Oda Nobuna no Yabou - Volume 4 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 : Finely Hidden 

Part 1 

Dawn, Kyoto. 

"The Oda army has retreated back to Kyoto from Echizen in shame." 

"Sagara Yoshiharu who was leading the troops at the back has not returned." 

"Though Oda Nobuna has abandoned Yoshiharu and escaped towards Kyoto, she was still sniped at Mount Hiei and has suffered serious injuries." 

Kyoto was in an uproar as a multitude of rumors flew about. 

Nene was still waiting for Yoshiharu's return at Myoukaku Temple. 

But, Yoshiharu did not return. 

Hanbei, her trustworthy companion, was still unconscious. 

"Nobuna-sama is ok, and is currently recuperating at Honnou temple." 

Nene who had heard of the rumors ran towards Honnou temple barefooted. 

The soldiers on patrol found her and after getting the permission of Niwa Nagahide, she entered the inner areas of Honnou temple. 

"Niwa-sama, Onii-sama has not returned yet?" 

"There isn't any news yet, Nene-dono." 

"But, didn't the Oda army retreat safely thanks to Niwa-sama and the rest? Isn't now the time to save Onii-sama!?" 

"Umm.... Because things have become troublesome, the current situation is just 1 point." 

"Troublesome?" 

"After hearing that the Oda army is currently in a perilous state, the Miyoshi three who were supposed to have fled to Shikoku have gathered once more. Also, Rokoku Yoshitaka, who was hiding in Kouga has risen again at southern Omi. What is the most troubling is, the Asai-Asakura allied forces are nearing Kyoto." 

"But if that's the case, Onii-sama can't see Hime-sama, right? If we plead with Hime-sama directly, she will..." 

"That.... I'm afraid it's impossible, Nene-dono." 

Nagahide brought Nene to Nobuna's room, 

But, there wasn't a highly spirited and energetic Nobuna in the room like always. 

The tiger skin, globe and the namban telescope had all disappeared. 

What had replaced all of them was a single mattress. 

"Hime-sama!?" 

Nobuna was lying on it. 

Her abdomen had several layers of dressing, but the cloth had already been dyed a dark red with her blood, scaring Nene. 

"Uhh....Uhh....: 

The portions of Nobuna’s body that could be seen were covered in sweat, showing how frail she currently was. 

She didn’t seem to be conscious either. 

At Nobuna's side was the renowned doctor, Manase Belchior in a white robe. 

"Ohh, this is a battlefield, don't let small children come in." 

"...Ahh...Ahh...Hime-sama...Hime-sama was... was really sniped....?" 

Nene collapsed onto the tatami, her voice... was already mixed with sounds of crying. 

"Shots to the abdomen, 2 shots, it's already a miracle that she managed to live through it. In fact, if this were anyone but Nobuna-chan, this amount of blood loss would have killed them. Nobuna-chan has an extraordinary will." 

"Shots!?" 

"I have already performed a namban style surgery to remove the bullets in her body. If the bullets had penetrated the intestines, even I couldn't have done anything... It was due to this thing that she managed to survive the shots." 

Manase Belchior took the spoilt namban clock for Nene to see. 

"This is... Onii-sama's....." 

"It's quite a weird looking thing." 

"....Weird looking....thing..." 

"After stripping off her armor during the retreat, Nobuna-sama still held onto this namban clock. She seemed to be unable to abandon Sagara-sama's weird looking clock. But then, miraculously, the 2 bullets hit this weird looking namban clock first. It's due to this that the bullets were greatly weakened and were unable to penetrate deep inside Nobuna-chan's body." 

Nene was originally very angry when she was coming to see Nobuna, and had wanted to scold her. 

In the end, you still abandoned Onii-sama, Hime-sama who once cherished Onii-sama...... is too heartless... But... Such anger had disappeared. 

Nobuna did not abandon Yoshiharu heartlessly so she could escape. 

But, it's because she understood Yoshiharu's intentions. 

"....Hime-sama... Uhh...Uwahhhhhh." 

Niwa Nagahide held on to Nene's back gently while she grabbed onto Nobuna's hand. While weeping, she said, 

"Hime-sama is currently facing her most dangerous period. The initial danger has passed safely due to Manase-sama's surgery, but, due to the blood loss, she can't recover her strength right now..." 

"....Uhh..Uhh...Niwa-sama, you mean, there is no way to send reinforcements to save Onii-sama?" 

"It can't be done, I'm afraid it is most critical that Hime-sama rest these next two days. It's still unknown if Nobusumi-sama at Odani castle managed to escape the pursuit of the Asai clan; he is currently missing, as far as we know. The Oda clan is currently facing the risk of total annihilation." 

"But, But, if this goes on, Onii-sama will.....!" 

"I know, but, we can't do such a thing right now. The Asai-Asakura allied forces are moving towards Kyoto through the western Omi streets of Lake Biwa in great speed. Nene-dono, if we give up on guarding Kyoto right now, Sagara-sama's sacrifice to let us retreat from Kanegasaki will become meaningless. 0 points." 

Nagahide lowered her head. 

Manase shook his head and said, "Though Nobuna has extraordinary will, it seems that her heart's wounds are even greater than her body's. After the surgery, her condition became even worse suddenly. If this goes on...." 

"You mean... Hime-sama might not last through this.....?" 

"The only one who can really save her is her own will to ‘live on’, Nagahide-sama. We doctors aren't magicians. There is a limit to what medical knowledge can do. What we can do is to give the strength to live to those who want to keep living. But somehow, Nobuna-chan is slowly losing the desire to live... If this goes on, she will just become weaker and weaker. To think that the spirited Nobuna-chan can become like this; how unbelievable." 

Nagahide found herself at a loss for words. 

Just where have things gone wrong? If this continues on, Sagara-sama's sacrifice... No, we can't yet say that Sagara-sama has sacrificed himself, though he is most likely dead. But won't his death become meaningless? 

Holding onto Nene's shaking back, Nagahide wiped the sweat from Nobuna's forehead. 

"Nene-dono, Manase-sama, Hime-sama seems to be mumbling something." 

Nagahide's ears edged nearer to Nobuna's pale lips. 

"....Run....Saru...Hurry up and run...." 

Just what kind of nightmare was Nobuna having... To mumbling such a thing... 

Repeatedly... 

"Yoshiharu...I'm sorry..." 

On Nobuna's anguished face lay a streak of tears. 

"I see, Nobuna-sama is trapped in the nightmare of Yoshiharu-sama dying in the battlefield, and has slowly lost the will to live." 

"Manase-sama, what can we do? I... Just what can I do?" 

"From now on, this isn't what I can do with my medical skills. Nagahide-sama, have you decided on something?" 

"For me, reversing such an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation is just too.... It's at this critical period that we need the smart and cunning Hanbei-sama, but she is still unconscious..." 

"Calm down, Nagahide-sama. If even you give up now, then all will be finished." 

Niwa Nagahide was always composed and calm. If her master needed advice, then without doubt she was the first person anyone would think of, a pillar of support that the Oda clan cannot do without, but she wasn't remarkable in terms of strategies or planning. 

The courageous Shibata Katsuie in comparison only knew how to move forward and push on. In the current situation, after witnessing the tragedy of Nobuna and Yoshiharu, if she were to be given command of the troops, she would most likely become furious and lead the Oda army for a straight on battle with the Asai-Asakura allied forces. If that's the case, the Oda army would quickly be eliminated under the combined forces of the Asai and Asakura clans. 

No, to Nagahide, what she truly wanted to do now was lead the whole army to help Yoshiharu. Even if they lost Kyoto, or even the whole Oda army, she must still save Yoshiharu. Only he would give Nobuna the hope to keep on living. 

But... if she really did this, the chances of success were seemingly... 0 points. Nagahide, a woman who wouldn't lose her wits no matter what, could only see such a result. 

Both Nagahide and Katsuie shined in the sengoku era because of Nobuna. But right now, Nobuna, and the whole Oda clan were hanging by a thread, and were forced into a corner... 

"God-sama, Buddha-sama, Neko-sama, anyone, please save Nobuna-sama and Onii-sama!!" 

Nene splashes the water from the well on herself, starting the cleansing for the prayer. 

She wanted to take up a spear and rush to the battlefield. 

But, that was impossible for the young Nene. 

So at least, at least praying... What she could do right now was to devote her wishes to the prayers for the gods. 

Nagahide said, "Nene-dono, you will catch a cold" and tried to stop her, but Nene seemed to not feel the cold from the winter waters and was splashing herself with shocking determination. 

Being moved by Nene's determination, 

Wasn't just Nagahide herself. 

"Niwa-sama and Shibata-sama, please lead the troops to protect Kyoto. I, Juubei Mitsuhide, will go by myself to Omi and save Sagara-senpai shortly." 

".....Inuchiyo, is going too. The wilderness, I'm used to it." 

"M...M...Me...Me too." 

Other than her wild forehead, the otherwise perfect bishoujo, Akechi Mitsuhide, 

Small figure and wearing a tiger skin, Maeda Inuchiyo, 

and, Matsudaira Motoyasu, the bespectacled girl wearing Tanuki ears, decided while she was slightly shivering. 

The three of them who had just managed to return to Kyoto from the "Retreat of Kanegasaki" had all asked Nagahide for permission. 

"But, with just you guys... The possibility of you dying is extremely high. It should be a ninja's job to sneak in for any rescue mission. 20 points." 

Nagahide put on a troubled expression. 

Without a doubt, if she could have done it, Nagahide would have sent ninjas long ago, but Goemon had been sent to Omi and had not returned, Hattori Hanzou who was serving Matsudaira Motoyasu was moving with Yoshiharu; in the end, there weren't any ninjas to send. 

