Chapter 3: Kyatko
Somewhere
"Damn these guys are everywhere...." Sano panted as he jumped back to avoid being impaled by a sword. "Kenshin.. I don't think I ca... AHHH!! Damn!!" Sano cried out in pain as a spear connected with Sano's arm leaving a crimson streak behind. Sano grabbed his arm and tried to fight the advancing army one-handed. "Shit... this is one fight I don't think I should have picked..." Sano fell to a knee and collapsed when he tried to get up.
"Sano!!" Yahiko cried out when he saw his friend fall. With renewed vigor Yahiko tightened his grip on his kendo stick and charged the warrior responsible for injuring Sano. "You bastard!" As Yahiko neared his target another armored fighter wielding a metal bo came from his side and landed a crushing blow to Yahiko's head. Even as his vision faltered Yahiko saw Kenshin's horrified look and smiled. "These guys are in big trouble now..." With that thought Yahiko succumbed to the darkness that grabbed at him.
"YAHIKO!! SANO!!" Kenshin looked as Yahiko and Sano both lied on the ground motionless. Kenshin's lavender eyes turned a wolfish color and a red aura seemed to surround him. "AHHHHH!!" With a loud roar Kenshin threw himself into the middle of the fight hacking and slashing at everything and everyone. Saitoh and Aoshi hearing Kenshin's anguished roar glanced toward his direction and saw an enraged Kenshin maiming and killing everyone in his path. Kenshin had flipped his sakabato and now was the hitokiri battousai. Saitoh smiled approvingly and continued to fight his way through the enormous army. Aoshi however had never seen Kenshin in this state and was mesmerized.
"I will never be able to beat that man... that can't be a man that's a monster..." Aoshi was staring in awe until Saitoh's voice broke him out if his hypnotic state.
"Aoshi! You keep staring at Kenshin you'll get killed!" Saitoh called out as he parried and jabbed. "Watch out!" Saitoh jumped in front of Aoshi and batted away a sword that was intended to decapitate Aoshi. "Dammit Aoshi! Keep your head on!" With that advice Saitoh was lost once again in the bedlam.
Several hours later
"Damn... That was fun..." Saitoh sheathed his sword and looked around at the blood bath that they caused. "Hmm.. who are these guys anyway?" Saitoh took his cigarettes out of his pockets and tossed them away in disgust when he saw that they were caked in blood. "Damn I wonder if any of these guys got a smoke?" Saitoh bent over and started to search the fallen warriors.
"Kyatko" Aoshi called out. "These guys... their armor says Kyatko Army. I'm guessing that this is a placed called Kyatko then." Aoshi stood up and moved through the bodies toward Kenshin who was kneeling next to the prone bodies of Sano and Yahiko. "Hey... they going to be alright?" Aoshi asked kneeling next to Kenshin. "Are you alright?"
Kenshin looked over at Aoshi and gave him a small smile. His eyes had turned back into the soft lavender and what was, just a moment ago, filled with hate and rage was now filled with concern. "Yea Aoshi. I'm alright and it looks like these two will be as well." Kenshin stood up and looked at his bloodied hands. "I hoped I wouldn't have to do this anymore. I had hoped my days of killing were behind me. Why? Why did they attack us?"
Aoshi looked at Kenshin and replied to his question. "Hey... if you didn't do what you did Sano and Yahiko would have been dead by now. Not to mention Saitoh and me. Besides you saw that poster. We look exactly like them and with a ten million yen bounty out on us? I'm surprised it took that long for someone to attack us." Aoshi put a hand on Kenshin's shoulder and continued. "Kenshin... I saw you fight out there. You were fighting for the life of Sano and Yahiko. You shouldn't be ashamed of that."
Kenshin ducked his head and sighed. "Yea I guess you're right Aoshi." Kenshin looked up at the glowing moon. "I guess we better find somewhere to sleep." Kenshin picked up Yahiko and Aoshi picked up Sano. "Saitoh we're leaving. We got to find somewhere to sleep."
"I'm coming." A smiling Saitoh walked out of the sea of bodies with a fresh pack of cigarettes in his hand. "I guess it's my lucky day" With a smile Saitoh plucked a cigarette out of the pack and proceeded to light it. "So I'm guessing an inn is out of the question."
The three weary warriors with their two unconscious made their way back to where they started. As they made their way out of town they were unaware that their every move was being watched. A shadowy figure slithered out of the dark and followed the group of fighters.
