While he still hovered just off the floor, Hijikata pulled at the ropes, hoping his dead weight and added strength would be enough to break free. He grunted at every attempt, coping with the pain. Thankfully, his frustration and stubbornness distracted his mind while adding even more determination into each attempt. No matter how hard he pulled, or how much skin the ropes damaged, his bonds would not give in. With a long sigh, Hijikata allowed himself to take a break and rest his head against his arm, ultimately disappointed in his own weakness.
He looked around the cell, but could hardly see anything; only a few small candles illuminated the outside of his cell, but the faint glow of the flame could stretch no further. He then looked up to try and get a better look at the ropework above him, but found he couldn't see anything past his own numb hands.
In this dungeon, Hijikata found himself entirely alone: no stirring in neighboring cells, no sounds of snoring from lazy guards. The only thing he could hear were distant footsteps and soft voices above him. From what Bando told his men earlier, Hijikata knew they were preparing for something, but what? And where was Satoya during all of this? He hadn't seen her for several hours, and couldn't help but wonder what happened to her. Was she dispatched on another mission? Did Bando kill her, or punish her for defending him? Deep down, he feared the worst: that the "fish" Bando referred to were the Shinsengumi, on their way into a perfectly laid trap.
And Hijikata was the bait.
As much as he hated feeling like the damsel in distress, he knew he could do nothing to help himself. He couldn't even keep himself warm. His shivers seemed to do nothing but further ache his limbs; he was at least glad the gag cushioned his chattering teeth. He had always barked at the other captains, demanding peace and quiet, but now he hated it. He hated this loneliness, devoid of Kondou-san's laughter, banters between Shinpachi and Heisuke, Saitou's stoic silence. He even missed Souji's teasing, as much as he hated to admit it. He missed them all, and the color they brought to his otherwise dull life.
A loud roar of many voices suddenly erupted from upstairs, shocking Hijikata out of his thoughts. He couldn't tell exactly how many people were upstairs, but from where he was, it sounded like a militia unit. He kept his attention focused on the staircase, in case one of Bando's goons received orders to kill him before help could arrive. He really hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he never considered himself afraid of death. If he could die protecting the people that mattered most to him, even better. All he wanted was an honorable death, and dying in a cold, damp cell was not how he planned to die.
Suddenly, he could hear a flurry of footsteps, as if people were running, along with the clashing of swords. Just what was going on up there? Did Kondou-san and the others actually come to rescue him? Or maybe it was an internal argument, and the men were rushing to catch a slice of the action. As keen as he was on escaping and getting as far away from this place as possible, Hijikata had used up all his energy and could only blink. His adrenaline rush had passed, leaving him limp like meat on a hook.
He barely registered the creaking of the door at the top of the staircase, or the footsteps cautiously descending the steep steps. Only when he saw the lantern outside his cell did he recognize the familiar face staring back at him.
Kondou, the captains aside from Souji, and twenty other members of the Shinsengumi raced along the main road out of town. Shinpachi and Heisuke led the charge while the rest of the Mibu wolf pack followed behind them diligently. Souji's messenger never returned to headquarters, so they had no choice but to go in blind. Even with Satoya's information, they didn't have the time to verify everything, except what Shinpachi and Heisuke witnessed. Hijikata was already missing for an entire day; if they knew where he could be, they would waste no time in making a rescue attempt. Who knows what Hijikata had endured while waiting for them to compare notes, and Kondou especially couldn't stomach the thought of what these gangsters were doing to him now. It was safe to assume that if Souji's messenger never returned to headquarters, he either followed the gangsters to a distant village or town, or they spotted him and killed him. If he was found out, everyone prayed he did not tell them the Shinsengumi were on their tail. If he did, Hijikata could already be dead and the men running alongside Kondou would be running to their deaths. But Kondou refused to believe that Hijikata could already be dead; he wouldn't believe it until he saw Hijikata again with his own two eyes. Please be alive, Toshi, Kondou prayed to himself.
As the group finally approached the estate, Shinpachi and Heisuke motioned for everyone to stay quiet and low, remaining undetected in the weeds. One man stood guard outside the gate, and they could see torches burning on the inside of the small fortress.
"Now all we need is a distraction," Shinpachi whispered. He sheepishly looked over at Heisuke, still eyeing the guard. A few quiet moments passed before Heisuke finally turned and found everyone's eyes on him.
"What? No! Shinpat-san, why does it have to be me?" Heisuke whined. "Why don't you go?"
"Because," Shinpachi began, "one look at me and my beautiful muscles will tempt him into an all-out fight between men. We need him to let his guard down, not keep it up."
"That doesn't make any sense," Harada huffed to himself.
"I don't like what you're implying," Heisuke pouted. "Besides, what do I get out of this, huh?"
