Pain Freak
Ronin Setora
Part Three

* Recap *
Just before passing out, Kyuumei whispered to himself, 
"I... should seek my pleasure elsewhere... than with these... amateurs. B... 
Battou-sai... I'm... com-"

------------------------------

"It seems I still have allies among my peers."

Kyuumei dropped the coded letter into the river and walked away slowly, his mind 
fully focused on the hours ahead. The letter was a simple one, though 
written in a code known best by the Nibu Wolves, and contained few words. It 
covered the Shinsengumi plans for the evening- a plot had been developed to 
finally be rid of Himura Kenshin the Ishin Shadow; Kyuumei planned otherwise.

Chi stashed his tanto in his gi and refit his katana in his sash- Battousai was his 
and his only.

*

Firey red hair hung over sake turned pale and cold. Pained face, scrunched 
together in resistance against his second mind. 

"Come on... we must be ...RID of those fools!" the Battousai screamed 
throughout Himura's mind.

As the strong energies grew nearer, Kenshin dragged his unwilling body away to 
the back exit into the alleyway. Shinsengumi were coming for him, he knew, but 
his heart was not in battle that evening. While he fled through the streets, far 
away from the bar in which the Nibu Wolves had come to find him, he noted how 
each day it grew harder to fight and slay such men without feeling. It was odd 
that he might find compassion for those that would wish him dead and body hung 
from the side of... 

Himura shook his head of thoughts and continued to run, a desperate attempt 
once again to escape Kyoto and its rivers of blood which gradually flooded his 
lungs.

The fullest night finally fell upon Himura and shielded him from his pursuers until 
he could fully be free of them. Things had grown far too complicated in his own 
mind to continue dealing with the Shinsengumi.

The following morning, his hair unkempt from a restless, sleepless night, a tired 
and beaten Hitokiri stood before Kogoro Katsura under blinding sunlight and far 
from the wails of torment that were the city. The two found themselves on a 
small stretch of open field just outside Kyoto near the eastern side and both were 
silent, considering the issue at hand. 

Moments before, the Hitokiri had made his point simple and clear... 

"I cannot do this right now Katsura-san," Himura spoke quietly to his master, 
discouraged at his own words.

"You are troubled by something, Himura?"

It had always been of Kogoro Katsura to be concerned over those he led, now 
being no exception, but to be so perceptive, how could he miss the problems that 
tormented Kenshin?

"His demons have come for him... I knew as much would transpire eventually. 
But what a loss it would be to no longer have his skills," thought the Choshu 
Samurai to himself. "Nomatter, his sanity is of the utmost importance, over all 
else. Who knows he just may..."

His thoughts were cut off as Himura spoke again,

"I am not abandoning you, Katsura-san. However," Himura pondered the best 
phrasing of his words for a moment and continued, "I need a bit of leave to sort 
out a greater problem."

He and his noble master knew in both their individual minds the problems Himura 
faced- not only was the Battousai's blood craving growing stronger with each 
day, the slayer of the Shinsengumi seemed to be focusing his attacks now 
and might be pursuing a greater opponent. Katsura, noted to himself "greater 
opponent" could extend beyond just the Shinsengumi forces and his Shadow was 
critical to the revolution- he would need to be protected in some way.

"Himura," Katsura finally spoke, breaking the deafening silence, "dissappear. 
Come back when the time is right."

Himura Kenshin was dismissed and faded into the city without a trace. In the 
moments thereafter, Katsura was still motionless before heaving a deep sigh and 
proceeded about a back route to one of his safehouses.

*

Chi sat in utter and deathly silence, his table furthest in the corner against the 
wall, nearest the window that led to the alleyway and his swords still tucked 
through his belt. He sat on the edge of his seat and his eyes were those of a 
frightened rabbit awaiting a death it had expected for what seemed like hours. 
However, his body was not tense and his breathing was not rapid- the image of 
the boy, from a distance, was of no more than a Samurai having finally reached 
peace. 

Chi's mind, unlike his body, was not nearly so devoid of anxiety. His more recent 
wounds from the Wolves the two nights before had done more damage than he 
imagined. When he had finally awoken unto conciousness, a sharp pain came 
through his leg, this pain not like the rest. He could enjoy and revel in pain 
usually; something about this was odd, threatening in some way. At a closer 
inspection, done by most gruesome means, Kyuumei discovered he had 
nearly lost his leg to a cut wound; though the turnakit he applied saved his leg, 
his movements were no longer so fluid as would be required of one with 
intention to destroy the ultimate adversary.

And indeed, to Kyuumei Chi, former Shinsengumi swordsman, the Battousai 
Himura Kenshin was the ultimate adversary. 

