That's the last of them. Let's go." Hajime tossed another dead soldier to the side as Kondou called out to them. His chief's voice was thick with regret. Something had happened.
"What's up, Kondou? Why are are pulling out without cleaning up?" Shinpachi asked as he sheathed his sword.
"We...we've lost too many good people" Kondou was avoiding the question, turning to Hijikata. "We move out with the men here. Let's go"
Hikikata nodded signalling the others to move. They fell back, heading for the gates and cutting a path through the men helping wounded soldiers. An explosion wracked the captains as several kegs of gun powder caught fire nearby. They ducked, shielding themselves from shrapnel. Hajime caught the look on the Commander's face as they ran. Pain, though he wasn't injured. They hadn't had time to check who was among the death toll...and they'd remained together through the battle. Neither of them could be sure who had died...so why was he so obviously hurt?
"Wait" Souji stopped just as they moved out of the complex. "Kondou...where are they?"
"I don't know who you mean, Souji" The chief was being evasive.
Hajime looked back to Souji, taking in the pained recognition in the other man's eyes. Harada and Heisuke shared a look, their eyes equally troubled. Hijikata refused to meet their eyes.
"Don't lie to me, Kondou. Where are they?" Souji clenched his fist. "Where're Kanami and Kira?"
Dread settled in the pit of his stomach as Hajime realized what had unsettled them. The two girls had accompanied them on this mission, they'd wanted to free the town from the group of bandits just as much as their own group of samurai did. In fact, Kira had eagerly trailed after Harada when they'd entered the complex; her sword drawn and ready for blood. The two being had been separated from them near the start of the battle when Kondou had ordered them to evacuate several children the bandits had taken captive.
"I'm sorry, Souji..." Soji's eyes widened as their chief gave a saddened nod of his head. "They...They died honorably"
"What?" Souji's eyes flared wide as he processed what had happened. "How...why..."
Hajime understood his pain. He had also been close to the twin girls that had so eagerly joined their battles. Kira, the older of the two girls, was talented and skilled with her sword. He'd often worked with her while Harada helped her younger sister, Kanami, practice with a spear. To think that the two women were gone was enough to drive a thorn into his chest.
" One of the men we captured had been severely injured. He told us that two women had killed his companions while assisting a group of captives. They were assisting the children as they were ordered to. Several of the bandits decided to take advantage of their distraction. Kira died protecting her sister...and Kanami died giving the prisoners a chance to escape. He was the only one to pursue them that survived. "
Silence fell over the captains as the realization settled in. Kira and Kanami Ojikashi, two brilliant young girls who'd wanted to experience real combat, had died under their watch. Though the two weren't much younger than Hajime, many of them had thought of the two girls as younger sisters. Souji had been especially attached to Kanami.
"We'll bury them with the others" Kondou's voice was heavy and Hajime watched the tear that rolled down his cheek. "They'll be honored"
Souji fell silent, his fist clenched and eyes shut tight. Both Harada and Shinpachi were glaring back at the complex gates. Sanan had fallen silent, but he was giving Hijikata a scolding look. Kondou had collected himself, and was now looking over the captains in front of him.
"Saito" Kondou turned his gaze to Hajime. "I want you to remain here. Look for their weapons, Kira's sword and Kanami's spear. There is no worse fate for a warrior to be left without their weapon"
"Of course" Hajime nodded, turning away from the group and heading for the complex. Shinpachi stopped him before he could fully leave them. The man had fallen behind the other captains.
"I know it's not your thing to do something like this..." Shinpachi took a deep breath. "But if you find something of Kanami's...could you get it for Souji? He um...he's not going to accept her death very easily. Do the same for Kira if you can"
"I will" Hajima nodded, waiting for Shinpachi to walk away before turning back to the gates.
