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A rustle from above announced both Masahiro and Ryuu’s location. “You two also can’t seem to find them?” Ryuu adjusts his gear before setting out once more.

“No…”

Masahiro took their answer, clearly confused as Mitsunari’s drawings on the map are usually correct. Only to see a peck of white hair, announcing Amaryllis’ presence without a single sound accompanying her. “Amaryllis, you too?” Ellara was now in disbelief if someone so close to Mitsunari still couldn't find their enemies.

Amaryllis shook her head as an answer. Also confused as this would be the usual distance for any army – if it was just a regular enemy in question. The crows above them flew in a circle, as if warning those below them.

“Can someone tell me what those crows are trying to do?” Yori looked above.

“...a warning,” an answer that Masahiro gave to his juniors.

“That would mean–!” Ryuu quickly turned his head to face Azuchi.

BOOM!!!

Everyone stared at the burning tenshu. All in shock with their mouths open to the scene in front of them. Some fell from the shockwave from the initial blast or lost their balance. “What…?!”

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack” the soldiers stationed at the gates quickly rushed to the warlords.

Ieyasu quickly turned to a vassal that announced the attack, “What’s going on? We didn’t see any troops or artillery?”

“We’ve been fired upon by the enemy’s cannon!” “Mitsunari… what types of cannons did you have in mind when giving them that map?” Morgan turned to Mitsunari for their question.

“One that wouldn’t fire more than 400 meters…” as Mitsunari listened to the vassal’s report.

The ground soon became chaotic as many were taken off guard only to be recovered by Nobunaga. An order that all of them must focus on reducing casualties and minimizing the damage, before the fire spreads throughout Azuchi.

Morgan took one last look at Azuchi’s tenshu before they went, “...I was hoping it didn’t come true…”

In another section of the forest, the Kasaguyama gang stood there from a distance. Watching as the Oda scramble into position that Nobunaga ordered them in.

“Their castle will do them no good now,” Kanetsugu plainly stated as he stood beside Kenshin.

“Agreed. But this is the same man who survived the fires of Honno-ji. Assuming his luck hasn't dried up, he’ll escape with most of his forces intact,” as Kenshin wants to agree, his respect for Nobunaga was still there.

Kyoko looked at the burning castle with sympathy, knowing it was just the start of a new war in the Sengoku Era. “Won’t be good for Ranmaru, Amaryllis, and Morgan. As this is probably just the beginning.”

“That flash doesn’t seem like the usual cannon in this era of ours,” Arundhati was slightly confused as the impact started to spread faster than she calculated.

“But losing your main fortification is a major blow to any army,” Shingen stated to Kenshin, who seemed to worry for the innocents involved.

“...and an emotional blow to everyone,” Sasuke quickly cleaned his glasses as ashes from the fire slowly flew past them.

Yukimura agreed with Sasuke's stance while Yoshimoto pointed out how big of a news this attack is. Everyone left except for Yoshimoto after finally knowing that the man behind this is Kicho – a former ally of the Oda.

“Yoshimoto!” Arundhati stood in the man’s path.

“Arundhati, I told you that–”

“Told me what!? Letting me go for something!? If it was the vassals’ words… I may understand your decision on the matter, but you didn’t let me speak. Didn’t let me speak when it was about me,” Arundhati didn’t give up her ground to Yoshimoto.

All Yoshimoto could do was stand there in silence, seeing someone that worked under him respect him, standing in his way – his way of protecting them. “You will understand, in due time. But for now, I must make haste.”

Arundhati could only watch as her former employer ran away, still didn’t understand his words at the time – if only she realized how fucked up his situation is.

For the Ikko-Ikki sect, they were in another section of the forest. All watching the fire that engulfed the castle. To all of them, those that survived, it reminded them when they lost their homes.

“It’s not just the castle… the whole city… it’s burning…” Ranmaru’s eyes went from shock to horror seeing history play out again.

“What… What sort of weapon was that cannon?” Daiju couldn’t take his eyes off the scene as the glow from the fire continued to spread alongside the smoke.

Kennyo tightened his grip on his staff, “No one who calls themselves human can lay claim to such a deed. It seems hell contains creatures worse than even the Devil King.”

Outside of everyone’s sight, Ranmaru spotted Yoshimoto dashing through the forest. Running towards Azuchi itself like a madman. Surprising him.

“Azuchi is on fire…” Yori didn’t know how to react to such a situation that was in front of him. Even as the dust reached out to his bandaged arm.

“That cannon… it can’t be…!” Ellara’s eyes were pure fear – she knew who must have assisted Kicho with this attack of his.

“Not again…” Ryuu covered his mouth as memories when they fought at Hongan-ji came back to his mind. Imagining the screams of the children and woman in Azuchi than in Hongan-ji – the screams that still torments him from time to time – reminding of how useless he was.

Amaryllis stood there, frozen with eyes widened in shock. She wouldn’t expect such a thing to happen, yet it hit her hard. Several forgotten memories came to her, realizing that it happened to her before – without the cannon part. Memories that were painful to her heart, which started to slowly bleed from its cage.

All of them stood there, frozen from either shock, fear, or pain. Masahiro took notice that none of them were responding, thus taking control of the situation. “We will be disregarding what our lords ordered us to do, but we must make haste to Azuchi as the cannon they fired is further than what we expected. I will explain and take the blame,” Masahiro quickly led the charge – everyone followed suit.

Kicho stood there from a distance, watching as the fire of this war slowly engulfed and destroyed the tenshu. With Motonari looking at the chaos with a smile – an unhinged smile to everyone. While the Imagawa vassals stood behind them, waiting for their lord, Yoshimoto, to join the correct side – in their eyes. In the shadows, the Uraguchi clan didn’t look away from the glow that was emitting from the fire, planning to get the head’s daughter back in a surprise attack after her first betrayal – to prove herself to her clan.

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