Chapter 1: A New Battousai.
Days go well, and days go wrong. It was all the same for the Battousai. He killed people and went on about his life, not caring for others. Noticing that he, one day, had become a world-famous Man-Slayer, with money on his head, brought great joy to him.
"Finally," said Battousai to himself one day of seeing a wanted poster of himself. "maybe I'll get some more challenge this way." he spoke to himself again.
It was a quiet morning in the village of Tokyo, and everyone was sleeping. Battousai had perched on top of a rather high rafter of a burnt down dojo. He watched and waited for the streets to become full of people once again, having been there all night.
He sighed to himself, believing that he would face no challenges in his life. The same people who were now just waking from their beds were to only ones to actually face him.
The hustle of the streets brought Battousai back to the earth. The people walked about their own business carelessly, "Almost too boring to watch." Battousai thought to himself, looking from person to person from his lofty position. "It seems as though their boring lives will get an abrupt awakening, from Shou-ryu Battousai, the Man-Slayer."
Just then, he saw someone, fifty feet away, looking up at him. Knowing that he could not be located by anyone, he jumped down quickly, speeding out of sight. He ran behind an old dojo, one still in good condition, but with no occupants. He ran inside and waited, hoping that the follower would come into the dojo with some skill.
He held his breath, hearing slow footfalls from outside. They faltered for a moment, then began up the steps leading up to the door. Battousai held his breath for longer, and waited patiently some more. "Only a bit farther..." he said as he waited. "Then I will see if you are good enough to challenge the Battousai." Thought Battousai.
The footfalls entered the dojo, a man coughing a little as he entered the dusty dojo. The man had black, graying hair, a small beard, and wore a kimono with strange markings on the back.
"I know you're in here, Battousai..." Called the man in a quiet yet strong voice. "Show yourself to me."
Battousai, seeing an early morning excercise to this, called out from his position, careful to conceal his location. "Who are you, and why have you followed me here?" Battousai called. "Are you looking for a fight?"
The man scoffed at his words. "Are you really hiding from me? Yes, I have come here for a fight." said he.
Battousai stepped out, revealing himself to be a tall, skinny man in his mid twenties, with long black hair that fell casually over his face and onto his shoulders, and bloodred eyes. He was wearing a long black cloak that concealed what he was wearing, but two swords were strapped to his back, and at his waist, two more sword hilts protruded from the cloth.
"Well then, I might as well tell you who I am, then. I am Shou-ryu Battousai, the Man-Slayer. I am a master at many a fighting technique. And who are you?" he asked the man, who was sneering.
"My name is Yuigi Miramoto, I have come from the village of Osaka, and I am the only Battousai," he responded, "and I have taken this opportunity to not only kill you, but get money as well." he drew a steel tanto blade that was disguised as a walking stick. "Fight me now, and I shall kill you quicker." he said. "Now, DRAW YOUR WEAPON!!" he commanded, and without any warning, he charged at Battousai.
Battousai laughed at such a foolish attempt of attack. He easily side-stepped the attack and elbowed the man in the back of the head. He would toy with him a little before killing him.
"Over here!" Battousai said calmly as he dodged and parried the attack.
The man fell off-balance and was struck hard, making him fall even more off-balance. "Is that the best you've got, Battousai?" He said, guffawing a little and wiping a small amount of blood off his upper lip.
"No, and I say that you shouldn't wish to see the best I've got, as if I were trying, you would've been dead on the floor before you knew I had moved." said Battousai, clearly enjoying the experience of fighting such a foolish man. "Now, would you like to attack again, or would you like to walk away shamed?" he inquired.
The man lifted his sword again and charged. Battousai easily evaded the attack, this time side-stepping and grabbing the blade with his right hand, flipping it over the man's head and taking hold of it by the blade with his left hand. He bashed Yuigi over the head with the hilt of it, then threw the tanto over his shoulder.
"Now do you see that I am more than just a man?" Battousai inquired again,wiping his own blood off of his palm.
The man looked startled at how quickly Battousai moved, and regarded his options. He stared into Battousai's red eyes for a second before drawing a second steel tanto. "Die, Battousai!!" Yuigi screamed as he hurtled himself toward Battousai once more.
Battousai, shaking his head, side-stepped quickly to the left, and said, "I shall end this now." very calmly.
He grabbed the man by the back of his head with his left hand, and tightened his grip. He smashed the man into the floor and lifted him up again, threw him into the air, caught him with his right hand and threw him into the wall.
Batousai picked up the man's tanto and held it to his throat. In one quick fluid movement, Battousai swiped the blade along Yuigi's throat, nicking the air passage.
"I shall let you suffer for a minute before ending your life. You shall see that I am the only Man-Slayer worthy of the title Battousai. Now you will die." and with those words, Battousai ended the man's life in a single flash of steel.
He walked from the dojo, dropping the bloody tanto in the doorway, his red eyes cold and pitiless. He left the village in complete silence, not speaking to himself or anyone. He moved north of town, and headed toward a remote valley where he sometimes slept the nights. He sat down at a small pond, watching the koi in the water float leisurely across the rippling pond.
He sat there in deep thought, wondering whether he would ever face a worthy opponent. He stayed in this train of thought until a noise startled him and he looked up.
