Finally back at the compound, all of the Captains gathered in the common room. At least, all the original captains from when they were known as the Roshigumi. They circled around Souma silently, glaring at him while the air was thick with suspicion. It reminded not only Mei, but also Chizuru, of the times they first arrived at the compound.
"So, mind telling me whos responsible for this drawing?" Hijikata asked, the purple eyed demon commander asked in a authoritative tone. He wasn't having any attitude as much as anyone.
Souma didn't seem to care though.
"I don't know."
Shinpachi's eyes glared harshly as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Don't play dumb. You said you knew the artist."
"I don't recall."
And, just like everyone else's with the situation, Hijikata was losing patience-fast. "All right, you bastard, you'd better watch yourself with the lies." He warned, his eyes promising some harsh punishments.
Okita grinned before he pulled a bit of his blade from its scabbard, "We can play this game. The game is: if you don't talk, then I get to stab you. Sound like fun?" He hummed, and though his tone was whimsical his body language showed he had full intention of getting this samurai to talk one way or the other. However, Saito stopped him.
"Wait for Sanan to speak, Souji."
Sanan didn't look at the two captains, and instead slid the paper a bit forward in Souma's direction and frowned, "Souma, was it? When you look at this drawing, what does it tell you? What do you see?" He asked. His eyes were calculating, watching the boy to catch anything suspicious in his body language.
"It's a Shinsengumi warrior wearing light blue."
"True the Haori confirms it. However, the person in this drawing has white hair, red eyes, and his mouth is torn and bloody. Nothing else came to mind when you looked at this drawing? Nothing at all?" Sanan pressed, looking at the boy more patiently than everyone else.
Souma frowned, "I know it doesn't look great, but I didn't think anything of it. I'd only heard rumors about the Shinsengumi being demons. It's just a drawing." He defended, not understanding what all the fuss was about.
And how could he? Mei ended up thinking, He wouldn't know about the skeletons in their closet.
"I see. Demon, huh… I guess he's on point." Sanan hummed with a small, saddened smile. Demons. That's what they were turning their own men into. That's what they had to kill in the end. "Well, that certainly narrows down the suspects. There are only so many people who know the Shinsengumi well enough to draw us." His eyes then turned to Mei, his smile becoming a bit warmer, "I believe Mei has known who this was for a short while now, yes? Would you care to ask him?"
Mei looked at Sanan surprised for a moment before she turned to Souma, her eyes softening as she took a breath, "... Ibuki… Ibuki Ryunosuke." She said, more so reaffirming it than asking.
And Souma's reaction is what confirmed her statement. His body tensed and eyes grew wide, telling the whole room that Sanan and Mei were right. He nodded in defeat, deflated that he fruitlessly tried to hide Ibuki's identity.
"I'm only going to ask this one more time. Is there only one copy of this drawing?" Hijikata asked firmly.
"Y-Yes, he told me to throw it away and entrusted it to me to do as he told. But it's just a drawing, right? Why am I being captured over a drawing?" Souma frowned.
Hijikata met his frown with a scowl, "Imagine what were to happen if a drawing of the Shinsengumi as demons were to get around town. Surely it is not lost on you that our reputation stands to lose a lot because of this drawing, no?" The air in the room was lighter at the mention of Ryunosuke but the sight of that drawings reality was ingrained in their memories. That night was fresh in their minds even if it happened months ago.
"W-Well… yes, you do have a point…" Souma stuttered.
Sanan smiled again, "Glad that's sorted, we're confiscating this. That's all right with you, isn't it?" Despite the smile, everyone, even Souma, could feel how cold and empty it was. Fitting for his rhetorical question.
Souma sighed defeatedly, "Fine… Do what you will. This means I'm free to go, right? I'm of no further use to you."
Kondou moved a bit forward and nodded with his genuinely confident smile, "Souma, yes? My name is Isami Kondou, the Chief of the Shinsengumi, under the supervision of the Aizu Domain. First and foremost, I want to apologize for our inhospitable treatment. Please forgive us for this." He bowed deeply and sincerely, obviously catching the male off guard.
