Chapter Fifteen
Tense moments passed, as they watched the battles still going on. Saito was now seated on the far end of the beached boat; reluctantly allowing Megumi to tend to his wounds.
"Aoshi-sama!" Misao yelped, when she saw the former Okashira block yet another strike that had been aimed at his head, his kodachi still sheathed.
"Don't squeal too much, Itachi. It might just distract him." Saito grumbled; managing a slight smirk when he got a rise from the hyperactive onmitsu.
"Shut up, you baka Wolf!" Misao snapped, angrily.
"This conversation is going downhill fast." Hiko muttered, dryly; making certain to watch both sets of altercations from a safe distance.
"I can only agree, Seijuro-san." Sojiro said, his exasperation making itself known when a deadpan expression crossed his face. Kaoru could only smile uneasily, and sigh; she also had no choice but to agree with her two unofficial bodyguards, and continue watching the fight.
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"Why don't you draw? I know that's Nito-ryu, dual kodachi." Suzaku said, smirking as he said that.
"I see...Then I have no reason to hold back." Aoshi murmured, as he unsheathed his twin blades, and attacked, "Kodachi Nito-ryu, Onmyo Kosa!"
"The same!" Suzaku snarled, as he unleashed the same attack onto the surprised Aoshi.
"I, Suzaku, pride myself in my ability to mimic an opponent's moves. In other words, your moves will be reflected back at you until death!" the ugly brute sneered, before he and Aoshi both leaped back, and launched another attack.
"Oniwaban style Kodachi Nito-ryu! Onmyo Hasshi!" Aoshi hissed, as, once again, his attack was copied to perfection by Suzaku. In perfect unison, two blades went flying, one of them Aoshi's, the other, Suzaku's; and, on the same token, they mirrored their movements exactly when they reached back and deftly grabbed the blades as they fell.
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"What is he?.! All four look mass-produced, but he's able to cross swords with Aoshi-sama equally!" Misao said, distressed by this for very good reasons.
"Not quite." Hiko murmured, as he watched the fight closely; dark eyes trained on the four blades, and their wielders.
"As Shishou had pointed out, it is not 'equal'." Kenshin agreed, quietly; his words brightening Misao's countenance for a moment.
"That's right! Aoshi-sama is more than equal to that guy! You two have got that right!" Misao stated.
"Baka. That wasn't what was meant, at all." Saito grumbled, as he slowly pulled his tunic back up, and stiffly started buttoning it again.
"What do you mean by that?.! Why do you all look so serious, there?.!" Misao asked, when she'd noticed the grim looks on the rest of the group's faces.
"I think we're about to find out, Misao-chan." Kaoru said, watching as Aoshi changed his grip on his kodachi, so that both blades had their sharp edges facing out.
"Reverse handed dual wield! That stance is Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren!" Misao said, her voice softer, since she was seeing an attack Aoshi rarely used, in front of her. Yet she could only feel dismay, when Suzaku again copied the move to perfection.
"First pre-determination of an opponent's moves, now mimicry...This day just keeps getting better." Saito growled, as he irritably lit a cigarette, and inhaled. And he got no argument for that comment.
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Aoshi gritted his teeth, when his strikes didn't land on Suzaku, and a few were parried; some of the impacts traveling through his arms and rattling his own still-healing ribs.
"Ow." Aoshi managed to think, as he leaped back again and skidded to a stop a fair distance away from Suzaku, so he could catch his breath.
"It looks like that was your best move. Since your expression didn't change when I mimicked it, I assume you understand what this means." Suzaku snickered, then added, "Firing back moves I've never seen before is immutable proof that I am slightly faster than you! You and I are not equal. I am superior by just enough! All forms of combat begin by mimicking those who came before, and so reach completion. This is proof that the mimicker can become greater than his predecessors! I, whose mimicry is better than the original, have no enemies! I have seen your moves. I know your tricks. Now it is my turn to attack. Can you keep up with me?" Aoshi said nothing, before Suzaku attacked again, this time wielding his personal attacks perfectly.
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"What should we do, Himura?.! You're quiet again! Say something! I get very worried when you're silent!" Misao shouted, panicking when she saw this turn of events.
"And you put up with that on the way to Kyoto?" Hiko silently asked, as he listened to her whine with some annoyance.
