The morning following Okita's little disappearing act of the night, everyone realized that a certain mute page was missing. And the first one to notice was Okita. Every morning since Mei had become his page, she had always been in his room ready with some tea. But that morning she wasn't there. That was when he knew something was wrong. He got up, changed and quickly began to search the grounds for her. Telling his fellow samurai Hijikata, Kondou, Hajime and the like, who then helped him search. That's when Heisuke informed him, "She went out searching for you... That's what she told Sanosuke, Shinpachi and I. She even gave Harada her Kusanagi to him to make sure we all knew she'd come back. We were heading to your room to return it." He said as he held up Kusanagi in his hand.
"Then something happened to her." Okita concluded.
"Or maybe you're just being naive and she simply took her chance to run off and escape." Came a deep voice; it was none other than Serizawa.
All of them turned to see him, with Nimi at his side, per usual. Ryonosuke not too far behind.
"It wouldn't be too far fetched to think she took this chance to run off from this place. Using the excuse of finding the brat while he ran off throwing a tantrum. She obviously took the opportunity to take off." Serizawa stated as he walked over to them a respective distance away. Which was rare for him.
"Because I just love to prove you wrong. Mei would never leave her short sword behind. Not ever. She begged us to let her retrieve them, so they're very important to her. she wouldn't just leave Kusanagi here to flee." Okita defended.
"He's right. It just doesn't sound like her. Something must've happened, we should go look for her." Heisuke added as he looked at the short sword in his hand. "She could've been ambushed by a bunch of rouge samurai." Unbeknownst that something much worse happened to the woman that became a part of their small band of misfit samurai.
"You all should just stop making excuses for the little traitor."
"I beg our pardon, Serizawa, but the woman you are speaking of is our comrade, and unless you have proof of her being a traitor I ask you to please refrain from talking about her as such. She has been a part of this organization for a short time yes, I agree, but that doesn't make her any less trustworthy. I recommend we go and search for her just in case something has happened to her. And if we find her unharmed or trying to escape, we will take the necessary actions and kill her." Kondou intervened.
The air was tense between the two groups. But Serizawa especially didn't seem bothered by that at all. "Do as you want then... But I say you all are wasting your time." He said before walking off. He seemed pretty convinced he was right.
However the others didn't care. Not as Hijikata began issuing orders, putting everyone in pairs in different parts of Kyoto, "Now go!" He shouted before they all ran off.
-Meanwhile-
"Had enough, Yaojing?" That same man grinned as he looked down at the woman before him and his five comrades. Mei was beaten, bloodied, and wounded in many places. Scratches on her cheeks, bruises forming beneath her clothing which was ripped in places and revealed the sides of her breasts, her stomach, and more of her legs. Her eyes glared at him as she breathed heavily silently, she held her Katana in front of her firmly, tightly. But they all knew she was getting a bit tired by now. "You're just a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" All six of her enemies had been fairly wounded by her sword in a number of places, but since it was six against one, it was reasonable she'd have more injuries. "One more round, then we take that sword from her. This time, just kill her while that potion is still in her system." he stated before they all charged at her.
One lunged at her as another one aimed to cut her down from top, immediately she spun on her heel and block the attack from above before grabbing the other blade in her hand, silently wincing in pain as it cut through her skin. Moving out from her position once she knew the two would fall into each other, which they did once she moved. She immediately jumped in the air to avoid a sword to her legs before slicing the owner's back a bit then using it as leverage to jump away and swing at another man, cutting his throat easily. She knew if she had any chance of getting out alive, she had to cut down the odds. Which led her next move to impale another man through the heart before pulling her blade out and using him as a shield to block the main guys attack.
"Quick on your feet you are, Mei."
Enough to kill your lacky's Li. Mei thought before kicked the dead corpse of his former comrade at him then blocked an attack to her side from one of her other opponents. Now four against one, she could have a little more time to breathe. But she thought too soon as her vision began to fail her at times, blurring. And her head began to throb. Damn it... I shouldn't have left kusanagi with them... I'm used to Niten Ichi Ryu... She thought as she blocked another attack, allowing another sword to graze her exposed side, cutting though her skin.
"Looks like you're slowing down. Not focusing on the battle, Mei?" Li grinned as he decided to take the opportunity to lunge at her from behind while his two comrades kept her busy. "Finally I'll get to kill the great Niten Ichi Ryu user of the Shi clan." He stated as he aimed to strike her through the heart.
Damnit! I need to move!
"Not so good without both your swords-"
"I recommend you don't touch my page, if you value your life." Came a familiar voice. A familiar, annoying voice. Causing Mei to turn her head a bit to see Okita Souji, heated and eyes full of fury.
"You shouldn't take your eyes off of your opponent." Said another familiar voice, a younger voice. She turned her head back to ahead of her as she heard a body hit the floor. Heisuke's sword stained with blood and a grin on his face. "I believe this is yours." He said before handing her Kusanagi. Smiling wider as he saw the woman's eyes gleam with happiness.
"What a happy reunion. I guess that's cue for us to leave." Li stated before running off with his last standing comrade. "I'll get to kill you soon, and take those swords." he swore before he disappeared into the forests shadows.
