The Sengoku Festival (An Oda Nobuna No Yabou fanfic)

Chapter 38

The dawn slowly came up over the walls and as Nagahide and Katsuie slowly walked outside and looked at the walls to the Date city, one could imagine the shock and surprise when they saw the flags of both the Winged Ronin and the Bloody Handed standing tall and proud over the main gate and then they could hear the sound of combat underway, they immediately began to muster their forces to get over to the gate and support the likely bealugered Ronin forces.

Which to be utter blunt wasn't too far off given how I was once again fighting for my life as another wave of Date ashigaru and samurai came charging towards us. They had done this three times during the night, with each time breaking through a line of barricades but being beaten back with losses. But now, with the sun up and most of our archers arrows having been spent trying to keep the enemy at bay from attacking, it all was down to blades and spears and it was pretty obvious to me that unless the Oda army came rushing in right now, we were either going to die or be pushed out of the city with no progress and a lot of casualties.

"Bloody Handed!" Shouted someone and I turned quickly as I grabbed a Date ashigaru and rammed him into a spike barricade to kill him when I saw it was the Winged Ronin and he ran over as he said, "The Oda!! Their advancing towards us!!"

"Right! Everyone!! Hold the line and don't let them get past us to the gates!!" I shouted as I used my good arm and katana to block another attack from a Date samurai as I pushed them back to hit a group of ashigaru trying to charge up, having them all fall down as our forces began to regroup to hold the line.

"Noble!! Joey!! How are you all?" I shouted out as I and ten other Ashigaru met a charge of the Date.

"Holding!!" Shouted Joey as he and Noble were managing to keep behind the barriers they had set up as ashigaru tried to climb up either ladders or stairs but Noble and Joey and the main bulk of my remaining ashigaru all tried and did their best to keep the enemy off the walls.

But it was going to be close as I watched another barricade become both destroyed and overrun as more Date ashigaru came charging in and while I did my best to hold my ground against a foe who was determined to retake a good portion of their walls. And while I hacked and slashed away with my one arm as I simply kept my injured shoulder arm tucked close to my body and chest to minimize the motion I'd put it through.

And then we were suddenly pushed up to the last barricade, feet away from the gate as on the other side there was wounded and injured ashigaru on the other side of the wooden barriers. Holy frag this is going to be close. I thought as I slashed an ashigaru neck before ducking an Date samurai's blade as they tried to jump the barrier but got stopped by some of my men.

The Date were trying to take us down with sheer weight of defenders as they simply were tossing themselves over the barricades onto the bealugered Ronin forces and as I looked to be Winged Ronin as we both got pushed back to back near the door as our men were too busy defending their very lives to help us, I looked at him as I said, "Well... looks like this is it.. been nice knowing you.."

But just as another charge of the Date came rushing in, suddenly there was a huge roar behind me and the Winged Ronin and we both turned to see a horde of Oda ashigaru suddenly and finally come charging through and slammed into the surprised ranks of the Date, shattering their resolve and scattering them as Nagahide and Katsuie came charging in on horseback as Katsuie shouted, "Oda!! Break the enemy defenders and take the city!"

As more Oda rushed past, Nagahide got off her horse as some Oda ashigaru began to climb up the walls and rush down them to attack other area of the castle and as I simply slumped against the gates with the Winged Ronin, she walked over and put a shoulder on me as she asked us, "Gather you're ashigaru... we still need you in this fight."