The Devils Of Azuchi

Chapter 8

Izanami threw Amaterasu on the floor a ways away from the Izana manor. Wincing she lifted herself up quickly. "Why do you follow me?" she asked fully knowing the answer. "Why? Because I want to watch you suffer" her voice was croaked. Her once smooth gentle voice was long gone. It was rough and it sounded painful. Izanami stayed quiet as Amaterasu grabbed a dagger and lunged forward.

Closing her eyes she waited patiently for the blade to slice into her skin, but the only thing that came was a loud bang. Opening her eyes she saw the dagger fly out of Amaterasu's hand by a bright spark. Nobunaga stood with his gun pointed at her a look more furious than he had ever shown in his life.

Amaterasu looked over and in one swift motion grabbed Izanami's sword that had been strapped to her waist band. "Drop the gun!" she yelled holding the blade close her Izanami's neck. Nobunaga tightened his grip on the gun his finger ready to fire. "Do what she says.." Izanami looked away from him her eyes settling on the dirt.

Lowering his weapon Nobunaga placed it away from him. "Let my wife go" he yelled out his whole body tense, calm yet frightened. "Your wife?" she laughed lowly staring at him as if he were the greatest fool. "How about it Izanami? Why don't you tell him who I am?" drawing blood from her skin she forced her head upwards. Refusing to speak she looked towards the sky her neck being slowly cut.

"Fine if you won't then I will" Amaterasu went to pull down her mask and in that split second Izanami twisted her arm the sword dropping out of it. "Gah!" She gagged as Izanami kicked her stomach sending her body flying. Grabbing her sword she started towards Amaterasu. "Are you that afraid?" she asked her dirt covered clothes had gotten a bit ripped.

Holding the blade up with intent to strike Izanami stared down at her twin sister. "Do it" Amaterasu smiled as she saw the tremble in her hands. Nobunaga watched in astonishment, 'Why is she hesitating? Just exactly who is this woman?'

"I never wanted to hurt you" Izanami gritted her teeth. "You did a terrible job" grabbing her masks she pulled it down. Nobunaga let out a small gasp as he saw the face of his beloved, only it was scarred in various places. "Amaterasu" Izanami's mouth quivered as she looked at her sisters burnt skin. "If you wish to take my life then so be it" lowering her shaking arms she dropped the sword at her feet.

Amaterasu hesitated looking over at Nobunaga who simply stared. His whole body and mind telling him to run to her yet every nerve and muscle refused to comply. "Wait!" Turning to a frantic voice they saw Sakura riding towards them. "Please Lady Amaterasu! You don't know what happened that night" jumping off the horse his body threatened to collapse.

"Sakura" Izanami reaches out to catch him. "What happened?" she looked at his beaten body. "A wild horse should not be messed with," he let out a short laugh, "Please Lady Amaterasu listen to my story first" grabbing her gloved hands he begged. "I know what happened! That is why she must die!" pushing past him she grabbed Izanami by the throat. Amaterasu was weaker than Izanami but she didn't stop her. "Listen to the boy" hearing a clack she turned to see Nobunaga pointing the gun at her.

Gritting her teeth she let go of her sisters neck. "Speak" with none of the kindness she once held she glared at Sakura. Izanami looked over at Nobunaga who was listening to Sakura. Gripping the grass under her she looked away.
~

"Please" a small plea came from the woman. Her lips shaken as her wet clothes gripped her body. Izanami said nothing as she sliced off her head. Swatting her sword the blood splattered on the ground. "We didn't get here in time" Lien said carrying a small baby in his hands. It was wet and purple, barely even an hour old and it was returned to its maker.

"Our job wasn't to save the child" her eyes icy cold as she walked away. Lien frowned and wrapped the baby in a small bundle and laid it down on the futon. "Illegitimate children" he whispered with amusement as he looked over at the women's gushing body. Turning around he followed suit. "Izanami are you alright?" Lien tapped her shoulder as soon as they were a safe distance away.

Her body twitched as she was pulled from her thoughts. "Yes" her stoic face gave nothing away but it was obvious to him that something was bothering her. "What's wrong? You have been my closest cousin, I know you" he gave her a reassuring smile. "It's Ama" she looked down guilt replacing her blank face.

"Amaterasu? Is she ill? Don't tell me the Oda man refused to marry her!" Lien jumped from emotions and theories. "No that's not it. I fear I have betrayed her" stopping she let herself rest against a tree. "Betrayed her? That's impossible! There is no one in this world I've seen you show more love to" his reassurance had no affect.

"You don't understand Lien! I- I have fallen in love" grasping her black uniform she clenched her jaw. "Is that not great news? Amaterasu will be relived to hear that someone has finally been able to unfreeze that heart of yours" he laughed slightly. Shaking her head she looked to be holding back tears, "I feel in love with her fiancé" she gave out a cry.

Lien hugged her as she wept silently. After calming down she began to explain from the beginning. "Sakura and i were sent on a mission to kill a prince that was visiting a town near Azuchi. Everything went so smoothly..we were in and out without any trouble. When we got out however, I encountered Nobunaga Oda. I had no idea it was him..I had only ever heard stories I had never actually seen him" she shook her head.

"He was crouched down over a lake behind the manor. One of our rules was to leave no witnesses behind, so I went in for the kill. Quick and silent, that was always the plan, but when I got close enough I saw tears streaming down his eyes. A Yamanoi doesn't feel, doesn't think, they just kill. But seeing his face like that my whole body felt pained" Lien watched as her body tensed as it probably did that night.

"So I left him alone and stole one of the kimonos from the manor. Going back outside I approached him, he was naturally hesitant to talk to me but eventually he began to open up. We never asked for each other's names, we simply talked. I thought, if there was one person I'd want to protect it would be him." She smiled softly but it faltered.

"I met him a few more times after that. It never occurred to me to ask him who he was or even what he did. I was so caught up in the normalcy of it I couldn't open my eyes to the possibility. How he spoke, the way he carried himself, his cold eyes. Everything about him screamed warlord and yet I ignored it. I enjoyed his gentle gestures, he was demanding yes but he was humble. At some point he became my entire world, I wanted him to know that. I wanted him to think the same of me so I told him" her face was so full of pain Lien could only sit and listen.

"I was so happy as I was on my way to tell him, but as I found him browsing the market I heard the whispers of the villagers. They called him the devil incarnated. I wanted to yell at them when the name Nobunaga Oda slipped from their lips. I went into a short period of denial until I heard someone yell his name. A soldier was running towards him carrying a letter. A letter with our family crest, one that I had see father writing that morning. About finalizing the marriage details. My heart completely shattered at the thought of what I was about to do. I had almost stolen my sister's only chance of being free from the clutches of our family. So I ran away, and I haven't seen him in 2 weeks. I can't bring myself to see him" looking through blurry eyes she stared at the moon.

"Izanami he is going to find out! What do you think he will say when he sees Amaterasu? He will think it's you" grabbing her shoulders he forced her upright. "Maybe it's better this way, at least one of us will be happy-" her nose twitched as he looked in the direction they were heading. "Do you smell that?" her face became serious. "Smoke" Lien looked at Izanami with a hint of fear. They both raced towards the forest the smell getting stronger and a glow becoming a raging fire.