Welcome again to another chapter! Now, I have somewhat of an announcement to make, following the previous chapter's AN: There's quite a significant messy part to HV-S02: Character Sheet & Glossary. I've rejigged that part, so check it out and see if you guys prefer the changes this time!
Regarding the story, as always, I won't reveal everything in these first few chapters. As you can see from my explanation in the Mailbag, there's still quite a bit of unexplained mystery to this story's AU setting. Therefore, look forward to the next few chapters and read until the end to find out! Of course, reading the Glossary or Character Sheet Update helps, too... For a somewhat-accurate analysis of this story's timeline, check out royal freshness12345's review! They've done a pretty good job analyzing what I want to convey subtly.
Here comes the mailbag, full of great info!
royal freshness12345: Yeah, that timeline's pretty much spot-on. I'm not going to place exact years into the story because of the AU messing around with historical canon, but chronologically your analysis is quite accurate. Some more info: (1) Muramasa's the oldest of the main cast, followed by Danzou and the various Princess Generals like Nobunaga and Mitsuhide. Chiyome's slightly younger than them. (2) Like I mentioned in one of my ANs, each chapter flows chronologically within itself... but not necessarily between chapters. So the next chapter may begin before or after the previous one following one thread within itself.
Dimihd: Your review points out the exact thing why I excluded the 'blonde Nobu' — because she's even more annoying than FGO's Nobu's worst parts. I appreciate Oda Nobuna no Yabō's art style... just not their depiction of reasonable gender bendering.
GreyMan19: Your review points out the exact thing why I excluded the 'blonde Nobu' — because she's even more annoying than FGO's Nobu's worst parts. I appreciate Oda Nobuna no Yabō's art style... just not their depiction of reasonable gender bendering.
reader0007: [...] Let me address some things I can, and the rest you simply have to wait for future chapters to get some clarification! (1) As this story's title suggests, there will be multiple characters who possess memories of their 'other selves', whether that's the past, present, future, or another alternate reality altogether. The degree of them depended on each character. If you pay attention, Chiyome's knowledge isn't actually 'incarnation', but merely derived from Yamata-no-Orochi. Nobunaga is a more classic case. (2) No. The pruning has already been stopped by the previous Heroic Vessel (the one with Minamoto no Yoritomo's identity in the 4th HV story later), and this is the AU resulting from that. (3) I'll explain Kohaku's place in future chapters. She's from another story, along with Tatsumi, though there she's also Nobunaga's sister.
ThavFallere: Glad to see someone who actually still remembers that series! It's too bad the Sengoku Arc didn't make it to the anime (though they did foreshadow it in the opening scene), so this is somewhat of a tribute to the manga, which I love despite its simplistic plot.
UbonInim: Yup, he's gone. Regarding his lineage, future chapters will clear things up, so heads up!
Anon: Well, all good things take time...
N.B.(s): Check out the Glossary & Character Sheet Update below! Yes, because there's a new crossover character... Can you guess where does she come from?
The Oda family compound was as classic and uninspiring as they came – which meant a largely square or rectangular land surrounding a well-maintained lawn of grass and pebbles. While beautiful under the moonlight, for Tatsumi who had seen this kind of layout too many times, he unconsciously yawned from boredom.
The lack of security covering the rooftops was surprising, but in a good way. Less hassle for him to deal with. He's confident in dealing with any traps if this was what it was, but given he hadn't been stopped so far, the chances were minimal.
- Step.
Softly landing on top of one of the stone lanterns in the garden, he gently floated through the empty space, before taking to the roof again once he was close enough. Silently, he made his way to the innermost layer where Nobunaga's room was located.
Beforehand, he had confirmed Shirō was at his house with his wife and that quiet kunoichi mistress – and thus the only person who could realistically stop him was taken care of. His loss to the redhead still stung, because the Mutsu Clan's centuries-old undefeated duel record was broken in his generation. He didn't know whether his ancestors ever fought the Minamoto Clan seriously at all – Kiichi's life beyond being Minamoto no Yoritomo's brother-in-law wasn't well-documented in-clan, and Shizuka was said to specialize in management and Magecraft instead of combat – so he might be spared of this embarrassment later in the afterlife…?
Seriously, using Magecraft in a duel was cheating! Well, it's also his fault he didn't specify the rules before betting against Shirō, eager in his rush to fight whom he considered the strongest of the current generation… which ended up in his guide's execution at the hand of the 'demon king'.
His face contorted grimly as he arrived at his destination.
He widened his eyes when he saw no candle was lighted in this area. Usually, VIPs were surrounded by a few so their guards could identify threats better in the darkness of the night, accepting the risk they're essentially marking 'this is where our lord sleeps'. Using too many candles to confuse any intruders might work, but it also increased the risk of fire, however slight due to the improvement in Magecraft building construction.
Still, he shook his head to gather himself quickly, closing his eyes to concentrate on Nobunaga's aura.
Landing on the wooden floor, he instantly turned around when his senses caught someone stepping out of the door right behind him.
