Important information: The protagonist of this story is versatile in the sense that she can be an OC/you, if you choose to save this story and replace the name with whatever you want, or if you are a Chizuru fan, you can leave her as she is and still get your OkiChi fix.
TK: The majority of this chapter takes place in the Kuze Shrine, a location I made up (though the name came from Fatal Frame). This chapter is dedicated to CraftyGenius.
Warning: Major Character Death
[Okita x Protagonist – AU. "You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty."]
2019 UPDATE: This chapter has been edited and revised, but the events remain mostly unchanged from the original version.
Dynasty Girl
TK Grimm
Chapter Ten:
Ruined Ringleader
It was a pretty well-known fact in the Shinsengumi that the two of the three strongest, most talented captains were Okita Souji and Saito Hajime. Their skills were so evenly matched that it was impossible to determine which was superior. Whenever they fought in a practice match, it tended to go on for several minutes, and the victor seemed to rotate every time.
This led to a very impressive reputation among the men, especially their subordinates. Somehow, Souji and Hajime's sparring sessions had become something of a show to them, and it was a common occurrence to have a bit of an audience every time they fought. Therefore, in order to have any semblance of privacy, Souji and Hajime tended to disappear when they wanted a serious practice session.
The Kuze Shrine a fair distance away from headquarters that offered the perfect venue for their sparring. Few people climbed all the steps to reach the top, and even fewer were interested in a match between two young samurai. Souji and Hajime were able to go all out without being disturbed or interrupted.
"Not that I mind," Souji began, "but what's gotten into you, Hajime-kun? Why the sudden urge to spar against me?"
The two of them stood a fair distance away from each other, wooden swords in hand. They could never fight with real katana. If they did, they would likely both end up dead. It was unfortunate in that they would never know which of them was the strongest, but neither of them could give up their life over such a reason when they still had work to do for the Shinsengumi.
Hajime did not reply to Souji's question. Instead, he held his sword at his side as if it were in a scabbard. Then, he sprinted toward Souji at full speed, drawing it forth with tremendous power. Souji barely had time to brace his bokken and block, but the sheer force behind Hajime's attack had him skidding a few inches backward.
Taken by surprise, Souji had to leap back in order to dodge Hajime's follow-up technique. The Third Divison's Captain had never been a man of many words, so his behavior wasn't exactly unnatural. That being said, Souji still felt as if something was slight off with his friend. When Souji blocked another of Hajime's attacks, their swords became locked together, both of them pushing with a great deal of strength in an attempt to overpower the other.
It was then that Hajime apparently decided to speak. "What's going on between you and Yukimura?"
It was a rare, almost 'blue moon' occurrence for Souji to be caught completely off-guard, and Hajime managed to push off Souji's wooden sword and strike him in the chest. Souji staggered backward, his left hand pressed against what would likely form a painful bruise later. Even though the match was technically over, Hajime attacked again. Without giving Souji any time to recover, he unleashed another onslaught of attacks that Souji could only block but never counter.
Hajime stopped his assault and leapt back. He held his sword at his side and stared at Souji with an impassive expression. "Souji."
Feeling a bit irritated by his loss, Souji retaliated with biting humor. "Jealous, Hajime-kun?"
His opponent looked none-too-impressed. "Answer the question."
Instead of obeying his friend's command, Souji shut his mouth tight. A thousand lies shot through his mind in the same instant, but he was pretty sure Hajime would see through any of them. Unlike the vast majority of humanity, Saito Hajime was no fool.
But then, Hajime said something that Souji did not expect. In fact, he seemed downright uncomfortable asking it. "…Is it shudo?"
Shudo was a custom among Buddhist monks and the samurai class in which an adult man and a usually teenage boy formed a strong bond that often progressed into consensual homosexuality between the two. The older male would mentor the boy and train him in the ways of the warrior. Despite men being forbidden to marry, this was more of a contract between brothers-in-arms. Neither partner would take another male lover. Both parties were expected to be loyal unto death and assist the other in samurai duties and honor-driven obligations like duels. Although sex was supposed to end when the boy came of age, shudo ideally led to a lifelong bond of friendship.
Taken aback by Hajime's suggestion, Souji actually had to take a moment before those words processed. Once they clicked, Souji immediately relaxed. He lowered his sword and brought his hand up to cover his face in relief while his shoulders shook in silent laughter.
Saito Hajime, the genius swordsman, was asking if Okita Souji and Yukimura 'Mafuyu' were gay together. The irony didn't escape Souji. Part of him wished that Chizuru was there just so he could see the look on her face. And probably laugh about it later.
Hajime, however, looked to be frowning. "Did I say something amusing?"
"Yeah," Souji replied, still smiling. "I wish you had a sense of humor, Hajime-kun." Before he offended one of the few friends he had (he'd never been very good at connecting with people, not that he cared), Souji redirected the subject back to Hajime's question. "No, we're not into shudo. He's just my subordinate."
Disbelief spread over Hajime's face. "Last night in Shimabara, I saw—"
"Saw what, exactly?" Souji challenged.
Hajime's cheeks turned slightly red, as Souji knew they would. Likely one of the greatest samurai alive right now, but mention anything concerning romance, and he becomes completely inept. Hajime struggled with his words for a moment before quietly saying, "…You were very close."
"I'm close to you, too," said Souji. He took a step forward and inclined his head, giving Hajime a suggestive look. "Something you want to confess, Hajime-kun?"
As expected, Hajime recoiled. Once he recovered, his expression darkened. "Be serious, Souji."
Souji straightened his back and shrugged lazily. "I am being serious. It's not shudo. Yukimura's my friend. Like you are… right?"
