Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuoki. This amazing anime was created by Asuka Yamazaki, Kazuhiko Hasegawa and Mitsutoshi Ogura. I only created my beloved Asuna!

Editor / Beta Reader: Waffle (Thank you)

Rated Teen for violence, blood, coarse language and / or sexually suggestive scenes (rating may change to Mature in the future as story progresses, readers have been advised).

Slight alteration to Hakuoki plot - Demons in this story are actual pureblood vampires and Rasetsu are humans who were turned by purebloods.

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Kiss Of Snow

By: Swanna

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Chapter 3 – Interrogation

With her eyes still closed and her back leaning against the wall, Asuna listened to the faint, distant birdsong at the break of dawn. The excruciating pain from her right shoulder was gone, replaced by a dull throb. She was more aware of her body now. The lesions may have clotted again but without proper medical care, any minor movements of her shoulder would only reopen the lacerations again.

Her physical condition had receded to the alarming point where the remaining control of her humanity was dangerously close to snapping. When that happened, Asuna would be caving in to her demonic instinct and feed on human blood to accelerate her healing and regenerate her health to an optimal level. To target an accessible human in a house full of mortals would be simple, but it could possibly expose her true identity as a demoness.

Under normal circumstances she would care less about keeping her identity hidden when she knew the strength of these mortals were no match to hers. However, since her main objective at Kyoto was to search for Senhime, her task would only become more complicated and difficult if humans were to hunt her down. She was in their territory after all, so it would be prudent for her to disguise herself as a mortal and seek out Senhime discreetly.

Asuna slowly opened her eyes and glanced around her confined surroundings. It was a small, bare chamber with a low wooden table to her left. She looked down at the tatami mat beneath her and noticed the ample stain of blood at the tips of her fingers. Asuna's brows were knitted slightly at the aching soreness from her shoulder when she lifted her right hand. Her palm was covered in coagulated blood from the overnight bleeding. The blood may have dried up but the rousing metallic scent was still present and it was intoxicating to her. Her hand was clenched into a fist when the door to her chamber suddenly slid open, spilling daybreak sunlight into the room.

As a middle aged mortal man entered and approached her, she swiftly pulled the featherweight blue blanket to cover the bloodstained tatami mat. The man halted his footsteps when he noticed the torn cords that had been used to restrict her last night was laying at the edge of the mat.

"I see that you've managed to unbind yourself from the ropes," said the man, sounding almost unnecessarily impressed.

Such insubstantial bindings held no challenge for a pureblood like her. In fact Asuna could walk out of this residence and none of the humans would be able to stop her. She had chosen to follow the mortal men back to their domain late last night because she had needed a safe berth to stay and rest.

When Asuna remained unresponsive, the man continued. "My name is Genzaburo Inoue and I've been instructed to bring you to see our Commanders. They are awaiting for you so please come with me."

To be in an enclosed room with a group of mortals sounded very inviting to her demonic senses right now. Almost too inviting. Asuna would have to restrain her demonic side if she wanted to prevent the bloodshed that was sure to follow. But her remaining self-control was weakening by the minute as her hunger grew.

When the man saw that she made no attempt to move, he wrapped his fingers around her elbow and tried to urge her to stand by pulling at her right arm. "Come, I will take you to them."

His grasp wasn't hostile nor forceful, but the abrupt lift of her injured shoulder caused the piercing pain to return. Asuna immediately pulled away from his hold.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to do anything," explained the man, obviously understanding the inference that she did not want to be touched. "But all the Commanders and Captains are expecting you, we shouldn't make them wait."

With a silent intake of breath, Asuna rose from the tatami mat and walked towards the door. The moment she stepped out of the room, she was greeted by the cold breeze of the crisp winter morning. The modest garden before her was overcast with a thick layer of snow, stilled and perfectly white. It was a scene of beauty and serenity, reminding her of the quiet wintry days when she resided in the woods alone.

The man walked past her and motioned her to follow. "Come, I will show you the way."

X X X

"What do you mean Juro turned to ash?" Heisuke widened his eyes in disbelief upon hearing the retelling of yesterday's events.

Souji smirked at the young boy's look of skepticism. "It means exactly what I said, Juro's body turned to ash right after our little captive killed him."

"How is that even possible?" questioned Shinpachi, scratching the back of his head as he was also doubtful about the news.

Hijikata couldn't criticize the Captains for their doubts. He would have found it preposterous too if he hadn't witnessed the incident with his own eyes. The fact that the mysterious woman had shown no sign of surprise at what unfolded before her told Hijikata that she knew exactly why it had happened. He had every intention of finding out what she knew once they could interrogate her shortly.

"That does sound beyond belief," stated Sannan as he re-adjusted his glasses at the bridge of his nose. "But I'm most fascinated by the fact that this killer was able to overpower two Shinsengumi Captains and manage to kill Juro right under your noses. It would certainly be an asset to have such a person join the Shinsengumi."

Shinpachi's jaw dropped in rejection. "Sannan-san, you're kidding, right?"

"This person murdered one of our men, how can we recruit the killer to join us just like that?!" Heisuke added, disapproving such an absurd suggestion.

"As one of our Vice-Commanders, Sannan-san is always so pragmatic with his choices," Sanosuke complimented respectfully with a grin. Next to him sat Chizuru, who remained quiet during the group discussion as usual.

She had joined them not too long ago when she had arrived in the city of Kyoto to search for her father, Kodo-san who had gone missing. Ever since she had started staying with the Shinsengumi, most of the men had lavished her with attention since she was the only female in the headquarters. But Hijikata noticed that Sanosuke had become particularly protective of Chizuru, and it wasn't hard to figure out the reason behind his behavior. Chizuru also tended to spend most of her personal free time with Sanosuke after she had completed her chores and duties around the house. It would only be a matter of time for those two to recognize their attraction to each other and come clean about their feelings for one another.

"I wouldn't mind having another pretty face join us," Souji's devious smirk grew. "Plus she can wield a sword better than most of our trained subordinates here."

"The killer is a SHE?!" Shinpachi and Heisuke both exclaimed at the same time, clearly stunned by the revelation.

"Did I not mention that the killer is a girl?" asked Souji with feigned innocence, enjoying every minute of their surprise.

"NO!" The two Captains shouted in unison again.

"My bad," Souji said it with an unapologetic shrug. "But Asuna-chan is quite impressive, she's probably the only woman who is capable of evading Hajime-kun's laijutsu technique."

Heisuke gave Souji a baffled look. "You even know her name?"

Still in shock, Shinpachi turned to Saito and asked, "Is it true, Saito? You got overpowered by a girl?!"

Saito, who had been silent during the entire conversation finally spoke up for the first time, obviously choosing not to take offense at the remark. "I agree she is rather proficient with her skills in swordplay."

Once again, Hijikata would have thought what Souji had said was nothing more than exaggeration if he wasn't present at the scene of their battle. His instinct told him that there was something about the young woman that wasn't quite…right. Besides her cold and apathetic exterior, Hijikata wished he knew what it was about her that was bugging the hell out of him.

"I'm more concerned about the reason why she killed Juro," said Kondou, expressing his worries. "Do you think it may be a possibility that she could be a spy sent by the Choshu Clan, Toshi?"

That was one of the many possibilities that had crossed Hijikata's mind since they had brought her back. However, it was still too soon for them to be drawing conclusions about her without receiving some answers first. He turned to their Commander who sat beside him and replied, "We will find out soon enough."

A faint knock came before the screen door was slid open. Standing by the entrance, Genzaburo bowed to the leaders and then gestured the girl behind him to step forward. She came forth without showing any form of resistance nor hesitancy. The moment she entered the meeting room, Hijikata noticed that all eyes were on her. Both Shinpachi and Heisuke had their jaws hanging but he couldn't blame the men for it. He gazed over her face as he got his first up close look at her with proper lighting this time.

She was a beautiful young woman; skin white as snow, straight silky locks of hair framing large, almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and high cheekbones in an oval face. Her long raven hair contrasted vividly with her aquamarine eyes, making them appear even brighter. But it was the way she presented herself that was the most captivating. Instead of being terrified by her current ominous situation, she demonstrated a sense of dignity and pride with her head held high like nobility. Many men paled in comparison to her display of confidence.

The girl scrutinized the room and studied each individual, not missing anything with her pair of piercing eyes until she caught sight of Chizuru. For some odd reason, her stare lingered on Chizuru longer than necessary and it was only when Sannan spoke to her that she finally tore her gaze away.

