CHAPTER 16- HELL
As the two comrades fell to earth, Jiani heard something. "What?" Turning around, she saw Kujiranami struggling up onto his elbows and knees, blood oozing from his oversized lip. Jiani was a little surprised. 'He's quick to recover.' Still, she charged back to continue the fight.
"HYAAAAH!" Inui rolled himself into a ball and flipped, coming straight at Sanosuke.
"Bastard!" Sanosuke leapt clear and the muscled warrior crashed through the roof instead. Otowa followed a little more gracefully, landing beside him inside the house. It was there they locked gazes with Kaoru and Yahiko!
Kaoru held up her bokken. "Yahiko!"
He nodded, hand on his shinai. "Right, I know!"
"Hey! I think you've got the wrong opponent!" Sanosuke shouted, jumping down in front of them. He pointed his finger at Inui. "Aren't I the one you want to kill?"
Inui bared his teeth. He hadn't forgotten their last encounter. But he quickly smirked and cuffed his fists together. "Heh, you're right. Oh, and I see you're armed today?" He was referring to the broken zanbatou in the rooster-head's left hand.
Sanosuke smirked. 'I may not be able to use the Futae no Kiwami, but with this, I'll still be able to smash and crush.' It felt good to have his old weapon in hand once again. He spread his feet. "Okay you bastard! Ready when you are!"
They sprang into flight, beginning their one-on-one battle.
Meanwhile, Otowa extended his hand towards Kaoru and Yahiko. "Well, well." He said with an evil grin. "Only two left, eh? Which one will I chose first?" He pulled back his sleeve, revealing the crossbow on his arm.
'Assassin's tools.' Kaoru thought.
"I am your opponent."
Kenshin leapt over Otowa's head and landed before the young woman and child. He pointed his sakabatou at him. "Do we not have a score to settle?"
Otowa sneered. "Ah, you're right. Enishi's upgrades should make things more interesting today."
CRACK! Inui snuck under Sanosuke's blade to smash him across the face. Kaoru and Yahiko winced at the sound.
Otowa just snickered. "So you stand here to protect those two, but what about the one fighting my good friend over there? Just how many of those punishing strikes will you allow him to bear?"
Kenshin folded himself into a Battou-jutsu stance. "I need not worry about a warrior who is already assured victory."
True, Sanosuke was the only one he didn't have to protect. Yahiko's fists clenched. "And someday, I won't need to be protected either. My victories will be assured as well."
Just then, Kaoru looked up at the sky. Another warrior appeared to jump from the basket, taking a massive box with him. She blinked in surprise. 'Another one acting already?'
Kenshin glanced up for a brief instant, accessing the situation. "Hn."
Yahiko watched him, wondering what was going on. Suddenly.
BOOM! Something massive crashed to the floor behind them. Through the clouds of rising dust, they could see it. Kaoru gasped. "It's Iwanbou!"
"The one from the Aioya!" Yahiko gasped.
Inui drew back his fists and smirked. "Yeah, it even looks tougher now!"
CRACK! A sharp kick swatted him in the nose. "AUGH!"
Sanosuke, his face battered and bloody, laughed. "Hah! You're as soft as I thought!"
"Why you.DIE!!!!!!!!" The fight resumed.
The new Iwanbou faced Kenshin, it's face strangely reptilian like, it's arms and legs heavily muscled. Inside of it, Gein's voice rang out. "Battousai, meet my new Iwanbou."
"Great, now what?" Kaoru gasped.
"Yahiko."
The boy's head snapped up and around. Kenshin was looking right at him. In that mere second, a silent order was given. Kenshin then whirled and charged Otowa. "HYAAAAAH!!!!!!!!"
Otowa sneered again, readying his crossbow. "So you're finally ready to fight!"
But no, Kenshin zipped right over him, his body and sword but a blur. Kaoru gasped. "He missed?"
'YAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Out of nowhere came Yahiko, shinai raised on high. He raced at Otowa, who recovered to point his crossbow at the boy. "Heh, making room for a child, eh? DIE!"
KA-CHUNK! The crossbow, slit in two, fell from his arm and hit the ground. Kenshin had used the same move Jiani had to destroy Kujiranami's cannon!
Yahiko jumped and struck him in the ribs. "I'm your opponent now! Let's go!"
"Kenshin's allowing him to fight?" Kaoru murmured.
Kenshin rushed at Iwanbou, sword cranked readily at his side. "Whatever you are, I have no time to play with toys!"
Enishi continued to smile, patiently waiting.
