This one's a little shorter than the others.

CHAPTER 2-3

June 1865

The compound was alive with noise and movement.
I passed several soldiers in the halls, each one of them excited about something.
What was going on?
The sound of someone fast approaching drew my attention elsewhere.
"*Pant* *Pant* This is...this is unconscionable! Never, in all my…!"
"Itou? Is something wrong?!"
"Yes! Yes, I'd say everything is wrong!"
Still out of breath, he paused.
"Why should I be made to bare my skin in the same room as those...those savages?!"

Itou's explanation was anything but.
"Um… Is there something going on today?"
Itou did his best to collect himself, shakily adjusting his hair and clothing before he spoke.
"A supposed doctor that Kondou met during the Shogun's visit has come here."
His eyes narrowed and he shuddered.
"He is conducting...physical examinations."
With a disdainful sniff, he glared pointedly across the hall, toward the area he'd just left.
The men were getting physical checkups, that much I knew. Given my...particular situation, I'd been exempted by the captains, who had also given me special instructions to stay away.
Itou cleared his throat.
"That hairless monster! He demanded that I remove my clothes! In front of everyone! When I refused, as any decent man would do, he attempted to remove them himself. By force! And the rest of them just...just stood there! What sort of uncultured savages are they?!"
"Savages" seemed a bit strong…
At any rate, perhaps I should go see just what a physical entailed… I was a doctor's daughter, after all.
"What's the doctor's name?"
"I believe he called himself Ryojun Matsumoto."
What?!
"Wait… Doctor Matsumoto?!"
When I'd first come to Kyoto, my plan had been to try and find Doctor Matsumoto. My father had told me that I could rely on the man if I ever needed anything.
Unfortunately, he'd been away on business when I'd arrived, and after that…
"I'm going to go watch the physical exams!"
There was no time to waste!
"Oh my… So you want to see those savages? What peculiar taste…"

…

"Is...this it…?"
I could hear loud voices from inside…
"Oh! ...Oh…"
The scene froze me in place.
Nagakura, Saito, Heisuke and Harada stood amongst the rank-and-file soldiers...half-naked.
The man I assumed was Doctor Matsumoto looked up from his notes.
"All right, next."
Nagakura gave the man a silly grin.
"At last! My turn! Check this out, Doctor!"
He started flexing his muscles and grunting.
"Hm? Hm?! Wadda ya think?! You're looking at the amazing product of years of training!"
Heisuke gave a bark of laughter.
"Your body's fine, Shin. I think it's your head the doctor oughta be taking a look at."
Nagakura's gaze flicked at his youngest fellow captain.
"What's that? You say you want me to beat the daylights out of you?"
The doctor waited patiently for him to sit and when he did, Doctor Matsumoto grabbed him by the chin and looked at his eyes.
"You're fine, Shinpachi Nagakura. Move along. Next!"
Nagakura blinked and then narrowed his eyes.
"Whoa, hold on there, Doc! You gotta get a good look at this-"
"No, you're quite fine. Healthy as a horse. And I've seen quite enough, thank you."
Nagakura started to protest but Harada stopped him by pulling him away from the doctor.
"You're holding up the line, Shinpachi. Get moving, all right?"
Nagakura turned back to Doctor Matsumoto.
"I'm just saying, I don't really think you've had time to fully examine-"
Saito was becoming annoyed.
"A medical examination is for finding problems, not showing off. Now move."

It wasn't difficult to see why Itou had been so desperate to escape. I couldn't imagine him as part of such a display.
Doctor Matsumoto looked up from his notes to the current rank-and-file soldier sitting before him.
"You need to take better care of your digestive system. Here. Take this after every meal."
He looked down into his bag.
"Hm. Looks like I'm out of medicine."

…

I was waiting outside when Matsumoto stepped out of the room where he was conducting the examinations.
"Um, excuse me!"
"Yes?"
He looked at me for a moment, his eyes narrowed in curiosity.
"Well, I need to fetch some more medicine, so perhaps now is a good time for a break. Can you give me a hand?"
"Oh… Y-Yes, of course!"
What luck!