"Aa." Kenshin replied.
"You're braver than I took you for, Baka Deshi." Hiko muttered, with grudging respect for his apprentice's saintlike patience. Kenshin merely sighed and shook his head.
"You don't know the half of it, Shishou." Kenshin groused, seeming minutely irritated himself, when Misao kept pushing for an answer from him.
"Himura!" Misao pleaded.
"Sheesh. One thing, then." Kenshin muttered.
"Okay! What?" Misao questioned, eagerly; hoping that he was about to suggest something that would help Aoshi.
"Trust Aoshi. That's enough." Kenshin replied, in his usual soft tone.
"And then shut up." Saito added, from between annoyed puffs of his cigarette.
"As the Westerners would say,...'Amen to that!', Saito-san." Sojiro mumbled; getting his first deadly glare from Misao as a response to that jab.
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With the sound of steel on steel, Suzaku deftly knocked Aoshi's kodachi out of his hands; his grin only deepening in bloodlust when he saw that his opponent was now unarmed.
"It's over! This is it! The final moment! The expression you fools make while being killed by your own moves is so entertaining! This is why I cannot stop battling!" Suzaku laughed, as he charged at Aoshi with his twin swords raised, "Now, what sort of expression will be your last...?.!" There wasn't another word spoken by Suzaku for a few moments, since his face had suddenly, and inexplicably, become full of Aoshi's booted foot.
"M-martial arts...?.!" Suzaku stammered, when he was able to talk again.
"I am impressed by your ability to mimic, but three hundred years of Oniwaban combat tradition cannot be defeated by mimicry alone. No matter how well you master it, mimicry is mimicry. It's weakness is easily revealed when faced with the powers of original moves, combined from different styles." Aoshi said, since he was the one who was explaining things, now.
"Shut up! You only landed that blow because I let my guard down! You can't defeat your swords with your fists!" Suzaku bellowed, as he swept one of his blades down...yet had it caught by Aoshi in a single-handed grip!
"It is my own sword...and I know it's every swing." Aoshi intoned, then with surprising strength, broke the blade! Suzaku froze when he saw this happen, and true fear appeared in his eyes.
"Don't worry...If you were truly from the shadows, I would finish this fight right now...But you are nothing more than a fool, drowning himself in the pleasure of battle. You are not worthy of death." Aoshi whispered, his voice sending chills down Suzaku's back, before he was also knocked down. As he returned to the group standing near the boat, Aoshi wisely ignored Misao's cheering, and sat down again.
"You seem to have fared well." Saito muttered.
"Somewhat. The only wound worth mentioning is on my hand." Aoshi replied, as he let Megumi get a look at said hand, while he said that.
"Feh, I'm only glad that we weren't pulled into a fight with that one. I almost shudder to think of what he would have done with Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu." Hiko said, quietly.
"True enough." Aoshi agreed, then added, "And we should be grateful that he never saw the Izuna."
"I would rather forget that that move had ever existed." Hiko growled; his expression sour as the memory of it cutting into him returned.
"Two more left...Let's just hope that their fights go as well." Kaoru said, and getting an agreement from the rest.
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Heishin stared in disbelief at the scene in front of him.
"What...? Impossible...two of the four Su-shin...have been defeated..." Heishin muttered, nervously, when he'd seen Aoshi finish his fight, and return to the boat. Suzaku and Seiryu both lay unconscious on the sand, after having been defeated by Aoshi and Saito.
"Kakushi!" a voice growled, and a blow landed on flesh.
"Ah! Byakko!" Heishin said, with a grin, as he turned to watch as Byakko threw punches at Sanosuke.
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"Kanshu! Shoken! Haishi! Hyoken! How do you like it, young one? This is Pafu Chemkun, Byakko Fists!" the brute crowed, with a lurid gleam in his eyes as he continued, "By using the form most suitable for striking certain locations, I hunt down my prey efficiently, without waste. Just like the tiger, king of the jungle, does! I, Byakko, pride myself on having the fiercest attacks of the four! I play no tricks, like analyzing or mimicking my opponent's moves. I attack, attack, attack, and attack...!" Yet, he was silenced when Sanosuke belted him one in the face.
