Kiss Of Snow

by Swanna

To make Kondo a great samurai was Hijikata's goal in life. His simple world became complicated on the night he met a pureblood demoness, Asuna who came from a realm devoid of feelings. As she was granted the permission to stay with the Shinsengumi, he soon discovered this icy cold demoness who initially knew nothing of emotions was actually very capable of passion {A Vampires Tale}

19. Chapter 19: Taunting A Demon

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

Beta Reader: Waffle (Thank you for being the bestest!)

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).

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Kiss Of Snow

By: Swanna

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Chapter 19: Taunting A Demon

It was late in the afternoon when Hijikata held a meeting with the Shinsengumi leaders, intending to follow up on the Rasetsu situation.

"Saito, you first."

"Besides the two rogues that we obliterated and reported last time, we haven't come across another one during our night patrols in the past five days," Saito replied while displaying his usual calmness and foresight.

"Neither have I," Sanosuke added flatly.

Shinpachi spoke up as well. "Same with Heisuke and me."

Five days was a long time to not run into a single Rasetsu, considering that they were out there patrolling at highly populated areas of the city. With such promises of temptation, the fact that nothing had happened just didn't make any sense at all. For some ominous reason, Hijikata got the feeling that something wasn't right.

"Did you use bait?" He asked the Captains.

Sanosuke nodded his head. "We've tried using human blood to lure them out, but still no luck."

It was one of the Rasetsu's weaknesses that they regularly exploited, and it had been effective until a few days ago. Direct sunlight apparently also weakened them and caused pain. It was the reason why they only came out during nighttime to hunt, slaughter and feed, because even filtered sunlight would be sufficient to completely incapacitate a normal Rasetsu.

However, Shinohara had explained that there was a small number of humans who possessed an outstanding mental energy and a rare capacity to sustain and cope with some of the intrinsic weaknesses after being turned into a Rasetsu. The sun would still make them weary though they could easily tolerate it. That would explain why Itou was able to function during the day without some form of intervention.

Sannan bore a look of apprehension and incredulity when he prodded, "Where did you get the blood from?"

"We bought it from the city coroner." A small price worth paying for the usually effective results.

Heisuke straightened his back and folded his arms behind his head. "Guess money can buy you anything these days."

"What about the body count?" Hijikata probed.

It was Saito who provided an answer. "We've confirmed there hasn't been any recent killings in the city resulting from a violent or suspicious cause of death."

Shinpachi rose his brows. "That's a good sign, right? Doesn't that mean we've ridden the city of all the Rasetsu?"

"Even if that's so, we still have to find out where these Rasetsu originated from," Kondou commented.

Settling back, Souji blew a breath. "So basically, the bad news is, we don't have any new leads."

Although they had learned some important facts and secrets about the Rasetsu, if they still weren't able to find the right answers then the whole investigation would then stagnate.

A wistful, conflicted expression crossed Kondou's face. "There's a rumour on the street that the Emperor is displeased with the slow progress and the shogunate might be appointing the Aizu Clan on this case to hasten the investigation."

Heisuke clicked his tongue in annoyance. "The Aizu men are worse than useless. They basically sat on their asses and did absolutely nothing in our last few operations."

"Heisuke, watch your mouth."

It was a fair warning coming from their Commander, though Shinpachi didn't heed it. As if he could shake off the threat with impunity, he said, "I agree with Heisuke. We've done so much in the past couple of months and gotten so far, and now we have to share our findings with them so that they can get half the credit they don't deserve?"

"Even if we do collaborate and work together, the Aizu Clan will still get full credit for it." Sanosuke further commented, for he too also felt the injustice of the situation. His casual tone didn't change, but steel lay beneath it now. "If we do complete this mission together then they can claim it's their involvement that brought the results that the Shinsengumi couldn't produce alone. If we don't carry out the task as expected of us then they can blame us for our incompetence in being unable to obtain any useful information. It's a losing battle for us either way."

"We're getting ahead of ourselves here and worrying over something that hasn't happened yet. And that probably never will happen if we can complete our task independently." Hijikata stared commandingly at his men, a look he'd honed to perfection as an authoritive figure for the Shinsengumi. All the force of his will was flaring through his eyes.

