Chapter Five
There was a resounding crash, as the second wave of Enishi's Jinchuu arrived.
"Jutsushiki Muteki Ryu! Raijin Guruma!" one man crowed, as he crushed one of the buildings in a rolling mid-air attack.
"He's quite showy..." Megumi was heard to mutter, as they watched the display.
"It just means that he's confident of his abilities. That destructive power is not to be taken lightly...but..." Kaoru said, before Yahiko entered the conversation as well.
"His mind seems inadequate!" Yahiko added; getting a bristling growl from the man in question.
"True...That move really had no point..." Kaoru agreed.
"What did you say?.!" the man snapped, angrily.
"And he seems to have gone deaf, as well." Hiko stated, dryly, from behind the man they were insulting.
"Get out from behind us, you bastard!" the insulted man snapped, as he whirled around and gave the elder swordsman a scathing glare.
"You're the challenger, here, ahou. Your demand has no bearing in this." Hiko replied, coldly; his icy glare adding to his words effectively.
"It is quite brave of the women and children to remain on the battlefield! Why don't I...?" the more effeminate of the two attackers asked, as he started angled his wrist towards Kaoru, Yahiko, and Megumi.
"Do not mistake your opponent." Kenshin growled, as he jumped down from the roof overhead, and landed in front of them, "Sessha is your opponent."
"Hey, Hiko, what about Kujiranami?" Sanosuke asked, fully aware that there were now three attackers on the ground.
"I won't say there is nothing to worry about, but there is a vital point under the arm that I struck. The impact went through the ribs to the lungs. He may be conscious, but he won't be able to move, because of the difficulty breathing." Hiko replied; warily glancing over his shoulder at the downed fighter, and secretly wondering how much time the move had bought them. He could hear the brute growling, and knew that his own attack had been weakened considerably by his injuries.
"So you're Battousai! Then the one behind me is your master! That's great! I will defeat the both of you! But...before that..." the first man said, then added as he turned his full attention onto Sanosuke, "I'll clear my name of the stain you caused!"
"Bring it on!" Sanosuke challenged, boldly, as he readied what was left of his zanbatou in his hands.
"Shishou." Kenshin's voice called, within Hiko's mind. The elder swordmaster glanced at the younger man.
"There's still at least two more before Enishi." Kenshin said.
"I know. It seems we'll soon be too busy to defend the Tanuki, Kitsune-onna, and the boy." Hiko replied, as he watched the fight that was beginning between Sanosuke and the first man.
"Don't worry. Yahiko is already strong." Kenshin reassured.
"I hope you're certain about this." Hiko mentally muttered, before returning his full attention to the sky.
"Why don't you move? Are you going to watch your friend die?" the effeminate man asked.
"Helping him will open these three to your attacks." Kenshin replied, calmly.
"How? Why do you think so?" the effeminate man asked, again.
"There is no how or why. You are that kind of man." Kenshin answered; receiving a sinister grin from the other man as a response.
"You understand well. I see. So you will both watch him die." the effeminate man purred; directing that statement at both Kenshin and Hiko.
"If he does die here, then Sagara Sanosuke was, from the very beginning, only that much of a man." Kenshin said, as the evil man in front of him erupted into peals of laughter.
"You say some good things, Battousai! I'm happy to hear your true feelings! I see. You would abandon him to death!" the man sneered; trying his level best to bait Kenshin into attacking, "And you would also do that to your master, yes?" To their surprise, Kenshin didn't react at all; his eyes remaining calm and clear.
"No! It's the opposite! If it were any of us fighting, Kenshin would never say that. That line was because it's Sanosuke...and his lack of reaction to the last part was because he knows his master is strong as well! Of all of us, Sanosuke and even Hiko, as hurt as he is, are the only two he doesn't need to protect...The ones who can fight by his side! Now may not be the time...But, someday...I will get there too!" Yahiko thought, as he gazed with admiration at the three warriors before him, and felt their strength; imagining himself someday fighting alongside them.
