Author's Note: Really big stuff happening in this chapter. I don't think I'll say anymore, let's just get to the story.
Chapter 31: Broken
About a week had passed after Shishio's death, I still couldn't believe what Tetsu had said that day. Rumors that the Ishin Shishi were killing off their own hitokiries simply to hide secrets was nothing but blasphemy in my ears. Shishio's sacrifice did not go to waste however, the shipment was stopped by the remaining Ishin Shishi soldiers, we were even able to take the weaponry for ourselves. The date of my story is now January 5, Western year 1868, also known as the final year of the Meiji Revolution.
"Shall we get going?" Shion asked as I took a puff from Shinji's old pipe.
"Why bother?" I answered. "Give the dogs a small break for once, besides, I'm enjoying myself here."
It was just as Shishio said, the Ishin Shishi would be able to take over the government by the new year. A new emperor was crowned during the end of the last year, Emperor Mutsuhiro. With Mutsuhiro on the throne, the Tokugawa Shogunate was no more, well, a majority of them anyway. Small remnants of the Bakufu and Shinsengumi still remained, now living on the run just as our forces did during a majority of the war. Emperor Mutsuhiro's first order for the newly established government was simple; destroy the remaining factions of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the order was given on January third, Western year 1868. The Ishin Shishi could now travel in groups into the city without having to worry about being stopped by the Shinsengumi, our roles with those Mibu Wolves have been reversed now. "Aku Zoku Zan" was their motto I believe, it was such a shame that they had become that evil ever since we had taken over. Hitokiries such as Shion and myself were no longer needed, all assassins of the Ishin Shishi were made into regular soldiers after the Shogunate fell. Our jobs were simple now; kill anyone who represents the former government. That was always my job, although now I didn't have to kill any witnesses who saw my acts.
"Is there even a need for us anymore?" Shion asked as she took a seat beside me. "I mean, the new government has everything under control, right? I don't see why they need all of the remaining members of the Cho Shu and Satsuma Clans."
"Maybe they want to have an effective sweep of the Bakufu," I answered. "Still, most of the soldiers don't even do anything anymore, they'll just slay a Bakufu soldier if they happen to find one in town."
"That's true," Shion nodded.
"The one thing I don't get is that this war is virtually over and yet we still haven't met up with the Cho Shu Clan," I brought up.
"You're talking about a reunion with your brother, right?" Shion asked.
"Hai," I nodded, "it's been a year since I've seen him, my last chance to see him was through Shishio but he was killed that evening."
"Once we've totally annihilated the Bakufu, I'm sure you'll meet up with again," Shion assured me.
"Yeah, I should," I took one last breath from my pipe. "And you thought you weren't going to make it into this new era," I reminded her of her speech two years ago.
"I guess I was wrong," Shion smiled.
"Hey Shion, come with me," I suddenly brought up.
"Nani?" she asked, puzzled.
"When this is all over really over, come with me," I repeated. "Last year, my brother and I decided that we would both wander the country together, I would appreciate if you accompany us, that I would."
"I wouldn't want to intrude...," Shion said.
"Oh no, I insist that you come with us," I told her. "I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind, that he wouldn't. I don't want to sound rude, but do you have anywhere else you could go?"
"...no," she answered with her head sulking to the floor, "I don't."
"Shion, you've helped me a lot during this whole conflict," I told her taking hold of her hand, "I would've died a long time ago if it wasn't for all your help. You were always there for me; when I was about to commit suicide, when I needed advice on how to get my brother, and when I was separated from the Cho Shu Clan, you were always there, Shion. It would be an honor to have you, my best friend, accompany my brother and me on our journey throughout the country, that it would. So Shion, will you take me up on this offer, please?"
Her eyes widened after the last word of my sentence. She turned to our hands as our fingers curled against one another, pausing for a moment before she looked to my face once more. Her lips began to quiver as clear streams began running down her cheeks. Her fingers quickly released my own as her arms flew forward, wrapping around my body as her chin met with my shoulder.
