Miki Castle
Miki Castle (三木城) was a Japanese castle in Miki during the Sengoku period.[1] The castle served as the seat of power for its builder, the daimyō Bessho Nagaharu of the Bessho clan, until his downfall and subsequent death in 1580.[2] Today, its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 2013.[1]
History
In 1576, the Mōri clan had openly opposed the Oda clan,[2] which sought to expand their authority towards Harima. Nagaharu was counted as an ally to Oda Nobunaga and visited him in Kyoto many times to assure their alliances. However, in 1578, Nobunaga's commander Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked the Mōri clan in the Chūgoku provinces, which prompted Nagaharu to resist and help the Mōri by shutting himself in Miki Castle. As a result, Hideyoshi enacted a two-year siege on the castle, taking over surrounding fortresses and cutting off Nagaharu's provisions. Ultimately, Nagaharu surrendered and he, his wife, and his younger brother Tomoyuki committed seppuku in exchange for the lives of the castle's soldiers.[3][2]
In 1582, a retainer of the Bessho clan, Bessho Harumasa, also known as The Ox, sought to build a resistance against the Oda clan and to claim back his clan's power through bloodshed.[4] After Nobunaga's death at Honnō-ji,[5][2] Harumasa and his forces easily took back Miki Castle from the remnants of the Oda clan and kept Hideyoshi's men out.[4]
Harumasa's actions, however, drew the attention of the Kakushiba ikki members Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke,[4] who, along with former Bessho clan samurai Koshiro and fellow conscripts, launched an assault on the castle to assassinate Harumasa,[6] who was secretly a Shinbakufu member and partly responsible for killing Naoe's father Nagato.[7]
Naoe managed to free Koshiro's remaining fellow conscripts and killed some gunmen, which allowed Yasuke to confront the Ox and his men. When Yasuke challenged to the Ox to a fight, the Ox's right hand known only as "The Tsuno" offered to fight in Harumasa's stead. Yasuke managed to best and kill the Tsuno in combat while Naoe and Koshiro reconvened with him afterwards. After they aided Koshiro and his conscripts to leave to meet with Nakamura Tadashige at Kyokaiji Temple, they confronted Harumasa further into the castle. Defeating Harumasa, they interrogated the Ox about the box the Shinbakufu took that night in Iga, but Harumasa stated that he knew nothing.[6]
When Naoe asked why he was there that night, Harumasa revealed that it was his first time outside Harima and how he owed his loyalty to a figure whom he referred to as "The Tatsu" in exchange for his support in retaking the castle. When Harumasa asked what would happen with his men, the pair promised them freedom of choice, which caused Harumasa to dismiss the notion as ridiculous. Naoe signaled Yasuke to execute Harumasa, who thanked him for a warrior's death. Yasuke then beheaded Harumasa, ending The Ox's cause.[6]
At a later point, Naoe and Yasuke returned to the castle, eliminated its four samurai daisho, looted the Defense Master Headwrap from the castle's treasure chest, and climbed atop the tenshu to survey Himeji.[8]
Gallery
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Concept art of a map of Miki Castle -
Concept art of Naoe at Miki Castle -
Concept art of Naoe at Miki Castle -
Concept art of the Siege of Miki Castle
Appearances
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Miki Castle on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Database: The Siege of Miki Castle
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Database: Bessho Nagaharu
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – A Voice in Anger
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Temple of the Horseman
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Broken Horn
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – The Onryo Samurai
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows