The Fight Escalates
Makoto Shishio was not making it easy for Kenshin, Sanosuke, Yahiko, and even Sojiro, who had been loyal to him since the day they met. Using his aerial advantage now, Shishio was able to predict ever move that Kenshin and his friends made.
"Damn it!" Sanosuke said, frustratingly. "How the hell are we supposed to beat this guy if he knows where we're gonna go all the time?"
"We have to somehow lure him into a trap." Kenshin replied.
"But if he continues to have the advantage from the air, we can't see the moves he'll make, but he's able to see everything we do." Yahiko uttered as he came into the open."
"Mr. Shishio!" Sojiro cried. "Please stop this!"
"And give up this great power I've achieved?" Shishio replied. "I don't think so! Make it easy for yourself, Sojiro! You and I have always been allies! Join me! Turn on the Battousai and his friends and we could get rid of them all so easily! Then, we can rule all of Japan with nobody to stop us!"
"Don't listen to him, Sojiro." Kenshin warned. "You remember what he did to you? He nearly killed you! He's no longer the same Shishio that either you, or any of us knew him for! He's being manipulated!"
"The only way for me to break this hold on Mr. Shishio is to take out Kahn!" Sojiro said. He began his rush towards Kahn, where Riku, Sora, and the rest of the KH group battled fiercely.
"Deprive me of my new abilities Sojiro!" Shishio roared. He rushed against Sojiro and beat the young boy off his feet. Sojiro slammed into one of the walls of an abandoned house.
"Mr. Shishio…"-
"I've gained a great strength! And I have Kahn to thank for that! But the minute he dies, I go back to normal! Do you really think I'll allow even you, Sojiro to deprive me of such a gift!"-
"Mr. Shishio please!"-
Suddenly, Shishio swooped down and slashed Sojiro with his Homuradama. Sojiro was slashed and burned by his sword. Sojiro struck the wall again and fell limp to the ground, not from exhaustion, but from shock.
"Sojiro!" Kenshin cried as he ran to the young boy's side. He knelt beside him. "Sojiro, are you OK?" Kenshin was suddenly shocked by what he saw. Sojiro, the one member of the Juppongatana who was incapable of showing emotions, began to cry. He cried out.
"Why, Mr. Shishio! Why!" he sobbed. Kenshin placed his hand on Sojiro's shoulder. Sojiro laid his head on Kenshin's chest and began to weep uncontrollably.
"You see what you've done!" Kenshin shouted. "How could you just throw Sojiro aside like that after being so loyal to you!"
"Sojiro is irrelevant to me now!" Shishio replied. "Because I have gained a great strength, I no longer need him to be around me! The weak only serve the purpose of being food for the strong!"
"You mean despite his dedication to you, he is merely food in your eyes?"-
"Exactly!"-
"Mr. Shishio…" Sojiro uttered.
"Listen to me, Sojiro! I never needed you from the start! I took you in so that I could make you strong! When I needed you, you'd be there to always do my bidding! However, now that I have gained this great strength, you are no longer needed! With flight ability, I could finish a battle within a matter of seconds if I wanted to."-
"You betrayed me! You betrayed my trust! You betrayed my feelings! Why, Mr. Shishio!"-
"It was you who betrayed my, Sojiro! You would not join me for the greater cause and so you meet your end by my hand!" Shishio landed to the ground. "Shall we then!"
"I've had enough of you!" a voice suddenly shouted. Shishio turned to see Sanosuke coming at him at full speed. "You're going down Shishio! Futae no kiwami!" Using that same special attack used by Anji, Sanosuke slammed his fist into Shishio's face. However, Shishio was unscathed by the attack. Sanosuke couldn't believe what he saw. "That's impossible."
"You idiot!" Shishio said. "If you intend to ever go head to head with me, then you'll have to close the gap between the obvious differences in our levels of strength!" Shishio punched Sanosuke in the head. Sano flew back and hit one of the homes. His head spurted out blood and Sanosuke lay there, motionless.
"Sano!" Kenshin cried. He sneered at Shishio.
"Well that was easy enough."-
"You'll pay for that!"-
"And how do you plan on countering that, Battousai?"-
"Using the one attacked that I gained with the ultimate! Kuzu ryu sen!" Kenshin suddenly deployed a powerful attack that hit all nine areas of Shishio's body at the same time. Shishio was his simultaneously and was sent flying into the wall of an abandoned house. The attack was so great that Shishio broke through the wall itself. But only in a matter of seconds, Shishio was back on his feet.
"Tell me, Battousai." Shishio chuckled. "Is that the best you have?"
"It can't be…" Kenshin uttered to himself. "How could he be able to withstand an attack from the Kuzu ryu sen?"
"Now let's see how you like one of my techniques." Shishio rushed forward, deploying his Homuradama. The flames ignited and encircled Kenshin. Kenshin flinched, blinded by the flames. He suddenly felt a strong hand clutch the front of his shirt. Shishio was suddenly seen, holding Kenshin in the air, with his sword placed on his black glove. "I told you that you should go out with a bang. And here it is, the second secret sword technique. Guren Kaina!" Shishio streaked his blade across his glove and sparks ignited. His glove was made entirely of gunpowder and the gauntlet exploded in Kenshin's face. Kenshin fell back and hit the ground. There he lay motionless, unconscious from the attack.
