To Not Give In

Eleven || Intrusion and Encounter of Kazama Chikage

The Shinsengumi base was squeaky clean the next day--leaving practically no chores whatsoever to do. In other words: I was bored.

Wait. There were no chores. I was bored. Holy crap was I starting to like chores?

I decided to check on Chizuru. I recalled her telling me she'd be sweeping by the pond. Maybe I could talk with her, ask her how the practices were coming along and other small talk. I was making my way down the dirt path towards the garden where she was, when I heard a shout. I startled.

It sounded like...Heisuke. A very angry Heisuke.

Curious, I began tiptoeing to the shrubbery and quickly ducked behind a bush, peeking over the top of the leaves.

Oh my god. My eyes widened and I slapped my hands over my open mouth. This was...this was...

Kazama sneered. "The weaker the dog, the louder the bark."

Hijikata-san, Harada-san, and Heisuke were gathered around the pond, Heisuke standing protectively in front of Chizuru, in stance with a hand on the hilt of one of his katanas. I couldn't see his or Chizuru's face from my view here; what I could see were the expressions of Hijikata-san and Harada-san. I'd only ever seen those expressions when they were preparing for a fight. Hijikata's face was calm and set, yet I could see the storm that could be unleashed the moment something went wrong. Harada had a challenging look on his face, a grin tugging at his mouth as he held his spear pointed at the demon.

Kazama, on the other hand, didn't look the least bit intimidated, despite being surrounded by three of the Shinsengumi's best warriors. He just stood there casually on the boulder at the center of the pond, like he didn't give a care in the world.

I had a feeling he probably actually didn't.

I studied the demon. I'd expected him to look more...supernatural. But he just looked human, with his dark blonde hair and soft-looking bangs falling over his forehead, with his crimson eyes and slender jaw line. He donned a burgundy-trimmed, white kimono with a dark gray haori over it. Around his neck was a kind of gold-trimmed, black collar which emphasized the elegance of his neck and collarbone. If anything, he was particularly handsome. It was just the arrogant sneer on his face which ruined it.

"Chizuru," he spoke directly to her, "Koudou is on our side."

I froze. Yes. This was the part. The part that I'd knew what come to happen since Chizuru first stepped into Miyazawa. I could only watch from my hiding place, unable to say anything at the risk of being seen and caught. This was a part of history which I could not interfere with or take part in.

"You know what that means, yes?" I wanted to punch this guy in the face so badly right now. I clenched my fists, keeping them to myself. "Your father has turned his back on the Bakufu."

He smirked. "You have no more reason to be here then, right? You should think long and hard on that."

Shut up! I screamed internally at him, You egotistical, self-important, son of a—

I cursed that stupid demon thoroughly in my mind, landing at least a hundred curses on him and spewing all the horrible names I ever knew upon him.

I blinked. He was gone. There was only the ripple on the surface of the pond that could indicate that he was ever here. Heisuke removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. I watched as Chizuru stood with her head down. She was thinking. And from the looks of it, it wasn't of anything particularly good.