And... We're back! Now, let's see what's going to happen next... (*looks down* I have some good news and some bad news. As for what that is, read on to find out...)
Warning!: This is based upon a game that's rated M for Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive (read 'Sexual') themes, and
Violence. If any of these things offend you, don't click on the link.
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-Chapter Three: Part Three-
November 1867
'A gust of wind stripped some of the last, stubborn leaves from the trees, and sent them skittering across the Kyoto street. It was cold, and bit into me through my clothes. I shivered.'
Well, at least I can handle the cold better than the heat.
Shimohi Yukimura: "...It's almost winter, isn't it?"
Sanosuke Harada: "Yeah, the wind's gotten pretty cold lately. Still, we don't have it too bad during the day. I can't imagine how cold it gets for the night guys..."
(Meh, I know you guys can handle yourselves.)
'It was November, and the temperature was definitely dropping, although it had yet to get cold enough for us to see our breath during patrol.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Haaah..."
Sanosuke Harada: "Are your hands cold? ...Would you like me to hold them?"
Huh? Well, I do think I might have some poor circulation problems...
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'm not that cold! I'll be fine! ...Oh?"
(*sigh* Why are you trying to put up a tough front like usual?) Niyagi...!
'I'd noticed someone walking towards us...'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Hey, Shimohi. Sano, what do you thing you're doing? You're supposed to be working, not screwing off and hitting on poor, defenseless girls ont he street."
Huh? There's a defenseless girl that Sanao's hitting on? (I think Shinpachi-kun's talking about you.) What!? I'm not defenseless!
Sanosuke Harada: "Hey, not everybody's a gigolo like you. She looked cold. I'm just trying to be a gentleman."
(See.) But I'm still not defenseless! (Yeah, but in this world, you're not strong enough to keep Daemon's proxy and his men at bay.) ... (Oh, right. That's making you angry. Well, at least you're thinking like a demon.) (I don't think that counts as a compliment at all!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh... He he... Hello, Nagakura."
(Trying to laugh it off, I see... Fair enough.)
'Nagakura's patrol took him on a different route than ours: It was only luck that we'd happened to meet in one of the few places they overlapped. Their bickering might have looked odd to a passerby, but I knew it for the sign of deep friendship that it was.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Hm? What's up? Why're you grinning like that...?"
Sanosuke Harada: "Probably thinks your face is funny, Shinpachi. You really oughta do something about that thing."
Nah, it's not your face. It's that you're arguing like Niyagi and Akurei do.
Shimohi Yukimura: "No! It's just...um... Well, I was just remembering when we met up like this before... Like the time I met Kaoru... I was with Okita and Heisuke then, though--Oh..."
Yeah... Heisuke isn't around anymore... (Aw... You still miss him...)
'More than six months have passes since Saito and Heisuke had left to join the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb. Harada and Shinpachi's faces turned grim as I trailed off. I shook my head, hoping vainly to cast off unpleasant thoughts.'
(Like how much you're missing seeing Heisuke's smiling face...?) Hit... Nail... Head...
Shimohi Yukimura: "I just mean there's been so much going on lately... It makes me nostalgic..."
Sanosuke Harada: "The Shinsengumi has changed... Hell, so has the rest of the world."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Yes... Like the shogunate handing power over to the imperial court."
'Nagakura nodded as I spoke, with the air of a pleased teacher encouraging a student.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Yes, yes, very good. Now, do you know how the loss of Itou and his followers affected the Shinsengumi?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um... Well, we have fewer members now..."
Then again... I think what he's going for is how, without them, the Shinsengumi's allegiance leans more towards that of the shogunate rather that the imperial court; resulting in...
Shinpachi Nagakura: "You're half right. True, we have lost some of our men. Those who were staunch imperialists were the first to leave."
Sanosuke Harada: "That meant most of the guys who stayed were loyalists. Not all of them, though..."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Yeah... You remember when Kondou got promoted into direct service to the shogun, and we all became shogunate vassals? Not everybody was happy about that."
Shimohi Yukimura: "That was right around the time we moved to Fudodo Village..."
'Several more men had wanted to leave. Some of them had been given permission to go, but others were told that wasn't an option and were forced into the Fury Corps.'
(I'd call them the Rakshasa Corps, but the Pansy here prefers the other name.) (That's because that IS their name!) (But "Rakshasa Corps" is more accurate!) Call them whatever you want, so long as I understand what you're both talking about, it doesn't really matter what name you use! Okay!
'Kondou's promotion had changed the Shinsengumi's relationship with the shogun. Where before, we'd only been philosophically aligned with the shogun, now we answered directly to him. For some people, that was a serious problem.'
...Yeah, that was the other half of my earlier train of thought that I lost.
Shimohi Yukimura: "How do you guys feel about being vassals of the shogun?"
Sanosuke Harada: "...I'm not really a fan."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Yeah, I didn't do all this work just so I could be a retainer for the shogun."
(Then what did you do all that work for?)
'Neither of them was very happy with it, then--Nagakura especially. We kept walking for a few blocks, talking about this and that, before Harada yawned quietly.'
