CHAPTER 12- ULTIMATE ATTACK
Everyone was in shock. Shishio had blocked Kenshin's attack! Shishio Makoto had defeated the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki!
"That's impossible!" Sanosuke murmured.
"..." Jiani watched in silence.
'He was able to see through the attack.' Aoshi thought.
Kenshin remained in his striking stance, even while Shishio pulled away his sword and laughed. "HAHAHA! NOW BATTOUSAI, WHAT ELSE IS LEFT BUT FOR YOU TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Yumi and Houji watched as he ran his sword across the full length of his scabbard.
"His ultimate technique!" Houji declared confidently. "The Battousai shall perish under the power of the Mugenjin, the Kagu Tsuchi!"
Shishio lanced out. Just one blow and he would triumph! One blow would kill Kenshin and open the door to his conquest of Japan! Just one blow..
But suddenly, he lost his footing. The swirling tornado of flames engulfing the Shadow Assassin's sword diminished. He felt himself being pulled back towards Kenshin!
"Unbelievable!" Sanosuke gasped.
"That attack!" Jiani cried. "It has created a time lag! It is taking everything back in upon itself!"
Just as Shishio began to fall, Kenshin, his red hair swirling, lanced out and struck him hard in the ribs.
"Shishio-sama!" Yumi cried.
"Master Shishio!" Houji shouted.
With a retch of agony, Shishio went flying. A great distance away, he landed on his feet, but the pain found him sinking to his knees.
"He feels it now." Saitoh declared quietly.
"Father." Jiani murmured.
Kenshin, bent and breathless, trudged slowly to where Shishio knelt. He stood silently as the Shadow Hitokiri, steaming red, coughed and sputtered.
"Incredible." Aoshi said softly. "This Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki is much stronger than the one I faced."
"Sano, do you sense that?" Jiani hissed.
He nodded. "Yeah, something's happened to Shishio."
Yumi saw the convulsions and knew as well. Dropping her watch, she raced out towards the two men. 'He's had enough!'
Before either of the two swordsmen could move, she threw herself in the middle of them. "Please!" she begged Kenshin. "Don't hurt him any further! He can fight for no more than 15 minutes! Please! He's had enough!"
Kenshin lowered his sword, a big mistake.
Jiani saw what was coming. "FATHER! LOOK OUT!"
"The fight is still on, Battousai." Came Shishio's raspy voice.
The next thing Kenshin knew, a sword blade plunged through Yumi and into his stomach. As he slipped to the ground, Yumi fell against her lover, bleeding profusely.
Kenshin felt the urge to vomit, but his anger held it back. He glowered up at his enemy. "You.you bastard. You'd go.so far as to.betray the woman.who loves you??"
But Shishio just scoffed. "I did not betray her. She understands me more than anybody else, just like I understand her more than anyone else."
Yumi smiled in those last seconds of life. "I'm so happy.I was finally useful.in a fight.I helped Shishio-sama in the most important thing in his life." She used the last of her strength to take her master's hand. "Please win, Shishio-sama. I'll be waiting for you in Hell." With that, she died.
Houji sighed sadly. "Komagata Yumi, a woman never blessed in life, but who found happiness in the end."
"N-No." Jiani felt sick. Sanosuke placed a hand on her shoulder.
Kenshin pounded the floor with his fist. "That's bullshit! Where's the happiness in death?? It could have been different if she had lived!" His wound reopened and he collapsed once again.
Shishio wasn't moved. "The one to stand and unleash the next attack, the one to survive, is the victor!"
Everyone was in shock. Shishio had blocked Kenshin's attack! Shishio Makoto had defeated the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki!
"That's impossible!" Sanosuke murmured.
"..." Jiani watched in silence.
'He was able to see through the attack.' Aoshi thought.
Kenshin remained in his striking stance, even while Shishio pulled away his sword and laughed. "HAHAHA! NOW BATTOUSAI, WHAT ELSE IS LEFT BUT FOR YOU TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Yumi and Houji watched as he ran his sword across the full length of his scabbard.
"His ultimate technique!" Houji declared confidently. "The Battousai shall perish under the power of the Mugenjin, the Kagu Tsuchi!"
Shishio lanced out. Just one blow and he would triumph! One blow would kill Kenshin and open the door to his conquest of Japan! Just one blow..
But suddenly, he lost his footing. The swirling tornado of flames engulfing the Shadow Assassin's sword diminished. He felt himself being pulled back towards Kenshin!
"Unbelievable!" Sanosuke gasped.
"That attack!" Jiani cried. "It has created a time lag! It is taking everything back in upon itself!"
Just as Shishio began to fall, Kenshin, his red hair swirling, lanced out and struck him hard in the ribs.
"Shishio-sama!" Yumi cried.
"Master Shishio!" Houji shouted.
With a retch of agony, Shishio went flying. A great distance away, he landed on his feet, but the pain found him sinking to his knees.
"He feels it now." Saitoh declared quietly.
"Father." Jiani murmured.
Kenshin, bent and breathless, trudged slowly to where Shishio knelt. He stood silently as the Shadow Hitokiri, steaming red, coughed and sputtered.
"Incredible." Aoshi said softly. "This Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki is much stronger than the one I faced."
"Sano, do you sense that?" Jiani hissed.
He nodded. "Yeah, something's happened to Shishio."
Yumi saw the convulsions and knew as well. Dropping her watch, she raced out towards the two men. 'He's had enough!'
Before either of the two swordsmen could move, she threw herself in the middle of them. "Please!" she begged Kenshin. "Don't hurt him any further! He can fight for no more than 15 minutes! Please! He's had enough!"
Kenshin lowered his sword, a big mistake.
Jiani saw what was coming. "FATHER! LOOK OUT!"
"The fight is still on, Battousai." Came Shishio's raspy voice.
The next thing Kenshin knew, a sword blade plunged through Yumi and into his stomach. As he slipped to the ground, Yumi fell against her lover, bleeding profusely.
Kenshin felt the urge to vomit, but his anger held it back. He glowered up at his enemy. "You.you bastard. You'd go.so far as to.betray the woman.who loves you??"
But Shishio just scoffed. "I did not betray her. She understands me more than anybody else, just like I understand her more than anyone else."
Yumi smiled in those last seconds of life. "I'm so happy.I was finally useful.in a fight.I helped Shishio-sama in the most important thing in his life." She used the last of her strength to take her master's hand. "Please win, Shishio-sama. I'll be waiting for you in Hell." With that, she died.
Houji sighed sadly. "Komagata Yumi, a woman never blessed in life, but who found happiness in the end."
"N-No." Jiani felt sick. Sanosuke placed a hand on her shoulder.
Kenshin pounded the floor with his fist. "That's bullshit! Where's the happiness in death?? It could have been different if she had lived!" His wound reopened and he collapsed once again.
Shishio wasn't moved. "The one to stand and unleash the next attack, the one to survive, is the victor!"