Chapter Eight
An unusual silence had fallen over the dojo, as they waited for Enishi to descend.
"Just as requested, the five on the ground have been defeated. It's your turn next! Come down from there!" Sanosuke shouted, up to the only remaining balloon.
"Not even the slightest movement..." Kaoru murmured, after a few moments, and no visible reaction from Enishi.
"He's up so high...it will take him time to release enough gas to come down." Megumi said, quietly.
"Shishou." Kenshin called, getting his master's attention after a second or two, "Sessha will handle Enishi...even though sessha knows that you want to fight him, as well."
"I would do more than just fight him...but with that promise of yours' that no one here should die, that might prove difficult." Hiko muttered; his irritation at not being able to make Enishi pay for the wounds he'd inflicted very noticeable.
"Those two will be the only ones fighting from here on. This is a battle they have to settle. No matter what the outcome, don't lift a finger." Sanosuke added.
"You should listen a little more to what others say. Just as I had said earlier...someone who loses sight of the big picture because they live in a personal battle, does not qualify for Aku Soku Zan. I only move for my own justice." Saito growled, then said, "Besides, the objective of my assignment is to wring the necks of those who plan revolts, such as Shishio. My main goal is to acquire the customer list for Yukishiro Enishi's weapons business. Yukishiro himself is a low priority. I simply need to know his whereabouts, and keep him from escaping. I will only move if my 'other plan' does not obtain the list. Until then, go ahead and have your duel, revenge, whatever..."
"Speaking of 'other plans'...I wonder why they haven't gotten here yet? Most of the fighting is done..." Hiko mused, as he watched Kaoru hand Kenshin his sakabatou, then returned his gaze to the sky and the descending balloon.
"Kenshin, we've finally reached the new era, after many painful struggles. I wish everyone...could achieve happiness..." Kaoru almost whispered; seeming surprised when the ex-rurouni smiled.
"The new era has just begun." Kenshin replied, with some hope in his eyes, as well.
"All right! Go settle this for good!" Sanosuke encouraged.
"I'll heal any wounds you may receive!" Megumi added.
"Hey! You say something too!" Sanosuke shouted to Saito.
"Yeah. Just one word!" Megumi agreed.
"Well, good luck with that." Saito muttered, dryly, as the two that had urged him to speak gave him irritated looks.
"Don't you lose. I'll smack you...if you lose." Yahiko mumbled; proving that he was at least semi-conscious. Kenshin's smile softened.
"Get some rest, now. There will be training as usual tomorrow..." Kenshin murmured, then stepped forward.
"Never forget the will to live..." a stray thought quietly said, in the back of Kenshin's mind; almost prompting him to look back. He knew whose voice it was, yet still let himself feel some surprise...his master knew how to encourage after all.
"Arigato, Shishou." Kenshin silently replied, before stepping into the rising dust, and becoming momentarily lost to their sight seconds later.
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Enishi silently looked around, as he finally jumped out of his balloon's basket. Nearby, Gein was just dragging himself out of what was left of the 'Savage Mode' Iwanbo; grumbling to himself as he did so.
"Ow. Sheesh." Gein muttered, as he stood and irritably started dusting himself off.
"You're quite beat up. Are you all right?" Enishi asked, with a trace of concern in his voice as he walked past.
"Yes. It's quite safe inside. There is no need to worry." Gein reassured. This got a smile from Enishi that seemed to border on relief.
"It relieves me to hear that. Now I can concentrate on completing the Jinchuu!" Enishi murmured, the smile on his face once again taking on evil nuances.
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As the moments slowly passed, a feeling of uneasiness filled the Thirteenth master.
"We've overlooked something...I've overlooked something...But what is it?" Hiko wondered, as he trained his ki in the direction Kenshin had gone in. He stopped himself from jumping when a soft hand touched his arm, and looked down. Once again, Kaoru was looking up at him with concern.
"You look nervous. What is it?" Kaoru asked, knowing to trust in Hiko's instincts in this matter.
"There's another ki coming from that direction, as well...It's distorted, but definitely human." Hiko replied, as some looks of alarm crossed Kaoru's, Sanosuke's and Megumi's faces.
"Isn't that where Kujiranami had ended up?" Sanosuke asked, his question sending a jolt through the elder Hiten master.
"Damn..." Hiko growled, tensely; cursing himself for that slip of foresight. He'd forgotten about the vengeance-driven behemoth!
