Vignette 1.1 - Thunders Over Tatarasuna
Kujou Sara strode with haste in her steps, making her way through the vast war camp.
Countless pillars of smoke trailed into the heavens, choking the land in the thick, grey forest of smog. They extended as far as the eye could see, from near to across the bay and mountains - a true testament to the size of the Shogunate Army. Sara made her way through the siege lines, crossing over trenches and barricades - nodding to any man who saluted her as she passed.
She looked over her shoulder, taking in the city of Tatarasuna. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the city was the second most important in the Shogunate, after the capital of Kyo. Raised on a sea flat in the middle of a bay, surrounded by natural fortifications. In addition to being raised in a natural blue-water harbour, the Shakkei Mountains guarded the city's western approaches, while deep waters protected its north, south, and east.
Even then, once the high tide rolls, the entire city will descend below sea level - high walls turning the settlement into a fortified island.
Five bridges cross connected Tatarasuna to the mainland, though all five had been destroyed by the Watatsumi Army when they stormed the city.
Nevertheless, the Shogunate had already encircled the city. They had hoped to counter-storm the city swiftly, but the clearly elite Watatsumii forces inside had fought as if they were possessed by the Omikami itself - each battling with the might of ten men. Furthermore, their sorceries had wreaked havoc on the barges ferrying men across the river, turning the sound into a slaughterfield.
After their third failure to take the walls, they were forced to pull back and settle into a siege.
Kujou Sara was under no illusions that the Shogunate was on the back foot. As long as Tatarasuna was held by the rebels, they could not advance towards Nazuchi, lest they overextend their supply lines. And yet, with every additional day they continue to be locked in a stalemate, the Watasumii receive more time to fortify their end of the Nazuchi Isthmus.
And yet, despite the indescribable casualties that would arise from attempting another assault on Tatarasuna, those feckless politicians and lords in Kyo continue to pressure the Shogunate Army for their lack of progress. Kujou Sara grinded her teeth at the mere thought of them, has the ebb in conflict dulled their senses? Patience was necessary, now more than ever. Their every move must be calculated, now that the stakes were higher than ever.
"General Kujou!" a man called for her attention.
Sara swivelled around, noticing the daitengu of Shakkei Mountain. She hastily bowed in his presence.
"Lord Shirakawa," she greeted, "How may I be of service?"
Perhaps she hadn't needed to bow, but as a tengu herself, it was natural to show respect to her elder. Lord Shirakawa was one of the greatest tengus of Narushima, ruling over Shakkei Mountain of Kannazuka. It was him and legion of tengu that harassed the Watasumii out of Kannazuka, forcing them to abandon their comrades in Tatarasuna.
"General Kujou," the man bowed in return, "My men and I have scouted the Watatsumii positions in Tatarasuna, as you requested."
The old tengu offered a sealed scroll, but Sara declined to take it.
"I would have to ask you to bring it to the Shizuko Corps, for I am on my way to a council."
"The Shizuko Corps-" the man's eyes sharpened, "I see. I must look forward to your plans, General Kujou."
Sara bowed, "You do me a great honour, my lord."
Lord Shirakawa nodded thusly, turning around and extending his black wings before taking to the skies. Sara watched as the Lord of Shakkei departed, before returning to her present task - making her way to the heart of the eastern camp.
Due to the vastness of the army, they were forced to split the siege into three sectors - the west, north, and east. To the south, the Shogunate Navy was battling the First Navy in the Sea of Fog. Another pressure point, for if the Shogunate Navy fails, then the First Navy can reopen supply lines to the rebels in Tatarasuna. It didn't help that the First Navy was far superior to their own, especially after the decimations of their fleets in Setsuzoku and Tatarsuna.
It only adds to worsen their situation - but at this point, Sara decided she ought to work with what she has.
As she crossed the final incline to the council tent, she found it a vast thing. Large enough to be a house of its own, decorated with the banners of half a hundred clans of Narushima and a thousand more, all fluttering in the wind. Guarding the entrance were two hatamoto, guardians of the Shogun's banner, the Electro Mitsudomoe. However, there was also another man standing there anxiously, one she recognised.
