[please note: A lot of the content may be in foreign dialogue, so a number will be placed in brackets after the dialogue so that you may search bellow the chapter to see the translation(via g-translate, yeah sorry I'm lame like that). As for the italics; because our beloved characters are in fact Japanese, to distinguish between what is being spoken in english and what is being spoken in japanese, what is suppose to be japanese will be in italics. I've decided to do so because I would be a hassle to have two thirds of the story in japanese with the translations on the bottom, so everything that is meant to be Japanese will be in italics. The rest which is meant to be english will be in regular text. With all that put aside, please enjoy :) up first is Hijikata's route]
Chapter 1: The Awakening
"General! Komm sieh dir das an! Schnell!"[1] a man in a long white coat called out from bellow, from outside the glass wall before me. I can't
understand what these people are saying. Talking to one another in languages I don't know. They keep looking over at me. Me. Who? Who am I? Why can't I
remember. I remember someone calling out to me. A girl. I can't remember. In my head, flashes of fire, cannons, bloody swords. Blue coats. A red flag with
the symbol of "truth". That same girl, dressed in a red western combat uniform. She's calling out to me. What is she saying? What did she call me? What's
my name? Who am I? The people outside the glass wall are coming closer to me. They brought a man in a strange uniform that I can't recognize. He's
smiling at me. I don't like it, it doesn't feel right. I look around the room. Crystal tubes filled with strange substances. There are others held within large
cylinders filled with fluid. Is . . . that how I look right now. The one to my left. He looks familiar. Why do a feel an emptiness and pain from looking at him?
The man to my left, I believe his name was . . . it was . . . I-Isa- . . . ko . . . I can't remember. What's happening? Why can't I remember anything? What's
happened to me? How did I get here? When? They come closer, I think I understand the man in the uniform.
"Are you awake now?"
Awake? I suppose. But I can't respond. There-?! There's something over my mouth?! What is this? How long have I had this? I take my hand and try to pull it
off, but I have no strength. It's tight on.
"No no no no, Don't try and take it off, You'll drown. How about we get you out of there first, and we'll help you out. And maybe-" he smirks, an ominous
feeling overcomes me. from it. "-you can help us with a few things. How does that sound?"
Yes. Get me out of this thing. I can't seem to move well. My body is lagging. The fluid begins to recede, something is draining it out. But I can't stand. I'm
slowly collapsing to the floor as the strange water disappears. They quickly pull me out and seat me. The man in the uniform comes to me.
"Tell me. Can you understand me?" I nod. "I see, good. Do you know who you are? Do you remember your name?" I look down slowly unable to respond. "I
see. Well it's okay, you'll remember. Have a good look around. Do you recognize anyone?" I do as he said and look around. Several people in long white
coats study the others that lay in the cylinders. The people in the coats, not one is familiar. But several of the men in the cylinders are very familiar. There's
one man, looks like he's wounded, I watch as the people in the white coats take him out of the room. That wounded man, I know him. He looks like he's no
longer alive.
"Oh I see you noticed that one. He woke up much earlier than you. But he was a bit of a . . . handful. He was being disobedient, so we had to, eh, dispose of
him. But I know, you will not disappoint me. Right? We need you." I look over at him, maybe more like glaring at him without realizing it till he points it out.
"What's with that look? Don't worry, we wont hurt you. We'll give you anything you like. What we want is something very simple. Nothing too important.
We're your friends. We're on your side."
