Author's Note: As you can clearly see, the rating has changed, expect more gruesome violence and maybe some more foul language. The review might go back down to PG-13 once the end of this arc has been posted. Anyway, let's just get on with the show!

Chapter 11: The Demon Within

I had continued my training in the camp for about a week or two before Kenshin and I returned to the Cho Shu Clan's inn. For the rest of my stay, I had not gone back out into the city, probably scared that I might run into Saito again. I had not spoken with Shion either, I had only seen her from a distance. Every time I saw her, she always had her usual smile on her face whenever she spoke with the other men in the clan, and I could also hear that annoying laugh as if she were standing right next to me. Yet there was one time I caught her without that smile on her face.

I was returning to my room one night after I made a stop in the kitchen for a quick snack, and then I saw her sitting alone outside, sitting on a flat surfaced rock. I couldn't see her face as her back was pointed towards me, but I could tell that her face wasn't wearing a smile. I thought I heard her sniffle as her body quickly shrugged up and then down. I noticed that she was holding a piece of paper in her palms, but I couldn't tell what it read.

"Keisuke-sama," were the words I thought she whimpered as she held the paper to her heart, "I'm trying my best, but... I don't think I can keep this up much longer."

I pitied her for a moment. A voice in the back of my mind told me to go over there and try to comfort her. Of course, I ignored it, using my hatred for her as an excuse. But I was still curious what she was talking to herself about when I returned to my room. I had never seen Shion cry before, whenever I saw her before that point, she was always smiling or had a serious look on her face, but never crying or frowning. In an instant, it hit me. All the expressions her visage wore were simply masks of her inner feelings, that must've been the pain I sensed inside her when we first met. What I really thought about the most was who was this Keisuke, and what did Shion mean by trying her best, but not being able to keep this up much longer? I didn't want to dwell on it too much, but even though I intended not to, I still did. I think I was pondering about it for the rest of the night.

The very next day at the crack of dawn, Kenshin and I had left the Satsuma Camp, we just said our farewells to Saigo, no one else. I guess I should've, kind of, said good-bye to Shion, she did save my life from one of Saito's men the night before. Anyway, Kenshin and I had returned to the Cho Shu inn in no time. All the men were all meeting in the kitchen for breakfast, which was a good thing, Kenshin and I hadn't eaten before we left.

"Ah, Kenshin-kun, Mina-kun, you've returned," Katsura greeted us as we took our usual seats.

"Katsura-dono, Mina has completed her training, that she has," Kenshin reported as we were handed our usual bowl of rice and pork.

"Perfect, then it's time we put it to good use," Katsura said as he rose from his seat.

"What do you have in mind, Katsura-dono?" I asked, blurting out another one of Kenshin's trademark lines.

"Our spies have gotten word that the Bakufu are heading to Kyoto tonight," Katsura explained, "the Shinsengumi numbers have dwindled the passed few days thanks to the first squad's leader, Okita Soushi, falling even more ill to his disease. The first squad's numbers have fallen so short that the Shinsengumi have asked the Shogunate to send in replacements from Edo. According to our spies, the new troops should be arriving at around eight this evening from the north side of the city. Their numbers are reported to be around sixty men, there should be no problem for our men to exterminate these forces. In case the Shinsengumi have anything planned, Satsuma and Cho Shu Clans will each send in a squad of fifty men. Kenshin and Mina, you two will be a part of this attack."

"Hai, I understand, sir," Kenshin said, rising from his seat to bow at our leader.

"We will not fail you, sir, that we won't," I followed my brother's lead, copying another one of his trademark phrases again.

"In the meantime you two should get some rest," Katsura suggested, "this assignment could take all night so be fully rested before the operation commences."

"Does he always give us assignments during breakfast?" I asked Kenshin as soon as Katsura had left the room.

"Not all the time," Kenshin answered as he popped a shred of pork into his mouth, "Katsura-dono usually gives us our assignments during lunch or leisure hours, that he does."

"In other words, whenever he gets word of something going on, right?" I took a morsel of rice into my chopsticks..

"Hai," Kenshin answered, finishing the rest of his meal in the same instant.

Hearing these words from Kenshin, it was then I realized what kind of mess I'd gotten into. We were fighting in the dark, striking at the last opportunity; we always had to be prepared for the worst every second we lived. Life in the Ishin Shishi was basically living on the edge, at any moment you could fall off if you're not careful. I would stay on that edge, however, just for a chance to be with him.

