Hey guys! I'm sorry about the wait, but like I said before, teachers love to cram in work before the holiday break. I've also been working on a project about the orcas in captivity (WATCH BLACKFISH ON NETFLIX, IT'S AMAZING! IT WILL CHANGE HOW YOU VIEW SEAWORLD). Anyways, I'm not sure how long the whole story will be at the end, but don't worry; there's still a lot of content that needs to get covered before the end. As always, enjoy!

Chapter 21: Change of Tides

After composing his breath, Souji's arms flopped down. He did not realize that he still had a grip on Chizuru's hand until he accidently pulled her down to the floor. After a surprised gasp from Chizuru, Souji managed to catch her in time.

"Sorry-", he started to apologize when he heard a slight thud on the floor. Automatically, his eyes landed on a small folded piece of paper on the ground. It must have fallen from Chizuru's hakama when she tumbled, so naturally, Souji bent over to retrieve it. But Chizuru shot her hands with quick speed towards it, catching Souji by surprise. Immediately, he grabbed a hold of Chizuru's wrist before she had reached the paper. She look at him with an astonished expression, but his brows furrowed quizzically when he noticed the glint of guilt in her eyes.

"Um...", she darted her eyes nervously towards her detained wrist, but Souji did not let go. Instead, he focused his attention onto the paper again. After studying it for awhile, he discovered that the paper was a kind of container for a batch of some sort of medicine. Medicine was always contained in folded paper, as custom. However, Souji could not understand why Chizuru had looked convicted for accidently dropping some medicine. He released his grip on Chizuru's wrist and picked the small batch of medicine. By then, Chizuru glued her eyes on the floor to avoid any possible eye contact. Carefully, Souji opened the slip of paper and examined the grainy contents inside. The scent was faint, but it was repelling and bitter.

"Chizuru-chan, what's this?", he questioned, although he had some idea of what it could be. Chizuru did not perk her head up while her eyes remained trained on the floor. Souji narrowed his eyes slightly at her silence.

"Is this...Doctor Matsumoto's medicine...for furies?", he persisted further.

"...Yeah", she answered quietly without meeting his gaze. If she had that medicine all along, why did she not give it to him while he was suffering through a bloodlust? How did she even get that medicine? A million questions soared through Souji's head, but he only focused on one.

"Who gave this to you?", Souji asked seriously. He remembered that Matsumoto would have needed time to make a new batch of medicine for him, so it was impossible for Chizuru to have had acquired it from him. So if she did not receive it from Matsumoto, then who? Chizuru bit her lip as she slowly looked up at Souji timidly. Realizing that he was not going to get his answer so easily, Souji sighed.

"Please tell me, Chizuru-chan. I promise I won't get mad", he told her sincerely with a calm tone. She looked at him doubtfully, and remained silent for a moment. Perhaps she was debating whether to answer him or not.

"...Okay,...I'll tell you", she finally responded. Once both of them sat down, she inhaled deeply and began.

Her story started all the way back to when she and Yamazaki traveled to her old house. As expected, they found nothing related to her father's research of furies or the Water of Life. But on their way back, they encountered someone else. Late at night, the mysterious being knocked Yamazaki out cold on the ground. Chizuru's hands trembled when she explained to Souji who was following them. As a result, Souji's jaw clenched at the mention of his name.

Kaoru.

Whatever business he had in Edo, he took advantage of the situation to pay his sister a visit. Oddly enough, he did not make any attempt to threaten or hurt Chizuru. Instead he soured Chizuru with a wretched explanation about the life of a fury. Bloodlust was natural, but Kaoru blatantly expressed that a fury's torment would never end, and that resistance would eventually prove to be unsuccessful. That is, unless they were to drink blood. Kaoru then began to press ideas into Chizuru's head about Souji having painful bloodlusts and that blood could help to ease his pain. But not just any blood, as Kaoru mentioned. The ultimate elixir would be an oni's blood.

Before Kaoru disappeared, he had given Chizuru the batch of medicine. Apparently, he was working side by side with Koudo, so it was no expense for him to obtain the medicine from someone who knew possibly everything about furies. But he strongly pointed out that the medicine was only a temporal measure, it would do little to relieve Souji's pain. Then as always, Kaoru vanished within the shadows.

After helping Yamazaki get back to Matsumoto's house, Chizuru was heavily shaken by fear and anxiety. She pleaded to Yamazaki not to tell anyone about what had happened, especially to Souji. So that was the big secret Chizuru and Yamazaki were trying to hide from Souji. After finishing her story, Chizuru averted her eyes from Souji's. He had listened quietly and had managed to keep himself calm. There was no real point for him to get angry over something that had already passed. Souji studied Chizuru thoroughly. Her face was still quilt-ridden, and it seemed as though she was expecting Souji to scold her. Instead, Souji just sighed and got up abruptly.

"Well, we better get going", Souji interrupted the sound of silence.

"Huh?", Chizuru looked at him in a confused manner.

"If we don't leave soon, the war will end before we even reach Kyoto", Souji clarified with a joke. He took a step towards the doorway of the room, but he felt Chizuru's hands encircle his arm.