There were times when he was even capable of terrifying his enemies into submission with a single glare. But right now, he wasn't trying to lead through fear or intimidation. Right now, his expression was telling these Captains that he understood. Yes, it would be dismal if the Shinsengumi did not receive the full recognition they deserved, particularly after putting in four months of hard work and dedication. It might also reflect poorly on their ability to complete missions assigned to them.

However, they needed to understand that it would be their actions that'd shape the events, not their thoughts. Any needless worrying would only distract them from their concentration on the reality of the situation and slow them down on this mission. What they needed to do was to come up with the necessary plans to deal with the issues they were facing presently.

Heisuke braced his forearms on his thighs, the scowl was apparent in his tone of voice. "It's easier said than done. Everything is at a standstill right now."

"I'm still curious to know how they became Rasetsu in the first place." It was evident that Sannan wanted to unravel the mystery of the transformation process in order to aid their mission.

"The way I look at it, the how isn't as important since it's already happened." Hijikata's facial muscles tensed with a touch of irritability as though he didn't want to pursue the matter further.

This was the one secret that he had kept from the other leaders in order to protect Shinohara's nature as a demon. Revealing the existence of demons would only have a reverse effect and lead to more problems than it solved.

He continued, "What we need to know is why it happened, how we can fight against it and what corrective actions to take so we can prevent it from happening again in the city. We've already tried one route and reached a dead end, so we will simply turn back and find another route, or even retrace our steps. We must've missed something."

Shinohara, who had been sitting silently to the side of the room between Hijikata and Souji, finally spoke. "The characteristics of the victims."

Saito looked at her. "Besides their cause of death, which was either being mauled or stabbed to death, there weren't any other similarities. The victims were of different ages and genders."

"I'm not referring to the dead." The room fell into an instant silence that stretched for a moment as everyone marveled at what was just said. The shrewdness of her comment surprised even Hijikata. "None of these Rasetsu were transformed by choice. The ones you have eliminated in the past, what did they have in common?"

"They were all male, with ages ranging between early twenties to late-thirties," Saito offered.

"Wait," Shinpachi's voice was cautious, a perplexed crease appearing between his eyebrows. "Are we suggesting that all this isn't a random occurrence?"

Shinohara's observation affirmed what Hijikata believed was possible, although up to this point nothing had convinced him that it wasn't a random act of violence. However with that one comment he now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this crime was intentional.

Kondou's face was now wearing a heavy frown. "If the men were purposely turned into Rasetsu, then Toshi is right, we need to find out the motive behind this action so we can apprehend the culprit."

"Maybe someone is trying to build an army of Rasetsu," Heisuke remarked spontaneously with a broad grin. But as soon as he realized everyone else in the room had stopped speaking and were all staring at him, his grin dropped. "That was supposed to be a joke…"

Sanosuke placed his hand on his shoulder and said, "You might be onto something there, kid."

Hijikata turned to Shinohara, who appeared contemplative and curious. "Is that a possibility?"

"Not unless there's a way to control them, especially the ones that have lost their sanity and turned rogue, which I'm unaware of."

Hijikata knew it was a dubious assumption, but it wasn't entirely impossible to imagine someone, possibly a demon, attempting to exploit the power inherent in these Rasetsu. It was interesting how the events all began to fall into place and suddenly made sense.

And if it was true, then it didn't seem like there was much the Shinsengumi could do until they got the answers they were seeking, and found the missing pieces to this most intricate puzzle. But Hijikata liked to think that they were strong and capable enough to not give up, even in the face of something more sinister that felt like it was a lot bigger than them. Such thoughts didn't make the situation feel any more manageable though. The layers of deceits and truths only added to the challenge of this mission.

"Also, even though we haven't seen a rogue in the last few days, are we really certain that we've eliminated them all and stopped more men from turning? Because if we make a report to the Shogun and it turns out that they are still stalking the streets of the city, then we basically create more problems for ourselves." Sannan brought up some rather valid points. Those were the core issues that they'd definitely have to tackle first.

"We've already checked the short list of missing people, and from what I recall, none of them matched the characteristics that Saito mentioned." It was Sanosuke who volunteered the information without being asked.

"We need to see the world from the offender's perspective," Souji said, crossing his arms. His train of thought seemed logical. "If I were him, I would pick targets who are either homeless or without family, so I wouldn't leave any traces behind to be caught."

After having heard everyone's input and suggestions, Hijikata decided he was prepared to give directives and to re-organize everyone on this mission swiftly. His instincts warned him that there would be more Rasetsu, and that'd only mean one thing; more people were going to die.

