A/N: Ack! This chapter is SO VERY LATE! I'm so sorry! College is getting in the way… er… that and I'm lazy. Good news though! Turns out there was a different problem with my computer. It wasn't the hard drive after all! I didn't lose a thing! YAY! Thanks go to Nekotsuki for the beta work.
REVIEWERS!
Hitokiri Musei - You just got to love those back-stabbing OCs. -grins-
AuburnMoonlight - Reizo is hard to figure out, and I'm glad you're not sure what to make of him. He was suppose to be a tricky character to figure out.
WolfDaughter - Tricky, tricky Reizo. Has everyone confused. Well, except for the people that already read the story once…
Shadow Wolf of the Blue Moon - Kenshin isn't the type of person to use a gun. For one reason he wouldn't know how to use it. Guns were more complicated back then.
lolo popoki - That's en-ter-tain-ment! -breaks out in old tap dance routine-
Chapter 24 - Hiroko's Vengeance
With an angry yell Kenshin shut the door. Neko felt panic start to rise up her spine, even though she had no idea what he saw outside. "What's wrong? What going on? Kenshin, who's out there?"
"The Shinsengumi are here."
"The bad men!" Neko shouted.
Kenshin cursed Reizo's name. 'I should have known better! Why didn't I get us out of here?' He turned around; there was another door leading to somewhere. Reizo had said this was a two room shack. They weren't getting out the front. Maybe there was a back door.
He quickly made his way to the other side of the room, blinking away the spots that impaired his vision slightly. He reached the door and threw it open. Looking into the back room he saw no sign of a real door, but it appeared someone had made their own. Leaning against a hole about a human's height was a small piece of wood. Kenshin didn't care, it led outside; make-shift door or not, he was glad it was there.
He turned and went back for Neko. She was crying and reached up for him as he neared. "I'm scared, Kenshin! What's going to happen! Are they going to hurt you again?" She was frantic.
He did his best to calm her down. "We're getting out of here. Grab my neck." She nodded, reaching up and wrapped her arms around him. He could feel her doll pressed against his neck. "Just stay calm." He held his breath and lifted her up. He put one arm under her bottom to support her; his other arm he snaked around her back. Neko wrapped her good leg around his body, while her other leg hung limply at the side.
"Kenshin, I don't want you to die," she croaked into his ear. She was having trouble working her voice. "I'm scared." She rubbed her head into his hair and took a deep breath. She loved the way he smelled, it helped to calm her.
"No one is going to die." He made his way out towards the back. His sides ached with the added weight of Neko. "No one is going to die," he repeated, hoping he wasn't lying. He kicked the board down so he could get out. Neko clung to him tighter as it crashed to the ground and the two stepped out into the sunlight.
His returning senses were about the only thing that saved them. "It's the Battòsai! Open fire!" The yell rang out just as Kenshin quickly started to duck back inside. Neko let out a terrified scream as the bullets ricocheted around them.
"Kenshin!" Her scream formed words. "KENSHIN!" She could scarcely say anything else. "I don't want to die!"
He quickly put the wall of the shack between them and the shooters, but they kept firing and Neko kept screaming. He sat down, too weak to stand anymore. He held Neko close to him, crushing her in his embrace, but she didn't care. She clung to him with the same intensity. "I'm sorry, Neko!" he yelled over the gun-shots. "I'm sorry!" He was worried that the bullets would rip through the wall so he held her so that his body would be a shield against the bullets, should that happen.
"Hold your fire!" Just like that, the ear-deafening shots stopped. Kenshin could hear Neko's ragged breathing and her soft sobbing; she was terrified. He held her tighter.
"We're surrounded." Neko cried louder as Kenshin spoke out loud. It was clear now to him that escape was impossible. He stood, he had to do something. Moving as quickly as he dared he moved back into the front room.
"Kenshin, what are we going to do?" Neko asked as he set her in a corner. She hugged her doll close to her. "What are we going to do? Kenshin?" He wouldn't answer her. Wouldn't look her in the eye. He picked up a couple of blankets. "Kenshin, what are you doing?" Still he did not answer. "Kenshin? What are we going to do?"
"Lie down." Neko did as she was told. "No matter what you hear, don't come out, don't move, don't make a sound, don't do anything."
