CHAPTER 13- COMBUSTION
While Shishio struggled to his feet, red steam continuing to pour out of him, Kenshin panted for breath. 'This could be it.' he thought. 'My body is exhausted and I'm losing blood quickly. I could really die.'
'No!' his inner self protested. 'If you die, you'll be breaking your promise to all your friends! Your family!'
As Shishio, foaming at the mouth, charged in with his sword raised, Kenshin remembered Kaoru saying to him:
"Let's go home together, okay Kenshin?"
"Kaoru." He glanced over to where Jiani was. "And Jiani." The faces of his friends flashed through his mind. He came alive.
Shishio, foaming at the mouth, charged him.
He raised his sword to meet the attack. "No! I won't die! There is nothing stronger than the will to live!"
Shishio cackled, swinging his blade on high. "HAHAHA! Wrong! Nothing is stronger than me! In this world, the strong live by feeding off of the weak! The strong live and the weak die!"
Those were the same words he had drilled into Soujiro. Kenshin gritted his teeth. Everyone held their breath once again.
"Master Shishio has reached past his limits!" Houji declared.
Suddenly, before the final blow was struck, a pillar of flames engulfed Shishio!
Kenshin gasped.
"Spontaneous combustion." Aoshi murmured. "His body temperature ignited his whole body."
Somewhere within the fire, where Shishio and Yumi were both swallowed, came a loud laughter. In his last moments, Shishio was cackling!
Houji sank to his knees as the flames died down. "No.no.I can't take this! Master Shishio was winning!"
Kenshin picked up something: Yumi's broken watch.
Aoshi nodded slightly. "Time.time was Battousai's ally on this day."
Sanosuke, who had stooped over Jiani to shield her from the flames, lifted his head. "There's nothing left of him. Kenshin, you won."
Houji let loose a loud scream and ran from the platform. "He did not lose! He didn't lose! NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"
"He's gone mad." Saitoh declared.
Just then, Jiani cried out. "Father!"
"Kenshin!"
Kenshin dropped Yumi's watch and fell to the ground. Sanosuke ran over and pulled him up over his shoulders. He cursed when he saw the doors slam shut. "That bastard! How the hell are we supposed to get out of here??"
Jiani stood up and stared up at the doors. Saitoh stood next to her. They glanced over at each other, exchanged brief nods, and reeled back to punch. "HYAH!"
CRACK!!! Their fists drilled through the doors.
Sanosuke blinked. "Wow." He had forgotten that Jiani didn't need a sword to prove her might. Then, he heard Kenshin moan on his shoulder. "Hey! We have to get going! Come on!"
BWOOM!!
All of a sudden, the fortress began to crumble. Aoshi jumped aside just as one of the chimneys above the walkway came crashing down. "The battlefield is exploding!"
"Houji." Sanosuke growled. The man really had gone crazy!
Just then, a massive clunk of the platform gave way, leaving Saitoh stranded on the far end. Sanosuke saw this. "Saitoh!"
But the demon-faced warrior simply lit a cigarette. "How annoying."
"What the hell do you think you're doing??" Sanosuke demanded, turning around completely to face him. "Are you nuts??"
Saitoh frowned at him. "Idiot. I have dealt with situations like these more than you have."
Sanosuke's shout for him was lost in the roaring flames that consumed Shishio's headquarters.
Outside, Anji, Houji, and Soujiro stood, watching their fortress crumble in the fire. Soujiro left quietly, ready to start down the path that Kenshin had mapped out for him. Anji and Houji agreed to turn themselves in, but for different reasons. Anji would atone for his crimes while Houji would tell of the incredible battle.
Not far away, Jiani, Aoshi, Sanosuke, and Kenshin had made it out safely and observed the blaze.
"That bastard." Sanosuke murmured. That was all he could think to say.
Jiani limped over and slipped under Kenshin's other side to help support him. Sanosuke glanced at her. "Jiani, you shouldn't. You're injured."
"So are you." She said quietly. "We had best move away."
