Takeda - A Shogun 2 AAR (Completed)

[Ravenclaw2099]

Wow, love where things have gone with Takanaga, no matter how many times he gets broken down he seems to find a way to get back up. Though I have a feeling his luck will soon run out (maybe?)hopefully in the form of his father laying out some discipline Samurai-style!

[Grimecraft]

The old man is to weak and frail. His chances of survival are slim, and I fear for the daimyo as well

[Berylum]

I have a feeling takanaga is gonna raise an army and rebel. Either that or he's gonna do something to make nobushige look bad or something

Great work btw keep it up

Great work man.
May I ask why the miso suddenly became so hostile to you? In the other diplomacy screens it said they were friendly.

I meant kiso

My comments from before were spoilers

[LegolasGreenleaf]

Forgive me for not commenting more, sensei.

Got me captivated with this AAR.
Can't wait for MOAR.

[Radzeer]

Excellent update, I really like how you turn and twist Takanaga around... not to mention the female characters... (and let's just leave it there)

[AnonymousAAR]

Ever since I got the game a month ago I always wanted to make a story about my campaigns and was curious if any site was doing this, and so one day I searched it up on Google and found your AAR and you got me hooked! Can't wait till I do an AAR of my own. I'm currently thinking of ideas to put into my AAR.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Wow, love where things have gone with Takanaga, no matter how many times he gets broken down he seems to find a way to get back up. Though I have a feeling his luck will soon run out (maybe?)hopefully in the form of his father laying out some discipline Samurai-style!

Glad you've liked how he's gone. I'll say more about him when it's all said and done but suffice to say he's surprised me in his popularity - with me as much as you guys. Hopefully the story I've got planned for him will live up to your expectations

The old man is to weak and frail. His chances of survival are slim, and I fear for the daimyo as well

The Takeda fear no one

My comments from before were spoilers

Indeed

Forgive me for not commenting more, sensei.

Got me captivated with this AAR.
Can't wait for MOAR.

Thank you

MOAR there shall be..I've only got non-work days to write now hence the slowing down in updates, but I've got a long weekend now so hopefully should have the next chapter ready soon

Excellent update, I really like how you turn and twist Takanaga around... not to mention the female characters... (and let's just leave it there)

Thank you ..and thank you for being one of the few owning up to being captivated by the female character

Ever since I got the game a month ago I always wanted to make a story about my campaigns and was curious if any site was doing this, and so one day I searched it up on Google and found your AAR and you got me hooked! Can't wait till I do an AAR of my own. I'm currently thinking of ideas to put into my AAR.

Thanks for your comment and good luck with your own AAR!

[Robin de Bodemloze]

XLVII: A father’s love

1562 – Autumn

Takanaga woke to the sight of wooden beams above his bed. The events of the past two weeks or so had gone by in a dizzying flash, and he, once of the Takeda, was now commander of the Kiso cavalry. The thought of commanding men of his own excited Takanaga. It had been his dream since childhood after all – but the concept of facing the Takeda remained a daunting proposition. Preparation of the Kiso army had gone adequately, and its numbers had swelled considerably in a relatively short time. The Kiso would inevitably be outnumbered by the Takeda forces should the latter commit their true might, but Takanaga felt sure that superior tactics and raw bravery would win the day for the Kiso. He had proposed an expedition into the Takeda heartlands in the areas around Matsumoto castle, but Kiso Yoshiyasu had rejected the plan, citing the danger of leaving Iida castle unprotected. Disappointment at Yoshiyasu’s decision was inevitable, but he could do little more than nod in acceptance. After all most men had more to lose than he did, Takanaga reasoned ruefully.