"Oh no! Kenshin!" Yahiko cried out. He ran to Kenshin's side and nudged him. "Kenshin! Kenshin! Wake up please! You gotta get up! We need you!"
"Well, I must say," Shishio uttered, "I didn't think that the Battousai would be done in so easily. I guess in the end, there can only be one who stands the tallest! And I, Makoto Shishio am the strongest man in all of Japan!"
"You think that this is over!" Yahiko drew his wooden sword. "You haven't gotten rid of me yet! I'll fight in Kenshin's place!"
"Sorry, but I don't have time to mess with brats like you."-
"What'd you say! I'll have you know that I've learned some of Kenshin's techniques because I was always there to witness it first hand! Stand and fight, Makoto Shishio! What's the matter, are you scared of me?"-
"You like to talk big don't you, you little squirt. You might have some potential! Say, why don't you side with me. I could teach you a lot of tricks on how to be stronger!"-
" I'd never wanna side with someone like you! Your definition of strength is wrong! You plan on fighting to kill and dispose with the weak! Well, let me tell you, I used to be weak until I met Kenshin! He's the one who turned my entire life around! If it wasn't for him, I'd still be picking pockets for a bunch of thugs!" Yahiko threw his sword before him.
"Then, if you wish to fight the strongest man in all of Japan, then take your best shot, kid. Just don't cry if you get hurt!"
"Bring it on Shishio!"-
"I'll make it easy for you for the first round. After that, you better say your prayers! Now that you have challenged me, your death is assured, kid!" Shishio rushed forward in flight and deployed his Homuradama.
Yahiko managed to dodge the attack, receiving a few slight burns. But in the process, Shishio's sword managed to cut through his wooden sword like a hot knife through butter. Yahiko fell to the ground. He gazed at his sword and couldn't believe what had happened. Just a few seconds after he declared to fight Shishio, his life would end at Shishio's hands.
"It can't be." Yahiko uttered. "It's all over like that?"
"I hope you won't take this personally!" Shishio chuckled and deployed another Homuradama. This time, Yahiko was within an effect striking distance of the attack and all seemed over for the young boy. It was then that someone stepped in front of Yahiko like lightning. It was Sojiro. He placed himself in front of Yahiko and the slash and flames cut through the delicate skin on his chest. Sojiro fell to the ground after that sudden attack. But at the same time, he managed to draw his sword, but to what effect. "So Sojiro, protecting the weak like the Battousai? Using yourself as a shield to protect a boy you don't even know."
"It's not a sign of weakness, Mr. Shishio." Sojiro uttered as he grasped at the wound on his chest.
"Sojiro…" Yahiko uttered. "Why did you do that?"
"I didn't want you to have to meet the same terrifying fate as I did when I was small, Yahiko." Sojiro lay his head down on the ground. Yahiko drew himself closer to his side.
"Why would you, a member of Shishio's group, do that for me?"-
"Because I realize now that weakness comes from those who don't do anything to stop something from happening. To help someone is not a weakness, but strength."-
"Well now, Sojiro," Shishio said, "You used the Shukuchi to close the distance between you and this kid so that you could shield him with your body in time. But what have you achieved in the process? Nothing much, I can tell you that."-
"But I realize that protecting someone is meaningful. I saved Yahiko's life and for that, I am happy. Mr. Himura's way to protect is more complicated and more demanding that what you ever taught me, Mr. Shishio. It's easy to kill, but it's much harder to save a life than it is to take it. To endure such a responsibility is true strength."-
"But it still hasn't changed the fact that you'll meet your end here and now."-
As Shishio confronted Sojiro and Yahiko, the last still standing against the leader of the former Juppongatana, Miss Misao was have an equally hard time fighting against her former lord, Aoshi Shinomori. He had struck with the same devastating explosion attacks three times and blew Misao away every time. With every attack deployed, Misao lost more energy. The explosions caused her conscious awareness to be cut in half. After the last explosion, she slowly stood up and gazed about at the blurred figure of Aoshi Shinomori.
"You will make this easier if you give yourself up and hand over the power stones." Aoshi uttered. "There's no need for you to suffer anymore that you already have, Misao."
"I will not give up!" Misao uttered. "Not even to you, Aoshi Shinomori! You are no longer the man I used to look up to! You are no longer the man I loved! That man is dead! There is only a soulless copy who wants to get his hands on some kind of trinket! But I won't let you have them!"
"Your suffering will continue if you insist on fighting me."-
"If I must fight against you, then I will!"-
"Then your death is assured, Misao." With his two Kodachis draws, Aoshi performed one of his deadlier attacks. "Double Kodachi, Onmyo Hasshi!" He threw both blades at Misao. Misao dodged both by the skin of her teeth, but Aoshi lunged forward and kneed her in the face. Misao went blank for the moment, blood dripped from her lip now. She gazed up at her former lord and mentor. Aoshi had a sinister smile on his face, as if he enjoyed pummeling her.
"This is not the same Lord Aoshi." She thought to herself. "Lord Aoshi would never want to hurt me. He would never lift a finger to harm me. It's true then, his soul is gone completely."
