Chapter Four
The remaining days passed without any other signs of Enishi's intentions. With obvious uneasiness, Hiko had taken to solitary nighttime patrols of the streets just beyond the dojo. Despite the numerous entreaties to get some rest, his restlessness forced him to ignore them.
"One more day till the battle...and still no sign of ambush. The ahou is sticking to his deadline, despite his underhanded nature." Hiko thought, sourly, as he walked into the dojo keep; taking note of the raised voices within the training hall, and inwardly sighing when some of the words reached him.
"How long to you plan on making me swing my arms? The battle is tomorrow!" Yahiko's voice snapped, irritably.
"No complaining. It's impossible to acquire the ougi in ten days." Kaoru replied, sounding as though her patience was wearing a bit thin.
"Feh. Tell the Baka Deshi that." Hiko muttered, as he entered the training hall; his amber eyes narrowed as he remembered the short amount of time it had taken for Kenshin to have picked up the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu's ougi. From his place across the hall, Kenshin only sighed and shook his head. His master was acting like his usual belligerent, antisocial self...but he was still very concerned about the fact that his eyes were still that unsettling golden shade.
"Hey! That's right! Kenshin got that in about a week! Why can't I?.!" Yahiko asked, angrily.
"You just need to think of the basics for now! Look further into the future than just tomorrow!" Kaoru retorted, but not before sending Hiko an almost scathing glare for his remark. A look that the elder swordmaster simply brushed off.
"You don't have to tell me that!" Yahiko said, as he slowly caught his breath, and calmed down. Kaoru smiled at this; somehow knowing that both her own student and the Thirteenth Hiten master were interested in seeing the ougi of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. She could feel the older man's gaze at her back, and could tell that a hint of curiosity was showing itself in his eyes.
"All right. I'll reward you by showing you the form." Kaoru said, getting an enthusiastic response from Yahiko for that.
"First, I'll show you how it's done. Come at me, Yahiko!" Kaoru shouted, preparing herself for the boy's attack.
"All right!" Yahiko shouted, as he then charged at the wary inheritor of the dojo.
"You look like you have a lot of negative energy. Grudge building up until now?" Kaoru asked, her expression deadpanning when the boy growled out something under his breath as he rushed up to her. It was on the downward stroke of Yahiko's shinai that Kaoru managed the impossible; with an almost lightning fast reaction, she blocked Yahiko's blow with the backs of her hands!
"Shirahadori...with the backs of her hands!" Yahiko thought, his eyes widening with shock as the female instructor held him off.
"Call me impressed, Kamiya." Hiko mused, and paid close attention to what she said next.
"Kamiya Kasshin Ryu's secret...Hawatari: Blades Crossing!" Kaoru shouted, as she threw Yahiko across the room; sending his shinai flying.
"Unlike normal Shirahadori, this move can be done with a sword in hand. It is the greatest advantage of the 'Defense of the Secret: Blade Halting. The 'Offense of the Secret: Blade Crossing' can be derived from there. The faster the source is, the stronger you can hit an enemy by amplifying their force! This is the most extreme form of the reactive sword. If you make a mistake, death is unavoidable...But..." Kaoru said, leaving the last thought dangling. She knew what would be crossing her student's mind, and that he would come to the right decision on his own. And also, in the back of her mind, she sensed that Hiko was taking the information in as well; yet, despite all that had been said and done in just those few moments, she still managed to knock Yahiko to the floor again...this time in a twitching mass.
"Hiko-san, do I have your permission to say something?" Kaoru asked, as she turned to him with an almost mischievous glint in her blue-grey eyes.
"What do you need permission for, Kamiya?" Hiko questioned; smirking slightly, since he could almost see what was coming.
"To use the name you're always calling Kenshin." Kaoru replied, snickering as the strained gurgling from Yahiko almost turned into a growl. Hiko merely shrugged.
"Do as you see fit. I'm not going to stop you, one way or the other." Hiko muttered, as he turned to leave...yet gave her a hint of a nod, nonetheless.
"Baka deshi!" Kaoru shouted; getting a strong twitch from the downed Yahiko in response to that jab.
"Shishou, you have created a monster." Kenshin mumbled, as he made his way outside.
"No, the fault is all yours'." Hiko retorted, before Kenshin could get very far; the hint of his usual arrogant smirk very evident in his voice. It took a few moments for Kenshin to recollect his dignity, yet, when he did, he gave his master a questioning look that was finely edged with tension.
"Shishou, sessha has been wondering...How is it that Enishi had defeated you, and reopened so many of your wounds?" Kenshin asked. At this, the elder swordsman's eyes narrowed; even though his face showed no sign that the question had bothered him.
