:SNIFF: I MUST WARN YOU THAT THIS CHAPPIE IS THE SECOND TO THE LAST CHAPPIE, MEANING AFTER CHAPTER 16…OH I CAN'T BEAR IT! : SNIFF: BUT I HAVE TO FINISH THIS…
P.S. NOW THIS IS A FAST UPDATE, ISN'T IT?
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS AND PLACES…
WILL IT HURT TO LOVE AGAIN by Sutefani-chanCHAPTER 15
A BROKEN VOW
Cold.
Eerie.
Matsu could feel a more malevolent presence surrounding him. Could this be…?
Amidst the fog, he could see Battousai glaring madly at him. Perfect. The hitokiri in him has finally decided to come and join us. He sensed that Kenshin was getting more and more serious this time, and it excited him more.
"This is going to be so much fun," he muttered.
Kaoru couldn't believe of what was happening. Kenshin couldn't become Battousai, she thought. He will never be.
She was crying. She couldn't bear seeing him suffer, nor could she bear losing him, either of becoming Battousai again or the other choice… dead.
"I see you're wrong about your theory, baka," snickered Gohei from behind her.
Kaoru shot him a glare, but Gohei just smirked at her.
He won't; I'm sure he won't. You're wrong about everything, you'll see, she thought.
He won't…
"Why aren't you attacking, Battousai? Gotten soft already?" said Matsu.
"That's where you're wrong," hissed Kenshin, "prepare yourself. Death is just waiting for you."
He put his sword back into his sheath and stepped his right foot backward, making his stance.
Matsu's eyes widened. That stance! It's none other than… the Battou – jutsu stance!
He froze in his place. For once, he didn't know what to do. He knew that the Battou-jutsu sword technique was a powerful technique, so powerful that it could cause a swift death or worse, permanent torture. Battousai got his name for that technique, he knew, and this might be his end…
...Unless, if he can dodge this. If Battousai made a mistake, he thought, he'd be left completely open. And there's my cue to attack and kill him. Perfect.
But it wasn't that easy. Nobody was able to defeat or dodge that technique, not even can they defeat the hitokiri.
He once heard that Battousai used it before on a fellow hitokiri before him and that it succeeded. The fellow hitokiri was said to have managed to bring out the Battousai in him, but what brought him back to being the humble swordsman the woman knew remained a mystery to Matsu.
And now he was able to, but somehow it made him feel guilty about it. At first he thought it as a challenge, but now this wasn't a game anymore. This was like the Bakumatsu days. And now Battousai had gotten strong… and vulnerable. Just like the Bakumatsu days…
He gripped his sword tightly. He was sweating profusely, his heart beating faster and faster every minute. This is it.
He made his stance. I can do this; I can dodge his move.
Battousai stared at him with pure evil. He was ready to draw out his sword any moment now.
"I'll kill you for what you did to Miss Kaoru here. Then when I'm through with you, the fat guy's next then I'll make the Koshikawa punk suffer for hurting Kaoru so much."
Kenshin! Shocked Kaoru. Please don't…!
Gohei winced when he heard what Battousai had said.
"Get ready," he hissed.
He prepared himself, ready to draw his sword out.
He waited a few seconds to pass then…
He whipped his sword out from its sheath with such great force, that it caused such light and speed. After his attack, it blinded him for a while to see what had happened, if he was able to wound Matsu, or if he was able to dodge it and plunge his sword into Kenshin's flesh. But he didn't feel a thing. He thought he had fallen into vertigo but it was erupted when he heard Kaoru scream…
"What was that?" alarmed Yahiko as he heard a squall from not far beyond.
"What?" Sano asked as he stopped.
"I thought I heard someone scream," he said as he tried to listen carefully if there were any more screams. "It came from… a woman."
Sano threw him a shocked look.
"Could it be… could it come from Jou-chan?"
"I don't know, Sano. Darn it; this is my entire fault. This shouldn't be happening if I had only guarded her when she was talking to that bakeru! Darn it!"
