Catharsis

casting lots
.:chapter seven:.

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The cool breeze coming off of the ocean did little to comfort Misao's growing unease. Palms sweaty and muscles tense, the adrenaline flooding her body made her hands tremble in an embarrassing way. Worry was twisting her stomach into knots. Almost painfully. Saitou appeared to have the advantage, but Misao felt no comfort from that observation.

Something was wrong. The fight didn't feel right to her. Enishi didn't feel right. She didn't know how else to explain it other than she felt a deep sense of foreboding that grew stronger with each passing minute. It didn't help that Aoshi's expression was starting to look grim. Swallowing hard, Misao turned her attention back to the fight, hoping at any moment that Saitou would be victorious.

That didn't happen. Saitou was able to push Enishi back into a more defensive posture, but the younger man seemed to have no trouble blocking the strikes. And, he was smiling. Not grinning or anything quite that obvious, but there was a twist to his lips that told Misao that he was enjoying himself even though he seemed to be losing.

Seeing that strange, little smile brought a fresh surge of distress and fear. What if Enishi was far stronger than they expected? What if he was playing with them? What if they lost? Try as she might, the nagging sense of unease refused to go away. Was it a mistake to come here without Kenshin? Misao had felt so confident when they left Tokyo that it never occurred to her that Enishi might really be that strong. She assumed his victory over the rurouni and kidnapping of Kaoru was because he had help — not because he was stronger.

He couldn't be that much stronger... could he?

Sudden movement in the distance caught her eye and she turned her face to get a better look. Someone was heading their way and her immediate thought was of the Chinese man from earlier. In his rage he had promised to return and kill them all. With foreign weapons. Guns from the West, most likely. But Enishi had dealt with him, knocking him unconscious with a single hit to the face. Could it be him? Flinging her braid over her shoulder, the ninja girl turned around and quickly surveyed the beach. The Chinese man was indeed missing.

'Oh, no...'

If the Chinese man came back with weapons it would all be over. Squinting against the bright sunlight, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a pair of kunai. If it was him they'd have to kill him, she knew. And she was prepared to do that if she had to — but she didn't want to. She could easily hit him with a kunai if he got within 100 feet of them, but he could also shoot them from that distance. She'd have to be quicker and strike first, but she had to be certain.

Peering hard, she observed the way the person moved as best she could through the glare of the sun. They were jogging toward them, which seemed odd to Misao as the Chinese man had suffered a head injury and she knew from experience that movement was fairly painful after a hard knock to the skull. But... it had to be the Chinese guy. The person coming their way seemed pretty small... girly, almost...

"Is that... Jou-chan?" Sano said, seeing the same distant figure. His words were nearly lost by the sounds of the fight.

Misao held her breath and silently prayed that it was. Shielding her eyes with her hand, she had to agree that whomever was running toward them definitely looked like a woman, but it was difficult to see anything with the brightness of the sun reflecting off of the whiteness of the sand. It suddenly made sense why Enishi wore glasses with such dark lenses. It seemed to be to his advantage to do so under such circumstances.

As the figure got within earshot, Misao was finally able to make out her voice calling out to them as long, black hair swayed behind her with every gait. Kaoru raised her arm and waved, yelling their names and Misago felt relief flood her.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko called out to his sensei. His cry brought the fight to a sudden standstill. The aura of anxiety lifted almost immediately as everyone seemed to clamor excitedly over the arrival of Kaoru. Only Enishi seemed to be displeased.

Looking over his shoulder, Enishi watched her progress as she steadily made her way toward them. Anger tightened his expression as he held his sword in a white-knuckled grip. His back pointed at her and sword extended, Enishi moved to block her path to her friends.

Then he waited.

The only person not completely distracted by the arrival of Kamiya was his opponent, Saitou, but even he seemed mildly curious to find out what would happen now that the hostage was apparently free. Renewed anger coursing through him, Enishi studied her would-be rescuers, noting the sincere expressions of happiness. The boy, Yahiko, looked particularly relieved. Joyful even. The righteous fury that the boy had radiated earlier was gone. In its place was a face splitting grin.

