Gintama; Takasugi x reader (Finale) [Take Me With You]

Chapter 48 {Ayano Yokade}

     "Commander, everything is ready," I tell him as he emerges from the stairs leading to the deck. A couple of men offer nods of acknowledgment before they resume their work by the masts. From the way they adjust the sails and twist the ropes shows that they aren't guys who are only used to living on land.

The Commander stops beside me.

     "Can we really trust them?" I ask him, out of the others's earshot. "They have no obligation to be loyal to us."

     "Nor do they have any against us," says the Commander, looking at them then his gaze goes beyond the crew as if searching for any new activities in the yet waking city. "They have better chance at survival leaving with you anyway."

I'm not convinced, but don't pry further about it. "But do you think this will really work? If we confront the reinforcement."

The Commander looks back to me, to the clothes I'm wearing. The first light of dawn tinges the sky in palest pink, creating an illusion of color on my monochromic guard uniform. Well, not mine exactly. It belongs to one of the guards who's now getting the finishing touches for our departure belowdeck, and whom my clothes belong to now.

The Commander casually says, "If you put the act together it should work."

This is mainly most of the plan. I'm to disguise as one of the samurai guardians, and with the rest, we will leave under the cover of escorting the lord's wife and daughter away from Edo to a temporal refuge in Kyoto under Nobunobu's protection. Those with uniforms will constantly remain on deck, and Commander's dispatched a few more men to remain below.

Honestly, I can't say I'm not surprised that that person would scheme something like this. He'd always been so...straightforward. And for some reason, now he's unsheathing the blade at his waist. I turn toward the city, thinking I must be missing something going on there. Yet even as I search throughout, there are no stirs of commotion, no sign of battle. Nothing. Puzzled, I turn back to the Commander.

He charges at me with his blade before I can react.

His sword crashes with mine before I can draw out my own. "C-Commander, what are you doing?" I throw myself away from his slice and barely have the time to sheathe my weapon when he comes again.

The other crew stop what they're doing to stare, confused as much as I. None says a word as I'm forced to defend against the Commander's attacks all across the deck to the entrance of the stairs. Breathing hard, I search for his face. His expression is unreadable, leaving me with a thought. Does he doubt me?

Before I can think of why, he comes again. And this time he's serious. The arcs of his blade become lethal as they sweep above my head as I duck, able to sever my neck clean off in one swipe. When I manage to dodge his blade, he throws kicks and fists. The punch I take to my jaw almost snaps my bone. It wakes my senses.

Attacking suddenly. I avoid a stab. Forcing me all the way to the stairs. It's like he's trying to get past me... I deflect a few more slices before I'm certain of it. Understanding dawns as I make my first attack.

I cut air as he moves out of the way. He seizes opportunities to get past me, and I have to restrain from cursing how the oversize hakama trousers prevent me from moving faster to stop him. Sweat beads my face and body in the overflowing winds as I keep up with his attacks.

I grip the hilt of the blade and attack and dodge, not allowing him past the invisible line I draw, until he's satisfied with his test. And when the opening comes, if he's purposely lowered his guard I don't know, the tip of my sword manages to graze over the fabric of his robe, creating a horizontal rip.