Blood dripped down from Hijikata's uniform. Not his blood, the blood of his enemies, but he wasn't so sure anymore.

[Source: http://www.zerochan.net/1449337]

A dozen corpses laid sprawled on the ground, their bodies piled up against the warehouse buildings. The puddles of blood reflected the full moon, its ghostly light stained red from slaughter.

Hijikata staggered past the fallen rebels to face the ones still standing. He had lost count of how many he'd cut down and how many remained. Their numbers didn't seem to be decreasing.

"Weak joui group, my ass," he muttered through gritted teeth. "The whole Kiheitai's here."

Those Amanto bastards... If this was on purpose, if they only talked about a weak rebel group on the report so that the Shinsengumi would be unprepared to face a strong enemy, he'd never forgive them. They tricked the Shinsengumi into this trap and used the enemy to fight them. That much was obvious. Only Kondo would be naïve enough to keep believing otherwise.

Hijikata held his sword until his knuckles became white. His palms were sticky from the red liquid dripping down his arms. He glared at the enemies that surrounded him. The swordsmen of the Kiheitai kept their distance as they circled him. They approached with caution despite far outnumbering the lone Shinsengumi policeman, just as one would be careful when approaching a demonic beast.

A gust of wind blew against the back of Hijikata's neck, carrying a warm sticky mist. The rebels stepped back, sword in a defensive position. It wasn't Hijikata that scared them this much. Their eyes were fixed on something beyond him.

"Hijikata-san~~" A familiar voice came from behind.

Hijikata spun around. The help that finally arrived had to come in the form of the one person he dreaded the most.

Sougo stood among the corpses of Joui samurai with blood streaming down the blade of his katana. He had cut down the enemy swordsmen with such swiftness that they didn't even have time to scream.

[Source: http://www.zerochan.net/1287264]

A wide grin stretched across Sougo's face.

"Catch!" Sougo tossed something to Hijikata.

"What?!"

A Justaway landed in Hijikata's hands. His eyes bulged in horror as he fumbled with it.

He threw it at the enemy before it exploded into a ball of flames. The hot air blew against his skin, sending him sprawling back.

He rolled up to his feet and patted out a small fire on his coat.

"What was that for, you bastard?!!" he screamed at Sougo.

Sougo pouted in disappointment. "Dammit, you're still alive."

"What do you mean still alive?! You trying to kill me at a time like this?!!"

The other members of the Shinsengumi came running over to catch up with Sougo. Kondo stopped by Hijikata's side, sword in his hand, ready to fight. He furrowed his brows at wounds on Hijikata's arms bleeding through his sleeves.

"Toshi! You're hurt! Get back to Headquarters. We'll take it from here."

Hijikata didn't move from the spot. He remained facing the enemy.

The rebel samurai screamed and cried as their clothes caught the flames of the Justaway. They rolled on the ground, struggling to escape from the raging blaze.

The explosion wouldn't stop them for long. New armies of enemy swordsmen had started gathering behind the wall of fire. The Kiheitai, after coming close to disbanding due to the events of the anime, had gathered new followers in no time at all. They seemed to have an endless supply of mooks.

Hijikata glanced up. He looked beyond the swarm of enemies, at the rooftops of a warehouse silhouetted under the moon.

The leader of the Kiheitai stood on the roof, his purple kimono blowing in the wind as he viewed the spectacle below with a constipated look on his face.

Their eyes met. Hijikata stared with a demonic gleam in his eyes. His mouth curled up into a grin, unfazed by the blood dripping down his forehead.

"The fight ain't over yet," said Hijikata without taking his eyes off his target.

The most efficient way to defeat the enemy was to kill the leader. With the death of a single man, they could prevent dozens of lives from going to waste.

Hijikata turned and looked to Kondo.

Kondo stared back with eyes that held a warm kind of strength and sincerity. He gave a nod. "Toshi."

