Here we are! The battle between these monsters has begun! Who will come out top at the end. (Not the end of this chapter, but chapters later!)
Gates were open, begrudging welcome their special guests into the fortress. Oda soldiers look towards to the men on the horseback. Some stare, some glare and some wonder in thought but in unison, everyone is hoping the demons of Oda to win.
Kubo stands in the center in front of the entrance, just deeply frowning at the situation. The doors of the fortress slid open, revealing Kage walking towards the men with a clam posture making Masamune smirks while Yukimura frowns at his presence.
"Well….you're here. I'm happy."
"Release our men!" Yukimura demanded, wanting the demon to upload his deal.
"Of course, of course." Kage waves his hand carelessly as he gets it. "General." He calls for him to get a move on. Kubo growled and nods to his men to get the hostages out of their cages, Oda soldiers push the men to be present towards their lords and their chains were unlocked. Three Dates soldiers and four Takeda soldiers.
"All of you are free to go. Now go back to your superiors while your lords are going to fight in your place." The soldiers seem to be surprised yet they were so happy that they will be saved. Goodness….there were tears in their eyes. They immediately bow to them, apologizing for the trouble.
Yukimura gives them a smile, telling them that he's glad that they're alright as if it's more important than anything. While Masamune telling them to raise their heads and told them not to worry in his casual cool tone.
Kage is not moved by this scene, no….it could be in fact….it stirs something inside him. It was anger or sadness that it reminds him of something. It was something he can't describe it but it was making him irrated. Kubo sucked his teeth and signals his men to nudge their freed hostages to get move on.
"Alright, alright. Get out! Get out! You're takin up the damn space." Kage is out of his thoughts as he hears Kubo barking orders at them. Kage sighs silently but comes forward. "Sorry for interrupting this reunion but it seems we don't have much time left here before our calvary arrives. So come inside, we don't have all day." His tone wasn't mocking, more like annoyed but the mood would quickly change when the fight begins. He will just pretend that moment didn't happen.
Kouki watched from the inside as she just stares. It was something she cannot comprehend as she didn't see soldiers being treated by their own lords like that. It's new to her. Whatever…let's get this over with.
Hostages were sent away as they are kicked out of the fortress and was told by their superiors that their fellow men will be there to take them in.
Now finally….here's the fun.
Kage waits for the duo to come in whereas at his side is Kouki. Masamune and Yukimura were ready but once they saw their second opponent…
"Wait….the Lighting Beast is a girl?!" Yukimura is surprised at this as he took in the girl's features. She looks like an ordinary girl. That is….if it weren't for her the teal glass of headgear that hides the color of her eyes. That also includes her choice of weaponry. A bar mace that appears to be metal. She looks far from it.
"What are you so shock? Lady Nohime can fight and so can she."
"That's not what I meant! She looks too young to fight!" Yukimura argued. "What kind of recruitment that Oda has to use young girls to fight their battles-
"I'm 17." Kouki interrupts bluntly. Yukimura silences himself, taken back at her voice. It is stoic and cold just as her eyes.
"You look like a runt. Which land do you hail from?" Masamune asked as he is curious to know.
"None of your business." Kouki retorted. Masmaune whistled at her cold attitude. "Cold."
"Anyway~ since we all properly introduced each other, let's start unless you want to argue about meaningfulness things."
"No…you are correct. Let's start." Yukimura draws his spears while Masamune took out his sword. "Your crimes for insulting My Lordship will not go unpunished!"
"Good. Kouki, you take the tiger. I take the dragon."
"Got it."
"WHAT?! What is the meaning of this?!" Yukimura didn't like being dismissed like that. Why does he have to fight her?! What is this demon planning?!
"What? Do you expect me to fight both of you at the same time? It wouldn't be fair to Kouki here. So why not one on one in two different rooms. It's fair isn't it?"
"Now you're talking about fair? " Masamune sucked his teeth, "Tch. Stop pulling our damn legs already. You propose this stupid idea and now you already wasting our time."
"Oh? Don't you want my head, Dokuganryuu? Unless you want this spearman to take it first. To be honest, I want to take you on because I have a good feeling that I can defeat you before moving on to him." Kage said so cheerfully, it startles Yukimura. But on the other hand, those fighting words got Masamune grinning as his left eye glint up.
"Oi, Yukimura. Take the brat. I take this bastard."
"But-" That look says it all which Yukimura understood right away, "Very well. Give your it best."
"Good Luck!" Masamune replied in English while Kage leads him to a different room.
Now it's just him and Kouki who seems to be not too bothered with the situation making Yukimura dumbfounded at her behavior, watching her looking over her bar mace as if she is bored. Seconds later, being impatient, Yukimura calls her out.