"Stop cursing there! Nothing's going to happen if you keep on cursing! C'mon! Let's go! It shouldn't be far from here!" he scolded him and went on his way, followed by a worried Yahiko from behind, clutching his bokken tightly as they hurriedly scurried off to save Kaoru and Kenshin.
Scream.
It pained his nerves as a female's shrieking voice entered through his ears. Through his eyes, he could see nothing. Everything was white. Blinding. He thought he could have been brought to another dimension. Not a trace of anything could be seen. Kaoru!
He opened his eyes alarmingly and before him was grassy surface. He stared at the sakabatou in his hands. Blood.
Could it be?
He quickly turned around.
Before his eyes, there lied a man in a pool of blood. Unconscious. Matsu.
He averted his eyes from the body and turned to Kaoru. Her face was white and she was trembling. From behind her, he could see Gohei stupefied, staring at the unconscious Matsu.
"I-Is he… d-dead?" whimpered Kaoru.
But he didn't answer her. He just stood there staring at her.
"You killed him," said a voice from behind him. He quickly turned around. Taka was standing far from him, staring at the body, shocked. Then he turned to look at Kenshin and narrowed his eyes at him.
"You killed him…"
"No, he did not." All eyes turned to the body lying on the ground.
"H-He, cough, cough… He wasn't able to," Matsu smirked amidst the coughs of blood.
"You mean h-he didn't exactly turn into Battousai f-fully?" shocked Taka.
"Based on his performance, he did. But still the Battousai I once thought would be that so excellent wasn't that so clever at all."
Kenshin stared at him with narrowed eyes.
Matsu continued, "You knew perfectly well that your technique will take away everything left of me, and that I wouldn't be able to have the chance to live because that sword technique of yours brings swift death to anyone who is used upon it, but you forgot one thing. Your sword is a sakabatou, reverse-edged. It handicapped the technique thus slowing it down upon drawing it out of its sheath. And to think of it, you cannot kill with just one blow from a reverse-edged sword. You still haven't won, Battousai. The only way that you can claim your victory is thru death: BY KILLING ME."
"Kenshin, don't!" whimpered Kaoru, half-crying.
"What are you waiting for, Battousai? Are you going to let yourself be forever haunted by your past and guilt, or are you going to just let fate take its course?"
Kenshin didn't respond and just stared at him.
"Remember, Battousai. Once a killer will always be a killer. If you were born as a killer you'll die as a killer, and your name will forever be etched on the hearts of those who feared you. Remember that."
Kenshin approached him suddenly, holding the sakabatou in his hands.
"A fellow hitokiri like you once told me that," he said darkly, "and guess how he ended up?"
He raised his sword high, looking down at Matsu with cold eyes, "He died."
"Kenshin," muttered Kaoru, with eyes getting wider in shock, "Don't… do… this…"
"Yamete!" shouted Taka furiously yet in an anxious tone.
"Say your prayers."
No, this should not happen. This is not happening, Kaoru prayed.
I wouldn't let this happen. I once lost my mother and father, and Taka left me. He is all that I have left and I wouldn't and couldn't afford to lose him, never again.
Suddenly, Kaoru's vision began to blur. Then, Kenshin and Matsu disappeared and her surroundings changed. She found herself back on that endless road under a promenade, but now it didn't seem endless. Right there in front of her stood the Kamiya dojo and… her father.
"Otou-san?"
"Kaoru."
"W-What are you doing here?"
"Kaoru, there's no time left. You're the only one who can put a stop to this. I know you wouldn't want to lose him. You have the key to put everything back to the way it was."
"But, father, I-I don't know how…"
"You're the only one he listens to."
"Father…"
"It's never too late, Kaoru. I love you."
She wanted to cry. For so long, she had wanted to her father again even though facing the fact that he's gone forever.
She wanted to hug him and to never let go. She took a step forward, arms wide and welcoming when he suddenly disappeared and all that were left were dark surroundings, a furious Taka, a pale Gohei, and Battousai staring down at a maniac, Matsu, coldly, his sword aimed high at Matsu.
