A Shark King's Hell

by Darklord331

Why do heroes not exist in this world? Why do the innocent get used and abused while the corrupt and morally bakrupt rake in the profits for themselves? The answer was something he learned the hard way: this was a world for monsters, and the only way to fight back was to BECOME a monster himself. So that's exactly what he did. (Cover art of the protagonist, Theseus)

51. Chapter 51

SIIIP!

"Ahhhh, now that hits the spot! Good and fresh old sake!" Hijikata exclaimed while drinking from his gourd.

The man sat on top of a stool within a bar, one which sort of resembled the one which Theseus had built beneath the Hellsing base. One which was located within the Kuoh business district. The Bar had apparently taken some inspiration from an American show called Family Guy, cause the name had been the japanese words for 'Drunken Clam'. The bar's interior had a single counter on the back left side with a series of shelves behind it and a single door to a kitchen. On the opposite side were a series of small booths lined up with multiple seats in them, for up to 4 people each.

Hijikata himself had taken a stool close to the front entrance like what had been priorly said, but there was one other next to him who had sighed in mild annoyance with his companion's drinking habits.

"You do know that drinking too much alcohol is not good for your health." Karasuma criticized his comrade, holding a beer bottle in his hand while paying attention to the former vice general.

"Ahh shut up will ya? I'm healthy as the day goes by and I don't go a day without it." Hijikata snorted in annoyance, patting his stomach smugly while grinning back at his colleague.

As for why the duo were here in this Bar drinking together, well it had simply been the former vice general's idea for them to catch up and talk about issues together. Since they'd often been working together, the duo had decided to take a break together and get to know one another outside of work. Well, it was more like Hijikata pestered the poor former soldier till he agreed, knowing that said former could be quite stubborn when it came to his work.

"Keep telling yourself that Toshizo. Sooner or later it won't be long until your liver gives out and I'll be there to say I told you so." Karasuma drank a sip of his beer while continuing to criticize the soldier, not being too affected by the words. He'd only agreed to this outing after a whole week's worth of pestering from the man, that and he had been recommended by his fellow colleagues like Chisato and Meredith to take a break as well, something which he couldn't fight against since he had been somewhat missing out on some essential sleep for his usual teaching duties back at the university.

"You don't see me fainting, now do you?"

"No but later your liver will." Karasuma pointed at Hijikata's lower stomach before drinking his beer. The slight burn from the alcohol caressed his throat as roughly as sliding one's hand across rough carpet, though the man had long since gotten used to the feeling as a working adult who often built up stress from working with so many people, both competent and incompetent.

Hijikata, a mild flush on his cheeks that likely came from the alcohol flowing through his system, laughed uproarously at the comments made against him. "Haha, keep talking like a nagging nanny. Its as if you cared about me." he puts his hand on his chest in mock happiness.

"I don't care about you, I care about the wellbeing of your health. We're going to be working together and thus we need to have top health for our future mission. I don't want you to be drunk during a mission." the university coach once more criticize his comrade, his eyes narrowing slightly at the accusation. After all the two of them were simply work colleagues and nothing more. He always remained cordial with colleagues no matter where he worked, be it from the military or in any civilian job.

Back in the British military, the soldiers often could be described as rather crazy by a normal person's standards, although in Karasuma's opinion this could be said for any army person. Since they could die at a young age even in times of peace, only a certain type of person could properly thrive there. Although even though that was the case, there was sort of a sub culture in the military in which those a part of it had just different mentalities compared to normal folk. One could see this in things like their sense of humor or how they tackled problems in creative ways, using their own survival skills taught to them through basic training to handle daily life's trials.

Karasuma knew this to be the case even before enlisting in the military due to his family background, so he had been prepared for such things. It also helped him deal with the more… eccentric of people he'd met throughout his adult life, of which he could honestly deduce that the man beside him fit into that category snugly.

"Hey! I'll have you that I have only been drunk a few times during the Meiji era!"

"Just a 'few' you say?" The former soldier remarked, arching a brow while aiming a look at him which basically stated that he didn't buy that for a single second.

Hijikata opened his mouth and held up his index finger. He attempted to speak back against the modern soldier before closing his mouth in remembrance and lowers his index finger. "Point taken." he muttered, seemingly trying to hide a look of discontent behind his drink like a child who didn't want his parents to see his dismay for not getting their way.

Something which the teacher had completely expected thanks to having sussed out Hijikata's behavior. "Exactly." Karasuma nodded his head in confirmation, before drinking his beer.

"Goddammit I hate it when you're right." the former vice-general grumbled before taking a large sip of his sake bottle and slamming it on the bar counter.

Karasuma somewhat smirked in victory before he gazed at the man with a growing look of intrigue and curiosity. Since he had been young, Karasuma had studied all kinds of history and politics. Some from different countries than England, such as the United states and Japan as well. Books had been written to record the facts of those who wrote them, but those 'facts' were also commonly written from someone else's perspective with there being very few truly 'objectively' written books.

But here in front of him was someone genuinely from a time period he had only read about from books. A relic one could say, but a living one.

"So what was it like?" Karasuma asked the former Shinsengumi soldier, catching his attention which had been evident by how he glanced at the uni teacher through the corner of his eye while drinking. "Being in the Shinsengumi back in your time. What was it like?"

At that moment, Hijikata's eyes briefly widened in surprise at such a question bein asked. He hadn't expected it from this man, but perhaps he should have. "Ahhh." Nevertheless, a nostalgic expression stretched across his face as he looked up to the ceiling with a matching smile, his posture shifting from a hopeless drunkard to an old man's, reminiscence oozing from his very being. "I can remember those times even now, almost like it was yesterday I was sharpening my sword in preparation for the next battle against the west." He mused, a wistful smile on his face.

To the side, Karasuma stayed silent as he waited for the man to answer his question. He waited patiently, knowing that this question must take some time to form an answer for. It wasn't often when someone got asked what their original era was like, so one wouldn't normally expect it to be asked of them.

Eventually, Hijikata opened his eyes and gazed towards a nearby corner, his mouth opening and closing with the following words escaping him. "I remember it like it was yesterday. People of this era tend to see us as policemen for our lord, but instead of police officers we acted more like normal people: Getting along with each other, cracking jokes and regalling one another with tales of our feats in past battles. Hell, I can recall one time the whole Shinsengumi group decided to get drunk and next morning we had almost had the whole Yoshiwara in our base! Hahahaha! I swear the new recruits definitely had a fun time with five women! He became a man from that time onward!"

"Ugh." Karasuma put on a disgusted face upon hearing of THAT titbit of information, certain images cropping up in his head which only made the feeling worse. "I don't need to know that type of information Toshizo."

"Why, whats wrong? Scared or frustrated you couldn't handle that many woman in bed? Can you?" Hijikata teased Karasuma, mischeviously grinning like a gremlin at the man's plight. Perhaps a certain Succubus was rubbing off on him, but he'd partially brought that topic up on purpose just to mess with the usually stoic, composed uni teacher who'd infiltrate an entire church filled with enemies who'd snap him in two like a twig without hesitation for his students.

In the end, Karasuma resembled a lot of men in these times in that on the field of battle they could be competent badasses, but regarding women they had no idea what to do with them.

"Would you please get back to the topic will you?" Said uni teacher almost pleaded in exasperation with the almost drunken man. Not like he would ever admit that out loud though, he had an image to maintain. He wanted to avoid that type of subject, the thought of someone doing 'it' with a bunch of women at once made him want to vomit for multiple reasons.

Perhaps he should have asked Hijikata this question when he'd been sober, maybe then he would have gotten a better answer.

"Hmph, spoilsport." He said to Karasuma before taking a drink of his gourd. "It was good times, good times that we had. I wish it could last forever." He said before lowering down to the ground with a downcast expression. "Then….then….then…" He struggled to speak his sentence but he couldn't. His feelings were preventing him from ever remembering the events that happened. He tries to resist it in favor of telling about his time with the old police force, but no matter how hard he tried the words just wouldn't leave his mouth.

"..."

The sight of the former vice commander struggling to get the words he wanted to say out of his mouth caused a concerned yet understanding look to form on Karasuma's face. The former soldier had the feeling Hijikata had some problems telling his past, seemed he was still a bit traumatized from the events that resulted in the end of the Meiji era, especially the ones leading to his own demise. As a soldier, he can tell that the PTSD has not left the former vice-general. War or any battles related can sometimes scar a man for life, it had been apparent since ww1 when war so brutal and destructive had scarred countless soldiers, the man couldn't say for sure if other soldiers from centuries ago felt the same way, but back then war had been a much more ingrained part of the human psyche than it was in modern society. As such Karasuma decides to help him a bit. "It was during when Emperor Meiji has decided to act what the history calls the Meiji Restoration. To restore government and order in Japan?"

"Gah!" a sharp cry escaped his lips as Hijikata snapped out of his PTSD-induced trance. Seconds passed in complete silence before he burst into laughter, looking up to the ceiling above. Karasuma stayed silent, narrowing his eyes at the laughter and how hollow, broken it sounded.

This had not been any happy or merry laughter compared to before, Karasuma could recognize that faster than it took for a clock hand to shift. This laughter wasn't something he liked hearing, due to how disgusting and vile it sounded. To him, it sounded like the broken laughter of a patient in an insane asylum.

At long last, Hijikata ceased that laughter without acknowledging the weird/worried looks several drinkers had aimed at him. To them, he must have looked like a drunkard finally breaking. Afterwards, his features twisted into a curse as a grimace left his features alongside a snarl not unbefitting for an animal. "Restoration acts? I called them revolutionary change! Our Emperor was a fool to think he could change the very concept of our culture!"

BAM!

