Disclaimer: Phew! It's been a hard week! I already have four projects that I need to do within... like five weeks? Ahahaha, I'll probably be an empty husk afterwards. Anyway, I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting. All credit goes to Shingo Nanami and フクロウ. Enjoy!

勝負

Battle

Kasane x Nobunaga

Part Three

"Damn… Why did I do that…."

The day had long since set, it was a time when everyone went off to bed. Which meant that it was also time for Kasane to go to those chambers.

During that entire time, Kuranosuke was left in utter turmoil until he finally hide himself nearby Nobunaga's room.

(It's like I have any weird reason to do this… However, if my lord's name becomes tarnished because he touches that girl, this would be unbearable for everyone...)

It wasn't really honorable for a samurai to make passes to a woman who isn't their wife.

On top of that, there were many vessels that held antipathy towards his lord.

And to top it all off, if he were to lay a hand on some unknown girl he plucked off from the battlefield, it would only add on to the ill will of the senior advisors.

That's right.

He doesn't want that to happen.

Whatever happens to that woman isn't his business-...

Deep into his thoughts, he felt a presence coming along the corridor. He hurriedly killed his presence and hide away.

In the shadows, Kuranosuke turned his attention to Nobunaga's room.

Just as he expected, an uncertain-looking Kasane came to the door of his room.

(She actually came...)

Although it was expected of a subordinate to listen to their lord's every order, whether they like it or not, but Kuranosuke still felt shocked at this.

If it was that woman, he thought she would bluntly turn Nobunaga down if she tells him that she doesn't want to do it.

(...Could it be that girl has feelings for our lord…?)

Of course, her partner is the lord of a single country and while his gaze would be tough to endure through, he certainly had handsome features.

For a girl like her to become Nobunaga's mistress… his concubine, isn't at all a bad deal.

Finding this idea to be rather uninteresting, he scowled at Kasane's back.

"Tono-sama? I came as you told me to…"

"Enter."

Hearing his response, Kasane opened the door and came into his room.

Sh-she really went in…!

He began to feel irritated at this.

Just why did he have to feel upset over this, Kuranosuke clicked his tongue.

He inched closer to Nobunaga's room and hid near the door.

Filled with the events of what would occur made him incredibly irritated.

He wished to go back to his room already.

He shouldn't be peeping on them like this.

...Is what he thought, but he couldn't just leave them be.

Ah~ Damn it! I don't understand this…

Why was he so frustrated? How come he was constantly wondering what Kasane would do even though he didn't give a damn before? It was too puzzling and incomprehensible for him to understand.

Just as these thoughts stirred within him, he heard a voice suddenly coming from Nobunaga's room.

"...Y-you're the worst...!"

"...Hmph, I'll take that as a compliment."

Eavesdropping on the conversation, Kuranosuke panicked big time.

Could it be that he's forcing her to do this!?

However, his opponent will be his lord, he wouldn't be forgiven if he were to defy him.

If he were to do such a thing, his road to success will definitely disappear.

It's not his place to object him.

It's not his place to stop him.

Whatever happens to that woman is none of his business.

As Kuranosuke closed his eyes in distress, Kasane's face came to him mind.

If she is forced to do this, just what will she become?

Will she continue to happily smile with the other idiots just as before?

If that smiles ever gets clouded…

…...Ah~ Damn.

He roughly ruffled his head.

"Nobunaga-sama! !"

BAM!

Unable to endure it, he slammed the door open.

"My lord! Y-you mustn't do this! The sort of…. huh…?"

In spite of him entering the room with great conviction, the minute he saw Nobunaga and Kasane, his mouth dropped open.

"...Kuranosuke-san?"

For some reason the situation before him was totally different than the scene in his head.

"...Shougi?"

Still dumbfounded, Kuranosuke weakly muttered.

Sitting before the board, he found the two of them were moving around their pieces on the wood.

Kasane tilted her head and widened her eyes at the unexpected visitor, while Nobunaga unusually gave out a pleasant smothered laugh.

"...This Nobunaga isn't as starved to lay hands on a little girl."

"...-... Ah, ah!?"

As if Nobunaga had seen all of his schemes, Kuranosuke went loss before words, realizing that his lord was bent on teasing him from the start.

Judging by Nobunaga's state it seems that he had foreseen him sneaking about his room and jumping in at a time like this from the start.

