Good night, I'm here. An apology for the delay, but here's the update. Enjoy and see you to the next chapter. Thank you for adding this story to favorites :D Rasen wish U the best!
Parazor, thank you for all :D Every day that passes you win a piece of heaven (and a piece of my dark heart).
Chapter 4
To be Free
Another day that had been nothing but fruitless. Another day in which the only thing they'd managed to find was a bunch of trouble makers who did nothing more than commit small crimes inside of Yoshiwara.
So then, under the merciless sun, now they didn't know where else to look for clues, they decided to remain calmly inside the apothecary's store, hanging the "closed" sign so nobody came to bother them.
"I guess all we have left is to go to other districts", said the black-haired woman with resignation. "It's been already two weeks since you got here and we still have no clues about anything."
"You really think we're going to find something?"
"I honestly don't know", she sighed, taking a seat behind the counter. "The blotches that almost every one of you had are almost gone. Strangely, they're starting to get better and I don't know why. And that's worrying as well."
"The only thing I'm happy about is that you two haven't tried to kill each other again", Abuto added with some happiness.
"Tell me you haven't also wished to send him to a better world", she pointed out with humor.
"And to think that all of this happened because we visited that place…" He sighed, long and deeply.
The planet greeting them could be the envy of many others. There was enough flora and vegetation to believe one could have arrived in a tropical jungle in some exotic land. Also, in the middle of all that nature was a metropolitan city, where one could find from lost oasis too far away sand dunes. It was, no doubt, a world of contrasts, where the government was that of an absolute monarchy.
But all those space travelers cared about was to finish the deal that took them to such a remote place. They had merchandise to deliver, and a lot of cash to collect. And that's how the meeting took place close to the majestic castle, with the captains from both sides taking care of the transaction.
"I find it strange that you would take care of handling such a trivial matter like slave trade yourselves, Kamui-dono", mentioned the uniformed man, with that look so typical of lizards. Even his scaly skin attracted attention, together with a tongue that kept coming in and out of his mouth.
"It was a direct favor from the Admiral, Hideo-dono", spoke Abuto to whom undoubtedly was someone of a high rank in that place.
"We're sorry you had to come to this place, knowing how sensitive you are to the heat." The home to those cold blooded creatures was an ecosystem where the sun shone so bright that it almost suffocated them.
"We're not as frail as you think we are", added Kamui. Both Yato could resist that weather without much trouble thanks to their umbrellas.
"And since you've traveled from so far, wouldn't you like to stay a little more and enjoy the banquet we're having tonight? Our food is well known around the universe."
"Mmm… That doesn't sound like a bad idea after all, right Abuto?"
"Ah! Don't tell me you're really thinking about it?"
"You said yourself that we needed supplies or something like that." He only remembered the advice from his vice-captain when it was most convenient for him.
"Tsk…" No matter what he said, that guy wouldn't listen to him. So, he had no choice but to give up.
"Hey, don't resist and come with us." Apparently, a few soldiers had found some of the merchandise outside of their cells.
"I told you we aren't part of the sale", replied the girl, trying to free herself of his grip.
"I'm sorry to tell you but those pieces are not for sale", intervened Abuto for that pair that had already been taken to Hideo's presence. "These are part of our subordinates. To be exact, they are simply cooks.
"Most of the slaves we get are always instructed in some activity", said the other man. "I could give you a special bonus for those two… Although… I think I'd choose the brunette. The other one has a look that I don't like."
"She's always with that mean look on her face, and she'll surely give you more problems than anything else." Oshin ignored his comments, and simply stared at the huge lizard with disdain.
"No one can deny the Harusame is a kind organization." The lizard made a sign to take the unfortunate chosen woman away and to free the one he wasn't convinced to have under his service.
"Why did you do that?", the black-haired woman asked Abuto. They were both looking straight ahead, noticing that his captain had already left them behind.
"Idiot, you want us to have trouble with the Harusame?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I have the slight feeling that if we left you here, you'd cause trouble. And that'd make the relationship with the Tokague Clan, one of the most loyal partners of the Harusame, start to fall apart."
"I think you're overrating me, Abuto", she mentioned calmly.
"The look you have on your face is not one of a person who's afraid of simple slave traders, but that of someone who could send them to hell with her own hands if she feels like it."
Soon the people around her disappeared and the surveillance they had on them was almost gone. It's not like those Yato cared if one of their many servants disappeared suddenly; it was as easy as replacing them.