His tone was joking, as if he wasn't seriously asking, but it was actually a loaded question. Souji didn't think much about his bonds with others. He'd been betrayed too many times to put much stock in anyone but Kondou Isami. Hajime was someone he felt a connection with, someone who didn't judge him or treat him differently because of how he was or how he acted. Though Souji would never admit it to anyone, even himself, his friendship with Hajime meant a lot to him.
Hajime seemed to relax a little, and some of the tension left his shoulders. His face settled into a small smile. "Yes," he confirmed. "We're friends." The smile faded, and he averted his gaze. "I'm sorry I mentioned it. I was just concerned."
Souji raised his eyebrows. "For me or Yukimura?"
"For both of you." The surprise must have been obvious on Souji's face, for Hajime glanced up and spoke again. "…I don't make friends easily either, Souji."
Luckily, Hajime let the subject die after that, and the two resumed their practice session. He didn't bring up Yukimura or shudo or anything of the sort for the rest of their time together. Even though it wasn't mentioned in conversation, Souji couldn't help but continue to think about it.
He'd called Chizuru his friend. Truthfully, the word had slipped out before Souji had even realized it. Was that right? Souji recalled the time, shortly after her promotion to lieutenant rank, Chizuru called him her friend.
"I like you, Okita-sensei. I want to be around you and
follow you into battle. I want to fight at your side."
Souji had attempted to keep her at arm's length, but she'd grown on him. The truth was, he noted with grudging acceptance, Chizuru wasn't just his subordinate anymore. She was just a scraggly weed of a girl before, but since the Ikedaya, she'd really blossomed. The way they fought together, like at the Battle of Edo-Cho, it was like seamless weaving, a flawless dance, one he'd only ever shared with Hajime, the only friend who genuinely understood Souji—at least as much as another human being could.
Chizuru was somehow being added to that tiny list, and not just because she'd earned his respect. She was a companion, a friend, a trustworthy person that he could rely on, like Kondou. Souji didn't like that—it made him feel vulnerable and weak—but it wasn't something he had direct control over. Chizuru had wormed her way past his defenses, and now she was in too deep to cut her out.
Well, as of yet, she hadn't been a burden. Maybe he didn't need to cut her out. It was fun to indulge her, to tease her, to play with her like his favorite toy. Chizuru was never boring. He liked her faces, her reactions; he liked riling her up. Surprisingly, he liked her company.
He covered that up, though. Told himself Chizuru was useful to the Shinsengumi and to Kondou, so it made sense to keep her around.
It wasn't just because he liked her.
Souji and Hajime stayed out there at the top of the shrine for several hours until they were both exhausted and covered in sweat. Satisfied with their workout, they opted to return to Fudodo Village.
Just as Souji was about to follow Hajime down the steps to leave the shrine, he stopped when he sensed the presence of another. Souji turned and looked behind him, but he only saw the flash of a black cloak disappear into the main building of the shrine. It was familiar, though, and not a presence he would be forgetting any time soon.
"Is something wrong?"
Souji turned to Hajime with a careless smile. "I think I left something in the shrine. I'll catch up to you later, Hajime-kun."
Hajime seemed hesitant to leave. He might have seen through Souji's excuse. Whether or not he did, however, he apparently decided to adhere to Souji's wishes. Hajime offered a curt nod and then turned to continue heading down the steps.
The smile slipped from Souji's face. He rested his hand on the scabbard of his katana just below the guard. With a casual air about him, he walked back to the main building of the shrine. There were a few short wooden steps that led to the porch in front of the entrance. Souji opened the doors and stepped inside. He looked around, but there was no one in the room.
The entryway of the shrine was a wide hall with two closed off sections, one on either side of the foyer. They were separated from the rest of the room by wooden lattice and appeared to be filled with papers, scrolls, and a pair of writing desks. At the end of the hall, where the lattice offices ended, was a short staircase of three steps that led to the main part of the shrine. There were two pillars supporting the roof, and beyond them was an altar. A blank wall stood just beyond that with an open archway that led into another room.
"Well, then," said Souji. "Are you going to come out, or are you just going to leave me hanging?"
The sound of a boy's laughter filled the room in a show of ventriloquism in that its direction could not be discerned. It sounded like it came from everywhere. But then, a teenage boy emerged from the archway behind the shrine's altar. It was Nagumo Kaoru, wearing the same black cloak he'd been wearing during the raid on the Ikedaya.
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the frame of the archway that led into the main room of the shrine. "You think you're very clever, don't you, Okita?"
"I can't really dispute majority opinion," he returned.
Kaoru's lips twitched. "How amusing."
"What do you want, Nagumo?" Souji asked. He pushed his blade slightly out of the sheath with his thumb, though he arrogantly did not lower himself to a fighting stance. "Here to try to settle the score?"
"Shouldn't it be you who has a score to settle with me?" Kaoru taunted. At the dark look on Souji's face, the boy threw his head back and laughed. "That's right. You couldn't defeat me without the help of that girl."
"Care to test that theory?" said Souji.
Kaoru's smile didn't waver. "Perhaps."
【新選組】
Chizuru had lost something important. Like the other members of the Shinsengumi, she kept her small possessions in a lock box in the barracks. One of those possessions was a white origami flower that Okita had folded for her. It wasn't anything fancy or elaborate or special, but it was a gift that he had taken the time to make for her. In nights where her act got to her, where the life of a man felt particularly rough, it reminded her that she was a girl. Chizuru treasured it for its sentimental value alone.
This morning, she discovered it missing. Chizuru was fairly certain she'd put it away in her lockbox the night before, but she couldn't quite remember for certain. She'd gotten in the embarrassingly girly habit of holding the paper flower and thinking about Okita. It was entirely possible that she'd forgotten to put it away before falling asleep the previous night.
