Chapter 19: The Battle


She charged, her feet rhythmically pounding the ground beneath her like a war drum. She could hear her pulse in her ears, and the sound of her battle cry was faint behind it. Every move Say had taught her, every way to kill, was flashing through her mind.

She would kill him.

She would kill him and end this once and for all.

Her clawed hand swiped, only to be dodged. She swiftly spun on her heel to deliver a blow with the momentum, but just as she thought she would hit him, he caught her heel and held it as easily as if she had been standing still. She growled, thrusting herself higher using him as a foothold, then drove her hand down with as much force as she could muster.

He shifted to the side and sent his own attack into her chest, taking her by surprise even as she flew backwards through the air.

She coughed up blood, feeling a stab of pain in her chest and knowing that a rib or two was broken. Still, she stood, knowing that this fight was not over

She had to kill him.

She just had to.

-

Sano's fists were clenched so tight Kenshin expected the street fighter's nails to cut his own palms. Kenshin wanted to reassure him, tell his friend that it would all be fine.

But he wasn't so sure himself.

He had watched in horror since the first moment Kyouri had attacked her uncle. They had both seen her fight with all the will she could rally, but they had both watched her slowly weaken.

Kyouri was being pummeled, each attack she attempted turned against her. She wouldn't last much longer at the rate she was going; Kenshin could already see that her tactics were becoming more desperate and rushed.

"Come on, Kyouri, don't give out yet," he heard Sanosuke mutter.

Kenshin couldn't help but feel a spur of hope; Kyouri wouldn't let herself lose, no matter what happened. Too much was on the line.


"What a kid," Kaoru sighed, motioning to Yahiko, who was propped against one of the posts, drool leaking out of his mouth as he snored softly. "He can't even stay up a few hours after his bed time."

"It is rather late," Megumi shrugged. "Besides, it's been a pretty intense afternoon."

"I suppose," Kaoru conceded, her shoulders sagging a little at the thought. Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Kyouri were probably fighting her uncle at that moment--fighting for their lives--and she was sitting here.

"You're getting that I-feel-so-helpless look you always get when Ken-san is away," Megumi sang coyly. "Poor little tanuki, pining for her loved one."

A spasm of anger passed over Kaoru's face. "Shut up. As if you would know what I'm thinking." Kaoru fumed silently to herself, the atmosphere around the women tensing.

There was a moment of silence, then Megumi spoke again, but this time softly and more seriously, "Even if you went, there wouldn't be much you could do." She smiled ironically. "I doubt even Ken-san's much help right now."

"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked, arching her eyebrows as she looked at the doctor inquisitively.

"I mean this is something Kyouri-san is going to have to go through; that's how it always is." Megumi looked thoughtfully at the hands in her lap, and Kaoru was sure she saw a trace of sadness in her face.

Kaoru sighed, as if agreeing with Megumi. It was true; no matter how close she considered herself to her friends, there was always the time when they would try to leave her behind because they had to face a personal ordeal. Even Kaoru knew how it felt to have someone butt into your personal business--it was as if they were intruding in something sacred.

Still, didn't they understand that help from friends wasn't something wrong? She had been helped by Kenshin, and she knew that if she hadn't she probably wouldn't be alive--either that or she would be living in a slum somewhere.

"Everyone always thinks that getting help from the people around them is wrong, as if they're not worth so much trouble," Kaoru frowned, gazing ahead at nothing with dark blue eyes. "They think other people have no place in these things that happen to them." She looked at Megumi. "Don't they understand that by including us in their lives, their problems have already become our problems? Why can't they ever accept the help of others? What are they afraid of?"

Megumi gazed back at the young girl, knowing exactly what she was talking about. This conversation wasn't just about the young half demon anymore; Kaoru was talking about Kenshin as well.

"I suppose we'll just have to show them, won't we?" Megumi smirked. "Eventually they'll get it through their thick skulls."

Kaoru looked at Yahiko, sleeping so peacefully even at a time like this. She envied him for a moment, wishing she could believe in Kenshin as powerfully as he did, so she could expect him and everyone else to always come through in the end.

A part of her did believe that--yet a part of her also remembered the cold eyes of Battousai.

Anyone could so easily slip away from themselves if they didn't have the support of others they cared about.


The metallic stench of blood was everywhere, dazing her as she lay on the gritty ground, teeth clenched in an attempt to keep the pain at bay. She clutched her side where the most recent counterattack from her uncle had hit.

She looked at the tall, dark, demon standing before her, the same smirk on his face as he gazed at her crumpled form.

She had gotten a few hits in, that was true, but they were nothing compared to what he had done to her.

She was losing.

"D-damn you," she growled, getting up slowly. "D-don't look so smug, I haven't lost yet."

"We are all allowed to indulge ourselves in delusions at the point of death, my little Kyouri," he replied with a caustic smile. "You wouldn't believe the ideas spilling from your fathers lips when he was about to die." He smiled yet more wickedly. "He actually thought you mother would stick around to take care of you!"

Kyouri was on her feet, glaring at him with eyes livid with anger.

She would not lose.