"Sir Takasaka, what is it?"
Takasaka Izumi, a well-respected officer in the Tenryou Commission. The Takasakas themselves were a branch family of the Kujous, just as the Kujous were of the Shigeyori. Most of the old guard had viewed Sara's swift rise through the ranks of the Shogunate Army as a result of nepotism - and while Sara dared not fully dispute that belief, she was grateful to Sir Takasaka for allowing a chance for her to prove herself.
"General Kujou," he bowed, "The Kamuijima Cannons have arrived from Saizensen Castle."
"Good," she nodded, "Bring them to the Shizuko Corps immediately."
"Understood."
Sara waited until the man departed, before entering the tent - greeting the hatamoto as she passed. Inside the tent was stifling, the smoke wafting from bronze braziers only compounding the smell of dozens of sweaty men hunched over a table. The atmosphere was tense, even more so than it had been for the past moons. They all knew that action had to be taken as soon as possible.
If not now.
"Kujou no Sukune Sara," the officers bowed in greeting.
There were all powerful men and women, some even lords. But there was a clear distinction in the military, and there were only two men that were ranked above her in the army - one was her adopted father, Kujou Takayuki.
Kujou Sara bowed to the man at the head of the table, large and muscular, casting an imposing shadow over the hall in his armour.
"Shigeyori no Ason Masanori," she greeted her brother.
"Sister," he gruffly returned, "You've come. How are the men?"
Sara took her place at the table, near the head right beside Masanori. Opposite her was Kuroda Nagamasa, the third highest general in the army. She greeted him shallowly, and he returned her affectations. The man was one of the old guard, and while he barely hid his disdain for her, there was a mutual sort of respect between them - mostly thanks to Sara proving herself in the early days of the rebellion.
"They are impatient," she answered her brother, "Especially the youkai. They want to strike as soon as possible."
"To allow the Sangonomiya a second of stay in Tatarasuna is a second of dishonour!" Mikoshi no Muraji Kanenaga roared, "We sully the grace of the Narukami with every day that we sit here uselessly!"
"While I find it distasteful to agree with an oni," Hakushin no Muraji Mino tapped her clawed fingers against the table, "Lord Mikoshi has a point. We must crush the Sangonomiya at once."
The Mikoshi and Hakushin were the two premiere youkai clans in Narushima. Both have fought alongside the Narukami since the dawn of time, back when the Land of Thunder was splintered into hundreds of warring states. However, both clans fell from grace five centuries ago, which led to both clans falling into obscurity.
During the Cataclysm, the clan head of the Mikoshi, Torachiyo, had betrayed the Narukami. After being defeated, Mikoshi no Chiyo wreaked havoc about Narukami Island in her madness, her reign of terror only ending when the daitengu of Mount Yougou descended to put her down. It was unclear why she had betrayed the Narukami, but the consequences of her actions were unavoidable.
The Mikoshi Clan fell from grace, and thus they all sworn unfaltering loyalty to the Narukami ever since, swearing their lives to her.
On the other hand, the Hakushin was a declining clan of kitsune. They had fought on the frontlines during the Cataclysm, resulting in the deaths of countless kitsune. The fall of their matriarch, Hakushin no Saiguu, was the final nail in the coffin for their clan. Since then, the Hakushin lands have been split and partitioned over and over by neighbouring lords.
"Crush them how?" General Kuroda rasped, "Tatarasuna's walls are strong, and their sorceries command the waves. Not to mention, they hold the entire city hostage."
"What of our request to evacuate the civilians?" her brother asked, eyes raking over the map.
"They denied it," Sara replied, looking down, "These are the same men who used Yashiori refugees as living shields - the moment it appears we would succeed, I have no doubt they will slaughter the people of Tatarasuna."
