It was always Liu Kaemon's fear that what happened in Edo would happen to him again in Kyoto. Years have passed without a single bother, him taking extra care in ensuring an honest business, avoiding suspicious merchant guilds in Osaka and never taking bribes from customers with ill-intent.

Good fortune had been on their side for some time now but it was in the eleventh month of the year 1863 when things took a different turn...

Imagine his horror when a party of five men demanded to be let into his compound while he and his family were having supper. He was more than worried because if steel was to be drawn, he was at an extreme disadvantage. Though his own son, Donghae, was one of the most skilled swordsmen in Kyoto, he was off in the heart of the city, on patrol for the Shinsengumi. The men who worked in his fireworks factory were laborers and most of them had lacked basic training in fencing. His mind worked at an ungodly speed, assessing the situation and the potential dangers.

With his wife and two daughters safely concealed in their own quarters further inside their house, Liu Kaemon did his best to deal with the men as diplomatically as he could.

The men called themselves Imperialists and claimed their mission to revere the Emperor, drive out the western barbarians, and safeguard Japan's future. Noble causes, Liu Kaemon had to admit, but sorely lacking in merit since these men were rumored to resort to thuggish means. Their rough appearance, malicious gazes, and the faint smell of blood, sweat, and tobacco on them told him that much.

When they asked to purchase all his current stocks, pending orders included, Liu Kaemon knew he was dealing with the puppets of a powerful and heavily funded political clan. He was being driven to a wall again and it fired up a familiar anguish in his soul.

His thoughts flew to his biggest order of the year: the Imperial Palace's New Year fireworks show. The first batch of it took three warehouses already. Those were enough to destroy the entirety of Kyoto more than ten times over. So many lives will be taken...

Kaemon had to refuse the men that night, arguing that they had no written proof of imperial support. He even denied them a tour of his grounds. It would be unwise for them to see just how much explosives he had with him.

The band of men conceded quietly. Their utter lack of resistance chilled Kaemon's spine. An omen.

As he escorted them out his property, he was certain that this was only the beginning.

- - -

After spending a whole hour in prayer and meditation in front of their shrine, Kaemon’s mind reached a clarity that would help him think of a plan. With the incense burning and two candles providing light, Liu Kaemon willed himself to come up with a solution.

His family were in the room next to him, waiting for him to explain everything. Yukiko was very concerned since her husband had not spoken to her at all after he dealt with the men. That, of course, was far from a good sign.

She looked to her daughters who were sat to her right. Jaki kept wringing her hands in her lap and Yiyun was whispering things to her. Heavily exaggerated scenarios most probably. Those two had their heads in the clouds, their imaginations always ahead of them. Whatever Yiyun was telling Jaki, it only added fuel to her older sister's fear.

"Yiyun!" Yukiko hissed.

Her youngest stilled her lips immediately and stiffened her posture.

"We will wait for your father's instructions. I would appreciate it if you two keep cool until then." Inside, she was a mess of emotions, but it would do no good for her children to see her so shaken.

It was not long before the head of the house came out of the prayer room, face dark and mouth in a grim line. He knelt before his wife and his two daughters and carefully explained the situation to them. Who those men were, what they came for, and how he denied them what they wanted.

Yukiko expected this. The feeling she got when she heard of those men coming to visit her husband in the night was the same spine-chilling anticipation she felt when this happened to the couple all those years ago back in Edo.

The children, however, were already older now and discerning enough to be overwhelmed by this looming danger. Though angered that their family was being threatened by rebel scum, Jaki and Yiyun still had that unmistakable look in their eyes. They were scared.

And so, Liu Kaemon proceeded to the details of his plan...

- - -

Kaemon set off before dawn broke. He took with him ten men and six carts of explosives, the large Imperial order included. These were to be kept safe in a warehouse of Bae Daido's in Osaka. If everything went smoothly on their excursion, he would be back by noon the next day. Kaemon prayed that those vile men would not strike tonight, while he was away. It would be too soon for them, he thought.

Not leaving that to chance, he tasked six of his workmen who claimed being decent at fencing to guard the property. Yiyun also left that morning to fetch Donghae from the city. After the situation was explained to Donghae, he had to request to be temporarily relieved from his patrol duties to oversee the security of his family's grounds. Leeteuk, being the reasonable commander that he was, allowed this and even offered the added protection of five Shinsengumi men. Donghae declined though, knowing there was a more certain threat to Kyoto's rice merchants that very day. That responsibility meant a unit of ten men guarding every shop and warehouse. There were about two dozen of these rice traders scattered around the city and the Shinsengumi needed to be in full-force. Donghae did not want to jeopardize the important mission that was entrusted to them. They were hardly getting any respect as policemen in the city as it was so this was a perfect opportunity to prove their worth.

After a quick lunch at a humble Kyoto eatery, the siblings returned home together. Their mother and Jaki had already set up traps throughout their compound so all that was left to do was load the signal cannons with red flares. Donghae and Commander Leeteuk came to an agreement that if the bandits came, Donghae would blow up the skies and make it bleed. Backup would come then.

Donghae hoped it did not have to come to that.

- - -

That night it was mostly quiet and cool, typical of the fall season. All you could hear were the creatures of the night: crickets and crows, chirping and cawing. Unsettling, it all was. What would have been a calm, peaceful night was now tainted with a doom that may or may not come for them.

When the lookout raced back inside the compound, pale faced and stuttering, their darkest fears were confirmed.

Terror. That was what was threatening to knock down their heavily barricaded gates. If Yiyun was scared before, now, it felt as if she could throw up her heart. She trembled despite herself. This was real danger.

The laborers who agreed to help guard the grounds formed a line in front of the entrance, ready to meet the enemy charge head-on. Before Donghae went to join them, he took his two sisters aside. His face was dark and serious and he had a firm hand on each one's shoulder. "Look, I don't know what's going to happen tonight but I need you two to be smart. Get mother to the safehouse and light the flares right after."

Donghae turned to Yiyun. "Get your sword. I'm going to need your help, Yiyun-chan." He kissed each of them on the forehead before sending them off.

As the girls fetched their mother, the wooden barricade at the gates gave and cracked in half, the sound of it groaning all over. Malicious yells of triumph spilled in along with masked men and shirtless brutes, all fashioned with some sort of weapon.

Donghae was certain of it as he fell in line with the rest of his father's men. He drew his sword and steeled himself. He was absolutely certain of it: no one was going to dare harm his family.

Not over his dead body.

- - -

Jaki's traps and the bombs and whistles set off to act as misdirection worked well at the start. The sisters were able to take down seven men together while they made their way for the launching area where the flares were installed. Yiyun covered Jaki from attacks as the older of the two lit all four of the flares, one at each corner of the launch site. Temporary relief coursed through them as the sky above glowed red. Yiyun prayed that the Shinsengumi would be swift in their coming.

What they didn't expect through all the chaos was for another wave of attackers to come. Her heart shrank u