This fic takes place after the Kyoto Arc. All characters belong to Shonen Jump and creator Nobuhiro Watsuki. I am not making any money off of this.
The Dreamer and the Manslayer
By Maria Cline
It had been a very merry day. Kaoru nearly giggled as her friends gathered together with a surprise party. Today is her eighteenth birthday and they remembered. Kenshin cooked up a marvelous meal comprising of various different foods that included a few western types that she really liked. Yahiko got her a beautiful kimono with a matching ribbon. Sano got her a set of new bokkens. How he could afford those, she would rather not find out. Megumi gave her a deluxe makeup kit and some instructions on how to use it. The only one whose gift has not been opened was Dr. Gensai's.
Kaoru tensed as the old man knelt down and gave her the box. The box was something special she can feel it. "Your father told me that if anything were to happen to him, I should give you this on your eighteenth birthday. I don't know what it is myself but I do know that it was his desire for you to share it with the ones you trusted the most."
The woman gazed around at her friends. Most of them had shady pasts they were somewhat ashamed of. They made mistakes in their lives and yet she trusts them with her life. "Might as well open it now." She said as she carefully lifted the lid up and it revealed a scroll. The girl sniffed as she thought of her beloved father sending this farewell message. With shaking hands, she picked up the scroll and read it, "To my beloved daughter, Kaoru, if you are reading this then I am gone. I pray that you know how much I love you and that you mean everything to me. I also believe that now you are mature enough to know the truth of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Style and how it was founded. No one must know about this or the style's honor may be tarnished forever. Please do not believe the style itself is tainted, I founded it with pure beliefs and hopes everyone will use it someday. I waited until this time in hopes you can understand how it was founded and why."
Kaoru paused as she glanced up. Yahiko was sitting up staring at her. He wanted to know this dark secret of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu. After all, he was Kaoru's apprentice; he had a right to know. Dr. Gensai was also eager to find out what was the secret his old friend had kept after all these years. Sano and Megumi were also interested. Then, she noticed someone was missing. "Where's Kenshin?"
"Who cares? Just read it!" Yahiko demanded, "We'll tell him when he gets back."
Kaoru sighed feeling disappointed that Kenshin had ran off like this. It wasn't like him to just run off, unless someone was in danger or he was hiding something. She looked at the scroll and read on, "I had help and inspiration from a man whom no one would suspect. Not even I realized how vital he was to helping me found the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, the Sword that Protects. You probably knew him from legends and rumors but I knew him personally. The man who co-founded the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Style was the Hikori Battou...sai?" Silence filled the air as the name echoed in their minds. "KENSHIN!!!"
"WHAT?!"
"No way."
"Should we go and find him?" Megumi asked shocked about Kenshin having such close ties to such a pacifist swordfighting style. True, she knew him to be a peacemaker but how did he help invent such a style without anyone knowing?
"No, he'll come back. Maybe Father will explain what happened." Kaoru said as she unrolled the scroll. "I know that this sounds shocking-"
"That is the understatement of the era." Sano commented.
"But it's true." Kaoru said as the scroll memorized her. Now, it held not only a history of the style she lived for but also the man she desire.
*****
It all began during the Revolution, I was a bodyguard at the time. The streets were red with blood. Not a day goes by that I don't pass a dead body with sword wounds. It made me sick and forced me to even fight harder for a time when you won't have to live through such carnage. I was fighting for you, my precious Kaoru.
I was protecting Lord Agunda of the Isshin Shishi. It was in the middle of the Revolution and tension was high. I managed to protect him but I had avoided killing the attackers. They didn't trust me enough so they partnered me with the legendary manslayer, the Battousai. I heard so many rumors about this man, how he could kill an entire squad of samurai without any of them drawing their swords, how his very name struck fear in anyone who sees him. I was scared and yet intrigued to meet this killer, just to understand why he kills so easily. Even the Isshin Shishi were scared of him. There were whispers about how he had made it rain blood in Kyoto and that he was part demon. A few had even made bets about how long I would last with the Battousai.
Finally, I met the legendary manslayer. My jaw dropped as I fought the urge to gawk. He was small, only coming up to my shoulders, and had long red hair. His face, his body, he was a child. The only thing that seemed to show that he was an assassin was the strange cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.
"I am Hikori Battousai." The boy said formally as he bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Koshijiro."
I bowed back. This boy was not what I had expected. I was expecting someone older. Someone more savage. This boy was polite, delicate looking, and just too young to have a reputation as a manslayer. Then, he looked at me in the eyes and I shivered. He had those golden manslayer eyes that could freeze oceans; his eyes were far older looking than his body. It makes me wonder, does killing make a person age deep within?
We fight together on the battlefields, protecting our lord with our lives. Battousai was incredible. He transformed in front of my eyes from a delicate looking boy into an amber-eyed demon. The way he moved was swift and calculated. I fought myself and focused solely on disabling my opponents. I wasn't as fast or as deadly as the Battousai but I held my own.
