Chapter 5: The Drifters Take Control!
"I can't get in contact with the Great Master. Wh...What shall I do? I really hope the North Wall hasn't fallen… Meanwhile those three stupid guys and one idiot woman are making such a mess. What should I do now?" The young girl said, she held onto her binoculars still trying to find the Drifters.
"Wouldn't be the first time I've been called an idiot", Takeko called from above. The young girl looked up to see a woman with long black hair, sitting comfortably on one of the tree branches. She held out her polearm so that the blade was next to the girl's neck, and unfortunately for the young girl the lighting was just right enough to make the woman's eyes seem red. The young girl's jaw dropped.
"Ahhhh, a demon!" She screeched. Takeko covered her ears at the sudden sound, what a loud scream. Just as the girl screamed two men jumped down from the tree tops behind her cutting off her escape.
"No wonder I had the feeling that someone was watching is. Who are you!?" Toyohisa yelled at the poor girl, his face could only be described as terrifying. The darkness of the night had did not help either, it only made him look more sinister.
"Uh…ah..eh…" The young girl stuttered for a moment before screaming her heart out, "Somebody help me! A 'kubu-oiteke' monster is trying to kill me!" She held her arm out as if expecting someone to come to her rescue.
"Who the hell is the monster?!" Toyohisa yelled at the frightened girl, having enough of her screaming he whacked her on the head to shut her up. "Hah!"
"Augh!" She coughed out falling face-flat onto the ground.
"Is she a spy?" Yoichi asked curiously.
"She is just too clumsy to be a spy…but first and most foremost of all. Hey Toyohisa", Oda called to the man.
"What?"
"She's speaking the language of the Rising Sun", Oda said with a deadpanned face.
"Oh, you're right! You're smart", Takeko cheered as she jumped from the branch.
"Oh! Hey you! Confess! Spit out everything you know!" Toyohisa shouted at the girl, towering over the girl.
"Nooo! Aahhh! Noooo! Help me! Don't kill me!" She yelled aloud, tears were just free running across her face. She was just here to report on their activities, she never even thought they would find her. She was praying to every God there was to spare her some mercy.
"If you don't tell me everything, I will leave you in his hands", Toyohisa said with a threatening voice as he indicated to Oda who stood behind him.
"Hello, I am the Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven. I like arson and lass murder. I make toasts with the skulls of the men I kill", Nobunaga said proudly and for a moment seemed to be wearing his traditional warrior's clothing. He also had a cracked open skull in his right hand which seemed to drip with blood.
"AHH! I am Olmine! A magician and Octobrist! The Great Master ordered me to watch you! To watch you Drifter! Please help me!" She suddenly yelled aloud, very afraid for her life. How come these Drifters were even crazier than the ones they had back at the North Wall?!
Toyohisa for a moment tried to process the information which she had suddenly yelled out but failed, "I didn't understand a thing!" He shouted back at the poor girl, who stood there is shock.
"That fool is saying that he didn't understand! Explain so that a fool can understand as well!" Oda bellowed, pointing an accusing finger at the girl.
"You got to be kidding?!" Olmine wailed in despair, how much longer did she have to deal with these crazy people?!
"Who is the idiot?! Do you want to lose you head?!" Toyohisa shouted at the old man in annoyance.
"Oh, so you did listen after all. You are indeed that 'kubi-oiteke' monster then", Oda said with a straight face. Toyohisa growled at him, baring his teeth at the Demon Lord.
"I promise I won't hurt you", Takeko said as she crouched down in front of Olmine, "But that doesn't mean I can guarantee that they won't do something to you", she said gesturing to the three men behind her with menacing glares.
"Uh…well. In this world we call 'Drifters' men and women like you, who come from 'the other' world. And the job of the Octobrist Organisation is to keep an eye and gather those Drifters, and you can to fight. Fight against men called as 'Offscouring'", Olmine said. Expecting these Drifters at least to comply with many questions. All four of them looked at one another before answering the girl.
"To hell with that", Toyohisa said. He still didn't understand a damn thing.
"Nobody tells me what to do", Oda said plainly. Unless there was something in it for him, then there was no reason he should help them.
"No way", Yoichi called out, just too troublesome! Why did he have to fight a war on some else's behalf?
"Why?", Takeko said.
"WHAT!" Olmine screeched out, how could these Drifters call themselves humans if they were so heartless?!
Takeko carefully pulled the last of the rope around her, tightening it enough but not too much so it would hurt. "What were you saying earlier?" Takeko said as she stood up, dusting her hands.
"Umm, well we call as 'Drifter's every 'person' who was sent here from other worlds like you. Likewise we call as 'Offscourings' every 'evil being who forsake their humanity' and was sent here from other worlds. The goal of our Octobrist organization is to locate, watch and gather Drifters to fight against the Offscourings", Olmine explained, she fidgeted every now and then against the ropes. Kind regards from Oda who thought of tying her up.
"Uh…and could you untie me, please", Olmine asked with an exasperated sigh.
"Of course not. I can't understand a thing you are saying", Toyohisa stated. Takeko stared at this man, what did he not understand? The girl had explained everything so clearly so that even the most foolish could understand or did he not listen at all.
"Hahaha! My dear Olmine, you are getting it totally wrong. For I am the Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven! You think I'm a good man? Then you are wrong! I am pure evil!" Oda proclaimed with his cape draped over him in a dramatic manner as the raised his hand up. To everyone's eyes he did not seem evil but more a comedian.
