I do not own Sengoku Basara
Chapter Seven: The Battle of Nagashino
Clenching my fists hard, yet not allowing myself to leave the room, I narrowly missed the marching orders given outside, in response to reports from the ninja network. "It is as you said." I whispered, scuffing the tip of my sandals against the rock floor.
"Yes, it is just as well we can rely on our allies in times such as these, isn't that right Ichi?" Shackled, Lady Oichi made no sound, not even meeting her brother's eyes. "Sayomi."
"My Lord."
"We have proof of Nagamasa's loyalties, but Tokugawa may be swayed yet. I want you to head for the battlefield and ensure that doesn't happen. Understood?"
"Yes, my Lord."
Lord Oda fixed me with a scrutinising gaze, especially at my middle. "All plates in? Arms as well?"
"Yes sir, I'll just need to equip a set of leg armour."
"Hurry up then. And Sayomi, if you should face the Tiger of Kai, show him no mercy." Nodding sharply, I charged through the halls, dodging around soldiers in similar situations, finally finding a spare pair that'd fit me in the dojo. Lacing them tight around my legs, I hovered at taking a pair of gauntlets, but decided my sleeves should be enough protection.
My men were waiting outside for me, holding the reins of their horses and my own. A squad of only a hundred men, more than enough for a fledgling general, each of them with a look of apprehension in their eyes. None of them wanted to be out there, not against the God of War and Tiger of Kai, but truth be told I wasn't exactly relishing the thought myself.
Swinging myself into the saddle, I waited for them to do likewise, frowning when none moved. Of course, there's nothing worse than a suicide charge without a rousing speech from the commander.
Clearing my throat and sitting straighter in the saddle, I cast eyes over them all, "Today we face enemies of the Oda, they who would even think to encircle us."
Some of them gave me funny looks, whereas veteran merely nodded, probably having heard the same kinds of things as usual. "I know Yamato's death has made you lose confidence in me as a leader."
Actually I knew no such thing, but the guilt in their eyes confirmed it. "Some of you think me too young to be on the battlefield, and in other circumstances you'd be right. But I promise that I'll pay for a round of sake for every man left standing here tonight!"
The hundred men before me suddenly gave a cheer, the allure of alcohol going past even their distaste for me. Shaking my head at their grins, I began to move Dango out of the gate, reassured by the rest of the hoof beats behind me.
Besides, there was no real reason for concern, not if Tokugawa had an iota of sense. After all, he was served by the greatest warrior in the land, and I wouldn't place any trust in him if he didn't.
Of course, actually getting to the Tokugawa encampment meant riding straight across the battlefield, with Gracia reporting in halfway through the journey. "Date will face Azai just across the river, while your men and Tokugawa's engage the Takeda cavalry and Uesugi Kenshin. You just need to keep the battle going until Father gets the arquebus core there. After that, we win." Gracia turned her head towards me, displaying every one of her teeth. She herself would be running intelligence during the fray, keeping lookout for reinforcements and so on, but until we actually started, she was acting as amore efficient messaging system than some creatures I could mention.
Before I could reply, Gracia was gone again, halting as the entire legion passed. With any luck, that'd be the last I'd see of her until the victory feast. Because if it wasn't, then something had gone wrong.
Dango whinnied sharply, snorting slightly at the death grip I had on his reins. "Sorry boy. Just worried is all."
"Halt!"
Swearing, I yanked on the reins, drawing another complaint from my horse, who sharply reared up and tossed me, avoiding the idiot who had approached at high speed. A few chortles came from the back of my squad, the culprits glared into submission as I got back to my feet and rubbed my back. "Who goes there?"
"Your allies, imbecile!" Still feeling the pain of the ground, I moved to stand next to Dango, holding his reins and soothing him softly. "Don't you know better than to run in front of a horse?"
"S-sorry ma'am, I thought you wer-"
"It's of no consequence." Holding my head high, I motioned to the troops to move forwards, "Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu was told to expect Oda help, was he not?"