"Is this really the time to be arguing about something like this?" Kondou asked. "We need to get inside, now."
"The Commander is right," Saitou chimed in. "We need to move."
"Okay, okay. If you do this, I promise not to steal any of your food for a week," Shinpachi pledged with a hand over his heart. Heisuke continued to stare at him suspiciously. "Fine, two weeks," Shinpachi said. Heisuke didn't move.
"Make it a month, and you've got a deal," Heisuke countered. Shinpachi looked at him in disbelief, then shot him a frustrated look.
"Fine, one month. Now go play the injured kid, will ya?" Shinpachi asked as he pushed Heisuke further and further out of the brush, helping him shed his uniform in the process.
"Wait, wait, what's my backstory?" Heisuke asked.
"Make something up," Shinpachi instructed. With an extra forceful shove, Shinpachi pushed Heisuke into the open, his feet brushing up dust on the dirt road. Heisuke started walking towards the gate so as not to draw attention to his comrades. The guard turned at the sound of approaching footsteps and instinctively put a hand on his swords while the other held up a lantern.
"Who goes there?" he asked.
"Saitou, get ready to move on my signal," Kondou whispered. "Don't kill him."
"Yes, sir," Saitou responded.
"Is this the Ayuzawa residence?" Heisuke asked the guard, deciding to switch up his backstory at the last minute.
"Who's asking?" the guard retorted.
"Oh God, this is so embarrassing," Heisuke moaned, holding his head in his hands. "A few days ago, I received a letter from a messenger telling me to meet Ayuzawa-san at his residence for a party, and the letter had all the directions laid out. Then I drank a little too much the other night and forgot to stow the letter in a safe place. I wake up the next morning with a massive hangover, and I find out a stray dog broke into my house looking for food, and ate the letter instead!" Heisuke cried, hoping this guy was stupid enough to pity him.
"That's a nice sob story, but you've got the wrong house. Ayuzawa-san is not expecting any visitors tonight," the guard explained, grabbing Heisuke's arm and ushering him back down the road.
"Hey, wait! The party can't be over already! I was really looking forward to it! Heisuke exclaimed, snaking himself out of the guard's hold. He stomped back towards the gate in frustration. "I do admit it took me a little longer than usual to find my way here because I only had my memory to go by." The guard followed behind him, visibly frustrated and ready to draw his sword.
"Now," Kondou whispered. Before Kondou could blink, Saitou rushed out of the brush like a viper on the hunt, quickly unsheathing his sword. Before the guard had any time to process, he felt a warm body pressed against him, and a sword at his neck.
"Open the gate, or I will show you no mercy," Saitou whispered in the man's ear. It sent chills down the guard's spine, and thankfully, his fear took over.
"Open the gate!" yelled the guard, spooking Heisuke and prompting him to turn on his heel.
"Oh, Saitou, how did I do? Pretty good, huh?" Heisuke asked, craving praise for his performance.
"Not bad," Saitou replied as the other Shinsengumi members revealed themselves. He shoved the guard towards the other members and they began to tie him up.
"That's it?" Heisuke exclaimed as the other captains rushed past him. Shinpachi handed him his uniform.
"Well, mission accomplished," Shinpachi smirked. Heisuke didn't appreciate the lack of support from his comrades, but there were more pressing things at hand.
"We are the Shinsengumi, and we have come to search the premises on suspicion of illegal gambling and kidnapping," Kondou bellowed. He turned around to face his men. "Leave no stone unturned. Kill any who oppose you," he instructed as he drew his sword.
As they approached closer to the house, a group of thirty men rushed out, their swords at the ready. They looked to be a rough bunch, but not particularly difficult to handle.
"We'll never give into you Mibu bastards!" one gangster shouted.
"Die!" another one shouted.
"Seems like we came to the right place," Harada yelled as he easily dodged a lunge attack from one gangster and stabbed his spear into the man's chest as he turned around for another pass.
The group of ruffians dropped like flies, allowing Kondou and the others to enter the house. Upon walking through the doorway, they were met with the terrified gazes of over one hundred men, huddled into small groups around various betting games, most involving tiles or dice. Kondou realized that most of these men were not gangsters, but ordinary farmers and merchants trying to get on the right side of luck.
"Nobody moves!" Kondou yelled. The room fell silent in fear, remaining completely still so as not to lose their hands or their head. "You are all under arrest for the crime of illegal gambling!" He turned to one of the Shinsengumi subordinates. "Report this as fast as you can to the Aizu clan and request backup," he instructed. The soldier nodded and dutifully hurried off.
"Search the premises. We won't leave until we find Toshi," Kondou instructed.
"I'll stay here and watch them. Go find Hijikata-san," Saitou said as he glared at each and every man in the room.
