See 1st chapter for disclaimer and beware! This sic contains spoilers
Chapter 9: Aoshi
Up in his office Kanryu Takeda readjusted his glasses and took his eyes off the unconscious form of Megumi Takani to watch the scene below him nervously. A few moments ago that man in the karate outfit had defeated Shikijou, but was distracted long enough by the battle of the shortest member of the Oniwaban group to take back the drug dealer's woman. However even with Megumi in his possession, it didn't seem like he had the upper hand.
Below on the ground Himura and his group had just finished off the last of Kanryu's haired men, an artillery squad armed with revolvers, the large chicken haired goon had thrown some spiky haired brat at them to knock over the commander while he and the Battousai attacked.
Kanryu had no idea how this could be happening! The Battousai had no reason to be here, he had nothing to gain from this. "I don't get it," the entrepreneur mumbled. "He shouldn't be here, there's nothing for him to gain. Why in the world is Battousai the Manslayer here?"
"If Himura the Battousai acted only what was in his own interest," Hannya said from his place against the wall, next to the window. "Then he would have been a high ranking officer in the government by now. Of course, people like you would never understand people like that."
"What are you talking about?" Kanryu demanded from the ninja. "This isn't some stupid joke, you've got to do something. We're in such a dangerous situation now that-" as he looked back down towards the ground Kanryu cut off his speech, and even forgot the thoughts that went with it.
He was down there, looking at the rich businessman. But it wasn't just that, the way the Battousai was looking at him, it sent chills down his spine; as if all the fears of his mind had suddenly been brought forth and rolled into one red-haired man with a sword and a cross-shaped scar on his face. It was taking all of the man's willpower not to just run away from the window at that very moment.
Finally, he spoke. "It's time to give yourself up Kanryu Takeda." It was a harsh voice, so much so that it made him back away from the window and cringe. "Come down here now, and bring Miss Megumi with you."
It took some effort, but Kanryu eventually regained his composure. Well, if the Battousai wanted to talk then Kanryu was ready to deal. After all, there wasn't a man alive that couldn't be bought, it just took some time to find the price. Clapping his hands as if he were an audience Kanryu looked back down towards the manslayer. "My, it's beyond belief, to defeat so many people without even slowing down. But, it's just what I would expect from the legendary Battousai the Manslayer."
Below him Kanryu could see the manslayer's eye twitch, in interest perhaps? Yes, the man obviously knew the way introductions to a bargain are made.
"Hey, how did that guy know about Kenshin?" the owner of the Kamiya Dojo exclaimed.
"The Oniwaban group probably did a little digging," Sanosuke told her.
"I must say that I'm in complete awe of your swordsmanship abilities," Kanryu continued. "If you were to join with the Oniwaban group and myself, nothing would stand in our way. You could have anything you want, and because you're the legendary manslayer, I'll pay you fifty times the normal wage. How does-"
"ARE YOU COMING DOWN OR AM I GOING UP?"
Kanryu flinched as Himura came closer by a step. Well, he was the legendary manslayer, the man obviously needed more money. "Well then how about a hundred times more?"
Another step. "T-Two hundred times more."
"I told you," Hannya said in his usual emotionless tone. "He does not act out personal gain or profit."
Spinning back to his ninja Kanryu scowled. "Shut up! I didn't ask for your opinion!" With the hired goon quelled for the moment the master of the house tuned back towards the window to see Himura only a few feet away from the front door. Well, there was always other options than direct confrontation. "Alright you win," Kanryu surrendered. "I will give you back Megumi Takani. But, I need some time for preparations. Give me one hour, I give you my word that I'll let you have her then. But you've got to promise not to come any closer."
Instead of replying the Battousai simply walked away from the door and over towards one of the tall lamps that Kanryu kept in the courtyard of his home, probably for the extra light or something to lean up against. I've done it, in one hour I'm sure I can retrieve the information I need from that woman.
However, instead of sitting down and resting, Himura drew his sword out of his sheath and while doing so, cut the base of the lamp clean through. The detached metal pole and stone flew away from Himura and over ten feet to smash into Kanryu's home thanks to the force of the Battousai's attack. "I'm coming up," he said in a heated tone, "and I'll take Miss Megumi myself! Why don't you just sit down an wait?"
"Well now, all your underhanded trick did was make him angry," Hannya said.
"That means you have no alternative except to fight Battousai the Manslayer," he said before turning towards the ninja. "I hope you understand Hannya, this is why I keep you Oniwaban guys around! I won't allow any mistakes like Aoshi did with Beshimi and Hyottoko."
