The arena was erupting with shouts and cheers. All around the
coliseum, spectators were standing to their feat, anticipating another
match. Indeed there would be.
The formation of Roman soldiers that were standing in the arena was now widening, the men backing themselves to the arena's circular wall. Bright sunlight glared off of their armor, forcing the nervous men on the balcony to squint. If the sight of the soldiers wasn't frightening enough, they could also see the two girls, both heavily guarded against the opposite arena wall. Even at such a distance, the terror in their eyes was clear. Conway was being pushed towards the wall to join them. The ex-marine's body was badly beaten, and he nearly collapsed under the jolts coming from the soldiers behind him.
Lance grimaced at the sight.all he cared about right now was getting to the woman he loved, and to his friends.but he couldn't. All he could do was put his faith in God and trust the boy in the arena below him.
Standing with quiet confidence, Kenshin kept his stare fixed on the man called Mystovich. He knew that words would do no good here. The only thing left to do was fight. Kenshin moved his left hand to the neck of his sheath and gripped it tightly. He'd have to kill again.
Kale Mystovich certainly was through with words. He wanted this battle so bad he could taste it. With a grim satisfaction, he slid his sheath behind his leather belt. Wasting no time, he gripped the hilt firmly, glaring hard at the battousai waiting for him.
Kenshin readied himself as well. He stepped forward into the familiar battle stance, his right hand resting readily above the hilt of his katana. With a focused determination, Kenshin stared at his opponent.
From the balcony, the three men from the future watched nervously. The stare down that was taking place below them seemed to go on forever. Lance wiped his forehead, taking in the frightening scene and hoping beyond hope that Kenshin would pull through.
The jeering crowd suddenly hushed. The two swordsmen had disappeared in swirling clouds of dust and dirt.
Steel collided with steel as the two attacks met. A spark flew as Kenshin pushed hard against the other man's blade. His opponent was incredibly strong. The young samurai found himself struggling to hold his ground. Behind the two warring blades of steel, Mystovich glared back with a wicked grin. The Russian mercenary pushed Kenshin backwards, and then charged him at full speed.
Kenshin braced himself and blocked the attack. Once his opponent's momentum had been stopped, Kenshin pivoted on his left foot and spun his body around. He swung his blade with as much force as he could muster, but found his attack blocked by the general's katana. His opponent, despite being weighed down by armor, was fast.very fast. Kenshin barely had time to readjust his footing before he had to parry a swipe from his foe's blade.
Mystovich didn't need to readjust anything. He continued his fury of attacks, forcing the smaller fighter to use up all of his strength just to keep from getting skewered. This was the legendary battousai? He snickered as he continued his assault.
Lance looked down on the fight anxiously. The two samurai were moving at insane speeds. Even from the balcony, the match was hard to follow. But despite the speed of the two fighters, Lance found a lump forming in his throat. Kenshin was having a hard time with this one.
Indeed Kenshin was having difficulty, but he knew why. He'd gotten so used to the lethargic Roman soldiers that he'd unknowingly dropped his guard. Fighting a real hitokiri in such a state was not a good idea. Determined to regain his focus, Kenshin began to gradually give more attention to his opponent's actions, and emotions.
Kenshin blocked an overhead attack from Mystovich, leaving his opponent's midsection wide open. A swift kick to the breastplate, and the large samurai was stumbling backwards. This gave Kenshin time to charge him with blinding speed. Mystovich barely managed to get his blade in front of him in time. Crack! The two blades met with great force, erupting yet another cloud of dust. It rippled away from them, leaving the two samurai once again in a battle of strength.
Mystovich found himself grimacing. The battousai was now living up to his reputation. Still, he loved the challenge, and the thought of claiming the trophy of the strongest fueled his desire to kill.
The Russian mercenary pushed Kenshin back slightly, and then jumped backwards by a few yards. The two samurai stared each other down for another second before they both lunged forward again. Attack after attack came from both men, sending up clouds of dust as they battled around the arena. Kenshin blocked a horizontal swipe, and then gave back one of his own.
Mystovich blocked it and tried a direct thrust. His attack hit thin air as Kenshin spun around the blade. He continued his movement, trying hard to connect with the other man's back. But Mystovich again proved his quickness, as he pulled his sword over his head and blocked the attack with his blade. Before the battousai could move, Mystovich spun his right leg around and drove his boot hard into the young boy's chest.
Kenshin landed on his back, pain shooting up his spine. The blow had knocked the wind out of him, making it hard to breathe. Even on the ground however, Kenshin could see the smirk on his opponent's face.