He slammed his gourd on the table while expressing his hatred towards the Meiji Emperor. He continued to express his hatred towards the Meiji Restoration. "It was a total disgrace, not just for all of our honor but to all of the people of Japan, including the samurai. The Emperor-no that fool, ruined all of Japan when introducing the western ideas into our land! Their industrial has defiled the holy soil of Amaterasu, Susanoo and Tsukuyomi. I knew from the bottom of my heart that slowly Japan will no longer be the same." He stopped for a moment, and took a look at his gourd before drinking several sips, and putting it on the bar counter. "Its one of the reasons why I rebelled against Meiji. Our honor and our very culture was at stake at the time. Changing our very foundation was never a good sign."

Karasuma added in some of his own thoughts to Hijikata. "Not many people were willing to change and forget the culture and their history, but they had no choice in the matter am I correct?" He questioned Hijikata.

Hijikata nodded his head, agreeing to Karasuma's thoughts. "Yeah but that doesn't mean I despise the western people. I only despise what Meiji thought he could do to restore Japan's government into order. I'll admit the western people are not as bad as they seem to be, I've met a few of them. Turns out some have a lot more in common with Japanese warrior spirit." He grined at the people he could remember while saying their names. "The boss lady sure knows how to put a man in her place, whipping them down to the ground with only her words. I'd feel sorry for the poor fool who tried to lay a hand on her."

Hijikata's words were true. Many times he'd witnessed several nobles and several envoys who tried to put Sir Integra in her place as sometimes as a show of status, nonetheless she remained unaffected by the bluebloods threats and instead whips them down to the ground with only her words. Never breaking down a threat from anyone that tries to mess with the leader of the Hellsing organization.

The former vice-general continued his speech. "The fish boy as well. I can see a lot of warrior spirit inside of him but he lets his beast instinct roam free without restraint. No leash over the brat, it's a miracle that the queen's brat had even a shred of control over him." He rudely complimented a familiar blonde.

Karasuma frowned at Hijikata's insult to one of his students, not taking that very well since in his eyes saying awful stuff to the uni students would also be directed to the teacher as well. However, Hijikata did indeed have a point with Theseus. He hated to admit it but the blonde was more like a rapid dog with no owners to control, not even Meredith could completely domesticate the lad. The uni coach shook his head before taking a sip of his beer, puts at the bar counter. "You know, Theseus has been meaning to apologize to you Hijikata. I've sometimes seen him have a look of guilt on his face whenever nobody is looking at him but I never missed and recognize that look on his expression." Karasuma explained to Hijikata about Theseus's apology to the former vice general. Karasuma hoped that things would improve if there was a genuine sentiment to reconcile.

Only for those thoughts to be literally waved off by Hijikata, who took another swig from his guard. "Depends on if that fish boy improves his attitude and stops letting his inner beast loose so much, maybe then I'll consider it. Words mean nothing but action can prove he means it." He said to Karasuma with strong convection. "Whenever he actually restrains himself, we'll see then."

In the end, all Karasuma could do was sigh and shake his head. Looked like the blonde wasn't the only one who had a stubborn streak, but then again he figured it best to quit while he waas ahead. "(SIGH) alright." It was all he could do for his student to help him reconcile with the former vice-general.

The rest would be up to the masked boy.

As Karasuma monologued to himself, Toshizou looked to the side while hiding a small smirk behind his gourd. Internally, he could appreciate the gesture of what the boy was planning to do, but there was much more to be done. He had seen that Theseus was starting to improve a little bit, but that's just for a short while. He needed to continue improving himself for the long-term rather than just do it for a short time.

Time will tell if he actually improved himself.

In an effort to try and divert the subject to something more normal, Karasuma blinked when he remembered something about the man that hadn't been brought up yet. "There is something else I want to ask you, Hijikata."

"Hmm? Sure what is it?" Hijikata answered to Karasuma, letting him ask some more questions about whatever was on his mind.

"How's the succubus?" the former teacher queried, to which if the former Shinsengumi member was drinking at that moment he might have started spluttering it out from the unexpected question.

Hijikata glanced back at the teacher. "Sheila was it? Maria's mother to be precise."

"Yup thats her."

With that confirmation reached, Hijikata heaved a small yet troubled sigh. "I'd say she's rather a handful."

"Oh?" somewhat surprising himself with how quickly he'd become interested in this topic, Karasuma leaned forward slightly. Although his expression didn't show it, he felt somewhat curious as to how the older male dealt with the Succubus. "Do tell."

Hijikata looked annoyed at the coach. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" He exhorted at Karasuma, staring at his eyes which the coach responded the same without any fear or losing his interested look. It was like this for sometime before the former vice-general gave in, losing the little game of will to the coach. "I'll admit, all the fantasies I had for succubus similar to the red light district were nothing in comparison to the real thing. Instead, she's quite different than her daughter."

Karasuma put his drink down and leaned on the bar counter with his elbow. "Sounds like she has you wrapped around her finger." he stated, his lips pursed.

Hijikata slumped down at the bar counter looking both exhausted and tired from talking about that succubus. "She's nothing like those Yoshiwara prostitutes, in fact I dare say she'd blow them out of the water." the man mused, to which Karasuma only gazed at him with confusion. Seeing it, Hijikata got an idea. "Well, I wouldn't expect YOU to understand. I've had my ways with women you see." He explained, a downright scandalous smirk on his lips before he leaned forward and beckoned Karasuma to get closer to him, which the soldier complied.

With his lips near his ear, Hijikata whispered a few words into him.

(WHISPER)!(WHISPER)!(WHISPER)!

The black hair adult raised his eyebrow in confusion before returning back to his usual stoic demeanor. The coach leaned back and stared at Hijikata's grinning expression. One look at the former vice-general before…

POW!

..a fist flew forth and punched that smug expression off Toshizo's face, literally. A loud grunt escaped his lips as the former soldier fell back from his barstool.

"(GROAN)..." Hijikata groaned for a while before getting up from the ground, trying to get rid of the pain from the sucker punch Karasuma has landed on him before looking annoyed at the stoic Karasuma. "What the hell was that for? I just only told you what I know about how to please one." he remarked, grumpily standing up and putting his stool back into position. He then sat down, or rather plumped himself, on top of it giving the former soldier the stink eye.

Something which Karasuma ignored while taking another sip of his drink. "Which I did not want to hear. I have standards thank you very much and I will be the judge if I wanted to find love." Karasuma told him without losing his expression.

"And how is that going? Have you found anyone that caught your attention?" His fellow comrade countered back at Karasuma. He took a huge drink of his gourd before wiping his mouth. "You know…" he grins once more before putting in another suggestion. "In the supernatural, there is no law on how many you could marry. 4, 5, 6, 10 it doesn't matter. Its a free world to be i-OOF!" he grunted all of a sudden when Karasuma elbowed him at the stomach, looking more annoyed an ever.

"That is for me to decide, not you." Karasuma ended the short conversation here before taking a drink of his beer. "Anyways, back to our prior topic: Maria's mother." He simply went back straight to the main topic of what Hijikata was about to say.

The former Shinsengumi member simply grumbled at Karasuma for not having any sense of humor in him. "Your no fun, spoilsport." he grumbled a bit before looking straight, ahead of the bar counter and stared at the liquor. "As I was saying, none of them could ever compare to that woman, not even close to a single finger. Back in my day, women were usually quite conservative. They protected their modesty unless there's nothing left to lose, they often wore clothes that concealed themselves as much as possible. That woman? She does some similar stuff like wearing gowns, but she wears tight ones that expose her figure to the world yet still remains conservative unless she wanted to show off… and when she does godDAMN. Woman should be known as a queen of sensuality at this point…. Hell the worst part is she doesn't hide it." he lowers his head to the bar counter looking defeat. "Whenever I try to make a move on her, she's better than her daughter. In every way. That woman used sensuality like breathing naturally to the point where despite being the same size as her daughter she felt more like an adult woman than any of them." He lift his head and puts in a frustrated expression on his face. "Have you seen what that demon can do?! I'm losing my touch here!"

Karasuma almost lost his perfect stoic expression. His mouth almost moved from the sight of Hijikata pathetic state, however he managed to control the expression on his face. "Succubus are known to be mistresses of seduction. Rarely anyone can ever outwit them at their own game. You do know that do you."

"Yeah, but overall." Pausing a bit before he lets out a solemn expression, a light exhale escaping his nostrils. "She seems nice, she reminds me of those few times I met a few of my squads' wives whenever they came and visited their husbands between our missions." He solemnly spoke, recalling a few memories of… better times. Times which he now wished he cherished more than he had back then.

Karasuma glanced at his fellow soldier for a bit before getting into what he was thinking. Reminiscing the past, something he knows very well. "Do you miss your comrades, Toshizo?"

"..."

His fellow comrade did not speak for some time, creating an atmosphere of silence that spread throughout the pub like a rapidly contagious airborn plague. It didn't last long though, he finally spoke. "I do, I regret dragging my soldiers into that hopeless battlefield, conveniently ignoring the thought that they would never return home to their families: their wifes and children who would never see their loved ones again. All of them died because of my rage towards that damn Meiji."

The black hair adult put a hand on his comrades shoulder. "Its not your fault. They knew where they would be going, and yet they choose to follow you. You did not send them to their demise against their will." he assured, looking back towards his drink. His eyes glazed over as he sunk back into his own memories. "Back when I fought for the UK Military, I saw numerous examples of brave squad leaders intending on conducting suicidal-looking operations. Yet none of their subordinates ever left their sides, even if some did protest against them, all because they would follow leaders who were charismatic enough. Whenever I asked some about who they'd follow, they mentioned that they would only go for those willing to go to hell ahead of them. Just like the famous generals, kings and queens of old."