He had thought of home all but once, feeling an urge to write home to his father, but Akiko had insisted against it. It would be a show of disloyalty towards his new master, she had said. For her part Akiko had been everything he dared wish of her – and plenty that he hadn’t. As mistress to the Kiso daimyo her daily schedule was typically well filled, but what free time she did had was typically spent with him. The pair would steal touches and kisses out of sight, a fact that delighted Takanaga but equally frustrated him. Still coming to terms with the fact that a simple friend childhood had turned into the sensual goddess him now knew, Takanaga was bewildered by her apparent reluctance to talk about how she had come be part of the Kiso house. He dared not push excessively though, deciding that whatever reason she had for her reluctance was to be respected. He’d spent his entire life training as a man of the sword, and never knew much female affection, but he was determined not to drive away his newfound sweetheart with meaningless questions.

Turning over to face the window Takanaga could see the pale rays of morning light as they cast soft silhouettes against the walls. He would rise quickly and head down to the stables, he decided. The south of Shinano was a natural breeding ground for a rare kind of horse that was especially well acquainted to cavalry warfare, and the local merchants had promised a new stock of them.

“Takanaga-kun!”

He bounced up instantly at Akiko’s sing-song voice, only to scrambling to cover himself after realising he was barely dressed. The girl was dressed in a fiery red kimono that flourished over her generous figure, and a veil of light powder made her mesmerising features all the more alluring. As she pulled him towards her Takanaga took in her scent greedily. The stables can wait, he decided…

* * *

“Takanaga-sama! Come urgently! All is not well!”

Takanaga woke from a deep slumber to find himself lying face down on his bed. Akiko was gone, leaving only her flowery scent in the sheets that lay in small piles around him. As he reached for the nearest garment of his one of the castle guards charged into his quarters indignantly, ignoring all convention or courtesy as he delivered the news. Seeing the anger on Takanaga’s face the guard apologised hurriedly before delivering his message.

“The Takeda are upon us! Their banners were spotted by our watchmen and will reach the castle by midday! Yoshiyasu-sama has already raised the alarm, and the army is congregating. You presence is required in the courtyard, Takanaga-sama!”

Takanaga found himself waking sharply, all of his senses coming to him in an instant. Dressing hurriedly he followed the messenger through the winding staircases of the castle tenshu. The army were already massed in the castle courtyard, and had been brought to attention by their daimyo. As he took his place next to Yoshiyasu, Takanaga peered over the castle walls, hoping to catch a glimpse of the enemy at hand. As he counted the number of Takeda tents and banners that now stood amid the sparse forest beneath the castle, Takanaga found his throat dry as bone as he swallowed. Judging by what lay before him the Takeda army was at least fifteen hundred men – perhaps more. Standing tallest amongst all the banners was one that shook Takanaga above all. He could barely make out the gold characters on the black banner, but there was little question what they were. He had first seen it as a toddler, and it had accompanied him throughout the early campaigns.

“Swift as the wind, orderly as the forest, furious as fire, still as a mountain.”

Shingen!

Finding his heartbeat considerably faster than ordinary, Takanaga chastised himself for his lack of composure. Takeda Shingen had acquired near-legendary status as the conqueror of much land and many old clans, but truth in his eyes was that the clans vanquished by the Takeda – the Hojo, the Imagawa, the Hatano, among others – were each in their own way at a weakened state after decades of near continuous war, meaning the Takeda were never truly tested to the extent purveyed by the stories of the day. The campaigns against the Ikko Ikki he recalled as difficult, but in truth the zeal of the Ikko soldiers was undone by the lack of true organisational talent amongst their leadership. In a siege battle there would be little role for the famed Takeda cavalry, and the tall walls would give the Kiso a decisive advantage, Takanaga hoped. Once the battle was over and the Takeda threat was lessened he would begin making plans for marching towards Matsumoto. The lands there were rich and would serve his new clan well. Perhaps he would even venture towards Kai once that was over, he mused quietly.