The demon faced ninja stepped away from the wall and moved over to Kanryu in a blur of movement. "Get this through your head Kanryu," the man said in an angry voice as he grabbed the man's tie. "Our leader is the only one who commands the Oniwaban group. I have to recollection of swearing fidelity to the likes of you!"
From his uncomfortable position Kanryu seethed in anger. What was this fool doing? Kanryu paid for the archaic ninja, Kanryu owned him, and this was how the man acted. "How dare you!"
"The one person in this world or any other is our leader, Aoshi Shinomori, even if he were to order us to die, there is not one among us who would not do so without hesitation," Hannya said.
"And just who do you think pays this glorious leader of yours such huge sums of money that keeps you people out of the cold?" Kanryu demanded. "You know very well that he wouldn't dare disobey me you idiotic lackey."
"You dirty little," Hannya muttered before lowering the other man's body down to look at him face to face.
From outside the room Aoshi listened in on their conversation, deciding that now would be a good time to intervene.
He couldn't believe his good fortune. Before coming here the leader of the Oniwaban group had watched Himura's battle with Kanryu's men, or slaughter would be a more apt term. Kenshin Himura, the legendary Battousai the Manslayer, he was exactly like Aoshi and the others. Even in this day and age he carried a fighting spirit around with him that was rare even during the revolution.
Finally, Aoshi had found something truly worth his time after looking for so many years, and something to justify what had happened to his men.
Walking into the room he saw Hannya about to do physical harm to their employer, not that Aoshi cared of course, rats like Kanryu should know their place. But, he wanted Hannya to aim his attention elsewhere, and killing Kanryu would serve no purpose anyway. "The Battousai will be defeated."
Hearing his voice Hannya turned his attention away from Kanryu and to the leader of the Oniwaban group. "Leader," the ninja replied respectfully.
"Ah, your timing is impeccable," Kanryu said after the member of the Oniwaban group dropped him.
"However," Aoshi informed him. "Let me make this clear, we are not doing this for you. We are going to defeat Battousai the Manslayer to prove that we of the Oniwaban group were the strongest fighters of the revolution."
"What are you saying?" Kanryu demanded.
"Money hungry fools like you will never understand," Aoshi replied. "The Imperialists and the Oniwaban may have been on opposing sides during the war, but despite that, we are willing to respect that they were willing to die for their ideals. In this era of the Meiji, many of those same Imperialists have become rotten beyond recognition. But Himura the Battousai still seems to carry that old fighting spirit around with him. It's been ten years since we've seen someone like him. He is a worthy opponent, and as such he must die."
"B-But naturally your first duty is my safety," Kanryu argued.
Aoshi's face remained neutral as he looked at the man in front of him. "I don't really give a damn what happens to scum like you." With Kanryu disposed of for the moment Aoshi turned to Hannya. In most of the group's eyes he was considered to be the unofficial second in command of the Oniwaban and the most skilled under Aoshi himself. "Since their goal is to rescue Megumi Takani I will take her to the observatory on the third floor and wait for them there. Hannya, take position at the front door immediately"
"B-but what about me?" Kanryu demanded with more than a bit of terror in his voice.
"You can sit here and count your money for all I care Kanryu," Aoshi told them man as Hannya disappeared in a blur of speed and the leader of the group left the room with the unconscious form of Megumi Takani thrown over his shoulder before slamming the door.
As Aoshi walked through the mansion with the woman his men had kidnapped he found himself being of two minds about his present condition. The first one, the one that he had been nurturing over the past few years since joining up with Kanryu, was excited. For the first time since he could remember, a true challenge lay ahead of him and the rest of his men. This was the sole reason they left the Aoyia all those years ago, and after waiting so long the chance to take the title of the strongest was finally theirs.
The there was the other half of his mind, it was more like a shadow of himself during the revolution. That part of his mind was…disgusted. Here he was, holding a basically innocent woman hostage so that she could be forced to create drugs that killed people. In the olden days he would have never thought of doing such a thing. Getting the title of strongest was all well and good, but the way he was going about it…
Well, can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs as the old saying went.
But, another question came to Aoshi's mind. After this was all over, then what? Would he return to the Aoyia? He knew that Misao must miss him terribly. She was what now, sixteen? A young woman with a bright future ahead of-
Blast, back to that girl again. Why did she always seem to haunt Aoshi's thoughts at the most inopportune times?
Hearing a moan from behind, the ninja looked back to the floor of the observatory and saw that Megumi Takani was waking up. "Your friends from the Kamyia dojo have come to retrieve you," Aoshi told her.
"What?" she mumbled. "Kenshin and the others are here?"
