Chapter 2
Remembering at Kanagasaki
Kyoji arrived at Kangasaki and saw not a soul of the Oda Remnants. "how rude and kinda creepy" he mused as he was about to take a path that would have led him away from the castle he heard a voice. "Wait. You. Do not go." Kyoji recognized that voice and smiled as he turned down the path towards the castle "Oichi, I am home" he said as he fallowed the path when he came to a gate he saw Oichi hanging there in mid air by a pair of dark hands "Oichi!" Kyoji called out and was about to run towards her when she opened she eyes "perhaps it is night, perhaps I am blind, how cruel you must be to drag me form my slumber. The sweet gentle dreams I dreamt." The arms slowly let Oichi down before picking her up to a standing position. Kyoji began to take steps toward Oichi "Oichi, it's me, Kyoji, Your nephew." Oichi looked at him blankly "I don't remember you, be gone." Then Oichi attacked with her Shadow Hands. Kyoji barely dodged them drawing his swords on either side of him. "Great, she doesn't remember, well I was smaller back then." Kyoji was on the defense as he though this. He then broke though the hands and said as he used his first technique he ever mastered which was with Oichi "Divine Double Slash!" But he used the blunt ends of his swords and landed his strikes with ease. Oichi then disappeared into the darkness, the gate behind her opening. Kyoji pressed forward to make Oichi remember him.
"Wherever you go, I will fallow. If you try to run I'll catch you. I won't rest until you're on your death bed, I won't stop until I sleep in darkness" Kyoji heard Oichi's voice again this time is sounded sinister and full of evil, Kyoji tightened his grip on his blades "I am Kyoji! The Master of Heaven and Hell! I am not running!" Kyoji's voice was full of anger, he would not run anymore like he did at Honnoji. He would fight for his desires. Oichi reappeared and again Kyoji attacked, However, Oichi had somehow gotten stronger, His blows having little effect on her. Kyoji mind was racing when he suddenly knocked over a lamp. He saw Oichi shy away form the flame and took the opportunity. He struck with his double slash again, Oichi disappointing into the darkness. Kyoji caught his breath and presded forward and was finally greeted by the Oda remnants only they looked ready to attack Kyoji instead of greeting him "this keeps getting better and better" he frowned as he knocked out his opponents ease then Kyoji saw Katsuie Shibata "Katsuie! Boy, am I glad to see you. It is Kyoji remember?" Katsuie paused, his army halted as he saw Kyoji's movements. "Kyoji? You're alive! I thought you died at Honnoji." Katsuie exclaimed glade to see his lord's son was alive. "You wouldn't be the first. Anyway how do we stop Oichi? She won't stop attacking me." "Sleepless hell is what it's called. I think light weakens it, but outside that I can't be of much help" Katsuie explained. Kyoji nodded "then accompany me, I'll have to come up with something along the way."
The Oda remnants slowly remembered who Kyoji was, they stopped attacking him and fallowed him to the castle like lost dogs, they reached the stair way. Kyoji ordered them to remain and he ascended the stairs to where Oichi was waiting. The sun was rising it light slowly peeking over the horizon as Kyoji heard Oichi singing "Off you go to call the king, you wish to hear the devil sing. On your kness you beg to know what seed of fate the devil sows. Ask you will and ask you may the fate of love on this fair day" When he reached Oichi, sahdow hands came from the ground, grabbed his arms and legs and darkness began to envelope him. "Oichi!" he called out as it slowly began to swallow him whole. Just as he was about to disappear in a ball of darkness, he remembered something.
Kyoji had fallen tripping over his feet while fallowing his father Nobunaga "is my son that weak that he can not stand on his own power?" He remembered his father saying that. He always wondered why even when he got up from the ground, "Don't show your weakness, never give up, find what you desire, above all become as strong as you are when you got back up to defend that desire." Nobunaga's gaze never left Kyoji and it made him stop crying. "One day I will be come stronger then you, Father" Nobunaga just stared and said. "Humph what folly…" they continued along their way to Kyoji's lessons.
Kyoji smiled, he flexed and the ball of darkness exploded as he extended his arms and rushed towards Oichi, who closed her eyes expecting the killing blow. She felt warm arms envelop her and heard these words "Wake up Oichi! Don't be sad anymore I can't stand sadness. Smile for me and for those you care about. The land of smiles is near. Rejoice and be glade." Kyoji tighten his grip "smile" Oichi was shocked as she remembered "Kyoji... is that you? Its been so long where have you run off too?" as she retuned the embrace and started to cry. "Where have you been? I was so worried about you!"
"Its all right Oichi I won't leave ever again. I have promise to keep after all to make a land of smiles" Kyoji smiled. They both loosened the hug and Oichi smiled "I am glad your safe." She said. Kyoji nodded and they both greeted the Oda remnants and Kyoji said to the soldiers and generals that had gathered. "Today the Oda clan is reborn and we will usher in an era of happiness and smiles. We will rise up and end this era of sadness." As Kyoji spoke he saw his men led by Mifune enter the area and Kyoji hailed them after finishing his speech. "My lord, I see this has been a success. I have news lord Shingen Takada has fallen ill. Yukimura The Young Cub of Kai is leading them in his stead." Kyoji said "We must gain the aid of Takada. We march to Kanawakajima and ask for Kenshin's help in his endeavor no doubt he will know what plagues Lord Takada