Souma stuttered and stumbled over his words as he gently and hesitantly reached his hands out to the man, "P-Please let me see your face. You're the Chief of the Shinsengumi right? Sir, there is no need for you to bow before a lowly person like me!" His eyes filled with confusion and surprise, obviously never having met someone like Kondou.
"Well, because I am the Chief, I think I should be the first to admit when wrongdoing is committed. The tide of how the world views the samurai may change, but it is our duty to uphold our code." Kondou said, more like a father than a commander.
Hijikata looked at his friend with a sideway glance before sighing, "Although we strive to do what it takes to be a samurai, we gain nothing from using the same methods as the most corrupt samurai." He stated, with all seriousness. Everyone seemed to agree with their leaders sentiments.
After a few moments of dumbfounded silence from Souma, Kondou smiled brightly and warmly, "So, the man who gave you this drawing, Ibuki, how is he? Is he well?" He asked, everyone seemingly relaxing as they remembered Ryunosuke.
"O-Oh, y-yes sir. Very much so…" Souma replied softly, unsure.
"Oh? I'm glad to hear it. Isn't that right Toshi?" Kondou said, looking at the purple-eyed demon commander.
Hijikata simply scoffed, "Hmph, I don't remember him." Even if he outwardly brushed off the olive branch Kondou offered, he seemed to have forced himself to appear indifferent to the news. Though everyone, besides Souma, knew that he was secretly relieved.
But not just Hijikata, many of the other captains seemed happily relieved that Ryunosuke was doing well.
Mei smiling gently as she recalled the last letter Lan had sent her about him and the little Maiko he had left with. She was worried about him after some time but he seemed to have been doing well for himself which put her at ease with her worry.
"If I may, I shall take my leave soon. However, I would like to apologize for the indecency and lack of propriety to your men today." Souma suddenly said very uniformly, before bowing deeply to those he had insulted.
Mei looked a bit taken back, just as he was when Kondou had done it to him. The captains looked amused at her body language.
"Special apologies to the lady I must have insulted. Please excuse my actions, they were in poor judgment and harsh. Forgive me."
Mei's eyes widened and she froze up, unable to respond immediately, but after a nudge from Harada, she shook her head quickly and blinked, "Ah… Don't… It's alright, I suppose. As long as you understand what you did was… upsetting." She murmured, unsure of how to really respond. Being with the Captains who joked and insulted each other every day, and having a master who's never really apologized to her and constantly fights her, it was odd for someone to show her that kind of respect. For a SAMURAI to show that kind of respect.
The captains laughed at her.
-July 1864-
Mei looked at her blades as she thought of their design. They were obviously not originally made as a pair. One could see the differences in craftsmanship on the blades themselves, but it seemed someone had taken the blades and replaced the original handles with new ones to match. Growing up with stories about the cursed Muramasa blades, and the legend of the Kusanagi blade, they weren't made as a pair.
Her fingers gently glided over the black sheathes and handles, tracing the gold dragon that wrapped around them.
"Oh Mei."
The pink haired female looked up to see it was Harada. "Oh, hey."
Harada offered a small smile before he sat beside her, "What are you doing out here?" He asked, looking over at her before glancing at her swords. "Was there something wrong with your swords?"
Mei shook her head, "You've heard about the cursed Muramasa blades and the legend of Kusanagi, yes? I was just wondering how my family acquired them." She shrugged, looking at her swords again. "Anyways, have you seen my mischievous master anywhere?" She murmured, trying to change the subject of her family.
"He went out on patrol with Chizuru." Harada replied as he leaned back on his hands.
"I see…" Mei closed her eyes as she allowed the sun to soak into her exposed skin. That comfortable silence replaced their words as the birds sang happily and the warmth embraced them. Time like this were treasured. She could only have these moments with Harada, an honest man and a trustworthy friend. She cared for and trusted all the Captains and men she had come to know, however, all of them were a bit, much.
It seemed like an hour had passed before Harada spoke up again, "Maybe tonight we can go grab a drink and talk more?" He hummed. "Or we can be rowdy by bringing Heisuke and Shinpachi along." The spearman laughed.
Mei laughed as well before she smiled, "Sounds like a plan. It's been a while since we all went out drinking."
