Ikemen Sengoku: Romances Across Time (PS VITA) - Oda Nobunaga [Episode 1]
Nobunaga: "Iâll take good care of you, Mai."
His deep crimson eyes loomed right before me, stealing my breath. He was smiling, yet his gaze was cold enough to freeze me to the bone.
âMai slaps Nobunaga's hand away
Only after I shake off his hand do I come back to my senses.
Mai: (This is badâI mightâve angered himâŠ!)
Hideyoshi: "You... What kind of insolence is this...?"
Nobunaga: "It matters not, Hideyoshi."
Nobunaga leans back against the armrest (1) and begins to laugh.
Mai: (He doesnât seem angry⊠but why is he laughing? It feels like heâs making fun of meâŠ)
Unable to bear the tension, I moved away from Nobunaga and took a seat at the far end of the room. (2)
Hideyoshi: "You, if you ever dare to raise a hand against Lord Nobunaga againâŠ"
"I will cut you down where you stand."
Sitting beside Nobunaga, Hideyoshi fixes me with a furious glare.
"Cut me down� Anyone would get mad if they were touched like that!"
His deep voice cut through the room sharply making me flinchâwhen suddenly, one of the retainers dropped to his knees at the entrance to the hall, his face deathly pale.
Vassal 1: "I have a report! Weâve received word from the scouts we dispatched to the west..."
"A minor lord under the Oda has raised a rebellion against you, Lord Nobunaga!" (3)
Nobunaga: "Iâve only just returned to Azuchi, and already thereâs news of rebellion. No time to rest, it seems."
As he listens to the report, Nobunaga smilesâclearly amused, despite his words.
Mitsuhide: "Well then⊠how shall we proceed, my lord?"
Nobunaga: "Iâll go myself. The enemy numbers at most one or two thousandâin that case five hundred will be enough to strike them."
Ieyasu: "Youâre going yourself, my lord? Leaving with only five hundred is reckless."
It was impossible to tell what Nobunaga, smiling with those cold eyes, was thinking. As I stare at him, stunned, our eyes suddenly meet.
Nobunaga: "Ah. And one more thingâ"
"You shall come along as well."
The room erupts in murmurs, but Nobunaga ignores it and continues.
Nobunaga: "Indeed. See to it that you bring me good fortune."
Mai: (When he said heâd keep me by his side as a good-luck charm⊠he wasnât actually serious, was he!?)
Nobunaga: "Prepare yourself at once. Weâll gather the troops and march out before sundown."
Selection
â Absolutely not! (â€ïžâ )
Mai: "âNo way! Absolutely not! Iâm not going!"
Gathering every ounce of courage I could muster, I voiced my honest feelings.
Nobunaga: "Whether you like it or not is none of my concern. This decision is final."
â I can't do this!
Mai: "IâI canât do this! Going along to a battlefield⊠thatâs impossible!"
My voice trembles slightly with fear as I protest.
Nobunaga: "Thereâs nothing impossible about it. You will simply stay by my side and watch the battle."
â Do I really have to?
Mai: "Do I really have to�"
As I timidly ask, he looks down at me with open disdain.
Nobunaga: "Of course. Donât waste my time with foolish questions."
Leaving me standing there in stunned silence, Nobunaga strode out the great hall.
Hideyoshi: "âŠIf itâs Lord Nobunagaâs command, thereâs no helping it. Donât worryâit wonât be a major battle. Iâll help you get ready."
My protests fall on deaf ears as Hideyoshi grabs my wrist and drags me out of the hall.
And just like that, on my second day after traveling through time⊠I find myself witnessing firsthand a real-life battle.
âThe scene shifts to the battle camp
A few hours laterâinside what they call the main camp, something like a command centerâI sit curled up, trembling. (4)
Mai: (How did it come to this�)
From just beyond the thin canvas of the tent, I hear the pounding of hooves, the shouts of countless samurai, andâ
the clash of steel along with bursts of gunfire ringing out, one after another, without pause.
Vassal 1: "My lord! The enemy general has appeared outside the castle on horseback!"
Nobunaga: "Rather than hole up and await death, heâs chosen to risk his life in battle. Heâs got gutsâI like that. Iâll put an end to this personally."
"Youâll be bored staying here, wonât you? ComeâIâll let you watch from my side."
Mai: "Um, I'll passâŠâŠ"
Vassal 2: "Come, my lady, this way."
âThe scene shifts to the battlefield
Before I can resist, Iâm lifted onto a retainerâs horse and we ride straight out onto the open field.
