Chapter 11- The Benizakura Part 2

The blood of a samurai poured out over the bridge. Another victim of the Benizakura. The victory had proven easier than Okada had desired. Nizou knew it was unwise to draw so much attention. He couldn't care less. He wanted to play with the Benizakura a little more…


"Shinsuke-sama, you don't have to be so gentle." said Matako. She was clinching onto her pillow as she slept. She suddenly awoke to find the pillow in her arms. Matako frowned in disappointment and wiped the drool from her cheeks. Then it hit her.

"Crap!" she said, "I fell asleep!"

Matako turned to see her digital clock. She had only been out for a few hours. She had barely slept at all since she boarded. Kijima wanted to serve as Takasugi's guard. Since he had resigned to his own quarters to rest, she had gone to hers to shower. But instead, she found herself crashing onto her mattress in exhaustion.

Matako rubbed her eyes. She sat up and headed to the restroom. She turned on the faucet, cupping her hands to collect water. Matako splashed it on her face and reached for a hand towel. She analyzed her reflection. Her wet hair was still down so she tied the right side up into her favorite pigtail. She opened up her revolvers and began to load them. She carefully placed a magnum in each chamber, holding the last piece of ammunition between her teeth. Each pistol was now fully loaded. Kijima felt refreshed and ready to protect Shinsuke.

She locked the door to her room and proceeded to make her way to the deck. She enjoyed the sensation of the cool night air filling her nostrils. Above was a night sky glistening with constellations. Her eyes slowly returned to ground level. Shinsuke was standing at the center of the weather deck with a pipe in his hand.

Matako was alone with him once more. She slowly approached him. Her steps were faint even as the ship came to a still. The vessel had docked to gather more Kiheitai.

"Did you sleep well Shinsuke-sama?" asked Matako.

Takasugi answered, "I slept dreamlessly."

He then said, "Kawakami should be at their flagship by now. We will have our answer shortly."

"Just a little longer…" he thought. "The Benizakura chambers are operating at a hundred percent. They'll be ready in a few hours. If Okada survives the effects then I can begin arming the Kiheitai. I will further press our advantage on the weakening Bakufu. I will choke them with the Harusame's fleet, the only fleet that can match their own. Without its head, Edo will willingly die in the flames. And then from the ashes, society can be reborn."


An hour passed. Matako sat up top the roof of one of the ship's structures. She paid close attention to Takasugi at all times. Her mind was sharp and alert.

Her hands instinctively clutched her handguns.

Someone's here.

She began to look around. Matako found it difficult to locate the stranger amidst the deck's many blind spots.

Matako slowly drew out her pistols. She heard Takasugi make a small chuckle. Takasugi was fully aware he was being watched. His response was to leisurely enjoy the comfort of his pipe. He had already deemed the trespasser lacked the intent of simply killing him. He would act as bait. Matako was against the idea but she remained silent lest she make known her position.

A gust of wind hit the ship. Suddenly a streak of red darted out from behind an exhaust box. In the same second it had placed a weapon to the back of Shinsuke's head.

"F-fast!" thought Matako. She waited for the opportune moment to shoot. She was aware of the small interval to do so. Her foe had been distracted by Takasugi's presence. As soon as Matako chose to fire, the enemy might sense her killing intent. Kijima would go for the leg tendons. If they dodged, there was no chance of injuring Shinsuke and if it hit, they would be immobilized.

No doubt Shinsuke-sama wants them alive.

She carefully maneuvered her gun so the bullet would ricochet away from Takasugi.

"Hey you" said a feminine voice to Shinsuke. Judging from her adolescent tone and small stature, she was in her early teens.

The girl asked, "Is this your boat? I wanna know what's going on here. You better speak up or I'll blow your head off."

Shinsuke blew out a cloud of smoke and then turned to face her. His face showed he was amused by her spirit.

He said, "The moon is huge tonight. It's like the night Kaguya-hime ascended to the heavens. Maybe Princess Tomboy will be sent to the heavens tonight too."

Was that the signal? Matako wasn't willing to risk Shinsuke's safety any longer. She knew he was strong enough to defend himself. It was the sight of this arrogant girl threatening him she found infuriating.