"Forgive me, general, but we have no choice!" Kamisato Akikazu said, "Admiral Hiiragi is fighting the First Navy in the Sea of Fog, but he is outmanned and outnumbered. No matter his valiant effort, it is only a matter of time before he loses."
"I concur with my brother," Kamisato Akeno bowed, "I have also received reports from my lord cousin in Kyo, I fear the impatience is rising in the Shogun's Court. They want us to act now."
Sara's gaze pierced the table, if she could feel the pressure setting in on all sides, she couldn't help but imagine what her brother was feeling. Pressure from the front, from the rear, from the flanks - Shogunate Army was in a bronze pot, slowly boiling alive.
Once was happenstance, twice in coincidence, three times and its enemy action. This was all planned from the very beginning, she mused, the enemy planned so far ahead, all in order to achieve the greatest opening move in Narushima's long histories of war. She had heard rumours of the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi's brilliance, but at the same time, rumours were as common as corpses in times of war.
It was very possible the Sangonomiya simply had very competent generals by her side. That would not be surprising, Sara thinks, the Watatsumii must've been hounding her war against the Narukamii for the longest time - and thus they must have planned every possible move in advance.
"...Then we have no choice," Masanori finally spoke, "We must prepare for another assault."
The atmosphere thickened, and Sara could already imagine all the lives they've signed away with a single sentence. There was no feeling left to it, that was the curse of a general. The only thing they could do now was try to save as many lives as possible, all the while achieving their goal.
And that meant being a villain.
"We must break the walls of Tatarasuna for the slightest chance of victory," Sara spoke first, leaning over the table, "Soon, the Kamuijima Cannons will be in position. With their extended range and firepower, we will be able to open a way in for the vanguard."
"I do not understand why you place so much trust in those machines, general," Lady Hakushin frowned, "We have used them once, and they failed to prevent the loss of Tatarasuna."
"That is because they have their own strengths and weaknesses," Sara insisted, "Against an immobile target, the cannons will be effective."
Artillery was the future of warfare, the next step in the natural evolution of weaponry. Bows forced warfare into another dimension, firearms only compounded that - and artillery will turn battles meaningless. This is what Kujou Sara believed. Narushima was a land forged in blood and steel - their magic, their philosophy, their ingenuity, all of it must go to advancing the efficiency of the gears of war.
"Even if they are effective," Kamisato Akeno stared at her, "Siege artillery are notoriously inaccurate. General, how much collateral damage do you think will rise from this?"
"I have ordered my men to aim for Watasumii strongpoints," Sara bowed her head, "But even then, I fear that artillery will be indiscriminate in its targets."
"Well," another officer drawled, "We do not have any other options, do we? I say we let General Kujou pound the damn Sangonomiya to dust."
"As expected of a bastard," Kamisato Akena sneered, "You have no sense of dignity or honour."
"My fair lady," the bastard in question rested an arm on the table, leaning over, "Dignity and honour have no place here. Every moment we hesitate, more and more men will die in the future. There are no heroes at this table, the best we can do is choose the lesser of two evils."
Kamisato Akeno leaned back in silent defeat, while her brother glanced worriedly at her. The bastard was Hiiragi Hiyori, Sara remembered, a man born out of wedlock and thus disgraced by the Hiiragi Clan. He joined the Shogunate Army as there was no place for him in his clan, and because the military values talent over birth.
The Hiiragi bastard glanced at her and nodded, and Sara lowered her head in gratitude. He would be a valuable ally, she thought, the man was a rising star within the army. Furthermore, they had a strange connection - he was a bastard, she was adopted - both of them were not truly of their names.
After a brief silence, her brother spoke up.
"Lord Mikoshi," her brother addressed the giant of a man, "You will lead the vanguard."
The oni fell to the ground and prostrated himself before the general, "A thousand gratitudes, General Kujou! We will not forget this great honour! In the name of the Raiden Shogun!"
"Get up, you witless giant," Lady Hakushin scoffed, "Do you not have an ounce of dignity?"
