Sharp Wings; 鋭い翼 [Gintama]

27 | The complex pain from wounds does not compare to the simple pain from guilt

XXVII

Manga: Lesson 57-63

Anime: Episode 40-42

SHIZUKU'S heart was pounding so fast that it actually started to hurt. It was like her heart was going to burst out from its cage. She knew that she wouldn't have enough time to fight before her body collapsed on her.

If only she had abilities for enhanced strength.

"I'll leave you there, Nori-san!" she yelled as she jumped away from a tentacle that came speeding towards her.

"It's not like I can do anything, Shizuku!" Kusahara yelled from his spot. The girl knew that he was already thinking of ways to get himself down from where he was hanging.

"There's only a minute left. Are you two done screaming at each other? Should I speed things up?"

Oh, Shizuku is really going to kick Matsudaira's ass once everything is done. To hell with being the Chief-of-Police.

"Shizuku-chan, watch out!"

The girl didn't see the alien's tentacle coming for her from the side. It caught her off guard as it suddenly coiled around her body, raising her high up in the air within seconds. For a moment, Shizuku couldn't breathe with how she was being squeezed. It didn't help that the katana she was holding was getting crushed along with her, the blade cutting her right side in weird ways.

Everyone yelled her name but Shizuku knew that they were unable to do anything because the young girl was being held up so high that no one could reach her.

Shizuku gave a frustrated yell, feeling her right arm get cut by Yamazaki's sword as it was getting crushed with her. She could feel her sleeves ripping from both her pulling and the tentacle's squeezing. With one last push, she used her remaining strength to push the blade out and cut the tentacle holding her, even though she knew that she was so high up that she was going to die if she were to fall there.

And she did fall.

Someone caught her just before she crashed on the road.

"You have a lot to fucking explain!"

Smelling the strong scent of cigarettes, Shizuku looked up and saw that it was Hijikata who caught her. For once, the girl was grateful that she smelled cigarettes. Hijikata was looking down at her with a disappointed look on his face, but she could see the concern for her was also there.

"Where are you hurt?" the older asked as he ran away from the alien, carrying her close to his chest and obviously being careful not to jostle her around too much.

"I think I busted my left arm, and I cut my right side, but I'm fine." Shizuku answered truthfully right before they reached Okita and the others. "How much time is left?" she asked the brunet when he stood next to her and Hijikata.

"Fifteen seconds." Matsudaira's voice came from above.

On cue, yellow light suddenly started to gather on the tip of the canon, slightly making Shizuku panic, but she knows that she still has time to do the last part of her plan.

"Shizuku, anytime now!" Kusahara yelled from the core, looking anxiously at the growing yellow light from the canon set directly in front of him. After skillfully making his way down from where he was hanging, he immediately went over to stand in between the cannon and the others on the terminal.

"Kusahara, explain!" Gintoki yelled from behind him. The teal haired male knew that he was somewhere in the middle of angry and confused with how he was sounding.