Hakuouki: Hitsuzen

The Flower That Blooms In Twilight

"Shinsengumi, eh?" their leader said as they halted. "Good work. We of the Aizu clan shall now take over."

"We of the Shinsengumi, under the Lt. General, are in the process of securing the Ikedaya," Hijikata declared strongly. "Your help is not required."

"Hijikata-san!" Chizuru said, surprised. Hadn't they been waiting for these reinforcements to come?

"What are you saying?" the Aizu leader demanded incredulously. "We have come to put down the rouge samurais gathered at the inn!"

"Would you please not enter the Ikedaya?" Hijikata said calmly, standing firm.

"You're saying that you'll block us!?" one of the lesser Aizu samurai asked incredulously.

"I'm saying this for your own sakes," Hijikata stated, fixing them with all with a stern glare.

"What was that?" the leader asked indignantly, clearly taken aback. Hijikata stepped forward again, closing the distance between them.

"If one entered not wearing the clothes of our unit, the men would immediately strike him down," Hijikata stated with unwavering certainty.

"!" the Aizu leader took a step back, unnerved by the steely gaze of the man before him.

"If you value your life, you will wait here," Hijikata told him as Sumiko and Yamazaki finally arrived on the scene. "I'll say this again: your help is not needed."

"Sumiko-san! Yamazaki-san!" Chizuru said, relieved to see that they were both unscathed, though Sumiko seemed a little out of breath.

"If the officials could go in, subduing the rogue Choshu samurais would fall to them," Yamazaki explained for the girls' benefit while Sumiko took a moment to collect herself. "The bravery of the Shinsengumi, who went in first, could go unknown."

"But that's..." Chizuru said.

"... Bullshit," Sumiko finished, annoyed on their behalf.

"That is in how little regard we Shinsengumi are held. The vice-commander, all alone, is trying to be the Shinsengumi's shield, to preserve the credit of his comrades," Yamazaki replied solemnly.

"Well, then. I guess I'd better stop wasting time and get to work doing my part," Sumiko said, straightening up, as an injured Shinsengumi member came limping out with Inoue's help.

"Hang in there!" Inoue shouted.

"Are you all right?" Chizuru shouted as she followed Sumiko over to them.

"Let me see the wound," Sumiko said. "Is it just the shoulder?"

"Y-Yes. I'm... all right," the injured man said. "There are still injured inside."

"I'll get to them in moment," Sumiko said, pulling down his haori and kimono sleeves so she could bandage his wound. "Let's take care of you, fir—Ah! Chizuru!" she shouted, alarmed when the younger girl suddenly shot off into the danger zone without warning.

"Yukimura-kun!" Inoue called out, also alarmed, as Sumiko quickly finished tying the bandage in place.

"I'm borrowing this!" Sumiko said, taking the injured man's uniform haori, before rushing after her friend.

"Ah! Sumiko-san!"

Hijikata's eyes widened slightly as he glanced back in time to see her disappear inside the building.

"Yukimura-kun, no!" Sumiko heard Kondo shout, as she entered with her sword drawn, ready to defend herself. It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the dark inn and take in the chaos around her, but then she immediately spotted Kondo-san locked in battle with a Choshu rebel while Chizuru began rushing up the stairs.