Chapter Twenty One: Battle at Nori Creek

"They say if a man kills enough, he will become a demon."

Yuu Sugitani drew his sword from its sheath, rotating his wrist so that it pin-wheeled gracefully at his side.

"From the looks of it…you have been very busy, my friend." He observed.

Okita sucked in his cheek, silently contemplating the various deaths he could impose on the assassin.

The Rasetsu curse was heady and impatient. It compelled him to approach Yuu in a maelstrom of steel, but he willed himself to be in control of his impulses…for now, anyway.

Adopting his customary charm, the trickster swordsman evaluated his opponent.

"Are you telling me you believe in superstition?" He taunted.

"Hardly," said Yuu. "But when I look at you…it is hard not to imagine the possibility."

He strolled left as Okita strolled right. Their steps were deliberate and slow. A game of cat and mouse; though, one would be hard-pressed to determine who was the cat and who was the mouse in this particular situation. The captain studied his enemy, wondering if Yuu spent as much time with his swordplay as he did with his freakish ensemble. The paint creased at his eyes and mouth, alluding to old age, but there was a noticeable fluidity to his movements.

The reaper's blade might be dangling casually at his side, but his footsteps were spring-loaded for an attack.

Okita remained cautious.

"Thirty years I have been in the business of killing, and you are the first swordsman to ever catch me off guard." Yuu confessed.

"Is that so?" Okita replied, arching a brow. "Well then, let me respond by sharing that you are the first man I have ever flung off a horse."

The assassin's eyes slivered.

"I do hope you are as dangerous as you appear, Okita-san. It would be disappointing to fight you…only to kill you within seconds."

"You seem confident."

"I'm Ryōshu no Satsujin." He stated vainly. "I've been a demon long before you could pick up a sword, boy."

"Now that I doubt." Okita argued. "I've earned my damnation. Unlike you, Reaper-san, I'm not above dirtying my hands."

"You think I'm a coward?"

"Only a coward lets an arrow do his dirty work."

"What?" Yuu scowled, openly perplexed.

Okita's eyes betrayed him. They flickered briefly to Kondou who was still ensconced within Senhime's shield with the others. The assassin followed his gaze, and upon seeing the source of Okita's concern, he hummed in understanding.

"Oh...I see." He leered. "You're upset that I didn't accept your commander's challenge. My…how touching."

Okita glared by way of response.

"You are young." Yuu pointed out. "When you get to be my age, you start to become…selective in the blood you shed." He murmured, choosing his words carefully. "A novice will cut down anything in their path, but a true master attenuates quantity to quality."

The Rasetsu madness seared underneath Okita's skin, intensifying his anger tenfold. The insult was sharp enough to slice his insides, making the captain hiss in vehemence. No one ever insulted Kondou Isami in the presence of Okita Souji. It was the only provocation powerful enough to shatter his control.

Lucky for him, it just in time.

He could hear Hijikata uttering the final mandate, as Senhime released the barrier. Those hidden behind the shield leapt into action, filling Okita with a sense of urgency. He lifted his sword, letting fingers dust the polished surface. Angling the blade in his customary stance, he bestowed the Red Demon with a parting smile.

"Prepare to die, old man."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Across the road in the dense evergreen canopy, kunoichi and demoness moved swiftly through the branches, taking turns eliminating threats from above.

"Senhime-sama, we are in serious trouble." Kimigiku fretted as she shoved an archer off a branch in a cloud of pine needles. He released a piercing scream before disappearing into the brush, his bow and arrows descending along with him.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Kimigiku pulled her daggers free from the pine and fixed her charge with piercing violet eyes.

"What we're doing right now…it's in direct violation of the code." She warned.

Senhime sailed through the air, landing on another unsuspecting scout with as much fervor as a hawk. Delivering a power kick to his abdomen, the demoness sent the scout spiraling to the ground.

"Yes, yes, I know!" She huffed distractedly.

"And yet we're doing it anyway? What about your family? What about the elders? This could bring dishonor to the Gozen Clan!"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Doesn't matter?!"The kunoichi griped. "May I remind you that this could propagate banishment from your own line of succession? This alliance with the Shinsengumi could diminish your birthright, milady. Is that what you want?"

"I mentioned an alliance, Kimi-chan, but not with the Shinsengumi." Senhime amended. "To your right!"

"What?"

"Your right! Quick!"

