Disclaimer: All credit goes to Shingo Nanami and フクロウ. Enjoy.

勝負

Battle

Part One

Kasane x Nobunaga

"Huh..?"

Hearing the sound of a cat, Kasane curiously looked around the area.

However she could not see any sign of the creature.

This was a quiet garden where a few people would come by in this castle.

"That's strange. Did I just imagine it?"

Kasane puzzledly crossed her arms and tilted her head.

Yet the cries of the cat did not stop.

That's when Kasane turned to face up.

When she did, she saw one cat dangling on a branch of a very tall tree.

"Uwah! Why is it way up there!?"

Noticing the existence of the animal, she began to panic.

The cat desperately cling on on the branch; it tried to jump off but couldn't find a way to do so.

"W-what should I do…"

The tree was about two stories high, so it should be dangerous to land on the ground from that height.

"...Yosh!"

Filled with determination, Kasane started to climb the tree.

Nothing will come out of it if she were to panic.

If she were to save if, then all shall end well.

With that in her thoughts, she reached the area where the cat was stuck.

"Here, come."

As she stretched out her hand, the cat hissed as if threatened.

"You'll be fine. You shouldn't be stuck here. There, come here?"

She stretched out her arm a bit more, trying to catch the cat.

However the cat avoided her arm and jumped off by using the route she used to get up on the tree.

"...Ahaha… So it was able to get down on its own."

Filled with an emotion that she couldn't pinpoint, she dryly laughed.

Well it can't be helped, so Kasane began to climb down.

"...W-...was is always this high…?"

When she was trying to save the cat, she didn't notice how high she went, but now that she was looking down she could see the whole scenery from below.

"I...I can't get down…"

Feeling chills shiver down her spine, she kept clinging onto the tree.

So she tried saving the cat, but it ran away just fine which left her pitifully stuck in the tree.

She felt entirely embarrassed by her shameful actions.

"...S-someone."

Kasane looked around.

However, this was a place rarely visited by people.

It's not a place where someone would conveniently come by.

"...W-when will someone find me…"

If the group of three notice that she isn't around, then they would surely look for her… is what she thought in her mind, but if one of the soldiers or that tyrant were to find her… Kasane began to cry.

"...Isn't this bad…?!"

Just how many days will it take before she'll get discovered.

Well, it's not like her strength is going to last that long.

Actually it took a lot of her power to stay clinging onto the tree right now, so it was tough to hand on.

Once she runs out of steam, it's guaranteed that she'll fall to the ground.

"...Go-gourouza-san! Inuchiyo-san! Kuranosuke-saan! !"

Turning blue she yelled out the to the group of three, even though there was a small chance that one of them would hear it.

However her voice did not travel far from the quiet garden.

"...I-ikeda-sa~n! Nobuyuki-saan! I don't even care if it's Tono-sama that finds me now, someone save me~~!"

So then tried yelling out all the names she knew, but of course, no one answered back.

"Uuuu… Someone~..."

As Kasane fell deeper into despair, her voice faltered.

The worst vision continued in her mind.

"...Ha."

Suddenly, she felt a presence and turned her face in that direction.

Sitting on a branch in front of her was Tenrou.

"Te-tenrou!"

As if praising the lord, Kasane gazed up to the heavens.

"T-thank goodness~! T-tenrou! As you can see, I'm in a huge pinch. C-could you call in Tono-sama or someone else to help me?"

"..."

"I-I'll give all of my side dishes to you, Tenrou! Please? I'm begging you!"

As if worshiping the bird, she begged him.

Without moving a muscle, Tenrou continued to stare sharply at her.

"Please? Please! Tenrou! No, Tenrou-sama…! !"

Paying no concern to the desperately begging Kasane, Tenrou spread its wings and took off into the air.

"D-don't abandon me Tenrou~!"

Kasane called out as if trying to cling on her only hope, however Tenrou kept on flying off into the distance.

"T-tenrou~..."

With Tenrou abandoning her, Kasane began to cry.

17 years, a short life.

She wished to see her brothers one more time…

As she reminisced her life, her loving brothers came to mind.

"...What are you doing up there…"

"...Eh? Huh!?"

Hearing the voice suddenly coming out of the blue, Kasane raised her voice in surprise and looked down.

To which she saw Kuranosuke's gaping face looking right up at her.

"K-kuranosuke-san…!"

Catching the sight of him, Kasane began to cry in relief.

Kuranosuke alarmingly stared at that.

"W-what's that about!?"

"N-nothing! I was so glad that Kuranosuke came here…! I'm saved at last…!"