"By the way," said Mystovich. "I'm a master of kempo as well."
With the air returning to him and the pain subsiding, Kenshin stood to his feet. His stare was still one of determination.
"I've noticed," Kenshin said.
From atop the balcony, Lance, Nick, and Mark all watched the battle with apprehension. The outcome of this match was uncertain, which meant the future was uncertain. Whether they lived or died depended on the young boy in that arena. Lance looked over toward the girls. They weren't being harmed, but the soldiers keeping them cowering against the wall were certainly frightening. He'd never be able to rescue them on his own. He needed Kenshin's help. With more prayer, he turned back to the two men in the arena.
"Come on, Kenshin", Lance whispered to himself.
Kenshin, as if hearing those words, disappeared. He moved at such speed that only Mystovich saw the attack coming.but it wasn't a normal strike. A battle cry resonated from the charging battousai.
"Do-ryu-sen!!!"
Kenshin swung his blade upward from the ground, sending a line of exploding dirt towards the large samurai. The blow struck Mystovich with extreme force, sending him tumbling to the ground. The mercenary rolled backward several times before flipping and landing on his feet.
With his sword still held high, Kenshin watched as his opponent righted himself. To withstand such an attack meant that the man must have incredible strength and stamina. This fight was turning into one of the toughest he'd ever had. Suddenly Kenshin's eyes widened. Mystovich had stepped into a familiar stance.
The Russian mercenary deepened his stance, leaning heavily on his back foot. With a crooked smile, he held his sword tightly and raised it high. The blade came up to his head, and then pointed straight at Kenshin. With his free arm, Mystovich extended his hand to guide the tip of his blade as he eyed up the battousai. This was the infamous attack that his budo was famous for.and it was unbeatable.
"My turn," shouted Mystovich.
The mercenary launched forward with godlike speed, erupting a blaze of dirt and dust behind him. Kenshin stared hard, knowing that the attack was coming insanely fast. He swung his blade hard and managed to deflect the sword of his opponent. The feeling of success soon left as a spinning kick drove the boy backwards and to the ground. More pain ran throughout Kenshin's body as he clutched his sword. From behind him, he could hear laughter.
"That my friend," the mercenary explained with a sinister grin, "is my favorite attack - the gatotsu. Even if the enemy blocks the sword, their body is left completely open. You can't beat it, Battousai."
Kenshin exhaled, freeing his lungs once more. He ignored his pain and stood to his feet again, only to see the Russian backing up. His foe was preparing for another attack. Kenshin had heard of this technique, and knew that his opponent was right. It was nearly impossible to avoid.nearly. With his sword held firmly, Kenshin again prepared for the onslaught.
This time, however, Mystovich's stance was slightly different. By attacking with the blade at a different angle, the timing of the battousai's attempt to dodge it would be thrown off. He'd get it this time. Mystovich disappeared.
Again, the arena floor billowed forth in the wake of the charging mercenary. His powerful leg muscles propelled him almost instantly to the waiting boy.
Kenshin caught the gleam of the sun from the blade of the katana. It was at a different angle than before, slightly elevated at the hands. The attack would come for the midsection. It came sooner than expected, and Kenshin had to use all of his speed and strength to parry the blade. Again, a strong foot drove Kenshin into the air. The young warrior tumbled quickly backwards, and then righted himself by flipping onto his feet. He felt excruciating pain in his chest, and blood was now dripping from his mouth. But Kenshin had not lost his determined stare.
The Russian had once again returned to the center of the ring. His wicked grin portrayed his arrogant pride. To Kenshin, he was an ignorant fool. The way of the samurai was not to fight or kill for pride or glory. It was to protect the people, and the way of life in which they lived. This man before him wanted nothing but blood. If he won, then the men on the balcony, and the girls being held prisoner, would be slain. They were counted on him, and he would not fail them.
Time stood still as Kenshin saw Mystovich prepare for yet another version of this infamous attack. Kenshin's chest was screaming in pain.but not because of any physical injury. He saw the two women being held captive against the far wall. They reminded him.reminded him of her. The pain he felt from that loss was one he would not let Lance go through. He would not lose this fight.
Mystovich shot forward with a speed much faster than the previous attacks. The arena shook from his powerful assault. With a battle shout from hell, he lunged his sword right at the chest of the battousai..
Kenshin had disappeared completely.
