Dynasty Girl

by TK Grimm

[Okita x Reader/Chizuru] AU. "You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty." 2019 Update: Edited and revised to include new content and characters from the newer version of the game.

14. Bushido Blade

TK: Thank you for your reviews. I'm very happy to see so many familiar usernames, and a warm welcome to the new readers as well.

Quick disclaimer, the title 'Bushido Blade' comes from an old video game of the same name.

And a friendly reminder that this story is AU as in Alternate Universe; do not expect the same rules to apply here like in canon, or for characters to play the same role they played in the original universe.

[Okita x Protagonist – AU. "You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty."]

---

Dynasty Girl

TK Grimm

---

Chapter Fourteen:

Bushido Blade

---

Chizuru woke to a fierce pain high on her left side. She struggled against the hands that tried to hold her down, heard a startled gasp that the person almost choked on, and finally managed to pry her eyes open long enough to see Yamazaki's horrified expression.

"I—I was trying to be discreet," he stammered. "I never meant to—"

He seemed unable to finish what he wanted to say. Chizuru rubbed her eyes and forced herself into a more alert state. That sharpened the pain in her side, and when she moved to press her hand do it, she realized Yamazaki had started to dress a burn wound and in doing so had discovered her breast bindings.

The world stopped. A jolt of fear colder than ice shot through Chizuru's veins in less than a second. She shot a panicked look to Yamazaki, who was equally pale and doubly shocked. "I… I can explain—"

"You're a—a—"

Chizuru clutched her uniform closed over her chest, a futile measure to make Yamazaki forget what he had seen. "Please, Yamazaki-san—"

Yamazaki was in such a state of shock that he stumbled, his knees giving out beneath his weight in a way that made him fall backward onto the ground. They were in a small tent with a few scattered medical supplies, but the moment Yamazaki fell, he parted the tent flap, jostling it even more as he tried to scramble to his feet.

"Oi, Yamazaki!" came Miki's agitated voice. "The hell are you doing in—" The Ninth Captain broke off with a choked sound of surprise right as he came up to the entrance of the tent and pulled the flap back just enough to see inside.

Chizuru couldn't have looked very masculine in that moment, what with the way Miki looked at her as she squeezed her haori over her breasts.

His wide eyes narrowed with a gleam of satisfaction. "I knew it."

"Miki-san—"

"Shut up," he said, having come to terms with his state of shock much faster than Yamazaki had. Miki strode toward her and reached out an arm to grab Chizuru by the hair, ensnaring a big handful between long fingers. Chizuru gasped in pain, unable to fight back so long as one arm held the haori over her chest and the other swatted uselessly at Miki.

Without mercy, he dragged her out of the medical tent by his grip on her hair, forcing Chizuru to cry out and stumble after him lest he pull it all from her scalp. As soon as they were outside, he threw her to the snow.

"I knew you were hiding something," Miki said amidst the started and outraged gasps of the officers just outside. He grinned with sadistic delight and reached down to pull Chizuru up by her hair once more, just enough to show off her face. "Yukimura is a woman!"

The reactions were instant and as widely varied as the officers present. Heisuke and Nagakura were gaping, slack-jawed and speechless. Harada had a flicker of surprise before a cold fear spread through him, much like it had Chizuru. Saito turned his head away, his eyes closed in a grim expression that lacked any surprise. There was Sannan, who hesitated in spite of the cold resignation on his face. Hijikata's eyes were narrowed, his lips forming a scowl, and yet she didn't feel anger when those violet eyes met hers.

It wasn't just the captains. A few of their lieutenants were present, and even a couple of foot soldiers. Kondou stood in the center of them all, eyes wide with disbelief. Takeda looked like he was enjoying the night's entertainment, mauve-colored eyes taking on a greedy gleam. His right arm was held in a sling, likely from an injury during the battle.

Nomura was there, but he just looked confused and disbelieving. "No way! A-are you sure?"

She finally spotted Okita standing near the tent, his eyes fixed on Miki with his hand on his scabbard, thumb pressed to the guard ready to draw in an instant. He was teetering on the edge, she could tell, torn by surprise, indecision, fear, anger—he was a tumultuous storm waiting to be unleashed at the drop of a hat.

All Chizuru could do was cover herself with her haori and try in vain to free her hair from Miki's cruel hands.

Since no one had replied to Nomura, the person to truly break the short silence that had followed Miki's reveal was his older brother, Itou. The Empress's Consul strode up between the crowd, trudging through the shallow snow as if it were far deeper. "That's it! That does it! This is the last straw with you Shinsengumi!"

Kondou was too shell shocked to formulate a proper response. "I-Itou-san…"

The Consul ignored him, gesturing wildly with his arms while he addressed the crowd of soldiers. "You disregard propriety in the face of the Empress, you willingly let Sakamoto Ryouma escape, and now one of your lieutenants is a woman? If you think for an instant that any of this will be missing from my report to Her Imperial Majesty, you are sorely mistaken!"

"They didn't know!" Chizuru bit out, still struggling against Miki's strength. "No one in the Shinsengumi knew! They are not to blame—"

"Silence, woman!" Itou snapped.

Chizuru ignored him and looked to Kondou. "Please forgive me! I did it to save my father! He is too old to fight, and his wound from the last war still—"

"Enough!" Itou slapped her across the face, sending Chizuru tumbling out of Miki's grasp and back to the snow. "You should hold your tongue in a man's presence!"

Okita's foot moved forward then stopped, his eyes locked on Itou. He radiated pure killing intent, the scabbard of his katana held in a white-knuckled grasp. He looked like a cornered predator.

Miki was close enough to notice right away. He smirked at the First Captain and said, "What are we standing around talking about this for? We all know the rules! Yukimura's a woman, and the punishment for impersonating a soldier is execution. Since she's in your troop, the honor is yours, Okita."

Okita's eyes snapped to Miki, but he said nothing.

"Ooh, that's a scary look," Miki said, laughing derisively. "The Shinsengumi don't look too good right now, don't you think? Letting a woman get by all this time? You should probably try and make things right, you know, redeem our group's honor."

Hijikata's voice came out in a low growl. "Miki Saburo…!"

"What?" taunted the Ninth Captain. "Don't tell me even you're hesitating, Vice-Commander. Isn't this a direct violation of the Shinsengumi Code of Conduct, which you wrote? What's the punishment for that again? Oh, that's right. Seppuku."

"Tch…" Hijikata squeezed his hands into fists.

Takeda was growing impatient. "Just kill the bitch, so we can be on our way. I require proper medical attention."

"Indeed," Itou agreed, nodding along. "There is no reason to drag this out any further."

Since he wasn't getting a rise from Hijikata, Miki turned back to Okita. "Well, First Division Captain? What'll it be? She's not a samurai, so she doesn't deserve the honor of seppuku. Since we're pressed for time, might as well make it a swift execution. How about beheading?"

Kondou made a choked sound halfway between distraught and angered. "But that's—"

"She brought dishonor to the Shinsengumi from the moment she joined!" Miki cut in, glowering at the Commander now. "She's a complete disgrace of a woman! If it were anyone else, you wouldn't even be hesitating!"

"You shut your mouth."

The words came from Okita, but it didn't sound like his voice. Never in all the time Chizuru had known him, fought with him, trained with him, never had she ever heard his voice take on such a cold, dark, malignant quality. It was enough to silence everyone.

Then, he drew his sword.

Miki instinctively took a step back, eyes narrowed and hand poised to draw his sword, should he need to defend himself.

But Okita's eyes were on Chizuru. She looked up at him from where she sat on the snow-covered earth, her hair a tangled mess upon her shoulders, eyes burning bright at the sight of him. Her friend, her teacher, her captain, her lover. Okita was everything. The more she realized this unbreakable truth, the more Chizuru supposed that dying by his hand might not be such a bad thing.

She smiled at him. It was almost kind of fitting. He had threatened to kill her so many times in the past that she had stopped taking them seriously. But now he was about to make good on that promise. She wanted to live, but… if it was Okita Souji who killed her, who watched as she died, who looked into her eyes during her final moments…

Chizuru could accept an end like that. She closed her eyes and lowered her head to expose her neck to the man she loved.

---

【新選組】

---

He had never felt more helpless. Not when his sister left him at Shiei Hall. Not when he was sick and bedridden, back when they'd first come to Kyoto to form the Shinsengumi. Not even when Kaoru had him tied and bound at the Kuze Shrine.

There had been times in the past where he entertained the thought of killing Chizuru when the secret of her gender inevitably came to light. But as time went on, those thoughts stopped being simple, stopped being the clear, concise choice. They started turning into thoughts of denial, of excuses, of ways to get around or prevent it from happening in the first place.

Then he just stopped thinking about it altogether. That was his mistake, he supposed.

