Arthur's note:

Thank you so much for the people who reviewed my last chapter I really appreciate it. The title references a major event that happens later in the story, just in case anyone is wondering.

"I HAVE TO FIND THE SHINSENGUMI!"

~Kingdom of Stars~

Chapter two: Kazama

"Shinsengumi…" He growled. Fury flashed in his red eyes when I said the Shinsengumi's name. Could they be enemies?

"Their fake warriors, fighting a hopeless battle they cannot win." He grumbled as he placed his hand on his left cheek where the scratch was. He must be fighting against the Shinsengumi, and if so, that would mean we're enemies! I pulled the knife I had out of my bag and hid it in the front part of my clothes so that I could easily access it.

"Arrr!" The pain in my wrist was intensifying. I placed my right hand on top of it and tried to snap the bones back in place.

POP

"AH!" It hurt like hell, but after my bones were set in the right place it felt a little better. While he was in deep thought, I ripped a piece of my clothing and tried to use it as a cast for my wrist. This man has so much strength. I've never met someone as strong as he is. I know I am not safe with him and I am truly afraid of this man but I need to get to Edo as soon as possible in order to find the Shinsengumi. It will be nearly impossible for me to defend myself in my weaken state so I have no choice but to follow him and rely on his strength to protect me. He is a dangerous man. I have to leave him as soon as I am able before he kills me. All I have to do for now is follow the rules he gave me. One, I must not mess with or talk back to him, and two, don't slow him down. If I can avoid doing that I know we can form some sort of an alliance, at least enough of one, to reach our destination.

He still had his hand on his cheek, I wondered if someone in the Shinsengumi could have given him that scratch.
"Huh?" I gasped as he dropped his hand to the side. The scratch had disappeared! This is no ordinary man. I have to be careful around him and try to get on his good side.

"Um, hey?" I said shyly. He looked at me irritated.

"What's your name?"

"Chikage Kazama." He said in his deep handsome voice. Kazama, his name is Kazama. I repeated his name in my mind a few times so I wouldn't forget it. I'm surprised he told me his name; maybe he's not that bad after all.

"So can I-"

"Do as you wish." He cut me off when I was about to ask if I could travel with him. He started walking away from me. I staggered to my feet and followed him. If he really is fighting against the Shinsengumi I cannot tell him anything about him I can't risk putting a loved one in danger. I just hope I can find the Shinsengumi before it's too late.

The entire time we walked I tried to stay close to him. Every now and then I would jump when I heard something, and there was a time when I tripped over a rock and screamed when I hit the ground. Not once did he look back at me. He didn't slow down either and I had to run a little ways to catch up with him after falling. He ignored me entirely.

"Hey." I called to him. He didn't respond.
"You haven't asked for my name yet, would you like to know what it is?"

"I couldn't care less what your name is, lowly human." He grumbled.

I pouted behind him and decided it was best for me not to speak to him. Suddenly I heard Kazama draw his sword.

"Damn it!" He growled. I saw a pact of those monsters from before coming straight at us!

"Kazama!" I ran to his side frightened. He turned around and glared at me stopping me in my tracks.

"Foolish woman! They can smell the blood on you and that attracted them here!" He shouted at me in frustration. I held my broken wrist to my chest and backed away from him a few feet.

He started slicing and stabbing them in the chest when they attacked. One of those creatures came at him from his side and his sword slashed through the creatures eyes, blinding it. It wondered around confused and enchanted by the fresh sent of blood.

"Damn these furies, and damn the humans that created them! They should never have tried to gain the powers of an oni, and damn that foolish fake warrior who marred my face!" Kazama roared as he sliced open one of the creature's guts before stabbing it in the chest and kicking it to get his sword back to slash at another one behind him. He called them furies, is that what these things are?

"That human, I will make him pay and suffer for insulting me and the oni!" Kazama slid his sword back in its sheath after killing the ones that blocked his path but the blind fury still wondered around between us. Kazama had his back to me again and was walking away. I was afraid to run to catch up with him with this monster in the way. When I made a run for it the fury leaped at me and pinned me to the ground.