The four warriors left.
While Shishio struggled to his feet, red steam continuing to pour out of him, Kenshin panted for breath. 'This could be it.' he thought. 'My body is exhausted and I'm losing blood quickly. I could really die.'
'No!' his inner self protested. 'If you die, you'll be breaking your promise to all your friends! Your family!'
As Shishio, foaming at the mouth, charged in with his sword raised, Kenshin remembered Kaoru saying to him:
"Let's go home together, okay Kenshin?"
"Kaoru." He glanced over to where Jiani was. "And Jiani." The faces of his friends flashed through his mind. He came alive.
Shishio, foaming at the mouth, charged him.
He raised his sword to meet the attack. "No! I won't die! There is nothing stronger than the will to live!"
Shishio cackled, swinging his blade on high. "HAHAHA! Wrong! Nothing is stronger than me! In this world, the strong live by feeding off of the weak! The strong live and the weak die!"
Those were the same words he had drilled into Soujiro. Kenshin gritted his teeth. Everyone held their breath once again.
"Master Shishio has reached past his limits!" Houji declared.
Suddenly, before the final blow was struck, a pillar of flames engulfed Shishio!
Kenshin gasped.
"Spontaneous combustion." Aoshi murmured. "His body temperature ignited his whole body."
Somewhere within the fire, where Shishio and Yumi were both swallowed, came a loud laughter. In his last moments, Shishio was cackling!
Houji sank to his knees as the flames died down. "No.no.I can't take this! Master Shishio was winning!"
Kenshin picked up something: Yumi's broken watch.
Aoshi nodded slightly. "Time.time was Battousai's ally on this day."
Sanosuke, who had stooped over Jiani to shield her from the flames, lifted his head. "There's nothing left of him. Kenshin, you won."
Houji let loose a loud scream and ran from the platform. "He did not lose! He didn't lose! NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"
"He's gone mad." Saitoh declared.
Just then, Jiani cried out. "Father!"
"Kenshin!"
Kenshin dropped Yumi's watch and fell to the ground. Sanosuke ran over and pulled him up over his shoulders. He cursed when he saw the doors slam shut. "That bastard! How the hell are we supposed to get out of here??"
Jiani stood up and stared up at the doors. Saitoh stood next to her. They glanced over at each other, exchanged brief nods, and reeled back to punch. "HYAH!"
CRACK!!! Their fists drilled through the doors.
Sanosuke blinked. "Wow." He had forgotten that Jiani didn't need a sword to prove her might. Then, he heard Kenshin moan on his shoulder. "Hey! We have to get going! Come on!"
BWOOM!!
All of a sudden, the fortress began to crumble. Aoshi jumped aside just as one of the chimneys above the walkway came crashing down. "The battlefield is exploding!"
"Houji." Sanosuke growled. The man really had gone crazy!
Just then, a massive clunk of the platform gave way, leaving Saitoh stranded on the far end. Sanosuke saw this. "Saitoh!"
But the demon-faced warrior simply lit a cigarette. "How annoying."
"What the hell do you think you're doing??" Sanosuke demanded, turning around completely to face him. "Are you nuts??"
Saitoh frowned at him. "Idiot. I have dealt with situations like these more than you have."
Sanosuke's shout for him was lost in the roaring flames that consumed Shishio's headquarters.
Outside, Anji, Houji, and Soujiro stood, watching their fortress crumble in the fire. Soujiro left quietly, ready to start down the path that Kenshin had mapped out for him. Anji and Houji agreed to turn themselves in, but for different reasons. Anji would atone for his crimes while Houji would tell of the incredible battle.
Not far away, Jiani, Aoshi, Sanosuke, and Kenshin had made it out safely and observed the blaze.
"That bastard." Sanosuke murmured. That was all he could think to say.
Jiani limped over and slipped under Kenshin's other side to help support him. Sanosuke glanced at her. "Jiani, you shouldn't. You're injured."
"So are you." She said quietly. "We had best move away."
The four warriors left.