Chapter 95: Taking a Stand


    After graduallying to terms with the fact that he was going to be a father, Nobu, still cradling the uncharacteristically obedient Inami, asked, "So? What now? I don''t really care about culture and traditions but I can''t imagine this being okay with either of ours ns..."


    Curling up into an even smaller ball than the one she was already in, Inami tucked her head closer to Nobu as she answered, "You''re right...if it bes known I''m pregnant with your children, there is a chance I will be forced to abort it. Depending on the circumstances, I may even be put to death. It is heavily frowned upon for-"


    "Wait a minute. Did you just say children? As in more than than one...?"


    Nodding her head, Inami slowly and deliberately moved her hand to her exposed abdomen as she exined, "There are currently two lives growing inside of me..."


    "Of course there are..."


    Punctuating his words with an incredulous chuckle, Nobu returned his gaze to the ceiling above. He hadn''t even considered the possibility of twins. ording to what he had learned from Kumiko and Yui, it was supposed to be impossible due to some convoluted bullshit rted to the bnce of Yin and Yang Elemental energy within the mother''s body.


    "Fate really is pulling all the stops to fuck with me..."


    Perking her ears, Inami was tempted to ask what Nobu meant, but, immediately after the utterance, Nobu pulled her closer, adding, "Well, it''s whatever. Like I said before, I don''t really care about shit like that. From now on, you''re my woman. Understood...?"


    Furrowing her brows, Inami briefly considered protesting. Sure, she might need Nobu''s support to carry her children to term but she was still the Guardian of the Yoshitsune n. She wasn''t going to just-


    Interrupting Inami''s train of thought, Nobu nted a kiss atop her head before pulling her deeper into his embrace, practically cuddling her as he absentmindedly mused, "Guess I''ll need to work a little harder to make this world a better ce for our children..."


    With Nobu''s words serving as a very prominent reminder of his destiny, Inami promptly suppressed her pride as she nestled against his chest. She had almost forgotten how truly special Nobu was. He was the man prophesied to, quite literally, unify all of Nian. Compared to that, what value was there in a title that designated her the Guardian of a single n...?


    "Waka-danna is already a great man...were to genuinely exert yourself, there would be nothing in this world that could stop you..."


    Though he got the distinct impression Inami was brownnosing him, a light chuckle still emanated from Nobu''s throat. It could be pretty awkward at times but it never felt bad to receive someone''s praise. Inami was also, at least for the time being, far beyond him in terms of skill, experience, and just about everything else that mattered in this world. Despite this, she still cuddled up next to him as if he were the one supporting her...


    "You''re pretty cute. Did I ever tell you that...?"


    Furrowing her brows ever so slightly, Inami allowed her inordinatelyrge and fluffy ears to gently bat Nobu''s chin as he went on to add, "Also, stop calling me Waka-danna. My name is Nobunaga, not Young Master. If you''re going to be my woman, you need to get in the habit of calling me by name. If our kids start throwing around honorifics, you''re the one who''ll be receiving a spanking..."


    With her butt twitching involuntarily in response to Nobu''s words, a rather potent me began to spread through Inami''s body. She had already realized it, but, whenever Nobu behaved in a brutish or tyrannical manner, her instincts would go haywire. Her heat had actually subsided several weeks prior, yet, every time she was around him, her body would go crazy with the desire to breed.


    ("This must be how other kunoichi feel when they imprint on someone...how utterly ridiculous...")


    A stark contrast to her thoughts, Inami pulled herself up to nt a kiss on Nobu''s lips. Then, with a fiery glow in her eyes, ascivious smile spread across her face as she stated, "I''ve never been called cute before...I''m not sure whether I should punish or reward you..."


    Feeling Inami''s body temperature rapidly increasing, a crooked smile developed across Nobu''s face as he asked, "Are you okay to keep fucking...?"


    Borrowing a bit of Nobu''s vernacr, an amused chuckle emanated from Inami''s throat as she said, "How arrogant...your cock, while impressive, isn''t ''that'' big. If you''ll recall, I still have to let you lead just to avoid identally injuring you. Even if you were ten times rougher with me, it would feel no different than a child pestering me for attention..."


    "..."


    Though he got the impression that Inami was trying to talk dirty with him, Nobu wasn''t particrly fond of her choice of words. He understood this was basically her way of asking him to be rougher with her, but, at the same time, she had insulted his pride. He didn''t consider himself a vain person but he had asked the Goddess of the Six Paths to let him keep his body prior to reincarnating. This ended up being the biggest mistake he ever made so it actually hurt quite a bit to hear someone, even inadvertently, rub it in...


    Fortunately, Nobu was nothing if not shameless, so, just as Inami was beginning to feel as though she had erred, a smile developed across his face as she said, "Now I kind of want to push my luck. Lay down. It might seem a little redundant at this point but I''m going to put you in a mating press. Let''s see how you talk when you''re stomach is inted and your eyes are rolling into the back of your head..."