He walked through the men, giving a direct order to Yamazaki to look for the two women. They'd been guarding the children and adult prisoners, escorting them toward the back gates to the complex. He turned a corner, reaching the cell that Kondou had found. He'd ordered the girls from here...the last place the captains had seen them alive. With another sighed he looked up, finding the route the girls would have taken. Kira was too clever to lead them straight into danger. She would have skirted the complex perimeter, looking for a place where the wall that surrounded it had fallen in. Once she'd found it she would have pushed Kanami through first, then sent the children over, followed by the few adult prisoners. Kira herself would have remained behind, guarding their escape while Kanami got their charges safely into the woods.
Hajima sighed as he found the first break in the wall. The rubble wasn't too loose and would have made it easy enough for children and injured adults to climb over it. According to Kondou, Kira would have made it this far before she died, protecting Kanami who would have been stationed on the other side of the wall. Chances were her body would be nearby while Kanami's would be on the other side, near the woods or on the path that lead into it.
A glint of sunlight off metal caught his eye as he stepped onto one of the sturdier bits of rock. Kira's sword lay abandoned, its blade partially stuck beneath the body of a bandit. The purple and pink wrapping around it's hilt was stained with blood, as was the golden silk tassel that hung from the bottom. He remembered Souji teasing her about the decorative quality of the blade, just before she disarmed him and held it to his throat with a smirk.
"Where are you Kira?" Hajime asked himself as he bent, pulling the sword out from under the corpse. He wiped it clean with the hem of the dead man's shirt, smiling softly at the cold metal in his hand. It was her dearest treasure, matched with the sheath she'd loved so much. It had to be nearby...probably still with her body unless a bandit had taken it for what it was worth. The sword remained in his hand as he climbed up the rubble, dropping onto the ground below the wall. There was no sign of either girl here, despite a spattering of blood on the ground. The bodies of three more bandits covered the ground, nearly concealing the glimmer of black and silver on the ground. He took the cord from the ground. It had been right underneath the sword and sheath in Kira's possession. A silver pendent, depicting the image of an owl, hung on a black leather cord. Kira had worn it tied around her waist after Harada had given it to her. To have it here, the ends clearly cut, meant that she had indeed made it over the wall.
"She made it here without her sword" Hajime said to himself as he tied the pendent and cord around the hilt of her sword. "She wore the daggers today then"
He proceeded further down the path they'd taken. Blood had dripped into the grass, dying the green a sickly red. One of the girls had been injured...probably Kira for her to leave her sword behind in favor for one of her one-handed daggers. She'd been to injured to swing a sword. Kira had undoubtedly known she'd bleed out before they'd saved the children and had decided to follow her sister to protect them. He had no doubt that Kira had known she was dying.
Hajime found Kanami's spear at the entrance to the forest path. It lay in a pool of blood, covering the ornate hilt of a dagger he recognized instantly. It was Kira's favorite, the hilt decorated with pressed, black leather and wrapped in silk cord. She'd treasured the weapon, refusing to let anyone else touch it. The spear was typical of Kanami, black and silver, the blade sharpened to a point. She'd purposely had it made this way, trading a long spear for the shorter one now. Though it appeared normal, Hajime knew she'd made it only just short enough that Harada couldn't use it without difficulty, taking the measure after he'd used it to defeat her during a training session. He had now found two of Kira's weapons and one of Kanami's...but no bodies.
As he stood up, the spear and dagger joining the sword he'd collected, he caught sight of the glimmer of silver a few feet away. Like Kira, Kanami had worn a silver pendent around her neck. Hers was a small turtle, a gift from Harada after she'd protested that he favored her sister. This would be what he gave to Souji, though he doubted it would bring him much comfort.
"It cannot be helped, Yamazaki" He sighed as the man stepped onto the path just behind them. "Were their bodies already collected?"
"No." Yamazaki frowned, shaking his head. "We told the other men to search out here, but they weren't found. Neither of the girls...though their weapons were not found either...but you seem to have them"
Hajime looked off into the woods, his heart sinking further. "Please forgive me Kira...Kanami. We have failed you"