"You talk too much, and your weak strikes are annoying! If you want to beat me, come at me with knockout blows!" Sanosuke roared, even though one part of his mind was smirking, when he heard some applause from the group behind him. But he wasn't prepared for the next strike...which was launched by a very ticked off Megumi!
"YOU IDIOT!! I told you not to use that right hand! How many times do I have to tell you?.!" Megumi snarled.
"Using your medicine cabinet as a weapon...You're starting to fit in. But whose side are you on?" Sanosuke asked, as he recovered from the blow.
"I will never let her meet my wife." Saito grumbled, as Sojiro chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Is your wife just as bad, Saito-san?" Kaoru whispered.
"All I will say is, you'd better keep the Kitsune-onna from ever using a broom as a weapon." Saito replied, with a minute trace of something resembling sympathy for the ex-fight merchant in his voice.
"Better take that as a yes, then." Kaoru murmured, with a sigh.
"Hey Kitsune-onna, let me use it one last time." Sanosuke said, when the female doctor had calmed down enough for her to listen to him.
"One last...time?" Megumi asked, surprised by this.
"Yeah. Last one." Sanosuke promised, then returned his attention to Byakko, "Besides, you wouldn't be happy, losing to a guy who's using only his left hand, would you?" Byakko only sneered at him, in response.
"Don't get carried away after one lucky hit! You over-estimate yourself." Byakko taunted, as he slapped a fist into the palm of his other hand.
"I hear that a lot, but it doesn't even bother me anymore. Actually, when I hear you say it, it just disgusts me." Sanosuke growled; not even blinking when Byakko started hitting him with multiple blows, in rapid succession.
"I'm the one who's disgusted! YOU IMBECILE!!" Byakko roared, furiously, his smile returning when he saw Sanosuke stagger under the assault. Yet, he didn't expect to get yet another sucker punch to the face.
"A second strike. You still going to tell me it's luck?" Sanosuke asked, as he spat some blood out of his mouth, and glared at the bald fighter.
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"That idiot. The right hand again!" Megumi muttered, as she slapped a hand to her face in exasperation.
"Wow. He's strong." Misao murmured, surprised by this turn of events.
"For a Tori-atama." Saito mumbled; cursing softly under his breath when he found that he was running low on both matches and cigarettes.
"Is this the first time you've seen him fight, Misao-dono?" Kenshin asked, with a slight smile.
"Hai! And all this time, I'd thought he was just another annoying guy who called me Itachi Musume...but he's actually pretty good!" Misao said, then added, as she turned to him with a smile, "Oh yeah! If I think about it, he's fought alongside you the longest, and you'd said something like 'He's one of the most dependable guys' when you were in Kyoto!"
"Aa. He is very dependable. Truly..." Kenshin said; also sensing his master's agreement, and those of Kaoru and Sojiro as well.
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"I told you, small moves won't work. I'll play along with you one more time, so come at me with a big move." Sanosuke stated, as he watched Byakko sit up, and as a sinister grin appeared on the bald fighter's face.
"Fine...If you want to die so much!" Byakko snarled, as he picked up a handful of sand, and threw it into Sanosuke's face.
"How dirty! Blinding him with sand!" Misao shouted, angrily.
"Baka! It's because he let his guard down!" Megumi added, watching with growing concern as Byakko brought out some sort of metal-spiked iron knuckles.
"Pafu Chemkun, Shadow Form! Tekki!" Byakko growled, then drove one of them into Sanosuke's stomach. For a few seconds, the two just stood there, then Byakko removed his weapon from the ex-fighter-for-hire's mid-section; watching with evil glee when Sanosuke fell to his knees, in obvious pain.
"How's that?.! Will you continue to bark like a...!" Byakko began to say, yet trailed off when Sanosuke's voice interrupted him.
"I said...small moves will...not work." Sanosuke gasped, as he positioned his hands just in front of him, "For example, big moves...are ones like...this! Futae no Kiwami!" With a tremendous blast, Byakko was thrown back away from Sanosuke.
"Wow! What was that?.!" Misao yelped, stunned by the display of power.
"That idiot. Why does he get so heated? If you use that..." Megumi groused, as she slapped a hand to her face again in aggravation.