Envious of his solace, a stab of hatred pierced Enishi's heart. When he felt her presence was only a few feet away the architect of Jinchuu finally spoke. "Kamiya, stop."

He heard her pause in mid-step. When she spoke, he could tell that she was clearly taken aback by the grave tone of his voice. "Enishi..?"

He ignored her, and pointed his weapon at Saitou. "You. Let's settle this."

A blur of motion and the two men resumed their fight. Contrasting styles struggled against one another before an uneasy audience. Only one soul appeared unaffected by the fray as he slowly made his way toward his sensei. Just as Yahiko felt the tingling of victory itch along his skin, a hand reached out and snagged his collar. The force of it nearly lifting him off the ground.

"It's safer if you stay here," the street fighter said without looking at him.

Yahiko yanked against Sano's grip, "Bullshit! Let go!"

The street fighter released him suddenly and the boy stumbled forward. Muttering an obscenity, Yahiko kicked him in the shins.

Sano glared down at him, "Don't be stupid, brat. You heard the way that freak talked when Jou-chan showed up. It's better for her if we keep our distance for now. Who knows what Psycho will do if people start moving around."

"Pft. Saitou can handle him," Yahiko said with a dismissive wave, then he stepped around Sano intent on going to Kaoru. He was immediately collared again and the Tokyo Samurai found himself unable to move forward for a second time.

"Have you even been watching this fight?"

Yahiko ignored him as he began trying to pry Sano's fingers off him.

"I'm serious, Yahiko. This isn't a joke. Just stay here for now," the street fighter ordered, leaving no room for argument.

The boy snorted and folded his arms over his chest. A minute ticked by and Yahiko kicked at the sand. After another few minutes passed and he elbowed Sano in the ribs as hard as he could. The older man grunted and swatted at his head, but Yahiko ducked just in time.

Pointing toward Kaoru, Yahiko said, "Looks like Weasel-girl disagrees with you, Rooster-head."

Sano turned his gaze in the direction that the boy indicated and swore under his breath.

• • •

"Kaoru!" a voice whispered from beside her, causing the kendo instructor to jump. She had been so absorbed in watching the fight that she hadn't even noticed when the kunoichi had moved to stand beside her. Misao gave Kaoru a quick smile before returning her attention back to the fight. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," she whispered back.

"I'm so glad you're here," Misao said in a rush, "That means we can leave and Aoshi-sama won't have to fight that guy. We were all really worried—"

"Where is Kenshin?" Kaoru interrupted, glancing down at the other girl, her eyes a mix of emotion.

Misao hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer the question. "He... he's in Tokyo. He wouldn't—" she quickly backtracked when she realized what she said and hoped Kaoru hadn't noticed the slip-up, "—couldn't come."

"Which is it?" Kaoru asked, sotto voce.

With a deep exhale, Misao said, "Both."

"Both?"

The ninja girl bit her lip and offered her a sympathetic look, but Kaoru refused to return her gaze. Fighting for composure, she kept her chin high as she watched the men clash. Enishi parried a strike, positioning him in Kaoru's immediate line of sight. His turquoise eyes met her blue and she noticed a fresh bruise beginning to form along his cheekbone. A flash of worry forced her lips to part soundlessly before guilt made her look away. Why should she worry about him? Staring down at her hands folded in front of her, Kaoru blinked back tears in vain.

Misao squeezed her friend's arm fondly. "Kaoru," she said softly, "we all thought you were dead. He's been in Rakunimura since your funeral."

Kaoru winced.

"He won't talk to anyone," the ninja girl continued, "He won't eat, won't move..."

A sudden shout and Saitou's sword was blocked. A battle of strength ensued between the two men as they pushed against each other. Saitou shifted his weight, took a half step forward and punched Enishi squarely across the jaw. Kaoru flinched as Enishi staggered backwards.

