I own nothing but my OC.

Chapter 53: Dust to Dust

"The age of a new breed of oni… Sensei really said that?" Sumiko asked, frowning, as she furrowed her brow with worry once they had heard Shiranui's account of what had happened on the battlefield. She knew he had an axe to grind with humans, but now he was trying to replace oni, too? "I'm starting to feel like I don't know him at all…"

"He has strayed too far from the path. Yukimura Koudou must be dealt with." Amagiri said solemnly.

"I promised Yukimura Chizuru that would give her time to talk to Koudou." Kazama stated calmly. "She seems to think she can talk him out of it." He was rewarded with a grateful smile from Sumiko.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." She said, bowing her head.

"Hmm? That was awfully nice of you, Kazama." Shiranui commented with a sly smirk before adopting a more serious expression. "But I don't think we can afford to wait too long..."

"ARRRRGHH!"

"!" Their heads all immediately snapped up when the echo of a deep, gut roar reached their ears.

"The hell?" Shiranui said dubiously.

"That sounded like a rasetsu!" Sumiko said, alarmed.

"Are you sure?" Amagiri asked. She nodded.

"I've heard one like that before. That's what they sound like when they've snapped."

"But what is a rasetsu doing in this castle, I wonder…" Kazama thought aloud to himself as he stood up and headed for the door. The other three quickly got up and followed him, wanting to see what was going on for themselves.

"Would it not be better for you to wait in the room?" Amagiri asked Sumiko as they walked.

"You want me to sit in there all by myself when there could be a monster on the loose?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Right now the safest place in this castle is with you all. Although, I think if given the choice between humans and oni, they'll instinctively target the oni…"

"What do you mean?" Shiranui asked. "Why would they do something stupid like that? Humans are obviously the easier prey since they're weaker."

"Maybe, but broken rasetsus aren't exactly in their right minds." She pointed out. "And a while back, a rasetsu got loose at the Shinsengumi headquarters, but instead of attacking those closest to it, it wandered all the way to the room I was staying in with Chizuru, and of the two of us, it went for her first, even though I was slightly closer to it. It went out of its way to try to get to her blood, and they only reason it would do that…"

"Is because her oni blood is stronger." Amagiri finished. "I see. That is a valid observation."

"And, also—" Sumiko started to add, when another howl wracked the castle.

"AAARGHHH!"

"It sounds like it's moving." Kazama commented.

"It also sounds like it's getting closer." Shiranui said as a shadow rounded the corner. A rasetsu clad in an Imperial Army uniform came charging at them. Kazama immediately drew his sword, while Shiranui raised his gun, ready to strike.

"Don't kill it!" Someone ordered from around the corner.

"Diaphragm!" Sumiko shouted quickly as Amagiri stepped forward. Following her suggestion, he took it out with a harsh blow to the diaphragm, knocking it out cold, just as human soldiers came rushing around the corner, led by a man who looked uncannily familiar to Sumiko.

"Ah!" She gasped in realization, pointing a finger at him. "Saigo Takamori!" She'd seen pictures of him in the history books!

"You know Saigo-dono?" Amagiri asked curiously.

"Well, I know of him…" She replied, sweat-dropping, as she realized how much attention she had just drawn to herself.

"Ah, good! You stopped it! And it's still alive!" Saigo said, looking extremely relieved. "You have my thanks. But how ever did you manage it?"

"He punched him in the diaphragm." Sumiko said simply. "Even if their wounds heal at an insane rate, like any normal living being, they'll lose consciousness and black out without oxygen." At least, that had been her theory… "But more importantly, if you're not going to kill him, then shouldn't we do something to restrain him before this guy regains consciousness? He's going to be waking up soon."

"Ah, yes! Bring the rope." Saigo called out to his men.

"Rope?" Shiranui asked dubiously. "Like that's gonna work! What are you all even doing with this thing anyway?"

"You would be safer letting a rabid dog loose in here." Kazama commented.

"Well, were hoping to study it, find out what makes it tick." Saigo said, furrowing his brow. "We've never seen anything like these things before…"

"These 'things' were normal humans once." Sumiko said, frowning. She didn't like where this was going.

