The demon army entries...

[hagureoni]

WHO: 'Shutendoji', whoever wants to fight him and his army
WHAT: Some more fighting, brainwashing, possible hypnosis and everything
WHERE: Nagashino
WARNING(S): There are not any yet... probably angst?


['Shutendoji' had taken position inside the castle walls of Nagashino. He had kept the doors of the mainkeep carelessly open - he didn't see any need to lock himself into them. Plus it wasn't like he intended to stay in there all the time. On top of it, he wasn't only accompanied by Orochi's demons, but the ones from his own world as well - the ones he had made drink the 'sentan', a medicine that strengthen the demons and bring out their deepest and ugliest feelings.

And this was still not all. Kiyomori had given him another few henchmen. Famous warriors that were under his control now.]




((ooc: Feel free to toss up brainwashed characters in here, and if you want to fight 'Shutendoji', he has several abilities that go along the lines of hypnosis with words, looking into people's mind to see secrets even they might not be aware of and he can warp time and space. Just give me a heads-up if you want to fight against any of those powers or how far it is okay with you that he uses them on your character!))

Comments

[ex_onslaught851]

[And one of those "famous warriors" just so happened to be Sanada Yukimura. Any previous memories were long gone, overpowered instead by the overwhelming desire to serve Kiyomori. And his new lord had told him that he had to do whatever Shutendoji told him to. Who was he to disobey his orders?

At current he was standing guard in Nagashino's main keep, waiting to see if any of the warriors from the "other side" had made their way through. If they did? He'd be ready for them.]

[hagureoni]

[Yukimura Sanada on his side was like a little wink of irony. He had stayed with the Toyotomi that Shu hated so much, but that was Shu's business and not really his. Just the revenge on everybody and everything counted.

With the reports incoming, Shutendoji found out that there was a particular troublesome warrior on the battlefield - a Chinese spearman apparantly. Well, letting a spearman fight a spearman seemed like the most obvious choice there, right?]

Yukimura Sanada. Go to the bridge to the right and kill everyone who is coming in your way.

[ex_onslaught851]

The bridge?

[That was an easy enough order. If there was one thing that Yukimura prided himself on, it was his abilities in battle. If Shutendoji trusted him to take care of the bridge, then he couldn't afford to fail in his responsibilities. He'd show the enemy what it meant to try and cross the demon army...

Even if those "enemies" were his friends.]

Of course, my lord.

[Cutting a path to the bridge was simple - and a lot of the warriors that he came across hesitated in front of him. Were they... afraid of him? Then wasn't that for the better? Those who didn't balk at the sight of him were taken care of rather quickly.]

[iaijutsu]

[Although he wasn't quite in the path of the bridge, it was hard not to notice that they were being pushed back more forcibly in that area than around the rest of the battlefield. And so Saitou quickly made an executive decision: leave the rest of his unit where they were, to cover the area they'd been placed at in the overall strategy...while he himself made his way to the bridge to give their allies the extra push they clearly needed.

One of him ought to be worth plenty of their enemies, anyway.

But as he got closer, there was something familiar about that glint of red pressing its way forward -

- no way.]

Yukimura-dono?

[ex_onslaught851]

[Under normal circumstances, the sight of Saitou standing there would have been more than enough to stop Yukimura in his tracks. But these were not normal circumstances. Yukimura's mind was carefully blank, except for the need to serve his lord by any means necessary.

In this case, it meant killing anyone that got in his way. Even Saitou.

At first he didn't say anything, instead shifting into a fighting position. Nothing could stop him from achieving his mission - Yukimura wouldn't accept failure.]

For Lord Kiyomori... all must perish.

[iaijutsu]

[That...didn't sound like the Yukimura he knew. The words, the monotone -

- the clear intent to kill. The clear intent to kill him.

Saitou didn't make the first move, although his hand stayed at the hilt of his sword, ready to act. He could only hope it wouldn't come to that, but...this wasn't promising.]

Yukimura-dono, this is not like you.

[ex_onslaught851]

[Gone was Yukimura's passion for battle, for his friends and for serving his true lord. Gone was the eager young samurai who strove to do his best, who was sometimes unsure of his place in the world, but still knew that he had been gifted with good friends. With Saitou.

Now there was a mere shell in his place, wired to do only one thing. To kill.

The words didn't seem to register with him at all. Instead he took another step forward, realising that Saitou might even prove to be a good match for him. A good fight before his inevitable death - it would make a change from all of the other warriors he'd been fighting.]

Are those your last words?

[iaijutsu]

[He doesn't answer that, simply gritting his teeth and sliding one foot back, his weight shifting in preparation for the strike he doesn't want to make, but knows he'll have to.

No. These won't be his final words...and those won't be Yukimura's, even if he's not sure what he can really do with him aside from knock him on the head, drag him back to camp, and...then what?]

