[Anomaly]

Translation: Word (Microsoft), there are probably errors in the masculine and feminine pronouns.

Chapter 7

Japan, 1547.

In a dark and gloomy room, far from the lands of Owari, three men met in secret. They were leaders of minor clans, but their alliance had made them a force to be reckoned with. However, in the last two years, something had changed. The balance of power in the region was tilting dangerously toward a single name: Oda Nobunaga.

The first to speak was Chiba Takamasa, leader of the Chiba Clan. He was a middle-aged man, with a gray beard and cold eyes that reflected years of battles and betrayals.

"It's been two years since that brat, Oda Nobunaga, began to gain influence," Takamasa said, pounding his fist on the table. "And in that time, we've seen our allies reach out to her. Renowned samurai, talented craftsmen, even some of our own vassals have begun to sympathize with their cause. If we don't act soon, it will be too late."

The second man, Miura Haruto, leader of the Miura Clan, nodded gravely. He was younger than Takamasa, but his face was marked with worry. "We can't underestimate her just because of her age. He is barely twelve years old, but he already demonstrates a cunning that surpasses that of many experienced generals. He has not fought battles, but his ability to win allies is alarming. If we don't stop her now, when she's old enough to lead her own campaign, she'll be unstoppable."

The third man, Uchima Yoshinori, leader of the Uchima Clan, was silent for a moment before speaking. He was the oldest of the three, and his voice had a tone of authority that the others respected. "The problem is not just Nobunaga," he finally said. "It's that servant of his, the red-haired one. Senji Muramasa. I've heard rumors that he's a prodigy with a sword and a forge. If Nobunaga has someone like that by his side, our task will be even more difficult."

Takamasa frowned. "So what do you propose? Shall we directly attack Oda Nobunaga's castle?"

Yoshinori shook his head. "No. A frontal attack would be a mistake. Nobunaga is too cunning, and her defenses are solid. We need a more subtle strategy."

Haruto leaned forward, his eyes shining with an idea. "What if we eliminate Nobunaga before his father dies? If the elder Oda Nobuhide passes away, he will take control of the clan, and then he will be unstoppable. But if we kill him now, while he is still a child, the Oda Clan will be plunged into chaos."

The three men exchanged glances, considering the proposal. It was risky, but it was also his best chance.

"We need someone who can infiltrate Nagoya Castle," Takamasa finally said. "Someone who can approach Nobunaga without raising suspicion."

Yoshinori nodded. "And that he is skilled enough to kill him and escape undetected."

Haruto smiled, but there was no joy in his expression. "I have someone in mind. A ninja from my clan, Kageyama. It is silent, lethal, and has no connection to any of our clans. If it fails, they won't be able to trace it back to us."

The other two leaders nodded, understanding the gravity of the decision they had just made. It wasn't just about killing a child; It was about preventing a future leader from being born and changing the course of history.

"Then it's decided," Takamasa said, raising his glass. "We'll eliminate Oda Nobunaga before it's too late."

The other two leaders raised their glasses as well, and the three of them silently toasted, knowing that their lives and their clans depended on the success of this mission.

❅──────✧❃✧──────❅•

Owari Province, Nagoya City.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows on the stone path that led to the castle's grand entrance. Kageyama stopped a few steps away from the guards blocking his advance.

"Your purpose here?" one of them asked, his voice dry and professional.

Kageyama remained calm. I didn't expect an easy welcome. Gaining access to Oda Nobunaga's castle was a challenge in itself, but he was confident in his plan. He bowed slightly, ready to respond.

However, before he could open his mouth, the guards reacted unexpectedly.

Their bodies, once tense, softened in an almost rehearsed movement. As if an invisible presence had changed the atmosphere. Then, without saying a word, they bowed respectfully.

It was at that moment that Kageyama saw them.

From the path, two young men of fierce elegance advanced.

They were identical. The same long, black, silky-smooth hair that reflected golden sparkles as sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees. Their gait was firm, almost ethereal, as if they were floating on the stone with absolute confidence.

The first thing that caught his attention were his eyes. A vibrant gold that shone with intensity and determination, as if they could pierce any lie with a single glance.