"Sano, follow Souji's lead and investigate further, see if you can find anything."

"Understood."

"Sannan-san, would you mind taking Shinpachi and Heisuke along with you on a trip to Osaka and Nagoya? We need to confirm if they're also having the same problem with Rasetsu in their cities. I want to rule out the probability that only Kyoto is being targeted. This will in turn help us narrow down other possibilities and reduce the potential of us chasing dead leads."

Sannan nodded. "We will be packed and ready to depart by dawn."

Hijikata turned his attention to their Chief sitting next to him. "Kondou-san, since we don't have jurisdiction in other cities, can you make a trip to the magistrate's office and obtain the proper paperwork that we'll need? Saito and I will continue with the night patrols in the meantime."

"Of course. My task is simple enough compared to what the rest of you have to do."

"Not so fast, Kondou-san. You have a tougher job ahead of you since you're also representing the Shinsengumi when you report to the shogunate at a later date." Hijikata's amused smirk made the man chuckled softly.

He then looked at Souji, who was already giving him a knowing look before a word could be uttered. "You don't need to say it, Hijikata-san. Your expression tells me that I should stay back and rest."

"If you can't bear to miss out on the action then hurry up and recover." Hijikata made his voice curt and dismissive, not drawing attention to Souji's physical burdens. Being a man of restless and active disposition, it would be very difficult to deter Souji from regarding himself as an invalid at this time.

"That's right, Souji. Doctor Matsumoto will be here tomorrow to give you a physical evaluation. Don't give the man a hard time and make sure to work with him."

"You make me sound like a spoiled child, Kondou-san," he muttered under his breath.

"Of course not, because you're worse than that," Kondou bantered back, which brought a ripple of chuckles and a few of them broke into grins.

Hijikata stole a glance at Shinohara and noticed her mask of composure and indifference was still firmly in place. Ever since the night at Sumi, he was ruffled by the disquieting intensity of her reservation and coldness.

There were times when he'd tried to draw her into conversation but he ran into a stone wall. It was as if she'd retreated deeper within herself, so deep that she was closing off her mind and detached herself from all things external. She only presumably attended this meeting because of her own code of honour that demanded she keep her side of the bargain. Otherwise she would have deliberately maintained her distance.

Hijikata suspected her rapid change of manner had something to do with him; he could sense her tumult with every nerve in his body. Although she didn't allude to what had happened between them at the balcony that night, it was quite obvious that being in the embrace of his intimate affection had confused her and sent her further into hiding.

Truthfully, he didn't know what he had been doing or why he had done what he did that night. Only that he couldn't stop himself as his need to touch her had overwhelmed all other rational thoughts. But Hijikata soon realized afterwards that he'd been too self-indulgent, too unmindful of his own actions and the disturbing impact he'd had on Shinohara. Especially when it was something she had never experienced before. And now she'd put up that barrier of icy control between them again before he could so much as blink. Consequentially he already knew it would almost be impossible to get her to lower it a second time.

"Quite a lively meeting you're holding in here, Kondou-san." A voice interrupted Hijikata's brooding thoughts. Everyone's attention was directed towards Itou at the door, a small smile marring his effeminate features.

"Perfect timing, Itou-san. Please come in." Kondou motioned him into the room with his hand, inviting the man in as he was pleased to see him. "Take a seat and join us."

Itou entered the room and situated himself across from Shinohara, his eyes were instantly drawn to her. "Asuna, is it? Kondou-san spoke of you quite often. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Eyes ahead, Shinohara held her silence. She regarded him in a way as though she was disinterested in him and anything he had to say. Hijikata wondered if part of her aversion stemmed from the fact that Itou was a Rasetsu.

On the account of their awkwardness, Kondou felt compelled to speak first. "It was my mistake as I should've introduced you earlier. Asuna, this is Kashitarou Itou and he's our new Military Advisor."

There was still no response from her.

Finally, Heisuke cleared his throat and asked, in an attempt to be natural and animated, "Itou-san, how was your trip back to Edo?"

After what seemed like an icy eternity, Itou turned his eyes away from her to look at the younger Captain. "It was fruitful and we can expect more samurais to join us shortly. They should be arriving to Kyoto in the next couple of days."

"In other words, you came bearing good news, Itou-san!" Kondou chuckled, ecstatic by the surprise.

