Disclaimer: I don't own Toji no Miko or any characters from it. It's belongs to the creator. I just own the OCs and the idea.

Future Slash II: Meeting with Familiar Face

"Hah…hah…hah…" how long I have been walking? 10 minutes? 30 minutes? 1 hour? I can't tell anymore ever since I got shocked by what actually happen to me. Right after I got sucked by the black hole created by that mysterious Toji with black sword, I somehow found myself got into past. It was a disastrous fact that almost make me fell to despair as I don't know how I can go back to my time. Not to remember that Asako-senpai was bitten by the gigantic Aradama "Orochi" in front of my eyes. Just remember that scene is enough to make me want to puke. However, I can't just lay there and cry as no one will able to help me, as I'm alone here, with no familiar face that I recognize. Even if I found one, they're probably the younger self of old people I know and I can't risk to change something in future by just meeting them, based on what my friend that really into a time-travel thing told me.

"I… can't hold… anymore…" with that said, I lost my remaining strength and fell into ground. The wound once again give me slight pain due it got hit very hard and I can tell it got bleed again from the heat and the wet sensation under my stomach, "Ayako… senpai… sorry…"

"Hm? Ah, oh my god!? Are you alright!?" Who? Who said that? My vision kinda blurry at moment and I can't move my head to see who's in front of me, "Oh my? Blood!? Hang on, I'll getting ambulance here!" that person in front of me said as I barely able to tell by her sound of talking to probably the phone. Not long after that, I can feel my body got lifted and propped to somewhere, felt like a wall to me, "Please, hold on for now, the ambulance is one their way," and that's the last thing I heard before my conscious slip away.

(Later, at hospital)

"Where…?" when I open my eyes, I found myself seeing a white ceiling, "Is this… hospital?" I tried to wake up but the heaviness on my body is too much that I can barely move it. It might be come from my wound that seems already taken care as I didn't feel any pain anymore, "More importantly, who is the person that help me back there?"

"Ah! You're awake!" I immediately turn my head toward the source of sound. To my gladness, shocked and also terrified over seeing who's the person that talked, I almost jump out from my bed, if not due the heaviness I felt hold me to the bed. That person is none other than Mai Yanase, one of retired Toji of Minoseki I know back then on my time, and one of heroes that put down Tagitsuhime at the time. Even if she was far younger than what I remember back then, I can't help but to recognize her immediately from the similarities and how the previous alumnus photos show when I saw it, "Oh, don't be afraid. I won't do anything bad."

"W-well… I…" I can't say anything as what I want to evade most is actually happen right now. This is dangerous… If she found out who am I then there's a chance that something in the future, my time might change. It might disturb the balance in time and resulting something difference there. Damn butterfly effect! "N-nothing! I just… you know…"

"Ah, I understand. You don't need to force yourself," Mai said which quite relief to me. If I asked to explain who am I then it might be bad, "Even so… that wound is really bad one. How did you get that?"

"Um… I…" I can't tell her that it come from that mysterious Toji I fought before, "I… I got it from an Aradama! I got too careless and end up got wounded."

"I see… You should be careful when fighting them," she reminded, "But, should you use Utsushi to decrease the damage you got?"

"Well… I do, but I can't put it too long and I got thrown out from the state before got it by that Aradama," I lied to her. That's the best excuse I can think right now and I hope she buy it, "How careless am I."

"I see…" please buy it, buy it, buy it! "Then, you should be careful next time. I don't know why you facing that Aradama alone but as a Toji it is already our duty to purify them, and you don't need to face them by yourself."

"Yeah… sorry," I apologize even though what I said before is just a lie. I felt bad to lie to Mai-san because she's the kindest person I know, whenever it is now or back there in my time. To lie to her is really leave a bad taste in my mouth, "I'm really sorry."

"You don't need to apologize, as long you don't do it again," she said which I answer with a nod, "Good! Ah, oh my. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Mai Yanase. What's yours?"

"I'm…" should I told her my real name? No. I can't. It might not doing well later on. Maybe I should use another one, "I'm Rinko. Rinko Tokigawa."

"Rinko… Tokigawa…" huh? Why did she sound strange after heard that?

"Something wrong with my name?" I asked her, hopefully this doesn't mean she actually don't buy my half-fake name.

"Oh, no! Nothing like that. I just… felt like I had heard that name before…" wait, there's someone with a name Rinko Tokigawa in here!? Don't tell me I messed up! "Ah! Now I remember, you have same first name as her."

"Her?" I asked.

"One of Origami Family's Elite Guards, Rinko Kurogane," Mai said, "She's happen to be one of best Toji out there and Kanami once said she want to spar with her," she explained to me, which… I found something strange. Last I remember, Origami's Elite Guards in this time are only four people and none of them named Rinko Kurogane. How is that possible? Did I happen to get thrown into another timeline where everything is different from what I know, or there's another explanation? "Um… how's exactly her looks like?"

"Um… she is," she looks at the outside of window when her widen upon she something, "Ah, there she is!"

"There?" I turn toward where Mai look at, possibly at the person with the name 'Rinko Kurogane' she talked about. However, once I see that person… I can't breathe. I can't because I must hold something much stronger coming from my inside, which is… an anger. That person, that 'Rinko Kurogane' Mai talking about… I can't be wrong. Her appearance, her face, I can't forget it. There's no way I can forget it! Because—

—it is her. That mysterious Toji who has make everything like this!

