like a soaring dragon

 “Well, I don’t have anything to give you right now Oryo-san. But still, Merry Christmas.”

 “Just by being at your side is good enough for Oryo-san. I will never leave you.”

“I don’t think I’m superior to others humans; or that I have a right to govern them”. Nobunaga crosses her arms. “I just do everything I want. I don’t care if it’s bad or good acts. Nothing and nobody will stop me from reaching my goal”.

How curious. Ryoma does not want to be ruled by a warlord, but he does not seem to want to rule the country. Rider has a pistol and a katana, but he avoids to use it. And Nobunaga wants to control everything. She wants to have all the power in her hands. So, she can do whatever she wants. And she will control everything using the force.

Nobunaga laughed. “Despite my cruelty, you recognize my qualities. Not everyone is able to do this”. She continues to compliment him. “We have more in common than I thought. You also like Western things, right?”

  “It’s good to see the Dairokuten Maou recognizes her humanity. Tokugawa-san... Well, they didn’t do so much.” He laughed, if the Shinsengumi heard him say that he would be pointed with swords and that rifle Hijikata had. “Well, isn’t that the nature of humans? Can’t say anything against that.”

  Ruling a country was beyond what Ryouma could do, he acknowledged that. But he supported Meiji, who he believed was a better fit for a leader. How Nobunaga did things were how it was back then and he understood, but his time was no longer the one for warring states and isolation, times were changing and fast.

“Yeah…It is nice t’ see more people from our time…” Nice to see non Shinsengumi, too. Most of the Shinsengumi made him feel like he was being strangled by barbed wire, or worse. So many regrets and so much anguish and rage, self loathing and hatred of certain others. It was always a storm of intense and unpleasant emotions.

“I had always heard ya were a kind guy, back before everything went to hell.” Before his death had been the beginning of the end of the shinsengumi, and before Ryoma’s death had sunk a nail in its coffin.

He clapped his hands together and bowed, tossing the other a playful wink with his tongue stuck out. “Let’s do our best to work together~”

  “I’m happy to see the sentiment is mutual.” Tipping his hat, the Rider smiled, while most of the people that were summoned from that era have been from the Shinsengumi it still was a sight, perhaps the Throne didn’t consider his peers as heroic enough to be even Counter Guardians, but nonetheless he welcomed more acquaintances, even if most of them wanted his head.

“My reputation precedes me even now, it seems. Well, most of my allies called me weird, but to be called a kind guy, ahaha. You flatter me.” He nodded at the other rest of the comment Keisuke made, out of respect he didn’t add any more, figuring out that the Shinsengumi was a mess of its own.

“Ryoma, Oryo-san wants to eat.”

“Aye, Do you want some udon, or perhaps--”

“A frog. Alive.”

“Ah, you see... Right now in winter there are no frogs in the wild.”

Okita gives a small smile and closes her eyes. Although they were enemies in the past, Ryoma is not a radical samurai, like others warriors from Choshu domain. Okita had no grudges against the Rider, but the things would be different if Takasugi Shinsaku or Katsura Kogoro appear in Chaldea.

She opens her eyes. Okita feels she needs to fight against them. Even if she loses the fight, the Saber must complete what she started. The samurai would ask the master’s permission to fight against them. She would not shed blood, if she does not have permission to do it.

“It’s not like I support violence, but we are samurai, Ryoma-san. Sometimes, we should let our katana speak for us”.  Hijikata did indefensible things, but he still a brother for Okita. She will not abandon him. Not again. She will fight alongside him. “Or do you have a plan to avoid a conflict, if our master would summon other hero of the Meiji Ishin?”

Of course that while Ryoma was not your average samurai, his family having bought the title after all, other swordsmen like most of the Shinsengumi or the Kaientai movement held that pride of following their ideals to the bitter end. Taking a moment to reflect on the words of the woman in blue and white haori he looked at the ceiling for a moment before turning back to her.

Side eyeing his Mutsunokami resting on the holster on his hip, Ryoma nodded with a sigh. “I suppose that’s how things are, correct? In any case.” The Kaientai did also many unforgivable things, one being the framing of Isami Kondo, a person that, even if they opposed each other, Ryoma respected. However, if the Shinsengumi wanted his head for a second time, he would not back down without a fight.

WE DO, TRUST US

“...”

– —      ⌞ ❛ REAL men finish what they started. ❜ ⌝

nO

“You refused my proposal, and did not even listen to what I can offer you!” Nobunaga laughed. “That’s why I like you, Ishin no Eiyu!”

Sakamoto Ryoma is a man who is not afraid of change. He challenges the status quo to get what he wants. Ryoma has ambition and Nobunaga admires this. They have some similarities. The dream of creating a better country is what brings them closer. However, Nobunaga cannot call herself a pacifist, even if she wants a world of peace.

“Well, I will not insist. I believe that you will never agree with my methods, even if I have the power to create a better country. Right?”

“You flatter me, really.” He says, covering his face with his hat.

Oda Nobunaga may be called a lot of things, and he knows she can back up those claims, but in the end if it all came down to chat with one another it was better for him. He shares the sentiment over making their country a better place. But her methods, even if he and the Kaientai had applied some times, were not of his liking.

@senchuhassaku has discovered the loyalist.

“So. You’re Sakamata Ryouma, huh?” he asked. “I’d say it’s nice to meet you in person but I’d be lying if I said I knew how to feel about you, so perhaps I shall say it is a dubious honour, instead.”

Sannan had been dead by the time Ryouma was causing trouble for the Shinsengumi, but he knew all about his death and what it had caused thanks to the holy grail. He could blame him for Kondo getting framed and executed for his death, but he wasn’t really sure how to feel about the man who’s death had ultimately gotten the most important person in his life executed as a common criminal.

“…Ah, I guess, I should properly introduce myself, as well. Sannan Keisuke. I was the Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi when I was alive. Hijikata took up the role after I died.” After his execution by the shinsengumi, that was.

 “Sakamoto Ryouma, yes. That is me.” He replied. “Ah, I do not mind, my allies back on Tosa said I was a weird fellow. It’s a sight to see more people back from the Tokugawa Period before the Meiji Ishin.”

Most people he had met had something to say to the so called Ishin no Eiyu and how they were in protest against the Kaientai movement. Although he doesn’t blame him, the death of Kondo was something that affected all the Shinsengumi members he had met so far and their pro-bafuku sentiment as well. Truth be told, he would have stood up for Kondo for the framing of his death, but the past is long gone.

Sannan Keisuke, he knew of the man, albeit it was a bit thanks to the Grail plus a bit of gossiping that he had heard back on Edo when he was younger. It still surprised him that between fellow members of the pro-bafuku movement they would execute each other.

“Sakamoto Ryoma”. Nobunaga puts her hand on the brim of her cap. “I see you are a man of courage. Not everyone can keep the good mood after facing me”.

He left a good impression on the Demon King. Rider is still an agent of the Counter Force, but he also has a contract with the Master of Chaldea. It is like he is serving two masters at the same time. “It seems that now we have to work together. It’s a pity, I really wanted you to help me dominate the world”.

Nobunaga laughed. “I guess, I have time to convince you to become my retainer”.

“Am I?” He laughed briefly. “I simply thought that as allies on this Grand Order we could talk like acquantiances. I try to not let the situation take the best of me.”

It seemed like some things never changed for the warlord. Even now, she still wants to take over the world. Guess that’s one of the reasons he was summoned here then. "Isn’t it a rare opportunity? The Ishin no Eiyu and the Dairokuten Maou working together. It sounds like a lifetime opportunity.”