"Anything is good, but if we continue to not do anything, we won't be able to help Nobuna-sama. And, this smart Mitsuhide made a mistake when lending those arquebus to Sagara-senpai." 

"What is it, Akechi-sama?" 

"Um... That..." Mitsuhide broke out in a sweat and seemed unable to mutter anything, her speech hesitating. 

"....Um... When lending those arquebus, I had forgotten to lend any soldiers that were trained to use those arquebus to Sagara-senpai... If this goes on, I, Mitsuhide, can't sleep in peace. I will see the ghost of Sagara-senpai floating around me every time I lie down....." 

"This is just.... 30 points." Nagahide said. 

"But, Hime-sama had once revealed to me that if she had some mishap, Akechi-dono will be the one to succeed her ambition. Katsuie and I respected such a decision from Hime-sama. If Akechi-dono met with some accident right now, who will succeed the ambition of unifying the world?" 

"No, compared to my life, Nobuna-sama's life is a thousand times more important! I, Mitsuhide, though I am an eloquent genius descended of the esteemed Toki Genji, and I possess perfect looks, even I understand that I can't be compared to her in terms of capabilities! Without Nobuna-sama, there is no way to talk about unifying the world!" 

".....Understood." Nagahide relented. 

Mitsuhide, who would be able to succeed the Oda clan even if she did not do anything, (Though she was a bit too boastful) displayed loyalty by not caring about her own life while saving Nobuna and Yoshiharu. Nagahide cannot reject such a decision. 

What she could do right now was guard Kyo until Nobuna wakes up. At such a situation when she needed to do something yet was unable to move, "Guarding" was a much more important and difficult responsibility compared to moving out. Such a responsibility had to be shouldered by someone, and the only one capable of doing it was herself. 

".....Inuchiyo, is going anyway. Stopping is useless, if you stop me, I'm cutting you down." 

"Inuchiyo-dono, I have never thought of stopping you...... But Matsudaira Motoyasu-dono, you are the ally of Hime-sama, but right now, if you continue to stand by the Oda clan, I'm afraid Mikawa will....." 

"I'm indebted to Saruyoshi-sama. And, if I can save Kichi-nee-san, I am willing to bet on this last possibility and lend all of the Mikawa troops to Mitsuhide-sama." 

Though her tanuki ears were shivering non-stop, Matsudaira Motoyasu had made her decision. 

Nagahide can't help but think, though Matsudaira Motoyasu was normally clumsy, kinda dumb and a little evil, once she had decided on something, she would become unbelievably stubborn, just like the specialty of the Mikawa army. In one way, Motoyasu was the type that is able to display her strengths the more she is under a critical situation. But in comparison, during peaceful times she hardly thinks anything through and ends up just an ordinary brat.... 

This is really a big gamble, I've decided. I will carry all of this responsibility. 

"....I understand, go and save Sagara-sama. Remember to not go too far in, and please come back alive." 

"Roger!" 

After the trio met with Nene, who was still splashing herself with water in prayer, and promised "We will save your brother," they disappeared towards the mountain path going into Omi. 

After miraculously retreating to Kyoto with the Oda clan seemingly uninjured, Mitsuhide, Inuchiyo and Motoyasu dived onto the rescue mission without rest. 

At this time, the back troops that Yoshiharu was leading had yet to start their final stand with Tsuchimikado at the Wakasa's dragon hole. 

Part 2 

The season had shifted completely into winter now. 

The mountains were full of fallen leaves. 

During the journey, as they were riding towards Mount Hiei, Inuchiyo said with a look of anguish, "It's around here." 

"....If it's a normal sniper aiming for Hime-sama, it's impossible to shoot 2 shots on a target moving at high speed. I'm afraid the sniper is Sugitani Zenjuubou." 

"Kouga's assassin... Ninja..." 

"Inuchiyo-sama, after his attack, what happened to Sugitani Zenjuubou?" 

".....It's regrettable, but he ran away. I was careless and lost sight of him..." 

"This is difficult, there aren't many places to run to near here." 

"He must have run into the mountains and hidden." Motoyasu said. 

"From the name, Sugitani Zenjuubou should be a monk, or had some kind of relationship with Mount Hiei's monks, or... We have to consider the possibility that the whole Mount Hiei has already become Kichi-nee-san's enemy~." 

Mitsuhide was sceptical, and retorted "The head of Mount Hiei, tendaizasu-sama, is the elder brother of Himiko-sama. Nobuna-sama should be their friend after donating large amounts of money; it shouldn't be possible for them to be enemies." 

"But because tendaizasu-sama isn't at Mount Hiei himself, the actual leader of Mount Hiei might be against Nobuna..." 

"If that's the case, the mystery of how Sugitani Zenjuubou suddenly disappeared is cleared..." Inuchiyo said. 

"Wh..Wh...Wh...Why!? Why is Mount Hiei against Nobuna-sama? Even this smart Juubei Mitsuhide can not understand this!" 

"....This ancient spiritual mountain is a holy ground for secret sects and practitioners who have for a long time forbidden women from entering holy sites, such as Mount Fuji, Mount Shiro, Mount Koya and Mount Hiei. Maybe, there are monks in Mount Hiei that are displeased with the female Kichi-nee-san ruling the world." 

Mitsuhide snorted, "Ignorant. This rule that forbids women in Buddhist teachings, just what is unclean about girls?" 

"Most likely, it's because it will affect their practicing in the mountains. If there are cute girls in front of them, their abstinence will become much harder, especially for those young monks~" 

".....The practitioners have been passing rumors among themselves that once they can't practice abstinence, they will lose their powers." 

"What an unreasonable thing to say! It’s those guys’ own fault they’re troubled by just seeing girls!" 

".....But, maybe Yoshiharu should do some practicing on abstinence." 

Motoyasu laughed, "It's true, that Saruyoshi-sama could definitely be better off after practicing that." 

"Nono, if you take away his perverseness from him, he will definitely shrivel and rot somewhere. The reason why Sagara-senpai has been able to survive till now is because of his extraordinary perverseness. It's not too much to say that he lives on solely due to the immense strength of his perverseness." 

"You have a point. Because Kichi-nee-san and so many other girls are waiting for him, and he had the promise of ‘If I live, let me kiss you’ with her, so....." 

"Geez, just how perverted can he be, that Gorilla fellow!" 

"Saruyoshi-sama is definitely... still living~" 

"....Yes, still living." 

"That idiot will definitely surpass all trials to go back to Nobuna-sama's side!" 

The trio finished their conversation and continued on silently. 

After this, they must ask Mount Hiei to hand over that villain, Sugitani Zenjuubou. 

But, the opponent was an entire spiritual mountain that prohibited women, and the monks in Mount Hiei were mostly militarized monks. 

Mount Hiei, having the double protection of being a spiritual mountain and a place to practice Buddhist teachings, had become sort of an independent empire near Kyoto. Generations of Ashikaga shoguns couldn't do anything about it and had been troubled by this. 

Because they prohibit females from entering, the Oda clan, which was comprised mostly of female generals, would have lots of difficulty negotiating with Mount Hiei. 

But now, the first and foremost matter on hand was to save Sagara Yoshiharu. 

The trio followed Nagahide's instructions and rode along the retreat path that she had build for Yoshiharu. 

Hidden along the path were horses and supplies, and though they were meant for Yoshiharu and his troops, by using some of them the trio was able to move more quickly than expected. 

On the way, they did encounter some small squads hunting for escaped warriors, but the trio’s priority was to save Yoshiharu, so they chose to hide from them. 

But, there wasn't any sight of Yoshiharu anywhere. 

The blurred Kuchiki Shinano reported to them that no one had passed by. While Shinano laughed weirdly, "The back troops might be near the edge of Wakasa, near Mizusaka ridge, ahahaha.", he lent a precise map to the trio. 

What a weird man... Mitsuhide and the other two had a strange feeling about him, but there wasn't any time to dig deeper. 

Though his actions are weird, Shinano is undoubtedly loyal to the Oda clan. 

They continued on, and at last they reached the top of Mizusaka ridge. 

In the valley of Wakasa, Yoshiharu’s seriously injured and scattered back troops were having a fierce battle with Asakura's Tsuchimikado. "There! Everyone is battling! Ahh geez, why didn't they use the arquebus?" 

"...The opponent is the hideous shikigami army flying in the air." 

"Now! Sagara-senpai is attacked by some strange enemy! He is really as disgusting as before, Sagara-senpai! Ahahahaha!" 

At the last moment, Mitsuhide and the other two had reached him. 

Yoshiharu had lived on miraculously. 

Just as Yoshiharu's life was like the embers of a dying candle flame, Mitsuhide and the rest had reached him. 

In the battle, the enemy's shikigami army held an overwhelming advantage. 

The trio suddenly saw Hattori Hanzou appear and release a smokescreen. 

Mitsuhide grasped her arquebus shouted, "I heard shikigamis are terrifying! Right now, let's rush into the valley!" 

"Bring Saruyoshi-sama to the retreat path that we had prepared and run~" 

".....Inuchiyo, moving out!" 

At this time, 

The trio had believed. 

Like this, Yoshiharu and Nobuna, both of them could be saved. 

But, 

At that instant that they felt lucky, the odds turned on them... 

At the short amount of time the trio needed to rush down to the valley, fate had revealed her cruel smile to the three of them. 

"It seems like it's over." 

A young omyouji's silhouette appeared in the narrow valley. 

That guy waved the fan in his hand lightly. 

In an instant, the smokescreen that Hanzou had opened up disappeared like it never existed in the first place. 

Mitsuhide and the others saw it. 

Every living soldier in the back troops had been pinned to the ground by the shikigamis. 