"Ah-!" A soft female voice yelped, but Tatsumi's hand had already covered her mouth and pushed her back into the room.
A lightly-calloused palm immediately slapped him in the face, but it was so weak he didn't even register anything prior to him tripping her soles and gently suppressed her to the ground. His trained eye caught the subtle movement of the other hand reaching to one side in the dark, as he extended one knee to catch the wrist before a wakizashi could stab his flank, pinning the offending limb to the floor.
If this was a tough opponent, he would've attempted to break their neck by the first strike, and disjoint the limbs by the time their body was slammed to the ground. However, remembering this was also where Nobunaga's sisters and personal handmaidens live, he chose to subdue them as gently as he could.
But the palm which tried to slap him earlier didn't gave up, shooting upwards to try claw his eyes out. Easily dodged, he strongly whispered, "Kohaku-san! Kohaku-san! Calm down; it's me!"
Her eyes glared at him, silently saying, "I'm doing this because it's you!"
He smiled wryly and apologetically, adding, "Please be quiet, alright? I'm not here to do anything dangerous; promise!"
Gingerly, he removed his palm, but she rebelled against his request almost instantly. "Guards-!"
- Stab.
A quick poke with his thumb at the side of her neck pressed a point to disable her vocal cord, before he exhaled in relief once a few seconds passed and no one seemed to have heard her. However, he had to quickly shift his balance once he felt the girl he's pinning down with his body attempted to break away and stab him once again with her hidden blade, eventually flicking it uselessly to one side with a backhanded swipe.
Still, she stubbornly tried to raise her upper torso and mouthed out fiercely, disregarding the "Aah!" and "Ugh!" actually coming out of her lips due to his pressure point strike earlier. "A- A… Ane-ue…"
Something in her desperation didn't sit right with Tatsumi, as his carefree expression turned upside-down into a frown.
"You… Why do you defend her so much…?"
His utterance – more to himself than anything – energized Kohaku even more, but her frail body could do naught against the Tengu-in-human-form.
Shaking his head, he eventually struck a different point near the first one and dismounted.
Running his fingers through his hair, he shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't get in my way."
- Cough! Cough! Cough!
She coughed several times to clear her throat, her eyes split between gazing at his strong figure and her wakizashi in the corner of her room. "I-I won't let… y-you get to Ane-ue… Ugh…"
- Thud!
He ignored her and prepared to walk on, but two thin arms circled against his waist. Without even turning around, he already knew Kohaku had just thrown herself to him, still weakened by the previous ordeal – that's how meagre her self-defence skill was – and tried to drag him down by being essentially a dead weight, half-kneeling.
He raised one hand, and she winced to brace against what she presumed to be a killing blow… but opened her eyes in confusion when she felt him just patting her head to encourage her to let go. "What… What are you…"
"I was angry at your sister when she killed my guide, yes, but not because of what you think," Tatsumi talked as he pried away her arms, setting her back down to the ground.
Unexpectedly, though, she knew ukemi and could do it pretty well, considering how fast she back-rolled and grasp her wakizashi at the same time, pointing it in middle guard towards him. However, the incredible hostility in her eyes had worn off, leading Tatsumi to only sigh. "Come on, can you not see this is futile? I'd rather not create a ruckus…"
"Then don't ever come here again…!" She hissed, visibly relaxing her body to react faster to anything. "You're here to assassinate Ane-ue, right? Even if I have to throw my life away to buy a few seconds, I-!"
"Wow, wow, hold your horses. Who said anything about that?"
"What else can I expect from someone sneaking in straight towards her bedroom?"
"…well, you have a point."
- Clack.
"Indeed, she does."
This time, Tatsumi honestly didn't feel anything before the sensation of cold cylindrical steel pressed itself to the back of his head. Raising his hand in surrender, he spoke, "Nobunaga-sama, mercy."
"Kohaku, get over here. I have no doubt the esteemed Mutsu Clan has a grappling technique from this position."
"Yes! Right away!"
"…did Shirō mention me much?"
"Muramasa-dono did, yes," she coldly replied.
While their appearance was similar, Nobunaga's glare pressed him down a lot more than Kohaku's, as genuine killing intent rolled out of her small body in waves. Cold sweat began to flow down his back – like she said, while he's trained in this situation ever since the advent of guns in Nihon, the wielder of this gun was anything but normal. He could feel her finger perfectly placed on the trigger, not too tense, not too relaxed, ready to shoot once she felt his aura shifting.
He grinned, even though he knew the two girls couldn't see it from behind him. "Like I said, I have no intention to-"
"I don't care. You laid your hands on Kohaku – I'll execute you right now."
- Clack!
"Woah!"
Before her words was over, he had already dropped his legs as if he was attempting a dogeza, twisting from below to counter with an uppercut… if the sound of an empty gun firing didn't halt her attempt.
Nobunaga's smirk greeted him instead. "Got you."
"…hah."
The tension drained from him, and he fell onto his butt. While this was considered a terrible position to take in front of an opponent, the Mutsu Enmei-ryū had plenty of traps coming out of this position, since any opponent who's going to finish him off would inevitably bend down to reach his sitting posture.
