𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐤𝐢 [ON HOLD]

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟏𝟓

january was when the battle of the former bakufu army and the satsuma choushuu army began.

heisuke and okita had been in osaka for a while. they would return soon. not having okita around was different but not having heisuke was frustrating for keiko. especially since the last time they actually spoke they had fought and left on a bad note.

keiko was asked to fight if she could so she did. she stuck with the captains surrounded by fire, cutting down men. their fellow comrades were getting shot quickly. keiko had to help defend the captains so they could have a clear path. she didn't have a specific job in fighting, she'd help out everyone.

"sir!" she called out to a man nearby that was bleeding out on the floor. she went over to help him, her arm under his armpits, dragging him back to where chizuru was treating the injured.

"thank you, boy." the man mumbled then let out a groan because of his wound.

she made it to where chizuru and hijikata were speaking calling for help in getting the man inside.

"keiko! are you okay?" chizuru asked as yamazaki took him from her.

"i am, thankfully. i'll go look for more injured men!"

she took off back to the battle field, ignoring the others protests. there were men out there that would need help and could still be useful to them. she wasn't going to leave them for dead.

"anyone out there injured badly?" keiko asked letting out coughs from the smokes of the fire that made the air dry and hard to breathe in.

"here!" a voice yelled. she looked around in that area, seeing a hand in the air. a man was under some rubble from a house that had collapsed on him when it was shot at.

due to the fact that people were still shooting, she hastily pulled the rubble off the man, seeing that he was injured in many places. a big piece was on top of his arm, she struggled in picking it up. it was so heavy that as she went to put it down away from the man she couldn't hold it any longer and dropped it on her right hands fingers.

"be careful." the man warned as she let out a yell of pain, her fingers feeling like they crushed.

"let's go." keiko dismissed the pain and helped him up, letting him use her as support as they made their way back to where the other injured people were.

she dropped him off there and walked down the corridors, rubbing her fingers as she looked for the captains.

"retreat is our only option." she heard hijikata's voice. "but this battle is not yet lost my friends. they will most definitely pay for this, i guarantee. once the sun goes down, we send out the fury's, change location and dispatch someone to the castle to ask for support."

"i can do that." keiko said, appearing by the door making everyone turn to look at her.

"no. i'll do it. you're all too tired to go. please rest. i'll be happy to take your request. please." chizuru begged, turning the attention to her.

"chizuru, i'm able to go." keiko insisted. she didn't want her to be put in danger.

"i'll go as well." inoue said.

"no. hijikata please. i can go on my own and defend myself. there's no need to risk sending these two, they're important."

"keiko, you too are important." he said, frowning at the fact that she would be willing to sacrifice herself thinking she wasn't an important life.

"please let me help out." chizuru pleaded, fighting with keiko's request. hijikata looked conflicted.

"you two can go. inoue stay here. i trust keiko to defend herself and chizuru."