Y'all best thank Mocha11 for practically forcing me to update so soon. But don't expect another chapter until mid November. I got other stories and other readers wanting said stories to be updated. So for now, enjoy this long ass chapter, and I'll see ya soon.

Remember, this is the censored version. That means that things have been cut due to being explicit or above the T-rating. Go to my Ao3 account to find my uncensored version. Also, remember I post previews to my chapters on dA. The link is on my profile.

-::The Unfortunate Werewolf::-

-:Chapter IV – Belonging:-

~*May 1864*~

Chizuru should be used to feeling like an outsider by now. After all, she was an outsider for most of her life. An oni didn't belong with humans, yet a werewolf didn't belong with oni either. She had always been alone, ever since that terrible day, where her entire family was slaughtered.

In fact, a lot of what had happened to her could be traced back to that terrible day. If what her father had guessed was true, had the massacre not happened, Chizuru would have never fled the village, never ran into the gapping mouth of a monster. And yet…

She couldn't hate her mentor.

Thinking back, Chizuru found she couldn't remember much of what her mentor had looked like. He had been thin, she remembered, disheveled in appearance with dirt covering his entire body. She couldn't remember the sound of his voice, nor his hair or eye color. She didn't remember details, yet she remembered everything he had taught her.

"An alpha must always protect his omega."

His omega… That's what she had been. When he had bitten her in his werewolf form, he had created the alpha bond, a special werewolf link that tied the biter to the bitten. Perhaps it was the universe's way of apologizing for the werewolf's curse, or perhaps it was another sick joke someone was pulling. Either way, the alpha bond had, for Chizuru, been her saving grace. She would have died alone, unprotected, lost to her instincts and confusion, without her mentor's guiding hand.

When he had died, however, she had learned something else about the alpha bond. It would break at the moment of death, freeing the omega from the alpha's servitude forever. But that broken link would break something inside the werewolf. Until the omega finds a new alpha, they become a rogue, a lone wolf, plagued with feelings of isolation. And should a werewolf form a new alpha bond, according to what her mentor had taught her before he died, the bond will be stronger, psychic even. Which meant, if that bond would break… the werewolf's heart would break, too.

Of course, this entire business over the alpha bond made sense, in retrospective. Chizuru had lost her alpha, and, in turn, she was a rogue werewolf. Loneliness never truly left her heart, even when she tried to consider her adoptive father as her new alpha. It wasn't the same, though. A werewolf couldn't imprint on a human; it simply didn't work like that. Try as she might to ignore the cold, she could only find true relief in front of a burning fire.

"Oi, Chizuru, what are you doing outside your room?"

Chizuru recognized that voice instantly. It was youthful and light-pitched, belonging to none other than Heisuke. However, rather than sounding cheerful and energetic like he usually sounded like, his tone was sharp, demanding, the tone used by a captain issuing orders.

Or an alpha commanding his omega.

Shaking her head, Chizuru straightened from her kneeing position on the floor, holding the wet rag up for him to see. "Inoue-san gave me permission to clean."

He blinked, gapping at her. "You're cleaning?"

Chizuru shrugged passively. "Since I'm staying here, I hoped I could be less of a burden and do some things around the place. Besides, today has such nice weather…"

She actually meant that statement, despite how generic it sounded. A werewolf needed open air, and with her being cooped up in her room a majority of the time, her only time to leave her room of her own will was under the full moon. And that had been half a month ago. She still had two weeks to wait for the next moon, yet she felt like she was becoming claustrophobic. The Wolf hated enclosure, so when she was allowed by Inoue to clean, she had worked hard on making him feel safe with her being outside her room alone for an extended period of time.

Hopefully, with this, she could begin negotiating with the captains on letting her help look for her father. She knew her father's scent well. If she was just given a day, she could track him down by scent alone.

It seemed Heisuke suspected something. He had been watching her the entire time, his teal eyes sharp and observant. Despite the first vibe he had given her, he was indeed worthy of the title, "Captain." Frowning, Heisuke placed one hand on his hip. "You're definitely on the weird side. You couldn't convince me to clean even if you paid me." Shaking his head, he shrugged. "Either way, you shouldn't do stuff like this if all you want is for us to treat you better and trust you. It's pointless to try. You'd be better off if you stayed in your room and kept quiet."

