Eyes fluttered, slowly adjusting to the brightness of the awfully white room.
Chest rose and fall at each breath, lungs filling with oxygen given through a plastic mask.
Head turned to check on the surroundings. A hospital room.
Heart skipped a beat at the sight of a place one didn't know, as well as a man one didn't know either.
Said man was nonchalantly seated on a chair at the side of the bed with his arms and legs crossed.
Wait. Wasn't he just... sleeping...?!
"Ah."
Something tilted one's memory. Thinking better, the face of the man wasn't unknown.
Right, he was the flaxen-haired policeman she had met the other day.
Quietly, Kagura sat up and took off her mask.
She quickly checked her wounds; already almost healed. Well, she was a Yato, after all! Still, she couldn't forget this feeling... so close to dying...
She sniffed softly. The woman really thought this time was her last in this life, but seems like Death didn't want to free her that soon...!
"Wait…!"
What about Kamui?! Where was her brother?! Was he safe?! And what about the squad? What about Abuto?
She eyed the policeman snoring peacefully with his chin falling upon his chest. Then, she silently got up and tore the pipe of her perfusion. Dressed with one of these ugly paper-like hospital robes, she tiptoed on the cold tile to get out of the room.
Her hand on the handle, she barely opened the door that another hand immediately came to push it back closed. She turned to see the policeman and his bored face when he put handcuffs on her wrists.
She blinked.
-Wounded ones should stay in bed, he scolded gently.
-I'm perfectly fine! She retorted. Let me go!
He frowned.
-How could you be fine when your body looked like some bloody Emmental a few hours ago?! You're lucky we barely arrived in time to save you!
-What?
-A few hours earlier-
Sougo and his men were on the docks, all ready to act. He nodded at one of them and the loud siren echoed.
-This is the Shinsengumi! You're encircled! Drop the weapons and put your hands in the air!
Then, the Captain of the 1st division ordered to catch all the suspects. Despite the numerous cops, two of them managed to escape in the uproar. Unfortunately, Sougo didn't get the chance to chase after them as Yamazaki called to him, but he assumed the one thrown over the other's shoulders must have been wounded as he seemed unconscious.
-Captain, over here! There's a victim!
The more he was getting closer, the more Sougo winced at the spectacular violence used to kill the woman. As if some giant kitchen tool had been used in order to core the heart, the rest of her body was in a perfect and very neat condition. The hole in her chest wasn't made by any kind of weapon he knew. Actually, it was almost the right size for the officer to put his hand inside...
But, what kind of man -or monster- could have ripped a woman's heart out with his bare hand before to crush it like a rotten fruit?
-Captain! There's another one right here!
-Hah!? One more cor...pse?
Sougo fell silent at the familiar clothes and vermilion hair of the second woman bathing in her blood. Crouching at her sides, he gently brushed a strand of hair.
He clicked his tongue as he recognized the Chinese girl. How the hell did she end up here?! And why had she been killed? There were so many bullet holes in her dress... clearly, the shooter wanted to make sure she wouldn't wake up anymore.
"What a waste…" he thought.
A beautiful girl like her... He really should have asked for her name on that day...
To his surprise, he noticed that the redhead was still breathing.
-Call an ambulance right now! HURRY!
Judging by the amount of blood and the numbers of shots, it was already a miracle by itself. Yet, he knew she would most likely die before they could even reach the hospital...
Despite being fully aware of that sad reality, Sougo couldn't help praying she would hang on until then. He didn't want to remember the day his own sister had died before his very eyes...
Hopeful, he took off his jacket and ripped his sleeves apart to make some withers with it. He had no idea who in hell that girl was, but he swore he wouldn't allow her to die in his arms! Not before he could hear her voice telling him her name!
As he tied a strong knot around her ribcage, she coughed some more blood.
Obviously, she had no will to die either and the young Captain felt quite impressed.
Soon, the buzzer of the ambulance deafened his ears.
-You don't remember? Inquired the policeman.
Kagura slightly recalled hearing something like...
What was it again?
Ah, right. The Shinsengumi, AKA the Bakufu's dogs.
-Where's Kamui? She asked firmly.
-Huh— Who's that? Blinked the man in confusion.
-A man looking just like me! She argued. Blue eyes, red hair tied in a long braid… where is he?
Obsessed to learn about her brother, Kagura tightly gripped the man's shirt while slowly forcing herself against him.
-Is he okay?! He's fine, right?!
Sougo discovered that he was unable to shake her off. Her strength was such that he couldn't but step back every time she pushed him backward. How could that girl be so strong, anyway?!
-Please, tell me he's—
-Hey, hey, calm down! We… didn't find anyone looking like you, he announced sadly.
The Yato's gaze fell to the ground, her grip loosening and arms slumping down.
-Then… that means you didn't arrest the whole Kiheitai, right?
Sougo frowned.
They had, indeed, allowed the most important members, Takasugi and some close subordinates to escape, but... how much did that girl know?
-Is that 'Kamui' one of them?
