The cooing of the pigeon was annoyingly persistent, but having to wake up early for work was even more frustrating. But he had no choice; he needed money to survive. Besides, he had to pay the rent for his apartment in a few weeks—he was already three months behind. If he got this payout, life would be a lot easier.
He rode his trusty scooter through the streets, heading towards the Kagurazaka district in search of his target. He got off the scooter and walked into the area.
Kagurazaka was a district not far from Kabukicho, filled with wealthy residents like billionaires and the well-to-do. Since Kagurazaka was close to the shogun's palace, the land here was extremely expensive. The area was also lined with numerous shops, making it not just a wealthy residential area but also a popular tourist spot.
Gintoki rode his scooter through the streets, scanning the surroundings for his target, asking people along the way as he walked.
"Ah, this woman, you mean?"
"Yeah, old man. You seen her around?"
"Yeah, yeah. She was here this morning, buying taiyaki from my shop. She's headed to that cat cafe over there," the old man said, pointing toward a cat cafe about 100 meters away.
"Ah, thanks a lot."
"By the way, is she your girlfriend, Gintoki?"
"Uh… kind of, yeah. She stole my parfait, so I'm here to track her down," Gintoki replied quickly, eager to move on before he was asked more questions.
He reached the cat cafe, parked his scooter at the front, and walked into the store while scanning the interior for his target.
"Meow~"
"Woah!" Four or five cats walked over to rub against his legs. "What's with you guys?"
"Welcome, Gintoki! What would you like to order?" The receptionist greeted him as he looked at the menu board. "I'll take a parfait," Gintoki ordered.
"Sure, please wait a moment."
While waiting for his food, Gintoki scanned the area for his target, but the group of cats in the cafe kept rubbing against his legs.
"What the hell are you guys doing? I'm trying to work here! Stop bothering me! Hey!! Orange cat, don't scratch my clothes! Black cat, stop scratching my shoes right now!!"
The more he complained, the more the cats surrounded him. Trying to catch them or walk away only made them follow him even more. How is he supposed to work peacefully like this?
Soon, his parfait arrived. Gintoki sat at the table near the wall, and within a second of sitting down, a dozen cats rushed over to his table, staring at him as if pressuring him.
"What are you looking at? Go somewhere else! People are trying to work here!" He tried to shoo them away, but they just kept coming. "Hey, I told you I'm working here! Hey! This is my parfait! Cats can't eat it, you know!!"
He tried pushing them away, but no matter what he did, the cats refused to leave. The parfait was getting licked by the cats, and he still hadn't found his target. This can't be happening right now!
"Meow, meow, come here!" A clear voice called to the cats, and all the cats surrounding Gintoki turned toward the new arrival.
Gintoki looked up at the new person. A woman with sharp features, long black hair with white inner highlights, and a graceful figure. He quickly pulled out the picture and compared it, looking back and forth.
It's her!!! Finally found her!
But wait, what was that call? Was she calling the cats? And what was up with the Elite-slaying incident yesterday? The strong, cold woman who killed dozens of enemies and the one playing with the cats today... Is it the same person?
"Hmm?" It seemed like the woman knew she was being watched. She looked up, causing Gintoki to freeze for a moment, flustered, and he quickly looked away, embarrassed at being caught staring at her.
"Don't like cats?"
"Huh?" Gintoki turned to face her and raised an eyebrow. "You? Don't like cats?"
Oh, she's asking him. "No, it's just that I don't like them stealing my parfait."
"Cats can't actually eat sweets. They only took yours because they saw you eating, so they wanted some too."
Gintoki rested his chin on his hand, looking at her with interest. "You really seem to know a lot about cats."
"I used to, but they're all gone now." Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. What was that? Did he trigger something inside her?
"Hahaha, why the long face? The past is the past. They're in a better place now. As for me, I'm just focusing on the present," she said, smiling, but Gintoki could see the sadness and loneliness in her eyes.
"I forgot to ask, by the way. Did you come here to find me?"
Her question made Gintoki freeze for a moment. He had forgotten that he was here to find her. He'd gotten so caught up in the conversation that he had completely lost track of his mission.
"What? You mean you came to look for me—"
Boom!!
"Screeeeeech!! / Meooow!!"
The sound of a scream mixed with a cat's cry filled the air, caused by a car that came from nowhere and crashed into the cat cafe, sending everyone, including the cats, scattering in all directions.
