I own nothing but my OC.

Chapter 21: Devil In The Dark

Later that evening, Sumiko and Chizuru found themselves guarding the front of the gate of Nijo Castle with Hijikata and several other Shinsengumi members while the Shogun rested within. Chizuru bowed to Hijikata after receiving her orders and ran off to spread the message while Sumiko remained behind with the others at the gate.

"Next shift watchmen, take the Hour of the Boar, please!" Chizuru called out.

"She seemed so hesitant to come at first, but she looks like she's enjoying herself." Sumiko commented, smiling, as she watched the younger girl disappear into the distant darkness further down the wall lined with soldiers. "Are you sure you don't need me to do anything?" She asked, glancing up at him.

"You are doing something." Hijikata reminded her, slightly chagrined. "You're standing guard, remember? Until your skills as a medic are needed, you're here for your muscle."

"Oh, right." Sumiko said, smiling wryly. Muscle? What happened to 'you're a girl, too'? "I guess I've just gotten used to having to do more running around whenever I—!?" Sumiko's smile fell as she suddenly whipped her head back around to stare in the direction Chizuru had just gone in.

"What is it?" Hijikata asked, instantly on the alert after seeing the alarmed look on her face.

"This feeling… there's something dangerous down there! Chizuru's in trouble!" Sumiko yelled, taking off like a shot, without waiting for Hijikata.

—∞—

" 'Oni'? A-Are you making fun of me?" Chizuru asked, staring up Kazama, the red-haired man who was with him on the bridge, and a tan man with purple hair who was holding a gun. They had just suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and now they were claiming to be demons? Who were these people!?

"Hmph. You don't know about Oni?" Kazama asked. He found that hard to believe. "Are you honestly saying that? You are one of us, Yukimura Chizuru."

"!" Chizuru gasped. "How do you know my name?"

"Your wounds heal so fast, how could anyone possibly think you a normal human?" The red-haired man asked, suddenly appearing behind her without a sound. Chizuru spun around, but he was already gone.

"Well, in that case… wouldn't it be faster just to prove it?" The man with the gun asked, aiming it at her from his perch up on the high wall.

SLIDE!

"Oh?" The gunman said, smirking when Sumiko came running up and slid into place in front of Chizuru with her sword drawn, shielding her friend.

"Try it, if you think you can." Sumiko dared, glaring fiercely up at him. Chizuru gasped when he smirked and cocked his gun.

"Sumiko-san!" Chizuru gasped.

"Stop it, Shiranui." Kazama said as he stared down the girls. The gunman laughed and holstered his weapon with a shrug. Too bad, it might've been interesting. "You sensed us from that far away, huh?" He asked Sumiko. "If didn't know any better, I might think you were the pure blood. It's a shame you're only half Oni."

"What?" Sumiko asked, furrowing her brow.

"Oi, Oi. Don't tell me you don't know what you are, either?" Shiranui asked. Were these girls dense or what?

"Hnh. I'm more surprised she wasn't killed at birth." Kazama said.

"I very nearly was." Sumiko replied grimly with a dark smirk, starting to feel pissed off. "An 'oni', huh? I suppose that might be reason enough for a mother to abandon her child. Not that I believe in that kind of thing."

"Ahaha! Can you believe this woman?" Shiranui asked. "The real thing is right in front of her, and she still has doubts!" The red-haired man was silent as he stared down at her.

"You can accept it or deny it, but our actions will not change." Kazama told her before glancing at Chizuru. "I will keep this brief: the surname that proves you're an Oni, the short sword of the Oni of the East… those alone are proof enough."

'Surname? What does 'Yukimura' have to do with it? And what about my sword?' Chizuru thought, confused. Sumiko furrowed her brow. She was just as lost as Chizuru on this one.