The large samurai gripped his sword tightly with both hands. Quickly, he spun around in all directions, searching wildly for the prey that had eluded him. The sun hit the white sand, forcing him to squint. Murmurs and cries echoed from the spectators in the stands, but Mystovich saw nothing. He frantically turned this way and that. Where had the boy gone?
Kenshin stared at his opponent. Gripping his sword tightly and holding it high above his head, the battousai tightened his determined visage and prepared himself.
The mercenary abruptly stopped moving. He felt a shadow. With surprised fright, Mystovich turned his gaze straight up into the sky to see -
A silhouette of fierce warrior, his arms raised high, muscles tightened with rage. A deafening roar came from the descending reaper.
"RYU-TSUI-SEN!!!!!"
Mystovich brought his sword up quickly to block the incoming attack, only to hear the steel blade crack and shatter. A sharp pain pinged in his scalp.and then all became black.
Kenshin drove his blade downward with all his might. The steel screeched to a halt as it sliced into the arena floor. When the motion had stopped, Kenshin remained perfectly still. In front of him was Mystovich, still in a blocking position.
A stream of blood trickled down from the large man's forehead. Slowly, a long slit appeared down the front of his nose. The lips and chin began to separate. The breastplate snapped in half and fell to the ground as blood burst forth from the separating torso. Soon the left and right sides of Mystovich's body were being pulled away from each other, spilling blood and organs onto the red sand. The two halves of bloody flesh hit the arena floor with a thud.and then all became silent.
With a sickening disgust, Kenshin turned away from the gruesome sight. The horror of killing with such brutality nearly overcame him. Breathing heavily now, Kenshin trudged around the mutilated corpse and focused his gaze on the many soldiers that were standing in front of the three prisoners. To his surprise, they were all stepped to the side, parting in the middle to allow the boy free access to the prisoners.
Kenshin heard the three men behind him as they all dropped from the balcony. Mark hand to turn away from the pile of gore before him, but Lance and Nick were both running to catch up with Kenshin. Once all four men were together, they began walking toward Conway and the girls. Though the most powerful foe was defeated, there were still over a hundred Roman soldiers to think about.
But Kenshin saw something in their eyes.respect. Whether it was out of fear, or because he had proven himself the greatest warrior, they were not going to attack him. Perhaps they did have honor after all. He pondered these thoughts as the four men continued towards the three relieved prisoners.
The formation of Roman soldiers that were standing in the arena was now widening, the men backing themselves to the arena's circular wall. Bright sunlight glared off of their armor, forcing the nervous men on the balcony to squint. If the sight of the soldiers wasn't frightening enough, they could also see the two girls, both heavily guarded against the opposite arena wall. Even at such a distance, the terror in their eyes was clear. Conway was being pushed towards the wall to join them. The ex-marine's body was badly beaten, and he nearly collapsed under the jolts coming from the soldiers behind him.
Lance grimaced at the sight.all he cared about right now was getting to the woman he loved, and to his friends.but he couldn't. All he could do was put his faith in God and trust the boy in the arena below him.
Standing with quiet confidence, Kenshin kept his stare fixed on the man called Mystovich. He knew that words would do no good here. The only thing left to do was fight. Kenshin moved his left hand to the neck of his sheath and gripped it tightly. He'd have to kill again.
Kale Mystovich certainly was through with words. He wanted this battle so bad he could taste it. With a grim satisfaction, he slid his sheath behind his leather belt. Wasting no time, he gripped the hilt firmly, glaring hard at the battousai waiting for him.
Kenshin readied himself as well. He stepped forward into the familiar battle stance, his right hand resting readily above the hilt of his katana. With a focused determination, Kenshin stared at his opponent.
From the balcony, the three men from the future watched nervously. The stare down that was taking place below them seemed to go on forever. Lance wiped his forehead, taking in the frightening scene and hoping beyond hope that Kenshin would pull through.
The jeering crowd suddenly hushed. The two swordsmen had disappeared in swirling clouds of dust and dirt.
Steel collided with steel as the two attacks met. A spark flew as Kenshin pushed hard against the other man's blade. His opponent was incredibly strong. The young samurai found himself struggling to hold his ground. Behind the two warring blades of steel, Mystovich glared back with a wicked grin. The Russian mercenary pushed Kenshin backwards, and then charged him at full speed.
Kenshin braced himself and blocked the attack. Once his opponent's momentum had been stopped, Kenshin pivoted on his left foot and spun his body around. He swung his blade with as much force as he could muster, but found his attack blocked by the general's katana. His opponent, despite being weighed down by armor, was fast.very fast. Kenshin barely had time to readjust his footing before he had to parry a swipe from his foe's blade.
