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akelyokikagu · 7 years

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The Cursed - chapter I

# The Cursed - Chapter I

## Crimes strike at midnight

Midnight was the hour crimes struck, as it was universally known criminals fancied midnight as the time to initiate any of their machiavellian plans. The plans could include elegant thefts to savage murders, but tonight’s was from another genre if crimes were books that had an end, or not. When it came to murders or thefts there always had a trail of clues the police of Edo could hike through; but now it had been weeks since the Shinsengumi couldn’t solve the case. It was everywhere: newspapers, TV , everyone knew and everyone were frightened for their sisters, daughters or lovers.

All the victims were adult females, age ranging from eighteen to twenty-five, all of them accomplished in a way or another—the first was a famous artist, the second a gold medals champion, the third a skilled orator and daughter of politicians. Had all the girls targeted been famous, the Shinsengumi would be able to narrow potential preys and assure their security. This was not the case. Some became notorious only through the case; however all females also shared a common point besides accomplishment: beauty, thus earning the nickname of "Sleeping Beauties". Indeed, despite calling over experts and doctors from all the country not a single one could elucidate what happened to the victims as there were no external nor internal injuries, no poisons or toxins, all were positively healthy. Supposedly. Instead, they were all sound asleep and wouldn't wake up no matter what.

It was as if life force itself had been sucked out of them, or as if they became soulless. How the criminal or criminals did so, no one knew.

As of now the public defiled the image of the Shinsengumi day by day as the list of victims grew longer, to the opposite of their clues. Journalists harassed Hijikata for not being as competent as rumoured, Kondo for his constant stalking instead of working and some even suspected Okita for being a deviant Sadist. Although the second was true and the last half, they were officers nonetheless and patrolled every district at night—unfortunately the dark circles below their fatigued eyes weren't what the public saw.

"The Shinsengumi: a useless bunch of country bumpkins? Special pictures of chief Kondo Isao harassing cabaret girls!" Hijikata read the scandalous title from different newspaper with a strained tone, this had been their quotidian now, "Kondo-san I know you want to court Shimura-san but we can't afford to lose even more of the public opinion! And Sougo! What the hell are you doing around Yoshiwara with a chained girl?!"

"I need to affirm my feelings for Otae-san, Toshi! That's how you win a woman so beautiful and strong." "It's not my fault if sows just fall under my feet, Hijikata-san, what would you do if you find one? Just step on her, right?" "No one do that besides you, actually." Hijikata smashed none-too-gently his cigarette into the ashtray on the table, full of the different divisions' reports. "No clues today either."

An uncomfortable silence settled in the tea room, although the Shinsengumi officers were known to be country samurais with very "unique" personality, not a single of them were proud of the current affair. If they couldn't gather and solve the case now the Shogun might disband them because of their ineffectiveness, bolstered by the fact public opinion was assassinating their name. Disbanding would also mean tearing apart a shared dream from long ago, and all the sacrifices they made to be what they are now, all things left behind in order to move forward. Regrets, too.

"… Maybe the Yorozuya Boss knows something. He always does whenever we don't," Kondo finally suggested, "he might already be on it." "All because this lazy silver-perm is the protagonist of *Gintama* what's the point of having such useless main character…" He sighed, "but Kondo-san, you might be right. " "I'll go tomorrow with Hijikata-san." "It's rare of you to propose yourself Sougo! Daddy is proud of you, right Mother?" "WHO'S A MOTHER?" "Because of the patrols I haven't been able to beat China up, anyway. My body's dull, maybe I should go for a tabasco cake."

Kondo and Hijikata decided not to comment about the youngest's plans, after all, one shouldn't look too deep into a sadist's thought. ---- "Oi Kagura, stop reading so close or else you'll become a human wearing glasses like Patsuan." "That's not true Gin-chan, if I wear glasses then I'll be the cute heroine with glasses! There's no way I'll become something like Shinpachi." "Please stop talking like I wasn't here you two, who do you think cook and do all the house chores here?!"

As usual the Yorozuya were being noisy whenever clients weren't present, which to say represented more than ninety percents of the time. One could wonder about how could Sakata Gintoki afford to feed both a giant dog, a gorilla of a daughter in addition of himself, and still have a roof over his head, but then one would remember Sakata Gintoki didn't pay taxes nor rents. Policemen had yet to arrest them, as they did save Edo plenty of time, and most importantly if the chief wasn't aiming at the Shimura eldest as his wife.

"Oi stupid perm, open the door!"

Tax-robbers came.

"Kagura, did you hear? I think I just hear a mosquito right now, what should we do? It's still winter, do you think it's an alien mosquito like the alien cockroaches we had?" "WHAT DID YOU SAY BASTARD?" "Boss, I have a bazooka." "Excuse-me—" "Ah," Hijikata let out a satisfied sigh. "Mosquitoes. There are two right now, they're coming to suck our tax money dry. quick Kagura, we need to smash'em." "— There is a reward, Boss." "Pachi, please open the door to our respectable customers," Gintoki rose up and sat straight on the green couch, coughing up once before looking at Kagura with his dead-fish eyes. "Kagura, go make some tea. Bring the best!"