Matako fired. The girl was as quick as she had feared. She leapt back before the bullet could make contact. Matako fired at her feet each time they landed. Her opponent flexibly dodged each round. She suddenly jumped clear up into the air and pulled out her weapon. It appeared to be some sort of umbrella with a gun barrel at its point. The girl fired off a shot and then spun around firing off another.

"Tch" Matako knew the first shot would miss. The second however would not. She elegantly flipped into the air and adjusted her feet to land beside her opponent. Matako screamed in rage. She wanted to end this battle quickly…

A cloud of dust erupted from her powerful landing. Her guns were already aimed at the girl. The girl had drawn her own weapon at the same time.

Matako said, "Who the hell are you? I won't forgive anyone who threatens Shinsuke-sama!"

She then said "Drop your gun! Do you think you can win in a quick draw against me, Matako Kijima?"

The girl smiled cheekily. "I can see your crotch Matako. Your panties are dirty."

"That won't work!" Matako said, "Are you trying to distract me? Besides that's a lie, I change them everyday!"

"No way" said the girl, "They're really is something on them. It's so disgusting."

"Bitch!" Matako said in a shriek. "I won't forgive you for insulting me in front of Shinsuke-sama!"

Her mind was seeing red. Her dignity had never been something she cared to defend. For Shinsuke, she made the sole exception. The thought of this girl's false yet embarrassing accusations reaching his ears was unbearable. It overrode her common sense causing her to defend herself.

"Shinsuke-sama! I'm right aren't I? I change them everyday. Please see for yourself kore-"

Matako had diverted her attention completely to pleading to Takasugi. At that moment the other girl delivered a swift kick to her face. Matako fell down on all fours and struggled to get up. Her foe had used this time to escape.

"You brat!" Matako said, "Takechi-senpai, she's coming your way!"

A white light pierced the intruder's eyes. She paused, with an arm shielding her eyes, to look at the watchtower. Takechi and several Kiheitai were aiming a spotlight in her direction. Beneath them was a battalion sent to capture her.

Takechi said, "Remember we must not kill her."

He continued, "We are samurai so we must not kill woman and children. Take her alive."

Matako was on her feet. She said, "Senpai! You're such a lolicon! She's breached security so we can't go soft on her!"

"I'm not a lolicon. I'm a feminist." he said.

Takasugi and Matako joined the Kiheitai that had flocked around the mysterious girl. One by one the Kiheitai went in to capture her. One man reached out to grab her. She sent a merciless kick into his gut. They came at her in larger numbers but she handled them with the same level of ease. The Kiheitai became more aggressive. They either attacked her bare fisted or with their katanas. The result was the same.

"Who is this girl?" they asked uneasily.

"Where are you" the girl shouted into the air, "Answer me if you're here!"

Matako had let this girl do as she pleased long enough. She coldly aimed her pistol at the distracted target. Matako predicted just how her body would move. Her enemy's shoulder lined up with the barrel. Matako fired. Blood spurted out of the girl's shoulder, stunning her for a moment. Kijima instantly fired a second round. The bullet tore into the girl's ankle. She collapsed to the ground in agony.

"Now! Hold her down!" a bearded crewmate said. He reached down to grab her motionless body. Her foot shattered his jaw. The men left standing were taken back with fear. She ceased to attack and ran into the factory room up ahead.

Matako took off after her. Her eyes had adjusted enough to the dark to spot her prey. The girl was moving toward the Benizakura chambers.

The girl hid behind a pillar hoping to catch a breath of air before her pursuers found her. She could see the luminous rays of light emitting from the Benizakura on the other side. She stepped around the pillar to investigate. Her body froze in surprise.

"What is this…?"

Matako's gun clicked. She needed to only relax her finger.

"Now that you've seen it…" she said, "I can't let you leave here alive."

Her shot echoed through the ship.


Author's Notes:

*Kaguya-hime was the moon princess of a Japanese fairytale.

*Mata is slang for "crotch". Kagura uses a play on the word "Matako" for her pun/insult.

*Kore is a term meaning "close to me".

The Kore term was something I never wound up using again for Matako, nor did she say it again in Gintama (I believe). Perhaps because it's so situational.