At dusk, I unwrapped the sword I had taken with me and put it in my obi instead of my loyal katana. That was feeling like a betrayal to me and I hoped the gods wouldn't punish me for using the sword of a warrior I killed.

« What's that sword, Saito ? » asked Toudou, curious.

« Doujigiri Yasutsuna. » I answered in my toneless voice.

I took it out to tie my sash a bit tighter. Kazama's sword was heavier than my own and also wider like most katana but it was even worse with it being an ancient blade from the Kamakura shogunate era. It was even longer than our contemporary katana. As most iai masters, I was using a sword a bit shorter, lighter and curvier than other styles, although you really had to know about the curve to notice it. Plus, it was really comfortable for me to wield my katana from a left hand which wasn't the case for all swords. A sword is like a shoe. If you take a sandal a bit too short or long, you might be able to walk with it but it wouldn't be comfortable. It had to fit perfectly. And that sandal wasn't.

« Doujigiri... Demon slayer ?! Where did you get that sort of blade ? » asked Toudou, eyes wide « can I see it ? »

I nodded and handed him the sword. He unsheathed it and watched it with sparkling eyes.

« Whoah... » he murmured « That's an incredible blade... It's even better than mine... »

That was a compliment that I never thought Toudou would make about my sword one day. His was exceptional, inherited from his father. Yet, it wasn't my sword anyway.

« Where'd'you get it ? » he asked again.

« It's Chizuru's. » I answered.

« No way ! She only has her ancient kodachi ! I never saw her with a katana before ! » he yelled.

« It has been hers since I killed Kazama Chikage. It was his beforehand. » I explained.

« Why did you take it ? » he asked, confused at the idea that I stripped a dead warrior from his sword. That didn't sound like me at all.

« It's in its name : demon slayer. No Oni, no Yokai and no Rasetsu can heal from it. I figured that Sannan's Rasetsu will probably have the same way of fighting that I have. Since they know they can heal, they will be less cautious and I will kill them before they could realize that their body isn't healing. If I'm going against twenty Rasetsu and a Yokai, I'll need that effect of surprise. »

« And Kazama used it... » muttered Toudou « and you killed him even if he could heal and you couldn't... »

« I did. » I nodded.

« Damn... » he muttered and that was more powerful than any praises.

He handed me back the sword and I passed it in my sash. I unsheathed it a few times to get accustomed to its weight and length that were so unfamiliar to me. I wondered if I was making the right choice, choosing a sword that I was uncomfortable with instead of the one that grant me velocity and strength. Yet, I kept the Doujigiri Yasutsuna.

« Are you planing on killing them all, Saito ? » asked Toudou suddenly.

« I intent on defending myself if I need to. Yet, I won't fight unless it is necessary. We only need to find the reseaches. Quitting the Shinsengumi is something but fleeing with intels is another. That knowledge belongs to the Shinsengumi so we need to take it back. »

« Do you really think they came up with a more effective medecine ? » he asked sadly.

« Their behavior speaks for itself. They found something that allows them to overcome their nature. » I stated « we need to find it. »

« Okay. » he nodded, hopeful.

Toudou and I started moving towards the brewery. I was trying to be as stealth as possible but I knew that Mika would probably scent me coming. My only chance was in her sleeping. Kitsune needed sleep too and even if she wasn't much of a sleeper, as I observed when we traveled together, she still needed some rest sometimes. To keep Toudou as an asset, we decided that we would split. His scent was unknown. I explained to him how to get to the room where I've been offered tea. There was a desk with papers there, posibly linked to the Ochimizu. I needed him to scout around, knowing that I wouldn't be as effective. I would be the diversion.

We positioned ourselves far from each other but both with view on the brewery. It was still buzzing with activity and we stayed in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. We stayed hours that way, not moving an ear, until finally, it seemed like the Rasetsu were getting to get some rest. From my side, I counted four watchkeepers and I took a small mirror from my pocket to signal them to Toudou, moonlight reflecting four times on the mirror's glass. He responded with two and I was glad for that. I would draw attention and the road would be clear for him.

I got out of the shadows and tried to be as stealthy as possible but the four watchkeeper were soon joined by the ginger fox, looking around her with a wide smile.

« You know, Hajime » she yelled with her hands around her mouth « if you want me to remove your pants so bad, you can ask. There is no need for these preliminaries. »

Discovered already... But if she thinks that this provocation will make me reveal myself then she doesn't know who she's dealing with.