The blood soaked Hattori Hanzou. 

And, with a seemingly frozen expression and a dagger held up to his neck, Sagara Yoshiharu. 

Zenki, who was asked by Hanbei to "Protect Yoshiharu-sama"... had also disappeared. 

Maybe he had been defeated by the shikigami army and vanished... 

An arrogant smile slowly spouted on the young omyouji's face, as he proclaimed, "Seems like I'm the victor. As long as I have the head of this Saru, I don't care about these dirty soldiers. Since it's too troublesome, scram." 

Then, Hanzou said, 

"Understood, let us use our last bomb to send Sagara-sama on his way!" 

After doing a hand sign, Hanzou disappeared into a bunch of falling leaves as Yoshiharu shouted, "Bastard, I've said it! I will use my life in exchange for all the lives here! But, it's too shameful for my head to be removed and displayed to others! I will definitely not give you my head! The way I die, I will choose it myself!" 

After that, all the shikigamis rushed towards Yoshiharu. 

And, suddenly, 

There was a big explosion. 

Sagara Yoshiharu had exploded into a million pieces. 

Spreading out, Yoshiharu, or it should be Yoshiharu's pieces, were falling like rain droplets onto the ground. 

And Mitsuhide, after seeing such a scene... 

"....Uwahh....UWAHHHHHHHH.....!?" 

In Mitsuhide's heart, something seems to have broken apart. 

Kill. 

Kill... 

KILL.... 

I'LL KILL YOU.....! 

Drawing out the arquesbus on her back, she aimed and shot at the young omyouji. 

The low level shikigamis were frightened by the gunshot, exclaiming "There's still an arquebus?" and fleeing in all directions. 

The omyouji, who still acted like a child, calmly said, "Ara ara, it's boring to have blown yourself into pieces. As expected, no human can understand what monkeys are thinking." He threw a talisman in his hand to block the bullet from Juubei, revealing a smile as cold as a vampire's. 

"I don't particularly wish to uphold a promise with that ninja and Saru, but my mood is exceedingly good now, and I've accomplished my objective in killing the Oda clan's Sagara Yoshiharu. So, scram as you wish; I will avert my eyes this time round, but if anyone dares to come here and irritate me, I'll kill." 

Behind him, a shikigamis with the wings like a dragon appeared and the young omyouji flew up into the sky. 

"Who is running! I'll kill you... I'LL DEFINITELY KILL YOU....!" 

Mitsuhide rushed forwards alone, towards the omyouji flying in the air. 

Her eyes had become bright red as her blood rushed to her head. 

Her brain was totally black. 

"N....No! There are definitely traps in front... Wait~!" 

Motoyasu wanted to stop her, but she didn't make it in time. 

The ground in front of Mitsuhide trembled to reveal a large crack. The crack was deep, like an opening into hell. 

But, 

Mitsuhide, who had lost all reasoning, could only see the omyouji flying in front of her. 

To tear apart this enemy, this omyouji who forced Yoshiharu to his death; this was the only thought in Mitsuhide's mind. 

No, in actual fact, she was no longer thinking about anything. 

Mitsuhide's body had succumbed to immense fury. 

With her horse, Mitsuhide fell into the deep crack in the ground. 

"Ah, ahhhh... Ho....How did things become.... Sar...Saruyoshi-sama and Mitsuhide-sama.... How did things become like this?" 

They could no longer see Mitsuhide anymore. 

The crack was like an enormous monster's mouth, waiting to swallow everything. 

Falling into such a crack, there wasn't any way... 

Just like this, Motoyasu and Inuchiyo stood there in a daze. 

On their sides were the back troops, all covered in injuries. 

"Uwahhhh! I'm so sorry, commander... Sorry....!" 

"....Commander... Why must you sacrifice yourself for soldiers like us!" 

"With this... he can't meet Oda's Hime-sama anymore......" 

Not one soldier, at present, was happy that he had survived. 

Inuchiyo silently bent her body, wanting to collect the pieces of Yoshiharu's corpses. 

But, just when she touched it, the meat pieces disappeared like sand blown by the wind. 

"Hanzou, what is this? I had ordered you to protect Saruyoshi-sama~!" 

Motoyasu was crying while scolding Hattori Hanzou who had reappeared quietly and kneeled in front of her. 

But, Hanzou said without a change in expression, "After hearing such a loud explosion, the nearby squads who are hunting for escaping warriors will soon gather here. If we don't retreat right now, we will be eliminated." 

"ANSWER ME, HANZOU!" 

"’If we were forced into a corner by Tsuchimikado's shikigami army, use my life to save the others.’ That is what Sagara-dono decided with his own will at the final moments." 

"But, if that's the case.....!" 

"In this situation where Hime brought so few aides with her and came to the frontline without any sort of backup, the mission that we of the Hattori faction have right now is to send Hime-sama back to Kyoto using any means possible." 

"Hanzou? But at least, at least Mitsuhide-sama, if we don't go and save...." 

"The strength of Tsuchimikado is terrifying, even if there is a miracle, that child won't be unscathed. And, to us Hattori faction, Hime-sama's life is more important than anything else." 

Hattori Hanzou was indeed a cold, cruel man. 

Without any hesitation, he proclaimed, "We are not the retainers of the Oda clan, but we serve Hime-sama. The mission to protect Sagara Yoshiharu ends here. Now, we will begin to escort our master, Hime-sama back to Kyoto." 

Part 3 

In an instant, the situation had changed. 

At the shores of Lake Biwa, along the narrow streets of western Omi, the armies of the Asai and Asakura clans were moving forwards, an estimated 35000 strong. 

The allied forces were nearing Kyo. 

The Oda side had no time to wait for Nobuna to wake up. With Niwa Nagahide and Shibata Katsuie leading a 25000 strong army, they marched out to face their enemy. During the retreat at Echizen, though the back troops that Sagara Yoshiharu led had absorbed most of the enemy's attack to prevent their total annihilation, they still did lose an amount of soldiers. 

The commander of the army was Oda clan's strongest member, the chief, Shibata Katsuie. 

At her side, advising her was Niwa Nagahide. 

While the two of them were moving forwards, they were discussing strategies. 

"I...I...I...I... d...do...don...don't know what to do!? No matter what, forward! Yeah!" 

"Katsuie-dono, isn't the place to battle at Sakamoto?" 

"Sa...Sakamoto?" 

"An important location at the eastern side of Mount Hiei, if Sakamoto is conquered, Kyoto will just be a straight line for them. If we are forced to retreat back to Kyoto, it will mean our defeat." 

Nagahide explained the geographical situation of Sakamoto to Katsuie, but Katsuie kept shaking her head. 

"A...An...Anyway, in my dictionary, there is only forwards! Using speed to attack them all at once! Especially Asai Hisamasa who betrayed Hime-sama, I will kill him myself! .....but, is it really okay for me to be the commander, Nagahide?" 

"Yeah, we can't afford a tardy battle. If we are dragged into a prolonged battle, Kouga's Rokoku and anti-Nobuna forces everywhere will all move, Katsuie-dono. 90 points." 

"Ahhh, this is the first time I had such high points from Nagahide, don't worry! Look, Nagahide, Shibata Katsuie will turn into a demon to take revenge for Hime-sama!" 

"Hmmm, I'm looking forward to it." 

This battle was a battle to give righteous punishment to that despicable traitor, Asai Hisamasa, who had broken the pact. Only this time, the morale of “Japan’s weakest”, the Owari troops, was abnormally high. 

The soldiers had not known of the sniping of Nobuna... But losing the respected "Nobuna-sama's Saru" pushed their fury to indescribable levels. 

But, Katsuie and Nagahide who were traveling towards Sakamoto received shocking news from the scouts. 

"The Asai Asakura allied forces ignored Sakamoto and have climbed Mount Hiei." 

"Wh...What is this, Mount Hiei!? ....Nagahide, what is going on here!? I...I do not understand the reason behind this, uwahhh...." 

"Looks like there is someone smart in the enemy ranks. To form their formations at Mount Hiei, they want to drag this battle out." 

"So as to say....?" 

"If this goes on, we will have to surround Mount Hiei, and the situation will stagnate. As time passes, the Oda army will face greater risks of being attacked by Rokoku at southern Omi or Kyoto being captured by the Miyoshi clan. But if we gave up on Mount Hiei and retreat, the allied forces will attack our army from behind as we are retreating." 

"Wa...Wait! I understand that it is very disadvantageous for us if we gave up the protection of Kyoto and get trapped here, but why has Mount Hiei become our enemy!? Did we do something to provoke Mount Hiei!?" 

"Not sure. The timing that the Asai and Asakura clans allied with each other is just too good, and the betrayal of Asai Hisamasa was not noticed even by his own son, Nagamasa-sama. I'm afraid that someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes......" 

As the Oda clan had lost their target, they pitched camp at Sakamoto. 

Before, it was the Oda clan retreating from Kanegasaki, but now it was the allied forces escaping into Mount Hiei. 

The Oda army, previously supported by their mindset of vengeance, had reached their limits. The soldiers were all exhausted, both physically and mentally. 

But, at that moment, there was yet another unexpected event. 

"Wahahaha! I'm a priest from Mount Hiei, Shoukakuin's Gousei-sama! Thinking of Tenka Fubu when you are all girls, let me teach you gals a lesson!" 

From the forests of Mount Hiei, suddenly and without notice, there were a lot of monks attacking them. 

The heavily built leader was waving an iron rod in his hands without stopping. 

The Oda army who was pitching camp was caught unaware and plunged into confusion. 

"Katsuie-dono, now is the time to display your courage!" 

"I understand! Let's battle it out! To Shoukakuin!" 

