On a warm night in August, Tora was awoken abruptly but a commotion that made everything in her room tremble, causing her to awaken from one nightmare to another. "What in the world?" Hearing several shouts, Tora hurriedly dressed herself in a simple kimono without bothering with anything else other than her nightwear underneath, sliding her father's sword into her belt before rushing outside, heading towards where she could already hear the sounds of battle, gunshots firing into the night. They were at the front courtyard and already she could see numerous bodies on the ground, injured and bleeding, however when she saw familiar shapes among the fray, her eyes widened.
The one who fought with his bare fists alone was the one who had attacked Heisuke at Ikeda inn, instantly making Tora grit her teeth and fling herself over the side of the walkway and began to rush straight into the battle as the man took down man after man, almost as easily as swatting flies. "Leave them alone!" Tora suddenly yelled, drawing attention to her at the last second where the man's eyes widened in recognition and hurriedly barred an arm to block her attack which he felt ring all the way up his arm.
As her feet touched the ground Tora leaped back, blade facing her chosen opponent without fear. "You are trespassing here, you must leave immediately!" Turning to face her, the stranger gave a bow of greeting.
"Unfortunately, necessity requires our presence here." He responded just as Harada appeared on the scene also, distracting the other whom he addressed as Shiranui. "I am Kyuujyu Amagiri, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance again. May I enquire your name, young lady?" He questioned rather politely however Tora did not relax her stance, keeping her eyes fixated on him steadily.
"I am Matsumoto Tora and I swear by my father's sword, you will not hurt anyone else here tonight." She declared, changing her stance to signal that she was being utterly serious, though Amagiri was reluctant to fight a woman. He did not want to hurt her, it felt dishonourable, however when Tora charged directly for him with a powerful swing, he had no choice but to block and defend himself. She held the sword in one hand, already predicting the manner in which he would block so she quickly changed grips and switched hands, fighting with her left to force Amagiri to quickly respond to her rapid movements, being pushed back step by step.
It was only when Sannan-san revealed himself to be a Rasetsu did Amagiri become distracted, managing to push Tora back with a blow to her side which was strong enough to put distance between them, turning to see the white hair and blood red eyes. "A Rasetsu!" Tora gasped, alarm flaring within her and as if the memory relived itself, the mark on her neck where she had been bitten by one of those monsters suddenly flared with pain, making her grasp it instinctively, lowering her sword as Sannan-san flew straight for Amagiri.
Staring in shock and horror, Tora found that her feet were frozen in place, watching as Amagiri was forced to move quickly in order to block the powerful blows that Sannan-san struck with, Harada also battling against the one with the single pistol with all of his might. These people, they were not ordinary people. There was no logical explanation for their strength and dexterity, the way they were able to disappear and reappear like breaths of wind. Seeing Harada beginning to stumble as his opponent, Shiranui, began to circle around him, Tora felt her grip on her sword tighten. "Harada!" It was time to repay the debt.
Moving with a single push off one leg, Tora was shocked by how quickly she moved to cover Harada's back despite the fact they were several metres away, holding her breath as she sliced her sword to the side and held it outwards where the bullet that had been fired directly at Harada bounced off the blade's surface, disappearing into the night as Tora found herself growing calm once more, Harada spinning around quickly and pulled her back. "Tora-chan, stay well away! I'll handle this." He said to her however Tora moved out from behind him once more as Shiranui smirked with interest, eyeing up this new girl who had somehow managed to deflect one of his bullets. Perhaps it was sheer dumb luck.
"No way, I am not a coward and I will not run." Tora answered, holding her sword before her with a gleam of determination in her green depths.
"You got spunk little girl, I'll give you that." Shiranui called out to her, waving his gun slightly before baring his teeth in a grin. "But I don't care if you're a woman. Get in my way and I'll still shoot." To prove his point he fired again, Harada yelling in fear for Tora however she somehow managed to see the bullet coming, sensing it aiming directly for her head so she flicked up her blade and deflected it once more, a growing strength beginning to rise inside of her, almost as if it had been resting dormant for a long time. "Huh?"
"Tora-chan, you're crazy!" Harada said, pushing her behind him once more before going for Shiranui, thrusting his spear for him but he bounded out of the way almost effortlessly. Tora scowled, making to follow them however when she spotted another intruder carrying Chizuru towards them, she stopped and instantly turned to face them.
"Chi! You put her down right this minute or you'll taste my steel!" Tora threatened, running to stand in his way, anger beginning to spike at her chest. How dare they try to take Chizuru away, there was no way on earth she was going to permit it, they would have to step over her dead body first!
"Just get out of my way, fool." The demonic look in the man's eye fixated upon Tora however she did not back down like he expected, her eyes burning wildly with unbridled fury as she held her ground. "Come along, we're done here with our business, gentleman." Chikage did not stop walking even as Tora refused to move, blocking his exit to the front doors as both Amagiri and Shiranui turned around to face him.
"Come on, you're just going to take her?"
