Yagen's arrival had brightened up the Awataguchi a little. They chimed over breakfast, excitedly surrounding their brother. A small piece of salmon, a sandwich, a bowl of Miso soup, they were all offering food to his tray like some deity on an altar. "That's enough," he quickly refuses the dumpling from Hakata who looked a little offended. "I...really can't finish all this," He apologized to his brother. Hakata shoves the dumpling in his mouth instead, chewing begrudgingly.

Turning to his tray he noticed the Samonji seating at the other end of the hall. While Sayo was stealing glances at him, Souza was unfazed, popping the last of his tamagoyaki into his mouth before turning to Kousetsu to discuss something. It was as if he had not noticed Yagen at all.

Yagen pursed his lips, wondering if the sword was intentionally behaving like that before going back to his breakfast.


After breakfast, he was told to take it easy as it was his first day back in the citadel. It's strange. It felt like everyone knew him and he knew no one. Now that his brothers were all away for duty, he felt even more alienated. Sitting in the huge room of the Awataguchi, he explored it a little, poking curiously at Hakata's computer and pulling out a few silk kimonos that probably belong to Midare.

"Yo!" Someone called, knocking on the open doors. Yagen turned to find Fudou Yukimitsu leaning against the entrance, a can of Amazake in his hand.
"Fudou…!" Yagen greeted, feeling a little relieved. It felt better to see familiar faces from his past. Fudou hiccuped a reply, his face crimson.
"Are you drunk?" Yagen winced, smelling the alcohol permeating from his breath. "In broad daylight?"
"Maybe," Fudou replied, taking another satisfying sip from his can "If you've seen everything that happened here, coupled with only memories of your past, you would want to try some of the amazake too," He extended the drink to the other tantou who politely refused it.

"What are you doing here?" Yagen inquired instead.
"Ahh...you know that Heshikiri Hasebe, he told me to show you around the citadel since you probably don't remember," The drunkard reply, a little wobbly on his feet.
"Are you sure you are in the right state to be my tour guide?" Yagen raised a brow at the sword who replied with another hiccup. "I understand what you mean, after all, I'm quite a useless sword, but you will have to bear with me cuz I'm the only one available right now,"

Yagen took a sigh and reluctantly follow the drunk tantou who was surprisingly still able to function in his state.

Fudou wasn't that bad of a tour guide, considering that he might've gotten them a little bit lost at one point. But Yagen felt better after being able to meet a few familiar faces. He didn't remember anything from the previous him, but he knew the swords from his past.

Particularly Souza.

He watches the uchigatana from inside the corridor. The sword was helping out with laundry today with his brothers and Kasen Kanesada. From where he was standing, he could see Sayo stamping on the laundry in the river with his legs to wash it, occasionally spraying some water into Kasen's face. Souza and Kousetsu were chuckling a little as they help hang up the washed sheets, letting it wave in the summer wind.

"I was taken out by Souza too," Fudou suddenly said, making Yagen jumped a little. He had forgotten that the other tantou was there. "...what?"
"The one who killed the previous you," Fudou reminded him "They didn't tell you? It was Souza." He leaned against the window and watch the swords, taking another sip from his can. "He's very different now from the time he was with Nobunaga-sama, but then again, I should be quite an easy feat, since I'm a pretty useless sword,"

"He...killed the previous me?" Yagen frowned at the information. His brothers never told him that.
"Mmmhm, it was quite a fight," Fudou turn back to him, letting his ponytailed hair trail out of the open window.

Yagen stared back at the others, thinking.

"I think we can end our tour here," Fudou finally muttered, straightening himself "I've shown you all the rooms you need to know about, so this useless sword will excuse himself…..for more amazake." he frowned at his empty drink and wave to Yagen.

"Fudou, wait!" Yagen called after him but Fudou only pointed to a corner a little far off "Exit to the river is over there, bye bye," And with that, he turned a corner and was gone.

Yagen shifted uncomfortably, thinking about his next course of action before finally deciding on one.


The river smelled refreshing. The sound of the gushing waters was strangely calming, coupled by the occasional chuckles from the swords by the river. Yagen approach cautiously, feeling a little awkward.
Of course, it was Sayo who first noticed him, pausing what he was doing, he turns to stare at Yagen curiously. Noticing this, the others stopped too, following his gaze to the approaching tantou.

