The storeroom at the back of the building, no one goes there and I've snuck out of that place a million times. We will meet there.

Souza couldn't sleep that night. It had been so since that day where Hachisuka's guests visited the house. He got up, the branding on his chest flared with pain. Pushing back his sheets, he got out of bed, propping his forehead on his hand. He could feel a raging headache coming. Suddenly, he heard a soft clatter outside. Footsteps so quiet that if he wasn't paying attention, he could've missed it.

That's strange.

He pushed himself off the bed, straightening his robes and putting on a Haori. Sliding his door quietly, he allowed himself out into the hallway, noticing a silhouette vanishing into a corner.

Hachisuka?

He tied his hair up, following the other quietly, shrouded by the darkness of the night. Where was Hachisuka going at this hour? Following him, he realized that Hachisuka was heading towards the back of the estate, where a storehouse sat. It was a medium-sized building that was used to keep things that are meant to be forgotten.

But Hachisuka was unlocking the door, pushing it open to allow himself in.

Souza ran to catch up, slipping into the door quietly. It was dark inside, with crates of things lining the floor and up the wall. They were all covered with big pieces of cloth to keep the dust out.

There were only two windows here, fixed high into either side of the wall. It was barely enough to fit a grown man through. One would need a step ladder to reach it. Was that why the window Hachisuka headed to had a ladder underneath it?

On a usual day, Souza would easily brush the matter off that Hachisuka was sneaking out to enjoy fresh air again and would be back when he was contented...but something else told him that tonight was different. Maybe because it was so late into the night and too early in the morning for the courtesan to go out on a stroll. Maybe it's because of that pouch hanging on his shoulder. Maybe it was his odd movements.

But something didn't quite add up.

Accidentally, Souza walked into a crate, the contents jiggling a little as it moved, the noise deafening in the dead of the night. Shit. "Who's there?!" Hachisuka heard it too. Looking around, he pulled the covers off a box nearby, noticing that it was kept with some samurai swords. One of the Uchigatana in it glowed in the faint moonlight. The courtesan grabbed it quickly, feeling the familiarity of its weight and texture in his hand. "Come out!" He urged, braver now that he had a weapon.

Souza crouched slightly before deciding to step out, his eyes not shifting away from the courtesan who threatened to draw the blade.

"It's just me." Souza announced, stepping into the faint moonlight "Where are you going, Hachisuka?" He asked.

Hachisuka seems to relax a little, but his hand never move from the sword.

"Souza!" He called, not moving from the ladder at the window.

"You're not sneaking out again, are you?" Souza asked "Come back, it's still too early and Hasebe will be angry again,"

Souza didn't move an inch but Hachisuka had backed into the ladder. "No, Souza, I-I'm not coming back again." He confessed. "The man that day...he promised to bring me away from here."

Souza's brow furrowed. That day? He recalled the teenager who knew his real name.

"You trust him?!" Souza breathed. Hachisuka shook his head, holding to the sheathed sword tightly. "No, I admit, I don't. There's something about him that pisses me off," Hachisuka replied with a frown "But...that group of people seem to know a lot...they even know your name.."

"Come with me Souza, we can run away from here...even if he doesn't show up, we can still leave!" Hachisuka begged. He had not wanted to run away this much before. But he can't just pass up on the opportunity, not when someone had promised to whisk him away. Sure, he might be lying and there was no reason to trust him...but he want to.

Souza bit down his lips, his hand holding on to his haori.

"I can't." He finally said. "You know that I cannot leave Sayo here."

"But...you can Yuri, no, Hachisuka," Souza smiled at the Oiran, "So go while you still can, don't waste your life here."

Hachisuka's face crumpled in dismay and he ran forward, throwing his arms around Souza. "Thank you, I'll come back and bring you both out too." He promised. Souza shook his head. He shouldn't risk coming back here.

"Hey!" Someone yelled from the door, noting the two in the storehouse. It was the patrol guards and they didn't seem too happy to find two of their courtesans here. "Run!" Souza urged his partner, helping him to the ladder and holding it steady for the other. Already, more guards had flooded the house, surrounding them.

Hachisuka climbed as fast as he could, reaching for the window when the ladder toppled over with a yelp from Souza. The guards has reach him….but Hachisuka dangled from the window, too high for them to reach.

"Yuri!" Someone called him from outside, and he turn to see Nagasone and his companions waiting for him. He pulled himself up and sat on the sill, throwing down a rope he had tied to his waist, securing it to the broken lattice of the window. He had done this a million times, but he had never felt such exhilaration.

He look back inside the store, the lanterns from the guards just enough for him to see them dragging Souza away. Some of the guards were pointing at him, telling the others to go outside quickly.

Souza was watching him as he was roughly taken away, his eyes reflecting the hope he had pinned on Hachisuka. The courtesan couldn't help feeling a tang of guilt for Souza. What would they do to him since he had helped him escape?

"Yuri!" Nagasone called again, urging him to hurry. Already, there were lanterns in the distance. The guards were already catching up. There was no time to think. "Sorry, Souza." With an apology and a well controlled manner, he slide down the side of the building, holding the rope carefully, Nagasone and the others caught him, and they bolted.

Hachisuka turn back to see the lanterns of the guards going further and further and the storehouse fading into the distance, as so did his memories of that place and his life there. He held the sword that he had taken out of the store house close to his chest.

Goodbye forever, Yuri, Oiran of the Honnou-ji Temple teahouse.

"Watch out!" Someone shouted. Kanesada had halted, drawing out his sword as a fire of purple erupted their path. The had long left the guards behind but now, strange creatures had appeared instead. They gave a low growl and Hachisuka counted around 3 of them, backing away in shock.

"Stay behind us," Ichigo muttered, drawing out his own blade and heading to the creature. "So there you are...we have been wondering if you would ever appear." With a flick of his wrist, he sent a painful stroke up the creature's torso. Just then, Nagasone jumped behind it, cutting it's head off effectively. Further away, Kanesada had dealt with his opponent easily as well.

"They are here to take Hachisuka back!" Kanesada warned as the third headed towards Hachisuka in full speed. The ex-courtesan froze wide eyed at the creature, realizing that the others were too far to save him and the thing was drawing near any second.

The next thing he knew, his blade was unsheathed and he parried the thing effectively, not knowing that he had the strength to do so. He moved backward a few pace, as if his body knew what to do. One feet behind the other for good measure and STAB!

The blood that spilled in his face was the colour of darkness and it quickly faded as the thing dissolved away as sudden as it had appeared.

Hachisuka flick his sword and fell on his knees, surprised at his action. What was that thing?! Did he just killed it?! How did he even…

He stared at the sword in his hand and the sheath that he had discarded not too far away. It was wrapped in his favorite gold colour, the radiance a little sullied with age. But it is a magnificent sword. Still, how did he even manage to use it before...he had never held a sword in his life…!

Never…!

Never…

Never…?

Pain split through his head and his hand flew to his forehead, crying out a little with the pain.

"That's Hachisuka's sword…" Kanesada muttered with realization. "He's still keeping it?"

What, what is he saying?

"We need to move," Ichigo muttered, looking up from the ex-courtesan to the streets behind him. They could see little bobbing lights from lanterns. The guards were catching up already. Nagasone nodded and picked Hachisuka up effortlessly, hurrying off with his comrades.