Record of Ragnarok: Ouroboros

Chapter 22: Devil's Luck

The twelve zodiacs conquer all.

[Japan - 1551]

On a stormy night, a matchlock musket and a katana lay amid the wreckage of a ruined field. In the katana's reflection, only two figures were presented in the scene. One lay sprawled on a massive chunk of broken stone, holding his wounds, while the other stood before him, grinning menacingly, revealing a set of sharp, shark-like teeth.

"I don't get it. You're about to be killed. So tell me. How come you're still smiling?" The standing man asked. While the man grinned ominously. Small black flames flickered in his eyes, hidden by the shadows of the stormy night sky.

[Valhalla Arena - Current Time]

Nobunaga, huffing for air as he was forced to kneel in front of Yu Huang due to his chest wound, coughing up blood as he attempted to stand up.

"Damn it! I can't even get up because my wound keeps opening up. You are a pain to deal with. But it doesn't matter because every time I fall, I'll rise again like a phoenix, as long as my soul remains intact! I need you to kneel back before me!" Nobunaga mused, his resolve unwavering. The black flames grew larger than before, now consuming his entire pupils, leaving only the scleras of his eyes visible.

Hideyoshi trembled in fear before the kneeling daimyo, his body shaking uncontrollably. "I knew it! I warned you not to brag about your strategies, and now look at what happened to you!"

Ieyasu stared at Hideyoshi in shock before returning to the daimyo. "This is the end of him...Our honor and pride as lords will be shattered by the gods." The shogun muttered.

As the rest of humanity and the two lords gazed at Nobunaga in hopelessness, only one individual remained unmoved. He just chuckled softly and tapped Hideyoshi and Ieyasu with a wooden stick, causing them to turn their attention to the man.

"You ignorant idiots! Why are you all giving up when it isn't even over? Our lord has not given up before you, subjects. And yet, you dare to be depressed in front of him? You do not deserve to be addressed as 'lords' or Nobunaga's subjects!" Truly pitiful!" The man with the sharp, shark-like teeth scolded.

"Hmm. You seem quite devoted to him, young man. Are you one of his subjects or something?" Kojiro asked.

The man with shark-like teeth responded with a confident hum. "Naturally. I am his most trusted general, after all."

[Akechi Mitsuhide - Japan]

"Unlike these two, I still hope for my lord. You have no idea what he's capable of once he reaches that state," Mitsuhide proclaimed, prompting Kojiro to raise an eyebrow in interest.

"What state?" Kojiro asked, but Mitsuhide remained silent in response.

The year 1547 marked the end of the Battle of Kanōguchi, which was part of the very long rivalry between Oda Nobuhide, the father of the later legendary unifier of Japan, Oda Nobunaga, and Saitō Dōsan. Nobuhide and the Oda clan ended in defeat, and two of his very close relatives were lost.

Following Nobuhide's defeat, Dōsan's name greatly spread throughout Japan and ruled over the Oda clan, turning them into slaves. However, there was only one man who could save his clan from the Saitō clan's rules. His name is...

[Japan - 1551]

Within a small remaining territory of the Oda clan, locals gathered in hushed clusters, exchanging murmurs as they nervously watched one of the Saitō clan's retainers smirking while he held a katana close to a young man's neck. "What the hell did you just say, Oda clan? It sounded to me like you were talking shit on us. Was it just my imagination?"