"And so, Misao," Aoshi uttered, levitating himself into the air for another explosion attack, "I will end your life here and now!" He rushed forward, with both Kodachis drawn, at incredible speed. "Double Kodachi Goho Juuji!" There was a sudden slash and a grand explosion erupted, blowing half of the demolished Aoiya away. As the dust settled, Aoshi had carried out his attack successfully, but there was no Misao there to receive the attack. Aoshi looked around with his gleaming green eyes. "Gone? She can't be. The impact didn't have that great an effect."
"You know, I don't like guys like you who pick on poor little girls." A voice shouted out from above. Aoshi looked up to see a figure shadowed in the sun's rays. The figure landed on to the ground on his feet. He wore a grand white cape with a standing red collar. "Sorry that I'm a little late."
Misao, safely cradled in the figures arms, looks up. When gazing at the face of her rescuer, she realizes who it is.
"You're Himura's master." She uttered. "Seijuro Hiko."
"Are you alright?"-
"Yes, I am. Thank you."-
"Good." Seijuro placed Misao down on the ground. Misao was able to stand up, staggering slightly.
"So, another one dares to stand in the way of the strongest." Aoshi said.
"It seems like you have some issues to sort out." Seijuro replied. "But if you wanna take your aggression out on someone, then take it out on me."
"It would be wise for you to stay out of the way."-
"Well, I wouldn't know. I'm not wise."-
"Then you shall die!" Aoshi suddenly rushed forward with incredible speed. "Double Kodachi Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren!"
But before Aoshi could make any effective move, Seijuro charged forth at full speed with his Kuzu ryu sen. Aoshi was knocked off his feet and ended up slamming into a wall, two hundred feet from where he was. There he lay, unconscious and motionless.
"Lord Aoshi…" Misao uttered. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Seijuro asked. "He's just knocked out cold! He'll be alright, though he may have trouble getting up in the morning."
"Right now, we have bigger matters to attend to!"-
It was at that moment that Miss Kaoru and the others began to stir. Misao ran to her side.
"You OK, Miss Kaoru?" she asked.
"I'm fine. How long was I out?" Kaoru replied. She slowly rose onto her knees and dusted herself off. A small cut dripped blood on the side of her head, but other than that, Miss Kaoru was still alive and kicking. The other members of the Oniwaban group stood to their feet as well. "Who defeated Aoshi?"
"Mr. Hiko did."-
"It looks like everyone's alright." Seijuro uttered.
"We might be, but they might not!" Misao said as she pointed out the fighting that was going on against Usui and Shishio that was occurring a hundred and fifty yards away.
"Well, I better go give 'em a hand."-
"Wait for us!" Miss Kaoru said.
"Now listen all of you!" Misao addressed to the Oniwaban. "I want you to stay here and heal your wounds and look after Lord Aoshi! If we manage to defeat Kahn, there's no doubt that Lord Aoshi will return to normal!"
"We gotcha, leader!" the Oniwaban members said. "You take care!"
"I will!" Misao cried and ran after Miss Kaoru and Seijuro, who were heading towards the fight against Shishio.
Meanwhile, on the far side, a stand off was made between Usui and Saito. Saito had been wounded in both legs, so the effect of his Gatotsu was split in half. Usui, along with his five hundred possessed police men, still stood glaring at the Wolf.
"So, Saito," Usui said. "What do you intend to do now? With my Eye of the Heart, there is nothing that you can hide from me! And now that my sight has been restored, I can observe every move you make in living color!"
"You truly are a fool if you think that I will go down so easily." Saito said. He casually walked up to Usui. "For the sake of these gifts given to you by Kahn, your sight, your ability to manipulate the darkness in other people's hearts, you gave up your own desires for the sake of becoming nothing, but a mongrel dog. Someone who can't even hold on to their own beliefs can only be pathetic."
"Certainly, I may have lost everything for the sake of restored sight and a few supernatural techniques, but it was all worth it in the end. I have gained a true strength as a result of my yielding. You say that I am now just a mongrel dog, but I'm a dog that has gained absolute strength and there's nothing that you can do about it."-
"Is that so, you say? What you have gained is absolute power? Well, if you ask me, you've only proven yourself to be even weaker than before. Instead of a secret motivation that moves you, it's the thought of obtaining incredible power. But the situation itself still remains the same. You are still a dog that wags its tail in front of its master."-
"Don't you think you talk too much, Saito? What would you know of these matters?"-
"Do you really think that you've become the strongest? The scenario remains the same. It's just that this time, you've decided to change employers. You joined Shishio, saying that you would kill him. As long as you kept up that notion that you would kill Shishio, no one would ever get suspicious of your tactics. You believed that because you obtained the Eye of the Heart, you had truly gained the edge in strength. However, when confronting Shishio again, you soon realized that he too had become stronger. You thought he couldn't even see your little ploy, but the reality is that he couldn't be that dumb as to be fooled by you. In fact, I'm sure he must've already seen through your heart. All he had to do was pull on the strings of your pride and you dance like a little marionette. Now, with obtaining restored sight and manipulation of the heart's darkness, you once again think that you have the edge in skill. But in truth, you are just a puppet being used by another master. Kahn gave you those gifts in exchange for your services. But if you show any ambitious signs, or any incompetence, he could easily take them away. And killing him unexpectedly won't do you any good. As far as I know, he's seen that you, Shishio, and Shinomori are rather ambitious and may attempt to turn on him. As a result, he linked your powers to his own. He said that the only other alternative to breaking you of his curse was by killing him. That also qualifies to you."-
"Shut up already! You blabber on and on! You don't know what you're talking about! I saw the prospect of what he was going to give me, so I took it! I may not have free will anymore, but at least I obtained an even larger catch!"-
"But you will never be happy with the result of lifetime servitude. It doesn't seem like your style to just give up your personal freedom for the sake of power alone!"-
"Enough!" Usui thrust the shield into Saito's face. "I intend to finish this once and for all! And at this proximity, you'll never be able to use Gatotsu!"