I didn't believe him. I kept looking out around the room. I watched as the fallen man and the others carrying him disappear from the room. I look out again
to the others, I keep hearing the uniformed man ask, over and over. "What is your name? C'mon, I know you can remember. What is your name?" I look
again around, and begin to try and remember the names of the people. That one . . . he's . . . his name is Sannan Keisuke, and the other . . . Inoue
Genzaburo. Yamazaki, Shinpachi, Harada, Heisuke- "-jikat-. . .-san!" That girl screams out to me again through flashes in my mind. I continue to scan the
room. Shimada, Saito, "-ijik-ta-. . .-san!" She continues to call out in my head. Who are you? Why are you crying out to me? Why does she look so
emotionally torn? "-j-k-ta-. . .-san!" images race through my head. Flashes of fights and wars, swords clashing. Those people, those same people I was
naming, falling one by one. Blood. A secret? I keep scanning the room. S-Souji. I remember. And the one next to him, the one who was next to me. "-IJ-KA-
T-. . .-SAN!" Kondo Isami, my best friend. I remember, we made a promise, we shared a dream. We built the dream together, with these people, our friends,
our family. And . . . that girl. "-KATA SAN!". My name. My name. My name!
"Are you alright? If you need time, I'll have someone take elsewhere so you may rest." The man in uniform replied. I quickly grabbed on to his sleeve before
he could get up, and slowly met his gaze. I glared. I finally opened my mouth and spoke. I remembered! My name, I am . . .
"Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi, HIJIKATA TOSHIZOU!"
-time later-
". . . . ng. Huh?" I opened my eyes, and slowly staggered to get up. The room was dark, barely visible. Slight echoes of strange demonic like howls from far
outside the walls filled the air and it's dark heinous silence. "W-What happened? When did I . . . ?" I got up on my feet, I looked down at my light grey yukata
for a moment then looked around me. Everything was a mess. The room was familiar, I had been here prior to blacking out. There were people here, and it
was pretty lit up, what had happened? I took two steps then ran into a person with a long white coat covered in bites and blood. His flesh torn and limbs
almost chewed of. It was utterly bewildering and aggravating to see. I leaped back and looked around. There were quite a few men and women in white coats
lying dead on the floor. Blood filled the nebulous peculiar room. Broken glass, shattered items all over the room, the foul stench of rotting corpses. These
people have been dead for far too many days. I continue to take a few steps and look around. More and more bodies all across the floor everywhere I looked.
Blood, torn flesh. Endless pieces of torn flesh scattered everywhere. It was petrifying. The more I looked the more blood and torn flesh I found. And endless
corpses, many skinned to the bone. I have seen the product of battling in the range of cannon fire, but never seen anything so savage as what I was
witnessing. As if wild animals came and began to rip apart everyone on site. Yet, I was alive, untouched, unharmed while in the midst of this chaotic scene. I
felt sharp pins in the skin of my arms, so looked down at them. Needles dug deep under my skin. I struggled a bit to take them out, each one by one. But
most of these needles where pinned deep under the skin of my scull. Taking these out filled me with excruciating pain, there were at least six. I took the last
one out from the back of my head then fell on my hands and knees gasping for air, the pain was unbearable for a minute or two that felt like hours. The pain
slowly subsisted and I got back up on my feet. I looked around and caught a shadow off the corner of my eye. I first stood frozen for a moment, then I heard
footsteps outside of the room walking away. Debating whether I should follow and see who or what it was, I moved slowly and hesitantly towards the exit of
the room and into the next. Before exiting the room, I took a slight peek out and saw the shadow of a person walking down the hall. I slowly crept out of the
room and rushed slightly to catch up to whatever was casting that shadow. I was beginning to catch up when suddenly I saw the shadow holt, so I stopped
and found a nearby room and hid. I took a breath or two before holding it in again to look out. As I peeked out, the shadow was gone! My heart began to
beat out of my chest, but I stood my ground, ready for whatever it could have been. The problem however, I did not have my katanas or any weapon in my
disposal. I was completely on my own. I took three maybe four steps out when suddenly the hairs behind my neck stood up. I stopped. All breathing had
stopped. I could feel it, a presents from behind, it felt like it could be perhaps less then a few inches from me. A chill ran up my spine, my eyes widened.