The words broke the tiny shred of hope she just began to work together. The Wolf, in turn, snarled, clawing from deep within her mind. Although her mental defenses were stronger than half a month ago, where she began to hallucinate horrible things happening to the captains, especially Okita, she couldn't help but desire the taste of blood at that moment.

Still, though, she couldn't allow those words to break her spirit. She knew when she entered this compound that no one was on her side, no matter how nice they were. They made it clear they would kill her at the drop of a hat.

And she was prepared to kill them in turn. The Wolf hungered for their blood, and it hungered for freedom. The Wolf would not be denied either of those things, not now, not ever.

Straightening her shoulders a bit, she met Heisuke's gaze sternly. "And I know that. That's not the reason why." In truth, it wasn't just in hopes of getting the captains to trust her to help look for her father.

When Heisuke quirked an eyebrow up, she continued, "The reason I wanted something to do was because I'm stuck here. I can't look for my father. With each day, I worry more and more about him. That's why I want to leave this place as soon as I can…" She bowed her head, murmuring softly, "I want to find him."

Silence followed shortly afterward. Chizuru was rather impressed with her ability to keep her cool and not let The Wolf come roaring out. What really surprised her, though, was Heisuke's reaction.

"Uh… um." He trailed off, looking everywhere but her, dancing a little on his feet. She noticed a bottle of sake in his other hand, and that's when Heisuke held it up towards her. "T-then here! You can have my sake! You know what they say; sake washes the worries away!"

Chizuru blinked before shaking her head. "Thank you for the thought, Heisuke-kun, but I can't drink sake."

"Huh?" Heisuke really looked confused at this point. Chizuru felt a little bad in refusing the offer, but there was more than just modesty preventing her from accepting his gift. Even if he had offered her a drink at night, she would still refuse, as werewolves and alcohol just never mixed well. If you were lucky enough to drink a shot and not vomit, you'll certainly suffer motion sickness and other unpleasant symptoms.

She smiled at him, trying to be reassuring. "It's not much of a choice, really. I get sick really easy." That explanation seemed to sink in better, with Heisuke looking away with a blush on his cheeks. "I-I see. Sorry to hear that…"

"It's fine." She frowned a bit, her brow furrowing. "But, Heisuke-kun, may I ask why you're carrying a bottle of sake around? It's only afternoon—"

It was then their conversation was interrupted by Sannan, who informed Heisuke Hijikata wanted to see him. The young captain left reluctantly, looking like he wanted to stay a little longer, but Chizuru reassured since Sannan was there, she would fine. When he left, she asked Sannan what Hijikata wanted with Heisuke, only to be shocked to find out Heisuke was in trouble.

Sannan left shortly thereafter, but not without stating his suspicions on why Heisuke bothered to check on Chizuru. While the words were meant to make her feel better, it only made her feel miserably, remembering how, not too long ago, she had imagined burying Heisuke's head, back when she was suffering from werewolf induced visions.

Xxxx

Heisuke hated being under house arrest. Although he got that people who broke the rules needed to punished, he honestly thought Hijikata was taking it too far. And what made this even worse were Shinpachi and Sano were most likely getting out of this scot-free.

His stomach grumbled at him, reminding him he didn't have any food. This only enraged him more because he always got grumpier without food. Stupid Shinpattsuan is probably stuffing his face now, he thought, glaring at the ceiling. He's probably laughing about me being under house arrest again. Heartless bastard.

His only hope was that Sano felt enough pity for the young captain and brought a small fruit. It would be better than nothing. Even a rice ball sounded absolutely delicious right about now—

"Heisuke-kun?"

Heisuke blinked. Was he hearing things? He jerked upright, seeing the small silhouette. "Chizuru?"

"Yes." The shadow nodded. "It's me."

Heisuke gawked. "The hell?! What are you doin' here? You're supposed to be in your room—" He stopped when he saw the silhouette jerk its head. "There're footsteps!"

"Damn! Get inside!" He didn't even wait for her to open the door, as he slide it open immediately. He grabbed Chizuru's arm and jerked her inside before slamming the door shut. Throwing a blanket over her, he placed a finger on his lips and snapped, "Stay still and shut up!"

It was only moments as the individual passed by, yet it seemed like an hour for the two. Chizuru thankfully didn't move a muscle, which he was grateful for. He waited until the footsteps faded before finally pulling the blanket back. "You're insane to come here!" he snapped, keeping his voice low. "You not only left your room, but you came to the guy under house arrest! Do you want to get into trouble?!"

