Draft 7

19th century Japan is a period of turmoil, marking rebellion, innovations, industrial revolutions and political upheavals in the coming of a new era courtesy of anti-isolationism. Great mind comes to war with imperialist beliefs as blood are shed in endless conflicts.

As it is, the small nation was plunged into a sea of doubts and civil unrest when, within the span of a decade, the warring clans have rekindled their fire for an all-out annihilation war

On that front, it could be said that Shinsengumi plays a central role in maintaining order within that chaotic time

A special police force established under the Shogun's directive, their mission is to monitor rebel movements within Kyoto, in which their service has prevent many uprising from destabilizing the government

There were many famous swordsman within them, as well as tacticians, leaders, and tenacious warriors like Kondo Isami, Hajime Saito, Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Souji—Together, their presence has been eternalized as Japan's image of discipline

Yet, rumors throughout the years about it's final member continued to be a hot topic of conversation

The man who was known as the "Nameless doctor", in charge of Shinsengumi's final division within the Konshu war.

Some say he's died, buried along his beloved wife in Senshoji. Others said he's still alive up until the period of 1913, wandering within Owari province with a mysterious woman by his side

The tale of their final commander is yet unknown, his records few and far inbetween, that he is regarded as a fake. It was like he has never existed at all

_______

It has been ten days since I started travelling with the Roshigumi, and I was already starting to regret it

"Thanks, doc. Couldn't have made it without you" The ronin said to me as I finished bandaging up his wounds

"Stay away from the vanguard. Avoid overexerting yourself within at least 2 days" He nodded "Your muscles could tear off again otherwise, and I don't have any painkillers to numb it"

As he left, a line of wounded swordsman moved up to receive my treatment. They looked bloody and tired, covered in dirt and grime after a long day of fighting

"Dokutah how does it look?"

"Just a scratch, fortunatey. Apply this medicine to the cut and it should be fine within the day"

"Doku, I can't move my arm"

"Closed fracture on the humerus. Transverse. Give me a piece of cloth so we can make a sling out of it"

"Dokutah—"

After each patient, I applied a little bit of [Heal] so their recovery rate is sped up. A fair bit so it can have an effect, but small enough to not be noticeable to a keen eye

It is rather cheating how this unconventional "Magecraft" can easily revolutionize the medical field should it be used in addition to modern treatment

The sun has already set when I finished treating them all. The treatment itself cost around half of my total Mana

Hijikata and Okita was waiting for me as I cleaned up my temporary medical office. I greeted them as usual

"That's the third bandit attack this week"

"We know. It must be because they thought we're carrying treasures from the amount of people guarding them"

"Or they assume we're an escort and is hoping to get ransom money from the official inside"

I considered both possibilities

"Do we know if they're aware that we're following the Shogun to Kyoto? As far as I can tell, the time it is happening is suspicious"

"Now that you mention it, most of the bandits seem highly skilled in battle, even though they're just thugs" Okita mused

"Then it is not normal robbery...but Chonshu's men sent to kill the Shogun under the disguise of bandits?"

"Let's not get too hasty" Hijikata interjected with a dangerous voice "Do you know what you're insinuating with that?"

"You can't deny it. We were ambushed the first time just two days after our journey begins. The second fight started mere minutes after we left the village. Somebody within our ranks must have leaked the information to their political allies, hoping to the destruction of our envoy"

The possibility that one of us is a traitor is quite chilling...if I care about it enough. Come on, I'm a doctor. Shouldn't you leave the spy drama stuff to actual pros?

A faint smell whiffed through my nose. I looked to the source to see a campfire had been started, with Ronin's unloading supply in preparation for our dinner

"I'm off to eat. We'll discuss this later"

"Yeah, I'll go with you"

"Whose turn is it to guard the wagon today?"

"Argh..." The girl puffed her cheeks "Come on. I killed most of the bandits on my own. Couldn't you give me a pass?"

Hijikata, for his record, is a nice man once you got past his no-bullshit attitude. Therefore, his weakness will always be a reasonable excuse

Okita's puppy eyes count as a reasonable excuse

We join the others around the campfire. The escort took turns standing guard while the other have their dinner. The shifts rotate every twenty minutes, which is why most prefer to eat in silence in case it took took too long

Eating with me was the reserve guard and their captain, a guy named Saito Hajime

He has grey hair, like an anime character, and a laid back way of speaking. In contrast with Hijikata's stoicism, the man always have a relaxed smile on his face

"So who taught you to be a doctor, anyway?"

"I learned it at school. Nothing fancy, really, just some lecture outlining general surgical procedure"

"Ehhh. A scholar? Your parents must be quite rich then"

"They have an abundance of wealth" I look at the fire "A shame my dad spent it all on prostitutes"

Saito winced in that not-so-subtle way people often do when they listened to my story. He apologized, though I only laughed

Dinner passed quietly, and before long the campfire was extinguished. I climbed unto the carriage which held my stuff to sleep. Outside, the torch illuminated the forest we stayed in. The darkness was silent, as though comforting me to a good sleep

______

The eighth day started off as normal. We took off at dawn, carriage and men at the ready. I think I saw a glimpse of Hijikata conversing with the Shogun, probably briefing him about the incident yesterday. Meanwhile, Okita had led her men back from an earlier recon trip

"Perimeter safe. You don't have to worry about being attacked for the next 10 miles"

"Is there any ambush points along the way?" I asked

"No bandits as far as we could tell" Okita frowned "Which is weird considering the number of attacks we had yeaterday. Maybe they have retreated last night..."