In the end, we stood on the battlefield. My opponents were missing some limbs and were unconscious. Battousai's opponents were not so fortunate. His eyes widened as he glanced at me. He stared at me and said, "Your foes are still breathing." I wait for the usual teasing I get from my teammates. In the days of the Revolution, you must kill to win. Then, Battousai smiled slightly at me and walked away.
I was confused about this boy. Did he approve my methods? I could sense something deeper within him struggling to escape. Many were too scared to be around him. I was a little scared myself and yet I knew I had a mission to crack through that mask of the Battousai.
For the next month, I watched him closely. Battousai wasn't as evil as I thought he would be. He was smart, fast, and very clean. When we were not fighting, I saw him cleaning his room and the other rooms as well. No one would dare speak up about him doing woman's work. I suppose no one wanted to make the infamous Battousai angry. He always wore a purple scarf around his neck. He took special care of that scarf making sure it does not get dirty or cut. When he eats, he eats quietly and alone. I offered to eat with him but he just glares at me. I ate with him anyway hearing several people getting away. Nothing happens however; he just stared at me and ate some more. Eventually, we ate together out of habit.
The night was beautiful as me and the Battousai were drinking sake together. The sake was good. We had a night off, which was rare and we talked. Or rather, I talked and he listened. The Battousai was quiet, like if he reveals anything about himself I would be offended.
"What will you do after the war?" Battousai asked as he poured more sake.
"Go back to my wife and daughter." I answered as I drank the sake. We never really talked about our families; I was hesitant to talk to one of the most feared men in Japan about my life outside of the war and the swordsmanship. Yet, I trust him now. I told him my dreams of opening my own dojo and teaching my style to the world. I told him about you, Kaoru, and how you were waiting for me. I babbled about you, more than I should but I was very proud of you, Kaoru.
Finally, I finished and asked, "What about you? What will you do after the war?"
Battousai glanced at me feeling his lavender scarf he wore around his neck. "Stop killing."
I was slightly surprised by the short answer. He was determined to stop killing after the war but for a man who killed as often as he did, it would be a very hard habit to break. After a long moment, I asked, "And?"
"I don't know what else." Battousai stared down and felt that purple scarf he wears all the time. "I am a manslayer, I have no other skills. All I know is that I will not kill again."
I do not know whether it was the sake or the quietness of this conversation. This man was a friend and yet he was a mystery to me. I do not even know his name. "What about your family? The people you left behind to fight? Will you go back to them?"
"My family died of disease when I was a small boy. The man who trained and raised me..." He paused as he downed more sake.
I poured more sake as I tensed up. The swordmaster must have died. That was the fate of most swordmasters these days. Perhaps that is why he left to fight this war without a master.
"I hate him." He finished and I fell over.
"He is still alive?"
"Yes, and on that mountain somewhere. He calls me his idiot apprentice. I have not even finished training with him. I cannot go back to him. Not after what I did."
I was stunned. This boy have not yet fully mastered his swordfighting style and yet managed to be a feared assassin, during puberty. He had such astonishing skill he could do so much more. Yet, all he seemed to know about is how to clean and how to kill others. "I see. You will not kill yourself correct?"
"That would be killing." He tensed up as he held his sword. "May I ask why do you believe that a sword fighting skill that does not kill will survive? The sword is a weapon, it is meant to kill."
"The weapon is only as deadly as the person using it." I replied, "The sword can protect but would not kill."
"A mere dream. No wonder many mocked you for your beliefs. They called you a dreamer." Battousai said as he fingered his cup.
I held back the urge to scream at the Battousai. It was the belief that a sword is a weapon and that killing is natural to it. Most people laughed at my beliefs calling me a 'fake swordsman'. "Then, I am a dreamer. Will you mock me as well?"
"No." Battousai sighed as he put away the sake. "Show me your technique, this so called 'Sword that Protects'." He made it sound like a challenge but it really sounded like a plea. This boy had lived with the concept that a sword kills and the thought of a non-lethal sword fighting style sounded unrealistic and yet appealing to him. I must give this boy hope that it can be done.
The night was dark and we met in the training yards. We had our bokkens ready with our normal swords at our sides. The Battousai made it clear that he did not want to kill me. I do not blame him, he was used to aiming to kill every time. He was after all a manslayer, even for someone so young.
My heart pounded as I saw that look in the Battousai's golden eyes. It was the manslayer's eyes that I see while on the battlefield. Of course, he would fight his hardest, even during training. We stared at each other for a long moment as we paused. Battousai was not used to fighting with a bokken while I was familiar with mine. While he had speed and the will to kill, I had experience and the pure desire to prove to this boy that a sword that does not kill is more powerful than a sword that kills.
He attacked and I fend off his moves. All those battles we had together helped me learn his techniques and anticipate them. I was lucky that he could not do the Battousai moves thanks to the fact that he does not have a sheath. He was fast, so fast it took all I had just to defend myself. I was ready for this battle.
You know that one of the main strengths and concepts of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu style is to turn the opponent's strengths and advantages against him. The Battousai's main strength is his pure speed, perfect for an assassin and taking on groups of people. A one-on-one confrontation with this boy, even with wooden swords could be lethal. He slashed and struck at me waiting for a counterattack but all I did was defend myself. I had to time it right. Minutes passed as the duel continued, I can tell Battousai was getting frustrated. He was used to fights that lasts for only seconds with each person. His blows are coming harder and he was getting angry.
