Hijikata left Shimada in Aizu, ready to support Saito at any time to the front line of Munari Pass. After that, he and Yanagizumi set off for Sendai.

One night on their way to Sendai, Okita and Chizuru intercept them on a mountain road.

Sure enough, they also got the news of Kondo's martyrdom. Okita came to question Hijikata on purpose.

The two of them were tense in an instant. Okita grabbed Hijikata by the collar and shoved him all the way back until Hijikata's back slammed into a tree, as if his fist would land on the face of the former vice president in the next second.

Chizuru watched them nervously, as if she was ready to rush up and pull the rack at any moment.

Liu Quan quietly tugged at Chizuru's sleeve.

"They'll take care of it. She said lightly, "Let them handle it themselves." ”

Chizuru didn't dare to rush forward when she heard this, but she still looked at Okita and Hijikata very nervously.

“...... Actually, he should have beaten me. Liu Quan laughed self-deprecatingly, "I'm the one who accepted the mission and failed to rescue him." ”

...... In vain, the vice president gritted his teeth and promised to give up the favorability generated by the plot inertia of the original "Deputy Long Line", and forced himself to fulfill her wishes.

For a moment, she suddenly remembered her sister who had left in the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

Although Liu Quan himself has not really seen the sister who is valued by the "Nine Rules" with sister control attributes, it ...... can have such an attribute setting, presumably there should be a deep affection between the two sisters.

What is Noriko's sister doing now? Do you know that her sister has defected from the Kujo family, joined the opposite side of hers, and is ready to fight to the death?

Did she get any true feelings in that splendid palace?

In any case, as the pawn of the former emperor and the adopted daughter of the Kujo family, as long as she is obedient and obedient, she will have a promising bright future.

And her sister may end up in Hakodate, Hokkaido, now "Ezo".

Along with the new director of the Shinsengumi, who was being questioned by the first swordsman at the end of the Edo period by the collar, he either died or survived.

It's two diametrically opposed destinies.

After a brief distraction, she suddenly heard a thud from under the tree.

It turned out that Okita, who was rampant, gave Hijikata a hard punch and knocked the deputy chief of the demon away.

...... Enough is enough!

Chizuru and Yanagizumi hurried forward. Chizuru grabbed Okita's arm, and Yanagizumi ran to Hijikata's side.

Maybe it's because Okita has turned into a rakshasa, and Hijikata doesn't drink the water because Chizuru didn't follow his route, as a pure human body, he can't withstand Okita's punch at all, and even if he is on guard, he still falls extremely wolf.

He got up from the ground a little annoyed. And when he found that Liu Quan was squatting beside him with a concerned face, but he didn't mean to help him at all, his brows furrowed even tighter.

Okita stood in place, glaring hatefully at the wolf Bèi's Hijikata.

"One punch will let you go. He said with a hint of reluctance, as if he wanted to cut down the earth, and knew that he would regret it.

“...... I don't forgive you!" he raised his voice and emphasized.

Hijikata glared back at Okita in displeasure.

Okita spoke again. This time, the tone was much more sincere than just now.

"I ...... Maybe it's changed a little. What I didn't understand before, I seem to understand a little bit now. ”

Hearing such confession-like words, Hijikata's eyes narrowed slightly.

Kondo's martyrdom will always be a scar on the hearts of these people present. And, a deep chasm has been created between them. In the future, will this gap be filled with more mutual understanding, mutual support, and more bonds, or will it eventually lead the people who were briefly united in this dark mountain in a very different direction?

With this realization, Yanagizumi looked at Okita and decided to admit his mistake first.

"Sorry...... Mr. Chief-kun, I don't have the ability to rescue Mr. Kondo......"

However, before she could finish her words, Hijikata sighed slightly.

"In order to give us a chance to escape, Kondo-kun chose to die. ”

He began to tell Okita in a deep tone about the qiē that had taken place at that time.