Okita was about to go forth and rush after them before the sound of a body hitting the floor filled the silence followed by, "Mei!" Heisuke shouted before catching the woman in his arms. That's when they took notice to the many injuries inflicted onto her body, "Souji! We need to get her back now or she'll bleed out!" he said as he picked her up, handing her weapons to Okita.
"You're right. Lets hurry." Okita agreed before they both rushed off to the Roshigumi.
-Later-
"So they must've been the ones that trashed Mei's friends place, and killed him looking for her family heirlooms." Sannan said lightly as he looked at Hijikata and Kondou. "They more than likely took the opportunity to ambush her when she was out looking for Okita." He added.
In the next room over, Mei Shi was being cleaned up by one of the nearby female doctors available to them.
"She fought for a while it seemed. She was exhausted by the time we got there, barely keeping up with their attacks. They weren't even playing fair! It was like 4 or 5 against one!" Heisuke growled in annoyance before looking down. "We should've gone with her. Even if she's strong, she's still a woman and vulnerable to situations like that... It could've been worse." he stated. Angry with himself for not thinking of this before.
Okita more than anyone blamed himself for her getting hurt so badly. "We didn't intervene till they were really gonna play dirty. It seemed she's trained in the Niten Ichi Ryu style." he stated as he remembered one of the lacky's saying something about 'not having her second sword.'
"That's not a very popular technique." Kondou noted.
"It isn't. If you're dual-wielding, any archers that can see you will be trying to get you as an easy kill. It's damn hard to block an arrow with a sword in any game, and in some games it isn't allowed. Some games will let you have a back shield or a small shield strapped to your forearm. None of those scenarios make it easy to keep the arrows off you, though. Thrown projectiles are a good deal easier to deal with; just watch out for those archers." Sanosuke stated as he looked around the room. "A shield crush isn't a great place for a dual-wielder, either, unless you really are a master of paying attention to many things at once. Two-stick is best suited for skirmishes and one-on-one. In addition, your weapons will get bullied by two-handed weapons. You will not be able to hard block very well. If you get put on the defensive you will have to run or lose."
"Yea, many people didn't like those odds in battle so it wasn't very popular. Only a handful of people have mastered it and teach it." Heisuke said.
"Miss! You shouldn't be getting up..!" Came the female doctors voice in the next room.
"Let her get up. I don't care. Just proves shes ready to die." Came Serizawa's voice, followed by his booming laughter.
All of those from the Shieikan hall, in the next room, looked up alerted. Their eyes wide and quickly got up before opening the door connecting the two rooms. Revealing a very heated, and very injured, Mei as she glared daggers at Serizawa. Who per usual, had Nimi beside him at the door.
"So you are very much alive, freeloader. Where were you huh? It doesn't seem like your attackers conveniently failed to kill you and you got here alive with the help of those dogs." Serizawa stated as he stepped into the room, a grin across his face. "So what's your excuse for leaving without permission? Huh? Trying to escape?" It seemed they had failed to fill he man in on what had happened.
Lucky for Mei, she could smell something dirty heading in her direction so she got up in time to grab her swords and hold them close to her person.
"Serizawa! Please leave her be! She was attacked! Souji and Heisuke had seen them themselves, crossed blades with them even!" Kondou interjected immediately before things could get worse.
Everyone's eyes were on Serizawa and Kondou, everyone but Saito and Okita. Their eyes remained on Mei, who was tightly gripping her swords to her person, and her abused form shaking. From what it could not be pin pointed as her eyes hid away behind her bangs.
Damn you... Li... you bastard.. I won't let you have my swords... They're mine!
"Protect these with your life, Mei... You're the last of the family I can trust with these... Now run!"
The two skilled swordsman, that were looking at Mei, breaths hitched in surprise as tears fell down her cheeks and onto her hands. I'll make you pay, Li.
The doctor that was treating Mei had long fled from the situation that seemed to have escalated.
Immediately Saito and Okita got to Mei's side and helped her out of the room and to her own room. "Mei... Try not to strain yourself too much... You'll open up your wounds again." Okita suggested as he set her down on her futon. "There... gently..." he mumbled absently as if he had never had to take care of someone so gently before. As if reminding himself Mei wasn't just anyone. "Mei... Did you know those guys? Were they the ones who trashed your friends place?" He asked lightly, taking a spot in the corner in front of her to the left.
Mei didn't say anything, per usual, and simply grabbed the ink, quill, and paper available to her at her bedside before writing, The main man of the group was my uncle. His name is Xing Li. But I refer to him as Li. He was my mothers closest friend and I grew up thinking of him as an uncle. A part of my family. Talking about seemed to have upset her, evident in the way she gripped the quill so tightly it could've broken.
"... If he was a family friend of yours.. What happened to him that would make him attempt to kill you?" Saito now asked, softly and slowly. Not wanting to upset the woman any further.
Li was a good man, at least thats what he made us believe. He tricked us and sold us out to an enemy family, slaughtering my family and other branches of the family. Even the huma- But she stopped there and smeared the kanji with her hand before continuing, He's out for power. It's plain and simple. He has some sort of resentment towards my bloodline and has been hellbent on destroying it. I'm the last of my family so I'm the only one standing in his way of claiming power in my home. Once that happens... Bad things will follow in China.
"Like what?" Okita asked.
War with my family's Japanese rivals. And when it comes up to war with them and my uncles family, everyone in the vicinity, regardless of race or age, will be slaughtered without a second thought.