Chapter 35: Chapter 35: A Warrior’s Oath
Echigo Province – Kasugayama Castle, Year 9 of Tenbun (1540 AD)
The sun had begun to rise.
Its golden light stretched over the castle walls, chasing away the last shadows of night.
And in the heart of Kasugayama Castle—
A decision had been made.
The warrior who had once been a nameless blade had chosen to stay.
Not as a servant.Not as a tool.
But as himself.
And today—
That choice would be set in stone.
The chamber was quiet.
Only a handful of warriors stood within its walls—those Kenshin trusted most.
No grand ceremony.No unnecessary words.
Only the weight of a single decision.
Uesugi Kenshin sat at the head of the room, his expression unreadable.
Before him—
The warrior stood, his blade in hand.
This was no simple declaration.
This was a vow.
A warrior's oath.
A promise that could not be undone.
"You have made your choice."
Kenshin's voice was calm.
"Then speak it."
"And let it be known why you fight."
The warrior closed his eyes for a brief moment.
The past lingered in his mind.
The battlefield where he had once fought for Takeda Harunobu.The faces of those who had called him a monster.The feeling of breaking free from his chains.
And now—
Here he stood.
By his own will.
By his own choice.
He opened his eyes.
And his words rang clear and unshaken.
"I fight not for conquest."
"I fight not for ambition."
"I fight not as a weapon for another's hand."
"I fight because I have chosen to."
"And because my blade is now my own."
The room was silent.
Then, after a long moment—
Uesugi Kenshin nodded.
"Then from this moment forward—"
"You are no longer a wanderer."
"You are a warrior of Echigo."
"And your battle is yours to define."
With those words—
The choice was sealed.
And for the first time in his life—
The warrior had a place to stand.
Not as someone else's shadow.
But as himself.
The warriors in the room bowed their heads in respect.
Not to a servant.Not to an outsider.
But to an equal.
To a warrior who had carved his own path.
He had once been a nameless blade.
Now—
He was more.
And whatever came next—
He would face it without hesitation.
Because his fate was finally his own.
[Fated Death: Erased.] You have taken an oath as a warrior of Echigo. You no longer fight as a tool, but as your own person. Your future is no longer dictated by others—it is yours to forge.
The war will come.
But this time, you have something worth fighting for.