(About 30 minutes after Takina's disguise was blown away...)
(Shibata Castle, Outer Castle)
[Takina's POV]
"Search around this corner! She can't go that far off in just minutes!"
"Hah... Hah... Hah..."
Somehow I managed to escape and hide between some trees and bushes inside one of the Castle's gardens....
I thought I was a goner for sure, being chased by half of the castle while the other half is blocking my way... Never have I ran so fast in my life before!
But still, I am safe for now.
"Hah... Phew..."
After taking a small rest, I peeked out from the garden.
Even if I can't see it right now, there is no doubt that the inside of the Shibata Castle would be on high alert. Now, not even a mouse can make it into the Inner Castle without being caught.
If I want to climb the Castle I have to find a way to do it without being seen.... I could try my lucky with the disguise again.
"...Disguise on!"
I tried pouring mana into the veil but it was rejected.
It seems to have been broken when Dispel was casted on it.... I'll have to get it fixed if I want to use it again.
Well now I have no way to make it into the Castle and climb it...
"Sigh..." I sat down on the grassy dirt and looked up to the sky.
Blue sky... Today was a sunny day so there wasn't that much cloud, and yet it's still cold. Luckily there were no snow in the morning, that's why I didn't freeze into ice cream from being outside for so long.
To the roof of the multi-floored Castle, I saw a figure walking on it.
Wait, there were friendly ninjas patrolling the roofs all along? I thought they only disguised themselves as citizens-
Ah, I get it now! If the ninjas can climb the roofs and get around like that then I must be able to ascend the Castle like that as well!
Let's see how I can climb from the ground floor up to to the first floor....
The main Castle tower is built with four other smaller towers surrounding it. These smaller towers are also shorter, making their first floors easier to climb up to.
The walls of the entire Castle area just happens to reach within climbing range of the outer tower's first roof. That's where I am going to climb.
"Hrgh...!" I crawled onto the walls of the Castle after making sure no one is nearby to see me, and then climbed onto the outer tower's first roof.
"And now to get inside the tower..."
This tower is the dining hall, which only had three floors. I can ascend this tower using the stairs inside, and then through the roof I can jump to the main tower's third floor.
Carefully walking around the tiles of the roof...
'Crack!' "Oh shit!" One of the tiles came loose and slips out, causing me to fall on my ass.... Luckily I didn't slip and fall.
"Phew..." I need to be careful of my footing when climbing.
Anyhow, I went to one of the windows, opened it up and then climbed into it-
"Kya!!!" (3x)
"Wah!!!" That scared the shit out of me!
Wait, I had climbed into the maid's changing rooms?! There were three women naked in the room, changing their clothes, why didn't they lock the window?!
"T-takina-ojou?!"
"Shh! Are you trying to get her caught...?!"
"Oh that's right, you're wanted...!"
The maids were not hostile.
From the outside, a man's voice was heard shouting.
"What happened, why were there screams from the changing room?!"
"Shit...!"
"Quick, Takina-sama! Hide in the closet!"
"O-oh...!"
With a dive towards the closet, the maids slammed the door shut leaving me in total darkness.
'Goo!' The sliding door outside could be heard, the guards are here.
"You're peeping on us changing?!"
"Get out you perverts!"
"That's not why- ah damned it, why did you three screamed?"
"We saw a cockroach just now! And go out you creepy bastard!"
They somehow managed to divert the guard's attention away from the changing room... and after a few minutes of waiting they finally opened the closet.
"Takina-ojou, you're safe now."
"Oh..." I grabbed the hand of the maid who supported me out of the closet. "For what reason did you three helped me?..."
"Hmm? Because you helped us out in the past."
"Yeah, like that time when a customer was getting a bit too skin ship happy.... you beat him up real bad."
"Did I...?"
"Anyway, we don't know what happened with you and Genji-sama but we know that it can't be because you betrayed the Uesugi Clan. You didn't kill anyone in here after all."
"That's right, I'm sure this is some kind of misunderstanding. Ojou-sama is a dignified bodyguard for Kenshin-sama, there's no way she'd have betrayed our clan."
"Anyhow, what were you doing at the roof tops...?"
"Ah, about that..."
I explained to her my plan of climbing the Castle via the roof tops.
"Ah... Now everything makes sense. So what do you two think?" The maid asked, towards the other two who nodded their heads.
"I see. Alright, we are going to help you out."
"For what reason...?"
"Things were quite boring before you arrived. I guess your exotic appearances while you worked as a dancer just made things livelier even if it's short..."
"Hmm? I thought we were helping her so that she won't kill us? Isn't Takina-ojou a criminal now?"
"Idiot, don't say that while she's here!"