Souji drew his sword on impulse, simply because Miki was pissing him off, and the urge to kill him was almost overpowering. It gave Souji a modicum of satisfaction to see Miki take a step back, his eyes wider for a split second. But somewhere in the chaos of his mind, Souji knew that killing Miki would create more problems, especially for Kondou. Besides, Miki wasn't his concern right now.

Time stopped when his eyes met hers. That had been happening a lot lately. Souji would look at Chizuru, he'd feel that twist in his heart, and he'd be struck with a staggering feeling of single-mindedness, like everything was right in the world as long as she was in his presence.

Chizuru smiled then, and the sight of it mystified him. There was no fear or doubt in her eyes, no lamentations for being discovered. There wasn't even anger, and if anything, she should be mad at Souji for failing to protect her, for failing to keep her secret, for failing—

But she was smiling still, even as she lowered her head to bare her neck. She accepted her fate, she was okay with him killing her. The irony didn't escape him.

Souji couldn't breathe. Chizuru's resolve was as strong as ever, and yet Souji couldn't breathe.

After all this time… you're even stronger than me.

He lowered his sword, and time resumed.

And the whole crowd exploded.

Chizuru's head shot up at the sounds of shocked and outraged voices.

"You dare defy your orders?" Itou demanded.

Miki looked like he was having the time of his life. "So much for the Shinsengumi's Code!"

Kondou was terribly pale. "Souji…"

That one made him wince. But the moment Miki took a step forward, the glare from before came back, and Souji pointed his sword at him threateningly. "Come near her, and I'll kill you first, Miki."

"Okita-kun—" Sannan started, before he was cut off.

"What the hell are you doing, Souji?" Hijikata snapped. "If you turn your blade against us, you're asking for your own execution!"

But Souji had made up his mind. He didn't move, even after Miki drew his sword. "I won't betray the Shinsengumi… but I'm not killing Chizuru, either."

Hijikata's eyes widened. "You fool…"

"Oh, it's 'Chizuru' is it?" asked Takeda. "If you know her name, you must have been keeping her secret. Isn't that a violation, too?"

"Hope you're ready to cut yourself open," Miki taunted.

"Right, Commander?" Takeda went on, looking to Kondou for confirmation. "If the First Division Captain has been covering for her, then he is just as guilty. They both must be executed, in accordance with the rules of conduct."

Kondou was at a loss for words; he looked like his heart was breaking.

That expression alone was worth dying for.

Souji sheathed his sword, surprising all of them. "That's true. I knew she was a woman. I've been aware of this since the day she joined, so you're absolutely right when you say that I should be executed as well."

If his death would restore honor to the Shinsengumi and make up for his betrayal, then it was a small price to pay. Souji had never really put much value on his life anyway. He was an asset to Kondou, one meant to be used until the end. This seemed a suitable enough ending, he supposed. The enemy was defeated, there was no one to stand in their way, and as soon as this was taken care of, Kondou would receive a great honor for ending the war.

"Then it's decided," said Itou. He looked between Kondou and Hijikata for confirmation, but neither of them acknowledged that he'd even spoken. "They must both die."

"Shut up," said Hijikata, which made Itou squawk like an offended chicken, but the Vice-Commander wasn't finished. "I'll do it."

Several startled gasps rang out from the others, but Souji simply nodded. Kondou would never have been able to do it, nor should he have to; Hijikata was the logical choice. He knelt down by Chizuru and put his hand over her back. She was in too much shock to even realize how cold she was. He put his haori over her back and helped her to her feet. When he caught sight of her confused expression, he smiled ruefully, and somehow, she understood.

If we're going to die, let's die together, for the Shinsengumi.

Souji turned a lazy look toward Hijikata. "Well, Vice-Commander? If you're going to kill us, can you hurry it up? We don't have all night, you know."

Teeth bared, Hijikata actually growled at Souji. "Shut your mouth, you ungrateful brat. Yamazaki, Shimada—bind them and take them to the trees behind that section of rubble there. Do not do a thing until I join you; it's my job to swing the sword. Now I want the rest of the camp to move out and make for Edo. We need to report our victory to the Shogun."

Miki narrowed his eyes. "Is this some kind of trick? Just kill them already!"

"Enough deliberating," said Itou. "The law is quite clear in this matter!"

Hijikata rounded on the Consul. "I said I'll do it, damn it! I'm the Vice-Commander; back the fuck off and let me do my duty."

---

【新選組】

---

It was oddly quiet as Shimada and Yamazaki bound Okita and Chizuru's wrists with rope. For a brief moment, Chizuru felt Yamazaki lean close to her ear during the process and whisper a shaky, "Please forgive me…" She could feel his hands trembling while he tied the rope.

Lieutenant Shimada's brow was creased as he bound Okita's wrists. There was so much conflict in his eyes, so much concern. He didn't want to do this anymore than Yamazaki did. That alone was oddly comforting at the end.

Even as the troops began to move out, no one said a word to either of them. Shimada and Yamazaki began leading Okita and Chizuru away from the army, but Chizuru couldn't help but glance back at the mournful, torn faces of her former comrades and friends. She didn't know what to say or do, so she faced forward and let Yamazaki lead her into the woods.

Hijikata caught up in a couple of minutes, taking them deep enough into the forest that Chizuru could no longer see through the thick trunks of the trees to the still smoldering ruins of Shingetsu Village. She shivered and clutched Okita's haori closer to her, over her own which was still wrapped around her chest like a towel. The snow stung her legs and bit at her toes, but she didn't make a sound, no matter how much it hurt.

They stopped in a clearing, and Hijikata dropped a bag on the ground. It was tied closed, probably containing something to wrap her and Okita's heads in once they were collected. That thought sent the first pang of regret through her. She didn't regret her decision to join the army, but she did regret taking Okita down with her.

"Well, Hijikata-san?" Okita mused. He looked perfectly calm, like he wasn't about to die. It wasn't even surprising. "How do you want to do it? Shall I get on my knees? I bet you'd like that."

Hijikata clenched his right hand into a fist, and for a second, Chizuru feared he would hit Okita. But he didn't, and the fist loosened and relaxed. He instead leveled her captain with a heated glare. "Ten minutes."

That made Okita frown in confusion. "What?"

"You've got ten minutes of privacy to share your final moments!" Hijikata snapped. "Make them count. Shimada, Yamazaki, with me."

"Sir."

"Yes, sir."

Chizuru watched as Hijikata and the others retreated back the way they had come. It was really generous of him, she thought, to give them one last moment to be together. Hijikata was many things, but at the forefront, he was kind. Chizuru bowed in the direction he had gone, grateful for the ten minutes she was given with Okita.

"Ten minutes, huh…," Okita murmured. "That's not much time."

Chizuru looked down at the ground. "I—I am… so sorry. I never meant for you to—"

"Hey, stop that," he said, shooting her a displeased frown. "Don't even. I made this choice. It's not on you."

"Even so, if I hadn't—"

"Chizuru." He moved in front of her. With his wrists bound, movement was limited. He touched one hand to her chin, tilting her head to look at him. He looked so… content. Like he had somehow made peace with all of this.

Chizuru was in awe of his strength. "Souji-san…"

He grinned at his given name on her lips and pulled her close. She put her hands to his chest and touched the side of her face to his. Okita tilted his head, his lips grazing her cheek then down to her jaw. His fingers played with her hair.

"To hell with this," he said, before slipping out of the ropes that bound his wrists. "Shimada-san just couldn't bring himself to tie it very tight, I guess. But I'm not going to spend our last ten minutes without holding you."

Chizuru gasped and glanced uneasily behind her, but Hijikata showed no signs of returning yet, even as Okita removed the rope binding her wrists together. He tossed it aside with his, and it landed uselessly in the snow. Okita reached for her and pulled her tightly into his arms. Chizuru held him, her hands pressed into his back, her eyes squeezing closed so she could fully take in his scent one last time.

They stayed like that for a few minutes with no need to speak. It was a comfortable silence, almost peaceful, where they simply held on to each other and waited for their friend to return for their execution. During the wait, Chizuru's mind began to wander. She thought about the battle, of the army of the dead. Hijikata had mentioned reporting a victory to the Shogun. That had to have meant they won, despite the order for the retreat.

"What happened with the battle?" she asked. Her head was rested on his chest, and she heard his heart beating steadily. It was comforting, as was the warmth he provided as he held her.

She felt his breath in her hair as he spoke. "The explosion took out the majority of them. The fire that spread from it helped. Once we outnumbered them, it was easier to cancel the retreat and wipe out the rest. A few were those furies Sakamoto talked about, but they were nothing like Kaoru."

Chizuru understood that. Kaoru had been in a whole other league. She was grateful the army of the dead didn't have anything like him in it.

"What about Hachiro-kun and Souma-kun?" she asked. "Please tell me they weren't caught in the explosion, too."

Okita hesitated, but only for a moment. Then, he looked her in the eyes and held nothing back. "For the most part, Souma suffered minor scrapes and burns, like you. He got hit in the head, but aside from bleeding all over the place, it was fine."