Hijikata surveyed the faces of his men. They waited for his command with eyes filled with determination.

"First Squad, follow your Captain's lead. Circle around behind them." Hijikata gave his orders. "Second Squad, hold back the enemy! Don't let them steal the goods! Third Squad, stay by the Commander's side! Protect him no matter what-" He facepalmed, red in embarrassment. "Dammit, why the Author make my lines sound so ham?"

He would never admit it, but he did learn something from all those times when the ghost of an otaku possessed him. His inner geek was actually starting to enjoy this.

Glowing orange embers blew in the wind and stung his skin.

Hijikata raised his sword and faced the enemy "Charge!!!"

He ran through the wall of flames, and his men followed him into the inferno.

The warehouses full of Justaways caught fire one by one in a chain reaction and fed into the blaze. Kondo looked across the battlefield at the swords clashing through the firestorm and the screams of men both enemy and ally. The Kiheitai outnumbered them ten to one.

"Yamazaki! Call for backup!" he ordered the Shinsengumi inspector at his side.

Yamazaki froze, eyes wide in surprise.

"Y-Yes, Commander!"

Without hesitating another moment, Yamazaki turned around and ran, disappearing into the chaos.

"This way!" Kondo raised his sword and chased after Hijikata.

Kondo and his men followed close behind Hijikata, cutting through a hoard of enemy swordsmen.

***

Character Complaint Corner

Author: A character named (y/n) had a very urgent complaint, so lets hear (y/p/p)* out.

[* your personal pronoun]

(y/n): Why didn't Kondo just call the HQ for backup? They have cellphones, right? Plot hole!!!!!

Author: ...Well... there are two  ̶e̶x̶c̶u̶s̶e̶s̶  reasons:

1. No signal.

2. The same reason Yamazaki tried to run to warn everyone about Itou in the Shinsengumi Rebellion Arc instead of just phoning the Headquarters... though I'm not sure what

So that covers up the plot hole, ha! Now back to the story. You thought the chapter was this short?

***

A row of streetlamps buzzed and flickered, casting islands of light onto the streets of a quiet part of the city.

The wind swept some dust and garbage across the pavement. A clattering pop can rolled past. A ghostly plastic bag glided through the air. Stillness hanged over the night, broken by the pitter-patter of a single pair of footsteps.

Yamazaki sprinted down the empty sidewalks as fast as his feet could carry him. His heart raced in his chest from the urgency of the situation, but he felt warm inside. Despite his failure the last time he tried to warn the Shinsengumi of danger*, his Commander still trusted him. Commander Kondo still believed in him enough to entrust him with this mission. For that, he was grateful.

[* during the Shinsengumi Rebellion Arc]

He tried to run faster. He wasn't good with the sword like Captain Okita, and he wasn't feared and respected like Vice-Commander Hijikata, but if his efforts could be of use to the Shinsengumi, then he'd help them with all the badminton skills he had.

He turned a corner. A man stood in the distance in the middle of the road, his identity hidden by the darkness of the night. This wasn't the Kabuki district. No one should be out in this hour, no one but ghosts and criminals.

Yamazaki stared at the sword at the man's waist. An enemy? Sweat dripped down his face, but he didn't have time to turn back. The Commander and his men were in more and more danger as the seconds ticked by. He steeled his resolve. He put his hand over the hilt of his katana and kept going.

When he got closer, he saw that the man had greasy black hair and thick round glasses. He dressed in the same Shinsengumi uniform as Yamazaki.

Yamazaki smiled in relief. "Fifth Captain!"

He stopped in front of Kannensai, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

Kannensai looked down at him with feigned concern. "What are you doing here alone? The battle too scary for you?"

"The Commander... everyone... they're under attack! It's the whole Kiheitai! We need more men!"

Yamazaki didn't have time to chat. He was about to continue running to the Headquarters.

"Wait."

Yamazaki stopped and looked back.