He was looking at another man, at least seven feet tall, with narrowed steely blue eyes. He brushed a small twig out of his short brown hair and looked at Battousai, an evil grin on his face.
The man ran a thick hand over a stubbly, rugged beard and still kept his eyes on Battousai.
"I saw you murder that man, in Tokyo." said the man in a gruff voice. "I know who you are." he said again, his malicious grin growing.
Battousai stood up, more than a foot shorter than the huge man. "And if I did..." Battousai replied clamly to the man. "What would you do about it?" he inquired.
The hulking man looked down at him and growled, "That was my target, Boy. I am the only real Battousai." said he, looking into Battousai's fearless red eyes. "And you now must pay." he growled again.
In one swift movement, Battousai lifted the man off his feet and threw him into the pond, causing the koi to scatter. "I can and will kill you, old man. I am Shou-Ryu Battousai the Man-Slayer, and I have killed many, many more than you. Your life means nothing to me, and I will prove it if you'd like." said Battousai, his eyes narrowed and still looking at the man. "I am becoming much too sick of weaklings such as yourself coming across my path, trying foolishly to defeat me." he said again in a calm voice.
"Now if you'd like to leave me be, I will let you go free. If not, I will kill you before you can even draw that sword." claimed Battousai, seeing that the man had climbed ashore and was preparing to draw a sword at his waist.
The man, taking heed to Battousai's warning, removed his hand from the sword and walked away slowly. He did not turn until Battousai had looked away and resumed looking across the pond. The man smirked to himself as he knew that Battousai was not looking, and drew his blade. He ran toward Battousai silently, preparing to kill him.
Battousai knew of the attack launched on him, so he was prepared for an initial attack. He leapt into the air gracefully, backflipping the man and evading his blade by several yards. He landed about five yards from the man, looking at him with his hardened eyes.
"Did I not just warn you of fighting me? Now you shall face the consequences." said Battousai quietly. "I told you to leave me be, and yet you still attack me. Why? I'll tell you why." he said, looking into the man's startled eyes.
"Because you are foolish and high-minded." claimed Battousai before drawing a single sword from his shoulder. With this statement, he flew past the man at half the speed of sound.
He landed several feet away, and laughed to himself, seemingly having not touched the man. Battousai turned to face the man, looking into his eyes. "How was that?" he inquired after the man turned and faced him.
"Pretty good show, Battousai, but you missed me." the man said, guffawing stupidly.
"Oh, did I?" said Battousai before laughing. "You might want to look again." he said.
The man looked down, and at once, his shirt ripped and his chest was cut open. The man looked down unbelievingly at the blood pouring silently down his chest from a diagonal wound, right to left, and upwards, and down his stomach. He stood there staring at the blood until it finally hit him that he was dead.
Battousai snapped his fingers, and the man fell lifeless to the ground.
"Hmmph," said Battousai as he cleaned his blade with a now bloody cloth. "People these days have no respect whatsoever." he said to himself, finishing his cleaning and resheathing his sword. "That's the first time I've actually used my sword to kill someone in a long time, it felt good to get that reused." he said as he lay back on the grass, trying to fall asleep.
Battousai stood and walked away, wandering to a dojo eventually. He examined the perimeter, surveying every inch of it. "This seems to be a good place to stay the night." he said as he walked up the steps to the front door.
He opened the sliding door and walked into the room, it was seemingly deserted. He sat down on a bed next to the door and lay there, thinking for once of what would come in the next day.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Battousai woke the next morning to see a bright sun just outside the window above him, a few rays coming in through the opening. He sat up and rubbed his head, brushing a few long black strands of hair out of his eyes. He looked around cautiously, as if expecting to see someone in the room or hallway. Yet, the dojo was deserted, and Battousai was alone.
"A fine day indeed it is." grumbled Battousai, putting a hand on his stomach, which gave a loud gurgle. "But it seems that even the Battousai needs food sometimes, and I have not eaten since last night." he said to himself.
"Well then, Battousai, you might want to eat something." said a growling voice behind him.
Battousai, startled, turned to see yet another man standing next to where he had slept, looking down upon him with a cold, sinister smile. The man wore a bright red robe, a small sword strapped to his waist.
"How'd you like me to insert some food into your stomach after I cut it in half?" he said, still looking at Battousai.
Battousai merely laughed, his eyes closed and looking toward the floor. "It seems you don't know who I am, now do you? I am Shou-Ryu Battousai the Man-Slayer, and you have angered me. I do not wish to kill weaklings such as yourselves, however it seems that I must always fight." said he, without opening his eyes or looking up.
"Did you just insult me, Battousai?" the man asked, his eyes angered.
"Yes, I did, as a matter of fact." said Battousai, now looking up into the man's blue eyes and standing to face him, only a few inches shorter than him. "And would you like to strike first, or shall I?" Battousai inquired the man, still looking at the man, his eyes cold and hardened.
The man laughed in Battousai's face, still unaware that Battousai had already killed him. The second before Battousai asked whether the man wanted to attack first, he ran over to him, grabbed the man's blade, and stabbed it through the man's stomach. The man continued to laugh until he saw that his blade had blood on it, and his stomach was now pouring out blood. "What...did you do to m-me?" he shouted angerly, yet fearfully.
"I warned you," Battousai said, "to leave me be, and you did not. Now you are dead." and with that, Battousai left the dojo, leaving the man to bleed to death in the room.
