The Angel of Death-Ikemen Sengoku

Chapter 7-Protector and the Protected

It was cute, using bandages for bruises. She didn't break any bones, but it showed how hard she hit them. The maid was not in the room, presumably because she couldn't speak. Green eyes broke her jaw most likely, and she was probably illiterate-as she had come to find, most of the servants are. Didn't help her case right now. It helped not to think of the impending consequences. If she was deemed guilty, only death could be her escape.

Akira sits to the left of the guards, who were off center and to the right. A good 4-ish feet was between them, although that didn't stop them from shooting her looks. That improved her mood-how pathetic it was that they thought to intimidate her. Hideyoshi seemed content to leave her be, which could be a good sign. If she really had tried to kill the guards, why leave a witness? And better yet, why would the witness accept help from her attacker? Fear, or it meant that Akira wasn't her attacker. Maybe...just maybe she might get out of this.

Hideyoshi and Masamune saw how she treated the maids who worked for her. Every maid in Azuchi Castle was under her command so there's likely already some doubt on the guards who cried wolf. She liked Masamune-and hoped he liked her the same because his voice would be critical in her defense. A man who will always speak his mind. Actually, maybe the others saw too-possibly Nobunaga? Things were better than she expected. The negative was always on her mind, and she needed to learn to see the good.

In silence they sat, until Nobunaga's booming voice carried through the room.

"Explain yourselves."

She forgot about how little rapport she had with the judge.

Akira hates how her mind works.

"She tried to kill us."

Green eyes pointed at Akira, who remained silent. Brown eyes was clearly submissive in their partnership, content with letting his partner make most of the decisions (and accusations). Nobunaga narrowed his eyes, examining the guard. Those eyes of his could scare even the mightiest of warriors, and it seemed to work. But green eyes was good, his body language hardly gave away anything, other than that he was nervous. Whispers floated through the crowd, and not one of the warlords said anything. Neither in defense of her, or in support of the guards. Even Hideyoshi, who should have been eager to defend his men.

"Enough!"

Immediately the voices stop. Nobunaga looks to Akira next. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Despite his words, his tone wasn't accusatory. More stern and authoritative. It was...odd.

"I have nothing to say. If I am truly guilty, then prove it with more than the words of a fool."

Akira heard Masamune muffle his snort of laughter. Mitsuhide was enjoying this too, the sadist. But look who's talking-how hypocritical. Ieyasu was shaking his head. Mitsunari seemed confused, but that was expected. A brilliant but dense mind. His positivity was good, good for her. She liked Mitsunari too.

But the anger in the guard rose, his hands shaking as he clenched them. The murmurs in the crowd rose again. And finally, Hideyoshi narrowed his eyes. The protector had become protective. These were definitely his men, and he was conflicted between what he had seen from Akira and the maid, and the guards.

"You doubt our word? Look at what you did to us!"

Brown eyes pulls back his sleeve to reveal the bandages. They covered his forearm, and stopped below the wrist and right before his elbow.

"If you can't handle a few bruises, you shouldn't be a soldier."

Now that pissed the guards and Hideyoshi off pretty bad. Akira had stopped paying attention to the crowd-the danger was no longer with them. It was in the guards, Hideyoshi, and Nobunaga. Speaking of whom, the demon king was silent. It unsettled her, how strange he was acting. The guard drops his sleeve, and returns to his sitting position, his face contorted in anger alongside his friend's.

"Enough of this madness."

Hideyoshi hisses out his words. Abruptly he stands and marches over to Akira, his anger manifesting in extreme calm. It was strange to see how his anger was shown. Like the eye of a storm-right before the second wave of madness struck. Footsteps quiet and smooth.

Nobody stopped him when he wrenched her arm.

She had to rise to her knees so he didn't tear her arm out of its socket. A shiver runs down her back not because of the pain, not the cut that she'd earned no-the grim reminder that someone had done this before emerged from the depths of her memories.

Memories of a man who actually pulled her arm out of the socket. A man who did much worse than the dull pain of a sword wound. And a man who was dead. That's what she needed to remind herself of. Dead. Death. Ashes. Long gone from this world. Buried in the cold, wet ground.

Hideyoshi had been interrogating her, but Akira hadn't been paying attention. But she hadn't been concentrating on her expression either. That's where she had gotten lucky-her expression was the same as before. Stoic, cool, and calm. Unresponsive. Good. If the control was gone, then the next thing would be a panic attack. The last one was so long ago and this man who thought he could touch her was bringing on another one.

The warlords took up different expressions to her berating-Masamune was stern, Ieyasu was concerned although he hid it well. That made her glad-the lone warlord who had pushed her away was worried for the wanderer. Mitsunari on the other hand was visibly concerned. Even Mitsuhide had dropped his mischievous façade and took up a dour expression. And Nobunaga-well he was the same as before. Unchanging. That helped too-he was acting like Nobunaga.

"Answer me-"

The warlord stopped his rant, and it made Akira look away from his eyes. It was strange, how she could see the blood, but hardly felt it pour out of her laceration. Guess she was just used to it by now. Hideyoshi drops her arm and steps back-his eyes wide not from fear, but shock. Akira slips back onto the floor, her arm in her lap and unconcerned by her open wound.

Even Nobunaga looked surprised-she must have hidden it better than she thought despite her close call. "Good god you're crazy!" Ieyasu rushes over and gently lifts her arm to inspect the damage. The blonde warlord was an experienced physician so it didn't take him long-perhaps a minute or less. He snaps his head around, his light green eyes piercing Hideyoshi's hazel ones.

"Back off."

Akira was surprised at his protectiveness-she didn't know why he would defend her. Her face softened as he began to attend to her wound. "Ieyasu, I'm fine-" "Like hell you are." He wouldn't take no for an answer. Maybe it was because Nobunaga had claimed her-although that wouldn't cause the emotion in his eyes. No, there was something else.

The crudely wrapped bandages fell to the floor as Ieyasu applied a proper dressing. Everyone in the room was staring, watching-most eyes were on her, but some focused on Nobunaga who still had yet to say a word. And the guards kept their mouths shut-they wanted, no, needed to see if their ruse was up.

The loyal vassal looked torn between sides-did he do right by his lord by interrogating the suspect? Or did he harm an innocent... His moral compass and fidelity were at war, and you could see it on his face.

Her arm was still being treated when Nobunaga stood.

Published February 24th, 2021