Over the heads of the soldiers guarding me, I catch glimpses of spears and blades clashing.
Mai: (Please⊠if this is a dream, let me wake up.)
Enemy Commander: "Aim for Nobunagaâs head! Release the arrows!"
Whooshâa flaming arrow slices through the air from the enemy lines.
Its burning tip veers off target and comes straight at me.
The instant I brace myself, unable to even screamâ
âThere is a slice of a sword and the sound of clashing metal
The arrow is split clean in two, right before my eyes.
Nobunaga: "To mistake this woman for me⊠It seems the enemy archers are utterly useless."
When I slowly lifted my head, Nobunaga stood there with his blade drawn, his figure illuminated by the flames of battle, seeming to shine.
Mai: (Lord Nobunaga⊠saved me�)
Nobunaga: "Youâare you hurt?"
Nobunaga: "Good. Then stand there and watch carefully."
"Your only task is to remain under my protection."
A faint smile crossed Nobunagaâs lips before his expression hardened, fixing the enemy with a cold, unyielding gaze.
Nobunaga: "I am your opponentâdo not make that mistake again!"
Mai: (Such an overwhelming presenceâŠ)
His powerful voice made my heart pound strangely fast, and in that moment I felt like Nobunaga was the most dependable person in the worldâ
Before long, the tide of battle had completely turned.
With overwhelming force, our warriors cut down an enemy force nearly twice their size.
Enemy Soldier 1: "Heâs a demonâŠ"
Enemy Soldier 2: "That man, heâs a monster!"
Following the enemy soldiersâ pale, terrified gazes, I catch my breath.
Mai: (He hasn't even wiped away the blood splattered on him, yet he's smiling. But⊠his eyes are so cold.)
âThe scene fades out and back in. Swords clash and men shout in the background
Before long, the enemy ranks collapsed completely and the general who had instigated the rebellion was shoved forward.
Even faced with the trembling general, Nobunaga is still smiling.
Nobunaga: "You dared raise your blade against me. You were prepared for the consequences, werenât you?"
Enemy General: "Iâll give you everything, my castle, my men, all of it! Just⊠spare my life!"
Nobunaga: "Is your life truly worth that much?"
Enemy General: "What did you sayâŠ? You bastardâŠ!"
His face red with rage, the general leaps up and draws his sword in one swift motion.
But in that instantâNobunaga strikes, and the generalâs blade is sent flying from his grasp.
Nobunaga: Itâs useless."
"You lost to a mere five hundred of my men. Curse your own foolishness for ever thinking you had a chance."
As the defeated general drops to his knees, all will to fight gone, Nobunaga lifts his gaze and gives his order in a low, resonant voice.
Nobunaga: "Drag every last person out of the castle and set it ablaze."
Mai: (No way⊠is he really going to kill everyone who rebelled�)
One by one, the defeated soldiers are capturedâand in the distance, the small castle is swallowed by flames.
Mai: (He didnât have to go this farâŠ)
I could do nothing but stare in stunned silence at the devastation before me.
âThe scene shifts to Mai's room
After returning from the battlefield, I collapse to the floor the moment I reach my room.
Mai: (Taking a personâs life so easily⊠itâs horrible.)
(The reason he could smile on the battlefield is because he doesnât fear war at all. More than thatâŠ)
(He doesnât think anything of taking lives.)
Hideyoshi: (muffled) âHey, Iâm coming in.â
The sliding door opens quietly, and Hideyoshi pokes his head in.
"I heard you were targeted by an arrow⊠are you alright?"
Mai: "Y-Yeah⊠Lord Nobunaga shielded me from it."
(I was really relieved when he protected me. He seemed so dependable, butâŠ)
"Lord Nobunaga set fire to the enemyâs castle. Even after they surrendered, he showed no mercy⊠And the prisoners, by now they mustâ"
Hideyoshi: "No, Lord Nobunaga doesnât kill people without reason. Thereâs no benefit in doing that."
Hideyoshi: "The enemy soldiers will live as farmers or townspeople. Theyâll lose their status and their land will be governed by another lord, though."
"So that no other fools would mistake the HonnĆ-ji incident as an opportunity to rebel, Lord Nobunaga crushed them thoroughly with only a small force."
Mai: (So it wasnât just about defeating the enemy in front of him, he was showing the strength of the Oda army to the entire country? I didnât realize there was that much thought behind itâŠ)
As the knot in my chest begins to ease, Hideyoshi tells me to go to Nobunagaâs chambers.
