CHAPTER 10- JIANI'S RETURN
"Lord Shishio! The Battousai's still alive!" Houji shouted. "Look!"
"What?" The wrapped warrior glanced over his shoulder. How could he have lived through the Guren Kaina?
Sanosuke lifted his head slightly to see.
The Battousai still looked dead to the untrained eye. However, Shishio and the others could just barely see how his fingers twitched and how his chest rose and fell ever so faintly. Indeed, he was alive!
"He may be alive, but I'll finish him now." Shishio growled, striding over to where his opponent lay.
"No!" Sanosuke tried to stand, but a rush of nausea had him sitting back down. He was too weak to help. "Kenshin, get up! Fight!"
Shishio stood over the Battousai, who moaned quietly. SSSSSSSHHHHHHPPPPP!!!!! He drew his sword slowly and pointed it down upon him. "When Japan is conquered, the first thing I shall do is show the people your head."
"Lord Shishio." Yumi murmured.
"DIE!!!!!!!!!!!" Quick as lightning, he swung his sword down. Sanosuke shut his eyes and looked away.
CRACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shishio gasped. "What??"
That didn't sound like a decapitation!
Everyone turned and looked up to see. Sanosuke's eyes widened. "It can't be!"
Jiani stood shakily over the Battousai, blocking the deadly sword with her own katana. Panting heavily, she glowered up at Shishio. "No one.will kill.my father."
"You should know better than to interfere like that!" He spat, angry and surprised.
Jiani pushed him back and took a shaky stance. "Your reign of terror will end before it can begin! MAY YOU MEET YOUR END UNDER THE STRENGTH OF THIS BLOW!!!!!" She leapt at him and lashed out.
VASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"AUGH!!!!" Shishio had no time to react as her sword sliced into his side, raking across his ribs and rising up under his shoulder blade. Jiani allowed the momentum of the strike to carry her forward. Then, she skidded to a halt.
"Jiani.?" Sanosuke gasped.
Heart racing, she whirled towards the door. "Shinomori!"
Shishio recovered to his feet. "What?"
Aoshi appeared from the depths of the building, wearing an icy stare and a deep scar across his chest.
"Oh my, I have another whipped dog after all!" Shishio declared, straightening. His wound throbbed painfully, but it was something that would have to be ignored.
Houji stared furiously at the ninja. "You have no place here, Shinomori! Get out!"
But Aoshi remained unmarred. "I cannot deny that I am a whipped dog." He talked in a cool, monotonous tone, with his swords at his sides. "But it is true that the Battousai accepted this whipped dog's challenge and now bears wounds from this whipped dog's blades."
"If this is the way you wish to repay him, then come at me!" Shishio dug his feet in and faced Aoshi's charge. The tall ninja doubled his speed, preparing the Kaiten Kenbu.
While they fought, Jiani limped hurriedly to the Battousai's side. Kneeling down painfully, she put down her sword. "Father! Father, it's me!"
"Ngh!" He stirred slightly.
She placed a hand softly on his cheek, over the cross scar. "Father, you have to come to your senses. We need your help."
The Battousai gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. "J---Ji---
Aoshi landed hard on the ground. Still, Jiani could feel something in the air. Sword ki glittered the sky, a phenomenon only warriors of the sword could see. She smiled weakly down at her father as he struggled. "They are calling Father. Can you not hear them?"
Suddenly, something seized her from around the neck and jerked her up off her feet. "Agh!" She choked as she tried to free herself. 'Shishio!'
"He has to stop this!" Yumi shouted. "He's past the allotted time! He's reached his limits! Houji, stop him!"
"Calm yourself. He is fine." The short fellow told her.
Shishio sneered. "A blow for a blow. You had yours, and now it's time for mine!"
Aoshi and Saitoh sat up.
"Why don't we see if you can survive my special technique as well?" he suggested, hoisting her up higher. Jiani clawed at his gripping hand with her nails. She wished feverishly for her sword, which lay beside her father.
Shishio raised his sword towards his glove. "Die."
Jiani closed her eyes. Was this the end? Was she too late?
