I got this idea after playing Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus.
A mix of Baiken Path 1, Anji Mito Path 1 and May path 2.
The story will follow the PSP game.
Disclaimer: I don't own Guilty Gear nor Hakuouki.
Prologue
"So, this is Kyoto…" said Chizuru Yukimura, a young girl with black hair that stops inches below her shoulders, brown eyes.
It was truly impressive, there was no denying it. Even the simple hellos between people passing in the street seemed warm and friendly. They nodded and smiled to one another almost as if they were family, not strangers about on errands. Still… there was something else as well. Something that made the city feels strangely cold. Almost as though there was a great invisible wall, shutting out anyone who wandered in from the country. Chizuru had to admit that it wasn't particularly comfortable.
"…No. No, that's all in my head" she said to herself.
She walked quite some distance to reach Kyoto, and it occurred to her that her mind and body were both very tired. Even so, tiredness was no reason for her to stand about feeling sorry for herself. She couldn't afford to, after all.
"Um, excuse me!" she called with new albeit forced resolve "I'm sorry, but I seem to be a bit lost, could you…?"
The other person didn't let her continue her question as he said "I am sorry to disappoint you kid, but I'm not from here" the man was wearing cloth on his forearms like a kimono sleeve with a white cloth wrapped around, but bare upper body. His right and left sleeves are connected. His Lower body is wearing a hakama and blue and high shoes with unusual soles reminiscent of traditional Japanese footwear, as well as glasses.
"Hey! Stripper!" called a hard feminine voice with authority, showing a pink haired woman with a ponytail, a scar over her left eye, a red, black and white kimono with the sleeves tucked in the sides of a black vest, gold and black greaves, sandals, peach eyes and a sword covered in a blue sheath "What the heck are you doing? You were supposed to look after the brat"
"Sorry about this nee-san" replied the man "I was just trying to help a kid"
"Whatever" replied the woman "Just go wake the brat"
"Okay" replied the man before turning to Chizuru "Later, little girl"
"Eh?" said Chizuru, stunned by the last words of the mysterious man.
Later
"What am I supposed to do now?" said the girl to herself.
She was lost again, but in a different sort of way. She sighted and found herself looking up at the darkening sky. The sun was beginning to set. The people she'd spoken to after the mysterious man hadn't been unkind, and they'd given her the directions she'd needed, but…
"Couldn't he have chosen a better time to leave the city?" she muttered to herself with a little annoyance.
Apart from her father, there was only one other person in the city who she could rely on: Dr. Matsumoto.
Dr. Matsumoto was a doctor in service to the shogunate. She had never met him herself, but her father put a great deal of trust in the man. He had told her that if she should run into any trouble during his absence, she was to contact Dr. Matsumoto. Unfortunately… Dr. Matsumoto was apparently out of town on business, and would not return for some time.
"Was I too hasty?" she asked herself "Perhaps I should have waited…"
True, it is rather rude to visit unannounced, which is why she sent a letter ahead of her. Of course, if he'd been gone for very long, then he had almost certainly not read her letter. Perhaps, she thought, she should have waited for a reply before traveling alone to a city she'd never ever seen.
"But…"
No. She knew she could not have waited any longer.
(Flashback)
"Chizuru…" said Kodo Yukimura, Chizuru's father. He was a bald man wearing the general traditional clothing of the Bakumatsu Period.
"Is something wrong father?" replied Chizuru.
He paused for a moment, and looked at her.
He finally said "I… it seems I must go to the city of Kyoto for a time"
"Work again?" she asked.
He had been leaving the house often then, sometimes for days at a time.
"How long will you be gone?" she asked.
"…I'm afraid I can't say" he answered "A month, perhaps. Maybe two"
"Oh…" she replied with a bit of disappointment.
Nonetheless, she wasn't a child anymore. She couldn't beg him not to go, or some other foolishness. Yes, she'd be lonely, but… she was much more worried for him.
"Please father, be careful" she said "They say that the city of Kyoto is dangerous"
He only smiled and nodded "You needn't fret. I will be sure to send you letters as often as I am able. So that you will have no need to worry"
"…Okay" she replied "You promise?"
Kodo kept his promise. A new letter arrived every day, and she scarcely had the time to respond before another would arrive. He told her that worried about her, home all by herself. Then the letters stopped. A whole month passed, with no word from her father, and she began to worry.
(Flashback end)
"Father…" said Chizuru with worry and sadness.
They say Kyoto is full of ronin. It is not a safe place. Usually, a samurai is paid by their house, but… ronin with no house to report to often rob people in order to make ends meet. They're nothing more than violent criminals who hide behind the image of the samurai. Such is the state of the city of Kyoto: the city of ronin. Small wonder, then, that she worried for her father's safety. Her mind would concoct horrible possibilities and she inevitably found herself depressed and tense.