"W-wait a minute. Aren't you mad at me?", she asked while halting his advance. Souji raised a brow.

"Hmm, do you want me to be mad at you? Because if you do, that would require me to punish you", his lips turned into a teasing grin.

"What?! N-no, no... I just thought that you were angry at me for not telling you about Kaoru-san sooner...", she dropped her head down while loosening her grip on his arm.

"...I'm not gonna lie, it's annoying that you kept this from me, but there's no point in me getting upset about this. As much as I don't like the kid, he didn't do anything to hurt you... At least not yet, anyway", he began to explain his perspective seriously.

"And no matter how insane he might be, he still offered you a solution to this madness. Although, he might have just suggested giving blood to me so I can survive long enough for him to try to torture me again. Either way, nothing bad happened to me when I drank your blood", he continued while Chizuru looked up at him with a surprised expression.

"Maybe he was planning to have you give me that medicine instead of your blood. For all we know, it could have been poisoned, considering he gave it to you for free and knowing that all he wants is to make the both of us suffer", Souji theorized.

"...I thought he could have done that too... But still, you're not mad at me for giving my blood to you instead of the medicine?", Chizuru questioned. Souji started laughing at her, and Chizuru furrowed her brows in frustration.

"Hey! This is serious! Why are you laughing?", she met his gaze sternly. Souji finally composed himself and looked at Chizuru directly in her eyes. She gasped slightly in surprise when Souji poked her forehead.

"Idiot, there's no way I could be angry at you", he explained with a warm smile while Chizuru stared at him in shock.

"Blood or medicine? It doesn't matter. I'm still grateful to you for saving my ass. You shouldn't feel guilty about wounding yourself for my sake. And you can talk about how 'you're an oni, so getting hurt isn't a big deal' all you want,...But to me, it is a big deal", Souji gazed at her with an intense stare.

"Besides, you gave me your blood because you thought that it would be the best solution, right? How could I stay angry at you for ending the hell I was experiencing? I already told you: I trust you. And I'll go on trusting you, without a doubt. From now on, you'll decide what to do with me whenever I go through a bloodlust again", he meant every word he articulated. Chizuru looked up at him with bewilderment, as well as a blush tinting her cheeks, which caused a warm grin to stretch across Souji's lips.

"Well, I think we covered enough of that, don't you think?", he patted Chizuru's shoulder as a friendly gesture. After the dilemma that they had went through in just a short while, a smile appeared on Chizuru's face.

"Yes", she nodded her head in agreement.

"Okay then, let's go", and with that, the two of them left to start off on their travels.

They exchanged farewells with Matsumoto. He told them that he would remain in Edo for some time, but eventually he would have to travel to military bases to tend to the wounded. Finally, after what had seemed like ages to Souji, he was returning back home.

Both Souji and Chizuru had to travel at sundown due to Souji's condition. Luckily, Chizuru managed to get some sleep throughout the day, so the two of them were able to cover a good amount of distance at night. They were only a few miles away from the port that could take them to Kyoto.

"If we keep going at this pace, we'll reach the harbor before the sun rises", Souji commented.

"Thank goodness, we'll finally be reunited with the rest of the Shinsengumi", Chizuru added cheerfully. From the dirt road that they were treading, they could spot a figure approaching them from the opposite direction. It was a middle-aged man who was hauling an immense amount of baggage on a horse. He looked like he was in hurry, almost as if he were trying to run away from something. Curiosity got the best of Souji, and he blocked the man's path.

"Hey. Where are you going with all this stuff?", Souji motioned at the horse.

"Anywhere away from the capital, it's no longer safe there", the man answered in an whirled tone. Souji stared at him in shock.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get moving", the man nudged past Souji's shoulder roughly and pulled on the horse's reins. Souji was filled with alarm. He had to get answers from the man. Souji grabbed the horse's saddle to stop the man's progression.

"Now you wait a minute. What do you mean the capital's no longer safe?", Souji questioned, but desperation could be heard on the edge of his voice. The old man spun around angrily towards Souji.

"Get your damn hands off my horse! I have no time to chatter with a stupid brat like you!", the man stubbornly declined and lifted his staff in a threatening gesture. Of course to Souji, it was not a problem at all. Souji pulled out his sword swiftly and sliced through the staff easily. The force of his swing caused the man to lose balance and land on his rear.

"You bastard-!", the man started to rage but gasped in fear when Souji pointed the edge of his sword towards him.

"Don't get me in a bad mood, old man. I asked you a question, didn't I? I don't like repeating myself", Souji teased him while nearing his sword to the man.

"Okita-san, what're you doing?! You don't have to get so carried away!", Chizuru pleaded behind Souji.

"Eh? But if I don't, this guy will never tell us what's going on", Souji started to play on the folds of the man's kimono with his sword.

"O-okay! Okay! I get it! I'll tell you everything I know!", the man pled in fear. Souji drew his sword away from the man but still held it out.

"Well? What's going on?", Souji asked more seriously as the man got up.