The expansion of the Shinsengumi was definitely vital not only to public interest, but it was also a big step forward for their organization. Once they succeeded this time, they would have blazed a trail for other undistinguished samurais to follow and join their cause.

"I thought I'd convey this good news to everyone right away. But I do hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"Certainly not. We were just discussing some of the challenges related to the Rasetsu problem that I've spoken to you about previously, and our options on how to approach it."

"You're very familiar with the concept of Rasetsu, aren't you, Itou-san?" Souji's grin was innocent, amused. But his intonation made it clear that he was mocking the man and knew exactly which buttons to press.

Souji and Saito had both been made aware of Shinohara's warnings and Itou's true nature as a Rasetsu. Hijikata had decided to put him under discreet surveillance as a precaution since he didn't want to miss any abnormal behaviour, especially if these behaviours would pose a potential threat to the Shinsengumi members. His two Captains were to report back immediately if their men were exposed to any peculiar danger.

"Rasetsu are definitely a predicament for the city, but they also present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Shinsengumi to be acknowledged by the Emperor and catapulted to fame," Itou stated as he didn't rise to the bait, much to Souji's disappointment. Though there was something almost menacing in his patience. "But you will be surprised to know that Rasetsu aren't even the most terrifying creatures in existence. In this world, that title belongs to demons."

The tiny hairs on the back of Hijikata's neck rose in warning at the staggering disclosure. Souji and Saito were equally shocked by Itou's audacious candour. Shinohara, on the other hand, appeared to be unaffected by his revelation when she dragged her eyes to meet his squarely. Almost as if she was intrigued and wanted to see where this discussion was heading.

Kondou gave him a wary look. "Demons?"

"That's right. Demons may look human, but there is nothing human about them at all. They were viewed as mystical creatures; mysterious and frightening forces of nature that regularly fed on human blood and took lives without mercy or remorse."

Shinohara lifted her chin ever so slightly. Her aquamarine eyes flared with something hotter, more brilliant, sending Itou a lethal warning to be more prudent since he seemed to be indulging in the malicious pleasure of affronting her and her people. But her reactions, subtle as they were, only increased his amusement and fueled his inclination to oppose her further.

Having gained her undivided attention now, Itou continued as his lips curved up in a ruthless turn. "Since they held the notion that they were a superior race, they possessed the hunger to dominate and delighted in pain and brutality. So if you think Rasetsu are frightful, then you wouldn't want to encounter a demon on a dark street."

Scowling, Hijikata felt fury rising and sweeping over him like a storm to a breaking point. Just when he was about to interject, Souji cut in with a snicker as if it was because of Itou's absurdity. "You're so imaginative, Itou-san. You should quit playing a joke on us."

"It's all just make-believe to scare little children," Saito chimed in, trying to dismiss the subject as well.

For the first time he came to the realization that these men were the same as him. On top of showing evident concern for Shinohara's distress, they both shared a strong desire to protect her secret and shield her from the cruel statements. If the air around them wasn't so dangerously charged right now, Hijikata would have been beguiled by the unexpected loyalty she had quickly gained from his two Captains.

"This is the first time I've heard of demons too," said Shinpachi, who was half doubtful of Itou's words.

"You haven't heard of them because their race was eradicated many decades ago. Demons were scourges of mankind after all. But it was certainly interesting how they were so easily destroyed by us humans, a race they'd always considered inferior. So many great Demon Lords have fallen too. Even the most powerful Demon Lords from the north and south all perished under the hands of mortal men. It was clear that their strength and value had been greatly over-exaggerated by some baseless rumours."

His last comment apparently triggered something inside Shinohara as her facial expression changed in an instant, showing a trace of aggression. Hijikata also noticed her right hand clenched into a fist so tightly at her side that her long fingernails were digging into her palm. And the fierceness in her narrowed eyes was cold and threatening.

On a spur of the moment, a thought crossed Hijikata's mind as he vaguely recalled the time she'd told Shinpachi that her family was from the Southern Region of Japan. A sense of slow horror was washing over him. Was Itou referring to her family? If so, then was there a connection between Itou and Shinohara for him to deliberately provoke her to anger?

"All these horrible things about demons that you're telling us, is it really all true?" Heisuke asked in amazement, looking at others around the room.

