Last but one chapter of year 1867. You all know what happens in 1868 I bet.
I led us at fast pace, taking backwards roads and staying off sight as I led Kitsu and ten of my best men with me. Okita's wound had left us all breathless; no matter how annoying, he was one of us. The kid with a twisted sense of humour, and strange boundaries. But he was brother in arms I respected, especially since he could kick my ass all the way to Butsumetsu[1]. Seeing him sweat out that bullet wound angered me; Okita was the best swordsman we had. He shouldn't be felled by a lucky shot, especially not by one of those Oni bitches!
This was an insult to the Shinsengumi's skill.
Whomever had done that would taste my blade… Channeling my anger, I trod along Kitsu whose hair swished like fox tails in the clear sunshine. Fortunately, we mostly kept to the shadows of the forest. Hijikata had been swift and decisive. The fact that Kitsu tagged along made some measure or sense; if we fought against those Oni, she might be able to get the upper hand. If only because Amagiri refused to fight her.
Despite our differences of opinion, I trusted Fukuchō's hunches. If he found necessary to send us on a wild chase and meet Kyokuchō on the way, I'd do my very best to perform my duty. We didn't always see eye to eye between Kondō, Hijikata and myself. My knowledge of politics sometimes clashed with their inner sense of honour. It didn't mean I didn't respect them, and Kondō-san certainly didn't deserve to die at the hands of those infamous Oni.
Plus, I had a debt to settle with that red haired Amagiri. The marks he'd left on my skin had taken weeks to heal; my men weren't happy about it. Speaking of them, they cast weary glances to Kitsu every now and then. Expcept for Sano's division, most of them had never seen hair or tail of her. Rumours certainly run amock when she started patrolling with the tenth unit, but the ploy they's set in place with her only meeting them outside the compound seemed to have worked. The secret of her presence at headquarters still held.
To them most, Kitsu was an addition, an asset to the Shinsengumi. To me… I still wondered but hey, she fit along rather well. And could hold her own with the sword. And watched Sano's back to a fault, so not complaining there. Her absolutely gorgeous body was a nice addition.
That whole Keeper of Time business, though, left me rather dubious. I wasn't the suspersitious type. Whatever. My legs were burning, and even though Kitsu wasn't complaining by my side, sweat had formed at her brow. I called for a halt, and we stopped in a bamboo forest for a moment to partake in a few rice rolls stolen from the kitchen.
As the young woman munched on her onigiri, I lifted my head to the shunshine and sighed. Kondō-san. That overeager, gentle soul. How was he going to handle the next events? If war really was declared, how would we fare?
"You know", I eventually told Kitsu. "Isami means courage."
"Suits him well", she responded with an exhausted smile.
"The kanji is the same as the one printed on our banner. It seemed fitting, since he got us together in the first place", I mused.
Her eyes widened, and I wondered how she could ignore such things when she spoke Japanese like a native, save for the slight accent. Wasn't she the one penning Kondō's letters those days? And working with Hijikata-san on logistics as well? Surprising, given the sparks that always flew between them. I wondered whom had tamed whom in this mess.
Bah. That woman was a mystery, but as long as she helped on the battlefield, I wasn't about to complain. I had my doubts, though … with her big doe eyes and soft heart, I couldn't imagine her killing men. What did the commanders expect from her? The cold blood of Okita when his blade sliced flesh?
'Take Kitsu to Kondō-san'. Fukuchō's order echoed in my mind. As if she was his saving grace. What more did she have against the SatChō than a freaking cool sword, and a few of Saitō's teachings under her belt? What more could she do, if we didn't face any Oni, better than I did? I wasn't half bad with a blade after all.
Was it about the gun?
"Do you even know how to use that?", I asked her. The revolver at her hip felt so out of place; wasn't that the same device who'd blasted a hole in Okita?
"Hai. I got six shots, so I can clear the area a bit before we charge if we face rifles."
Damn. It's not that I ignored our strategies would have to be updated – fast. It just stung that a woman younger than I would already mold into it. Perhaps because she was a gaijin – she'd served in the army after all; the French had come to modernise the Shōgun's troops. Perhaps Kitsu was there to kick our asses into the realm of modernity as well.
Except that she adorned an armour more suited to medieval times, with engravings and designs so beautiful that I'd never seen such finery on leather. It was slashed, and stiched in many places, but well cared for. Inherited from another fighter, or already used by herself? If so, some of those slices should have killed her already, especially that one in the back. There were holes at the shoulder too, as if something had clawed its way in.
Strange.
I shook my head, eyeing my men. Their resolve brought me strengh, and I nodded.
"Ready?"
"Hai!", they responded at once.