"Oh Mina," she cried, "of course, of course I'll go with you."
"Arigatou," I thanked her with a pat to her neck, "this means a lot to me, it really does."
"Kensai, Shion-san," a knock suddenly wrapped on our door.
"It's you," I glared at the figure standing in the doorway.
It was Tetsu, the man I once considered a friend during the early parts of the Revolution. Just the sound of voice, his very presence, would make my temper boil. Every time I saw him, I just wanted to ring his neck around my bare palms, squeezing the life out of him little by little. That rumor of Shishio's death was an insult, I didn't think that rumor was true at the time, but then...
"I'm sorry for the intrusion, but...," Tetsu began to speak.
"Just get away from my sight before I tear out your trachea with my bare hands!" I threatened.
"Mina!" Shion looked at me, appalled by my language.
"I understand how you must feel, but I didn't create those ru...," he began to explain.
"Like I give a damn," I spat as I approached him. "You've got some nerve telling us that bull shit back there, you know that?" I said shoving the man a step backward.
"Mina-san, stop it," Tetsu ordered as I shoved him another step backward.
"Stop, stop what, huh?" I shoved him again. "I have no reason to listen to any word that comes out of your mouth after what you said, you're just lucky that I haven't killed you yet!"
"Mina, stop!" Shion began to pull me back.
"You know, I don't even know why I haven't killed you yet," I said with one last shove, pushing my former friend to the ground, "but since I've brought up the subject...," I began to remove the metal curve from it's oak restraint.
"Mina, don't!" Shion began to pull on my arm once more.
"Mina-san, please!" Tetsu began to beg.
"Shut your mouth!" I ordered as I fully unsheathed the blade. "Die as the dog you are!" my katana began to rise into the air.
"What's going on here?!" a fourth voice suddenly interrupted.
"Saigo-dono," I turned to our leader who stood a few feet away.
"Saigo-sama, please excuse Mina for what happened, you see...," Shion began to explain.
"I needn't an explanation," Saigo told her. "Kensai, I have a mission for you this evening," Saigo turned toward me.
"What is it?" I asked as I slid my sword back into it's sheath.
"A small faction of the remaining Shinsengumi has been located in the fields to the west of the city," Saigo informed as he handed me a map. "This map shall give you their exact location, I want you neutralize these Wolves."
"Understood," I took the papyrus into my pocket.
"You will attack them at the hour of four-thirty, is that clear?" Saigo continued.
"Hai," I answered, "I will not fail you, that I won't."
"Arigatou," Saigo bowed before making his leave.
"I suggest you get out of here too," I sneered at Tetsu.
"Mina, don't you think you're overreacting?" Shion asked as Tetsu began to follow our leader.
"I don't think so," I answered, "I think the man deserves how I treat him."
Did he deserve it, I thought so at the time, but of course, my opinion changed. Every time I mistreated Tetsu, I swear I could always hear a snicker coming from Kensai. I never really understood that woman, I don't think I can ever understand such a dark person. What am I talking about, I did understand, slowly but surely, I had not only understood her, I had become her.
It didn't take long for the hour of four-thirty to arrive, I simply read my book to let the time fly by. There wasn't any snow that day, it was odd weather we were having that week. The sun was so warm; it was glowing with a red-orange hue, it kind of reminded me of the blood I split, but I was able to shrug the thought off quickly.
"Target sighted," I spotted the pack of Wolves as I hid in the shrubbery.
There they were, I counted ten of those Mibu dogs sitting in a dry patch in a field. I knew that the remaining factions of the Shogunate were small, but not this small. I guess their forces were separated from one another after the Ishin Shishi took over the government.
I began shuffling closer into the pack, their sky blue coats glowing brighter with each step. The men were not aware of my presence at the time, that was the perfect time to strike.
"Kyah!" I screamed as I drew my blade.
"What the hell?!" the wolves began drawing their blades.