"However," he warned her. "I suggest you not get your hopes up too high. I highly doubt that any of them will make it up this far anyway. What awaits you isn't rescue I'm afraid, but torture and death at the hands of Kanryu." As an afterthought Aoshi reached into his pocket and pulled out a small dagger in a sheath, according to Hannya Megumi had tried to use this same dagger to kill Kanryu before the ninja stopped her by taking it away the last second before it killed the man without the woman even noticing it. "Here, living in pain or dying in peace. You choose. Sorry, but this is all I can do for you."
Ranma groaned in annoyance as she walked down the halls of the Kanryu compound cloaked in her invisibility technique. It was a waste of time of course since there was no one around. Damnit, I was hoping to at least have SOME fun tonight, but this stupid place is so big that I can't even find that scar faced loser, she thought irritably.
Then there was also the small problem of this place's size, with all the twists and turns Ranma had no idea where she was. She never did like big houses, especially considering all of her rotten luck with the things over the years; like the Kuno estate or the time spent as a girl in that large mouthed French freak's mansion.
So far the closest thing she had seen of Himura's handiwork was that unconscious ninja near the doorway wearing a broken demon mask. The encounter was…disturbing. Underneath the mask Ranma had seen that most of the man's face was completely covered by a brown, burnt flesh; and the stripes on his arms weren't just some sort of clothing like she had originally believed but an actual tattoo of some sort. What kind of person would do something like that to himself, and for what reason?
"Damn that Aoshi! Does a pet dog dare call his master scum? I'll have his head for this!"
Hearing a voice around the corner Ranma stopped and moved to the side of the wall as if to blend in with the scenery and waited for the man to pass by. A second later a tall man wearing small rectangular glasses with short hair and a pointy nose came walking by in a white fancy western suit and tie. By the description Saito had given her, he was probably this Kanryu guy that had kidnapped Megumi.
Well now Mr. Takeda, just where are you off to in such a hurry? Ranma thought before following the man.
Hannya, the ninja they had faced a few moments ago had been an interesting opponent. He was a Kenpo user, master level at least, and although Kenshin could predict his punches the red and black stripes tattooed on his arms made him keep misjudging the distance; the Shin-wan spell, that's what he called it. However he only had a slight bruise on his face and a cut on hi arm that was nearly closed up to show for the fight so it wasn't that big a hindrance.
Now, with Hannya defeated they had come to the middle of the mansion's first floor looking for the stairs.
With two quick swings of his sword Kenshin sliced apart the door in front of him and kicked away the dead piece of wood to reveal what appeared to be the main stair way to the upper floors; it was one of those fancy kind that branched out into two different sets of stairs after the first incline. There was also two doors to the side of the stairs, but the option of going down those routs was taken when a group of ten bodyguards with wooden swords ran out to face Kenshin and the rest of his entourage.
"This is as far as you go," one of the men shouted. The threat however went completely unnoticed and was immediately thought of as empty when all ten of the fighters literally stood there quaking with fear.
"These guys look like they're ready to cry and run away," Yahiko said as he charged towards him with his bamboo practice sword.
"Well let's get started then." From behind the boy swordsman, Sanosuke reached over and grabbed Yahiko by the collar of his outfit then drew the kid back. "Sanosuke Sagara special attack: Myojin Missile!" Before Yahiko could do anything Sano flung the boy into the middle of the crowd and a second later Yahiko was on his feet trying to fight off all the guys at once.
Kenshin sweatdropped a little at the sight and choice of attack but didn't slow down.
"Kenshin, you and Sanosuke go on ahead," Kaoru told the red-haired swordsman.
"Ok, we'll leave these guys to you," Sano replied while both the manslayer and street fighter rushed past the crowd and up the stairs, leaving the kendo teacher and student to deal with the small mob.
Once they had ascended the stairs Kenshin opened the door at the top and entered the room at the same time as Sanosuke. The place was huge, with more than enough room for a small army to fight and two chandeliers hung from the ceiling that was over fifteen feet above Kenshin's head. At the other end of the ballroom stood a very tall man in a large light gray overcoat with short black hair and almost emotionless green eyes. Underneath the jacket he had on a form fitting dark purple suit and matching gloves that covered everything but the top of his neck and end of his fingers.
"So," Sanosuke said. "You're the one they call leader."
This is the leader of the Edo Castle Oniwaban Group, Kenshin thought. Aoshi Shinomori. He had a cold, dispassionate aura around him, like ice. "Where are Kanryu Takeda and Miss Megumi?"
"If you want to know anything," Aoshi said. "Then ask your questions with that reversed blade sword, Himura the Battousai, and I will give you my answers with this." Aoshi then pulled back his jacket to reveal a small blade and sheath on his left hip. It was a short weapon, only about a foot and a half, a kodachi.
