-::The Unfortunate Werewolf::-

-:Chapter VIII –Fate has a cruel hand:-

He was going to die here.

He was going to die, and there was nothing he could do to stop the thing from taking his life, here and now.

How it is go so horribly wrong? When did it go so horribly wrong? Why was he facing this horrible, unearthly creature, with no hope on beating it, no hope in getting away from it?

Perhaps it began months ago, when the bodies were discovered…

~*October 16, 1864*~

"Well, Sannan-san, you think it could be one of them who did this?"

Souji offered the question casually, as if he was suggesting what to eat for dinner, despite the weight of the subject and persons involved brought. Sannan, however, was not bothered by the question posed. He furrowed his brow, his brown eyes flickering back and forth as he scanned the written reports thoroughly. Taking a deep breath, he finally looked up from the papers and frowned at Souji. "In my honest opinion, it seems impossible for them to be responsible. These wounds are too…"

"Animalistic?" Souji barked out a laugh. "Yeah, Hajime-kun said the same thing. In fact, he's convinced he may have seen the same thing that did those guys in."

"Oh?" Sannan set the papers down. "In any case, we'll have to keep our options open to all possibilities. I highly doubt one of the subjects got loose, as I have repeatedly checked, so even if this could be connected, it's most definitely not from our side."

"Then," Souji's eyes wandered towards the lab behind Sannan, narrowing at the sight of the red liquid inside the various shaped vials, "are you suggesting that those Choshu have it?"

Sannan shrugged. "I cannot say. But so as long as we do not know the whereabouts of the doctor, someone else could very well be using his knowledge of the formula. Hence why I keep urging Hijikata-kun to increase search parties. The longer Kodo-kun is away, the more I worry and expect the worse."

"No one in their right minds would kill a Western-trained doctor," Souji murmured, bowing his head.

Sannan eyed the young man over the rim of his round glasses and sighed loudly. Souji looked up curiously, only for Sannan to smile in response and pat Souji's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. As I told Hijikata-kun, there is very little chance of this being the work of the ochimizu. For now, we shall continue investigating, and I'm sure we'll find the source in no time."

~*November 13, 1864*~

Those words from Sannan's had put Souji's mind at ease, yet it only confirmed his other fear; of there being something else, something no one could control and no one knew about.

He remembered the meeting after the investigation. Hijikata had been in a frenzy, questioning everyone, big and small, ally, onlooker, and even enemy. His frightening demeanor had gotten some quick answers, even from the more rebellious bunch, and they all said the same thing.

No one knew what did this.

Weeks passed, and the questions piled up. Was this a warning from someone on the other side, a precursor of things to come? But if that were so, why weren't the Choshu rubbing this in? And why in this style? Was this an assassination? An accident? So many questions, yet no answers.

Kondo was still in Edo, away on business to expand the Shinsengumi, when the investigation over the three mysterious deaths began. Hijikata had sent Kondo a letter immediately to the commander with the news. He had also requested Kondo continue acting as usual, as creating a panic in Edo was the last thing the Shinsengumi needed, especially with things going so well.

Souji didn't think it was a good idea, personally. He thought Hijikata was taking this investigation all wrong. Interviewing the citizens of Kyoto hadn't yielded any fruit, and imposing these ridiculous curfews didn't get them any closer to finding this mysterious killer.

Yet he couldn't argue with Hijikata's reasoning either. Interviewing the citizens might have, under normal circumstances, gone nowhere, but the people of Kyoto had become fearful. Rumors of just what killed those men had gotten out of control, with yokai and demon possession being favors stories to tell, but Kyoto no longer saw the Shinsengumi as a threat. After all, the Shinsengumi was making an extra effort to protect the citizens, and the people, even hardcore loyalists, saw the benefit of aiding the Shinsengumi in finding whatever caused these unfortunate deaths.

It was an even bigger shock when a representative from the Satsuma han came to Aizu with the promise of aid, should the Shinsengumi or Aizu find the killer. These killings were actually doing a lot of good, all things considered, as it was putting formidable enemies as allies. Then again, there was the saying of, "An enemy of my enemy is my friend."