He walked back toward Tokyo, thinking about the men who faced him these past few days, and thinking about his future. He sat down on some old stone steps on the outskirts of the village, looking at the ground. He sat there for over an hour before looking up, looking into the streets of Tokyo. There were a few people, walking on their way home, and talking with one another occasionally. Battousai stared at his hands, slightly bloody from the last encounter.
"Is this the way I'm going to live the rest of my life?" he asked himself in his thoughts, "Killing weaklings, none worthy of challenging me in the first place?" he thought again.
Sitting for many more hours, Battousai looked up at the dying sun, wishing that he could have company. He sat there until the sun had fully vanished over the horizon, standing once it was gone, and went out toward Tokyo.
He stealthily slipped through the streets, not making a sound, and arrived at a small food stand. He looked both ways beside him to see whether anyone was around, and grabbed a bunch of rice balls. He took off into the night, running to the backside of a dojo and wolfing down the rice.
He looked in the window of the dojo to see whether anyone was inside, and jumped inside, going through an open window. He looked around once again into the dark dojo, and seeing no one, he lay down near the door to rest again.
* * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Battousai woke very early to a very loud scream. He shot awake and looked around, startled at the noise so early. It seemed as if the dojo was not as empty as he had hoped it was. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and trying not to yawn. He opened his eyes and saw a young girl, not very young, maybe 19 or so, standing there, looking at Battousai, fear coming over her large green eyes.
"W-who are you, and what are you doing at my dojo?" she asked fearfully, but still standing straight and looking Battousai in the eyes.
Battousai gave a small chuckle, but seeing how it was so early in the morning, he felt that it was too early to kill someone. "Miss, if you truly knew who I am, you would be fleeing in terror, away from this place. My name strikes fear into the hearts of the weak, and foolishness into the hearts of the strong." he gave her a strange, misty smile. "but not the strong enough, however." he said, still wearing the smile.
The girl looked him in the face. "Oh, yeah? Then who are you, Mr. Fear-Driver?" she asked angerly.
Battousai laughed. "I am Hiroshi Shou-ryo Battousai, the Man-Slayer. I have come from far Kyoto to this humble dojo. I stayed here the night, just so that I could be rested for more killings in the morning." he said as he hardened his red eyes, making him look more dangerous than he already looked.
The girl quivered at bit at hearing his name. "Battousai? Man- Slayer? The Battousai?" she asked.
Battousai gave a slight shrug and a cold laugh. "Well, saying that I am could give me too much credit. But...I can't deny that." he said, keeping his eyes hardened.
The girl trembled and backed away. "You may leave now." she said meekly, her eyes flicking downward to where his sword hilts protruded from his cloak and at the tops of his shoulders.
Battousai gave another harsh laugh. "I am leaving. I shall leave this place in peace if you wish me to." he said as he turned to walk away.
Then, a loud noise of shattering glass and splintering wood made Battousai stop and turn. He looked to see at least a dozen men where the girl had been standing, who was at the men's feet. Seven of the men had swords drawn and ready, and the other five had them ready at their sides. One of the men picked up the girl and tossed her off to the side casually, aiming her at the wall.
It happened in a split second. Battousai exploited his speed advantages and burst out toward where the girl was headed at full speed. He caught her in the air and set her down on the ground. He then turned to the men, a fire erupting in his red eyes. "Who are you men?" Battousai asked calmly to the men, who were all grinning maliciously at him.
One of them spoke up. "So..the Battousai has a soft side, eh?" he asked, still looking at him.
Battousai scoffed while looking at the ground diagonally. He hardened his eyes as he looked them in the face. "I have no feelings for this woman other than pity. I take pity on her for she had to bear the wrath of you people." he said, a slight smile growing on his face. "But, I do say that if you all wish to be dead on the ground before you can speak, please, feel free to attack." he said, his smile growing larger.
The men all looked at him, then the tallest, who had a sword out, laughed. He continued to laugh until Battousai shot foward, toward the man, and hit him hard with his right hand, in the man's stomach. Battousai kept his hand at the man's stomach until the man screamed in pain, only a quick shreik, and dropped to the ground, hunched over in agony. Battousai flashed his eyes dangerously and looked at the remaining eleven, a smile curling over his lips.
"Anyone else care to fight?" he asked, still looking into the crowd.
One of the men cracked his knuckles and drew a long sword. He looked at three other men, one of which had a chain with a six-inch spike on the end of it, and signaled for them to step foward. The four men all lunged at Battousai at the same time, only to think that this would be difficult for Battousai.
But Battousai laughed at yet another foolish attack, and easily sidestepped one of the chargers, breaking his spine with a single blow to the back of the neck with his hand, flattened in a chop position.
The other two attackers with swords sent the blade straight foward, aimed at Battousai's neck, in a diagonal form so that he could not escape. Battousai worked out a counter measure seconds before the men started charging. Battousai backed up, grabbing the man on the left's face with his left hand, and pulled him toward the other man's sword. As soon as Battousai had heard the blade slice through human skin, he jumped into the air and flipped over the other man's head, landing behind him. Battousai grabbed the man's neck and ploughed him into the ground, hard, with his right hand.. He both felt and heard the man's arm splintering as it was rammed into the ground. He laughed as he picked the man back up.