As the two comrades fell to earth, Jiani heard something. "What?" Turning around, she saw Kujiranami struggling up onto his elbows and knees, blood oozing from his oversized lip. Jiani was a little surprised. 'He's quick to recover.' Still, she charged back to continue the fight.
"HYAAAAH!" Inui rolled himself into a ball and flipped, coming straight at Sanosuke.
"Bastard!" Sanosuke leapt clear and the muscled warrior crashed through the roof instead. Otowa followed a little more gracefully, landing beside him inside the house. It was there they locked gazes with Kaoru and Yahiko!
Kaoru held up her bokken. "Yahiko!"
He nodded, hand on his shinai. "Right, I know!"
"Hey! I think you've got the wrong opponent!" Sanosuke shouted, jumping down in front of them. He pointed his finger at Inui. "Aren't I the one you want to kill?"
Inui bared his teeth. He hadn't forgotten their last encounter. But he quickly smirked and cuffed his fists together. "Heh, you're right. Oh, and I see you're armed today?" He was referring to the broken zanbatou in the rooster-head's left hand.
Sanosuke smirked. 'I may not be able to use the Futae no Kiwami, but with this, I'll still be able to smash and crush.' It felt good to have his old weapon in hand once again. He spread his feet. "Okay you bastard! Ready when you are!"
They sprang into flight, beginning their one-on-one battle.
Meanwhile, Otowa extended his hand towards Kaoru and Yahiko. "Well, well." He said with an evil grin. "Only two left, eh? Which one will I chose first?" He pulled back his sleeve, revealing the crossbow on his arm.
'Assassin's tools.' Kaoru thought.
"I am your opponent."
Kenshin leapt over Otowa's head and landed before the young woman and child. He pointed his sakabatou at him. "Do we not have a score to settle?"
Otowa sneered. "Ah, you're right. Enishi's upgrades should make things more interesting today."
CRACK! Inui snuck under Sanosuke's blade to smash him across the face. Kaoru and Yahiko winced at the sound.
Otowa just snickered. "So you stand here to protect those two, but what about the one fighting my good friend over there? Just how many of those punishing strikes will you allow him to bear?"
Kenshin folded himself into a Battou-jutsu stance. "I need not worry about a warrior who is already assured victory."
True, Sanosuke was the only one he didn't have to protect. Yahiko's fists clenched. "And someday, I won't need to be protected either. My victories will be assured as well."
Just then, Kaoru looked up at the sky. Another warrior appeared to jump from the basket, taking a massive box with him. She blinked in surprise. 'Another one acting already?'
Kenshin glanced up for a brief instant, accessing the situation. "Hn."
Yahiko watched him, wondering what was going on. Suddenly.
BOOM! Something massive crashed to the floor behind them. Through the clouds of rising dust, they could see it. Kaoru gasped. "It's Iwanbou!"
"The one from the Aioya!" Yahiko gasped.
Inui drew back his fists and smirked. "Yeah, it even looks tougher now!"
CRACK! A sharp kick swatted him in the nose. "AUGH!"
Sanosuke, his face battered and bloody, laughed. "Hah! You're as soft as I thought!"
"Why you.DIE!!!!!!!!" The fight resumed.
The new Iwanbou faced Kenshin, it's face strangely reptilian like, it's arms and legs heavily muscled. Inside of it, Gein's voice rang out. "Battousai, meet my new Iwanbou."
"Great, now what?" Kaoru gasped.
"Yahiko."
The boy's head snapped up and around. Kenshin was looking right at him. In that mere second, a silent order was given. Kenshin then whirled and charged Otowa. "HYAAAAAH!!!!!!!!"
Otowa sneered again, readying his crossbow. "So you're finally ready to fight!"
But no, Kenshin zipped right over him, his body and sword but a blur. Kaoru gasped. "He missed?"
'YAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Out of nowhere came Yahiko, shinai raised on high. He raced at Otowa, who recovered to point his crossbow at the boy. "Heh, making room for a child, eh? DIE!"
KA-CHUNK! The crossbow, slit in two, fell from his arm and hit the ground. Kenshin had used the same move Jiani had to destroy Kujiranami's cannon!
Yahiko jumped and struck him in the ribs. "I'm your opponent now! Let's go!"
"Kenshin's allowing him to fight?" Kaoru murmured.
Kenshin rushed at Iwanbou, sword cranked readily at his side. "Whatever you are, I have no time to play with toys!"
Enishi continued to smile, patiently waiting.