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"This may be bad." Enishi muttered, as he watched the goings-on below them.
"The obviously unintelligent 'Offensive' Banjin...And the sly Otowa who is in 'wait' mode until the opponent strikes out. Those two are on opposite extremes, keeping things at a standstill. Even though this isn't a busy area, if things keep dragging on, people will notice...and our Jinchuu will be compromised." Gein informed, before sighing and jumping out of the balloon's basket, and landing on the large box it had tied beneath it.
"I have no choice. I will go...With Iwanbo Version Three: Savage Mode!" Gein announced; getting a nod of approval from Enishi.
"'Motion' and 'Silence' creating a standstill. This battle will be decided by Battousai...and how he determines his move here. I am leaving it to you, for now, Gein-san." Enishi stated, as the masked man beneath him cut the rope, and the box fell.
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The tremendous crash attracted all attention to its' source; enemy and ally alike. In the rising dust from the impact, Hiko could just barely see when something emerged from the wreckage; a huge shape that almost made even him pause in disbelief.
"It's our turn." the skull-masked man murmured, as he reclined on the arm of what appeared to be a deformed man.
"This situation can't get any worse." Hiko sourly mused, as he eyed the monstrosity warily; gripping his sword tightly as he did so.
"It's that guy from that time at Aoiya! I think his name is 'Iwanbo'!" Yahiko shouted, in alarm.
"He seems even more ferocious than before!" Kaoru added; her shock only added to when she saw Hiko take up a position in front of it.
"So, you're Himura Battousai's master, eh? You don't seem very surprised by what you see before you." Gein said, as he watched Hiko's reactions.
"I've seen flesh manipulators before...The circumstances may have been different, but the premise is the same." Hiko replied, then added, "You've desecrated many graves to create this thing."
"Indeed. I should have figured that you would be able to tell that this was made with human flesh." Gein said, pleasurably; not even looking when the fight between Banjin and Sanosuke resumed (and with even more ferocity than before).
"And I've seen worse things than this...At least this isn't a creature that has been re-animated from bones and graveyard soil." Hiko mused; jerking to attention when the sound of metal slicing metal came to his ears, and then heard a battle cry from Yahiko.
"I grow tired of waiting. Let's begin...Iwanbo Version Three...called 'Savage Mode'. This is the first time I take it into battle, so allow me to test it out fully." Gein said, looking up when Kenshin joined Hiko in front of the manmade monster.
"Kenshin, save your strength for the ahou still in the balloon. This fight is mine." Hiko growled; his voice only loud enough for Kenshin to hear.
"What about your wounds, Shishou?" Kenshin asked; a little alarmed by this turn of events.
"I was in the same shape when I faced Fuji...and he was an even worse threat than this thing. Don't worry. I won't die easily...You should know that, by now." Hiko replied, stubbornly; gripping his sword and readying himself for his first blow.
"Here I come!" Gein shouted, as he jumped into Iwanbo's mouth, and the thing began to move. With a forceful shove, Hiko made Kenshin move aside, then leaped to avoid getting grabbed. Kaoru, Megumi, and Kenshin could only watch as the elder swordsman fought; putting his skills to the ultimate test against something that wasn't even human. When the 'flesh doll' aimed a powerful kick at him, he made one move that seemed to be inspired by pure desperation; he leaped into the air, made contact with the big toe on one foot, then launched himself at it.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Ryu Kan Sen!" Hiko shouted, as he lashed out at Iwanbo's arm; his amber eyes widening slightly when the flesh wasn't cut by his sword.
"Hiko-san! Strikes won't work! It's thick skin will absorb all the force!" Kaoru cried, in alarm.
"Impact absorption mechanism. One more thing..." Gein murmured, before manipulating Iwanbo into grabbing the Thirteenth master by his legs, and then throwing him. The force with which Hiko hit the ground was enough to knock all the air from his lungs, and send fiery pain shooting through him. Despite himself, he uttered a pained groan in response to it.