There were reasons why fictional characters like King Theoden from the british book series Lord of the Rings, the historical ancient greek kings and queens of old amongst any decent king worth his salt were widely respected. Leaders who were willing to join their men on the front lines were almost revered by the people of the current era due to constantly seeing leaders all clad in proper suits constantly ordering their militias to do the dirty work for them while they sat behind cozy desks away from the danger. In the past leaders led by example, hell he remembered the King of Belgium during world war one stepping up to his military duty by fighting in the trenches alongside his men. He led his forces as best he could during that hectic time, emerging from it a national hero to his people, and even his wife gained widespread popularity for her efforts in promoting the nursing side of things and even getting her hands dirty by helping out herself.

So to the PE teacher, Hijikata didn't need to feel as guilty as he did since back then, he was sure that those people would have gladly followed him to hell if it were necessary.

"Yeah, I get that Karasuma. But it doesn't change the fact that my rage cost me both my life and that of my fellow comrades." Hijikata retorted, a snarl on his face. He still remembered the memory of how much his rage cost him dearly. Of how it not only shamed him as vice commander of the Shinsengumi but it also took away the lives of honorable warriors who fought for the Shogunate with courage and bravery, shaming the Shinsengumi eternally. "And now, I'm still wondering if any of their grandsons or descendents hate me to this day. Not that I can blame them." Sometimes the crimes of the soldiers were redirected to the general himself. A was responsible for the squads their leading, but if one of them was involved in a dishonorable act then it also disgraced the squad and the reputation of their organization. "I can only hope that my squads family are at least living a decent life."

Karasuma stayed quiet for sometime, letting Hijikata drink his sorrow away while gazing down at his own drink which had been nearly completely swallowed by this point. Nevertheless, it made him think back to some of his days back in the UK Military. It's not the first time he'd seen a soldier or even one of his teammates drink away their sorrows despite countless examples of why such overconsumption was a bad idea. Nevertheless people who over drank did so for multiple reasons from his own experiences: to either get rid of the PTSD/trauma they experienced during the war, or cope with memories they would rather forget to distance themselves as far from them as possible.

Though as he watched his companion another thought presented itself within his mind, one pertaining to the man's appearance within the modern era when he had been killed many decades ago. "By the way, there's something I've been wondering: How did you come back into the living, Toshiro? I'm still comprehending the fact that supernatural beings and myths are real, but I'm pretty sure there are very few who can raise the dead." the soldier asked his comrade, Resurrecting the dead wasn't a common practice, he had been told by Meredith and several key sources like that weapons merchant who'd supplied him for the night raid, for it perverted the natural laws of the world and thus would be punishable by death via the scythes of the Grim Reapers, Hades personal attack force.

While other Gods of death had their own means of punishing those who tried to break the laws their domains governed, Hades had been the most devout in stopping such things like Necromancy from getting a foothold in the world, something which contrary to what his actions implied actually garnered him a decent dose of respect from his fellow death gods. That titbit of info helped Karasuma comprehend the fact that the Greek Gods were also real and that they had apparently every bit of nastiness to them that their legends propagated.

In response, the black-capped soldier did not turn his head to his teammate when he answered his question. "Its more complicated than what you think. I wasn't revived by any of the patre on gods. None of the shinto trinity was involved. I was revived…..by the Cthullu cultist." He revealed.

"The Cthullu cultist?" Karasuma lifted his eyebrows in surprise before sharpening them amidst the tension that was birthed by hearing the word 'cultist'. "I haven't heard that name for a long time…" He muttered under his breath.

The Cthullu cultist, it has been a while since he remembered them. Though he wished he never had to with what little he knew.

Upon hearing the tone of voice that was used, Hijikata shifted his attention to Karasuma with a raised eyebrow in interest. "You know about the cultists? Had a few rundowns with them?" He asked the uni coach.

The coach nodded his head as he gazed down at his reflection within his glass. Memories flowed through his mind again, something which he realized he'd been doing a lot in this scenario. "I have. I've been aware of those cultists for sometime. We've had a few raids on their bases whenever we got the order to hunt them from our higher ups. I couldn't get more information about them due to it being highly classified." Karasuma explained with a troubled look soon crossing onto his features as he recalled digging through what he could to understand more about what drove these cultists to commit the acts that they did.

What he didn't say was one of the things that Karasuma DID find out when trying to look into cultist activity was something called the 'satanic panic', a societal fear that permeated through the US then across the globe from as early as the 1980's. There was a myth saying that it had ended, but Karasuma quickly found evidence against such things alongside his own experiences raiding such places with his men. Those… had been some of the more taxing missions he'd undertaken due to the rather morbid imagery that he'd been exposed to within their lairs. But back then he had thought that to be the extent of cultists and their batshit insanity, thus he'd been able to sleep easier at night knowing that he'd been putting down just a bunch of superstitious nutjobs.

Knowing what he did now, though…

He shifted his attention to the former vice-general. "There is more to this world that we still don't know."

"Heh, you got that right in one go." Toshizou complimented to Karasuma before resuming his speech. "Anyway apparently due to a mishap in their ritual and my sword being a catalyst, I got brought back to life. There's been little progress in figuring out how those shitheads somehow acquired the secrets of reviving the dead." He took a swing of his gourd before hardening his tone. "Sir Integra made us swear to never speak this to anyone in the world. And quite frankly I agree with her, if anyone knows how they could revive the dead…there would definitely be consequences. Imagine someone reviving Joseph Stalin, can definitely see someone like the russian president doing that."

A bone-chilling shudder traveled down Karasuma's spine at the thought of one of the worst people in human history being brought back. He'd heard of the whole criticisms that surrounded the russian president, but was he comparable to Stalin? That was debatable. "The dead must stay dead." Karasuma sharpened his tone, his words were like the edge of swords ready to cut evil into pieces. "They can't be revived, no matter what or who they are: men, women, even children. They made their beds, thus they must lay down on them. As much as it pains me to say it, there's always a price of reviving a person back from their graves. It goes against the natural order of the world." he stated firmly. He took a swing of his beer bottle before putting it on the bar counter. "No matter how desperate people are, wanting the people they care about, the dead must not be disturbed. They have to accept the fact that they're dead, that death claimed their souls."

Hijikata seemed to agree with Karasuma's logic and hac no objection to his lecture because he was not wrong, none of his words were wrong. He's not going to deny the fact that bringing people back to life goes against the order of the world, one that the devils broke with their evil pieces. If you die again, you would cease to exist, no afterlife. No second chance for the reincarnated devils that died. He shifted his attention to his teammates. "You seem to accept death's embrace rather well."

In an instant Karasuma shifted his gaze towards Hijikata. "Its because I'm no fool or an idiot desperate enough to bring someone back from their graves. In a manner of speaking, I'm realistic."

At the word 'realism', Hijikata furrowed his brows. "One's definition of realism may not be the same as another person, it's largely subjective. Just like one's ideals, philosophies and beliefs." he stated, thinking back to his time back in his own era.

Hijikata wasn't really a man who cared much for things like philosophy or religion. His priorities lay with the preservation of Japan's culture which had been developed over many centuries since their ancestors had first crossed into Japan when it had been connected to the mainland Asian continent. His family had been one of many who were devoutly pro japanese almost to a fanatical degree by this era's standards, but back then it had been seen as simply normal in an age where colonial powers fought each other on the daily for whatever they wanted without care for those whose lives they ruined. That had likely been the largest influence on him to lead the younger Hijikata to develop pro japanese sentiments though another big influence had been the lack of knowledge and understanding of western culture, something he bet was true for the Americans at the time as well who believed themselves racially superior to them.

Manifest Destiny was a total bitch, if one thought about it.

Because of these things, and now that he had a new chance at life albeit through some rather twisted means, Hijikata's perspective on his actions in his own era had changed. He'd gotten to know western culture better than back in post-isolationism Japan, learned that the Japanese had not forgotten their roots and that the supernatural Shinto faction still existed thanks to Sir Integra sending him on missions there (he'd almost cried tears of joy when he first saw the familiar architecture of the Yokai subfaction when he'd first visited, joy and relief in seeing a sight that he could recognize). More than that, he discovered that there were many westerners who had much in common with the japanese warrior spirit like he'd mentioned to Karasuma, making him change a few of his views significantly. He could see that there had indeed been benefits for his country by adopting western ideals, and from what he had heard about the second world war the western nations led by the US had apparently helped his country restore itself which had been the exact OPPOSITE of what they'd done back in his time.

Nevertheless, if his beliefs about things could change then people's perceptions of death and what it meant could also change as well. For example, one would fear dying when they're younger likely due to a sense of not experiencing all that life had to offer but that fear gradually dissipated when one got older because of this same reason… most of the time. So in his mind, Hijikata didn't disagree with Karasuma's way of thinking but he did want to remind him that not everyone would see it that way (looking at you, Devils) and that just like beliefs, ones views on topics will always change. Such was the way the human mind worked.

"Its how life works, Hijikata. You must accept the fact the world is never a happy place, its a double sided coin. One side is good and the other is bad. Balance exist for a reason and we must accept it no matter how much or how cruel life is."

"And like I said, not everybody will see it that way Karasuma. The way that war was once seen as a glorious act is another example."

"That is their opinion, everyone has their own opinion. And they will stick to it, we are stubborn because it is our nature. Even while being near death they will refuse to accept it." Karasuma stared at the glass cup, his own reflection. "Its a cruel world to be in Hijikata. No one is born equally."

"...I'll drink to that one." Hijikata decided to say after a moment of deliberation, having refilleed his glass. He grinned at his fellow Hellsing colleague who returned a small smirk, the two clinking their restocked drinks together before chugging down a good quarter of their contents. After almost slamming them back onto the counter, taking care not to break their glass/bottle, the revived Samurai heaved a heavy sigh as he looked up to the ceiling. "Huh… never thought I'd agree to something that bastard Okita mentioned to me once."

At the mention of the commander of the Shinsengumi, Karasuma blinked a couple times in confusion as he looked to his comrade. "What did he say?" he questioned.