"Where do I start?...I guess it all happened since the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. The Aizu clan fought against the Sacho alliance, but things didn't go the way they were supposed to. Long story short, the Sacho alliance won despite the Bakufu army having more men, but that was because they were equipped with modern artillery. Soon afterwards, what was left of the Bakufu and their reinforcements all fled to Osaka. They tried to gather more reinforcements, but...", the man's hand clenched in anger.

"...The Sachos instantly became the new Imperial army", man gritted his teeth as he spoke. Souji's and Chizuru' eyes widened at the sudden news.

"...But how? What about the Emperor?", Souji asked with disbelief.

"It was the Emperor who declared them the new Imperial Army! He was the one who told various clans to take up arms with them!", the man clarified angrily.

"The Bakufu are now considered traitors and the Sachos are now part of the loyalist army", the man continued.

"That's impossible!", Chizuru exclaimed. The man only looked at her with a sad expression.

"It's only a matter time now. Soon the Imperial Army will crush the Tokugawa Bakufu and take their place", there was no indication of hope in the man's voice.

"How can you say that?!", Chizuru tried to deny his statement.

"Well for starters kid, the Shogun left us!", the man replied bitterly. Souji was left speechless. Out of all people, why the Shogun?

"How do you expect the Bakufu army to keep fighting when their Supreme Commander fled like a dog with his tail in between his legs?!", the man raised his voice.

"What about the Shinsengumi? What happened to them?", Souji asked with concern.

"They were forced to leave Osaka and flee to Edo. From what I heard, the Shogun's departure and a low inventory of supplies considerably decreased morale. Anyway, the Shogunate ordered them to fight in Koufu Castle. But the last I heard about them, they were losing to the Imperial Army, so they sent their vice commander to retrieve more recruits in Edo", the man explained.

"Hijikata-san?", Souji questioned.

"Yeah. As for the rest of the Shinsengumi, they are still in Koufu Castle, I think", the man answered.

"That means everyone is still fighting...", Chizuru added silently. There was a long moment of silence among them.

"...Well, that's all I know. Now can I leave?", the man asked Souji in an annoyed tone.

"Do whatever you want, I don't care", Souji replied harshly. The man snickered and grabbed the reins of his horse and walked away. Chizuru watched him descend into the night while Souji started to tread towards the opposite direction.

"Okita-san?", Chizuru questioned, but Souji didn't face her.

"We better get to Koufu Castle quickly", Souji replied urgently while furrowing his brows.

"Are you alright, Okita-san?", she must have sensed Souji's irritation. In response, he fisted his hands.

"...Kondo-san's all alone while Hijikata-san runs off to Edo?", it took all of his effort to avoid sneering.

"Might as well be handing him to the Imperial Army on a silver platter...", he added sarcastically, but there was sense of sadness within his voice. How could Hijikata leave Kondo at a time like this? The thought plagued Souji's mind.

"Okita-san... But you know Hijikata-san's-", Chizuru started to talk, but Souji cut her off. He knew exactly what she was going to say.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. He's going to get reinforcements. It's just...", he could not help himself to think that something bad could happen to Kondo while Hijikata was away. What if he got shot again? This time the Shinsengumi has more enemies than Itou's men. The entire Imperial army was against them, perhaps soon all of Japan. Abandoning Kondo was like gift wrapping a prized possession to the Sachos. Souji's mind reeled with negative outcomes of Kondo's situation, until Chizuru's voice broke his train of thought.

"Kondo-san trusts Hijikata-san to come back, just like he trusts you to come back", Chizuru assured. Souji's eyes widened once more at her words. She was right. He could not mope about Hijikata's absence. They were all doing their very best to help Kondo. Kondo must be eagerly awaiting Souji's return. He was expected to put in his best effort just like everyone else, for Kondo's sake. Chizuru's words reignited his desire to rejoin Kondo instead of mentally reprimanding Hijikata.

"Chizuru-chan..., I think you're right. Let's get back to Kondo-san, then", he finally turned around and smiled at Chizuru.

"Yes!", she agreed enthusiastically. She ran to Souji's side, and the two of them proceeded towards Koufu Castle. They took no breaks until the sun was hanging slightly over the horizon. But as soon as dusk approached, the two continued on with haste. They advanced cautiously, for they could easily bump into the Imperial Army at any given moment. But the army was the least of their problems. Souji's bloodlust kept reemerging. Every time it happened Chizuru would cut the same wound on her hand and offer him blood. He caressed the hand that had given so much to him, the hand that genuinely cared for him. He would curse himself if something horrible happened to Chizuru. He swore to himself after every lick and taste of her sweet blood that he would always protect her. There was no backing out of his promise. No matter what they would encounter, he would stay by her side.

Unfortunately, when flickers of hope started to rise within Souji and Chizuru, a foul storm would continuously try to see the two to their demise. Unknowingly, it would not be the Imperial Army that would ensue that chaos...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know it was a little short, but I can guarantee that the next chapter will be promising! The next post will most likely be around Friday-Sunday (don't start singing Rebecca Black here, hahahaha jk). From what I can tell so far, the story will definitely go on for at least another five chapters (but that's a rough estimate, for all I know, it may end up being like ten). Regardless, please review/comment what you thought of this chapter (I really appreciate any form of critique). As always, have an awesome day!