"Come and sit. We have some questions that we would like to ask you."

She joined the group as instructed and kneeled like the rest of them, settling herself between Souji and Hijikata near the entrance of the room. The girl looked at Chizuru again, this time it didn't go unnoticed between the men when they shared the same look of curiosity, wondering why she was focusing on Chizuru so much.

"You don't seem like you are from around here," Sannan spoke again to begin the interrogation. "Who are you and what is your purpose in coming to Kyoto?"

She turned her attention to Sannan and replied in a matter-of-fact manner, "I already mentioned my name is Shinohara Asuna. I came here to search for someone."

"Is it a relative or a member of your family?" Kondou probed.

"I don't have any family."

Something about her detached tone while mentioning her own family stirred Hijikata. He wasn't sure whether it was the fact that she was also an orphan like most of them or it was the way she spoke of her family in such an unfeeling fashion. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Kondou frowned, no doubt his heart had already gone out to her after hearing such an answer. "Then is it a friend that you're looking for?"

"Friend?" The word rolled off her tongue as if it was a foreign term to her.

"You know what? This is a complete waste of time. Let's stop beating around the bush with her and just get straight to the point," Shinpachi scowled, he fisted both of his hands in anger. "Why did you kill Juro?! Did you not know that he was a member of the Shinsengumi?!"

"I didn't kill just one member, I killed three."

The unexpected declaration came as a shock amongst the men in the room when they glanced at one another for affirmation.

"I will check on any missing members who haven't returned to their divisions since last night," said Sanosuke, offering to confirm for the group.

"Why are you killing our men? Did someone order you to assassinate Shinsengumi members?" Sannan demanded, his tone much firmer now that he realized he was dealing with a serial killer.

"Men?" She repeated the word with a tilt of her head. "Men would not be reduced to dust when they are struck down. Those three were not humans."

There was a moment of pregnant silence.

None of the men spoke because as bizarre as it may have sounded, the girl was speaking the truth. Yet the men didn't know how to express their current feelings or thoughts on the matter.

Souji was the first to break the silence when he asked, "If they weren't humans then what were they?"

"Rasetsu."

"What are Rasetsu?" asked Sanosuke, pressing for an elaborate explanation that would no doubt appease all the inquiring minds within this room.

"Humans who are turned into blood-lusting creatures."

"Blood-lusting creatures…?" Heisuke began. "H-hey, is she referring to the rogues that we were ordered to-"

"Enough," Hijikata interrupted the young Captain from continuing. There was no need to disclose such classified information to an outsider with an unknown background. He would not take any chances of jeopardizing their mission.

Kondou turned to Hijikata when he asked, "Toshi, do you think there is a correlation between the rogues and these Rasetsu that she is speaking of?"

"We should discuss that at another time," Hijikata replied abruptly, glancing at the woman next to him. Her complexion seemed to be sickly pale upon closer inspection.

What she had explained fit the descriptions of the rogues that the Shinsengumi were commanded by the Emperor to annihilate. What ruffled him was that she appeared to have comprehensive knowledge with regards to these Rasetsu. At the very least, she recognized their inscrutable weaknesses and was capable of wiping out three rogues quickly.

Meanwhile his group had absolutely no clue what they were up against based on the vague information they were given. They hadn't even realized that one of their own men had become a Rasetsu since they were unaware of the signs that would indicate the difference.

"You said they were humans before they were turned into Rasetsu. How were they turned then?" Sannan inquired with budding interest. As the intellectual one, Sannan would definitely want to investigate what led to such an unimaginable transformation.

This time the woman remained wordless. She held Sannan's stare before drifting her gaze over to Chizuru again, and this time all the men turned their eyes to the girl who was dressed in men's clothes. Surprised and confused, Chizuru fidgeted nervously under the woman's intense stare.

"Of all the men in this room, you seem to be quite attracted to Yukimura-kun," a sly grin fell on Souji's lips as he inched closer to the woman, gently gathering a handful of her glossy raven locks into his hand and inhaling her inviting fragrance. When she turned to him, his smile grew. Souji laid eyes on her in a way that he learned brought most women to their knees, all slow burn and promises of delight. "Why don't you look at me instead? I can be your playmate."

"Don't touch me," she warned yet made no attempt to move away. It was a soft warning, but there was a promise of menace in her undertone.