Ready to turn around and attack when suddenly, "T-Toshi? That is you, right?" a very familiar, relieving and heart warming voice came from the figure behind
me, I could feel the tears too heavy to hold in. I slowly turned my head a bit, then turned my body completely to face him. I stuttered and hesitated to
speak. The air in my lungs had been knocked out, but with all I could, I spoke " . . . . g- . . . g-Gen san?" my eyes watery and a heavy heart. He looked back
at me both relieved and unexplainably overjoyed to see me, as I was to see him again. Especially after my last memory of him was looking over his defeated
lifeless body. The guilt and the heavy burden mashed with the joy and bliss of seeing him alive and well again before me fell densely in my chest into a
chaotic mess of emotions. "Toshi, I never thought that I would see you here. Am I truly happy to see you again. Heh, to see everyone again." he said to me,
but part of what he said caught my attention. "E-Everyone . . . ?" what did he mean? Could it be? "Yes. Well, most everyone. We're still looking around.
However, with such gruesome scenes, we are also being careful and keeping on alert for whatever it is that's responsible for such a display."
"Gen san, you don't know what it is that generated this? You didn't see anything?"
"I'm afraid not. We woke up a little past an hour ago searching to see if anyone recognizable was still alive and well."
"We? Who else is-?"
"Nagakura san, Harada san, and Shimada san. I was with Shimada san in the same room. We were filled with needles and bandages all over when both I and
Shimada woke. We took a few steps out of our rooms and ran into Nagakura san and Harada san, who also woke up in the same state. But once we reunited,
it wasn't long before we walked into a pool of blood, torn flesh and bodies. The stench is unlike anything any of use have ever experienced." He was right,
never before had I ever come across such a scene despite the many years of war we each have witnessed together as well as individually.
"Where are they now? Shinpachi, Harada, and Shimada?" I asked him. He smiled at me "Shimada isn't too far from here, we just split up a few moments ago
when I felt your presents from behind. Truly you startled me."
"Ah, I'm sorry, to be honest I wasn't expecting you at all. Especially after I woke surrounded by endless dismantled corpses." I smiled back nervously after
remembering the terrifying moment I felt before knowing it was Gen san who was behind me all along. "What about Harada and Shinpachi?"
"We split less than an hour ago, haven't heard from them since. However, I trust they're well, still looking if there are others. Glad to see you again Toshi."
I smiled at him "So am I. To see such a warm welcoming face again." Suddenly, we hear someone rush in.
"Gen san!"
"Is that Shinpachi?" I asked, turning back and saw both Shinpachi and Shimada rush in. They both holt and look at me surprised.
Nagakura Shinpachi: "Hijikata san!? Hijikata san is that really you!?"
Shimada Kai: "Vice Comander!? It's so good to see you!"
Hijikata Toshizo: "As well am I. In the midst of so much chaos and confusion, I'm happy to see you all again. Where is Harada?"
Nagakura Shinpachi:"That's what we came here for, Harada's back there, we found Sannan san, and . . . well just come and see for yourself." He pointed
back and smirked. We all hurried and went after them as we followed through the endless hallways leading to more chaos and darkness. And that bitter
silence that would follow with the low hum of disembodied howls from far outside the walls. the aura filled with a bitter-sweet taste. Just where exactly were
we? Those images of people in long white coats and the endless glass tubes and cylinders that filled the room, was it all a dream. Couldn't be. I see those
same people now scattered all over the floor, but covered in blood. What happened here? We kept following behind cautiously until we ran into Harada.
Nagakura Shinpachi: "Sano!"
Harada Sanosuke: "Keep it down will ya'."
Sannan Keisuke: "Yes, be mindful before you speak so loudly. We have yet to understand our position right now."
Hijikata Toshizo: "Sannan san. It's good to see you again." He looked at me surprised.
Sannan Keisuke: "Hijikata kun? Is that really you?"
Unable to contain myself at first, I reached out to them.