Harada looked at Mei for moment, as if he wished to say something. His brows furrowed as he reached out, "Hey Mei-"
However he was caught off as Inoue approached them, "Harada, Mei. Come to the common room, we have an urgent matter to discuss." He said, though he sounded a bit half-hearted.
Harada pulled his hand back to his side before he and Mei stood to their feet and made their way to the common room, where it seemed like someone was being yelled at by Sanan. Almost all the captains, and pages, gathered into the room and Mei closed the door behind them once they all sat down.
To put it simply, Okita was in trouble.
The sight of her master being scolded caused the female to smirk with amusement at Okita. He reminded her of a pouting child after they have been caught doing something they shouldn't be.
"Man, you two are the definition of stoic and reasonable. Souji, on the other hand…" Shinpachi started, his eyes on the two Watch members before his gaze fixed on the emerald-eyed man in the middle of the room. He was enjoying the fact he could tease Okita about a mistake he made.
Though, Mei wasn't going to let him have his fun without a little consequence.
"Shinpachi, you're the last one here to point fingers." Mei smiled.
"Hey! Let me have this for once!" Shinpachi whined.
Mei chuckled, "Where's the fun in that?"
"A-Ah…" Chizuru suddenly spoke up, her eyes glued to the floor, and catching everyone's attention. "I'm so sorry… It's all my fault…" She apologized, "Some ronin were causing trouble, so I tried to get out of the way… I got separated from Okita in the crowd, and I didn't go right back to him…" She explained as she seemed more and more embarrassed as she continued. "Before I really realized what was going on, someone just started shouting at me…"
As admirable as it was for the girl to try and take the blame, Sanan wasn't having it. With a cold and quietly furious gaze, Sanan looked at her, "But who was tasked with looking out for you?" He hissed. "The captain of our 1st Division can't even track a charge. Is this the best the Shinsengumi can do?" The way he spoke and how tense his body was, Mei couldn't help but frown at how cold he had become. It was a completely different person than the Sanan who tried to cheer her up under the tree.
"I told her she could go. They were only following orders." Hijikata stated much more leveled and cool than Sanan was behaving.
The Demon commanders words caused the colonel to look up at him with a tight, wry smile.
Everyone looked up to see that Hijikata stood at the door with an impartial expression.
"If you're here, that means you're done interrogating Furutaka, right?" Harada asked lightly.
Hijikata crossed his arms before slipping them into his sleeves and nodded, "They're going to wait for a day when the wind picks up, then set Kyoto on fire and kidnap the Emperor while everyone else is losing their shit." He stated as he expression hardened. "So they say, at least." As calm and measured as he sounded, his words were not ones that allowed one to relax.
"Burn down the city? Those Choshu guys are crazier than I thought." Shinpachi frowned.
"So they just want to kidnap the Emperor? Seems a little contradictory for a bunch of guys who call themselves Imperialists." Heisuke piped up before he looked at the floor.
Saito looked at Hijikata, "Whatever their reasons, we cannot ignore them."
Hijikata nodded in agreement, "They're probably meeting tonight. We need to get ready to move out." He informed, setting a hand on his hip.
Everyone had a different response to the news, Mei specifically stayed silent as she looked down at her lap. Something sent a chill down her spine about the whole thing. It made her uneasy.
"You're coming too, right, Mei?" Heisuke's voice suddenly broke her from her thoughts as he beamed at her.
Mei smiled back before nodding, "Sure. I don't see why I should let you have all the fun." For now, she would push that uneasiness aside. She shouldn't make them worry.
-later-
In that moment, the whole compound was buzzing with preparations. From soldiers to officers running back and forth as the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Mei dressed in her dress, adjusting the ties that closed the slits at her thighs a bit higher up for flexibility. Slipping her swords at her side and tying her hair up in a high ponytail, she made her way to the others. She met up with Okita and stayed quiet at his side as she waited to leave. They were supposed to split the troops in half, but counting the men, Kondou seemed to have gotten the short end of the stick concerning numbers. She frowned as she tried to think of what they were going to do, however, she heard a familiar voice mention a very sensitive topic.
"So, you think we'll bring 'em along on this one? It's a night mission. It'd be perfect…" Harada murmured. "We lost a couple the other day, but there should still be a few left, right?"