But of course, these were unsolved murders, and gruesome ones at that. The city was still plagued with fear, no matter how much damage control the Shinsengumi attempted to do to calm the people. This got the city wide curfew enacted in order to prevent future slayings, and the ripples of this and the general atmosphere made Souji lose one of the few pleasures he had; playing the local children.

Fathers and mother prevented their children from playing in the streets even in the daytime. Sons and daughters had to be escorted by their family everywhere, the fear of a dangerous monster lurking around every corner fresh in everyone's minds.

On this particular day, Souji found himself unbelievably bored. Hijikata, ever the mother hen he was, caught Souji having a nasty coughing fit and forced the captain to take the day off. Of course, under normal circumstances, he would have gone to wander the city, entertaining the children in the neighborhood and eating sweets along the way. And maybe ignore a few of his comrades, should he run across one.

Ah, but alas, Hijikata was as bad as the frightened parents, making Souji promise that he wouldn't leave the compound at all. Which meant Souji was left to be impossibly, unbearably bored.

Until he ran into Chizuru, busy at work sweeping the compound. Her head was bowed, a slight frown on her lips. A… very uncharacteristic thing of her, yet she had been moody for an entire month since the murders were reported. Souji suspected the grisly details (despite Hijikata and some of the other captains doing their best) had somehow been overheard, and now Chizuru was most likely frightened. After all, this would not be the first she had witnessed a horrific death.

Souji found himself frowning, watching her sweep from a distance. It… oddly bothered him that she looked so miserable. No, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't an oddity, really; more like, it bothered him that a normally positive, happy girl such as Chizuru looked so blue. It didn't seem right, to him, for her to be looking like that, when it was really no fault of her own. Surely, there was something that could—

An idea hit him, and Souji grinned easily as he slipped behind her and tapped her shoulder. She jumped, yelping before whirling around, her big brown eyes wide. He found himself laughing at her facial expression. "Wow, jumpy much?"

She frowned in turn. "That's not funny, Okita-san!" A curious look suddenly came over her face. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

He shrugged, jabbing his thumb in the direction of Hijikata's room. "Hijikata's a huge worrywart. You so as much as sneeze, and he'll put you under house arrest until your final breath. But what about you? You no longer going on patrol anymore?" It had been only a month since Souji had taken Chizuru on patrol, but he had also been switched to night shift a month ago, due to the slayings. He also had been struggling with a bit of a nasty cold, so he ended up being constantly set to his room for "rest," but the "Mommy" Commander of the Shinsengumi.

She shook her head sadly. "No. Hijikata-san said it would be best if I don't go on patrol until new recruits come in."

"Honestly." Souji rolled his eyes. Then he got that familiar tickling sensation in the back of his throat. Dammit, here of all places. He tried to clear his throat at first, but instead of a little, "Ehem," he was hoping to make, he let out a raspy, rattling like sound, startling Chizuru in turn.

"Are you okay?!"

His fist still over his mouth, he glanced over to her. She looked so genuinely concerned. Funny, how, just moments ago, she had such a glum look on her face. But, however it was achieved, she was no longer sad. Now he just had to reassure her he's fine, so she'll finally smile.

He waved her back, a smile on his face. "I'm fine. It's just a stupid cold. Can't seem to shake it off."

"Okita-san, maybe you should get some rest."

"I'm getting plenty of rest."

It was quiet again, and Souji noticed the sad look returning slowly to Chizuru's face. Mentally frowning, he bent over, smiling directly at her. "Hey, wanna know a secret?"

"Huh?" Her big brown eyes fluttered, confusion written all over her face. At least she was an easy read, Souji thought as he externally smirked.

"Yeah, Hijikata-san's got a dirty, little secret. I could tell you, if you want." He kept his tone light, waving a finger back and forth in front of her face. However, the exact opposite of a reaction came over her face as Chizuru exclaimed, "Oh no, I can't—"

Realizing his error, he laughed nonchalantly. "No, no, it's nothing like that. Really, you won't get killed for it, I promise."

