracelet. With a grim expression, he looks up at me and says, “You’ve returned and shortly after earning such