It was noon by the time the Takeda had finished lining up their men, choosing to arrange most of the infantry in a long snake-like formation that spanned the western side of the castle. As the mass of dark red drifted slowly about, Takanaga turned to look at Kiso Yoshiyasu. The older man caught his glance and nodded back solemnly, emanating a steely determination that Takanaga felt reassuring, if not inspiring. As he watched what had once been his brethren he suddenly thought of Akiko. He hadn’t seen her since their morning sojourn, and he wondered where in the tenshu she would keep herself safe as battle raged around them. Before long however the image of the girl’s luxurious figure entered his mind again, and he was forced to shake his head free of his rapidly evolving thoughts. There would be plenty of time for that later, he told himself.

* * *

Yamadera Nobuaki sat silently in his saddle as men lined up all around him. Riding as part of Shingen-sama’s retinue was a honour he scarcely deserved, but he was determine to savour this last opportunity to live the life of a warrior. Takanaga’s actions had shamed him – and worse, the Yamadera name – greatly, and as both his father and the head of his clan Nobuaki was determined that his grave oversight would be righted this day – one way or another. Feeling the gentle wind brush against his face the old samurai looked across the Takeda rank and file. The man mountain that was Baba Nobufusa stood out as ever, but he had watched others still evolve into great leaders too. Yamamoto Kansuke was one such man he thought – the tactician had evolved into a key pillar of the Takeda war machine despite his physical limitations. The clan would be in good hands after today, Nobuaki decided as he touched the end of his wazikashi lovingly - the blade had been given to him as a young man by the old daimyo Nobutora, and it had never left his side since. He would instil sense into his insolent son one way or another. The others knew nothing of what he had planned, and perhaps that was for the better…

Nobuaki caught sight of Shingen-sama raising a hand in disagreement as his horse carried his old, frail body forward, and bowed slightly in gratitude for his lord’s acquiescence. The past weeks since Takanaga’s imprisonment at Osaka had been a torturous cycle of writing letters to Osaka and pleading for clemency before Shingen-sama, followed by desperation and shame at the news of his son’s defection to the newly-hostile Kiso. Now though as the walls of Iida castle loomed ever larger before him old Nobuaki felt a calming sense of liberation come about him. He would meet Takanaga in person again after so long – they would talk and he would come home. A lifetime of servitude and excellence leading the Takeda cavalry was worth at least the boy’s life, he thought – hoped. Approaching the western gate of the castle Nobuaki’s thoughts were broken by a solitary arrow as it planted itself at the feet of his horse, causing a well of anger to sprout within the old samurai.

“Takanaga! You dare not only to bring terrible shame upon your clan, but also to open fire upon your own father? Have I taught you nothing all these years?”

Takanaga felt a pang of shock flash through him as the voice of his father echoed through the air. The last letter from his father betrayed his ill health, and the fits of coughing that punctuated his words merely served to confirm his worries. It made no sense for the old man to be here, let alone ride towards the castle in an apparently suicidal act of passion. Sprinting towards the gatehouse Takanaga yelled orders at the archers to hold fire, and climbing the steps to the gate he felt tears swell up seeing the fragile form of his father. He was even more fragile looking than Takanaga had remembered.

“My son! All of my life I have lived my life as honourably as I could, serving the Takeda to the best of my ability and with unerring loyalty. I raised you according to the laws of our clan – to be a honourable, brave man, yet you have disregarded the devotion us Yamadera have to the Takeda, and shamed me personally as your father.”

The thought of leaving the castle to be at his father’s side entered Takanaga’s mind, but his legs would not carry him, and he merely watched the old man dismount from his horse with blade in hand before continuing in a broken, desperate voice.

“Takanaga! It is not too late! You have yet a chance to reject the evil you now represent and repent before the clan you truly belong. Your home is with the Takeda, not the snakes you consort with now. Return, and all shall be forgiven…”

Takanaga remained rooted to the spot. He was one of the Takeda once, and wanted desperately to excel in their ranks, but that was the past now. He had sworn himself to the Kiso, and they were his family now. Steeling himself Takanaga decided he would uphold his vows of loyalty, remembering Akiko’s words as he did so.

