"CEASE YOUR FIRE YOU FOOLS!"
Okabe shouted angrily, as he galloped towards the army that was still loosing volley after volley of arrow fire, apparently oblivious to their victory.
They turned to him for an explanation, and seeing the mystified looks on the commanders faces he could do nought but curse bitterly under his breath.
'Bloody incompetent swines.'
He massaged his temples with his forefinger and thumb, attempting to keep his cool, and process exactly what had happened. He did not care for the hundreds of looks that were sent his way. They could wait. No - they must wait.
THUMP
Across the now silent battlefield, the sound of something heavy falling rang out. He perked his head up, alert.
THUMP
Another sound rang out, almost identical to the first. With that second sound he was able to locate the direction from which it came, and he turned his calculating gaze towards it.
SCROOP
The heavy wooden gates of the north side of the fortress of Washizu swung open, slowly and deliberately. Such gates had been fortified with bars of iron. It would have been a difficult task to get through them. And yet that task had seemingly been completed for them. But by whom?
Out of the opened gates - which had by now captured the attention of all upon the battlefield - strode three men, swaggering proudly like a trio of east-end gangsters that had even the police under wraps. But they had every right to walk so confidently.
And behind them, a sea of black poured out as one great tidal wave, before the light caught them, and men could be identified. The black was not longer as deep as it seemed, for the men's armour was stained with a crimson glow, and the spear points behind them were stained with a similar shade of blood.
Such an image caused them to look back on the three men that led them. And to their surprise, those men were also drenched in the sticky liquid. They pondered on why they did not notice it at first... Perhaps it was because they wore it so naturally, that it did not warrant another look.
The central man, who wore a set of scarlet red armour, held a head in his hands, grasping it by its hair.
"Is that..."
"It can't be..."
The commanders whispered amongst themselves, praying that the head he held was not that of the defending general.
They strode right through the ranks of men, who wore baffled looks on their faces, but instinctively stood aside to allow them to pass. There was an aura about them as they walked - even the simple yari peasantry held it - that was all but untouchable, like the coldest breeze.
If they had been intent on taking Okabe's life, then their mission would have been remarkably easy, as they were allowed to walk freely until they were right in front of him.
Though the three of them bowed low, and the one who was dressed in red offered up the head, Okabe still did not feel much taller than them.
"Okabe-sama, the defending General's head. Washizu is yours."
Flawless. From start to finish. They had executed the mission delivered to them perfectly, and did not even stumble at the final hurdle: showing respect, and remembering who their superior was.
A slow clapping sound drifted out, as Okabe brought his palms together, shaking his head whilst he wore a slight smile.
"Excellent. Truly excellent. So you are Niwa, then?"
He praised, speaking to Nakatane.
"That is this one's humble name, my lord."
He responded flatteringly, knowing better than anyone how touchy the nobility were.
"You have pleased me, Niwa. I expected this siege to last at least a few days, but you handled it in a few mere hours. Your competence will, of course, be rewarded. You will receive 300 gold coins for your contribution and- ah. Was it you that cut off this man's head?"
"Respectfully lord, it was not I. It was one of the men."
"I see. That man will also receive 50 coins for his contribution."
Even Gengyo stiffened a little at the mentioned amount. He could only hope that his father would not be so bold as to waste it on alcohol. But by the gods, it was a reward long overdue. His contributions to the battlefield had been overlooked for too long.
The young man was not the only one surprised by the amount, as Itou stepped forward, all but choking after hearing how much the man he had looked down on earlier had won.
"But Okabe-sama! They left the battle and snuck in the-"
"SILENCE!"
Okabe thundered, projecting the true bearing of a general, his eyes narrowing as he looked down upon the measly existence of Itou, as though he wished to crush him.
It took mere fraction a second for the small-time commander to realise the mistake within his outburst, and he dropped to the floor, prostrating himself as he bowed towards the general.
"FORGIVE THIS ONE'S FOOLISHNESS OKABE-SAMA!"
The fear was evident within his voice that was only a single octave away from a scream.
The general sniffed with distaste, before turning his gaze toward the rest of the men who he knew to be dissatisfied.
"I gave you all the same order. A single, very simple one. Capture Washizu – don't break the gates. The rest of you demonstrated your worthlessness by charging headfirst into the wall, wasting the lives of your men. It honestly sickened me to the stomach, having to watch your stupidity."