Kimigiku caught sight of an archer tucked into the leaves trying to shoot soldiers from his perch. Using the end of her branch as leverage, she grabbed the end and swung her body to the right. One dagger to the throat, and the archer ceased his firing immediately.

Kimigiku soaked in the face of the man she just killed and frowned.

"Each human life we take is crime." She stated. "My people will follow your orders, but to what end? You are putting yourself at risk."

Senhime landed on the branch beside her, breathing laboriously.

It was hard scaling trees in samurai armor.

"Look, I know you are only trying to protect me, but we've got to think bigger. There is a demon war about to be unleased on humanity and it has fallen on us to stop it." Senhime forced between breaths. She brought a hand to her face and blocked an arrow. Outraged, Kimigiku flung a dagger into the canopy and caught the assailant, nailing him to the tree.

"The Gozen Clan will support the Yukimura heir." Senhime resumed, unfazed. "If said 'heir' happens to be wedded to the Shinsengumi, so be it. She is the Warden of the East. If we are to overcome her kin's hunger for world domination, it has to be through Chizuru."

"But will the elders recognize her claim?"

The kunoichi's stare was unrelenting.

"As far as they're concerned, Chizuru is a threat." Kimigiku elaborated. "This fact was made painfully clear when we returned to the estate without her."

Recalling the tumultuous manner in which they were escorted back to the Gozen fortress, the demoness suppressed her sudden bout of frustration.

"They thought I would be able to convince her to come with us," Senhime acknowledged unhappily.

"But now she has bonded herself to a human. And a samurai at that." The kunoichi sighed. "For a pureblood to be in league with a human faction…this is not going to bode well, milady."

"Which is precisely why I am declaring my allegiance," responded Senhime, as she returned the kunoichi's hardened gaze. "The elders may revoke my rule as clan head, but that does not erase the fact that I am Suzuka Gozen's heir. They shouldn't be surprised by this. My family has always had a natural compassion for humans."

Kimigiku furrowed her brows.

"Demon law is unforgiving though. Word will spread of the Yukimura Clan's dissention and Chizuru will be the one to pay for her family's dishonor. The council could motion to have her eliminated." She speculated, voicing the evils that Senhime foresaw in her own mind. "Even if she does regain control of the Yukimura Clan, her bond to the oni-fukuchou will work against her. She will be perceive as a disgrace."

Senhime weighed the possibility with growing concern.

"I brought her into this mess, Kimi-chan." She said, bracings hands on her hips. "I did it without realizing the consequences. If Chizuru had remained oblivious, she could have been spared the political intrigue. But I insisted, and now she's become an integral part of a problem much larger than Kazama. As her mentor, it is my responsibility to protect her…even if it means protecting her from her own kind."

Senhime dropped her gaze to the forest floor where discord bloomed in the shadows. Catching sight of a familiar white-blond head, the demoness watched as Chizuru rushed into combat. She was swift and sleek without a trace of hesitation marring her pale features.

The ergonomic quality of her Akuma no Sukin combined with the power of her ancestral blade gave Chizuru a vast advantage over her opponents. She was more agile, instinctive, focused… Even now, her golden eyes were trained on her target, as Tsundora trailed behind her like a comet's tail.

The sight of her prowess erased Senhime's doubts.

"Chizuru may be vulnerable, but she is not weak." She said with a flickering glance at the kunoichi.

She motioned down below and watched in satisfaction as astonishment broke through the kunoichi's pessimism. Kimigiku observed Chizuru with rapt attention.

"That is our Warden of the East." Senhime intoned in a low voice. "That is the Yukimura Clan's salvation. She has what it takes to stop this war, and I am willing to risk anything to help her."

Kimigiku studied the severity of Senhime's expression before uttering a long suffering sigh.

"Well then…we better get started." She said with a sour grin. "Royal heirs aren't reinstated overnight."

. . . . . . . . . . .

Fighting in demon form was effortless, thought Chizuru as she wove her way through ronin soldiers.

Sprinting beside Hijikata, she kept her focus trained on the four horsemen who continued launching arrows into the crowd. She found it was better to hone in on her target, rather than be distracted with everything else around her. Adrenaline mixed with hyperactive senses presented Chizuru with her first challenge: maintaining her concentration.

A familiar metallic scent filled the air, and she recognized it as killing intent. It was heavily overshadowed by the acrid fragrance of pine and Hijikata's own blend of bergamot and lavender. Still, the vapors stung her nostrils. Chizuru adopted breathing through her mouth and kept her focus straight ahead, letting everything else blur in her periphery.

