CHAPTER 18- THREAT TO JAPAN
Saitoh and Kenshin stood side-by-side for the first time since the Shishio battle. Their opponent: the freakish Yatsume Mumyoui. Jiani moved away, wanting to stay close to her friends in case she was needed. Enishi was still up in his balloon, silent as ever, but still smiling.
"What are you doing here anyway, Saitoh?" Kenshin ventured to ask.
"The whole incident with the Juppon Gatana," he explained. "It's all tied to the man up in that balloon. With his connections to Shanghai, he's a threat to any and all in this country." He brandished his sword. "First I'll have to get him down, but he will only do so if all his men are defeated. So." He took a step towards Yatsume. "It's you and me, freak."
Yatsume growled. "No one's called me a freak and lived!"
"No one, until now." Saitoh growled back.
Saitoh was right. Despite Yatsume's tricks, from his arm-stretching to the use of Chinese bombs, he soon found himself on the ground, bloody and moaning in agony. Saitoh lit another cigarette. "Too easy."
Sanosuke took a step towards Kenshin. "Hey, think you're ready to take on the big fish?"
Kenshin placed a hand on Jiani's shoulder. "Jiani-chan, please assist Miss Megumi in gathering the wounded. Help treat their injuries if you can."
"Yes Papa."
Kaoru gasped. "The balloon! It's coming down!"
Sanosuke smirked. "Yeah! Finally!"
Jiani, before turning away, saw her father close his eyes for a moment. "P- Papa?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Kaoru. "Miss Kaoru, my sword."
"Yes." She handed over the sakabatou.
Yahiko opened his eyes and cranked his head around. "Don't you dare lose, Kenshin." He rasped.
Megumi held up her medicine chest. "Sanosuke, watch Yahiko. Let's go Jiani."
The two girls left just as the basket touched down. Enishi stepped onto the ruined dojo floor, eyes on Kenshin. Gein pulled himself out of his broken and battered Iwanbou. He and his leader exchanged brief nods. Then the standoff began.
'Tomoe,' Kenshin thought. 'To atone for your death, and my other sins, I shall fight to protect the present.' He frowned deeper. "I won't hold back."
Enishi simply smirked. "The perfect Earthly Justice will commence momentarily and it is sure to rip you apart." He took a step forward, hand on the hilt of his sword. "But first, may you be ripped apart in another way, the same way my sister was!"
Saitoh and Kenshin stood side-by-side for the first time since the Shishio battle. Their opponent: the freakish Yatsume Mumyoui. Jiani moved away, wanting to stay close to her friends in case she was needed. Enishi was still up in his balloon, silent as ever, but still smiling.
"What are you doing here anyway, Saitoh?" Kenshin ventured to ask.
"The whole incident with the Juppon Gatana," he explained. "It's all tied to the man up in that balloon. With his connections to Shanghai, he's a threat to any and all in this country." He brandished his sword. "First I'll have to get him down, but he will only do so if all his men are defeated. So." He took a step towards Yatsume. "It's you and me, freak."
Yatsume growled. "No one's called me a freak and lived!"
"No one, until now." Saitoh growled back.
Saitoh was right. Despite Yatsume's tricks, from his arm-stretching to the use of Chinese bombs, he soon found himself on the ground, bloody and moaning in agony. Saitoh lit another cigarette. "Too easy."
Sanosuke took a step towards Kenshin. "Hey, think you're ready to take on the big fish?"
Kenshin placed a hand on Jiani's shoulder. "Jiani-chan, please assist Miss Megumi in gathering the wounded. Help treat their injuries if you can."
"Yes Papa."
Kaoru gasped. "The balloon! It's coming down!"
Sanosuke smirked. "Yeah! Finally!"
Jiani, before turning away, saw her father close his eyes for a moment. "P- Papa?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Kaoru. "Miss Kaoru, my sword."
"Yes." She handed over the sakabatou.
Yahiko opened his eyes and cranked his head around. "Don't you dare lose, Kenshin." He rasped.
Megumi held up her medicine chest. "Sanosuke, watch Yahiko. Let's go Jiani."
The two girls left just as the basket touched down. Enishi stepped onto the ruined dojo floor, eyes on Kenshin. Gein pulled himself out of his broken and battered Iwanbou. He and his leader exchanged brief nods. Then the standoff began.
'Tomoe,' Kenshin thought. 'To atone for your death, and my other sins, I shall fight to protect the present.' He frowned deeper. "I won't hold back."
Enishi simply smirked. "The perfect Earthly Justice will commence momentarily and it is sure to rip you apart." He took a step forward, hand on the hilt of his sword. "But first, may you be ripped apart in another way, the same way my sister was!"