"Oh." She looked away, as if checking if anyone was watching. When he noticed it, he chuckled, a little too loudly, alerting her and causing her to look up at him in shock and then anger.

"Okita-san, this isn't funny." He noticed how her knuckles turned white as she gripped the broom hard, and he swore he heard the broom handle crack on the pressure, but dismissed as leaves rustling somewhere.

"What?" Souji replied, shrugging. "If you don't want to know, you just have to say so."

"I'm not playing games with you right now!" she suddenly snapped. Souji froze, stunned by her sudden outburst. Was it… did he piss her off? That easily? It normally took more than that, and while yes, Chizuru sometimes seemed to develop a biting tongue during a rare moment, she had never barked at him as she were impersonating Hijikata.

It unnerved him, and suddenly, he felt like he should say something, fix whatever damage he had done. But all he did was laugh. Was that what set her off?

Maybe it was. Chizuru just seemed so moody and tense for the past month. No, it hadn't been for a whole month. It had been ever since Kinmon. She seemed to withdraw into her cocoon more and more. She always seemed so stressed out, more so that he thought.

Could he be the cause of it? Admittedly, he did take a liking to kicking the hornet's nest, but maybe he finally crossed some kind of line. Either way, he didn't want to antagonize Chizuru to the point of her hating him. He didn't want that, honestly.

Before he could make a move, Chizuru recoiled, now practically hugging the broom closely. "A-ah," she struggled desperately, "I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have—"

"No, it's fine." He reached out, patting her head gently. "Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed."

Her soft, brown eyes brightened a bit, and that caused Souji to genuinely smile back. Somehow, it relived him that she gotten better. "Thank you, Okita-san," she then stated, pulling away and bowing. She then turned and left. Souji watched her go, watching as the saddened look returned to her face.

Maybe, just maybe, he can lessen his teasing, for now, until she was back to normal. Seeing her like this, it just felt off.

A frown really didn't suit her.

~*January 11, 1865*~

December came and went, with Kondo finally returning. Chizuru hadn't transformed in two months, too terrified to open her windows and let the moonlight seep in. Even when the panic of the murders had faded somewhat, the trail long lost, she couldn't.

She just couldn't. She had not just killed once, but twice. And it was multiple in both cases.

How quickly she had forgotten The Wolf's power. How stupidly she had thought she had complete control.

It wasn't safe; it would never be safe.

She was never safe.

That thought broke her heart to pieces, and that thought stayed with her for weeks. She desperately wanted companionship, but her inner Wolf had always been the leash to hold her back. She had to always walk on egg shells, tiptoeing the boundaries of being friendly and being friends, and with Kinmon, and then that night a few months ago… She couldn't chance it anymore. It would be best if she simply pushed everyone away, keep it professional like the day she felt came he—

"Oi, Chizuru-chan, can I come in?"

The sound of Nagakura's voice shocked her. Blinking, she looked over her shoulder and replied, "Um, sure. Come in."

"Thanks!" Nagakura opened and closed the door quickly, ducking inside quickly. "Geez, it's freezing! Aren't you cold?"

The chill of winter blew in through the cracks of the window. Chizuru shivered, hugging herself. When had it become so cold? She didn't notice until now. Then again, she was too lost in her own abyss to notice it. It was as cold inside as it was outside.

"Um," she began, not sure how to word it, when she noticed the thing Nagakura had carried inside. A heater…? she thought to herself as Nagakura began to work on the fire inside, heating the room up slowly.

"Brr." He shivered comically, rubbing his hands together. "Man, I hate this time of year. Too cold. Sano doesn't mind the cold, though. I don't get him."

Chizuru blinked, looking up at Nagakura in confusion. What was he doing here, in her room? She had invited him in, but what had brought him here in the first place? Was Harada out, and Nagakura was merely seeking out some company?

When she didn't respond to Nagakura's words, he beckoned her to come closer. "You're not going to warm up that far away," he said, gesturing to the fire. "Come on. Despite what Heisuke told you, I don't bite."