The fourth man, the one with the chain, sent the bladed length at Battousai's neck, curling and twisting in a deadly spiral. But Battousai was ready. He lifted the man who attacked him earlier, the one with the broken arm, and used him as a shield. He heard the spike slice into the man's chest cavity, dropped him, and hurtled toward the man with the chain. Battousai hit the man, hard, only once in the front of the neck, his right hand flattened and straight like a dagger. He felt when his hand had dug into the man's throat, feeling the warm blood rush out.
Battousai wiped his hand on the man's shirt, smearing it with the man's own blood. The man slumped to the ground and bled slowly. Battousai looked up to the other seven remaining men, only three had swords out and ready. Battousai grinned at them. "Would the rest of you like to attack me now?" he asked quietly, forming an early strategic plan.
Three of the men slowly backed away. Battousai laughed at them as he turned to the remaining four. "How about any of you?" he asked.
All four of the men jumped at Battousai, all coming in different directions. Battousai sidestepped one, then another, then yet another. He grabbed the first man's neck, broke it, and threw him into another attacker, who fell and was impaled by his partner's blade. Battousai then turned to the two second and third attackers, grabbed one of them by the nape of the neck, grabbed the man's blade and rammed him into a column, pinning him three feet above the ground, his sword through his stomach. The man cried out in pain and tried to remove the blade from his stomach.
The last man Battousai had to deal with charged Battousai at full speed, his sword drawn out and to the right. The man swung the blade upwards and diagonally to the left, hoping to cut Battousai's neck. Battousai, however, leaned back, dodging the blade, then grabbed the man's shoulders and flipped over him. Battousai used his own inertia to flip the man back over his back and towards the wall. Battousai then grabbed the man's throat and broke the spine.
He dropped the man onto the floor and looked around. What remained of twelve men was three cowards, running away with their tails between their legs, eight dead men, lying on the ground in assorted positions, and one survivor who fought, his feet dangling three feet above the ground. Battousai broke into cold laughter as he walked over to where the surviving man hung, and pulled the blade out of the man's chest. The man slumped down the column and landed in a bloody heap. Battousai killed the man, his red eyes pityless, and then he threw the blade to the side.
Battousai turned to the girl, who was lying on the ground. When she saw that he turned to her, she jumped up and started to run away. Battousai closed his eyes, and said, "Why do you run? I have just saved you from these men. You should be thanking me." then looking up to see that she had stopped and turned to him, her green eyes shining beautifully.
"You are right, sir. Where have my manners gone? I do thank you for saving me. I guess you really do have a good side to you." she said
Battousai scoffed. "Believe it if you wish," said he, "but I didn't fight those men for you. I only fought them, because it is my duty to destroy all who cross my path."
The girl shook her head. "No, I believe that you really cared for me." she said. "Oh! By the way, My name is Toharu. It's very nice to meet you, Hiroshi." she said, extending a hand to him.
Battousai turned down the handshake. "If you are going to call me anything but Battousai, call me Hiro." he said, as he turned to walk away. Just before he got to the door, he turned to face her. "I believe we will meet again, Miss Toharu." he said, just before he left the dojo.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Battousai walked back into the town of Tokyo, too bored to do anything of interest. He sat near the burnt down dojo he was at earlier, watching everyone that walked by. Only one thing caught his eye, and that was a rather short man, with red hair, and violet eyes. The man also had an "X" shaped scar on his left cheek. He was walking from a market shop, carrying a basket of purchased items. But that was not all the man was carrying. The man was also carrying a sword. It was tied to his left side, about three and a half feet in length, and was dangling carelessly. Battousai noticed that the new government, the Meijii ruling, had outlawed swords to the fullest extent. The man looked at Battousai, aware of his gaze, and threw a quick, warm smile, although one that had a long forgotten cold look to it. The man walked over to Battousai, shifting his bundle of goods to his left side, and looking down at Battousai. "Hello there," said the man warmly. "I don't believe that we have met. You don't look familiar, please, tell me who you are. You look like the type to be a good swordsman."
Battousai looked up at the man, his red eyes hardened. He put on a slight smile and closed his eyes. "I am no one. I am nothing." he looked up. "And who are you?" he asked the man.
The man smiled. "My name is Kenshin Himura. I am a wanderer from a nearby village, that I am." he said.
Battousai laughed. "Never heard of you." he said in a stony voice. "Well, I must be going..." he said as he stood up and looked away.
The man, Kenshin, looked at Battousai's swords. He seemed interested by them. "Are you a Man-Slayer?" he asked.
Battousai nodded. "I am Shou-ryu Battousai the Man-Slayer." he said, hardening his eyes once more, trying to make Kenshin fear. But Kenshin merely smiled weakly.
"And why are you a Man-Slayer?" he asked in a completely calm voice.
Battousai stared for a second, then he changed the subject. "You seem like you are hiding something from me." he said, looking Kenshin in the eyes.
Kenshin gave a strange smile. "I know that you are a Man-Slayer. Shou-Ryu the Man-Slayer. But, I also know that you are not the Battousai." he said, looking back into Battousai's eyes.
Battousai was startled, but he thought of what to say next quickly. "And how do you know this, Himura?" he asked calmly.
Kenshin's strange smile grew. "I know that you are not the Battousai, because I was the Battousai. Hitokiri Battousai to be exact. It is not something I am proud of, however."