If that was the case, then the flower could be anywhere. It could have been mistaken for trash and thrown away. It could have been taken by someone in secret. It could be squashed under some big man's foot, for all she knew.
The stupidest thing was, Chizuru couldn't even ask around about it. What would the guys think if she went around asking if anyone had seen her paper flower? Her manly image was fragile enough with her feminine appearance. She couldn't risk ruining that. But she really wanted to find her missing treasure.
The first person she thought of was Ryunosuke, her favorite subordinate in the First Division.
Unfortunately, Chizuru was stuck in a rather awkward situation when it came to Ryunosuke. On the one hand, she knew that Kosuzu and Ryunosuke had developed a mutual crush. On the other hand, Chizuru needed Kosuzu in order to keep her feminine identity a secret. If Chizuru stopped 'courting' Kosuzu, then there would be no need for her 'three day indulgence' in Shimabara, which was time used to conceal her menstrual cycle.
Because of that, Chizuru had to pretend that she didn't notice the way Kosuzu and Ryunosuke looked at each other. She couldn't tell Ryunosuke the truth about her gender, and Ryunosuke would never try to 'steal his lieutenant's woman'. It led to an uncomfortable impasse between all of them.
"Hey, Ryunosuke-kun," said Chizuru, "have you seen an origami flower anywhere in the barracks this morning?"
Ever since Ryunosuke managed to put two and two together about his crush on Kosuzu, he'd become extremely awkward around Chizuru. "Oh, uh… not really… Why don't you ask Captain Okita?"
Chizuru frowned. "But Okita-sensei has been training with Captain Saito all day…"
Ryunosuke was having a hard time looking at Chizuru. He kept his eyes on the ground and shuffled his feet a bit. "Well, I haven't seen anything like that, so maybe you should ask them. I thought I saw Captain Saito reading a book in the courtyard."
"Saito-san is back?" Chizuru asked, surprised. "Was Okita-sensei with him?"
"I didn't see him," said Ryunosuke. In the wake of his confusion, most of his awkwardness was forgotten. He looked over at Chizuru with a puzzled expression. "Do you think he's out in the city?"
"I doubt it," said Chizuru. "He gets bored easily." A scowl appeared on her face. "I bet he's off playing with the neighborhood kids again. That jerk. We have patrol this evening with the Eighth!"
Ryunosuke saw his escape route and quickly turned to walk away. "That's nice. Better go hunt him down then, Lieutenant—"
Chizuru reached over and grabbed him by the back of his haori. "Oh no, you don't," she said, pulling him back with an iron grip. "Come help me look for him."
"Why do I have to do it?" Ryunosuke loudly complained. "You always seem to know where he is!"
"You can keep me company."
Chizuru was fond of Ryunosuke. It wasn't just because he reminded her of Monimi. He'd become her friend, like Kosuzu and Heisuke, and she wanted to keep him around. Even though she felt poorly about the situation between Ryunosuke and Kosuzu, she still wanted to spend time with them both.
Ryunosuke wasn't exactly in a position to ignore a request from his commanding officer. He hooked his thumbs on his pants and followed Chizuru with a grumpy expression. Chizuru had learned that, much like a dog, Ryunosuke was 'all bark and no bite'. It made his little temper tantrums that much more amusing to her. She wondered if that was how Okita viewed her temper tantrums.
"Mafuyu!" yelled a loud, male voice. "Oi, Mafuyu!"
Chizuru turned and looked up to see Captain Nagakura jogging over to where she and Ryunosuke stood. He was dressed in casual clothes rather than his uniform—a loose pair of off-white hakama and his black, sleeveless gi, cut open to reveal the majority of his well-muscled abdomen. Looking at him used to make her blush every time, but Chizuru had thankfully developed a tolerance to his constant buff display of masculinity.
"Nagakura-san?" she asked.
When Nagakura reached them, he paused shortly to catch his breath. Then, he shot Chizuru the sleaziest grin she'd ever seen him use. "The courier came by and had this for you," he said, holding up a sealed envelope. At first glance, Chizuru could see that it was made of fine stationery, seemingly quite expensive.
"Thank you, but why are you bringing it to me?" Chizuru asked. Any mail for the Shinsengumi came by courier and usually arrived in bulk. It was sorted by an archivist who divided it all by division, and someone from each division would bring it to the recipient.
"The guy who picked up the First's mail forgot it," Nagakura explained. "I just happened by the sorter guy who was looking for you." He handed it to Chizuru and then leaned down closer to her face, his grin positively evil. "That's a pretty girly-lookin' letter, Mafuyu. Is it from Kosuzu-chan?"
Chizuru's eyes widened, and she instinctively leaned back from Nagakura's face. "Um… I don't know," she said. "She's never written to me before…"
Nagakura laughed and patted Chizuru on the shoulder. "Love letters are a good sign, kid! Whatever you did to her last time you were there must've been awesome." The smile slipped from his face, and Nagakura suddenly looked like he'd reached an epiphany. "Wait a minute… you're getting more action than I am these days!" He turned to Chizuru and put his hands on her shoulders, looking down at her with a desperate expression. "Tell me your secret!"
Flabbergasted, Chizuru could only ask, "Eh?"
"How are you so good with the ladies?" Nagakura asked seriously. "If you please Kosuzu-chan enough to get her to write you letters like that, you must be great in bed! You've gotta tell me your secret! Did you go down on her? Was she—"
"C-C-C-CAPTAIN NAGAKURA!" Chizuru cried, feeling mortified. She pulled herself out of Nagakura's grasp and clutched Kosuzu's letter to her chest. "It's not like that! A-and even if it was, I wouldn't tell you! That's private!"