She could see that the horsemen were similarly dressed like the skeleton assassin; though, their faces were akin to demon masks rather than skulls. Each man was brushed in varying shades of black and white with unnatural curling smiles painted on their cheeks. Members of Yuu Sugitani's posse, she had to guess.

Her golden eyes picked up the flaky grease paint coating their faces, and discovered that the minute detail somehow diminished their ferocity.

They were fake.

She was real.

Chizuru held on to the thought for reassurance, as she rushed straight into battle.

Hijikata dodged an attack, flinging steel to his left. She perceived his movements almost before they happened. His torso curled for a blocking stroke, wind catching his hair and sleeves, and she heard the delicate whorl of his blade.

Sliding into an abrupt halt, she covered his back as he dispatched the attacker. His body moved so quickly, it nearly threw her off, but her footing was solid. Taking a knee to the ground, she side-stepped Hijikata's sword and deflected the attack from a second ronin. Tsundora screeched against his polished blade. The ronin faltered from it unnatural blue, but braced himself for another advance.

Hijikata and Chizuru rotated, switching places with one another so that the oni-fukuchou could stop the ronin and she could stop the arrows flying in their direction. Chizuru didn't need to hear them hissing through the air. She just knew. Flicking a wrist, a panel of crystal formed overhead and she let it shatter into an explosion large enough to keep assailants at bay.

The lieutenant was successful in cutting down the ronin. The body collapsed to the forest floor, but not without a gory spray of blood. Droplets spattered across his face, but he was undeterred. Clearing his sword of the gore, he angled it close to his body.

"Let's go," he ordered, beckoning to her with his free hand.

They were off again, moving like one entity.

Shadowing a Shinsengumi cavalryman, they raced through the chaos. Shinobi and ronin were everywhere, but it was easy to recognize the powder blue of their comrades. Most of them had fanned out to disarm the circle of cutthroats, which left those on foot within range of the archers. The quicker Chizuru and Hijikata eliminated the bowmen – the better.

Chizuru was lunged at from the side. Her attacker swung his sword downwards while swiping his sheath along her heels. Reflexively, she twisted out of the attack and managed to parry with the side-step, upward thrust combo she has learned from Senhime. But the man, being heavily built, used his weight to overwhelm her as he pressed downwards.

Everything happened so fast.

Running her blade to the hilt of his sword, she squatted low and upturned his katana, freeing herself from the pressure. Her body knew what to do before she could even collect her thoughts. As he lunged forward for a counterattack, she angled Tsundora and ran the edge of it along the man's side, splitting flesh.

The ronin staggered a few steps before he stumbled to the ground.

Chizuru didn't dare watch. He was the eleventh person to fall victim to her sword, but it was no less shocking than her first. Suppressing her feelings of bewilderment, she moved to rejoin Hijikata who was ensnared in his own obstacle. Two ronin were attempting to cut down the Shinsengumi cavalryman with Hijikata caught in the crossfire.

Chizuru picked up a discarded dagger lying on the ground, calculated the short distance with her golden eyes, and launched the object into the air. It found purchase in the shoulder blade of the ronin furthest from the lieutenant, making it easy for him to eliminate the other.

Ripping his sword clean of the enemy, Hijikata whipped around and stared at Chizuru.

"We're moving too slow," she said as she flanked his side.

She was breathing heavily, beads of sweat forming on her brow.

The Demon Vice Commander parted his lips to respond, but there was no time for conversing. More enemies had blocked their path. An arrow struck the Shinsengumi soldier, dragging him to the forest floor as his charger spooked. Someone shouted across the clearing, but it was difficult for Chizuru to make out who. She was presently staring into several dangerous faces with only Hijikata at her back.

She counted six.

Six ronin with their blades angled at her nose.

She eyed them warily.

It would be unwise to deplete her chikara on these cutthroats. Risking too much at the beginning of the fight would forfeit her leverage too early - a risk she could not afford. Chizuru would have to save the Three Deadly Virtues in favor of pure battle dexterity. She was confident in her ability with Tsundora, especially now that it was back in her possession, but she wondered if the connection between herself and Hijikata was similarly fortified.

She could feel his emotions just as she could with Tsundora, but his were far less intuitive and articulated. If she had to liken it to something, she would say it was like experiencing an additional weight on her conscious. Given the fact that he was a free living being and not an inanimate object, Chizuru could understand the complexity, but still…it worried her.

How would their bond effect each other?

If she depleted too much chikara, would it harm him too?

