When Saito awoke, he found himself in a room full of wailing and moaning, as if he was aching in many places, and his head looked like someone was stabbing hard with an awl.

He tried to jump up immediately and see what it was. However, he struggled to move for a long time, but he could only move his fingers slightly.

He didn't give up, he worked hard for a long time, and finally moved his legs and feet again - but this was already the limit, and it was completely impossible to get up.

This situation made him angry, and he wanted to curse "Damn!", but in his ears, it seemed as if it was only a hoarse and muffled voice coming from his throat.

It seems that this has finally attracted the attention of the people next to him. After some whispers (?) that seemed too far away for him to hear, it seemed as if someone had hurried to his side and leaned down.

"Yamaguchi-kun?"

Saito replied with great difficulty, "Ahhh

And then the voice became cheerful.

"Great...... You've been asleep for days, and no one dares to expect too much......"

Saito was stunned for a moment before he laboriously squeezed out another phrase of "dumb tape" from his throat as a word of comfort to the person next to him who cared about him.

Maybe it was because he could have a simple conversation with himself and that he was much more conscious, and that voice sounded happier.

"Yamakawa-kun is still in a meeting...... I've called for someone to tell him, and he'll be here later—by the way, how about a little water? The doctor will come later......"

As he spoke, the man quickly took his shoulder—as if deliberately bypassing his wound, for he did not feel any pain from the wound being touched—and with some difficulty lifted his upper body, leaning back against the wall, and reclining like that, barely seated.

Saito did feel thirsty, too, so when the other party brought a bowl of water, he honestly squeezed out a word of thanks, and then reached out to take the bowl.

Who knew that the other party didn't let go, and said in his mouth: "...... No, Yamaguchi-kun probably can't hold the bowl steadily, so please keep the bowl on-"

Before the other party could finish his words, Saito's fingers, which had become extremely sluggish due to the severe injury—both movements and sensations—touched the opponent's hand.

As a result, both he and the other party were slightly stunned.

Although his sensations had been dulled by the severe injury, the touch from his fingertips was clear—they were women's hands.

Even though the hands seemed to be rough due to labor or holding weapons or lack of maintenance, judging by the size of the skeleton, there was no doubt that the other person was a woman.

After a moment of sluggishness, Saito's eyes widened sharply as he turned in the direction of the man—

Half-crouching, holding a bowl of water in her hand, was a young girl with a somewhat familiar face.

However, it was not the person he had imagined him to be.

Saito was stunned for a moment, then immediately lowered his gaze, and at the same time subconsciously apologized: "It's rude...... I'm sorry......"

The young girl was stunned for a moment, then blinked, hiding her surprise and smiling generously.

"It's fine. ...... The doctor is coming soon, so would you like to drink some water before then?"

Fortunately, the doctor arrived soon, and then Yamakawa Daizo, the head of Aizu Castle Defense, conveyed the concern and greetings of Matsudaira Yoho, the lord of the Aizu domain.

After all of this was finally over, Saito felt exhausted.

All the wounds on his body had been properly bandaged and treated, and he was treated as warmly as ever, and the young lady who had taken care of him was very concerned about him, and in the evening brought him hot porridge.

"The doctor said you can only eat some of this right now...... If you can, use as much as you can. She placed the wooden tray beside his bedside and said to him gently.

Before she was about to leave, Saito hesitated, but stopped her.

“...... Please wait. ”

His voice was low from the weakness of the injury, but she didn't miss his words.

She turned her head again and patiently replied, "Yes?"

Before speaking, Saito paused for a moment, as if pondering how to phrase it, but he quickly gave up on the futile attempt and asked in an unusually frank tone, "Excuse me...... The one who sent me back...... Uh, women, where have you gone?"

The young girl was slightly stunned. “...... Women?"

For some reason, when describing the other party in more detail, Saito felt a little fever on his face.

...... Maybe it's because I've been seriously injured, so my body has a fever, right?

He thought so and said, "That's it...... Hair is all white for some reason, uh...... Young women. Maybe...... Surname Shinoda?"

The confusion on the young girl's face became even more obvious.

"I'm sorry...... But I haven't seen a young woman with all white hair, have I?" she said, a little hesitantly.

Saitoichi: ?!

He almost bounced off the bed in an instant, but as soon as he moved slightly, there was a dull pain all over his body, and he had to fall back again.

"Haven't seen it?!" he asked, "what about ...... Who sent me back?!"

The young girl, as if taken aback by his shock, hurriedly bowed down to check on his condition, and replied as if soothingly: "Don't worry, I still remember the man who brought you back, for it happened that I was in charge of receiving the wounded at the city gate." ”

Saito had to lie back down, but his eyes were fixed on the young girl's face, waiting for her reply.

Sensing his eagerness to know the answer, the young girl smiled reassuringly, and when she saw that none of his exposed wounds had broken open, she sat down beside his bed, and said, "A man and a woman have brought you back, and they are indeed very young...... However, the girl's hair was black, and it didn't have the surprising appearance of white hair......"

