Imagawa Yoshimoto was dead.
He had lost someone tonight.
Ii Naomori was dead.
She had lost someone tonight.
Under the rain, under the lightning, threw the mud and blood, the Oda Army was victorious.
Her eyes traveled up and down her body. Dirt, mud, and blood all over her skin. It was heavy, threatening to drag her down to hell.
Her clothes were ripped and torn, her hair, ruined. Bruises and wounds upon her porcelain skin..
Such a far cry from the peaceful life she so desperately wanted.
He fairs no different.
His armor sticks to his body like glue. It's heavy, dragging him down to hell.
He had since lost his helmet, allowing the rain to beat against the top of his head.
Sweat. Dirt. Blood.
He can barely breathe under the pressure.
His weapon sits by him. There's no need for it now.
The Imagawa are finished.
And perhaps it's time to declare independence.
But before he could speak, he sees her.
A tall, buxom, bow-legged bombshell of a woman.
She's just like him.
An absolute mess.
She's decked in red in both blood and armor.
Face awash in tears.
She shivers, but not because of the cold.
But because she's just now realized, she's the only one left.
"A woman is not supposed to lead. A woman is not supposed to lead."
She repeats it like a mantra, walking back and forth, walking in circles.
Perhaps she doesn't even realize she's doing it.
He takes notice of the way she's dressed.
Then he looks at her odd choice in weapon-bladed boots.
She walks still, mumbling and crying to herself, until he coughs to get her attention.
She stops.
Then she turns around and gasps, holding her hand to her mouth in terror.
This man in the dirty armor.
Is he there to kill her?
She has no more fight left in her. She kneels at the brink of exhaustion.
He approaches, and holds out his hand.
He is now free.
Free of his debt to the Imagawa. He is free to change his name, to gather his army, to start anew.
He wants to take her with him.
This beautiful girl.
This strong fighter.
"My name..my name is Tokugawa Ieyasu."
And like that, his burden had dropped.
Gone is Takechiyo.
Matsudaira Motoyasu was dead, too.
"My name..is...Ii Naotora."
She looked at him with a small smile.
And with that, her burden had flown to the heavens.
Jiro-Houshi was dead.
He dared to approach her.
He in the damaged blue armor. The color of the heavens.
Her, in the red armor. The color of hell.
His hand is out, but suddenly, he brings it to himself as he coughs.
Perhaps this new burden is too much?
She simply stares at him.
He wants to speak, but is riddled by coughs.
Is he taken with her beauty?
And so she begins to speak.
"Lord Ieyasu.."
But suddenly, she's overcome with coughs.
Perhaps her new burden is too much to bear.
A smile appears on his lips.
A smile on hers.
Both bring their hands to their stomachs.
It's almost as if he is mocking her.
A small attempt at normalcy after hell has broken lose.
The coughs soon turn to laughs, and then a promise.
If she can endure, he can endure, too.
She decides to follow Tokugawa Ieyasu.
He decides to follow Ii Naotora.
And together, they'll try.
*Takechiyo-Ieyasu's childhood name.
*Matsudaira Motoyasu-Ieyasu's former name, following his coming-of-age
* Jiro-Houshi: Supposed birth name of Ii Naotora