Kenshin.
Just then, Sano and Yahiko appeared amidst the trees. Both of them stopped dead when they saw the scenario. Their faces were white in shock.
"Tell me this isn't happening," muttered Sano.
"Are you scared, Battousai? What are you waiting for? Suddenly became a
Coward? C'mon, I know you're much better than that," hissed Matsu through pains.
"You're the one who's making this talk longer, Matsu," said Kenshin darkly, "and so to ease the pain I'm going to make your death swift. Meet you in the underworld."
He raised his sword higher, "I'm sure you won't have a hard time there for now but I'll be following you if ever you tried to break free. Get ready. Say your prayers."
"Kenshin, don't!" shouted Sano furiously.
"Stop it, Kenshin!" shouted Yahiko.
"Don't!"
He gripped his sakabatou tightly. This is it. I'm going to make you pay.
Kaoru's heart started to beat faster as tears well up in her eyes.
"Kenshin, please… don't… onegai…"
"Sayonara," muttered Kenshin and he thrust the sakabatou into Matsu's flesh.
"YAMERO!"
"Kenshin?"
"Hai, Kaoru-dono?"
"I believe you."
He looked confused, "Oro?"
Kaoru shook her head and smiled, "Remember when you first saved me from Gohei?"
"Hai."
"You said back then that you would never turn back into becoming Battousai. I believe you. I know you won't."
Kenshin smiled at her with warmth.
"Sessha will always protect you, Kaoru-dono, and I don't have to be Battousai to achieve that."
"Hai." Kaoru smiled at him.
He stopped. The blade was 3 centimeters away from Matsu's throat when Kaoru screamed.
"W-what's the matter, Battousai? Scared? Your conscience got over you?" hissed Matsu darkly.
"I remember…" Kenshin muttered to himself.
He slowly lowered the sword to his side, away from Matsu's throat and turned around to face Kaoru.
"I remember." He told her.
"Huh?"
"I remember," he told her once more.
Just then, Kaoru remembered why. She burst out crying. Arigato, Kami-sama. Arigato. It was over.
"I believe you," she said between sniffs. She smiled and sighed in relief when she noticed that Kenshin's eyes returned back to being violet orbs. Kenshin was back.
"You're nothing but a weakling, Battousai," smirked Matsu.
Kenshin turned to look at him.
"You let yourself be overcome by your emotions. They make you weak, weak that you let yourself be trampled upon by those sick, corrupt Meiji pigs."
"All of us choose our own paths. This is the path that I chose, Matsu. I chose this path because I know this is the right way, while you chose the one astray," he said calmly.
He approached Kaoru but Taka blocked his way, eyes narrowed at him. Kenshin sighed heavily and smiled at him. Then, Kenshin stepped aside and with his sakabatou, freed Kaoru from the ropes binding her hands and feet, and helped her get up.
"Sano, Yahiko, let's all go home," he said to them as Kaoru helped Kenshin walk because of the wound in his leg, and he was too tired. Sano and Yahiko helped her.
They were about to leave when Matsu called out, "Are you not going to finish this fight, Battousai? You might as well kill me now; I am not in anymore use since this is permanent torture already.
"I made a vow, Matsu, a vow that I would never kill. I decided to let you live to atone for all the crimes you've committed, to make your life right before it's all too late."
"Humph," smirked Matsu when he flinched a bit because of the pain, "Never to kill… that's what made you weak, Battousai. If only you weren't forced to become Battousai, then I would have –"
"UDASAI!" spat Sano, "You're the one who's weak. You think by assassinating Meiji officials will bring you power and world peace? NO! It will only lead Japan to its destruction because by then Japan would live in fear and terror because of you! You're nothing but a –"
"Sano, calm down." Kenshin cut him short.
"But – "
"Sano." And Sano gave no further repercussions.
"Let's leave."
"Wait, Kaoru."