Sanosuke Harada: "Your droning is putting me to sleep, Shinpachi. You can tell him to shut up too, if he's boring you, you know."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh, no, I'm fine. I like listening to Nagakura talk about things."
Then again, I do like listening to the people I like talk about stuff. (That you do.)
Shinpachi Nagakura: "You see, Sano? She's a good girl. Unlike you. Now, shall we continue?"
Well, of course, Sanosuke's not female for one. (I don't think that's what Shinpachi meant...)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Shinpachi: "What do you know about the Meiji Emperor's ascension two months ago, and the Restoration of Imperial Rule last month?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Well, the Restoration was when the Tokugawa shogunate returned power over the government to the emperor...right? I don't really know much about it..."
Well, except that I've seen some of the results of it from the other side of the conflict; through the perspective of Akurei and Niyagi's father. (Why do you keep saying Kenshin Himura's our father?) (She's already said why and, in a way, he is our father! Now can you quit complaining about it!?) Well, at least you sort of take after the best of your father. Akurei, on the other hand, more takes after his Battousai persona...
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Well, you know enough; that's pretty much it. A man named Ryoma Sakamoto, from the Tosa Domain, was the one who figured out a way for the emperor to regain power without destroying the shogunate."
'Unfortunately, Nagakura continued, in doing so he manged to anger both the loyalist and imperialist factions, and earned the enmity of both.'
Well, when it comes to dealing with two extremist factions, trying to please both ends up with pleasing neither. (And that'll just be even more true in American politics in the future... And Shimohi's just given another reason for the NSA to blacklist us.)
Shinpachi Nagakura: "At any rate, the Restoration means that Tokugawas lost all real authority. ...At least, that's the official story."
And the unofficial story is...?
Sanosuke Harada: "In reality, he's keeping a lot of his power; the government just can't function without someone to hold the reins. The Satsuma are up to something too, but we don't know what. Still, the world's not going to change overnight."
Indeed...
Shimohi Yukimura: "I see..."
'As I looked around the city, it seemed like he had a point.'
Oh, I know he has a point, but moving on...
'Nothing much seemed to have changed... Inns were still bustling with travelers; tea shops were still smelling delicious... Life continued just as it always had, regardless of what the shogun was or wasn't doing.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Hmm..."
'The city might look the same as it always had, but time flowed on, regardless, and a great wave was coming that would carry all of us away. I looked up at Nagakura, and something occurred to me that I hadn't though to before. Before I realized what I was doing, I'd already opened my mouth.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I didn't realize you were so smart, Nagakura. You know a lot about politics."
Well, I know a lot about random junk and stuff ranging across several topics. But still...
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Didn't realize...? Wait, just what did you think of me?"
...Oh dear. (As I think the saying goes "open mouth, insert foot"...)
'There was a man named Ryoma Sakamoto. He was a ronin from the Tosa Domain, and had allied himself with the Satsuma and Choshu Domains as well.'
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'For a time, the Kyoto Judiciary Commissioner, Mimawarigumi, and even the Shinsengumi were desperate to find him. After his orchestration of the Restoration of Imperial Rule, however, orders were passed down to leave him alone. I only had a general idea of who he was and what he'd done, but even I had figured out that he was an important person, so when I heard Inoue mention him, I listened.'
(Well, there's not that much to do around here other wise. So, why not?)
Genzaburo Inoue: "Ryoma Sakamoto has been assassinated."
Whoa! That's news to me!
Sanosuke Harada: "You serious, Gen? ...Do they know who did it?"
(I bet nine-thousand and one of the local currency that it involves Daemon's proxy, Chikage!) That's... ("Over nine-thousand!" Right, I know!) (*facepalm*)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Sakamoto had a lot of enemies. Could have been imperialists or loyalists. Hell, it could have just been personal, in which case my money's on Miura of Kishu."
Souji Okita: "Ha. You think maybe they're looking at us for it? Damn... If the bastard was gonna get killed anyway, I shoud've done 'im."
(Okita!) (Hey, at least the Pansy isn't yelling at me for wanting to kill someone. Hurray!)
Shinpachi Nagakura: "That's, uh, not very funny coming from you... In fact, were't we specifically told to leave him alone?"
(That's why I put my non-existent money on Chikage and his crew.) So, you just admitted that you have no money to bet. (Well, except if we were betting in Caps.)
'I'd never met Sakamoto--I barely knew who he was--but I felt somehow that his death would shake the country to its core. Inoue frowned.'
Genzaburo Inoue: "As you all know, there was a decision made far above us, and Kondou was ordered to leave Ryoma Sakamoto alone. Unfortunately, the rest of the country is unlikely to see it that way. A scabbard belonging to a member of the Shinsengumi was found at the scene of his death. There has been a request for an official inquiry."
(...Monster!) (What!? It wasn't me!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "A scabbard? Is that really enough evidence?"
(In an Ace Attorney court of law, yes... Maybe.)
Sanosuke Harada: "If it isn't, I'm sure they'll just fabricate more. It's obviously a ruse. Who are they saying it belonged to anyway?"
Genzaburo Inoue: "Actually...they say it was yours, Harada."
