HAKUOUKI: Back in Time

Chapter 58

~Why not listen to music while you read?~

That voice! I ducked and not a moment too soon. From where my head had been a moment before, I heard the hideous wet noise of a sword striking a body. I saw a look of surprise appear on Kodou's face and he slowly turned around to face his attacker. There stood...

"Why did you two leave without permission?"

"S-Saito! Chizuru! You're here! "

He gave me a glare, then turned to Kodou. His hand tightened on his sword's hilt.

"Stay back. I'm going to fight Kodou."

"B-But-!"

"Just be quiet and stay back." His voice was hard an quick and it was clear he had little patience for me at the moment. I took several steps back. Was he going to be okay? Saito was a rasetsu now and it was the middle of the day. Wasn't he in pain?

"Why, that was awfully rude of you to interrupt like that." He sighed and reached into his sleeve. Metal glinted as he removed his hand and I saw that he was holding a pair of small scalpels. And evil smile split his face. "Very well! You will be given a chance to test my new-found strength!"

Suddenly, there were eight knives in each hand and they were all flying toward Saito. "Hnn!" He deflected the knives with the flat side of his blade, then leaped forward and brought it down toward Kodou.

"Gah!" Cuts opened from his body and blood spurted forth. "Phew... That was close. If I hadn't drunk the Ochimizu, then I'd be dead."

"If that is the extent of your so called strength, you would be wise to back down."

Even if Kodou had become a rasetsu, his training was in medicine, not warfare. He couldn't possibly beat Saito. Nonetheless, it seemed he had no intention of giving up.

"Back down? Ha! Hilarious. One day the whole world will kneel at my feet. What do I have to fear from a mere human?!" His body shook with an insane cackle and he let fly another cloud of knives.

"Idiot." Again, Saito deflected them with his blade.

"Gah!" One of his own knives ricocheted off Saito's sword to bury itself in Kodou's chest. A gout of blood spurted out.

"Hnngh...!" Saito grimaced and his face went pale as Kodou's blood touched him. He had scarcely moved during the fight but suddenly, his breathing was fast and heavy and I could see thebeads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Oh...? Is something wrong? Starting to get tired already, I see. You don't seem the type to get so exhausted quickly though... Ahhh... I think I understand..." His smile was cruel.

"Gah...hnnngh...!" He had been fine until the blood had touched him. That had to mean-!

"Ahahahahahah! I see now! You've become a rasetsu as well!"

"Guh...!" None of Kodou's knives had touched him and yet Saito's face was contorted with pain.

"How do you feel right now? The bloodlust must be driving you mad. Am I wrong? How do you feel when you walk through town and see all those people, so defenseless, their veins full of warm, fresh, delicious blood?"

"Hngh...gnnn!" His breath had turned ragged and he stumbled backwards, trying to put distance between himself and Kodou. The smell of blood was overpowering and I could see that both his body and his will was slowly weakening. His sword was still firmly in his hand but I could see the tip begin to wave and shake. It was painfully clear that he was in no state to fight Kodou.

"What's the matter?! You were so full of energy a minute ago!" He smiled, his mouth full of teeth and thrust his knives at Saito.

"Gaah!" Being a rasetsu, his wounds began to heal almost immediately, but... "Haah...hnng..." The blood from his wounds seemed to only intensify his pain but he remained on his feet and lifted a trembling arm to point his sword at Kodou. Being out in the sun had to be painful enough, but this... Where did this incredible force of will come from?

The was something beautiful and horrific about watching a man keep his broken body upright with nothing more than determination.

"That wasn't very wise for you. Drinking the Ochimizu does horrible things to a human... Your bodies are more fragile than ours. Yes, the Ochimizu will grant you some measure of power for a time, but it will eat at your mind until there's nothing left. Eventually, you'll become a mindless beast who thinks only of violence and bloodshed. I surprised you would choose this path. There's nothing for you apart from misery and death. How foolish..."

I didn't want to believe him. It couldn't be true. But...if it was.... What was going to happen to Saito? Would he really become a monster?"

"You see? Horribly sad. Are you devastated? You have drunk the Ochimizu. You will never be a human again and you will never find peace!"

Saito met Kodou's gaze, his face deathly pale. "I have never looked for peace. In battle there is only kill of be killed. If I wanted a life of peace, then I would never have taken hold of a sword.

"Acting tough, are you? Very well, we'll see how long that lasts..." A new set of knives appeared in his hands.

"Stop!"

"Wha-?!" He stopped, frozen. 

That voice, I had heard it before. "Kodou, what are you doing here? I believe you were given strict orders not to act on your own."

"Lord Amagiri!"