"Hiko-san, don't try to go over there, please! The battle between Ken-san and that madman is about to begin! You'll be caught in the middle if you go now!" Megumi said, then added, "You need to be mindful of your injuries!" She was startled by the expression that emerged on the older man's face; a look that would have sent even Battousai scurrying...as it was, she felt her soul shiver in response to it.
"You'd better hope, Takani, that that cannon-wielding lunatic stays down, then...And that I, even with these injuries...will not be too late to stop him if he does decide to step in." Hiko growled; his tone promising something dire, if things turned out that way.
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"I'm sure there's no need to ask...But have you no doubts about fighting?" Enishi asked, when Kenshin had arrived in front of him.
"Aa...countless. But sessha will search for a way to pay for the crimes of the hitokiri and the crime of taking Tomoe's life..." Kenshin replied, as the dust cleared from around them; offering a clear view to those who stood watching. He could sense when some alarm came from them, and that his master's ki had suddenly become alerted to potential danger, but didn't dare turn around and look.
"Your penance has been prepared by me. I chose the most cruel form of it for you." Enishi replied, softly, as he looked over Kenshin's shoulder at two people in particular.
"But...before that, Battousai...I will have you experience that pain. The pain from the wound you slashed into my sister's beautiful body...Now! It is time to complete the Jinchuu!" Enishi said, as he removed his coat, and began to unwrap what appeared to be a long canvas bag.
"I told you on the bridge at dawn, when we saw each other for the first time in ten years, that I would show you another strength, different from the strength of the Mafia. As promised, observe." Enishi said, as he pulled what appeared to be a Chinese-style sword from the bag.
"It must have arrived from the continent, from China?" Megumi guessed.
"It's quite long. What kind of sword is it?" Sanosuke asked.
"Tachi." Hiko muttered, eyes narrowing as he took in the sight. He could remember very clearly the many times he'd encountered such blades in the battlefield, and the times when some had even been in the hands of warriors who had not been human.
"Indeed. A sword that was common up to the Sengoku Era..." Saito stated, then wondered, "But how could he have known what it was, just by looking at it? Is he older than he appears?"
"But what does it mean?" Megumi asked, bewildered by this development.
"It could just be a bluff. The other five have all been dubious characters." Sanosuke said, trying to encourage them by saying that.
"But looking at the fine craftsmanship of the blade, I don't think it's a bluff." Kaoru uneasily added.
"Quit panicking. It's annoying." Saito grumbled, then said, "It is the norm in battle to not know the enemy's ability. What's important is to have the strength to be able to crush an enemy, whatever their ability."
"True...Unless he is above Shishio's level, then Kenshin will never lose." Sanosuke quietly agreed. They watched as Enishi almost casually twirled the long blade; the confidence he had in his own abilities quite easy to see.
"Now, shall we begin?" Enishi asked, when the sword had come to rest across his shoulders.
"You should take off your glasses. It's dangerous for your eyes." Kenshin said, in response; as always, concerned about his opponent.
"Feh. Don't worry. I won't allow you to land even one blow." Enishi sneered, then shouted, "Begin!" With that spoken command, he rushed in; slashing at Kenshin when he was close enough. With a deft leap, Kenshin avoided the blow, unsheathing his own sword as he did so. With the ringing of steel on steel, the battle had truly begun. At one point, both men were in mid-air, the force of their ken-ki almost blowing Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Megumi over. The only two who weren't even phased by it were Saito and Hiko.
"He's not bad..." Sanosuke muttered, secretly and reluctantly impressed.
"Yes...He knows how to use his musculature and the weight of his sword...to push the speed and the impact to the limit. His ken-ki is not inferior to Kenshin's. That man...is a master swordsman." Kaoru murmured.
"So what if he is? Do I need to mention that Kenshin is the Fourteenth master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu? At that level, Enishi is nowhere near Shishio." Sanosuke growled.
"I agree with that." Saito said, before adding, "He has potential and the training...but that's it."
"But if he didn't travel to the continent...if he learned kenjutsu here..." Kaoru began, trailing off before she could finish.
"It's as I'd said, six days ago...It's a style that had been developed to counter Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu...and you're about to see what it can do." Hiko muttered, just as Enishi attacked with even more ferocity than before.
"Watojutsu! Shugeki Tosei!" Enishi howled, as he launched a kick at Kenshin's face, slashing upwards while doing that. The blow sent Kenshin flying.