Kageyama felt something strange inside him. It was not fear, nor surprise. It was the feeling of being in front of something that did not quite belong to this world.

The twin on the right had a firm expression, her face impassive and sharp, as if she could easily read Kageyama. Her hair was partially gathered in two buns adorned with black roses. His outfit resembled that of a ninja, but at the same time, it wasn't. The white of the suit contrasted with the black of the sleeves and high collar, creating a striking combination, far removed from the somber tones that a true ninja would use to hide in the dark.

The outfit fitted her figure, eliminating the baggy characteristic of ninja suits, as if discretion was not her priority. And at his waist, a daishō hung with an imposing presence, a choice that further broke with the image of a ninja. It was not a weapon for stealth.

It was a symbol of authority and danger.

The twin on the left, on the other hand, was different. Not less intimidating, but more reserved. His expression was serene, observant, as if he analyzed every detail around him without haste. Her hair, although similar in length to her sister's, had different ornaments: pinks in soft shades such as lavender and light pink, which gave it a more subtle image.

Despite these differences, their clothing was identical, with slight details that differentiated them. Both wore an embroidered emblem on their shoulders: the symbol of the Oda Clan.

A stylized five-petal flower with a symmetrical design.

They were not simple courtesans or companions of the nobility.

They were samurai.

Kageyama needed only a moment to understand it. These girls were not ornamental.

The way the guards had bowed to them, the way they walked fearlessly, with a natural confidence... Everything indicated that his presence meant something.

Ignoring the uneasiness they caused him, he resumed his purpose naturally.

"I'm here to apply for work," he said, addressing the guards in a calm, confident tone. "I'm a good cook."

The guards exchanged glances.

"Cook?" one asked skeptically.

"Yes. I have worked in several noble houses before coming here," Kageyama replied confidently. "I can prepare dishes that even Mr. Nobunaga would find satisfying."

The guards didn't seem entirely convinced. It was not common for someone to ask to enter the castle with such a simple excuse. However, the need for another cook was real. The old lady in charge of the kitchen had recently retired, her age no longer allowed her to work as before.

Finally, after a few seconds of deliberation, one of the guards nodded.

"You're lucky. We are precisely looking for a replacement. Come with me, Nobunaga-sama will decide whether you are suitable for this place or not."

Kageyama bowed his head in gratitude, but internally his mind was still analyzing the situation. Now he had a chance to enter the castle. It was only the first step, but the most important thing was not to make mistakes.

As the guard began to guide him inside, his eyes drifted one last time to the twins. They both watched him with the same cold, indecipherable intensity. They didn't say anything. They made no gesture.

But Kageyama knew it at that moment.

Those two teenagers would not lose sight of him.

The sound of their footsteps echoed softly through the halls of the castle, mingling with the distant murmur of servants and warriors engaged in their labors. Kageyama kept his expression calm, but his gaze did not stop analyzing every detail around him.

The walls were decorated with screens painted with scenes of battles and dragons in flight, symbols of power and ambition. The air carried the subtle scent of incense burning in some distant corner.

The guard guiding him didn't say a single word, which gave Kageyama time to prepare mentally. His mission was just beginning, but he had already found unexpected factors: those twins and now the uncertainty about what his meeting with Oda Nobunaga would be like.

Finally, they arrived at a large room.

As the sliding doors opened, Kageyama was greeted by a scene of tranquility and refinement.

In the center, surrounded by several maids who performed the tea ceremony with almost choreographed precision, was he.

Oda Nobunaga.

Kageyama felt a slight pause in his thoughts.

The leader of the Oda was not what he expected.

Sitting with natural elegance, Nobunaga had a serene expression, watching the tea preparation with a calmness that contrasted with his reputation as a ruthless strategist. His posture was relaxed but refined, and his movements, as he took the cup in his hands, were smooth and calculated.

But what really baffled Kageyama were his features.

They were delicate. Too much.

Nobunaga's face had a femininity that defied any first impression. Large, sharp eyes, thin lips and white skin. Her dark hair was combed precisely, dropping a few strands that framed her face in a way that could make anyone doubt.

For a moment, Kageyama wondered if he was really seeing a young warlord... or a girl dressed as one.

