Chizuru didn't say anything. I think she knew already, even if she had to try, that I wouldn't have listened to her. She wasn't looking at me with contempt or anger, just a hint of inexplicable sadness in an ocean of love and relief. I took my katana back out of the headless body and wiped both my blades into the silk of Kazama's haori before sheathing them back. I took a moment to look at the corpse of my enemy. I was returning to serenity and I could nearly feel my hair getting back to their natural color. Never before murdering someone in cold blood had brought me that much satisfaction. I was avenged, Chizuru was avenged and all the others Kazama hurt in the past. I kneeled and opened his clenched fingers, taking the blade off his hand.
« You're really going to take his sword away from him ? » asked Chizuru.
« I'm not. » I answered « You are. »
« What ?! » she yelled in horror.
I took away the scabbard out of Kazama's obi and sheathed the sword, handing it to Chizuru.
« I'm not taking it. » she said firmly.
« Chizuru, that blade has the power to stop a Rasetsu. You need it. »
« Against you ? » she asked with defiance.
« Maybe one day. » I nodded « No Rasetsu or Ghoul or whatever you want to call them can evade the madness forever. You told me that. »
She made no move to take it and just stared in my eyes, trying to figure out the extent of my resolve.
« You can't take a warrior's blade away from him. That is... You can't. »
« I know. » I nodded « but he is no warrior. He's a monster. »
« So am I. » she said coldly.
« Chizuru. » I sighed « you perfectly know that's not what I meant. »
« But you said it. » she continued with the same cold.
« You have nothing in common with Kazama. » I stated.
She stayed silent and didn't make any moves but her gaze softened and wandered on my face and body.
« Let me see your injuries. » she asked.
« Take it first. »
« You are one stubborn man, Saito Hajime » she sighed, taking the katana « but don't expect me to murder my husband. Even if his stubbornness makes me want to kill him sometimes. »
« Not yet, please » I smirked « but if it's necessary, I know you'll be strong enough to do the right thing. »
« Let me see your wounds before you start spurting out more nonsense. » she said, putting the katana in her obi next to her kodachi.
« I need to see Haruhi. » I objected.
« Alright, you wouldn't listen anyway. » she nodded « you go near her and open your kimono, that way I can look and you can talk to her at the same time. »
« Seems a reasonable compromise. » I agreed, knowing that that was the best I could obtain anyway. She could talk all she wanted about my stubbornness but hers was even worse than mine.
I walked to my daughter and kneeled in front of her. She was panting heavily, her rib cage lifting itself at a frenetic pace.
« Otousan, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have... » She panted, crying.
« Indeed. » I replied in my toneless voice « Rules are made for a reason, Haruhi. »
« I know... » she cried « but... But Koan... and Mika too... And he was just laughing... »
« If you let people get to you that way, then in no way you can ever win. » I told her calmly « The second you let their words pierce your heart, their blade will undoubtedly follow. »
« I thought you were supposed to open your kimono. » said Chizuru with her fists on her hips.
I complied with her order without any protestations, letting her clean the deep wound on my shoulder and the one, less severe, across my chest.
« Am I gonna be punished ? » sobbed Haruhi.
« I think cracking three of your ribs is enough punishment already. » I muttered, turning to Chizuru « She won't be able to walk, right ? »
« She can walk but it'll be difficult. » she said, opening her bag to take a needle and thread. « At least they're only cracked and not completely broken. It'll take time to heal but there won't be any permanent damage. »
« Can she ride ? » I asked again, glancing at Kazama's horse, and I gritted my teeth when the needle pierced my flesh just above my nipple. « Will that leave a scar ? »
« I don't think it will leave one on your chest, not a big one at least, but you'll still have a mark. Cheek, no chance but the shoulder one will definitely leave a scar and you'll have to be more careful when using that right arm of yours. A part of that injury will never truly heal. » she replied, all to her task of sewing me back « and for Haruhi, it'll be still very painful but I don't think we have another choice. With a tight bandage to limit her movements, she should be okay. »
« I can carry her. Just tell me what the best option is. »
« Then I think carrying her is the best option. » she glanced at Haruhi « It'll be the least bumpy. »
I nodded and turned my head to my daughter, still sobbing and panting.
« It's alright, Otousan. » she nodded vigorously « I've had worse. I can walk. »
« I never meant to hurt you. » I eventually said.
« I know. » she smiled.
« Good. » I nodded.
There was so much more I wanted to tell her, to tell the both of them but for the moment, I was just feeling extremely tired from fighting in the daylight and from my non-healing injuries. The adrenaline was getting down, making me acknowledge everything that was not going well inside my body.
Chizuru finished closing my wound and did the same on my shoulder with both sewing and a bandage. She then attended Haruhi and did a tight bandage across her chest. She helped her sit up and Haruhi's breath steadied after a few seconds.
« Lying down will be the most painful for a while. It will heal slowly, maybe up to three weeks. You'll have to be brave. »
« I will. » she nodded.
I stood up, ignoring my tiredness and my pain, and packed everything up. I attached the bags to Kazama's horse saddle and went to the little silver fox still laying on the ground. I had nothing to bury him with and nothing to cut enough wood for a brazier. I took one of our covers to put over him, regretting not being able to do more.
« Thank you, old man. » I told the fox in a whisper « Chizuru, get on the horse. »
She obeyed and I lifted Haruhi in my arms. We began walking again, leaving both Kazama and Koan behind us. A few hours later, we were back on the Tokaido road and could see the lights of Edo in the distance. Seeing it again after all this time warmed my heart and I'm sure Chizuru felt the same thing. We were home and in a few hours, we would be back where we both belonged : in the Shinsengumi.
Author note : Kazama's blade in history. That note was supposed to be in the last chapter but I really thought it was cutting the action so I removed it and put it there.
Doujigiri Yasutsuna is a blade that does exist. Forged into the Heian period (10th-12h century), there was a legend that Minamoto Yorimitsu used this blade to kill Shuten Douji, a famous Oni living on mont Ōe and that's where the blade earned its name of Doujigiri « demonslayer ». This blade had a lot of famous owners (Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Hidetada for example) It is currently a national tresor and is kept in the japanese sword museum in Shinjuku, Tokyo (if I'm not mistaken).
It is said in Hakuouki that Kazama has this blade but I think it's only in the Hijikata route. I was surprised at first but why not ! I think a blade from which demons can't heal isn't a bad idea !