"I took it upon myself last night to see what had happened to Sekihara's restaurant before I got here...It looks as though an explosion had destroyed it." Hiko murmured, quietly.
"Aa. An Armstrong cannon was fired from outside of the city..." Kenshin replied, his eyes widening when the realization dawned on him.
"Shishou...you were...?" Kenshin muttered; getting a grave nod from the Thirteenth master for his answer.
"The cannon's blast was what had reopened my wounds. I don't know where the cannon had been fired from, but it must have been the same distance away as that goshinboku and the Akabeko had been from one another." Hiko stated, then added, "In the moments after the blast, Yukishiro had withdrawn from the battle he himself had started, leaving only a vague clue as to where it would be concluded."
"And that clue was...?" Kenshin heard himself ask, softly.
"The cuts on my face." Hiko said, watching as Kenshin's face paled, and then took on a faint tinge; hinting at his anger at Enishi for using such an underhanded scheme.
"And now I know...Enishi has that much more to answer for!" Kenshin thought, as he watched Hiko silently leave the dojo grounds once again; and then he himself did the same.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
As the hours wore on, the Thirteenth Hiten master found himself wandering even farther away from the dojo than he had before. He was now approaching what appeared to be an old, overgrown path that led into a still un-developed piece of land, and a rather large outcropping of rock.
"So...I've found my way here, once again." Hiko mused, as he stepped onto the path, and started following it. When he'd reached the end of it, he stood before a limestone cave. For several long moments, he lingered there; an ancient regret rooting him to the spot. Ever so slowly, he turned away from the cave's mouth, and looked at the small shrine beside it.
"At least the grave is still undisturbed..." Hiko thought, somberly, as he thought of the one whose earthly remains were buried beneath the shrine.
"You know we wouldn't have allowed these graves to be desecrated, old friend." a voice murmured, as the owner of it stood just beyond sight of the Thirteenth master. Hiko nodded.
"Indeed. And I thank you for standing vigil, for so long." Hiko said, gratefully.
"Think nothing of it. On another note, it seems as though you have been injured." the speaker stated, seeming a bit concerned about this.
"That Baka Deshi of mine has gotten me dragged into another vendetta." Hiko grumbled, irritably. This got a slight snicker from the unseen speaker.
"So I see. Do you want us to be standing by, in case something happens?" the speaker asked.
"It might be for the best. The battle starts tonight, at Kamiya Dojo." Hiko informed.
"We'll see what we can do...After all, it's been many years since we've had anything remotely interesting to do." the speaker muttered.
"Oh, believe me, 'interesting' will only describe half of what is about to happen." Hiko stated, allowing a grim smile to appear on his face to emphasize his point.
"We'll see..." the speaker replied, before going silent again.
"And, from what we have already witnessed, we're going to need all the help we can get." Hiko mused, gravely, as he turned and left the place without another word; the unease in his soul even stronger than before.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
"The sun...has set..." Kenshin murmured, when the last of the sun's rays left the skies, and evening's shadows had taken over.
"Yeah." Yahiko said, in agreement; looking aside when Hiko arrived through one of the side gates.
"Only about four or five hours left of 'today'..." Sanosuke stated, giving Hiko a grim nod of greeting, as he did so.
"And then the real 'fun' will begin." Hiko thought; tensely gripping his sheathed sword in his left hand as he thought about it.
"You sure you're well enough to fight, Hiko?" Sanosuke asked.
"We'll have to wait and see." Hiko somberly replied, as a glimmer of pain came and went within his amber-hued eyes, and he silently added, "I can only hope that the counter-measures I have made will arrive in time..."
"Shishou...sessha would rather you not fight at all...but there's no chance to convince you to do otherwise." Kenshin said; knowing for a fact that his master was far too stubborn to listen to any entreaties about his own safety, at this point.
"Even if I'd wanted to back out, Kenshin, there's no way to do so, now. Somehow or another, you'd managed to pull the whole lot of us into this..." Hiko replied, as the ex-hitokiri nodded, a bit ashamedly. And yet, after a few moments of silence, Kenshin's resolve returned, and he began to tell everyone else what they were to do.
"Sessha will lead the defense alongside Shishou. Sano, you will defend the dojo, stationed in the front yard. Use your judgement to strike as needed." Kenshin said, calmly.
"No problem." Sanosuke replied, confidently. Hiko merely nodded in agreement; his silence speaking louder than words.
"Kaoru-dono and Yahiko will stay within the dojo. Make defending yourselves top priority." Kenshin continued, getting nods from the pair before adding, "Yahiko, if and only if the dire moment comes, will you be allowed to strike out."
"A-all right!" Yahiko agreed, enthusiastically. As Kenshin gave the rest of the group their 'marching orders', he could only wonder why his master had silently agreed to help in the defense.
