Unyielding Wish

~~~

It was the middle of the Bakamastu – Japan's Revolution. The legendary Battousai, shadow assassin of the Imperialists still roamed the streets at night, killing and maiming innocent people.

Yumeko Himemiya, Assistant Master of the Himemiya Dojo, was ready to die.

She had heard stories from her friend Tsuraiuta, whose brother had been slaughtered by the Battousai as an example against the Sekihoutai, those who fought the Imperialists. Battousai's wonton destruction shocked her, also what he deemed "childish antics" of practicing his deadly style that could kill in one hit on innocent bystanders.

He asked for no respect or for people to venerate him, instead seeming sorry over his actions.


" 'To kill,' " Tsuraiuta often quoted him- " 'without reason is the opposite of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu – my sword style. One day, I will lay down my katana and never kill again.' Until Battousai stops killing, I will continue to seek revenge for the life of my brother Jigokumaru!" Yumeko had heard the story thousands of times over, and now paid it no mind.

But still, Tsuraiuta wandered the streets on a frugal diet, not bothering to think of responsibilities to the rest of her family. For vengeance, she said. I am named for a bitter song, and am a bitter girl.

But "bitter song" was not her real name; she had once a beautiful name. Aikon, love soul. She had changed her name to suit her new nature, and it did fit. Yumeko was the only one who still called her Aikon.

"Yumeko!" she bellowed, sliding the dojo door open roughly. "I have a question to ask of you."

Yumeko looked up. "What is it, Aikon?"

Tsuraiuta snorted. "My name is Tsuraiuta now. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something. I'm going to Kyoto. Misao, that weasel girl from the Oniwabanshuu, says that's where Battousai is now, and better yet, that ninja group will go with us!"

"Why are we searching for Battousai, Aikon?" Yumeko asked, playing dumb. Let her have her dreams of revenge, Yumeko told herself. Her pride is the real detriment to her quest.

"To avenge Jigokumaru, of course!" Tsuraiuta glared at Yumeko as if she were an idiot.

"I can't come with you. I have classes to teach." Tsuraiuta waved it off.

"My brother's spirit won't be able to rest until Battousai is killed! Which is more important?! You'd be punished for it in the next life!" Yumeko sighed.

"I'll go. But I won't take my katana, and neither will you. We are not to become killers – we are not like the Battousai."

"You can't expect to fight correctly with a shinai or a bokken," Tsurai reasoned. "I mean, a wooden sword or pole won't help much for me. I'm used to kunai and katana. C'mon, we won't kill anybody!"

This banter continued until Yumeko strode over to a chest and pulled out two sheathes.

"Not a shinai or a bokken, Aikon. Sakabatou! We'll use reverse-blade swords!"

"Sa…ka…batou…" Tsuraiuta glared. "Reversing the blade makes it useless!"

"No," Yumeko argued. "We have a safeguard, see. We don't have to kill until we face Battousai and whatever terrible henchmen he has behind him. By flipping the blade over, like so, the sword becomes a katana, only a little different. We can do this without killing anybody other than Battousai!"

Tsuraiuta nodded her head. "Fine, but I'm still taking kunai. Other than that, we won't need anything, except perhaps some money. And a sack each for water canteens…" Yumeko stared at her.

"You're really serious, aren't you?"

"Make me a promise now, Yumeko. Promise me…that if I die, you'll kill Battousai, okay?"

"Watashi no zettai yakusoku desu da," she promised. (Translation: That is my absolute promise. I think. My Japanese sucks. Correct me if I'm wrong, somebody.)

"Thank you," Tsuraiuta whispered. "I don't want to sing bitter songs anymore. After this is over, I'll be Aikon again."

And so they began.