In order to protect everyone in the Shinsengumi and delay time, Kondo did not indicate his identity as the director of the Shinsengumi, nor did he report his real name, and with a sense of death, he smiled and said that it was okay, suppressed the strong opposition of the Turkish side, and went to the enemy line alone.

“...... Kondo-kun is too famous in Kyoto. Of course it will be seen through. Hijikata added bitterly.

Liu Quan listened to Hijikata's narration, and listened to his attitude that he didn't justify himself at all, so he couldn't help but raise his voice again, cut off Hijikata's narration, and interjected.

"Mr. Hijikata ran around, desperately begging to spare Mr. Kondo's life...... He went and pleaded with many, many people, the important ministers of the shogunate, Katsuyasu Bomori, and Aizu Gong...... Even ......"

Her voice stumbled. His gaze crossed Okita's shoulder and touched Chizuru, who had been clasping his hands to his chest, as if praying that the conflict between Okita and Hijikata would end peacefully and that no one would be harmed.

...... Even, in order to be able to rescue Kondo, he did not hesitate to make a promise to her against his will, intending to forgive her for the sin of concealing his true origin and deceiving him in the past, and taking on the heavy responsibility of forcing her back into the darkness behind him to risk -

is so low-voiced, so compromised, not hesitating to become a ghost, not hesitating to sacrifice others, not hesitating to dedicate himself......

But these greatest sacrifices he had made were stuck in her throat, unable to form proper words to tell Okita, who could not understand the matter.

Hijikata suddenly stopped her.

"That's enough...... There's not much to say about that. This qiē is my responsibility. He said this with a stern tone, but his eyes did not look at Liu Quan once.

“...... Executions could not be prevented. He came to a conclusion in a stiff tone.

Okita's expression slowly turned sad, and he made a helpless gesture.

"I thought it might be like that. ...... It's really, really like Mr. Kondo's style. ”

He complained, laughing sadly.

"But...... Even so I ...... I still don't want Mr. Kondo to die!" he suddenly shouted, his face full of grief and indignation.

...... Even the Shinsengumi's seemingly omnipotent deputy chief of the demons has something he can't do.

...... Hijikata, like Okita, also wants Kondo to survive.

Okita understands this, but the fact is particularly difficult to accept.

Of the biggest and most irretrievable failures that the Shinsengumi have suffered so far, this is probably it.

Okita's vision became confused.

"What will we do in the future?"

At that moment, he seemed to be the little kid who only knew how to wield a wooden knife in the Tama Gym. But the man who had caressed the top of his head and smiled lovingly and taught him swordsmanship was gone forever. In front of him was only the young man who had just returned from the outside with the medicine box on his back, and looked at him with a cautious look.

In response to Okita's gaze, Hijikata smiled slightly.

"Kondo-kun entrusted the Shinsengumi to me. I can't give up fighting. He replied firmly.

Okita was silent and did not speak immediately.

"I'm going north with the Shinsengumi...... What about you two? I'd love to come along. His gaze drifted from Okita's body to Chizuru behind Okita and a smile appeared.

Okita paused, then said quietly in a determined tone, "I can't go with Mr. Hijikata. ”

At that moment, the expression on Hijikata's face turned into a helpless wry smile.

“...... Really?"

His expression was extremely lonely, but he seemed to be extremely relieved - was it because he knew that he and Okita could finally understand each other, or because he saw that Okita still had the possibility of continuing to live?

After that, Okita and Chizuru said that they wanted to go to Chizuru's hometown, but Hijikata did not force it. Basically, if it weren't for the fact that he drank the water, Okita's life would have been lost by now, so every second of his life was earned, and even if Hijikata didn't know the exact time of Okita's death in history, he could predict the outcome from the deterioration of his condition before he drank it.

In short, in view of such thoughts, Hijikata did not make any persuasion to Okita. Although most of the talents of the Shinsengumi back then have been scattered, everyone is very important now-

On the mountain road, Okita and Chizuru simply say goodbye to Yanagizumi.

