PROOFREAD EDITION

[UPDATE : it started as a simple POV (as you can see below) but Saito wasn't really okay with the idea of waiting 4 years for Chizuru so it's still a POV but totally rewritten ! I only kept the chronology of historical events like Ikedaya, Hamaguri... The beginning of the story is very close to the game since it's very rich in events but it then completely differs.

M-Rated chapters : Chapter 21 Dream, Chapter 29 Truth, Chapter 55 First and chapter 62 Gold.

Don't hesitate to leave reviews ! It really motivates me and I love to know what you think (good or bad !) enjoy !

Memoirs of a Sword

I will probably never forget the day I met her. It wasn't a very peculiar day. Nor was she a very peculiar girl. At that time, I never would have guessed that she would change my life forever.

January 1864

A night patrol as usual. Souji and I were together, walking a bit ahead of our units in the quiet, beautiful night. There weren't so many clouds, allowing us to look in awe at the gorgeous scenery that were offering us the winter stars. Small snowflakes were dancing in the wind tainting our hair with white pure sparkles. The sight was peaceful, only troubled by the sound of my comrade's voice next to me. Souji was especially talkative tonight and his voice was the only sound echoing in the night.

« What do you think, Hajime-kun ? Why not have a little fun tonight ? »

« We have to patrol. » I answered calmly.

« Those three monkeys are in Shimabara again tonight ! We should go and join them ! After the round of course » he added, seeing that I was ready to repeat myself.

« Hijikata-san wouldn't allow it. Besides, he's probably going to go after them. I heard he's quite annoyed by their attitude. »

« Who cares what Hijikata-san thinks ?! If he gets pissed, I'll take the blame and ask for forgiveness from Kondou-san. »

I didn't bother to answer, it was irrelevant. Souji could be quite stubborn but I was good at that game too. He knew the rules. Either you were on patrol or you were at the compound. If you wanted to go somewhere, you needed to ask for permission. It was that simple.

Souji was still trying to convince me when I stopped walking, aware. I heard something.

Souji stopped too, looking at me with curiosity while our units caught up with us.

« Anything wrong, Saito-san? » asked Tairô, a member of the third unit, mine.

With a tongue click and a glare, I silenced him, listening to the wind in the streets of Kyoto. That was the moment when I heard it again. I could identify it this time. It was a mad laugh.

Rasetsu... We had to hurry. Souji gave me a nod and addressed the men.

« You all stay here and make sure no one gets in the way. Hajime and I will deal with it. » he ordered.

No one batted an eye. They obeyed without any question to the first captain. As for me, I was already running in the direction of the sound when Souji caught up with me. When we arrived, three men were on the floor, dead. The Rasetsu were mad with bloodlust, their crimson eyes open wide as the uncontrollable laughter was becoming stronger, echoing in the silence of the night like a sinister omen. There was only one thing to do. I didn't hesitate.

In a single swift blow, I took my blade out of my scabbard and cut deep in the first Rasetsu. The others didn't even realize what happened before I cut them open too, letting their lifeless corpses fall on the ground. It didn't take me more than mere seconds.

« Ara, Hajime-kun ! You took all the fun for yourself ! » complained Souji.

He was already behind me but I didn't answer him. I knew he was teasing me by calling this « fun ». Taking a man's life wasn't fun. Especially when it was three men you knew. Even with their white hair and mad eyes, I could recognize them. One from Nagakura's unit, one from Inoue's and Jirô, one of mine. And they were wearing the same haori we were, the one with the Makoto we were so proud of. They were comrades, or at least, they had been, therefore, it wasn't « fun ».

As I was wiping my sword from the stains of blood, My eyes caught something in the periphery of my vision and Souji noticed it too, exactly at the same time. It was two wide chestnut eyes hiding behind some baskets and planks of wood.

Great. A witness. We needed that.

Souji grabbed the guy by the arm, lifting him up as he escaped a terrified short scream, and we saw him better. It was just a kid. Fourteen, fithteen years old maybe. Dressed with a man's hakama but clearly a girl.

« Ara... what should we do with this little rat? » asked Souji with a grin.

The girl was terrorized. I could understand considering what she just saw. Still I didn't know what to respond. She was a civilian. Our code of conduct was forbidding us to harm her. Yet, she saw our Haori and worst, she saw the bloodthirsty Rasetsu with our Haori.

What should we do ?

« Maybe we should just kill it. » Souji said with a wicked smile, savoring the terror that his words were generating within the girl's mind.

I saw that she was ready to run but I didn't have the time to try and stop her before she got a blade pointed at her, freezing her in place.

« Run and I'll kill you. »

Fukuchô...

Hijikata-san was there. I had mixed feelings about this. It was taking away the responsibility of what we should do with her but it also meant that he knew about our incompetence and how we let someone witness the Rasetsu.

I waited in silence while Souji couldn't keep his mouth shut.

« Hey Hijikata-san ! The kid saw everything ! We should kill him anyway. I'll do it, save you the trouble. » he shrugged with his trademark grin still painted on his face.

« Shut up, Souji. We don't kill civilians. » frowned Hijikata-san, already annoyed although he just arrived.

Just what I expected from the vice-commander. The code of conduct was the code of conduct. Unbreakable. Still, I wondered what he wanted to do with this girl. We couldn't let her go freely. I guess...

« Pick up those Haori » Hijikata said to Souji. « We're taking the kid to the compound. »

I nodded and grabbed the kid's arm firmly. That's when I noticed the kodachi on her left side. By the scabbard, the tsuka and the kashira, it looked like an ancient one, maybe a family heritage. It made me curious but I kept my composure and my impassive mask. Using the pommel of my katana, I knocked the girl unconscious and put her on my shoulder while Souji laughed and winked at me.

« Ara ! Already your hands on her, Hajime-kun ! You're quite the fast type ! »

I decided to ignore his snide comment as usual and I tailed the Vice Commander.

« Saito »

« Hai, Fukuchô. » I replied.

« I was originally going to Shimabara to get Harada, Nagakura and Heisuke back to the compound. » he explained « I want you to deal with the kid while I'm going. And don't let Souji scare her. We will have a meeting in the morning.»

« Understood » I nodded.

Joining my unit, we all got back to the compound where I left the girl in an unoccupied room, hands tied in the back.

Looking at her, still unconscious, I wondered.

What should we do with you ?