Her eyes fluttered, a strange look on her face. When she turned to look at him, he could have sworn that her eyes were a liquid gold, and yet, when he blinked, the gold has vanished, returning back to her honey brown color.

Maybe Heisuke was hungrier than he thought; he was seeing things now.

Either, he made sure to give Chizuru a good lecture, a lecture so good that even Hijikata would be proud. But he doubted he did a good job, as Chizuru easily brushes off the implications, stating she was returning the favor. She apparently worried about him, which would have touched Heisuke if this girl wasn't supposed to be under house arrest like him.

Honestly, he was trying his best to play the bad guy to Chizuru, the acting all mean was beginning to wear him out. He wasn't the only one, as Sano and Shinpachi were uncomfortable being strict jailors around such a young girl. She was probably no older than sixteen! She shouldn't be trapped with these men; she should be having fun with girls her age, getting engaged to a man who would take her out of her father's house and care for her.

There was just so much wrong with forcing her to dress as boy, even. Heisuke had no idea what Chizuru looked like dressed as a girl, but he was pretty damn sure she would be cute as hell. She had these beautiful eyes, eyes Heisuke couldn't stop staring into. Maybe he wasn't the more perspective of the group, but he knew there was something beyond those eyes, as if there was some kind of hidden treasure behind the curtains.

This should be some kind of red flag, as Heisuke knew there were secrets in the Shinsengumi that Chizuru must never know, despite who her father was, yet he didn't think this secret had anything to do with the Shinsengumi. The one time he had accidently let it slip over what their "project" was, the big secret that must be kept from Chizuru at all cost, he had seen her eyes and saw absolute confusion in them.

Perhaps that's what he liked the most about her eyes. When genuine emotion passed through, they seemed to light up. It was rare to see that light, like right now, when Chizuru presented him with a rice ball. He was so taken aback that he could only stare at her. When she insisted, he finally reached out and took it.

It was delicious. He ended up sort of forgetting what he was worrying about in seconds, happily relieving his growling stomach with the warm, soft rice ball that Chizuru made especially for him. Maybe that's what made it so good. It was made for him, and only him. Now it nearly impossible for him to try to distrust her, even if it was his job.

Then again, Heisuke wasn't the type of guy to disregard his beliefs for the sake of the job. That was something Heisuke wanted to hold onto in these difficult times, a sense of right and wrong, boundaries and standards that will not bend.

Xxxx

The next full moon came and went with little activity. Chizuru again used her strategy while transforming, before sneaking out of her room and sitting on the roof, looking out over the compound.

At this point, it might be strange to not leave, to just take off and find her father herself. These humans clearly didn't have her talents, so why should she wait on hands and knees for them if they couldn't get the job done.

And yet, she had this gut feeling to not leave. She had no fear of death when fully transformed. The Change not only caused metamorphosis in body, but also in mind. She was proud of what she was then, white glossy fur covering a strong, stable body, horns displayed to the world, eyes shining majestically, a hidden challenge buried deep within.

Her non-Wolf side, however, was much weaker in personality. She worried about her identity, she worried about her father, and she worried about jumping too far, too quickly, without some inkling of what was going on. While emotional by nature, Chizuru was also forced to mature rather quickly as a child, with a level of caution reaching paranoia. The idea of being discovered was far too terrifying to bear, and even when The Wolf desired to run and hunt, Chizuru held fast, allowing her body to weaken and break down from lack of nutrition and mental degradation for the sake of protecting herself and her father.

No matter what, her secret must not be discovered. For now, she will wait and watch. Her wolf body was the only thing that could possibly find her father, yet it would mean nothing if she were caught and killed.

Or she lost control and slaughtered them all.

Xxxx

Sano fancied himself a normal guy, with all due respect. He was a man, skilled in sōjutsu, and had once attempted to commit seppuku. Although he often bragged about the scar when drunk, he didn't like to flash it around when sober. He had his reasons for not doing so, not that it mattered. Every man had things he liked to keep to himself; every man had some unusual aspects to their selves, such as Sano's height.

Yes, a perfectly normal and average person was just the way to describe Sano. He didn't really like to stand out in a crowd. He preferred drinking with friends and goofing around than doing rounds. He liked calm days, where everything was fairly predictable, or at least easy enough to get under control. He was by no means a control freak (that was more Hijikata's thing, anyway). He just preferred things to be simple.