"No." Kenshin said, stopping Megumi's tirade before it could truly begin, "Futae no Kiwami is a mastery of destruction by eliminating resistance with two simultaneous impacts. Up to now, he has been doing this with his right fist only, but this time was different. He used his right and left fists to decrease the stress by more than half. Who knows when he came up with it..."
"Shinshu." Hiko interrupted, "He used that variation for the first time in Shinshu."
"How do you know, Shishou?" Kenshin asked, curiously. This got a sidelong glance from the Thirteenth master.
"Saw it." Hiko replied; smirking again when Megumi glared at him.
"That brawl Sanosuke had mentioned...The one where you'd made 'beating one hundred guys look easy'? That one?" Megumi asked, her voice taking on a dangerous edge.
"The very same." Hiko said; not in the least bit perturbed when Megumi directed a look at him that would have made hell look like an icy tundra.
"Megumi-dono..." Kenshin murmured, uneasily, since he could sense how angry the female doctor now was with his master.
"That master of your's is as big a fool as the Tori-atama." Megumi grumbled; getting an exasperated 'Oro' from Kenshin as a response.
"Glad you think so highly of me, Kitsune-onna." Hiko retorted; still smirking, regardless.
"Yet still...all of a sudden...Sano has become more dependable than ever imaginable." Kenshin mused, knowing that Hiko would share the opinion, since, as of now, he'd fought alongside the fight merchant three times. All of them heard it when Byakko hit the sand again.
"I can't play with you anymore. Let's end this now. I'm not bored enough to dance with you." Sanosuke sneered, as he stood up again; hiding his pain well, when he stood up again. Just once more did Byakko stand up, and one final blow from Sanosuke was all it took.
"Ow...Guess this time it wasn't the hand." Sanosuke muttered, as he limped back to the boat; right hand covering the still-bleeding hole in his abdomen as he went.
"You all right, Sano?" Kaoru asked.
"Will be, in a few minutes, Jou-chan." Sanosuke replied, as he sat down on Kenshin's left hand side, then allowed Megumi to get a good look at his newest injury.
"And now it is Myojin's turn." Aoshi stated, as he returned their attention to the last two.
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"What are you all doing?.! how can you be warriors who wear the crown of Su-shin?.! How can you not win against scum like this?.!" Heishin squalled, furiously; his words getting identical glares from not only Kenshin, but also Saito and Sanosuke as well (Aoshi, in the meantime, was still unphased).
"Please do not fret. I will fill the areas the other three lacked, with all my might." Genbu reassured, then returned his attention to his young opponent.
"Don't brag so much! You haven't even been able to make one move against that brat! You are the most embarrassing of all!" Heishin snapped; his temper only rising when he saw the white-mantled swordsman rub the bridge of his nose; not unlike a parent expressing aggravation with a bratty child. Genbu only grinned.
"I, Genbu, pride myself on my extreme battle strategy. This kid has been looking for a chance to make a big move. Which is why I am not 'unable to move' but rather 'not moving' in order to observe." Genbu said, his eyes taking in the determined light in Yahiko's eyes.
"You've sensed my secret move, and seem cautious." Yahiko muttered, then thought, "But I can't stay still forever! Paths are only made by going forward!"
"Kamiya Kasshin Ryu ougi! Hawatari!" Yahiko then shouted, as he started moving swiftly towards Genbu; sliding the backs of his hands along the staff towards the larger warrior's belly.
"I see. An offensive move that seals the opponent's weapon. Then...this will do." Genbu muttered, as he twisted the staff, and it suddenly segmented itself! With an easy flick of his wrist, Genbu knocked Yahiko off of his feet.
"This Yunmo Seikuan is not an ordinary staff. It is actually a retractable six-jointed mace! Your secret move is useless against this!" Genbu crowed, as he leered at Yahiko from where he stood.
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"Yahiko!" Kaoru yelped, yet was stopped from moving to his side by Hiko.
"This is your deshi's battle." Hiko reminded, quietly, when she'd looked up at him.
"Seijuro-san is right. Besides, it would wound his pride, if you step in, now, Kamiya-san." Sojiro said, agreeing with Hiko on that point.
"But this could be bad!" Misao shouted, honestly worried about the single student of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu.
"'How could you not win against scum like this'...If the boss is spouting words like that at this point...then the future of this battle is obvious." Kenshin murmured, as they watched Yahiko get back up.