"Ahaha... I guess I am a criminal huh...?"
"Sigh, you two... Takina-ojou, I do mean to help you out of goodwill, you can rest assured about that. Anyway-" the woman grabs my shoulder and pulls me up close.
"W-what?"
"Hmm... We are of the same build, which means you can take these clothes..."
The lady took out a set of clothings from the closet and gave it to me. "These are our work uniforms, it should give you some insurance in keeping a low profile."
"Oh... This could certainly come into use."
"Yes indeed. Now you said you wanted to climb to the Inner Castle right? You'll have to go up to the third floor of this tower, but there are two guards at the stairs. We'll distract them for you, once you put on the clothes you should go when there's a chance."
"Right. Thank you for the help you three provide, I am definitely thankful for this."
The maids headed out of the room while I changed into the maid's kimono uniform... When I was done, I scouted the outside through a gap in the door.
The maids talked to the two guards, and then went down stairs with one of them. The problem was that the second guy stayed and guarded the stairs as usual, leaving me no room for entering the third floor.
"Shit..."
I have to get past him somehow, but I am definitely not able to sneak past. I have to resort to violence it seems... but I'll try my best not to kill anyone.
After making sure the other guard is far off already, I went out of the changing room.
"Hmm? Was there another maid- ah, it's the woman!"
"...Hmph!" I dashed towards the guard as he tries to draw his katana out...
I was too slow, he successfully drew his sword!
"Stay back!" The guard yelled out as he raised the sword up and swung at me... 'Thud!' I slammed my feet into the ground, barely stopping myself from running head first into his blade.
I've got to stop his blade somehow. He's an amateur, his swing is rather weak, perhaps weak enough for me to do Kenshin-sama's maneuver on him...?
That move is extremely risky and involves grabbing the opponent's body... If I mess up then I could end up with a sword in my skull.
For a brief second the man and I exchanged a cold glare... But then, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
"Help m-!"
You left yourself distracted, now is my chance to rush in!
The man pointed his sword and jabbed at my throat in order to stop me from advancing. This is my chance!
'Slap!' I clapped my two hands right at the blade of the guard, catching the blunt side on my palms.
"What?!"
"Hyah!" I pulled on the sword simultaneously as I spin my body around. Tolling Kick!
I delivered a back kick to the guard's stomach, sending him sliding backwards in pain. "Gah...!"
Without pause I rushed forward again. He wasn't hesitant to swing at me this time.
But even if my body is small I could still deliver a powerful strike using my body's momentum, eat this elbow! 'Thud!'
'Grab!' The guard reached out his other hand and chokes me in the neck.
"Guh...?!" I practically threw myself at his face and yet he's still conscious?!
"Urgh...! You little...!"
Crap, I'm getting light headed, this is no good...!
"Tsk...!" This man is stronger than me, I can't force my way past him. "Hands off!"
I grabbed his sword arm and then his collar, pulling his entire body towards me while tripping on his legs. "?!"
'Thump!' "Urgh!"
It was just a normal martial art throw that I learned from back on Earth... It's still just as effective though.
"Sorry, it's nothing personal. Hands off though."
"Same... I was just... doing my job... Urgh..." The guard muttered that with his last breath before he was finally knocked out.
"Hah... Hah..."
My neck is bruised...
This guy is so easy to fight and yet it took me so much trouble just to knock him out... fighting unarmed is definitely not the way to go.
That being said, I think I broke several bones of his from this alone... He was just doing his job and yet I ragdolled him. It was kind of sad but funny at the same time.
"Now then..." I took the katana on his arms and sheathed it to my waist. "Hmm?"
"I heard some commotion upstairs, what happened man?"
"..." Let's not waste anytime and move upstairs, before this guy calls for reinforcements.
_________
[Third Person POV]
(Shibata Castle Rooftops...)
A lone Shinobi sits at the roof of the main tower's third floor, standing guard here making sure there are no enemy spies around.
"Yawn..."
Before the ninja realizes it, a blade was put on his neck from behind. "?!"
"Drop it." Said the woman who held the blade on his neck.
The ninja threw his dagger to the floor.
"...I want to ascend the castle, which route are there?"
"The Castle rooftops are divided into two parts, the first is the three floors from bottom, and then the latter is the other three floors on top."
"What does it mean?"
"Access from the third and the fourth floor is blocked off, you can only go climb the roofs to the top of the castle starting from the fourth floor."
"I see, this is useful information. Last question, do you have any friends stationed up here?"
"There is only one ninja for each halves of the castle, which means only one of us is posted above."
"Good. Now run before I change my mind." The woman in a maid kimono pats the ninja on his back as she lets go of him.