"Oh, okay." Cautiously, she slid closer to the little heater, holding her hands up, surprised as how good the heat felt on her hands. They sat like for a while, eventually making idle chatter about trivial things. Neither knew how long the two chatted, but Nagakura was eventually interrupted by the arrival of Shimada. Nagakura left, promising to return in a bit, but he invited her to keep the fire going to stay warm. "Can't have our charge freezing up on us, right?" he stating, smiling playfully at her.

Chizuru couldn't help but let a little giggle out, the first one in awhile, and, for some reason, that caused Nagakura's smile to widen significantly. Despite going back at into the cold, he seemed chirper, and as she watched him go, she found herself envying him.

Yet, it was nice to know he cared. In fact, everyone was showing some form of consideration. Okita told jokes instead of poking fun at her. Hijikata avoided barking orders at her. Harada brought her little sweets that he purchased while grocery shopping. Inoue chipped in on some of the chores Chizuru did, even though he had to finish his own things. And Kondo and Sannan kept conversations around her lighthearted and completely free of any heavy news. And even though Heisuke was still in Edo, he had apparently expressed concern over her wellbeing after hearing about the murders.

She blinked back tears. She really wanted to have people she could call friends. She wanted people who she could trust. She wanted to finally open up and share this inner turmoil with another person. Her father had been her only confidant during the ten long years. Kodo was really the only person she could truly open up to. He was only person she could truly trust, and he wasn't here. These men, these wonderful people, were her only company, and it was made very clear they cared, at least somewhat.

Staring at the fire as it gently crackled, Chizuru let out a sigh and wiped the tears away. The Wolf was terrifying, that much was true. Yet she couldn't, shouldn't let this fear consume her. Her mentor had warned her about the all-consuming fear.

"You must be brave, Omega-chan. Do not let the fear overtake you. Heed it, respect it, but own it. Do not let it own you."

Thank you, Alpha-jiji, she thought, bowing her hands and clasping her hands. I will not let this fear take me. I cannot, for my father's sake.

Tonight was a full moon. She will conquer this fear all over again, again and again until she owned it.

~*February 22, 1865*~

Sannan felt useless. Utterly, completely, totally useless.

Wincing, he forced his left hand to close. However, the limp, immovable thumb did not move, awkwardly sticking it among the closed fingers.

He couldn't hold his sword properly with the thumb acting as dead weight. No matter what he did, he couldn't regain feeling in his left thumb. It was hopeless.

Looking out the window, Sannan frowned when he noticed Itou, the newest member, chattering happily with some of his students. Sannan had thought bringing Itou would have a good move on Kondo's part. Itou was a well-studied man, but his overall demeanor just stuck out like a sore thumb (no pun intended). It wasn't the way he spoke, or even what he necessarily believed, that truly bothered Sannan. Far from it, even.

It was the feeling of a snake crawling over his body, slowly coiling its body around his neck.

Rubbing his neck, he let out a sigh. Thinking this over and over would not help. While it infuriated Sannan over what Itou had said, he had spoken the truth.

Sannan was useless.

Useless.

Utterly, completely useless.

A red gleam caught his eye at that moment. Words he had spoken, both to Yukimura and Okita, flashed in his mind.

There was still something he could do.

~*February 23, 1865*~

It happened so quickly.

Chizuru had worried over Sannan since overhearing the meeting over changing headquarters. The look in his eyes… there was a sense of hopelessness, a feeling she knew all too well, especially in recent months. And because of this, she couldn't just ignore his pain. There had to be something, anything, she could do.

But, as it were, she knew nothing on how to cure Sannan's injury. It seemed incurable. It truly looked hopeless for him.

It was during the night, plagued with these grim thoughts, that Chizuru's sensitive hearing picked up something… curious. Footsteps in the direction towards the Maekawa. The one place she was never allowed near.

