Author's Note: Well, here we go, the second half of Mina's battle with Jin'eh, it's a bit violent, but still not enough to get an R rating. Maybe the rating will change around chapter 10, but I'll warn you readers a chapter before hand.



Chapter 7: Petrifying Eyes



Before my eyes, the crimson blade of Hitokiri Udo Jin'eh began to crash down. Time slowed down between that split second, my blood would have soon tainted his red blade a darker shade. Instead, I screamed, and suddenly I was able to move again. Without even thinking, I brought my blade back up, the two steel slabs screeching once they met each other.

"What's this?!" Jin'eh said surprised, a look of shock on his face as our blades remained locked.

As he stood there still surprised by my action, I broke the two of us away with a swift kick to his stomach. I jumped back as Jin'eh staggered about three steps behind. I readied my sword again as his staggering pushed his body to the ground. Another sinister chuckle escaped his lips, making my hands tighten the grip on my sword.

"Impressive," Jin'eh said as he slowly rose to his feet, "who would have thought a girl like you could've broken through my Shin-No-Ippou. I guess I'll take you more seriously now," he said, the grin never leaving his chiseled face as he readied his sword again.

Instead of waiting him to attack, I decided to take the initiative this time. I ran at him as fast as I could, using my blade to guide me just like the last battle. I lunged nothing but air, with a turn of my head, I found him stepping to the side. He swung his blade from the left toward my torso, but I was able to avoid with a jump back. Upon recovering from the jump, I soon found myself caught in a barrage of steel curves coming from each direction. His sword swings were so fast that I was only able to block one of what looked like three swings in one instant. Each cut that landed barely punctured my skin when it struck. The barrage soon ended when they all seemed to have collected into one large steel slab lunging toward my abdomen. I quickly saw this and took another jump back, jumping a greater distance than the last jump. I landed back on the road surrounding the river, I had the advantage now in terms of terrain level. I looked down on my opponent who still stood in the river, that scary simper still stretched across his face. Suddenly I found the cuts taking their toll on me. Small rivers of ruby began to ooze from small holes in my arms and leg, the liquid painting my white kimono in red.

"Che, you'll pay for that!" I spat, clutching one of my wounds with my left hand.

I jumped back into the air after, this time toward the heavens. I felt the moon's glow as I plummeted back down, my shimmering blade pointed at the petrifying man.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu," I screamed as my blade crashed toward the demon's skull, "Ryu-Tsui-Sen!"

Instead of splitting through the sphere-like bone, I found my blade pressed against his again. I pushed my blade with all my weight, but it didn't seem to have any avail. That grin on his face still remained as we engaged in the contest of strength, his eyes trying to pierce mine again like daggers. I failed to succumb into the icy stare, instead, I continued to try to inch my blade at his head. After a few more seconds, he released the grip on his sword and my blade raced toward my target. I missed, finding myself staggering to the ground. I looked to my right as I recovered to find him stepping away, but his hand now gripping the wakezashi on his belt. I jumped back again, but the blade slid across the skin of my belly, another streak of crimson was now painted on my already ruined clothing. I held the fresh wound for a second, until I found the short sword swinging at me again. I caught the attack using my right hand to clutch my blade and my left to clutch my wound. Again that one steel slab began to appear as three, and I tried my hardest to once again counter each one, keeping one arm around the scarlet streak across my stomach. I slowly backed away as I tried to fight back, my blade or his would always be swatted to the side when either of us tried to go on the offensive. I had to do something, but nothing came into mind for I had focused all my thoughts in just blocking Jin'eh's next attack. Then it hit me suddenly, the attack that Kenshin used against those pack of Mibu Wolves. I had only one chance, and I used it once Jin'eh went for a leg swipe with his blade.

"Do-Ryu-Sen!" I screamed as I blocked the attack, pushing our blades in his direction as the tip of mine struck the ground.

Rock and water flew in Jin'eh's direction, the debris cutting him wherever it hit. It was a temporary solution as it gave some more room to recover. We were both on even ground now, his wounds were just as bad as mine, yet it didn't seem like the cuts I gave him had any real effect.

"Heh heh heh," Jin'eh chuckled, despite his injuries he still had that sinister grin on his face.

"This is hopeless," I told my self, "it doesn't seem like anything I've used so far has had any effect. That bastard's probably enjoying this, isn't he?" I looked back to my opponent, exhausted, it didn't seem like I had much strength to continue.