([sarcasm] Le gasp... [/sarcasm]) Aku...! Oh, wait, you can be kind of apathetically sarcastic like that at times. Still...
Shimohi Yukimura: "What?!"
'Of all the people to try and frame for murder...Harada?!
Souji Okita: "Really, Sano? Damn. Wish you'd brought me with you..."
(...Bless it! If only you weren't a walking disease vector, I'd recommend that Shimohi pursue you!)
Sanosuke Harada: "Knock it off, Okita. Besides, my scabbard's right here. This is idiotic."
'He threw up his hands in exasperation.'
If we were sitting near one, a table might've been flipped.
'Inoue smiled faintly and nodded.'
Genzaburo Inoue: "I don't suspect you, and neither does anyone else here. Unfortunately, I doubt the rest of the nation will extend you the same courtesy."
Point...
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Genzaburo Inoue: "I imagine they're having trouble determining the real culprit. There was talk that Kyutaro Miura from Kishu asked the Shinsengumi to kill Ryoma."
'Miura... That was the man Nagakura had mentioned. He had some sort of personal quarrel with Sakamoto, which made him a suspect.'
*looks up* Yeah, he was mentioned earlier...
Shinpachi Nagakura: "I'm sure there's plenty of people who'd live to pin this one on the Shinsengumi, but unless someone did it and lied about it, there's no way it was us."
Souji Okita: "Unless Sanan decided to go do a little work off the books."
'The room fell silent.'
Sanosuke Harada: "How...is Sanan these days? Our reputation is grisly enough, but the rumors I've been hearing about the night patrol are even worse."
'It was true that Sanan had been acting stranger and stranger. Although I didn't want to believe it, I had to admit it wasn't that difficult to imagine him doing something like that. When I passed him on occasion in the hallways, his eyes were dry and thirsty, as if he was always, always, hungry for blood.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "We'll have to be careful, then. We can't let people learn about the furies."
Toshizo Hijikata: "About that..."
Sanosuke Harada: "Oh, hey, Kondou. Hijikata--whoa."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Saito?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
'I rubbed vigorously at my eyes, looked, then did it again.'
Does that mean... That Heisuke's nearby?
'But there was no doubt. The man who'd followed Kondou and Hijikata into the room was the man who'd left to join the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb, Saito himself.'
Genzaburo Inoue: "Oh, hello Saito. It's been a while. What happened to the Guard?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "What are you talking about, Inoue?! There's no way Hijikata would allow anyone from the Guard here! We're prohibited from even talking to them--"
Although I wish I could talk to Heisuke again... (Still pinning for him, huh.)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Ugh. Just...shut up, all right? Starting today, Saito's back in the Shinsengumi."
So, is Heisuke...?
'...What?'
Sanosuke Harada: "What? Hold on a second there, Hijikata. We're glad he's back, don't get me wrong, but... What happened with the Guard? And Itou?"
'It was Saito who answered.'
Hajime Saito: "You're mistaken, but understandably. I was never one of Itou's supporters."
Isami Kondou: "In fact, Saito joined Itou and his men as a spy, under Toshi's direct orders."
'And with that, everything suddenly made sense. They say that to fool your friends, you must first fool your allies, and Saito had been doing just that!'
(*claps* Well done, well done. Bravo!) (Monster!) (What!? I wasn't being sarcastic for once.)
Souji Okita: "What? C'mon Saito. It's not fair for you to go off and have fun without letting me in on it."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Man, you just about scared the pants off of me... Not cool, Kondou."
Isami Kondou: "This was all top secret. I'm sorry I had to keep it from all of you."
'It was a surprise, to be sure, but I was glad we'd have Saito back with us again.'
It would've been better if Heisuke returned as well...
'I gave him a tentative smile, but he only sighed and shook his head.'
Hajime Saito: "It's too early to feel relieved. The last six months in the Guard have made it clear: Itou and his followers are going to take action against the Shinsengumi."
What!? Even... Heisuke...?
Genzaburo Inoue: "What sort of action?"
Toshizo Hijikata: "Itou is going to expose the Fury Corps to discredit the shogunate. There's even talk that he's working with Satsuma to that end."
'If the existence and creation of the monstrous furies was to become public knowledge...'
(There'd be rioting in the streets or something like that. Still, it'd be fun to watch.) (Monster!)
'The shogunate's reputation would be irreparably damaged, and the Shinsengumi would undoubtedly suffer as well. Even I could predict that.'
Hajime Saito: "There's more. Itou plans to assassinate the Chief of the Shinsengumi."
(So...) He's planning on having Kondou-san killed. (The Gorilla?) (Wrong version!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "You...you mean Kondou?!"
Isami Kondou: "..."
'Kondou's face was stern and tense, but he kept silent. He glanced over at Hijikata.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "The Guard is moving to destroy the Shinsengumi. ...You've already heard about Sakamoto, right?"
Sanosuke Harada: "Yeah, some crap about me being the killer."
Toshizo Hijikata: "Right. Well, you have the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb to thank. They've been spreading the rumor that Kyotaro Miura of Kishu hired the Shinsengumi, and that Harada put the sword in him."