After Hijikata said to Chizuru, "The head secretary will please", he had already turned around and walked in the direction of the army's advance as if he was going to leave Yanagizumi behind.

Okita still looked familiar, smiling at Yanagizumi.

"Now, Yukiba-chan, you've already decided?"

Liu Quan glanced at him. His complexion is not bad, and even if he overdraws his life, he also suppresses the tuberculosis in his body. In this era when there are no antibiotics, it is difficult to say whether his choice to drink the water was right or wrong.

“...... Oh, yes. She replied with a smile, and for some reason suddenly remembered Izumi Shou Kaneda's trick of "raising the earth and blinding the eyes". It is said that after research, Kane-san's trick was used by the vice president in history - in this way, the vice president's fighting methods are really diverse?!

"Eighty percent of them are fascinated by who raised the soil. ”

Okita probably didn't expect her to laugh like this, so he was stunned for a moment and laughed.

"Hey, you are such an interesting girl, and it is wonderful to fall in love with someone who is so boring to the extreme. He commented unceremoniously.

Chizuru listened to the dialogue between the two of them becoming more and more unreliable, and came up to stop it with a look of anxiety on her face.

"That...... Xue Ye-kun," she looked at Liu Quan cautiously, a warm smile on her face.

"Take care. No matter what happens, please stay alive. ”

Liu Quan smiled and said, "Oh, I don't dare to make an agreement with you about this?"

A shadow of astonishment and sadness flashed across Chizuru's face for a moment.

But before she could say anything, Liu Quan continued: "But I can guarantee that I will live desperately until the last moment." ”

"I'm going to witness the last moments of the Shinsengumi, and I'm going to do my best to keep the name of the Shinsengumi alive and make it last as long as possible. ”

"Moreover, I will follow the deputy chief until the end. ”

"These are all vows I once made to Director Kondo, and I will definitely keep them. ”

Hearing her mention Kondo, Okita's bright smile disappeared unconsciously, and a shadow passed between his handsome eyebrows.

"That's so," he said, ...... he said, and then he picked up his spirits again, and gazed at the willow spring in the moonlight.

"I can make an agreement with you like this, it must be because he thinks that Yukiba-chan is a person worthy of trust......"

I don't know why, looking at his young and beautiful face and thoughtful expression like this, a sharp pain suddenly passed through Liu Quan's chest.

The pain was completely different from the realization that Hijikata was going to make a promise against her heart in order to ask her to save Kondo, but it was a kind of gloom that realized that the good things in the world were about to be scattered.

Including the swordsmanship in front of him, the young man who smiled indifferently.

...... No, maybe he shouldn't be called a teenager anymore. He seemed to be twenty-four years old.

...... Unconsciously, in this world, is she actually twenty-six years old......

All the best years have been left in a place that was never thought of before, a time that was never noticed before.

“...... General Secretary-General. She finally called him softly.

"You and Chizuru, take good care. Because I'm always looking forward to the day when we'll meet again. ”

Okita's face showed an expression of surprise and emotion for a moment, and then he smiled and reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

“...... What, big sister. He called her casually, with an odious smile on his face, as before.

"Until we meet again next time, don't let the deputy chief run away with other women. He winked at her.

“...... Before Yanagizumi could speak, Chizuru shouted in a hurry and embarrassment at Okita's utterly unruly and disrespectful remarks.

Liu Quan burst out laughing.

It's strange that when Harada took the bounty to Shimabara for a treat, the words that Oiran Junju said came back to his memory.

【...... The deputy head of the new selection group.,I didn't expect to be a handsome and handsome good man.。 】

"Really. ...... If you say that, maybe I should have set foot in Shimabara. She said as if it were true, patting the hilt of her sword dangling from her waist.