"What the hell is going on?" Gintoki cursed as he cautiously walked over to investigate. He noticed smoke rising from the car, but when he looked closer, the smoke wasn't black—it was purple. His instincts told him to retreat.
"Shit."
Boom!!
Before he could pull away, the car exploded with a deafening blast, accompanied by thick purple smoke. Saya, seeing this, quickly intervened, raising her hands and drawing the smoke into a magic ring.
"Cough… cough… You're amazing, you know? Like a superhero or something… Cough… cough…"
Suddenly, his chest burned intensely, and his heart pounded so hard he felt like it might burst. The strength he had was slowly fading, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Am I… dying?"
"Grab him!!"
His weak body was lifted by someone. The ground shook so much it made him dizzy—he could tell they were running. The chaos and explosion sounds mixed with shouting filled his ears.
His body was laid on the grass somewhere. Gintoki squinted, trying to make out what was happening, but the pain in his body was overwhelming.
"Cough… cough…"
A flash of light, which he guessed was a sword, materialized from the woman's hand as those people rushed toward her, intending to kill.
"Sa…ya."
Soft.
Why does it feel so soft?
Who's pressing something against his lips? Is it Shinpachi? Or Kagura? Wait, is it Sadaharu?
But wait... Did I die? I must have died, right? But why does everything feel so real?
He tried to open his eyes, and slowly, the image in front of him became clearer. Someone who had just pulled their face away looked familiar, like someone he'd seen not long ago.
"Hey, are you dead yet?"
That familiar sweet voice finally clicked in his mind, making him jump up in surprise.
"Oh, looks like I'm not dead yet."
Gintoki examined himself, raising a hand to his chest to check if his heart was still beating. It was fine. That means... he's still alive.
"I'm not dead, am I?" he asked the person beside him for confirmation. Saya took his hand and pressed it to his own nose.
Okay, he's still alive.
"Wait, hold on. What happened earlier? Why...?"
"You inhaled poison gas. I just sucked it out for you."
"Huh?! Sucked it out? How?"
"With my mouth."
"With your mouth?" Saya nodded in response.
Suddenly, a strange feeling surged into Gintoki's mind. The soft sensation on his lips and the tingling that gradually flowed from his mouth. Could it be...?
Gintoki turned to look at the woman sitting there, her face calm and composed. No way... Did he just lose his first kiss?!! It's not that Gintoki had never been through this kind of thing before. Back in the day, he'd experienced plenty—kisses, whatever else—but this...
"Who taught you to suck poison with your mouth?!" Gintoki shouted. "And you used your mouth to do it! You're a girl! Use another method! This is practically like kissing!!"
"I don't know. That's how I was taught."
"Ugh! Why do I have to listen to you? Are you a kid or something?!"
"I am a kid. I'm only twenty-four."
"Ugh!!!"
Boom!!
A dozen mysterious weapons flew straight at them, forcing Saya to use wind magic to shield them. It was easy to guess who the attackers were—they could only be the Elite.
"Running away again, huh? You could've just let us catch you and end it all—"
Before the enemy could finish speaking, Saya thrust her hand through one of their stomachs, causing the man to drop dead to the ground.
Gintoki, witnessing the entire scene, saw the magic ring appear on her hand before she thrust it into the enemy's stomach. But she didn't stop there—she twisted it, making sure he'd die. This girl... She's getting way too scary!
"Come at me, then. Don't take too long. I need to go buy some grilled meat."
As soon as she finished speaking, the Elite members rushed straight at them. Saya grabbed Gintoki's hand and put a bracelet on him.
"What's this?"
Before he could get an answer, both of them had to jump out of the way to avoid various weapons flying toward them.
"Ugh!!" The transformed earth weapon hit Gintoki in the torso, sending him flying far away. "Shit! That hurts, damn it."
"Put your blood on the bracelet!!" Saya shouted while still fighting.
"Huh!? What did you say!!!!"
"I said put your blood on the bracelet!!"
"Why would I do that!!!"
"Just do it!!" At that moment, Saya ran up close to him, reached up, and smeared blood on his cheek before putting it on the bracelet.
Suddenly, the atmosphere around them changed. It felt as though an enormous electrical current surged through his body. Magical runes slowly appeared on his right arm.
"Call the magic out now!!"
"And how do I do that!?"