"He doubled the force of his sword swing by adding the kick!" Saito muttered, sounding a bit impressed by this.
"He's...acquired some form of kenjutsu, all right!" Sanosuke said, agreeing with what Kaoru had said just moments before.
"But 'Watojutsu'...I've never even heard of anything like that..." Kaoru softly stated, subdued by the power she'd just seen.
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"This is the power I had gained over ten years. The strength that let me climb to the top from absolute zero...the new kenjutsu, perfected in the continent with the tachi brought over from Japan in ancient days...Watojutsu!" Enishi purred, then said, "Call your master over here. I'm sure he'd like to be involved in this, as well."
"Why?" Kenshin asked, panting as he slowly got back to his feet.
"So he can also feel the pain of my sister's wounds." Enishi hissed.
"If sessha refuses?" Kenshin again asked.
"Then I will beat you into the ground, kill him in front of you, and shove his own sword through his heart to finish him off." Enishi replied; his tone chilling Kenshin in ways he hadn't thought possible.
"But why does he want the both of us to fight? Wouldn't that put him at a disadvantage?" Kenshin wondered, as he glanced in Hiko's direction almost fearfully.
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"Something's wrong. It's not like him to look back once a battle has started." Kaoru mused, having seen the expression on the rurouni's face and becoming perplexed by it.
"Seijuro Hiko the Thirteenth! Come join us, won't you?" Enishi's voice almost sang, mockingly.
"Isn't this vendetta just against Kenshin?" Hiko replied; his stance stiffening when Enishi spoke directly to him, and as his anger was re-awakened.
"It would be rude to exclude you, as well! After all, you were the one who taught him how to kill my sister!" Enishi stated, accusingly.
"He's trying to pull me into it...But how would that aid him?" Hiko silently asked, then sighed and began walking.
"Hiko-san!" Megumi yelped, with true concern in her voice as he left their side.
"I don't know what he has planned, but it apparently was enough to unnerve the Baka Deshi...It seems my part in this isn't over yet." Hiko murmured, not even turning around to look at them as he spoke.
"Please, be careful, Hiko-san. You're already pretty badly hurt...and Enishi might try to take advantage of that..." Kaoru said, urging him to remember just where he stood in this fight. She felt a sense of pride and honor when the older swordsman glanced at her from over his shoulder and gave her a slight nod. Then he continued on his silent return to the battlefield, ever aware of the group's gazes on his back as he went.
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Kenshin watched as his master approached them; sensing the older man's confusion and irritation at being called back out to fight.
"Glad you could make it, Hiko-san." Enishi sneered.
"Save your taunts for someone else." Hiko muttered, then glanced at Kenshin. The younger swordsman still looked a little rattled.
"Playtime is over. Why don't you both come at me with your Hiten swords?" Enishi asked, getting back to the business at hand.
"Before that...you really should take off your glasses. One mistake could lead to blindness." Kenshin murmured, as he breathed a shaky sigh, and stood alongside Hiko.
"I think it's a little late for that..." Hiko grumbled, under his breath.
"Do you say that because you're under-estimating me? Or are you over-estimating yourselves?" Enishi questioned.
"Neither. Sessha is fighting, not to harm you, but to stop you." Kenshin replied, calmly.
"I can't exactly say the same...But there is at least some agreement. You must be stopped." Hiko said, remaining surprisingly calm, despite the fact that he wanted to kill the man in front of him.
"Not only are you hard to ignite, but once the spark catches, it seems to take a long time for you to come fully aflame." Enishi muttered, impatiently, "Fine then. Until you both get serious, I'll entertain myself with a little story...Let's go!" With a quickness that Kenshin had not been prepared for, Enishi struck; lashing out first at him, and then Hiko.
"Once upon a time, there was a kid whose sister was killed by a hitokiri. The poor child, alone in the world, came to hate Japan and crossed the sea to Shanghai. However, Shanghai is the evil capital of the East. It's difficult for a weakling to survive, and the child became skin and bones within a month." Enishi growled, as he struck at Hiko with his blade, and kicked Kenshin back when he tried to come to his aid.
"Starvation and exhaustion, sickness and wounds...finally, the child could not keep going. Then the child was found...The couple was Japanese, residing in Shanghai in order to research the literature of the continent. To put it simply, they were intellectuals." Enishi continued; smirking when he drove his sword into Hiko's defenses, catching him in the chest.
"Shishou!" Kenshin yelped, when he heard the strangled cry come from between his master's lips, knowing the tip of the sword had gotten his lung.