Now, against a long-ranged rifle, though, it might be a problem.
"You seem to have something to say to Kohaku earlier. Spill it, and I'll consider today's trespassing a trifle matter."
Tatsumi narrowed his eyes into thin lines, smiling. "With what are you threatening me, Nobunaga-sama? With your permission, I shall take my leave."
"With this."
- Zuuiiinnnggg…
At the end of the supposedly-empty gun, a shining white dot accumulated and compressed faster than he could respond.
There was no doubt this could go through him, as well as the floor and the earth below him, too.
"Come to think of it, were you really betting for my warm milk back then?"
Tatsumi cracked one eye open. "I stand by my words that time."
"Then, isn't it petty for you to be angry at losing the milk? After all, you said you weren't angry for that monkey's death," Nobunaga pointed out, the dark pools of her eyes sucking in his gaze, making him realize he'd fallen into a simple hypnotism trick.
He trembled, trying to break free from the silent cast, so he spoke just to buy himself some time. "That is Mutsu. I do not expect you to understand our point of view."
"Oh, but I do. Someone whom Muramasa-dono trusted can't be that simple minded."
- Snap!
With her cue, the surrounding rooms' candles were lit, finally confirming to Tatsumi that yes, he had just walked right into a trap.
"Kohaku, be a dear and set us up with some tea, will you?"
"Yes, Ane-ue!"
"I love talent."
Those were the brazen words greeting Tatsumi Mutsu when he sat down on what he presumed could very well be his last midnight snack. He had seen first-hand her ruthlessness whenever she believed heavily in something, irrespective of others' opinion. Even though he's confident he's currently the strongest being in the compound, with or without his yōkai transformation or the other party's Guardian Spirits, there's no telling what Nobunaga had in store for him. The Mutsu Clan had long held the knowledge the daimyos all feared the unknowns, and prepared cautiously for it.
"Are you pining for my services, Nobunaga-sama?"
He was replied with a silent, yet haughty look, as if it's saying, "I want you to say it, not me!"
Not wanting to play her game, he stayed silent, while extending his senses to cover Kohaku's movements as well.
While he had nothing to fear from her physically – unlike her older sister – there's something within her which attracted him. It's cute seeing her struggle so futilely in front of a being of his level, and he was reminded of the scums he'd killed many times when he overheard them sadistically torturing a helpless person or animal. He despised himself for feeling even the slightest of the same emotion.
Eventually, he managed to composed himself after a large gulp of tea, saying, "I refuse."
"Oh, I wasn't asking for your services. I want the Mutsu Clan."
He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "…you should consult Muramasa-dono, then. Because I, as the Family Head, give you my word right now we shall not be the pawn in this game."
The sudden change into a polite accent caught Kohaku off guard, as she watched him with eyes widening like a rabbit.
"I see…" Nobunaga looked down to her cup, pretending to be disappointed. "People usually use those lines emptily when they secretly want something in return."
"You're saying I have a price?!" He growled. This woman… was really good at getting under other people's skin, wasn't she?!
Right the next instant, however, he wished he could slap his hand over his mouth… when he saw her smiling devilishly.
"Ah, of course not! How could I assume such from the noble and ancient Mutsu Clan? Realistically speaking, the magic stone mine you own under your feet was enough to buy Owari several times over, you know?" She spoke airily, gesturing in the air meaninglessly, adding, "So… from what I fathom, what you wish for isn't money."
- Gacha!
He abruptly stood. "This meeting is over. Goodbye."
"I'll marry you!"
- Pfft!
Nobunaga spat out the tea she was drinking calmly earlier… as Kohaku spoke that sentence out loud. Tatsumi nearly stumbled over his next step, looking at the nondescript girl with jaws agape.
"K-Kohaku… W-What are you saying?!" Nobunaga grabbed her shoulders and shook them. "T-This isn't your place to speak!"
Under her older sister's intense scrutiny, admirably, she didn't flinch in the slightest. That's already more than what the Oda Clan's elders could manage a few days ago. "I am worth more than any magic stones or money to you, right, Ane-ue? Then, Tatsumi-dono, with me as the payment, please-"
"Wait wait wait wait wait a goddamned second! I agree with Nobunaga-sama! What the hell are you saying?!" Tatsumi actually raised his voice for the first time in several years, a panic he never felt before clutching his chest. "I… I-I mean, any man will be lucky to have you, so what the…!"
She gazed at him with eyes eerily similar to her elder sister's calculating look. "The thing you're mad about… was the same as Ane-ue, right? The fact that guide of yours thought of indecent things about me? Thus, the thing in this compound of most value to you is… me."
"J-Just how big is your ego?"
"Kohaku! Stop this!" Nobunaga urged, calling for the handmaidens. "Take the princess back to her room!"
"Let me go, Ane-ue."
"No! I shall not have you go through this!" She hissed almost desperately. Kohaku smiled, touched, but remained firm – much to Nobunaga's horror. "Look, the two of us just now were having a verbal joust. Verbal! It's nothing to take seriously!"