"Shishou!" Kenshin yelped, as he rushed to Hiko's side.
"S-stay back, curse it!" Hiko hissed, as he spat out some blood that had worked its' way into his throat and mouth from the impact. With great reluctance, Kenshin obeyed; but worry still remained in his eyes as he watched the stubborn swordsman from his vantagepoint.
"All of the joints turn freely, both horizontally and vertically. I call it the 'Unrestricted Joint Movement Mechanism'. Even for you, Seijuro Hiko-san, who have fought and defeated hundreds of men, this must be a first time fighting something non-human, correct?" Gein asked, as he watched the swordmaster slowly get back to his feet again; his chest heaving with effort as he struggled to get his breath back.
"Not a first for me, no...But the first time...in quite a long time." Hiko replied, as he wiped some blood from his face; resolve settling itself firmly on his features, removing the pain from his eyes, for now.
"No need to hold back, since this thing isn't human. I have to destroy it!" Hiko thought, as he again rushed at it; Winter Moon gleaming in his hand as he slashed at it.
"Slashing. Of course you would try that. However..." Gein said, as he again moved something within Iwanbo, and the whole arm seemingly dislocated before Hiko could land his blow!
"What the...?.!" Hiko snarled, gritting his teeth when his sword was deflected by the rubbery flesh.
"If I disconnect the framework of the mechanism, leaving only the highly elastic rubberized skin and steel control lines...even Battousai's master cannot cut it!" Gein said, pleasantly.
"Damn you..." Hiko growled; hackles rising slightly at the taunt, yet refusing to be baited by it any further than that.
"This is the 'Unrestricted Attach/Detach Mechanism'! It's a new mechanism I built into Iwanbo Version Three, just for the fight against one of you." Gein continued; grinning behind his mask as he glanced at Kenshin for a brief moment, then returned his attention to Hiko.
"Who are you?" Kenshin asked, as he stood alongside his master and gazed up in the direction of the voice.
"Me? I have not yet introduced myself. I am Gein, the 'Artist of Karakuri'! I am the last remaining descendant of a family who mastered the art of robotics in the Sengoku Era." Gein replied.
"I thought something about this situation seemed familiar..." Hiko muttered, almost too softly for Kenshin to hear.
"Artist...of Karakuri..." the women behind them murmured, in disbelief. Neither of them had ever expected to see anything like this on a battlefield!
"Your sense of beauty is a bit off...even though you claim to be an artist." Kenshin said, bluntly.
"So true." Megumi and Kaoru agreed.
"I'm in agreement." Hiko grumbled; his expression, for the first time in a long time, utterly deadpan. This got a chuckle from the man inside of the 'robot'.
"I hear that a lot, actually. But, the word 'beauty' can mean many things. This 'Iwanbo' is not a product of the pursuit of physical beauty. I will show you the epitome of physical beauty later, but this Iwanbo has a different kind of beauty...He is a product of functional beauty!" Gein said, enthusiastically.
"Functional beauty, as you say, is a very sophisticated technology. You should use it to do some good for people..." Kenshin murmured; trying his best to talk the masked man out of fighting.
"I hear that a lot also. But would a master sword-smith make razors?" Gein asked; seeming surprised by what Hiko said to that.
"One made the sakabatou shinuchi...and his son, who carries on the smith in his stead, forges tools to be used in peaceful times...instead of swords." Hiko said; remembering the few times he himself had visited the Arai family, before Kenshin's return.
"Feh. One out of many. The forefront of technology is always in battle. In order to explore it, I constantly strive to be near men who reek of the scent of battle. The first was Shishio Makoto, then Yukishiro Enishi...and, at this moment, you." Gein stated, as he gave both swordsmen an appraising glance.
"Then this man is not fighting because of a grudge!" both Kaoru and Megumi shouted, stunned by what this meant. The man before them was fighting just for the sake of it!