Hideyoshi: "He saved your life, so it's only natural. Let's go."
âThe scene shifts to a dark hallway
Hideyoshi: "Head straight down this way youâll reach the keep (5), that is where Lord Nobunagaâs room is. Youâre probably exhausted, so thank him and come right back."
Hideyoshi: "Show proper gratitude. He saved your life, didnât he?"
âRetreating footsteps can be heard in the background
Leaving me with no room to argue, Hideyoshi walks off.
(I donât want to go, but Hideyoshi-san is right. Even after hearing the reasoning, Lord Nobunaga is still terrifying. ButâŠ)
(No matter the reason⊠if he hadnât protected me, Iâd probably be dead.)
(âŠIâll just thank him and leave right away.)
âThe scene shifts to Nobunaga's room
Steeling myself, I headed to Nobunagaâs roomâbut there was no sign of him.
(Maybe heâs out? In that case, Iâll just head back for todayâ)
Nobunaga: "Ah⊠itâs you."
I flinched at the sudden sound of his voice. When I look closer, Nobunaga is seated on the wooden veranda extending from the keep, casually drinking from a sake cup.
"Why are you just standing there? Come here."
âThe scene shifts to the balcony
Mai: "Y-Yes⊠Um, the reason I came to your room wasâ"
Nobunaga: "I donât care what you came for. Youâve arrived at just the right time.
Nobunaga stood up, set his cup on the railing, and then suddenly leaned in, bringing his face close to mine.
Nobunaga: "I couldnât sleep, so I was passing the time. Youâcome keep me company tonight." (6)
Mai: (K-Keep you company�)
Nobunaga: "Don't look so dumbfounded. I'm telling you to warm my bed."
Mai: (Bedding⊠that's the futon, right? In other wordsâŠ) (7)
"T-Thereâs no way I could do that!?"
Mai: "Because Iâm not your wife or your lover!"
Nobunaga: "Ah. But you're by my side tonight. Isn't that reason enough?"
Mai: (On the battlefield, he wore such a ruthless smile⊠So why is he smiling so innocently now�)
"A-anyway⊠I won't sleep with you!"
Nobunaga: "Good grief⊠Iâve picked up quite an outspoken woman." (8)
My back is pressed lightly against the wall as Nobunaga lifts my chin.
Nobunaga: "Instead of making pointless objections⊠start by serving me a drink with your lips."
His thumb traces the edge of my lips. The lightness of his touch stirred a sense of fear but at the same time sent an unwanted heat through me.
With my body pinned and unable to escape, my lips were gently coaxed open.
Nobunaga: "A sake cup doesnât speak. Let me drink in silence."
He poured the sake between my parted lips, and as I fell silent, Nobunagaâs smirk deepened.
Those cold eyes pin me in place as he slowly leans closer.
Mai: (If itâs come to thisâŠ!)
I swallowed hard, downing the sake he had poured into my mouth.
"Iâm not going to act as your cup!"
"HahâŠYouâre an interesting woman."
Nobunagaâs laughter rang out through the darkness of the night. Biting my lip, I shoved at his chest.
Mai: "If you understand, then Iâll be returning to my room now."
As I try to leave, he lightly catches my shoulder and presses his fingers gently to my lips once more.
"Weâll start over. Iâve decided that you are not leaving tonight."
Mai: (He wont let me goâŠ)
Selection
â Please donât touch me (â€ïžâ )
Mai: "Please donât touch me⊠Iâm not going to become yours."
Nobunaga: "I never said you had to become mine. Iâm simply telling you to spend the night with meâand entertain me."
â Do I really have to?
Mai: "Do I really have toâŠ? Even when Iâm telling you this clearly that I donât want to?"
Nobunaga: "Your will is irrelevant. Obey my command."
â Youâre seriously expecting me to spend the night with you?
Mai: "Are you seriously expecting me to spend the night with you?"
Nobunaga: "Of course. I only speak in decisions and facts."
Mai: "Forcing a woman whoâs clearly unwilling⊠the era I come from, thatâs a crime!"
Nobunaga: "The era you come from? What are you talking about?"
Mai: (AhâSasuke told me not to talk about where Iâm really from. ButâŠ)
(If I donât explain that someone from the modern world canât do something like that, thereâs no way heâll understand!)
"âŠI told you when we met at Honnoji, butâI came here from five hundred years in the future!"
âThe scene changes back to Nobunaga's room
And so⊠after returning to my room for a moment, I headed back to Nobunaga's quarters, clutching my bag as proof that I had come from the future.