    Without waiting for Inami''s response, Nobu rolled over so that he was leaning over her ostensibly frail and petite body. He was intending to pin her tails beneath her, but, as if nothing in the world could stop them, they ended up sliding free as she linked her arms around his neck and yfully mused, "Show me what you''ve got, Wa-ka-cha-ma~."


    And so he did.


    ...


    ..


    .


    Though he was originally nning to stay in the estate while Kaia was being transferred over, Nobu ultimately elected to go with them. Instead of traveling the entire way, however, he stopped over at the main house located atop the mountain with Yui, Onihime, and Inami in tow. He couldn''t exactly keep Inami''s pregnancy a secret, so, before things got even further out of hand, he was nning to make his stance known to Hitomi, and, if necessary, the rest of the Elders.


    Fortunately, or perhaps not, each of the aforementioned individuals had already gathered together. They were clearly awaiting the group''s arrival, and, considering there wasn''t even a trace of Hitomi''s usual smile, it was pretty obvious she knew exactly why they were visiting. When Inami took it upon herself to sit on Nobu''s opposite side, effectively nking him with Yui, her reddish-pink eye literally glowed with a malicious red light.


    Surprising everyone present, even the inexpressibly befuddled Yui, Nobu was actually the first to speak, dering, "Stop ring. I''ve already made up my mind. Even if there was some shady shit going on behind the scenes, it was my decision to fuck Inami every day for the past five weeks. If you want to me someone, me me. Leave Inami out of this."


    Though Hitomi didn''t stop ring, Inami found it hard to suppress a smile as her ears and tails twitched happily in response to Nobu''s words. It was at times like this that his brash nature seemed like a blessing rather than a curse. Most people, even Nobles, would cower if they found themselves in a simr position. Nobu was the exact opposite in this regard as he actually became increasingly more obstinate as the odds were stacked against him.


    "Waka-chan...I don''t think you understand the gravity of the current situation..."


    Instead of refuting Hitomi''s words, Nobu responded with a curt, "You''re right." before following it with a defiant, "I also don''t give a damn."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Realizing that Nobu wasn''t going to give ground on this issue, a tired sigh escaped Hitomi''s lips as she massaged her temples and said, "I''ll need to report this to your father, Lord Senken. Knowing him, he probably won''t mind all that much. However, you''ll need to be prepared. If either of Inami-sama''s children are born male-"


    Interrupting before Hitomi could finish nting her massive fucking red g, Nobu''s expression darkened as he said, "Don''t say shit like that. I''ve already discussed this with Yui but I can basically tell when shit''s about to hit the fan based on people''s words and actions. If you go around saying things like that, you''re basically tempting fate to fuck with you. Just drop it."


    Recalling quite a number of conversations rted to Nobu''s apparent precognitive ability, Hitomi just nodded her head, stating, "Very well. I will defer to your judgment on this matter. So long as your decisions do not jeopardize the survival of our n, you will continue to have our support..."


    Though he was tempted to point out that was also a g, Nobu knew he wouldn''t be able to avoid trouble once his cultivation base exceeded a certain threshold. His decision to save the Yoshitsune n would also ce him at odds with one of the Matron Goddesses of Nian, so, even if he would rathery low and avoid trouble, Nobu knew it would invariably find him. Running away was always an option, but, in a world filled with magic, monsters, and cultivation, his only real options were to give up, kill himself, or be strong enough to beat the ever-living shit out of anyone who stood in his way...


    Since his life and death were bing increasingly interconnected with the lives and deaths of others, Nobu had already chosen to pursue the path of power. There were things in this world he wanted to protect, and, based on this most recent development with Inami, it was pretty obvious that fate wanted to give him even more reasons to pursue the path of his predecessor. He didn''t care if other people viewed him as a fool. When everything was said and done, the world would both celebrate and fear the name Oda Nobunaga...


    "Don''t worry. With my support, the Yoshitsune n will be second only to the Oda in status and authority. By the time I make my debut a year from now, your n will have dozens of additional cultivators in the Fifth Realm, if not higher. I guaran-fucking-tee it."


    Understanding that Nobu was talking about the children who would be entrusted to him, Hitomi''s smile promptly returned to her face. She was well aware of the mutualistic exchange that had led to an exponential increase in his power while simultaneously empowering three trainee-level kunoichi to the pinnacle of the First Realm. If he could do the same with the others, it wasn''t an exaggeration to say that the Yoshitsune n was about to experience a golden age. After all, the Fifth Realm was something that required decades of effort for even the most talented cultivators to achieve. If Nobu could help literal children achieve it in months, he wouldn''t just have the power to unify Nian. If his ambition spread beyond their borders, he might even be able to conquer the world...


    "How reliable..."


    ...


    ..


    .


    (A/N: For those who are unaware, this novel is structured in such a way that it could be converted into an eroge. In other words, a lot of the heroic and legendary figures that will appear in the future will be female. Nobu will have male friends, but, as he expands his influence beyond Owari, many of his most powerful allies will be women. As for his actual harem, there are only going to be around 3-5 love interests. Will he fuck other women? Of course. Will they be his wives or give birth to his children? Very, very unlikely.)