Hakuouki: The Masked Cherry Blossoms

Chapter 37

~~3rd POV~~

"How is she?" It was Kondou-San. After the meeting they took her straight after without even letting her look at them, well after she gave the other demons the instructions.

Since then, everyone's been on edge, Sannan spends his times with the other demons, making Healers Water where they kept furies, and Souji... He focused everything into training. If he wasn't eating or on patrol, he was training. They weren't even sure if he slept. His face said he didn't.

"She has incredible tolerance and endurance to pain." Kazama starts off, angering them purposefully.

"What!?" They all yell.

"Why-"

"If you-"

"Enough. Kazama, watch how you say things." Amagiri scolds him like a teacher scolding his student. "The traditional training isn't working. Her training is based on pain tolerance but hers, doesn't allow any progress to be made. It's been many days and we've tried many tactics."

"She doesn't react to anything. We made threats against you and she would only respond calmly that if she came back to find one of you hurt by our doing, she'd kill us." Kazama adds with a smirk.

"Well what is she? If she's balanced she doesn't need to do that, right?" Sano asks.

"We haven't checked. Even if she was balanced it would be the same thing so she could become stronger." Amagiri explains.

"But wouldn't knowing help you adjust the training accordingly?" Saitou asks.

"It's the same for all of them."

"I could help with that." They all turn to Yamazaki with shock.

"What could you do that we haven't tried?" Kazama asks curiously.

"I won't do it but she has a... Fear? No, she's traumatized by cherry blossoms. Asking and inquiring about her former master and brother seem to be an emotional trigger for her as well." They nod.

"Thank you, but I was afraid it would come to this. Her mental tolerance is probably weak. She most likely does not know how to process emotions and painful memories. This usually takes years to master and is often more scaring than physical torture. We might have to break her and mold her to-"

"Break her? Do you know what she's been through? How many times she's been "broken"? Whenever she finds something good, whenever starts recovering, someone does this to her. All her progress in vain." Kondou growls at them. "She doesn't deserve this." He whispers.

"There has to be another way." Hijikata says.

"Her resolve must be strong if she wants to become stronger. She could strengthen it by herself but it isn't likely." Amagiri suggests doubtfully.

"Then we have to try it."

"Fine, but then she'll need a change of clothes. She's almost down to her bare skin." Souji, who has been silent for most of the meeting, was now glaring at him.

"Then I'll give them to her." Kazama smirks.

~~~

They took Souji into the forest to an abandoned house. He had clothes in his hand for her with bandages in case she wanted to bandage her mark.

"The path is vary simple, but we will meet you back at your headquarters." Souji nods knowing whatever he saw would upset him.

He walks in and follows the smell of blood. The room is soaked in blood with chains, glass, and other instruments, still bloody, on a table. But she wasn't here.