Chizuru had dressed herself and went out, curiosity getting the better of her. Who was out at this time? It couldn't be Heisuke on his hunt for her werewolf self, as he was still in Edo. It seemed likely, but when she had caught sight of Sannan, she immediately dismissed it.

She kept quiet as she followed him, thoughts buzzing around her mind. What was he doing out at this time? Where was he going? Why was he going to the other house?

Stupid her, she then got the idea that Sannan was thinking of committing seppuku. Thinking this, she then burst out and announced her presence, begging him not to do such a thing. Sannan's reaction to her was… strange, to say the least. He wasn't mad that she had followed him, nor was he concerned about her, the Shinsengumi's secret charge, being out and about, near a building she was forbidden from going near.

He even invited her inside, telling her he should show her something.

Thinking back, she should have run. She should have called for help, she should have, she should have.

But all these should have's did not stop her from following her inside, towards what would change her very world view.

A red liquid in a simple, tiny glass bottle. It would have looked innocent, if not for the sinister way the liquid glowed an unnatural red. She was terrified of the thing the moment she set her eyes on it, and she had barely any time to react when Sannan, in an oddly calm voice, explained what it was.

It was a formula her father had developed, called the ochimizu. It had the power to remake men, granting them great powers, but at a grave cost: their sanity. Sannan admitted that, since her father's disappearance, he had attempted to continue work on the formula with little success. That vial was the product of months of going over research notes left by her father. He had hoped that the formula was deluded enough to not give him the negative side effects.

She attempted to convince him not to do such a thing. Why take such a risk? Why go to such lengths? It was there that Sannan revealed the terrible truth; forced into a corner, forced to admit he was in this corner by Itou, Sannan found his recovery shall never happen without help. And help could come, in the form of the ochimizu. Even if it didn't work, he said, he could still die a man, in hopes of recovering what he had lost. The Shinsengumi, after all, had no need for a useless man.

Chizuru shouted that it wasn't true; Sannan was valuable, and everyone adored him. But she could do nothing as he, with a sad smile on his face, said farewell and drank the vial in one gulp.

She had screamed. Oh kami, she had screamed. And before she knew it, Sannan had joined in her screaming, wailing in agony. But that was only the beginning of hell. In a matter of seconds, Sannan's sandy brown hair changed into a stark white. Those gentle brown eyes hidden by round glasses took on an unearthly red light, burning brightly in the darkness.

It had gone horribly wrong. Sannan had charged at her, demanding her blood. His hands grasped around her throat with strength she had never experienced before. Her instincts took a hold there, her eyes flashing yellow and The Wolf and Oni emerging in a quick burst. Blue wisps of tangible energy seeped out of her pores, flushing Sannan away with a mighty shove. He managed to catch himself right before he smashed into the wall, his red eyes still mad with bloodlust.

The Wolf snarled at the thing before her. Baring long talons for nails and sharp fangs, The Wolf crunched, ready to strike again, should the thing attempt another attack. However, Sannan was never given the chance, noise suddenly flooding around them as a group of familiar people rushed inside, weapons drawn.

Okita moved in first, striking Sannan down with a clean, blunt blow, knocking the other man out. Saito rushed to Sannan's side, watching him warily as Harada and Nagakura immediately grabbed hold of the unconscious deputy. Before Chizuru knew it, Hijikata was in front of her, grabbing her arms and holding her still. In one breath, Hijikata ordered Harada and Nagaura to worry about guarding the entrances to both houses, Saito and Okita to take Sannan to his room. Everyone moved like clockwork, and suddenly, Chizuru was in her own room again, facing against the Demon Commander once again.

In a moment, the hopes that she was finally beginning to belong with these men was shattered. In a moment, she was remained of just what she was to the Shinsengumi, and what they would be willing to do to keep their secrets. Like the first night over a year ago, he stared at her with blank, emotionless eyes. Again, he threatened to kill her if she as much as peeped over what she had seen. And again, somehow, Chizuru had dodged the bullet.

Somehow.

~*March 12, 1865*~

The move was no longer a joke. Toshizo made sure to let the monks know that, as well, to clear up any confusion anyone was somehow carrying.