"I'll say this in advance. We don't need your permission to take you with us." Kazama added leaping up and off of the wall, landing effortlessly in front of them. Sumiko's eyes widened. A normal human's leg bones would've been shattered. He smirked when he straightened up and saw the look on her face. "I can see you're starting to get it. Female Oni are precious. Even a mongrel like you has worth. Come with us." He said, holding out his hand to them.

SMACK!

The sound from Sumiko slapping his hand away resounded through the night. Shiranui whistled. Now she'd done it. Kazama's pupils constricted to slits as he narrowed his crimson eyes at her.

"No thanks! You really don't know how to talk to women do you?" She asked Don't you know you're only supposed to praise them if you want to get on their good side?" She asked, glaring scornfully at him. "As if I'd go with someone who just called me a mongrel. And there's no way I'd let a bastard like you take Chizuru, either. Not after you caused her to get hurt on purpose!"

"Hmph. 'Mongrel' is too good for you." Kazama said, glaring at her with eyes full of disdain and anger, though he was somewhat impressed that she had noticed he let go on purpose when neither of the other two who were with her had. "How would you like for me to make your life a living hell?" He asked dangerously, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm not really ready for marriage yet. But thanks for the offer." Sumiko replied dryly, narrowing her eyes back at him.

"Heh! She just doesn't quit, does she?" Shiranui commented, impressed by her nerve. "Hey, if you don't want her, I'll take her."

"You mongrel!" Kazama growled lowly, about to grab her by that annoying mouth of hers and crush it, when he suddenly found himself having to dodge the pointy end of a spear.

"Now, now." Sano said as he and Saito moved into position to protect the girls. "Having a lovers' date in an unromantic place like this a bad choice."

"He's a terrible sweet-talker, too." Sumiko added.

"You all again, eh?" Kazama asked condescendingly as he and the other two Oni fell took a more advantageous oppositional position. "It seems you countryside dogs are quick-witted if nothing else."

"That would be my line." Saito replied sternly, noticing the red-haired man he had encountered during the Kinmon Rebellion that had claimed to be the one who beat Heisuke at the Ikedaya, that Amagiri Kyuju.

"Harada-san! Saito-san!" Chizuru said, relieved. She looked up when she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder.

"Fall back." Hijikata said. "You, too." He told Sumiko, holding an arm out in front of her, pushing the stubborn girl back, as he placed himself in front of her. "I thought you'd come after the head of the Shogun." Hijikata said, smirking dangerously as he eyed their opponents. "Just what do you want with these kids?"

"The Shogun and you fools are no longer of importance." Kazama replied loftily. "This is a problem for us Oni."

"Oni, you say?" Hijikata asked, furrowing his brow. What was that supposed to mean?

"Would you mind simply leaving?" Amagiri asked calmly. "As with the time at Kinmon, we have no reason to fight you."

"Unfortunately, I have a reason to fight you." Saito replied, furrowing his brow.

"It can't be helped…" Amagiri said calmly, leaping up and over to stand on the high wall behind Saito. Sano used his spear to pole-vault onto the wall with Shiranui.

"Heh. I haven't seen your ugly mug since the Kinmon Rebellion." Sano said, raising his spear to challenge the gunman.

"Hah! My gun versus your spear." Shiranui said, aiming for Sano's head. "At this range, can you not see which is more effective?"

" 'Shiranui', was it? Don't go puttin' on airs and dropping your guard!" Sano shouted, lunging forth as he thrust his spear at his opponent in a blitz of attacks.

"You ain't reaching me!" Shiranui taunted as he repeatedly dodged each attack.

"!" Sano grunted as he lunged forward again, closing the gap between them. Shiranui grinned. They were locked in position, both men had frozen with their weapons only an inch away from the other's forehead. Sano smirked.

"Why don't you fire?" He asked.

"Usin' bullets on someone who's heard a gunshot before is no fun." Shiranui replied with a smirk of his own.

Hijikata, Sumiko, and Chizuru were locked in a stare-down with Kazama. Chizuru's hand trembled as she reached for the handle of her sword.