Nobunaga: "What a peculiar leather pouchâŠ"
Mai: "This is a bag from my time. You wouldnât have materials like this in this era, right?"
Nobunaga blinked in surprise as he took the bagâand without hesitation, reached right inside.
Nobunaga: "What is this strange doll? Some kind of charm or talisman?"
Nobunaga pulls out the prototype plush Iâd left in thereâ"Kumatan."
Mai: "It's called a 'plushie.' Itâs a doll that people keep on display just to look at and enjoy."
Nobunaga: "EnjoyâŠ? Whatâs enjoyable about staring at this raccoon?"
Mai: "Itâs not a raccoonâitâs a bear! Isnât Kumatan cute!?"
Nobunaga: "So itâs called Kumatan⊠what an odd name."
Mai: "A-Anyway⊠look! There are plenty of tools and devices in here that donât exist in this era, right?"
Nobunaga: "So it seems. But even if what you say is trueâhow did you cross five hundred years of time?"
Mai: "Well⊠I donât fully understand it myself, but something called a wormhole suddenly appeared, and space-time warped, andâumâŠ"
Mai: "Anyway! Everything suddenly went white, I got dizzy, and then everything felt like it twisted andâ"
Even as I gesture wildly and try to explain, Nobunagaâs expression grows increasingly stern.
(Oh no⊠I canât explain it well at all! At this rate, heâll never believe me.)
Nobunaga: "I see. I understand, more or less."
Mai: "Huh? You understood? From that�"
Nobunaga: "Vaguely, yes. Due to a natural abnormality called a 'wormhole,' you crossed timeâis that it?"
Mai: "Y-yes, thatâs right."
Nobunaga: "In your time, five hundred years ahead, this phenomenon is called âtime travel.â"
"Itâs thought to be a purely hypothetical occurrence, yet you have actually found yourself caught up in it⊠is my interpretation correct?"
Mai: "Thatâs exactly right⊠You actually believe me?"
Nobunaga: "It is not a matter of 'believing.' It is simply a fact, is it not?"
Lord Nobunaga picked up my phone from among the personal belongings laid out before him and examined it intently.
Nobunaga: "It appears to be made by pouring something into a mold. This isnât iron, nor is tin. There is no technology in this era capable of producing such a thing."
"âŠI've heard from the Western envoys (9) that the West has a concept called 'time.'"
"Compared to them, Japanâs scholarship is less advanced. There are countless truths of the world Iâve yet to learn, scattered beyond the sea. If it is a world five hundred years in the future, then all the more so."
"I cannot say for certain that a phenomenon like 'time travel' is impossible."
"So, can you return to your original time?"
Mai: "Ah⊠yes. In three months, another wormhole should appear. The location is probably in Kyoto where I first arrived."
Nobunaga: "I see. ThenâŠ"
"If you wish to leave this place and go to Kyoto three months from now, you must bet against me in a game of Go."
Mai: (A bet?! Why does it have to come to that?)
"W-Wait! I donât even know how to play Go!"
Nobunaga: "Then I shall teach you. Whenever the mood strikes me, I will summon you. If you manage to defeat me even once, I will personally escort you to Kyoto in three months."
Mai: "Um⊠but what happens if I lose?"
Nobunaga: "Each time I win, Iâll claim one part of your body."
"Whether I touch you or kiss you⊠I shall have my way with you. That is what it means."
Nobunaga: "Even if I take you by force, you don't seem like someone who would yield to me. Then⊠I'll gradually subdue you and ravage both your body and mind."
Mai: "I⊠I would never agree to such a bet!"
Nobunaga: "If you refuse, youâll miss your chance to return in three months. Iâll have you locked deep in the castleâs prison and never let you out."
Mai: "Thatâs⊠thatâs horrible! Youâre not even giving me a choice. Why would you go that far for meâŠ?"
At that, Lord Nobunagaâs lips curled into a faint, amused smirk.
Nobunaga: "You are the first woman to refuse me. And the first to bare her fangs at me so brazenly. Suddenly⊠I find that I want you." (10)
His gaze sharpens, like a predator toying with its prey.
"If you want to return to your world safely, bet yourself and fight me."
Mai: (Iâve never even played Go but if I donât accept⊠I wonât be able to go back.)
Nobunaga: "Then let us begin with the first match."
Nobunaga: "Yes. First decide whether you'll play black or white."
In high spirits, Nobunaga sets up the board and stones, efficiently explaining the rules to me as I sit stiff with tension.
