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Chapter 34: Wake of the Slaughter

Guard of the Imperial Tomb Headquarters

"Congratulations on your guard of the Imperial Tomb." Kondo told Itou. He had come to officially greet Itou and his group after they acquired their own separate headquarters at another temple. Okita and Inoue were there as his guard.

"Thank you very much." Itou said calmly.

Okita, who was sitting at attention with Inoue, began coughing again. His 'attacks' were coming more and more frequently.

—∞—

Shinsengumi Headquarters

"Are you sure you're all right to work, Sumiko-san?" Chizuru asked while the swept the walkway together, concerned. "Your wound only just finished closing…"

"Yeah, I'm totally fine." Sumiko said, smiling as she waved her friend's worries off. "Don't worry, Chizuru. I'm just happy to be back on my feet again." And it was a relief that Kazama and the others hadn't tried to come while she was still bedridden. Despite the urgent warning they had from Sen and Kimigiku that he would be coming for Chizuru soon, he seemed to be taking his sweet time getting there… Not that that was a bad thing. It would be even better if he never came at all.

–∞–

Their period of grace seemed to be over, however, as that very evening, when the moon was high in the sky, the gang of Oni attacked.

BANG! BANG!

The two guards at the gate were each taken out by a bullet to the head as the great gates to the temple were forced open with a loud crash, kicking up a huge gust of wind and dust. Kazama stepped forward, leading Amagiri and Shiranui into the Shinsengumi Headquarters.

"Yaaah!" More Shinsengumi members came charging with their swords drawn, but Amagiri effortlessly repelled and disabled them using only his bare hands.

"No challenge at all, huh?" Shiranui commented. It was kind of pathetic, like picking on the weak…

However, the men Amagiri had just taken out, as well as the men Shiranui had shot, suddenly picked themselves back up off the ground. As the men turned to face the three oni, their hair faded white and their eyes glowed red in the dark.

"What are these guys?" Shiranui asked. There was no way they were normal humans.

"My apologies for the wait." San'nan said as he came out to greet them with more men. He and all the newcomers also had white hair and red eyes after activating the powers given to them by the Ochimizu. "We of the Rasetsu Unit shall be the opponents of you oni."

"It would seem they are the result of their research." Amagiri remarked.

"Ah. Those imitations, huh?" Shiranui said.

"Come! Unleash all your power!" San'nan commanded his fellow rasetsus. The rasetsus all cheered and yelled as they charged at the oni without hesitation, eager to finally be allowed to participate in a battle in where there was no need to hold back. They could finally go wild.

–∞–

BANG!

"!" Chizuru gasped as she shot up in bed, instantly on alert after being awoken by the sound of gunfire and the men's battle cries."What's that!?"

"We're being attacked." Sumiko said as she finished tying her hakama and grabbed her sword. She had been awoken by an uneasy feeling only moments before the commotion began outside.

"Eh? Sumiko-san…" Chizuru said, furrowing her brow in concern, as she watched her friend head for the door. "You aren't planning to fight, are you? Your wound—"

"Will be fine as long as I avoid taking a direct hit." Sumiko finished for her. "Don't worry. I'm just going to take a look, but it never hurts to be prepared, right?" She said, flashing Chizuru a reassuring smile before slipping out of the room. She wanted to be ready to help the others if the shit hit the fan.

–∞–

No matter how hard the oni hit and beat the rasetsus, they just kept getting up and coming back for more. It was beginning to become a real nuisance. Simply disabling them was out of the question. They healed too quickly for that. Nothing short of death could stop the rasetsus.

"Rraah!" One of them roared as he charged at Kazama with his sword raised. Kazama quickly dodged the rash attack with ease and grabbed hold of the hilt of the short sword still sheathed at the rasetsu's waist. In one swift motion, he drew the word and used it to stab its owner through the heart. The rasetsu cried out in pain before falling lifelessly to the ground.

"If you hit them in their vital spot, they're done for." Kazama advised his fellow oni as he continued to fight swiftly and efficiently, using the short sword to stab any and all who came at him through the heart with one quick thrust.

"I swear! It's horrible that they were ever even created!" Amagiri said, furrowing his brow, as he continued to fight with his fists. So much for the plan to simply render all who opposed them unconscious.

"Sure enough, true oni are ferocious indeed." San'nan said, drawing his sword to join the fray as the oni began to slaughter his men.

