!

| Lissa | 19 | INTJ | U.K. |

Disclaimer can be found at the bottom of this description.

Imagines Masterlist
Ask Box Status: Closed - don't send in story prompts or ideas at all, please.

·~·

LISSA.LINKS:

NEW BLOG: LittleDotMellifluous

Non-fandom writing | Free-Talk | Permanent Ask Me Anything
·~·
LittleDotSerendipitous
Primary | Replies
·~·
Archive of Our Own

Need me elsewhere?
Click or tap here for:

Other Tumblrs | Messaging Accounts | Social Media Contact Links | Blog Navigation (All in one helpful post!)

·~·

Donate: Fancy buying me a cup of tea to fight writer's block and get the words flowing?

Disclaimer:
All Characters Belong to Cybird Holdings. I claim no ownership of any content from Ikémen Sengoku. This
blog's content is purely recreational.
All original content of this blog belongs to me and all original works are owned by me. Do not repost, claim,
type up or discredit any of my works.

Coming soon... to be decided.

A Very, Very, Very Hot War | Ieyasu & Mitsunari

and Sasuke & Shingen VS Wrestling [Including
Bonus Kenshin & Yukimura Ending]

Because the Discord server is thirsty for

shirtless, almost-yaoi wrestling.
Imagines Masterlist
“Is everyone ready?”

There’s a series of agreements from around the field. The warlords of the Sengoku Period stand in pairs, facing
each other.

Shirtless, their bodies glisten in the sunlight with the sweat dripping from them, some breathless from prior
duels. Abdominal and back muscles contort, tightening and rippling with each breath that passes through their
strong lungs. Arms braced and ready at their sides, their biceps flex and loosen periodically, fingers curling into
fists.

Kennyo rolls his eyes.

“Then, begin.”

Shingen and Sasuke are moving before anyone.

They throw themselves forward.

Shingen lashes out, swinging a thick, strong arm and fist at Sasuke’s face. The latter ducks and swerves artfully,
dodging the hit. Then, he’s whirling around, raising his leg. Fists raised, he arcs his leg around, bringing it up
and straight for Shingen’s head. His eyes are empty. No one has ever seen him look so ruthless.

But Shingen only smirks. “Nice kick.”

His hand snaps up at the last minute. Inches from his face, he catches Sasuke’s ankle, fingers biting around it
with painful, unsettling force.

He jerks his arm back. Sasuke’s body is flung toward him, other foot swept out from under him. Shingen throws
his ankle down, watching the ninja slam into the floor, winded and shocked beyond belief. Wasting no time, he
drops down, knees sinking down onto the grass on either side of Sasuke’s hips.

Said brunette’s pupils expand slightly with panic, and he sends his palms up, aiming for Shingen’s chin and
throat. He’s unable to, however, as Shingen meets him halfway, proceeding to use his body weight to force his
hands against the grass. Sasuke grunts, wincing slightly with pain, before a heated glare radiates from him at
Shingen.

The warlord just laughs lowly. He moves his left calf so it’s locked over Sasuke’s right leg, then kneels on
Sasuke’s other leg, rendering him completely and utterly immobile beneath him. Another breathy chuckle
erupts from him. “You’re skilled, Sasuke, but a ninja can only do so much. When you’re faced with brute
strength, agility will get you nowhere.”

Ikémen Sengoku Imagines

" Search
Sasuke tries not to gasp in deathbyotome
pain, feeling Open
the aching in his thigh worsen. His already tight thigh muscles are in app
being
suppressed further by Shingen’s|weight
Lissadigging
May beintoWriting...
him, and he can see the sheer muscle mass of his
opponent’s own thigh through his trousers. His chest is heaving under the older warlord, but the latter’s own is
expanding and contracting swiftly, dripping with sweat and muscles pulled tight.

“But whenHome
you need to be undetected,
Pages + Tagsbrute
+ strength
Randomwill beSubmit
your downfall.”
something to me? Ask me anything. …

Shingen’s smile falters slightly, but there’s a glint of respect in his eyes. He hums quietly. “Indeed.” The smile
returns, but it’s genuine now. “Well, I think it’s safe to say I won, but your kick really was brilliant. Well done.”

