127. The Enthralled
A sea of fire bathed the old capital of Kyo. One by one, the wooden houses and structures that filled the ten horizontal streets of the valley were immolated as a dark force rose up over the horizon. Hundreds of yokai soldiers trampled the brimstone, each group led by one of the ten Shinsengumi Captains. They reached the palace in no time, where the Royal Guard stood mobilized.
It was not the guards' faults that they stood no chance against the militarily and technologically superior Shinsengumi. Most of those who stood to fight were the 15th in unbroken lines of royal servants who had lived through the past 300 years of peace practicing the art of war simply for fashion, living luxuriously off the emperor's coffers all the while.
On that day, for the first time in ages, blood-crazed warriors once again walked through the green land, laying waste to history and tradition. Receiving no assistance from the Iga clan, nor the southern clan of Sacchu, many of the Royal Guard fought to their last breaths.
As she stood behind Azuka in the throne room of the Royal Palace, Chiaki recounted the last moments of her life in the capital. Within the walls of this city she had experienced every monumental incident in her life, which included watching her parents' bodies explode in mounds of viscera. Now, Azuka stood in her red-and-white hakama roaring at Tani Sanjuro, a mustachioed Shinsengumi who was clad in gaudy metallic armor – one of the men who had participated in the massacre. The wires lining the wooden walls and the screens they were connected to vibrated as the two flared their auras.
Since that day, nothing but death has surrounded me. In this abyss, I cannot see even darkness. It's a miracle that I'm still alive, and that's why I need to keep fighting. I'm not alone anymore. The Empress is here, and she will be our Exalted Light.
Azuka seethed. "I will give you only one chance to surrender."
Tani let out a heavy snort. "As if I would ever–"
The 7th Captain was stifled as Azuka exploded across the room, blade ignited with iridescent psynergy.
Tin psynergy gushed out from Tani's arms as he pulled out a new spear and met Azuka's stike. She continued to push, but he did not budge, and finally thrust the woman backwards with a forceful arm.
"Don't think you'll be able to escape here alive," Azuka threatened. "You're isolated, and all your men have been taken out."
Tani snorted. "I doubt that. But even if it happens to be the case, I can always call for reinforcements."
"But you won't." Azuka raised her eyebrows craftily. "If you could, I imagine you would have done so already. You wouldn't have simply sat here and waited while we wiped out all your men. You used only what was here in the city to fight us, and I think I know why. You don't want anyone to find out about this. If your leaders find out that you ran away from us at Kurogaya, you'll be punished for your cowardice."
"Bitch!" Tani growled. "Go on, say whatever you want! It won't change anything!"
As the two began their second exchange, Chiaki and Satoka heard a faint whisper from behind them. Startled, they both spun around to see the meek eyes of Yakushiji Chigusa peering out from the hallway.
"Chigusa!" Chiaki shouted in a whisper. "You're alright!"
The girl's sharply-cut bangs and neck-length hair was unmistakable, and it looked as if she was unwounded.
"Chiaki..." Yakushiji whispered. "Ravi fought another Shinsengumi. I was hoping to come to her aid, but before I could...she disappeared."
"We can search for her later," Chiaki said, motioning to the bandaged body of Reijiro that lay beside her. "For now, I need you to fix him. Take him into the hallway and do what you can. I'm counting on you."
Despite his bandages, blood still trickled out from Reijiro's body. Dubious of whether he was still alive, Chigusa quietly dragged the warrior's body through the crack in the door and bent down to inspect his pulse.
Meanwhile, Azuka and Tani continued their struggle. Azuka swung out with both hands, but Tani parried her yet again with finesse. This time, he kicked out at her shin, but Azuka would not be distracted. With a powerful shout, she released a shockwave of collected light from her blade, but Tani sharpened his spear and sliced straight through it.
His supercharged spear continued right through Azuka's wooden sword, cleaving both the psynergy that shielded it and the weapon that had been passed down through her family.
