Chapter One: Battle of Kuzegawa
The sounds of waves crashing and steel was all I could hear across the battlefield. The Oda clan had stepped foot in Kuzegawa, territory of the Mouri clan of western Japan. Was it for glory, or for conquest? Maybe both. I left my father's holding, and joined the fight, despite him not wanting me to. He almost threw a fit, I almost saw him cry. But I promised him that I would come back unscathed. Despite the scars that adorn my body, I didn't need any more.
I would come back alive, and if I was lucky, I'd take some lives of my own.
I licked my lips at the thought. My nerves, my fists, my weapons thirsted for blood. All in the name of the Oda, it would be most pleasant.
Screams and cries flew in the wind, along with my long reddish purple hair as I jumped from one ship to the next. My black leather leotard was covered in blood and sweat, sticking to my body like a second skin as I cut through another group of soldiers. All wearing orange, and now wearing crimson.
I was nearly at the commander. Would I be able to take his life? I had heard so much about the legendary Mouri Motonari. They said he was old, but he was still formidable. The enemies he had sent at us were no easy walk in the park. Despite my cat-like prowess, I still found myself ambushed many times, though I was able to get out of my predicament.
But before I could get to his ship, I heard footsteps behind me.
The sound of a book falling to the floor, along with the clink of a sword hitting the planks, the sound of rustling fabrics came ever closer.
"Wait!"
It was all the voice said.
Was this a surrender..?
"I won't let you..." the voice said, breathing heavily.
I turned around, and my eyes grew wide in surprise at what was standing before me.
A boy was holding on to the walls beside him, gripping the wooden walls so hard he thought he would get splinters. His other hand was held to his heart, his body nearly collapsing as he struggled to breathe. His hair was drenched, a dark golden, and I watched as sweat fell from the strands. His orange and blue clothing stuck to his skin, dark with perspiration, looking at me desperately.
"...I won't let you hurt...father.." he said, collapsing to the floor.
"Father..?" I said to myself, looking at the fallen boy before me.
Then he must have been one of the three arrows of the Mouri.
Mouri Takamoto, Kikkawa Motoharu and Kobayakawa Takakage.
All with different surnames, was this..Takamoto then?
"Not like this, kid." I said, putting my weapons away. I could have pitied the boy if we didn't look up at me in fright, his terrified stare catching me off guard, freezing me on the spot. "The foreign tongued princess of the Oda!" he shouted, struggling to rise from the floor.
"Stay down. It's not worth it." I said.
"No!" he shouted.
"I won't let you kill my father!" he yelled, rising from the floor.
To my surprise, he launched himself at me, ready to strike.
But I was ready, and blocked his attack.
"So you must be Motoharu. Not much brains." I said with a laugh, pushing the boy away,"everyone knows never to go up against Lady Miya in hand to hand combat, unless you're looking to die."
He stood before me, catching his breath, glaring at me again.
"My name is Kobayakawa Takakage. The arrow of knowledge for the Mouri clan!" he yelled, ready to charge at me again. "The boy with a death wish." I said, grabbing the fist that was coming at me,"and he's not looking too brilliant either."
I grabbed the fist and elbowed him in the throat. The hit was enough to send him flying back, and I followed that up with a punch to his face. He was so thin, so lanky, that I thought I had broken him when he crashed against the walls. Blood poured out of his nose, but he quickly wiped it away, glaring at me again.
"You...you're going to have to hit me harder than that." he muttered, watching as the blood dripped to the floor. "You really are looking to die. How do you expect to protect your clan if you're dead." I said, blocking another punch. His movements were erratic and clumsy, no doubt from exhaustion and injury. But if this kid wanted to die so badly...I would grant him his wish.
Once again, I blocked his fists, and he left himself open. I sent a swift kick to his chest, sending him flying to the walls behind him. He held his hand to his heart, nearly losing the ability to breathe, when I grabbed him by his hair, forcing him to look up at me.
"Your foolish heart got you killed, Kobayakawa. Let that be a lesson to the entire Mouri clan. Give your regards to everyone else I've killed.." I said, ready to break his neck, when two others came running into the cabin.
"Takakage!" a man's voice said. The other man said nothing, and pushed me away from Takakage, throwing me to the floor. "Get out of here, brother. We can handle this bitch." the more muscular of the two said.
Two boys stood before me, one in a blue and yellow half-cut kimono top, showing off his well-endowed chest, and white baggy pants. He wore his dark brown hair in a pony tail, and readied his fists at me. The other boy beside him had long black hair, a scholar's hat and blue and white robes on. He pointed his fan at me as the two were ready to attack.