Saitoichi: ?!

He was full of questions, but he knew that now was not the right time to ask. So he waited for the young girl to continue.

"I'm not too familiar with the looks of those two people...... Maybe it's new. The young girl continued.

"At the time, you were unconscious...... When they came to the city gate, they looked embarrassed...... I told them that I was the one in charge of the wounded soldiers in the women's team here, and the young girl asked for my name......"

I replied that my name was Takagi Sada...... Strangely, when she heard my name, the young girl suddenly had a look of relief on her face. I still seem to be looking at me a little wary......"

Speaking of this, Takagi laughed. Perhaps because the meeting and conversation was a bit interesting, she smiled before continuing: "...... I just gave you to me so happily, and then walked away without looking back......"

Saito didn't notice that his voice had suddenly risen an octave—though for him, even if he had raised an octave, the tone he would have made at the moment would be limited.

“...... Gone?!"

But this is enough to make Takagi stunned.

After a moment of stunnedness, the young girl sitting beside his bed suddenly slowly stretched her eyebrows, as if she had come to some conclusion, and her gaze at him suddenly became a little sympathetic and regretful.

"Yes. ......'What I want to do the most, I've done' – that's what she said. ”

Hearing this, Saito was shocked, and his throat seemed to let out a "ha-" sound.

Takagi pursed her lips and smiled at him sympathetically and reassuringly.

"I once asked her if there was anything I wanted to tell her......

Saitoichi: "...... Yes, yes...... That...... And then what?"

This clumsy reaction somehow deepened the sympathy and softness in Takagi's heart. She looked sideways into his deep, dark eyes, and whispered:

She ...... Asked me a very strange question. ”

Saito was stunned. “...... Strange ...... Questions?"

Takagi Zhen blinked.

"yes. ”

"She said...... 'Have you heard of Yoshimitsu Awataguchi?'"

Saito moved his lips and made an "ah" gesture as if he was thinking.

Takagi didn't mean to let him think about it. She quickly gave him the answer.

"She said: 'He is a master of making short knives, and the only one in his life is called 'One Period One Vibration', that is, there is only one treasure in his life'. ”

Her clear gaze fell on his face, with a hint of soft comfort and anticipation.

“...... I don't quite understand why she said this, but ...... I think you can get the idea. ”

Saito's gaze flickered several times, as if in contemplation, and finally, his gaze fell silent.

He looked away, looking above his head.

“...... No, I don't understand at all. He whispered.

I don't understand why she used a pseudonym to save him, I don't understand why she desperately wants to bring him back to Aizu Castle, I don't understand why the inexplicable familiarity with her that vaguely exists in his heart comes from, and I don't even understand every word she said to him-

Shinoda ...... A thread. ”

He squirmed his lips and silently repeated the name.

Her whole person is like a mystery.

For example, her swordsmanship is so good, where did she practice it? For example, why did the young people and teenagers who came with her listen to her? For example, why were the monsters that descended from the great orange holes in the sky slain by the sword of her, and the youths and teenagers she had brought.

...... For example, why did she say, "No matter how many times, I will rush to support you".

Saito thought to himself, not even knowing when Takagi got up quietly and left quietly.

Finally, when he noticed, he realized that the room was completely dark.

Ah, another night has arrived.

However, what came to his mind at this moment was the sentence "I will definitely let Yamaguchi-kun see tomorrow's sunrise" that she said with a smile to his team member Arai in the trench in front of Nyoraido.

Scold...... So what is it?

In retrospect, that's a promise.

For the illusory favor that had been bestowed on her for many years, what came to his mind now was her through the rain of bullets and bullets, all the way forward, desperately trying to bring him back to Aizu Castle.

He didn't understand her from beginning to end. Maybe...... You'll never get to know her again, right?

A deep sigh escaped his throat.

At this moment, he seemed to suddenly understand something.

"'One Episode, One Shake,' ......?" he said to himself.

Then, he redirected his gaze to the void above his head.

For some reason, a premonition that he would never see her again rose in his heart.

It had nothing to do with the fact that Aizu Castle, which was already in turmoil, could be destroyed at any time, and that they could all die at any time in a brutal battle, but it was just a frank intuition, and when Saito realized that he had this instinct, he remembered what he had inadvertently said when he heard that Sanosuke Harada was shouting that he was going to get married, and when he was in Kyoto, he was seriously teaching them bachelors the secrets of love.

[Well...... At least, when you think of her, it's with tenderness and love......]

Looking up at the void above his head, which was gradually darkened by twilight, Saito thought to himself.

...... What if it is not with a feeling of "tenderness and love", but of a mood of "tenderness and regret"?

However, no one will answer him.

Sanosuke had already died in the battle of Ueno along with his comrades in the Shoyoshi team.

Saito blinked slowly.

If he had to name that mood, he thought he already knew what to call it.

That's what you call it "one session and one session".

Wonderful Book House