The Romance of Oblivion:Past Lifetimes

Chapter 31: Shadow of Naginata Blades

Ishi pulled her young miss outside the shrines until they reached the fortune token stall but found it empty instead. There were fortune tokens hanging on the wall and seems like the seller is still here not long ago, but where is she?

"Hello? Sumere, are you there?" Ishi called out.

"I-Ishi? I'll go there." a mellow voice answered from behind the stall, there is a closed door inside so Yun Ren Xie assumed a room next to it.

"Ishi, go call some patrolling officers here. Hurry. Dont ask any questions." Yun Ren Xie said and stepped in front. Ishi worriedly left, why would her young miss ask her to call the officers? Is Sumere in trouble?

When Ishi was out of sight, Sumere opened the door and saw a new girl outside but Ishi is nowhere to be found.

"E-excuse me, may I ask this miss if Ishi came here?"

"Oh, Ishi is my maid. I told her to buy some snacks for the three of us. May I come in? Im Soma Katsu." she sweetly said and her ethereal beauty made Sumere blush but her eyes panicked when she heard what Soma said.

Before she could even disagree, the door opened. "Sumere, what's taking you so long?" a man in his thirties stepped outside. "Oh, a guest."

"Ah, you've mistaken. S-she's not a guest." Sumere waved her hands and panic flushed her face, its clearly exposed and Yun Ren Xie guessed what have happened. Her speculation earlier were right, Sumere is in trouble.

"Im her uncle, may I know why this young miss came here?" he looked at Soma, feisting at the beauty in front of him although he was not that close enough. Yun Ren Xie saw how lustful his looks were which made her disgusted. She needs to stall time until Ishi comes back.

"I would like to have a look at your tokens here." Soma smiled a bit and went near.

The man was delighted and quickly said, "We have better tokens inside, maybe you can come and have a look?" he offered and opened the side door, leading inside the stall. He thought the girl in front of him is just a spoiled young girl, he wont let the chance slip since she is too beautiful to be ignored.

Yun Ren Xie was a big hesitant but decided to enter anyway. Its better to knock him unconscious sooner and when the officers arrive, it would be them who will finish the job.

She nodded her head and followed behind the two while they went inside. Before the man could even turn around to look at the girl, Soma hits his nape then he dropped on the ground.

Sumere is a bit terrified then glanced at Soma with thankfulness. "What happened here?" Yun Ren Xie asked.

"That man kept coming here and harassing me and today, he wanted to take advantage of me but thank you Miss Soma! If it werent for you, I dont know what have happened to me." Sumere was crying, she is still young for this experience.

"Miss Soma! The officers have arrived!" Ishi's voice can be heard from outside. Yun Ren Xie told Sumere to go out first.

When Yun Ren Xie is about to step outside, she was pulled by the man who have woken up quickly. He took a small knife from his pocket then pointed it at Soma's neck, he also grabbed both of her hands and clasped them behind.

"You still havent learn your lesson?" Soma tittered, she have already showed him how capable she is in attacking stealthily yet he is still not cautious about it. Just pointing a knife on the target is too loose.

"Shut up!"

He pulled Soma outside while threatening to hurt her. She raised her head and unexpectedly met someone's gaze. Its just the first day but she already met another male lead! The cyan pair of orbs from Souji Okita shooked her heart, he was the fourth male lead of this manga and Yun Ren Xie's most favorite. He have the personality of an easy going person but a true devil inside.

The knife created a small cut on Soma's skin which enraged her. "If anyone dares to stay closer, I'll kill this girl!" the man shouted.

Yun Ren Xie already have the heart to spare him previously but now that he made a wound on her fair skin, she have the gut to behead him hundred times. With two hands being locked, she used her feet to kick the man's lower part. The hand loosened his grip on her wrists and she took it as an opening then she twisted his arm that was holding the knife. The sound of bone being broke echoed to everybody's ear as they look at the standing girl with disbelief.

It happened only for a few seconds but it was slow in other's eyes. Her move is too forward and seemed to have been calculated. With both hands, even if she is just a girl, she can break a bone that's why no one suspected if she was an onna-bugeisha to have such clean fighting skills or strength.

Ishi knew how Soma have been secretly practicing martial arts at home and used the naginata Saito have given her when she was ten. Ishi is so proud of her master.

Yun Ren Xie stood back as the man looked at her with fiery gaze. He rushed towards her direction while aiming the dagger but a silhouette blocked Soma's sight then she heard a sound of drop on the ground. She looked up to see Souji looking at her too, they were face to face but that is not a problem to him as he skillfully beheaded the man with just one sway of his blade.

Droplet of blood were spilled as the man got beheaded and few of it reached Soma's cheeks. Souji faced her just to block the blood from reaching to Soma, even staining his uniform.

"Its fine already." Souji smiled then glanced at his men to clean the mess. He took out a handkerchief from his kimono and wiped the blood off on Soma. This girl, he thought. Too calm like not caring for anything. She is too perfect to witness such cruelty.

However, when Yun Ren Xie saw the bloody katana that Souji is holding, her body reacted as she became nauseas. She stiffened as her throat became stuffy then turned to look for a spot. Soma went to a nearby tree then vomited. Her maid anxiously came over her and comforted Soma.

"She's afraid of blood?" Souji raised a brow. He was looking at Soma, but why from the back view the girl looked like Okoto?

After a while, Soma have stopped vomiting and Ishi handed her a water for washing her mouth.

*Souji Okita here!!! So handsome and Im wondering, is this even a kimono he's wearing or a Chinese robe?

History Tip: Souji Okita is born at the year of 1842, he is one of the best swordsman in Shinsengumi but said to be afraid of Saito Hajime's swordsmanship. Okita is also a captain of the first unit, a group consisted of samurais who are working under Shinsengumi. Sadly, he died in 1868 from tuberculosis. Also, during that time, he was the only one left in Kyoto as his other subordinates including Hijikita Toushirou, Kondo Isami and Saito Hajime, the group were on a critical situation that they retreated. Souji was left in a hospital for recuperating but he didnt make it and I dont know if those names I mentioned even visited him.