"I'll leave this to you." Kazama told the others when he spotted Sumiko headed their way with Hijikata, Sano, and Shinpachi, leaving to find Chizuru. If the Komainu was there, then Yukimura Chizuru would be easy to snatch away with only mere humans left to guard her. And once they had Yukimura Chizuru, her loyal guardian would undoubtedly follow. Two birds with one stone.

"Tch. Guess we've got no choice." Shiranui said, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he stayed behind with Amagiri. They just kept coming, didn't they?

–∞–

As soon as she finished getting dressed, Chizuru left their room and started running to join the others in the fight.

"Yukimura-kun!" Shimada, who was supposed to be guarding and protecting her, shouted in alarm, chasing after her. "You mustn't!" he said urgently, cutting her off before she could get any closer to the danger. "The Vice-commander ordered me to keep you—"

"They're after me! I can't just hide while everyone's fighting!" Chizuru said anxiously. "Sumiko-san's only just recovered from—!" She and Shimada gasped, startled, when Kazama walked up.

"I've come for you." Kazama said.

"Get back, Yukimura-kun!" Shimada said as he stepped forth to protect her and drew his sword. "Yaaah!" He shouted, charging at Kazama in earnest. He swung his sword at the oni using both hands, but Kazama simply raised the short sword in his one and blocked the heavy-handed blow effortlessly.

"Hmph." Kazama sent Shimada crashing into the porch railing with a well-placed kick to the torso.

"!" Shimada grunted in pain from the rough landing as he hit his head and blacked out.

"Shimada-san!" Chizuru cried in alarm, rushing to the fallen man's side. "Please, stop this!" She said urgently, turning to face Kazama as he approached her. "Don't hurt any—Ah! Ungh!" Chizuru gasped, startled when he reached out and grabbed her, turning her as he held her back against him so he could deliver a sharp blow to her diaphragm with the but of his sword to knock her out.

–∞–

"Ungh!" Sumiko grunted in pain, coughing, as she slid back from the force of the blow Amagiri had just delivered to her gut.

"Sumiko!" Shinpachi shouted in alarm when she fell to one knee, leaning on her sword for support.

"I'm—koff—fine!" She shouted back, gritting her teeth. "Just don't let him hit you!" She was surprised the force of his attack hadn't broken a rib or two. It probably would have if she were a normal human.

"Oh, was I too rough?" Amagiri asked. "Pardon me. I sometimes forget you are only half oni." He said, moving to take a step closer to her. There was a small trickle of blood forming at the corner of her mouth. He must have aggravated a hidden wound she obtained in a previous fight…

"Hnh!" Shinpachi grunted, swinging his sword at the oni with all his might to make him back off as he and Hijikata rushed over to back her up. Amagiri elbowed Shinpachi in the side, adjusting his strength to match his human opponent, before having to quickly avoid a sharp thrust from Hijikata's blade. Hijikata unleashed a series of successive attacks, forcing Amagiri away from the others as the oni continued to dodge.

"San'nan-san, I'll deal with this guy!" Sano said as he thrust his spear at Shiranui.

"Don't get cocky!" Shiranui retorted as he dodged. He jumped away when Sano took another swipe at him, raising his gun as he landed well beyond the reach of the other man's spear.

BANG! BANG!

He smirked as Sano charged at him, heedless of the bullets whizzing past his face. This human really had guts!

Sumiko was struggling to get back on her feet, after having ripped the sleeve of her kimono and using it to bind her semi-reopened wound, when she noticed another figure approaching.

"!" She gasped when she realized it was Kazama, and he already had an unconscious Chizuru slung over his shoulder. She furrowed her brow. So, that's where he had been… she should've known! "Chizuru!"

"!" The men gasped when they looked over and saw what she was staring at.

"Let Chizuru go!" Shinpachi shouted sternly as the fighting came to a standstill with everyone's attention focused on Kazama and the unconscious Chizuru. He was surprised the komainu didn't immediately come rushing over to help her friend, but one look at Sumiko told him that what he had heard Chizuru mention about her having only just 'recovered' was true. Amagiri would never have injured a female like that on purpose. She must have sustained an injury after getting dragged into some nonsense because of these humans again…

"Care to take her back by force?" Kazama asked when he noticed the fierce expression on Hijikata's face, setting Chizuru down for a moment.

"Interesting." Hijikata said, smirking darkly, as he stepped up to face the oni with his sword drawn. "You've trespassed into the Shinsengumi's headquarters. We won't allow any more selfish behavior!" He shouted sternly as he charged at Kazama.