Chizuru hummed a little before saying to herself "First, I suppose I need to find a place to stay"
Lost in thought, she hadn't noticed that night had already fallen. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't the first idea how long it might take to find her father. She'd taken some money with her, but it wasn't much. Enough to last her a month, she hoped, if she used it wisely. If she could find her father in that time, so much the better. If not, hopefully Dr. Matsumoto would return before her funds ran out. Should she be unable to find either of them, then it seemed she would be forced to return home.
"Well, at any rate…" she mumbled "I should try and be as frugal as possible…"
And so she lengthened her stride and set off down the street. Fortunately for her, men's clothing was much more conductive to such a pace than her usual dress would have been. She'd decided early on that Kyoto was far too dangerous for a girl from the country to explore alone, and that it would be wise for her to dress like a man, or at least a boy. Her disguise, such as it was, had proven successful, and she'd made it all way to Kyoto unmolested. The only person who could see through it was the man she met early on, but he wasn't like the type who goes and tells everyone that a girl is dressed as a boy. Perhaps that success had gone to her head, and let her think a girl dressed as a boy could explore Kyoto as she pleased. But Kyoto is not a safe place. She should have remembered that. Instead she had somehow convinced herself that whatever danger the city hid didn't apply to her. She was about to discover otherwise.
"Hey, kid" said a random ronin accompanied by two others ronins.
"Eh?!" replied Chizuru, afraid that they might have found that she's a girl "Can I help you…?"
She did her best to keep her voice calm as she reached in what she felt was a nonchalant way for her kodachi. Her father had made her take lessons in self defense. She's kept with them, and actually done well. Her skill was enough to defend against most attacks. Then again… perhaps it was her confidence in her skill that put her in this situation in the first place. She'd messed up and let her guard down. Her fault. There was a chance she could take them on and win, but… there were three of them, and one of her.
"Pretty nice blade you got there, kid" said one of the others ronins.
Only then did she realize they were far more interested in her sword than they were in her.
"Looks like a bit much for a pup like this one, am I right?" said the third ronin while smirking.
The first one looked at the weapon and said "Give it here, okay? We'll use it to defend our country"
"But…this is…" she tried to protest.
The sword wasn't just some blade she'd picked up: it had been passed down through her family for generation. There was no way she could give it to some random ronins. Unfortunately, I had a feeling they wouldn't understand.
…
…
…
In such a situation, the best decision was undoubtedly… to retreat. And so she turned and ran as fast as her legs would carry her.
"Hey! Get back here, you little bastard!" yelled the second ronin.
"Gosh, they sure don't give up easily, do they" whispered Chizuru to herself as she was still running.
She felt like she's been running for quite a while, but she could still hear the ronins behind her, cursing loudly. She ducked into an alley and flattened herself against the wall. After deciding that they weren't too close, she crept farther into the alley. Someone had left a couple sheets of wood learning against one of the houses. It was a perfect spot to hide. With luck, she thought as she knelt down to shuffle under them, this will get her out of this mess…
…
…
"…Huh?" she said to herself.
Something was wrong. She'd expected to hear the ronins yelling to each other, looking for her, but… seconds turned into minutes, and she heard nothing. She was about to sneak out and have a look when…
"EEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!" yelled the first ronin in agony.
"Wh-what?!" said Chizuru, startled by the screams of the ronins. Her plan to investigate was immediately halted. Remaining silent and hidden was clearly more important. Still…
"Damn you!" yelled the second one.
"What is this?!" asked the third ronin with fear "Why won't you die?! Damnit! We gotta get out of here!"
There was something out there, something very, very dangerous. Something quite possibly lethal. The possibilities were… well, her imagination conjured up no shortage of gruesome theories. Even so, she could feel that itch of curiosity… she wanted to know what was out there. Slowly, carefully, she edged up to the corner and looked out. Cold moonlight glared back at her from the bare blade of a drawn sword. Her eyes followed the blade up, to the arm that held it, clad in a coat of light blue… had this person saved her?
But no sooner had it appeared, that hope was dashed. A crack of mad laughter was heard.
"H-help…!" pleaded the third ronin for his life as he stumbled back.
The person in the blue coat said nothing, just stepped forward, his sword raised. A high, screeching laugh cut through the man's scream. The blade fell through the air, more like a butcher's cleaver than a sword: no technique, no skill. Just death. The scream turned suddenly wet, caught, and disappeared like air leaving a half empty bellows. Her eyes went wide. She had just watched a murder. Whatever strength adrenaline has given her was suddenly gone. Her legs gave way and she crumpled to the ground. Her eyes had gone so wide, she thought they might never close. The ronins had died with the first blow, but as she watched the blades kept falling, carving deep lines into the corpses. The soft slip of a blade through flesh, the crack as it struck bone, the silent creep of blood across ground. She felt nothing from them but madness. Their only desire was raw, animal violence. Whatever they were, it wasn't human. They were… broken. She could feel her throat closing up. She couldn't breathe. A warm, dark smell brushed against her face… it took her a moment to recognize the coppery tang of blood. An icy bolt of fear ran down her spine, crawling its way out into her limbs and freezing her in place. She was terrified.