"He thinks I'm dead," Kaoru whispered, more to herself than to Misao.

The kunoichi nervously bit her lip. She didn't want to be the one to hurt her friend, but it wasn't in her nature to lie. "We..." she paused, took a deep breath and pushed forward, "We told him that you're alive. At least, we tried to."

Eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to hold her emotions in check, Kaoru willed herself to not breakdown.

"What... what do you mean?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. When Misao did not immediately answer her, Kaoru turned to peer at her friend. The compassion and pity reflected in the ninja-girl's eyes nearly pushed her over the edge, but at that moment, Kaoru's stubbornness finally kicked in. With a deep, cleansing breath, the kendo instructor forced herself to stand tall with shoulders back and a fist clenched at her side. She could not, would not, lose control of her emotions. Not now. Not when the lives of her friends were in danger.

"Tell me," Kaoru said, voice steady. "Please."

Misao inclined her head as she assessed her friend, then, "Megumi told us that Tsubame-chan confronted Kenshin several days ago. At the time she was afraid that Yahiko would be killed. Kenshin ignored her. She thought that if she told him that you were alive that he would 'wake up. '"

"He didn't."

"No," Misao confirmed. "He did not."

Kaoru clenched her jaw, but said nothing.

"I told him again a couple of days before we left," Misao continued as she stole a glance at the older girl out of the corners of her eyes. "He didn't react at all."

"Is he... unwell?" Kaoru asked.

Misao paused for a moment, then said, "He isn't taking care of himself, but he doesn't appear to be ill. I don't know how to describe him right now. It's like he's just empty inside. After the funeral... he just hasn't been the same. Aoshi-sama doesn't think he is even aware of what is happening around him right now."

The clashing sounds of battle forced the ninja girl to pause. As much as she felt it was important to tell Kaoru everything, it would be unwise to not pay attention to the fight. At any moment, something could go wrong. The fight could move toward the spectators or a combatant could lose his footing and stumble into a bystander, possibly impaling them. In such a situation it would be up to the observer to move out of the way. And at that point, timing was everything.

Strength against strength, metal against metal... one pushed forward and the other pushed back. Saitou parried Enishi's strike and a high pitched whine filled the air as blade slid against blade. Then the police officer did a sudden half turn and elbowed Enishi in the solar plexus. Swallowing hard, Misao stole another glance at the older girl beside her and mentally cringed. Though Kaoru stood tall with forced confidence, her eyes shined with pain.

"Kenshin is still alive," Misao said quickly, trying to put some light back into her friend's heart. "Megumi had Sano move him to her clinic just before we left. He's malnourished and his wounds haven't healed properly, but he's getting medical attention. Megumi has even manged to get him to start eating again."

"What did Megumi say?" Kaoru asked. "Will he be okay?"

"She seems to think so," Misao replied. Her words appeared to have a positive effect. Kaoru looked somewhat relieved, but heartbroken still.

"Did she say..." Kaoru paused in mid-sentence as Saitou flowed into an offensive posture. The two men were slowly circling each other. The tension between them was growing exponentially. The final phase of the fight would soon begin.

Just when Misao thought Enishi would dart forward to strike, Saitou's mocking voice caught her attention. Both women heard him at the same time and strained to listen to his words. Bits and pieces could be heard over the sound of the ocean waves, but not enough to make out the full context of what Saitou was saying. As the two women leaned forward to hear, two distinct words fell from Saitou's lips, instantly transforming the atmosphere of the fight from hostile to downright vicious.

• • •

Revolution. Tomoe.

The words were clear and the tone unmistakable. Kaoru could hardly believe that Saitou would actually go so far as to taunt Enishi about the death of his sister.