…

"Um, Doctor Matsumoto…"
"Ah, Doctor. Hello, Yukimura."
Kondou appeared, just as I was preparing to introduce myself to the doctor.
"I see you've found her already."
"Yes, thanks to you."
"What?"
I was utterly lost.
Doctor Matsumoto laid a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"Chizuru… i came here to see you. Kondou told me that Kodo's daughter was staying with the Shinsengumi."
"Oh...I see…"
"I knew Kodo and Matsumoto were acquaintances… So, I thought perhaps Matsumoto might be able to give us a clue as to his friend's whereabouts. I looked him up as soon as he returned to Kyoto."
The Shinsengumi had their own reasons for wanting my father found, but Doctor Matsumoto's appearance was still cause for joy.
"Thank you, both of you."
They smiled.

…
Doctor Matsumoto went on to explain that he had just barely missed me when he'd left for Edo as I came to Kyoto.
He'd received all my letters, but once he'd finally returned, he had no idea where I'd gone, and consequently couldn't come find me.
Kondou's mention of my presence had taken him quite by surprise.
"I'm sorry that I missed you. You must have had a rough time of it." He paused and then, "Is there anything you need?"
"No, I'm doing all right."
I smiled reassuringly and then, "So, Doctor Matsumoto… About my father…"
His face took on a grim cast, and before he even spoke I knew what his response would be.
"Unfortunately, I know no more about where Kodo might be than you do."
"I...I see."
The defeated tone of my voice surprised me.
I suppose on some level I had believed that Doctor Matsumoto would have some sort of miraculous revelation about my father…
Foolish of me, of course, but that didn't make the truth any less devastating.
Kondou simply nodded.
"I hear you've become involved with the...um...the treatment. You know what I mean, don't you? Kodo's experiments…"
Yes, I knew what he meant. The experiments my father had conducted with some strange concoction that could make people go mad.
"Please, tell me about it. I want to know everything my father was doing."
He nodded.
"Kodo was working with the Shinsengumi under orders from the shogun to create what were called the 'furries'. Furies are humans with high-demonic strength and speed, and phenomenal healing abilities."
"Furies…"
It was the first time I'd heard the word.
The doctor paused for a moment to look at me, then continued.
"The substance that transforms normal men into these furies is called the Water of Life. In China, they call it 'sentan.' In short, it grants immortality."
"Furies… Water of Life…"
It sounded more like something from a fairy tale than real life…
But there was something in the tone of Doctor Matsumoto's voice that said he was telling the truth.
"I've already heard about how it makes you strong and hard to kill… …But doesn't it cause so much pain that it makes most people go crazy? And even if you survive that, then even the smell of blood can make you go crazy again…"
Doctor Matsumoto nodded slowly, then pinched the bridge of his nose with thumb and forefinger. He looked very tired.
"So you know about that too…"
"Yes…"
They were human, but...not human. Perhaps they were something entirely different now?
I couldn't see how this "Water of Life" could ever be used for good. Even if it had healed Sanan's arm, he suffered greatly in the process.
"Why?"
It came out more a moan than a question.
My father would never want to ruin the life of another, but because of what he'd done, people had suffered-some had even died.
"Why was my father doing this?"
But it wasn't just my father…
I was sure no one involved had wanted such a terrible outcome…
"Perhaps that is why Kodo left. His conscience would no longer allow him to continue."
These words seemed to upset Kondou who turned to the doctor and said, "But the Water of Life was an opportunity given to us by the shogun, to help strengthen the Shinsengumi!"
The doctor only shook his head.
"It was an experiment, and it has failed. You should put it behind you. I'm sure the shogunate has abandoned it as well."
Kondou frowned, perhaps unhappy that Doctor Matsumoto would question the shogunate's original decision.
"You've seen what happened to the men it was tested on, Kondou. It cannot be allowed to continue. This experiment is inhumane and you know it."
"Hrnn."
Kondou gave a noncommittal grunt and fell silent.
I was sure Kondou knew just how dangerous it was to use the Water of Life, but the shogunate had come to him with a request.
Perhaps he was unable to refuse, even if he wanted to.
Silence fell like a thick blanket.
It had grown almost unbearable, when-
"An outsider had no right to object."
"Sanan?!"
He was especially pale, which seemed to be one of the consequences for being active during the day.
"Is it okay for you to be up right now?"
"Sanan, you look pale." said Kondou, frowning.
"Don't worry about me."
He bowed quickly, his mouth a compressed line, and turned to regard the doctor with a cool gaze.
"We use this treatment effectively, and at our own discretion."
"It's dangerous, and far too strong…"
Sanan's expression softened slightly.
"We have continued Kodo's research. I am, as you can see, living proof. So to speak."
As Sanan did indeed prove, it was possible to drink the Water of Life and retain your sanity. It just wasn't easy.
"Perhaps you're right, but one success hardly means you have unlocked its secrets."
Sanan narrowed his eyes again.
"I respectfully disagree. With continued research and modification, we will have many more successes, and fewer casualties."
"This isn't a matter of fewer casualties. It's a matter of casualties, period! It isn't worth the deaths of any more of your men."
Sanan was now glaring at the doctor.
"The men who have given their lives are the foundation of our work. I won't allow them to have died in vain."
"But-"
"All right, that's enough. From both of you," said Kondou. "Why don't we discuss this some other time?"
It was my private opinion that they were unlikely to agree, no matter what time they discussed the subject, but I felt it would be polite to keep that to myself.
"...Very well."
There seemed to be very little in the way of common ground between them, but I could see the merit of both their arguments. Likely Kondou had as well, and had chosen to end things before it got...unpleasant.
"…If you insist, Kondou."
Sanan's face betrayed nothing of what he might be thinking, even when the corner of his mouth quirked up into the beginning of a smile.
He bowed once more, and left as swiftly as he'd arrived.
Kondou cleared his throat loudly.
"So, ah, how did the exams go?"
"Ah, yes. About that…"
Doctor Matsumoto's face took on the look of someone about to discuss something exceedingly grotesque.
"Nearly a third of your men are sick, or injured, or both."
"What?!" I nearly shrieked.
"Impossible!"
"It is not only possible, Kondou, it is the truth. What on Earth have you been doing to these poor men?"
The doctor folded his arms.
"Cuts, lacerations, bowel pain… The entire place is lousy with...well, lice, for one."
"Are you serious?"
"First, you need to set aside a room dedicated to medical care. Sick men can be sent there. Second, you need to clean this place up. Otherwise, I won't be able to help you."
Kondou frowned.
"I see. Well, if the good doctor says so…"

