Disclaimer: All credit goes to Shingo Nanami and フクロウ. Happy New Year to everyone who is a day early than us! Here's the last chapter to this arc, enjoy!

約束

Promise

Part Four

Kasane x Nobunaga

"Uu~..."

Kasane painfully groaned.

Again, this sensation. Her head hurt. What happened?

After the blue light surrounded her, then…

"Oi."

She heard a voice.

A very familiar voice.

"Oi, girl."

Ah, that was a really recognizable phrase.

That's right, nothing had changed since he was a child.

That child? Who was he?

I…

"...Kippoushi-kun!?"

Kasane abruptly woke up.

Glancing all around her, she noticed this was her normal room at the castle.

H-huh? This is her room… right?"

"Who are you calling 'Kippoushi-kun'...?"

Eeeeekkkkkkk! !

Right next her was the adult form of Nobunaga.

Looks like he's mad at her for calling him his childhood name.

"A-are you really Tono-sama?"

"Who do you think I am?"

"Because Tono-sama was so small and super cute and…"

"Who care you calling small and cute?"

"I-I'm sorry it's nothing."

She bit her tongue back after feeling his anger.

Not cute. As she expected, Tono-sama isn't cute at all!

"...Um, I…?"

So everything she saw must have been a dream.

Somehow everything seemed really real though. But looking at the current situation, she could only think of it as a dream.

"...To think you could survive without any injuries from a fall from a cliff. You sure have the devil's luck on your side."

"Ow, ow."

Nobunaga roughly tousled her head.

Though it was still very brutal, she felt that it was a bit gentle this time.

"Kasane-dono! ! Thank goodness…! You've finally gained consciousness!"

"Katane~! Thank god~! !"

"Making us worry like that… you stupid woman!"

"I'm glad you're safe."

One after another, familiar faces came into her room.

It seems they have been nervously waiting in the hallway.

"After dispersing the enemy, we went to save you. After that you've been out for a whole day."

"It's truly a miracle that you have no serious injuries."

Even though she fell from that height.

Ah, now that she thought about it, why was she still in one piece?

She was certain she would die after falling from that cliff.

"I apologize for making everyone worried… Thank you very much."

Kasane beamed widely at everyone's concern for her well-being.

Though it was rather imprudent of her, she was so happy that they worried about her safety.

Everyone froze at her smile.

"...I'll have you work off all the time you've missed when you were sleeping!"

"...Uuuu. I understand."

"...That's why get some sleep now!"

Tono-sama can be sometimes, really some~times, nice.

The way he tightly closed his eyes as if embarrassed, incurred the vision of the child she had seen before.

"...Everyone really hasn't changed much over the years, huh…"

"Eh?"

Their eyes goggled at her.

That's right, of course they wouldn't know. That was her dream after all.

"Ah no. Well… I just felt like everyone was like this when they were younger so…"

Kasane lamely made a poor excuse.

"Well no one really changed. We only became bigger, that's all."

Gorouza chuckled.

"Kasane-dono reminds me of my first love."

"Uheh!?"

Now everyone's heads snapped at Gorouza.

"I don't recall the name of that girl, but she was a strong and gentle woman. I'm sure she was the same age as Kasane-dono at that time."

"...Oh, that girl."

"I don't really remember her face now…. But she had a really nice scent."

"...That day our lord suddenly proposed to an older girl after meeting her after all."*

"...! ! Katsusaburou!"

"Eh? Eh?"

What is this? This oddly sounds strangely familiar.

"That woman didn't say anything and disappeared from my sight…! I don't remember how she looks like, but you certainly seem to resemble her." Nobunaga said as he closely inspected her.

Scary. That face is totally scary!

"After all he declared that he'll become the world's number one man, right? I wonder where she is now…"

"...Well they say that first love doesn't mature, and we're talking about that gentle girl. I'm sure she is now married to a good man and is living a happy life."

"Each one of you, shut up!"

….It it be, that wasn't a dream?

"Aren't you all satisfied seeing this person's face already!? Get out! !"

"But my lord~!"

"...O-oi idiot woman! It'll be a problem if you collapse on us! So you better get well soon, alright!"

"Kusanagi-dono, please take care of yourself."

"Kasane-dono don't push yourself! That's absolute!"

The men reluctantly left her room.

After being forcibly chased out by Nobunaga, they returned back to their respective chores.

"..."

With the two of them left alone in the room, Kasane felt an endless unpleasant feeling.

He doesn't know yet. She's still safe, Tono-sama doesn't know the girl back then was her.

Nethertheless the promise they've exchanged back then was invalid.

With unneeded sweat starting to perspire, Nobunaga finally opened his mouth.

"...Long ago."

"Ye-yyeessss! ! ?"

Kasane overreacted to his voice.

Ignoring her reaction, he continued.

"There was a certain promise I exchanged with a girl; that I would marry her when I become an adult."

"He-heh~ I-I see. That's quite unusual."

Kasane frantically tried to act natural.

Well it was decided that promise was invalid, but she still felt unpleasant.

"She looked stupid and laid back and was friendly to others and had an unusual set of clothes. However she a strangely strong girl. Though I don't remember how her face looks like."

"He-heh…."

Why. Why was he telling her all this?

Inquiring his appearance, she listened to his story.

"That girl certainly called me 'Tono-sama' and knew of the secret location I've never told anyone else about. Not only that, I do remember that she spouted out nonsensical things like I was the one who told her about it…"

"I-impossible! It's probably just a coincidence! It's definitely just a coincidence!"

Scary. Tono-sama is somehow really scary now.

"...If I recall correctly, the only one in my entire life I've shown that place to is only you."

"... ! ! !"

What should she do? She wasn't quite sure, but he was starting to get closer to her.

As she couldn't get out from the futon, Kasane kept her distance from him as far as possible.

"...I'll have you know, I never once forgotten that promise."

"... ! !"

Just before the point of her lips, he was there.

What should she do? How can she escape from this.

After all, that promise was when he was small, Tono-sama was a child, it was just a silly thing.

Does that mean, this person knew?

"Promises are meant to be kept, am I right?"

A promise? But that was.

"... I'll have you take responsibility for stealing my heart when I was a child."

As Kasane felt his lips touching hers, she realized she could never escape this man as long as she lives.

*The 'after all', comes from the fact that Ikeda actually remembers this incident since it stood out to him. Well, it's not everyday Nobunaga proposes to someone right?

Eh... a small announcement? I actually wrote my own story. A small drabble really. I'm still uncertain whether or not to upload it tomorrow or not. Well, sooner or later it will be uploaded. Eh, for now I better look for the next story to translate.