Nagakura brought his hands up to his hair and tugged, groaning with dissatisfaction. "Aw, come on! Can't you help a guy out?"
Chizuru grimaced, but she didn't have the kind of information he was looking for, that was for sure. "Maybe if you just listened to what women have to say, Nagakura-san…"
"Listened?" Nagakura asked, looking adorably confused. He batted his hand back and forth a couple of times. "Nah, that's more Sano's thing than mine." Folding his arms across his chest, Nagakura adopted a more thoughtful pose. "Then again, Sano gets more women than I do, too…"
Ryunosuke, who spent the majority of that encounter watching in muted horror, finally leaned over toward Chizuru and whispered, "Let's get out of here."
"Right," she agreed. They both quickly bowed to Nagakura while he muttered to himself about tactics for picking up women. Then, they turned and rapidly walked away from him. They didn't stop until they'd rounded a corner, and Nagakura was no longer in sight.
"So are you gonna read it?" Ryunosuke suddenly asked.
Caught by surprise, Chizuru looked down at the letter. "Oh, uh… I guess I should." She touched her finger to the seal, hesitating for just a moment before she opened it and began to read the leader.
Ryunosuke shouldn't peek. Really, he shouldn't. He had to respect his Lieutenant's privacy. Yukimura was a good guy, a good friend—someone Ryunosuke could see as the brother he never had. But… what if it really was a letter from Kosuzu? What if Lieutenant Yukimura really had pleased Kosuzu so much that she'd written that letter? Torn by indecision, Ryunosuke fumbled for a moment before he could resist no longer. Slightly taller than Yukimura, Ryunosuke leaned over his Lieutenant's shoulder and read the letter.
Shinigami of the Shinsengumi
You are not half as clever as you seem to think.
You have let your guard down, and I have taken what is most important to you.
You can run to the Kuze Shrine if you like, but you probably won't get here in time before I kill him.
Chizuru felt her blood run cold. All sounds around her became muted and dull. Her vision blurred everything but the letter in her hands. With her mind working in overdrive, she scoured her brain to pinpoint what was going on.
Captain Okita. He was most important to her. He was in danger. Kuze Shrine. Before I kill him.
She squeezed the letter in her hand, crumpling it, and took off running. Chizuru didn't glance back. She held her swords down at her hip so they wouldn't knock into anything as she sprinted through the compound gates. She didn't see anyone along the way. There was no one walking by that she could ask for help.
Who sent this letter? It wasn't Shiranui Kyo—he didn't seem the type. The letter was too personal, too reminiscent of a grudge left unsettled.
Nagumo Kaoru.
"Lieutenant!" Ryunosuke called. He'd managed to catch up to her and was running at her side. He looked at her as the two of them ran through the streets of Kyoto.
"Ryunosuke-kun?" she asked, not slowing down her pace. Okita was in danger. Okita was in danger. Okitadangerokitadangerokitadanger—!
"I'm coming with you!" said Ryunosuke. He was armed, like she was, and looked ready to go. She was surprised to see the resolve in his eyes.
A flash of Monimi getting killed (all my fault) passed behind her eyes. "No!" said Chizuru. "Go back to headquarters!"
"You need help!"
"Exactly!" said Chizuru. "Go find the other captains and tell them the Choshu are at the Kuze Shrine! I'll do what I can here, but you have to make sure help arrives!"
Ryunosuke staggered and shot Chizuru a desperate look. He had to see the logic in her plea, though. Finally, he nodded and said, "I'll get help, and we'll catch up to you as soon as we can! Don't do anything rash, Lieutenant!"
Chizuru nodded, and they broke apart. Cheap words from Ryunosuke—practically everything he did was rash. The two of them took off at full speed in opposite directions. Their Shinsengumi blues billowed in the wind that trailed behind them.
The Kuze Shrine was in the Mibu district of Kyoto, located on the top of a very tall, very steep hill. Chizuru took the steps in twos and threes, climbing them as fast as she could without stopping to catch her breath. At the top of the hundred stairs was a red archway called a torii. As soon as she ran under it, she came upon an intimidating sight.
Nagumo Kaoru stood on the white pavement in front of the main building of the shrine. There were five samurai on either side of him, all lined up and facing each other. Their heads turned toward her upon her arrival, a few of them lighting up with arrogant sneers.
"My, you sure took your time getting here," said Kaoru. He had a sinister smile on his face as he addressed her under the crimson arch.
Chizuru didn't care to hear his villainous monologue. "Where is Okita-sensei?"
Kaoru ignored her. "You've caused a lot of trouble for the Choshu… and for me. How do you think it feels to be defeated by a little girl, forced to retreat like a dog with my tail between my legs?"
Clutching her tanto dagger in her hand, Chizuru took a leaf from Okita's book and shot back a retort. "No idea. Why don't you tell me when it happens again in about two minutes?"
"Aren't you confident," Kaoru jeered. He appeared to be holding something behind his long black cloak, but Chizuru was too linear-minded at the moment to think about it. Kaoru's wicked grin widened. "It's unfortunate, but you're too late. Your precious Okita-sensei is dead."
It took tremendous effort not to freeze at those words. Chizuru swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes darting over Kaoru's face in search of a tell. "You're lying," she said, desperately hoping that she was right.
"I'm not."
"You are!" she yelled. "Okita-sensei is unbeatable! He would never lose to you or anyone else!"
The look Kaoru gave her was almost pitying. It rattled her to the core. "How sad," he said, his smile brimming with false sympathy. "You have so much faith in him. But in the end, he was just a loser."
"SHUT UP!" Chizuru cried. "You don't get to talk about Okita-sensei like that! You don't know anything about him!"