"So that is why...No matter how much recalling is done...there is no memory of fighting an artist of Karakuri." Kenshin quietly said, even as Hiko prepared for his next strike.
"Then even moreso than before, there is no time to be playing with dolls! Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Ryu Sho Sen!" Hiko shouted, as he forced his body into the godlike speed; allowing a wince to cross his face as he leaped and tried once again to cut Iwanbo's flesh.
"No! He's an instant too late!" Megumi yelped, yet watched in mute wonder as the swordmaster twisted the elastic flesh around Winter Moon's blade, then jerked it free; tearing the arm off at the elbow.
"I get it! Once it is stretched to its' limit, if he wraps it around his sword and stretches it further then, no matter how elastic the material may be, it will be torn apart!" Kaoru shouted, as the Thirteenth master landed in a crouch beside Kenshin; panting ever so slightly from exertion.
"Daijobu ka, Shishou?" Kenshin asked, worriedly; concerned by how much of a toll this seemed to be taking on his master's body.
"I...can still fight...if that's...what you're wondering." Hiko grumbled, as he steadied himself before getting to his feet again.
"He can't keep going like this...he's having an even harder time breathing than before..." Kenshin thought, concernedly, then directed a scalding glare up at the balloon where Enishi waited.
"Why don't you stop watching from above and come down yourself, Enishi!" Kenshin shouted, only getting the same grin as before from the insane man.
"Twisted and torn...the legendary Seijuro Hiko cannot be defeated easily...But as long as you think of it as 'playing with dolls'...then I am still your opponent." Gein growled, angrily.
"So be it." Hiko replied; moving away from Kenshin's side and facing the disfigured Iwanbo boldly. He heard it when Kenshin shouted Enishi's name again, and when the evil mastermind responded in an icy tone.
"Stop yelling. It will disturb the neighbors." Enishi replied, calmly.
"I think the fighting alone has already more than just disturbed the neighbors, ahou!" Hiko snarled, adding to the conversation, even though his attention was on Iwanbo.
"Such a mouth on your master, Battousai! Come down, you say? You don't understand. You are not in a position to order me around. You, looking up at me...and I, looking down at you...This is how we will stay. You, who committed the crime of murder...and I, who will cast down the judgment of Jinchuu! I am the one in control of this situation. Face the opponent before you and your master, before you spit at the heavens. I will come down when there is no one else to fight." Enishi said; sneering when he saw their postures stiffen.
"Just words! You'd better be able to back them up!" Sanosuke shouted; having just paused in the middle of his fight to give the insane man above him a defiant glare. Enishi snorted in derision at him, before continuing.
"Even without your cheesy posturing, if I say I'll come down, I will." Enishi stated, coolly.
"Are you through talking?" Gein asked.
"Quite." Hiko replied, simply.
"Add to the damage by twisting...'Twist and tear'...Those of us who use our heads in battle, tend to think of...similar concepts." Gein murmured, as he manipulated Iwanbo's flesh and arm to twist in on itself. Seeing what was taking place in front of him, Hiko instinctively jumped back...but was soon to find out that it wasn't far enough.
"The 'Unrestricted Attach/Detach Mechanism' is the core of my defense! The 'Unrestricted Joint Mechanism' is the core of my offense!" Gein said; sending Iwanbo's remaining arm hurtling at the Thirteenth master.
"Senwangeki!" Gein shouted, as the arm caught Hiko right in the chest and sent him flying.
"SHISHOU!!" Kenshin cried, in horror, as the man hit the ground hard; his body leaving a long gouge in the earth before coming to a stop. Without hesitation, Kenshin rushed to his master's side; fear filling him at the thought of what he might find. Already, he could feel Hiko's ki weakening, the pain swiftly overwhelming him.