"But at this pace, Yahiko-kun will..." Megumi began to say, yet stopped when she saw the confidence in both Hiten masters' eyes.
"It will be fine, Kitsune-onna, that much is certain. The look in his eyes should be enough to tell you." Hiko stated, sensing when Yahiko's ken-ki surged through the boy again.
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"...Good eyes. Young eyes that know no yielding..." Genbu said, when he saw the challenging light in Yahiko's brown eyes; yet sneering when he added, "It will be most enjoyable to quench those eyes!" For several moments, the battle involved more dodging than Yahiko could consciously remember; his reflexes put to the ultimate test.
"The younger the opponents, the more enjoyable the fight! It is the epitome of pleasure to deprive them of their future!" Genbu laughed, as he put the mace's segments back into their staff form, and struck again; only to segment it again when Yahiko tried to block.
"Crap!" Yahiko shouted, as he got free of the mace again, then leaped.
"I've got you!" Genbu shouted, hitting the young fighter full-force in the stomach with the end of the weapon.
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Hiko flinched when he saw the hit; remembering only too well the blow he'd taken from the Iwanbo Version Three, and the damage it had caused.
"Hiko-san? Daijobu?" Kaoru asked.
"I'm fine. Just remembered the feel of that damn doll's attack, and the injury it had caused." Hiko growled; gritting his teeth when he felt Yahiko's pained ki.
"You must still be feeling it, since you've gone pale as well, Seijuro-san." Sojiro said.
"Shishou?" Kenshin asked, when he'd heard the conversation, and looked at them concernedly.
"Keep your eyes on Myojin's fight. He's about to prove how worthy he is of the strength he's learned." Hiko said, strongly; forcing himself to stand straighter in the face of the events happening just yards away.
"You're right about that." Sanosuke muttered, as they tensely watched the boy get back to his feet, and charge.
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"Where are you looking?.!" Yahiko shouted, as he rushed his opponent, yet was knocked back again.
"You brat! It had no effect...?.!" Genbu snarled.
"Why would it have no effect? My stomach hurts and my head is pounding!" Yahiko retorted, then added, "But how could I just lie down and cry? I couldn't stand it if Kaoru's words after we all return to the dojo were 'You're pathetic!'. I will fight, worthy of the name of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu's first student, and go home in victory! Now, come at me with your staff again! I will counter it with Kamiya Kasshin Ryu's ougi!"
"Fool. Your move is useless against my staff!" Genbu growled; his ire only added to, when he heard Yahiko's next words.
"You are the fool. Secrets are secrets because they can't be defeated so easily." Yahiko retorted; sensing pride within the ki of most of the people behind him, and feeling some honor when he noticed that both Hiten masters were pleased with his growing strength.
"Don't be confused by his taunts. I have already defeated his move twice. I've also given him two hard hits to the stomach and head, and this opponent is just a kid!" Genbu rationalized, then said, "I will do as you wish, but this is the end!"
"All right. Come!" Yahiko challenged. Seconds later, the staff was heading for his head again. With a loud yell, Yahiko prepared to block the blow; actually preventing the staff from unlocking by jamming the end of his shinai's hilt into the end of it!
"What?.!" Genbu yelped, startled by this development.
"Here...If I push on the end of the staff..." Yahiko muttered, as he held the staff there.
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"He didn't grab it with his hands..." Megumi murmured, equally as surprised as Genbu had looked.
"No. The fine balance of force at the tip of the staff...that's the answer. In this situation, Genbu will have to back off in order to unlock the staff. But if he backs away carelessly, he will be open to Hawatari, and, if he tries to force him down, Yahiko will move the point to Hawatari. The purpose of Hadome, Blade Halting, is to create a situation where the opponent's weapon is stopped and can be brought to Hawatari. Yahiko understands this purpose, and was not stuck on the usual form, allowing him to improvise according to the situation; using the ougi to its' full potential." Kenshin explained, then smiled, "Every time he fights, he becomes stronger."
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"Because of it's bizarre construction, the staff's durability is really reduced...Now, what will you do? Push, or back off? If you don't act soon, your weapon is gone." Yahiko warned, then said, a few moments later, "Time's up. You lose!" And he was proven right, when Genbu's weapon shattered, just seconds later.
