I'm Living Too

Kenshin's POV

He's not getting up, I thought. I lowered my sword, but didn't put it back in its sheath. I looked at the cut in my hand. It's not deep. I'll just clean it up at the dojo.

I was about to go with Yahiko, who had already left to find the others when I heard a choked sound behind me. I turned around with my sword ready. However, the two men were just looking at their fallen leader. I looked into their eyes and did a double-take. They both had a strange look in their eyes. The thing is, it was somehow familiar. Suddenly, they turned around and ran towards the mansion. I stood there for a moment, trying to figure out where he knew that look from, then ran after them.

I got to the mansion just as the police started to retreat and Yahiko and the others arrived. I heard Kaoru's, no, Kaoru-dono's voice as if from far away, but I wasn't paying attention to her. I was looking at Raijouta's men. They all had that look in their eyes. Where have I seen that look before? It took me a moment to realize. Wait a second…They wouldn't…

However, my suspicions were confirmed when the two men from the forest got to their knees and raised their swords above their heads, aiming at their chest. The others looked ready to follow. I heard Kaoru-dono gasp as she realized what they were going to do. I rushed forward just in time to knock the swords of the four men who were closer to me. The others dropped theirs in surprise and cowered in fear.

Rage filled me to the point where I could barely think straight. I could feel the Battousai inside of me seething with anger. Suddenly, I felt the urge to pass my sword straight through the heart of the man in front of me. The rurouni wasn't too far away, but I managed to control the urge to kill and quickly put my sword back in its sheath. All of this took place in about a second, while I glared at the men in front of me. I could feel myself shaking with anger. "How dare you…" I managed.

I was about to say something else when one of the men stepped in front of me. I had his sword at my feet. "P-please, l-let us d-die." He choked out. He took a deep breath. "W-what's the point? B-better to die as a wa-"

I didn't let him finish. In anger, I punched him. I could feel his jaw breaking. Now, my hand was shaking even more violently than the rest of my body. The police and my friends were watching the scene as if paralyzed. I heard a growl and it took me a moment to realize it had come from my mouth. I wanted to yell at him and the rest until they were deaf, but only managed a low, supposedly calm voice. Somehow, I think that scared them more than if I had yelled.

"You're just a bunch of cowards. You can die any day. It's living that takes true courage. Only living can you repent for what you did. Do you think that if you kill yourself the woman you left widow will see her husband coming home from work? Do you think that the boy you left without a father will be able to play with his dad?" Kaoru was shaking beside me. As I saw one of them trying to talk, I talked louder, to drown his voice. "I'm living too, and let me remind you that as Battousai the Manslayer I've slain more men than all of you together. I've done it for ten years as a wanderer." I paused and took a deep breath to control my anger. "Now, get up and go with the police, and when you finish your sentence in jail, do something good with your life. You can still have a future." Unlike me, I added in my head.

They all looked relieved for a moment until something occurred to me and I felt my voice turn hard again. "One more thing: a Manslayer never forgets a face." I walked towards a lantern and in one second, slashed it and cut it in half. "Look very closely at this sword, because if you ever hurt anybody again, it will be the last thing you see as it goes for your neck." With that I left. I hope there's some laundry to do, I thought.