In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

Kanna stays indoors every day, fiddling with her loom, as if she's making clothes.

One day, Samura and Okita sat together.

"Hey, Samura, do you remember... when we first met in Mutsu?"

Zuo Cun was peeling a sweet potato: "Of course I remember. You weren't as gentle as you are now back then."

"Ahem—you weren't always this cold-blooded. You were just a silly kid who didn't seem very bright." Okita coughed twice, a smile spreading across his face.

"...Have some water." Zuocun handed a teacup to Okita.

Okita took the water glass, but did not drink it immediately. Instead, he held the glass in his hands and continued talking.

"I vaguely remember that back then... when I was young and weak, you and I, who were holding a knife for the first time, worked together to kill a bandit leader who looked like a wild boar."

"...Yes, I remember that I also got pheasant feathers from your father's grave."

Zuocun took the pheasant feathers from his waist and held them in his hands to admire them.

“...Samura,” Okita called softly.

"what happened?"

“Take me to a higher place, okay?” Okita looked into Samura’s eyes.

“But your body…” Zuo Cun hesitated.

Miss Okita smiled nonchalantly: "I know my body well, it doesn't matter to me anymore, promise me, okay? Cough cough cough—"

"......it is good."

Samura held Okita Souji in his arms.

Because of her serious illness, Ms. Okita was so thin that she could barely feel any weight.

Zuo Cun controlled himself, trying not to show his sadness, and with a burst of strength from his legs, he jumped high into the air.

Zuocun gave it his all in that jump, the all he had ever given in his life.

He remained suspended fifty meters in the air, his eyes closed.

If the view from above is what you want to see, then—I'll linger a few more seconds for you.

Zuocun's body was trembling.

Okita breathed in the fresh air unique to the high altitude and looked at Samura's closed eyes.

"Is this the scene that Samura saw from the air...? It's so beautiful..."

She looked at the distant woods, the flowing river, and the birds flying in the sky.

hum-

Zuo Cun held on for about half a minute, feeling that he was about to collapse from exhaustion, before falling back to the ground.

Kanna is back: "Mr. Samura! I bought chestnuts!"

"Ah, thank you for your hard work, Kanna."

Zuocun took the chestnuts from Kanna, picked up the peeled sweet potatoes, and went into the kitchen.

Okita Souji's pupils narrowed slightly.

"Cough cough—cough cough cough—"

She looked at the handkerchief and silently wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

Weakness and pain were already telling her—

Her time is running out.

......

Zuocun carried two plates of chestnut dumplings and walked to Okita's side.

"This is......"

"Chestnut glutinous rice balls, haven't had these in a long time, have you?" Zuo Cun smiled.

But what lies hidden behind that smile...?

"...You still remember that promise from back then—cough cough—cough cough cough!" Okita Souji said with a smile, looking at Samura, but was interrupted by a cough.

She felt a little dizzy.

“Okita!” Samura pulled Okita into his arms.

The smile is gone; all that remains is pain.

“...Let me try...the chestnut golden dumpling..." She reached out her trembling hand, picked up a chestnut golden dumpling, and put it in her mouth.

"...It's so sweet... Kanna, go get that thing... out of there..."

Kanna held back her tears, looked at Ms. Okita who was leaning against Samura's chest and whose breath was getting weaker and weaker, and nodded desperately.

"Samura... help me inside... I need to change my clothes..." Miss Okita said to Samura, using her last bit of strength.

"Mmm...mmm!" Zuocun gritted his teeth and gently picked up Okita Souji.

A few minutes later, Kanna helped Okita Souji out of the room.

Zuocun was stunned.

At this moment, Okita was wearing a white kimono as pure as snow.

"...Is it pretty?" Okita seemed to want to smile, but his body uncontrollably leaned to the side.

Samura hugged Ms. Okita, opened his mouth, but only tears flowed into it.

"...Take me outside, Zuo Cun..."

"Kana, I'm sorry... there are some things I only want Samura to hear..."

Miss Okita's face was completely bloodless, and her life force was visibly draining away from her body.

Samura picked up Ms. Okita, who was wearing a white kimono, and jumped up.

They came to a wide-open meadow and nestled together.

Miss Okita had tears in her eyes.

"I'm going to die... Zuocun..."

Zuocun did not reply, but the hand holding Miss Okita trembled slightly.

"How I wish... I could always be by your side..."

"Do you remember what you told me... If we can survive this chaotic world... let's be together..."

Miss Okita's smile was tinged with sorrow and reluctance.

Zuocun gritted his teeth, tears streaming down his cheeks and dripping onto Ms. Okita's palm.

"Oh dear... don't cry, Zuocun..."

Miss Okita cupped Samura's tears in her hands and gently pressed them to her chest.

"I didn't survive the chaos of war... and I don't want to be with you again after surviving it..."

I want to be with you right now...

Even if...

"Just for this one moment..."

"Mmm! Mmm!" Zuocun hugged Ms. Okita, unable to utter a single word.

"So, Miss Okita... is Mr. Samura's lover..."

Okita Souji looked at Samura's face, looked into Samura's eyes.

He smiled.

"...Hehe...Miss Okita...Great victory..."

She was in Zuocun's arms.

Wearing a white kimono.

He stopped breathing.

------------

Chapter 420 Saito Leaves the Shinsengumi

"Kanna... I'm going out for a bit." After saying this to Kanna, Samura left.

Miss Okita is gone. Samura held Miss Okita's body and cried until he fainted by the river. It wasn't until Kana went out and searched frantically that she was found.

After burying Miss Okita, Samura remained in a daze.

This situation has lasted for half a month.

This morning, Zuocun suddenly said he was going out and then jumped away.

Kanna wanted to persuade Samura, but...

Such a desperate expression, such an empty soul.

Shiona... can't bear it.

......

Zuo Cun's eyes darted around listlessly.

It landed on a tree branch and leaped up again.

Is Samura... thinking something?

Perhaps he was just unconsciously moving towards his destination based on instinct.

The cool summer night breeze brushed against Zuo Cun's face, but it did not wake him up.

Zuocun continued forward, and before he knew it, he came to a large cherry tree.

This is the outskirts of Kyoto.