"Shishou...?" Kenshin asked, as he kneeled beside the other swordsman. To his surprise, Hiko was struggling to sit up; an effort that quickly proved to be too much, when he gagged up blood a few moments later.
"Hiko-san!" Kaoru's voice yelped, feeling just as much horror as Kenshin when this happened.
"That much blood...He must have injured an internal organ!" Megumi added.
"K-Kenshin..." Hiko gasped.
"Shishou...You shouldn't talk...stay still..." Kenshin pleaded; noticing how pale and drawn the elder warrior looked, as he lay there. He could see it when blood began to soak through the material of Hiko's gi; knowing too well that his wounds from Enishi's sword had been reopened by the hit.
"Help me...stand. I need to...finish this." Hiko managed to say, even as blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.
"You can't keep fighting like this! One more blow to the chest could kill you, Shishou!" Kenshin said, in alarm, trying to persuade his stubborn teacher to stop.
"He's right, Hiko-san! If you get hit like that again, your ribs...!" Megumi started to say, yet went silent when she and Kaoru both got something that looked like a reassuring glance from him that was mixed with a strong refusal to back down.
"Doesn't matter...I started this...Can't very well...leave it...now." Hiko hissed, as he levered himself up into a kneeling position.
"Then at least let sessha fight alongside you." Kenshin begged; feeling at least some relief when the Thirteenth master reluctantly nodded.
"One hit, as you have already seen, leads to severe damage..." Gein stated; trailing off when Hiko stood again, bracing himself with one arm as he did so, and as Kenshin took up a fighting stance beside him.
"So it seems that Battousai is finally getting involved!" Gein thought, victoriously, before saying, "Literally, having an arm cut off does not hurt. All I have to move are my fingers. I do not exert much energy. I get the most effect for the least amount of effort...Extremely accurately...and safely...This is functional beauty! Do you still call it 'playing with dolls'?.!"
"Yes." Hiko snarled; watching closely as Iwanbo's arm started twisting in on itself again, gearing itself for another devastating blow.
"Kenshin! Hiko-san!" Kaoru cried, fearfully, when she noticed this as well. It was almost too late when both swordsmen noticed that one of Iwanbo's legs had done the same, and when Kenshin felt a hand grip his gi. The next thing he knew was that the both of them were flying backwards.
"Kenshin! The 'doll's' torn off arm! Use it as a shield!" Hiko's voice commanded, in his mind, when they had both skidded to a halt before it. With a nod, Kenshin drove his sakabatou into it, and held it up between them and the attacking arm. It landed with a sound 'thunk' into the rubberized flesh; preventing further injury from it.
"Your 'playing with dolls'...no matter how superior the doll you create and use...if you do not know the taste of blood or pain...Then everything you do...ends up being 'play'." Kenshin growled, his ire rising as he spoke, since he could still feel the intense pain coming from his master's ki, and they both watched the arm pull back.
"He's withdrawing...Probably to use that attack again..." Hiko observed, with narrowed eyes.
"Aa...Are you sure you can continue fighting?" Kenshin asked, concernedly.
"There's no choice...I can't back out now." Hiko murmured, then silently added, as he again glanced in Kaoru's and Megumi's direction, "There's too much at stake..."
"These men are so quick-witted! And their reactions are fast! Even though one of them is severely injured from the first Senwangeki, neither of them fell behind for an instant...and acted in the most efficient manner! They are not to be taken lightly, especially since the younger of the two, Battousai, is still uninjured and ready to fight! Yet, I could not ask for better opponents for Iwanbo!" Gein thought, appreciatively.
"Here I come!" Gein cried, as Iwanbo's remaining arm began to twist again, and fire off multiple attacks.
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"Ken-san and Hiko-san are being pushed back." Megumi said, as they both watched the fight from their position on the dojo's porch.
"No, it seems like that at first glance...but they can both see all of their opponent's moves. However..." Kaoru said; trailing off when a thought occurred to her.
"However?" Megumi asked.