He lets go of Sasuke’s wrists, to which the ninja sighs, feeling his biceps cry out in relief at not being stretched
anymore. Neither move from their positions. “Good game, Sasuke.”

A respectful nod from Sasuke. “And you, Lord Shingen.”

Said Takeda stands now, reaching a hand down to his opponent. Sasuke accepts it, letting Shingen pull him to
his feet, before he throws his arm over his shoulder. He tucks Sasuke there, both of them smouldering with heat
and damp with perspiration. “Come. Let’s go watch Yuki be destroyed, decapitated and buried by Kenshin.”

Sasuke nudges his glasses up, paling just a little. “Yes, we should.”

Across from them, another battle has gone down.

As soon as Kennyo gives the word, a tale as old as time is told once again.

Ieyasu darts at Mitsunari. Said tactician is simply smiling, watching the aggressive boy barrel at him, fist wound
back in a perfectly-formed punch. He doesn’t move an inch.

Ieyasu scowls, closing in. He launches his fist forward.

Only for Mitsunari to step to the side at the very last second, gracefully twirling out of his reach.

Ieyasu whirls around, ready for an attack, but Mitsunari remains stationary. The blond snaps, growling, “Are you
even going to try, or are you just going to stand there, dimwit?”

Mitsunari beams, responding light-heartedly, “I don’t want to fight you, Lord Ieyasu. I only wish to fight
alongside you-”

“Oh, piss off.”

Ieyasu throws himself at his bumbling opponent, so suddenly and swiftly that Mitsunari
doesn’t have time to dodge or prepare himself.

They both hit the floor hard. Mitsunari gasps, winded by the impact and Ieyasu’s weight lashing him down
harder. Ieyasu manages an eye roll, grunting low in his throat. Taking advantage of Mitsunari’s distraction, he
grabs his wrists and slams them down against the grass, kneeling atop his slick stomach and practically sat on
him.

He breathes hard and heavily, swallowing with considerable effort. His torso rocks back and forth with each
laboured inhale, while Mitsunari heaves in deep, much-needed air, lungs spasming in his chest. The rise and fall
) Get the
of his diaphragm causes it to touch Ieyasu’s thighs, Tumblr
rippling withapp ! on either side of Mitsunari. His already-
tension (
present flush darkens, blood rushing to his face at the sensation.

“You’re pathetic.” He mutters, glaring down at his felled ally. “You didn’t even try.”

Mitsunari laughs, breathlessly but kindly, the pure, innocent shine in his eyes never once dwindling. He gazes
up at Ieyasu, hair splayed around his head on the grass. He isn’t fighting against Ieyasu’s hands in the slightest.
“There are very few reasons why I’d ever be willing to fight you, Lord Ieyasu, and hopefully none of them will
ever come to pass. You’re my friend, aren’t you?”

Ieyasu freezes. “Wh- what are you- are you insane?” He shakes his head, disbelieving of the man-child beneath
him. “What the hell is wrong with you, Mitsunari?”

Said angel tilts his head. “Hm? What do you mean? I’m actually quite comfortable - you’re rather gentle, Lord
Ieyasu!”

Ieyasu all but flies off and away from Mitsunari, leaping into the nearby stream, never to be seen again for the
next few hours.

Mitsunari sits up, humming out, “I wonder what that was all about.”

He leans back on his elbows, turning to gaze over at Nobunaga, battling it out with Masamune in a fierce clash
of sheer strength and willpower.

“Very few situations… yes.” His eyes never leave the raven-haired unifier of Japan, and he sighs softly,
murmuring under his breath, “But could I ever allow you to take over in his place, Ieyasu? I never could before.
But then…”

His gaze settles on the Azuchi princess, smiling and laughing away next to Kennyo, an eternal light amidst a
world of utter darkness. The tension in his expression finally disappears, and he shakes his head. “Not this time.
This time, I’ll trust him. You have my word, Lord Ieyasu. I’ll let you take the reins, instead.”

