[Narration]

{setting/stage directions}

"Speech."

'Thoughts.'

"English speech."

—¡–!–¡–!–¡— Scene shift/passage of time.

A whole line of text like this without quotes is a written letter or something similar.

WORDS IN ALL CAPS AND NO QUOTATION MARKS ARE SOUND EFFECTS.

Flashbacks and changes in POV will be labeled.

Unless stated otherwise, the POV will be third person omniscient.

If you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Previously:

"..." Nobunaga said as he stared at her determined face for a moment. As much as he didn't want Ayako out here with him, he knew there was no stopping her now. This girl was a force of nature. "Hmph." Nobunaga said, smirking proudly at his bride to be. "I guess it can't be helped, then. Be careful and stay close as you follow me!" He ordered. He'd scold her for disobeying him later...

"Yes, Sir!" Ayako said, smirking as she tightened her grip on the reigns and fell in line behind Nobunaga.

"Nobunaga... will be coming within range!" One of Yoshitatsu's soldiers yelled excitedly as Nobunaga and Ayako galloped towards them.

'Charging at my line of troops from the front, it's impossible for them to break through— Kazusanosuke Nobunaga... just what are you planning!?' Yoshitatsu thought, narrowing his eyes as he watched Nobunaga and the blond soldier draw near. Wait... was that a woman!? Yoshitatsu's eyes widened in surprise when he realized the lone soldier that had followed Nobunaga on this suicidal run was a woman with golden-hair and green and copper colored eyes that shimmered like jewels in the sun. It was a real shame that she would probably be shot down along with Nobunaga...

JINGLE~

The bridle on Nobunaga's horse clinked as he pulled on the reigns. Time seemed to slow down as both sides watched as Nobunaga steered his horse, turning it just before he entered the enemy's firing range, and Ayako followed suit, imitating Nobunaga's actions as though she were an extension of his shadow, and they both took off, dashing full speed, parallel to Yoshitatsu's front line.

"—Wha..." Yoshitatsu said, eyes widewith shock.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

"What...!?" Kasane and the others on Nobunaga's side shouted, stunned.

"When staring down the enemy line... did they decide to 'run away'!?" Someone shouted incredulously. As Nobunaga and Ayako continued to gallop along, unperturbed.

"—Uh... No way...!" Nobunaga's soldiers said in disbelief as they paused in stripping out of their armor. "The lord and Onihime... they're...!"

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

"Hahaha! Just what you'd expect of the 'fool' Nobunaga!" Yoshitatsu's soldiers laughed and jeered smugly. "What a coward, abandoning his own troops to save himself!"

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

"No!" Inuchiyo yelled determinedly. "That's not what he's doing!" He said stubbornly, pouting angrily at all the doubters and naysayers.

"Of course not. Even the stupid dog knows that." Kuranosuke said calmly as he continued to remove his armor.

"Inuchiyo! Kuranosuke!' Kasane said. "Th-That's right! And Ayako wouldn't just abandon her friends either! E... Everything will be okay..!" Kasane said anxiously.

"But even so..." Gorouza said thoughtfully, wondering what on earth their lord could have planned.

"Gorouza!" Kasane said, surprised by his unenthusiastic reaction.

"Just what could the lord's goal be...!?" Gorouza asked. It was obvious that Ayako had figured it out, but...

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

'Running away...!? Is he really that kind of guy...?' Yoshitatsu wondered as he watched, remembering his father's words, and the smug look on the old man's face as he told him he was no match for Nobunaga. "Ghg...!" Yoshitatsu said as he grit his teeth in frustration. 'Think! What could his goal be? It's said that Owari's Nobunaga has owned guns since he was little and is an expert with them. If he is still trying to 'win'—' Yoshitatsu thought. 'And he wants to break through an armed unit like this... where would he strike from...!?' Nobunaga suddenly yanked back on his reigns again, and his horse reared up as he turned again, followed by Ayako.

"What...!? They're turning again!?" Yoshitatsu's soldiers yelled in astonishment as Nobunaga drew his sword and Ayako held her hanbo in one hand, ready for action as she followed after the lord of Owari at a breakneck pace. "Nobunaga is..." They yelled as the lord of Owari raised his sword.

'That's right.' Yoshitatsu thought, his eyes widening slightly in realization.

"...Coming from the side...!" Yoshitatsu's soldiers finished yelling as Nobunaga and Ayako charged forth.