Chizuru nodded, relieved, but only for a second. Then she realized Okita hadn't mentioned Hachiro, and she grew very, very still. She waited for him to finally speak.

"Hachiro-kun… his left arm took the worst of it. From what I was hearing, he may not be able to use it ever again."

Her breath rushed out of her all at once. Just like that, her resolve was broken, and guilt flooded through her like a broken dam. She trembled, not crying but with her hands squeezed around the fabric of Okita's kimono. This was all her fault. Chizuru was the one who asked him to help her push the gunpowder cart. It was Chizuru's fault that Hachiro was hurt. It was Chizuru's fault that he would never wield a sword to his full ability again.

Chizuru had taken Hachiro's dream of being a warrior and destroyed it, just like she had destroyed his dream of marrying her and starting a family with her.

"I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…!"

Okita said nothing, because he knew her words were not for him. He brought his head down and kissed the corner of her right eye, and then the left. He pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth, and she turned her head to meet him in a kiss. She felt his arms tighten around her, and she parted her lips, tasting him and taking comfort in the familiarity and warmth of his touch.

Much was left unspoken during that kiss, but a thousand words passed between their hearts.

I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.

I'm sorry it has to end this way.

I'm glad we're together in the end.

To me… you are perfect.

Except… Hijikata never came back. After several more minutes with each other, Chizuru and Okita seemed to come to the same realization that the ten minutes had been up a long time ago. But there was no sign of Hijikata or either member of the Watch. There was no sign of anyone at all.

Brow pinched, Okita pulled away from Chizuru so he could walk over to the bag Hijikata had left behind. He pulled on the drawstring to open it and ended up staring in disbelief at the contents. Lured by her curiosity, Chizuru crossed over to him. What she saw made her gasp.

Inside the bag were Chizuru's socks and shoes, a piece of flint for lighting fires, two wrapped army rations, and a bundle of clothes. Chizuru was too dumbfounded to react right away, but Okita had the socks out in a matter of seconds and reached for Chizuru's right foot.

"You're frozen," he said, looking worried as he rubbed life back into her foot. He smiled like he was about to tell one of his jokes, but the laughter didn't reach his eyes. "If that Hijikata-san wasn't going to kill us, he could at least have given you something for your feet before dragging us all the way out here."

"He… what?" Chizuru asked, disbelieving.

Okita's hands paused, but only for a moment. He tied the shoe and waited for Chizuru to put her foot back down before moving on to the next one. "That guy… he's not fooling anyone."

The pieces slowly fell into place as Okita warmed Chizuru's almost frostbitten toes. He kept his eyes on her foot, and that gave her a chance to watch him without getting too embarrassed. He was so good with his hands…

Okita stood up when he finished. He took another quick look through the bag of supplies Hijikata had left them and withdrew the bundle of clothes. Recognizing it as Chizuru's, he handed it to her so she could get properly dressed. Okita also spotted a few linen bandages that had been tossed in as well. He smiled to himself before tying the drawstring and slinging the bag over his shoulder.

"They'll have moved on by now," he said, his voice distant while he looked at the forest path from whence they'd come. "We should have a look around the village and see if there's anything else we can use. Some of the fires are still smoldering. We can use that to start another."

Now that she was properly dressed, Chizuru was already feeling warmer, but a fire sounded heavenly. She nodded and followed Okita between the twisting trees. It was difficult to do so in the dark, but it appeared the sun was finally starting to come up, since the sky was not quite as dark as it had been.

Chizuru saw the trees thinning out. She could make out the red glow of the embers. She felt a small amount of relief, but she was still filled to the brim with fear and doubt. She wondered what would happen to them now. More than that, she wondered what Okita was thinking. He hadn't said a word during the walk.

"Sou—"

In an instant, Okita had his hand over her mouth. He turned Chizuru's body around and pressed her back tightly into his chest, as if he were embracing her from behind. From this angle, she could partially see through the shrubs and snow-covered foliage and caught a glimpse of movement in the ruined village.

She grew very still. Okita's breathing was too soft to hear, but she could feel the heat from each exhale on the back of her neck. They stood together, silent and intimately close, two sets of eyes observing the remnants of the battlefield from the shadows.

The first figure to come into view was a man, back hunched, sword in hand, walking with swaying motions like a drunk. His silver hair fell in loose clumps around his shoulders, and he giggled to himself in a twisted voice.

Apprehension swelled within Chizuru's stomach. This must be a fury, a lone survivor, a—

But he wasn't alone. At least a dozen more came after him, all surrounding a bald man wearing a thick, mauve kimono. He walked at the side of one of the furies, taller than the others, with stitches holding body parts together and a lopsided jaw that had been improperly aligned. The overall poor construction of this particular fury made Chizuru's insides churn with revulsion and fear.

The bald man stopped by a corpse wearing the Shinsengumi blues. He turned the body over with his foot, and Chizuru could not hold back her sharp intake of breath. Horror seized her veins at the sight of Murasaki, the Third Division's burly lieutenant, staring lifelessly up at the sky. She had fought alongside him at the Battle of Edo-Cho, and it hurt to see that he had fallen.

"Another one," the old man commented. "And in relatively good condition, too." He knelt down by Murasaki's corpse and tipped his head back with one hand. In his other, he carried something small that Chizuru couldn't see from her vantage point. It must have been a vial of some sort, because the bald man put it to Murasaki's lips like he was pouring the contents into his mouth.

When he was finished, he tossed the small object aside and took a step back. Chizuru couldn't believe her eyes when the body began twitching and writhing. His movements weren't human; they were twisted and wrong. But right out in the open, Murasaki's corpse staggered to his feet and suddenly stood slavering in front of the man.

That man… he was Kodo, the mad doctor Sakamoto had warned them about. He had to be.

"Yes, you'll do nicely," said the doctor. "Come now, everyone; there's plenty more lying around from the looks of things."

They had to stop him before this got out of control. Okita was apparently in agreement, for she felt him shift, about to move, when suddenly he stopped. Chizuru stopped, too, because an enormous, hulking creature followed after Kodo now. It was an abomination; there was no other way to describe the rough amalgamation of flesh that hobbled after the mad doctor. This beast was in none of Sakamoto's warnings, a true patchwork horror.

Chizuru held onto Okita as tightly as he held her. Both of them stared, transfixed, as Kodo went to various corpses and 'revived' them with vials of that horrible serum. But that many furies and that horrible monster all at once… not to mention how many other corpses like Murasaki there were lurking about… The odds were to unknown. If they risked it and got themselves killed, it would have been for nothing.

But standing by was the hardest thing to do.

At the edge of the village, Kodo looked toward the road. He brought his hand to his chin in a contemplative gesture. "Hmm… Now where should we go next, Takasugi-san?"

The hulking fury-corpse next to him wheezed a rasping breath, "Eeeddooo…"

Kodo giggled at that and began to walk with his reanimated corpses and contingent of furies. "I even impress myself sometimes with my ventriloquy…"

Chizuru watched them leave, frozen with horror and dread. Even after destroying the bulk of the horde here, Kodo was well on his way to replenishing his forces. And now, rather than Kyoto, he was headed for Edo? She could only assume it was to take vengeance on the Shinsengumi for the crippling defeat he'd suffered, only now it didn't seem quite so crippling.

Once they were gone, Okita released his grip on Chizuru and strode into the ruined village. Chizuru followed, her eyes trailing sadly over the bodies of fallen comrades. None of them were recognizable, all too damaged from burns or wounds taken from the undead. Apparently Kodo had deemed them not worth reviving with his elixir.

Her gut churned with the realization that followed; for the mad doctor to replenish his numbers, he would need to use the living.

A quick glance around, and Okita's eyes lit up when they landed on something.

Chizuru followed his gaze, and her jaw dropped. Okita's Norimune and her Arai Shakku swords were propped up against the wall of one of the only remaining buildings only half-destroyed by the fires. Had that been Hijikata as well?

Her heart squeezed in her chest. "He tries to be mean, but he's really very kind."

For once, Okita wasn't sarcastic when he said, "Yeah… he is." He walked over and picked up his katana. Once he was armed, a spark seemed to have entered his eyes.

The sight of it filled Chizuru with hope. "What will you do?"

"I may not be able to fight for and protect Kondou-san officially anymore…," he began, looking at her with those green eyes gleaming with determination. "But that doesn't mean I can't help him by other means. Disgrace, I can live with. Dishonor, I don't care. But I will never abandon Kondou-san or his goals, even if that means I have to fight for the Shinsengumi from the shadows."

There he was. That was the Okita Souji that Chizuru knew and loved. He was fire and life made flesh, a walking testament to her belief in the virtue of Jin. Her admiration soared, and with it, her warrior's spirit rekindled in the sparks of his flame.