"Indeed, Lord Mikoshi," Masanori nodded, "We all must hold ourselves to a standard of pride, we are the Shogun's arms and armour, are we not?"
"Yes- yes! Your words cannot be more true, great general!"
"Admiral Kagawa," her brother then turned to the officer, "Are the barges ready?"
Admiral Kagawa Noriko was an admiral of the Second Armada, of Tatarasuna. She was a short woman with large, round eyes and a soft face. Despite her appearance, however, she was of sharp tongue and even sharper mind. Without her, they would've completely lost the Second Armada - but instead, they were able to salvage the some three score ships under her command.
Currently, they were being used to blockade the bay, catching any Watatsumii ships that managed to bypass the First Armada.
"No," the admiral closed her eyes, "But we do not have a choice, do we? By your order, I will bring my fleet into the sound, and we shall craft a bridge of boats."
"Do so," the general nodded, "Five bridges span the sound, we shall cross the easternmost, and the two southernmost."
"In that case, we must wait until the tide rises deep enough for the Second Armada to enter the sound," General Kuroda said, "And certainly, General Kujou's artillery must pin down the Sangonomiya forces in the city."
"Indeed," Kamisato Akikaze nodded, "The artillery will be the centrepiece of this stratagem. They must pin down the Watatsumi Army in the city until the vanguard crosses the sound, then pivot to aim for the walls just as they reach the retaining wall."
"Will that be possible, sister?" Masanori asked.
"Will or will not, it must be done nonetheless," Sara said firmly, "General Ayanokouji has assured me that they will not fail."
"And so we will sentence thousands of our own innocent people to the grave," Kamisato Akeno closed her eyes, "Will the Shogun forgive us?"
A silence swallowed them.
Tatarasuna has a population in the tens of thousands - tens of thousands of possible casualties. Artillery was infamously inaccurate, and there was an utmost certainty that they would end up shelling their own people - even with the most exact locations of the enemy.
Sara could feel all of their eyes on her, for she was the one who brought the potential uses of artillery to the table. With the aid of some of the best smiths and thaumaturges of the Shogunate, the new weapon called the Kamuijima Cannon was crafted - a monster of a weapon, the first one to be powered with Elemental energy within the Land of Thunder.
"I shall forsake my honour and glory here," Sara stated, "For I believe none will come from this endeavour. Yet, I have a duty - we all do - as officers of the Shogun, to decide the best path forward. As Sir Hiiragi said, if that means choosing the lesser of two evils - then so be it."
"Then so be it," Masanori slammed his fist onto the table, "Lord Mikoshi, bring your vanguard to the east. Lord Konda and Lord Saimon, your men will be the main army. Together, yours will be the First Division, under my personal command."
"Understood, general!"
"Sister, you will command the Kujou troops, along with the Takatsukasa, Shigeyori, and Hiiragi troops in the Second Division. You will attack from the south."
"Is it wise?" an officer asked, "To give control of such an important unit to a new figure - not that I mean any disrespect, generals."
Sara hastily lowered herself to the ground, kneeling before the council, "I will not fail our efforts, this I swear with blood and bone."
"That will not be necessary," General Kuroda's grim voice broke through the tension, "Have we all not sworn ourselves to the Raiden Shogun?"
As Sara rose, she noticed the man's piercing grey eyes meeting those of every person around the table.
"You raise a good point, officer," he continued, "But this is not the place for it."
"Well said," he brother nodded, "General Kuroda, the Kamisato, Hiiragi, Matsuura, and Hakushin Clans will be under your command in the Third Division. Attack from the north."
"By your orders."
They continued into the night, agonising over the smallest of details - crafting the most intricate of alternatives. In an army of hundreds of thousands, every lord, general and officer wanted a piece of glory and honour, even when they all knew both had no place in war.
Sara watched as the small wooden tokens on the map shifted over and over, each one inscribed with the sigil of a clan. Like watching a game of go, she thought, as every place and position was fussed over to achieve agreement in all clans.