"No!" She shouted. "Makoto told me to do that and he got hurt! They hurt him! Kenshin, are you going to get hurt! I don't want you to get hurt!" Her face was bright red. "Please, Kenshin! I'm scared! Please don't get hurt!"
He knelt down to her. "Neko, they will… Hiroko, he'll…" He couldn't tell her that they were here to kill him. "Neko, I need you to do this for me. Will you do it? For me?"
She ran her hand along her nose. "I'm scared."
"I know, but you have to do this."
She was quiet for a little bit. "Alright. I'll do what you say."
"Don't move. Don't say anything. Don't do anything, no matter what you hear."
"I promise." Kenshin covered her with the blanket. With the others he made it look like it was just a pile of blankets that had been thrown without thought into the corner. He hoped Hiroko would think that as well and would overlook Neko's hiding spot.
'He'll have me. That'll be enough. He won't care about Neko once he has me.' He stood facing the front door, knowing that soon a bunch of Shinsengumi warriors would be coming through it. He also knew that he wasn't going to be a match against them. Unarmed, injured, and outnumbered, he was ready for the fate that was going to burst through that door. He reached down and picked up the bowl of soup that had gone uneaten. He knew his fate, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to do everything in his power to stop it.
He waited tensely for the door to open. He could sense them getting closer. His muscles tensed as the door was opened and the first fighter stepped over the threshold. Kenshin was disappointed that the man wasn't Hiroko, but that didn't matter. He chucked the bowl as hard as he could.
Reizo quietly sneaked closer to the Inn, waiting for someone to come out. Finally, someone he knew to be a soldier exited the building. He was moving quickly, but Reizo followed him a distance away from the inn before grabbing his shoulder. The man let out a surprised yelp as Reizo spun him around. "Where's Katsura-san?"
"Who are you?"
The man didn't know who he was; that meant that he wouldn't know he was a spy. "I have a note for Katsura-san. It's urgent, it's about that spy."
The man's face went white. "I don't know where he is. We got a letter that the inn is going to be attacked so he was moved. But I don't know where he went."
So Katsura-san had left. "I need to go." Reizo turned and left.
"Wait! What about that information! We'll need to know it! That spy took the Battòsai! He must be strong."
"Sorry, it's for Katsura-san's eyes only." His mission complete Reizo quickly headed back, unaware of the danger Kenshin was currently facing.
Now that Katsura was settled in his new hiding location he had time to think. He pulled out the note he had guessed to be written by Reizo and read it again. It explained that there was going to be an attack on the inn some time near dusk. It noted that both Kenshin and Neko had been taken to an undisclosed location to better hide them from Hiroko. Once Hiroko was no longer a threat the writer of the letter promised their safe return.
Katsura sighed and put the note back. He wasn't left with very many options; he hoped that the letter wasn't lying to him. He'd left a couple men behind, who were to report to him if an attack did indeed happen on the inn. He didn't know which to hope for, if there was an attack, the inn would be destroyed, but then the letter could be telling the truth. If there was no attack, then they were back at square one for finding either Kenshin or Neko. Katsura sighed; only time would tell.
The man's mouth had just enough time to drop slightly in a shout before the bowl and its contents smashed into his face. He fell backwards a step into the man behind him. Growling, the man wiped the soup that clung to his face away. Kenshin reached down and grabbed the bowl Reizo had been eating from.
The man who had been hit with the first bowl ducked out of the way, but the flying projectile struck the man behind him, right in the throat. The man gagged and coughed a few times before lunging at Kenshin with an angry yell.
Kenshin avoided the lunge easily enough. The man fell to the ground with a crash. The one Kenshin had hit with the soup began to charge at him, followed by another, arms open, ready to grab him. Moving swiftly Kenshin avoided both of them and managed to elbow the second man in the back of the head.
More men filed into the little room. Kenshin was doing his best to avoid the grabs, breaking out of their grip when someone managed to grab him, and kicking and punching any one who came within rang of him.
He didn't see Hiroko enter, just heard him say calmly and with a trace of amusement. "Go for his sides." His men were quick to follow orders.
Kenshin was tiring. His body ached and his muscles were stiff. He groaned inwardly when he heard the hiss that came from someone pulling their sword out of its sheath. He jumped out of the way just before the cold blade could lick at his skin.
"Careful now," Hiroko's pleased voice rang out. "We don't want to kill him. Not yet."
