What makes history (Hijikata x OC)

The left handed guy

"I'm not interested."

My very blunt response pulled a scoff, a snort, and barely anything from the third guy. Damn, he had one hell of a poker face, especially since his dark hair covered most of his right eye. I also noticed he wore his swords on the right side instead of the left; left-handed ?

This called for bells of alarms in my head, but I dismissed it. Those guys wanted me in custody, and I had to pack up and leave right under their noses. Damn, what a day!

"On order of the Demon Vice commander, I, Okita Souji, will subdue you or kill you."

It was my turn to snort.

"Demon Vice Commander? Real one or self-appointed ?"

"Who knows," the left-handed guy grumbled. I detected a hint of humour in his voice, as well as admiration. But I actually needed to know. In my line of work, everything was possible. At least, this time, I had not stumbled into Nazgûls right away.

"You're human, right? I mean, compared to those guys, over there."

Two pairs of eyebrows shot up, nonplussed by my absence of fright, and the rational way I was analysing this. "We're humans," the tall, spear man eventually answered.

"Good. And your commander?"

He just nodded, wondering if I was crazy. The sincerity in his posture allowed me to sigh in relief, then giggle. "I bet he likes the nickname, then. Oni Vice Commander."

The brat seemed to share in my amusement, swinging his sword around. "He deserved it. So, pack up and follow."

I shook my head. "Give him my best, and leave me be. I'd like to finish my night. It was interrupted by your buddies," I added, pointing my chin to the bodies. "Now they're dead, and I'm tired. So shoo."

"Are you mocking me?"

Okya – or whatever name he gave me – lifted his sword, jaw clenched. I should have been more patient, this one was rather quick to anger, but the lack of sleep was getting to me.

"Not at all. I'm just asking you to return to whatever it was you were doing before I was thrown into the river."

"Souji!"

The warning didn't give me time to unsheathe my sword, but my cutlass was already drawn by the moment he took a step forward.

"Three men against one woman? How is that a fair fight?"

"You want a fair fight?" the one named Harada exclaimed. "With Souji?"

I smirked. "No." Then I turned to the quiet one. "With him."

The brat started laughing his ass off, but it did the trick; he took a step back. Harada's clear eyes opened, round like flying saucer. The lines of his face were chiselled, his posture that of a man who knew his worth, and wasn't afraid of showing it. But the wariness with which he turned to his counterpart, half-hidden behind his hair, told me I'd stricken an impossible bargain.

I didn't want to face the brat; the unsettling look in his eyes told me he'd have no qualms playing dirty if it meant winning. But the quiet one had been polite, so far. He seemed ... pragmatic. Perhaps, if I could bring him to the ground, I'd have the upper hand and be able to flee. Or appeal to their honour and demand freedom. It all depended on about how much they feared that commander of theirs. Oni, they called him. Poor guy, commander to that bunch of ... soldiers. Such young souls; I suddenly felt old.

"Saitō?" Souji smirked. "Up to it?"

My eyes travelled to the one named Saitō – still rang a bell – and I suddenly realised why. Saitō. Wasn't it the left-handed samurai of the Ruroni Kenshin movies? My insides froze; if I was right, this man was a devil with his blade. Fortunately, he looked still young, which meant he would probably not expect some of my moves.

Saitō bowed, accepting the challenge.

"I won't treat you differently because you are a woman."

I nodded gravely, wondering if the moon would grace us of her presence long enough to finish this duel.

"Fair game. Your kind is scarce enough."

I was actually buying some time, hoping for an opportune cloud to spread confusion and hightail. It shone stubbornly, daring me to challenge one of the greatest swordmen of history. Damn, I really was out of luck today. Couldn't have stumbled on a bunch of drunk ronins swinging their swords like hammers.

I took a few steps back, eyeing Saitō suspiciously. Under the moonlight, the white of his scarf shone more brightly than the gem of his eyes. Still, I could see how calculating they were. So. Left-handed – check. I could deal with it – Legolas and Lancelot had both been ambidextrous and pushed me to learn the basic deflections of left-handed users. Still ... it that man was who I thought he was, he was next to unbeatable on the battlefield.

Which meant that, even with my elvish blade, I stood no chance in a fair fight. I released the dagger in my left hand, earning a narrowed look from Saitō, and an outright laugh from Okita. Or Souji. Or whatever his name was.

"You sure you don't want to use the big knife here?" he chortled.

I smirked, a playful mood infusing my chest.

"Only for special occasions."

This day had been a real fiasco, and I needed to unwind. My aggressivity and reflexes were pooling in my body, pumping through my veins, all senses alert. But that playful retort, hopefully, would cover it. The tall Harada actually scoffed his amusement, but Saitō didn't move. When he was sure I wasn't about to attack him, he made up his mind, and unsheathed his katana.

The move was graceful, almost as beautiful as Legolas' draw of his twin knifes. Almost as mesmerising as Tristan's slow and deliberate pull of the long Dao over his head. It felt like a dance ... and dance I could. My dagger twirled in my hand, the blade aligning with my forearm, guard facing upwards. An assassin's stance. It wasn't glorious, but it would do the deed. It was all a matter of timing.

Seconds passed, the moon shone, and the whole place suddenly seemed to still. Everyone, except for us, held their breath in fear of disturbing the tension in the air.

Yes, I was a woman.

Yes, I faced a legendary, masterful swordsman.

Yes, he was left-handed, and skilled as hell.

But I wouldn't give him a chance. A chance would get me killed. I'd gone through war; I knew how a millisecond would make the difference between life and death. Killed, perhaps, more people than those guys reunited. Shed blood, and saved lives. Ten years, more or less, or training with techniques from both this world and others.

I was the Keeper of Time.

So. There's that first fight coming, and with Saitō nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Please leave a review to let me know !