"You're going to fight us with some puny little knife?" Sano asked with skepticism. "Quit fooling around!"
"No," Aoshi told him. "I will only be fighting the Battousai. You are unimportant."
"What'd you say?" Sanosuke said before raising his fist. "I think I'm more then enough to beat you Leader. Just like a beat Shikijou."
"Wait Sano!"
The big man didn't seem to listen to Kenshin's warning before rushing towards his opponent in a charge. Aoshi avoided his first attack by turning to the side slightly. There wasn't any change in his expression at all as Sano spun around for another attack while the force from his first blow still had Aoshi's hair blowing in the wind. The second time Sano attacked Aoshi simply stepped back once and while the momentum from his punch carried Sanosuke forward the leader of the Oniwaban gave the street fighter a chop to the back of the head. His attack, combined with Sano's momentum sent Sanosuke sliding along the ground and halfway out the door while Kenshin looked on with a bit of worry.
Aoshi had beaten Sano with just one attack; even Kenshin hadn't been able to do that during his battle with the street fighter the first time they met.
A moment later the footsteps of Miss Kaoru and Yahiko could be heard and they rushed over to the door, surprised at what they saw. With them to look after Sano Kenshin turned his full attention back to Aoshi and frowned.
"Now he knows his irrelevance," the man said. Aoshi pulled back his coat again and this time reached down to draw his kodachi. "So now it's you and me Battousai. I hope you're ready."
"A kodachi," Yahiko muttered.
"Yes, it's a weapon that's between a full sword and a dagger," Kaoru said. "It's less powerful than a sword because of the length, but because it's lighter you can maneuver it easily. So it's great for defense. It's a sword that can be used like a shield. But, offensively he's at a disadvantage."
No, Kenshin thought as he studied his opponent. While it was true that a kodachi was weaker than a katana, there was something about Aoshi that said he doesn't favor defense as much as Miss Kaoru thought. "What's wrong Battousai?" the man asked. "Do you wish me to attack then?"
"Wha-" Kenshin mumbled as Aoshi charged him.
The man's first attack was blocked as Kenshin countered with a Battoujitsu strike, or at least that's what Kenshin thought before a blur on the edge of his vision alerted him to movement right before the toe of Aoshi's right shoe slammed into his scarred cheek.
That what was off about him. He's using Kenpo, like Hannya, Kenshin thought as Aoshi regained his balance after his kick and then followed it up with a rapid series of seven punches to the softer area's of Kenshin's chest before knocking him away and into the air with a strong uppercut.
The swordsman quickly flipped around to recover himself and land on his feet before charging off again. He couldn't let Aoshi get the drop on him like that again, the second time Aoshi might follow up with a strike from his kodachi when Kenshin was knocked off balance.
Using all the speed he dared, Kenshin made three quick jabs with his sword that Aoshi deflected easily with his kodachi before knocking him back as the man countered the fourth attack.
"Ok, now I see," Kenshin said. "You have a perfect defense with your kodachi, and using that weapon as a shield you attack using the same Kenpo style as Hannya."
"You are basically correct," Aoshi replied. "But that theory has one major flaw: Hannya is the one that uses the same style as me."
"What?" Kenshin mumbled. Suddenly Kenshin's body started to feel sore all over. The wounds from Aoshi's first attack that he had been ignoring up until now decided to make themselves known as Kenshin relaxed his muscles a bit; causing him to spit out some blood.
"The difference in the speed and power of a master and his apprentice are completely different," Aoshi said while Kenshin doubled over while spitting out some more blood that filled his mouth. "And if you think they're the same, then you end up like that."
"No way," Yahiko exclaimed.
From his position on the ground Kenshin looked up at the man sanding above him. Even now his aura was still the same cold sheet of ice that covered him from the beginning of the fight. A man of this much power, what is he doing this for?
Ranma frowned as she continued to follow the idiot down through the corridors of his house, wondering just why the hell she was even bothering. Up above the redhead could feel two battle auras fighting it out, and only an armature would not realize that one of them was Kenshin's. So then if she knew the Battousai's location why was she still following Kanryu?
Idles curiosity perhaps? They had walked into some kind of hidden basement awhile ago, and she was wondering just what the heck did he have that was so important that he kept it down here.
As they made another turn it seemed that Ranma was finally going to get her answer. In front of her now was a large door with various and expensive looking locks. She resisted the urge to tap her foot in impatience while the drug dealer slowly went through a ring of keys, removing one padlock at a time.