Shibata Katsuie rode into the enemy's formation single handedly, knocking away masses of monks as she rushed towards Shoukakuin. 

Even the monks of Mount Hiei seemed unable to stop the invincible Shibata Katsuie as she shouted, "Where have we offended you guys in the past? I will now accept the heads of you monks, eat this! Ultimate skill, slash of broken vases!" 

The aide who followed closely behind threw a huge vase at Katsuie. Katsuie swung her long spear and hit the vase. 

With a shattering sound, the broken pieces of the vase shot out in all directions. 

"Ahh!" 

"Uwahh!" 

"Hmm, you're capable, lass!" 

The monks who were hit on their heads or body fell down one by one. 

Katsuie opened up a bloody path towards Shoukakuin's commander. 

As expected from Oda clan's strongest warrior, the invincible Shibata Katsuie. This was actually the first time that skill had been used in battle, but whether due to her great experience and practice beforehand or the fury that Katsuie was feeling now, the effect of this skill was remarkable. 

"Enough! Shoukakuin, have a fair fight with me!" 

"Hmph, to fight with an unclean female warrior, I will get punished by Buddha-sama. But since you had come all this way, let me play along with you, Uwahahahaha!" 

Shoukakuin Gousei waved the iron rod in his hand and rushed towards Katsuie. 

The spear and rod collided multiple times. though in terms of strength Shoukakuin Gousei held the advantage, Katsuie, who was on horseback to augment her remarkable spear skills, overwhelmed her opponent as she gradually closed in. 

"Ahhhhh~! I'm the Oda clan's Shibata demon! Shoukakuin, prepare youself!" 

"What is this strength, you, don't tell me you're actually a guy? Such power, you must be a guy!" 

"Eh!? ...to say something so rude!" 

We can win~! As expected from Katsuie-sama who is stronger than even men! At first, the soldiers who were shattered by the ambush had lost their courage, but after witnessing Katsuie's battle their morale had returned. 

"Uhh, haha, my true mission is the protection of Mount Hiei. I won't play with you anymore, lass, let's end it here today." 

Shoukakuin Gousei turned his back to Katsuie, gathered the remaining monks and retreated. 

Though defeated, they were not confused. As expected from the monks at Mount Hiei. 

But Katsuie had fallen into a frenzy. 

"Wait! The duel had just begun and you are running already!? YOU COWARD!" 

"Wahahaha! If you can't take it down, try and chase us down! But if you enter the holy Mount Hiei and began battling with us monks, it won't be enough with just you female generals!" 

"Damn it! All forces, chase that bastard monk and attack Mount Hiei!" Katsuie responded, provoked by Gousei to swing her spear and pursue, but Nagahide stopped her. 

"Wa...Wait, Katsuie-dono! Mount Hiei is a famous mountain that protects Kyoto's gate of demons! The main temple worships the ‘Holy Flame’ that has not been extinguished since the temples were built. People believe that if the fires of the ‘Holy Flame’ are extinguished, the spiritual power to seal the gate of demons will disappear and Kyoto will be besieged with disasters! It is bad if we just attacked like this! And Mount Hiei is a holy mountain that prohibits females from entering, let alone attacking; you and I aren't even allowed to enter." 

"Eh~!? They prohibit females from entering? What is that?" 

"Their reasons are from religious teachings, and also, there are scholars who think there are ancient rules that have existed long before Buddhism came about." 

"So as to say, I can't attack our enemies on Mount Hiei, yet I can't remove our siege of Mount Hiei!?" 

"Hmmm, we can't move whatsoever... 2 points." 

"Ohhhhh. Bastard Shoukakuin, you ask for it yet you don't dare to battle it out fairly in a duel, running into a safe place that prohibits females from entering. Just... Just what kind of a bastard are you!?" 

Katsuie and Nagahide stood and watched the more than 850 foot Mount Hiei in a daze, worrying in their hearts about the gradually darkening fate of the Oda clan. 

At that time, Oda Nobuna, who was unconscious at Hounou temple, still had not woken up. 

Part 4 

Mount Hiei. 

Main temple's hall. 

There were 3 guys sitting in front of the "Holy Flame". 

"....I didn't think that we would begin our battle with a turtle style, or that Oda Nobuna would not yet have died. According to our plan, shouldn't we have won already?" 

Hisamasa, inexperienced as he was in wars, had already turned pale. 

"Is it really okay to betray the Oda clan? it will be all over if we are defeated by the Oda army." Hisamasa was plagued with unease. 

In complete contrast to the panicking Hisamasa was a tall guy sitting calmly while sipping his tea. 

His black hair wasn't tied up, but was at his back. 

This man seemed around 30 years old. 

Though he was very tall, his build wasn’t particularly muscular. 

Rather, he looked well seasoned, his body like that of a wild cat. 

At the same time, though he was on the battlefield, that man was wearing elegant clothes worn by Kyoto nobles. 

"Hisamasa, the more we drag this out, the more advantageous it will be for us. A battle full of blood is hideous, and I despise letting female warriors bleed. A beautiful fight that could be used to boast to the world should be one that is won not through waving swords and shedding blood... All we need to do is to relax and wait for the Oda clan to be destroyed themselves." 

This man has a mix of elegance with a beautiful voice. 

He was Echizen’s Daimyo, named Asakura Yoshikage. 

The esteemed Asakura clan's 11th head. 

Different from Asai Nagamasa who cross-dressed as a male, Asakura Yoshikage wasn't a beautiful type. Both his heart and body are 100% manly. 

But, he had an extreme interest, an extremely frivolous character. 

Because he was crazy about Kyoto's culture, he renamed Echizen's capital, "Ichijodani" to "Little Kyoto". The city's building style totally imitated Kyoto, and at the same time Yoshikage always carries a picture book titled "The tales of Genji [1] ." 

Asakura Yoshikage's interest in "Genji" wasn't just limited to picture books. The residence he lived in was build exactly like Hikaru Genji's annex house. At the same time, he even asked the genius artist from the north, Hasegawa Touhaku, to draw paintings on his walls, ceilings and pillars. He had turned his whole house into a world of "Genji", and was immersed in it the whole day. 

The esteemed sengoku daimyo's blood that came to the 11th generation had become such a frivolous fellow. 

Such a man as Asakura Yoshikage has no interest in war. 

This time, he reluctantly sent out forces because Nobuna attacked Echizen first, to quell the flames of war. 

"It's true that there are still uncertainties, but by simply bringing our plan this far, we already have a firm chance of winning this war. A commander that keeps commanding his troops to battle, letting huge amounts of soldiers die due to wars is idiotic. As long as we have geographical and timing advantages, then victory will soon be ours." 

Though he hates wars, once he went into one Yoshikage was a remarkable strategist. 

"Once Oda Nobuna dies, give the position of the ruler of the world to my son, Nagamasa." 

Hisamasa lowered his head deeply to the much younger Yoshikage. 

"This can be done; I have no interest in troublesome things like ruling the world. I've heard that Nagamasa is an elite, so no matter if it's Kyoto or the world, I will leave them all to you. But, all the beautiful pieces of art in Kyoto are to be sent to my Ichijodani, because I do not wish to see the pieces of arts in Kyoto destroyed during the course of war." 

This is Asakura Yoshikage's wish. 

This man held zero interest in conquering the world. 

Such a mundane thing can be left to the Asai clan who was closely related to the Asakura clan; such was Yoshikage's true wish. 

And because of this, Yoshikage who had no ambition, nor even desired one, was able to see an even clearer battlefield. 

The last of the 3 men. 

"It's no good if the leader of the troops isn't a man! If a lass like Oda Nobuna is really able to conquer the world, I will be troubled. I will fully dedicate this Mount Hiei's forces to the two of you. 

He was the heavily built monk that had just retreated from battling with the Oda army. 

Shoukakuin Gousei was drinking his wine lavishly. 

He was the leader of Mount Hiei's monk army. 

Before Buddhism came, Mount Hiei was worshipped as a spiritual mountain. As it was a centre for training large amounts of Buddhist monks and spreading Buddhist cultures, it had thousands of battle ready monk groups at the same time, just like an independent state. 

But there wouldn't be another guy like Shoukakuin, who was direct and frank without any pretense in the monk troops. 

No killing? No alcohol? What was that? Swinging his metal rod in the battlefield and drinking wine was what he loved the most, alongside eating meat and borrowing money, though once borrowed, he would never return the money. Once the Ashikaga shogunate wanted him to return their lent money, and Shoukakuin replied, "Want it? Talk to the metal rod in my hand." That was just the sort of outlaw he was. 

And, 

"To give the world to such a young lass, that is ridiculous! I'm disappointed at such a world now! Princess daimyo? Ha, they are just weak fellows who use their charm to lure men!" 

Driven to fury by the world that had given birth to so many female warriors and grumbling, "Women will only shaken my resolve!", Shoukakuin hated female warriors. "Asai-sama, Asakura-sama, don't let these unclean women do whatever they like anymore. I had just crossed swords with those Oda brats, so their defenses are surely slackened now! We should launch a night assault now! Using the darkness of the night, we should attack Sakamoto with our full force! What? If we fail? All we need to do is to retreat back to Mount Hiei." 

"What a bloodthirsty monk." Asakura Yoshikage laughed. 

But the cautious Hisamasa had other worries. 

"....But Yoshikage-sama, come December won't the path back to Echizen be sealed with huge amounts of snow?" 

"The Oda army is much more anxious than I. In this battle, the Oda army will be the first to fall." 

"Uhh...But, to face off with the enemy… Instead of doing nothing, how about we send out some assassins to kill the commanders of the Oda army? Especially that Shibata Katsuie that was able to face off with Gousei-sama; if we don't kill her....." 