Kagura snorted back, not even deigning to sit properly. "We don't have good tea Gin-chan, and reading JUMP is better when you're lying down." Before she could continue the passionating story of *Death Pad* a kick came to her waist.

"Oh, a piggy. Danna, do invite me if you're going to roast it, I'm a pro." "… Sadist!" "Don't fight oi, Sougo we came for something else." Hijikata went in front of the duo, not bothering to cross his legs. "Clearly, you aren't civil either. What did both of you come for? It's rare for the Shinsengumi to come to us with a request," Shinpachi laid snacks on the table, hoping to get some money out of the policemen. "Have you heard of the 'Sleeping Beauties'?" "Yeah, do you know how scared I am for my Ketsuno Ana? She stopped appearing on TV you know! Her big brother decided to guard her, I swear, I can't even wake up to her delicate voice and—" "Do you have any informations? Especially what can be the criminal? An Amanto, perhaps?"

Gintoki shook his head, he had seen a lot in his life but not women suddenly falling asleep, maybe once when the giant ex-boyfriend came to take his red-haired brat although he doubted the current meticulous criminal had anything to do with foul oral odour. Kagura didn't worry him, this time, fortunately the criminal hadn't anything to do with a lolicon (or feminist) either.

The officers were in their way into frowning when Kagura interrupted with her index pinpointing a panel from *Death Pad*. "Why should it be an Amanto? It could be something else, yes? If it was an Amanto, I would have known. Papy gave me lot of books about different aliens, but there aren't any that are like that."

"If it's not a human or an Amanto, what could it be? *Ryok*?" "Uh-uh, what if it's a demon? It's not like we haven't met ghosts in *Gintama*, and they like to take life force from humans, yes?" "JUMP is making you even more stupid than usual, China, why would a demon—" "Oi Sougo, the China girl might be right this time. The criminal doesn't let any clues, as if he could disappear into thin air, nobody has seen him or her yet." "Haah, are you listening to China now Hijikata-san? Wow, I didn't know you could be even lower in my esteem, congratulation." "Seriously Sougo, it's no time to get jealous—" (Jealous?!) "— Have you ever heard of Incubus? It's a male demon preying on women at night," he coughed as talking of such depraved creatures in front of Kagura seemed inappropriate. "I hope it's clear enough as to how they take life forces."

Hijikata's words buzzed into everyone's brain, with the exception of Kagura, linking and bonding with the datas they possessed. They had few notions about Incubus, mostly through their feminine counterparts, the Succubus, but imagining a demon very much active in Edo was unheard of. The dead belonged to another world where they couldn't reach the livings, only experimented *onmyoujis* and priests were able to whisper into their ears. Those said experts were from big families like Ketsuno Ana's, the Bakufu had them under their service in order to seal the city from the dead.

In the best case this meant there had been leaks from them, voluntarily or not. In the worst, it meant another or a group of individuals had a grasp of such power with the will of creating chaos within Edo. To treachery, it was the Shinsengumi's duty to bestow the justice, but the Yorozuya's to protect the city.

"Oi, how much is the reward?" "Enough to buy you months of parfaits and pachinko, Boss," Sougo smirked at the now-burning eyes of Gintoki, wondering if it was the idea of danger overshadowing Edo that worried the silver perm or the idea of enjoying his sugary treats. "The Yorozuya will accept this request!" "Gin-san/Gin-chan," two smiling figures suddenly appeared behind Gintoki. Simultaneously, the hands reached his shoulders in a strong, threatening grasp. "You have to pay us, right?"

Gintoki gulped. "H-Hah?"

Screams echoed all through the busy city of Edo. ---- The moon was bright and round when a lean figure slipped in the messy bedroom. Sheets of music cluttered the wooden floor so much one could hardly notice the planks underneath, even the furnitures were blotted with ink, waft of its scent drifting to the male.

"Did you know? Overworking is bad to a woman's health and beauty," the cackling voice resonated in the humble room. It leaned towards a female, deep into sleep, "but then again this is what make your soul so delicious." "Huuh.. You are here again," the purple-haired woman murmured sleepily.

Purple eyes gleamed akin to a predator's, the man licking his lips before pressing them to Otsuu's.

"Good night, sleeping beauty. I wonder if you'll ever wake up with what I left you with, artists like you have such a taste. It's a shame you never last enough," the voice of the individual bewitched Otsuu, like a gentle yet seductive whisper in your ears, resonating deep in you. Hypnotised, the idol let the cold finger lift her chin up while her eyes slowly closed down, lulled by the demon.

Some vile creatures were blessed with a special ability; mermaids had the capacity of captivating anyone who have the bad fortune— or good luck— to hear their voices. As much, Incubus and Succubus were pictures as great beauties snatching humans' hearts, but only few knew about the danger of listening to a demon's susurrus.

They penetrated into your soul, mind and heart, prying on all your memories before flaying you open, reading you like a book. Dangerous whispers talking to your desires and dreams.

END

#Okikagu #Gintama #Fanfic #English #Kagura #Okita Sougo #Yorozuya #Shinsengumi

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