Hakuouki: Dragon Circles in Quiet Summer

Chapter 1

~Souji's POV~~

It's been a few months since the demons announced her death. No one believed it... At first.

Kazama explained that she had tricked all of them. Instead of using the Healers Waters to disable the ones after her she poisoned them, including herself. Kazama managed to stay awake enough to see her surrender and them stab her repeatedly in the heart and stomach until she collapsed.

They took her body and left the others unscathed. It took them a few days to recover and they were still weak by the time they got to us.

That would mean she knew they wouldn't win. It would mean she knew she was going to die. It would mean she left us deliberately. It would mean she was okay throwing away her life.

It would mean she was okay with leaving me.

She didn't even come to see me before she left. She just left a letter to me and another for the Shinsengumi.

Konodu seems to have left most things to Hijikata to grieve but I can tell everyone is affected. Criminal activity has gone up making things more stressful. It hints at the few things she had done for us.

We were all eating silently when we heard a large current of wind. We came accustomed to this as a demon appearing.

The door opened and we looked up to expect Kazama or Amagiri but it was neither. It was a white haired man with a golden sash tied around his eyes. He was grinning at all of us, leaning on the doorframe.

"Don't be alarmed, I will cause no harm. Actually, I come with a gift." He steps in and pulls in the arm that he had hid, a body.

He held the small and frail figure by the hair. The white hair covered their face but it was obvious who it was.

It was her, Sakura.

She groaned in pain but he just shoved her to the ground. We all move to get her but freeze when a sword appears at her throat.

She weakly grabs it tightly and sits up. "Don't hurt them." She rasps as blood streams from her hand.

"I know, I know. We have the deal." He pulls the sword sharply away causing her hand to bleed more. "She's allowed to protect all of you and stay here if she agrees to rule over the demons as soon as all of you die to your own devices. You can drop your form now." My hair begins to turn black. "But, if you become fully unstable, I will know and the deal is off." He cuts his hand and holds it out.

The combine their bleeding hands and he brings her up to stand. She can't and he has to keep her up. "See you soon, big sis." He plants a kiss on her cheek before stabbing her in her stomach. As she hits the floor he disappears.

I'm the one who reaches her first. I move her hair away but she's passed out. But she was here and alive. I smile as I pull her to my chest and embrace her in my arms.

She is alive.

~~3rd POV~~

She wakes up screaming. She thrashes around before Souji grabs her at coaxes her awake but when she comes to, she pushes him back.

"No, you're not real! None of you are real! Get out of my head!" She screams running her hands through her hair and tugging at it.

"Sakura, you're safe. You're here and we're all real." Kondou tries to say softly. But she just scrambles back, away from his outreached hand that was meant to be comforting. She shakes her head over and over.

"Stop! I know you're not real. It's in my head." Her tears stream from her eyes but she just looks defeated.

"Sakura, you made a deal with them. They said you can stay here with us if you rule over the demons when we die and as long as you're stable." Hijikata tries. She pauses and looks around at their encouraging smiles etched in worry.