Chapter 15 - Siege at Tsuji's castle ~Day 3~
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"Gottsuan!! Gottsuan wake up!!" Captain Goto heard a voice calling. Goto opened her eyes. She had collapsed from sheer exhaustion of staying up all night, shouting orders to her soldiers below while the castle was rained down upon by flaming arrows all night.
"Yes Taka-san, I'm awake." Goto said as she blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to wake up to a state of alertness. "Now what is it??" Goto asked.
"The enemy soldiers, they are leaving." Ishibashi said as he pointed to the thousands of soldiers marching back to their Queen. "Looks like we're safe for now."
"Excellent Matsuura, they are weakened. Now our troops will have no trouble storming the castle once our siege weapons arrive. But for now..." Fujimoto said, she then let out a tired yawn as the first rays of the sun began to rise. "Let us retire and rest until they get here."
"Yes my Queen." Matsuura said, she was feeling very tired and exhausted herself. All of Fujimoto's generals then retired to their tents and went to sleep.
Back at the Tsuji castle, Captain Goto had called a meeting to discuss the night's events.
"Nakai-kun, what damages have we suffered?" Goto asked. Nakai-kun shook his head.
"We have lost more then half our soldiers over the night Captain Goto, if they attack again like that again or stronger...we're done for." Nakai said sadly.
"But they have seemed to have pulled back for now. They aren't attacking at all. Let us take advantage of this situation and get some rest." Goto said as she yawned tiredly. Everyone then laid down around the throne room and fell asleep, utterly exhausted from the previous siege.
"Soldiers!! Fall in!!" Nakazawa screamed. She hadn't lost her touch as a general, even after all these years of being retired.
"Well done, General Nakazawa." Tsuji complimented as she watched her new army form up neatly and quickly.
"Men, Tomorrow morning, we reach Queen Tsuji's castle. Tomorrow morning...we FIGHT!!" Nakazawa shouted. All of the soldiers from each army cheered wildly. "I stand here this morning, and as I look at all of you fine and loyal soldiers, my heart is filled with a great sense of pride and joy to see you all here today. Some of us are new, some have served with me before, and some are not from this continent. But regardless of that, we have all come here for one purpose...to stop QUEEN FUJIMOTO!!" Nakazawa shouted as she raised her fist in the air. All the soldiers erupted in loud cheers and joyous shouts.
Nakazawa then began to walk through the ranks of the new army, admiring each and every soldier for their bravery, determination and loyalty to their Queen. But as she passed one soldier, she stopped in her tracks.
"Who are you??" Nakazawa asked curiously, as she looked at a very young female soldier standing in front of her, armed with a small sword and a small shield.
"My...my name is Koharu Kusumi, General Nakazawa." The young girl said softly. Nakazawa looked this small girl up and down.
"How old are you?" Nakazawa asked as she stepped closer to this young girl.
"I'm...I am 18, General Nakazawa." Koharu said softly, nervousness in her voice.
"I don't believe that. Maybe if you said 17, I might have believed you...maybe. You don't even look 17 either." Nakazawa said, the tone of her voice becoming angrier.
Koharu began to tremble. "Ok ok...I am only 16, General Nakazawa," Koharu said as she lowered her head.
"16 huh...Well, that's too young to serve in this army young lady. Now go home this instance." Nakazawa said as she turned around and began to walk away.
"General Nakazawa!" Koharu said. Nakazawa stopped in her tracks but did not turn around.
"I have no home to go to..." Koharu said, her voice trembling as she then began to cry softly. Nakazawa turned around quickly and looked Koharu in disbelief.
"What do you mean??" Nakazawa asked as she approached Koharu quickly.
"My family lived near the border of Queen Fujimoto's land...her first army came to my town and they...they killed my parents and burned my home. My parents had given me a horse and had sent me south, while they both stayed behind to help others get away. But after Fujimoto's first army was destroyed, I tried to go home...but it was gone, and my parents dead...I have nothing left, nowhere to go." Koharu said sadly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Nakazawa lowered her head and let out a sad sigh, "I'm so sorry Koharu." Nakazawa said as she wiped Koharu's tears gently away with her fingers.
"Please General Nakazawa, Let me stay and fight..." Koharu said softly.
Nakazawa looked at the ground and thought for a moment. "I will let you stay in this army, but I'm sorry. I cannot allow you to fight...However, I have another purpose for you." Nakazawa said as she smiled.
"Forward march!!" Nakazawa yelled. Queen Tsuji's army then began their march, this time to the beat of a drum. As Nakazawa rode in front of the army, she looked back and smiled at Koharu, the drummer girl of Queen Tsuji's new army.
Many hours later, a black rider approached Queen Fujimoto's personal tent. He got off his horse and went inside.
"My Queen," the rider said as he knelt down and bowed respectfully.
"Yes? What is it?" Fujimoto asked as she rolled over in her bed.
"The siege weapons have arrived."
"Excellent! Wake my generals and officers at once!" Fujimoto said as she climbed out of bed and began to get dressed.
"Captain Goto!! Captain Goto!!" a voice called. Goto awoke and saw one of her bodyguards standing in front of her.
"What is it?" Goto asked weakly.
"There...there are many siege weapons in front of the castle. You'd better come see." The guard said.