There's only one way to find out, she thought grimly.

Hijikata withdrew about a step, letting his back press flush against hers.

"Did Senhime ever show you what to do when you are surrounded?" He intoned low enough for only her ears.

"Yes," she responded, recalling the illusions the demoness had cast to test her resolve in a difficult situation. She had performed the maneuver to its perfection when she was pitted up against Kaoru's Rasetsu fleet. She discovered that Tsundora had a particular knack for evasive strategy.

But that was a single person maneuver. Having a partner drastically changed the form. If she and Hijikata did not stay in perfect synchronization, they could risk killing each other in the process.

Chizuru squelched her doubt.

She was just going to have to trust herself.

Shifting her hands along the hilt of her demon blade, Chizuru raised her arms and angled it upwards.

Hijikata did the same, but angled his downwards.

"On the count of three," he whispered.

"One…."

"Two…" she breathed.

"Three!" They cried out in unison as they fell into action.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Hachiro, NO!" Kondou shouted as he watched his second-in-command get shot by an arrow. The weapon lodged itself deep into his neck unmercifully. Stunned by the impact, Hachiro slipped off his horse and fell into shadow. The sight threw Kondou in a state of agony that further compounded as he witnessed Hijikata and Chizuru be surrounded by the enemy.

"Kondou-san, this way. Hurry! Quick!" Inoue ushered the Head Commander from outside the fight. They had a small window of opportunity to escape amid the chaos. The moment the barrier evaporated, mounted Shinsengumi sprang upon the ronin foot soldiers in a collective effort to create a distraction.

Kondou; however, remained rooted to the spot.

"You heard Hijikata. We have to leave now," urged Yamazaki.

Still, the Commander refused to budge.

"I can't." He said.

"What?" Inoue and Yamazaki said in accord.

"I said 'I can't'." Kondou repeated, clenching his jaw. "No…I won't."

Leave the fight? How could they expect him to abandon his men? His men?

Still wracked with guilt, Kondou watched the violent display in horror.

Okita was pitted alone against Yuu Sugitani. The Red Demon assailed him in an onslaught of advances, forcing Okita to match his pace. The two were a black and white blur with their swords the only thing illuminated by the red sun. The Ochimizu drug had erased Okita's injuries, giving him ferocity unmatched by any human, but Kondou knew that it was his own endangerment that spurred the captain to condemn himself to a life of bloodlust and madness.

Several feet from the duel, Hijikata and Chizuru were caught in a deadlock with a group of ronin.

Simultaneously twisting, blocking, and attacking, the two made a fearsome duo. One moved and the other reacted, creating the perfect balance of offense and defense. Hijikata was power and strength; whereas, Chizuru was speed and agility. Their harmonization baffled Kondou.

Hijikata was a highly skilled swordsman. For Chizuru to be matching his pace…well, to say he was awestruck would be an understatement. But while their dynamism was unquestionable, their ronin enemies held no qualms in attacking as a collective force. In order to increase their resistance, Chizuru had to use her sheath as Hijikata withdrew his short sword. They were lost to the dance, fighting for survival.

Senhime and Kimigiku had melted into the trees, but the Commander watched as their shinobi warriors turned themselves into human shields. Intercepting ronin attacks on behalf of the Shinsengumi, they were able to bolster the convoy's defensive measures as they charged into the forest. Any soldiers that were grounded found solace under the steady stream of shinobi arsenal.

Kondou felt lost.

It wasn't in his nature to flee. His place was at the center of discord, fighting alongside his men. To abandon them for the sake of his own skin…this was the part of leadership that Kondou could not condone. It seemed too cowardly and self-serving.

The Head Commander nudged his horse forward.

"Kondou-san, what are you doing?" Yamazaki asked anxiously.

"I will not run away, Yamazaki-san. Step aside," he ordered.

The Shinsengumi spy moved to block his path.

"Commander," he intoned slowly, "I understand how you feel. Trust me, I know. But if you rush into the fight, then everything we have risked in coming here, everything we are risking right now, will be for nothing."

"I will not run away like a coward," Kondou fumed. "Step aside!"

"Kondou-san, you are our leader. Try to understand. We are nothing without you!" Yamazaki rebounded with a worried look. "If we lose you, the Shinsengumi is lost. Your subordinates can always be replaced, but not you!"

"Think of the men, Kondou-san," Inoue offered softly. "Do you want their deaths to be for nothing?"