"…let me go. I shall ensure the Mutsu Clan's ties to the Oda."
"Are you just going to ignore my opinion in all this?!" Tatsumi pleaded, kneeling beside her to help Nobunaga discourage this stubborn girl's decision.
"Yes."
"You little…!"
"Do you hate me?"
Not for the first time, he didn't know what to talk back to her.
And this time, Nobunaga actually agreed with him.
She would never forget Kohaku's smile that day, because that was the last time she'd see it.
"…therefore, considering our current situation, this…"
"…unfortunately, our yield this season has gone down, but…"
"…expenses are getting too much. However, we cannot afford to…"
"…maintain our horses and equipment. Muramasa-dono, perhaps…"
"…Niwa-sama, please reconsider! This proposal could…"
Nobunaga closed her eyes to block out the chatter and endure the already-worsening headache. The flames in her heart were whispering to be released, hungry to simply consume and destroy, but she tolerated it and forced it back down. She wished to yell at these useless people and slit their throats to shut them up, and place their still-dripping digestive system to display in public in full glory, complete from tongue to rectum…
"…45 points. You haven't considered this, this, and this…"
"The merchants in Mino are restless. I, Mitsuhide, know this…"
"…training must be intensified, considering the situation around us."
- Clap!
A thunderous sound broke the cacophony, and several glares were sent the way of a certain redheaded young man, clad in simple clothes unbefitting of a formal meeting.
"Now, now, having spent all this time talking, perhaps a refreshment is in order? We do wish to be productive in front of Nobunaga-sama, no?" Muramasa smiled amidst the piercing stares, unaffected in the slightest. "My new team has just whipped up something new. I plea for everyone to taste and criticize it."
- Clack!
A murmur of dissatisfaction initially rose, before quickly going quiet when Nobunaga tapped her fan loudly to the ground. "A fine idea, Muramasa. Do serve them."
"At once."
Under Nagahide's intense stare, a line of servants carried lacquer boxes neatly lined up with several small earthenware.
"Assorted sushi and sashimi, as well as 'Surprises of Yuzuke'. Do try to guess what I've done and why I've chosen these ingredients," Muramasa patiently said to most present, smiling once he heard their stomach grumbling by the combined wafting scent of the earth and sea filling the room. He shifted his position, receiving a random box from the servants. "I shall plate a selection for Nobunaga-sama."
"Then, I shall test it-"
"No need, Manchiyo. Shirō, bring it directly to me," Nobunaga instantly cut off Nagahide's attempt to test the food with poison.
"That would be 65 points." Predictably, the older woman criticized the decision immediately. "No matter how much you trust Sengo-dono or how skilled a chef he was, it's your duty to pay attention to your safety and health-"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Shirō, why are you still dallying there? Just ignore this one and come over!"
Sighing, the redhead tried to mediate. "Manchiyo-san, would you like me to craft another platter and swap that round? Between yours and Nobunaga-sama's, I mean? That will be a fair way to do it, no?"
Faced with both his and her lord's unyielding stares, she couldn't help but retreat in silence.
'100 points…' she begrudgingly admitted once she put several bites of the snack platter in her mouth. However, woe it'd be if she said that out loud. "90 points. And don't address me as 'Manchiyo'."
"I agree."
"H-Huh?!"
Taking a seat between her and Nobunaga, he explained, "A full marks should include a proper matched drink for refreshments. Unfortunately, due to the time constraints, this tea will have to do. A sweet, low-alcohol beverage will be perfect."
"Ain't that right!" Toshiie exclaimed loudly, breaking her usual mannerism of being taciturn and withdrawn. Her comical tiger pelt bounced up and down around her head, and magically mimicking its owner's delighted emotions.
"Hm! Truly exquisite!" Nobunaga clapped, grinning widely. "Now, Shirō! Prepare for a hunting trip! My legs are about to rot off in this position!"
"Nobunaga-sama, that's inappropriate-!"
"Manchiyo, one more word and I shall have you punished."
The blatant favouritism was silently being observed by those present, and a few moments later, a near-imperceptible shift moved the occupant further from Nagahide's surroundings.
Muramasa bowed quickly and deeply. "At once." Right after that, though, he lightly lowered his torso at Nagahide. "Manchiyo-san, I sense Nobunaga-sama terribly needs a change of pace. Do excuse this behaviour from her."
"Don't call me 'Manchiyo'!"
"For now, accompany me on the hunt!"
Nagahide tried to protest. "Nobunaga-sama, we're about to prepare for the battle with the Imagawa forces. Perhaps it's prudent to-"
"Nonsense! There's nothing better to raise our morale than a good, ol' fashioned hunting party! Men!" Nobunaga flared her cape out, stylishly waving in one of her personal guards. "Prepare the usual best team! And Shirō…"
"Yes?"
"This thing has a silencer, right…?"
The gleam in his eyes told her all the answers she wanted to now. "Do try it with a different Thaumaturgical path, activated by that switch over there."
"Excellent!"