"Yes!" Tani cackled. "You should never have come back, Empress! I'm going to dice you to pieces, along with all your little fr–"
Tani froze as Azuka slammed both palms down on the center of his spear, covering it in searing light. With a roar, she twisted her hands, snapping the weapon cleanly in two. Tani quickly readied his aura, but Azuka's light had already begun to overpower it, forcing him to stumble backwards in fear.
"You cannot kill the Exalted Light," she boomed. "Even in the deepest abyss, we continue to burn."
Just before Tani recovered, Azuka leapt up and concentrated all her remaining light into a single point on her heel. A crushing roundhouse kick connected cleanly with Tani's chin, sending him careening back into one of the command room's walls. It crumbled on top of him, allowing the morning light to stream into the room, further energizing Azuka's radiant aura.
"The Royal Family has returned to reclaim the throne," she declared triumphantly. "We've won."
And we've completed our first step toward striking back at the Church, Azuka thought, as she stared down on the body of Tani. Kamo, Ravi, Caleb, Sabine...we'll finally have some space to breathe now.
"Chiaki, Satoka." Azuka turned around and addressed the two, who still stood in the entrance to the room, in awe of their empress' power. "Go find the others, and tell them the news. It's time to celebrate."
Suddenly, a massive scythe sliced straight through the roof of the palace. Curved roof tiles crumbled to the ground, and the burning dawn sky opened up above them. Above floated a black octagon-shaped airship that cut through the clouds with six rotating, scythe-shaped appendages. From afar, it would have looked just like a flying cockroach.
As if the entire space had been stunned by the monolith, not a soul flinched. Then, two figures stepped out from the mechanical cockroach's mandibles and into the cool night air. As Tani pushed the rubble off his busted face and looked up, his eyes widened in horror.
The two men leapt down. One had had thick eyebrows, sharp cheekbones, and slender brown eyes, and wore a dark green kimono. The other was shorter, with long black hair in a ponytail, big eyes with long eyelashes, wore pink robes, and burst into a cacophony of giggles at the sight of Tani.
"Vice-Commander Hijikata...and 1st Captain Okita Soji..." Tani Sanjuro muttered, nodding his head awkwardly in a pathetic attempt at a greeting while he pulled himself out from the rubble.
"7th Captain Tani Sanjuro," Hijikata spoke with intention, then gestured to Azuka. "I trust that is not a member of the Royal Guard standing over there."
As Hijikata turned to lock eyes with Azuka, she saw him pause, staring at her with what looked like curiosity. Okita furrowed his brow and glanced at his superior, then glared at Azuka as if he'd discovered an unfortunate stain on a rug. Hijikata quickly turned back to face his subordinate, with the trace of what looked like some redness in his cheeks. Seeing that, Okita wasted no time in leaping out toward Azuka with his blade drawn.
Without a weapon, Azuka had no choice but to stand her ground and try to catch the katana with both hands, just like she'd done with Tani's spear. Okita swung out with a mischievous grin, and Azuka smacked her palms down on both sides, preparing to snap it in two with the help of the sunlight. But no matter how hard she pressed, it wouldn't budge. Okita stood there, pressing down hard, grinning at her like a cheeky kid.
"I don't like the way he looked at you," Okita said quietly, shaking his head as he pushed down harder. "You're trouble."
Behind them, Hijikata walked toward Tani until he stood right in front of him.
"Vice-Commander Hijikata..." Tani repeated, flabbergasted. "All I have done so far, I have done for the sake of the squad."
"The sake of the squad?" Hijikata Toshizo's eyes targeted Tani like bullets. "Then surely you also still intend to uphold the Commandments, no matter the circumstances."
"Yes, sir." Tani spoke the words as if they were being wrenched out from his mouth.
"Captain Tani Sanjuro," Hijikata, said slowly. "Repeat the five commandments of the squad to me."