"I know he's a dead man," Kaoru said with a simple shrug. "But if you don't believe me, I guess I'll have to show you some proof."
A jolt of fear traveled down her spine. With a wide, sweeping gesture, Kaoru revealed the item he was holding behind his back: it was a katana with a black scabbard and braid over a crimson hilt. She knew that katana. She recognized it instantly. As if it were nothing, just a simple toy to be discarded, Kaoru tossed it across the paved white walkway. Chizuru tried to catch it, but it fell to the ground with a clatter and spun in circles until she picked it up.
This… was Kiku-ichimonji, the katana of Okita Souji.
Okita would never have parted with his sword, not while he was alive. It was a one-of-a-kind blade forged by Norimune, given to him by Kondou Isami himself. Okita cared for that sword as if it were part of his soul. For a true warrior, it was.
Her knees gave out beneath her. Chizuru fell to the ground, her arms wrapped around the sword of the man she loved. In one fell swoop, that which was most precious to her had been taken away. All the confusion she'd felt over her feelings, her desires, her second thoughts—they'd all been swept away in the face of the bottomless pit she now felt inside her heart. And now it was too late.
Kaoru's cruel smile was filled with unmasked glee. "Oh, you should see the look on your face. I live to see that expression on people. Their suffering is my sustenance. And seeing that look on your face is a greater reward than I could have ever imagined."
Tears fell in silent streams down her face. Her fingers twitched around the scabbard of Okita's sword. Kaoru's voice—it grated against her skin and ears. He killed Okita-sensei… he killed him!
"Well, now that I've seen that face," Kaoru began with haughty amusement, "you've fulfilled your purpose. You can die now, and join Okita in the afterlife."
He gestured to the ten Choshu samurai that he'd brought with him and signaled toward Chizuru. Each of them drew their swords with hungry grins, eager to the blood of the Shinsengumi's Shinigami.
"I've wanted to kill you for a long time," one of them said. His long hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and his eyes seemed to glow with anticipation. "You killed my brother at Edo-Cho. And now, Shinigami, I get to kill you."
Chizuru slowly stood up with Okita's katana still clutched in her left hand. She'd lost her purpose, her reason for being, her raison d'êtra. What else was there?
Three of them charged for her at once. Chizuru sidestepped the first blade that reached her and grabbed the samurai by the arm. She brought up the hilt of Okita's katana and slammed it into her enemy's arm with a well-timed strike. The bone snapped, and the man wailed in agony.
Maintaining her grip on the Choshu samurai's broken arm, Chizuru whirled him around in time to use his body as a shield for the next man's attack. The foe's sword thrust forward and pierced straight through his ally's chest.
Chizuru crouched down and knocked the other samurai's arm up, avoiding his attack. She slammed the scabbard of Okita's katana into the samurai's stomach before bringing it up by the hilt and knocking his head back by his jaw. Her opponent fell backward and crashed onto the pavement below. The force of the blow to his stomach made him retch, but the hit on his jaw had him choking on blood and broken teeth.
What else was there? Nothing. There was absolutely nothing. She'd made protecting Okita her purpose; fighting at his side was her dream. Both of those were shattered. All that was left was to avenge him. To look each of these men in the eyes while she stole the life from them, one by one.
Finally letting go of the man she was using as a shield, Chizuru noticed the samurai who'd stabbed him managed to pull his sword out. She didn't give him a chance to attack with it. She pulled Okita's katana from the sheath and sliced the blade through the samurai's wrist, severing his hand from his body in a single stroke. Blood sprayed out of the wound and pooled on the floor at their feet. Kicking his sword away, Chizuru shoved the wailing man aside and moved onto the next opponent.
Three down. Seven to go. Chizuru flung the blood off of Okita's katana and pointed the blade at her remaining opponents. There was only a brief moment of hesitation before they all shouted their battle cries and dove into the fray at once.
For the majority of her maddened frenzy, Chizuru was not conscious. Her feelings were in chaos, her mind catatonic, and the only thing that seemed strong enough to rise to the surface was her boiling rage. It bubbled beneath her skin and burst forth in every attack she made. Chizuru didn't give any of them a chance to reconsider their actions. She met each one with a devastating blow, a mixture of instinct and her unpredictable katana-and-dagger style.
Her left blind spot was unguarded, and one of the enemies sliced through her side. It was a smooth, clean cut, and it bled like mad. Chizuru brought Okita's katana down and slashed it through that samurai's chest. As his blood burst out of his body, Chizuru twisted and turned and moved onto the next opponent.
By the end of it, they all lay dead or dying at her feet.
The sound of slow clapping was dull in hear ears, but she managed to catch it anyway. Chizuru looked up and saw Kaoru watching with glee. "Spectacular performance, Shinigami, thank you. It's a shame you didn't escape it unscathed."
Kaoru was right. Now that the blind rage was fading, the reality of what had just happened was sinking in. Pain shot through her body, and she collapsed to her knees, her fingers still wrapped around the hilt of Okita's katana. Her clothes were soaked with blood. She felt pain all over and knew she'd been cut a few times, but she couldn't recall when or by whom, save for the gash in her side. It was as if Okita's death had completely taken her sanity away.
"Ah, is your adrenaline fading?" Kaoru taunted. "That's too bad. You won't even be a challenge to me now."
He drew his sword slowly, and as he did this, his black hair turned white from the roots down to the tips. Kaoru's deep brown eyes turned a bright, demonic shade of gold, and two curved horns emerged from his forehead, pointing to the sky.
Wincing, Chizuru struggled to rise to her feet. She dug the tip of Okita's katana into the ground and tried to pull herself up, but the wound on her left side sent agonizing pain through the rest of her body. She fell back to the ground with a weak cry.