I started to feel tired but I did not back down. My plan was working. You see, Kaoru, a bokken is designed to sharpen every time it is hit correctly hence making the blade sharper. Normally, it would take hundreds of battles and training sessions to sharpen a bokken enough to rival a real sword. However, Battousai's speed caused the bokken to sharpen faster. It took great skill but I managed to make the very edge of my bokken sharp. Finally, I leapt high into the air and sliced Battousai's bokken in half and in another swing whacked the boy's forehead with the dull side of my bokken. He fell to the ground and I landed beside him.
There was a rush of joy of defeating a foe. It was intoxicating but I do not show it. Of course, I couldn't help but feel happy that I had defeated the infamous Battousai. Then, the boy just remained on the ground. My heart froze as I rushed to him and knelt down beside him. His eyes were open but blank somehow. He was alive just motionless. "Battousai? Are you okay? Did I hit you too hard?"
He turned his head and his face twisted and turned through emotions. Many times, I had seen flickers of emotions in the Battousai's face. Yet, he managed to mask his emotions so well, it was hard to figure out most of the times what he was thinking. The boy ripped off his hair tie and his long red hair just fell onto his shoulders. He stared at me and shook. His eyes were purple and not amber as always. He looked more human that way. "You defeated me?"
"Yes." I nodded. Then, it occurred to me that he probably never suffered a defeat like this and lived. In these times, defeat often means death, except by my hands.
Battousai started to sob as he knelt before me. "Why can't I be as good as you, Mr. Koshijiro? You fight for peace and did not have blood on your hands. You don't kill and yet you win. All I wanted to do is make others happy, to change the world with this sword but I can't! I am a monster! I made others suffer! I don't deserve to live!" I sat down and wrapped my arms around the boy. I did not expect this to happen. Somehow, I managed to break through the Battousai mask to reveal this sad boy who just wanted to help others. Rain fell upon the roof and for some reason I can smell a soft plum fragrance. It was a sign, of what I do not know, not even now.
"What is your name, besides the Battousai?" I asked softly as I tried to comfort him.
"Oro?" The boy asked as he looked at me confused. Then, he answered, "Himura Kenshin."
Kenshin meant 'Heart of the Sword'. It was an appropriate name for a swordsman. "Kenshin, you are not a monster. Monsters don't cry and feel guilt for what they had done." I urged as I hugged him tighter afraid to lose him if I let go. "You can change the world, you have that ability. You were just doing it wrong."
"I made many people suffer." Kenshin moaned as he sobbed, "I want to make people happy. I like making people happy but I can't do that by killing. All I can do is kill others with my katana, Master Hiko was right, I am an idiot. It is too late for me. Tomoe, forgive me!"
"It's not too late!" I screamed as I slapped him on the head to get some sense into him. "You are young! You have a long life ahead of you! You can still make up for what you did in the past. Don't give up hope."
Minutes passed as the rain fell upon the roof and the strange plum smell just circled us. Kenshin finally spoke up, "Mr. Koshijiro?"
"Yes?"
"How can I make up for my sins with my swordsmanship? My techniques are made to kill."
I sat there in contemplation. Kenshin was right; it would be hard to atone for sins with a sword meant for death. He was deadly despite his age. However, what can be used for death can still be used for life. "Do you wish to start atoning for the people you killed? Do you wish to find a way to turn the ultimate assassin technique into something better?"
The boy just swallowed and nodded. I smiled as I stroked his hair. "I need your help in establishing my swordfighting style, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu style. You know how a killer thinks and have a different point of view than I do. The style I had so far is good but I wanted it to be as perfect as possible without being lethal. You have a great skill as a swordsman and a pure enough heart, I need you to finish the technique."
Kenshin gawked at me wide eyed and his jaw just seemed to hit the ground. "I am not pure! And what if people found out that the Hikori Battousai had helped you with this new style?! No one would believe it to be a pacifist style! Forgive me, Mr. Koshijiro but I cannot do it! It would only ruin your image to be associated with me!"
I just smiled and patted his shoulder. Kenshin did want to do it I can feel it. His intentions were pure, if they weren't, he would've used this opportunity to make himself look better. "I am not asking the Battousai to help me, I am asking Himura Kenshin. No one will know about this, it will be our secret. This is your chance to start making amends without killing anyone."
Kenshin bowed his head down and crossed his arms. "I believed a sword is meant to kill. However, I am intrigued in this radical concept. No one will know, correct?"
"You have my word."
"Then, I will accept your offer, Mr. Koshijiro." Kenshin said as he bowed.
After that, we started on our work. It was strange and yet right for a dreamer and a manslayer would join together to establish the first offensive swordfighting style that does not kill. When I first began to establish the style, I was merely creating a way for a swordfighter to defend himself and others without having to kill. Then, I began to work with Kenshin and it became something more. I am showing a boy who had known nothing but death a way that he can change for the better.