Before we commenced operations, Kenshin and I stayed in our room, taking it easy, just talking like a normal family would. We sat around the small table over a glass of sake, I can recall our conversation vividly.

"It's good," I said after I took a sip of the warmed alcohol, "this is the best sake I've ever tasted, that it is."

Again, I had repeated another one of my brother's phrases. I don't know why, perhaps his influence was growing on me, that it was. There, you see, my manner of speech in the present is proof of this, that it is, although I try not to say the 'that I do' stuff as much as he did.

"Is something the matter?" Kenshin asked soon after.

It didn't occur to me that I was staring out into space after I spoke of the sake. My thoughts had begun to linger to my family, that is, my real family. Just sitting at the table reminded me of them. Father, Mother, and I would always sit at the table during winter days such as this, especially when the snow had really begun to fall. We'd talk about old times, days such as my first steps, the first time I went out fishing and how I caught my first and quickly threw it back into the river after because I was so scared, or the first time I cooked rice for the whole family and for some reason it turned out black. But I couldn't talk about those days, nor could I make any more days like that.

"Just sitting here like this...," I answered, my eyes pointed toward the floor, catching a glimpse of his feet as I did so, "it reminds me of spending time with my family. Father, Mother, and I would always sit around the table like this, talking about old times over tea or sake during holidays. It pains me to just sit here like this, knowing I can't create any more memories with them," I sniffed as my eyes shut to keep my emotions back. "I wish they were still here, I wish we can talk about old times."

"Mina, I'm your brother, aren't I?" Kenshin asked, placing his hand on my shoulder. "You can talk to me about anything, that you can."

"I know, Kenshin, it's just that it's not the same," I turned away from the feel of his touch, "you weren't there, you didn't share the experiences my family and I had, it just doesn't feel right to share my memories with you, or anyone who wasn't there."

"Mina, if we are to be a family, then it is best that we share those memories, despite us not being there ourselves," Kenshin explained, "if you don't share them, they'll just eat you up inside, that they will. You said you are unable to create new memories because of the death of your family, and if that's true, than would our time together have not have occurred?"

Those words left me in silence. He had made his point; there is no way I can go on in life sulking like this. I don't know why I got depressed so suddenly, but for some reason Kenshin's words quickly got me out of that depression. I had to say something after, but I couldn't really think of anything, so I just decided to blurt out the first thing that came into mind.

"...I remember the first time I had sake," I brought up a moment from my past, "I was five."

"Five? You're parents actually let you drink when you were that young?" Kenshin asked, surprised.

"No, they were out in the fields working," I explained, "I was rummaging through the cabinets and I just stumbled upon a bottle. I drank about half the thing and I was so drunk after, I practically lined the whole floor with my own vomit."

"That's disgusting!" Kenshin said with a slight chuckle.

"I had such a hangover the next morning as well," I continued, a smile now perched on my face, "my head hurt so much, not to mention I had to clean up the mess I made the other day. That didn't help much either."

"That's pretty funny," Kenshin said as he wiped away the tear coming from his eyes due to his laughter.

"Yeah, I guess it is," I said, my stomach hurting from my laughter. "So, Kenshin, do you have any tales of your own?"

"Well, there was this one time when I was about ten or so," Kenshin began, "I was so hungry after two hours of training, and my master was in town getting us some more food. I couldn't wait until he got back so there were these mushrooms growing next to the house..."

We continued talking until it was time. We spoke of our embarrassing moments when we were kids, the best times we had in our families, and for once, I felt like we were a real family. He truly did feel like an older brother, and yet, I was still in love with him as a wife would love her husband. We were interrupted by Katsura, and it was then we realized that the entire area was now being illuminated by the stars.

"Kenshin-kun, Mina-kun, it's time," Katsura said as he interrupted our conversation.

"Do you have any more tales, Mina?" Kenshin asked as I got my sword off the floor.

"Hai," I answered as I slid the katana next to it's sister on my belt.

"Be sure and tell them to me once we get back, okay?" Kenshin said as he rose to his feet.

The night was so cold, ice was practically sealed inside my eyes. It stung just to touch my clothing, ice had practically grown everywhere. Droplets of white fell from the heavens once we reached our position. The moment one would touch your skin, it would freeze and burn you at the same time. It was also very dark, I couldn't even see my icy breath with each huff I made. The ground was also slick, the snow must've melted into water and then froze over. Kenshin, our squad, and I practically slid to our destination.

