Previously:

"The Imperial Army secretly ordered me to come here, but I am fed up with all these human conflicts." Koudou explained, furrowing his brow. "I expect you came here to finish what you started at Ueno?"

"I'm here to stop you, if that's what you mean." Sumiko responded calmly with determination. Why couldn't she get him to understand that? "I went back to the battlefield to mourn you, but I suspected you were still alive when I noticed there were signs that someone had crawled out of the water on the opposite side of the bank." She glanced at San'nan out the corners of her eyes. "But why are you here with him, San'nan-san? Are you two working together now?"

The corners of San'nan's lips curved upwards.

"Sharp as always, Miyagawa-san." He said, glancing up at them with a sharp gleam in his eyes. "I joined forces with him so we could pursue creating an oni kingdom that will also harbor rasetsus."

"What!?" Hijikata demanded, taken aback by his confession as the others gasped in alarm. Sumiko frowned. She had been afraid something like this might happen…

"I infiltrated the castle and assumed control of Sendai." San'nan continued.

"No wonder something seemed off about this castle." Hijikata said, furrowing his brow.

THMP. THMP. THMP. THMP.

Hijikata and Sumiko glanced around as the sound of hurried footsteps surrounded them.

"Crap!" She cursed under her breath when the other doors slid open to reveal hallways crowded with enemy rasetsus. They were surrounded.

Chapter 59: Scattering Cherry Blossoms

Hijikata grit his teeth as he backed up to stand with Sumiko and the others.

"At present, all of the rasetsus in Japan are gathered here inside this one castle. They will be our ultimate weapon when we stomp out the Imperial Army." San'nan said as Koudou moved to stand beside him.

"Come. Lend us your hand, Chizuru." Koudou said, holding his own out to her. "We need you to be our leader. Let's use these rasetsus to revive the Yukimura clan."

"Tou-sama," Chizuru said regretfully, staying where she was, "if you refuse to change your mind… then you will no longer be my father."

"Kuh!" Koudou grit his teeth and let out a low growl of frustration as his eyes flicked from his adopted daughter to Sumiko. Not just one, but both… Sumiko must have been bad influence on Chizuru. She was never this strong-willed before. Chizuru had always been such an obedient and faithful daughter till now…!

"What say you, Hijikata-kun?" San'nan asked. "Care to lead these rasetsus in a fight against the Imperial Army?"

"We don't need a Rasetsu Unit to fight out wars!" Hijikata declared sternly, furrowing his brow. He'd rather lose than allow Japan to become overrun with these bloodthirsty monsters!

"Then you leave me no choice…" San'nan said gravely. He removed his sword from his side, pulling it from its sheath so that he was holding his sword in one and the sheath in the other. Hijikata grit his teeth and raised his own sword, preparing to strike the moment San'nan came at him. "We rasetsus can do nothing but fight. If you say we no longer have a place on the battlefield…" San'nan grit his teeth and furrowed his brow as he raised his sword and struck down the rasetsu standing beside him.

"!" Hijikata's eyes widened slightly in shock as he and everyone in the room gasped. No one had been expecting that.

"Yah!" the rasetsu on San'nan's other side yelled as he tried to strike him down, but San'nan was too quick. As he spun around to face his attacker, San'nan blocked the oncoming blade with the sheath of his sword and struck the rasetsu down with a slash of his sword. San'nan furrowed his brow and grit his teeth as he thrust his sheath straight through the heart of the one that had been standing directly behind him, jumping back as their bodies hit the floor.

"Then it would be an act of mercy to put them out of their misery now!" San'nan finished determinedly.

"Heisuke! Sumiko!" Hijikata said.

"You got it!" Heisuke answered as he and Sumiko stepped up to join them.

"W-Why, San'nan-kun!?" Koudou asked, startled.

"I must apologize, but the Shinsengumi Commander's orders are absolute." San'nan stated coolly he stood together with the others.

"Heh. Were you planning this from the start?" Hijikata asked with the hint of a smirk, eyeing his old friend out the corner of his eye.

"'To fool the enemy, first deceive your allies.'" San'nan quoted slyly as he adjusted his glasses.

"Heh. I see… Well, you certainly had me fooled." Sumiko told him with a rueful smile. She had never been so glad to be wrong before.

"San'nan-san, you're actin' way too cool." Heisuke said with a grin. The remaining rasetsus grit their teeth as they tightened their grips on their swords.

"Fools!" Koudou snapped. "Now that the Shinsengumi has lost most of its forces, how will you go about fighting?" None of them answered. They were all too busy cutting down any and all rasetsu who dared try to attack them.