"What do you know about them?" Saigo asked, narrowing his eyes at her in suspicion. "Who are you?"

"She was Koudou's apprentice and is my fiancée. You would do well to respect her." Kazama said , narrowing his crimson eyes.

"What? Koudou!? So, you know all about them, then?" Saigo asked, surprised.

"I don't know everything Koudou-sensei does, but I suppose I know more than most… If you need someone to study this rasetsu, then I'll volunteer myself for the job." Sumiko said after pausing to think for a moment.

"You will?" Shiranui asked, surprised. Kazama and Amagiri were also giving her questioning looks.

"Well, if you say so… I suppose you are the best qualified… but understand, as we've already been betrayed by Koudou, we can't take any more risks. We'll need to post a guard." Saigo said, nodding his head at them as he turned to leave with the men who were taking away the unconscious rasetsu.

"Why did you volunteer?" Kazama asked glancing down at her.

"I didn't like the way they were talking. I want to make sure whatever 'experiments' they plan on doing are humane." She replied, frowning as she watched them leave. "I've heard Buddhists say even an insect has a half a soul."

"You're Buddhist?" Shiranui asked.

"No, but they've got some good ideas." Sumiko said with a wry smile.

—∞—

After their defeat at Koufu, the Shinsengumi took refuge at a hatamoto mansion.

"Oh." Heisuke said when he slid the door open and found Sano and Shinpachi already drinking sake while Saito sat just outside the room, on the porch, watching the sun set while he sipped from his cup. "Drinking already? You old farts are unbelievable." He commented as he entered the room, followed by San'nan. They hadn't even touched their dinner yet.

"Shut it! How could I not?" Shinpachi retorted. After everything they had seen and been through in that last battle… There was a lot to drink about!

"San'nan-san, care to join us for a drink?" Sano asked, holding up the container of sake.

"Sure." San'nan said, taking a seat.

"Not gonna invite me?" Heisuke asked.

"You're still too young to drink." Sano told him in retaliation for the 'old farts' comment.

"What was that!?" Heisuke said indignantly, raising a fist, while San'nan chuckled. "Sheesh…" He said as he sat down. "Kondo-san isn't here today either, huh?"

"Once you're the commander, you have to make plans with the big wigs, gather new recruits, and take care of a shitload of stuff." Sano said.

"It's not like recruiting guys is going to help." Shinpachi said pessimistically. "There's no point if he's going to throw their lives away. Right, Saito?" He asked, glancing at their stoic friend. Saito didn't know what to say, so he remained silent.

"Don't hold it against him." Sano said. "That was Kondo-san's first time leading a battle against the Imperial Army. It's not like everything would go smoothly the first time."

"Hmph. Gathering hundreds of untrained men isn't going to change things." Shinpachi said, furrowing his brow. "There's no way they could fight rasetsus who can move about during the day."

"Furies who can move during the day…" San'nan said thoughtfully, feeling envious.

"Ah, that's right. I heard Sumiko somehow managed to get Kazama to deliver a little care package for you guys." Sano said. Shiranui had said they were treating her well, but it was a surprise to hear that they were willing to do her a favor like that, since it meant helping them. In that case, he was glad. It meant she wasn't being treated harshly, like a prisoner or worse, as they had all feared. Kazama had also said she was almost healed, and knowing Sumiko, if she really wanted out, she'd probably end up saving herself if she got tired of waiting for them. That thought made him smile slightly.

"Yes. It was basically an outline for a low nickel diet. Apparently she believes our bodies have become unable to process nickel, and that is part of the reason why we are so weak against the sun and silver, but there are no guarantees as to how effective it will be…" San'nan explained. "… There was also a note of apology."

"Apology?" Shinpachi and Sano asked, surprised, as even Saito glanced up.

"It seems she played an unwilling part in helping Koudou create these new rasetsus." San'nan said to their shock. "She had wanted to try making an actual cure for us, so she asked Koudou-san for his help since she was still recovering from her wounds, and he knew more about the Ochimizu than she. Unfortunately, he went behind her back and applied her theories to creating a new breed of rasetsu instead."