Just as my sword was fully drawn, it had already caught itself onto the neck of a Wolf. I hadn't even given the dying soldier any time to scream, I just pressed my blade with all my might until it was on the other side of his trachea. I heard another whistle of steel falling from behind, the fool must've thought I had no time to recover from my last attack. Using the back of my shoulder, I rammed the corpse of my attacker's ally toward him. His steel fang met with the arm of his comrade, leaving him open to my attack. I spun backward so that my back was now facing his, my blade was just about ready to spin once more.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryu-Kan-Sen!" I screamed.
The outer edge dug into the spine of my enemy, freeing a geyser of blood in the process. The remaining Mibu Wolves stood in place, frozen with fear. Their hands were shaking, their knees seemed locked, rivers of sweat flowed down their brows, and gravity had taken hold of their jaws. I couldn't help but smirk at the sight, it was something she would have done.
"Kill them," she whispered into my ear.
"You needn't tell me what to do," I told her.
"W..we're not telling you what to do," one of the Wolves stuttered, "please just...!"
"I don't need to listen to you!" I sprang forward with my blade leading my path.
The kiss of metal quickly suckled that man's life away, had my sword's thirst for blood quenched? No, it did not. The Wolf's blood had not skimmed down the edge of my sword, I knew it was still thirsty. I turned to the remaining Wolves, narrowing my eyes as I spotted them. Their swords were suddenly pulled from their hands by gravity, their backs suddenly turned. There was no way I'd let them escape.
"You're not going anywhere!" I screamed.
Again I sprang forward, this time I held my sword above my head. It came down in an angle, slicing through two of the remaining wolves' necks. Despite the burst of red that had erupted from both of those men, my sword's thirst was still not quenched. It wanted more.
"Running cannot prevent the inevitable!" I screamed as chased after the remaining men.
Another splash of crimson came with another swing of my arm, followed by a third with another swing. Everywhere I swung, a geyser of blood would erupt. Left and right, up and down, everywhere I turned, the color of scarlet would cloud my vision. The only figure I could make out in those red bursts was the other soul that had resided in my body. A smirk had perched on her face; her lips would widen with each new splash, her eyes would narrow at the sound of screams, and a laugh had escaped her throat once the deed was done.
"Beautiful," she applauded.
"Hai, it is," I had agreed with her.
Just then, another step had entered the area. I readied my katana once more as I turned to the source. The blade lowered to my side once I realized who it really was; it was several fellow soldier from the Ishin Shishi.
"Himura Mina, or should I say Hitokiri Kensai," one of the soldiers addressed me.
"What do you want?" I asked, glaring at the man for interrupting my latest work.
The clicking of rifles soon followed with my glare. My eyes quickly widened at the sight of those black barrels and my heart leapt out of my chest for a moment.
'What is going on here?' I thought to myself.
"Hitokiri Kensai, your services are no longer needed in the Ishin Shishi," the soldier continued, "I wish you farewell."
"I see," I began to lower my head, "so you'll do to me what you did to Shishio, is that it?"
"Don't take this personally, but the new world cannot exist with your presence," the soldier said calmly.
"Liar," I tell the man, "if it weren't for me, this new world wouldn't even be possible, so don't give me this shit," I said as the hold on my sword tightened.
"Do you dare try to resist us?!" the soldier asked as the rifles before me clicked once more. "If you make one more move I can assure you your death will be a slow and painful one!"
"Fuck you," were the only words that parted from my lips.
Just as I finished my insult, a loud bang echoed from each of the steel barrels. Smoke blew out from the gaps at the end of the rifles, clouding my vision as shards of metal began piercing through the gray fumes. Without even thinking, I jumped upward into the heavens, raising my sword above my head as I did so. I could see each of my targets at that moment, all of them still firing their guns at the haze created by their weapons. By the time they realized I was no longer behind the smoke, I was already above one of their heads. Steel crashed through bone in an instant, slicing through muscle and organs until it had sliced into the ground. The usual gush of crimson tainted my being anymore, and I had found the grin on my face widening once more.
"What are you waiting for," the lead soldier yelled at the remaining two marksmen, "shoot her!"
