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Blood on the dojo floor
"Did you think you could beat me using Yui's counter?" Mori said, angling his sword to stab Kenshin's back. He lunged for Kenshin.
Kenshin caught himself from falling with his Sakabatou.
"KAMIYA!!" Yui shouted. Kenshin again twisted his body to avoid being stabbed. Mori's sword grazed the skin on Kenshin's gut as he turned. He pulled his Sakabatou around and made a clean counter, hitting Mori dead on in the chest. He stumbled back, allowing Kenshin time to collect himself.
"No way, Kenshin couldn't counter his Gatoutsu?" Yahiko said, with an almost unblinking stare.
"That was the same counter I devised, but Mori knows it." Yui said, being helped to her feet by Sano. "But how did he come up with it so quickly? Could he really be that strong a swordsman?" She thought, carefully observing. "He's so fast, and he can read Mori's moves as he's doing them…no, before he even starts…that's impossible…He can't be…" She thought. Kenshin straightened up, and glared into his opponents eyes.
"You want to kill Yui Dono because she killed your son, am I right?" He asked, softly, yet seriously.
"If you think you can talk me out of it, you're wrong. I have no other reason to live, except to see her die." He said, leveling his sword at Kenshin.
"So to achieve your goal, you would kill an innocent woman?" Kenshin asked, deliberately.
"You talk to much." Mori said, plowing across the floor toward Kenshin.
"How will you counter, Kamiya?" Yui thought, watching intently on Kenshin's every move. "You fight like Shishou, so how will you counter?" She thought. With Mori only a few steps away, Kenshin seemed to disappear. Mori looked up, and grinned.
"Die!" He yelled, sending a Gatoutsu upward at Kenshin, expecting to see Ryu Tsui Sen.
Back in the clinic, Tsubame, had taken up holding the light, but she looked away, keeping a terrible grimace on her face. Tae was helping Megumi as best she could.
"The bleeding looks like it's almost stopped, Megumi San." She said, hoping it was a good sign. Megumi had to open her up to her stomach, something rarely done in Japan, but Megumi had read about complex surgeries in some of the books that Yuturo had left. One was to remove bullets from the intestines. "It was similar enough." She thought. "the only difference is there was less internal damage, and I don't have to find the bullet."
"Has she lost too much blood?" Tae asked; Megumi didn't answer. She was finally satisfied that all the cuts in her intestines were sewn up. She started to take her hands away, but then, pushed one back down.
"Megumi San?" Tae asked. Megumi looked up, concerned.
"Her belly is swollen…I… no one noticed, before this happened, I wonder if she knew?" Megumi said. She paused now having a new fear, Had she lost too much blood? "Ken-San, be careful, Kaoru Chan still has something to tell you."
Kenshin slid his Saya over Mori's sword, and let himself land. He threw a battou jutsu into the side of his opponent. Mori flew through the air about six feet before landing, and rolling another seven. Kenshin picked up his Saya, and slid the Sakabatou back inside.
"When you attacked my wife, you made yourself worse than Yui Dono could be. Your son knew kenjutsu, and he had a sword. My wife didn't have a sword, and she isn't a fighter."
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha…So, you're the one Hiko's after eh?" He said, glancing at Yui, then returning his gaze to Kenshin. "Waddaya think Hiko, you get to watch me kill the guy you always wanted." He said, laughing. Yui wasn't paying attention to him, she'd realized he was Battousai earlier. "Kamiya…No,… Battousai, you lied to me…" She thought staring at him.
"So I'll just kill you first, then I'll kill her." He said, smirking.
"I can't fight them both, I have to kill Battousai, He'll kill Mori, then he'll be worn out…no, I could take him even if he were at full strength, with my Kuzu Ryu Sen." She thought, letting go of Sanosuke. She picked up her sword.
"I've put away the demons from my past." Kenshin said. "It's time you put yours away." He finished, taking the battou jutsu stance.
"Mori, I will be the one to kill Battousai." She said, stepping forward, limping slightly. Her pupils had become pinpoints at the center of her brown eyes.
"She'll lose her control soon, This is probably what happened when she fought Mori's son. She has a Battousai within her soul too." Kenshin thought, looking at her eyes.