"I understand," Chizuru said, holding out his asagi-iro haori. She was already wearing hers, despite no longer hiding the fact that she was a woman. "I feel the same way that you do. Let's help the Shinsengumi together."

A smile came to his lips, unbidden. And with it, she saw something in his eyes.

Respect.

"Alright," he said, accepting the uniform. He slipped his arms through the sleeves and tugged the jacket into place. Then he looked at her with a grin. "Let's go, Chizuru-chan."

---

【新選組】

---

Edo was a long journey on foot, and they had to go unnoticed by the undead. Thankfully, two people could move faster than a large number, especially since, unlike his minions, Kodo had to stop to rest from time to time. That gave Chizuru and Okita just the edge they needed to reach the previous checkpoint first.

Seiku and his family were shocked to see them. Before he could even get out the words that the army had already gone and delivered word of their victory over the Choshu, Okita cut him off and said the army of the dead was coming. He told of their survival after the battle, and how they were replenishing their numbers along the way.

"If you and your family don't get out now," he had said, "you're all going to die."

Thankfully, Seiku did not need to be told twice. He left Okita and Chizuru with his wife and child to help them load up his horse and wagon. While they were busy with that, Seiku attempted to rally any of the other villagers that he could. Some believed him and made ready to leave, but others shook their heads and prepared for the worst.

It couldn't be helped, and Okita wasn't willing to wait any longer than necessary. Chizuru suspected he held his control by a paper thin margin, and the only reason he waited this long was because he knew traveling in Seiku's wagon would be faster than going on foot.

Seiku took the driver's seat with Okita while Chizuru huddled with Azusa and little Iori in the wagon. They took off, leaving their home and family forge behind before the army of the dead could swarm down and kill them all. They had the advantage, as most people traveled by foot since they didn't have wagons or carts readily available. Chizuru lamented the people who refused to join them, because no one deserved the fate that was coming.

It was a difficult journey east, especially since they did not stick to the main road but veered off-course to save time, but they warned as many as were willing to listen. Each checkpoint on the road meant another set of stubborn fools who refused to leave. And though Chizuru mourned them, more than that she lamented the fact that they would all end up joining Kodo's army of the dead.

Or at least, the ones whose corpses stayed intact.

Chizuru hoped they would catch up with the Shinsengumi before they reached Edo, but there was no such luck. They arrived at the gates dressed like civilians and claimed to be refugees alongside Seiku's family. They were very nearly turned away due to the lateness of the hour, but apparently a celebration was going on in the city, welcoming the Shinsengumi, heroes of the war against the Choshu. With a gruff warning not to cause any trouble, Seiku was permitted to lead his cart into the city.

Once inside, Chizuru and Okita hopped off and grabbed their things. They didn't dare wear their uniform out in the open, not when secrecy was key. If anyone found out who they were, they were dead, regardless of anything Hijikata might say or do.

Okita handed Chizuru her katana, and she slipped it into the sash around her waist. She tied her forehead protector on and nodded to Okita, who returned the gesture to show that he was ready as well. He reached for her, and Chizuru took his hand, letting him draw her close for an intimate embrace. Okita threaded his fingers through her hair, and Chizuru basked in the sheer nearness of him. It was a wonder how something as simple as being held by the man she loved could make her feel so warm, safe, and whole.

"Be careful, you two," Seiku said, looking down at them from the driver's seat. "I'll warn anyone who will listen."

"Thank you for everything, Seiku-san," Chizuru replied, pulling back from Okita just enough to look at the small family. "Please take care of yourselves."

"You as well, Chizuru-chan," said Azusa with a smile. In their time on the road, Seiku's wife had learned the circumstances behind Chizuru and Okita's separation from the rest of the Shinsengumi. That, and Chizuru no longer hid her identity or gender.

After concluding their goodbyes, Chizuru and Okita headed out into the city. They walked side by side at a brisk pace, dodging passersby and drunken celebrants, and speaking quietly to each other along the way.

"We need to find Kondou-san," Chizuru said. "We have to warn him and the rest of the Shinsengumi."

Okita made a noise of agreement. "Mn. They'll be at the center of these celebrations."

Edo was done up in festive decorations and lights, almost to the point of being unrecognizable, since the last time Chizuru was here, the castle was under siege. Now the whole city seemed like one big party, and all she could think was that these people were sitting ducks when the army finally caught up.

Okita got ahead of her and pulled her along by the hand through the crowd. As they got closer to the castle itself, the people seemed to thicken and gaps between them were getting harder to come by. None of this stopped Okita, and Chizuru was simply grateful that she could follow the path he cleared.

"There they are!" Chizuru said. Her voice was shrill from relief and anxiety twisting together to become a mess of emotions.

A ceremony was taking place in the castle courtyard right as Okita and Chizuru arrived. Kondou stood in front of Hijikata and Sannan with the rest of the Shinsengumi standing dutifully behind them in formation by division. The First was a sad sight to see, their shoulders slumped and morale clearly crushed by the loss of their officers. Ryunosuke stood in front looking like someone had beaten every ounce of happiness out of him. His eyes were on the ground, so he didn't notice their arrival.

Across the way stood Tokugawa Chikage, lips pulled into a frown, red eyes narrowed in displeasure. He stood at the side of Empress Sen, whose sad expression somehow made her look all the more radiant in her extravagant kimono. Her Consul, Itou, stood a little ways behind her (along with a pair of other Consuls) with his fan out and an insufferably smug expression on his face. Hachiro stood in a similar position to Itou, but behind Kazama instead of Sen. There was a terribly hollow look to his eyes, and his left arm was in a sling.

But there was no time. Chizuru sucked in a breath. "Everyone, please listen to us! You have to hear—"

Apparently they'd been right in the middle of bestowing honor to the Shinsengumi when Okita and Chizuru showed up, startling everyone and jerking their heads toward them.

"Souji!" Kondou said, so shocked he looked as if he might weep from relief. "You're alive!"

Miki pointed an accusing finger at Hijikata. "I knew you'd let them escape! So much for following your code of honor!"

"You shut your mouth!" Nagakura growled, stepping forward with his fist raised. "Anyone even thinks of killing them, you're gonna have to go through me!"

He shocked them all then by moving over to where Chizuru and Okita stood and standing firm.

Chizuru was touched. "Nagakura-san…"

He glanced back at her over his shoulder and grinned as he showed her a thumbs up.

"You dare defy the law in the face of divinity?" Itou shrieked. "You would betray your allies?"

"I'm not betraying anybody," said Nagakura, determination shining through every word. He ignored Itou in favor of looking at Kondou and Hijikata. "I haven't slept right since that night. I planned on leaving the Shinsengumi after this was over, because I can't side with a bunch of guys who'd kill this kid just 'cuz he's a girl. He's my friend, and a damn good fighter! Uh, I mean she."

Captain Harada spoke next from where he stood with the Tenth Division, calmly leaning on his spear. "Truth be told, I'm with Shinpachi. I didn't follow you to Kyoto so you could become a lapdog of the military, Kondou-san, but because you're a man I respect and admire, one who does the right thing. Killing them is not the right thing." With that, he pulled the end of his spear from the ground and walked over to join Nagakura.

"You guys…," Chizuru said, at a loss for words.

Harada smiled at her and gently rested his hand on top of her head. "You're a brave girl, Yukimura-chan. I'm sorry we didn't react as quickly as Souji, or we also wouldn't have let them take you away."

"Caught us by surprise, that's all," Nagakura shrugged. "Won't happen again. We cool, Souji?"

Chizuru looked at him, and Okita made a disbelieving chuckle. "Heh… better late than never, Shinpat-san."

"I'm coming, too!" Heisuke suddenly exclaimed. He tore away from his formation and joined them off to the side, sword drawn and ready to defend the lives of his comrades. "I'm sorry I didn't notice you were a girl!" he blurted. "But I promise I won't let them hurt you! We're friends, Mafuyu!"

"Heisuke-kun," she said, too breathless to properly convey her gratitude.

"This is an outrage!" Itou burst out. "Why, the nerve of you to show your face here, and you all, if you're so keen on joining them, you can die with them! Well? Kondou-san? Do something!"

"Shut up," Hachiro snapped, cutting the Consul off with a menacing look. Even with one arm in a sling, he still stood tall like a warrior. "What kind of man are you, who threatens and orders a girl's death? And you," he said, turning on Kazama next. "Consider this act of disgrace my final resignation. I will not serve a government such as this one."

Head held high, Hachiro made his way over to where Chizuru and the others stood, never once looking back at the sneer Kazama sent his way. He stopped when Chizuru stepped toward him, her worried gaze traveling down to his arm.

Hachiro put his right hand over his covered arm. "Don't. I know what you want to say. But it's not your fault. I made my choice that night, and it's thanks to your idea that we were able to defeat them."

"We haven't defeated them," Okita cut in with urgency, his gaze meeting Kondou's. "That's what we came here to warn you about."