Oh the hell with it. I've never been one for waiting anyway, Ranma thought as the insanely slow man just got done with the second lock in a set of ten.
Taking off her hood and throwing her cape to the back so that it uncovered her arms, Ranma reached forward to cover the mans mouth before dragging him down to the ground in a headlock. "Hello there, Mr. Takeda," she said while the man tried to shout in surprise. "Might I have a word with you?"
Aoshi stood over his red haired opponent, trying to hide his disappointment; he knew that the Battousai was better than this. So why didn't he show his true abilities? Why? What was wrong with him? "You know Battousai, I have nothing against you personally. But, as the man who was known as the strongest of the revolution, I will strike you down this day."
"Well," Kenshin replied before standing back on his feet. "It appears as if you and the Oniwaban are not fighting for the sake of Kanryu, that it doesn't. So, would you mind telling me what you are fighting for?"
"Back during the revolution, if the Imperial army had decided to engage the regime in Edo, there would have been no doubt that the victory would have gone to the Shogunate," Aoshi explained. "The Oniwaban would have set fires all over Edo, and then in the chaos caused by that destruction we would have slaughtered the imperial army. The Imperialists would have lost control, and the regime would have crushed them. That is how it would have happened."
"You lair," the boy behind the Battousai shouted. Yahiko Myojin, if Hannya's information about the people at the Kamiya dojo was correct. "That wouldn't have happened even if they were in Edo!"
"Oh really?" Aoshi asked while turning his head towards the child. "If you want, I can prove it to you, by recreating that even right here in Tokyo."
"What did you say?" Kaoru demanded.
"But," Aoshi continued. "Doing something like that now would be pointless. There is only one thing that we of the Oniwaban care about, and that is the title of the strongest fighters of the revolution, and by defeating the Battousai in combat we shall have that title. It is the only vindication we need."
"I see," Kenshin replied. "Back then, many people threw their lives away in the heat of battle, and despite their differences or the fact that they were on opposite sides they all risked their lives fighting for their beliefs and the people's happiness. But you're different, all that drives you is a desire to fight that is as cold as ice! Even now you are bringing pain to people who do not deserve it all for your selfish reasons. And as a wanderer who has devoted his life to helping people, I CAN NOT ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE!"
"Try and stop me then," Aoshi told him.
The Battousai moved in a blur of motion as he jumped above Aoshi's head in a downward strike that the Leader blocked. Kenshin then flipped around and put his sword away fro a Battoujitsu strike that Aoshi also countered with his kodachi defense before the redhead jumped away too fast for a follow-up attack.
The battle continued this way: Kenshin using his sword to its fullest length so that Aoshi couldn't get close enough for a counterattack to be any effective. The swordsman did make one little mistake a few moments later but Aoshi was only able to scratch his smooth cheek with a quick jab.
Then the Battousai suddenly changed tactics, jumping in close and swinging with a powerful downward strike that Aoshi blocked before landing a haymaker to his right cheek that sprawled him out on the ground for a moment. As the man used his sword to pick himself up it told Aoshi all he needed to know, slowly but surely the Battousai was being worn down from the battle, and would give out soon.
"You should know by now that it's impossible to penetrate my defenses," Aoshi informed him. "Now stand up, Battousai."
"Kenshin!" the woman behind him cried out.
"I'm alright Miss Kaoru," he assured her before getting back on his feet all the way. "I have to say that I think I've finally found a way past the defense of his kodachi."
"Then I'd have to say, you're bluffing," Aoshi replied. "But…you're not the kind of man who would bluff when it comes to something like that." He started to approach his opponent for another round of battle. "So let's see this counter attack of yours."
When it was right up on the man Kenshin raised his sword for an attack and brought it down. "Too slow!" However as the two swords connected, Kenshin's sword's direction twisted slightly that should be impossible for a katana and ended up on the bottom of the two sword pile while Aoshi's kodachi slid down the back blade of Kenshin's weapon. What?
The Battousai, he was holding his sword at the bottom of the blade where it was dull, and although his hand was dripping with blood it was mostly unhurt. As he more than made clear when he twisted his wrist to free his sword and then slammed the butt of the handle into Aoshi's throat to knock him back and make the taller man grasp his neck in pain.
"I couldn't beat you before because my blade is longer and thus less maneuverable than a kodachi," Kenshin said. "So I had to even up the length by holding the base, that I did."
"Yes I see," Aoshi replied. "Yes, this is the true power of the legendary Battousai the Manslayer. For showing me this, I will defeat you with the ultimate attack of the Leader of the Oniwaban group." Aoshi twirled his blade around so the tip was facing away from his body rather than towards it. That done he relaxed at let his ki flow out from his weapon to all around his body.