Glancing back at the uni coach, Hijikata gave an awkward grin as he gave the following answer. "Oh, something about alcohol making men apparently more intelligent. Look at us, talking philosophy when we were raving about women just now." he declared in a slightly teasing manner.

A manner which Karasuma didn't share one bit if the dry look he had was any indication. "YOU were the one going on about women. I just kept things on a related note." he stated, electing a roll of the eyes from the revived samurai.

"And do I need to remind you that your still singl-"

POW!

An instant uppercut shut Hijikata's mouth up, the man being launched into the air before he fell back down to the ground.

Karasuma had been the culprit, the man still having his entire arm raised up at the air. His eyebrows were twitching in annoyance and frustration.

A complete solid and clean knockout.

Few moments later, the revived samurai managed to regain consciousness as he sat upright, a groan of pain leaving his lips as he rubbed the spot where he'd been hit with his hand. "Oowww. That hurt you bastard."

Karasuma did not respond back to his fellow comrade and continued to drink. Though that just said everything that needed to be said about his opinion regarding that complaint made to him.

Hijikata glared at him for a while before he gets off the ground and sat back on the stool. Despite their difference the two men got along with each other due to their similarities with war and philosophy, though Karasuma's attitude was decidedly more strict than Toshizou, who didn't have any shame about speaking about his sexual desire.

Essentially, they were like Yin and yang: complete opposites.

Once the revived samurai took another swig from his gourd, he shift his attention to his comrade. While it was fun trying to get a rise out of the man, Hijikata knew for a fact that Karasuma wasn't a man who called someone out to a place like this without reason. He remembered the tone of voice the teacher had used back when he'd first received the call, and it had NOT been one used for casual chats over some quality sake. "So what do you want to talk abou-"

"Hey what do you think about that buxom girl we're renting out?"

"What do I think? I think its the best fucking thing I'm about to experience!"

"Hey hey, quiet down! You'll attract some other suspicious people."

A pulsing headache assaulted his senses whilst Karasuma groaned out in displeasure, lowering his head as he rubbed his hair to soothe it. "Ugh." He groaned in utter disgust and loathing. Seriously, this was why he didn't like going to pubs like this, sometimes there were men like that who had loose lips about their sexual exploits and didn't give a shit about people just wanting to unwind. Even now, he could sense a few irked stares from the other male patrons in the pub aimed at them… alongside some curious ones.

The former vice-general grinned at the state of Karasuma. "Hhheeeeeee. Hhhheeeeee. See what I mean? You'll never get a woman if you continuing to act like this." He taunted his comrade.

"Toshizo, shut up will you." Karasuma threatened him with a hard tone, having enough drinking and can feel the effects of the alcohol through his brain. He doesn't want to become drunk while still being at work(One of Hellsing's jobs was to constantly monitor any place they were in and keep a high profile), otherwise he feared that he might do something he'd regret later on. His family have had a history of having violent impulses when they were drunk, his grandfather and great grandfather having been put into prison over 10 times (and that only factored the times they got caught) because they started mass drunken brawls like an american in texas.

Standing up from his stool, Karasuma made to leave…

"What do you think about that highschool girl? You think she's tight enough?"

But then he paused for a moment when he heard the words 'highschool girl' being mentioned. Lifting his head and narrowed his eyes. "Highschool…..girl?" He repeated those words. This caught his attention alongside the cold pit forming in his stomach. Slowly, the man did a 180-degree turn and faced the two men who were talking to each other at the table. Both of them looked to be rather old, at least in their late 30's to early 40's judging from the lines on their faces. Also they appeared to be in well-off positions of power since they wore either expensive-lookig suits or outfits a classic doctor would wear.

"Please, have you ever laid your hands on one of those girls before?"

"They are rare to get back in United States, but here you can find them practically almost anywhere."

"I wished I'd listened to you 5 years ago when you told me you were going to Japan to get laid."

"Now this is the chance to experienced and exotic japanese girl with HUGE breast that resemble a fucking watermelon."

"I can already taste it. I just can't wait to see the expression of that pink haired bitch."

"Pink haired…?" Karasuma lowered his head in thought as he began to reminisce the memories triggered by those men. He tried to think of someone in his class who had pink hair and the only person he could ever think of…..was…

Widening his eyes in realization, Karasuma paled upon figuring out the name. "Otome Sakusgi." He said the name of the student who had pink hair and heavily resembled what those men were talking about.

Off to the side Hijikata raised his eyebrow in confusion, not understanding why he said that name. "You know who they were talking about mate?" He did not get a response from Karasuma as he still keeps quiet. "Karasuma?" He called out to him, still not getting a response from him.

It was then the soldier got up from his seat and headed straight to the two men, said men being too immersed in their conversation. Once he reached the table, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and announced his presence. "Where is the girl?"

They shifted their attention from each other and looked annoyed at the coach. "Hey buzz off man, can't you see your interrupting us?" One of them demanded, sipping his drink in an intentionally vulgar manner.

His companion followed his lead too, giving him a look that basically screamed that he didn't want to talk longer than necessary. "Yeah buddy, your being rude right now. So fuck off."

Karasuma narrowed his eyes and repeated his words, his tone getting sharper each minute. "I said… Where. Is. She?"

Seeing the soldier was not backing down, one of the men get up from his seat which revealed how he looked a little taller than him… though not by much, perhaps just a forehead's worth. "Look buddy, we don't want anymore trouble here, your disturbing and disrespecting me. So why don't you." Putting out and index finger, the man made to poke him on the chest. "Why don't you do us a huge favor, take your whiney ass out of here and piss o-"

CRACK!

"AAHHHH!" before he could finish his sentence, Karasuma grabbed the man's hand and gripped it as tightly as he could, breaking his hand with his enhanced grip. Not only that, but he also went and twisted it behind the man back.

"Drake!" the other man called out his comrade's name. His face rapidly reddened at the audacity of this bastard for harming his drinking buddy, and was about to get up from his seat…

SHING!

However, he stiffened up when he felt cold hard steel being placed on his throat and someone forcing him to sit down. Because of the steel close enough to socially distance his head from the rest of his body, he couldn't see who it was that had put him so close to the reaper's touch. All he DID see was a long black sleeve and a white glove. He then heard someones voice behind him. "I wouldn't recommend you to do that. Sit tight because my fellow comrade asked your associate a question." His unknown aggressor whispered under his breath, yet every syllable sounded like a dagger impaling his ears down to the base. Not only that, but the man kept sweating upon feeling the blade getting closer to his throat inch by inch, to the point where a drip of blood began dripping down to the ground.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the men, the rest of the patrons saw everything that had been going down in those few instances. Yet each of them ignored the commotion and just focused on their drinks while immersing themselves with their own problems. They each could comprehend almost instinctually that it was better not to get involved with the men, lest they get indicted and make their already shitty lives even shittier.

Back with the said 'men', Hijikata decided to help his fellow comrade upon hearing the serious tone on the soldier's mouth. Knowing its not the time to mess around, the revived samurai did his part to help since it seemed to be related to Karasuma's business. "Now like what my partner said, but I'm going to be specific. Where did you hear about the girl? Better answer that question honestly, or else..." the revived soldier gripped the mans shoulder hard, feeling the bones of his shoulder blade breaking under the pressure. "There'll be a lot of hell to pay."

Seeing he has no choice, his life literally being on the line, the man finally cracked under the pressure with his tongue immediately beginning to blabber everything out. "A-alright. I'll tell you what I know. We came to Japan for a vacation, to get laid off with some couple of chicks and we were approached by a few men who heard about our plan. Th-they offered us a prostitute, a highschool girl to be exact! It cost us a lot of money-"

"I don't want to hear those pointless statements." Karasuma interrupted him, already getting a sick imagination of whats going to happen to another of his students. If there was one thing he HATED above a lot of things, it was failing those who had been placed under him. He'd failed in protecting his students back when the Night Lords had ran rampant throughout Kuoh, leading to many senseless, needless casualties of which could NEVER make up for his own failure. Every time he saw some of the affected students and their families while patrolling the streets, he could see it in their eyes, the devastation and loss that would plague them for the rest of their lives. Even though they no longer remembered why, the pain remained and that had been enough for Karasuma to horrendously blame himself for not being able to prevent it.

What if he had been stronger?

What if he had figured everything out sooner, made quicker preparations, hell even awakened this Sacred Gear of his before everything went down?

Such questions plagued him all the time ever since the aftermath when he'd had the children take days off from the university. It may have let them grieve on their own terms, but the effects were not so small enough to be overwritten that easily. No, it was certain that they would remain forever as a reminder of the tragedy that had taken place here, but if Karasuma had felt this bad, he could only imagine how Meredith felt about the whole thing. This had all happened under her nose while she herself had been 'exposed' in a sense, thus unable to prevent the incident from occurring.

He wasn't sure who failed more in this incident, but one thing he WAS sure of was that they had all failed in protecting the people here.

Now, he had a chance to prevent another student from suffering under the hands of evil, but he needed to make it quick and fast before its too late. "I'll ask one more time. Where the hell is she?" he demanded, pumping his words full of killing intent as if loading a shotgun while firing it with the rapid ferocity of a Gattling gun.

Needless to say, it proved to be effective considering how lips were completely loosened by their actions. "I-its in Drakes front chest pocket! Its where she's going to be at!" Hijikata's hostage answered them, getting increasingly sweatier from the blade.

Confirming that the name of the hostage he was holding was Drake, Karasuma patted his hand across Drake's chest till he found a front chest pocket and rummaged inside of it. This lasted a couple seconds before he took out a card, showing an address on it which, according to his own knowledge, led to a hotel…

A love hotel.