During the precious time we had off, we get together and put together different forms. Just as I had predicted, Kenshin showed me different ways to take down a man without killing and demonstrated his Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu style many times. He gave me a new outlook on the style and how to improved it. It was strange, while we were alone, Kenshin would be smiling and being content with everything around him. I think he was going out of his way to make sure he doesn't scare me. He wore the mask of Kenshin.
When we were with others, he became harder, edgier, and even seemed larger somehow. He still had that aura of death about him that made even me slightly nervous. He wore that mask of the Battousai.
It was my hope to destroy that mask of the Battousai before I leave. Unfortunately, I never had a chance. Just when we were done with the style, there were problems in Edo. Your mother was sick and maybe dying. I never felt so torn in my life. Katsura offered to transfer me to Edo (Tokyo) to be closer to you. You needed me more than ever and yet so did Kenshin. I loved you so much but Kenshin was like the son I never had. Kenshin, blessed his heart, made the decision for me.
"You should go back to your daughter." He said as he watched the full moon. "Go back to Edo (Tokyo). No child should lose both her parents at such a young age. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu is completed, that it was. You do not need me or the Battousai's evil name to ruin that style's honor." He turned toward me and gave me a smile that nearly broke my heart. "I will be fine."
Typical, Kenshin was thinking of others before himself. It was that form of thinking that nearly made him lost his mind and soul. That form of thinking that made him so vulnerable to the patriots who used him as a tool for their dirty work. I bowed before him and took his hands. "Kenshin, you are like a son to me. You have great potential within you to do great things beyond the sword. After the war, visit the Kamiya dojo in Edo (Tokyo) and meet my family. I am sure they would love you."
Kenshin shook his head. "They would hate me. Your daughter would be afraid of me. I heard of the stories women told their children about how the Battousai would kill them in their sleep and drink their blood if they were bad." How did he hear about that? I could not figure out but I know for a fact that you would not be that afraid of the Battousai. If I know you, you would attack him head on if he was a threat.
"Kenshin, please don't be that hard on yourself. You are a good man and people will see that someday instead of that Battousai name." I urged hoping to be right. Kenshin was distinct looking, with that red hair and scar, he won't blend in and the name 'Battousai' is well known. If he were to live after the war, what he did for the past few years will haunt him for the rest of his life.
"You are too kind. Farewell, Mr. Koshijiro." Kenshin whispered as he bowed and ran off.
That was the last I saw him for the rest of the war. I tried to write but things have become too chaotic. Kenshin just vanished without a trace. I wasn't too surprised about that. The Battousai was an assassin and assassins just disappear when they want to.
As I write this letter and hear the students whisper about the Battousai, I wanted to hit them over the heads and scream at them that the Battousai helped me with the Kamiya Kasshin Style. They wouldn't understand. If they knew, they would run away with fear of even being remotely associated with his name. They do care for the skill and yet, to my own disappointment, they don't have the compassion for the art. You do, I can feel that you believe in this style far more than even I did. You are brave and protective and stubborn enough to do things your own way. While it was rather unorthodox for a woman to wield a sword, in this new era, anything is possible.
I pray that you understand why I have not told you until now. You have an open mind and heart about this style. I know that you will understand the secrecy of this. This style is not just to protect others but also to teach those who want to help the world that it can be done without killing. Kenshin was a good boy who was given a duty that no child should be given. I hope that you won't hate the Battousai if you meet him and that you can understand what he went through for the peace in this era. Please, stay pure, my beloved Kaoru, your father Kamiya Koshijiro.
*****
Kenshin sighed as he prayed in front of a small temple in the corner of the yard. It was carefully cleared off and decorated with fresh flowers. Despite all the time he had lived at the dojo, he never visited this place. "So, you know?" He asked as he looked over his shoulder to see Kaoru with the scroll in her hand.
"Yeah." Kaoru replied as she walked up and stood beside him staring at the small temple. "I never really knew what my father did during the Revolution. All he told me was that it was the past and it taught him so much."
"I see." Kenshin looked down. "I'm sorry, Miss Kaoru. I did not mean to deceive you. I was not sure how to tell you. You nearly lost your dojo from some rumors about the Battousai being a student. How would the public react to the Battousai being one of the founders of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Style?"
Kaoru scowled as she wrapped her arm around Kenshin's and held his hand. "The Battousai did not help Father found the Kamiya Kasshin Style, you did. He was right in asking you to help him with the style."
Kenshin smiled slightly as he held on tighter. "Your father was one of the few people who wasn't scared of me. The others wouldn't even talk to me. He was different."
"He was like that. He can see what a person is deep down despite other people's opinions. That's why he asked you to help him. He knows that you hate to kill and want to make up for what you did. He recognized that goodness within you, Kenshin." Kaoru beamed as she gazed into his eyes.
"Miss Kaoru." Kenshin whispered as he placed a hand on Kaoru's shoulder. "I... thank you and your father. He is a good man and a good friend."
"I know." Kaoru gazed at the temple and closed her eyes. For a second, she could swear that she saw her father standing in front of them, smiling.
The End
Note: In case you are wondering about the scarf, it was Tomoe's. I saw it in the OVAs and thought it would be right for Kenshin to wear it in Tomoe's honor.
