"Please find out from which direction the Okuragui Army will attack, and point out the high ground along those routes."
Directions? High ground?
Though puzzled, the seasoned general Ijiri Matabei Yoshitoshi immediately led Kobayashi Itsuki to the right spots as requested.
"This is the main axis of the Okuragui Army's assault."
Kobayashi Itsuki studied the direction Matabei indicated.
"For high ground, roughly there, and here..."
Matabei tapped several more vantage points; Kobayashi Itsuki gave a slight nod.
"That'll do."
With that, Kobayashi Itsuki set down his bag, unzipped it, and—to the stunned eyes of Matabei and company—pulled out three Explosion-proof shields.
"Hold these for now, in case someone snipes from cover."
Matabei had his men take the massive shields that could hide a whole body, his expression odd.
Not stopping there, Kobayashi Itsuki kept rummaging.
Moments later he produced a green brick about the size of a computer monitor,
plus some strut-like bits and pieces, and an instruction manual.
Matabei leaned in curiously, but none of them had the faintest idea what it did.
All they could see was a single large line:
FRONT TOWARD ENEMY
Exactly!
The "surprise" Kobayashi Itsuki spoke of was the claymore mine he'd drawn from the system long ago.
He'd kept it all this time, never finding a use for it.
After all, in modern society there was simply nowhere it could be employed.
He couldn't become a terrorist planting bombs just to farm ill-will—
that would be inhuman and antisocial,
completely against his values.
But in this Warring States Period he had no such scruples.
Here, morality was irrelevant; in war it was kill or be killed.
He remembered the original story: Okuragui once ordered every man slaughtered and every woman captured.
If Kasuga Castle fell, he, Nanako, and the Nohara Family would all be in peril.
Faced with that, compassion and mercy were luxuries he couldn't afford.
"Kobayashi-kun, this is the surprise you mentioned?"
"Mm, that's it."
Kobayashi Itsuki nodded, offering no further explanation, and lifted the claymore to read its sheet.
Though a military weapon, the manual made setup pretty straightforward.
The system-provided instructions were so detailed it was practically foolproof.
Following the steps, Kobayashi Itsuki began assembly.
The others ringed him with Explosion-proof shields, watching for stray arrows.
After adjusting height and angle, he finally planted the first claymore.
Pointing the FRONT TOWARD ENEMY face toward the Okuragui Army, he started unspooling the wire.
It had to be detonated within thirty metres; any closer and friendlies would be shredded too.
With the first one set, Kobayashi Itsuki held the detonator and told Matabei, "Have someone build a small bunker thirty metres back and wait. When I give the word, press this button."
"Thirty metres?"
Matabei gazed toward the distant enemy, his face grave.
"Kobayashi-kun, at thirty metres... the men left there will be..."
Thirty metres isn't far; once battle starts, under a hail of arrows escape would be impossible.
That short distance might as well be a death sentence.
Kobayashi Itsuki caught his meaning and shook his head.
"Just wear armour that'll stop arrows; don't worry about the rest."
Once the enemy closes in and the claymores blow, there won't be any enemy left to give chase.
Matabei tried to speak, but Kobayashi Itsuki looked him in the eye and said evenly,
"Trust me, it'll be fine."
"And, Ijiri-kun, there's an old saying in China: 'The merciful do not command armies.'"
Matabei fell silent for a moment,
then finally nodded, accepting the plan.
As a general he knew the logic; only his nature made him hesitate.
Next, surrounded by the group, Kobayashi Itsuki laid a total of seven claymores,
virtually encircling the Okuragui Army from every direction—
fair and square.
The remaining three he reserved for the city wall as defensive trump cards.
Done, Kobayashi Itsuki clapped his hands.
"All right, send the men over."
"The wheat in the fields is nearly ripe; if they're going to attack, it'll be soon."
Matabei nodded and briskly made the arrangements as Kobayashi Itsuki instructed.
Soon several fully-armoured soldiers, resolved to die, were chosen to trigger the mines.
"We will complete the mission, even at the cost of our lives."
They spoke with the air of men embarking on a suicide run.
Kobayashi Itsuki couldn't be bothered to explain further.
This era already had guns and gunpowder, but they were crude next to modern claymores.
With everything set, Kobayashi Itsuki and Matabei returned to the city.
Inside Kasuga Castle, everyone was busy preparing for war.
On the wall, as Kobayashi Itsuki watched logs and fist-sized stones stacked up, he kept working,
installing the last three claymores, ready to greet the assault.
Nanako and the Nohara Family were relieved to see Kobayashi Itsuki back safe.
But when they came up to greet him on the wall, Hiroshi spotted the three green lumps and the words FRONT TOWARD ENEMY, and his face went slack with shock.
"L-Kobayashi-sensei, this is the surprise you meant?!"
"Mm, that's right."
"I've laid a few more down below; I'm sure Okuragui will love them."