"me and you know some sheep can't sink their teeth into a wolf."

"That sword is cursed, y'know."

That wiped the grin off Takasugi's face in a mere instant, and the bubbling rage inside him burst out of control like water to hot oil. Said sword was drawn and slicing through the Amanto before he could continue his dribble and was cleaned and put away before the body crumpled to the floor. Damn pirates never knew when to mind their own business, and their insolence had made that the sixth victim this week. It's only Wednesday. He pulled on his pipe and exhaled, turning back to the window. At least the endless sea of stars didn't talk. Movement in the reflected glass caught his eye, but he didn't turn around.

"You've killed another one already? My, my, even when he told you the truth."

That annoying Yato bastard's voice was so cheerful it grated his nerves like nobody else. Despite being quick to temper, Takasugi wasn't stupid. Even he wouldn't dare to challenge that red headed freak unless he had a death wish. He took another pull to feign disinterest.

"It's not cursed."

"It is. There's a soul trapped in there."

That did it. The k-chick of the blade leaving it's sheath was the only warning Kamui got before Takasugi was on him like a dog to a bone. The blade was pressed to his throat but the bastard was grinning like he wasn't threatening to kill him. Kamui's blue eyes were staring through half open slits, but that fucking grin was still there. This sword's specialty was beheading and he was seriously thinking of putting it to use.

"You don't believe me? Watch."

Just then, Kamui grabbed the blade close to the end, his blood running down the blade and coating it's shine that he tried hard to keep. He was just about to spit at him that he didn't really give a shit about who was killed by this sword and if he cursed it or not when he saw it. The soul the Amanto had been talking about, a face Kamui revealed by refracting the blade with a small twist of his hand.. The face glinted in the rivets of blood, creating a haunting picture that burned itself into his brain.

Dark skin impeccably smooth and marked by dark blue stripes that only stood out in oddity, and not by color contrast. If you weren't looking for them or saw only in passing, you would miss the two stripes that marred both cheekbones. However, the bright red crescent moon in the center of the forehead couldn't be missed, or the red stripe down his bottom lip to chin. The markings seemed to glow with a sense of hidden power, just like the irises that stared back at him. All of those things plus the ears that tips tapered into points gave away the inhumanness of the creature, but it wasn't an unfamiliar face. In the end, that was what made him gasp and drop the sword like the handle burned him.

It clattered to the ground, but the sound was drowned out by his harsh breathing and Kamui's laughter. "That explains why that man's such a monster. He's an Anuma."

"An anime?" He said blankly, still enraptured by Gintoki's face that stared at him from the blood-stained blade. It was his face, but not. The last time he'd seen him, in the sky above Edo, Takasugi had been surprised how old the man looked. It was as simple as life not treating him kindly, but he looked visibly older than both he and Katsura. The lines in his face were there whether he was smiling or gasping for air, only disappearing when that focused, Shiroyasha look came over his face. That was what he looked like in the sword, battle-ready and ten years younger. Takasugi couldn't believe that he'd never seen it before.

"Well, that too. An Anuma is an Amanto like Yato, born and bred for killing. Well, they don't so much as breed as they do die. They're more extinct than we are." he laughed again, "Actually, he might be the last one."

Takasugi could hardly believe what he was hearing. He expected that maybe Shouyou had cursed the sword, after all it was given away in good faith only to be the weapon that killed him. But Gintoki as an Amanto? In Shouyou's sword? He had always been demonic on the field of battle, but for him to not be human at all this whole time? It was like a punch to the gut. He wasn't any different from the Amanto they had been slaughtering to get their mentor back. "Tell me about them. Why is his soul in the sword?" He stared at it. Shouyou's sword.

"I can't tell you too much about either, but I guess I can tell you what I do know. Anuma are rare, from some distant galaxy far from here. They were well known for being ruthless killers, but they differed much from Yato. Almost all were non-binary, they had no perception of gender or class, you could either kill or you couldn't. They reproduced mostly asexually, and they would all get together to raise the young. There was one minor setback, though," he held up a finger dramatically, "The Anuma parent had to die for the baby to live, and they only gained population from the rare cases of twins. Imagine triplets, it would have been a godsend!" Kamui paused to laugh before finishing. "Once other races learned this, it was a genocide. They waited for them to be children, and slaughtered them one by one. It takes a long time for them to grow up, you see. When the other Anuma realised what was happening, they became sloppy. It was easy after that."

Takasugi could only sneer at the story. Surely, Yato were involved in that, if not Kamui, then his ancestors. What really pissed him off was the tiptoeing around the sword. Whether Kamui thought Takasugi would give some information about it voluntarily, it's connection to both of them, he wasn't going to get it. He wanted an answer before he made a decision. "The sword. Why is his soul in there?"

Kamui shrugged again. "Don't know. He must be half or something because he smells human enough. I saw him take on Housen; he was good, but not Anuma good. He would have been on par if he had the ability. As for why it's in there, that really depends on whether you believe in magic. Anuma are known for three things; near immortality, insane fighting, and the slow ageing thing. They can be killed, yes, but if they're left alone they'd live forever. If he was born here on this planet, most likely completely alone without his race to guide him, he probably would have remained a child for twenty years before getting his growth spurt. If he had help sealing away his Amanto side, would he have done it?"