He didn't show his confusion, but his mind revolved around that one question.

Is it really a child... or a girl?

The sound of tea being poured into the ceramic cup echoed in the large room. Nobunaga, without looking up, took the container in his hands and drank calmly, as if Kageyama's presence was completely irrelevant.

The guard who had brought him bowed.

"My lord, I am Kageyama. I have come looking for work as a cook."

Nobunaga finally looked up. His eyes, filled with a brightness that was difficult to decipher, fell on Kageyama with a mixture of indifference and curiosity.

"Oh, a cook?" he said in an almost nonchalant tone, resting his cheek on one hand. "Tell me, stranger... how many grains of rice are in a sack?"

Kageyama blinked.

Excuse me?"

"Tsk, you didn't pay attention," Nobunaga made a gesture of exaggerated disappointment. "I asked you how many grains of rice are in a sack."

Kageyama kept his composure. Was it a joke? A test?

"I couldn't say exactly, sir. It would depend on the size of the bag and the variety of rice."

"Bah! What a boring response," Nobunaga complained, turning to one of the maids. "What do you think?"

The woman, accustomed to her lord's eccentricities, simply smiled and poured more tea.

Nobunaga clicked his tongue and squinted at Kageyama again.

"Okay, second question. If a rooster lays an egg on top of the castle, where will it roll?"

Kageyama felt a twinge of disbelief.

"Sir... roosters don't lay eggs."

Nobunaga tapped the table with emotion, as if he had just witnessed a great discovery.

"Ohhh! So at least you have a brain. You're not as dumb as you seem."

Kageyama didn't know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult.

The young lord of Owari took a sip of his tea and asked another question with a mischievous smile.

"Last test: if you have three radishes and they take two from you, how many do you have left?"

Kageyama frowned.

"One, sir."

Nobunaga let out a dramatic sigh.

"Ah, how simple you are! The answer is obvious, but you didn't think any further... You are left with the memories of the radishes that were taken from you."

Silence settled in the room.

Kageyama felt his mind fogging up.

Is this the prodigy of the Odas? The strategist feared by his enemies? Or just a hopeless fool?

As he tried to process the situation, Nobunaga grinned from ear to ear, satisfied with his show.

"Very good, very good. I like you, cook. Now tell me, what do you know how to prepare? Or do you also need me to explain it to you?"

Kageyama kept his composure and replied in a firm voice:

"I can make rice with fried fish, vegetable salad, tofu and potato soup."

Nobunaga clicked his tongue, as if his answer did not impress him in the least. He took another sip of his tea and smiled carefreely.

"Sounds decent."

Kageyama took the moment to ask:

"Sir, what did those earlier questions have to do with this work?"

The silence that followed was heavier than expected. Nobunaga did not respond. There was no trace of his mocking attitude or his feigned clumsiness.

That's when Kageyama saw it.

Nobunaga's red eyes were shining.

The air in the room seemed to become denser, as if an invisible weight fell on him.

Before he could react, his instinct screamed danger at him.

And then it happened.

I hadn't heard them move. He didn't even feel a change in the atmosphere until it was too late.

One in front.

Two on the sides.

The twins were now on his left and right.

And a red-haired boy was right in front of him.

As if they had appeared out of nowhere.

Kageyama was not a rookie. He had faced all kinds of warriors and assassins, but this... this was something else.

He felt his breathing flutter slightly as he saw the redhead's eyes.

Black sclera. Pupils as white as the moon.

There was no iris.

"This is not human."

A shiver ran down his spine as his mind brought back a buried memory.

Province of Echigo.

Kageyama had traveled there on an assassination mission. The target: a minor lord allied with Uesugi Masatora.

It was a quick, clean operation, like all the ones I performed. He infiltrated the residence in the middle of the night, eliminated his target without anyone noticing, and disappeared before dawn.

But what stuck with him most about that mission was not the blood or the stealth with which he operated.

It was the murmurs.

As he slipped through the shadows, he heard soldiers whispering in the barracks.

"They say that Masatora-dono has taken under his wing a child with eyes that are not of this world."

"Moon's eyes, they call him. Some say it's a spirit. Others, that it is a demon disguised as a human."

