With Tomoe dead, there was no longer a reason for Miryu to hide anything from Kenshin. She knew that it would be harsh on him, but it would be harder on him if she told him later. It was already two weeks, and yet Kenshin spoke no word to anybody. The children that often played with them did not come to their home any longer. However, she often threw smiles at the children whenever they passed by. When one of them asked her where Tomoe was, she answered, "She has gone far away, where she will be happier"
The child's face lighted up when she heard that Tomoe would be happier. Tears immediately welled up in Miryu's sapphire eyes. Just as the girl walked home, the sight of a familiar silhouette began walking towards her. "Tsubasa, I am happy that you are alive", the silhouette said to her, turning out to be Katsura.
Her sapphire eyes then lit up when Katsura said that he wanted to see Kenshin. The hitokiri with hair like red flame was reading the diary that Tomoe always wrote in, and found the truth which no one told him about. Not even Miryu: Kiyosato was Tomoe's fiancé, who fell under his blade. Immediately, regret filled Kenshin's heart. "Tomoe one-san told me to keep it a secret from you" Miryu said, looking at the white diary. "She did not want you to feel regret over what you've done. Kiyosato did what he needed to do, and so did you" She did not mean to be tactless or snide, but she knew that Kenshin needed to hear the truth most of all.
"It is unfortunate that you have killed her fiancé" Katsura said as he was standing at the door. "And unfortunate that she had to fall in love with you" His words could not be put any better, short, concise, and straight to the point without leaving any scars. Miryu kept her silence. Katsura knew that Miryu had a peculiar bond with Tomoe. She was caught in a world of men since her birth, and Tomoe was the only woman about her age. Although the latter had tried to kill her, she did not mind it at all. She even yearned for her company as the days passed. "It is all just two pieces of very bad luck. You were betrayed, the both of you, not Choushu" At his last sentence, both Kenshin and Miryu looked at him in confusion. "I have already found the traitor, and have found the hitokiri to get rid of him"
Miryu gave him a dry laugh. "So, you are planning to send us out of our profession?" she asked him. Katsura shook his head. In the depths of his mind, he could imagine Iizuka being slashed into pieces, entombed by the flames that came from the new hitokiri's katana. He deserved it.
"I need you two to be the defenders of the Ishin-Ishishi" Katsura said. His voice was grave, his eyes cold as always. "Our men are being hunted down like dogs by the Bakufu. We need you to stand up for them, to reveal yourselves from the shadows and fight our enemies openly" It was then immediately clear that the times had changed, and so did their roles in the Ishin. Kenshin and Miryu were the only ones strong enough to protect the others from the likes of the Shinsen-Gumi and the other dogs of the Bakufu. It was a fact both of them knew very well. "As for the man taking over your positions, he is capable of handling what you did in the past, though his background and style are largely unknown… Listen to me; the both of you need to be the darkest demons in order to pave the brightest new beginning"
The two students of the Hiten-Mitsurugi then looked at Katsura. If they were out in the open, they would gain many new enemies. But, they would be a whole lot closer in attaining their goals. Miryu could tear apart the Bakufu that depraved her of her mother, while Kenshin… he could pave a new world, where happiness would be brought by little joys of the populace. Thus, he answered for the both of them, "We will continue to do your bidding, Katsura-san, but after all this ends, I will not take a life, for as long as I live"
"Will you cast away the sword?"
"No"
The night was cold, as two of the Ishin-Ishishi patriots ran for their lives. Okita Souji and his First Division were hot on their trail. But, the tinkle of a bell could be heard, and a flash of amber-laced sapphire and amethyst could be seen in the dark of the night. "You will go no further", a woman's voice said. Immediately, two katana were unsheathed. Okita knew who they were dealing with without them revealing themselves. There was only two of attacked together, one carrying the late Ryumiko's katana. It had to be them; it had to be Battousai and Battouryu…
"Red hair and the cross-shaped scar!" exclaimed one of Okita's comrades, "Blue eyes, and the word 'ryu'…" said the other. Okita confirmed their guesses, and the hitokiri revealed themselves. He did not want to fight Miryu, for her ancestry was already an open secret, and went for Kenshin instead. After only a few exchanged blows, Saito emerged and stopped them from continuing.
He smirked, and unsheathed his sword. "You are not well, my friend" he said, "Let me handle them" He wanted to see how far has his god-niece progressed, as well as her compatriot, for he knew, that there was hardly anyone who could match their prowess. He wanted to know if they were really that powerful and fearsome.
However, Miryu refused to fight Saito, attacking Okita instead. So it came to be that the dragons of the Hiten-Mitsurugi came to clash with the wolves of the Shinsen-Gumi, and in the year 1868, in the midst of battle-cries and gunfire mixed with the sounds of katana upon katana, the new age came, and Emperor Meiji came into power.
Battouryu, named for her prowess and beauty became one of the Emperor's most trusted, and yet most secret bodyguards, while Battousai dissolved into the shadows. No one heard of neither of them, nor seen any of them, until their pasts came to haunt them yet again…