Under Nagahide's scathing gaze, the selected group began to prepare for their excursion.
Nearby, Toshiie yawned and munched on some rice cakes alongside the relatively more alert Goemon, served by the visiting Chiyome. Being as serious as always if it's related to combat, Katsuie was somewhere in the compound, fussing over some soldiers' training – her words might be irrational, but her methods and results spoke for themselves.
Only Nagahide was left silently mulling on things. "Jūbei-chan, it's up to you now…"
Little did she know the plans they were talking about a few days earlier had been made known to Nobunaga and Muramasa. However, to maintain cohesion of troops, they chose not to do anything.
Before this, Nobunaga's personal guards were a mix of veteran Oda retainers and Nagahide's chosen people. However, by the time Muramasa made his influence known, before she knew it, all of her powers had been stripped from her. Whatever she's good for, according to Nobunaga's implied reactions, Muramasa could do it better. Therefore, it's only natural to trust her back to someone more capable, right?
…yes, Nagahide could admit that much. However, she didn't make it all the way here to back down just so.
If it was someone else… someone who could do what she couldn't, then she'd relent and give the place beside Nobunaga to that person. Preferably, someone 'brave' – i.e. suicidal and stupid – and couldn't control his desires. If Nobunaga fell in love with someone like that… someone Nagahide could actually read, predict, and grade points to…
Being unable to assign a numerical value to something bugged her to no end. She had long realized her irrational dislike of Muramasa – after all, everything he'd done which she touted as 'negative to the Oda Clan' had never actually did so. In fact, even she could realize what he's doing was beneficial to Nobunaga and the clan as a whole.
Not having the ability to see the image of the dying, burning corpse of Nobunaga being cursed even after her death also contributed much to her petty opinions. What Muramasa was doing was untraditional… and Nagahide made it this far just fine by being traditional. The Oda Clan had gained its current status also by doing exactly the same thing – so too the Takeda and Uesugi Clans.
However, deep inside her smiling, kind persona, she realized she was simply afraid of a future she couldn't predict.
The gun her lord was holding right now was even more advanced than what she'd witnessed Saika Magoichi holding. She heard that voluptuous, black-haired sniper was combining her innate physical talents, Guardian Spirit, and meagre Magecraft skills to a frightening efficiency regardless of the gun. Impose one's spirit onto the gun, and boom! The bullet coming out of the chamber would be eerily accurate and impossibly powerful.
However, that was a trick only that woman could do.
What Muramasa had just forged in his shop was something everyone could wield. Just inject an appropriate amount of Od or Mana into it, and the enchantments in the rifle would do the rest.
"100 points," Nagahide couldn't help but murmur.
"Hmm? What's that, Manchiyo?" Noticing her usually smiling retainer mumbling something darkly, Nobunaga tilted her head from above a horse. "I'll leave this place to you, then!"
She left before Nagahide could say anything in response other than her characteristic charming smile.
- BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Phew! Not a single negative recoil!" Nobunaga laughed happily, placing her new rifle on one of her shoulders. "Really, Shirō, your toys are just too good!"
"Happy to hear that," the redhead bowed respectfully, though not as deep as what Nagahide would've considered polite – just a show of their closeness. "Kippōshi, I'm trying to put this into production, so…"
"Granted! Make as many factories as you want!" The black-haired young woman boisterously exclaimed. "Jūbei, take my and your personal troops to oversee and train with this!"
Mitsuhide beamed, the sunlight glinting off the thin sheen of sweat on her expansive but charming forehead. "By your will."
Among friends and retainers, there's no need to keep up any pretences. Nobunaga certainly felt this feeling had been scarcer lately, given how serious things were getting. Perhaps it's her decision to change, perhaps it's the fact things had changed, making her cherish these moments before she embarked on her world conquest even more.
Despite her harsh words to Nagahide earlier, she realized the older woman was just trying to look out for her own good. Trusting a man who suddenly came out of nowhere, just because they knew each other since they were small, clearly wasn't typical of someone in her position – despite her mannerisms could already be considered unorthodox for a daimyo. Placing a man who's technically just a blacksmith and chef on the same level as official advisors and generals was just an insult to the accepted norm.
But Nobunaga spat on that.
"Kaede, help Shirō with cleaning the game," she ordered, taking a seat on a convenient tree stump.
"Yes!"
A black-clad kunoichi flickered into existence from behind the trees' shadows, floating forwards to where Shirō had already laid out all the tools necessary for skinning, bleeding, and necessary butchery on top of a sheet on the ground.
She transitioned seamlessly into the role of an assistant. While he was skilled enough to do it himself even without Magecraft, another pair of hands certainly wouldn't hut. Chiyome's build was too small for tasks like this, despite her steady growth, so Kaede's taller frame was more suitable for bodyguarding duty and menial tasks like this.
Kaede was the first to graduate from her tutelage, and by far the fastest.