'Hijikata explained that Miura insisted that he didn't do it, but is sure that someone's going to take a stab at him eventually.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "So, Saito's going to be guarding Miura for now. If it looks like he just left and then came back, it won't be too hard for Itou to put two and two together."
Hijime Saito: "I understand. Until this matter is settled, it is better that I'm not seen here."
'Here Hijikata paused for a moment. The room was utterly silent. Every one of use could sense that what came next would be very, very important.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
Toshizo Hijikata: "Kashitaro Itou... It's not enough for you to expose the Fury Corps... You have to try and kill Kondou too, huh..."
Hey! That last part is especially uncalled for!
'He spoke quietly, almost to himself, as if sharing a final moment with a former comrade. The he looked up, and when he spoke his voice was like cold steel. The voice of the Demon.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "It's too bad it has to be this way, but we don't have a choice. Itou dies."
Isami Kondou: "Hm. I suppose you're right. It can't be helped."
'Kondou nodded, and that was that. The Shinsengumi would kill Kashitaro Itou.'
(Well, he was a douchebag...) (But you're plotting to kill someone!) (But... He. Was. A. Douche! Bag!)
Toshizo Hijikata: "First, we'll invite Itou to Kondou's second home. I'll be there too. Once he's dead, we can use Itou's corpse to lure out the rest of the Guard and kill them."
Wait, I don't want Heisuke to die because of this!
Toshizo Hijikata: "Nagakura, Harada, I'm assigning you and your divisions to this. Take care of it."
Souji Okita: "Hey, Hijikata. Who do you want me to kill?"
Toshizo Hijikata: "No one. You're staying here, in bed. You've still got that cough, don't you? You're sick. Saito'll be here for a few days, so you'll have someone to play with."
Souji Okita: "You're a real bastard, Hijikata."
I'm not sure what being born out of wedlock or not has to do with this. (*facepalm*) Niyagi, that was supposed to be a joke.
'It all seemed very calculated, for murder.'
(Yeah, it's murder. Of the premeditated kind!)
'I hadn't realized I'd been sitting still, dumbfounded, until I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Saito?"
Hajime Saito: "This will be the end of the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb. If we are going to return Heisuke to the fold, it must be now or never."
Yeah... But that time frame...
Shimohi Yukimura: "*Gasp*"
'He was right. If they meant to kill the Guard, that included Heisuke!'
(Well... *looks up* ...Shimohi did make a not of that earlier.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um, Hijikata? What are you going to do with Heisuke? He's part of the Guard now..."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Isn't that obvious? We'll save him, of course."
I sure hope so.
Toshizo Hijikata: "No. He fights us, he dies."
Yeah... Saito-kun, we'd better do something fast.
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Wh-What? No! You can't mean that! That's wrong!"
(Well, more like you don't want to beloved to be killed; by his former comrades no less.)
'Hijikata showed no sign that he'd even heard me. I watched his back disappear out the door.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "You're actually going to order them to kill Heisuke?! Don't you care what happens to him?!"
Isami Kondou: "Of course we care! I know that, deep down, Toshi wants to save him too... I'll...I'll talk to him later."
'The last few words he mumbled to himself, and then coughed nervously, as if embarrassed that he'd raised his voice. It was only then that I realized how much Kondou was suffering. How much they were all suffering, even Hijikata...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'm sorry for...for saying that."
Isami Kondou: "No, no, no need to apologize. It makes me happy, quite honestly. I'm glad people care for Heisuke."
'Kondou let out a slow breath, then looked up at me and smiled. He turned to Nagakura and Harada, and spoke in a low voice.'
Isami Kondou: "I'm asking you this not as your chief, but as Isami Kondou. ...Let Heisuke live. And...if you can, try and convince him to come back."
Yeah... I'd like to see him again...
Shinpachi Nagakura: "...Got it."
Sanosuke Harada: "Leave it to us, Chief."
'As they discussed the details of their orders, I sat and wondered what I should do. What could I do?'
Isami Kondou: "...I trust everything's clear? If you have questions, now is the time."
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Wait."
'I heard myself begin to speak, my voice surprisingly calm and dignified.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I haven't been given any orders. I would like to help."
Yeah, is there something I could do to help?
Isami Kondou: "This is a...dirty job. You really shouldn't be involved."
'It was true; this wasn't a patrol, or even a guarding mission. This was the assassination of a former comrade, and an attack on men who'd split from the Shinsengumi.'
(Dude, I never really counted Itou as one of these guys.)
'I...'
-Still wanted to help.-
-Decided to stay home.-
I think you two know what I'd choose. (Help.) (I think this is a bad idea but... Help.) Exactly!
'Still, I wanted to do what I could. It might be my last chance to see Heisuke.'
Indeed.
Shimohi Yukimura: "Please, let me go. I won't get in the way."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "...This isn't like anything you've done before, Shimohi. You understand that, right?"
Sanosuke Harada: "We're killing someone who used to be one of us. ...Much as we don't want to, we might even have to kill Heisuke."
That's why I want to help, to try to prevent the latter.
Shimohi Yukimura: "...I know. It's not something to be taken lightly."