"What are you talking about?" Hijikata demanded.

"That doctor Sakamoto mentioned—Kodo—he's on his way here with more undead."

Kondou gasped. "Souji, are you certain?"

"Preposterous!" Itou said, though he didn't look too sure of his words. "We—you just—they were destroyed! Burned! Obliterated! Even the white haired devils were all cut down by the Shinsengumi!"

"It's true!" Chizuru insisted. "We saw them ourselves. Kodo has more furies, and he's been using that serum of his at every checkpoint from here to Shingetsu Village. If his horde isn't here yet, they will be soon. They weren't far behind us."

Many of the men were starting to send unsure looks between each other. They shot hesitant glances to their commanders, wanting them to make sense of this or to give them orders that they could understand.

"That's not all," Chizuru said slowly, drawing attention back to her. "They have something else with them—a monster unlike anything any of us have ever seen. One of the mad doctor's experiments. It's huge, it—it's a thing of nightmares. And it's coming this way."

Her eyes met Kondou's, and she looked into them for a long time until Kondou finally nodded, his mind seemingly made up. The Commander of the Shinsengumi turned then and addressed the might of his troops. "Everyone, I want you to spread the word for the people to return to their homes! Prepare the city watch to defend! We are now under martial law!"

"Hold it," Kazama said, frowning at Kondou. "Don't you think you're forgetting your place? This is my city, peasant. What right do you have to be giving the orders?"

To everyone's shock, Kondou rounded on the Shogun in a rare display of anger. "This is not about ego or right! This is about saving people's lives! When that army comes through here, those people have no way to defend themselves against those monsters!"

Kazama tilted his head back, looking down at Kondou from over his nose. "And you think spreading panic will help? You're just going to cause chaos and riots!"

"If we stand here doing nothing, they're going to die!" Kondou shot back. "I'm not going to let that happen. With or without your orders, the Shinsengumi will protect the people of Edo!"

Screams broke them apart before the two leaders could argue further. A loud crash came from the west, but Chizuru couldn't see past the tall wall to what had caused it. A tower of back smoke billowed up, barely visible in the night sky.

In a matter of minutes, the courtyard was overrun by a sudden swarm of undead. They climbed over the walls like spiders crawling over each other with eager, snapping jaws. Furies ran into the fray, parting the Shinsengumi formations as fights broke out all over the area. More screams came, and with them came varying terrible noises from gunshots to monstrous growling and the ripping of flesh.

"Look out!"

Kondou's sudden shout drew Chizuru away from the carnage. She turned her head just in time to see the Commander leaping in front of Empress Sen, right as a gunshot went off. The sound seemed to ricochet through Chizuru's entire body, and she watched in horror as Kondou fell to his knees, his back stained red.

"Kondou-san!" Chizuru screamed.

She felt someone brush past her arm and gasped to see Okita sprinting for the fury responsible. The white-haired fiend was dressed in western garb, black and gold, and though his movements were quick, he was not fast enough to reload before Okita drove his sword through his heart with a single thrust.

Chizuru rushed for Kondou, but she was thrown off balance when an explosion tore through a large chunk of the wall. Her mouth opened wide as Kodo stepped in, followed closely by his entourage of furies and the giant abomination that had broken through the all. The tall, twitching, rasping body of Takasugi Shinsaku staggered into the courtyard behind Kodo, his jaw rattling with the clacking of broken teeth.

"Empress Sen!" Kodo exclaimed, like greeting a long lost relative. "It's been so long. Look how much you've grown."

Hijikata drew his sword but stayed at Kondou's side. "Stay where you are!"

Kodo made a clicking sound with his throat, and the hulking abomination lunged. Hijikata barely had time to show surprise before he was forced to leap back in order to dodge the creature's mottled arm as it slammed into the ground where the Vice-Commander once stood. The cement cracked under the pressure.

In spite of the pandemonium going on around them, Kazama's face split into a wicked grin. He drew his sword slowly, the blade glinting in the light of the fires. "At last, a worthy opponent."

With shocking speeds, Kazama dove for the abomination, but the monster's leathery flesh was like armor, and its sheer size made thrusts seem more like pin pricks. Even together, Hijikata and Kazama had their hands full. The other officers were in scattered battles with the furies and swarming undead, leaving no one to stop him as Kodo strode toward the Empress.

Kondou struggled to get to his feet. "You stay… away from her!"

In a flash, Kodo's arm shot out and backhanded Kondou with enough force to literally send the man flying. Chizuru cried out for her Commander, but when she looked back at Kodo, she saw his eyes had turned yellow and two horns had come out of his head. The breath vanished from her lungs.

He's… just like Nagumo Kaoru!

Sakamoto said they weren't like the furies. That they were something else entirely. Chizuru didn't know what that meant, but she knew she couldn't leave Sen in the hands of the mad doctor. Sword in hand, she ran forward, but stopped short when Kodo pulled Sen around in front of him and held a tanto to her throat. The blade of the dagger gleamed brightly even in the dark.

"Foul creature!" Sen cursed. "Release me at once!"

Kodo merely laughed at her shrill demand, throwing back his head and opening his mouth wide to show two pointed fangs. "Even now you hold to your human guise. This is what makes you weak, Sen, you useless child! Demons did not climb the political ladder of this nation to cower and hide like humans! We should be ruling out in the open! And with my Water of Life, we'll finally have the numbers to do it. Alive or dead, any human can become my slave with this…"

"You're sick," she spat. "Twisted—"

"Now, now," said Kodo. "That's enough name calling, my dear. If you would kindly calm down and think things through rationally, you would see the obvious choice: surrender. It's that simple. Surrender to me, and I will command my monsters to stop."

Sen looked torn and terrified. Chizuru felt helpless, paralyzed by fear of the dagger Kodo held to the Empress's neck. If he wanted to take the castle, he didn't need her alive. It would just be easier this way. If pushed… Chizuru feared he would kill Sen.

Itou threw himself at the feet of the mad doctor and the empress. "Please!" he begged. "Please surrender! These monsters! There's no way that we can—"

"No!" Kondou's shout was half-swallowed by the sounds of battle all around them, but still his booming voice was heard. He was struggling to stay standing, one arm hooked over Okita's shoulders for support. But he looked at Sen with the same fierce determination he had in battle. "We will never give up! We will protect this city and the people in it, even if we must give our lives!"

"Kondou-san—" Okita broke off, looking terrified at Kondou's wounded state.

"Please, Empress, do not surrender! We can still fight!"

"People are dying, Your Majesty!" cried another of the Empress's Consuls. Chizuru did not know his name, but he wore the same uniform as Itou and looked even more freaked out. Another lay on the ground holding his guts in his bloody hands.

Kodo laughed at Sen's conflict. "If you surrender, I can make it all stop!"

"Sen-chan!" Chizuru cried, daring to take a step forward.

Kodo narrowed his eyes at her approach, visibly tightening his grip on the empress. "You're killing her, girl. Let's go, Empress Sen, into the castle where we can discuss the specifics of your unconditional surrender."

With his dagger at her throat and inhuman strength locking her wrists, Kodo dragged Sen backward toward the doors of the castle The two surviving Consuls simpered and followed, along with a handful of furies. Kazama growled and attempted to make chase, but Takasugi appeared in his way in the blink of an eye, completely contradicting his earlier shambling movements. His fingers twitched and head jerked to the side sporadically, but then his arm shot out, and his hand grabbed the Shogun by his throat. He then slammed his body down into the ground, back hitting the cement with enough force to crack it. Even as Takasugi released him and joined Kodo, Kazama remained there, choking on blood.

Chizuru reluctantly ignored his plight in favor of chasing after Sen and Kodo, but the mad doctor's furies cut off her path. They lunged, forcing her to roll to the side and dodge their blades. Chizuru whipped back around with her sword drawn in an arc, completely severing the sword arm of one of the furies. The wound sizzled and turned black, much to Chizuru's surprise. She sliced at the fury again, gashing him across the chest, and hopped backward to put distance between them.

She expected the wound to regenerate, but it didn't. The gash sizzled like the one on his arm, and it turned black with rot. Through his torn clothes, Chizuru could see the fury's veins begin to also turn black in the areas near the two wounds. That fury was screaming in pain as it fell backward, flailing like mad. The others hurried after Kodo as Chizuru stabbed the fallen one in the heart.

That fury… it reacted to her katana as if it was hit by silver. Holding up her sword, Chizuru peered at the blade in wonder. Could it be…?

"Chizuru!"

With a jolt, she was brought back to reality. Turning toward Okita's voice, she saw him not far, still supporting the severely wounded Kondou. Chizuru held her blade to the side and hurried to them, her eyes frantically shooting between them both.

"Commander!" Chizuru said, eyes wide with fear.

"The bullet's still in him," Okita said. There was a slight tremble to his voice, but he remained calm on the outside. "We need to get him some help."