That was him, a simple guy. A perfectly normal, average, and simple guy.

So, being such a typical dude, you would think certain more adult topics would be one of those things he'd be completely comfortable with. And he was.

Maybe it was his chivalry getting his way this time as well. After all, he had just established he was normal, so why was there so much shame in the act he had performed?

Men also had imagination, granted, more along the lines of perverse imagination, but imagination none the less, and that was also perfectly normally. And yet…

This whole complication began in April, where, one night, out of the blue, he could have sworn he heard strange sounds. While there were no women, besides their charge, in the compound, the captains were all aware that a few of their subordinates engaged in certain activities in their rooms, often in the dead of night, such as that night in April.

Sano was going to dismiss it, only to find out, seconds later, that the voice was most definitely female.

Alarms went off in his head. Women were not allowed on the compound; surely none of the soldiers were stupid enough to bring their wives or prostitutes to HQ?

It was only when he paused long enough to listen that he found he recognized the noise. He was terrified to make such a conclusion, and the first few seconds he spent trying to reason himself away from the conclusion. Surely it couldn't be..?

But it was, the more he listened. It was definitely Chizuru making those noises. Sano struggled not to think about it, to block out the noise and pretend nothing was going on downstairs.

By now, it stopped. No more sounds came from her room, but that didn't help Sano's situation. He could practically see everything in all its dirty, perverse details.

Where were these thoughts coming from?! He only knew Chizuru for a few months, and, while yes, he did find her cute, and he hated treated her like a prisoner, but he had a duty to the Shinsengumi. He was willing to kill her if ordered to. There were no ifs or ands about it.

When was the last time, anyway? A month? Three months? He didn't remember, nor, as his mental walls shattered, did he care. He was taking care of it now.

He got up from his mat and carefully navigated over his sleeping companions. Sano was honestly amazed that neither Shinpachi nor Heisuke heard the noises. Then again, they were sound sleepers, and they had both a lot to drink prior to crashing.

Leaving the room, Sano made his way to the Yagi bathhouse. It was spacious and empty when he arrived. Perfect for his needs.

Taking a bamboo screen and a towel, he made his way into a corner. He set the screen up to hide his presence from any possible intruders. He doubted anyone was willing to bathe at this hour, but it was better to be on the safe side, especially when the Yagi family had a young child who liked to wander.

He quickly took care of business, then washed himself off. He placed the screen back in its proper place and then washed the cloth off. Throwing the towel into the large basket of used towels on his way back, he paused in front of Chizuru's room, just for a moment, before continuing on his way.

He hadn't said of word of what he did to either of his friends the following morning. Nor did he have any intention of telling them. He found himself, however, watching Chizuru a lot the following day. Like him, she was tired, and she oddly remained like that for a good week before she perked back up.

Perhaps women had needs just like men had? He wouldn't know, as he wasn't a woman, nor did he ever ask another woman. When he thought about it, it made a lot of sense. Here she was, cooped up and isolated from most human contact outside of the captains, who all pretty much made it clear that she wasn't someone they wanted to have around. It would only make sense that she would need relief; besides, none of the captains really knew her.

Heisuke's demeanor seemed to change in May. He seemed to be friendlier than before around Chizuru, almost as if he was making an extra effort to make Chizuru feel comfortable. This only made Sano feel guilty towards his treatment of Chizuru. After all, it's not like she asked for this. She really didn't do anything wrong. She just happened to be unlucky, that's all.

That feeling of guilt, however, changed into disgust when, just like April, Sano heard the noises again. And, just like in April, Sano left his room silently to handle business.

When June began to roll in, Sano once experienced a need for release due to prompting by the noises. And that following morning, angry at himself and his behavior, he vowed to make it up to Chizuru.

Somehow.

Xxxx

~*June 1864*~

He made it up to her by taking her out of her room.

Yeah, it wasn't much, all things considered. After all, she wasn't just unlucky; she was alone. She was a child in a strange place, with strange people and no allies in sight. Her mood fulgurated along with the moon. She seemed tense and anxious one day, moody and distant the next. Then she just bounced back. The world of womanhood was truly a terrifying enough. He was glad he didn't have to experience such mood swings. He had enough problems with his own body as is.

Tonight he took her out. He guided her out of her room, all the while warning her of the consequences of fleeing. She didn't flee; even worse, she thanked him for being considerate. Sano just wanted to bash his skull into the nearest rock or tree.