Now normally, when a swordsman fought anyone, they would keep their emotions in check and only channel them into their sword to increase its power, or towards their opponent to throw them off balance with a wave of their power. But Aoshi's ultimate attack worked differently than that, instead of focusing it, Aoshi spread his ki out all around him and then made it flux wildly. To anyone watching, it would almost create one or two after images that floated around the fighter, making him almost, if not impossible to hit. That, combined with the fluidity of motion from Aoshi's movements, created the perfect defense.
Even the Battousai's Hiten Mitsurugi style was useless as Aoshi watched the man make swing after swing in an attempt to strike the taller swordsman down. He couldn't even compensate for it as while one strike was close to the Leader, the one that came right after it was practically a mile off.
Finally, Aoshi saw his opening when Kenshin swung and ended up facing the completely opposite direction. The man realized his error, but right as Kenshin turned around Aoshi spun and went on the offensive, he felt a slight drag towards the end of his triple slash attack but it worked out fine in the end, carving three huge gashes across Kenshin's chest and seeing them erupt in a spray of blood.
"Kenshin!"
"Not one of my opponents has ever survived that attack," Aoshi said before lowering his sword.
Finally, it was over. Aoshi of the Oniwaban group had killed Kenshin Himura, the Battousai, and in so doing proved something that he needed the world to see all along. The Oniwaban were indeed the strongest fighters of the revolution. It was the proof that all the sacrifices his men made were not meaningless, that they were not meaningless.
"You're going to pay for this," a boy's voice behind him said. "You, you're getting away with this Aoshi! Even if I have to die, I'll make sure you pay for this!"
Aoshi looked back to the boy with his usual cold demeanor. He had to admit, he was impressed by the boy's determination. Even though he was young Aoshi could tell the child meant every word he just said. It would be a shame to destroy such a fighting spirit before it had a chance to mature. "There is no need to rush to you death. Just walk away."
"You shut up!" Yahiko shouted.
"Yahiko…
"Yahiko, you are important to the Kamiya Kasshin Style as it's successor…"
For the first time in months Aoshi's eyes widened in surprise. That voice that was coming from the other side of the room…it was, it was the Battousai's! But how? Aoshi had landed a direct hit with his Kiten Kebu, and no one could survive that!
"I can not let you die in a place like this," Kenshin continued as Aoshi turned around and saw the man standing up with the help of his sword. God, what in the name of heaven was this man? How could he not only survive, but also still be in the shape to fight after all of what Aoshi had done to him?
"There is also no way that I can afford to die in a place like this either."
"I can't believe that didn't kill you," Aoshi said with more than a touch of awe in his voice.
In answer Kenshin pulled up his sheath and shook it a little. "Actually, what your attack killed was-" he didn't need to finish as the sheath lost three pieces of its top and fell to the floor.
"Ok now I get it," Sanosuke said. "Kenshin pulled his sheath up at the last moment, and although it couldn't block Aoshi's attack it did take some of the power out of Aoshi's swing."
"I should have expected something like this from the man known as the strongest of the manslayers," Aoshi told him. "You truly are a worthy opponent. But the Oniwaban will be the ones to claim the title of the strongest, prepare yourself!" With that Aoshi once again moved into his ultimate attack stance. I know what's coming, so I won't miss this time, and after all this he has to be nearly drained, I cannot fail again!
"NOW IT'S OVER BATTOUSAI!"
There was a bright flash as Aoshi's kodachi connected with Kenshin's reversed blade sword and the Battousai's weapon was sent flying into the air. But, down on the ground Kenshin stood there holding the Leader's kodachi between his palms while Aoshi wore a look of shock upon his face.
"There is one moment when you're off guard when you use your Kaiten-kenbu and switch from a defensive stance to an offensive one," Kenshin said before looking up into the other man's eyes. "Aoshi…if you truly wish the title of strongest then I shall gladly give it to you.
"But right now, there are people waiting for my help, people who can share happiness and sadness with, and those people, AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE A THOUAND TIMES MORE IMPORTANT TO ME THAN YOU!" he shouted before driving the handle of Aoshi's on kodachi into the taller man's throat.
Aoshi could only marvel at the situation as he coughed up a fit of blood wit hthe Kodachi still pressed against his throat. He, Aoshi Shinomori, the strongest of the Oniwaban as well as the Leader…I'm going, to lose? ME?
"Now don't be foolish," Kenshin said. "Stand down Aoshi!"