Kondou didn't want to think, he wanted to fight. He wanted to avenge Lord Shin and Hachiro. He wanted to express his rage at being betrayed by Itou. He wanted to give himself over to his primal impulses, and loose himself in battle just like everyone else.

But Inoue's words shot through his turbulent thoughts, acting as a sedative. Peering at the kind-faced swordsman, Kondou found himself seeing past the hatred…He began to remember himself.

The answer to Inoue's questions was painfully simple.

"Yamazaki…Inoue…let's go," he consented, dropping his brow in shadow.

Reining his horse away from the fight, he pressed his heels into its flanks and took off at a gallop.

Yamazaki and Inoue followed fast behind.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"What's the matter? Feeling a little tired, Reaper-san?"

Okita flicked his sword clean of blood and watched the mercenary struggle opposite him. Yuu's face was crumpled into a grimace, but it was out of pretense. The trickster swordsman had discovered that the assassin's fighting style was just as corrupt as his soul. Yuu had a penchant for charades. He was a slippery swordsman with open stances full of traps.

Okita felt the consequence of one such trap. An open wound along the ridge of his cheekbone bled freely. A rivet of blood travelled into the hem of his green collar underneath his breastplate, but it was sweat for all he was concerned. His body was numb to the pain. Lulled into a state of ecstasy, it burned with the need to kill, thus all other sensations were annulled.

"Heh…impressive." Yuu swiped the blood pooling at the corner of his mouth, making it red. "But I'm just getting warmed up."

Okita's smirk darkened.

"Oh good…Me too."

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Hijikata, I can get a clear shot if you spot me."

Chizuru pulled her sword free from a nearby tree and let her enemy sink to the dirt. His body thrashed unnaturally from the pain of his injuries, but she ignored his agony.

"We're too vulnerable." Hijikata disagreed.

They were standing in the remains of their would-be killers, shaky and exhausted. The lieutenant had incurred a host of scratches, but Chizuru's demon power was already repairing the abused flesh.

Glancing at Chizuru, he found her equally battered, but she was already concentrating on the two remaining archers on horseback.

"I can do it." She reaffirmed.

Hijikata followed her gaze and hesitated.

"It's too big of a risk."

"I can do it."

"Chizuru."

"Hijikata, just trust me." She implored.

He fixed her with a cold look, but realized it was a moot point.

She had already proven to him that she was highly capable whether he was ready to acknowledge it or not.

"Fine." He said.

Moving like silk, Hijikata shadowed her left. Angling his wakazashi so that it acted as a shield at her side, he brandished his katana in preparation for an attack. Chizuru returned her own short sword to its scabbard and threaded it through her sash.

"What are you doing?!" He asked, alarmed.

"Shhh…I have to concentrate."

Chizuru clasped her hands together in prayer, and Hijikata found the sight perplexing.

Closing her eyes, she manifested an eerie blue glow that concentrated between her palms. Drawing her hands slowly apart, she revealed a perfectly formed sphere. It pulsated, growing brighter and brighter with every second she cradled it with her fingers. Content with its potency, she reeled back on her right foot, twisted her body, and coiled for a pitch.

"Watch your ears," she warned, "this will be loud."

As it dawned on Hijikata what she was about to do, he quickly moved to stop her. But it was too late. She tossed the blue orb into the air and let it smash against the base of a nearby tree, erupting into a powerful explosion. The two remaining bowmen fell victim to its impact, evaporating into the great flash of light.

Chizuru had covered her face with an arm to protect it from the intensity of the blast, but before she could peek at her handiwork, Hijikata snatched her arm and tugged her harshly to the side. Their footing was encumbered with bodies strewn across the road. Hijikata was forced to jump, dragging Chizuru behind him just in time for the ancient pine to come crashing down onto the road. A dust cloud of pine needles, tree bark, and cones saturated the air, making it impossible to see.

Hijikata grunted as his back met the harsh earth. A heavy weight fell on top of him, knocking the air from his lungs, and he could feel the layered panels of Chizuru's metal dou pressing into his ribcage. Blinking back the dust, he peered through the disarray and found her coughing.

"Are you out of your mind?" He reprimanded, still clutching onto her arm.

"Sorry…," she groaned, "I didn't think I'd bring the whole tree down."

"Impulsive…" Hijikata gritted out.

She fixed him with defensive golden eyes, preparing herself for a rebuttal, but faltered when she found him peering at her with mild approval. His expression was caught between irritation and amusement if such a thing were possible. It caused Chizuru to pause. There were so many words hidden behind those lavender eyes of his, but he needn't utter a sound. His expression was enough to make her flush.