"Shibata Katsuie and Niwa Nagahide are both female warriors. They are nothing to fear, not to worry." 

"Uwahahahaha, I will personally send Shibata Katsuie who had forgotten the roots of femininity to the heavens, but if it's about assassinations, I have an arquebus specalist, Sugitani Zenjuubou, who sniped Oda Nobuna as she escaped from Echizen." 

Shoukakuin asked a young monk to bring Sugitani Zenjuubou, who was hiding in Mount Hiei after sniping Nobuna, over to the main hall. 

Zenjuubou was the one who used Sagara Yoshiharu as bait to attempt to assassinate Nobuna, and after that had successfully shot 2 bullets at Nobuna, a merciless assassin. 

But.... 

"....I can't take it anymore, leave me alone." 

That Zenjuubou is now totally drunk, and was tumbling about in a fit. 

"Oi, Zenjuubou, what happened to sniping Oda Nobuna and becoming the world's best sniper?" 

"....I, failed to snipe that woman twice. World's best sniper...? My skills are useless, no, what's useless is me myself....." 

Gousei laughed, "She was hit two times in her abdomen; even that Oda Nobuna couldn't escape death in the end. That must be Buddha's punishment towards her for trying to conquer the world." 

"....I want to kill my prey with a single shot. Giving pain and suffering to a prey after shooting, it isn't my style. Of course, I like seeing others suffering, but if I don't kill them at my first shot I can't be called the world's best." 

"Oh? Then why did a sniper with such a killing style fail?" 

Asakura Yoshikage, who was originally unconcerned about this topic, began to have an interest in what Zenjuubou is saying. 

Maybe he wants to know more about the philosophy behind killers. 

"....If I aimed at her head, she will definitely die, but I... can't take the shot." 

"Oh? Can't take the shot? Why is that?" 

Zenjuubou hugged his head with anguish and screamed, "....I don't know! ...I DON'T KNOW! ...That lass's smiling face is just too bright, I feel that an insect like me should never dirty her face.... Why, why did I have such a delusion... What happened to me, even I don't understand." 

Asai Hisamasa couldn't help but fume, "If you had aimed at Oda Nobuna's head, we would already.....!" But, Asakura Yoshikage stopped him immediately, saying, "Don't say meaningless things anymore." 

"So I shot her abdomen, 2 shots, it should have penetrated her intestines. But even so, that lass didn't die... Even I failed two times. That Oda Nobuna might really be blessed by the heavens....." 

Listening to this, Gousei shook his head and said, "This man is useless now. Scram. I, Gousei, don't want such a useless subordinate that can't even hold an arquebus! You have been charmed by Oda Nobuna's looks!" 

".... Don’t blame Sugitani Zenjuubou so harshly. It isn’t quite so evil a thing as you make it sound." Asakura Yoshikage laughed, while saying "This man does have a heart which loves elegance.", he opened the picture book of "The Tales of Genji." 

"I understand [2] . If there is a piece of art of utmost beauty, it's normal to not be able to destroy it. Is Oda Nobuna really such a beauty that one can't look at her directly? One even more ravishing than the princess in "The Tales of Genji"? I don't dare to believe in the possibility of such a woman existing in the real world... If she is really as pretty as Wakamurasaki from "Tales of Genji", then the sakuras of the northern mountains and I will be mesmerized by her... The young Wakamurasaki will cry at a pitiful young bird, if such a beauty from my dreams really exists in reality... Hohohoho.. Everyone, do you know about the fact that Wakamurasaki and Genji really met at the northern mountains? After collecting numerous pieces of information, I finally built concrete proof, and I think the mountain at the back of Kyoto is actually the northern mountain from Genji... What do you guys think?" 

What an intriguing man. Compared to a living woman, he is much more interested in a princess from a story... Asai Hisamasa thought as he looked upon Yoshikage's fair looks. 

"Through Genji, I, who had nothing but despair of the real world, have gained immense hope. Like Genji, who brought a cute girl who looks like his mother back to his annex house, turned her into his belonging, and then changed her as per his perferences... I have finally gotten a perfect girl like Wakamurasaki... Ohohohoh." 

"Oh, Yoshikage-sama, it's time we stop this frivolous topic...." 

"Yes yes, I had an interest just as Rokujou Miyasudokoro, who couldn't abandon the frivolous Genji that she hates, and like a ghost she caught girls one by one and killed them, all the time unable to transmit her feelings to Genji. I think Aoi who became gradually colder is really pretty too; Aoi suffering in her heart had pained me everytime I read. The young wife that Genji married in his later years, San no Miya would definitely like the Nekogami-sama that is all the rage nowadays. I dare say she would be extremely happy if she could come to this era when the people really worship Nekogami-sama with their hearts." 

It seemed like once Asakura Yoshikage started on the topic of "The Tales of Genji", he won't listen to anyone else. 

Asai Hisamasa and Shoukakuin Gousei had to stay silent and listen... 

And then suddenly, someone that could interrupt Yoshikage's mumblings appeared. 

"Asakura-sama, Asai-sama, Saru is dead. He has been blown to pieces. Even his head is nowhere to be found and, it is regrettable, but in place of Sugitani Zenjuubou, I have done it." 

The white shota and Omyouji 

Is Tsuchimikado Hisanaga. 

With his numerous ugly and low level shikigamis, Tsuchimikado appeared in the main hall. 

"As expected from Mount Hiei, I can feel extraordinary ‘Ki’. The shikigamis are 10 times stronger here compared to Wakasa." 

"Such a child is the head of Tsuchimikado clan? And you don't even have Saru's head, what use it that?" Asai Hisanaga who said that was suddenly embraced by a shikigami with wings and he instantly screamed, "Have mercy!!!" 

"Saru's head was blown away by Hattori Hanzou's bomb, so I can't get it, uhhh..." 

"I got it, hurry and get this monster away from me! Have mercy on me!" 

"How about our promise, if the Oda clan was destroyed, we, the Tsuchimikado family will once again rise in Kyoto, and gather all the omyoujis around the country to revere me as the head. Don't tell me you have forgotten about that?" 

"As you wish, if we can return to the era of omyoujis and shikigamis flying around in Kyoto, I will truly feel happy. Isn't it a good thing to envelop Kyoto in darkness again?" 

Tsuchimikado laughed, "Asakura-sama is really understanding." 

"Yes yes, I have killed that Akechi Mitsuhide too. That small lass that was staying at Asakura-sama's place for a while; the one with a wide forehead. This is fine, right?" 

"....I see, that smart and elegant lass; if her forehead weren't that wide, she would be my Wakamurasaki..." 

Though it was unknown if Oda Nobuna was alive or dead, it's a fact that she couldn't move right now. 

The Oda clan's most tenacious advisors, Sagara Yoshiharu and Akechi Mitsuhide, were defeated by Tsuchimikado. 

Saitou Dousan, who was protecting Mino and Owari with a small amount of troops was under the threat of Kouga's Rokoku and the eastern Takeda Shingen, and would be unable to help. 

And Takigawa Kazumasu at Ise was held down by Rokoku's army too and couldn't move at all. 

Though at first glance the Oda army appeared to have Mount Hiei surrounded, in actual fact, Oda was surrounded by numerous armies itself. 

Shikoku's Miyoshi had appeared again. If one was to estimate the ideal time they would attack Kyoto, which was now an empty city... 

"Two weeks. If we endure these two weeks of boring life, we can reverse the situation and victory will be ours." 

"Uwahaha, we can win, Asakura-sama? Shibata and Niwa are both female warriors. They can't take a step onto Mount Hiei, so they can't even attack us. To have used Mount Hiei where women are prohibited from entering, as expected from the cunning strategist." 

"I just hate to see girls getting wrapped up in war. To frivolous people, girls should be kept in the house, helping her change her clothes every night, being mesmerized by her beauty as we enjoy her thoroughly... Hohoho." 

"It's kinda disgusting." Tsuchimikado, still a child, spurted out his true feelings accidentally, but Asakura Yoshikage said, "Another two weeks to return home, how troublesome. Mount Hiei is full of boring men. I should have brought Hasegawa Touhaku with me" and was in his own world again. 

Part 5 

Kyoto, 

Hounou Temple. 

Waiting room. 

Nene was continuously asking the situation from Manase Belchior who was taking care of Nobuna. "Please tell me." 

"They seem to have fallen into a situation where they can't move forwards or backwards at Mount Hiei, and there is apparently nothing they can do." 

"Yoshiharu-sama or Mitsuhide-sama, one of them could have come up with a brilliant plan that shocks all of us." 

"Where is the crafty Hanbei-sama?" 

"She is sleeping now due to her medicine. I'm only telling you here, but Hanbei-chan's condition is unexpectedly serious, don't tell anyone about this." 

"....Is that so....?" 

"As for when will she wake up, we will have to see Hanbei-chan's strength and will." 

"Uhhh... Everyone is important, yet Nene who is still a child can't do anything, how infuriating!" 

"But you did do something. To cleanse yourself with cold water in such cold weather to pray for everyone, Nene-chan’s feelings will definitely find their way to Yoshiharu-sama and Nobuna-sama." 

"But Hime-sama... Hime-sama's condition now is.....!" 

Manase Belchior lowered his head. 

True, Nobuna looked much weaker now. 

The surgery was perfect. 

She had a fever, but the fever and the toxins in her body should disappear, and when the fever subsides, Nobuna would wake up. 

But.... 

"Due to her high fever, I'm afraid Nobuna-sama is having nightmares. The human heart is mysterious. Because of these nightmares, at the same time her spirit weakens, her body condition will weaken too, and that brings along an even higher fever. So, she can't wake up no matter what. If this keeps repeating, and the situation goes on like this, I'm afraid Nobuna-sama will......" 