"The fact that their sword strikes don't affect their opponent remains unchanged. And, with that much movement, they can't twist and tear the joints. It will be disadvantageous for Kenshin, and especially Hiko-san, if this drags on." Kaoru stated, her expression grave as she watched both men struggle to avoid the blows coming at them.
"And, even if they win, this is still part of the real enemy's plans." Kaoru mused, then added, "Hiko-san can barely stand, as it is."
"Do they have another way to attack?" Megumi questioned, after a few moments.
"Hai. There is one way. But..." Kaoru murmured, as both Hiten masters leaped onto the fence surrounding the dojo complex, and as Kenshin reached out to steady his master.
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"Your arm spins a lot." Kenshin muttered, breathlessly, from atop the fence. He stifled the urge to smirk when Hiko grumbled what sounded suspiciously like 'No shit' under his breath.
"Hanging around Sano too long, eh, Shishou?" Kenshin silently asked.
"Shut up." Hiko's voice responded, irritably; his tone reassuring his apprentice even further.
"Does it bother you?" Gein asked, in response.
"A little." Kenshin replied, for the both of them, as they prepared their swords to thrust into Iwanbo when they got the chance.
"There is...one target. Concentrate on that one point...the person in that large body..." Hiko muttered, as Kenshin nodded his understanding.
"Thrusts...Just as I expected. That is the last resort." Gein murmured, then silently added, "The fourth mechanism, the 'Anti-Piercing Armor'! The armor made of interlocking, woven steel, both durable and flexible, will not let any thrusts through!...However...one of those men have already pulled a few unexpected tricks...and the other has been watching the fight closely...There's no absolutes with them. In some sense, I am taking a gamble..."
"Now!" Hiko shouted, and as Kenshin rushed in first; his sword pointed directly at the shoulder of Iwanbo. As it went, the tip of his blade connected with one of the stones knocked off from the fence, and it and the blade sank into Iwanbo's flesh. Mere moments later, Kenshin heard it when Winter Moon sank in as well...and when the sword's tip met up with something metallic under the flesh.
"Damn!" Hiko hissed, before removing his sword from Iwanbo's flesh and backing up again. This got only chuckles from Gein, as the monstrosity began to move again.
"Those were truly some superb thrusts, but one of them had its' impact halved by the debris in the air! Luck has abandoned you in the end, and now you both lose!" Gein cackled, "Victory for my functional beauty! Iwanbo's hidden move! Senshi Senwangeki!" Both men watched as the arm and fingers on Iwanbo's remaining arm began to twist grotesquely, and as the arm pulled back. They both heard it when Kaoru almost cried out a warning, yet remained where they were; watching with some minute satisfaction when the arm abruptly stopped just inches from them.
"Why! Why did you stop?.! Why won't you move?.!" Gein shouted, in frustration.
"It is quite a marvel for even the fingers to twist...The internal structure must be quite precise and complicated to allow such movements. Just like a human body." Kenshin murmured, as he began to advance; disregarding the arm, since it was now frozen in place. Gein could only watch as he did this, and wonder why only Kenshin was moving, while Hiko stayed put.
"Just as the arm moves with the shoulder, or blood circulates through every inch of the body...Bleeding and pain are important to signal changes and danger to the body..." Kenshin continued, as he sheathed the sakabatou shinuchi in preparation for his final strike.
"You're about to pay for your arrogance." Hiko mused; knowing instinctively what move Kenshin was about to use, and only then moving back to avoid the effects.
"Your defeat comes from trying to win without experiencing the taste of blood and pain. For once you shall...Then you will realize the importance of your own life, and the lives of others. Now, let us destroy that toy...as promised earlier." Kenshin said, then shouted, "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu ougi! Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki!" All eyes watched as Iwanbo was destroyed by the powerful battoujutsu; even Enishi was stunned by the power of it!
"Nice work." Hiko muttered, reluctant to admit that Kenshin had done well.