'I knew that the Shinsengumi had carried out these sorts of black operations before. There was no way I could have stayed with them as long as I had and not known, but that was why I couldn't simply stand by and let them shoulder all the responsibility. I'd spent enough time looking away until the deed was done. No more.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Perhaps it's presumptuous of me to say so, but...I consider myself a member of the Shinsengumi."
(Well, in this world you are.)
Isami Kondou: "Then you're determined to do this, I see."
'His face had lost its usual warmth. It wasn't anger, or cruelty that it showed now, but the gravity of a general addressing his men.'
Isami Kondou: "Tell me then. How do you intend to help?"
'I had aleady decided. I would...'
-Help with Itou.-
-Convince Heisuke.-
(Both of us know you're going to try to convince Heisuke to return.) Yes.
'Kyoto was a city of many streets, some of them more quiet and isolated than others: Aburano Koji was one of these, and it was where Nagakura, Harada, and I hid with the rest of the men assigned to this task.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "They'll be showing up any minute..."
'We'd set out Itou's corpse as bait, to draw the Guard into a trap.'
(Well, at least the son of a bitch is dead.) (Seriously!?)
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
Yeah, Akurei, that was rather callous of you.
'My teeth bit into my lip so hard I had to stop before I drew blood. If Itou had been allowed to live, he would have been a danger to the Shinsengumi. I understood that.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "But this... It just seems..."
(...Callous, cruel, and unusual?)
Sanosuke Harada: "You don't have to watch. Just look the other way."
Shimohi Yukimura: "No."
'Whatever I might think of what we were about to do, this was my only chance to save Heisuke.'
Indeed.
'I couldn't look away. We sat there for...I wasn't sure how long, until finally we heard the sound of the Guard approaching.'
Guardian: "Oh? What's this...? Sir Itou! Who could have done such a thing?!"
'Six or seven of them rushed forward to examine Itou's corpse. Among them, of course...'
..."was Heisuke"?
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke..."
Knew it. (Of course.)
Heisuke Toudou: "..."
'He hadn't noticed us yet, but the taciturn, downcast boy I saw in the street was nothing like the Heisuke I'd known. Harada and Nagakura picked him out at the same moment I did. Silently, they both closed their eyes for a moment is silent prayer.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "...Let's go."
Sanosuke Harada: "Yeah."
("Operation: Saving Captain Heisuke" is a go!)
Heisuke Toudou: "...Shin. Sano. You're here too, Shimohi...?"
Guardian: "Nagakura! Harada! Was it you who killed Sir Itou?!"
'Heisuke was drowned out by the cry of the Guardians, but he was in turn interrupted by the sudden report of a gunshot.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "What?!"
Oh... (Shit! That might be Daemon, Chikage, and their men...)
Guardian: "What's going on?!"
'If he was hesitating, then it hadn't been the Guardians who'd fired... Was it the Shinsengumi?'
(Like I said, it could be those asshole demons.) (You're a demon!) (Yeah, but they're still assholes!)
Shinpachi Nagakura: "All right, who's the idiot out there who fired that gun?!"
Not it!
Kyo Shiranui: "Idiot? That's not very nice. Anyway... Hello, human! I'm here to play with you."
(Yep, what did I tell you...)
'In answer to Nagakura's question, two shadows drifted out of the darkness. I recognized them.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Shiranui?! Amagiri?!"
(Well, these are the kind of risks you take when you put yourself in harms way.)
Sanosuke Harada: "What're you guys doing here?
Kyo Shiranui: "What do you think? We're working. Watching you idiots lure the idiots from the Guard into a trap."
(Doesn't sound like much of a job to me.) (...This is strange but, I have to agree.)
'He waved one of his arms casually, in some sort of signal.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Where did all these people come from?!"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "I'm a little surprised to see you've got so many men. Looks like they're from Satsuma...right?"
'What? What was going on? The moment Satsuma was mentioned, the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb began to shift back and forth and mumble among themselves.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "I apologize for ambushing you, but we have our orders, and they must be followed."
Sanosuke Harada: "Orders from the Satsuma? For you, I'll but that, but I thought your friend was with the Choshu... Don't tell me you've gone and switched sides, Shiranui?"
Kyo Shiranui: "Unfortunately for you, the Satsuma and Choshu are buddies right now. ...Shouldn't you, ah, be more worried about yourself, though?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah..."
Oh, right, Chikage and Daemon's abduction scheme...
'As Shiranui spoke, the men behind him began to inch forward. I reached for my sword, but Harada stopped me.'
What for!?
Sanosuke Harada: "Keep your back to the wall, and stay behind me. I'll kill anyone who gets close."
'From the rest of the Shinsengumi, I heard the tense sounds of hand tightening on hilts and swords being loosened in their scabbards. I swallowed.'
Guardian: "Wait! If you are from the Satsuma Domain, do you mean to attack us as well?"
Kyo Shiranui: "Huh? Oh, right, you're with that guy...Itou, was it? Anyway, I hear we've got you to thank for Sakamoto."
