Chapter Six
The room was collapsing. Most of the men realized this and ran. Those who remained were startled and Aisu quickly took them down. She helped Saitou up and they left the collapsing room.
"Do you know a way out?" Aisu asked.
Saitou shook his head mutely, still clutching his side. Aisu cursed and moved as fast as she dared with Saitou leaning heavily on her. The place seemed to be deserted now that it was shaking violently, threatening to collapse any moment. They came to another large room they had not seen before. In the middle was a man wearing a cloak similar to Aisu's brown one. His was far better tailored however and a cloth covered his face in such a way that only his dark brown eyes were visible. /He must be the one leading them.//
"So you're finally here," His voice echoed through the still vibrating room.
She let go of Saitou who stood somewhat shakily. Aisu walked forward and took her Battoujutsu stance.
"I don't fight with little girls." His voice laughed, ridiculing her. "Get out of the way and let me fight the Shinsengumi captain." Saitou started walking forward. /No, Saitou. No one gets away with calling me weak.//
"If I'm so weak then it won't take you but a moment to defeat me and then you can start your real fight," Aisu replied icily.
"You have a point there," the man equally readied his blade.
"Sou Ryu Sen," Aisu said to herself and charged at the man. He did the same, but much faster than she had expected.
She drew her sword and the man dodged moving to the side where Aisu's waiting sheath hit him cleanly in the stomach. He stumbled backward a little. Aisu took the opportunity to attack him again. The man regained his balance and blocked her attack throwing her back slightly. He came at her again. Their swords clashed. His attacks were powerful. If it came to pure strength she would lose, but it would never come to that.
"I'm impressed," The deep voice said in amusement. "You're not a weak child after all." An evil chuckle followed. "But you're strength doesn't match mine."
He charged again. /He's using the momentum to increase his strength.// An image of Kenshin landing in the dirt after he had failed to anticipate the lack of impact while practicing flashed through her mind. /Fighting like that gives you strength but you won't have as much mobility.// At the last moment Aisu jumped up. As she predicted, the man stumbled. /Now, to finish you off.//
"Ryu Tsui Sen." Her sword came down hard from above, impacting with her opponent's shoulder, making him crash into the ground. He lay there unconscious. The floor shook from the impact and part of the ceiling collapsed. A huge dust cloud obscured everything. Another part of the room collapsed. Whoever the man was, he had been buried in rubble. Aisu hurried back to Saitou.
"We have to get out of here now."
For once Saitou did not protest. Quickly she chose one of the two passages with an upward slope. The light coming from the room they had left was fading fast and her night vision was failing her. Somewhere behind her the corridor collapsed. They were in total darkness. Aisu felt along the side of the corridor it still had an upward slant. She stumbled when she found stairs and hastily climbed them.
"We're not going to get out," Saitou said beside her. "Were underground, completely disoriented and with no light." We'll run out of oxygen or the tunnel will collapse."
"We are on an upward slant. Maybe it leads to a door." Aisu panted, ignoring the fact that Saitou's scenario was much more probable.
Aisu nearly passed out as her head hit the protruding lumber. She felt in front of her. The stairway had collapsed. They were stuck at a dead end. Aisu turned around abruptly wanting to go back down and take the other passageway that had lead up. She went down the steps running into Saitou. He winced but did not say anything. /Oh, I forgot, the stairway collapsed behind us.// Aisu climbed the stairs again to see if she could clear the stairway. Her arms ached not only from the cuts she had received but also from the dust that had settled in them. She way was completely blocked. Nothing budged when she threw her weight against it.
"How far below ground do you think we are?" Aisu asked.
"Can't be that far anymore," Saitou admitted. "We've been going up for quiet some time now. What are you thinking of doing?"
"Starting another earth quake," Aisu replied. "If we're not too far underground and the earth breaks in the right places, we could have a way out."
"Or the earth could break in the wrong place and we're crushed under it." Saitou replied with cold logic.
The air was getting thin and hard to breath. Both were coughing more often because of the dust floating everywhere. Everything was silent and pitch black.
"What do you suggest we do?" Aisu asked.
There was no reply for a while. "I suppose we have no choice," Saitou replied heavily.
"We should be close to the wall though. It will decrease our chances of being crushed by a little." Saitou heaved himself up and sank down right next to the debris that was blocking their way.
Aisu got up and drew her sword. "Dou Ryu Sen," She whispered as her sword whipped over the ground, causing it to tremor. Aisu could feel the earth above them breaking, grating against itself, and sliding down upon them. There was a shudder and earth rained down on them. In front of her the ceiling had fallen down with a crash. As it hit the broken stairs, Saitou grunted. /It must have fallen on his leg.// Aisu crept forward to push the debris away. Just then a ray of light illuminated the cavern. She could see Saitou's leg stuck under what had been the roof of the stairway.
"Climb up there, now," Saitou grabbed her arm roughly and shoved her towards the crack the earthquake had created. The earth was still shaking and it was threatening to close any moment. She pushed his hand away and threw her weight against the mess of wood and earth. It budged but just a little bit. She tried again and the wreckage rolled down the mangled stairs. Setting her feet carefully she began to squeeze through the crack that lead upwards. It was a very short distance, hardly two meters.
"Give me your hand," She yelled down to Saitou. Just then the ground shook again and the crack narrowed considerable. Saitou made no attempt whatsoever to reach her hand. Instead he waved her away. She climbed further down thinking she might have gone up to high for him to reach but he still made no motion to get out. Finally she landed back next to him, took his arm and but it over her shoulder.
"What are you doing? Get out of here there's no way I'm going to make it up there with this leg." Saitou protested.
"Let's go," Aisu said, ignoring him.
Aisu started climbing up the narrow crack again, this time with Saitou in tow. As she was reaching the top, another tremor shook the earth around them and made the crack tighter still. A mess of roots and vies was now obscuring the exit. Aisu drew her sword and hacked a passage through underbrush. Using her sword as a lever, she pulled Saitou and herself up. There was another tremor. Aisu held on to her sword hoping it would hold and allow her to pull herself up. It didn't. She felt it snap under the pressure. Aisu managed to grab one of the roots and avoid sliding back down into the abyss.
Eventually Aisu felt clean air enter her lungs. She dragged Saitou up and out of the crack. The wound at his side had started bleeding again. For the first time she was able to look at her cuts and was shocked at how bad they were, no longer being able to shut out the pain. She collapsed where she was, her brain aching and swimming with dizziness.
The room was collapsing. Most of the men realized this and ran. Those who remained were startled and Aisu quickly took them down. She helped Saitou up and they left the collapsing room.
"Do you know a way out?" Aisu asked.
Saitou shook his head mutely, still clutching his side. Aisu cursed and moved as fast as she dared with Saitou leaning heavily on her. The place seemed to be deserted now that it was shaking violently, threatening to collapse any moment. They came to another large room they had not seen before. In the middle was a man wearing a cloak similar to Aisu's brown one. His was far better tailored however and a cloth covered his face in such a way that only his dark brown eyes were visible. /He must be the one leading them.//
"So you're finally here," His voice echoed through the still vibrating room.
She let go of Saitou who stood somewhat shakily. Aisu walked forward and took her Battoujutsu stance.
"I don't fight with little girls." His voice laughed, ridiculing her. "Get out of the way and let me fight the Shinsengumi captain." Saitou started walking forward. /No, Saitou. No one gets away with calling me weak.//
"If I'm so weak then it won't take you but a moment to defeat me and then you can start your real fight," Aisu replied icily.
"You have a point there," the man equally readied his blade.
"Sou Ryu Sen," Aisu said to herself and charged at the man. He did the same, but much faster than she had expected.
She drew her sword and the man dodged moving to the side where Aisu's waiting sheath hit him cleanly in the stomach. He stumbled backward a little. Aisu took the opportunity to attack him again. The man regained his balance and blocked her attack throwing her back slightly. He came at her again. Their swords clashed. His attacks were powerful. If it came to pure strength she would lose, but it would never come to that.
"I'm impressed," The deep voice said in amusement. "You're not a weak child after all." An evil chuckle followed. "But you're strength doesn't match mine."
He charged again. /He's using the momentum to increase his strength.// An image of Kenshin landing in the dirt after he had failed to anticipate the lack of impact while practicing flashed through her mind. /Fighting like that gives you strength but you won't have as much mobility.// At the last moment Aisu jumped up. As she predicted, the man stumbled. /Now, to finish you off.//
"Ryu Tsui Sen." Her sword came down hard from above, impacting with her opponent's shoulder, making him crash into the ground. He lay there unconscious. The floor shook from the impact and part of the ceiling collapsed. A huge dust cloud obscured everything. Another part of the room collapsed. Whoever the man was, he had been buried in rubble. Aisu hurried back to Saitou.