« Is it because you missed me ? » she asked again « Can't your wife compare ? That really is flattering, you know. »

Damn fox... But if she's speaking that much to try and make me reveal myself then maybe she can't get a precise idea of where I am... I'm not sure how her smell works but maybe if she can smell people from so far, she gets less precise when she's close.

« Are we playing hide and seek ? » she asked, chuckling « never thought you'd be so childish ! Do I need to start counting ? »

I got a bit further in the shadows, trying to lure her out of the entrance of the brewery but she didn't seem to move.

« Oh ? You moved ? » she said, sniffing the air « Are you going already ? »

Okay so she can sense my movements but can't find me if I stay still... How to drag her away though ?

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Toudou getting in by a window and I prayed for him to be descreet enough not to be detected. I had to enter the light, it was showtime. I closed my eyes and meditated, trying to empty my mind and be alert of all my surroundings. When I was ready, I stepped out of the shadows, my sword already unsheathed. I wasn't comfortable enough with this one to try iai.

« Here you are ! » she chuckled « Oh ? Why are you keeping your eyes closed ? »

I didn't answer and just stayed there so the Rasetsu could focus on me. Plunged in the dark, I was focused, trying to sense every small movement of the air that could indicate a sword coming my way. I waited until I did sense it and I evade the blow, blocking it with my sword. One, two... Two Rasetsu trying to stop me and not the four I expected. Yet, I wasn't going to make the mistake of opening my eyes to see where the others were. I evade another blow and cut through the first Rasetsu. I sensed he was still moving though so I wasn't sure my blow was enough to end his life and I threw another one, just to be sure, evading another strike in my back at the same time. I turned over and fought the second one when I sensed the two missing ones getting closer.

« Whoah ! You can do all this with your eyes closed ?! That's so impressive ! » praised Mika like a little girl.

Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate.

I blocked a strike aiming to my side but it still opened my flesh a little. It wasn't a big deal though, I would heal in seconds if I unleashed my Rasetsu form. For the moment, there was no need. I killed the second Rasetsu, leaving me with only two opponents but I sensed movement around me, indicating that others were coming.

« Step back. » I ordered « It isn't my wish to kill any one of you. I want what has been stolen from the Shinsengumi. »

Some backed off but not all of them and I started moving again, evading blows after blows, stepping forward, backward, crouching... focus only on the air movements and on keeping my eyes closed. I knew I couldn't keep it up too long though, I was outnumbered and the efforts I was putting in my defense were tiring me. A violent blow made me loose balance and I fell on the ground, making a backward roll both to get myself away from my assaillant and positioning myself in kisa so that my next attack would be more powerful than if I just was sitting on the ground. Using the front of my foot sole, i propelled myself back up and my sword encountered the one of my enemy.

« Sannan. » I said, recognizing his style.

« Saito-kun, I have some respect for you. Please don't make me kill you. » he said in his soft gentle voice.

« You need to give back what belongs to the Shinsengumi. » I stated.

« It belongs to me. » he said while attacking again.

Our swords clashed one on another, each of us trying to get the upper hand. It wasn't the same as before, he had more skills. His blows became more powerful and rapid and I had no choice but to surrender to my Rasetsu nature to keep the rhythm.

« Sannan » I said « Souji died that way. Don't make the same mistake. »

I sensed him tense and shiver but he didn't stop coming at me with all he could. I wondered how long I could keep going. That was getting too hard, I needed my eyes but as soon as I'd open them, it would be the end for me and I would rather die than letting Mika do whatever she wanted to me. Another problem was that deprived of my sense of sight, I had no way to know if Toudou exited the brewery or if he still needed more time. When I sensed another cut on my cheek and one that got way too close to my eye, I decided to retreat, hoping that Toudou was safe.

I made a roll back to get myself away from his blade and started running to get away from there.

« Kei-chan ! » said Mika « shouldn't we go after him ?! »

« Leave him. » replied Sannan « it may be a ruse to get us to leave the brewery. What we need to protect is here. Running after him would be foolish. »

I opened my eyes and ran even faster to get back to the farm where I hoped I would find Toudou. Relief invade my heart when I saw him getting our horses ready.

« Have you found the researchs ? » I asked

« I grabbed all I could get, mostly notes. The books were too heavy and I wasn't sure they'd be as relevant. But Saito ! You're never gonna believe this ! They had captured Chizuru-chan ! We need to go now. »

His finger pointed at the back of the stable where a familiar figure was closed on himself, pale, slim and with sunken cheeks, trembling like a leaf.

« That's not Chizuru » I said « that's Nagumo Kaoru. »