"Focus your mind and call out your power!!—Ugh!!" Saya was suddenly pinned down by the earth that had transformed into a trap, and the Elite started casting spells to finish her off.
Gintoki focused, gathering his mind and energy. The electricity in his body gathered into the wooden sword he was holding. He gripped the sword tightly and charged at the Elite members immediately.
Boom!!!
"AAARGH!!!!" The Elite members were blasted away in all directions, some getting shocked and knocked out.
Gintoki looked at the sword in his hand, still crackling with electricity. Damn... has he really gained power now? Is this still him, Gintama?
A man, groaning in pain, was crawling to grab his feet. "You'll regret helping that girl."
Gintoki looked at the man and then had a thought. Since the bracelet had given him power, he decided to try something new. He focused and thought about what he wanted to summon, transforming the wooden sword into a giant hammer.
"Whoa, this is cool."
"Hey, you—"
"You wanna know why I helped her?" Gintoki grinned, raising the hammer high above his head before slamming it down on the man. "Because the toy is fun."
He sat down on the ground, leaning back against a tree, lifting his hand to look at it. His hand was shaking badly, and the exhaustion was so overwhelming that he could fall asleep at any moment.
"Are you okay?" Saya crouched down to check on Gintoki. His condition looked bad—he was out of breath, and his hands were still shaking. "Do you think you're okay in this state?"
"Uh... probably not."
The sound of sirens came from a police car of the Shinsengumi, causing both of them to look over.
"Well, that worked out."
"Leave the rest to us," Saya told the Shinsengumi, then turned to walk away.
"Wait a minute, miss! You can't just leave after wearing someone out like this!" A voice called out as Gintoki turned to see a deadpan-looking man raising an eyebrow, clearly teasing him.
"I can't help it. It's what happens when you're a beginner. Just deal with it."
"Huh? Why should I deal with it? You're the one who shoved this on me!"
"I gave it to you so you could help yourself. And now you're complaining?"
"Wait, wait, wait! What are you two talking about? Helping yourself? Shoving things on each other?" It seemed that Condo misunderstood the conversation, thinking it was something inappropriate.
"Calm down, Condo. They're talking about the bracelet that her older sister gave to the leader," Okita intervened to clear up the confusion. "Good thing I stepped in, or this misunderstanding would've gone on forever."
"Hey, are the people who attacked us only this many?" Hijikata joined in and asked Gintoki and Saya.
"Yeah, why?"
"It seems one of them managed to escape."
"Say what?" Saya walked over to where Hijikata had pointed. There was a trail of blood leading into the nearby forest.
"It looks like it might be the leader."
"Guys, go after it—"
"No need." Before Condo could finish speaking, Saya interrupted him.
"Wait a minute. If we don't follow, it'll just escape."
"Following it and fighting it, though... Can you even beat it? I'm not underestimating you, but don't forget, it's more powerful than you all. It's not an ordinary human, so let me handle this."
Saya walked along the blood trail into the forest, leaving the others behind to just watch.
"Aren't you going after her, boss?" Okita turned to ask Gintoki, who was silently sitting.
"Do you think I should go after her?"
"Well, yeah. Because right now, aside from your sister, you're the only one here who can use power."
Gintoki sat silently for a moment, then stood up, determined. "Leave it here. I'll bring that girl back myself."
"Take care of her, boss," Okita said, nodding.
Within the thick forest, the slender legs continued to follow the blood trail until they reached a clearing. Saya scanned the area before her eyes stopped on a large boulder.
She walked toward the boulder, but suddenly her senses told her that something was behind it. She stopped and stood still, contemplating before casting a spell to destroy the rock and reveal what was behind it.
"AAAGHHH!!!"
A scream rang out as a figure emerged. Fortunately, Saya's instincts kicked in just in time, or it would have been her who ended up crushed.
Saya walked toward the enemy, casually kicking them aside before narrowly dodging a sharp object that flew toward her.
"Did you think I would let you catch me that easily? Ha! Dream on!"
"Ugh~ Just give up already. I'm tired of this."
"No way!!!"
The man transformed the ground into sharp spears, launching them at her. Saya summoned a large sword and slashed at the earth projectiles, destroying them. But just then, another projectile shot toward her, and a mysterious wooden sword swung down to destroy it.
"Look closely, don't you see it? It's not over yet."
Gintoki, who had appeared out of nowhere, spoke while using magic from his stainless steel bracelet to summon lightning that struck the enemy from the Elites.