"That's enough storytelling for today," Hijikata gritted his teeth as he controlled the fiery rush. "We're being sidetracked enough as it is. We don't have time to waste on fables."

"I can assure you that what I told you is nearly all true. But Hijikata-san is right, we should shift our focus back to the mission instead."

"What do you make of the women and children who were also killed in this purposeful massacre then? Demons who have never hurt a human being in their lives."

Shinohara's unexpected question caused Hijikata's pulse to jump in irritation. He didn't know what she was trying to accomplish by dragging on this conversation. But she seemed to prefer escalating the situation with an aggressive attitude instead of defusing it. And what was she hoping to hear, anyway?

Itou gave her a gradual grin, taking up the challenge. "Due to their violent nature, demons should've never been allowed to coexist with us humans in the first place. They've made life impossible for the rest of humanity and therefore they should all be eliminated completely, just like vermin." He put a heavy empathize on the last word before directing his next question at her specifically. "In a way it was all justifiable, wouldn't you agree?"

There was a prolonged silence. Everyone sat dumbfounded for a straining moment, confronted with a situation they had never expected and worse, had no idea how to respond to and were seemingly at a loss for words.

"That's enough of this nonsense. We're getting carried away," Hijikata growled with a low voice.

Shinohara continued to stare at Itou for some time without speaking. Then it was as if whatever anger she might've been feeling abated abruptly, and she rose to leave the room. But the instant she stood and flexed her hand, he noticed a trickle of blood running down from where her nails apparently broke the skin of her palm.

Hijikata swore he saw Itou's expression flash with an odd emotion before the self-assured grin returned. "It appears that I've upset Asuna with all this demon talk. Perhaps I should dismiss myself and go offer her an apology now."

As soon as he left, Heisuke spoke up with a bewildered look, trying to comprehend what had happened. "What was that all about? It was intense."

"Nothing of any importance that we should concern ourselves with," Saito contended resolutely.

Without a word to the men, Hijikata also hurriedly left the room. There were a few seconds of surprised silence, and then Shinpachi's voice was heard from outside the door.

"Where is everyone going?!"

Although Hijikata couldn't read Shinohara's face for a response earlier, he didn't like the slivery light in her eyes. As the sense of uneasiness and concern still persisted, he decided to go after her. He needed to get to her before something happened between her and Itou.

And something would happen, he was certain of it.

X X X

Asuna used every measure of control she knew to calm herself before her wrath turned to a frenzy. No, she was a predator beneath all the frigid composure and her seething anger demanded action. She was only doing what all predators were best at – hunt and kill. It wasn't her fault that the mortals had forgotten her fiery nature. So now they must face the consequences of their misjudgements and misdeeds.

It didn't take long for her prey to round the corner and come into view. As if by pure instinct, she followed every rhythm of his refined movements with her watchful eyes, including how he was being cautious and kept a safe distance away. Asuna tilted her head to one side and observed with a faint, rare smile touching her lips.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" It was a rhetorical question. Of course he couldn't help himself. Demons were their creators after all, and so their blood would be irresistible to them. Asuna lifted her hand stained with crimson. "Is this what you want? A taste of demon blood?"

Itou gave her a grin of acquiescence in return. "I must say I didn't expect you to lure me out with your blood. I should give you credit for such craft-"

His sentence was cut short when Asuna unexpectedly charged at him using her frantic demon speed, knocking him against the wall; her hand grabbed his throat. A brutal, powerful grip that cut off his breathing and crushed painfully into his larynx. Deadpanned in shock and terror, Itou made a feeble attempt to clutch her hand and claw at it desperately.

"Earlier you were claiming that demons were vermin and that we all needed to be eliminated. So why aren't you fighting back now?" Asuna watched his eyes widen in horror as he gasped in and out for breath. She could smell the acrid scent of his fear. It was energetic, addictive, and intoxicating. "You mortals always like to overestimate your own abilities and deny your weaknesses. You should take a good look at yourself right now, so fragile and pathetic. With just another pound of pressure I could crush your windpipe."

The desire for destruction was so overpowering that Asuna wanted to give in to the sharp urges pulsating through her body like an electrifying force. She wanted to surrender to the facelessness of nothing, and let her primitive instincts and demands to take over. And she did just that when she started tightening the grip around his throat.

Hijikata, whom she'd previously seen come rushing towards them before she laid her hands on Itou, stepped in to intervene. "Shinohara, that's enough. Let him go."