"But, luckily for the rest of you - as your men would have been wiped out by now – there is a single man among you that has demonstrated his worth, and in the process saved my patience which was beginning to wear thin. He used his brain, and took advantage of your stupidity. He deserves the gold more than any of you. It is more likely that he will know what to do with it."
"My-"
Nakatane opened his mouth to protest the extensive praise that was directed his way, but after a single tug on his arm from Gengyo, he turned to see the young boy shaking his head.
"What is it, Niwa?"
Okabe asked, noticing the exchange.
"Ah… My lord, I just wanted to sincerely thank you for your praise."
He said, a little fl.u.s.tered, having to make something up on the spot.
He narrowed his eyes, not quite believing him. But eventually, he shrugged his shoulders. Whatever that exchange had been about, it was of no concern to him. He was simply here on the orders of Imagawa, and no doubt the Daimyo would be pleased with such a speedy victory.
"Very well. We shall head back to camp, and you will receive your rewards later on."
He turned his horse around without a second word, expecting full obedience, and he was right to. He was a general of the Daimyo's army. None would dare to refuse his command.
As the men moved forward, they began to stand upright, and Nakatane stared at Gengyo with a questioning look on his face.
"Why did you stop me?"
"I knew what you were about to say. I don't need the credit. It's enough for me that we secured victory."
"Yes, but still-"
"No. I am your retainer, Niwa-san. You looked past my peasant status, and gave me this opportunity. What I achieve, are your achievements also, for you're the one who gave me the power to do this."
The master let out a sigh.
"Sometimes I remember that you're still only eighteen, but you speak as though you're as old as Jikouji."
"Older still."
Jikouji seconded, smiling with approval at the young man's modesty.
Amongst the ranks of the Special Forces unit, there was a good deal of commotion.
"Bloody hell Morohira! You knew you'd get gold from the start. Damn it! I wish I'd targeted him instead."
Rokkaku lamented loudly, his mind filled with dreams of all that he could buy for the absurd price of 50 gold. It had only taken 5 gold pieces to recruit around 35 men… so perhaps 350 men… of his very own. Or even a villa in the middle of the mountains! And a few women to go with it.
Morohira had his chest puffed out proudly, accepting all the praises and curses of his fellow men at arms without a hint of modesty. His oldest son would be embarrassed had he not been used to such displays by his father. So instead, he also felt a degree of pride, for he knew that he would – despite all appearances – use the money to look after his mother.
Yoritomo and Aritada were conversing excitedly, recalling the various combinations they had pulled off on the battlefield.
"Bro! I actually managed the Swallow's Wing combo on some guy who was swinging at me with this huge ass sword."
Yoritomo said proudly.
"Aye, I saw. But the best move was definitely when I took those two guys on at once. Got one right in the knee before I kicked the other in the chest. They were goners after that."
Niiro and Kitajo smiled silently, listening to the conversations that were going on around them. They were more prone to withdrawing inside themselves than others, and often found that they enjoyed the quiet whilst they were surrounded by a storm. It was a trait the two shared, despite the difference in their age gap, which allowed them to get on rather well.
If you were to see Kitajo but a month prior, and then look at him now, you would be almost unable to recognize him. Gone was the boy who walked with his head down, and shoulders hunched over, frightened to make eye contact.
Now he walked proudly – though not quite as proudly as the rest – not looking away too quickly when he made eye contact with another soldier from another unit. His gait was measured and consistent, and in his mind, for one of the first times since he had been born, there was peace.
There was no voice, criticising him. Instead, there was a peaceful quiet. He felt like a monk standing on top of a mountain.
Even Masaatsu – who had always been a well-rounded lad – was growing as a result of his experiences. No longer was he just a man that looked like he might be a samurai. Instead he was someone who lived the life of a samurai.
In the face of chaos they had found a man capable of delivering order. And to that man, they pledged their loyalty. Whether they had fought under Gengyo before or not, they all understood that they had found the warm patch of sunlight in an otherwise dark and crowded forest. And by staying with that sunlight, they knew they could grow to reach wonderous heights and experience unbelievable things.
//Author's Note
Managed to finish it!! Now I can catch up my on my sleep haha. The busy period of the last few days is over, so I'll get back to releasing everything on time. Thanks for all your support, and I hope you enjoyed c: