By Shirogami
Chapter 9: It's a pleasure to read with you, Maria.
When he arrives in the library, he notices that Maria is there, reading book as usual. Oogami greets her first, as he knows Maria always been cautious and carries her gun with her, whenever and wherever she goes.
"Good evening, Maria" Oogami greets as he walks towards Maria.
"Good evening," By noticing Oogami presents, Maria holds her reading and greets him back. "What are you doing here"
"Nothing, just patrolling around the theater." Oogami replies her as she replies with a smile.
"Well, she does look fine, but I still think there is something wrong with her." Whispers in his mind, Oogami can sense that the cool Russian blonde has something behind her cool face.
After a long silence, Oogami starts to talk again, "Maria, can I have a word with you"
"What is it?" the blonde replies, but not looking at him.
"Well, I actually think that I need to discuss with you about the recent battle..." Oogami sits in front of Maria and starts the talk. However.
"Captain, I don't think that is a good topic to discuss right now, if you don't mind I would like to leave." Maria ignores the topic Oogami brought out and starts to leave.
"Wait! Maria, just listen a few words from me, will you?" Oogami stands up and hold Maria's left arm, in tend to stop her from walk away. He did, in exchange of the Russian blonde's deathful icy glare and her gun pointing at his head.
"Let me go! Or I will shoot!" Pull up the trigger, Maria warns Oogami to let go her arm. Oogami is quite shocked by her reaction at first, but through the time he spends with the Hanagumi and the Setsuna's kidnapping incident, he also knows why Maria react this aggressive: His judgments and abilities as a Captain.
Looking at the pistol, Oogami try to remain calm and says, "If it makes you feel better with that, Maria. Shoot me." Maria surprised by the navy officer's reply. She might shoot at her enemies, but not the captain of the Hanagumi that had spend time living with them. "Captain, don't think that I won't dare to do that!" Holding her gun tighter, Maria gives second warning.
"Look Maria, You might think that is my fault for the late defeat right now. Indeed, I admit that, so shoot me, if it makes you feel better"
Maria's hand starts to shiver. She doubts about the words and act of Oogami: he admits his fault, he offers himself for punishment, he demands her to open fire. The only thing is only the pull of the trigger. At the moment, she recalls the time when Setsuna captured her as hostage and forced Oogami to save her alone.
Flashback sequence
"Welcome to my place, Oogami Ichiro" Setsuna greeted his guest, Oogami Ichiro. He had accepted Setsuna's offer and came alone to rescue Maria.
"Where is she? You bastard" Holding his knuckle as hard as a rock, Oogami shouted at Setsuna for let his companion go.
"Don't you worry, she is in front of you all the time..." with a snap of his finger, two fire burned on the stands behind Setsuna and it showed the chained Maria in holy cross form. The brightness and the conversation had awakened the unconscious Maria.
"Ensign, what are you doing here?" Maria asked.
"Why? To save my companion, that's why. Now Setsuna, I had come as promised, let her go." Oogami felt a bit relieved and demanded Setsuna to release his hostage.
"Not so fast, Oogami Ichiro, what makes you think that I want you to come here alone?" Setsuna said with a cunning smile, while used his energy to longer his fingernails. Oogami finally got the picture: It's a trap set to kill the captain of the Hanagumi - himself.
"You guess right, now die!" the mind-reading Setsuna rushed forwards and performed multi slash with his nails. Oogami tries his best to avoid but his opponents is too nimble and fast, plus he can read his mind, it just a matter of time for him to be killed.
"RUN! ENSIGN! DON'T MIND ABOUT ME! RUN!" Maria shouted at the dodging Oogami.
"No way! Not until I get you back first! Ah" Oogami hold his injured left arm that just cut by Setsuna.
"Your blood is quite sweet, Oogami Ichiro" Licking his prey blood from his nail, Setsuna gives his evil smile again. "It will be beautiful if you blood fills this room! Hihihi... Hahaha..." Not waiting Oogami to recover his breath, Setsuna strikes again and gives Oogami even more cuts on his body.
"ENSIGN!!!"
When everything was seems like Setsuna planned, his base starts to rumble due to the cannon attack of the Shogeimaru and the arrival of the rest of the Hanagumi, they had followed Oogami by the tracing device set in his uniform by Kohran.
Seeing his plan has failed, Setsuna tries to escape but eventually killed by the hand of Maria and Oogami, who get themselves back in their Kobu. Since that day on, Maria admitted Oogami as the Captain of the Hanagumi and changed to call him 'Captain' instead of 'Ensign'.
End Of Flashback Sequence
Maria slowly lowers her gun and put it back in her coat. Then she talks, "I am sorry for the act just now, captain. I am so tensed and don't know how to express it"
"That's okay, Maria. I am your captain, right? Just feel free to talk to me when you want to, it will make you feel better than just put the burden over your shoulders. Everyone is also troubled of their own problems, but I believe we can overcome them when we are stay together, that's what friends are for." Oogami lets go Maria's hand as she listens to him after all the tension created.
"Captain, thanks for your concern. I feel better now after talking to you. By the way, it's a great spirit you have for facing my gun. What if I really shoot your head?" Maria swept her hair and asked Oogami.
"..." Looking at Maria, Oogami is speechless. On his second thought, he can be tomorrow's headline if he fails to persuade Maria.
"Good day, captain. See you around." With a smile on her face, Maria left the library.
"Same to you, Maria." Oogami greeted the Russian blonde back... with sweats starts to breed from his forehead.
Author's Note:
Greetings, everyone! Shirogami here and I would like to thank you all for keep reading this story.
A sweat breeding chapter, I really have to imagine myself been point a gun while writing this, hehehe.
My another story "After Sakura Wars" is updated, please feel free to R&R.
I don't owe any of Sakura Taisen' character, but I hope you enjoy the story.
Next chapter is up soon, please R&R, Thank you.