User blog:Seieireppa/God Eater ∂: Those Who Change History, chapter 2

“So, you are the one they call Akechi Mitsuhide?”

The man called Oda Nobunaga gazed down at the man standing before him from his position astride his horse. From this day forth, the man named Mitsuhide would be serving him, Oda Nobunaga, and aiding him in his plans to unify Japan.

“You did well in suppressing Saitō Yoshitatsu’s rebellion,” Nobunaga continued. “Saitō Dōsan spoke very highly of you, as did Asakura Yoshikage. I have every bit of faith that your strength will be of just as much use to me in my quest to unify Japan.”

“Sir,” came Mitsuhide’s reply. “I will serve milord Nobunaga to the fullest extent of my abilities.”

“Glad to hear it. In that case, what say you we get started right away? Takeda Shingen is amassing forces against me on the far side of those mountains, so say my scouts. I need you to lead an advance troop of cavalrymen through the pass to the north to ambush them. I will take another detachment and sweep up once the ambush has been carried out. Understood?”

Mitsuhide stood at attention. “Yes, sir.”  Striding over to his own horse, he mounted and took the reins, rallying a handful of troops and departing towards the indicated location.

“With Mitsuhide on my side,” mused Nobunaga, “our victory in this and all coming battles is all but assured.”

It would be a while before Nobunaga was to lead his forces to sweep Shingen’s camp. Gazing skyward, he took in the fresh mountain air around him, remarking on the clear blue skies above, dotted only by a single hawk—

—wait a moment.

“That hawk… those colors are those of Shingen’s troops!”

Sure enough, the red-bedecked hawk closed in on Nobunaga’s position. Nobunaga readied his hand on his faithful rifle, preparing to shoot it out of the sky, but upon closer inspection, it was carrying a message.

“What does that irreproachable Shingen want with me this time?” questioned Nobunaga, as he extended his arm upon which the hawk alighted. Removing the message from the tube on the hawk’s leg, Nobunaga unrolled it only to be met with not a demand for surrender…

…but something else entirely.

“What’s this?”  Nobunaga mused. “‘Wild Gods?’  ‘Devouring?’  What sort of delusory nonsense does Shingen think he can—”

Nobunaga’s thoughts were interrupted, however, as a human figure came flying over the distant mountains at great speed, landing directly in front of Nobunaga’s horse. It was the body of what appeared to be one of Shingen’s men, torn savagely to pieces. But by what?

This question, as Nobunaga asked himself, was quickly answered by a massive shape that crested the nearest peak. Grabbing a telescope from an attending soldier, Nobunaga gazed into the distance at this mysterious shape—

—and was met with true despair.

Possessing the general appearance of a tiger, yet larger than any tiger — or any four-legged creature — should be, the creature that returned Nobunaga’s gaze sported significant musculature and armor all over its body. From behind its head sprouted a number of flap-like organs arranged in the manner of a cape. A brilliant crimson beard encircled its face, which wore an expression of peerless rage.

As the creature reared back, it let out a deafening roar, its cape illuminating as it did so. The creature’s surroundings crackled with electricity, instilling in all of Nobunaga’s soldiers a sense of utmost dread.

So this was what the letter meant. This creature, clearly not of this world…

“Wild… gods…” remarked Nobunaga, his voice trembling.


 * And with the appearance of the Aragami came the dawn of the Japan's destruction.

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TO BE CONTINUED