"I heard they won't be seeing combat for a while. They're having some difficulty adjusting." Saito sighed. "They stop listening to orders as soon as they see blood. It's rather inconvenient."
Mei tensed as she knew exactly what they were talking about.
It had been so quiet she had almost forgotten about them. The Furies that Shinsengumi had created. The more they two talked about them, even if vaguely, the more annoyed she became. With an irritated huff, Mei walked over to the two and grabbed their wrists tightly, "Hey idiots." She chided, glaring at them with cold eyes. "That conversation is meant to be spoken about behind closed doors. Not in the open where foot soldiers and a charge can hear." Mei chastised as she glanced behind them to see that Chizuru was in the corner, trying her best to ignore the conversation.
Saito and Harada shared a very sheepish look before looking away, now aware of their mistake.
"Yēsū jīdū..." Mei whispered a curse in Chinese as she released them, though her cold gaze didn't disappear. "Stop mentioning them. As they are, they're useless until Sanan can come up with a way to help the pitiable. And as he is, I doubt that's anytime soon." With that Mei grabbed their white haori's they had yet to put on from their shoulders and shoved them into their arms, "Put them on and stand by." Fuming with irritation as the two had even thought of relying on those monsters for anything, Mei went back to Okita's side, ignoring the inquisitive look he gave her. She wasn't in the mood.
It wasn't long after that when they all set out. Kondou's troop took to Ikeda Inn, the usual place the Choshu used to meet. It was unlikely that they'd use their known meeting place but it was the only a precaution that they were sent here. But Sanan's worries went unanswered as it was obvious by now that Ikeda Inn was where they were meeting.
They had two options, 1. Wait for Hijikata, or 2. Charge in and catch who they can before they can escape. The issue with waiting is that the Aizu Domain or the Judiciary Commission could send other troops unrelated to the Shinsengumi to take care of this matter. If that were to happen, the gloryhogs would take the credit and leave the Shinsengumi in the dust even though they were the ones who caught on first and took action first. But with the little manpower they had, it could end with casualties on their part.
"Of all the damn luck." Kondou hissed as he peered around the corner at the inn.
"What are we gonna do, Kondou?" Okita asked with arms crossed.
Takeda frowned, "Charging with this amount of men is reckless. We should wait for the Aizu Doman's reinforcements." As much as Mei hated to agree with the arrogant prick, she couldn't help but nod at his suggestion. She had faith in the men, but she didn't want to meaninglessly risk their lives.
Kondou frowned as he took in the concerns and suggestions of the men, "... Alright… We can wait a bit longer for either reinforcements from Aizu or Toshi."
-later-
It was well into the night, two hours possibly had passed as the group had waited. The moon was formed into a cruel smile almost directly above their heads. It became clear that Hijikata wasn't going to make it in time, and the Aizu Domain was sitting on their hands.
"It would be pretty lame if we just sat here all night." Okita said, crossing his arms over his chest a bit.
Kondou, who had been silent for the most part of the night, hardened his expression and stood up to speak, "We can't wait a moment longer. Souji, Mei, Nagakura, Toudou: you lot follow me. We're going in." He ordered.
"Well, I will secure the front entrance so you guys have at it." Takeda suddenly said, as if anyone was speaking to him.
"What? You're not going to fight, Takeda?" Heisuke asked.
Okita smirked, "It's all good. I mean we don't want him in the dark and then mistakenly stabbing us you know? Oh, actually… we may mistakenly stab him."
Takeda straightened up and narrowed his eyes on the 1st Division captain, "Okita, what are you suggesting?"
Mei chuckled as she knew exactly what Okita was getting at, earning a glare from Takeda.
"Now now, if you want someone charging, we want someone reliable anyways. So with that said, take care of the outside, Takeda." Shinpachi hummed before turning to Okita and Mei.
Mei looked away innocently before her eyes landed on Chizuru, who decided to come along after Kondou had asked. "Oh, Chizuru…" She murmured, walking over off to the side before she set a hand on her hip. "Mind staying away from the inn? It'll get really messy in there. We don't intend to let any of them escape but-you're not a soldier and you know self-defense but these are also men much bigger and stronger than you. It'll be safer for you this way."
Chizuru looked a bit torn before she nodded. "All right."