Somewhere
"Damn these guys are everywhere...." Sano panted as he jumped back to avoid being impaled by a sword. "Kenshin.. I don't think I ca... AHHH!! Damn!!" Sano cried out in pain as a spear connected with Sano's arm leaving a crimson streak behind. Sano grabbed his arm and tried to fight the advancing army one-handed. "Shit... this is one fight I don't think I should have picked..." Sano fell to a knee and collapsed when he tried to get up.
"Sano!!" Yahiko cried out when he saw his friend fall. With renewed vigor Yahiko tightened his grip on his kendo stick and charged the warrior responsible for injuring Sano. "You bastard!" As Yahiko neared his target another armored fighter wielding a metal bo came from his side and landed a crushing blow to Yahiko's head. Even as his vision faltered Yahiko saw Kenshin's horrified look and smiled. "These guys are in big trouble now..." With that thought Yahiko succumbed to the darkness that grabbed at him.
"YAHIKO!! SANO!!" Kenshin looked as Yahiko and Sano both lied on the ground motionless. Kenshin's lavender eyes turned a wolfish color and a red aura seemed to surround him. "AHHHHH!!" With a loud roar Kenshin threw himself into the middle of the fight hacking and slashing at everything and everyone. Saitoh and Aoshi hearing Kenshin's anguished roar glanced toward his direction and saw an enraged Kenshin maiming and killing everyone in his path. Kenshin had flipped his sakabato and now was the hitokiri battousai. Saitoh smiled approvingly and continued to fight his way through the enormous army. Aoshi however had never seen Kenshin in this state and was mesmerized.
"I will never be able to beat that man... that can't be a man that's a monster..." Aoshi was staring in awe until Saitoh's voice broke him out if his hypnotic state.
"Aoshi! You keep staring at Kenshin you'll get killed!" Saitoh called out as he parried and jabbed. "Watch out!" Saitoh jumped in front of Aoshi and batted away a sword that was intended to decapitate Aoshi. "Dammit Aoshi! Keep your head on!" With that advice Saitoh was lost once again in the bedlam.
Several hours later
"Damn... That was fun..." Saitoh sheathed his sword and looked around at the blood bath that they caused. "Hmm.. who are these guys anyway?" Saitoh took his cigarettes out of his pockets and tossed them away in disgust when he saw that they were caked in blood. "Damn I wonder if any of these guys got a smoke?" Saitoh bent over and started to search the fallen warriors.
"Kyatko" Aoshi called out. "These guys... their armor says Kyatko Army. I'm guessing that this is a placed called Kyatko then." Aoshi stood up and moved through the bodies toward Kenshin who was kneeling next to the prone bodies of Sano and Yahiko. "Hey... they going to be alright?" Aoshi asked kneeling next to Kenshin. "Are you alright?"
Kenshin looked over at Aoshi and gave him a small smile. His eyes had turned back into the soft lavender and what was, just a moment ago, filled with hate and rage was now filled with concern. "Yea Aoshi. I'm alright and it looks like these two will be as well." Kenshin stood up and looked at his bloodied hands. "I hoped I wouldn't have to do this anymore. I had hoped my days of killing were behind me. Why? Why did they attack us?"
Aoshi looked at Kenshin and replied to his question. "Hey... if you didn't do what you did Sano and Yahiko would have been dead by now. Not to mention Saitoh and me. Besides you saw that poster. We look exactly like them and with a ten million yen bounty out on us? I'm surprised it took that long for someone to attack us." Aoshi put a hand on Kenshin's shoulder and continued. "Kenshin... I saw you fight out there. You were fighting for the life of Sano and Yahiko. You shouldn't be ashamed of that."
Kenshin ducked his head and sighed. "Yea I guess you're right Aoshi." Kenshin looked up at the glowing moon. "I guess we better find somewhere to sleep." Kenshin picked up Yahiko and Aoshi picked up Sano. "Saitoh we're leaving. We got to find somewhere to sleep."
"I'm coming." A smiling Saitoh walked out of the sea of bodies with a fresh pack of cigarettes in his hand. "I guess it's my lucky day" With a smile Saitoh plucked a cigarette out of the pack and proceeded to light it. "So I'm guessing an inn is out of the question."
The three weary warriors with their two unconscious made their way back to where they started. As they made their way out of town they were unaware that their every move was being watched. A shadowy figure slithered out of the dark and followed the group of fighters.