She ran towards him yet again, forgetting her pain for the moment as anger and adrenaline coursed through her veins.

"DIE!" she yelled as a trail of fire sparked from the fist she was throwing. He ducked, the fire barely singing the tips of his ebony hair as he swiftly punched her gut.

She felt as if someone was making the lights flicker, darkness and light fighting for dominance over her vision. She couldn't breathe, and she tasted acrid blood in her mouth as a spurt of it escaped her body.

"It is time to end your delusions, and your life," she heard a dark voice say.

By the time her vision had adjusted enough, she realized she still couldn't breathe. She groped ahead of her, only to find that he was holding her up by her neck, choking her as he grinned maliciously at her piteous state and attempts to break free of his grip.

She gagged, the tips of her feet scratching the ground beneath her. Tears of pain and helplessness formed in her eyes as red blood eyes bore into them.

His eyes widened maniacally, and he whispered, "But I still want you to suffer more."

He suddenly grabbed her left arm, wrenching at it and her neck at the same time so as to make her neck and shoulder more accessible as he viciously bit into it.

It felt as if knives the size of wakizashi were slicing into her shoulder, and she couldn't help but tilt her head back and scream in agony. She felt acid from his mouth dripping into her wound as he tore into it further, burning her flesh, skin, and clothes as it dripped down her shoulder in acerbic globs.

She vaguely felt herself being thrown back, and after what felt like an eternity of pain she realized she was on the ground, staring up at him with horrified wide eyes as he licked the blood off his lips.

"A blend of human and demon," he sneered, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. "Perfect."

She couldn't move her arm, and she had to wonder if it was even attached to her body still. Every bit of her was throbbing with pain, down from the tips of her toes up to the crown of her head. She was trying to move, she wanted to thrash and yell at the top of her lungs in pain, but she found that all she could do was twitch the very tips of her fingers on her right hand. Even her voice seemed to have disappeared as she made a sort of gagging noise, watching him lick up her blood from his face.

I'm sorry Sano…

She couldn't stop watching him, her green eyes open as far as they could possibly be open, tears leaking out and mingling with the splatters of red on her face. They fell into her mouth, and she could taste the salt mixing with the iron of the blood.

I have lost.

Her mind slipped out of consciousness, the sight of red eyes and the taste of tears in blood the last things her knew.

-

"Kyouri…" he whispered, his copper eyes widening in disbelief. "No…"

Kenshin said nothing, gripping the hilt of his sakabatou tightly as he watched the monster tear at Kyouri's shoulder, hearing the shrill sound of her agony in his ears.

Sanosuke and Kenshin watched as she fell back, her face frozen in horror and pain. Rivers of blood gushed out of her as she gazed at the man before her, and in what felt like slow motion, her eyes closed.

"KYOURI!" Sanosuke yelled at the top of his lungs, feeling a sense of terror claw at his chest. He had to do something, he had to help her.

"SANO!" he heard Kenshin yelling, and before he realized it he was running as fast as he possibly could.

She just needed time, that's all. She was part demon, she wouldn't die so easily. She just needed time to heal.

He could give her that time.

"COME BACK!" Kenshin was yelling, and for what Sanosuke was sure the first time Kenshin's voice was frantic.

He planted himself in front of Kyouri, and without a moment's hesitation he slammed his fist into the bastard uncle's face.

The look of incredulity on the monster's face was undeniable as he fell back.

Sanosuke was panting heavily, adrenaline coursing through him as the demon slowly got up.

The demon chuckled darkly, facing away from Sanosuke as his laughter grew louder.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LAUGHING ABOUT, DIP SHIT!" Sanosuke yelled, feeling so much anger and disgust at this--this thing before him. He would hurt him, hurt him as much as he had hurt Kyouri.

He was charging yet again, a yell of anger exploding from him as he punched the demon again, and again, and again.

He had no plan of attack, he wasn't aiming for any major organs or weak areas; all he was doing was trying to hurt every inch of this bastard he could reach. He wouldn't stop, not until this thing was dead.

He slowed down, his energy drained after what felt like thousands of punches. He couldn't keep going, but then, he thought, this bastard wasn't going anywhere any time soon, either. He grinned to himself as he stepped back, panting heavily with sore fists.

That dark laughter had started up again. He felt as if a slab of lead had dropped into the pit of his stomach, the hair on the back of his neck standing up.

Sure enough, the demon stood up as easily as if he hadn't even felt the bombardment of punches from Sanosuke.

And, in fact, Sanosuke had to wonder if he actually had felt the punches.

"Do you really think," he laughed evilly, "that a human would be able to hurt a demon lord like me?"

Sanosuke gave a feral growl. He glanced behind him at the crumpled form of Kyouri, drenched in blood and bruised almost beyond recognition. He glared at her uncle with so much intensity that it made the demon smirk.

"My, what spunk you have, don't you?" he sneered. "You'd make an excellent pet. Unfortunately…" It was as if a breeze had shifted, and Sanosuke heard words being whispered into his ear, "…you die here."

The demon was behind him. Before Sanosuke could react, his head was already pounding as he flew back with the force of the hit. He landed on the ground and got up quickly.