"Please try your best no matter what! Isn't Manase-sama a renowned doctor that combined both namban and traditional medical skills!?" 

"....The dream world isn't a place that medical skills can reach." 

If her high fever didn't subside, not just remaining in a coma, Nobuna-sama can last another one to two days at most. His mind flashed through numerous patients dying, but, only this point, Manase Belchior who is like a scent could not bear to say it out to the young Nene whose eyes are already full of tears. 

But, the intuitive Nene had already discovered. 

"....Hime-sama already... already... can't be saved? Uhh, Uhh, if Onii-sama... Onii-sama could come back....!" 

It was like they were in hell. 

Inside Hounou temple, there was a deathly silence. 

Suddenly, there was an unexpected guest. 

"Hmmm, geezer, isn't it time that you guys need me?" 

A body which emitted a "not of this country" atmosphere and a strong perfume. 

A china styled attire worn over tanned skin with a long, thin tobacco pipe. 

It was Matsunaga Danjo Hisahide, commonly known as the "Venomous Scorpion." 

Hisahide, who hadn't been seen for quite some time, walked elegantly towards Manase Belchior. 

"Ohh, Matsunaga-sama? Rumors are all over Kyoto about you running back to Yamato after Hime-sama was sniped, and that the Oda clan was doomed." 

"Oh, that must be from those kids in Kyoto who dislike me. I was actually conjuring a secret drug for Nobuna-sama.” 

Manase began trembling all over at the sound of Hisahide’s voice, and, pointing at her, he stammered out "Da..Da...Dan...Danjo-chan? Y...You... What are you doing here?" 

In the past, the lecherous doctor Manase Belchior had once created illicit pictures of Matsunaga Hisahide. 

At that time, Manase who wanted to seduce Matsunaga Hisahide was rejected with simply, "I hate geezers." and was given sulfur mustard poison and abandoned at Hisahide's castle, Tamon mountain castle. 

To Manase, the event was traumatic enough to incite trembling whenever he thought of it to this day. 

"I'm saying, Geezer, that by now you should’ve run out of ways to stop the illness from proceeding. Nobuna-sama is trapped in her nightmares and can't wake up, right?" 

"You are correct, but to give Hime-sama drugs prescribed by Danjo-chan, the ‘Venemous Scorpion’... it's very suspicious, extremely suspicious." 

"Not at all. There is a drug from Persia that is able to manipulate dreams. The materials are very difficult to gather here, so I was delayed." 

"Ho... a drug that manipulates dreams! What is it, exactly?" 

"If we use this, will Nobuna-sama be released from her nightmares?" Nene asked 

"Yes, it will not only end her nightmares, but also give her sweet dreams, dreams of happiness that Nobuna-sama herself truly wants. Once Nobuna-sama's spirit becomes better, her temperature will drop and she will eventually wake up." 

After listening, Nene held Hisahide's hands tightly and begged numerous times, "Please!" 

"Nene-chan, those Persian drugs that this woman uses are actually poisons! They are things that are extremely toxic, and while they may have their uses, they can only do harm to Hime-sama with how weak she is now. It's too dangerous." Manase said as he frowned. 

"If that's the case, what ways does the Geezer have to cure Nobuna-sama?" 

Under the stare of Hisahide's sharp eyes, Manase can only emit an "Uhhhh". 

You guys are bothering me here. How about I poison you along with that child... Hisahide's eyes seemed to threaten as they all but bored holes through Manase. 

"Bitter medicines tend to work best. If it can save Nobuna-sama's life, I will turn a blind eye to any side effects it will bring. But Danjo-chan, that drug, has it been tested on humans yet?" 

"Hmm, I had tested it on myself. During the period when the drug was taking effect, I had a dream where I was with Nobuna-sama in Tamon mountain castle having a steamboat(!) while talking, and there were no adverse side effects." 

"If so, it seems kinda safe." Nene said. 

"Danjo-chan, after taking so many drugs and toxins, your body already has a resistance to most poisons, and your body isn't the same as an ordinary girl’s. You can't be considered a good test subject, definitely not." 

Hisahide narrowed her eyes and laughed, "At least I can say that it won't harm Nobuna-sama's life. This I guarantee with my own head." 

Though Manase had an ominous feeling, he decided Hisahide’s plan to be the best one anyways. 

Just like this, Hisahide herself entered Nobuna's room. 

"Is that really okay? Nene is kinda worried." 

"Uhh, this is a gamble... Whether Danjo-chan's medicine is good or bad, we will have to see Hime-sama's fate." 

"Hime-sama, to have become so weak... How pitiful.." 

Hisahide looked at Nobuna, tortured by the high fever, and couldn't help but shed a tear as she held Nobuna's hand tightly. 

That ****er who shot Nobuna with an arquebus was still hiding at Mount Hiei now. 

Mount Hiei was a spiritual mountain that prohibited females from entering. 

So as to say, the Oda army, comprised primarily of female warriors, couldn't search for that ****er. 

In fact, Hisahide had sent out numerous request to "Give us that ****er.", but Mount Hiei had rejected all of it by saying, "Unclean female daimyos have nothing to do with us." 

And, the allied forces of Asai and Asakura had pitched camp in that Mount Hiei. 

Both Shibata Katsuie and Niwa Nagahide couldn't enter due to being female. 

How despicable is this... 

What do they think women are... 

Hisahide lost her home and family due to the wars in Kyoto and was picked up by and raised in Koufuku temple. It was due to these fallen monks that she had despaired and abandoned Buddhism. 

Of course, among the monks, there weren't just fallen monks. There were still monks following strictly to the rules and praying for the people. But there were monks who, in their arrogance and without any care for their Buddhist teachings, started killing without thought and built attitudes that made them think of women as "unclean" even though they worship Buddha. Many monks fell and were ruled by their desires due to these reasons. 

The young Hisahide, whether she found herself in Kyoto or Nara, she was insulted by the monks, who viewed her as a "Bastard from overseas." 

Because of that, she learned spear skills and poisons to protect herself. 

Thinking about the past, Hisahide’s heart came alight with black flames as an incredibly fierce look darkened her face. 

"Nobuna-sama, Matsunaga Hisahide will personally catch that bastard that had hurt you and subject him to torture. I will bury him in the sand until only his head remains, letting passersby use saws to slowly saw off his neck. Though there are a few people who treat bloodying criminals as a game and have fun with it, the criminal subjected to it will definitely be better off dead. Correct, it's not enough just killing him. To have harmed Nobuna-sama's beautiful body with a bullet, I must let him taste something much more terrible than death!" 

While speaking to Nobuna, Hisahide put a black fluid into the famous tea kettle, Hiragumo and started boiling it. 

"Come, drink it down. With this, the nightmares will end and that which replaces it will be dreams full of happiness and joy, dreams that Nobuna-sama truly wants." 

Even when Nobuna-sama had suffered such a serious injury and become so weak, she was still beautiful beyond comparison. 

Hime-sama... I will protect you using any means necessary. 

Hisahide looked at Nobuna's sleeping face, and putting the bowl to Nobuna's dry lips, she slowly, very slowly fed her the boiled medicine. 

"...Uhh...Uhh...Umm." 

... 

... 

... 

"Saru, run...." 

Nobuna was dreaming about Kanegasaki, a place that had become hell on earth. 

This... Just how many times had she seen it? 

The forever repeating... nightmare. 

For the dream of conquering the world, Nobuna who had abandoned Sagara Yoshiharu in Kanegasaki and fled had been searching and wandering about for Yoshiharu in Kanegasaki ever since getting shot. 

"Hey, Saru, Yoshiharu! I'm such an idiot! If you are dead, who will accompany me to sail across the wide seas? With just me, what meaning is there for me to fulfill my dreams!? So... Please, I beg you, come back...." 

As she wept, she rode through the mountain path. 

Through this hill, I will have to once again witness the scene where Saru was caught and killed by those people hunting for escaping warriors. 

And as I look at Saru dying, my heart too, is dying slowly with him. 

No more, she doesn't want to experience such a nightmare anymore. 

If, if I had to experience this never ending nightmare as I live on, then I should just..... 

But, 

The dream this time, wasn't a nightmare. 

Over the hill, she could see Yoshiharu leading the 500 strong troops back with gusto. 

".....Yoshiharu.....!?" 

"Ohh, Nobuna? Wh...Wh...Wh...Why did you come back? Anyway, who is Yoshiharu?" 

"Isn't that you!? You, have you forgotten your own name? Your intelligence is really that of a monkey." 

"Sh...Shut up! If you just suddenly call me ‘Yoshiharu’, I’m not going to know how to react in time." 

".....Yoshiharu!!" 

Nobuna ran towards Yoshiharu, and without saying anything, hugged him. 

Her tears could not be stopped. 

Though she had once thought it was a dream... But, this wasn't a dream. 

This was the real Yoshiharu. The warm, slightly sweaty-odored Yoshiharu. Her chest could feel his heart thumping, the real Yoshiharu. 

I don't care anymore, whether this is a dream or reality. 

My dream is, to conquer the world, see for myself the different wonders of the world across the wide seas and... 

And, this strange man who proclaimed he came from future Japan, to be by my side, and protect me. 

Saying, "Nobuna, you are necessary to this country, I know it. Even if others in this era don't understand you, I understand you!" and support me from behind. 

Is such a feeling love...? Or is this the same as the namban missionary who I had once admired as my elder brother....? This... I don't know yet. 

I don't understand, but this feeling is definitely not the same... 

With Father... The Missionary... Hirate-jii-san... Viper... and all the guys I had loved from the past, there was a fundamental difference. 