Kannensai bent over to pick up a lead pipe from the side of the road. He drummed it against the palm of his hand as he stalked closer to Yamazaki.

"I guess you Muggles haven't realized it yet, but the Kiheitai isn't your only enemy."

Yamazaki furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"You think the Melissans are here for vacation?" said Kannensai with a condescending smirk. "With the Shinsengumi out of the way, they'd become the only armed police force left in the city. No one would be there to stop them from doing anything they wanted."

"Then the Overseer..." Yamazaki's eyes opened wide in horror when it dawned upon him that the Melissans could be using the Kiheitai to finish them off when they were unprepared fight back.

He turned his back to Kannensai, about to run. "We have to tell everyone-!"

Thwack!

Kannensai swung the lead pipe against the back of Yamazaki's head.

Yamazaki's eyes rolled back and his knees buckled. He collapsed face-first onto the pavement.

Kannensai loomed over him, glaring down at Yamazaki's unmoving body.

"You idiots might be stupid enough to fight until the end, but it'd be a waste of my potential if I died with this sinking ship."

He drew his katana and raised the blade above Yamazaki's neck.

"It's over for the Shinsengumi."

Kondo was a fool for giving a man as average as Yamazaki such a big responsibility, while ignoring a great talent like Kannensai. It was this lack of judgement that would bring about the Commander's downfall and the subordinate's death.

Kannensai paused. The thought of slicing through human flesh made him queasy. He decided he didn't need to go through the trouble of killing this incompetent inspector with his own hands. He slid his sword back into its sheath.

He reached into his coat pocket and took out his cellphone.

The Melissans had promised him a position in the new government, a position of power where he could make use of his superior intellect instead of wasting it on the muscle-brained buffoons of the Shinsengumi.

He wasn't betraying anyone. He was simply making sure he didn't "put all the eggs in one basket". For this reason, he thought himself wiser than that brilliant fool named Itou.

It was only a little more than a year ago when Itou asked him to join his faction to overthrow Kondo. He was on Itou's side in front of Itou and on Kondo's side in front of Kondo. That way, he'd never lose no matter who won. People could call him a "bat", but that was why he was still alive, while Itou was dead and Kondo was soon to die.

Kannensai scrolled through his contacts:

IQ 82

IQ 96

IQ 75

IQ 128

He called the Melissan Vice-Captain to tell him about how he defeated Yamazaki in an epic battle using the Male Female Darkness Light Fire Water Tiger Dragon Blast.

***

The flames of Port Kurihamu lit the night sky red.

Pools of blood on the cement reflected the inferno outside the windows. Nearby explosions shook the warehouse floor, creating ripples in the water. The sound of yelling men, distant at first, became louder and closer. The metal stairways clanged and rattled as the men climbed up.

"I found them! Over here!" a Shinsengumi officer yelled.

The sandals of Joui samurai trampled over the reflections with loud splashes, followed by the leather shoes of the Shinsengumi.

"Get the rebels! Don't let them escape!"

The policemen of the First Squad ran after a group of rebels into the burning building. They cut down whoever came within the range of their katanas.

"We're gaining on them!" said an officer with swirly glasses named Kamiyama.

"Get them!" said Kumanaku, a stern-faced officer with a mole on his forehead.

The spacious storage hall flickered under the light of the surrounding flames. They chased the rebels across the chamber and into a dark corridor. The officers who ran faster entered the hallway first.

They disappeared around a corner.

They came back in pieces.

Blood splattered onto the walls like buckets of dripping paint. With a sudden metallic clatter, Kamiyama and Kumanaku came to a stop right outside the corridor, along with the remaining Shinsengumi policemen. They held their swords in a defensive position, ready to fight the monster that lurked in the darkness.

A man stepped out of the shadows. He stood, facing the Shinsengumi officers, blocking the way as the last of his Joui comrades escaped.

There was an aura about him, not quite the same as the other rebels, a stench of blood that could only be gained through the murder of countless men.

