HAKUOUKI: Back in Time

Chapter 59

~Why not listen to music while you read?~

"You must return immediately. If the other demons discover you've been here, there will be...trouble."

"But this man has become a rasetsu! If we don't deal with him now, he'll cause problems for us later! I'm sure of it!"

Amagiri's face didn't move. "I have orders from the Satsuma Domain to return with you."

"But-!"

"I will not say this again. It is time to go." His eyes flicked to Saito and his voice dropped even lower. "In any event, this man will soon destroy himself, though whether it will be his human side or his rasetsu side that ends him, I do not know. And Kodou... If Kazama should learn that you have done anything... unnecessary to the girls... He is not as forgiving as I am."

"Nnngg..." He glared up at Amagiri, his jaw working furiously, but said nothing.

Amagiri gave us a fraction of a nod and then the both of them disappeared. Saito sagged with relief and slid his sword back into his scabbard. 

"Saito. Are you alright?" I asked while walking to him.

He turned to me with as much of a frown as I'd ever seen on him. "I'll be fine. Now, explain. Why did you two leave without permission?"

Chizuru stammered, unsure of what to say. "Well, um..."

"If I hadn't found you, the both of you would have been captured. And you..." He turned to me. " You would have been injured if I hadn't made it in time. Why do you think I stay awake during the day? The sun isn't pleasant for a rasetsu, you know."

Chizuru started to whimper a bit while I hung my head low. I know what we did was wrong but to be scolded by Saito hurt a bit. His tone was so harsh and I found my self instinctively backing away.

"I-I'm sorry for putting you through so much trouble." Chizuru bowed into a ninety degree angle a stayed there for a few moments. 

"I'm not asking for an apology. I'm asking you to explain yourself."

Chizuru looked hesitant to tell him, so I did. "We came here to do some research on suppressing the bloodlust."

"Why? Did Sanan order you to do that? Did someone else.

"No that's not it. I just.... You just looked like you weren't feeling good so I wanted to try an do something to make you feel better. So I asked Chizuru is she knew anything about her father's research and we ended up coming here."

Saito looked taken aback, as if the idea that someone would be concerned for his welfare had never occurred to him. "I never said that I wasn't feeling well..." It seemed an especially ironic thing for him to say when his face had been about as much color as fresh snow.

"What about now, when Kodou's blood got all over you?! You looked horrible!"

He frowned. "Even if I am feeling less than healthy, what does that have to do with you?"

"It has everything to do with me! It's my fault that you even became a rasetsu!"

But Saito didn't respond. Instead, he glanced around the street, then squared his shoulders and spoke. "I've left our headquarters unattended. You're done here, yes? We should return."

That was the end of the discussion. There was no room for argument. Bad jerk. How could you say that? His words stabbed at my heart like knives as we walked back to headquarters. We'd only walked a few feet when-

"Gah!" He groaned and doubled over in pain.

Saito?! What's the matter?" Both Chizuru and I asked, alarmed.

His face was strained and his jaw was tight. "I-It's nothing! I just need a moment. It will pass!" His breath was coming is painful gasps. It was most certainly not "nothing." He was beginning to sweat profusely and his hands clawed desperately at his body. There was only one explanation...

"You... want blood, don't you? This is the bloodlust..."

He said nothing, only clutched at his chest, his face twisted with pain in a way I had never seen before. That's when I remembered.

"Saito, here! This medicine will help suppress the bloodlust!" I pulled out the packet I had gotten from Heisuke. Saito stared back at me. "Heisuke gave it to me. If you drink it, it should make the pain go away. Just wait here for a moment. We need to get some water-"

"No. This is fine." He snatched the packet from my hand and consumed it's contents between labored breaths. None of us had known what exactly to expect from the medicine and so we spent a tense thirty minutes waiting before his pain finally disappeared.

"Saito... Are you alright?"

"Yes... I'm feeling much better now. I apologize for giving you so much trouble.

"Oh. no, it's nothing..."

"Then it's time we returned." With that, he turned and began the slow walk back to the mansion.