Chapter 18: Conditions of the Spirit

Kenshin was mortified inside, but any proof of that fear, and he would've been laughed out of the place. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, drying to dispose of his worry, but in turn only making it worse. Come on, Himura… Put some faith in it…

"-and… BEGIN!" Hiko yelled.

Kenshin's eyes widened. He didn't even get the chance to draw before Saitou ran at him.

"Ah-" Kenshin dodged it beautifully, removing his sakabatou from his sheath. "I don't think so…"

Saitou brought his blade down at Kenshin, but Kenshin blocked it with his own blade. "You're persistent… much more than you used to be."

"You hardly know me!" Kenshin broke Saitou's attack and jumped back on the mat. Saitou smirked and raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

So… He still won't give into the fact that he's reincarnated. You'd think that if he remembered anything, he know that it's true.

Kenshin stared him down. I've got to do something, de gozaru yo! -but… I don't know swordsmanship… Or at least… I don't remember it… He shut his eyes for a moment. I have to think… THAT'S IT!

He opened his eyes again and saw Saitou preparing an attack, a dangerous looking one. He gulped. "Do I… believe… in reincarnation?" He asked himself.

The memories came flooding into his head. His eyes widened. He could only see patches of reality and memory, and they were… almost identical… Suddenly, he was seeing himself battling Saitou when he hadn't even begun.

The gymnasium became dead silent, Kenshin's eyes shadowed out by his bangs. "So… we've fought before… have we Saitou?…" Kenshin's voice was dangerously casual.

"Misao," Aoshi greeted firmly, running in. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Kenshin. "Do you sense that?"

"YOU'RE LATE!"

"I had to run here." Aoshi glared at her.

"Why are you wearing a trench coat?"

Saitou stayed in stance. "Himura…" He muttered. "Himura Kenshin."

"Wrong…" Kenshin muttered.

An image entered his head of his parents, bloody and dead.

"Very… wrong…" He mumbled.

He could see death around him, and then the mysterious girl in the white kimono… Tomoe… He knew who it was…

"If I'm wrong, then who are you?"

"I am… Himura…" He stepped forward, lifting his blade in the air. "I am HIMURA THE BATTOUSAI!" He yelled, his eyes still violet, but narrow and scary.

Everyone gasped.

Saitou merely laughed. "Not even close," He said, standing normally. "Are you trying to scare me, Himura--"

"Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu… RYU TSUI SEN!" Kenshin came at him from above, slamming his sakabatou blade down on Saitou's shoulder. "Off guard…"

"Touché, Himura, I'm impressed," Saitou said, holding his shoulder as Kenshin jumped back.

Kenshin smirked.

"-but you flawed."

"oro?"

"You didn't keep attacking!" Saitou swung his blade down on the mat, and the floor seemed to erupt. Kenshin flew backwards into the bleachers.

"KENSHIN!" Kaoru cried.

Kenshin rose up, and his face bled, his jacket destroyed.

"Well, now…" Saitou said. "It appears you yet again have that cross-shaped scar, Himura."

Kenshin tossed the remains of his jacket away, now only in his pants and a white t-shirt that was already staining at the top from the blood dripping down his face.

"You caught me off guard that time, Saitou," Kenshin said. "Not bad." He clambered out of the mangled bleachers, almost unscathed, and stepped onto the now ripped padding.

"Next time, I'll make sure you don't get up for awhile," Saitou said, his eyes narrowing.

"You won't get the chance for a next time," Kenshin said, his face unchanging, as if he had become a puppet, void of emotions, only powered by will to fight.

"Really now," Saitou seemed interested in his offer. "We'll see. You haven't even glimpsed at my Gatotsu style… well, not since… was it 1879? I'm not sure…" He couldn't quit sneering, and it seemed that it was angering Kenshin.

"This has to stop before it gets out of hand," Misao said, clutching her heart.

"You're right," Aoshi said, reaching into the back of his trench coat.

Misao gasped. "The kodachi!"

"Indeed," Aoshi said, holding out his weapon. "They say that there is nothing like the direct approach."

This is getting worse… Misao thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Kenshin and Saitou had commenced to fighting. To the untrained eye, it looked as though Saitou was winning by his years of experience, but Aoshi and Misao could both see that Kenshin was slowly gaining strength over time, not losing it.

Saitou's sword clashed against Kenshin's. Kenshin pushed Saitou off, then turned around and blocked the surprise attack by Aoshi.

"What are you doing here?" Saitou questioned.

"Himura," Aoshi said darkly, "I will knock you out."

"Try me…" Kenshin muttered. Aoshi's eyes widened. He could see gold at the rims of the boy's eyes.

I'd better get this done quickly. Then, once he wakes up, I'll explain it all to him.

"Ken… shin…." Kaoru muttered.

"Kenshin…" Sano whispered, his fists clenching.

"Kenshin," Hiko's eyes narrowed.

"Now," Aoshi and Saitou both said, holding their blades up the middle of their faces (split screen! ;). "Let's begin!" They attacked.

Kenshin jumped back. "You two should fight each other…" Kenshin said as Saitou's and Aoshi's blades collided.

"Saitou," Aoshi muttered. "Look at his eyes."

Saitou glanced in Kenshin's direction.

"Finally…" He smirked. "It's about to get interesting."

"What?!" Aoshi cried.

Saitou broke their attack and went for Kenshin from the right. Aoshi headed towards the left. Kenshin's eyes switched views, looking at Saitou, then Aoshi, Saitou, Aoshi, then straight ahead.

"Two against one… Now… that's not fair, is it," Kenshin lifted his blade. "HAH!" He slammed it on the ground and sent shockwaves in both Saitou and Aoshi's direction. They both flew backwards.

The gym door flew open. "I can feel something… something really familiar in here," Yahiko muttered, walking in slowly. He gasped as he saw the battle taking place. Megumi ran in behind him.

"Ken-san!" She exclaimed.

"Megumi-san! You felt it too?" Yahiko asked.

"Of course," She nodded.

Kaoru and Sano could feel it too. They weren't sure what it was at first, but it seemed there were flashes in front of their eyes every few seconds or so, flashes of samurai and battle and all sorts of things like that. It was too fast to comprehend at first, though they were aware that it was taking place, and soon enough, Yahiko and Megumi were seeing it too.

You still don't know?

The four of them gasped.

A fight isn't just determined by the body. It largely depends on the condition of the spirit.

The visions began to flow, as if a scene from a movie, and they could all see it.

These four are now fighting to lend me their strength. Their own fights unfolded according to the strongest feelings held deep in their hearts.

Sano's eyes widened.

Justice.

Yahiko's eyes widened.

Faith.

Megumi's eyes widened.

Living.

Kaoru's eyes widened.

The future…

Everyone took a deep breath.

Even with the names of divine beasts, those who fight for their own pleasure could never defeat them.

Kaoru could see Kenshin saying something, putting his arms around her and walking away. Sano could see himself battling him and being enlightened, but not knowing by what. Yahiko could see Kenshin sitting by the river with him, telling him something to make him finally understand, but he couldn't hear his voice. Megumi could see Kenshin standing in the doorway, telling her something that was changing her mind, but she didn't know what it was about.

I'll say it again. Those here with me have my complete trust. They're my friends.