"Lord Shishio! The Battousai's still alive!" Houji shouted. "Look!"
"What?" The wrapped warrior glanced over his shoulder. How could he have lived through the Guren Kaina?
Sanosuke lifted his head slightly to see.
The Battousai still looked dead to the untrained eye. However, Shishio and the others could just barely see how his fingers twitched and how his chest rose and fell ever so faintly. Indeed, he was alive!
"He may be alive, but I'll finish him now." Shishio growled, striding over to where his opponent lay.
"No!" Sanosuke tried to stand, but a rush of nausea had him sitting back down. He was too weak to help. "Kenshin, get up! Fight!"
Shishio stood over the Battousai, who moaned quietly. SSSSSSSHHHHHHPPPPP!!!!! He drew his sword slowly and pointed it down upon him. "When Japan is conquered, the first thing I shall do is show the people your head."
"Lord Shishio." Yumi murmured.
"DIE!!!!!!!!!!!" Quick as lightning, he swung his sword down. Sanosuke shut his eyes and looked away.
CRACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shishio gasped. "What??"
That didn't sound like a decapitation!
Everyone turned and looked up to see. Sanosuke's eyes widened. "It can't be!"
Jiani stood shakily over the Battousai, blocking the deadly sword with her own katana. Panting heavily, she glowered up at Shishio. "No one.will kill.my father."
"You should know better than to interfere like that!" He spat, angry and surprised.
Jiani pushed him back and took a shaky stance. "Your reign of terror will end before it can begin! MAY YOU MEET YOUR END UNDER THE STRENGTH OF THIS BLOW!!!!!" She leapt at him and lashed out.
VASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"AUGH!!!!" Shishio had no time to react as her sword sliced into his side, raking across his ribs and rising up under his shoulder blade. Jiani allowed the momentum of the strike to carry her forward. Then, she skidded to a halt.
"Jiani.?" Sanosuke gasped.
Heart racing, she whirled towards the door. "Shinomori!"
Shishio recovered to his feet. "What?"
Aoshi appeared from the depths of the building, wearing an icy stare and a deep scar across his chest.
"Oh my, I have another whipped dog after all!" Shishio declared, straightening. His wound throbbed painfully, but it was something that would have to be ignored.
Houji stared furiously at the ninja. "You have no place here, Shinomori! Get out!"
But Aoshi remained unmarred. "I cannot deny that I am a whipped dog." He talked in a cool, monotonous tone, with his swords at his sides. "But it is true that the Battousai accepted this whipped dog's challenge and now bears wounds from this whipped dog's blades."
"If this is the way you wish to repay him, then come at me!" Shishio dug his feet in and faced Aoshi's charge. The tall ninja doubled his speed, preparing the Kaiten Kenbu.
While they fought, Jiani limped hurriedly to the Battousai's side. Kneeling down painfully, she put down her sword. "Father! Father, it's me!"
"Ngh!" He stirred slightly.
She placed a hand softly on his cheek, over the cross scar. "Father, you have to come to your senses. We need your help."
The Battousai gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. "J---Ji---
Aoshi landed hard on the ground. Still, Jiani could feel something in the air. Sword ki glittered the sky, a phenomenon only warriors of the sword could see. She smiled weakly down at her father as he struggled. "They are calling Father. Can you not hear them?"
Suddenly, something seized her from around the neck and jerked her up off her feet. "Agh!" She choked as she tried to free herself. 'Shishio!'
"He has to stop this!" Yumi shouted. "He's past the allotted time! He's reached his limits! Houji, stop him!"
"Calm yourself. He is fine." The short fellow told her.
Shishio sneered. "A blow for a blow. You had yours, and now it's time for mine!"
Aoshi and Saitoh sat up.
"Why don't we see if you can survive my special technique as well?" he suggested, hoisting her up higher. Jiani clawed at his gripping hand with her nails. She wished feverishly for her sword, which lay beside her father.
Shishio raised his sword towards his glove. "Die."
Jiani closed her eyes. Was this the end? Was she too late?