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墨書 Inktalez
Japan is referred to as the "Hundred Demons Country," and in Japanese folklore, there are various kinds of yokai, yet dragons appear infrequently. I speculate this is influenced by China. In ancient times, Japan often looked to China for guidance.
The Chinese emperor referred to himself as the "True Dragon Son," possessing the "Sovereign of Nine Five." Consequently, references to dragons in Japanese legends are noticeably fewer—it's not surprising that the Chinese emperor would appear in Japan.
In Japanese legends, snakes are the most commonly featured creatures, such as Yamata no Orochi. It is said to have eight heads and one tail, with eyes as red as "Sour Grass." Its back is covered in moss and trees, its belly rotting and oozing blood, and dark rain clouds often hover above its head. Its massive body resembles nine mountains and nine valleys, and it has a great fondness for alcohol. Although it may seem a tier below dragons, it possesses considerable power.
The dragon most frequently mentioned in Japanese lore is the Dragon Spirit King. It is said that all waterfalls in every country flow from a single pot, which the Dragon Spirit King governs.
This dragon is a blue dragon, stretching a thousand lengths long, capable of circling the skies of all nations in just a few minutes. It surveys everywhere to determine where waterfalls need increased flow and where they should be reduced, acting as the master switch for all waterfalls.
However, as the spirit of dragons, it is also responsible for subduing all demons and monsters! Whenever the Dragon King descends, it plunges from the sky to the earth, causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that result in widespread devastation. Thus, when Shichiba saw the dragon's head, he was understandably terrified.
In reality, these disasters stem from Japan's unstable geological structure.
In Japanese folklore, the method to deal with a descending dragon involves lighting a roaring bonfire in open fields to disperse the clouds. Without clouds to bring rain and wind, the dragon will naturally retreat.
The practical purpose of this method may be to encourage people to escape their homes and warm themselves by the fire. However, there is another theory suggesting that it advises people to hide indoors because those who witness a true dragon descending will go blind from seeing its flames.
"But during this moment of chaos—the rebellion of Akechi Mitsuhide—the appearance of the Dragon Spirit King subduing demons is indeed a strange occurrence," the woman seemed to mockingly laugh at the man's ramblings.
"The dragon's head hovering over Honnō-ji implies that Oda Nobunaga, who is about to be killed, is indeed the most heinous demon? This could cloak Akechi Mitsuhide's crime of treason in a veneer of legitimacy. Yet, there’s some truth to it.
After all, Oda Nobunaga called himself the "Sixth Heaven Demon King," having burned down the sacred Buddhist site of Hieizan and killed over thirty thousand monks; he was a brutal ruler. To Buddhism practiced in Japan at that time, Oda Nobunaga was indeed the greatest demon."
The man speculated, "Moreover, the appearance of this dragon's head can only enhance Akechi Mitsuhide's sense of righteousness in believing he killed Lord. He must think: I did not betray Lord, but rather eliminated a brutal demon for the sake of the world. The timing of its appearance is indeed quite fitting and logical."
"Is it also consistent with physical principles?"
"That can be explained. First, please note that it is not a dragon, but a dragon's head," the man emphasized. "What appeared in the sky was a massive dragon's head, not an entire dragon. The emergence of just the head is fundamentally different from that of a whole dragon."
"Perhaps its body was obscured by clouds? Isn't there an old saying, 'Divine Dragon Sees Head But Not Tail'?"
"Impossible. The text begins by stating multiple times that there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, such as 'Clear Blue Sky' and 'a sky as clear as washed.' This means that only the dragon's head was visible, without any body."
"How could a dragon possibly lack a body?"
"Therefore, this is not a dragon. It is merely something shaped like a dragon's head, which makes it easier to understand."
The man's eyes lost focus, as if gazing into the distant void. "Not a dragon, just a dragon's head; perhaps it was simply a kite shaped like a dragon's head."
"A kite is three-dimensional? And its eyes could still glow?"
"No, kites are not three-dimensional, and at such a dim moment, flying one would be utterly useless; it would be invisible. It should have been a hot air balloon shaped like a dragon's head? No, there were no hot air balloons back then—only their predecessor—the Kongming Lantern.
Right, didn't you say that at that time Japan corresponded to China's Yuan Dynasty? So it would be quite normal for Japan to have Kongming Lanterns from China's Three Kingdoms period.
The Kongming Lantern was originally used for conveying military signals at night. Thus, at that moment, during the ambiguous twilight hour, someone used a dragon-head-shaped Kongming Lantern to guide Akechi Mitsuhide, indicating that Honno-ji was right here.
This makes perfect sense.
Moreover, the Kongming Lantern contains a flame that serves as a source of heat, which explains why the dragon head appears so fierce and radiant. Additionally, that morning, the sky was clear with no clouds, leaving no reference points; thus, the description of the dragon head being as large as a fighting bowl cannot be confirmed.
This only indirectly suggests one thing: among the followers of Oda Nobunaga who remained in Honnō-ji, there was a traitor working for Akechi Mitsuhide.
"Oda Nobunaga only brought along a little over a hundred trusted followers. However, since they are trusted, the likelihood of having a traitor among them is relatively low," the woman replied.
She nodded. "But your hypothesis is quite reasonable. According to historical records, Oda Nobunaga had a fondness for imported goods, particularly Western items. Later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and some other daimyō also showed an interest in Chinese artifacts. Therefore, it would not be surprising if Kongming Lanterns appeared at that time."
The man smiled as he organized the documents for her. "Even more intriguing is that in Japanese folklore, when dragons appear in the sky, it heralds great disaster. Uninformed villagers would not come out to watch; they would hide in their homes. This would allow Akechi Mitsuhide to act unnoticed and commit his treasonous deeds. Furthermore, when the dragon god descends, there will be thunder and flames, which foreshadows the fire that would later engulf Honnō-ji."
The woman chuckled as she pulled out the next document. "He never expected that when he stormed into Honnō-ji, he would not find Oda Nobunaga himself.
The so-called Sixth Heaven Demon King, Oda Nobunaga, mysteriously vanished amidst the encirclement and the burning temple. This leads us to the next event of flying through fire."
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