The rigidity in Enishi's stance immediately changed, causing the already tight knot of dread in Kaoru's belly to twist painfully. Whatever it was that the police officer had said up until that point wasn't good. And it was only getting worse. It was clear from the devilish look in Saitou's yellow eyes that he was pushing Enishi on purpose. Trepidation squeezed her throat as Kaoru took a few more steps forward and leaned toward the men, listening.

"...a simple job, too," Saitou said casually, "She was a pawn from the beginning. Her death was expected. You realize that, don't you?"

Malice seemed to ooze from Enishi, but he said nothing. The currents of air swishing between them felt charged with his hate as he listened to the Miburo.

"She knew she was a pawn," Saitou's yellow-eyes crinkled as his lips snaked into a malicious grin. "Her job was to find Battousai's weakness, even if that meant being his weakness herself. Why else would she willingly choose to become his whore?"

Shocked blue eyes doubled in size and Kaoru covered her mouth with her hand.

"Did... did he just call that guy's sister a whore?" Misao hissed.

Kaoru could only nod as she studied Enishi. He barely flinched when Saitou insulted his sister's memory. Only seconds later did Kaoru see the beginnings of his reaction. A mild tremor in Enishi's sword arm quickly grew into shivers of rage.

"Have I offended you?" Saitou asked sarcastically, his sadistic amusement dissolving into blood lust. "Have I finally riled you up? I fucking hope so because I, for one, am sick and tired of this little game. Make this trip worth my while and fight at your capacity!"

Silence was the only immediate answer and it seemed to stretch out for an eternity. Then, to everyone's surprise, Enishi laughed. Head tilted back and lips curled into a mockery of a smile, his chortle was both loud and maniacal. Goosebumps prickled along Kaoru's flesh as she watched him and she knew something inside of him had broken loose. Something dark.

"I won't kill you, Miburo," he said at last.

Saitou lowered himself into an offensive crouch. "Then you're as stupid as your sister."

Enishi seemed completely indifferent to the obvious treat of an impending attack. "I'll let you live the rest of your life as a cripple," he said as he locked eyes with Saitou. "I'll make it so you'll have to stick your face in a bowl and eat like a dog. I'll give you a long life of needing someone to wipe your ass for you."

The policeman grinned, enjoying the wild look he saw in his opponent's eyes. "Really?"

Enishi smirked in return.

"How do you think you'll be able to do that?" Saitou asked, clearly amused. "You're not my equal. You're barely worth my time as it is."

"No, I'm not your equal," Enishi agreed, his grin fierce. "I'm superior. I'm faster, stronger and far more intelligent. I have a gift uniquely given to me."

Saitou snorted.

"My sister gave me that gift so I could destroy Battousai," silver hair feathered in the breeze as Enishi spoke. "Every day of my life since the day he murdered her, I have hated him. Spring, summer, autumn, winter... day or night... rain or shine... I hated him. It was as though my mind fed off of my hatred for him."

The young women stared in morbid fascination as they watched Enishi's skin begin to bulge.

"I spent night after night consumed with my rage and hate," he continued, his voice growing more caustic and cold with each word. "I planned and plotted my punishment for Battousai even as my body rested in a sleep-like state. My brain never slept because I never stopped thinking of revenge!"

Tendrils of nerves rose across his face and chest, giving the appearance of thin cables pulling at his flesh. "This is my gift!" he shouted a split second before he struck.

Enishi's blade grazed Saitou's shoulder as he leaped backward. Kaoru chewed her lip helplessly, worry eating at her guts. How could she possibly hope to stop him now?

"H-he's gotten so much faster!" Misao gasped.

Kaoru said nothing as she eyed the fight.

"Aoshi-sama looks... he looks... worried!" the ninja girl lamented.

Hands curled into tight fists, Kaoru studied Enishi. This was a side of him that she had never seen before. He was more dangerous now than he was the night he confronted Kenshin and kidnapped her. The violence was feeding his mania and Kaoru feared that the longer the fight dragged out, the more bloodthirsty he would become. Kaoru knew that her friends would not simply walk away from the fight. And once Saitou was dispatched, Enishi would turn to Aoshi. And then Sano.