Suddenly, there was a flash of light that resonated around them. With a sudden explosion, the Timbey shield was cut in half and Usui wand flying into a wall. There he hung, with Saito's sword thrust deep into his chest, impaling him on the wall.
"What was that?" Usui uttered. "Was that…Gatotsu?"
"Not like anything you've ever encountered." Saito replied. "The first style is the usual one. The second style thrust diagonally down from above. The third style is used against aerial attacks. But the final attack is Zero style, thrust from the springs in the upper body, at so close a range, that there is no space for movement. I was saving it for when I settle the score with the Battousai. You should feel honored."
"I don't understand. Why could I not see it with my Eye of the Heart?"-
"Choosing to have your eye sight restored was another mistake. If you were smart, you would've kept yourself from ever seeing again. You believed that if you had your sight restored, you'd have an even greater advantage, combining it with your Eye of the Heart. However, you have forgotten just how deceiving your eyesight can be. For that fraction of a second, you only relied on the use of your eyes instead of your Eye of the Heart. As a result, a conflict in your mind began to rise. That is something that can't happen in the midst of battle. Instead, of going by instinct, you decided to think your way through the fight, when your new Eye of the Heart and your sight began to conflict with each other. As a result, you meet your end at the hand of my Gatotsu Zero style!"-
"You never show any mercy…" Usui uttered with his last breath.
"Did you want me to express words of pity before you check out?"-
"Just how long do you think you'll last holding on to your precious Aku Soku Zan in this new Meiji Era…?" With that, Usui went limp and hung dead on Sato's sword.
"I'll do it till I die."-
As Saito watched Usui hang from the wall, the possessed police men returned to normal, looking around, wondering what had happened.
"What happened, Inspector?" one office uttered.
"Nothing of any importance right now." Saito looked at the masses of policemen. "Withdraw from here immediately. I will handle this on my own."
"Yes, sir." With that the remaining police men withdrew from the area. Saito looked around. He then saw that Shishio was still alive and kicking.
"Alright, Shishio, it's your turn." Saito began his advance against the last of Kahn's manipulated pawns.
Shishio, however, was taking his time, as he slowly cut and burned his once extremely faithful subordinate. Sojiro was across the gut, and on the legs, to prevent ever using the Shukuchi to its absolute power. Yahiko could only watch helplessly as Shishio tore his young counterpart bit by bit.
"What's the matter, Sojiro?" Shishio asked. "So far, you haven't even bothered to lift a hand to hinder me. Are you trying to stall for time, or something?"
"I don't want to hurt you, Mr. Shishio! I know you can somehow come back! The Mr. Shishio I knew would never allow himself to be deterred from his own goals for the sake of another, no matter what the compensation in return!"
"I took the side of Kahn at my own will! Because I gave up my own goals, I have been given a strength that I could only dream of before!" Shishio landed on the ground again. "To add, stalling for time will do you know good. So far, the only worthy opponent lies dead on the ground." Sojiro could only look at the mangled body of Kenshin Himura.
"How could I have been so blind?" Sojiro thought to himself. "Mr. Himura was fighting for people like me. Those who never had a grasp on life, or an aspect of its value. I used to kill without a second thought. But it was Mr. Himura's ideals and methods of protecting the weak that has caused me to see something greater than just a contrast between life and death."
"Sojiro!" Sojiro looked up to see Shishio coming straight at him. Sojiro drew out his sword, but the damage had been done. Once again, Shishio deployed the Homuradama and burned him across the shoulder. Sojiro fell back and rolled in the dirt. There, he lay on his back, blood dripping from the few wounds received. Shishio began to walk up to him. "This ends for you, Sojiro. Too bad though. I was hoping that you and I would remain close friends. But apparently, you've decided to dwell amongst the weak."
"That's enough!" a voice shouted. Shishio turned to see Yahiko coming straight at him. But Shishio threw out his fist and knocked the young boy away. Yahiko slammed into the base of a wall and lay there unconscious.
"Last minute heroics won't work right now!" Shishio then turned to Sojiro. "Looks like history does repeat itself. You would've died sooner, or later, Sojiro."
"Mr. Shishio…" Sojiro's eyes filled with tears. Not because he faced death, but because he truly was betrayed by Shishio, the one person who took him in and taught him his battle techniques. Shishio raised his sword above his head, ready to make the last blow.