How useless.
After all - she closed her eyes - they will all return to the same place, in the end.
It is said that war is an extension of diplomacy.
Like most things in this land, diplomacy is a matter of give and take. How much are you willing to give, how much are you willing to pay for what you take? Questions like that are the very foundation of warfare, in Sara's mind. There are too many parties to please, too many oaths to keep, too many morals to uphold.
And in the end, you will be forced to sacrifice one for the other - over and over - until you have nothing left to your name.
"Sir Takasaka," she asked, "What do you think will be the result of this war?"
"We will defeat the Sangonomiya," the officer replied swiftly, "And dispense justice in the Shogun's name."
Yes, that will be the result of the war. The Sangonomiya have broken the ancient pact between the Omikami and the Narukami by invading Yashiori Island. They slaughtered the Yashiorii like cattle, they dishonourably used them as slaves and human shields, they tricked Tatarasuna into opening its gates.
It was natural that they must pay for their actions.
But how?
"General Ayanokouji," Sara asked, "What do you think we will have to sacrifice to achieve victory?"
Ayanokouji Shizuko looked up from the map, "Everything the Watatsumii have sacrificed, general, and more. Our honour, our morals, our people, and theirs."
"Do you think it will be worth it?"
"With all due respect, general," Ayanokouji closed her eyes, "That is not our choice to make, but the Shogun's."
"But what do you think?" she insisted.
Through the darkness of the unlit tent, Sara could see Takasaka stop whetting his blade to clench his fist.
"It is the will of the Narukami, so it must be," was all he said.
"...Indeed," she murmured, "It is the will of our god and the land, so it must be."
Suddenly, the lapels of the tent were pushed through, and Sara looked up to see Lord Shirakawa leaning down to peek inside the tent. With a hand, the daitengu beckoned them out - and Sara shared a glance with her officers before taking the lord's lead. She stepped out of the tent, followed by her officers, and took in the fresh air.
The Sky was lightening, the stars receding into their heavenly abodes. A harsh golden glow pierced over the horizon, peeking over Mount Heikisho to their east. With the eyes of the tengu, she could make out the blocks of soldiers marching down the mountainside into position on the coast, and the fleet of ships drifting into the bay.
"Sir Takasaka," she ordered, "Your Izumi Corps will lead the vanguard. You know the signal."
"Understood," the man bowed, before rushing off to join his men.
Sara walked to the edge of the cliff, staring down at the Second Division gathering on the banks of the sound. Twenty-thousand men under her command, all their banners and standards hanging limply - the pawlonias of the Takatsukasa, the wisterias of the Shigeyori, the sparrows of the Hiiragi, and dozens more minor and branch clans.
She could make out the wisterias of the Kujou as well, at the very front of the army - and the Kujou's lineage, the Shigeyori right behind them. Sara recognised them easily, their black armour, red helmets, and feather capes so starkly contrasting the uniform colours of the peers - the Sara Corps, her men. Her men at the front, the elites of the Tenryou Commission.
"Lord Shirakawa," she asked, "Have you heard what artillery sounds like?"
"I can't say I have."
"Close your ears when they fire," she advised, "Lest you will be hard of hearing for the rest of your life."
"We live in the Land of Thunder, general," the Lord of Shakkei grinned, "We are always hard of hearing."
Sara offered an amused smile in response, before killing it on her lips. She swivelled around, meeting Ayanokouji's eyes and nodding. The artillery officer bowed swiftly, before rushing off. Sara turned her gaze upwards, at the scores of cannons, catapults, and other artillery pieces lining the mountainside, all primed and aiming for their respective targets.
She let out a huff, breath misting in the cool mountain air. Tatarasuna was all dark, even in the twilight, to make it harder to aim for important buildings. It was the perfect time to strike, at the crest of dawn, when the alpenglow shone through to illuminate the city - yet dark enough that it would not be easy to see the armies gathering on the beaches.
"It is time, general," Lord Shirakawa's voice shook her from her thoughts.