"Why not? You don't have to be shy around me, Asuna-chan."

"Because," she began with the indifferent attitude of hers, slowly gathering her hair in a bunch with her left hand as they slid from Souji's grasp. "You don't have skin privileges."

Souji paused for a split second before throwing his head back and laughed as if he was genuinely amused by the woman. "I like you, Asuna-chan. You are so different compared to other women I've met."

"She gives me the creeps," stated Shinpachi, the annoyed scowl returning to his face again. "Whether or not Juro and the others were Rasetsu, she slaughtered three of our men. What are we going to do with her?"

"Are you suggesting execution, Shinpachi?" Souji asked, his smirk couldn't be any more devilish.

"Souji! Don't talk about taking the life of a civilian as if it is a light matter!" Kondou scolded disapprovingly.

"But she isn't a normal civilian if she is capable of killing three rogues in one night," Sanosuke suggested logically. "And we have no knowledge of her background. She could be a spy or an assassin sent to bring havoc to our clan for all we know."

"She knows a lot about Rasetsu, she may be useful to keep around for a while longer," said Sannan.

Just like last night while her fate was being decided amidst a group of unknown men, Hijikata noticed her expression remained nonchalant and untroubled. It was quite a rare sight, as if this woman was not at all concerned for her own life even though they were determining the possibility of her execution. In his lifetime, Hijikata had only seen trained assassins and brave samurais exhibit such a level of exercised calmness in the presence of danger. Perhaps just as Sanosuke had mentioned, she was not a normal commoner passing by in search of her comrade.

As he continued to observe her reaction while the other men chattered away, Hijikata saw her head dip low and a crease appear between her delicate eyebrows. A drop of blood dripped from her right hand, staining the straw mat.

"Are you injured?" Hijikata's unexpected question ceased the ongoing conversation in the room.

The men's glances shifted between Souji and Saito, seeking for an explanation of what had happened last night. It was Saito who spoke first. "Her wounds weren't inflicted by us."

When the woman continued to stay speechless, Hijikata moved in front of her and made a grab at her black cloak, attempting to remove it and see her injuries himself. Her head shot up immediately and she jerked away. From the enclosed distance between them, he found himself fascinated by her large aquamarine eyes. There was almost an equal ratio of green to blue, and blue was slightly more dominant in the outer ring of her irises. Her eyes were so astonishing that he involuntarily sucked in his breath.

"I won't do anything to you," Hijikata explained, his gaze continued to lock with hers. "I just want to see how severe your injuries are."

Hearing his promise of inviolability, she remained motionless. Hijikata took the cue and continued to remove the garment, her watchful eyes were on him as he unfastened the straps. Gasps and exclamations filled the room as soon as he lifted the right side of the cloak to reveal the ivory haori jacket which was now blood-soaked from her shoulder downward.

"She needs immediate medical attention," Kondou barked loudly with anxiety. "Yukimura-kun, please find Inoue and have him help you to clean and bandage her wounds."

Chizuru broke out of her daze from the ghastly sight and nodded.

"Yes, I will go right now!" She hurried over to the woman's side, placing her hands lightly on her arm to help her get up. "Come, let's return to your room and I will help you disinfect your wounds."

There was a tiny flicker of light that came and went in the darkness of her eyes when she returned Chizuru's gaze. After a moment of hesitation, she complied and rose to her feet, allowing Chizuru to lead the way out of the meeting room.

"Just who is this woman? And how the hell did she manage to take down rogues even with an injury like that?" Heisuke grimaced but no one commented further.

Hijikata couldn't move.

Instinctively he was shaken in a way he had never been before. His breath stalled in his throat and his fists were unknowingly clenched so tight that his knuckles were turning white. He couldn't believe he had locked up a woman without being aware that she had sustained such severe wounds. It was no wonder that she was so terribly pale, she could have died from that amount of blood loss overnight, and that would have been on his hands.

Dammit! Hijikata swore to himself darkly.

Her death would have been his fault.

X X X

AUTHOR NOTE:

The Shinsengumi members finally all showed up but how are they going to deal with such cold and unfeeling demoness? Guess you will have to stay tune to find out.

Also I really want to thank those who have followed/favourited/reviewed. I really appreciated the support and motivation!

See you all sometime soon!