"Ahh! Kazama! Kazama!" All I could do was scream. He bit me on my shoulder.

"Ahhh!" I cried in agony.

"Kazama please, please! Kazama!" I begged, but got no response. I tried to look in the direction Kazama went. All I could see was a blurry image of his back fading in the distance as tears swelled up in my eyes. I knew at that point, if I was going to survive I had to fight for myself! But how do I get this fury off of me!? What attracts them is fresh blood. If I could get his attention elsewhere maybe I could make my escape. I bit my tongue and waited till I had a mouth full of blood and spat it out as far as I could on the grass beside me. The fury turned his head in the direction of the fresh blood on the grass and moved off of me just enough to lick it up. I took that opportunity to slide from underneath the fury and stood up pulled out my knife and stabbed it in the back. It had no effect!

"AHHH!" I gave up and ran as fast as I could after putting my knife away. Kazama that jerk! He really doesn't care if I live or die at all! He probably hates me and wanted that fury to kill me so I would leave him alone. I could hear the fury's growls and footsteps as he chased me. When I saw Kazama I ran into him and hugged him from behind while sobbing into his back.

"Why you filthy-"before he could finish his insult he put his hand on my shoulder and push me on the ground behind him. I landed on my butt. He pulled his sword from its sheath and stabbed the blind fury in the chest in one quick motion.

"If you're going to kill a fury you have to stab it in the heart." He said looking down at me.

"Uhh, thank you!" I stood up and stared at him in the eyes. "Why didn't you kill that-"

"It wasn't in my way." He said aggravated at me. "We're traveling through dangerous war territory if you can't handle yourself then take the safer route I told you about before. Hmph, why even look for the Shinsengumi anyway? They're all pretty much dead."

"Don't say that!" I shouted out of frustration. "The Shinsengumi are desperately fighting for what they believe in; fighting for a fleeting dream that they all share!" I held my broken left wrist to my heart. "You're wrong for calling them fake warriors before! A-an-and your wrong for saying that they're pretty much dead! I will find the Shinsengumi I have to! I HAVE TO!" I covered my mouth. What did I just say to him?

Clink

Kazama used his thumb to pull his sword out of his sheath about an inch and stared at me, malice tainted his crimson red eyes. I took a few steps away from him whimpering in fear. I clenched the medicine bottle around my neck for comfort.

"W-w-wait, uhh, you're not going to...?" I backed away some more. "Sorry, I didn't mean…"

"You still haven't told me where you got that medicine bottle with the 'X' mark on it from." He said taking a few steps closer to me.

"Someone gave it to me." I shivered when I spoke.

"Who?" He said.

"I'm sorry but I rather not, I-I can't…tell you." I stuttered.

"And you expect me to protect you? You think you're entitled to my protection just because you're a woman. What makes you, a lowly human, think that you deserve my protection!?" He growled as he started to walk toward me. "You humans think you're entitled to EVERYTHING!" He said pulling his sword completely out of its sheath. I turned around and ran, ran for my life! He's going to kill me!

I heard a sword slash above my head and saw a branch fall beside me as I ran into the woods to try to elude him.

"He's going to kill me; he's really going to kill me!"

When I was deep into the forest, I stopped to take a look around and to my surprise Kazama was nowhere to be seen. Did I out run him for the moment? I decided to try to trick him by using the blood on my clothes and from my wounds to make a blood trail leading in the opposite direction I intended to go. Then I ran a little ways from the trail I made and hid behind a tree and some bushes. I leaned my back against the tree and slowly let my body collapse to the ground. I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged my legs. This is a nightmare! Thinking back, I realized that I had talked back to him when I told him he was wrong about the Shinsengumi and by not handling that blind fury on my own, I had slowed him down. I broke his two rules and now I'm dead.

I suddenly felt his eyes on me from a distance behind where I was hiding. I put my hands on my mouth to keep me from whimpering. He knows where I am. He knows exactly where I am! I heard his footsteps, and prepared for the worst. I could never out run this man, or take him on in a fight. It was foolish of me to put my life in his hands to begin with. Wait. His footsteps, as I listened carefully, sounded like they were heading away from me. I heard his sword go back into its sheath. Was he sparing my life?