Hijikata Toshizo: "Yes, yes, it's me! I'm so happy to see you again, all of you, and- . . . !" I stopped. Completely in shock and astonished at the figure behind
Sannan san. If I could not find the words to describe how I felt before, I can assure that if I could find a meaningful and accurate way to put relief, euphoric,
lament, and grief-stricken into a single implication, I would. The figure of the man walked out from the shadows. It would seem, he and I share the exact
feeling as we always have in the past. This man, I truly was a wreck without him.
?: ". . . . t-. . . " he could not find the words to speak, it would seem we both had lost our voices. Our hearts throbbed. I waited no longer and held him in my
arms. My brother, my best friend. The tears in our eyes streamed down our faces. Everyone around us just stood quite and smiled in a melancholic manner. I
did not want to separate from this man, not for a moment. I closed my eyes hoping that it wasn't a dream. This had to be real! This world could not be so
cruel as to rip out my heart once again. I took a step back and held on to his shoulders. I wept.
Hijikata Toshizo: ". . . k-Kondo san . . . ? Kondo san? Kondo san . . . w-why? Why did you leave me?"
Kondo Isami: "Forgive me."
Hijikata Toshizo: "You really are a cruel man. Do you understand the pain, the burden, the torment of knowing that I let my best friend since childhood, the
man I looked up to like an older brother die while I escape with our troops along with your title, do you have any idea what you left me with?"
Kondo Isami: "Please forgive me, Toshi. Please, please forgive me. I had to. I couldn't stand the idea of you facing the imperial army all on your own in the
condition you were in. Please forgive me. I was a coward. I've made so many mistakes, and my men, my friends and family were hurting from it, I couldn't
face it anymore!"
Hijikata Toshizo: "Don't ever, ever do that to us again! Don't ever do that to me again, Kondo san!" I took him into my arms again and grabbed on tight.
Reciting how I refuse to let him go ever again in my mind over and over and over again. He held on tightly to me as well. Continuously begging for
forgiveness. Forgiveness that was not needed, for it was I who wanted forgiveness the most from him, but I was too ashamed to beg for forgiveness.
Kondo Isami: "Forgive me . . . forgive me . . . "
Nagakura Shinpachi: "There's no need to apologies, Kondo san. We couldn't have asked for a better leader. Time was against our odds in our war, but I never
regret every moment fighting under you."
Harada Sanosuke: "That's right. Kondo san, Hijikata san. The two of you are what made the Shinsengumi soar higher than anything that Japan was ready for.
I must truly say, having been part of the Shinsengumi with the two of you as our leaders, was unlike anything I could have ever dreamed of." Gen san, and
the others nodded, facing Kondo san and I. We both separated and turned to them. Grinning, I knew exactly what Kondo san wanted to say. We shared the
same thoughts, I turned to Kondo san and smiled back at him, then looked back at the others.
Hijikata Toshizo: "No. It was all of you who made the Shinsengumi valuable, powerful, and possible. We could have never asked for anything better. We
couldn't have dreamed of having anyone better than all of you. It was you, who fought with us, along side us, together, with pride and heart. We truly are
thankful to you all, for everything. For all those years spent together, despite the outcome, it was all worth it." I said to them, when another person entered
the circle.
?: "No scene is more graceful than the one that stands before me." The man in a similar yukata to ours, with dark yet violet tint hair spoke with a heart
warming familiar smile, as he appeared from the shadows.
Nagakura Shinpachi: "Saito! Long time no see."
Saito Hajime: "I never thought I would ever see my family again. Having been alone for so long. it became clear to me life wasn't worth living if I didn't
stand raising the flag of 'truth' along with my brothers. I've missed you all, so much."
Shimada Kai: "I couldn't have said it better myself. I can't imagine my life without the Shinsengumi if it doesn't involve solitude and despair. You all truly are
my family as well."
Harada Sanosuke: "Yeah, I'm sure that's the same for all of us. Hahaha, after all we've been through, together. Now, not that I don't like reminiscing on our
times spent together or anything, but . . . has anyone figured out where exactly we are? I doubt this is what heaven looks like."
Nagakura Shinpachi: "If so, we've been ripped off. Maybe this is hell?"