How could she be so grateful, especially after what they did to her? They took away her freedom! They didn't deserve any praise.

Yet Chizuru's smiling face caused something to stir in Sano. Just like that, Sano began to wonder what else about this girl he could learn about.

Xxxx

Souji would be a fool to say he didn't think the girl was interesting. She looked so unassuming, with wide, brown eyes and a rather average complexion. Not that it was bad thing. He might not pursue women like Shinpachi did, but he did have preferences like any other man.

That being said, there were… other things that intrigued Souji, to say the least. One was that, no matter how cruel he acted around her, she would still treat him respectfully, well, most of the time. There were moments where she had these little outbursts, but then again, Souji remembered his own sister having those. Such came with being a woman, he supposed. Still, it was entertaining to put her back in her place when she slipped up. Souji loved watching Chizuru squirm and try to talk her way out of the tight places he often put her in. Often times, she required others to get her out.

Maybe that was why Chizuru avoided Souji for the most part. He wasn't stupid, after all. He noticed her eagerness to get away from him. She apparently wanted nothing to do with him, which he couldn't necessarily fault her with. After all, according to Hajime, Souji was rather relentless in teasing the poor girl. Souji toyed with the idea of easing up for a moment, but then he was reminded of why he liked to tease her so much. Her facial expressions were so honest and genuine. She often didn't offer a rebuttal towards him, nor did she passive aggressively talk to him. No matter the circumstances, she treated him like everyone else she interacted with; politely.

And then there were Chizuru's overall behavior. Some days she seemed like she was hiding something, something she didn't want anyone else to know. She had this air of reservation sometimes, a wall of protection against outsiders.

But Souji understood. He understood far too well. He knew what it was like, being placed in a strange place with strange people. He knew what it was like to be left out, all alone, just waiting for something familiar to come and rescue them. How many nights did he wait for his own sister to come and take him home, back where everything was familiar, and there was no bullying, no harassment, no isolation.

Maybe, like Souji, Chizuru was unlucky. She had the misfortune of seeing something she couldn't unsee. She had lost her father, perhaps forever. She was truly all alone now… and no one was coming to save her.

Thinking about it like that, Souji suddenly felt bad for mistreating Chizuru the past few months. It really wasn't her fault. She didn't ask for any of this. She was like an animal, backed into a corner, with nowhere to run. She had only two options, and she was just too kind and gentle to fight. She needed protection, someone to hold onto in the days to come.

He could be that person to her. He could emulate Kondo and be that person who holds her and guides her, like Kondo had done for Souji all those years ago. He could stop being the sword; he could instead become the shield. And yet, the more he thought about it, the more he wondered. Was there more to this girl than he had originally given credit for? Was that why Heisuke and Sano seemed to act friendly towards her, despite their explicit orders to distance themselves from her?

Xxxx

~*July 5, 1864*~

That morning, Hijikata called Heisuke and Souji into the commons room. Chizuru was there, too. Souji resisted the urge to smirk.

However, the games would have to wait. Hijikata was going to allow Chizuru to leave the compounds and join the captains on their rounds. Heisuke looked happy about the news, and Chizuru was practically glowing. Souji smirked. Guess Hijikata took Hajime's word. Thinking back to that little test Hajime gave, Souji had to admit he was somewhat surprised with the girl's reflexes.

It had been a dull day in February, with both Souji and Hajime having nothing better to do. Hajime was practicing his iai with Souji as his spectator until Chizuru peeked over the corner. Souji knew he should have scolded the girl for leaving her room, but he decided to let it slide. Hajime didn't voice any concern either, so Souji saw no reason to oppose. Besides, he wanted to know what the little lady was here for.

Evidently, she was interested in looking for her father. My, what a bold child, he had thought, smirking to himself. Hajime had arched an eyebrow in response to the request.

Souji honestly that Hajime would turn the child down instantly. Instead, Hajime did something that surprised even Souji; he offered to test Chizuru's skill to see if she could take care of herself. Souji wasn't going to bet much on Chizuru accepting the challenge. Yet he was caught completely off guard when Chizuru reasoned against using swords. Why, you may ask?

Because she could kill Hajime.