"The longer she stays the more she'll become concerned with their lives. I'm taking her back where she belongs so that she doesn't have to deal with their pain." Tora grit her teeth, eyes narrowing fiercely however out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hijikata come racing onto the scene, hand already drawing his sword as he aimed directly for the stranger who was attempting to walk off with Chizuru.
"Leave her alone!" Tora stood up slightly, watching as Hijikata attempted to land a blow but just like the others, this man was no different in easy avoiding being struck. Tora began to circle round slowly, making to try and get around behind her enemy however before she could make it a few steps, a strong and rather muscular arm grasped her, drawing her back into a broad chest with her neck carefully being locked into place against her assailant, the other hand grasping her wrist and forcing her to release her sword. "Let me go!" She hissed, feeling the pressure against her neck begin to tighten and the air from her lungs was crushed from her with every movement she made to struggle, but that did not stop her from trying.
"Tora!" Harada growled, coldly watching Shiranui as he held Tora back from interrupting the fight between Chikage and Hijikata. "Let her go you filthy wretch."
"Why? She's kind of pretty, it would be stupid of me to let a cute girl like this get away from me." Shiranui answered however the moment Harada gripped onto his spear a little tighter, Shiranui increased the pressure to Tora's neck, making her cry out slightly from the pain, struggling for breath as she felt her arm threatening to first dislocate at the shoulder before breaking. "Ah, I wouldn't if I were you. She may be strong for a girl but she's still fragile." The intruder reminded as Chikage and Hijikata continued to fight.
"You bastard." Harada conceded, not wanting to put Tora in anymore danger so he relaxed his stance and backed away slightly, so Shiranui allowed the girl a little room to breathe so she sucked air into her body, trembling slightly and coughing as her throat ached. Tora's senses came back to her with the oxygen she was now able to feed her body, blinking her eyes awake before looking across to where Hijikata had been pressed backwards several feet by the stranger, Sannan-san and Amagiri still fighting together in the background.
"Like her, my friends and I are what you call, Devils. She's wasted here on people like you." The fair haired man was saying, making Tora's eyebrows knit together weakly as she remained weakened from almost being choked into unconsciousness.
"That's quite an interesting story, but she's entrusted her safety to the Shinsengumi and she's staying right here." Hijikata's voice became dark and threatening, his frightening expression reaching Tora through her slightly blurred vision as it shifted in and out of focus.
"Just look at your friend there, pretending to be one of us. I'll be damned if I let her stay here with one of them!" With a blur of movement too fast for Tora's eyes to follow, the intruder suddenly descended from above as if he had dropped down from the moon itself, eyes ablaze as he focused in on Sannan-san who barely had time to lift his blade, defending himself from a single blow which caused the entire ground to shake, Tora's eyes flying wide open as she began to struggle once more.
"Sannan-san!" Her voice echoed across the yard and her movements immediately forced Shiranui to hold her back, however this time she seemed much more determined to escape him, growling and writhing like a snake even as he choked her, struggling against her seemingly unnatural strength that no woman should rightfully possess. Chikage stood over Sannan-san, lifting his sword ready to end his life however Hijikata raced forwards, calling out his name. With a snarl Tora stomped her foot down on her captive, making him yelp in pain as she then spun around and struck out with his foot to strike him back, hitting him in the gut as she flicked up her sword once more, preparing to land a bow however Shiranui fired a bullet, knocking the sword from her hands and before she could even react, Tora found herself face to face with Shiranui, sadistic grin dangerously close to her as his fingers closed around her neck and slammed her body against the stone monument in the courtyard, choking her once more as he held out his gun towards Harada who had attempted to rush forwards but was forced to freeze.
Tora grit her teeth, trying her best to conserve the oxygen in her lungs, turning her eyes towards Chizuru who had suddenly surged to her feet and thrown herself at Hijikata to push him aside from where Chikage was aiming to strike him down, however with no time to stop, the blade sliced through her shoulder, drawing a heavy flow of blood which instantly stained Chizuru's clothes. "Chi!" Tora breathed, going slightly lax as Shiranui continued to hold her down but with his overpowering fingers closing in on her throat, Tora began to lose consciousness, hearing Chizuru draw her blade and stand to protect Hijikata herself.
"Tora! Let her go, you're killing her!" Harada's yell was distant in Tora's ears as she felt her knees collapsed, the pain in her chest growing insurmountable as blackness enshrouded her vision. The last thought that crossed her mind, however, was that Chizuru was in danger. As if a sudden fire gripped her heart, Tora opened her eyes with a flash, their burning depths darkening to a deep golden orange gleam, hair turning snowy white at the roots as a deep snarl rumbled at the back of her throat which was suddenly released in a rush of power, sending Shiranui flying backwards across the ground, all attention suddenly diverting to Tora who stomped a foot from where she knelt on the ground, long hair bursting free from its bindings, glassy eyes unfocused and almost as if she were in a trance, expression blank for a brief moment before it became wrought with rage. "Tora!" Chizuru gasped, staring at her childhood friend who suddenly turned directly towards them.