"N-no… Souji." Kondou reached up a shaky arm and took hold of Okita's kimono in a surprisingly tight grip. "You need to save the empress."

"Kondou-san—"

"Listen to me," Kondou interrupted, voice so weak and yet so firm and resolute. "I do not matter, but Empress Sen is the face of our country, of our home. She's just a girl, Souji. You must save her."

Okita looked with desperation to Kondou. "We can't get into the castle! They've barred the doors, and furies guard it. Not to mention that—that thing fighting Hijikata-san and the others! Please, Kondou-san, I have to get you to safety—"

"No, Souji. I will be fine, but the empress is being held hostage in there. There has to be a way inside, surely!"

Chizuru gasped at the odd sensation of déjà vu. Inspiration struck her like lightning, and her eyes went wide. "That's it! There is another way!"

Okita followed her line of thinking and frowned. "We'd never make it. If they see soldiers sneaking into the castle, they'll all come after us. We won't even make it to Kodo's furies."

"Then we won't go as soldiers," Chizuru said, grinning in spite of the situation. The sight of her smile seemed to catch Okita off-guard, for it was a rare moment when he was left momentarily speechless. "Trust me, Souji-san. I have an idea."

Okita hesitated, his eyes shifting toward Kondou, but the Commander gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Don't worry about me. Go with Yukimura-kun."

"Actually, Commander, you should come with us," Chizuru said. "You're severely wounded, and where we're going, there will be a place where you can rest and get treatment."

Okita quirked a brow. "Chizuru?"

She looked at him. "We need Kimigiku's help. It's the only way. Please, Souji-san."

He held her gaze for a time, and then he nodded. "Alright. Compromise, Kondou-san. You want us to save that little empress, we get to take you somewhere safe."

Kondou chuckled weakly. "It seems I have no choice."

Grinning again, Chizuru turned toward the main battle, where Hijikata was engaged with the abomination alongside Saito, Takeda, and a very annoyed Kazama. "Vice-Commander!"

Hijikata leapt back to create distance and glanced her way. "The hell do you want, Yukimura?"

"Come with us! We need your help!" When he looked reluctant, she put her hands on her hips in exasperation. "I have a plan!"

"Hijikata-san!" Nagakura's shout drew their attention to him, Harada, and Heisuke as they rushed into the fray to aid in the battle.

"We'll cover things here!" Harada shouted over the fighting. "Go with them and help!"

"Thank you, all of you!" Chizuru cried.

Heisuke gave her a thumbs up. "You can count on us! It's a man's promise."

Growling, Hijikata bashed his forehead into the skull of a walking corpse and used its subsequent staggering motion to slice his katana through the monster's neck. The metal on his forehead protector came away with a reddish black stain. He crossed over to join them, sheathing his sword and slinging Kondou's other arm over his shoulders so the Commander was using both Hijikata and Okita for support.

As they tried to make their way out of the courtyard, they were attacked by seemingly endless undead. For the most part, Chizuru was able to keep them off the trio, but just as she was about to be overwhelmed by their numbers, two familiar faces joined the fighting.

"Hachiro-kun! Ryunosuke-kun!"

Hachiro used his kodachi with only his right hand, his left still held in the sling. Chizuru suspected this was out of necessity rather than preference. Ryunosuke, however, held his katana in a stance signature to the Tennen Rishin-ryu Okita had been teaching and managed to thrust through two of the undead with one blow. His eyes went wide when he realized he'd stabbed both through the heart, and he squirmed as he tried to wrestle his katana free.

"Chizuru-chan, are you alright?" Hachiro asked, his green eyes meeting hers.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said honestly. "Just a few scrapes and bruises so far. Will you two come with us? I have an idea."

"We need your help to keep them off us while we assist Kondou-san," Hijikata said. "Can you do this Hachiro?"

Hachiro nodded slowly. "Yes… Toshi-san. I can still fight."

Ryunosuke finally managed to pull his sword out of his enemies and grimaced as the gore on the blade. "Okay, uh, lead the way."

Chizuru's brow rose. "You're not even going to ask me where we're going?"

He shrugged, amber eyes darting around for more enemies. "I've learned to stop asking and just go with the flow with you, Lieutenant."

Well, that works. "Alright, this way, come on!"

---

【新選組】

---

Yoshiwara was in as much chaos as the rest of the city. While the bulk of Kodo's forces were attacking the Shinsengumi officers at the castle, there were a few stragglers causing mayhem in the streets. Men in Shinsengumi uniforms, city guard attire, and even ronin were fighting against the undead and the occasional fury that terrorized the people.

The Yuuri Shinmachi came into view, familiar to Chizuru from the Battle of Edo-Cho. She hurried to the door and tried to open it, but it was stuck fast. "Damn, it's locked! Does anyone have a hairpin?"

Ryunosuke snorted. "Let me check. Oh that's right, I'm not an eight year old girl."

"Then why do you fight like one?" Okita drawled.

"Enough," Hijikata interrupted. "Hachiro, can you take Kondou-san's arm?"

"Sure."

Once Hachiro and Hijikata switched places, Hijikata tried the door. Seeing it was indeed locked, he braced himself and rammed his shoulder into it with enough force to break the flimsy lock. There were several frightened shrieks from the maikos inside.

"Please don't hurt us!"

"I don't want to die!"

"Calm down, all of you," said a serene, faintly recognizable voice. "They are not here to harm us." Kimigiku, the oiran who helped them before, stepped out in front of the matron and the other women with a calm grace. Despite the chaos going on outside, her hair was perfectly in place and makeup looked simply stunning. It was as if she were an otherworldly creature, with beauty like that.

"Kimigiku-san," Chizuru began, speaking quickly and with urgency. "Empress Sen has been taken hostage in the castle. They're pressuring her to surrender to save the city—"

"More like save their own skins," Ryunosuke grumbled.

"We need to sneak inside, but we can't do it as soldiers," Chizuru finished.

The oiran nodded slowly. "I understand, Mafuyu-san. If they are pressuring Her Ladyship to surrender, they will not take kindly to soldiers interrupting."

"They're cowards," Hijikata spat. "How did the government become this weak?"

"Privilege and entitlement," Hachiro replied. "They are worthless." The bitterness was back, and it made Chizuru's heart ache. She longed for the days when Hachiro smiled freely with her. Before he became disillusioned with the bakufu; before he lost the use of his left arm.

But Kimigiku was looking at her intently. "What can I do to assist the Shinsengumi?"

"Help Kondou-san," Okita said, before Chizuru could open her mouth. "He's been shot. He needs help, to rest, he needs—"

"I'm alright… Souji," Kondou said, but not unkindly, as seen through his weak smile. "Please do not worry about me. Just let me sit down for a while."

Okita and Hachiro slowly helped Kondou sit down on one of the plush cushions.

While they did that, Chizuru spoke to Kimigiku. "We need to get in there, and time is of the essence, but we can't alert anyone to who we are or the threat we pose. We need to be invisible as we hurry through those corridors. Kimigiku-san… I need you to disguise us as courtesans!"

In spite of the slack jawed looks Chizuru was getting from the men, Kimigiku nodded in understanding. "Yes, I thought that might be your plan. If done well, you will be able to use the secret passage into the castle without drawing any attention to yourselves.

Chizuru grinned with relief. "Exactly."

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?" Hijikata asked.

Ryunosuke looked downright disturbed. "Y-you want us to—to—"

Some of the old Hachiro showed through, especially when he glanced away with slight coloring to his cheeks. "Chizuru-chan, this is crazy…"

"Yeah, well, so is that!" Chizuru said, pointing at the outside through the broken door. "Those are monsters out of a nightmare killing people. And if rescuing Sen-chan isn't enough for you all, then think about this: Kodo said he was the only one who could call off the undead. Then he must have some sort of power over them. And where is Kodo now? With Sen-chan. Catch my drift?"

Ryunosuke groaned and buried his face in his hands. "No. No way. I can't!"

"Stop being such a baby, Ryunosuke," said Okita, surprising everyone. He gave Chizuru that exasperated smile he always did whenever she did something particularly ridiculous that he had to go along with. "Just shut up and take it like a man." He glanced at the blue-haired soldier with a smirk. "Or, well, you know."

Hijikata shot him a dubious look. "You're seriously going along with this, Souji?"

Okita shrugged. "I promised Kondou-san I'd save that little girl who calls herself Empress. And you said you'd help push Kondou-san to the top, by any means necessary. Were those just words, Hijikata-san? I'd put on a fucking chicken suit if I thought it would help Kondou-san."

The Vice-Commander openly scowled at him, but in the end, he closed his eyes and sighed. "So be it… if it's truly the only way." His eyes snapped open and leveled a glare on Chizuru. "But if word of this gets out, it's your head, Yukimura!"

Chizuru's eyes widened. "Y-yes, sir!"

