September 1868

Wakamatsu town was a battlefield now and the city was ablaze in multiple strategical points. Yet, the Aizu was giving a hard time to the Imperial Army and the Castle wasn't surrendering. The battle had been raging for weeks and a lot of Aizu retainers were giving all they could to defend their domain. I heard that when the SatCho entered the town, more than 200 samurai wives, in the panic of being captured, killed themselves and their children. The Aizu samurai were bloodthirsty for vengeance and they were giving hell to the SatCho.

Our corp was still independent and we went guerilla in the area, mostly striking at night, which was convenient for me, and taking down any enemy patrol that would cross our path. We weren't organized like a regular army but just a bunch of assassins whose only mission was to lower their numbers. Against all odds, there was still the thirteen of us and we were very efficient. I didn't care that we were assigned the « dirty work ». My spirit was renewed seeing the SatCho break its teeth on Aizuwakamatsu's walls. It had been three weeks now that the castle was under siege and they didn't even breach it.

During my missions, I encountered a lot of different corps of the Aizu domain and came familiar with their leaders. One of them made me think of Haruhi a lot. I think she would have loved to meet them. It wasn't an official corp and they didn't have any official name or recognition but it was a groupe of twenty women, led by one of the fierces onna-bugeisha I ever met, Nakano Takeko. They were wielding their naginata with grace and efficiency and were as deadly as swordsmen. I couldn't help but imagine Haruhi's face if she were to witness the prowess of these female warriors. I told her the spear was an honorable weapon for a woman.

After weeks of guerilla, we were finally assigned an assist mission. One of Aizu's senior retainer and his unit were in difficulty in Takaku village and we were sent to help. I reunited my twelve warriors and we headed for Takaku, walking at a quick pace to save the retainer.

We traveled by night as usual. We were all night owls now, we were used to fight in the dark and we took down every man or scout unit that crossed our path. We stationed in Nyoraidou, south of the retainer's position and I sent Kumebe to scout ahead in Takaku so we could have a full understanding of the situation. He came back shortly after to inform us that we were unfortunately too late and the samurai and his men were already dead. We decided to rest in Nyoraidou and keep killing in the area. The imperial division who killed these men couldn't be far.

They found us before we did and we clearly didn't expect that. Resting in an abandoned house of the small village, we got surrounded by three hundred men. They started shooting at us through the shoji and the windows and I took a bullet in the stomach and the shoulder. I told my men to flee if they could but I knew we didn't have much chance. Thirteen against three hundred... What could we possibly do ?

« I'm sorry, Taichô. » said Keisuke besides me « I hope you'll pardon me eventually. »

I turned to my second, wondering what he could mean by that but his arms came restraining me from behind before I could say anything and I widened my eyes in surprise, seeing him betraying me at the moment I expected the least. I had renewed my trust in him, made him my second, he stayed by my side... Why now ?! Was he expecting to get back his position in the SatCho if he was killing me ?

Trying to get me out of his grip, I heard the sound of an opening bottle and got a cloth on my nose and mouth. I stopped breathing but couldn't hold it long. I recognized Chizuru's chloroform just before I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was alone once more and my coat was missing. The enemy was gone and I found six corpses of my men. I supposed the others escaped. I didn't find Keisuke amongst the corpses and my blood was boiling with anger because of his treason.

I inspected my body, good as new and without any bullet stuck in it. Good. At least that was good news. I found a shovel in a house of the village and dug tombs for my fallen comrades before I got back to Aizuwakamatsu. Alone, I was invisible and I took down every imperialists I met. When I arrived, they told me the news. Five of my men escaped safely and returned. One surrendered himself, Mori Keisuke.

He put on my coat with my personal kamon and surrendered as Saito Hajime, Taichô of the Shinsengumi so that I would not be found. Wounded as I was and sleeping, I passed for a corpse. The Imperial Army was still bloodthirsty for every one of our high ranked, holding the Shinsengumi responsible for the murder of Sakamoto Ryouma back in Kyoto. They killed Kondou-san already on that accusation. They took Keisuke for a mascarade of a trial and he was soon to be beheaded in my place.

A few days later, Saito Hajime died, executed by the Imperial Army. I was given the name of Ichinose Hachirô and joined the fourth unit of the Aizu Suzakutai, led by Sagawa Kanbe, the Phoenix team. I thought to myself with humour that this team was perfect for someone like me, who already died three times and came back good as new. The rest of my men were assigned to Mito where they stayed guerilla in that region. I was feeling a bit sad to be separated from these brothers I trusted, but I was an Ichinose now, a supposed son of Aizu retainer, and my place was in a division of Aizu. For me, it was the closest I ever was to be a samurai. What a pity it was only a cover.

A ray of light in my life was when I met with a familiar face from another corp which came to Aizu's aid in the person of Nagakura Shinpachi. Truly, at that moment, I could have jumped into his muscular arms and would have gladly be squeezed to death. The former captain of the second division was just as happy to see me that I was to see him. He got me up to date about what happened after the battle of Ueno and sadly confirmed Harada's death, and I told him all about Shirakawa, Nihonmatsu and Bonari Pass. We drank way too much that evening and even went into a sword's fight for Gods know what motive. Yet, it felt good to have a friend back.

The imperial army comunicated a lot about my death and I feared the information could reach Kyoto before me. I couldn't even start to imagine the sorrow Chizuru would be in when she were to hear about it. She would be heartbroken. Yet, the battle was raging a lot longer than I expected and I didn't know how long we would keep on fighting. If we could hold until the winter, that would be our chance. Aizu winters were rough and the Imperial Army was mostly composed with men of the South while the Aizu warriors were used to this weather. That would give us a certain advantage against them.

We had been holding Wakamatsu castle for four weeks... Maybe we could keep holding it one more month.