He had to admit, Souji lost it. He nearly fell over backward laughing. Never in his entire life had he heard those words spoken with such certainty. It was as if Chizuru honestly believed she could kill Hajime with her short sword. Saito Hajime, a swordsman so talented that he kept Souji on his toes. This girl had guts, he had to give her that. Her face was so sincere; it baffled Souji how this girl could honestly believe such a delusion.

Hajime, however, took the comment very seriously, telling her to just use the blunt side of her sword to attack. Souji was still struggling to regain composure when the two faced each other off. Hajime obviously had no need to pull out his katana yet; Chizuru had hers posed, ready to attack.

A heartbeat.

Chizuru latched forward, and, immediately, Souji knew something was wrong. He wondered if Hajime noticed it, too. It wasn't the stance, nor the power of the scream Chizuru made. It wasn't the way she held her sword, nor how high she held it up. No, it was her feet. Or rather, how awkward her footing was.

It was hard to pin, exactly, yet it just appeared to Souji as if Chizuru was hesitating with each step. As if she was slowing herself down. Yet that didn't make any sense. Chizuru's running speed was fine, decent, even. She could easily outrun a ronin if needed.

Yet he couldn't shake off how awkward her footing was to him. It wasn't natural. She was doing it on purpose.

When she reached Hajime, she brought her sword down. Again, Souji noticed something wrong. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed how stiff she had suddenly made her arms. Her swing came down, slower than it should have, lacking in power.

Just in an instance, Hajime pulled out his sword, his hand flying to his hilt and knocking Chizuru's kodachi clear out of her hands. He then brought the blade bearing down to her neck, yet, in the same amount of time it took to pull out Hajime's sword, Chizuru was gone, yanking herself away and back. Her back arched, arms reaching up and out behind her. Her palms hit the grass the moment Hajime stopped, his blade touching nothing but air, a look of complete surprise on his normally stoic face.

Souji was probably mimicking that same look as he continued to watch. He saw Chizuru easily backflip into a crouch, her eyes glowing gold.

Or it appeared so. When Souji double-checked, Chizuru's eyes were normal, her expression reserved and blank. Souji didn't know what he had seen or make him think he saw a change in eye color. Hajime was still staring at Chizuru in shock, and his sword arm, still holding the katana, hung limply by his side.

It took a moment before both captains composed themselves. Hajime busied himself by replacing his katana before walking up to Chizuru to help her stand. Souji went to retrieve her kodachi, all the while his mind buzzing with questions.

How did she move so fast suddenly? Why did she move so awkwardly beforehand? Just who was this daughter of Dr. Yukimura that no one had heard about until now?

Either way, he wasn't going to get answers by just passively standing there. By the time he returned the sword to Chizuru, Hajime had already reached his decision: he would speak to Hijikata the moment he returned to see if Chizuru could join in the rounds. Hajime praised Chizuru's reflexes, remarking that they will come in handy during a fight. However, he said nothing of before, which confused Souji.

When Chizuru ran off, happy as can be, Souji popped the question running in his mind. Hajime replied that it was concerning, yet he also reasoned that perhaps Chizuru had felt flipping the sword over wasn't enough of a precaution and had taken additional measures to ensure no one was harmed.

Souji rolled his eyes. Of course. This girl had no spine, really. She was too terrified to hurt someone; in other words, she'd be a burden during his rounds if his squad managed to get into a fight.

But it really didn't matter. Hajime had given the okay. It was only a matter of time before Hijikata gave his approval. And Souji felt like he was going to rue that day when it comes.

Back in present day, Hijikata told Chizuru to join Souji during his rounds around the city. Souji almost barked a laugh. The look of shock and fear came on her face so quickly he didn't know which came first.

"Just so we're clear," he said, smirking widely, "if we happen to get into trouble along the way, I'm ditching her."

"Souji!" Hijikata snapped. Souji inwardly winced. Ugh, he could be such a mom at times.

Chizuru turned to face Souji then, bowing her head politely as she replied, "I promise I will behave. So I hope you will keep your end of the promise."

Off to his side, Heisuke snickered. Souji would have normally elbowed the guy sharply, but he was too busy watching Chizuru. Her posture was relaxed, her face tranquil. It was as if she didn't hear his threat, or maybe she just didn't care. Souji was starting to wonder if this girl was predictable at all.

Whatever. It made little difference to him. He'd take the girl on his rounds, as ordered. He didn't want to disappoint Kondo, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun on the way.

Yes, he thought, as he led his men outside the compound, Chizuru following at his heels, we can spare a little fun here and there.