Bonus, Extended Ending:

Meanwhile, Kenshin and Yukimura are grappling at each other, meaning that Kenshin is finding a thousand new
ways to immobilise a human being while Yukimura pleads for him to remember that he’s not the enemy.

“Remember, you are mine to do with as I please.”

Yuki’s so busy blushing because he, too, has been pinned down, that he’s unable to fight back at all.

" ♥ $ 

Ikémen Sengoku IkéSen IkémenSengokuFanFic IkéSenFanFic Ikémen Sengoku Imagines IkéSen Imagines

Miscellaneous Combinations IkéSen Ieyasu IkéSen Kenshin IkéSen Mitsunari IkéSen Sasuke IkéSen Shingen
1 year ago, 39 notes
IkéSen Yukimura

kickingasssince98 liked this ♥

anvalentine liked this ♥

reneotomegirl liked this ♥

kenshin-bunny reblogged this from deathbyotome "

fir988 liked this ♥

yuuki-clyde liked this ♥

ikesengoficss liked this ♥

futuristicallyfreshbread liked this ♥

ieyasukenshinsandwich liked this ♥

annasariman liked this ♥

anarchist-skeleton-of-kazoos liked this ♥

jetpackturtlesfanservice liked this ♥

katriniac said: I ADORE the parting words you wrote for Mitsunari’s dialogue. It made my heart
&
swell. What a great foreshadowing/backshadowing

katriniac liked this ♥

kenshin-bunny liked this ♥

haine-haine reblogged this from deathbyotome "

akari-dangos liked this ♥

mainbiixtch liked this ♥

bisexualscarletqueen liked this ♥

dkonsane liked this ♥

localspacegod reblogged this from deathbyotome "

localspacegod liked this ♥

earthwaterfall liked this ♥

sengokuotaku82 liked this ♥

tintin82 liked this ♥

bel-mont-bae liked this ♥

eurekapendragon liked this ♥

camellerica liked this ♥

uponthemidnight liked this ♥

kimi00twin liked this ♥

love029world liked this ♥

pastelfrood liked this ♥

wolfpawz167 liked this ♥

yawningmicrobe liked this ♥

widzziciclesatmidnight liked this ♥

winterelf94 liked this ♥

creed1476 liked this ♥

ihavenotfallenyet liked this ♥

countdowntocake liked this ♥

deathbyotome posted this '

Next post Previous post

Related Posts

Sunday Roast | Roasted!IkéSen x Ruthless!MC

[Intense crack]

Okay so this was asked for in like three asks which

were these:

… and I have no idea what happened, but here’s 5,000 words of the warlords and myself being roasted by an
MC who could not give less of a shit.

It’s late so I can’t write much more for this, but basically: if you’re of a gentle disposition, don’t enjoy roasts, or
get offended by brute honesty/insults towards your favourite characters, please do not read this. I was as
ruthless as I could with this - which could be barely insulting at all, depending on the reader - so it’s not for those
who would take that sort of thing badly.

If you want to see the warlords shredded to pieces by the MC, please, by all means, proceed.

Also, who’s proud of me? I wrote like 2,000 words yesterday for Figure of Speech, and then 5,500 words for
this literally just today, after having immense writer’s block for ages. I don’t think that’s too bad, all things
considered.

Anyways, I need to sleep for work so I’ll head off,

but for those who read up until even just here:
thank you for sticking with me, enjoy, be safe,
have a good night, and I love you very much.
Warnings: general verbal savagery, crude humour, swearing. Basically, nothing serious but not
sunshine and rainbows and unicorns, either ;)

Also: this has not been properly proofed. Please

ignore any spelling/grammar issues for now
and I’ll try to root them out when I have the
chance.
Keep reading

" ♥ 4 months ago, 33 notes

Anonymous

Yay, your askbox is open! First off, I really love your writing and how detailed it is, thank you for
your hard work! If I'm not too late, can I request Ieyasu and Kenshin realizing they're deeply in
love with the main character, but before they can confess, she's already ended up with Mitsunari
for his "kind and pure personality?" (since Ieyasu already dislikes Mitsunari and Mitsunari was the
romantic rival in Kenshin's route lol) Also Mitsunari finding out they're in love with his s/o.