"I'll stay, too," Heisuke said as he hurried to the other end of the room. Kondou, Harada, and Shinpachi gave each other a determined nod and split up to begin their search.
From the outside, the manor did not appear to be very large, but on the inside, the men felt like they were walking through a labyrinthian palace, looking behind them as they searched room to room so as not to forget how they got there. They were surprised that they hadn't encountered either of the bosses yet; then again, if they knew the Shinsengumi were onto them, they could be long gone by now, leaving Kondou and the others to pick up the pieces of their missing friend.
As he proceeded down an empty inner hallway, Kondou stopped to listen. At least two voices resounded from a nearby room; Kondou felt unsure if the voices were celebrating or having an argument. He crept down the hallway just outside the door, clenching his sword in his hand. With a swift motion, he slid the door open with a loud CLACK! Upon first glance, he did not see Hijikata, but four men; two of them were sharing a bottle of sake in the middle of the room, while the other two immediately stood up and unsheathed their swords. These two must've been the bosses Satoya mentioned, and a bodyguard for each.
"What is the meaning of this?" one of them asked. He appeared to be in his forties with slick black hair tied up, exposing part of a tattoo on his neck. The other looked much older and gray. He almost reminded Kondou of Serizawa-san, but immediately squashed that thought from his mind.
"Are you Ayuzawa-san and Bando-san?" Kondou asked.
"Who's asking?" the younger man asked, still holding his cup.
"Well, it appears as though you're early for our appointment," the older man sneered.
"Bando-san, you know this man?" the younger man asked. Kondou assumed the man with many questions had to be Ayuzawa.
"Come now, Ayuzawa-san," Bando said as he stood. "Don't you recognize the Shinsengumi when you see them?" Ayuzawa's face suddenly went pale.
"So you're behind all of this," Kondou said as he pushed the words through gritted teeth. "Where is he?"
"You must be the infamous Commander, Kondou-san, am I right? I'm sorry, but I don't know who you're talking about. You'll need to be more specific," Bando jeered. Kondou hated being taunted or looked down upon. He was used to government groups undervaluing his efforts to establish the Shinsengumi; but when his friend's life hung in the balance, his patience wore extremely thin.
He couldn't stop himself as he rushed towards Bando, his sword ready to strike. The two bodyguards quickly moved in front of the bosses, blocking Kondou's line of attack.
"I'm talking about Hijikata Toshizo! Where is he?" he yelled in frustration. Bando looked at him blankly for a moment, then began to stroke his chin as if deep in thought. Suddenly, his face lit up and he snapped his fingers.
"Oh! I know now. You're referring to the dog, aren't you?" Bando asked.
"Dog? What the hell are you talking about?" Kondou replied in confusion.
"He is one of the famed Mibu wolves, like yourself, which makes him a dog," Bando explained. He paused, then shot a wide grin at Kondou.
"He's dead."
Kondou's eyes went wide with shock. Dead? He can't be dead! We were so close, he needs to be alive!
"You're lying!" Kondou yelled as tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn't imagine a life without his best friend by his side. "I'll kill you!"
"You're more than welcome to try," Bando teased, easing the guards away from him. "But before that, I want you to know that I took great pleasure in making him suffer before I finally put out of his misery."
Kondou couldn't take any more. With tears now streaming down his face, he lifted his sword and ran to attack in a blind rage. All of a sudden, he found himself trapped in between a large spear and a large man. Kondou looked behind him to find Harada holding him, barring him from continuing.
"Kondou-san, the Aizu clan is here. They'll take over," Harada said as Kondou continued to weep. An extra ten men funneled into the room behind Harada and arrested the two bosses along with their guards. Kondou turned to face Harada, resting his forehead against his friend's chest.
"He's dead, Harada-kun," Kondu weeped. "We failed."
"That's not true," Harada soothed. "'No stone unturned,' remember?" Kondou nodded in agreement, wiping the tears from his face.
"Kondou-san! Sano!" yelled Shinpachi from down the hall. Kondou and Harada peeked around the corner to find Shinpachi standing before a hidden staircase, grabbing a nearby lantern. "I found something. And it looks kinda spooky." He shivered. "And it's cold, too."
Shinpachi cautiously descended the stone steps first, noting the extra steepness. As he reached the bottom, he held up the lantern and looked around. It seemed to primarily serve as a storage cellar at one point: loose fruits and vegetables sat in the corner on top of a couple stray bags of rice. Now, it was a makeshift prison. He could only make out the first two cells, sealed shut with large wooden doors, not unlike the ones back at headquarters. As he continued on and held the lantern up to the first door on the right, he heard a muffled noise from the cell next to it. He cautiously moved to take a peek at the cell, and suddenly froze.
"Hijikata-san!" he exclaimed. Harada and Kondou rushed over to find a familiar set of purple eyes blankly staring back at them.