"You mean you-Yes my Lady, right this way!" With a fearful look at the men behind me, the yellow clad retainer began to move further down the field, eventually bringing us to an area fenced off by yellow cloth and the tri-hollyhock symbol of the Tokugawa. Inside the camp, a similarly dressed male was still pacing, his hold on his spear never relenting for a second.
Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu at his finest.
At fifteen years old, he'd just received his adult name, and tried to match it with a full set of armour in the same garish yellow and light brown as his men, with the black shirt underneath falling just short of the surprising muscled stomach.
Of course, if he'd wanted to be taken seriously, he probably shouldn't have incorporated his clan's symbol into his helmet of all things. Said helmet was resting on the floor next to him, revealing a crop of dark hair. "No topknot, Lord Tokugawa?" His head whipped round at my interruption, eyes briefly showing a hint of relief. "I can cut you one if you'd like."
"No need, my friend." Ieyasu's eyes went over my shoulder, at the men standing close to arms, "I thank you for coming men, please feel free to rest. Lady Sayomi and I will confer on strategy." A few men were grumbling, but they ultimately left us alone, mingling in with the Tokugawa troops. Some of them looked back once or twice, most likely on Lord Oda's order, but overall we were alone.
Both of us stared at the future battlefield, committing the area to memory. "Lord Takeda and Lord Uesugi will face us here, on this side of the river."
"And Azai will engage Date on that side." All while being watched by the Demon King of course. "Any last words?"
"Can we go back to New Years?" Laughing and playfully nudging him, I returned Ieyasu's attention to the issue at hand. At any point, the enemy could appear over the hill. And they did, no less than ten seconds after that thought... "Assume positions!"
"You heard Lord Tokugawa men, move!" There was a mad scramble, men grabbing their weapons and armour, all while an elder retainer led Ieyasu back to his camp stool. Torn between taking up position with my men and acting as my title demanded, I followed close behind Ieyasu, one hand on my katana. As we both waited for news of our foes, an uncomfortable silence dug into me. "New Years?" I suddenly asked with a teasing smile on my face.
We both knew what he had meant, especially seeing as the party Lord Oda had held involved me in ten to twelve layers of silk and about a dozen hairpins, and several cups of sake getting passed around. Unfortunately, Ranmaru had been close to us at midnight, and had prevented the chaste kiss going any further than that. Smiling sincerely, Ieyasu meekly rubbed the back of his head, suddenly turning a little serious, "I mean to go through with my promise."
"Lord Ieyasu!" Snapped out of my catatonia, I watched the retainer approach, bowing low as he gave his message, "It's Lord Takeda Shingen sir. He's headed this way."
"What!" Exchanging a glance with me, Ieyasu got to his feet, hand still clutching onto the spear. Even from here it was hard to miss the two shapes moving across the field at a fairly sedate pace. "Lord Shingen…"
"Your old teacher, correct?"
"Yes." Ieyasu whispered, watching helplessly as the Tiger of Kai and his Young Cub marched their three horses into the encampment, the crowd parting for them as though by magic. It was in the midst of this crowd that they dismounted, not even blinking at the multitude of spears and swords poised to kill them.
Of course, the men of Mikawa's brave efforts came to naught when Lord Shingen merely lifted his battle axe and slammed it into the dirt, dislodging solid stances and sending up a huge dust cloud. Leaving his weapon in reach of the enemy, he began to walk forwards, stopping only when the Tokugawa braced their grips once again, the fault lying with Sanada Yukimura this time.
With a rough "Hold!" from Ieyasu, along with a spoken order from Lord Takeda, both Yukimura and the Mikawa men lowered their weapons, the Young Cub even standing his up in the dirt. With that out of the way, both men continued forwards, allowing me my first glance at the Tiger of Kai.
It was as I predicted, Lord Takeda had hit his prime and most likely would not live to see the country united. A thick red fur hood covered his head, thick as a lion's mane with horns rising from the fur. Living up to his name, he wore a shirt of tiger skin with yellow trousers, the kanji for the four elements on his knees and elbows.