"Yaah!" Sumiko yelled as she grit her teeth and threw herself into helping Shinpachi take on Amagiri again. Amagiri was surprised by how fierce they had all had suddenly become, as if their determination to protect Yukimura Chizuru had become strengthened by her mere presence.

"What's the matter?" Sano asked Shiranui tauntingly as he continued to attack with his spear. "You're backing up!" Shiranui grit his teeth as he dodged another thrust of Sano's spear.

"Che!"

CLANG!

"That woman's value lies in the fact that I shall use her." Kazama told the vice-commander as he locked swords with him.

"You can finish telling that story to the damned in hell!" Hijikata said fiercely. No way in hell was he handing Chizuru over to this bastard!

"!" Chizuru gasped when she opened her eyes and saw Hijikata fighting Kazama for her. "Hijikata-san!"

"So, you're awake?" Kazama said, glancing at her out the corner of his eye.

"Keh!" Hijikata grit his teeth and let outa roar of a war cry as he pressed his blade harder and struck Kazama's sword with enough force to break the blade.

"Hoh?" Kazama said as he examined the broken blade, somewhat impressed. Not bad, for a human. Perhaps it was time he got serious? Kazama placed a second hand on the hilt of his sword as he charged at Hijikata.

"!" Hijikata said as he just barely managed to dodge Kazama's swift attack. He raised his sword to try to block the next, but the force from Kazama's blow sent Hijikata's sword flying from his hands. Hijikata grit his teeth and glared as he slid back, and Kazama shot forward to charge at him again.

"Stop it!" Chizuru yelled as she ran into the fight with her kodachi drawn, placing herself protectively in front of Hijikata.

"!" Sumiko gasped when she whipped her head around and saw what was happening. She tried to run over to help them, but was cut off by Amagiri.

"You mustn't do this!" Hijikata scolded Chizuru sternly as he placed his own hand on her sword and pulled her into a protective embrace.

Kazama froze in place with his sword raised over his head, poised to strike, as he stared down at them, taking in the intense emotions that were being expressed so clearly on their faces as they stood against him together.

"Why do you side with the humans?" He asked, furrowing his brow. "In the end, they will only betray you. You've seen those fake oni they've created, haven't you? What merit is there in siding with fools who would make things like those?"

"Even so… I believe in them!" Chizuru said earnestly.

Kazama stared down at her and Hijikata for a moment longer before finally lowering his sword and backing off. The komainu had mentioned something before about Yukimura Chizuru already being in love. Obviously it was with this man.

Shiranui laughed while he watched Kazama sheath his sword.

"Kazama, she turned you down big time, huh?" He asked, smirking.

"I've lost interest in this. Let's go." Kazama said calmly as he turned and headed for the gates. "But if you can't take better care of them in the future, I won't let you keep them." He added, narrowing his eyes slightly, as he passed Shinpachi and Sumiko, eyeing the reopened wound in her side.

Amagiri bowed politely to his two opponents and left with Kazama.

"Later, Harada! I'll kill you next time." Shiranui said, smirking, as he turned and hurried off to follow after his fellow oni. "Keep that neck of yours clean and wait for me!"

"Right back at you." Sano said. Sumiko let out a sigh of relief once they had disappeared into the mists beyond the gate and leaned on her sword.

"Check on the wounded." Hijikata ordered immediately.

"Right!" Shinpachi said.

"Understood." San'nan said, taking the other side of the yard.

"Chizuru!" Sumiko gasped as Sano came over to lend her an arm for support, concerned when the younger girl's knees buckled."Are you all right?" She asked Chizuru as they went over to check on her.

"Sumiko-san… Harada-san…" Chizuru said they both kneeled down in front of her.

"You did good back there." Sano said, gently placing a hand on top of her head.

"I…" Chizuru said shakily. "For my sake, everyone—"

"Don't make that face." Sumiko said, smiling wanly.

"That's right. It's only right that a man protects a woman, Chizuru." Sano said, smiling kindly at her. "It's because you were here that we were many times more powerful than usual. Hijikata-san and Shinpachi, too…" He added, glancing over at the other men. Chizuru glanced up and saw that they were both watching from the side while Sano and Sumiko tried to comfort her.

"Sumiko-san… Harada-san… Everyone… Thank you very much." Chizuru said as tears began to well up in her eyes. Hijikata smiled slightly as he turned and walked away.

"Looks like Hijikata-san's proud of you, too." Sumiko said, smiling gently at her friend.

"Hai!" Chizuru softly as a light blush dusted her cheeks and she smiled slightly despite the tears in her eyes.