"Concentrating all your efforts on a single wounded fighter, a boy no less, was a huge mistake!" A voice shouted out. Shishio turned around to see none other that Hajime Saito coming at him with his Gatotsu. "Makoto Shishio! Your head belongs to me!" Shishio struck Shishio straight between the eyes. But Shishio retaliated and slashed at Saito. Saito received a slash wound across the chest and withdrew.
"Since you were a man who was almost like me," Shishio uttered, "I knew that you'd try to ambush me one day." Shishio ripped the cloth from his forehead to reveal a steel head band protecting his forehead. "The reason why I was so easily overtaken, the day they burned me alive, was because I had been shot in the head first. I was taken advantage of because I couldn't move. So that's why I concentrated my defense around here." He pointed to his forehead. "You didn't do enough research did you, Hajime Saito?"
"You have a point there, but I'm not the only one you should worry about now." Saito uttered. Shishio turned to see Seijuro Hiko, Miss Kaoru, and Miss Misao arriving at the scene.
"Well, well, well, so more company has decided to make their presence known."-
Miss Kaoru looked to see Kenshin, Yahiko, and Sanosuke laying prostrated on the ground.
"Oh no! Kenshin!" Kaoru cried. She ran to Kenshin's motionless body. But Shishio suddenly appeared before her. He moved his index finger from side to side in a negative manner.
"Sorry miss, but this is as far as you'll get to the Battousai." Shishio uttered.
"Makoto Shishio!" Miss Kaoru growled.
"So that's Makoto Shishio." Seijuro Hiko uttered. Shishio gazed at the caped figure.
"So you must be the Battousai's master, Seijuro Hiko." Shishio said. "Well, your teaching methods weren't very good were they? The Battousai didn't even put up a good fight. And as a result of his weakness, he now lays dead on the ground like your other friends!"
"It seems you underestimate my stupid apprentice, Shishio."-
Shishio turned to see none other that Kenshin standing up. His shirt torn from his chest, Kenshin stood up again and sheathed his sword.
"Makoto Shishio." Kenshin uttered. "You don't realize it, but the times haven't allowed the end to come for any of the fighters present." Soon after, Sanosuke and Yahiko rose up. Yahiko rubbed the back of his head.
"Man that hurt!" he shouted. He then looked at Kenshin. "Kenshin! You big dummy! Were you just taking a nap all this time!"
"Oro!"-
"Sheesh!" Yahiko then looked at Sano. "You've definitely had better days, Sano!"
"Will you shut up, Yahiko. I didn't see you doing anything constructive all this time."-
"That's because you were unconscious on the ground this whole time!"-
"Makoto Shishio!" Kenshin uttered again. "We finish this!"
"You truly are a fool, Battousai!" Shishio chuckled. "Do you really think that you'll do any better this time around? In your condition, with your strength depleted by half, you'll never be a match for me! And just to prove it to you, I will give you the honor of being killed with my ultimate attack! Secret sword three, the Kagezuchi technique!"
"I can no longer stall." Kenshin said to himself. "If I don't stop him now, he'll still be causing trouble whether he's possessed, or not." Kenshin stood in his Battoujutsu stance.
"Battoujutsu." Shishio said.
"The stance for Battoujutsu." Sanosuke uttered. "So I guess this will end up being a contest of speed."
"Prepare yourself Battousai!" Shishio declared as he levitated himself into the air. "I will bring the law of nature to you!" Shishio charged head on against Kenshin. Dragging his blade across the iron of his sheath, his sword burst into flames. "Behold Battousai, the ultimate attack of my secret swords! The Kagezuchi!"
"The flames are intense!" Sano uttered.
"The flames are certainly impressive." Seijuro Hiko stated. "However, they are only meant as a diversion, to catch Kenshin off guard. The flames are less dangerous than the blade behind them."
"Just as a diversion." Kenshin said to himself. "I must not allow the flames to cloud my judgment."
It was then that Kenshin saw the blade closing in to cut his throat. The blade was no more than an inch away from. But as the blade seemed to make contact, a flash of light bellowed forth. Within seconds, Shishio was suddenly seen, flying through the air, his bandaged body mangled and torn. He fell to the ground with incredible force. His sword lodged itself into the ground.
"What the hell was that?" Sanosuke asked.
"I didn't even see it." Miss Kaoru uttered. "How did Kenshin manage to perform an attack that quickly?"
"For a minute there, I really thought that Kenshin was dead for sure." Yahiko uttered. "Man, oh man, Kenshin is intense!"
"Mr. Himura was fast." Sojiro uttered. "But how could he be able to perform that kind of speed?"
"What was that?"-
"It is the ultimate attack of the Hiten Mitsurugi." Seijuro Hiko uttered.
"What?" Sanosuke asked.
"The ultimate attack of the Hiten Mitsurugi style?" Misao added.
"I can see that my idiot apprentice had managed to pull the attack off so well." Seijuro continued.
"But what is the name of the attack?" Sojiro asked.
"It is called the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki." Kenshin replied.
"That was incredible, Kenshin." Sanosuke said. "There's no way that Shishio could be able to recuperate after being hit by an attack like that."