Mystovich didn't need to readjust anything. He continued his fury of attacks, forcing the smaller fighter to use up all of his strength just to keep from getting skewered. This was the legendary battousai? He snickered as he continued his assault.
Lance looked down on the fight anxiously. The two samurai were moving at insane speeds. Even from the balcony, the match was hard to follow. But despite the speed of the two fighters, Lance found a lump forming in his throat. Kenshin was having a hard time with this one.
Indeed Kenshin was having difficulty, but he knew why. He'd gotten so used to the lethargic Roman soldiers that he'd unknowingly dropped his guard. Fighting a real hitokiri in such a state was not a good idea. Determined to regain his focus, Kenshin began to gradually give more attention to his opponent's actions, and emotions.
Kenshin blocked an overhead attack from Mystovich, leaving his opponent's midsection wide open. A swift kick to the breastplate, and the large samurai was stumbling backwards. This gave Kenshin time to charge him with blinding speed. Mystovich barely managed to get his blade in front of him in time. Crack! The two blades met with great force, erupting yet another cloud of dust. It rippled away from them, leaving the two samurai once again in a battle of strength.
Mystovich found himself grimacing. The battousai was now living up to his reputation. Still, he loved the challenge, and the thought of claiming the trophy of the strongest fueled his desire to kill.
The Russian mercenary pushed Kenshin back slightly, and then jumped backwards by a few yards. The two samurai stared each other down for another second before they both lunged forward again. Attack after attack came from both men, sending up clouds of dust as they battled around the arena. Kenshin blocked a horizontal swipe, and then gave back one of his own.
Mystovich blocked it and tried a direct thrust. His attack hit thin air as Kenshin spun around the blade. He continued his movement, trying hard to connect with the other man's back. But Mystovich again proved his quickness, as he pulled his sword over his head and blocked the attack with his blade. Before the battousai could move, Mystovich spun his right leg around and drove his boot hard into the young boy's chest.
Kenshin landed on his back, pain shooting up his spine. The blow had knocked the wind out of him, making it hard to breathe. Even on the ground however, Kenshin could see the smirk on his opponent's face.
"By the way," said Mystovich. "I'm a master of kempo as well."
With the air returning to him and the pain subsiding, Kenshin stood to his feet. His stare was still one of determination.
"I've noticed," Kenshin said.
From atop the balcony, Lance, Nick, and Mark all watched the battle with apprehension. The outcome of this match was uncertain, which meant the future was uncertain. Whether they lived or died depended on the young boy in that arena. Lance looked over toward the girls. They weren't being harmed, but the soldiers keeping them cowering against the wall were certainly frightening. He'd never be able to rescue them on his own. He needed Kenshin's help. With more prayer, he turned back to the two men in the arena.
"Come on, Kenshin", Lance whispered to himself.
Kenshin, as if hearing those words, disappeared. He moved at such speed that only Mystovich saw the attack coming.but it wasn't a normal strike. A battle cry resonated from the charging battousai.
"Do-ryu-sen!!!"
Kenshin swung his blade upward from the ground, sending a line of exploding dirt towards the large samurai. The blow struck Mystovich with extreme force, sending him tumbling to the ground. The mercenary rolled backward several times before flipping and landing on his feet.
With his sword still held high, Kenshin watched as his opponent righted himself. To withstand such an attack meant that the man must have incredible strength and stamina. This fight was turning into one of the toughest he'd ever had. Suddenly Kenshin's eyes widened. Mystovich had stepped into a familiar stance.
The Russian mercenary deepened his stance, leaning heavily on his back foot. With a crooked smile, he held his sword tightly and raised it high. The blade came up to his head, and then pointed straight at Kenshin. With his free arm, Mystovich extended his hand to guide the tip of his blade as he eyed up the battousai. This was the infamous attack that his budo was famous for.and it was unbeatable.
"My turn," shouted Mystovich.
The mercenary launched forward with godlike speed, erupting a blaze of dirt and dust behind him. Kenshin stared hard, knowing that the attack was coming insanely fast. He swung his blade hard and managed to deflect the sword of his opponent. The feeling of success soon left as a spinning kick drove the boy backwards and to the ground. More pain ran throughout Kenshin's body as he clutched his sword. From behind him, he could hear laughter.