Kaoru could not let that happen.

"He's even stronger than Himura... isn't he?!"

"I don't know," Kaoru answered honestly.

"Himura defeated Aoshi-sama..." the girl whispered, raw fear reflecting in her eyes.

"Misao," Kaoru grabbed the girl's hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Calm down. I won't let him kill anyone."

Scoffing, Misao turned tear-filled eyes toward the girl beside her. "How!?"

All at once, Kaoru knew what she had to do.

"He can't hurt me," she said simply.

"What are you talking about!?" Misao hissed, her eyes darting from Enishi to Aoshi and back again. "Look at him, Kaoru!"

"Trust me. He's incapable of hurting me because of Tomoe," Kaoru said as the fight before them increased in intensity. Her muscles tensed in preparation as she worked up her courage to intervene, only to hear Misao suddenly gasp.

"Oh! I have it!"

Kaoru looked askance at the girl as Saitou lowered himself into a gatotsu stance.

"Tomoe! The diary," reaching behind her to loosen her obi, she said, "Aoshi-sama made me bring it."

At that moment, the policeman struck.

Kaoru didn't see Misao holding the diary out to her. Heart pounding hard in her chest, the kendo instructor was far too focused on the fight to notice. Saitou rushed toward Enishi, sword extended. She blinked, and Enishi was gone. In a blur of motion he suddenly slid to the left and the kendo instructor's mouth fell open in muted shock.

The master of watoujutsu didn't just evade the gatotsu, he managed to move into an offensive position as Kenshin had once done. Now Enishi was standing in an area of dead space. The gatotsu was a near-impossible attack to defend due to it's sheer speed, strength and accuracy. However, it had one, small flaw. Due to the charging nature of the attack, the user's field of view became extremely narrow once the thrust began. Therefore, there was an area where the user would be unable to defend himself without a delayed reaction. At that moment, the battle would be decided by pure speed.

Kaoru knew the exact moment when Saitou realized his opponent had entered that dead space. Sword swung wide as Saitou moved his arm in an arc meant to disembowel his opponent. A flash of steel and suddenly blood splashed in the air. Amber eyes wide with disbelief, Saitou could only stare as blood poured from the stump on the end of his sword arm. His dismembered hand lay on the sand, still clutching the nihontou. Enishi kicked the sword away as the Miburo's mouth opened and closed soundlessly.

"Do you see the gift my sister gave me?" Enishi asked with a feral grin, "Do you understand?"

Saitou grit his teeth.

"Because of my hatred for Battousai, my body changed," Enishi explained, eyes glinting sadistically. "My brain constantly stimulated my nerves through my spine so they grew thicker and reacted faster."

Hate and desperation filled Saitou's eyes. The crazed look narrowed into wrath as he glowered at Enishi.

"This is my ultimate ability," Enishi's lips parted into a wide smile. "This is the gift my sister blessed me with. The Nerves of Insanity!"

Saitou snarled and curled his remaining hand into a tight fist. Bolting forward, the policeman punched Enishi across the jaw. Horrified, Kaoru watched as Enishi simply smiled. Saitou was going to finish the fight. To the death.

"No!" Kaoru screamed, eyes wide.

The policeman struck Enishi across the face again, sending him back and few steps but not knocking him down. Amused, Enishi tensed his muscles and the tendrils of nerves along his shoulders and arms bulged grotesquely. Another blur of motion and suddenly the policeman's right foot was severed from his body, too.

"Two down," Enishi grinned, twirling his blade like a toy. "Two to go."

'Stop him!' Kaoru's mind screamed, propelling her forward with the intent to put herself between the two men. Enishi roughly grabbed her by the arm and yanked her toward him. The momentum caused the girl to stumble face-first toward his chest. One arm wrapped around her waist as the other automatically held the sword up defensively. Suddenly, Kaoru was in no position to stop Enishi from doing anything.