(So...) (It was the "Guardians" who really killed that dude. [sarcasm] Thanks a lot... [/sarcasm])
'Did he mean the assassination of Ryoma Sakamoto? Then...were the Satsuma and the Guard allies?'
(I wouldn't be too sure about that. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" isn't always true.)
Kyo Shiranui: "Good job on that. Happy? Good. You can die now."
Shimohi Yukimura: "What?!"
(Told ya.)
'The crack of a pistol shattered the night air, and the Guardian who'd been speaking flew backward, his chest a bloody hole.'
Guardian: "You bastard! How dare you betray us, Satsuma dog!"
Kyo Shiranui: "Just following your lead, boss. Didn't you betray your old allies too? I seem to recall hearing something about how Sakamoto was assassinated by Harada, from the Shinsengumi..."
'Tis a lie! (So, using ye olde butcherede englishe and quoting Princess Luna at the same time without directly referencing MLP. Impressive...)
Sanosuke Harada: "I knew it."
'Just as Hijikata had suspected, Itou and his followers had been behind the rumors of Sakamoto's assassination. Heisuke said nothing, his eyes glued tot he ground. Had he known?'
Heisuke...
Kyo Shiranui: "We don't really need you anymore, but we do need to make sure you keep your traps shut. Now, I'm just thinking out loud here, but it seems like the best way to make sure you stay quiet is to make sure you're dead!"
No! I won't allow you to kill Heisuke!
'The Guardians of the Imperial Tomb were no fools. It was plain that whatever deal they'd had with the Satsuma was no longer in place. Both Shinsengumi and Guard were only moments from attacking when Amagiri's voice echoed across the street.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "You are outnumbered. I cannot advise standing against us, and as such I have a proposition for the Shinsengumi."
*sigh* ...Let me guess, it has something to do with me giving myself to Chikage doesn't it?
Sanosuke Harada: "...What?"
Kyuju Amagiri: "Give us Shimohi Yukimura. If you do, I will allow all of you to leave, unharmed."
*facepalm* I knew it... (No, we're not just going to give in after all this!) (But, that'll prevent unnecessary deaths!) (No buts! Demons do what we want, bless the consequences!)
Satsuma Vassal: "What?! Listen here Amagiri, you're not in charge of this operation! You can't trade members of the Shinsengumi for--"
Kyuju Amagiri: "I think perhaps you misunderstand. I will follow the orders of the domain to the extent that I am able, but they are not paramount."
Satsuma Vassal: "But..."
Kyo Shiranui: "...Anybody else? If you can live through the first bullet, we might listen to what you have to say."
(Well, Kyo here's deadly accurate with a pistol. I'd suspect that most humans will die at the first shot. So, nope, they're not listening to anyone but themselves.)
'He glanced down at the coprse that had dared to challenge him, then waved his pistol in the direction of the Satsuma men and laughed.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "How could he!"
(Well, like I said before... "We're demons, we do what we want.")
'To Shiranui, there were no enemies or allies... He was a beast that the Satsuma had only just learned they could not control.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "All right, now we won't have any more rude interruptions. What is your answer?"
'Not even a breath disturbed the silence of Aburano Koji. The demons, the Satsuma, the Guard, and the Shinsengumi all waited to see how I would respond.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um, I--"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "...Well, you heard the man, Sano. What do you want to do?"
Sanosuke Harada: "You really gotta ask? These guys are pretty pathetic. Heven Heisuke's lame jokes are better than this."
Hey! (Well, you're jokes are about as ridiculous...)
Heisuke Toudou: "...!"
'Harada and Nagakura grinned at one another in a manner that could only be described as "roguish." Perhaps it was only my imagination, but I thought they smiled for a moment at Heisuke, as well.'
So... Will he...?
Kyo Shiranui: "Ha ha ha ha! Oh, I love it when guys get all tough like that! Thnk you can beat all these men, though?"
'At a motion from Shiranui, the Satsuma rushed forward, a solid wave of men and swords that tumbled of the Shinsengumi and Guard alike. I...'
-Was worried about Heisuke.-
-Tried to negotiate with the demons.-
Do you even have to ask? [simultaneous] (She's worried about Heisuke.) (She's worried about Heisuke.) [/simultaneous]
'I could see Heisuke hesitate, his sword moving slowly and more cautiously that I knew it should.'
... (*sigh* I know it looks like a typo, but that's seriously what the game text reads.)
'Who was his enemy, he must be wondering. The Shinsengumi? The Satsuma? The Guard? The battle was a storm of men and swords and blood, but in the middle of it I could see Heisuke, all alone. I took a deep breath and thew myself into the melee.'
Yeah! (Now that's the Shimohi we know!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "*Pant* *Pant*"
'I'd come here for one reason, and though our attack had hardly gone as planned, that hadn't changed.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke!"
Heisuke Toudou: "Shimohi?! What are you doing here, you idiot?! You're going to get yourself killed!"
(Yeah, Shimohi tends to get herself in situations like this a lot in her quest for adventure...)
'He shoved me around behind him, his voice a mixture of surprise and anger. I was so happy to hear his voice again after so long that I found myself smiling.'
(Indeed.) (That much is obvious.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'm sorry, but I had to tell you something..."