But no sooner had Sanosuke said those words, Shishio managed to regain his stance, dusting himself off.
"Well, that was rather interesting." Shishio uttered.
"It can't be." Kenshin uttered.
"How could it be possible for Shishio to stand up after a forceful attack like that?" added Misao.
"It shouldn't even be possible." Seijuro suddenly said. "The Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki is an extraordinary attack and the ultimate of the Hiten Misturugi Style. Any man, no matter how powerful, wouldn't have been able to regain their stamina in only a matter of seconds."
"Oh, I forgot to mention." Shishio said. "With the pledge I gave to Kahn, I was not only given the gift of flight, but he also increased the impact tolerance of my body. So in other words, you wouldn't be able to do any damage to me so long as you continue to use the reverse blade sword. Only the sharpened end of the sword will do any significant damage." Shishio flicked his sword against his iron sheath and released the immense flames of the Kagezuchi technique. "Now back to what I was doing before I was so rudely interrupted!" The flames encircled his sword and Shishio swung it at Kenshin, cutting and burning at the same time. Kenshin however, managed to dodge each slash attack, being burned by the dancing flames of Shishio's sword.
"Come on Kenshin!" Sanosuke cried. "Take him out!"
"The Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki has been rendered useless by Shishio's new powers." Kenshin said. "Not only is he fast and able to levitate himself into the air, but he also has the defensive structure of steel."
"Now watch this!" Shishio suddenly levitated himself into the air. "By combining my aerial advantage, with my speed, strength, and the flames of the Kagezuchi, I am now able to perform a combination attack that'll spread the flames within a hundred yards. So brace yourselves for impact!"
Shishio rose higher and higher into the sky. Then with accelerated speed from the air, Shishio came crashing down into the soil.
"Everyone, take cover!" Kenshin cried. The others cleared the area as Shishio made impact. Kenshin crossed his arms in front of him, ready to take on the flames. The flames quickly spread as Shishio slammed into the soil. The Aoiya and many of the surrounding buildings caught fire. Kenshin was hindered by the flames and was struck back by the incredible sound wave that echoed throughout Kyoto. As the flames and dust diminished, Kenshin was found, prostrated on the ground.
"Well, that went well enough." Shishio chuckled. He walked towards Kenshin, who began to stand up again.
"This battle is in a league of its own." Saito uttered as he continued to watch the fight escalate.
"I never would have thought that Kenshin would have lasted this long." Sanosuke said. "Even after Shishio gained all those magic tricks."
"What now, Battousai?" Shishio said. "Are you gonna try and use the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki on me again? Since that is the ultimate attack of the Hiten Misturugi, and since I managed to withstand it so easily, this battle's outcome is already decided for."
"I must somehow manage to break through his defense?" Kenshin thought. "But how do I do that? Every attack we laid on Shishio hasn't had any effect. Neither the Kuzu ryu sen, nor the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki have proved significant. But I must not give up! If I fail now, then everyone will suffer."
"This is the end for you, Battousai!" Shishio came charging full speed against Kenshin. But he suddenly stopped and swung his sword in another direction. From out nowhere, Sojiro appeared, striking at his former master. Both swords connected. Sojiro had performed his ultimate attack, the Shuntensatsu. But because Shishio managed to counter it, he evaded the attack. Shishio however was cut in the side, but not critically damaged. Sojiro however, fell to the ground, a gaping stab wound in his gut.
"Sojiro!" Kenshin cried. Sojiro tried to stand, but fell to the ground. Kenshin sneered at Shishio. "How could you do that to Sojiro, Makoto Shishio! After all his loyalty to you!"
"As I said before if you didn't hear already! Sojiro is of no use to me any further." Shishio replied. "He was a dog who dared to bite the hand that fed him. After an assault on me and siding with you, he has become my enemy. Besides, now that I have obtained a new ultimate power, Sojiro is no longer of any use to me."
"Sojiro." Miss Kaoru ran and held the boy in her arms.
"Is he alright?" Misao asked.
"He's been severely wounded."-
"What can we do to help him?" Yahiko asked.
"Take him back to the Aoiya." Seijuro said. "He can be nowhere near this area."
"Alright."-
"Let me take him back." Seijuro picked up Sojiro and took him back to the Aoiya, while Kaoru, Misao, and Yahiko remained behind to continue supporting the fight.
"You will not get away with this treachery, Makoto Shishio." Kenshin said.
"And who'll stop me?" Shishio replied. "Not even Sojiro, though as fast as he is, was still no match for me. And now you dare to lecture me? It just goes to show you just how powerful I am." Shishio looked about at the combatants who were left. "Anyone dare to take me one on one, eh! How about you rooster head? Or even you, Saito? Or perhaps those two little girls and that boy might want to go head to head with the mighty Makoto Shishio!"
"Leave them out of this!" Kenshin shouted. "This fight is strictly between you and me!" He sheathed his sword again.
"Heh! Once again, you plan on using that useless ultimate attack. Fine then!"-
Shishio ignited his sword again and deployed another Kagezuchi attack. Kenshin took his stance.
"Once again, he takes a stance for Battoujutsu." Saito said.