Mei returned to the men's side before they all ran across the street to the inn. Kondou, with a big lunge, kicked down the door to the inn and barked, "We are the Shinsengumi; retainers of the Lieutenant-General of the Aizu Domain! By imperial decree, you are all under arrest!" As soon as the words left his mouth, a cacophony of yells and screams erupted from the inn.
"Giving the enemy a good, loud warning that he's about to kick their asses. That's Kondou for you." Okita chuckled as he unsheathed his sword.
Shinpachi grinned, "Eh, seems like good form anyway. It's polite to let 'em know what they're up against."
Heisuke rolled his eyes with a grin of his own, "Oh, so your definition of 'good form' is putting us at a disadvantage?"
"We act with the authority of the government! Resist and you will be shown no mercy!" The Choshu gathered into view before they all began to unsheathe their swords. "Charge!" Okita and Mei zoomed away from the others and immediately headed for the stairs.
The battle began in earnest. Yells, screams and cries of battle mixed with the clang of swords, filling the air with an unmistakable sound of battle. It blasted out the windows and doors, waking up those close by to the bloodthirsty warriors that were inside.
Mei jumped onto the stairs railing, slipping ahead of Okita and Heisuke, "Catch up you two!" She teased, even though her expression was somewhat calm and stoic like Saito's, before she unsheathed her kodachi and buried her blade into the heart of an enemy, jumping onto the second floor before she cut through their stomach and glanced back at Okita. "You're not gonna let me have all the fun are you?"
Okita grinned back at his page, "Of course not." He cooed, finally catching up to her before they saw people charge at them. "This'll be fun~"
Mei agreed with a nod as she readied her kodachi. The space was too small for her dual-sword wielding, or her Katana, so she would have to make do with what she could. Blood was intoxicating her senses, and by now many bodies littered the floor; dead or unconscious. She could feel a smirk tugging at her lips, one she tried to fight.
Through the carnage, however, she saw long and unfamiliar dark blue hair slip into one of the rooms, causing her to nudge her master's arm. "You and Heisuke take that room. I think they might be trying to run out onto the roof!" She instructed before she cut down another man.
Okita looked at her, "I don't take orders from you, pup~ But just this once I guess I'll let you have fun." He hummed, nudging Heisuke before having him follow as he rushed to the room Mei pointed out.
How she'd regret that later...
Outside of the Inn, Hijikata and the others were finally arriving, "Looks like they already started without us… Saito! Take the front, Harada! Take the back! Cut anyone down if they resist! No one escapes that building!" He ordered before slowing down to a halt, turning back to see the Aizu's troops finally taking action. Idiots are too fucking late! He couldn't help but think as he turned on his heel and walked over to stand before them.
He glared down the men in front of him, standing his ground even as they looked at him with disgust and loathing.
"And who are you supposed to be?!"
"Call us the Shinsengumi. We are in process of securing this inn from the ronin. And we don't need your help, understand?" Hijikata sneered, not having it with this political men.
The man visibly grew agitated with the blatant disrespect, "Who do you think you are?!" He commanded, "The stinking wolves of Mibu aren't the law here, we are!" The man raged. But that nickname he used for the Shinsengumi seemed to only irritate the Demon Commander.
Hijikata looked like he was already at the end of his patience, "You know what…" He started, "This stinking wolf has a warning. If you want to live you better stay out of there. Anyone that enters inside that inn not wearing our uniform stands the risk of getting killed right now. So be a good bureaucrat and stay back." Hijikata snarled, his eyes filled with rage.
Before the bureaucrat could say anything else, a familiar figure appeared. White blonde hair and silver eyes stood a bit beside Hijikata before she stepped forward, "... You will listen to this man or suffer disciplinary action by the Aizu Domain." Jun stated harshly, her eyes staring down the men before her. "If you had acted sooner, perhaps there could have been preparations done to promise the life of your troops, however, you took your time and have landed yourselves in the role of bystanders." The female walked slowly over to the men, shoving a letter into his hand and moving back. "Official notice from the higher ups."
Hijikata recognized the female immediately, his eyes settling on her for a moment, "What are you doing here?"
