Chapter 2: The Reunion

"Hijikata-san!" Chizuru was running towards the Shinsengumi as soon as she saw them enter the headquarters. She was relieved to see that all of them were well. She noticed someone that there was someone with them. The person was wearing a kasa. She had never seen this person with them when they left. It seems that the person noticed her and removed his kasa.

She immediately recognize the face. "Sei-san!"

"Chi-chan!"

Chizuru ran towards the person and hugged him. She was so happy to see Sei. She had only met Sei once when she and her father settled in their new home in Edo but immediately left because Sei had business to do.

"It's good to see you were well. There were lots of dangerous people in this place. I was so worried." Sei said while hugging Chizuru.
"So you two were related after all." Okita spoke.

Sei looked at Okita and smiled, "Yes."

Yamazaki greeted the Shinsengumi, surprised with Sei's presence but tried to be formal when Sei bowed to him. Yamazaki bowed back. "Hijikata-san, this person is?"

"He is Chizuru's cousin. We took him for them to meet." Hijikata replied.

"Ah. What about the..."

"There was none of them this night. Well, there was one."

"I see."

"Toushi, how was the night patrol?" Kondou Isami, the chief of the Shinsengumi, who was with Sannan Keisuke greeted them. "Oya. We have a guest." Sanan, noticed Sei.

"Ah, Sanan-san, this is Sei, Chizuru's cousin." Hijikata introduced.

Sei immediately bowed.

"Oh! Yukimura has such a bishounen for her cousin!" Kondou happily accepted Sei already, "It was such a nice coincidence that you met him Toushi."

"Eh. It was rather a strange coincidence." Hijikata said.

"I want to excuse myself for coming here unannounced, I just really wanted to see Chizuru." Sei politely apologized.

Kondou laughed, "It's okay. You should stay here as well."

"I was planning to see Chizuru and leave, sir."

"We can't have you wandering around again, now that you witness what we were doing in the city just then." Okita butted in.

"I have no idea what happened just then, but I am not the type of person who will go and talk about other people's business." Sei talked back politely. "Oh? We could see about that." Okita tried to tease Sei.

"Mah mah, Souji." Kondou entered the conversation again, "He looks like nice person." He looked at Sei, "We are about to have dinner soon, would you like to join?"

Sei chuckled. "If it is okay with you, then I shall."

"You humans seem to have fun with yourselves."

They heard a familiar voice from above. When they turned around, it was Kazama Chikage, an oni who was with the Choshu people. He was with his usual companions, Shiranui and Amagiri.

"Kazama!" Hijikata held his sword firmly ready to fight.

Kazama smirked. "You think you can win against us..." Kazama's attention went to Chizuru and to the person beside her... Sei.

"Kazama-san, that person is..." Shiranui pointed Sei. It seems like Amagiri had also noticed Sei's presence and was quite surprised with it.

"Yukimura.. Sei." Kazama muttered.

Sei smiled. "Chikage-sama, you have grown." The looks of bewilderment as they heard Sei talking with the three onis who came to "visit" them.

Sei moved forward to talk with them, "I was expecting to meet you here but I didn't expect it to be this early. It seems that Kyo-kun and Kyuuju-kun is with you as well." "Why is Sei-san here?" Shiranui said with a look of disbelief.

"You haven't change since then, Yukimura Sei."

Sei chuckled, "I had. But I think it's not noticeable." "Hmph."

"Sei, were you part of them too?" Hijikata asked Sei, who was still in his fighting stance.

"Calm down, Hijikata-kun. I don't think they will attack you sooner or later." Sei said.

"Tsk. Why is Yukimura Sei, a great demon, with these Mibu wolves?" Kazama looks so unsatisfied.

"Sei-sama, you were still alive?" Amagiri finally spoke.

"Well, I don't think I'm dead." Sei joked. "Do I look like I'm dead to you, Kyuuju-kun?"

"No, ma'am."

"Woah, they are addressing Chizuru's cousin with too much respect." Heisuke commented, "Is your cousin that great, Chizuru?"

"I'm not really sure..." "Were you playing around again, Chikage-sama? Is your place that boring for you?"

Kazama smirked, "Yeah. These guys were pretty entertaining so I let them play with me."

"Are you a 5 year old kid?" Hijikata remarked.

"What?" Kazama heard what Hijikata said.

"Do you want to go all out?" Okita stepped forward. "I lost all my interest to play with you for today. Especially, seeing Yukimura Sei with you."

"What about Sei?"

"Listen you, lowly humans. You better take good care of these two, if something happens with one of them, you won't get out that lightly."

"Huh?" "Sei-san, is a great demon. Much greater than Kazama-san in terms of power."

"Heh, so in other words, you won't be "playing" with us because of you do, you won't be able to beat this person in a fight, is that it?"

"No." Chikage glared at Okita, "It would be a sign of disrespect for an old blood demon if we fight her."

"I just want to ask, Hijikata-kun." Sei turned around to the Shinsengumi, "What business do these kids want with you?"

"They want to take Chizuru as their bride, they said." Heisuke answered. "Bride?" Sei repeated.

"Heisuke, Sei-san is not asking you." Sano reprimanded him.

"Ah. Sorry."

Sei smiled back at Toudou then turned back to Kazama. "You need a bride? Well, I guess it is about time." Sei laughed.

"Tsk."

The Shinsengumi became relazed with the situation despite with the presence of the three troublemakers who always "visit" them to "play" with them.

"Sei-sama, where were you all this time?" Amagiri asked a question.

"I was out travelling." "When did you arrived?"

"Yesterday."

"Hah."

"Sei-san, are you seriously staying with these humans?" Shiranui is now asking.

"Chizuru's here so I'll stay here."

"Don't have yourself get seduced by any of these lowly humans." Chikage spouted.