Besides, there's more to being a kunoichi than being sexpots. Kaede was undoubtedly beautiful, but the need to snap a man's neck from a submissive position required a certain degree of strength that just skills wouldn't be able to compensate. He still remembered observing one of her first missions in place of his wife when she performed this act – a triangle choke going into disjointing the wrist, shoulder joint, and neck.
A mixture of Mutsu Enmei-ryū, modified for women to use more effectively through the martial arts handed down from Mt. Ōe… his wife's ancestral home ground.
Quickly, they processed the female deer Nobunaga had just shot, along with two other rabbits. Jūbei was quietly impressed – she knew Nobunaga-sama had been practicing out of everyone's eyes under Shirō's tutelage – but she didn't expect her skills to have reached this level.
'It takes a genius to earn another's respect, I suppose…' she chuckled internally, praising herself as well as her lord.
Speaking of which… Nobunaga had just taken a nap without telling anybody, making Kaede sigh and whisper, "Sengo-sama… I shall return to my guard duty."
"…we're counting on you," he replied awkwardly, eyeing Nobunaga's lightly-snoring form with exasperation.
- Fwish.
Once Kaede had flickered away, Mitsuhide immediately shuffled over and plopped herself on Shirō's lap with a knowing smile. "Senpai~ "
Sighing, he caught her arms which attempted to circle themselves around his neck, securely placing them back on her sides. He patted her stomach to placate her desires. "What do you want?"
"Geez… So cold! I feel for Chiyome-sama who has to face this question every time she wants to be pampered!"
"The difference is that I pamper her out of my own will. With you…"
She grinned. "Go on; deny it! Deny you don't feel anything with this!"
- Munyu.
She grinded her soft butt on his crotch with a smirk. Yes, for someone on the cusp of her teenage years, she was filling out nicely. A soft tangerine fragrance wafted to his nose as she nuzzled her long, thick, lustrous black hair near his face. Giggling at his slight fluster, she added, "…you can marry me later. I can wait for Chiyome-sama's permission! Come on, it's a win-win!"
However, his tone remained level. "Can you just drop the act and get to the point? Kippōshi will wake up soon."
"Haa… You're no fun." Despite her words, she didn't remove her delicate butt from his lap. "Alright, alright… I'm just concerned for you."
"Is this about Manchiyo-san?"
"She'll really slap you sooner than later if you keep addressing her like that," she joked. Quickly, though, she matched his serious tone, saying, "Well, yes. Why do you keep antagonizing her like that? You know… She's planning something to depose you from the court."
"…I know."
"H-How?!" By the next instant, the realization dawned on her face. "Chiyome-sama hasn't lost her skills, it seems…"
He nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Jūbei. I really am sincere. However, for your own good… You shouldn't pay too much attention to these kinds of small things. You'll get wrinkles."
He playfully pinched the tip of her nose, eliciting a giggle from her. Swatting his hand away, she replied, "But it's exactly in the details we're making up the margins! Many have fallen when they said those precise words… I just don't want it to happen to you…"
- Munyu.
Her body pressed closer to him, not because of her wilfulness, but because Shirō had wrapped his arms tightly around her. This time, instead of the overly-forced seductive smile, she genuinely blushed and began to fidget.
"Thank you again, Jūbei…"
"Y-Yeah… S-Senpai, umm… D-Does this mean the m-marriage is going to h-happen?"
"Maybe later."
"Uuu…" She groaned. Eyeing the still-sleeping Nobunaga – as expected, her sleeping posture was terrible – she whispered, "Do you think… Nobunaga-sama has been unwell lately?"
"What's with that rhetorical question? I think you've already known the answer to that, right?"
She closed her eyes, partly gathering up the courage to say it, partly enjoying her senpai's rare embrace. "…I'll assign someone to monitor Kohaku-dono's well-being, then."
"It's useless. I've tried – unless I go to the Mutsu Clan's compound myself, all of our shinobis will just return on push-carts," he patiently explained. "But… I trust Tatsumi. He's not the type to mistreat her in any way, even if it's viewed as normal in this era. We're similar in that aspect."
"Hoo… So there's a good chance Kohaku-dono actually falling in love with him?" She puffed out her chest in glee.
"Not that kind of similar, silly." He flicked her rather wide forehead, forming a red mark on it, but she pouted when she felt his embrace weakening. "But… Yeah, maybe. He's a good guy."
"That's not very convincing… But as expected of Nobunaga-sama! Her heart is wider than the ocean – to feel such touching, deep love for one's sister! Truly rare!" Jūbei excitedly narrated in a low voice, avoiding waking up Nobunaga, but her hands still shot up randomly enough Shirō had to shift his weight to keep them balanced. "Completely unlike the daimyos I've seen and heard… A true leader!"
"Agreed."
"…but why do you still make that kind of face?"
Startled, Shirō patted his cheeks to confirm what kind of expression he was making. Shaking his head lightly, he praised, "You really are perceptive."
"Of course! I'm a genius, after all!"
This time, he followed her up with a chuckle. "Perhaps… I'm the one who's shaken by how things panned out. I should learn from Kippōshi."
"Muu… Why not learn from me?!" Mitsuhide childishly protested. "Aren't I making the great analysis here?!"