Gritting his teeth, Tani obliged. "Number one: No man is to stray from the path of the Shinsengumi. Number two: No man is to withdraw from the Shinsengumi. Number three: No man is to abuse the Shinsengumi for personal gain. Number four: No man is to follow the orders of any outside entity. Number five: No man is to engage in a personal battle with any other member of the squad."
"Very good," Hijikata replied coldly. "Now, I trust a man of your experience, Captain Tani, understands what exactly it means to be a true warrior."
"Indeed," Tani growled.
"Would a warrior run from a battle, no matter how dire the odds?"
"No, sir."
"Would a warrior lie to his superior, the very man he works his blade for?"
"No, sir."
"Would a warrior send out his men to die before himself, instead engaging in frivolities while his inferiors fall?"
"No, sir."
The rhythm in Hijikata's speech abruptly changed. "What is the punishment for breaking any of the commandments of the Shinsengumi, Captain Tani?"
"Self-disembowelment," Tani replied sternly, inserting a small gulp between his words. "Harakiri."
"Captain Tani," Hijikata spoke methodically. "You just moments ago reaffirmed your pledge for performing all your efforts thus far for the sake of the squad. I trust you will not object, then, to consequently killing yourself for the sake of the squad."
The hollow sound of the dislodging muscles in Tani Sanjuro's throat escaped his gaping mouth. "What?!"
"My job is to vanquish weakness," Hijikata explained, "and you are weak, comrade."
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Tani's body shook violently as he feigned ignorance. "I haven't done anything to betray you, Vice-Commander!"
"Do not make me repeat myself." Hijikata frowned. "You fled from the remnants of the Royal Guard in Kurogaya out of fear, when they were moments from annihilation. Soon after that, you lied in a report to me about the true conditions of Kyo, then forced the other Shinsengumi who were temporarily stationed here to take care of what you could not. You have broken all three commandments, Captain Tani Sanjuro, and you no longer belong in the Shinsengumi."
"That
bastard! I'm not the one who fled! It was Yamazaki! And he told you
all this on purpose, didn't he?! The son of a bitch set me up!"
As Tani's tirade went on, Hijikata remained silent. "Where are
you, Yamazaki?! I know you're hiding around here somewhere, like the
rat you are! Get out here and show yourself! Let's settle this
man-to-man!"
"I assume you have no objections to your punishment?" Hijikata suddenly spoke up, as he procured a white cloth from his robes. "In that case, I would like to proceed with the ceremony."
"Are you out of your mind?!" Tani panicked. "We're being attacked here, and you want me to kill myself?! What about our real enemies?!"
"A weak member in the Shinsengumi is as much an enemy to our squad as outside dangers are," Hijikata explained. "Now, if you refuse to receive an honorable death, ex-Captain Tani Sanjuro, then I will have to cut you down where you stand."
"To hell with this!" At last, Tani rose to his knees. "I risked my life time and time again for this squad of yours, Hijikata, and I never intended on betraying you! You and Yamazaki are just twisting the rules because you don't like me! I refuse to accept this! If you want to cut me down, come and cut me down yourself! I refuse to spew my guts out just because some little punk tells me to!"
"So be it." Hijikata's unsheathed a blue-tipped blade and swung it through thin air. "Thank you for your service, Tani Sanjuro."
Tani let out a croak of fear as he watched a jetstream of fresh blood inexplicably explode upwards from his left shoulder. The Vice-Commander's blade had apparently sliced through both his armor and his flesh, but he'd never seen it make contact.
Tani
screamed, and soon, a mechanical whirring could be heard from behind
his head.
"Chigiri!" He screamed, releasing a wide tin psynergy arc.
Viewing screens and ornaments sharpened and shined along with the wooden floor of the command room. Azuka continued to frantically dodge Okita's furious strikes, and once they saw a proper opening, Satoka and Chiaki rushed to her aid. Each of them stood on either side of their empress, raising their blades in a V formation in order to block just in time as Okita swung down, aiming straight for Azuka's head.