'The 'side'!!' Yoshitatsu Thought, clenching his fists. 'It's impossible to break through a line of gunmen from the front, but if you can go around to the side of the line, it becomes inherently difficult for the gunmen to fire, and the formation will collapse.' It would be extremely difficult for the gunmen to fire around eachother now... 'But he's forgetting the most important thing..!' "—Hah! He's going to stop at the last moment and try to cut his way through!?" Yoshitatsu said, smirking. "All troops, turn!" He ordered. 'My gunmen unit is outfitted with the most advance equipment, and it's mounted! You won't flank us so easily!!' He thought smugly. "Encircle Nobunaga!" He commanded his troops.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

"Yoshitatsu's troops are on the move!" One of Nobunaga's soldiers said nervously as they watched their enemy charge towards their lord and Onihime.

"—They're done for! They have them both well and truly trapped...!" Another cried in dismay.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

'Now I've got you, Nobunaga!!' Yoshitatsu thought. "Prepare to fire!" He shouted.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

Nobunaga's soldiers clenched their fists in frustration as they watched helplessly.

"He's done for! I can't stand this anymore! I'm going out to save them!" one soldier yelled determinedly.

"M-Me too!" Another shouted.

"Me too!" Another said.

"W...Wait! Right now..." Nobuyuki said hesitantly.

"We can't wait anymore, Lord Kanjuuro! We're here to protect the lord!' A foot soldier told him. "Even if we survive this battle, if the lord dies, then what does it matter!?" He shouted as Kasane fidgeted nervously, trying to figure out how to calm them down.

"That's right! Who cares if we're wearing armor or not!?" Another soldier shouted. "Let's go everyone!"

"Yeah!" The soldiers cheered.

'—Armor...?' Nobuyuki thought, sweating nervously. 'That's right... why... did brother have us take off our armor...?' He wondered as he glanced at the discarded armor lying on the ground. 'Even Onihime discarded the heavier pieces of hers before—That's it...!' "Everyone hold!" Nobuyuki commanded.

"Nobuyuki!" Kasane said, confused why he was still trying to stop them from aiding his brother and Ayako.

"—Something... I'm sure he's got something more planned...!!" Nobuyuki said anxiously.

—¡–!–¡–!–¡—

"He's within range! Fire!" Yoshitatsu ordered.

BAAANNNG!!

The great thundering roar of the entire gun line firing was deafening, as Nobunaga gripped the reins of his horse. A shadowy figure flew into the air from behind Nobunaga as the young lord's horse skidded to a sudden stop.

CLANG!

Ayako deflected the bullets that were about to hit Nobunaga with her hanbo, and grabbed onto his shoulder for support as she landed behind him on his saddle, and Nobunaga turned his horse again as a bullet zipped past their ears, before galloping away again with Ayako. Her abandoned horse was now galloping away from the battlefield on its own, as fast as it could.

"He—he stopped right outside our range... and avoided the attack...!?" Yoshitatsu yelled incredulously, shocked. It was just impossible! How could that girl have deflected those bullets like that!? She couldn't possibly be human! Nobunaga frowned slightly as he furrowed his brow, glancing back at Yoshitatsu's troops.

"Now!" Nobunaga shouted at his personal troops. "Go!" He commanded them. Nobunaga's troops let loose a mighty war cry as they rushed the enemy.

'Impossible...! He pretended to runaway in order to distract us and circle from the side.' Yoshitatsu thought, stunned. 'Then he faced our guns himself so that he could guide my troops away, and avoided fire with the help of that girl—His goal was to use the 'chance' after my troops fired to let his troops attack from the side. Did he also calculate our firing range at the very start...!?' Yoshitatsu clenched his fist in frustration. 'He's toying with us..!' He thought angrily. 'But it's not over yet!' "Reform!" Yoshitatsu ordered his troops. 'With just one unit, he can't defeat my heavy cavalry—' Yoshitatsu thought as he turned back to face Nobunaga's oncoming troops, only to find that they had already engaged his men in battle, and were pushing them back. "What...!?" Yoshitatsu yelled incredulously, beyond shocked. "When did they reach us...!"

"W...We can't!" Yoshitatsu's soldiers cried in fear and alarm. "We can't regroup...!" Yoshitatsu growled in frustration as he grit his teeth.

"How!? How did they get here so fast—" Yoshitatsu yelled. Then he saw it. 'They... aren't... wearing any armor...!?' He thought, shocked.

"My lord! Your safety is paramount!" Two soldiers shouted, grinning enthusiastically as they ran over to cover Nobunaga and Ayako.

'I can't believe it...!!' Yoshitatsu thought, beyond livid with anger and frustration. 'With their armor cast off, they gained the speed needed to overtake my troops before we could regroup...!?'

Nobunaga smirked. It seems listening to Ayako when she complained about how she'd rather fight with less armor on because it would be easier for her to move without it, and how soldiers from her time focused on mobility during battle when equipping themselves, rather than wearing heavy steel armor anymore, had paid off since it helped him come up with this strategy...