Disclaimer: Samurai X isn't mine to own. I don't remember the artist's name…

Prologue

"Tomoe!"

"Tomoe!"

Kenshin screamed his wife's name as he tore up the steps on the mountain to where his house was located. He did not care bout the serious injuries that he suffered from the battle he faced earlier on. He only cared for the safety of his wife. Blood from his wounded legs and ribs trailed his footsteps as he climbed up the steps.

As he ran up, he did not see a cracked part on one of the steps. He stepped on it and it broke on his weight. He tumbled down a few steps before managing to stabilise himself. More blood spilled out from his injured legs and ribs.

"Damn it," he cursed to himself as he tried to stand up. His weak leg could not hold his weight and he tumbled a few more steps down. He yelled in pain as his bloodied ribs got stabbed by a large piece of broken wood. He painfully took out the wood from his wound and threw it on the grass. He could see roughly the shape his stomach through his thick blood. He stood up again, using his trusty katana to balance himself and started climbing up the steps again. He had lost a lot of blood by then, and his vision starts to blur.

"No matter what, I must save Tomoe," Kenshin said to himself, gripping the handle of his katana firmly as he limped up the stairs.

He could hardly stand up properly when he had arrived at his house. His main door was wide open. He limped inside his house, and saw his wife on the floor, her face expression blank and tears flowing down her eyes onto her pale cheeks. He ran in into the house, without even thinking twice to check whether were there anyone else inside the house other than Tomoe.

A hooded figure appeared from a dark corner of the house and gave Kenshin a kick on his mid-section. Kenshin stumbled back from the force and received another two more kicks from behind and he dropped on his knees. The hooded figure stood in front of Kenshin and gave him a punch on his face. Kenshin, weakened from the wounds and lost of blood, fell flat on his face. Blood continued to flow out from his injured legs and ribs.

"Hah! So this is the infamous Battousai the Slasher," said the hooded figure, shifting his hood to get a better look of Kenshin's face. "This has got to be a joke," he added, and gave Kenshin another kick and and spat on of Kenshin's head.

"You know what, your wife could do well in the brothels," he said, grabbing Kenshin by the hair and looked at him face to face. Kenshin flinched at those words. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at the guy.

"You- what?" said Kenshin painfully. The hooded guy laughed loudly and slammed Kenshin's face onto the floor and stepped on it. Blood oozed out from Kenshin's forehead.

"There you are boys, the famous Battousai who can't even do shit to save his own wife and himself," said the guy. The other two of his men laughed. Their laughed faded off when they felt a strong battle aura started to emerge from Kenshin. They took a few steps backwards and drew out their katanas.

Kenshin got up slowly onto his feet and vomited a little blood as he stands up. He looked up at the three men with eyes that the three had never seen before in their entire life. The menacing eyes of Battousai the Slasher. He repositioned himself with the Battou draw out stance. The guy with the hood stood behind his two followers and pushed them to Kenshin. They charged at Kenshin with their weapons held up high.

With fast reflexes Kenshin draw out his katana and took down the first man. But with his lack of blood in his body, he could not recoil to attack the second man. The second man swung his katana and slashed Kenshin at his back. The hooded man grabbed Kenshin by the throat and started choking him.

"Tomoe," he said weakly as he gasped for air. The katana he was holding fell from his hand to the floor with a clatter. With his free hand, the hooded man draws out his katana and placed its tip on Kenshin's throat.

"So the legacy of Battousai the Slasher ends here by my sword," the hooded man said. "Any last requests?"

"Stop it, please!" said Tomoe as she plunged herself onto the hooded man's legs and hugged it, begging to let Kenshin go. The hooded man stared at Tomoe. He then looked at Kenshin again and tossed him against the wall. Tomoe crawled to Kenshin but was grabbed by the hair and lifted to the air by the hooded man.

"I was ordered to kill at least one person here by my master and I will not return until I fulfill his request," said the man, looking at Tomoe in the eyes. "If it's not Battousai, it will be you." He grabbed his katana and stabbed it through Tomoe's stomach. He then stabbed Tomoe by the chest and dropped her in front of Kenshin.

"TOMOE!" yelled Kenshin, tears forming from his eyes. Tomoe just smiled and touched Kenshin's scarred cheeks. Her hands then dropped and she lay motionless, her eyes staring blankly at Kenshin.

The other man appeared back to the house with two tin of gasoline and started pouring all over the house. He then cut off the string that was holding a lantern in the house and fire started spreading all over the house. The hooded man and his companion took the other man's dead body and ran out from the house.

Kenshin grabbed Tomoe's lifeless body and hugged her as the fire burns everything around him…