"Oh man," Ryunosuke moaned. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Chuckling nervously, Chizuru turned to Hachiro, who had been the only one not to agree yet. "Hachiro-kun…?"

He rubbed the back of his neck with a mirthless smile. "I just can't say no to you."

"Alright!" said Chizuru. "Let's do this."

Kimigiku received help from three geisha and another oiran and, as quickly as possible, assisted the transformation to make Hijikata, Okita, Ryunosuke, and Hachiro look like women. They changed their clothes from hakama to lavish kimonos and helped hide their swords in the layers of their outfits. They styled their hair and pinned them up with a variety of clips and elaborate pins. Hijikata tried to draw the line at makeup, but Kimigiku insisted it was the only way to hide the masculinity of their faces.

Throughout this procedure, Chizuru sat on the sidelines with Kondou while the two of them tried very, very hard to press their lips together and not laugh. They succeeded, save for the occasional crack here and there.

"Something amusing, Chizuru-chan?" Okita asked, tilting his head with one of those snarky smiles that dared her to sass him. Even without makeup, he looked quite pretty in his red kimono, if a bit tall.

It took a while to find words with him leaning so close. "W-well, I was just, uh, th-the irony! Yes, I was, err, getting a little chuckle at the irony. All those times you helped me look like a man, and here you are dressing like a woman."

Okita looked dubious, especially since Kondou's lips were pressed so tight together that any idiot could tell the Shinsengumi Commander was trying to hold laughter in. He even started to pucker a bit, much to Okita's chagrin. Chizuru accidentally snickered, and even though she slapped her hands over her mouth, the damage was done. Okita's evil smile was pointed her way.

"Alright, Chizuru-chan," he said, his voice deceptively cheerful. "You can do my makeup."

"Wh-what?" she shrieked.

Hachiro, who was waiting his turn with the geisha who was currently applying paints to a very reluctant Ryunosuke, sent Okita a panicked look. "I wouldn't advise that, Souji-san. You'll look more like a kabuki actor if Chizuru-chan does your makeup."

Chizuru puffed up with pretend indignation. "No, he won't! I've watched Mother do makeup on herself and me countless times."

"I don't trust anyone but Chizuru-chan getting anywhere near my face," Okita stated matter-of-factly. His words made Chizuru's heart soar, and when he turned that playful gaze to her, she melted. "So come on then, Chi-zu-ru-chan," he teased, beckoning her with a finger. "Do mine, and then I'll do yours."

Pulled in like a puppet on strings, Chizuru gravitated to Okita and sat down on a stool opposite him. There was a vanity table beside the pair, stocked with supplies. On the list of things Chizuru would do before she died, helping disguise Okita as a woman had never even been a thought.

"Iba-san," called the geisha, her voice like birdsong out of habit. "If it pleases you, I am ready to begin."

"Of course," Hachiro politely replied.

"Who's the new girl?" Okita asked with that evil smile of his. "Oh wait, it's Ryunosuke."

Chizuru groaned at his mocking, a gesture made useless by the smile tugging on her lips. She looked over at Ryunosuke and cracked a bit, stopping her laughter by smacking her hands over her mouth and letting it escape in short breaths through her nose.

"Don't laugh!" Ryunosuke hollered, pointing an accusing finger her way. "This is all your fault!" His blue hair was the longest of them all, and it was pinned into a series of extravagant loops and twists. Paired with the striking makeup on his face and the sapphire silk kimono, he was one hell of a funny sight to behold.

"Oh~?" Okita said. "It's Chizuru-chan's fault you make such a convincing girl? I'm sure if he didn't know otherwise, Hijikata-san would be asking you to pour him sake right about now, or impressing you with his terrible haikus."

"Captain!" Ryunosuke exclaimed at the same time that Hijikata growled, "Souji!" But they came together when they added, "You bastard!"

Chizuru was certain Okita would have baited them further, but the moment was lost when Kondou finally started laughing. The maiko dressing his wound jumped at the sound, but Kondou smacked his knee, shoulders shaking and eyes creased with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry," he said, smiling as he dabbed his eyes after noticing everyone was watching him. "It's just, there was a time after Shingetsu Village where I thought I'd never see this again."

It was a rare moment to see Hijikata's face so full of emotion. "Kondou-san…"

"Don't mind me!" the Commander hastily added. "Please, go back to what you were doing."

Okita leveled Hijikata with a dark, murderous glare, but Chizuru felt no actual animosity from it. She knew right away that he was playing. "Hijikata-san, you nearly made Kondou-san cry. If it happens again, I'll have to kill you."

Hijikata's brow ticked, and he shot Okita an equally scary glower. "Normally, I'd tell you to put your sword where your mouth is, brat, but we're in a hurry. So shut up and get your makeup on!"

"I can't wait to see what a pretty courtesan you make," Okita sneered.

But Kondou was laughing again, and in spite of the craziness going on outside, Chizuru could tell that Okita was happy.

"Nervous?" he asked when he turned to her.

"Not anymore," she replied honestly. She took a steady, calming breath and set to work.

---

【新選組】

---

Standing outside the secret door into Edo Castle with four members of the Shinsengumi dressed like courtesans was the most surreal experience of Chizuru's life, but there you have it.

Chizuru also had to get dressed up, but the process went considerably faster with her, as she could do most of it herself, though Okita did make good on his insistence to do her makeup. Overall, he didn't do too bad, but Chizuru didn't mind either way. She didn't have to have perfect makeup, just passable. Before they left, Kimigiku assured the Shinsengumi that she would continue to look after Kondou and treat his wounds to the best of her ability.

Hijikata had been part of the original team along with Saito to infiltrate the castle this way, back during the Battle of Edo-Cho, so he was able to successfully guide their group to the passage's location. They entered through a sliding panel in the wall and traveled down a long, dark corridor illuminated only by the torch Hijikata carried. He abandoned it once they emerged on the other side in an interior hallway of the castle.

"Where will the Empress be?" Ryunosuke asked.

"The throne room, perhaps," Hachiro suggested. "Or another room near the front entrance, so they wouldn't have had to go far."

"Or somewhere with a view," said Okita, picking at a stray thread on his deep red kimono.

Hijikata's eyes lit up. "To make a statement. He wants an audience, but doesn't want to be interrupted." He probably looked the most feminine, of the four of them, especially with his violet kimono that matched the color of his eyes. It had a floral pattern that was quite pretty.

Hachiro met the Vice-Commander's gaze. "The balcony."

They headed for the stairs, Chizuru steadily matching their pace. All of the men looked silly, though it was mostly because Chizuru knew who they were. To an outsider, they probably did look like women, thanks to the fine work of the ladies of Yoshiwara. But there was no doubt they were men, if one got close enough to get a good look at them, so Chizuru knew they couldn't dawdle for long in one place or draw too much attention.

Servants gave them puzzled if not disgusted looks, but none tried to stop them. A few palace guards watched them as they walked by. Chizuru wanted to die when Okita winked at one of them, and the guard blushed and hid his face from view.

When at last they reached the upper level, they found two furies standing guard outside the doors to the grand balcony. It made sense. This was where important announcements were made that needed to be addressed to crowd of people. If Kodo wanted others to hear Sen's surrender, this would be the place.

"Can I take this nasty stuff of my face now?" Ryunosuke whispered.

"Ugh, fine," Chizuru whispered back, slowly drawing her sword. She didn't particularly care what she looked like, as long as she could fight. With the edge of the Arai Shakku blade, she sliced open two slits in her white kimono to allow her legs more movement. Once that was done, she looked up to see the men frantically wiping at their faces.

She couldn't help it; she laughed. The sound drew the attention of the furies, even as she covered her mouth. Chizuru smiled apologetically as Hijikata sent her a baleful glower. With makeup smudged across his face, he looked like a cheap prostitute as he drew his sword and charged for the furies.

That thought had her cracking up, even as she Okita ran past her to take on the other fury. Still chortling, she fell into step at his side and ducked when he lunged. The fury screeched when Okita's blade dove into its chest, just barely missing the heart due to its jerky movements. Its arm twitched, and Chizuru kicked up her leg to push Okita's sword out of the fury by the dull side. Then they twisted together, teamwork flawless, as Okita swung his katana in a horizontal slice and severed the fury's head from its body. It fell in a twitching lump and crumbled to dust.

Chizuru pushed off of Okita and drew her dagger, launching it at top speed into the other fury's head. It growled uselessly with the tanto sticking out of its neck, but Hijikata took the opportunity to slice downward through its skull until it, too, fell apart on the floor.

Chizuru retrieved her tanto and tucked it back into her sash. She looked over the men, their faces ready despite still having some lingering traces of makeup. With a nod, she followed Hijikata to the doors and stepped back as he and Okita combined their strength to kick them open.

