The end of the curtain

?The residence of General Nijo Castle is surrounded by strict defense lines.

The dark blue night seems to be a dark layer of haze on the cage, and it is not decorated with the bright stars of the sunrise as usual, only the full moon like a jade basin is covered with soft and almost faint golden light. On the old stone floor.

Under the blazing bonfire, the tall city gate looked a bit more solemn than it had been during the day, and the soldiers guarded the city gate with weapons in their hands.

"Yes, I understand!" Qianzuru listened carefully to Hijikata's instructions, then nodded heavily, turned around and was about to leave the messenger.

At this time, Hijikata was wearing a light onion-coloured white haori with large cuffs, and his waist-length black hair was combed and tied into a ponytail, fluttering in the wind.A pair of deep purple eyes stared fixedly ahead, and the slightly frowned eyebrows seemed to have something locked between them.

"Little Chizuru, is it okay for you to go by yourself?" The growing feeling that something was about to happen made Sakurai restless, with a little guilt that he planned to come to help but did nothing.Sakurai looked at Qianzuru who was about to go alone to deliver the order, but Qisheng stopped her.

"Well, of course it's okay, please don't worry." Qianhe smiled with crooked eyebrows, turned around and trotted away Now that she was finally able to help, Qianhe was still very happy.

"I don't have anything to do with you right now, so you just stay where you are and wait for orders." Hijikata turned around, Sakurai looked at his tall back and just held his forehead a little decadently, secretly depressed that he couldn't do anything, so he thought It's better to obediently go over and make tea for everyone to warm up.

I didn't know how to make Japanese tea, after all, the tea ceremony also has a set of cumbersome etiquette and matters.But once in a while, I saw that Qianzuru was so skillful in making tea for others, but I really didn't know anything about art other than ordinary housework, so I subconsciously approached Qianzu in a situation that was not reconciled. Crane taught a bit.

Although I am not very familiar with it, at least I can make tea.

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"The next shift change should take place at Haishi. Members of the third team, please wait in the inner court!" Qianzuru's soft but not too crisp female voice was very clear in the quiet Nijo Castle.She was trotting while bathing in the night, and before she knew it, she had come to the empty avenue.

Suddenly feeling the restraint on the left ankle loosen, Chizuru felt that his body was about to fall forward due to unsteady standing.She took a big stride to stabilize her body, and after the pain in her ankle dissipated slightly, Qianzuru bent down and re-tied the loose straw sandal straps.

[I think the main point of this plot is indispensable, so I will. . . 】

"Mr. Kondo and the others must be meeting important people now. I have to work hard." Chizuru stood up and smiled happily, cheering herself up.

An inexplicable familiar feeling came suddenly, and Qianhe suddenly froze in his footsteps.The figure of the person with blond short hair and red eyes flashed quickly in her mind, and finally she raised her head and looked at the tall city wall—the three figures that appeared out of nowhere.

...what was that feeling just now...

Before Qianhe had time to wonder, she realized that the situation seemed to be against her, and she became more vigilant: "You are—"

"I noticed it, and it doesn't seem that dull." The handsome man with blond hair and crimson eyes looked down at Qianhe, his blood-colored eyes were as arrogant as ever.

Thousand Views of the Kazama...

Qianzuru subconsciously placed her hand on Xiaotonglian at her waist, and looked at them anxiously: "Why do you come here?" Qianzuru will never forget the three people who appeared at the Ikedaya and the forbidden gate a year ago. A person of extraordinary strength, precisely because this blond man wounded the chief executive at the Ikedaya, and then attacked them at the Forbidden Gate, Chizuru always felt that they were enemies.

The man with long dark blue hair tied into a messy ponytail and a strange black costume had an unruly and arrogant smile on his lips: "Ah, the obstacles set up by humans are meaningless to us ghosts." This man is Kuma Shiranui who fought against Harada at the Forbidden Gate at that time.

What?ghost?

Qianhe didn't understand why, and felt more and more uneasy in her heart. She still couldn't believe this kind of thing: "Ghost? Are you kidding me?"

That's right, if one day someone suddenly told you that you are not a human being, but a ghost that has almost never been heard of, what would you think?Can you accept it very calmly?

"Oh? You don't know ghosts, are you serious?" Kazama Chikage looked at the unbelievable Chizuru with interest, and then with a haughty tone, he told the shocking fact word by word , "—The female ghost Yukimura Chizuru who is also our compatriot."

Qianhe was startled when she heard this, it was impossible for her to imagine the fact that she was not human.But at the same time, she was puzzled by a question - "How do you know my name?"

The fiery red hair has always been calm and makes people feel more and more dangerous. The deep voice of the man sounded: "Don't you think that you are different from ordinary people, and your wounds heal very quickly?"

The wound heals very quickly... Yes, since I was a child, I have never dared to get hurt easily, especially in front of others, because Qianzuru has known that she is different from others since she was sensible, and even when she stumbles and cuts vegetables. Bloody knife wounds, her own wounds will heal quickly, and there will never be scars... Especially the last time she blocked the knife for that team member when she was at the forbidden gate, that not deep and not shallow The wound seems to have disappeared without any trace today.

...Could it be that I am really different from ordinary people, or even...not human at all...