"Hm? Is she heading to this building? I wonder why she is here," Mai said, which almost choke me if not I'm trying to hide my anger from her. Dammit, I don't know why she's coming here but I can't let her meet me when I'm this defenseless, "Hm? Oh, Tokigawa-san. Sorry but I must take my leave here."

"Huh? Oh, it's okay! Take care of yourself," I said I tried to force myself to smile.

"Okay…? Oh! If you want to know where your Okatana is, it is on the safe box in here," she pointing at the box beside the bed, "Alright, I'll take my leave now. Get well soon, okay?" and with that she leave the room.

Right after Mai leave the room, I began to act as I look around to see if there's anyone beside me on this room, which is not and I'm glad, "Alright… I hope I still remember how to use it," I take a deep breath and concentrate my energy through my entire body before release it, "Let's see…" I try to move my arms and my legs and everything seems normal, "Alright, it works! It seems my training is payed off!" what I just use is Kaiho, a Toji technique that had just found later on in the future, which give the user a temporary limit-breaking one's body capabilities that can make them do more inhuman action or make their weak body move normally for short amount of time. This is very useful but very hard to train, especially if one's Utsushi is quite weak, "However, I can't use my Utsushi with this. So much of its convenience…" I get down from the bed and goes to the safe box to get my Okatana. Lucky that was a note of safe combination on it so I can easily open it before I took my partner, "Okami", a straight white katana with blunt end. Then I proceed to change my clothes, which somehow is already fixed with new one, "Mai-san maybe the one who put it here. I must thank her later," and after I got everything ready, I open the window, looking for any bystander on the street before jump down toward the bush at the ground. Then, I continue to go from that building as I proceed with my escape.

(Meanwhile, at the hospital) (3rd POV)

"I see, thank you for the information," Rinko Kurogane said to the nurse at the information center before proceed to her destination, "Lately there's some Toji that got hurt from Aradama's attack. It seems the situation isn't that good for now."

"Well, but for you it's like an easy walk on the park, right Rinko-senpai?" the one who said it is Yume, another Elite Guard beside Rinko and other three, "You can just swing your sword around and they will got defeat in an instant!"

"You're overestimated my strength, Yume," Rinko K. said, "I'm not that strong, you're a lot stronger than me too."

"Yet you never goes full power whenever we go sparring," Yume said with pout on her face, "How can make you go serious, Rinko-senpai! I want to fight you when you use all of your strength!"

"Shh! Be quite Yume! This is hospital!" she said while pitching Yume's mouth, making her pout even more, "Beside, I'm always serious when we go sparring or I won't be able to catch your movement."

"Really? I found that doubtful. You never attack me seriously or even use your strength against me."

"Well, that's what my sword-style is. Waiting, Observing, React. That's all the fundamental of my style and I can't do anything with it."

"I still doubt that's all of it," Yume said before she looks at the sign at the door, "Ah, we're here. Anyway, what's important about this girl?"

"She's got wounded, probably when doing her duty as Toji," Rinko K. explained, "However, her wound seems not from an Aradama. It's more… like it come from a something sharp like a blade or something."

"You mean, someone attack her? But who? Even I know that we're in constant danger when doing our duty as Toji, I don't think there's someone that stupid enough to attack a Toji, regardless their intention."

"That's what I want to know. Hopefully, we might find some clue about this 'attacker' from this girl," Rinko K. said as she open the door and goes inside, before she stopped right at the door, make Yume crash at her back.

"Hey! Why are you stopped suddenly!?" Yume said while rubbing her forehead.

"No one is here," she answered.

"Huh? No one?" Yume slid from the opening at the Rinko's side and look into the room, "There's no one here. Did we get a wrong room?"

"I don't think so," Rinko K. said as she look at the sign on the door before look at the opened window on the room, "Whoever in here before, she might already go away right now," she entering the room and look to outside through the window, seeking anything suspicious.

"With her current condition? How? I don't think she can go that far," Yume said as she check the bed and the already opened safe box, "And she took her Okatana too. Seriously, what is inside that girl's mind?"

"Whose know, but we better search her or it would be problematic for us, especially for me," she said while closing the window and muttered the last part, "I wonder where did she go now…"

Meanwhile, somewhere in the city (Rinko T. POV)

"Hah… hah… hah… save…" I catches my breath after I went running all the way into the deep of city. I know it's quite risky but due my condition is not on its prime, I can't risk myself for going somewhere without people around, "Not to mention the Kaiho will run out soon. I must find a good place to rest and hide."

After walking for a while, I found a building in front of me. It's quite old and seems no one is there for a long time, "Perfect," I look toward the entrance and it was blocked by some wooden boards, "Destroy it wouldn't be a problem, but it might attract an unwanted attention. Let's just slip through… the… opening!" I squeeze myself to the small opening at those wooded boards. Lucky that the opening is big enough so I won't got stuck there, "And to find the right place to rest."

I stroll around the place to find a room I can occupied. Most of room is locked or too dirty for me. After a short time, I finally find the decent one. It's still dirty but at least it isn't like previous one before, "Finally… I can… rest…" I stumble on my walk toward the room as my Kaiho is finally off. I can feel my entire strength is leaving my body and I am falling head first toward the ground before I end up lost all of my energy. I don't know what happen after that as everything become dark after I fell to ground.