Chizuru thought she caught the slightest metallic tinge in his irises, but it was fleeting and infinitesimal.

His hand grew soft on her arm. A tender caress that burned through her sleeve. Chizuru took note of the scandalous manner in which her body pressed against his, and for a moment forgot about the fighting. Instead, she soaked in the specks of blood, smooth skin, and ferocious disarray of her pairbond. Hijikata was never more beautiful, and Chizuru never felt more alive than in that single moment.

But like all wonderful things, it ended much too soon.

Hijikata grabbed her by the waist and shoved her aside just in time to stab his katana into a ronin who had his sword descending fast over their heads. Rolling out of the way of the man's dead weight, Hijikata seized her and pulled her back onto her feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes," she replied, but held onto his arm for support. The stunt with the crystal sphere had drained her more than she had anticipated. Or perhaps it was her exhaustion finally catching up to her. Either way, it was a cause for concern. If she kept fighting, her condition would only continue to deteriorate.

Hijikata must have already reached this conclusion. He glanced around for any signs of immediate danger, and was relieved to see that the worst was over. Kondou has successfully escaped the fight, and the ronin numbers had dwindled significantly. Even now, Okita had the Red Demon trapped against the rocky outcrop of the road.

Hijikata watched as the captain approached the man slowly, uttering his final words before plunging his katana straight through Yuu's stomach. The assassin cried out in pain, but grew silent the moment Okita ripped his sword out.

The Rasetsu stood solemn.

Ryōshu no Satsujin, assassination extraordinaire, was dead.

Hijikata placed a firm hand on Chizuru's shoulder, keeping his eyes on Okita.

"Our part is finished. We should regroup with the others." He suggested.

Chizuru regained her poise, drawing Tsundora from her sheath.

"Right, let's get out of here," She agreed.

There was no further cause to linger.

Sprinting from the road and into the trees, Hijikata led the way as they melted into the darkness.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Senhime was under fire as she sprinted nimbly along a branch.

Her aggressor was shooting a multitude of arrows that sank deep into the shadow at her heels. One wrong step, and she would be pinned by the foot. Taking a deep breath, she slipped off the branch in favor of a sturdier one below and sprinted straight toward the enemy.

He was the last one out of maybe twenty, and the furthest from the road. His chances of survival were minimal and he knew it. He shot arrow after arrow, hoping that the scaled warrior would be pinned in the confusion, but Senhime ducked and dodged them easily. Soon, the archer found his quiver empty and a pair of hands encircling his head.

Kimigiku twisted his neck, ending his ferment.

"That was the last one, right?" Senhime panted, crouching low on the branch.

"Hai," Kimigiku replied, shoving the archer unceremoniously from the tree.

"Then why do I have a feeling that something else is out there?"

This caused the kunoichi to tense.

"You sense something, milady?"

Senhime was staring into the dark void with a perturbed look on her face. At this hour, it was difficult to make much sense of the shadows, but when her intuition spoke it was difficult to ignore. Something else was definitely out there. She could feel it.

Daitsuren gleamed in the dark making her anxious.

"No…no, it can't be…are you sure?" she mumbled under her breath in disbelief. Her eyes darted from the demon sword to the depths down below.

"What? What is it?" Kimigiku pressed.

Senhime grew deathly still as a wind stirred the trees, letting shafts of light penetrate the forest. Moving with slow predatory grace, she shifted into her true form. Her pale features glowed in the fading light. When she fixed the kunoichi with her golden gaze, Kimigiku had a clear indication of what danger lurked in the shadows.

"Draw your sword, Kimi-chan," Senhime bade her quietly, "There's a pureblood in our midst."

A/N: Phew, what a busy chapter. I really tried to invoke that choppiness of a well-edited battle scene, but hopefully it wasn't too choppy. Okita's duel with the Red Demon got cut for the next chapter, so don't worry! We'll see his side of things as he finishes Yuu Sugitani.

To get geared up for Chizuru's first major fight scene with Hijikata, I drew inspiration from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill series and subsequently fell in love with the soundtrack. Also, the part where Hijikata and Chizuru perform their complex maneuver was inspired by Gintoki and Katsura's fight scene in the first Gintama movie.

Here is the song that helped inspire this chapter:

Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood – Santa Esmeralda

Thank you so much for reading and for writing those wonderfully encouraging reviews. More is on the way.

girliebird