I guess I only had strength for one more attack, and it had to be a good one. I thought back to Kenshin's training earlier, trying to remember any techniques he used. One move I hadn't tried was the Ryu-Kan-Sen, but I wasn't fast enough to pull off that technique correctly at the time. Ryu-Tsui-Shou-Sen would most likely fail since he was already able to block the Ryu-Tsui-Sen and he was faster than me so I wouldn't be able to follow up with the Ryu-Shou-Sen. Then there was his Battoujutsu, although I only saw him use it with the bokken, but from what I saw, it seemed to be his fastest attack.

"What's this," Jin'eh asked as I slid my blade back into it's oak case, "are you giving up now, and just when I was starting to break a sweat."

"No," I answered as the blade clicked when it was snug in place, "I'm planning to end this, and to do that, I'll use this," I placed the sheathed sword at my side, left hand clutching the binding on the sheath, my right hand holding the air around my katana's hilt.

I suppose he had no idea what this stance was since he blindly rushed in. Just as he swung his blade, I drew mine, slicing upward at the same time. The steel pierced his shoulder at the last moment, a small streak of red emitting from his skin after the strike. A small burst at first, my attack didn't seem to have any effect. We stood there frozen for a few moment as my eyes lay fixed on his new wound. Slowly, he lowered his stance and began to laugh again. I still stood there frozen, now with fear, until the crimson oozing from his cut suddenly burst into a geyser, spraying violently, painting the rest of my kimono a blood red. The fear in my body slid away as I slowly turned toward his face, a grin no longer there, now replaced by a cringing face, teeth clenched together and pupils slowly disappearing.

"What was that...?" he asked, his body beginning to collapse.

"Battoujutsu," I answered, sliding the steel back into it's wooden case, "one-shot attacks that revolve around accelerating the blade speed by drawing it from the sheath. But it doesn't matter to you now does it, you're about to cross the Sanzu."

"Heh heh heh," Jin'eh suddenly began to laugh again, holding the cut on his shoulder.

"What's so funny?!" I turned to him, my blade ready to strike again.

"You think it's over just like that," Jin'eh's grin returned just as he rose to his feet.

I clutched the hilt of my blade once more, only to find my opponent turning his back on me.

"I'll withdraw for now," Jin'eh turned back toward me, "however, the next time I see you or your brother, you will die!"

He began to limp away, his hand never leaving his shoulder. I realized I had won once his figure was nothing more than a speck in my eye. A small smile stretched across my face after seeing him disappear, but then I began to feel light-headed. A warm a liquid began to seep down my arms and body, things began to turn a little hazy. I placed my palm in one of the rivers pouring out of my body, clotting the leak for a mere second until it oozed through the spaces in between my fingers. I took my palm in front of my face, I found a large spot of crimson in the middle of it. The damage I had sustained during my fight with Jin'eh was really taking it's toll on me now. Then my legs began to give away, shaking as I slowly plopped to the floor. My head was nestled in the freezing river, the icy water stinging my wounds even further as I lay there. I saw the stars, their shine starting to fade from my eyes. I thought that the heavens had turned their backs on me, I thought I was going to die, and then...

"Mina!" my brother's voice suddenly echoed through my ears.

My head slowly rotated to the east to find him, his clothes just as tattered and tainted as mine. His face displayed a sad expression when he brought his face close to mine. Tears were streaming out of his lavender eyes, I couldn't see them, but I felt them as he held me.

"You have to hold on, Mina, that you do," he cried, "you've got to hold on!"

"Hold on...," I muttered, "I know that...Big Brother...," I fixed a smile across my face, using the rest of my strength to wipe away his tears. "I'll hold on...hold on for...," my voice began to trail away as darkness swallowed me into it's belly.

I was alone after that, in a place I did not know. Everything was black, nothing was there, it was all empty. I stood in darkness, or was I floating, I could not tell. Then a light flashed before my eyes, I soon found myself standing before a river, inside a forest. There was a small dock in the river, many small boats were there, each one filled up. I stepped closer toward the docks to peer into the river's water. A ruby red color was reflected back into my eyes, the very sight frightened me. I then looked ahead of the river to find a field, and on that field was another dock, nothing and no one was there, unfortunately. Then two specks came into view, they were running toward the dock. I narrowed my eyes to get a clearer view of the identities of the specks, and I was surprised to see who they were.