Sannan Keisuke: "No, we are very much alive, but where or how is still an enigma."
Nagakura Shinpachi: "Well, do we have any clues? Like, where the hell is this? Why did we wake up with needles stuck to our skin, and heads too, which
really hurt by the way. Why are there so many dead people everywhere, it's starting to stink of rotting flesh, it's disgusting. How the hell did we end up here
anyway, I swear I was dead the last I checked."
Harada Sanosuke: "Yeah, last I remember, I was fight off Rasetsu, and I was bleeding out beyond help. My body was cold, my heart stopped, I felt it. I know
I was dead, I know I was."
Genzaburo Inoue: "I too recall having felt a katana stab right through to my heart, I remember blacking out, then . . . waking up here."
Sannan Keisuke: "Hijikata kun, I died, did I not?"
Hijikata Toshizo: "Please Sannan san, I beg you not to have me remember such mortifying scenes." We all looked at one another perplexed. No matter how
hard we each tried to find an answer, not one of us knew how we got there, for we all recalled being dead.
Kondou Isami: "However we got here, we need to find out if there's anyone else recognizable around. Or if there's anyone who's still alive that can orient us
on what's happening and why." We all nodded. We split up not too far apart from one another and looked in each room down the dark and bloodcurdling dark
hall. Blood and flesh everywhere, on the walls, even chewed off fingers sticking on some of the windows, such revolting display. Harada checks into a room
and finds another one of those people in the white coats cut in half by a fallen broken window glass, it was a woman, agonizing so feebly. Sano let out a deep
sigh, she definitely wasn't alive, or rather, beyond help now. He turned and walked out the room, leaning against the wall of the hallway, he faced the floor
looking like he felt sick and waited for it to pass. In another room, Saito walked into, he sees children completely bathed in blood. One with their eyes still
open laying of the floor, his fingers were as if they've been bitten off. Saito leans forward and closes the boys eyes, and shadows over him for a long brief
moment. We kept walking down the hall till we ran into a room with stairs. I look back at everyone, the all nod back at me. I take the first step, and work my
way down as everyone follows behind me. We took a few steps till running into another opening to another hallway. The stairs continue down, but I decide to
lead everyone into the hallway and began scanning. First room to the right was empty, to the left, more bodies, more blood. Several decapitated heads.
Endless corpses. In my insides, I began doubting we would find anyone else alive. I was afraid to find that one of these corpses belonged to someone we
knew. Next room, to the right, more bodies, to the left, I see something walking out, I panicked at first, then noticed.
?: "Yamazaki, did you find him-?! Hijikata san?! Is it really?!"
I smiled back at the young man, However, before I could say anything, Shinpachi dashes past me from behind me and grabs on to the boy's head into a
headlock.
Nagakura Shinpachi: "Heisuke! Oh man buddy you're here! Come 'ere man! It's been too, too long, I've missed messing with ya!"
Toudo Heisuke: "A-I'm not sure I miss THIS at all!"
Harada Sanosuke: "Hey Shinpachi, Heisuke, that's great we're all together now, but can you keep it down, we still don't know what did all this mess. Also
have some respect, we're in the middle of a graveyard."
Toudo Heisuke: "You're telling me?! Shinpachi san is the one who screamed then head locked me!"
Hijikata Toshizo: "We said to be quite Heisuke, you'll get us all in danger."
Toudo Heisuke: "Just one minute in our 'reunion' and I'm already getting in trouble?!"
Sannan Keisuke: "Toudo kun, you called out for Yamazaki earlier. Was he here with you?"
Shinpachi finally relieves Heisuke from the headlock. Heisuke makes his way closer to us and explains.
Toudo Heisuke: "Uh, yeah. It was Yamazaki who found and helped me up and helped take out these crazy needles. He was telling me that he had woken up
days before now, but couldn't gain full consciousness and blacked out again. He said that when he first woke days before, he saw these people in white coats
take Souji away somewhere, so we split. I worked my way up this hallway to see if I could find anyone else, and he went down looking for Souji, in the
direction where he said they took him." Having heard that, I couldn't help but add on to the explanation.
