The flames of Port Kurihamu raged against the crimson sky, ignited by the Justaways and fueled by the corpses of fallen men. A stench of burnt flesh filled the air as the puddles of blood on the ground simmered.

[Source: www.zerochan.net/1847881]

A hoard of Yato warriors stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley. Their prey, the Shinsengumi, had escaped inside. The Yato tried to squeeze in but got stuck when two of them tried to go at the same time. They could only charge inside single-file.

Sougo sat behind a chunk of rubble, hidden from the Yato at least for now. He stared into the darkness with a grim look on his face. He couldn't run, not with a bullet through his leg. He couldn't hide for long, not when he was trapped inside such a small space. He didn't have any firepower left to close off the entrance of the alley with another explosion. 

He couldn't think of a single way out, but he couldn't die by the umbrella of a nameless Yato. He still had his plot-armor and plot-armors always knew when their proteges were in trouble. If he could wait a few more minutes. If he could hang on for just a little longer...

Splash. Splash. Splash. The footsteps of a single Yato warrior approached louder and closer. The Yato didn't see him hide behind that wall. They didn't know he was there.

Now!

With one sudden move, Sougo sprang out from his hiding place. He slashed his sword at the enemy's throat.

The Yato were hunters who chased after prey. They never expected their prey to turn around and attack. The Yato warrior didn't have time to react as the blade sliced through his neck. His blood splattered all over Sougo's uniform.

One enemy down, but the battle was far from over. An endless line of Yato warriors came behind the one he just killed. This surprise attack could only work once.

The second Yato didn't hesitate at the sight of prey. He stabbed his umbrella at Sougo. The tip of his umbrella tore through flesh and bone.

Through the body of the first Yato.

Sougo had used the corpse as his shield. Before his enemy could pull his umbrella out, Sougo stabbed his katana through the enemy's chest.

[Source: www.zerochan.net/991445]  

Sougo cut down the Yato as they came at him one by one. They had the advantage in numbers, but he had advantage in terrain. The umbrellas were big and bulky, thus unsuitable for fighting in this narrow alley. It limited the ways they could swing it.

After about a dozen had been defeated, they stopped coming.

Sougo crouched with his weight on one leg. Blood and sweat dripped from his bangs. He panted hard, gasping with each breath as if the air was having trouble entering his lungs. A lump in his chest made him want to cough. He covered his mouth and managed to swallow it down.

No time to rest.

He raised his head. Rivers streamed down his face and stained everything red. He squinted to see past the corpses that littered the alleyway as the glare from the raging flames blurred his vision.

At the entrance, there stood a Yato with hair in a shade of red he knew too well.

For a moment, he thought he saw his Chinagirl smiling at him.

Not her. He must be losing his mind.

The Yato had a smile on his face as if from a déjà vu. It was a friendly smile with eyes squeezed shut, but there was something sinister about it.

[Source: www.zerochan.net/1845837]  

"Come out and fight in the open," said Kamui. "You scared?"

Sougo's lips curled up into a shaky grin. "Just line up and wait your turn to die. You scared?"

The Yato warriors didn't seem to understand the concept of forming a straight line and waiting patiently for their turns. One of them pushed in front of Kamui and charged towards Sougo.

Kamui stabbed his fellow Yato in the back with his umbrella. He did it with a smile on his face.

"Who said you could go first?" Kamui chided him with a friendly voice. "It's not nice to bud in line!"

Kamui pulled out his umbrella and the Yato fell to the ground, dead. He turned to the hoard of Yato warriors who had gathered behind him.

"You guys stay here 'til it's your turn, got it?" Kamui lectured his pack of hungry Yato. "He's my prey. If you shoot him to death, I won't get to fight him anymore, so no shooting!"

Sougo gave a bitter chuckle, but didn't move from the spot. "You here to protect me or something?"

"No way! You're not getting out alive. I can't let my sister date a weak human."

Sougo raised his eyes to glare at his enemy. "Good. I'll get rid of you right here. I don't want an idiot as my brother-in-law."

[Source: www.zerochan.net/1941179]  

The embers drifted through the air and sizzled into the cuts on his skin. Sougo had a grin on his face despite the blood dripping from his body.

A gust of wind blew the smoke and embers into the alley like a veil over the entrance. Kamui vanished into the thick gray smoulder.

Sougo lowered his stance and stared without blinking into the curtain of smoke. His eyes watered from the sting but he didn't blink. He held his sword until his knuckles became white.

Kamui revealed himself from above. He leapt out of the smoke, umbrella held over his head, about to swing it down at Sougo. 

[Source: www.zerochan.net/354301]  

Sougo glanced up and raised his katana.

CLASH!

Sparks glimmered in the darkness as Kamui's umbrella slid against the steel of Sougo's blade. Sougo swept past him and slipped behind him. He slashed his katana at Kamui's back.

[Source: www.zerochan.net/576444]  

Kamui spun around and blocked the attack. He pressed against the blade with his umbrella, pushing Sougo back against the wall.

Sougo clenched his teeth and glared in defiance at the Yato looming down on him, at the sinister smiling face that filled his vision. His arms trembled from the strength it took to push against the weight of Kamui's umbrella.

With a sudden move, Sougo swooped down and swung his sword at Kamui's ankles.

Kamui lept away. The blade only nicked his skin.

[Source: www.zerochan.net/651686]  

Sougo rolled out of the range of Kamui's umbrella.