'My run through the fighting had set my heart to pounding like an angry drum, and my lungs burned. I took a deep breath.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "You have to come back to the Shinsengumi. Everyone misses you..."
...especially me.
'Swords clashed and men screamed around us, but I ignored them. He had to listen... He had to.'
Please... I don't want you to die...
Shimohi Yukimura: "I miss you, Heisuke! I want you to come back! Please!"
(Finally! Shimohi actually spits it out!) (Not literally of course.)
Heisuke Toudou: "I... I can't go back. Not now..."
Why!?
Heisuke Toudou: "I did what I did because I thought Itou would be better for the country than...well, better. That's what's brought me here, and..."
What?
Shimohi Yukimura: "Do you still believe that?"
Heisuke Toudou: "I don't know. But when he said that he would have Sakamoto killed, and then make it look like Sano did it, it felt wrong."
Of course it would feel wrong! (Framing someone for murder is a horrible thing to do!)
Heisuke Toudou: "But then the Shinsengumi just kills him in the street? That can't be right either..."
Well... (We heard that Itou was planning on having Kondou-san killed. It was either Kondou-san or Itou.)
'One of the Satsuma men charged him with a yell, and Heisuke batted his sword away almost lazily. He laughed, but there was no humor in it; only a glimpse of a forced smile told me it wasn't a sob. My heart broke to think that my words were making him suffer, but...'
Heisuke Toudou: "...I guess I was wrong to choose a path that was just about following someone else... Lately I keep thinking about the time I spent with the Shinsengumi."
Shimohi Yukimura: "I...I think about you a lot too. I'm sure I'm not the only one either."
(No kidding.) (I mean, just look up and see how many times Shimohi here's mentioned Heisuke!)
Heisuke Toudou: "That so..."
Absolutely!
'The clatter of sword on sword filled the air as the battle raged around us. He swatted away another attack, and gave me a smile.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I'd like to go, I would, but if I go back to the Shinsengumi, I don't know what I'm supposed to fight for anymore."
(Heh-heh... We've got a idea of what, or rather "who", you could fight for...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "What do you mean?"
Guardian: "What are you doing, Toudou?! That kid's Shinsengumi! Kill him!"
Oh... Right...
'Another member of the Guard leapt at us from the side, his sword diving toward me--'
Come on... (Heisuke...) (Save Shimohi already!)
Heisuke Toudou: "Guh!"
'Heisuke spun, and drove the hilt of his sword into the man's stomach.'
(Well... Now he's done it...)
Guardian: "...Hurgh..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke...? You saved me..."
'He stared at his hands in shock, then let his eyes fall to the man doubled over on the ground. When he spoke, his voice was only barely above a whisper.'
Heisuke Toudou: "...Sorry, but I'm a pretty sad excuse for a Guardian. I followed him into this mess for... I dunno. I guess I thought I had a reason."
'More of the Guard began to inch toward us. Heisuke's grip on his sword tightened.'
Heisuke Toudou: "But I've had enough of politics, and ideals, and all that crap. Loyalism...nationalism... None of that matters anymore."
[simultaneous] Heisuke! (Heisuke!) [/simultaneous]
'His voice grew stronger as his hesitation withered and fell away.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I don't care if I have to fight 100 men, or 1000 demons..."
'He turned to look at me over his shoulder, and the grin on his face lit it up like the sun.'
...! (Is this what we think it is...?)
'Here was the Heisuke I knew!'
Heisuke Toudou: "No matter what, I'll be there for you! Any bastard that thinks he can come after you will have to get through me first, because you're what I'm fighting for!"
*squees* (Yeah, that was what we thought it was.)
'And with that final, triumphant yell, he brought his sword to face his next foe. With that, the battle began. Countless Satsuma poured into the narrow street, in an attempt to choke us with sheer numbers.'
(Obviously, they haven't heard of the concept of "conservation of ninjutsu"...)
'Nagakura's sword flickered and leapt, utterly unconcerned with any odds.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "All you've got is numbers! Anybody who wants to die, come at me!"
(...Bro!) *laughs* (*facepalm*)
Kyo Shiranui: "Ha! You should've just handed over that girl and begged for your life. You better not think I'm going to let you die quickly!"
Sanosuke Harada: "Ha. Careful, Shiranui. There's a lot of people here. If you shoot, you're more likely to hit one of your own men than me."
(I'm thinking that Kyo here just doesn't care about that.)
Kyo Shiranui: "Damnit! I can't get a good shot...! You're all useless, and more than that, you're in my way!"
(Well...) Turns out he does care... Sort of.
'He kicked out furiously at a nearby Satsuma soldier who'd had the misfortune to stumble into Shiranui's line of fire.'
(Okay, I was right all along.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "This is just...wow..."
(I know, right?)
'I knew Nagakura, Harada, and Heisuke were skilled swordsmen, but I'd never seen them fight the way they did that night. Several of the Shinsengumi's soldiers made a wall around me, and I watched as the captains tossed foes aside like they were made of straw.'
(Ladies and germs, it's a "war on straw" here!) Not quite like that...