You will do well with an army at your back, Takanaga-kun, I’m sure of it. It is the right thing to do. Will you do it for me?

For a minute the world seemed to stand still, with father and son both looking at each other with unflinching eyes. Then, unadulterated horror filled Takanaga’s every crevice as his father unbuckled the armour which protected his torso, allowing it to fall to the ground with a dull thud. As Nobuaki’s blade entered his abdomen sprays of crimson painted his white garments a sickening dark red, while the determination on his face had been replaced by a contorted expression of agony. The characteristic horizontal tug followed quickly, and was accompanied by thick globules of blood, bile and innards as they oozed from the old man’s rapidly expiring body. Even as he felt his strength draining from himself Nobuaki raised a hand weakly, signalling in vain to his son in the hope that his words would carry more weight upon his death than in life, and that the prodigal son would return to his rightful place. As the air drained from his lungs Nobuaki felt a great sadness wash over his being, and forced his final words with his fading breath.

“Shingen-sama, I have failed you…”

Shingen had been surprised by Nobuaki’s solo advance, but relented seeing the latter’s stubborn determination. He hoped the old patriarch would be able to speak sense into his wayward son. Anger and lament in equal parts entered him therefore as he witnessed the events unfolding before him. Capturing Iida castle was a strategic imperative that would solidify the centre of the Takeda domains, but the desire to avenge Nobuaki burned just as strongly within him. He had promised the old man not to harm his son, but allowing Takanaga to live now seemed equally unpalatable. As the Takeda daimyo gave the order for Nobufusa to lead the advance he glanced once more at the pool of blood that surrounded the corpse before him. Before long Nobuaki would be but one among many fallen on the slopes of Iida castle, but he felt sure he would avenge this particular death personally…

[Boustrophedon]

Ready? Set! GOOOOO!

*starts reading furiously*

This will require my full attention span. I was informed there is a new female character, you see

[♔The Black Knight♔]

So this is it...

Make takanaga make the right decision. Fate is at hand!

[Grimecraft]

I knew he would not return, but honestly i expected a fight between father and son and the father dying. I was pleasantly surprised. This worked much better.

[Berylum]

Well, an interesting turn of events. And I see you have included a something special
Keep it up I can't wait till the battle. And I wonder what's gonna happen to Akiko after the battle, maybe takanaga survives and they run away and live somewhere else?

[Radzeer]

Ahh, no commercials in the middle of the battle!!!
Well written, my friend, I agree with Grimecraft, it worked better this way.
Now maybe we don't need to wait much.. (says the guy who just came back from vacation...)

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

...and so it begins...

A great update. And too liked that you avoided the 'Luke I am your father' sort of encounter.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Ready? Set! GOOOOO!

*starts reading furiously*

This will require my full attention span. I was informed there is a new female character, you see

well don't let it be said that I don't cater to my readers

So this is it...

Make takanaga make the right decision. Fate is at hand!

The decision may not be his to make..

I knew he would not return, but honestly i expected a fight between father and son and the father dying. I was pleasantly surprised. This worked much better.

Aye I thought about that. Too cheesy. Glad you like the path I chose

Well, an interesting turn of events. And I see you have included a something special
Keep it up I can't wait till the battle. And I wonder what's gonna happen to Akiko after the battle, maybe takanaga survives and they run away and live somewhere else?

Maybe. Or maybe I will write something so that your comment doesn't become a spoiler again

Ahh, no commercials in the middle of the battle!!!
Well written, my friend, I agree with Grimecraft, it worked better this way.
Now maybe we don't need to wait much.. (says the guy who just came back from vacation...)

Well I've been waiting plenty for you to update your AAR, so...

...and so it begins...

A great update. And too liked that you avoided the 'Luke I am your father' sort of encounter.

Heh heh. I will do a tribute thing at some point, not Star Wars though

[Rex Anglorvm]

Just played catch up over the last 3 chapters - great writing and a touch of the dramatic as always.