"Then I guess you should stop hanging weakly from that punk and fight." Mori said, sliding his fingers down his katana blade. Yui lowered her torso, and took the standard Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu stance; the battou jutsu.
"Yui Dono, If you fight in that condition…" Kenshin said being interrupted.
"Stay out of this, I'll kill you next Battousai." She said, not taking her eyes from Mori.
"Heh one of those, eh? Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu is so predictable." Mori said, hoping to get a rise out of Yui. She darted across the floor toward Mori. He bolted forward as well, throwing his Gatoutsu ahead of him, directly at her head. she countered with a battou jutsu, knocking his sword aside, she followed through with her slash, turning a full three hundred and sixty degrees, and slashed again at his chest. Seeing her attack, he slid to a stop. Her sword sliced across his chest. She jumped back away and slid her katana back in its Saya.
"On the contrary, Gatoutsu only has three attacks, up, down, or straight ahead. It's easy to avoid and counter." She said to him. He wiped blood from his chest, and grinned.
"But you still can't kill me, and you're running out of tricks." He said, again taking the Gatoutsu position.
"Kenshin, aren't you going to help her?" Yahiko asked.
"She's angry because I didn't tell her who I really was. I have to choose my moment carefully, or she'll attack me." Kenshin answered. Mori launched another attack toward her, stabbing at her head again. She evaded again with a battou jutsu, but he was ready, dropping the angle of his sword so hers would miss. He turned it quickly and brought it back up, cutting up her chest, and smashing the tip of his katana into her chin. She threw her head upward, but the katana still cut deep into her lower jawbone. It would be another scar to add to her collection. Stunned by the last blow, she didn't see his next strike coming. Mori slashed downward at her heart. At the last second, she tired to jump back. His sword tore through the flesh of her shoulder before she could get back far enough. She fell to one knee, gripping her latest wound.
"Yui Dono!!" Kenshin said charging forward. Mori stabbed at him as he approached. He dodged with Ryu Kan Sen.
"I see you." Mori said turning his blade and following him. Kenshin changed direction in the middle of his attack, turning into a battou jutsu. Mori pulled the sword back to defend it. Kenshin shot back a few times forcing Mori to follow. In an instant he switched direction again, performing Ryu Kan Sen-Arashi. This time, Mori wasn't able to defend. He fell backward, and landed on his hands and knees.
"Just because you can predict what I'm going to do, doesn't mean you can keep me from doing it." Kenshin said.
"errrggg Battousai, I said… stay out of this." Yui said standing, her eyes glinted yellow. Kenshin was staring at the same beast that had lurked within himself.
"Yui Dono…" He said. Yui bolted forward and slashed at Kenshin using Ryu Sou Sen. He defended every hit, and countered by drawing his sword halfway and punching her in her wounded shoulder with it. She fell back holding her shoulder in pain.
"I'm sorry Yui Dono, I don't have time to fight you yet."
"Heh, heh, You really are good, you're much better than Hiko." Mori said, standing up. "But I don't have time either, I want to be the one to kill Yui, and if I don't hurry she'll die from blood loss."
"Do you really think killing Yui will make you happy?" Kenshin asked.
"I swore I'd kill her and avenge my son's death." He said, pulling himself to his feet.
"Why do you think your son wants to be avenged?" Kenshin asked.
"What kind of a stupid question is that?" Mori said, somewhat angrily. "I'll give everything I have, everything I am, to kill her. I've given up my life and soul to see the day she dies by my hand." Mori said, staring intensely at Kenshin. "And if you're going to stand in my way, I'll kill you too." Mori said, steadying his stance.
"Do you think your son would want you to throw away your life and soul to avenge him?" Kenshin said. Mori looked almost afraid. "If you had died, would you expect him to give his life and soul to avenge you?"
"You have no clue do you? You're just like she is, you kill whoever gets in your way. So in order to kill people like you, I have to become like you." He said.
"But you really don't want this to end do you?" Kenshin said. Sano, Yahiko and Mori stared in shock.
"I have no clue what you're talking about, and neither do you." Mori said, bolting forward. Kenshin disappeared in a blur, and reappeared above Mori.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryu Tsui Sen!" Mori defended, again angling his sword so Kenshin's would slide off. Kenshin's Ryu Tsui Sen slammed down on Mori's sword and snapped it. Kenshin's Sakabatou crushed down on Mori's left shoulder.