'Great.' Kenshin's thoughts lingered a moment on his treatment the last time Hiroko had left him alive. He did not want to go through that again. More men were drawing their swords. Kenshin quickly scanned the swarm of Shinsengumi for Hiroko. There he was, standing in the doorway, with an annoying smirk on his face. With a yell, Kenshin ran towards the Captain, determined to wipe that smile off his face.
One of Hiroko's men stepped between Kenshin and Hiroko. "Get out of my way!" Kenshin didn't slow, and to the man's surprise ran right into him. Kenshin held his breath before the collision, reaching for the sword at the man's side. The crash caused the man to lose his breath as Kenshin released his. Pulling the sword from the sheath and pushing the man aside, he continued his mad dash towards Hiroko now armed.
Hiroko's smirk vanished, faced with a hysterical Battòsai, armed and charging towards him. He felt his feet freeze to the spot he was at; he never thought a man could look so wild. "HIROKO!" he yelled angrily as he began his attack.
"Captain!" Blood splattered the walls and stained Hiroko's uniform, but it was not his blood. A man loyal to him had stepped in front of Kenshin, sacrificing himself for his captain. Kenshin growled at the man, but respected his honor for protecting his captain. He was a true warrior.
Kenshin attempted to pull the sword free, but his arm ached, and it was difficult. The dead man was becoming quite a nuisance. He pulled again but as it was sliding free someone on his left hit his side with a quick kick. Kenshin stumbled over to the right and lost his grip on the weapon.
"Take him down!" Hiroko yelled, infuriated. "Use any force necessary! And get him out of here!" He barked orders and pointed to his fallen man. Through his anger he realized how close he had come to death, and inwardly thanked his fallen comrade. Even men like Hiroko have some honor in them.
Now everyone drew their swords. All pointed at one man. Kenshin waited for them to attack first; when the first man did, he dodged the attack and then kneed the man in the stomach. The next came two at a time; he was able to dodge both attacks. He spun around getting ready for the follow-up attack, when a whistle of something fast cutting through the air came to his ear. In mid-spin he had no way to avoid it. He tried to lower his right arm for the blow to hit that instead of his side; too slow. The blunt end of a katana smashed into his injured rib. His breath caught in his throat and the world went white.
The next thing Kenshin knew was that he was on the ground. He couldn't even remember falling, but by the way his whole body stung, he knew he had hit it hard. His breathing was quick and his right side burned with a new intensity. His left cheek was pressed against the cold wooden floor. He was able to lift his head as he felt at least four pairs of hands grabbing his arms and yanking him off the floor.
Neko couldn't stop her shaking, no matter how hard she tried. Tears trailed down her face and her hands were pressed tightly to her mouth to keep herself from shouting. Soft moans tried to creep their way out of her mouth, but her hands stopped them. "HIROKO!" she heard him yell. She had shut her eyes tight, as if that would make all the bad things go away. All it did was make images of what she thought was happening dance in front of her closed eyelids. These images weren't any better, but she couldn't open her eyes.
She guessed that Hiroko was alive when she heard his angry yell. The next thing she heard was the sound of fighting, then the sound of metal striking something. The sounds of fighting stopped almost immediately. Then she heard her angel scream out in pain, followed by a large thump. She bit her tongue; it was all she could do to keep from crying out. 'Kenshin!''
The room spun as he was lifted off the floor. The four men that held him up held on so tight that they nearly crushed his arms. Kenshin shut his eyes a moment, growing sick from the room's pitching. When he opened them again Hiroko was walking up to him. He stopped right in front of Kenshin and the two glared at each other. Hiroko raised his fist and smashed it as hard as he could into Kenshin's stomach. His breath left quickly, and he struggled to gain it back as Hiroko leaned into his ear. "That," he hissed, "was for my men."
He stood up and looked around. "Hold him tight." Kenshin struggled furiously against the men that held him. Hiroko pointed to the table. "Flip it over." Quickly, two men turned the table onto its back. The four legs in the corner and the two down the longer sides were sticking up. Hiroko continued to look around the room until he spotted the rope Reizo had left behind.
"You," he pointed to one of his men "Get that rope ready. You men …" He was speaking to the four struggling to hold Kenshin. "Bring him here and lay him on the table. And you," he pointed to another group of men. "Help them hold him down."