Hello!
Gahhh, thank you so much, that’s so nice! I really appreciate it, sweetie! You weren’t too late at all, so here you
are~

I hope this is okay for you! I had to do it in fanfic format because it was impossible and nonsensical to structure
this will bullet points, so hey, you get a oneshot all to yourself ;D congrats~

The majority of it’s under the cut because it’s

6,300 words long, people!
Have a Kenshin & Ieyasu x Mitsunari’s
Girlfriend!MC ficlet, which I will
name, “Chosen”!
Imagines Masterlist
Kenshin sits at his desk in Kasugayama Castle, brows furrowed and eyes piercing into the ground before him.

He’s angry, and he’s hurting, and he loathes his own existence in this moment.

Why?

Because he’s come to the biting, painful realisation that he’s once again made the biggest mistake he possibly
could have.

He’s fallen in love, and with you, of all people.

You see, after an intense clash with the Oda Forces yesterday, where you were helping to tend to the wounded,
you were kidnapped by several of Kenshin’s ninjas who had seen an opportunity to take away an Oda asset.

By the time they managed to get away with you, unconscious from one of them striking the back of your head,
the clash was over; both sides were hindered severely by persistent, poor conditions from a storm. A rare,
unanimous withdrawal was ordered from both forces to prevent excessive loss of life, sparing innocent soldiers
from dying for nothing.

That is, this was before the Oda Forces realised they were missing an important member of their allies.

In the meantime, you were brought to Kenshin, still lifeless in the ninja’s arms but bound at the ankles and
wrists.

As soon as he saw you, he just froze.

He had ordered the ninjas to leave you on the floor before him and then dismissed them after scolding them for
acting without orders, but it wasn’t so he could interrogate or torture or kill you in peace.

No. It was to prevent them from seeing him weak.

The sight of you there, helpless and held hostage, head bleeding sluggishly, tugged harshly at his heart. That is,
it hurt him, wounded him deeply, despite how he’d nurtured the ice casing he’s built around it over the years,
since a certain incident when he was younger. Fragments of memories he never wanted to remember rushed
back to him the second he was alone with you, and they hurt so, so much.

He’d seen you prior to this, had witnessed your fire and strength in handling the battlefield with bravery and
courage, despite how helpless you’ve always been. He’d spent time prior to this watching you from amidst the
flames and carnage, slicing throats and piercing hearts without ever looking away from you.

Over time, he’d come to care for you, because to his fractured mind, you were a second chance. You were,
maybe, just maybe, a way for him to have what he used to, before he made his mistakes, as he likes to think,
despite how he never once made a wrong choice.

He’s never allowed himself to think that. He’s always driven it into his mind that what happened could have
been prevented, and that he was responsible for it.

With this in mind, as he sat there staring at you, he found himself moving before he could even process what his
body was doing.

He knelt before you, reaching out. His fingers had brushed over your cheek, feeling the warmth, the soft flesh. It
made his heart ache, mind unravel and insides curl, remembering this sensation. A thousand memories
resurfaced, memories he never wanted to remember.

And yet, he couldn’t tear himself away from you.

He was confused. Hurting. Desperate to forget the past again.

When you shifted, still completely unconscious, your cheek had nudged into his palm. Your lips moved, settling
very, very close to his own skin. He stopped, breathing coming to a sudden halt, mismatched eyes trained on
your face.

Why do I feel this? Why am I mourning for the loss of her freedom? Why am I projecting past mistakes onto her,
when she’s nothing to me?

He didn’t have the answers, but somehow, he didn’t want them.

“Mm… nng…”

His anger had mounted inside him, but surprisingly, not at you, or himself.

They hurt her. ___’s just like her. She never should have gotten involved. She shouldn’t have even been there in
the first place, and now she’s suffering. It’s happening again, but this time, I can’t protect her because I have no
right to and would be wrong to. I should be using her for my own advantage.