Because, once we meet, a pain starts in my chest. 

A feeling that I have not felt from birth, I... must have... 

"Oi Nobuna, just how long do you intend to hug me, and your expression is kinda weird, what happened?" 

"Wh...What is it... I... I was worried about you, just what kind of attitude is this?" 

"Commander! Seems like the atmosphere is getting hotter, hahaha." 

"Get married once you return to Kyoto!" 

"Shut up you guys! We had to save Asai Nagamasa who was imprisoned and help him get back his position as head, and then defeat the Asakura forces... We will need to head out once we get back, won’t we!? There will be war very soon!" 

Yoshiharu let Nobuna sit on his thighs as he hugged her waist with a single hand, his other hand holding the reins as he rode forward. 

Nobuna's heart couldn't help but have a doubt... Yoshiharu, this fellow... When did he become so skilled in riding...? 

"Hey Yoshiharu, is that true about helping Nagamasa get back the position of head of the Asai clan?" 

"Ahhh, it's true. Our back troops are all safe, so there isn't anything to worry about. Juubei-chan and the rest have already made it back to Kyoto safely!" 

"Dearuka... Good... Everyone is still safe." 

"Ahhh." Yoshiharu said as he hugged Nobuna a little stronger. 

"So that's the thing, Nobuna. After returning to Kyoto, we will continue our battle to conquer the world! The Asakura clan had already surrendered under the lightning fast attacks by Asai, so there are no more enemies in the central area! Imai-jii-san from Sakai also sent us lots of military funds, and the military strength of Oda clan is now 20000! We are Japan's strongest!" 

"Ahhh...Uhh, Bu...But we had a promise, if you came back alive, I would reward you. That reward, I should give it to you soon..." 

"Ahh, that promise of a kiss? Since there isn't enough time, how about now we....." 

"Wait, nonononono! Aren't the soldiers looking at us!? I...I...I...I haven't kissed a man before, s...so it's not good if it's not some deserted place! Ahh, but, after returning from Kyoto, Manchiyo and Riku will come and disturb...." 

Yoshiharu revealed his white teeth, laughed and said, "There won't be anyone to disturb us." 

Huh... What is going on? Suddenly, Yoshiharu seems to be 5 times manlier than usual.... This fellow... Had he been that suave before? Nobuna tilted her head in puzzlement. 

But, but this was okay too, so she did not mind it much. 

"You haven’t heard anything yet, Nobuna. Nagahide-dono and Katsuie-dono will no longer disturb us. Well, Katsuie is still crazy with jealousy, but Nagahide plans to give us a wedding and is currently preparing at Kyoto." 

"Ehhhhh? W-wait... What is this... Wa...Wait, I...I...I... When did I say I wanted to marry you? Th...The...The...There is such a big difference in our family status." 

Yoshiharu revealed his extremely white teeth again as he played with his hair on the forehead, "That's troubling..." 

"Well, after surviving the "Retreat at Kanegasaki", I have become known throughout Kyoto; even the kids and nobles have recognized me as a big hero. The people all feel that there isn't anyone else who could match Oda Nobuna. Well, it's such a thing now. I would actually prefer a girl with bigger breasts, but everyone would probably be unhappy if I said no." 

"Shut up! Mine aren't small, okay? If anyone has small breasts, it’s Hanbei! Compared to her, mine are already considered big! And, why are you so engrossed with girls' breasts? Breasts are used to nurture babies; to be so engrossed after growing up, are you a pervert!?" 

"Breasts are men's romance! Hahahaha" Yoshiharu revealed his teeth and laughed. 

"Geez, stupid...." Nobuna mumbled. 

"But, since Himiko-sama told me ‘I leave Nobuna-sama to you’, I can't really reject anymore...." 

"Hi...Him...Himiko-sama said so herself! Th...Then there is no other way. If I reject, won't I be disloyal?" With a do or die attitude, Nobuna sent her lips over to Yoshiharu. 

"See, we can see Kyoto now, Nobuna." 

"Ahh...." 

"Everyone has come to congratulate us for our return and give us their blessings for the wedding." 

Part 6 

Dusk, Kyoto. 

The wedding had begun. 

Congrats, congrats, 

Everyone's faces were full of smiles. 

The wedding between them started just like this. 

Inuchiyo said, "....Hime-sama is here." as she raised her bamboo spear. 

"M...M...M...My Hime-sama, uwahhhhh~!" 

"With this, Hime-sama will definitely be happy. Full points!" 

Katsuie and Nagahide had gathered the presents and blessings from Kyoto and Sakai. 

"As expected from Gorilla, no, Sagara-senpai! To be able to have Nobuna-sama's fancy, I, Juubei Mitsuhide admit defeat! Nobuna-sama, you must be happy from now on!" Mitsuhide set aside her work cooking takoyaki to send them her blessings. 

"The wedding ceremony will be held at the namban church, and I will be the Father" Frois laughed and said. 

Once she sees Yoshiharu with his eyes locked onto Frois's gigantic breasts, Nobuna felt disgusted and aimed a kick at him wordlessly. 

"As expected from Japan's no 1 bishoujo, strong and distinguished. It's normal for Yoshiharu-sama to fall in love with such a Nobuna-sama. Nobuna-sama isn't an opponent that I, Takenaka Hanbei can win against, so I must resign myself to only being the mistress of Yoshiharu-sama. *Sob*Sob*" 

"That may not be enough, Yoshiharu-shi's perverseness is totally shocking. Maybe he will claim me as his wife too." 

"Ahhh, brat, if you dare to touch our eternal idol, Goemon, we will definitely kill you!" 

"Sh...Shut up~nya." 

"Ahhh, here it is! Boss's stuttering!!!" 

"From now on, I have to start monitoring Onii-sama to make sure he isn’t perverted to any other girls but Hime-sama. With this job I, Nene am the biggest contributor!" 

Next, Nagamasa and her brother, Nobusumi, Motoyasu and Imagawa Yoshimoto had all sent her their blessings. 

"The cuisines had quite a lot of work put in. As the head of the chefs, I, Imai Sougyu can guarantee it. Everyone please dig in, and never forget about this wedding." 

And, the officiator for today was the bride's godfather, Saitou Dousan, who had rushed here from Mino. 

"Good, good, Nobuna-dono. I, Saitou Dousan thought I would not get to see my goddaughter donning on her wedding dress. Right now, I'm the happiest father in Japan." 

With a face mixed with the happiness and sadness of marrying off his daughter, his voice seems a little weepy as he completely transformed into "Buddha Dousan". 

And there was still one more, Tsuchida Gozen, Nobuna's biological mother, who had seldom even met with her daughter. 

"Kichi, I'm sorry for being so hard on you all this while. Your mother didn't want a princess like you to swing around swords, but to be a normal princess and attain your happiness for yourself. Seeing you being so fixated on conquering the world, I had to be so cold to you. But now, with Sagara-dono protecting you, your mother will not worry anymore. Let us mother and child go back to living like before." 

Tsuchida Gozen’s face was streaked with tears from her joy. 

"What a crowd." While humming a song, Yoshiharu lifts Nobuna up. 

"Let's go to the namban church now, Nobuna. But, from now on, I should call you ‘Kichi’, I think." 

Just being simply called "Kichi" by Yoshiharu made Nobuna feel a terribly sweet pain from the deepest part in her chest. 

Why isn't Matsunaga Danjo here, it was such an occasion. 

If this goes on, I really will marry Yoshiharu! 

"Wa...Wa...Wait, even I don't know if I want to marry you and be your wife, and you didn't say anything about liking me or what. There are lot's of procedures and things that we didn't do yet. I, know nothing about men... Of...Of course it's not that I'm not willing to marry you... Ju... Just that I want some time to prepare my own heart... So.....!" 

"Che" "Che" "Che" Somehow, the whole crowd gave Nobuna their annoyed voices. 

"It's impossible for me to ha...ha...hate you, but... Umm...Uhh... to marry all of a sudden, it's too fast....!" 

"I see, there's no helping it then. You've given up, huh? As expected from a top rank girl. Then, as replacement, super bishoujo Juubei, are you willing to marry me?" 

"Ehhh? Is that really ok? Of course I'm ok with it, Sagara-senpai. I did it!!!" 

At the namban style music that signified the start of the wedding, the overly excited Mitsuhide held onto Yoshiharu's hand and escaped outside. 

"Juubei! Why can you never read the atmosphere? And what's with your happy expression! Isn't Yoshiharu your rival!? Wa...Wait!!!!! Yoshiharu is... YOSHIHARU BELONGS TO ME!!!!!!!!" 

Bang* 

"Everyone run. Nobuna’s gone crazy and started shooting everywhere!" 

Ahh! Ahh! Ahh! 

Wah! Wah! Wah! 

Why... Why had things become like this...? 

Somehow... things don't feel right... 

Part 7 

"...A dream...? Danjo?" 

"Yes." Matsunaga Hisahide who was kneeling at her side answered. 

Nobuna wakes up and saw the dark ceiling of Hounou temple. 

"The medicine that ended Nobuna-sama's nightmare and gave you sweet dreams was very effective. Your temperature is going down and now, and Nobuna-sama has finally woken up. What a miracle." 

"....Dearuka." 

"What a happy smile, it's a cute smiling face that I've never seen before. Just what were you dreaming, Nobuna-sama?" 

Nobuna could not answer Hisahide’s question. 

She tried her best to suppress the urge to cry from the deepest parts of her body, but with that, the wound on her abdomen started to hurt again. 

But, what pained her beyond belief wasn't the wound on her abdomen, but her chest. 

"....Dream, it's just a dream, it isn't real......" 