"Is it?"
"Aye, now or never."
"So be it."
Sara pulled out her featherbound fan from her armour, lifting it to the Sky. A conch horn was blown, its deep bellow echoing across the valley and down into the bay, catching the attention of her men on the shore. In response, another horn was blown from another mountain, then another, and another - until the entire island was encompassed in a choir of the sea.
A heartbeat passed, then-
Sara grit her teeth and sharply lowered her fan, pointing it straight at the city.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-
The twilight sky turned to day as earth shook, the fury of a thousand gods of war thundering across the cloudless heavens. Sara could feel her bones rattle as the other mountaintops responded with their own volleys, hundreds of falling stars descending upon Tatarasuna. The shockwave brought forth a tide of wind rolling down the mountainside, the army banners suddenly ripping and snapping on their masts.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-
The second volley was unleashed, black smoke choking the air as the artillery roared with unearthly fury. The first wave of armaments crashed into Tatarasuna, ripping up the city in bright violet explosions, tearing up the earth and stonework. Then, the second wave came down relentlessly, orbs of crackling thunder from every angle - each shot pounding the land and sea.
Sara swiftly moved her fan to the side, signalling the artillerymen.
Heat grazed the top of her head as scores of golden balls of flame were launched from catapults and trebuchets, arcing over the blue waves and crashing into the streets of Tatarasuna. Fires quickly began to spread, red and orange spreading across the city like a plague as the blaze grew to lick the heavens.
"My lord…" she murmured.
"Understood."
Lord Shirakawa unfurled his midnight wings and took to the air, and Sara watched as hundreds upon hundreds of black-winged tengu joined him, coming out of the brush and trees and mountain valleys to blacken the very Sky. In a single form, they drew their bows and loosed volley after volley of arrows into the city, bird-eyed aim striking true with every shot.
Then, like a school of fish they dispersed in great masses just in time for-
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-
The deafening howl of cannonfire shook the earth again, pounding the city with cast iron once more. The screams reached her ears, the ringing cries of men and women as they weathered the storm of fire and steel.
Soon, Tatarasuna was a bonfire set ablaze into the twilight - a golden temple of flame that illuminated the valley in its brilliance.
Kujou Sara lowered herself to the earth, and prayed.
It should've been another quiet morning.
The Shogunate Army had been conducting minor raids all around Tatarasuna for moons ever since their failures to retake the city. It was a common tactic, he knew, it kept them on their toes and forced them into a heightened state of mind, which only served to tire them faster. That was the reason after the first few raids, Nobunao had ordered his men to relax.
Of course, he made sure that sentries were constantly on patrol day in and day out.
In any case, he believed that if the Shogunate Army were to make another assault, their movements would be clearly visible and easy to respond to. It would take time to cross the sound, after all, as they had destroyed every bridge into the city.
Uehara Nobunao took a gamble, and he had lost.
He could only stare numbly at the scene from the battlements of Mikage Castle, the sight of hell rising to consume Tatarasuna alive. The twilight sky was awash with orange flame, the shadows of the inferno like hungry beasts prowling through cobbled streets. The screams of the damned pierced the heavens, men desperately fighting the growing flames and women leading and carrying their children to safety.
Narukamii men. Narukamii women. Narukamii children.
To a safety nowhere to be found.
Mount Shakkei was illuminated by half a hundred flashes of light, followed by resounding blasts of air. Then, the sky was alighted by falling stars, shrieking through the air like screaming eagles, violet flame arcing in their wake.
They crashed into the city, stone buildings crumbling as the earth shook and dust flew into the air. Nobunao instinctively ducked as a cannonball slammed into one of Mikage Castle's retaining walls, smashing through the stone and creating a landslide.
BOOOOM
A mighty explosion ripped through the city, a great gout of violet flame bursting to reach for the heavens. That was one of the ammunition stores near the barracks, he thought, the Shogunate were aiming for them.
"Orders, general!?" one of his retainer screamed through the chaos.
