The day of absolute misery was almost upon us. The Eastern Army and that fool Tokugawa had fallen from grace, everything setting its course for the Western Army to finally conquer the land of the rising sun. With the west united, only one thing stood in the way between Mitsunari and total victory.

And that was a small resistance lead by Kanbei Kuroda. Which was already a lost cause, since Kuroda was about as competent as a muffled, half blind, rabid animal. Or I would say it was so, if it wasn't an insult to said animal.

With this in mind, I was not worried about the final battle, in fact, my main concern that it would be too easy. That there would be not enough misery and despair to spread as the war finally came to an end…

It has been a strange turn of events since Kuroda had ran away to the Hojo Clan. No, I don't believe 'strange' is a strong enough word. For it would seem that the moment those two buffoons united, it was as if the gods were bored enough to actually have them succeed in life for once. The east slowly started to fall apart, even causing struggles for Tokugawa, which left Mitsunari in a daze for days just how Tokugawa could fall to such idiocy. Not that I blame him. I too was unable to comprehend the news at first.

It was absurd, but I must admit it did make my life easier. A less annoying nuisance, but soon his luck will run out. And his despair will reach its core…such misery that I could not wait to see the broken expression in his dark, pathetic eyes. It would be glorious, the time for ultimate suffering will finally be upon us all! Not just for Kuroda and the elderly Hojo…no, the Western Army needed to be brought into the consuming abyss.

And what better place to start than to shatter the heart of a love sick fool and the object of his affection.

To begin my evil scheme, I decided to invite my victims to join me for some sake. I was sitting at the table, preparing the best sake we had at Osaka Castle...with a few additions added to it, of course. To make sure my plan was a success, I had told them different times so it had time to take its effect. Any minute now, my first victim will show his face, where he-

"This better not be a waste of my time, Otani."

My thoughts interrupted, I glanced up to meet Motonari Mori's cruel dark gaze as he entered the room. Ah, the social gathering only just started, and already he was annoyed with it.

I smiled. "You make it sound as if I were asking you to give up your precious Solar Nexus."

Though to be fair, the idea of seeing the distraught expression on his face would be an amusing one. Mori narrowed his eyes.

"If you were to ever ask for such a thing, I would break your neck."

Even though his voice carried a threatening tone full of dislike, he still walks over and sits across from me. A man who claims to only interact with others when necessary, yet he still comes for a drink with an ally he considers to be below him. Truly, he was a man of inconsistencies.

"Oh dear, wouldn't that be terrible," I replied, taking two of the three cups I had laying out and pouring sake in them. "To be slaughtered over a joke, wouldn't that be a miserable way to go." I handed him a drink. "Really, Mori, is it asking too much for me to spend time with my good friend? Even you must long for company every once and awhile."

Mori growled. "With a tongue like yours, I am surprised to see that you have lived for this long. Especially with Ishida's foul temper." He begrudgingly accepts the drink. "We are the type of men who don't do things without a purpose, Otani. I only came here because I know you want something from me. You always want something." He paused for a moment. "…Why is there a third cup? Is someone else joining us?"

Genuine confusion slipped through his usual stoic expression. I smiled, holding back a small laugh, enjoying this rare moment I have obtained from the cold general of Aki.

"Do not think you are special enough for me to only invite you, Mori," I said with a slight mocking tone. "As I told you, I wanted to give us a night of relaxation, inviting all of us leaders here. Unfortunately, only you and Chosokabe accepted my offer, as the others were either not in the mood or had other plans to attend to."

There was a short silence, Mori taking a moment to study the meaning of my words, the emotions in my expressions. To detect any forms of deceit… Our eyes locked, where eventually Mori let out a small sigh.

"Of course Chosokabe would come," he remarked. "The fool would willingly fall for a trap if he knew there would be free sake...or just know that sake was there in general. Though to hear that Shimazu would refuse something such as this…?"

His eyes gleamed with questions. He then brought his cup to his lips to take a drink, however the moment the liquid touches his lips, his nose twitched. A look of disgust forms on his face, bring the drink back and glaring at me.

"What is this, Otani? Why does this sake have a foul stench to it?"

"Oh, does it?" I blinked, grabbing one of the other filled cup and pretending to examining it. "I cannot detect anything…nor should I since this is Mitsunari's favorite. Perhaps it is too strong for you? I can find you something lighter, if you are not able to handle it."

I reach over in attempt to grab his cup, however as I did Mori moves it further away. He glared at me.

"If that is the case, I would like to test that theory," he said coldly.

And now he was being difficult, having his pride on the line if this wasn't attempted to poison him. I blinked once again, a glint of amusement in my eyes as a soft laugh escaped me.

"I'm hurt by your accusation, Mori. But I admit, it is fair to be cautious in times such as these with enemies at every corner."

It was also fair to assume that if one were to spike another's drink with added alcohol content they wouldn't do it to their own drink as well. Especially if they were a sickly man such as myself, but no matter. My alcohol tolerance was surprisingly high, so I wouldn't be effected too highly. Neither would Motochika Chosokabe I figure, with how much he drinks. Mori on the other hand…

Ignoring my comments, Mori examined both. He even went as far as to examine the rest of the sake's contents…in which I replied he was being overly paranoid, as I took a sip from each cup to prove they weren't poisoned. Mori was annoyed by my taunts, but I could see him relax once I showed no signs of being poisoned. He sighed, calling me once again a fool for running my mouth, claiming one of the cups.