"Are you listening to the words you said? What if Sukuna-san sees you like this? You'll break his heart," he tried to calm her down.
"I don't care about anyone's heart apart from yours and Nobunaga-sama!"
This time, she lightly jumped in place, rotating her body mid-air to land face-to-face with Shirō. His hands were too slow to prevent her from circling her own around his neck, earning her a victorious smile.
Still, facing her dark orbs – those he saw turning violet when she's serious in combat – he was undeterred… lightly headbutting her head to push her back.
"Ow! T-That's uncalled for!"
"I felt my purity was in danger."
- Thud.
"You two sure are loud."
Hearing Nobunaga's criticism, Mitsuhide rotated once again and bowed apologetically. "My sincerest apologies for awakening you from your slumber!"
"You're making it sound like I was dying," Nobunaga drily commented. While she was joking, those words when uttered in public could very well lead to Mitsuhide's capture and eventual execution, on the basis of 'cursing' her own lord. "Raise your head, Jūbei. Thanks to you, I managed to dream quite sweetly."
"It's my honour!" She hopped back up, a large red mark still on her forehead after the previous playful headbutt and subsequent rapid dogeza.
Her kumquat hair clips fell off from the rapid movement, but Shirō managed to catch and restore its place in one smooth movement, rising another honest blush from the romantically-aggressive and -misinformed girl.
With Nobunaga's rest complete, they made their preparation to return to the compound. Along the way, Nobunaga asked on horseback, "How's the new fields and produces going?"
"They've just recently harvested the second batch. With Mino's border facing us opened, the transportation of the required… ingredients went smoothly. We can expect to build another series of storehouses in the near future," Mitsuhide reported sharply, her near-eidetic memory helping her recounts. "Shirō-senpai, can you tell me when's the next batch of prototypes going into production?"
"They're ready today. Just tell me the word, and I'll send my apprentices over to teach the farmers."
"Excellent! I'll look forward to more new dishes, you two!" Nobunaga guffawed, clapping her horse energetically.
As her two retainers chased her down, Kaede easily kept up by going from tree to tree. In forests, even the semi-open ones like this, horses' mobility was severely reduced. It's always more efficient to go in a straight line, especially if one had the physique and mental sharpness to do it.
Other than bodyguarding, she was often sent to the newly-opened villages near the Oda-Mino border for peacekeeping when she had just recently graduated. At that time, she was shocked to hear Saitō Dōsan so quickly agreed to ally with the Oda Clan, given Nobuhide had just recently passed away. She presumed it's because he wanted to get his influence on a young, recently-promoted, and pliable young lord in Nobunaga… but only recently she had realized he was, in fact, securing his position to avoid being destroyed by her.
It only broadened her horizons when she learned how narrow-minded she was in terms of judging the power spread in Nihon. 'That's why I'm still jōnin, and not a Kage like Chiyome-sama…'
Large established shinobi clans like the Kōga, Fūma, or Hattori might appear loyal to one clan each on the surface, but they're technically only professionally working together. Once they saw a province going down the gutter, they'd abandon their servitude in a heartbeat in exchange for greener pastures. After all, shinobi training was just as expensive as samurai when accounting their number, with the need of various rare herbs and materials for their duties.
Jūbei's presence here was proof enough Dōsan thought highly of Nobunaga. The Viper of Mino was known for his wisdom, and while others – including his daughter, Yoshitatsu – might think of him going senile with his old age for backing an unproven lord like Nobunaga, what Kaede had observed only strengthened her respect for his visionary decisions.
Chasing the group, she focused her sight on Mitsuhide's slender back and flowing hair tied in a dolphin's tail.
Such a young woman, barely Kaede's age… and already an established general.
She didn't despise the swordswoman, merely thankful she was given an opportunity to be in this position, looking over the three figures whom she sincerely believed would change all of Nihon. So little children like her wouldn't have to go through the same suffering she did…
Personally, she had never seen Mitsuhide fight. Like most Princess Generals, she was definitely trained in the ways of a samurai since a young age, and her average built meant she focused mainly on the katana. However, what Kaede had seen was her intelligence in creating and managing trades, manipulating the economy, radically improving agriculture, and impacting both Mino and Oda from behind the scenes.
Like Nobunaga, she was quick to experiment and accept Nanban seeds and varieties, disregarding the local custom of stubbornness against changes. Perhaps that's why the two of them get along so well?
Unlike her usual goofy and chirpy exterior, at times, Kaede could feel that katana of hers kissing her neck even while still sheathed.
Powerful. Cute. Intelligent. Well-educated. Good at cooking.
Why hadn't Muramasa-sama married her yet? Could 'true love' really exist? If so, then Chiyome-sama must be the happiest woman in the world…
From Kaede's limited perspective, there's no problem in doing so. Neither Muramasa-sama nor Chiyome-sama had any previous noble ties or titles which could complicate matters. The fact people would more likely accept it if Mitsuhide-sama became the first wife would likely be the biggest issue, because she could certainly see Muramasa-sama being the one to say 'fuck you' to those traditions and political games.