…

And so we were ordered to clean the entire compound.
The captains complied, although they certainly seemed less than enthusiastic about the idea.

…
The following day, Doctor Matsumoto returned for an inspection.
"Well, you've certainly cleaned this place up…"
He looked pleased, if not a little smug.
"It better be," said Nagakura, "We busted our asses."
Heisuke sighed, seeming tired.
"Yeah, except for Souji. The only thing his ass busted was a chair. Doesn't seem fair to me…"
Okita frowned.
"Can't blame me if Hijikata's an overprotective old woman."
Hijikata narrowed his eyes as he turned to him.
"Shut it. You can run around all you want soon as you can go a day without coughing up a lung."
If Hijikata had any actual concern for Okita's health, his face showed none of it.
Saito smiled.
"Nonetheless, a clean home is a nice change."
Hijikata nodded.
"True. The place looks...different. I guess I could get used to this."
"Well," started Harada, "maybe we should clean every day, then."
"Great idea," laughed Nagakura as he turned to Heisuke, "Make sure you do a good job, Heisuke!"
The youngest captain glared at him seeming very offended.
"Me?! Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute here! You've got the most energy, Shin! Don't think you're getting out of this."
"I'll help too!" I offered.
This brought the smile back to Heisuke's young face.
"Good, good! We'll all give it a shot tomorrow, all right?"
Nagakura arched his right brow and glanced at us.
"Hey, wait a minute! When exactly did I tell you I was gonna help?"
Hijikata smirked at him.
"Shinpachi, there's some trash over there. Go throw it away."
Nagakura folded his arms.
"We aren't starting till tomorrow, right? Heisuke?"
Saito closed his eyes and smiled.
"Stop running around like that. We've just cleaned, and you're already kicking up dust."
I was enjoying their banter so much I almost didn't notice Okita quietly step outside.
"Oh…?"
I could just see Okita and Doctor Matsumoto outside, walking off somewhere together. Where could they be going, I wondered.
I was worried for Okita, but…

He'd be fine so long as Doctor Matsumoto was with him.
"…Yeah."
After the excitement wound down, I excused myself and went back to work.

…

I was outside sweeping, bamboo broom in hand, when he appeared.
"…They make you do chores here, do they?"
"What?!"
The cool, bemused voice had come from behind me.

