CHAPTER 9- HOPELESSNESS
Aoshi paused in his ascent up the staircase. He had felt his cargo jerk violently. Carefully, he brought the girl down from his shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked in a low tone.
She shuddered before opening one eye. "Y-Yeah.but something's.wrong."
'She heard the explosion as well.' He thought. His frown deepening, he peered upwards. He wondered when and where these stairs would end. He wondered what the explosion could mean. But he suddenly had an eerie feeling.
Without another word, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She made no protest and didn't even say anything. She was too weak.
With his own wounds crying out in protest, Aoshi continued onward.
.......
Shishio lowered his sword. "Hmph, what a waste!"
Sanosuke took a step forward to see into the smoke. What he saw made him gasp. "Kenshin!"
A great distance away, singed and bleeding, lay the Battousai. He was motionless there on his back, his eyes white and gazing endlessly up at the smoky skies. Was he really dead?
Houji was practically jumping up and down. "Oh yes! Yes! Lord Shishio's Guren Kaina has overpowered the Battousai!"
Yumi breathed a sigh of relief. "And just in time too." She held up her watch. "It has been 15 minutes."
Saitoh's narrowed eyes narrowed even more. "The Secret Second Sword Guren Kaina." he muttered. "The sword, oiled from human flesh, ignites on contact with the gunpowder on Shishio's glove."
Sanosuke's fists trembled violently once more as raw fury overtook him. "No.Kenshin."
But before he could do anything, Saitoh charged forward.
"Huh? Saitoh!" Sanosuke shouted.
"Shishio! Your head is mine!" Saitoh leapt, preparing his Gatotsu. Shishio just stood there.
"HAH!" He struck the mummified warrior hard in the head. The blow was so great, it shook the balcony.
"Lord Shishio!" Yumi cried.
However, Shishio didn't budge. "I figured you would try something despite the Battousai not wanting you involved." With that, he unleashed his sword.
"Unh!" Saitoh felt the hot metal whip across his legs, slashing open closed wounds. As he fell back, he noticed why Shishio coped with the strike. "A skullband."
He crashed to the floor. "Damn him."
Sanosuke saw this and brought up his fists. "Well, I guess it's my turn!"
Once again, Shishio saw him coming and did nothing.
It was time for the Futae no Kiwame. Sanosuke sprang forward and punched with all his might. 'This is for Jiani and Kenshin!' he said in his mind.
But Shishio just smirked beneath the bone-crushing blow. "You'll never defeat me, no matter how strong you think you are!"
Before Sanosuke could react, a terrific punch sent him flying right into the wall. CRASH!!! He fell in a heap, his eyes rolling. "S-Shit."
"You are shit." His opponent corrected.
.......
"Jiani.Jiani."
A gentle light cast down upon the girl. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She couldn't believe what she saw. "M-Mother!"
Tomoe stood before her, glimmering and glowing. She smiled slightly down at her daughter. "Jiani, the fated time draws near."
"Yes Mother." She struggled to move, but couldn't.
Tomoe continued on. "Save him, my daughter. Save your father. You are the only one who can reach him now."
"Mother." The girl felt her eyes filling with tears.
Tomoe faded away. "I know you can."
.......
"Mother! Mother wait!"
Aoshi stopped once again, this time growing a little impatient. The girl over his shoulder shuddered.
He glanced back at her, then to what lay ahead. He could finally see the light. The place where Kenshin and the others were fighting wasn't far.
That strange feeling continued. He had to hurry.
Aoshi paused in his ascent up the staircase. He had felt his cargo jerk violently. Carefully, he brought the girl down from his shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked in a low tone.
She shuddered before opening one eye. "Y-Yeah.but something's.wrong."
'She heard the explosion as well.' He thought. His frown deepening, he peered upwards. He wondered when and where these stairs would end. He wondered what the explosion could mean. But he suddenly had an eerie feeling.
Without another word, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She made no protest and didn't even say anything. She was too weak.
With his own wounds crying out in protest, Aoshi continued onward.
.......
Shishio lowered his sword. "Hmph, what a waste!"
Sanosuke took a step forward to see into the smoke. What he saw made him gasp. "Kenshin!"
A great distance away, singed and bleeding, lay the Battousai. He was motionless there on his back, his eyes white and gazing endlessly up at the smoky skies. Was he really dead?
Houji was practically jumping up and down. "Oh yes! Yes! Lord Shishio's Guren Kaina has overpowered the Battousai!"
Yumi breathed a sigh of relief. "And just in time too." She held up her watch. "It has been 15 minutes."
Saitoh's narrowed eyes narrowed even more. "The Secret Second Sword Guren Kaina." he muttered. "The sword, oiled from human flesh, ignites on contact with the gunpowder on Shishio's glove."
Sanosuke's fists trembled violently once more as raw fury overtook him. "No.Kenshin."
But before he could do anything, Saitoh charged forward.
"Huh? Saitoh!" Sanosuke shouted.
"Shishio! Your head is mine!" Saitoh leapt, preparing his Gatotsu. Shishio just stood there.
"HAH!" He struck the mummified warrior hard in the head. The blow was so great, it shook the balcony.
"Lord Shishio!" Yumi cried.
However, Shishio didn't budge. "I figured you would try something despite the Battousai not wanting you involved." With that, he unleashed his sword.
"Unh!" Saitoh felt the hot metal whip across his legs, slashing open closed wounds. As he fell back, he noticed why Shishio coped with the strike. "A skullband."
He crashed to the floor. "Damn him."
Sanosuke saw this and brought up his fists. "Well, I guess it's my turn!"
Once again, Shishio saw him coming and did nothing.
It was time for the Futae no Kiwame. Sanosuke sprang forward and punched with all his might. 'This is for Jiani and Kenshin!' he said in his mind.
But Shishio just smirked beneath the bone-crushing blow. "You'll never defeat me, no matter how strong you think you are!"
Before Sanosuke could react, a terrific punch sent him flying right into the wall. CRASH!!! He fell in a heap, his eyes rolling. "S-Shit."
"You are shit." His opponent corrected.
.......
"Jiani.Jiani."
A gentle light cast down upon the girl. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She couldn't believe what she saw. "M-Mother!"
Tomoe stood before her, glimmering and glowing. She smiled slightly down at her daughter. "Jiani, the fated time draws near."
"Yes Mother." She struggled to move, but couldn't.
Tomoe continued on. "Save him, my daughter. Save your father. You are the only one who can reach him now."
"Mother." The girl felt her eyes filling with tears.
Tomoe faded away. "I know you can."
.......
"Mother! Mother wait!"
Aoshi stopped once again, this time growing a little impatient. The girl over his shoulder shuddered.
He glanced back at her, then to what lay ahead. He could finally see the light. The place where Kenshin and the others were fighting wasn't far.
That strange feeling continued. He had to hurry.