CHAPTER 11- DULL EDGE'S STRIKE
The deadly explosion never came.
"What? You bastard!"
Jiani opened her eyes again. "Sano!"
The wounded youth was behind Shishio, holding him in a lock. He grinned toothily. "You think I'd let you die, Jiani?"
He doubled his strength hard around the fuming Shishio, forcing him to release her. Jiani slipped down to one knee and rubbed her throat fiercely. It felt good to be able to breathe again.
"I'm growing tired of your futile attempts at playing the hero!" Shishio growled, bracing his arms downward to free himself.
"And I'm just plain sick of seeing your face!" Sanosuke spat back.
"That's enough."
That voice.everyone knew that voice!
Jiani turned around. Sanosuke let go of Shishio and took a step back. Shishio stared.
There stood a warrior with glowing red hair, covered in tattered shreds of cloth and wraps. His gaze, though purple-eyed now, still held menace, at least for his opponents. He breathed heavily, but stood straight and strong. His hand hung readily beside a sheathed sword. Kenshin had come back to them.
Jiani smiled. "Father."
"Welcome back, Kenshin." Sanosuke said.
Kenshin sent a quick smile their way before turning back to Shishio. "The Battousai has finished his fight, that he has." He took a stance. "Now you have the rurouni to end this war."
Aoshi found the strength to rise once again. Saitoh did so as well. The icy ninja smirked. "The time to fight is now. We have yet to meet our fate!"
"I don't believe this." Houji muttered.
"Lord Shishio, you can't." Yumi whispered.
Kenshin took a deep breath. "Jiani-chan, you have fought well. Please move aside with Sanosuke and allow this one to finish this."
Jiani replaced her worried expression with a smile. "Yes."
The smokestacks surrounding the balcony burst to life again. Shishio felt his blood bubbling. The time to fight had come.
'It is time to use the ultimate technique.' Kenshin said to himself. 'This is the move that this one will put all of his power and knowledge of the Hitenmitsurugi Ryu into.'
Shishio recognized the stance his opponent was folding into. 'Ah, the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki!'
Yumi wondered if he would know what to do. Soujiro, before his leave of absence, told her the secret to this devastating technique.
"He used this as the Battousai." He had said. "So who knows how it will change against Shishio-san."
'Oh Lord Shishio.' she gasped. 'See through it! Win!'
Sanosuke knelt beside Jiani, watching. Saitoh and Aoshi were silent.
"HYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kenshin burst forward in long bounds, readying his sword. He would strike with the dull edge.
Everything seemed to slow. Shishio watched Kenshin's every step, left, right, left, right.
There it was! The fateful left last step was made! Shishio smirked as he swung his sword forth.
CRACK!!!!!!
The deadly explosion never came.
"What? You bastard!"
Jiani opened her eyes again. "Sano!"
The wounded youth was behind Shishio, holding him in a lock. He grinned toothily. "You think I'd let you die, Jiani?"
He doubled his strength hard around the fuming Shishio, forcing him to release her. Jiani slipped down to one knee and rubbed her throat fiercely. It felt good to be able to breathe again.
"I'm growing tired of your futile attempts at playing the hero!" Shishio growled, bracing his arms downward to free himself.
"And I'm just plain sick of seeing your face!" Sanosuke spat back.
"That's enough."
That voice.everyone knew that voice!
Jiani turned around. Sanosuke let go of Shishio and took a step back. Shishio stared.
There stood a warrior with glowing red hair, covered in tattered shreds of cloth and wraps. His gaze, though purple-eyed now, still held menace, at least for his opponents. He breathed heavily, but stood straight and strong. His hand hung readily beside a sheathed sword. Kenshin had come back to them.
Jiani smiled. "Father."
"Welcome back, Kenshin." Sanosuke said.
Kenshin sent a quick smile their way before turning back to Shishio. "The Battousai has finished his fight, that he has." He took a stance. "Now you have the rurouni to end this war."
Aoshi found the strength to rise once again. Saitoh did so as well. The icy ninja smirked. "The time to fight is now. We have yet to meet our fate!"
"I don't believe this." Houji muttered.
"Lord Shishio, you can't." Yumi whispered.
Kenshin took a deep breath. "Jiani-chan, you have fought well. Please move aside with Sanosuke and allow this one to finish this."
Jiani replaced her worried expression with a smile. "Yes."
The smokestacks surrounding the balcony burst to life again. Shishio felt his blood bubbling. The time to fight had come.
'It is time to use the ultimate technique.' Kenshin said to himself. 'This is the move that this one will put all of his power and knowledge of the Hitenmitsurugi Ryu into.'
Shishio recognized the stance his opponent was folding into. 'Ah, the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki!'
Yumi wondered if he would know what to do. Soujiro, before his leave of absence, told her the secret to this devastating technique.
"He used this as the Battousai." He had said. "So who knows how it will change against Shishio-san."
'Oh Lord Shishio.' she gasped. 'See through it! Win!'
Sanosuke knelt beside Jiani, watching. Saitoh and Aoshi were silent.
"HYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kenshin burst forward in long bounds, readying his sword. He would strike with the dull edge.
Everything seemed to slow. Shishio watched Kenshin's every step, left, right, left, right.
There it was! The fateful left last step was made! Shishio smirked as he swung his sword forth.
CRACK!!!!!!