Jun looked over at the demon commander before frowning, "... My lady would be very unhappy if these men were to wrong you. I'm here just to make sure you lot stay out of serious trouble with the other branches of Aizu." She informed. The female obviously didn't like the men that had swayed Mei's feelings, but knew that they were important to Mei. Her sole purpose was to protect her, and since the men seemed to have that covered, she had to indirectly protect her by protecting the men of the Shinsengumi.
Behind the house Harada and his men were securing the back, making sure no one escaped. However, it seemed that didn't calculate for a few abnormalities appearing. The spearman was about to cut down a coward trying to flee when a shot rang out through the night and stopped both of them in their tracks.
"So where's the harm in letting a coward run like the yellow dog he is? If you want someone to have fun with, then lets play~" A man with dark bluish purple hair smiled as his gun pointed at Harada.
"I've never been worried about playing with anyone. But only a coward would walk into a place like this with a gun." Harada hissed, finding the man's choice of weapon rather unappealing. He had to suck it up and let the ronin run as the man with the gun became his priority.
"That weapon of yours is a projectile too if you use it right." The man grinned, watching as the ronin fled.
However, the man didn't get far.
"Apologies." Blood colored hair flashed in the dark before a sword was buried into the chest of the coward. "To keep my lady happy, you can't escape from here." Her orange eyes glinted in the moonlight as she let the body drop to the floor. Her eyes landing on the man with the pistol, tensing up at his presence.
"Oh? Girls showing up now? What kind of organization are you?" The man raised a brow.
Harada looked over at Lan with confusion before he spoke up, "You're one of the ladies that are with Mei, right? What are you doing here?" He asked.
Lan nodded her head as she slowly approached them, "... We came to see how Mei was doing… We found out what was happening so we took a few measures before hand just in case you needed help." She bowed her head a bit before she narrowly dodged a bullet. "It seems like unwanted guests are interrupting your work, Sir." She glared at the gunman.
"He's my prey. Get lost." The man frowned.
Lan readied her weapon, a ninja sword, and took a breath. "I'm unable to do that, please excuse my intrusion."
Harada didn't object to her help, but seemed to hesitate for a moment before taking a stance of his own and pointing his spear at the gunman. "I'm not one for underhanded tactics, but I'm not about to say no to a lady." He grinned before he took the first strike at the man. The gunman shot at the two of them, forcing Lan into the nearby trees, Harada charging ahead.
The two engaged in some banter between them while Lan waited for her moment to strike.
The gunman whistled, "You're pretty good you know that? I'm Kyo Shiranui~ Got a name, Mr- Longspear?~"
"I'm the Shinsengumi Captain of the 10th Division, Sanosuke Harada."
Kyo Shiranui dodged every attack Harada had made towards him, slightly irritating and exciting the spearman. While they were both engrossed in their battle Lan decided to make her move. She shot out from the shadows, narrowly missing Harada's spear as she spun close to Kyo and cut his cheek, Harada cutting his arm, as he jumped away to dodge both attacks. "Damn, not bad for a human being, Sanosuke Harada." He smirked, but his eyes turned back to Lan, who frowned a bit at him, wiping off the blood on her sword with her sleeve. "You're a long way from home, girlie…" He cooed, jumping from the fence to a roof, and showing some inhuman agility as he pounced from roof to roof, getting farther away from them till he was out of eyesight.
Harada frowned as the man disappeared, turning to Lan now that they were alone. "Thanks for the help."
Lan shook her head, "Thank you for accepting the assistance… and for befriending Mei." She bowed, straightening up as she remembered the task at hand.
Mei blocked another attack, unease replacing her enjoyment slowly as the night dragged on. Minutes felt like hours as she didn't see Heisuke and Okita leave the room yet. They should've been finished by then, what was taking them so long?
"Okita! Heisuke!" Mei called out as she felt the uneasiness grow into the beginnings of fear. Just as she called out for them, there was a harsh crash and for a moment she saw Heisuke fly threw the door like a ragdoll. No… She thought as she froze. Her eyes moved from where she saw Heisuke fly to the stairs. "Saito!" The man turned to her. "Saito please! Heisuke! Help him!" She insisted, as she rushed toward the room Okita was in.