Days go well, and days go wrong. It was all the same for the Battousai. He killed people and went on about his life, not caring for others. Noticing that he, one day, had become a world-famous Man-Slayer, with money on his head, brought great joy to him.
"Finally," said Battousai to himself one day of seeing a wanted poster of himself. "maybe I'll get some more challenge this way." he spoke to himself again.
It was a quiet morning in the village of Tokyo, and everyone was sleeping. Battousai had perched on top of a rather high rafter of a burnt down dojo. He watched and waited for the streets to become full of people once again, having been there all night.
He sighed to himself, believing that he would face no challenges in his life. The same people who were now just waking from their beds were to only ones to actually face him.
The hustle of the streets brought Battousai back to the earth. The people walked about their own business carelessly, "Almost too boring to watch." Battousai thought to himself, looking from person to person from his lofty position. "It seems as though their boring lives will get an abrupt awakening, from Shou-ryu Battousai, the Man-Slayer."
Just then, he saw someone, fifty feet away, looking up at him. Knowing that he could not be located by anyone, he jumped down quickly, speeding out of sight. He ran behind an old dojo, one still in good condition, but with no occupants. He ran inside and waited, hoping that the follower would come into the dojo with some skill.
He held his breath, hearing slow footfalls from outside. They faltered for a moment, then began up the steps leading up to the door. Battousai held his breath for longer, and waited patiently some more. "Only a bit farther..." he said as he waited. "Then I will see if you are good enough to challenge the Battousai." Thought Battousai.
The footfalls entered the dojo, a man coughing a little as he entered the dusty dojo. The man had black, graying hair, a small beard, and wore a kimono with strange markings on the back.
"I know you're in here, Battousai..." Called the man in a quiet yet strong voice. "Show yourself to me."
Battousai, seeing an early morning excercise to this, called out from his position, careful to conceal his location. "Who are you, and why have you followed me here?" Battousai called. "Are you looking for a fight?"
The man scoffed at his words. "Are you really hiding from me? Yes, I have come here for a fight." said he.
Battousai stepped out, revealing himself to be a tall, skinny man in his mid twenties, with long black hair that fell casually over his face and onto his shoulders, and bloodred eyes. He was wearing a long black cloak that concealed what he was wearing, but two swords were strapped to his back, and at his waist, two more sword hilts protruded from the cloth.
"Well then, I might as well tell you who I am, then. I am Shou-ryu Battousai, the Man-Slayer. I am a master at many a fighting technique. And who are you?" he asked the man, who was sneering.
"My name is Yuigi Miramoto, I have come from the village of Osaka, and I am the only Battousai," he responded, "and I have taken this opportunity to not only kill you, but get money as well." he drew a steel tanto blade that was disguised as a walking stick. "Fight me now, and I shall kill you quicker." he said. "Now, DRAW YOUR WEAPON!!" he commanded, and without any warning, he charged at Battousai.
Battousai laughed at such a foolish attempt of attack. He easily side-stepped the attack and elbowed the man in the back of the head. He would toy with him a little before killing him.
"Over here!" Battousai said calmly as he dodged and parried the attack.
The man fell off-balance and was struck hard, making him fall even more off-balance. "Is that the best you've got, Battousai?" He said, guffawing a little and wiping a small amount of blood off his upper lip.
"No, and I say that you shouldn't wish to see the best I've got, as if I were trying, you would've been dead on the floor before you knew I had moved." said Battousai, clearly enjoying the experience of fighting such a foolish man. "Now, would you like to attack again, or would you like to walk away shamed?" he inquired.
The man lifted his sword again and charged. Battousai easily evaded the attack, this time side-stepping and grabbing the blade with his right hand, flipping it over the man's head and taking hold of it by the blade with his left hand. He bashed Yuigi over the head with the hilt of it, then threw the tanto over his shoulder.
"Now do you see that I am more than just a man?" Battousai inquired again,wiping his own blood off of his palm.
The man looked startled at how quickly Battousai moved, and regarded his options. He stared into Battousai's red eyes for a second before drawing a second steel tanto. "Die, Battousai!!" Yuigi screamed as he hurtled himself toward Battousai once more.
Battousai, shaking his head, side-stepped quickly to the left, and said, "I shall end this now." very calmly.
He grabbed the man by the back of his head with his left hand, and tightened his grip. He smashed the man into the floor and lifted him up again, threw him into the air, caught him with his right hand and threw him into the wall.
Batousai picked up the man's tanto and held it to his throat. In one quick fluid movement, Battousai swiped the blade along Yuigi's throat, nicking the air passage.
"I shall let you suffer for a minute before ending your life. You shall see that I am the only Man-Slayer worthy of the title Battousai. Now you will die." and with those words, Battousai ended the man's life in a single flash of steel.
He walked from the dojo, dropping the bloody tanto in the doorway, his red eyes cold and pitiless. He left the village in complete silence, not speaking to himself or anyone. He moved north of town, and headed toward a remote valley where he sometimes slept the nights. He sat down at a small pond, watching the koi in the water float leisurely across the rippling pond.
He sat there in deep thought, wondering whether he would ever face a worthy opponent. He stayed in this train of thought until a noise startled him and he looked up.
He was looking at another man, at least seven feet tall, with narrowed steely blue eyes. He brushed a small twig out of his short brown hair and looked at Battousai, an evil grin on his face.