[ex_onslaught851]

[Considering that he seems ready to fight, Yukimura takes that as an opportunity to spring forward, switching his spear to his left hand so that he can aim a jab at Saitou's midsection, hoping that if he aims enough hits at him he won't be able to retaliate fast enough.

Saitou is the only thing stopping him from reaching his objective - which means that he has to win. There's no other choice.]

[hagureoni]

[It didn't escape Shutendoji that things were getting even more worrisome since he had sent out Yukimura Sanada instead of the other way round.]

Tch.

[He let out a frustrated noise. Those humans were really of no good use, that is why he rather used his own oni than them in the first place. He was tempted to look what was going on outside when he did get the official news that things were not going his way. That would mean an invasion might happen soon. Shutendoji readied himself for whatever or whoever might come through the doors now.]

[ex_onslaught851]

[And the one to walk through that door was none other than Yukimura himself, spear at the ready. He was exhausted, the toll the ordeal had taken on him immense, but he didn't let that stop him. No, his will to fight- to live burned brighter than it ever had.

... Which might have been rather unfortunate for Shutendoji, in hindsight.]

Shutendoji! I have returned to end this madness once and for all!

[hagureoni]

Oh, so you have returned, Yukimura Sanada.

[[Shutendoji slowly turns his attention to him. Well, this was messy, Yukimura had broken free from the mind control. Shutendoji lifts his mask a little. It was time to use his control through words. They were spoken, silently, almost softly even.]

Don't move.

[ex_onslaught851]

No... No! I will not fall for your tricks again! You have already made me turn against those I care for!

[He was doing his best to fight it, but he also knew that he was already physically and mentally exhausted. How long could he hold out for...?]

I will not let you get away with this! Even if it costs me my own life!

[hagureoni]

[Well, that wasn't technically him - only somewhat. He didn't have the direct ability of mind control as Kiyomori had.]

Even if it costs your life? Then show me your determination. Are you really willing to pay with your life?

[Because Shutendoji knew he was willing to do just that to achieve his goal.]

Do you have the courage to show me your true self?

[ex_onslaught851]

Of course I am willing to pay with my life. A true warrior never stops to question these things - and neither will I.

[Despite the fact that he knows he's at a disadvantage, Yukimura refuses to stop now. Not here, not when he has two other people out there relying on him.]

[hagureoni]

If you say it like that...

[Shutendoji approaches Yukimura slowly, lifting his hand over Yukimura's head before he activates his power to look into Yukimura's heart - showing him memories, feelings... everything that was buried deep inside Yukimura.]

[ex_onslaught851]

[And suddenly Shutendoji is seeing everything of importance to him - his memories of meeting Zhao Yun and their journey together to find Liu Bei, how he'd met Saitou, the feeling of utter despair that he felt when he'd watched Saitou die in his arms.

Then the deeper attachment that he'd formed with the man, the affection that they'd shared at Hulao Gate-- nothing was spared. Nothing at all.

The mental toll on Yukimura was far too high, and he lost consciousness before he hit the floor.]

aftermath for Zhao Yun/Yukimura/Saitou

[ex_onslaught851]

[Just as they're preparing to leave the other two in the castle, Yukimura finally manages to come to. It takes a Herculean effort to open his eyes, however-- and when he does everything is blurry and unfocused. His head aches, but he forces himself to try and focus, doing his best to ignore the pain for the moment. He doesn't seem particularly aware of anything that's going on around him right now. The last thing that he remembers is Shutendoji looking at his heart and his memories, and the odd feeling that came with it hadn't vanished yet.]

Where... what happened? Is it over?

[iaijutsu]

[Saitou lets out a slow breath of relief at that. He's awake, he sounds like himself again this time...and the disorientation, well, that should clear up quickly enough. He hopes.]

It is over. How are you feeling, Yukimura-dono?

[dragonrises]

[oh, thank goodness. Zhao Yun is moving fairly slowly himself but that voice fills him with just as much relief]

We are here, and all alive.

[ex_onslaught851]

How am I feeling?

[He echoes the question as he realises that he's being supported. He can't even keep himself upright, which fills him with guilt. As if the guilt at being completely useless in the battle hadn't been bad enough...!]

I... will be all right. But I am truly sorry that I was of no help.

[iaijutsu]

You have no need to apologize. Everyone is fine, and that is what matters.

[dragonrises]

Come, let us get you to the healers. [never mind that he needs to go there too]

[ex_onslaught851]

Are you both all right?

[He'd insist that he didn't need to go, but if the battle was already over, he must have been out cold for a long time. That spoke volumes by itself.]

[iaijutsu]

I am fine.

[He's admittedly not feeling at his best; the sunlight isn't doing him any favors and there's still a lot of blood on the ground. But he's no longer bleeding himself, and that's the important part, really.]