Captain Goto quickly woke up the others and proceeded to the wall above the castle gates and looked out at the many siege weapons in front of her Queen's castle. "Oh no..." Goto thought to herself, as she gazed upon the numerous catapults, trebuchets, siege towers and other siege weapons outside their walls.
"Well, shall we give these fools one more chance to surrender?" Fujimoto asked slyly. Her Generals all nodded in agreement and then began to ride to the front gates, white flag in hand.
"Queen Fujimoto approaches!" A soldier called out. Captain Goto and her friends looked and saw her coming.
Queen Fujimoto then arrived at the front gates with her generals. She looked at Captain Goto, smiled and waved happily at her. Goto cringed in disgust as to how cheerful this evil Queen was at a time like this.
"Captain Goto, look around you. My siege weapons have finally arrived. Now I'll give you one more chance. Surrender now and I will not have to use them. You're defeated." Fujimoto shouted up to Captain Goto.
"I told you once and I'll tell you again, I will never give up. None of my soldiers or generals will." Captain Goto then saw General Kago on top of a black warhorse, wearing the black armor and red headband of the Fujimoto army. "Kago...you vile little traitor! How could you side with someone like Queen Fujimoto?!" Goto shouted angrily.
"Goto, I really think you should give up. Save yourself and your soldiers. Join us and you will not have to die." Kago shouted back to Captain Goto.
Captain Goto shook with rage as she looked down at Kago, "You are the same as she is. Tsuji should have killed you when she had the chance!!" Goto said. She then turned around and began to stomp away angrily, her friends and fellow officers following quickly behind her.
"Well, we gave them a chance. Come, let us prepare our siege weapons and prepare to attack," Fujimoto said as she began to ride back to her army with her generals.
Captain Goto and Ishibashi then went to the top of the castle's tower and prepared their soldiers as well.
"This is it Taka-san...I don't think we'll survive till tomorrow." Captain Goto said as she shook her head sadly. "But if I must die, I'm glad you're here with me. You've been so kind and loyal to me all the years we've known each other." Goto said. She then smiled up at Ishibashi and held his hand as the first catapult fired at the castle.
The catapult's rock sailed through the air then crashed into the castle's wall. Slamming into the wall hard, shattering on impact, damage was visible on the castle's wall but it still stood. Six more catapults and three trebuchets then fired at the same time, raining down large stones into the castle, smashing into the buildings inside the castle courtyard, destroying some and severly damaging others. Large siege towers then began to approach the castle walls, Ishibashi's archers fired at the towers and prepared to fight when they reached the walls. But large stones from the catapults were smashing into the walls and some smashed right through Captain Goto and Ishibashi's lines of soldiers on the walls. Soldiers began to scatter out of rank in fear, after seeing their fellow soldiers being taken out by the large stones.
"Stay at your posts!!" Ishibashi shouted down to his solders "Do not break rank!!"
Ishibashi's soldiers then shuffled back into rank and loyally held their posts. Even as stones smashed through lines of his men, they still loyally stayed and fought. Large stones continued to bombard the castle, but Queen Tsuji's castle walls were well-built and very strong as Fujimoto began to notice. She then looked up and saw where Captain Goto was commanding her defense forces from.
"Matsuura, aim two of our secret weapons up at that tower and fire when ready." Fujimoto said as she smiled evilly.
"Yes my Queen." Matsuura said. She then commanded two of their secret weapons to take aim and fire at the castle's tower. Two very large arrows then sailed through the sky and sunk into the tower walls. Captain Goto rushed over the the tower's edge and looked down at the two giant arrows sticking out of the wall a few feet below her.
"What is that?" Goto asked as she looked at the large arrows, which both sparkled brightly as the fuses began to burn.
Konno looked up at the tower and recognized the weapon that was sticking out of it.
"GET OUT OF THERE CAPTAIN GOTO!!" Konno screamed, as she knew there were powerful explosives attached to those deadly arrows.
"There's no time..." Ishibashi thought worridly. An idea quickly came to him and he grabbed Captain Goto, hoisted her above his head and lowered her over the castle tower wall.
"Nakai-kun!!" Ishibashi shouted. Nakai looked up and saw Ishibashi holding Captain Goto over the castle tower wall, waving him over. And in an instance he knew what his friend's plan was. Nakai then ordered all of his soldiers to quickly follow him and they formed up very quickly underneath Captain Goto, ready to catch her.
"Taka-san, what are you doing!!" Goto screamed, as she dangled from the castle tower.
"Saving you." Ishibashi said. "Good bye Gottsuan." He then smiled at her and let her go. Captain Goto then fell to the courtyard below, but her fall was cushioned by all the soldiers on the ground who caught her. They then raised their shields above their heads and knelt down.
Ishibashi closed his eyes and smiled, knowing Captain Goto was now safe. Then the explosions went off. Smoke and debris were thrown more than 100 ft into the air, which then rained down on Fujimoto's troops and into the castle courtyard. Loud tings were heard as pieces of debris rained down on the soldiers protecting Captain Goto with their shields. After a few seconds, all went quiet. The soldiers let go of Captain Goto and she stood up. Goto looked up at destroyed tower, There was absolutely nothing left of it anymore.
"Taka-san..." Goto said sadly "TAKA-SAN!!" Goto cried out sadly as she collapsed on the ground. Nakai lowered his head sadly, knowing that his friend was now gone
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End of Chapter 15
Topic: The great Tsuji-moto war (Read 6262 times)