Tora could not feel anything except a burning inferno inside her, anger and rage escalating as she released another wild roar which was unnatural to her voice, echoing into the night as Chikage suddenly spun around, facing this knew and unknown threat which was turning its attention to him. With speed that surpassed the wind, Tora moved like lightning, rushing at Chikage before suddenly she was behind him before he could even blink, a shiver shooting up his spine as Tora kicked him in the back, sending him flying forwards with another bellow, her fingernails extending into claws as she bared her newly revealed fangs, everyone staring in horror. Hijikata drew Chizuru closer, holding her sword out in preparation to strike however Tora disregarded them, going directly for Chikage again who was on the ground.
Amagiri moved to block her path, making to stop her with brute strength however Tora's eyes burned even more ferociously than before, white hair like a long blanket of snow in the flickering night. Her fist balled and slammed against Amagiri as he crossed his arms, however he felt a crunch as his bracers received the full impact and with a yell, he too was sent flying as another punch was delivered to his ribs, shattering a few of them effortlessly as Tora then grasped him by his sleeve and swung him around mercilessly, screaming uncontrollably as she threw him into the wall which cracked under the impact.
A gunshot rang and the bullet almost made contact with Tora's back, however she held out her hand and grasped the bullet out of the air, quivering as the rage continued to build within her, burning her insides until it felt like everything was turning to liquid within. Shiranui stared in horror as Tora dropped the bullet then made for him, tearing after him as he tried to put distance between them but she was too fast, grabbing his ankle and spinning him around to slam him against the ground, screeching in his face before kicking him aside, making him slide several feet away. "Tora stop this! Tora-chan!" Chizuru cried out, tears trickling down her face as she clasped a hand to her mouth. In the back of her mind, Tora could hear Chizuru calling out to her and the anger suddenly throbbed, her heart beginning to slow down though her natural instincts turned her back to Chikage who, attempting to make use of her pause, came bearing down upon her with his sword. Tora hissed, the rage returning and she spun around, her hands clapping together to stop the sword in its tracks, its crystal ringing piercing everyone's ears as Tora then flung it aside, the sword clattering less musically as she grasped Chikage's throat and lifted him off the ground, choking him with powerful fingers as her unforgiving eyes instinctively fixated on the main threat.
"Tora! Tora NO!" Suddenly a delicate pair of arms flung themselves around Tora's waist, making her freeze in place until she realised that it was Chizuru who was holding onto her, hot tears seeping into the back of Tora's clothes. "Please stop this, come back to me Tora! Please, before you lose control…please come back…please…" A wash of calm suddenly filled Tora's entire body, as if she had stepped into a lake of cooling water after a raging fever, serenity filling her soul as she exhaled and finally, her eyes faded back to their soft green and the blazing white hair disappeared.
Chikage was dropped back to the ground and he immediately leaped backwards, putting distance between himself and this new commodity. She was nothing like those Rasetsu, yet he was unaware of her bloodline as a Devil. In fact, he was not even convinced she truly was a Devil as she had lost all control over her senses. Frowning deeply, everyone watched on as Tora groaned, eyes sliding shut and she collapsed into Chizuru's arms, head resting in her lap as she coughed, struggling for breath. "Chi…? Are you…there?"
"Yes Tora-chan, I'm right here. I'm not leaving you I promise." Chizuru answered quickly, placing her arms around her friend as misty eyes gazed up at her, a soft smile touching her lips as she spoke weakly.
"I'm glad…Chi…" Unable to hold her strength together any longer, Tora drifted away, leaving many in a stupor though she was none the wiser to what had just occurred. Drawing in a deep breath, Chizuru looked up in time to see the three Devils walking away into the mist, disappearing from sight as Harada and Hijikata raced over, looking with a mixture of emotions at Tora who remained perfectly still in Chizuru's arms.
"What was that?" Harada questioned, reaching out to check Tora's pulse, pulling back her sleeve to find the pulse at her wrist, however the moment Chizuru saw the flawless skin, she gasped in wonder.
"Her burn scars! They're all gone!" Hijikata's brows knitted heavily together as more Shinsengumi arrived on the scene, calling out and beginning to gather up the wounded.
"Say nothing of this to anyone. Harada, return her to her room and stay with her. Yukimura, you'll be needed in the infirmary." Hijikata ordered quietly, thoughts tumbling through his mind as Harada instantly gathered up Tora into his arms, surprised by how light she actually was before rushing her to his room, Chizuru stopping only to pick up Tora's fallen sword. She looked up after her friend, shocked and dumbfounded by what had just occurred. Was Tora…just like her? Then why didn't she say anything? Perhaps she did not know. It was the only explanation Chizuru could think of, yet she had so many questions. About Tora, about her father, about so many things, yet no one ever seemed able to answer them. She prayed that Tora would not keep any secrets from her, however for the time being Chizuru had no choice but to focus on her one task at hand. Helping with the injured.