The man ran a thick hand over a stubbly, rugged beard and still kept his eyes on Battousai.
"I saw you murder that man, in Tokyo." said the man in a gruff voice. "I know who you are." he said again, his malicious grin growing.
Battousai stood up, more than a foot shorter than the huge man. "And if I did..." Battousai replied clamly to the man. "What would you do about it?" he inquired.
The hulking man looked down at him and growled, "That was my target, Boy. I am the only real Battousai." said he, looking into Battousai's fearless red eyes. "And you now must pay." he growled again.
In one swift movement, Battousai lifted the man off his feet and threw him into the pond, causing the koi to scatter. "I can and will kill you, old man. I am Shou-Ryu Battousai the Man-Slayer, and I have killed many, many more than you. Your life means nothing to me, and I will prove it if you'd like." said Battousai, his eyes narrowed and still looking at the man. "I am becoming much too sick of weaklings such as yourself coming across my path, trying foolishly to defeat me." he said again in a calm voice.
"Now if you'd like to leave me be, I will let you go free. If not, I will kill you before you can even draw that sword." claimed Battousai, seeing that the man had climbed ashore and was preparing to draw a sword at his waist.
The man, taking heed to Battousai's warning, removed his hand from the sword and walked away slowly. He did not turn until Battousai had looked away and resumed looking across the pond. The man smirked to himself as he knew that Battousai was not looking, and drew his blade. He ran toward Battousai silently, preparing to kill him.
Battousai knew of the attack launched on him, so he was prepared for an initial attack. He leapt into the air gracefully, backflipping the man and evading his blade by several yards. He landed about five yards from the man, looking at him with his hardened eyes.
"Did I not just warn you of fighting me? Now you shall face the consequences." said Battousai quietly. "I told you to leave me be, and yet you still attack me. Why? I'll tell you why." he said, looking into the man's startled eyes.
"Because you are foolish and high-minded." claimed Battousai before drawing a single sword from his shoulder. With this statement, he flew past the man at half the speed of sound.
He landed several feet away, and laughed to himself, seemingly having not touched the man. Battousai turned to face the man, looking into his eyes. "How was that?" he inquired after the man turned and faced him.
"Pretty good show, Battousai, but you missed me." the man said, guffawing stupidly.
"Oh, did I?" said Battousai before laughing. "You might want to look again." he said.
The man looked down, and at once, his shirt ripped and his chest was cut open. The man looked down unbelievingly at the blood pouring silently down his chest from a diagonal wound, right to left, and upwards, and down his stomach. He stood there staring at the blood until it finally hit him that he was dead.
Battousai snapped his fingers, and the man fell lifeless to the ground.
"Hmmph," said Battousai as he cleaned his blade with a now bloody cloth. "People these days have no respect whatsoever." he said to himself, finishing his cleaning and resheathing his sword. "That's the first time I've actually used my sword to kill someone in a long time, it felt good to get that reused." he said as he lay back on the grass, trying to fall asleep.
Battousai stood and walked away, wandering to a dojo eventually. He examined the perimeter, surveying every inch of it. "This seems to be a good place to stay the night." he said as he walked up the steps to the front door.
He opened the sliding door and walked into the room, it was seemingly deserted. He sat down on a bed next to the door and lay there, thinking for once of what would come in the next day.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Battousai woke the next morning to see a bright sun just outside the window above him, a few rays coming in through the opening. He sat up and rubbed his head, brushing a few long black strands of hair out of his eyes. He looked around cautiously, as if expecting to see someone in the room or hallway. Yet, the dojo was deserted, and Battousai was alone.
"A fine day indeed it is." grumbled Battousai, putting a hand on his stomach, which gave a loud gurgle. "But it seems that even the Battousai needs food sometimes, and I have not eaten since last night." he said to himself.
"Well then, Battousai, you might want to eat something." said a growling voice behind him.
Battousai, startled, turned to see yet another man standing next to where he had slept, looking down upon him with a cold, sinister smile. The man wore a bright red robe, a small sword strapped to his waist.
"How'd you like me to insert some food into your stomach after I cut it in half?" he said, still looking at Battousai.
Battousai merely laughed, his eyes closed and looking toward the floor. "It seems you don't know who I am, now do you? I am Shou-Ryu Battousai the Man-Slayer, and you have angered me. I do not wish to kill weaklings such as yourselves, however it seems that I must always fight." said he, without opening his eyes or looking up.
"Did you just insult me, Battousai?" the man asked, his eyes angered.
"Yes, I did, as a matter of fact." said Battousai, now looking up into the man's blue eyes and standing to face him, only a few inches shorter than him. "And would you like to strike first, or shall I?" Battousai inquired the man, still looking at the man, his eyes cold and hardened.
The man laughed in Battousai's face, still unaware that Battousai had already killed him. The second before Battousai asked whether the man wanted to attack first, he ran over to him, grabbed the man's blade, and stabbed it through the man's stomach. The man continued to laugh until he saw that his blade had blood on it, and his stomach was now pouring out blood. "What...did you do to m-me?" he shouted angerly, yet fearfully.
"I warned you," Battousai said, "to leave me be, and you did not. Now you are dead." and with that, Battousai left the dojo, leaving the man to bleed to death in the room.