“...... It's going to be Sayuki and Shinpachi who bother like that, right?!" Okita laughed loudly.

Liu Quan smiled and leaned back. Chizuru looked back and forth at the two of them, and finally smiled as if she was relaxed.

"Okay. Let me put it another way. ...... The woman who can't beat the sword in my hand is not allowed to approach the deputy chief, right?" Liu Quan laughed loudly, as crisp as a silver bell in the silent dark night.

"......" Chizuru had a surprised expression on her face, and her face was full of inner OS like "What woman can beat you Yukiba-kun".

...... Unlike her, Chizuru is always so serious and sincere.

Liu Quan knew that the bad factors in his personality were sometimes similar to Okita's, and he didn't know if he was deliberately creating an image similar to him [the result of a life that has been licking blood for many years, precarious, and walking on the edge of a cliff], or if he was purely like-minded.

...... It's great to be able to survive this era and to be able to meet people like you.

"Alright. Liu Quan finally managed to suppress his smile, and there was a happy light in his eyes that was flickering and beating.

"I'd better catch up with the lieutenant before he leaves me ten miles away. The chief secretary, and Chizuru-chan...... I know where Chizuru's hometown is. Wait a minute...... If I had the chance, maybe I'd visit?"

Chizuru smiled happily.

Okita grinned, his white teeth glistening in the dark night.

Liu Quan turned around and waved to them frequently, and ran up under his feet, catching up with the figure standing on the mountain road not far away.

Unlike the gentle expression that said to Chizuru just now, "The head secretary will leave it to you", Hijikata's expression now is simply ugly, like the deputy chief of the ghost who yelled "Shido is not enlightened, go to seppuku", and just by his name, he can scare the nearby children to cry.

“...... What the hell are you talking to them?"

Liu Quan had just chased after him, and was panting for breath, when he suddenly turned his head and roared at her face.

“...... Huh?!" Liu Quan was confused and blinked inexplicably.

Then she reacted almost immediately—it seemed that the few words she had spoken to Okita jokingly had gotten into the ears of his central figure in the conversation.

Liu Quan smiled.

"The deputy chief is ...... Am I going to step up to Tatahira Shimabara?, or is the head secretary asking me not to let other women approach the deputy chief?" she asked him with a smile, her tone calm, as if she was not at all ashamed.

Even in the dark night, I could faintly see through the moonlight, and Tukata's face suddenly turned red. The dark clouds swirling above him were almost concretized after hearing her rhetorical question.

“...... Can you please shut up!" He roared, then lowered his voice angrily and muttered, "...... Why is everyone asking you to do such a boring thing......! Have you ever asked me what I wanted......"

In the shadows of the dark night, the smile on Liu Quan's face froze slightly. She immediately regained her previous smiling expression and echoed casually, "...... yes, why?"

Hijikata let out an annoyed "hiss", then turned his head and strode forward, leaving the willow spring on the mountain road.

Liu Quan did not immediately follow, but stood behind him, looking at his tall and slender, admirable and reassuring back.

...... Never mind.

...... Even if your wishes are contrary to those unauthorized requests of others, it doesn't matter.

Because the courage in my heart is still burning. Moreover, it can burn like this until the end of the world.

I don't need your answer. After I achieve my ultimate goal, I will stop without you saying it, and then respect your wishes and get out of the way.

But until then, I'm sorry, it looks like you're going to have to endure it a little longer. Because I'm never going to give up.

...... Never.

Hijikata suddenly stopped on the mountain road, was silent for a moment, did not look back, and shouted in a somewhat impatient tone: "Hey, why don't you hurry up and keep up?!Are you going to leave the team now?!"

Liu Quan looked at his back, the corners of his lips slowly hooked, and a smile appeared.

"I don't. If you leave the team without permission, you have to cut your stomach, and I don't want to cut my stomach for this kind of thing. She said what always felt familiar, and took a step forward, and ran down the mountain path to catch up with him.