Hijikata Toshizo: "I woke long ago as well. When I first woke, it was in that room up stairs, there were all these people in white coats speaking different
languages, I couldn't understand them. Then there was one who wore a strange formal uniform who spoke to me. I can't recall what happened next,
everything is a blur, at that point I didn't even know who I was." I pressed on my head with my hands trying to remember what happened. What happened
to all of us. I remember seeing everyone. How did we get there, what did that man in the uniform say? What was he telling me? I can't remember.
Kondo Isami: "Either way, we best follow Yamazaki san and find Souji. If they took him away, who knows what they've done to him. I fear for him with such
perplex spectacle."
Toudo Heisuke: "Yeah."
Harada Sanosuke: "Let's get going."
Everyone starts walking down the hallway and enter another hallway to our left filled with rooms with glass doors and walls. Strips of electric rope spouting
sparks hung everywhere, unknown and unrecognizable equipment unlike anything that could possibly exist broken apart within the rooms. Large portions of
glass all over the floor made it difficult for us to walk in our bare feet. Taking steps carefully walking down the hall till we reached then. To the right a pitch
black hallway with flickering lights. To our left, another dead end. We take a right and continue till we reach the end of the hall.I halt and look back at the rest
of them. Saito points back to the other end notifying me to check it out once more. We return down to the other end and find a door introducing a mid-lit up
passage way to another dark end. We continue our way to the other side and continue walking. Exiting the passage to yet another hallway. The smell of
corpses lessened but didn't disappear. The hallway was more clear. A few blood stained corners on the floor, but it was more clear than what we first woke to.
blinking screen frames, some with images of people, moving pictures, images of distress. a person who sounded alarmed speaking in an unknown language,
". . . Confinement était futile. Le nombre d'infecté continue d'augmenter. On estime que 400 personnes sont infectées toutes les 5 minutes. Paris n'est plus
évacuée et est maintenant officiellement mis en quarantaine. Le gouvernement de la France a ordonné l'éradication de Paris par la nuit tombante. Tous les
civils qui sont mis en quarantaine et tentent de se échapper seront fusillés sur place. . ."[2]. Countless blinking frames with blurred images.
Toudo Heisuke: "Hijikata san! This way!"
Kondou Isami: "Souji!"
We all ran down the hall to find Yamazaki struggling to carry Souji out to us. Souji staggered, barely looked conscious at all. Blank pale, and gray. His mouth
semi covered in slight smudges of blood. I knew all too well what this meant, though I had hoped not to find him in this state anymore. We laid him down on
the floor, his back against the wall.
Susumu Yamazaki: "I suppose I can ask how you all are doing later, but Okita san needs attention right now. He's burning up."
Kondou Isami: "Souji! How are you? Hang in there!"
Souji looks up at Kondou san in complete astonishment.
Okita Souji: "Kondou san! Ho-" just as he was about to speak, he begins to cough and struggle to breathe.
Susumu Yamazaki: "I already told you not to speak, try to focus on just taking in air." Yamazaki turns to us and begins to look around. "We need something
to cool him down. Water or anything." He added.
Kondou Isami: "Water! We need water. Everyone look around, see what you can find."
Saito Hajime: "Though we have been to every corner of this place, all we have found is unknown broken equipment, flesh, blood, and dismembered body
parts. I'm not sure we'll find anything in here. We're going to have to get out of this place."
Toudo Heisuke: "Yeah but, just what is this place? There just has to be something."
Nagakura Shinpachi: "I'm not even sure where we are exactly, how are we going to find an exit, everything just leads to endless hallways."
Genzaburo Inoue; "And we're not sure of what to expect outside."
Kondou Isami: "Grrr, there must be something we can do! There must be someone, anyone alive here. They can't all be dead. We need help. I can't leave
Souji like this!"