With a small smile, I took a cup and took a sip of sake. "Perhaps I do talk too much, however I am not the only one who does. You have become more social and talkative yourself, Mori. Especially with Chosokabe, who you seem to enjoy arguing with."

After taking his first sip, Mori flinched for a second, his face sneering at its taste. However, for his pride's sake, he quickly regained his composure where a small growl escaped him.

"That is none of your concern," he replied harshly. "If we are to succeed in this war, I have no choice but to associate myself with you all. Chosokabe especially, for if he is not carefully watched, he could turn against us. He is a wild beast after all."

"True…though I fail to see how starting up conflicts is considered 'watching him so he doesn't betray us.'"

I raised an eyebrow while Mori let out a small, 'hmph.'

"I do not start any conflicts."

I narrowed my eyes. "Is that so? Then tell me, why is that every time Chosokabe says something, you have to find some way to contradict or criticize him? Or the fact you always inject yourself into the conversation when you see Chosokabe speak with me or the other lords? Then there is the fact you cannot accept Chosokabe having the last word, so even when an argument doesn't end in your favor, you-"

"Are you quite done?"

His grip tightened on his cup, an irritated flare rising in his gaze. A small chuckle escaped me.

"I'm afraid not. I have yet to make note of the physical fights you two get into. Daily, for hours on end. In the courtyard, screaming at the top of your-"

I was cut off by Mori slamming his cup on the table. The slam was hard enough to cause tiny droplets of sake to fall out. I take sip of my drink, enjoying the infuriated glare that burned his dark gaze. A gaze that was becoming out of focus.

I only smile at how unravel Mori was becoming. He gave off a low growl, avoiding eye contact while drinking the rest of his sake. I could make out a small tint of pink on his pale face, his posture slouching as well.

Everything was going exactly how I want it to go. Now, any moment now my final guest should arrive. Specifically, in three…two…one…

"Ahoy!"

Glancing over towards the door, I can hear the loud footsteps echo through the hallway. Chosokabe's orotund voice echoed through the thin walls, where I assumed anyone who was resting in a nearby room could hear him perfectly. Such annoyance he brings to those who were used to the quiet.

"I hope you all didn't think to start without me! No party starts till the…"

As he entered the room, Chosokabe cut himself off, a hint of confusion in his single eye. His gaze locked onto Mori for a moment before he turned his attention towards me.

"Am I too early? I thought you said to be here by eleven, Otani."

I gave a small smile. "You are correct," I replied, taking a small sip of sake. "However only Mori and yourself seem to have taken up on the invite. Mitsunari I am not surprised on, but I have yet to hear anything from Shimazu since I've told him about it."

Signaling for him to come sit by us, I poured him a cup of sake, placing it between where Mori and I sat. Chosokabe narrowed his eye at me for a second, though he eventually came by to join us.

It is at this moment I glanced over to see Mori's reaction. As soon as Chosokabe sat down, his muscles grew tensed. His grip on his drink tightened, his lip twitching while his gaze remained solely on Chosokabe.

He may be quiet on the outside, but inside his heart I could hear the glorious screams of emotional agony.

"Ishida doesn't appear to be the party type, so I get that," Chosokabe said, oblivious to the intense stare that was burning into him. "But I have a hard time believing Shimazu didn't give you an answer."

He took a sniff of the sake before taking a big gulp. It doesn't take him long to finish the first drink, where I offered him some more.

"You forget, Chosokabe, that the Beast is no longer in his prime. It is a possibility that he overslept, or even forgot about it during the day. This was a last minute idea of mind, so it's my own fault for the poor planning."

"Yet you are not one to underestimate these types of things."

I blinked, meeting Chosokabe's gaze. With his pirate reputation, it was sometimes easy to forget how intelligent this man was. Gullible to no end, but he was not some I could fool with no effort put into it.

"I am not perfect and I don't claim to be. I am stressed, we all are, and that caused me to make a flaw in my plan." Breaking eye contact, I poured some more sake for myself and took a small drink. "My intent was to give us the opportunity to relax before we crush our final opposition. It does not matter to me if they come or not, but rather they are able to have a peace of mind, even if it is for a short while."

For Mitsunari especially… Hopefully this peaceful night would allow him to get the rest his body needs.

It took a moment for Chosokabe to reply. "That…is surprisingly humble of you." A small chuckle escaped him. "You may be a bastard at times, Otani, but you're all right."

I glared at him for that comment, though it only seemed make his amusement grow. A small heat rose to my face, placing my cup down. I was losing focus on my objective. I needed to find a way to bring Chosokabe and Mori to interact more.

"Uh…Mori? Are you all right?"