Just as she stepped into the room, her eyes widened. There was another crash and she saw a familiar face kick Okita's chest harshly, pushing him into a wall. Okita! Her body froze as she watched Okita start to raise his sword again before he covered his mouth, blood dripping past his fingers and down his chin.
The man, Kazuma Chikage, glanced at her. Familiarity passing through his eyes before he looked at Okita pitifully, "Thank you for the dance, but I shall be leaving, lowly human."
"Hey! Don't walk away from me when you haven't even won yet!" Okita barked, unable to contain his anger, but obviously unable to stand for much longer. "I've still got some fight left, you bastard!" The roar made Mei begin to shake. It was his pride as a samurai, his pride to the Shinsengumi. His damn pride…
Was about to get him killed!
"You're saying you have a death wish?" Kazuma started, a grin on his face, "I don't normally grant wishes!" He raised his sword and brought it down to cut down Okita.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Mei screamed as she stepped between them and blocked his attack with her own sword. Her eyes were wide with anger and fear for Okita, her body on the defensive.
Okita fell to his knees as he clutched his chest and began to cough harshly. "M-Mei… Wh-What are.. You…"
"Should the master really be taking a break in front of the page? At least wait until someone can be tagged in for you, idiot…" Mei growled, glancing at Okita before she pushed back the male, who was in momentary shock, by swinging her katana at him. "You take a nap, you've worked hard enough… Let the pup take care of this bastard for now.." She whispered, glaring down the man before her. She discarded the katana in the corner of the room, embedding it into the floor.
Okita would've wholeheartedly protested against her wishes, however, the blow to his chest alone did a number on him and found he was losing consciousness quickly. "... D-Don't you… die… Mei… I'm the only… o-one… who can… kill you…" He managed before his eyes finally closed and his body leaned against the support beam of the wall.
Mei frowned as she looked at Kazama, "... Leave… now…" She warned, her eyes glowing with anger, baring fangs and growling, she looked like a fox protecting her pups.
Kazama looked at her with confusion, "... You're the woman I saw at Shimabara." He stated, his eyes narrowing on her. The air in the room shifted, as if swirling around them. "You have some skill… even for a human, let alone a woman… And your sword…" He glanced at the handle.
She should have noticed them sooner, why hadn't she sensed their presence? Her grip on her sword tightened, as Kazama didn't move to leave or attack.
The air began to show color, like blue flames, surrounding them as she stood protectively in front of her master. His hair began to turn white as his eyes turned gold. So distracted by the transformation she was a little too late to react as Kazama suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist with the bracelet, the crest hanging off it. "Who exactly are you…?" He whispered, his gold eyes staring into her blues.
"You don't need to know." Mei spat, though mistakenly glanced at her bracelet.
"I see… So this is what keeps you on a leesh?" He asked softly, grabbing the bracelet.
Mei immediately grabbed his wrist and frowned, her body showing a bit of panic. "Isn't it beneath you to be laying your hands on a woman like this?" She asked mockingly. Don't take it off!
Kazama glared at her coldly before he threw her towards her katana that she had discarded earlier, her grip on his wrist loosening and allowing him to pull the bracelet off her. The moment it happened she let out a blood-curdling cry, her back being sliced by her own sword while her kodachi stabbed into her thigh. Her eyes shut tightly before she glared up at him, the color slowly staining a bright gold.
"Mei! Okita!" Kondou cried out, rushing up the steps and toward them.
The blue flames disappeared and Kazama's original reappeared, his eyes on Mei. "... You truly are a long way from home…" He stated softly, "... I'll visit you again soon, pup…" He tossed the bracelet at her before he climbed out the window and disappeared.
Mei grabbed the bracelet quickly and slipped it onto her wrist, her body feeling severely heavy due to her injuries. She made sure her original appearance returned before she looked towards the door. "K-Kondou! Someone! Help Okita!" She cried out, trying to push herself up, pulling her sword from her thigh with a hiss and groan. "Please…!" Her voice cracked and fell weak. Black formed around her sight as she fell to the floor limply. The pain was bearable but her body as it was could only handle so much. Consciousness slipped away from her and the last thing she saw was someone rushing to Okita's side.
Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading~ Please let me know what you think in the reviews, constructive criticism is always welcomed too! I'll try to post again soon! Please bare with me until then!
Sincerely,
Chess