"Damn it!" Shinpachi cursed, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Why did Koudou-san have to make those monsters? He even tricked Sumiko to do it!" A heavy silence fell over the room.

"Hm?" Heisuke said when he sensed someone nearby. He glanced towards the open door and saw Chizuru sitting there with the new tray of sake she had been bringing them. "Chizuru…"

"Ah…" Shinpachi looked down uncomfortably while Sano gave him look. He should've kept his big mouth shut…

"I'm sorry." Chizuru said, lowering her head to them.

"Wh-Why are you apologizing?" Heisuke said quickly, jumping to his feet in his haste to reassure her. "Don't sweat it! It's not your fault of nothin'! 'Kay? Sumiko would say the same thing if she were here!" Chizuru didn't raise her head, she just kept staring remorsefully at the floor. "Ch-Chizuru!"

—∞—

"How are you feeling today, Tanaka-san?" Sumiko asked the rasetsu, whose name turned out to be Tanaka Souta, as she approached the cell he was being held in. "Has anyone been giving you trouble?"

"No, no trouble… but I'm almost out of that medicine you gave me." He said with a wan smile. "The 'attacks' have been getting worse and are happening more frequently. Oh, and there is a slight ringing in my ears from time to time."

"Yes, I heard as much from the guards… I'll bring you some more. For now, let's check your vitals again." Sumiko said solemnly as she made a note of it for the record. He stepped up to the bars so she could reach in and listen to his heart with her stethoscope. She furrowed her brow slightly in concern. His heart rate had increased again. For some reason, it seemed his heart had steadily begun to pump harder and faster, even during the times when he wasn't transformed. She checked his eyes, ears, tongue, and body temperature. His pupil dilation was off, and his body temperature was strangely low, especially considering how much higher it had been than average only a few days ago. She couldn't see anything wrong with his ears, but the ringing he claimed to hear worried her. That could indicate blood flow or nerve problems. "How's the pain?" She asked. "Be honest. Don't try to tough it out."

"Well… I'd say the intensity is about the same, but… it feels like it's starting to spread from chest and head to my limbs." Tanaka said a bit hesitantly, hoping it wasn't an indication of something worse to come.

"Would you like a pain killer?" Sumiko asked, frowning.

"… Yes. I think I may need one very soon." He admitted, looking down. He was just about reaching his limit. "You've been very kind to me."

"Heh. That's not usually what my patients say." She commented with a wry smile. "Most of them complain my bedside manner is too rough, or they tell me I'm too bossy."

"Well, there is that, but, I mean, you actually call me by name and you look me in the eye when you talk to me." He said somberly. "Everyone else here acts like I'm some kind of monster. When I signed up to fight with the army in Tosa, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind. They said we'd become stronger if we drank that medicine, but I never thought…"

"I'm sorry." Sumiko said, bowing her head. "It was my Sensei who did this to you. If I had been able to see through him sooner…"

"No, no! It's not Miyagawa-san's fault! You—Achk!?" He suddenly choked on his own words, and fell to his knees. His hair faded to white, and his eyes glowed red.

"Tanaka!" Sumiko shouted in alarm, jumping to her feet. "Hold on, I'll go get the medicine!" She turned to run, but something caught hold of her kimono's sleeve. She turned and saw that Tanaka had reached out and tried to grab her in his frenzy. Her eyes widened when she realized his skin was starting to turn grey like ash, and the fingers holding onto her sleeve began to crumble and fall like grains of sand. Whatever it was spread all the way up his arm and through the rest of his body until all that was left of Tanaka Souta was a pile of dust, which promptly burst into blue flames. No, they only looked like flames. She couldn't feel any heat radiating from them, and the strange phenomena quickly dissipated. "No…" Sumiko said quietly as she fell to her knees in front of the cell. That was impossible… How could a living body just disintegrate like that? … And what was with that strange blue light? She couldn't believe her eyes. It didn't feel real. Tanaka couldn't be dead.

"No… way…"