Cough.

He crouched in ready position for the next attack even though he felt absolutely horrible. His vision was warping and the sounds were distorting in his ears. Every time he tried to breathe, it felt as though there were sharp spikes in his lungs. He felt sick. He felt like throwing up.

"You know, fights like this are the best, when we're just fighting for the sake of fighting," said Kamui with clear eyes and a smile. "I mean what's even the point of this fight? Did the Author send everyone to battle just 'cause she felt like writing a serious arc?"

Sougo raised his unwavering gaze. This wasn't over yet. He couldn't show his weakness to his opponent. Couldn't let anyone see him weak.

[Source: www.zerochan.net/516164]  

He managed to pull a brave face and grinned. "Did we ever give a damn about the reason in any of our fights?"

With that said, he charged Kamui holding nothing back. His plan? He wasn't sure anymore. His brain felt like a ball of wool.

Kamui blocked the attack with one powerful swing of his umbrella that sent Sougo flying through the air. 

[Source: www.zerochan.net/1757796]  

Sougo flew down the alley, crashing into the pile of rubble, raising the dust and debris.

Cough.

Sougo tumbled to the ground. He curled up, a hand over his mouth, his eyes squeezed in pain.

Kamui stalked towards him, slowly, like a tiger approaching his prey when he knew it couldn't escape. He stopped just outside the range of their weapons.

"Did you catch a cold?" Kamui tilted his head with the smile he always had. "You should dress warmer for the weather, but I guess it won't matter when you're dead."

[Source: www.zerochan.net/1818438]  

Sougo tried to get up, but his knees buckled under his own weight. He gasped for a breath of fresh air, but it only made it worse.

Cough. Cough.

His sweat and tears washed streaks through the blood on his face. There was a painful knot in his chest.

Cough. Cough. Cough. Cough.

He doubled over in an uncontrollable coughing fit. With every cough, he felt his strength draining away.

Cough.

The air rushed into his lungs after the last one. Sougo stared at the handful of phlegm on his palm. There was something red in the mucus. Just blood from the wounds, he told himself.

Kamui yawned as he grew tired of waiting for Sougo to get up. "Cu'mon, is that all you got? You weren't this weak the last time we fought. I'm actually getting booored."

Sougo reached for his sword lying in front of him. He curled his blood-encrusted fingers loose around the hilt. His entire body shook as he pulled himself out of the sticky red puddle.

What was it that he swung his sword for? What did he even fight for? The reason was obvious to him. It wasn't anything noble like changing the world or protecting the people around him. He fought for something much simpler. He fought for who he was. He fought for his life.

Sougo crouched on one knee, panting in exhaustion. He didn't have the strength to stand. His sword hanged limp at his side. He didn't even have the strength left to raise it.

[Source: www.zerochan.net/943437]  

The blood dripped down from his bangs, causing ripples in the puddles. He raised his head to stare death in the eyes with his unwavering gaze. "Then let's finish this."

Kamui couldn't wait any longer. He charged at Sougo, eyes wide in exhilaration, a grin stretched across his face.

Their weapons flashed in the darkness. A gust of wind swept up the dust and droplets of mud.

When the wind settled, Kamui pressed down with the tip of his umbrella hard against Sougo's throat.

[Source: www.zerochan.net/572028]  

Kamui smiled until his eyes squeezed shut. "I win~!"

Sougo laid on the ground with his blade against Kamui's neck. It took him all his strength to hold up his katana, but the blade wouldn't stop shivering. He could only manage a weak defiant smirk.

The flames flickered and the orange shadows danced along the alley.

The hoard of Yato warriors who had stood outside in the beginning of the fight had now vanished. Veins of blood streamed into the alleyway, carving gorges into the mud.

Abuto stopped at the entrance, alone and panting through clenched teeth. He had bright red splatters on his cloak.

"Idiot Captain, it's time to go!"

"Aww, can't you see I'm in the middle of a fight?"

"Doesn't matter. We have to get away from here before he comes."

The screams of dying Yato echoed outside. Abuto glanced back with eyes wide in fear.

Without wasting another moment, he ran into the alley and hooked Kamui by the collar of his shirt with his umbrella. He climbed up the mountain of rubble with nimble feet and leapt onto the roof.

Kamui flailed his arms and struggled as he dangled from the tip of Abuto's umbrella. "Hey! Put me down! I'm not done my fight yet! Hey! Heyyyy!!!"

The two Yato disappeared along the rooftops and into the night.

***

Sougo laid in the damp sticky mud, gasping for breath, no longer with the strength to even lift his head. He stared at the opening of the alleyway, his vision blurred by blood loss and exhaustion. The flames twisted and warped, seeming to blend together with the walls, the corpses, the night sky and everything else. His heart thumped in his ears. He could hear the rasping sound of air entering his lungs.

A figure materialized from the flames. Sougo could see his black boots and tailored pants... and the blood dripping from his katana. The figure stepped towards Sougo, closer and closer; the thing that scared away even the Yato.

Darkness ate away at Sougo's vision.

Get up, he told himself. Get up, now! But his body wouldn't listen.

The monster stopped right beside him.

Sougo's eyes rolled back and he fell into the darkness.

***

Next time: The Hamu Arc has come to an end! The Shinsengumi had made it through a bloody battle, but the real enemy awaits at their own headquarters. Overseer Hambertio's past is revealed.