Without hesitation the ninja took off sprinting and started climbing down the castle like a dog running with his tail between the legs. It was actually quite
"Kenshin-sama's room is on the fifth floor... I have to continue the rest of the way from inside."
________________
[Takina's POV]
And of course, enter the castle I did, through a window at the side of the rooftops.
This room that I climbed into is a bedroom, and luckily there were no one inside.
I need a better way to move inside without anyone noticing me... This uniform is going to help, but it's not good enough.
I took the veil that I had and wore it over head again...
"Disguise on!"
'Zzz...' Some amount of mana leaked out when I activated the item, but this time it worked.
However, it only changed my hair color from red to black. It didn't change my body shape or my eye color, which still stands out.
"Tsk..." I looked at myself in the mirror of the room... Although I can be easily recognized if I was seen in close range, at least it's not so obvious at a farther distance.
"Guess this'll have to do." At least it's passable if I avoid contact with a guard or a maid. "But..."
It was just a few minutes after I took it, but it seems I'll have to discard this katana if I want my disguise to work.
This time however I got myself a kunai dagger from that ninja outside... I can conceal this one inside my clothes, I can still take it with me.
"Alright... Here goes nothing!"
I got out of the room and headed out the hallway with my new disguise of a maid...
While there were many people inside the castle, both nobles and guests alike, none of them recognized me from a distance.
However, from the end of the hallway....
"Search this floor thoroughly! We have no idea of where that girl might be hiding in!"
"Yes sir!" (?x)
"..." They are still on high alert, scanning the entire place down for me. I have to be careful not to run into anyone of them.
Right as I went to the end of the hallway, an entire squad of guards ran past in front of me, passing by me without seeing me. I kept my face low so that they wouldn't recognize me....
There weren't any guards around the stair area, I was able to climb to the fourth and then the fifth floor without anyone seeing me.
And before I know it, I was already at Kenshin-sama's room.
"Hah... Hoo..."
'Knock knock'
"Ah, you're finally here kid. Come on."
"Eh? Monkey-san?"
I opened the door to Kenshin-sama's room and sure enough, Monkey-san was sitting inside waiting for me.
"What are you- more importantly, where's Kenshin-sama?"
"The old man went to the look out area above the castle's dojo... You should find him there."
"Tsk... He's deliberately making it harder for me?"
"So it would seem. But..."
Monkey-san got up from his place and came over to me, handing me my sword at the same time.
"-This is a test, if you pass his test then surely he'd help you out. All he ever wanted is for a student who can inherit his swordsmanship, and he seems to think you're the one."
"Is that so...? Fine, I'll go find him myself-"
"Shh! We've got company."
While the guards did not speak, I could hear a few footsteps as well as some amount of metal sounds that came out of their armour while moving.
"..." Takahashi-san taps me on the shoulder and pointed towards the back with his thumbs.
...I see.
"I'm leaving it in your hands, Takahashi-san."
"Ah."
_____________
[Third Person POV]
'Goo!' The sliding door to Kenshin's room was forcibly swung open.
"Surrender nicely and no one gets hurt!" Yelled a guard as a few armoured man barges into the room.
Aside from the old Shinobi sitting by himself, there was nobody inside Kenshin-sama's room, almost as if their target had vanished from thin air.
"That is a rude greetings... What business do you have here?"
"Stop playing dumb, Takahashi Hyusetsu! We know she's in here somewhere, you can't hide her from us."
"Do you have no eyes to see for yourself? There are no one in this room except me."
"Nonsense! Check the attic and the closet, she must be hiding in either one of those place!"
"Yes sir!" (?x)
The guards began ransacking the room to find a trace of the woman they were looking for, but there were not even signs of a guest having been here.
"Sips..." Monkey sat down, casually sipping tea as the guards do their thing.
"We couldn't find anything, captain."
"Nothing at the attic as well."
"I could've sworn I saw a woman entering the room..."
"Like I said, captain, there are no woman in here. You should try your luck at the 'comfort' zone if it's companionship that you're searching for."
"You-" It was then, the guard noticed the window of the room that was just big enough for a person to climb through.
"-Wait... This is ridiculous, it's the fifth floor!"
Monkey replied to him in a casual tone.
"Of course it is, captain."
"Impossible, if she slips she'll fall to her death that way..."
"Captain, what are you on about?"
"Ah forget it, we can just block out the dojo and she'd never be able to reach Kenshin-sama."
"That's right... We are on our way there then!" Said the soldiers as they took off running towards the top floor.
"I'll remember you for trying to betray the Uesugi Clan as well, Takahashi!
"Hmph."
Once the guards left the room, Monkey then mumbled to himself.
"...You'd better hurry kid..."
(Chapter End)