"Kikkawa Motoharu, the arrow of courage, supporting the Mouri clan!" "Mouri Takamoto, the arrow of virtue, unifying the Mouri clan! We will show you how strong three arrows can be when bound together!
I had to laugh at their exuberance.
"Three arrows when bound together...die together." I said with a laugh, ready to strike, when the sound of retreat horns blew in the distance, stopping us.
"Father?" Motoharu asked. In curiosity, we all looked out the windows, when flags of the nearby Amago clan came into sight.
"Amago?! We've been ambushed!" Takamoto said. I turned to the two boys, who quickly picked up Takakage from the floor. "We'll finish this another time, my lady." the one named Motoharu said, as the three fled away.
Kizugawauchi, a strong hold often sought after in Chugoku...
The Mouri were at odds with all the clans up here; Amago, Ukita, even the Otomo were right behind them.
We were inside one of the Mouri ships fighting, they're one of the strongest naval clans in the land, thanks to the comrades of the Murakami.
Really, we shouldn't have been here. Though we had allies on our sides in the Tokugawa and the recently acquired Asai, we still weren't safe back home.
Not with the threat of the Takeda at our rear.
And just about everyone in the country hating my father and wanting him dead.
Our fight would be another day.
I walked out of the ship, watching as the Mouri soldiers retreated back to their main camp. Hiding, of course, so they wouldn't see me. Once the battlefield was empty, I sighed and looked at my wild reflection in the turbulent waters.
"I could have killed that little boy...what stopped me..?" I said, looking down at my gloved fist that was covered in blood. Walking through the battlefield, the smell of death was rampant. Death, and gun powder. I had to watch where I was going, to make sure my heeled boots didn't step into any blood puddles. Though I enjoyed killing in the throes of battle, I was sick of seeing the color red everywhere.
As I walked, the sound of hooves behind me stopped me in my tracks. I would have been so scared, if it didn't sound like Matsukaze. I put my defenses down, and turned to see Maeda Keiji leaning on his horse's back, looking at me with a smile.
"Party's over. Much too soon."
I was silent.
"You look exhausted. Need a ride back?" he asked.
"No." I said quietly. "Hmm? Are you alright?" he asked, looking down at me closely. "I'm fine." I replied, after running water down my long hair. I really needed a cold bath after this. Or at least just to clean myself up. Still, I couldn't get those brothers out of my head. Especially Takakage. I couldn't stop thinking about what kept me from killing him. Did I pity him? Was I impressed?
No, how could a little boy like that impress me? He was a stick, and I should have broken him...
But something about his determination to save his father...I would have done the same...I would have fought through hell, I would do anything for him. Takakage went up against a beast knowing full well it would have killed him...yes...I suppose it was impressive.
"The offer's still up, Princess. You need a ride back?" he asked again. "No. Not on that thing." I replied with a smirk, looking up at the blond mane hovering over me.
"Sorry kid, I forgot you were afraid of heights!" he yelled, running away before I could put that bastard into a shallow grave.
"Maeda! Get back here, you asshole!" I yelled, chasing him back to the camp.
Eventually Keiji stopped, and we walked back to the camp together; he on Matsukaze's back, and me walking beside it. Even for a horse, it was three times my size. Well, anything was, as I stood at below five feet. It was easy fodder to tease me on. It was also a sure way to get yourself murdered.
When we got to the main camp, however, we were both confused at the sight before us.
My father, Oda Nobunaga, lord of the Oda clan, decked in his devilish and shiny black and gold trimmed armor, his blowing reddish purple cape, the emblem of the Oda, golden like the sun that had set on the land, stood before the lord of the Mouri clan, Motonari. He was not wearing armor, only dressed in a bluish grey yutaka, his infamous black chin-strapped hat off, along with his weapon.
The two looked like they were in deep conversation, Nobunaga looking amused, while Motonari looked uneasy.
Carefully, I approached the two, when they stopped talking and looked at me.
"What's going on here? Just earlier today, our armies were at each other's throats..." I said.
"Pardon me, but I have a proposal to make.." Motonari said, scratching the back of his head.
I was listening, until I saw Takakage standing beside him. His nose was patched up, his left eye socket was black and blue, and his pale cheek was bruised. He looked away, holding his head down in lethargy. "Takakage!" I said to myself, my eyes growing wide, my heart pounding deeply in my chest. I knew he had noticed me too, because I saw his eyes twinkle in fright.