"Then what was the worst?!"

"Ah! Listen to this, Kuranosuke-san! This person made an unbelievable move here! !"

Saying that, Kasane angrily pointed at the board.

Indeed, it was such an attack that just oozed out his evil character.

…..No, no, no.

It wasn't time to think about that.

"Then those words from earlier… was just a… joke!?"

Kuranosuke weakly muttered.

"... It was quite amusing to see you so desperate."

"! !"

As Nobunaga held in his laughter, Kuranosuke immediately turned red.

"Woman, you may go out with Kuranosuke."

Somehow he was now in high spirits, with that he sent them both out.

Kuranosuke became even more embarrassed from the banter and turned a brighter shade of red.

"...? ? Then I'll go… Kuranosuke-san? What's wrong?"

"...I-it's nothing! !"

Kasane reached out to the awkwardly looking Kuranosuke, trying to gaze from underneath him.

Catching those big eyes, Kuranosuke frantically averted his gaze.

As if amused by his obvious reaction, Nobunaga made another throaty laugh.

"E-excuse us….! !"

"Kuranosuke."

Just as Kuranosuke turned to escape from the room, Nobunaga called out his name.

"...Indeed it was merely a small jest before… But even 'next time'... I have no intentions of handing her over."

"..."

Nobunaga's eyes became sharp, for a moment he felt himself shrink under it.

"..."

He tried to say somethings, but no words came out.

He could only quietly excuse himself out.

With that, he left the room.

Kasane also quickly followed after him.

"Kuranosuke-san, could it be that you came because you were worried?"

After walking out of the room, Kasane called out to him.

"O-of course not!"

He openly shook as he denied it, however his response was more like an affirmation.

"Hehe… Thank you for worrying about me."

Seeing her happily laugh, Kuranosuke blushed and turned his gaze away from her.

"However, Tono-sama would never lay a hand on me."

"...It's because you don't know I was set up…"

In a tiny voice, without any strength, Kuranosuke muttered to himself. Kasane went, "Heh?" and tilted her head in confusion. He made no response back to her.

He was still confused to what his lord wanted from Kasane.

"Ah, I'll be going this way…"

"...I'll accompany you."

As Kasane started to split away from his direction to go back to her room, Kuranosuke awkwardly offered her in a tiny voice.

"Heh? But Kuranosuke-san's room is in the opposite direction to mine. I'll feel bad if you come, so don't worry."

"I told you I'll accompany you! Don't you complain on me!"

Saying that, Kuranosuke grabbed Kasane's hand and started pulling her with him.

With his eyes avoiding hers and his hand roughly holding onto hers, Kasane faintly smiled at this peculiar Kuranosuke. She obediently followed his lead.

"Thank you very much for sending me off, Kuranosuke-san!"

"..."

After they arrived to her room, Kasane smiled at him as she thanked him.

Kuranosuke made a small huff before turning to look in the other way.

"Then, good night."

With a happy face, she turned to enter her room.

Kuranosuke suddenly held her back.

"...What's wrong, Kuranosuke-san?"

"...N-next time."

He quietly muttered.

"Next time I'm not gonna lose! !"

He raised his voice as if to persuade himself.

He wasn't angry.

But he was still far from being calm.

"You were that vexed from losing to Tono-sama?"

With wide eyes, Kasane gazed at Kuranosuke.

"...Shut it."

Cursing quietly to himself, he turned his heel.

Leaving Kasane to only to puzzledly gaze at his retreating back.

Even if he says so himself, he made an incoherent declaration.

However what he had said only strengthened his resolution and determination.

He will overcome his brothers and bring honor to the Sassa clan.

However there was someone, someone other than his brothers, whom he had to overcome.

Someday he'll surpass him.

For that idiot woman to be the reason to think of an audacious idea of surpassing that back felt ashamedly idiotic, but strangely Kuranosuke didn't feel bad at all.

Ah, the life of a tsundere with an obvious partner plus a mischievous lord equals drama. Glorious drama. Although this was under the NobuxKasa section, this sure feels more like a KuraxKasa story. lol

Again with my schedule, I don't know when I'll translate the next chapter... Maybe next week or a month later... Who knows. However, I shall do my best to get these stories coming. The next story will be those who really enjoyed 'Permission From Her' and 'Cat and Sake and Envy' so I hope everyone will look forward to that.