"Why are you following me?" Saya asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I didn't want to follow, but I signed the contract, so I have to do my part." Saya sized him up for a moment, sighed, and then pulled out her phone to start typing.
"Give me your bank account number."
"Huh? Why?"
"Just give it to me."
"What? Are you going to transfer money and then kick me out?"
"Yep, already transferred it. It's not going to end like this. I'm already fully involved in this, so if I leave now, I'll just be hunted anyway."
Thinking about it, Gintoki knew it was true. If he left now, he'd be targeted and wouldn't be able to escape.
At that moment, Saya noticed something coming from behind Gintoki. She reached out, grabbed his hair, and yanked him out of the way. Raising her hand, she launched the earth spear back, piercing the enemy's body and bringing him down.
"Phew, finally."
"You!! Now that it's over, let go of my hair! If you keep holding it, it'll all fall out. It's been shedding lately!"
Saya released his hair, a bit too forcefully. Gintoki could feel his hair almost being pulled out.
"Sorry."
His hand instinctively reached up to rub his hair. If she had pulled any harder, it would have come out in her hand.
Saya approached the leader of the Elites and cast a spell to bind him, ensuring he couldn't escape.
"Hey, are you guys alright?!" Condo's voice shouted from afar. When they turned, they saw the Shinsengumi running toward them.
"Can see that we're still alive." Gintoki replied sarcastically.
"A guy like you should just die already."
"Hey, hey, how can the vice-chief of the demons say that? If I die, you guys won't have anyone to help you. Don't forget, aside from her, I can use power too."
"Oh yeah? Then how about we cut off that hand of yours so you can become an ordinary person?"
Hijikata reached out and grabbed Gintoki's arm, swinging his sword for real, causing Gintoki to raise his hand to stop him.
"Hey, hey, hey!! Hold on!! If you cut off my hand, you'll be charged with assault leading to permanent disability, you know!!"
"An ex-Amanto-fighter like you? No one cares!"
"I told you already! I'm pure and innocent now! That was all in the past! Let bygones be bygones!"
"Hey."
"Huh?"
"I want to let it go too, but don't forget—you're the infamous Shiroyasha! Even if the war's over, the hunt for Amanto-fighters never really ends!"
"HEYYYYY!!!!"
A stern voice cut through the argument, startling both men. They turned to see Saya standing there with a blank expression.
"What is it?"
"The boss... turned into dust."
"Huh?!" The two of them rushed over and found that he really had crumbled into ash.
"Why'd you let that happen?! Now he's escaped, hasn't he?!" Gintoki asked while poking the ash pile with his foot.
"He didn't escape. He died."
"Same difference!"
"And what was I supposed to do, huh? Stop him from dying? No matter how strong I am, I can't keep someone from dying."
(Yeah… fair point.)
"Hey, miss," Okita called, holding something up. "What is this?"
It was a red, translucent object about the size of a coin, shaped like a sea urchin.
"…A power stone?"
"Huh? What's a power stone?" Gintoki leaned over Saya's shoulder to look.
"I think so," Saya muttered, examining it more closely.
But suddenly, the stone exploded—just a small blast, but it was enough to shake everyone up.
At the National Police Department, inside a meeting room filled with heavy tension, everyone seemed stressed. Even though they had managed to capture some of the Elith intruders today, they'd gotten absolutely no information out of them, which left everyone with a collective headache.
"Hey," Gintoki suddenly spoke, breaking the silence and causing everyone in the room to turn and look—everyone except Saya, who just stood there staring out the window.
"Nothing else to do, can I go now?"
"No, the meeting's not over yet," Hijikata replied, exhaling smoke from his cigarette.
"Then why isn't it starting already? You've all just been sitting here in silence! Some of us actually have jobs, you know!"
"You? A job? All you ever do is hang out in pachinko parlors or yawn your way through C-Kids magazines."
"Oh come on, Ogushikun~ You're not glued to me 24/7. How would you know how hard I work every day?"
"Hey Saya, where are you going?" Kondo asked when he saw her heading for the door.
"To bed. I'm sleepy."
"But we haven't finished the meeting yet! The Chief hasn't even arrived."
"It's fine. Today's mission is done." Just then, the meeting room door opened and Commissioner Matsudaira walked in.
"Sir, we haven't wrapped things up yet," one of the officers said.