"Why? This is exactly what he asked for when he decided to provoke me willfully." Asuna didn't even spare him a glance since she had no interest in what he had to say. But she already expected he wouldn't be turned away so easily.

"You can't kill him now. Not here at the Shinsengumi headquarters."

For every statement he made, his tone was imperious. Almost as if he was issuing orders and expected them to be obeyed, and that infuriated her even more. Evidently it had slipped his mind that he was speaking to a demon who lived by her own rules and sense of morality.

"I can kill whomever I want, whenever I want, and you won't be able to do anything to stop me."

Asuna felt her fangs extending outwards as her mind reached out for the sharp edge of violence, welcoming it. Exulting in that exhilaration, she clenched her fingers around Itou further, until her nails cut through his skin and drew blood.

"If you kill him now then others will start asking questions. And I don't want anyone to ask any more questions, do you understand me?"

She would have ignored his command if she'd been able to, but she knew he was right. Hijikata had no obligation to help her evade and hide a murder just because her lust to kill was raging through her veins. The mere thought of receiving help from him and being bound further to the same man who disturbed her peace already made her stomach heave.

After a fleeting moment of hesitation, Asuna finally released Itou. His hand held his throat right away, trying to recover from his half-coughs and pain.

"Temper, temper," he chided derisively, his haughty attitude came back at once. "I'm glad Hijikata-san finally talked some sense into you."

Asuna kept her stare fixed on Itou. Even though she knew Hijikata was right, her vivid hunger for violence still wasn't sated. Not even close. It was scrambling her pathways and tugging at her mind for an instant. And that instant was enough. Before Itou could draw back and get out of her reach, she grabbed his wrist.

"Ignorant as you are, I assume you should at least know the limits of your power as a Rasetsu. Then you are aware that your external wounds will heal instantly but not your broken bones, right?"

"What?"

Itou's look of confusion was replaced with one of terror again when she effortlessly twisted his wrist outward. The snapping sound of breaking bone and the agonized scream of the man came simultaneously.

"You don't get to hide behind the Shinsengumi," Asuna told him nonchalantly while watching him writhe in anger at the pain. She licked his blood from her forefinger. The taste of saltiness on her tongue gave her a pleasing sensation of acute release.

She was turning to leave when Hijikata took her arm, stopping her. "Where are you going?"

"Don't touch me." He froze when Shinohara snarled at him, baring her fangs and jerking her hand away. Her eyes were now glowing red malevolent orbs. "Leave me alone."

Surprise stunned Hijikata hard as he watched her stormed off. It took him a moment to fight past his bloody protectiveness. Although he wasn't a demon, he was still a samurai who took lives and spilled blood on the orders of justice. He recognized the quiet ferocity that filled her eyes just now, and knew she was flooded with killing rage. That dark knowledge got him worried about her and her safety. He cared about her, he realized he'd always had.

A woman like her wasn't going to respond well to coddling, but he also couldn't leave her alone when she was in such an obviously fragile stage of mind. The truth was he didn't want to leave her alone either. So he went with the most blunt approach and decided to go after her. But Itou's resentful remark halted his step.

"This is why I said all demons have a violent nature. They're nothing-" Hijikata slammed his fist into Itou's jaw, hard. The man went down.

Standing over him, Hijikata forced himself not to draw his sword and go back on his own word of keeping the Rasetsu alive. "My blade will be the first to pierce your heart the next time you decide to open your damn mouth again. Don't let yourself forget that."

It was a soft, lethal threat Hijikata was resolved to make real.

X X X

AUTHOR NOTE:

Hi folks! Okay, I lied lol this chapter wasn't as action packed because I couldn't include all the scenes that I wanted without it turning into a 20 pages chapter, haha! So I have to split it into two parts. It's interesting how the scenes played out a lot shorter in my head, but the chapter just came to life on its own as soon as I started typing.

Anyway, a big thank you to everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed (lizyeh2000, Angelblueeyes21, KingCat48 and Guest) this story since the last chapter! I really feel the love…! Thank you, guys! I love you guys too!

Lastly, for those who celebrate all the holidays this month, I just want to say Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Valentines Day to you all! Wishing everyone good health, love and prosperity!

Now please look forward to the next chapter as there will be lots of Asuna and Hijikata's interactions and even a fluff moment! Have a great weekend, peeps!