"How many before have encountered the Ishin Shadow and died at his blade?" 
Chi wondered for a moment. He snorted, "Far too many of lesser skill than I."

Confidence turned arrogant consumed him and he slowly developed his plan to 
remove the Battousai from the world. 

"No one should bring about the end of the sword, much less a hypocrite as he 
that would use one to do so!" shouted Chi as he exited the building and 
proceeded to his common inn. Much preparation would be required to deal battle 
with the Kage no Ishin.

*

Himura somehow found himself along the same bridge he had come across so 
long ago. His feelings were no different and his mind was determined to leave, to 
be done with the blood-soaked Hell entirely. Something about the city was 
holding him still, though. Nomatter how he tried to convince his body to take 
those last steps across the bridge and to freedom, he somehow knew he could 
not be free of the place.

"Sin..." Kenshin mumbled to himself. 

"To a city of Sin am I bound... by my Sins." 

Battousai concentrated in silence on his weaker spirit's words- something about 
them was haunting even to the demon. Kenshin's spirit and will grew less and less 
as the days went on; he would soon be nothing if time continued as it was.

"You are bothered, still, by that warrior. Why not be rid of him?" Battousai 
hissed into Kenshin's mind.

Himura shut his eyes and turned back toward Kyoto. His steps were slow, 
unsure, and fearful, much unlike those of the boy he once was. 

Battousai noted Himura was coming to doubt his natural skills when the weaker 
spirit queried, 
"Am I... strong enough?"

The kage in Himura took over the body, meeting little resistance in the process. 
He drew Kenshin's short sword and held the blade toward his stomach, his grip 
on the hilt firm with both hands. Slowly, Battousai brought the blade nearer and 
nearer Himura's flesh until finally his spirit flared. 

"Of course we are strong enough to win," hissed Battousai, back to referring to 
them as a whole, "because we cannot die yet, you see?"

For the very first time, Himura Kenshin felt bound to his ultimate Sin and did not 
regret it. Something had to happen and soon- motivation never lasted long.

*

Katsura stood wide-eyed at the boy before him. 

"That... that is utter INSANITY! Such things would not be told to you; in any 
case, you have no business here."

The boy flipped his silver hair from his line of vision and whispered, 

"You are quite wrong to that point, Kogoro Katsura. My business here is of the 
utmost importance and you will give me the information I desire, even if at the 
cost of your life."

The boy's voice was smooth, without doubt, the voice of a killer through-and-
through. Katsura did not waver at the threat, rather, placed his own hand upon 
his hilt and stared deep into the child's eyes. 

"I am bound by honor to protect my men and my clan as well as both's secrets. 
You do not influence me to do otherwise; should you care to test my resolve, 
come now unto ..." Katsura drew his sword and assumed stance, "...MY 
BLADE!!!" 

Katsura rushed the boy and came upon him with his fullest strength, pushing his 
skills to the limit. It was ironic to him, that he promised to never again draw his 
sword in order to protect Himura's spirit but was forced to do so now to protect 
Himura's life and nomatter how it was viewed, his sword was useless against 
children.

As the Choshu swordsman's blade came down in a perfect-form downward arc, 
Kyuumei waited patiently and guarded using the tsuba-hilt joint of his katana. 
Just as he began to ward Katsura's strike in another direction in order to battou 
the man, another blade appeared suddenly and tore Chi and Katsura apart. 
Between them now stood an obstacle neither had expected.

The newcomer faced Kyuumei with a cold, amber stare as his blazing red hair 
shined further in the evening twilight. He spread his legs, lowered his hips, 
straightened his back and raised the tip of his sword to eye level. Face 
expressionless and form without flaw, the intruding warrior awaited attack.

Chi's silver eyes glazed over a deep blood red as his silver hair fell across his right 
eye. Light danced off his hair in fear and long shadows were cast as the last of 
the sun faded into the mountains to the west. He squared his shoulders, fully 
drew his blade and took a deep, slow breath. Finally, the time had come.

Katsura stood behind his savior, mouth agape and eyes wide. Sweat poured from 
his brow and into his eyes, his breath was ragged and uneven. His behavior was 
much unlike the Samurai he was but as he blinked to clear his vision, both the 
children were gone into the air to begin a duel akin to the war of the Gods...

~ matsu kudasai, minna-sama...

June 08, 2003, 1:34 AM 
Setora

// post notes
Sorry to cut off like that, however, I feel it would be better to devote an entire 
chapter to such an epic battle, eh? 
Be patient as inspiration could hit anytime. Please review, everyone. 
Go on, make a prediction about the first strike, we all know it is the most 
important...