On the other side, Sen gasped at the sight of them. Itou was clustered with a gaggle of terrified politicians in fancy dress, but Kodo stood near Sen with an angry glower on his face. There were three furies inside, two hovering by the government officials and Itou, and one—Takasugi—who stood protectively near Kodo.

"Damned Shinsengumi," Kodo muttered. "You just keep interfering. Takasugi!" He made a click in his throat, and Takasugi vanished on the spot.

The tall fury reappeared behind Hijikata and slammed both fists into the back of the Vice-Commander's head. Hijikata was thrown to the ground by the force, but Okita moved in front of him to block Takasugi's next attack. He struggled against the sheer weight and pressure of Takasugi's enhanced strength, but Okita did not relent in protecting Hijikata while the Vice-Commander regained his senses.

"Hachiro-kun," Okita ground out. "Ryunosuke. Get the Empress."

"R-right!" said Ryunosuke.

Hachiro hesitated, but nodded to Okita and strode toward Sen with Ryunosuke. The two furies previously standing near the politicians squealed with delight when Hijikata coughed up blood. They chanted for it, "Blood, blood, blood!" and wobbled toward Hijikata with clawing fingers.

Chizuru moved in between them in a flash, sword drawn and slicing through their wrists to sever their arms at varying lengths. They shrieked as their stumps sizzled and burned, the flesh turning black wherever her katana touched.

Hijikata's eyes widened. "Yukimura, that sword—"

Chizuru flung the blood from her blade and lunged forward, stabbing into the leftmost fury. She pushed off of him with her foot and swung her arms with the momentum to slice her katana through the neck of the other one. She only made it about halfway before her strength gave out, so she let go of her sword and brought out her dagger, driving it blade first up through the fury's open mouth.

Blood splattered across her white kimono, and at the same time, both furies fell to the ground and crumbled to dust. Chizuru stood there, breathing heavily, her hair in disarray and adrenaline coursing through her veins.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and she ducked down just in time to avoid Ryunosuke's body as he was literally flung in her direction. He crashed into the balcony wall, breaking a piece of the woodwork. He groaned and held his head, disoriented.

"Ryunosuke-kun!" she screamed, beelining for him before anything else could happen to him. When she blinked, she saw a flash of Monimi, saw what happens when a warrior hesitates in battle.

This time, she did not hesitate, her hand to her kodachi, the only remaining weapon in her arsenal. Okita and Hijikata were stuck fighting Takasugi, the enhanced fury giving even the pair of them a hard time. But Hachiro was alone against Kodo, standing protectively in front of Sen despite the fact that he only had the use of his right arm.

"Stand aside, boy," Kodo said, looking decidedly unimpressed by Hachiro's presence. "You don't stand a chance."

"That doesn't matter," said Hachiro, his green eyes never faltering. "I won't let you hurt her."

"You can't protect her with one arm." Kodo smirked at the anger in Hachiro's expression. "What, you think I can't see it? I'm a doctor. So drop the bluff and get out of my way."

"I will protect her!" Hachiro hissed. "Even if it costs me everything that I am."

Sen's hands flew over her open mouth, her eyes wide as Hachiro defended her. "Iba-san…"

"Don't worry," he said, not looking back at her. "I won't let him have you."

Taking one last fleeting glance at Ryunosuke to make sure he was okay and sitting out of the fight, Chizuru ran for the pile of dust, reached inside for her tanto, and pulled it out by the hilt. She turned the sharp edge down and roared as she charged. Just as she stabbed with her dagger, Kodo twisted and dodged, his movements supernaturally fast. It was just like fighting Kaoru, but where Kaoru was impatient and rash, Kodo was calm and collected. He didn't let the heat of battle get to him and dodged every one of Chizuru's attacks without ever having to draw a weapon, not that he had one. She saw no sign of a sword on his person, only the disconcerting visage of a demon with yellow eyes.

A sudden cheering from down below distracted them from their fight. With inhuman speed, Kodo rushed to the balcony and looked down. Chizuru did, too, gasping to see that Kazama and the Shinsengumi captains had managed to defeat the giant abomination. One leg was severed completely, and Saito had somehow split its skull down the middle to its missing nose where blood, bone, and brain matter oozed in a slimy mess.

The people were cheering below, the warriors embracing each other or taking out a few remaining undead. They were shouting for victory.

Kodo snarled monstrously. He rounded on Hijikata, eyes blazing like molten gold, and wrapped his fingers around the Vice-Commander's throat. "Damn you Shinsengumi!" he snarled. "You've ruined everything at Shingetsu—"

He broke off when Chizuru's dagger hit him in the head. The tanto fell to the floor in a clatter, but Kodo's eyes snapped to her.

"No!" Chizuru said. She pulled back her hair reminiscent to the style she wore as a boy. "That was me. I caused the explosion that destroyed your army in Shingetsu Village."

Kodo's eyes blazed with a vengeance as he uncaringly dropped Hijikata to the floor. He stalked toward Chizuru, who stepped back and frantically glanced for her katana, still covered by a pile of fury ashes. That brief distraction was enough for Kodo to get close to her, and he slapped her so hard, she saw stars before even hitting the ground.

"You," he growled. "I know you. You're the Shinigami that killed Kaoru. You little bitch…!"

He pulled his own dagger, the one he'd used to threaten Sen before. As he lunged, Chizuru saw a flash of a red kimono, and then Okita stood in front of her, his katana sticking out through Kodo's back. The mad doctor gaped, stunned, his own dagger stuck in Okita's arm where he'd blocked. The blade had gone clean through to the hilt, but though his arm was shaking, Okita did not let go. He gritted his teeth and pushed forward, shoving his katana further into Kodo's chest.

Blood welled up in the doctor's mouth, coloring his teeth red while he growled and tried to pull free. Just then, Takasugi's stitched up arm knocked Okita off his feet and separated him from his sword. He crashed into the ground and rolled with the momentum, his arm taking Kodo's dagger with him.

Panicked, Chizuru ran to cover Okita and drew her kodachi. Like her katana, it was made by Arai Shakku and was the partner to her normal weapon. Hoping it shared the same effectiveness, she raised the sword to meet Takasugi's patchwork arms as he brought them down upon her head. Chizuru held her blade horizontally, bracing the dull side against her free hand to push the blade upward into Takasugi's arms at the same time that he swung down. The kodachi dug into his meaty wrists, sizzling and turning flesh and veins black like deadly poison. Takasugi stumbled back, his wrists spurting black blood, but as he opened his mouth, no scream came out, just a horrible squeaky, cracking sound like bones grating on each other.

Kodo slowly pulled Okita's sword from his chest, breathing heavily as the wound began to seal itself closed. Chizuru charged, but Takasugi flashed in her way, barreling into her and knocking the wind out of her as she tumbled to the ground. They both rolled, and when they came to a stop, she felt his gnarled hand wrap around her ankle and yank her toward him.

Kodachi still in hand, Chizuru roared a battle cry and plunged the silver kodachi straight into Takasugi's forehead. The force of his tug had given her extra momentum, so the blade went straight through the fury's skull and out the other side, stopped only by the kodachi's guard. Takasugi opened and closed his mouth, still making that grinding, clicking sound, and then collapsed to the floor in a twitching mess of flesh and fury ash.

"No!" Kodo growled. "I won't let it end this way!" He lunged, not for Chizuru or Okita, but for Sen.

The Empress did not scream, not this time. She stood her ground, eyes flashing yellow, but right before Kodo could reach her, the doors behind them burst open once more.

To everyone's surprise, it was Sakamoto Ryouma and Shiranui Kyo on the other side. The former was dressed in western attire and looked to be in far better condition than he had when last they met. Shiranui, on the other hand, looked exactly as he had at Edo-Cho, all snarky grins and laid-back confidence.

They stood back-to-back, arms stretched out on either side with a revolver in their hands. Without saying a single word, they pulled back the hammers on their guns and squeezed the triggers, repeating the motions until they both had fired every single round available in their revolvers, judging by the way they clicked when fired after the bullets ran out.

The mad doctor, now riddled with holes that sizzled and turned black all throughout his body, fell forward to his knees. "No…!" he rasped. "My ambitions… for demon… kind…"

With that, he crumbled to dust.

The battle was won.

---

【新選組】

---

TK: Just picture Sakamoto Ryouma and Shiranui Kyo standing back to back with sunglasses on while they unload a stream of bullets into Kodo from matching handguns. If that isn't certified gangster, I don't know what is.

A long time ago, a few of you begged for a scene where the guys dress up like concubines (like in Mulan), so I threw in a little flourish there, last minute, just for you lot.

Another quick disclaimer, the lockpick/hairpin interaction was inspired by an episode of Friends.

Bonus OkiChi Recommendation:

An Unearned Gift by Eliz1369 (Modern AU with an exciting plot, tantalizing romance, and everyone is perfectly in character.)

Next Chapter: "Rebellious Resolution" – In which our heroine's fate is decided, and loose ends are tied. (This will be the final chapter.)