"You're one to talk!! ...Hmph, but Takeda, huh..." Nobu's expression shifted.
Takeda Shingen. A general of immense fame and popularity in the Warring States period, known as the "Tiger of Kai." He commanded the Takeda Cavalry—rumored to be the strongest in history—and made his name known throughout the land. He aimed for Kyoto but died of illness before his dream could be realized. He was a master of civil engineering and politics, leaving behind the famous legacy: "People are the castle, people are the walls, people are the moat."
"To be honest, I was lucky... I didn't think he'd just up and die of an illness when I was pinned down and out of options. His son was decent enough, but he wasn't the once-in-a-generation talent his old man was. It truly can't be helped!"
"Then the solution is simple. You just have to reenact the tactic you used at Nagashino."
"The Three-Line Formation! Use the Three-Line Formation, Nobbu!"
"Gunuuu—"
Indeed. The one who defeated the "invincible" Takeda Cavalry was none other than our "Fool," Oda Nobunaga.
『Eh? Spears against cavalry? You can't win against distance and bullet volume! That's why we're using guns! Mass produce them! Now!』
She had seized the production centers for matchlocks, cut the production costs in half, and flooded the field with guns. Whether it was the legendary 3,000 guns or the modern scholarly estimate of 1,500, Nobunaga used a massive volley to create a tactical masterpiece.
To solve the long reload time of matchlocks, she arranged her troops in three lines. The first line fired, then moved to the back to reload while the next line stepped up. This created a paradox: a continuous, unending stream of fire. Keeping the cavalry at a distance where swords and spears couldn't reach, she wiped them out. This was "Tenka Fubu"—the victory of Nobunaga's flexibility in discarding the old and embracing the new.
"Using the narration to explain things I'm not good at... how meta. But hey, it can't be helped! It's the truth!"
『Knowing a True Name means knowing the cause of death and the reason for the downfall. Unless something crazy happens, you can't overturn that. It's my Achilles' heel.』
『Like the scar on my back... sorry. Sorry for being so easy to understand.』
The two personifications of "weak points" (Achilles and Siegfried) chimed in cheerfully. Okita raised her hand energetically.
"Me! Me! Since Nobbu is useless right now, it's time for the Shinsengumi to take the field! This is our chance to be the strongest of the Warring States!"
"Are you an idiot? Thinking a single soldier can overturn a war is for video games. War is a failure the moment it begins. You just rampaged around a shack called Ikedaya; how can you act so high and mighty? Are you some kind of 'Pride-Demon'?"
"Haaaa?! I was trying to back you up! Fine, then you do it! Go on, do your Three-Line Formation! Come on, Nobbu, hurry up!"
"I told you my power was stolen! Did the illness rot your brain, Okita?!"
"That's it! Okita-san is officially mad! It's going in the morning papers! I won't forgive you, Nobbu!"
"Bring it on! Don't think you're special just because you can warp and teleport, Okita! Swordsmen of your level were a dime a dozen in the Warring States!!"
As Nobu and Okita began a slapstick brawl, the others ignored them.
"Senpai! How about we let Iskandar handle the army battle?!"
"Yeah! But Mash, my soul is telling me... we shouldn't recreate a fated showdown in a Gudaguda event!"
"Senpai?!"
『Wahahaha! Indeed, there is no 'spirit' to be found in settling a lifelong grudge here! I appreciate the sentiment!』
"So... our only path is a frontal breakthrough using the shield, huh?"
"Hijji, you're always so straightforward. I knew it!"
"Don't retreat. Cut. Advance. Cut. Anyone who retreats gets cut. That's all."
"The unbreakable 'Makoto' spirit!!"
"So... what's the plan, Master? Do you have a strategy?"
"Umu... we have plenty of Servants who can use brute force, but I wonder if that's the 'Gudaguda Optimal Solution.' Winning by power alone feels like being a certain seaweed-haired guy hiding behind his Servants... and I hate that..."
Rikka sank into thought. Amidst the silence, the King of Heroes spoke to a soul.
"What say you, Naoe Ere? Do you have a plan?"
—Naoe?! I—well, putting that aside... of course I do!
(You do?!)
Ere nodded firmly at Gilgamesh's teasing. She declared:
—The formula for victory has been set!
"Oho? Then let us hear it. What is this plan?"
Well, you see—
The Battle: Oda vs. Takeda
The clash between two of the most iconic generals of the Warring States began!
"————⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!"
The ten thousand undead cavalrymen, led by the elephant, charged with a terrifying war cry, a tide of darkness intent on swallowing the Oda forces. The ground shook, dust swirled, and the roar of battle invited the reaper to the field.
"Victory is in the numbers—or so my Lord says," Medusa's bored voice echoed.
Stopping this mighty army was...
"This is the home that heals all wounds and all grudges—"
A shield was thrust forward, a white castle that refused to be swallowed by the Gudaguda space—
"Manifest! 『Lord Camelot』!!"
The castle, formed from Mash's spirit, took the full brunt of Takeda Darius's charge!
"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!"
"How annoying... I'll just trample—" Medusa sensed the danger and tried to leap away, but...
"!!"
The 『Chains of Heaven』 snaked through the air, binding her. Medusa crashed back to the ground.
"The Chains of Heaven. Medusa-san is a goddess. Even with a rank-down, you still possess Divinity, so I shall restrain you."
Ere, the Heroic Princess, stood with her left hand extended, holding the chains. She had sealed Medusa's escape, setting the stage for the wipeout.
"Who... who is that person? Is she a new character?"
"She is an original creation, accepted into your world-view. —Now, Master!"
[On it!!]
Responding with a spirited, blue-collar tone, Master Rikka donned her armor and struck the ground with all her might!
[FINISHING MOVE!! MUDDY FOOTSTEPS TACTIC!!]
"⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛——!?"
The ground beneath the army suddenly turned into a bottomless swamp of mud. Master Rikka, the Beast of Humanity, had used her own "Grail Mud" as magical energy. Because she was a "junior," she kept it to a level where it just trapped their feet, rather than melting them. Still, as long as they were Spirit Origins, they couldn't escape the corruption.
"I miscalculated... I underestimated the Master... ugh... m-my Lord... says... nnh..." Medusa struggled against the chains. Ere saw her opening.
"Lord Nobunaga! Chibi Nobbus! Are you ready?!"
"You bet!! I've taken command of your private militia!!"
『『『『『『NOBBU!!!!』』』』』』
"This is—!" Medusa's eyes widened. Countless rows of Chibi Nobbus stood before them, arranged in three overlapping lines, every single one of them holding a matchlock musket.
"Uhahahahaha!! All for Nobbu, and Nobbu for all!! If I can't use my own power, I'll win with soldiers! That is the ironclad rule of war!!"
This was Ere's strategy—
(Flashback)
"First, Mash-san will open the battle with her shield. Just for a moment, I need you to hold back that army."
"Th-That's a big responsibility! ...I'll do it!"
"Thank you. Next, Master, can you use your Dragon/Mud power to stop their movement?"
"Like a trap? Sure thing! Leave it to me!"
"I'm counting on you. And the finishing blow will be... well..."
『『『『『NOBBU!!』』』』』
"These little ones, and Lord Nobunaga. I'm leaving it to you."
"I see! These little guys have muskets! Wait, are there enough of them for a Three-Line Formation? Seriously?"
"If we're counting the total volume within the Gate of Babylon—umu, the stockpile is such that personnel management is no longer a concern."
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"