Pocketing the card to his pocket, Karasuma pushed down the urge to go on a killing spree like many of his colleagues seemed eager to do on a daily basis. Though considering that from a young age they had been exposed to this level of depravity all the time, Karasuma could see why. Though he bitterly regretted that kids had to see things meant for adults at all in this cruel world.

"Y-you think you c-could get away from this?" the man who Karasuma is restraining began to speak, catching he uni coach attention.

His associate sweats in increasing fear since every word that had left his mouth tightened the feeling of the blade against his throat. "Drake shut up!" he hissed angrily like a serpent.

Unfortunately, self-preservation instincts made sure Drake ignored him as he spoke. "You're in deep shit. Theres gotta be cops over there enjoying themselves, other bluebloods and politicians. They'll find you and do whatever it takes to ruin your life. All because you had to be the hero, well guess what? It doesn't work that way. So better kiss your ass goodbye, it might be your biggest regret you'll ever done." Drake taunted Karasuma, hoping to scare the soldier into submission.

However, that proved to be a major whole room's temperature PLUMMETED after those words left his mouth, whereas the source turned out to be the uni coach. Shadows envelop Karasuma's face, sharp eyes glinting in the brightness. Throwing the man known as Drake to the ground, Karasuma went and lifted his foot before announcing. "I'm not afraid of them, and I…..am not afraid of you."

BAM!

---

Later

After taking care of their 'business' at the pub, the duo of Karasuma and Hijikata arrived at what appeared to be a classic love hotel where couple goes to a hotel and rent a room to satisfy their lustful desires. With all kinds of stuff they provide to them, there were all manner of desires that could be sated within this place.

On the outside, the hotel looked to be a typical 6 story tall building since there wasn't enough funds to build anything like the skyscrapers in Tokyo, and such a building wouldn't mesh well with the town's aesthetic either. The windows looked clean and well maintained, with pale white frames making up their borders while the entrance was a pair of mahogany doors.

Both Hijikata and Karasuma are in a hallway of the hotel with multiple doors at the hallway but there was one specific room they managed to find after confirming it with the hotel clerk who was at least kind enough to give them where Karasuma's student might be.

Before long the duo stood behind the door, with Karasuma hardening his gaze and grips his hands hard, showing how much rage he felt behind the wall of stoicism. It was mostly Karasuma feeling affected though, hardly any of it was present within his comrade who wasn't as affected by this display of human depravity. Considering the standards for prostitution back in his era, that only made sense. "This is it Karasuma, behind that door is where she is. I don't know much about your students but I do know that teenage prostitutes don't usually do that willingly." he turned his head to Karasuma while tapping his hat. "You ready?" He asked Karasuma with some confirmation.

The soldier nodded his head in response, and although his face remained in it's classic stoic expression the more he heard from Hijikata the more the revived Samurai could see cracks starting to form across the facade.

Knowing that nothing more needed to be said on that front, Hijikata looked back towards the hotel like he were gauguing the defence of an enemy castle back in his time. His gaze sharpened and a bloodlust-filled smirk formed on his lips. "Then lets get this over with." Slowly unsheathing his sword, the man's blade gleamed menacingly with until fully unsheathed, the wielder sliding his fingers across the blade on top of his head…

SHING! SHING! SHING!

BAM!

In an instant, he launched several slashes at high speeds like in those anime samurai shows where one swung their blades faster than the eye could see. As a result, seconds later the door fell to the ground in a cluster of smaller pieces, leaving a small pile in it's place which let them see a long corridor. There was likely a small reception area to the left judging from the bit of a desk they could see, but neither male was here for an appointment.

They had shit to do.

Immediately the two darted into the corridor of which a whole set of security guards could be seen to be pouring out inside. Each of them looked like bald men in black suits, with matching shades and communicators in their ears like the secret service back in the united states. Obviously, it looked like they had been called out to investigate what had happened by the entrance.

Nevertheless, the moment they saw the rapidly advancing Karasuma and Hijikata they quickly drew their pistols and begun opening fire, filling the air with streaks of bullets and the sounds of projectiles exploding forth from barrels.

SLASH-STAB-SCHULUCK!

"I'm taking point!" Hijikata bellowed to his comrade while darting ahead of him. He swung his Katana downwards and bisected one of the men in black before he could shoot, grabbing his pistol and tossing it towards another who had to cover his face lest it be dented by the makeshift projectile. This gave the samurai the chance to close the distance, avoiding bullets due to how fast he was, and stab him through the gap between his arms as well as his neck. Ripping the blade out, Hijikata then promptly swung in a reverse horizontal slash which severed both the arms and the head of the man in black from the rest of his body, the pieces falling to the ground whilst his killer continued going on a bloody rampage.

As for Karasuma…

The man spun into a reverse roundhouse kick that sent one guard into a nearby wall hard enough that his head cracked it, the blunt force trauma quickly killing him by cracking his skull with enough fragments to pierce his brain. Afterwards he darted towards another and slashed through his chest with an X-shaped slash via his knives, flipping over another who tried to shoot him and landing atop his shoulders before stabbing him through the sides of his head and flipping backwards, tearing his head out from his shoulders.

All of this happened while the duo advanced forwards, slicing through the majority of the guards as they advanced up the buildings' floors. According to their 'cooperative' hostages back at the pub the girl called Otome had been confined to a room atop the 6th floor, room 69 ironically enough although neither male found it particularly funny. During their ascension, it became readily apparent that those who were spearheading this debauchery hadn't expected anyone to find out about their little ploy, and apparently most of the 'guests' hadn't arrived yet, hence why there had been almost minimal security in place outside of those who Karasuma and Hijikata had slain.

Before long, the two men had arrived at the door which had been mentioned to be the one leading to the room Otome was being held in. As they approached it, Karasuma could hear the sounds of muffled moaning and reluctant groans amidst rapid grunting that almost resembled an animal in heat. Though this was to be expected from a love hotel, the possibilities taking place behind THIS door in particular spread more cracks through Karasuma's stoic visage, as evident by how he gripped his knives tighter by the second. Patches of veins could be seen on the backs of his palms and forehead despite his mental discipline straining itself to keep him calm.

Wordlessly, Hijikata kicked the door down and the two men rushed inside.

In that split-second moment, the men registered the sight before them. A series of startled cries escaped the mouths of several naked middle aged males, two of them having pinned someone between them with their genitals impaling that person's own neither regions. Judging by the person's physique, long flowing pink hair and blue eyes radiating a mix of shame. Pleasure and mortification one could reasonably assume this was the 'Otome' that Karasuma had been intending to save.

Though the moment that split second instance passed, all bets fell off as the said teacher darted forwards with a look of bloody murder on his face. His rage exploded within his chest, unable to be contained any longer resulting in two flashes taking place over his arms as his Sacred Gear manifested atop them. His armored gauntlets crackled with lightning which danced over their deployed claws, gleaming just as dangerously as the Katana belonging to Hijikata…

Who got to the enemy first.

"Who the fuck are-?!" one of the middle aged men surrounding Otome bellowed angrily, that is until a second before realizing what was going on and quickly losing his previous anger. Fear and despair took its place when Karasuma stabbed one of his claws deep through his chest, sending bolts of lightning arcing through his system and turning him into a piece of human charcoal. Death had befallen him instantly, as Karasuma yanked his claw out…

Right as Hijikata jumped ontop of it and used the corpse as a stepping stone to decapitate two of the men at the same time. He would move on to take out the rest of the men via a… creative set of means which demonstrated his skill with a Katana. Pure swordsmanship would be all the man needed to separate these morons from their life supports, anything else would just be overkill. Though part of him also felt like he had just pointed his blade towards enemies he SHOULD have been slaying, enemies who were violently oppressing the people of Japan which brought him no small amount of satisfaction.

As for Karasuma, he quickly tore his way through the men without limit, his eyes white with the rage coursing through him. One tried to get to the entrance and flee the scene, only for the former soldier to pluck one of his knives out from his waist and toss it like a dart, the weapon stabbing into the back of the retreating man's head. By the time that he fell, every other male had been slain with the savagery of animals…

No less than what they deserved, honestly.

Soon after the room was turned into a literal bloodbath, Karasuma stood there for sometime before shifting his attention to Otome. The girl who was stunned at the sight of the slaughter resided on one of those chairs one would place a baby atop of, completely naked and with her legs spread out by the men who had just been slain. Considering that it had been early into the 'activities' she didn't have all of her faculties lost yet. It wasn't long until the uni coach fully turned and promptly approached her.

After seeing him approaching, Otome began to tear up when she realized that the coach was glaring at her. "S-S-sense-"

POW!

She attempted to call out the coach, however right when she reached out towards him Karasuma slapped her instead of comforting her. He was not in the mood for any comfort or assuring her. Instead he was in a bad mood right now. Otome head was turned sideways from the force of the slap Karasuma had put in.

"You are…." Karasuma began to speak after a few minutes of silence with his lower lip briefly trembling from the anger coursing like blood through his veins. "The most selfish fool there is. You've been in my class for few months,so you should know how much I do not tolerate someone acting selfishly. I've taught you better than that Sakusgi." He retorted at the pink hair girl. He points his finger at the ashamed girl. "You did not resist their attempts grasp onto you, and thus made it easier for them to take advantage over you. One of the lectures I gave to the class, especially the girls, was about the Penal code." He puts his finger down and begins to speak. "I shall speak this once more, the government issued a law called the Penal code in it stipulated that rape must involve intimidation, violence, or taking advantage of the victim's state of mind. Otherwise, a victim must prove that they actively resisted to launch a successful case. The law also limited the classification of rape." Narrowing his eyes at Otome before dragging a seat and sitting it in front of her, giving her a cold hard stare. "Which was what you experienced just now."