"I don't like where this is going..." Hiko thought, as he gritted his teeth and pushed Enishi away; watching as Enishi blocked another blow from Kenshin.
"Nutritious meals and devoted medical care...the child held onto his life. Then the child, in an unfamiliar act, thanked the gods...for granting him such foolish prey." Enishi said, as Kenshin's eyes widened.
"He killed the couple for their foolishness, and found the power that he needed. This was how the child and Watojutsu met." Enishi added, as he pulled away from them, and stood back; watching with glee as the elder Hiten master started coughing up blood.
"I think we should be thankful...that Kenshin didn't turn into a demon...like him." Hiko thought, as Kenshin looked up at him with fear and concern on his face.
"It's self-taught, so there's a unique personal twist to it...But, by the time he finished growing, he was second to none as a practitioner of Watojutsu." Enishi finished the 'story' then added, "Now, here is the question; stealing from the family would have been enough, so why did the child massacre them?"
"Enough..." Kenshin whispered, as he got in front of Hiko just long enough to gauge how serious his new chest wound was.
"Answer Number One: The family resisted. Answer Number Two: The child was a psychopath. Answer Number Three: For the child, whose sister was killed by a merciless hitokiri, destroying his happiness...the sight of a family living in happiness was unbearable." Enishi said, leering at them as fiery anger lit both men's eyes.
"I'm inclined to go with Two." Hiko gasped, as he spat a little more blood out of his mouth, and gave him a look that was fit to kill.
"Nope. Wrong answer. You were close though." Enishi crooned.
"Stop talking, Enishi!" Kenshin snapped, and, when he was certain that the wound wasn't life threatening, leaped away from Hiko, and prepared to deliver his first strike.
"The correct answer is, without debate, Number Three." Enishi sneered, his own eyes taking on a lurid, blood-red light as he spoke.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Ryu Kan Sen!" Kenshin cried, as he attacked.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu...Kuzu Ryu Sen!" Hiko's voice rasped, as he shot forward as well.
"Your flames are growing! But flames those size are easily blown back by the wind from the continent...burning you!" Watojutsu! Kaishi Tosei!" Enishi shouted, as he attacked the both of them; somehow evading the nine strikes from the elder Hiten master, dodging the younger one's blow entirely, and first impaling Kenshin's left shoulder, then Hiko's!
"Ken-san! Hiko-san!" Megumi's voice cried, horrified by the sight of the two men pinned together by the sharp blade. Kenshin could feel when his master stiffened in agony against the thrust through the already injured shoulder, yet was surprised when he had the presence of mind to wrap the same arm around his waist, and support his weight so the muscles in his own shoulder wouldn't get shredded.
"After ten years...the child finally found the hitokiri who'd killed his sister. The hitokiri had changed his name, found an 'after', and was living happily. The young man...could not bear this." Enishi snarled, as he ripped the sword out of them; letting both sag to the ground.
"Daijobu ka...Shishou?" Kenshin asked, silently.
"Baka...using a counter-attack for a first attack! BAKA DESHI!!!" Hiko's mind roared, in response, then added, "You should have known better than that! Was two months enough to make you go soft in the head?.!" Kenshin had to fight not to cringe, when Hiko directed his frustration at him; his mind almost immediately sent back ten years in the past, and remembering the other tirades he'd heard then.
"Gomen, Shishou." Kenshin meekly replied, when he saw and felt the elder master's disbelief at his lapse in intelligence. Then they both looked up, and saw the Enishi was giving Kaoru a murderous look.
"This is a personal battle...originally between sessha and you...there was...and there is no need to involve anyone else. You will be stopped here." Kenshin said, as he slowly stood.
"Despite the previous foolishness on his part, I can only agree. You will not be allowed to shed anyone else's blood here, yarou." Hiko growled, as he also got back to his feet; ignoring the pain burning through him as he said that.
"Feh. Fine. The chitchat is over, then. The real deal is starting now. It is finally time." Enishi said, simply, as he flicked the blood off of the blade of his sword, then turned to face them again.
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Kaoru jumped, when Saito's voice interrupted the sudden silence.
"We don't need any more problems than we already have. Get away while you can. If you stay here, things could get quite complicated." Saito said, yet seemed minutely surprised by Kaoru's response.