"Really? Then let's wrap it up now. Good job today, everyone. As for intel—whatever, keep digging. Alright, we're done here. Go home."
And with that, Matsudaira walked back out, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
"Well, I'm out." Saya didn't hesitate to follow him.
"I'll go too. Later, you second-rate cops." Gintoki followed her, grinning.
"Why you—!" Hijikata looked ready to lunge at him, but Kondo held him back.
"Let it go. We should leave too."
Inside the elevator, an awkward silence filled the space. Gintoki and Saya stood in opposite corners, saying nothing. Gintoki glanced sideways at her, just before the elevator suddenly let out a loud clunk.
"Whoa, whoa, don't tell me the elevator's stuck? No way, I need to go buy my C-Kids, damn it!"
He jabbed at the buttons repeatedly, but the elevator didn't move an inch.
"So, lady, what now? Looks like we're stuck."
Saya turned to the control panel and calmly placed her hand on it. Sparks flew.
"What are you—"
Before he could finish, the elevator jerked and suddenly plummeted downward. Both Gintoki and Saya hit the floor, bracing themselves. Saya muttered a wind spell to slowly cushion the fall and bring them safely to the ground floor.
"Saya, are you insane?! Were you trying to kill us?! Ugh, I think I'm gonna puke!"
"Sorry. Forgot I wasn't alone."
"You little brat… who taught you to do crap like that?" Gintoki groaned, lying flat on the elevator floor.
"You better take responsibility. Or I'll kill you."
Saya walked over and helped him up—then pushed him onto her back.
"What are you doing?! Don't tell me you're giving me a piggyback ride home!"
"Well, you told me to take responsibility."
And she really meant it. Saya carried Gintoki on her back and headed out. But given the difference in their sizes, every step was a struggle.
After over 20 minutes, they had only made it two kilometers from the police station. Gintoki, who was starting to feel better, looked down at the small figure beneath him still trying her best.
"You sure you can do this? If not, just put me down."
"I'm… fine." (Clear lie.)
She tried to keep going, but soon tripped and faceplanted on the ground. Gintoki quickly pushed himself up and pulled her up with him.
"That knocked the wind out of you, didn't it?" Saya's face twisted into a grimace. "Yeah."
"See? I told you, but you insisted on carrying me."
"You said to take responsibility."
"And there's no other way to do that?!"
"Didn't think of one…" Gintoki let out a long sigh and shook his head.
Unbelievable. A girl as powerful as Utsuro, and she couldn't figure out something this simple. Such a stubborn little kid.
Gintoki picked her up and hoisted her onto his back, adjusting her weight. "Where do you live? I'll take you there."
"I can walk on my own."
"In your condition? You'll fall into a manhole at this rate. Just tell me where you're staying."
"The hotel over there," Saya said, pointing toward a tall building in the Kagurazaka district.
"That's pretty far, huh."
"I can get there myself, you know."
Sigh "Fine, let's just go!"
They walked down the street, bickering and bantering the whole way, drawing attention from passersby with their loud, childish exchanges. After a while, they finally made it to the hotel Saya had mentioned.
As soon as they arrived, Saya hopped off Gintoki's back and turned to say goodbye.
"Thanks for walking me back."
"Wait—you stay in a place this fancy?"
Gintoki looked up at the towering building in front of him. It was a luxurious Western-style hotel, all white and gold. Just by looking at it, he could tell the rooms had to be ridiculously expensive.
"Uncle told me to stay here."
By "uncle," she meant Matsudaira. He'd recommended she stay there, where Shinsengumi personnel were stationed to keep watch. Saya had also cast protective spells to make sure the Elith wouldn't be able to find her.
"Well anyway, thanks again," she said, pulling out some cash from her pocket and stuffing it into Gintoki's hand.
"What the—no way! Take it back! I may be broke, but I've still got my pride!" Gintoki tried to return the money, but the younger girl just pushed his hand back.
"Pride doesn't feed you. If you wanna be full, you need rice, not honor." With that, Saya turned and walked straight into the hotel, ignoring his protests.
"Saya! Hey! Saya!"
Unbelievable.
Gintoki looked down at the wad of bills in his hand. After counting, he realized it was 500,000 yen. Come to think of it, judging by her outfit and accessories, everything she wore looked like top-brand stuff.
Is this girl rich or what?
But whatever. She gave it to him, so it's his now. If she tries to take it back later, he's not giving it up.