Way Of The Warrior – Mercy

Chapter VI of Way Of The Warrior.

(previous chapters can be found at the dedicated page of the blog, here)

{Written in Six Sentence Stories form.}

WAY OF THE WARRIOR

VI

MERCY

The peasants morale received an unexpected boost as they witnessed Lord Shigenobu’s forces turn around and leave the left flank of Lord Nobunaga’s battle formation; the villagers of Ise holding their makeshift weapons tightly and having descended all the steps of desperation known to man, felt a light breeze of hope.

Lieutenant Hiroshi wished with all his heart he was anywhere but kneeling before Nobunaga, his Lord’s anger so palpable it felt as if a snake was crushing the samurai’s rib cage in a deadly, relentless embrace; two words spewed from the mouth of the Venomous Serpent clan leader, fowl like the voice of a bloodthirsty demon: No mercy.

Eight hours later, the battle-hardened vanguard samurai of the Dushe clan were exhausted, standing with empty eyes in a place landscaped by their blades wielding terror and death; 6,000 souls were massacred, men, women and children along with their livestock, it was a scene, in the eyes of a time traveler from the future, that would make Guernica look like a painting of a playground.

One family was brought before Nobunaga, parents pleading for the lives of their children, a baby boy and a girl around 9 years, who had the audacity to look straight to Nobunaga’s eyes; merciful as he was, he kept the girl alive, only to watch the death of her family.

The Demon King¹, as he was known after that massacre, approached the girl and asked her what her name was; not receiving an answer, Lord Nobunaga cut the girl’s face from under her left eye to the side of her mouth then left to celebrate his victory.

Twenty years later, a young woman is approached, in utter surprise, by an injured black horse and its unconscious rider, arrows in them bearing an insignia she knew all too well; as she knelt by their side, filled with sorrow for the gallant horse’s agony, she whispered: “Tomoe… watashinonamaeha² Tomoe” as a tear began following the only path carved for it…from her left eye to the side of her mouth.

\\//

¹ : Lord Nobunaga borrows elements from the historic figure Oda Nobunaga (1534 -1582 AD). Way Of The Warrior Ise massacre is inspired by the following historic event during one of his numerous campaigns, The Siege of Mount Hiei :

^{[from Wikipedia]} {In September 1571, Oda Nobunaga preemptively attacked the Enryaku-ji temple, then besieged Mount Hiei and razed it. In the process of making their way to the Enryaku-ji temple, Nobunaga’s forces destroyed and burnt all buildings, killing monks, laymen, women, children and eliminating anyone who had previously escaped their attack. It is said that “The whole mountainside was a great slaughterhouse and the sight was one of unbearable horror.” This action gained him renown as the “Demon daimyō” or “Devil King”}

² : my name is

By The Company Of Warriors I Keep
Spira / Nick © April 2023