CHAPTER 11: Mate of the wolf

"Hajime..." Tokio stared at him. She couldn't seem to make her voice work right, so she gave him her answer with a kiss. A few soft coughs from the room next door brought them out of it and they silently walked into the room where Okita was lying. He was hardly awake, mumbling and coughing softly. Tokio hurried over to him, lightly touching his forehead.

"Fever?" Saito asked. Tokio nodded.

"And the doctor has left for the night. Hajime, I have to help him," Tokio said. "Boil some water and get me a cloth!" Tokio instructed. Saito quietly opened the door and slid it closed behind him. Tokio turned back to Okita's flushed face. She brushed aside some of his hair.

"Tokio-dono?" Okita asked weakly. He began to cough.

"You have to rest, Okita," Tokio whispered. "Hajime's gone to get water and a cloth to help your fever. Would you like some tea?" Okita gave a slight nod. Tokio walked out of the room, passing many rooms containing the remaining members of the Shinsengumi. Most of them were badly wounded and the doctor had stopped by to help every one of them. Tokio walked into the kitchen where she found Saito, sword drawn, facing a group of 15 men in black outfits.

"It's over, Shinsengumi!" one of the men said. "Kaishu Katsu handed over the capital. There's no reason for you to fight anymore!"

"You really think that all I fight for is the shogunate?" Saito asked. "Well I'm going to tell you that you're wrong. I fight for Aku. Soku. Zan. You will die." He launched an attack at them, diving into their group showing no signs of mercy or fear. Tokio watched as he killed five of them, then turned to kill the rest. They all had drawn their swords, ready for battle.

"You... can't win against all of us!" one of the men said trembling. Saito smirked.

"Do you really think that, or do you just want to believe that your lives don't end here?" Saito asked. The men charged, thrusting their swords at Saito. He narrowly dodged most of them, only allowing a single scratch to appear on his upper arm. He leaped forward, stabbing through one of the men, then tossing his body off of the sword and into another man's body. There was only eight left.

"Take care of him," the leader of the group commanded. The other seven just looked at him with fear in their eyes. Saito gave a small laugh, amused by their fear.

"All of you will die tonight, it's just a matter who will die first," Saito said. He gazed at each man.

"I believe I will kill your leader first, as he was the most cowardly," Saito declared. Charging with his Gatotsu, he forced his sword into the man. Then, just for a little bit of pain, he twisted the sword. The man died instantly.

"Please, don't kill us!" the other seven men whimpered. One reached into his gi.

"Now." Saito looked at each one. He walked over to one and scrutinized him. "You die next." The other five watched as their companion was killed like the others, then, in a desperate attempt to take down Saito, four of the remaining five attacked all at once. Just as Saito was about to kill one, there was a loud bang, and the man who hadn't attacked pointed a gun at Saito.

"Don't move," he commanded. "Or I'll shoot you." Saito stared at him, then without moving anything but his arm, he stabbed through a man on his left side. There was the sound of a gunshot and bits of wood and paper fell on the warriors. Tokio was grabbing onto the gunman's arm, pointing it to the ceiling. Saito smirked.

"Good job, Tokio," Saito said, stabbing through the other three and then walking over to her. He finished off the gunman. Tokio grinned and hugged him.

"I have to go boil some water for Okita!" she remembered, hurrying over to the stove. (Were there stoves back then? Oh well.) Then, Battousai appeared behind Saito in the doorway.

"Hajime..." Tokio breathed, but Saito had already noticed. He glanced over his shoulder at the man.

"What do you want, Battousai?" he relaxed and turned toward the hitokiri. "You seem different than when we fought earlier tonight."

"After this fight, I will kill no more," Battousai announced. "My last murder... will be you."

A/N: Alright, alright, really really short, I know! I've been sick and life's been busy! I'll try to hurry, I promise!