We met with the Satsuma squad leader shortly. He told us the enemy was to come from the bamboo forest close by, and as they were wearing white bandanas, it should be easy to spot them. Luckily the soldiers of Cho Shu and Satsuma were all wearing navy blue, there was no way we could be spotted so easily. We waited in the forest for what seemed like an eternity, they must've been running late. I couldn't fall asleep during the ordeal, my eye lids seemed to be frozen in place and the throbbing of my heart continued to thump as fast as a windmill during a storm. Finally they arrived, I saw halos of white coming from a distance. My fingers were tightly wrapped around my sword's hilt, and it was time to strike. I would've attacked, but then I remembered how my brashness got me in trouble with Saito. Instead, I waited with the others, waiting for the order to attack.

"Mina, stay close to me when the fighting begins," Kenshin ordered under his breath.

"Hai," I nodded, my eyes never leaving the trail of the enemy.

"Attack!" the order finally came.

In the very instant, the entire area became a battlefield. Corpses were already lined everywhere within the first few seconds of battle. The adrenaline I had from my training had returned, my heart was beating as fast as a dragonfly's wings. I didn't even bother to see the face of the first man I sliced, I don't even recall his scream.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Do-Ryu-Sen!" I screamed as I struck the ground with my blade, the pieces of earth impaling several Bakufu soldiers.

"Ryu-Tsui-Sen!" I turned around to find Kenshin splitting a soldier in half. "You still okay?" Kenshin asked as he lined his back against mine.

"Hai, and you?" I answered, tightening the grip on my blade.

"Hai," he answered.

In the next instant, we both dashed in opposite was, blindly striking each man we came across. The pale white glow of the moon was now a bright red. Everywhere I turned, that was the only color I saw, red. I could feel my blade as it dismembered every limb, cracked every bone, and embedded craters of scarlet it left on the enemy. I soon found my brother and myself directly across from each other, closing in on one survivor. With a nod from the both of us, we both sheathed our blades, and then we dashed toward each other, boxing our enemy in a smaller area. In the same moment when we were on par with the man, both of our blades clicked as Kenshin and I began sliding the steel from it's oak case. Crimson flew in opposite directions, his head following one stream and his torso the other, his legs still in the same position they were when the man was sliced. More Bakufu had come at that instant, surrounding Kenshin and me from the rest of our forces. Kenshin and I were back to back again. I heard Kenshin as his teeth slid against each other and I heard the curses under his breath. It didn't look good.

"Mina, are you ready?" Kenshin asked, readying his sword once more.

"No need to ask," I answered and I suddenly found myself dashing forward.

Something just didn't feel right when I charged. My arms were swinging my blade about with no input and my legs were pushing me in the air when I had not wanted them to. My body was acting on it's own, and I was merely watching it's actions through it's eyes. It was odd and rather disturbing what I had seen. I had seen my body lunge my blade through a man, slide the blade upward toward the man's skull, splitting it as it did so, and then slice the rest of the body horizontally, cutting the entire man in four. My body had then turned around a slit, a small crevice in the next enemy's body, revealing a long string-like organ. The blade then impaled itself on the organ, and my arms quickly tugged at it, pulling it, a larger and similar organ, and a gush of crimson with it. The man died a slow and horrible death, I could tell by the cringe on his face when he died. My left foot quickly kicked the intestines away after, kicking it into the face of an oncoming enemy. The enemy was blinded by the string-like muscle, giving my body the opportunity to strike. It sliced at the base of his arms, rendering him armless, and then it struck the base of his neck. Three different streams of blood sprayed violently after, tainting my entire body. My body had not cared, it just continued fighting. I had lost track of Kenshin as my body fought, and eventually the some of the enemy began to back away.

"Mina, go after them!" my squad leader ordered as he and some of my allies fought the remaining Bakufu.

"Hai," my body responded without my input.

I was now chasing down the four that had ran. I had instantly lost sight of them as I chased them, their white bandanas must've now been discarded. I still couldn't control my own body, but I was still able to sense the enemy. They were hiding close by, two to my right, and two to my left, hiding behind the shrubbery. Then they all came from each angle in the same instant. It would've been my death if it were myself controlling my body, but again, it acted on it's own. It somehow jumped to the peaks of the bamboo forest, and I was plummeting down, my katana's edge leading the way.

"Ryu-Tsui," it screamed as the blade broke through one man's skull, "Shou-Sen!" the blade slid against the skin of the next man's neck and sliced off his lower jaw.

The other two took a step back and crimson rivers oozed from the broken heads. More red had painted me and my body did not care. Then it reacted on it's own again, spiraling towards the soldier on my right.