'Then, from across the battlefield, I heard Amagiri's basso rumble.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "You mean to challenge me on your own? I suppose your courage is admirable."
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah, well, unfortunately we're a little short on men, so you're just gonna have to fight me!"
(Rematch!) Hopefully this will be a reversal of what happened last time...
Kyuju Amagiri: "Even in single combat you were unable to defeat me. This situation is hardly more ideal. What do you intend to do?"
(Isn't that obvious?)
'Even swords weren't enough to stop Amagiri's fists, and Heisuke, with his small frame, was driven back. The Satsuma pressed in, looking for an advantage.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Damnit!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "No! He's surrounded!"
(Well, at least you tried...) Akurei! We will save Heisuke! We must!
'Heisuke's plight distracted me from my own, which was a mistake I regretted almost immediately.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah!"
'Before I realized what was happening, two Satsuma soldiers burst through the Shinsengumi line, charging straight toward me.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Gah! Watch out!"
'No one was close enough to intercept them, and I was nowhere near strong enough to fight off two men on my own. There were closer now--!'
Ah... (Shit!)
'No time to dodge--! I heard the we slice of two blades cutting into human flesh.'
... (Do we need to get the reset button?)
Shimohi Yukimura: "It...it doesn't hurt...?"
(*sigh* ...Shimohi, where's your coat?) (Wait!? It could be that someone else took the blow!)
'When I looked up, the soldiers were dead.'
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'A sword pierced the chest of one, straight through the heart, and the other one had taken a wakizashi through the throat.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah!"
'I spun toward Heisuke, across the street. His arms still extended from throwing his swords, he grinned at me.'
Oh no... (This background music sounds too tragic to be anything good.)
'That fool. He'd never even stopped to consider if my life was worth his own.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "Your courage is impressive..."
'Amagiri's fist moved horribly, painfully slow.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "...but foolish."
'Without his swords, Heisuke had no way to block, and his throw had left him no room to dodge.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Hurk...gaaaaaagh!"
Heisuke!!!
Shimohi Yukimura: "Noooooooo!"
'My ragged scream echoed across the battlefield.'
Sanosuke Harada: "Heisuke!"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Damnit! Outta my way!"
Satsuma Soldier: "How can they be so strong?! Retreat! Retreat! Go, go!"
Kyo Shiranui: "They're running? First they get in my way, and then they just give up? Bah! I guess there's no helping it..."
'Harada's blade became a snarling, monstrous whirlwind of death, and before it the Satsuma and their demon allies where pushed back until they finally withdrew. Not one of the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb still stood.'
Does... Does that mean...? (This had better NOT mean that "Operation: Saving General Heisuke" was a failure!)
'The street of Aburano Koji ran red. My hands were smeared with red. The words Heisuke coughed out were...red.'
(That doesn't sound or look good.) ...
Heisuke Toudou: "Ha... Looks like I screwed up..."
Sanosuke Harada: "Don't talk, damnit! ...Shit, this is bad!"
([sarcasm] You don't say... [/sarcasm])
'Heisuke...'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Damnit, Heisuke! You can't die here!"
'Was he really going to die?'
Please... No... Don't let it come to that!
Shimohi Yukimura: "No! You can't die, Heisuke!"
'I was shivering, but I reached out to wipe the blood desperately from his cheek.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Sorry, I...I wanted to be there for you a little longer... Heh... Screwed that up pretty good...didn't I...? Sorry, Shimohi..."
No! Hang in there Heisuke!
'No, Heisuke... I wasn't ever so important that you should have given your life to protect me!'
Heisuke Toudou: "I'm fine... Don't...worry about...me..."
You sure as hell don't sound fine to me! Medic!
'We ran through the night, Nagakura and Harada bearing Heisuke's bloody and beaten body back to the Shinsengumi. Every minute felt like an hour, and with every second my heart felt that much closer to tearing in half.'
(Dude...) (That must be rough for you...)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'The assassination of Itou and the destruction of the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb was later known as the Aburano Koji Incident.'
(And, this time, that was the Shinsengumi's fault...)
'Both the Shinsengumi and Guard were surprised by the sudden appearance of Satsuma troops, and by the demons who accompanied them.'
(Okay, mostly the Shinsengumi's fault.)
'Both parties had fallen for the Satsuma trap, and the battlefield was thrown into confusion. During the fight, Heisuke was mortally wounded, and had no choice but to drink the Water of Life and become a fury, or die.'
*sigh* ... (At least you knew that was coming.)
As the battle of Aburano Koji was taking place, the headquarters of the Shinsengumi came under attack from Chikage Kazama.'
(Well, you dodged that bullet.) (If you stayed at headquarters, we would've had to deal with Mr. Kazama and Daemon instead...) Thank goodness for that.
'The monstrous thing my father had made was slowly devouring the Shinsengumi. How long before the Water of Life swallowed them whole?'
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Well, I think this means... (We've made it to Heisuke's route without a guide! ...Maybe? In the meantime, look at this! Heisuke's Romance meter is at just below the midway line and... There's a new "Corruption" meter... And it's at "Low".) Thank goodness... We'll just have to wait and see for that next time.
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