"Look at you," said Kaoru, enjoying every minute of this moment. "You can't even stand. But in your eyes, I see that hopeless despair, that suffering. It's beautiful. I feel like an artist! I painted that expression on you, Shinigami girl! You are what I have made you!"
Chizuru looked up at him from where she sat, panting and bleeding out. "The only thing you've made," she said quietly, "is an enemy you can't handle." With all of her strength, she managed to find the will to stand. Chizuru's dagger fell to the ground at her side. She clutched the hilt of Okita's katana in both of her hands, for she lacked the strength to hold it in just one.
Kaoru laughed at her. "Are you actually going to try to fight me?"
Chizuru held Okita's katana at her side with both hands. In spite of her wounds, she charged and brought down the blade upon Kaoru, who held up his own to block. Chizuru pushed him off of her blade and spun behind him to slash Okita's katana across Kaoru's back, but Kaoru deflected it with his sword. He moved to kick Chizuru, but she stepped to the right just in time to miss the attack.
Her breathing was labored as she struggled to remain standing. She felt blood dripping down her legs and her left side. It was impossible to know the damage that had been done to her body without taking the time to examine her wounds. She'd been blind by rage and revenge when she fought the ten samurai, and though it had been effective in taking them all out, her defense had been lacking because of it.
Chizuru and Kaoru clashed with steel. The force of their blows made sparks fly from their blades. When they struggled against each other for dominance, the test of strength proclaimed Chizuru the loser. Kaoru pushed off her blade and drove the hilt of his sword into Chizuru's wrist. The attack knocked Okita's katana out of her grasp, and Kaoru followed up with a heavy blow to her head that sent her crashing face first into the ground.
The Kiku-ichimonji was within her reach, but her body ached and bled onto the ground beneath her. Chizuru held out her arm and wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the katana. She pulled it close to her and wrapped her arms around the sword. A choked sob escaped her throat, and her tears fell freely.
Okita Souji was dead. The reason she existed in this world was no more. "Okita-sensei…" In that moment, she just wanted to die. She held onto his sword and wept. "Okita-sensei…!"
Kaoru raised his sword high above his head, ready to bring it down and finally end her life.
【新選組】
Earlier that day…
"Care to test that theory?" said Souji.
Kaoru's smile didn't waver. "Perhaps." He made a quick movement, and Souji reached for his sword, but to his surprise, Kaoru didn't draw his weapon. Instead, he held up a perfectly folded origami flower made from plain white paper. "Do you recognize this?"
Souji's eyes narrowed. "Where did you get that?"
"If I say her corpse, what will you do?"
Without hesitation, Souji drew his sword and sprinted toward Kaoru. The younger boy's speed wasn't up to par in his human form. He quickly reverted to the silver-haired, golden-eyed form Souji remembered seeing him take in the Ikedaya. When Souji drew his sword in a horizontal slice, Kaoru leapt up into the air and flipped backward, dodging the attack and landing deftly on his feet a few steps away.
"What the hell are you?" Souji asked.
"I am more than human," Kaoru replied. "More than that, you need not know." He held the origami flower up to his nose with a coy smile, as if he could smell some kind of scent from the paper. "She isn't dead," he admitted. "But she will be soon."
Souji raised his sword, pointing the blade at Kaoru while he balanced the end on the back of his right arm. "Where is she?"
"I don't feel like telling you while you have your weapon drawn," said Kaoru.
"Then I'll just have to kill you."
Kaoru's impressive speed allowed him to dodge another of Souji's attacks. He leapt back again, creating distance between him and the young captain. "You should reconsider your actions," he warned. "What do you think will happen to her if you kill me?"
Glowering, Souji had no choice but to lower his sword. It was stupid, really. He'd folded the origami flower out of boredom on the day of the Ikedaya Incident. He was going to just toss it into the trash like he usually did, but on a whim, he'd given it to Chizuru instead. He never thought she'd keep it—or grow so attached to it, for that matter.
But he knew for a fact she wouldn't have given it to Kaoru willingly. Something had happened. She was in trouble. That weak, stupid girl—no. She wasn't weak. Not anymore. Her hands still shook sometimes when she draws her sword, but Chizuru had become stronger than Souji ever thought possible. If Kaoru hurt her…
"Ah," Kaoru said, amused, "I like that look on your face much more. So what'll it be, Okita? Will you set aside your weapons to rescue the girl? Or will you fight me and let her die?"
It was a moment that stretched through time. The silence between them weighed heavily. As much as he might want to fight it, Souji's choice was made for him. It was a weakness, an unforgivable sin in his eyes to be defeated in such a way, and by a brat like Kaoru, no less. Souji never thought his bond with Chizuru would cause him to stay his hand like this.
He sheathed his sword.
Kaoru smiled.
Two men grabbed Souji's arms from behind while a third pulled his swords away from him. They were Choshu samurai, by the looks of them—underlings working for Kaoru. The one who took his katana and wakizashi placed both weapons in Kaoru's hands. Kaoru looked them over briefly before grinning and nodding to the two that held Souji.
At that silent command, one of the men slammed his fist into Souji's gut and the other one punched him in the jaw. Souji spat a bit of blood onto the floor and glared at Kaoru between the long strands of hair that had fallen in front of his eyes. The first samurai raised his fist, and Souji braced himself for another attack.
"Wait," said Kaoru, and the samurai halted mid-attack. "I've changed my mind." Predictably, everyone turned their attention toward him, and he smirked at Souji. "I was originally going to show her your corpse, but now I'm starting to think I'd enjoy the look on your face better if I killed her first."