Seeing her smile in his direction, he turned his gaze away.

"H-hmph! Well, that's fine and all… But why did you climb up there."

"W-well… A lot of things happened and I can't get down… I'm ashamed of myself… Pl-please save me."

"..."

Kuranosuke gave her a dumbfounded look.

Unable to stand that stare, Kasane made a wry smile.

"...Tch, very well… Then, well, um, come!"

"No, like I said, I can't come down…"

"I-I'm telling you that I'll catch you so jump down!"

Saying that in a slightly embarrassed tone, Kuranosuke spread out his arms.

Kasane looked at him awkwardly.

"So if I jump down, Kuranosuke-san will catch me? If it's Inuchiyo-san then it might work… It's too dangerous."

"Wha! You think I can't you!?"

As he irritatedly exclaimed at her, Kasane nodded.

Her body wasn't that different to Kuranosuke so so her it seemed impossible for him to catch her.

"More importantly, it would be better to call in someone else…"

"D-don't look down on me! Even I can catch a person on my own just fine!"

Kasane became troubled as Kuranosuke kept angrily yelling down below.

Gash, with the sound of footsteps making contact with the dirt coming nearby, Kasane and Kuranosuke turned their gaze in that direction.

"...What is going on."

"My lord!?"

"Tono-sama? And Tenrou!"

Languidly coming to the scene, Nobunaga gazed at them.

"...Climbing up to a place like that… When did you become a real cat?"

Crossing his arms, he looked up at Kasane.

"It's not like I enjoy climbing…"

"Tenrou was awfully persistent and strangely lead me out here to see this… Such foolishness."

Nobunaga boredly snorted.

"That's what I thought…"

Having predicted this cold, apathetic behavior beforehand, Kasane sighed.

"I don't care who it is, someone please save me…"

In a tired voice, Kasane muttered.

"Hmph…"

"That's why I've been telling you to jump off."

"It's definitely dangerous with you!"

"What is this about."

"Ah, well I told her to jump so I could catch her…"

Nobunaga frowned at his words.

"...Think about your body. It's impossible for you."

"E-even my lord…!"

Kuranosuke said as if receiving shock.

"Oi, woman."

"Yes?"

"Instead of Kuranosuke, I'll be the one to catch you. Jump."

Kuranosuke and Kasane widened their eyes in shock at his suggestion.

"EH…!? Tono-sama… will!?"

"...What's with that face. If my assistance isn't needed, then I don't mind leaving you."

He began to turn around to leave at Kasane's reaction.

"Ah!? No! I'm sorry, please save me! !"

"You should have asked for that in the first place."

Nobunaga laughed at Kasane's panicking voice.

She groaned in vexation.

(Even though she told me it was impossible...)

After all of that from their arguments, the second Nobunaga showed up, Kasane obediently followed his orders. Kuranosuke uninterestedly scowled at Kasane.

It was a lot more exasperating to him since the idiot girl was right all along.

Indeed his body wasn't as big and strong as Inuchiyo's, so it would be dangerous for him to catch one girl who would jump down from that height.

His mind understood.

However, this was.

(Dammit, this isn't pleasant...)

"T-tono-sama, you'll catch me right? Don't pretend to catch me and leave me to fall alright!?"

"...Stop complaining and jump already."

Nobunaga sent her a fed-up expression.

Holding her breath, she muttered, 'One, Two.' and closed her eyes before letting go of the tree.

"...u…..omf…."

After boldly jumping off, Kasane landed easily into Nobunaga's arms.

"T-thank you very much…"

She unsteadily stepped away from him.

"...A dull cat like you should take a nap from the porch instead."

"Uu...ku."

He saved her after all, so she couldn't fight back.

"Hmph… You're awfully modest now."

Seeing that she was desperately holding back, Nobunaga pleasantly smiled.

"..."

A second later, Nobunaga gazed at Kuranosuke.

Kuranosuke was still clearly sulking.

Seeing Kuranosuke acting so out of character, Nobunaga snorted.

(...Hmph)

"...Kuranosuke."

"Y-yes!?"

He straightened his back when Nobunaga unexpectedly called his name.

"Why don't we spar for once."

"...Huh…..?"

TBC

I swear cats can be cheeky. They all plot to make us stuck in trees. I've never climbed a tree to rescue a cat, but I know the feeling of looking down. I have a fear of heights, but weirdly I liked climbing trees and reading books on them. lol. Well then, I hoped everyone enjoyed this chapter and I shall upload the next one very soon. So until next time, I hope everyone has an enjoyable and safe day!