"And with this sun, this looks like the worst place these men could have ever stepped on." It wasn't curiosity what was making her walk the surroundings of the castle, but more like restlessness. "If they find me I'll be in big trouble. So maybe I could even…"
The plan was simple and consisted basically in finding a cape, putting it on and pretend to be a member of the 7th division of the Harusame. Only that way she wouldn't raise suspicions if she happened to walk around.
"I wonder where they've been taken. This place is unnecessarily big...".
"Oh, so you must be one of the members of the fearsome division of the Harusame." Great, just what she needed, somebody crossing her path. "My lord has asked me to show you the hospitality of our kingdom."
"That's not necessary. I'm just stretching my legs." Between her aviator hat and the big cape covering her body, it was easy to deduce she was part of the Yato.
"Come on, I'm sure you'd want some shadow and nice food." He was inviting her to follow him with much insistence.
"Alright." The best was to agree or he would suspect.
And like that lizard said, the area where she'd been taken was surprisingly cool, with an amazing view from a paradisiacal oasis and lots of delicacies on the only table there was in the place.
"Enjoy the food and the company", he said before leaving.
"What did he mean by 'company'?" She grabbed some kind of fruit and took a bite. "Ah?" The second part of the show had arrived. Three beautiful young girls suddenly appeared, wearing revealing outfits and hiding half of their faces with a veil.
"We're at your service, my lord." What left her totally speechless wasn't the welcome those girls gave her or that they mistook her for a boy, but that without telling them they started serving her food, fanning her and even trying to flirt with her.
"You really don't need to do any of this. I can take care of it." The girls looked at each other, confused. Was it the first time a man didn't want their services? "No offense, but it isn't nice to see slaves doing this kind of thing." Even though they could move freely, there were still shackles around their ankles, stopping them from being free.
"But if we don't do our job, Hideo-sama will cut our heads off", mentioned one of them, full of terror.
"So please."
"Let us do our jobs."
"They're so accustomed to this life that, no matter what I tell them, they won't listen… This is what people turn into when their independence gets stolen and when they shatter even their smallest hope to be free? My parents could have... turned into something like this?"
She could do nothing but confine herself to look and keep resounding silence. She knew that he should not get into the affairs of that squadron because that would reduce her stay within the crew. So, I had no choice but to pretend that what was happening there was something of the most every day and that no one cared what happened to those evicted. But it had always been that way, didn't it?
"Have you grown tired of us?" They asked the three of them in unison as soon as they saw her with intentions of leaving the room.
"No, you have actually done an excellent job" She said without turning to see them. I just want to get back to the ship.
"Come back and visit us soon".
"By the way, may I ask something?
She hated that temperamental and irrational part that she possessed, but it could not be contained when a subject as delicate as the one he had in her hands, tormented it. She would think of the consequences of his actions later, for now she was going with enormous caution to the site that these girls indicated. Yes, she had managed to get to what was apparently a simple warehouse, but that hid something somewhat more macabre.
There were not only the slaves who had travelled on the nave of the seventh squadron, but others who had personally fallen into the hands of those lizards.
"There are many more than I had imagined." She walked with caution between the cells, feeling the hateful and fearful gazes of every prisoner. She couldn't blame them for believing she was their enemy. "They don't even realize they're in such conditions." She'd stopped in front of a specific cell. One that contained a couple of people burning with fever.
"What is it you want now!? Hasn't it been enough with locking us here and treating us worse than scum!?", screamed furiously the one who looked like the mother of the two sick boys.
"Give them this and they'll feel better soon." In the palm of her hand lied a small package made of paper, folded like a tiny envelope. "I know you'll doubt my word, but this is the only thing I can do for you. At least for now."
"You probably want to kill us."
"I'm just an apothecary, ma'am. My job consists in preparing medication to alleviate people's sickness. And those two will die if their fever doesn't go down."
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because sadly it's the only option you've got now." She bent down and left the small package inside the cell.
"I don't remember having a member like you in my squad." She stood up, looking from the corner of her eyes at someone she wasn't expecting to find there. Had he seen her and followed her to see what she was up to?
"I never said I was. The people from this castle just supposed I was." Logic wouldn't work on him. But she wanted at least to extend the time her head remained on her neck as long as she could. "And you're forgetting that my job is to prepare medicine." She directed her steps towards him.
"I don't like killing women, they can give birth to strong kids", he said with that charming smile that didn't fool her at all. "But if you cause a scandal here, I'll have no choice but to finish you off right here."
"I've done nothing more than give them something for the fever and talk to the servants from the palace, I can't see why you should kill me", she pointed out, staring at him. "In fact, it was a surprise to find you here, captain."