"I understand. You are referring to Yukishiro Enishi's eyes. Those eyes...were not only seeing an enemy. I can't describe it well...but it's beyond that." Kaoru murmured, understanding Saito's barely spoken concern.
"Even if you cannot describe it, you should understand if you've sensed it. You are Himura Kenshin's greatest weakness. If the situation gets tough, he will mercilessly target that weakness." Saito added, yet could only wonder what Hiko's weakness would be, in this case.
"In this case, he is the biggest unknown." Saito mused, as both men stood side-by-side in front of the threat.
"I know...but...I can't move right now. From this position, Yukishiro Enishi will notice me moving before Kenshin and Hiko do...and then, he would take some sort of action...This is a duel neither of them can avoid, no matter how painful a struggle it is. So, now that Kenshin has decided to fight seriously, I can't do anything to influence it...not even out of self-preservation. Now is the time for a pure and simple end to a fifteen year duel...Of course Kenshin and even Yukishiro Enishi must feel the same way...But I can only wonder what Hiko-san feels about this..." Kaoru quietly said, her wisdom in this situation gaining just a little more respect from Saito for it.
"Just to let you know, I won't lend a hand if anything happens." Saito mumbled.
"I know." Kaoru sighed, in exasperation, then added, "You are about half an enemy to Kenshin."
"More than half. Get it right." Saito retorted, as he raised his cigarette to his mouth again, inhaled, and blew the smoke out in a frustrated sigh.
"What are you two mumbling about back there? You're the one who needs to be watching the most!" Megumi snapped.
"Hey, If you have time to be zoning out, give them a cheer or two." Sanosuke added.
"I don't think it matters. Something as little as that won't make a difference." Saito muttered; adding a rather irritated 'Don't look at me, fool' when Kaoru glanced at him questioningly.
"If we leave them alone, they'll just keep staring at each other for a while. Yell something to get things started." Sanosuke said, as he looked at the three men standing there, poised and motionless.
"Then...Go for it, Kenshin and Hiko-san!" Kaoru cried, watching with amazement as the battle began again in earnest.
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With sickening ease, Enishi held off the two Hiten masters' blows.
"Still not enough. Neither of you can be serious, not with this low level of activity...Why don't you fire off some Hiten moves, to test it out?" Enishi asked, then shouted, "Watojutsu!"
"He's coming!" Sanosuke's voice warned, and both men noticed the change in stance.
"Shoha Tosei!" Enishi howled, as he sent the blow directly at Kenshin's head, but had his blade blocked by Winter Moon; allowing Kenshin to leap above Enishi's head.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Ryu Tsui Sen!" Kenshin cried, as he came down; the sakabatou aimed at Enishi's back.
"That's it. The mid-flight move worthy of the name Hiten! How I've wanted to defeat this..." Enishi sneered, ramming the hilt of his blade into Hiko's ribs to knock him back, then planting his sword's blade in the ground and used it to boost himself into the air.
"Watojutsu! Choten Tosei!" Enishi crowed, as he knocked Kenshin away from him. To his shock, Kenshin used one of the stray balloons to get his movements back under control, then glared down at him.
"If your skill level is insufficient to determine whether your opponent is serious or not...then this duel is over right now." Kenshin intoned, then shouted, "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Kuzu Ryu Sen!" With some satisfaction, Hiko watched when Enishi hit the ground; still more than a little irked that Kenshin had made such a foolish mistake in the beginning of the duel, and that he himself was having such a hard time. His chest was burning, as was his shoulder, and the gashes on his back were bleeding again...but he wasn't about to get any rest. In no time at all, Enishi was back on his feet, and leering at them like evil incarnate.
"He's worse than any youkai I'd faced back then." Hiko mused, "This demon in human form is completely insane."
"I am happy, Battousai...I wanted you to have this degree of power...hidden in yourself. If you were utterly weak...that would make me a less-than-nothing weakling who couldn't protect his sister from you." Enishi snickered; his blood red gaze sending a shudder through Kenshin.
"Kenshin." Kenshin perked up a little bit, and gave the elder Hiten master a sideward glance. The older man looked even more haggard than before, but he was still standing, despite the obvious pain.
"Be ready to use the ougi...It might be the only way you can bring him down..." Hiko's voice said, in the back of Kenshin's mind, even though it 'sounded' as strained as it had the morning he'd learned the move.
"What about you? Are you all right, Shishou?" Kenshin asked, worriedly.
"Don't worry about me. Keep your attention on the yarou in front of you." Hiko commanded.