"Toshi!" Kondou cried, tears of joy now forming at the corners of his eyes, but they disappeared as he fully took in the sight of his dear friend. Hijikata looked awful. His wrists were bound and drawn above him, the ropes soaked through with red. Thin rivulets of blood had dried on his forearms, caking his skin. His torso was exposed, revealing a wide variety of bruises that marred his skin. The area around one of his eyes had turned black, but the swelling looked like it had the time to naturally dissipate. He was gagged, whimpering as his trembling form only irritated his wrists and aching limbs more.
Kondou immediately grabbed the cell door and pulled. When it didn't budge, he looked down and found an iron padlock barring the door shut.
"Key. We need the key!" he yelled. Shinpachi handed the lantern off to Harada and rushed upstairs. Even though he left for only a few seconds to snag the key from Bando, Kondou couldn't bear to look at Hijikata in that state any longer. Only when Shinpachi returned and removed the padlock did he find some relief.
The cells were not very big, so Shinpachi waited outside while Kondou and Harada hurried in. Kondou gently pulled the gag out of Hijikata's mouth, his fingers brushing against his cheek.
"Oh my God, Toshi, you're freezing!" he exclaimed. "Harada-kun, cut the rope." Harada took Kondou's sword and prepared to cut the rope.
"Ready?" he asked. Kondou reached around Hijikata to hold him, bracing himself. Suddenly Hijikata moaned in pain, scaring Kondou.
"I'm sorry, Toshi. Did I hurt you?" he asked.
"My back…be careful," Hijikata groaned. Kondou and Harada immediately moved behind Hijikata to assess the damage, and both felt their jaws drop to the floor. Irritated lashes covered his back, the surrounding skin littered with even more bruises. Kondou swelled up with anger, but nothing could distract him from his mission.
He took his stance behind Hijikata, gently wrapping his arms around his chest and touching as little of his back as possible.
"I'm ready, Harada-kun," he said. Harada nodded and immediately sliced the rope. Kondou slowly helped Hijikata down to the floor, now working to untie his hands.
"Thank you…" Hijikata whispered. He winced as Kondou began to peel the rope from his wrists.
"Sorry. Harada-kun, help me put his clothes back on." Harada kneeled down and they gingerly helped Hijikata's arms into the sleeves of his kimono as if he were a child. Harada then shed his overcoat and helped Hijikata into that as well.
"Can you stand?" Kondou asked.
"I'm not sure, but I can try," Hijikata replied. He slowly moved to stand, but his headache returned and he immediately felt lightheaded, reaching out to Kondou for support. He shook his head to try and clear it, but it only made things worse.
"Hijikata-san, maybe it's best if I carry you," Harada suggested, moving in front of Hijikata and kneeling. Hijikata thought it embarrassing to be carried by another man in that way, but given the circumstances, he willingly accepted. He stood just enough to be able to fall onto Harada's back, and slammed his eyes shut as Harada wrapped his arms under his legs and stood up. He wasn't used to such movements and hoped his headache would lessen soon.
"Don't worry, Hijikata-san. We'll get you home in no time. Chizuru's waiting for us," Harada soothed. Hijikata said nothing, but squeezed Harada tighter in response. As they ascended the staircase and continued down the hallways to the main entrance, Hijikata could still feel the ache in his shoulders. He opened his eyes to get a better view of the manor, but there seemed nothing spectacular about it. Every few steps he felt the need to close his eyes again.
When they finally reached the entrance, Hijikata felt a cool breeze caress his face. He opened his eyes and looked up to see a beautiful lake of stars. He wasn't sure if he would be able to see the sky again, so he felt grateful that he could escape and return home on a clear night.
The Aizu clan were still in the process of arresting all the gamblers in the manor. Bando and Ayuzawa were bound and kneeling on the ground, waiting to be taken away. Saitou and Heisuke assisted the clan in restraining the criminals when they noticed their comrades walking out.
"Hijikata-san!" Heisuke exclaimed with joy. He and Saitou quickly approached the group, only to freeze and stare at the injured vice-commander.
"Lieutenant, what did they do to you?" Heisuke asked.
"That's not important right now. The important thing is getting him home, so let's go," Harada said as he continued down the main road. "Shinpachi, hand me my spear, would you?" Shinpachi did as Harada asked, and Harada let go of one of Hijikata's legs only for a moment before situating his spear underneath Hijikata to support his weight.
"Hijikata-san, you can put your arms down if you'd like. Just lean on me and we'll be home in no time," Harada said. Hijikata gladly accepted the invitation and slowly lowered his arms to his sides, letting out a deep sigh of relief. He felt his eyes grow heavy as his comrades walked alongside him, a sullen silence falling over the group as they hurried back to headquarters.