The battle at Sekigahara had become an unstoppable force of nature, a maelstrom of violence. The clash of metal on metal, the screams of dying men, and the thunderous charge of cavalry echoed through the air in a relentless cacophony. The Eastern Forces stood their ground with unshakable resolve, their armor glinting under the dim light, but the Western Forces were not so easily defeated. It was clear that mere soldiers could not decide the outcome today. Not unless something—someone—changed the tide.
From the thick mist that clung to the earth, a shape began to emerge, barely visible at first. It moved with such precision that it seemed as though the very fog itself parted to make way. A tall, imposing figure, her black wings folding back as she stepped into the chaos, Saki Kurokoma made her presence felt before her feet even touched the blood-soaked earth. Her silhouette cut through the haze, and with every step she took, the battlefield seemed to pulse with her energy.
At first, she was an unsettling blur—a shadow among the frenzy of warriors. But it wasn't until she broke into a sprint, her boots slamming against the soft, muddied ground, that the true weight of her presence struck. The vibrations from each stride sent a tremor through the air, the dust rising in her wake. Her legs—muscular, inhumanly strong—dug into the earth as if it were clay, and with every step, the ground beneath her seemed to tremble in fear.
The air itself grew heavy as her fiery red eyes scanned the battlefield with a predator's gaze, the faintest flicker of amusement crossing her lips. To her, this was a game—a deadly game, but a game nonetheless. She didn't seek victory; she sought to toy with her prey. As she moved forward, her enormous strength was only hinted at, the power that radiated from her barely contained by her black armor.
At first, the soldiers paid her no mind. Too focused on the brutality of the battle, they didn't notice her approach. But then, the wind shifted. It howled through the trees, carrying with it a sudden, bone-crushing roar that tore through the air like thunder. The warriors halted mid-swing, their heads snapping toward the source of the noise in a mixture of disbelief and growing fear.
"What in the hell…?" one soldier muttered under his breath, eyes wide as he watched the figure stride toward the frontlines. Her every movement seemed to disrupt the very fabric of the battle.
The first man to meet her was a samurai, his yari gripped tightly in his hands, aimed directly at her. The bamboo shaft, reinforced with metal, twisted slightly in his grasp as he prepared to drive the spear down into her skull. But Saki's eyes flared red, and with a predatory grin, she lowered her head just as the spear whistled past her, narrowly missing. In that instant, her legs exploded into motion.
With a ferocity that seemed to defy nature, she launched herself into the air, her body moving with the grace and speed of a beast hunting its prey. She caught the spear mid-flight, her fingers gripping the shaft with such force that it nearly snapped. In one fluid motion, she yanked it from the samurai's hands, sending him stumbling backward in confusion. The spear spun in her hands like an extension of herself, its sharp tip cutting through the air as she twirled it. Then, without hesitation, she brought the weapon crashing into his gut.
The impact was like the earth itself splitting. A sickening crack echoed through the battlefield as the lacquered armor split like brittle wood under the force of the strike. The samurai's breath was driven from his lungs with a horrifying wheeze, and before he could react, he was hurled backward. His body flew through the air, propelled by the sheer force of Saki's attack. He collided with the ground with a wet thud, his armor crumpling around him, the sharp tang of blood mixing with the dirt beneath him.
Saki observed the destruction with an amused smirk, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck as if she had simply warmed up for the real fight. "Not bad, but you're still too soft for me," she muttered, wiping her hands together as though ridding herself of some minor inconvenience.
The next samurai charged in with a determined roar. His eyes locked on the vulnerability he thought he had found—her legs slightly bent, preparing to meet his assault. The blood-slick earth churned beneath his boots as he lunged, his shoulder aimed to knock her off balance. With all the force of his armor, he attempted to throw her to the ground, believing his weight and the protection of his armor would be enough to subdue her.
But Saki didn't even flinch.
She stood like a mountain, her feet planted firmly in the soft earth, her body unmoving despite the violent collision. The samurai's shoulder slammed into her midsection with a deafening crack, his body twisting, trying to force her to the ground. But Saki was immovable. Her legs sank deeper into the mud, her posture unwavering, as if she were a living pillar made of stone.
The samurai's eyes widened, his jaw tightening in disbelief. He gritted his teeth and wrapped his arms around her, straining with all his might to force her down. But it was futile. Her legs, like thick tree trunks, held firm. His attempts to shift her, to bend her, were like trying to uproot a mountain.
With a dismissive grunt, Saki's eyes glinted with cruel amusement. In an almost bored motion, she grabbed his arm mid-twist, the sickening sound of bones snapping like dry twigs as she yanked him upward. The world spun around the samurai as she effortlessly lifted him from the ground, his body suspended in the air as if he were weightless. The armor clanged and scraped against itself as he twisted, helpless.
Saki used his own momentum to hurl him forward, his body crashing into a group of unsuspecting ashigaru who were charging toward her. The collision was devastating. The samurai smashed into them like a battering ram, sending bodies flying in all directions. Helmets flew from heads, spinning in the air like leaves in a storm. The group crumpled under the sudden impact, and the earth seemed to tremble as they fell, groaning and scrambling to regain their footing in the blood-slick mud.
Saki stood at the center of the wreckage, watching with an almost childish amusement. "You lot really think you can stop me?" she mused aloud, her voice dripping with mockery, as she wiped the dirt from her boots with a flick of her foot.
The Eastern forces shifted uneasily. Whispers spread quickly through the ranks, fear taking root in their hearts. Soldiers froze mid-swing, eyes wide as they watched the strange figure wreak havoc. Panic simmered just beneath the surface.
"What in the hell is that thing?" one samurai hissed to his comrades, his grip tightening around his katana.
Nearby, an ashigaru trembled, dropping his yari. "I saw her… she ripped a man apart with nothing but her hands. That's no human!" he stammered, his voice filled with terror.
The whispers were drowned out by the arrival of another samurai, his face pale and full of determination. He rushed forward, spear raised, eyes gleaming with false confidence as he attempted to slam his shoulder into her, intending to use his weight and armor for a jujutsu-style throw.
But Saki's grin turned feral.
In a blur of motion, she sidestepped his charge, her hand snapping out like a viper's strike. She seized his arm, the sickening sound of cracking metal and snapping wood echoing in the chaos. With one brutal yank, she tore him from his balance, her other hand gripping his lacquered breastplate. The samurai's armor screamed under the pressure, rivets popping, plates splitting, the protection that had once defined him coming apart in her monstrous grip. The shards of his once-proud armor scattered across the battlefield like broken pottery.
The battlefield went quiet. All eyes turned toward Saki. Her smile widened, an unsettling mix of amusement and disdain.
"You call that protection?" she mocked, holding the broken pieces of his armor in the air for all to see. With a deliberate, mocking slowness, she let them fall to the blood-stained dirt, one by one.
The samurai in her grip trembled, his face drained of color as he fought against her iron grip. His struggles were futile. With a dismissive grunt, Saki hurled him into the ground with enough force to send a shockwave through the earth. His body hit the dirt with a sickening crack, and the blood began to pool around him.
The ashigaru and samurai nearby recoiled in horror, their faces drained of color. One ashigaru sank to his knees, his voice a hoarse whisper, "She's not human… She's a demon… A monster…"
Saki's grin only widened. She surveyed the trembling soldiers around her with a mocking gaze. "What's the matter?" she taunted. "Weren't you all so eager to fight a moment ago?" Her foot pressed into the crushed remains of the samurai's armor, grinding it into the earth as if to drive home her message. "Come on, then! Show me what you've got—or run. Makes no difference to me."