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Takasugi knew. If Shouyou had found him and talked him into it, he already knew that Gintoki would have done it. He'd learned that lesson already. Of course they would have put it all into the fucking sword. That reminded him what Gintoki had done with it. Not the beheading, but the discarding of it. Throwing it into the grave like it had not just been his constant companion for almost two years. He thought he understood at the time why he didn't want it, he'd just killed their teacher, but still. It was one of the things of his that they could touch, could keep, other than just their books. That was why Zura didn't say a word when he picked it out and wiped it clean, before sheathing it and placing it on the ground. They finished burying him like Gintoki had asked and that took almost as much work as to fix the blade after the idiot had hacked the ground with it. The sword now held a whole new meaning. Shouyou had given Gin a gift; was he sour enough to take it away?

"What would happen if I destroyed it?"

Kamui didn't look surprised, only smiled that smile of his. He looked smug like he knew this is where the conversation had been going from the start. "I would assume that the soul would return to its owner with nothing to bind it. Can't say I know for sure."

Takasugi had a dream that night, a day from old where he and Zura had been studying in the courtyard. They were all close to thirteen, had moved with Shouyou a few times, but he didn't mind. He could hear everything that was going on, and was constantly paying attention to his surroundings. Zura liked to zone out into his books and often missed the rumours or Gintoki's jibes. Today he was missing a peculiar conversation between the lazy student and their teacher. He rolled his eyes at the beginning, thinking that he was trying to get homework answers after not paying attention all lesson, when Shoyou's gentle laugh got his attention and he focused on what Gintoki was saying.

"I mean, is there something wrong with me? I don't feel like it should be growing there."

Shouyou's eyes were glistening like he was trying not to cry and was hiding his expression behind a hand. His voice was shaking, but he replied nonetheless. "No it's normal. Don't worry about it."

"Normal? Is it normal that it's white as an old man's down there? Is that normal?! When I asked if you adults go through anything weird, this is exactly what i was talking about!"

"I don't need to know the curtain matches the drapes. It's normal, you've seen men get it on their faces!"

"Yeah, but does this mean I'll get it on my balls? My asscrack and back? I don't want to look like a monkey!"

Shouyou was fully laughing now, drawing the other kid's attention. Only Gin could make him laugh like that, and it soured Takasugi's stomach with envy. When he awoke, that feeling was still churning in his gut and he knew. Gintoki could have saved Shouyou with that power, could have destroyed that sword and the Bakufu with it. He threw the blanket back and got to his feet, reaching for the sword that he kept near the bed. Ways to destroy it passed through his mind, all more destructive than the last. He decided that he would smash it, and if he could still see his face in the blood, he would put it in the incinerator. That thing burnt so hot, barely any ashes were left. He grabbed a golden coin off the dresser, shuffling it in his fingers. Takasugi left the room with his goal on his mind and followed the sounds of voices. Amanto were generally loud and his Kihetai could be quite tiresome. He didn't really want to involve people that would think about it too much. Keeping this on the downlow would be best until he figured out what the consequences would be, if there were any.

He came to a big hall that had bars along the walls and gambling tables in the centre. He didn't care too much for the scene; the hot-temperedness of losers and the annoying crowd of drunks was enough to make him pass on every coming here to play. The only advantage to this place was the variety of people trying to make a quick buck. He spotted one Amanto in the far corner with a huge hammer strapped to his back. It was almost too big for him to lift (it was definitely taller than him, but he'd never say it in words), but it would get the job done. He slapped the coin on the counter, getting the Amanto's attention. It was pretty much a giant, walking talking bull. "What?" it asked gruffly, eyeing the coin with interest.

"Let me borrow your weapon to destroy something." The bull-man just stared at him before swiping the coin and unholstering his hammer. He grinned before passing it to Takasugi, who gripped and held it with one hand to the creature's surprise. He unsheathed his sword with his other hand and propped the hammer on his shoulder. He didn't think of putting blood on the blade before getting the hammer and was stuck thinking of a way around this before a scrimmage at one the tables pushed an Amanto into him. A volunteer, it seemed to be. He grinned and slashed the sword, cutting the Amanto hip to shoulder. The spray of blood warmed his face, creating a tickling sensation as it dripped down his cheeks. He kicked the Amanto out of the way of where he planned to put the sword, his body causing Amanto to yell and scatter where it landed. When it was on the ground and he was staring at it for the second time that night, he finally understood why so many people had commented on it. The eyes were staring right at him, a glare so piercing it seemed to cut through the dimness of the room. He gripped the hammer's long handle with both hands and grinned. Gintoki didn't want to fight, didn't want to face that he was living in a world better off destroyed, didn't want to face the looks of being one of those monsters? Well, he wouldn't give him a choice.

Takasugi swung, the sword shattered, and the eyes closed.