"That my friend," the mercenary explained with a sinister grin, "is my favorite attack - the gatotsu. Even if the enemy blocks the sword, their body is left completely open. You can't beat it, Battousai."
Kenshin exhaled, freeing his lungs once more. He ignored his pain and stood to his feet again, only to see the Russian backing up. His foe was preparing for another attack. Kenshin had heard of this technique, and knew that his opponent was right. It was nearly impossible to avoid.nearly. With his sword held firmly, Kenshin again prepared for the onslaught.
This time, however, Mystovich's stance was slightly different. By attacking with the blade at a different angle, the timing of the battousai's attempt to dodge it would be thrown off. He'd get it this time. Mystovich disappeared.
Again, the arena floor billowed forth in the wake of the charging mercenary. His powerful leg muscles propelled him almost instantly to the waiting boy.
Kenshin caught the gleam of the sun from the blade of the katana. It was at a different angle than before, slightly elevated at the hands. The attack would come for the midsection. It came sooner than expected, and Kenshin had to use all of his speed and strength to parry the blade. Again, a strong foot drove Kenshin into the air. The young warrior tumbled quickly backwards, and then righted himself by flipping onto his feet. He felt excruciating pain in his chest, and blood was now dripping from his mouth. But Kenshin had not lost his determined stare.
The Russian had once again returned to the center of the ring. His wicked grin portrayed his arrogant pride. To Kenshin, he was an ignorant fool. The way of the samurai was not to fight or kill for pride or glory. It was to protect the people, and the way of life in which they lived. This man before him wanted nothing but blood. If he won, then the men on the balcony, and the girls being held prisoner, would be slain. They were counted on him, and he would not fail them.
Time stood still as Kenshin saw Mystovich prepare for yet another version of this infamous attack. Kenshin's chest was screaming in pain.but not because of any physical injury. He saw the two women being held captive against the far wall. They reminded him.reminded him of her. The pain he felt from that loss was one he would not let Lance go through. He would not lose this fight.
Mystovich shot forward with a speed much faster than the previous attacks. The arena shook from his powerful assault. With a battle shout from hell, he lunged his sword right at the chest of the battousai..
Kenshin had disappeared completely.
The large samurai gripped his sword tightly with both hands. Quickly, he spun around in all directions, searching wildly for the prey that had eluded him. The sun hit the white sand, forcing him to squint. Murmurs and cries echoed from the spectators in the stands, but Mystovich saw nothing. He frantically turned this way and that. Where had the boy gone?
Kenshin stared at his opponent. Gripping his sword tightly and holding it high above his head, the battousai tightened his determined visage and prepared himself.
The mercenary abruptly stopped moving. He felt a shadow. With surprised fright, Mystovich turned his gaze straight up into the sky to see -
A silhouette of fierce warrior, his arms raised high, muscles tightened with rage. A deafening roar came from the descending reaper.
"RYU-TSUI-SEN!!!!!"
Mystovich brought his sword up quickly to block the incoming attack, only to hear the steel blade crack and shatter. A sharp pain pinged in his scalp.and then all became black.
Kenshin drove his blade downward with all his might. The steel screeched to a halt as it sliced into the arena floor. When the motion had stopped, Kenshin remained perfectly still. In front of him was Mystovich, still in a blocking position.
A stream of blood trickled down from the large man's forehead. Slowly, a long slit appeared down the front of his nose. The lips and chin began to separate. The breastplate snapped in half and fell to the ground as blood burst forth from the separating torso. Soon the left and right sides of Mystovich's body were being pulled away from each other, spilling blood and organs onto the red sand. The two halves of bloody flesh hit the arena floor with a thud.and then all became silent.
With a sickening disgust, Kenshin turned away from the gruesome sight. The horror of killing with such brutality nearly overcame him. Breathing heavily now, Kenshin trudged around the mutilated corpse and focused his gaze on the many soldiers that were standing in front of the three prisoners. To his surprise, they were all stepped to the side, parting in the middle to allow the boy free access to the prisoners.
Kenshin heard the three men behind him as they all dropped from the balcony. Mark hand to turn away from the pile of gore before him, but Lance and Nick were both running to catch up with Kenshin. Once all four men were together, they began walking toward Conway and the girls. Though the most powerful foe was defeated, there were still over a hundred Roman soldiers to think about.
But Kenshin saw something in their eyes.respect. Whether it was out of fear, or because he had proven himself the greatest warrior, they were not going to attack him. Perhaps they did have honor after all. He pondered these thoughts as the four men continued towards the three relieved prisoners.