"S-Send the men to the walls!" he ordered frantically, "To the north, east and south!"
"Understood!"
"Where's my horse!?" he shouted.
As Nobunao rushed down the stairs towards the stables, he ducked once more as the entire fortress shook to its foundations - his breathing short and shallow. This kind of artillery was something he had never seen until now, nor was it mentioned in any war tomes he had read through. It must be a new invention by the Shogunate Army.
Had they somehow harnessed the fury of the Narukami?
He couldn't help but think so.
Even more surprising, they had willfully fired on their own people. The fact that the Shogunate had approached them to raise the issue of evacuating the Tatarasunans was proof that they cared. He had denied their proposal - the Divine Priestess had personally ordered him to do everything in his power to delay the Shogunate Army, after all. If that meant using innocent people as hostages, he had resolved himself to do so.
The Shogunate must truly be growing desperate, to finally resort to firing upon their own people. Well, he might fall here, but by forcing the Shogunate to do so, their own standing among their larger population would fall. Once Narukami Island hears of how their army fired on Tatarasuna, the flames of dissent would be fanned.
Nobunao hurriedly swung himself onto his steed, before bolting down the streets towards the southern walls. As he galloped past civilians running in the opposite direction, he realised that the walls in the distance were still intact. The Shogunate was firing at specific locations, he thought, their positions.
They were trying to pin them down, so that the walls would be undefended by the time they arrived.
Suddenly, a great force slammed into his chest and knocked him off his horse, sending Nobunao tumbling to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he swiftly dived behind so rubble just as whistling sounds zipped through the air once more, followed by thudding as the projectiles hit the stone.
Then- the distant booms of artillery followed.
Nobunao gasped, wiping away the sweat from his face. He looked down at himself, and noticed an arrow sticking out of his chest - cleanly punched straight through his armour. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, and glanced at the opposite side of the fallen wall, seeing several arrows sticking out of the stone. Sharpshooters, from the mountains?
That was way too far.
He glanced upwards, and watched as artillery shells streaked through the sky - before crashing into the city behind him.
Nobunao cursed, swiftly finding his horse in the middle of the road and pulling himself back onto the saddle. With a hand, he snapped the arrow shaft in two, throwing away the tail end before returning to his rush for the outer walls.
Upon reaching them, he swiftly clambered up the stairs onto the battlements, to be greeted by several squads of soldiers - Sangonomiya bannermen. Marines, to be exact, well-trained and fearless of death. They were all willing to give their lives here, which was why they were chosen for this mission in the first place.
"Report?"
"The Second Armada has entered the bay," Captain Ueno saluted, "We spotted Kujou vassals gathering on the beach. Gorgasia Platoon on the eastern wall reports Konda and Hakushin vassals across their side."
Nobunao glanced over the battlements, watching the opposite shore. Tatarasuna was surrounded on three sides by high mountains, which meant that sunrise was far later than usual. By now, most Watatsumii would be breaking their fast in the light of day, but in Tatarasuna it was still in the hours of twilight, only the golden alpenglow of the rising Sun shining over the mountain peaks.
This meant everything in the valley was still cast in shadow.
"Spyglass?"
The captain wordlessly handed him the tool. Nobunao put it to his eye and stared out over the black waters.
Ironically, it was the fires raging in Tatarasuna that revealed the positions of the Shogunate Army. Nobunao spotted the Second Armada silently drifting through the bay, sails stricken and drenched in darkness. On the opposite shore, the silhouettes of tens of thousands were lined up into neat columns, too far for their sorceries to reach.
Flashes of light lit up the mountainside once more.
He drowned it all out.
"Can our sorceries reach those ships?" Nobunao asked.
"Lyretail Platoon's barracks were hit," the captain shook his head, "I'll be surprised if any of their mages survived."
"How did they know our positions…" he muttered.
"I don't have an answer to that, general."
"Nevermind that, it is already too late," Nobunao waved him off.