"It isn't like him to follow orders like that...Especially from me! Does he have something planned? Is that why he's going along with it?" Kenshin mused, as he watched the older man from the corner of his eye. He could tell, just by looking at the Thirteenth master, he was still in quite a bit of pain from his injuries, and that fighting an intense battle really wasn't something he wanted to do...but he remained standing. And it was in his silent defiance that still made him a force to be reckoned with, even with his wounds.
"...And me?" a small voice asked, after Kenshin finished asking Megumi to tend to the injured.
"Tsubame-dono, you will evacuate to the Akabeko's temporary location." Kenshin stated, getting a stunned yelp from the girl as a response.
"What!" Tsubame shouted, shocked by this, for some reason.
"In this situation, Enishi will not attack Akabeko again. You are the only one connected to us through Akabeko. You will be safer there." Kenshin explained, quietly.
"That's true. I will be a burden if I stay here..." Tsubame whispered, disheartened that she couldn't remain there, and lend Yahiko moral support.
"I'll take you." Yahiko muttered, then added, "Don't worry. None of us are going to die. We'll see you all again." For the briefest of moments, Tsubame turned a teary gaze to the group standing in front of the dojo; her eyes gazing closely at each face in turn, as though uncertain about what Yahiko had told her.
"It is...as Yahiko says." Kenshin reassured her. This got a shaky smile from the girl, before she nodded, and allowed Yahiko to walk her out of the dojo.
"Let's just hope that the boy's certainty will be proven right." Hiko muttered; speaking softly enough so only Kenshin and Sanosuke could hear.
"Don't worry. No one will be allowed to die tonight." Kenshin stated, determinedly; earning himself a slight look of skepticism from his master.
"We'll soon see...But, for once, I hope you're right, Baka Deshi." Hiko mused, as he went to sit down on the dojo's porch, determined to at least get some form of rest before the battle.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
The remaining hours passed slowly, as those within Kamiya Dojo watched and waited for Enishi's Jinchuu. With a distant look in his eyes, Hiko watched as Kaoru came out with rice balls and tea; giving her a slight nod when she handed him one of the cups of tea.
"You need to eat something, Hiko-san. You'd lost a lot of blood before coming here, and you haven't gotten any sleep in the past few nights." Kaoru murmured, quietly; voicing her concern, as well as that of the rest of the group, for him.
"More blood will probably be shed before the night is out, Kamiya...It probably won't make too much of a difference..." Hiko murmured, yet gave the rice balls a wary glance as he did so.
"Seems he's taking the warnings about Jou-chan's cooking seriously." Sanosuke mused, smirking slightly as he exchanged glances with Yahiko. Kaoru only gave the elder swordsman an exasperated look, before moving on to Kenshin (who also just took some tea).
"Misao-chan didn't make it..." Kaoru murmured, hinting at something she'd done beforehand.
"What?" Kenshin asked, confusedly. What did Misao have anything to do with the coming battle?
"Nothing, nothing." Kaoru replied, abruptly.
"They're a bit late. If they are coming, they should show up already." Yahiko muttered, from between mouthfuls of a rice ball, then asked, "But when that happens, how will they strike?"
"Well, considering them, they'll probably start with a blast from that cannon..." Sanosuke replied, no sooner saying that when an explosion shook the neighborhood.
"You had to open that big mouth of yours' Tori-atama." Hiko growled, as he bolted to his feet, and held his sheathed sword at ready.
"Here they come!" Kenshin shouted, as they all reacted to the sound as quickly as Hiko had. And yet, they were all a bit confused when they saw brilliant colors bloom against the night sky.
"They're fireworks! Sheesh! That startled me!" Yahiko said, as he gazed at the colorful display.
"Oh yeah. Today's the summer festival...I think." Sanosuke murmured, relaxing slightly at this.
"Keep your guard up." Hiko said, his voice quiet, even as his senses sharpened.
"Right." both of the younger fighters agreed; knowing to trust the older warrior's instincts in this case.
"I can sense them...coming from..." Hiko thought, his eyes widening as his gaze was directed upwards.
"Above! They're coming from above!" Hiko snarled, as four hot-air balloons appeared in the sky above them; emerging from the cover of the fireworks like nightmares.
"It's time for Jinchuu." Enishi announced; his insane smile chilling each person within the yard to their core.
"Hot air balloons?.! No way!" Yahiko yelped, taken aback by the sight.
"The top-notch technology first used in the Seinan War...How do they have something like this?" Kenshin asked, almost too shaken to speak, in this instance.
"A question to be asked another time, Kenshin. For now, focus on the fight that is about to start...This powder-keg you'd somehow managed to drop right at our feet." Hiko said, keeping his gaze on the balloons as they descended. Seconds later, one of the warriors leaped from his balloon; unveiling the cannon attached to the stump of his arm as he did so.
