Dark Side
Chapter 5
Author's Notes:
Urgent music.
"So you are the leader of the Oniwaban group, Aoshi Shinomori, who became the Okashira at the age of 15." Battousai stated, measuring his opponents carefully, not letting one detail escape.
"You are well informed." Aoshi said coldly, his unwavering ice blue gaze focused on Battousai as he began to walk forward. "It will be an honor to defeat you and claim the title of being the strongest for myself." Aoshi said monotonously and got ready for battle. Battousai prepared his sword deftly.
"Talk after you have drawn blood."
With a barely audible grunt, Aoshi sprinted forward.
Battousai effortlessly raised his sword overhead and blocked his enemy's first attack. He was just fast enough to jump out of the way of the second swipe that whizzed by his face. He landed a few feet from his attacker.
"Two Kodachis." Battousai murmured as a small cut opened on his cheek and began to bleed, eyes never leaving his opponent.
"I hope you have realized that there is no way you can win." Aoshi said as he raised his Kodachis and prepared for a second attack. "With two Kodachis, not only will my defense be perfect, but due to the weight and size of my weapons, your sword won't be able to match their speed." And then he sped towards Battousai once again.
Battousai launched to the left, trying to circle behind Aoshi using his superior speed. The Ninja Okashira heard the rustle of clothes to his right and instantly blurred as he sped in the opposite direction, Battousai's slash barely missed his shoulder.
The assassin stopped and sheathed his sword. He got into a Battoujutsu stance and aimed his draw at the ground. He unsheathed his sword towards the ground and rocks were swept up and flew towards Aoshi.
"I have already seen your attack Battousai, it will not work!" The debris was upon Aoshi when suddenly, his image separated into several of him. Battousai's eyes took on an angry hue. The projectiles seemingly flew right through him and crashed into the wall.
Then, Aoshi's several images merged back into one.
He crossed his two Kodachis over his chest and rushed at Battousai, who retreated backwards, but Aoshi pursued, he executed multiple slashes with deadly precision that only missed by a hairbreadth even with Battousai's divine speed. All Battousai could do was back away.
Then, after another one of Aoshi's slashes struck thin air, Battousai twisted in the air, the butt of his sword whipped out of the spin and connected with the blade of one of Aoshi's Kodachis. Battousai ducked to avoid the other attack, and then he pushed his opponent back.
Aoshi took a few steps backwards to regain his balance. And that was all Battousai needed, he pulled back his sword and stabbed towards Aoshi's chest. The ninja flipped out of the way just in time. His out fit opened from a thin line and blood seeped out of it.
"You are good," Aoshi admitted as he got back up into a standing position, "but I will kill you now." He said as his image suddenly blurred into 30 of him and circled around Battousai.
"A Kenbu (sword dance)." Battousai said as 30 of his opponent circled around him. They all looked the same, there was no telling which one was solid and which one was just thin air.
"This is the water flow movement, nothing solid can touch me." A voice echoed from the images.
"Now, my ultimate technique," There was a pause as the images blurred even more "Kaiten Kenbu!" Aoshi was suddenly behind Battousai, who spun around in an instant only to see the cold blades of Aoshi's Kodachis slashing into his chest.
No spectator could catch what happened next but a second later, Battousai flew through the air and landed on the ground. 6 red lines appeared on his exposed chest and burst with blood.
Then, all was silent.
Kaoru looked on in horror and felt tears escape her glassy eyes, she didn't know why, but at that moment she ran to Kenshin as if her life depended on it, her high ponytail swished behind her, she stopped and looked down on the body of Battousai. A shaking hand reaching towards his limp body and she fell to her knees.
Aoshi suddenly stood over them both.
"Now that Battousai is dead, I am the strongest there is." Aoshi said as he turned away. "We will retreat," and the ninjas began to disappear one by one. There was another moment of silence and was broken.
"You haven't won yet." Aoshi turned around, eyes widening in the process when he saw the Battousai, someone who is supposed to be dead, standing up again.
How could it be? Is the Battousai immortal?
"What? I was sure I had killed you." Aoshi said incredulously, shades of emotion filtering through his cold eyes.
Battousai struck his sword into the ground and slowly got up, everyone watched with baited breath as he pointed his sword towards Aoshi. Then, his sheath burst into debris.
"So, you used your sheath to lessen the force of my attack," Aoshi said, "but now," he suddenly blurred again, "how will you escape death a second time Battousai?"
Kaoru gasped, he, he is going to use that attack again!
"Get out of the way," Battousai murmured behind her and pushed her out of the circle in which he was trapped. Kaoru landed on her back not so gently and watched in horror.
"NO!"
"And now, you DIE!" Came Aoshi's voice as his images blurred again, Battousai, swift as the wind, spun. Just like before, no one could see the actual happening but in a moment, it was all over.
This time, Aoshi was the one who flew through the air as Battousai landed on the ground. Aoshi's Kodachis, embedded themselves into the wall of the hotel without anyone noticing. He landed and did not get back up. Just then, Battousai's sword cracked, long, lines spread through its previously perfect surface.
"Ho, how?" The defeated Ninja choked out and pushed himself off the ground and stood up, his back bending from the effort. "How did you counter my ultimate attack, the Kaiten Kenbu?" His voice broke from the effort and he fell to one knee.
"Leave now, and take your ninjas away with you." Battousai said and let his sword hang at his side.
"Why don't you kill me." Blood trickled down Aoshi's mouth. "I know of your existence and where you reside."
"Would you rather die?" Battousai was in front of Aoshi in an instant and the tip of his sword dug into his chin.
"I will challenge you again when I am ready, and I will be the strongest." Aoshi said and backed away, "you WILL die by my sword Battousai." He turned around and disappeared, the dark-clad ninjas followed their leader one by one.
Kaoru rushed to Battousai.
"Oh my god, are you okay!" Kenshin eyed her suspiciously. 'Why's she being so worried?'
"What do you want?"
Kaoru looked a bit annoyed. "Well, you are injured." Her eyes trailed to his chest where it was covered with blood, "and I thought I would…. Treat it for you."
"I don't need you to take care of me." Kenshin sheathed his sword with a pointed click. "Get out of my sight."
"Fine!" Kaoru stomped off. "Die if you will!" She thought of punching him but knew that that would never connect, she was really mad. "I was just worried." She picked up a piece of wood from the ground and threw it at the Battousai's head, who easily sidestepped out of the way.
"Kenshin." Battousai turned around to face his boss, Katsura. "Why didn't you kill him?"
"I wasn't ordered to." Was the reply.
"You know that no one outside of the Ishin shi shi should know of your existence." He said seriously.
"The ninjas would've attacked if I killed him."
"There is something more that kept you from delivering the finishing blow." Katsura observed. "What is it?"
Battousai was silent.
To Be Continued