“Mitsunari…”

Oh.

Just like that, all his thoughts are silenced. His emotions are numbed, and for second, he can’t move.

Of course. Of course, it’d be Mitsunari. Of course, she’d almost certainly have feelings for him, if she’s saying his
name even in sleep.

The realisation that he of all people is the one to hold your affection, and take away, perhaps, the first person to
elicit feelings from Kenshin, was nothing short of absolute devastation.

His hand on your face had stiffened by this point, akin to that of a statue, around your delicate, fragile face. He
hadn’t registered it up until now, but he’d been biting his tongue with increasing force and pressure as his fury
boiled inside him. He became aware of it, however, as his teeth pierced into the muscle and the coppery taste
of blood seeped exploded in his mouth.

I want to steal her from him. I want to make her mine, so he can’t have her, and so this doesn’t happen to her
again. I owe it to the memory of the one whom I lost because I wasn’t careful enough last time.

Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Bitterness encased his mind, sending his thoughts down a much more
solemn, odd path, somehow fundamentally wrong for the God of War.

But then, I’d become what I hate the most. I would inflict the same pain on Mitsunari as I suffered. I owe nothing
to him, but that’s something I won’t do. Something, the one thing, maybe, that I can’t do. I’m not capable of
causing even him that level of grief.

“Guards,” He’d called, decision made. They entered the room silently, and he retracted his hand from her, eyes
never leaving her face. “Prepare my horse, and send a message to the Oda Forces that Mitsunari Ishida should
meet me at the border between Shinano and Mikawa in eight hours, and advise them that they should come
peacefully and alone, if they wish for their precious Azuchi princess to be delivered in one piece.”

“Yes, Lord Kenshin.”

And so, that brings us to now, as Kenshin returns to his desk for a moment, leaning on it heavily out of emotional
baggage and mental discomfort. He gazes at your face once more, studying your expression closely, as you
shift again, moaning in what is most definitely pain even in slumber. He swallows hard.

She must be a witch, to have sent my mind into such a pathetic state so quickly.

Letting out a frustrated breath, he heaves himself to his feet. In seconds, he’s crouched before you, arms
slipping under your back and thighs and lifting you with ease. Your head lolls against his shoulder, rolling
forward until your hair tickles the skin of his neck. He shifts you up, holding you against his chest tightly. For a
long few heartbeats, he just stands there, expression betraying the remorse and agony twisting inside of him
just a little.

You’re so warm. So delicate. Fragile. Innocent. Pure. Kind-hearted.

Everything he isn’t.

He sets off out of the room with you in his arms, striding down the corridors and down steps until he reaches
one of the courtyards near the gates for entering and exiting Kasugayama Castle. It’s late at night, the sky an
ominous midnight blue, and even the twinkling stars overhead do little to sooth the tension electrifying the air.

The guard waiting there with Kenshin’s horse offers to take you while he mounts it, but said warlord ignores his
existence entirely and artfully swings himself up, settling you on the saddle in front of him sideward-on. He
tucks his arms around your waist when he grabs the reins, holding on tight so you won’t be jostled and fall.

“Open the gates. I’ll be going alone, and will return shortly after sunrise. If anyone follows me, I’ll kill them
slowly and painfully. Sasuke, Shingen and Yukimura are included. If they try, be sure to iterate that to them
carefully.” He orders, voice completely empty and impressively blunt. The vassal pales considerably, then nods
swiftly, gesturing to the other two at the gates.

“Yes, my lord. Open the gates for Lord Kenshin!”

They swing open. He wastes no time, while he still has his control, and spurs the horse into movement. Even
without a verbal command, it darts forward, lurching through the opening and galloping full-speed out of the
castle.

The town is practically silent and empty, only the odd person here or there at this time of night, but he’s glad for
it – the less people see him riding out of Kasugayama, and respectively to the border of Echigo and then
through Shinano, the less trouble he’ll have to deal with when he gets home.