"Arigato, Shishou." Kenshin replied, pleased that he'd finally gotten some form of approval from the stubborn warrior. They both looked when they heard one of the women sit down hard on the porch; her eyes wide with disbelief.
"That..." Kaoru muttered, still standing despite her shock.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu ougi." Sanosuke said, completing the thought for her. All eyes had turned to Kenshin, even those of Sanosuke's and Yahiko's opponents; had they really seen that much power come from one small man?
"Quite powerful...That would have been the end of me...without the 'Impact Absorption' and 'Anti-Piercing Armor' mechanisms...but it was a mistake to not finish me with that strike...That must have been the most powerful of your moves." Gein whispered, after having coughed up a little blood from his own internal injuries.
"Does that mean you'll come out of that toy and fight on your own?" Kenshin asked. He received no response.
"Gein, as you had said, the forefront of technology lies in battle. But there are those who would use the technology to make people's lives better..." Kenshin continued, "Without that spirit, no matter how superior the technology, it will be defeated and destroyed." This only got a snort of derision from Gein for that.
"If you still plan to fight, then sessha will now face you." Kenshin challenged; letting Hiko know by his tone that he wasn't going to fight this opponent again.
"I will have to decline. I am old. I've lived at least twice as long as you." Gein finally said.
"Hasn't stopped me." Hiko grumbled; hiding a wince when he crossed his arms.
"So he is as old as I thought he was! It seems there is still at least one warlord still alive in this time!" Gein mused, before saying, "In this situation...my functional beauty was inadequate. I lose."
"Shishou, you need to have your wounds looked at. Sessha will wait for Enishi out here." Kenshin said, his tone brooking no argument. He got an arched eyebrow from the swordmaster, but surprisingly enough, no disagreement. Now that the adrenaline that had been pumping through his system was all but spent, the pain was returning.
"This...might be it for me, in this fight..." Hiko thought, as he slowly made his way back to where Kaoru and Megumi were waiting.
"Sagara, Myojin, the rest is up to you." Hiko muttered, as he passed them.
"Shut up and rest with no worries." Sanosuke replied with a smirk, and as Yahiko echoed him.
"But this is the first time he's called me by my last name...Has he accepted me as a fighter?" Yahiko wondered, as he reached out with his newly learned ken-ki questioningly. His unspoken question was answered only a second later. Yes. The Thirteenth inheritor of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu now saw him as a true defender of the dojo.
"Hiko-san..." both women murmured, as he approached, covered in bruises and blood. They watched as he entered the building, and sat down; leaning against the wall tiredly as he did so.
"He's so pale...There's no way he can keep fighting, as badly hurt as he is now." Kaoru thought, as she dabbed at his face with a damp cloth.
"Hiko-san, do you think you can lie down? It'll help me get to your injuries easier." Megumi said; knowing that the elder warrior really didn't want to, since it would mean he would be permanently out of the fight. Without saying a word (even though the reluctance was there) Hiko slowly lay back; uttering a pained gasp as injured muscles protested. When his wounds were in full view, both women could only wonder how he kept moving at all. The slashes from Enishi's sword had reopened and were bleeding heavily, and a deep black bruise covered the rest of his abdomen. They could even hear his ribs creaking with every strained breath.
"All in all, it's a miracle he's still alive...If any one of those blows had hit his ribcage, then the ribs would have shattered, and his heart and lungs may have even been impaled..." Megumi thought, as she started treating the wounds. Yet all three of them knew, without any doubt, that the battle wasn't over yet. Enishi still had yet to come down, and there was at least one more enemy in another balloon above them...
"I can't give up yet...My strength is still needed." Hiko mused, as he closed his eyes and willed some strength back into his exhausted and wounded body; knowing only too well that the moment of respite would end far too soon.
Author's Note!
Hope this chapter wasn't too crazy! Sanosuke's and Yahiko's battles are coming up, so hang in there, minna!
Gemini14