Another puff of smoke followed the two bangs, and again, the bullets only struck air. I had spun my body to avoid the blasts, finding myself staring into the yes of one of the marksmen. His rifle was touching my heart, but I didn't feel scared at all. His finger pulled on the trigger, nothing but a click emerged from his rifle. Again I grinned, just before I pulled my sword upward, slicing through his rifle and face. There were two men left, I was surprised to find both of them remaining in place with their weapons ready. Another click came from the remaining marksman's gun, and quickly he dug into his pocket. It was the perfect chance to strike, but the leader had blocked my path with his sword drawn. The fool lunged first before I could make a move, but he quickly tripped over his own attack with the raise of my foot. I heard another click at that instant, the marksman had somehow finished reloading his weapon so quickly. Just as another bullet emerged from the rifle's blast, I pulled my executioners' leader by the collar, pulling him into the blast of the gun. The bullet lodged into his back, along with several more that quickly followed. I began charging forward with the corpse before my body, using it as a shield to protect me from the onslaught of bullets. Once I had reached close enough, I pushed the body at the marksman, sending him and his leader to the floor. His rifle had clattered to the ground a few inches away from his hand, right in front of my foot. I stomped on the device as I pointed my blade at the man's neck. I glared at the man for a few seconds, long enough that he began to scream. I quickly grew weary of his screech, so I plunged my blade into his neck, twisting it every so gently so he could feel every inch it turned. The grimace on his face began to stretch the grin on mine even more, stretching further until a small cackle began to escape my lips.
"Hm hm hm hm," I began to chuckle, "ah ha ha ha ha ha!" a laugh suddenly escaped my lips. "Die, die, everybody die!" I screamed.
I continued laughing as the blade twisted even further, ending the man's life soon after. I couldn't help but continue my cackle minutes later, until a voice began calling for me.
"How can you find this sort of thing amusing?" I stopped the moment I heard the voice.
It had come from behind me, just the feel of the voice's presence began to send chills to my spine. Slowly I began to turn around, and much to my surprise, it was a person I did not want to ever see again.
"It's you...," I dropped my weapon at the sight of the individual.
It was that girl I had killed a year ago when I first became a hitokiri. Her sky blue eyes were blank, her hair was neatly combed as it stuck to her back, and the wound I had inflicted upon her was still there. That river of blood that flowed down her shoulder was still fresh, just the sight of it made my heart feel as if it had been stabbed by a thousand knives.
"Did you find my death amusing?" she spoke again.
"...no," I answered.
"Do you think your own death would be amusing?" she asked.
"No," I answered again.
"Then why do you find their deaths amusing?"
"I...," no answer could escape my lips.
"Get lost little girl!" Kensai suddenly appeared before me once more.
"Kensai, stop!" I ordered her.
"Mina, this girl's getting in the way, don't you see it?" Kensai pointed.
"What do you mean?" I asked her.
"How does death bring you closer to your brother?" the girl asked.
"I...," no words could escape lips again.
"It just does," Kensai answered for me, "now get lost!"
"Why do you shut out your conscience?" the girl continued. "Why do you shut out those who want to be involved in your life? Is it because you're sad? Is it because you're depressed? Why is it?"
"It's because I...," I began to answer.
"Don't listen to her, Mina!" Kensai yelled.
"It's because I...," I stuttered once more.
"Mina!"
"It's because I just want... just want to... see him once more," I admitted.
"Then why continue to murder those who aren't involved?" the girl asked.
"It's because I...," I began to answer.
"If you wish to be strong," my brother's words began to echo in my head once more.
"It's because I'm..."
"Be strong in your own way, that way you can be stronger than me."
"It's because I'm weak," I admitted. "My source of strength was always my brother, and with him gone, I had no one else to fight for, no one else I could rely on."
"That's a lie, Mina!" Kensai yelled. "Don't you see what this girl is doing to you, she's trying to brainwash you! Stop listening to her!"
"But what about your friends?" the girl continued.