I noticed that Chosokabe had turned his attention to Mori. He had his hand on the Aki general's shoulder, shaking him slightly with a concerned expression. Which was understandable, because the man did appear in such a terrible state. Mori's face was terribly flushed, though it was hard to tell if it was because of the alcohol or because he was so close to the man he was incredibly infatuated with. He turned to face the pirate, having a very, very, very lost gleam in his eyes.

"Mori, can you hear me?" Chosokabe asked. He raised his hand up. "How many fingers am I holding?"

He glanced over at my direction for help but I merely shrug my shoulders. When I didn't provide any answers, he growled and continued his vain attempt to reach a clearly gone Mori.

"…Choso…"

Mori's voice were so slurred it was almost impossible to tell what name he was trying to say. He then leaned forward, and whether it was intentional or not it was hard to say. But the next thing Chosokabe or I knew, he had launched himself onto the pirate for dear life.

Chosokabe flinched back, a surprised grunt escaping him. "Mori!?" He tried desperately to pull the drunken man off of him. However, the more he struggled, the tighter Mori would cling on to him, groaning and begging him not to go. Soon enough, Chosokabe was able to hear those pleas and he froze.

"I…?"

Now that he was still, Mori was able to crawl into a spot he liked. His arms hung around Chosokabe's neck, his legs entangled with one of the pirate's. His head laid against his chest, his eyes closed as if he was about to fall asleep. Chosokabe, trapped where he was, looked down at the smaller man with a panicked expression. A blatant blush was spread across his face that not even the darkest of skin tones could hide.

This…this was too perfect. I had expected Mori to become drunk, but this was even something I couldn't have predicted. I placed a hand over my mouth, hoping to muffle my laughter as much as I could. My chest…it felt so light. I had never seen something so amusing in all my life.

"O-Otani! This isn't funny!" Chosokabe was failing, horribly, to keep his composure. He was shaking, and the more he tried to lean away from Mori, the more it would seem he would try and press himself closer. "D-do something! I can't…"

He attempted grab one of Mori's arms to pull them away, but at that same moment the Aki general nuzzled his head against the pirate's chest. He froze, where this time Mori's words were so muffled I couldn't pick up what he was saying.

But it didn't mean Chosokabe couldn't. Whatever it was he heard, it was enough for his entire body to tense up.

A few moments passed and neither of them moved. It was hard to tell if Mori was asleep or not, but it was clear as day that he was content. Chosokabe, while still on edge, was slowly beginning to relax, at least enough to where he found the ability to breathe again.

"…How interesting," I finally said. "It would appear that Mori is…much more fond of you than we all thought."

"I…" Chosokabe held his gaze on Mori. "I don't understand. Why…?"

"Is it not obvious?"

Considering that my two guests were…occupied, I took the opportunity to clean up the table.

"Mori Motonari may try his best to say he does not need attention from others, but his actions show otherwise. I have only known the man for a short while, but I have picked up some of behavior patterns. Particularly when it comes to you, Chosokabe. Always placing himself in situations you are in. Do not tell me you have not noticed that? For wherever you seem to be, he is not too far behind."

I leave momentarily to put everything away, though I make a sure I place the spiked sake somewhere in the back to deal with it later. When I returned, I levitate over to Chosokabe's side.

"And by judging how he is behaving at this very moment, it would also appear that he very much longs for your attention," I said. "Perhaps even so much that if he felt you were slipping away from him, he would do whatever it took to make sure you remain with him."

Chosokabe blinked, many questions rising in his gaze. We keep eye contact for a short while, before I glanced down at Mori. He was in such a mess, his thin hair all over the place as he slept against Chosokabe. He appeared…at peace, something I never thought I would see from the likes of him. In many ways…seeing Mori vulnerable reminded me on the times I've walked in on Mitsunari asleep in his office. A tranquil expression from a man who has been through so much, where his only escape was in the blissful fantasies in his own mind.

"…Heh. It looks like I am not the only one who Mori wants the attention of."

I blinked, realizing that while I was lost in thought, I subconsciously moved Mori's hair out of his face. At my touch, he nudged his head closer to me, a small, tired groan escaping him.

"…This poor bastard," Chosokabe said, his voice unusually soft. "Would be less lonely if he stopped stabbing everyone's back every time someone tried to get close to him."

He places his arms around him, where in response Mori tightened his grip on him. Pulling my hand back, Chosokabe finished my gestured and slowly gathered him in his arms, lifting him up to where he could finally stand.

"I guess I should take him to his room," he said, careful not to disturb Mori. "I, uh, depending if he is willing to let go, I may be stuck in his room the rest of the night…" His deep blush returned to his face. "Err…can we agree that this never happened? I don't want…rumors being spread."

I nodded. "My lips are sealed."

Chosokabe gave me a thankful smile. I narrowed my eyes at him, only to have a small laugh escape him.

"Thanks for the drink, Otani."

Holding Mori tightly in his arms, he disappeared down the hallway. I listened to them leave, taking note on how soft pirate's footsteps were compared to when he first arrived. I had the distinct feeling that my plan might have gone in the opposite direction I had wanted it to. But…perhaps it was not all in vain. After all, the human heart was a fragile thing. It would be easy to turn love and adoration into hate and spite.

For with every step towards hope, despair will quickly follow through.