In the past weeks, many things had happened. In one night, Sannan had sent the Shinsengumi abuzz with concern and curiosity. Toshizo honestly wanted to slap his comrade for his irrationality, but he wasn't really one to talk.

A miracle had, thankfully, happened. Despite the numerous amounts of failure, Sannan had managed to regain his sanity and function as a normal human being. Mostly.

The aversion to sunlight and daytime was present, according to Sannan. He had difficulty functioning during the day, experiencing some discomfort being in the sun. This was unfortunate, as the entire point of Sannan taking the medicine was to not experience side effects.

However, according to Sannan, it was mostly a success. His arm was healed. He could gripe things again. He could wield a sword. He was, in every sense of the word, a success. With such a success, Sannan felt confident in continuing the work the doctor had left them, things finally beginning to look hopeful for the formula's weaponization.

But if Sannan couldn't work during the daytime, how would they explain that to Itou and his men. Toshizo did not trust them any more than Chizuru could throw Heisuke. But before he could complain, Sannan offered him a solution.

Spread a rumor that Sannan had attempted to flee from the Shinsengumi. Sannan would even write a note to add merit to the rumor, and then he told Toshizo to send Souji out, as if he was going to retrieve the rogue member.

That, of course, meant that Sannan was willing to pay dead. To be caught fleeing from the Shinsengumi meant death by seppuku, but, according to Sannan, it was the perfect cover-up story.

Toshizo didn't like it. He made well damn sure to everyone that he didn't like it. But he still followed through. The whole nine yards.

And then he pushed for the move. In order to hide the "dead" Sannan from Itou, there needed to be more room. It was hard enough to convince the cunning advisor to generally avoid the Maekawa house. It was even harder now, and Toshizo would never allow for that snake of a man to find out the truth.

The move was made to Nishi Hongan-ji, as he had suggested. The move had been a bit on the bitter side, but everyone seen improved in mood after receiving much needed space.

But even with the move going as planned, even though they had managed to successfully fool Itou and his men, Toshizo couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. Very wrong.

He had heard the screaming first. He and the other captains rushed to the Maekawa house, worried about what was transpiring. Before reaching the room, he heard Sannan's howl for blood, which was oddly meant with a roar of protest.

But not just any roar. A bestial roar that could only belong to an animal. Yet when Toshizo rushed inside, he found no such creature.

Instead, he had found a frightened and confused Chizuru, blinking slowly as her normally honey-colored eyes seemed oddly vibrant and golden in color. Toshizo had merely dismissed it as a trick of the light at the heat of the moment, but looking back, he kept wondering. Was it a trick of the light? This wasn't the first time he had seen Chizuru behave oddly. It certainly didn't feel like the last either.

Which only meant one thing. Keeping a better eye on her, to uncover the secrets this girl held, despite her pleas on being ignorant of her father's work. Even if that were true, there were many other secrets she could hold, being as equally as compromising as the other. And Toshizo was going to be taking no chance.

~*June 9, 1865*~

The full moon was high in the clear sky, illuminating the normally dark streets. Chikage took a slow drag from his pipe, watching the empty streets with bored, red eyes.

Little had happened, outside of the move the Mibu wolves had made. It had been a bold move, in Chikage's opinion, and a wise, strategic one. Still, it was typical that the peasants behaved like boors, forcing their way into a house of peace with threat of violence. It honestly disgusted Chikage, to be frank, but he wasn't surprised. Humans typically resorted to violence when they couldn't get their way.

Leaning his head back, Chikage then directed his gaze to the bright moon above his head. If only there were people on the Moon, as stated in the tale of Kaguya-hime. Perhaps then Chikage could interact without people outside his race, with greater sense of dignity and respect for life than humans. But alas, it seemed to not be so.

Amidst his musing, he heard the wail of a beast breaking through the dead of night. It no longer came from the Mibu district, he noticed, which puzzled him a great deal. For three months this had now occurred, and Chikage was behind curious at this point.