Like his master, Sanada Yukimura wore all red, but seemed to have little regard for armour. Apart from small metal pieces on his jacket, he was protected only by a belt and two plates protecting the top of his torso, but leaving his midriff completely exposed. Tied back only by a bandanna, his hair was messy in the front, but his steps swung a long ponytail side to side, all in a neutral shade of brown. Finally, his trousers seemed to be on fire at the base, and he wore red tabi and sandals.
Yukimura started briefly at seeing me at Ieyasu's side, but made no attempt to convey this to his master, who appeared to have eyes only for his former apprentice. "It has been too long, Takechiyo."
Ever the gracious host, Ieyasu answered in kind, showing a respect for his old teacher that would never die, no matter his loyalties, "Ah Lord Shingen. You are looking as well as ever. I'm glad."
"Lord Tokugawa, I am Sanada Genjiro Yukimura. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Yukimura inclined his head slightly, never moving his gaze from me; most likely worried I'd run him through and risk the wrath of Lord Takeda.
Still keeping up the mask of a teahouse trip, Ieyasu greeted the Young Cub with a smile, "I have heard tales of your many valorous deeds. You have no need to worry, I would not be so uncouth as to attack you or Lord Shingen while you are both unarmed." He followed this statement up by handing his spear to the nearest guard, who turned to me with a mix of expectancy and questioning. This also brought Lord Takeda's attention onto me finally, his eyes watching as I untied the uwa-obi, feeling the loss of my swords the second they were gone from my touch. "Forgive my silence in our correspondence for us to meet in such a manner," Walking forwards, Ieyasu seemed blind to the distrust aimed at me from Yukimura, a demeanour I echoed, staying one pace behind. "Especially here, upon the field of battle."
"I believe, rather I know in my heart that you are merely waiting for the right moment, for I must also know you must suffer the humiliation your gossamer alliance with Oda in silence." Ieyasu gave me a small look, silently pleading with me to hold my tongue. Grave as the insinuation was, I obeyed, but shot a mild glare at Lord Takeda. Now was not the time to shed blood.
"Indeed," Ieyasu murmured, "Now I must endure, but someday I shall surpass even you Lord Shingen. This world, this era will be forged by these hands!" Silently rolling my eyes, I cleared my throat, reminding him just who was standing next to him and that Gracia could have her ears out for anything sounding remotely treasonous.
It was enough to garner a glance from Lord Shingen, one that made me swallow hard. "But the time is not yet right to embark on this endeavour. This is why I have aligned myself with the opponent I least wish to face on the battlefield." Thank you, I could actually include that in the report, especially considering fear was what kept half the army in check.
"Your time will never come Takechiyo. Before you can even think to seize the country, you will surely be used, then crushed by Oda."
"Watch your tongue!" I suddenly snapped, hearing a light sigh from my partner. Well he didn't listen to my advice. "I will hear no more of you besmirching my Lord's name!"
Lord Takeda's attention moved to me, renewing his appraisal of me, "So you're the child who stands by Oda's side?"
"I am no child!" By now, Ieyasu was openly shaking his head, mourning the loss of any cordial conversation. "You dare imply my Lord takes alliances lightly, and to my face as well? Where is your honour?"
"How dare you! Yukimura yelled, fit to bursting with the rage I'd poked at, "Apologise immediately!"
"Stop fighting you pair!" Blinking, I readjusted my stance, unaware I'd moved into an attacking position. In front of me, the Young Cub did likewise, cowering slightly from the true Tiger's gaze.
Turning that look on me for a slight second, Lord Takeda returned to talking to Ieyasu, the bite back in his voice, "We must pool all of our resources before it is too late. If we leave Oda unchecked, bickering and fighting over land will be the least of our concerns. For what good is land in a world where not even a blade of grass will grow, or where children wage wars that adults start? Takechiyo, live your life unfettered by the fear of death. Join with us against Oda, and if needs be, we'll ensure no harm comes to you or your friend as a result of her allies."