Let battle commence

Rep+

[The Norseman]

Wow, thats a lot of chapters you have got now! Can we get a campaign map update ? It would be interesting to see how the empire has grown!

[Heiro de Bodemloze]

Akiko does make you show off a new part of your writing skills. And I like it . As always I admire your great vocabulary and description, as well as the apt dialogue.

I should begin re-reading, to pick up more from you .

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Wow, thats a lot of chapters you have got now! Can we get a campaign map update ? It would be interesting to see how the empire has grown!

I put up campaign maps whenever the game itself moves forward. The reason why I haven't done that in a while is...the campaign game hasn't moved forward at all. I made all this up

The next chapter will have a map though

Just played catch up over the last 3 chapters - great writing and a touch of the dramatic as always.

Let battle commence

Rep+

Thanks for the comment and rep hopefully all the build up with Takanaga will be worth it in the end. All will be revealed soon

Akiko does make you show off a new part of your writing skills. And I like it . As always I admire your great vocabulary and description, as well as the apt dialogue.

I should begin re-reading, to pick up more from you .

I'm beginning to notice a trend. Female characters don't usually make appearances in AARs but when they do...

Re-reading might take you a while - I don't even try to do that these days

* * *

Next chapter up shortly

[Robin de Bodemloze]

XLVIII: Homeward

1562 – Autumn

Takanaga stood in silence as the sea of red edged ever closer to the castle walls. His eyes were unfocused and obscured by moisture, and his mind flickered between jumbled, nonsensical thoughts. Wrenching his eyes away from the puddle of dark red upon the hillside Takanaga felt his eyes blur as he looked at nowhere in particular, scarcely believing what he had just witnessed. The sound of the approaching enemy grew louder with each second, yet all he could do was stand numbly, barely seeing the men who stood about him awaiting his command. Even as the horns signalling the Takeda assault tore through the midday air he remained motionless, feeling a sickening hollowness within him. Mere moments prior Takanaga had basked in the newfound glory of command, but now his very existence seemed to be devoid of purpose or reason, and he wanted little part of the battle ahead. Takanaga wished that all around him was merely a terrible apparition that would disappear, and that he would find himself back at the family estate upon his waking. His father would be by the riverside at the edge of the Yamadera domain, he told himself, waiting to greet him as he had done so many times in the past…

Only the volley of fiery meteors crashing into the ground before him brought Takanaga back to his senses. Falling from a great height the men they impaled died painful, sizzling deaths. The noxious fumes caused by the projectiles hung above the ground like a suffocating fog, the caustic mix of tar and burning bodies causing his eyes to water and the air inside his throat to thicken. He had witnessed the use of fire arrows numerous times as of the Takeda, but being on the receiving end of the deadly cascade caused him to wake completely from his stupor. Those who survived the deadly shower scattered in all directions attempting to avoid further strikes from the deadly missiles, and the sound of coughing and choking could be heard in all directions. The first of the enemy infantry had begun to appear over the walls now, and seeing them Takanaga felt his thirst for vengeance returning. The Takeda had robbed him of his honour, his dignity, and this day they had caused the death of the one person whom he could still call family. Feeling the hilt of his sword he gripped the leather harder and harder until the coarse surface grated against his skin and blood barely flowed through his fingers. They would pay for their mistreatment of him, Takanaga swore silently. Kicking back with his feet, he felt his horse rear a little on its rear legs before hurtling forward towards the castle walls at the head of the charge. Swinging his arm in sweeping arcs a wave of adrenaline coursed through his veins as his katana slashed through the neck of the nearest enemy samurai. It had been too long since he last experienced the thrill of battle, and he would make sure he’d indulge plenty in the coming slaughter. These men were his friends and family once – no more.