Moving quickly, the four of them were able to drag Kenshin over to the table, despite his desperate struggles. "LET ME GO!" He yelled, kicked, and screamed, anything he could think of. When they tried to pull him down he locked up his knees, refusing to give in.
They quickly solved that problem as two more men came forward and each grabbed one of Kenshin's ankles. In an effortless lift, Kenshin was in the air. They put him over the table and set him down on top of it. "Good. Now, tie each of his arms and legs to the four corner legs." Hiroko commanded, the smile returning to his face.
Two men pressed his body down, while four others worked on tying Kenshin's limbs to the four corners of the table. Kenshin tried to pull away, but with so many people pressing down on him and his body weakening, he was no match for them. Soon his wrists and ankles were tied securely to the table. "Now I have you again, Battòsai." Hiroko said, patting Kenshin's cheek. "I told you, your life is in my hands."
Kenshin glared at Hiroko, and even in his vulnerable condition, he could still see fear in Hiroko's eyes. As Hiroko patted his cheek he jerked his head and attempted to bit his hand, but Hiroko pulled it away just in time. "Why you," Hiroko slammed his fist across Kenshin's cheek. "Don't you dare try to bite me!" He brought his hand up again and began to pummel Kenshin's face. "Don't you ever try to bite me again."
Kenshin tried to keep his tongue out of the way of his teeth. He bit down on it a couple of times; he could taste the blood in his mouth. When Hiroko finally stopped his onslaught, Kenshin could feel blood dribbling down both of his aching nostrils. His lips were cut as well, from being pressed against his teeth so hard. He could feel the bruises already starting to form.
Hiroko had stopped his vicious attack on Kenshin for one reason. His men who had been guarding the back had come in. He acknowledged their presence as one of the men stepped forward. "Sir, if I may speak," the man said politely, his head bowed.
"Go on."
"There was a little girl with him, when we saw him."
"There was?"
"Yes sir, the Battòsai was carrying a little girl with him when we opened fire."
Hiroko smiled and turned to look at Kenshin. "So, the slave girl is with you too. Where is she, Battòsai?"
Kenshin remained calm. "There's no one with me, your men saw wrong."
Hiroko let out a small laugh. "Do you really expect me to believe you, over my men?" Kenshin didn't respond, but he did look like he couldn't care if Hiroko believed him or not. Hiroko watched Kenshin carefully; that look made him half want to believe him, but he trusted his men. He looked around the room. 'Where could she be hiding?' He scanned it a few times, while Kenshin mentally begged for him not to find Neko.
'Where--' Hiroko's eyes spied the blankets. They appeared to be just cast to the side, but there was nowhere else in the room for a child to hide. He took a few steps towards the blanket. "Now, where could she be?" He said mockingly.
Neko couldn't breath. Everything was silent, except for the echoing, slow, footfall of someone coming closer to her. She had stopped shaking and her tears had also stopped. She wasn't even sure if her heart was still beating. It was if everything had stopped except for the footsteps of the person coming closer to her.
She could feel the blanket starting to be lifted away from her. Now her breath came in fast and short spurts, her heart was pounding against her chest, and her body began to shake again. 'Please be Kenshin.'
The blanket was pulled away and Hiroko smiled wickedly down at her. "Found you." For a brief second time seemed to stop, then Neko screamed.
"RUN NEKO!" Kenshin screamed as he struggled to get free, pulling his arms desperately against the ropes. "Run!"
Neko stopped screaming and tried to dash off. Her right leg gave out on her and she crumpled to the floor. Hiroko laughed at her attempt. She screamed again and tried to run, dragging her injured leg behind her.
Laughing, Hiroko quickly walked up to the flailing Neko and picked her up by the back of her neck. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked playfully.
"Hiroko! Leave her alone!" Kenshin snapped, his shoulders, wrists, and elbows aching from all his pulling. "She's not apart of this! I'm the one you want! She has nothing to do with this!"
Hiroko, dragging Neko with him, stepped in front of Kenshin. He tightened his grip around Neko's neck. "She does have something to do with this, Battòsai!" he shouted. "If she hadn't been there, then you would never have killed Muroi! He would still be alive." He reached down and pointed at the partly exposed scar Muroi had given Neko. "She belongs to him! But since he is dead, I know he would want me to have her." He pushed her against him and Neko let out a shriek as he did. "She belongs to me now."