"You son of a—"
"Ah-ah," Kaoru said, his voice laced with mirth. He glanced at the two holding Souji back and said, "Gag him and tie him up. Make sure he has a good view. I want him to watch her die and be helpless to stop it."
Souji struggled and writhed, but against three strong men and without any weapons, he was beaten. A piece of cloth was tied around his mouth, and his arms and legs were bound by thick rope taken from the shrine. Kaoru deliberately left Souji's wakizashi out of reach, placing it on top of the altar in the center of the main room. The katana stayed with Kaoru.
Of all the vantage points to be thrown into, Souji was forced to watch the entrance of the shrine through one of the side rooms with lattice for walls. He could see through an open window, but he would be too far out of reach for Chizuru to catch sight of him and know he was alive. The window was small and rectangular, positioned high on the wall because its purpose was to provide light, not a view.
Souji did not wait for Chizuru to arrive. He had to escape.
Looking through the room, Souji saw nothing but a writing desk and several scrolls. Moving while his legs and arms were bound was difficult, but he managed to maneuver over to the writing desk. Positioning himself adjacent to the desk, he was able to awkwardly pull open one of the drawers with his hands, even though they were tied behind him. On the inside, he found a small blade used to open letters. It was dull, but hopefully would be enough to cut through his ropes.
The process was slow and arduous. Souji stared out the narrow window while his hands worked tirelessly to cut through the rope with the dull blade. When his eyes caught sight of Chizuru, he watched everything.
He saw Chizuru proclaim that he could never lose.
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You are! Okita-sensei is unbeatable! He would never lose to you or anyone else!"
You tell him, kid, Souji thought. He continued to saw away at the rope binding his wrists, but the process was painstakingly slow. He couldn't see what he was doing, so he was feeling around blindly. Of all blades to find, a letter opener was about as dull as a butter knife.
"SHUT UP!" he heard Chizuru's voice. "You don't get to talk about Okita-sensei like that! You don't know anything about him!"
"I know he's a dead man. But if you don't believe me, I guess I'll have to show you some proof."
That caught Souji's attention. He pushed himself toward the window, struggling against the ropes that bound him. Peering through the lattice, he watched as Kaoru threw his katana at Chizuru's feet. He realized then with sickening dread that that was the real reason he'd disarmed Souji. It wasn't just because he was dangerous—he wanted to use it against Chizuru.
"Well, now that I've seen that face," Kaoru went on, "you've fulfilled your purpose. You can die now, and join Okita in the afterlife."
The Choshu samurai closed in on Chizuru, and Souji pulled and twisted against his bindings. He angled his wrist so he could continue cutting through the rope with the letter opener. All the while, his eyes stayed glued to the fight.
Chizuru fell into a maddened frenzy. Torn by grief and revenge, she dropped all of her defenses and flew into an onslaught that would have given even a veteran warrior pause. It wasn't right, though, and Souji didn't like it. It was like watching something white and pure and perfect become corrupted by black anger and madness.
"No," he murmured, watching her take them down. "Stop. This isn't you."
He never should have let her fight. He never should have let her stay in the Shinsengumi. It was his fault that Chizuru was exposed to this, this lifestyle, this world. She belonged in a field of flowers where she could bask in sunshine. The road behind Souji that she insisted on following was stained with a river of blood, one that he realized he did not intend for her to wade through.
Finally, Souji saw her collapse in tears and misery.
"Look at you," he heard Kaoru say. "You can't even stand. But in your eyes, I see that hopeless despair, that suffering. It's beautiful. I feel like an artist! I painted that expression on you, Shinigami girl! You are what I have made you!"
Rage bubbled in Souji's gut and had him pulling at the ropes binding his wrists like a savage, clawing animal. Every instinct inside of him was screaming for Kaoru's blood. Kill him—kill him—KILL HIM NOW.
"Okita-sensei!"
The ropes around his wrist fell loose, having finally been cut through. Souji pulled himself free of them and removed the cloth from around his mouth. He untied the ropes around his ankles and shoved open the wooden lattice door. When he reached the altar, Souji grabbed his wakizashi. He left the main building and approached Kaoru right as the boy raised his sword to deliver the final blow.
【新選組】
Present time…
Just before Kaoru could strike Chizuru down, the tip of a blade emerged from his throat. The boy let out a strangled cry, his eyes childishly wide. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
Chizuru looked up in shock and disbelief. Behind Kaoru, Okita stood, his hands wrapped around the hilt of his wakizashi that had stabbed Kaoru in the neck.
He's alive!
"I'm sure I made this clear before," Okita said as he leaned toward Kaoru's ear, "but I don't like it when people touch my subordinate."
When Okita pulled his short sword from Kaoru's throat, blood spurted forth for a second as he fell to the ground. He twitched and cried out in pain, clawing at his neck like a savage beast. The flesh slowly began to stitch itself back together, mending by some sort of magic.
"His wounds heal," Chizuru warned Okita quickly. "That won't kill him."
Okita's eyes narrowed, and he quickly stabbed the wakizashi through Kaoru's heart. Twisting it by the hilt, he made sure to hold the blade in there until Kaoru stopped writhing. Kaoru made one final reach for Chizuru until his arm fell limp to the ground. He didn't move again.
Okita pulled the sword out and then flicked his wrist to fling the excess blood from his wakizashi onto the paved ground. He sheathed it and quickly strode over to Chizuru. When he reached her, he put his hands on her upper arms to steady her—she must've looked like she was about to fall over. She certainly felt like it.
"Okita-sensei," she said. So many emotions were surging through her at once, she couldn't begin to sort through them all. With her mind in such a torrential mess, forming a sentence just wasn't going to happen. "Okita-sensei…"
"Hey, none of that," Okita said. He raised one of his hands to gently push some of her hair out of her face. "It's okay. Everything's going to be okay."