"No," he whispered. "NOT YET!" Swinging his free hand up he caught Kenshin in an uppercut and sent him flying back while Aoshi himself fell to the floor before darkness over took him. For a brief second, Aoshi could have sworn that he felt a surge of ki from far beneath him, but it was probably just his imagination
Sitting up on the floor Kenshin tried to keep the world from spinning. What the hell did it take to put this guy Aoshi down for the count?
As he studied the man Kenshin felt something strange coming from beneath him. A ki signature, it was cold and dark, was there another Oniwaban member they had yet to account for coming?
Hearing his name being called out Kenshin snapped himself out of his daze and looked up to see Miss Kaoru and the others running towards him, over Aoshi's fallen body. Kenshin just hoped he stayed down this time. As they got close to him he assured them that he was ok then asked about Aoshi.
"I don't know," Kaoru said. "He looks…dead."
"No, he's just unconscious," Kenshin assured her. "But he'll probably have some trouble breathing for awhile. It was his own relentless fighting spirit that led to his own defeat that it was." After standing up Kenshin looked down at the boy standing in front of him and then placed his hand on the boy's head. When I was nearly defeated by Aoshi's Kaiten Kenbu, your words really meant a lot to me Yahiko."
"Well, you know…" the boy replied while rubbing his nose. Kenshin could only stand there as he practically saw the boy's confidence, or more precise his ego, increase dramatically. "All right! Now all we have to do is catch Kanryu and save Megumi! COME AND GET US KANRYU!"
Note to self, Kenshin thought while a drop of sweat appeared on his head. Don't do that EVER again.
A second later as if in answer to Yahiko's challenge, the door to the stairs burst open, revealing all the other members of Aoshi's Oniwaban group. Then, a moment later Aoshi himself got to his feet.
"Oh you got to be kidding," Sanosuke mumbled. "I've heard of stacking the odds but isn't this a little overdoing it?"
Once again fully conscious Aoshi Shinomori looked at his opponent and the man named Sanosuke.
Why? Why was he still alive? It couldn't have been over then minutes since he was knocked out judging by the pain, but even ten seconds was too long to be helpless when facing off against the Battousai. "Why?" Aoshi demanded in a cold tone. "Why didn't you finish me off?"
"I'm a wanderer now that I am," Kenshin told him. "I am not a manslayer anymore. Aoshi, if you don't mind me asking, why are you so obsessed with being the best?" Aoshi did his best not to scowl at the question. How could Battousai the Manslayer, someone who had lived through the revolution ask him that? "In this Meiji Era, don't you think the title of being the strongest warrior means almost nothing? There are many other places that your skills would be beneficial instead of harmful to others?"
Aoshi just glared at the man.
"It was for us."
All eyes in the room looked up and over to the man who had spoken. It was Hannya. "Among the members of the Oniwaban group, there were those who had been able to find new ways of life. But, look at us…we have sacrificed our normality to become the best of the Oniwaban, there was no going back for us; and as such there was no place in this society for people whose only skills revolved around fighting."
"But despite that," the scarred, muscular man Shikijou continued. "Our Leader never abandoned us. He even turned down offers to be a big army official for the new regime so he could find us a new place to live."
Aoshi gritted his teeth at their praises, he did not deserve such things. "It was because I was the one who made you all into members of the Oniwaban group, into what you are now. It was the least I could do to make sure that all the scarifies you made, that your lives, were not for nothing. That you would be the ones to be graced with the title of the strongest that ever was.
"Battousai…finish me off."
Aoshi heard the gasps of the group behind him and some of them moved forward but he stopped their advance with a look. "No, let this be enough." With his group quelled Aoshi turned back to Himura and the others to address them. "Finish me off, because if you don't then I swear I will come back again, and again, for as long as I can."
"Very well," Kenshin replied. "If you wish then you may keep challenging me until you're satisfied. However! This battle is between you and me, you will not involve anyone else in this, agreed?"
Hajime Saito took a puff of his cigarette then looked at the men in front of him that filled the small chamber. Fifty police swordsmen, armed with those crappy western style sabers and another ten men armed with guns. He knew that he probably wouldn't need half this number except to carry away the prisoners and any evidence; he could have done all the actual fighting himself if he wanted to.
"Now then are we clear?" he asked. "Make a standard sweep of the parameter then find the man Kanryu-" He didn't get to finish his recap of orders as he felt a slight surge of ki followed by window a dozen feet away on his left side suddenly exploding inward as a body flew through it.
Whoever it was, the man was wrapped in rope at the waist and legs. As far away as he was and with poor lighting Saito couldn't recognize the man and didn't react to it as some off the officers ran over to examine him.
"Captain Fujita! There's, a uh, letter for you sir," one of the men called out uneasily. "I think."
