Would you Kill for Love?

"We begin when I say so Kanryuu." He clenched the handle of his sword. Good I knew I was pissing him off. Though my attention was still mainly focused on him, my eyes darted quickly to a trembling Misao.

"Misao step back." Instead she did nothing but stare widely at the cigar smoking Kanryuu.

"Misao!" I called her name loudly and watched as she lifted her hand, pointing her finger right at Kanryuu.

"You…your the man from that mansion. You're the one that…that touched me…wanted…wanted to rape me!" My eyes turned back to Kanryuu and saw the bastard actually smile at Misao's words.

"Oh come now my dear, what on earth are you talking about?"

"YOU BASTARD!" Quickly my hand was out as I wrapped it around Misao's waist keeping her by my side even though she struggled to try and get free. I found it surprising that within her shaking hands she held her stepmother's knife. She had picked it up without me even realising it. And she was intent on using it on Kanryuu as well. I bent my head, my eyes and my drawn kodachi still on Kanryuu, but I whispered softly into Misao's ear trying desperately to calm her down. It only took seconds as she dropped the knife and half collapsed into my frame.

"You will survive this Misao. Now please…step back." I heard her sniffle lightly as she pulled away from me and headed for a corner of the large ballroom, crouching onto the floor and placing her legs into her chest. She looked so small and fragile in that trench coat, but her eyes, her eyes were blazing with anger as they never once left Kanryuu's smiling face. Right, it was time to end this and bring back Misao.

"Alright Kanryuu lets do this." I stepped forward and moved with fluent steps into the middle of the ballroom, Kanryuu doing exactly the same thing. Taking two deep breaths I was surprised the bastard hadn't taken a stab at me, as I was not yet ready. I clasped the sword handle, went into a stance and merely seconds went by when Kanryuu leapt towards me, sword raised and a battle cry leaving his lips. Swiftly taking a step to the left I deflected his blow with my own kodachi.

"You know you won't leave here alive Shinomori." I really hated people who wanted to have a conversation during battle, but if he wanted to play this game too, I was more then willing to go along with it.

"Really now? What makes you think I don't have a backup plan?" His eyes narrowed at my words and he swung his sword right at my head. I ducked out of the way, but my eyes grew wide when I was too slow in blocking a punch to the face.

"AOSHI!" I stumbled back lightly and wiped the blood from my lip. No holding back I see. Well I'm more then happy to return that favour.

"I'm almost impressed Kanryuu, but you know something?" I was in a stance once more and my quick legs got me behind Kanryuu and my boot was in his back in an instant as I sent him sprawling to the floor.

"You still hit like a girl." A low blow yes, childish too, but I knew this would hurt him, I was sure of it. You see when it came to Kanryuu and me I always had the strength. He had the men to back him up, but if it were ever fighting one on one like now, Kanryuu would need a miracle to win. He knew this, I knew this and tonight he better be praying for a miracle because I ain't losing.

"YOU BASTARD! TETSUJI, NOBURO GET IN HERE NOW!" I took a step back when the double doors to the ballroom burst open and in walked two of his main lackeys and then about a dozen more men to die at Kanryuu's expense.

"Still playing by the rules I see…" I muttered sarcastically as Kanryuu had help getting up off the floor. He really was weak without his forces.

"Oh I have rules…one especially. You will die Shinomori!" And then he started laughing like a maniac. It all felt like slow motion as two men dragged over a kicking and screaming Misao. Instantly she was placed in front of…

"GIEN!" I raced forward at knowing his smiling face but my feet came to a screeching halt as a blade was placed against Misao's throat.

"Ah uh Shinomori. I won't be so easy on her like I was with that boy." I balled my fist while the other clenched at the kodachi handle when I watched him draw his tongue up Misao's cheek. Get your hands off her bastard! She's mine!

