« Alright ! » barked Hijikata-san « Don't let any of those honorless bastard put even a foot inside the magistrate's office. We can beat them ! »
The men cheered in response, all pumped up and Inoue entered the room, his uniform on.
« Gen, you stay here with Saito-sensei. All the wounded will have to be sent back to you to get patched up. The rest are going with me to attack their headquarters. »
« Count on me, Toshi. » nodded Inoue.
« According to our best intelligence, the enemy headquarters are at Gokounomiya Shrine. » continued the vice-commander « Unfortunately, between us and them is a big hill and they've got a bunch of guns on top of it. We'll be exposed... »
Even Chizuru seemed to understand what it meant. If we wanted to win, we would have to run straight into a line of gunfire, abandoning the wounded and dead, until we reach them and thrust our forces into the heart of the enemy encampment. It was kind of a suicide squad. There was a moment of silence before Nagakura chuckled and fixed Hijikata-san with a confident smile.
« I'm taking care of that. » he claimed.
« Are you sure, Shinpachi ? » asked Hijikata-san with a small voice.
« Someone's gotta do it. Might as well be me. I'd rather do this than sitting around here and getting pounded. » he turned to his men, the second division, and served them an enormous confident smile « sorry guys ! But it looks like your captain just volunteered to get us all shot to hell ! But hey, at least we'll go off to the next life together ! »
« You don't need to apologize, Nagakura-kumichô » replied Shimada « We are samurai. We'll give our lives for victory. I'm coming too. »
Give our lives for victory. That was the true samurai spirit.
« All right. » continued Hijikata-san « second division will take care of this »
« No way he's taking all the credit. » said Harada with a smile « the tenth division will watch out for your flanks, Shinpachi ! »
The three volunteers looked at each others like brothers in arms and left with their men with grins and playful banter. Neither of them showed any sign of fear. I realized that this was maybe the last image I'd have of them. This mission was suicide. Necessary, but suicide nonetheless.
« Saito. You and your men take down that cannon. If you fail, we're all screwed. »
« Understood. » i agreed.
It was only logical to send only a small force to Ryu'un temple. The big of their forces wasn't there. If I could silence that cannon, the magistrate's office would be safe. I was grateful for him to give me the mission that gave me the chance to protect Chizuru.
« Hajime... » started Chizuru, fear invading her eyes and I knew what she was going to ask from me.
« Stay here. » i ordered her. « there is no guarantee you'll come out of this alive if you follow me into battle. »
« Same goes for you. » she said in a broken voice.
Dying while protecting you and the Shinsengumi would be the most honorable death I could wish for.
I didn't answer and turned around with my unit, heading for the Ryu'un temple.
« Hajime ! » i head behind me « don't die ! »
I gritted my teeth and stayed impassive. I needed the men to see me resolved, unfaltering. My steps were assured and we exited the building. Outside, Nagakura, Harada and Shimada had successfully created an opening in the enemy lines and we took advantage of it.
« Third division ! » I shouted « with me ! »
We all started running towards the temple until we reached the forest. For us too, the trees were like natural shields. We walked silently, trying to take advantage in the sun setting down in the afternoon, becoming shadows between the trees. The cannon was echoing in the whole forest, making the ground tremble underneath our feet.
The ambush shouldn't have surprised us but it did. We didn't hear them coming. When we heard the riffles, it was already too late and I could witness my comrades fall one after the other.
« Hide ! » i shouted.
The confusion was total, we got our swords out and tried to fight back but the riflemen were organized and they had been waiting for us. Casualties were getting heavier and I gritted my teeth in both pain and anger. Were we really going to end up like this ?
We managed to held our position for hours, hiding in the trees and bushes, luring the riflemen in traps. Still, we couldn't manage to go forward and reach the cannon. We were doomed. Before long, I was the last man standing. Out of nowhere, a salmon color caught my eye and I turned, terrified.
« Chizuru ! » i shouted « run ! »
« Haji.. » she yelled in return.