Hearing his alias Saito took another puff of his cigarette and walked over to see just what the gender changer had done now. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Ranma, he had demonstrated his stealth abilities to Saito more than once and the manslayer had barely felt anything a second ago when the window was destroyed. Well ok the second a third times had just been little tricks to amuse his daughter since she had never seen Ranma do that before, how the hell a guy like that could be the legendary Phantom of Kyoto was beyond the Wolf of Mebu, then again there was also the Battousai…maybe just all the former Imperialist assassins were weird.
"Let me see that," Saito ordered before pulling the paper away from the policeman in front of him. He unfolded the note and frowned at what was inside…Ranma either wrote this in a big hurry, or he really needed to improve his handwriting.
"Dear Mr. Fuji," he mumbled while his eyebrow twitched. "This man is one Kanryu Takeda, suspected opium dealer, just wait for the bruises to heal if you need to know for sure." He looked down at the mangled body on the floor as it moaned in pain; his entire face was black and blue. "Anyway in addition to dealing opium it turns out Mr. Kanryu has been storing a cache of illegal weapons from rifles to gatling guns, for instructions to where he hid his armory."
Idiot, Saito thought. Now people would be wondering just how the hell was someone able to sneak up close enough to a police station with a prisoner in tow without being seen. Keeping this out of the paper was going to take some doing. Well, he could deal with this later. "All right change of plans."
As the sun rose over the mountains Aoshi walked silently along the road, the other members of the Oniwaban group trailing in his wake. They hadn't spoken a word since leaving Kanryu's mansion, leaving their leader to be in deep thought.
After the battle with the Battousai had concluded the two groups went their separate ways. While Himura's team went to retrieve the Megumi woman, Aoshi went to find Kanryu; h had one last order of business with the scum before leaving town: killing the man.
A quick search of the premises and Hannya discovered a secret chamber to a hidden basement that he had previously overlooked. At first Aoshi had just thought it was some escape route for Kanryu, but when they came to the end of the passageway he had found himself dead wrong.
It was actually some kind of vault that Kanryu was using to hold all sorts of firearms; apparently he had decided to become not just a merchant of poison, but death too. However the only trace of the man they could find was some blood running down the wall and a few puddles of it on the ground. Judging by how it was smeared on the wall, someone had come along during Aoshi's battle with Himura and rammed the weasels face into it.
But the mystery of who it was could wait till later, right now Aoshi had another thing on his mind.
"Leader."
Hearing his name, or title actually, Aoshi turned around to face his men. "What is it Hannya?"
"Leader, I know it is not my place to question you," he said with reluctance. "But I and the others are curious to what you plan for all of us to do now? If you wish to have another battle with the Battousai, then wouldn't it be better for the Oniwaban to remain in Tokyo. If he is a wanderer now, then by leaving we might miss news of his leaving the city, and if so then there is no telling where he might resurface."
"Himura will not be going anywhere except to Hell when I send him there," Aoshi told him in a level tone. "As for your question, we are not going anywhere?"
"Leader?" Beshimi asked with curiosity.
"As I promised, this shall be between myself and the Battousai, and just between us," Aoshi told them. "I need to increase my skills if I am to defeat him, and to do that I can't have anything, or anyone holding me back. Training with any of you would be a waste of time."
"We…understand Lord Aoshi," Hannya replied with a touch of sadness in his voice, anyone else would have missed it, but Aoshi knew his men almost better than they knew themselves.
"…But," Aoshi continued. "There is something that I need you to do. I want you all to return to Kyoto, and tell the others to wait one year. I promise you, in one year or less I promise you that I shall return with or without the flower of the strongest for you all to hold, and…if she is still waiting for me, tell it to her as well."
All of them men stood motionless for a moment, and then nodded before Aoshi turned around and walked off into the forest. I will have the title of the strongest Kenshin Himura, no matter what it takes I will defeat you.
Preview of Next Chapter: Finally, with all that Oniwaban business over the Kamiya Kasshin style can finally start training it's newest student; too bad se seems even more sexist and weird than Yahiko! In fact, during one of the sparring sessions with his master she 'accidentally' punts him through the wall because of an outburst, and it's going to be raining later tonight so they need to get the dojo fixed up. But because of this now the two girls are left without anyone to play with. Well, that's ok they're willing to listen to a story while the rest of us work, hey Kenshin, do you know any good ones?
Next time on Ranma ½: A Kyoto Ghost Story
Ranma: I don't believe this! Kenshin's known as a big bad manslayer and people run in terror at the sound of his name because of what happened during the revolution, and all I do is scare little kids? I need to get a new agent.