A/N.. holy Mary, Mother of God. I just updated. Well.. lets see I suddenly had a muse and wrote this just now.. it's in the middle of the night and well.. Being that I had writing burnout from independent fiction writing class.. I had all but given up on the story.. not no more hehe. I must say though, I'll be very surprised if any of my original reviewers return to this story. Won't blame you if you don't. I will say this, the story is almost over… now that my muse is back in action. The updates will return to normal and I will finish.

As always, thank you to all my reviewers if you are all still out there. As always, my work is plagued with typos… forgive me

Disclaimer: Ken is not mine

Devotion

By Melissa

Sasorie stood, arms crossed in front of the Battousai. His new plan was being chewed on in his mind. If everything went well… he would be rid of the red demon and the traitorous Tanako, and he would have a lot of fun.

"Sasorie!" Kenishin Called out to him, his voice hard, cold, very much the voice Sasorie had expected him to have. "I want Tanako… now."

"Oh you'll get her, whether she'll be walking or in a few pieces handed over to you in a bloody bag… well… that's up to you." The gang leader grinned and relished the flash of amber in the Battousais' eyes.

"Shut up," Kenshin growled. "I've had enough of your games."

"But I have one more that I sorely wish to play with you." Sasorie replied back childishly, his wolfish grin never fading. Oh he was getting to the devil, yes, his temper was short now… impatient.

Kenshin lowered his sword till the point touched the ground. The moment offered him ample amount of time to rest, but his guard was stronger yet. His eyes danced back and fourth. The gang had finished surrounding him, now they stood unarmed but very ready to strike at any word from their leader. And Sasorie, that man, Kenshin griped his lowered sword tighter. He sure did know how to push Battousais' buttons, that he did. It was all Kenshin could do to stomp him down and keep his level head. This was not over, Tanako was not by his side, he had yet to see Sano…Till that happened… it was not over. The cut on his chest still stung, but the pain was a distant discomfort. Distraction was a deadly thing. Kenshin could feel the tense pressure pushing on him, a silence that nerved him.

"Ah." Sasorie exclaimed suddenly, turning away to greet a very solid wall of gang members that joined next to the leader, splitting in two to stand on ether side of him. "More players for my new game."

What is this? Kenshin though, his eyes narrowed at the small group of gang members that stood to the left and right of Sasorie. His sword raised again, left arm resting at his side. Again his eyes did a fierce dance all around him to eye the gang around him. Where the hell was Sano!... Kenshin prayed that the cocky fighter didn't get himself caught.

"I'm through playing your games Sasorie!" Kenshin called out again, his left foot slowly sliding back into a more prepared stance. Something was not right with this new addition. Sasorie turned back to Kenshin, his eyes suddenly hard.

"I think you'll be very interested in this game Battousai. You want the wench; you can have her…if….she is who you truly want." The leaders' voice ended in a sneer, a look of anticipated glee in his eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Kenshin asked cautiously under the curtain of read locks that had fallen in front of his eyes. With a flash of a sinister smile and a wave of a hand, the wall of gang members parted, revealing what they had hidden amongst themselves. Kenshins' eyes widened and a gasp escaped him. On one side, Tanako, hands bound in front of her, eyes danced and she stood on unsteady legs. But otherwise… she was fine. But on the other side of the leader…

"Karou!" To his horror, his Karou also stood there pale, bound… Blood!.. she had blood on her. Karou… had his Karou been HARMED! Suddenly Kenshin felt his mind slipping away and for once in a long while… he welcomed Battousai.

Sasorie felt the change almost at once. The air around the demon almost crackled with energy. Golden eyes glared out from behind a red curtain of hair. This was truly the Battousai, they one that he had heard so much about.

"Ah, that's much better." Sasorie grinned, " I had wondered what happ-"

"Shut… up.." Kenshin interrupted in a deadly calm voice. They had crossed the line. He didn't know how Karou got there… not did he care. She look utterly exhausted, traumatized… and the blood. Oh gods he couldn't get over the blood that stained her pale hands and face. It was fresh blood, but it was dry. It still had the sent of blood, it stunk of death…. This was not her blood. But that didn't matter, he didn't care how she got blood on her, or who's it was. All he cared about was having her back in his protective arms. Away from those flesh eating crows of men. Suddenly his attention was ripped from Karou when Tanako burst into a fit of nervous laughter. Kenshin turned his murderous gaze to the girl he had almost forgotten.

"Oh, look at that!" she squealed in between her snickers and laughter, her eyes glued to the Battousai. "He's completely… pissed." More giggles, she would have fallen on her knees had not a few men been holding her up. "You guys are so gonna get it." She squeezed in before bursting into more laughter. The saki finally taking effect, and the sudden climatic reveal and snapped Tanakos resolve. She was almost delirious, unaware of the real danger she was in.