"Aa." Kenshin replied, as they both closely watched Enishi.
"Now...At least I now know that you possess powers worthy of an opponent. I still have to perform the completion of Jinchuu." Enishi said, as he twirled the tachi into a ready position at his side, "Now let's put an end to this. Unleash it! The move you used to destroy Gein's Karakuri suit. The ougi of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu!" Silently, Kenshin began to sheathe his sword.
"Gomen, Enishi. Your feelings for Tomoe are not wrong...nor is your grudge against sessha...But the way you've lived the last fifteen years...is definitely wrong. Sessha will now...cut it away." Kenshin softly said, as his gaze hardened into one of grim determination.
"Here it comes..." Hiko thought, as he slowly backed away, and as the wind began to pick up around them.
"Now...it's about time...to prepare for the completion of Jinchuu!" Gein's voice said, as a growl sounded from behind him; alerting Hiko to the fact that Kujiranami was about to wake back up.
"Nee-san." Enishi whispered, getting some confused looks from Kenshin and Hiko for that.
"As long as my sister smiles at me...I will be stronger than anyone...than anything. Battousai, in your mind, is my sister...smiling on you?" Enishi asked, his tone chilling even Hiko to the core.
"I don't like this..." Hiko grimly thought, as he forced himself to stand up straighter, and breathe deeper; calming himself in preparation for what was about to come.
"She us not smiling right now...but...Sessha believes she will smile upon him when this battle ends...Let's go." Kenshin replied.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Ougi! Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki!"
"Watojutsu Lethal Move! Kofuku Zettosei!"
"He dodged it!" Kaoru cried, in alarm.
"They're going to get killed!" Megumi shouted, in dismay.
"No, it starts now." Saito calmly said.
"The ultimate second strike!" Sanosuke added, as they all listened to the two men's blood-curdling cries, as Kenshin's battoujutsu reached it's second phase, and as Hiko started moving again, slashing lower into Enishi's defenses. But the end result of Enishi's attack caught them both off guard. Blood gushed from Kenshin's chest, and the point of Enishi's sword had ended up in Hiko's shoulder again (after it had opened another gash on his chest from the upward stroke that had nearly bisected Kenshin).
"If I had been an instant slower, that would have been a draw...it was closer than I thought...I appreciate it, Gein-san. Seeing it once was quite effective." Enishi said, pleasurably.
"You're welcome. I am also somewhat satisfied." Gein stated, as he watched the two Hiten masters bleed.
"Gomen...Kenshin...I should have warned you...Should have realized that this yarou would use that same attack...on you...as he had on me..." Hiko's voice gasped, in the back of his mind, as Kenshin struggled to get his own pain under control. Upon looking to his right, Kenshin could see that Hiko was down again; all of his wounds bleeding as heavily as Kenshin's were.
"You're both quite good. You determined that in an instant. But...it's actually much simpler than that. The important part is that my sister smiled on me." Enishi said, his fiendish grin widening when he saw the blood pooling beneath the two men.
"How's that, Battousai, Seijuro-san? Does the wound he gave my sister hurt? But Nee-san must have hurt more. It would defeat the purpose to finish you both off, here. So I merely rendered you immobile. Now...the preparations are done. I am beginning the true Jinchuu!" Enishi snarled, as smoke began to rise around them.
"Smoke?.!" Sanosuke and Megumi cried.
"It's plain smoke. Do not worry. Unlike Otowa's, it doesn't contain poison." Gein said, calmly.
"This will prevent unnecessary interruptions." Enishi hissed, as the smoke began to obscure the view of the three men.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru screamed, fearfully, as Enishi began to stride over to the group.
"After all...'Death' is only a momentary pain. Simple death will not satisfy my sister's grudge...nor my hate. You, Battousai, took her fiancé away from her...You took my sister from me...So now it is my turn. This time I'll take away the person who is most important to you! Casting you into a 'living hell'!" Enishi growled, yet could not get any closer, when Winter Moon's blade flashed into view, along with its' badly wounded owner.
"Hiko-san!" Kaoru yelped, as he stood directly in front of her.
"Try it and die." Hiko snarled, his tone not at all like the one they'd been used to hearing. To Kaoru, it sounded almost like that of a father protecting his daughter!
"So, you're willing to throw your life away too? Fair enough. You're also extremely important to the Battousai...a father figure, if you will. Your death will also help send him to hell." Enishi said; yet pausing when one word from Kenshin froze him.
