It's time for the real story to begin! I hope you will like it 3


Hijikata is sick. He is coughing so much that his face is starting to turn blue. He tries to reach me with his shaky hand, and all I do is watch. Everyone looks worried and tries to understand his last word. Of course, if they knew those words were "Sougo, you bastard!", they would probably just ignore him, knowing he will probably not die anyway.

He is just choking as the hot chili I put in his mayonnaise is starting to burn everything inside. He finally manages to gargle "water" and someone gives him some.

Just so that you know, drinking water to cool a chili burn is stupid and usually makes things worse. But after a while, I guess it just helps with the pain.

As soon as I realize he's going to survive, I lose all my interest and start looking at the men working in the base camp. We've been here for two days and it's only starting to stop being messy. Some new recruits have joined us, and everyone has been split into 4 groups. You can know one's group by the pin on their collar – it's quite important this time that we know who's under whose orders.

And that's when I saw him. A pin with a single stripe – my group. He is merely a man, still almost a boy. His dark hair are short and so is he. He looks so tiny in the midst of everyone, and his big green eyes make him look pure and innocent. At first, I'm annoyed. I am the angel face of the Shinsengumi. If that guy tries to take my place, I shall finish him. And then, I realize that he is certainly a rookie with no experience, who joined with big dreams about becoming a hero and who is about to get crushed. No worries. He won't last a day on the battlefield. The two men he is talking with are rookies as well. One is eating Anpan. The other has a First Group pin.

"Oi, newbies. Looks like some of them have the luck to work under my orders. What about you, though? You think you're above wearing a pin?"

He gives me teary eyes. He won't last a day either.

"Captain Okita! Could you at least not pretend you don't know me in front of them? It's me, Yamazaki!"

Now the Anpan makes sense.

"Oh, Zaki. You've been here for a long time? I thought you stayed in Oedo to stalk that robot girl of yours."

"Well, a man gotta know his priorities. Kondo-san is not stalking Otae-san and you are not stalking..."

Maybe my aura makes him shut up. But perhaps the punch I gave him in the throat helped. As he leaves crying, I look at the two other rookies.

"Your names?"

The second dude talks first. Does that make him the first dude?

"Sarada Takeshi, sir. It's an honor to serve my country, sir."

I glare at my rival. He looks at me and all I can see is worry. A day? If he lasts until lunch, he'll be lucky as hell.

"I'm pretty sure I asked for your name. Disobedience already?"

He looks at his feet. Are his feet more interesting than me? I seriously doubt that.

"Lag, Captain. My name is Lag."

Damn, his voice is so childish. He is a kid, really.

"And how old are you, Lag? Don't you have a family name?"

"No sir. I don't. And I'm 18."

That midget would be a year younger than me? Hard to believe.

"Listen carefully, you maggots. This is not a playground. Outside is the real world, with real bad guys who will kill you for real. This is not Sw*rd A*t On*ine or any other shitty video game. Get hurt, you suffer. Get cut, you die. So what makes you think you're cut for the job? All I see is two kids who would shit their pants at the first occasion."

Sarada answers something, but I don't really care, because I see by the fire burning in the midget's eyes that his answer will be way more interesting.

"This country is my home, Sir. I don't care if you don't think I'm cut for the battlefield. You would not be the first one. Want to fire me? Do it. But can you really afford sending a warrior home before knowing what he's worth? Are you ready to make this sacrifice when there's so many of them outside, and so few of us inside?"

"Is that how you talk to a Captain? And what good would it do me to send a wimp to the battlefield? I'd rather save your sword for someone who looks ready to fight."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm a wimp. But if I go fight alongside with everyone, even if I die, I know my death will be after cutting down several enemies. If I fall dead, then use my body as a stepping stone to jump higher, to cut more of them. If I can't fight anymore, take my sword back and use it to cut more of them. If I become useless, use me as a shield, and cut more of them. I'm here to fight, Sir. Not to prove you or anyone else I'm a worthy warrior or anything. I'm just here to defeat those who want to destroy my home."

I manage a yawn and shrug.

"You're so thin that you would do a pretty lame shield or stone, but you'll be a good decoy... If we send you, they will definitely underestimate us. Don't you guys have some work to do or anything? Stop being such lazy asses."

On such wise words, I leave to take a nap.


Next chapter in a couple of days~
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