-Of course, not! She shouted angrily. He's their target! They drugged him and… kidnapped him…
Angry at these humans and angry at herself, Kagura bit her lip. How could she have let something like this happen?! Where was her brother now...?
"Target?" Wondered Sougo.
Who could be that man for the Kiheitai to want him? What kind of bond did he have with the girl? And who was she, to begin with?!
He sighed.
It felt like a long and unpleasant lot of work would soon fall on him... But seeing how the redhead seemed disturbed by the whole thing, he grabbed her shoulders while gently leading her back to the bed.
-We'll talk about it later. You're still recovering, so take some rest first.
-I told you I'm fine, she grumbled.
-No one can be fin— huh?!
The officer's jaw dropped down when the girl suddenly lifted her robe. Aside from her black underwear and the velvet look of her fair skin -which he wouldn't have minded to touch- Sougo spotted her wounds, cicatrized as if already old from a few weeks.
-I am fine, she repeated again.
-This can't be, he whispered, puzzled.
-Listen, I am not as weak as you earthlings are and I would have already killed you if you hadn't helped me before, but… I don't have time to lose! I have to find him at all cost!
He shook his head.
-Wait, what are you saying? You…
"Huh? Earthlings…?"
-You're… not human…? He voiced, more as a fact than a question.
Kagura sighed.
-Took you long enough to realize! She scoffed. I'm an Amanto.
-Hah? How am I even supposed to know?! You said you were coming from 'far away' and I don't remember you denying coming from China when I pointed your dress!
-AH! That's right! Where are they? I mean my clothes. I can't get out like this!
-You won't get out anyway, he scolded. First, you're handcuffed and next, you're still a suspect in this affair.
Kagura looked at the man, unfazed.
"This guy won't let me be, will he?"
Effortlessly, she spread her wrists until the handcuffs' link broke as if it was made of paper.
Smiling proudly to the policeman, she mocked him.
-Oh? You mean these were handcuffs~?! Aww… I thought they were some earthling's bangles~
Sougo's eyes grew wide while the girl casually discarded the metal wristbands like mere junk.
-I told you I could've killed you~ Us people of the Yato tribe are amongst the most powerful ones in the universe, you know~? She bragged playfully.
"Yato…?"
Sougo had already heard of them. According to the saying, they were insanely strong Amantos from a famous warrior species. Alas, most of them were quite the bloodthirsty type and were even fighting their own kind. Hence the fact their bloodline was slowly coming to an end.
He had never seen a Yato until today, but judging by her previous show, he could tell she wasn't joking.
He realized that this girl was able to crush him anytime she wished to. Somehow, that frightening news made her appear even more attractive in his eyes despite being already quite a good-looking woman. That redhead was undoubtedly... interesting...
-What was someone like you doing there, then? It's pretty obvious you're not working with the Kiheitai… Are you the one who killed the blondie?
-Blondie?
-Blonde-haired woman, pink clothes, two guns… wasn't she the one who shot you? Her heart was turned into hashed meat.
Kagura's mouth opened in awe. She knew Kamui was the one behind it and her heart swelled inside. Unconsciously, she blushed.
-He did it for me… she whispered to herself. Kamui avenged me.
She smiled softly and Sougo felt all the more curious about this young woman rejoicing at the poor blonde's fate.
He didn't miss the name she had voiced for the second time already.
If that guy was looking like her, then that meant he too was a Yato, right? That could answer about the woman's killer and its brutal strength...
-Who's that Kamui? And who are you?
Kagura sighed.
"Too many questions…"
Glancing quickly around her, she then gestured him to come closer.
Sougo tilted his head toward the girl, waiting for her to maybe whisper some incredible secret.
The only thing she gave him, though, was a strong hit in the back of his neck before he dozed off.
-You don't seem to be bad or dumb, she admitted to the fainted man at her feet, but I can't afford to lose more time with you
Without further delay, Kagura donned her shorts, stockings and boots, but her dress had been put into the trash bin since it was full of blood and bullet holes...
Left with no other choice, the girl 'borrowed' the white shirt of the flaxen-haired officer, even if it wasn't really to her taste. His jacket was certainly nicer, but she doubted that wearing the uniform of Edo's police could be a good idea!
"Ah!" Well... after some thoughts... perhaps it was a good idea...
She smirked at her fabulous plan and put the jacket on her shoulders before to escape by the window. The chances to meet some of her new 'colleagues' in the hospital's corridors were high and would definitely be troublesome!
Though I'm sure you've all understood;
-YES, it was Matako who shoot Kagura and killed her (what a bitch!)
-BUT Kagura was saved by the Shinsengumi (lil' thanks to Yamazaki & Sougo) and thus, isn't dead anymore (lol)
-Kamui ended up by killing Matako because he was daaaaamn pissed (re-lol)
Honestly?
I never liked Matako~ ^^
That aside, I suppose that you must feel a bit relieved now, right?
Well, don't forget that last but not least fact:
-Kamui is currently waiting in a jail for his death penalty to come (in only 3 days).
~To be continued in the next chapter!~