"I could rely on them, but back then, I wanted companionship from someone, anyone, the first person who I could find, and that person was...," I began to answer.
"And so you were brainwashed by this woman," the girl turned to Kensai.
"Brainwashed?!" Kensai spat. "Bull shit! You're the one trying to brainwash my Mina here!"
"How can I brainwash what has already been manipulated?" the girl asked.
"What have I...?" I turned to the blood on my hands.
"Mina, it was all for you, you know that, right?" Kensai turned to me. "You know that this entire I've been doing this for you."
"...that's a lie," I said, still turned to my palms.
"What?" she asked.
"I said that's a lie!" I yelled, closing my hands into fists. "I can see now, I see what you've been up to this entire time now, Kensai!" I jumped to my feet. "You only wanted complete control over my body, that's all you wanted this entire time! You knew about how killing effected my conscience, you knew that if I had killed enough it would destroy me! Your being was slowly being melded into my own. During this entire year, you've been melding your mind with mine, turning me into your pawn. We almost became one just a moment ago, if this girl hadn't stopped us then I would've been destroyed! You planned this all along, didn't you?!"
Kensai simply grinned after my speech. A small chuckle began to escape her lips as her shoulders began jumping up and down. A loud cackle escaped her lips soon after, and just by the sound of her laugh, I knew that what that girl had said was true.
"So what if it was?" she asked. "You were the one who believed every word I said. You know those steps to reunite you with your brother?" his visage suddenly appeared in the sky.
The scenery suddenly melded into black and I found myself standing on the corpse of a Bakufu soldier. More corpses began appearing, one a floating a few inches above another. I stepped onto the corpse above, and then I stepped onto the one after. I kept my eyes on Shinta, his figure staying in place, neither growing nor shrinking. My steps began getting faster, my walk and turned into a run. No matter how fast I ran up those steps, I was not getting any closer. I had finally tired myself out moments later, I was not any closer nor was I any further from my brother than I was when I first started taking this path.
"Do you see it now?" the girl appeared before me once more.
"...hai," I nodded. "Kensai, are you listening?!" I began to yell. "As of this moment, our contract is broken, do you hear me?! I don't want anything more to do with you!"
"Well that's just too bad now isn't it?" she appeared before me once more.
I couldn't help but take a step back when her presence had returned to me once more. She began to step forward as I took another back. Another step followed from the both of us, our steps became more swift than the last. Her hand began to draw toward my face, I couldn't help but turn away and try to run. Just as I began to dash away from my former associate, my feet suddenly stopped as my back arched forward. Kensai had appeared before me once more, her arm wrapped around my waist and her right hand cupping the left side of my face.
"Didn't I tell what would happen if you broke our contract?" her finger began stroking my face.
"Ugh?!" the area around my left eye began burning once more.
"Feel the pain," she took her hand and placed it around her eye, "feel the pain of all those you've killed times many more!" she yelled.
"Argh!" the burning had become even greater from before.
"Nani?!" I suddenly found myself in the field once more.
The bodies of the Mibu Wolves and former allies I had just slain were once again before my eyes. I looked around the entire area after, Kensai and that girl were nowhere to be found. The tingling around my eye began to burn again, I couldn't help but take hold of it with my left palm. Moments later, the searing had died; slowly, I began to remove my palm from my eye. I was shocked to find what was now embedded on my palm. It was a fresh river of blood, formed in the shape of an "X". Liquid began running down the left side of my face at the moment, it's contents dropping to the ground below. My fingers began to crawl toward the source of the crimson streams, stopping before my left eye. There was a small crack around my left eye, two of them actually. Both were fresh with blood, the two wounds were conjoined in the center of my eye lid.
"The cross-shaped tear," I recalled Kensai's words, "it will link you and I. As long as the contract is not broken, you will not have to bear it's pain."
"But you will continue to have to bear with me," Kensai suddenly appeared before me once more.
"Naze?!" I practically cried. "Why can't you just...?!"
"Leave you alone?" she finished my words. "That's quite impossible, my dear Mina. You and I are bound to each, like it or not," she pointed to the very same mark around her eye.