No problem, he thought, Kenshin's hits hurt a lot worse than that one.

That's when he felt the burning sensation on the side of his face. In fear he quickly wiped it with his sleeve, only to find that his sleeve was being eaten away by acid. He watched blood drip onto his chest, and realized that the side of his face was probably raw by now.

Who gives a shit, he thought, Kitsune will just have to patch me up later.

He was ready this time when the demon approached him, and he dodged some of the deadly swipes that were handed out to him. He couldn't keep it up, however, and eventually he was dripping blood onto the ground as bits of his flesh were eaten away.

He was panting heavily, and even when he landed a hit his opponent just seemed to shrug it off. He wouldn't be able to last much longer.

He let himself glance at the bloody figure that was Kyouri, and immediately felt the repercussions.

"Mistake," the demon hissed, his clawed hand digging into Sanosuke's shoulder, "Prey should always pay attention to its hunter."

The demon dug his heel into Sanosuke's foot, pinning him as he clawed his hand up to Sanosuke's forearm. Sanosuke felt a new burst of pain explode as he watched blood soaked ribbons of his jacket fall to the ground. He was off balance now, but that was the least of his worries.

The demon's free clawed hand was no longer in sight. Sanosuke looked down, realizing that it was imbedded into his lower stomach. He felt hot blood run down the back of his pants, and realized that the demon's hand was probably protruding out of his back.

He felt as if it wasn't happening to him. He felt as if he was watching from a distance as the demon slowly and with a sick pleasure drew his hand out of Sanosuke's gut. The horrible burning sensation as the acid from the beast's claws dug its way through his body felt secondhand.

He felt as if he was watching a close friend die, and it wasn't him.

-

"SANO!" Kenshin screamed as loud as he could, feeling his body go numb with terror.

Sanosuke was dying.

Sanosuke was going to die.

"NO!" he yelled, running forward.

He immediately stopped, however, as he felt another chilling presence make itself known.

A thousand pins seemed to prick at his skin as he looked past Sanosuke at where Kyouri lay.

"Put him down…" a cold voice hissed.

Her aura was so powerful it was overwhelming him. There was a sensation of a huge object pressing at his whole body as she let a fresh wave of energy escape her body.

He froze in utter shock as he stared into a pair of unknown eyes. The whites of the eyes were crimson red, and it seemed as if the pupils were just thin slits in dull green irises.

What had happened to her?


Note: Umm, I have to wonder once more if anyone's out there.

Ah, well, what can you do? I've been busy with school and crap, but I must say I'm getting an anime thing going on again! Yes, folks, that's right! Kie-san's love for anime is being revived for unknown reasons! I tend to go through these "phases," although a lot of the time they're not "phases" but periods when obsessions kind of calm down for a while.

Like my obsession of Gerard Way. It's still going strong, even though it's been a few months. Ahhh, I could just stare at that perfect skin, those beautiful eyes, and that cute nose all daaaaay…(-dreams about Gerard Way until she realizes her readers are giving her strange looks-). So sue me, I'm a teenage fan girl with a crush. I'll get over it, and it's not like I'm stalking him or planning on manipulating where he goes so he can bump into me and fall in love so we can live forever together with two kids, named--

Ahem, okay then, moving on.

I hope everyone's doing okay, and I really want to thank those of you that reviewed! You make writing more fun, I must say. I'm also planning on catching up with a lot of the fics I haven't been able to read for a while, so don't be too surprised if you see a review of mine pop in randomly!

Reviewer Responses:

Fairy Mage: Yes, you did respond rather quickly last time (I was very happy, although obviously other things got in the way). Geez, that mistake you found in this chapter just about made me face fault. God, see? This is why you're around! So I don't make stupid mistakes like that! Agh, you've been great in beta-ing my stuff, I really appreciate it. Not much else to say, really, is there? Besides, of course, the usual "YOU'RE SO LUCKY I WISH I WAS IN COLLEGE!" thing.

Ryoko of the Darkness Rising: Ha! I bet you can't remember the reasoning behind this review either, can you! ….Wait… that's not a good thing… (-gloom-)

K.T. Youko: Waah, thank you, that means a lot to me (btw, your name has been added to Word's dictionary since I use it so much). I hope you liked this chapter as well!

OmasuOniwabanshu: Ehh, you're gonna be mad 'cause Kyouri got her ass wupped, aren't you? Ah well, lo que será, será. I'm glad you liked the little questions with Yahiko, 'cause honestly I thought it was rather corny. (-sighs-) Ahh, that wasn't my best chapter. It's on my list for "I'm gonna re-do this one day when I have the time and patience." XP

UltimaDragoon3000: Heh, a new reader! Lovely! Welcome to the club, have a Sano plushie! I'm glad you liked it, and I'll bring the three little demons back, although maybe not soon. :D

-

So, yeah, lovely responses for the last chapter, although I will say I missed a review from a certain reader that I was looking forward to (-cough- usashi -cough cough-). Don't be mad because I bug you, you know I love you!

Hope you guys are having a good time, whatever you're doing, and DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!