And so, our game of Go began⊠butâ
Almost as soon as we started, my territory on the board had completely vanished.
Mai: "âŠâŠIâm a beginner! You could at least go easy on me!"
Nobunaga: "I have never gone easy on anyone in my life. Be it in a game of Go or in war."
"Now then, a promise is a promise. Shall I take 'this' for tonight?"
The hand I used to place my stones is seized and pulled toward him.
Nobunaga: "From this night forth, your hand belongs to me."
Drawing my hand to his lips, he dropped a kiss onto my fingertips.
His soft lips nipped at my skin almost roughly each time, making my fingers twitch in his grasp.
A faint sting was felt at the tip of my pinky. Nobunagaâs hot tongue traced over the mark where he had playfully bitten me.
A small sound slips out, and I quickly cover my mouth with my other hand.
Nobunaga: "Not a bad reaction. Iâll be thinking about which part of you to claim next."
As a finishing touch, he kissed my fingernail before finally releasing my hand.
Nobunaga: "I wonder which will come firstâme claiming all of you, or you leaving this place?"
Mai: "I-I⊠I will never let things go the way you want!"
Nobunaga: "Thatâs the spirit. Youâd better improve your skills at Go."
Mai: "I will! You donât have to tell me! Excuse me!"
(âŠWait, I canât believe it. I completely forgot why I came here.)
Mai: "I⊠I forgot to say it, but thank you for saving my life today."
Mai: "But I'm still going to win the bet! Goodbye!"
Unable to meet his gaze, I turn and rush out of the room.
âThe scene shifts to the hallway of the Keep
(What is with that man?! To kiss me like that⊠while teasing me!)
As I ran through the corridor, I bit my lip.
The bite mark on my right hand was still pulsing with heat, sending a sweet ache through my entire body.
I told myself the flush wouldn't fade because I was so angry at him.
(I'll definitely win and show Lord Nobunaga. Iâm absolutely getting out of here and going back to the present!)
Clenching my fist tightly, I force myself to ignore the lingering sensationâ
Translation Notes:
(1) KyĆsoku (èæŻ) is a traditional armrest used when sitting on tatami. Since there isnât a direct, commonly used English equivalent, I left it as "armrest" to keep the meaning clear without overcomplicating the line.
(2) æ«ćș§ refers to the lowest-ranking seat in a room, typically farthest from the person of highest status.
(3) 性ć (daimyĆ) refers to a feudal lord who ruled a domain under a larger power. Iâve left the translation as "lord" but I wanted to note that the mobile game just uses "daimyo".
ćæăăČăăăă literally means "to raise the banner of revolt," a historical idiom meaning to rebel, which Iâve translated to read smoothly in English.
(4) æŹéŁ (honjin) refers to a daimyoâs main field headquarters during battleâthe central command post where strategy and orders are directed.
Throughout the game and the mobile version too, Mai often comes across Sengoku-era terms she doesnât recognize, so she often describes them in modern terms to make sense of them.
(5) Tenshu (怩ćź) refers to the central keep of a Japanese castleâthe main tower where the lord resides. Itâs translated here as "keep" to preserve the historical meaning while keeping the phrasing natural in English. The mobile game also just refers to his room as the tenshu.
(6) Yotogi (ć€äŒœ) historically refers to attending on someone at night, often with intimate or romantic implications depending on context. I've translated it this way because his next line is Nobunaga clarifying that he wanted her to warm his bed which is also how the mobile game translates it.
(7) Shitone (耄) is an older word for bedding (basically a futon). Maiâs confusion comes from the archaic phrasing and the fact that she doesnât immediately register what heâs implying.
(8) ć ăă literally means "to bark," like a dog. In this context he is saying that she is feisty and is using it teasingly.
(9) "Nanban (ćèź)," translates directly as "southern barbarians." It was a term used in Japan during the Sengoku period to refer to Europeansâprimarily Portuguese and Spanish traders and missionariesâwho arrived via southern sea routes. Iâve left it as 'western envoys' but the mobile game does translate nanban as "Portuguese missionary".
(10) Nobungaga specifically says that Mai is first woman to refuse pouring sake (é
)âa culturally loaded act tied to service, hierarchy, and intimacyârather than just a general refusal. Additionally, çăŁćăăćăżă€ăăŠăă literally means "to come at (someone) head-on, biting," it's an idiom for openly challenging or snapping back. I took some creative liberty with how I translated this line because I think it fits quite well.
<- [Prologue Ep. 3] [Episode 2] ->