Lauren wiped
BlueLeaf’s blood off her weapon. Slightly inebriated, she decides to move straight onto her next goal while she still has the confidence to go through with it.
The cool night air helps her sober up. By the time she reaches her destination her mind is racing, telling her that this is a bad idea. She should walk away now while she still has her life. She could hide for the remainder of her days in the mountains somewhere.
It’s too late.
She’s stood at the foot of the Honnō-ji Temple. Inside, her target lays slumbering, just about to wake. Goosebumps rise on her skin at the thought of how close she is to achieving what the rest of Sakamoto Castle couldn’t. She will murder Oda Nobunaga.
Inside, she removes her shoes and tip toes around. It’s silent. She expected there to be one or two people up, working the graveyard shift, but it seems not.
She manoeuvres carefully, with stealth and grace, but the more she searches the more confused she becomes. There is no one here.
Then she smells something. Something burning.
The door she just came through goes up in flames. There’s no way out.
In the next room, Emperor Ōgimachi’s followers are being held captive.
Kaiaa wakes first. What’s that smell? Her eyes bulge as it dawns on her.
“
Lunatic?” she shakes her comrades shoulder. “
Lunatic, wake up. I smell smoke.”
Lunatic whines and slaps her hand away. “Five more minutes.”
“Fine, stay here and burn!”
Kaiaa tries the door. It’s unlocked. She runs back and tugs on Lunatic’s arm. “Seriously, there’s a fire. Move!”
Something snaps in
Lunatic’s mind. “Fire!?”
They’re both up and out the door in an instant. They run down a hallway, until they’re met by a wall of flames. There’s screaming coming from their left.
Lauren’s calling out for help, but there’s nothing
Kaiaa or Lunatic can do.
They turn around. Part of the ceiling collapses, blocking the way they just came through.
“We’re trapped.”
Kaiaa’s voice is soft, no louder than the squeak of a mouse.
Lunatic turns to look at her. “What should we do?”
“There’s nothing left to do,”
Kaiaa says, “it’s all over.”
Outside, the Oda Clan stand by and watch the Honnō-ji Temple burn. Beyond it, an orange glow signals the start of a new day.
Lauren the
Gennin,
Kaiaa the
Dairyo (former Bushi), and
Lunatic the
Dairyo (former Bushi) surrendered; they died in Oda Nobunaga & Mori Ranmaru’s place at the Honnō-ji Temple on June 21st 1582.