chapter | part four: moon tiara
[Once the two, Rei and Saitoh, had that unfamilar run in with each other, they both quickly departed in totally different directions. Rei towards the marketplace of the city, where she was told. Saitoh in the direction of where the mysterious lights had appeared the night before. As soon as Saitoh was just about to cross out of the city limits and into the forested surroundings, however, he was stopped yet once again, but this time by a fellow officer.]
Policeman 1: Hey, Fugita-san!!! Fugita-san!!!..... HEY!!! FUGITA-SAN!!!
[Saitoh stops and turns slowly to face the other fellow policeman.]
Policeman 1: [The policeman bows in respect.] Fugita-san, there appears to be a fight breaking out between two people within the city. I was told to come and get you to help out by the chief.
Saitoh: I'm on another mission at the moment. Go tell the chief that he will just have to manage with the other cops under his wing.
Policeman 1: Sorry Fugita-san, but his orders outrank yours. Besides, our other men are there trying to handle the situation, but are unable to. That is why I was sent to come find and get some help from you..... Even worse, there seems to be a dark aura around these two warriors. They may even be demons.
[Saitoh looks up towards the forested area to where the lights appeared to be coming from the other night.]
Saitoh: Mmmm....... It's almost as if something is keeping me from investigating there...... First the girl and now this. Alright....... Let's go.
[Rei soons finds herself in the middle of huge outside shopping markets and vendors. It wasn't long before Rei managed to bargain her way through the crowd for the items that she was looking for, even a month's rent stay at one of the inns, but at the extra cost of selling off some of her own jewelry that she had in her own possession. Soon afterwards she was heading back to the group that she left behind.]
[Back at the dojo where Kenshin and Kaoru were residing, a sleepy person known as Misao emerged from the dojo's walls.]
Misao: [whining] Aoshi-sama is not here! He could have woke me if he was going out for an early morning walk!
Yahiko: You still sleeping the days away Misao? No wonder Aoshi keeps taking off with such a sleepy head around.
Misao: Kecho Geri!!
[Yahiko dodges the kick but just barely.]
Yahiko: [in a voice mimicking a familar Kenshin's voice] If you are going to keep showing me the same move over and over again. I will find more then one way to counter it.
[Just then Aoshi walks into the dojo looking at the two fighting with each other, but Misao gives it up when he walks in.]
Misao: Aoshi-sama!! You're back!.... Where did you go off to? Huh??
Aoshi: Just visiting the city a bit. Where's Kenshin?
[When those words were said, Kenshin comes out from the dojo where he was finally being able to relax within.]
Kenshin: What happens to be the problem Aoshi - de gozaru?
Aoshi: Can I have a word with you in private?
[Kenshin looks at the dojo and takes him within to where the others couldn't hear so well.]
Aoshi: I was just visiting the location of the lights. It appears that we have company here in Tokyo. Seems like they are looking for you, Kenshin....... I'll postpone my return to Kyoto. Besides that, Misao seems to enjoying her time here with Kaoru.
Kenshin: What did these new visitors look like?
Aoshi: I couldn't see all of them from the position I was in, and couldn't get a closer look without the risk of being seen myself. But from what I was able to hear, it was a group of ten, one left to make arrangements in the city, and there only appears to be one maybe two men in the group. Actually, I only managed to spot the one, a young woman, that was leaving for the city.
Kenshin: Oro..... Aoshi-sama..... I thought you were the leader of the Oniwa Banshu? One of the elite. One maybe two men?? What happened - de gozaru?
[Aoshi closes his eyes for a bit at this remark.]
Aoshi: Hmm..... I guess all this peace is making me a little too relaxed.
[Aoshi returns to his silence and heads out of the dojo with Kenshin following. Meanwhile back at the fight that Saitoh was ordered to put a stop to, there were two warriors fighting in the middle of the street. There were a few other cops trying to put a stop to it but were unsuccessful. There was a dark cloud around them as they fought amongst themselves. The first warrior was heavily built with muscles, the second warrior was leaner but still had a solid body as well, and both of them had a glare of evil from within their eyes. Some of the cops that were left to fight against the warriors were already laying around the fight as if they had been knocked out or slain.]
Saitoh: These warriors are not the usual. They're not even from around here. [approaching from behind] What's going on?
Warrior1: [with a low husky voice] It's none of your business what we are here for.
Warrior2: [with a sinister laughter in his voice as if to mock this policman] If you really want to know, the only way you'll find out is by defeating us.
Saitoh: [smirking] My kind of interrogation. All other units stand down....... Let's go.
[The two warriors then combined their forces to fight against Saitoh. Saitoh easily dodges the two attacks from the warriors, one from the front and the other from behind him.]
Warrior1: This guy is good.
Saitoh: A child could have taken you down easily. So now..... are you ready to surrender?
Warrior2: Die!!
[While this little conversation was going on between the first warrior and Saitoh, the second warrior plannned a second attack from surprise, but still was not even able to touch him. Saitoh didn't even have to fall into his most powerful stance, he wasn't even breaking a sweat. However, with all this fighting going on, the dark aura that was surrounding the two warriors increased. Saitoh noticed this as well. As he was fighting this child's game to him, he started interrogating the men while dodging any attack these two could put together at him.]