She didn't have time to finish to utter my name. A bullet went through her abdomen and I saw her eyes empty themselves as she fell on the ground, mouth agap, her hair flowing around her.
« CHIZURU ! » I screamed, running toward her.
« Cease fire. » i heard but I didn't process it. I kneeled before her, looking at the bullet hole in her stomach and her kimono slowly tainting itself with the crimson liquid.
« Hajime... » she whispered.
« Don't speak, Chizuru ! » I said, applying pressure on the wound. « Just stay still, alright. »
« Hajime... Don't worry... » she murmured with a small smile « it'll heal... »
« You don't know that ! » i said desperately.
I looked at the wound but it didn't seem to heal and I put my hands back on it.
« Let me see. » i heard and I put my hand on the pommel of my katana.
Behind me was Amagiri Kyuju and he kneeled next to Chizuru as well, trying to remove my hands.
« Don't touch her ! » i shouted.
« Move, Saito Hajime. » he said calmly « if you want me to save her. »
Save her ? Can you really do that ?
I took my hands away and let the demon look at the wound.
« No vitals are touched but the blood loss can be a problem even if she's a demon. Women demons aren't as resilient as men. » he said in his low calm voice « give me your scarf. »
I obeyed instantly and he opened Chizuru's kimono to patch her stomach. I gritted my teeth as he exposed her bare skin but that was irrelevant. He could save her, he said it. I didn't know why but I trusted him. I picked Chizuru's hairpins that fell on the floor and put them in my sleeve pocket, along with Yuki's one.
« The bullet is out, that is a good thing. » he nodded while wrapping my scarf around Chizuru's abdomen. « It will heal but it'll probably take hours. Except if she turns into her demon self. Then it'll go faster. »
« Hajime... » she called again, on the verge of loosing consciousness.
« Chizuru, you have to transform. » i said, trying to keep her awake.
« I don't know how... »
I turned to Amagiri, hoping he could explain it to her. But what he said just froze my blood.
« Do not worry » he explained Chizuru « Kazama is on it's way. He'll protect you. »
I stood up, hand on the pommel of my katana. « No one is taking her. »
« You got her shot. » said Amagiri as a sentence, still kneeling « you are unfit to protect her. »
You do realize it is your men who shot her ?!
I positioned myself above Chizuru, her lying body between my legs and I took a fighting stance, shielding her. I would not repeat myself and I would not let them take her. Amagiri stood up and crossed his arms, looking down on me with his icy turquoise eyes.
« You will die if you try to stop him. » he said calmly. « He wants her. »
I unsheathed my sword with a desperate roar, aiming at his neck and he blocked me with his gloves. I kept attacking, making him back off but as rapid and powerful that my blows were, he blocked them one after the other.
« It's intriguing. » he said calmly while I was already panting « Impressive how you can hold your own against a demon. You are only human. »
« Hajime... The Satsuma are attacking the magistrate's office... You need to come back... » i heard Chizuru whisper on the ground.
« What ?! » I asked in disbelief.
« They're gonna die... Inoue... Yamazaki... They need you... I was supposed to deliver... the message...»
« Understood. » i said, my composure and warrior spirit back « I won't waste anymore time. »
I leaped forward with tremendous speed and aimed at Amagiri's throat once more. He dodged it again and aimed for my side but i deflected his blow with my left arm and struck again, trying to cut through his stomach with my katana. He avoided it but I took an opening to launch another attack. The demon was starting to be in difficulty. I continued to go forward, pushing him away from Chizuru and got successful when I finally slid across his cheek.
« I thought i understood fully how able you were but i was mistaken. » said Amagiri calmly « I'd never thought a human could hold his own against me. You are a warrior of legendary skills, Saito. I don't think many demons could overpower you. »
« You overestimate me. » i said with the same calm « I am merely a samurai. But I would die protecting her. »
« Then I guess you leave me no choice. » sighed Amagiri.
His hair turned white, his eyes golden and horns appeared on his forehead, just like Chizuru in her demon self. I knew that this fight was taking a turn that wasn't in my favor.