The Akechi Clan was wealthy, blessed with lush lands and strong economy.
Besides, once the marriage was complete and Muramasa-sama became a noble… then wouldn't marrying Nobunaga-sama be possible?
- Suu… Haa… Suu… Haa…
'Deep breaths… Deep breaths… Don't let your fantasies detract from your duty, Kaede!'
Ordinarily, wearing a jūnihitoe was considered a pain in the ass one must endure in formal parties. No one liked wearing them, even the high-class ladies who constantly draped themselves in expensive materials.
It's just too heavy as a set!
Especially when combined with a… say, stocky figure to haul around, it became more unbearable.
Certainly, no one would be foolish enough to dress as such to a battlefield, right?
Imagawa Yoshimoto considered herself to be above normal people.
Yes, she's busty despite her short height. Yes, her well-groomed hair would just get dirty and the jūnihitoe torn up in a fight. Yes, her carefully-crafted geta would just crack if she stepped on a small pebble carelessly.
…and yes, her attendants all thought so too. 'The Fool' didn't just exist in Owari.
What they didn't know was the martial prowess she honed in secret, along with a sharp wit she hid underneath a buffoon-like manner of speaking.
Sharpening her naginata by hand, instead of relying on a professional because they'd just look down on her, she prepared for the incoming skirmish against the Oda Clan.
Yes, 'skirmish', despite the large number of troops she's prepared indicated this was a war to stomp the Oda Clan once and for all.
The others couldn't see it, but she could.
This was the person who could actually unite Nihon – a 'fool' even more foolish than her.
Her Imagawa Clan held royal blood, though certainly far from the current ruler behind the scenes, the Minamoto Clan. While it technically allowed her to be shogun or kanpaku, it still had to be seen whether her opponents further on would produce any kind of 'justification' by repeatedly mentioning their lineage or not.
People had earmarked her to be the one to create the 'next big wave' against the established clans like Takeda or Uesugi, but she merely thought of them as blind.
"Well, nothing wrong with testing whether they're right or not…" Yoshimoto muttered to herself. "If you can, survive me, Nobunaga…"
Glossary Update!
P
Princess General
Himekishi. A title born after the first female shogun and second overall in history, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, took office. Realizing the overwhelming chauvinistic tendencies of the reigning feudal lords, which weren't only abusing women in general but also undermining the respect she deserved and demanded, she abolished the male-centric rules and empowered firstborn and/or eldest daughters to take their families' reigns whenever the chance presented itself.
In the Sengoku Period, these feudal daimyos were coined by the term 'Princess General', because they're expected to perform the duties of both a female heir to the clan as well as a capable leader to their underlings. The Minamoto Shogunate's reforms were so successful the majority of the current daimyos were indeed women, though this was more of a coincidence than by design as a sudden female baby boom happened in almost the same generation.
Character Sheet Update!
K
Kaede
Title: ―
Predicted Class: Assassin
Gender: Female
Height: 160 cm
Weight: 44 kg
Alignment: True Neutral
Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: D
Mana: D
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: ―
Class/Personal Skills:
Presence Concealment: A
As the first and finest jōnin from the obscure Mochizuki Clan, she embodied the [Assassin] Class incredibly well, to the point of not having any records noted down of her exploits… or even her real identity, which she had cast away and reforged too many times to care. The epitome of anonymity during her missions, where she was known only as 'The Woman' owing to her escapades with various influential older men. Suitable for spying, Kaede minimized this skill's rank drop-off by disguising her killing intent with sultry gestures.
Noble Phantasms: ― (None recorded)
Character Description
An orphan picked up by Nobunaga from the slums caused by the civil war wrecking the country after the Ōnin War.
"Stand up for yourself. I won't step down from my horse for people who've given up."
Her first true memory as 'Kaede' was rushing up to chase Nobunaga's procession on a horse, dodging her personal guards to stand before her and pledging herself out of desperation to survive. Her unrelenting gaze back then when she's barely out of toddlerhood was said to be the reason Nobunaga fancied her so – as someone who dared to defy the bad 'fate' and 'destiny' preordained onto them.
She was directly taken care of by Chiyome, who had just recently married into the Oda Clan through her husband's 'artisan' services. While her kunoichi training discouraged anyone to consider Chiyome a 'mother' – partly because she's sick of people fawning over her – Kaede truly thought such in her heart. As the oldest and best from the new 'Mochizuki Clan' of shinobi, she was often tasked with high-ranking missions, such as personally guarding Nobunaga from the shadows etc.
Beautiful by the era's standards, she had a habit of concealing it unless absolutely necessary – inherited from seeing her 'mother' tried her best to cover up her own body. At first, she viewed sleeping with old merchants and 'influencers' as nothing more than a job; however, she derived a secret pleasure from seeing their shocked faces when she buried her blade in their heads…
Despite suiting the [Assassin] Class well, her lack of Thaumaturgical talent in an era rich with Mystery was noteworthy. A weak Servant if summoned in every sense of the word.