"Huh!?" When I looked ahead I noticed a road. It's the road! The one that Kazama mention, the safe route for me to take! It was just a little ways off in the distance besides the blood trail I made. I probably should stay hidden for a little while longer before I go for it, just in case Kazama is still planning to kill me.

"Yo, Kazama so this is where you've been, I've been searching for ya." I heard a strange man's voice and peaked behind the tree to see a man with long tied back hair, and a sliver gun in his hand.

"What do you want, Kyo." Kazama said. I could just barley hear them.

"I just came to ask ya, why are you still messing around with these humans? You know it was once strictly forbidden for oni like us to get involved with humans, if it's that girl, I don't see why you won't just take her at this point, and I heard from Amagiri that you had a fight with one of the Shinsengumi members recently." The man Kazama called Kyo said.

"I don't see where any of that is your business." Kazama said growing irritated.

"Well, let me put it this way, the oni clan doesn't like your involvement with the humans, our Satsuma debt has been paid recently, basically if you don't promise to stop messing with those humans you'll lose everything." Kyo said with a sadistic grin on his face. Kazama didn't respond but stared at him intensely.

"I will let you in on a little secret though, you want to know what else Amagiri told me? He said he was actually planning on killing Chizuru to end your interest in the Shinsengumi." Kyo asserted in a provoking tone.

"What!?" Kazama said shocked. Who is Chizuru?

"Yep, but rest assured he has changed his mind since." Kyo crossed his arms. "But, as I see it if killing her would end your interest in these humans then I don't mind doing just that, she doesn't even want you anyway."

SLLINGG

Kazama drew his sword with lighting speed.

"Kyo, what did you say!" Kazama growled.

"Hnn." Kyo pointed his gun at Kazama. "So what will it be, Kazama, will you drop your involvement with these humans?"

"Since when was it your place to threaten me, the lord of the oni!?" Kazama roared. Why do they keep on mentioning oni? More importantly why do they keep referring to themselves as oni? Then Kazama swung his sword at Kyo, who shot at him a few times. Whomever this Chizuru person is she must be really important to Kazama if the mentioning of her death gives him this much rage. I heard some growling noises and footsteps a distance away from me; when I turned to look I saw furies! I caught a glimpse of a whole pact of them licking the blood on the blood trail I had made. I couldn't make it to the road now! All I could do at the moment was sit there and remain hidden. I don't like this Kyo guy he seems dangerous, possibly even more dangerous than Kazama. When I looked back I noticed a change in the two of them as they fought each other. Kazama and kyo's hair turned white and their eyes gold! I also saw horns appear on their foreheads! Maybe they really are oni! That would explain everything!

CLING!

BANG, BANG!

I heard swords slashing followed by gun shots; they were really going at it. Then Kazama sliced Kyo on the arm.

"FOOL! You think you're a match for me!" Kazama protested. Kyo's wound healed instantly!

"Well I admit, Kazama I still haven't told you everything." Kyo said with a smirk on his face. Kazama looked at him puzzled.

BANG!

I saw blood squirt out of Kazama. He was shot!

"AHHH!" Kazama charged at him and every other swing it seemed Kyo got a shot in him. Then Kazama fell to his knees covered in blood.

"Daaaamn it! Why can't I move as quickly as I want to?" Kazama said putting one of his hands on a place where he got shot.

"Huh?" He gasped. "My wounds they aren't healing!"

"HAHAHAH!" Kyo laughed. "So what do you think? Do you like them? They're a special type of bullet used to kill demons like ourselves. Those wounds of yours won't be healing for a while."

"You bastard!" Kazama said as he fell on his side then rolled on his back. His body was jerking from the pain. I saw a puddle of blood beginning to form from underneath him. Then I heard footsteps at a closer distance to me. I turned and noticed the furies were gradually getting closer to where I was hiding, and that I had accidently left a faint trail of blood leading straight to me! I couldn't stay hidden there for much longer, but at the same time I can't make it to the road with the furies in my way, that and I couldn't just take off and run. If I ran the furies would notice me for sure. What choices did I have? I could risk it and try to make it around the furies, or I could try to help Kazama somehow. I knew if I went toward the road I risked getting eaten and if I went toward Kazama I risked getting shot or sliced to death by either Kyo's gun or Kazama's blade. One thing was for sure, I could not remain where I was.