The words were so comforting, so gentle and so un-Okita that Chizuru was overwhelmed. She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tighter than she ever dared. Okita seemed momentarily stunned, perhaps frozen in place, but after a moment, he brought up his arms and held them against her back.
It was the first time he'd ever held her like this. The memory of Edo, when he held her to his chest to protect her from Kazama, felt different than this did. This was closer to an embrace, one that they were sharing, and it made Chizuru feel warm and giddy. She was happy.
When Okita pulled back, he held one hand to the side of Chizuru's face. The corner of his lips twisted upward in amusement. "Come on now, Chizuru-chan. Samurai don't cry."
Chizuru quickly wiped at her eyes and said, "I—I'm not crying! I just got something in my eye, that's all!"
Okita shot her a look that said he didn't quite believe her. "Both of them?"
"It's really windy today!" Chizuru insisted.
Okita laughed. Of all things, he laughed. It wasn't derisive, though—it was light-hearted. Humorous. Soft. Relieved. He moved his hand from her face to the back of her head and brought her into his chest once more. His other arm wrapped around her back, and he held her to him.
"You're ridiculous," he said. His voice was tinged with disbelief. "You're absolutely ridiculous. I could search the world and never find another girl like you. Another person like you."
Chizuru held onto him. Her wounds ached, her body felt sore, and her emotions were still in relative turmoil. But Okita was here, alive, safe, and holding her. Her face felt flushed, but her heart was overjoyed. "Well… you don't have to look very far."
"Souji! Mafuyu-kun!" Heisuke's voice was enough to break them apart.
Chizuru quickly wiped at her eyes again and made sure she wasn't sitting too close to Okita. The pang of longing that went through her heart was almost as painful as the wound in her side.
Ryunosuke was with him. "Lieutenant! Captain!" He sprinted over to them and doubled over, bracing his hands on his knees so he could catch his breath. "I brought Captain Heisuke and Commander Kondou!"
As soon as the words left Ryunosuke's mouth, Kondou strode onto the scene. His brow was pinched in worry, and he passed under the arch to get to Okita and Chizuru in just a few long strides. He knelt down and put one hand on each of their arms. "Souji! Are you two alright? What happened?"
Okita looked over at Kaoru's body. "That's Nagumo Kaoru, one of the Choshu higher-ups. He's not human. I don't know what he is, but he's not human."
Kondou's eyes widened as he took in Kaoru's appearance. White hair, gold eyes, horns—those definitely were inhuman traits. "Not human?" he repeated. "Are there more like him?"
"Shiranui Kyo, I think," Chizuru said. Shiranui's eyes had the same slit-pupil and were also an abnormal color. His movements weren't human, either. "He fought Hijikata-san at Edo-Cho."
"Their wounds close," said Okita. "I stabbed that kid in the throat, and it started to heal right in front of me. I had to pierce his heart before he finally stayed dead."
"What on earth…" Kondou breathed.
More people from the Eighth Division came up the stairs and under the red archway. They all looked around at the bodies of the fallen Choshu samurai, one of them giving a low whistle at the sight. Some of them were still alive and could be captured.
Kondou stood up and addressed the gathered men from the Eighth Division. "Search them," he ordered. "Look for anything that might be of use. Notes, letters, trinkets—whatever you can find."
A jolt of pain shot through Chizuru's left side, and she clamped her hand over the gash left by one of the enemy's swords. Okita moved over to her side and bunched up the cloth of Chizuru's kimono. He pressed it to the wound and put her hand over it, applying a good deal of pressure to keep the bleeding to a minimum.
"How many times have I told you to watch this blind spot?" he asked. There was no real scolding or venom in his words. He sounded stressed, but not angry with her.
Still, Chizuru lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Okita-sensei."
His fingers faltered for a moment. "…Don't apologize." Okita finished with the makeshift bandage, but his hand lingered over the clump of clothing pressed to Chizuru's left side. His green eyes were looking toward the wound, though unfocused. He looked like he was about to say something, but likely because Heisuke was hovering nearby, he stopped. Okita lowered his hand.
"You okay, Mafuyu-kun?" Heisuke asked, frowning with concern.
Chizuru managed a shaky nod. "I hurt all over, and this wound in my side feels pretty bad, but I think I'll make it. I just don't think I can stand on my own."
Relieved, Heisuke smiled and knelt down on Chizuru's other side. "Put your arm around my shoulder—there you go. Souji, can you get his other arm?"
"Yeah," said Okita.
With the help of them both, Chizuru was able to stand. They carried most of her weight, and she focused on keeping the bundled cloth of her kimono against the gash on her side. "Thank you, both of you. Thanks for helping me."
"Of course we'll help you," Heisuke replied. "We're friends."
【新選組】
TK: It was never proven that Okita had a Norimune katana (he probably didn't), but this is where history becomes legend, as it so often does with the passage of time.
Perhaps Kaoru was defeated too easily, but from what I recall in the anime and video game, he wasn't a very good fighter. He resorted to tricks and manipulation tactics to win, and his short temper clouded his judgment, leading to his untimely demise in many of the characters' routes.
I'm sorry for killing him off, since I know some of you are Kaoru fans. However, death happens, and in this story, he had it coming. He was an enemy that I couldn't keep alive, a loose end that I had to tie up. I wasn't intending on it happening so soon, but there are other enemies in the story who can take his place. If you don't like my choice for making him a villain and killing him, then please don't flame me about it. It's just a story.
Next Chapter: "Enchanting Empress" – In which Hijikata confronts Okita about our heroine's femininity.