He continues to ride once he reaches the forest, navigating through it without even thinking, knowing the land
and terrain like the back of his hand. As such, he’s able to glance down at you frequently as the hours tick by,
feeling his chest burning with a sensation he’s never felt before, not even like last time.

She’s different. She’s not like her.

The thought brings a solemn, almost remorseful dullness to his eyes. He forces them up and ahead of him as
opposed to on you, holding you tighter. He tucks your head under his chin, using it to keep you still and not
worsen your injury.

In roughly seven and a half hours, he arrives at the space at the border of Echigo and Mikawa, where he knows
he’ll be expected. He brings the horse to a gradual stop, amidst a field of flowers and tall grass, swaying gently
in the night-time breeze. The sensation of the wind on his face makes him wonder if you’ll be cold, and he
releases the reins with one hand to lift it, cupping your cheek very carefully.

Cool to the touch. It’s possible that you have concussion, considering that you haven’t woken up yet. He prays
silently that the ninja didn’t give you a serious injury when he hit you.

He sighs to himself, wrapping his arms around you and shielding your body from the cold. Instantly, he’s struck
by a sense of overwhelming loneliness, a deep feeling that he’s missing something that doesn’t even belong to
him.

No. She belongs to Mitsunari, apparently.

Bitterness festers in his mind. He hates Mitsunari Ishida with a passion; he was already wary and untrusting of
him more than some of the other Oda forces prior to this, but now, he really, truly despises him.

His eyelids flutter closed, just for a second, as his lips settle against your hair and he utters to himself, “If only
you had joined us, instead of them… you would be so much safer. I shouldn’t give you back to them.” He sighs
softly. “This time… it appears you’re theirs. If only you would be mine.”

It’s silent for a few seconds after this. He raises his head and opens his eyes again, scanning his surroundings
idly.

“Nng-” You suddenly shift, squirming in his grip. He looks down quickly, observing you squeeze your eyes shut,
expression contorting in pain, before you press your head into his chest harder. “Ow…”

She cannot see me so weak. I should make her aware of what she’s doing.

“I am not your precious Mitsunari. Be aware of that, girl.”

He feels you freeze, body tensing for a split second.

Then, you’re whipping around, head whirling around and eyes snapping to his face. The realisation and fear in
your eyes could kill him.

Don’t fear me. If you needed to fear me, you would be in a cell, not about to be handed back to the Oda Forces.

“K-Kenshin Uesugi? Wha- why- how am I- I mean-” You stutter out failed question after failed question, to which
he just arches an eyebrow, interrupting,

“You were attacked and taken by two ninjas from my army, but they did so on their own orders, not my own.
Don’t make a fuss – I’m returning you to your chosen side.” He explains, ignoring the pang in his heart at the last
sentence. Your face collapses with confusion.

“You’re giving me back? Why? I thought you would try to use me against them.” You question, frowning deeply.
It’s almost cute, to see you so baffled.

His half-lie comes out before he let himself dwell on this, though, even though it’s like drinking poison to speak
the words.

“Because as I said, you were not retrieved on my orders. If I want to have you as my hostage, I will do so by my
own orders, when I feel like it. It’s not as if it’s difficult to get to you, considering how lax the security of the Oda
Forces is.” His lips twitch up, hatred pulsing through his veins. “And I’d heard that Mitsunari Ishida was a genius
tactician who was skilled with strategizing. It appears that someone has sung his praises wrongly.”

The glare that burns into his face from you is intense. “That’s not true at all! He is a genius, excuse you! It was my
fault for not being careful enough while I was treating people that your forces caused harm!”

His heart thuds with his increasing frustration. He can’t bear to listen to the evident love in your voice when you
talk about Mitsunari. “Then pray tell, girl, why at least one of them didn’t protect you. Tell me why Mitsunari
couldn’t do something as keep you safe behind the frontlines, if he’s so intelligent.”

He leans in closer to you, noticing with silent despair how you shrink back and away from him as much as you
can without risking falling off the horse. “And the Oda Forces harmed my own soldiers, as well as those of
Shingen and Yukimura. You pledge loyalty and respect for them, but they’re no different than I, Mitsunari Ishida
included.”