"Ah, sorry, I did not mean to intrude…" Yagen started.
"Welcome back, Yagen," Kasen smiled up from the wet cloth he was holding, "It's good to see you again,"
"Ah...you are…" Yagen tries to recall.
"Kasen Kanesada, I was one of the Kuroda swords." Kasen introduced himself, getting up. Yagen nodded in greeting, although his attention was quick to move towards Souza who was standing a bit further away at the peg with the sheets.

Noticing this, Sayo got out of the water, frowning. His sword wasn't with him but he looked poised to defend if needed. "Are you here for revenge?" He asked.
"What-No!" Yagen stammered "Of course not!"

Souza sighed, walking over to them. "What do you want, Yagen Toushirou?" He asked, Kousetsu coming up behind them as well.
Yagen was a little take aback by his cold greeting. "Souza, it's good to see you again." Souza glance indifferently at the tantou. "If you are here about the previous you-"
"I'm not!" Yagen snapped sternly, making the others jumped a little. He glances around, surprised at himself.
"I'm sorry….can we just talk...for awhile, please?" He asked.

Souza turned to his brothers who looked back at him. They were not offering him any options. "Fine, 5 minutes," He finally replied.


They stood a little further away from the others, making sure that they were out of earshot.

"What is it?" Souza was the first to ask. Yagen shifted uncomfortably, smoothing out his white lab coat and wondered how he should start.
"How….have you been, Souza?" He asked instead. This drew a raised brow from Souza who sighed and turned away to go back to his brothers.
"This is stupid," he said but Yagen quickly took hold of his wrist. "I'm sorry- I didn't know how to start-"

Souza turns back to him, shrugging away from his hold.

"It's just...everything is so unfamiliar...this body, this place...everyone who said hi, I don't even know them the slightest…" Yagen sighed "I just thought that it was great to be able to see you again….but then Fudou told me that…." Souza waited for him to speak, but realized that he wasn't able to say the words.
He looked at him understandingly. "I know how it feels, to be back here, confused and having no memory of your previous self," Souza continued "I died in one of the duels too," He huffed, remembering "You were all over me when I came back that it was uncomfortable," The memory made him smile a little, to Yagen's surprise.

"I came to ask you about our duel last time, but it seems that there was nothing I need to worry about," Yagen finally said. Souza's smile was a rare sight for him. "You seem to have free yourself from the caged bird you refer as back during Nobunaga's time," Yagen shifted a little "Damn, I'm a little bit jealous of the previous me, having been able to watch how you've changed like this, although, it is a good change,"

At this, the smile on Souza's face dropped. His odd eyes glared back at Yagen.

"Change?" Souza started. "...The previous you talked about the same thing before he died too," Souza muttered, "That I was no longer a caged bird."
"I would think the same too," Yagen started "It's been so long now since Oda Nobunaga….and Fudou told me how you were much stronger now-"
"But Yagen," Souza interrupted him "Oda Nobunaga is a big chunk of my past, it made me who I am today….it made me the sword of conquerors," He reminded him "As long as the demon lord's brand remains carved on me…" his hand was curled around the fabric on his chest "I will...remain the caged bird."

"...Souza…" Yagen mouthed as his shoulders slumped.
"Are you disappointed?" The uchigatana asked, turning towards the river and letting the water washed up to his toes a little. "A little," Yagen replied with a sigh.
"Why?" Souza asked, not moving away from the edge of the water.
"I was hoping the previous me would've destroyed the cage for you," Yagen muttered "But it seems he did not succeed." he went over to the water to stand beside Souza, peering down to the clear water below.
"Yagen, I don't need anyone to free me from this cage," Souza turn to him, his hand resting on the tantou's shoulder. "I just need everyone to accept me for who I am….including myself."

Yagen sighed as Souza's hand slipped away from his shoulder. "Did you come to this conclusion after my death?"
"It took a real nagging from Hasebe," Souza complained a little "But yeah, I did,"

They stood by the water, watching the river flow calmly below their feet.

"I should return to my brothers," Souza said after a moment of silence. Yagen nodded, thanking him mutely for his time. But Souza only took a few steps before turning back to the tantou. "Oh Yagen," he started "The previous you said something quite despicable when I first met him though,"

Yagen raised a questioning brow.

