It was a calm morning as usual this time of year. It was spring. People of Meiji era were living their peaceful lives with the usual slow speed. They were enjoying their lives in the new Japan. In the Japan where war was there no more. One young man with long red hair and simple clothes was sitting by the bridge watching the river passing by peacefully. Kenshin was always there when he needed to calm down. He was just gazing at the river sometimes subconsciously caressing his katana sword that was hanging from his girdle. It was a memory of his past. His past was full with blood and death but he didn't want to remember it. But still there should be something to remind him of this past. This sword was special. It was his Reverse-blade sword. The ex-killer Battousai had sworn not to kill ever again so his sword couldn't cut from the outside part of the blade. It was the sword to protect his loved ones. The sword to repay all the countless lives he had taken. Although some of the elder ones recognized him from his hair and the cross-shaped scar on his cheek, he was different now! He wasn't Battousai the Manslayer anymore. He was just Himura Kenshin, another wanderer. He was smiling leaving the cool breeze caressing his hair when…

Something made him narrow his eyes. A strange feeling… He immediately, as if he had seen it coming, he used his god-like speed and ran away just in time before a strange glowing seal close around the entire area.

"What the…?"

Everything around seemed being red…or purple…or something similar! The river had stopped flowing! The leaves weren't moving! He couldn't feel the air anymore! Everything seemed to be frozen!

"No…way!"

He started to run. He seemed to be the only one to be moving! Then…he heard a noise and an enormous monster-like creature started destroying everything! Trees, rocks even the bridge! He was ready to draw out his sword when…a flash of metal appeared and the creature started to scream with a deep cut from which instead of blood was coming out a blue fire. He remained there in shock. He had never seen such thing before! Moreover more questions were spinning in his head. What was that? Why was it "bleeding" blue fire? Finally who had hit it? The last question was immediately answered. He saw the warm color of fire and sparks flying around as if in a forest fire…and he saw her. A little girl around fourteen with long hair in the color of flames and eyes in the crimson color of fire! She was dressed in strange black clothes with a long, black trench coat and she was carrying a long katana sword. Around her neck with a thin chain was dancing a strange but yet beautiful pendant.

"Who is…she…?"

"Mission accomplished, Alastor" she said.

"Yes…" a deep voice replied.

It took him some time to realize it was the pendant!

"No way! There is no way the pendant can talk, that there isn't!"

He saw the sword in the girl's hand.

"A katana!"

The girl turned around and saw him. She gasped.

"Is he a Mystes?"

"I can't feel such thing coming from inside him!"

"There is no other way he could walk in the Seal! Unless…Unless he's a Denizen too!"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes and took a step closer with his hand to his sword, prepared for anything!

"Miss…" he said, "I really don't know anything about you, that I don't…but answer me! Why are you doing this?"

She glared at him and then looked at her pendant.

"Shall I finish him off, Alastor?"

"Hmm…maybe he's dangerous! Be careful!"

The girl positioned herself. Kenshin didn't move at all! Suddenly the girl let out a loud battle cry and rushed towards him.

"I'll finish this in one blow!" she yelled and stroke.

The cold clanging of metal against metal echoed. She gasped caught off guard. Kenshin had stopped her attack with his blade just above his head.

"What a speed! He drew out a sword and stopped the attack in just a couple of seconds!"

The girl quickly withdrew and jumped back. Kenshin positioned himself too.

"An interesting battle Alastor!" the girl smirked.

Kenshin narrowed his violet eyes.

"Who are you?"

"Hmm…it appears we have to do with a skillful swordsman. We better introduce ourselves"

"I'm master of Nietono no Shana! I'm Flame Haze of Alastor Flame of Heavens! I am the Flaming Hair Blazing Eyes Hunter, Shana!"

Kenshin smirked a little. He decided to introduce himself in a similar way.

"I am master of Reverse-blade sword! Swordsman of Meiji era, ex-Battousai the Manslayer, Himura Kenshin!"