"Seduced, you say." Sei tried to prevent himself from laughing.

"Seduce?"

Kazama noticed the confusion in the face of the Shinsengumi, while Sei was trying her best to stop laughing. "Is the Yukimura Clan's tradition to crossdress?" Kazama sighed.

"No. But is more convenient to move around with these clothes."

"Crossdress..." Nagakura wwas trying to say something but-

"Are you a girl, Sei-kun?" Kondou said out loudly.

"Are you, guys, stupid?" Kazama said.

"Sei-san is Kazama-san's ancestors guardian. She's a fine woman that everyone back then wanted to marry." Shiranui added, "But she chose her duty so she refused every marriage proposal."

"How old are you Sei-kun?" Kondou asked. "Kondou-san, you were concerned with that?"

"I guess I live for at least a couple of centuries." Sei answered Kondou's question politely.

"You're an old hag then." Okita said.

"Souji!" Sei just chuckled, "Yeah I guess I am." and smiled back at Okita which left Okita speechless.

Chizuru can remember how she met Sei before, and Kazama was right. Her appearance have yet to change. Sei still looked young like she was the same age as Chizuru.

"I'll leave for tonight because of Yukimura Sei." Kazama told the Shinsengumi, then he looked at Sei, "Yukimura Sei, do you know what is the situation of the Nagumo and Ohbo Clan?"

Nagumo? Chizuru thought.

"Yes."

"They might come here to get Chizuru." "I will protect Chizuru so there's no need to worry." "..." Kazama stared at Sei. She has pretty eyes that looked like it could see through your soul. It was so clear that one could see their reflection in it. "Well, then I'll take my leave."

"I'll see you some other time, Chikage-sama." Kazama turned his back to leave but stopped for a while, "The 'other' one with that clan's name, but he is in Kyoto with that 'old man'. I guess you'll meet them too pretty soon."

"I see... Thank you."

And with that, Kazama and his two companions leave.

Sei turned around to bow his head to the Shinsengumi. "Ah Sei-kun there's no need for you to apologize for." Kondou told Sei to lift his head.

"I'm very sorry for not introducing myself properly. You even thought I was a man. I don't really mind to be mistaken as one but it might have been inconvenient with you. I think I should also be liable for the trouble caused by Kazama and his companions. I am not affiliated with the Kazama Clan anymore, as my master has long died but Kazama Chikage-sama is my master's descendant." Sei raised her head, "My past and my background is not anymore necessary because I came here for my family. Not for anything else."

"I think we should talk inside then." Sanan suggested.


Last night was a long night. Sei was interrogated by the Shinsengumi with a bunch of questions like what does she do for a living, what are the places she visit, what connection does she have with Kazama, and it actually went to unnecessary and aloof questions.
It was not bad actually but she doesn't had the chance to ask them about his uncle Kodo, and the creatures that they encountered last night.
She was in the backyard sitting and looking at the sky waiting to be called for breakfast. The Shinsengumi peoplewere so hospitable to her, even more because they learned she's a girl. Nagumo and Ohbo, huh...

Those bunch were always the troublesome bunch ever since then... "Chitose-sama... Kazuya-sama..."

After some time, she noticed Okita, taming a cat in the corner. The cat seemed to be cautious of him but eventually came near him. Okita petted the cat and it was purring happilly. "Cats are nice, aren't they?" Sei said while looking at Okita and the cat smilingly.

"Yeah, they kill to survive." He smirked.

Sei chuckled, "Well, to put it simply they do something bad for a living, it's either to kill a living or steal from someone."

"..." Okita paused.

"How was it 'nice' then?" He continued.

"Well, I won't say they were nice by doing it. I was saying that they were nice because they were living freely without having to worry about anything." Sei smiled, "It is in their nature so no one would blamed them if they do those things anyway."

"Hmm..." Okita stared at her. Then he went back to petting the cat.

It was agreed that Sei would start to live with the Shinsengumi along with Chizuru. She doesn't want to be a burden to anyone so she gave huge bag of penny to add to the Shinsengumi finances.

Living with these people might not be bad after all...

"Cough.. Cough.." Okita started to cough harder and harder.

Sei stared at the young man. This person is ill... very ill. It might be an illness that is incurable. "Okita Souji."

"Ha?" He responded as he tried to stop coughing.

"Did someone told you how was your condition?"

Okita avoided his eyes with Sei's gaze, "Yeah..."

"I see... Did that person told you what to do?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, it seems like your a stubborn one then." Sei smiled.

Okita looked at Sei who was looking at the sky, smiling like she was remembering something nice. "Yeah..."

She looked at him, "But I guess I kinda understand why."

Okita was about to say something but since he was not able to know what else to say, he kept quiet instead. It was not know how many minutes have been passed with the two of the being silent around each other. It's not like they don't know what to talk about, but they were trying to digest what they had talked about.

"You two were here." Yamazaki came, "Breakfast is ready. Everyone is being summoned."


"Chizuru Yukimura is one of the few female pureblood and was living among humans." said by one of the strange old man.

"So she actually lives." said by another old man.

"She might be even useful than her brother who we mistakenly took years ago."

"It seems that the head of Kazama had eyes for that girl though."

"Well, it's not like it's decided that he actually got the girl already."

"She would be useful for the prosperity of the Ohbo."

"Actually, I would like it if she come to the Nagumo."

"What about the child of the Yose? Should we also take her in?"

"She's a princess of a high accord. That would be troublesome if we take her by force."

"I would put my vote for Chizuru Yukimura to be taken by the Ohbo, as you guys from Nagumo take the Princess instead."

"What?"

In the midst of the argument of the clans, Kaoru Nagumo was listening to them. He gritted his teeth, "Like hell, I'll let you have Chizuru."