'What am I going to do…?' she thought 'What can I do?', she took a deep breath then whispered to herself "…You have to run, Chizuru"
This way the only chance she'd get. She had to run. But her body, still numb with fear, was less than responsive. She lurched sideways, into the wood stacked against the building. With a rough clatter, it collapsed. The creatures turned their blue coats drenched in blood. Hideous grins split their inhuman faces, and they shook with animal excitement at finding fresh prey to slaughter. She had to run. She couldn't die yet… but her legs refused to move. That hideous, cracking laughter began again. She was going to die. Her body was frozen with terror. She couldn't even scream. This was it. This was the end.
"Wh-wha…"
She watched them raise their bloody sword, the moon glinting off the metal. Then there was a flash of light, and the soft splash of blood. She could feel it, warm and sticky. Bile began to rise in her throat, but before disgust took hold, she heard a voice…
"Pathetic" it was a feminine, and rather a familiar voice "They're like Gears. Thirsty of blood and violence"
It was the woman of the morning, to confirm it she saw the same guy that was able to tell that she was a girl. But she also noticed a third person, a little girl with an orange coat, with a skin tight body suit underneath, and big orange shoes. She was wearing fingerless gloves with silver plating over them and a pirate tricorn hat. As well as, as strangely as it sounds, an anchor.
"Oh" said the man "Hello again"
The girl walked a little toward Chizuru and said "Are you alright? My name is May, what's yours?"
Chizuru looked at May and said "C-Chizuru Yukimura"
"Nice to meet you" replied May.
"Hey! Brat!" called the woman "You'd better let it go"
"Don't be so hard on her nee-san" said the man before turning to Chizuru "The name's Anji Mito, nice to meet you"
Chizuru turned her head toward the woman and looked at her.
"What?" said the woman.
"I think that you need to introduce yourself nee-san" said Anji "Especially for our friends hiding in the shadow"
Three men came out, the three of them were wearing blue coats.
"Well, look at this Hijikata-san" said the one with reddish brown hair in a topknot and emerald green eyes "A one handed woman who can use a weapon"
"Stop that Souji" said the shortest of the three, he had dark blue eyes and long indigo hair that hides the right side of his face and is loosely tied into a side ponytail.
"Come on hajime-kun" replied the man named Souji "Aren't you curious about them?"
"No" replied the man named Hajime.
"Stop it you two" said the third man that could be Hijikata, he had long black hair that falls to his waist when not tied up. His eyes are dark purple.
"Oh" said Anji Mito with excitement "You are Tochizo Hijikata, Souji Okita and Hajime Saitou"
The woman turned to him and said "You know them?"
"Come on nee-san" replied Anji "They are members of the Shinsengumi"
The woman took a moment of thinking before mumbling "Damn you old man" with a venomous tone.
The three members of the Shinsengumi looked at each other before grabbing their swords.
"I don't suggest you to do that" said Anji in a serious tone "You can regret it"
"Sorry" said Souji "But you saw them, so we need to kill you"
"Tch, you are truly dogs of the government" said the woman with anger in her voice "But thanks to that, I can see the legendary Tochizo Hijikata in action"
May lifted her anchor as it was nothing. Anji took out a pair of fans. And the woman glared at the three men in front of her.
"A kid, a strange man and a vicious woman" commented Souji Okita "What do you think of this, Hijikata-san?"
"Normally I'd say that it would be easy" answered Hijikata "But, the fact that a kid can lift something like that…"
He was showing signs of fear. It was normal, after all, a random girl of 10 years shouldn't be able to lift an anchor.
"The woman took three Furies like they were nothing" said Saitou "Maybe we can see if she would like to join us"
"And that kid" added Okita "looks like she can lift really heavy objects"
"Maybe they are the people Mister Slayer wanted us to help" said May "He did said something about 'Blue sky' and 'Blood eyes'"
"Fine!" growled the woman.
Couldn't be able to contain herself, Chizuru passed out.
"Its look like the kid's out cold" commented Okita "Let's go back to the base, there we can discuss"
Anji decided to hide his fans and said "What a lovely proposition" he then turned to the woman "See nee-san, you needn't to be on the edges"
"Shut it" replied the woman.
"It seems like you know us" said Hijikata with suspicions "but we don't know you"
"Anji Mito" said Anji.
"May" said May.
"Baiken" said the woman, with hostility in her voice.
"What do we do?" asked Hajime.
"Just like Souji said" replied Hijikata "We can't have a discussion here, we will take the kid and deal with him later"
"And the corpses?" asked Okita.
"Let's take their coats and leave them to the inspectors to deal with them" answered Hijikata.
After that, the six figures disappeared in the night with Chizuru.
Good or bad?
Leave your thoughts.