"There's no need for that." Yamazaki said, pushing Chizuru behind himself protectively.

"Yamazaki-san!" Chizuru said.

"Come back to headquarters with me." Yamazaki said.

"Yeah. Let Yamazaki-san take you somewhere safe, Chizuru." Sumiko said, nodding in approval.

"You go, too." Hijikata told Sumiko firmly, furrowing his brow. "He's after both of you, isn't he?"

"You country fools, playing warriors!" Kazama roared as he drew his sword, fed up with all their constant interfering.

"Hijikata-san!" Sumiko yelled as he rushed forward to block the attack with his own sword rather than let Kazama take another step closer to the girls.

"Don't interfere!" Yamazaki said, holding out an arm to stop her.

"But…!"

"What business do you bastards have with these kids!?" Hijikata demanded, glaring fiercely at Kazama. Beads of sweat formed on Hijikata's brow. He had to use both hands just to fend off a one-handed blow from the oni.

"Chizuru is far too noble for you. So, we're taking her with us. That's all." Kazama replied haughtily with a wicked smirk. "You can keep that mongrel, though. She's a good fit with you dogs of the Bakufu."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Hijikata asked angrily, gritting his teeth, as he summoned all his strength and pushed back so he could launch an attack of his own. Sumiko clenched her fists as she watched them parry each other's blows. She wanted to help, however, she knew Yamazaki was right. Interfering in such a fierce battle now would insult Hijikata's pride as a warrior... But the look on Kazama's face… It was like watching a cat playing with its next meal. Fortunately, she didn't have to suffer long through this internal debate, because they could hear the pounding footsteps of more soldiers approaching. Hijikata blocked Kazama's attack and struck back with a swift sweep of his blade, slicing off the tips of the oni's bangs so close to his face, that he almost graced the bridge of his nose even as the oni jumped back.

"Oh?" Kazama said, slightly impressed. No human had ever come that close to actually cutting his flesh before…

"Fighting anymore than this serves no purpose. Drawing things out will attract unwanted attention, which is not good." Amagiri said, signaling to his fellow oni that it was time to go.

"Now that we have confirmation, we can leave." Kazama said carelessly as he hopped up on top of the wall, out of Hijikata's reach.

"Tch." Shiranui clicked his tongue in disappointment. Just when it was getting good.

"Haah!" Sano grunted as he dodges Shiranui final parting shot and swiped at the fleeing oni with his spear.

"You think we'll simply let you flee?" Saito asked sternly, charging at Amagiri.

SLASH!

In a moment too fast for the human eye to process, Saito had drawn his sword cut Amagiri down, or so he thought.

"!" He gasped, stunned, when his opponent suddenly vanished into thin air, as if he had never been there in the first place.

"We'll be back for you in the near future." Kazama told Chizuru as he looked down on them from above. He smirked. "Just wait for us."

"Ah." Chizuru gasped. Sumiko placed a hand on Chizuru's shoulder and glared defiantly up at Kazama. Without further ado, the despicable oni leaped up in to sky and disappeared from sight.

"Chizuru!" Sumiko said, catching the younger girl when her knees started to buckle. Not this again!

"Chizuru! Are you all right?" Sano asked.

"Hey, you two." Hijikata said, glancing back the girls. "Can you think of why they might be after you?"

"Well, he seemed to have changed his mind about me half way through…" Sumiko said, glancing at Chizuru, wondering how they should handle this. Personally, she wouldn't mind telling Hijikata how crazy those inhuman bastards were, but Chizuru had more riding on this than she did, and it would mean exposing a secret that she had promised to help keep nearly three years ago.

"No, I… I don't get it." Chizuru replied quietly as she leaned on her friend, clearly distraught by the life-shattering knowledge she had just acquired about her own background. Hijikata furrowed his brow. They were holding something back, and he knew it.