"Hey now." Hijikata puts a hand on Karasuma's shoulder. "Don't be so hard with her. She probably didn't have a choice in the matter. Like that guy Drake said, there were apparently a few politicians and police officers that was involved with the matter." he explained, frowning as he tried to defend the poor girl's stance. Neither of them knew how this had came to pass, so he figured that admonishing her without knowing the whole story didn't seem very fair to him… considering how this came from a man of the Meiji era, that was something.

Nevertheless, Karasuma didn't show the same kind of empathy here as the soldier shook his head in refusal. "It doesn't matter Hijikata, the Penal code law includes politicians as well, remember EVERYONE is equal before the law. After there was legislature amended that bill in 2017, forced anal and oral sex were recognized as part of rape. It also imposed harsher penalties for it. The legislature also maintained the Penal Code's active resistance requirement, reaffirming that victims ought to act a certain way even as they undergo trauma to gain the state's recognition. Considering what little we've seen it didn't look like she was resisting at all, meaning that even if she DID complain the courts likely won't favor her very much."

Karasuma then paid attention to his student who was silent from listening to his lecture. It was then she finally spoke. "I…I didn't know what to do, coach. I had no choice…they threatened to make my life miserable, not just for me but my family as well. They just….approached me…..and use many false accusations to get me and my family blacklisted from everywhere. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry sensei." finally the dam was released as she lets out tears from her eyes.

Karasuma does not change his expression but can sympathize her situation. There was many influential people who was a part of this hedonism act. The coach knew for a fact they had the law on their side, especially when he had done his research on this subject before teaching it to the class. There have been cases where women survivors of such experiences, were forced to act out their experiences under police scrutiny as an interrogation method which was described as a 'second rape', and worse still whilst in the US such stories would garner support for the victims from the community in Japan those survivors would receive heavy BACKLASH from the public. Things like death threats and nasty comments would be sent their way, and there have been cases where sex offenders, paedophiles and rapists were acquitted by the country's parliament. Under normal circumstances a situation like this would normally be impossible for the court to grant a sentence to those scumbags, if they were still alive. Thet would have likely punished Karasuma for his actions, but since he was a part of the supernatural world, then the law doesn't affect him much.

The coach gets up from his seat and took off his suit's jacket, before wrapping it around the girl. Staring deeply at her eyes, the man spoke some more but in a comparatively softer tone. "Look, I'm not mad at you about your situation, I'm just very disappointed at your adherence to them. There were most definitely other ways for you to find a way out instead of submitting to their whims. Remember, there are other people out there who are willing to help you. There's a reason why law and order was made: to protect and serve the people." He glance around his surrounding before he spoke. "I'll take care of this mess but for now, I need to make a call. I know someone who can handle these type of situation." he walked back and took out his iPhone before dialing a number. "They'll make sure nothing happens to you or your family. When you see this badge…" He takes out a badge and from the crest says "you must remember this: We will not give up and despair, We are on a mission from God," he spoke, and although his tone remained neutral there was a growing passion to his words. Additionally, the words 'We are on a mission from God' could be seen on the crest itself. "You can trust them with your life. Give them a task, they get the job done, effectively at that."

Otome stared at the coach for sometime before she genuinely smiled at him. Finally, the realization that she was getting out of her nightmare fully dawned on her, all thanks to the strict coach. "Thank you…..coa-"

Shaking his hand, Karasuma held a hand up to quiet the woman before him. "Don't thank me yet. There is still more work to do, I still need to get the bottom of this. Finding out who's the main culprit, the one behind all this." he stated firmly.

"Well thats too bad." Hijikata commented at his comrade as he walked to the scorched corpse and kicked on it. "Because you basically killed all of them, leaving none alive so far. You know who might throw a fit… she gets enough of this from HIM." he remarked, a slight chuckle escaping his lips at the mention of a certain blonde spear wielder and the auburn haired woman they both called boss. The former samurai couldn't resist the chance to tease his colleague, uncaring for the threat of violent retribution. "Looks like someone's more bloodthirsty than he lets on."

Karasuma had the decency to look embarrassed while almost dialing the number. "To be fair, I lost myself in anger and had no control over my actions." he stated, although he didn't approve of his own conduct either. Death wasn't something he was unfamiliar with, thanks to his former job but he had thought he'd gotten a handle of the 'hatred' that had been in him since his childhood. Apparently not, it still slumbered within him waiting for the next opportunity to be unleashed upon some poor sod.

Although Karasuma probably wouldn't refer to them as anything else but scum.

Hijikata chuckles in amusement at how the uni coach tried to keep his calm while defending himself, knowing almost intimately how his colleague operated. He then spoke while gesturing with his sheathed Katana towards the corpses around them. "Well, why don't you let me handle this situation while you make sure the girl is in a safe place." Taking a pause, the man walked forward and place his hand on his comrade's own. "You've done enough of the hard work for one day. Let me take care of the rest." He suggested to Karasuma with assurance that he'll handle the rest as he's done enough for the day. After all, he had been used to cleaning up messes either in the UK or across the world. Might be his specialty, if he thought about it.

Karasuma looked at the revived samurai for a while before he eventually relented, a low exhale escaping his nostrils as he glanced towards him. "Don't be late then. We still haven't finished our drinks."

"Heh you know me Karasuma. I'll always finish a drink with a fellow comrade like you."

"...I'll hold you to that, then."

---

Later

"Ugh, this is gonna take a while for me to clean my outfit." the revived samurai complained, his expression twisting into a snarling grimace while wiping off the bloodstains from his clothes. He should've known that cleaning dead bodies would be a messy job. He'd never needed to worry about it before ever since he was revived in this era, since Hellsing usually gave him missions to kill Vampires who threatened Hellsing's territory, and Vampires usually dispersed into dust when killed.

In hindsight, maye he should've called in the Hellsing cleaning service instead of doing it on his own. As far as he can tell they can deal with the job more efficiently than he could, since now it became apparent that when dealing with human bodies, there is a lot of mess to be cleaned. His honor however, refused to allow such a notion to continue. It demanded that he should keep his word to his comrade, something Hijikata found himself more than willing to do since even if he was in a new era, his code as a Samurai still persisted for better or worse. But next time, he promised himself in the future to call them.

Before long, Hijikata had finished disposing of the bodies that were the result of their little 'incursion' in a manner that would not lead back to them. He knew for a fact that technology had advanced to such a level that murderers were usually found by investigation teams especially if the work had been done by an ameteur. Although Hijikata wasn't really one for such things beyond the basic necessities, of which he blamed him coming from an era where things had been much simpler for him, the Samurai still believed that the technology had it's benefits. Such as giving the people a much cosier, safer lifestyle compared to what he had grown up with, he could tell this to be the case by looking at people whenever he walked among them during his tasks. Even in Japan it was the same, people walked with much less caution, brooding and depression, people held their heads up more often than in the Meiji era, although maybe that was just because of the governing efforts done by Hellsing in recent times.

Though this also brought back what he had said about his hate towards the Meiji Emperor, causing a dark look to eventually overshadow his gaze as the man raised his hand to slightly ange his hat downwards, hiding the way his teeth clenched. All around him, Hijikata could see the results of the Meiji restoration's influence with how everything lacked the typical japanese style, having shifted to a more western architecture. Sometimes he couldn't even recognize his own country anymore, the man vividly remembering nearly losing it when he learned of how his rebellion had failed and Japan had underwent the emperor's reforms.

He wasn't lying when he'd been so 'relieved' upon first visiting the Youkai and overall Shinto factions, perhaps that had been the sole saving grace of his journey to his homeland for the first time in centuries. The fact that something familiar to him still existed in this time provided more relief to him than he let on, it showed him that Hijikata wasn't just some relic of the past that deserved to fade into the annuls of history, that the past could still remain a part of the present.

Still, one of the greatest lessons he had learned in all of his travels throughout this new world, was that perhaps the Japanese weren't the only ones who had the warrior spirit. That the warrior spirit could be found anywhere if one bothered to look. In his time, it had been believed that the code of bushido and the way of the warrior was only exclusive to the military and the privaleged, those who regularly put their lives on the line for the masses and their safety. However, in this time Hijikata had heard and seen sights of seemingly ordinary people performing acts of valor across the world, mostly through the use of the internet which even now Hijikata still struggled to understand completely.

Nevertheless, the sheer connectivity that humanity had found itself enjoying thanks to the internet allowed Hijikata to see examples of people who put their lives on the line when they totally didn't have to, such as in the US state of Arizona when a simple guy risked his life to save two children trapped in a burning house. The person didn't want to be identified, being satisfied that he had done what he could to save two lives that hadn't experienced the world yet.

Even if the age of the samurai was over, the warrior spirit still persisted if one looked hard enough.

As he walked down the street in the middle of the night, of which he found himself being grateful for the lack of people wandering around, the revived samurai looked down on his bloodstained suit and grimaced once more. "I knew I should've learned magic when I had the chance, damn those cheating bastards. Is that what they call blue balls? Now I know what it feels like." He groaned out in annoyance before continuing to head home.

Once he reached his destination, the man's eyes fell upon his home that had been erected by Hellsing shortly after their arrival to this town. He faced a traditional japanese house, one looking to be one story tall and primarily made of wood, with a single Engawa wrapped around it's interior. Storm shutters hung overhead, somewhat resembling a part of the roof though could be pulled down to form a makeshift corridor when necessary. The roof held the classic angular shape whilst wooden frames held the building up, the surrounding yard emanating a sense of peaceful tranquility.

The sight of his home brought a small smile to Hijikata's face. He still preferred the old type of structure even if the modern ones looked more useful and stable. Then a nostalgic look engulfed his expression. He lowered his head, holding his hat's shade slightly downwards to cover his eyes as he had a little flashback of past memories.

"Hey Hijikata! Come and join us for Sake!"

"Captain! You won't believe what just happened! Kashiro is getting married!"

"They want you to be their witness!"