Kyo raise his gun to Kazama's head. There was no time left! I had to do something! I have to save Kazama! Maybe he would give me a second chance and we could travel together again, I just can't let him die! I stood up from my hiding place and charged toward Kyo.

"Don't!" I shouted as I ran in front of Kazama.

"What do you think your-"said a baffled Kazama.

"Please don't kill him!" I begged.

"AH!" Kyo hit my face with the side of his gun and the force of the impact threw me to the ground a couple of feet away from Kazama.

"What a nuisance, Kazama don't tell me you've befriended this human, you're even more of a disgrace than I thought." Kyo said in a scornful tone.

"I can say the same about you Kyo, threatening to kill a valuable female oni!" Kazama struggled to say.

"Hey for your amusement why won't I just play around with her for a bit?" He said casually walking over to me. I sat up and gave him the fiercest glare I could make.

"Just what are you?" I asked struggling to overcome the pain.

"What you haven't been able to tell, we are the oni, demons in other words." He said walking towards me. Did he just say demons!?

"Psh, you're a mess aren't ya, kimono's all torn, the bright colors stained with dirt and blood; your long black hair as well, absolutely filthy." He said mocking me. As he was getting closer to me, I stood up and ran over to Kazama and put my arms around him. I realize I was doomed, I can't do anything! I started sobbing on his chest for comfort, even if this man hated me and tried to kill me before, he was my only comfort. I had no one else.

"Kazama…" I whimpered.

"Shut up! You mindless lowly being, what do you think you're doing!? Can't you see he's going to kill you!?" Kazama shouted furiously. Suddenly Kyo stood over both of us.

"There, there, it's okay, you don't have to be so afraid, a bullet in the brain doesn't hurt one bit." He kneeled down in front of me. I sat up and he leaned his face into mine while grabbing ahold of my chin and staring into my eyes. I wondered if demons were related to furies in any way and then suddenly Kazama's words flashed through my mind.

"If you're going to kill a fury you have to stab it in the heart."

I removed the knife I had hidden in my clothes while Kyo stared into my eyes, enjoying the fear and hatred in them. I pushed my knife right through his chest as hard as I could. His eyes went wide in shock of the unexpected attack. A thread of blood oozed out of the side of his mouth. Then he fell on his side, dead. My vision blurred, I have never killed someone before in my life. I stayed there next to Kazama who seemed to be healing quicker as he rested on the floor beside me.

I sat completely still beside him on my legs with my hands in fists on my lap. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, I was afraid of what he might say or do to me. I struggled to take what just happened all in.

Kazama is a demon, should I accept that? I never thought the oni existed. I've heard horrific tales as a child about ogres and demons, but none of that is real right? Nightmares aren't real! I find it hard to accept this but if I don't I might as well call my eyes liars. I saw white hair, bright yellow eyes, and even horns! If he really is an oni, that would make it much more dangerous for me to travel with him. Also I never thought the oni were such divine creatures. Kazama's beauty as an oni is absolutely enchanting. If Kazama is the real thing he certainly doesn't fit the description of oni from folklore as beast with scaly skin and monstrous claws. I feel like I'm losing it, Kazama is a monster that tried to kill me, he is an oni, yet I feel bewitched by him somehow.

I truly felt like I was in some sort of nightmare that only gets worst and worst! I wondered what happened to the furies that I saw back where I was hiding. Since they weren't attracted here by all the noise I assumed they found a source of fresh blood and probably attacked someone. Everything was quiet, the air was completely still. My body was so stiff from my nerves. I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I felt his eyes on me the whole time. I wondered what he could be thinking. Then finally, he spoke.

"Hey, what's your name?"

To be continued…

Author's note:

If you've enjoyed this chapter please leave a review so I know to hurry up and post the next one =P