"Tanako, are you alright" Battousai asked the girl gently. He still did not forget the reason he had come in the first place. Tanako suddenly turned somber and nodded silently. No doubt she was at war with herself for causing all this.

"Enough of this." Sasorie took a step forward, causing Battousai to turn on him, sword at the ready. But The gang leader moved no further. "Battousai my little game is this. It's very simple, you must pick and choose." He held out one hand to Tanako. " One.. or," he held out his other hand to his preconscious Karou, "the other."

"What?" Battousai was not about to drop his guard. This was some sick twisted idea that could only come from a person like Sasorie.

"You heard me Devil, who do you want more?.. the beauty.. or the warrior?"

Battousai was for once, at a loss for what to do. Love wanted him to save Karou, yet honor called for Tanako. But he knew this… he was leaving with both one way or another.

"Bastard" Battousai spat.

Tanako was horrified when she heard what Sasorie had up his sleeve. Leave it up to that bastard to come up with something as simple yet effective as that. Her head still swam from the saki that had rendered her giddy with giggles not moments ago when she felt the aura of the Battousai finally break free and wash over her. It was a since of dread, power and death all in one. The young woman watched as Kenshin seriously began to ponder which one of them to pick! He wasn't going to really take the time to guess was he?

"Kenshin," she called quickly before she could be silenced. "Fool! Take Karou! She's your love-" a hand clamped over her mouth and struggled against it.

"No" Karou whispered softly, she couldn't let Tanako slip away. She at least had been honorable. "No" Karou said louder, Kenshins' eyes glued on to her, She flinched under his hard amber gaze even though she knew he was not angry at her. She didn't deserve to live, not after murdering. She had betrayed her way of teaching, her fathers' school, and her family name. Most of all she betrayed Kenshin, for not listening to him and staying at the dojo.

"No Kenshin, not me… not me" she whimpered weakly, but the Battousai caught every word.

Battousai raised an eyebrow, what had happened to his Karou. Whatever it was, he didn't want to think about it. He was already planning how he was going to Kill Sasorie to putting her through this, as frail as she already was. He had a plan oh how to get both girls out of here safe, but would it work? He had many things out of his control. The gang still blocked his way out into the forest. Sano, that baka kid was still missing.

Sasorie stood there with that same grin on his face. The grin that Battousai wanted to cut right off. This gang leader wasn't someone he could just shrug off. He had a another trick up his sleeve, Battousai could feel it. But enough of this, Karou looked about ready to break it seemed it was all her legs could do to keep her standing.

"Karou," he growled simply. He watched carefully, his eyes now ignoring the gang and focusing on Sasorie as he walked to Karou and took a dagger from a fellow gang member and cut the ropes binding her. One scratch, on gasp or sight of blood and Battousai didn't care if it was not honorable, he would run his sword into the leader while his back was still turned. Lucky for the white haired leader, he had carefully cut the ropes and sent Karou stumbling on her way. Karou paused, not sure if she wanted to abandon Tanako, She had come so far… Done so much…. so very much.

"Come Karou." Battousai demanded gently. He wanted her away from them and safe in his arms. Slowly, carefully, Karou walked with pained steps to her love. Terrified and overjoyed all at once, she used the last of her strength to sprint to him. She wrapped her arms around his lean frame, his free arms wrapping her in almost a crushing embrace. His whole body seemed to vibrate with violent power.

"Now, what do you intend to do with Tanako?" Battousai demanded as he watch Sasorie walk over to where Tanako stood. A slight disturbance in the camp behind them caught Battousais' attention for a moment. Ah, there is Sano…about Damn time! The apparent scuffle went unnoticed by the gang leader, his mind too set on his intent.

"Tanako belongs to me now." Sasorie stated simply, he petted the girls' shorn hair and used the dagger the cut free her bonds. Tanako was extremely surprised at this remark. He seemed to not be acting himself now… his eyes... Tanako gazed up into his eyes. Something was a bit off about them.

Suddenly Battousais' caught sight of Sano and Toshiki dashing through the camp. Toshiki had his sword in hand, it was stained with blood. Battousai calmed and he held Karou to him, Toshiki had come to their side. He would help rescue his love… Tanako, just as he as rescued his. Suddenly Karou Screamed in his arms and Battousai looked back in time to see Sasorie pull Tanako to him in a crushing embrace, the dagger he used to cut her free was buried up to the hilt in her side, slipping easily between her ribs. The girls' mouth half open in a silent scream of pain

The sight was too much for Karou and she fainted dead in Battousais' arms. No! he had only turned away for a moment,.. and a moment was all it took.

"TANKAO!" Came a primal scream from the camp. Toshiki had paused in his fighting long enough to see the attack, and now he was running flat out, screaming a cry of revenge as he launched himself at his leader.