It look little time before blade, man and horse were covered in a viscous layer of sweat, mud and dried and drying blood. A section of the western wall had been set aflame by the fire arrows, and presently the lacquered wood burned quickly sending voluminous plumes of black smoke in all directions. The initial trickle of Takeda infantry in the north-western corner turned quickly into a steady flood of men along the entire western wall of the castle, and wherever Takanaga looked the black diamonds – once such a welcoming and reassuring symbol – surrounded him. The sounds of clashing metal and the battle cries of men filled the castle courtyard, and the waves of red, white and green slowly merged into a confused muddle of bodies. Blood ran in rivers on the courtyard floor, making it muddy and difficult to navigate, but even as men fell in scores yet more stood forth to continue the struggle.

Takanaga slowly lost count of the number of men he had killed, and had sustained injuries himself to his legs, but still launched himself repeatedly at the enemy. Hacking and slashing almost instinctively he cut through his foe again and again. The looks of despair and hopelessness in the eyes of his victims mirrored Takanaga’s own feelings during his brief imprisonment at Osaka castle, and stoked the fire fuelling the strokes of his sword. The rest of the Kiso army had grown thin under the relentless attack from the waves of Takeda samurai, but Takanaga nonetheless forged ahead in search of the vengeance he desperately craved. A crowd of enemy soldiers had gathered around him, determined to unseat the frenzied warrior from his horse, but Takanaga fought on with a wild abandon that surprised even himself. Kiso Yoshiyasu – or any of the other generals for that matter – was nowhere to be seen amidst the melee, but he cared little. This would be his battle, and their absence would only serve to magnify his glory.

Takanaga was alarmed by the sudden roar among the men, but nothing could prepare him for what awaited him as he turned. Narrowly avoiding an enemy yari, he looked on in bewilderment at the sight of the castle tenshu. His vision was obscured by the thick smog that lingered over the courtyard, but the flames licking at the frames of the tenshu windows were unmistakable. Dodging further strikes from the Takeda samurai most near him Takanaga turned and steered his horse towards the gate to the upper kuruwa. Without men to tend to the fire – no matter what caused it – it would only be a short time before the wooden structure was engulfed by the inferno.

Akiko!

Nearing the gate to the tenshu Takanaga leapt from his horse, barely managing to stay upright as he sprinted towards the main entrance to the towering structure. Flames could be seen engulfing the top floor now, and wisps of smoke could already be seen drifting down from the staircase. He searched in vain for the girl, speeding through room after room in search of the girl, pushing aside any of the servants and women folk who had obstructed his way. As he made his way up the stairs Takanaga caught sight of the battle that was still raging outside. The Kiso army had thinned considerably, with most retreated to the upper kuruwa. Takanga’s mind was far away from that however. He thirsted for glory, but as he searched through room after room he realised just how little victory in battle would mean should Akiko be lost to the flames. He would find her and should the castle be lost they would escape from Shinano, perhaps to forge a new life together…

The sound of shouting from the top floor stopped Takanaga in his tracks. Scrambling up to the top tier of the tenshu he stretched out an arm to shield himself from the heat that swept over him from all directions. The fire had spread quickly and had begun to eat away at the wooden beams close to the staircase, emitting showers of molten sparks as the wood disintegrated slowly under the heat. The smoke was thicker here too – the fine paint once adorning the pillars now contributed to the ferocity of the inferno. Stretching the fabric of his undershirt over his nose Takanaga struggled on towards the war room. A mix of relief and delight filled him as Akiko’s face came into view, but as he opened his mouth to call out her name the silhouette of another man stopped him short, and he decided to stop just outside of the war room entrance.

Yoshiyasu? What is he doing here?

“She-fox! Your vain schemes have led to the ruin for the house of Kiso!” Yoshiyasu bellowed, his voice clearly audible even above the crackle of the burning timbers, “Do you now see how foolish you were?!”

“My vain schemes? Was it not you who so proudly proclaimed you’d conquer all as the shogun's vanguard? Was it not you who had me seduce the Takeda dog so that he would assist you? You speak of yourself as a warrior, but did it not take only a few burnt scrolls for you to turn your back on your men?”