~~~

Even if the two of us are ever separated, I swear that I will change the world!

~~~

"That's what makes it so hard to hunt him down!" Tsuraiuta roared, unleashing her anger on the landscape. "And this stupid yukata shirt is almost threadbare!"

"Wear more durable clothes next time," Yumeko remarked automatically. "Be glad we're not still at that congested old farming town, with that police officer breathing down our necks."

"Mibu's Wolf," Tsurai giggled. "That's what the boys at the dojo called him, right?"

"Yeah. He did give what can only be described as a glut of food to the poorer kids, though."

"I'm tired of traveling incognito," Tsuraiuta said abruptly. "It's rough sleeping on the ground all night!"

"First you drag me along, then you complain," Yumeko yelped. "It's not enough for us to deal with this, is it?! Just shut up about your worries! You're the one who wanted to do this in the first place!" so saying, she tossed a punch at her friend.

The oblique blow didn't even hit Tsuraiuta as she veered off course from it.

"I-I'm sorry…" Yumeko said quietly.

"It's okay. I'll live." Tsuraiuta ran off. "Betcha can't catch me!!!"

"Bet I can!"

In the darkness, a pair of glowing golden eyes followed the two girls. So they are to be my opponents...the "avowed enemies of Battousai. The red-haired man jumped down from his spot on the tree, gingerly because of battle wounds.

"Well, these injures that this unworthy one has minimizes their chance of dying," he mused aloud. "But I think Hiko-sensei would be angry if a pair of teenage girls younger than Kaoru-dono beat me. Maa, maa, I'm hemmed in either way…"

~~~

A tall man stood there, his spiky black hair making him appear to be a tall rooster-man.

"For the last time! You need to help Saitou! He can't control Battousai by himself!" an officer pleaded.

"Oh, really?" the man smirked. "I don't need to. Besides which, my inability to use a sword invalidates my right to fight."

"Sanosuke! Sanosuke!" a tiny teenage girl ran up to the fist fighter, hitching up her kimono to her knees.

"Oi, jou-chan! What're you doing here?" Sanosuke dropped the fishbone clenched between his teeth.

"Shut up. Kenshin just said that some girls want to kill him."

"I doubt a couple of girls could hurt him, much less kill him, jou-chan."

"Sagara Sanosuke!" she roared. "You listen to me RIGHT NOW!!!! He's wounded, you dolt, and can only fight with his left hand – meaning he can't use any of the special attacks!"

"Karu-dono!" Battousai ambled up to the screaming girl, a smile on his bright face, his golden eyes shifting to purple. "What's wrong? Did Sano forget to pay his bill again?"

"No. I mad at him because...Kenshin...he's not concerned about the fight between you and Mibu no Oukami – that Saitou jerk, much less those two girls."

"Kaoru-dono, I could care less what Sano thinks about my fights. Saitou – or Mibu's Wolf, as you call him, will not attack me today," Kenshin said coldly, his eyes reverting to gold, signaling his rising anger. "And those girls are no trouble. They carry sakabatou, and I know how to deal with those." So saying, he strode off.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Cocky jerk. That'll get him killed, ne, Sanosuke?"

"Sagara-san," a pretty young girl said timidly. "Miss Tae says you haven't paid your bill yet." Tae was the town's enterprising chef.

"I'll deal with that later." Sano ran off. "Oi, jou-chan! Pay my tab for me!"

"Freeloader."

~~~

Yumeko and Tsuraiuta stood in front of Battousai, their blades drawn and flipped over.

"It's not my style to beat up girls, and Kaoru-dono would get mad if I killed you, so I think I'll just ruin your swords." He mused aloud.

"Don't do us any favors," Tsuraiuta said coldly. "Fight to the best of your ability, Battousai. Show us what Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu can really do."

"I shall, then." Kenshin crouched into a fighting stance, then bounced and took to the air, slamming his sword blade into the dirt next to Tsuraiuta.

"Next time I won't miss. Block it, Tsuraiuta-dono," he warned.

And so the battle began.

~~~

It is unknown whether or not Tsuraiuta survived her fight with the terrifying shadow assassin…the Hitokiri Battousai...

What is known is that Yumeko returned to Edo, her town of birth, alone. She carried a broken reverse-blade sword with her.

All she would say about the ordeal was that Battousai was dead. What she didn't say was that Kenshin Himura, the true identity of Battousai, had lain down his katana forever, and carried with him only a sakabatou, having sworn to never kill again.

He has faded into history, as simply the lost killer of the Bakamatsu.

As for Kaoru and the others he called his friends, as well as Yumekon…they buried their lives forever with Battousai's "death", and always sang bitter songs.

All for the unyielding wish of one bitter girl.

~~~

Okay, I wrote this for school a week ago. I was bored. It was for a language thing; we had to use vocab words...augh...I know this really sucks, but you'll live.