"Let her go!" Kenshin yelled. "She belongs to no one!"
Hiroko ignored Kenshin. "Because she is mine, I can do whatever I want to her." He twisted Neko around and grabbed the front of her throat. With a gasp Neko quickly clawed at his hand as he lifted her into the air.
"Stop!" Kenshin pulled harder. "Stop it! You'll kill her!"
"I don't need such a worthless slave. So it's my choice to kill her." Neko was gagging in his grasp. The doll that she had been able to hang onto all this time finally fell from her hand. She used both hands, trying to pry Hiroko's fingers away from her throat. "Make me change my mind, Battòsai! I want to hear you beg! BEG FOR HER LIFE, BATTOSAI!"
Kenshin ground his teeth and swallowed his pride. "Don't kill her, I beg you."
Hiroko grinned wickedly. "Not good enough." He squeezed tighter. "I want you to say: Please Hiroko-sama, spare her life. I beg you Hiroko-sama, let her live. I am worthless and don't deserve your kindness, but please Hiroko-sama, spare her life."
Kenshin growled; he did not want to call Hiroko lord of anything. He closed his eyes, hating Hiroko with every fiber of his being. In the darkness he could hear Neko's meek voice. "Kenshin, help."
He took a sigh to calm himself down. "Please Hiroko-sama, spare her life. I beg you Hiroko-sama, let her live. I am worthless and don't deserve your kindness, but please Hiroko-sama, spare her life." He practically growled the last part out.
Hiroko loved every word that came from his mouth. "See, that wasn't so bad," Hiroko mocked. "But still not good enough, you didn't say it with feeling. I want you to mean it." Neko was struggling for breath; saliva was beginning to drip from her open mouth. Her wild kicks in the air were becoming more sluggish. "Hurry Battòsai, I think she's dying."
"Hiroko! Put her down! I'm the one who killed Muroi! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Kenshin shut his eyes again, and this time, in a softer voice spoke again. "Please, Hiroko, please! Don't kill her. I beg you, Hiroko-sama, please don't kill her." He opened his eyes again.
Hiroko smirked. "Very good Battòsai, very humble." Neko gave a final gasp as her fingers uncurled from around Hiroko's wrist and her eyes rolled back into her head.
"NEKO!" Kenshin nearly yanked his arms out of their sockets.
Hiroko laughed at him. "Relax, Battòsai." He dropped Neko, "She's not dead." As soon as she hit the floor, she started to cough and gasp for air.
"Ken… Ke…hi…n…ensh." She tried so hard to say his name, finally giving up with a sigh. Her eyes were unfocused and glazed.
She didn't even flinch when Hiroko picked her up again. He grabbed her by the waist and she slumped over, hardly aware of what was going on. "Does she mean something to you, Battòsai?" Hiroko taunted, sliding his hand under her chin. He raised her head so she could look at Kenshin. She moved her mouth like she was going to speak, but only wheezes came out. "Do you really care if this pathetic slave lives or dies?"
"Leave her alone," Kenshin growled.
"Alright." He handed Neko over to one of his men. "You three take her outside, have your fun with her. She belonged to my friend Muroi, you remember him don't you? He allowed some of you to play with his women before. Remind her how to be a good slave, just as Muroi would have." He hissed the last part with a grin. His men understood what he meant.
"Don't you touch her!" Kenshin snarled, trying to yank his arms free again. "Don't you dare touch her!" Hiroko rammed his foot into Kenshin's stomach before he could yell anything else.
"You are in no position to tell me what to do." Hiroko snarled before slamming his foot down once more. As Kenshin gasped for breath Hiroko turned back to his men. "Go outside." The one holding the very still Neko bowed his head slightly to his captain. Together he and two others left, taking Neko with them.
Kenshin growled and pulled tighter against the ropes. 'Neko.' He had to do something; he couldn't let those men have her.
Hiroko sighed when his men left. "It's nice to know some of my men are still loyal," he said out loud as he turned back to Kenshin. "I want to know, why did Reizo bring you here? One of my men saw him carrying a person and followed him here. What was he thinking?"