"Manslayer he said? You must be really careful! He used to be a killer! He may be able to read your moves!"

"Well…let's see if he can foresee this!"

She rushed towards him faster! Kenshin stopped her blow again. She attacked again and he…got lost from there to appear some meters farther.

"He's fast!"

"Behind you!"

She stopped his attack just in time and jumped back.

"What's this…? He's so fast…that I can barely see it coming…"

"This god-like speed must explain why the Seal didn't affect him!"

Kenshin was also waiting for her next attack, reading her every move in his mind.

"Then…I'll have to strike him in full force!"

She rushed towards him. Her katana then caught fire! Kenshin eyes widen for a second but then he fought back! Their swords crossed with a loud clang. They glared at each other.

"What a power!" she thought

"What a temperature!" he thought!

Their swords parted again. Two fire wings came out of her back and she flied with her burning sword ready to strike again! Kenshin leaped in the sky to meet her and their swords crossed again. Shana was flying and Kenshin was running on the roofs. They jumped to the ground and the battle went on…blades clanging, battle cries echoing, hits being stopped or achieved. After a little they were both panting heavily still holding their swords.

"He's not giving up?"

Shana was still panting.

"This man…has a power I never thought…I would see in a simple human…"

She tightened her grip on her sword. He did the same in an instant.

"That's enough! Stop it!"

Both of them stopped.

"It is obvious he's a mighty opponent…there is no need someone to get hurt!"

Kenshin put his sword back in the sheath saying

"He is right, that he is…"

Shana pulled her coat a little and…put the sword in it! Kenshin's eyes widened.

"Cool one!"

"The hidden Treasure Yogasa. One of its abilities is to give its bearer a first line of defense, as it is able to deflect incoming attacks. It also gives the bearer the capability to store an indefinite number of items of any shape and size inside"

She looked at him and then looked around.

"Now let's see…"

She raised her finger and a strong light started to cover everything.

"What are you doing, that you do?"

"I must fix the neighborhood…"

Rocks and trees along with houses were returning back to normal till it looked like before! Like nothing happened!

"I'm done!"

The strange red light disappeared. Shana now had long black hair and the fire had gone! Kenshin looked at her.

"Miss Shana…I know I have no idea what happened here that I don't…please explain me!"

She looked at him.

"What you saw was my fight with a Crimson World's Denizen. I am a Flame Haze. My job is to hunt those guys down and destroy them"

"I see, that I do"

He turned to the pendant.

"And you are…"

"I'm not human. I'm one of the Crimson Lords. The Flame of Heavens, Alastor"

"Ah!"

They walked together till the bridge.

"I don't know how I came in this era. I guess it was that time vortex that called me here."

He nodded.

"So…miss Shana…Shana…"

She smiled.

"I don't have a surname. I don't even have a name"

He shot her a questionable look.

"A friend of mine…Yuji Sakai gave me that name because of my sword, Nietono no Shana."

Kenshin smiled.

"I see…then we're not that different, that we are not"

Now it was Shana's turn to look at him raising a brow.

"You and I had similar lives, that we did. I used to be a Manslayer during Revolution…I've slain many men that I did! When Revolution ended I made a vow not to kill ever again. That's why I use my Reverse-blade sword. And also…this is not my real name!"

He smiled.

"My true name is Shinta. Himura Shinta. My Master thought that it wasn't a name of a swordsman. That's why he gave me the name Kenshin, that he did!"

"I see…"

The sun begun to set and the breeze was now blowing on the strange duo.

"I have to go…" Shana said. "I must return to my era to Misaki City"

He nodded.

"I understand…It was really an honor to duel you Miss Shana, that it was!"

He stretched out a hand.

"Likewise!" they shook hands…

A strange light appeared. Shana nodded to him and started walking towards that light. Kenshin was left behind watching her leaving…

"Yuji…"

"Miss Kaoru…"

~THE END~