"You there! Focus on the fight! Do you not want to win?" Yukimura scowled.
"Yeah. I do. Um…" Kouki just stares up to the air, trying to figure out what to do. Kage said waste time, right? If not, she must beat this guy. Not doing anything sounds good but this guy wants to get on with it. That's annoying.
"Is that so? Very well. Before we duel, we should introduce yourselves properly. Calling you by your title is just rude if I don't know your full name."
"Sure, okay." Doesn't know why is that so important but she doesn't mind it.
"Sanada Genjiro Yukimura, the vassal of Takeda, Tiger of Kai! " Yukimura exclaimed, getting into a stance with his spears.
"Seon Kouki Tae. Demon of Oda." Kouki stated calmly as she doesn't make a move.
What a strange name. Yukimura thought.
"People call me Tae or Kouki, so take your pick. I don't care." Kouki adds.
"I see." So she doesn't care how she is addressed? It doesn't seem she is born under a nobility class. "I suppose you don't want to make the first move but I encourage you to do so. So I will let you go first." After all, Kouki is a lady. It's how Yukimura is brought up.
"Okay."
Unfortunately for him, it is a BAD mistake on his part. Kouki suddenly closes the distance between them with the burst of her feet. She had her mace above her head, ready to smash down onto the red warrior's head.
"!" Yukimura instinctively brought up his spears to block the sudden attack, he felt the force behind it, making him scoot harshly. He grits his teeth as he widens his eyes in shock. She's fast! With a roar, he pushes her backs. Kouki just lands with ease before lunging back at him again.
Loud crashes are heard from the tower alarming the Oda soldiers. It has started. Everyone startled and figured it was Kouki was the cause of those sounds. Who's the poor bastard fighting her?
Yukimura growls as he twirls his spear. Right now, he is on the defensive as he never fought a warrior like this. Fast and powerful. If Kouki keeps going on the offensive then the best defense is the best offense. Not letting his opponent to get upper hand. Yukimura unleashes his attack at her, a barrage of the thrusting spears forward. "Raging Flames!" Usually, his foes will go the common route and try to parry his attacks.
However…
What he didn't expect was for her to take the brunt of it with her mace up, only defending the vital organs of her chest and face. He stops the onslaught immediately as the blood begins to stain the floor. Thinking about it, doing this way is not right. This is no duel.
"You!-"He's about to demand of why she just stay there and just only block her vitals while the rest is inflicted with slashes and cuts. What's next is another shock. Statics of electricity became visible over Kouki's wounds and after it passes, her skin is healed as if it nothing happened. She breathes as she pulls her mace away from her chest. He sweats dropped, then for a moment, it dawns on him. He mentally snaps out of it, cursing himself. He can't believe that he forgot that the girl in front of him is no ordinary girl. No. She's a demon. A Demon of Oda. The Lighting Beast.
"That was…too risky." Yukimura finds his voice once more now trying to figure out how to deal with her. "You..no doubt are surprising, Lady Kouki. No one tries ever stand there and took my attack like that. It's unfortunate that you sided with Oda. Why did you join him?"
"Huh? Uh…." Kouki tries to think of an answer before answering honestly, "Well…he found me and told me to join so I did." Yukimura blinks twice if not three times, registering the girl's answer, "Wait….you just join because he told you so?!"
"Yeah…"
"There's better lords than him!" He argued.
"He's kinda the first to told me so..…" Kouki shrugs. She didn't have the choice and besides that Mitsuhide try to kill her and Lady Nohime comes in and tells Oda that she could be a good addition to the army. If anything, she is happy that she's alive and be able to do something about her power. It was to get a roof over her head.
"Do you have any idea what he does?!" Is Kouki this oblivious?! Indifferent to the situation? Indifferent to people's suffering?
"Oda says that it happens in war, he told me to accept it." What is he so upset about? Doesn't he kill people too?
"Do you?" He questioned her morals. She cannot be this ignorant.
"It happens." Kouki leaves it at that, doesn't seem too concerned about this. She's used to it. "Besides….don't you kill people? Why does that bother you anyway?"
Yukimura is taken back by this before biting back, "I don't kill the unarmed and innocent villagers such as women and children! How would you feel if someone kills the ones you loved?" He has enough of this girl's indifference! But that indifference has started to shook as Kouki narrows her eyes.
At that point, she is already annoyed with the questioning and Kouki's eyes grew dark despite the brimming in her eyes.
Such eyes pierce the Young Tiger's soul. He wasn't sure if he's looking at a beast covered with feathers or a girl before him.
"I kill them." With that, Kouki brings her mace down, creating a shockwave!
Whew! Sorry about the wait! I hope this chapter made everyone sasifated.