The Dreamer and the Manslayer
By Maria Cline
It had been a very merry day. Kaoru nearly giggled as her friends gathered together with a surprise party. Today is her eighteenth birthday and they remembered. Kenshin cooked up a marvelous meal comprising of various different foods that included a few western types that she really liked. Yahiko got her a beautiful kimono with a matching ribbon. Sano got her a set of new bokkens. How he could afford those, she would rather not find out. Megumi gave her a deluxe makeup kit and some instructions on how to use it. The only one whose gift has not been opened was Dr. Gensai's.
Kaoru tensed as the old man knelt down and gave her the box. The box was something special she can feel it. "Your father told me that if anything were to happen to him, I should give you this on your eighteenth birthday. I don't know what it is myself but I do know that it was his desire for you to share it with the ones you trusted the most."
The woman gazed around at her friends. Most of them had shady pasts they were somewhat ashamed of. They made mistakes in their lives and yet she trusts them with her life. "Might as well open it now." She said as she carefully lifted the lid up and it revealed a scroll. The girl sniffed as she thought of her beloved father sending this farewell message. With shaking hands, she picked up the scroll and read it, "To my beloved daughter, Kaoru, if you are reading this then I am gone. I pray that you know how much I love you and that you mean everything to me. I also believe that now you are mature enough to know the truth of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Style and how it was founded. No one must know about this or the style's honor may be tarnished forever. Please do not believe the style itself is tainted, I founded it with pure beliefs and hopes everyone will use it someday. I waited until this time in hopes you can understand how it was founded and why."
Kaoru paused as she glanced up. Yahiko was sitting up staring at her. He wanted to know this dark secret of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu. After all, he was Kaoru's apprentice; he had a right to know. Dr. Gensai was also eager to find out what was the secret his old friend had kept after all these years. Sano and Megumi were also interested. Then, she noticed someone was missing. "Where's Kenshin?"
"Who cares? Just read it!" Yahiko demanded, "We'll tell him when he gets back."
Kaoru sighed feeling disappointed that Kenshin had ran off like this. It wasn't like him to just run off, unless someone was in danger or he was hiding something. She looked at the scroll and read on, "I had help and inspiration from a man whom no one would suspect. Not even I realized how vital he was to helping me found the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, the Sword that Protects. You probably knew him from legends and rumors but I knew him personally. The man who co-founded the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Style was the Hikori Battou...sai?" Silence filled the air as the name echoed in their minds. "KENSHIN!!!"
"WHAT?!"
"No way."
"Should we go and find him?" Megumi asked shocked about Kenshin having such close ties to such a pacifist swordfighting style. True, she knew him to be a peacemaker but how did he help invent such a style without anyone knowing?
"No, he'll come back. Maybe Father will explain what happened." Kaoru said as she unrolled the scroll. "I know that this sounds shocking-"
"That is the understatement of the era." Sano commented.
"But it's true." Kaoru said as the scroll memorized her. Now, it held not only a history of the style she lived for but also the man she desire.
*****
It all began during the Revolution, I was a bodyguard at the time. The streets were red with blood. Not a day goes by that I don't pass a dead body with sword wounds. It made me sick and forced me to even fight harder for a time when you won't have to live through such carnage. I was fighting for you, my precious Kaoru.
I was protecting Lord Agunda of the Isshin Shishi. It was in the middle of the Revolution and tension was high. I managed to protect him but I had avoided killing the attackers. They didn't trust me enough so they partnered me with the legendary manslayer, the Battousai. I heard so many rumors about this man, how he could kill an entire squad of samurai without any of them drawing their swords, how his very name struck fear in anyone who sees him. I was scared and yet intrigued to meet this killer, just to understand why he kills so easily. Even the Isshin Shishi were scared of him. There were whispers about how he had made it rain blood in Kyoto and that he was part demon. A few had even made bets about how long I would last with the Battousai.
Finally, I met the legendary manslayer. My jaw dropped as I fought the urge to gawk. He was small, only coming up to my shoulders, and had long red hair. His face, his body, he was a child. The only thing that seemed to show that he was an assassin was the strange cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.
"I am Hikori Battousai." The boy said formally as he bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Koshijiro."
I bowed back. This boy was not what I had expected. I was expecting someone older. Someone more savage. This boy was polite, delicate looking, and just too young to have a reputation as a manslayer. Then, he looked at me in the eyes and I shivered. He had those golden manslayer eyes that could freeze oceans; his eyes were far older looking than his body. It makes me wonder, does killing make a person age deep within?
We fight together on the battlefields, protecting our lord with our lives. Battousai was incredible. He transformed in front of my eyes from a delicate looking boy into an amber-eyed demon. The way he moved was swift and calculated. I fought myself and focused solely on disabling my opponents. I wasn't as fast or as deadly as the Battousai but I held my own.
In the end, we stood on the battlefield. My opponents were missing some limbs and were unconscious. Battousai's opponents were not so fortunate. His eyes widened as he glanced at me. He stared at me and said, "Your foes are still breathing." I wait for the usual teasing I get from my teammates. In the days of the Revolution, you must kill to win. Then, Battousai smiled slightly at me and walked away.