"Even though Kenshin knows that his ultimate attack had failed the last time, he still attempts to use it and take down Shishio. It's just like Kenshin. In the end, I guess I have to depend on him after all."
"You just never learn do you!" Shishio shouted as he attacked head on. The minute they made contact, Kenshin drew out his sword from the sheath. The swords sparked as both combatants were burned by the flames of Shishio's Kagezuchi. Shishio successfully parried the attack and prepared to deploy a downward slash. But as soon as he prepared to strike, he found himself being drawn in towards Kenshin.
"What's going on?" Shishio thought to himself. "I being drawn towards the Battousai. No, I'm not. It's the air around me that's being drawn to him. The force of his attack was so great that it blew the air away from me. But the effect was delayed because I parried it. And now its being sucked back in and dragging everything with it." Kenshin turned about to make the second strike. "No! He can't hurt me! My body has been super conditioned and can take otherwise intolerable impacts, which I may not have been able to withstand before! There's no way he can break through my defense!" But as soon as he uttered those words, Shishio suddenly remembered the cut in his side, given to him by his former subordinate, Sojiro. He realized what effect it would have if Kenshin's sword would connect. "No! I forgot about that wound! Damn that Sojiro! How could he do this to me!"
At that moment, Kenshin made contact with the gaping wound at Shishio's side. Shishio once again, went flying into the air. But this time, do to the cut in his side, Kenshin's attack caused severe internal damage and Shishio's mouth spurted out blood. The manslayer fell to the ground, causing dust to bellow into the air. Kenshin fell to one knee and leaned on his sword.
"It looks like you have everything under control." Seijuro said when he arrived back at the battlefield.
"How's Sojiro?" Miss Kaoru asked.
"He'll survive. I left him in the hands of the Oniwaban group. They're seeing to his needs as we speak."-
"Good to know that."-
"So Shishio was hit by the full force of the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki. After experiencing the full extent of power from such an attack, there's no way that he'll be able get up as quickly as he did before."-
"You should have seen it, Mr. Hiko!" Misao said. "I've never seen any thing like it before. When Shishio parried it, he was just drawn in against Himura, closing the distance between the two so that Himura could get a good, effective shot."
"But why is that?" Kaoru asked.
"The Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki accelerates with such incredible speed, it causes a temporary influx of the air within the area of the attack." Seijuro explained. "Even if you were to avoid the fangs of the dragon, the gusting winds would prevent freedom of movement and the claws would rip you apart."
They watched as Shishio, after hitting the ground, would try to stand up.
"He's certainly feeling it now." Saito said.
Suddenly, Shishio, after trying to stagger to his feet, began to scream hysterically and grasp at his body, as if something were occurring from within his body. Saliva began to accumulate at the sides of his mouth as his blood dripped down his wounds. He tried desperately to grasp at the infliction that burned within him.
"That pain he's feeling." Sanosuke uttered. "It's different."
"Whatever it is," Kenshin added, "it must be causing severe stress on his body. His body still obtains the weaknesses as before. He still obtains an abnormally high body temperature. If he continues to fight, his body will continue to increase in its heat."
Shishio slammed his head against the wall and blood gushed from the open wounds, but he managed to nullify the pain in his mind and stood up again.
"This fight isn't over!" Shishio roared.
"Give up now, Makoto Shishio!" Kenshin said. "You can't keep fighting like this!"
"I am the strongest here and my endurance against all of you has proven that!"-
"But it still hasn't changed the facts that you have lost everything." Saito said. "Allowing yourself to be possessed, you have only become a servant to another master and nothing more. It doesn't matter how powerful you think you are, you still are relying on the power of another to keep you nourished. The strong are never dependant on another."
"The same logic applies to you, Shishio." Kenshin added. "You're only strong so long as you have the nourishment you need. But if you are deprived of that nourishment, you become weak. So in reality, no one is strong. Everyone is weak. Every person obtains weakness; even you, who claims to have no flaws."
"I have no flaws!" Shishio shouted. "I have no flaws whatsoever!"
"If that were true," Saito said, "Then you wouldn't be accumulating red steam would you."
The party realized that Shishio's body began to spurt out a bizarre red steam.
"What is that?" Sanosuke asked.
"His body has become so hot that his blood can no longer stay in a liquid form." Saito glared at Shishio. "Even you should realize that a person can't possible survive very long without an ounce of blood running through your veins."
"You're wrong! I will survive because I have the ability to do so! If I can survive being burned alive, then I can certainly survive blood loss!" Shishio turned to Kenshin. "This fight will end here and now, Battousai!"
"Shishio." Kenshin said as he rose to his feet. "You know as well as I that you can't continue like this. Even if I were to lose, you would still have my friend to contend with."
"Then let the fight me! Come what may!" Shishio attacked again with his Kagezuchi technique and began slashing away. But as soon as their swords made contact, Shishio suddenly burst into flames. The manslayer began to scream in agony as his body caught fire.
"Look at that!" Miss Misao said.
"Was that from the Kagezuchi?" Kaoru asked.
"No." Seijuro replied. "His body must have become too hot that it couldn't tolerate the intense heat within him."
"He's like a human torch." Saito said. "The intense heat somehow ignited the oil and fat in his body. He's become spontaneously combustible."