With just the force needed to squeeze these words out, Nobuna is already exhausted. 

Hisahide feels that Nobuna's heart, though she had woken up from her dream, was starting to break again. 

Nobuna's face was deathly pale. 

The happiness that she had never felt before... that joyous mood... From the bottom of her heart, she felt happy to be alive, and had for the first time thanked the God and Buddha that she had never met before. 

But all of that... was just a dream... 

So.... 

So this is what I really want in my heart... 

Such a small, and ordinary... but impossible to fulfilled dream.... 

Impossible because... because Sagara Yoshiharu is already...... 

"Hmmm, Nobuna-sama, your wound is starting to hurt again. Please drink this medicine. 

Hisahide fed the freshly boiled medicine to Nobuna. 

It held a strong fragrance, a medicine that was sweet like honey. 

"It's a drug that can lighten one’s mood mysteriously." 

"....Ah...." 

Just from drinking a sip, Nobuna's conscious starts to blur. 

"Like dreaming, yet not sleeping, it is a drug that can let you experience sweet dreams when awake. When I was betrayed and my mind was caught up with some detestable matters from the past, when every day was terrible, I often drank this too." 

"....Danjo... My head is dizzy, the things in the room... I can't see them clearly... Upside down...." 

"Hmmm, because the medicine is too strong for first timers, but it’s not a problem. Even if the world has become your enemy, I will stand by Nobuna-sama's side, and protect you from anyone who hurts you, don't worry." 

"Ahh, Ahh... Danjo... Am I dreaming... or am I awake... I... can't seem... to distinguish..." 

Lifting the frightened and shivering Nobuna, Hisahide used her well developed bosom as a pillow and lulled Nobuna like taking care of a baby. 

Just like a child lying down on her mother's breasts, Nobuna quiets down, "Don't be afraid, my cute child... Nobuna-sama, have you heard of the story of ‘The Duke of Zhou’?" 

"What.... is that?" 

"It's a story from Tang. Long long ago, there was a man named Zhou Gong who dreamt that he turned into a butterfly flying in the air. He suddenly woke up and thought to himself, had he had a dream of turning into a butterfly, or did a butterfly have a dream of turning into a man named Zhou Gong?" 

"....Just which side... is the truth?" 

"Hmmm, no matter which side, both are true, both are illusions. No one knows what's real or not in this world, so in actual fact, the world in our dreams is real and this world is just a dream. Things like happiness are just things from one's heart. No matter if one attains happiness in a dream or in the real world, they are the same happiness. When you are feeling terrible, and are crying, let me use my drugs to send you into the dream world." 

"Hmmm." 

"I, Matsunaga Danjo, no matter how many times, I will let Hime-sama have a dream full of happiness." 

"....Hmmmm." 

"What a cute child." 

A non stop feeling of dizziness, and a feeling of dropping. 

Hisahide used her own chest to hold onto me as this feeling took hold. 

A little warm, the feeling isn't bad. 

A love from a mother, and from Sagara Yoshiharu, both a love I could never feel. 

If so, then let me be doted on forever by Hisahide like this. 

Just... 

The pain in her chest that almost threatens to tear her apart can't seem to disappear. 

Why is that? 

As expected, this world is the real one. 

But in some corner of her heart, Nobuna who was being hugged by Hisahide doesn't seem to agree. 

".....Maeda Inuchiyo has returned." 

Manase Belchior and Nene brought Inuchiyo who had returned hurriedly to Nobuna's room. 

".....Inuchiyo...? Where did she go...? Where is Juubei and the rest? Where's Saru....?" 

Nobuna who had just woken up did not understand the current situation of the Oda army. 

The incident that the Asai and Asakura allied forces were forced to stop at the streets of Wakasa due to Yoshiharu, and had moved from Lake Biwa to western Omi, and were currently at Mount Hiei. 

The incident about that bastard who sniped Nobuna and escaped into Mount Hiei. 

The incident about Shibata Katsuie and Niwa Nagahide leading the Oda army who had retreated back to Kyoto to surround Mount Hiei, but was unable to begin attacking due to Mount Hiei prohibiting females from entering. 

The incident about Takigawa Kazumasu and Saitou Dousan who was protecting Mino and Owari and were unable to send reinforcements due to anti-Nobuna forces appearing everywhere. 

"....Where's Saru? Where is Saru and Juubei? Where are they? Inuchiyo?" 

Seemingly drunk, Nobuna with misty eyes repeated again like she was sleep talking. 

"...Hey, Inuchiyo, Saru is alright, right? And where did Juubei run off to?" 

Inuchiyo, Manase and Nene, all of them can't seem to tell the truth to this weak Nobuna. 

At this moment, Matsunaga Hisahide said, "First, another sip of the medicine." 

To not let Nobuna collapse, Hisahide let Nobuna drink a high potency drug. 

"Danjo-chan, is that.... Nono, to let Nobuna-sama drink such a medicine... What if she is poisoned...?" 

Though Manase tried to stop her, Hisahide cut him off, saying "Quiet, geezer!" with a sharp stare, and he stammered to a stop. 

"All I did was give Nobuna-sama a drug that can bring happiness to the heart, right, Nobuna-sama?" 

"....Yes....Danjo..." 

"Sagara Yoshiharu was chased by Wakasa's omyouji, Tsuchimikado, and was blown to pieces at the end. Not even a single piece of him remains... To take revenge for Sagara Yoshiharu, Akechi Mitsuhide rushed forwards but dropped into a huge crack in the ground prepared by Tsuchimikado, and is currently missing. She is most likely dead." 

"...De....Dearuka." 

Nobuna's vision suddenly blurred as she loses all her strength, her face lightly caressed by Hisahide. 

Manase was shocked, "You...You who has all the while stayed in this house, why did you know the situation to such an extent, Danjo-chan?" 

Danjo laughed alluringly, "I have spies called puppets." 

The expression that Nobuna had now... 

Was like the world had already been destroyed. 

This world is a dream... It definitely is. 

The real me is currently having a wedding with Saru with everyone's blessing... Uhh, to marry such a lecherous Saru, why must this Owari princess marry such a Saru and have his child? 

".....Hime-sama, please open your eyes. If Hime-sama doesn't take control of the situation, the Oda clan will be destroyed." 

Inuchiyo reached out to her. 

Ahh? ....Don't tell me... this Inuchiyo... is real? 

Being shaken by Inuchiyo, Nobuna dreamingly said. 

"....Inuchiyo... is real?" 

Inuchiyo who had made her resolve, nodded. 

"....I... saw it... myself... Yoshiharu is already dead.... Mitsuhide too... I'm afraid...." 

Nene collapsed in an instant, and was howling on the tatami. 

"Onii-sama.... Onii-sama... Nene... is willing to replace Onii-sama to die... I had already tried my best to pray to God-sama, Buddha-sama, Nekogami-sama....!" 

Totally collapsed... 

In Nobuna's heart, something had totally collapsed, and her grief vanished as if it wasn't there. 

In its place, the feeling that poured out, 

Fury... 

Even if her body was burned to ashes by flames, intense fury that will never disappear.. 

"Hmmm, Tsuchimikado had entered Mount Hiei and had joined with Asai and Asakura allied forces. What should we do, Nobuna-sama?" 

".....Attack.... Mount Hiei....." 

Manase said with panic, "If we do such a blasphemous thing, all Buddhist factions in Japan will become our enemies!" 

But Matsunaga Hisahide continued to whisper in Nobuna's ears. 

"Nobuna-sama, though Mount Hiei is said to be a spiritual mountain guarding the gate of demons of Kyoto, in actual fact, it is the real culprit of all the unrest in Kyoto. Commanding the monks and defying Kyoto's shogunate, they had recently even reduced Kyoto to a sea of fire during a recent war; even young children weren't spared. They claim ‘Women are unclean’, but the monks are all like hungry wolfs." 

Hisahide's words were the last little push she needed. 

Nobuna forgot about the pain at her abdomen and stood up. 

Her vision was still blurry. 

She still couldn't see properly the things in the room. 

Her body was still weak. 

But fury was radiating from both her eyes. 

And because of this.... immense fury that she had never experienced before... 

Nobuna’s weak body stood up. 

The me that thanked the gods after seeing such a dream was too dumb. 

Those monks at Owari too, after saying that they could cure Father by praying with gusto, they were just looking at Father dying day by day when they are reciting their incantations. And after that, they even shamelessly requested huge pay. 

They went too far when they said ‘Your father had killed too many people, this is retribution’ and had blamed her father who had just passed away. 

At that time, because of Hirate-jii-san stopping me when I went berserk, those monks survived from the fire. 

But this time... 

This time I must... 

Saru... 

Juubei... 

Let me kill all those who took my dream away, those who kill my companions that shared my dream, those who claimed they are the protectors of the spiritual mountain yet said females are unclean. Kill them all. 

I have to let those bastards taste their just desserts.... 

But... as though she were still dreaming... her body didn't have any strength. 

Was this a continuation of the nightmare? Or....? 

"....Riku and the rest won't be able to do it, so I will command the army personally... Bring me to the base right now... Manchiyo." 

At the support of Hisahide, Nobuna gave the order with difficulty. 

This wasn't the normal way Nobuna addressed Inuchiyo and Nagahide. 

Nobuna, though truly conscious, would never give such an order. 

"....Those monks who use Buddhism as their shield and do whatever they like, Tsuchimikado, and Asai Asakura, kill all of them......" 

Her voice was hollow, as if Nobuna had become Hisahide's puppet. 

But, this was still an order given by Nobuna herself. 

And though her vision was blurry, the fury in her eyes was undoubtedly Nobuna's. 

Inuchiyo, who was too serious said, "Roger." and bowed.