It took only half a second to realize that it was a voice I'd heard before. Slowly, I turned around.
"You have the pure blood of a demon running in your veins, and yet you run errands and clean up for a pack of humans?"
Chikage Kazama, just as I'd suspected.
His face was a mixture of surprise and sneering disgust as he looked down at me through cold eyes.
I took the broom in both hands like a staff, and stepped into what I hoped was a fighting stance.
"Wh-What are you doing here?!"
"...Hmph."
It was halfway between a disdainful laugh and an amused snort.
"You mean to fight me with that, hm? Your heritage hasn't blessed you with brains, I see."
His tone was mocking, but his eyes were like two chips of ice. This was a dangerous man.
What was i to do?! I could hardly face him alone!
"Calm down. I haven't come here to fight. Not today, at least. I only want to know what, if anything, you have to do with Kodo."
Kodo… That was my father's name. But why would he, of all people, mention my father?
"You want to know about my father?"
His eyes narrowed.
"…Father? You mean Kodo?"
"If you're talking about Kodo Yukimura, then yes, he's my father."
"...I see."
I'd seen surprise in his face at first, but now an understanding seemed to have dawned across it.
Unfortunately, my own confusion had only deepened.
"Why are you asking about my father?"
I lowered the broom, my situation temporarily forgotten, when-
"Trying to sneak into the enemy camp alone, huh? Well, not on my watch."
"Hijikata?!"
He settled into a light fighting stance, placing himself between Kazama and my pathetically ineffectual broom.
"What're you doin' out here in broad daylight? little early in the day to be pickin' up chicks, pal."
"Get away from her!"
"Harada… Heisuke!"
"I heard you yelling," said Harada, "Sounded like you were up to something besides cleaning."
Heisuke gave me a concerned glance.
"You alright, Chizuru? Are you hurt?"
I nodded, relieved.
"The Mibu's wolves can only fight in a pack, eh?"
Hijikata narrowed his eyes.
"Watch it."
I could feel the tension rising by the second, but it was Kazama who attempted to cut through it.
"If you want to play, then I'm happy to oblige, but I'm here today simply to take care of some business. More specifically, to issue a warning. Stop trying to turn humans into demons."
"...What?"
Humans into demons?
Was he talking about the Water of Life…? "Not your business," snapped Hijikata.
"Yeah," said Harada. "What makes you think we're gonna listen to a sleazebag who'd attack a girl in broad daylight?"
Kazama sneered at them.
"Idiots. Are you too blind to see I'm doing you a favor?"
If he was trying to show the Shinsengumi kindness, it certainly didn't show on his face.
"This is our turf!" barked Heisuke. "You better shut your trap before we gotta do it for you!"
"Hmph. The smaller the dog, the louder the bark."
Kazama looked away from the captains, as if suddenly entirely uninterested in them, and fixed me with his cold gaze.
"Kodo is with us now, Chizuru. Do you understand what that means? Your father has abandoned the shogunate."
"What…?"
His mysterious smile gave me nothing in the way of explanation.
"Why are you here? I suggest you think on that. Carefully."
Then, with a slow, rippling motion-like a shadow slipping across the ground-he turned his back to us and vanished.
What was happening?
What were demons, and why had they come after me?
My father was with them? On their side, he must have meant.
Did that mean he was working with national imperialists?
The inside of my head was a swirling mass of questions and doubts, but the one thing that most concerned me was…
Who were these men who called themselves "demons"?
"What are these 'demons'?"
Hijikata crossed his arms, his face dark.
"After fighting them, I can say they sure as hell aren't human. Not by a long shot."
His eyes narrowed further.
"He's skinny as a rail, but he can hit like an ox. Yeah, I'd say 'demon' is a pretty good way to describe him."
Kazama and his companions clearly had strength and skill far beyond that of most men.
Perhaps they really were monsters of some sort.
"Well hell," said Harada, "if Hijikata thinks they're demons, then they've gotta be demons."
Heisuke nodded.
"Yup. He's the Shinsengumi's Demon, after all."
Hijikata was not amused.
"Shut it you two. This is serious!"
Their playful argument was familiar ground, but it gave me something to hold on to; a small beacon against the darkness.
"He he…"
I felt myself relax, and a sigh of relief found its way to my lips.

…

From then on, Matsumoto visited the compound regularly, to check up on the men of the Shinsengumi.
The Corps was renamed the Fury Corps, but remained secret.
Still, I couldn't help but wonder… Was it really all right to continue to research the creation of furies?
It wasn't long before I began to wish I'd never heard of the Water of Life, or Furies.