“They’re nothing like you at all!” You snap, seemingly becoming braver with your increasing fury and meeting
his proximity head-on, sitting up and bringing your faces very, very close. “You’re a monster who adores war
and killing and making people suffer! That’s not what the Oda Forces want – they want peace and prosperity,
and are willing to kill when they need to in order to ensure that it happens!”

Monster.

The word rings in his head. It burns like acid.

“A monster, am I?” He repeats your insult with a scoff, tightening his arm around your waist, faces now inches
apart. As much as he’s acting threatening, he’s thankful for the argument, since it’s the perfect opportunity to
have you close like this.

“If I’m a monster, tell me something. When have you ever seen the Oda Forces go to diplomacy first as a
solution, as opposed to fighting? When have they offered a peaceful solution with me, just to try and lessen the
casualties on at least their side? Regardless of how I would respond, when have you seen them truly fight and
persevere for a peaceful way out of the threat of the oncoming monster?”

He’s got you. He can see his words clicking the second he says them. But then, he can also see you fighting
them, trying desperately to find a workaround, an excuse, a justification for the truth.

And it makes him angry. It makes him absolutely livid.

“But you’ll refuse to acknowledge that fact anyway, because you’re a foolish girl blinded even more by the
idiocy that is love. That’s why I refuse to bother with people like you.”

I say that, and yet, my heart is aching for her. It loves her. I’m the biggest hypocrite I know.

Something painfully lose to hatred seeps into your expression, and when you respond, your voice is harsh, the
most dispassionate and cold he’s ever heard it.

“It’s only idiocy to you because you don’t understand it. Love is stronger than hate, Kenshin, and I think all you
have in your heart is hatred. I do love Mitsunari, and I’m not afraid or ashamed to admit it. His personality is kind
and pure. He cares about people and would never endanger others unless he had no choice, unlike you, who
incites violence because you’re so hellbent on creating war.”

The sound of hooves approaching causes you both to break eye contact, thankfully, cutting off the increasingly
intense conversation. You both glance toward the treeline up ahead. Kenshin narrows his mismatched eyes,
gripping your waist tighter and ignoring your indignant shout in response.

Ieyasu Tokugawa bursts through the trees on his horse.

Not a second later, Mitsunari Ishida is doing the same.

Kenshin’s hand snaps to his sword.

The two come to a stop a little bit away from him, seemingly alone. Ieyasu glares vehemently at Kenshin, and
Mitsunari for once glowers, the disgust undeniable in his eyes. If only you could see how ugly his personality
truly is. “___!” Mitsunari calls, concern battling it out with rage in his expression. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” A beaming smile stretches across your lips, even as you sit there, restrained and helpless atop your
enemy’s horse. “Thank God you’re both okay.”

It’s sickening. Kenshin almost gags.

He’s such a disgrace, and yet she gazes at him as if he’s a god.

He dismounts his horse in a smooth, graceful swing, grabbing your middle and tugging you off as well. He
catches you when you almost fall, then takes your upper arm and all but drags you over to the space between
the horses, bitterness numbing the love he holds for you. “She was taken on the prerogative of two ambitious
ninjas of mine. If I’m going to take the Princess of Azuchi hostage, it’ll be when I want to, not when it’s
convenient.”

The two Oda warlords dismount swiftly, rushing over with their hands on the hilts of their swords. Kenshin’s
chest scorches with pain once more.

I’m letting her go, because I love her. I could destroy them all if I kept her, but she’s made me so weak that I’m
incapable of doing so.

He doesn’t know it, but his agony ghosts over his face. It’s enough to make the two other males pause, staring
in shock at Kenshin.

So, here. If I let her go, I won’t be weak anymore. If I can’t be around her, she won’t interfere with my decisions
anymore.

When he’s close enough, he prepares himself, cementing the memories of holding and carrying you in his mind.
He swallows back the regret he can feel coming, forces away the suffering he can feel at the decision he’s made.

“Have her back. I have no use for her, for now.”

With that, he shoves you forward, fingers slipping away from your arm.