"Mother, Father!" I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Mina!" they called from the other side as they waved their arms at me.

"Come over here and join us!" Father called.

My parents were as healthy as ever. Mother's hand was finally healed, and Father was back to his old self before he had cholera. I dashed for the nearest boat, but upon reaching the dock, I stopped. I looked back to the forest to find a path, a path lined with the bodies of those I had just slain. At the end of that path, I found my brother, crying as he held a figure of me in his arms. I stepped back to the forest, but then I looked back to my parents. The smiles they wore, they must've been happy to see me again, that they were. I looked back to Kenshin, the tears were falling like waterfalls, and then I turned back to my parents, those smiles still on their faces. Was I ready to die? Of course not. If I had chosen my parents, I would not be here to tell this tale. So it was decided, I chose the path of violence, I chose the path to be with my brother, and my love. I walked down that path without looking back, and then, darkness swallowed me once more.

When I had awakened, I found myself staring into a familiar white ceiling lined with bamboo. A soft blanket over my body, and a tatami I knew well, I knew I was home. Slowly I sat up, staring into the sakura door at the end of the room. I felt something binding itself on my wrists and body, I looked down to find my wounds wrapped in bandages. My torn kimono was no where to be found, instead a new white one was clinging to my body. The door slid open, I was glad to see who it was.

"Kenshin!" I quickly ran toward him, wrapping his neck around my arms.

"Oro?!" he said surprised upon my action.

"I couldn't leave you, Kenshin," I cried, "I just couldn't."

"That's good to hear, Mina, that it is," Kenshin simply patted my hair, "I'm glad you're still here."

"I did just as you asked, Kenshin," I released my brother from my hold, "I stopped the man."

"Mina, I shouldn't have asked you to," the smile on his face melted, "that man, Udo Jin'eh, he's killed many of our men and his own without a shred of guilt. I knew if anyone could have stopped him, it would be you. No, that's not the truth," Kenshin suddenly admitted. "Mina, I sent you after him because I thought those three Shinsengumi soldiers would have killed him and left. If that would've happened, I thought you would have just returned to the inn."

"Well I wouldn't have," I told him, "I would've returned to help you, Kenshin. I just couldn't leave you alone there."

"Mina, I thank you for your concern, but the battlefield isn't suited for one like you," Kenshin told me, his eyes unblinking as he told me so, "your hands must never be tainted with blood."

"But they already are," I showed him the spot on my palm where I clutched my wound, "I've killed already. I chose the path of violence just so I can be with you, Kenshin, and it's too late to travel back, I'm too far into it now. All I can do now is continue on the path I've chosen."

"You're very insistent, that you are," Kenshin sighed as he rose to his feet. "All right, you win, I'll let you join the fight."

"Really?!" I asked, jumping out of my futon and onto my feet.

"Let's go see Katsura-dono to register you as a soldier," Kenshin ordered, leading me to our leader.

Chapter 7 Liner Notes



Notes on Mina's Battoujutsu- If you can recall, Jin'eh lost to Kenshin's Battoujutsu in episode 7. Jin'eh was struck with the same attack with Mina's sword, only that during his battle with Mina he did not know about Battoujutsu attacks. It was because of his battle with Mina that he was able to dodge the first swing of Kenshin's Sou-Ryu-Sen, but what he did not know about was the swing with the sheath that followed after the blade attack as Mina said Battoujutsu are compromised of one-shot attacks, so Jin'eh thought this would always apply, but Kenshin second attack was a surprise. I guess Mina gave Kenshin a helping hand in his battle with Jin'eh then.



(Next time: "Pulled from my frozen state, I am pulled to yet another obstacle. Hair as brown as rust and eyes as dark as the night, Fate has entwined me with another with a string as black as her heart. Hiding behind a mask of happiness painted by the blood of her victims, she is as cold as winter, but as warm as the summer, a double-bladed sword she is, a sword by the name of Azumi Shion..." -Himura Mina)



Author's Note: Well, how was it? Be kind and leave me a review then, not a flame. So in the next chapter we have a character who never made her way to the 'Twin Dragon Arc', Azumi Shion, she'll play a rather large role in the entire story. Oh, and why don't you read that story while you're waiting for an update, although it's not written in the same type of format as this fic and was written about three years ago when my writing skills were kinda dull. Anyway, please review me, but don't flame me.