Suddenly, a man emerged from the nearby tower, huffing and sweating from every pore. Several burn marks and lacerations marred his skin, and the man had clearly ran far to reach them.
"Soldier!" he barked, "You have a message!?"
"G-General!" the messenger sloppily saluted, but he wasn't about to fault the man for it now, "The… the Yashiorii conscripts are revolting! The western wall has been lost!"
Nobunao suppressed a flinch, instead keeping his features level as his mind raced. This was to be expected, he reasoned, it was why he assigned them to the less important western wall, which the Shogunate Army wasn't likely to assault. However, they still posed a large issue - if the Shogunate breaches the other walls, they could be flanked from behind.
"Orders, general?" the captain of Swordfish Platoon asked.
"Logically," he started, "We have already lost."
The silence was deafening.
"If we cannot hold this city any longer," he decided, "Then we must not allow the Shogunate to reap the rewards of retaking it. We must make this a bitter victory for them."
"Understood," Captain Ueno stood straight, meeting his eye, "Your orders?"
"Destroy the Arsenal," he commanded, "And sabotage the Mikage Furnace. We cannot allow them to restart it."
"At once, general," the captain saluted, "Swordfish Platoon, with me!"
He watched as the Swordfish Platoon streamed into the towerhouse and in a moment onto the streets. They rushed back to the heart of the city, pushing civilians aside as they went. As they were swallowed by the growing flames, Nobunao turned back to watch the enemy forces approach.
He realised the messenger was still there, leaning against the battlements to catch his breath.
"What's your name?"
"Yoshihisa, general," the man answered, "From Swordfish Two."
"...You platoon?"
The man silently shook his head, and Nobunao let out a sigh.
"Sit down, soldier," he murmured, "It'll be all over soon."
The man took his advice, slumping onto the ground, "Didn't imagine I'd die like this, like a fish in a bucket waiting for the Shogunate to get me."
"Thought you'd go out in a blaze of glory?"
"Aye," he muttered, "Dying at Fujitou Castle would've been better than this, at least I could've chosen how I'd went."
Nobunao smiled dryly, "At least you served the Divine Priestess more by dying here."
"Aye," he whispered, "At least."
Yoshihisa agonisingly pushed himself to his feet, leaning against the wall as he stared across the bay. Nobunao brought the spyglass back to his eye, scanning the mounting forces of the Shogunate Army gathering onto barges, the Second Armada acting as their shield. As if that was needed, the Watatsumi Army hardly had anything left to retaliate with.
BOOOOM
A shockwave rocked the city to its foundations, nearly knocking him off the battlements. Nobunao hastily caught himself, before catching the clothes of Yoshihisa and pulling the man back onto the ground before he fell off.
Nobunao spun around, sighting a mass of purple fire raging in the heart of the city - arcs of violet lightning crackling across the flame like dragons.
The Mikage Furnace had exploded.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-
Nobunao swivelled on his heel again, watching as a new barrage of shells roared from the barrels of cannons. As the shells flew higher, Nobunao brought the spyglass to his eye to track their trajectory - following their trails to a terraced cliff on the mountainside. It was hard to tell from the distance, but he could be certain that the new cannons were massive, towering over their contemporary counterparts.
And at the base of the cliff, there was a woman.
Hair as black as midnight, cropped at her shoulders. Piercing golden eyes, sharp as a bird of prey's. A crowfeather fan held tightly in a hand.
Her eyes met his. She nodded her head. He nodded his.
"G-General," Yoshihisa murmured from beside him, "Those shells… are coming for us."
Nobunao swivelled his sight upwards, finding the glowing shells shrieking through the air - and tilting downwards. Until he could not see the trail in their wake any longer.
He hastily removed the spyglass from his eye to escape the blinding light, squinting as he watched the falling stars grew ever larger.
"What a sight," Yoshihisa sighed, "If only I could see it more than once in my life."
"Mmh," Nobunao looked, down the brightness overwhelming his vision.
He counted in his head.
One- two- three-