Kitsu stood by my side, and we resumed the trek. Another hour passed, the sun dipped, and still no sign of Kondō-san. Perhaps we'd have to tread through the night; who knew. I wasn't about to halt until we'd found our Kyokuchō and returned him, safe and sound, to the compound. I didn't want Hijikata to bite my head off or worse… Kitsu followed a step behind me, feet light, and unbothered by the cold. Her cape flew behind her; it didn't seem too heavy, but efficient enough to stave off the freezing weather.
I half expected her to complain about the fast pace – I was used to ladies in a furisode after all. Despite what Harada had told me – Kitsu leapt from rooftop to rooftop as they patrolled – I realised she tended to slow down for our sake. The privilege of a lithe build, perhaps. Or all that dancing … who knew. To my satisfaction, sweat still run run down her temples. Other than that, she remained focused on her surroundings, and tense like a bowstring.
Light, precepitous foosteps found us as we dove under a denser area of forest. Kitsu's sword was unsheathed at once; I set a hand before her as I recognised the voice of one of my scouts. Behind him trailed another youth who could have sneaked into my room without me noticing. Too stealthy for a friend, but ideal for a scout. They stopped a few paces before us, bracing their arms upon their knees.
"Kumichō", the older one started. "They are men ahead, at least twenty or so, with rifles."
I swore. Hijikata-san was right!
"Ambush?"
"Hai."
Kitsu's jaw clenched as she sheathed her sword. Other than that, she remained silent.
"Can we surprise them?", I enquired.
"Difficult. The terrain is pretty rough. But not impossible."
Fighting in a forest was less than ideal. Perhaps wakisahi would be more suited than the katana if those bamboos didn't give us space.
"Can they be bypassed?"
They both nodded. An idea formed in my mind, so I addressed my main scout.
"Rush further away. You must find Kyokuchō and tell him to stop until we get there."
"Hai, Kumichō."
I turned to the group of men that followed us. Out of ten, I was about to narrow our regiment to seven. But it was necessary; if anything happened to my scout, at least one of them would manage to find Kondō-san before he fell prey to that ambush. Time was of the essence.
"Nakahisa, Yoshi", I called.
They stepped forward, determination shining in their eyes. I watched them an instant, grateful for their presence by my side those past years. I had trained them, disciplined them, and taught them to work as a group. They trusted me, and returned the favour.
"You heard the orders."
They bowed and left alongside my scout. Once they had disappeared, I grit my teeth and addressed the others.
"Gentlemen. We're going to provide a little distraction for our men to pass through. Quiet now. Yamato, we're following you."
Before we could push forward, though, Kitsu stopped me.
"Nagakura-san. Allow me to shoot those I can before you charge."
I pinned her with an inquisitive stare. This meant sending her forward with my scout. Putting them at risk with no backup. She didn't flinch, resolve shining in her eyes. I nodded my assent to Yamato, and allowed them to get a few paces in front of us.
We found the ambush force three hundred yards away, ready to rain fire down the road Kondō-san was supposed to take. As we dispersed through the bamboos, I caught sight of Kitsu's hair, shining like molten fire in the setting sun. Then she disappeared, hidden away under her cape. I blinked; I couldn't distinguish her at all, but I still saw Yamato. Strange.
A moment passed as we waited.
The first gunshot rang loud and clear upon the hill, and I had to reign in the instinct to rush forward. Firearms were unnatural; they didn't ring like steel, didn't clash. They just tore our ear off and echoed in the distance like fire demons, breaking bones, puncturing flesh and plants alike.
More gunfire; the rifles were responding. I clenched my teeth. How long until her gun was empty? What if they had spotted her position, and were firing upon both her and my scout? I unsheathed my blade and was about to pounce when a feminine cry rose, so powerful that it echoed in the distance.
"Now!"
That was it. No more hesitation. I brandished my katana and unleashed a battle cry that should send any yōkai cowering down in their holes. My men followed dutifully, without an ounce of hesitation even though a few gunshots echoed in the forest. A bullet passed too close to my face, fuelling my anger as I leapt forward. We unleashed our wrath upon the unsuspecting SatChō with might and honour.
The guns were either empty, either too difficult to handle in close quarters. We tore into them like a set of enraged bears. We were outnumbered, but more skilled with the blade.
Peasans.
I slashed, parried, and cut down efficiently to avoid any of them recharging. At some point, Kitsu appeared by my side. Or rather, sprang like a fox out of its den; didn't see her coming, but couldn't ignore the mad woman who twirled and slashed with a blade in each hand. It was a mesmerising dance to see her flexible body tear into our enemies with the rage of a she-devil.
So much for the gentle lady.
A blade nearly tore my ear off, and I groaned.
Focus.
I couldn't let Kitsu distract me as we penetrated further into enemy lines. Cries rose in the bamboo forest, blood splashing, people dying. Out the corner of my eyes, I tried to assess if any of my men had succumbed. Without the blue haori betraying our positions, it was difficult to be sure.