"You still doing such ludicrous performance? Don't you feel ashamed?" Toyohisa said dryly, looking at the old man as he continued to pose in what he thought looked majestic.
"Of course not", Oda said looking him in the eye.
"You really got some galls. I forgot that you liked flashy stuff since you were a kid", Toyohisa said. He had a feeling that more of this was to come if he were to hang out with man, brat and woman.
"No, I don't think you are Offscourings", Olmine said as she looked at the two men wondering on how they were still alive.
"Why?" Yoichi asked looking at the girl who perhaps was no older than him.
"Those who come here as Offscourings can't be called as 'human beings' anymore. They never make such jokes like you", Olmine stated looking at these strange Drifters. They were truly nothing like she ever met, unpredictable and dangerous she surmised. "They nourish only an utter hate towards this world. I don't know what happened to then in your world, but they surely hate everything in this world. And hate drives them to destroy everything they see. There are only two things that Offscouring do when they come here; devastation and carnage. They gathered in the north, subjugated the monsters that lived there and started marching south. If we let them be they will reduce this world to nothing. That's why we ask you Drifters to help us!"
"If the Offscouring are gathering the monsters and moving towards the north. Then wouldn't be more like as if they are conquering the country? The Offscouring are probably not idiots, after all what would be the point to gather monsters and troops if they are just going to destroy the world. It would be meaningless, no? I would think that they are trying to conquer the world, not destroy it", Takeko said dully, she crossed her legs as she leaned forward, "Or perhaps they are just trying to eliminate humans, I myself can think of many reasons why monsters would want to hate us", she said with a smile as she patted Olmine on the head.
Olmine looked at her in shock, "You...You are more terrifying than I had first imagined", Olmine managed to stutter. Takeko smile broadened as if she had just told her a funny joke.
"How many soldiers have you got?" Oda said suddenly to break the tension in the room.
"Eh?" Olmine said as she had been concentrating on her ropes more.
"I know nothing about monster, but now I know they have a large army. Just how many soldiers have you got to fight them?" Oda looked at the girl, his eye penetrating her, she had never felt so pressured in her life.
"Uh, well…our organization is a society of magicians, so…our goals is to gather all Drifters and…" Olmine started but Oda cut her off.
"So, no soldiers at all?" Oda said with a frown on his face, how was this supposed to work is there were no lords to command his troops.
"Well, out plan is to appeal to the Kings and lords of each country to provide armed forces and the Drifters would lead them against…" Olmine continued but once more she was cut off by the impatient old man.
"Fool! Fool! Fool! This may be a different world, but some things are just the same. Every country here has a lord, who has command over his army, which in turn is proof of his power. Nobody is idiot enough to hand his army to an unknown bunch of guys, you fool! It doesn't matter how strong or powerful those so called 'Offscourings' are. The lords will never surrender their armies to you. They will cling to their military power 'till their last man is killed and their last stronghold falls to the hands of them 'army to destroy the world'. That's what a 'lord' is! Who do you think the Mohists disappeared after the Warring States period! You may come up with whatever theory you like, but facts are facts", Oda stated aloud. His eyes were sharp and his smirk was mocking, whatever he did in the other world he had remembered all too well. After all he was a lord once, Takeko thought with a grin.
Toyohisa stared at the once lord, 'So this is Oda Nobunaga, it's really hard to tell if he is an oaf or a shrewd man he thought'. He was surrounded by warriors, despite their times differences, they were all alike.
"Th…Then what should we do?! Without the help of you Dfifters, we can never defeat them! What should we do?!" Olmine cried out, the ropes dug around her arms as she jolted up but she didn't mind.
"What? Isn't it obvious? We Drifters have to take over a country!" Oda yelled, with a wide a sinister grin planted on his face. His teeth baring and at this moment he really did look like a demon. "We will start by taking over this country, having Toyohisa as our head", all four Drifters stood behind one another. All but Toyohisa had a smile on their faces.
"Lend us a hand. Join us in this plan to destroy this country so that you can bring happiness and peace to your world", Oda said while beckoning to girl with his hand.
"Wait a moment! I am the head of this?! Who said that?!" Toyohisa suddenly yelled at Oda who had only just processed the information.
"What? You say in the middle of us after that battle, you forgot?" Yoichi said with a disbelieving face.
"And so what?!" Toyohisa answered back, still not understanding the meaning of his words.
"Your head is emptier than your stomach", Takeko said quietly.
"Couldn't you be a tad brighter, son?" Oda said while looking at the buffoon.
Olmine could only stare at these strange Drifters, how could they be so calm while talking about taking over a country? Or maybe that was how they told to do when they were younger, and it was all they really lived for. The glory and winnings of taking part in battle. Great Master, things are a mess here! Those guys are completely crazy! But I must admit that their ideas are appealing. It's said that the Offscouring have already raised arms a few times in the past, and every time they did; this would was brought to the the brink of extinction. But this time, the Offscouring are way more powerful. The world will be reduced to dust if we don't take bold actions. Nothing will remain here, and the Black King will have won.
To Wolfy (guest): to answer you question if Takeko is going to pair up with anyone, well who knows really. I'm really patient for romance, and besides you'll just have to wait to find out. The manga needs to have more chapters for me to decide.