He walked back toward Tokyo, thinking about the men who faced him these past few days, and thinking about his future. He sat down on some old stone steps on the outskirts of the village, looking at the ground. He sat there for over an hour before looking up, looking into the streets of Tokyo. There were a few people, walking on their way home, and talking with one another occasionally. Battousai stared at his hands, slightly bloody from the last encounter.
"Is this the way I'm going to live the rest of my life?" he asked himself in his thoughts, "Killing weaklings, none worthy of challenging me in the first place?" he thought again.
Sitting for many more hours, Battousai looked up at the dying sun, wishing that he could have company. He sat there until the sun had fully vanished over the horizon, standing once it was gone, and went out toward Tokyo.
He stealthily slipped through the streets, not making a sound, and arrived at a small food stand. He looked both ways beside him to see whether anyone was around, and grabbed a bunch of rice balls. He took off into the night, running to the backside of a dojo and wolfing down the rice.
He looked in the window of the dojo to see whether anyone was inside, and jumped inside, going through an open window. He looked around once again into the dark dojo, and seeing no one, he lay down near the door to rest again.
* * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Battousai woke very early to a very loud scream. He shot awake and looked around, startled at the noise so early. It seemed as if the dojo was not as empty as he had hoped it was. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and trying not to yawn. He opened his eyes and saw a young girl, not very young, maybe 19 or so, standing there, looking at Battousai, fear coming over her large green eyes.
"W-who are you, and what are you doing at my dojo?" she asked fearfully, but still standing straight and looking Battousai in the eyes.
Battousai gave a small chuckle, but seeing how it was so early in the morning, he felt that it was too early to kill someone. "Miss, if you truly knew who I am, you would be fleeing in terror, away from this place. My name strikes fear into the hearts of the weak, and foolishness into the hearts of the strong." he gave her a strange, misty smile. "but not the strong enough, however." he said, still wearing the smile.
The girl looked him in the face. "Oh, yeah? Then who are you, Mr. Fear-Driver?" she asked angerly.
Battousai laughed. "I am Hiroshi Shou-ryo Battousai, the Man-Slayer. I have come from far Kyoto to this humble dojo. I stayed here the night, just so that I could be rested for more killings in the morning." he said as he hardened his red eyes, making him look more dangerous than he already looked.
The girl quivered at bit at hearing his name. "Battousai? Man- Slayer? The Battousai?" she asked.
Battousai gave a slight shrug and a cold laugh. "Well, saying that I am could give me too much credit. But...I can't deny that." he said, keeping his eyes hardened.
The girl trembled and backed away. "You may leave now." she said meekly, her eyes flicking downward to where his sword hilts protruded from his cloak and at the tops of his shoulders.
Battousai gave another harsh laugh. "I am leaving. I shall leave this place in peace if you wish me to." he said as he turned to walk away.
Then, a loud noise of shattering glass and splintering wood made Battousai stop and turn. He looked to see at least a dozen men where the girl had been standing, who was at the men's feet. Seven of the men had swords drawn and ready, and the other five had them ready at their sides. One of the men picked up the girl and tossed her off to the side casually, aiming her at the wall.
It happened in a split second. Battousai exploited his speed advantages and burst out toward where the girl was headed at full speed. He caught her in the air and set her down on the ground. He then turned to the men, a fire erupting in his red eyes. "Who are you men?" Battousai asked calmly to the men, who were all grinning maliciously at him.
One of them spoke up. "So..the Battousai has a soft side, eh?" he asked, still looking at him.
Battousai scoffed while looking at the ground diagonally. He hardened his eyes as he looked them in the face. "I have no feelings for this woman other than pity. I take pity on her for she had to bear the wrath of you people." he said, a slight smile growing on his face. "But, I do say that if you all wish to be dead on the ground before you can speak, please, feel free to attack." he said, his smile growing larger.
The men all looked at him, then the tallest, who had a sword out, laughed. He continued to laugh until Battousai shot foward, toward the man, and hit him hard with his right hand, in the man's stomach. Battousai kept his hand at the man's stomach until the man screamed in pain, only a quick shreik, and dropped to the ground, hunched over in agony. Battousai flashed his eyes dangerously and looked at the remaining eleven, a smile curling over his lips.
"Anyone else care to fight?" he asked, still looking into the crowd.
One of the men cracked his knuckles and drew a long sword. He looked at three other men, one of which had a chain with a six-inch spike on the end of it, and signaled for them to step foward. The four men all lunged at Battousai at the same time, only to think that this would be difficult for Battousai.
But Battousai laughed at yet another foolish attack, and easily sidestepped one of the chargers, breaking his spine with a single blow to the back of the neck with his hand, flattened in a chop position.
The other two attackers with swords sent the blade straight foward, aimed at Battousai's neck, in a diagonal form so that he could not escape. Battousai worked out a counter measure seconds before the men started charging. Battousai backed up, grabbing the man on the left's face with his left hand, and pulled him toward the other man's sword. As soon as Battousai had heard the blade slice through human skin, he jumped into the air and flipped over the other man's head, landing behind him. Battousai grabbed the man's neck and ploughed him into the ground, hard, with his right hand.. He both felt and heard the man's arm splintering as it was rammed into the ground. He laughed as he picked the man back up.