We all looked around, then at each other, wondering what it is we should do. Investigating what exactly our situation was key, but our priority had to be
Souji. He didn't look well at all, there's just no way we can make him move about in his condition. Time was ticking, he needed aid, he needed medicine fast.
Just as we began to rattle our heads with how we would go about the situation to help Souji and get to the bottom of this mystery, we hear gunshots from
across the other end of the hall which we had yet to explore.
[Female Voice 1]: "Shit! There's more of them."
[Female Voice 2]: "Over here! This way!"
[Male voice 1]: "There's a hidden parking structure on the last floor bellow us, the elevator should be this way!"
The voices drew closer to us with great haste. I turned to where the voices where coming from to find two foreign women and four Japanese men with
strange foreign clothing running towards our direction. They kept looking back so it seemed they did not notice us as they approached our direction.
[Female Voice 2]: The main servers should be this way, I'm going to need to access one of the administrative computers, but first, we need the generators
running just long enough to download the data on my spyware.
[Male Voice 1]: "Mako, you tend to the generators."
[Male Voice 2]: "hai."
[Male Voice 1]: "Sota, guard him."
[Male Voice 3]: "wakarimashita (understood)."
[Male Voice 1]: "Toka, you and I will stand guard with the Doctor and Ms. Santos."
[Male Voice 4]: "hai."
They drew closer to us, and just as they were about to pass us, Kondou san speaks up.
Kondou Isami: "Please! We need help!"
They stood in shock to see us, eyes wide open. They certainly where not expecting us here or alive.
[Male 1]: "Who are you? What are you people doing here. This place is a restricted area, how did you gain access here?!"
Saito Hajime: "When we woke, we wounded up in this place. We have no memory of how we ended up in this place and are searching for answers as to why
we ended up here, and what is it that happened to all these people."
They looked at one another confused, it's obvious that they could not answer our doubts, as they too were astonished to see us here in the first place.
Kondou Isami: "Please, we need water. medicine, anything! Our comrade is gravely ill. He has an extremely high fever. Could you please help him? We beg
you!"
[Male 1]: "Ill? How so? What are his symptoms?" He answered rather alarmed, his hands twitched on contact with his weapon. I had a very bad feeling about
this, I came closer to Souji in the case they would want to harm him or Kondou san. As they began to get closer, Souji begins to cough heavily. You could
hear how out of breath he became as he choked, then followed with an outpour of blood. Immediately the people leaped back and backed as far away from
Souji with a horrific look on their face, the men took out their weapons and aimed them at Souji. We urgently ran to cover Souji who was struggling to catch
his breath again after the episode concluded. Souji looked up at them in disbelief. Seeing their reaction took a hit at him evidently. He looked back down at
the puddle of blood he coughed up with a hurtful look. Then one of the women stepped forward and came closer to him.
[ Female 1]: "Please, let me take a look at him, maybe there's something I could do."
[Male 1]: "Dr. Loreto, I order you to step away from him now! He may be infected!"
Pamela Loreto: "This man isn't infected. I can verify it."
[Male 1]: "How so?"
Pamela Loreto: "The blood. The blood he coughed up, it's not pasty, thick, or black." She got even closer to Souji and began to inspect him. She carefully
lifted his head to meet his gaze. Souji looked at her astonished and calm, the fear in his gaze had vanished the instant his eyes met hers. Completely glued
to her eyes, Souji let her inspect him as she pleased, this certainly was not something Souji would tolerate, he had always been very on edge about anyone
invading his personal space, especially after an episode that he just had. This worried me, just how serious was his condition that he wasn't acting like
himself?
~End of Hijikata's View~
[1] General! Come look at this! Quick! [German]
[2] . . . Containment was futile. The number of infected continues to rise. An estimated 400 people are infected every 5 minutes. Paris will no longer be evacuated and is now officially quarantined. The government of France ordered the eradication of Paris by nightfall. All civilians who are quarantined and try to escape will be shot on site. . . [French]