"No...," I began to shake my head.
"Hitokiri Kensai!" another familiar voice suddenly called.
"Well, gotta go," she winked before disappearing once more.
"Tetsu...?" I slowly began to turn toward the voice's source.
"I see you've put up a fight with our men," Tetsu said calmly, "very well, I guess I'll have to be the one responsible for your execution," he said as he drew his blade.
"Tetsu, wait!" I pleaded. "It's just as you told me the night Shishio was killed, the Ishin Shishi were the ones responsible for his death, just now they tried to kill me."
"Odd, Saigo told me you were to be executed for treason," Tetsu told me.
"Treason?!" I said shocked. "Impossible! I haven't done anything to betray our clan, you and Saigo know that, Tetsu! The rumor was true, Saigo and the rest of the Ishin Shishi are making excuses to have me killed. Tetsu, please believe me!"
"Even if what you say is true, I can't let you go," Tetsu told me.
"Naze? Why can't you let me go?" I asked.
"I have a family that relies on this job," Tetsu answered, "and no matter how dirty the deed, I must get it done for their sake. These are tough times, Mina, you and I know that. Whether you like it or not, I have to kill you."
He didn't waste another second after that, he charged forward with his blade leading the way. I kept my blade to the side as I dodged the attack, bringing it up only to catch his weapon with the strike that followed. Tetsu didn't hesitate as he struck again, this time swinging from the ground up. I jumped a few steps back just as the steel curve slit the sleeve of my kimono. Again, I didn't raise my blade, I thought I could still negotiate with him.
"Tetsu, please stop this," tears began falling from my eyes once more, "I don't want to fight you, don't force me to do it!"
"Whether you put up a fight or not makes no difference to me," Tetsu said calmly, "either way your head must be mine!"
He charged once more, his sword coming from the slicing the earth as it rose. Again, I took a step back to evade the attack, only to have his blade's tip slice the corner of my cheek. A small splash of crimson escaped the tiny slit, along with another burn added to my face. I knew at that point that he was serious in killing me, and I had no choice but to defend myself.
"Aren't you even going to put up a fight before you die?!" Tetsu asked as he swung his katana once more.
Not wanting to continue playing on the defense, I had no choice but to swing my blade forward. Our swords locked in an angle, bringing us face-to-face. I remember his eyes, those black pupils no longer had any trace of compassion, they were virtually blank. I knew that this fight must have hurt him just as much as it hurt me. No, that's not the truth, he had every intention to kill me, and I can't blame after how I treated him after being separated from Shinta.
With a push of his sword, I suddenly found my feet tripping over one another. My back met with the blood-soaked floor a second later, a sharp pain shot through my entire being after the impact. Just as I was about to rise to my feet once more, Tetsu's sword began crashing down once more. His arms were raised directly above his head, leaving no defense for his body. I had chance to kill him at that very instant, but instead, I...
"Argh!" he screamed as I brought my blade toward his leg.
I swung my katana a few inches above his ankle, digging into his muscle for a few moments before I pried the weapon away. His sword suddenly slipped from his fingers, the blade sinking into the earth once it had fallen. His arms quickly turned to his leg, holding the fresh wound I had inflicted upon him.
"Gomen, Tetsu," I apologized as I returned to my feet, "but I had to defend myself, that I did."
"Shut up!" he yelled, still grasping his leg. "How dare you show me mercy!"
"I can't kill one who has been dear to me during this entire war," I told him as I began making my way out of the area. "Tetsu, for being so good to me despite the way I treated you, I show you mercy," I turned to him one last time. "Farewell."
Just as I had made a step forward, a click of metal suddenly entered my ear. I turned my head past my shoulder to find Tetsu with his wakezashi in his hands, diving toward me with the tip aimed at my face. Without wasting a second, I took hold of my sword once more, swinging it upward so that it clashed with my friend's weapon. The metal's screeched upon impact, one was going through the other. My blade had touched the air for a mere second until it dove into a sea of Tetsu's own blood, drenching my being once more in the ruby elixir of life.