Nobunaga looked at Motonari, terribly amused. Such was my father, he wasn't afraid of anything. I almost wished I could be as strong and unflinching as he.
Confusion were once again written on my features. There were no signs of the Amago clan anywhere, and Motonari looked as calm and collected as ever.
"He had his men wave Amago flags to distract us.." Takenaka Hanbei whispered in my ear,"he blew the retreat horns."
Takakage looked up. I noticed he and Hanbei couldn't keep their eyes off each other. He knew we were talking about them, despite us trying to keep our voices low.
"He's a dangerous man." Kuroda Kanbei stated, coming to my other side.
"That he would jeopardize his own men for strategy..." I said.
"Brilliant, but risky. He knew what he was doing. Mouri Motonari is a man to be feared." Akechi Mitsuhide said, approaching us.
The scent of lavender was fresh and rich in his footsteps. I swooned.
"So what is he doing here? When he knows damn well we could kill him in one shot." I said.
"No you can't. You touch him and you're dead. We're in his corner, he's got this place surrounded." Hanbei said.
Beside the two adults talking, I was surrounded by Mitsuhide, Hanbei and Kanbei. Suddenly, both Nobunaga and Motonari looked over at me, with Nobunaga calling me over.
"Naturally, one would send a messenger for this. But..."
I watched as father let Motonari and Takakage sit down on benches before us.
We were encircled by Hanbei and Kanbei, Akechi, Shibata Katsuie, Niwa Nagahide, Gamo Ujisato, Kaiho Tsunachika, and the Maedas; Keiji and Toshiie.
Standing beside father was myself and Hashiba Hideyoshi.
That slime of a man...
I could hear everyone in the camp talking. Curiosity etched all over their features as whispers flew in the air.
"You're a devious one, Motonari...raising the flags of your rivals to save your hide. I wonder what kind of plans you have for now..?"
The way father stared into Motonari. Like he was peering into his very soul.
Motonari felt a chill down his spine and said,"The gaze of the Demon King is as scary as they say.."
My father simply laughed.
"I almost want to feel it again.." Motonari added, looking into Nobunaga's eyes.
The two stared at each other, never letting their gazes drop.
We could all only watch in curiosity.
"State your purpose, dear strategist.." Nobunaga said. It was almost a purr, his voice dipped low, and he looked daggers at the older man, as he rose from his seat. Motonari followed suit, until the two were once again standing in front of each other.
"My land is in a state of war. Your attack was almost unwelcome, for we have been attacked at many sides by our surrounding neighbors. Chugoku is rich in resources, and right off the docks into the Seto Sea."
"Go on." Nobunaga said.
The two were standing so close, they were almost touching. I watched as father's tongue reached out and licked his lips, a habit he said he grew out of.
"And so I want to propose a ceasefire." he added.
"In other words, get off your land." Nobunaga challenged.
"Precisely." Motonari said.
"In exchange for your daughter." he added.
Everyone, including me, gasped.
Takakage's eyes grew wide.
Nobunaga looked at him, impressed.
"That you would dare stand so close to me and speak so absurd.." he said, grasping his neck.
"Please tell me more." he added.
He lifted Motonari by his neck with ease, looking into his eyes, watching as the older man coughed and squirmed in his hold.
A hearty laugh passed through father's lips, when he threw him to the ground.
"Did you ever think, that I would give up my precious daughter?" he asked, laughing.
Takakage ran to comfort his father, glaring at the Demon King. Motonari coughed and ran his hands up and down his neck, his lips turned into a dangerous smile.
"Very well." Nobunaga added,"we'll leave. But don't expect this peace to last. I haven't forgotten your words."
And with that, we began to leave.
Motonari smiled and said,"And now, everything is in my corner."
"But father, he tried to kill you." Takakage said.
"And by that, he exposed his greatest weakness." Motonari said.
"I..you..." Takakage spluttered, trying to make sense of the situation.
He looked up, and our eyes met. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" Motonari asked.
"I...suppose so. I just wish she'd put some pants on. After all, fighting a curvaceous woman in nothing but a black leotard, jacket and boots isn't easy." Takakage said.
Motonari chuckled and said,"Indeed. Well, we'll think of something. In the meantime.." he said, watching as we began to pack up our things. He looked over at the supply boxes and said,"Takakage. I need you to do something for me." "Of course, father..." Takakage said, walking towards the cargo.
Little did Takakage know that Hanbei's eyes were on him the entire time..