"He told me to stay by his side," Souza's small smile was back on his face "If you are thinking to say the same thing, I'm replying with what I said last time,"
"What is it?" Yagen asked.
"Only in your dreams," Souza replied with a soft chuckle before returning to his brothers, leaving Yagen to stare back at him, a little confused.

The tantou smiled and turned away as well, making his way back to the citadel.


That night, they had all gathered at the river. Apparently, they did this every month, in remembrance to those who have died in the duel as well as the time war. Although some had returned back to the citadel, their brothers and those close to them would still light up a floating lantern in their memory, casting it into the river so that the calm currents would take it far away.

The Toushirou brothers all had their little lanterns, most of them were for Ichigo, but also for Atsushi and many others who were defeated both before and after the war. Urashima and his two brothers released a pair of lantern into the water as well, reminding themselves of the pain they had felt losing their brothers and the joy they experienced when they had them back. Kanesada was standing in the river, releasing the small lantern he had made for Horikawa. "Rest well," he whispered.
The Samonji brothers were a little further away, their blue lantern decorated with pink sakura flowers that Souza had carefully adorned it with. Souza had taken the lantern and carefully lowered it into the water. "Goodbye, me." He whispered under his breath as he let go.
Higekiri and Hizamaru were both there, saying silent prayers as their lantern was lowered into the water. "I didn't know you prepared one," Higekiri mused as they watched the lantern float away. "This is to thank you for coming back, Anija," Hizamaru replied after a moment.

The master was there too, releasing his own lantern into the water. His was a simple white one that floated calmly in the water, sailing to join the rest of the lanterns flowing down the river. This was for all the swords that he couldn't protect, in the past and in the now. Watching it float downstream, he wondered if the lantern signifies something else that he himself refused to admit.
Looking up, he noticed a lone sword standing at the edge of the water, holding on to his lantern. He had not released it into the stream yet. "Who is that for, Shishio?" The master asked as he draws close to the sword.

Shishio was a little startled to be approached, much less by the master himself.

"It's….it's for myself." Shishio smiled a little sadly, eyeing his lantern. It was glowing a soft gold and there were small patterns of his nue on it. He looked up to the brothers and comrades all gathered in groups, it was obvious how he was the only one standing alone without a partner. "I don't belong to any school, I don't have a brother nor am I close to my comrades from the past," he explained. "The one I dearly loved, my first master, he…" He gulped.

The saniwa looked on with pity, recalling that Shishio's first master, Minamoto no Yorimasa had committed seppuku.

"I'm sorry," The master offered but Shishio only shook his head quickly "No, I'm not saying that I'm upset or anything!" He gave a bright laugh, "I am glad to be able to be your sword now." Saying that he took a deep breath and gingerly lowered his lantern into the water. "Being here now with this body is the only thing I can ask for,"
The master watched the sword offering up his own comforting smile.

"Nagasone-niisan!" Urashima held up a lighted lantern to his brother. Hashisuka was standing behind him, his hands folded. Nagasone stared at the lantern, surprised, didn't they already sailed their lantern? It was then that he noticed the name written neatly on the paper.
"Kondou...Isami…?" He read out loud, recognizing the neat handwriting. It doesn't belong to Urashima.

"Did you write this?" He looked up at Hachisuka who turned away, irritated. "I'm only doing it because Urashima told me to," He muttered. Kashuu and the other Shinsengumi swords were also approaching, all of them noticing the lantern.
"I made one for you all too," Urashima beamed and lighted two more lanterns behind him. It both had Okita and Hijikata's names on it, the Shinsengumi sword's previous masters. "I figured you guys would want this to remember them by," he continued, handing the lanterns to them. "Go on, the other lanterns are already far downstream."

Nagasone thanked his brothers and together with the others, they ran down the river a little, catching up with the rest of the lanterns that had floated away.

They place their lanterns in the water, allowing it to join the others. The night had made all the floating lanterns glow in beautiful colors. Some of the lanterns had names on it, some were adorned with different patterns and some had really fancy colors, but all of them had held the same feelings that all the swords had. A love for a brother, for their masters, for those who had departed. It was beautiful. The water carried them steadily away, taking the memories and the love everyone had when they cast it into the river.

Kashuu and Yasusada watch Okita's lantern float away, having to release their first lantern tonight. They had never done so since they still had each other up till now.
And that is one thing Yasusada prayed will never change.