"Yah!" Sumiko yelled fiercely as she decapitated one and stabbed another through the heart.

"Nng!" San'nan grit his teeth as he pushed back against his latest opponent. His eyes glowed red, and his hair faded white. He overpowered and slayed the other rasetsu in an instant. Heisuke and Hijikata soon followed suit.

"Stop! Please stop." Koudou begged, as he watched them destroy his creations.

"Look out!" Chizuru cried, quickly pulling her stunned father out of the way when the body of a slain rasetsu came crashing his way with enough force to take out a door, and he made no move to get out of the way. He was in shock. "Tou-sama, get a hold of yourself!" she said, concerned.

"Are you all right, Koudou-san?" San'nan asked as he stepped in front of them defensively. "I am sorry. I had planned on giving the Rasetsu Unit to the Shinsengumi, but if that is not possible, then I must do this!" He said anxiously. "I am out of time!"

"!" Koudou gasped in surprise and alarm.

"No matter how many times I modified the medicine, it still consumes our life force. They still suffer from their bloodlust." San'nan stated grimly. The number of men he had to kill after they gave into it and attacked civilians was staggering, and it was entirely his fault. "I have no choice but to personally bring this to an end!" He charged forward to cut down another rasetsu. "Koudou-san, you should be fully aware of this! You know there is no future for us rasetsus." He said earnestly. Koudou clenched his fists and bow his head in frustration and regret. 'Now, at long last…' San'nan thought determinedly as he continued to cut down on rasetsu after another. '… I can bring this to an end!"

"Dyeh! Ungh!" Heisuke grunted as he kicked one rasetsu through a door, and cut down another. 'Don't hold this against me!' He silently pleaded, furrowing his brow with determination, as he finished off the one he had kicked and slayed another. 'After all, I… will share your same fate!'

"Tou-sama, get out of here!" Chizuru said, positioning herself protectively in front of Koudou as three of rasetsus turned their attention on them.

"Chizuru!" Koudou said, surprised and concerned. The three rasetsus raised their swords, preparing to attack.

"Hurry!" Chizuru urged him.

"Chizuru!" Koudou yelled as the rasetsus charged. Chizuru gasped and her eyes widened as he suddenly pulled her back and threw himself between her and their attackers. "!" He grunted in pain and coughed up blood as they ran him through with their blades.

"Ah!" Chizuru cried out in shock and horror. The three rasetsus withdrew their blades, and Koudou fell heavily to the floor. "Tou-sama!" Chizuru screamed, rushing to her father's side. "!" She gasped when she found the blades that had just stabbed her father pointed at her.

"Chizuru!" Sumiko yelled as she came flying over from the other side of the room, leaping over her friend and uncle to cut down the closest rasetsu, while Hijikata made quick work of the other two.

"Tou-sama, hang in there!" Chizuru said urgently as Sumiko kneeled down beside her to check on Koudou.

"!" Sumiko gasped when she saw how much damage had been done. One of the blades had gone right through his heart! "Sensei! H-Hold on! Maybe there's still something I can—" She said anxiously, about to get up to get her tools, when Koudou reached out a hand and grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"It's all right…" Koudou said wearily.

"Sensei, please let go..." Sumiko said with tears in her eyes. "Please, let me save you!"

"You already have." He told her with a wan smile. She looked in his eyes and saw gentle understanding and a readiness to die. Sumiko fell back onto her knees with tears streaming down her face. "I was always aware that there was no future for the rasetsus." Koudou continued, addressing both girls. But I simply could not bring myself to give up… on reviving the Yukimura clan, your clan…"

"Tou-sama…" Chizuru sobbed softly as her tears fell.

"Chizuru, Sumiko…" He said, using what little strength he had left to reach up and touch their faces. "I fully understand how you feel. Follow the paths… that you believe in."

"Tou-sama!" Chizuru cried, holding his hand in place.

"Sensei…" Sumiko choked, biting her lip, as she held his hand tightly in hers.

"I am sorry. I never acted like much of father to you…" He apologized to Chizuru. "… Or an uncle." He added, glancing at Sumiko. "I always put the two of you through such hardship…"

"That's not true!" Chizuru said, shaking her head. "It's not… I have always been proud of you, Tou-sama. I cared for you as if you were my real father."

"When you told me we were family… I was happy!" Sumiko added earnestly, giving him a sad but heartfelt smile. Koudou smiled back, finally feeling at peace, and breathed his last. The two girls watched as the light faded from his eyes, and his body went limp. Sumiko hesitate for a moment, then gently reached out and finished closing his eyes.