"And I think we're not the only ones that felt like taking a walk." He wasn't kidding. Because below the doorstep they could see a few soldiers with no intentions of welcoming them.
"Their skin is of a totally different color."
"I remember that boring old man mentioned something about a faction of the country being unhappy with the new king and because of that they were always immersed in civil wars", he mentioned without giving it much importance. "It looks like they've snuck in and want to make some noise."
"And you look very excited about it." That disturbing look he had said it all. "I'll move out of the way before you confuse me with one of them and send me to the other world too soon."
"I see you have a very unique sense of humor." If that was a compliment, she didn't want it. "As long as you stay out of my way you won't have to worry about your life."
"That's what I'm doing." She had already moved far away enough. "I'm pretty sure this will end much faster than I thought."
Yes, as was expected of someone of his strength and combat abilities, what had started as a fun event turned into one of utter boredom. Because although those Amanto were quick, and had sharp claws and a scaly, almost impenetrable skin, little or nothing could they do against a Yato's strength.
However, there was one of them who managed to slip away from the redhead's hands, and had opted to attack a much vulnerable prey.
"Ungh…" The blow of her body against the cell behind her was just a preamble of what was about to come. Now her neck wasn't more than an iron bar that animal was holding onto. "Y-you damn… underdeveloped... lizard… S-someday…that bad habit of taking out your tongue all the time, will kill you…", she said with difficulty, because even her breath was running out. But her words weren't what was important.
"What… is… this!?" He hadn't managed to see it for himself, because he was too engrossed in watching his victim's face. And even if that needle prick didn't hurt in the slightest, he quickly understood something wasn't right.
"Your skin is too thick for a simple needle or a sword to go through it, but thanks to the bad habit you have of examining your surroundings with your tongue, you're momentarily vulnerable to my insignificant tricks." She was freed then not because he wanted it, but because his entire body wasn't responding anymore and was completely paralyzed.
"Who the hell are you…!?", the lizard exclaimed from where he laid on the floor. He was beginning to have trouble breathing.
"…A simple and ordinary apothecary who loves melon bread and tea time…", she replied nonchalantly, crossing her arms and giving him a small smile.
"Wasn't it easier to kill him?" What was the case of him asking that when he'd just managed to end that Amanto's suffering?
"The poison in that needle was lethal, at least for his species… He was going to die inevitably even without your help, captain."
"I'm starting to think you're not just a simple apothecary and that the fact that you've come to my crew isn't just a mere coincidence." He had grabbed that small metallic syringe with his right hand, watching it with some interest. "What kind of poison have you used? Aren't you supposed to save patients instead of killing them?" That innocent look that always accompanied him sharpened, like a double-edged knife. "Are you possibly planning on murdering me or something?"
"Something like that has never crossed my mind", she assured, with no signs of a lie. "Like I mentioned before, I'm a humble and ordinary apothecary who's under the orders of the 7th division of the Harusame in this moment."
"…It seems Abuto's decision wasn't a bad one after all…", he blurted out, putting his arms on the back of his neck. "He's found someone interesting… A suicidal girl who seems to have no fear of death…"
That memory had been erased, simply because it hadn't had any reason to come to light. Not until he thought it over and realized that those cold-blooded creatures had been once their allies as well as their biggest buyers.
"I'd forgotten that we've did business with those people before", commented Abuto about the sudden turn of events.
"Well they didn't have reasons to go after all of you." It didn't take her too long to submerge the tip of a bunch of small needles into a yellow viscous mixture.
"Sometimes I think you're using the facade of an apothecary to hide your real profession."
"…My father was an apothecary and my mother was a doctor. They were both there to help people", she described without taking her attention off of her work. "I don't intend to follow their steps, because I know I'll never get to be half as good as they. Is for that reason that I use this knowledge for my own benefit… I'm an egoistic person who saves people selectively."
"That mentality also caused you trouble with him."
"Better tell me what part of ourselves hasn't caused trouble between us", she mentioned mockingly. "Even I'm surprised how tolerant we've been with each other."
"You want me to tell you the reason why you haven't tried to kill him yet?" he asked with a melodious tone of voice.
"…Because he has a cute sister who's still waiting for his brother to come home…", she replied with a strange serious tone.
"Who taught you to be so dishonest?", he mocked.
"The good for nothing old man who took care of raising me after my parents died."
The only thing he could see in front of him were the remains of what could once be considered a magnificent space ship. So, the conclusion was quickly evident to him, without having to give it much thought. Which meant that having agreed to that last job was a complete waste of time.