Kenshin half wondered if Hiroko really expected him to answer that. It wasn't like he had asked Reizo to bring him here. 'Wait, this means Reizo doesn't know Hiroko is here.' His mind was racing. He thought Reizo had told Hiroko to come here, not that Hiroko had simply suspected something was going on behind his back. 'He might still come back! If he comes back…' He didn't want to imagine what would happen to a spy who was caught by the man he had betrayed. Especially if that man was Hiroko.
"It doesn't matter." Hiroko was putting an end to his conversation with himself. "I can avenge Muroi." He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a hidden dagger. "With this," he hissed, unsheathing it. The blade was dirty, with what appeared to be blood crusted on it.
Staring at it, Kenshin realized that it was indeed old blood on that dagger. 'It's my blood! It's the dagger he used when he cut open my side. He never cleaned it!'
Hiroko knelt down. "Let's see how well those doctors of yours took care of you." He opened up Kenshin's gi and carefully cut away the bandages, so all the healing scars that Hiroko had given him were exposed. "Yes, they did a good job, except …" He placed his dagger's point on one of the scars on Kenshin's chest. He dug the point into Kenshin's skin and traced the light, red line. Blood poured from the re-opened wound. "They missed one." He moved onto another scar. "I want to hear you scream, Battòsai." He traced the scar. "I want to make you pay." He sliced open another. "Pay for what you did to Muroi."
Kenshin kept his teeth clenched, only a groan or two ever escaping his throat. He could feel his blood trickling down his body. He cursed Hiroko each and ever time the dirty dagger traced his skin.
When Hiroko ran out of the smaller scars, he gave Kenshin's right ribs a quick punch. "I want you to die, Battòsai," he said calmly, as Kenshin hissed in pain. "Die, slowly and painfully." He raised his blade. "You've been a thorn in the Shinsengumi's side for too long." He thrust the dagger into the large scar on Kenshin's left side. Against his will, Kenshin cried out. "You will never bother me again." He pushed the dagger in deeper and began to drag it down slowly.
Kenshin shut his mouth, but that didn't stop his moans of pain, just muffled them. "I want you to suffer." Hiroko pulled the bloody dagger free. He starred at the blade, watching Kenshin's blood slowly drip off it. He looked like he was in a trance as he watched the dripping blood unemotionally. Finally, he lowered the blade and stared at the gaping wound he had caused. He watched as Kenshin squirmed in pain and didn't say anything, just watched as he slowly bled to death in front of his eyes. "Suffer… Battòsai," he said softly, a slow smile spreading across his features.
Kenshin shut his eyes tight, trying to do anything that would help the pain in his side. He heard Hiroko's voice from somewhere in the back of his mind. Not that he cared what Hiroko was saying. "You're not screaming, Battòsai." Hiroko's voice echoed in his mind. "I'll have to fix that." Suddenly a sharp pain raced from his side. He snapped his eyes open and, although he tried to stop it, let out an agonized scream.
He looked down at the cause of his pain and saw Hiroko, bent over, his fingers prying into his opened side. "That's better." He wiggled his fingers, opening the injury further. Kenshin held his breath and clenched his teeth together to keep from screaming. Tears of pain fell from his eyes against his will.
Hiroko inserted his other fingers into the wound; now using both his hands he attempted to pull the two sides apart. Kenshin let out another scream that sent chills down the spines of the other men in the room. Hiroko ran his fingers in and along the torn muscles, sending waves of pain through Kenshin's nerves.
He forced himself to stop screaming again. His breath was ragged and his vision was beginning to blur. Sweat glistened all over his body, his bangs a darker shade of red because of it. Tears still ran from his eyes, no matter how hard he tried to stop them. He body was starting to shake – from pain, loss of blood, anger, a mixture of all, or something else, he couldn't tell. He inhaled sharply as he felt Hiroko's nails digging into his soft insides.
'This is it,' he thought bitterly, and held back yet another scream, as Hiroko tried to force his hands to dig deeper into his injury. 'This is how it ends. Neko I'm sorry, I couldn't save you.' Sweet relief came when Hiroko finally pulled his hands free. He stood and held his dagger in blood-covered hands. Kenshin could see his mouth moving, but couldn't make out what he was saying. He understood what was going to happen when Hiroko raised the dagger. 'This is how it ends,' he repeated, suddenly feeling very calm. 'It's over. I don't have to do anything anymore.' He closed his eyes, waiting for Hiroko's dagger to bite once more into his flesh.