Stepping back, I considered the offer before us: Join with Takeda, and take down Lord Oda, free to flourish and hone our skills for the next battle in peace, whenever that may be. Or stay on Lord Oda's side, and actually survive to see another New Year. Perhaps the hardest part of this decision was that it was not mine to make, it all rested on the shoulders of a hollyhock wearing teenager.
Ieyasu considered the offer as I had done, before finally sighing, "Alas, I cannot. Whether I die or survive, it's all the same to me. Oda has charged me with protecting the east, and I will not betray that alliance."
"If that is so…"
But Ieyasu wasn't finished, sweeping his arm to the left to deliver a rousing speech, one that was much better than my one that essentially boiled down to 'Live and I'll pay for you to get drunk.' "Once I have given my word, even if it's to the Devil King Oda who commits all manners of atrocities. Even knowing I may face his betrayal, I will never betray a solemn oath. On my honour, as a Mikawa warrior!"
Reeling back from the strength and conviction he put into his words, I narrowly missed the spear being placed back into his hand, watching only the way he strode forwards confidently. Slipping between the two Tigers, he stood in front of his entire army, raising the spear as he cried out forcefully, "All units! Engage!"
Fun fact, give the order to attack to a large gathering of warriors, you become their favourite general, regardless of whether they were promised free alcohol. Every last spearman, swordsman, bowman, every man charged across the field, the yellow banners mixing with the black ones of the Oda, the bellflower blending with the hollyhock. Really it was quite beautiful.
Only we in the camp had not moved, Ieyasu delivering a few words that I didn't catch too preoccupied with convincing his bodyguards to give me back my weapons. Judging by the way they were holding them, the blade and (for lack of a better word) hunk of wood would be lucky to see anything other than the inside of the sheaths.
Lord Takeda took his leave, Yukimura following him like another shadow. What worried me about the withdraw was that neither seemed to tuck their tails between their legs, the pride of the samurai fully intact as they mounted back up (Lord Takeda taking up two horses with his impressive build) and began moving towards their troops, who charged soon after.
Disagreeable as the meeting had been, it had a least separated our enemy from two of the key players, even if they were manoeuvring us into an obvious pincer attack. Meanwhile, Ieyasu had returned to his camp stool, refusing to watch his mentor leave. "Isn't Oda's arquebus core here yet?" He demanded of a subordinate, not quite meeting my eyes either. Wonderful, he felt doubtful.
"According to Master Akechi's signal, they should arrive shortly."
"I see." The news brought a smile to the bodyguard's face, his hands finally releasing hold of my weapons.
"Even the vaulted Takeda cavalry won't stand a chance in the face of a legion of arqueubuses my Lord."
Retying my sash, I shared some common sense with them, "We'd do well to keep a careful watch for them, and remove our men before they get here."
"Both armies in one fell swoop." Ieyasu agreed, turning away from me again.
A gust of wind announced Gracia's presence, the ninja bowing behind us. "I bring news from Lord Oda. My Lady, you are to join your troops on the field immediately."
"Understood."
Briefly looking at Ieyasu, I returned to look at Gracia, following her from the camp. As we ran, weapons drawn, she delivered a battlefield report, giving only the details actually pertinent. "Key players are Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, avoid them if possible. Sanada Yukimura and Sarutobi Sasuke are also being nuisances. There is also an unidentified Kunoichi, feel free to kill her."
"Any news on the artillery?"
"On their way." Gracia leapt into the sky, delivering death from above in the very centre of the action. Battle auras were running rampant, identifying people left right and centre. Shooting to my left, I narrowly avoided a spear to the head, responding with a kick and sharp stab, not pausing long enough for him to attempt a counterattack.
A tornado suddenly sucked up half the Tokugawa force, scattering them like ragdolls, Lord Takeda lowering his axe to the ground with the next movement. If Lord Uesugi was just as powerful, we'd need that arquebus core very soon, or the sheer size of this army would have me and Ieyasu dead before the evening.
Dwelling on this thought, I didn't bother trying to dodge, small scratches growing in number where swords and spears could get past my armour. None were lethal, and few even bled, usually because Gracia was in her element, that knife of hers stained red within five seconds of stepping foot on the field. If it weren't for what I'd overheard, I might've been grateful to her.