Kyotois only a few days away. It would make sense to avoid suspicion from the capital. I felt relieved at the info

That is, until Hijikata shout at us from the distance

"Okita! You are supposed to report first to your superior per protocol, not your lover!"

"EW, HE'S NOT MY LOVER!"

There goes the superhuman samurai running away with a beet red face, looking no differenta highschool girl with a crush. I could only sigh as the men around laughed

The rumor started days ago when one of the swordsmen noticed me often hanging around Okita. Soon enough, jokes about me seducing her was already flying in and out the camp like a pack of persistent flies, of which I found exasperating

I can't charm a potato, let alone someone as cute as her...

"Hey, mister Gigolo. I see you've been busy lately" Came Saito Hajime who wrapped an arm around me "So how was Okita in bed? She wasn't too rough or anything like that, right?"

"How in the world did everyone in this unit arrived at the conclusion that I had sex with her?"

"Well. You just have that kind of synergy. It's really hard to describe, but I think she behaves a little differently around you"

It doesn't matter. I grumbled and got inside my wagon. Since we still have several miles ahead, I might as well return back to my research. The book opened as I began scibbling on it, trying to ignore Hajime who peer at the notes over my shoulder

"So what are ya working on?"

"A few of my ideas. I'm researching for potential cure on some of the diseases plaguing this land" I held one for him "This here is tuberculosis. Here is measles. Here, smallpox— a deadly ailment, if nothing else"

"Wow. Last I heard there was no cure for either of these. People just pray to god and buddha when they got 'em"

"You would find that religion and prejudice is often the biggest hindrance to scientific progress, but that's a dance I'm familiar with. The important matter is to see if I can complete them"

The question is, should I?

It wasn't in me to hesitate. But this is a dilemma the likes ofnwhich I have never encountered

Changing history is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you had control of everything. On the other, your meddling can change the world's fate for better or worse

What if by sparing an enemy courier, you inadvertently allowed a leader of Germany to rise to power, sparking off the deadliest conflict in history?

What if my action lead to that man actually winning the war? There was no predicting what lies at the end of a butterfly's wings. And I get to make a choice—that's the scary part

My pen continued scribbling in the silence. Hajime's continued pestering remain ignored under the tide of my thoughts

_________

At that point in time, I was still just a lowly doctor

I was in a warzone. Bullets scattering and men shouting orders, that's the kind of place a medic like me could be most useful—of course, that is before I decided to switch to neurosurgery for the money. But I have never regret being a doctor in the army

I wouldn't have met him otherwise

It was August. The dried air from the desert breezed past the encampment I was held prisoner in. The rebel's foreign language pulled at my ears demanding for information. Each cuts for every moment of silence, and my body was starting to feel like it's going to crumple soon

I was at my wit's end: Exhausted like a rat swimming in muddy water, unable to hold on to consciousness. That's when I saw from afar the sight of arrows approaching us

I must be really hallucinating. Because nobody in their goddamn mind would use a bow in this day and age

But soon, they felled. The first one pierced through my interrogator's head. The second, third, and fourth hit their respective mark. Soon the men were screaming, running around for cover, as I sat tied to that chair in amazement

The man had slipped past the enemy line undetected before wrecking havoc within, allowing soldiers from our side to formulate a flank that wiped them out within hours. I was one of the lucky people he met in person, through I didn't know it at that point in time

"Tch. They killed off the other prisoners" The man muttered. There were only the two of us in the midst of a sea of corpse now. I stare at him in astonishment

"Come now, get up. They should be here anytime soon" He turned to me and cut me loose with one of his blades

"Are you the guy they called Archer?"

"...that name brings bad memory. Call me Shirou instead"

The Desert Hound that stalks the Red Plain. That's what the locals had came to name the figure of this man. He had wandered about and helped in many conflicts, but left immediately after. His existence is like a ghost hidden in the sand

I was expecting him to be a sniper, not...a literal archer

"Thanks for saving me. You're a hero"

"Such a word can hardly apply" There was a smile on his face "All I ever did was minimize battle casualties with violence. There is nothing heroic about it, at least compared to you"

"What do you mean?"

"You're a doctor. You treasured life, regardless of anything that may compromise your moral code. Your job had saved many more lives than soldiers of a country can hope to"

I never thought about it like that. The reason why I became a doctor is only to pay off the debt from my father's spending spree.

Aside from monetary value, it was hardly something I'd be interested in

Still, being a doctor who save lives because they are precious...there is a noble aspect in it

"Whatever it is you're fighting for, I wish you the best in your journey" I smile and offer a hand

"You, too" He took it. His grip is strong and gentle. A solidity only found in cool steel of a forge. He is reminiscent to a sharp blade. Something which protect only by attacking

"Farewell, then"

I watched as the man named Shirou left in silence. His figure disappeared into the desert storm, leaving only dead bodies and a contemplating doctor in its wake

Maybe that's when I found my ideal