["Nobu, you'll definitely lose to him in every way, so if you truly reach the point where all your resources are exhausted, you can try talking nicely with him. Just shed a few tears, and you can resolve it!"]
This was one of the few sentences that Magus had left for Nobunaga before departing.
Back then, and even now, Nobunaga thought it was just a joke. As the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, the hero who saved Japan, how could she possibly resort to charming or pleasing others?
Thus, after sitting down with Kaname, Nobunaga got straight to the point: "Though I think it's unlikely, I'll say it—return the Holy Grail to me, Saint-Sword-Man. If you do, I can still talk nicely with you. Or, to put it simply, as long as you return the Holy Grail to me, I'll agree to any request!"
"No way."
Naoki firmly rejected the offer. "A very tempting deal, Nobunaga, but sorry, the Holy Grail is the one thing I'll never give back to you. Something like that is useless if left in this world."
"And the goal you want to achieve with this Holy Grail—I won't let that happen either. This country's defeat is already set in stone. From the moment it allied with another nation and started this war in the world, its loss was inevitable."
*BANG!*
The wooden round table shattered into pieces under Nobunaga's fist!
With blazing red eyes glaring at Naoki, Nobunaga spoke in a cold voice: "I know full well that this country is in a disadvantageous position. But that doesn't mean there's no chance to turn it around. As long as I have that weapon, the final victory will be mine—"
"August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. On September 2 of the same year, Japan signed the surrender agreement, and World War II ended—these are facts clearly recorded in history." Naoki interrupted Nobunaga's words.
"That's how history goes. Though I don't want to admit it, in modern history, the significance of ending this war for the world is clear. If it isn't stopped quickly and is allowed to continue under your hands, no one knows what kind of impact it will have on history."
"This is my country! Are you telling me to watch my homeland fall and lose?!"
"In reality, you can't do anything about it."
Naoki's words sent Nobunaga into a fury: "Indeed, a Servant's power is extraordinary in the modern era, but you're just one person. You can't handle everything—send a suicide squad to hold you back, then let the main force begin suppression operations on the homeland. Even if you completely wipe out the suicide squad, strategically, the enemy nation has already won."
"Though there will be many difficulties in executing it, like underestimating your strength or failing to destroy the Army while keeping you occupied… Or, to be more blunt, the attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima—do you think you can stop them?"
Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Upon hearing those two names, Nobunaga's face filled with rage.
Meanwhile, Okita furrowed her brow in confusion: "Master, those two places…"
"The worst strategic weapon developed by humanity, the atomic bomb. The first time it was used in actual combat was in Hiroshima on the 6th of this month, and then again in Nagasaki on the 8th. The reason Japan surrendered on the 15th in history was because those two cities were completely destroyed."
"The 15th… But it's already past the 20th now."
"Because they believed in Servants, in miracles, and in the Holy Grail." Naoki said, looking at Nobunaga. "After witnessing Nobunaga's power, Japan adopted a policy of continued resistance… Well, that's also because the pro-peace faction's leaders were constantly assassinated. That Magus named Mawatsun did a lot of dirty work."
Otherwise, the situation wouldn't have escalated this far.
Nobunaga clenched her fists tightly: "Even so… I won't just watch this country get attacked. This is about protecting the nation—"
"Nonsense!"
Naoki suddenly shouted in anger.
"Protecting the nation, sure. To you, it's protecting the nation, but it's just Japan paying its debts! Nobunaga, don't tell me you don't know Japan's position before this! This wretched country committed countless crimes across the world in this era! Now it's just paying the price for it!"
"Don't make your actions sound so noble! If you keep using that excuse, I'll beat you to death and send you back to the Throne of Heroes!"
Master / Natsukawa-sama was angry.
Okita and Angelica realized this at the same time. And he wasn't just angry—he was furious, enraged from the depths of his heart. Naoki had once said he didn't hate Japan as a whole, but he could never bring himself to like Japan in this era, no matter what.
"Stop here, Nobunaga. The Ministry of the Army is gone, and the war moving forward has no suspense left. Even if you fight with all your might, it's pointless. It'll only prolong the suffering."
"Are you also a victim of this war?"
Instead of responding directly to Naoki's words, Nobunaga shifted to another topic: "Your hatred, your anger… it's exactly the same as the enemies I've killed."
"You could say that. Though I now bear a Japanese name, my hometown is the Mainland to the west."
The west.
The Mainland.
China.
If that was the case, Nobunaga could understand why this Saint-Sword-Man from the future was so angry at her country in this era and at the words she had just spoken.
It was too much, and it was also wishful thinking. Her own country in the past had invaded others, committing unforgivable sins. So it was only natural that it had fallen to this state now. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it or tried to sugarcoat it, this was the undeniable truth.
Japan right now, or Nobunaga right now, was merely arrogantly placing itself in the position of the victim.
No…
"I know everything." Nobunaga said in a heavy voice. "All the causes, the actions of this country in the past—I truly learned about them after taking control of the Ministry of the Army. But… even if it's all wrong, I won't just give up on this country. This near-defeated nation needs my strength."
It could be called human instinct.
When one's homeland was being invaded and destroyed, no one could just stand by in such a moment, especially not Nobunaga.
*BANG*
Nobunaga's fists suddenly slammed into the floor.
After bowing her head deeply, her military cap lowered, Nobunaga raised her head: "Saint-Sword-Man, can you listen to one… no, two requests of mine?"
"Huh?"
Naoki furrowed his brow. "Requests?"
"That Magus once said you're fundamentally a good person. If someone sincerely asks you, as long as the request isn't too excessive, you'll grant it."
"This might be my last meeting with you. After this, I'll never come here again. So for the final time, I want to ask you for two things!"
The final meeting.
Looking into Nobunaga's eyes, Naoki paused for a moment before sighing: "Alright, what are they?"
"My Master, Kaname." Nobunaga glanced at Kaname sitting behind her, who still looked nervous and uneasy. "Can you look after her before you leave this place? In the Imperial Capital right now, the safest place is with you."
The Ministry of the Army had been completely wiped out, and Mawatsun was thoroughly dead. Kaname essentially had nowhere else to go except by Nobunaga's side. But clearly, the battlefield was no place for Kaname.
Naoki nodded: "No problem. And the other one?"
"Don't stop me."
Nobunaga spoke coldly, as if trying to etch her words into Naoki's mind.
"After I leave here, and until you leave this place, don't interfere with me! Not even a little!"