"It seems normal at first... until you look into his eyes."

They were words spoken between sips of sake and nervous laughter. Hearsay. Stories to scare newbies.

Kageyama didn't believe in them.

Until now.

Because he had it right in front of him.

It wasn't just one.

The twins next to him shared those same inhuman eyes.

Black sclera. Pupils as white as the full moon.

There was no iris.

A shiver ran down his spine.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

His body tensed instinctively. He could not afford to show weakness.

But now he knew for sure:

These people were not ordinary.

…

The air inside Nagoya Castle felt dense, heavy. Kageyama was breathing heavily.

He had tried. He had infiltrated, he had planned every detail, he had thought of all the possibilities. But he had made a mistake.

And now he was surrounded.

Senji Muramasa stood in front of him, his expression serene, but his eyes analyzed him with the precision of an executioner. There was no rage or fury in his eyes, only certainty. As if he knew from the beginning that this was the end of the road for him.

To his right was Hana. His stance was firm, with the assurance of someone who was not afraid to get his hands dirty. His moon-like eyes seemed to light up in the gloom, and his katana rested on his waist like a beast waiting to be unleashed.

To his left was Himari. His expression was different from Hana's: he showed no aggression, but a dangerous calmness. That kind of calm that precedes the storm.

Kageyama felt a chill run down his spine. Sweat dripped down his neck.

He was trapped, with two options.

Kill Oda Nobunaga.

If I did, maybe I'd have a chance. If he landed a well-aimed blow, if his blade found Nobunaga's flesh before the Muramasa could react...

Perhaps he would die, but his mission would be accomplished.

Chaos would break out within Owari and the Oda Clan.

But could he? Could he really move before they pierced him with their katanas?

The odds were minimal.

Or escape.

I could try. He could launch an attack, divert attention for a split second, and flee. It would not be a dignified retirement, but he would still be alive.

However, something inside him told him that it was too late. The Muramasas weren't stopping him with words.

He was not being interrogated.

They weren't asking him for explanations.

They had already decided.

Sweat dripped from his neck. His breathing became erratic.

I knew what it meant. They were going to kill him.

Kageyama swallowed.

Attack or flee?

To risk glory or to cling to life?

I had only one second to decide.

A single instant. A beat of his heart.

The drop of sweat slipped from his forehead, ran down his cheek, down his chin, and finally fell on the tatami with a slight plop.

It was the signal.

Kageyama disappeared.

He moved at an inhuman speed, his figure blurred into thin air like a shadow in the storm. His survival instinct drove him to rush for the exit, dodging any threat in his path.

If he managed to cross the threshold, he would be free.

If he managed just one more step, he could escape.

But then...

The world bowed.

A cutting sound ripped through the air.

She felt no pain at first. Just a void. A sudden change in the structure of your own body.

Then came the impact.

The tatami trembled as her body fell to its knees.

And finally, the scream.

Kageyama's leg was gone.

Senji Muramasa had been there from the beginning.

He had appeared on the threshold before Kageyama could comprehend him. Like lightning, like an inescapable curse.

And with a single cut, his fate was sealed.

Blood soaked the ground. Kageyama breathed, his eyes fixed on the stump where his leg once stood.

He was supposed to escape.

But now, he could only bleed out on the ground.

Senji, on the other hand, was still standing.

With the katana stained red.

Observing its prey with the same calmness with which someone looks at the sunrise.

Hana and Himari surrounded him without saying a word. There was no mockery in his moon-like eyes. There was no cruelty. Just absolute coldness.

Kageyama tried to laugh, but the sound that came out of his throat was a faint, almost pathetic gasp.

"So... that's how it ends."

It was not a question.

He knew the answer.

Oda Nobunaga had not moved an inch. He sat still, watching the scene with the same nonchalant expression as before. With a calmness that seemed mocking.

"Kageyama..." Nobunaga said, his voice soft, almost entertaining. "Do you know what they say about injured dogs?"

Kageyama looked up.

"That when they can't run anymore... they must be stopped."

Hana and Himari drew their katanas at the same time.

The clanging sound was the last thing he heard before everything went black.