Saitoh: Were you the ones that were up hidden within the forest?
Warrior2: You'll have to kill us before we talk.
[Saitoh had enough of this game and drew his sword. Edging the blade downwards and the hilt held upwards at an angle, he stood there in his powerful stance, the one known as the Gotatsu.]
Saitoh: As you wish.
[Saitoh charges the first warrior to quickly get him out of the way. The speed of the blade was so quick that he didn't even see it coming, and with one strong thrust of the sword it was over for him. Although he seemed like he was dead in an instance, he really was only knocked unconcious. Saitoh held back wanting to question him further after he regained conciousness. With the defeat of the first warrior, the dark aura that was around the fight had grown and was now engulfing everyone nearby. The few policemen that were left to watch the battle between their fellow policman and the warriors, gathered their fallen comrades and out of fear, rushed out of the area. Saitoh turned to face the second warrior and took his stance.]
Warrior2: [the smirk had left his face and now had fear in his eyes] W.... Wa...... Wait a minute.....
[At that moment a hand was placed on Saitoh's raised shoulder. As a reflex reaction he spun around to view who had snuck up on him so easily and stared right into the eyes of Aoshi. Kenshin was just a few feet behind with his right hand on the hilt of his sakaba and Kaoru, Misao, Sanosuke, and Yahiko not to far behind him.]
Kenshin: The killing ends here.
[Saitoh relaxed at that moment and pulled out a cigarrette.]
Saitoh: Feh....
Warrior2: Wait a second...... That red hair...... The cross shaped scar........
Saitoh: Another of your fanclub...
Warrior2: Bah.... Toh..... Sai...... Battousai!!!........
[At that moment, the dark aura that was around them had grown so large that there appeared to be something coming out of the darkness. Whatever it was, it was not a good sign. The group of seven looked into the darkness and all could have sworn that there was something or someone that was heading right towards them. Whatever it was, it had a strong presence of evil around it, and that's when it had happened from right behind them. They didn't quite get what it was that they saw, but they heard the words very clearly. A flash of light that followed what appeared to be a golden disc of some sort immediately coming from behind them. This disc had made that dark energy, whatever dark aura it was, vaporize into nothing.]
Voice: Moon Tiara..... Magic!
[All of them quickly looked into the direction of where the disc had come from, but all they could see were silhouettes of what appeared to be five girls dashing off into the distance. Aoshi, Saitoh, and Kenshin immediately raced after the five and left the others behind. If given the chance they would have caught up with the girls, but were unable to when they were stopped by what appeared to be a couple. However, this couple were no other than Michiru and Haruka already dressed in the clothing that Rei had bought them earlier. They were creating a diversion to allow the girls escape from these three.]
Haruka: [stepping directly in the path of the three men racing] Now where would three good looking men be racing off to in such a hurry?
Kenshin: [stopping dead in his tracks] Oro?
Saitoh: Out of the way.
[Saitoh and Aoshi manage to avoid the blockade of Haruka. That's when Michiru gets infront of them.]
Michiru: We were just wondering if you guys were okay. We saw the battle, and I must say you guys were excellent.
[By this time, the girls had managed to detransform and had gotten away.]
Michiru: [bowing as a show of respect to the three men] Sorry to have kept you from your business. We were just admiring at how you handled the situation.
Kenshin: [very quick and curtly] It was nothing, but we must be getting on our way - de gozaru.
[The other two just remained silent, and the three of them took off to possibly see if they could still catch up with the girls that they were chasing. Even after splitting up and looking around to see if they could find them, however, there was no sign of them to be found anywhere. They then doubled back to where the couple, standing in their way, were at but they also had vanished without a trace. As night was creeping upon the city, Kenshin and his comrades return back to the dojo and were discussing the day's events.]
Sanosuke: Oy, I saw the disk and it burning itself into the darkness as well. I'm telling you that it was sorcery! I wasn't about to chase after a bunch of witches. First they tell me that camera's don't steal your soul, trains that must weigh a ton can just ride on steam, and now this. Nuh uhs [shaking his head violently], they're not changing my mind on this without some proof.
Saitoh: Aho..... You wouldn't have been able to keep up with us anyways.
[Sanosuke's face flamed with anger.]
Yahiko: What do you think that darkness was anyways?
Kenshin: It's evil, simple as that. A warning, perhaps, that a war is about to start..... [in a lighter tone] then again it could just be the setting of the sun - de gozaru. - [back in a more serious tone] but in either case I think that it's time we pay a visit to our new arrivals here.
Saitoh: Ah..... You've not lost your touch Aoshi...... I ran into one of them today, and seemed like she didn't want me near the mountain.
Aoshi: Whatever they were hiding is no longer there.
Saitoh: But you know where they are staying at of course.
[Aoshi gives one nod in an answer.]
Saitoh: We'll head their way first thing tomorrow morning then.