Kaoru turned around upon hearing a familiar voice call her.
"Taka…"
"You won."
Kaoru was a bit confused, "Nani?"
" I said you won. And you were right. This isn't Battousai. This is Himura Kenshin. You don't love Battousai because there never was in the first place. It's Himura Kenshin your heart seeks, and you'll never learn to love Battousai it's because as for now, I can fully see that there won't be anymore Battousai to ruin your happiness."
Kaoru let out a sight of relief and happiness as tears started to fill her eyes once more.
He continued, "I was wrong, Kaoru. When I said you'd never learn to love Himura Kenshin if you don't learn to love Battousai, I was wrong. It should be, 'You'll never learn to love Battousai if you don't learn to love Himura Kenshin.' I'm sorry I ever ruined your now perfect life. But always remember that I will be always here for you no matter what. You changed my life and I'll never forget you. Ever."
He turned to Kenshin.
"Gomen nasai, Himura-san. Arigato for taking care of Kaoru-chan. I know she's safe in your hands."
"Hai." Kenshin nodded and smiled.
"And also…" Taka continued, "arigato for shedding light into my life. I shall never forget that day. If only this have not happened, we would have been good friends."
"I can always be your friend, Koshikawa-san"
"Arigato, Himura-san. Sayonara, angel-sama." He took one last look at Kaoru and turned his back from them and started to leave.
From behind a tree, Gohei watched him go away form the scene towards his direction.
"What are you doing, Taka? You're running away?" said Gohei.
"Any moment now, the police will be here searching for you and Matsu. You can never run away."
Gohei was mortified when he heard what Taka had just said, "WHAT! YOU CALLED THE POLICE? WHY YOU SLY, TWO-FACED BASTARD!"
"I never really wanted to do this or to be your ally, Gohei."
"Y-You mean, y-you set us up?
"No. I never did."
"Nani?"
"A part of me wanted to do this, thinking that this will only solve everyone's problems. Demo, a major part of me realized that I will be only hurting Kaoru if I continue with this."
"…"
"And besides, it's pretty obvious of how this would end up. You're just too stupid not to have realized it in the first place.
Gohei clutched his fists tightly and felt like punching him straight in the face.
"W-WHY YOU -!"
"Don't waste your words on me, Hiruma. It won't help you. It's too late. You can never go back."
End
Demo – but
Nani – what
Yamete/Yamero – stop
Udasai– shut up
Onegai - please
Otou-san – father
AUTHOR'S NOTES: SO HOW WAS IT? PLEASE DO TELL ME BY CLICKING THAT 'GO' BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM LEFT OF YOUR SCREEN, HEHEHEHE…
: SNIFF: YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF HURTS ME THAT THIS CHAPPIE WILL BE ENDING SOON…I WAS THINKING IF I COULD SOMEHOW EXTEND IT, BUT I HAVE TOO MANY PROJECTS UP IN MY SLEEVE…I HAVE 2 NEW FICS, A NARUTO FIC AND THE OTHER ONE'S AN RK FIC AND I HAVE TO FINISH MY HARRY POTTER FIC. SIGH, ANYWAY, LIFE MUST GO ON…
I WAS LISTENING TO THE GETBACKERS SOUNDTRACK WHEN I WAS DOING THIS, MAINLY TO THE MAKUBEX AND DUBIOUS ANSWER THEMES. NOTHING, JUST FOR DRAMATIC EFFECTS…HEHEHE…
AND TO GO ON WITH THE REVIEWER NOTES…
KENSAN-NIXME: ARIGATO DE GOZAIMASU! NOW, THIS IS A FAST UPDATE, ISN'T IT? WEHEHEHE…ANYWAY, I SO LOVE YOUR RK FIC! "MISSION GONE WRONG" TOTALLY ROCKS! (c+)
AND TO THOSE WHO HAD READ THIS CHAPPIE BUT DIDN'T REVIEW, ARIGATO! (AND YET, STILL YOU DIDN'T REVIEWED! HEHEHE)