I knew I had to calm down or else I was going to loose my cool and do something completely stupid that would harm Misao and myself. What the hell were my options? I had my guns, this is true, but instantly they'd know my movements and with one slit Misao would be killed, there was no doubt about it. Then there was the fact that not only was there Kanryuu and Gien but there were another 14 men I had to think about. They were all carrying and wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in me. What must I do?

And then it came to me. The only choice I could think of.

"Alright Kanryuu you've got me, now do whatever it is you want with me." I watched Misao's eyes widen at my words, but right now I could not pay any attention to her. I placed the blade into the wooden floorboards and then stepped away from the kodachi. I raised my hands and instantly six men were behind me as though thinking I was going to escape. What the hell was I some fucking superhero that could smash through a wall and survive bullets that I knew would be raining down upon me? Hardly!

"My, my Shinomori, you are in quite a predicament." Why thank you for stating the obvious, you fucking moron! My eyes darted from left to right trying to come up with an escape plan.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" My eyes darted to Misao where Gien was in fact groping her.

"BASTARD!" Before I could even get two feet the back of a gun slammed into my shoulder and neck area sending me to my knees.

Ah! Fuck! What was that like the fourth time I'd been smacked around the head? I swear I was going to wake up one day with my brain hanging out my ear or something. Getting to my feet, breathing hard, my narrowed eyes stared into Gien's laughing ones.

"You and me right here and right now."

"Takeda-sama?" I watched Kanryuu nod his head and waved his lackeys away and watched them line the walls instead. I took in deep breaths trying to relax my body to get ready for battle and waited patiently for Gien to get his sword and head for the centre. He was there soon enough and grinning all the while.

"You just wait Shinomori, when I'm through killing you, I'm gunna chop up that sweet little virgin over there." My eyes blazed at his words an in a blink of an eye I was right in front of him having dislodged the kodachi from the ground and sent it straight through Gien's stomach. His eyes bugged slightly and a choking noise came from his throat.

"Word of warning Gien. One, don't ever threaten me…and two, she ain't no virgin." I stepped back ripping the sword from his gut and yelled as I swung it high and observed as it connected with his neck decapitating him as his head went rolling towards Kanryuu. I watched, breathing heavily as his body fell to the floor, my eyes moving towards the men now picking up their weapons as they thought Gien was going to win. Instantly two 44 magnums were out as I did my most ultimate technique I had mastered years ago. Kaiten kenbu, but a slight variation as I used guns instead of kodachi's. I'd loved martial arts ever since I was a kid and took it up, an old master seeing potential in me and so he taught me all he knew. He passed on his legacy to me and now was the time to use such a legacy to save Misao and hopefully myself.

"SHOT HIM! KILL HIM!" I heard Kanryuu yell and then bullets went flying everywhere, but in truth they never knew exactly where I was because of my water flow technique. From the corner I had seen Misao dive to the ground and wrap herself into a ball. At least for now she was okay. I fired all bullets at my targets and only when I rain out of them did I stop the technique. I gasped for air and crumbled to the floor with bodies littering the floorboards and blood staining the walls.

"AOSHI!" My eyes darted to Misao's cry for help and I found her within Kanryuu's grasp, a gun to her temple while her hands were at her neck trying to fight off his arm.

"Very impressive Shinomori, you've shot all my men, but I have more outside as we speak. I must question you though. What do you plan to do now that I have what you risk your life for?" I stood up immediately but again crumbled to the floor. Fuck! I'd been shot in the legs, right at my thighs…and four fucking times too! Bastards! Because of my injuries from earlier my body had no time to heal and thus I had used up all my energy coming here and doing so much so fast and too soon. I darted my eyes around the place trying to find something that I could possibly use. And then…I saw it, my kodachi lying on the ground. I crawled over to it and used it as leverage to stand up on my bloody legs.

"You hurt her and I'll fucking kill you." I seethed through clenched teeth, but I guess that was the wrong answer as a bullet fired from Kanryuu's gun. It felt like slow motion as I watched it head towards me. Move legs! Fucking move or you'll be shot in the heart! As though my body didn't want to die, I darted to the left and yet I was still too slow. The bullet connected into my chest and I went sailing back and slammed into the wall.

