"Where do you think you are going?" Reiji asked Akurou the moment the latter set foot on the doorstep of Hiko's cottage. "Don't you dare touch my daughter and her child!"

Akurou took no heed of Reiji, but left his brothers to fight on with Reiji, the Shinsen-Gumi's leaders and Hiko. He heard the sound of a katana being unsheathed the moment he went into the cottage. The cooing of a baby was also clearly heard, how he despised that sound, even of it was from his own flesh and blood.

"Take one more step closer, Akurou, and face the blade of my katana!" Ryumiko threatened as she held Miryu in her hand, her katana in the other. Her eyes were glowing in a light of amber, filled with hatred as he progressed towards both mother and daughter.

"Who are you to resist me, you fool of a woman?" Akurou asked coolly. His katana also raised, ready for combat. "I know that you would not risk a duel with me, because that child of yours would be in danger if you do… Now, you stand hopeless and defenseless before me, and nothing can change it, not even your precious mongrel of a potter"

"That might be quite an understatement there, Akurou" Hiko said from behind him. "I don't remember welcoming you into my home, since a mongrel like me is not worthy of your glorified presence"

"Hiko-sama, do not waste your time speaking to him," Ryumiko said, giving Miryu to him. Her eyes had returned to their original chestnut color as she spoke. She saw him looking at her with worried eyes, and said, "Hiko-sama, you know that I must fight him one day or another, and you know that I will not suffer you to reveal your true identity to him when you engage him in battle."

"Ryumiko… you can't face him alone!" Hiko said, unwilling to let her go, like the day when her brothers in arms took her away to get married to Akurou. "What of Miryu, who will take care of her if not her own mother?"

Akurou laughed as Ryumiko shed a tear the moment Hiko mentioned about Miryu. "Not so tough, are you now, Ryumiko?" he asked in a taunting tone.

She only looked at her newborn daughter with grief and remorse. "Miryu… forgive Oka-san for not being able to be with you" she told the cooing baby. "Nevertheless, Oka-san will smile upon you as her greatest hatred and burden has been lifted when she goes to heaven. You must know that Oka-san did this for you and Hiko-sama…"

"Do not say that, Ryumiko!" Hiko shouted, scandalized. He never believed that those words came from Ryumiko, the most steadfast and brave woman he'd ever known. "You will live to see Miryu mature to be a woman just like you, maybe even greater, I promise you this!"

"Hiko-sama, I know that you would honor your promise, but I know my limits" she said as she raised her katana in order to attack Akurou. Her eyes returned to their terrifying state of amber as she laid them on Akurou. "I've just given birth to Miryu, and now, almost all my strength has gone. My last wish is that you do not grieve if I die… Take care of Miryu for me…"

"Even you know that your end is near," Akurou jested, deep in his heart, he was afraid of what may befall him, as he had seen her kill before. "We shall see who will prevail amongst us both!"

Ryumiko only looked at him with flaming anger. "You always thought that you were far more superior to others because you bear the mark of the Tsubasa clan, but have you even thought of others who may be greater than you hundred-fold?" she asked him.

"Who are you to think that you are greater than I am?" he shouted in return.

"I have every right to, Akurou" she replied.

A flash of red came in a blink of an eye. The next second, Hiko saw Ryumiko's katana embedded deeply into Akurou's dead and blood-stained body, and was glad that the scum was finally dead. But what he saw grieved him to no end.

There she lay, covered in her own blood, her hand grasping Akurou's katana, which was protruding at her abdomen. She must've been too late to avoid his attack, Hiko thought. But the serene look on her face proved him wrong. Why would she kill herself, when everything she wanted was just moments away?

"Ryumiko…" Hiko called, "RYUMIKO!" But, she did not reply. Nothing could bring her back now that she was dead and gone. Not even the man she loved as much as her father, maybe even more.

So, how did you guys like the ending? If you don't, well, there's nothing you can do about it, so there. Well, I'm coming up with a sequel, and it's about Miryu… Hope you guys liked this fic…