"We have to get out of here now."
For once Saitou did not protest. Quickly she chose one of the two passages with an upward slope. The light coming from the room they had left was fading fast and her night vision was failing her. Somewhere behind her the corridor collapsed. They were in total darkness. Aisu felt along the side of the corridor it still had an upward slant. She stumbled when she found stairs and hastily climbed them.
"We're not going to get out," Saitou said beside her. "Were underground, completely disoriented and with no light." We'll run out of oxygen or the tunnel will collapse."
"We are on an upward slant. Maybe it leads to a door." Aisu panted, ignoring the fact that Saitou's scenario was much more probable.
Aisu nearly passed out as her head hit the protruding lumber. She felt in front of her. The stairway had collapsed. They were stuck at a dead end. Aisu turned around abruptly wanting to go back down and take the other passageway that had lead up. She went down the steps running into Saitou. He winced but did not say anything. /Oh, I forgot, the stairway collapsed behind us.// Aisu climbed the stairs again to see if she could clear the stairway. Her arms ached not only from the cuts she had received but also from the dust that had settled in them. She way was completely blocked. Nothing budged when she threw her weight against it.
"How far below ground do you think we are?" Aisu asked.
"Can't be that far anymore," Saitou admitted. "We've been going up for quiet some time now. What are you thinking of doing?"
"Starting another earth quake," Aisu replied. "If we're not too far underground and the earth breaks in the right places, we could have a way out."
"Or the earth could break in the wrong place and we're crushed under it." Saitou replied with cold logic.
The air was getting thin and hard to breath. Both were coughing more often because of the dust floating everywhere. Everything was silent and pitch black.
"What do you suggest we do?" Aisu asked.
There was no reply for a while. "I suppose we have no choice," Saitou replied heavily.
"We should be close to the wall though. It will decrease our chances of being crushed by a little." Saitou heaved himself up and sank down right next to the debris that was blocking their way.
Aisu got up and drew her sword. "Dou Ryu Sen," She whispered as her sword whipped over the ground, causing it to tremor. Aisu could feel the earth above them breaking, grating against itself, and sliding down upon them. There was a shudder and earth rained down on them. In front of her the ceiling had fallen down with a crash. As it hit the broken stairs, Saitou grunted. /It must have fallen on his leg.// Aisu crept forward to push the debris away. Just then a ray of light illuminated the cavern. She could see Saitou's leg stuck under what had been the roof of the stairway.
"Climb up there, now," Saitou grabbed her arm roughly and shoved her towards the crack the earthquake had created. The earth was still shaking and it was threatening to close any moment. She pushed his hand away and threw her weight against the mess of wood and earth. It budged but just a little bit. She tried again and the wreckage rolled down the mangled stairs. Setting her feet carefully she began to squeeze through the crack that lead upwards. It was a very short distance, hardly two meters.
"Give me your hand," She yelled down to Saitou. Just then the ground shook again and the crack narrowed considerable. Saitou made no attempt whatsoever to reach her hand. Instead he waved her away. She climbed further down thinking she might have gone up to high for him to reach but he still made no motion to get out. Finally she landed back next to him, took his arm and but it over her shoulder.
"What are you doing? Get out of here there's no way I'm going to make it up there with this leg." Saitou protested.
"Let's go," Aisu said, ignoring him.
Aisu started climbing up the narrow crack again, this time with Saitou in tow. As she was reaching the top, another tremor shook the earth around them and made the crack tighter still. A mess of roots and vies was now obscuring the exit. Aisu drew her sword and hacked a passage through underbrush. Using her sword as a lever, she pulled Saitou and herself up. There was another tremor. Aisu held on to her sword hoping it would hold and allow her to pull herself up. It didn't. She felt it snap under the pressure. Aisu managed to grab one of the roots and avoid sliding back down into the abyss.
Eventually Aisu felt clean air enter her lungs. She dragged Saitou up and out of the crack. The wound at his side had started bleeding again. For the first time she was able to look at her cuts and was shocked at how bad they were, no longer being able to shut out the pain. She collapsed where she was, her brain aching and swimming with dizziness.