"AOSHIIIIIII!" I cracked my eyes open as Kanryuu was again laughing. Yeah keep laughing you bastard. I'm so going to kick your ass. Shit, my body was growing weak…and it was getting harder to breath, which of course couldn't be helped when one had a bullet in the lung I guess. My heavy lidded eyes darted around the floor and my lips quirked into a smile.

"Hey Kanryuu…" I croaked out, blood spilling down my chin. Fuck, I was running out of time. Must save her. Must not let her suffer anymore. I leaned my head against the wall; my eyes very much on Misao's teary ocean blue ones.

"That day, all those years ago when you harassed Kaoru-chan, you asked me a question."

"Oh?" Good, I was distracting him; this is what I needed to happen. My eyes caught sight of the loosening of his arm around Misao's neck and she started coughing loudly. She could now breathe a lot easier.

"You asked me, whether I had the balls to kill for love…and you know what?"

"What is that Shinomori?" My hand came up from around my back and within its grasp was a pistol. Fuck I hoped it had a bullet left.

"My answer is this. I have more balls then you'll ever know." And with that, I pulled back the trigger and let a bullet fly from the barrel. It went sailing though the air and all I saw was Kanryuu's eyes widen and then roll back as the bullet entered his head. His body fell backwards taking a screaming Misao with him. My hand fell to the ground as I closed my eyes and breathed harshly with a gurgling sound coming from my lung. Fuck, it was probably filling up with blood and would soon collapse on me.

"AOSHI! OH MY GOD AOSHI! OPEN YOUR EYES!" Misao was screaming at me in desperation and with little strength I had left I cracked open my eyes to see her flushed face in front of me. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and I watched as she pulled off the trench coat not carrying about her attire and pushed it at my wounds on my legs.

"ARGH!" I grunted out at the pressure but knew she was only trying to help. In the background I could faintly hear shooting carrying on from outside the closed doors and all around the mansion grounds. What sounded like a helicopter was also flying around the mansion, a spotlight shining in through the broken windows of the ballroom.

"Now you turn up Saitou. Bastard…" I coughed loudly, doubling over and into Misao, but she caught me within her arms and cried into my shoulder.

"You'll be okay right Aoshi? Just stay awake…I'll go for help!" She was panicking, but then who wouldn't in a situation like this. She was getting up, but I raised my hand, clasping her fingers with my blood stained ones and pulled her back into me.

"Too late…"

"NO! IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!" She yelled to me, those ocean blue eyes of hers tearing up once more. I hated that look on her face. I wanted…I wanted her to smile for me. I remembered the way she smiled for me the other night. I had asked her if I was hurting her that night I took her innocence, but all she did was smile. She had smiled at me with such trust…such love that I felt like nothing could go wrong. She brought a bit of happiness into my otherwise dark life. Misao brought me peace…and right now, peace is what I longed for. I cupped her wet cheek and watched as she held my hand to her face.

"You…are safe now. Saitou has come to take you home."

"I won't leave without you Aoshi! You must come with me." I shook my head at her words and then coughed loudly, more blood spilling from my lips making her gasp.

"Remember Misao…remember that I'll always…always look after you."

"A-Aoshi…?" My eyes closed as I felt my lips curve into a smile for her.

"Remember…"

"AOSHI? AOSHI? SOMEBODY HEEEEEEEEEEELP!"

I welcomed the numbness that was moving over my body. Though I swear Misao was shaking my dying form, I could not react to her cries to stay with her. I could not move, could not breath, could not function any longer. I welcomed the darkness happily…and let it take me to where I knew Kaoru-chan would be.

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The End? Or is it?

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Author's Notes: Well Minna-san, haven't I been busy? So tell me what you think? Am I cruel to leave it here? Should I leave it here? Mwahahaha, so evil I am. ^____^