"Come play cards with us!"

"Hijikata! Stop lazing about or else you won't be able to find any attractive women! Hahahaha!"

DRIP! DRIP! DRIP! DRIP!

Soon rain started falling from the cloudy night skies, starting with small droplets and growing from there. This quickly drenched Hijikata on the spot, the man still standing still for a while in front of his house. He doesn't show any expression on his face, but the rain hid the trails of tears streaming down his cheeks.

"...I'm sorry…forgive me…..for letting all of you down…" he muttered in a low whisper, though nobody could be seen around the immediate vicinity so only Hijikata heard it.

He shook his head and continued to walk to his house while trying to get rid of the nostalgic emotions inside of him. Maybe some more booze can help him out, getting drunk would definitely help supress the memories.

Once he walked through his garden and was in front of the door, he stared at it for a while before taking a deep breath. "Maybe some sleep could help, Meredith did once tell me to lay off on the booze…" the man mused, a slightly bitter chuckle escaping his lips at the memory. Although not one of the ones he wished to forget, he couldn't help but internally deride the woman for her attempts. Drinking sake, or any alcohol-based drink was a past time he'd enjoyed for years, so there was no way that he could stop now. Still, Hijikata did have to suppress a yawn from the fatigue flowing through his system, so perhaps some rest WOULD be a good idea. He and Karasuma had an eventful night after all, both physical and emotional.

Thus, Hijikata's mind was made up. He reached forwards and slid the main Fusama to the side so he could enter the house's main corridor. He intended to head to his room and probably fall asleep in his Futon, maybe he could do some reading of some of the topics that happened post the Meiji Restoration to see how his country had became what it was today. Well, that had been his INITIAL plan for the night…

"Ah, welcome home Hijikata san."

…Such plans soon flew out the window when he beheld the sight of a certain Succubus standing in the middle of the corridor holding a small candle by its brass handle. The woman didn't look like she would be sleeping any time soon as she aimed that warm smile of hers that sent many a men into blubbering messes (especially the less 'experienced' ones). Though that didn't mean that smile of hers didn't affect him, on the contrary Hijikata briefly caught his breath in his throat as his heart almost skipped a few beats. Even if the woman had the body of a loli, that smile and the way she gazed at him resembled a wife waiting for her husband to return home after a long day's work.

Shelia also seemed to have followed the trend that the water boy and the other kids had been adopting recently, including her daughter. This trend, that of changing outfits, resulted in Shelia now sporting a new outfit that she had ordered through supernatural channels (under Hellsing supervision of course). This dress mostly covered her body from the torso downwards, being dark purple in color, as well as was held in place by a bunch of lace as evident by what could be seen of it around her torso, whilst the dress split beneath the crotch area, showing off a bit of her legs whilst the slit in question had a black frilly trim to it. The exposure of her legs highlighted her pink stockings that had lighter pink calve areas, and although she wore nothing on her feet currently the white heels at the side of the main entrance next to the rack that held several coats were just the right size for her. Atop her shoulders was a cape similar in structure to the one Maria used to wear in her lolu form, being primarily dark purple but with a black fluffy trim. Her arms were concealed as well, by a pair of dark purple bicep-length gloves while atop her head was a simple gothic lolita-like black and dark purple headband. One held in place by a pair of black ribons that fell down the sides of her head.

All in all, she may not have had the body of an adult anymore but Shelia still somehow had the sex appeal of one. With the way she smiled warmly at him with her hands together in front of her waist, she implied she knew exactly this.

Even so, Hijikata still strove to preserve his manly pride through the nervous chuckle that he did. "Heh, a welcoming committee wasn't on the list of things I expected tonight, but I'll take it." he remarked, taking off his hat and putting it on the rack. Fortunately it didn't seem like it had been dirtied by the 'work' he and Karasuma had done, but the same couldn't be said for the rest of his outfit.

A sight which Shelia quickly took note of judging from how her lips turned upside down into a frown (hey, that rhymed!). "Perhaps a change of clothes is in order. Follow me, I already picked out a Yukata for you." she told him, turning on her feet and proceeding to head deeper into the house with Hijikata following suit after he took off his boots.

---

Before long…

"Ugh… damn woman… your hands like unifversal tools… or some shit?"

"Ufufufufu, should I wash your mouth with soap as well young man? But I appreciate the sweet compliment…"

After handing Hijikata a yuaka to change into and the depositing of his clothes into the washing machine located near the house's bathroom, the former Samurai now rested on his front atop a small mattress with Shelia atop his back. The older Succubus had her hands running across his back in a kind of massaging session, something she had convinced him to do after seeing how stressed he had looked upon returning home. Initially having resisted her, Hijikata eventually gave in under the woman's stubbornness, something which had been helped by the way she tried to tempt him with some flirty behavior and use of her body in ways that did not befit her current physical appearance.

Though right now none of those doubts could be felt in his mind as the massage worked it's magic on the man, Hijikata releasing a few pleasured groans as the stress in his muscles came undone under the woman's dainty-looking hands. He couldn't recall when the last time he had a massage done before, and by someone who obviously knew what she had been doing no less, but nothing in Hijikata regretted it now. The man almost fell asleep from the pleasure and relief brought to him by the Succubus mounting him, but he'd kept himself awake nonetheless albeit while still standing atop the edge of falling into the land of dreams.

"What, you have good hands… AND you can flirt with the best of them… its like you aren't giving me any room to counterattack, y'think?" The man tried to say in a suave, amused-sounding voice though he had to take short pauses to groan when particular spots were soothed down by Shelia's hands.

Said Succubus giggled in amusement at Hijikata's words, noticing that they almost came off as a complaint yet that only further heightened the amusement she felt inside. "Why of course, when you're as experienced as I am, my dear, its rather easy to get what you want if you know the right ways to do so." she explained, before thinking about her words for a few seconds and elaborating on them in case he got the wrong idea. "While Succubi like myself are mistresses of seduction, sin and desires of the flesh, there's something that separates theTRULY powerful Succubi of our kind. Can you hazard a guess as to what that might be?" she questioned him.

Hijikata momentarily arched his brow in slight confusion at her question. He remembered learning in school when he'd been a boy about succubi, about how they were simply Demons who tempted men off the beaten path and deserved nothing but death alongside those they successfully enthralled to do their bidding. But from the way that both Maria and Shelia had acted there may have been a BUNCH of misinformation taught back then. More than that, she was implying that there was more to their race than simply lusting for carnal pleasures which didn't sound anything like what they were portrayed as. So what else could there be? Hijikata took a moment to think about it, and after that moment passed a possible answer came to him. "The heart."

"Oh?"

"Desires, pleasures of the flesh, seduction, all of those are simply extensions of what the hearts of men want. The desire for companionship, the desire for sister or brotherhood, the desire to achieve something and to be remembered for it… all of those come from the heart within." Hijikata explained, elaborating on his point after Shelia tilted her head as her eyes basically asked the unasked question. Even as he lay on his front, Hijikata managed to shift his head upwards so he could look towards her through the corner of his left eye. "Am I on the right track?"

For a moment, Shelia didn't answer him and slowed her massage down to a turtle's speed. This told Hijikata that he had definitely hit something, but whether or not he'd hit the right mark would be debated. Fortunately that debate didn't need to last long because Shelia started her massage again whilst answering in a low, soft and sensual tone. "You are correct, Samurai of the past." she stated, her gaze becoming forlorn as memories returned to the forefront of her mind. "Nowadays, Succubi believe that lust is their only calling and the only thing they need in life. I believe that somewhere along the line a generation misinterpreted the Succubus's true nature as well as what our ancestor Lilith decreed of us. As a result, we were branded with the stigma that we are only sex-crazed perverts who entice our pray into endless debauchery."

Beneath her, Hijikata frowned deeply as he heard this information. The more he heard from her, the more he got the feeling that he wasn't the only one in distress over something that they had no control over. The way Shelia had spoken just now felt full of a mix of things: sadness, anger, guilt, despair and resignation, things which he had never seen her express before since she'd often kept her emotions in check. He had the impression that in her hayday, as this Succubus seemed to have centuries of life experience, that Shelia had to have been in a profession where such feelings would be used against her like politics or something hence why she had a good poker face and could keep calm under pressure.

Similar to Samurai in a sense, though right now he didn't feel it right to leave things the way they were. "Stigma, huh? Then, do you know what the true nature of a succubus is?"

"Love."

"Huh? Love?"

Shelia nodded her head, her massage slowing slightly as she closed her eyes and reminisced on a part of her people's culture she had admittingly sore feelings about. "Love… that emotion is almost critical to Succubi culture, philosophy and ideals you see. Like you humans and your philosophies about the meaning of life and how to live it. In the beginning, Lilith wanted Adam's love and love became the motivation behind her eating that sacred apple. Love carried her through her days as the original Lucifer's wife, her main motivation for staying with him even if he didn't give her that which she craved the most. She had been the most devoted, loving woman the original Lucifer could have had, but she never got any love in return. You may find that to be a bit cheesy, but love is one of the strongest desires in life for a reason. Combine that with war, and you get a dangerous phenomenon." she explained.

On that, Hijikata could definitely agree with her on since it was his own 'love' for his country and people's culture that had spurred him to rebel against the Meiji Emperor back in his own hayday. He'd also been reading of ancient history and saw many examples of such events taking place throughout, both in the human and supernatural worlds. "I can see that… love, huh? Then, what changed? Why do Succubi behave the way they do now?"

