HAKUOUKI: Back in Time

Chapter 40

~Why not listen to music while you read?~

"What are you doing?"

"Oh...uh me? I was... I was listening to your conversation with Chizuru and you came this way so I kind of panicked and..."

I can't lie to Saito. He'll see through me anyways. There is no point in making more trouble.

"If you have been listening since the beginning then that means I do not have to explain myself to you as well, am I correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay then."

Saito then turned oh his heel and began to walk off. He would be going with Itou to be Guardians of the Imperial Tomb.

"I'll be waiting! Until you come back."

Saito stopped and turned his head to look at me and then he gave me a soft smile and an index finger to his lips before walking off again.

My wound had been completely healed since the attack but I kept the bandages on. I got plenty of questions about how I was recovering but the best I could do was nod, smile and assure them that I was fine. The truth was, I didn't even have a scar. I couldn't have pointed out where on my arm I had been cut if someone asked me. 

When Itou and his followers, now the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb left, the compound seemed suddenly very empty. It felt as though the Shinsengumi was falling apart around me and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

June 1867

"Let's go to sleep, Haruna."

Although Chizuru said this, my mind was wide awake, I would not be able to fall asleep anytime soon. We went into our covers and closed our eyes but we were unable to sleep. We tossed and turned in our bedding, trying to find a comfortable position but it was helpless. I weren't sleeping anytime soo. I forced my eyes shut once again before the door to our room slid open.

"Are you awake?"

Yes!"

The voice outside belonged to Hijikata and we scrambled to our feet.

"What is it?"

"You two have a visitor."

A visitor? Who would come and visit us?"

"You'll see. Hurry up."

"Okay!"

Chizuru and I shuffled down the hallway after him, and burst into the common room. Kondou, Okita, Harada, Nagakura... All of the top men in the Shinsengumi were there, and so was someone else...

"Hello, Haruna! How are you doing?"

"Sen?!" 

The visitor was Sen?! We'd met in Kyoto some time ago. She was near my age but had a unique and overwhelming personality which had allowed her to see right through my disguise. But why did she come to the Shinesengumi? Hijikata also said she was visiting the Chizuru too. Are the both of us involved in something?

Only then did I notice a beautiful woman dressed as a ninja seated next to Sen.

"Oh, yes. She is with me. My bodyguard, one might say."

Bodyguard? That answered nothing and only prompted more questions. The captains kept silent, content to simply observe our conversation. Whatever was about to transprie, it seemed they intened to leave the decision to us.

"So, Sen. Why are you here?"

"I've come to take you two."

That had not been the short list I'd begun to compile of reason Sen had sought our company in the middle of the night. A quick glance around the room revealed that it had not been on anyone else's either.

"Um, pardon? I don't understand what you're saying."

"No, what you don't understand is the situation. But you needn't worry. You do trust me, don't you?"

"There's no time. We must take preparations to leave immediately."

Silent until that moment, the woman at Sen's elbow finally spoke.

"Wait, wait, hold on. Why should we go with you? You don't expect us to just go with you without explaining the situation, do you?"

"Yeah, that's a damn good question! You just barge in here, ask to see them, and spring this on us! I think it's about time you told us what the hell's going on here!"

"Nagakura is right. Please, Sen."

"...Yes, I do suppose you have a point. Very well. I shall start from the beginning."

She cast her gaze around the room; this explanation was not simply for my benefit. Nor Chizuru's

"You are familiar with Kazama, yes? I hear you have crossed swords with him once or twice."

"How did you know that?"

Hijikata's calm face suddenly turned stern and a bit dark. Hearing Kazama's name wasn't a good thing.

"Oh, ah, well, I hear of most things that happen in Kyoto. Eventually."

"Hnn. You're something like Kazama and his punks, aren't you?"

"I would rather prefer not to be associated with his ilk, but yes, in a sense you are correct."

"...Fine. You were talking about Kazama."

"He showed up at Ikedaya, Hamagiri, and Nijo. He's got something to do with Satsuma and Choshu, doesn't he."

"Well, most of the time, it seemed more like he was there for his own reasons, not any kind of domain politics."

"Either way, he's an enemy of the Shinsengumi."

"Then you are also aware that he is pursuing your lady friends here?"

Sen gestured at Chizuru and I for the captains' benefit, then fixed me with a level stare. What's going on? This was getting stranger and stranger and I was starting to think I really didn't want to know the rest of the story.

"We are aware of that. We are also aware that Kazama and his compatriots call themselves demons, not that we are inclined to believe such a claim, of course."

"Regardless, we must consider it. They have demonstrated several times that they have strength and skill beyond any human."

"Ha! Heh heh... Guess you'd know, huh Sanan."

The room was slowly becoming more uncomfortable. I didn't think Okita meant to offend with his remarks, but...

"So, uh please go on."

"Ah, then you know they are demons. Excellent. That will save me some time then. I am not a human either. I am also a demon."