"Before when you attacked Yui, you weren't fighting this hard. You were taking it easy on her." Kenshin said.
"Watch it Kenshin, this guy's not all there…" Yahiko thought.
"I wanted to make her suffer, because…" Mori said, slowing forcing himself up.
"No, you wanted to make yourself suffer." Kenshin said, looking straight into his eyes.
"Enough of this, I'll kill you now." He said, walking forward.
"You don't want it to end because you're not through wallowing in your own self pity." He said, almost accusingly. Mori looked up slowly. "His eyes are full of hate, He can't stand that Kenshin's right, no, He never knew until now what he'd become." Sano thought, looking at Mori.
"And how would you know so much?" he asked finally
"You blame yourself for his death, because you taught him kenjutsu. All this time you've been fighting her, you really wanted her to kill you too." Kenshin replied. Mori laughed insanely.
"So I want to die, I should've never taught him." Mori said, He leveled his broken sword at Kenshin, and slowly began another Gatoutsu. "You'll have to kill me this time." He said.
"His Gatoutsu is slower now. He'll die." Yui thought, watching.
"aaaaAAAHHHHRRRGGG!!!" He yelled as he approached. Only seconds before he could connected with the Gatoutsu, Kenshin drew his sword, flipped it over, and sliced clean through Mori's sword again. Then he flipped it back over, and slammed it into Mori's back. The broken man fell, sliding on the dojo floor. Kenshin turned toward him.
"Your son wouldn't want you to die. He'd just want you to be happy." Kenshin said. Mori stood up, and turned.
"You can't understand, you've never had a child. This isn't something I can just let go. I want her to die, but I want to die too, or maybe I just want everyone to die." Mori said. He turned back toward Kenshin. He drew a wakizashi, and leveled it, preparing a Gatoutsu.
"You did it again Kenshin, his eyes are totally different now." Sano said.
"I've killed so many, my son could never be proud to have me as a father?" Mori said.
"I'm not proud of what I was thirteen years ago, but since then I became a Rurouni, I found my way of atoning for all the lives I've taken." He said.
"I have to continue, but If I lose here, and you decide to spare my life. I don't know how I could live on." Mori said, tightening muscles. Kenshin sensed the strong Ki he hadn't felt in him before. Mori bolted forward, Kenshin did likewise. As they neared each other Kenshin sensed something strange about this attack, he hesitated to draw his own sword. Mori dropped his arms back.
"He dropped his arms back, Saitou's never done this, Is this a Gatoutsu technique?" Kenshin thought, waiting for a sign of where the move will go. Mori pushed both hands forward. "The chest…" He thought. He instantly started to draw his Sakabatou. He deflected the short wakizashi. Mori knew what was coming, and tried to defend it. But Kenshin was faster, slamming his Saya into Mori's underarm, dislocating his right shoulder. Mori stumbled a few steps to his left before dropping his short sword, then he fell, holding his shoulder. Kenshin stepped forward and picked up the wakizashi.
"Looks like Kenshin won, eh?" Sano said, stepping forward.
"I guess so, but I ask you to end my life here. I have nothing left to live for." Mori said, sitting up.
"I can't, this sword doesn't kill, and this dojo has never known death. Besides, your son wouldn't want you to die." Kenshin said, handing the wakizashi to Sano.
"Yeah, He'd want a father he could be proud of." Sano said.
"I guess I have to rot in jail ne?" Mori said, almost smiling.
"You could run." Yahiko said.
"Don't worry Mori, I'll kill you when I'm done with Battousai." Yui said. She'd stood up, and had found her sword again. Her wounds were still in pretty bad shape. She stared coldly at Kenshin.
"Sano, Can you take him to the police?" Kenshin said. Sano was a bit upset by the request, After all it wasn't fair that He should miss the fight and that Yahiko could see it. Besides, he wanted to stay to try to talk Yui out of the fight. But he knew Yahiko couldn't handle a former Shinsen gumi member, even when wounded. He sighed.
"Alright," he said, walking over to Mori.
"I can stand and walk on my own." He said, pulling himself to his feet. Sano walked out behind him. Mori stopped at the door and looked back.
"Hiko, you know you can't win, he knows all your moves." He said, not totally understanding why he'd done it.