The sound of rushing hooves permeated the air, and a familiar voice yelled to cover the chaos.
"Shinsengumi, hold on!"
Damnit! He just couldn't stay away, did he?
"Kuso !", Kitsu yelled as she took off at full speed. "Stay back! Stay back!"
I had to give it to her; she had quite the pair of lungs. The anger in her voice was impressive enough; it reminded me of the few shouting matches she'd traded with Hijikata. I finished my opponent and turned tail, running downhill in direction of the paved road. The three ringlets of the makeshift Kitsune danced from boulder to boulder, a dozen feet away.
Directly behind her in my line of sight, Kondō-san stood on the road, katana unsheathed. Kyokuchō faced three SatChō adventurous enough to try and fulfil their mission. He felled the first guy with an efficient strike; never got the chance to attack the other two as Kitsu literally leapt forward and slashed them both, each sword finding its mark. Panting, she straightened and growled at Kondō.
"Oh, I'm not happy with you, Isami-san!"
He blinked; who had the gall to use his given name and scold him like a mother? Taken aback by the fire of her words, he slightly protested as she pushed him to the great horse. Behind me, I heard the battle approaching and tried to distinguish friend from foe. My men seemed to be tailing them, but I saw a few rifles rising.
"Get the fuck out of there!", Kitsu screamed at the Captain.
Kondō's features morphed into a hard expression. Kitsu swore again, then caught my eyes. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she sheathed her wakizashi.
What?
One moment later, her exotic sword lifted in front of her them both and she closed her eyes.
What the hell ? She is crazy.
Kondō's hand landed upon her shoulder, pulling hard. She disengaged him with a slithering move and breathed out. Then the most incredible thing happened. Her whole blade flared to life, immaculate light shining like a thousand suns. I gaped when she took a step forward and faced the woods.
"I am Kitsu!", she roared, strong voice carrying over the hill. "And I serve the Shinsengumi. Retreat, or die."
Stunned silenced descended upon the bamboo hill. Then a shot rang. She moved faster than anything I'd ever seen, faster than Saitō himself, and sliced through the air.
Ding.
I gaped. Had she stopped a bullet with her blade? I searched Kondō's face, finding him as jawslack as myself. Alright, I could work with that.
"Second unit", I bellowed. "Charge!"
They were already in movement, and clashed violently with whatever remained of our opponents. I jumped by Kondō's side, and we found ourselves forming a circle to fend off any opponent that fled in our direction.
By our side, Kistu unleashed her light blade, slashing through people and weapons alike. There was no clash, no sound other than it tearing through … everything. Caught in my own duels, I couldn't make much sense of its magic.
Magic. I don't believe in magic.
Rifles were cloven neatly, swords shattered, people fell without an arm, a leg, a body part. As she danced, destruction rained around her and I had trouble concentrating. Fortunately, my opponents were poorly skilled; I slashed a man's arm before he could use his rifle, and got another's leg when he raised his own katana without such a lack of fortitude that I almost rolled my eyes.
In a matter of moments, the battle was over. I watched the hill, trying to assess the state of my men. By my side, Kitsu was panting heavily, her sword had lost its light again. My eyes widened at seeing the sea of bodies around her; she did too, and paled, white knuckles gripping her exotic blade tightly. Kondō-san and I exchanged a puzzled look. Besides from intercepting a bullet, her bodycount was higher than any of us could have achieved, Okita, Saitō and Oni no Fukuchō notwhistanding.
"I get why Hijikata-san wanted you, there Kitsu", I said, adrenalin rushing in my veins. "You are magical after all."
She gave me a lopsided smile, then wavered on her feet. The last thing she told me made no sense at all.
Insist on chest pain after an effort
"Uh oh, out of battery."
Then, she collapsed.
"Kitsu-chan !", Kondō exclaimed, rushing by her side. He laid a hand over her pulse point, and his features softened.
"She's alive. Just passed out."
I snorted; it was no wonder, given the magical energy she'd just depleted in that crazy dance. I'd never seen a Kitsune in action, but she truly lived up to the nickname. I nodded, allowing the chief to do whatever he wanted with the young woman. I had my men to take care of. Out of ten, one was wounded so badly that he'd need a strecher, and and two more would need medical attention upon our return.
"I'm proud of you, second unit. You fought well."
A collective cry responded to my praise, and we build a makeshift stretcher that Shimada and two more men volunteered to lift. This done, I returned to Kondō. It was decided he would carry Kitsu over his horse; the massive war beast would probably take the additional weight without flinching. We hoisted the young woman into his awaiting arms, and set to walk back to the compound.
"I can't believe that woman", Kondō sighed. "Toshi is going to be furious."
I shrugged; why would the commander be so pissed? She had accomplished her mission.
"He's the one that sent her."