Several times he had heard a wolf's cry throughout Kyoto. There were other times where rumors spoke of a large animal stalking the streets of Kyoto, slaughtering innocents and dragging their corpses to the underworld. Even the Satsuma clan had been somewhat shaken when the triple homicide occurred.

Chikage normally wouldn't have cared. Human business was human business, and oni had no reason to involve themselves. Although, the key word was "normally." This case, however, was an exception.

The deaths had been, shall we say, bestial in nature? Claw marks mauled the deceased's skin, bodies torn to shreds, bloody marks twice the size of a man's hand and feet littering the area.

Whatever had killed those humans was not human itself. That was why Chikage felt he had to involve himself. As the head of the Kazama clan, it was a vital part of his job to ensure his clan's safety. If this thing could be a possible threat to oni, it had to be destroyed before it could do any harm.

Furrowing his brow, Chikage set his pipe down and adjusted his kimono. Even so, he had no way of tracking the creature. It was like a ghost, fading away before appearing again, and then fading away again. There were no leads he could start with… Or were there? Perhaps the creature and the wolf cries were connected? It was a ridiculous assumption, but a start. Checking the validity of such an assumption would at least ease him of his boredom, something he desperately needed during this dry period.

Dressing and arming himself, he descended into the empty streets.

Xxxx

Souji paused, his hand gripping his sword handle. Something had moved through the peripheral view, somewhere up to his left. Slightly tilting his head, he saw nothing, until he returned his gaze forward, catching again a flash of white.

"Continue without me," he told his companion, the seventh captain Tani, as he began to run towards where the flash had appeared. While running, he caught another glimpse, further down the street.

A rasetsu was out, he thought with a groan. This wasn't good. Kondo wouldn't be happy to hear that one of their men got out. Knowing the commander, he would be more concerned with any innocent people getting hurt than being found out. But that was fine. If Souji happens upon a witness, he'll make sure to silence them this time around.

Xxxx

The chase led him down several streets, the white flash either far ahead of him or somewhere in a different direction. He was lucky that the thing had constantly jumped from rooftop to rooftop, otherwise he'd never get a chance to catch a glimpse at whatever it was.

He was sure of one thing, though. It was not a rasetsu.

The white flash was… too white. Like, the rasetsu only have white hair, not a completely white body. Either way, he was pursuing it. Whatever it was, he had the sinking suspicious that it could cause trouble.

After all, one does not stumble upon a large, white flash every night.

It was probably only an hour of constantly pursuing, momentarily losing before discovering it again, pursuing again until he, passing through an alley, found a familiar, yet unwelcomed, face.

"You!" Souji hissed, pulling his sword out in a flash. The golden haired ronin arched an eyebrow, looking seemingly disinterested, not even bothering to unsheathe his blade. His red eyes bore the same gaze as that night at Ikedaya, looking at Souji as if he were just a bug. That look enraged the captain, but he really didn't have the time for this. That white thing was still out there, but if this ronin got in his way again, Souji swore he would cut him down without mercy.

"Okita, was it? Pity I have no time for you," the ronin drolled, looking away from the Shinsengumi officer. Under normal circumstances, Souji would have jumped on this, but he noticed how the ronin seemed to be looking for something…

Much how Souji was.

Just when the captain was about to demand why the hell this ronin was out stalking around, a roar suddenly broke through the night. White encompassed everything in a matter of milliseconds, followed closely by a storm of dust.

And then Souji found himself face-to-face with Heisuke's monstrous visitor.

Roaring again, the thing whirled to look at Souji before turning to face the ronin, snarling. In that single moment, Souji comically thought to himself that he had to correct Heisuke on what type of creature he saw. It wasn't an ape as Heisuke had theorized.

Its head was lupine in shape, with a short muzzle, ears placed off to each side of the head, long and pointed. A mane of sorts graced its large head, and the rest of its body was covered head-to-toe with white fur. A tail whipped behind it, moving ferociously as the creature looked at both witnesses fiercely with its piercing golden eyes.