At this, the older Succubus shook her head in response. "I am not sure, perhaps it was due to my kind's naturally perverted tendencies that led to the misinterpretation, maybe it wa just an inevitable change that took place within one of the older generations. There could be many reasons behind it, but the fact of the matter is Succubi of modern day life go their whole lives without finding genuine 'love'. Love and Lust are two sides of the same coin, both are intertwined with one another with the former satisfying the heart and the emotional connection, whilst the latter satisfied the physical connection. Because of this, there have been an abundance of domestic abuse cases throughout the Succubi race, more than the total number of cases in every country in the human world." She briefly paused, shuddering as memories of looking into such cases when she had been in her youth returned to her. None of those cases had been pretty for anyone involved. As the succubi race experienced emotions like love and lust on a much stronger level compared to other races, their 'fantasies' that they'd force on unwilling victims could be quite traumatic, and she'd even heard a rumor of a race that is MUCH worse than hers.

Hijikata remained silent as she explained this, not saying a single word as his instincts had told him that he had just opened a floodgate. Now that he thought about it, the way Maria had reacted to the kindness Theseus had shown her when she'd been at her lowest sort of made sense with this new context. He'd had his own experience with women, and there indeed had been some who'd reacted and acted like Maria had, so he could very well imagine what she had gone through for Mio's sake.

He sometimes wished he didn't, though.

"Causes of these cases usually originated from jealousy, stress, or most commonly a lack of 'love' amongst those involved, both in their past and in their present. Current generation Succubi are only taught about one side of their nature, the lustful side, because lust has become so prevalent in current society. You see how nearly half of the marriages in the world end in divorce, either because of infidelity or jealousy. Its not like in the past when people were told to try and keep relationships together, instead they just trivialize them and toss them aside when they're no longer useful." she explained, her lips now trembling as she remembered such cases amongst some of the younger Succubuses experiencing these events. As a mother, it tore away at her seeing such things happen to anyone not just her own kind. "I myself was once like that, until I met my beloved husband who treasured me more than life itself. He was a gentle soul, yet passionate for what he believed in and always strove to be a good family man, one of his greatest aspirations."

Upon hearing the mention of her husband, of whom Hijikata remembered once hearing during their initial days together that he had died shortly after her eldest daughter had been born, Hijikata once wondered what kind of man this husband of hers was. Yet judging from the way her form seemed to sparkle when she talked about him, it both made his heart swell with warmth as well as stabbed it with the knives of jealousy, the thought of another man making her have such an expression. Why the heck that was there, Hijikata had an idea of it though he didn't want to ponder on that too much. "You miss him a lot, huh? Did he…?"

Before he could continue, Shelia shook her head. "He died of an illness. Back then, his health had been poor and he knew he wouldn't live for long hence why he had such aspirations in the first place. He made me want to be the best mother I could be, so I made sure to raise my daughters with the same love that he gave me." she explained, a soft smile on her lips that had no traces of sadness, only acceptance that her beloved husband had perished. Perhaps there had been a point where Shelia DID yearn for her husband to be back in her life, but that had been a long time ago, and things had happened between then and now.

All this sounded quite interesting to Hijikata, but there was another question he had in his thoughts, brought into being from how she'd been going on about love. It lingered around his mind for a few seconds before coming up with a question. "Sheila." Hijikata called out her name, catching her attention, making her turn her head and faced the revived samurai. He choose his words carefully. "If you loved your family..." Lowering his head and puts it between his interlock hands. "Why weren't you there when your daughter was on the run with Satan's daughter? What was stopping you from reaching out to your daughter? I do not want to sound rude or be offensive to you Sheila, but you're sounding like a hypocrite."

"..."

The elder succubus initially didn't answer, turning her head away from Hijikata. She had a forlorn expression and weary. Interlocking her fingers together, lowering her head and looked at her hands before she spoke, in a weary and tired tone. "That's…." She stopped for a moment, trying to form the words she needed to say but her emotions and feelings were stopping her. That question brought back memories she wished to forget, more so than the ones of when she had been held captive by Zolgear or the ones concerning her guilt towards her daughter's suffering.

But the way Hijikata looked at her, with eyes sharp enough to resemble daggers, told her he wouldn't take any attempt at deflection lightly. If anything, she bet that he could end her several times over in this position, she'd heard that Samurai himselfs were downright vicious warriors and their reputation was well-earned amongst the supernatural world. Then there was her own lack of desire to keep this a secret from him, since it didn't really change the current situation for her.

Finally, Shelia took a deep breath as she forced herself to speak… no matter how much her mind kept telling her to stop. "Its more complicated than you think." closing her eyes as she continues to speak. "Its something that relates Maria's birth."

Hijikata did not like the sound of that, judging from how his eyes narrowed dangerously. When it was something that was related to a family situation, it was almost guaranteed to be nothing good. He could very well be opening a new can of worms for him and his Hellsing comrades to deal with, and Hijikata knew that they weren't ready for such a thing yet. Nevertheless he didn't wan to be rude, thus the man lowered himself back onto the floor and let her explain. As a former vice-general, he had some experience with interrogation and from the way Sheila was speaking and her tone, he could tell she wouldn't be trying to deceive him.

"After my husbands death, I had a one night stand after a while because I couldn't take the loneliness anymore. I didn't expect to fall pregnant with a child afterwards, but I never thought about aborting that child, for it went against my mothers' instincts. As such, when I was going through my pregnancy's final stages, I went to a Doctor who specialized in the supernatural. When they examined Maria….they found out…" At this point, her lower lip trembled as the woman gripped the sides of her dress's skirt tightly, tears almost threatening to fall from her eyes. "The Umbel cord…was tied around her neck."

"?!"

Hijikata raised his eyebrows in shock, the same being said for his eyes. He may not be a medical expert, but even he knew that the umbilical cord being tied around her neck when she was still inside of Sheila's womb was a serious issue. It can lead to the infant being suffocated to death during the birthing procedure, or worse. "Oh shit…" He put his hand onto his face as he cast his gaze towards the ground, regretting what he asked her about and yet his instincts told him that it would get worse. He suddenly raised his eyes when he remembered something, putting away his hand from his face and paying full attention to Sheila again. "How did she survive when her umbilical cord was tied around her neck?"

Sheila unclenched her hand, but still didn't raise her head. Uncharacteristically depressed, she spoke while having her bangs cover her eyes in shadow. "I did not want my child to die, especially during the birth. Her inbuilt demonic power was indeed saving her life by forming a barrier around her head to keep the cord from strangling her, but her mana pool was not completely formed and it would die before long. I had to act quickly, so when I was about to give birth to her I transfered most of my power into my daughter, ignoring whatever consequences the doctor tried to tell me. This stabilized her power, as well as disintegrated the umbilical cord which led to a safe birth..."

She trailed off at the end there but she didn't need to see the look on Hijikata's face to tell that he had already guessed what happened as a result. "Your daughter was saved, but it messed you up pretty badly, am I right? Badly enough that even years later you haven't recovered." the man questioned, though it sounded more like a statement of facts since the man had applied his own common sense to the scenario.

Sheila nodded her head. "Yes, it did." She said in a low whisper, though with how quiet and tense things were in the room she may as well have shouted it to the heavens. "You may have guessed it, but most of my powers have vanished after I gave them to Maria. In the past, my power made me one of the strongest Succubi who would even give people like Sirzechs a run for his money. Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, nearly every faction knew of me in the past and what I could do. But this incident reduced me to the power of a High Class Devil… an untrained High Class Devil." she explained, depression laced within her words.

Yet judging from how reluctant she was to talk about this issue, Hjikata figured there was more to her story that she was keeping hidden but she is not explaining it. Although he could have pushed further two things prevented the man from doing so. One, was the guilt he felt for forcing the woman to relive such traumatic memories, he could tell that she took great pride at being a mother so something so horrible would have affected her greatly.

Two, he knew from experience that a woman's heart was a sea of secrets, they usually wouldn't trust just anyone with them and even then they may still keep some close to their chests. As such he decided to no longer linger on it. She had her own secrets and reasons why she's not telling him the full story.

Hijikata then spoke. "You love your daughter very much, don't you?" he asked her, already knowing the answer but wanted to hear it from her own mouth.

"With all of my very heart and soul." She answered without hesitation.

"I see. Forgive me Sheila, for me to ask you that question, it was unbecoming of a samurai like myself to sink so low. I never thought of why you keep that secret to yourself, you must have a good reason." He lowers his head in apologetic. "I will not speak of this to your daughter. To reveal her origins is for you to decide." For his honor as a samurai, it was shameful and disrespectful for him to say such things they shouldn't.

Sheila shook her head and smiles at him with gratitude. She would have put her hand on his hands if their position(her straddling his back) would have allowed it, so she settled instead of gently caressing his shoulders as a comforting gesture. "Its alright Hijikata. I don't blame you for being suspicious. All love comes in various form, my familial love for my daughters and your love for your comrades."

Hijikata smiled at this, though he didn't face her to hide the slight fluster on his cheeks especially when she mentioned his comrades, and how much he valued them. Perhaps it was just his masculinity talking but being exposed for caring so much about his comrades felt both cheesy and a little embarrassing. Nobody really called him out on it in the past, since it was more of an unspoken truth between them and him.

Though speaking of love and family…

"You mentioned 'Daughters' as in plural, does that mean you have multiple children or something?" Hijikata queried, pursing his lips together. He hadn't heard much about this second daughter of hers, and if that was the case what was she doing while Maria was going through all of this?

Shelia, as if sensing Hijikata's worries, promptly calmed him by caressing a particularly built-up spot on his back that drew a pleased moan from the man's lips. "Yes dear, I do have two children, daughters to be precise. Maria's sister is called Lucia, and she works in the Succubi lands as a Maid. Her duties are quite strenuous and she's considered a workaholic, so she didn't have much of an opportunity to talk with Maria let alone learn of everything. Even if she did though, she would probably say something along the lines of: 'That little brat got herself into this mess, she can get herself out of it'."

"Wow, tough crowd."

"Indeed. Now, let us finish here and we can retire to bed. We have much to do in the following days, I believe."

"Yes, ma'am."