"Damn!" Hiko's mind roared, as he took to the sky; grimacing when his legs burned in response to the move.
"Sano! Flight! Lend sessha your fist!" Kenshin shouted, his thoughts following those of his master closely.
"Fist?" Sanosuke asked, then realized what it was Kenshin needed, and nodded, "All right!" Within seconds, Kenshin was airborne, just as Hiko unsheathed his sword.
"Shishou!" Kenshin cried, getting his amber-eyed master's attention, giving him a grim look, and receiving a nod in response.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Kuzu Ryu Sen!" the two men shouted; their cries rending the night air as they struck the huge attacker simultaneously.
"All right!" Sanosuke cried, when he saw their blows connect, and send the cannon-wielding man careening off course. As they descended, Hiko and Kenshin both made eye contact with Enishi; and Kenshin could see the barely-contained rage in his master's eyes.
"Shishou is just barely reining in his desire to kill Yukishiro Enishi outright...But who is to say how long it will last?" Kenshin wondered, as they landed on the dojo's roof; turning his head when he heard Hiko stifle a harsh gasp.
"Daijobu ka?" Kenshin asked, quickly.
"Aa..." Hiko replied, struggling to catch his breath against the pain in his ribs.
"Kenshin! Hiko-san!" Kaoru called, as they rushed over to them, stopping when an incredible feeling of power erupted from the two Hiten masters. And, to their added shock, Hiko removed his mantle; allowing it to fly free.
"Ken-ki!" Kaoru muttered, stunned by this display, but also feeling some worry steal into her heart, as well; had Kenshin reverted to his Battousai persona again?
"Kaoru-dono. It is now sessha's chance. Hurry into the dojo." Kenshin commanded, calmly.
"'Sessha'...Good. He's not Battousai again...But what about..." Kaoru wondered, as she glanced at Hiko. The taller man was now glaring skywards, amber eyes promising death for anyone who threatened those he desired to protect.
"Yahiko, watch carefully. If you miss this appearance, the first since the battle in Kyoto, who knows when your next chance will be? This is the Himura Kenshin who conquered Battousai." Sanosuke said, then silently added, "And a side to Seijuro Hiko none of us have ever seen before...Unfettered, at full strength...no holding back...He's probably even more dangerous than Saito and Battousai combined, right now."
"Battousai!" the cannon-armed man roared, as he got to his feet, and aimed the weapon at the dojo.
"It's coming! Get in the dojo, quickly!" Sanosuke shouted, then dove to retrieve something wrapped in burlap from underneath the porch.
"What is that?.!" Megumi asked, as she watched Sanosuke pull the long bundle out, and start to untie the ropes from around it.
"Well, I knew they were going to have a cannon...and I can't leave it all up to Kenshin and Hiko!" Sanosuke replied, as he freed what appeared to be a huge sword from its' wrappings, and hefted it onto his shoulder.
"A zanbatou?.!" Hiko's mind yelped; his eyes widening when he looked down and saw the old weapon, "How the hell did he come across that?.!"
"Long story, Shishou...as you'd said, it's one to be shared over a good jug of sake." Kenshin said, when he noticed the older man's shell-shocked expression.
"I agree." Hiko muttered; before adding under his breath that there was 'more to the Tori-atama than first met the eye'. They both watched as the cannon discharged right in front of the former fight merchant, and as he swung the huge sword and ricocheted the cannonball back towards the man that had fired it; listening as the repaired ancient metal broke from the impact.
"You brat!" the man growled, as he batted the cannonball away effortlessly with his cannon-arm, then snarled, "Reload...cannon."
"That won't be allowed." a cold voice stated, from above. To his shock, it wasn't Kenshin above him, but Hiko instead! With a lightning-fast move that belied his own injuries, the Thirteenth master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu struck; his blow sending the brute into a world of pain.
"That's payback for blowing me off the face of that mountain." Hiko quietly said; his tone sending an involuntary shudder through the downed man in front of him, before he turned his attention back to those standing in front of the dojo.
"You didn't kill 'im, did you?" Sanosuke asked.
"No. Though it remains to be seen if I'll have enough restraint for the one I really want to kill, when it comes down to it." Hiko admitted; his eyes narrowing when the second wave of attackers made landfall.
"I can only hope that the reenforcements get here in time...I don't know how long even my own strength will continue to hold..." Hiko grimly thought; gritting his teeth as he struggled to breathe, and keep his mind alert to any further dangers coming from above...
Author's Note!
So sorry it took so long to update, minna! (Writer's block has not been kind to this fic at all!) I hope it all made sense! More fighting coming up! Sit tight!
Gemini14