Ieyasu’s there first, before Mitsunari. He’s reaching out instantly, catching you around your waist. The second
he’s got you, he jerks back, lifting you off the ground so you won’t fall with your ankles bound. Mitsunari is
rushing in front of Ieyasu at the same time, hand still on his sword, ready to be drawn at any given moment.

He doesn’t even bother to look at her, to catch her himself. He’s doesn’t realise the gravity of what is his.

“You won’t have her again, Kenshin. You won’t come anywhere near her.” Ieyasu snaps, letting you lean against
him heavily. Kenshin narrows his eyes, scrutinising his body language.

He’s never seen Ieyasu Tokugawa so protective, not even of his own people or vassals. He would have thought
he’d just stand you upright and hold your arm to keep you steady, but he’s got his arm locked around your
middle, and his other now rubs at your upper arm, almost like he’s trying to sooth you.

Behaviour unsuitable for the notoriously timid and uncaring Ieyasu. A change of mannerism similar to that of
myself right at this very moment.

He bites his tongue again. More blood.

It would appear there’s a chance that it’s not just me that’s lost my senses to this woman.

Wanting to disappear so he can try to rid himself of your memory, he smirks at Mitsunari, remarking, “It woud
appear that Ieyasu is uncharacteristically comfortable holding your woman, Mitsunari. I didn’t think someone of
your apparent intelligence would submit to the foolishness of love, but evidently mental capability means
nothing after all. A shame. I had been looking forward to defeating someone of higher mental calibre, but it
seems I’ll have to keep looking.”

Mitsunari reels back with shock, glancing at Ieyasu. Said blond is glaring at Kenshin, arm tensing around you.
Kenshin chuckles at the discord he can feel forming before him, satisfaction blooming inside him like a rose.
“And to think, you of all people would fall for a woman as irritating and troublesome as her. She appears to have
a talent for misaligning the priorities of those around her.”

If I can keep speaking ill of her, perhaps I’ll be able to turn the love I have for her into hatred.

Regardless, he knows he needs to get back, so he can be at home should anything happen considering the
skirmish that’s only just ended. He throws himself back up and onto his horse, body language expressing
almost inappropriate ease and relaxation considering the circumstances. “I hope you both come to your senses
for the next time that we meet, which should hopefully be soon. I’m becoming increasingly bored and didn’t
get to kill nearly enough of you the other day.”

With that, he taps the horse’s side, holding onto the reins with one hand. It rears back, stomping down on the
floor almost menacingly, before turning around and bolting toward Echigo once more.

He does his very best to ignore the tugging sensation enveloping him, the phantom noose collared around his
throat, choking him from the inside out with every second that he moves away from you.

Ieyasu and Mitsunari are quiet for a long few moments. The former watches the Ishida male closely, inspecting
his stance and analysing what his body is expressing. He’s stiff, and his back is tense, but he can feel uncertainty
rolling from him like smoke. You wobble slightly on your feet from the bindings around your ankles, and it’s now
that it occurs to Ieyasu that he should probably cut you free.

“Here.” He unsheathes his sword, moving around to be behind you. “Stay still if you don’t want to get cut.”

“Okay.” Your somewhat meek response makes him frown, but he says nothing more, artfully slicing the thick
ropes binding your wrist together. When they’re gone, you breathe a sigh of relief. Mitsunari turns around now,
revealing his expression, similarly relieved but also immensely strained. Your own beaming smile returns.
“Mitsunari…”

Ieyasu scowls. Hard.

“___.” Mitsunari breathes out, giving you that angelic smile and rushing over now that Kenshin’s gone. “Are you
truly alright? Did he hurt you? Are you injured?”

You shake your head, reaching out when he does and letting him take your hands. They’re cool from the ropes
reducing your circulation, and his smile fades as he clasps his own around them, then raises them to his mouth
to exhale warm air onto them. You laugh softly. “I’m completely fine – he didn’t hurt me at all, I promise.”

Ieyasu’s been completely and utterly forgotten. He has to battle with his emotions to prevent them from
showing on his face.