"Ryu-Kan-Sen-Arashi!" it screamed as the blade quickly diced through the enemy.

I turned toward the remaining soldier and he began to run in the opposite direction. I began to chase again, but I had lost him in the darkness. I found him again though, he was paralyzed by a flame glowing before him. The flame rested on a glimmer of steel, and holding that steel was a man, one I had never seen before. A sharp chin, hair as brown as mud and tied in the same manner as Kenshin's and mine, and eyes as red as blood itself. It was then that I regained control of my body, only now I was paralyzed with the same fear my enemy had. The mysterious man then plunged his burning blade into the man's heart, and left it in there for a few seconds, the fire burning his heart as it did so. With a grin on his face a few seconds later, the man withdrew his blade from the enemy soldier, the body quickly collapsing afterward. The fire was still burning on his blade as he turned to face me. He whipped his blade to the side, the fire had died, and then he began to approach me.

Wherever he stepped, the snow had melted to the impression of his foot. That grin never left his face as he approached me. He stopped when his body was directly next to mine, a few centimeters to my left, that grin still on his face.

"You forgot something," the man said, pointing to the corpse of the enemy soldier.

I quickly turned around to find the man disappearing into the forest, his foot steps continuing to melt the snow as he walked. I stood there frozen again, remaining in that same spot until my brother had arrived.

"Mina, are you all right?" he asked once he found me.

"...Hai...," I quickly answered once I realized he was there.

"Mina, you've gotten blood all over you," Kenshin began wiping some of the substance away although most of it was already dry. "Well, I'm glad you're all right," Kenshin said after giving up, "let's go back and give you a bath."

"Hai, that would be nice," I said, placing a fake smile on my face as I did so.

As Kenshin, the squad, and I walked out of the forest, I couldn't notice my own reflection in the melted snow that man had made. It seemed normal at first, but in a split second, there was a grin on it's face. A sinister grin, one similar to Jin'eh's. My mouth was stretched from ear-to-ear, my teeth visible close to my lips, and those eyes, they weren't mine. Eyes as bright as the sun, those yellow eyes, how they frightened me. I quickly clung onto my brother once I saw those eyes, burying my face in his shoulder.

"Mina, what's the matter?" he asked.

"My eyes," I answered, tightening the grip on my brother's sleeve, "they're..."

"I don't see anything wrong with them," he said as he lifted my chin to face him.

Peering in to his, I could see my reflection. They were no longer yellow, lavender as they always were, and there was no grin on it.

"It must've been my imagination," I told myself after seeing this.

"Do they hurt or something?" Kenshin asked, still peering into my eyes.

"No, I guess I'm... kinda sleepy," I answered.

That reflection of me, it still haunts me to this very day. The grin and those eyes, they were no figment of my imagination, they were real, they weren't mine, they were her's, the Hitokiri Kensai.

Chapter 11 Liner Notes

What was wrong with Shion when Mina was still in the Satsuma camp?- You'll find out why, but for now let's just say it has to do with this 'Keisuke' character she mentioned. Oh, and she wasn't in the squad when Mina and Kenshin attacked the Bakufu soldiers.

Who are the 'Bakufu'?- The Bakufu are the Shogunate's army, the Shinsengumi, however, were basically the police of the Shogunate, not actual soldiers of the Shogunate.

What was with Mina when she couldn't control her body?- Just like how Kenshin has his whole "Battousai-mode" thing, Mina has her "Kensai-mode" when she's been angered enough, but unlike her brother, she can go into this mode if she fights for an extended period of time (at least in this part of the story).

Who was that guy with the 'burning sword'?- Who else could it be, it was Shishio (he hasn't been burned yet so he's still the hitokiri for the Cho Shu Clan).

(Next time: "I have met another creature as I am pulled further into this world, a creature by the name of Shishio Makoto. The fires of hell coarse through his veins and through his talons of steel, cutting and searing all that he claws. Another creature has come into his territory other than myself, one who's presence could possibly douse the flames..." -Himura Mina)

Author's Note: Hope that wasn't too violent, heck, it grossed me out when I read over it. Hopefully you guys will still enjoy the story despite these violent descriptions (sorry to say, but it will get a bit more violent until chapter 14 I think, then it begins to tone down a little after). Anyway, please leave me a review, but not a flame (actually, I'll make a small exception this time, if it's about the violence, then tell me so I can tone it down for later chapters). Oh, and I'd like to thank Emiri-chan for reviewing nearly every chapter, your reviews inspire me to continue writing and posting and hopefully you'll still read this fic even with it's new violent content.