"How?.! how can Su-shin lose to such a kid?.!" Heishin screeched, when he saw the last of his warriors fall.
"Do you still not understand?" Kenshin asked, getting a genuinely scared look from Heishin as a response.
"The outcome of battle is influenced not only by the body, but by the mind as well. These four were fighting to lend me their strength. However, they also fight with strong convictions of their own, deep within their hearts. For Saito, it is Justice. For Aoshi, Philosophy. For Sanosuke, it's a Way of Life. And for Yahiko, it is the Future. These four will not lose to those who fight for enjoyment, godly beasts or not. Once again, they are trusted friends, not scum." Kenshin murmured, even though his words were filled with strength.
"How degrading...A friend of Battousai..." Saito grumbled, his annoyance at this only too noticeable.
"It could always be worse, Saito-san." Sojiro said, in his usual cheery tone.
"Feh, don't remind me." Saito muttered; his expression almost deadpan, at this point. They all watched with amusement as Heishin started cursing broadly, and then turned around and ran.
"Ah, he's running! And such a girly run it is, too!" Misao taunted, as the Chinese man raced away...Yet didn't get far when he ran right into Enishi, and the white-haired man bashed him aside.
"Writhe there in pain for a while. I'll feed you to the sharks later." Enishi snarled, his tone sending chills down almost everyone's backs.
"Is that...Yukishiro Enishi...?" Sojiro asked, shivering despite himself.
"He's better looking than I had imagined...but...he looks very evil...Hatred emanates from him..." Misao murmured, edgily, as the vengeance-driven man approached them.
"Get up, Battousai." Enishi commanded, then looked at Hiko.
"Both of us again, yarou? Why?" Hiko asked, his tone extremely calm.
"You were the one who had taught this man the techniques that killed my sister. As such, you are also her murderer." Enishi snarled, his eyes tinged with red as he said those words.
"It is as I'd told you before. I did not have a student that went by the name Battousai...but a fool who went by the name of Himura Kenshin. You'd said you were but a boy when your sister died, correct?" Hiko asked, as he got in front of Kaoru, and boldly gazed right at Enishi.
"Yes." Enishi hissed.
"I can somewhat understand that much, since he went through a similar tragedy before I could get there. Three innocent women died right in front of him...and yet..." Hiko murmured, turning his head slightly to look at Kenshin as he spoke, "Even afterwards, there wasn't a desire for vengeance...Only a desire for the strength to protect the weak."
"Shishou..." Kenshin muttered, stunned that his master was speaking in his defense.
"You've wasted ten years desiring vengeance against a man who has ceased to exist." Hiko said, those words alone getting an enraged response from Enishi.
"Enough! Are you going to fight or not?" Enishi growled, reining in his rage just enough. With a nod, Kenshin stood up, and Hiko once again shed his mantle.
"Hiko-san? You're going to fight too? What about Kamiya-san?" Sojiro asked, when he'd noticed the older warrior preparing himself for the fight.
"It's something I can't avoid...Besides, with this many surrounding her, she should be safe enough. The son of a samurai, a Wolf of Mibu, a former member of the Sekihoutai, the previous and current Okashira of the Oniwabanshu, and you, the son of another Wolf of Mibu...If you can't protect Kamiya, then I don't know who we'll be able to depend on." Hiko said, yet gave Kaoru a reassuring smirk.
"Be careful." Kaoru softly urged; worried about the two, and knowing that this would be the final battle.
"Don't worry, Kaoru-dono. Everything will soon by fine." Kenshin said, as he followed Enishi a short distance down the beach, with Hiko at his side.
"This terrain is going to be difficult for me to maneuver on, so our victory may rest on you, and your smaller build." Hiko murmured, when they were the desired distance away. Kenshin nodded.
"Aa. Just be careful, Shishou. His ki is slightly different than before." Kenshin replied, before taking a position opposite Enishi.
"I've noticed. He's bringing his all to this fight...and we can't afford to do any less." Hiko muttered, as he also stood opposing the white-haired man. Once again, things were coming full circle...but how was this battle going to end?
Author's Note!
Extremely difficult chapter to write! I'm just glad that it turned out somewhat satisfactory! (Otherwise, Saito probably would have made me commit Seppuku! Lol.) Hope the battles made sense!
Gemini14