"He… did?" Kyokuchō's expression shifted from slight worry to puzzlement, and I realised he ought to know something important.
"Kondō-san. Okita has been wounded. He's the one that uncovered that you were in danger."
A painful gasp escaped Kondō's lips and I grimaced. As we walked, I told him of the first captain's condition. It was awkward, and strange; Kyokuchō and I were usually at odds with each other, but I could tell he appreciated that I had run to his rescue, and put my men on the line for him. They were as loyal to him as to me, and felt keenly the honour of serving the Captain. Difference of opinions mattered little on the battlefield.
As for the little lady; she protected him as fiercely as Okita-kun would have. Truth be told, it was a sight to behold.
Kitsu stirred some time before we arrived in Kyōto; Kondō-san decided to push her back behind him so she could hold onto him. Even though she was conscious, her arms looked so heavy that she barely had the strength to keep herself upright. I watched our Captain's arm lock awkwardly around her back, his fingers grasping hers in a clear sign of affection.
I smirked. Kondō-san had adopted another stray again; this one had dangerous teeth.
The compound was bristling with activity when we arrived; Yamazaki informed us that we had received the order to retreat at the Fushimi magistrate.
That's it.
Before I could help Kitsu dismount, Fukuchō appeared in the courtyard, long strides rising dust as he made a beeline for us three. I smirked: even the earth knew to be wary of the Oni when he was in a foul mood.
But the demon showed a human face tonight; relief flooded his features when he spotted Kondō-san atop his horse, seemingly unhurt. Then his eyes travelled to Kitsu, and thunder descended upon his face.
"Nani…"
Kyokuchō lifted an appeasing hand.
"Oi, Toshi. She's fine. She just exhausted her mojo, which, in retrospect, I'd like to talk about."
"Hey…", the young woman greeted behind the bulk of our Captain.
Hijikata's features remained stony, but I saw the flicker of worry in his eyes before he adressed her.
"So you used that nifty trick, uh?"
"Hai", she responded. "Worked better than I thought. It even stopped a bullet."
His eyes widened: "A bullet! What the hell, Kitsu?"
"Hush", she ordered, colour returning to her face. "It saved our Kyokuchō so I'm not sorry." I marvelled that Hijikata didn't even bat an eyelash at being commanded to shup up; he seemed too baffled to even protest. Funny, I remembered Sōji saying that his only weakness was angry women. I smirked; once more, Okita was right.
Kitsu straightened, hoping to dismount. Fukuchō just exhaled through his nose in annoyance, and reached up. My eyes widened … was he about to …? Even though he'd had many admirers in Kyōto, I'd never seen Hijikata touch a woman in public, even a geisha. He was so forbidding in his manners, so rigid, that I couldn't imagine any female willing to accept it.
But Kitsu just offered her arms out, and allowed him to hoist her down. Then, she draped her arm around his shoulder and gave Hijikata a brilliant smile of gratitude before turning to the dismounting Kyokuchō.
"You have my thanks, Kondō-san, for bringing my ass back there."
The man laid his hand upon her shoulder and smiled: "You have my thanks for saving it. You and Shinpachi."
"Well, good to know I was here too", I sassed. Kitsu rolled her eyes. "Since you seem in a grateful mood, you can also thank Sanan-san for helping me master the blade's trick, and Hijikata-san for his excellent decision to send us out."
Was it a trick of the light, or was Hijikata blushing under her praise? Or perhaps because her arm was still draped around his shoulder, and her flexible, incredible body so close to him? Ha. Hijikata and women! Well, he'd have to deal with Kitsu himself. Not that my own crush was gone; far from it. That woman was plain gorgeous, and those curves … so very exotic. I shook my head.
You're not going there, Shin. Sano would kick my ass, a second time, if he knew I'd been leering again. Somehow, after seeing Kitsu fight like alionness to protect our men, I felt a little wary about the woman. She was way out of my league, and completely uncontrollable; I preferred my women more submissive.
So I would treat her like a fellow captain, she deserved no less. Speaking about a captain…
"How's Sōji?", I asked.
"Sōji is stable, but we'll have to transfer him to Ōsaka to Mastumoto-sensei."
I exhaled in relief. Stable meant he might have a chance.
"I'm thinking of sending Chizuru-chan", Hijikata added. "I don't want her to stay here, this city will be a battlefield soon enough."
Kondō-san and I nodded in unison, albeit there was a slight smile at the corner of Kitsu's lips that I had trouble interpreting. His arm was still braced around her waist, and it made a peculiar image. When had those two stopped biting their head's off?
"I'll go to Sōji", Kondō said.
"You can thank him for saving your ass", Fukuchō retorted. Then, he turned his Oni stare to me, and nodded swiftly.
"Good job, Shinpachi."
I preened.
You bet.
[1] Butsumetsu is one of the six days of the week in the Japanese calendar.