"Tou-sama!" Chizuru sobbed as both girls began to cry even harder over their lost father and mentor/uncle.

"The Shinsengumi has lost a great deal of its military strength." San'nan remarked as the three men watched the girls mourn Koudou from a respectful distance. "Do you think you can win your future battles?" He asked Hijikata.

"No one fights with the intention of losing." Hijikata replied firmly.

"And Hijikata-san, you're one sore loser." Heisuke said with a smile. San'nan also smiled for a moment at that.

"We were a fruitless creation of the times." He said solemnly. "We never should have made rasetsus to begin with." Heisuke and Hijikata stood silent in agreement. Hijikata closed his eyes, and his hair faded back to black as he deactivated his rasetsu powers. With a sharp swing, he flicked the blood from his sword and slid it back into its sheath.

"Now then, shall we head on back?" He suggested.

THUMP.

"Heisuke!" Hijikata said, alarmed when he suddenly collapsed.

THUMP.

"San'nan-san!"

"!" Chizuru and Sumiko said, glancing up when they heard the urgency in his voice. Seeing the others lying on the floor, they immediately got up and left Koudou's side to check on them.

"It would seem I've reached my limit." San'nan said.

"Our lives have reached their end." Heisuke agreed.

"!" Chizuru gasped, stopping cold when she heard that. Sumiko clenched her fists and bowed her head. Hijikata kneeled down and reached for their hands.

"Did you know this would happen?" He asked as he held them.

"Yeah…" Heisuke answered quietly.

"It is my body…" San'nan said calmly. "Hijikata-kun, there were times when we didn't see eye to eye. But I have always acknowledged your abilities." His expression softened slightly as he continued. "I am proud that I could fight alongside you in the Shinsengumi."

"Yeah! I feel the same, San'nan-san." Hijikata said solemnly. His eyes shone in the light with the threat of tears.

"Hijikata-san, I'm in your debt." Heisuke said weakly. It was getting harder to talk now. "Even after I left the corps, you still welcomed me back…"

"That wasn't just me!" Hijikata said with a slight tremble in his voice as the crease in his brow deepened. "Everyone was worried about you. You're young, naïve, and quick to lose your temper."

"In the end, was I of any… help?" Heisuke asked. Hijikata opened his mouth to reassure him, but found his voice suddenly failed him. It hurt too much to speak. He grit his teeth and furrowed his brow as he lowered his head, frustrated at himself and his aching heart as his body trembled and the tears began to fall.

"Live a nice, long life, Hijikata-san…" Heisuke told him.

"I will." Hijikata said.

"I don't really believe you." Heisuke said with a hoarse laugh. "Hijikata-san, you're such a hothead…" Hijikata let out a wan laugh.

"Don't act like a brat." He said as he tightened his grip on their hands.

"Yukimura-kun, Miyagawa-san… I have hurt your so many times…" San'nan said regretfully, looking up at the girls. "Please forgive me." Chizuru closed her eyes and shook her head.

"There's nothing to forgive." Sumiko said, smiling kindly through her tears as she spoke them both. Together, they walked over to kneel beside Hijikata. He looked up as Chizuru placed her hands over his, and Sumiko placed her hands over Chizuru's.

"Yukimura-kun, please look after… Hijikata-kun." San'nan said in a quiet voice.

"I will!" Chizuru promised.

"Chizuru…" Heisuke said, getting her attention. "Please keep a close eye on him. Don't let him rush through life." Chizuru bit her lip as she let out a mournful cry. "Don't look at me like that. Please smile… like always." Chizuru let out a couple more sobs as tears streamed down her face, but she forced herself to calm down and smiled as brightly as she possibly could for him in that moment. Heisuke smiled. "That's the one. Stay like that…" He told her. His eyes moved to Sumiko next. "Sumiko… take care of them…"

"I will." Sumiko promised seriously, smiling down at him as her tears continued to fall. Heisuke closed his eyes with a smile on his face.

"!" They gasped as he began to turn to grey and ashen.

"Heisuke-kun!" Chizuru cried. They quickly glanced over at San'nan, who was also beginning to fade and turn to ash. Hijikata and the girls watched sorrowfully as Heisuke and San'nan's bodies were enveloped in that mysterious blue flame-like light as they disintegrated, and what remained of their hands crumbled and slipped through their fingers like sand in an hourglass.

Thus Sendai Castle was freed from the Rasetsu Unit's suppression.