As ecru psynergy burst out from the Shinsengumi, he narrowed his eyes, looking down upon the three women with scorn. "You should have stayed in your little caves, where you belong..."
Despite the chaos, the Vice-Commander stood still, metallic blue blade outstretched and locked on Tani.
"Kirikizami!" Tani continued spreading out his aura, transforming the splinters of wood into small blades in an attempt to pierce through Hijikata's defenses. But the metallic blue psynergy that surrounded the second-in-command was well-fortified, and not a single splinter made it through.
"Kamaitachi!" Tani squawked, and sent out bladed wind toward Hijikata in one last burst of force. When all was said and done, the thin, suffocating aura surrounding the Vice-Commander remained in tact, while Tani was out of tricks, heaving and panting where he stood.
"Any last words, traitor?" Hijikata asked calmly.
"Plea–"
Hijikata's Kanesada gleamed once more, and Tani's head went flying smack into the wall of viewing panels. Azuka watched it slide down in confused horror, before finally returning her eyes to Okita. In the few moments since she'd left them, Satoka and Chiaki had both been floored, and the long-haired swordsman was just about to finish them off.
Hijikata flicked the blood off his sword and turned to face his subordinate as well. His eyes briefly studied the two girls on the floor, then he held up a hand. "Okita. That's enough."
Okita pouted. "But they're rebels! They deserve to die!"
Hijikata let out a sigh and snapped his fingers. "Yamazaki, help me secure the empress before he hurts himself."
At that, Okita paled, and his eyes shot to Azuka's face. "E...empress?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Chiaki noticed a dark mass of psynergy sliding across the edges of the room. "Up there! That's the man who killed the emperor!"
Azuka's eyes flitted from the blotch of shadow to the chilling eyes of Hijikata, unsure of who was going to come for her first. Then, she took a flying leap at Yamazaki. Entering the shadows, her hands met with only air, and she felt herself being swallowed up into the void. It was the same thing she had experienced one week ago, but this time she was ready.
“Use your power together with the darkness, not against it.” The last words of Azuka's dying father echoed in her heart, and she struggled to overcome the blackness. Yamazaki seemed invincible as he became one with shadow and smothered her, but she continued to let her light shine.
"Bring her to me," Hijikata ordered calmly. "She is not to be underestimated."
"Yes, sir," Yamazaki replied, then slid his arm and head out from the shadowy goop and prepared to behead the blind woman.
Light flickered in the shadow. It glinted and swept across the room, decimating his shadow within a second. Azuka spun around with a piece of Tani's metallic shoulderpad that she used to redirect the light of dawn, then lashed out with her aura.
Iridescent psynergy exploded around Yamazaki, and he fled, squirming across the wall as shining psynergy erased his darkness. He desperately pulled his head back into the shadows, but Azuka's blast throttled his arm, cascading the wall with his blood.
The sun shone through the many holes in the command room, stretching long shadows across the floor. Yamazaki tried to submerge himself in one, but blood continued to seep out from the black void, ruining his cover.
Azuka alighted on the ground and watched with regal eyes as her prey floundered. Then, she slowly turned her head and glared at Hijikata, as if to send the man a deadly warning.
For the first time, Hijikata took a good, long look at Azuka, then surprised her by sheathing his blade and dropping to his knees. A sublime, intelligent beauty encased the woman from head to toe, and a fierce, commanding aura exploded from her body. Her poise was unflinching, her eyes were strong, and she stood taller than any woman he'd ever seen before.
Azuka watched the man's face soften as raw emotion overpowered it. Confused, she studied his face further, and the two became locked in a deep gaze.
"Wait. Please, I mean you no harm," Hijikata's lips quivered as he began to speak gently to Azuka, causing Okita to glance back in shock. Hijikata kept his eyes firmly on the empress as he looked up to her, entreating her with both hands. "I have a proposition to make."
Next: An Untimely Era