"He only knows what he was taught, You forget, he copped out of his training before he was done." Mori looked at her for a moment, then he walked out.
"She doesn't know about Kenshin, I guess Yahiko might tell her." Sano thought, catching up to him. Mori walked slow, still holding his shoulder. "By the way you might have to wait for medical attention, The doctor is working on the girl you nearly killed." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"She has no clue who she's fighting." Mori said, keeping his gaze ahead.
"She knows about his being Battousai, if that's what you mean." Sano replied.
"That's not what I mean. I mean what I've heard about what Battousai is, was not what I fought in there, He fights with more confidence than Yui. She thinks he hasn't finished his training, but I think he has."
"Heh, you get all that from his Ken Ki?" Sano asked.
"The Ken Ki of Battousai is said to be very strong, but his mind was said to be turbulent. This man, was focused, more than anyone I've ever fought. He knew who he was and what he was capable of. He had something I don't comprehend, I think maybe that is what I need to find." Mori said, glancing at Sano, He just smiled.
"I don't think I'll go to the police, at least not until I find whatever the Battousai found." He said.
"That's fine, it's all your decision. I ain't got no right telling you what to do. But, I would still suggest seeing a doctor about that shoulder." Sano replied, smirking and winking one eye. Mori grinned.
"Yui, you'll see, He's not Hitokiri Battousai anymore." Mori thought as he and Sano turned and crossed the bridge on their way to the clinic.
"No more shit." She said. "Hitokiri Battousai, The cold cowardly killer who felt he'd learned enough to kill people and left Shishou."
"Kenshin's not a killer." Yahiko said, stepping in front of him.
"Yahiko, can you go after Sano and tell him to watch over Kaoru Dono until I get back?" Kenshin said with a deep yet soft voice. Yahiko knew this voice, it was reserved for Kenshin's most serious moments. He'd only heard it a few times.
"Kenshin, I was…" He started to protest. Kenshin looked down at the young man.
"I know you want to stay, but I need you to got with Sano." Kenshin said, smiling.
"But you know Sano would do that anyway." Yahiko vainly protested again.
"It's not just Kaoru Dono, Ayame Dono found her wounded here, She needs to be looked after too, Megumi Dono has her hands full." Kenshin said, putting his hand on Yahiko's shoulder. He slumped his shoulders, knowing Kenshin wanted to fight this battle alone.
"Alright…" Yahiko said, heading out the dojo door. Kenshin turned making sure he left through the gate. After Yahiko was out of sight, he turned back to Yui.
"Yui Dono, I know you…"He started but was interrupted.
"I don't need my thoughts examined. You sent Myojin away because you didn't want him to see the real you."
"I don't want to fight you, I stopped fighting years ago." Kenshin said.
"Your technique is interesting, picking your enemies apart by their weaknesses. Then killing them while they're confused. You're not fit to use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu." She finished.
"I don't kill anymore, I try to talk them out of their anger. I don't like to fight, but I won't back away either." Kenshin replied.
"Then I guess you're ready?" She said, taking a battou stance. Kenshin moved into his normal passive Rurouni stance. "If you're ready to die, then I'll oblige you." Yui said, disappearing. Kenshin stayed where he was for a moment. He could read her Ki easily. She made a quick battou jutsu at him but he had already dodged it. She slashed back to her left at him, again he dodged. She then flowed into a Ryu Tsui Sen. He dodged with ease. She landed, smashing her sword into the dojo floor.
"So, Hitokiri Battousai is such a coward he won't even draw his sword." She said, looking up at him. She was still bleeding badly from her leg, chin, and shoulder. The blood drops traced lines all around the dojo floor. There were smears in the drops where footsteps had been taken. After a few deep breaths Yui managed to stand back up straight. Her eyes were now glowing bright yellow. "I knew it, she has a Battousai trapped in there too." He thought.
"Yui Dono, you're losing your control." He said softly, knowing she wouldn't care.
"You're wrong, I'm in complete control." She said, sliding her Katana back into its Saya. "Whether I want to or not, I have to fight her. She'll bleed to death before she'll stop." Kenshin thought, putting his hand on his Sakabatou.
"That's more like it." Yui said, taking the battou jutsu form.
"I'm sorry Kaoru Dono, I have to fight once more." Kenshin thought.
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