"...Tetsu...," I barely called his name as his body began kneeling towards the floor. "Tetsu!" I released my blade.
"Mina-san...," he called me once more, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me..."
"No, you shouldn't be the one to apologize," I took hold of his hand, "I was being so rude to you after being separated from Kenshin. I was so angry at the time that I would get blow up on anyone, please forgive me..."
"Don't worry, Mina-san," a weak smile curled onto his lips, "it's all right. Maybe with you leaving the Ishin Shishi, you can finally find your brother once more."
"My brother, what about you? What about your family?!" I asked him. "It's because of me that..."
"My boys are pretty strong," a small chuckle escaped his lips, "you of all people should know that, Mina-san. I'm sure they'll be strong enough to go on without their father."
"Tetsu, please don't say that!" I took hold of his hand. "Your boys need you, I shouldn't have..."
"Mina-san, it was either you or me," Tetsu said. "This...is how war is. Everyone is fighting for the sake of another; you for your brother, me for my kids, everybody wants the best for their family...., for their friends, and... their country. Unfortunately, not everyone can get the best, and so, only the ones who strive the most can achieve the best. Mina-san, you... strived to be with your brother so much, more than I must have wanted to have my kids live in a safe new era, and I...respect you for that...," his voice began to die.
"Tetsu...?" his eyes began to close. "Tetsu?!" the rivers in my eyes began to flood my cheeks yet again. "This can't be happening!" my voice began to crack.
His body had already gone stiff, his kimono drenched in his own blood. Not another breath had escaped Tetsu's lips, nor his nostrils. He was lay frozen, his arms at his sides, his legs barely parted, and that smile still on his face. Tetsu was dead, one of my only friends during the Revolution was killed, his life taken by my hand. What he told me that day, the rules of war, they were words that would stay with me forever. Only those who strive the most get the most in the battlefield, I could never believe that, I can never believe that. Tetsu wanted a new era for his boys, that's all he ever wanted, and yet, he died for that. A safe new era, how can such a thing exist for those boys with their father gone?
"Tetsu, I didn't strive to be with my brother no more than you wanted a new era for your children," I sniffed. "If what you said is true, then what is she striving for?"
"Mina?" the voice of my best friend suddenly entered my ears.
"Shion?" I turned to the source. "Shion, thank God you're here," I began to approach her, "Tetsu was right, the Ishin Shishi are planning to..."
What she did next was unspeakable. Her fingers suddenly curled onto one half of her naginata, sliding the sword outward, nearly slitting my stomach. I took a step back after, my fingers curled against my heart.
"Shion...?" I looked at her puzzled.
"Himura Mina," she called my name without a sense of feeling in her voice, "as a member of the Ishin Shishi, it is my duty to exterminate you as a traitor."
My entire life had collapsed that very day, just as it did when I was fourteen. Betrayed by my own allies, killing Tetsu, and now, my best friend was going to have me executed. I could feel my soul beginning to whither away from my body, I could feel my heart splitting in two, I felt so much pain, more than I ever have had to in my entire life. My life would come to close no matter what was going to happen next. I would either die from Shion's hands, or die from the fact that I had killed my only friends from the war. Good and evil, light and shadow, friend and foe, no longer could I see a difference in these things at that moment. All I could see was nothing but blood...
Chapter 31 Liner Notes
(Nothing to explain here, I don't think.)
(Next time: "I have become too immersed in this world of violence, everyone that I hold dear to me is linked by the sword. The shackles of the blade will not break so easily, I can do nothing but hold it closer as more danger draws near..." -Himura Mina)
Author's Note: Well, pretty sad huh? It's still not over yet unfortunately, more pain awaits for heroine for the remaining three chapters of this book. Well, reviews are always welcome, and as usual, no flames or anything like that. Anyway, I didn't do a liner note on Emperor Mutsuhiro because there wasn't much info I could find on him, but whatever. I guess that's it for now, three chapters left and I'll begin posting book II, later.