I was confused about this boy. Did he approve my methods? I could sense something deeper within him struggling to escape. Many were too scared to be around him. I was a little scared myself and yet I knew I had a mission to crack through that mask of the Battousai.
For the next month, I watched him closely. Battousai wasn't as evil as I thought he would be. He was smart, fast, and very clean. When we were not fighting, I saw him cleaning his room and the other rooms as well. No one would dare speak up about him doing woman's work. I suppose no one wanted to make the infamous Battousai angry. He always wore a purple scarf around his neck. He took special care of that scarf making sure it does not get dirty or cut. When he eats, he eats quietly and alone. I offered to eat with him but he just glares at me. I ate with him anyway hearing several people getting away. Nothing happens however; he just stared at me and ate some more. Eventually, we ate together out of habit.
The night was beautiful as me and the Battousai were drinking sake together. The sake was good. We had a night off, which was rare and we talked. Or rather, I talked and he listened. The Battousai was quiet, like if he reveals anything about himself I would be offended.
"What will you do after the war?" Battousai asked as he poured more sake.
"Go back to my wife and daughter." I answered as I drank the sake. We never really talked about our families; I was hesitant to talk to one of the most feared men in Japan about my life outside of the war and the swordsmanship. Yet, I trust him now. I told him my dreams of opening my own dojo and teaching my style to the world. I told him about you, Kaoru, and how you were waiting for me. I babbled about you, more than I should but I was very proud of you, Kaoru.
Finally, I finished and asked, "What about you? What will you do after the war?"
Battousai glanced at me feeling his lavender scarf he wore around his neck. "Stop killing."
I was slightly surprised by the short answer. He was determined to stop killing after the war but for a man who killed as often as he did, it would be a very hard habit to break. After a long moment, I asked, "And?"
"I don't know what else." Battousai stared down and felt that purple scarf he wears all the time. "I am a manslayer, I have no other skills. All I know is that I will not kill again."
I do not know whether it was the sake or the quietness of this conversation. This man was a friend and yet he was a mystery to me. I do not even know his name. "What about your family? The people you left behind to fight? Will you go back to them?"
"My family died of disease when I was a small boy. The man who trained and raised me..." He paused as he downed more sake.
I poured more sake as I tensed up. The swordmaster must have died. That was the fate of most swordmasters these days. Perhaps that is why he left to fight this war without a master.
"I hate him." He finished and I fell over.
"He is still alive?"
"Yes, and on that mountain somewhere. He calls me his idiot apprentice. I have not even finished training with him. I cannot go back to him. Not after what I did."
I was stunned. This boy have not yet fully mastered his swordfighting style and yet managed to be a feared assassin, during puberty. He had such astonishing skill he could do so much more. Yet, all he seemed to know about is how to clean and how to kill others. "I see. You will not kill yourself correct?"
"That would be killing." He tensed up as he held his sword. "May I ask why do you believe that a sword fighting skill that does not kill will survive? The sword is a weapon, it is meant to kill."
"The weapon is only as deadly as the person using it." I replied, "The sword can protect but would not kill."
"A mere dream. No wonder many mocked you for your beliefs. They called you a dreamer." Battousai said as he fingered his cup.
I held back the urge to scream at the Battousai. It was the belief that a sword is a weapon and that killing is natural to it. Most people laughed at my beliefs calling me a 'fake swordsman'. "Then, I am a dreamer. Will you mock me as well?"
"No." Battousai sighed as he put away the sake. "Show me your technique, this so called 'Sword that Protects'." He made it sound like a challenge but it really sounded like a plea. This boy had lived with the concept that a sword kills and the thought of a non-lethal sword fighting style sounded unrealistic and yet appealing to him. I must give this boy hope that it can be done.
The night was dark and we met in the training yards. We had our bokkens ready with our normal swords at our sides. The Battousai made it clear that he did not want to kill me. I do not blame him, he was used to aiming to kill every time. He was after all a manslayer, even for someone so young.
My heart pounded as I saw that look in the Battousai's golden eyes. It was the manslayer's eyes that I see while on the battlefield. Of course, he would fight his hardest, even during training. We stared at each other for a long moment as we paused. Battousai was not used to fighting with a bokken while I was familiar with mine. While he had speed and the will to kill, I had experience and the pure desire to prove to this boy that a sword that does not kill is more powerful than a sword that kills.
He attacked and I fend off his moves. All those battles we had together helped me learn his techniques and anticipate them. I was lucky that he could not do the Battousai moves thanks to the fact that he does not have a sheath. He was fast, so fast it took all I had just to defend myself. I was ready for this battle.
You know that one of the main strengths and concepts of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu style is to turn the opponent's strengths and advantages against him. The Battousai's main strength is his pure speed, perfect for an assassin and taking on groups of people. A one-on-one confrontation with this boy, even with wooden swords could be lethal. He slashed and struck at me waiting for a counterattack but all I did was defend myself. I had to time it right. Minutes passed as the duel continued, I can tell Battousai was getting frustrated. He was used to fights that lasts for only seconds with each person. His blows are coming harder and he was getting angry.