The wound heals very quickly... Yes, since I was a child, I have never dared to get hurt easily, especially in front of others, because Qianzuru has known that she is different from others since she was sensible, and even when she stumbles and cuts vegetables. Bloody knife wounds, her own wounds will heal quickly, and there will never be scars... Especially the last time she blocked the knife for that team member when she was at the forbidden gate, that not deep and not shallow The wound seems to have disappeared without any trace today.

... Could it be that I am really different from ordinary people, or even... not human at all?

A sense of loneliness and helplessness that has never been felt before arises spontaneously. Qianhe is really afraid of her identity, not a human...wouldn't a human being be regarded as a monster?

Facing Shiranui Kuasa who pointed at her with a disdainful smile, Chizuru put his hand on the handle of the knife out of self-protection instinct, and was about to pull out Xiao Tonglian.

Kazama Chikage casually spoke to stop Shiranui's actions, and there was a wicked smile on her handsome face, like a bloody rose blooming all night: "In any case, our actions will not change——"

The surname Xuecun and the family heirloom of the Xuecun family of the Eastern Pure Blood Ghost Clan, the Xiaotonglian dagger alone, are the best proof.

While Qianhe was looking at them vigilantly, Kazama Chikage suddenly jumped down from the three-foot-high city wall.Riding the wind caused his clothes to flutter up and down, and the soft moonlight poured down on his perfect profile, making his smile even more weird.

But Chizuru was surprised that she didn't feel the slightest sense of danger, but retreated subconsciously step by step, while Chikage Kazama made an unexpected move at this moment——

Elegantly stretched out her white and slender right hand, and Kazama gave a seemingly humble nod between gestures, but it was full of the innate elegance and non-blasphemy temperament of noble ghosts, and her voice was deep but not at all Subtle: "Female ghosts are very precious, come with me."

……

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The stars are few and far between, and the wind is light and the clouds are light.

Sakurai came to the inner court with the tea that he had finally brewed, and saw that the third team led by Saitoichi and the tenth team led by Harada had just assembled to prepare for the next round of shift work.

"Mr. Saito, Mr. Harada, it's getting cold in the middle of the night, please warm yourself with some tea." Sakurai respectfully sent the tea over as a gift, thinking that he hadn't been ordered by Hijikata to go over like that. Chizuru went to pass on orders, and he could only do this.It's really embarrassing to think about it, the power contributed by one's own work is really insignificant.

Speaking of which, Qianhe has been away for so long, why hasn't she come back yet?It stands to reason that Chizuru should have come back after both the [-]rd Division and [-]th Division assembled after passing the order. That child has always been very good, and he will come back immediately after finishing his work without delay.

"Ah, thank you, I'm really sorry for making you girls stay up so late." Harada took the teacup handed over by Sakurai, holding it in his hand felt warm and didn't feel so cold anymore.But Zuo Zhi, who is known as a good man, still considered the interests of the girls at the first time. After all, it is not good for two girls to stay up late with a group of big men.

"Please don't worry about it." Because this is our voluntary, in fact, it is the same as Chizuru's thought, and we want to do something for the Shinsengumi.

"Thank you." Saito took the teacup, still slightly nodding his head in gratitude.Saito is different from Hijikata's innate sternness, who is careful and rigorous in dealing with things. Saito is just not good at expressing his inner thoughts, so he shows a more or less indifference similar to Mr. Hijikata.

"...Well, Mr. Saito, Mr. Harada... Have you seen Chizuru just now?" Sakurai felt more and more uncomfortable after delivering the tea one by one. At first, he thought that Chizuru might return to Hijikata after delivering the order. I went, but I didn't see Qianhe's figure when I delivered the tea just now.After coming to the inner court, many signs here seem to indicate the same situation.

"Qianzuru? No..." Harada thought about it carefully, then looked at Saito, who also shook his head lightly.

In other words, you haven't seen her since Qianhe left you?But she never went back!what happened?Chizuru wouldn't run around, unless...unless something happened...

Sakurai likes Qianzuru very much during the day and night. Qianzuru's gentleness and understanding make Sakurai, who is used to loneliness, gradually willing to open her heart to her and occasionally talk about her own thoughts. She has long regarded Qianzuru as a She treats Qianhe as her younger sister Xiaoxue without even knowing it sometimes...

Really worried about Chizuru, undeniable, she was scared of something that would happen to her... afraid that Qianzuru would be like Koyuki... no, don't...

"Xiaoxu, don't worry, wait here, Ichikun and I will go find it." Seeing Sakurai's suddenly ugly face, Harada gradually realized that something was wrong, so he hurriedly comforted him.Although they, as captains, cannot leave at will at this time, it is important to find Qianhe.

Although Saito didn't speak, he got up quickly and followed Harada out.

——No, I want to go too!How can I leave Qianhe alone?

Sakurai suddenly put down the tray, although Harada and Saito could no longer be seen on the deserted avenue just after chasing the entrance, but she was still going to run out to look for it, but almost bumped into him at the sharp corner. one person.

"Mr. Hijikata..."

"What are you doing in such a hurry?" Hijikata stood there firmly, with a lingering haze on his handsome face, but this was his signature deep calm that surpassed ordinary people.

"Mr. Hijikata, Chizuru is gone!" Sakurai was not the type of woman with a crying voice, but there was a bit of anxiety in her tone.

"What?" Toshihide Hijikata frowned again, before Sakurai had time to explain the situation, Hijikata had passed her and left quickly without even looking back.

Everyone is very worried about Qianzuru, so Qianzuru, you can't do anything... Qianzuru, please...?