Shishio roared out in agonizing screams. However, within seconds, the agonizing screams turned to maniacal laughter.
"Yes!" They heard Shishio cry. "I have broken my limits and the fires of hell burn strongly within me!" With those final words, Shishio dropped his sword and his mangled body fell to the ground, still burning. As the flames died down, Kenshin approached the cindered body of his former foe.
"So this is how it ends for him." He said.
"So it's all over, right Kenshin?" Yahiko asked.
"Not quite." Kenshin stood up and sheathed his sword. "I suppose we managed to defeat all three of the possessed pawns?"
"Lord Aoshi is still alive." Misao said. "Okina and the other members of the Oniwaban are looking after him."
"You don't have to worry about Usui the Blind Sword." Saito said, walking up to Kenshin. "He's probably reminiscing about the past with Shishio now at the bowels of hell."
"So that only leaves on other foe we have to take care of." Kenshin replied. "And he's the one that possessed those three. Kahn of the Cavendish Shinobis."
"I wonder how Sora, Riku, and those other guys are doing, fighting him?" Yahiko asked.
"There's only one way to find out."-
The group began their trek towards where Sora and the other members of the KH group fought against the power of Master Kahn of the Cavendish Shinobis.
Kenshin and the others would be needed for the final fight against Kahn of the Cavendish Shinobis. Sora, Riku, and the others, despite their abilities were no match for Kahn's strength. And to make matters worse, Kahn had placed himself in the most populated area so the KH team couldn't fight to their full advantage. Having to meticulously use what type of elemental attacks and physical attacks to use, they engaged against Kahn with the limited amount of power they had. Sora deployed a few attacks with the Ragnarok and Ars Arcanum to try and weaken Kahn. But each attack failed as Kahn continued to use his after image technique.
"You'll have to do a little better if you wish to defeat me." Kahn chuckled.
"He's right." Sora said. "By now, he must know how to predict our every move."
"Don't let him intimidate you, Sora." Riku replied. "We have to somehow be able to counter his after image technique."
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Donald asked. "I've been keeping an eye on him this whole time and he doesn't seem to follow any pattern."
"And every time we successfully strike him, he ends up being like some sort of mirage, or shadow and then suddenly appears somewhere else." Mickey added.
"There must be something to his technique." Riku said. "He has to have some sort of flaw."
"But when you're fighting against shadows, the flaws are kind of hard to predict." Sora replied.
"What's wrong boys?" Kahn uttered. He suddenly appeared before them. "Suddenly you seem sluggish and don't want to fight anymore."
"That's not the case at all."-
"Certainly, it is. You can't pull the wool over my eyes. You're flustered and your moral is quickly dropping. But you could make this a lot easier on yourselves just by handing over the power stones."-
"Sorry, but can't do that." Riku replied. "You see, we have this thing about people forcing other people to things they don't want and it's those type of people that we don't like."
"Suit yourselves, but right now, you have nothing to use effectively. Even if you did manage to strike me, there's no way that you'd be able to hinder me."-
"What do you mean by that?"-
"Trying to let me monologue further? I won't give you the privilege, because like all classic scenarios, the tables usually turn when one side monologues too long. But then again, I have nothing to fear from you five. I already know that you're no threat."-
"We may not be, but perhaps they will." Sora said, pointing. Kahn sensed the presence of more warriors coming to the aid. Kenshin and the others had finally arrived.
"Hey, Sora, Riku, we've come to give you a hand, that we have!" Kenshin shouted.
"Glad to see that you made it here."-
"So, the reinforcements have arrived." Kahn uttered. "Oh well."
"This ends here, Kahn!" Kenshin shouted.
"You think that there's safety in numbers here? If the KH group is having trouble, what makes you think that you'll succeed?"-
"Because unlike them, you haven't seen our techniques yet." Saito said.
"Like your Gatotsu, Saito, or the Battousai's ultimate attack, the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki?"-
"How did you know about those?" Sanosuke asked. "You were nowhere near the fights with Shishio and those others."
"That's where you've wrong, Sanosuke Sagara. I was closer than you think. What I did was similar to the observation tactics of the Juppongatana. But I performed my observation in an indirect way. I used Usui, Shishio, and Aoshi as not only pawns, but scouters. Their shadows always see every detail. You can never hide anything from the shadows. Thus, when battling you, my pawns managed to inscribe each attack into their brains. This information was then relayed back to me. That is why I chose to lure the KH team into this densely populated area, so that I'd be able to outmaneuver them and allow the information from pawns to be relayed into my mind. A work of genius if I do say so myself."-
"So all this time, he's only been stalling for time." Sora said.
"And now that I have all the necessary information, I no longer have to hold back. Prepare yourselves for the coming of my legions. I'm sure the KH team should be very familiar with these enemies." Kahn began to accumulate a thick blanked of shadows over the ground. Sora and the others withdrew. From the blanket of darkness, yellow eyes appeared, followed by large forms of dark figures.
"Oh no!" Sora uttered. "It can't be!" The entire KH group knew these minions of Kahn very well indeed.
"The Heartless!" all five KH team members cried.
"Now we're in for it." Riku uttered.