He held her against him tightly, but not painfully. Her cheek and upper body were pressed against his chest and all she was aware of at first was the sound of his heart thundering in her ear and slight dampness of his shirt from his sweat. Cords of nerves that bulged under his skin felt strange against her face and chest and they reminded her more of metal and than flesh. At that moment, she realized, he felt more artificial than human. Were it not for the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the musky scent of his body and the suffocating heat that radiated from him that felt every bit man and wholly primal she would be tempted to question if he was truly human at all.

Saitou's blood stained her robe as Enishi adjusted his hold on her and she knew now was her best chance to try to talk to him. One hand against his chest and the other wrapped around his bicep, Kaoru tried to push herself away from him. She needed to see him, to look at him directly and gauge his mental state with her own eyes. Using her arms to push her upper body away from his, she only succeeded in arching her back uncomfortably and shifting her lower body in direct contact with his. Still, she was able to catch a glimpse of his face as he peered down at her, eyes frighteningly intense and expression unreadable. Then he looked away, focusing his attention on his adversaries as he squeezed her tighter against himself. After that, she wasn't able to budge at all.

Realizing that he wouldn't let her go, Kaoru did the only thing she could. She relaxed against him. Her entire body went limp in his arms, thus forcing him to support her weight. That strategy caught his attention. With Kaoru in his arms like that, he was in no position to effectively strike. Nor was he able to defend himself should the Oniwabanshu leader decide to take action. He growled a Chinese expletive under his breath, but still, he would not let her go.

"Enishi," Kaoru whispered, her fingers clutching at the fabric of his shirt. "Please... please don't do this."

• • •

The soft, feminine curves of her body against his, the tickle of her breath as she spoke, the feel of her breasts pressing against him as she breathed, her scent — the combined sensations were almost too much for his hypersensitive body. The stimulation sent a strangely pleasant chill down his spine and stirred desires long ignored.

"Enishi," she whispered, voice soothing and intimate. Her words were pitched for his ears alone. "Please... please don't do this."

The pleasant sensation of her nearness instantly dissolved into a renewed surge of anger. Jaw clenched and decision made, he pushed Kamiya back and released her from his embrace. She didn't need to stand for him to direct her movements. If the girl was going to be difficult and not cooperate, he would simply drag her out of harm's way.

Fortunately the stubborn girl decided to stop behaving like a rag-doll, but she still insisted on acting stupid. Without a moment's hesitation, she attempted to stand in his way again. Enishi snarled and grabbed her roughly her by the arm, keeping her in place beside him. It was then that he heard the metallic click from his immediate left. Without looking, he knew it was Heishin. Regret flashed through his mind. He should have killed the power-hungry bastard outright.

Legs wobbly and face horribly swollen and bloody, Heishin aimed his gun at them and Kamiya gasped at the sight. Her friends dared not move as Enishi simply glared at his former second-in-command. If he struck now, Enishi could kill him easily, but not without risking Heishin having the reflexes to squeeze the trigger the moment he moved. With his finger on the trigger, it would take less than a second for him to fire. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but it would leave Kamiya unprotected and he knew she would be in his direct line of fire.

Jaw clenched, Enishi waited and watched. His moment to strike would come, he simply had to wait for it. As he observed his former second-in-command, Enishi noted the way Heishin's hands trembled from the effort of standing. The Chinese man blinked several times, his eyes losing their focus for a moment before determination snapped him back.

Then he smiled. Lips and teeth stained with blood, Heishin grinned at him.

AN: No, I didn't create that loophole in the gatotsu. I didn't even know it existed until I started to do some research for this fic. Sure enough, that whole thing about there being a dead spot in Saitou's field of vision when he charges is true. Sorry I had to dismember him like that. Hope I didn't offend any of his fans. Since Enishi is so revenge obsessed, I had to do something! Besides, this is fanfiction. :p

Thanks again for reading and reviewing! You guys are awesome!