I started to feel tired but I did not back down. My plan was working. You see, Kaoru, a bokken is designed to sharpen every time it is hit correctly hence making the blade sharper. Normally, it would take hundreds of battles and training sessions to sharpen a bokken enough to rival a real sword. However, Battousai's speed caused the bokken to sharpen faster. It took great skill but I managed to make the very edge of my bokken sharp. Finally, I leapt high into the air and sliced Battousai's bokken in half and in another swing whacked the boy's forehead with the dull side of my bokken. He fell to the ground and I landed beside him.
There was a rush of joy of defeating a foe. It was intoxicating but I do not show it. Of course, I couldn't help but feel happy that I had defeated the infamous Battousai. Then, the boy just remained on the ground. My heart froze as I rushed to him and knelt down beside him. His eyes were open but blank somehow. He was alive just motionless. "Battousai? Are you okay? Did I hit you too hard?"
He turned his head and his face twisted and turned through emotions. Many times, I had seen flickers of emotions in the Battousai's face. Yet, he managed to mask his emotions so well, it was hard to figure out most of the times what he was thinking. The boy ripped off his hair tie and his long red hair just fell onto his shoulders. He stared at me and shook. His eyes were purple and not amber as always. He looked more human that way. "You defeated me?"
"Yes." I nodded. Then, it occurred to me that he probably never suffered a defeat like this and lived. In these times, defeat often means death, except by my hands.
Battousai started to sob as he knelt before me. "Why can't I be as good as you, Mr. Koshijiro? You fight for peace and did not have blood on your hands. You don't kill and yet you win. All I wanted to do is make others happy, to change the world with this sword but I can't! I am a monster! I made others suffer! I don't deserve to live!" I sat down and wrapped my arms around the boy. I did not expect this to happen. Somehow, I managed to break through the Battousai mask to reveal this sad boy who just wanted to help others. Rain fell upon the roof and for some reason I can smell a soft plum fragrance. It was a sign, of what I do not know, not even now.
"What is your name, besides the Battousai?" I asked softly as I tried to comfort him.
"Oro?" The boy asked as he looked at me confused. Then, he answered, "Himura Kenshin."
Kenshin meant 'Heart of the Sword'. It was an appropriate name for a swordsman. "Kenshin, you are not a monster. Monsters don't cry and feel guilt for what they had done." I urged as I hugged him tighter afraid to lose him if I let go. "You can change the world, you have that ability. You were just doing it wrong."
"I made many people suffer." Kenshin moaned as he sobbed, "I want to make people happy. I like making people happy but I can't do that by killing. All I can do is kill others with my katana, Master Hiko was right, I am an idiot. It is too late for me. Tomoe, forgive me!"
"It's not too late!" I screamed as I slapped him on the head to get some sense into him. "You are young! You have a long life ahead of you! You can still make up for what you did in the past. Don't give up hope."
Minutes passed as the rain fell upon the roof and the strange plum smell just circled us. Kenshin finally spoke up, "Mr. Koshijiro?"
"Yes?"
"How can I make up for my sins with my swordsmanship? My techniques are made to kill."
I sat there in contemplation. Kenshin was right; it would be hard to atone for sins with a sword meant for death. He was deadly despite his age. However, what can be used for death can still be used for life. "Do you wish to start atoning for the people you killed? Do you wish to find a way to turn the ultimate assassin technique into something better?"
The boy just swallowed and nodded. I smiled as I stroked his hair. "I need your help in establishing my swordfighting style, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu style. You know how a killer thinks and have a different point of view than I do. The style I had so far is good but I wanted it to be as perfect as possible without being lethal. You have a great skill as a swordsman and a pure enough heart, I need you to finish the technique."
Kenshin gawked at me wide eyed and his jaw just seemed to hit the ground. "I am not pure! And what if people found out that the Hikori Battousai had helped you with this new style?! No one would believe it to be a pacifist style! Forgive me, Mr. Koshijiro but I cannot do it! It would only ruin your image to be associated with me!"
I just smiled and patted his shoulder. Kenshin did want to do it I can feel it. His intentions were pure, if they weren't, he would've used this opportunity to make himself look better. "I am not asking the Battousai to help me, I am asking Himura Kenshin. No one will know about this, it will be our secret. This is your chance to start making amends without killing anyone."
Kenshin bowed his head down and crossed his arms. "I believed a sword is meant to kill. However, I am intrigued in this radical concept. No one will know, correct?"
"You have my word."
"Then, I will accept your offer, Mr. Koshijiro." Kenshin said as he bowed.
After that, we started on our work. It was strange and yet right for a dreamer and a manslayer would join together to establish the first offensive swordfighting style that does not kill. When I first began to establish the style, I was merely creating a way for a swordfighter to defend himself and others without having to kill. Then, I began to work with Kenshin and it became something more. I am showing a boy who had known nothing but death a way that he can change for the better.
