It was a very peaceful night for the Shinsengumi warriors. Everyone was asleep except for a squadron called out to patrol over the serene place. Yes, all the lights were out except for the kitchen where a very maladroit young brunette was cooking miso soup for the coming squadron.
"Hotaru-chan," a very familiar voice called out to her. In fact so familiar that it made her blush.
"Hai, Okita-sama?" She answered in a very girly shy voice as she spun around to see a smiling Souji in his white yukata. He looked so cute, she had to admit. It was already a year after the Shinsengumi clan adopted her to be a cook since Ayu-nee was gone.
"You're still up," Souji smiled. "Has the squad returned yet?"
Hotaru shook her head as her face continued to redden. She was too shy to utter a word to him. Souji giggled at this and tried to notice something before an awkward silence comes. The last thing he noticed was her miso soup.
"Oh, that really smells good, Hotaru-san." He stated which made her more red.
"Okita-sama, I want to tell you something," Hotaru gathered up her whole courage. Not every girl in the world would have an exclusive moment with the most famous swordsman of Japan. Souji's eyes widened in fear that something bad would come out in their conversation - something that he himself is not prepared for. "I... I... I want - "
Hotaru's words were cut-off by Heisuke who was in a bit of a rush, catching his breath. "The unit was ambushed! The unit was ambushed!"
"What?!" was Souji's immediate response then approached the panting Heisuke. "Where's Hijikata-san?"
"He already went to the scene but fortification is needed."
"Heisuke-kun, please alert the first company as well as the others, we'll be in charge," Souji was firm in his words. Heisuke followed suit. Souji turned to face Hotaru who was stunned at the moment. "Neh, Hotaru-san, I will be leaving for a while." Souji was about to leave when he felt a pair of small but warm hands wrap around him.
"Okita-sama, please be vigilant," Souji smiled as he saw tears falling from her sorrel eyes.
"Don't worry, Hotaru-san." Souji smiled again. Then he felt her hands loosen around him. "Trust me."
The moon shone on the devastated Yayemi Teahouse. Blood was everywhere as well as the corpses of the ensnared warriors of the Shinsengumi.
"They haven't got away, search the whole area as well as nearby places!" Hijikata's voice was ireful. Every warrior moved as the thundering voice of the commander filled the place.
"Hijikata-san, what happened here?" A frowning Souji appeared from the dark, his unit alert and angry enough to kill the perpetrators.
"They won't elude my wrath," Toshi clenched his fist in his fury.
Worried, yes, this made Souji very much worried that Hijikata would make wrong decisions because of his anger. He had already seen him angry in the barracks but this rage was different for this didn't involve Haikus.
"Sir, no signs were found. There are no traces except for this," one of the warriors handed over an unfamiliar katana.
"Those bastards!" Toshi exclaimed. Everyone in sight was silenced. "Listen now! All of you! Tonight, our comrades met a vile death in the hands of the criminals we all know as the Choushuu. No one shall sleep deeply tonight! Even in our dreams we shall seek revenge!"
The whole troop was walking back to the barracks when Souji noticed an abandoned warehouse that contained dim light with suspicious shadows of men with some katana on their hips.
"Hijikata-san," Souji faced the vice commander with a smile. "You should go ahead. I'll just catch up."
"Why?" Toshi replied, eyes set straight on the road and with a stern voice.
"I," Souji had to think of something. He couldn't let Toshi on a battle on that condition - full of rage in his heart. Oh God, he couldn't. "I think I left something back there."
"What did you left behind, this time?" replied Toshi, eyes still concentrated on the road.
"My sword?" Souji replied. He thought it would do the trick since Toshi's eyes and mind were set on how to get revenge. "Ah, yes, Hijikata-san, my sword."
"Whatever. Just don't stray too much and hurry back."
"Hai," Souji replied in a sweet tone as he turned back to face the possible culprits of the ambush.
The door of the warehouse was left open so Souji sneaked in easily. He quickly hid himself in some piled up boxes near the spot where the swordsmen mounded up. The voices were audible and their laughs were devilish. Souji confirmed it - they were members of the Choushuu clan.
"I have to get my unit," Souji whispered when suddenly he heard of a loud shrill cry. It was enough to catch his attention for it was from a girl. He titled his head a little to get a view.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven..." Souji counted the heads only to find out there were about thirty of them, circling about a girl in the middle. "Thirty, hmm... I can manage." He couldn't just leave the poor girl to get his unit. If he did so, when he came back the girl would probably dead or used up.
'Attack from the back,' he thought to himself as he drew his sword. 'But first, the lights.'
Souji picked up a stone and threw it to the light. It was dark from the inside and the moon was the only source of light. The men drew their swords in an instant.
Souji was silent as he attacked the first ten of them. He glided swiftly from one to another and as he did, blood streamed out of them. It only took him a fraction of time to kill all and he counted them - thirty-two in all.
He finally approached the girl who went near the window. The poor girl was half naked and was physically restrained with her feet tied together as well as her hands. Tears were forming from her eyes and both fear and anger were her emotions. Souji could tell that she was lashed because of her wounds and bruises.
Souji smiled, "It's okay now. Can you show me where you live? I'll take you back."
Souji wondered as her eyes grew wider in fear only to warn him of the danger behind him. There was another one left.
"Aagh!" Souji cried as he felt a katana penetrate his right shoulder. The impact was so strong that it destroyed the armor on his back and pierced his flesh. He winced in pain but it didn't get in his way. He quickly grabbed the attacker's sword and removed it from his now bloodstained Shinsengumi uniform.The loss of blood made it harder for him to attack or to quickly move.
Hastily and with all of his physical power, he swung his sword to the attacker. The attacker dodged it quickly.
"Wh-who are you?" Souji uttered as he tried to apply pressure to his wound. Abruptly, the attacker grasped and lifted him by his neck. "Ugh!"
"You wouln't want to know..." replied the attacker as he threw Souji to the floor. Souji, at this point, has already lost his strength to fight and has already began coughing. All the girl, who was terrified at the scene, could do was cry and scream for help with her gag. The attacker's attention was now set on her.
The girl backed as he advanced towards her.
"Y-you," Souji said in between his coughs. "You have to go through me first before you could touch her."
"What a hero," said the attacker as he moved towards Souji, who was helplessly lay on the floor, coughing. "You said you want to know who I am?"
"I would like to see you suffer first," the attacker moved a hand unobtrusively over Souji's wound.
"Aagh!" Souji yelled as more blood came out of his wound. His left hand tried to shove the attacker's hand but to no avail. He could now feel his right arm being numb.
"Perhaps, I could tell you a hint," he said as he continued to press on Souji's shoulder. "I am someone you thought you already have put in grave."
Souji's eyes widened in shock. Aside from the pain that was being inflicted on him, fear has now joined him.
"I think playtime's over, Okita Souji."
"Ah!"
A tray of miso soup-fulled bowls slipped from Hotaru's hands as she made her way through the kitchen.
"Hotaru?" Tetsu noticed the expression from Hotaru's face. "Is there something wrong?"
"Okita-sama!"
A/N: As you all can see, I've made some changes at the ending of the series. Well...