"Stop." Kenshin's voice said, angrily.
"You can still get up? Just stay down. If you end up dying, my Jinchuu will be...!" Enishi was prevented from finishing his thought, when Kenshin's fist made a sound impact with his face.
"That will not be allowed, Enishi...Even if Tomoe's spirit truly smiled on you...IT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED!!!" Kenshin shouted, with true rage in his eyes at the threats he'd posed to both Hiko and Kaoru.
"Hmph...'That will not be allowed' eh? That's great! The more you heat up to protect them, the harder their losses will hit y..." Enishi was cut off again, this time by a blow to the chest; forcing him to choke up blood from the impact. Moments later, he found himself hitting the side of a building with a crash.
"Enishi...sessha will defeat you here. You will not lay one finger on Kaoru-dono, and you will not hurt Shishou any further!" Kenshin raged.
"Shut up! I will bring down Jinchuu...on you, no matter what!" Enishi howled, as the third part of their duel began.
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Kaoru was frantic. She could hear what was going on just yards away, and was fearing for Kenshin's life even more as every second passed.
"Get a hold of yourself! You said so yourself...If you died, Ken-san would blame himself and suffer, so you couldn't die, no matter what! But that is about to happen!" Megumi shouted, when she'd slapped Kaoru and brought her back to her senses.
"She's right...Kamiya..." Hiko's voice coughed, as he limped back into view.
"Hiko-san!" Kaoru and Megumi both yelped, when the tall warrior emerged from the smoke. His clothing was soaked in blood, but he still managed to stay on his feet despite that.
"I'll guard your life from here on out, Kamiya." Hiko said, his tone brooking no argument from Megumi.
"Hiko-san...just saying that could get you killed." Kaoru softly said, for once acting like the frightened young woman she truly was...Only she was more afraid for the older swordsman's life, at this point, than for her own.
"I've been on his 'death' list for a while now, Kamiya...Up until this point, he's been toying with my life...I owe it to Kenshin to keep you safe." Hiko murmured, as a brief hint of guilt appeared in his eyes. It was then that Kaoru noticed; Hiko's eyes were once again their usual ebony shade. His worry for her safety had overruled his rage at Enishi involving him in the Jinchuu!
"Hiko-san..." Kaoru thought, then nodded.
"Let's go, Saito! We're helping Kenshin! We're gonna smack down Little Mister Sunglasses!" Sanosuke said, as he began to walk in that direction.
"I thought this was a duel with no interference." Saito muttered, as he paused to light yet another cigarette.
"Baka! Enishi's forfeited that right! Quit being so stupid!" Sanosuke snapped, furiously.
"My, my. Everyone is so selfish...Ah well. I don't want that youngster taking my most anticipated prey. I'll let you own me one." Saito muttered, as he unsheathed his own sword, and followed Sanosuke into the smoke.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Kenshin panted as he continued beating Enishi into a bloody pulp; his fury and rage fueling him in a way Enishi had not anticipated.
"With that amount of blood loss...he shouldn't even be able to move...Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki was defeated, and Kofuku Zettosei made his body and spirit useless...This man...where is this strength coming from?" Enishi wondered, as he launched himself at Kenshin again, only to be knocked back down back another hard blow...this time from his sword!
"It...can't be...This is impossible!" Enishi's mind screamed, as the enraged rurouni stood over him.
"Go to sleep, Enishi. When you wake, you will be taught the truth of the situation. Then, cast judgement on me! If you still desire to avenge Tomoe, I will gladly take it. Do you understand?" Kenshin growled, before the inevitable happened. Kenshin was grabbed by Kujiranami, and prevented from delivering his final blow.
"I didn't think a false comrade would be so useful...It sometimes pays to plot some trickery. It seems like the heavens...have finally sided with my Jinchuu." Enishi panted, as he stood back up and put his glasses back on.
"Stop, Enishi!" Kenshin cried, as he helplessly watched Enishi fade into the shadows.
"It will be over in four or five minutes. Make sure he doesn't kill you, and come be the audience for the final act." Enishi's voice said, as it's owner moved ever closer to Kaoru and Hiko.
"ENISHI!!!" Kenshin yelled, his voice drifting over the chaos, but was never even heard by the man himself...
Author's Note!
Erg...This chapter was a pain in the butt to write! (In other words, Writer's Block almost had a 'Jinchuu' of its' own!) I hope this was all right!
Gemini14