During the precious time we had off, we get together and put together different forms. Just as I had predicted, Kenshin showed me different ways to take down a man without killing and demonstrated his Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu style many times. He gave me a new outlook on the style and how to improved it. It was strange, while we were alone, Kenshin would be smiling and being content with everything around him. I think he was going out of his way to make sure he doesn't scare me. He wore the mask of Kenshin.
When we were with others, he became harder, edgier, and even seemed larger somehow. He still had that aura of death about him that made even me slightly nervous. He wore that mask of the Battousai.
It was my hope to destroy that mask of the Battousai before I leave. Unfortunately, I never had a chance. Just when we were done with the style, there were problems in Edo. Your mother was sick and maybe dying. I never felt so torn in my life. Katsura offered to transfer me to Edo (Tokyo) to be closer to you. You needed me more than ever and yet so did Kenshin. I loved you so much but Kenshin was like the son I never had. Kenshin, blessed his heart, made the decision for me.
"You should go back to your daughter." He said as he watched the full moon. "Go back to Edo (Tokyo). No child should lose both her parents at such a young age. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu is completed, that it was. You do not need me or the Battousai's evil name to ruin that style's honor." He turned toward me and gave me a smile that nearly broke my heart. "I will be fine."
Typical, Kenshin was thinking of others before himself. It was that form of thinking that nearly made him lost his mind and soul. That form of thinking that made him so vulnerable to the patriots who used him as a tool for their dirty work. I bowed before him and took his hands. "Kenshin, you are like a son to me. You have great potential within you to do great things beyond the sword. After the war, visit the Kamiya dojo in Edo (Tokyo) and meet my family. I am sure they would love you."
Kenshin shook his head. "They would hate me. Your daughter would be afraid of me. I heard of the stories women told their children about how the Battousai would kill them in their sleep and drink their blood if they were bad." How did he hear about that? I could not figure out but I know for a fact that you would not be that afraid of the Battousai. If I know you, you would attack him head on if he was a threat.
"Kenshin, please don't be that hard on yourself. You are a good man and people will see that someday instead of that Battousai name." I urged hoping to be right. Kenshin was distinct looking, with that red hair and scar, he won't blend in and the name 'Battousai' is well known. If he were to live after the war, what he did for the past few years will haunt him for the rest of his life.
"You are too kind. Farewell, Mr. Koshijiro." Kenshin whispered as he bowed and ran off.
That was the last I saw him for the rest of the war. I tried to write but things have become too chaotic. Kenshin just vanished without a trace. I wasn't too surprised about that. The Battousai was an assassin and assassins just disappear when they want to.
As I write this letter and hear the students whisper about the Battousai, I wanted to hit them over the heads and scream at them that the Battousai helped me with the Kamiya Kasshin Style. They wouldn't understand. If they knew, they would run away with fear of even being remotely associated with his name. They do care for the skill and yet, to my own disappointment, they don't have the compassion for the art. You do, I can feel that you believe in this style far more than even I did. You are brave and protective and stubborn enough to do things your own way. While it was rather unorthodox for a woman to wield a sword, in this new era, anything is possible.
I pray that you understand why I have not told you until now. You have an open mind and heart about this style. I know that you will understand the secrecy of this. This style is not just to protect others but also to teach those who want to help the world that it can be done without killing. Kenshin was a good boy who was given a duty that no child should be given. I hope that you won't hate the Battousai if you meet him and that you can understand what he went through for the peace in this era. Please, stay pure, my beloved Kaoru, your father Kamiya Koshijiro.
*****
Kenshin sighed as he prayed in front of a small temple in the corner of the yard. It was carefully cleared off and decorated with fresh flowers. Despite all the time he had lived at the dojo, he never visited this place. "So, you know?" He asked as he looked over his shoulder to see Kaoru with the scroll in her hand.
"Yeah." Kaoru replied as she walked up and stood beside him staring at the small temple. "I never really knew what my father did during the Revolution. All he told me was that it was the past and it taught him so much."
"I see." Kenshin looked down. "I'm sorry, Miss Kaoru. I did not mean to deceive you. I was not sure how to tell you. You nearly lost your dojo from some rumors about the Battousai being a student. How would the public react to the Battousai being one of the founders of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Style?"
Kaoru scowled as she wrapped her arm around Kenshin's and held his hand. "The Battousai did not help Father found the Kamiya Kasshin Style, you did. He was right in asking you to help him with the style."
Kenshin smiled slightly as he held on tighter. "Your father was one of the few people who wasn't scared of me. The others wouldn't even talk to me. He was different."
"He was like that. He can see what a person is deep down despite other people's opinions. That's why he asked you to help him. He knows that you hate to kill and want to make up for what you did. He recognized that goodness within you, Kenshin." Kaoru beamed as she gazed into his eyes.
"Miss Kaoru." Kenshin whispered as he placed a hand on Kaoru's shoulder. "I... thank you and your father. He is a good man and a good friend."
"I know." Kaoru gazed at the temple and closed her eyes. For a second, she could swear that she saw her father standing in front of them, smiling.
The End
Note: In case you are wondering about the scarf, it was Tomoe's. I saw it in the OVAs and thought it would be right for Kenshin to wear it in Tomoe's honor.