Oda's Legacy: Unifying a Splintered Nation

The rain fell hard, even harder than the battles of Oda Nobunaga's youth.

His first war was waged during a snowstorm, his second in the pouring rain.

He lay injured on the muddy grassy field, bleeding from a bullet wound in his arm.

The pursuers were closing in. His men had been dead or captured for hours, and he was left to face the enemy alone.

"I suppose this is how it should have ended." He said to himself as he began to crawl through the mud towards the only ally left him - a small shrub that offered barely any cover at all.

"At least I will die on my feet." He pushed himself to his knees and prepared to stand when a round of bullets whizzed past and cut down the shrub where he had intended to hide. "So be it."

Oda crawled on, dodging gunfire and soldiers until finally the enemy was within range.

He stood up, threw off his armor and gloves, and charged forward into the thick of them. The leader, an officer named Kajiki Tokugawa, drew his katana and fought back with ferocity unmatched by any other man there. The two dueled fiercely, sparks flying as steel met steel. The other soldiers stood back and watched their leaders struggle while they fired upon each other with rifles and pistols. Tokugawa attacked again and Oda ducked low under his blade and followed through with a swift kick that knocked Tokugawa's sword from his hand. Oda then dove onto Tokugawa's chest, pinning him against the ground. Oda looked around to see who else would challenge him but none did so he drew Tokugawa's own katana from its sheath at his hip and held it point-first over Tokugawa's head. Tokugawa closed his eyes and waited for Oda's blade to strike home but instead he heard only laughter coming from Oda as he sat up atop him. He opened one eye just in time to see Oda toss away Tokugawa's sword before standing up and walking away towards where his own sword lay upon the ground where he had dropped it during their fight. He picked it up and turned around just in time to see one of Tokugawa's soldiers take aim at him with a pistol - but before he could pull the trigger Oda hurled his own blade straight through the soldier's heart, killing him instantly before turning back to face Kajiki Tokugawa once more. Oda walked slowly towards him as he sheathed his sword again before reaching down to pick up Tokugawa's discarded katana as well, holding both swords by their scabbards as he approached Tokugawa who remained seated on the muddy ground looking defeated and broken. With a quick flick of each wrist Oda unsheathed each sword simultaneously before dropping them both inches from either side of Tokugawa's head - a warning that should he ever oppose him again then not even death would spare him from pain like this again*.* Then without another word or gesture Oda turned around and walked away leaving behind only corpses and wounded soldiers crying out for help as he left them there on that battlefield to die alone in the rain with not even their master there to care for them anymore.*.*