“You said the Takeda would be distracted by the events in the Kansai,” the Kiso daimyo retaliated, “your words have achieved nothing but our destruction!”

“On the contrary, my sole desire was to avenge my family by watching the treacherous Kiso fall and Iida castle burn. Sixteen years ago the Anegakoji clan fell after being betrayed by one they considered a trusted friend. You sent your men to pillage our land even as the Takeda advanced on our last castle. Had you honoured your word and sent help to relieve Takayama-jo my parents and brothers would still be alive!”

Takanaga moved not a muscle. Akiko’s – or whatever her name really was – voice reeked of an icy venom that didn’t seem possible in one of such a sweet disposition. In an instant it seemed as if everything he believed to be true was suddenly turned on its head, and that he had simply been an unwitting participant in a darkness he couldn’t begin to understand.

“NO!!”

Leaping out from behind the door frame, Takanaga yelled out instinctively as Yoshiyasu’s hand reached for his katana. Surprised at the sudden intrusion the Kiso daimyo turned to look at him, but in a frantic, confused instant that seemed to play out in slow motion, Takanaga’s face turned from despair to horror as Akiko produced a blade out of nowhere, plunging it deep into the side of Yoshiyasu’s neck. The girl uttered a scream of desperate, hateful sorrow as she twisted and turned the blooded blade, and blood fountained from the wound in thick sprays. Yoshiyasu thrashed about for a moment, but the terrible deed was done. The girl was breathing heavily by the time Yoshiyasu’s expired body fell limp against the wooden floor, and tears streamed down her cheeks like broken pearls, glistening against the fire that burned all around them. As the girl sobbed softly Takanaga approached slowly, himself shaken by the sudden turn of events.

“So that was the truth then…”

Takanaga finally broke the silence between the two after what had seemed an eternity. Still in disbelief at what he had just witnessed, his question came in a low, melancholy voice that was barely heard above the noise of the fire.

The girl merely chuckled.

“You were always a tool, Takanaga, albeit an effective one,” she began, “I could not hope to kill Yoshiyasu alone, so the boost to his confidence caused by your arrival was most fortunate. I was sold to the old dog at the age of nine, and waited all these years for this moment.”

“Akiko-“

“I know nothing of this Akiko you speak of, but your feelings were convenient and so I played along. You are a fool to keep calling me that, and wherever she may be your Akiko should be ashamed of your idiocy,” the girl sighed before continuing, “For the ways you inadvertently helped me I must thank you, but I suspect my gratitude is no longer welcome. In any case my work here is done now, and there is nothing left for me in this world. Farewell now, I’m sorry it had to be this way…”

Takanaga reached out to stop her, but his hands caught nothing but the last threads of her kimono as the girl threw herself from the window. Her limp body fluttered in the wind momentarily as it fell, and landed with a chilling thud upon the stone paving the courtyard floor. The blood spreading from her slight figure mirrored the death of his father mere hours ago, and brought sickening memories back into the fore of his consciousness. As he looked on in agony Takanaga buried his head in his hands. The flames in the tenshu had engulfed the war room almost entirely now, and large splinters of wood fell from the ceiling with increasing regularity, but Takanaga held no more intention of removing himself. The girl’s haunting last words played on repeatedly in his head, and merely served to highlight the hopelessness of his predicament. There had been nothing left for the girl in this world, but at least she had achieved her goal of vengeance. He on the other hand had achieved nothing but shame and ridicule for himself, and the one person he thought truly cared for him resolved to be nothing more than a mirage. He wished he knew the girl’s real name, but that was unimportant now. As the flames and smoke engulfed everything around him Takanaga felt not pain but a surreal sense of calm. He would be home soon, he thought, and his father would be waiting for him, just like the old times…

Campaign screens

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Map

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Diplomacy

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Arts

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: