Disclaimer: All credit goes to Shingo Nanami, 紅音, and whoever worked on Touken Ranbu. Warning: there are several spoilers. I mean kinda big ones...? Maybe I should be more specific. For those who haven't read volumes 13-15, if you don't want to get spoiled, you may want to skip this part. If you're all ok with that and would like to read on, then please enjoy!


Touken Strays

ある少女についての回想

Memories of a Certain Girl


There were a pair of eyes that I would never be able to forget in my entire life. Ever so bright even in the depths of hopelessness, the flame in those eyes would never be extinguished.

The possessor of those eyes came from a girl who claimed to have come from a different era.

At first he thought, 'What sort of nonsense was this little girl spouting out?' At the time I was merely a sword, therefore I had no knowledge in that area. That's why, without holding feelings of distrust towards the girl, my master at the time; that's right, a certain Oda Nobunaga whom I had frantically begged to use me even though I knew my pleas will never be heard. However that master believed the girl's story. Who was the one who claimed that this was impossible? With his master's credence on the girl's tale, she officially joined him by his side.

The girl introduced herself as Kusanagi Kasane. Wearing a foreign attire, she joined his master to the battlefield. No one could ever refute her from stepping into battle. The girl was that strong.

She was always optimistic and strong; no matter what kinds of adversities she was in, she never once lost hope. Surely she must have come from a peaceful land for she treasured the bonds of friendship and family above all else. Even when thrown into this warring world, she never changed. The girl loved regarding the Oda Clan as her family and even if she was betrayed, she would think of their intentions before recklessly go out to fight.

This girl was strong. However, before all that she was only one person, one little girl. I have seen this girl falter once before. It was when a mysterious stone attached to a sword, brought back by a man whom his master called 'Monkey', began to shine and project the figures of her siblings. It was a scenery so different than the warring period, as it was filled with things I have never seen before. The girl called out the names of her younger siblings. However, her voice couldn't reach them. She was blocked off by an invisible wall, preventing her to even return. She looked so feeble, so small to me.

And the girl began to mope as if depressed. She never showed her smile. Her cheerful voice disappeared. Even though she was there, the 'Kusanagi Kasane' I had seen seemed to have vanished. So my master have her a lesson. Using me, he used attacks strong enough to kill, and gave her a scolding before giving her a reward. It was a rather dramatic treatment, but it worked.

From then on, the girl grew as if she forgotten the whole incident. Of course, due to her different sense of values, she still did go through hardships and pain, but she overcame them and grew up to be called "the other Oda Nobunaga" by those around her.

And then, a certain incident occurred when she was fighting beside his lord. She was kidnapped by the enemy. Gone without a trace, and not knowing whether she was alive or dead, the others all came to the conclusion that she must have been killed. An immediate search party began at once. However, just as if their fears were just needless imaginations, she safely returned home. And with her, she brought back a single report. The enemy of the Oda family, the Imagawa's leader, Imagawa Yoshimoto was also a human that came from future. The man's real name was Agatsuma Mitsuru.

Agatsuma Mitsuru was a fellow human from the future. And unlike the girl, he was a man who simply sought out 'power'. Even though they both came from the same place, their sense of values clashed. So it arrived, the battle of Okehazama. It truly fit the nickname as the battle of convictions. The Oda family, who valued the bonds between family and comrades, vs the Imagawa family who commanded people with an iron fist. Both sides had military power and manpower. However, from these strong 'bonds', his master and his men managed to surpass their opponent. That's right, that day the Oda army won the battle of Okehazama.

Afterward, they had an incident where Agazuma Mitsuru escaped, but it was no longer an important incident regarding the disappearance of an Imagawa leader, but only a disappearance of a single man. There were no problems. However, soon the time to part came close. It seems that Agazuma has told the girl a way to go back home. The girl became conflicted between choosing her real family in her time and the 'family' she has made in this era. To that his master inquired, "For what reason do you live, and for what reason will you use to live from now on?" And so, after making her decision, the girl chose to return to the future.

And she left.

It was an unforgettable spectacle. His lord's vassals all made sure not to waver her from her decision and smiled as tears trailed down their faces. The girl also smiled and tried to pull out the sword from the sheath. However, she couldn't do it. "I'm scared", the girl said. "I still want to stay with you." However his master wouldn't permit it. As long as she was "the other Oda Nobunaga", he couldn't permit her give up or wander endlessly in circles or forget her time here. For this parting was for him to progress into the future. Perhaps Kasane-sama became encouraged by these words, as she took up the blade once more and with a smile, returned back to the future.

Even though he was the one who drove her out, Nobunaga also found the parting of this 'family' to be painful. When Kasane-sama returned back to the future, that person had such lonely eyes.

All of his emotions were expressed in those eyes.

Soon after, I was presented to a humble middle palace guard of the Kuroda family. To be frank, I was dissatisfied. I wondered why I wasn't sent to any of his direct vassals. To tell the truth, I feared that his master was going to throw me away. However, for a second I saw the same look on his eyes, the same expression when Kasane parted him. I threw away that fear. I might have been conceited. Perhaps that person didn't even make those eyes in the first place. Even so, I was happy.

And so time passed by; Nobunaga-sama had passed away and the turbulent warring period came to an end and the world drifted to an era where swords were no longer necessary. Perhaps this was the era where Kasane-sama originally came from.

During the time I spent as a spirit relic, the government at the time requested me to protect history from the historical revolutionists alongside with the saniwa. From the start I was just a sword, a tool to be used by humans. Even as a spirit relic, that essence of who truly I am cannot change. And so my days of fighting as a swordman began.

Numerous numbers of 'me' were sent to battle and later I was newly manifested again. Overflowing with conviction; there stood a human with clean spiritual power before me. I open my eyes and raised my face. At the same time, I was greeted by a certain pair of eyes, ones that I once believed I would never see ever again. Those eyes that never gave up hope in any given situation.

My voice trembled and my body shook. And the words that finally formed in my mouth was the name of that girl.


Afterward

This chapter takes place with Hasebe's observation of the girl named Kusanagi Kasane. In other words, it's a very crude outline of Sengoku Strays.

By the way, Hasebe as a sword has received a bit of influence from Kasane-chan. Since he was able to overcome his partings with Kasane-chan and the lord, he wouldn't be as twisted as the game Hasebe. After observing that honest child up close and after seeing that lonely parting to the future, I wouldn't think that Hasebe would have seen himself as thrown away. That must be right… Is the conclusion I came up with from my imagination.

In addition, at this point in the story, Hasebe's relationship with Kasane is the 'like' kind of love. I believe it take some time for that relationship to develop into 'love'. Well then, thank you all for reading up to here! Thank you very much!


Whew, another chapter finished! This time we have a small flashback with Hasebe. So how was it? Interesting? Fun? This is just a short, I like these kinds of buildup. It makes me eagerly anticipate for more.

I found the author's point to be very interesting. If Hasebe met Kasane, would his character be different than from the game? Of course he still might be completely devoted to his master, but his attitude towards Nobunaga and the Kuroda family might have been different. But... well that's just my opinion. You can never tell how history can unfold after all.

Remember, the link to the author, is in my profile page... You might want to make a pixiv account, if you don't have one, if you want to personally thank the author/ read the original story. She only wrote four stories for this series in total. So this series is going to be quite short. Maybe she might write more if we're lucky!

For those who read until the end, thank you very much, and I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable day ahead of you.