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Volume 4 Chapter 4 Part 11

「……!? 」

Nobuna shivered silently when she heard him.

(What? What’s going on with this guy? Like his mother? ….Specimen…? What is he talking about?)

「Finally, I have found the girl I wanted in the real world. I must use all means to bring you back to Ichijodani. Then, I will dress you in different elegant attires… and cultivate you to become my Murasaki. Feel honored, this is our combined destiny! 」

「Don’t come over! Stay right where you are, you creep! 」

Asakura Yoshikage’s eyes began to glitter with a crazy look as his hands were raised like he wanted to catch Nobuna, but the shivering Nobuna reflexively hid behind Yoshiharu. This was the first time for Nobuna, who had not truly known what fear was like, to fear a person to this extent. And the face Asakura Yoshikage made as he leered at Nobuna was definitely not normal either. His were not the eyes of a guy in love with a girl, but more like eyes that wanted to control; eyes filled with sinister ideas. Those eyes were full of a threatening darkness.

「Monkey, this guy is making me so uncomfortable! Why did he draw me like that even when we have never meet before? And saying he wants to make me into a specimen, though I don’t know what is going on, I’m so scared… so scared…! 」

「Calm down Nobuna, there are such guys no matter the era you’re living in. But there is no need to be scared of them. 」

Yoshiharu fiercely held Asakura Yoshikage’s gaze as he held Nobuna close to himself, giving her strength.

「You must be the famous Monkey! Boring, so boring! There are things like that happening frequently in the real world. I thought I had found the perfect beauty to be by my side, but there are always worms like you who are just quick to claim them for yourselves… While I was thinking about girls frivolously, monkeys like you were destroying all the fair maidens, which is unforgivable! 」
Asakura Yoshikage shouted, his voice filled with genuine hatred.

「Sagara Yoshiharu, I hereby swear to kill you on the battlefield without fail! A miracle of art like Oda Nobuna will never be tainted by a worm like you! No matter what price I must pay for it, I must definitely bring her and imprison her back in my residence and help her change her clothes. To cultivate her into a Wakamurasaki that belongs only to me, only Oda Nobuna can be the girl who is going to be my ideal mother! 」

「Monkey, this guy is crazy! Hug me tightly… I’m so scared…. 」

Nobuna hugged Yoshiharu even tighter in fear, and the scene only served to fan Asakura Yoshikage’s rage.

「Let’s meet again on the battlefield, Oda Nobuna! It’s regrettable, but this is not the Heian era. Though I do not want to enter dirty battles… just you wait for me. To be able to imprison you back at Ichijodani and cherish you fully, I will definitely destroy the Oda clan’s army and kill this shameless Monkey to claim your love for myself! 」

Crazy didn’t even begin to cut it, this guy was mad beyond the boundaries of reason.

It was not just unreasonable; he seemed to be raping her with his eyes, his gaze being enough to make any person shiver with fright.

He was simply too disgusting.

「….Monkey… he is too scary… To be caught by such a guy and imprisoned… I would rather kill myself than endure such fate… 」

「Don’t be afraid Nobuna. If we end up battling with Asakura Yoshikage, you will definitely win! 」

Yoshiharu assured Nobuna, hugging her even tighter. A tear-stricken Nobuna raised her head as she faced Yoshiharu.

「Really? Is this your future knowledge? Didn’t we have an agreement that you won’t tell me anything about it anymore? Do you want your head to be chopped off from your neck that badly? 」

「No, it’s not my future knowledge. That maniac who is engrossed with his own world will never be the opponent suitable to challenge the Oda clan. We could never lose to such a maniac, you understand? 」

「Yes, I… I guess you’re right. 」

Nobuna finally smiled, but Yoshiharu still kept his guard up, thinking that though Asakura Yoshikage is a pervert, he may be an unexpectedly strong enemy.

Postponing the battle with Asakura and Yoshikage, Nobuna had finally gone through her biggest crisis.

The Miyoshi and Rokoku clans knew that they couldn’t stand up against the Oda clan and once again backed down.

After that though, Takenaka Hanbei did trip and fall onto the 「Holy Flame」 when she ran into the main hall, causing the whole hall to go up in flames. Zenki, who was summoned again to handle the situation summoned a big rain, as a result of which the 「Holy Flame」 that had not been extinguished for 800 years was put out completely. But Gosei, having already enslaved himself to Frois did not mind it at all. Only the monks of Mount Hiei were crying in anguish.

With this, Nobuna herself could finally return to Kyoto. The wound on her abdomen was no longer hurting that much.

「It’s…It’s about time to give Monkey his reward, I guess….. 」

「Hmmm? What’s wrong, Nobuna? Why is your face so red? 」

Yoshiharu asked her innocently.
Nobuna then started stuttering:

「N-Nothing, i-it’s nothing! Now, hurry up and go back to Nene’s side. That child has been cleansing herself with cold water to pray for your safety the entire time. 」

「Ohh, that’s right! I should go back to her soon! 」

Yoshiharu answered.

「I’ve been with the army this whole time since I came back from Kanegasaki! If I don’t return to calm Nene down soon, things will be bad! 」

(Wait, Monkey! it’s true that many things have happened, but don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about the promise of a kiss with me?!)

Thinking this, Nobuna suddenly became unhappy.

After Yoshiharu shouted, 「Wait for me, Nene! 」 and ran off, Niwa Nagahide walked to Nobuna’s side with a smile.

「….Hmm, the night when we go back to Kyoto, ask Yoshiharu-dono to come to your room, and then give him his reward properly. 」

「Is that really okay? Aren’t you guys against me being together with Monkey? 」

「No, Nagahide will not make such a dumb mistake a second time. From now on, I will fully support the love between you and Yoshiharu-dono, Nobuna-sama. 」

「Support…. Manchiyo, are you not perhaps misunderstanding something here? I…I…I… am just going to g-give M-M-Monkey a reward as his M-M-M-Master… T…Th…Th…This is just purely a duty… A duty… that I need to uphold to keep a proper master-servant relationship with him! 」

Nagahide grasped Nobuna’s hands as she began to panic and babble things like usual, revealing a smile that indicated that whatever Nobuna would decide to do, she would accept it.

「….Nobuna-sama, there is no need for you to worry so much anymore. Just be the conqueror of the world like you always wanted to be. This path is a hard path to walk down on, so even if you are going to be a little willful, you must grab your own happiness with your own hands. I will support you silently from behind until you make sure that you have fulfilled all of your wishes. 」

Nobuna then replied with:

「Well… Since you said so…. 」

But truth to be told, she still wasn’t one hundred percent sure about it, but she knew that if she continued to look at Nagahide’s gentle smile, she might really cry out.

(But now isn’t the time to act tough… Though I’m sorry for Manchiyo… once we return to Kyoto, I must give Monkey his reward, using my first kiss.)

Though it was only a little, Nobuna was finally able to be honest with herself.

* * *

「Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama! Onii-sama~! Nene is so glad to finally, finally be able to see you back home safely! 」

Kyoto, Myoukaku-dera.

Back at the temple where Yoshiharu had temporarily stayed, Yoshiharu revealed a troubled smile as Nene hugged him tightly.

(So noisy and irritating. Wetting her bed during the night, coming over to disturb me when I am about to be flirting with girls, and being better than her brother in math… honestly, she is such a dislikeable sister… but, as expected… this brat Nene is just too cute! Those big eyes swollen from crying and that small nose still trembling with snot… Ahhh, damn! Damn it, even I can’t hold back the tears!)

He felt that he who was trapped in the Sengoku era finally had a real family here.