As time passed, Kenshin and Miryu got beaten up more and more, while the old ninja kept enjoying himself. What can mere children do to kill me? He asked himself. He could kill the both of them easily, if they continued to be like this. But, his orders were to bring Battouryu to the Shinsen-Gumi alive and unspoiled. No matter how much they tried, they still could not beat him. Smashing Kenshin across the chest with his upper-arm, his young opponent was sent flying onto the ground. It was Taijutsu Goufubaku of the Muteki-Style, and it was downright useful against an opponent that was bleeding profusely and who had lost quite a number of his senses.
Miryu, however, was not one to give up. Summoning her strength to execute the Hiten-Mitsurugi Style's Ku-Zu-Ryu-Sen, she found herself too weak to gather the required speed and power. Although she was more powerful than Kenshin was, and learnt the technique before he did, she still could not gather the strength to even to stand. But, the old ninja knew exactly when she was about to attack him, and punched her in her abdomen, causing her to spew blood from her mouth.
Looking at the carnage, Tomoe gripped her head with her hands as she rocked from side to side. I'm bringing about the deaths of my second love… She said to herself. Looking at Miryu, she felt more remorse. The young female warrior had tried anything to protect her secrets and her person although she knew that Tomoe wanted to her dead. No, there will be no more death!
Outside the small shrine, Kenshin and Miryu fought on. Stroke after stroke, they delivered to the old ninja what Hiko had passed onto them. Without even knowing it, their attacks became highly-synchronized, finally gaining what little hope they could muster in defeating their enemy. Kenshin fought him from the front, while Miryu from the back, two dragons of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu attacking as one, two child-prodigies living out their destiny.
"Hmph, you are young and inexperienced!" the old ninja exclaimed when he dodged another of their attacks. "To be so easily outwitted by an old fox like me, you can never hope to win!" Miryu parried one stroke of his dagger, and cut his foot with her titanium katana. "Feel Death inching closer!"
"We refuse!" Miryu shouted, and prepared to deliver what she thought was the attack to end their ordeal- Amakakeru-Ryu-No-Hirameki, the ougi of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu. However, Kenshin went straight ahead, raising his sword, ready to incapacitate the ninja before him. Immediately, she changed her plans, and continued to mirror Kenshin's moves. Instead, what she saw was a flash of white and the smell of white-plum. Regaining her sight, she saw Tomoe between Kenshin and their opponent, with her tanto in her hand. Kenshin's sword slashed right through her to reach the old ninja, while Miryu's missed their vital organs by few millimeters.
At that moment, both Kenshin and Miryu immediately rushed to Tomoe's side. With what strength she still had, Tomoe used her tanto to cut another line on Kenshin's cheek, forming a cross, While on Miryu, she carved the word "Ryu" on her neck, where it could be easily covered by her flowing ebony hair. "Forgive me…" she murmured, before breathing her last. It was at that moment when Kenshin and Miryu screamed her name, praying for her to open her eyes, but she did not. Tomoe was lost to them. Forever.
Not far from them, Enishi saw everything. He was stunned. Stunned that Kenshin and Miryu could defeat the old ninja, and stunned that his sister was dead. There was no way that Tomoe could be dead! He fell onto the ground as the hitokiri carried his sister down the mountain. "Ne…san…" he murmured, but no answer came. Only the howling winter wind responded, by enveloping his shaking body with immeasurable numbness, so that he could feel no sadness, nor pain…