"Didn't you see something like this in your predictions?", the man asked the quiet Amanto who opted for a long silence, after witnessing was in front of them; even the ship pilots remained that way.
"They're still alive", he replied. "The stars and the flow of things have changed suddenly. Their future has started to write itself once again, towards a direction different than ours." In the palm of his hand were four small marbles, so beautiful as they were unique; one could even see the universe itself in them.
"What do you mean by that?", spoke up Umibouzu again.
"…It looks like we won't have the same possibilities within our reach…"
"Can't you just say that we're just going to die in this absurd trip?", he lashed out. "No offense, but I'm not planning on that premise to come true. I still have many things I have to do before leaving to Nirvana."
"Umibouzu-sama, I'd like to tell you a few things before our paths must be brusquely separated."
"I'm listening." He had taken his umbrella out while he stared at the automatic door that lead to the control room.
"This ship will start to descend abruptly in ten minutes… That's the time you'll have to resist the attack of our adversaries."
"That's more than enough time for someone like me."
"You're strong and skilled, but the enemy approaching possess the attributes of a beast who's survived countless battles. Of a warrior whose heart has been poisoned and that has forgotten who he was before."
"That only means I won't get bored." He was impatient for those doors to open and the real action to begin.
"Don't let their weak appearance fool you. Neither underestimate them for not belonging to the same species as you", he said, serious and meticulously. "Because if you die here, who's going to take care of covering those two's backs?"
"Hey, what the hell do you mean by that!?" He turned to the Amanto with complete astonishment.
"…That it's essential that you survive here to be able to protect your family…" He was just about to talk back, to question the Amanto about what he said. However, what he had been wishing for until that moment had just come true.
To his eyes they were nothing but simple warriors wielding weakly a sword, trying uselessly to graze him. In his view, adversaries that weak wouldn't make him back down even an inch. And if that was the only thing the enemy could do, then he would continue moving forward and would end with whoever was directing these men.
The hallways turned a warm and frightening crimson. All that came in direct contact with him vanished and turned into a simple, fuzzy memory.
"Where the hell is your leader hiding!?", he cried out after having ended up in the machine room as the last place to look for his enemy.
"…I've never moved from your side even for a moment… I became your shadow the instant you began your hunt, Umibouzu."
He stepped back immediately, before the sudden shivers he felt as soon as he heard that passive, sweet voice that reached his hears. And it was then when he found the person he had been looking for this whole time.
"Who… are you…?"
Her eyes were so clear and light blue, but at the same time so cold and calm as the glacial ice. Her skin was so white that the only thing that stood out were her small, pink lips. And the short and straight hair adorning her was so white it could be ripped even by a soft puff of wind.
A short, long sleeved white kimono, a dark blue obi that formed the wings of a butterfly and wooden footwear formed her attire. Although perhaps what stood out the most from what she was wearing was her double-edged word.
"What's a samurai do-…?"
He didn't even have the chance to finish his question. His opponent had drawn her weapon in the blink of an eye, and in that time, had charged at him. If it weren't for his good reflexes, he would've said goodbye to one of his arms.
"Tsk… Damn you… You didn't even let me finish…" To him it wasn't a problem to resist the attacks using his umbrella as a block. But he was starting to have some trouble with how fast she seemed to be. "I think I'll teach you some manners."
"I have excellent manners. I don't need corrective actions from you." The Yato started to realize that he couldn't take her lightly. She couldn't match him in strength, but she was managing to keep him with his guard up always. "There's a proverb that says… 'When you hear someone speak, listen to them carefully… Let them speak freely and with no interruptions…'"
"I'll admit you fight well, though you say some strange things. Are you obsessed with samurai phrases or something like that?"
Every blow she delivered was instantly blocked by him. But even that couldn't assure him he could counterattack; because every time he had the chance, she just evaded every one of his moves and returned the attack.
If he thought he'd be fighting an amateur, he was very wrong. The person he was dealing with deserved to be called a true samurai.
"I wasn't expecting to meet one of you again", said Umibouzu after wiping a trace of blood off his cheek. "Even when you're no longer necessary in this age, you're still roaring, causing trouble and making the world spin to your own rhythm… Pushing your way through with your sword." Was she smiling? Yes, he was completely aware that the human in front of him stank of death just like him. That those hands had spilled so much blood that she couldn't be considered a hero anymore, but a mere patriotic mercenary.
"…Yato and Samurai… We both belong to the battlefield… It's just there where our true nature is revealed… So, let's dance, let's play this dark waltz until one of us decides to stop the music…"