The fourth man, the one with the chain, sent the bladed length at Battousai's neck, curling and twisting in a deadly spiral. But Battousai was ready. He lifted the man who attacked him earlier, the one with the broken arm, and used him as a shield. He heard the spike slice into the man's chest cavity, dropped him, and hurtled toward the man with the chain. Battousai hit the man, hard, only once in the front of the neck, his right hand flattened and straight like a dagger. He felt when his hand had dug into the man's throat, feeling the warm blood rush out.
Battousai wiped his hand on the man's shirt, smearing it with the man's own blood. The man slumped to the ground and bled slowly. Battousai looked up to the other seven remaining men, only three had swords out and ready. Battousai grinned at them. "Would the rest of you like to attack me now?" he asked quietly, forming an early strategic plan.
Three of the men slowly backed away. Battousai laughed at them as he turned to the remaining four. "How about any of you?" he asked.
All four of the men jumped at Battousai, all coming in different directions. Battousai sidestepped one, then another, then yet another. He grabbed the first man's neck, broke it, and threw him into another attacker, who fell and was impaled by his partner's blade. Battousai then turned to the two second and third attackers, grabbed one of them by the nape of the neck, grabbed the man's blade and rammed him into a column, pinning him three feet above the ground, his sword through his stomach. The man cried out in pain and tried to remove the blade from his stomach.
The last man Battousai had to deal with charged Battousai at full speed, his sword drawn out and to the right. The man swung the blade upwards and diagonally to the left, hoping to cut Battousai's neck. Battousai, however, leaned back, dodging the blade, then grabbed the man's shoulders and flipped over him. Battousai used his own inertia to flip the man back over his back and towards the wall. Battousai then grabbed the man's throat and broke the spine.
He dropped the man onto the floor and looked around. What remained of twelve men was three cowards, running away with their tails between their legs, eight dead men, lying on the ground in assorted positions, and one survivor who fought, his feet dangling three feet above the ground. Battousai broke into cold laughter as he walked over to where the surviving man hung, and pulled the blade out of the man's chest. The man slumped down the column and landed in a bloody heap. Battousai killed the man, his red eyes pityless, and then he threw the blade to the side.
Battousai turned to the girl, who was lying on the ground. When she saw that he turned to her, she jumped up and started to run away. Battousai closed his eyes, and said, "Why do you run? I have just saved you from these men. You should be thanking me." then looking up to see that she had stopped and turned to him, her green eyes shining beautifully.
"You are right, sir. Where have my manners gone? I do thank you for saving me. I guess you really do have a good side to you." she said
Battousai scoffed. "Believe it if you wish," said he, "but I didn't fight those men for you. I only fought them, because it is my duty to destroy all who cross my path."
The girl shook her head. "No, I believe that you really cared for me." she said. "Oh! By the way, My name is Toharu. It's very nice to meet you, Hiroshi." she said, extending a hand to him.
Battousai turned down the handshake. "If you are going to call me anything but Battousai, call me Hiro." he said, as he turned to walk away. Just before he got to the door, he turned to face her. "I believe we will meet again, Miss Toharu." he said, just before he left the dojo.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Battousai walked back into the town of Tokyo, too bored to do anything of interest. He sat near the burnt down dojo he was at earlier, watching everyone that walked by. Only one thing caught his eye, and that was a rather short man, with red hair, and violet eyes. The man also had an "X" shaped scar on his left cheek. He was walking from a market shop, carrying a basket of purchased items. But that was not all the man was carrying. The man was also carrying a sword. It was tied to his left side, about three and a half feet in length, and was dangling carelessly. Battousai noticed that the new government, the Meijii ruling, had outlawed swords to the fullest extent. The man looked at Battousai, aware of his gaze, and threw a quick, warm smile, although one that had a long forgotten cold look to it. The man walked over to Battousai, shifting his bundle of goods to his left side, and looking down at Battousai. "Hello there," said the man warmly. "I don't believe that we have met. You don't look familiar, please, tell me who you are. You look like the type to be a good swordsman."
Battousai looked up at the man, his red eyes hardened. He put on a slight smile and closed his eyes. "I am no one. I am nothing." he looked up. "And who are you?" he asked the man.
The man smiled. "My name is Kenshin Himura. I am a wanderer from a nearby village, that I am." he said.
Battousai laughed. "Never heard of you." he said in a stony voice. "Well, I must be going..." he said as he stood up and looked away.
The man, Kenshin, looked at Battousai's swords. He seemed interested by them. "Are you a Man-Slayer?" he asked.
Battousai nodded. "I am Shou-ryu Battousai the Man-Slayer." he said, hardening his eyes once more, trying to make Kenshin fear. But Kenshin merely smiled weakly.
"And why are you a Man-Slayer?" he asked in a completely calm voice.
Battousai stared for a second, then he changed the subject. "You seem like you are hiding something from me." he said, looking Kenshin in the eyes.
Kenshin gave a strange smile. "I know that you are a Man-Slayer. Shou-Ryu the Man-Slayer. But, I also know that you are not the Battousai." he said, looking back into Battousai's eyes.
Battousai was startled, but he thought of what to say next quickly. "And how do you know this, Himura?" he asked calmly.
Kenshin's strange smile grew. "I know that you are not the Battousai, because I was the Battousai. Hitokiri Battousai to be exact. It is not something I am proud of, however."