Souji had never seen such a horrific monster before. Looking at its claws and feet, which oddly seemed to resemble human limbs, Souji realized that this creature was responsible for the prints Hajime and he found. Which only caused his stomach to drop when the dots became connected.

This thing was responsible for killing the Choshu bastards on during the Kinmon Rebellion. This thing had slaughtered three ronin on the street a few months ago. This thing had visited the Shinsengumi's headquarters several times, and that was the most frightening part.

… He couldn't let that creature live.

While it turned its head back to look at the ronin, Souji charged at it, crying out as his sword shot out towards the thing's chest.

It didn't turn around fast enough. It howled in pain as the blade penetrated its side. Souji found himself smirking proudly until he saw the thing's claw reach out and grasp the blade in its oversized paw. Before he could react, the free claw jerked out, slapping into his face and knocking him to the side with a loud thud.

Souji barely managed to keep his head from smacking against the ground. His shoulders slammed into the ground, and he coughed loudly, the air flying out of his lungs. Another roar erupted into the air. Through barely open eyes, Souji scrambled to get up, his hands flying to his wakizashi, having lost his katana.

He heard a crunching noise, and upon looking up, Souji saw the thing's back turned, its fist buried deep into the wood of the building, snarling loudly. At the monster's feet was the ronin, clutching a bleeding shoulder while looking furiously at the thing.

Honestly, Souji did not care for the ronin. He hadn't cared when Hijikata had told him the ronin's name; he hadn't cared that the ronin was working for Satsuma, Aizu's temporary ally towards the radical Choshu. However, with everything considered, the ronin had provided him with an opening.

Souji charged again, angling the blade straight for the heart. He watched as the sword slipped through the flesh, cracking through the bone and organs, rapidly approaching the heart until—

The monster roared in agony and lurched back, its large claws snagging Souji's arms and hoisting him up and over, into the air onto the empty street. Landing on his shoulder hard, Souji howled out as he felt something snap and pop. His left arm burned with pain, causing Souji to grind his teeth to keep from screaming. He rolled immediately off his injured arm, trying to fight through the pain, knowing fully well the monster was still there.

As if summoned by his thoughts, he heard the thing stalk over to him, breathing heavy ad growling softly. When its feet came into his central field of sight, he followed the feet up to the large, muscular thighs, the flat stomach and strangely-shaped chest to its face.

Oh, kami, its face.

Its short muzzle was gaping open, large canines catching the light of the moon behind it. Two thick, short bony spikes stuck out of its head, almost invisible amongst the white. But it was the eyes that truly took his breath away. Those large, glowing eyes, with the black pupil was practically a narrow slight and the yellow took up the majority of the eye.

He struggled to stand before the creature was upon him, but it beat him to the punch, literally, by landing a slug straight into his gut. He gagged, his body momentarily going limb as the creature caught him, fisting his haori in one claw. Then he was lifted by his clothing, feeling the breath of the monster against his face.

I… I can still… fight, he thought weakly as the creature crackled in his face. It pulled its face away from him before throwing him to the ground. He grunted as he hit the dirt before crying out, the monster's huge foot slamming into his backside. With strange, calculated movements, the thing grounded its heel into his spine before lifting its foot and kicking him in the side.

The monster then grabbed his haori again, jerking him upright throwing him again, this time into a barrel. Souji's clothes began soaked as whatever liquid was contained in the barrel, groaning weakly as his vision blurred and his mind swirled.

After a moment, the monster lifted him up again, this time by the scuff of his neck. Once again bringing Souji's face close to its, Souji watched through clouded vision as the monster grinned a huge, disgusting smirk, baring its fangs.

How it is go so horribly wrong? When did it go so horribly wrong? Why was he facing this horrible, unearthly creature, with no hope on beating it, no hope in getting away from it?

He was going to die, and there was nothing he could do to stop the thing from taking his life, here and now.

He was going to die here. He could no longer move his arms, he had no weapons, he could barely see now.

I… I can no longer… fight…

The last thing Souji felt was a piercing pain in his left cheek as, he assumed, the creature dragged a long talon along his face.