As outnumbered as we were, and with no sign of firearms backup, both I and the rest of the Tokugawa knew it would only be a matter of time before Honda Tadakatsu appeared on the battlefield. I'd only seen him a few times before, to the point where facing him in battle was a far off nightmare I never hoped to see.
Sure enough, the iron giant appeared within minutes, stopping only to collect his lord, and then laying waste to a Uesugi general who'd foolishly charged straight at him. My attention was snatched by a large shuriken coming directly for my head, the light it sent into my eyes nearly blinding.
Gathering my senses, I easily batted it away, only for it to double back, landing smoothly into its owner's hand. "Sarutobi Sasuke." I growled, eyes narrowing sharply.
Despite being briefly distracted by the clap of thunder heralding Lord Oda's arrival on the mountain far from us, along with the lone rider heading straight for him, it was not long before Sarutobi's attention returned to me, "Yep, thought it was you that I saw up there. So are you his spawn or something?"
A proud smirk grew on my face, silhouetted by Azai's battle aura across the river, knowing that my actions were being watched by my Lord. "I'm the Young Blade of the Oda. His best general in either darkness or the sun's light."
"Very Young Blade." Sarutobi murmured, unfazed by my clear intention to rid him off his head. With a shrug, the ninja turned his back on me, walking away with calm, deliberate steps. "Go home to your parents, kid."
Blinking at the sudden change in atmosphere, my stupor didn't last long, and I charged with a bloodthirsty yell.
"Lady Sayomi, hold!" Gracia suddenly appeared between us, grabbing Sarutobi's attention with her interruption. For a second, his eyes betrayed his recognition, but they were lost with a new concern, one that Gracia very helpfully explained, "Sanada Yukimura has challenged Honda Tadakatsu. Getting between him and his targets can only result in your death."
Sarutobi had long disappeared, to provide backup for his master. This just left me to stare up at the ninja blocking my advance, "If he survives, his life is mine." I hissed, meeting her eyes with a glare.
"You're welcome to it." She grinned, finally dropping her arm. "If you excuse me," Digging her knife into the nearest soldier's neck, Gracia turned to face me in order to deliver a witty line, only to freeze at the sight of something past my shoulder. "What are they thinking!?"
Following her gaze, I couldn't holdback a gasp at the sight across the river. The arquebus core supposed to be supporting me and Ieyasu was moving closer to the fight between Date and Azai, and make no move to cross the water. Even if Azai noticed them in time… Someone had to warn them, get Mitsuhide to relay orders again. "Gracia, run a message to your father, I'll remind them of their orders!"
"Wouldn't it be faster for me to-"
"Go!" Jumping at the severity of my tone, Gracia hopped it, charging through the waves of soldiers without stopping to stab or dismember any of them. If the arquebus core messed up here, then we would need whatever men were on that mountain with Lord Oda, or me and Ieyasu would end up dead, or heading that way with a death poem in front of us. Ducking my head, I followed her example, running, sheathing my sword and yelling all at the same time. "You idiots! You're on the wrong side!"
There was a brief pause in my pace as my foot pushed hard against the riverbank, my arms spinning hard to get some distance. When none of them responded, not even to the splash I made in the water, I realised something had truly gone wrong. And despite the freezing sensation spreading throughout my armoured legs, I waded onwards, desperate to find out what.
Yes, Azai turned his head and started, but his attention was snatched by a torn cry neither of us expected to hear: "My Lord Nagamasa!"
"Ichi!" Such was her hurry, Lady Oichi didn't notice the large stone until it was too late, flying forwards and landing on her face in a manner that in any other situation, would've been quite comical. Even so, she found the strength to prop herself up again, face contorted into a scream as she spoke, "Lord Nagamasa, run!"
Brought to a halt by the ear splitting noise she made, I shifted uncomfortably, but snapped into a soldier's stance when I saw who she'd been running from. Like a madman, Akechi was laughing at the scene, waving his scythe in what I fearfully recognised as a command to fire, "Now then, let's see all of you dance for me."