He wore sunglasses over his eyes, despite it being nighttime. The dark lenses gleamed in the orange light. Large headphones covered his ears and he carried a shamisen* on his back.

[* shamisen = traditional Japanese stringed instrument]

"Leave them alone," said Bansai in a voice that had little emotion.

"What was that? You-!" Kamiyama held up his katana, ready to attack.

Bansai reached back and drew a blade out of his shamisen. He held it relaxed at his side.

"If you leave now, I'll spare your lives... If you don't..."

The metal glared a harsh silver.

Kumanaku held up his arm to hold Kamiyama back. His gaze remained fixed on the enemy in fear and recognition. "He has green hair... and a cross-shaped scar in the left butt cheek."

Bansai double checked to make sure he was still wearing his pants and wondered how the enemy managed to get information about his butt.

"You are the Hitokiri~." A voice came from behind the crowd of policemen.

The Shinsengumi stepped aside to make way.

The soles of his black leather shoes clacked against the wet floor. The latecomer strolled forward with a pace neither hurried nor hesitant.

"Captain?"

Sougo smiled as he drew his sword.

He glanced to the side at the camera. "Author-san~, I know you're lazy, but you shouldn't steal the script off from Rurouni Kenshin. You want to get arrested for plagiarism?"

https://youtu.be/PYcuv-5-Q58

"The First Captain of the Shinsengumi, a prodigy of the sword," said Bansai without change in his expression. "I've heard much about you."

"You must be that guy who shares a historical figure* with Kenshin," said Sougo with a casual smile. "Too bad you're nothing like him. I'm a big fan of that anime, you know?"

Bansai tilted his head. "Oro?"

[* Bansai and Kenshin are both based on the real life manslayer Kawakami Gensai]

"Let me take a memo of that!" Kamiyama started scribbling onto his notebook. "Commander Okita is an otaku for Ruro-"

Sougo smacked the Shinsengumi policeman in the center of his forehead with the hilt of his sword, cracking his swirly glasses and knocking him out.

He turned his attention back to Bansai and tilted his head. "But isn't it strange? You're supposed to be dead by now. You got resurrected or something? Spoiler alert~."

"Dead? Are you talking about that scene in the Final Arc?" Bansai glanced up. "I wasn't dead, only unconscious. I bought those grenades at a prank shop. They work really well for scaring away enemies, I daresay."

Sougo stared at him with round eyes, unconvinced. "That's a bit of a stretch, you know? An explosion happened right after."

"Those explosions happened somewhere else."

Sougo sighed. "This is what happens when Author-san writes something in her fanfic before new chapters of the manga come out. She has to find all these explanations to patch up the inconsistencies." He shrugged. "Oh well, at least we get to fight."

Sougo lips curled up and he glared at Bansai with the hungry eyes of a sadist starving for battle.

***

Character Complaint Corner

Author: Another character has filed a complaint! Let's see, this time it's... Ghost of Kiheitai Mook #87324. Okay, Number 87324, state your case.

Number 87324: My name is Hayasaki Ichiro. I'm not a number. I have a name, a family and a story. I had thoughts and opinions and dreams, but look how I died! Just another piece of canon fodder to add to the body count; killed in the background like my life didn't matter. How can I die such a dehumanizing death? My comrades and I, are we nothing but stage props? I am a human being!

Author: Yes, I suppose ghosts can still be considered human, so I completely agree that you're a human being, but what difference does that make? People die in dehumanizing ways all the time. A war or natural disaster won't stop to consider all the goals you still wanted to accomplish. Your name or backstory won't shield you from blades and bullets. Your death won't mean anything to those who don't know you. You see, you're only human and you died very much like a human being. Perhaps we all want to consider ourselves more important than just another background character among the seven billion, so this complaint is valid! ...But complaining won't change the world.

***

Next time: Sougo vs Bansai! Hijikata vs Takasugi! Begin!