Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me.

Warning: This chapter may consist of some vulgarities. So I'm changing the rating.

----------

Swords clashed loudly as Kaoru stared at the highly trained Kazuki overpowering her frail father. Their swords met and there was a power struggle in the battle. Kazuki was fast as lightning and the most Kojiro could do was to defend himself. Breaking away from the struggle, Kazuki kicked Kojiro hard in his stomach. Kojiro flew back from the impact and landed on the ground, groaning.

"How did that feel, Kamiya Kojiro?! I bet you regret giving the title ship to your daughter now!" Kazuki shouted as he watched Kojiro groaning in pain. The old man's body was not as strong or robust as it used to be.

"Y-You may think that you're skilled enough to earn the title ship, but the spirit of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu does not live in you!" Kojiro retorted angrily.

"Shut up you old faggot! You think your fucking technique's so great! It's nothing but a defense technique! You know what's Kendo, Kojiro?! It's for shedding blood! For fighting to be the greatest!" Kazuki bellowed furiously as he kicked and stepped on Kojiro continually.

Kaoru was crying her eyes out and placing her hands over her ears to block the painful sounds that her father was making. She had to do something. She couldn't be the weak one forever.

While Kazuki was so engrossed with kicking Kojiro, Kaoru took a bokken from the nearby shelve and quietly sneaked behind Kazuki. Without warning, Kaoru raised the bokken over Kazuki's head and slammed it down as hard as she could. Kazuki stopped for awhile, and stared at the wall, then fell onto the ground, motionless.

Kaoru rushed to her father's side and helped him up.

"Oto-san, are you alright?" Kaoru asked.

"I-I'm fine, Kaoru. I'm glad to see that you've turned out to be such a fine and beautiful woman." Kojiro replied while grabbing his sword.

"So what are we going to do about Kazuki..?" Kaoru inquired.

"I guess we just have to turn him in the police. We can't have a maniac running around trying to kill dojo masters. Sigh. Kazuki is an extremely skilled swordsman, but he lacks the spirit and the right mindset. This is such a waste…" Kojiro explained.

"YEAH, A WASTE OF YOUR LIFE!!!" Kazuki's voice suddenly shouted from behind.

Turning around, Kojiro saw Kazuki's sword crashing down on his head and Kazuki's psycho facial expression. He had no time to evade.

CLASH

Kaoru buried her face into her palms and refused to see the outcome. Suddenly, all was silent and Kaoru opened one eye to peep at what happened. Lying on the ground with a stab wound in his stomach was…

"KAZUKI!!!" Kaoru shouted, surprised.

Kojiro had blocked Kazuki's attack using Kaoru's bokken from earlier on and thrust his sword into Kazuki's stomach. Kazuki lay on the ground, motionless and his hand over his wound. Blood was dripping onto the ground incessantly.

Kojiro dropped his sword onto the ground, fell to the floor and bowed face flat to the ground.

"Forgive me, Kazuki. I had to do it for defense purposes. Forgive me." Kojiro said.

"Oto-san, what are you doing?!" Kaoru asked confusedly.

"My technique is never meant for killing. It is merely for defense. I have done wrong by stabbing Kazuki." Kojiro explained with his eyes closed.

----------

Yahiko was sitting at the front porch of the dojo sulking away. He thought about all the action that Sano and Kojiro could be getting right now. It wasn't long before he saw two figures running towards the dojo.

"Kenshin and Misao? Oi!!! Here!!!" Yahiko yelled loudly and waved his arms wildly in the air.

"Where is Kaoru and her father?" Kenshin questioned hurriedly.

"They all left for the Jishuun Ryu dojo without me!!! Kenshin I swear you have to tell them a thing or two about leaving me behind!!!" Yahiko complained.

"Jishuun dojo… Thanks Yahiko!!!" Kenshin said and ran off with Misao again.

"What? He didn't even ask me to come along!" Yahiko exclaimed and sulked once again.

----------

"Oto-san, let's go. You said Sano was waiting for us, right? Let's go." Kaoru started.

"You're right. We have to get to the police headquarters." Kojiro answered as he stood up.

Putting his arm over Kaoru's shoulders, Kaoru was helping Kojiro limp out of the dojo as his body was weak and tired from all the fighting. It was the first time Kaoru had been so close with her father in her life.

"Kaoru… Thank you for supporting me through this battle," Kojiro began. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you when you were young, Kaoru. I really love you, my daughter. And I hope you don't think I'm a heartless and cold father. I just wanted you to be strong, that's why I trained you so hard."

"Oto-san… I understand. Don't say anymore. I understand your pain and why you did what you did. Don't blame yourself, Father. I love you too, and I'm glad that I'm reunited with you today. At least I know that I'm still of importance to you, or you wouldn't rush down just to save me." Kaoru answered with a few tears rolling down her cheeks. She had waited so long to be reunited with her father.

"ARGH!!!!" Kojiro cried out in pain.

Turning around, Kaoru saw that Kazuki had staggered up and thrust his sword into her father's back. The sword was pierced through Kojiro's whole body and it almost thrust his heart. Kazuki removed the sword, and Kojiro fell to the floor.

"Oto-san!!!" Kaoru cried out as her father fell to the ground. She rushed to him and knelt by his side. He was hardly breathing.

Kaoru saw Kazuki preparing to attack her. Reaching for the bokken beside her, Kaoru stood up fiercely and faced Kazuki.

"That was too much. My father never did anything to you." Kaoru said angrily.

"That's too bad then, Kamiya girl," Kazuki retorted. He still seemed to have an abundant amount of energy. "Sigh, seeing that you're just a defenseless woman, I'll use a bokken too."

"Spare me any of your idle talk, Kazuki!" Kaoru replied.

Kazuki reached for a bokken and placed his sword back in its sheath. He held the bokken in an attacking stance and waited for Kaoru to react. Kaoru sprinted towards Kazuki and immediately aimed for his stomach, as he was already wounded there. But Kazuki was faster than Kaoru and slammed his bokken onto her back, breaking a few ribs.

Kazuki let out a mocking laughter as Kaoru fell onto the floor. She scrambled up again, holding her ribcage in pain and charged towards Kazuki once again. This time, Kazuki grabbed her bokken with his hand and gave Kaoru a hard punch on her face. Kaoru immediately felt the pain slammed onto her cheek. She never ever fought with someone so strong.

"I can't… I can't… Somebody save me, please… Onegai…" Kaoru stuttered to herself breathlessly as she fell onto the ground.

The soaring pain in her ribs, her aching head, her limp body. Her eyes wouldn't open but her mind is actively awake. Breathing got harder and harder every second. Her lungs were about to explode with pain.

"You're going to die now, Kamiya girl!" Kazuki yelled loudly as he took out his sword and raised it high up in the air.

"So this is how I'm going to die… Maybe this was planned by God, maybe this is how my life is going to end. But what about the dojo… Who will take care of it now? I shouldn't worry… This is how my life is going to end. Where will I go next?" Kaoru thought to herself in her head.

"K-Kenshin…" Kaoru whispered as a tear silently dripped out of her closed eyes.

A clash of swords was heard and Kaoru slipped into slumber, perhaps eternal. Her pain was lifted and all worries were far away. Peace finally overcame her and she let herself go completely.

----------

End Of Chapter.

Sorry I took quite long to write this one! I was busy with a Saiyuki Fanfic. Well, I'm currently deciding the ending of this story… It won't take long. About one, two days. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!